《Emmy And Me》


 The Day Before (Prologue)

    Tuesday morning in Home Room our teacher, Miss Takei, called me up to her desk. We¡¯d already gotten through the announcements and so on, so it was during the ¡®do your homework, you lazy slobs¡¯ part of the hour. All my homework was already finished and my big assignments were all on track, so I was reading the day¡¯s newspaper. Miss Takei thought that was an excellent way to help educate fine, involved and informed young adults (I¡¯ve heard her say it so many times I could recite the speech from memory) and it helped pass the time, so why not? And anyway, maybe she was right. A little knowledge of the world that doesn¡¯t come from thirty second sound bites on cable news is probably a good idea.


    Curious why she called me up, I asked her what was going on. ¡°I¡¯m not in trouble or anything, am I?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, no, Miss Farmer.¡± Miss Takei was always formal like that. The only teacher in Fallbrook High School who insisted on using our last names. Some of the kids thought it was ridiculous, but I found it kind of charming. ¡°She is a relic of her times,¡± my mom said about her. Nobody really knew how old Miss Takei was, but she¡¯d been teaching at FHS for over forty years. The rumor was that she¡¯d actually been born in one of the internment camps for Japanese Americans during World War Two, but I wasn''t convinced.


    Anyhow, she went on to explain ¡°Actually, quite the opposite. You are considered one of the best of your class by the administration, and of course by me as well. No, what I wanted to ask you is if you could do a favor for the school. Tomorrow we will have a new student at FHS, and her class schedule is very similar to yours.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Not only is this girl new to our school, but our whole educational system. Her family just moved here from France, so an American school may present some challenges for her. Principal Spencer requested that I ask you to be her guide through her first days here, to ease her into our way of doing things.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in my classes? If she¡¯s never been to school in the U.S. how did she get into AP Bio? Or AP English?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a result of her placement tests, dear. Apparently she is an outstanding student, and I hope that having her in our school will increase our understanding of foreign cultures.¡±


    ¡°But we have exchange students all the time,¡± I protested. ¡°How is this any different?¡±


    ¡°That is a good question,¡± she responded. ¡°Most exchange students have host families with students of similar age, and so those host family members provide the same service I¡¯m asking from you. Since Miss Lascaux moved here with her family, she does not have that safety net.¡±


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    ¡°Well, O.K., I guess. What do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°I expect it won¡¯t take much effort on your part. Just go to Mr. Spencer¡¯s office the moment you get to school, before homeroom.¡± I was usually fifteen to twenty minutes early, so that would be plenty of time.


    ¡°After you are introduced to Miss Lascaux, just show her to her classes, and explain the bell system, the cafeteria, and so on. That¡¯s all.¡± She gave me her grandma smile, and I found myself agreeing to what she asked. How could anybody say no?


    At lunch I told Courtney, Allie and Tom about it. Courtney asked about one of the things I found so odd.


    ¡°AP English? Really? A girl from France can get into an English class that most native speakers can¡¯t? How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°I know a lot of Europeans learn English starting really young,¡± offered Allie. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s been studying it for years?¡±


    ¡°I figure that¡¯s probably it,¡± I said. ¡°And besides, have you heard how most kids here actually talk? Most don¡¯t know the difference between a noun and a verb, or even care.¡± I guess that¡¯s me channeling my mom¡¯s voice. She teaches English Lit at the Community College and would be very upset with me if I spoke the way most teens do. It¡¯s not that she¡¯s that much of a stickler for perfect phrasing, but it¡¯s always been very important to her that I at least understand the rules.


    ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s like?¡± mused Tom. ¡°Some sort of Euronerd? If she¡¯s that great of a student, she¡¯s probably a bookworm.¡± Then, realizing that I¡¯d said that she was in most of the same AP classes as me and therefore he was painting me with the same brush, he fumbled. ¡°What I meant was that anybody who could be an ¡®A¡¯ student in a completely different language must be really smart,¡± he finished weakly.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I admitted. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Allie said, ¡°If Principal Spencer specifically asked for you to do this it must mean you are on his ¡®good kid¡¯ list. That¡¯s gotta be worth something¡­¡± she trailed off.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. Miss Takei explained that this new girl has almost all the same classes as me, so it might just be that I was the best candidate for that reason alone,¡± I objected.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Courtney interjected. ¡°If you weren¡¯t on the ¡®good list¡¯ he just would have found somebody else who was. No, it¡¯s clear that you have racked up plenty of brownie points.¡±


    ¡°Brownie points?¡± I objected. ¡°As in, points you get for ¡®brown-nosing¡¯? When have I ever done that?¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K. I¡¯ve never seen you actually kiss up to anybody, so maybe that¡¯s not the greatest choice in words. But still, somehow you¡¯ve made your way onto the ¡®good kid¡¯ list. Hopefully you can somehow use that to your advantage when it¡¯s time for college applications.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­¡± I trailed off, thinking about college apps. Mom wants me to think big and apply to some heavy hitter schools, but the idea of a jillion dollars in loans after I get out isn¡¯t too appealing. I figure a good mid-level public school is probably my best bet in the long run. I mean, sure, I have good grades and I did well on the SAT, but still¡­

 First Day

    I got to school early, same as always. I wish the city bus schedule would allow me a few more minutes of sleep, but it¡¯s either be twenty minutes early or ten minutes late so it¡¯s early to bed and early to rise for me.


    Mrs. Bradley (the school Secretary) just waved me back to Principal Spencer¡¯s office as soon as I walked in the front door. ¡°They¡¯re already in, just waiting for you, Leah,¡± she said, barely looking up from her computer screen.


    Whatever it was that I expected, the girl waiting for me inside Mr. Spencer¡¯s office certainly wasn¡¯t it.


    She looked exactly the way you¡¯d expect a French schoolgirl should look: White button-front shirt, dark blue cardigan, knee length dark blue pleated skirt, with white socks and Mary Janes. Her hair was cut in a long bob, with a ribbon the same color as the sweater for a hair band. As I said, exactly as you¡¯d picture her.


    But also, and more importantly, completely different. Shockingly, utterly different.


    I have to admit that I just stood and stared at her at first. I¡¯d never seen anybody like her. Heck, I¡¯d never even imagined anybody like this new girl. I¡¯d never imagined anybody could have skin as black as ink, as black as fresh asphalt. I mean, sure, I¡¯ve seen some pretty dark-skinned black people before. After all, Anna in my history class was born in Nigeria, and was the darkest-skinned person I¡¯d ever seen- until now.


    The thing was, this girl standing in front of me there in the Principal¡¯s office was just a completely different color than any person of African descent I¡¯d ever seen. This girl¡¯s skin didn¡¯t even have the slightest hint of brown in it. Where Anna, my Nigerian classmate, was a really dark brown this new girl¡¯s skin color was like a really dark gray. A really, really dark gray- close, but not quite, to pitch black.


    To add to the strangeness of her appearance she had the whitest hair I¡¯ve ever seen. Platinum blonde didn¡¯t even begin to describe it. I was sure at first it was a wig until I noticed her eyebrows and even her lashes were just the same brilliant, amazing white.


    After the initial surprise (and I¡¯m sure I looked like a complete idiot, standing there staring) I noticed her eyes. Her eyes were green. I¡¯m not talking hazel, or even your ordinary green or anything like that. No, I mean really, really green. Green like a cat¡¯s eyes, green as the fresh cut grass at the baseball stadium. Green as the bottles of beer my dad used to drink. ¡®Contact lenses¡¯, I thought. Nobody actually has eyes like that.


    This has to be some kind of put-on, it occurred to me. Has to be. People just do not look like this. Not outside of Japanese cartoons, anyway.


    I don¡¯t know how long I stared. It seemed like forever, but I¡¯m sure it couldn¡¯t have been any more than say, fifteen or twenty minutes. At least, that¡¯s the way it felt to me. Fifteen or twenty seconds is probably more accurate. Finally, though, this crazy-looking girl spoke, breaking through my stunned silence.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you. My name is Emmy,¡± she said. Her accent was noticeable but not too strong at all.


    Broken out of my shock, I said ¡°Leah¡±, and automatically took her hand when she held it out to shake. She didn¡¯t shake it, though. She just held my hand for a moment. Just another oddity on what was shaping up into a very odd morning.


    ¡°Thank you for agreeing to help me today.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± was my reply. Again, just an automatic response to familiar stimuli. Inside I was still trying to process it all, but at least on the outside I was starting to recover my composure.


    Principal Spencer broke in at that point. ¡°Miss Lasko is signed up for almost all the same classes as you are, Leah. It would be great if you could show her around, get Emerald acquainted with the lay of the land, so to speak. If you could please come back to my office at the end of the day that would be fantastic.¡±


    He handed Emerald, Emmy, some papers and said ¡°The bell is about to ring. You two had better get to Home Room,¡± and ushered us out the door.


    Once outside, Emmy turned to me. ¡°You do not need to be my guide. I have my emp- uh,¡± she paused to think of the word, ¡°schedule.¡± She said it American style, which kind of surprised me a bit. I guess I would have expected somebody from France to learn English-style English. ¡°I have the plan, too,¡± she said, holding up a map of the school. ¡°I do not wish to impose.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s O.K., really,¡± I said. ¡°We have mostly the same classes- that¡¯s what Principal Spencer said. Let me see your sked.¡± I held out my hand, but she looked puzzled.


    ¡°Your schedule. Sorry¡± I apologized. Understanding, she handed me the papers that the principal had given her. Looking at it, I realized it was true. She was going to be in every class of mine but fourth period art, when she had music instead.


    ¡°See, we do have virtually the same classes. We¡¯ll be together pretty much all day anyhow, so it¡¯s no problem. It¡¯ll be my pleasure.¡±


    Standing next to her, the two of us looking at her schedule together, it hit me how petite she was. Although she wasn¡¯t particularly short, it seemed to me as if I were towering over her.


    O.K., I¡¯m tall, I know that. At six feet even I¡¯m the tallest girl in school and taller than a lot of the boys as well, but I didn¡¯t often feel ¡®big¡¯. Standing next to this new girl, though, sure hammered it home. Emmy was about average height, maybe 5¡¯ 6¡± or so, but her slenderness made her seem tiny next to me. Maybe more accurately, made me seem enormous next to her. Mental note to self: avoid mirrors while next to Emmy. It wouldn¡¯t be good for my ego.


    Walking to Home Room, I asked ¡°Is Emmy short for Emerald?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Emerald Lascaux.¡± She pronounced it nothing like Principal Spencer had. ¡°I prefer to be called Emmy.¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Leah Farmer. Pleased to meet you, Emmy Lascaux,¡± I said, in a mock formal tone. ¡°Welcome to Fallbrook High School.¡±


    ¡°Merci beaucoup,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°I am very pleased to be here.¡±


    As we headed across the quad to class, she paused to pull a pair of glasses from her cardigan¡¯s pocket. As she put them on I noticed the lenses were tinted an odd shade of orange. I guess she caught my quizzical look, because she smiled, and explained ¡°Prescription lenses. My eyes are very sensitive and these help prevent headaches.¡± They also hide your bright green eyes, too, I thought. It struck me that everywhere this strange-looking girl goes people must react just as moronically as I had. Thinking about how stupid I must have looked when I first saw her, I blushed, but she didn¡¯t notice. Thanks for small favors, they say.


    Home Room was an experience. I was embarrassed for Emmy, but she seemed totally unfazed. When we walked in, all conversation stopped. Even Miss Takei was left speechless for a moment- and that¡¯s a rarity. She¡¯s never surprised by anything. Ever.


    Recovering quickly, though, she announced to the class ¡°We have someone new in class today. Her name is Emerald Lascaux, and she¡¯s from Paris, France. Today is her first day in an American school, so please welcome her to FHS.¡±


    ¡°Emerald,¡± she continued, but Emmy interrupted.


    ¡°Please, Madame. I prefer Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Emmy it is, then,¡± the teacher granted. ¡°Please call me Miss Takei. Anyhow, Emmy, I don¡¯t want to put you on the spot, but it would be wonderful if you could tell us a little about yourself.¡±


    I would have melted right into the floor and died if that were me up there, but Emmy had no apparent problem with public speaking. She stood in front of the class and talked for a while about her old school in Paris, and where she lived. She explained that Paris was divided into areas called ¡°arrondisements¡±. She explained that her family had moved to Southern California because of her father¡¯s business, and so on.


    Almost the entire hour went by before somebody finally asked the question they were all dying to know, in a roundabout way. Honestly, I was curious, too, but would never have brought the subject up.


    ¡°Is that your real hair color? That¡¯s amazing!¡± said Isabelle, who could generally be counted on to speak first and think later, if ever.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy said. ¡°In truth, my hair has no color at all. It is like¡­¡± she searched for the right words ¡°the string that people use to catch fish. Each hair strand, alone, is transparent, but combined together they look white. Perhaps a better description is like snow. Snow flakes are just water and have no color at all, but they look white because they reflect light. That¡¯s what my hair is like.


    ¡°I know it seems strange, but I am a sort of, uh, albinos.¡± She looked to Miss Takei for help.


    ¡°Albino, like a white rabbit?¡± asked the teacher.


    ¡°Yes! That is right. My hair has no pigment and my skin has no ability to resist the rays of the sun,¡± she went on. ¡°Sometimes it makes it hard for people to accept me because of the way I look, but I have learned to not take it too personally.¡±


    And just like that, with that simple explanation, we all felt like idiots for the way we¡¯d acted. Well, I did anyway. Thinking about it later, I realized that Emmy¡¯d probably used that trick many times before. Enlist a person¡¯s sympathy and in their embarrassment they¡¯ll bend over backwards to act as if it were no big deal. By talking about school, her neighborhood , and all the rest, she¡¯d convinced us of how normal she was. Just another kid, albeit one from a different country. Then, when she told us of her medical condition we all felt like jerks for even noticing how very, very different she looked. The way people pretend to not notice a wheel chair, or a speech impediment.


    Emmy, though, seemed completely at ease with the attention. All eyes were on her, and she knew it. It was the same in first period math, and second period, too. She¡¯d introduce herself, smile at everyone, and sit down as if nothing out of the ordinary were going on. As if she¡¯d done it a million times.


    Fourth period she had music and I had art, so I showed her where her class was, told her I¡¯d see her at lunch, and hurried to my stupid art class.


    In art, some of the other kids were talking about her. News of the strange foreign student had certainly gotten around the campus, apparently.


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s, like, some kind of mutant¡± said Candace.


    ¡°I saw her in the quad after second period. She looks freaky, all right,¡± agreed Stephanie. She turned to me. ¡°Leah, you were with her. What¡¯s, like, her story?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Look. She¡¯s really nice, and here¡¯s the deal. She just moved here with her family from France, but she speaks better English than most people in this school do. The way she looks is from some kind of hereditary condition. She said it was kind of like albinism.¡± Seeing the blank looks on their idiotic faces, I explained ¡°She doesn¡¯t have normal color in her skin or hair. Most albinos are very pale and have pink eyes, like a white rabbit, but hers is different. Her hair has no color, but her skin is as black as this charcoal¡± I said, holding up my sketching stick.


    ¡°So I was right, then. She is some kind of mutant!¡± said Candace.


    ¡°Chyeah!¡± agreed Stephanie.


    I couldn¡¯t really focus on the still life I was supposed to be sketching. I was thinking about Emmy, and what Stephanie and Candace had just said. They¡¯re just morons, but it still managed to bother me more than it should.


    I got to the caf as quickly as I could, hoping I¡¯d beat Emmy there because the music rooms were closer to the caf than my art class was. I got there first, and waiting for her I could hear little bits of gossip floating around me. It was all, and I mean all, about the new girl. When Emmy walked in, everybody turned to look at her, the chatter abruptly stopping, just like in an old Western movie when the guy walks into the saloon. It almost made me laugh, the scene was so ridiculous.


    Looking around, Emmy spotted me and gave me a happy smile.¡°How was art class?¡± she asked, as she followed me into line for lunch.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I replied. ¡°How about your music class?¡±


    ¡°It was fun. There are some good musicians at this school. Tomorrow I will bring my guitar,¡± she said as I handed her a tray. ¡°No, thank you. I brought my lunch,¡± she explained.


    ¡°I wish I could get my act together enough to pack lunch,¡± I said, enviously. ¡°The caf lunch is pretty bad.¡± Grabbing a cellophane-wrapped sandwich, a bag of chips and an orange soda, I moved to the cashier. I noticed that the noise level in the lunchroom was back to normal, and only a few kids were still stealing glances in Emmy¡¯s direction.


    After paying, I led Emmy to the table where my friends were already sitting.


    I introduced her to Courtney and Allie, but before I could introduce him, Tom interrupted.


    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Tom. Welcome to FHS! How has your first day been?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Tom. It has been very good today. Everyone is so very nice,¡± she replied, amused. This seemed to break the ice, and all three bombarded Emmy with questions. Laughing, she pulled a small bag from her backpack, and opened it to reveal her lunch- a bottle of Perrier and a gold-and-red apple. That was it. No wonder she is such a twig, I thought. I¡¯d die of starvation if that were all I had to eat.


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    ¡°Would you like a piece of apple? It¡¯s very good,¡± Emmy said, bringing me back to the here and now. I looked at the slice of apple. My first thought was how ridiculous it was, her offering to share her tiny little lunch, when I had so much more on my plate. With a flash, it occurred to me that it might be rude to not accept her offer, and perhaps even more rude to not share mine with her.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I took the apple slice and asked her if she¡¯d like some of my potato chips.


    ¡°No, thank you very much. It is kind of you to offer.¡± The bright smile she flashed as she spoke this oddly formal response startled me a bit- her teeth were so very, very white in that strange dark face.


    I¡¯d spent most of the day with Emmy so by this point I should have been used to how she looked, but still every time I glanced in her direction I found myself a little bit surprised. Whether it was the ¡®correct¡¯ thing to do or not, I just couldn¡¯t help it. She just didn¡¯t look like anybody I¡¯d ever seen before, not even in my wildest imagination.


    That white, almost slightly blue hair- even her eyebrows and lashes matched- looked like one of those wigs a couple of the more Goth girls at school wore (but theirs were bright red or purple). The straightness, the unnatural color, the too-perfect haircut- it just looked fake. Sitting right next to her, I could tell it wasn¡¯t, but the impression persisted.


    Her eyes, too, really bothered me. It wasn¡¯t just the startling green color, either. Although that was plenty odd, it wasn¡¯t the most unusual thing about her eyes. No, what really made her eyes look so wrong was that the pupils were just too small. They were like tiny black dots, which made the irises seem so big, and exaggerated the color because there was so much of it showing.


    She¡¯d said her eyes were very light sensitive, so I guess it would make sense that her pupils would be contracted all the time, but seriously? We were inside a cafeteria with blinds over the windows! Freaky. Every time we stepped outside to go to our next class those orange-lensed sunglasses went right on immediately, even though we would only be in the sunlight for a couple of minutes. Even with the sunglasses I noticed she squinted a bit, and definitely stuck to the shade as much as possible. I guess you develop those kinds of habits with a condition like hers, I thought. It must be rough to have to avoid the sun all the time, and living here in sunny Southern California was going to be a challenge.


    It¡¯s strange to think of someone as dark-skinned as Emmy being prone to sunburns. I mean, really- she had skin as black as, well, something completely black. Somebody super white would of course burn easily, but somebody as black as night?


    The more time I spent with her, though, the more little things I noticed. Even though she wasn¡¯t wearing any makeup as far as I could tell, her lips had a little bit of pinkish color to them, and so did the color of the skin under her clear-polished fingernails. The palms of her hands were a bit paler (or is that just less black?), too. She was very different looking from anybody I¡¯d ever seen, but the little details seemed to be just like anybody else, in a way.


    As we walked out of sixth period (our last class of the day), Emmy said ¡°Thank you for being such a wonderful guide today, Leah. It has helped me very much.¡±


    Even after a day of it, her formality still struck me as odd. ¡°No problem,¡± I replied. ¡°It was no biggie. I¡¯m glad I could help.¡±


    Turning to head to the locker room, I said ¡°Well, this is my stop. See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You are not going home?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°No, I have practice.¡± Seeing the quizzical look on her face, I went on. ¡°I¡¯m on the varsity volleyball team, and we have practice Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays right after school.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°You are very tall. That must be a great advantage playing volleyball.¡± She looked thoughtful for a moment, then said ¡°I have never played any sports.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, amazed. ¡°That seems hard to believe. Here in the U.S. almost everybody plays something at some point or another.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that may be true. My life, though, has been very different than most- even in France.¡± Changing subjects, she said ¡°Oh, sorry. I am keeping you. Will I see you again tomorrow?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Of course! See you then!¡± I responded.


    Then she kissed me. Out of the blue. I didn¡¯t see it coming at all. It was one of those little cheek pecks you see Europeans do in movies, and I almost immediately recognized it for what it was, but I was still very startled. Miss Takei¡¯s voice saying ¡°We will increase our understanding of other cultures¡± ran through my head, as Emmy waved goodbye and walked towards the pick-up area for her ride home.


    Tom said ¡°She certainly seems to like you. You¡¯ve made a new friend,¡± as he walked up, startling me out of my musing. I felt an embarrassed blush heat up my cheeks, as if I¡¯d been caught doing something I shouldn¡¯t have.


    ¡°Jeeze, Tom. You scared the crap out of me,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°It¡¯s twoo wuuuv,¡± he teased. ¡°You were lost, dreaming of your sweet new soul mate!¡±


    ¡°Jerk!¡± was all that I could do for a snappy response.


    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I think she¡¯s pretty hot, too, in her weird kind of way,¡± Tom continued, not letting up. ¡°You two make a cute couple.¡±


    ¡°Screw off,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get to practice. See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°See ya,¡± he replied.


    Tuesdays were technique days, so practice demanded my full attention. It was a good workout, and afterwards Coach complimented my serve. ¡°You¡¯re doing really well right now, Leah. If you keep it up like this at this weekend¡¯s tournament we¡¯ll be sitting pretty going into the second half of the season.¡± She continued ¡°Just keep your focus, and remember to get your rest.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. "I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Waiting for the bus, I thought about Coach and her edict to get my rest. It¡¯s a bit tough with so many AP classes piling on the homework on top of workouts. By the time I get done every night it¡¯s usually past ten, and with school starting at six thirty in the morning, sleep is a precious commodity. Still, hopefully it¡¯ll all pay off. The recruiter for Cal State Long Beach seems interested, and has been making noises about scholarships. If I could get a full ride it would mean getting out of college without a heavy debt load, and that would set me that much farther ahead afterwards. Mom can¡¯t contribute much, and the military survivors¡¯ scholarships won¡¯t cover more than my books (unless I go to Annapolis, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing that) so anything I can do to help pay for college will make a difference.


    Well, a good GPA and a solid presence on the V Ball court are the keys to my future, I guess. Only a little longer, and then it¡¯s on to the next step.


    Lost in thought, I hardly noticed when the bus pulled up. Taking my seat, I relaxed for a bit, thinking more about the day. Today had been different, all right. Emmy was absolutely something else.


    My phone rang, startling me out of my musings. Looking at the caller I.D., I saw it was Courtney.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, answering the call.


    ¡°Are you home yet?¡± asked my best friend. ¡°Can you talk?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m still on the bus. I can talk, though. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk about that new girl, Emmy? Is she weird, or what?¡± Courtney said.


    ¡°She¡¯s got a medical condition,¡± I said, a bit indignantly. ¡°She can¡¯t help the way she looks.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± Courtney said, a hint of exasperation in her voice. ¡°I mean, sure, she looks weird, but that¡¯s not what I was going to talk about. What I meant is the other stuff.¡±


    ¡°What other stuff?¡± I asked, as I rose out of my seat and walked to the front of the bus. Stepping off the bus, I missed what Courtney said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what was that?¡±


    ¡°Well, the way she moves, for starters. And the way she blinks. And the fact she used a freaking switchblade to cut her apple at lunch. And-¡°


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I interrupted. ¡°What do you mean, a switchblade?¡±


    ¡°A switchblade. You know, a knife that pops right open. You know what a switchblade is, Miss AP English.¡± Courtney¡¯s tone was more than just a bit mocking.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me she used a switchblade to cut up her apple at lunch today, right there in the middle of the caf?¡± I asked, incredulous.


    ¡°How could Leah not notice, I ask myself, and then I answer myself. Self, I say, it¡¯s Leah we¡¯re talking about. Of course she didn¡¯t notice,¡± Courtney said, sarcasm oozing through the phone. ¡°Yeah, she used a switchblade. I didn¡¯t see where she had it hidden, but all of a sudden she was right there, cutting her apple into slices. One of which, I might add, she gave to you- didn¡¯t you even notice that? One minute, she pulls an apple from her bag, the next she¡¯s handing you a slice? Anyway, she cut it up, wiped the blade off with a napkin, then put it away again, too quick for me to see where she stashed it. A freaking switchblade.¡±


    Walking up the stairs to our apartment, I said ¡°Well, that¡¯s not so strange, now is it? I have two or three knives in my backpack, don¡¯t you? Oh, and I always keep an extra in my back pocket, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Now that you point it out, I guess it seems reasonable,¡± Courtney said. ¡°Not.¡± She continued, after a pause. ¡°Look, maybe the school rules about weapons weren¡¯t explained to her, and maybe in her prestigious French private school they have different attitudes about kids stabbing each other. But here in the civilized world, it just isn¡¯t O.K. to carry around knives at school.¡±


    ¡°I guess I need to talk to her about that,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Why should you be the one? Who made you her keeper?¡± Courtney demanded.


    ¡°Well, I guess I volunteered, or at least agreed to it. I¡¯m supposed to ¡®show her the ropes¡¯ after all. Maybe that includes explaining about not bringing knives to school, too. So besides the switchblade, what was the other stuff you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°How could you not notice the way she blinks? I mean, you were staring at her enough,¡± Courtney responded. ¡°She blinks really slowly. I mean, most people blink, well, in the blink of any eye, right? It¡¯s super quick. But Emmy slowly closes her eyes and then slowly opens them again. When I say slow, I mean like a couple of seconds. After lunch, I tried doing it like she does, and it just doesn¡¯t work. It¡¯s freaky. And the way she moves, that¡¯s weird, too.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice her blinking really slowly,¡± I said. ¡°It seems like something that I would have picked up on.¡±


    ¡°Apparently not,¡± Courtney replied, her tone sharp. ¡°So the way she moves. Maybe I should say ¡®doesn¡¯t move¡¯. While we were sitting there at lunch, she hardly moved a muscle. It took me a while to pick up on it, but once I noticed I kept watching. She just sits there, perfectly still.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, perfectly still? She was talking, eating lunch, and evidently using a knife to cut up her apple. That doesn¡¯t sound as if she were doing nothing at all,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Well, yeah, she was doing those things. But the weird part about it was that she used only the minimum necessary movement to do them. Her feet didn¡¯t fidget, she didn¡¯t move around in her seat, or anything. I mean, normal people are always moving around all the time. She wasn¡¯t. Watch her tomorrow, and you¡¯ll see what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look for it. Anyway, I¡¯m home now so I should get off the phone. I gotta dive straight into my homework.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re in AP everything,¡± Courtney said. ¡°You¡¯re just too good for your own good.¡±


    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, see you in the morning,¡± Courtney replied.


    That night, lying in bed, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Emmy. Her strange vivid green eyes with their tiny pupils, and the orange sunglasses she wore to help prevent headaches. Her charcoal black skin, so smooth it almost looked velvety. Her perfectly straight brilliant white hair, with hardly a strand out of place. Even her perfectly shaped white eyebrows showed an amazing level of grooming that seemed unreal to me. Thinking about it, her oh so stereotypical schoolgirl outfit had been too perfectly pressed, too spotlessly lint-free to be believable. Drifting off to sleep, I almost had myself convinced that I¡¯d dreamed her, and in the morning she¡¯d be just another fuzzy memory.


    The fuzzy memories I did have the next morning of my dreams did involve Emmy, it¡¯s true. I can¡¯t remember it very clearly, but I do know I dreamt she was in my room, threatening me with a sharp silver dagger, then kissing me. Odd. Not the kind of thing I¡¯ll be mentioning to Courtney, that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯d never hear the end of her pop psychoanalysis.


    Walking into Home Room I saw Emmy was sitting in the same seat as yesterday, next to where I sit. I did notice that her French schoolgirl outfit was gone, though. Instead she was wearing an American schoolgirl outfit- skinny jeans, a hoodie, and Chuck Taylors. Quite a difference from the day before, all right. Now her outfit would blend in with any crowd of local teenaged girls. Besides the utterly unremarkable outfit, though, she still looked as strange as she had the day before. Her skin was as midnight black as I¡¯d remembered, and her hair was just as pure white. Her eyes, though, were greener than I¡¯d remembered. I¡¯m sure they hadn¡¯t changed color, it¡¯s just that my memory refused to admit that anybody¡¯s eyes could be such a vivid, emerald (yes, emerald) green. One small change was the tiny emerald stud she had on the side of her long, narrow nose. That little speck of green was enough to accentuate how astonishingly green her eyes really were.


    Emmy was chatting with Brent Platner, who had moved up from his usual back-of-the-class seat to talk to her. I sat down in my usual seat, and they both said hello.


    ¡°Hey, Leah. Hey, did you know that Emmy¡¯s an amazing guitar player? Yesterday in music class she just blew us all away!¡± Brent said. It was a pretty high compliment from him- after all, he¡¯s generally considered the best musician in school. He plays the guitar and sings in a local rock band, too.


    Emmy smiled at the remark, and replied ¡°Thank you, Brent. Thank you for letting me play your guitar yesterday. I had not known I should bring my own,¡± she said.


    The bell rang, and as Miss Takei entered the room Brent returned to his back row seat. Keeping an eye on Emmy, I did see what Courtney had been talking about. She really didn¡¯t move her body any more than absolutely required for a given task. It was subtle, but definitely odd. The more I looked, the more disturbing I found it.


    ¡°Leah, is something wrong?¡± she asked, concern in her face. ¡°You seem to be very distracted this morning. Did you sleep poorly?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m O.K.¡± I said. ¡°Just thinking about something my friend Courtney said last night. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Changing the subject, I tilted my head back to where Brent sat. ¡°Brent seemed really impressed with your guitar playing. That¡¯s a pretty big deal around here. He¡¯s got a band, and they actually make money performing locally.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he told me. I would like to see them play. Brent told me that they mostly play old rock songs, because that is what people want, but they have been working on some original music. They are hoping to sign a recording contract after they all turn eighteen, so they can legally do so.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes sense. There was a rumor that they¡¯d been approached by a record company but didn¡¯t sign. That never made any sense to me before.¡±


    Just then Miss Takei called for silence so we all shut up to listen to the day¡¯s announcements.


    After Home Room I asked Emmy about the switchblade Courtney mentioned.


    ¡°This?¡± Emmy asked, suddenly producing a folding knife, a lot like my dad¡¯s old Buck knife that he used to have with him everywhere he went. It wasn¡¯t actually a switchblade, but with the speed and ease Emmy opened the blade using just her thumb made me see why Courtney had thought it was spring-loaded.


    ¡°Jeeze!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Put that away before anyone sees! You¡¯re not supposed to bring any kind of weapon to school, and especially not something like that!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Emmy, puzzled. ¡°But what do people do when they need a knife?¡± she asked as she slid the blade closed with one hand and slipped it back into her pocket, completely casually. Her movements were even smoother and more natural than any of the girls at my school who could pull out and flip open their cell phones like they were born with them.


    ¡°This is school. You aren¡¯t supposed to need a knife of any sort here,¡± I replied, realizing that a ¡®because it¡¯s the rules¡¯ argument always sounded weak to me, and a lack of conviction wasn¡¯t helping my case.


    ¡°If you insist,¡± Emmy said, doubtfully.


    ¡°Look. I know you didn¡¯t bring a knife to school to stab anybody with it, but all the same, it¡¯s against the rules. Just don¡¯t let anybody even know you have it, or you¡¯ll get expelled.¡±


    ¡°I will not let anybody know,¡± Emmy agreed, and we walked to our next class in silent agreement. I wasn¡¯t going to ask any more about it, and she wasn¡¯t going to tell anybody at all.


    The next couple of classes went by without much fanfare, but I did keep an eye on Emmy and saw that her ¡®economy of movement¡¯ (I guess you could call it) was a full-time thing. When she sat at her desk to write, only her writing hand moved. The rest of her body was perfectly still. When she moved, it was only just enough to do whatever she was doing. Courtney was right- it was strange- almost they way you¡¯d expect a science fiction robot to move, but not a real person.


    At the end of third period she headed off to the music rooms and I went to art. Watching her go, I saw something- she actually had a little bounce to her step that had been completely absent all morning.


    At lunch, I asked Emmy how music had gone that day. ¡°You brought your guitar today, right? I know Brent keeps his practice guitar here at school in the music room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I brought it today. There is a special space to store instruments, and I got to school early so I could leave my guitar there and not have to carry it with me everywhere.¡± Her careful speech actually seemed more foreign to me in some ways than her musical French accent. Emmy chose her words so carefully and her phrasing was totally correct, but somehow awkward sounding. It was interesting and definitely foreign, but I could see how she tested into AP English. After all, her English was better than most of our fellow students.

 Emmy鈥檚 Outfits

    After that second day, Emmy¡¯s wardrobe varied wildly. Most of us in high school wear basically the same thing every day with only minor variations, but that just wasn¡¯t the case for her. Emmy was just as likely to wear high heels, stockings and a pencil skirt with a silk shirt as she was to wear cargo pants with a T-shirt and Doc Martens.


    The first time she wore what I would call a ¡°high fashion¡± outfit to school it seemed to short-circuit what passes for brains in all the boys¡¯ heads. They just couldn¡¯t stop staring, practically drooling on themselves whenever Emmy walked past with that sexy model¡¯s walk of hers. I have to admit she looked incredible in the high-waisted black silk pants and zigzag black and white patterned high-collar jacket over a white silk blouse. The black and white checkered boots must have had a five inch spike heel, but Emmy walked as comfortably in them as if they were a pair of tennis shoes. I never would have believed that a Fallbrook High School student could wear something straight from the runways of Paris or Milan to class and make it work, but Emmy somehow did just that. She had a way of making whatever she wore seem as if it were somehow completely natural for her to be dressed that way, whether it was Oscar De La Renta or Hot Topic.


    Whatever it was that she wore, somehow Emmy made it seem sexy, too. She didn¡¯t have to dress up to catch the boys¡¯ eyes. Dressing down did the job just as well. I remember the day she first wore her gray yoga pants to school. The way they showed off her slender, muscular legs and bubble butt (She¡¯d told me she was a dancer and practiced all the time) practically sucked all the guys¡¯ eyes right out of their heads like a magnet. To be honest, I found myself staring at her perfect, round ass more than I¡¯d like to admit, too. People just don¡¯t have butts like that in real life.


    In retrospect all her varied outfits affected me, too. Subconsciously, I guess, I started to break out of the jeans, T and hoodie outfit that was pretty much my daily wear back then. In fact, Mom even commented that she¡¯d noticed I was wearing skirts more often than she was used to, and complimented me on it. As much as I appreciated the little bit of extra attention dressing a little bit nicer got me, there was no way I was going to wear heels to school. I mean, I¡¯m too tall already, so why add to it, right?


    Near the end of Emmy¡¯s first week, something funny happened. As we were leaving Home Room a nerdy guy named David Bernstein came over to talk to Emmy. He was very shy about approaching a girl, but something was pushing him to actually work up the courage to talk to her.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± he stammered, once he¡¯d gotten Emmy¡¯s attention and she¡¯d stopped to talk to him. ¡°Emmy, I was just wondering,¡± he said, staring at his shoes, the gym building, people walking by- anything but looking Emmy in the face. He was turning red, too. I would have felt sorry for him but his discomfort was just too damned funny to be pitiable.


    ¡°Yes, David?¡± Emmy asked. I was surprised she knew who he was, and evidently, so was he. He looked at her then, startled to hear her speak his name.


    ¡°Emmy, I was just wondering,¡± he mumbled, again having a hard time looking at her. ¡°Can I see your ears?¡± he finally blurted out.


    Emmy laughed, in that clear, sparkling laugh of hers that somehow reminded me of bells or wind chimes or something. ¡°My ears?¡± she asked in surprise. ¡°Why would you possibly want to see my ears?¡±


    Seeing that he was too bashful and embarrassed to answer, she continued. ¡°If you want to see them, I see no harm in showing you.¡± She pulled her unnaturally white hair aside and turned her head a bit so he could see her left ear. He stared at it for a minute, then looked disappointed. Emmy picked up on this, and asked David ¡°What were you expecting to see?¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­ No, it¡¯s stupid,¡± he said, clearly crestfallen.


    ¡°You must tell me, David. I am very curious now,¡± Emmy chided. ¡°What did you expect?¡±


    ¡°I thought, I don¡¯t know. I guess I thought they¡¯d maybe be pointy, or something.¡± He looked ashamed to admit it, and again was doing anything to avoid eye contact.


    ¡°Pointy?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled. ¡°Like Mr. Spock?¡±


    ¡°No, like the dark elves in Boromir¡¯s Mines.¡±


    ¡°The dark elves in what?¡± Emmy asked, perplexed. She clearly had no clue what this guy was talking about.


    ¡°Boromir¡¯s Mines is a series of video games,¡± David confessed. ¡°There are these dark elves, and they kind of look like you. But they have pointy ears, and I was thinking that maybe¡­¡± he trailed off, well aware of how idiotic it was all making him sound.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Emmy just laughed again, and put her hand on David¡¯s chest, surprising him again and making him look up at her face. ¡°Elves are just make believe! They are nothing but faerie tales to amuse children and perhaps scare them into being good. That is all.¡±


    David, feeling every bit the complete idiot, just nodded, looking down at the ground again.


    ¡°I would like to see these games, David. I am interested to see these elves who look like me. Perhaps you could show them to me some time? When you get a chance, of course,¡± she added.


    This seemed to cheer David up, and he looked a lot better when he left to go to his next class.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably going to tell his nerd pals that he¡¯s got a date with you,¡± I commented. It was a bit mean of me, I know, but there it was.


    ¡°Yes, I expect he will,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But I would like to see this game he mentioned. I think it is funny that he and his friends thought I might be an elf.¡± Then turning to me, she asked ¡°Elves are very small, are they not?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it depends on who is doing the describing, doesn¡¯t it? I mean, the elves in the Lord Of The Rings are just as tall as everybody else, right?¡± I pondered. ¡°But then again, those elves that make those cookies seem to be pretty small¡­¡±


    We reached our first period class about this time, and that was the end of that discussion.


    ¡°You take the bus home, no?¡± Emmy asked the next day, looking at me. ¡°I could give you a ride home, if you would like.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. The bus usually comes pretty quickly,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Are you certain? My car is just here.¡± She waved over at the curb where parents pick up their kids.


    Actually, a ride sounded good. I didn¡¯t have workout that day and the time saved by not taking the bus would mean I could get a nap in before Mom got home with Tiffany.


    ¡°Sure! That¡¯d be great. Thanks a lot,¡± I said, gratefully.


    We walked toward the end of the line of cars, towards a big midnight blue BMW sedan. As we neared the car, a big muscular blond man in his late twenties (I guessed) wearing a dark gray suit with a tie the same color as the car got out of the driver¡¯s door. It¡¯s funny how sometimes the little details like a tie can stand out like that.


    As he opened the rear passenger door for us, Emmy said to him ¡°Edouard,¡± (it was definitely not ¡®Edward¡¯), ¡°this is my friend Leah Farmer. We will be giving her a ride home today.¡±


    Emmy slid into the car and across to the other side so I could get in. Edouard shut the door when I was seated. My first impression as the door closed was that this is what money feels like when it¡¯s shut in the bank vault. All outside noises- the school buses, kids shouting, all of it- just vanished. The quiet inside the car was amazing. The outside noises returned for a moment as Edouard got in the driver¡¯s seat, but silence returned when he shut his door.


    I¡¯d never been in a car like this one. The caramel colored leather seats were so soft I thought to myself that I never wanted to get back out. I could live in happiness in this car.


    Edouard started the engine, which made a low rumble as we pulled away from the curb.


    ¡°Go down to Mission Road and make a right,¡± I told him, and he nodded he understood.


    ¡°This is a nice car, Emmy. I mean, really, really nice,¡± I said admiringly, running my hands over the glove-soft leather.


    ¡°Yes, it is nice, but I would rather my father would let me drive for myself. If I had my own car I wouldn¡¯t need Edouard to drive me. But now, when Edouard is driving my mother, I am stuck at home. I miss the freedom I had in Paris.¡±


    ¡°You had a car in Paris?¡± I asked, a bit surprised.


    ¡°Yes- a nice little Z4. My father likes BMW motorcars very much, and so that¡¯s what he bought for me, even though it was not legal for me to drive,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s a nice car, too¡± I said. I¡¯ll admit, it sounded stupid even to me at the time, but there it is. ¡°What do you mean ¡®not legal¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I am under eighteen years of age,¡± she replied simply, shrugging her shoulders as if it was just one of those things. ¡°What kind of auto do you like, Leah?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°What do you mean? I like plenty of cars, I guess. I mean, I¡¯d be happy with any car at all. It would sure beat riding the city bus to school and back.¡±


    ¡°My father has said that when I get my California driver¡¯s license he will buy me a new car. I am not sure what to get,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Any new car? How about another Z4?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That car only has two seats. It is too limiting. Yes, it was fun to drive, but I could hardly even fit a shopping bag in the car with me. I would like something a little larger.¡±


    ¡°You said your dad likes BMWs, right? How about a Mini, then?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°You like those cars?¡± Emmy asked, dubious.


    ¡°Heck yeah! They¡¯re cute, and small so they¡¯d be easy to park. They have four seats, plus a little bit of room in the back. They¡¯re totally killer!¡± I gushed. ¡°Oh- turn right at the light,¡± I told Edouard. ¡°Then the next left.¡±


    As we pulled into my apartment complex, Emmy said ¡°This is the road we take to get to my house¡± with surprise in her voice. ¡°We drive right past your home every morning and every afternoon. How amusing that I did not even know.¡±


    When Edouard stopped the car, he opened the door on my side to let me out, and Emmy slid out behind me.


    ¡°Leah, we pass by here on the way to school. Would you like a ride tomorrow morning?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯d be great! I¡¯d really appreciate it.¡± Riding in that amazing chauffeur-driven car instead of the crappy city bus? What kind of choice is that?


    ¡°We will be here at 6:10 tomorrow. See you then!¡± With that, she stood on her tippy toes and gave me her usual goodbye kiss on the cheek. She slid back into the car, her driver shutting the door behind her. As the big blue sedan purred out of the driveway, I watched it go with a little bit of envy. It must be nice to live that way, I thought to myself as I climbed the stairs to our apartment.

 Sad Songs

    A week later, life had pretty much settled down to a routine. The morning and afternoon rides became a regular thing. Edouard would knock on my door at 6:10, then walk me to the car where Emmy would be waiting. After school, Edouard and Emmy would give me a lift home. It was heaven. No waiting, no dealing with smelly drunks perving on me on the bus, and best of all- a half hour extra of sleep in the mornings. I¡¯m telling you, it was glorious. I could get used to that lifestyle, I thought.


    On my practice days Emmy would wait for me after school. Sometimes she¡¯d sit in the bleachers in the gym and watch, other times she¡¯d be somewhere else. When I asked her what she did for those couple of hours, she replied ¡°It is a good time for me to catch up on my homework. I can get it all done, so when I get home I do not have to worry about it.¡±


    Must be nice, I thought. One day, when she was watching us in the gym, I took a break and went up into the bleachers to chat. I saw that she had her little laptop out and was writing her paper for AP English. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am writing about the LeRoi Jones play we read,¡± she replied. ¡°I am almost done.¡±


    ¡°But our papers aren¡¯t due for another couple of weeks!¡± I protested.


    ¡°I have the time, so I am getting it done early,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°Wow. I wish I had that kind of dedication. I¡¯ll probably start on mine at the last minute.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you are very dedicated. I have been watching you practice, and you are very good at this,¡± she said, waving her hand at the V Ball court. ¡°That means many hours and hours of hard work.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but it¡¯s not the same.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not the same, but complaining about lacking motivation to pursue your goals seems a little unlikely, coming from you. You are always the first one to be ready to practice, and the hardest worker on the team. It is obvious, even to someone like me who knows nothing of the sport.¡±


    Cheered by her compliment, I returned to the court, ready, I guess, to prove her right.


    When we pulled into the parking lot at my complex, I asked ¡°Do you have any place you need to be? Do you have time to come up and see my house?¡±


    ¡°I do not really need to be home until six o¡¯clock,¡± Emmy said, thoughtfully. ¡°But I do not want to keep Edouard waiting for too long. I could visit for a perhaps half an hour, but no more.¡±


    Tiff and Mom wouldn¡¯t be home until six, so they weren¡¯t going to get a chance to meet Emmy, but I was a bit nervous about showing her my apartment anyway. I mean, we keep it clean enough, but Emmy¡¯s family is rich, so I was sure her place was quite a bit nicer than mine. Our complex is nicer than most and the management company does a good job keeping up with the maintenance, but still- it is just a little three bedroom second-floor apartment.


    That didn¡¯t seem to bother Emmy at all, though. She seemed to be thrilled at the prospect of seeing where I lived, as mundane as it was.


    Walking up the steps, I warned her ¡°I apologize in advance if it¡¯s messy.¡±


    ¡°I am certain it will be lovely,¡± Emmy said, and at first I thought she might be mocking me, but then it occurred to me that I¡¯ve never actually heard her make fun of anybody but herself. Sure, she teases every now and then, but that¡¯s about it.


    Thankfully, the house wasn¡¯t too bad. At least there were no huge piles of laundry that needed to be folded and put away or anything else equally embarrassing. Emmy wandered around the living room taking in everything, her big green eyes wide with discovery. She spent a while looking at the photo of Dad in his dress blues, holding me as a baby in his arms. She looked at the other family photos Mom had arranged as sort of a gallery on the entry wall, spending a surprisingly long time on each one. She reached out but didn¡¯t actually touch the folded flag in its cherrywood frame, but she sure studied it and the medals for a long time. After that she looked around the rest of the living room, stopping to pet my cat, Sylvester. Normally Sylvester doesn¡¯t like strangers, but she seemed to take to Emmy just fine.


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Sylvester,¡± I told Emmy. ¡°She seems to like you.¡±


    ¡°She is beautiful,¡± Emmy responded, still stroking the cat, who had finally gotten her lazy butt up and was standing on the back of the couch, rubbing up against Emmy. Emmy then picked Sylvester up and held her, petting her while continuing to examine the room. As surprised as I was at Sylvester¡¯s original reaction to Emmy, this totally astonished me. Sylvester hated to be picked up. Absolutely hated it, and yet there she was, purring in Emmy¡¯s arms.


    Emmy¡¯s inspection of our living room complete, she set Sylvester back on the couch. ¡°I like your house, Leah. It feels very warm and friendly.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Is that kinda like how realtors use the word ¡®cozy¡¯? To make a positive out of a negative?¡± I asked.


    The puzzled look on her face when she asked ¡°What do you mean ¡®negative¡¯?¡± convinced me that she hadn¡¯t been yanking my chain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I responded. ¡°Here- let me give you the grand tour.¡± With that, I showed her the kitchen, the hall bathroom, then my and Tiff¡¯s bedrooms. I pointed out the closed door that led to Mom¡¯s room, and explained that when the door was closed Tiff and I weren¡¯t supposed to go in.


    Looking into Tiff¡¯s room, Emmy was wide-eyed at all the dolls and stuffed animals Tiff had amassed in her short seven years.


    ¡°For some reason, everyone in the family gives Tiff stuffed animals and dolls for presents. Because she has so many, they all think she has a collection, so they give her more. It¡¯s crazy,¡± I said, ¡°but that¡¯s just how it¡¯s worked out.¡±


    When we went into my room, Emmy again examined everything with great interest. She looked at the books on my bookcase, at the knickknacks, and admired my V Ball trophies. My room is tiny so there really isn¡¯t a whole lot to look at, but she seemed fascinated by what there was. Finally, she asked ¡°May I sit down?¡± and pointed to the desk chair.


    Since I¡¯d plopped down on my bed without even thinking about it, I sheepishly said ¡°Of course! I¡¯m sorry- I should have offered.¡±


    ¡°No, it is O.K. Thank you.¡±


    Indicating my dad¡¯s guitar on its stand in the corner, she asked ¡°Do you play? You have never said anything about playing the guitar.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. That was my dad¡¯s. I guess I don¡¯t know why I still keep it.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡± Emmy asked, tentatively reaching for it.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. It¡¯s gotta be out of tune, and might not even play at all. It¡¯s been sitting a long time,¡± I responded.


    She picked it up and wiped a bit of dust off with her sleeve, then started tuning it up. Quickly she had it tuned to her satisfaction, and gently started strumming a few chords. It sounded vaguely familiar, and the feeling grew as she began to pick out a haunting melody. Finally, when she started to sing, it hit me like a freight train- it was that old Pink Floyd song my dad loved so much. Emmy¡¯s playing reminded me of my dad sitting at the kitchen table, playing that very same song. Emmy continued playing, and as she sang those words I used to know so well I felt my vision getting blurry as my eyes welled with tears. I loved hearing Dad play, and used to beg him endlessly until he would take out that old guitar.


    When Emmy got to the line about wishing you were here I completely lost it. I couldn¡¯t help it- I just started crying, my tears flowing out in an unstoppable flood. I hated myself for it, but there was nothing I could do to stop. The sadness, the loss- it was unbearable. It somehow still felt as fresh as when I was ten, too young to even understand war, politics, and why my dad was never coming home again.


    When Emmy realized I was weeping, she put the guitar down and sat next to me on the bed, putting her arms around me in a gentle hug. ¡°I am so sorry. Please do not cry,¡± I heard her say, but I just couldn¡¯t stop. The memories of my dad and the feelings of loss that I¡¯d thought were all behind me just wouldn¡¯t let me go. I mean, crap- it had been seven years, I should be over this by now, right?


    With a little bit of a shock I realized that Emmy had stopped talking, and was holding me tightly, and worst of all, kissing away my tears. She was murmuring something I couldn¡¯t understand and gently rocking me as she continued to kiss my cheeks, my eyes, and my chin. Somehow, she wound up sitting straddling my lap, holding me against her and continuing to kiss me. It was mortifying- I felt as if I could just die. Crying like a baby in front of this girl I hardly even knew, and worse, being comforted like a baby. As embarrassing as it was, part of me didn¡¯t want Emmy to stop what she was doing. It was nice to be held, and the feeling of sympathy I was getting from Emmy was confirmed when I looked up and saw tears in her eyes as well.


    The concern on her face made me feel guilty for distressing her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡± was all I could say.


    ¡°No, do not be sorry. I am the one who made you so sad. It is all my fault,¡± Emmy replied, as her own tears rolled down her inky black face. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to do, so I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight, as she had been doing for me. We both just stayed that way for a while, sobbing out our own miseries in the quiet stillness of my tiny bedroom.


    Eventually we both stopped crying, and although I still felt that Emmy¡¯s comforting embrace was nice, the awkwardness of the situation became too great and I let go of her and put my arms behind me to support myself while I leaned back. Emmy leaned back, too. Although she was still straddling my lap, it did create some space for us to look at each other.


    ¡°I am so very sorry,¡± Emmy began. ¡°Leah, I never want to do anything to make you unhappy like that. Please forgive me.¡±


    I shushed her, saying ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s just that that was one of my dad¡¯s favorite songs, and it made me think of him playing when I was little. You couldn¡¯t have known.¡±


    ¡°I saw the CD in the living room. It was on top, so I thought that perhaps you had played it recently. That is why I chose that song. I should have asked. I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously- don¡¯t feel bad. Your playing was so beautiful¡­ that used to be one of my favorite songs when I was little. Mom must have been playing the CD, that¡¯s all. Really, I¡¯m O.K. I guess I¡¯m not as over the whole thing as I¡¯d thought I was, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And you are O.K. now?¡± Emmy asked, brushing a strand of my hair back from my face.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I really am. Thanks.¡±


    She got up off my lap and carefully picked up the guitar. She then did something unexpected. She gently kissed the guitar, and then tenderly put it back on its stand. She looked up and saw my puzzled expression, and explained ¡°For the memory of one who has gone.¡±


    This simple act brought tears to my eyes again, and although they threatened, they didn¡¯t overflow again.


    Emmy saw, though, and came over and hugged me again. ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, if you need to go now, I¡¯m all right.¡±


    As she headed to the door, I grabbed her hand. ¡°Emmy- thanks. Seriously. Thanks.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything, just gave my hand a squeeze before letting go. I sat there on the bed, and as I listened to her carefully shut the front door on her way out I wondered what had just happened.

 Formal Dinner

    ¡°Leah¡­¡± Emmy said a bit apprehensively. ¡°May I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course you can,¡± I replied, enjoying the calm of the ride home after a crazy day at school. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I would like it very much if you would come to dinner at my house this Friday night. My mother and father have wanted to meet you, and I would like for you to see my house, too. Please? It would mean very much to me.¡±


    ¡°Dinner at your house? Sure. That would be great. What time?¡±


    ¡°I had been thinking that we could go directly to my house after school. Would that be O.K. with you?¡± Emmy asked, still looking a bit concerned.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I have to ask my mom, but I¡¯m sure it would be fine with her. I don¡¯t think we have any plans.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Leah. Do you have any dietary restrictions our cook should know about? Any allergies?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that. Did you say ¡®your cook¡¯?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. Her name is Marie-Anne, and she is wonderful. She is amazing.¡±


    ¡°You have a driver and a cook, too?¡± I asked, starting to wonder just how wealthy Emmy¡¯s family really was.


    Emmy nodded, and made one more request. ¡°Leah, I think this may sound strange, but we dress for dinner at my house. Would that be too much trouble?¡± she asked, with that worried look again.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®dress for dinner¡¯? Like in one of those costume drama movies set a hundred years ago, where the men wear smoking jackets and the women wear long dresses?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Well, yes. It is like that,¡± she admitted. ¡°We have family dinners on Friday nights, and we dress in formal attire. I usually wear a nice dress. I hope it is not too much for you to accept. In some ways my family is very, very old fashioned.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s O.K¡­.¡± I said, thinking about what I could wear. ¡°Could we make a quick stop at my house on the way so I don¡¯t have to wear my dress to school?¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you, Leah!¡± Emmy gushed. ¡°Of course we can stop. But there really is no reason to get dressed up until right before dinner. We can pick up your clothes and bring them with us to my house. There is no reason to be any more uncomfortable than necessary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool. I¡¯ll ask my mom tonight if it¡¯s O.K.¡± I wondered just what I was getting myself into, as Edouard opened the door to let me out. ¡°See you in the morning!¡±


    That evening, when I mentioned to Mom that I had been invited to dinner at Emmy¡¯s house, she seemed interested. ¡°They dress for dinner? How remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Emmy said they have family dinners on Friday nights. Somehow that gave me the impression that they don¡¯t really have dinner together on other nights, but I might just be reading too much into it. And she always refers to her parents as her ¡®mother¡¯ and ¡®father¡¯. Never ¡®mom¡¯ and ¡®dad¡¯. I think they must be very formal at home,¡± I explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very different lifestyle than ours, that¡¯s certain,¡± said Mom as she pulled the casserole out of the oven. ¡°Very old-fashioned. I didn¡¯t think anybody except the most traditional families in Europe still lived like that.¡± She thought about it for a bit, and then speculated, ¡°Well, I guess the English Royal family still does, so maybe there are still holdouts over there.¡± Setting down the casserole, she asked ¡°You said Emmy is wealthy, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, they do have a driver and a cook, and Emmy¡¯s dad promised her any car she wants when she gets her driver¡¯s license, so yeah. They have plenty of money,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mom said. Calling out to the living room, she said ¡°Tiffy! It¡¯s time to wash your hands for dinner!¡± Turning back to our conversation, she said ¡°Perhaps Emmy¡¯s family is really old money. They¡¯ve been upper-class for long enough to hold on to old ways of doing things. I¡¯ll be very interested to hear all about your dinner afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Whose dinner?¡± asked Tiff as she walked into the kitchen, wiping her hands on the front of her dress.


    ¡°Tiffy, please. Don¡¯t use your clothes as a towel. Here,¡± Mom said, handing Tiff a kitchen towel. ¡°Your sister has been invited to have dinner at her new friend¡¯s house this Friday.¡±


    Looking intrigued, Tiff asked ¡°Is it the weird looking one? Her house?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is her, but it¡¯s not nice to call anyone weird looking,¡± I replied.


    ¡°But everybody says she is!¡± complained Tiff.


    ¡°Who is ¡®everybody¡¯, Tiffy?¡± asked Mom. ¡°Who is talking about your sister¡¯s friends?¡±


    ¡°Well, Roberta said that there was a new girl at the high school who looks like a alien or something. Her big sister told her. And Jeremy said he heard that, too.¡±


    ¡°You know that gossiping is not nice, Tiffany. If your friends want to tell stories, that¡¯s their business. Please don¡¯t follow their examples,¡± Mom gently scolded. ¡°You remember when Leah told us about the new girl at her school, don¡¯t you? Do you remember that Leah explained that her new friend had something wrong with her skin and she wasn¡¯t like most people? How her skin was very black, and her hair was very white?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorta¡­¡± admitted Tiff.


    ¡°Do you remember that boy, Jason, in your kindergarten class? Remember how red his face was all the time?¡± When Tiff nodded yes, Mom continued. ¡°Do you remember how sad he got when kids made fun of him about it?¡± Tiff nodded again. ¡°But Jason was nice, wasn¡¯t he? It wasn¡¯t nice to make fun of him for something he couldn¡¯t do anything about, was it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tiff said, in a small voice.


    ¡°And Leah¡¯s friend Emmy is a bit like that. She looks different because of something she can¡¯t do anything about. Saying that she looks like an alien is not nice, and I would like to think that you are a nice person, Tiffany. Would a nice person be mean to this girl like that?¡± Mom asked gently, but it still made Tiff squirm and look at her plate.


    ¡°No,¡± Tiff said.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think a nice person would. So please, Tiffany, remember to think about peoples¡¯ feelings when you talk about them. After all, you don¡¯t want people saying mean things about you, do you? Of course not. That¡¯s gossip, and isn¡¯t nice. Now, who wants salad?¡± asked Mom, lightening the mood.


    Friday after school, we stopped at my house just long enough for me to grab the clothes I¡¯d laid out and then back in the car. Emmy had said that they passed by my house on the way to and from school, and she wasn¡¯t kidding. From the apartment parking lot we turned the opposite direction from school and headed out into the back roads leading north (I think) from town. About 20 minutes of ever-narrower country roads and we turned off onto a road that was posted ¡°No Trespassing¡±. As we wound our way up through the avocado groves we soon came to a big stone wall with an enormous wooden gate about ten feet tall. As we approached, the gate swung open, letting us through. Just outside the gate on the left hand side was a small guardhouse, but the guard just waved to us as we passed. A long, twisting driveway wound through more groves, but I think they were orange trees. The driveway leveled off and the house appeared ahead of us.


    The house was incredible. It looked like a dream, a fantasy of what an Italian villa should be. Some parts were only one story, but a lot of it was two and some parts were three stories tall. The walls were a cream-colored stone with an ancient-looking clay tile roof and a giant pair of wooden doors that were probably originally from some European castle. Describing it like this makes the house sound ominous, but because there were so many flowering bougainvilleas, ficus trees and other greenery it actually had a very inviting look to it. The ivy climbing up some of the walls made the house look hundreds of years old, but this area just hadn¡¯t been developed long enough ago for that to be true.


    Edouard drove the car to the side of the house where the garage made up a separate building with a covered portico that connected it to the main house. He stopped the car in front of the garage and opened the door for us. Emmy jumped out excitedly, clapping her hands with excitement. Really, she does that.


    ¡°Do not worry about carrying your things. They will be brought up to my room.¡±


    Wow, I thought. This place was a freaking mansion, and the household staff must be even larger than I had guessed. We¡¯d passed several gardeners on the way in, and I knew they had at least a cook and a driver. How many people does it take to run a house like this?


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I said a little hesitantly as I left my things in the car. Following Emmy as she walked down the portico to the main house, she pointed out things as we went.


    ¡°That is our jungle garden,¡± she said, waving at the lush greenery on the opposite side of the portico from the driveway. I saw that it had some kind of mesh shade cover over the top and little water misters to keep it humid, just like down at the San Diego Zoo¡¯s tiger area. ¡°My mother adores it. I think it is why we bought this house,¡± she said. The giant ferns and exotic flowers were spectacular, all right.


    We entered the house through a door with a large glass panel that was covered with fancy ironwork that resembled leaves of the tropical plants we¡¯d just walked by. By this point I was so overwhelmed I think I stopped paying attention as Emmy continued her tour guide narrative. We did go into the kitchen, though, where Emmy introduced me to Marie-Anne (the cook) and her assistant Rosa. Marie-Anne was a grandmotherly French lady who wanted to make sure I would be O.K. with the planned dinner menu. I told her that I was fine with whatever she had going. Her accent was thick and her English was far from perfect, but I think we communicated just fine. Rosa, Marie-Anne¡¯s helper, didn¡¯t say a word. I got the impression that she was a local, not from France like Marie-Anne and Edouard were.


    From the enormous kitchen we went to the front entry and up a set of curved stairs to a large upper hall. ¡°My room is in the east wing. It is this way,¡± Emmy said, taking my hand and pulling me along.


    Taking my hand back, I said ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming,¡± but the truth is I wouldn¡¯t have minded taking in the view for a little longer. Windows all along the side of the hallway had a magnificent view of hills and valleys stretching off to the distance. When we finally arrived at Emmy¡¯s room, I finally couldn¡¯t take it any more and had to say something.


    ¡°Emmy, your bedroom is bigger than my family¡¯s apartment. You have a living room in your bedroom, for god¡¯s sake! This place is so huge I would get lost if I tried to find my way back to the kitchen! This place isn¡¯t a house, it¡¯s a small town! I¡¯ve never even seen a house as big as this before, much less ever been in one. It¡¯s unbelievable!¡±


    Just then my little rant was interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. ¡°Princesa?¡± a voice asked from the other side.


    ¡°Si, entra.¡± Replied Emmy, and a maid came in carrying Emmy¡¯s school backpack and my clothes. We waited until she set everything down, then Emmy asked me if I wanted a snack or anything to drink. When I said no, Emmy dismissed the maid, who had been waiting for instructions.


    ¡°See, that¡¯s just what I¡¯m talking about,¡± I said. ¡°Normal people don¡¯t have ¡®household staffs¡¯. Normal people carry their own things, and normal people get what they want from the refrigerator. This is ridiculous,¡± I said, waving my arm to indicate the whole house.


    Emmy just smiled, and replied ¡°Yes, perhaps it is all a bit much. The truth of the matter is I have never lived any other way, so it seems perfectly normal to me.¡± She sat down on the large, overstuffed couch (yes, she had a couch in the living room part of her bedroom) and patted the cushion, indicating I should sit down, too. When I did, she continued. ¡°It was wonderful to see your house last week. It was so cozy and so full of the things that mean a lot to you and your family. Most of this,¡± she said, waving her arm to indicate the house, just as I had, ¡°is just¡­ stuff. Very little of it has any real meaning to me. There are only a very few things that I really am very fond of, and they could easily fit in your room. In truth, you have more possessions that you care for than I have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to say that when you actually have a place like this,¡± I said. ¡°You have everything.¡± I realized this sounded more than just a bit petulant and childish, but I guess I subconsciously felt as if my nose were being rubbed in my family¡¯s relative poverty. I¡¯d never thought of us as poor before, but now seeing how the very wealthy live was a rude shock.


    ¡°Yes, I believe that is probably true,¡± Emmy conceded. ¡°There are things I really do like about this house. Let me show you my very favorite place,¡± she said. As she stood up, she took my hand to follow her. We went out a pair of open French doors on one side of her bedroom onto a large roofed private balcony that was facing the setting sun. The warm late summer breeze carried the smell of the orange trees from the orchards and the chaparral from the hills beyond as we sat down on the overstuffed chairs by a low table.


    ¡°I love to sit here and read, or play the guitar, or do nothing at all. It is very pleasant,¡± she said, as she curled up in her chair.


    Emmy was right. It was nice, just relaxing. I could hear the distant sounds of birds as well as the gardeners working down in the groves. I woke with a start, realizing when I heard Emmy gently strumming her guitar that I¡¯d drifted off. I hadn¡¯t even noticed her going to get it from her room. As she played what sounded like classical Spanish tunes, I found myself drifting again. The comfy chair, gentle warm breeze and Emmy¡¯s soft melodies were all conspiring against me staying awake.


    It startled me when Emmy gently shook my shoulder to wake me up. The sun had set, and it was starting to cool off. A maid was shutting the windows and doors against the evening chill. ¡°Let us go inside,¡± Emmy suggested.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said groggily, recognizing that I must have been out for a while. We went back into Emmy¡¯s room, and Emmy asked if I wanted to see the rest of the house.


    ¡°Yeah, that would be great.¡± I responded, still a little bit snoozy.


    Emmy showed me around, and the house was even bigger than I had thought. We went down into the basement first. There was a full bar down there, with a pool table, chairs and tables, large screen TV and even a dartboard. The glass wall behind the bar looked into a large wine cellar, with racks and racks of bottles.


    ¡°This is only the second time I have been down here,¡± confessed Emmy, as she led me to the theater room. It was set up just like a small movie theater, with a giant flat-screen TV bigger than any I¡¯d ever seen.


    From there we went back upstairs and into the living room. A large picture window looked out into a formal garden in back of the house. At one end of the room a large stone fireplace flanked by bookcases dominated the room. ¡°I do not think anybody has ever sat on this couch since we bought the house,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It is amusing, now that you have made me think about it.¡±


    When our tour reached the stairs that led to the third floor, Emmy said ¡°Now we are going to my father¡¯s study. He is probably working, so if he is there we won¡¯t disturb him. I will introduce you and that is all.¡±


    ¡°O.K., sure. I don¡¯t want to bother him,¡± I replied as we walked up the stairs. At the top was a small landing with two large, heavy wooden doors. When Emmy¡¯s knock got no reply, she opened the door to the right and we went in. It was a good-sized room, three sides of which were lined with bookshelves. The fourth side was mostly windows, with a set of French doors leading out onto a balcony. Unlike Emmy¡¯s though, this balcony had no roof over it. I could see by the last rays of the fading day that it had a magnificent view. The desk was in a corner, facing both the windows and the stone fireplace.


    ¡°Is that a real tiger skin?¡± I asked, looking at the rug in front of the fireplace.


    ¡°Yes, it is real,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°My father killed it in Borneo, I think. He was a young man at the time,¡± she added.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I thought it was illegal to hunt tigers. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think it is,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°But this was an unusual case. My father was doing some exploration for one of his businesses and the village elders told him that a tiger had been terrorizing the villagers. He wanted the help of the elders for the work he was doing, so he hunted the tiger down one night and killed it for them.¡± Pointing at one of the bookshelves, she indicated a large, wicked-looking curved knife. ¡°That is the knife he used. There is a photo, too.¡± I looked closely at the framed picture and saw a tall, very black man standing with a bunch of villagers around the dead body of a tiger- presumably the one whose skin lay on the floor. ¡°They were very happy he killed it, so they made it into this rug for him.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You said he went out at night with a knife to kill a tiger in the jungle?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, that is right,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°Wow. Just wow.¡± I couldn¡¯t say any more. I mean, seriously?


    Looking around at the books and knick-knacks on the shelves, I saw a number of photos of Emmy¡¯s dad smiling and shaking hands with people I didn¡¯t recognize, but I¡¯m sure were probably rich and powerful. The books were in quite a few languages. French and English, of course, and I¡¯m pretty sure Arabic and some others I couldn¡¯t recognize. Heck, I can only read one language, and this guy had books in half a dozen.


    Back on the landing, Emmy pointed at the other door. ¡°That is my mother and father¡¯s bedroom.¡± She made no move to head in that direction, so I figured it wasn¡¯t a scheduled stop on the tour.


    When we returned to Emmy¡¯s room the maid who¡¯d brought our stuff up was waiting outside her door. ¡°Dinner will be at eight o¡¯clock, Princesa,¡± she said.


    ¡°Gracias, Carmela,¡± replied Emmy as we entered the bedroom. I hadn¡¯t really looked around the first time, so I gave Emmy¡¯s room a quick once-over. It was all in creamy off-white and dark wood. The giant (¡®is everything in this house huge?¡¯ I wondered to myself) canopy bed was on one side, and in the corner near the door there was a couch, a big, comfy looking chair and a coffee table covered with magazines. This little ¡®living room¡¯ area also had a large TV with a component rack for the DVD player and stereo equipment. In the far corner was a collection of musical instruments including an electrical guitar in an aqua blue color and the acoustic guitar Emmy had played earlier, both on stands. There was also a full-size keyboard, an amplifier and a laptop computer. The last corner of the room was clearly a homework station. There was a bookshelf, a desk with another laptop on it, and a printer.


    An open door on one side of the room led into what was obviously a walk-in closet. Opposite the balcony doors was an open doorway into her bathroom. The bathroom was all natural stone tiles and granite slabs, and the colors went with the entire theme of the house- natural materials that looked centuries old. It was all very, very beautiful, I had to admit. The bathroom (which was almost as big as the living room in my apartment) had a built-in vanity area on one side next to a long stone counter with a sink carved into it. Opposite was a giant (yes, everything in this house was oversized, after all) whirlpool tub, and a shower stall big enough to hold a party in. The shower had no door, just a small raised threshold to keep the water in. One door led to a small toilet room, and another led into the closet.


    ¡°I could live in this bathroom,¡± I told Emmy, admiring it all.


    Laughing, she said ¡°I think we could set up a bed in here. Let me tell the housekeepers.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as well, thinking of the humor of the situation, and how lightly Emmy had treated the whole class division between the two of us. It really seemed to help set a lighter mood and get me over my overwhelmed feeling, so I was in a good mood when I went into the closet/dressing room to get dressed for dinner.


    I¡¯d brought my ¡®Sunday best¡¯ as they used to say. A nice blue dress with long sleeves, white stockings and black flats, which I thought looked good on me. A little bit Alice in Wonderland, maybe, but I liked it. To add to the look I pulled my hair back with a pretty hair clip my mom gave me for my birthday a few years ago.


    ¡°You look so lovely!¡± exclaimed Emmy when I emerged. Blushing, I said ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± looking down at myself. ¡°I¡¯m not really used to wearing dresses much.¡±


    ¡°You should wear them more often. You are so beautiful in it,¡± she replied. ¡°But then, with your golden hair and lovely blue eyes, you would make anything look good.¡± With that, she disappeared into the walk-in closet to get dressed. Unlike me, though, she didn¡¯t close the door behind her. This made me feel a little bit uncomfortable, so I went over to her couch to sit down and wait.


    Looking through the magazines, I was surprised by the variety. There were some French fashion and music mags, plus some in English. There were also a bunch of exotic travel magazines with photos on their covers of perfect tropical beaches and the like. What surprised me, though, were the business magazines like The Economist and this morning¡¯s Wall Street Journal. Maybe the rich do have different upbringings than the rest of us. Here Emmy is reading about mergers, acquisitions, and arbitrage deals (whatever those are) while kids like me are reading about Tom Cruise¡¯s love life or what party Paris Hilton just attended. There¡¯s a lesson to be learned there, I think.


    When Emmy was done getting dressed she emerged wearing a long, silky skirt in a very deep red color, a white silk blouse and a short jacket that was a little bit lighter than the skirt. She was sporting a dark red ribbon as a bow tie. It was an elegant look, and it seemed to suit her perfectly.


    ¡°Wow, Emmy. You look great,¡± I complimented.


    ¡°Thank you, Leah. Now shall we go down?¡±


    We descended to the ground floor, and she led me to the dining room. I¡¯d been having visions of a giant table with us at one end and Emmy¡¯s parents at the other, but that¡¯s not how it worked out. Sure, it was a giant table, but no candles in the middle, no high-backed chairs. The place settings were all in the middle, and Emmy and I sat on one side, next to each other.


    Emmy¡¯s parents came in a minute or so later, walking arm in arm. I didn¡¯t hear them approach, but just glanced up to see them enter the room. Emmy¡¯s father was tall, well built, and very, very dark. If possible, his skin was even blacker than Emmy¡¯s. It was pretty much a true pitch black. His straight hair was black, also, and combed back and pulled into a tight little pony tail. His eyes were black as well. He wore a dark blue pinstriped suit with a brilliantly white shirt. His tie was a sapphire blue completing his well-tailored ensemble.


    Emmy¡¯s mother had skin just as black as her husband¡¯s, but her hair was a deep auburn red that fell in waves down to her waist, loosely pulled back with a black satin ribbon. She wore a forest green dress that had a skirt so long it flowed across the floor behind her, and I couldn¡¯t see her feet.


    When they entered, Emmy stood up to greet them, and I did the same, following her lead.


    ¡°Mother, Father. This is my good friend Leah Farmer. Leah, this is my mother, Madame De Lascaux, and my father, Monsieur De Lascaux.¡±


    Jeez, I thought. When Emmy had said they were a bit formal, I had had no idea she meant like this.


    I nodded my head hello, and Emmy¡¯s mom said ¡°Ah, Leah. Our daughter has told us so much about you. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.¡± Her French accent was stronger than Emmy¡¯s, and if possible even more musical. Her voice sounded almost as if she were singing, it was so well modulated. She held out her hand and I shook it, not knowing what else to do. Emmy¡¯s dad held out his hand, too, so I shook his as well. For such a large man his grip was gentler than I¡¯d expected. Firm, sure, but not bone-crushing at all. ¡°Miss Farmer,¡± he said, by way of greeting. His voice was deep and rich, with no discernable accent at all.


    When her parents moved to the other side of the table, Emmy¡¯s dad pulled a chair out for his wife, and then sat down himself. Emmy then gave my hand a little tug to indicate it was time to sit.


    A man I hadn¡¯t seen before brought out a bottle of white wine for Mr. Lascaux to approve, then poured him half a glass. He tasted it, then nodded and the waiter poured the rest of the glass. He then poured for Mrs. Lascaux, and raised his eyebrows at Emmy and me to ask if we wanted some. Emmy nodded, so I did, too.


    While this was happening Rosa brought out plates of salad for everyone. I half expected some sort of grace to be said, but there were no formalities like that. Everyone just started eating, with no preamble.


    Remembering that you are supposed to start with the outside utensils first, I dug in to the salad. It was very good, and I don¡¯t usually enjoy salads much.


    ¡°Do you like the salad?¡± Emmy¡¯s mom asked. ¡°Most of the greens are from our own gardens. A few are from farmer¡¯s markets nearby. The quality of the vegetables here is simply amazing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s delicious,¡± I replied. ¡°Thank you for inviting me to dinner.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure. It¡¯s wonderful to have you join us tonight. Please, Leah, don¡¯t think of yourself as a guest here. As you have been such a dear friend to the princess, you are like family here. Think of this as your second home.¡±


    We kept up the small talk about Fallbrook, FHS, my family, and so on all through the soup, main course, and an amazing chocolate torte for dessert. Emmy¡¯s mom and dad were very intimidating at first, but they were both very pleasant and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. Emmy¡¯s mom and I did most of the talking, but occasionally Emmy¡¯s dad would ask a question or make a comment. He always spoke with a measured precision, giving me the impression he only ever spoke exactly what he meant to say. His words seemed very carefully chosen, and he never said more than necessary. I noticed he also had that same stillness and lack of extra movement Courtney had pointed out in Emmy back at the start of the year. Emmy¡¯s mother, though, wasn¡¯t like that at all. She was lively, but very, very graceful in her movements. Looking at the two of them, I could see where Emmy picked up her habits and behaviors. She was almost the exact in-between of the two.


    Emmy made the infrequent remark here and there, adding to what I was saying but not doing much to hold up her end of the conversation. In fact, I had the impression that she was intentionally keeping out as much as possible, but I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    All in all, it was a whole lot more pleasant than I had expected the dinner would be. The food was incredible, and the white wine with dinner and sherry with dessert all made me feel very warm and more than a little bit buzzed.


    When dinner was over, Emmy¡¯s parents excused themselves. Emmy¡¯s dad got up and pulled his wife¡¯s chair out for her, giving her his hand to help her up. Arm in arm, they walked out of the room. All amazingly formal, and actually somewhat charming.


    Emmy grabbed my hand to signal to me to keep sitting down until she was sure they were gone, then she squeezed my hand and let it go. Once we returned to Emmy¡¯s room with the door shut, Emmy turned to me and gave me a big hug. ¡°You were perfect! They loved you! Oh, Leah, thank you! You were perfect, simply perfect!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure what she was so excited about, so I gently peeled her arms from me and asked, ¡°What do you mean? What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    ¡°I was so worried, but you were perfect! You charmed them with your poise and you were perfect!¡±


    She threw herself on the big cream-colored couch and asked, ¡°What would you like to do? How soon do you need to return home? Do you have time to stay a little longer?¡± Her words came out in an excited rush. ¡°We could do anything you would like.¡±


    ¡°Uh, no, I don¡¯t have to be home until midnight. That¡¯s still a couple of hours away. What did you have in mind?¡± I asked, sitting down on one of the comfy chairs.


    ¡°You choose. We could go downstairs and play billiards, but I must warn you I am no good. We could stay here and watch some television, if you want. I could play you a song- you appeared to enjoy my guitar playing earlier. We could take a walk through the orchards. They are lovely at night, and the moon is very bright tonight. We could even go swimming in the pool. We could do anything you wish.¡±


    ¡°Anything I wish, huh? Well, swimming sounds too cold, and walking in the dark sounds a bit dangerous...¡±


    Emmy interrupted ¡°No, the pool is very warm, and the orchards are not dangerous at all.¡±


    Ignoring her interruption, I continued ¡°How about we go down to the kitchen and see if there is any of that cake left? That was incredible.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let us do that.¡± Emmy jumped up and crossed to the closet, taking off her jacket as she went. She emerged a moment later in bare feet and wearing a light silk camisole in place of the button-front shirt she¡¯d put on for dinner. She¡¯d kept the long silk skirt, though.


    ¡°Do you wish to change your clothes?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, but thanks.¡±


    Walking back downstairs, the house was quiet and seemed to be shut down for the night. The lights were mostly off, making it hard to see. Emmy just glided along silently on her bare feet. When she saw I was having trouble, she took my hand to guide me.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough with no lights on,¡± I complained.


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry. Let me turn them on for you,¡± she apologized. It took her a while to find the light switch, and when she did find the panel of switches (it must have had about a dozen little buttons) she couldn¡¯t figure out how to turn on just the hall lights.


    It didn¡¯t matter. We had enough light to get to the kitchen, where Marie-Anne and Rosa were still cleaning up. Emmy gave Marie-Anne a hug, and thanked her (in English) for the wonderful dinner. I complimented her cooking, making sure to include Rosa also. The young woman had seemed sullen to me when I¡¯d first met her, but perhaps I had just gotten the wrong impression since she was in a good enough mood after dinner.


    ¡°Marie-Anne, Leah found your torte delicious, and we were hoping there was some left. Is there?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Bien s?r,¡± the cook answered. She brought out what was left, and the four of us sat down in the warm light of the kitchen and ate the cake right there at the counter.


    Rosa never said a word, which I thought was odd. I asked Emmy about it later and she explained that Rosa was mute, and couldn¡¯t speak at all. She was the daughter of the head gardener, and couldn¡¯t get decent work. Marie-Anne needed help in the kitchen and Rosa was happy to have a good job, so it worked out for everybody.


    After we ate the torte in companionable silence, I looked at the clock on the wall and realized that time had gotten away from me. ¡°Emmy, I need to go pretty soon. I¡¯m sorry I lost track of the time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. It is my fault. I knew you were to return to your home by midnight. Let me call Edouard.¡± She reached across the counter to the big office-style phone and punched one of the inside line buttons on the left. A quick few words in French, and she was smiling. ¡°The car will be ready in five minutes, but I told Edouard that we would be at the garage in ten. Let us go get your things.¡±


    Walking back up to Emmy¡¯s room to grab my stuff and then out to the colonnade by the garage, it hit me how Emmy and her mom stayed so skinny. They must walk five miles a day just getting around the dang house! The place was ridiculously huge, and going from one end to the other actually took a while.


    Cocooned in the quiet interior of the BMW, I asked Emmy ¡°How large is your house, really? I mean, how many square feet? It¡¯s freaking huge. I¡¯ve never seen a house so big before.¡±


    ¡°I think it is two thousand meters? I think that is what I heard. Of course, that does not include the garages, or the pool house, or the gymnasium, or any of the other outbuildings.¡±


    ¡°Your house has outbuildings.¡± I couldn¡¯t get over it. ¡°Like, how many outbuildings?¡±


    ¡°Let me see. Just the close buildings, or all of them? Should I count things like the guardhouse at the main gate?¡±


    ¡°No, never mind. I¡¯m not sure I want to know, anyway.¡± Again, the huge difference in wealth hit home. The Lascaux were fabulously rich, like I couldn¡¯t even imagine. We, on the other hand, lived in a three-bedroom apartment that could hide in some small corner of Emmy¡¯s mansion and not be seen for weeks.


    When we got to my place Emmy and Edouard both walked me to my door. Emmy gave me another hug and a cheek kiss goodbye, saying ¡°Thank you for being so perfect tonight.¡±


    This left me wondering what had really happened and why Emmy was so happy that it had gone well.


    Mom was still up, but when I protested that I was too tired to answer any questions she just let me go to my room in peace.


    The next morning I woke up late. The late night and the wine had both demanded that I sleep in, so I gave in to their wishes and didn¡¯t get up until ten. By the time I stumbled out of the shower and into the kitchen for breakfast, Tiff had already left to go play at her best friend¡¯s house and Mom was grading papers at the kitchen table.


    ¡°Well, look at you. Rough night?¡± she asked, glancing up from her work. ¡°I can fix you some breakfast, if you want. Tiffy and I had omelets. There are some eggs left, and we have hash browns, too.¡±


    I accepted gratefully, asking ¡°Is there any coffee?¡± Mom must have heard the hopeful tone in my voice, because she replied with ¡°I¡¯ll put some on.¡±


    I knew she was dying to hear about last night, but was being polite and not prodding, so I gave her the rundown. I told her about the amazing house, with its gardens, theater, and outbuildings. I mentioned Emmy¡¯s guess of two thousand meters, and Mom did a quick mental calculation. ¡°I think that¡¯s a little over twenty thousand square feet. That¡¯s about the size of an average grocery store.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds right. It is seriously huge. Walking from one end to the other takes like five minutes, maybe more,¡± I agreed.


    I also told her about all the maids, cooks, drivers, guards and gardeners I¡¯d seen. ¡°You know what¡¯s strange? I always thought that you¡¯d have a lot of privacy in a mansion in the country, but really that doesn¡¯t seem to be true. There were people all over the place. You¡¯re never really alone in a place like that.¡±


    ¡°That is interesting. I guess I can see why that would be the case, though. A place like that would need a full-time staff just to keep it up and running. You say it was surrounded by avocado and orange groves, right? So that means there were also people tending the trees, too. I wonder how many people actually work at the Lascaux property? Do any of them live there?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°Well, it seems like some of them must, but I didn¡¯t see any servants¡¯ quarters when Emmy gave me the tour of the house. Thinking about it, though, I suppose they could live in the outbuildings Emmy mentioned. Marie-Anne and Rosa were there at ten thirty at night, and so was Edouard¡­ so I guess they probably do live there somewhere.¡± I replied, thinking about it.


    ¡°It sounds more like a little village than just a single-family home,¡± Mom said. ¡°Very much like a European manor house, all right. Which reminds me- we had been speculating that the Lascaux are some sort of European old-money family, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re so formal. What were Emmy¡¯s parents like?¡±


    ¡°Well, they act that way, all right. But here¡¯s something strange- you know Emmy said that the way she looks is the result of some kind of genetic condition, kinda like being an albino in reverse, right? Well, her parents are even darker colored than she is. Her mom has long, wavy dark reddish-brown hair and these really weird dark blue eyes, and skin blacker than ink. Emmy¡¯s dad has straight black hair, really dark eyes, and super black skin, too. I mean, when I say black, they are really, really black. Blacker than that pen there,¡± I said, pointing to the felt tip marker my mom was using to grade the papers with. ¡°So I¡¯m not so sure they are old European money after all. I mean, they act like it and all, but I tend to think of Europeans as pretty much white.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Did Emmy ever mention what the name of her condition is? I wonder if it¡¯s something like hemophilia, which became very prevalent in European royalty because of inbreeding? Interesting¡­¡± Mom trailed off, thinking about it.


    ¡°Anyway, dinner was nice. Sure, Emmy¡¯s parents were super formal, and there were things like Emmy and I didn¡¯t sit down until her mom and dad were seated, and we didn¡¯t get up from the table until they¡¯d left, but other than that kind of stuff, they were really nice. Well, Emmy¡¯s mom was super nice. Emmy¡¯s dad didn¡¯t talk much.¡±


    ¡°What are their names?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s another really formal thing that happened. Emmy introduced them as Monsieur and Madame De Lascaux. She never said their names, just ¡®Mother¡¯ and ¡®Father,¡¯ and when they referred to each other they called each other Madame and Monsieur. Oh, and everybody calls Emmy ¡®Princess¡¯. Mr. and Mrs. Lascaux do, and so do all the people who work for them. I think it¡¯s kinda cute, but it drives Emmy crazy.¡±


    Finishing breakfast, I told mom ¡°You know, I may not have really been giving the right impression. I mean, sure a lot of it was strange and different than I¡¯m used to, but Emmy¡¯s folks were really nice, and her house was absolutely beautiful. Everybody made me feel welcome. In fact, it kinda seemed as if Emmy¡¯s mom invited me to go to Paris with them for Christmas break. I had a great time. The whole thing was really nice.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to have Emmy over for dinner here? She¡¯s already seen our apartment, and she knows we don¡¯t have a full-time professional cook, but hopefully that won¡¯t bother her,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Well, yeah, she¡¯s been here, and she only had nice things to say about our house. I don¡¯t think the whole money and status thing really matters much to her at all. In fact, she was joking about how ridiculously big her house is. If it¡¯s O.K. I¡¯d love to have her over for dinner,¡± I said, looking at Mom for her approval. When she gave it a thoughtful nod, I said ¡°I¡¯ll ask her. What day should I have her come over?¡±

 Dinner At Our House

    Monday morning, I told Emmy what Mom had said. ¡°You should have dinner at our place sometime. My mom wants to meet you, and my little sister Tiffany has heard a lot about you from her little schoolmates, so I want her to get to know you to set the story straight.¡±


    ¡°What has she heard about me, and from whom has she heard it?¡± she asked, curious about what I¡¯d said.


    ¡°I guess some of her classmates have older siblings at FHS, and you know how stories get distorted when they get passed along.¡±


    ¡°How interesting. What has your sister heard?¡± Emmy wasn¡¯t going to let it go, and I saw no way around it, so I decided not to sugar coat it. After all, Emmy¡¯s got to have heard it all by now, right?


    ¡°Her classmates told her that you were some kind of alien, or maybe a vampire or something,¡± I said, rolling my eyes to indicate how ridiculous it was.


    Emmy laughed, and asked ¡°Does your sister believe them? Maybe I should put on some false teeth, or perhaps some antennae.¡± She put the backs of her hands on her forehead, wiggling her index fingers around like strange alien antennas.


    I laughed, too, relieved that Emmy was taking it so well. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think she does believe any of it, mainly because I¡¯ve told her the truth.¡±


    ¡°And what is the truth?¡± she asked, moving her hands to her mouth to make big fangs with her fingers. ¡°Am I a monster?¡±


    ¡°What? No! You¡¯re just a regular person, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t look like a regular person, do I?¡± Emmy asked, pushing the topic farther than I was comfortable going. ¡°Will my appearance scare your little sister? Will I give her nightmares? After all, she already expects me to be something frightening.¡±


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t, and no she doesn¡¯t. Look. I¡¯ve been telling her all about you, and she understands the difference between first-hand accounts from a friend compared to third-hand from somebody who doesn¡¯t know you at all. She expects you to look a little unusual, but that¡¯s all. She knows that judging someone by their looks alone isn¡¯t appropriate.¡±


    ¡°I am glad to hear that. I would also like to meet your family. It would be lovely to have dinner at your house. When do you think I could come over?¡± Emmy asked, apparently satisfied that Tiff wasn¡¯t going to run in fear when Emmy walked in the door.


    ¡°Any time this week, I guess. Maybe Wednesday night? We usually have dinner around seven.¡±


    ¡°I will ask my parents for permission, but I expect they will say yes.¡±


    We had arrived at school by this time, so as we shouldered our backpacks and walked to Home Room I decided to tease Emmy.


    ¡°You know, you are kinda scary, sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she looked appalled. ¡°Only sometimes? I must need to practice more.¡± With that, she started walking like a velociraptor from Jurassic Park, slinking along with her arms held in front of her, clawing at invisible enemies. She bared her teeth and snarled, making me laugh out loud.


    ¡°Nope. You need to work harder at it. I don¡¯t think you could scare anybody like that. Maybe kill them with laughter, I suppose.¡±


    Giggling, the two of us walked to our first class of the day.


    ¡°Is there anything I should bring? Perhaps a bottle of wine?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What? No! I don¡¯t think my mom would take it too well if you brought wine,¡± I said, aghast at the thought.


    ¡°Why not? Is she a- what do they call it- temperance?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that. She just doesn¡¯t approve of underage drinking. I mean, I think she knows I sometimes drink, but she tries to ignore that fact and act like it doesn¡¯t happen. But me drinking in front of her? No way!¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emmy replied, with a regretful expression. ¡°Should we not have had wine with dinner at my house last Friday?¡±


    ¡°No, it was nice. It¡¯s not like we got stupid drunk, or anything like that. And besides, there was a designated driver, right?¡±


    ¡°Designated driver? You mean Edouard? He is our driver, but what does that mean ¡®designated¡¯?¡± The puzzled look on Emmy¡¯s face was priceless.


    ¡°A ¡®designated driver¡¯ is someone who specifically doesn¡¯t drink at a party or whatever so he or she can drive everyone home safely afterwards. So nobody drives drunk,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Ah, I understand. But if I am not to bring wine, is there something else I can bring?¡±


    Sheepishly, I suggested ¡°If you happen to have another of Marie-Anne¡¯s tortes lying around, I wouldn¡¯t say no to dessert. I can¡¯t believe how good that was the other night.¡±


    Grinning, Emmy said ¡°I believe there might be one ¡®just lying around¡¯ tomorrow. I will be certain to steal it when nobody is watching.¡±


    The next morning, I was surprised by Edouard¡¯s gentle knock on the door. Sometimes 6:10 AM rolls around way, way too early. When I slid into the big sedan and its wonderfully soft leather back seat, I asked Emmy what was up. ¡°You¡¯re still coming to dinner, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am!¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I would not miss it. I am very much looking forward to it.¡±


    Emmy gave some directions to Edouard, and I heard the word ¡°caf¨¦¡± in there somewhere. Sure enough, he turned into the drive-through lane for the coffee bungalow a few blocks from school. It was an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise. Caffeine is a very good thing. I noticed that Edouard didn¡¯t get himself anything.


    ¡°Edouard, you aren¡¯t getting coffee?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, Miss Farmer,¡± he said with his thick French accent. ¡°It is too late in the day for that.¡±


    Late in the day? It was twenty after six in the morning! Well, whatever. It wasn¡¯t too late for me to enjoy the sweet siren call of the roasted bean. I was grateful for the stop.


    ¡°Ah, coffee,¡± sighed Emmy. ¡°It is a life saver.¡± I nodded my agreement as Edouard pulled up to the curb to drop us off for the daily slog.


    After school, when Edouard opened the door for us to climb in, a wonderful aroma greeted my nose. There on the back seat, in all its delicious glory, was one of Marie-Anne¡¯s fabulous masterpieces, a chocolate torte.


    ¡°Oh. My. God.¡± I said, breathing the smell in as deeply as I could. ¡°My mom and Tiffy are such chocolate fiends that we¡¯ll be lucky to get any. In fact, I think we should eat it right now, before we get home. Just to make sure we get our fair share.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Emmy said, making sure she sat between me and the torte. ¡°It is for everybody. We must wait to have it with your family.¡±


    The smell- that deep, dark chocolate fragrance, that sweet delicious goodness, filled the car to such an extent that I thought I was going to pass out from sheer choc-overdose before we got to my place. I was practically delirious when Edouard pulled into my parking lot.


    ¡°Mom and Tiff won¡¯t be home for another hour or so,¡± I explained as we walked up the stairs. ¡°So we still have time to eat that torte and hide the evidence.¡±


    ¡°You are terrible!¡± laughed Emmy, as she held the torte farther away from me. ¡°It is for sharing with everybody.¡±


    Laughing, I unlocked the door and we went in. I asked ¡°Does the torte need to go in the fridge?¡±


    ¡°No, it is better if it does not,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°Marie-Anne just made it, and it will be good for a few hours just as it is.¡±


    Looking around I saw that mom had done an amazing job cleaning up. The place was immaculate. Relieved, I refrained from just throwing my stuff on the couch like usual and carried my stuff to my room, Emmy following me. Sitting on my bed, she asked ¡°May I play your father¡¯s guitar again? I promise I will only play happy songs.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can. In fact, you can even play sad songs if you want. Just warn me so I can get the Kleenex.¡±


    She took Dad¡¯s old guitar off the stand and checked the tuning. Satisfied, she started strumming some chords. When she started singing, I realized it was that old Led Zep tune about going to California. I think she sang some of the lines wrong, though. She sang about finding a queen who cries in response to singing, and I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not correct. In fact, the big wink she gave me as she sang it convinced me she was doing a bit of improvising with the words. To show that her tease had not gone unnoticed I gave her a shove on her shoulder, which just made her smile all the more. She continued to play, and somehow every song referenced me in some way. It was funny enough, and her ability to modify lyrics as she went along was amazing. Somehow she made it all work well enough that if I didn¡¯t know the words I would swear that her version was right.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Emmy was singing ¡®Lovely Leah, meter maid¡¯ when she suddenly stopped.


    ¡°I think your mother and sister are here,¡± she said. Sure enough, I heard Tiff¡¯s voice saying something to Mom outside my open window on the stairs. I¡¯d been so wrapped up in listening to Emmy¡¯s singing that I hadn¡¯t even heard them drive up, even though Mom¡¯s car needs a new muffler.


    Emmy set Dad¡¯s guitar gently on its stand and walked to the living room, so I followed.


    The shocked look on Mom¡¯s face when she actually saw Emmy for the first time only lasted for a moment, and thankfully she recovered quickly. ¡°You must be Emmy. I¡¯ve heard so much about you. Emmy, this is Tiffany,¡± Mom said, pulling Tiff from out behind her where she had ducked to hide from the odd-looking (possibly alien) stranger.


    Emmy replied with ¡°I am very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Farmer. And you too, Tiffany. Thank you for inviting me into your home.¡±


    ¡°Did I hear you playing the guitar?¡± Mom asked. ¡°It sounded great. Lee had told me that you played, but I think that she didn¡¯t do you justice. It¡¯s nice to hear that old guitar making music again.¡±


    ¡°You do not mind that I was playing the guitar that belonged to your husband?¡± asked Emmy, uncertainty in her voice.


    ¡°Oh, of course not. Not at all. In fact, it brings back pleasant memories.¡± With that, Mom motioned to the kitchen. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have to get dinner ready.¡±


    Tiff had finally gotten bold enough to approach Emmy. Looking up at Emmy¡¯s midnight black face she declared ¡°You aren¡¯t a alien. You¡¯re just a normal person,¡± more to reassure herself than anything else.


    ¡°It is true- I am not an alien,¡± Emmy said, making antennas with her fingers again. ¡°But I am not a normal person, either. See?¡± and Emmy did the fangs thing with her fingers. ¡°Look at my big teeth!¡±


    That seemed to break the ice. Tiff responded by grabbing two pens from the cup on the side table. ¡°Oh yeah? My teeth are bigger than yours!¡± she said, tucking the pens under her lip like two big sabre teeth.


    Emmy laughed in that musical way of hers, and admitted defeat. ¡°Yes, yours are much bigger than mine. I had better be careful you do not eat me for dinner!¡±


    ¡°I would never eat you,¡± Tiff replied. ¡°People taste bad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but not me,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I am deliciously sweet.¡±


    Chuckling at this exchange, I wandered into the kitchen to see if I could help with dinner. When I got close to where Mom was standing by the sink washing vegetables, Mom said ¡°She really is just the way you described her. I thought maybe you were exaggerating a bit, but there she is,¡± in a quiet voice so that Emmy wouldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said in the same low voice. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have made her up.¡±


    As we started the cooking process, I heard Emmy playing the guitar in the living room. Both Mom and I paused for a moment to listen to Emmy sing the first verse of ¡®Somewhere Over the Rainbow¡¯.


    ¡°She has a beautiful voice,¡± Mom said as we resumed work.


    ¡°Yeah, she does. She told me that she¡¯s taken music and singing lessons from the time she was a baby. She practices every day.¡±


    ¡°Well, it shows. She has a lot of talent.¡±


    A little bit later, I glanced into the living room to see how things were going. Emmy was playing ¡®Octopus¡¯ Garden¡¯ at one end of the couch while Tiff lay back and listened attentively.


    Mom had actually prepared the casserole the night before, so all we had to do was to heat it, steam some vegetables, and fix a salad. It couldn¡¯t have been more than half an hour before everything was ready, so I called Tiff in to set the table.


    Surprisingly, there were none of the usual ¡°Why do I hafta?¡± type of complaints. In fact, Tiff seemed to want to impress Emmy, so she did her job with care and soon the table was set and everything was ready. Emmy had returned the guitar to my room and was standing by the table, unsure what to do next.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Mom said to Emmy. Tiff sat down in her usual seat and indicated Emmy should sit next to her.


    Emmy took the seat Tiff had suggested so I sat down on the other side of her, opposite Tiff. That left the seat opposite Emmy for Mom.


    ¡°Please help yourself, Emmy. We¡¯re pretty casual around here,¡± Mom instructed. I started dishing up the casserole, putting a small piece on Tiff¡¯s plate. ¡°How much would you like?¡± I asked Emmy.


    ¡°The same as Tiffany is having, please¡± Emmy replied. ¡°And may I please have some vegetables? They smell very good.¡±


    Conversation was a little awkward at first, but soon Emmy, Tiff and Mom were all chattering away as if they were old friends. Emmy seemed particularly amused when Tiff told her about the stories Tiff¡¯s classmates had been telling about Emmy. She also seemed very interested in Mom¡¯s stories about teaching at the community college, too. In fact, pretty much everything that came up seemed to be very fascinating to Emmy. She just drank it all in, asking questions and making comments that showed that she was paying attention better than I ever do.


    After dinner, when I got up to carry the plates into the kitchen, Emmy stood up to help but Mom waved her away. Seeing her opportunity to monopolize Emmy, Tiff grabbed Emmy¡¯s hand and dragged her back to the living room. Tiff pulled her over to the couch and when Emmy sat down next to her, Tiff whispered something into Emmy¡¯s ear. Emmy whispered back, and soon they were giggling, which led to tickling and loud laughter.


    Mom and I sat at the table and watched as the two whispered secret plans of some sort, peeking furtively at Mom and me. All of a sudden, they jumped off the couch and rushed us, Tiff attacking Mom with tickling fingers, and Emmy tickling me. She was very gentle, though, unsure whether it was O.K. or not. To show that the game was fine by me, I tickled Emmy back, standing up to get a better angle. She fled away to the couch and I pursued. I¡¯m not very ticklish at all, but as it turns out, Emmy was- much to her disadvantage. After a bit, we were exhausted, laying back and panting.


    By this point, Tiff was sitting on Mom¡¯s lap, just watching Emmy and me. Out of the blue, Tiff asked ¡°Emmy, if you aren¡¯t a alien, why do you look so weird?¡± I saw Mom tense up, appalled at the rudeness of the question, but Emmy didn¡¯t seem disturbed at all.


    ¡°Can you keep a secret?¡± she asked Tiff.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Tiff replied, a bit hesitantly.


    ¡°This is a very big secret, so you have to promise me you will never tell anyone, ever. Can you promise me that?¡±


    Intrigued, Tiff responded more forcefully this time. ¡°Yes, I promise. Cross my heart,¡± she said, making an ¡®X¡¯ on her chest with her finger. Mom was interested, too, and I have to admit that Emmy had aroused my curiosity with her unexpected response to Tiff¡¯s thoughtless question.


    ¡°I will tell you then. This is my big secret. I am not an alien. I am a- what do you call it, the shadow that hides under your bed or in your closet, and steals children away?¡± she asked, looking at me.


    ¡°A bogeyman?¡± I suggested, perplexed.


    ¡°Yes. A bogeyman. I am one of those scary monsters who sneak in at night and steal small children away to eat them. I hide in the shadows waiting for my moment to strike.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t eat children!¡± Tiff replied indignantly.


    ¡°No, no I do not. In truth, my people stopped doing that centuries ago.¡±


    I glanced at Mom, and saw the amused smile on her face, and the concerned look on Tiff¡¯s.


    ¡°You are not a bogeyman! You¡¯re too nice! Bogeymen are evil, and they scare people. You don¡¯t scare anybody,¡± Tiff said, trying to convince herself.


    ¡°I do too scare people. I love to do it,¡± said Emmy, with a reproachful tone in her voice.


    ¡°Prove it,¡± Tiff demanded, feeling a little more sure of herself.


    ¡°O.K., I will show you,¡± Emmy said, sitting upright on the couch. ¡°Close your eyes, and keep them closed.¡± When Tiff did as instructed, Emmy said ¡°Now tell me where I am right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re on the couch, next to Lee,¡± Tiff said, her eyes still shut tight.


    ¡°Point at me,¡± Emmy said, and the moment the last word exited her lips she jumped up utterly silently and rushed over to where Tiff sat on Mom¡¯s lap without making the slightest sound. I was amazed at the speed and complete silence of Emmy¡¯s actions. There¡¯s no way I could have done anything like it.


    As Tiff pointed at the couch with her eyes still shut, Emmy leaned in behind her and whispered, ¡°boo¡± in Tiff¡¯s ear.


    Squealing with surprise, Tiff¡¯s eyes opened wide as she looked back behind her to where Emmy stood, grinning. Emmy then scooped up Tiff in her arms and carried her back to the couch where the tickling resumed in earnest. I had to get up to get out of the way of Tiff¡¯s flailing legs, so I sat next to Mom, who was chuckling to herself at the whole scene. Even Sylvester abandoned her spot on the couch¡¯s back, fleeing the activity.


    ¡°She really is amazing,¡± Mom said. ¡°I can understand why you¡¯re so in love with her.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, wondering what Mom meant by that. ¡°I¡¯m not in love with Emmy,¡± I replied indignantly.


    ¡°Oh, honey. I didn¡¯t mean it that way. It¡¯s just that you talk about her all the time, and now I understand why. She¡¯s exotic, she¡¯s pretty, and she is very charming. What you told me about the way she deals with peoples¡¯ reactions to her unusual looks makes me think she¡¯s also very determined and sure of herself. It¡¯s a winning combination.¡±


    Tiff and Emmy were running out of steam by this point, so Mom called out ¡°Hey, I forgot Emmy brought dessert. I hope you two still have some room left- it looked delicious.¡±


    Remembering the torte, I said ¡°It was baked this afternoon. It smelled fabulous on the drive home.¡±


    As I¡¯d predicted, Tiff and Mom had plenty of room left for the amazing chocolate cake. I can¡¯t really talk, though- I ate my share, too. Emmy was the only one who restrained herself, with just a very small slice.


    After dessert was done, Tiff settled down to do her homework while Mom washed the dishes. Emmy and I retreated to my room, where we just talked about school, my upcoming V Ball tournament, and other stuff that I can¡¯t remember. Before I even realized, it was ten o¡¯clock and Emmy had to leave.


    ¡°Are you going to call Edouard?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, he knew to return at ten o¡¯clock. He is waiting in the parking lot.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K.¡± I replied, thinking about what a pain all the extra driving was for Edouard that day just so we could have a freshly baked dessert. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to your car.¡±


    Out in the parking lot, standing next to the big, dark sedan, I gave Emmy a quick hug. ¡°Thanks for coming over tonight.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± she replied. ¡°It was wonderful to meet your family, Leah. They are very lovely, your mother and sister. I had a superb evening. Thank you very much.¡± With that, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and got into the car. Edouard waited until I¡¯d gotten back to my front door to get into the car. Just making sure I was O.K., I realized. What a strange family, and what a different way of life.


    Returning inside, I saw that Mom was sitting at the table, reading student essays. I sat down opposite her, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Mom looked up, putting down the papers. ¡°She really is remarkable, you know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, unsure where Mom was going with this.


    ¡°Well, when you¡¯d told me she was really black, I figured she must be of African descent, perhaps Masai or something like that. Some of them are pretty dark. Emmy, though, doesn¡¯t look like that at all. In fact, she looks like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen. Tiffy¡¯s friends were right, in a way. She does look like an alien more than she looks like what I¡¯m used to thinking of as normal. Her coloration is well outside what I¡¯ve always thought of as the range humans come in.¡±


    ¡°Well, honestly, I¡¯m not sure what to think,¡± I admitted. ¡°When she first came to school, she said she had a medical condition kinda like albinism, and didn¡¯t have normal protection against the sun. She always stays out of the direct sunlight if she can, and wears sunglasses all the time. She showed me her hair has no color to it at all. You can¡¯t even see it when she puts a strand of her hair in water. It pretty much just vanishes. So I¡¯d pretty much just accepted that whatever the condition was, it turned her skin black like that. But then I met her parents, and they¡¯re even blacker, if you can imagine that. Maybe they are aliens,¡± I said, only half jokingly.


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Mom replied. ¡°Still, it is mighty odd¡­¡±

 Emmys New Car

    The following Monday Emmy surprised me by being the one who knocked on my door in the morning.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Edouard?¡± I asked as I shouldered my backpack.


    ¡°He is not driving us today,¡± Emmy replied with an impish grin.


    ¡°What? How¡¯d you get here, then?¡±


    ¡°Look!¡± Emmy said, pointing in the direction of the parking lot.


    There it was. A brand new Mini Cooper, in a creamy off-white with black roof and racing stripes.


    ¡°Oh. My. God. You got it after all! Jeeze, Emmy, it¡¯s beautiful!¡± I gushed as we walked up to her new car.


    I did a quick walk around it to admire the details. The first thing I noticed is how dark the windows were tinted. ¡°Is it legal to tint the windows that dark?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± Emmy responded, with just a hint of uncertainty in her voice. ¡°All of our family¡¯s cars are like that.¡±


    Running my hand along the little spoiler in back, I asked ¡°How is it to drive?¡±


    ¡°I think you should find out for yourself,¡± Emmy replied, handing me the keys.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, amazed.


    ¡°You do have a license to drive, no?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, sure. But this is your brand new car! What if I wreck it or something?


    ¡°I am not worried. It can always be fixed,¡± Emmy said, with reassuring calm.


    ¡°O.K. then. If you¡¯re sure,¡± I answered, climbing in the driver¡¯s seat. The inside was stunning. Charcoal grey leather seats, big round gauges on the dash, huge moon roof¡­ Wow. Just wow.


    ¡°Emmy, this is my dream car. Really. No joke. I am in love with your car,¡± I said, running my fingers along the carbon fiber inserts on the door panel.


    She just laughed and turned on the satellite radio to some kind of Euro-Dance type station.


    ¡°Oh! Scooter! I love them,¡± Emmy squealed when she heard the music. She turned it up and started bopping in her seat as I pulled out of the parking lot, extra, extra careful with Emmy¡¯s Mini.


    Emmy¡¯s excitement and enthusiasm were contagious, though, and I soon found myself singing along with Emmy during the refrain. By the time I pulled into the drive through at the coffee hut we were both laughing and bouncing around in our seats.


    The barista took one look at us and said ¡°I don¡¯t think you girls need any more coffee this morning.¡± This got us both laughing again, so I explained ¡°No, we¡¯re just in a good mood. My friend here just got this new car, and it¡¯s freaking sweet!¡±


    When we pulled into the school¡¯s lot we had the windows down blasting ¡°Better, Faster, Harder¡± by Daft Punk. We made quite a spectacle, and drew more than our fair share of attention. As soon as we parked and got out, a small crowd gathered to check out Emmy¡¯s new ride. I was amazed at how willing she was to let people sit in the car and admire it. I wouldn¡¯t have been nearly so open to that if it had been my car, that¡¯s for sure.


    At lunchtime I told Courtney, Allie and Tom to come out to the parking lot to check it out. Tom kept pointing out all the carbon fiber stuff, like the mirrors, spoiler, and so on. Finally Allie had to tell him to knock it off. ¡°We get it already. Really, we do. Now shut up, will you?¡±


    As we walked to the parking lot after last period we saw a group of people looking at Emmy¡¯s car. Some of them glanced up and saw us coming and fell silent. By the time we got there, all talking had ceased.


    ¡°Oh, Emmy,¡± said Janice Weaver, who was in our AP Chemistry class. ¡°Look at what they did to your new car. I can¡¯t believe anybody would do something like that.¡±


    My reaction was one of shock and disbelief. Emmy, though, did the totally unexpected- she broke out laughing.


    ¡°Oh, that is precious! I love it!¡± she said, looking at what had happened to her Mini.


    ¡°What?¡± Janice asked, stunned. ¡°Your window gets busted in and your car keyed and you just laugh? You think this is funny?


    ¡°The boy who did this is just so stupid,¡± Emmy explained, ¡°that he cannot even spell his racist words properly. ¡®Niger¡¯ (she pronounced it ¡®nee zher¡¯) is the name of a country in Africa, not a racist insult. It is amazing he even knows how to walk and breathe at the same time!¡±


    She got some nervous and sympathetic chuckles at that, but I didn¡¯t think the whole thing was funny at all, and neither did Janice.


    ¡°He? Who do you think did this? Do you have any idea?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I believe I do know, but I am not completely certain,¡± Emmy said, as she looked around the parking lot. ¡°I think it was Jake, over there,¡± she said, pointing across the lot at a boy standing by his pickup truck.


    When she pointed at Jake Merrick and everybody looked over at him he quickly turned away, acting as if he hadn¡¯t been very interested in what was happening at our end of the parking lot.


    ¡°I am going to talk to him. Please stay here,¡± she told me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea at all,¡± cautioned Janice, echoing my thoughts.


    ¡°Look, Emmy,¡± I said. ¡°Jake Merrick has been to juvie a couple of times that I know of. He got suspended last year for beating up a kid for being gay. Don¡¯t go near him. He¡¯s just plain bad news.¡±


    ¡°Stay here,¡± Emmy commanded, as she gently peeled Janice¡¯s hand from her arm. ¡°I will be O.K.¡±


    In disbelief I watched as she strode over to where Jake was standing by his truck.


    ¡°Shit!¡± exclaimed Ted Stevens. ¡°She¡¯s got a lot more balls than I do, that¡¯s for damned sure. Jake scares the shit outta me.¡±


    We watched as Emmy spoke to Jake, making him jump. He hadn¡¯t heard her coming, and had been conspicuously facing away. He turned and said something back but we were just too far away to hear what the two of them were saying. Emmy said one more thing to Jake, then turned on her heel and came back, leaving him looking really pissed off behind her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just did that,¡± remarked Ted. The rest of us nodded and murmured agreement.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± asked Janice.


    ¡°He said he had no idea what I was talking about. Come on,¡± Emmy said to me. ¡°Let us go.¡±


    We got in the car and left, but instead of turning right on Mission Street, Emmy turned left. ¡°Will you come with me to the car dealer?¡± asked Emmy. ¡°I need to get this repaired.¡±


    ¡°Um, I guess so. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I am going to have the car fixed tonight. When we arrive at school tomorrow he will see that he can do nothing,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Do you think Jake did it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did it. There is no doubt.¡±


    ¡°What did you say to him? He looked super mad when you walked away,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I told Jake Merrick that he should never play any games he is not prepared to lose,¡± said Emmy, with a bite in her voice I¡¯d never heard before. ¡°Because, I told him, he will lose this one more badly than any other he has played before.¡± Her voice was hard and intense, but I saw no sign of tension in the way she gripped the wheel or in the set of her shoulders.


    We didn¡¯t talk any more during the half hour it took to get to the dealership. I found myself thinking about Jake Merrick, and how believable it was that he was the culprit. He was just that kind of asshole. I¡¯d known him since elementary school, and he¡¯d always been a complete jerk and a mean bully, too. I could totally see him trashing Emmy¡¯s fancy new car out of spite.


    At the dealership Emmy pulled right up to the service department. When we walked in the service manager looked up, surprise on his face when he saw Emmy coming through the door.


    Recovering quickly, he said ¡°Ah, Miss Lascaux. What can I do for you today?¡±


    At first I was amazed he knew who she was, but then I realized she had just gotten her car there, and presumably the service department had done the custom modifications she¡¯d wanted.


    ¡°Hi, Mr. Wilson!¡± Emmy chirped, all smiles for the man. ¡°My car needs some repairs. Let me show you.¡± It really blew me away how cheery she¡¯d sounded, as if it were just an oil change she needed, or maybe getting her tires rotated.


    Mr. Wilson, the service manager, followed Emmy outside to where her car was parked. Trailing along behind, I saw the look of shock and horror on his face when he got a good look at the vandalism done to the Mini Cooper.


    ¡°Oh, my god¡± he exclaimed. ¡°You weren¡¯t hurt, were you? How did it happen? Are you O.K.?¡± The words poured out of his mouth.


    I decided I liked the guy. His reaction was so instantly protective and so genuine that it seemed to me he honestly did care more that Emmy was not hurt than anything else.


    ¡°I am fine, thank you. It happened while we were in class,¡± Emmy reassured the man.


    ¡°Come on back inside. Let me write this up. Did you report this to the police?¡± he asked. When Emmy told him no, he said ¡°Well, we¡¯ll take photographs and document the damage. It may be important for legal reasons.¡± He hustled Emmy and me back inside, clearly not wanting to look at the damage any more than absolutely necessary.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll get right on it. I¡¯ll get you a loaner car while it¡¯s being fixed.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Asked Emmy. ¡°I need it for school tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about that. Of course, you can keep the loaner as long as you need to. Want me to see if I can get you a Z4?¡±


    ¡°No, you do not understand. It is very important to me to have my own car to drive to school. I want the boy who did it to not have the satisfaction of denying me anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be a few days. We have to repair the bodywork where it¡¯s been dented, then sand, prime, sand, paint and so on. It all takes time. I¡¯m sure we could have it done by Friday, though,¡± he explained.


    ¡°It must be ready in time for school tomorrow. This is not something I can allow to take any longer at all.¡± That edge, that steeliness I¡¯d heard in her voice earlier came back again.


    ¡°But Miss Lascaux! Even if my body shop guys start work on it right this minute and work all through the night it still might not be ready in the morning! Besides the time the work takes, there¡¯s drying time between coats. It just isn¡¯t enough time!¡± Looking at him, I realized Mr. Wilson looked really pained. He was in a very uncomfortable position. I understood that he didn¡¯t want to piss off a customer, and Emmy was being unreasonable, but it wasn¡¯t clear to me why he was taking it to heart so badly.


    ¡°It just isn¡¯t possible! I wish we could do it- I¡¯d stay late and work on it myself if it would help, but we just can¡¯t get it done in that short amount of time! It would take less time to customize a new one just like yours than it to fix the damage to your car.¡± He seemed really stressed.


    ¡°Oh, that is an excellent idea!¡± Emmy actually clapped her hands in excitement and happiness at the thought. ¡°That is wonderful, Mr. Wilson! Thank you very much!¡± And just like that she was back to her cheerful self again. ¡°How soon can it be ready? Should we wait?¡±


    ¡°Ummm¡­¡± Mr. Wilson stammered, caught flat-footed by the way Emmy seized that offhand remark as if it were a viable option. ¡°I have to see if we have a pepper white John Cooper available with the same features. If we do, it¡¯ll take four hours or so to do the work¡­¡± he trailed off, wondering what he¡¯d just gotten himself into.


    It took me a moment to do the math. Sure, the dealership is probably open until ten PM or so, but service departments normally close at five or thereabouts. It was almost four by the time we got there, so whoever was going to do the work was going to be on overtime. Assuming it would be more than one guy, we were talking about hundreds of dollars in extra labor costs just so Emmy could make a point.


    Of course, there was also the fact that Mr. Wilson apparently just gave Emmy a brand new car. I just couldn¡¯t see how this could possibly be a good deal for the dealership, even trading in her old car with its low mileage.


    ¡°Four hours?¡± asked Emmy. ¡°Could you please have someone give us a ride back to Fallbrook?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Let me make a call,¡± said Mr. Wilson, picking up the phone. It couldn¡¯t have been a minute later when a young man in a suit approached.


    ¡°Miss Lascaux? I¡¯m Walter James. Where can I drive you to?¡± He hardly spared me a glance.


    ¡°Mr. James, this is my friend Leah. We will be going to her house,¡± Emmy replied.


    He led us out to a big BMW sedan like the one Emmy used to come to school in. I was surprised, though, that it wasn¡¯t as nice inside. The leather seats were not of the same quality, and the car wasn¡¯t nearly as quiet, either.


    Once on the road, Emmy took out her phone and called someone. A brief conversation in French ensued, my name the only words I recognized.


    ¡°Edouard,¡± Emmy explained when she hung up. ¡°He will pick me up at your house.¡±


    ¡°When is he coming?¡±


    ¡°He might already be there by the time we arrive.¡±


    The rest of the drive we spent in silence, each lost in her own thoughts. Finally, I had to ask. ¡°What just happened back there, at the dealership?¡±


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Emmy.


    ¡°It sounded like the service manager just gave you a new car. That isn¡¯t normal customer service!¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, I am not a normal customer,¡± said Emmy with a mischievous little smile.


    I saw that Mr. James, whom I took for a sales guy, was listening to our conversation. In fact, he actually nodded a little to himself when Emmy said she wasn¡¯t normal.


    Just then we turned off the freeway, so I gave him directions to my apartment. When we stopped he almost jumped out to get Emmy¡¯s door. This guy was clearly sucking up, and it was arousing my curiosity. My door opened while I was watching the Mr. James/Emmy dance, making me jump.


    It was Edouard, who gave me a little bow. ¡°Miss Farmer. Always a pleasure,¡± he said in his thick Parisian accent. When Mr. James looked up and saw Edouard, he was visibly surprised. ¡°Uh, is Mr. Lascaux here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, he is not here. But I will tell him that you went above the call of duty to bring Miss Farmer and his daughter back from Escondido,¡± assured Edouard.


    ¡°His name is Mr. James,¡± Emmy told the scary blond driver.


    She turned to the car salesman and thanked him politely. He got the message and climbed back into the sedan, leaving quickly with a mixture of relief and anxiety on his face.


    The next morning, Emmy came to my place to give me a ride to school, same as always. The new car did look exactly the same as the old. The same dark tinted windows, the same soft dark gray leather seats. When I commented on it, Emmy agreed. ¡°Yes, they did an excellent job. The only thing they could not duplicate was my bumper sticker,¡± she said. ¡°I feel a little bit terrible for being so mean to Mr. Wilson at the dealership,¡± Emmy continued. ¡°I will have to give him a nice present for Christmas. Mr. James, though is just a toady. He was very rude to you. I do not like him much at all. Trying to¡­ what is the phrase? ¡®Kiss ass¡¯ like that.¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Wait- you still haven¡¯t told me what the deal is. Why were they all falling over themselves like that? How can a service manager just give a car away? I mean, what¡¯s going on?¡± I demanded.


    Emmy smiled as if she were going to tell me a joke. ¡°Oh, Leah! I thought I¡¯d mentioned it before. My father bought that dealership a month ago. That¡¯s why I feel a bit guilty. They are worried that they might lose their jobs if they don¡¯t jump to attention when I say so.¡±


    ¡°Your dad bought the car dealership?¡± I asked, stunned.


    ¡°Yes. He wants to become more integrated into the local business community, and he liked the dealership when he went in as a customer. So he bought it.¡±


    As we pulled into the school parking lot, Emmy changed the subject. ¡°Does your phone record video?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. It¡¯s not great quality, though. Why?¡±


    ¡°Jake is already here, and there might be a confrontation. I want you to record it, but be careful. I do not want him to see you filming,¡± Emmy explained.


    She slowly circled the lot while I got my phone out and ready to shoot video. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she slowed even more when we passed where Jake was standing by his truck, making sure he got a good view of the unblemished side of the Mini Cooper.


    ¡®Might be a confrontation,¡¯ I thought. Yeah, I suspect there might be, all right. She¡¯s antagonizing a guy who¡¯s known to be unstable and prone to violence. Great.


    Emmy picked a parking spot that was close (but not too close) to where Jake was glowering at us. Well, glowering at Emmy, anyway. He didn¡¯t spare me a second glance as we got out of Emmy¡¯s car, for which I was grateful. I used this lack of attention to move to a spot where I could watch but hopefully not be noticed and got ready to record events.


    As soon as we parked, Emmy got out of the car and walked straight up to Jake. Looking around, I saw that a few others had noticed what was happening (or about to happen, anyway) and had stopped what they were doing to watch the scene develop.


    Emmy said something to Jake that I couldn¡¯t hear, but whatever it was it made him visibly angry. Well, angrier, I should say- he was already clearly pissed off.


    Soon he was yelling. Emmy¡¯s voice was quiet, too quiet to hear even when I snuck up closer. Jake¡¯s, though, was plenty loud. I could clearly hear him shout ¡°You fucking little bitch! I should have done even more to your fucking gay little rich bitch car! I should have lit it on fucking fire with you in it, you little fucking nigger bitch!¡± I¡¯m pretty sure half the school heard it. He was worked up, and completely out of control.


    And then it happened. Emmy looked over at me, panic in her eyes. As she glanced away from Jake, he pulled back his fist. She looked back at him just in time to get his big meaty fist right in the face, as he punched her hard.


    People talk about seeing things in slow motion, and now I totally understand what they mean. It all seemed to take forever, but I knew it could only have been a couple of seconds at the most.


    I almost had to close my eyes as his fist came down hard on her face. Emmy was a very petite girl and Jake was a big football player, so when he hit her, the force really knocked her back. She just slammed into the car parked behind her and fell to the ground, her scream of fear and pain cut short as she got knocked senseless against the sheet metal and glass.


    Jake was just about to kick her as she lay crumpled on the ground when a couple of the other jocks from the football team grabbed him and dragged him away.


    ¡°What the fuck, man?¡± I heard Jordan Runyon yell as he and Blake Moore threw Jake to the ground, keeping him from getting up. ¡°What the fuck¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Jordan demanded, as some more people came running.


    I ran over to Emmy, but Andy Temple got to her before I did and was helping her sit upright. Emmy was crying, a bruise already swelling her cheek. Her nose was bleeding, too, the red blood on her charcoal colored skin shocking in its intensity.


    I didn¡¯t have any idea what to do and Andy seemed to be much calmer than I felt, so I just tried to stay out of his way.


    He checked to see if her nose had been broken, surprisingly gentle for the school¡¯s star linebacker. I mean, here was a boy who made All State as a junior for his ability to tear through offensive lines, and yet he was holding Emmy as if she were the most fragile thing he¡¯d ever touched.


    When it became obvious that Emmy didn¡¯t have a concussion or anything like that, Andy picked her up in his arms as easily as if she were a little kitten. ¡°Let¡¯s take her to the nurse¡¯s office,¡± he said to me.


    Emmy just buried her face in his shoulder, her sobbing gradually subsiding as we neared the school office. I went ahead to open the door for Andy, but by then news of the altercation had spread and the school secretary was holding the door open for us.


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± said Mrs. Bradley. ¡°What happened?¡±


    As Andy carried Emmy into the nurse¡¯s office, I explained what had happened to the secretary, the vice principal, and even the janitor- at least that¡¯s how it felt.


    Andy backed me up on a lot of the details after he left Emmy with the school nurse.


    Just when it seemed everything was calming down, Edouard opened the door and Emmy¡¯s mom strode in. I¡¯m not sure anybody in the office had ever seen Emmy¡¯s parents, but I am sure they all knew exactly who she was the moment she walked in the door.


    Mrs. Lascaux was even more intimidating than she¡¯d seemed the night I had dinner over at Emmy¡¯s house. She was wearing an obviously very expensive dark burgundy suit, the waves of her very long, dark auburn hair pulled back and tied with a ribbon of the same color as the suit. A pearl choker and matching earrings contrasted starkly with her midnight black skin. Her high heels gave her the extra inches to tower over all the ladies in the office. In fact, somehow she gave the impression of towering over Andy, too, but I¡¯m sure that wasn¡¯t really the case.


    Mrs. Lascaux¡¯s piercing, scary dark blue eyes swept the room, before settling on Principal Spencer as the authority in charge.


    ¡°Mr. Spencer, where is my daughter?¡± She spoke in a polite tone, and her musical French accent was still there, but there was no mistaking it. She was in command, and was accustomed to people doing exactly what she wanted.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s in the nurse¡¯s office, ma¡¯am¡± stammered Mr. Spencer. ¡°Right this way.¡±


    As he led Mrs. Lascaux to where Emmy was recovering, nobody said a word until Spencer, Emmy¡¯s mom, and Edouard all disappeared down the hallway. Once they¡¯d gone from sight it was as if everyone let out the breath they didn¡¯t realize they were holding.


    ¡°Holy shit! That¡¯s Emmy¡¯s mom?¡± whispered Andy. ¡°Who¡¯s the guy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her mom. The guy is her driver. And maybe her bodyguard. I¡¯m not too sure¡± I whispered back.


    ¡°He looks like a bodyguard,¡± responded Andy, still whispering, even though there was no sign of Mrs. Lascaux or Edouard. ¡°I bet he¡¯s strapped. I bet he¡¯s got a gun on him. That guy looks totally bad-ass.¡±


    ¡°You think he¡¯s scary, you should see Emmy¡¯s dad.¡± I was still whispering, too, I realized.


    ¡°I thought Emmy was the darkest skinned person I¡¯d ever seen in my life, but her mom¡¯s even darker,¡± marveled Andy, still in a quiet voice. ¡°What¡¯s her dad look like?¡±


    ¡°Just the same. That same super black skin and dark hair. His eyes, though, aren¡¯t blue like hers. They¡¯re black- or at least so dark you can¡¯t see any color.¡± Just then our whispered conversation came to a halt as Mrs. Lascaux and Edouard returned from the nurse¡¯s office. I hadn¡¯t noticed, but Principal Spencer had returned earlier, and was quietly talking to the vice principal.


    She walked up to the two of them and announced ¡°My daughter wishes to attend classes for the rest of the day, rather than coming home with me now.¡±


    Principal Spencer started to object, stammering something about the zero tolerance school policy requiring kids who get in a fight to be sent home.


    ¡°Nonsense. My daughter did not get in a fight. She was attacked by a young man known to be violent. My daughter did no fighting.¡±


    ¡°In fact, it is her desire to attend the rest of the school day to show that she will not be bullied, even in the face of violence. I expect you will honor her feelings in this matter.¡± Again, it was clear that this wasn¡¯t open for debate. It was a command, and Emmy¡¯s mom expected it would be followed.


    Clearly done with the school officials, she turned to us. Andy and I jumped up from where we¡¯d been sitting- Andy looking as uncomfortable as I felt.


    Her tone was much softer when she took my hands and said ¡°Dearest Leah. I am so sorry you got mixed up in this terrible affair. My daughter greatly values your friendship, and I am very pleased the two of you have become so close. Thank you for being here for her.¡±


    Turning to Andy, she asked ¡°You are Andrew Temple? Thank you for coming to my daughter¡¯s aid. It was very gallant of you. You look like a fine young man, and I am pleased to find such quality individuals in our new home community.¡±


    Andy really had no idea how to respond, so the best he could do was ¡°Um¡­ thanks. Mrs. Lascaux, Emmy isn¡¯t hurt too badly, is she? I mean¡­¡± and he trailed off.


    ¡°No, not too badly. Minor injuries only, thankfully. It is a good thing that you and your friends were there to stop this boy from doing more harm. Please thank the others for me, if you will.¡±


    Turning back to me again, she said ¡°Leah, my dear. It is always a pleasure to see you. I am sorry it had to happen under these terrible circumstances.¡± Then to Andy, she said ¡°It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again sometime soon.¡± With that, she left, just as precipitously and as imperiously as she¡¯d arrived.


    The nurse wanted to keep Emmy a little longer and Andy and I had missed most of first period, so we went to the quad to kill some time until the bell rang.


    ¡°She did seem like some kind of royalty, didn¡¯t she?¡± Andy asked. ¡°I couldn¡¯t freakin¡¯ believe it, the way she bossed everyone around. I don¡¯t think Mr. Spencer got in two words. He was about ready to wet himself!¡±


    I laughed along with him, because it was so true. ¡°Hell,¡± Andy laughed, ¡°I just about lost bladder control myself!¡±


    ¡°Wait until you meet Emmy¡¯s dad. That guy is scary as hell. Very nice and polite, but he seems like somebody who would just kill you without a second thought if you pissed him off,¡± I said to Andy. ¡°Emmy showed me a tiger skin in their house. I guess her dad went into the jungle in Borneo or someplace like that. He went into the jungle with a knife one night and killed a tiger that had been terrorizing some villagers. She showed me a picture of him with the village elders and the dead tiger.¡±


    ¡°A knife?¡± Andy asked, disbelief in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah, a big curved knife. It¡¯s on a shelf in his office. He killed an eight hundred pound tiger. At night. In the jungle. With a knife.¡± I added, voicing my concern, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if Jake goes missing tonight I wouldn¡¯t be a bit surprised.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± Andy agreed, looking more than just a little bit overwhelmed. ¡°A knife. Killed a fucking tiger with a knife,¡± he murmured to himself. ¡°How badass is that?¡±


    Switching subjects, he suddenly asked ¡°What¡¯s their house like? I guess they have money, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, they¡¯ve got money,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a huge mansion. I had no idea that there were any houses like that around here. It¡¯s like something from a book or magazine, or something. It¡¯s so beautiful. Emmy¡¯s room is bigger than our apartment. It¡¯s got an enormous pool, and a tennis court, stables¡­¡± I realized I was just talking to fill up space, so I shut up. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really amazing,¡± I finished, lamely.


    Andy got up from the bench. ¡°Well, see you around.¡±


    I just sat there for a few more minutes. Our next class was close, and I knew Emmy would have to walk this way to get there from the office. I wanted to talk to her before she had to face the crowd that I was sure had had plenty of time to hear all about this morning¡¯s events.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked when she walked up. Her cheek was swollen, her eye was bloodshot and she was walking as if it hurt, so maybe it was a ridiculous question. Still, I didn¡¯t know what else to say or do.


    Looking up at the sound of my voice, she smiled. ¡°Leah! You waited for me! Thank you!¡±


    Surprised by the upbeat tone of her voice. I asked ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°It does hurt a bit.¡±


    ¡°A bit? Just a bit? Jake hit you as hard as he could!¡± I exploded. I guess I was a bit angry at her for getting herself into this mess the way she did, and it showed in my voice. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± I demanded. ¡°You knew Jake was violent. You could see he was getting more and more pissed off! You should have just walked away,¡± I finished, my anger deflating.


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± she sighed, taking my hand. ¡°I am sorry I made you so upset. I did not mean to do so.¡± She pulled me into a hug. Her invasion of my personal space bothered me, but she¡¯d just been through a lot, so I just let it slide and didn¡¯t push her away.


    Letting me go after a few seconds, she took my hands and looked me straight in the eyes, suddenly very serious. ¡°What happened with Jake this morning? It was necessary. Unpleasant, yes, but it had to be done.¡±


    Just then the bell rang and a moment later the door behind me opened and kids started pouring out. A few gave us quizzical looks and I realized Emmy was still holding my hands. Pulling away, I said to her ¡°It¡¯s time for class.¡± I was still a bit angry, but I wasn¡¯t too sure why. After all, she¡¯d been the victim, right? Blaming the victim? Really? What was I doing?


    By lunchtime pretty much the whole school knew the story. In fact, Stephanie and her stupid friend Candace asked me in art class if I¡¯d heard the news. Their version was a bit exaggerated, but less than you might expect for such a juicy item for the gossip mill.


    ¡°I was there,¡± I told them. ¡°I was with Emmy this morning when it all happened.¡±


    ¡°You two are really hanging out together a lot these days,¡± sneered Candace, with that snotty attitude of hers. ¡°Are you like her pet or something now?¡± Stephanie laughed a little at her friend¡¯s wit, but didn¡¯t seem too committed to it. ¡°Did she buy you with all that money she¡¯s got?¡± Candace continued.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Candace. Don¡¯t be such a bitch,¡± said Randy, from the seat next to the window. Quietly, so the teacher wouldn¡¯t hear, he continued ¡°You¡¯re just jealous. Emmy¡¯s richer than you, and better looking, too. You¡¯re yesterday¡¯s news,¡± he finished harshly.


    With an exaggerated sneer, Candace turned her back on Randy, but then realized that meant facing me. She turned again so she wouldn¡¯t have to look at either of us.


    Stephanie followed suit, which surprised me a little. Usually it worked the other way around. Stephanie led, and Candace (and the other cheerleaders) followed. I guess it was just bitchy solidarity that caused Stephanie to go along with one of her minions in this case.


    Anyway, at lunch a lot of people came over to our table to offer sympathy. The comments were all pretty much the same. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he did that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so brave of you to stand up to a racist pig like that!¡± ¡°Jake¡¯s an asshole.¡± And so on.


    I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, but when Andy brought over half the football team I really started to understand what had happened this morning. ¡°Me and the guys had a talk, and we decided that Jake is off the team, if he even comes back to school. In fact, some of us think he should get the shit beaten out of him, just so he learns.¡± A few of the guys looked a little uncomfortable with this, but a lot nodded in agreement with Andy.


    ¡°I really do appreciate that you would do that, but I do not think that would be a very good idea,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°It is best to let the police do what is required. Thank you very much, though.¡± With this, she got up and gave Andy a big hug and a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Thank you for being there this morning.¡±


    After lunch, when we were walking to Bio, I pulled Emmy aside. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± I had my suspicions, and I wanted to know.


    ¡°Of course you can! What a silly question.¡± she laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking advantage of this situation, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want to go home. You wanted everybody in school to know Jake beat you up, didn¡¯t you?¡± I demanded.


    She looked at me like a teacher whose student finally gets the answer right. ¡°But of course. Would you, if you were in my position?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ What position is that? And no, I wouldn¡¯t have put myself in the position to get beaten up in the first place!¡± I realized that at some level I was still mad at Emmy, and my tone of voice made it clear to her as well.


    ¡°I am an outsider. I am an unknown. Few care to know me,¡± Emmy explained, and despite her words I could hear no trace of bitterness in her voice. ¡°But I will not be ignored. An event like this, although painful, will cause it so nobody at this school thinks I am weak. No one will dare to threaten me again.¡±


    ¡°But Jake beat you up! He punched you!¡± I was nearly shouting, exasperated.


    ¡°Yes, he hit me. But who has beaten whom? I do not think it was Jake Merrick that won. He has lost far, far more than he could have realized this morning. Wait and see.¡± The tone of her voice was hard, but I didn¡¯t get the impression her anger was directed at me. Maybe what I¡¯d said to Andy about Jake disappearing might come true after all, I thought for a moment.


    ¡°He will go to jail,¡± Emmy stated, as if explaining a math problem. ¡°Many witnesses saw him hit me, and everybody heard his racist language. It will be prosecuted as a hate crime, which means that he will be treated harshly by the criminal justice system. He is eighteen years old, so he will go in with the adults, in to the state prison. He will find very few friends in there. He will forever be branded as a violent felon. His life is ruined.¡± She said this all with a matter-of-factness that was more than just a tiny bit chilling.


    ¡°But enough of that. Jake Merrick is no more than an unpleasant memory. There is no more need to discuss him. It is over.¡± With this, Emmy¡¯s smile returned. How she could turn her emotions on and off like that I could not understand, but I was willing to pretend that I could forget all about the incident, just as she was doing.


    Later that evening, as I was telling Mom all about it, a thought occurred to me. I downloaded the video I¡¯d shot onto my computer so I could watch it on the larger screen just to make sure, and my suspicions might well have been correct. Emmy actually saw Jake¡¯s fist rise before she turned to look at me. The look of panic I thought I¡¯d seen that morning might actually have been her checking to make sure I was recording it all. She looked a bit calmer on the video than I thought she had at the time. The more I watched and rewound and watched the video again, the more convinced I became that she knew he was about to hit her, and did nothing to prevent it. In fact, I became reasonably sure that she had known all along that violence might happen, and that¡¯s why she wanted me to record it.


    I had a hard time believing that anybody could be so calculating, so committed to revenge, but there it was. Emmy had played Jake, and now he was going to pay.

 Halloween Party At Stephens

    We were entering the home stretch in our schedule as the volleyball season wound down to a close. We were feeling good about our chances, especially given the way we¡¯d been playing in the last month or so. It was well within our grasp to make the playoffs, maybe even as district champs.


    Some of the other girls were playing well, but I knew I was the only one really banking on an athletic scholarship to college so it meant a whole lot more to me than any of the others. Because of this fact I poured myself into the workouts, doing what I could create as solid and smooth a team as possible. If it meant buttering Nicole up so she¡¯d be more confident and aggressive or stepping back to give Jenny a chance to shine, I did it. Of course I kept focus on my own game, too, because after all I was the team¡¯s tallest player and therefore best at the net.


    A few of the teams we played that we thought would give us a really hard time were easier than expected and as we got more assertive on the court our victories came one after another. I was feeling really good about my game and giving it all I had.


    When games went right it was almost a magical experience. ¡®Zen-like¡¯, I guess my mom¡¯s friend Mai Ling would say. I got into a zone and my entire world shrank down to just the court, the players, and most of all, the ball itself. It felt as if I could do anything when I achieved that state. I¡¯d heard it described as a ¡®flow state¡¯ or a ¡®peak experience¡¯, and all I knew is that when I got into it nothing else mattered and my game was perfect.


    I felt an incredible rush from playing so intensely and wished I could focus like that all the time, but it never lasted for very long. Still, we won every single match when I hit the zone, and Coach mentioned that she could see it in my playing when I was on top of my game. It was good to get the positive feedback that all my hard work was paying off.


    I also found it surprisingly gratifying that Emmy came to all our games, even our road games. It was great to have someone cheering for our side in other schools¡¯ gyms, since very few people ever came to watch volleyball at all.


    ¡°Are you going to Stephen¡¯s Halloween party?¡± Emmy asked out of the blue during a break between games at West Escondido.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re going?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°How do you even know Stephen? You¡¯ve only been here at school for a few weeks and already you¡¯re plugged into the social scene? I¡¯ve never even seen you talk to Stephen, even though we¡¯re in all the same classes!¡± I responded. ¡°Yeah, I think I might go. I¡¯ve known him forever, and he throws good parties,¡± I said, lamely.


    ¡°I adore Halloween! I am going to start working on my costume. I already have some ideas- do you know what you will wear?¡± Emmy chirped. The excitement in her face was funny to see. She was so enthusiastic, so thrilled with the idea of dressing up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably something slutty. It¡¯s hard to find a costume for girls that isn¡¯t too sexy. I swear- it¡¯s as if Halloween is just an excuse to look like all you want to do is have sex,¡± I said, a bit bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t given it any thought. You?¡±


    ¡°I think, if it is supposed to be sexy,¡± and here she gave me an exaggerated wink, ¡°perhaps I will be a sexy devil. Yes. I think that is it. A sexy devil. Ultra plus sexy.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K. But I think you maybe misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t say it had to be sexy, it¡¯s just that all the costumes you can buy are that way,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Oh, no, Leah. I understood perfectly. But if I am going to have fun with it, I might as well have very much fun with it. And besides, devil girls are supposed to be temptresses, no?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, I guess. Just don¡¯t expect me to do much tempting. That just isn¡¯t my style at all,¡± I replied, returning my focus to the match.


    When the time came, Courtney and I decided to dress as pirates, as unimaginative as that was. She went for the predictable sexy pirate wench route, but I opted for the Jack Sparrow look. I had to admit it wasn¡¯t very original, but it was easy. Robbing my mom¡¯s closet got me most of what I needed, after all. She hadn¡¯t been to a Ren Faire since Dad died, but still had all the clothes.


    The party was just getting started when we pulled up in Courtney¡¯s Nissan. There might have been maybe ten people just milling around, almost all guys. Stephen was happy to see us.


    ¡°Thanks for coming. I was beginning to worry it was going to be a pure sausage fest. At least we¡¯ll have two hot babes here!¡±


    Courtney said ¡°Thanks. But don¡¯t worry. Alyson said that she and the other cheerleaders are coming at nine or so. Of course, we¡¯ll still be the hottest babes here.¡± She smiled at Stephen. ¡°Now where¡¯s the alcohol?¡±


    Sure enough, the cheer squad arrived en masse a bit after nine o¡¯clock. If I thought that my costume showed a lack of creativity, theirs beat mine hands down. They came as, you guessed it, cheerleaders. O.K., vampire cheerleaders, but still. Black fingernail polish and plastic teeth were weak efforts.


    I have to say, though, that we were all greatly overshadowed in our efforts at costumes when Emmy strode in. When she¡¯d said she was going to dress as a sexy devil, I had no idea she was going to go so all-out. Over the top might be a better description.


    My first impression on seeing her was that she was really tall. Her heels must have been six inches tall, and adding to that her hair was swept up into dozens of waving spikes, dyed yellow at the roots and red at the tips so they looked like flames rising from her head. All told, it made her well over six feet tall, which gave the impression that she was the tallest person at the party.


    Her outfit was totally outrageous. By totally outrageous, I mean she looked like a cross between a dominatrix, a fashion model, and a classic Hollywood demon.


    She wore a blood red corset-like bustier, displaying far more cleavage than was legal in most Southern states. It looked as if it were made of leather and silk, with a black satin ribbon laced in the back holding it together.


    Her skin-tight pants (if they could be called that) matched the bustier. Also blood red leather with silk details, they were so low-cut they almost qualified as thigh-highs. I mean, I¡¯ve seen low-cut hip huggers before, but these bordered on pornographic. The sides were slit all the way up, with a black satin ribbon on each side lacing the front and back halves together, but leaving a two inch gap of bare skin showing all the way down each side. The red leather and satin contrasted with Emmy¡¯s midnight black skin creating a very demonic appearance indeed, and showing off how sharp her hipbones looked. I mean, I knew she was skinny, but really?


    Her crazy high heels looked completely painful. They reminded me of ballerina toe shoes, but made of dark red leather. A long slender spike of a heel and just the tips of her toes bore all her weight. I wouldn¡¯t be able to take a single step in those shoes without breaking both my ankles, but Emmy seemed to have no such problem at all.


    She walked in the door with an odd gliding stride. She didn¡¯t just sway her hips- no, her whole body moved with every step in a strange, boneless motion that reminded me of videos I¡¯ve seen of sidewinder snakes in the sand. How she did it I couldn¡¯t say, but the effect was both hypnotic and a bit disturbing.


    Emmy saw Stephen and went over to say hello. The look on his face (and everybody else¡¯s in the room, too) was a mixture of shock and I¡¯m not sure what else. I mean, Emmy could have walked in completely naked and not caused any more of a stir. Dramatic can¡¯t begin to describe the effect she was having.


    Emmy took Stephen¡¯s stunned face in her hands and gave him a kind of kiss on the lips, but just barely brushing her lips on his.


    In a husky, low voice she said ¡°Good evening, Stephen. Thanks for inviting me to your party.¡± She let him go, then turned and walked over to where I was standing with Tom and Courtney. Randy, Stephen¡¯s best friend since elementary school, slapped him on the back. ¡°Wake up! Earth to Stephen!¡±


    Stephen¡¯s face lost its dazed look and just became annoyed. ¡°Fuck off. You¡¯re just jealous she kissed me,¡± I heard him say. ¡°Because that¡¯s how I roll.¡±


    To the three of us she gave her more usual cheek kisses.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to dress sexy, Leah,¡± she said in that same breathy voice. ¡°And yet look at you and Courtney. I would gladly surrender my booty to the two of you, you look so good.¡±


    I felt my face turn red- I¡¯m sure it just about matched Emmy¡¯s clothes at this point. Courtney, too, looked more than just a little bit uncomfortable at the innuendo, which surprised me- usually she¡¯s the one making comments like that.


    Emmy turned to Tom and gave him a big smile. That¡¯s when I noticed she had fangs. Not the cheap plastic vampire teeth like the ones the cheerleaders had already given up on, either. These things looked real. Real sharp, too. If I hadn¡¯t ever seen her before I¡¯d be convinced that they were in fact her real teeth. I don¡¯t know how she had them done, but they were done very well, indeed. The little horns on her forehead looked completely believable, too. Some makeup artist did a great job, all right.


    ¡°Tom, my dear,¡± Emmy breathed, fingering the sheriff¡¯s star on his suede vest. ¡°Maybe you should arrest me for being bad. Because I¡¯m going to be very bad tonight. You did bring your handcuffs, I hope?¡±


    With a little laugh, she lifted his chin to close his mouth. Then she spun and walked away with that odd stride, her shoulders thrown back and her chin high.


    ¡°Jesus Christ! Did you see her eyes?¡± Courtney asked.


    ¡°Umm, no¡­ I was too busy noticing other things,¡± said Tom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just bet you were. She certainly had her ¡®other things¡¯ on display,¡± Courtney snorted. ¡°Well, her eyes were blood red. She¡¯s got some of those contact lenses in, but they look a lot more real than any I¡¯ve seen before.¡±


    ¡°Did you notice her teeth?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah I did. She went for all the details, all right. Even her necklace was crazy,¡± Courtney shook her head in amazement.


    ¡°What about her necklace?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°How could you have not seen it? It was right there between her tits. I don¡¯t have any idea how you could have missed it, the way you were staring at them. Well, take a good look at it next chance you get. That necklace is pretty freaking amazing.¡± Courtney rolled her eyes at our inability to see the obvious.


    Tom was checking his pockets for something, so I gave him a questioning look.


    ¡°I might have to go,¡± he said, apologetically. ¡°But I¡¯ll be right back. I forgot my handcuffs at home,¡± he smiled.


    I smirked, and Courtney gave him a shove. ¡°You go, cowboy.¡±


    I next saw Emmy in the living room, where Stephen had moved all the furniture to the sides to make a little dance floor. Emmy was the only one dancing- I guess the others hadn¡¯t had enough to drink yet. Emmy was swaying to the music, again in that strange, boneless way. Her eyes were closed, as if she were wrapped up in her own little world, oblivious to the stares from everyone else.


    ¡°Dude, she is so freaking hot!¡± I heard one of the football players say to another.


    ¡°So hot. I¡¯ll bet she¡¯s a real tiger in bed,¡± his friend agreed. ¡°What I wouldn¡¯t give for a night with that!¡±


    Pigs, I thought. But then, I realized that¡¯s exactly what Emmy wanted. She knew what she was doing with that outfit, acting the way she was. A sexy devil temptress. She¡¯d said it herself.


    She looked up, as if she somehow knew I was there. ¡°Ah, Leah. How are you tonight?¡± she asked as she walked over to me. ¡°Are you having a good time? I am. Do you need something to drink? Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She took my hand and led me to the back patio where the keg was set up, along with cups and sodas in coolers.


    ¡°Emmy-¡° I started, but she put a finger to my lips.


    ¡°Halloween is a special night. It''s a night when a person can be other than one¡¯s typical self, become someone different. Tonight you are Captain Jill Sparrow, and tonight I''m Ruby, temptress from the Inferno.¡±


    ¡°Ruby, then.¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit excessive?¡±


    ¡°Oh, but no,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s fun, and that is what I want tonight. Tonight I¡¯m going to enjoy myself.¡± She gave me a big, scarily fanged smile.


    While we were talking, I noticed what Courtney had meant about the necklace. It was a large deep red ruby (far too large to be real) on a gold chain. In the dim light of the back patio I saw that it glowed with a slow pulsing light. One more strange thing about her tonight, I thought. Her ears had matching ruby studs (although they didn¡¯t seem to glow), and so did her bellybutton. Even the little tiny nostril stud she wore was a ruby. She really had pulled out all the stops for her sexy devil costume. In a way, it was very impressive, I thought.


    Just then Mindy Stock (one of the vampire cheerleaders) and some boy I didn¡¯t know walked up.


    ¡°Umm, Emmy¡­¡± stammered Mindy, obviously intimidated. ¡°Where did you learn to dance like that? That was really incredible.¡±


    ¡°Mindy. How lovely to see you¡± said Emmy in that low, sexy voice. ¡°Is that your boyfriend?¡± she asked, indicating the boy dressed like Fred Flintstone.


    Again, I wondered how she knew everybody¡¯s name. I wish I could master that trick.


    ¡°Uh, no. Um, he¡¯s my cousin. My cousin Robert. He¡¯s from Oregon.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s not your boyfriend, then that means he¡¯s available, no?¡± Emmy said, as she sidled up to him, gently stroking, then softly raking her long, sharp red nails across his cheek. ¡°And he¡¯s so cute, too¡­¡±


    Robert smiled, pleased with the compliment and the attention. As he raised his arm to put it around her, Emmy stepped over to Mindy.


    ¡°If he¡¯s not your boyfriend, then that also means that you, too, could go home with anybody you wish. What a lovely idea,¡± she mused with a purr, as she put her hands on Mindy¡¯s hips.


    Emmy stepped away with a laugh when she saw the stricken look on the girl¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh, Mindy, I¡¯m just teasing you. You can relax.¡± The look of relief on Mindy¡¯s face was immediate. ¡°To answer your question, I¡¯ve been taking daily dance lessons from the time I could first walk. I love to dance. It¡¯s one of my very favorite things.¡±


    Continuing, Emmy said ¡°I¡¯ve seen your cheer squad workouts. You are one of the best dancers on the team. You and Stephanie, but I think you have more natural talent. Please do not tell Stephanie I said that, though. She is very proud of herself.¡±


    That¡¯s certainly true enough, I thought. Stephanie would never let anybody forget she was captain of the cheerleading squad.


    ¡°If you would like, we could dance together some time¡± Emmy finished. It struck me that while Emmy was talking to Mindy about dance she¡¯d reverted to her normal voice, forgetting to maintain her sexy devil persona.


    ¡°That¡¯d be great!¡± Mindy said, having recovered her composure.


    Just then something caught Emmy¡¯s eye inside. ¡°Oh¡­¡± she sighed. We all looked into the house to see what had caught her attention. A girl I recognized as Sara Diaz had just walked in to the living room from the front hall. I have to admit I was really surprised to see her there at the party at all. She was, after all, the quiet girl at the back of the class- the one who never spoke unless the teacher called on her. The one everybody forgets is there just because she makes such little impression. Honestly, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve said any more than a dozen sentences to each other over the years, and I¡¯ve known her since seventh grade. Heck, we have two or three classes together this term! She¡¯d never been to any parties as far as I knew, and I¡¯d never seen her at any school dances or anything. She was so shy that one time in ninth grade she¡¯d broken down and cried when she had to give an oral presentation in social studies.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    And yet, there she was, at Stephen¡¯s Halloween party, the social event of the term. Still, judging by her lost look, she¡¯d been dragged to the party by her best friend Juli Andrade. I just knew she had to be behind Sara¡¯s being there, and sure enough, I saw Juli through the kitchen window talking to somebody out of view.


    Emmy was still staring at Sara with a look that seemed to me to be like a lioness watching a gazelle at a watering hole in the savannah.


    ¡°Excuse me. I see something very, very sweet, and I am so partial to angel food.¡± As Emmy said this, again in that husky, sensual voice, she smiled wide, exposing those ever so convincing fangs. More disturbing, though, was the way her pink tongue ran along the tip of her way too sharp canine, the way some people lick their lips. It seemed an unconscious action, but I am sure she¡¯d practiced it plenty to get it to look that way.


    She started back into the house, and that¡¯s when I realized what she¡¯d meant. Sara¡¯s silvery white empire-style dress and little silver circlet against her long black hair made sense. I didn¡¯t see any wings, but since Sara was facing us maybe they were just hidden from view.


    The three of us watched as Emmy slithered (and that¡¯s actually a good word to describe it) over to Sara. She stalked around the girl, eying her up and down, finally walking up behind her to talk, pressing herself against the embarrassed girl and whispering into her left ear from behind.


    Sara was blushing, turning redder and redder as Emmy continued whispering close to her ear. Emmy was gently stroking Sara¡¯s right shoulder and the side of her neck, while her left hand was exploring the disconcerted girl¡¯s hip.


    I was getting embarrassed just watching this, and I know I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Robert asked Mindy ¡°She goes to your school, right?¡± When Mindy nodded yes, unable to stop watching the scene though the sliding glass door, he continued ¡°Is she always like this?¡±


    Mindy shook her head, and said ¡°No, she¡¯s not normally like this.¡±


    ¡°The teeth are fake, right?¡± Robert seemed to want some reassurance. ¡°And the eyes and the skin, right?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s her real skin color,¡± said Mindy, finally able to talk.


    I looked back inside to see Emmy had slipped Sara¡¯s dress strap off over her shoulder as she stroked along Sara¡¯s neck and collarbone. Finally it seemed Sara had had as much as she could stand, and she shook Emmy off. She turned around to face Emmy, and I saw that she did in fact have white wings painted on her shoulder blades.


    She gave Emmy a little push and then very deliberately turned her back on Emmy, crossing her arms with a scowl.


    Emmy slinked back to us out on the patio. I saw that as Emmy walked away Sara turned to watch her go, distractedly rubbing her hip where Emmy¡¯s hand had been. She looked thoughtful, it occurred to me.


    ¡°Oh, how delightful!¡± said Emmy. ¡°But it¡¯s a shame. Oh well, you win some, you lose some¡± and she gave a wicked laugh. Tormenting and teasing a shy girl is delightful? How mean is more like it, I thought.


    ¡°How about you, Robert? Would you care to dance with me?¡± Emmy asked, but it sounded more like a dare than anything else.


    ¡°Uh¡­ no, thanks. I¡¯m a terrible dancer. I¡¯d just humiliate myself,¡± he responded, looking more than just a tiny bit alarmed.


    ¡°Mindy, then. Come with me. We need to get people dancing¡± Emmy said as she took Mindy¡¯s hand and pulled her to the dance floor. It didn¡¯t look as if Mindy had any resistance planned.


    Soon, the two were dancing but not really dancing with each other. Dancing together but separately might be a good way to describe it. A few other girls joined in after a little while, and then some boys worked up the nerve.


    Robert and I were still out on the patio, just watching. ¡°Emily¡¯s her name, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, no. It¡¯s Emmy. Short for Emerald. When she doesn¡¯t have those red contacts in, her eyes are really green¡± I said, too quickly. I realized it made me seem like an idiot.


    ¡°Mindy said that¡¯s her real skin color. I¡¯ve never seen anybody like that before. Ever. Where¡¯s she from?¡± Robert wanted to know.


    ¡°Well, you heard her accent. She was raised in Paris, but I have no idea about where her family¡¯s from before that. And no, I¡¯ve never even heard of anybody like her before she came to our school. She sure is different, all right,¡± I blabbed.


    Robert said ¡°I¡¯m either going to have really good dreams tonight or really scary ones. Or maybe both at the same time.¡±


    I have to admit he made me laugh with that one.


    ¡°Hey, you want another beer? I¡¯m getting cold. Let¡¯s go inside¡± he said.


    By this time there was actually a small crowd dancing, but Emmy¡¯s ridiculously tall heels and spiked hair made her stand out above the crowd, easy to pick out. She was dancing very close with Andy Temple, one of the few boys tall enough to look her eye-to-eye tonight. Andy was dressed as a prison escapee, wearing an orange jumpsuit with a chain on his ankle attached to the fake iron ball he was carrying in the crook of his arm.


    Courtney grabbed my elbow and steered me into the kitchen. ¡°Your girlfriend is out of control,¡± she said, looking back towards the living room where everybody was dancing.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®my girlfriend¡¯? I wasn¡¯t the one Emmy was feeling up, now was I?¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Chill!¡± Courtney said. ¡°It¡¯s just a figure of speech. And about that, she practically violated that girl. I could hardly watch!¡±


    ¡°But you did, didn¡¯t you?¡± I teased, getting a little revenge dig in.


    ¡°Yeah, well. Have you seen Tom recently? I¡¯m starting to think maybe he did leave to get the handcuffs after all. He-¡± Courtney shut up because Sara Diaz walked into the kitchen just then. Sara looked around a bit, then asked us ¡°Hey, do you guys know where the drinks are?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°There are some coolers on the back patio. I think there are some cokes and diet cokes in the red one.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± she looked a bit nervous. ¡°I was hoping for something with alcohol in it. Maybe a beer?¡± she looked hopeful.


    At this, a sultry voice from behind made Sara visibly jump. ¡°I have something for you, my lovely¡± purred Emmy, handing her a glass of what looked like champagne. Sara took the glass, but she looked like a deer in the headlights, not sure which way to bolt.


    ¡°To Halloween¡± toasted Emmy, raising her own champagne glass. Reflexively, Sara clinked her glass against Emmy¡¯s. She looked relieved, I noticed, when Emmy stopped looking at her like a candy to be unwrapped and turned her attention to Courtney and me.


    ¡°I have not seen you two dance yet. Do you two need alcohol, too? Come, mes amies. Let¡¯s dance!¡± With this, she shepherded the two of us into the living room.


    ¡°Look- there¡¯s a boy who needs someone to dance with, Courtney. I happen to know he thinks you are very pretty,¡± she said, waving to get Joel Smith¡¯s attention. He came over and Emmy put Joel and Courtney¡¯s hands together and shoved them out onto the dance floor, despite Courtney¡¯s protests. Emmy then took my hand and pulled me after them. I resisted, though, and pulled her away from the dance area and the loud stereo to a quiet spot by the stairs.


    ¡°You¡¯re overdoing it, don¡¯t you think?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Overdoing it? What do you mean?¡± she asked, her voice serious for the first time that night.


    ¡°This whole sex kitten bit. That scene with Sara. You embarrassed the hell out of her, and she¡¯s super shy to start with. That was just mean.¡± The irritation in my voice sounded harsher than I¡¯d meant, but I couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Playing with people like that isn¡¯t nice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah. I do not think she was as hurt as you feel she was. Look at her now,¡± and Emmy pointed through the doorway to the living room, where Sara was dancing with Stephen. ¡°In truth, I think the attention did her good,¡± Emmy said, returning to her sexy voice. ¡°Perhaps she needs a little more,¡± she said, doing that thing with her tongue on her fang again. It was just as disturbing as it had been the first time.


    ¡°I give up. Do what you want, Emmy. Just leave me out of it, O.K.?¡± I stomped off, to find somebody else to talk to.


    A while later, I saw Emmy on the dance floor again. She was dancing close with Sara. Really close. She was grinding against Sara from behind, and it sure didn¡¯t look as if Sara had any objections to grinding right up against Emmy, either. Irritated, I turned away and bumped into Tom. He was looking past me at Emmy and Sara.


    ¡°What did I miss? Who¡¯s that with Emmy? And most important, what are the two of them doing? Jeez- if they were any more graphic guys would be throwing dollar bills in their direction. I mean, wow! Look at ¡®em go!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°No kidding,¡± I grumbled. ¡°And where the hell have you been? I hope you got your handcuffs, after missing half the party.¡±


    He looked confused, then remembered the earlier conversation. ¡°Oh, no,¡± he said, laughing. ¡°Dave got sick so I drove him home. The poor guy had to worship the porcelain god for about an hour before I could leave him to come back here. Hey, is there any beer left?¡±


    As we walked back to the patio I looked for Emmy on the dance floor but she wasn¡¯t there.


    Mindy¡¯s cousin Robert was also looking for a cup for beer for himself, so I introduced the two. ¡°Robert here is Mindy Stock¡¯s cousin from Oregon. Robert, this is my friend Tom Carter. Tom used to live in Oregon, too.¡± With that, I went back inside with my first beer of the evening. Normally I don¡¯t like to drink, but hey- it was seeming more and more appropriate for the way the night was turning out.


    Looking for Emmy, I found Stephen in the hall. ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± he said. ¡°Having a good time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. A little embarrassed by Emmy¡¯s behavior, though, ¡° I confessed.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s behavior? Dude, she is making this party happen! Seriously, it¡¯s freaking hot.¡± He took a big hit off his beer bottle, then continued. ¡°Who¡¯s that girl she¡¯s all over? She looks familiar. Does she go to FHS?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. In fact, she¡¯s in our third period class, Mr. Attentive. Her name¡¯s Sara Diaz. She came with Juli Andrade. Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s hot. I mean, Emmy¡¯s like, all freakin¡¯ scary hot, the way she¡¯s dressed and acting tonight. But Emmy¡¯s like, way out of my league, you know what I mean? I mean, really, she¡¯s way out of anybody¡¯s league. But that other girl, Sara? She¡¯s more like a normal kind of hot. I mean, she seems like someone I might actually have a shot with. She did seem kinda into me when we were dancing¡­¡± He trailed off as he spotted Sara, who was back in the living room, dancing. I didn¡¯t see Emmy with her, though Sara was now wearing Emmy¡¯s glowing ruby necklace.


    ¡°Um, excuse me. I¡¯ve got some work to do,¡± Stephen said as he headed over to the dance floor.


    Watching him go, feeling a bit amused at his awkward determination, I was startled when someone bumped into me from behind. I turned around, only to have Emmy wrap her arms around me in a tight hug.


    ¡°Oh, Leah! I am having such a delicious time! This party is even better than I had hoped,¡± she said as she pulled me in tighter. I got an uncomfortably close and personal view of that cleavage she¡¯d been displaying all night. With those insane heels of hers I was right there, getting a good whiff of her jasmine perfume.


    She let me go out of the embrace, but held onto my shoulders. She looked into my eyes, and I returned her gaze, but those red eyes were just too weird. As she reached up to brush my hair out of my face, she got a crestfallen look.


    ¡°Oh, Leah. I am upsetting you, am I not? I do not want you to be sad. Halloween is a special night, and I am just having fun- being something I cannot usually be.¡± Tucking the errant strand of hair behind my ear, she continued. ¡°Do not forget, it is only one night and it is only for fun.¡± Changing the subject, she suddenly looked concerned. ¡°What time is it?¡±


    Glad to return to a lighter note, I checked my phone. ¡°Almost midnight. Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, No! I have to leave soon!¡± and she took off for the living room. Emmy looked back over her shoulder and caught me watching the exaggerated sway of her hips. A quick wink my way got me blushing again. Jeeze, this girl could get under my skin, I thought.


    She strolled into the living room and over to Sara, who was now dancing with Stephen. Emmy took Sara¡¯s hand and gently pulled her away from the dance floor. Sara waved goodbye to Stephen who followed the two to the door. In fact, quite a large percentage of the partiers all followed Emmy and Sara, who were still holding hands. I guess everybody wanted to see what was going to happen next. Me, too, I have to admit.


    Outside, Emmy turned to Stephen. She put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss, the same light pass of the lips she¡¯d done when she arrived.


    ¡°Thank you very much for such a wonderful party, Stephen. The tricks have been fun and the treat- well, very, very delicious¡± she purred as she glanced meaningfully at Sara, who was waiting expectantly. Turning back to Stephen, she gave him a lascivious wink, and put something into his hand.


    While this scene was playing out a long black limousine had quietly pulled up to the curb, running dark with all its lights off.


    Emmy led Sara to the limo, and the driver (wearing a skull mask) opened the door for the fallen angel whose halo had gone missing some time before. Theatrical smoke poured out of the open door, and a flickering glow in the open doorway made it seem as if there were flames inside.


    We all watched this in silence, almost as if we were holding our breaths wondering what was going to happen next. By this point pretty much the entire party was out on the front lawn, curious and a bit excited.


    The limo slowly pulled away, still with no lights on at all, not even headlights. It rolled down the street, turned the corner and vanished out of sight. This seemed to be what everyone was waiting for, because we all started talking at once.


    One boy (I didn¡¯t see who) yelled out ¡°Best! Party! Evar!¡± and a bunch of others joined in the laughter.


    That¡¯s when Stephen held up what Emmy had given him for everyone to see. When the crowd saw that it was a pair of lacy, silvery-white satin panties, the boys all cheered. When the noise died down a bit, Stephen buried his face in them and took a big, exaggerated breath. Exhaling, with a glazed look on his face, he said ¡°I¡¯ll be in my bunk¡± which prompted even more cheering and laughter.


    ¡°Pigs!¡± said Mindy, loud enough for everyone to hear. Laughing and making oinking noises, the crowd piled back into the house.


    As if something had somehow been triggered or perhaps a barrier had been broken down, the energy level of the party increased dramatically. I¡¯ve never actually been to a party that was like those in the movies- you know, everyone dancing, acting crazy, having a great time. I mean, this is high school, after all. Parties are always just a bunch of people standing around talking to their friends, holding beers in their hands, right? Well, not this time. Something about Emmy¡¯s outrageous behavior had opened the floodgates and somehow, in some way, given the rest of us permission to act out of the ordinary. People were dancing, unconcerned whether they looked foolish or not. Others were talking, standing around with beers in their hands- the difference was that they weren¡¯t just talking to their same old friends, but actually mingling.


    About half an hour after Emmy left with Sara, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Emmy. ¡°Is everyone talking about us?¡± she wanted to know.


    ¡°What do you think? Of course they are!¡± I texted back. I really don¡¯t like texting slang, and I appreciate that Emmy doesn¡¯t either. ¡°OMG!¡± drives me up the wall. Most people have full keyboards on their phones nowadays, so there really is no excuse. Anyhow, she replied ¡°Excellent. That is exactly what we wanted.¡±


    ¡°You planned all that?¡± I replied, incredulous.


    ¡°Of course! See you Monday. Have a good night.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. I just had to tell Courtney. I found her with Tom and Mindy¡¯s cousin Robert.


    ¡°You¡¯ll die when you see this,¡± I told them.


    ¡°What? Courtney asked, so I handed her my phone so she could see the text conversation.


    ¡°Holy shit! That was all an act! We were getting our chains yanked!¡± Courtney said, her eyes wide with excitement.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± demanded Tom.


    ¡°Emmy and Sara- that whole scene was all staged to get attention. They were in on the whole thing!¡±


    Unable to contain the news, Courtney zoomed off to tell anybody she could find.


    ¡°Wow. Crazy.¡± Said Robert. ¡°So this girl Emmy? She was the devil girl, right? Why did she put on an act? I mean, I don¡¯t know her, but she seems like somebody who has no problems getting attention. Why would she need to do something like this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Tom.


    Just then Mindy walked up with Jane Dixon, another girl from the cheer squad. ¡°Is it true?¡± asked Mindy. ¡°Was the whole scene with that other girl all an act?¡±


    ¡°It looks that way,¡± I admitted. I showed her the texts on my phone. Jane, reading the texts over Mindy¡¯s shoulder, whipped out her own phone and texted somebody else. Within minutes everybody at the party had heard the news.


    To my surprise, it only seemed to make the boys appreciate the performance all the more. The main topic of the night- the only topic, actually- was Emmy and Sara and the show they¡¯d put on. I can¡¯t tell you how many variations of the ¡°My pants were uncomfortably tight¡± comment I overheard from any number of guys that night.


    After a while Courtney and I left, even though the party was still going strong. Tom and Mindy¡¯s cousin Robert had left earlier to go get something to eat, and I had a headache so we decided to call it a night.


    In the car, Courtney clearly indicated she¡¯d been giving the night more thought than I had. ¡°So, Mindy¡¯s cousin¡¯s question got me thinking. Emmy and Sara set the whole scene up, right? To what end? I mean, why go through all that trouble?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied. ¡°To get attention, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Sure. To get attention. But as Robert pointed out, and you and I know well, Emmy gets plenty of attention all the time. Plenty.¡± She added for emphasis. ¡°Sara, though¡­¡± she trailed off.


    It hit me. Courtney was absolutely correct. Sara was almost invisible at our school. She was quiet, and didn¡¯t have many friends. It always seemed as if she went out of her way to avoid attention, though.


    ¡°Sara, though,¡± Courtney resumed. ¡°Nobody even knew who she was, right? Well, they do now. I guarantee every boy at that party is going to notice her at school on Monday. Every single one. Suddenly she goes from an unknown that guys don¡¯t look at once, much less twice, to a sexy desirable hottie.¡±


    ¡°Well, when you put it that way it makes all kinds of sense. But that only explains why Sara would want to put on the whole act. What does Emmy get from it?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°Well, if you hadn¡¯t noticed, Emmy loves attention in general, especially from boys. Also, she really seems to enjoy playing games, and screwing with peoples¡¯ expectations. For her it was probably just some kind of game,¡± Courtney finished.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. There are still some things I don¡¯t understand, though. How does Emmy even know Sara, much less plan something like this out? Sara never talks to anybody. Emmy and I are together almost all day at school, and I¡¯ve never even seen them talk once. When could they have gotten all this together?¡± I pondered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Courtney, ¡°but I¡¯m not at all surprised you don¡¯t either. You¡¯re really not the most observant person ever, and I say that as your oldest, bestest friend. You just told me the other day that you¡¯d had no idea when Stephen had actually invited Emmy to his party, but they sure seemed to be friends tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± I admitted as Courtney pulled her old Nissan into our apartment¡¯s parking lot. ¡°See you at school on Monday.¡±


    When Monday morning rolled around and Emmy showed up to pick me up for school, I asked her point-blank. ¡°So what was that all about?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, clearly not on the same conversational track as me.


    ¡°The party. Sara. The panties. All of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Stephen¡¯s party. That was so much fun! I had a wonderful time.¡± She gushed.


    ¡°So, what was the deal? That whole scene between you and Sara. How do you even know Sara, anyway?¡±


    Smiling, Emmy explained. ¡°Sara came to me after I had been at school for a few days. She wanted to know how I could be so confident and self-assured, because she had problems with shyness. I told her that I could help her, but it would be difficult for her.¡±


    Emmy interrupted her explanation, pulling the car into the coffee hut¡¯s drive-through. We ordered our usual, and Emmy resumed her tale.


    ¡°Sara also had feelings for Stephen, but felt there was no possible way for her to approach him. I suggested that she only needed to get his attention, and if he were interested he would do the work of approaching her.¡± Sipping from her espresso, Emmy continued. ¡°Stephen invited me to his party, and I saw the perfect opportunity. And there it was.¡±


    ¡°And now you just need to see if it worked or not,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Emmy agreed as we pulled into the school parking lot.


    As we walked to Home Room, I noticed that the color hadn¡¯t washed out of Emmy¡¯s hair completely, leaving it a very light yellow with peach tips. I commented on it, and Emmy laughed.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said, laughing. ¡°I hope it goes away soon.¡±

 Day Tripping

    The next day at lunch Emmy asked the group what all our plans were for that Saturday.


    ¡°I have to work,¡± was Tom¡¯s reply and Courtney said she had to babysit her sister. Allie had plans to go shopping with her mom, so I was the only one who said that I had nothing going on.


    ¡°Would you like to go on a day trip with me?¡± Emmy asked, eyes wide with excitement.


    ¡°Um, sure. Where are you thinking?¡± I asked in response.


    ¡°Do you mind if I keep a surprise? I am not certain I can get it arranged yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever. Just let me know as soon as you get it figured out,¡± I replied, and that was the last I heard about it until Friday¡¯s drive home.


    ¡°Leah, about tomorrow,¡± Emmy began, but the blank look on my face must have made it clear I had no idea what she was talking about so Emmy reminded me. ¡°The day trip? Do you still want to go?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! That¡¯s right. Did you ever get it sorted out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did, everything is arranged. I will pick you up at a quarter to eight in the morning!¡± Emmy chirped, excited.


    After receiving the usual little goodbye cheek kiss, I walked up the step to our apartment, wondering what Emmy had up her sleeve. It seemed pretty intentional that she hadn¡¯t told me where we were going, so I figured she wanted it to be a surprise, which I was O.K. with. Hey, if it made her happy, right?


    Emmy arrived right on time the next morning, but it was Edouard driving the big sedan, not Emmy behind the wheel of her Mini Cooper.


    ¡°Do you have any luggage, Miss Farmer?¡± asked Edouard.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, not expecting the question. ¡°Should I?¡±


    ¡°No, you need bring nothing,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Everything is being taken care of.¡±


    Puzzled, I climbed into the cocoon-like interior of the BMW. Emmy was wearing a lightweight long-sleeved top and Levis and had a big hat and dark sunglasses sitting on the seat next to her. It was the kind of wide-brimmed hat you see the French models wear on the fashion runway, the kind I always associate with relaxing in lounge chairs by the pool in Monaco. This was my first clue that we were going to spend the day out in the sunshine, which surprised me. Emmy generally did whatever she could to avoid the direct sun, so seeing that she was prepared for a day outside was unusual, to say the least.


    The drive only lasted a few minutes, and soon we were at the local community airport, pulling up to a twin-engine eight-seater airplane.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!¡± I said, stunned. Emmy just smiled like the cat that ate the canary as she slid out of the car, her hat and sunglasses in her hand. I followed her out and towards the small plane, surprised at how loud the noise from the props was. There was a guy in a pilot¡¯s uniform standing by the open door, waiting to help us in. We settled into the plush leather seats, right up behind the pilots so we¡¯d get the best view. I was thrilled, I will admit, and Emmy was grinning from ear to ear, pleased at my reaction to her surprise.


    A few minutes later we were in the air, flying out over the small town I¡¯d lived in all my life. It was something else to look down and see the familiar landmarks from such an unusual perspective. Soon, though, we were winging west towards the coast and away from Fallbrook. As we passed over the towns of coastal Orange County and continued west out over the ocean I finally realized where we were headed.


    ¡°Catalina?¡± I asked as it dawned on me.


    ¡°Have you ever been there before?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°No, never. I¡¯ve always wanted to check it out, though.¡±


    ¡°Then I am glad that we are going there. It will be my first time as well. We shall discover it together.¡±


    The plane circled once around the island to give us a good view, then landed on the little runway on top of the mountain. We taxied to a good parking spot and after the pilots shut the plane¡¯s motors off and opened the door for us I got a good look at ¡°The Airport In The Sky¡± as the sign proudly proclaimed it.


    ¡®Airport¡¯ was a generous description, but it did have a little gift shop and caf¨¦. A young woman greeted us as we got off the plane, introducing herself as Sarah, our tour guide for the day. She tried to herd us to a waiting Suburban, but Emmy resisted. Emmy wanted to make sure I wasn¡¯t hungry and didn¡¯t want to buy anything from the shop before she relented and let us be led to the car.


    The drive to Avalon (the only real town on Catalina) from the airport was a long, narrow and twisty road made mainly of potholes and patches. The views were amazing, though, and we did see a few buffaloes grazing in the chaparral, which was cool. I had no idea those things were so freaking huge!


    As we descended to Avalon, Emmy asked about some structures that looked like patio decks projecting out from the steep canyon walls. When Sarah explained those were platforms for the new zip lines and I explained to Emmy what zip lines were, Emmy said ¡°I could never do that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied. ¡°It looks like fun to me.¡±


    ¡°If you want to do it, Leah, I would be happy to watch.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± I urged. ¡°If I do, you have to do it,¡± I said, hoping I could talk her into it.


    Sarah broke in at that point, informing us that she thought they had tandem harnesses so we could do it together, and that really lit a fire under me.


    ¡°Please?¡± I begged. ¡°I want to do it, but only if you do it with me,¡± I pleaded.


    Chewing on her lip, Emmy looked thoughtful. ¡°We could ride it together?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. I¡¯d be right there with you,¡± I said, sensing victory.


    ¡°O.K. I will do it, but only if we can ride together. Can you get us tickets?¡± Emmy asked Sarah, who said ¡°No problem. How soon?¡±


    We agreed that it should be the first thing we do in town, so she got on the phone and had us reservations before we even pulled into the tiny little town of Avalon.


    The car dropped us off at a cute little hotel a block from the waterfront. I followed Emmy as she checked us in, wondering why we were getting a room if we were only going to be there for the day. When I asked, she explained that we may wish to have a place to relax and rest for a bit during the day, which made sense. We checked the room (which had a nice balcony with a view of the harbor), then went back down to the front desk where Sarah was waiting for us. She led us the few blocks to the zip line company¡¯s office, then we boarded a van to drive back up the road we entered town on. The athletic-looking young guys who worked for the company all seemed to know Sarah, which made sense, I guess. As small a town as Fallbrook is, it¡¯s huge in comparison to Avalon.


    One of the guys explained the rules to us as he handed us a pair of harnesses.


    ¡°Uh, we want to go tandem,¡± I said, which surprised him, but he brought out the two-up rig as we asked.


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    ¡°Usually this is for a parent and kid,¡± he explained as he readjusted the straps so Emmy could fit in the front section, her back to my front. He got us buckled in without taking the opportunity for a quick feel, which I appreciated. Emmy handed her hat to Sarah to carry back in the van and we clipped in and were off. Emmy¡¯s hands were clamped on the straps that held us to the cables, so I just wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly to me. She was so tense it was almost comical, pushing her body against mine hard as she could while the wind whipped past us as we sailed out across the deep canyon.


    The rush was incredible, flying through the air like that. Soon we were slowing, approaching the first of several decks where we would change cables as we zig-zagged down to town. I extended my legs for the landing, but Emmy¡¯s remained wrapped around mine. I craned my neck forward to see, and sure enough, Emmy¡¯s eyes were clamped shut.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said into her ear. ¡°Open your eyes!¡±


    Just about then we touched down and another of the guys caught and steadied us, while I bore all the weight of the two of us. Emmy finally relaxed and lowered her legs. I could feel her trembling with the same adrenalin that was pumping through my system.


    Emmy reached around and gave me a backwards hug, saying ¡°That was amazing!¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t even see any of it!¡± I teased as we were buckled to the next cable. ¡°Keep your eyes open this time.¡±


    Moments later we were off, flying across the canyon again, Emmy again as tense as the first time. I checked, and she did keep her eyes open, though. She still didn¡¯t extend her legs for the landing, relying on me to bear the impact again. A third guy unclipped us from the cable and onto the last one of the three, and again we were soaring. Emmy still pushed against me and I still had my arms wrapped around her slender body, but Emmy didn¡¯t feel as stressed as the first two runs. She did still keep her legs wrapped around mine as we landed on the last platform, though.


    Once we were unclipped and unbuckled, Emmy could finally speak. ¡°Do you want to do that again?¡± she asked, breathless with excitement.


    ¡°Do you?¡± I asked back, enjoying the look on her face.


    ¡°Only if we can do it together again,¡± Emmy agreed, so we went back to the office and Emmy paid for another run. I¡¯m pretty sure that she paid extra, because I don¡¯t think they had another run planned soon and we were the only passengers in the van this time.


    The second time down the canyon I wrapped my arms around Emmy again, but she held her arms tightly around mine instead of holding on to the support straps in a death grip. This time down she was laughing with the thrill of speeding though the air, making me laugh too with the sound.


    After our second run Sarah walked us a few blocks to our next adventure, smiling at our giddiness. She led us to a big canvas-topped Hummer for an off-road tour of the island. Over the next couple of hours we bumped along dirt roads ranging from high up on the ridge tops with amazing views of the mainland to narrow canyons leading to isolated coves. We stopped for a lunch back at the airport, which had a better caf¨¦ than I had any right to expect. From there it was a roundabout way back to Avalon, where Emmy suggested we rest a bit before doing anything else.


    Telling Sarah we¡¯d meet her at the front desk in an hour and a half, we went upstairs to relax. Emmy, exhausted from the morning, stripped down to her undies and climbed into bed for a nap. I told her I¡¯d be back in an hour and went out for a walk, just checking out the cute little town.


    I walked around the tiny little town, eventually finding myself sitting on the little sea wall by the harbor¡¯s beach. Wondering which was the ¡°noisy bar¡± mentioned in the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song, I had to laugh at myself and my ¡®classic rock¡¯ upbringing. It had been what my parents had listened to all my life, so I¡¯d grown up hearing songs like ¡°Southern Cross¡± from the time I was born. Most of my friends and schoolmates listened to Katy Perry and Far East Movement, but for me it was Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.


    My thoughts wandering watching the boats moored there in the little bay, I lost track of time and before I knew it my phone¡¯s alarm reminded me it was time to wake Emmy up.


    Slipping quietly into the room back at the tiny hotel, I almost didn¡¯t have the heart to wake her. She was resting so peacefully, a slight smile on her midnight black face. I sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her for a moment. It had been a while since I¡¯d really just looked at her, and once again I was struck by how incredibly different she was than anybody I¡¯d ever met before. Her inky black skin looked like velvet in the light filtering through the curtains, and her hair so stark white it looked as if it glowed. I tucked a strand of that startlingly white hair back behind her ear and said softly ¡°Em, it¡¯s time to get up. We have to be at the Casino in a little bit.¡±


    She slowly opened her big, expressive vivid green eyes and smiled up at me. ¡°Did you have a nice walk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did,¡± I answered. ¡°This town is so small you could do a lap around the outside in fifteen minutes.¡±


    Yawning and stretching slowly like a cat, Emmy pushed the covers off and climbed out of bed. I couldn¡¯t help but watch as she pulled her pants on and slipped into her white button-front shirt. Luckily she was facing away, so she didn¡¯t see me stare at how elegant she managed to make these simple actions look.


    A few minutes later we were at the front door of the Casino, which was now mostly a movie theater. We got the V.I.P. behind the scenes tour and I learned a whole lot more about the history of the place than I ever wanted, but it was cool, too. The Art Deco (again, I know a whole lot more about it now than before) murals were amazing and the views from the upper balcony took my breath away.


    ¡°Could you imagine living here?¡± Emmy asked idly as we looked at the tiny town of Avalon across the snug little harbor. The sun had gone behind the mountains so the air was cooling off, but it was still a pleasant late afternoon.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I answered, thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what job opportunities there are, though. It seems like an expensive place to live, too.¡±


    We stood like that, not talking, for maybe fifteen minutes, just enjoying the breeze and the fresh air that smelled like the sea.


    Eventually Emmy asked ¡°What time do you need to be home?¡±


    ¡°No particular time,¡± I replied, feeling relaxed and lazy. ¡°Why? What time does the plane take off?¡±


    ¡°The plane? It takes off whenever we get to the airport,¡± she replied. A few moments later Emmy asked ¡°Should we see a movie?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re showing Due Date downstairs,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m not in any hurry to see it,¡± I admitted. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just have dinner and then head back home?¡±


    Strolling back to the hotel, enjoying the evening, I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to head back home any time soon. This was one of those ¡®once in a lifetime¡¯ days, and I didn¡¯t want it to end.


    The restaurant that the lady at the hotel had recommended was good, but I¡¯m not that much of a seafood eater, so I couldn¡¯t tell you if it was great or not. I mean, the lobster tasted good to me, but what do I know?


    Returning to the airport with us in the big Suburban, the pilot and copilot looked ready to head back home, too. The sunburned copilot admitted that he¡¯d fallen asleep at the beach after a big lunch, and the pilot just shook his head at his younger colleague¡¯s bonehead move.


    Emmy called Edouard when we got close enough to the coast to get a cell phone signal so he could meet us as the plane taxied to a stop back in Fallbrook. I noticed the plane roll back to the runway as we drove off, and Emmy explained that the charter was actually from Carlsbad.


    ¡°Em, this whole thing must have cost you a fortune,¡± I said. ¡°Can I help contribute at all?¡±


    ¡°There is no need,¡± Emmy said, waving it off. ¡°It was my pleasure. Thank you very much for accompanying me to Catalina, Leah. It was fun discovering the island with you.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound as if I were doing you a favor,¡± I said. ¡°Really, it¡¯s me who should be thanking you.¡±


    After Emmy kissed me goodbye I stumbled up the stairs to our apartment and wearily stepped inside. Mom was grading papers at the table, so I poured myself a glass of orange juice and sat down.


    ¡°Did you two have a good day today, honey?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it,¡± I said. ¡°It was incredible. Emmy chartered a plane and we flew to Catalina Island.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Mom, momentarily stunned. ¡°You flew to Catalina?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, in a small eight-seater plane. We mostly spent the day in Avalon, but we took a jeep tour of the island, too, and we did some zip lines, too. Mom, you should have seen the look on Emmy¡¯s face after the first zip line. She couldn¡¯t decide if she was terrified or having the time of her life,¡± I said. ¡°And the casino, we took a tour, and-¡± I stopped, realizing I was babbling because I was so tired. ¡°Uh, how about I tell you all about it tomorrow? I¡¯m just gonna brush my teeth and go to bed,¡± I said.


    Mom nodded, so I stood up and rinsed my glass, putting it on the drying rack. ¡°G¡¯night,¡± I said, and mom responded in kind.


    ¡°Good night, Lee. I¡¯m glad you got to see Avalon. Your dad and I went there for our honeymoon, you know.¡±


    I guess maybe I¡¯d been told that, but I hadn¡¯t remembered. Lying in bed, thinking about the day as I drifted off to sleep, I could still smell Emmy¡¯s jasmine perfume and feel her clinging to me for dear life on the zip line.


    Telling Mom all about it the next morning I felt kind of awkward about some of what had happened on Catalina, so I kept the description of events to a simple retelling of where we went and what we saw and did. I told Mom we went zip lining, but I omitted the detail about the tandem harness and how Emmy clung to me as if her life depended on it. I did say that Emmy was terrified at first but wanted to do it again, which got a chuckle from Mom.


    I skipped the part about Emmy napping. For some reason that felt too personal, but I did tell her about the off-road tour and seeing buffaloes.


    On Monday, I didn¡¯t mention any of it at all to Courtney, Tom or Allie. Telling Mom about the trip to Catalina had made it sound ostentatious or something, like ¡®look how the rich play¡¯ and while I didn¡¯t think that¡¯s how Emmy meant it, I didn¡¯t want to rub it in their faces that I got to go on this amazing little adventure and they didn¡¯t.


    Emmy didn¡¯t say anything about our day trip to the three of them, either, so none of them ever knew about it at all.

 Pool Party

    ¡°It is very warm today,¡± Emmy said as we drove home from school that afternoon.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s what¡¯s called a ¡®Santa Ana¡¯. Hot dry wind blows in from the desert. Supposed to be like this all week, and get even hotter for the weekend,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hotter than this? It is almost the middle of November! It must be thirty-two degrees, perhaps more!¡± Emmy exclaimed.


    ¡°Thirty-two? Yeah, in Celsius. We use the Fahrenheit scale here. So it would be¡­ um¡­ divide by five, multiply by nine¡­ add thirty-two¡­ yeah. Ninety degrees. That¡¯s what the bank sign back there said. This is hotter than most Santa Anas, but it isn¡¯t unusual.¡± I realized I was talking like Mr. Pacheco, our AP chemistry teacher, so I shut up.


    ¡°It is going to be even hotter this weekend? We should have a pool party at my house. That would be so much fun!¡± Getting even more excited the more she thought about it, Emmy asked ¡°What do you think? Is it a crazy idea, to have a pool party in November?¡±


    ¡°No, I think it could be fun. I know everybody is dying to see your house, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Everybody wants to see my house? Why would that be?¡± she wondered.


    ¡°Well, I have to admit that might be at least partly my fault I¡¯ve been telling everybody that it¡¯s really amazing. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± I asked, suddenly worried I¡¯d overstepped my bounds.


    ¡°No, That is O.K. In truth, perhaps it is a very good thing, if it causes more people to want to come to our party!¡± she said, with that wide-eyed enthusiasm of hers.


    ¡°Who should we invite? Courtney, Allie and Tom, of course. Andy must come, too. Who else?¡±


    Her enthusiasm was infectious, and we brainstormed on a guest list all the way to my place. Too soon, we pulled up in front of my apartment building. As we said goodbye and she gave me one of those little cheek kisses I was finally getting used to, Emmy said she¡¯d talk to her parents about the party to make sure it would be O.K.


    ¡°Do not talk to anybody about the party until I know it will be all right,¡± she cautioned.


    With that, she took off to her house.


    My mom thought the idea of a pool party in November was more than just a little bit amusing, but she did admit that the weather certainly was warm enough for it.


    ¡°They¡¯re predicting that this Saturday may be the hottest day of the year. We didn¡¯t have much of a summer this year, after all¡± she said.


    It was tough explaining to Tiffy that this was going to be a teenager party and she wouldn¡¯t have very much fun, but she finally accepted the idea that she couldn¡¯t go when Mom promised her that the two of them would do something together instead.


    When Emmy picked me up for school the next morning, she said she¡¯d gotten the go ahead from her parents.


    ¡°There are some restrictions, though. No more than twenty guests, and I have to keep the budget under one thousand dollars,¡± she told me.


    ¡°A thousand bucks? For a pool party? What could you possibly spend that kind of money on?¡± I asked, bewildered.


    ¡°Food, drinks, entertainment¡­ the things any party needs,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Do you think Stephen spent anything like that for his Halloween party? Not a chance. All we need are a bunch of pizzas and a run to Costco for drinks. A couple of hundred should leave us plenty left over,¡± I explained, a bit exasperated.


    ¡°Pizza? No, we could never do that,¡± she said, making a face. ¡°Marie-Anne would never forgive me for such a thing. Still,¡± she mused. ¡°I understand what you mean. There is no great need for anything elaborate. I will discuss it with Marie-Anne tonight.¡±


    By this time we¡¯d gotten to our usual stop at the drive-up coffee shop by the post office, so we really didn¡¯t discuss the party much after that.


    ¡°I still do not understand why school starts so very early. Before six thirty? Ridiculous!¡± Emmy complained. ¡°It is not civilized.¡±


    Sipping my mocha, I had to agree. These coffee stops had become one of the highlights of my day, once Emmy had introduced me to the habit. I¡¯d never been much of a fan of the bean, but now I¡¯d have a really hard time in the mornings without it. I still can¡¯t stand the espressos that she likes, but I¡¯ll probably get there some day.


    At lunch we broke the idea of a pool party to Allie, Tom and Courtney. ¡°Sounds great!¡± gushed Courtney. ¡°But I need a new bikini. I have a couple of days¡­ I¡¯d better get shopping.¡±


    Tom said ¡°You don¡¯t need a new suit at all. Just wear the one you got for your birthday. Everybody¡¯d love that!¡± he teased.


    Courtney punched him on the shoulder and said ¡°Yeah, great idea. I¡¯d just bet you¡¯d love that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± she said, rolling her eyes.


    Noticing Emmy¡¯s puzzled look, Allie explained. ¡°In American slang, a birthday suit is completely nude. It¡¯s the suit you got the day you were born.¡±


    Understanding, Emmy joined in the laughter. ¡°I guess that would be O.K. if you want¡­¡± she said, pensively.


    ¡°Oh, no! I don¡¯t think so! These are not for public display!¡± Courtney tucked her arm under her breasts and gave them a lift. ¡°No way. Sorry to disappoint you,¡± she teased Tom. ¡°Anyway, Allie is the one who everybody wants to see naked, not me. She¡¯s the one with the rack. I don¡¯t think those baggy clothes she always wears fool anybody!¡±


    Allie, blushing, gave Courtney a little shove. ¡°Shut up!¡± she said.


    Courtney, returning to the original subject, asked ¡°So who are you going to invite?¡± That prompted pencils and paper, and soon a list was going.


    Twenty people is both a lot in some ways, and a little in some ways. It¡¯s enough that it¡¯s beyond just immediate friends, but not so many you can just add anybody to the list. You have to think about the politics of it, too. Invite one person, but not her best friend? That¡¯s tough.


    It took us the rest of the lunch break to figure out who would be on the list, and it was clear there would be some we were forgetting.


    Emmy insisted on a couple of invites that surprised me. Martin Lopez from the basketball team had been at Stephen¡¯s party, but other than that I had no idea how she knew him. A recurring theme, it seemed to me. She also wanted to invite Stephanie Houk, which really surprised me.


    ¡°She hates you!¡± I blurted.


    ¡°Really?¡± Emmy asked, a look of doubt on her face. ¡°Then she won¡¯t accept, and that will free up another spot. But I think she will.¡±


    Of course, Stephen and Sara had to be invited together, now that they were inseparable. Andy and Jordan, Mindy and a few others and the list was at twenty.


    Emmy rushed off to catch a few on the list before lunch was over, leaving the rest of us to wonder about some of her choices.


    ¡°What¡¯s with her inviting the cheerleaders?¡± Allie asked. ¡°I get the impression they all hate her.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think Mindy Stock does. In fact, I think the two are getting to be good friends. She was over at Emmy¡¯s house last week. But I do think Stephanie hates Emmy, and I know for sure some of the other girls do, too¡± I answered.


    Courtney suggested ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some kind of exploratory test or something. Emmy is trying to figure out who her friends are, and who are her enemies.¡±


    I started to object that that was way too calculating, but then shut up. Thinking about the Halloween party and the Jake thing, Courtney¡¯s idea made more and more sense.


    After school, on the drive home, Emmy confirmed our suspicions. ¡°I asked Stephanie, and she said she would come to the party,¡± she said.


    ¡°She did?¡± I blurted, surprised.


    ¡°Well, I had to make sure Candace wasn¡¯t around when I asked. If Candace had been there I think Stephanie would have said no,¡± Emmy admitted.


    ¡°Courtney was right, then. She thought some of your invites were politically motivated,¡± I said.


    Looking at me with that look of surprise I was getting used to, Emmy said ¡°But of course! If I can gain support from the head of the cheerleaders, the rest will follow. It is elementary. The trick, though, is to not let it seem as if that is the motivation,¡± she explained. ¡°But it is not all about that, either. I think if she gets away from her clique she perhaps might be very fun. And she is very pretty, and having a lot of pretty girls at the party will make the boys feel better, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± I replied, still unconvinced.


    Changing the subject, Emmy said ¡°Courtney made me think. I need a new bathing suit as well. The three of us should go shopping! Maybe Allie could go, too!¡± she said with her typical enthusiasm.


    ¡°Maybe we could bring Tom, Too, so he could see us trying bikinis out¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°No, I do not think he¡¯d be very interested,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°We could go down to the city! Let us make an afternoon of it! Perhaps tomorrow after your practice?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m up for it. My old swim suit is fine,¡± I objected.


    ¡°Oh, no. It will be my present to you. I will buy you a new bathing suit- but I get to pick it out,¡± She insisted.


    ¡°All right. But nothing too crazy, though,¡± I said, giving in. It was nice having a rich friend, but it made me feel guilty about taking her up on offers like that, too. I don¡¯t think Emmy ever thought I was using her for her money, but the way she kept spending it on me was more than a little bit embarrassing.


    ¡°Perfect! Call Courtney and Allie and let us get it arranged,¡± urged Emmy.


    The next day after volleyball practice Emmy and I went back to my house so I could take a quick shower, then we picked up Courtney and Allie at Allie¡¯s house.


    ¡°Hey! Why do you get to drive?¡± demanded Courtney, giving me an accusatory look.


    ¡°It is because she is a better driver than me,¡± said Emmy, ¡°and she also knows the way.¡±


    ¡°I know the way, too!¡± exclaimed Courtney. ¡°And besides, you¡¯ve got a GPS! Can I drive on the way back? I love these Minis, and I¡¯ve always wanted to drive one.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± yelled Allie. ¡°You can¡¯t drive for shit!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, please?¡± wheedled Courtney. ¡°I love these cars! And yours is the coolest Mini I¡¯ve ever seen, too¡± she said, admiringly.


    Laughing, Emmy said ¡°Yes, you can drive it on the way back. It has lots of airbags, but please do not crash. I would hate to have to buy another car. I like this one.¡±


    That settled, we hit the road. We decided to go to the big swimwear shops down by the beach in San Diego. There are a couple of really good ones right on Mission Boulevard, and it would be a good excuse for a little road trip.


    Southbound on the freeway, Courtney asked ¡°How fast can this thing go? It¡¯s the sporty version, right?¡±


    ¡°I do not know,¡± replied Emmy, thoughtfully.


    ¡°Open it up!¡± Courtney demanded to me. ¡°Let¡¯s see what it can do!¡±


    ¡°Not a chance!¡± I responded. ¡°I want to keep my license, and anyway, it¡¯s just a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°Worry wart!¡± yelled Courtney, pounding the back of my seat.


    ¡°Shut up, Courtney!¡± said Allie. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure you ought to drive on the way back after all.¡± Seriously, I was beginning to think Allie was right, and maybe Courtney¡¯s enthusiasm might get us into trouble.


    ¡°Look at that!¡± I said, pointing to the freeway shoulder. There was a CHP officer standing next to his motorcycle, with his radar gun out and aimed at the traffic. ¡°See, I told you it was a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, just random chance,¡± Courtney grumbled. After we saw our sixth CHP vehicle before we even got to San Diego, though, she had to admit that speeding on this stretch of road was just asking for it. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many cops patrolling the freeway before! They must be on some kind of crackdown program,¡± she said, trying to regain the conversational high ground. I don¡¯t think it really worked, though. Even Courtney seemed to realize that speeding was just not going to be on the agenda today.


    Getting off the freeway, we soon passed Sea World on our way to Mission Beach.


    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Emmy, pointing at the roller coaster visible from the road.


    ¡°That¡¯s Sea World. They have a bunch of roller coasters and stuff, and a bunch of whale and dolphin shows, too,¡± said Allie. ¡°Everything is ocean themed. I guess it used to be like an ocean zoo with fishes and dolphins, but now it¡¯s more like Disneyland with all the rides. It¡¯s fun, though. We have family passes, so we go every once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we will have time to go after shopping?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°I have never been to any amusement parks. It seems like fun!¡± Her enthusiasm, like always, was infectious.


    ¡°No, I doubt it,¡± said Allie, thoughtfully. ¡°I think they¡¯re on winter hours now, so they close early on weekdays. Probably at six or something like that. Maybe we can come down on a weekend?¡± she suggested.


    ¡°I would love to do that!¡± Emmy agreed.


    By that time we¡¯d gotten to Mission Boulevard, and Emmy spotted the old wooden roller coaster at Belmont Park.


    ¡°Oh, look at that!¡± she said, excited. ¡°We need to come down here as soon as we can! I cannot wait!¡±


    I looked in the rear view mirror, and when Courtney saw me looking her way she rolled her eyes, as if to say ¡°what a little kid she can be some times!¡± Inwardly I agreed, but I guess where Courtney found Emmy¡¯s childlike enthusiasm irritating, I thought it was kind of cute.


    We found a parking spot, and walked the few blocks to the swimwear place. At first it struck me as odd how everybody stared at us, then I realized it was Emmy they were all looking at. It occurred to me that I¡¯d gotten so used to how she looked that I hardly even noticed it any more, and at school and the few other places I¡¯d been with her she¡¯d already become a common sight so nobody really stared any more. Here, though, everybody gaped. I became increasingly irritated, fighting a desire to start shouting at people to knock it off, to quit being so rude.


    I guess the others were feeling the same way, too, because after a couple of blocks Courtney said to Emmy ¡°You look like you don¡¯t even notice how everyone stares at you. How can you stand it?¡± Allie nodded in agreement, clearly thinking similar thoughts.


    ¡°I have gotten used to it¡± Emmy said, simply. ¡°I am no longer bothered by it. I understand that I look different, and people are curious. Besides,¡± she smiled at Courtney. ¡°You stared just as much when I first came to school!¡±


    Courtney looked a bit abashed, realizing that what Emmy said was true. Allie blushed a little, and I know I felt a bit chagrined.


    ¡°But once you got to know me, you became accustomed to my appearance, isn¡¯t it true? Perhaps it would be exactly the same for all of these people. That thought helps me not be bothered by it. I try to think of it in a positive way.¡±


    When Emmy put it in that perspective, I actually started to feel embarrassed for all the people we saw staring at her. Still, it bothered me. I wanted everybody to just leave her alone, and stop being so rude.


    Allie, after a little bit, asked ¡°Was it really like this when you first came to FHS? I mean, did everybody just stare at you?¡±


    Emmy responded, laughing ¡°It was much more than this. Much more. Now, very few even look twice, and those that do look at me are used to my appearance, so it is not about my looks any longer. Now, when people at school see me, they see Emmy, not some unusual, perhaps scary looking stranger.¡±


    At the swimwear shop, Emmy reminded me ¡°Do not forget, I get to choose a bathing suit for you. I will find the perfect one. Do not worry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m worried, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I responded. ¡°I saw the outfit you wore at Halloween. Don¡¯t expect me to wear anything too ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please?¡± Emmy teased, holding up a hanger with nothing but a few bright pink strings and scraps of cloth the size of small postage stamps.


    ¡°Not a snowball¡¯s chance in Hell!¡± I responded.


    Pouting, in a great show of reluctance, Emmy put the so-called bikini back on the rack.


    ¡°No, I think you ought to wear it,¡± Courtney said from behind me.


    ¡°I will, if you will wear one just like it. Look, the yellow is your color.¡± I responded.


    ¡°No, a little too breezy for me. Thanks, though.¡± Courtney laughed.


    I wandered over to see what Allie was looking at.


    ¡°I hate shopping for swimsuits,¡± she said, pouting. ¡°They either make me look fat- well, fatter than I really am, anyway, or they look like something Grandma would wear. It¡¯s depressing. I wish those old fashioned swim suits that went from your neck to your ankles would come back in fashion,¡± she lamented.


    ¡°Oh, come on. You¡¯re not fat, Allie. You look great.¡±


    ¡°No, really. I hate my thighs,¡± she sighed, looking at racing styled one-pieces.


    ¡°With boobs like yours, you think any guys are even going to look at your thighs?¡± I teased. ¡°Just get a sexy top and some board shorts and you¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Not you, too. First it was Courtney giving me a hard time, and now you, too? Some friends you guys are.¡± She continued, ¡°Dark colors are slimming, right?¡±


    ¡°No, Leah is correct,¡± Emmy said from behind me, making me jump.


    ¡°Jeeze, Emmy! Give me a heart attack, sneaking up like that!¡± I yelped.


    ¡°Sorry for startling you, Leah,¡± Emmy apologized. ¡°Allie, Leah is right. You are a beautiful girl, and you should maximize your assets, as they say. If you want to hide your thighs, wear some shorts. But you need to wear a top that will show off your gifts.¡±


    ¡°My gifts?¡± Allie asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Your lovely curvy figure!¡± Emmy explained. ¡°I wish I had curves like yours.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks for the ego boost and all, but I wish I was nice and skinny like you!¡± Allie retorted.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Courtney asked, as she walked over to where the rest of us were still talking.


    ¡°Allie¡¯s boobs,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very big subject,¡± Courtney teased. ¡°But what in specific?¡±


    ¡°I think Allie should show them off, but she is embarrassed by them,¡± explained Emmy.


    ¡°If I had a rack like yours, Allie, I¡¯d make sure everybody knew it. I would use the power of boobs to great effect in my plans for world domination,¡± Courtney said, finishing with an evil genius laugh, rubbing her hands together.


    ¡°You, too?¡± Emmy asked.


    By now, Allie had had enough, and said ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just skip the pool party, after all.¡±


    ¡°No, no! You must come!¡± Emmy said. ¡°I promise I will say no more. But I do believe that you should be proud, and not ashamed.¡±


    Eventually, with Emmy¡¯s help, Allie did pick out a cute pair of board shorts and a butterfly bikini top that satisfied her urge to cover up, and yet still made her look great.


    Courtney had no such issues, and got a cute retro bikini in black with bright red cherries on them. The Betty Page look worked well with her dark hair.


    I was a bit concerned, because I hadn¡¯t seen Emmy for a little while, and who knew what she was finding for me? I looked around a bit, and found her by the dressing room, looking at herself in the mirror. She had on a little bikini top in a scorching lime green so bright I¡¯m sure it had to be radioactive. Against her charcoal black skin it popped even more than it would have on a normal-looking person. The look was definitely eye-catching, that¡¯s for sure. As eye-searing as the neon green bikini top was, though, what really caught my eye was just how lean and muscular Emmy was built. I¡¯d always thought she was just very thin, but seeing her in nothing but that little bikini top from the waist up I could see how defined her arms and shoulders were, and how amazing her six-pack abs looked.


    ¡°Wow, Emmy. That¡¯s intense,¡± Allie said, jolting me out of my staring session. ¡°I could never wear anything like that.¡±


    ¡°I am not certain I like it. It is interesting, and it will turn heads, but I am not sure¡­¡± she trailed off, thoughtfully.


    ¡°Have you seen anything else you like?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes I have. I will show you.¡± With that, she disappeared into the dressing room. She came out a moment later wearing a little bikini top in a black wet-look spandex, with a slightly silvery shine to it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that one,¡± Allie said, frowning a bit. ¡°It looks like you aren¡¯t wearing anything, because it kinda blends in.¡±


    Courtney, who was just walking up, agreed. ¡°From over there, when I looked at you I thought you weren¡¯t wearing a top at all. Seriously, you looked naked.¡±


    Smiling mischievously, Emmy said ¡°You have made up my mind. The naked look it is.¡± Seeing the expressions on the other two girls¡¯ faces (and mine, too, probably) Emmy laughed. ¡°Oh, look at you all. It is just a bathing suit. If we were back in France I would not wear a top at all.¡± Thinking for a moment, she said ¡°But if we were in France, we would not be having a pool party in November, either!¡± She gave one of her sparkly little laughs at the thought.


    Turning to me, she said ¡°I found the perfect bikini for you. It will look incredible on you.¡±


    She went back into the dressing room to change, and came out a moment later holding up a hanger for me. It had a metallic-looking gold bikini, in sort of a Seventies cut. It looked like something Farrah Fawcett or somebody like that would have worn.


    ¡°Try it on,¡± Emmy commanded. ¡°I want to see it.¡± Relieved that it wasn¡¯t as outrageous as the suits she¡¯d picked out for herself, I took the hanger and headed for the dressing room.


    I had just gotten my shirt off when Emmy popped her head in the dressing room. ¡°Let me see!¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I yelled. ¡°Give me some privacy!¡± I said, covering myself with my shirt.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± she urged, pulling her head back out of the cramped space.


    I quickly put the top on and emerged to where the others were waiting.


    ¡°It is perfect!¡± chirped Emmy, clapping her hands in excitement.


    ¡°It does look really good on you,¡± agreed Allie. ¡°The gold really looks good with your coloring.¡±


    Even Courtney had nothing negative to say, so I went back in the dressing room and tried on the bottoms. They fit well, and looking in the mirror I had to admit that Emmy had done a good job. I never would have picked this bikini out, but it was very flattering. I liked the cut of the bottoms, too- and they were a lot less racy than I¡¯d expected Emmy to choose.


    Changing back to my clothes, I emerged. Emmy took the hanger with the bikini on it from me and asked everybody ¡°Are we done? Does everybody have what they want?¡±


    We all agreed that we were in fact ready, and she quickly took the swimsuits from Allie and Courtney as well. ¡°I am buying all of these. It is my gift to the three of you.¡±


    Courtney and Allie protested, but Emmy was having none of it.


    ¡°It is my party, and I invited you. Otherwise, you would not have needed to buy these bathing suits. Therefore, it is the least I can do,¡± she said, ignoring the protests. ¡°Besides, my parents gave me a budget for this party, and I want to use it.¡±


    ¡°Budget?¡± Courtney asked, as we walked towards the register.


    ¡°Her parents said she could spend a thousand bucks on this party,¡± I explained as Emmy paid for the swimsuits. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what they thought would cost so much, but the impression I got was that this was on the cheap as far as they were concerned.¡±


    ¡°A grand?¡± asked Allie, incredulous. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Emmy. ¡°Leah says we can do it for perhaps two hundred dollars, so that means we may have eight hundred dollars to spend on other things associated with the party. Like roller coaster rides!¡± Her eyes were gleaming with excitement at the idea.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I could stand eight hundred dollars worth of roller coaster rides,¡± Courtney said. ¡°How about we just ride once or twice and call it good?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Emmy agreed.


    Walking back down Mission Boulevard towards the roller coaster we stopped at the car to drop off our new bathing suits. It was getting dark by this time, and the lights on the roller coaster were attracting Emmy like a moth to a flame.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± she urged, walking quickly.


    ¡°What¡¯s your rush?¡± asked Courtney. ¡°It¡¯ll still be there in ten minutes.¡±


    Emmy was practically dancing with enthusiasm. In fact, I realized she was dancing- literally. She was skipping, stepping and sliding all along the sidewalk to some music only she could hear. She was so excited by the prospect of the roller coaster that she was lost in her own little world.


    Watching Emmy, Courtney snorted. ¡°Would you just look at her? She¡¯s like a little kid on a sugar high,¡± she scoffed.


    ¡°It¡¯s cute,¡± Allie replied. ¡°I wish I could be so passionate about things the way she is.¡±


    I was thinking similar thoughts. Courtney was right. Emmy was just like a little kid in some ways, but Allie was right, too- Emmy¡¯s childlike eagerness was very charming, and more than just a bit infectious. How many times had I seen that wide-eyed innocence of Emmy¡¯s? It was a very endearing trait.


    Walking towards the old roller coaster and thinking about Emmy¡¯s innocence, a contradictory image entered my mind. I remembered how calculating and how¡­ manipulative I guess, Emmy was during the whole thing with Jake Merrick. There was nothing innocent about that. She twisted him around her finger and destroyed him for her revenge. I mean, he was an evil bastard and had it coming, but she knew just what to do to get him where she wanted him- out of the picture entirely.


    Trying to shrug off these thoughts of Emmy¡¯s dark side, I focused on my three friends up ahead, realizing I¡¯d gotten a bit behind. Hurrying to catch up, I saw that Emmy was doing a silly little soft-shoe slide, moonwalking along to amuse Allie and Courtney. It was pretty funny, and very odd looking. Somehow Emmy looked as if she were walking backwards, and yet was somehow moving forwards with the other two. Both Courtney and Allie were laughing, and Emmy had a big grin on her dark face.


    My mood improved- after all, with Emmy¡¯s clowning, how could I keep thinking negative thoughts about her?


    ¡°How do you do that?¡± asked Allie.


    ¡°She can¡¯t. That¡¯s not possible,¡± said Courtney. ¡°It¡¯s an optical illusion. It¡¯s done with mirrors, like that Chris Angel guy on TV.¡±


    Laughing her charming little laugh, Emmy spun around so she was facing back the way we had come. She somehow reversed her moonwalk, so now it looked as if she were walking back away from us, but continued moving forward at the same speed.


    Courtney said ¡°O.K., now you really gotta knock it off. You¡¯re messing with my sense of reality.¡±


    That got all of us laughing, at least partly because it was true. I couldn¡¯t figure out how Emmy was doing it, either.


    Emmy quit doing the backwards walking thing and hurried up to the ticket window to buy us rides on the creaky old roller coaster.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been on this thing in years,¡± I said, as we waited for the next train car.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you beat,¡± said Allie. ¡°I¡¯ve never been on it.¡±


    ¡°Me, I have never been on any roller coaster in my life!¡± said Emmy.


    ¡°O.K., you win,¡± replied Courtney. ¡°This is a crummy first coaster, though. It¡¯s old, and it¡¯s really rough, too. If you want good roller coasters you really need to go to Magic Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Magic Mountain?¡± asked Emmy, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s an amusement park on the other side of L.A.,¡± Courtney explained. ¡°They have some crazy coasters there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they do,¡± nodded Allie in agreement.


    Emmy grabbed my hand and held it between both hers, just below her chin. ¡°Oh, Leah! Can we go? Please?¡± she pleaded, just like a little kid again.


    Laughing, I responded ¡°Sure, why not? But you haven¡¯t even been on this roller coaster yet. You don¡¯t know if you like them or not.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do! I love it! I can tell!¡±


    The train arrived at that moment, and the departing passengers cleared out quickly.


    ¡°You guys take the front seat,¡± Courtney suggested. ¡°Allie and I will sit right behind you.¡±


    As the coaster clack clack clacked its way up the first climb, Emmy was positively buzzing with anticipation. Cresting the top and just beginning the drop, she grabbed my hand and held it, squeezing like a vise.


    Screaming like the proverbial little girl, she never let go of my hand for the entire ride. I could hear Courtney and Allie laughing right behind us, tickled by Emmy¡¯s behavior.


    As the ride slowed to a stop, Emmy started babbling ¡°Again! We must ride it again!¡±


    Courtney laughed and said ¡°Not me. That thing is too rough on my back. You guys go ahead.¡±


    Allie also declined but I couldn¡¯t make myself say no to Emmy, so we got two more tickets and got back in line.


    ¡°It felt as if all my internal organs were being tickled from the inside! Are all roller coasters like that?¡± Emmy asked, holding my hand and bouncing with excitement while we waited.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I agreed. ¡°Courtney was right, though, this is a really old roller coaster and it¡¯s small compared to the ones they build nowadays. If you want big thrills, we need to go to a real theme park.¡± In the back of my mind, I realized that Emmy was still holding my hand. I also realized with a little shock that it didn¡¯t bother me any more. I guess I was just getting used to the way she was so physical in the way she showed her friendship. Maybe, I thought, it didn¡¯t seem odd because it was so innocent a gesture, just as if she really were the little girl she seemed to be sometimes. In any case, I made no effort to get her to let go of my hand.


    Our second ride was just like the first, Emmy crushing my hand in a death grip and screaming with every drop, no matter how small. It didn¡¯t seem to make any difference that we¡¯d just ridden it not five minutes before. She really is just like a little kid, I thought.


    After we got off the coaster, Courtney held up her phone to take a picture of us. ¡°Hey, let me ask someone to take our picture,¡± she said.


    A surfer-looking guy who¡¯d been staring at Emmy as if she were an alien from Mars agreed to take our picture, so we posed against a backdrop of the struts of the coaster. He took two pictures just to make sure one would turn out all right.


    ¡°That Blackberry of yours has a really bright flash,¡± Allie complained, rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Courtney apologized. ¡°It takes great pictures, though. Here, look,¡± she commanded, holding up the phone for the rest of us to see. She was right, it did look nice and crisp despite the tough lighting conditions below the coaster.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Allie said. ¡°Can we get something to eat?¡±


    The ride back was uneventful, even with Courtney driving. She drove us through Mission Beach and then Pacific Beach, taking the slow way back to the freeway. When I objected that we were going the wrong way, she just replied ¡°With a ride as sweet as this we have to profile a bit. This way we can check out all the hot surfer guys. That¡¯s much better than just the shortest route back home.¡±


    I started to object, but Emmy said from the back seat ¡°I like to see the city. There is no need to rush back to Fallbrook, is there?¡± and she reached forward and gently squeezed my shoulder. ¡°You do not mind, do you Leah?¡±


    There really was no important reason to head back immediately and it was a beautiful warm night, so I relented. ¡°O.K., O.K.! I¡¯m O.K. with it if you guys want to sight-see some.¡± At Courtney, I said ¡°Just keep your eyes on the road at least half the time, all right?¡±


    ¡°This car is really sweet, Emmy. How¡¯s the sound system?¡± Courtney asked as she turned on the stereo. Emmy had one of her Euro-dance CDs in the slot, so the heavy techno beats filled the car. ¡°All right! Kick it!¡± shouted Courtney, turning up the volume.


    ¡°Not so loud!¡± objected Allie from the back seat, so I turned the volume to a more reasonable level.


    ¡°Awww!¡± Courtney pouted, sticking out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout.


    To her credit, Courtney drove carefully even while ogling all the cute guys that seem to fill the beach areas. She even drove reasonably close to the speed limit on the freeway back home, to my surprise.


    I could hear Allie and Emmy talking in the back, but their voices were too quiet to hear over the music. Courtney was focused on the road, so I was left to my thoughts. Thinking about Emmy and her choice of bikinis, I was again struck by the contrasts in her behavior. On one hand, she was just as enthusiastic and innocent as my seven year old sister- just thinking about Emmy¡¯s excitement about the roller coaster got me smiling. On the other hand, she picked out a bikini that made her look bare-assed naked, knowing that it would cause a stir at the party. Nothing innocent about that, is there? I¡¯d been worried that she would pick out something outrageous for me, and yet what she chose was actually pretty tame, as far as bikinis go. She¡¯d helped Allie pick out a combo that flattered her figure and yet was also modest enough to help her deal with her weight issues, so Emmy clearly understood people¡¯s emotions about themselves.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Considering all the work that she¡¯d put into the Halloween stunt with Sara, which was apparently planned for the sole purpose of hooking Sara up with Stephen, maybe I hadn¡¯t been giving Emmy enough credit. Here I was thinking of her as just concerned with attention for herself, but maybe Emmy was a lot more aware of others than I¡¯d realized.


    Just then I was jolted out of my introspection by a sharp tickle on the side of my ribs. Emmy was leaning forward, and she asked ¡°Are you doing all right, Leah? You are terribly quiet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I was just thinking about things, that¡¯s all,¡± I responded.


    ¡°What things?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°Oh, nothing serious. I was thinking about our swimsuits, and the party this weekend. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°You seem worried,¡± Emmy said in a concerned tone. Rubbing my shoulders gently, she continued ¡°Do not be concerned. It will be a lot of fun. You will see.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not worried about the party. Seriously, I was just thinking about the swimsuits you picked out and how different they are.¡± Emmy didn¡¯t stop massaging my shoulders, but I didn¡¯t complain. After all, it did feel good.


    ¡°Of course they are different!¡± Emmy exclaimed. ¡°They are for different people! I could no more wear a bathing suit that is appropriate for you or Allie than you two could wear one that works for me. Different people, different styles. Very simple.¡±


    Allie chimed in from the back seat, ¡°Awww! But Emmy, I wanted to borrow your new suit! I think I would look faaabulous in it.¡± Emmy¡¯s musical laughter mixed with Allie¡¯s, and soon Courtney and I were also laughing at the image of Allie in a teeny little black bikini three sizes too small.


    Soon we were back at Allie¡¯s house, in a good mood and happy. Emmy and I said goodbye to Courtney and Allie, ignoring Tom¡¯s demands that we model our new suits for him. ¡°You will see them on Saturday. You will simply have to wait until then,¡± Emmy said.


    Driving back to my house, Emmy said to me ¡°I had a wonderful time this evening, Leah. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like we went on a date or something,¡± I objected.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked. ¡°Is that what people say after going on dates?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, usually. Something like that, anyway. Why? What do you say after a nice date?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have never been on a date before,¡± Emmy said, a bit quietly, seeming to be lost in thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. You¡¯ve never gone out with a boy? How is that possible?¡± I asked, surprised at the news.


    ¡°I have never been on a date,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°I have never had a boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°But you like guys, right? You flirt all the time, and they sure seem to like you well enough. Why haven¡¯t you? Do your parents not want you to date?¡± I asked, still amazed.


    ¡°No, it is not that my parents have prevented it. It is simpler than that. No boy has ever asked me out. Boys do seem interested in me, but I think perhaps they do not really like me, or perhaps they think they would be ashamed to be seen with me. I do not know. All I know is that I have never been asked on a date.¡± The sudden sadness in her voice at this thought was just as much of a surprise to me as the news that she¡¯d never been out with a boy.


    I pulled over to the side of the road to look at her. Emmy was not quite crying, but tears were definitely close to the surface. I unbuckled my seatbelt so I could lean across and I took her in my arms and gave her a long, tight hug.


    ¡°Look at me, Emmy. You are the prettiest girl at our school. The guys all think you¡¯re smoking hot, and all of the girls just wish they could be as thin, as talented, and as pretty as you. Hell, I wish I could be those things. They say you can never be too rich, too thin, or too good looking and you¡¯re all three.¡±


    I took her shoulders in my hands and held her so she was looking straight in my eyes. Those big, brilliant green eyes of hers were full of tears, I saw.


    I continued ¡°If no boys have asked you out it¡¯s because they¡¯re intimidated, because you¡¯re just too good for them. It has nothing to do with you; it¡¯s only their insecurities. I know for a fact that at least a couple of guys have been trying to work up the courage to ask you out. Hell, if I were a boy, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d have a hard time working up to it, but I would. I¡¯d be proud to have you as my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°You really think so?¡± she asked, sounding hopeful. ¡°You really do?¡±


    ¡°Hell yes, I do. Of course I do. You¡¯re just being silly. You are hot property, babe. The hottest.¡±


    With that, she collapsed into my arms again, and I just held her for a while, while she sobbed silently. After a few minutes, she regained her composure and sat back up. ¡°Thank you, Leah. That means so very much to me.¡± She leaned forward and gave me a quick but firm hug. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°What are friends for?¡± I asked, rhetorically.


    I started driving again, and we finished the short distance to my apartment in silence.


    We both got out of the car at my place, and Emmy gave me a hug again without saying a word. I held her, also without saying anything. Finally, she let me go, gave me one of those good-bye kisses I¡¯d gotten used to by then, and got in her car and drove away.


    Walking up the stairs to my apartment, I thought about what had just happened. I would never have guessed that Emmy could possibly have felt as insecure as all the rest of us do, but there it was.


    Later, lying in bed trying to sleep, I couldn¡¯t help thinking of Emmy sobbing to herself in my arms. It made me sad, too, to think that this girl we all envied was just as vulnerable and just as full of self-doubt as everybody else.


    The next morning when she arrived to pick me up for school she was back to her usual cheerful self. She didn¡¯t mention last night, and neither did I.


    She had made up proper invitations, she said, showing me the invites with everybody¡¯s names on them and maps to her house on the back. I noticed that below the map it said ¡°Please carpool, Parking is limited. Rides can be arranged if necessary.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean, ¡®rides can be arranged¡¯?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If anybody cannot attend because they do not have a ride, I can send a driver out to pick them up.¡±


    ¡°Edouard?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, Edouard would not be the one. It would be someone else.¡±


    ¡°In the limo? If word gets out that they¡¯d be picked up in a limo, everyone will want a ride,¡± I said, laughing at the idea.


    ¡°I do not see why we couldn¡¯t do that,¡± Emmy mused. ¡°Perhaps that is a good idea. The limo only can carry six people, so it will need several trips. But if you and Courtney and Allie come over early to help me get things ready, then that leaves only seventeen to give rides to. That¡¯s only three trips¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but if each trip takes an hour then that means that some people will get to the party hours later than some others. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a good idea at all. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea giving rides to one or two people but not everybody.¡±


    ¡°As always, Leah, you are the practical one,¡± Emmy teased. ¡°I think you are right. Let people take their own cars to the party.¡±


    The rest of the day passed quickly, and Saturday morning came before I was really ready. Edouard showed up a little before nine o¡¯clock to pick me up, then I gave him directions to Allie¡¯s house where we were going to pick up Tom, Allie and Courtney.


    As usual, Edouard was polite but not very talkative. A ¡°Good morning, Miss Farmer¡± was almost all I got out of him.


    When we arrived at the Carter house Tom and Allie were ready, but Courtney hadn¡¯t gotten there yet. Tom took advantage of the time to ask Edouard questions about the big BMW, like what size was the engine, how many horsepower, and other guy-type questions. Edouard didn¡¯t seem bothered by this and actually popped the hood so Tom could check out the motor. Tom¡¯s and Allie¡¯s dad had joined the two by this time, because he was just as interested as Tom was.


    Courtney showed up just about then, so the four of us piled in, Courtney up front and me sandwiched between the twins.


    Allie said ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been in such a fancy car. This is super nice,¡± running her hands over the glove-soft leather seats. ¡°Before Emmy got her Mini, she used to give you rides in this car, right?¡± she asked me.


    ¡°Yeah, for a couple of weeks, I guess,¡± I responded.


    Tom, dying to share some information with us, said ¡°Well, those couple of weeks were probably the safest rides you¡¯ve ever taken.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± inquired Allie.


    ¡°This car is bulletproof. It¡¯s armored,¡± Tom said, happy to know something we didn¡¯t. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s so quiet inside. Well, that and the fact it¡¯s also BMW¡¯s top car, of course.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not that surprised to hear it,¡± I said, thinking about the Lascaux family¡¯s tendency towards privacy.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Courtney demanded from the front seat.


    ¡°Well, It¡¯s just that Emmy¡¯s family seems pretty concerned with security and privacy. I mean, I guess all rich people are to one degree or another, but I get the feeling that the Lascauxs are more security conscious than most.¡±


    Turning to the blond, dark-suited driver, I asked ¡°Edouard, you¡¯re Mrs. Lascaux¡¯s bodyguard, aren¡¯t you? I mean, you aren¡¯t just a driver, right?¡±


    Looking at me in the mirror, Edouard replied ¡°Yes, Miss Farmer, you are correct. I am the family¡¯s head of security also. I would not say that it is correct to imagine that the Lascaux are paranoid, but they are careful.¡±


    I have to say, that pretty much shut us all up. I mean, what can you say to something like that? A guy tells you that he is not just a bodyguard, but ¡®head of security¡¯ and then goes on to say that having a mini secret service isn¡¯t being too cautious? I wasn¡¯t sure how to take that, and judging by the silence, neither were the others.


    I¡¯d forgotten that I was the only one of us that had been to the Lascaux house before, so although the wall and the gate, the orchards and the house were all old hat for me, for the others it was impressive.


    ¡°Holy crap!¡± squeaked Courtney when the house came into view. ¡°That¡¯s like something from the movies!¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± was the only thing Allie could say.


    Emmy walked out to greet us as we pulled into the area by the garages. Piling out of the sedan, Tom blurted out ¡°Jeeze, Emmy. This place is amazing! Can we maybe get a tour?¡± Allie gave him a shove for his boldness, but I knew she wanted to see around the house just as much as he did. Courtney was acting a bit more blas¨¦, but I could tell she was every bit as interested.


    ¡°O.K., but first let us take these things to the pool house,¡± Emmy said, taking Allie¡¯s duffel bag. Edouard took my backpack and Courtney¡¯s beach bag and we walked around the right side of the house on a flagstone walkway through the lush foliage. I¡¯d never been to the pool house, but I¡¯d seen it from Emmy¡¯s balcony patio so I knew it was a bit lower than the main house and maybe a couple of hundred feet away. The walkway gradually curved to the left, the plants thick enough that for a bit you couldn¡¯t see either the main house, the garages, or the pool house. All you could see was just a stone pathway through the bougainvillea and olive trees. It was very beautiful, and with the warm sun filtering down, very pleasant.


    The pool patio area was just as magnificent. The pool house itself was a big, open room with rustic beams holding up a wood ceiling, with a kitchen and bar area at the back. On two sides wood-framed sliding glass doors could be pushed all the way back into the walls, making it a big open-air living room. The furniture was all overstuffed pillows on wicker.


    ¡°Look at that TV!¡± exclaimed Tom. ¡°I didn¡¯t know they even made flat-screens that big! It¡¯s huge!¡±


    Emmy, amused at Tom¡¯s reaction, told him ¡°Yes, it is a big television, but the one in the theater is even larger.¡±


    Goggle-eyed at the thought of a home theater with a screen nearly big enough for a multiplex, Tom just shut up.


    ¡°Here, let us put all your things in the salon,¡± Emmy suggested, going through a door next to the giant TV that Tom admired so much.


    We followed her into a cozy little living room, with a couple of comfortable chairs, a sofa, a coffee table, and along the back wall a bookcase full of books and curios.


    ¡°Just put your things here. There are changing rooms and showers through there,¡± Emmy said, pointing to a door to the right.


    ¡°Now you want the tour of Chez Lascaux, no? I will show you around.¡±


    Emmy towed our little group along, and although I¡¯d seen it all before I have to admit that Emmy¡¯s house still did impress me. My favorite part of the house, though, was still Emmy¡¯s big balcony veranda. With the couch and comfy chairs, it was furnished better than my living room. On a hot day like that Saturday, a warm breeze flowed through the shady space carrying the smells of the orchards and the chaparral in the air. The views out over the back side of the house and property and the hills to the west were stunning, too. It was a magical spot, as far as I was concerned. I could just curl up in one of those cozy chairs with a good book and I¡¯d be in heaven.


    Tom, predictably, liked the theater best. Emmy had been right- his socks were knocked off by the enormous flat screen TV. The idea that here was a room bigger than the living room in his and Allie¡¯s house devoted just to watching movies was almost too much for him to bear.


    ¡°This house was originally built almost seventy years ago by a very wealthy movie producer who wanted his own retreat from Hollywood,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°It may seem bizarre, but we have never watched any films down here yet. We have lived in this house for three months, and as far as I know this TV has never been turned on.¡±


    That was just too much for Tom. ¡°Well, then you don¡¯t even know if it works? We¡¯ve got to try it, just to be sure.¡± The concern in his voice was comic.


    Emmy found the big touchscreen remote and turned the giant TV on. Scrolling quickly through the menu, she selected that movie with Bruce Willis about an asteroid about to hit the earth, then skipped to about halfway when things start exploding. She unmuted the sound and the darkened room was filled with an earth-shaking rumble from the speakers hidden throughout the space. I mean, my teeth started to vibrate and buzz with the intensity of the sound.


    Emmy put it back on mute, and said ¡°It seems to work.¡± Just like that, as if it was no big thing at all.


    Tom, though, was ecstatic. ¡°Oh. My. God.¡± he said, with a reverential look on his face. ¡°Emmy, please please please- you need to have a movie night. You must have a movie night party. Please!¡± With that he fell to his knees, pawing at the hem of Emmy¡¯s sun dress in a ridiculously exaggerated begging posture.


    She just laughed, and agreed that she would set up a movie night at some point. Tom continued his fawning, saying ¡°Thank you thank you thank you¡± over and over until Allie gave him a shove and told him to shut up.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a nerd,¡± she said to Tom. ¡°How we ever came from the same womb is beyond me.¡±


    While the two twins got into a play shoving match, Courtney asked Emmy if the sound wasn¡¯t too loud.


    ¡°No, the room is soundproofed. Even turned up all the way you cannot hear it anywhere else in the house,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°This house was built during the threat of Japanese invasion and the theater was intended to also double as the bomb shelter. The walls are very thick and solid,¡± she finished.


    ¡°This is too effing cool,¡± said Tom. ¡°I want a house just like this when I get to be a brazillionaire.¡±


    The tour finished, we went back down to the pool house to start setting up but Marie-Anne was there just finishing up the job. She had laid out trays of snacks, including bowls of tortilla chips and some very good salsa that she had evidently made herself, which was a bit surprising given that she had only been in Southern California for three months.


    Tom and I set up the Ping-Pong table out on the grass while Allie and Courtney rearranged the outdoor furniture so half of it would be out in the sunlight. Most of the patio had a high sailcloth sunshade over it, allowing plenty of light and air but no direct sunlight. Another of the precautions against sunburn for Emmy, I realized. The pale golden color of the canvas made for a nice warm light on the sandstone patio surrounding the tiled pool. Reminded of the warm outdoor coziness of Emmy¡¯s balcony, I thought that really, this is living. How nice would it be to live in a home like this, in this kind of luxury? I¡¯d hate to ever leave.


    While we were setting up outside, Emmy was in the pool house (kind of a silly description for a place nicer than most people¡¯s homes) playing with the touchscreen remote. She turned the TV to a channel that seemed to show nothing but video clips of surfers, snorkelers, people waterskiing and so on. Sort of a non-stop ocean sports thing. Then Emmy turned on the stereo, and music came from all around the whole pool area. Hidden speakers started playing Jimmy Buffet¡¯s ¡°Cheeseburger in Paradise,¡± followed by some surf guitar tune I didn¡¯t recognize. I guess she found the musical equivalent to the ocean videos on the TV, I thought.


    About that time the first couple of arrivals showed up- Jordan and Andy from the football team, and right behind them were Stephanie and Mindy.


    Andy spotted me and came over to say hello. ¡°Hey, Leah. How you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes, you are indeed,¡± he said, with a wink. When that got a chuckle from me, he went on. ¡°Great job against Edison last night. You guys are really rockin¡¯ this year. Do you think you¡¯ll make it to State?¡±


    ¡°No, I doubt it. We¡¯ll have to go through Kearny and Torrey Pines to win Regional, and they¡¯re both playing really well. If we do beat them, then we probably go against Temecula and those girls are destroying everybody this year. Quarter Finals are probably as high as we¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Well, you keep kicking ass and you¡¯ll get noticed. If you get selected to play at All-State it¡¯s almost guaranteed you¡¯ll get scouted.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Speaking of scouts, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been talking to some. Have you made up your mind yet?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s too early still. Have to wait until the end of the season,¡± he replied. ¡°Hey, when you said that Emmy¡¯s place was big, I had no idea,¡± Andy said, changing the subject. ¡°This place is freakin¡¯ huge! And who has a gate with a guardhouse for their driveway? I mean, seriously!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s big all right. Before coming over here for the first time I had no idea there were any houses like this around here. Wait ¡®til you see the inside.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I could get a tour?¡± he asked, looking hopeful.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that you could get Emmy to show you around, if you ask her nicely. I kinda think she¡¯s into you,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Really? You think so?¡± He looked so much like a puppy dog who¡¯s being offered a bone that I just had to laugh.


    ¡°Cool your jets, cowboy,¡± I said, mixing imagery. ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited just yet. I just said ¡®I kinda think she¡¯s into you¡¯,¡± emphasizing the ¡®kinda¡¯ to make my point. ¡°She hasn¡¯t said anything to me one way or another.¡±


    ¡°Well, still¡­¡± Andy said, looking thoughtful. ¡°She did dance with me at Stephen¡¯s party¡­¡±


    By this point enough people had shown up that it was starting to look like a real party. Andy looked around and saw that a few were already in the pool, so he kicked off his shoes, pulled off his t-shirt and ran out the door, circled the patio, and leapt into the pool to try to splash some of the others standing around.


    I wandered over to where the Ping-Pong table had been set up to watch Mindy and Emmy play. To my untrained eye it seemed as if Emmy was intentionally flubbing shots to keep the game even, and Mindy noticed it after a while, too.


    ¡°Hey! You¡¯re cheating!¡± she yelled, in mock indignation when Emmy let an easy ball sail past her.


    ¡°Cheating? No, not cheating,¡± Emmy said, as she nailed a shot on the exact far corner of the table with so much spin the ball rocketed off in the opposite direction from Mindy.


    ¡°O.K., O.K., I give in. I liked it better when you were cheating! Start cheating again- maybe that way I can win!¡± Mindy said, as another impossible shot sailed well beyond her reach. ¡°Leah, do you wanna play next?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not a chance. I¡¯m no good at Ping-Pong, and it looks as if Emmy is a killer,¡± I replied, before heading off to find Courtney. Courtney was in the pool house talking to Jordan and Brent. I noticed Brent had brought his guitar and amp- no surprise there. I don¡¯t know that I¡¯ve ever seen him without his guitar, either in school or just out and about in town.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, as I snagged one of the drinks Marie-Anne had laid out on the counter.


    ¡°Hey, Leah. This is an amazing place Emmy¡¯s got, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Jordan.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± chimed in Brent. ¡°This is like major rock star quality!¡± Trust him to always bring the conversation back to the rock stardom he believed was just around the corner. Heck. Maybe he¡¯s right. He is an amazing guitarist, and his band does play paid gigs, even though they¡¯re all still in high school.


    ¡°Hey, Brent. You going to play later?¡± I asked, more to make conversation than real curiosity.


    ¡°Yeah. Emmy and I are gonna jam. She says she¡¯s got a sweet Gibson Firebird. I can¡¯t wait to see it!¡± Brent explained. Well, at least it was an explanation as far as he was concerned. I had the vague idea that he was talking about guitars, so I just nodded my head in agreement.


    From behind me Emmy¡¯s voice made me jump out of my skin. ¡°You will like it, Brent. It is a classic. A 1965 in blue. It is very beautiful, and it sounds even better than it looks.¡±


    ¡°Jeeze, Emmy!¡± I complained. ¡°You scared the crap outta me!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry. I did not mean to startle you,¡± she apologized, giving me a quick hug. ¡°I am going to swim. Will you join us in the pool?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I just need to put my swimsuit on.¡± Following Emmy into the little sitting room, I asked ¡°How long can you stay in the sun? I mean, I know you sunburn easily, right?¡±


    ¡°Not for very long. I put on some very strong sun block, but even with that I can only be in the direct sunlight for half an hour at the most. Did you see the shade covers half of the pool? I will try to stay under that as much as possible.¡± With that, she pulled off her little sun dress. Even though I knew her bikini was very close to the color of her skin, I still thought at first that she wasn¡¯t wearing anything at all. Seeing the look on my face, Emmy laughed her sparkling little laugh.


    Embarrassed, I went into the changing room to put my bikini on. When I emerged, Emmy was waiting for me. She looked me up and down, and gave an approving smile. ¡°Yes, it does look very good on you. You look like a ray of sunshine.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°And you look totally naked. The boys are going to love that!¡± Again, she laughed.


    ¡°That is what I hope.¡± As she led me back out into the main area of the pool room, I realized that there was a lot less of her bikini than I had remembered. The bottom was a thong, and looking at the way her virtually bare rock-hard little bubble butt swayed as she walked I thought that the boys would not be able to keep their eyes off her. Well, that¡¯s what she wanted, right? As Courtney had pointed out, Emmy did like to be the center of attention.


    And that¡¯s exactly what she was when she walked out into the patio. Everyone did a double take, at first thinking that she was in fact naked. Courtney and Allie started laughing, knowing exactly why everybody was gaping like a pack of idiots.


    Tom was the first one to speak. ¡°Um, Emmy- that¡¯s quite a swimsuit you have there. Or maybe I should say ¡®almost don¡¯t have at all¡¯.¡±


    Everybody was recovering from the surprise, and lots of nervous laughter followed the shock. Most of the boys (and plenty of the girls, too) were still staring at Emmy as she walked over to where Mindy was talking to Jordan.


    I went over to talk to Allie and Courtney. ¡°Are you guys going to swim?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah- it¡¯s getting hot,¡± Courtney said, peeling off her T-shirt and shorts. ¡°How about you, Allie?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯m fine here,¡± Allie replied, taking a drink of her iced tea and leaning back in her lounge chair. ¡°Ahhh,¡± she said with a contented smile. ¡°I could get used to this.¡±


    Emmy was splashing around in the pool, riding on Andy¡¯s shoulders. He was such a big guy and she was so slender that she hardly seemed to weigh him down at all. Judging by the look on his face, he was loving every minute of it. A few others were in the pool, too, so I jumped in. I expected it to be cold, but it was actually surprisingly warm. Emmy had mentioned that her mom likes the pool warm, but I didn¡¯t expect bath-like temperatures.


    After a while, when Marie-Anne told Emmy that lunch was ready, Emmy announced that it was time to eat. Andy carried her on his shoulders as he climbed out of the pool and into the pool house. When they got to the table, he reached up and put his hands on her waist and lifted her up, then set her down gently on the floor.


    ¡°Thank you, kind sir,¡± she said, giving him a little curtsey while holding her imaginary skirt. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever actually seen anybody curtsey in real life before. She held out her hand, and he took it and led her to her seat, pulling it out for her, then scooting her chair in for her.


    Yeah, he¡¯s head over heels for her, I thought. They make an odd, if cute, couple. He was at least eight inches taller and probably weighed more than twice what she did. He was tanned, with light brown hair, but she was as black as midnight with hair as white as snow. Bizarre, really, but there it was.


    Marie-Anne and Rosa had made up a lunch of roasted chicken and vegetables, with a wonderful fruit tart for dessert. How Emmy and her mother stayed so slender with all this incredible food was a mystery to me, and evidently to Courtney, too.


    ¡°This is an amazing lunch, Leah. That¡¯s the family cook, right? The one you told me about?¡± she asked. When I nodded yes (my mouth was too full to talk) she continued. ¡°Can you imagine what it must be like to have a cook like this fix dinner every night? I¡¯d be as big as a house!¡±


    Allie and her brother Tom both nodded their agreement. Looking around, I saw that most of the others were enjoying just about as much as we were. Interestingly, I saw that Mindy Stock wasn¡¯t having chicken. She had what looked like a small souffl¨¦ instead. She saw me looking, and explained ¡°I¡¯m a vegetarian. Marie-Anne remembered, and made this specially for me.¡±


    After lunch, Emmy announced ¡°I need a strong, beautiful boy to come up to my room with me.¡± After the chuckles died down, Emmy took an exaggeratedly thoughtful pose, hand on chin. ¡°No, I need two strong, beautiful boys.¡± Then, after a pause, ¡°my guitar equipment is very heavy,¡± she explained, and everybody laughed.


    ¡°You,¡± she said, pointing at Andy, ¡°And you,¡± indicating Jordan. Jordan stood, and gave the rest of us a big wink, causing more laughter. Emmy led the two away, swaying her hips as she walked. She hadn¡¯t put her sundress back on, so the view the two had of her butt in that little thong left little to the imagination.


    As soon as the three were gone, a lot of chatter broke out. Mostly it was amazement at the house and gardens, and a little bit about Emmy herself. From the table next to us I could hear the two cheerleaders, Mindy and Stephanie, talking about Emmy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before, right?¡± asked Stephanie.


    ¡°Yeah, a few times,¡± admitted Mindy.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve met her parents?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never seen ¡®em. They don¡¯t seem to be around much,¡± Mindy replied.


    Maybe fifteen minutes later Emmy returned, carrying her guitar case and her music laptop. Jordan had a box with cables and some other stuff, while Andy carried the big amp I¡¯d seen in Emmy¡¯s room. Emmy directed the two guys to put the stuff down by the fireplace in the pool house, while Brent hustled over to check out the equipment. The rest of us watched and chatted while Emmy and Brent hooked cables, wires, and some other things together. When Emmy opened her big rectangular guitar case and pulled out the blue guitar I¡¯d seen in her room, Brent couldn¡¯t wait to get his hands on it. It was obviously a very big deal to him, but none of the rest of us had any clue why he was so blown away, handling the guitar as if it were made of gold.


    Finally Emmy had it all hooked up to her satisfaction, so Brent handed her back the guitar and she plugged it in. The laptop was open on top of the amp, and she pressed a few keys. Turning back to the amp, she adjusted a few knobs, then strummed a chord. It made a fat chainsaw-like sound, and Emmy adjusted the settings a bit more, then strummed again. Satisfied, she hit a power chord and held it, the sustain (I think it¡¯s called) keeping the note going for a while. This whole time Emmy was facing away from us, and I couldn¡¯t help staring at her bare butt in that thong. Glancing around, I saw that was pretty universal. Always the attention seeker, Emmy must have known that her perky little ass was holding everyone¡¯s gaze.


    Finally Emmy turned to face us, ripping into a melody that seemed familiar, but at first I didn¡¯t recognize it. The guitar was distorted (I hope I¡¯m using all the terms correctly) but still pretty clear, in a way. When the rhythm of the melody changed into a kind of gallop, Emmy said to Brent ¡°Come on, Brent. Sing it for us!¡±


    To my surprise, he did start singing. That¡¯s when it hit me. Emmy was playing Ozzy Osbourne¡¯s Crazy Train precisely because Brent was wearing an old Ozzy T shirt. Emmy wasn¡¯t just playing it, though- she was knocking it out of the park. It was incredible. When she got to the solo, her long, delicate fingers flew across the frets almost too fast to see. After a while, Brent stopped singing, and just watched Emmy play. When she noticed he¡¯d quit, Emmy took up the singing, polishing the song off. None of us watching could do any more than stare in wonder and amazement.


    When Emmy finished, she smiled broadly at us, and Brent especially. ¡°Would you play us a song, Brent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can follow that up,¡± he admitted, but took the guitar from her anyhow. He twiddled the knobs on the amp and on the guitar, and when he¡¯d gotten the sound the way he wanted he played a slow, soulful version of Little Wing.


    I¡¯d heard Brent play Hendrix before so I wasn¡¯t too blown away, but Emmy was enthralled. When the last notes faded away Emmy clapped her hands and said ¡°That was amazing! Please, play another!¡±


    A few of the rest of us wandered off, either to swim or lay in the hot November sun (it¡¯s funny to say it that way, isn¡¯t it?) while Emmy and Brent continued to play.


    Sitting out in one of the lounge chairs, listening to the guitar with one ear and the chatter with the other, I heard Courtney ask Allie ¡°Is it O.K. to officially hate Emmy now? I mean, seriously. She¡¯s rich, smart and talented. It just isn¡¯t fair.¡±


    Allie laughed, and agreed that it didn¡¯t seem fair at all. Actually, this seemed to be a popular opinion. Everybody seemed to think that Emmy really did have it all. I found this hard to reconcile with the memory of the insecure girl that had been crying on my shoulder about never having had a boyfriend just a few days before. Here she was queen in her castle and secure in her domain, but really she was just the same inside as the rest of us.


    After a bit she wandered out to the patio, leaving Brent still playing his guitar.


    ¡°Leah, are you enjoying yourself?¡± she asked, sitting on the edge of my lounge chair.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks. This is fantastic, Emmy. You know, you hadn¡¯t shown me the pool before. I really like it- it¡¯s so beautiful,¡± I said, waving my arm to indicate the pool and its surroundings.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Allie agreed. ¡°It¡¯s like some kind of amazing resort or something. The pool, the gardens¡­ It¡¯s all so amazing. Emmy, you have some kind of house, all right.¡± With that, she went back to sipping her tropical looking drink.


    ¡°Hey, where did you get that?¡± I asked Allie. ¡°That looks good.¡±


    ¡°It is. They¡¯re in there,¡± she said, pointing to the pool house. ¡°Marie-Anne, that¡¯s her name, right? She¡¯s making them. Just go get one.¡±


    ¡°I will get one for you,¡± Emmy volunteered, standing up. ¡°Would you like one, too, Courtney?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Great, thanks,¡± Courtney answered.


    After Emmy returned with our fruit drinks, she left to go talk to Mindy and Stephanie. I watched her stroll away, wishing I could make my hips sway like that when I walked. Actually, I was wishing I had her muscular little butt, too, and tiny waist.


    Allie must have seen me watching, because she commented ¡°God, I wish I had a figure like that.¡±


    ¡°She has a figure like that because she spends hours every day working out,¡± Courtney observed. ¡°She told me that she has dance practice two or three hours every night, and has since she was a baby. There¡¯s no way I could have that kind of dedication.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really by her own choice much,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s something her parents have signed her up for whether she likes it or not.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Allie.


    ¡°Well, she has dance and music practice every night, and has since she was a baby, just like Courtney said. When she was tiny, she had no say in it, did she? She had to go along with whatever her parents wanted. And now, she does it because that¡¯s what she does. What she¡¯s always done. She doesn¡¯t know any different.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s kinda horrible, when you put it like that,¡± Allie said, appalled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure it is,¡± I replied. ¡°I mean, look. She can dance and play the guitar better than anybody I¡¯ve ever seen, right? And look at the way she¡¯s built. Like Courtney said, she¡¯s as hard as rock. Those are the plus sides. On the minus side, she has no time for things like T.V., so she has no idea who the Simpsons are or who won American Idol last season. I¡¯m not so sure those are really minuses, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Allie agreed, but without much conviction.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Courtney said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen what she eats.¡±


    ¡°What she doesn¡¯t eat, you mean,¡± agreed Allie. ¡°There is no way I could get by on so little food. I¡¯d starve to death.¡±


    I nodded, thinking the same thing.


    By this time, Emmy had jumped back in the pool with the two cheerleaders, and the three were splashing each other like mad. This was all it took for a bunch of the boys to jump in and start splashing, too. While I was debating with myself what to do, Brent came running out of the pool house and did a cannonball right in the middle of everybody. That was it- clearly it was time to be a kid again. I hadn¡¯t cannonballed into a pool since I was ten, but if Brent could do it, so could I. I yelled for Allie and Courtney to get in the pool, then ran and leapt.


    I¡¯m not sure how much of a splash I made, but it was satisfying anyway. Allie and Courtney did both get in the pool, but they walked down the stairs in a much more dignified fashion than the route I had taken. They did join in the giant splash battle, though.


    After a bit the battle ran out of steam, so Allie, Courtney and I retreated to the spa. Soon everybody else joined us, making it quite crowded. We were all packed in tightly- so much so that Emmy wound up sitting on my lap- much to Andy¡¯s dismay. I could tell he¡¯d rather have had Emmy on his lap, and truth is I would rather that have been the case, too. Her butt felt bony on my legs.


    ¡°What are we going to do later?¡± asked Sara, who was predictably sitting on Stephen¡¯s lap. His hands were below the waterline so I couldn¡¯t see them but I had a pretty good idea where they were, judging by his satisfied smile.


    ¡°I have no plans,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Stephanie chimed in ¡°How about we kick the boys out and have a girls-only party?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea,¡± agreed Emmy.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair!¡± protested Jordan. ¡°What would you guys do that we couldn¡¯t be here for, anyway?¡±


    Courtney replied ¡°Oh, you know. Typical girly stuff like painting each other¡¯s toenails, watching romantic comedies on the big screen, oral sex¡­ You know. The usual.¡±


    ¡°Hey, now that¡¯s totally unfair!¡± Jordan yelled out again. ¡°I like romantic comedies! I want my toenails painted!¡± Which brought howls of laughter. ¡°Oh, and I guess the oral sex thing would be O.K., too,¡± he added.


    ¡°I¡¯m down with the oral sex, too,¡± agreed Andy, and the rest of the boys, looking around, all nodded their heads in agreement.


    ¡°That is fine,¡± Emmy announced, standing up. ¡°You boys can have all the oral sex you want. However, this will be a girls only party, so you boys will have to go have your oral sex somewhere else.¡± This brought laughter from the girls this time.


    ¡°I see how you are,¡± said Jordan, in a mock indignant tone. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just go then. We¡¯ll have the last laugh, you¡¯ll see. We¡¯ll have epic oral sex without you. Who needs girls, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Me first!¡± shouted Martin Lopez, raising his hand.


    ¡°Then me!¡± Tom yelled. The rest of the boys all started shouting about who would be next, then Blake stood up and started to pull down his shorts.


    ¡°Why wait?¡± he yelled.


    Courtney, who was sitting next to him, grabbed the waistband of his shorts and pulled them back up.


    ¡°Jeeze, Blake! Be careful with that thing! You could put an eye out!¡± she shouted.


    By this point it was chaos. The boys were all pushing and shoving each other and laughing like idiots, the girls were escaping to the pool (and also laughing), and the noise level was off the charts. Blake had picked Courtney up and was carrying her over his shoulder while she squirmed in a half-hearted struggle. He leapt into the pool and the two of them made a heck of a splash. This seemed to set off some kind of caveman frenzy among a bunch of the boys, because they grabbed up some of the girls and carried them around, racing around the pool.


    Grateful that I was too big to be easy to carry, I watched with amusement as an impromptu foot race of football players carrying cheerleaders developed. I would have normally bet on Blake Moore, (After all, he was the running back) but he¡¯d grabbed Mindy and she was a bit more of a load than Andy¡¯s passenger, Emmy. The girls were squealing and laughing, the boys were hooting with laughter, and the rest of us were cheering them on.


    Good thing the pool patio was kinda rough flagstones and not slippery concrete, I thought. Allie and Tom swam over to where I was, and they started critiquing technique.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s the lightest, and Andy¡¯s huge, so he has the advantage,¡± Tom commented.


    ¡°Yeah, but Jordan¡¯s got Stephanie, and she¡¯s not very big, either,¡± Countered Allie. ¡°And he¡¯s a lot faster.¡±


    By this point the boys were slowing down, and without a definitive winner they all climbed back into the spa with their victims. Well, I used the word victims, but none of the four girls looked as if they had objected to the proceedings at all. In fact, they looked as if it had been a blast.


    ¡°O.K., I¡¯m beat,¡± said Andy to Emmy. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    She made a big show of trying to lift him over her shoulder before giving up. ¡°Oh, but come on,¡± he pouted teasingly. ¡°I carried you. It¡¯s the least you could do.¡± Emmy¡¯s musical laugh as she sat down on his lap made his face light up.


    He is so into her, I thought. She seems to like him, too. They make a good couple.


    About that time, Marie-Anne announced in her thick French accent that there was ice cream in the pool house, so we all got up and headed in. Marie-Anne and Rosa had a bunch of bowls set out, each with a slice of melon and some pale red sherbet.


    ¡°Marie-Anne and Rosa made this ice cream this morning,¡± explained Emmy. ¡°It is one of my favorites.¡±


    The ice cream was an unusual, a slightly sweet but tart berry flavor. ¡°It¡¯s really good,¡± exclaimed Stephanie, who¡¯d finished her bowl already. ¡°Is it pomegranate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is pomegranate and cranberry,¡± answered Marie-Anne. ¡°Would you like some more?¡±


    Sitting there, in that big, open pool house, eating handmade ice cream in the warm afternoon¡­ it felt like heaven. This was how life is supposed to be lived, I thought. Looking around, it seemed that plenty of the others felt the same way. It was so nice just to feel the warm Santa Ana breeze scented by the chaparral, lounging in a comfy chair in that big, open pool house, listening to the others chattering about nothing important.


    Looking around for Emmy, I didn¡¯t see her anywhere. She wasn¡¯t in the pool house with the rest of us, enjoying ice cream. ¡°Have you seen Emmy?¡± I asked Stephanie, who was sitting closest to me.


    Mindy, on the other side of Stephanie, answered. ¡°I think she went in there,¡± pointing at the door to the salon.


    Curious, I went to check. Andy had heard the exchange and seemed concerned too, so he followed me into the adjoining room. All the lights were off in the small living room area and the curtains were pulled closed, making it dim but not completely dark. I saw Emmy¡¯s dark shape curled up in a fetal position on the couch, her face buried under a pillow.


    Hurrying over to her, I knelt down next to the couch and asked ¡°Is everything all right? Are you O.K.?¡± I guess it was stupid to ask, because it was obvious the answer was going to be no, but there it was.


    Andy sat down on the couch, kinda in the middle. He¡¯d lifted up Emmy¡¯s ankles and slid under them, then put her legs on his lap. He was stroking her calves, a worried look on his face.


    Emmy¡¯s muffled voice came from under the pillow. ¡°I am sorry. I was in the sun too long and now I have a terrible headache. I need to rest here for a little bit and then I will be O.K.¡± Her voice sounded as if she were in real pain.


    Putting my hand on her shoulder, I felt how hot her skin was. ¡°Did you get a sunburn? Your skin feels like you¡¯re burning up!¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± Andy asked Emmy. ¡°Can I get you some ice water or anything?¡± His concern was obvious in his voice. He¡¯s crazy about her, I realized.


    ¡°Thank you, Andy, but what you are doing is very nice. Please don¡¯t stop,¡± she responded. Andy looked surprised, then realized that Emmy meant his unconscious foot and leg rub he¡¯d been giving her. He gave me a sheepish grin, then got back to work. I think he realized at about that point that as his eyes had gotten adjusted to the dim light his position offered him a fantastic view of Emmy¡¯s butt in that little thong bikini bottom of hers. He glanced at me, realized I¡¯d caught him checking out Emmy¡¯s ass, and had the decency to look embarrassed.


    I smirked, making him blush and look away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said, and went back into the pool house¡¯s main room. I asked Marie-Anne for some ice water and a wet cloth, and when I had what I needed I headed back to the salon.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Emmy has a migraine from too much sun, and maybe a sunburn, too¡± I explained. ¡°She¡¯ll be O.K. in a bit, but right now she just needs to cool off in the dark.¡±


    Back in the darkened salon, I got Emmy to sit up and sip the ice water. I took the cool, damp cloth and gently laid it across her shoulders, which were giving off a surprising amount of heat.


    Andy, who now had Emmy¡¯s knees in his lap, kept stroking her skin and murmuring how sorry he was that he didn¡¯t realize she was getting burned.


    ¡°Oh, Andy,¡± she sighed. ¡°It is only my mistake. Do not blame yourself. I was enjoying myself so much I did not realize it was too much.¡± She leaned forward and gave him a little kiss on his cheek. ¡°Thank you for being so caring. Thank you, too, Leah.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do?¡± asked Andy.


    ¡°I would be very grateful if you could go to my room and get my very dark glasses, Andy,¡± she replied. They are in my closet, on top of my dresser.¡±


    ¡°Be right back,¡± Andy said, and he was gone like a shot.


    ¡°He¡¯s crazy about you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am starting to think you may be right,¡± Emmy replied with a little smile. ¡°Thank you for this,¡± she said, touching the damp cloth. ¡°I feel much better.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course. Anything.¡±


    ¡°Did you really want those glasses?¡± I probed.


    ¡°Am I that transparent to you?¡± she laughed. ¡°Yes, they will help my headache. But also, and I think you guessed this, Andy needed to feel helpful, so I gave him something to do.¡±


    I rolled my eyes in mock astonishment. ¡°You are so devious some times!¡±


    Emmy laughed again, that clear, musical laugh of hers. Hearing it, I knew she was going to be O.K.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to finish my ice cream. I¡¯ll see you out there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, when Andy comes back with the glasses,¡± Emmy replied, standing up.


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    Back out in the main room, I said ¡°She¡¯ll be out in a minute,¡± to nobody in particular but everybody in general, then sat down to finish my ice cream, which had turned to mush.


    Andy came dashing back with the sunglasses and a moment later Emmy came back to join the party.


    When she¡¯d said ¡®dark glasses¡¯ I didn¡¯t really have any idea what she¡¯d meant. These things were like the glasses that mountain climbers wear- you know, the ones that are as dark as welding goggles, with the little pieces of leather to block out any light from the sides? They looked kind of steampunk on Emmy. Silly, but a bit cool, too.


    When she came out to where the rest of us were, Emmy apologized for abandoning everybody, and explained that she¡¯d just gotten too much sun and had to stay in the shade for the rest of the day.


    She asked if it would be O.K. if we moved the party indoors, and everybody agreed. Emmy made no move to put any additional clothes on, so I guess none of the rest of us did, either. We all followed Emmy into the main house and downstairs to the bar/game room. After the heat of the Santa Ana and its ninety-five degree breeze, the cool basement felt chilly at first, but pleasant at the same time.


    A couple of minutes after we arrived, the same servant who had poured the wine at dinner a few weeks back slid behind the bar. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was there to make drinks or prevent all of us from making our own, but soon he was busy pouring sodas and making alcohol-free mixers for people.


    A boys vs. girls game of pool broke out, thankfully without my involvement. Martin and Tom settled down on an overstuffed leather couch to watch a college basketball game, Jane Charter and Jenny Dixon were trying to play darts, and Courtney, Allie and I sat at one of the tall tables and chatted.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe this house,¡± Allie said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think places like this existed around here. I mean, really? Fallbrook?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been here for a while, too,¡± replied Courtney. ¡°You¡¯d think something like this that had been here for seventy years would be common knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Emmy told me that the previous owners had all been very reclusive, and mainly had L.A. dealings, so didn¡¯t interact with the people in town much,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Yeah, but still,¡± Courtney objected, watching Blake and Jordan high five each other by the pool table. ¡°Think of all the people that work here. How could a place like this remain a secret?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure it was ever actually a secret, per se,¡± I replied. ¡°I think that maybe it just wasn¡¯t common knowledge, and the owners never did anything to bring attention of any kind.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± conceded Courtney. ¡°Hey,¡± she said in a low voice. ¡°Check out Blake.¡±


    We looked over to see him lining up a shot, his mocha face a picture of concentration, tongue poking out of one corner of his mouth. Just as he shot, Courtney called out his name, making him hit the cue ball off-center and completely missing the intended target.


    ¡°What?¡± he demanded, an angry look on his face.


    Giggling a bit, Courtney said ¡°I just wanted to say that you had a nice butt. Those shorts look good on you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Courtney replied.


    ¡°Well, O.K. then!¡± He said, turning and pulling his board shorts down to moon us, his cheeks on full display.


    Allie looked stricken and I¡¯m sure I blushed, but Courtney let out a whistle and a catcall. ¡°Ooh, baby!¡±


    Everybody in the place was laughing by this point except Allie, who was still getting over the shock of seeing Blake¡¯s muscular brown butt.


    Blake waved his arms to indicate everybody should be quiet, then said ¡°Fair¡¯s fair. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡± Which met approval from all the guys, at least.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is, huh?¡± Courtney asked, getting off the barstool. She turned her back to Blake and the rest of the pool table group, then began swaying her hips in a sexy dance. Looking back over her shoulder at Blake and the boys, she hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her cherry-print bikini bottom, and slowly started to pull it down. The boys were all whistling and hooting as Courtney, still swaying her hips, slid the top of the swimsuit down an inch, two inches, then pulled it back up and said ¡°Sorry, boys. That¡¯s all you get.¡±


    ¡°Aw, man!¡± That was evil!¡± yelled Jordan. Mindy and Stephanie were laughing so hard I thought they were going to wet themselves.


    When Courtney sat back down, Allie said ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just did that!¡± She was blushing enough for the both of them.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Courtney, all wide-eyed innocence.


    ¡°I could never do something like that,¡± Allie replied.


    ¡°Never tease boys? Is that what you mean?¡± asked Courtney. ¡°You need to give it a try sometime, Allie. It¡¯ll do you good.¡±


    The football players all crowded onto the couch with Tom and Martin, leaving the victorious cheerleaders to play the next round of pool against Sara, Stephen and Brent.


    I realized that Emmy hadn¡¯t really said a word since we¡¯d been down there. I asked her if she was doing all right, and she said she was fine, but I wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said. ¡°Nobody would blame you if you had to lie down for a bit. If your head still hurts, you should take a break.¡±


    She shrugged, saying ¡°I do not wish to abandon the party. I will feel better soon, as dark as it is down here.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K. But seriously, if you feel crummy¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Leah,¡± Emmy said, giving me a smile, but I could tell she still wasn¡¯t feeling one hundred per cent.


    The undefeated cheerleaders, remaining at the pool table, challenged Allie, Courtney and me to a game but Courtney and Allie didn¡¯t rise to the occasion so it just turned into me against Stephanie. I¡¯ll be the first to admit I¡¯m no good at all at pool and Stephanie had just beaten two sets of challengers, so I knew I was going to go down in flames. Stephanie went really easy on me though and even let me redo a couple of completely missed shots. In fact, by halfway through the game she was even showing me which shots to take and where to hit the cue ball.


    I felt a little awkward when Stephanie wrapped her arms around me to show me how to hold the cue to put ¡®english¡¯ on the ball. I¡¯m not sure it would have bothered me so much, but we were both still wearing nothing but our bikinis and there was a lot of skin contact. It didn¡¯t seem to bother Stephanie any, but I wasn¡¯t used to having my personal space crowded like that.


    The boys left at around six in the afternoon, Sara leaving with Stephen (to nobody¡¯s surprise). The rest of us girls stayed for the girls-only party that Stephanie had suggested, which turned out to be better than I¡¯d expected. We went up to Emmy¡¯s room, put on some music and danced. Well, some of us danced. Allie couldn¡¯t be talked into it, no matter how hard the rest of us tried.


    It was nice to actually get to know Mindy and Stephanie, and to spend time with some of my V Ball teammates off the court. Because the night air was still really hot nobody made a move to change out of their swim suits. It should have felt awkward hanging out with a bunch of girls in bikinis, goofing around and drinking the champagne Emmy had sent up along with the chocolate truffles, but it wasn¡¯t uncomfortable at all. Somehow everybody being practically naked made it seem more real, as if we could be, I don¡¯t know, more natural than usual, or something like that. I guess it was the whole ¡®breaking down barriers¡¯ thing, but just spending time like that made me feel closer to all of them.


    Riding home in the big BMW later that evening Allie admitted that she had great time. ¡°Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but that was a lot of fun. We need to get Emmy to have parties more often.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no lie,¡± Courtney agreed. ¡°Her place is incredible.¡±

 End Of The V Ball Season

    The week after the pool party we won both our playoff games and for the first time in thirty-two years won our district. It was crazy fantastic, but it meant that we¡¯d have to go up against Temecula Valley High to proceed any farther towards the state championship. They hadn¡¯t lost a game all season and had blown through their playoff schedule with ease. We hadn¡¯t played them at all this year, but our coach had watched a couple of their games and she thought she had a good idea of what we were up against.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be tough, but they aren¡¯t invincible,¡± Coach Meyers said at practice. ¡°The key is going to be defense. If we can shut Ashley Jones down we¡¯ll win.¡±


    We all knew who Ashley Jones was. ¡°SmAshley¡± was the terror of the Southern California volleyball courts. It was well known that she¡¯d signed a letter of intent to play at Penn State when she was just a sophomore, and they were one of the powerhouse colleges in women¡¯s volleyball. She was also one of the rising stars being groomed for Olympic glory, frequently training at the Olympic Training Center with the big girls.


    I say ¡®big girls¡¯ somewhat facetiously, since SmAshley was six foot four and not a tiny girl by anybody¡¯s standard. She wasn¡¯t just tall, either. She was muscular, too. Nobody looked forward to facing her across the net. Nobody.


    Coach had a plan that seemed workable, but it meant that I was going to be the one in the line of fire the most. It was going to be a bruising, physical match-up, and I just knew I was going to be the one getting bruised.


    Emmy was a whole lot more confident in our chances than I was. ¡°I watched their game against Redlands last week,¡± she told me. ¡°You can win, I am sure of it.¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡± I asked, astonished.


    ¡°I drove up to Temecula to watch them play against Redlands,¡± she explained. ¡°I wanted to see your competition for myself.¡±


    ¡°Wow- that¡¯s¡­ um, going above and beyond, I guess.¡±


    ¡°No, it is a reasonable course of action,¡± she replied. ¡°And what I saw makes me think that you have a very good chance of winning. There are two keys to beating Temecula. The first one is to play strong defensively, as Coach Meyers said. The second one, though, is to attack SmAshley directly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®attack her¡¯?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°She is weak on defense. She cannot jump very high at all, and so her blocks are too low. Because she is very tall, that works all right for her when the ball comes in at a low trajectory, but if you jump very high when you spike the ball she will be unable to stop it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°But if that¡¯s true, why doesn¡¯t everyone know this? Why haven¡¯t other teams been able to do it?¡±


    ¡°I do not know about any teams other than Redlands, but their strategy was to play away from SmAshley. I think she intimidated them and therefore limited the court they used. The problem for this is that the best defensive player for Temecula is actually Paige Walters, and if they play away from SmAshley, Paige is right there.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± This made sense, but again, if it was so obvious that Emmy (who didn¡¯t know the game that well) could see it why hadn¡¯t the Redlands coach figured it out? I had my doubts.


    Normally only team members ride in the van to games, but somehow Emmy talked Coach into letting her ride with us. I guess attending all our home and away games and being sort of our good luck charm helped make her part of the team in some way. It was nice to have her company, even though the ride was only half an hour.


    The Temecula gym was a sea of red and white. The crowd was twice the size we ever got at any of our games, and our family members and friends that came to watch had to pack in tight in the section set aside for Fallbrook fans. Our gold and blue looked a bit pathetic in that loud mob of Temecula supporters. Even before the start the Temecula crowd was shouting and cheering. It was more than just a little bit overwhelming, and I must admit I felt a bit demoralized when I thought about how little support we got for our team at home compared to this frenzy the Temecula team enjoyed.


    The Temecula girls came out onto the floor to tons of applause and cheering, loudest of all for SmAshley, who was last in line. It was my first glimpse of her, and she lived up to all the hype. She was big and scary looking, all right. I mean, she wasn¡¯t a bad-looking girl or anything like that- mainly just big. Really big.


    During our first game I thought about what Emmy had said. It was natural to want to play away from SmAshley. You almost couldn¡¯t help it. I saw my chance a few minutes into play, and called to Abbie to set the ball high for me. I jumped as high as I could, and just spiked it as hard as possible at SmAshley, making sure it was the side away from Paige.


    Much to my surprise (and everybody else¡¯s for that matter) it worked. She couldn¡¯t get under it in time, and the kill was perfect.


    We lost the first game, but not as badly as I¡¯d feared we would. The second went down to the wire, but we pulled out a win. By the end of the second game it had become obvious that I was clearly targeting SmAshley, and she responded by spiking the ball my way whenever she had the chance. Between games Emmy came down to the floor to talk.


    ¡°You are doing fantastic!¡± she said. ¡°Now you need to destroy her.¡±


    ¡°Destroy her?¡± I asked, unsure what Emmy was talking about.


    ¡°Take her out of the game. I saw when you blocked that shot about midway through that SmAshley had no response to it. What you should do now is go up every time she gets the ball. Show her that you are not intimidated, and in fact that you are the one she should be afraid of.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound so easy,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°It will not be easy. But if you do it, I think SmAshley will become neutralized, and without her, Temecula is not as good as you are.¡±


    Coach Meyers surprised me by speaking up. I hadn¡¯t realized she was standing right behind me, listening to what Emmy said.


    ¡°She may be right, Farmer. I was surprised earlier when you took it to Jones, but it¡¯s been working well for you. If you can get in her face, it may ruin her game.¡±


    ¡°It may ruin my face if I don¡¯t do it just right!¡± I protested.


    ¡°You see that guy over there?¡± Coach asked, pointing at a middle-aged man seated midcourt, third row. ¡°That¡¯s Joe Burke. He coaches the Stanford women¡¯s team. I¡¯m pretty sure he came to talk to Jones, but if you can dominate her it will make a big impression. Don¡¯t play for me, or for Fallbrook. Play for him. Play for your future.¡±


    ¡°Stanford? Seriously?¡± I asked, looking at the unprepossessing man who had a clipboard and was taking notes, I now noticed.


    Emmy chimed in ¡°Oh, Leah- put your fears aside. This is yours to take.¡±


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    Just then the ref whistled, letting us know it was time for the next game. Emmy went back to her seat, and I thought about what she¡¯d said. She¡¯d been right about SmAshley¡¯s weak defensive skills, after all¡­


    I decided that I was going to do it. I was going to put my life at risk and get in front of the ball every time SmAshley touched it. If I took some hits, well, that was just going to be the price I would pay. We¡¯ve got good medical insurance, and maybe if my nose got broken I could have the doctor give me a cute little button nose, right?


    It really didn¡¯t work out that way, though. Once I started roofing SmAshley every chance I got and stuffed more than a few of her spikes she did fade away. In fact, she started playing away from me, which put a load on the others. Nicole took a ball to the face and had to sit out the rest of the match, but Jenny Charter stepped up and filled in well.


    We still lost the third game, but not by much, and SmAshley¡¯s influence was on the decline. I really was shutting her down. The problem was that by focusing on her so much, it freed up the other Temecula girls to shine, and they proved that she wasn¡¯t the only reason they¡¯d gone undefeated until that night.


    We won the fourth game decisively and I was starting to think that we really could win this thing. I had clearly won the contest versus SmAshley and the Temecula crowd was losing its steam, while our tiny cheering section had been getting louder and louder.


    Sadly, the fifth game did not go our way and we lost by a couple of boneheaded plays on our part. This meant the match went to Temecula three to two and our playoff run was over. We were headed home, and SmAshley and the rest of the Temecula girls were going to the State Quarterfinals in Stockton.


    I felt crushed, having come so close and tasted the win only to have it slip away. Looking around at my teammates, it was obvious that we all felt the same way.


    Emmy came bouncing down the bleachers and ran up, giving me a big hug. ¡°Leah, that was amazing! You all did such an incredible job!¡± she cheered.


    ¡°We lost,¡± I said numbly, not returning her hug.


    ¡°Yes, you did, but you did what no other team has been able to do before. You very nearly beat Temecula, and you completely dominated SmAshley Jones.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I responded, not really feeling so good about our achievements.


    Nicole, who was standing right there, spoke up. ¡°Yeah, we did O.K., and honestly better than I expected we would. We didn¡¯t win, and I feel really bad about that. Maybe if I¡¯d stayed in¡­¡±


    Coach shouted for us all to gather round for her post-game pep talk, and she made some of the same comments.


    ¡°Look, I know it was a heartbreaker. I know you all felt that this was winnable, and it really was. I know you all feel like dirt right now, but I have to tell you I am so very proud. This has been the best team I have ever coached, and I want you all to know that each and every one of you did a phenomenal job out there tonight. For some of you this is your last game as a Lancer, and I¡¯ll be very sorry to see you go. Others of you have next year to build on this season, and take it even farther.¡±


    Sure it was all platitudes, but we all knew she really meant it. I have to admit I choked up a bit when Coach went around the circle and hugged every one of us. When she was done, she added ¡°I want you all to come to regular workouts for the rest of the term. I know it may seem like a waste, but I¡¯m dead serious about building the program, and I want us all to do this together, starting tomorrow.¡±


    After a general sort of agreement, we all went to shuffle back to the locker room when Coach Meyers called over to me to wait up.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said, using my given name for the first time ever. ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet Joe Burke. He¡¯s the coach at Stanford.¡± Obviously I knew that, since she¡¯d pointed him out but I realized that she was making a point of the formal introduction.


    ¡°Joe, this is Leah Farmer. She¡¯s a graduating senior this year with an excellent GPA, and, as I understand it, high S.A.T. scores.¡± I understood what she was doing, trying to make me an attractive prospect to pursue, and I appreciated it.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± I said, extending my hand. He shook it, and looked me up and down.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, too,¡± he replied. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, you¡¯re what, six foot even, right?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, I guess so. I haven¡¯t checked my height in a while, though,¡± I said, a bit embarrassed at the way he was evaluating me, like a racehorse or something.


    ¡°About a hundred fifty pounds, right?¡± I nodded yes, blushing a bit. ¡°You play bigger, and I mean that as a compliment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry- what?¡± I asked, unsure what he meant.


    ¡°Well, Ashley Jones is six foot four, a hundred and eighty pounds. She¡¯s a big girl, international caliber big. She¡¯s very physical, and yet you controlled her tonight. I¡¯ve seen her play at a number of tournaments, and very rarely have I seen anybody just get in her face the way you did. It was quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Thanks,¡± I said. This isn¡¯t the way I thought things were going to go tonight, and I was still having a hard time processing it.


    Mr. Burke then dropped a bombshell. ¡°You could start for Stanford with a game like the one you showed tonight. In fact, you could probably start as a freshman. I¡¯d like you to apply to Stanford. I don¡¯t know if our school was on your list, but let me know if you think you¡¯d like to come up to Palo Alto and take a look at our program.¡±


    ¡°Stanford?¡± I asked, dazed.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t kid yourself. It¡¯s a hard school academically, and our program is tough, too. But if you think you might have what it takes¡­¡± he trailed off, but the meaning was clear.


    I was still in a daze walking to the bus. Word had gotten around that I was just recruited for one of the top programs in the country, and the other girls were a mix of envy and congratulations. Emmy was over the moon.


    ¡°Stanford University! Can you imagine that? We could both go! It would be fantastic!¡± She just kept chattering away like that, but I was too overwhelmed to come up with any coherent replies. She kept giving me quick hugs in her excitement for me.


    When we got out of the van back at FHS, a sizable crowd of family members and schoolmates were there to cheer for us. It took out some of the sting of losing, and after a few minutes of backslapping and any number people telling us ¡°You did great¡± I began to feel as if we really had done something special that night.


    The next day at school a lot of kids came up to me to tell me what a great game I¡¯d played the night before, but I knew for a fact that very few of them had been there to watch it. Somebody had even taped a little congratulations card to my locker. It said ¡°Good Job, Giant Killer!¡± and tons of people had signed it.


    For that one day, the girls¡¯ V Ball squad were the big celebrities at school. It was nice, but a bit annoying, too. Recalling the enormous crowd that Temecula had in their gym, I wondered why we never had anything like that.


    ¡°Fair weather fans,¡± agreed Abbie at workout that afternoon. Well, it wasn¡¯t really a workout at all. Despite what Coach had said about wanting to start on next year¡¯s training immediately, she didn¡¯t have us suit up. Instead, she had cake and ice cream ready for us. ¡°A good way to celebrate the end of a great season, and the beginning of another,¡± she said, and I had to agree.


    When everybody was leaving, Coach called me to her office. Emmy (who had hardly eaten any cake, that skinny little¡­) tagged along out of curiosity.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Coach said, again using my first name. It sounded so weird coming from her that I wasn¡¯t sure what was up. ¡°I think Mr. Burke was serious last night. I know you have good grades and test scores, so Stanford wouldn¡¯t be out of your league as far as that goes. If he can swing a full athletic scholarship for you, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. My best advice to you is to pursue it. Pursue it immediately, too. Don¡¯t take time to think about it. Strike while the iron is hot. If you want, I¡¯ll call him up for you and set up a visit. You and your family can go up for a weekend and see the school, check out the program.¡± She paused, then emphasized ¡°Let Burke know that you¡¯re interested. He can make things easier for you with the admissions process, and with housing. Just don¡¯t let this slip away.¡±


    ¡°I thought about it some last night, and talked about it with my mom,¡± I replied, thinking about what Coach had just said. ¡°And she thinks that I should go for it, too.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Go online and get all the information you can, and talk to Mrs. Nash, the counselor. She¡¯ll help you get everything together.¡±


    Driving home in Emmy¡¯s Mini I confessed, ¡°I¡¯m just so dazed. This is all happening so fast.¡± Then ¡°What do you think I should do?¡±


    ¡°I think that you should apply, and see what you can get. You have been working very hard for this for years, and now the reward is within reach you should take it.¡±


    ¡°But, Stanford¡­ It¡¯s full of rocket scientists and people like that. It¡¯s a really big deal.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me that you are not smart enough? That is nonsense,¡± Emmy snorted. ¡°You are smart, and you work extremely hard. That is a better combination than most people have.¡± Then, changing her tone, she added ¡°And besides, my parents want me to go to Stanford, so we could go there together.¡±


    ¡°They do?¡±


    ¡°Why do you sound so surprised? It is an excellent university, among the finest in the world.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, I guess¡­ it¡¯s just that I figured you¡¯d go to the Sorbonne or something.¡±


    ¡°No, we are Californians now, so I will go to a Californian University.¡±


    ¡°And you can get into Stanford?¡± I asked, unsure of where Emmy¡¯s confidence came from.


    ¡°Of course. I am a good student, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. I saw what you got on that Bio test.¡±


    ¡°And of course, my parents have lots of money,¡± she said with a conspiratorial smile.

 Hooray For Hollywood

    ¡°Do you have any plans for Saturday?¡± Emmy asked at lunch the following Thursday.


    ¡°No, why?¡±


    ¡°I have heard about an amazing record store in Hollywood, in Los Angeles, and I want to go. Would you go with me?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I guess,¡± I said, unsure why a record store would be worth driving a hundred miles each way for.


    ¡°Courtney? Allie? Would you two be able to go with us?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Saturday?¡± Courtney pondered. ¡°Sure- why not. I haven¡¯t been to Hollywood since I was a kid. It should be interesting.¡±


    Allie was more enthusiastic. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never been to Hollywood. It¡¯d be cool, but I have to ask my parents.¡±


    On Saturday morning, Emmy showed up at my house bright and early. ¡°Could you please drive today, Leah?¡± she asked, handing me the keys with a hopeful expression on her inky face.


    ¡°You know I love driving your car, Emmy. Sure, I¡¯ll drive.¡±


    We stopped at Allie¡¯s house and Courtney was already there, so we hit the road right away. Emmy had already programmed the record store¡¯s address in the GPS so all I had to worry about was the actual driving and not the navigation, which was good because honestly I had no idea where Hollywood was in L.A. at all. There were hills, that¡¯s all I knew. Well, that and a big-ass sign.


    A couple of stressful hours later I was looking for parking on Hollywood Boulevard. Emmy pointed to a pay lot, but I objected. ¡°That¡¯s five bucks an hour! That¡¯s crazy!¡±


    Emmy had no problems with it, though. ¡°Just go ahead and park in there. I have enough money to pay for it.¡±


    Realizing that she was right, I parked and we walked the half block to the amazingly large and very busy record store. There was a band signing CDs, but I didn¡¯t know who they were so I wasn¡¯t interested. I lost myself in the book section- I had no idea there were biographies of so many musicians and bands. I found a book about the Rolling Stones that I thought my mom would like, and over in the memorabilia section I found a concert T shirt for the Clash tour she¡¯d told me she saw in high school, so I grabbed that, too. Her birthday was coming up, and Christmas wasn¡¯t too far away¡­


    Allie found me looking for something for Tiff. ¡°Have you seen the other two?¡± she asked. She had a handful of CDs, I noticed. She saw me eyeing them, and explained ¡°I¡¯m going to be able to find music for everybody on my Christmas list.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen Courtney or Emmy in a while,¡± I responded to her earlier question. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be hard to spot Emmy,¡± I said, and Allie agreed.


    ¡°Yeah, she does kinda stand out.¡±


    We wandered downstairs to the main music area, and sure enough, Emmy was easy to see. Courtney was with her, looking more irritated than usual.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell him to fuck off?¡± she demanded, and Emmy shrugged.


    ¡°I did not wish to be rude,¡± was her reply.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


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    ¡°Some skeezy dude was trying to talk Emmy into posing for him. Said he was a photographer.¡±


    ¡°I think he was probably a pornographer,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°He asked me how old I was. He seemed very interested in knowing when I was going to turn eighteen.¡±


    ¡°Yuck!¡± exclaimed Allie, and I had to agree.


    ¡°Is the guy still here?¡± I asked, curious to know what kind of pervert hits on teenaged girls in record stores.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy said. ¡°He is over there.¡± She pointed out a middle-aged, slightly heavyset guy that I would have walked past a hundred times and never guessed was a porno photographer. He glanced in our direction, saw the four of us looking at him, and smiled and gave a little wave.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Courtney said, with feeling. Turning to Emmy, she said ¡°I can¡¯t even believe you took his card. I didn¡¯t want to get anywhere near the guy.¡±


    ¡°You took his business card?¡± Allie asked, amazement in her voice. ¡°Can I see it? What does it say?¡±


    Emmy handed it over, and I looked at it over Allie¡¯s shoulder. It looked like an ordinary business card, with the guy¡¯s name and the name of his photography studio. A phone number and email address completed the front. Allie flipped it over, and I saw a web address on the back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the guy calls his porno studio ¡®The Cathedral¡¯,¡± she said in amazement. ¡°That is just so wrong.¡±


    Emmy held her hand out for the card, then when Allie handed it back to her, she tucked it away in her back pocket.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you aren¡¯t just throwing that away,¡± Courtney said in disgust.


    ¡°It would not be polite to do so while he is still watching,¡± Emmy replied.


    Changing the subject, I looked at the grocery-store type basket that Emmy had overflowing with CDs. ¡°You¡¯re buying all those?¡± I asked. There had to be dozens of discs in that basket.


    ¡°She already took a load up to the counter,¡± Courtney said, rolling her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s like a fat kid in a candy store.¡±


    ¡°Brent suggested I listen to some blues, and also to rockabilly. He thinks that my musical understanding could benefit from more knowledge of rock history,¡± Emmy explained with a grin.


    ¡°So you¡¯re buying, like, hundreds of dollars worth of CDs just because he said you should broaden your horizons?¡± Allie asked, as amazed as I was.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy agreed, and that seemed to be that.


    ¡°So are you guys done? Because I still haven¡¯t found everything I was looking for,¡± I said.


    ¡°I could be done,¡± Courtney said, ¡°but I don¡¯t mind staying if you guys are still shopping. As long as we stay far away from that guy,¡± she added, pointing below the level of the CD racks at the pervert.


    ¡°I, for one, am perfectly happy not getting near him,¡± Allie agreed.


    ¡°I still have some more shopping to do,¡± Emmy announced, ¡°but first I have to take these to the counter.¡±


    Courtney and Allie went over to where the band was wrapping up their autograph session, and I walked with Emmy to the counter. They had a cardboard box half full of CDs, and as they took them out of Emmy¡¯s basket and rang them up they stacked them carefully in the box. Seeing my curious expression, Emmy explained ¡°They will ship them to my house.¡±


    I noticed that after ringing up that batch of music the cashier didn¡¯t finish the transaction, but left the register with the ticket open. I followed Emmy back to the racks where she grabbed more and more CDs, adding them to the basket as if they were produce at the grocery store. All told, she spent almost two thousand dollars on music alone by the time she was done and never batted an eye at the cost. On the other hand, I spent seventy-five bucks and it hurt my wallet to do so. Once again, the enormous wealth difference between us was driven home.


    After Emmy treated us all to lunch at a nice restaurant at a strange Egyptian-themed mall right there on Hollywood Boulevard we piled back in the car for the long drive back home. Emmy was having all her purchases shipped so she didn¡¯t have a single new CD to play in the car. Since Allie and I had bought stuff as gifts, Courtney was the only one who had anything we could actually listen to so we were subjected to two hours of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. I mean, I guess it was O.K., just not really my favorites.


    When we got back to my house, Emmy gave me a hug along with her little cheek-kiss goodbye.


    ¡°Thank you for driving today. That was very nice of you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said. ¡°You know I¡¯ll use any excuse to drive your Mini.¡±


    ¡°Still, it was a big favor. Thank you,¡± then another quick cheek-kiss and she was gone.


    It¡¯s funny, I thought as I stashed the presents I¡¯d gotten in my closet. The first time Emmy gave me one of those little cheek-kisses I was shocked and uncomfortable. Now I find myself leaning in for them. Maybe Ms. Takei¡¯s ¡®cultural understanding¡¯ is working in both directions.

 Sleepover

    ¡°My mom is planning on taking Tiff and me to visit Grandma in Palm Springs this weekend¡± I said to Emmy when she picked me up for school. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to go. I mean, Grandma is O.K. and all, but it¡¯s really boring at her house. All there is to do is swim and read, and the weather¡¯s gonna be too cold to swim.¡±


    I realized I sounded a bit petulant, but Mom had just sprung this on me that morning and I was feeling a bit pissed off that I hadn¡¯t even been asked if I even wanted to go.


    ¡°Must you go? Can you stay here?¡± asked Emmy.


    ¡°Mom has said on any number of occasions that she really doesn¡¯t like the idea of leaving me home by myself. I really doubt she¡¯d be O.K. with me staying.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you can stay with me at my house. I can ask my father and mother if that would be all right with them,¡± Emmy said, a thoughtful expression on her coal-black face.


    While she was thinking about it, we made our daily pilgrimage to worship the great bean at the drive-through coffee bungalow. Ah, sweet welcoming caffeine! Coffee truly is proof that God loves us and wants us to be awake.


    Warming my hands around the doubled paper cups, I had a thought.


    ¡°Emmy, here¡¯s an idea. What if you come over and stay at my house? That way I¡¯m not imposing on your parents, I won¡¯t be alone at home so Mom will be happy, and our downstairs neighbor won¡¯t have to remember to feed Sylvester. We can stay up late watching movies and eating popcorn. It¡¯d be great! Mom would be O.K. with it, I¡¯m pretty sure. What do you say?¡± I asked, hopeful.


    ¡°That would be fantastique!¡± Emmy said, suddenly excited by the idea. ¡°I will ask my parents if it is acceptable to them. Oh, I do hope they say yes!¡± Once again, Emmy¡¯s instant enthusiasm surprised me. I¡¯ve never met anybody who could emotionally go from zero to a hundred so fast in my life. She was literally bouncing in her seat with delight at the idea of a sleepover. Walking from the parking lot to our first class, Emmy was still buzzing with excitement. She wasn¡¯t quite dancing the way she¡¯d done the night we rode the roller coaster, but close to it.


    Home Room focused her back on school, and it seemed she¡¯d forgotten about it until lunchtime. She was a few minutes late to the caf, and when she walked in she was all smiles.


    ¡°I called my mother a few minutes ago,¡± Emmy said. ¡°She thinks it will be all right, but she must talk to my father about it to make certain he has no objections. Most of the time when one of my parents agrees to something, the other one will, too. I expect that when I call her back she will have good news for me. For us.¡±


    ¡°Uh, don¡¯t be too hasty. I haven¡¯t asked my mom if it¡¯d be O.K. with her yet. She might still say I have to go to Palm Springs,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Emmy, in a small voice. She looked completely deflated. ¡°I had forgotten. I am sorry for making assumptions,¡± she said.


    ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡± asked Courtney. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°My mom wants to drag me and Tiff to visit Grandma in Palm Springs,¡± I explained. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go, and it occurred to me that Mom might let me stay if I weren¡¯t alone at home. I asked Emmy if she could come over.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you want to go to your gramma¡¯s house? She always bakes those amazing cookies, and her pool is always so warm,¡± said Courtney. ¡°And besides, there are always tons of cute boys to check out.¡± Turning to Tom and Allie, Courtney went on. ¡°I used to go to Leah¡¯s grandparents¡¯ house with Leah¡¯s family a lot a few years ago. We always used to walk down to Palm Canyon and window shop. We¡¯d check out the guys checking each other out, and get shakes at the chocolate shop.¡± Turning back to me, she asked ¡°Why don¡¯t we do that any more? That was fun!¡±


    ¡°Well, the last couple of times I invited you, you had something else to do, and I guess we just got out of the habit,¡± I replied. ¡°I guess also once Tiff started in school we just went a whole lot less, too.¡±


    Allie said ¡°It¡¯s nice your grandparents live so close. Ours are over a thousand miles away, up in Portland.¡±


    ¡°Just my grandma,¡± I replied. ¡°My grandfather died two years ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± mumbled Allie.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± I said. ¡°I miss Grampa, but he had a good, long life, spent surrounded by his loving family. That¡¯s all anybody can hope for, right?¡±


    That night, Mom agreed to the idea of Emmy and me staying at our place for the weekend, to my surprise. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t see why not,¡± she¡¯d said. ¡°You are getting to be a responsible young woman, after all.¡±


    When we got to my place after school on Friday Mom and Tiff had already left. There was a note on the table with emergency phone numbers and reheating instructions for the leftovers in the fridge. I turned to Emmy to complain about how sometimes Mom still thinks I¡¯m just a little kid, but what I saw surprised me enough that I didn¡¯t get my rant out at all.


    Emmy was holding Sylvester in her arms, and that silly cat was kneading Emmy¡¯s shoulder and purring with a very contented look on her face. Emmy was gently stroking her fur and tickling her under the chin, and Sylvester was just eating it up.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± I said, surprise in my voice. ¡°Sylvester usually hates everyone but Mom and me. In fact, she just barely tolerates Tiff. I¡¯ve never seen her make friends with anybody before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we were already friends,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Sylvester and I met the first day I came and visited. You remember, the day I caused you to cry.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for reminding me¡± I said, sarcastically. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ve never told anyone about that, have you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Why would I tell anyone?¡± she asked, innocent curiosity in her voice.


    ¡°Never mind. Anyway, that crazy cat really seems to like you. That really is unusual.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Cats always like me. It¡¯s because they know they can share their secrets with me.¡± Laughing, she gently set Sylvester down.


    ¡°Can they?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°Of course. They know I would never tell anyone,¡± she replied.


    ¡°And what are their secrets?¡±


    ¡°I cannot tell you. That would not be nice, and then cats would not trust me anymore.¡±


    I have to admit that cracked me up. Her serious expression was what did it- no way could I have said something that ridiculous with a straight face.


    Emmy¡¯s puzzled look at my laughter only made things worse. Tears were rolling from my eyes, until I realized that maybe Emmy was serious. She certainly wasn¡¯t finding any humor in the conversation. In fact, she looked a bit upset that I was laughing at her. Thinking maybe I¡¯d somehow insulted her, I stifled my laughter and apologized.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Emmy. It was- I just thought you were joking. Really- I¡¯m sorry¡± I said, the hurt look on her face making me feel ashamed that I¡¯d laughed at her.


    Smiling her most mischievous grin, she giggled at my discomfort. ¡°Oh Leah, of course I was joking! The look on your face just this moment was priceless!¡± With that, she wrapped her arms around me in a big hug.


    Realizing I¡¯d been had, I laughed again, too. With our laughter dying down, she let me go.


    Heading for the fridge, I asked her ¡°Are you hungry? Want anything to eat or drink?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps a glass of water, please,¡± she responded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it. I eat a lunch that is seventeen times as big as yours, and I¡¯m still starving when I get home. You have to be hungry. Admit it.¡±


    ¡°No, I simply do not eat very much. I am small, and do not need very much food.¡±


    ¡°I wish I were small like you,¡± I replied. ¡°What size do you wear, anyway? Like, a negative two or something?¡±


    ¡°No, you do not wish that. It is not very good to be small like me. To tell you the truth, I wish I were big and powerful, like you.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You aren¡¯t just saying that?¡± I asked, incredulous. When she shook her head, I continued ¡°Wow. That¡¯s irony for you.¡±


    I got a glass from the cupboard and filled it for Emmy, the water cooler making its familiar ¡®glug¡¯ as the bubbles rose in the water bottle. I handed her the glass and then went to the fridge to see what there was to eat.


    Making a snack for myself, I heard Emmy tune up Dad¡¯s guitar.


    ¡°Is it O.K. if I play?¡± she called from the living room.


    ¡°Sure. That old guitar needs some attention,¡± I told her.


    She strummed a few chords, and satisfied with things, she started to play.


    At first I didn¡¯t recognize the tune, but when Emmy started to sing I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. I had no idea that Lady Gaga¡¯s dance pop tune ¡°Bad Romance¡± could be sung as a slow, sad acoustic ballad, but there it was. Emmy sang it with emotion, transforming it into a song of unrequited love and yearning. I sat on the couch, listening to her sing what turned out to be a very unlikely sad song, and completely forgot about my sandwich. When she sang the line about wanting your love even though it was just revenge I was on the verge of tears again. I don¡¯t know what it is about Emmy¡¯s singing, but when she sings a sad song, it really twists my insides up. It¡¯s ridiculous, I know, but I just couldn¡¯t help it.


    Emmy didn¡¯t seem to notice, though. She was looking down at the guitar, not at me, so thankfully she didn¡¯t see the tears start to well up.


    She went straight into another song, one a bit more upbeat. Good thing, too. I don¡¯t know if I could have been able to stand another tear fest like that first time she played Dad¡¯s guitar. That was embarrassing enough to have happen once, let alone twice.


    For her next song Emmy sang a song I didn¡¯t recognize. The lyrics were something about an old woman digging for fire. It was a funny song, but I don¡¯t really remember it very well. After that she took a sip of water and continued playing, but this time it was a Spanish-sounding instrumental. She looked up at me midway through, and asked ¡°Are you not hungry?¡±


    I realized I hadn¡¯t touched my sandwich, so I grabbed it and started eating. This seemed to satisfy Emmy, because she smiled at me.


    ¡°Is there a song you would like me to play?¡± she asked, never once missing a note of the tune she was playing.


    ¡°How about some classic rock. Something hot,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Let me see¡­ something hot¡­¡± she pondered for a minute, then her tune gradually changed into something a bit slower, and more rhythmic.


    When she began singing, I laughed again at her song choice. An acoustic guitar rendition of George Michael¡¯s ¡°Father Figure¡± wasn¡¯t my idea of classic rock, but I guess it did come out before either of us was born.


    When Emmy saw the recognition and amusement on my face, she smiled broadly as she sang the line about never understanding her.


    After the song ended, she set the guitar aside and took another sip of water. ¡°I am supposed to play an hour a day, but I do not want to bore you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, trust me- I¡¯m loving it. It¡¯s not often I get a personal concert like this. Play as long as you like. This is great!¡± I babbled.


    Picking up the guitar again, she said ¡°Tell me when you want me to stop.¡±


    As if that would come any time soon, I thought. I lay back on the couch, closed my eyes and just listened to Emmy sing and play. When I was little I used to listen just like this to Dad¡¯s playing, but I do have to admit that Emmy was a better musician than Dad ever was.


    Just as I was starting to wallow in those emotions of loss and sorrow, Emmy played a song that snapped me out of it.


    ¡°Purple Haze¡± is definitely not a song I could have imagined on an acoustic guitar, but somehow Emmy managed to make it sound right. She gave me a big wink when she sang the line


    ¡°¡¯¡¯Scuse me while I kiss this guy¡±


    It made me break out laughing one more time. Emmy sure could bring out the emotional schizophrenia in me. Crying one minute, laughing the next. What was it about her that managed to make me such a mess?


    She played a couple more tunes, but I can¡¯t remember much about them because I wasn¡¯t paying that much attention. I was lost in thought and maybe zoning a bit.


    When Emmy finished playing and put the guitar back on its stand, I asked her ¡°How many songs do you actually know? I mean, seriously- you seem to be able to play anything! It¡¯s like you know every song.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± she laughed. ¡°I know a lot of songs, but certainly not all of them!¡± Changing the subject, she asked ¡°What movie are we going to watch tonight?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about something on cable. I have no idea what¡¯s showing, though.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any movies? What is your favorite one? I adore romantic movies! What do you like?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a huge romance fan,¡± I admitted. ¡°There are a few I like, though. Hey, let¡¯s go to Blockbuster and pick a couple of videos to watch tonight. We can get something to have for dinner, too. I don¡¯t feel like leftovers tonight.¡±


    A quick couple of blocks in Emmy¡¯s Mini (I love driving that car!) and we were at the shopping center with the Blockbuster in it. There was a Domino¡¯s there too, but when I suggested pizza Emmy made a face.


    ¡°No, thank you! I cannot understand pizza at all. I find it revolting.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never be an American with an attitude like that!¡± I teased. ¡°What would you like, then?¡±


    ¡°I know a place that has lovely food. Let us get our movies and then I will take you to dinner,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Sounds good. It¡¯s a date, then,¡± I said.


    At blockbuster, I asked Emmy if she¡¯d ever seen Memento.


    ¡°No, I have never even heard of it before. Is it good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit different, but very, very good. A lot of people don¡¯t like the way it tells the story, but it¡¯s one of my favorites.¡±


    ¡°I would like to see it, if it is a favorite of yours. Here is a movie I like very much,¡± she said, holding up the box for The English Patient. ¡°But it is very sad, so maybe it is not a good movie for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Sad? That movie is beyond sad! When I watched that movie with Mom a couple of years ago we were both bawling by the end.¡± I replied. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a great movie, but I don¡¯t need that kind of thing right now.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I will find something else.¡± Emmy went off to look for another movie while I picked up a package of microwave popcorn.


    She came back with Fast Times At Ridgemont High, which I¡¯d never actually seen. She¡¯d never seen it either, so we took our two videos and the popcorn to the front. We paid, and I found the way the guy at the counter stared at Emmy really bothersome. Emmy saw my expression and guessed at the source of my irritation.


    ¡°Do not be upset, Leah. Everyone stares. They cannot help it. I am just too different looking,¡± she said softly as we walked out.


    ¡°It bothers me that all they can see is the color of your skin. They can¡¯t get past that to see that you¡¯re just like anybody else,¡± I complained bitterly.


    Emmy took my hand and turned me to look at her. ¡°Leah. All anyone can see is the outside. To know what is inside takes an effort, and most people do not wish to work that hard. It is much easier to look at someone¡¯s outsides and to come to conclusions without any further thought. It is simply the way people are.¡±


    ¡°Look at my face,¡± she commanded. ¡°Look at me. You have grown accustomed to seeing me, so I think perhaps you have even forgotten how I look. Look at me.¡±


    When I looked in her eyes, I saw what she meant. Those big, outrageously green eyes, that skin as black as charcoal. Her hair whiter than white- it brought me back to the first time I saw her, and how shocked I was at her appearance there in Principal Spencer¡¯s office.


    ¡°Do you see?¡± she asked. ¡°Do you see why people stare?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± I mumbled, somehow ashamed that I was once one of those people, those gawkers. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it right, though,¡± I said, petulantly.


    ¡°No, it does not. But it is human nature, Leah. It is human nature.¡±


    On that downer note we walked across the parking lot back to the Mini, Emmy never letting go of my hand. Although it usually bothered me some when she held my hand, this time it was somehow comforting. A little bit of redemption, a sign that although I once was one of the inconsiderate ones, she didn¡¯t care. I was her best friend, despite having been an ass when we first met. It was a good feeling, and so I made no effort to get her to let go of my hand. In fact, I actually gave hers a squeeze before letting go so we could go to our sides of the car.


    My melancholy mood broke when I started up the Mini. It¡¯s childish, I guess, but driving that little car of Emmy¡¯s always brightened up my day. It may not be the fastest thing on the road, but I¡¯m fairly sure it¡¯s got to be the most fun to drive.


    Emmy gave me directions to downtown, and we parked right in front of a place called ¡°The Art Caf¨¦¡± or something like that. When we walked in, the waitress recognized Emmy, saying ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±


    Emmy had a salad with chicken, mozzarella and basil. By ¡®had¡¯ I mean she barely ate half of it. I still don¡¯t understand how she can eat so little and not just die of malnourishment. Me, I had a grilled Panini with chicken breast and tomato.


    ¡°This much better than pizza, no?¡± asked Emmy.


    ¡°Well, yeah, I guess so,¡± I grudgingly agreed. ¡°Yeah, it is better. You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Will you share a cr¨¨me brul¨¦e with me?¡± she asked. ¡°I could not possibly eat a whole one, and they are so delicious here!¡± she chirped.


    When the bill came, Emmy wouldn¡¯t even let me see how much dinner cost. ¡°My treat- is that what they say? I picked the dinner, so I get to pay. It is only fair. That is how dates work, is it not?¡± she asked, reminding me of my comment earlier about it being a date.


    ¡°Wait- that¡¯s not¡­ I mean-¡° I started to protest, but she held up her hand, so I just shut up.


    ¡°Please, Leah. Please.¡±


    What could I do? I gave in. It was silly of me, after all. Emmy had more money than I could dream of, and all I had was what little I earned at my part-time jobs at the yogurt place and the nursery. If she wanted to spend her money, who was I to say no?


    Getting into the car, Emmy asked me to make one more stop before we headed back to my place. ¡°We must get something to drink while we watch our movies,¡± she explained. She directed me to a wine shop on South Main. She said ¡°Wait here,¡± and zoomed in, only to return a couple of minutes later with two bottles in a bag.


    ¡°Did you just buy alcohol?¡± I asked, amazement in my voice.


    ¡°But of course!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°What is a movie without something to drink?¡±


    ¡°But, I mean, how did you buy booze? You¡¯re under age!¡± I protested.


    ¡°It is simple. I did not buy it. My father bought it- I am just picking it up for him!¡± she said, laughing. ¡°He has an account here, and they are used to it.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s legal,¡± I said.


    ¡°It may not be completely legal,¡± Emmy admitted, ¡°but it is good enough for me.¡±


    Still unconvinced, I asked ¡°What did you get?¡± As I pulled away from the curb, nervously looking around for the cop I was sure was going to bust us.


    ¡°I bought a good, sweet Champagne. Perfect with popcorn,¡± she said, laughing at my nervousness.


    Thankfully we weren¡¯t pulled over in the handful of blocks it took to get back to my house. I tell you, though, I obeyed every speed limit and came to a complete and total stop at every stop sign!


    When we got home I threw the popcorn in the microwave and Emmy popped the cork on one of the bottles of champagne. She did it differently than I¡¯d ever seen it done, though- she held the cork and slowly eased it out, so it didn¡¯t ¡°pop¡± at all, just hissed a little bit. We didn¡¯t have any champagne flutes, so she poured the bubbly into a couple of Shrek souvenir glasses we had from some fast food restaurant¡¯s kid¡¯s meals.


    ¡°Tr¨¦s chic,¡± Emmy commented about the glasses. Mine had the cat, and she took the donkey glass. Lifting her glass, she said ¡°Sant¨¦!¡± Figuring it was a toast, I clinked my glass against hers and had a sip.


    I¡¯m not a fan of champagne because for the most part it¡¯s too tart for me, but this was very sweet and smooth. Seeing the look of approval on my face, Emmy asked ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah- that¡¯s good,¡± I said, taking another sip.


    We waited for another minute or two while the popcorn finished doing its thing, then headed to the couch to watch our movies.


    ¡°Comedy first?¡± Emmy suggested, holding up Fast Times.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, arranging everything to make a spot for us to sit with the popcorn bowl between us, and the comforter around us.


    ¡°I heard this movie is about a high school in San Diego somewhere,¡± I said as the movie started. ¡°Supposedly it¡¯s based a lot on real people and events.¡±


    Fast Times was funnier than I expected, and Emmy seemed to find great amusement in pointing out how the characters in the movie were just like some kids we knew at school.


    When we (and by ¡°we¡± I mainly mean me) finished the popcorn I had a good warm feeling going from the champagne. We had emptied the bottle, and all that was left was in our two glasses. Emmy put the empty popcorn bowl on the coffee table, suggesting one last toast with what little champagne we still had.


    ¡°To Leah, my best friend,¡± she said. I responded with ¡°To Emmy¡± and we drank our glasses dry.


    Emmy put the second movie, Memento, in to play. It was getting late by this time but I was feeling good and enjoying hanging out. When she sat back down on the couch Emmy sat right next to me and snuggled up, pulling the comforter up around us. Sylvester was snoozing on her favorite spot on the back of the couch, purring to herself. It felt nice, the warmth of Emmy¡¯s body, and the warmth of her friendship. Courtney and I used to be like this, I thought. Back when we were little, we¡¯d stay up late on sleepover nights, snuggle and watch TV until Mom made us go to bed. Emmy and me under the comforter had that familiar feeling I hadn¡¯t even realized I¡¯d lost. I wrapped my arm around Emmy¡¯s shoulders and she cuddled in to me even more, giving me a warm feeling in my tummy that wasn¡¯t just the champagne.


    Memento¡¯s backwards storytelling had Emmy confused at first, but she soon realized what was going on, and even started to predict what we¡¯d see next. In fact, she saw the ending coming a mile away.


    ¡°How did you figure that out?¡± I asked, amazed.


    ¡°It only makes sense. What we saw in the beginning is what he experienced at the end,¡± she said.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I conceded. ¡°But it sure took me by surprise the first time I saw it.¡±


    I have to admit I didn¡¯t really want the movie to end. I was enjoying the cozy feeling of the champagne and also of Emmy snuggled against me. It felt so good, just being close to someone. No stress, no bullshit, no agendas. It had been a long time since Courtney and I had been this innocent with each other, and even at the best of times Chris had never been so undemanding and just, well, comfortable.


    Eventually the movie did end, and it was late enough that going to bed seemed like a good idea. I cleaned up our dishes while Emmy brushed her teeth and got ready for sleep. I grabbed a pillow from the hall linen closet and folded the comforter to make a kind of sleeping bag for Emmy on the couch. I brushed my teeth and washed my face, then went to my bedroom to put on my PJs.


    Emmy was sitting on my bed, wearing a camisole and undies, holding one of my stuffed animals in her midnight black arms, looking as if she planned on sleeping there.


    ¡°Uh, Emmy¡­ I set the couch up for you,¡± I said, awkwardly. She looked up at me with a bit of surprise mixed with disappointment.


    ¡°I am not going to sleep here with you?¡± she asked. ¡°I thought¡­¡± and she trailed off, sounding just a bit deflated- but it was enough that I caved completely.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a very big bed, and I haven¡¯t since I was a kid¡­¡± I said, then ¡°Oh, sure, why not. It¡¯ll be a little crowded, but that¡¯s OK.¡±


    Her smile returned, and honestly, it made me feel like a jerk for thinking of sending her to the sofa.


    I grabbed my pajamas, and went to the bathroom to change. I turned off all the lights, made sure the door was locked, and gave Sylvester a stroke as I passed.


    When I returned Emmy was already in bed, scooted over by the wall so I would have as much room as possible. I turned off the light and climbed into bed next to this oh so very strange girl.


    I lay there stiff as a board for what seemed like forever. All I could think about was staying on my side of the bed, and how much smaller it seemed than it had when Courtney and I were twelve years old. There was no way I was going to fall asleep anytime soon. The warm relaxed feeling from earlier felt a whole lot less relaxed now, that was certain. Finally, Emmy¡¯s breathing slowed into a deep, regular rhythm. I gently, carefully turned on my side, trying my best to not wake her. Facing her in the dim light filtering through the curtains, I saw that she wasn¡¯t asleep at all- in fact, she was watching me, just as awake as I was.


    It was too dark to make out her features, but I could clearly see her big green eyes, which almost seemed to glow with the little bit of light in the room. She blinked slowly in that strange way of hers, and asked in a very quiet voice ¡°Are you uncomfortable? Do you wish I were not here? Do you want me to go?¡±


    With the realization that I did want her to be there, that it did feel good to cuddle with her on the couch and it could only get better in my bed, the nerves that had been building in me since climbing into bed suddenly peaked and it felt as if my skin was on fire. My insides felt just like they had on that roller coaster a few weeks ago- tingling with fear and excitement.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you to go. Em¡­¡± I whispered, unsure what to say. I took a deep breath, aware that what I was about to do would push us both into new territory. That roller coaster was just about to start its drop, and there was no getting out now, I thought. I was committing myself to the ride.


    I gently reached my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. ¡°No, I want you to stay.¡± As she resettled herself up against my side, laying her head on my shoulder and her arm across my tummy, I realized that this was in fact much better. It felt right, somehow.


    I looked at Emmy and saw that she was looking straight back at me, so I leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She didn¡¯t seem surprised, and she didn¡¯t resist. In fact, her lips parted, too, and we kissed a long, tender kiss that seemed to last for hours. I hadn¡¯t kissed another girl since I was little, playing family with the girl next door, and this was nothing like that. It wasn¡¯t like kissing any of the few boys I¡¯d kissed, either. It was softer, more gentle. Emmy¡¯s lips were like velvet, and breathing in her breath was magical in a way it had never been with anybody I¡¯d ever kissed before.


    When we pulled apart, I asked ¡°Is that O.K.?¡± in a ragged voice.


    ¡°It is very O.K.¡± she answered, and leaned in for another kiss.


    I pulled her tightly to me, and we kissed over and over again. My nerves were all vibrating like violin strings and my heartbeat was loud enough for the neighbors to hear. The little voice in my head that had been shouting that this wasn¡¯t right finally gave up and went away as we held each other without saying a word. We just nuzzled each other¡¯s hair, planting kisses wherever we went. Emmy stroked my back in long, gentle caresses, and I ran my hand along the side of her face and her hair.


    Her faint jasmine perfume filled my lungs with every breath, giving me such a rush that I thought that I might pass out from it. Emmy¡¯s soft, delicate hands traced along my spine and I wrapped her up in my arms, throwing a leg over hers to draw her into me as much as I possibly could.


    I don¡¯t really remember much more of the details, but I do know that we spent several more hours like that before we both finally did fall asleep, with me on my back and Emmy¡¯s head on my shoulder, my arm around her body.


    At least, that was the position I woke up in. It was about nine A.M., and the light through the curtains let me know the day had started without me. Emmy was fast and deeply asleep, so I gently disentangled my legs from hers and got up to take a shower.


    Pulling my PJs off to get under the hot water, I thought about what had happened last night. What exactly had happened, anyhow? Letting the water run over my face, I couldn¡¯t decide if Emmy had seduced me, or had I taken advantage of her? A bigger question that I didn¡¯t want to even think about was the issue of my sexual orientation. I mean, did this mean I was a lesbian? Was Emmy? I couldn¡¯t be a lesbian- after all, I¡¯d loved Chris, and he was as boyish a boy as can be. I mean, he joined the Marines the day after he graduated, right? How much more manly could a guy be? We¡¯d had a good physical relationship, and I¡¯d loved him enough to give my virginity to him, hadn¡¯t I? But kissing Emmy had felt so good, so easy and natural. Holding her in my arms had been so very nice¡­ My mind was a jumble of thoughts and emotions, too mixed up to be able to come to any kind of conclusions.


    Thank god for the giant water heaters in apartment buildings. I was in that hot shower for long enough that all my fingers and toes turned to prunes and my skin got all itchy.


    Toweling off, I realized I hadn¡¯t brought any clothes in with me so I had to put my pajamas back on to go back into my bedroom where Emmy was still asleep. I certainly wasn¡¯t going to feel comfortable in just a towel in front of her. That might seem ridiculous, but there it was. I might be a lesbian after all, but I sure wasn¡¯t ready to face it just yet.


    Emmy was still asleep, so I quietly grabbed something to wear from my dresser. Turning back around, I saw that Emmy was sitting up, watching me.


    ¡°Jeez! I thought you were asleep!¡± I yelped, startled out of my skin.


    ¡°I woke up,¡± she said, in a matter of fact way.


    I turned back to my dresser and picked up my brush and went at my hair to cover my embarrassment, but she said, ¡°Come over here¡± in a gentle voice.


    She held her hand out, so I gave her the brush and sat down on the edge of the bed. She gently turned my shoulders so I was facing away, then started to brush my hair. She did it the way you are supposed to, but I never do- starting with very short strokes at the tips, each stroke of the brush ever so slightly longer. Holding my hair with one hand and tenderly brushing with the other, she didn¡¯t say anything for a while. It felt nice and comfortable, the way that watching the movie had.


    Finally, she asked ¡°Are you thinking about last night?¡± When I nodded that I was, she said in a voice so soft I could barely hear her ¡°I am, too.¡±


    When she was done with my hair she pulled it back and tied it with the scrunchie I¡¯d slipped around my wrist.


    ¡°There,¡± she said in a satisfied, confident tone, completely unlike the few words she had spoken up until this point. ¡°May I use your shower?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Sure. The towels are in the hall linen closet. The apartment building has a big water heater, so you don¡¯t need to worry about running out of hot water.¡±


    She looked at me as if she didn¡¯t understand what I meant, but didn¡¯t say anything. She got up and stretched her lean slender body, exposing her smooth, hard tummy and little belly button jewelry as she stood. The simple movement reminded me of a cat, and I realized that this wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d thought that about Emmy. Walking to the closet, she took a towel and went into the bathroom. I used the opportunity to get dressed, throwing on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.


    After her shower, Emmy came out of the bathroom with her towel wrapped around her, far more self-assured in her skin than I was in mine. She strolled into the bedroom and pulled some clothes out of her duffel bag. I looked away when she dropped her towel, but Emmy didn¡¯t give me the impression that it mattered one way or another. It was so matter-of-fact a gesture, so free of any further meaning that that once again, her strange innocence struck me by its utter lack of self-consciousness. Emmy just was the way she was, and in some ways seemed to embody the Zen ideal Mom¡¯s friend Mei Ling was always going on about. Of course, we¡¯d all seen her as close to nude as you can get at the pool party, so evidently physical modesty just wasn¡¯t something that concerned her at all. Then again, if I had such a lean, muscular little dancer¡¯s body like hers I¡¯d probably show it off some, too.


    After Emmy got dressed we had our little breakfast in silence. Emmy seemed lost in thought, and I know I was too mixed up and confused about things to try to start a conversation. Honestly, I was a little bit afraid of bringing up what had happened and was perfectly happy to avoid any discussion on the subject. The memory of Emmy in my arms, the smell of her skin, and the warmth of her body was just too real, and my confused feelings just too much to deal with at that moment.


    After she finished her half grapefruit, Emmy suggested we get out of the house.


    ¡°Let us go for a drive. I have not seen very much of the area, and at school yesterday they said there is snow in the mountains. I would like to go. What do you think?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That might be fun. We can go to Julian and get some apple pie,¡± I agreed, happy with the idea of doing something that would distract me. ¡°I don¡¯t really know the way, though. It¡¯s been a few years since I¡¯ve been there, and I wasn¡¯t paying attention to the way Mom went last time.¡±


    ¡°That is O.K.,¡± Emmy said. ¡°My car has SatNav. All we need to do is tell it where we want to go and it will provide a route for us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess¡­¡± I said, doubtfully. We didn¡¯t have a GPS in our car, and I wasn¡¯t used to the idea.


    ¡°What does it matter if we get a little bit lost? The whole point is to sight see, is it not?¡± she asked. ¡°What if we see something we did not plan on? Would that be so bad?¡±


    ¡°No, I guess not,¡± I conceded.


    Although I¡¯d never driven in the snow before, Emmy handed me the keys so I could drive. I was a bit nervous about the prospect, but she reassured me.


    ¡°I have driven in the snow many times, so if we need to switch we can do that when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°Does it snow in Paris?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not very much,¡± she admitted. ¡°But it does in the country, and we often went to the mountains.¡±


    The idea of driving Emmy¡¯s Mini out on country roads outweighed my misgivings about possible snow, so I took the key and climbed into the driver¡¯s seat. Opting to turn the GPS on only if we needed it, we headed east and into the back country. The weather was cloudy and it seemed as if it might rain so we kept the windows rolled up and the heater on, but it was still very beautiful outside. The oaks and then pines as we climbed up the twisty road to the top of Mt. Palomar were all wet with recent rain until about halfway up when everything turned white with a dusting of snow. Up at the top the road was clear, but crowded with other cars of fellow snow-seekers. Instead of stopping, we continued down the other side and east again. Somehow we made a wrong turn, though, and we got on a road that snaked its way down and into the desert. We stopped at a big turnout viewpoint to look at the desert floor below us, spread out all the way to the Salton Sea to the east.


    Emmy was wide-eyed with amazement. ¡°But only a very few minutes ago we were in snow in the mountains!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I can feel the heat in the air from down below! This is incredible. Let us go down there! I want to be hot.¡±


    How could I say no? I¡¯m not a big fan of the desert, but as she¡¯d pointed out, we were out here to see the sights. We jumped back in the car, and before we¡¯d gotten down the hill and into the little town of Borrego Springs we¡¯d had to turn the A.C. on.


    At the gas station Emmy asked which way to go to Julian and was given directions that didn¡¯t seem right to me, but we followed them anyway.


    At the town¡¯s improbable traffic circle we turned south, and up and over another crazy little winding road and down into a little canyon with an east-west road crossing through it.


    ¡°Let us go to that ocean we saw from up above. Can we?¡± Emmy pleaded.


    ¡°The Salton Sea? It isn¡¯t really an ocean. It¡¯s a big salty lake,¡± I explained. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually been to it, but I hear it¡¯s a strange place. A long time ago people thought it would be a resort destination but it never worked out, so everything got abandoned. I¡¯ve seen pictures- it¡¯s kinda creepy looking. But if you really want to go¡­¡± I shrugged my shoulders.


    At my description a concerned look appeared on Emmy¡¯s dark face. Even behind her dark glasses I could see the worry in her eyes.


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t see why not. I mean, there¡¯s nobody there, right?¡±


    ¡°Let us not go there. I think it is maybe not a good idea,¡± Emmy said in worried voice.


    ¡°O.K., Julian and apple pie it is, then,¡± I said, and the relief on Emmy¡¯s face was so immediate I just had to laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t forget- the Salton Sea was your idea,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Maybe it was not a good idea. I have never had American-style apple pie, and that does seem like a good idea right now. Shall I have the SatNav map it for us?¡± she asked, plugging in our destination. As it turned out, the road we had been staring at for the last few minutes went right to Julian, so we turned west and a little while later we were climbing up a narrow, twisting canyon up into the mountains and back to the snow.


    When we drove into Julian, Emmy clapped her hands with excitement. Up until I¡¯d met Emmy I had thought that people really didn¡¯t do that, and it was just one of those things you read in books but doesn¡¯t actually happen. But no, Emmy actually did clap her hands together when she gets excited. I admit I found it charming in a strange sort of way.


    ¡°It looks like a village from a Western movie!¡± she said, looking around at the historic mining town. ¡°I almost expect to see cowboys having a shootout at noon!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does look that way,¡± I agreed. ¡°I think the pie shop is down at the other end of town,¡± I said, looking around to make sure I hadn¡¯t missed it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can find parking, there are so many people here.¡± Driving past the pie shop, we found a spot a block up the road and walked back. By then I should have been totally over the way people stopped and stared at Emmy, but it still grated on me the wrong way. She ignored it just fine, but it made me want to tell people to screw off. The tourists walking through the dirty slush on the road were just as bad as any for their rudeness, and by the time we got to the pie shop I was steaming mad.


    Emmy seemed to know how I was feeling, so she put her hand on my arm and gave me a pleading look.


    ¡°It does not matter, Leah. It is of no importance. They are merely curious. Please, simply ignore it. Please?¡± she begged, taking off her dark glasses so she could look me in the eyes.


    How could I stay upset? If it didn¡¯t bother Emmy, it shouldn¡¯t bother me, right? She was the one everybody was staring at, she was the one who should care, if anybody did.


    ¡°Yeah, I know you¡¯re right. I just get pissed off, that¡¯s all. Look, I¡¯m sorry- I don¡¯t want to ruin the day,¡± I apologized.


    By this point the smell of the freshly baked pies was hitting us like a golden cloud of tastiness, so we quit talking and just breathed deeply for a moment or two. When we got to the head of the small line in the crowded shop, I ordered a slice of Dutch Apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Emmy ordered ¡°A very small piece¡± of natural style apple pie and a cup of coffee.


    Taking our treats out on to the back patio, I asked ¡°are you going to be warm enough? It¡¯s really cold out here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I will be O.K. I enjoy the feel of the cold air,¡± she responded, with a smile.


    ¡°I thought you liked hot weather,¡± I responded, puzzled.


    ¡°Yes, hot weather, too. I like it all.¡± This was so Emmy an answer I just couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    We ate our pie (well, at least I ate mine. Emmy only had about half of her ¡°very small piece¡±) in the cold. By the time we were done I was shivering, so we didn¡¯t waste any time getting back to the car and turning the heater up high. A couple of minutes later it was nice and toasty in the Mini and I started to relax.


    ¡°You really weren¡¯t cold back there?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°A little bit, but not too bad,¡± she responded. ¡°You must remember it gets a lot colder in France than it does here in Southern California. I am accustomed to it, I think.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I conceded. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could ever live someplace it gets really cold. I¡¯m just a wuss.¡±


    ¡°A wuss?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It means a wimp, somebody who isn¡¯t tough,¡± I explained.


    ¡°A weakling?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that. I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d find it in any dictionary, though. Hey, where should we go next?¡± I asked, as I pulled away from the curb.


    ¡°Let us return the two movies and pick out some others to watch tonight. It is getting to be late, after all,¡± Emmy said.


    A little bit disappointed to be calling it a day, I sighed ¡°You¡¯re right. Home it is.¡± It still took us an hour and a half to get back to Fallbrook from Julian, and the sun had set by the time we got to my apartment.


    We grabbed the videos and headed back to Blockbuster. The same guy was working the counter, and when he saw us (well, when he saw Emmy, I should say) he got on the phone and called someone. A moment later, another geeky looking guy came out of the back room and looked around until he spotted Emmy. After staring at her a bit, he went to talk to the counter guy.


    ¡°Assholes,¡± I thought. Once again, I was in a bad mood because of peoples¡¯ insensitivity. Glancing around to find Emmy, I saw her looking at me with a worried expression on her delicate face.


    It struck me that we¡¯d been having this discussion a lot the past twenty-four hours, so I gave her a smile to let her know I was O.K. She returned the smile, and then went back to movie browsing. I decided I should just give it a rest, and tried to find a video to watch.


    Emmy picked out French Kiss, starring Kevin Kline and Meg Ryan. Neither of us had ever seen it, but with those two it had to be good, right? I grabbed Inception and we paid and got out of there. Instead of stopping for dinner like the night before, we opted to reheat the leftovers Mom had put in the fridge for us.


    I heated up the lasagna and set the table while Emmy played the guitar sitting at the kitchen table, watching me. Mostly she just played some Spanish-sounding stuff, but occasionally I thought I caught some familiar snippets of classic rock tunes. It all flowed so well I could have just been imagining it, though.


    We didn¡¯t really talk much. Emmy played, I listened. Her playing seemed so effortless, so natural. None of it seemed to be forced, and I certainly didn¡¯t notice any mistakes at all. It was nice just sitting there at the table, watching her fingers float so easily across the frets and hearing the soft melodies she coaxed from Dad¡¯s old guitar.


    When the timer buzzed it startled me out of a kind of half hypnotic state. I¡¯d been zoning, lost in the music. Grabbing some hot pads, I pulled the lasagna out and set it on the table.


    ¡°That smells delicious!¡± Emmy said, breathing in the aroma. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had lasagna before? Wow. It¡¯s like a cheesy kind of layered spaghetti, sort of. Here- have a taste,¡± I said, serving her a piece.


    Emmy¡¯s face lit up as she tasted it. ¡°It is very good. I especially like that little bit of crunchy texture it has.¡±


    ¡°Crunchy?¡± I asked, biting in to my piece. Sure enough, I¡¯d overcooked it and the bottom layer of pasta had turned crispy. ¡°Oh, jeez. Sorry about that. It¡¯s really not supposed to be crunchy,¡± I apologized.


    ¡°I like it!¡± Emmy said, smiling. ¡°It is unusual, and also tastes very good.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, sarcasm creeping into my voice. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to order pizza after all?¡±


    ¡°No, I do like it,¡± Emmy replied, as she continued to eat the overdone lasagna. ¡°I am very happy with this.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K., I guess. Sorry it turned out so bad, though.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said, putting her hand on mine. ¡°I have never had this dish before, so I have no idea how it is supposed to be, or not supposed to be. All I know is that it is delicious, and that I enjoy eating it. That is enough for me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Well, at least dessert won¡¯t be burned. I hope you like frozen yogurt. I brought some home from work last Sunday.¡±


    ¡°I would love some,¡± Emmy said. After that we ate in silence- well, except for the crunching noise from chewing the lasagna, anyway.


    After a little while, I glanced up and saw that Emmy was watching me. Suddenly self¨Cconscious, I asked ¡°What?¡±


    Emmy smiled and said nothing, making me embarrassed. ¡°What?¡± I demanded again.


    She reached over and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, her smile never leaving her face. ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± she said in a soft voice, as her fingertips brushed softly across my cheek. ¡°So beautiful. You remind me of sunshine, and blue skies. Warm, sunny days.¡±


    I could feel the heat in my face as I started blushing like crazy. I didn¡¯t know how to respond at all. I mean, it was nice to hear her say that. Hell, it was better than just nice. It was wonderful. It made me feel as if my heart were about to burst, it was pounding so hard. Those few words set my nerves tingling, and my insides felt as if gravity had let go. I couldn¡¯t say anything, couldn¡¯t think of any words, and even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to say them.


    Emmy¡¯s big, vivid green eyes captured my own. I could not look away from her gaze, and really, I didn¡¯t want to. This strange, beautiful girl affected me in ways I could never have expected. I wasn¡¯t sure if I loved girls in general, but this girl, well, I had to admit I was falling head over heels for her.


    We never watched the videos we¡¯d rented. Emmy and I went to the couch and snuggled, kissing and holding each other for hours. We talked, but I can¡¯t remember what we talked about. It didn¡¯t matter. When we finally got up off the couch and went to bed we spooned and I held Emmy in my arms for hours. I nuzzled her hair, enjoying the delicate smell of her jasmine perfume on her warm skin. With our legs intertwined we were as close as two people could possibly get.


    When I woke up the next morning, Emmy was still in my arms. Unlike the confusion I¡¯d felt waking up the morning before, Sunday morning brought a clarity to my feelings. It didn¡¯t matter that it was a girl I loved, and not a boy. She was the one for me, and that was what mattered. I still had no idea if I really was gay or not, but this girl, this strange looking girl from halfway across the world, was the one I loved.


    I was in no hurry to get out of bed. Emmy¡¯s bare shoulder smelled so good, and her skin was so warm¡­ Her heartbeat under my hand was the most wonderful thing I¡¯d ever felt. I wanted to stay that way forever. I didn¡¯t want to think about ramifications or repercussions. I didn¡¯t want to think about coming out, or staying in a closet. I didn¡¯t want to think about anything. I just wanted to enjoy this wonderful feeling forever.


    My bladder, though, insisted I get up. Unable to ignore its demands any longer I tried to take my hand back but Emmy wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°Please, stay here a little while longer,¡± she pleaded.


    ¡°I thought you were asleep,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°No, I have been awake for some time. I just do not want this to end.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I really need to pee. I¡¯ll be right back, though. Save my place, will you?¡± I teased as I got up.


    Emmy rolled onto her back and was looking at me. Her amazing green eyes shone in the morning light coming through the blinds, and her midnight black skin against the pale blue sheets looked like velvet. She was so gorgeous, so outlandishly beautiful it made my heart ache just to look at her lying there in my rumpled bed. I leaned down and kissed her, and she returned the kiss, long and sweet.


    ¡°Hurry back,¡± she murmured.


    When I returned, Emmy was sitting up. She was stretching in that slow, languorous (I love that word) way of hers, and I stopped in the doorway to watch. Her movements were so graceful it was like watching a slow motion ballet. She stood, then came over and gave me a kiss. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in close and we kissed again. For a very long while. The feel of her smooth satiny skin under my hands gave me goosebumps, as stupid as that sounds. Finally, Emmy pulled away, explaining that she needed to shower.

 Back To Normal

    After breakfast Emmy wanted to go shopping down in San Diego, so we jumped in the Mini and drove to the nice mall in the valley. Emmy got herself a bunch of new outfits, but also insisted on buying me a couple of hundred bucks worth of clothes, over my protests. I felt uncomfortable about her spending so much money on me but she insisted, and since she had so much money, I figured it really didn¡¯t mean much to her, right?


    Walking along the upper deck of the mall back to the car, Emmy took my hand in hers. I was worried about what people would think, though, and when we were on the road, I told Emmy that we should probably keep under wraps in public.


    ¡°Emmy, uh, look. I think we should keep it cool. I mean, we don¡¯t want anybody to see us, and think we¡¯re, I don¡¯t know. I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is that we need to act like nothing happened.¡± It sounded lame when I said it, but I couldn¡¯t think of any better way to tell Emmy we needed to keep our feelings for each other hidden.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emmy said in a soft voice. ¡°If that is what you wish¡­¡± and that was the last of it. When we got back to my place Mom and Tiff were already home. After a few quick hellos, Emmy packed up her stuff and headed back to her house.


    Courtney called that Thursday night. ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± she demanded, almost before I even said hello.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Did you and Emmy get in a fight or something?¡± Courtney shot back.


    ¡°What? No!¡± I protested, but Courtney wasn¡¯t listening.


    ¡°Because you two have hardly even said two words to each other all week. You hardly look at each other. It¡¯s like you¡¯re going out of your way to make it seem as if everything is normal, but you suddenly can¡¯t even stand each other.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was floored. This wasn¡¯t the conversation I¡¯d expected at all.


    ¡°Whatever it is, you two need to kiss and make up, because you¡¯re both a pain in the ass to be around right now. You two are having like some kind of passive aggressive bitch-fest and it¡¯s driving the rest of us crazy.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that at all. Wait, what do you mean ¡®the rest of us¡¯?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Allie, Tom, me, even freaking Mindy Stock asked me what¡¯s going on. Seriously, everybody can see that something¡¯s going on. As your oldest and bestest friend, I¡¯m telling you that you and Emmy need to work it out once and for all,¡± Courtney concluded.


    ¡°Um¡­ I guess I¡¯ll talk to Emmy,¡± I agreed, lamely.


    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯d better.¡± Then, in a more conciliatory tone, Courtney continued ¡°Leah, if you need to talk to somebody, call me. I know it¡¯s hard to talk at school now, especially since you and Emmy are almost always in the same place, so just call me. If you need help dealing with Emmy somehow, you know I¡¯m there for you.¡±


    After that surprising and disturbing conversation, I didn¡¯t know what to do. My first instinct was to call Emmy, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t answer. She never does once she gets home. Some kind of quirk of hers, I guess. Failing the ability to talk to Emmy, I brooded on it all evening. There was no use in even trying to do my homework. It just wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    I wandered out to the kitchen to talk to Mom. She was reading and taking notes, prepping for her classes the next day.


    Looking up, she must have seen the look on my face, because she asked ¡°Lee, honey. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± I started, but I really wasn¡¯t sure what to say next, so I just kind of trailed off.


    ¡°Here, have a seat. Tell me all about it. Would you like some tea?¡± she asked, getting up to put the kettle on.


    ¡°Yeah, that would be nice,¡± I said, settling down for a long, difficult discussion.


    Mom waited patiently for the water to boil, not saying anything. She could tell I had a lot on my mind, and thankfully was willing to wait for me to spill when I was good and ready.


    When she set the cup of hot chamomile tea in front of me and sat down with her own cup, I¡¯d finally worked up the courage to start.


    ¡°Mom, you know how crazy I was about Chris, right?¡± I began. When she nodded yes, I continued.


    Plunging ahead, I said ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m falling in love again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mom responded, trying to show she was listening but not being judgmental. It didn¡¯t really help my nerves as much as she might have intended, but I kept going anyway.


    ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s mutual. The thing is, neither of us are sure what to do next.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± Mom said, looking into her tea. ¡°You two are in love, but there is some barrier to being able to express it? Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Um, I guess that¡¯s a good way to describe it,¡± I agreed.


    Looking up at me, Mom put her hand on mine. ¡°You know I¡¯ll love and support you in any decisions you make, honey. I think I see where this is going, and I want you to know that I think she¡¯s an amazing girl, too. I can see why you¡¯re so infatuated with her.¡±


    I felt my face turn red as a beet. My blood was rushing in my ears, and I tried to speak, but just couldn¡¯t make any words come out.


    Mom, seeing my distress, became concerned. ¡°Lee, are you O.K.?¡±


    I nodded yes, then found the words to stammer, ¡°You¡­ you knew?¡±


    ¡°I had my suspicions, yes,¡± she admitted. ¡°After last weekend. I was pretty sure something had happened.¡±


    ¡°Well, it did. I mean, Emmy and I just sort of clicked. But that¡¯s the problem. I mean, she¡¯s a girl, and I¡¯m not into girls like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for a girl to be attracted to other girls, Lee. It is a lot more common than people think.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not attracted to girls! That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say. I¡¯ve always been attracted to boys, the manlier the better. I mean, look at Chris. He was about as macho as they get. He joined the Marines the day after he graduated high school! He was shaving when he was fourteen! I¡­ I¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°Yes, Chris was definitely gender secure, no doubt about it,¡± Mom conceded.


    ¡°Gender secure? That¡¯s one way to put it. And before him, it was always the athletic guys I had crushes on. Big, strong guys. I can¡¯t be gay, I just can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lee¡­¡± Mom said sympathetically.


    I took a sip of my tea, trying to hide the tears welling up in my eyes. It didn¡¯t work, though. They just came spilling out, leaving me shame-faced and embarrassed.


    Mom came around the table to kneel next to me, putting her arms around me. ¡°Lee, it¡¯s O.K. Love is a crazy thing, and there¡¯s no way to understand it.¡±


    ¡°All I can do is think about her, all I want to do is be with her. But I can¡¯t, because I don¡¯t want everybody to think I¡¯m gay. They¡¯d hate me,¡± I said, finally breaking out in sobs as Mom held my head on her shoulder.


    ¡°Things are different now, Lee. People are different. There just isn¡¯t the stigma there used to be. Nobody will hate you for loving another girl. You¡¯ll see,¡± she said, trying her best to console me.


    ¡°Tell that to my teammates on the squad!¡± I responded bitterly. ¡°Tell that to Nicole or Abbie. I guarantee they¡¯d hate me. Nicole belongs to one of those churches, you know, the kind that hate everything. Hell, she¡¯d probably serve the ball straight into the back of my head every chance she got if she thought I was a lesbo. No, announcing to the world that I have a girlfriend would be a ticket straight to high school hell. There¡¯s no way I could do that. Not going to happen.¡±


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    Mom started to say something, but I cut her off. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not really gay. I don¡¯t like girls that way. Just¡­¡± I faltered. ¡°Just Emmy, that¡¯s all. And I¡¯m not even sure she feels the same way.¡± And it was back to the tears again.


    Mom knew better than to say anything. She just held me. With a shock, it reminded me of the time Emmy sang that Pink Floyd song, and then held me while I cried my eyes out. What made the comparison worse, though, was the fact that deep down inside I knew it was Emmy I wanted to have comforting me.


    Neither of us said anything for a long time. Finally I pulled away, and said ¡°I¡¯m going to bed. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    When I climbed into Emmy¡¯s car in the morning, I told her we needed to talk.


    ¡°Courtney called me last night. She told me everyone thinks we had some kind of fight and are trying to act normal. She said we need to- her words- ¡®kiss and make up¡¯.¡±


    ¡°If me kissing you will make her happy, I think we should kiss a lot.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you want to kiss me?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°It¡¯s just- well, like Courtney said. You¡¯ve been ignoring me since the weekend.¡±


    ¡°I do want to kiss you, Leah. I want it more than anything. But you said that we needed to stop, and not be affectionate.¡±


    ¡°No, Em, that¡¯s not what I meant. I mean¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure what to say or how to say it. ¡°Look, we just went too far, and then we tried to act like everything was just the same as before. We overcompensated, I guess. We just need to try to get things back to the way they were.¡±


    Emmy had a thoughtful look on her face as she pulled out of the parking lot. ¡°I will try my best. But I do not like hiding. It is not in my nature.¡±


    ¡°I know, but for now, just please. We need to cool it. My life, at least, will get a whole lot more complicated if everybody thinks I¡¯m gay.¡±


    In the drive through at the coffee hut, I really noticed the barista for the first time. She had those plugs in the lobes of her ears and stars tattooed on her collarbones (all of which I¡¯d seen before) but what caught my eye were the two interlocking Venus symbols on the inside of her wrist. She usually wore a big wristband watch, I recalled.


    The rest of the way to school I couldn¡¯t get the barista out of my thoughts. Is that my destiny? To be so out of the closet I had it tattooed for all to see? To live an indie lifestyle, and maybe read bad poetry about my angst at open mic night at the coffee shop? Have too many facial piercings to go along with my bad haircut?


    No, I¡¯m being just as mean and judgmental as Nicole, thinking thoughts like that, I told myself. The girl at the coffee hut is probably just as nice and normal as anybody else. She just happens to like other women, that¡¯s all, right? These thoughts kept me distracted until Emmy pulled into the school lot. Besides, I¡¯m not really gay, anyway, right? I mean, sure, Emmy and I kissed and cuddled, but that didn¡¯t mean anything, did it?


    At lunch, Courtney gave me a questioning look when I sat down at our table in the caf. I told her ¡°Everything¡¯s worked out. It¡¯s all cool.¡±


    ¡°You want to talk about it?¡± she asked, but just then Allie and Tom came in, so we both clammed up. A minute later Emmy sat down, and we all chatted away like usual. After a while, I gave Courtney a meaningful look, and she nodded that yes, it all seemed back to normal. No way was I going to tell her the truth. Heck, I still wasn¡¯t sure what the truth was myself.


    ¡°Can you come up to Riverside County with me this afternoon?¡± Emmy asked a couple of days later. We had been acting ¡®back to normal¡¯ so well that things really had gotten completely back to normal- like nothing ever happened.


    ¡°Sure, why not? I¡¯m not scheduled to work at the yogurt shop today,¡± I replied to Emmy¡¯s question. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the music I bought at that record store? I have been trying to play that kind of music, and my guitar is just not right for it. I need to get a new guitar.¡±


    ¡°And you need to go to Riverside to buy a guitar?¡± I asked, not clear on why this would be the case.


    ¡°There is a very well-known guitar store in Corona. It is a bit of a drive, but they have several guitars listed on their web site that I am interested in.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K.,¡± I agreed. ¡°It still seems like far to go. I¡¯m sure there are shops down in San Diego that have nice guitars,¡± I said, still unconvinced we needed to go to go all the way to Corona.


    Soon enough, though, we were in Emmy¡¯s Mini, heading north on Interstate 15. Emmy had one of her new CDs in the stereo, and was explaining why the guitars she already had wouldn¡¯t reproduce the sounds we were hearing. Something about the echo, or reverb, or something like that.


    The guitar shop didn¡¯t look too impressive from the small parking lot, but once inside I was blown away by the sheer number of guitars and other stringed instruments that were hanging on the walls. There were a couple of bored looking guys who seemed uninterested in helping us, dismissing us as unlikely to be real customers. Emmy wandered a bit, looking at the various guitars, while I just followed her lead. She zeroed in on one really pretty iridescent turquoise one with chromed metal bits, and when she took it down off its peg the sales guy finally woke up and came over really quickly. ¡°Look! It is almost the same color as my Firebird!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°Um,¡± he said nervously, looking Emmy up and down. ¡°That¡¯s a very expensive guitar,¡± he said. ¡°Please be very careful with that.¡± He reached to take it away from her, but she was already checking the tuning, and wasn¡¯t about to hand it over just yet.


    Satisfied with the tune, she finally looked up and acknowledged the salesman¡¯s presence, but not his outstretched hands. ¡°Is there an appropriate amp to try this out?¡± she asked sweetly. ¡°Perhaps that Marshall over there?¡± she asked, pointing to an old, beat-up looking thing.


    Flustered, the sales guy stammered ¡°But¡­ but it isn¡¯t plugged in¡­¡±


    Seeing her opening, Emmy hit him with a beaming smile, and said ¡°If you could plug it in that would be wonderful. Oh, and I will need a cable to connect the amplifier to the guitar,¡± she added.


    The sales guy hurried off to get her what she asked, and I just stared in amazement at how she¡¯d just turned the encounter around. ¡°Wow. You totally just- I mean, he was trying to give you the brush-off, and you wrapped him around your finger.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed. Seeing that the guy had the amp plugged in, she strolled over to the amp she¡¯d pointed out. It looked used and abused. I had no idea why she¡¯d picked that one when there were tons of nicer, newer ones on display.


    ¡°How long will it take to warm up?¡± she asked the sales guy.


    ¡°Um, maybe a minute? It¡¯ll be ready by the time I get you hooked up,¡± he answered. Again, I marveled at how Emmy had simply taken control of the situation, with very little effort.


    Finally hooked up, Emmy took a guitar pick from her pocket and strummed a chord. She adjusted the knobs on the guitar, strummed again, and adjusted the amp. Happy with a third strum, she started in to playing a familiar old surf tune- you know, the one that was the theme music for that old cop show set in Hawaii? I glanced over at the sales guy, and the stunned look on his face as Emmy ripped through a minute or so of the song, then Emmy switched to a slower, more twangy sounding thing. As she played, she adjusted the knobs on the guitar and gave it a sound I can only describe as big and hollow.


    By this time, the other sales guy had come over, and he, too, was staring in amazement at Emmy¡¯s playing. Emmy stopped for a moment, adjusted the settings on the amp. She then played something that sounded really, really old- like the very early days of rock and roll. It sounded familiar, but I couldn¡¯t place it.


    The first sales guy turned to the second and said ¡°This chick can really play!¡± confirming my belief that the two of them hadn¡¯t thought of Emmy as a real customer at all.


    Emmy asked if she could try out another guitar, a really pretty dark green one. The second sales guy hustled over and grabbed it off the hook, bringing it back for Emmy to try. She played a bit of a song I recognized- that one about stray cats- but then handed it back.


    ¡°I think this guitar has better sound,¡± she said, picking up the turquoise guitar (which I later learned was called a hollow-body) again. She played the same song again, and seemed much more satisfied this time.


    Another customer had walked in by this time, a middle-aged guy who looked like an old rock dude, but the two salesmen were too busy fawning over Emmy to pay him any attention. I wandered off to look at the banjos and stuff, irritated by how the two guys who worked there were behaving. It¡¯s like they¡¯d never seen a pitch black-skinned hot teenaged girl who could really rip it up on the guitar or something, I thought. Well, O.K., of course they hadn¡¯t. But still¡­


    Finally Emmy was done, and the first sales guy went to get the case for the guitar. Emmy waited while the second guy started getting together a box full of cables, strings, and who knows what. He also grabbed a dolly to wheel that nasty-looking old amp up to the counter. I strolled over as the first guy was writing down the order on one of those old-fashioned duplicate receipts. I looked down and saw the guitar was well over three thousand dollars, and the amp was almost two grand.


    Seeing the sales guy do a double-take, I looked at the credit card Emmy was handing over. He asked ¡°Is- is this real?¡± holding the black card up to look more closely at it.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Emmy. ¡°Of course it is real. Call AmEx if you are not sure.¡± Her tone seemed enough reassurance for the guy, and he ran the card through and it worked just fine.


    The two guys helped Emmy get the equipment into her Mini, which was kinda tough, but it fit. We blasted off, and the two stood in the parking lot, waving goodbye.


    ¡°That was surreal,¡± I said to Emmy as we got on the freeway. ¡°The way that first salesman didn¡¯t even want you to touch the guitars, then you totally turned him around. I bet you could have gotten a big chunk off the price if you¡¯d just asked there at the end. Those guys were all over you like white on rice. I don¡¯t even think they even noticed they had another customer.¡±


    Emmy laughed, and agreed. ¡°Yes, I was not what they expected, that is true.¡±


    Changing the subject, I asked ¡°So, Emmy, that credit card. I¡¯d always thought those black cards were just some kind of urban legend. Is it true it has no limit?¡±


    ¡°I do not know,¡± admitted Emmy. ¡°I am sure I could not buy a yacht, but I could buy anything reasonable with it.¡±


    ¡°And you think five thousand bucks for a new guitar is reasonable?¡± I asked, still amazed.


    ¡°Yes, for the right guitar. And the right amplifier, too.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Just, wow.¡±


    ¡°It is a very nice guitar,¡± Emmy said, a bit defensively.


    ¡°For that kind of money it¡¯d better be.¡±


    Emmy had no response, so she just put in another CD and selected the same twangy song she¡¯d played at the shop. With full instrumentation it sounded very, very familiar.


    ¡°What song is this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is Duane Eddy playing the song called ¡®Peter Gunn¡¯. I love the sound he gets, do you?¡± she asked, turning up the volume. We listened to that super old-school rock and roll all the way home, and later that evening I found myself humming along to ¡®Diamond Head¡¯ by The Ventures. I hadn¡¯t even known the name of the song or who played it that morning, and that night I couldn¡¯t get it out of my brain.

 End Of Fall Quarter

    Friday (the last day of Fall Term) was a short day and as always, it was the Winter Carnival at school. All this meant is that we only had our first two classes, and then we got to hang out for a couple of hours until the bell rang.


    When Emmy knocked on my door first thing in the morning, my reaction to her outfit was ¡°What are you wearing?¡± I think a better question would have been ¡°Why are you wearing that?¡± since I could clearly see what she was wearing, just didn¡¯t understand the reasoning.


    Emmy was dressed in an outfit that could be described as ¡®soft-core schoolgirl fetish¡¯ or something like that. Mary Janes and knee high white stockings, pleated plaid skirt that was definitely way above the knee, white shirt and a striped necktie tucked into the shirt three buttons down. She also had on a dark blue blazer with the FHS mascot embroidered on the right breast. To finish it all off, her stark white hair was held back by a band that matched the tie.


    ¡°I thought you were done with wearing costumes to school,¡± I complained.


    ¡°But it is a special day,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°A day to show school spirit.¡±


    ¡°Aw, Jeeze. Emmy, nobody really cares about these things. They¡¯re just put on by the school staff so they can convince themselves that the kids are involved and enjoying the ¡®school experience¡¯, whatever that is. Really, it¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    ¡°But today is a big day for me,¡± she replied, perhaps a bit defensively.


    ¡°Emmy, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt your feelings. It¡¯s just, well, you are going to be the only one at school wearing anything but the same old stuff they wear every day. You are going to feel like¡­¡± I was going to say ¡®a fool¡¯, but Emmy¡¯s crestfallen look was too much to bear. ¡°You¡¯re going to draw a lot of attention, that¡¯s all,¡± I finished lamely.


    I did have to admit that Emmy looked good in that get-up. Somehow it did seem to fit her bubbly personality. Sexy, but a bit coy, too. I certainly could never wear anything like that, and I really couldn¡¯t imagine Allie or Courtney managing it, either. Emmy had a flirty way about her that managed to be both sexy and innocent at the same time, and this outfit captured it well.


    At school, my prediction was proven to be correct. The boys mostly liked what they saw, and the girls mostly developed attitude. Emmy seemed completely oblivious, but I¡¯m sure that wasn¡¯t the case. She¡¯s a far better observer of human behavior than I ever could be, and almost everything she did was for a specific effect.


    Emmy seemed particularly interested that Brent¡¯s band, the ¡®Prodigal Sons¡¯ were going to play an hour-long concert during the Winter Carnival. ¡°Will you come with me to watch the show?¡± she asked several times.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen ¡®em before, but I¡¯ll watch them with you,¡± I grudgingly agreed.


    After our last class of the day, we went to where the stage had been set up in the quad right in front of the clock tower. The Prodigal Sons were finishing their sound checks when we walked up. Brent waved and the bass player (I think his name is Justin, or something like that) gave Emmy a thumbs-up.


    After Mr. Canseco announced the band, they started in on their usual repertoire of ¡®70s and ¡®80s rock hits. They¡¯re good, no doubt, but I¡¯ve never heard their original songs so I have no idea what kind of music they play when they get to do their own stuff.


    Emmy grabbed my hand to pull me toward the front of the stage, but I resisted. ¡°Leah, I want to dance. Please dance with me?¡± she pleaded.


    ¡°No way. I¡¯m a crummy dancer. There is no way you¡¯re going to get me to embarrass myself in front of everybody.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please?¡± she begged, but I stood firm.


    ¡°You go dance all you want. I¡¯ll watch from right here,¡± I said, sitting down on the low concrete wall that surrounds the quad.


    ¡°Spoilsport!¡± Emmy replied, sticking her tongue out at me. With a wink to show there were no hard feelings, she bounced up to the front near the stage. I¡¯m not sure how it¡¯s possible to dance to Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, but Emmy managed. Her dancing was just this side of saucy (I love that word), rocking her hips so her pleated skirt swayed back and forth, exaggerating her movements. Soon Mindy and Stephanie (both in their cheerleader outfits) joined her. The three formed a kind of cheering section, doing some of the cheer squad routines but in a sort of sly mocking kind of way. It reminded me of that old Nirvana video, the one with the Goth cheerleaders. Smells like teen spirit all right, I thought to myself. Allie and Courtney had come over and sat down while I was watching.


    ¡°She really does love to be the center of attention, doesn¡¯t she?¡± asked Courtney.


    ¡°Emmy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course, Emmy. Who else could I have been talking about? Who else looks like she¡¯s just a brass pole short of a striptease routine?¡± Courtney replied with a snort.


    ¡°That¡¯s mean,¡± Allie protested. ¡°That¡¯s not a very nice thing to say.¡±


    ¡°Well, look at her,¡± Courtney responded. ¡°Look at that get-up. Nothing says ¡®Hey, look at me, I¡¯m a slut¡¯ better than a catholic schoolgirl gone bad outfit like that. If she wants everybody to think she¡¯s easy, I can¡¯t think of a better way than wearing something like that.¡±


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    I started to protest, but deep inside I kinda agreed with Courtney. Allie, though, came to Emmy¡¯s defense. ¡°You know she just likes to tease, Courtney. You know it¡¯s all just a game to her. Everybody in this whole school knows she just likes to flirt but has no real intention behind it. That¡¯s part of why all the guys like her. She¡¯s nice to everyone, but doesn¡¯t single anybody out so they all think that maybe they¡¯ve got a chance with her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe, but she takes it over the top. She just needs to tone it down a little,¡± grumbled Courtney.


    While this conversation had been going on I kept watching Emmy, like most of the other kids gathered around the quad. She¡¯d taken off her blazer, and now Stephanie was wearing it. This bothered me for a minute, but then I quickly realized that I was just being jealous, which pissed me off at myself for being stupid because I had no claim on Emmy after all. I mean, sure we¡¯d kissed a bunch when she stayed over at my place, but that was it. It¡¯s not as if we were going together or anything, right?


    I turned to Courtney and Allie, but then heard Brent introduce the band members. I¡¯d been right- the bass player was named Justin. After the introduction, though, Brent said ¡°And now we¡¯d like to introduce a very special guest to the stage. Please give it up for Mademoiselle ¨ºmerald De Lascaux!¡± Turning to look, I saw Emmy was onstage, giving a little bow. She stepped up to the microphone, and said ¡°Thank you, Brent, for asking me to be here.¡± Justin handed Emmy her blue guitar, which I hadn¡¯t noticed onstage before.


    Emmy smiled at the assembled crowd, and looking around I saw puzzled looks on a lot of the kids¡¯ faces.


    Emmy grinned one more time at the expectant hush, and then she slammed her first chord out. It sounded terrible- like some kind of loud, nasty guitar explosion. I cringed, and so did a lot of others, Brent included. The explosion noise continued for maybe ten seconds, but it seemed like a really long time. Gradually, clear notes emerged from the noise and started to resolve into a melody, but then came crashing back into the explosion noise. The melody emerged again, but stronger and longer this time, lasting for a bar or two (I am sorry if I¡¯m screwing up the musical terminology). The melody seemed to fall back into the crashing, grinding noise before it emerged once more, and as it picked up speed the grating noise faded away entirely. Emmy was playing with both hands on the frets, not strumming at all but almost playing the strings like a keyboard. The tones were pure and clean, and with a shock I realized it was that organ music they always play in old vampire movies. Emmy¡¯s fingers flew across the strings, and I swear to god it really did sound like a pipe organ belting out some old Bach tune.


    I glanced over at Brent, who was standing slack-jawed, just watching in amazement. The rest of the band was watching, too, except Justin who was looking out at the crowd with a big grin on his face.


    The organ music Emmy was playing on her guitar all of a sudden seemed to come apart and crash back into the explosion noise, which then slid down the scale with a harsh grinding sound, finally scraping to a halt. Brent just stood there gaping, and it wasn¡¯t until Emmy broke into a familiar riff and the drummer and bass player kicked in as well that Brent recovered. He grabbed the microphone, belting out that old Van Halen song ¡°You really got me.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s guitar made a kind of laughing sound every time Brent sang about how he couldn¡¯t sleep at night, but each time she returned immediately to the melody. Every time Emmy did the laughing guitar thing her smile was as wide as it could get.


    The image Emmy struck was a bizarre contrast. Here she was, a petite girl in a catholic schoolgirl uniform that was more than just a little bit racy playing a vintage electric guitar with heavy distortion and driving rhythm, grinning as if she were enjoying every minute of being on stage.


    After ¡®You Really Got Me¡¯, Brent spoke into the microphone. ¡°Emmy Lascaux, ladies and gentlemen. The girl I am going to marry.¡± Which caused some more laughter from Emmy¡¯s guitar, prompting a lot of laughter from the audience.


    When the laughter died down a bit the drummer hit a quick beat and Emmy ripped into another tune. After a couple of moments she stepped up to the mike and began to sing. Now, I¡¯d heard her sing plenty, but I¡¯d never heard her sing like this. Instead of the pretty, clear voice I was used to hearing she belted that old tune ¡°I Love Rock And Roll¡± with a snarl, full of attitude and arrogance.


    Emmy was doing a powerful Joan Jett swagger, too, strutting around on stage as if she owned it and all she saw. When Emmy and the band sang the chorus a lot of the audience sang along, too, eating it up big-time. Emmy¡¯s utter transformation to rock goddess was phenomenal. I just couldn¡¯t believe it, and neither could Allie.


    ¡°Wow. I mean, just wow. Look at her go. She¡¯s like Mick Jagger up there or something,¡± Allie said.


    ¡°Yeah, something,¡± Courtney agreed, with more than just a hint of disapproval in her voice.


    The song ended before I could think of anything to say, bringing the concert to its close. Brent thanked everyone and hoped they enjoyed the show, while Emmy scooted off the stage. I watched as Emmy ran over to Stephanie and Mindy and gave them both a big hug, bouncing with enthusiasm. She was headed over my way when I saw Mr. Canseco (the music teacher) stop her to talk. After a minute Emmy walked over to where Allie, Courtney and I were sitting.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. It was amazing. I had no idea you were going to perform with Brent¡¯s band,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes- it was to be a surprise. Brent asked me if I would, and I agreed. We had rehearsed a few times, so I knew it would go well.¡±


    Allie chimed in at this. ¡°Go well? It went incredible! Everyone loved it! You¡­¡± she stammered. ¡°You rocked so hard I can¡¯t even believe it.¡±


    Courtney just ¡®humphed¡¯ in disdain. I don¡¯t think Emmy heard her, but I certainly did. I was going to have to have a talk with her soon. This anti-Emmy thing was getting a bit ridiculous.


    ¡°This was the first time I have ever performed in public,¡± Emmy admitted to Allie. ¡°I was worried, but it was fun.¡±


    ¡°You looked like you were enjoying yourself up there,¡± Allie replied. ¡°You seemed to be a natural.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Allie. It is kind of you to say so.¡±


    That was pretty much it for the short school day, so Emmy collected her guitar from the stage and we headed back to the parking lot. Plenty of kids complimented Emmy as we walked to the Mini, saying things like ¡°You really kicked it!¡± and ¡°OMG, Emmy! You were amazing!¡± Yeah, one girl really did say the letters O M G.


    On the drive to my house, I told Emmy that although I knew she could really play, seeing her on that stage was something else.


    ¡°Thank you, Leah. That means very much to me.¡±


    I surprised her when she went to give me her usual goodbye cheek kiss by turning into it so her lips landed on mine. It wasn¡¯t a big kiss or anything, but it was the first one since the weekend she spent over at my house, so that made it sort of a big deal.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she gasped.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I just said ¡°Give me a call and let¡¯s do something, O.K.?¡± Yeah, I was wimping out, but what can I say? I was still really conflicted over the whole thing.

 Open Mic Night

    A few days after the end of the term I got a call from Emmy. She wanted to talk about the open mic night that Mr. Canseco had mentioned to her at the Winter Carnival concert.


    ¡°Will you please come with me? I could never do it without you there,¡± Emmy pleaded. ¡°It is Wednesday night, and only for three hours. Please?¡±


    Resigned, I sighed into the phone. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll come. What are friends for, right? Where is it?¡±


    ¡°It is at a coffee shop called ¡®Edward¡¯s¡¯ down in San Diego, in a part of town with a strange name. It is called ¡®Normal Heights¡¯. What kind of name is that for a district?¡±


    ¡°Normal Heights? I¡¯ve heard of it, but I¡¯m not quite sure where it is. I think it¡¯s an older part of town, though. So what exactly is the deal?¡±


    ¡°I looked it up online,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°We have to get there half an hour early and put my name in the drawing. They pick eight performers at random from a hat. The performers each get twenty minutes, and at the end of the three hours all the audience gets to vote on who was the best. The winner gets paid to perform on Friday.¡±


    ¡°Well, obviously it¡¯s stacked in favor of who brings the most friends, then. Although that isn¡¯t really fair, I guess it makes sense from a coffee shop owner¡¯s perspective. He just cares who¡¯ll bring in the biggest crowd, right?¡± I mused.


    ¡°Should I invite a lot of people?¡± asked Emmy, seeing my point.


    ¡°It¡¯d be tough to get a big group down there. Being from North County will definitely be a disadvantage. No, I think you¡¯ll just have to win it the old fashioned way.¡±


    ¡°The old fashioned way?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Just be the best, that¡¯s all,¡± I responded with a chuckle.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, quiet for a moment. ¡°I can try, but it might be that I am not the best.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯re absolutely amazing, Emmy. Of course you¡¯ll be the best.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Leah. That means very much to me.¡±


    Wednesday afternoon, Emmy picked me up from the nursery and took me home for a quick shower. ¡°You smell like the forest,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been helping out with the Christmas tree sales the last couple of days. The work¡¯s O.K., but the smell of the pine sap gets to you after a while.¡±


    After cleaning up, we hit the road. Our plan (such as it was) was to get there early enough to find someplace to have a bite to eat beforehand. Mr. Canseco had told Emmy that there were plenty of restaurants in the area but parking might be difficult, so we had no idea what to expect. We found the coffee shop easily enough thanks to the GPS in Emmy¡¯s car, then drove around the area for a bit checking it out. It was an older area, sure, but it had a kind of funky charm. Parking wasn¡¯t as bad as we had feared, maybe because it was midweek rather than a Friday or Saturday evening. We parked half a block from the coffee shop, but then walked a block the other way to a little hole-in-the-wall Greek restaurant for dinner. The food was good, but Emmy seemed too nervous to actually eat anything. I enjoyed my souvlaki plenty well, even though Emmy¡¯s excitement made it hard to concentrate on the food.


    After we ate (well, I did, anyway), we walked back to the coffee shop so Emmy could sign in. There was a dry-erase signboard outside announcing open mic night and listing the schedule for sign-in, performances and voting.


    We went inside, me carrying Emmy¡¯s guitar case for her so she could fill out whatever needed to be filled out.


    I liked the place right away. It had a warm feel to it, with soft honey-colored walls and art hung everywhere. Low tables, old couches, and comfy chairs dominated the furnishings. The sign in was right at the counter, so Emmy bought us a couple of coffees while I found us some seats near the small stage.


    She sat down moments later, handing me a delicious mocha with chocolate and caramel. She had her usual espresso, but I was pretty sure she didn¡¯t need any caffeine at all. She was buzzing from anticipation already, so I reached over and took her hand. When she looked at me with surprise, I gave her hand a squeeze which made her smile. She squeezed my hand in return, then sat back to try to relax a bit, but kept hold of my hand.


    Looking around I noticed that most of the people here in this coffee shop fit into the ¡®urban hipster¡¯ category, and thankfully most were far too cool to give Emmy more than a quick glance. Well, at least they were keeping their curiosity surreptitious, with only brief peeks in our direction. This was a pleasant change from the open stares that I¡¯d seen in most other places the two of us had been and it made me feel better about the evening.


    When the emcee took the stage to announce the names and order of the performers both Emmy and I sat up to pay better attention. He pulled the names one by one out of the old-fashioned bowler hat, and thankfully Emmy¡¯s was fifth up. After he finished a fair number of people in the coffee shop picked up their instruments (mostly guitars) and left, which eased the overcrowding a bit.


    Emmy noticed the others leaving, too. ¡°Why do they not want to hear the others perform? Did they only come to hear themselves?¡± she pondered.


    ¡°When you put it that way, it does seem pretty ridiculous,¡± I conceded.


    The first up was a guy with a beat-up old guitar made of what looked like galvanized sheet metal. His voice was good, but he insisted on strumming his guitar too loud and then having to shout over it.


    After him came a couple of young women who sang duets in harmony with no musical instruments backing them up. They were actually really good and seemed to have tons of support in the audience. I was already calculating Emmy¡¯s chances, which I thought were better than the first guy but not so good against the two women.


    Third was another guitar player who played old folk tunes, singing with a surprisingly deep voice for such a smallish guy. Fourth I don¡¯t remember, so whoever it was must not have been all that interesting.


    Finally it was Emmy¡¯s turn. She sat on the stool as the emcee introduced her as ¡°Emmy De Lascaux, from Paris, France.¡± First off, she started by playing the classical Spanish stuff I¡¯d heard her play many times before. After a couple of minutes she started singing, which I¡¯d never heard her do while playing that style of music. She sang it in French, but it sounded strange because of the way she sang- it sounded very, very Middle Eastern. The exotic sound of her voice and the exquisite elegance of the guitar had everybody straining to hear, and it was quieter in the coffee shop than it had been at any point so far that night.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    When she finished the song, she thanked everybody for the applause and explained that it was an old Algerian tune about two lovers who could never be together because their families hated each other.


    Her second song took me a long time to recognize, because it sounded so different from what I was used to. Emmy was two thirds of the way through the song before it hit me she was doing a Guns N¡¯ Roses tune. When I finally clued in and actually listened to the words I realized the song lyrics were a lot better than I¡¯d ever realized, and much, much sadder.


    Towards the end of the song Emmy¡¯s playing became softer and more subdued, and so did her singing. There was a catch in her voice that almost sounded like sobbing as she leaned over her guitar, face partially hidden from the audience. When she sang the last line about not crying tonight the hush in the coffee shop as her voice faded away was almost physical- it was as if no one dared break the moment. When the last note trailed away, Emmy looked up at the crowd and smiled without any hint at all of the sorrow we¡¯d been hearing in her voice. We all realized we¡¯d been holding our breaths, and felt silly for it.


    After the applause, Emmy went straight into her next melody. It was a complete contrast. Where the last song had been sad and despondent, this one was sweet and soulful. The guitar line was gentle, and Emmy¡¯s singing was clear and pure enough to bring tears to my eyes. It was something about finding comfort and peace in the arms of an angel, and it was heartbreakingly tender. At the end of the song when she let her guitar fade softly away there was silence for a moment, then more applause than I¡¯d heard for anybody else that night. Emmy stood up and gave a little bow, and thanked the audience. As Emmy walked back to the couch where I was sitting, I could see the happiness in her face and in the way she walked. She was positively giddy when she sat down next to me, giving me a big hug.


    ¡°Oh, Leah! Did you like it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course I did! You were completely incredible!¡± I replied, then leaning in to whisper ¡°If I weren¡¯t already in love with you, that last song would have made me fall head over heels.¡±


    Whispering back, wide-eyed at my comment, she asked ¡°Do you truly mean that?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. That last song made me cry, I wanted to hold you so bad,¡± I said, still whispering.


    Emmy smiled shyly, then admitted ¡°That song makes me think of you, and the way I felt when you held me.¡±


    ¡°Can we, I mean, well¡­¡± I stammered, not sure how to phrase it.


    Emmy¡¯s deep vivid green eyes looked into mine, curious as to what it was I was trying to say.


    I just blurted it out without any grace or finesse. ¡°I want you to stay with me tonight.¡± Realizing how that sounded, I fumbled ¡°I mean, can you spend the night at my house tonight? Or maybe, since your parents aren¡¯t home we can stay at your house? I just really want¡­¡± I finished, not sure how to get my foot out of my mouth. Thankfully, Emmy didn¡¯t seem to notice my poor word choice.


    ¡°Leah. There is nothing in the world I would like more than to sleep in the same bed as you tonight. Nothing. If it is O.K. with your mother, you could come to my house tonight. Or I could stay with you. It doesn¡¯t matter to me where, as long as it is with you.¡± She took my hand and held it, scooting a little closer to me on the threadbare old couch. The warmth of her companionship filled me with a tingling glow, and I just knew there was a stupid grin on my face but I just couldn¡¯t help myself.


    The last three performers came and went, and I couldn¡¯t tell you a thing about them. All I know is that I didn¡¯t let Emmy¡¯s hand go even for a second, and I didn¡¯t care if people saw, or what they thought. I had given up fighting it and admitted it to myself. I was in love, and that was all that mattered.


    When the time to vote rolled around it was neck and neck. The duet women won, but Emmy came in a close second. For Emmy¡¯s second place she won fifty dollars and a guaranteed spot on next month¡¯s open mic contest night. After the awards, the emcee came over to where Emmy and I were standing.


    ¡°Emmy, right?¡± he asked. When Emmy nodded, he went on ¡°By all rights you should have won. You were clearly the best, most talented performer here tonight. If you want to book some gigs, just give me a call and I¡¯ll see where I can fit you in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. That would be wonderful,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Well, with your talent, not to mention your looks, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll bring in the crowds. Maybe not the first night, but when word gets around¡­¡± he trailed off, handing Emmy his business card.


    Emmy tried to play it cool, saying ¡°Thank you very much. Perhaps we can set something up sometime soon,¡± but I wasn¡¯t fooled. She was as thrilled as a kid on Christmas morning. We strolled out as nonchalantly as possible, but when we got to Emmy¡¯s car half a block away, she set her guitar case down and threw her arms around me in a hug.


    ¡°Leah!¡± She exclaimed. ¡°I earned fifty dollars! Fifty dollars just for singing! And he wants me to come back and play some more!¡± She was literally bouncing up and down with exhilaration.


    ¡°Um, Emmy, I hate to rain on your parade, but you spend fifty bucks before breakfast some days. For you that just isn¡¯t much money at all,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°No, it is not very much money, that is true,¡± Emmy acknowledged. ¡°But that is not the significance of it. Do you see this?¡± she asked, holding up the two twenties and a ten.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said, unsure where she was going with this.


    ¡°This is the first money that I have ever earned, for anything. Always, what I have had has been given to me. Certainly I have been given everything I have wanted, but I have earned none of it. This little bit of cash,¡± she said, holding up the bills, ¡°is the very first of my own money I have ever had.¡± The serious look on her face made it clear to me how much this mattered to her.


    ¡°Um¡­ so what are you going to do with your new-found wealth?¡±


    ¡°I am going to save it. I am going to fold these up,¡± again waving the fifty dollars for emphasis, ¡°and put them somewhere that will remind me that I earned this money. But in the meanwhile, I want some ice cream,¡± Emmy said, changing the subject. ¡°Mr. Canseco gave me the address of an Italian-style ice cream shop that he said is very good. Would you like some, too?¡±


    The ice cream place was a lot like the coffee shop had been. The urban hipsters in the cramped shop were all too jaded to pay attention to how different Emmy looked from the norm. I found this very refreshing, I realized. It was nice just to be out in public with Emmy and not be painfully aware of how everybody stared at her all the time.


    We shared a bowl of chocolate hazelnut gelato, Emmy still on a high from her performance and the conversation with the coffee shop owner.


    ¡°Leah, he said he could book me for shows if I wanted. Can you imagine? How amazing would that be to start playing for people like that!¡± she gushed while we ate the gelato. Well, mostly I ate the ice cream, but Emmy did have a couple of spoonfuls. She was so wildly happy that all I could do was just smile and agree with everything she said.


    On our way back to the car I called Mom and asked her if it would be O.K. if I spent the night at Emmy¡¯s and she okayed it, but added ¡°Honey, remember what we talked about,¡± to my dismay.


    ¡°Mom, please. I can¡¯t be having this conversation with you right now- or for that matter, ever.¡± If she wanted me to die of mortification, this was an awfully good way of getting the job done.


    ¡°Lee, I know you don¡¯t feel comfortable talking about sexual matters, but this is your health we are talking about. Emmy¡¯s too,¡± she added.


    ¡°Look, Mom. Can we please just drop it?¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°I just want you to be careful, Lee. That¡¯s all I ask.¡±


    As I put the phone back in my pocket, Emmy asked ¡°Is everything O.K.?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just fine. It¡¯s just¡­¡± I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.


    Emmy took my hand as we walked. ¡°Leah, thank you for tonight. Thank you for everything you have done for me. I cannot express how much it means to me.¡±


    ¡°Emmy, I¡­¡± I faltered. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I finished, wishing I could get up the nerve to express myself.


    We climbed into the Mini, and as I pulled onto the freeway to head back north, Emmy put her hand on my leg. ¡°Can you stay with me tonight?¡± she asked, in a soft, hopeful voice.


    ¡°Yeah, Mom said it would be fine. And you know what, Emmy?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything I¡¯d rather do. But I want to ask a favor.¡±


    ¡°I would do anything for you, Leah. Please know that. What is it you want?¡±


    ¡°That last song you played tonight? Could you play it again for me when we get back to your place?¡± I asked, hopefully.


    Emmy laughed that beautiful musical laugh of hers, and responded ¡°I would love to play that song for you again. You are the one I played it for at the coffee shop, Leah. You were the one that I was thinking of as I sang it. You are the one who has finally made me understand songs like that.¡±


    Then, very softly, almost a whisper, she added ¡°You are the angel that brings me peace.¡±


    I rested my hand on top of hers and we drove on in silence, just being together.

 Sleepover at Emmys House

    When we got to Emmy¡¯s place the house was completely dark. Entering by the tropical garden door, I couldn¡¯t see a thing.


    ¡°Uh, Emmy¡­ could you turn on some lights?¡± I asked, worried I was going to crash into something expensive.


    ¡°Oh- sorry,¡± she said, and after a few moments of fumbling around, turned on the hall lights.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Emmy asked as we passed the kitchen. ¡°I am sure there is something in the refrigerator.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡±


    Emmy had to hunt to find the light switch for the upstairs hallway too, because it was a very dark night and the house was pitch black. It struck me as odd that Emmy didn¡¯t even know where the light switches are in her own house. I guessed that the staff always turned lights on or off as needed. Again, I was reminded of what a different world Emmy lived in than the one I knew.


    Emmy put her guitar case in its corner, then pulled out the fifty bucks she¡¯d won earlier. ¡°Where should I put this that it will remind me?¡± she asked, looking around her room.


    ¡°I think you ought to put it somewhere near your music stuff, so you can see it when you practice,¡± I suggested.


    Her eyes lit up at the idea, and she started looking for a good spot. ¡°I have an idea! I should have thought of this earlier,¡± she said, opening her guitar case. She lifted the guitar, then tucked the cash under a little elastic band behind where the body of the guitar would rest. ¡°This way I will see it whenever I take my guitar out to play,¡± she said with satisfaction in her voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget,¡± I reminded her. ¡°You promised to play that song for me.¡±


    ¡°I have not forgotten. But I am not going to accompany myself on the guitar. I will sing it to you without any instrumentation.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K.,¡± I said, unsure what she meant.


    ¡°Please, come over here,¡± she said, patting the big, cream colored bed. I sat down, and she moved to sit behind me. She put her hands on my shoulders and gently pulled me back, so I was lying down with my head in her lap. Emmy started gently stroking my hair, then running her fingertips along my cheek. She began to sing, so quietly I could barely hear it, then gradually louder. Even at the loudest, though, it was still quite soft and tender. The yearning in her voice once again brought tears to my eyes, and I saw that Emmy too was crying as she sang the lines about glorious sadness. Even though she had tears in her eyes, Emmy continued to sing that exquisite lullaby to me. My eyes were flowing like crazy, the song was so sad and sweet at the same time. When Emmy finished the song she leaned down and kissed my tears away, wiping her own face dry as she did so.


    ¡°Emmy¡­¡± I whispered. ¡°That was the most beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±


    ¡°That was the most beautiful thing I have ever sung,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°It had to be- I sang it for the most beautiful girl in the world.¡±


    That was it. Any last resistance I might have still felt, any reluctance to admit I really could be completely head over heels in love with another girl, any shred of doubt, it all evaporated away. I¡¯d been trying to lie to myself about my feelings, but it just wasn¡¯t going to fly any more. I¡¯d thought I¡¯d loved Chris back when we were together, but it was nothing compared to the way I felt about Emmy. Emmy was everything I wanted in the world at that moment.


    I sat up and took Emmy into my arms. She melted into me and we just sat there on her big canopy bed, holding each other, saying nothing. It felt like an eternity, but in a good way, as if the moment could genuinely last forever.


    Eventually, however, we did have to get up and get ready for bed. After Emmy finished brushing her teeth, I asked if there was a toothbrush I could use. Shyly, she opened a drawer on the bathroom vanity to show me a brand new toothbrush in its packaging.


    I opened it and got a little shock when I realized it was the same kind and even the same color as my toothbrush at home. I looked up at Emmy and she gave me a sheepish smile.


    ¡°I bought it a month ago, after I stayed with you at your house.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ what?¡± I asked, unsure where she was going with this.


    ¡°I had been hoping that you would get a chance to use it,¡± she admitted.


    A light bulb went on in my brain, and I realized what she was telling me. ¡°You were hoping I would spend the night here?¡±


    ¡°Very much so,¡± Emmy admitted. For the very first time, I saw her blush. I hadn¡¯t realized that it was possible for her midnight black skin to show it, but her cheeks turned a little bit pink.


    ¡°I bought your kind of shampoo, too,¡± she said, turning even redder and looking at her feet as if she were a little girl caught doing something embarrassing.


    ¡°Oh, Em¡­¡± I said, wrapping my arms around her again.


    When I finished brushing my teeth and washing my face, I returned to the bedroom to find Emmy sitting on the bed, waiting. She was wearing a white silk camisole and a pair of white silk boxers. The contrast between her long, very black limbs and the white of her clothes made her look like a black and white photo. There was something unreal but lovely about the image of her sitting on the big cream-colored bed, her legs tucked under her to the side, waiting expectantly.


    Me, I felt nowhere near as beautiful. I hadn¡¯t been expecting these events, so I had only my undershirt and undies to sleep in. Feeling self-conscious, I hurried over to the bed and quickly climbed in. Emmy slid in beside me, then propped herself up on her elbow to look at me.


    Emmy wasn¡¯t ready to go straight to sleep, not by a long stretch. She wanted to talk. ¡°The two days I spent with you, sleeping in your bed at night- those were the best two days of my life,¡± Emmy said, softly enough that I had to listen closely. ¡°I thought that you and I had something together, something very special.¡±


    I started to speak, but she put her fingers on my mouth to indicate that she didn¡¯t want to be interrupted.


    ¡°I did not want that time with you to end. But it had to, I understand that. But when you sent me home, and asked me to not talk about what had happened, I felt destroyed.¡±


    Again, I started to object, but Emmy continued. ¡°I went home that Sunday night and went straight to my bed. I lay here in bed, crying for hours. I felt that what had happened meant far more to me than to you. You have had lovers before, but I never have had, so I felt that I simply did not understand. That I was being na?ve.¡±


    ¡°Em-¡° I started to say, but once more she put her fingers on my mouth to quiet me.


    ¡°Please let me finish,¡± she said. ¡°I cried for hours. I hated myself for being so weak. I have never been weak, and it was a terrible, unfamiliar sensation. I felt ashamed of myself, but there was nothing I could do- I was wounded, and it hurt me very much.¡±


    Hearing Emmy tell me what I had done without even realizing it, I began to feel sick inside.


    ¡°This feeling of weakness, it would not go away, so I resolved to turn it into a strength. I would use the feelings I have for you to guide me in my actions. I would do whatever it took to make you happy, and hope that somehow you would come to feel the same way for me as I feel for you.¡±


    This time, when I started to speak Emmy let me get my words out. ¡°Em¡­ I am so sorry. I had no idea that you took it this way. I mean, not the weekend together, that was special to me, too. I mean the keeping the whole thing quiet. I didn¡¯t mean that I didn¡¯t¡­¡± I stumbled to a halt, unsure how to say what was running through my thoughts.


    Emmy resumed her narrative. ¡°Part of me was hoping that I had merely misunderstood, and I was hoping for some sign on Monday morning that I had. However, you acted the same as you ever did, before that weekend. It was as if nothing had happened between us. That we were merely friends.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± I objected, before Emmy hushed me with her fingers again.


    ¡°I had hardened myself to the possibility, but it still came as a blow. However, I kept to my resolution, and said nothing, did nothing but what I thought you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Em, that¡¯s not what I wanted,¡± I protested. ¡°I wanted us to be- I don¡¯t know,¡± I sighed. ¡°Look, I was having a hard time dealing with the idea that I was attracted to another girl, all right? That weekend was special to me, too. Very special. I¡¯d never felt that way for anybody before, but I just didn¡¯t know how to deal with it.¡±


    Emmy was looking at me with those big, vivid green eyes of hers, and I noticed that there were tears welling up in them.


    ¡°Seriously- I¡¯m sorry. When I said we should keep things quiet, I just meant¡­ Ah, hell. I don¡¯t know exactly. I guess I just didn¡¯t want everyone at school to know we- I mean¡­¡± I stammered out.


    I couldn¡¯t look Emmy in the eyes and her big green eyes filled with tears. It just hurt too much.


    ¡°Look, I guess I¡¯m trying to say that you really do mean a lot to me, and you did then, too. I just wasn¡¯t ready to come to grips with it myself. This has been very hard for me to accept about myself, you know?¡± It sounded lame and weak, but there it was.


    ¡°So¡­ our weekend together was not just a¡­ a fling? It really was as significant to you as it was to me?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°It was very significant to me, Em. It was just very hard for me to process, that¡¯s all. Tonight, when I watched you singing at the coffee shop, I realized that none of my¡­ um fears, I guess¡­ matter,¡± I managed to stammer. ¡°I¡¯m crazy about you, and I have been for a while. It just took this long for me to admit it to myself. But here I am, now, and here you are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, here we are,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°And what is past is past. I know that I want to be with you. I want you to be with me, as well,¡± Emmy finished.


    ¡°Em, I do want to be with you. I want it so much it hurts inside,¡± I murmured, leaning in for a kiss.


    I sat up and looked at Emmy. I looked at her legs, tucked under her in a position it would kill me to maintain. I looked at her arms that had just been holding me. Long and slender, like the rest of her. I looked at her hands, with those delicate fingers, her nails cut short and even. Just a hint of shimmery clear nail polish on them, understated- the way Emmy always wore her makeup.


    I looked at her shoulders and chest, motionless except for the soft rise and fall of her breathing. I looked at her face- that midnight black skin of hers so familiar to me now, and those startlingly green eyes that could be so expressive¡­ just then, they were showing a bit of puzzlement at my actions. Her delicate features were otherwise untroubled, though.


    Emmy¡¯s hair was perfect, as usual. It was so neatly brushed and held back that it didn¡¯t look real- no loose strands at all. I don¡¯t know how she manages it, but Emmy was always the most perfectly groomed person I have ever seen.


    I put my hand behind her long dancer¡¯s neck and pulled her into my kiss. We held that one, exquisite kiss for hours, or so it seemed. When I let her go and leaned back to look at her again, her puzzled expression had been replaced by one of pleasure. She was happy, and so was I. This was how it was supposed to be.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I reached across the small space between us and started to lift up the hem of her camisole. I looked into her eyes again, to make sure she was O.K. with it, and the contented look on her face reassured me. I finished raising it up and gently pulled it off her shoulders. I tossed it aside, then took her hands in mine as I looked, I mean really looked for the first time at her bare breasts. Of course, like the rest of her, they were perfect. Of course they were.


    Again, checking her face to make sure she was still good with the way things were going, I saw that she had a Mona Lisa smile going on and her eyes were lightly closed in anticipation. Taking that as a very good sign, I stroked her shoulder, her collarbone, her delicate throat. Moving my hands back to her shoulders, I softly pushed her onto her back, so she was lying down. I slowly ran my hands from her shoulders, down the sides of her ribs and down her smooth, flat belly. I paused a moment to run my fingers over the emerald stud she had at the top of her belly button. It looked so beautiful there, that brilliant spot of color against the satiny charcoal background of Emmy¡¯s skin.


    Getting back to my task, I hooked my fingers in the waistband of her boxers and gave them a tug. Emmy aided matters by lifting her butt off the bed a bit and started sliding the undies off. I looked into her eyes again, still wanting reassurance that she was doing all right with events. She looked back at me with that same little smile, so I gave them a bit more of a tug. Watching her expression show a little flash of excitement, I knew that Emmy was just as ready for this as I was. I slid her panties off in one smooth motion, and tossed them with the rest of her clothes.


    There she was, lying bare in front of me, a beautiful black shadow on the clean cream-colored bed. She leaned her head back, closing her eyes again. I looked her up and down, and felt as if I could hardly breathe. She was so amazing, so slender, so graceful. Her long legs were smooth and silky, and caressing them made Emmy¡¯s breathing turn ragged. Mine, too, I have to admit. I was getting more out of this than I¡¯d expected. The feel of Emmy¡¯s bare skin under my hands and the soft sounds she was making were almost too much for me. I worked up the courage, sliding my hands up her belly to her ribs, then cupping her breasts in my palms. She arched her back, pressing herself against my hands. It was so unbearably sexy that all I could do was what her body demanded, and so I squeezed and stroked with more strength.


    For the first time since this whole thing started, Emmy spoke. ¡°Leah,¡± she whispered. ¡°Please¡­¡± and that was it.


    I leaned down and kissed her again, and she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me down onto her with surprising force. This time her kisses were hot, fierce, and demanding where before they had been soft and imploring. My hands hadn¡¯t stopped what they were doing through all this. My left hand had slid under her back, but my right was back to stroking her thighs. As my hand slid along the inside of her left thigh Emmy rocked her hips forward, bumping my hand with her velvety smooth mound. She put her hand on top of mine and pressed my hand onto herself as she continued rocking her hips. The soft flesh under my fingers was smooth and hot, and responding to my touch. I rubbed and tickled, sliding my fingers through and between her folds and circling and pinching her tiny little pearl.


    This was too much for Emmy, and she pulled away from my kiss, panting with the moment. I continued to play with her delicate parts, looking into her face as her breathing grew harder. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her expression was one of a hard physical effort. It didn¡¯t take much longer before every muscle in Emmy¡¯s body tensed, and she held her breath for a moment, then relaxed and exhaled with a shudder.


    I knew while I was watching that I¡¯d just brought this amazing girl to climax, and that I was well and truly her lover now. The thought filled me with a flood of emotion, so much love that it almost physically hurt. I was flushed, breathing almost as hard as Emmy, but from the rush, the incredible feeling of elation running through my body.


    Once Emmy started to relax my fingers went back to work, stroking and caressing her most sensitive spot. As her body stiffened again, I leaned back in and kissed her one more time, but this was a different kiss still. This was a forceful, aggressive kiss, and for the first time, I slid my tongue between her lips and into her mouth. She gave a little gasp of surprise, but I pushed farther with my tongue and she welcomed it in. I took this moment to do the same with my middle finger. It went from between her labia and slid gently but firmly inside her, entering just past my first knuckle.


    Emmy let small sigh escape, but she didn¡¯t resist in any way. In fact, she rocked her hips forward to give me a better angle, so I slid farther in. I was surprised at the muscular feel in there, as her walls gripped me more strongly than I expected. I slid out a little, then back in, farther this time. A few more strokes like that and my middle finger was buried as far as it could go up inside her. During this process, my tongue was mimicking my finger¡¯s progress. Emmy was having a hard time breathing, as my lips were pressed against hers, but I wasn¡¯t about to let up. I pushed hard, both with my tongue in her mouth and my finger in her pussy. It felt good, amazingly good. I was sending the one I loved into a realm of ecstasy, and I loved every moment of it.


    When Emmy climaxed again (but much harder this time) I let her go and sat up to look at her. She lay there, her eyes closed, panting as if she¡¯d just run a marathon. Her arms and legs were splayed out as if she had no muscular control to move them, and there was a light layer of sweat on her beautiful onyx body. It was by far the sexiest thing I had ever seen in my life. The contented look on Emmy¡¯s face mirrored my own, I was sure. I felt so good, so in love at that moment that I thought my heart was going to burst. When Emmy whispered ¡°Thank you,¡± I couldn¡¯t help it any longer. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I started to cry. No sobbing, because these were tears of happiness. Absolute, complete happiness.


    I softly straightened her limbs, then rolled her onto her belly. I kissed the nape of her neck, getting a sigh of pleasure for my efforts. I kissed my way down her spine, all the while stroking her with my hands. When I got to the top of her butt, I kissed across the top of one of her cheeks, and then down the back of her left leg. When I got to the back of her ankle, I switched legs and started back up again. Finally arriving at the back of her neck again, I lined my body up with hers and lay down on top of Emmy, my knees in between hers and my hips pressing against her butt.


    Holding my weight up on my elbows, I started to grind my pelvis into her with a slow, rolling motion. This had been my favorite position that Chris and I had tried, and now I was using it on Emmy. Of course this was just a dry hump, but it seemed to be affecting her anyway. Emmy¡¯s breathing became more and more irregular as I continued; her little gasps a clear sign that she was enjoying it as much as I was. As I pushed I gradually picked up speed, and as it seemed Emmy was just about to climax again, I jammed my pelvis up against her as hard as I could. Emmy tensed, then collapsed under me again with a soft moan.


    As much as I loved what I¡¯d just done, and enjoyed every moment of it, it struck me as strange that it worked so well for both of us. I mean, there was no real contact on Emmy¡¯s girl parts, and I still had my pants on and my legs tight together so there should have been no stimulation. But there very clearly was. I climaxed along with Emmy on that final push, and when she collapsed, I let my weight press down on her, too exhausted to hold myself up.


    After a few moments I rolled off Emmy and onto my back so she could breathe again. My eyes were closed and I was just enjoying the afterglow when I felt the soft touch of Emmy¡¯s hands sliding up under my shirt.


    I kept my eyes closed, savoring the sensation of her delicate touch as she slid my bra up and off my breasts. She lightly tickled my nipples with her fingertips, giving me goose bumps on my bare arms.


    Emmy straddled my hips then, and tugged and pulled my T shirt and bra off completely. She made a little sound I can only describe as happy when she took my breasts in her hands again. I felt a light touch on my right nipple, and I opened my eyes to see her pink tongue just grazing it, teasing it to hardness. I closed my eyes and lay my head back again, relishing the feeling.


    Too soon, though, Emmy began to slide down my body, kissing along my tummy while her hands undid my jeans. She pulled my Levis off, and my panties, too. I did just what Emmy had done before, lifting my hips up to make the removal easier.


    I was feeling more than just a little self-conscious at my stubble down there, especially when compared to Emmy¡¯s silky smoothness. It didn¡¯t seem to bother her, though, as she slowly, teasingly kissed her way down the inside of my right thigh, then my left. I could feel her hot breath on my girl parts and it was driving me wild. Finally she worked her way down the middle. Her tongue probed and slid around, sometimes on my pearl and sometimes maddeningly near but not quite there. As I got more and more aroused, Emmy¡¯s tongue moved faster and faster. She slipped a finger inside, too, and the combination really sent me over the edge. When I couldn¡¯t take it any more, I gave in and let the feeling flood over me. It hit me with a rush, and I had the most intense, biggest orgasm of my admittedly limited sexual experience.


    I only realized I¡¯d been holding my hips high off the bed when my butt came crashing down as I was swept away in the climax. When I could open my eyes again, I looked down to see Emmy sitting on her heels between my knees, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. Her hands were resting on my thighs and she was looking at me as if considering what to do next.


    Knowing that I had had enough, I reached down and took her hands, pulling her up and on top of me in the missionary position. She hadn¡¯t wiped her face, and I could see that my juice was still all over her mouth and chin. At first I was a little bit grossed out, but quickly realized that I was being silly. I pulled her to me, and kissed her yet again, smelling and tasting myself on her. Once I let her go, Emmy just put her head down beside mine and lay on top of me for a while. We hadn¡¯t said anything for a long time, and it felt right to continue to enjoy the moment in silence.


    Eventually, however, Emmy did finally speak. ¡°Will you take a bath with me?¡± she asked, almost whispering.


    ¡°I would love to take a bath with you, Em,¡± I replied, also whispering.


    Emmy got up and went to the bathroom to start the water but I just kept lying there, thinking. My whole body was tingling a little bit, some sensitive spots tingling more than others. I felt sweaty and exhausted, but also exhilarated and energized. Sex with Chris had been good, but never this long or this intense.


    My mind idly floating, I thought about how it had felt to feel Emmy¡¯s insides. It had been slicker than I had expected, and much more muscular feeling. The most amazing thing about it, I realized, was the intimacy. Emmy had let me in, metaphorically as well as physically. She had wanted me inside her. Thinking about that, I looked at my middle finger, the one that had visited that most private place. I raised it to my nose and smelled the perfume before sticking it in my mouth for a taste. It tasted a bit like pineapple, but not as sugary. Maybe a little bit of sourness, too. I decided I liked it. In fact, I surprised myself by how pleasant I found the taste. Emmy emerged from the bathroom and saw me with my finger in my mouth.


    ¡°Does it taste good to you?¡± she asked, her voice sincere rather than flippant.


    ¡°Um, yeah¡­ it does, actually,¡± I replied, a little embarrassed.


    ¡°I am glad to hear it,¡± she replied. ¡°I enjoyed the taste of you very much, too. I hope that means we can savor each other often.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I responded, still feeling somewhat dreamy.


    ¡°The bath is almost ready. Join me?¡± Emmy said, turning towards the sound of the running water.


    I got up, which was harder than I¡¯d expected. Walking into the bathroom, I saw Emmy had lit a single scented candle near the gigantic tub, but otherwise the room was dark where the light spilling from the bedroom didn¡¯t reach. Emmy flipped off the bedroom light, leaving the room dark but for the candle¡¯s weak glow. She then took my hand and led me into the surprisingly hot water. I got in slowly, but Emmy had no problems despite how scalding the water felt to me. We sat across from each other, leaning back and enjoying the soak.


    Again, Emmy was the one to break the silence. ¡°Leah?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    ¡°That was far, far better than I had imagined it would be. Is it always like that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, to be honest, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never had sex with a girl before,¡± I responded, misunderstanding her question.


    ¡°But you have had sex with a boy, right? Your old boyfriend, Chris?¡± she probed.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but it¡¯s different. I mean, what we just did? Sex with Chris was never like that.¡± Then it struck me. ¡°Wait- you said that you¡¯d never had a lover before, right?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°No, that is true. Tonight was my first time to make love.¡±


    ¡°So you were a virgin? I just took your virginity?¡± I asked, stunned.


    ¡°Yes, and I freely gave it to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh. My. God. But there wasn¡¯t any blood?¡± I queried.


    ¡°No, no blood. No pain, either. It was¡­ a little uncomfortable, perhaps like a massage when your back is sore. But it didn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to this news, so I remained silent, just looking at Emmy. She was a black shadow in the dim light of the single candle. Her shockingly white hair was clearly visible, and I could see her eyes- the green, almost luminescent shine.


    Silently, Emmy moved from her side of the tub and sat on my lap, leaning back against me. I buried my face in her hair, then whispered in her ear. ¡°I love you,¡± I said, and I meant it. The way I felt at that moment was beyond words, and I could never describe the glow I felt radiating through my body.


    Emmy just put her hands on the back of my hands and laced her fingers through mine, then wrapped both of our pairs of arms around herself. She hugged herself tightly with my arms, and I gave her an additional squeeze as well.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said, in a tender voice.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I just like to say your name, that is all. Leah. Leah. Leah¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°This is yours,¡± Emmy said, holding my hand on her chest so I could feel her heartbeat. In response, I nuzzled behind her ear and kissed her. She took my other hand and held it against her girl parts, cupping her mound under our hands. ¡°This is, too.¡± Unsure how to respond to that, I kissed behind her ear again, and gave her vaj a gentle squeeze. This seemed to be the right thing to do, because she gave another contented sigh.


    I wasn¡¯t in any hurry to move, so I kept my hands on her heart and her mound and held her against me. We stayed that way for a while, relaxed and comfortable.


    Eventually the water began to cool off and we were done in the tub. Emmy and I toweled each other off, then went back into the now dark bedroom. We slid into Emmy¡¯s big, luxurious bed, the cool sheets nice against my skin.


    I lay on my back, and Emmy lay on her side, cuddled against me with her head on my shoulder. She cupped and held my breast, rubbing the nipple with her thumb. She wasn¡¯t trying to arouse me for more sex, I decided, but just enjoying the feel under her hand. I enjoyed it too, but it certainly wasn¡¯t helping me fall asleep, I can assure you.


    After a bit she stopped, but didn¡¯t take her hand off my boob. Listening to her breathing, I realized she¡¯d fallen asleep, so I tried to do the same.

 The Next Morning

    The next morning my phone¡¯s alarm clock went off, reminding me that I had work in an hour and a half. Groggily, I hunted around until I found my undies in that giant bed of Emmy¡¯s. She was out cold, so I kissed her bare back, marveling once more at her silky smooth paper-thin skin and the hard muscles underneath. I kissed her again, this time on the nape of her neck, smelling her jasmine perfume. God, she even smelled fantastic. Touching her, smelling her like that, I was struck by how happy I felt, how warm inside. There was not one tiny bit of regret for what we¡¯d done in that big bed of Emmy¡¯s the night before.


    Standing under the hot water in her cavernous shower, I chuckled to myself at the bottle of familiar shampoo. Emmy had gotten it for me so I¡¯d have the things I liked and was comfortable with, not realizing that the only reason we bought that particular brand was because it worked O.K. and was cheap. Skipping the bargain priced stuff, I used Emmy¡¯s shampoo and body wash. I have no idea how much they cost or even where you could buy the French-labeled bath products, but I knew immediately that they were worth the price. My hair felt so clean and glossy under my hands, and my body tingled in a wonderful way.


    I turned off the water all too soon. I¡¯d enjoyed that shower and hated to see it end, but it had to, eventually. As I turned to exit, I saw Emmy in the stall¡¯s doorway. She was standing there, silently watching me. I yelped with surprise, covering myself with my hands. My reflexes were faster than my brain, I realized almost immediately. I mean, we¡¯d been naked when we made love together in bed, and Emmy didn¡¯t have a stitch on as she stood there, so why was I being so shy? Blushing, I uncovered myself.


    ¡°How long were you watching?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not long enough,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°You are so beautiful I could watch you all day.¡± She walked into the shower stall and handed me a big, thick towel, which was warm to the touch. She stood on her tiptoes to give me a kiss, then asked ¡°Would you like to watch me?¡± If I hadn¡¯t already been blushing, that would have turned me redder than a tomato.


    ¡°Uh, no, that¡¯s all right,¡± I mumbled as I scooted out of there, feeling uncomfortable. I was dressed by the time she finished her shower. ¡°Em, we need to get going soon. I need to stop by my place to change clothes.¡±


    ¡°O.K. I will get ready quickly. Would you like breakfast before we go?¡±


    I kept expecting to feel guilt or shame for what Emmy and I had done, but it just didn¡¯t happen. In fact, every time I did think back (which was admittedly quite often) I felt a warm, delicious glow. The smell of Emmy¡¯s perfume, the feel of her silky skin against mine, the taste of her lips, the soft sounds she made... it was all just too good to feel anything other than euphoric.


    At work at the nursery, Uncle Bob asked me why I was in such a good mood.


    ¡°I guess I just woke up on the right side of the bed this morning,¡± was all I replied.


    ¡°Judging by the silly smile on your face, my guess is you weren¡¯t the only one who woke up in that bed this morning,¡± he teased.


    Clasping my hands to my mouth and acting scandalized, I replied ¡°How could you ever say such a thing!¡± but my laughter betrayed me. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Just some days you feel good, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ah, the sweet days of youth,¡± Bob said to the sky. ¡°How do I miss thee.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. You¡¯re not even thirty years old! You do triathlons. I don¡¯t think the ¡®sweetness of youth¡¯ has passed you by just yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe not, now that you put it that way,¡± he replied, with that grin that lit up his blue eyes and reminded me so much of my father. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get some trees unloaded.¡±


    Although working at Uncle Bob¡¯s nursery was hard work, I enjoyed it. Bob and his wife Alicia were really good to work for and they paid me more than I was ever going to get at the frozen yogurt place. In fact, they paid me more than I was worth, to be totally honest. It was a good (but hot) summer job, and they were happy to give me any days I wanted during spring and Christmas breaks, too.


    Emmy¡¯s car was waiting by the office when I was done with my shift. I felt that silly smile Bob had teased me about spread over my face. I did my best to compose myself before he saw it, and I think I succeeded. I hoped I wasn¡¯t grinning like an idiot, anyway.


    I went in to the office to clean up and saw Emmy was talking to Aunt Alicia. ¡°Emmy here tells me that you¡¯re going to Stanford next fall. Congratulations!¡± Alicia said.


    ¡°What? No, Emmy¡¯s jumping the gun. I¡¯ve applied, that¡¯s all. They still have to accept me.¡±


    ¡°Of course they will accept you!¡± Emmy said. ¡°How could they say no?¡±


    ¡°You have more confidence than I have,¡± I said, as I went through the door to the employees¡¯ break room, where my locker held my clean clothes. I washed up really fast, then rejoined Alicia and Emmy in the front office. I didn¡¯t want Emmy to tell Alicia anything that I might regret later.


    ¡°Shall we go? I asked Emmy.


    ¡°But of course!¡± she chirped, and we said goodbye to Alicia and Bob (who had entered the office while I was washing up) and left.


    Once in the car, I asked ¡°Em, when are your parents coming back?¡±


    ¡°The thirteenth, I think,¡± she responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s over three weeks away!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re on your own that whole time?¡±


    ¡°I am not exactly on my own,¡± she objected. ¡°Half the staff is still at the house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same. What are you doing for Christmas?¡±


    ¡°I had not thought about it. In my family, Christmas isn¡¯t an important day.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t celebrate Christmas?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°Well, it¡¯s settled then. You¡¯re having Christmas at our house.¡± I said it with finality, making it clear that it wasn¡¯t up for debate. ¡°In fact, you¡¯re spending Christmas Eve, too.¡±


    With a look of amusement on her charcoal black face, she asked ¡°That leaves tonight. Oh, what shall I do tonight?¡± she asked melodramatically, in a pitch-perfect English aristocratic accent, holding the back of her hand to her head as if she were about to faint like a lady in a costume drama set in Victorian times.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± I said in surprise. ¡°You can do accents? What happened to your French accent?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can do accents, my dear lady,¡± Emmy relied in that same perfect Queen¡¯s English. ¡°Would you prefer me to speak this way all of the time? For you, I shall, if you so desire.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°I like your French accent better. It¡¯s more ¡®you¡¯ somehow.¡±


    She laughed, too. ¡°Accents is fun, y¡¯know?¡± she asked in a hillbilly voice this time. ¡°Iss funny ta see how ev¡¯rbuddy reax when I talk differnt.¡±


    ¡°O.K, O.K., knock it off already!¡±


    Emmy just laughed. ¡°If yew insiss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask my mom if you can stay tonight, too. You shouldn¡¯t have to stay by yourself. That¡¯s just not right.¡±


    Mom and Tiff were already home when we got there. When I asked Mom if Emmy could stay with us for a few days over Christmas, Tiff exploded with enthusiasm over the idea. She was so excited by the idea of Emmy staying at our house I was afraid she would wet herself. She was jumping and squeaking, zooming around Mom like some kind of demented elf on a sugar high.


    Mom really had no way to say no when faced with an assault like Tiff¡¯s. It helped that Mom liked Emmy, of course, and when I played the guilt card (¡°Her parents have gone to Paris, so there¡¯s nobody home for her to have Christmas with¡±) it was a done deal.


    When Mom agreed that Emmy could stay with us for a few days, Emmy was very grateful. ¡°Thank you very much, Mrs. Farmer. It is very kind of you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formality, Emmy. Call me Sandra. Lee told me that your family is very formal, but here is a different story. Speaking of your house, do you need to go to your house to get some clothes?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Thank you for reminding me.¡±


    ¡°If you go now, dinner should be just about ready by the time you come back,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°That is a good idea. Leah, would you like to come?¡± Emmy asked, but Mom said ¡°If Leah¡¯s going to have a guest over, she needs to do some cleaning to get her room ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go! Can I go, Mom?¡± asked Tiff, bouncing in her eagerness to see Emmy¡¯s house.


    ¡°Would that be O.K.?¡± Mom asked Emmy.


    ¡°But of course! I would love to show my house to Tiffany,¡± Emmy replied, and off the two went.


    As soon as Emmy¡¯s car pulled out of the lot, I asked Mom ¡°What¡¯s up? Why were you in such a hurry to get rid of Emmy?¡±


    ¡°Lee, we need to talk about this,¡± she began, and I could immediately see the way this conversation was going. I wanted no part of it, either.


    ¡°I know the two of you are excited to be in a new relationship. I can understand that.¡± Ignoring my groan of protest, she continued. ¡°When we last discussed this, you told me that you two weren¡¯t physically intimate.¡±


    ¡°Oh, jeeze, Mom,¡± I complained. ¡°Do we have to talk about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems we do. I just want to be sure that the two of you are being careful, with your health as well as emotionally.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I would hope that the health part is obvious. Even though neither of you can get pregnant, safe sex is still important.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? You¡¯re worried I might get some kind of V.D.?¡± I protested, my face growing redder by the moment. ¡°Even if we were having that kind of relationship, you don¡¯t have to worry. She was a virgin. The chance of her having anything communicable is zero.¡± After the words slipped out I desperately prayed that Mom wouldn¡¯t catch on to what I¡¯d just dropped.


    ¡°H.I.V. isn¡¯t only transmitted through intercourse. You know that,¡± Mom chided, staying calm even as I was freaking out. Apparently she hadn¡¯t noticed my unfortunate choice in words. ¡°All I am saying is, I want you to be careful.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t an issue, Mom. Can we just drop it?¡± I was pretty upset by this time. This was absolutely not what I wanted to be talking to my mom about at all, but she wasn¡¯t ready to drop it.


    ¡°Lee, I also want you to think about the ramifications of a physical relationship.¡± I noticed that she was avoiding just coming out and saying ¡®having sex¡¯, but it was just as clear. ¡°You two are young, and sometimes these things seem to mean the entire world when you¡¯re young. All I ask is that you try to keep a perspective on things.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me you think that me and Emmy being in love is a mistake? Is that it?¡± I demanded. ¡°Because it¡¯s not. She¡¯s sweet, beautiful, talented, and she loves me. It makes me happy just to think about her. It makes me happy to see her. When she isn¡¯t around, I keep thinking about when I¡¯m going to see her next. If that isn¡¯t right, I have no fucking idea what is.¡± I was practically yelling at this point, I was so worked up. ¡°So don¡¯t tell me what to do, or who to love.¡±


    ¡°Lee, please watch your language. There is no call for that in this house.¡± Her reprimand was spoken just as evenly as everything else Mom had said so far, and I think that¡¯s what made it so effective.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°But that isn¡¯t what I meant, either. The point I was trying to make is that there is more for you to deal with in your life right now than just this relationship, no matter how it seems right now. There¡¯s still the rest of the school year, college applications, even your work with Bob and at the yogurt place. You need to keep it in perspective.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I admitted, giving in to Mom¡¯s onslaught of sensible advice. ¡°But I¡¯m doing well in school, working as many hours as I can at the nursery during winter break, and keeping up with my workouts. I don¡¯t see myself as losing perspective,¡± I said defensively. ¡°In fact, it seems to me I¡¯m doing pretty damned well. And part of that is my relationship with my-¡° I was about to say ¡®girlfriend¡¯ but that sounded weird in my mind, so I changed it to ¡°with Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are doing well right now. All I want is for you to keep doing well, and not let your relationship be a distraction.¡± With that, Mom was finished. ¡°Now go get your room ready. I¡¯m assuming that you two will want to sleep together?¡±


    ¡°When you say it like that it sounds¡­ I don¡¯t know. Just not right, somehow,¡± I grumbled. ¡°But yeah, I was thinking that Emmy would stay with me in my room.¡±


    By the time Emmy and Tiff came back, I¡¯d straightened up my room and cleaned up the living room and hall bath, too. I didn¡¯t want Mom to have anything to complain about. I figured that the fewer justifications she could have to complain about having Emmy over the better. I wanted to make this as perfect as I possibly could.


    I was sound asleep, Emmy nestled in my arms, when the bedroom door opened. The sound jolted me awake to see Tiff silhouetted in the dim light from the doorway.


    ¡°Lee- Leah? Can I stay with you?¡± she asked, in a little voice.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± asked Emmy, climbing out of bed. I could see her white hair, camisole and P.J. shorts but in the darkness I couldn¡¯t make out her legs and arms at all because her skin was so black. She just kind of disappeared in the darkness. It was kind of weird, seeing what seemed to be floating clothes in the dark room. As Emmy got to where Tiff stood in the doorway I could finally make her out completely, dispelling the image of the invisible girl I had in my mind.


    ¡°I had a bad dream,¡± Tiff replied, a slight sob in her voice.


    ¡°Let us go back to your room and you can tell me all about it,¡± Emmy said, in her most soothing voice. She took Tiff¡¯s hand and led her away, leaving my door open. I heard the two as they talked in quiet voices in Tiff¡¯s room (the door must be open, I thought). Soon, I heard Emmy start to sing to Tiff. She sang gently and quietly, and I couldn¡¯t quite make it out. A little bit later Emmy returned and climbed back into bed.


    ¡°Thanks. She gets bad dreams a lot.¡±


    ¡°She is too young to have to face fears like that,¡± Emmy said. Then, changing gears, she added ¡°She is so precious. You are lucky to have a sister like her.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel lucky when she wakes me up in the middle of the night,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Oh, but you are. I wish I had a little sister just like her. I would spoil her rotten if she were mine.¡±


    ¡°Feel free,¡± I replied, just wanting to get back to sleep. As Emmy snuggled back up against me I felt a kiss, making me smile as I drifted off to sleep.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The next morning, I woke up early to get ready for work. Emmy was still sound asleep when I returned from my shower. A moment of deja vu hit me, recalling the first time she¡¯d slept in my bed. I¡¯d been so confused then, so unsure of what Emmy and I were to each other, and what it meant about me that I couldn¡¯t even deal with it.


    Now, a month later, I realized it didn¡¯t mean anything. Well, anything other than that I loved her, and she loved me. That¡¯s all. Of course, when I say ¡°that¡¯s all¡± I mean that to me, it means everything.


    Emmy stayed asleep as I got dressed and ready for the day at the nursery. Alicia had asked if I could come in even though it was Christmas Eve, and I¡¯d agreed because I needed the money. That was before I¡¯d asked Emmy to spend the time with us, but no way could I bail on Alicia and Bob with such short notice.


    I kissed Emmy goodbye, waking her up to tell her I was leaving. She just looked confused in that ¡®it¡¯s too early for my eyes to focus¡¯ way, and then put her head back down and went back to sleep, as amazingly beautiful as can be.


    Work was way busier than I¡¯d expected. It surprised me how many people bought Christmas trees on Christmas Eve.


    ¡°It¡¯s the twelve days of Christmas,¡± Bob explained. ¡°They actually start tomorrow, on the 25<sup>th</sup>. Some people still celebrate that way.¡±


    Emmy called at about ten o¡¯clock. ¡°I have not gotten presents for Tiffany or your mother. I know what I want to get for your sister, but what is an appropriate gift for your mother?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, hello to you, too,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Oh- good morning, Leah¡± she replied in a sheepish tone. I heard a kissing noise. ¡°I wish you had woken me up before you left.¡±


    ¡°I did. I told you I was going to work, but you just went back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Anyhow, to answer your question, she likes books. Especially thriller novels. It¡¯s kinda funny, because she teaches English composition, but she loves trashy thrillers.¡±


    ¡°O.K., that is what I will get for her, then. Can I pick you up after work?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be great. I get off at four.¡±


    Working in the greenhouse that afternoon, I had some peace and quiet to think about things. By ¡®things¡¯ I mean Emmy and me. I realized that sleeping together in the same bed, then waking up to go to work like I had, her calling me, planning on picking me up after work- this was all like a real grown-up type relationship. With Chris, it had been about holding hands and making out when we had a few hours of privacy before our parents got home. In other words, a stereotypical teenage relationship. But with Emmy, it was beginning to feel very, very different. I was starting to see the shape of how things could be for us. We could have our own place together, as a couple. We could go shopping for furniture together, and watch late night TV snuggled up on our own couch. When it came time to visit her parents (or Mom and Tiff) we could do so together, because we wouldn¡¯t be hiding what we were from them.


    Thinking about a possible life with Emmy gave me a rush of excitement and a sort of nervous giddiness, until my thoughts wandered to college. Emmy was so convinced we¡¯d both be together at Stanford, but I had my doubts. Maybe her good grades and tons of money could ensure her being accepted there, but I didn¡¯t have tons of money. I mean, the V Ball coach had made it seem as if he could get me in, but if I couldn¡¯t get enough scholarship money there was no way I could ever afford a top private university. It just wasn¡¯t in the cards.


    If I couldn¡¯t get in or afford to go, would Emmy be willing to skip Stanford to go to Cal State Long Beach with me? I just couldn¡¯t see it. Her parents had her life so programmed, so planned out. As far as they were concerned, it was a Stanford MBA for their little princess, and nothing less would do. And anyway, what would I major in? A year or two of general ed at a state school while figuring out what I wanted to be when I grew up was O.K. and all, but a school like Stanford was going to be way too challenging and competitive to waste any time at all. Not to mention way too expensive¡­


    I was getting all bummed out thinking about my college future, wondering how I was going to deal with the costs and demands that will be expected of me when my phone rang, startling me so badly I dropped the fern I was carrying.


    It was Alicia, calling to find out where I was. ¡°Lee, your friend Emmy is here in the office. Where are you, anyway? Bob told me he hasn¡¯t seen you for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh, jeeze. I guess I lost track of the time. I¡¯ve been here in the south greenhouse,¡± I said, holding the phone with my shoulder while I swept the soil back into the pot with my gloved hands.


    ¡°Well, four o¡¯clock was almost half an hour ago,¡± Alicia replied. ¡°Your ride is waiting. Finish whatever it is you¡¯re doing and get your butt over here.¡±


    When I got to the office Emmy was waiting by her car, holding a pretty little white poinsettia in a gold foil-wrapped pot. She held it up, and said ¡°Alicia told me that these are traditional Christmas gifts. I am taking this for your mother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love it,¡± I replied. I knew full well that Mom wasn¡¯t the ¡®holiday spirit¡¯ kind of person, but I was reasonably sure she¡¯d appreciate the gesture. ¡°Just give me a moment to get cleaned up,¡± I said as I headed into the office.


    ¡°I will wait out here,¡± Emmy replied, loading the flowerpot into the back of her Mini. I saw that there were some wrapped packages back there as well.


    Driving back to my place, I asked ¡°So what did you do today, dear?¡± The phrase was intentionally domestic, reflecting my afternoon¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°Tiffany and I watched the Muppet Movie, then I did some shopping. After that it was time to pick you up from work. That was my day,¡± she replied, blissfully unaware of the mental turmoil I¡¯d been in for the last few hours.


    When we got home I helped Emmy carry in the poinsettia and the three Christmas presents. Mine was a good-sized box, Tiff¡¯s was quite small, and Mom¡¯s was, well, book-sized, but kinda light. We placed the gifts under the tree, but left the poinsettia on the landing next to our front door.


    Mom and Tiff weren¡¯t home, so Emmy had some time to herself to practice the guitar while I showered and cleaned off the work that had followed me home. I liked working with plants, but the thing is- they grow in dirt. It¡¯s unavoidable. It meant two showers a day, which did my skin no favors.


    When I finished my shower, I heard voices- Mom and Tiff had gotten home. I could hear Emmy still playing Dad¡¯s old guitar, too. Somehow, I found it all very comforting. I could just make out the song Emmy was playing- it was Kermit¡¯s song from the Muppet Movie, the one he sings about rainbows. As many times as Tiff has watched that movie I really should know the songs by heart, but somehow I don¡¯t. I guess it didn¡¯t take Emmy long to learn Kermit¡¯s song, which I found amazing. I mean, she¡¯d just heard it for the first time that morning, right?


    When I walked into the living room, Emmy and Tiff were on the couch- Tiff was sitting on Emmy¡¯s lap, holding the too-big guitar while Emmy reached around her to show her how to finger the frets. I joined Mom in the kitchen offering to help with dinner.


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve got it under control,¡± she replied. ¡°You know what you could do, though? You could do some dishes. That¡¯d be a real help.¡±


    We didn¡¯t talk as we worked. We were both listening to Emmy teaching Tiff a few simple melodies she could manage with her little hands.


    After a while, Mom said to me in a low voice that wouldn¡¯t carry to the living room ¡°She really is amazing, Lee. It¡¯s hard to believe anybody could be so¡­¡± she trailed off, looking for the right word.


    ¡°Perfect?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, that works. It wasn¡¯t exactly what I was trying to say, but I guess it does a good job of describing Emmy. She¡¯s almost unbelievable, how ¡®perfect¡¯ she is all the time. She¡¯s pretty, charming, polite, all the things you wish teenagers could be but never are.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Mom,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to be serious, Lee. Emmy seems too good to be true. I keep waiting for the bad news. I keep feeling it has to be there somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why it does. I mean, why can¡¯t she be just the way she seems?¡±


    ¡°She probably is,¡± admitted Mom. ¡°It¡¯s just hard to imagine anybody like her in today¡¯s world. She¡¯s like some kind of Disney princess come to life.¡±


    ¡°I told you her parents call her that, haven¡¯t I?¡± I asked. ¡°Princess, I mean. I never once heard them use her name. When they spoke to her, they called her ¡®Princess¡¯, and when they referred to Emmy when talking to me, they called her ''The Princess.¡¯ I thought it was cute, but Emmy didn¡¯t seem to like it. Actually, everybody at her house calls her Princess. The housekeepers, the cook, everybody.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you go,¡± Mom replied. ¡°Of course, Disney princesses all have some kind of curse on them¡­¡± she said, absentmindedly.


    Later, when Tiff was done with her bath, she asked ¡°Can Emmy sleep with me tonight?¡± with a hopeful expression.


    ¡°Oh, Tiffany! I cannot sleep with you!¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Why not?¡± demanded Tiff, pouting.


    ¡°Your bed is too little! There is no way I could fit,¡± Emmy responded. Her white teeth shone in her pitch-black face as she smiled broadly. ¡°But I will sing you a lullaby. How would that be?¡±


    Tiff thought about it for a moment, then gave in. ¡°O.K., but you¡¯ll check for monsters too, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I will. I do not want any monsters to eat you before I do.¡±


    With a serious expression, Tiff demanded ¡°But you said your people don¡¯t eat kids any more?¡±


    ¡°No, that is true. We do not eat children any more. I was just teasing you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me. I knew you were just saying that.¡± With a triumphant air as if she¡¯d just won a Presidential debate, Tiff led Emmy to her bedroom, pulling her by the hand.


    When Emmy shut the door behind her Mom took the opportunity to listen quietly by the door. I could hear low voices, then Emmy started to sing. I couldn¡¯t make out what it was she was singing, but I have to admit it did sound soothing.


    Satisfied, Mom came back to the kitchen. ¡°It seems both my daughters are crazy about the Princess.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I replied. ¡°Mom-¡± I started to say, but then clammed up, unsure how to proceed.


    ¡°Yes?¡± asked Mom, as she carried her laptop over to the table.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just- I mean, today I was thinking. About Emmy and me.¡±


    ¡°What exactly were you thinking?¡± she asked, looking at me over the opened screen of the computer.


    I may as well get it out, I thought, so I plunged ahead. ¡°I was thinking that maybe the two of us could have a future together. I had, like, this vision of the two of us, with our own apartment. It felt right, somehow.¡±


    ¡°Lee, honey,¡± Mom said, sighing. ¡°In a few months you¡¯re going to graduate from high school. Then, before either of us is ready, it¡¯ll be time for you to go off to college. Soon after that you¡¯re going to legally become an adult. My best advice to you is to enjoy this last bit of adolescence. There¡¯s no need to take things too seriously at this point in your life.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s just it, Mom,¡± I responded a little hotly. ¡°I am just about to take on life as an adult. And this, with her,¡± I said, waving in the direction of Tiff¡¯s room, ¡°well, it feels like an adult relationship. This just doesn¡¯t feel like some teenage crush. What I feel for Emmy isn¡¯t just puppy love. It¡¯s real, Mom, and it makes me happy. Emmy makes me happy. When I¡¯m with her I feel¡­¡± I trailed off, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Lee¡­ it always feels that way to teenagers. I¡¯m not saying that to demean what the two of you have, but-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a phase, right?¡± I snapped. ¡°That¡¯s what you were going to say, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No, no, honey. That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Mom said, trying to soothe my irritation. ¡°What I was trying to say is that you two have your lives to live. You¡¯re young, and trying to be an adult too soon is a mistake.¡±


    Any further discussion on the matter was shelved when we heard Emmy emerge from Tiff¡¯s room.


    ¡°Is she asleep? Mom asked.


    ¡°Yes. Tiffany is sleeping peacefully. I hope she has only good dreams tonight.¡±


    ¡°I know I will,¡± I said. ¡°For some reason I always sleep like a log on Christmas Eve.¡±


    The next morning, Tiff barged into my room at approximately half an hour before any reasonable time to get up. ¡°Wake up! It¡¯s Christmas! Get up!¡±


    I rubbed my eyes, wondering how that little kid could be so bright-eyed and bushy tailed so damned early in the morning. Emmy cracked her eyes open a little bit, and waved Tiff to come over. When Tiff came over to the side of the bed, Emmy put her arms out for a hug, which Tiffany was happy to return.


    ¡°Good morning, Tiffany. How did you sleep last night?¡±


    ¡°I slept great! I didn¡¯t even have any bad dreams!¡± Tiff answered. ¡°Now you two need to get up so we can open presents!¡±


    ¡°O.K., O.K.,¡± I grumbled, sitting up. Emmy was slowly climbing out of bed, not looking ready to face the day at all. Somehow, though, even in her sleepy just-got-out-of-bed state she managed to look beautiful as she did her leisurely cat-like stretch. I don¡¯t know how she did it, but Emmy didn¡¯t even have a hint of bed hair. I¡¯m sure I looked frightening, but there was nothing to do about it. Tiff¡¯s insistence was not to be denied.


    We stumbled into the living room, Emmy in her camisole and PJ shorts, me in my oversized T-shirt and boxers. Mom was up and dressed, making pancakes. The smell was wonderful. ¡°Mom, is there any coffee?¡± I asked, hopefully.


    ¡°No, sorry. You¡¯ll have to wake up naturally.¡±


    ¡°But I want to wake up artificially!¡± I whined, making Mom laugh.


    ¡°Presents! Now!¡± Tiff demanded, making Mom smile. Emmy and I followed Tiff into the living room, where the lights on the tree lit up the still dim space. It made me feel good, so warm and comfortable in the family surroundings, with Emmy holding my hand. I realized that this was the first PDA we¡¯d done since Emmy came to stay with us for the holidays. I had been avoiding any gestures of affection for Emmy in front of Mom and Tiff just to keep Mom from saying anything, but holding hands couldn¡¯t hurt, could it? I decided that I didn¡¯t care if Mom didn¡¯t like it. Emmy was my girlfriend, and she was just going to have to accept it.


    The first thing Tiff did was look at the labels and distribute all the presents. She had her pile, which was at least twice as large as the rest of ours combined. I had a few things, including that big box from Emmy. Mom had a few, and Emmy had just one present- a little bitty box from me.


    Tiff, before she opened any presents, went over to Emmy and said ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get you a present. I didn¡¯t know you were going to be here for Christmas. All I have for you is this,¡± and she gave Emmy a big, long hug, then shyly handed her a folded up piece of paper. Emmy unfolded it and gasped softly, putting her hand to her mouth. After a few moments, she turned it so I could see the drawing Tiff had done of Emmy and me holding hands under a yellow sun. Emmy returned the hug, and as they parted, she gave Tiffany a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°That was a wonderful gift, Tiffany. Thank you very much.¡±


    It was all too cute for me, and I had to fight the sentimental tears welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°I want you to stay with us all the time,¡± Tiff said to Emmy. ¡°I want you to marry Leah and move in with us.¡±


    I was shocked by this, and I saw a look of surprise on Mom¡¯s face, too. She tried to cover it up as quickly as she could, but there was no mistaking it.


    ¡°That is very sweet of you to say, Tiffany,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Leah and I have not discussed marriage yet. It is still too early for that. But if we do, will you be our flower girl?¡±


    The idea seemed to thrill Tiff, and she excitedly agreed.


    Mom broke in at that point. ¡°Now, Emmy, don¡¯t get Tiffy too worked up. She doesn¡¯t really understand the whole concept at her age. Besides, talk of marriage at this point is far too premature. Let¡¯s just think about today, and put all this aside.¡±


    I knew what Mom was doing- she was trying to keep a lid on our relationship, but not denying it existed. She was way too liberal to actually say anything negative about me being with another girl, and most definitely not in front of Tiff. She was too old-fashioned, though, to really be comfortable with the idea. I suspected I was going to have to deal with this sort of passive-aggressive acceptance/denial for a long time. It wasn¡¯t going to go away on its own.


    Tiff¡¯s presents were the usual assortment of horse figurines, stuffed animals, books and so on that she always got from the relatives. The surprise was the gift from Emmy, a tiny little iPod about the size of a large postage stamp. It had an itty-bitty touch screen, and the back was a metallic pink color.


    ¡°I put some music on it already. I picked out songs I think you will like,¡± Emmy explained.


    Mom seemed a little bothered by this gift. I figured she was going to have something to say later, probably about it being too expensive for a seven-year-old. No way would she say it in front of Tiff, though.


    The big box Emmy had given me turned out to be a new laptop computer. Big but amazingly light with its aluminum case, it had every bell and whistle possible. I was stunned. ¡°Em,¡± I protested. ¡°This must have cost a fortune. You shouldn¡¯t have spent this kind of money on me.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± She looked honestly puzzled at my complaint.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­ too much. Seriously. I can¡¯t take this. It¡¯s way to much.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± Emmy said sternly. ¡°You need a new computer for college, after all. Buying the best now means that you will not need another for years. This is not just a simple gift. It is also an investment in your future. And the cost, well, it is not an issue as far as I am concerned. I had the money, and this is how I wanted to spend it.¡± With this, Emmy clearly considered the matter over. I was sure Mom didn¡¯t think so, and we were no doubt going to ¡®have a talk¡¯ later. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to it, but tried to put it out of my mind and get back to enjoying Christmas.


    Tiff, who had opened the package the little iPod came in, was dancing around listening to the music Emmy had put on it for her. She was singing loudly and off-key to a Beatles song about getting old and going bald, which was pretty comical for a seven-year-old girl to sing. Emmy was laughing and clapping her hands, and it seemed as if even Mom was enjoying the sight. I felt Emmy¡¯s hand slip into mine, and I gave it a squeeze. Yeah, this could just be it, I thought. Emmy made me feel so warm and comfortable, so incredibly good. If this could go on forever I¡¯d be a happy girl.


    I held out the small present I had for Emmy, and leaning in, gave her a little kiss on the lips. Heck, If Tiff thinks we¡¯re going to get married, then she certainly isn¡¯t going to be bothered by seeing me and Emmy kiss each other, right?


    ¡°Open it,¡± I said, a bit shyly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t compare to what you got me, but I hope you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    Emmy carefully unwrapped the small velvet box, then looked up at me. She was so charmingly nervous about what might be inside that I couldn¡¯t help but grin like an idiot. ¡°Open it!¡± I urged, impatient.


    Flipping the lid open, the look of surprise and wonder on her inky black face was immediately followed by one of complete happiness, telling me that my gift wasn¡¯t too, I don¡¯t know, presumptuous or something. Emmy took the little silver ring and slipped it on her middle finger, and admired the clear green stone.


    ¡°Oh Leah,¡± she breathed. ¡°Oh, Leah.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t afford an emerald, so that¡¯s actually a green garnet,¡± I explained, somewhat apologetically. ¡°And I wanted to get you a gold ring, but¡­¡± My words were cut off when Emmy threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly, giving me a big, no-mistake-about-it-we-are-lovers kiss. No PDAs in front of the family, right? I guess not so much. Emmy finally let me take a breath when Mom coughed meaningfully, her none too subtle way of letting us know that she wasn¡¯t so O.K. with us making out on the couch.


    We unwrapped ourselves from each other, sheepish looks on our faces. Tiff was still dancing around, listening to her new iPod, and Mom was unwrapping the present that Emmy had gotten her, which turned out to be an e-book reader, the new one with the color screen. There was also a gift card for a hundred dollars worth of downloads. Mom looked as if she were going to start her ¡®this is way too expensive¡¯ protests again, but when I caught her eye I gave her a quick little shake of my head to let her know she should drop it. ¡®Later¡¯ I mouthed, and she got the hint. I didn¡¯t want anything to ruin the day, and an argument in front of Tiff was a sure way to do it.


    I knew that as soon as Tiff and Emmy were out of earshot I¡¯d have to deal with Mom¡¯s unhappiness about the costly gifts, but for now, I just wanted peace on Earth. Well, peace in our little house, anyway.


    Tiff had flopped down next to Emmy to ask about something on her new iPod, and Emmy was explaining that she had to be very careful not to lose it, so it had to be restricted to use in the house only. No taking it to school or listening while playing outside.


    I was busy with my new laptop, setting up the Wi-Fi connection. Listening with one ear to Emmy talking with Tiff, again it struck me how amazingly domestic and absolutely heart warming a scene the two presented. Tiff adored Emmy, and it certainly seemed as if Emmy felt the same about my little sister.


    Emmy had quickly become one of the family and both Tiff and I were glad of it. Mom, well, she still needed more time.


    The rest of the morning went well. Mom stayed away from the topic of expensive gifts, and I sure wasn¡¯t going to bring it up. Instead, we talked about nothing important during breakfast and clean up afterwards. Still, there was an elephant in the room, and both Mom and I knew it. Thankfully, Emmy and Tiff seemed completely oblivious.

 Life Moves On

    Emmy stayed at my house for the rest of the Christmas break. We went back to her house every now and then to get her fresh clothes and check that everything was going O.K. at the estate, but other than that our routine was the same as it had been that first day. I went to work at the nursery during the day, while Emmy stayed home with Tiff and Mom. She would show up at work to pick me up and take me home, where we would have dinner with the family. We went down to San Diego a few times to see movies or go shopping, but for the most part we were just homebodies. I got very used to the lifestyle in no time at all. With every day that passed I knew with greater certainty that this was the way I wanted my life to be.


    Tiff was over the moon, too. She absolutely adored Emmy, and Emmy was so sweet to my little sister that even Mom had to agree that having Emmy stay with us was a very good thing.


    Every day was better than the last. Being around Emmy so much just confirmed my feelings and made it very clear I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I wanted it so bad I could taste it. Emmy, for her part, seemed happier than I¡¯d ever seen her. She had settled in to the household routine, and even as small as our apartment was compared to her own gigantic home, she seemed content with her new working-class lifestyle.


    Every time she picked me up from work it gave me a little thrill to know that she was waiting for me, looking forward to our evenings together. I certainly know that seeing her waiting for me by the nursery office at four o¡¯clock brightened my day by one thousand per cent every single time.


    In fact, that little warm feeling I got inside got to be a very common experience. Seeing Emmy and Tiff on the couch reading together made me melt inside. Seeing Emmy¡¯s sleepy face in the morning when I got up to go to work flooded me with emotions that were almost too big for my body to contain, and watching her undress for bed made me feel a mixture of lust for her incredible hard little body, giddy anticipation that she was about to climb into my bed, and pride that she was mine and nobody else¡¯s. Sleeping in that tiny bed, our bodies snuggled up against each other, was as wonderful as anything in my life had ever been and I knew I would do anything to stay that way forever.


    It wasn¡¯t all perfect, living in that little apartment with Mom and Tiff. Emmy and I had to be quiet at night, for one thing. Although my room was at the opposite end of the hall from Mom¡¯s, the hall just wasn¡¯t very long at all. Once Emmy sang Tiff her lullaby every night she was out like a light, but Emmy and I still couldn¡¯t be sure that Tiff wouldn¡¯t barge into my room in the middle of the night and catch us making love, so we kept it to kissing, snuggling and some groping in our sleepwear.


    One day we got busted leaving the bathroom together after a particularly hot and steamy shower. Mom and Tiff weren¡¯t home when we got back to the house after my work, so we took the opportunity for a little soapy time and didn¡¯t hear Tiff and Mom return.


    ¡°Did you guys just take a shower together?¡± Tiff asked as we exited the bathroom, to my surprise and embarrassment.


    Emmy, perfectly calm, explained it to Tiff. ¡°Tiffany, when you take a bath, you enjoy it when your mother washes your hair, do you not? It is the same for me. I adore it when Leah washes my hair, so that is why we showered together.¡± This seemed reasonable to Tiffany, but I heard Mom snicker to herself in the kitchen. I¡¯m sure my face was red, but Tiffany didn¡¯t notice. Mom didn¡¯t say anything then, but at dinner that night she asked ¡°Isn¡¯t the shower a bit small for the two of you?¡± just to watch me squirm with embarrassment.


    The third of January rolled around way too soon- I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the start of school at all. The last week and a half with Emmy staying at my house had been wonderful, but I knew that returning to school would be a nasty shock to the system. Oh, well, back to the same old grind. Only two terms of high school left and then it was goodbye and so long, FHS. I couldn¡¯t afford to let my grades hit the senior slide yet, so my negative attitude was a bad sign. It isn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t like school, it¡¯s just that Christmas break had been the best time of my life and now it was over.


    Pulling Emmy¡¯s Mini into the parking lot, I felt an odd sense of dread at returning to the regularly scheduled programming. Emmy didn¡¯t seem to have any such reservations, though. She seemed as cheerful as ever as she grabbed her backpack from the back seat.


    Sighing, I shouldered my backpack to follow Emmy to Home Room. Walking towards the main gate, I saw Janice Weaver give me a ¡®come over here¡¯ wave. Telling Emmy I¡¯d catch up, I went to see what Janice wanted.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she began, clearly nervous, looking around to see who was watching.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked, puzzled by her behavior.


    ¡°Did you check Facebook last night?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m not really all that into it. I mean, I only check every now and then.¡±


    ¡°Well, you ought to check it out ASAP. Seriously.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K. It¡¯ll have to wait until I get home tonight, though,¡± I replied, wondering what the big deal was.


    ¡°Check it on your phone. Right now,¡± Janice insisted.


    ¡°My phone? I can¡¯t. All I¡¯ve got is an old Nokia that doesn¡¯t do anything like that,¡± I said, a bit embarrassed to be behind the times. Truth is, it never really bothered me to not play Angry Birds or check my email on my phone, but I know it makes me seem like some kind of throwback.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Well, here. Use mine,¡± Janice said, thrusting her smart phone into my hands, then when I fumbled with it unsure what to do she grabbed it back and brought Facebook up. She scrolled through the posts, and found what she wanted me to see.


    ¡°It¡¯s a video. Press play,¡± she demanded.


    I touched the screen, and there in small but reasonably clear view was a video of Emmy and me kissing by the movie theater in San Diego where we¡¯d gone to see Black Swan the afternoon before.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± I whispered, as the two tiny figures in the video held each other in what was obviously a lover¡¯s embrace. I looked at the comments, and there were a lot of them. A whole lot. It seemed as if half the school had had something to say about it, and plenty of it wasn¡¯t very nice.


    ¡°Yeah, ¡®oh shit¡¯ is right. You are so outed, Leah. You and Emmy. I just wanted you to know what you¡¯re walking into today,¡± Janice said. ¡°You and me, we¡¯ve never really been close, but we¡¯ve known each other for a long time, and I thought you¡¯d want to see this.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it.¡± When I turned to head to Home Room, Janice decided to walk with me.


    ¡°So, I mean, is it what it looks like?¡± she asked.


    I heard no malice or judgment in her voice, and denying it wasn¡¯t going to do me any good, so I just said ¡°Yeah, it is. It¡¯s exactly what it looks like.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have any problem with it, you being gay, I mean. But there are plenty of others here that will. Have a problem with it, I mean,¡± she added.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw some of the comments,¡± I said, dejected at the way the day was starting out. Hell, the way the term was starting.


    ¡°Well, see you later,¡± Janice said, as she had reached her Home Room. I had a little farther to go, and believe me, I could feel eyes on me like never before. It felt as if everybody were staring at me.


    Taking my seat next to Emmy, I said in a low voice ¡°We¡¯ve got trouble.¡± Before I could explain, Miss Takei called the class to attention for the morning announcements. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t hear ¡°Leah Farmer and Emmy Lascaux are gay for each other¡± on the loudspeaker, but it sure felt as if it might happen. Had everybody at school seen the video? Damn.


    After Home Room, on our way to First Period, I told Emmy what Janice had shown me.


    ¡°Practically everybody at school is going to know, Em. If they didn¡¯t know last night, they¡¯ll find out today,¡± I said, feeling devastated.


    Emmy¡¯s reaction surprised me. ¡°Well, if there is no use in trying to hide what we have¡­¡± she said, and then she took my hand in hers and walked with a satisfied expression next to me. ¡°Then I will show how proud I am to have the most beautiful, most powerful girlfriend at Fallbrook High School.¡± I know there¡¯s a rule against PDAs at our school and technically we were violating it, but there was no way I was going to let go of Emmy¡¯s hand. When she took my hand and said she was happy to be with me, I knew that I would put up with any amount of grief for her sake. We walked hand in hand to Calculus, and I made a point of looking people straight in the eyes as we passed.


    Candace was on a roll at art. ¡°I always figured you for a dyke,¡± she said as I sat down at the table next to the one she shared with Stephanie. ¡°Jock chicks,¡± she explained to Stephanie. ¡°It¡¯s all that extra testosterone. Turns ¡®em into carpet-muncher lezzies.¡±


    Stephanie looked really uncomfortable, to her credit. Candace continued ¡°Look at how big Leah is- she¡¯s probably taking steroids, hoping to grow a dick.¡±


    I¡¯d been trying to ignore her, but just couldn¡¯t any more. ¡°Look, Candace. You are a fucking bitch- you always have been. If you were on fire I wouldn¡¯t even bother to pee on you to put it out. Shut the hell up.¡±


    Randy, sitting on the other side of the two cheerleaders, snickered at that. ¡°What the fuck are you laughing at, loser boy?¡± demanded Candace.


    ¡°I¡¯m laughing at you, loser girl,¡± he responded. It wasn¡¯t the best comeback, but it seemed to work. Candace¡¯s volume increased enough that everybody in class could clearly hear her.


    ¡°Loser? You¡¯re calling me loser? You¡¯re the one that works at the gas station!¡±


    Just then Mrs. Rubias (the art teacher) walked in. ¡°Candace,¡± she said. ¡°What is it that has you so upset?¡± Her tone was unsympathetic, to say the least.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± grumbled Candace.


    ¡°Well, then. Please sit down and be quiet.¡± Candace did as she was told, giving both Randy and me the evil eye.


    After the teacher told us what we were going to do that day and we settled down to our still lifes, Candace started trash-talking me to Stephanie again. I couldn¡¯t make it out very well because she was speaking quietly so the teacher wouldn¡¯t hear. I could make out my name and Emmy¡¯s, of course, but the rest of it wasn¡¯t clear.


    Glancing over at Stephanie, I caught her eye. She seemed to have a look that said ¡°sorry¡± but I couldn¡¯t be too sure.


    Turning my back on the two cheerleaders, I got to work with my pencil and sketchpad. I tried to put it all out of my mind, but it was hard to focus on my drawing. There was no point in stewing on it, and I wasn¡¯t going to give Candace the satisfaction of letting her know she was getting to me. I knew it was going to be a long six months until Emmy and I got out of this place, but there was nothing to do but ignore people like Candace. It was going to be tough, but that was life. If that was going to be the price for being in a relationship with Emmy, I would pay it with a smile on my face.


    When I got to the caf at lunchtime, only Tom was sitting at our usual table. He looked unhappy, and when I sat down he blurted out why.


    ¡°Allie said she isn¡¯t going to sit here any more. She doesn¡¯t want to associate herself with a couple of lesbians.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? I mean, it¡¯s not like Emmy and I are any different than we were yesterday, or last week, or the month before. What makes us so horrible now?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Look, I know- I mean, I¡¯m here, right? As far as I¡¯m concerned you guys are just as cool as ever. Maybe more so. It¡¯s just- well, it¡¯s my family. Our parents are really conservative, and they just don¡¯t like gay people.¡± He looked hurt, as if his sister¡¯s abandoning Emmy and me was a personal affront. ¡°I thought Allie wasn¡¯t like that, but¡­¡± he trailed off, looking apologetic.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m finding out who my real friends are,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Tom, thanks. I mean it. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here.¡±


    We ate lunch in silence. I was acutely aware of the stares I was receiving from the other kids eating lunch, and it seemed Tom was, too, but he was going to stick up for me, and I appreciated that.


    Courtney never showed, and neither did Emmy. Finally, I asked Tom if he knew where they were.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where Courtney is. I haven¡¯t seen her all day. She wasn¡¯t at Home Room this morning. I think I saw Emmy talking to Andy Temple earlier.¡±


    ¡°Oh, jeeze. I¡¯ll bet that¡¯s going well. I guess Emmy never does shy away from challenges, does she?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what do you mean?¡± asked Tom.


    ¡°Andy¡¯s got a thing for Emmy. If he¡¯s seen the video or heard the rumors, which I¡¯m sure he has, it can¡¯t be good.¡±


    ¡°Um, speaking of rumors¡­ So is it really true? Did you come out?¡± Tom asked.


    ¡°Come out? Well, that¡¯s not exactly how I¡¯d describe what happened, but yeah, pretty much. The whole world now knows what Emmy and I have.¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ well, I mean¡­ Ah, hell. That takes some balls. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re out. It¡¯s gonna be tough for you for a while, but you and Emmy are real strong. You¡¯ll be O.K.,¡± Tom declared. ¡°You¡¯ll be O.K. Just¡­ just fuck ¡®em all. Fuck Allie. Fuck the rest of ¡®em. They¡¯re all just assholes,¡± he said, bitterly. ¡°If they want to hate on people just because they¡¯re gay, well, that¡¯s their problem. Fuck, I can¡¯t wait to get out of this damned little town.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Tom,¡± I asked. ¡°Were we talking about my situation here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Yeah, we were,¡± Tom replied quickly, with an intensity that made me wonder what was going on.


    ¡°Do¡­ do you want to talk? Maybe later, after school?¡± I asked, unsure what to say.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s cool. Don¡¯t forget, Leah. I¡¯m your friend, no matter how anybody dumps on you. No matter what they say.¡±


    Lunch was over, and it was time to head to class. Emmy wasn¡¯t in Bio, either, and I was starting to worry a bit. Much to my surprise, she and Andy were waiting outside the classroom when Bio was over. They looked comfortable with each other- happy, even. Not what I¡¯d expected at all, I have to say.


    ¡°Um¡­ What¡¯s up?¡± I asked, not sure what to make of this.


    Andy spoke first. ¡°Leah, I just want to tell you that if you and Emmy are happy, I¡¯m happy. I mean, sure, I¡¯m a little disappointed in how things worked out, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Seriously, that¡¯s it?¡± I asked, incredulous. I¡¯d been so sure this was going to be a scene that I just couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. Emmy and I had a long talk, and we¡¯re good. You and me, we¡¯ve always been sorta friends, and that isn¡¯t going to change. That would be stupid. As far as I¡¯m concerned that¡¯s all there is to say.¡±


    ¡°Man,¡± I said in relief. ¡°I just wish everybody was as understanding as you¡¯re being. It¡¯s been shitty today.¡±


    Emmy spoke up. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Oh, lots of people are being jerks. Allie, and maybe Courtney. Some of the cheerleaders. I don¡¯t know. A lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Well, you guys are going to have a tough time. It¡¯s just the way it is. But if you need somebody to talk to, call me,¡± he said as he turned to go to his next class.


    Turning to Emmy, I said ¡°Wow. I didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d be so cool about the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is a very good person. I feel very fortunate to have him as a friend.¡±


    ¡°You never told me why it didn¡¯t work out between you two. I know you went on a couple of dates, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I will tell you about it later. Now we have to get to class.¡±

 The Fallout

    As expected, V Ball practice went less than smoothly. Some of the girls made a big deal out of snubbing me, and Nicole actually hissed at me that I¡¯m going to Hell. Some of the others were just the same as ever, but generally the mood was anti-Leah. The bright moment came at the end of the workout, when Jenny came over to talk.


    ¡°Um, Leah, is it true?¡± she asked, nervously looking at her feet, or the bleachers, or anywhere but straight at me.


    ¡°Is what true?¡± I asked, putting her on the spot. I wanted to hear her say it, and wanted to see her squirm with discomfort.


    ¡°That you and Emmy are¡­ well, you¡¯re out of the closet. That you¡¯re gay,¡± she blurted, still avoiding my eyes.


    ¡°What if it is?¡± I prodded.


    ¡°I just¡­ well, I wanted to say that I don¡¯t care what Abbie or some of the others say. You¡¯re still my teammate, and you¡¯re still just as good a person as ever.¡± This all came out in a rush, and Jenny looked relieved to get it out.


    Letting her off the hook, I said ¡°Thanks, Jen. Yeah, it¡¯s true. I guess I am ¡®out of the closet¡¯,¡± I said, rolling my eyes at the phrase. ¡°Emmy and I are officially and publicly a couple now. I still don¡¯t think of myself as gay, though.¡±


    ¡°Um, what do you mean?¡± she asked, unsure.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m attracted to girls in general. In fact, I still scope out hot guys- girls just don¡¯t do it for me. It¡¯s just that somehow I wound up in love with somebody who happens to be a girl, that¡¯s all. I can¡¯t explain it any better than that.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Jenny wondered. ¡°So, you¡¯re not like some kind of dyke who wishes she were a guy? ¡®Cause that¡¯s what they¡¯re saying.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not,¡± I replied wearily. ¡°Look, until Emmy came along, I¡¯d never looked at a girl twice. Any girl. I mean, I had a boyfriend last year, but nobody seems to remember that. No, whatever it is ¡®they¡¯ say, it¡¯s all bullshit.¡±


    Jenny seemed relieved. ¡°Well, I gotta go. See you tomorrow¡± she said, and bolted for the locker room. Turning to grab my stuff, I saw Coach Meyers standing by the door to the gym, looking at me. She caught my eye and waved me over.


    ¡°Farmer,¡± she said. ¡°I want to talk to you. In my office.¡± I followed her as she led the way out of the gym. Honestly, I had two competing thoughts running through my mind. On the one hand, she could be about to boot me from the team. This wouldn¡¯t be that big a deal because the season was over anyway, but I needed the practice if I was going to be ready for college workouts. On the other hand, it could be that I¡¯ll find out Coach was gay, too, and had been hiding it all these years.


    With these thoughts hammering me from both sides, I closed the office door behind me and sat down as Coach took her seat behind her desk.


    ¡°There are a lot of stories swirling around you today, Farmer,¡± she began.


    ¡°Stories?¡± I asked, unsure where this was leading.


    ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± she said, in a ¡®don¡¯t bullshit me¡¯ sort of way. ¡°I watched you at practice. Even though it was obvious that some of the girls were going out of their way to make life hard for you, you didn¡¯t respond in kind. You worked at the drills, and set just as often to the girls that now seem to hate you as to the others.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see¡­¡± I objected, but she continued.


    ¡°Things are going to be tough for you now. Now that everyone knows you¡¯re gay-¡± I started to object, but she continued. ¡°Now that everyone thinks you¡¯re gay, whether it¡¯s true or not, people will react differently to you. The simple fact that you didn¡¯t let it affect your practice tells me, though, that you have the fortitude to rise above, and that¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°I was half afraid you were going to kick me off the team,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Half afraid? What was the other half?¡± she asked, with a hint of amusement in her eyes.


    ¡°Well,¡± I began nervously. ¡°I thought maybe you were going to tell me you were gay.¡±


    Laughing, Coach said ¡°Nah, not me. I¡¯ve been married to a great man for twenty-two years now. We have two wonderful sons, and I¡¯m very proud of both of ¡®em. No, I¡¯m not your stereotypical lesbian gym coach, spending too much time in the locker room.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± I began, unsure how to phrase it. ¡°If you¡¯re not gay, why are you so understanding?¡± I really hoped she wouldn¡¯t take offense at this, and thankfully she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I was a star volleyball player all through high school and college. I competed on the pro beach circuit for a few years, too. I¡¯ve had teammates who were gay, and you know what? On the court it didn¡¯t matter one bit to them, or to me. Off the court, I could see that sometimes they were treated differently and that always struck me as wrong. The way I look at it, any love at all is hard enough to come by.¡±


    ¡°So-¡± I started to say, but Coach interrupted.


    ¡°Lascaux is a very remarkable girl. The way she saw that we could win against Temecula was amazing to me. She was right, too. Honestly, if I¡¯d seen what she¡¯d figured out, we would have been prepared and we would have won that match hands down. We¡¯d have gone on to the Championships for sure. If she makes you happy, if you two are really in love, do whatever you have to do to keep that going. Don¡¯t let anyone outside of the two of you decide how things should be for you. I can¡¯t tell you it¡¯ll be easy, but I think you might have the strength to make it work.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thanks. Yeah, Emmy does make me happy. It may seem ridiculous, but I can see it working out for us. I can see us being together for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Good. Relationships are hard work, don¡¯t forget it. You both will have to work hard, and this is coming from someone who¡¯s been married three times longer than the statistical average,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°You two are both graduating this June, right? How are you going to deal with the separation when you two go to college?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re hoping to both go to Stanford,¡± I said.


    ¡°Stanford? Have you talked to Joe Burke?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve emailed back and forth a couple of times. He wants me to come up and work out with the team, I guess as sort of a tryout.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d best get on it, then. Don¡¯t wait. In fact, email him tonight and tell him that your schedule is open, and you¡¯d like to come up to Palo Alto. Seriously. Don¡¯t wait.¡±


    I was thinking about what Coach had said as I walked out to the parking lot. Emmy and Tom Carter were waiting (in the shade, of course) for me.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± I apologized. ¡°Coach wanted to talk to me about Stanford.¡± It wasn¡¯t really a lie, but I sure wasn¡¯t going to tell Tom all about the real conversation.


    ¡°We are going for a drive, the three of us,¡± announced Emmy.


    Puzzled, I climbed into the driver¡¯s seat and Tom took shotgun. Emmy sat in the back, behind me. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Anywhere. It does not matter,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°Somewhere we can talk.¡±


    Tom looked nervous but didn¡¯t offer any suggestions, so I drove north past my place to the park by the river, where I pulled the car into the shade of a big sycamore tree.


    ¡°O.K., what¡¯s the deal?¡± I asked. ¡°Tom and I already talked at lunch. Allie¡¯s being a bitch, I got that. So why are we here?¡±


    Emmy reached over and poked Tom in the ribs, goading him to talk. He swallowed, looked around, fidgeted, and generally did everything he could to avoid starting. It was making me nervous, seeing him so tense. Once it became obvious that he wasn¡¯t going to be able to say whatever it was, Emmy did it for him.


    ¡°Tom is homosexual,¡± she explained to me. Suddenly Tom¡¯s anger at his family at lunch made sense. In fact, suddenly a lot of things about Tom made sense, now that I thought about it.


    Tom finally spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯ve known for a while. Maybe since I was twelve? That¡¯s actually why we moved down here- my parents didn¡¯t like the ¡®unhealthy influence¡¯ my friends were having on me. They thought if they could get me away from my Portland friends, that I wouldn¡¯t act so...¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± was all I could say to this revelation. Emmy didn¡¯t have any comment at all. All she did is give his shoulder a supportive squeeze.


    ¡°You remember the Halloween party, the one where Emmy dressed up like a devil?¡± As if I could forget, I thought, but Tom continued. ¡°Mindy Stock¡¯s cousin Robert? You met him. He was dressed like Fred Flintstone. He goes to my old school back in Portland. He knew a lot of my old friends. We got to talking, and next thing I knew, we were in my car, making out.¡±


    ¡°Holy crap!¡± I said in surprise.


    ¡°It was my first time to actually be with a guy. Robert knew what to do, though. We just took it slow, and when it got too much he stopped.¡±


    ¡°Tom, this might be TMI,¡± I said, but he didn¡¯t even hear me. He was thinking about what had happened and wasn¡¯t really in Emmy¡¯s Mini with us at all.


    ¡°Robert was so gentle,¡± Tom continued. ¡°It was so good, Leah. It was everything I¡¯d hoped it could be. You don¡¯t know how hard it was to drop him off at Mindy¡¯s place, knowing I¡¯d probably never be able to see him again. How hard it was to go home, knowing my folks would kill me if they ever found out their son had just had done it with another guy.¡± The pain in his voice and the look of hurt on his face were intense. I thought that I had it rough with Mom, but it was nothing like this.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°But I did go home. I went home, and now I¡¯ve spent the last few months counting down the days until I could get the fuck out of this fucked up little town. Every time Dad went on a rant about how gays were ruining America and pushing their agenda on the rest of us, I¡¯d just smile and nod my head, and think about Robert pushing his gay agenda tongue in my mouth. I fucking swear, Leah, I¡¯m going back to Portland the day I turn eighteen. That¡¯ll be my birthday present to myself- to never see my family again.¡± Faced with such bitterness, I realized that although I¡¯d seen Allie and Tom every school day for the last two years, I really didn¡¯t know them at all.


    ¡°Emmy knew,¡± Tom said, suddenly turning to face me. ¡°Somehow, she did. My own twin sister doesn¡¯t have a clue, but Emmy knew.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± I asked Emmy, glancing at her in the back seat. ¡°Since when?¡±


    ¡°The Halloween party. I thought that maybe he was gay before then, but I was certain after that.¡±


    ¡°You tried to set me up at your pool party, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked, turning to Emmy. ¡°You tried to hook me up with Martin, right? Isn¡¯t that what that was about?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she answered simply.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s an all right guy, but he¡¯s not my type. He¡¯s not out, either. When we talked, it felt like we were both trying to say something but not say it, you know? I wasn¡¯t one hundred per cent sure he was gay, and I guess he wasn¡¯t sure I was, either, so neither of us were willing to make that next step- just in case we were wrong. Besides, there¡¯s no way I could have a relationship until I can get out of my house. Somebody would figure it out, like with you two. You think it¡¯s bad for you, at least it¡¯s kinda cool to be a lesbian these days. Dudes all think lesbians are hot, right? But a gay guy? I¡¯d get the shit beaten out of me daily if word got out.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing, for now. I need to finish school first. Our birthday is July third, so on the fourth I¡¯m on the freeway north.¡±


    ¡°What about Allie?¡± I asked, amazed that he could turn his back so completely on his twin sister.


    ¡°Fuck Allie,¡± he said, that bitterness back in his voice. ¡°Let me tell you a story about Allie. When we were kids, maybe starting at seven or so? Her best friend was this girl named Laura. Laura lived just a few houses down from us, and the two would play all the time. I was jealous because I didn¡¯t have a friend like that, but they didn¡¯t invite me. The two had sleepovers all the time. It seemed as if they were the twins, not me. Anyway, it was like that for a couple of years, and then all of a sudden, they weren¡¯t speaking, not hanging out, ignoring each other at school. Overnight, they went from best friends to complete enemies. Allie never told me what they¡¯d fought about, and as far as I know nobody else knew, either.¡±


    Tom paused, thinking back. I didn¡¯t say anything, wanting him to continue his story. ¡°When I asked, Allie would just tell me that they weren¡¯t friends anymore, and she could never be friends with someone like that. Our parents tried to talk to Laura¡¯s parents about it, but they said Laura¡¯s parents didn¡¯t want Allie over anymore, and that was that.¡±


    Waiting for Tom to say more, I thought about what he¡¯d said. Eventually it became clear he was done, but I still didn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d told us the whole thing.


    ¡°So, what? I mean, what does all this have to do with anything?¡± I asked, wanting to know the rest.


    ¡°We lived four houses down from Laura and her family for another six years. Laura went to the same schools we did all the way through into high school, until we moved down here. All that time? Allie never once said even one word to Laura. Not one word.¡±


    ¡°So you think that if she finds out that you are homosexual, she will do just the same to you?¡± asked Emmy, voicing my thoughts exactly.


    ¡°I know she will. She¡¯s an evil bitch in some ways, Leah. The worst thing? She gets it from Mom. She¡¯s like a little version of our dear, sweet mother. Hell hath no fury like my mom.¡±


    ¡°So why are you telling us all this now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, I thought you should know why Allie is being such a bitch. And why I¡¯m going be receiving a world of shit for supporting you. But I¡¯m gonna do it anyway. At least now the worst that can happen is my parents get mad at me for not agreeing with their homophobe ways. It¡¯ll be a lot worse when I send them pictures of me with my hand down Robert¡¯s pants. Which I am gonna do, as soon as I get to Portland.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± was all I could say.


    ¡°I hope you find happiness in Portland,¡± Emmy said, as she reached around the car seat and put her hands on my tummy, reminding me that our problems were nothing near as bad.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be better than here, that¡¯s for damned sure,¡± Tom said, the last of his bitterness draining away.


    ¡°Tom, what time do you have to be home?¡± asked Emmy.


    ¡°No time in particular, why?¡±


    ¡°What do you say we all go back to my house and have that movie party you wanted? We could watch anything you want,¡± Emmy said, trying to cajole him into a better mood.


    ¡°Anything?¡± he asked, with a gleam in his eye.


    ¡°No, not anything. I do not like horror movies. Anything else, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal. I just need to call my folks and tell them I¡¯ll be home late.¡± His mood much brighter, we drove back into town so he could get cell reception and make his call. I used the opportunity to leave a note for Mom, and we went out to Emmy¡¯s place.


    Brokeback Mountain didn¡¯t really float my boat, but I do have to admit that the acting was good. Tom really enjoyed it, though, and as crummy as I was feeling about the way the day went it was nothing compared to what Tom was going through. He said he was going to support us any way he could, but it seemed that he needed our support just as much, if not more.


    When we drove him home I saw Allie peek out the window and look at us giving Tom our goodbye hugs (and of course, Emmy gave him one of her little cheek kisses, too). Thinking about Allie as I pulled out of their driveway, I hoped Tom would be all right.


    The rest of the week was really, well, ¡®interesting¡¯ would be a nice way of putting it. Tom continued to sit with us at lunch, and Courtney and Allie continued to go out of their way to avoid us. Well, Courtney did, anyway. Allie mostly avoided Emmy and me, but when she did get close enough to say anything it was always something nasty.


    Emmy didn¡¯t seem to care at all, but it bothered me. I mean, this was my best friend since forever and my second best friend for the last couple of years completely blowing me off and being actively hostile, respectively.


    Surprisingly enough, after a few days of sitting at a mostly empty table at lunch, a few others started sitting with us. First it was the two cheerleaders, Mindy and Stephanie. The next day, Andy and Blake joined us. The two football players only ate with us for a few days just to make a point then went back to their football jock table, but I was grateful anyhow. It was a good sign of support. Mindy and Stephanie, though, showed no signs of going back to their old seating habits.


    ¡°I¡¯m freaking tired of Candace being, like, such a bitch anyhow,¡± Stephanie explained. ¡°I mean, god, we¡¯re all going to graduate in five months anyhow, so why put up with her bitchy attitude if I don¡¯t have to anymore?¡±


    I appreciated the show of solidarity from two of the most popular girls in school, but honestly, I didn¡¯t understand when they¡¯d decided they were our friends. I mean, I liked them well enough once I got to know them, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯d ever really even talked to them much at all over the years we¡¯d been going to the same schools. Still, it was good to have friends, even unexpected self-invited airhead friends.


    School, however, wasn¡¯t getting any better. I was still getting tons of grief from Nicole and Abbie on the team, who had in fact asked the Coach to kick me off. When she¡¯d told them that I was the best player and they could learn a lot from me (at least, that¡¯s what I¡¯d heard) they both threatened to quit, and Coach told them that they could walk. They didn¡¯t, of course. I could have made life easier for everybody and bailed on the team- after all, the season was over, and I wasn¡¯t returning next year, so why not? But I needed the workouts to keep sharp. If I wanted to impress when I started working out with the Stanford girls I had to work harder than ever. So I just sucked it up and ignored Abbie and Nicole¡¯s ¡®accidental¡¯ shoves and the occasional ball to the back of my head, telling myself that in a few months I¡¯d never have to see either of those two bitches again.


    Outside of practice, mostly it was the same as ever before. Most kids at school just didn¡¯t seem to care one way or another, for which I was immensely grateful. A few girls told me privately that I was very brave for being so open about my sexual preference, and I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell them that I would have kept it quiet if I could have. I¡¯m pretty sure a couple of them were also gay, but weren¡¯t ¡®out¡¯ yet, so if I could give them hope, well, I guess that¡¯s a good thing. Some of the boys leered and made suggestive gestures and rude cracks about eating at the Y and being on a vagitarian diet, but they were easy to ignore. All in all, it wasn¡¯t as much grief as I¡¯d been afraid of, and nothing I couldn¡¯t ignore for the time being.


    Emmy and I opted for the ¡®out and proud¡¯ route. We held hands, hugged, and even snuck kisses while at school. In fact, we even got dragged to the vice-principal¡¯s office and reprimanded for excessive public displays of affection, but Mrs. Landis bent over backward to insist that we weren¡¯t being singled out because we were two girls but in fact there had been complaints. Yeah, I have no doubt there were, and I could probably guess who had done the complaining, I thought.


    We really didn¡¯t let the scolding change our behavior much at all. If boys could walk around campus with their hands on their girlfriends¡¯ butts, if girls could sit on their boyfriends¡¯ laps, well, so could we. I wasn¡¯t ashamed of the way I felt for the most beautiful, amazing, talented, smartest and sweetest girl in the world, and she wasn¡¯t ashamed of being seen to be in love with me, so all the haters could go take a flying leap. I can¡¯t say I would have chosen for us to be the school¡¯s most visible gay couple, but Emmy and I did what we could to show that we weren¡¯t going to hide it, either.


    Reading the newspaper in Home Room one morning, something grabbed my attention. It was Monday¡¯s ¡°Caught This Weekend¡± music/theatre review, and it was about Emmy¡¯s solo show at the coffee house the previous Saturday night. I couldn¡¯t believe it- it was right there in black and white newsprint. ¡°Exotic Beauty Wows Crowd¡± was the headline.


    ¡°Look at this!¡± I said to Emmy, handing her the paper. Brent was crowding close, trying to read over her shoulder. This got the attention of Miss Takei, who demanded to know what was so interesting.


    ¡°If it is that fascinating, Mr. Platner, I¡¯m sure the rest of the class would enjoy it, too. Would you please come to the front and read the article aloud?¡± she said. Brent, looking a bit sheepish, did as he was told.


    ¡°Tipped off that I might see something special,¡± he read, ¡°I stopped by Edward¡¯s, the coffee shop known for its support of local artists and musicians. On the bill for the evening was a young woman named Emmy Lascaux. A native of Paris, France, Emmy is a startlingly exotic-looking young lady of unusual beauty.¡± As he read that, Brent looked up at Emmy, sitting in the front of the class.


    ¡°You hear that?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯s noticed!¡± he teased, making Emmy smile shyly.


    Brent returned to reading the review. ¡°Uh, skipping a bit about the coffee shop¡­ O.K.¡± he said, as he got to the important stuff. ¡°Emmy¡¯s hour and a half set consisted almost entirely of her unusual and unexpected renditions of songs from well-known and obscure artists ranging from Springsteen and Dylan to Radiohead and The Offspring. Emmy¡¯s remarkable vocal abilities were highlighted by her truly chilling treatment of the Florence and the Machine song ¡®Girl With One Eye¡¯ which left the packed coffee house absolutely stunned.¡± Brent looked at Emmy, a quizzical look on his face. ¡°Chilling?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It was fun,¡± she responded, not offering up any more than that. I was glad she didn¡¯t mention how she pulled a knife at the finale of the song, making me almost wet myself.


    Apparently satisfied by that answer, Brent returned to reading the review. ¡°Do yourself a favor and catch one of Emmy Lascaux¡¯s upcoming shows at Edward¡¯s Coffee Shop before she hits the big time, which will probably be soon. You¡¯ll regret it if you don¡¯t.¡± Putting the newspaper down, Brent said ¡°Jeeze, Emmy. He really liked it. That was a fantastic review. It¡¯s reviews like that that lead to recording contracts, and recording contracts lead to fame and riches.¡± Thinking about what he¡¯d just said, Brent added ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ve already got the ¡®riches¡¯ part covered¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Platner. Would you please take your seat?¡± said Miss Takei, and Brent sat back down next to Emmy. Looking around the class, it seemed as if most of the kids were unimpressed by what he¡¯d just read.


    ¡°What Springsteen song did you do?¡± asked Brent in a low voice.


    ¡°Dancing In The Dark,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Really? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It is a great song,¡± Emmy responded, a bit defensively.


    ¡°If you say so. Hey, we got a gig coming up a week from this Friday. Want to play with us? It¡¯s a paying job, and I¡¯m sure the guys would be cool with cutting you a share.¡±


    ¡°When could we practice?¡± asked Emmy, taken with the idea.


    ¡°Miss Lascaux, Mr. Platner. This is class time, not social hour,¡± Miss Takei said in a stern voice, and both of them shut up. I¡¯ve never heard Miss Takei raise her voice- as far as I know, she¡¯s never needed to. Simply by the tone of her voice she could stop riots.

 Cohabitation

    Emmy had a new gig that following Saturday night. It was in a nightclub called ¡®The Vain Bonfire'' or something like that, down in San Diego.


    ¡°But how can you get in? You¡¯re under twenty-one!¡± I protested.


    ¡°I asked them that. The manager said that in California, it is legal to work in a club if you¡¯re under age, but you cannot drink. If I am performing, I am working and therefore legal.¡±


    ¡°So I guess I can¡¯t see you play this time,¡± I said, a little bummed out that I was going to miss it.


    ¡°Oh, no. You will be working, too. You will be my helper.¡±


    ¡°Me? Your roadie? I guess I can do that. I usually carry your guitar anyway, right?¡± I laughed.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    We arrived at the club half an hour early, and the manager told us to park in the back and bring our stuff in through the ¡°stage door¡± which was a fire exit into the back lot, but hey- at least it meant I only had to carry Emmy¡¯s guitar half the distance for my night¡¯s work.


    There was a little stage at one end of the room, and I quickly found a stool and set the guitar stand next to it. The club¡¯s sound woman helped me rig the microphones for Emmy and do a quick sound check, and it was ready. When I went to find a seat for myself the manager asked if I were under age. When I replied yes, she said I¡¯d have to sit on or right near the stage and not venture into the club area itself or they could get in trouble. I moved my stool to the far left side of the stage (is it stage left from the performer¡¯s point of view or the audience? I never could figure that out) and settled down. A Bettie Page lookalike waitress with lots of tattoos and piercings got me a Coke and put a bottle of Perrier next to Emmy¡¯s stool.


    Everything ready, the manager took the mike and announced ¡°I know a lot of you have seen her over at Edward¡¯s coffee shop. I know I have, and she was amazing. Here she is, Miss Emmy!¡± and the audience applauded as Emmy walked onstage.


    It was just like a real professional concert, I thought. Emmy was getting good money for the night and the place was packed, I saw as I looked around. With a little bit of a shock, I realized the club was completely filled with women. Not a solitary guy in the club at all. The lighting was dim, but the more I looked the more I became sure. This was a lesbian club.


    At first I was creeped out by it, even though intellectually I knew that wasn¡¯t right. The more I looked at the audience enjoying Emmy¡¯s show, though, the more I realized that these were just people- people like me. Sure, a few looked like motorcycle mechanics and some looked like vinyl fetish types, but most looked just like they worked in offices, or grocery stores, or taught kindergarten. The only thing they all had in common (I¡¯m assuming) was that they preferred the company of other women. And you know what? There were a lot of them. This was at least twice or three times the crowd that Emmy had ever performed for up to this point, and they¡¯d all come to hear her sing and play.


    Emmy¡¯s set had been different every night she¡¯d played at Edward¡¯s, but there was a definite slant in her song choices that night at the Bonfire. It was slower, softer, with more love songs and lullabies than usual and that seemed O.K. with the crowd there at that lesbian bar.


    About midway through Emmy¡¯s set a middle-aged woman who looked like a nicely dressed and very proper looking bank teller came over to the side of the stage where I was sitting. She leaned in to talk to me and asked point-blank ¡°Are you two a couple?¡±


    Shocked by the directness of the question, all I could respond was ¡°¡±I¡¯m sorry- I didn¡¯t catch that.¡±


    She repeated her question, and this time I admitted that yes, Emmy and I were an item.


    ¡°You¡¯re really lucky,¡± the woman said. ¡°She¡¯s very talented.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I mumbled, hoping this awkward conversation would end soon. She had more to say, though.


    ¡°Where is she from? I¡¯ve never seen anybody that dark-skinned before, and certainly not with hair like that. She¡¯s really beautiful,¡± she quickly added so I didn¡¯t get the wrong impression, ¡°just¡­ unique.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is different-looking, all right,¡± I admitted. ¡°She was born in Paris, in France.¡±


    ¡°Well, but what¡¯s her ancestry?¡± the woman persisted.


    ¡°She¡¯s French,¡± I replied, just to get her to leave me alone. ¡°She looks like that because of a rare genetic disorder. She¡¯s like an albino in reverse,¡± I said, hoping she would just go away.


    ¡°Really,¡± said the woman, thoughtfully, apparently satisfied with that answer. ¡°So that coloring is natural¡­¡± she said more to herself than me. Then to me, she admitted ¡°I was more than half convinced it was some sort of makeup or something.¡±


    ¡°Nope. She¡¯s looked like that from the day she was born.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± With that, the woman finally left me alone. As soon as she was gone the waitress brought me another Coke and whispered ¡°She didn¡¯t hit on you, did she?¡± motioning with her head to indicate the woman that I¡¯d just been talking to.


    ¡°No, why?¡± I asked, curious as to why the waitress would come to that conclusion.


    ¡°She¡¯s in here a lot- and she likes ¡®em young,¡± the pierced waitress said, rolling her eyes in disgust.


    ¡°Thanks for the warning,¡± I said. ¡°But there¡¯s only one girl for me.¡±


    The waitress glanced over at Emmy, who was singing that old Patti Smith song ¡°Because the night¡± at the moment.


    ¡°So you two¡­¡± she said, trailing off with a lot more class than that other woman had had.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, and realized it felt nice to claim Emmy as my own. It gratified me to know that others felt envy at what I had with her. In this crowd, nobody was going to look down on me for loving another girl- in fact, they all wished they could be in my shoes.


    The waitress said ¡°Hey, my name is Connie. If you need anything, let me know.¡± As she was leaving she handed me a business card. The light was dim, but I could make out that she had written on the back ¡°If either of you two need anything, call me.¡± It had a local San Diego phone number after that.


    Amazed that she would hit on me after warning me about the other woman, I turned the card over and looked at the front. It was for a gay and lesbian teen support social organization, I saw with a shock. I guess she hadn¡¯t been hitting on me at all. Not knowing what else to do, I put the card in my back pocket and turned back to watch Emmy sing. Maybe I could give the card to Tom.


    ¡°Five hundred dollars!¡± Emmy exulted as we finished loading her Mini and got in for the drive back to Fallbrook. ¡°Can you believe that? I only need to do three shows like that a month and¡­¡± she trailed off, not voicing her thoughts.


    ¡°What do you mean, Em? You don¡¯t ¡®need¡¯ to do any shows.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± she said, leaning to face me, and putting her hand on my leg. ¡°I might need to very soon. I might need to earn as much as I can.¡±


    Sensing that this was going to be a conversation that was going to require my full attention, I pulled into a grocery store parking lot and stopped the car.


    ¡°Is there something I ought to know?¡± I asked warily.


    ¡°It is my parents. They do not approve of us. What we have together.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, but I was spared from needing to talk when Emmy continued.


    ¡°I am planning on moving out of my parent¡¯s house,¡± Emmy finally confessed. ¡°I have been looking for an apartment.¡±


    This hit me like a hammer blow. Emmy¡¯s parents had been practically invisible, I¡¯d seen them so little when I was over at her house. I¡¯d almost forgotten they existed.


    ¡°Do not misunderstand,¡± Emmy pleaded. ¡°They are very fond of you. That is not the problem. They think that our feelings for each other are misguided, and want me to¡­ to cultivate other relationships.¡±


    ¡°They¡­ they want us to stop seeing each other?¡± I asked, hardly believing it.


    ¡°Well, no, they would prefer we stay together as friends. They want us to stop being lovers. I think they fear that they might never have grandchildren.¡±


    ¡°But plenty of couples adopt! We could do that!¡± I protested.


    ¡°The bloodline is absolutely important to them, Leah. If it is not my child by birth they could never accept it.¡±


    ¡°Do- do you want to have a baby?¡± I asked, completely floored by the way this conversation was going.


    ¡°All my life, growing up, I knew that one day I would have a child, if possible. Perhaps more than one, if I were so blessed. I have to, to carry on the blood line.¡±


    ¡°You keep talking about blood line. What does that even mean?¡± I demanded, feeling more than a little bit hysterical.


    ¡°It means that I am pure blood, and we are getting rarer and rarer. If no other pure blood can be found to be acceptable, they want me to have children with the best possible outsider.¡±


    ¡°What the heck are you talking about? Pure blood? Outsider? What does any of this mean?¡± I demanded, now thoroughly confused and upset.


    ¡°It means that they want to continue to control my life. And I am done with that. Leah, you are the best thing to ever happen to me, and the first that is truly mine and mine alone. I am not going to give you up for their wishes, no matter what.¡± The determination in her voice reminded me of the way she¡¯d been so steely about the whole Jake thing.


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    ¡°I am a legal adult in three weeks. By then I will have everything arranged, so they cannot stop me.¡±


    ¡°What about college? What about Stanford?¡± I pleaded, seeing all our plans crumbling to dust.


    ¡°I have enough money to pay for at least the first year of university. I will sell this car, and that may be enough for a second year. If I can continue to earn money performing, it will be O.K. We can get a little apartment near campus. We will be O.K.,¡± she said, taking my hand in hers. I could see that Emmy was very serious, but I still wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°What do you mean, you have enough money? A year at Stanford is like sixty grand!¡± I objected. ¡°How can you have enough money for that?¡±


    ¡°My parents have been giving me a very generous allowance for years. I have been saving some of it in a bank account they know nothing about. They think that I have been spending it on frivolous things, but I have not. I have been saving it, and investing it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been investing? Like, stocks and bonds type stuff?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It will not be enough by itself to pay for four years of university, but it will be a start, and if I am frugal- we are frugal, because I am planning on a life with you- and I can earn some money, it should do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been planning this for a while, haven¡¯t you?¡± I asked, amazed.


    ¡°No, not exactly,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°I had been hiding the money for a long time in case of emergency. I had no idea that this would be the emergency.¡±


    ¡°If you get an apartment in three weeks, you¡¯ll only be in it for a few months until it¡¯s time to go to Palo Alto. It¡¯s gonna be hard to find a place that will rent for that short a time. Maybe you could-¡± and I stopped, not wanting to commit to something that might not be possible.


    ¡°Maybe I could what?¡±


    ¡°I was going to say, maybe you could move in with me. You know I¡¯d love it, and so would Tiff, but Mom¡­¡± I didn¡¯t want to say it, but Mom didn¡¯t really approve of my relationship with Emmy, and I was fairly convinced she wouldn¡¯t like having a guest for four months. ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll ask. All she can do is say no, right?¡±


    Mom had grumbled but eventually gave in. Emmy brought some of her stuff over, and my room got really crowded as a result. I was sure that she still had plenty of her things at her parent¡¯s house or maybe in storage somewhere. She really only brought some clothes and toiletries, a laptop, and her guitars. Way back when she¡¯d said that she had fewer things that mattered to her than I did, and maybe she was right.


    Emmy settled in quickly, mainly because she¡¯d sort of already developed a routine over Christmas. The idea of chores was something that she¡¯d never had to deal with in her life as a pampered heiress, but she settled in easily. She was perfectly happy to wash the dishes after dinner, even though she had never done them before Christmas and had to be shown how.


    Emmy also sang lullabies to Tiff every night, and I found that an immense relief because it completely stopped Tiff¡¯s long-time habit of having nightmares. Previously, Tiff would wake up every few nights with a bad dream and come into my room to sleep in my bed, or I¡¯d have to get up and stay with her until she fell back asleep in her own bed. Something about Emmy¡¯s singing, though, made a world of difference. No more bad dreams, and no more waking me up. As a side benefit Tiff was much easier to get out of bed in the mornings, too.


    Even Sylvester seemed to like having Emmy stay with us. It may be just my imagination, but it did seem as if the cat were less surly than usual.


    Mom eventually had to admit that it wasn¡¯t bad having Emmy living with us in our little apartment. Because Emmy helped Tiff out with her homework every evening, Mom had more time to herself and felt less stressed about getting her own work done.


    Of course, I loved it most of all. It was wonderful, having her share my life this way. We spent almost the entire day together at school, and then the evenings and nights together at home. Emmy and I achieved a level of intimacy I never could have imagined possible. It felt so right, so perfect. This was how it was supposed to be.


    It was a Saturday morning and Mom and Tiff left right after an early breakfast. Mom had promised Tiff a day at Legoland if she did well in school and her report card had come back excellent, so it was time to pay up. I was just grateful I didn¡¯t get dragged along this time. Emmy was sleeping in as usual whenever she got the chance and was still in bed after I finished my shower.


    I sat down next to her on the bed, once again marveling at how very beautiful she was and how much it made me happy to simply know that she was mine.


    I slipped my hand under the covers and started gently stroking her calf. She was so smooth, the feel of her skin under my hand was like silk.


    Emmy murmured a sleepy ¡°Hmmm?¡± in response to my attention, and I found the sound so sexy it almost literally hurt. That little noise, as silly as it seems, made my heart pound with love for this strange, lovely creature. I leaned down to plant a kiss and inhaled the delicate, lovely smell of her skin and hair. Unable to resist anymore, I pulled off my T shirt and sweatpants and climbed back into bed, snuggling up to the object of my affections. Emmy rolled on her side so I could spoon her, and I cuddled up close.


    Nuzzling her graceful neck, I whispered ¡°What should we do today?¡± which got a giggle from Emmy.


    ¡°Sleep in,¡± was her answer.


    The idea of spending the morning in bed with Emmy doing nothing but cuddling and being lazy was so appealing that there was no way to say no.


    After Emmy had drifted back to sleep in my arms, I thought about my life and the unexpected direction it had taken. I¡¯d never been so in love, and it was not with a boy, strong and masculine- no, it was with a delicate, graceful, and very feminine girl. Holding her in my arms, I tried to remember what it was that had ever attracted me to Chris the year before.


    He had been tall (which was super important to a girl who was nearly six feet tall at sixteen). He had a deep voice and an attractive laugh. He was athletic, a football and lacrosse player. He liked dirt bikes and never missed a fight on pay-per-view if he could help it. The quintessential guy, in so many ways. Remembering back, that masculinity was what attracted me to him in the first place. He was all I¡¯d thought I¡¯d wanted in a guy, and honestly, he was a very good boyfriend. I could hardly have done any better for my first real steady relationship.


    He¡¯d never cheated on me or trash-talked me to his friends, which I¡¯ve seen a lot of guys do. Chris just wasn¡¯t disrespectful like that. He cared for me, and cared about me, too.


    Chris never pressured me into doing any more than I wanted, and he was very gentle when I finally was ready to go all the way. He¡¯d been so concerned that it be a good experience for me that I¡¯d found his tenderness more rewarding than the actual sex had been. Truthfully, although I enjoyed the sex well enough to look forward to times when his parents wouldn¡¯t be home and we could make out, it really wasn¡¯t the best part of our relationship. The best, for me, was just being together.


    And you know what? Even at the best moments, it never came anywhere close to this. Emmy just felt so much more right in my arms than Chris ever had. Emmy smelled so good, too- I have to admit that I never really liked Axe body spray mixed with that sort of goatish smell Chris had always had. All guys have, actually. It isn¡¯t that they don¡¯t bathe, it¡¯s just natural boy smell. But Emmy? She always smelled like jasmine flowers and a kind of warm scent that just made me melt inside.


    Snuggling Emmy was heaven, and when we went further, making out with her was so special, so perfect that it almost made me regret my time with Chris. If Emmy had only come to our school a year earlier, who knows if I would have ever hooked up with a boy at all, ever?


    All I knew was that holding Emmy was all I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was all I wished I¡¯d ever done, too. Everything else felt so meaningless at that moment. Everything else felt unimportant. All that mattered, all that could possibly matter, was the feel of Emmy¡¯s warm skin against mine, and the slow rise and fall of her body as she breathed peacefully in her sleep. All that mattered, all that could ever matter, was the feeling that Emmy was mine, and I was truly and completely hers.


    She stirred, waking gently. Turning on to her back, Emmy looked at me, and a look of alarm crossed her amazing green eyes and wrinkled her pitch-black forehead. ¡°What is the matter?¡± she asked, concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I whispered, my throat too dry to speak.


    ¡°You are crying!¡± she protested, softly touching my face.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know. Tears of happiness, I guess,¡± I replied, my voice still shaky. ¡°You¡¯re just so beautiful. I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°Leah.¡±


    That broke the dam, and the waterworks really started to flow. It was ridiculous, sure, and I was embarrassed to cry like this in front of Emmy, but I just couldn¡¯t stop.


    Emmy started kissing away my tears, gently at first. She pushed me on to my back, and placed her knees on either side of me as she held my head in her hands. Her kisses came faster and more intense as she squeezed me with her knees and held my head tightly, not letting me move.


    I didn¡¯t want to move, though. I was giving in to Emmy, letting her comfort me, love me, and even manhandle me a little.


    With a shock, I realized that somehow it was O.K. for me to let Emmy control things like that. I trusted her, and was willing to give in to her in a way I¡¯d never, ever allowed myself to give in to Chris. It struck me that I¡¯d never allowed Chris all the way into my heart, never really gave myself to him completely. It felt so easy, so natural with Emmy. I trusted her, and it felt wonderful to give in to that trust and let her do whatever she wanted, because if she wanted it I wanted it, too.


    It was also becoming clear to me that Emmy aroused me in a way that Chris never had, lighting my fire just by a sexy look or a soft touch. I wanted her so bad when I wasn¡¯t with her, and I fantasized about Emmy more than I could ever have imagined I would about a lover.


    This was how it was supposed to be.


    Looking up at Emmy, savoring the slow, deliberate way she pulled her tank top up and off and revealed her slender but muscular body to me, I asked ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy¡¯s voice was husky as she leaned forward and started stroking her fingertips along my shoulders and my chest, leaving goosebumps behind.


    I wiggled my arms free from where she¡¯d had them trapped and pulled her close for a kiss. The look of desire in her eyes left no question about what Emmy had in mind, but I wasn¡¯t done with my question.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, holding her shoulders back so she couldn¡¯t reach me for a kiss. ¡°It¡¯s a serious question. Why did you choose me? You could have had anybody.¡±


    Looking at my face, Emmy could tell I really wanted an answer, so she gave up her attempts to kiss me senseless for the moment. ¡°Leah, I love you. I do not love anybody else. It is that simple.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K., but why?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Why do I love you?¡± she asked. I nodded that yes, that was my question, so she answered it. ¡°When I first came to Fallbrook and you were assigned to help me that first day¡­¡± Emmy said, thinking back. ¡°I was so intimidated by you.¡± Seeing my disbelief, she insisted, ¡°Yes, it is true. You were so tall, and I thought you were very proud and arrogant at first. You stood so very straight, your shoulders back, like¡­ Like a soldier guarding the queen, perhaps. You looked at me and I felt completely exposed- it seemed you could see right through me, and I somehow did not measure up to your standards.¡±


    I tried to protest, but she put her fingers on my lips to shush me. ¡°That first day, you hardly spoke to me, you just kept examining me, and I was terrified. No, it is true. I was ready to go home and hide forever by lunch time, but slowly, by the end of the day I realized that you were not being disdainful, but it was merely an expression of your aloof nature.¡±


    ¡°Aloof?¡± I squawked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes, I saw that it was your nature, and not an expression of distaste for me. At the end of the day when you said that you would see me the next day, I thought that maybe, perhaps you were warming to me, and I felt that if I could become friends with you, then perhaps the rest of the school would not be so hard.¡±


    I was doing my best to just listen and absorb what Emmy was saying, but it was killing me to not protest.


    ¡°The next few days, it seemed as if you enjoyed my company, that I was not merely an imposition, and I also realized that meant very much to me. I came to the conclusion that for the first time, I wanted a friend, and the friend I wanted was you. You were still very aloof, but I found that I could make you smile, and when you smiled at me it made me feel warm inside, deep down. That became my goal- to make you smile more, to make you happy any way I could.¡±


    ¡°It was on the roller coaster, where I held your hand so tightly and you did not pull away, that I recognized that nothing meant more to me than that. Nothing meant more to me than that little bit of contact, and I knew then that I was in love, in love for the very first time in my life.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± was all I could say. I drew her down to me and we spent the rest of the morning showing each other how much we loved one another. I savored the silky feel of her skin, the warm smell of her hair, and yes, that most intimate taste as I drove her to orgasm with my lips, teeth, and tongue.


    She touched my body, stroking me softly where I wanted to be caressed, more firmly where I wanted to be squeezed and with first one, then two and eventually three of her long, slender fingers when I demanded more.


    Eventually we disentangled ourselves and took a long, hot shower together, only stopping when our legs could barely hold us up any longer. It turned out to be the most perfect way to spend the morning I could have possibly imagined.

 The Truth Of The Matter

    Emmy and I wanted to do something, anything, so after school we went down to San Diego to the big mall in the valley. I figured we could do some window-shopping, maybe have dinner at the food court and then see a movie. A cheap date, sure, but I didn¡¯t have any money to speak of and Emmy was being very careful with her expenses.


    Honestly, it had surprised me how quickly and apparently easily Emmy had wrapped her mind around not having unlimited money at her disposal. Her casual purchases had evaporated entirely, and her only real indulgence was the morning coffee we always got.


    Well, truth be told, our morning coffees weren¡¯t an indulgence but actually a dire necessity. I¡¯d suggested we brew our own to save money, but Emmy hadn¡¯t been keen on that plan. ¡°That early in the morning I would probably just burn myself,¡± she¡¯d said, and now that we¡¯d been living together for a while, I¡¯d have to say that it was most likely accurate. Emmy was about the least ¡®morning person¡¯ I¡¯d ever seen.


    Emmy had originally planned on trading in her Mini for something much cheaper and pocketing the trade-in cash but after getting a few quotes had decided to keep her nicer car, so I guess that counts as an indulgence too but I would have hated to see that thing go. It was my favorite car in the world and I loved driving it, which I did more than Emmy ever sat behind the wheel. If I were honest with myself, I¡¯d have to admit that I thought of it as ¡®our¡¯ car, and I was very glad that Emmy opted to keep our car. I just couldn¡¯t see myself being so in love with some little Corolla or Sentra.


    Anyhow, we drove down the freeway to Mission Valley for a low-cost evening on the town. Checking the times of the various movies, we saw we could just catch the afternoon discount showing of the Disney movie, Tangled. Skipping popcorn and soda because we didn¡¯t want to spend the money, we just made it in time for the previews.


    The movie was good, but it brought up some unwanted emotions in Emmy. In the scene where Rapunzel is busy around the tower painting, cleaning, and all that other stuff because she had so much time on her hands, Emmy squeezed my hand tightly and I looked over to see her weeping silently.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I whispered, but I didn¡¯t have to be super quiet because there was hardly anybody else in the theater.


    ¡°That was me,¡± Emmy sobbed quietly. ¡°That was my life.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, still whispering. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°All my life, I¡¯ve been locked away, Leah. All my life until this year.¡±


    I understood she meant it figuratively and not literally, but it still brought tears of sympathy to my eyes as well. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and gave her a big, comforting hug. ¡°Not any more, baby. Not any more.¡± Then, mixing my Disney stories, I told her ¡°It¡¯s funny, because it seems to me you were the one who found my glass slipper. You¡¯re my Princess Charming.¡±


    As cheesy as it was, it at least it made her laugh and broke her out of her melancholy mood.


    ¡°But I thought I was your Beast, holding you prisoner in my castle until you loved me,¡± she said, smiling again. God, I loved her smile. I would do anything to see her happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late. I¡¯m already in love with you. I have been ever since you kissed me and woke me from my cursed slumber.¡± Yes, it¡¯s true. I could pile the cheese as high as anybody.


    ¡°If only I had legs to dance with you instead of this fishy tail,¡± she lamented, indicating her very lovely, slender legs so well shown off by her little white skirt. ¡°I would trade anything for legs.¡±


    O.K. So Emmy could match my cheese. By this point we were both laughing enough to be shushed by an old lady watching the movie with her grandkids, so we settled down and watched the rest of the film in silence. Well, almost. I set my hand on her smooth thigh and gently stroked it, maybe even a little higher than might be considered respectable and whispered ¡°I love your legs. When we get home I want you to wrap them around me.¡±


    Emmy gave me a wide-eyed, shocked expression just for show, then giggled and whispered back ¡°I must have missed that Disney movie,¡± which got us both giggling again, but as quietly as possible. We got shushed again, so we tried to be good and didn¡¯t say another word through the rest of the movie. I didn¡¯t take my hand away, though. It was very happy where it was. Emmy seemed to be happy with where my hand was, too.


    After the movie we had some teriyaki chicken at the food court for dinner, but as we were leaving we ran into trouble.


    A group of guys followed us out of the food court area and started giving us a hard time. Well, mainly giving Emmy a hard time.


    ¡°What the fuck are you supposed to be?¡± a guy wearing a long T shirt and baggy shorts outfit that made him look like a really tall midget demanded, looking at Emmy in her black top and white skirt.


    One of his friends chimed in. ¡°Look at that makeup she¡¯s wearing. Makes her look all black and shit,¡± said the guy with baggy pants. Then facing Emmy, he echoed Big Midget. ¡°What the fuck are you supposed to be? You look all freaky, bitch.¡±


    The third guy, with tattoos on his neck, said ¡°Man, she¡¯s like some kind of vampire or some shit. Look at her, man.¡±


    Emmy turned to face Big Midget, who seemed to be the leader of sorts.


    ¡°Look at me. Do I look like I sparkle? No? I must be not a vampire then, you idiot. Anyhow, vampires aren¡¯t real. Now fuck off,¡± Emmy said, placing herself between me and the three guys.


    ¡°Fucking bitch!¡± the leader of this little gang swore. He reached to grab Emmy, but she moved aside and in one movement almost too quick to see swept his feet out from under him. As he fell past her she swung her foot up, then down on the back of his head, driving his forehead into the concrete. As quick as that, he was down for the count.


    Emmy stepped back, watching the other two but they were too stunned by what had just happened to move aggressively, so Emmy grabbed my hand and hauled me out of there while the two guys helped their friend to his feet.


    ¡°Jeeze, Emmy! What was that?¡± I demanded as we hurried away. I glanced back to see Big Midget standing but very wobbly, a crowd of bystanders watching him and his pals.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get out of here,¡± Emmy replied, practically dragging me along towards the parking lot.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how you took that guy down like that,¡± I said, using my long legs to keep up.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that happened, Leah. I should have never gotten us into that situation.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, Em. Those guys were looking for trouble. I think they might be gang members or something.¡±


    ¡°I should have been better about defusing things. I should not have had to resort to violence.¡± Emmy sounded more angry with herself then she was with the three guys, which I didn¡¯t understand at all.


    We drove home in silence, Emmy because she was still stewing and me because I was giving Emmy her space. I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly had happened back at the mall, but I knew she wasn¡¯t ready to talk about it. I was feeling sure that the hot night I¡¯d been hoping for was out the window, and that didn¡¯t improve my mood at all.


    When we got home Mom and Tiff were already asleep, so Emmy silently led me to our room. Once inside, she slid her skirt up her thighs a bit, and asked in a sultry voice ¡°Do you still like my legs, Princess Charming?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to use them to kick me in the head, are you?¡± I joked, but it didn¡¯t go over very well. Emmy rushed into my arms and gave me a long, hard hug, and whispered ¡°I would never do anything to hurt you, Leah. I never, ever want you to think that I might. I want you to live happily ever after. I love you.¡±


    Surprised by her intensity, I whispered back. ¡°I know you do, Em. I know.¡± Then, to reassure her even more, ¡°You know I love you more than anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she sighed.


    After a long time, her squeeze loosened a bit, and I saw tears when she looked up into my eyes. I leaned down and we kissed for along time, holding each other in that embrace. When the kiss ended, she looked a lot happier. The contact had done wonders to cheer Emmy up. Seeing my chance, I slid my hands up the back of her thighs and said ¡°And I love your legs most of all.¡±


    I knelt down in front of Emmy and slid my hands up the smooth, silky backs of her thighs. Slipping under her short white skirt, my hands continued their journey up until they found themselves cupping her perfect little ass as I buried my face in her tummy.


    Grateful for Emmy¡¯s habit of wearing thongs, I kneaded her cheeks while she stroked my hair and bent down to kiss the top of my head.


    I reached up a bit higher and hooked her panties, pulling them down to her ankles where she gracefully stepped out of them as my hands returned to their happy place.


    I nuzzled along the hem of her shirt, and she got the idea and pulled it up and off, giving me access to her gloriously firm little belly. Emmy had both of her hands on my head, running her fingers through my hair as she moaned ¡°Yes, Leah¡­¡±


    My fingers sought out her pussy, and were rewarded with its hot dampness, just inviting a bit more exploration. Needing no urging, the tip of my ring finger slid inside, causing Emmy to rotate her hips back and push against my finger. She wanted this every bit as much as I did, and I wanted it very badly indeed.


    I abandoned my probing for the moment and leaned back so I could enjoy the sight as I slid her skirt up around her waist, revealing her perfectly smooth velvety mound. Reaching up, I unhooked her bra, too, and pulled the offending thing off her shoulders to give her breasts some room to breathe.


    I stood up and carefully picked Emmy up in my arms and gently laid her on our little double bed. She quickly slipped her skirt off as I stood there, admiring the beauty of her nude body, black as night against the light blue sheets. I found myself wondering for the hundredth time how I ever managed to get so lucky, as I pulled off my T shirt and sports bra.


    Emmy made a little noise of approval as my breasts popped free, so I looked down at her and stroked my boobs, a little bit, rolling the nipples between thumbs and fingers to get them hard. Emmy was transfixed, staring at my hands as they massaged my breasts, her own hands unconsciously moving in sympathy.


    I unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans and slowly slid them and my panties off my hips, tearing Emmy¡¯s attention away from my breasts and down to the area being exposed. I paused a moment too long just before showing my slit and Emmy couldn¡¯t stand it and reached out and tugged my pants down so she could see my vaj, making a little growling noise as she did so.


    Chuckling, I dropped my pants the rest of the way and kicked them off, then straddled Emmy¡¯s hips with my knees, I lowered myself down and leaned forward, dropping my boobs right onto Emmy¡¯s face. She cupped them in her hands and greedily sucked and nipped on them, paying attention to one, then the other equally.


    I¡¯ve never really thought of my boobs as all that great, But Emmy loved to worship them any chance she got, and who am I to complain?


    I was enjoying having my breasts pinched, nibbled and sucked so much I hardly even noticed when Emmy shifted a bit under me and slid her hand up between us to stroke my pussy, which was soaking by this point. Her first little pinch on my clit was almost like an electric shock it was so unexpected and intense. Emmy didn''t stop there, though. As she continued her work on my boobs, her assault on my lady bits was just getting started. Soon enough she had two fingers sliding smoothly in and out of me while she somehow managed to rub my clit with her thumb. My hips were bucking along with her thrusts and it didn¡¯t take very long before I couldn¡¯t stand the waves of intense sensation and an immense orgasm destroyed any muscle control I still retained and I collapsed on top of Emmy¡¯s slender body. That didn¡¯t stop her fingers, though. They¡¯d stilled as I came, but once again they were moving slowly, ever so slowly, in and out of my still-pulsing pussy. Emmy rolled me off her and onto my back, but never stopped sliding and stroking, her fingers plunging all the way, then sliding out so just the tips were still inside.


    Kissing my face, neck, collarbones, and upper chest, Emmy slowly sped up the motion of her fingers and I felt a second orgasm building. Emmy was playing me perfectly, slowing just as I was about to come, then speeding up again as I stepped away from the edge a bit. Eventually there was no stopping it and I came hard, my second orgasm far beyond the first in intensity and duration.


    When my trembling and spasming muscles finally stopped twitching, I took Emmy in my arms and murmured ¡°Oh my god, Emmy. That was incredible, baby. Just¡­¡± I trailed off at a loss for words.


    ¡°It was wonderful for me, too, Leah,¡± Emmy replied, her voice soft and tender.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t¡­¡± I objected.


    ¡°Perhaps not, but giving you such pleasure was its own reward,¡± Emmy said, kissing me once more.


    Later, I felt Emmy get out of bed in the middle of the night. Emmy was so smooth and quiet I never would have sensed the movement if I had been sleeping deeply. I opened my eyes to see the dark shape of her body walk across the room and open the bedroom door in complete silence. Because she left the door open, I could hear the water cooler¡¯s glug glug glug a minute later, then saw the dim light of the fridge as she opened it and got something out. My curiosity piqued, I listened intently but couldn¡¯t hear a thing.


    Dying to know what she was doing, I crawled out of bed and stumbled to the door of our room. There were no lights on in the kitchen, so I reached behind me and flipped the hall light on. The light shining in to the kitchen from behind me illuminated Emmy sitting at the table. In her hand was mom¡¯s favorite cooking knife, the expensive German one that always kept a razor sharp edge. Emmy¡¯s other hand was holding an apple on the cutting board, and she was busy cutting slices to eat for a little midnight snack. There was a tall glass of water, too, to wash the apple down. She glanced up at me, and I saw Emmy¡¯s eyes shine exactly the way Sylvester¡¯s did from her spot on the back of the couch.


    I sat at the table, still trying to clear my fuzzy brain enough to figure out what the heck was going on.


    ¡°Em, were you just sitting here in the dark?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, puzzled that I would ask such an obvious question.


    ¡°And you were using that knife to cut that apple?¡± I continued, still trying to form rational thoughts in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Yes, I was. I am sorry for waking you.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s... Uh, Em, I guess the part I¡¯m not clear on is why was it so dark?¡±


    ¡°I did not wish to wake anybody,¡± Emmy said, as if that explained everything.


    ¡°No, I guess what I mean is, it was pitch black in here, but you had no trouble with that, did you? I mean,¡± I said as the pieces started to fall into place. So many little clues I¡¯d just ignored in the past suddenly all fit together. ¡°Uh, I guess what I¡¯m trying to get at is that it wasn¡¯t a problem for you, was it?¡±


    Emmy¡¯s eyes closed, then opened in one of those odd slow motion blinks of hers, and she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I could plainly see the shine of her eyes reflecting the light from the hall, and saw how very wide her pupils were as she looked at me. I remembered how her eyes shone like that in the picture by the roller coaster and thought about how sensitive she was to bright daylight.


    ¡°Em, when I visited your house and you couldn¡¯t find the light switches, it was because you never use them, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked, knowing I was on the right track. She nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°I guess what I¡¯m getting at is that you can see in the dark, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she responded.


    ¡°Like, in the complete dark? Like a cat?¡±


    ¡°No, I see better than cats do. They can see in low light, but I can see when there is no light at all in what you think of as the visible spectrum.¡±


    ¡°How is this possible? I mean, seriously, how?¡±


    ¡°Evolution, survival of the fittest. All that.¡± She finished off her apple, and rinsed the cutting board and knife, setting them in the drying rack. I watched her do all this, my mind spinning.


    Emmy drank the last of her water and put the glass in the dishwasher, then held out her hand.


    ¡°Come back to bed with me?¡± she asked, gently pleading.


    I followed her back to my room- well, ¡®our¡¯ room now, still not understanding what she meant.


    Once we¡¯d settled back in to bed, Emmy snuggled up to me, and asked ¡°Are you O.K.? With me, I mean,¡± she added.


    ¡°Umm, yeah, of course,¡± I responded automatically.


    ¡°I love you, Leah. I love you more than anything,¡± Emmy whispered.


    Holding her, I finally formed some questions to ask her. ¡°You said evolution. You mean to tell me that you¡¯re evolved for the dark, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct,¡± Emmy replied, stroking my arm that was wrapped around her middle.


    ¡°That kind of thing doesn¡¯t just happen, right? It takes a long time and a lot of generations for something like that, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Leah, it does take a long time. Many thousands of years.¡±


    I thought about what she¡¯d said for a while, but then Emmy interrupted my thoughts.


    ¡°I wanted to tell you. I did not want any secrets between us, Leah. Are you mad at me?¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Mad at you? How could I be mad? I mean, this is weird and completely unexpected, but why would I be mad?¡± I responded, not sure where she was going with this.


    ¡°I was afraid you would be. Mad, I mean. It is a really big secret, and I really wanted to tell you, but I was afraid,¡± Emmy whispered, pulling my arm tighter around herself. ¡°I do not want to lose you over this. Please tell me you still love me.¡±


    I gave her a reassuring squeeze. ¡°Of course I still love you, Emmy. I guess I don¡¯t know why you thought I¡¯d be mad if I found out you could see in the dark.¡±


    ¡°It is not the dark adapted vision that I was afraid would scare you away,¡± Emmy said, still whispering. ¡°It was finding out that I am not a human being.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was surprised, to say the least. I did pull away at that, to look at Emmy in the little bit of light that crept under the blinds. ¡°What do you mean, not human?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°No, Leah, no! Please, oh, no,¡± Emmy started sobbing. ¡°Please, please¡­¡± she whimpered. She turned away, rolling on to her tummy and starting to cry into her pillow.


    It hurt me to see her so devastated, and I realized that she took my surprise for rejection. I reached over and pulled her slender body back to me, and whispered into her graceful neck. ¡°Emmy, don¡¯t cry. I love you, I do. You just surprised me, that¡¯s all. Shh, Em. Come here,¡± I said, as I kissed her shoulder. ¡°Come here.¡± She continued to cry soft, sad little noises, and I continued to kiss her neck, behind her ear, the side of her face- anywhere I could reach. After a while, Emmy¡¯s sobbing faded away, and when she turned to face me I kissed away her tears, like she¡¯d done for me.


    Her big, green eyes hopeful, she looked at me. ¡°You still love me?¡± she asked, in a pitiful voice that made my heart ache. ¡°Leah?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I still love you, but I am going to need some explaining. Not tonight, though. This is a bit much to take in.¡±


    ¡°Leah, I love you so much. Thank you. I was so afraid to tell you, but I was afraid of keeping it a secret. It was tearing me up inside, not knowing how you would react.¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± I whispered, pulling her lips to mine for a kiss. ¡°Not tonight. Tomorrow.¡± I gave her a long, slow, tender kiss, which she absolutely gave in to, closing her eyes and holding her breath.


    Emmy needed my touch that night. She needed to be comforted, to be reassured that I loved her, and I was glad to show her that I did, that nothing had changed between us. It was hours later when we finally fell asleep, the warmth of her bare skin on mine comforting me just as much as it did for Emmy.


    Getting up for school the next morning was tough. Emmy had never been a morning person, and it took some convincing to get her up and into the shower. I practically had to carry her, but she seemed awake enough after her quick session with the hot water. It always amazed me how quickly she showered. Me, I liked mine as hot as I could stand it, and fifteen minutes was my minimum. Emmy, though, was always just in and out again.


    In the car, I asked what had been on my mind since waking. ¡°Em, last night, you said you weren¡¯t human. If you aren¡¯t human, what are you?¡±


    ¡°In desperate need of coffee,¡± she replied with a smile, back to her usual bubbly self.


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I agreed. ¡°But seriously. What did you mean?¡±


    ¡°A long time ago, in Europe, there were Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals, right? They coexisted, and could interbreed, but they were separate. Like wolves and dogs- different, but not different enough to be incompatible. There are many other examples in nature.¡±


    ¡°You mean, like different species?¡± I asked, wishing she would get on with it. This was tenth grade bio stuff, after all.


    ¡°Yes, exactly. We are like that. We are a different species from Homo Sapiens. We have named ourselves ¡®Homo Nocturnis¡¯ in line with standard nomenclature. In our own language, we call ourselves ¡®Children of the Night,¡¯ which sounds much more poetic to me.¡±


    ¡°You say ¡®we¡¯. Your parents are the same, right? They can see in the dark, too?¡± I asked, as we pulled up to the coffee hut.


    ¡°Yes, my parents, and theirs, too. We have existed as a separate branch for a very long time, Leah,¡± Emmy explained after we¡¯d gotten our desperately needed caffeine.


    ¡°So how come I¡¯ve never heard of you guys before? How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°We are really good at hiding,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°Like Bigfoot.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me Bigfoot is real?¡± I asked, amazed.


    ¡°No, Leah,¡± Emmy replied, laughing. ¡°Bigfoot is not real. I was joking.¡±


    Laughing at my gullibility, we pulled into the school parking lot and grabbed our backpacks to start the day.


    Emmy seemed happy that I was keeping things light and not freaking out about the whole ¡®not human¡¯ thing. I had no intention of making her cry the way she had been last night. It had crushed me to see her so shattered, and no way did I want that for my perfect angel, even if she were some kind of nonhuman night creature.


    Waiting to discuss it more on the ride home, I gave some thought during slow moments in class to what Emmy had said.


    At lunch, I watched Emmy as she chatted with Tom, Mindy and Stephanie. It struck me again how very, very different she was from the rest of us, and I guess that her explanation about being a completely different species explained a lot. ¡®Like wolves and dogs¡¯, she¡¯d said. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out which were the wolves, was it? I mean, look at her dad. The guy had killed a tiger with nothing but a knife. Emmy¡¯s mom? The way she bossed the Principal around that day Jake hit Emmy left me no doubt that she was not one to mess with.


    Actually, thinking about that day, and the whole Jake thing, I realized that maybe Emmy had quite a bit of ¡®wolf¡¯ in her, too. She¡¯d intentionally provoked a big huge guy who was well known to be a psycho into hitting her so he¡¯d go to prison. She knew he was going to hit her. She knew it, and yet did it all anyway to eliminate a guy she saw as an enemy. Seriously, there¡¯s no way I could imagine ever doing something like that. I couldn¡¯t even imagine anybody else I knew putting themselves in serious danger like that just to get the outcome they wanted. Emmy had said her dad hunted the tiger to get the villagers on his side, right? Not so different at all, it seems. This thought stuck with me the rest of the day, and the more I thought about it, the more I knew I was on to something.


    When we were alone in the car on the way back home after school, I asked what was on my mind. ¡°Em,¡± I started.


    ¡°Yes, Leah?¡±


    ¡°You knew Jake was going to hit you, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Jake Merrick?¡± she asked, puzzled by my question.


    ¡°Yeah, Jake Merrick. You intentionally provoked him to hit you, didn¡¯t you?¡± I glanced over at her, and looked her in the eyes. ¡°You wanted him to hit you.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. I was stating what I now knew to be a fact.


    ¡°Yes, Leah. I needed him to do it. It was easy to goad him into anger, and he has no self-control. I knew he would become violent.¡± Emmy said this in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, as if she were explaining how to solve a math equation. ¡°Jake was a problem that I needed to deal with quickly and decisively.¡±


    ¡°What would you have done if those other guys weren¡¯t there to pull him off you? You could have been seriously hurt,¡± I protested, stunned at how calculating Emmy had been.


    ¡°I made certain the conditions were correct. It was important to have the necessary circumstances for the result I wanted.¡±


    ¡°Jeeze, Em! I can¡¯t believe you were so cold-blooded about the whole thing! I can¡¯t believe you put yourself in that kind of danger! What if¡­¡± I trailed off, unable to voice my muddled thoughts.


    ¡°Leah, I am sorry I upset you. That was never my intention. It is just that I saw a problem with an obvious, direct solution. I did what seemed appropriate at the time.¡±


    ¡°But, Emmy! He could have really hurt you! Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to have tried to kill you!¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel better, Leah, please understand that I was never in that great a danger. If things had not worked the way I had expected and Jordan and the others had not stepped in, I would have had to fight Jake.¡± Then, in a much softer voice, Emmy said ¡°I would have beaten him, Leah. He would not have had much of a chance.¡±


    Pulling the car into the lot at the apartment complex, I turned to look at Emmy again. With a harder edge to my voice than I had intended, I demanded ¡°Are you telling me you could have beaten up Jake Merrick?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Leah, I did not want to, because I do not want people to be frightened of me, but yes. I would have beaten him up.¡±


    ¡°But you hate violence! I remember how freaked out you were that time we went to the movies¡­¡± and I trailed off, thinking more about that night. Emmy had so effortlessly taken down that guy that had grabbed for her, and done it so quickly that only thinking about it afterwards could I really analyze what had actually occurred. ¡°That night, there at the mall. You weren¡¯t afraid of those guys at all, were you? In fact, you were trying to protect me from getting hurt, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Leah. I was worried that they might try to hurt you. I could not allow that to happen,¡± she replied, completely conversational in her tone of voice. Then, with an intensity in her voice, she added ¡°No one will ever hurt you, Leah. I will not allow it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so I said nothing. Emmy didn¡¯t seem to feel the need to add anything more to the conversation, either.


    Later that night, after Emmy had sung her nightly lullaby to Tiff and joined me in bed, I wanted to talk about that night at the mall again. ¡°Em, can we talk?¡± I asked, pulling her into my arms.


    ¡°What about?¡± she asked warily, and I got the impression some topics might be O.K. but others not so much.


    ¡°What happened at the mall. Jake. Wolves. I don¡¯t know, exactly.¡±


    ¡°Wolves?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Well, yeah. Wolves.¡± Then I added ¡°And dogs.¡±


    ¡°I do not understand, Leah.¡±


    ¡°You said that your people are a different but similar species to humans, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are not the same as Homo Sapiens, but we are very close, evolutionarily speaking. That is true.¡±


    ¡°Well, you said we were as similar as wolves and dogs. Remember that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember,¡± Emmy said in a soft, sort of sad sounding voice. She pulled my arm tighter around herself, as if to seek reassurance. I gave her a comforting squeeze, to let her know we were O.K. I didn¡¯t know where this insecurity of hers came from, and it bothered me.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and it seems to me that you are the wolves, and we¡¯re the dogs,¡± I said, realizing as I said it that a slightly harsh tone had crept into my voice.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Emmy, now sounding as if she might cry.


    I hated myself for it, but I plowed ahead anyway. ¡°Wolves are hunters, Emmy. Wolves are wild. Wolves kill dogs when they catch them.¡±


    Emmy turned to face me, pulling herself out of my arms there in our dark bedroom. I knew she could see me perfectly well, but I couldn¡¯t make out anything in her midnight black face.


    ¡°Do you want me to leave?¡± she asked, and I could hear in her voice that she was fighting back tears. ¡°I will go, Leah. I will not bother you ever again,¡± she sobbed, starting to climb out of bed.


    ¡°What? No! Em- Emmy, no! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± I protested, wrapping my arms around her so she couldn¡¯t get free. ¡°Why would you think I want you to go? I want you to stay with me the rest of our lives!¡± I had no idea what was going on. Why had Emmy freaked out like that? Why did she think I wanted her to leave?


    ¡°Leah, please. Please. Oh, Leah, I am sorry, I am so sorry. I love you, Leah¡­¡± and she started crying in earnest, and couldn¡¯t get any more words out. I pulled her face against my shoulder and hugged her hard, wanting to communicate that it was O.K. Whatever it was that was causing her such anguish was a mystery to me, but at that moment all I wanted was for my beautiful, strange, tormented girlfriend to know that I was just as much in love with her as ever, and that wasn¡¯t going to change.


    We lay back down on the bed, me holding Emmy as tightly as I could, wishing there was something more I could do. After a couple of minutes it got too much for me, and I started crying, too. I don¡¯t know how long that went on, but I do know that Emmy¡¯s quiet sobbing absolutely broke my heart.


    Eventually, Emmy stilled as her tears finally ran dry. I kept telling her that I loved her, and I never wanted her to leave, ever.


    When Emmy got her voice back, she apologized again. ¡°I am so sorry, Leah. So very sorry.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said. ¡°What are you sorry for? What¡¯s going on, Em? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You are frightened of me, Leah. I never wanted you to be scared of me,¡± she said in that pitiful voice that was tearing me up inside.


    ¡°What? No, no, Em. I¡¯m not scared of you. How could I be scared of the girl I love more than anything? No, if anything, you make me feel safe and warm!¡± I protested.


    ¡°I do?¡± she asked, her voice sounding a little bit hopeful. ¡°Because, Leah, that is how I feel with you, too. I feel better in your arms than I ever have before. Leah, I could never have imagined I would feel this way about anyone, and now, I could not imagine it if this were taken away¡­¡± I guess even thinking or saying it was too much, because she started crying again, in that terrible silent way of hers, her body shuddering with every sob, but almost no noise other than the sound of her ragged breathing. I held her tight, swearing to myself that I would never do anything to make Emmy cry again.


    ¡°No one is going to take this away, Em,¡± I whispered. ¡°No one, ever.¡±


    Eventually Emmy fell asleep, still in my arms. My T shirt was soaked with her tears, but there was no way I was going to let go of her to change it. No, Emmy needed me. She needed me to be there for her, and that is exactly what I was doing.


    It took me a long time to fall asleep, and it wasn¡¯t just because I was holding Emmy tighter than a boa constrictor. No, what kept me awake is thinking about what had happened. I¡¯d mentioned dogs and wolves and she had panicked, thinking that I meant that I was afraid she¡¯d what, kill me? Something like that, I guess. She¡¯d thought I was afraid of her, and didn¡¯t want her around.


    Why would she think that? What had I done or said to make her jump to that conclusion? I mean, O.K., I¡¯d said that wolves kill dogs, and implied that her kind might kill humans like me, but I didn¡¯t mean¡­ ah, hell. What did I mean? Resigning myself to another uncomfortable discussion in the morning, I let myself drift off.


    Surprisingly, Emmy was awake when I woke up. She was propped on her elbow, looking at me when I opened my eyes. It took me a bit to clear my head, but when I did I saw Emmy had a sad expression on her face as she silently stared at me. Sad, and kind of wistful, I guess.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I croaked, my usual exuberance at getting up at five A.M. deserting me.


    ¡°Leah, I was serious last night.¡± Emmy said. ¡°I do not want to scare you, or Tiffany. I will leave you alone and never trouble you again if you would prefer.¡±


    ¡°What? No! I was serious, too. I want you, Em. I want you forever. And by forever, I mean forever.¡± My voice was level, but my heart was beating like crazy. The thought of Emmy leaving my life was just something I couldn¡¯t bear.


    ¡°I would do it, Leah, for you. If you ever feel threatened or frightened by me, just tell me and I will leave you in peace.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand where this is coming from, Em,¡± I protested, feeling my own tears start to well up. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what this is about. Have I ever said I was afraid of you? Have I ever said I wanted you to leave?¡± With that, I felt my tears start to flow. How could she be this way, I wondered. How could she say these things?


    I saw that her faucets were running, too, as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Leah, you said you thought that I would kill you.¡± Her voice was surprisingly level, but her expression showed how much Emmy was suffering inside.


    ¡°No!¡± I said. ¡°That isn¡¯t what I said! Well, not what I meant, anyway. Em, Emmy¡­ don¡¯t ever think that I want you to go!¡± I¡¯m pretty sure that it was her matter-of-fact tone when she said she would leave that was doing it to me. Last night she¡¯d just seemed freaked out and emotional, but this morning she sounded determined, and that did scare me. The thought that Emmy really would leave me alone was too much to bear.


    ¡°What I meant was¡­ hell, I don¡¯t know what I meant. But I never meant that you should leave, Em. I never want that. Not ever.¡±


    ¡°I do not want to leave you, Leah. It is the last thing in the world that I want,¡± Emmy said, her voice breaking. ¡°I want to be with you for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s skip school today and just stay here, in bed.¡± I suggested. ¡°I¡­¡± and I couldn¡¯t think of any more to say, so I pulled her close and kissed Emmy, a hot, needy kiss that I hoped would say more than I could with words. Emmy relaxed into my kiss, and I detected more that a hint of relief in the way she kissed me back.


    ¡°What do we tell your mother?¡± asked Emmy. ¡°She would not like us staying in bed.¡±


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t.¡± I agreed with a sigh. ¡°She comes home for lunch a lot of the time, too, so we can¡¯t just leave and then come back.¡± Thinking for a moment, I said ¡°I know- we can go for a drive! Maybe drive up to the mountains again. I just want us to spend the day together.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me. I need to tell you some things, Leah, and I am not sure how to do it. A day in the mountains might be good.¡±


    ¡°Is it something I don¡¯t want to hear?¡± I asked, sudden dread filling me at the idea that Emmy might tell me something that might change my mind on wanting her to stay.


    ¡°Probably,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I can not continue to keep secrets from you. This is important.¡±


    ¡°Will it make me love you any less?¡± I asked, really starting to get worried.


    ¡°Oh, Leah, I sincerely hope not. I just want you to keep an open mind.¡± Then, changing the subject, Emmy asked in a hopeful voice ¡°Can we take a shower together this morning?¡±


    Stunned at Emmy¡¯s emotional gymnastics but all too happy to get off any uncomfortable subjects, I was glad to agree. I needed the physical reassurance that our love was strong every bit as much as she did.


    After our usual coffee we hit the road. We drove up to Temecula, then cut southeast and up into the hills. When we eventually got to Julian, Emmy suggested we stop for apple pie again, like we had that first weekend she slept over at my house.


    So far, our conversation had been light and unimportant. We talked about school, Stanford, Allie, and so on. Anything to avoid touching any nerves. I didn¡¯t know how to ask the questions that were still only half-formed in my head, and Emmy sure didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about what was bothering her so much. Fortified by some apple pie a la mode and a cup of coffee, I finally broached the subject.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said as we got back on the road. ¡°You wanted to tell me something, something about the other night, and, uh, the seeing in the dark thing. Whatever it is, I¡¯m ready to listen, and I promise that whatever it is, well... I don¡¯t know. You said I might not want to hear it, but I think that not talking about it is worse.¡± I reached over and put my hand on her thigh to let her know I loved her, and whatever it was, everything was going to be O.K.


    ¡°Oh, Leah, I-¡± she started, her nervousness coming through loud and strong. I gave her leg a squeeze in support, and she continued. ¡°Leah, you realized that I can see in the dark. I told you it was because I am not really human in the sense that you are. I am from a separate species of the hominid family tree, and we are evolved for the dark.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you told me all that the other night,¡± I agreed. ¡°So what else did you want to tell me?¡± I asked, wondering what she was trying to get around to saying.


    ¡°Leah, my people, we are predators. Perhaps parasites might be a more accurate term. We have lived on the fringes of human society, taking what we needed or wanted for thousands and thousands of years. We are thieves and we are kidnappers and sometimes killers. We have a very long history of doing evil things, Leah.¡±


    ¡°I kinda figured,¡± I admitted. ¡°I thought about what you told Tiff the first time you came for dinner. You made it seem like a joke, but you were trying to drop hints even back then, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is true. I wanted you to figure it out, Leah. I wanted to be honest with you, but my culture is one of complete secrecy and I simply could not bring myself to spill the cat out of the bag.¡±


    ¡°¡®Let the cat out of the bag¡¯ or ¡®spill the beans¡¯,¡± I corrected, smiling at her misuse of the slang.


    ¡°Yes, let the cat out of the bag. I simply could not do that. I am sorry, Leah. I never meant to lie to you, I want you to know that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you did, Em. I mean, the subject obviously never came up. I never asked ¡®Emmy, are you are creature from myth who is used in fairy tales to scare children?¡¯, did I? I mean, O.K., the reverse albino bit, sure, but I can understand that.¡±


    ¡°You are missing the point, Leah,¡± Emmy said, holding my hand on her leg. ¡°What I am trying to tell you is that perhaps the wolves and dogs comparison is apt. My people have fed off yours for as long as we¡¯ve existed. We have been used to scare children in the fairy tales for good reason. We are evil, Leah. Evil and dangerous."


    Realizing there was no way to have this conversation while driving, I pulled over at a turnout that had a lovely view of a small valley below. I hardly had eyes for the sights, because I turned my attention to Emmy. I reached over and gently pulled her dark glasses off so I could I look her in the eyes. "Em, I think I understand. Really, I''m pretty sure I get the idea. You''re what the fairy tales call a bogeyman, and bogeymen did terrible things. I mean, I get it. But the reality is that you are the one I love, and you are the one I want to spend forever with. I don''t care if you''re a ''Homo Nocturnis'', a bogeyman, or even, I don¡¯t know, a Presbyterian or something. What matters to me is who you are," I said, laying my hand on her chest so I could feel her heartbeat. "In here. Do you love me?" I asked.


    "More than I can say, Leah. More than anything."


    "And I love you so much it hurts," I affirmed. "That''s what matters. You''ve never kidnapped any children, have you?" I asked, half joking, half serious.


    "Me? No!" Emmy protested. "It has been against the law for generations now. Our people are forbidden from harming or stealing from the people of the daylight. We do not do those things any more."


    "My ancestors used to rape, pillage and kill everywhere their longboats came ashore, Em. Does that mean that I do those things? Of course not. We can''t be held responsible for the actions of others, can we?"


    "Oh, Leah, I am so glad..." Emmy said, but then burst into tears again.


    I unbuckled my seatbelt so I could lean over and take her into my arms, making vague comforting noises. "What is it, Em?" I asked. "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing is wrong, Leah, nothing." Emmy replied, tears still streaming down her face.


    "Then why are you crying?"


    "I was so afraid to talk to you about this, I was so scared you would hate me for what I am."


    "What made you think I would?" I asked, wiping away her tears with my thumb.


    "Day walkers have always feared and hated us, Leah. Always, for thousands and thousands of years. For good reason, I guess," Emmy said, her voice still shaky.


    "Well, maybe those days are past,¡± I replied. ¡°I certainly don''t fear or hate you, and neither does anybody else that we know, right? I mean, people are curious when they see you, but I haven''t seen anybody get out any torches or pitchforks, have you?" She looked puzzled by the reference, so I explained. "I mean that nobody has reacted negatively to you, have they? I mean, assholes like Jake Merrick aside, pretty much everybody just accepts you as you are, don''t they?"


    "Yes, most do," Emmy admitted. "But it is so difficult to put myself out there, knowing that if people knew what I am they would react differently."


    "How do you know?" I asked. "I mean, how many people have figured it out and taken it badly?"


    "Nobody has done so here in California," Emmy admitted. "But sometimes, especially in small towns or villages back in Europe, people knew. When traveling with my parents, we always had bodyguards just in case, and occasionally they proved necessary."


    "Why there and not here?" I wondered.


    "Too close to the old ways, my parents say. That is why we moved here, to be where there are no others like us, and no one would know or remember who we are."


    "Wait- there aren''t any more like you here?" I asked, surprised.


    "No, none that we know of at least. You have to understand, Leah. It is very hard for my people to travel. Historically, in the past, we could travel at night through the countryside. Ships presented a terrible challenge, and very, very few of us made it to the New World. This land was never settled by our people in any numbers, and the few that managed to set up communities are almost all in the old cities on the east coast. Out here we are virtually nonexistent."


    Telling me about her peoples'' history seemed to help shake her out of her funk, so I encouraged her. "But your family is different," I said. "You guys don''t hide at all."


    "No, we do not. My father has a plan to prove to our people that it is possible to live in the daylight. That is why we are living the way we do, as proof that it can be done.¡±


    We got back on the road, and I think we were both glad to have cleared the air. Emmy felt relieved that her terrible secret wasn¡¯t so terrible after all, and I was glad that she felt more secure about our relationship. It didn¡¯t take long for Emmy to perk back up to her cheerful self and soon the drive felt more like a fun day out than anything.


    That night, as we lay in bed, I asked Emmy a question that had been nagging at me. ¡°Em, you said your people are banned from harming any daylighters, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed, as she snuggled deeper into my arms as we spooned.


    ¡°And it¡¯s been that way for a long time now?¡±


    ¡°Many generations,¡± murmured Emmy as she drifted off to sleep.

 The Visit

    Mom had taken Tiff out for a movie as a reward for good grades, which seemed to be all she got anymore now that Emmy was tutoring her. I know Mom had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, Tiff¡¯s grades were better than they ever had been, and she seemed to be enjoying school more than ever. Mom loved that, and as her grades had become a source of pride, Tiff was more motivated than ever to excel. Of course, all the rewards she was getting from Mom helped, too.


    But on the other hand, I think it rubbed Mom the wrong way that the big change had been Emmy¡¯s tutoring. Although Mom appreciated being relieved from her duties as homework coach, it galled her to think that somehow Emmy was a better teacher for Tiff than she was. I¡¯d told her that I thought it was just the novelty of Emmy helping her, and also the fact that Emmy was as patient as a saint with Tiffany. Although Mom agreed on both points, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit troubled by it all.


    In any case, I was home alone, working on my paper for English when I heard a knock on the door. Peeking out my window, I saw Emmy¡¯s mother standing by the front door.


    I opened the door, expecting Edouard as well, but there was no sign of him. Emmy¡¯s mom was alone.


    ¡°Emmy isn¡¯t here,¡± I apologized.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think she was,¡± Madame Lascaux replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t see her car in the lot. Actually, Leah, I came to speak with you and your mother.¡±


    Realizing I was being rude, I invited her in, grateful that the house was currently clean. As she stepped inside, her eyes swept our little living room and kitchen. I was worried at first that she¡¯d be appalled at how the peons lived, but there seemed to be no judgment in her gaze, just assessment. She was taking in every detail, reminding me of the first time Emmy visited, months ago.


    Just like Emmy, she commented on the family photo with my father in his dress blues. ¡°Your father was a handsome man, Leah. I am sorry at your loss. I¡¯m sure he would be very proud of the lovely young lady you have become.¡±


    "Um, thanks.¡± I replied, still nervous and unsure what this was all about. ¡°You said you came to talk to my mom, right? Well, she¡¯s not home, either,¡± I apologized again.


    ¡°Honestly, Leah, I knew she wasn¡¯t home. That¡¯s fine, because you¡¯re the one I really want to talk to, in any case. In fact, it may be best if our conversation is just between you and me.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K.,¡± I said, awkwardly. ¡°Uh, would you like something to drink? Some tea, maybe?¡± I asked, hoping that Emmy¡¯s mom wasn¡¯t the coffee drinker that Emmy was. We still hadn¡¯t gotten a coffee maker, because of Emmy¡¯s insistence on buying her morning caffeine from the coffee hut.


    ¡°Tea would be lovely, Leah. Thank you,¡± she said, sitting down at the kitchen table.


    She looked so out of place, in her very expensive and elegant skirt suit, but I have to admit that Emmy¡¯s mom seemed perfectly comfortable. She seemed so at ease, in fact, that I started to loosen up, too.


    As I busied myself putting the kettle on and getting cups and teabags ready, Emmy¡¯s mom asked ¡°Where is the princess tonight? I¡¯m a bit surprised she left you unprotected.¡±


    That use of the word ¡®unprotected¡¯ sent my nerves back into the red zone, but I tried to remain as casual as ever when I asked ¡°What do you mean, ¡®unprotected¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Emmy is so very protective of you, Leah. She values you more than anything. It is quite remarkable to see, actually.¡± I¡¯m not sure that this really answered my question. In fact, I think Emmy¡¯s mom was being a bit evasive, but I tried to ignore that nagging doubt in the back of my mind.


    ¡°Yes, she is. I¡¯ve seen it first hand,¡± I replied, and this seemed to arouse Mrs. Lascaux¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°Yes? How so?¡± she asked, leaning forward.


    Realizing it might be a mistake to tell her anything, I replied ¡°Oh, you know, just little things here and there,¡± waving my hand in what I hoped was an offhand way.


    Just then the teakettle whistled, so I turned off the burner and poured two cups. Glad for the excuse to end the conversation, I asked ¡°Sugar?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you, Leah.¡± I¡¯d wondered where Emmy had picked up the habit of using my name in conversation so much, and now I knew. In fact, I saw a lot of Emmy¡¯s familiar habits in her mom. I¡¯ve heard it said that if you want to know what a woman will be like in twenty years, look at her mother. In some ways, I hoped that was true for Emmy. Her mom was a powerful, beautiful woman, confident and assured. On the negative side, although she was very charming, Mrs. Lascaux was also quite intimidating and more than a tiny bit scary.


    Setting a cup in front of Emmy¡¯s mom, I sat down opposite her at the table.


    ¡°So, could you please give me an example of the princess¡¯ protectiveness? You¡¯ve piqued my curiosity.¡±


    It was clear that Mrs. Lascaux wasn¡¯t going to be distracted, so I told her about the thing that happened at the mall with those gangbanger-looking guys. ¡°We were out, and these three guys who looked really rough started giving Emmy a hard time. I mean, about her looks. She made sure I was behind her and protected, then beat up the lead guy and we got away.¡±


    ¡°The princess beat this man? How did she do that?¡± Emmy¡¯s mom was very interested now, and I regretted telling her anything.


    ¡°Well, he made a move to grab her, and she tripped him and then, as quick as lightning, kicked him in the back of the head so he plowed face first into the sidewalk. Really, it was just self-defense, and it was too quick for the guy¡¯s pals to even react.¡±


    ¡°Were there others around? Did anybody see this happen?¡± This wasn¡¯t the question I expected at all, and I wasn¡¯t at all sure where Emmy¡¯s mom was going with this.


    ¡°Well, it happened in a busy shopping mall, so I guess so. But it was so fast, I¡¯m sure that anybody who wasn¡¯t watching closely wouldn¡¯t have actually seen what happened.¡±


    Mrs. Lascaux seemed satisfied with this, but asked one more question. ¡°You say she shielded you from the thugs? Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. I mean, I didn¡¯t quite realize it at the time because everything was happening so quickly, but yeah, she definitely stepped in between me and the three guys.¡±


    ¡°That is remarkable.¡± Emmy¡¯s mom took a long, thoughtful sip from her tea, then continued. ¡°It just proves what I said earlier. She is very protective of you.¡± Then, changing the subject, she asked ¡°If I may ask, where is the princess tonight?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s at the dance studio. She practices her dancing three nights a week.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Mrs. Lascaux¡¯s eyebrows raised in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that she is continuing her dancing. I¡¯d been worried that she would let it go when she moved out of our house.¡±


    ¡°Well, she did at first, but after a couple of weeks she realized she needed the exercise, and also she really missed it. Now she works out with a couple of her friends who also dance.¡± It was obvious from her reaction that this was unexpected but welcome news.


    ¡°A couple of friends? Does she have a lot of friends?¡±


    It seemed to me that Emmy¡¯s mom was genuinely pleased for her daughter, so I elaborated a bit. ¡°Well, she has a few good friends, but pretty much everybody at school likes her, too.¡±


    ¡°There haven¡¯t been any more racist incidents against the princess?¡± Mrs. Lascaux¡¯s questions were leading me to believe that she hadn¡¯t talked to Emmy at all since Emmy moved in with me, and that made me a bit sad, and sorry for her.


    ¡°No, nothing that I have seen, anyway. A lot of the boys on the football team really like her, and I know they would beat the heck out of anybody who tried anything against her. I¡¯m pretty sure everyone in school knows that, too, so that may be a factor, too.¡±


    ¡°She has defenders? Young men who would fight for her?¡± This idea seemed to please Mrs. Lascaux quite a bit.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. You met Andy Temple. He¡¯s a huge Emmy fan. Some of the other guys on the team, too. It¡¯s kinda cute, actually.¡±


    ¡°Andy Temple?¡± Emmy¡¯s mom sounded surprised. ¡°I had the impression that he was romantically interested in the princess. It doesn¡¯t bother him that you and she are lovers?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Um, no, I guess not. I was surprised, too, but he took it really well and has been just as much of a good friend as ever. In fact, even though I¡¯ve known him for years, he and I have gotten to be better friends than ever.¡±


    Looking thoughtful, Mrs. Lascaux asked ¡°Are you concerned that he may have some hidden agenda?¡±


    ¡°What? Andy? No way. No, he¡¯s a good guy. If you mean do I think he¡¯s trying to move in on what Emmy and I have going on, no I don¡¯t think so. I think he¡¯s just a friend.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps so,¡± she conceded, still looking a bit doubtful.


    ¡°No, he really is that good of a guy,¡± I insisted, wanting to convince her that Andy was all that.


    With a slight shrug, Emmy¡¯s mom indicated she was done with that conversation. After another sip of her tea, she finally got down to the reason she¡¯d come to talk to me.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she began. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much the princess has told you about our family, and why her father and I object to the two of you as lovers.¡±


    ¡°Um, we¡¯ve had some talks,¡± I said, hesitantly. I know Emmy had been instructed not to tell about her people, and I didn¡¯t want to get her in trouble with her parents.


    ¡°Talks?¡± asked Mrs. Lascaux, in a casual voice.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I knew I was treading on thin ice here, but I wanted Mrs. Lascaux to understand that I knew, but wasn¡¯t about to tell anybody else.


    ¡°Well, I figured out that she could see in the dark.¡± I was going to do everything I could to make it clear that Emmy wasn¡¯t a blabbermouth.


    ¡°You did? That¡¯s interesting. Did she explain why she has this unusual ability?¡± She was fishing, it was obvious even to me. She wanted to know what I knew, and how I came to know it.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t want to tell me, but I figured out that you and her dad have the same ability. You can all see perfectly in the dark.¡± Emmy¡¯s mom made a little ¡®Mm hm¡¯ noise to indicate she was listening, and I should continue. ¡°It seemed to me that there was something special about your family, and I asked Em about it. She finally admitted that it wasn¡¯t just your family that could do it. She admitted that you guys are actually not normal humans at all.¡± There, it was out.


    Emmy¡¯s mom had maintained an attentive, but not overly concerned attitude as I said this, but I knew her next questions were very, very loaded. ¡°And how did you react to that? What have you told your mother?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was surprised, that¡¯s for sure. Emmy was terrified that I wouldn¡¯t want anything to do with her when I found out. She really didn¡¯t want to tell me, but she also knew that she couldn¡¯t keep it a secret from me any longer.¡±


    ¡°I see. And yet, here you are. How long ago did you figure all this out?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Over a month now.¡± I was sweating bullets, but in all honesty, I wasn¡¯t sure why I was so stressed. All I knew was that it almost killed Emmy to tell me the secret of the existence of her people, so I figured that it was a really big deal for her parents, too, and I didn¡¯t want her to get in trouble with them.


    ¡°Over a month,¡± Mrs. Lascaux said, leaning back, looking thoughtful. ¡°What does your mother think of this?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t think anything of it because she doesn¡¯t know. I¡¯m not going to tell anyone Emmy¡¯s secret. If she wants to share it, she can do it. But I¡¯m not going to.¡± I hoped this would take some heat off Emmy, and it seemed to reassure Emmy¡¯s mom.


    She seemed a bit surprised at this news. ¡°So you haven¡¯t told anybody at all? Not even your own mother? Does anybody else know?¡±


    ¡°No, nobody. Just me.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s mom took another sip of her tea, looking pensively at me. I felt as if this had been a test, and the results were unexpectedly positive.


    Coming to a decision, Mrs. Lascaux leaned forward a bit. ¡°Well, if you know about the existence of our people, and have for over a month now but still haven¡¯t told anyone at all, that¡¯s no small thing. We, my husband and I, had always hoped but never actually expected that Emmy would find a confidante that would learn our secret and yet still care for her. Did the princess explain to you why we live in the sunlight?¡±


    ¡°She said it was an experiment. She said that her dad wanted to prove to the rest of your people that it could be done.¡± I figured we were out of the woods, since now Mrs. Lascaux was actually sharing information with me.


    ¡°Yes, that is part of it. A very important part. But not all. Now we are getting to the heart of our objections to your relationship with the princess.¡± She took another sip, and I realized I was holding my breath and sitting on the edge of my seat. I sat back, and Emmy¡¯s mom explained.


    ¡°You see, Leah, we are few in number, and our birth rate is very low. My husband and I recognize that our culture is dying, and something must be done to preserve what we can.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with Emmy and me?¡± I asked, but I had a suspicion that I knew where she was headed, recalling what Emmy had said after her show at The Bonfire.


    ¡°The princess is the heiress to our family legacy. There is none other, and there won¡¯t be another if she doesn¡¯t bear any children. If she doesn¡¯t find a husband, our line is finished,¡± Mrs. Lascaux said, confirming what I¡¯d feared.


    I wanted to ask why that was so important, but thought better of it. Instead, I admitted ¡°Emmy hinted something about that. She said something about pure blood once, but I had no idea what she was talking about.¡±


    ¡°She did?¡± asked Mrs. Lascaux. ¡°She told you what was expected of her?¡± Her look of surprise only lasted a moment, but I caught it.


    ¡°Yeah, she said that you guys expected her to have children. She said she¡¯d always known that it was very important to you, and she¡¯d just accepted it.¡± Then a thought occurred to me. ¡°She¡¯d also said that you guys approved of Andy, but I guess I don¡¯t understand how that could work. I mean, he¡¯s not a child of the night.¡±


    ¡°No, he isn¡¯t, but that isn¡¯t very important at all. In fact, he would probably be an excellent choice for Emmy.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t want the bloodline to end, and Emmy¡¯s pure blood,¡± I objected, clearly missing something.


    Mrs. Lascaux, seeing my confusion, laughed a musical little chuckle, reminding me how I¡¯d had the impression that she almost sang when she spoke, her voice was so melodic. ¡°Our society is matrilineal, Leah. The bloodline passes from mother to daughter.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K., but how does mixing in human genes work to keep the kids¡¯ bloodlines pure?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Mrs. Lascaux conceded. ¡°But it¡¯s close enough. The offspring will all be children of the night, and any daughters will pass the bloodline along. The time for strict rigor of purity of blood is over. If we worry too much about that, we will only have a few more generations before we are gone entirely as a species.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that your only real objection to Emmy and me being together is that she won¡¯t have any kids? Otherwise it wouldn¡¯t bother you?¡±


    ¡°In a nutshell, yes,¡± Mrs. Lascaux agreed.


    ¡°So it doesn¡¯t bother you that she¡¯s a lesbian?¡± I was starting to see a way out of this predicament.


    ¡°We have no cultural taboos against homosexual or lesbian love. It is not common for our people to take lovers of the same gender, but certainly not unheard of.¡±


    ¡°So what if Emmy and I stay together, but she has a child by in vitro fertilization? Would that be O.K.?¡±


    Again, a momentary look of surprise passed over Mrs. Lascaux¡¯s face, but was quickly reined in. ¡°I see no reason that couldn¡¯t work, as long as it is the princess who bears the child,¡± she said, giving the idea some thought. Clearly it had never occurred to her, and she had to mull it over. ¡°You would raise a child born this way?¡± she asked, sounding doubtful.


    ¡°Well, if Emmy and I are a couple and we make a life for ourselves, I could see it being a wonderful thing.¡± Honestly, as I gave more thought to the idea of raising kids with Emmy, it sounded better and better. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, and I knew how much she loved Tiffany, so I could see her being a good mother.


    Clearly another turning point had occurred in this strange conversation, and Emmy¡¯s mom was silent for a long time, gazing off into the distance and sipping her tea, which must have been getting cold by this point.


    Suddenly turning to me, Mrs. Lascaux asked point blank ¡°Do you see a life for yourself with the princess?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°When you imagine five, ten years from now, do you see yourself with her? How about in her old age? What if she becomes infirm and weak?¡± Mrs. Lascaux was looking at me with an intensity that was hard to bear. I found myself unable to look her in the eyes, intimidated.


    ¡°Yeah, I do, actually. I think about it a lot, and I can¡¯t even imagine a future without her. I want us to spend our lives together.¡±


    ¡°And this future you imagine would include children?¡± Again, that intensity. My answer was evidently very important to Emmy¡¯s mom.


    ¡°Well, honestly, I hadn¡¯t thought of it until just now, but yeah, I can see kids in our future. I know Emmy loves kids, and had grown up wanting them, so if we could somehow make it work I think it would be wonderful.¡±


    Leaning back in her seat, Emmy¡¯s mom gave me a long, appraising look. This whole conversation had been very stressful for me, but also strangely reassuring. It had seemed like some kind of weird job interview, and we¡¯d gotten to the part where terms get discussed. I thought I¡¯d done a good job of avoiding the various obstacles, so I was waiting to hear what Mrs. Lascaux had to say next.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said in a softer tone than she¡¯d used so far. ¡°I love my daughter. I want her to be happy in life, and she certainly seems to be finding that with you. That pleases me, but it is also of crucial importance that she fulfills her obligations as princess. If some way can be found to accommodate both competing and possibly contradictory demands, my husband and I would be pleased to support it.¡±


    ¡°Um, what do you mean, ¡®her obligations as princess¡¯?¡± I asked, puzzled. ¡°I guess I thought you guys just used that word as some kind of endearment or something.¡±


    Once more, Mrs. Lascaux looked surprised. ¡°She hasn¡¯t told you? No, evidently not,¡± she answered herself, seeing my blank expression. ¡°Leah, our daughter, Emerald De Lascaux, is the sole heir to the throne of the Sahar nation of Children of the Night. It is the most prosperous of the five remaining nations.¡± Then, returning to her intense mode, as if to make her point crystal clear, she said ¡°The princess may not simply walk away from her birthright and legacy. It cannot happen.¡±


    I was shocked. I mean, I knew Emmy¡¯s family was crazy rich, and they certainly did seem like some kind of royalty, but come on! An actual princess? Seriously? Suddenly, with practically an audible click, a lot of random pieces started to come together and I realized I should have figured it out before.


    ¡°Wow,¡± was all I could say.


    Emmy¡¯s mom, though, wasn¡¯t done with what she had to tell me. ¡°It is important to us that our daughter get the very best education possible, and we¡¯ve determined that Stanford University would be the best school for her to learn what she needs to know to take on her duties when the time comes. As I understand it, you are interested in attending Stanford as well. We would be prepared to cover your tuition and costs there, to make it easier for you two to stay together.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I stammered, caught by surprise. ¡°I thought you wanted Emmy to find a husband?¡±


    ¡°Apparently that may not be as much of a requirement as Monsieur De Lascaux and I had thought, Leah. If you and the princess are happy together as lovers, and wish to stay together as mates, perhaps Emmy could still fulfill her responsibilities as required.¡±


    ¡°And if it doesn¡¯t work out for us, then you can always find her a husband down the road,¡± I said, understanding Mrs. Lascaux¡¯s meaning.


    She nodded, and gave me a wry little smile. ¡°Perceptive of you,¡± she admitted. ¡°Now that you understand our position a bit better, and I have a much more complete picture of where you stand, I think it is time for me to take my leave. Thank you for the tea,¡± she said, standing up. I stood up and walked her to the door, where she took hold of my shoulders and looked me in the eyes one last time. In her first real show of motherly concern, she gave my shoulders a quick squeeze, and said ¡°Leah, I¡¯m very glad we had this talk. It was a pleasure to get to know you better, and also a great relief to learn that you and Emmy are keeping no secrets from each other.¡±


    ¡°But keeping them from the rest of the world?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she agreed, with that beautiful musical laugh that reminded me of her daughter. ¡°Please, continue to keep our secrets from the rest of the world. We are not ready to be revealed yet.¡± One last quick squeeze on the shoulders, and she walked down the stairs to her waiting car. I saw Edouard open the door of that big BMW sedan for her, and then off they went.


    Emmy got home about an hour later, coincidentally at the same time as Mom and Tiff. I heard their voices as they came in, but I was busy trying to focus on my Lit paper (but failing miserably). Emmy came into our room, and wrapped her arms around me from behind.


    ¡°How is your paper going?¡± she asked, giving me a little kiss on the nape of my neck.


    ¡°Well, actually, I¡¯m having a hard time getting anything done. I had a visitor earlier,¡± I said, leaning back into her embrace. ¡°Your mom came to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Emmy, surprised. ¡°What did she want to talk about?¡± Her tone had gone harsh instantly at the mention of her mom¡¯s visit, and she pulled away from me and sat on the bed.


    I turned to face her. ¡°I think she just wanted to talk one on one, to get to know me better.¡± I leaned forward, taking Emmy¡¯s hand. ¡°I think it went well. Honestly, I think it went really well, Em. I kinda think you should talk to her about what we discussed tonight.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to talk to my parents,¡± Emmy said with finality, pulling her hand out of mine.


    ¡°Em, please, just listen. It was a good talk. I think she might be O.K. with us. I mean, us being together. In fact, she offered to pay my tuition so we could be together at Stanford and not have to worry about a thing.¡±


    ¡°She did what?¡± Emmy demanded, standing up, furious.


    ¡°She said she wanted us to be together,¡± I said, wanting Emmy to understand it was all good. I was failing miserably, though, as Emmy was obviously very, very pissed off. Without another word, she grabbed her keys and stormed off, slamming the front door on her way out. I watched her out the window as she got in her car and took off, tires squealing as she exited the parking lot.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± asked Mom, leaning in my door. ¡°What got Emmy so upset?¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s mom visited this evening, while you were all gone. She wanted to talk to me, and I thought it went really well. It seemed like she was O.K. with Emmy and me, and maybe things could get back to normal at her house, but when I told Emmy, she got really pissed off.¡± My voice must have told Mom more than my words did, because she came in and gave me a hug.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be O.K., Lee. She¡¯s got some issues she needs to work out with her parents, but it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you. She loves you, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not mad at you. You just need to support her, and be there for her.¡±


    Mom¡¯s arms felt comforting, and the tears I¡¯d been fighting since Emmy stormed out came out with a rush. ¡°Why is it so complicated?¡± I snuffled.


    ¡°Oh, honey,¡± Mom said. ¡°Love is always complicated. That¡¯s just the way it is.¡±

 What Comes Next

    Mom continued to hold me, letting me cry. When I felt a small pair of arms wrap around us, I reached down and pulled Tiff into our now three-way embrace. It felt nice, but really didn¡¯t do much to ease my heartache. I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d said that had pissed Emmy off so bad, or why she was so angry with me. It hurt me deep inside that she hadn¡¯t even said goodbye when she¡¯d left.


    Tiffany said something I couldn¡¯t hear, so I pulled back to look at her. She repeated herself, ¡°Where did Emmy go?¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew. I think she might have gone back to her house to talk to her parents, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± The look of worry on her little face tore me up inside even more than I¡¯d already been feeling.


    ¡°But this is Emmy¡¯s house now!¡± Tiff objected, making my eyes burn with even more tears.


    Eventually, I gave up on waiting for Emmy to come back and went to bed. That little double bed of mine had never felt so big or so empty as it did that night. I¡¯d gotten so used to sleeping with Emmy¡¯s head on my shoulder and her warm body snuggled up to mine that sleeping alone was almost impossible. When Tiff came into my room at three in the morning complaining of bad dreams I was happy to have her sleep with me. She certainly wasn¡¯t my Em, but at least it helped the loneliness a bit. I still slept poorly, waking up every time a car drove by or I thought I heard a footstep on the stairs outside my window.


    When my alarm went off and it was time to get ready for school I was as miserable as I¡¯d ever been in my life. I showered and got ready quickly, because it was back to taking the city bus again for the first time in six months. Standing on the corner waiting for the bus, I was so completely lost in my misery I didn¡¯t even notice that Stephanie had pulled up to the curb in her little gray Honda. She finally had to honk to get my attention, waving me to get in her car. I climbed in, grateful for a ride to school, even though I wasn¡¯t looking forward to talking to anybody.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Why¡¯re you waiting for the bus? Where¡¯s Emmy? Are you O.K.? Is something wrong?¡± I heard Stephanie¡¯s questions as if they came from very far away, and had no real bearing on me. Finally, she reached across and shook my shoulder, getting my attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What¡¯s going on?¡± There was real concern in her voice, and her eyes told me she was worried for me, so I told her that Emmy had been really angry the night before and stormed out of the house, and didn¡¯t come home at all.


    ¡°She seemed fine at the studio last night,¡± pondered Stephanie. ¡°Actually, she seemed in a great mood.¡± Then, as if it suddenly occurred to her, ¡°Did you guys have a fight?¡± she asked, wide-eyed.


    ¡°No, at least I don¡¯t think so. I just told her that her mom had come over to talk to me while she was at dance, and she got really pissed off. She didn¡¯t even say anything. She just grabbed her keys and took off. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say what she was, like, mad about?¡± asked Stephanie, still trying to grasp what had happened.


    ¡°No, nothing. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s mad at me, or at her mom, or both.¡± I could feel the tears welling up again, and my voice getting all trembly. ¡°I wish she¡¯d said something, anything. Anything at all, so I could at least know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    We¡¯d pulled into the school¡¯s parking lot, but I wasn¡¯t ready to get out and face the day. Stephanie just let me cry, rubbing my shoulder to comfort me. Finally, my tears dried up, and she handed me a baby wipe and a small bottle of eye drops from her backpack. ¡°Use this to clean up. You don¡¯t want to look like you¡¯ve been crying.¡±


    I appreciated it, and did what I could to put myself back together. As we walked to class, Stephanie asked ¡°You really are in love with her, aren¡¯t you?¡± in a gentle voice. I just nodded, feeling more numb than anything. As we parted to our respective home rooms, she gave me a quick hug, and said ¡°It¡¯ll be O.K.¡± I wasn¡¯t so sure, but I nodded again, feeling sick inside.


    Home Room was a blur, and when Brent asked where Emmy was, all I could do was tell him I didn¡¯t know. The look on my face must have told him far more, though, because he knew better than to ask any more questions. At Art, Stephanie gave me a questioning look, but I just shook my head, and she understood. Lunch time rolled around, and I had no appetite but I sat down with Tom, Stephanie and Mindy anyway.


    I was pretty sure Steph had told Mindy what was going on, because when I sat down Mindy put her hand on my arm and said ¡°Has she called?¡±


    ¡°No, and I can¡¯t call her because she forgot her phone when she left last night,¡± I said, pulling Emmy¡¯s iPhone out of my pocket.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± asked Tom. While Stephanie filled him in on what had happened last night, I idly scrolled through the pictures on Emmy¡¯s phone. It struck me that I was in all of them. Either alone, or with friends, the photos all included me. There were dozens of pictures, and I was in every single one. I handed the phone to Stephanie to show her, and she looked through them, too. Her eyes got wide, and she took a long time looking at one of the photos. I reached to take the phone back, but she kept it away from me and kept looking. This had me curious, so I asked ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s two of them,¡± Stephanie said, handing it back to me. I looked at the picture she had been checking out, and just about had a heart attack. It was a photo of me, asleep in bed with the covers pulled down, lying on my back showing my naked boobs. My first instinct was to delete it, but I then I realized this photo meant something to Emmy, so I reconsidered. I found the second photo Stephanie had mentioned. It was me again, lying on my tummy, reading a book, listening to music with headphones on. I was on top of the covers on my bed, completely nude. The picture showed a clear view of my legs and butt, but thankfully, my girl parts weren¡¯t on display.


    ¡°What? Let me see,¡± demanded Mindy, curious to know what was getting so much attention from Stephanie and me.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I replied, putting the phone away.


    ¡°What was it?¡± Mindy asked Steph.


    ¡°Emmy took some naked pictures of Leah,¡± said Stephanie with a smile.


    ¡°O.K. Now I really want to see. Hand it over,¡± insisted Mindy.


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± I said, and I could feel my face getting red.


    ¡°Aw, come on,¡± said Stephanie. ¡°It¡¯s not like you have anything to be ashamed of. You¡¯ve got a great body!¡±


    ¡°I will thank you to quit talking about my body,¡± I said, knowing full well it was a losing battle. Steph wasn¡¯t going to let me forget it.


    Mindy stuck out her lower lip in a pretend pout, then batted her eyelashes in a sorry attempt at puppy dog eyes. This made me laugh, but I wasn¡¯t going to relent. I was O.K. with Emmy taking the photos (but I wished she¡¯d told me) and O.K. with her keeping the photos on her phone, but I didn¡¯t want them to be for public consumption.


    I said to Mindy ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Show me some naked pictures of you, and I¡¯ll show you these of me.¡±


    I figured that would be the end of it, but Tom interjected with an ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯ve got to go to the bathroom. Anybody have a camera I can borrow?¡± I have to admit, that got me laughing along with the others. As far as I knew, Steph and Mindy weren¡¯t aware that Tom was gay, so I¡¯m sure they thought he would do it. Of course, I knew he couldn¡¯t care less what I looked like with no clothes on, but it was still funny.


    When lunch was over, Stephanie said ¡°If she hasn¡¯t called by the end of practice, let me know. We can drive out to her house and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d go with you guys,¡± said Mindy, ¡°But I¡¯ve got to babysit this evening.¡±


    After workout, Stephanie was waiting for me in the quad. Driving out of town out to Emmy¡¯s house, I could tell something was on Steph¡¯s mind.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad, or, like, take this the wrong way,¡± Stephanie started, and I knew the conversation was going to be uncomfortable. ¡°But I¡¯ve been thinking about those pictures all afternoon.¡±


    ¡°The ones Emmy took?¡± I asked, just to be clear.


    ¡°Yeah. The naked pictures of you,¡± Steph agreed, looking as if she felt as awkward as I did. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what I thought,¡± she continued. ¡°But do you guys, well, you know?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I probed, although I knew perfectly well what she was asking.


    ¡°I mean, do you two, like, do it?¡± She was nervous, but her curiosity was too much for her to keep these questions to herself.


    ¡°Do what?¡± Now I was just being mean, enjoying watching Steph squirm with discomfort. Hey, at least it kept my mind off how worried I was about Emmy.


    ¡°You know, have sex?¡± she blurted, finally getting out what she¡¯d been trying to avoid actually saying. ¡°I mean, she has naked pictures of you and all, so I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Stephanie. Emmy and I do make love.¡± I was perfectly matter-of-fact about it, and the fact I hadn¡¯t freaked out on her gave Stephanie courage.


    About this time we were passing my apartment complex, and I looked for Emmy¡¯s car but it wasn¡¯t there. Sighing, I turned back to look at Stephanie. ¡°Why so curious?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Why so curious, son?¡± Stephanie asked in her best Joker impersonation, which got a chuckle from me. Then, returning to the subject, she said ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess I never really thought about it before. I mean, I knew Emmy was living with you, and I know you two are girlfriends, but- well, I just didn¡¯t think about it, I guess.¡±


    The way Stephanie said all this made me think there was more there, so I said ¡°No, I somehow get the impression you did think about it, Steph.¡± I knew I¡¯d hit the mark by the way she turned beet red and clammed up, unable to respond. ¡°The photos just confirmed it for you, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    Knowing she¡¯d been caught, Stephanie just nodded, keeping her eyes on the road and definitely not looking at me.


    Then, wanting to know if my guess was right, ¡°What is it you¡¯ve been thinking about?¡± I asked in a gentle voice, to let her know it was O.K.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just, you guys are so perfect. I mean, Emmy is amazing. She¡¯s the best dancer I¡¯ve ever seen, and she¡¯s so talented it, like, almost makes me sick. She¡¯s so beautiful in her weird way, and funny and nice. She was nice to me even way back at the start of the year, when I wasn¡¯t so nice to her. And she¡¯s so crazy about you, Leah. She adores you.¡± From the tone in her voice, I knew I had been right.


    ¡°You¡¯re crushing on her, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry- I¡¯m not going to tell anyone.¡± It surprised me how I¡¯d missed it, but looking back, I could see things that I hadn¡¯t given any thought to at the time that all pointed in this direction.


    This time, Stephanie did look at me, taking her eyes off the narrow back road for a moment. ¡°Well, sort of,¡± she admitted. ¡°But really, it¡¯s more about the two of you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± was all I could think of to say.


    ¡°Well, like, the two of you are so perfect together. You¡¯re both so crazy in love it kinda breaks my heart every time I see you two together. I just wish¡­¡± she trailed off, unsure how to continue.


    ¡°But what about you and Jonathan?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Jonny and me, we¡­¡± Steph started, but had difficulty finding the right words. ¡°We just sort of go out because it seems like the thing to do. I mean, I like him and all, but I sure don¡¯t love him.¡±


    ¡°So what does this have to do with the pictures Emmy took?¡± I wondered.


    ¡°It¡¯s just- you guys are so comfortable with each other. She took those pictures because she loves to look at you, right? And don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice that you didn¡¯t erase them,¡± she added with a little smirk in my direction. ¡°Do you have any naked pictures of Emmy?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not!¡±


    ¡°But you do like to look at her, don¡¯t you?¡± It had evidently become ¡®give Leah a hard time¡¯ time, and Steph was enjoying the turnabout.


    ¡°Well, of course. Like you said, she¡¯s beautiful, and amazing. I could spend all day admiring her incredible legs, not to mention the rest of her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does have great legs,¡± agreed Stephanie.


    ¡°So tell me about you and Jonathan. Why¡¯re you so unhappy? He seems like a good guy,¡± I said, bringing the conversation back to her.


    ¡°Oh, he is, I guess. It¡¯s just- well, I mean, there¡¯s nothing there. I mean, nothing between us. He likes to be seen with a cheerleader on his arm, but he doesn¡¯t really care about me for who I really am, if that makes sense.¡± I nodded to show I understood, but Stephanie was keeping her eyes on the road, so she wouldn¡¯t miss the turn-off to Emmy¡¯s house. ¡°And I just can¡¯t work up any real feelings for him, either. The only reason I go out with him is because it¡¯s better than no boyfriend at all.¡±


    ¡°And you guys aren¡¯t intimate?¡± I asked, trying to connect the dots.


    ¡°You mean, do we have sex?¡± Stephanie snorted derisively. ¡°No, but I know Jonny would like to. He¡¯s pressured me a little, but I keep telling him it¡¯s not going to happen. I¡¯m not going to give my virginity up to some guy just because he¡¯s marginally better than nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still-¡± I started, but Steph interrupted.


    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± She turned to give me a defiant glare, but I put up my hands to show that it was O.K.


    ¡°There it is,¡± I said, pointing to the turn off. Steph turned onto the little road between the avocado groves that led to the Lascaux estate¡¯s driveway.


    We pulled up to the big iron-bound wooden gate and the security guy that always manned the little guardhouse came out to the car. Leaning in to look in the driver¡¯s window, he recognized me.


    ¡°Miss Farmer. What can I do for you?¡± he asked, in a pleasant tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Emmy,¡± I replied, as Stephanie leaned back to let us talk.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You missed her. She left last night with her parents.¡±


    ¡°She left? Where did they go?¡± I asked, my heart sinking.


    ¡°Back to Europe. To Paris. We¡¯re in the process of shutting the house down, because they aren¡¯t certain when they¡¯ll return. Is there a message I can send along?¡± The security guard had no idea how wounded I was by his words, delivered in such a friendly way. He smiled at me, wanting to be helpful, but I couldn¡¯t even utter a sound.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Stephanie, recognizing my condition, said ¡°No, that¡¯s O.K. Thanks a lot!¡± and backed up until she could turn around, then drove me home. She didn¡¯t say anything, and I couldn¡¯t say anything. I was lower than I¡¯d ever been in my life.


    ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± Steph asked when she pulled into the lot at my place. I still couldn¡¯t speak, or even move. I felt as if I¡¯d been run over by a freight train, and all I wanted to do was die in peace. Stephanie unbuckled, and twisted around in her seat to face me. She looked at me for a while, then leaned in and wrapped her arms around me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what her parents did or said,¡± Steph murmured into my neck, ¡°but I do know that Emmy wouldn¡¯t have left you by choice. Not ever, Leah. Not ever.¡±


    Steph¡¯s words penetrated the numbness, and I started sobbing. Wailing, really. I cried longer and harder than I had since I was a baby, and Stephanie just held onto me, making little comforting noises. We sat there, me crying my eyes out, and Stephanie holding me and stroking my hair for over an hour. When I finally stopped, I saw that it had gotten dark out and I hadn¡¯t even noticed.


    Stephanie got out and opened my door, helping me out of the car. I felt embarrassed at how useless I was, but grateful for her help. She wrapped an arm around my middle and half carried me up my stairs, then managed to get my keys out and opened the door. Stephanie helped me to my room, where she eased me into bed. She pulled off my shoes and then tucked me in, pulling my covers up to my chin.


    Sitting on the edge of my bed, Steph said ¡°I¡¯ll call my mom and tell her I¡¯ll be late. I¡¯ll stay as long as you need me to.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I sniffled. How had Stephanie become so good a friend, and so caring? I wondered what had happened to the girl that I¡¯d thought was a stuck-up airhead back at the beginning of the school year, but who was now my best friend at that moment. My old friends had abandoned me, and that hurt a lot, but maybe I didn¡¯t need them. New friends like Stephanie and Mindy, friends who accepted me, were all I needed.


    I woke up with a start, hearing my mom and Stephanie¡¯s voices in the hall. My room was dark, and the clock said it was past nine.


    My door opened quietly and Mom peered in, looking to see if I was awake. ¡°Lee?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I croaked, my voice gone from too much crying.


    ¡°Would you like some dinner? I saved some chicken.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± I managed, turning my back to the door.


    ¡°Lee, honey. Do you want to talk?¡±


    I just shook my head, and Mom retreated, closing the door behind her. It opened again a moment later as Stephanie entered, then shut it behind her. She lay down on the edge of the bed and gently wrapped an arm around me. I felt a flush of anger- after all, that was Emmy¡¯s spot- but then it passed, and I was just grateful for the companionship.


    I woke up again in the middle of the night, and Stephanie was still there, sleeping in her clothes on top of the covers. She was sort of hunched up, and I realized the room was a bit cold so I pulled the covers from underneath her and lay them on top of Steph¡¯s still sleeping figure.


    When my alarm went off in the morning I had a momentary flash of happiness when I felt someone sleeping beside me, but I came crashing back to Earth when I remembered the night before and realized it wasn¡¯t Emmy that was sharing my bed.


    ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± were Stephanie¡¯s first words.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied, my throat still raw. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ever going to be O.K. again.¡±


    Chuckling, Steph said ¡°I¡¯ve got to zoom home and shower and change. I¡¯ll pick you up for school.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that,¡± I protested. ¡°I¡¯m not going to school today.¡± I pulled the pillow over my head to make my point.


    ¡°Yes, you are. Even if I have to, like, carry you. Which will be tough, since you¡¯re twice as big as me, but I¡¯ll do it anyway.¡± The tone in her voice made me laugh just a little bit, which she seized on. ¡°It¡¯s alive! It¡¯s aaliiive!¡± she said in her best Gene Wilder voice.


    ¡°Damn your eyes!¡± I responded, amused that Steph would quote from my favorite movie of all time.


    ¡°Too late!¡± she replied, crossing her eyes. This exchange broke me out of my self-pity and actually got me to laugh.


    ¡°O.K. See you in a few. I have to bolt.¡± Stephanie said, as she got up. Looking at me as she put on her shoes, she said ¡°Seriously. You need to go to school today. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡± With that, she shot out of the door.


    Resigned to my fate, I got up and took a shower, then slowly got ready for school. True to her word, Steph pulled into the parking lot surprisingly soon.


    Climbing into the Honda, I said ¡°I need caffeine, and I bet you do too. We need to stop at the coffee hut. My treat.¡± She didn¡¯t protest, even though we were running a bit late.


    After the tattooed and pierced barista had given us our daily jolts of delicious wakefulness, I turned to Stephanie.


    ¡°Thanks a lot for last night. You really didn¡¯t need to stay, but I want you to know it meant a lot to me.¡±


    Blushing a bit, Stephanie confessed ¡°You know something funny? Last night was the first time I¡¯ve ever slept in the same bed with another person, like, ever.¡± Then to clarify, she explained. ¡°I mean, we didn¡¯t ¡®sleep together¡¯ sleep together, but I¡¯ve never actually fallen asleep with anybody next to me.¡±


    ¡°You never had any sleep overs when you were younger?¡± I asked, surprised.


    She shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Never climbed into Mom and Dad¡¯s bed when you were little?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Steph replied. ¡°That just wasn¡¯t something that happened in my house.¡±


    ¡°Wow. Well, I guess I¡¯m honored to have been the one that took your sleeping with someone cherry.¡± I was only half joking, and she understood what I meant.


    ¡°I just wanted to be there for you,¡± she said, her voice gentle.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you were. It helped a lot.¡± Then, a bit of black humor occurred to me. ¡°But don¡¯t tell anybody. If word got out that I slept with you the day after my girlfriend left town, I¡¯d never live it down.¡±


    The look of shock on Stephanie¡¯s face was definitely worth it, even if it only lasted a moment. ¡°What, you don¡¯t want the school to know the slut that you are? Sleeping with any girl that comes your way?¡± she jibed back.


    ¡°I¡¯m just that kind of stud,¡± I answered, then lowered my voice. ¡°But not everybody needs to know it,¡± I said, as sexy as I could make it.


    Steph laughed, and so did I. Ah, the joy of gallows humor. My world was crashing down around me, but at least I could still manage to joke about it.


    At Home Room, Brent sat down next to me. ¡°Where¡¯s Emmy?¡± he asked. ¡°I noticed Miss Takei didn¡¯t even call her name for attendance.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, then the realization of what that meant hit me. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± asked Brent.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s family went back to Europe the night before last. She¡¯s gone. If her name wasn¡¯t called, that means that the school knows she¡¯s gone, too.¡± I felt sick inside, but there was nothing I could do.


    I felt as if I were sleepwalking through my classes, and Emmy¡¯s empty seat next to mine just hammered home what was missing.


    At Art, Stephanie didn¡¯t say anything, just gave my shoulder a squeeze. Candace gave me her usual dirty looks and was about to say something mean, but Stephanie stopped her with an angry glare. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she said, and Candace shut up.


    Lunch at the caf was miserable. Nobody said anything much. Steph told Tom that Emmy¡¯s family had gone back to France, and he made sympathetic noises, but that¡¯s about it. The usual table seemed so empty and lifeless without Emmy¡¯s bubbly personality to liven it up. Honestly, it felt like a funeral or something, and we were all in mourning.


    Stephanie gave me a ride home that afternoon, too. I think she was concerned I might walk in front of a bus, which might have actually been a valid concern. It¡¯s not that I was suicidal or anything, just numb. I was moving in a fog, and just couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything around me at all. Practice had been pathetic. After a few minutes of blowing it badly, Coach just had me sit on the bleachers and watch. I was like some sort of zombie, somehow continuing to move mindlessly even though my heart had been torn out and I was dead inside.


    On the drive to my apartment Steph did her best to cheer me up, but it didn¡¯t work. My head leaned against the window, staring out at nothing, I was lost in my own world.


    Steph walked me up to my place, and stuck around until my mom and sister got home. I told her that she didn¡¯t need to stay, but honestly, I appreciated her company and the obvious concern she showed me. Before she left, Stephanie took me in a big hug, stroking my hair and telling me that it would all be O.K. somehow. I had been sitting on the edge of my bed, and the shock of feeling my face buried in her boobs turned my face red at first, but then I calmed down and realized it was unintentional, and she was just trying to comfort me, so I relaxed and took it for the innocent gesture that it was. Stephanie was doing her best to be there for me, and the whole ¡®touchy-feely¡¯ thing was kinda new for her, but she was doing what she could.


    That night I had dinner with Mom and Tiff, but I could hardly taste it at all. I went to bed early, and Tiffany came into my room and sat on the edge of my bed for a while. She stroked my hair for a few minutes, then lay down next to me. I put the covers on top of her little body and pulled her into me, spooning her. I could feel her crying quietly against me, and it shattered the last few pieces of my heart that weren¡¯t already broken.


    ¡°Shhh, Tiff. Emmy¡¯ll be back,¡± I whispered, trying to convince us both it would be O.K.


    ¡°Why did she hafta go?¡± Tiffany whimpered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just don¡¯t know what happened, Tiffy. I wish I did.¡±


    ¡°I miss her. I don¡¯t want her to be gone,¡± Tiff said in a tiny, sad little voice.


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    We fell asleep that way, me spooning Tiff¡¯s little frame against mine. It was like old times, back when Tiff had her bad dreams, before Emmy¡¯s lullabies gave her restful sleep.


    I felt a little better the next morning, and when Stephanie showed up to give me a lift to school, I almost felt human again. Almost being the key word there. We stopped for coffee at the drive-through java hut, and the familiar ritual made me think of Emmy and her espressos. O.K., it was going to take a long time to get back on track to a normal life again, and the misery of not even knowing what had actually happened or even if Emmy was ever going to come back was pure hell.


    School was a little bit better, and when Miss Takei called attendance and Emmy¡¯s name was once more not on the list, I had an idea. I had to wait until after school, but I was going to talk to the school Secretary, Mrs. Bradley. It was a long shot, but maybe I could find out how long Emmy was going to be gone.


    I tried to pay attention in class and act as if everything was all right, and for the most part it worked. Lunch was still depressing, but Mindy and Tom chattered away about some movie that had been on T.V. the night before and that helped take my mind off the empty seat where Emmy should have been.


    Finally, after last class, I had my chance to slip into the school office. ¡°Do you know how long Emmy Lascaux is going to be out?¡± I asked Mrs. Bradley, hoping she had some positive news for me.


    She checked the computer, and gave me the last answer I wanted to hear. ¡°It looks as if she¡¯s been pulled from school, Leah. Her parents had her transcripts sent back to her old school in Paris.¡±


    Feeling as if I¡¯d just been kicked in the chest, I managed to mutter a quick "Thanks,¡± and stumble out the door.


    Since it was a Friday, I had no practice after school and neither did Stephanie. On the drive to my house (which suddenly occurred to me was just about the opposite way from Stephanie¡¯s), she asked what had happened, and why I was so quiet.


    ¡°She¡¯s not coming back,¡± was all I could say before choking on my tears.


    ¡°What? How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I asked at the office. Her parents had her transcripts sent back to her old school in Paris.¡± I slid lower in the passenger seat, just wanting to shut the world out.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re kidding me! Are you sure?¡± Steph asked.


    ¡°What else could it mean?¡± I wished there were some other explanation, but I couldn¡¯t think of any.


    She didn¡¯t have any answer for that, so Steph just rubbed my shoulder in silence.


    When we got to my place, Stephanie walked me up to our apartment, and once again helped me to my room. ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± she asked, concern in her eyes.


    ¡°No. I just want to be alone, all right?¡± I said, falling back on my bed.


    Steph gave my knee a squeeze and said, ¡°If you need anything, or just need to talk, call me.¡± She left, quietly shutting the door behind her.


    I woke up when Mom and Tiff got home, feeling like something Sylvester might have coughed up. Mom peeked in and asked if I thought I might want dinner. The idea of eating held zero appeal, but I said yes anyway, mainly to be polite. I knew Mom was really worried about me, and I needed to show her that I wasn¡¯t going to try to kill myself, or anything stupid like that.


    At dinner, I told Mom what I¡¯d learned at the school office and she understood the ramifications instantly.


    ¡°Oh, Lee, honey. What are you going to do?¡± she asked. I knew she¡¯d never really been one hundred percent happy with my relationship with Emmy, but I also knew Mom loved me a lot and hated seeing me so unhappy, so I took her sympathy at face value.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I can do, Mom,¡± I said, pushing a piece of broccoli around my plate with my fork. ¡°I have no way to contact her, and no way to find out, either. All I can do is hope she calls, or something.¡±


    Tiffany had been listening to our conversation, but I don¡¯t think she really understood. ¡°Why don¡¯t you call her?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh, Tiffy, I wish I could, but she left her phone here,¡± I said, pulling Emmy¡¯s iPhone out of my pocket to show her. ¡°And besides, I don¡¯t know her phone number in France.¡±


    ¡°But can¡¯t you go visit her?¡± I could only wish the world were as simple as Tiff¡¯s almost eight-year-old brain thought it was.


    ¡°Tiffany, Emmy went back to France with her family,¡± Mom explained. ¡°That¡¯s a very, very long ways away. The city they live in, Paris, is very big, and without knowing where their house is, it would be impossible to find.¡± Always the teacher, my mom.


    ¡°But why did she go? Doesn¡¯t she love us anymore?¡± Tiff was starting to cry, and that didn¡¯t help me with my ¡®sudden tears syndrome¡¯ at all. We were both leaking from the eyes, and all Mom could do was look at the two of her daughters and wonder just what she could do to help mend our broken hearts.


    After dinner I checked my email for the first time in days, hoping that maybe there¡¯d be something from Emmy, but there wasn¡¯t. I even checked the spam box, hoping that maybe, just maybe, I¡¯d find something that had gotten filtered out, but there was nothing.


    Tiffany slept with me again, and the poor little thing cried herself to sleep. Well, O.K., I did too, but at least I had a better idea of what had happened, sorta. No, actually, I didn¡¯t understand why Emmy was gone any better than Tiff did, and it was killing me to just not know.


    On Monday Andy came over to our table at lunch. ¡°Leah. Hey. What¡¯s going on? Where¡¯s Emmy? Did you guys have a fight or something?¡±


    Stephanie explained to him that Emmy had gone back to France with her folks, and it looked like they weren¡¯t coming back any time soon, or maybe ever. I couldn¡¯t bear the sympathetic look on Andy¡¯s face, so I had to get up and leave. The fewer people who knew what I was going through the better.


    Later that day, Candace Walters and her bitch friend Alyson Smith found me in the girls¡¯ bathroom and thought they¡¯d get to stick the knife in my back.


    ¡°So, your lezzie fuck-buddy abandoned you? Is that right? ¡®Cause that¡¯s what I heard.¡± Candace sneered. I have to give it to her; she showed some guts in confronting me. After all, I was taller and quite a bit bigger and stronger. Then again, maybe she thought two against one made up for her size disadvantage.


    Alyson chimed in with ¡°That snobby bitch dumped you like the trash you are, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    Alyson and Candace claimed I attacked them, but nobody believed it. I don¡¯t remember the details very well, but I do know that the very first fight I¡¯d ever gotten into in my life resulted in the three of us getting suspended for a week, and Candace and Alyson both needing stitches. I guess I won, but it sure didn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    Stephanie came over every day after school, sometimes with Mindy or Tom, sometimes alone. On Thursday, it was just Steph and me. We were sitting on my bed, and not saying much. Finally, Stephanie asked the question that had been bothering me for over a week.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what happened? With Emmy, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think I might have some ideas,¡± I said. I mean, I¡¯d been thinking about it almost non-stop, and there were just a few things that kept nagging at me.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Steph asked. ¡°You said you guys didn¡¯t, like, fight or anything, so what did happen?¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t have a fight. At least, I wasn¡¯t mad at her, but she might have been mad at me. I don¡¯t know. All I know for sure is that her mom came to talk to me, and when I told Emmy that her mom had been over, she got really pissed and stormed out without saying anything. That was the last I¡¯ve heard from her.¡±


    ¡°No explanation of why she was pissed off?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, maybe. I mean, she was angry when I told her that her mom had come over, but what sent her over the edge was when I told her that her mom was O.K. with the two of us being together, and in fact she¡¯d offered to pay my college tuition at Stanford so we could be together.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Stephanie said, thinking about what I¡¯d just told her. ¡°So Emmy was mad that her mom was O.K. with the two of you? That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that was it,¡± I said, as it finally dawned on me what Emmy had been reacting to. ¡°I think she was super pissed that her mom was trying to intervene in our life, even if it was to make it easier. She didn¡¯t want anything more from her parents, and just wanted them to leave us alone.¡±


    ¡°Wow. That seems pretty unreasonable,¡± Stephanie said, and I had to agree with her, at least a little bit. After a few moments'' thought, she asked ¡°So why did she leave with them?¡±


    ¡°I think they didn¡¯t ask her whether she wanted to or not,¡± I said, voicing the thought I¡¯d become more and more convinced of.


    ¡°You mean, they like, kidnapped her?¡± Steph asked, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Well, yeah, I guess that¡¯s one way to put it,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, they¡¯re pretty ruthless people, and she is very important to them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ruthless? And what could be more important than their daughter¡¯s happiness?¡± Stephanie was astonished, and I could see the surprise in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much I can tell you. Some of it¡¯s a secret, and I¡¯m just not sure I can let it out. I probably shouldn¡¯t tell you any of this, but I need to tell somebody something.¡± I realized I was being an idiot, but I¡¯d been carrying it around for too long, and it was weighing heavily on me. I wasn¡¯t ready to betray Emmy¡¯s trust, but there were some details I thought would explain things without explaining everything.


    Stephanie leaned forward, her eyes shining with the thrill of hearing what secrets I might tell her. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t tell anybody anything,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°O.K. Now this is really important you don¡¯t tell anyone. I mean, really, really important. Nobody.¡±


    She held up her hand as if she were swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. ¡°I promise. My lips are sealed.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know how all the help at her house called her ¡®princess¡¯?¡± When Steph nodded, I continued. ¡°Well, it turns out she really is a princess. I mean like, for real. Like, heir to the throne and all that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!¡± Steph said, her voice doubtful.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. That¡¯s why her parents didn¡¯t want the two of us together. Because they need her to have kids, because she¡¯s the sole heir to the throne. If she doesn¡¯t, the line dies out or something like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they have so much money?¡± Stephanie asked, amazed at the unexpected news.


    ¡°Well, yeah. And so much security.¡±


    ¡°I guess that also explains why they¡¯d kidnap her, if they thought it was necessary,¡± Stephanie said, thinking about the ramifications. ¡°If she told them to screw off, they¡¯d take it real seriously.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking, too.¡±


    We were both silent for a while, then Steph said ¡°I can see why you don¡¯t want anybody to know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s super important you keep this a secret. Super freaking important.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anybody,¡± Stephanie agreed, running her hand across her lips as if she were pulling a zipper closed.


    After a few minutes of silent thought, she asked ¡°So, like, what¡¯re you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that there is anything I can do,¡± I groaned. ¡°I mean, if she¡¯s being held prisoner or something, they sure as hell won¡¯t let her call me, would they? I sure can¡¯t get all James Bond and break into their secret hideout and rescue her, either, so I¡¯m pretty much out of options.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re like, giving up on her coming back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, dejected. ¡°Honestly, I doubt her parents will ever let her come back.¡±

 School Comes To An End

    I wasn''t looking forward to our annual Memorial Day outing to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at all. I was still in a crummy mood from Emmy''s disappearance, and seeing Dad''s grave wasn''t going to make me any happier. I appreciated that Stephanie wanted to come along, but I was afraid I wasn''t going to be very good company for her.


    I''d told her to come over at eight, because it always takes forever to get to the cemetery on Memorial Day and we needed to be there for the eleven A.M. service. It would take us an hour to get to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, then another hour to take the bus to the cemetery.


    ¡°It''s a big pain,¡± I said, exasperated. ¡°But it''s really important to Mom, so we all have to go every year.¡±


    ¡°I''ve never been there,¡± Steph responded. ¡°I''m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°That makes one of us,¡± I grumbled.


    Stephanie arrived right on time, and she looked great in her little navy blue sundress. She was all smiles and polite greetings to Mom and Tiff, and it made me feel guilty for being such a grump.


    ¡°Leah, you look great in that!¡± she said, complimenting me on the outfit that was making me feel ridiculous. Mom had done Tiff and me up like perfect little girls, our hair done, summer dresses and matching sandals, and even little purses to go with the outfits.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°No, I''m serious,¡± she insisted. ¡°You look really good like that.¡±


    Tiffany and I sat in the back seat on the drive down to San Diego and Stephanie sat up in front. It made conversation difficult so we didn''t say much to each other, but Mom and Steph talked quite a bit, mostly about what to expect at the ceremony.


    A young Marine fresh out of basic training guided us into a parking spot on the MCRD grounds. In his blues he looked so, so young. He probably wasn''t even a year older than Stephanie and me, after all. The moment the car stopped three other brand-new Marines opened our doors for us and held out their white-gloved hands to help us out of the car, with a chorus of ¡°Miss¡± and ¡°Ma''am.¡± Stephanie wasn''t used to it, but for our little family it was all too familiar.


    ¡°Jeeze,¡± Steph said as we walked to the pick-up area for the bus that would take us to the National Cemetery. ¡°This is, like, too much!¡±


    ¡°You absolutely don''t want to see what''s going to happen when they find out who it is we''ve come for,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°You mean your dad?¡± Stephanie asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Yeah. If these guys here had any idea, they''d freak out. You''ll probably see it later,¡± I replied, still whispering.


    The bus arrived before Steph could ask any more questions, so we took our seats and rode up the hill to the cemetery without talking, just listening to the bus driver''s tour guide descriptions of the areas of Point Loma we passed through.


    When we got off the bus Mom handed the envelope she was carrying to the Navy officer greeting the arrivals. He looked at the invitation inside, did a double take, then bellowed out at the top of his lungs, announcing ¡°Medal of Honor widow and daughters!¡±


    Immediately each and every uniformed member of the military and nearly half of the people in civilian clothes in the area all stood straight and saluted my mom, sister and me. Even though I knew it was going to happen and thought I was prepared, I turned as red as a beet like I did every single time. A quartet of officers from various branches of the military stepped up and offered their arms to walk us to our seats, just like always, and just like always, all I wanted to do was run and hide from the attention. We were seated in the front row, right there with all the admirals and generals and the brass, just like always.


    ¡°You never told me!¡± Steph whispered when we sat down and the officers in their dress uniforms walked off.


    ¡°I told you it was a big pain,¡± I hissed back.


    ¡°A big pain?¡± Steph responded, indignant. ¡°Your dad was some kind of hero, and it''s a big pain? A big pain to honor him and what he did for our country?¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not that,¡± I objected. ¡°It''s all this ceremony, that''s what''s such a pain. I just wish it could be a simple, you know, lay flowers on the grave kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it''s super freaking cool,¡± Steph said, and turned away to let me know she was done talking about it.


    I sat there and looked out over San Diego''s bay and downtown and thought about what she''d said, and how amazing the view all these dead heroes had, how yeah, my dad was a hero to this country, but he was still dead and would never hold any of us in his arms, or play his guitar on the couch in the living room, or get to see his youngest daughter even be born, much less grow up.


    When Stephanie noticed the silent tears rolling down my cheeks, she leaned in. ¡°Oh, god, Leah. I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it. I didn''t mean to make you feel bad, or anything,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°No, it wasn''t you,¡± I answered, keeping my voice low. ¡°It''s just... I miss him so much. I wish he''d been a plumber, or worked in the nursery with his brother, or anything, ''cause then he''d still be alive, you know? I mean, sure, he was a hero, but I wish he was still around to be my hero.¡±


    Stephanie didn''t really have an answer for that so she just reached out and held my hand and rested her head on my shoulder. In all fairness, it was just about the best response she could have had, and it felt good to know she understood.


    We stood for the national anthem, which was sung by an African-American Navy officer who had an incredible Whitney Houston-like voice. After that came the twenty-one gun salute, then we sat for the speeches. After the ceremony we walked over to the stone that said James Edward Farmer. Mom handed Tiffany the flowers that she''d been holding all morning and Tiff laid them on the grave. I made no attempt to stop my tears, and neither did Mom. Tiff cried, even though Dad died before she ever got a chance to get to know him. Stephanie cried, too, from the sadness of the occasion I guess.


    After a few minutes I noticed a Marine in his dress uniform waiting silently, and to my astonishment his eyes were wet, too. Mom glanced up and saw him, then gasped in surprise ¡°Ricky?¡±


    ¡°Sandra,¡± he replied. ¡°It''s really good to see you again.¡±


    Mom slowly walked over to him as he opened his arms and then she just collapsed against the Marine. He held her for a while, not saying anything while she rested her head on his shoulder. I felt really awkward standing there, wondering who the heck was this guy hugging my mom.


    After what seemed like forever Mom let the guy go and turned to face us. ¡°Leah, Tiffany, this is Ricardo Aguila. He was your father''s best friend, and best man at our wedding. Ricky, this is Leah, whom you''ve met before, and Tiffany. Tiffany is seven years old,¡± Mom announced, and the mention of Tiff''s age was clearly intentional. ¡°And this is Leah''s friend from school, Stephanie Houk.¡±


    ¡°Any relation to Greg Houk?¡± he asked, shaking Stephanie''s hand.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, he''s my dad,¡± she said, unsure of how this Marine might know her father.


    ¡°We went to high school together,¡± Mr. Aguila explained, giving Steph a smile.


    He then bent down and gravely shook Tiffany''s hand. ¡°Your father was a good man and a true hero, Tiffany. He was also very proud of his family, and I''m sure he would be proud to see how you''re growing into a lovely young lady.¡±


    Shaking my hand, he said ¡°Leah, you probably don''t remember me. It''s been so long since I''ve been back to the old home town, but I remember you very well. The last time I saw you, you were about Tiffany''s age here.¡±


    I mumbled something about how sorry I was I didn''t remember him, but he just waved it off.


    Mr. Aguila invited us all to lunch and mom accepted. I wasn''t thrilled about it, but what could I do? They obviously had a lot of catching up to do.


    We ate at a Fifties-themed diner back by the base, which seemed incongruous for right after a memorial service. The food was O.K., I guess. The only thing I really remember is the chocolate malt, but I''m not sure I can really blame the restaurant for my lack of enthusiasm. I just wasn''t in the mood.


    Mom and Mr. Aguila spent a lot of time talking about Dad, and Tiff seemed interested but I just tuned it out as best I could. I just didn''t want to hear about Dad''s exploits in Iraq or Afghanistan.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    All I wanted was to go home and not think about Dad and what a great hero to our country he was, or I guess more accurately, what a missing father he was. Why did James Edward Farmer, or ¡°Jeff¡± to his friends, have to go and get himself killed in some freaking country nobody cares about on the other side of the world, anyway? It just wasn''t fair to Mom and me, and especially not to Tiffany. What kind of man abandons his wife and little children like that?


    I was interrupted from my thoughts by Mr. Aguila. Actually, I didn''t even realize he was talking to me until Stephanie gently nudged me with her elbow.


    ¡°Leah,¡± he said. ¡°It''s amazing how much you remind me of Jeff. You''ve got the same coloring, of course, but it''s your expressions most of all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°You have that same thousand yard stare he used to have,¡± Mr. Aguila answered.


    ¡°She certainly does, doesn''t she?¡± agreed Mom.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± demanded Tiffany, saving me from having to ask.


    ¡°It''s hard to explain, Tiffy. It means that Leah sometimes seems as if she sees things the rest of us don''t, and would rather not see at all.¡±


    ¡°Like ghosts?¡± asked Tiffany, eyes wide.


    ¡°Not like ghosts in the movies, Tiffy. More like personal ghosts, like memories,¡± Mom tried to explain, but I don''t think Tiff really understood.


    Thankfully lunch didn''t last much longer, and we were on our way back home soon enough. I just wanted to crawl into bed and close my eyes to make the world go away for a while. Stephanie tried to get me to go out shopping or something with her, but I just wasn¡¯t in the mood. I appreciated the effort to get me out of my pity party, but I just wanted to be left alone. Stephanie seemed reluctant to let me be myself, but when I reminded her that I¡¯ve gotten through it six times before, she relented and went home, leaving me to cry to myself in my bed for a while.


    Going back to school after my suspension was strange. At Art, Stephanie sat next to me and Candace was very obvious about sitting in the very farthest possible seat. She glared at me the entire time until I made a fist when the teacher wasn¡¯t watching and pointed at her eye. She got the hint I was threatening to make her left eye match her bruised right one, and she turned away.


    Randy saw the whole thing, and busted out laughing, which made the teacher turn around and tell him to please be quiet and concentrate on his work.


    At lunch, Andy sat with us, and said ¡°Dude, you really beat the snot out of Alyson and Candace. They looked like they¡¯d gone fifteen with Mike Tyson or something!¡± He raised his hand and Tom high-fived him.


    ¡°Leah, the heavyweight contender!¡± Tom crowed, but it did nothing to improve my mood.


    ¡°I just hope that¡¯s the last I hear from them,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure it will be,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Candace thinks she¡¯s, like, all bad-ass, but you put the smackdown on her and Alyson and the whole school knows it. No way she¡¯s going to do anything now.¡±


    An unexpected perk of the fight was that Nicole, Abby and all the other haters gave me wide berths for a while and didn¡¯t say a single thing to me. I guess a rep as a fighter can be a good thing in some ways. I¡¯m a little bit ashamed to admit it, but I milked it a bit, too. If a bit of intimidation could get some of these people to leave me in peace, well then, a glare here or there was a good thing, right?


    School sucked, but there just wasn¡¯t that much left and then it was adios, FHS. The next couple of weeks were tough, and Stephanie was so worried about me she hardly let me out of her sight. I was over the initial shock of Emmy¡¯s vanishing into the night and had even pretty much gotten over being angry at her parents. I mean, they did what they thought was necessary, after all. It was crummy for me and Emmy, and neither of us ever asked for this, but I guess it¡¯s what we got for not being a whole lot more circumspect about our relationship. If we¡¯d kept it secret from her parents, maybe this would never have happened. I kept kicking myself for ever letting what Emmy and I had be anything but our secret, but I could never, ever bring myself to regret what Emmy and I had shared. The time that we had, her living with me and sharing my life completely, was the best month of my life and I wouldn¡¯t trade that memory away for anything.


    Still, every time I saw anything that reminded me of Emmy, I felt a pain stabbing me straight in my heart. Every time I got coffee from the java hut (which had become a regular ritual with Stephanie), every time I saw a cream-colored Mini Cooper, every time Tiffany had a bad dream- it all still hurt deep inside. I knew it would fade with time, but some part of me didn¡¯t want it to ever become just a distant memory. The thought that Emmy would become ¡®someone I used to know¡¯ made me want to cry, as if I hadn¡¯t already been doing enough of that. Even the thought of my upcoming graduation made me sad, knowing that Emmy should have been there with the rest of us, wearing the robe and mortarboard.


    I¡¯d stopped going to V Ball practice after the suspension. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to keep myself from punching Abby and Nicole if they said anything, and besides, I¡¯d already signed a letter of intent for Stanford, so I was locked in. I didn¡¯t need the workouts. As a result, I had more free time than I¡¯d ever had in my high school career. I spent a big portion of that time tutoring Stephanie in her classes, because she was trying to boost her G.P.A. there at the end.


    We were sitting on my bed discussing her science lab project, when out of the blue, she indicated Emmy¡¯s guitars in the corner. ¡°What are you going to do with Emmy¡¯s stuff?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about it,¡± but that was a lie. I¡¯d thought about it a lot, but I didn¡¯t want to admit to Steph that I kept all of Emmy¡¯s things exactly the way they were when she left, just in case she showed up unannounced. After almost a month with no phone calls and me checking my email twice a day every day for the first time in my life, I was giving up hope. I didn¡¯t want to give up entirely, though, as ridiculous as it made me feel.


    ¡°But all that stuff takes up a lot of room,¡± Steph protested. ¡°I mean, what, there¡¯s like, four guitars there, and those two amps, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, that old guitar there, that was my dad¡¯s. Emmy only had just the three.¡± Yeah, it sounded lame to me, too.


    ¡°I bet those things are worth some money,¡± Steph said, looking at Emmy¡¯s collection.


    ¡°Yeah. I went with her when she bough that Gretsch guitar and that old-looking amp. She spent six thousand bucks like it was nothing.¡± I smiled, remembering how Emmy¡¯d wowed the guys at the shop that hadn¡¯t wanted to give her the time of day when she walked in.


    ¡°Are you serious? Six grand for a guitar?¡± Stephanie was rising up to get a better look at the object under discussion.


    ¡°Well, I think the guitar was four, and the amp was two.¡±


    ¡°You ought to sell them. Seriously,¡± Stephanie said, giving me a look that said I would be a fool not to do so. ¡°Like you said, she¡¯s probably never coming back.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to sell Emmy¡¯s guitars,¡± I responded sharply. ¡°They¡¯re hers, and if she ever does come back, when she does come back, I¡¯ll have them here for her.¡±


    Stephanie realized she¡¯d pissed me off, and backtracked. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. Hey, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that¡¯s, like, a lot of money sitting there in that corner. You don¡¯t even have a car, and that one guitar alone could get you one.¡±


    ¡°That may be. But they aren¡¯t mine to sell.¡± The tone of my voice must have made it very clear that the subject was no longer under discussion.


    The rest of the afternoon was awkward, because although Stephanie knew she¡¯d really upset me, she wasn¡¯t ready to apologize for what she felt was right.


    Thinking about that night, I came to the conclusion that I had maybe been too hard on Stephanie, and I told her so on the drive to school. ¡°Look, Steph, about what happened yesterday¡± I began, but she interrupted me.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that. You were right, I mean, that isn¡¯t your stuff to do whatever you want with. It¡¯s just- I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m so stressed about being able to even get into college, and I have no idea how I¡¯ll be able to pay for tuition, either. I mean, It¡¯s gonna be tough, and to just see how much money there is in those things¡­ I guess I kinda just saw dollar signs, you know?¡±


    This was the first Steph had admitted about how worried she was about college, and it surprised me. ¡°What do you mean? Are you thinking you won¡¯t be able to get into State?¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s really the only place where I applied, but my grades were just barely good enough for them to even consider, like, looking at my application. They told me my acceptance was dependent on my final grades,¡± Stephanie confessed, her shoulders drooping. ¡°I¡¯m not some brainiac like you who can get into Stanford, but if I do really well on this last report card they¡¯ll let me sign up for classes this fall.¡±


    Shrugging off her backhanded compliment, I said ¡°Well, let¡¯s make sure you totally kick ass on all your finals, then.¡±


    Her grateful smile made her warm brown eyes light up, and I was happy to see her shake off her overwhelmed feeling.


    For the next few weeks we worked long hours on all her class work, and Stephanie even talked a few of her teachers into accepting some very late assignments and allowing her to retake tests that she¡¯d done poorly on earlier in the term. In fact, she managed to squeak out a straight A report card for the first time in her life, sending her (and her mom) over the moon. It was rewarding for me in two ways. First off, of course, I enjoyed helping the girl who had become my best friend in the last couple of months, and second, burying myself in schoolwork (mine as well as Steph¡¯s) helped keep my mind off how much I missed Emmy.


    Graduation day was divided into two parts. In the morning and afternoon it was all about family, and photos, and ridiculous robes. With all the commotion and activity I only missed Emmy for brief periods at a time, for which I was grateful.


    That evening, it was party time. Stephanie¡¯s mom had agreed to allow a party at their house as a reward for her stellar report card, as long as it wasn¡¯t too big and stayed under control. After all, she didn¡¯t want her position on the town council compromised by rowdy underage drinking at her house, now did she?


    It was just a few of us at Stephanie¡¯s that night, but in some ways that was a good thing. We drank beer under the restriction that designated drivers had to pass Steph¡¯s mom¡¯s inspection before they¡¯d be allowed to get behind the wheel. Also, if Mrs. Houk thought anybody was getting too inebriated she would cut them off. I know that my mom had talked to Steph¡¯s about the party and agreed on the restrictions, and it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Mrs. Houk had talked to everybody else¡¯s parents, too. She was a politician, after all, even if only a local one.


    The party was pretty mellow, but in some ways that made it better. We all had fun, but nobody got so drunk they threw up or passed out or anything. We danced, talked about our college plans (or the Marines, in some cases), played music, danced some more¡­ you get the idea. I did O.K. against most of the others playing pool in the garage, thanks to the practice I¡¯d been getting during Stephanie¡¯s study breaks, but she could still beat me with one hand tied behind her back.


    Things were winding down around midnight and people were leaving, when a somewhat drunk Stephanie wrapped her arms around me and announced ¡°Hey, everyone! I love this girl! Leah here helped tutor me to straight As! She¡¯s wunnerful!¡± With that, she gave me a big, sloppy kiss on the lips, which embarrassed the heck out of me.


    I peeled her off me, but not before she gave me another kiss. I set her down on the couch, telling her I¡¯d call her tomorrow.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t go,¡± Steph pleaded, but I just told her to drink some water to avoid a hangover, then left with Tom.


    I took a quick shower to get the smell of the party off me, then climbed into bed. Thinking about Stephanie, I felt myself turning red again even though there was nobody to see my embarrassment. We¡¯ll have a good laugh about it in the morning, I told myself as I drifted off.

 Lounging By The Pool

    It was a little past noon when Stephanie called. ¡°Can you come over? Bring your swimsuit! It¡¯s really hot today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come over if you can pick me up,¡± I said, since she had a car and I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal. See you in twenty,¡± Steph said, sounding way more alive than I¡¯d expected her to be after the night she¡¯d had.


    I was surprised to see Steph¡¯s house looking the same as it always did, no sign of the party anywhere. She confessed she¡¯d spent a couple of hours cleaning it up super well just so her mom wouldn¡¯t have any objection to any future parties that Stephanie might want to have, and I agreed that was a good plan.


    ¡°You brought your bikini, right?¡± Steph asked, pointing to the kidney-shaped pool in the back yard. ¡°The water is nice and warm.¡±


    ¡°Got it right here,¡± I answered, holding up the gold bikini that Emmy had bought for me.


    ¡°Cool. Do you want a Coke?¡± she asked, heading for the kitchen as I made my way to the bathroom to change.


    ¡°Sure! Thanks.¡± Stephanie¡¯s power of recovery was impressive to see. It was as if she¡¯d gotten a good night¡¯s rest after an early bedtime, whereas I still felt the aftereffects more than I¡¯d like to admit.


    Stepping into the back yard I dipped my toe and sure enough, the pool was like bath water it was so warm. I walked straight in and swam over to the side when Stephanie set the Coke can down on the concrete for me.


    She took a big drink of her Coke, then ditched her T shirt and shorts, revealing her surprisingly deep tan.


    ¡°When have you had time to get so dark?¡± I asked, curious since we¡¯d been indoors every afternoon for the last month or so.


    ¡°Well, the last couple of days have been good for just lounging, but I tan year ¡®round, so it didn¡¯t take much,¡± Stephanie said, sitting down on the edge of the pool.


    Not wanting to be caught staring, I took a sip of my soda and almost coughed it back out my nose. ¡°Did you put rum in that?¡± I asked, when I got my coughing under control.


    ¡°Yeah, just a bit,¡± Stephanie admitted with a sheepish grin. ¡°I figured we aren¡¯t done celebrating the end of high school just yet.¡± Her impish smile made me laugh, and I took another sip, but kept it down this time.


    ¡°Cheers. To the end of one thing, and the beginning of another,¡± she said, raising her can. I raised mine, and we bumped them together with a ¡®thunk¡¯ sound, then took our sips.


    The afternoon was nice and hot, not always the case for mid June around here. The water was warm, and the feeling was lazy. We talked about nothing important, just lay in the sun and enjoyed doing nothing much at all.


    When the sun started to dip in the afternoon the air cooled off quickly, so we went inside.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s got a council meeting tonight, so we¡¯re on our own for dinner,¡± Steph said, then ¡°You are staying for dinner, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be great. I have no plans, and my summer job doesn¡¯t start until next week, so I¡¯m as free as a bird.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so lucky to have that job at your uncle¡¯s nursery,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I¡¯ve just got a part-time job at the Target in Temecula,¡± groaned Steph. ¡°Trade you?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance. Besides, I doubt you could put up with my uncle.¡±


    Changing the subject, Stephanie suggested we order pizza. Her eyes opened wide as she had an idea. ¡°Hey- check this out. I¡¯m going to answer the door in my bikini. I¡¯m going to give the pizza guy a show,¡± she said, adjusting her bikini for maximum skin exposure. ¡°Watch his pants- see if he gets wood!¡±


    ¡°Eww!¡± I said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll be great,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Here- you need to be in on this, too.¡± With that, she reached to adjust my bikini top, exposing my tan lines. Her fingers on my boob gave me a kind of rush as I slapped her hands away.


    ¡°No way. You do what you want, and I¡¯ll watch, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Spoilsport!¡± Steph pouted, as she pushed the back of her french cut bikini bottom together to make it more thong-like, sticking her butt out and swaying in an exaggeratedly sexy way. I was surprised to see Steph had no tan lines on the newly-exposed part of her butt that she was showing off.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I asked. ¡°Do you sunbathe in the nude?¡± The image of Stephanie lying by the pool without a stitch on sprang to my mind, and I could feel myself blushing.


    ¡°Why, yes, Miss Farmer,¡± Stephanie said in a sultry voice. ¡°Yes, I do. See?¡± and with this, she pulled her bikini bottom down, showing me her entirely bare tanline-free rear. She seemed in no hurry to pull it back up, either, making me blush even more. Finally, she pulled her bikini back into place and turned around, seeing my beet-red face.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s only fair. I saw your naked butt, after all.¡± She was enjoying my discomfort. ¡°And I¡¯m sure yours is nicer than mine, anyway. Your boobs sure are.¡±


    I saw it coming, but I couldn¡¯t look away as Stephanie pulled her bikini top aside, giving me a long look at her chest. She pulled her top back over her incredible breasts and said ¡°There. Now we¡¯re even.¡±


    I flopped back onto the couch. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± I said, wishing I still had some of that rum and coke.


    ¡°Fair¡¯s fair. And I¡¯m all about fairness.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard that about you,¡± I said. ¡°I think I read it somewhere.¡±


    Just then the doorbell rang, and Stephanie quickly minimized her bikini before answering. The look on the middle-aged pizza delivery lady¡¯s face was one of surprise, but she was not nearly as surprised as Stephanie was. Steph regained her composure, and in fact tipped the lady well and thanked her for the quick delivery. When she closed the door, we both broke out laughing at how badly the prank had gone wrong.


    When she got her breath back, Stephanie set the pizza on the table, and asked ¡°You want another rum and coke?¡± When I said sure, she looked back over her shoulder to make certain I was watching, then walked, hips swaying, to the kitchen.


    I wolf-whistled and she stopped, putting one hand on her hip. She turned around, pointed at me and said ¡°Don¡¯t start without me,¡± in a voice that made me think she was quoting something.


    This made us both laugh, and I realized I hadn¡¯t felt this good, this comfortable and happy in the months since Emmy left. That thought brought on a pang of guilt. After all, I shouldn¡¯t be happy, should I?


    After pizza we settled down on the couch to watch some old ¡®80s teen comedy that Stephanie had seen a million times. It was about a group of kids stuck in detention together on a Saturday, but I had a hard time paying attention because of the smooth, tanned legs lying across my lap. At one point I glanced over at Stephanie, only to see her eyes were closed and she had a blissful expression on her face. I realized with a shock that I had been absent-mindedly stroking one of her shins with one hand, while the other was giving her a foot rub.


    I couldn¡¯t make myself want to stop what I was doing. After all, Steph was enjoying it, and so was I, right? Didn¡¯t we both need that contact? I did my best to push any guilt that I was being unfaithful to Emmy to the back of my mind, and I almost succeeded.


    Steph¡¯s mom called after a while to tell her that the city council meeting was going to run late and she wouldn¡¯t be home until midnight or possibly later. Steph told her I was still there and asked if it was O.K. if I stayed the night, giving me a questioning look to see if it was O.K. with me, too. I nodded, and Mrs. Houk seemed to have no problem with it so it was settled. I called my mom to tell her I was staying over, and although her voice sounded concerned she didn¡¯t raise any objections.


    At about ten thirty we climbed into Stephanie¡¯s big queen-sized bed. I gave her a hard time about her pink satin pajamas, but I had to admit my T-shirt and undies combo was not the height of fashion either.


    Laying there, both of us uncomfortable and stiff as boards on our respective sides of the bed, I wondered how to deal with the proverbial elephant in the room.


    Finally, after a few awkward minutes of silence, Steph whispered ¡°Do you remember when I told you that I¡¯d never slept in the same bed with anyone before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, also whispering.


    ¡°What I didn¡¯t tell you was that, like, I really, really liked it. And I was hoping we could-¡± Stephanie, sensing my discomfort, broke off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Forget I said anything.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, sliding over to the middle of the bed. ¡°No, Steph. It¡¯s O.K. I liked it, too.¡± I reached out and pulled her in to me. I was on my back, and she was tucked under my arm, her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she whispered, snuggling up as close as possible.


    We lay like that for a while, and I was just starting to drift off when my name brought me back.


    ¡°Leah, can I, like, tell you some things?¡± Steph asked, her voice small and uncertain.


    ¡°Uh, sure. What is it?¡± I asked, still a bit drowsy. I wasn¡¯t too sure I wanted to hear whatever it was Stephanie had to say, but if she felt it important, I would listen.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­ No, never mind. I¡¯m sorry for waking you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s O.K.,¡± I said, stroking her long, silky hair. ¡°Really, what is it?¡±


    Nervously, Steph said ¡°I don¡¯t want you to hate me.¡±


    ¡°What? No! I could never hate you,¡± I protested, wondering just what was bothering her so much.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± she said, working up her courage. She was nervously playing with the hem of my T shirt where her hand rested on my tummy, and although it tickled a bit, I tried to ignore it and focus on what was tormenting the girl who¡¯d become my best friend.


    ¡°You know, last year?¡± she began, ¡°When we cheered at your home games last year when we were juniors. You know, that was my idea? To cheer at volleyball games? I thought we should support other sports than just football and basketball, you know,¡± Stephanie explained. ¡°It was unofficial, but, like, I got the girls to attend your home games and show some spirit.¡±


    ¡°I always used to watch you,¡± Stephanie said, continuing her story after a little pause. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t really know you, but you stood out on the team. Well, you were the tallest girl in school, so of course you stood out that way, but it was really, like, the way you played that made me watch you. You were so intense, so¡­ I don¡¯t know. So focused and determined. I was actually really intimidated by you.¡±


    I snorted at that, so Stephanie said ¡°No, it¡¯s true. I mean, we all were, all of us on the squad. And your boyfriend? He was so damned good looking it just wasn¡¯t fair. He¡¯d give you a hug and a kiss after your games, and I wondered what kind of guy it would it take to be with somebody as powerful as you.¡±


    ¡°What? Me? Powerful?¡± I protested.


    ¡°Yes, you. I mean, we all knew that not only were you an absolute killer on the volleyball court, but you were pretty much a straight A student, too. Most of the jocks I knew were just coasting through their classes, but you¡­ you were like some kind of heat-seeking missile or something.¡±


    ¡°O.K., you can stop now. You¡¯re making my head swell up.¡± I was stunned to hear this from Stephanie. I¡¯d never really thought about how others perceived me, beyond just my friends and teammates. To hear one of the most popular and well-liked girls in school tell me she was intimidated by me was quite a shock.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. I actually didn¡¯t like to think about it, because it made me feel like some kind of loser or something when I compared myself to you.¡±


    ¡°No, Steph, that can¡¯t be true. I mean, look at you. Everybody at FHS thought you¡¯re the hottest thing in town. You were the star of the whole school!¡±


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    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± she said, unconvinced. ¡°But, like, anyway, when Emmy came to school she was all anybody could talk about. She was so different- she could never get lost in a crowd, and she never even tried. She was funny, and sweet, and nice to everybody. She was nice to me, even though I was kinda, like, snotty to her at first. I felt jealous that she was taking all the attention away from me, without even trying. But then she invited me to her pool party, which came as a surprise¡­¡± Steph trailed off, thinking about the past November and that crazy Santa Ana that had pushed the temperatures up past one hundred degrees.


    ¡°Honestly, I was surprised, too, when Emmy told me she wanted to invite you. I told her I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come. I guess we all had our own misconceptions about each other back then,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Steph replied, pausing thoughtfully. ¡°She asked me to come to her party, and I accepted, mainly to see her house that Mindy had talked so much about. But what happened was I got to know her, I mean really know her, and I realized that Emmy was just that nice. I stopped resenting her, and, like, changed my whole way of thinking about her. But also, I got to see you in a social setting for the first time.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right. I mean, we¡¯ve both been going to the same parties for a couple of years now,¡± I objected, wondering how long I was going to be able to stand Stephanie¡¯s hand tickling my tummy. Her hand had slipped under my shirt and her fingers were idly tracing my belly button. I didn¡¯t want her to stop, but it was very distracting.


    ¡°Well, yeah, sure. But, like, you always hung out with your friends, and I hung out with mine, and we never really got to talk at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, anyway, I started to get to know you that day, and a lot of my mental picture of you was shattered. I mean, you weren¡¯t, like, scary or intense at all. I found out you were funny, and nice. And I hate to tell you this, but I thought you looked like some kind of model in that gold bikini of yours. I mean, you were like the perfect California girl- blonde, blue eyes, amazing golden tan, and legs that went on forever. But it didn¡¯t seem like you realized how hot you were, or that all the guys were staring at you.¡±


    ¡°No! They weren¡¯t!¡± I was glad it was dark and Steph couldn¡¯t see me blush for about the millionth time that day.


    ¡°Oh, yes they were. Believe me, they were. But you acted like nothing was any different. I mean, like, the rest of us girls were doing everything we could to get the guys¡¯ attention and you were just being yourself, not caring at all. And they were still scoping you out.¡±


    ¡°O.K., now you¡¯re just making things up.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m totally serious. But I guess my point was that you weren¡¯t like I thought at all, and I realized I liked you, and admired you. And Emmy, too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± was all I could say. I hadn¡¯t been expecting any of this, and to say that it was making my head spin was an understatement.


    ¡°But then, after Christmas break, when everybody found out you¡¯re gay-¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m still not totally convinced I am gay. I mean, I loved Emmy, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, then everybody found out you and Emmy were a couple, then. At first I was like, ¡®no way,¡¯ but then your friends abandoned you, and I thought that was shitty, so Mindy and I, we started sitting with you and Tom and Emmy just to show how fucked up Allie and Courtney and Candace and everybody else was being. Anyway, the more I got to see you and Emmy together, the more jealous I got.¡± Thinking for a moment, she corrected herself. ¡°No, jealous isn¡¯t right. I guess I mean envious,¡± Steph corrected, showing the results of all that vocab work we¡¯d done. ¡°I wanted what you two had,¡± she continued. ¡°You were always touching each other, looking at each other. It was obvious when you weren¡¯t together you were thinking about each other, too.¡±


    ¡°You told me that you and Jonny weren¡¯t close,¡± I said, recalling the drive to Emmy¡¯s house that terrible day.


    ¡°No, we weren¡¯t. I had no idea how it could be, until seeing you two,¡± Steph said, again lapsing into thoughtful silence. Her hand was now slowly rubbing circles on my tummy right above my belly button, a relief from the earlier tickling. I knew she wasn¡¯t doing it consciously, and it felt nice, so I said nothing.


    ¡°Then when Emmy¡¯s parents took her away, I felt terrible for you. I could see how heartbroken you were, and it was like a piece of me had been ripped out, too. I mean, I¡¯d wanted what you guys had, but I never wanted you to lose it like that.¡± I could hear it in her voice, and soon felt the wet spot on my shoulder from her tears, recalling how things had happened those two months ago. I felt my own tears at the memory of that time, too, but I was trying to be there for Stephanie and not make it about me, so I tried to keep it under control.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to leave you alone, you were so sad. I knew you needed a friend, so I stayed that night, and you held me like I really meant something to you.¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± I whispered, my voice husky with the threatening waterworks. ¡°It meant a lot, Steph. Seriously, thanks.¡±


    ¡°But I guess you¡¯re, like, missing my point,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°It meant a lot to me, too. I never really liked when Jonny would put his arm on my shoulders, or pat my ass, or anything like that. I¡¯m just not real comfortable with stuff like that. Well, I wasn¡¯t,¡± she said, with a little laugh. ¡°But you holding me like that, it was different. And it seemed to cheer you up when I would rub your shoulder, or give you a hug, and it was so important to me that you be happy, that I got so I liked it, too.¡±


    I stifled the urge to make some comment about how it sounded like I was some sort of pity therapy for her personal space issues, because I knew she didn¡¯t mean it that way.


    ¡°With you, it just feels natural, and I really like it when I touch you. Or like now, you holding me like this.¡±


    ¡°I saw your face when I was giving you a foot rub earlier,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Oh, god, that was heaven. I didn¡¯t want you to ever stop. But,¡± she said, her tone changing, ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine Jonny¡¯s hands on me like that. No way.¡±


    After a few moments, Stephanie said ¡°And then when I told you I was nervous about getting into State, you totally threw yourself into tutoring me. You gave up pretty much all your free time just to help me, and it really worked. For the first time, somebody made me feel smart. You did, Leah. You made me feel like I could be an A student, for the first time in my life.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised to hear her low self-esteem.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty much true. My parents were always, like, fine with Cs or Bs on my report cards, and pretty much told me flat out that my success in life wasn¡¯t going to be a result of my brains.¡±


    ¡°God! That¡¯s terrible!¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they ever thought I was an idiot or anything, it¡¯s just that they thought I was, you know, average in the brains category, that¡¯s all. Mom was totally blown away with that last report card. She couldn¡¯t believe it, and actually, like, emailed a couple of my teachers to see if there was some kind of mistake.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    ¡°No, I swear to god. She really did. And When Mr. Pacheco told her that he had been super impressed by how hard I¡¯d worked to earn the A, she showed me the email and told me how proud she was of me.¡±


    ¡°I was really proud of you, too,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Neither of you were as proud as me, though. I was, like, flying on a cloud.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°I could tell. You were so, I don¡¯t know. Lit up, I guess.¡±


    Stephanie didn¡¯t respond, and I started to think she might have fallen asleep, but then she said ¡°You know something? That report card gave me a lot of confidence. It told me that if I really want something, and I¡¯m willing to work hard for it, I can get what I want.¡±


    We were silent for a while, and I was lost in my thoughts about what Stephanie had just said, when I realized her hand had stopped moving on my belly, and her breathing was slow and regular.


    I woke with a start when Mrs. Houk knocked, then walked in to Steph¡¯s room. Thankfully we¡¯d moved apart during the night, so it looked completely innocent when she sat down on the edge of the bed to tell Steph that she was heading to work.


    ¡°You girls were up late last night?¡± She asked. ¡°I thought I heard you talking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we were. I¡¯m so nervous about college,¡± Stephanie lied with an ease I¡¯d never be able to match. ¡°Leah¡¯s going to Stanford, did I tell you that?¡± she said, sitting up.


    ¡°Oh, really? That¡¯s great, Leah. Stanford¡¯s an excellent school. What are you going to study?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t really prepared to have this conversation so early, so all I could manage was ¡°I¡¯m not really sure yet.¡±


    ¡°Well, they have one of the best business schools in the nation. It¡¯s a good start to an excellent career, and just remember- money makes money, and working with money is where the opportunities are.¡± Standing up, Mrs. Houk said ¡°I¡¯ll see you this afternoon, dear. Good seeing you, Leah,¡± and left.


    ¡°Why does she go to work so early?¡± I whined, looking at the clock.


    ¡°She has to be ready before the bell rings at the stock exchange in New York, and that¡¯s six A.M. our time,¡± Stephanie said, flopping back down in bed.


    ¡°Yuck,¡± I said, ready to go back to sleep.


    We got up late, the day already hot and dry. We ate a breakfast of cereal and toast without getting dressed, still in our sleepwear. I wasn¡¯t too keen on the soy milk with my cereal, but that¡¯s all they had, so I didn¡¯t complain much.


    ¡°God, it¡¯s hot. Do you wanna swim again?¡± Stephanie asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.


    ¡°Sure. I have no place to be. I can just enjoy my few days of vacation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab us some Cokes,¡± Steph said as I went to get changed. I wasn¡¯t used to so much soda, but it seemed as if Steph was addicted to the stuff.


    When I walked out to the back patio I was stunned to see Stephanie laying out on her towel by the pool, completely nude. She had a little pink spray bottle that she was using to spray water on her back and the back of her legs, which were already roasting in the sun. I lay down on the lounge chair, trying not to stare.


    Stephanie caught my eye, and said ¡°Hey, I told you I don¡¯t like tan lines.¡±


    ¡°No, you did warn me, all right,¡± I agreed as I leaned back, closing my eyes.


    The image of Stephanie¡¯s sun-warmed skin just wouldn¡¯t leave me and I found myself peeking at her through half-closed lids. She was so gorgeous, her silky brown hair flowing over her freckled face like that, the beads of water from her spray bottle joining up and running down her tanned skin.


    After half an hour or so, Stephanie got up and shook my shoulder. ¡°Want some ice water?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure. That¡¯d be great,¡± I agreed, surprised that I¡¯d dozed off.


    I couldn¡¯t help but stare at her back, legs and butt as she disappeared into the house, only to come out a few minutes later with two tall glasses of water. She sat down cross-legged on her towel, and it suddenly hit me. This gorgeous girl is in love with me. She¡¯s doing everything she can to let me know, and I¡¯ve been trying to avoid even seeing what was so obvious. She was crazy about me.


    Hard on the heels of that revelation came another thought. The guilt that I¡¯d been feeling wasn¡¯t doing me or anybody else any good. Emmy wasn¡¯t coming back, and it was time to face it and move on. And if Stephanie wanted to be the one that I moved on with, I¡¯d be an idiot to deny both of us what we were feeling for each other, because suddenly, two more things became crystal clear. I was falling in love with Stephanie, and seeing her there, so beautiful and confident in her bare skin like that, I was definitely turned on. There was no denying to myself any more- I was positively, completely, one hundred per cent, attracted to girls. ¡®Bi-curious¡¯ wasn¡¯t an accurate description. Looking at Stephanie, her incredible nude body shining in the sun turned me on more than any guy I¡¯ve ever seen. I mean, Chris was an extremely good-looking guy and he had the body of a shaving cream model, but seeing him in the buff had never affected me the way that Stephanie¡¯s tanned skin was doing to me.


    Puzzled by what must have been going on on my face, Stephanie smiled that kind, easy smile of hers and asked ¡°What? What is it?¡±


    ¡°You know all that stuff you told me last night?¡± I asked, unsure how to say it. My whole body felt flushed and hot, and it wasn¡¯t from the June sun.


    Nodding, Stephanie leaned forward and swept her hair back, trying to get a better look at me.


    Jeeze, I thought. She¡¯s so damned smoking hot, so sexy. Her beautiful naked body shone like it was polished, and her eyes like milk chocolate were wide with curiosity.


    Deciding that there was nothing to do but jump in with both feet, I sat up and blurted it out. ¡°Stephanie, you were trying to tell me last night that you¡¯re, I don¡¯t know, that you like me, right?¡± She nodded, leaning back a little bit, suddenly unsure. ¡°Well,¡± I continued, wanting to get it all out, ¡°I just realized that I¡¯ve been an idiot, and haven¡¯t been seeing what¡¯s right in front of me.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stephanie asked, her voice hopeful but unsure.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve got a gorgeous girl right here in front of me. Why should I keep moping for somebody who¡¯s gone and probably never coming back?¡±


    Stephanie stood up, and came over to my lounge chair, still not too sure, but very, very optimistic. Sitting on the edge of the chair, she asked ¡°You think I¡¯m gorgeous?¡±


    I looked her straight in her wide, expressive eyes, and told her the truth. ¡°I¡¯m not alone in that. Everyone thinks you¡¯re gorgeous. What I think is that you¡¯ve been here for me, and that means a lot to me. I also think that just looking at you, so freaking sexy, it¡¯s making me dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    She took my hand and held it up, still not convinced. I pulled her hand up and kissed her knuckles, enjoying the smell of the cocoa butter on her skin. I held her hand against my lips for what seemed like a long time, enjoying her wide-eyed expression.


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all she could say, so I sat up straighter and wrapped my free arm around Stephanie¡¯s waist, pulling her to me. I wasn¡¯t sure how it was going to go, but I knew that what I wanted at that moment was to kiss her long and tender, so that¡¯s what I did.


    Her lips were so very soft and warm, as she almost literally melted in my arms.


    ¡°God, Leah,¡± she sighed when the kiss ended. ¡°Oh, god.¡±


    ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± I asked, hoping I hadn¡¯t overstepped my bounds.


    ¡°I¡¯m better than O.K. Like, way better,¡± Stephanie breathed. ¡°Can we go inside?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but promise me you won¡¯t put on any clothes,¡± I joked.


    Looking down at herself, Stephanie blushed, then smiled at me. ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll be as naked as you want me to be.¡± She stood up and posed, enjoying my eyes on her. I enjoyed looking at her, too, and realized that I no longer felt awkward about staring at her body. She had given me permission, and in fact, wanted my attention.


    She took my hand and pulled me to the couch, where we spent the next couple of hours just kissing and holding each other. Stephanie was so shy in some ways, but so bold in some others. She was so confident in her skin and absolutely loved the way I looked at her, but at the same time was very unsure of what she should do to please me.


    Eventually, worried that her mom would come home and catch us, we got dressed and Steph drove me home.


    ¡°See you tomorrow?¡± Steph asked.


    I gave her what I hoped was a sexy look and replied ¡°I¡¯m definitely looking forward to seeing all of you again tomorrow.¡±


    She laughed, and said ¡°I promised I¡¯d be as naked as you want me to be.¡±


    I gave her one last kiss as I got out of her little Honda, then went up to the apartment. Nobody was home, so I had some peace and quiet to do what needed to be done next. I cleaned out some space in my closet, and carefully put all of Emmy¡¯s guitars in their cases and stacked them all away. I was sad to put all the things that reminded me of her out of sight (and hopefully out of mind) but it was time. It felt bad to do it, but it was also somehow a relief. I was finally saying goodbye, and it was bittersweet.


    At dinner, when Mom asked what Stephanie and I had done the night before, I told her we watched old movies and talked. ¡°She¡¯s really worried about college,¡± I explained, recycling what Steph had told her own mom.


    ¡°You two have really become good friends, haven¡¯t you?¡± Mom asked, hoping to find out more about what I was doing, and my emotional state.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered, as nonchalantly as I could. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have someone to hang out with and just, you know, talk about things.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± agreed Mom, who seemed satisfied.


    I was happy Tiff was at a friend¡¯s house having a sleepover, because I needed some alone time to think, and she¡¯d been sleeping in my bed most nights since Emmy left. Lying in bed, thinking about what had happened between Stephanie and me, I felt a smile on my face and a warmth flowing through my body. Sure, we hadn¡¯t done much more than kiss, but that was O.K. with me. Just knowing that such a beautiful, sweet girl could be so crazy about me was enough. Hey, we had all summer, right? No need to rush things.


    It felt as if the emptiness in my heart that I¡¯d been suffering from since Emmy vanished was starting to fill back in, if only a little. I¡¯d be lying if I said that I didn¡¯t miss Emmy any longer, but at least I was still capable of finding some happiness.

 Summer Passes So Quickly

    Coach Burke from Stanford wanted me to come up for a couple of workout camps, one the last week in June and the other the third week in July. The first game of the season was going to be in Texas at the end of August, so I needed to report in to Stanford on the eighth of August even though classes didn¡¯t start until the twenty-ninth. This really didn¡¯t leave a whole lot of summer for Stephanie and me, but we tried to make as much time for each other as possible.


    Stephanie and I were trying to keep our new relationship on the Q.T. as far as our parents were concerned. Once I started working at the nursery we couldn¡¯t spend the days together at Steph¡¯s house, which really put a serious dent in our opportunities for intimacy. In a way that worked out O.K., because we continued to do the friend-type things like go to the mall or just kick back on the couch and watch old movies on cable. My skill at the pool table got a lot better, too. Sharing time together in these ways helped our relationship achieve an easy comfort level, and we found we had a lot in common.


    We both liked old comedies, for example. Sure, I preferred Bill Murray and Steph liked Chevy Chase, but we could both agree that Steve Martin was a comic genius, even if Peter Sellers was a way better Inspector Clouseau. We both loved A Fish Called Wanda but hated its sequel. We both preferred Roger Moore over Sean Connery, and so on.


    We both also enjoyed just talking, sometimes about stuff that mattered (like college and future plans), and other times about stuff that didn¡¯t matter at all, like why yellow was better than purple (purple is too bossy, but yellow is just plain happy to be there). Just hanging out and talking about anything or nothing at all was plenty good, but really, if anything defined our relationship, it was the sex.


    One particular morning, it was plenty warm enough by ten o¡¯clock for us to want to be in the water, so we did what had started to feel natural and no longer weirded me out- we stripped down to our birthday suits and grabbed some towels and Cokes and went out to the pool


    Stephanie laid down on her towel next to the pool and gave me a hopeful look as she held the cocoa butter out for me. ¡°Do me?¡± She asked, then blushed when I smirked at her choice of words.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to do you, Steph,¡± I replied as she settled down on her tummy. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m gonna do you a whole bunch of times.¡± I squeezed a big trail of the cocoa butter along her spine, starting at her neck and ending at the crack of her smooth, firm little butt. Rubbing gently, I spread the cocoa butter on her neck, shoulder blades and arms. Continuing down, I gradually worked my way down her back, admiring her golden brown tan. Paying special attention to the dimples right above her butt got a sexy moan that let me know that whatever I was doing, it was definitely working for her. I was certainly feeling plenty warm down south myself, too, and enjoying it as much as Stephanie was.


    I grabbed the bottle of cocoa butter and dribbled a thin stream in the shape of a smiley face right across her butt. She twitched as the butter drizzled on the back of her vaj and sucked in a breath.


    I returned to rubbing, and gave her glutes a deep massage, my fingers dipping in between ever so lightly to just graze across her most sensitive spots. I got just the reaction I wanted when I tickled her ass and pussy without spending enough time to satisfy her desires (or mine, for that matter).


    I drizzled some more cocoa butter down the back of her legs, then abandoned the playground where they met in favor of massaging her hams and calves. This got some small sounds of complaint at first, but after a moment Stephanie gave in to the pleasure of the massage and relaxed again.


    Done with the back of her legs, I gave Stephanie a tap and told her to flip onto her back.


    I moved back up her body and applied some butter to her upper chest, rubbing it into her collarbones and shoulders, then her arms. Stephanie was completely relaxed, occasionally glancing up at me through those heart-shaped sunglasses of hers and smiling in bliss.


    I poured a bit of the butter on her left nipple, which made her jump a bit, then did the same on her right. I took special care to massage the butter onto her breasts, since I didn''t want to miss even the tiniest spot. As much as Stephanie complained that her breasts were small, to me they were perfect. Tiny little aureolas barely bigger the than the pencil eraser-sized nipples, which turned dark brown and hard as anything under my attentive hands. The saying that anything more than a handful was a waste was never more true. Stephanie was moaning with pleasure by this point and squirming a bit, but trying to keep herself still for my ministrations.


    Done (for a bit, anyway) with her breasts, I squeezed some cocoa butter on her belly and worked my way down, tickling her by sticking my finger in her little belly button and flicking the little gold hoop she had there. Receiving a little slap on my hand for that, I resumed my progress south, making another smiley face with the butter right below her waist. The bottom of the smile ran right across her cute little clit, again, getting a twitch as the cold cocoa butter landed.


    I rubbed the cocoa butter across the plane of her hips and down to just above the top of her slit but avoided the really sensitive spots, which got myself another little growl of frustration, but I was enjoying torturing Stephanie this way. As for me, I was soaking wet too, but I wanted to draw this foreplay out for a while longer.


    Working my way down her left leg, I was careful to avoid brushing against Stephanie¡¯s mound until I was away from the danger area, then I really worked to give Steph a good deep tissue massage on her quad. The shins aren''t really all that erogenous, so I quickly finished up with the left leg, then started at the top of the foot on her right leg, reversing my way back up.


    By the time I got up to where the legs connect, Stephanie was squirming something fierce, and this time I didn¡¯t tease. I knelt between her legs and stroked the insides of her thighs, making my intentions clear. I put some butter on my hand and just rubbed it right into her vaj, rubbing it into her labia, sliding my fingers up and down on either side of her little nub which had gotten quite hard by this point. Stroking up and down, rubbing little circles around her clit with the pad of my thumb, I slid first one finger in, then a second, gently pumping in and out as I played with her clit with my left hand.


    No longer able to keep silent, Stephanie was moaning and rocking her hips while her hands were busy with her breasts. She had very sensitive nipples, and I¡¯d been able to make her come in the past simply by playing with her boobs. Watching her play with her gleaming breasts and pinch her nipples as I slid in and out of her center was almost too much for me to stand, so when I felt her tighten around my fingers as she came I reversed my position and straddled her arms with my knees, leaning back and smashing my pussy right into her face, knocking her sunglasses right off.


    Stephanie didn¡¯t need any encouragement, and she dove right in, licking, nipping and sliding her tongue exactly where I needed it. I returned the favor, spreading her legs so I could get access to her pussy, too. Unfortunately, I am much taller than her so the classic sixty-nine didn''t really work and I had to go back to using my fingers to slide in and out. She quickly came again, and a moment later I did too, coming all over her face. Steph had discovered the joy of cunnilingus and had told me that burying her face in my pussy was as good as it gets. Judging by the look on her face, covered in my juice when I rolled off, she was in heaven. Her warm brown eyes had a pleased and satisfied look as she gazed at me, in no hurry to move.


    Once I could get up I jumped in the pool, shocked at the cold water but invigorated at the same time. Swimming around, it only took a few moments for me to become accustomed to the temperature. By this time Stephanie had joined me, and we roughhoused a little in the water, using any opportunity to cop a quick feel. After a while of this, Stephanie swam up to where I was standing in water deep enough to cover my shoulders. She wrapped herself around me and we just started kissing, tender at first, but it didn¡¯t take long to become quite heated and passionate. Steph loved to stick her tongue as deep and she could in my mouth as well, and soon enough she was doing her best to check to see if I still had my tonsils. I adjusted my arms around her and moved my hands under her butt, reaching my fingers just enough to play with her slit. We¡¯d done a little bit of butt exploration, but only ever stayed on the outside and that was perfectly OK with both of us. She was sensitive there and did like it when I stroked her asshole, so I did just that and slipped inside her pussy just to the first knuckle, too.


    Stephanie readjusted her position to give me better access and my finger slipped in to the second knuckle, sliding in and out. This was enough to distract her from her kissing, and she laid her head down on my shoulder, breathing hard. I lifted her a bit so I could slide another finger in, and soon my two middle fingers of my left hand were sliding all the way in and out while my right index finger played with her back door.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to come again, and this time I left my fingers in as she recovered.


    ¡°That was awesome,¡± Stephanie breathed once she could speak again. ¡°Leah, I love you so much.¡±


    ¡°Do you love me enough to maybe, I don''t know, do this again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ll need a few minutes first,¡± she replied, her sense of humor returning. ¡°And maybe lunch, too. I¡¯m, like, starving.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯ve been the one doing all the work,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± Stephanie agreed, ¡°but that appetizer I had left me wanting more.¡±


    Laughing, I shoved her off me and we both swam and splashed around for a while before getting out and toweling off.


    After a lunch of cold cuts sandwiches (and more Cokes, of course) we went back out to lie in the sun. This time I put on sun block and Stephanie reapplied her cocoa butter because we just wanted to relax and do nothing for a while.


    It was a good thing, too, because Stephanie¡¯s mom surprised us by coming home to pick up some paperwork. Steph and I were lying by the side of the pool discussing purple¡¯s distinctly overbearing nature when Steph¡¯s mom slid open the patio door and walked out to say hello. This would have been O.K., except for two things. First, she took us totally by surprise and we both nearly had heart attacks, and second, we were both sunbathing in the buff.


    Mrs. Houk was totally unfazed by our nudity and Stephanie didn¡¯t seem bothered to be caught like that, but I was completely mortified. Mrs. Houk explained that she was just stopping by to pick up some paperwork, then left to go back to her office.


    ¡°God,¡± I complained. ¡°I wish I¡¯d heard her coming and could have gotten something on.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Steph reassured. ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t care. When I was little she used to lie out in the sun naked, like, all the time. I¡¯m just glad she didn¡¯t bust us making out.¡±


    Stephanie wasn¡¯t about to tell her mom that she was in love with another girl, and I totally respected that. Although my mom had come to accept my relationship with Emmy, somehow I felt guilty about Steph and me so I played it like we were just good friends. Later, I found she knew what was going on but she never said as much at the time.


    When Stephanie told me she wanted to come up for my first training camp I was more than happy to have her come along. I¡¯d been assigned a single dorm room for the week, but when I emailed Coach Burke to ask if I could bring my best friend he agreed and set me up with a double. I wasn¡¯t about to tell him that we¡¯d only need one bed. I just wasn¡¯t comfortable with sharing that bit of information with my new coach or teammates just yet.


    We drove up to Palo Alto in Stephanie¡¯s Civic, but I insisted that I was going to pay for everything- gas for her car, our food, whatever. Even though Stephanie¡¯s mom had more money than mine I had more spending cash because of my way better job. Also, I knew tuition and books were going to be paid for by my scholarships, but Stephanie was going to be on the hook for all of her school expenses. Sure, she was planning on living at home and commuting to class to save money, but her budget was still very tight.


    That week was wonderful. The campus was so beautiful I fell in love with the place, even though it was really hot- hotter than I was used to back in Fallbrook, that¡¯s for sure. The gym facilities were amazing, and Mr. Burke and his assistant coaches were incredible. I was sore every day from the intense workouts, which were way, way more demanding than anything I¡¯d ever experienced- but I loved it anyway.


    By the end of that week I felt as if I belonged on the team, and in fact, Coach Burke hinted I might get to start as a freshman, which is unusual.


    After workouts I got in the habit of returning to our dorm room so Stephanie could give me a back rub to help my sore muscles. I have to admit I probably didn¡¯t need the massages as much as I made it seem, but Stephanie had wonderful hands and I loved the feel of her touch on my bare skin, so I milked it for all I could.


    In the evenings, the two of us would drive around and check out the town. One day we went to the Winchester Mansion in San Jose. It creeped Steph out, but I thought it was really cool, but sad, too. We wanted to go up to San Francisco but we just didn¡¯t have time during the week, so we went the Saturday after camp was over. We did the touristy things like Fisherman¡¯s Wharf, riding the cable car, freezing our butts off- the typical San Fran summer things. That night it was a long drive back home, and I didn¡¯t want our special time to end.


    Back home again we slipped back into our regular routine, sneaking time together when we could. One day at work I was thinking about the relationship Steph and I had going, which then led to thoughts about Emmy and how it had been with her. We¡¯d been a real couple, living together and sharing our lives together.


    With Stephanie, though, it was all quick make-out sessions in her car or stealing an hour or two when we had her house to ourselves. I mean, sure, we texted all the time, but it just wasn¡¯t the same. For instance, that night we were planning on going to Tom and Allie¡¯s birthday party. I didn¡¯t want to go, but Tom begged and said he really needed us and to hell with what Allie had to say. Steph and I agreed, but told Tom we were going as friends of his, and not as a couple. I mean, Tom knew about us, and so did Mindy, but nobody else did and we wanted to keep it that way.


    Having to hide our relationship like that was making me feel kinda sick, but what could I do? I was proud of my beautiful, sweet and sexy girlfriend, and Steph told me she was proud of having me, but she just wasn¡¯t ready to announce it to the world.


    Remembering the ration of crap that had been heaped on me when Emmy and I were outed I can¡¯t say I blamed Stephanie at all, but it still hurt.


    Lost in these thoughts, I wasn¡¯t very productive at all that day. The next day was the fourth of July and the nursery would be closed, so I knew Steph and I could spend some time together. I made up my mind to talk to her about how I was feeling, but that didn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    I borrowed Mom¡¯s car to go over to Tom¡¯s house at six. Allie answered the door and nearly slammed it in my face before Tom stopped her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her here,¡± Allie said, angry.


    ¡°Yeah, but I do,¡± Tom replied, and opened the door to let me in. I¡¯d known it was going to be unpleasant, so I was prepared, but it still hurt to be treated so badly by someone I used to think of as a friend.


    ¡°Are Mindy and Stephanie coming?¡± Tom asked as we walked into the living room.


    ¡°Yeah, Steph is picking Mindy up after work,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Great! My friend Robert is coming in a bit, too,¡± Tom said, excitement in his eyes.


    ¡°Uh, as in ¡®Mindy¡¯s cousin¡¯ Robert?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered, grinning like an idiot.


    ¡°Oh, wow¡± was all I could say.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Tom.


    ¡°Tom, could we talk outside?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to be there after all.


    Out on the back patio, I hissed ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to spring Robert on your family.¡±


    ¡°You know I have to tell them sooner or later, and today is the day. Robert drove down from Portland for this. I¡¯m going back up with him,¡± Tom whispered back. ¡°I really need your support, Leah. Please.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to spring Stephanie on your family,¡± I said, my voice low and angry.


    ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t want you guys to do anything except be here for Robert and me, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m expecting it¡¯ll be a big shit fit, and I already have all my stuff packed and ready to haul ass out the door. Please, Leah. I need you here.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°O.K. But if it ends in a fight, I¡¯m going to use it as an excuse to knock Allie out cold,¡± I warned, only half joking.


    ¡°She¡¯s all yours, Rocky. All yours.¡±


    Things went about as well as can be expected that night. Mindy, Stephanie and Robert all showed up at the same time, but Robert had driven his own car. Dinner was awkward, with Tom¡¯s entire family making a point of being nice to Robert, Steph and Mindy but snubbing me, the outcast lesbian. I was O.K. with playing the part, but unfortunately I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to grab Allie¡¯s ass or squeeze her thigh under the table, which I¡¯d planned on. She avoided me like the plague and just never got within range.


    After the cake and presents, Tom stood up and said he had an announcement.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Allie, I want to thank you for the last eighteen years of my life. It¡¯s been great, mostly. But now, it¡¯s time for me to move on to the next phase of my life. I¡¯m an adult now, and legally capable of making my own choices.¡±


    Looking at Allie, her parents, and their grandmother, I saw a mix of confusion and concern on their faces. Oh boy, I thought. They have no idea what¡¯s about to hit them, do they?


    ¡°Tonight, after the party, I¡¯m moving back to Portland,¡± Tom said, looking around. ¡°I¡¯ve never really been happy here, and up there I can make a new life for myself with my boyfriend, Robert.¡± He reached down and took Robert¡¯s hand and squeezed it.


    There was shocked silence for a long moment, then Robert stood and placed a loving kiss on Tom¡¯s lips to emphasize what had just been said.


    I felt myself tearing up because I was so proud of Tom¡¯s bravery, but Tom¡¯s parents started shouting. Allie came over, glared at me, then said ¡°This is your fault,¡± and slapped my face. Hard.


    I was too surprised to react for a moment, giving her the time to get away. I leapt up from the couch and chased her up the stairs, hitting her door with my shoulder before she could get it shut. I bowled her over onto her bed. She tried to fight me but I was too big and strong and I pinned her under my weight, holding her hands above her head.


    Allie was screaming obscenities I didn¡¯t even think she knew, but I just stared her down until she shut up. ¡°Allie,¡± I said, furious. ¡°Shut the fuck up. This is not my fault, and you know it. Tom has known he¡¯s gay for years. Hell, you¡¯ve probably known at some level for years. You guys are twins, after all. He told me the reason you guys moved from Portland was so your parents could get him away from his ¡®bad influence¡¯ friends. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Allie didn¡¯t say anything, so I continued. ¡°You should fucking want your own brother to be happy. He¡¯s in love, Allie. Love. That¡¯s what it is. Do you even know what that means? Do you even have any clue what love means, Allie?¡± I could sense that others had come into the room but I ignored whoever it was, still not letting Allie look away.


    ¡°If there was ever once in your life, Allie, now is the time to try to be a decent human being and get over yourself. You have known Tom your entire goddamned life, so show him the respect he deserves as your brother!¡±


    I let her go, standing up to look at who was there. Stephanie and Mindy were there, looking at me with shock and surprise. Allie¡¯s dad was there, too, and I¡¯m not sure at all that I understood the expression on his face. He wasn¡¯t happy, that was clear, but he also didn¡¯t look super mad at me, or anything.


    ¡°Leah, I think it¡¯s time you and the others go home now,¡± he said in a level voice. ¡°Allie, you need to come down to the living room.¡±


    Mindy, Steph and I left, but not before giving Tom hugs goodbye. ¡°I¡¯ll email you,¡± he said, and I hoped it was true.


    Standing on the sidewalk, Mindy asked ¡°Can you believe Tom is gay? And Robert? I had no idea!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I knew,¡± I confessed. ¡°Emmy knew right away, but Tom told me so right after Christmas break.¡±


    ¡°So you knew what was going to happen tonight?¡± Steph asked, suddenly pissed off.


    ¡°Well, no, not until I got here and Tom told me that Robert had driven down from Portland. I mean, he told me a long time ago that he was outta here the moment he turned eighteen, but I didn¡¯t realize he meant it so literally.¡±


    ¡°Well, that was, like, kind of a shitty way to do it,¡± Stephanie said, and my heart sank a bit. I guess the talk I was planning on having with her might not go so well after all, I thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, defending Tom. ¡°It was going to be a big deal no matter how it happened, and this way he at least had some supportive friends, right?¡±


    ¡°Supportive friends? Is that what you call it?¡± asked Stephanie. ¡°I was afraid you were going to get thrown in jail for beating Allie up!¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry about that. It¡¯s just¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t really put my frustration and anger into words, especially not when it was a subject that needed to be addressed between Steph and me. ¡°See you guys tomorrow?¡± I finished lamely.


    ¡°Yeah. Four o¡¯clock,¡± said Mindy. ¡°And don¡¯t forget to bring your sister. We¡¯re gonna watch fireworks when it gets dark.¡±


    I was bothered that Steph hadn¡¯t said anything about coming over to swim (which had become our code phrase) and drove back home in a crummy mood. Mom asked how it went at Tom¡¯s birthday party, and I snapped at her that it was fine, a barrel of laughs. I knew she was concerned because of possible confrontations with Allie, but what could I tell her? That Tom came out in spectacular fashion, I very nearly beat up one of my old best friends, and now for some reason my girlfriend that I haven¡¯t admitted to is mad at me? Yeah, not gonna happen, so I went to bed feeling crappy for being rude to Mom on top of all the rest of the stuff that had happened that day.


    The next morning Stephanie called to ask if I wanted to come over to swim, but I was still in a bad mood, so I told her that I was babysitting my sister and I could only come over if Tiffany could come to swim, too.


    ¡°But baby, I was hoping¡­¡± Steph whined, but I cut her off.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not a great idea,¡¯ I said tersely. ¡°Tiffany probably shouldn¡¯t get that much sun, anyway. I¡¯ll see you at Mindy¡¯s place tonight,¡± and I hung up the phone, feeling like even more of a jerk than I already did. I¡¯d just gone from being pissed off at the world to pissed off at the world and myself, too.


    I¡¯d lied to Mom about last night, been lying to Mom about Stephanie, and I¡¯d just lied to Stephanie to hurt her feelings. The worst part of it all? I couldn¡¯t lie to myself in any convincing fashion that it would all be O.K. There was nobody I could talk to, and I felt completely alone.


    I found myself at my computer, checking my email, then checking the spam filter, something I hadn¡¯t done in a while. I realized I was looking for any kind of sign from Emmy that she missed me, or was even still alive, for that matter. There was nothing, same as always.


    Mom took Tiff and me to lunch at the burger place down by the freeway, but even their chili fries couldn¡¯t help my mood.


    ¡°Mom, can I borrow the car for a little bit after lunch?¡± I asked, a thought occurring to me.


    ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t be gone for too long. Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re taking Tiffany to Mindy¡¯s party at four.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take me too long.¡±


    I dropped Mom and Tiff off at home, and headed out of town on the road that lead to the Lascaux estate. Turning onto the little road through the avocado groves, I mentally crossed my fingers that my plan would work. Thankfully, the same friendly security guard was manning the gate.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Farmer. How can I help you?¡± he asked, all smiles.


    ¡°Um,¡± I began. ¡°Well, It¡¯s kind of a long shot, but I lost my varsity jacket a couple, maybe three months ago, and the last place I can remember it for sure was here, in Emmy¡¯s room. Do you guys have, like, a lost and found or something?¡±


    ¡°Lost and found?¡± he chuckled. ¡°No, but I¡¯ll tell you what. Why don¡¯t you go up to the house? I¡¯ll buzz the housekeepers and they can help you check.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be great, thanks a lot,¡± I smiled my gratitude at him as he opened the gate for me. I drove up to the front of the big stone house, once again struck by how massive but yet lovely the place was.


    I didn¡¯t recognize the housekeeper that was waiting for me, but she seemed to remember me, so I thought that was a good sign.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the guard at the front gate told you, but I lost my varsity jacket and it occurred to me that the last time I¡¯d worn it was here. You wouldn¡¯t happen to have seen it, would you?¡± I asked, trying to sound hopeful.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, but why don¡¯t you come with me and we can check?¡±


    ¡°Great! Thanks!¡± I replied, thinking that my stupid plan maybe wasn¡¯t so stupid after all.


    Walking through the house and seeing all the white sheets on the furniture really hit home that Emmy and her family were truly gone and not planning to return any time soon. The housekeeper let me in to Emmy¡¯s room, and it was just the same. There were white dust sheets on the couch, the bed, and even on Emmy¡¯s Yamaha keyboard. I was led into the closet where all of the hanging clothes were in dry cleaner bags and the folded clothes on the shelves had plastic sheeting on them. I made a show of looking through the hanging jackets, hoping the housekeeper would get bored and leave me by myself, which she did after a few minutes.


    ¡°If you need anything, please let me know,¡± she said. The moment she left, I started searching for any sign of where I could get ahold of Emmy now, but there was nothing, and the more I looked, the more depressed I got. Eventually I just sat down on the bed, clutching a pillow to my chest, but that didn¡¯t help, either. I¡¯d been hoping it would smell like Emmy, but the sheets and pillowcases just smelled like clean laundry, nothing more.


    It must have been about ten minutes later when the housekeeper returned to find my holding that pillow and crying my eyes out. I¡¯m not sure what she thought was going on, but she sat next to me on the bed and wrapped an arm around my shoulder and murmured some comforting words in Spanish to me.


    ¡°The princess might have taken your jacket with her to Paris,¡± I heard the housekeeper say, but it was in a very soft voice, so I wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°What?¡± I sniffled.


    ¡°It may be that the princess took your jacket with her,¡± she explained. ¡°The only things she wanted to take were things that reminded her of you.¡±


    I knew she meant it to comfort me, but the news only made my heart feel worse, and certainly did nothing to stop the flow of tears. I sat there crying, with that housekeeper whose name I couldn¡¯t remember rubbing my back in sympathy.


    Eventually my tears dried up, and I got up and washed my face. Looking around the tile and stone bathroom I remembered telling Emmy that I could happily live there, it was so big. Now it was just empty space, full of nothing but memories.


    My mission had failed. I had nothing except concrete proof that the Lascauxs were not coming back, and that¡¯s the last thing I wanted. I drove home, feeling miserable, and then more miserable when I thought about how my little search for clues about Emmy was in a way unfaithful to Stephanie. Ugh.


    When I got home I took some Advil and lay down on the couch. Mom sat down on the edge of the couch next to me and asked where I¡¯d gone, and I told her I went to Emmy¡¯s house to see if I could find out how to contact her. I told Mom how they¡¯d let me in to Emmy¡¯s room, but there was nothing to find, and in fact, the whole house was put away in deep storage. It might be years before they come back, if ever, I said.


    ¡°Oh, honey,¡± Mom sighed. Then she asked ¡°Does Stephanie know?¡±


    My face burning with shame, I said ¡°No, I didn¡¯t tell her I was going.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really fair to her, now, is it?¡± Mom asked gently.


    ¡°No, I know,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°How are things going between you and Stephanie, Lee? Did you two get in a fight last night? When you came home so upset, and with that red mark on your face, I was really worried.¡±


    ¡°What? No! We didn¡¯t get in a fight. No, Allie slapped me,¡± I said, then ¡°Well, yeah, Stephanie and I had an argument, too.¡± Then, trying to change the subject a little I asked, ¡°How long have you known? I mean, about and me and Steph?¡±


    ¡°A while now,¡± Mom confessed. ¡°I figured you two were trying to keep it secret because Stephanie wasn¡¯t ready to go public.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, there¡¯s that. But Mom? I also don¡¯t want Tiff to know. She misses Emmy so badly, I think she¡¯d really be hurt if she thought I¡¯d given up on ever seeing her again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably true,¡± Mom sighed. ¡°She does miss Emmy more than I would ever have imagined. You know she asks me almost every day if Emmy¡¯s called?¡±


    ¡°Oh, jeeze. I didn¡¯t need to hear that,¡± I groaned, glad that Tiff was playing with her friends at the apartment complex pool.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t imagine you did. I still don¡¯t know what happened that night, Lee. You¡¯ve never really explained it to me, so I haven¡¯t been able to tell Tiffy anything, either.¡±


    It suddenly struck me how unfair I was being by withholding information from my mom, who had, after all, welcomed Emmy into her house like a daughter-in-law.


    ¡°Well, a lot of it I¡¯m not clear on, either, but I can tell you that Emmy and I didn¡¯t get into a fight. She didn¡¯t fly out of here like that because she was mad at me. She was mad at her mom.¡±


    ¡°Her mother?¡± Mom asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Yeah, her mom. Mrs. Lascaux had waited until one night I would be alone in the house, without you or Emmy home, and she came to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°What did she want to talk about?¡± Mom was really perplexed by this.


    ¡°She wanted to get some information from me, find out how much I knew-¡± I stopped myself, realizing almost too late that there were secrets I just couldn¡¯t tell my mom.


    ¡°How much you knew about what, Lee?¡± Mom¡¯s voice was sharp, and she wasn¡¯t going to let this go.


    ¡°Well, about their family business, mostly,¡± I hedged.


    ¡°Why would that matter?¡± Mom demanded.


    I could tell that my fumbling around the edges wasn¡¯t going to satisfy her, so I changed my approach. ¡°This is a secret, Mom. Emmy tried to hide it from me, but I figured it out. She wasn¡¯t supposed to tell me anything, and her mom wanted to know if Emmy had spilled the beans to me or not. I told Mrs. Lascaux that I¡¯d figured it out on my own, and Emmy did her best to hide it from me so Emmy wouldn¡¯t get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°And what is this secret that¡¯s so important about the Lascaux family business? They aren¡¯t drug dealers, or weapons merchants, are they?¡± Mom was getting angry with me, and it had been bothering me for months to keep it all hidden, so I figured it was time to come clean. Well, mostly, anyhow.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that. Nothing illegal. It¡¯s just, well, you remember how I told you they call her ¡®princess¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember you telling me that,¡± Mom said in a tone which meant ¡®out with it now¡¯.


    ¡°Well, she really is a princess. Her parents are king and queen of their people, and she¡¯s the heir to their throne.¡± There. It was out. Mostly.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Mom, astonished.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. She really is a princess, and she really is the sole heir to the throne. That¡¯s why her parents were so against the two of us being together. They need grandchildren, Mom. They are determined to preserve the line.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. That¡¯s how they have so much money, and seem so old-fashioned. They actually are royalty.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why Emmy was so mad, or why she left with them.¡± Mom was going to take some convincing, I could tell.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say why she was so mad when she blasted off out of here, but I think it¡¯s because she thought they were meddling in her life. In our life. And I think she left with them because she had no choice.¡±


    ¡°You mean you think they took her against her will?¡± Mom asked, disbelief in her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost positive. The housekeeper today told me that the only things she took with her to Paris were things that reminded her of me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that would explain why it happened so suddenly, but I¡¯m not sure I understand why they would kidnap their own daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the part I don¡¯t understand, either. Especially since it seemed that the talk I had with her mom went well, and I really thought that maybe we¡¯d come to an understanding,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°You and Emmy¡¯s mother? What kind of understanding?¡± Mom asked, again sounding inquisitorial.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s kinda embarrassing, really,¡± I said, not looking at my mother. ¡°I told her that if it¡¯s grandkids that are the holdup, we could do in vitro or something.¡±


    ¡°You told her what?¡± Mom demanded, her voice rising.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said, getting defensive, ¡°it¡¯s not like Emmy and I hadn¡¯t discussed kids. She told me that she always knew that she¡¯d have to have children to continue the line. I just told Emmy¡¯s mom that if we were still a couple, and I hoped we would be, that raising test tube babies could be the solution, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And you say that Emmy¡¯s mother seemed to find that acceptable?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, it seemed that way,¡± I sighed. ¡°But then I don¡¯t know why they¡¯d take her away, if it really was O.K. with them.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. There must be something else going on that we don¡¯t know about,¡± Mom agreed. Then, changing the subject, Mom asked the question I was hoping would not be brought up. ¡°So, what country are the Lascauxs the royalty of?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a country you would find on a map sort of thing,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s of a people, or a tribe. I don¡¯t think they have borders on maps.¡± It was the truth, as best I understood it, but I was doing my best to keep the secret.


    ¡°Like Europe¡¯s Roma people? Or the Swahilis in Africa?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± I agreed. ¡°But Mom, this is very important. It was super important to Emmy, and it seemed to be to her mom, too. This is the secret part. I know it sounds weird, but I guess their kingdom is the secret that Emmy¡¯s mom was really worried I¡¯d know about and blab. I mean, they don¡¯t even want outsiders to know it exists at all. I told Emmy¡¯s mom that I would keep their secret, and now I¡¯m telling it to you, even though I shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right? This whole thing just went straight into the X Files, you know that, don¡¯t you?¡± Mom¡¯s disbelief was understandable, and made me feel ridiculous asking her to trust me on such a pile of hogwash.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. I¡¯ve seen proof, Mom. I mean, real, incontrovertible truth.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. I promised I wouldn¡¯t tell any of this to anybody, and I¡¯ve already told you way more than I should have. Just trust me on this. Please,¡± I begged, hoping that it would both satisfy Mom¡¯s curiosity and convince her that I wasn¡¯t either crazy or lying to her.


    Just then, Tiff came running up the stairs and into the apartment like a little tornado, buzzing from the cake and ice cream at the party for the little kids in the complex.


    As she stood up, Mom said ¡°You need to decide, Lee. Be honest with Stephanie, but most of all, be honest with yourself.¡±


    Ouch. Thanks, Mom. Thanks for the kick right in the metaphorical nuts.


    Stephanie didn¡¯t show at Mindy¡¯s party that night and didn¡¯t answer her phone when I tried calling her, which made me feel lower than dirt. At least I got the good news that Tom and Robert were on their way up to Portland, and Tom had promised to call everyone when he got settled in. At ten I took an exhausted Tiff home, then drove to Stephanie¡¯s house. It was late, but I rang the doorbell anyway. Stephanie¡¯s mom answered the door, and I said by way of explanation ¡°Stephanie wasn¡¯t at Mindy¡¯s party tonight, and I just wanted to make sure she was O.K.¡±


    ¡°Come in, Leah,¡± Mrs. Houk said. ¡°Stephanie stayed home with a bit of a headache, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be glad to see you.¡±


    I knocked on the door to her room, and when she called out ¡°What?¡± I opened the door and peeked in, saying ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Stephanie was lying on her bed reading, and when she saw me she put her book down and turned away from me. I sat down next to her, and even though I wanted to touch her so badly, I didn¡¯t know if it would be O.K., so I didn¡¯t. Her hair was so shiny and she smelled so good that it was killing me, but I gave her some space.


    ¡°I missed you tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t miss me earlier today, did you?¡± she responded bitterly, still not turning to face me.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m really sorry about that, Steph. Please, don¡¯t be mad at me. It¡¯s just, well, last night was really emotional, and my head wasn¡¯t¡­ Look, I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have been such a jerk on the phone¡­¡± I was groveling, I¡¯ll admit it.


    Steph sat up and faced me. ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t. I was really hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said again, pleading for forgiveness.


    ¡°Apology accepted. But next time, baby, don¡¯t, like, blow me off like that. We need to talk if we have problems,¡± she said, and for the sake of peace and harmony I restrained myself from bringing up her freezing me out that evening when I tried to get her on the phone.


    I reached over and pulled her into my arms, stroking her long rich chestnut brown hair. She kissed me over and over, and said ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too. I should¡¯ve been more sensitive, after what happened with Allie.¡±


    We held each other for a while, softly kissing away our first fight.


    ¡°I wish I could spend the night,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, two reasons. First, your mom is home.¡±


    ¡°We could be quiet,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°We don¡¯t actually have to, you know, either.¡±


    ¡°No, I know, I¡¯d be perfectly happy just snuggling, but what if she comes in at four in the morning again and we¡¯re all cuddled up? What¡¯s she going to think? And the second, more important thing is, I¡¯ve got Mom¡¯s car and she needs it to get to work in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Well, that sucks,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I guess you could drive home and I could pick you up and bring you back here.¡±


    ¡°No, I need to get up early for work, too. It just isn¡¯t going to work tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, then at least give me something to keep me warm tonight?¡± Stephanie requested, a mischievous grin on her face.


    An hour later I was back in my own bed, smiling to myself, happy that Steph and I were back on good terms. Just thinking about her welcoming, easy smile (and those incredible dimples of hers) gave me a satisfied glow.


    Although I fell asleep thinking about how Stephanie¡¯s lips had felt on mine, I dreamed of Emmy. All I could remember when I woke was bits and pieces, the clearest was Emmy playing her guitar in my room.

 Work Was Tough

    Work was tough for me the next day. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Stephanie and Emmy, and wondering just what the heck I was doing. On the one hand, what I had had with Emmy was exactly what I wanted. We¡¯d been a couple, and acted like it. We held hands when we walked down the street, we kissed each other without worrying who saw us, and we woke up together in the same bed every morning. It just felt right, and I really, really missed all that.


    With Stephanie, we had to hide our relationship. Our week in Northern California during my V Ball camp at Stanford had been wonderful because when we went out in the evenings we could be open about things out in public, never worrying about somebody we knew seeing us, but here at home it was a different story. I understood why Stephanie wanted to keep us secret but that didn¡¯t mean I was happy about it. Keeping things hidden also severely limited our together time, and that really sucked.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t as if I really had a choice in the matter. Stephanie was here, and Emmy was gone, never to be seen again. Even wishing I had Emmy back made me feel guilty, as if somehow just thinking about Emmy was making me unfaithful to Steph. It was all screwed up, and I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I don¡¯t want to give the impression I was unhappy with Stephanie. On the contrary- she was a great girlfriend, and we had a wonderful time together. We were compatible in very many ways, and just being with Steph was a very comfortable experience. I enjoyed just spending time with her, and she had a great time with me. On the occasions we could get out of Fallbrook she wasn¡¯t shy about public displays of affection, either. It gave me an incentive to get to know more of San Diego, I can tell you. Figuring that we would be unlikely to run into anyone we¡¯d know we did all our mall-hopping down there instead of in Escondido where most kids we knew went. When we went to movies (which was quite often) we went down to San Diego area theaters, but avoided the big one with the IMAX screen where Emmy and I got videoed way back when.


    We also found ourselves to be very well-suited to each other in intimate ways, too. Sex was new to Steph, but it turned out that the things I liked, she liked, too. We could get wild and passionate or just kiss and cuddle, and we both felt that it was all good.


    Actually, Steph¡¯s lack of experience caused her a bit of insecurity at times. I flatly refused to talk about the sex life that Emmy and I had shared, telling Steph that it had no bearing on our relationship at all. She seemed to accept that, but I know she still felt unsure of herself at times.


    One of those times happened on an afternoon we had together, knowing that Steph¡¯s mom wasn¡¯t coming home until late. I was lying on top of the sheets on my belly, feeling nice and tingly all over. Steph was on her side, propped up on her elbow. She was gently stroking along the length of my back, languidly caressing my bare skin.


    ¡°Do I make you happy?¡± Steph asked.


    ¡°Very happy,¡± I responded. ¡°If I could purr like a cat I would, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°As happy as Emmy did?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Steph,¡± I groaned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what Emmy did or didn¡¯t do. I¡¯m with you now, not her.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I just can¡¯t help it,¡± she sighed. ¡°I just¡­ well, she was, like, so perfect, you know?¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t perfect, Steph. Nobody is,¡± I replied, sitting up to look her straight in the eyes to make my point.


    ¡°Name one way Emmy wasn¡¯t perfect,¡± challenged Stephanie.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t tell you this, because it¡¯s kinda private,¡± I admitted after thinking about it for a moment, ¡°but Emmy was really concerned with projecting that image of perfection. In fact¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure if I should even be telling this to Steph.


    ¡°What?¡± she demanded, now that I¡¯d gotten her curiosity going.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell this to anyone, all right?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Stephanie promised, her eyes wide with anticipation of some sort of bombshell.


    ¡°Well, you know how, uh, slender Emmy was, right?¡± I asked. When Stephanie nodded, I continued. ¡°Well, she¡¯s too lean to grow any breasts at all, so when she was fifteen she got a set of fake ones.¡±


    ¡°Emmy has implants?¡± asked Stephanie, astonished. ¡°Seriously?¡± When I nodded my head yes, seriously, she looked down at her own bare chest. ¡°Wow,¡± she breathed. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like mine are anything great or anything, but at least I¡¯ve got a pair.¡±


    ¡°I love your boobs, Steph. They¡¯re perfect on you,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re not just saying that?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. But I think you¡¯re missing my point,¡± I added. ¡°Emmy got breast implants at fifteen years old because she wanted to look as perfect as she possibly could. She wasn¡¯t like the rest of us, wondering when we were going to grow a set, and then worrying if they were too small, too big, or whatever. She just spent the money to get what she wanted, because she felt it was necessary,¡± I explained.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®necessary¡¯?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Well, she had to be perfect, so she needed to get perfect boobs, you know? ¡®Cause there wasn¡¯t going to be any part of her that was less than perfect.¡±


    ¡°When you put it that way, it does seem kinda sad,¡± Stephanie agreed.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but is also shows that she just wasn¡¯t going to be satisfied with whatever life bestowed upon her, too,¡± I said, defending Emmy. I didn¡¯t want Steph to pity her, or anything like that. ¡°She was going to fix Mother Nature¡¯s mistake in not giving her a perfect set.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± admitted Steph, thinking about it for a bit. Then, getting back to her original train of thought, she asked, ¡°Well, can you tell me about Chris, then? You guys did do it, right?¡±


    Resigned, I agreed. ¡°Yeah, I guess we can talk about Chris. And yeah, we did, you know, have sex.¡±


    ¡°So, what was it like, having sex with a guy?¡± Steph persisted.


    ¡°I only ever had sex with just Chris, so I obviously can¡¯t say what it¡¯s like in general, but with him, it was never like this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stephanie wondered.


    ¡°Well, I mean, just nice and, I don¡¯t know, relaxing like this,¡± I tried to explain. ¡°We would never have just been lying here, him touching me like you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t touch you?¡± asked Stephanie, baffled.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, he did, every chance he got,¡± I said. ¡°But with Chris, it was more, intentional, I guess, if that makes any sense. With you, you¡¯re touching me right now just to give me attention, just to show me that you care, right?¡± I asked, turning to face her. Steph nodded, so I continued. ¡°With Chris, he would touch me to signal his intentions- that he wanted to feel my body, or get me worked up to go farther. Do you see the difference?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess¡­¡± Stephanie conceded. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it was all about him, not you?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, really. I mean, I liked it when he touched me. It made me feel wanted, desired, I guess. It felt good to know that this hot guy thought I was sexually attractive, you know?¡±


    ¡°I find you sexually attractive,¡± Stephanie said, her voice husky. ¡°Very, very attractive.¡± With that, she draped herself across me, making her intentions very clear.


    Later that evening, while relaxing on the sofa and watching The Big Lebowski, Stephanie asked about Chris again. ¡°Why did you guys break up? It seemed like you two were really good for each other last year. I mean¡­¡± she said, unsure where to go with it.


    ¡°Chris wanted to join the Marines right after graduation,¡± I answered. ¡°I told him that if he did it was all over between us.¡± I realized when I said it that it sounded cold, but it was the truth.


    ¡°Why? I mean, why didn¡¯t you want him to join the Marines? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Stephanie asked. Fallbrook has always been a very military-oriented town, sitting as it is at the eastern gate to one of the biggest Marine bases in the country. Plenty of kids go right from Fallbrook High straight into the Marines, and always have.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda pathetic of me, I guess,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I told him there was no way I was gonna lose two men in my life that way.¡±


    ¡°Oh-¡± Stephanie¡¯s eyes widened with understanding. ¡°Like your dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, choking up a bit. ¡°Losing him when I was just ten years old was bad enough. Ten years is way too short a time, and a lot of that time he wasn¡¯t even home. He was deployed a lot of the time.¡± I couldn¡¯t help the bitterness in my voice. ¡°That was no kind of life for his family. I mean, Tiffany never once ever got to even meet him. Can you imagine that? The only way she knows her own father is through photos, and stories me and Mom tell.¡±


    ¡°Oh, babe,¡± Steph sighed, sitting up and wrapping me in her arms. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± She did her best to kiss away my tears but the sensation only reminded me of Emmy, which made me cry even harder. Even worse, I couldn¡¯t tell my own girlfriend that I wasn¡¯t just crying for my dad, but also for the girl I used to hold in my arms before she came along. The guilt I felt at being emotionally unfaithful dogpiled on the feelings of loss and reduced me to a complete wreck. I don¡¯t know how long I sat there on the sofa in Stephanie¡¯s living room bawling my eyes out, but it seemed like forever.


    I did eventually stop, though. Looking at Steph, who had been doing her best to console me, I saw tears in her eyes as well. ¡°Why were you crying?" I asked, sniffling as I rubbed my eyes.


    ¡°Babe, I hate to see you like this. I hate myself for making you cry,¡± she answered, sounding about as miserable as I felt.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t you,¡± I said as I pulled her tight into my arms. ¡°You¡¯ve never done anything to ever make me unhappy. Not ever.¡±


    Stephanie wasn¡¯t able to get the time off work for my second training camp, so I had to go to Stanford alone. I took the train up the coast, which was both really long and boring and also very beautiful and captivating.


    Thankfully nobody sat next to me so I could lose myself in my own thoughts. I was lonely and wished Stephanie could have come with me, but I also kept wishing Emmy could be there to see the California coast we were passing. God, I was so messed up.


    During the week I made a point of trying to get to know my new teammates better. Last camp I¡¯d spent all my free time with Steph, so this time I accepted every social invite that came my way. Most of the girls were nice and I could get along O.K. with the rest so I didn¡¯t see any conflicts in my future. I also really poured myself into the workouts, trying to impress Coach Burke. Sure, I wanted to start in the first game of the season, but it was also very important to justify the scholarship that he¡¯d gone out on a limb and arranged for me.


    I think it worked, because the last day of workouts Sammy (the team¡¯s trainer) told me that she talked to Coach Burke about me and she¡¯d said that he was very impressed.


    Feeling really positive, I boarded the train to go back south determined to work really hard on the exercises Sammy had worked up for me. I was going to come back in a few weeks ready to kick some serious ass.


    I was also determined to work on my relationship with Stephanie when I got back home. Even though we had texted like crazy and talked every night while I was in Palo Alto, I¡¯d still felt lonely. Thinking of Stephanie and her amazing body helped (and the pictures she texted me to keep me warm at night were very well received) but actually having somebody to hold in my arms was far, far better. I was ready to come back to Fallbrook and try to make what I had with Steph as good as it could be.


    However, once back in Fallbrook I found myself resenting having to keep things hidden more and more. I knew that I only had a few more weeks before I had to return to Stanford to start school and I just didn¡¯t want to feel as if our relationship were something that needed to be hidden.


    I tried to talk to Stephanie about it but it didn¡¯t go too well. ¡°Steph?¡± I asked as we lay on her bed one warm afternoon, feeling exhausted and satisfied. I was lying on my back and Stephanie was lightly running her hand up and down my belly. I looked up and saw her thoughtful expression. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking how good I feel right now, and how nice this is,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯m also thinking that this has been a very good summer, and I wish it could be like this forever.¡±


    ¡°When do you think you¡¯ll be ready to tell your mom about us?¡± I wanted to know.


    ¡°Oh, god. I don¡¯t know,¡± Steph groaned at the thought, flopping onto her back. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure how she¡¯ll take it, you know? I mean, she¡¯s generally pretty, like, understanding, but it might be a really different story if it¡¯s her daughter we¡¯re talking about. And Dad? The less he has to know, the better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just, well, I hate this hiding, you know? It really sucks.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s bothering you, but I just can¡¯t yet. Soon, baby. Soon.¡± Her assurances didn¡¯t do much to help my feelings on the subject, but there was no way I was going to push the issue. A certain part of me (a part of me that I¡¯m ashamed to admit to) thought that we only had a few more weeks together anyway, so what did it matter? I tried to bury those thoughts and enjoy what time we could spend together.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Stephanie asked, pulling something shiny out of my closet one afternoon.


    ¡°What? Oh, that,¡± I said, seeing what she had in her hands. ¡°That¡¯s a cocktail dress Emmy¡¯s mom bought me for a party they invited me to.¡±


    Looking at the label, Stephanie said ¡°It¡¯s Herve Leger! O.M.G!¡± Yes, she actually used the initials rather than the words. ¡°How much did this cost?¡± she asked, holding it against herself, maybe to see if it would fit her.


    ¡°Umm, I think it was about sixteen hundred,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°And Emmy¡¯s mom just bought it for you? Just like that?¡± Steph demanded, incredulous.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I didn¡¯t have anything to wear to the party, so she took Emmy and me shopping.¡± Then, although I didn¡¯t want to seem as if I were bragging, I added ¡°She bought me shoes, a little purse, and some jewelry to go with it, too.¡±


    Stephanie rooted around in my closet until she came up with the matching gold high heels. ¡°These super hot Jimmy Choo sandals? Leah, these are like, five hundred bucks!¡±


    ¡°I think they were seven hundred,¡± I said, sheepishly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she spent all this money for an outfit for you for just a party,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Well, the party was a big deal,¡± I answered, choosing to not be insulted by Steph¡¯s thoughtless remark. ¡°Emmy¡¯s parents really wanted me there for some reason, and it was the kind of party where everybody was super rich and dressed sharp, so I needed an outfit appropriate for the occasion.¡± Yeah, I was a little bit defensive, but who wouldn¡¯t have been?


    ¡°So Emmy¡¯s mom took you shopping, just like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, it sounds good when you say it like that, but it actually was kinda humiliating.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It was a couple of things. I mean, first off, Emmy¡¯s mom basically decided what I was going to wear. I didn¡¯t get much say in it- she just picked out stuff she thought would look good on me, and that was it.¡±


    Eyes wide, Steph agreed. ¡°It¡¯s, like, bad enough when your own mom buys clothes for you, but somebody else¡¯s mom? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I laughed. ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t complain too much, because it did look real good on me, but still¡­¡± I trailed off, remembering. ¡°The second part, and this was worse, was that there was this old lady that worked there at Saks that chose a bra for me and actually fitted me- and by that I mean she actually put the different bras on me and checked to see if they fit right.¡±


    ¡°Like, on your naked boobs?¡±


    ¡°Exactly like that. Again, I can¡¯t complain too much because the bra she picked for me fits great and makes my girls look fantastic, but I can¡¯t say it was any kind of fun.¡±


    ¡°And all this was for a party? She spent all that money so you could go to a party?¡±


    ¡°Well, it was a big deal, and it was thrown by a business associate of Emmy¡¯s dad. Emmy¡¯s parents wanted to make a good showing, and I guess they thought having me there would somehow work in their favor.¡±


    ¡°So what was the party like? Where was it held?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°It was O.K. I guess. I mean, it was kinda cool to go to a real exclusive Vegas nightclub-¡±


    ¡°Las Vegas? The party was in Las Vegas?¡± demanded Steph. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me- you rode to Las Vegas in a stretch limo, right?¡± she asked, rolling her eyes at the imagined extravagance.


    ¡°Yeah, it was at the hotel on the strip that has the fountains, you know the one? And no, we didn¡¯t ride in a stretch limo all the way there. Just from the airport to the hotel,¡± I added to tease her.


    ¡°Airport? You flew?¡±


    ¡°In. A. Private. Jet.¡± I answered, emphasizing every word. I was giving up on not boasting. Seeing the reaction my story was getting from Stephanie was making my day.


    ¡°No way,¡± she replied, suddenly doubting my story.


    ¡°Check this out,¡± I said and opened my laptop, bringing up the folder that had the photos from that day. ¡°Look, here I am when we were getting ready, after the stylist was done with me.¡±


    Stephanie looked at the picture, her eyes wide with astonishment. ¡°Whoa. You look like some kind of supermodel, Leah. God, you¡¯re so hot.¡± Then turning to face me, she asked ¡°Wear it for me, please? I want to see you in that dress, with those shoes on. Please?¡± she begged.


    ¡°Maybe later. But look at this. This is the Lascaux¡¯s plane,¡± I said, showing her another picture on the screen.


    ¡°I can¡¯t freaking believe it. You went on a private jet to a party at a nightclub in Vegas.¡± Stephanie was completely blown away. ¡°I wish I could have gone,¡± she added wistfully.


    ¡°Honestly, the party itself wasn¡¯t that great. Drunk old guys kept hitting on me, and one guy even offered me money to go back to his room with him. I told him to go to hell, but he just wouldn¡¯t take a hint.¡±


    ¡°Creepy,¡± Steph said, thinking about getting pawed by some random guy. Then her curiosity got the better of her and she asked ¡°The guy who offered you money- what did he look like?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± I asked, teasing her again.


    ¡°Just wondering what kind of guy would do that,¡± she replied, a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Well, honestly, I think part of what was going on is that it was Vegas, right? I think a lot of the guys thought I was a showgirl. But if you want to see what that guy looked like, I can show you right now.¡± I turned back to my computer and Googled the band that had that big party hit from the summer before, the one about living the champagne life. ¡°This is the guy.¡±


    ¡°No freaking way¡­¡± breathed Stephanie. ¡°No freaking way.¡±


    ¡°Way!¡± I replied, and she got the Wayne¡¯s World reference immediately.


    ¡°Party on, Leah!¡± she laughed, doing that thing with her hand.


    ¡°You really want to see me in that dress?¡± I asked. When Steph nodded, wide eyed at the thought, I told her ¡°I might need some help.¡±


    ¡°With the dress?¡± she asked.


    ¡°And maybe with the bra, too,¡± I replied, trying to make my voice as sultry as possible.


    Immediately liking where I was going with this, Steph nodded her agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll help you with the panties, too.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± I responded, giving her as sexy a look as I could manage. ¡°I won¡¯t be wearing any.¡±

 Time To Go

    When it came time to pack for Stanford, Mom was far more thrilled about it than I was. I had no idea what to bring beside some clothes and the laptop Emmy gave me for Christmas. Mom suggested that I bring some things that reminded me of home, and I thought for a while about it. At first I was just gonna take some family photos, but going through my stuff I realized that what I wanted to take most of all was Emmy¡¯s acoustic guitar. When Mom saw that I had put it by the door to take, she asked me if I was really sure, a concerned look on her face.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure,¡± was all I could answer. I felt guilty that I wasn¡¯t taking anything to remind me of Stephanie, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything to take. Our last day together had been sweet, but sad. Neither of us wanted to bring up the obvious, which was that it would be Thanksgiving before we¡¯d see each other again and that was a really long time away. Honestly, I¡¯d been feeling less and less satisfied with how things were between us, and I was hoping that time apart would help clear things up.


    Lying on the warm concrete by her pool, I¡¯d asked ¡°Steph, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°You just did,¡± she laughed.


    ¡°Ha ha. No, seriously,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s up?¡± Steph asked, spritzing her beautiful legs with that little pink spray bottle of hers.


    ¡°You remember you told me you wished you had what Emmy and me had? You know, that intimacy? Remember that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember. The two of you were so... Yeah, I remember.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we have that?¡± I asked, not sure what she would answer.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re intimate, aren¡¯t we?¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I mean, like, I¡¯ve never been as crazy about anyone as I¡¯ve been about you, Leah. I¡¯ve never wanted to do the things we do with anybody else, either. I mean, I¡¯ve never given it up to anybody else, and if that isn¡¯t intimate I don¡¯t know what is. When I think about you, I can¡¯t help but thinking of your hands on me, you kissing me, and it makes me feel special to know that you want me as bad as I want you.¡±


    Stephanie seemed to think that this answered my question, but I wasn¡¯t convinced it did and it left me feeling strangely hollow inside while I was packing my stuff.


    Mom didn¡¯t want to bring any bedding or anything like that, reasoning that until we saw the dorm room we wouldn¡¯t know what I needed anyway. ¡°We¡¯ll buy whatever you need up there,¡± she explained, and it made sense, but I took the pillows from my bed anyway.


    I took one last long look around the apartment that was the only place I¡¯d ever lived and silently said goodbye. I knew I was being overly dramatic since I¡¯d be back to visit in a few months, but it did feel like the life I¡¯d known was ending. Sure, a new life for me was starting and I knew that, but it was still a sad moment for me when I shut and locked the door behind me and walked down the stairs to join Mom and Tiffany in the car.


    The drive up was nice. We took the Coast Highway through Big Sur, and even saw a half dozen condors flying above the cliffs. We stopped in Monterrey that night and visited the aquarium at Cannery Row in the morning. It was afternoon by the time we got to campus, so we took a quick inventory of what I¡¯d need for my dorm room, then went into town to do some shopping.


    It was nice, spending some quality time with Tiffany and Mom. No girlfriend drama, no stress, just good family time. It was ironic that I¡¯d hardly spent any time with my family all summer and these two solid days together were the last I would see them for over three months.


    Classes weren¡¯t due to start for a couple more weeks, so I had my double dorm room all to myself for a while. It was kinda weird being one of the very few occupants in the blocky red buildings. The dining halls were practically deserted, too, so I felt as if I had this new world I was going to be living in for the next four years all to myself.


    All I had to do those two weeks was work out and get ready for the season, so I used my free time to figure out where my classes were going to be, where I could find the best coffee, and where the best deals on used textbooks could be found. I bought a few things to personalize my dorm room, and bought some of my assigned books early. I figured I could get a jump on my reading for my Lit class, if nothing else.


    Although I usually liked my alone time, I was also really lonely. I missed Tiff and Mom, and I really missed Stephanie. As pathetic as it sounds, I missed Emmy most of all. I kept thinking about how she had been so thrilled that we would go to Stanford together, and have our own little apartment. We¡¯d be a couple, working hard towards our common goal, supporting each other any way we could. Well, that was our dream, anyway. Now here I was, about to embark on my college career, just one of thousands of incoming freshmen with nobody to hold my hand, nobody to hear my troubles, nobody to share my life with. At the school bookstore I bought a book on learning to play the guitar and tried to teach myself some chords, but it was no use. It only made me frustrated, and even more miserably lonely than I already felt.


    The team¡¯s trip to Houston for our season opener tournament was exciting for me, but also very stressful. I¡¯d been selected to go, the only freshman that made the cut. Coach Burke had told me he expected big things from me and the game against the University of Texas Longhorns was going to be my first test. I¡¯d been working my ass off in training, but I wasn¡¯t totally sure I¡¯d be ready. After all, every single one of these girls were the stars of their high school teams, and pretty much all of them were even bigger than me. Heck, one of my teammates was six foot eight! Add in the fact that most of the college-level starters were juniors or seniors who¡¯d had a couple of extra years of training and workouts and I knew I was going to be swimming with the sharks.


    I was determined to give it my all and use the tournament as a way to gauge my relative level. I¡¯d said as much to Leslie Hong, our assistant coach, and she just laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Most girls don¡¯t even get to play their first year. Burke is just rotating you in so you can get experience, that¡¯s all. Just be yourself, play your game, and you¡¯ll do fine.¡±


    There was no way I was just going to coast, though. I was determined to make my mark. I was going to be that ¡®heat-seeking missile¡¯ that had caught Stephanie¡¯s eye way back when.


    Stephanie called me on Friday, the night before the tournament started. I still hadn¡¯t told anybody on the team that I was gay, and since we were sharing rooms, I went for a walk outside to talk.


    ¡°Hey, baby. I miss you,¡± Stephanie purred, raising my body temperature a few degrees.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked. ¡°How much have you missed me?¡±


    ¡°I have missed you so much,¡± she said, her voice low and oh, so sexy. ¡°I was thinking about you today, sunning by my pool. Maybe I was thinking about you too much, because it took me a really long time to rub myself with the cocoa butter.¡±


    I was blushing, but there was nobody near to see. ¡°I wish I could have seen that,¡± I said, my throat dry with desire.


    ¡°Me, too, baby. Me, too.¡± Then, changing the subject, Stephanie said ¡°I wish I could be there to see you play this weekend. I wish I could watch my warrior, my stone cold killer in action.¡±


    I laughed, wishing I had as much confidence in myself as Steph seemed to have in me. ¡°I¡¯m lucky I¡¯m going to be allowed to play at all. I¡¯m just a freshman, new kid on the block. I don¡¯t have nearly the training and workout time these other girls have. I¡¯ll be lucky if I don¡¯t get creamed out there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, baby. That Stanford coach came to the Temecula game to recruit that SmAshley chick, but, like, instead asked you to come to Stanford, right? He saw what I see. When I see you play, I see a goddess on the court.¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± I protested. ¡°If you make my head swell up too big I won¡¯t be able to play at all!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll kick ass at the tournament. I know you will.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Hey, how is everybody down there? How¡¯s Mindy doing? Do you know if she¡¯s heard from Robert or Tom?¡± I asked, wanting some news from home.


    ¡°Oh, yeah! That¡¯s right! Mindy told me that Robert and Tom are doing well, and Tom has a job already. The two¡¯re looking for their own place and everything.¡±


    I was glad for my old friend, but wishing Steph and I could be at that point in our relationship.


    Stephanie heard my sigh, because she asked ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡± in a gentle voice.


    ¡°Oh, I just wish¡­¡± I said, trailing off because I didn¡¯t know how to say what was bothering me.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I just we could do that, too. Get our own place, I mean.¡± The thought of settling down, making a home with the girl I loved¡­ it was just like some Shangri La, some ideal dream.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how that would work,¡± Stephanie said, her tone annoyed. ¡°You know I can¡¯t tell my mom about us.¡±


    ¡°Steph, you have to at some point. We can¡¯t keep hiding the truth forever.¡± I hadn¡¯t wanted our conversation to turn sour like this, but I¡¯d been bottling it up for too long. ¡°We can¡¯t continue like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say, Leah. Your mom is O.K. with it. But even so, how come I never got to spend the night at your house? Why is that, Leah?¡± Stephanie was clearly angry, making me realize that she wasn¡¯t completely happy with our arrangement, either.


    ¡°That was because of Tiff,¡± I objected, sounding lame even to myself.


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t ashamed of Emmy, but you were ashamed of me as your girlfriend? Is that it? That¡¯s, like, all kinds of fucked up, Leah.¡±


    ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the way it¡¯s always come across to me. You keep talking about me telling my mom I¡¯m a lesbian, and how you want a life with me, but you¡¯re too, like, ashamed of me to even tell your little sister about me even though she knows you like girls and is perfectly O.K. with that.¡± Stephanie was almost yelling in to the phone, and I felt every word like a kick straight to my chest.


    ¡°How can you say that?¡± I asked, my voice broken and pathetic.


    ¡°Leah, I¡¯m sick and tired of being compared to Emmy. I am not her, Leah. I¡¯m my own self. I have my own life, my own issues to deal with. What you had with Emmy? It¡¯s gone and over with, Leah. You and me, we have to deal with what is in front of us, and you need to stop bringing Emmy up all the god damned time!¡±


    I stared at the phone in my hand long after Steph hung up on me. ¡®What just happened?¡¯, I wondered to myself. I tried calling back, but it went straight to voicemail. I left some sorry excuse for a message, begging her to call me back, but she didn¡¯t.


    I don¡¯t know how long I sat on that park bench, but after a while a couple of my teammates found me. They said that Coach Leslie had sent them out to look for me because I¡¯d been gone so long. I went back to the room I was sharing and flopped down on the bed.


    ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± asked Kerry, my temporary roommate.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, my face buried in my pillow.


    Kerry came over and sat on the edge of my bed and said ¡°Somehow I doubt that.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously, I¡¯ll be O.K.¡±


    ¡°Really? It looks to me as if your dog just got run over, or you found out Oprah¡¯s ending her show.¡± That got a little chuckle from me, but I still didn¡¯t want to talk.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, kid. Sometimes it helps to talk.¡± Kerry was rubbing my back, trying to get me to loosen up, and it was helping.


    ¡°I think I just got dumped,¡± I explained, feeling imminent tears.


    ¡°Was that your boyfriend that called earlier? The one you went outside to talk to?¡±


    I nodded. I wasn¡¯t about to tell her the truth, not until I felt a little more confident in my new environment.


    ¡°So tell me what happened. You might feel better if you got it all out in the open,¡± Kerry said, and I groaned inwardly at her choice of words.


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem,¡± I sniffled. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want things out in the open,¡± I said, realizing the instant the words left my mouth that I¡¯d let the cat out of the closet, so to speak. ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± I groaned, wishing I could rewind what I¡¯d just said.


    ¡°She?¡± asked Kerry, but the concerned tone of her voice didn¡¯t change, and she didn¡¯t stop rubbing my back. ¡°Your girlfriend doesn¡¯t want things out in the open?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girl. It¡¯s not my secret to spread. Nobody¡¯s going to hear it from me,¡± Kerry assured me.


    ¡°Are you¡­?¡± I asked, unsure. People talk about gaydar, but mine sure doesn¡¯t seem to work worth a damn.


    ¡°Me? No. I like big, hairy guys. With tattoos, I might add.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t bother you to have a lesbian on your team?¡± I asked, still trying to figure out where I stood with Kerry.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first,¡± she said, and I could practically hear the sound of her eyes rolling. ¡°As long as you¡¯re not too handsy in the showers, I¡¯m cool with it.¡±


    That broke the mood a bit, so I tried to lighten it up further by sticking my lower lip out in an exaggerated pout, saying ¡°Awww¡­¡± in a disappointed tone. She laughed, and that, along with the fact that Kerry hadn¡¯t stopped rubbing my back through all this made me feel comfortable, as if I could open up to this girl that seemed so much older and wiser than me.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    I told Kerry about how things had been with Stephanie, and how I wished she could be open about us to her mom, not to mention the rest of the world.


    ¡°Is this the friend you came up with at the July training camp? The one with the great tan?¡± Kerry interrupted, showing me that she¡¯d been paying attention.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I smiled, thinking about how Steph had sat in the bleachers and watched our workouts.


    ¡°She¡¯s really pretty.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I have to say, you guys hid it pretty well. I didn¡¯t get any vibes off you other than you were high school friends,¡± Kerry said.


    ¡°Thanks, I guess. But that¡¯s the problem. We can¡¯t continue to have a real relationship if we have to hide it all the time,¡± I complained.


    ¡°Yeah, I could see how that could be tough,¡± Kerry agreed. ¡°But here¡¯s the thing. She¡¯s back in San Diego, and you¡¯re not, right? So you really don¡¯t have to hide a damned thing until you go back home for Thanksgiving. You don¡¯t have anything to hide, because obviously, you don¡¯t have anything going on. Maybe some hot and heavy phone calls, but that¡¯s it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I conceded, not sure where she was going with this.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s months away. A lot could change in her life during those three months, right? Maybe by the time you go home to visit, she¡¯ll be ready to tell her mom. Maybe not, but in the meanwhile, you¡¯re stressing about something that doesn¡¯t need to be dealt with just yet. Cross that bridge when you get to it. Don¡¯t worry about it now.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I said, still unconvinced. ¡°It¡¯s just, well, I¡¯m not really sure that there aren¡¯t other issues that we¡¯ve been pretending don¡¯t exist, and I¡¯m worried that it just isn¡¯t working out between us as well as we¡¯ve been telling ourselves it has.¡±


    ¡°Wow, girl. How old are you? You sure don¡¯t sound like somebody fresh out of high school,¡± Kerry said, shaking her head. ¡°Now do what you need to do to patch things up, if you can. Don¡¯t let this thing eat at you.¡± She picked up my phone from where I¡¯d dropped it on the bed. ¡°Call her. If she won¡¯t answer, leave her a message.¡±


    I looked at the phone Kerry put in my hand. It was Emmy¡¯s old iPhone, which I¡¯d swapped my sim card into when her service got disconnected. I¡¯d done it mainly because I wanted a daily reminder of Emmy, but most of the time I didn¡¯t even give it any thought. Holding it, memories of Emmy listening to her music, earphones in, dancing in our bedroom came flooding back. I started to cry again, missing Emmy.


    ¡°Hey, girl! What¡¯s with the waterworks?¡± Kerry asked, surprised at my reaction.


    ¡°I feel like an idiot,¡± I sobbed, burying my face in the pillow again.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on now? Afraid to call your girlfriend?¡± Kerry¡¯s voice was still very sympathetic, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell her about Emmy. No way.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± I said, my voice muffled. ¡°I¡¯ll call her later.¡±


    ¡°No, you will not. That is a very bad idea. Call now, or you¡¯ll never do it.¡± She pulled me up by my shoulders into a sitting position. Sitting next to me, Kerry wrapped an arm around my shoulders and said ¡°Look. If you care that much about this girl, you need to fight for her. I¡¯ve seen you on the court, and I know you are one hell of a fighter. You aren¡¯t afraid to get in there and mix it up, girl. Do this.¡± She handed me the phone again, and I took it. She was right, after all.


    ¡°Steph, baby. Look, I¡¯m really sorry about earlier. I know it isn¡¯t easy for you, and I¡¯m sorry for pushing. Please, baby, call me. We need to talk this out. I don¡¯t want to lose you over this. Call me. I love you,¡± I said when I got Stephanie¡¯s voice mail.


    ¡°Well, that was pretty much weak sauce, but maybe it¡¯ll do the job,¡± Kerry said. ¡°Now, I know you skipped dinner. Let¡¯s get your face washed, and we can try to find something for you to eat.¡±


    Stephanie still hadn¡¯t called by the time we started our first match against UT. I¡¯d been surprised when Coach Burke had started me, and I was determined to put all the drama with Stephanie out of my mind and not let it affect my game. Thankfully, once the ball was served the action was so intense there was no room for anything but volleyball in my world, so forgetting was easy.


    I did well, but there were a few moments I wished I could have had back. Coach Burke didn¡¯t see it that way, though. He was so pumped about how I played in the first set he rotated me in for the third one as well.


    Stephanie called during the first set of the day, when my phone was stowed in my gym bag. I didn¡¯t hear her message until after we beat UT three to zero, and I was flying high. My first college tournament, and I¡¯d helped the team to a dominating win. It felt good, and I was proud of myself. A few of my teammates congratulated me on my first match and I felt on top of the world.


    My heart did a backflip when I looked in my new Cardinal Red gym bag (embroidered with my name in tan thread) and saw the missed call and voicemail from Stephanie. I wanted to go someplace quiet and listen to what Steph had to say, but at the same time I dreaded it. My choice was made for me when Coach Leslie told us all to shower and change so she could treat us all to ice cream to celebrate our first win of the new season. I was all nerves, wondering what waited for me in my voicemail, but I knew I wanted to be alone when I heard it, either good or bad.


    I excused myself from the group at Ben & Jerry¡¯s near campus. I told Kerry and the others sitting by me that my boyfriend had called and left a message during the game earlier and I wanted to have some privacy, so I¡¯d be outside. Kerry asked if everything was O.K. and I told her I didn¡¯t know yet. Answering the puzzled looks from a couple of the other girls, she answered ¡°relationship problems¡± and they all nodded, understanding my need for space.


    ¡°Baby, I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± Steph¡¯s message began. ¡°I never wanted us to fight. God, it¡¯s been so hard for me, you know? It¡¯s, like, all fucked up somehow. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± The misery in her voice made my heart ache in sympathy. ¡°Call me when you get this message, baby. We need to talk. Call me as soon as you can.¡±


    I dialed her number, but it rang a bunch of times, then went to voice mail. ¡°Steph, hi. It¡¯s me. Well, I guess it¡¯s my turn to leave an awkward message. I¡¯m glad you called me back. Sorry I didn¡¯t answer- you called during our first match, which we totally won, and I got to play most of it. Anyway, call me back. Our next match starts at seven PM here, which is, um, five there in California. I won¡¯t be able to answer-¡± and I was cut off by the electronic voice telling me my time was up. I sighed, and turned to rejoin my teammates when I saw Kerry standing a respectful distance away, a worried look on her face. I gave her a halfhearted smile.


    ¡°Everything O.K.?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I kinda think so. I mean, I hope so. I didn¡¯t get to talk to her, but on her message she asked me to call back, so she at least wants to talk.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably a good sign.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hope so,¡± I said, and we rejoined the celebration.


    We won again that night, three to one, but I didn¡¯t get to play as much. Coach Burke only put me in for the last set, which I was a bit bummed about but Sammy explained that he didn¡¯t want to overstress my system on my first day of my first tournament and I could expect more playing time on the second day if I wasn¡¯t too wiped out.


    Steph again called during the match, but didn¡¯t leave a message. She did text me ¡°R U still playing?¡± Which was silly, because there would be no way I could answer that I was, could I?


    When checked my bag and saw I saw her text after the last point, I texted back ¡°We just finished, but we have a team meeting. Call you later?¡± and she almost immediately responded ¡°K¡±.


    I took this as a positive sign, so my good mood from the sweep of our first two opponents in the tournament piled on top of my relief that Steph and I might be able to work things out, and I was grinning like an idiot.


    After we¡¯d showered and changed into our warmups we gathered for our team meeting with Coach Burke. ¡°I want to congratulate you all on a fine first day back,¡± he said. ¡°I want to add that some of our newest additions really stepped up today, and with a little more time I think we can expect great things from them.¡± I blushed, knowing that I was the only new kid who played today, so it was me he was talking about. Kerry knew it, too, because she gave me a playful bump with her shoulder.


    ¡°Tomorrow we have two more games, and both are very winnable. I watched both teams play today, and I think if we play anything near as well as we did today we¡¯ll walk away with a clean sweep.¡± I wished I could tell my old coach at FHS about today. Maybe I¡¯ll email her, I thought, so self-satisfied I wanted to share it with somebody, anybody who could understand my pride.


    After our dinner, Kerry and I returned to our room. ¡°Here, lie down,¡± Kerry commanded, pointing at my bed. ¡°No, on your front.¡± Wondering what she was planning, I did as she said. To my great pleasure, it turned out her major was exercise physiology and she gave me the best deep muscle massage my back and shoulders had ever had. Groaning with slightly painful pleasure, I told her about the message Steph had left, and the one I¡¯d left for her. I told her about the texts, too, and how I hoped things were going to be O.K.


    ¡°Girl, I hope so,¡± Kerry said, working on my shoulders. ¡°Damn, Leah. You got some kind of shoulders on you! How did you get these monsters?¡±


    ¡°I do handstand pushups. I¡¯ve done them for years.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re freaking kidding me! There¡¯s no way I could do that! No wonder you¡¯ve got such a killer spike,¡± she said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, but my smirk gave me away and she gave me a little slap on my arm for fibbing to her. ¡°So what do you think about Steph?¡± I asked, hoping for words of encouragement.


    ¡°I think you should really be talking to her instead of having some older woman feeling up your tender young body, that¡¯s what I think.¡±


    ¡°Can I call her when you¡¯re done feeling up my tender young body? This feels great, and if I¡¯m relaxed when I talk to her things¡¯ll go better, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe. Don¡¯t put it off too long, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s two hours later here than there. That means it¡¯s only seven o¡¯clock at night back in California.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Kerry admitted. ¡°Now how are your legs feeling?¡± she asked, finishing up with my shoulders.


    ¡°Young and tender,¡± I replied.


    Kerry snorted, but started working on my calves. After a couple of minutes she stopped to answer a knock on the door. Stacey and Kim wanted shoulder rubs, too, so Kerry told them to take a seat and she¡¯d get to them when she was done with me.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky to be rooming with Kerry,¡± Kim told me. ¡°Special treatment and all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it,¡± I agreed as Kerry worked on my legs.


    When my turn was over, Kim flopped down and I used the opportunity to sneak away for some privacy. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a call. I¡¯ll be back in a few,¡± I said, and Kerry nodded.


    Stephanie answered on the first ring. ¡°How did your second game go?¡¯ she asked. I was glad she started off with inconsequential stuff, instead of going straight into the thornier things we really needed to discuss.


    ¡°It was great. We won three to one, but I didn¡¯t get as much playing time against Rice as I did versus Texas this morning. I guess Coach Burke doesn¡¯t want to overwork me or something,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, babe. I mean, great that you guys won, not that you didn¡¯t get to play much. How are things going with your teammates?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good. Actually, really good. Everybody¡¯s great.¡±


    We went on like this for a few more minutes, but finally Stephanie got to the important stuff. ¡°Babe?¡± she asked, her voice turning soft and uncertain. I hated that we were having this talk separated by two thousand miles. I wished more than anything I could touch Stephanie, hold her, and kiss her until everything was all right. ¡°Do you love me?¡±


    That unexpected question floored me, and I was at a loss for words for a moment. ¡°Leah?¡± Steph¡¯s voice was even shakier than a moment before.


    ¡°Yeah, Steph. I¡¯m here. It¡¯s just, that was really unexpected. Of course I love you. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Why would you even doubt it?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like, we argue a lot now days. I know it really bothers you that I can¡¯t tell my mom about us, and I hate it, too, but it seems like it¡¯s, I don¡¯t know. Driving you away, somehow.¡± I could hear the tears in her voice, and mine weren¡¯t too far away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, baby. Why does it have to be so complicated?¡±


    I felt a kind of hot flash, recognizing those exact words I used when Emmy left, never to be seen again. Suddenly feeling queasy, I croaked ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we just be in love and not have all this baggage?¡± Steph demanded. ¡°I hate it, baby. I hate it more than anything. I hate lying. I hate hiding. I hate the fact you¡¯re so far away. I hate¡­¡± and she finally broke down, sobbing into the phone.


    I slumped down, sliding down the hallway wall until I was sitting in a heap. ¡°I hate it too, Steph. I hate it too.¡± My tears were flowing, and all I could do is make soothing noises to try to let my distant girlfriend know I wished I could be there for her.


    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± I said. ¡°Look. We don¡¯t need to think about any of that stuff for now, Steph. All we need to think about for now is how much we love each other, and how much we wish we could be together, right? That¡¯s all.¡± Thank you, Kerry. I owed one to my new favorite teammate.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± she sniffled.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. We don¡¯t have to hide anything now, because we can¡¯t be together, anyway, right?¡±


    ¡°Um, but you¡¯re coming home for Thanksgiving, right?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah, and we¡¯ll have to deal then, but not now. Not now.¡±


    ¡°O.K., but you¡¯re just putting it off, and we¡¯re gonna have to deal with this eventually,¡± Steph said, sounded doubtful.


    ¡°Yeah, we will. But that¡¯s months away, and we can figure it all out by then.¡± I knew I was just buying time, but it seemed reasonable to me.


    ¡°Leah, I love you so much. I miss you so bad it hurts me inside. I know Stanford is a great opportunity for you, but I have to tell you- I, like, hate that school for taking you away from me.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the regents if they can move the university closer to home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you something really, really special if you can do that,¡± Steph replied, cheering up.


    ¡°Really? How special?¡± I asked, trying to make my voice low and sexy.


    ¡°Very, very special,¡± Stephanie purred.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll see if I can schedule a meeting on Monday when we get back to Palo Alto.¡±


    ¡°You do that, baby. Tell them it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? How urgent?¡± Steph was getting me hot and bothered, and she knew it. She knew the effect she had on me, and she used it.


    ¡°Very urgent. Baby, just talking to you and hearing your voice makes me want to take a long, hot shower. A very long, very hot shower, babe. But I¡¯m not sure even that will satisfy me.¡± Imagining Steph, water cascading off her tanned skin, made me wish I had some time for a moment to myself, too.


    I walked back to the room, just in time to see Kim and Stacey leaving. I liked the two of them, but I was glad to be able to talk to Kerry in private.


    ¡°Well?¡± she asked as I sat down on my bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s it?¡± Kerry demanded, unconvinced.


    ¡°Well, maybe,¡± I hedged. ¡°I totally took your advice and told Steph that we don¡¯t need to deal with our issues for now, and she agreed.¡±


    ¡°You know that only puts off the inevitable, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Steph and I both know that, but better late than now.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K., girl, but all you¡¯ve done is call for a time out. At some point the game has to start again.¡± Kerry leaned back on her bed, giving me a hard look. ¡°Use the time you¡¯ve got. Get your shit worked out before you see her next. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll just be back in this same place. But it¡¯ll be worse, because you¡¯ll know you¡¯ve been negligent.¡±


    I was about to answer that I knew, but my phone chirped with a new text, distracting me. ¡°It¡¯s her,¡± I explained to Kerry as I opened the text.


    ¡°Thinking of u,¡± the text said, but it was the photo that took me by surprise. Steph had used the mirrored closet door to take a picture of herself in a very naked and very suggestive pose.


    My face must have shown my shock, because Kerry laughed and said ¡°I guess it¡¯s hot?¡± I nodded, embarrassed, but she just laughed again. ¡°Can I see?¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t into girls,¡± I protested, wondering what it was with straight girls wanting to see nude pictures of other girls. First it was Mindy, now Kerry?


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just curious what a chick would sext to her girlfriend.¡±


    Thinking about it, I decided it wouldn¡¯t do any harm so I handed the phone to Kerry. I couldn¡¯t look at her when I did, though.


    ¡°Wow,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, reaching for the phone, but Kerry pulled it away and kept looking at the photo that Steph had sent me.


    ¡°Are there any others?¡± Kerry asked, flipping through the pictures. I suddenly remembered the photos Emmy had taken of me and grabbed for the phone again, but Kerry held it away. ¡°I take that as a yes,¡± she said, laughing.


    Sighing, my humiliation upon me, I sat down and waited for her to find the nudes of me. It didn¡¯t take her long. ¡°Damn, girl, you have a fine set of cans on you!¡± Kerry saw the look I gave her and handed the phone over. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s all cool, kid. It¡¯s all cool.¡±


    I dreamed of Stephanie that night. It felt so real I could almost smell the cocoa butter when I woke the next morning.


    Our two games on Sunday went really well. Coach Burke asked me if I was sore from Saturday and I told him I felt great, so he put me in for the whole time against Texas A&M, which we won easily. My stats were pretty good, too, so I wasn¡¯t bothered when I was sat out for the match against OU. I felt confident that I¡¯d made a good impression right out of the gate and figured my chances of starting our home opener were solid.


    I texted Steph after the morning game to let her know I was thinking of her.


    ¡°I dreamt about you last night. When I woke, I could smell your coco butter on my skin.¡± I sent.


    ¡°<3¡±


    ¡°That phot was really hot. My roommate thought so too.¡± I texted.


    ¡°OMFG! No way!¡± Stephanie responded almost instantly.


    ¡°Its true. She saw the photo.¡±


    ¡°I cant believe u showed it 2 her!¡± I could almost hear the indignation in Steph¡¯s texts, and it made me laugh.


    ¡°Its cool. She is straight but she is really understanding.¡±


    ¡°See if I send u anymore picures!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Steph. I promise I won¡¯t show them to anybody any more. She knew about our fight, and was super understanding and helped mea lot.¡±


    ¡°So u thanked her by showing my private picture 2 her?¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that. She wanted to see the picture that made me so happy. I told her you make me feel super special and you are super sexxxy, and she wanted to see.¡± I felt as if all the progress we¡¯d made the night before might be slipping away, with every minute I waited for Steph to respond.


    Finally, after what felt like forever (but was only a few minutes), Steph texted back. ¡°Sorry I got so mad. If u say its ok than I guess I have to trust u.¡±


    I was glad to read that, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. I thought of sending her one of the nudes of me as a peace offering, but then I thought that it might not be a good idea since Stephanie was so sensitive about Emmy and she knew Emmy had taken those photos. In the end, all I could do was send a simple ¡°:) I love you.¡±

 The Start Of Freshman Year

    We got back to the Bay Area late Sunday night. Well, actually, early Monday morning, and I knew I had to be alive for my very first class of my very first day as a freshman at one of the toughest universities in the U.S., which was scheduled to start at nine in the morning. Yay. Hello, Leah. Welcome to your new reality, on four hours of sleep.


    I was feeling indebted to Coach Burke¡¯s advice when I told him I¡¯d attend Stanford. ¡°Don¡¯t take too many classes your first year, Leah,¡± he¡¯d told me. ¡°Juggling playing and studying is tough enough, you don¡¯t need to make it any harder at first than necessary.¡±


    Thankfully my Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule was reasonably light. After my nine AM Intro To College Writing class I had a couple of hours before my Bio 101 and I was going to need that time to recover. My new roommate had moved in over the weekend while I was in Texas and I felt bad about waking her up at two thirty in the morning when the shuttle bus dropped me off at the dorm, but what could I do? She was gone by the time I woke up, so all I knew of her was that she was Asian, a neat freak, and had put up pictures of Japanese guys on stage wearing fruit for underwear all over her side of the room.


    Thankfully, I¡¯d already figured out where to get the good java between my dorm and the writing class so I knew at the very least I¡¯d be well caffeinated by the time class started. Thank you, lord, for the mighty coffee bean.


    The writing class was a small affair, just ten students and one grad student teacher. The teacher (who insisted we call him Mac) was a funny guy that looked like Freddie Mercury from the band Queen but with long hair like the Spinal Tap guys. He was great at getting us all involved and the hour passed quickly.


    Bio was a completely different experience. It was a giant lecture hall class, just me and three hundred of my fellow terrified freshmen. The professor reminded me of that guy on TV, Ben something or other, who has that very monotone voice and can keep talking without any pauses or breaks for hours. I was grateful for my second cup of coffee that morning after writing because it was the only thing keeping me from falling asleep in class.


    Donny (the guy sitting next to me in Bio) invited me to lunch but I told him I had a prior engagement. He looked disappointed, but since he seemed like a nice guy I told him that if he was up for it I¡¯d love to have lunch on Wednesday. Pleased, he gave me his email address. I was a little bit concerned, but he didn¡¯t seem like some kind of stalker freak so I told him I¡¯d shoot him an email so he¡¯d have my address, because I couldn¡¯t remember my newly assigned student email address off the top of my head.


    I¡¯d promised I¡¯d watch Kerry play beach volleyball at two, so I grabbed a sandwich and headed over to the sand court. I was a little early so I sat in the shade of a tree and waited, reading the assigned chapters of my writing book. Kerry and Stacey showed up with two guys (presumably their boyfriends) and started playing. I watched a little, read a little, but mainly enjoyed the afternoon. There was a warm breeze and it felt peaceful, even with the construction noise from the big building site just off to one side of the court. I was just kind of zoning out, for some reason just thinking about Emmy, when a loud screech of some kind of giant metal saw from the construction site snapped me out of it. Looking over to see what made the noise, I saw a girl that kinda looked like Stephanie walking past the construction site. By some bizarre twist of fate she was with another girl who had very light platinum blonde hair cut in a familiar bob. My heart jumped and I got a kind of hot all-over-my-body kind of flash for a moment when I thought it was Emmy, but almost immediately realized it really wasn¡¯t either of the two girls I loved.


    Suddenly feeling sick at heart, I told Kerry I¡¯d see her later and bolted to get out of there. I was overwhelmed at how quickly tears just came out of nowhere, so I found someplace quiet to cry myself out and still have time for my four o¡¯clock Calc class. God, this sucked. It had been months and months since Emmy vanished from my life, and I had a new girlfriend now. I was so messed up about all of this. I mean, I missed Emmy so badly even almost half a year later, which made me feel guilty about being somehow emotionally unfaithful to Stephanie, which made me feel worse. I told myself I needed to get a grip, but that didn¡¯t make anything any better.


    In Calculus I sat in a seat in the back corner away from any other students because I didn¡¯t want anybody to see I¡¯d been crying. I felt pathetic and lonely. Since it was the first day of class it was just a review of the syllabus and homework and test policy, so it really didn¡¯t matter that I was engaged in my own private pity party and couldn¡¯t pay attention to save my life.


    After math I went back to the dorm. I was hoping to get some alone time, thinking that maybe a good red-hot phone call with Steph could turn my mood around, but unfortunately it seemed as if there was some sort of huge floor party going on.


    I called Kerry and asked if we could meet somewhere to talk. ¡°I could really use some advice, Ker,¡± I told her. ¡°I think I¡¯m having some sort of emotional meltdown.¡±


    She agreed to meet for dinner in an hour, and just knowing that I¡¯d made a new friend who was willing to listen to my problems was a load off my shoulders.


    Kerry was a little late to our dinner meeting, so I sat down outside the hole-in-the-wall restaurant she¡¯d suggested and took out my phone, which ironically used to be Emmy¡¯s. I scrolled through the pictures, spending time looking at the numerous photos of Stephanie.


    ¡°Hey, girl? What¡¯s got you so worked up?¡± Kerry asked as she strolled up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but you already know part of it,¡± I said as we entered the harsh fluorescent lighting of the curry shop.


    ¡°Your girlfriend again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to saddle you with more of my drama, but I¡¯m just feeling really down and out at the moment, and confused about what the heck I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, don¡¯t worry about it. I mean, that¡¯s what friends are for, right?¡± she responded, which cheered me up a little.


    We ordered and sat down, and as we ate I told Kerry about how Emmy, my first girlfriend, had gotten in a fight with her parents then moved in with me and my mom and sister. She was perfect in every way, but one night she disappeared, and I thought her family had kidnapped her and taken her back to France with them.


    I told her how Stephanie (who had been a good friend) became my support through the shock of loss. I told her how after a couple of months, I realized that Stephanie was there for me and Emmy was gone and not coming back, and how I decided to move on with Steph.


    ¡°The rest you know,¡± I said.


    ¡°You mean the drama with your little sex kitten?¡± Kerry asked, just to be clear.


    ¡°Well, actually, there¡¯s even a bit more. Part of what we fought about on Saturday was that Steph accused me of always comparing her to Emmy, and she resented it. With Emmy, we¡¯d been completely 100 per cent out of the closet.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why hiding it from Kitten¡¯s mom bothered you so much, right?¡± Kerry asked, proving she was following the whole thing.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s it exactly,¡± I sighed. ¡°That¡¯s the number one problem with our relationship.¡±


    ¡°And you had that with your ex.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s part of why Stephanie resents Emmy so much. I mean, they were good friends, so it¡¯s not like Steph hates on Emmy or anything, she¡¯s just feeling insecure about how she compares.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s never good, kid.¡± I was again thankful I¡¯d gotten to be friends with Kerry, because she really seemed to understand and was willing to be there with good advice.


    ¡°So that¡¯s all the history. That brings us up to today,¡± I said, taking a deep breath, trying to figure out how I wanted to explain it.


    ¡°Today I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about Emmy, my ex. I miss her so badly, Ker. Something happened to remind me of her and all I could do was just cry my freaking brains out, and then I felt shitty because I felt somehow unfaithful to Steph, and...¡± I choked up and was about to start crying again, but I sat back and took a deep, calming breath.


    ¡°I can see this has you all twisted in knots, girl. Just chill for a moment and have some more of this wonderful curry.¡±


    I smiled at Kerry¡¯s good humor and ate a few forkfuls as she suggested.


    ¡°Now, tell me all about the two chicks. Start from the beginning.¡±


    I started to tell Kerry about Emmy¡¯s first day at Fallbrook High and how she stood out from a crowd, to put it mildly.


    ¡°Wait. You mean your old girlfriend was black? You used to live with a black girl?¡± Kerry asked, interrupting me, amazed.


    ¡°Um, yeah, but she wasn¡¯t African-American black like you are. I mean, she was as black as this fork,¡± I said, holding up the plastic utensil in my hand.


    ¡°You have to be making this shit up,¡± Kerry said, shaking her head.


    Exasperated, I said ¡°Look, I know it sounds crazy, but the Lascauxs are all super pitch black.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this girl¡¯s name?¡± asked Kerry.


    ¡°Um, Emmy Lascaux.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that last name spelled?¡± Kerry demanded.


    ¡°L A S C A U X,¡± I spelled, wondering why she wanted to know.


    ¡°O.K. Now I know you¡¯re fucking with me,¡± Kerry said, pissed off. She started to get up to leave, but I grabbed her arm.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, bewildered.


    ¡°You got that name from that new building right next to the sand court, didn¡¯t you? That new business school building that¡¯s going up?¡± Kerry was angry and about to leave if I couldn¡¯t convince her of the truth.


    ¡°What? No! I didn¡¯t even realize-¡± I stammered, then it hit me. Emmy had said that her parents had given a bunch of money to Stanford way back when. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± I said, sitting back down.


    Something in my face must have made Kerry reconsider leaving, because she sat back down, but continued to give me a skeptical look. ¡°Oh, shit what?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°We were going to come to Stanford together. She¡¯d told me that her parents gave a bunch of money to the university, and that¡¯s how she was sure to get in,¡± I explained. ¡°Her dad is big into international business. They have, I don¡¯t know, hundreds of millions of dollars, I think. I guess it makes sense they¡¯d name a building after him, if he donated enough.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you expect me to believe any of this, you¡¯re going to have to do a better job of convincing me. I need some kind of proof, girl. Give me something solid.¡± Kerry said.


    Thinking for a moment, I said ¡°Come back to my dorm room. I have some pictures of her and me. I think I have some pictures of her house, too. It¡¯s a big freaking mansion on a huge estate.¡±


    ¡°O.K. But they¡¯d better be very convincing pictures,¡± Kerry said, grudgingly.


    When we got back to my dorm room my new roommate wasn¡¯t there, for which I was thankful. I flipped open my laptop, telling Kerry it was a Christmas present from Emmy. I flipped through the photo albums till I got to the pictures I¡¯d taken at Emmy¡¯s pool party, and set it to do a slide show for Kerry.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Kerry said. ¡°I thought you were pulling my leg when you said she was really black. And what¡¯s with her hair?¡± Then, after a few more pictures ¡°Is she naked?¡± and a few photos later ¡°That¡¯s her house? Looks like some kind of villa in Italy or something.¡±


    Then, looking closely at another picture ¡°Hey, that¡¯s your little sex kitten, isn¡¯t it?¡± The photo was of Stephanie sitting on the edge of the pool, extending her toes in the water, leaning her head back with eyes closed and enjoying the sun.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Stephanie,¡± I said, feeling all the guilt from earlier come back with a vengeance.


    As she continued looking at the pool party photos, Kerry asked ¡°So what are you going to do? I think you have some hard choices to make, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve gotta be honest with your little kitten, and for sure you gotta be honest with yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, slumping down on my bed. ¡°I could use all the good advice I can get right now, Ker. I need help.¡±


    ¡°You need some kind of professional help, girl. I¡¯m not sure I can do anything about this mess you¡¯ve gotten yourself into.¡±


    ¡°Well, I try to talk to Steph before going to bed, so I need some extra strength help A.S.A.P. I have no idea what to tell her,¡± I sighed.


    Just then the door opened, and my new roommate came in. ¡°Hi,¡± she said shyly, looking at Kerry at the desk and me sitting on the bed. ¡°Am I interrupting anything? I can come back later.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. We were just talking. Kerry, this is my new roommate, ¡­¡± I stopped, realizing I didn¡¯t even know her name.


    ¡°Shinju,¡± she supplied.


    ¡°Shinju,¡± I said. ¡°Shinju, this is my friend Kerry. She¡¯s my teammate on the volleyball team.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Shinju,¡± Kerry said. Then, realizing that Shinju might not know my name, she said ¡°Leah here has talked a lot about you.¡±


    At the look of surprise on the Japanese girl¡¯s face, Kerry laughed. ¡°No, I¡¯m kidding. You moved in while we were in Texas, right? So you guys only got to meet each other this morning?¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I had an early class, so I left while Leah was still asleep.¡±


    ¡°So really, this is the first we¡¯ve actually met,¡± I added.


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯m gonna let you two get acquainted,¡± Kerry said, standing to leave. Turning to me, she said ¡°Talk to your kitten tonight. Figure out as much as you can before jumping to any decisions you¡¯ll regret later.¡±


    After Kerry left, Shinju and I had an awkward get-to-know conversation. She was from Nagoya, Japan, and here to study international relations with an emphasis on American-Pacific studies. She was nineteen, had never had a boyfriend but was hoping to meet a nice guy in college, and loved J-Pop music (which I found out was short for Japanese pop).


    I told her I was from Southern California, going to be eighteen in a week, and had no idea what I wanted to study but I thought that it was going to be something science-related.


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± She asked.


    In the spirit of honesty with the girl I was going to be living with for the next nine months, I told her ¡°Well, that¡¯s what Kerry and I were talking about. She was offering me relationship advice. My girlfriend and I are going through a rough spot,¡± I said, not wanting to divulge all my secrets, but still wanting to be as honest as I could be.


    I¡¯d been waiting to see how Shinju would react. To no great surprise she asked ¡°You have a girlfriend?¡± in a curious voice.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s back home, but yeah.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had a boyfriend,¡± Shinju breathed, thinking of the possibilities. It seemed she was more surprised by the fact I had a lover at all than that my lover was another girl.


    We sat there, on our respective beds, lost in thought for a few minutes when my phone chimed that a text had come in.


    ¡°I missed u today,¡± Steph had sent.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about you, too,¡± I sent back, not lying, but certainly not telling the full truth, either.


    ¡°Im gong 2 the movies with Min in a bit. So this is goodnight¡± replied Stephanie.


    ¡°Good night. I love you,¡± I texted, telling her the absolute truth. I did love her, and that¡¯s why this was all so hard.


    ¡°Love u 2¡±, Steph replied.


    I put my phone down, looking up to see Shinju staring at me. ¡°What?¡± I asked, defensively.


    ¡°So you are lesbian?¡± she asked, and I could only hear curiosity in her voice.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed, not looking forward to how the conversation might go.


    ¡°Do you like only girls?¡±


    ¡°Well, I had a boyfriend last year, in eleventh grade. I thought I loved him, but now I¡¯m not sure I did at all,¡± I answered. I figured life with my new roommate would be a lot easier with nothing hidden, so why not be candid?


    ¡°When I was young, a girl my own age who was my neighbor and I used to play husband and wife. We would kiss and lie down next to each other, but we had no idea what we were doing,¡± Shinju said, remembering back.


    ¡°What happened when you got older?¡± I asked, interested in her story.


    ¡°Nothing. Her father got transferred and they moved away. I don¡¯t think we were lesbians, not really. I think we were simply playing.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve never been attracted to girls?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. I like looking at pretty girls, of course, but I am not interested in them romantically,¡± Shinju explained. ¡°How long have you been interested in girls?¡±


    ¡°I never really thought I was until I fell in love with my old girlfriend Emmy. Then I still didn¡¯t think I was a real lesbian. I just thought that somehow, the person I loved just happened to be a girl. But then she left suddenly, and my friend Stephanie was interested in me, and she was so beautiful and so sexy that I had to admit to myself that girls are just better looking and nicer smelling than boys.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a picture of her that I may see?¡±


    ¡°Who, Emmy or Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°Which one is that?¡± Shinju asked, pointing at the screen on my open laptop.


    I had forgotten that the pictures were up and still rotating through the slideshow, and from her bed Shinju had been seeing all of them.


    ¡°That¡¯s Emmy,¡± I said looking at the picture of her playing her guitar.


    ¡°She looks very¡­¡± said Shinju, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± I agreed. ¡°And this is my current girlfriend, Stephanie¡± I said, showing my roommate the photo of Steph by the pool.


    ¡°She is very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Yes she is. Yes, she is,¡± I said, looking at the picture of Stephanie, tanned a golden brown, her long chestnut hair flowing like silky waves over her shoulders. I closed the laptop, sighing. I¡¯d been doing that a lot lately, I thought to myself.


    I showed up a few minutes early to workout the next morning, hoping to talk to Kerry. We didn¡¯t have much time to talk before practice started, so afterwards we went for coffee.


    ¡°Girl, you are in one hell of a mess,¡± Kerry said as she sipped her coffee. ¡°I like my coffee like I like my men- strong, black and rich¡± she explained, then added a ton of creamer and sugar to it, making me laugh.


    As for me, I had my usual caramel mocha, extra vanilla. I needed the caffeine, but I still hadn¡¯t worked up to the hard stuff.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± I agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t even have any clue what to do, and I¡¯m so¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± Kerry said, nodding. ¡°You said you want to do something with science, right? Well, maybe approaching it all scientific and methodical is the way to go.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°First, evaluate your options. Make a list if you have to. Next, identify the pros and cons of each choice. In other words, weigh it all out.¡± Kerry sounded reasonable, but I wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°But, see, that¡¯s the problem,¡± I complained. ¡°I have no real idea what my options are. I mean, you know how things have been with Stephanie, right?¡±


    ¡°That little sexy kitten of yours? Girl, honesty is the best policy, that¡¯s what I always say. Of course, it isn¡¯t what I always do, so you might be on your own on that one. All I can really tell you to do is figure out what will make you the happiest, and then do what you have to, to make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Gee, that sounds like a great idea!¡± I said, sarcastically. ¡°Except one, I have no clue what will make me happiest, and two, I have no clue what to do to make it happen.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that could be a problem, couldn¡¯t it?¡± Kerry agreed.


    At Bio lab that afternoon Donny sat down next to me and became my lab partner by default. I didn¡¯t mind, because he was funny and seemed to know the subject material reasonably well. He asked me if I wanted to grab a quick bite afterwards, and I agreed.


    We went to a little cafeteria Donny knew nearby. I was glad he hadn¡¯t suggested a real dinner place because I wasn¡¯t about to give him any ideas I was interested in him.


    ¡°Leah, you must be from SoCal,¡± he said as we sat down with our trays.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, besides the obvious fact that you¡¯re blonde, but still have a killer tan?¡± he smirked.


    ¡°Yeah- besides that. What else?¡± I prodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much all I got,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true. I¡¯m from San Diego County. And yes, I have gotten a lot of sun this summer,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°Yeah. Well, we get so little sun up in Seattle that when it does come out, we all put on the SPF 100 in fear,¡± he laughed. ¡°Hence my gloriously pasty complexion.¡±


    ¡°I should be good about staying out of the sun, too, but it¡¯s just so nice to lounge by the pool, soaking up rays.¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks good on you. The tan, I mean.¡± Donny wasn¡¯t very smooth, and he knew he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°You turn such a charming shade of red,¡± I teased. ¡°It goes really well with the pastiness.¡±


    He looked down at his half-eaten sandwich, trying to hide his burning face.


    ¡°Hey, look, I¡¯m just teasing,¡± I apologized, feeling bad. ¡°Really.¡±


    Donny got himself mostly under control, and said ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve never been good around pretty girls.¡±


    ¡°Aw, that¡¯s sweet,¡± I said, trying to help him overcome his embarrassment. ¡°Look at me, Donny. Don¡¯t think of me as a pretty girl you¡¯re trying to impress or any of that kind of stuff. Just be your funny, charming self.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can ignore the fact that you¡¯re a pretty girl. It¡¯s kinda, um, omnipresent, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not really used to thinking of myself that way,¡± I admitted, my turn to feel bashful.


    ¡°Well, you are. I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t have guys telling you that all the time.¡±


    ¡°I think a lot of guys are¡­ I don¡¯t know. Intimidated, maybe. Because I¡¯m so tall, I mean, not because I¡¯m so stunningly gorgeous,¡± I added.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right? I mean, who wouldn¡¯t want a big, smoking-hot girl like you for a girlfriend?¡± Donny asked.


    ¡°Can we change the subject?¡± I pleaded. ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about my love life.¡±


    ¡°Oh- Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to get too personal. So, do you like football?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised by the change in direction in the conversation.


    ¡°Do you like football? I¡¯ve got a couple of tickets to the home opener this Saturday, if you¡¯re interested,¡± his voice hopeful.


    ¡°Saturday? I can¡¯t. I have a game on Saturday,¡± I apologized.


    ¡°A game? What do you play?¡± Donny asked, interested.


    ¡°I¡¯m on the volleyball team. It¡¯s the game against Notre Dame, and I guess that¡¯s sort of a really big deal.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really? I guess your height would be an advantage playing volleyball, wouldn¡¯t it? Maybe I can trade these tickets in for a ticket to see you play.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be great if you could come to watch, but I¡¯m not sure how much playing time I¡¯m gonna get. Since I¡¯m just a freshman and new to the team, Coach might sit me out.¡± I raised my hands in a ¡®what can you do¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°Well, hell. I¡¯d much rather cheer for a team at least I know somebody on. I¡¯ll see if I can swap tickets.¡± Donny gave me that big, goofy grin of his, his eyes twinkling. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know a damn thing about the sport, though¡­¡±


    That evening, I seized the opportunity to make some calls while Shinju was out. I called Stephanie first, mainly because my guilty conscience was nagging at me.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± she answered, her voice low and sensual. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about you, too,¡± I answered. ¡°It¡¯s been super crazy and stressful my first couple of days of class, and I just wanted to hear your voice.¡±


    ¡°Well, Mom¡¯s not home yet, so we can, well¡­ what are you wearing?¡± she asked, making her voice as sexy as possible.


    By the time our conversation finished I was so hot and bothered that I needed to go for a walk outside in the cool night air. God, could that girl get me wound up! If Kerry only knew how accurate her nickname for Stephanie really was, I thought, smiling to myself.


    I was lost in thought when a familiar voice called out. ¡°Hey! Leah!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Donny. Long time no see,¡± I replied.


    ¡°What brings you out here on this fine and pleasant night?¡± he asked, catching up to me.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I just needed some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Roommate troubles?¡± he inquired. ¡°Me, too.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. My roommate seems O.K. She¡¯s really quiet, actually, and hardly ever there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, man, are you lucky. Mine is a complete slob who only wants to smoke dope and listen to Bob Marley over and over,¡± Donny complained as we walked.


    ¡°Does he have dreadlocks?¡± I asked, for some reason imagining it.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Donny exclaimed. ¡°Big, nasty ones. I don¡¯t think he ever takes a shower, either.¡± The revulsion in his voice made me laugh, making Donny indignant. ¡°Yeah, easy for you to say. You don¡¯t have to live with him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just kind of funny.¡± I tried to hide my chuckling, but I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad at least one of us is finding some joy in the situation. You know, I¡¯d heard about ¡®trustafarians¡¯ from Colorado, but I never thought I¡¯d be rooming with one in California. Hey, you want to get coffee or something?¡±


    ¡°No, sorry. I need to get to bed. It¡¯s been a really busy, weird last few days, and I just need some rest.¡±


    ¡°Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?¡± he asked, sounding optimistic.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. See you in class,¡± I agreed, heading back to my dorm.


    I couldn¡¯t just go on like this, not knowing what to do, or even, really, who I wanted to be with. Just two days before, I was planning on doing whatever it took to work things out with Stephanie, doing what it took to make things one hundred per cent between us. Now, I wasn¡¯t sure. Did I want to turn my back on ¡®my little sex kitten¡¯, as Kerry called Stephanie? God, I was so confused, and felt like dirt. One way or another, this was going to suck.


    Shinju still wasn¡¯t in when I got back to the room, so I put on headphones (which had been Emmy¡¯s, it occurred to me) and fired up my laptop¡¯s music player and just kicked back on my bed, my eyes closed, trying to relax. It was all going great until the shuffle mode played Van Halen¡¯s ¡°You Really Got Me¡± and I remembered Emmy with Brent¡¯s band the last day of fall term. Emmy in that outfit Courtney had called ¡®catholic school girl slut¡¯, playing her blue guitar like she was born to be on stage.


    Funny, I thought to myself. I¡¯d almost convinced myself that dwelling on what I¡¯d lost when Emmy vanished was a bad idea, and here I am, thinking about how amazing she was.


    I pulled my computer onto my lap and brought up an empty text file and started to make the chart that Kerry had recommended. In one column I put ¡°PROS¡±, and ¡°CONS¡± in the other.


    On the pro side I started by listing what I loved about Stephanie- her smile, her laugh, her amazingly hot body, and so on. Then, on the other side, I listed the things that were problems. Her inability to publicly admit that we were even having a relationship was top of the list. After that was the fact that she was four hundred miles away. I wasn¡¯t sure that was fair, because it wasn¡¯t her fault- it was mine for leaving, but I put it down anyway.


    Sighing with frustration, I closed my computer and put it back on my desk. In a momentary bout of paranoia, I grabbed my computer and set up password protection for the first time. It was probably a good idea in any case, but now maybe more than ever.


    I¡¯d just about fallen asleep when Shinju came in, trying to be quiet, but giggling and making tons of noise.


    ¡°I¡¯m awake,¡± I said, turning on my desk lamp.


    ¡°Sorry¡± she apologized, her accent stronger than ever.


    ¡°Have you- have you been drinking?¡± I asked.


    She giggled and said that she¡¯d been at a party on the next floor up, and there was this cute guy. ¡°I let him put his hands on me,¡± she tittered, amazed at her own nerve.


    ¡°What was his name?¡± I asked, hoping I wasn¡¯t going to hate hearing the answer.


    She thought about it for a moment, then said ¡°Larry. It was Larry.¡± Well, that was a relief. At least she knew the guy¡¯s name.


    ¡°What did he look like? Had you seen him before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he lives up there,¡± she said, pointing at the ceiling above us.


    Sighing, I said ¡°You should drink some water before going to bed. It¡¯ll help with the hangover.¡±


    Shinju was sound asleep when I got up the next morning for writing, even though I knew she had an eight AM class. Worse yet, she was sleeping in her clothes from last night, and smelled like a brewery.


    Sighing, I went to my writing class wondering what I was going to have to deal with that day, and wondering why Steph never called me back last night.


    I¡¯d promised Donny we would have lunch after Bio, and I liked the guy, so I wasn¡¯t going to back out. I was afraid he was crushing on me, and I really didn¡¯t know how to let him know I wasn¡¯t interested without being a bitch about it.


    We went to lunch at a Thai place on campus, and the food was surprisingly cheap and tasty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t take you someplace nicer,¡± Donny had apologized, but the food was good and I sure understood the student budget situation, so I told him it was O.K. and not to worry.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re a cheap date?¡± Donny joked, and I saw my opportunity.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never had a lot of extra money, you know. I¡¯ve had to work at a yogurt place or at my uncle¡¯s plant nursery for all of my spending cash. That¡¯s why whenever I¡¯ve taken my girlfriend out, we¡¯ve smuggled candy into the theater.¡±


    Donny had been drinking his Dr. Pepper when I said ¡®girlfriend¡¯, and I thought he was going to choke.


    ¡°Wait- did you just say you had a girlfriend?¡± he asked, recovering.


    ¡°¡®Have¡¯ is more correct. I ¡®have¡¯ a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°So, um, wow. I guess I¡¯ve been barking up the wrong tree?¡± he asked, looking sheepish, and a bit disappointed.


    ¡°Well, It depends on what you want. If you¡¯re looking for a friend who laughs at your jokes and likes to hang out, then you¡¯re on the right track. If you¡¯re thinking you might have a chance with me romantically speaking, then, not so much.¡± I didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings or bruise his ego, but there was no way I wanted to lead him on or let Donny continue to follow me around like a puppy dog that never had a chance.


    Still off balance, Donny replied ¡°Wow. It seems my gaydar isn¡¯t working. I hadn¡¯t pegged you for a- well, I hadn¡¯t thought you were¡­¡±


    ¡°Gay? Yeah, well, if it¡¯s any consolation, my gaydar doesn¡¯t work any better. I can¡¯t tell who is and who isn¡¯t at all. In fact,¡± I added, ¡°I didn¡¯t even really know I was gay until six months ago.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, looking surprised. ¡°I mean, how could you not know all along?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s strange. I¡¯d never really thought about girls in any sort of sexual way until I just sort of fell in love with one. I realized, from being with her, that I hadn¡¯t really been in love with the boyfriend I¡¯d had before her. I mean, I¡¯d thought I was, but I just didn¡¯t know any better.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Donny said, playing with his pad thai, not looking up. ¡°What is it that attracts you to women?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess the way they smell so good, how soft they are, the way girls kiss¡­ I don¡¯t know. A lot of things, really.¡±


    Donny looked thoughtful, and said ¡°You know, I like those things, too. Maybe I¡¯m a lesbian, also.¡±


    ¡°I guess I walked in to that one, didn¡¯t I?¡± I said, laughing.


    Donny smirked. ¡°With a set up like that, how could I pass up the opportunity?¡±


    It seemed as if Donny and I were O.K., after all. I¡¯d been worried that he¡¯d get pissed off at my revelation, but the fact that he took it well was a good sign.


    ¡°So, since it looks like I¡¯ve got no shot at ever being your boyfriend, can I perv a bit and think about you and your girlfriend?¡± he asked, grinning.


    ¡°So, were you already perving on me?¡± I demanded, smiling to let him know I wasn¡¯t upset.


    ¡°Well, of course. I mean, look at you. You¡¯re like a California goddess, all tanned and blonde and athletic.¡± Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. ¡°Hey, is your girlfriend on the volleyball team, too?¡±


    ¡°No way! Are you kidding me? Those girls are all, like, jock dykes or something!¡± I said in my best valley girl voice, which got him to laugh. ¡°No,¡± I said in my normal voice. ¡°My girlfriend is back home. She was on the cheer squad,¡± I said, voice low and eyebrows wiggling. ¡°Score, huh?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± Donny asked, laughing.


    Voice back to normal, I confirmed it. ¡°No, really. She was. I¡¯m telling you, Stephanie was just about the hottest thing at our school, too.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I¡¯m definitely going to buy some lotion before heading back to my room.¡±


    ¡°T.M.I., Donny. Way too much information.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the expression on Donny¡¯s face, and then he busted up, too.


    ¡°Seriously, Leah. That is way, way hot. I mean, a bummer for me, in a way, but way hot anyway.¡±


    ¡°You want to know how hot?¡± I asked, teasing. ¡°Look at this picture,¡± I said, pulling out my phone. I¡¯d downloaded the ¡®special¡¯ pictures onto my computer and off the phone, but I did have a few of Steph looking really good, including one in her cheer uniform that always made me feel funny inside. I showed Donny a couple of them, and he had to admit that I was one lucky girl.


    ¡°And so is she,¡± he sighed. ¡°Me, not so much.¡±

 Wednesday

    Shinju wasn¡¯t in when I got back to my room after the late workout, and seeing that it was almost midnight I was a bit worried, but tired enough that I fell asleep right away anyhow. As I drifted off I realized Stephanie still hadn¡¯t returned my call.


    I got up way too early to actually call Steph, so I sent her a text saying I had practice until ten and I¡¯d call her then. Shinju was sleeping soundly in her bed, I was happy to see. I hadn¡¯t heard her come in, but at least my roommate (who seemed to be discovering both her freedom and boys at the same time) wasn¡¯t one more thing for me to stress over for the day.


    I didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to Kerry at our morning workout, which was O.K. I guess. I really didn¡¯t know what to tell her, anyway.


    I only had one class on Thursdays and that was in an hour after workout, so I showered at the gym and headed straight to French, but took my time. I called Stephanie, and it was great to hear her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t call last night. We have workout until ten on Wednesday nights, and I got to talking with a friend and it just got too late to call you,¡± I said.


    ¡°So, your friends up there are more important than talking to your girlfriend? Is that how it is?¡± she demanded, but I could hear the smile in her voice.


    ¡°Mongo just pawn¡­ in game of life,¡± I replied, knowing she¡¯d get the reference.


    Stephanie laughed, and replied ¡°Candy-gram for Mr. Mongo!¡±


    ¡°Mongo like candy,¡± I tried to say, but couldn¡¯t help but crack up before I finished.


    ¡°Oh, baby, I¡¯ve missed you so much,¡± Steph said when she stopped laughing. ¡°When are you going to come home so we can watch movies and eat popcorn and fool around? It¡¯s no fun by myself,¡± She complained.


    ¡°What? Fooling around?¡± I teased.


    ¡°Well, yeah, that most of all. Babe, you have no idea how much fooling around by myself I¡¯ve been doing. I¡¯m getting callouses!¡±


    ¡°What are you wearing?¡± I asked in a low, sexy voice.


    ¡°Um, nothing,¡± Stephanie replied. ¡°Just cocoa butter. It¡¯s really hot, and I¡¯m laying by the pool.¡±


    The image of Steph¡¯s tanned, naked body, skin hot from the sun, sprang to my mind. ¡°Oh, jeeze,¡± I said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Now there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to be able to concentrate in class,¡± I groaned, making her laugh.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s any consolation, I¡¯m actually getting ready to go to my crappy job in Temecula. I wish I were lying by the pool, sunning myself. If I were, I¡¯d be imagining you putting the cocoa butter on my back.¡±


    ¡°Just your back? I asked.


    ¡°No, most definitely not just my back. Damn. We have to stop talking like this. Now I¡¯m not going to be good for anything at work, either!¡±


    Promising to talk at bedtime we hung up. I got to my French class early, with a smile on my face that just would not quit. Since I had a few minutes before the previous class got out, I texted Steph back.


    ¡°You make me happy.¡± I didn¡¯t need to say any more, because it was true.


    Her response a few minutes later? ¡°U make me horney¡±, which made me laugh when I read it, and for the rest of the day I had a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.


    That evening Stephanie and I were deep in a conversation about how and where to apply cocoa butter and what events might develop as a result of that process when Shinju walked in. I knew that my roommate hadn¡¯t heard any of the intimate details of my phone conversation, but just being interrupted during such a steamy talk was enough to turn my face bright red.


    ¡°Hey, Steph. My roommate just came in. I should get off the phone,¡± I told my girlfriend.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t getting off just what we were just talking about?¡± Stephanie asked, her voice all innocent.


    ¡°You are terrible,¡± I said, chuckling. ¡°Be good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, baby, if you were here, I¡¯d show you just how good I am,¡± she purred in reply.


    I laughed, even though I know I blushed even more. ¡°Sweet dreams, babe,¡± I said, kissing the phone.


    Steph responded with a phone kiss of her own, then said ¡°You too. I miss you.¡±


    When I got off the phone, Shinju asked ¡°Was that your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, still a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°The girl who is very black?¡±


    ¡°What? No. That¡¯s my old girlfriend,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her in months and months. No, I was talking to my current girlfriend. The girl I showed you in that picture? The one by the pool?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I remember. The girl with the brown hair? She is very pretty.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± I agreed.


    I had a hard time falling asleep that night, wondering just what the heck I was doing even thinking about Emmy, and how this was all going to work out with Stephanie. A million doubts and a ton of guilt, but very, very few answers kept my thoughts spinning until way past midnight. All I knew was that the alarm for my morning class went off way, way too early the next day.


    Friday was a very busy day for me. Writing class at nine was mostly a vague blur, mainly because I hadn¡¯t had time for my morning coffee before class. I made up for it in a big way afterwards and was buzzing for Bio.


    ¡°Wow, Leah. Nervous much?¡± Donny joked, seeing my jitters.


    ¡°Too much caffeine,¡± I answered, to which he just snorted. ¡°I¡¯m from Seattle, home of Starbucks, so I can definitively tell you,¡± he paused. ¡°There is no such thing as too much caffeine.¡±


    I told him I hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep the night before, and that night was going to be a late one because it was our first home game, and Fridays are always night games.


    ¡°I thought you were playing tomorrow?¡± he asked, puzzled.


    ¡°We play two games a weekend. Usually. Most often Friday night, then Saturday morning, but sometimes it¡¯s other days. In a week and a half we play at Cal on a Tuesday night, for example.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re gonna miss lab that night?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Team athletes get special consideration for scheduling, so I¡¯ll just make it up that Thursday.¡±


    ¡°When I traded my football tickets for tomorrow¡¯s game I thought I was going to catch your season opener, but now I find out that isn¡¯t the case,¡± Donny said, thinking. ¡°I wonder if there are any tickets for tonight¡¯s game left?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be great if you could come tonight,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t get any freebies, do you?¡± he asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I think we do, but only for a couple of games. I think it¡¯s the kind of thing where you have to ask in advance. I¡¯ll ask tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that won¡¯t do me any good tonight, will it?¡± Donny asked, regret in his voice.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. If you promise to sit up front and cheer loud, I¡¯ll pay you back for whatever the ticket costs. It¡¯ll be on me.¡±


    ¡°Really? I could do that! That¡¯d be great!¡±


    ¡°I also brought you something. I figured you¡¯d need this for tomorrow, but I guess it¡¯ll come in handy for tonight instead,¡± I said, pulling a bunch of info I¡¯d printed out about volleyball. The rules, strategies, and so on. ¡°If you¡¯ll notice,¡± I said, handing it to him, ¡°The last page is our game schedule. I expect you to try to make as many as you can. Well, if you don¡¯t find tonight too boring, that is.¡±


    ¡°Wow, this is great,¡± Donny said, his eyes lighting up. ¡°Thanks a lot!¡±


    After class we went to lunch at the Thai place again, making small talk about nothing in particular. It was nice, just hanging out. Donny made me laugh often, and I liked that about him.


    After Calculus I had to hustle back to my room, get changed, and get over to the gym by six so I had no time to grab anything to eat. It turned out O.K. though, because Sammy had laid out a bunch of energy bars, bananas and muffins for us. She explained to those of us new to the team that she didn¡¯t want us eating anything heavy before we played, but to continue snacking as the night went on. The food she provided was all high in energy but easy on the system. She also reminded us to stay hydrated, and to drink the watered-down Gatorade whenever we took a break.


    True to his word, Donny showed up early so he could get a seat up front. He was right near our bench, so I introduced him to some of the other girls and explained what to expect when I had a moment during warm-ups.


    Donny cheered for Stanford and booed Duke so loud that I was sure he wasn¡¯t going to have a voice by the end of the night. I only got to play the first set, but I played well, which made me happy. Kerry had some good words to say, and Leslie, the assistant coach, even told me that she thought my days of bench warming weren¡¯t going to last much longer at all.


    ¡°The only reason you aren¡¯t out there right now,¡± she explained, ¡°is because this is our first home game and Joe wants to evaluate our veterans under familiar conditions. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to start playing you full-time pretty soon, maybe even for the Cal game.¡±


    I was secretly pleased that we won the first set by a greater margin than the second and third, but I certainly wasn¡¯t going to claim that I was the difference. Donny was happy to mention it later when he walked me back to the dorms after the game.


    ¡°You really kicked ass, Leah. I¡¯m all kinds of serious. A couple of those other girls were good, but you were the best player in the court tonight.¡±


    ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± he said, pretending to be completely downcast. ¡°But seriously,¡± he said, perking back up, ¡°To heck with football. I¡¯ve found my new favorite spectator sport.¡±


    ¡°Really? You liked it that much?¡±


    ¡°Heck yeah! What¡¯s not to like? A bunch of tall, good-looking athletic girls wearing those little bun-hugger shorts and sleeveless jerseys? Are you kidding me? It¡¯s fantastic!¡± he crowed.


    I elbowed him, and he laughed. ¡°Plus,¡± he said, ¡°the kneepads. I love a girl who looks good in kneepads.¡±


    This time I gave him a big shove, but he just laughed harder. ¡°No, seriously. You guys are real serious, no joke athletes, and it shows. It was incredible to watch. The teamwork, the individual efforts, volleyball has it all.¡± Then grinning again, he added ¡°and kneepads.¡±


    That night I showered and got to bed as quickly as I could, knowing I needed my rest before the game the next morning and thankfully fell into a deep sleep right away.


    Donny showed up early to watch warm-ups again at the Saturday game.


    ¡°That curly-headed boy is some kind of crazy for you,¡± Kerry said.


    ¡°I know,¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve told him there¡¯s no chance, and he hasn¡¯t tried to push things, but I¡¯m still worried that I¡¯m somehow leading him on.¡±


    ¡°Have you explained your preference in bed partners to him? You¡¯d better make that clear, girl, or he¡¯s just gonna keep following you around like a puppy dog.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve told him. Heck, I even showed him Stephanie¡¯s picture.¡±


    ¡°Your little kitten? That¡¯s another issue you need to deal with, honey. Those things aren¡¯t going to straighten themselves out. You are gonna have to deal with it, and do as right as you can.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±


    Kerry just laughed at that, and gave me a quick shoulder hug. ¡°It¡¯s gonna work out all right, somehow. Just be honest to everybody else, but your self most of all.¡±


    Unlike the night before, I sat the first set, then played the rest. It felt good to forget about Stephanie and just focus on the ball, the court, and the other players. It was hard to forget about Donny, though. He¡¯d become our biggest and loudest cheerleader. I didn¡¯t mind, but a few of the other girls told me to tell my boyfriend to be quiet. Personally, I liked the fact that I had someone in the bleachers cheering for me most of all.


    Donny hung around to take me to lunch after the game. ¡°I¡¯m going to treat you to lunch in honor of your glorious victory,¡± he¡¯d said. When I protested that I still owed him for last night¡¯s ticket I¡¯d promised to buy him, he scoffed, saying ¡°Hey- what¡¯s thirteen bucks between friends? Besides, if I¡¯d known how great volleyball is, I would¡¯ve come to watch anyway.¡±


    I gave in, partly because I was feeling good about myself and how I was playing, and partly because I didn¡¯t want to argue.


    As it turns out, his idea of lunch was the same Thai place.


    ¡°I like the food there, don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± I said, ¡°But a little variety is a good thing, you know.¡±


    Caving in to my request, Donny agreed to try someplace else. We went off campus to an amazing burger place a few blocks away that Kerry had mentioned, and I have to say it instantly became my new favorite place to eat.


    Donny agreed that the sliders were phenomenal and worth the extra walk. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to thank your friend Kerry for the recommendation. The sweet potato fries are incredible.¡±


    Halfway through lunch my phone rang with Stephanie¡¯s special ringtone. Donny looked at me as I fished the phone out of my pocket. ¡°Blondie?¡± he asked, wondering why I¡¯d have ¡°Call Me¡± as my ringtone.


    ¡°It¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± I explained as I answered the phone.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s your special, wonderful, and very sexy girlfriend,¡± Steph said when I held the phone up to my ear. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡±


    ¡°My friend Donny,¡± I answered. ¡°We¡¯re having lunch.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t call me to tell me how your games went. I feel like we don¡¯t communicate anymore,¡± Steph teased in a petulant voice.


    ¡°No, Sorry. I should have texted you right away. I just didn¡¯t think of it. Anyway, we won both of them. It was great. I only got to play a little the first match, but most of the second. I¡¯m really starting to feel like a solid part of the team.¡±


    ¡°Did Donny watch you play today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and he came to last night¡¯s game, too. He says he really enjoyed both games, and volleyball is now his favorite sport.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can understand that. Hey, I want to talk to him. Hand him the phone, will you?¡±


    ¡°Uh, O.K., but I get the impression this could be a very bad idea,¡± I said, wondering what I was going to have to live down. I handed the phone to Donny, saying ¡°She wants to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°The cheerleader? Why would she want to talk to me?¡± he asked, taking the phone and holding it as if it might bite.


    ¡°I have no idea, but it¡¯s probably something that¡¯s going to embarrass the heck out of me,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    Donny, still looking uncertain, held the phone to his ear. ¡°Uh, hello?¡±


    I could only hear his half of the conversation, but I could tell part of what they were discussing was my V Ball uniform and the bunhugger shorts, and how amazing I was on the court, and other exceptionally humiliating topics. Finally I had enough, and demanded my phone back. Donny handed it over, blushing but smirking, too.


    ¡°O.K. I hope you enjoyed embarrassing the bejeezus out of me, because it¡¯s going to take me a while to live this down,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh, babe, don¡¯t be that way. We were only talking about how amazing you are, and how freaking hot. I mean, you told me he has a crush on you, so it¡¯s not like he wasn¡¯t thinking those things anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I conceded. ¡°Still, he didn¡¯t need to hear it from my girlfriend. I mean, he¡¯s already perving on the idea of the two of us, anyway,¡± I said, giving Donny a glare, which made him blush again.


    ¡°Really? He thinks it¡¯s hot you¡¯ve got a girlfriend?¡± Stephanie sounded intrigued by the idea.


    ¡°Yeah. I showed him some pictures of you, and he thinks you¡¯re hot, too.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me it wasn¡¯t any of the private pictures I sent you,¡± Steph replied, suddenly embarrassed.


    ¡°No, not those pictures,¡± I said, loud enough for Donny to hear clearly. ¡°In fact, until this moment he didn¡¯t even know I have nude pictures of you on my phone.¡±


    ¡°But, like, he does now because he just heard you say that, didn¡¯t he?¡± I could practically hear her face turn red.


    ¡°Yes, Stephanie baby. Now he does know that I have super hot, sexy naked pictures of you in my possession.¡± I was enjoying my revenge, and Donny was grinning like an idiot too.


    ¡°Well, can I at least ask you to not show them to him?¡± Steph begged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± I answered. ¡°I had absolutely no intention of showing him any of those photos. Nope. Those are for my private enjoyment.¡± I was looking at Donny when I said it, and the crestfallen look on his face made me bust up.


    ¡°What?¡± Stephanie demanded to know.


    ¡°You should see the bummed look on Donny¡¯s face,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Quick! Take a picture!¡±


    I did as she requested, and Donny cooperated, posing with his silly downcast expression. I told Steph I¡¯d send it to her as soon as we hung up.


    ¡°Hey, Steph? I may not be able to call you tonight. If I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll call you tomorrow morning, ¡®K.?¡±


    ¡°Sure. You going out tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know where or for how long, though.¡±


    ¡°O.K. Just be safe, all right?¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Hanging up, I turned to Donny. ¡°So, now you¡¯ve met my girlfriend. Impressions?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± he began, not sure how to phrase it. ¡°She seems like a lot of fun. I mean, she¡¯s real outgoing, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is. I told you she was captain of the cheer squad, right? She was also Homecoming Queen a bunch of times, and all that kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that she¡¯s the kind of girl I could never, ever have even dreamed of talking to back in high school,¡± he said, a little dejected.


    ¡°You might think that, and I did too for a long time,¡± I agreed, ¡°But once I got to know Stephanie she didn¡¯t turn out to be the stuck-up snob I¡¯d imagined her to be. I mean, I¡¯d always just assumed she fit the stereotype, you know? It¡¯s just weird how things work out sometimes.¡±


    Just then my phone chimed that a new text had just arrived. It was Stephanie, wishing me a happy birthday. ¡°I forgot 2 wish u a happy birthday¡± she¡¯d sent. Another text arrived from her at that moment. ¡°I wish u were here for some hot birthday sex. Maybe with candles?¡±


    ¡°Oh, man,¡± I groaned, then texted back ¡°I wish I were there, too, you sexxxy little thing.¡±


    ¡°Do I want to know what that was about?¡± asked Donny.


    ¡°Yeah, probably, but I¡¯m not gonna tell you,¡± I said, slipping the phone back into my pocket.


    ¡°She¡¯s really, um,¡± Donny said, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± I agreed.

 The Blowup

    Things just kept moving along with no real changes for the next few weeks. My classes were going O.K. and having Donny as a study partner made Bio tolerable, despite the world¡¯s most boring lecturer teaching the class. Writing was going well, too. In fact, the only class that was giving me any real problems was French. As stupid as it sounds, part of my problem was that the T.A. who taught my section had a Parisian accent that kept reminding me of Emmy. Her voice was nowhere near as pretty as Emmy¡¯s, but still I found myself distracted by it all too often.


    I¡¯d stepped up and Coach Burke liked my game well enough to make me a full-time starter, which caused a little friction on the team because I was just a freshman and some of the older players didn¡¯t think I was deserving, but after I posted the best stats two matches in a row versus Utah and Colorado everybody stopped complaining. I¡¯d proven that I was a legitimate starter and was doing more for the team¡¯s success than most of the long-timers were.


    My best night came when we hosted a tournament and Penn State came to play. Penn State was the defending National Champion and Stanford had been ranked number five, so this was widely thought to be a possible playoff preview. I was completely amped when Coach Burke told me I was going to start against Penn, especially when I saw that SmAshley Jones was listed on their roster. I was hoping for a little personal revenge for Temecula¡¯s ending our State title hopes. To be fair, SmAshley was on a different team now and so was I, but still¡­ I was going to take it to her if I could. Warming up, I could see that SmAshley was checking me out, and she didn¡¯t look too pleased to see me across the net.


    To my great disappointment she didn¡¯t actually get to play at all, not even one set. I had to satisfy myself with making eye contact with her on the bench every time I scored a kill, which was petty, I know, but sometimes that¡¯s how it goes. I was on fire that night and by the time we¡¯d put Penn away three to one it was clear I was having the match of my life.


    Coach Burke was no idiot, and after the second game he pulled me aside. ¡°I see you taunting Ashley Jones,¡± he said. ¡°I understand you¡¯re disappointed that you lost to her team last year, but that¡¯s no reason to make this personal. I mean, she¡¯s not even playing, and you are, so you¡¯re already doing better than she is, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, all you need to do is keep playing the way you have been and let that be its own reward, all right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, O.K. I can do that,¡± I admitted, a bit grudgingly.


    ¡°Great,¡± Coach said. ¡°Now go back out there and play for yourself and your team, not for spite. Trust me, it¡¯s better that way.¡±


    I texted Steph after the game to tell her that we had a team meeting that was going to go late and I wouldn¡¯t be able to call. She texted right back to say that it didn¡¯t matter how late, just call anyway.


    Our team meeting ran a little bit later than usual thanks to our good mood from our solid win, so when I finally called Stephanie it was almost midnight. I couldn¡¯t talk in my room with my roommate trying to sleep, so I plopped down on one of the beaten-up couches in the res lounge, which was thankfully empty.


    ¡°Hey, baby. I hope I¡¯m not calling too late,¡± I said when she answered the phone.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m glad you called,¡± she replied, her voice quiet, almost whispering. ¡°We needed to talk.¡±


    ¡°Is everything O.K.?¡± I asked, suddenly worried.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not,¡± Stephanie said, her voice soft. There was something else there, too, and I was getting concerned. ¡°Have- have you been crying?¡± I asked, my voice unconsciously softening to match hers.


    ¡°Oh, babe,¡± she said, and I was sure of it. She was crying.


    ¡°Steph, baby, what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the matter?¡± I felt my eyes starting to water up, too. I hated it when Stephanie felt bad, and I wished there was something, anything I could do to make her feel better.


    ¡°Leah, I-¡± she said, her voice hitching. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Leah. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Steph, just tell me,¡± I pleaded, really starting to freak out.


    ¡°My mom, she¡­ she¡­¡± Stephanie stammered, unable to get her words out between her sobs.


    ¡°What is it, baby? Somehow we¡¯ll work it out. It¡¯ll be all right,¡± I murmured into the phone, squeezing that chunk of metal and glass so hard it was making my hand hurt. ¡°It¡¯ll be O.K., Steph, I promise,¡± I said, my heart breaking hearing her cry. At that moment I hated the four hundred miles that separated us like I never had before, and seriously considered transferring to San Diego State to be with her. This long-distance thing sucked so much worse than I¡¯d ever thought it would.


    I made comforting noises as best I could, and eventually Stephanie calmed down enough to tell me what had her so upset.


    ¡°One of the other people on the city council was talking to my mom this evening and she told me that this other woman had mentioned you, and how wasn¡¯t it a shame how you turned out. Your dad a hero like he was, and you a disgusting pervert. She actually said that about you, Leah. She actually called you a disgusting pervert. Can you imagine?¡± Stephanie asked, her voice rising a bit. In her indignation she was forgetting to keep her voice quiet to not wake her mom.


    ¡°Yeah, I can imagine,¡± I replied, my voice expressing how crappy I thought this all was. Fallbrook may be in Southern California, but it was still a small town with a lot of rednecks.


    ¡°You know what the worst of it was?¡± Steph demanded. Without waiting for my reply, she answered her own question. ¡°The worst part of all was that mom hadn¡¯t heard that you were gay. She asked me if it was true, and when I said yeah, you were gay, she told me to stop hanging out with you and stop calling you. She didn¡¯t want me to associate with ¡®deviants¡¯ like you. That¡¯s what she said, Leah. She actually used the word ¡®deviants¡¯. I mean, I knew my parents were old-fashioned, but seriously?¡±


    ¡°Oh, jeeze,¡± I breathed, not sure what else I could say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Leah,¡± Steph said, crying again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do!¡±


    ¡°Oh, baby,¡± I whispered, my own voice choking up. All I wanted to do just then is to hold Stephanie, wrap my arms around her and kiss her until all the tears were gone, but I couldn¡¯t. Four hundred miles kept us apart. Four hundred miles might as well have been a million. There was nothing I could do. Damn, this sucked big-time.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Can you imagine what she would say if I told her we¡¯re a couple?¡± Stephanie asked when she could get her voice together. ¡°If I told her you and me were, like, you know, lovers, she¡¯d have a shit fit.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell her,¡± I said, trying to do my best to console her. ¡°I mean, you haven¡¯t told her so far, right?¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted me to tell my mom about us,¡± Stephanie moaned.


    ¡°Well, no, I don¡¯t if it¡¯s gonna cause you a lot of trouble, baby,¡± I answered. ¡°I just wanted us to be able to, you know, be out in the open about our relationship. But if you can¡¯t,¡± I added hurriedly, ¡°well, then, you can¡¯t. I mean, oh hell. This just sucks, Steph. I just wish¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too, babe, me too,¡± Stephanie agreed. We both stayed silent for a while, neither of us having anything to add. Finally, Stephanie whispered, ¡°I gotta go. I have a lot to think about, Leah.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, suddenly panicking.


    ¡°Good night, babe. I love you. I really do,¡± Stephanie said, then hung up with what struck me as a kind of finality. She didn¡¯t just say good night, I thought. She said goodbye.


    I sat there on that old couch in that empty dorm lounge, looking at the phone in my hand wondering if I should call back or not and wondering if Stephanie meant her goodbye to sound as, I don¡¯t know, permanent, as it did. Fearing the worst, I made my way to my room, only to find it empty. Shinju wasn¡¯t in her bed, as I¡¯d assumed she would be.


    Well, wherever she was, I was hoping she was having a better night than I¡¯d been experiencing.


    We had a morning match, so I knew I needed my sleep but I just tossed and turned all night long. Shinju never came home, and in addition to my self-pity party I have to admit I was worried about her. She had shown very little ability to control her alcohol intake, and what seemed to me to be poor self-control when drunk. Worrying that she was getting date-raped at some party somewhere didn¡¯t help my crappy mood at all and by the time my alarm went off I was a mess. Showering helped a bit, but the walk to the gym did nothing to help my mood.


    I must have been giving off a ¡®leave Leah alone¡¯ vibe, because Sammy took one look at me and just had me sit down. She talked to Coach Burke, who came over and asked me what was wrong.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep last night,¡± I answered, truthfully enough.


    ¡°Well, you look terrible. Do you think you can play today?¡± he asked, concerned for me, but also wondering if I was going to be an asset or a liability in the tournament. We had two matches that day so I knew he was planning on rotating the lineup, but I¡¯d expected to play at least one game in each match.


    ¡°I can play,¡± I answered, trying to sound confident. ¡°In fact, I think it¡¯d probably help clear my head.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to start you against Notre Dame, but if it looks like you¡¯re not up to par I¡¯m pulling you,¡± he said. He didn¡¯t say it in any sort of mean way, just stating a simple fact, and I appreciated it.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied, giving him a smile that probably looked terrible.


    Kerry came over after Coach left and sat next to me. ¡°You look like your cat just died,¡± she said, wrapping her arm around my shoulders.


    ¡°No, Kerr, my cat didn¡¯t die¡± I answered, seeing the humor in the question. ¡°But I think my kitten did just leave me.¡±


    Her eyes wide, Kerry breathed ¡°No! No way! What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not totally sure,¡± I admitted. ¡°I think her closet door just got slammed shut, you know?¡± Kerry nodded for me to continue, so I told her about the conversation Stephanie and I had the night before.


    ¡°That really sucks,¡± Kerry said in sympathy.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± I replied, my gallows humor making another appearance.


    ¡°Well, at least you can still laugh,¡± Kerry said, pulling my head onto her shoulder. ¡°At least you still got your sense of humor. Are you gonna be O.K. to play? You know we¡¯ll be needing you tonight against Santa Barbara.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so. I think it¡¯ll help get my mind off things, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl. We need you. We need your killer instinct,¡± Kerry said.


    ¡°My what?¡± I asked, not sure I¡¯d heard her right.


    ¡°Your killer instinct. You know that¡¯s what they call you, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Who calls me what?¡±


    ¡°I think it started when we played in the last tournament. Somebody got talking to some of the girls from Penn and they said that it was you they were most worried about. They¡¯d heard of you somehow and were talking like you were some kind of axe murderer or some shit. I guess after you totally cleaned their clock last night it confirmed it. I mean, you were on fire last night, girl!¡±


    ¡°I think I know how they heard of me,¡± I said, thinking about SmAshley. ¡°So, the girls from Penn were the ones that called me ¡®Killer¡¯?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah, they started it, but now pretty much everybody on the team does, too,¡± Kerry replied, laughing. ¡°It seems like you have everybody pretty much intimidated, you know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± I said, incredulous. ¡°Intimidated by me?¡±


    Just then Donny arrived, taking his traditional spot right behind our bench. ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± he said. ¡°Hi, Kerry,¡± he added, when she looked back and saw him there.


    ¡°Hey, Don,¡± Kerry replied. ¡°How¡¯s our good luck charm doing today?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Donny replied with that big goofy smile of his. ¡°If I see it I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    The talk with Kerry had helped distract me from my troubles with Stephanie, and seeing Donny¡¯s cheerful face cheered me up a little. At least I had one person who wanted to be there for me.


    When the first set started there was no room in my head for anything but volleyball. Block, dig, jump, spike. The satisfaction of a game well played kept me distracted for a little while, but when I went to text Stephanie our results it all came back with a crash.


    ¡°We won vs Notre Dame 3-2. It was a good match. I wish you could have been here to see it,¡± I texted, uncertain of whether or not I would get an answer. Only a few seconds later, before I¡¯d even had a chance to put my phone back in my gym bag, Stephanie responded.


    ¡°Im glad 2 hear it. I wish I could 2.¡±


    ¡°Baby, I just wish you were here all the time,¡± I shot back, hoping that Steph¡¯s reply was a good sign.


    ¡°Call me 2nite,¡± came the immediate response. Not ¡®I wish I was there, too,¡¯ or anything like that.


    My heart sinking, I texted back. ¡°We have a night match. I can¡¯t call until late.¡±


    ¡°Call anyway,¡± Steph texted, so I sent her a simple ¡°OK¡±.


    My good mood from the win was all shot to hell, so I told everybody I was going back to my dorm to take a nap and I¡¯d see them for the late match against UCSB. Donny walked with me back to the dorms, thankfully keeping quiet. It must have been obvious that I was in no mood to celebrate because Donny just gave me a subdued ¡°See you later,¡± when we parted to go to our separate dorms.


    Shinju was still out, which worried me a tiny bit, but even more was a relief. I just wanted to be alone in my misery. I flopped face down on my pillow and let it all out, bawling my eyes out for what seemed like hours. Stephanie was leaving me, and there seemed to be nothing I could do about it. I loved her and she loved me, but that somehow wasn¡¯t enough. It wasn¡¯t enough to give Stephanie the strength to fight for us, to tell her mom how she felt, and it wasn¡¯t a fight I could have for her. Steph needed to deal with her parents her own way, and there was no way I had any say in it.


    Crying for Steph and crying for my broken heart, I realized I was also crying for Emmy. When Emmy had left me I was just as powerless to do anything about it. She was taken from me just when everything was going so right, so perfect. Things with Stephanie were never as perfect, but I thought we could have a future together, and now this. The rug was yanked out from under my feet just as hard, and I was just as off-balance.


    My alarm went off, letting me know it was time to get ready for the evening game against Santa Barbara. I washed my face and tied my hair back. Looking in the mirror there in the dorm bathroom, my eyes were still red-rimmed, but what could I do?


    Walking back to the gym, I saw Donnie up ahead so I picked up my pace and caught up to him. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Donny asked, concern in his voice.


    ¡°Crummy,¡± I admitted. ¡°Going through the motions, I guess,¡± I added.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do¡­¡± Donny said, and in a bold move, he wrapped his arm around me and gave me a shoulder hug.


    ¡°Thanks, Don,¡± I said, grateful for the support. Donny really was a good guy, and a great friend.


    Coach Burke took one look at me when I got to the gym and told me to take it easy. ¡°Sit this match, Farmer,¡± he said. ¡°You look like you could use a break.¡±

 As The World Turns

    I sat the entire match. I couldn¡¯t really muster up any motivation, even though it seemed the team could have used my ¡®killer instinct¡¯ or whatever. They just barely squeaked by, hanging on by their fingernails to beat Santa Barbara.


    Me, all I could think about was Stephanie, and how much it hurt that she couldn¡¯t see past whatever it was with her mom and find a way to be with me. I knew Steph loved me and she knew I loved her, but it just didn¡¯t seem to be enough to get us past this bullshit.


    I can¡¯t say that I paid any attention at all to the post-match meeting, and when Coach Burke said good night I bolted back to the dorm without looking back. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed forever and not come out for any reason. I guess I should have been happy that Shinju was reading in her bed, looking none the worse for wear. Wherever she¡¯d been all last night and that day hadn¡¯t been too bad, apparently, but again, whatever. I couldn¡¯t muster the energy to care about anybody but myself at that point.


    When Shinju said hello I just grunted in reply, took off my sweats and climbed into bed and faced the wall. Yeah, I knew I was being rude, but I just didn¡¯t care. Life sucked, and I wasn¡¯t in any mood to be nice. Eventually I fell asleep, and if I had any dreams I didn¡¯t remember them in the morning.


    Despite an extreme lack of motivation, I got up at the usual time and made it to my first class, armed with my requisite cup of coffee. I can¡¯t say I paid much attention, but at least I was in my seat. The rest of the day wasn¡¯t any better, and even the usually irrepressible Donny couldn¡¯t lighten my mood.I don¡¯t remember having any lunch that day, and I wasn¡¯t hungry for dinner so I just went back to my room and flopped onto the bed, covering my eyes with my arm.


    I wanted to call Stephanie, but dreaded what she might say even more. Finally I wimped out and sent her a text. It was a simple ¡°I love you¡±. Whatever else was happening, whether or not Steph was breaking up with me, I wanted her to know that basic truth. I really did love her, and I did truly believe that she loved me, too.


    I got no reply by the time I finally fell asleep, even though I stared at that tiny screen for what seemed like hours before drifting off. No text waiting for me when I woke up, either. As much as I wanted to send Steph another text, I resisted. I figured the she would respond whenever she was going to do so, and nothing I could do would change that.


    Faced with the growing certainty that yet one more person I¡¯d loved was leaving me, I just tried to shut down my emotions and get on with what needed to be done. I paid attention in class, focused on my workouts, studied my material, and even, once in a while, laughed at one of Donny¡¯s jokes.


    Four or five days later, I finally got a response of sorts from Steph. ¡°Im sorry :(¡° was all she texted.


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    I responded with ¡°I¡¯ll be home for Thanksgiving. We can talk then.¡±


    ¡°OK¡± was her reply, and that was it.


    Eventually I came around to some degree of acceptance. I mean, what could I do? I threw myself into the V Ball workouts, buckled down hard on my homework and paid attention in class. If I wasn¡¯t going to have any romantic distractions, I may as well lose myself in other stuff, right? Donny and I wound up spending more and more time together, studying together even when we were actually studying for different classes. His good humor helped my mood quite a bit, and his smarts helped make some of the studying a bit easier as well. I tried to convince myself that it wasn¡¯t so bad, and maybe in fact was a little bit freeing. I didn¡¯t actually believe myself, unfortunately.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± Donny said one day as we exited the Bio lecture hall. ¡°I looked at your game schedule and you don¡¯t have any this weekend. Wanna go to San Francisco on Saturday?¡±


    ¡°What would we do in San Francisco?¡± I asked. I resolutely refused to call it ¡°The City¡± (and yes, you can hear the capital letters when people call it that).


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a bookstore I want to check out,¡± he said. ¡°And maybe we can, I don¡¯t know, just walk around and check it out? I¡¯ve actually never even been there yet.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to be your tour guide,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever been there once, myself.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll go on a journey of exploration and discovery,¡± Donny said. ¡°You can be Lara Jones and I¡¯ll be Indiana Croft!¡± How could I say no to that?


    We got up early and took the train from campus to downtown S.F., then spent the morning seeing the usual touristy stuff. Donny had done his homework, though, and had picked out a number of off-beat things to see, as well.Sure, we went to Fisherman¡¯s Wharf, but we also saw the wave organ and saw several sets of tiled steps.We climbed Coit Tower, of course, but also went to see what they claim is the largest collection of model boats in the world.


    We even managed to find the bookstore Donny wanted to visit, which turned out to specialize in European comic books. The only ones I recognized were the TinTin books, but there were plenty of others like that, too. A lot of them weren¡¯t even available in English, just French. Donny spent almost two hundred dollars on rounding out his collection of Asterix And Obelix, which is a series about two guys from a village in Ancient Gaul who fought against the Romans.


    We were both pretty well beat by the time we got on the train back to campus. It had been a long day of almost unending walking, but it was also just what the doctor ordered. I barely even thought of Stephanie the whole time, and that was only because I¡¯d visited a few of the same places with her a few months before. Otherwise, it was an angst-free day.


    It really seemed to help me turn the corner, metaphorically speaking. Somehow it was easier to just get on with life and stop moping about my new, non-existent love life and get back to engaging with what was right in front of me. Heck, I even managed to flirt a little bit with the cute waitress at the Thai place Donny and I frequented. It wasn¡¯t a happy place I¡¯d gotten to, but I was slipping into acceptance for sure.


    That is, until one day on campus, everything changed.


    ¡°Emmy! Wait!¡± I yelled, rushing to catch up to the hurrying figure. When I caught up and grabbed her arm she stopped and turned to face me.


    ¡°Wait for you? Why should I? You certainly did not wait for me!¡± she snapped.

 Emmy?

    ¡°Emmy! Wait!¡± I yelled, rushing to catch up to the hurrying figure. When I caught up and grabbed her arm she stopped and turned to face me.


    ¡°Wait for you? Why should I? You certainly did not wait for me!¡± she snapped, yanking her arm from my grasp.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°You did not wait for me, Leah. You have no idea how much it hurt when I returned to Fallbrook and saw you with Stephanie Houk. You tore my heart right out that day,¡± she said, more sad than angry.


    ¡°Em, you don¡¯t understand,¡± I protested, but she turned and started walking again, unwilling to even look at me any longer.


    Hurrying to keep up with her, I plead my case further. ¡°Emmy, wait. We need to talk. Wait, please,¡± I begged, but she didn¡¯t slow down.


    ¡°I need to get to class, Leah. I cannot be late,¡± was her reply.


    Determined, I kept pace. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going with you. I¡¯m not gonna leave you alone until we talk.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Her stony silence as we walked to her Econ class clearly let me know Emmy was very, very pissed at me. She didn¡¯t look at me once during class, just paid attention to the lecture and took precise, careful notes. I couldn¡¯t stop staring at her, though. She was as beautiful as I¡¯d remembered, her velvety skin as black as charcoal, her hair so white it gleamed. Her eyes were just as green. The pouty lips were the same, too- but there were differences, though. Her shockingly green eyes had a hardness to them that I¡¯d only ever seen when she confronted Jake Merrick when he trashed her car, and her lips didn¡¯t seem to want to smile. She was bitter and angry, and it showed.


    After class, she finally spoke to me. ¡°I do not know what it is we have to talk about. You clearly made your choice. I cannot say that I am too surprised. Stephanie is very beautiful, and she has always been interested in you.¡±


    ¡°Look, Emmy. The only reason I ever even hooked up with Steph is because you vanished without a trace and I thought I was never gonna see you again. If I¡¯d had any idea you¡¯d come back I would have waited, Em. You say I broke your heart, but you broke mine when you left.¡±


    ¡°When I left?¡± Emmy demanded. ¡°Do you even know why I ¡®left¡¯?¡± Her voice rose as she spoke, and it was obvious she used the word ¡°left¡± in quotes. ¡°I didn¡¯t ¡®leave.¡¯ I was taken away. My parents dragged me back to Europe despite my wishes, because of our relationship. Because of my love for you, that is why.¡± Emmy¡¯s was almost shouting, and I realized I¡¯d never heard her raise her voice before. People were staring, and it wasn¡¯t just because of Emmy¡¯s unusual looks this time.


    ¡°If I had had my way I never would have gone, Leah. If I had had my way, I would at least have let you know what was happening. If I had had my way, I would have returned immediately. But I did not, Leah. I could not. I lost everything I wanted in life that night, but I did not even realize it until I returned and saw you kissing Stephanie Houk on the front steps of what I had thought was our house!¡± With that, Emmy collapsed to the ground, burying her face in her hands. Deep, wracking sobs shook her slender body.


    I knelt beside her, but when I tried to take her in my arms she pulled away. The hollow ache in my chest overwhelmed me, and the sound of my crying joined hers. We must have made quite a sight, but I didn¡¯t care. All I knew is that Emmy¡¯s rejection hurt me almost as badly as her disappearance had six months before. We cried out our own separate miseries there on the sidewalk for what seemed like forever, until Emmy finally regained her composure.


    ¡°Why, Leah? Was I not good enough for you? Not pretty enough? Not a good enough lover? Why?¡±


    Stung, I tried to form the words, but the tears were still flowing. ¡°Em, it¡¯s not like that,¡± I sobbed. ¡°I thought you were gone! I thought the best thing that had ever happened to me was taken away, and I was just going to have to accept it. I waited, Em. I waited for months, but no call, no text, no word at all just killed me, Emmy. I didn¡¯t even want to live. I got in fights at school! I almost beat Allie up. I was miserable. Beyond miserable! During that time Steph was there for me. When I finally accepted that I was never gonna see you again, she was there for me, Em. When it became obvious that I needed to move on, she was there. And no, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s prettier than you, or a better lover. The one advantage was that she was there, Em. She was there.¡±


    ¡°Is that all it takes, Leah? I was not there, so you found yourself in the arms of someone else?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± I protested. ¡°If you¡¯d given me any hint you were ever coming back Steph and me never would have gotten together. I would have waited, Em. I would have, but I didn¡¯t think there was anything to wait for.¡±


    She turned away from me again, and it was more than I could stand. I grabbed her and crushed her to me, squeezing her body against mine. She struggled against me at first, but I was not going to let her push me away. I found her mouth with mine and kissed her lips, which she kept tightly closed. I didn¡¯t care- I kept kissing her. I held her and kissed her right there on the sidewalk in front of the Business building, where anybody and everybody could see.


    Eventually Emmy quit struggling against me and started kissing me back, so I stood up, still holding her. She was so light in my arms I couldn¡¯t believe it. I set her down on her feet, but she didn¡¯t let go- now it was her turn to hold on for dear life. We kissed like that for a long time, frantic in our desperation. Eventually we had to come up for air, but we didn¡¯t let our hold on each other loosen one bit.


    ¡°You have practice now, do you not?¡± asked Emmy.


    ¡°How do you know when my practice times are?¡± I asked. ¡°Have you been stalking me?¡± I teased.


    ¡°A little,¡± Emmy admitted, smiling sheepishly. ¡°I have been to all your home games.¡±


    ¡°God, Em, I wish¡­¡± I trailed off, not knowing how to say it. ¡°I wish you¡¯d never gone to your parent¡¯s house that night. I wish-¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Emmy interrupted. ¡°But right now you need to get to the gym.¡±


    ¡°No way am I going to leave you now. Not a chance in hell,¡± I protested.


    ¡°You must go to practice, Leah. You must.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re coming with me,¡± I said, taking her by the hand. There was no way I was going to let Emmy out of my sight, not a chance. She didn¡¯t resist, just held my hand and walked with me to the gym. Neither of us said anything. My mind was full of questions I wanted to ask, and other things I wanted to tell Emmy, but I figured it could all wait. Emmy was back in my life and I absolutely wasn¡¯t going to screw anything up by pushing, but no way was I going to let her slip away, either.


    I imagine it was something like that for her, too, but I guess there¡¯s no way to know what¡¯s in someone else¡¯s thoughts.


    I tried to sneak in to the gym quietly hoping nobody would notice I was late, but there was to be none of that. Coach Burke tapped his watch when he saw me. ¡°Farmer!¡± he barked. ¡°Over half an hour late! Don¡¯t let this become a habit, young lady!¡± He blew his whistle and called out the next drill, and I was grateful to get away so lightly.


    Kerry caught my eye and tilted her head towards where Emmy sat in the bleachers, watching. She raised her eyebrows, and I just gave her a big smile. ¡®We need to talk¡¯ Kerry mouthed, and I nodded. I threw myself into the workout, but always kept an eye on the solitary figure in the stands. Every time I looked, Emmy was watching intently. I had a little flashback to when she used to watch my workouts at FHS, back before we hooked up.


    At our first five minute break Kerry glanced pointedly at Emmy, and asked ¡°So, you¡¯ve got your ex back? What about your little kitten?¡±


    Annoyed that Kerry wasn¡¯t as supportive as she could be, I snapped ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± Seeing the look in Kerry¡¯s eyes, I apologized. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. It¡¯s just- well, it¡¯s just really complicated, and I¡¯m not sure what is going to happen. I really need to talk to you, Kerry, but some time when we have the time to actually talk.¡± I hoped she¡¯d understand, and she seemed to, but I still felt like an ass. Especially since Kerry reminded me I hadn¡¯t even given Steph a second thought since Emmy and I had apparently kissed and made up.


    Instead of showering at the gym as I normally did after Wednesday¡¯s late workouts I just grabbed Emmy¡¯s hand again and led her outside.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± she responded, still in the same mood as earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯d say let¡¯s go back to my dorm, but my roommate is probably there,¡± I said, rolling my eyes to express what I thought of that.


    ¡°Would you¡­¡± Emmy started to ask.


    ¡°Would I what? Emmy, if it¡¯s something you want to do, I want to do it, too. As long as it¡¯s with you, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, her dark face finally showing some sign of hope.


    ¡°Yes. Really. Em, I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am to see you again, and how much I missed you.¡±


    ¡°Even though you had Stephanie Houk?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Em, I won¡¯t lie. I loved Steph- I mean, I still do love her. But never anywhere near as much as I loved- love you. You have to understand this, Em. If given a choice between the two of you, I would choose you. Every single time, Em. Every. Single. Time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah, I wish I could believe that,¡± Emmy sighed.


    ¡°Let me prove it to you somehow. Spend the night with me, Emmy. Even if it¡¯s in my dorm room. Just¡­ don¡¯t leave me. I don¡¯t want you to ever leave me again.¡±


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    ¡°Would you like to go with me to my house?¡± Emmy asked, and now her hopeful expression seemed to be winning out over the defeated look she¡¯d had since I first spotted her.


    ¡°Emmy,¡± I answered, ¡°there is nothing I would like more. I just need to stop at my room to get some stuff for tomorrow, if that¡¯s O.K.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Emmy replied, giving me her first honest smile in over six months.


    Shinju did more than a double-take when Emmy walked in the dorm room with me. In fact, it¡¯s pretty fair to say that her jaw just about hit the floor.


    ¡°Emmy, this is my room mate, Shinju Kanawa. Shinju, this is Emmy De Lascaux,¡± I said, making an exaggerated introduction. ¡°The girl I am going to marry.¡±


    I said it as a joke, but even as the words came out of my mouth I realized that it was how I felt. The shocked looks on both the other girls¡¯ faces took all of the seriousness from the statement, and I couldn¡¯t help but break out laughing.


    Neither Shinju or Emmy had much to say to that, so I just grabbed the clothes and books I¡¯d need for the morning and stuffed them in my courier bag. I also reached into the corner behind my bed and grabbed Emmy¡¯s guitar, which I hadn¡¯t taken out of its case since before the term started.


    Emmy looked surprised to see it, so I explained ¡°I wanted to have something here that reminded me of you.¡±


    Emmy and I hustled out with a quick ¡°See you tomorrow¡± to Shinju.


    ¡°We need to go get my car,¡± Emmy explained as we headed back to the place I¡¯d first spotted Emmy that afternoon.


    I expected to see the Mini, but Emmy led me to this big black SUV-type thing. It was another BMW, of course, but about as far from the Mini as could be imagined. Where the Mini Cooper was cute, this thing hulked. It was obviously a very nice car, with an all black interior, leather seats, and so on, but it somehow seemed unfriendly. Even the motor somehow sounded antagonistic and combative when it roared to life.


    ¡°What happened to your other car?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is still in Fallbrook,¡± replied Emmy as she navigated the brute of a car through the narrow streets near the university. ¡°It is yours if you want it,¡± she said in a slightly bitter tone.


    ¡°What? No! Shit, Emmy. We really do need to have a long talk.¡± I was hurt, but there was no way I was going to let anything at all derail our getting back together.


    Emmy didn¡¯t say anything for the rest of the short ride.


    She pulled the car into an underground parking garage below a two-story townhouse complex and into a spot near the far corner. We walked up a flight of stairs to a small courtyard surrounded by the four condos¡¯ entrances. Emmy opened her door and quickly checked the security pad before disarming the alarm and ushering me in.


    Realizing Emmy may not ever need to turn on the lights, I fumbled around for the switch. ¡°Sorry,¡± Emmy said when she realized what I was doing. She flipped the lights on to reveal a very nice contemporary townhouse with a two-story living room. The decorations were all tasteful but somehow the place seemed empty, devoid of life. Wandering around intensified the feeling. The condo gave the impression of a showcase home. It was as if some interior decorator had picked everything out to look perfect, but no one had ever actually lived there.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied. ¡°I could use a shower, though,¡± I added.


    ¡°Of course. Up here.¡± I followed her up the stairs to the landing, which had three bedrooms. Emmy led me into the largest bedroom and pointed out the bathroom. ¡°There is shampoo, and towels.¡±


    I thought of inviting her to shower with me, but I wasn¡¯t too sure of our footing at the moment and again I thought I¡¯d better not presume anything. When I was done with a quick shower I wrapped myself in one of the luxurious towels from the small linen closet and went looking for Emmy.


    I found her downstairs in a small home office, working on her computer. Even this room didn¡¯t show any signs of occupation other than the textbooks on the shelf and the laptop Emmy was using.


    ¡°Em,¡± I asked, ¡°How long have you lived here?¡±


    ¡°A little over three months,¡± she replied, not looking up.


    I¡¯d had about enough of Emmy¡¯s strange passive aggressive behavior, so I knelt down next to her on the thick carpeting and turned her office chair to face me. ¡°Emmy,¡± I said, ¡°We need to talk. Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± I took her hands and pulled her up. She didn¡¯t exactly resist, but she didn¡¯t make it extra easy for me, either. Exasperated, I muttered ¡°O.K., you asked for it,¡± and reached around and scooped her up in my arms. I was amazed at how light she seemed as I carried her out of the room. Emmy tried to hide it, but I could see a smile trying to make itself known. Encouraged, I carried her up the stairs and into the large bedroom and dropped her on the bed. Figuring that it was all or nothing at this point, I pulled off my towel and got exactly the reaction I wanted. Emmy¡¯s eyes went wide as she looked at my body, and when I saw her bite her lip I knew it was working. I pulled off her shoes, then crawled up on to the bed and straddled her. I slowly removed her clothes, giving her every opportunity to stop me if she wanted, but she didn¡¯t protest my attentions at all.


    When I finally had her naked, I pulled the covers up and over her, turned out the lights, then climbed into bed. I reached over and wrapped my arms around Emmy¡¯s slender body and nestled her into mine, spooning her the way we used to do.


    ¡°This,¡± I sighed. ¡°This is what I¡¯ve wanted more than anything else, ever. Just this.¡±


    Emmy relaxed into my embrace and pushed herself into me, getting as close as humanly possible. ¡°Me, too,¡± Emmy whispered.


    I didn¡¯t want to talk, even though I¡¯d said we needed to do so. I just wanted to inhale the smell of Emmy¡¯s hair, and feel the warmth of her skin against mine. The familiar feel of her heartbeat under my hand was the most beautiful thing I could ever imagine, and I wanted that moment to last forever. Emmy fell asleep almost immediately, and I followed soon after.


    When the alarm clock on my phone went off (way too early, like always) I gently moved Emmy¡¯s head off my shoulder and on to the pillow and slid out of bed. Emmy was as sound a sleeper as ever, so I quietly dressed and went downstairs. I grabbed her phone and used it to call mine so I¡¯d have her number, then left a note telling her I wanted to have lunch with her and she should call me at a little after ten after my workout. I wrote ¡°I Love You¡± on the bottom of the note, then walked the half a mile to the gym, happier than I¡¯d been in a long time.


    I felt great at the workout, and it must have showed. At the second break Coach Burke pulled me aside and said ¡°Farmer, you¡¯re doing great today. Your new girlfriend seems to be having a positive effect on you.¡±


    Blushing, I stammered ¡°Umm¡­ Uh¡­¡± but he just chuckled and asked ¡°What, did you think it wasn¡¯t obvious?¡± Then he blew his whistle to call everybody to the court for our next drills.


    Emmy called while I was in the shower, leaving me a message that she would love to have lunch with me. We texted back and forth and settled on the Thai place that Donny had introduced me to.


    Lunch was a bit awkward. Neither of us really knew what to say, so we pretty much didn¡¯t say anything at all. Emmy just pushed her food around on her plate and barely ate a bite.


    Eventually, I couldn¡¯t stand the tension any longer, and realizing that if anything were going to happen it would be up to me, I asked ¡°Do you have any classes this afternoon?¡±


    When Emmy answered no, I suggested ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go back to your place and have that talk we didn¡¯t get to last night.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s car didn¡¯t seem quite so ominous in the daylight, but it still was one heck of a monster, looking as if it were lunging forward even when standing still. It was all metallic black with huge low-profile rims and windows tinted so dark you couldn¡¯t see in. The inside had seemed all black the night before, but somehow the daylight made it appear even darker. It struck me as so opposite the Emmy I was used to- this thing was a macho beast of a car, not fun and playful like the Mini had been.


    Wanting to break the mood, I reached for the stereo. ¡°Do you mind if I put on some music?¡± I asked. Emmy shook her head no, so I turned it on. ¡°What discs do you have in it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°None,¡± Emmy replied, keeping her eyes on the road.


    Surprised by that, I looked to see what the presets were on the satellite radio, but none had been programmed. Puzzled, I asked ¡°How long have you had this car, Em?¡±


    ¡°Three months. Since moving here to Stanford.¡±


    It struck me that something must really be wrong if Emmy hadn¡¯t even ever turned on her car stereo since she¡¯d owned it. By that time we were pulling in to the condo¡¯s parking garage, so I gave up on the music.


    After Emmy carefully checked the alarm, I entered the townhouse and really looked around this time. I looked in the fridge, which was basically empty. I then looked pretty much everywhere, and nowhere in the entire house was there any stereo, no CDs, no guitars (besides the acoustic I¡¯d brought from my dorm room), nothing. No sign of music at all.


    Emmy just stood and watched, that same defeated look in her eyes, not asking what I was doing. It was as if she simply couldn¡¯t muster up the effort to even care, or be curious at all.


    I have to be honest- I was really starting to wonder what was going on. ¡°Emmy, you¡¯ve lived here for three months, right? Since just before the term started?¡± When she nodded yes, I continued ¡°But this house shows no real sign that anybody has been living here. None of the stuff I would expect to see of yours, that¡¯s for sure. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Her lack of inflection and those empty eyes were haunting me, and all I knew is that I wanted the girl with that spark back. The girl I¡¯d fallen in love with was in love with life, alive and vibrant. This strange, sad version of Emmy seemed to lack all of that, and I hated it.


    ¡°Emmy¡± I said. ¡°Come with me.¡± I took her by the hand and led her upstairs to the master bedroom. She didn¡¯t resist when I stripped off her clothes and lowered to the bed, but she did say, ¡°I thought you wanted to talk.¡±


    ¡°I do¡± I replied, as I got naked and slid under the covers with her. I pulled her into my arms and said, ¡°I do want to talk, but here¡¯s the thing. I want us to talk about things that matter. About us. About our relationship, and what¡¯s happened and what we¡¯re going to do. And it seems to me that the best way to have this conversation is like this, just the two of us. Last night, sleeping with you in my arms, was the best thing that¡¯s happened to me in a long time, Em-¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± she interrupted in a soft voice.


    ¡°And I want to have our talk like this, so we can focus on what¡¯s really important.¡±


    ¡°What is really important, Leah?¡± asked Emmy, in a small voice.


    ¡°This, Em. This, right here, you and me. This is the most important thing in the world to me. I would give up everything else in a moment if I could trade it for us being together.¡±


    ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± Emmy asked, her voice hopeful.


    Burying my face in her hair, squeezing her too thin body against mine, I whispered ¡°Absolutely, positively. I want this more than anything in the world.¡±


    ¡°What about Stephanie?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be hard to break it to her,¡± I replied. It was the truth, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to it at all.


    ¡°What will you tell her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell her the truth. That I¡¯ve got you back, and it¡¯s over,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Is that the truth? Do you have me back?¡± asked Emmy, pulling away so she could look me in the face.


    ¡°God, I hope so, Em. I want you back more than anything,¡± I replied, tears welling up in my eyes again. ¡°More than anything, ever¡± I whispered, my voice thick and husky.


    ¡°Is it over with Stephanie? Are you choosing me over her?¡± Emmy asked, uncertainty in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes. Yes, Em. Yes. I¡¯m not going to lie and say I never loved her, but I never, ever loved her as much as I love you.¡± With this, I pulled her to me and kissed her, hungry for confirmation that I did in fact have her love back. When she responded with tenderness, I felt a part of my heart open up, a part that had been locked up tight for over six months, a part that had been licking its wounds since Emmy disappeared into that terrible night. We held each other for hours, not saying or doing much, just being as close as we possibly could get.


    Later that evening we went out for dinner at a little French restaurant in town. Emmy helped me pick out something from the menu that I wouldn¡¯t find too weird, and for dessert, we had chocolate torte.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t anywhere as good as Marie-Anne¡¯s,¡± I said, and Emmy nodded her head in agreement. She¡¯d hardly eaten a bite during dinner, and even when I fed her bites of torte she seemed uninterested. I¡¯d noticed she was past the point of merely slender and well into the range of way too skinny and it bothered me. I hated to see her not taking care of herself, and was hatching a vague plan to bring her back to the way she used to be- outgoing, energetic, but most important of all, happy.


    After dinner we stopped by my dorm room so I could grab some more clothes. I left Shinju a note telling her I wouldn¡¯t be back that night, and we returned to Emmy¡¯s townhouse.


    We slept spooned together, just like we used to do. Emmy¡¯s body fit perfectly with mine, same as it always had. Even though we were as close as it was physically possible to get, there was still a big gulf between us. Sure, we were naked in bed together, but Emmy had given me no hint she was ready to return all the way to the relationship we¡¯d had before, and didn¡¯t respond to my touch in a way that led me to think she was in the mood for love making. There was no way I was going to push matters- besides, just having Emmy back in my arms was enough for now. The physical side of things would hopefully return with time.

 Not a chapter- a rant.

    Well, I just got a private message from the administrators of Royal Road asking me to change my book cover.


    They have received a number of complaints that the cover is suggestive, the PM states.


    I will admit that the picture is sexy. I picked it because it''s sexy. The subject of my story is romance, and the title character is supposed an unusually sexy young woman. Any picture of her would therefore, by definition be sexy.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    That said, there are plenty of covers on Royal Road that are far more suggestive. Look at "Sexy Space Babes" as an example.


    I really don''t want to change the cover. I will if I have to, but I won''t do it very willingly.


    so I would like to ask you, my lovely readers- should I change the cover or should I fight it?


    If you guys feel as I do, please send a PM to the Royal Road administration telling them how you feel. If you do that, please BCC me if you can.


    Sorry about the rant. I hate to interrupt the story with this issue, but this does upset me and I would like to know your feelings on the matter.

 Toaster

    After workout that Saturday, Kim and Stacey asked me if I wanted to go for coffee.


    ¡°Sure!¡± I replied. ¡°Coffee is my one weakness.¡±


    ¡°What, the only one?¡± Stacey asked, laughing.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. Well, and kryptonite,¡± I replied, laughing along with her as we walked out of the gym. I was in a good mood, because every day seemed to bring Emmy back a little closer to me.


    Outside in the parking lot I had to laugh again when I saw the bumper sticker on the back of Kim¡¯s pale green VW Beetle. It said, ¡°Pirate girl, looking for booty.¡±


    ¡°Like that, huh?¡± asked Stacey, her voice a bit sharp.


    ¡°Well, sure. It¡¯s funny,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it is, but I still wish she¡¯d get rid of it,¡± grumbled Stacey as I climbed into the back seat.


    ¡°Oh, baby- you know yours is the only booty for me,¡± Kim said as she leaned over to the passenger seat and kissed Stacey on the lips. I have to admit, the sight shocked me. I mean, I hadn¡¯t had any idea they were gay, much less a couple. This whole gaydar thing just wasn¡¯t working for me at all. It¡¯s not as if it bothered me, seeing them kiss like that. How could I complain? I mean, I kiss girls, too. Still, it was a surprise.


    When we got our coffee and took a table at Starbucks both Kim and Stacey looked at each other, waiting for the other to talk.


    ¡°So, Leah, we weren¡¯t sure, but after last few days, we got to thinking that you probably were family after all,¡± Kim said, somewhat awkwardly, and Stacey nodded.


    ¡°Um, ¡®family¡¯?¡± I asked, unsure of what they were getting at.


    ¡°Uh, you know. Um, on our team,¡± Stacey added.


    ¡°Well, sure I¡¯m on your team. We just got done with a workout, didn¡¯t we? I mean, it sure seemed to me that we were on the same team the other night against U Dub.¡± I had an idea of what they were getting at, but I wasn¡¯t going to make it easy for them.


    They both looked at me for a moment, unsure what to say next, when Stacey broke out in a laugh. ¡°Jeeze, Leah. You had me going there for a minute.¡± Kim laughed, too, figuring out I was pulling their legs.


    I smirked, pleased with myself. Once they settled down I said ¡°I¡¯d never heard that term ¡®family¡¯ before. I mean, I figured out what you meant, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Kim asked. ¡°How long have you been out? Like, I knew that term from the time I was, I don¡¯t know, ten maybe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you grew up in San Francisco, babe. You were a little baby dyke from way back,¡± Stacey said.


    ¡°Emmy and me, we were outed right after Christmas,¡± I explained. ¡°Neither of us had ever even thought about other girls like that until we hooked up. We¡¯re, I don¡¯t know, just sort of new at this whole thing, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Um, let me get this straight. Emmy is the girl that¡¯s been coming to watch the workouts, right?¡± Stacey asked, puzzled. I noticed that she¡¯d avoided any mention of Emmy¡¯s unusual looks, for which I was grateful.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So who was the hottie that came with you back at the camp this summer? The one with the brown hair?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to...¡± said Kim.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. The short version is that Emmy and I fell in love a year ago,¡± I explained. ¡°She was new to my school and we spent a lot of time together, and I just sort of realized I was attracted to her. I¡¯d never been attracted to girls before, so it was a weird feeling,¡± I said, thinking back. ¡°She stayed over at my house one weekend and we started cuddling, then kissing, and one thing led to another. Thinking about it afterwards, I recognized that I loved her more than I¡¯d ever loved my old boyfriend, and just thought it was all about Emmy. Then, right after spring break, her parents took her back to France and I thought I was never gonna see her ever again. For months I was completely screwed up emotionally, and one of my friends was there, helping me cope. Finally I just sort of gave up, and decided it was time to move on.¡±


    My eyes felt uncomfortably moist, so I took a sip of coffee to calm myself down. ¡°When I finally opened my eyes I realized that my friend, Stephanie, was open to much more than just being friends. In fact, she just plain told me she had a crush on me. It¡¯s funny,¡± I chuckled, thinking about it. ¡°She never had thought of herself as gay, either. So we hooked up, and things were O.K. but then when fall term started we just kind of argued a lot, and it seemed like we wanted different things.¡±


    ¡°So, um, Emmy was gay? I mean, before you met her? When she came to your school?¡± Stacey asked, for clarification.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t really think so,¡± I answered, thinking about it. ¡°She¡¯d led a really sheltered life and hadn¡¯t ever even had a date before, but I think she was more geared towards guys when we first met. In fact, she briefly dated one of the football players before we¡­¡±


    ¡°So- getting back on track. You and- what was her name? Stephanie, right? Were fighting, and the long distance thing wasn¡¯t working,¡± Kim interrupted, clearly wanting to hear the rest of the story.


    ¡°Uh, yeah. So we had a big argument-¡±


    ¡°What about?¡± Stacey asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s stupid, really, but she didn¡¯t want to tell her parents that she was seeing another girl. And I wanted a relationship like I¡¯d had with Emmy, where we didn¡¯t have to hide anything. On top of that, well¡­¡± I said, not sure how to continue.


    Exasperated, Kim said ¡°So you had a big argument about being in or out, I can understand that. It¡¯s tough for some people. But get back to your story. And you,¡± she said, turning to Stacey, ¡°Quit interrupting.¡±


    Stacey stuck her tongue out at Kim, making me chuckle. ¡°So, anyway, I was thinking that me and Steph were done, and was feeling bad about it, but kinda relieved, too, if that makes sense.¡± They both nodded that they understood, so I continued.


    ¡°Then one day I spotted Emmy walking to class. We¡¯d planned on going to Stanford together, so in some ways it wasn¡¯t too much of a surprise to see her here. But she hadn¡¯t called me, sent me a single email or anything while she was gone, so I had no idea she was here.¡±


    ¡°So she was happy to see you?¡± Asked Stacey.


    ¡°Well, no, not at first. She told me she¡¯d come back to Fallbrook and seen me with Stephanie, and thought that I didn¡¯t love her anymore. I had a hard time convincing her that it was always about her, and Steph only happened because I thought she was gone forever.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re back together now?¡± Kim asked.


    ¡°Well, I hope so. It¡¯s been pretty rough the last few days, but I¡¯m not going to let her slip away again,¡± I said, and I knew it was true. I was going to do anything I had to, to make things work with Emmy and me. Anything.


    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s some story, all right,¡± said Stacey. Leaning back in her chair. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that both Emmy and Stephanie were straight before you hooked up?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, I guess so,¡± I agreed.


    Turning to Kim, Stacey said ¡°She definitely gets a toaster!¡± making Kim laugh.


    Seeing the puzzled look on my face, Kim said ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    We finished our coffee, talking about various things. I asked if any of the other girls on the team were gay, and confessed that I had no idea who was and who wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Stacey said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Nobody cares. The only reason we,¡± she said, pointing to herself and Kim, ¡°keep it under wraps around the team is because we don¡¯t want our relationship to affect-¡±


    ¡°Or be affected by,¡± interrupted Kim.


    ¡°-Or be affected by the team. That¡¯s all. Off-court, we¡¯re out and proud, and that¡¯s how it should be. Don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t tell who¡¯s family and who¡¯s not.¡±

 Getting Life Back In Order

    It didn¡¯t take long. Just a few more nights of me staying over and we agreed I should just move in to Emmy¡¯s house. I packed up my few belongings that weren¡¯t already over there and told Shinju that I¡¯d continue to make the dorm my official residence so I¡¯d still be by for my mail every couple of days.


    Moving in with Emmy didn¡¯t feel the way I¡¯d imagined way back when. The townhouse felt even less like ¡®home¡¯ than the dorm room had.


    Living in the soulless condo was strange at first, but I was determined I was going to make it a home for the two of us, so some changes were in order.


    The condo was so bright and airy with its big two story tall living room that I just knew it would be perfect for house plants. There was a farmer¡¯s market held on a street nearby, and we picked up some largish potted plants (a nice Weeping Fig and a Rubber Tree) and some really pretty ceramic pots to put them in. I paid for everything before Emmy even had a chance to reach for her money. There was no way I was going to give her any impression that I wasn¡¯t contributing financially as much as I could to our new living arrangement.


    While at the farmer¡¯s market we bought some great fruits and vegetables for the fridge and some other ingredients for dinners. I¡¯ll be the first to admit I¡¯m not much of a cook, but Emmy had never cooked a meal in her life so it was up to me. I didn¡¯t want to live on cafeteria food and restaurants- we needed some home cooking.


    Bringing our goodies home and putting the plants in places of honor in the living room and upstairs landing made me feel better already. Whatever steps I could take to personalize the house and give it some sense of life were good things, I thought. Emmy had been in the place for three months and it showed no signs of anybody living there at all, and I thought that complete lack of homey feel was doing her soul no favors.


    A grocery-shopping trip just about wiped out the rest of my weekly budget, but again, it was important to me that it be obvious I had no intention of mooching. It made me sad to think that something like this would matter, but there it was. I was going to tread as softly as possible to undo the damage to our relationship from the events of the last six months, however I could. Emmy¡¯s trust in me had been shattered and getting her to believe in me and in my love for her was worth any effort.


    I took on the duty of cooking for the two of us, and Emmy made it fair by cleaning up. I made the bed in the morning, and she did the laundry. It was more like being roommates than lovers, but it was a step.


    I tried gently pressuring her into practicing her guitar, but she resisted, so I didn¡¯t push it. Baby steps, I reminded myself. It was all about the baby steps.


    It was a little after seven in the evening when we got to Fallbrook. The drive down for Thanksgiving break had been easy but the silence in the car had been uncomfortable. Emmy was still withdrawn and quiet despite the week we¡¯d been living together, despite the ten days we¡¯d spent together since I first spotted her on campus. She¡¯d built quite a shell for herself and it had been proving a lot harder than I¡¯d expected to crack it.


    Emmy pulled that big beast of an SUV into that familiar parking lot next to Mom¡¯s old car. Emmy started to grab my duffel bag, but I told her to leave it. ¡°We can get it later. I just want to go in and say hello first.¡±


    ¡°I should go to my parent¡¯s house,¡± Emmy objected, but I wasn¡¯t going to have any of that.


    ¡°Not just yet, you don¡¯t. First you need to come in and say hello.¡± I grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs. Emmy resisted a little bit, but not too much. I unlocked the door and stepped in to that same old comfortable living room and it was like a warm hug from a loved one. I¡¯d been away longer than I¡¯d ever been before, and it was just so, so very good to be home.


    Tiff jumped up from the table where she¡¯d been drawing and rushed over to say hello. When I pulled Emmy into the room with me Tiff let out a squeal and changed direction. She wrapped her arms around Emmy, totally ignoring me for the moment. ¡°Emmy! Emmy! You¡¯re home!¡± she squeaked in her excitement. ¡°You¡¯re home! I missed you so much! We all missed you!¡± Tiffany¡¯s enthusiasm was uncontrollable. She was so wound up that she started crying with happiness, even as she continued to babble to Emmy about how much she missed Emmy singing her to sleep, and how good her grades were last year because Emmy had helped her so much, and so on. Tiffany had Emmy in such a tight embrace that Emmy couldn¡¯t really move, so I gently pushed them both inside so I could shut the door.


    I turned back to look at the two of them, and saw Emmy kissing the top of Tiff¡¯s head, murmuring about how much she had missed Tiffany, too, and how happy she was to see her again. I was pretty sure I saw tears in Emmy¡¯s eyes, and she was hugging Tiff with just as much conviction as Tiffany was squeezing her.


    I went over and gave Mom a hello hug, and answered her questioning look with a whispered ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it later.¡±


    Eventually Tiffany ran out of things to say and pulled Emmy over to the couch where she sat Emmy down, then climbed into her lap and just cuddled quietly. Emmy gave me a look that I couldn¡¯t really define, but it certainly wasn¡¯t unhappy.


    I sat at the table and talked to Mom for a while about college and my grades (not as good as I¡¯d hoped, but not bad, either) and about how I¡¯d become the first freshman starter on the team in years. In the background, I could hear Emmy and Tiff whispering, gently babbling to each other. It all felt so right, as if none of the last six months we¡¯d lost mattered.


    I could see Mom had a lot of questions, and I knew that some of them were going to be uncomfortable. I was glad that she was willing to wait until later to ask them, too.


    After a while, Mom told Tiff that it was time for bed, and when Tiff asked Emmy to sing to her, I thought I could see the first big crack in Emmy¡¯s armor.


    As we listened to Emmy sing a lullaby to Tiffany, I admitted to Mom that I¡¯d been living with Emmy for a week but hadn¡¯t wanted to mention it because I wasn¡¯t sure how things were going. ¡°What happened this summer really changed her, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s been really tough to see her the way she¡¯s been. It¡¯s like she¡¯s going through the motions, but not really living, if you know what I mean. I¡¯m not even sure she really believes I still love her, and I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± I moaned.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯re talking about tonight,¡± Mom countered. ¡°She seems like the same old Emmy she always was.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see how I had to drag her into the apartment,¡± I argued. ¡°She didn¡¯t even want to come up to say hello.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mom said, drifting into thought. ¡°My guess is she didn¡¯t know what her reception would be. I mean, she did leave abruptly, and perhaps she thought that Tiffany would be mad at her for abandoning her like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I conceded.


    Emmy emerged from Tiffany¡¯s room and sat down at the table with us, saying ¡°Tiffany is asleep,¡± in a soft voice tinged with something like wonder, or amazement. ¡°I¡­¡± Emmy started to say, but didn¡¯t finish.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°She¡¯s missed you very, very much, Emmy,¡± Mom said. ¡°Seeing you tonight might be the best thing that¡¯s happened to her in a long time.¡± Then, as if she just remembered her manners, Mom added ¡°I¡¯m pleased to see you again, too. Very glad you came down with Lee.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emmy said, still feeling awkward. ¡°I was not sure.¡±


    Mom did something totally unexpected. She reached out and rested her hand on Emmy¡¯s, and said ¡°Of course we¡¯re always happy to see you, Emmy. You make this house feel more complete, somehow. We missed you.¡±


    Emmy didn¡¯t know what to say to that, but she finally whispered ¡°Thank you,¡± and it was clear to me that what Mom had said meant more than simple words.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and I¡¯m sure the two of you are quite tired from your long drive. You two should get some sleep,¡± Mom said, shooing us off.


    ¡°I should go home,¡± Emmy said to me as we got up.


    I put my hands on Emmy¡¯s shoulders and turned her to face me. ¡°You are home,¡± I said. ¡°You are home, Em. Come on. Let¡¯s go to bed.¡±


    All resistance Emmy might have been planning on putting up vanished, and she let me lead her to my- to our room. Emmy looked around, then sat on the bed, a sort of bewildered look on her face. I sat behind her, my legs on either side of hers. I pulled her back into my arms, and whispered into her ear. ¡°This is where you belong, Em. Here, with me. In our bed.¡±


    ¡°Is it our bed, Leah? Is it really? Perhaps it is actually not my bed anymore, but yours and Stephanie¡¯s,¡± responded Emmy, sounding more defeated than bitter.


    ¡°No, Emmy. It¡¯s our bed, yours and mine. I never shared this bed with Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie never spent the night?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    I wanted to be totally honest, so I felt full disclosure was the proper way to go. ¡°Once we actually hooked up, no. She never spent the night here with me. To tell you the full and complete truth, though, I do have to say that that first night, after I went to your parents¡¯ house and the guard at the gate told me you¡¯d all gone back to Paris, I was a total wreck. Stephanie stayed with me that night just to hold me while I cried all night long. It wasn¡¯t until a long time after that that we got involved, though. She was just here that night as a friend.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for telling me that,¡± Emmy whispered. After a few thoughtful moments, she added ¡°I am glad you had somebody here for you then.¡±


    ¡°I was so devastated, Em. I felt as if my whole world had collapsed. I thought that life would be easier if I just simply died.¡±


    ¡°That does not make any sense,¡± Emmy replied, a hint of a chuckle in her voice.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t, but that¡¯s how I felt. Now come on, let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± I sat Emmy up so we could get ready for bed.


    After we¡¯d brushed our teeth and changed into our sleepwear, Emmy commented how surprised she was that her toothbrush was still in the bathroom and her clothes were still in the dresser drawers. ¡°All your stuff is still here, Em. All of it. Well, except the one guitar I took with me to school.¡±


    We settled in to our old pattern of me spooning her in that little bed and it felt so absolutely right, so perfect, that all I could do was squeeze Emmy¡¯s thin body against mine and bury my face in her hair and weep silent tears of pure happiness.


    Just as I started to drift off, Emmy spoke. ¡°Leah, are you still awake?¡± she asked, her voice soft.


    I mumbled something, which I guess was enough to let her know I was.


    ¡°This is all I ever wanted, Leah. Just this. Just¡­¡±


    ¡°Em, you have it now. You have it now,¡± I answered, still a little dazed from the edge of sleep. I kissed her shoulder to make my point.


    ¡°Oh, Leah. I wish I did. I wish for nothing more. But I cannot have this. I cannot have you, and Tiffany, and your mother. I cannot have this house. I cannot have this life, Leah.¡± With that pronouncement, Emmy started to cry, her strange silent sobs wracking her too-slender body.


    I rolled her around to face me, now fully awake. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Em? What do you mean? This life is yours if you want it. God knows I want it, Em. I want this life for us.¡±


    ¡°I want it more than anything, Leah, but I cannot. My life is not mine to decide what I can have and what I cannot.¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡± I murmured, kissing her tears away as best I could. ¡°Is this about your duties as a princess?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you know?¡± Emmy choked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I do. Your mom told me what she and your dad expect from you. She told me that night.¡± There was no need to explain which night I meant. For both of us it would be remembered as ¡°that night¡± for a long time to come.


    ¡°What did my mother tell you?¡± The astonishment in her voice definitely told me that she hadn¡¯t known her mom would ever reveal family secrets.


    ¡°She told me you have to carry on the family line. She told me that you have to bear children to produce heirs. She didn¡¯t say it, but if I understand what she was talking about, a daughter would be the best.¡±


    ¡°And that is why I can¡¯t stay with you, Leah¡± Emmy said. ¡°I have to find a suitable husband.¡±


    ¡°No, Em. You don¡¯t. We can stay together, forever. We can.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°How can we stay together, Leah?¡±


    ¡°Your mom said that the line needs heirs, Em. She also said that it doesn¡¯t really matter who the father is, just that you have children.¡± My explanation wasn¡¯t really getting anywhere, so I added ¡°Em, you could get an artificial insemination. It doesn¡¯t much matter who the sperm donor is, Em. We could pick somebody out together. We could raise the children- our children, Emmy, together. You don¡¯t need to be married to a man, Emmy. If this stupid Proposition 8 thing goes away, we can get married here in California. If it doesn¡¯t, we can get married in some other state that allows gay marriage. We can have a life together, Em. Your mom said she would be O.K. with it, too,¡± I added.


    Emmy¡¯s voice trembled slightly as she asked ¡°Leah, did you just ask me to marry you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I guess I just did, didn¡¯t I? I- well, I guess I hadn¡¯t thought about it, but maybe somehow subconsciously I was thinking¡­¡± I realized I was babbling when Emmy gently put her finger on my lips to shut me up.


    ¡°Leah, there is nothing in the world I want more. Nothing. I just want to be certain that this is what you want, too.¡±


    Remembering back to Christmas break, how I¡¯d daydreamed of the life the two of us would have together, I nodded since I knew Emmy could see me as plain as day in that dark room. I whispered ¡°It is, Em. It is what I want¡±.


    ¡°Even though-¡± Emmy started to say, but I interrupted her.


    ¡°Even though.¡± Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t matter to me.


    ¡°Please, Leah. Let me finish,¡± Emmy said, so I shut up and let her say whatever it was that she thought might be enough to keep us apart. ¡°Leah, I will have to assume the duties of my station, beyond simply bearing heirs. There are other things as well.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± I asked. ¡°Whatever it is you have to do, I¡¯ll be there with you.¡±


    ¡°It might be unpleasant at times, Leah. It will definitely involve a lot of travel, and I might need to¡­¡± Emmy trailed off, unsure what to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go anywhere with you, Em. Whatever it is you need to do, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°I wish that could be true, Leah. I am afraid that events may become dangerous, and I may need to do things that may make you hate me,¡± Emmy said, her voice sad.


    ¡°I could never hate you, Em. I love you so much it¡­¡± I didn¡¯t have words to describe my feelings for Emmy, so I let my kisses do my talking for me.


    ¡°I love you, Leah. That is why I had hoped I could escape this life, but my parents¡­¡± Emmy said, pulling away from me to look me in the eyes.


    ¡°You never told me what happened that night,¡± I reminded Emmy. ¡°I haven¡¯t wanted to ask, but I¡¯ve got to know. What did your parents do when they took you away?¡±


    ¡°It is complicated, Leah. I told you that I have never lived in the dark, do you remember? My parents took me to see that life, Leah, and how miserable it is for those that cannot live any other way. They did that so that I would see what my purpose in this life is, what they have spent my entire life preparing me to do. Leah, I am the one. I am the only one who can do it- to lead my people into the light. It must be done, and I must be the one who does it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I demanded. ¡°Why can¡¯t your parents do it? They live in the light, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they were not born in the daylight, as I was. I am proof that it is possible, Leah. My people are afraid, and resistant to change. If I can show that a better life is possible, things could get better for all of them.¡±


    ¡°O.K.¡± I said grudgingly. ¡°Let¡¯s say that you have to do this. What will it mean? What¡¯ll be required? I mean, what specifically do you have to do?¡±


    ¡°I do not know yet. I have some thoughts on what may happen, but how it happens exactly is not up to me.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever it is, I want to be there with you,¡± I said, trying to make it as clear as possible that Emmy was a very important part of my plans.


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Emmy whispered. ¡°And I truly hope that it will all be easy, but I am very afraid that it may not be.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with any issues when they come up,¡± I said, trying to reassure Emmy as best I could. ¡°But for tonight all that matters is that we¡¯re here, in our bed, and you¡¯re in my arms. Nothing else matters.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s response was entirely non-verbal, but clearly she agreed with me. We made love for the first time since she¡¯d come back into my life, and it was sweet, tender, and so, so very healing. Her body was far too skinny, but still, very, very lovely to me. I touched her, caressed her, kissed her all over, once again marveling at her satiny smooth skin, her soft gasps of pleasure, her familiar taste. In response, she clung to me like a drowning woman might cling to a lifeboat in a storm- with a fierce determination to hold on no matter what.

 Breaking The News

    For once Emmy woke up and got out of bed before I did. I finally climbed out of the familiar, comfy little bed, put on some sweats and strolled into the kitchen to find Mom, Tiff and Emmy eating breakfast.


    ¡°Good morning, Lee,¡± Mom said. ¡°Sleeping in your own bed must have agreed with you two. You both have a certain glow about you.¡±


    I blushed, and Emmy laughed in that musical way of hers that I hadn¡¯t heard in far, far too long.


    ¡°What?¡± Tiff demanded, aware that she¡¯d missed some joke.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Tiffy dear,¡± Mom said, pouring her some more milk.


    Once I¡¯d settled down with a plate of my own, Emmy put her hand on mine and asked ¡°Can I tell them?¡± with a questioning look on her lovely midnight black face.


    ¡°Tell us what?¡± Tiffany was getting a little upset at not understanding what was going on.


    I was super nervous, but I nodded at Emmy to break the news.


    ¡°Mrs. Farmer, Tiffany,¡± Emmy said, taking my big hand in her little one. ¡°Leah and I have news for you.¡± I could see the look of shock on Mom¡¯s face when she realized what Emmy was about to say. ¡°Last night, Leah asked me to marry her and I said yes.¡±


    ¡°You guys are going to get married?¡± asked Tiffany, her eyes wide with excitement. ¡°Can I be the flower girl? My friend Maria got to be the flower girl at her sister¡¯s wedding.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can, Tiffany. I could not imagine anybody else I would rather have be our flower girl,¡± Emmy replied.


    Mom finally recovered enough to speak. ¡°Well, that¡¯s some news,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to rain on your parade, but aren¡¯t you two a little young to be talking marriage?¡± I knew it was coming, but it still stung.


    ¡°You and Dad were high school sweethearts, weren¡¯t you?¡± I tried to keep my tone light and I almost succeeded. My words had their effect, though. Mom shut up, not voicing what she was going to say next.


    Emmy stepped in to ease the tension a bit, for which I was immensely grateful. ¡°Yes, we are too young to get married just now, that is true. I think it will be a little while before we get married. Perhaps when we finish college? I am not certain. What I am certain of is that I wish to spend the rest of my life with Leah, and she with me.¡±


    Mom really didn¡¯t know where to go with this, so she had the good grace to say nothing but ¡°I wish you two the best.¡±


    After breakfast, I told Emmy that I needed to go see Stephanie. ¡°The last time we talked we got into a big argument, and I told her that we would discuss things when I got home for break. I need to be honest with her, Em. I need to tell her that there really is no chance at all of us working things out, now that you¡¯re back in my life.¡±


    ¡°I feel sad for her,¡± Emmy said, almost too soft to hear.


    ¡°I do, too. Sad for me, too. But even more than that, happy for me, Em. The thought of being with you forever, that¡¯s¡­ Well, that¡¯s enough to make everything else seem as if they don¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°It makes me happy, too, to know that I will be together with you the rest of my life, Leah. I simply wish it didn¡¯t have to be at the expense of Stephanie¡¯s happiness.¡±


    ¡°Em, I haven¡¯t wanted to talk to you about this, about me and Steph. It¡¯s been something I¡¯ve been trying to avoid. But the truth is, I just don¡¯t think that we- Stephanie and me, I mean- could have gotten past the problems we were having. It just wasn¡¯t gonna work out anyway, whether you came back into my life or not.¡±


    When she looked at me with doubt in her eyes, I went on. ¡°I mean, I think we broke up about three weeks ago. That¡¯s when we had our big argument, and she hung up on me. We haven¡¯t talked since. I left her a couple of voice mails, but she never called me back. I was thinking even before I ever spotted you on campus that day that the conversation Steph and I needed to have was about making it official- the breakup, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all Emmy had to say.


    I gave Emmy a big, long kiss, putting everything I had into it to tell her that she was the one, the only one, for me. When we could both breathe normally again, I suggested she should go talk to her parents.


    ¡°Talk to them. Tell them that we want to get married and have kids. Tell them that I will be by your side, no matter what we have to do. Tell them that you will still be the princess that they need. But whatever you do,¡± I added, smiling so she¡¯d realize I was trying to make light of it, ¡°don¡¯t let them take you back to Paris again.¡±


    My ¡®let¡¯s be friends¡¯ talk went about as well as I could have expected. There was some yelling, some tears, and some hurt feelings- and that was just me. Stephanie didn¡¯t take it any better.


    Actually, I¡¯m kidding. It wasn¡¯t like that at all. Stephanie and I had both known for a while that it wasn¡¯t working and probably wasn¡¯t going to be able to work out with us, so calling it quits was almost a relief for both of us. It had become obvious to me that Stephanie simply wasn¡¯t ready to tell the world she had a girlfriend, and nothing I could say was going to change that. I didn¡¯t want to hide anything, so there was just no middle ground for the two of us. I told Steph she would always have a special place in my heart, and she said I was her first real love and she was happy that I was the one who¡¯d taken her virginity. I knew that I was her first, but to hear it expressed so candidly was still a bit shocking to me.


    We went to lunch together, not as girlfriends any more, but just as friends. It was a little bit sad, the end of what we¡¯d had together, but we were both accepting of it and both willing to return to being merely friends.


    When Steph asked ¡°Can there still be benefits?¡± with a hopeful look on her face I finally had to tell her about Emmy. I knew that I had to tell her at some point, but I wasn¡¯t sure if there would ever be a good opportunity.


    ¡°Steph, I need to tell you something. This is really important that you understand, this has nothing to do with what was going on with us-¡± I started, but Steph interrupted me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve found someone new, haven¡¯t you?¡± she demanded, a hurt look on her face.


    ¡°Sorta,¡± I admitted. ¡°But this only happened a week ago, after we had that big blowout.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®sort of¡¯?¡± she demanded, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°A week ago- well, a week and a half, actually, so two weeks after we got in that big fight, when it was obvious things weren¡¯t working out with us,¡± I began, trying to make it very clear that there was no overlap, ¡°I ran into Emmy on campus.¡±


    Steph slumped back in her chair, a defeated look in her soft brown eyes. ¡°Emmy. Well, there¡¯s no way I can compete with that, can I?¡±


    ¡°Stephanie¡­¡±


    ¡°I always knew that I¡¯d lose out if she ever came back. I mean, I was only the consolation prize, after all.¡± The hurt in her voice was killing me. I hated seeing Stephanie so crushed.


    ¡°Steph, look at me. I want you to know some things. It¡¯s very important to me for you to listen,¡± I said, taking her hand in mine. ¡°Stephanie Houk, you are an amazing, beautiful, wonderful person, and I¡¯m glad for the time we had together. I¡¯m very sorry it didn¡¯t work out, but that wasn¡¯t because Emmy swooped in or anything. It¡¯s because you and me, we want different things in our lives right now. Honestly, if you and I- if we¡¯d hooked up before Emmy ever showed up at FHS, I never would have been tempted to leave you for her. If we could have worked things out, if¡­¡± I trailed off, at a loss for words. ¡°I guess what I¡¯m saying is that you were never second best, Steph. You were never the ¡®consolation prize¡¯. We just, well, I don¡¯t know, found each other at the wrong time in our lives, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Stephanie smiled a sad, resigned little smile, and said ¡°Yeah, I guess so. In junior year I, like, fantasized about you, you know. Nothing really sexual, I¡¯d just imagine you¡­ it¡¯s silly,¡± she said, blushing.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°O.K., now you have to tell me,¡± I said. ¡°¡¯Fess up.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, it wasn¡¯t sexual. I¡¯d just, like, imagine being your friend, the two of us at the beach, or swimming in my pool, stuff like that. I used to think about how, I don¡¯t know, like, fierce you were and how I wished could be like you.¡±


    ¡°Me? Fierce?¡± I asked, dumbfounded. I mean, I know she¡¯s told me that¡¯s how she used to think of me, but it still seemed so unbelievable.


    ¡°Well, maybe ¡®fierce¡¯ isn¡¯t the right word. Maybe, I don¡¯t know, maybe unstoppable, or something like that. I guess that¡¯s why it, like, affected me so much when Emmy went away. It was like a kick in my stomach to see you so low, so¡­ devastated, Leah. It was like Superman getting a big dose of Kryptonite.¡±


    I laughed at that, but she insisted ¡°No, it¡¯s true. It was- it hurt me to see you hurting so bad. And I guess it makes me happy, if you¡¯re happy with Emmy. I just wish it could have been me that made you happy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Steph. That means a lot to me. It really does.¡±


    When we were finished with lunch, Steph asked if she could get one last goodbye kiss.


    ¡°You know that Candace and Alyson have been watching us from over there, right?¡± I asked, tilting my head to indicate the other side of the shopping mall food court.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. That¡¯s part of the reason I want you to give me a big, sloppy kiss with plenty of tongue. And, like, if you can grab my ass, too, that would be even better.¡±


    ¡°You asked for it,¡± I said, taking her into my arms and kissing her like it was our last time, which of course, it was. When I finally let Steph go I looked straight at Candace, and when I saw she had her phone out and was videoing the whole thing I caught her eye and winked as I cupped Stephanie¡¯s butt in my hands and gave her nice, round cheeks a good, long squeeze.


    We walked hand in hand back to Stephanie¡¯s car, where we agreed to keep in touch, and promised we¡¯d remain friends.


    Following a one hundred percent no secrets policy, I told Emmy everything that happened, including the kiss and grope. ¡°We should check Facebook,¡± Emmy suggested, sounding excited. ¡°I expect Candace has already posted it.¡± I was relieved Emmy took it in stride, and that night, after we watched the video (which Mindy had ¡®shared¡¯, otherwise we never would have seen it) we reenacted the scene in our bedroom.


    The rest of the week went by too fast. Emmy and I did some shopping, took Tiff to the movies a couple of times, and just generally relaxed. Emmy was almost completely back to the way she was before she left, which made me very glad. There were still a few moments of depression, but it seemed Emmy had regained most of her joy for life. We went back to Palo Alto with a car full of mostly her stuff, but some of mine, too. After all, I wasn¡¯t limited by the size of a dorm room any more, right? We had a townhouse to make our home, so the more personal stuff the better.


    A few days after Thanksgiving break, Emmy was waiting for me when I got back to the condo from Bio Lab.


    ¡°I have some things for you to sign,¡± she announced, her voice excited.


    ¡°Um, what?¡± I asked. My mind was still on protein structures, and Emmy¡¯s statement was completely out of left field.


    ¡°I had some paperwork drawn up, and I would like you to sign it,¡± Emmy repeated. ¡°Please, Leah. It is on the table.¡±


    I sat down and looked at what she had for me. ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡± I asked, holding up the first piece of paper in surprise.


    ¡°It is the title to the Mini,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I signed it over to you. Now you need to sign right here, so we can transfer ownership to you.¡±


    ¡°But Em, it¡¯s your car!¡± I protested.


    ¡°Not any more. It is yours now, Leah. I have the X6, and you need a car. It was doing no good at my parents¡¯ house, so I had it brought up here.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Em. Thanks, but I can¡¯t take the car. It¡¯s too much. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°You need a car,¡± Emmy interrupted. ¡°I have a car that is not being used, and that you like very much. I see no reason it should not be yours.¡±


    All the long-buried issues of Emmy¡¯s family¡¯s wealth versus our family¡¯s relative poverty came rushing back at full bore, and I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about it. I mean, sure, rationally Emmy was right. It would be nice to have my own car, and the Mini had just been sitting in a garage down in Fallbrook, right? But for Emmy to just give me the car was something else. That car cost, what, forty grand? The nicest car anybody in my family had ever had before was the Camry my uncle Bob bought his wife Alicia five years ago, and they bought it used. For Emmy to simply say ¡®here, Leah, take this¡¯ was a bit much, and just didn¡¯t seem right.


    ¡°Em¡­¡± I stammered. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this. Let¡¯s just keep it in your name, and I can use it once in a while, O.K.?¡±


    ¡°Leah- I want you to have it. I want it to be yours, Leah. This is very important to me,¡± she said, looking me straight in the eyes. She put her hand on mine and reaffirmed what she¡¯d just said. ¡°This is very important to me.¡±


    Torn between guilt at accepting such a nice gift, pleasure at actually owning the car I loved so much and wanting to make Emmy happy, I took the multicolored paper (it wasn¡¯t actually pink, I thought idly) and signed it.


    ¡°Thank you, Leah,¡± Emmy said, her voice expressing her pleasure that I¡¯d agreed to accept the gift.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you,¡± I said. Somehow the whole thing had seemed to have some meaning to Emmy that I wasn¡¯t grasping just yet, and I was a bit puzzled.


    Emmy slid another piece of paper in front of me, and when I realized what it was the surprise about the Mini faded into insignificance.


    ¡°Um, this is to list me as co-owner of the townhouse!¡± I squeaked, completely blown away. ¡°Em-¡±


    ¡°Yes. We need to have you listed as joint owner of this house,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°But¡­¡± I protested, words not really working that well for me at the moment.


    ¡°Leah, if something happens to me I want to be certain that you are provided for. This is our house, and I want the paperwork to reflect that.¡±


    ¡°Something happens to you? What¡¯s gonna happen?¡± I worried.


    ¡°I hope nothing will happen, but if it does, we need to be prepared. You need to be prepared, Leah.¡±


    Emmy slid some more papers across the table to me, and I saw that all of them were to add my name as joint account holder, co-owner, co-signer or something like that for any number of Emmy¡¯s assets. I held up the paper that would name me as joint bank account holder. ¡°Em, you¡¯re making me worried. What¡¯s all this about?¡±


    ¡°I do not want to worry you, Leah,¡± Emmy said, her voice going soft. ¡°That is not my desire at all. I thought that this would be a celebration, a way for us to formalize this,¡± Emmy said, holding up her hand to show off the ring she was wearing- the same ring I gave her last Christmas. ¡°We are a couple, and I want the legitimacy of it to be clear in the eyes of the law. We cannot be married yet, but we can do some things to legally cement our relationship.¡±


    ¡°Are- are you really sure?¡± I asked, overwhelmed by what Emmy was saying. It was suddenly clear to me that what Emmy was trying to say was that she considered us as good as married already, and she wanted us to share equally. Right on the heels of that realization, it occurred to me that I had nothing to bring to the arrangement. I had nothing but the few possessions I¡¯d brought over from the dorm. No money to speak of, nothing at all. Emmy was willing to sign over half of what must be millions of dollars worth of property and funds, but all I had in my bank account was six hundred and forty-seven dollars.


    Emmy, worried by the expression of dismay that must have been running across my face, asked ¡°We are a couple, are we not?¡±


    ¡°Em, it¡¯s not that. Of course I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. It¡¯s just that, well, I have nothing. I mean, I¡¯m poor. The only way I could ever have possibly come here to Stanford is my athletic scholarship. My bank account is nothing to be proud of. I¡­¡± I trailed off, lost in self-pity or something harder to define. Shame, I guess, at my inadequacy.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said tenderly as she straddled my lap and ran her fingers through my hair. ¡°That does not matter to me. You have the one thing in the whole world that I treasure most, and if you are willing to share that with me then I will be forever happy. That is all that I could ever wish from you.¡± With that, Emmy gently kissed my lips, then laid her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, stroking her back. She was still way too skinny, and I could feel her ribs under my fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll give you anything you want, Em. Anything.¡±


    ¡°I want you, Leah. If you share yourself with me, that is enough. I could never ask for more,¡± Emmy whispered, planting little butterfly kisses on my ear and the side of my neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already signed that over to you,¡± I sighed, as she continued to kiss my throat.


    I sat up straight, and took Emmy¡¯s shoulders in my hands. I pulled her away from me so I could look her in the eyes. I wanted her to understand how serious I was when I told her ¡°You know, that¡¯s all I really, truly want from you, too, Em. We could live in a cardboard box down by the river for all I care, as long as it was with you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for saying that, Leah,¡± Emmy replied, just as serious. ¡°But do you not think this is much nicer?¡± she smiled as she waved her arms to indicate the luxury condo.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, uh, Leah,¡± Emmy said, a little bashfully. ¡°Could I talk you into sharing yourself with me right now?¡±


    Lying in bed later that night, holding Emmy in my arms, I felt her slow, rhythmic breathing. I gazed at her in the glow of the streetlights filtering through the blinds and admired her exotic beauty- her snow white eyelashes defining her closed lids as black as night, her long, narrow nose, her pouty lips. She was so gorgeous, and so very different than I could have ever dreamed my lover would be.


    How different was my life than what I could have imagined a year and a half before, I mused. I thought about what all that paperwork had meant, and how by signing those pieces of paper Emmy and I had bound our lives together in so many ways. I remembered the daydream I¡¯d had at work in the nursery the day after Emmy and I first made love, and how warm I¡¯d felt inside imagining a life for Emmy and me together. The townhouse was a lot nicer than the little apartment I had daydreamed of way back when, but that wasn¡¯t the important part. What was so wonderful, so amazing, so, well, perfect I guess, about how things were was the simple fact that Emmy and I were together, and would be sharing our lives forever. Forever is a very long time, but I was happy to be starting down that road with the girl I loved.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself. I stroked Emmy¡¯s fine snow-white hair and caressed her midnight black cheek. She woke, and looked at me through her groggy, vivid green eyes.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, her voice sleepy.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I replied, my heart bursting. ¡°I love you more than I can possibly say.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Emmy agreed, then her eyes closed and she fell back asleep. I pulled her in tightly against me, and soon did the same.

 Strays

    Still on a high from the sweep of Cal, I was on a cloud during dinner. Emmy had found an Italian restaurant in Berkeley that was open late, to my surprise. Emmy ate her usual tiny amount, but I was hungry so I scarfed my pesto down with enthusiasm.


    Walking back to Emmy¡¯s SUV, it seemed as if all were right with the world. Emmy and I were back together, my grades were good, and my team was going to the playoffs. Life seemed perfect.


    Out of the blue, Emmy asked me ¡°Leah, do you trust me?¡±


    Wondering what she was talking about, I responded ¡°Of course I do. Why? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°We need to go into this alley, Leah. Yes, this one,¡± she said, steering me into a grimy alley that looked anything but inviting. It was dark, but not completely so. Still, I was suddenly concerned. I mean, I knew Emmy could see as well as if it were day (maybe better, actually) but I was not gifted with her ability to see in the dark, and this alley was creepy.


    Emmy pushed me down the alley and told me to hide behind a dipsy dumpster, then turned to face the way we¡¯d come. A few moments later two African-American men entered the alley, obviously looking for us. Emmy just stood there, her hands on her hips, waiting for them.


    The two guys spotted her right away, and the larger of the two stepped forward.


    Emmy spoke then, saying something I couldn¡¯t understand. She repeated herself, in a louder, more demanding voice.


    The big guy, who was obviously the leader of the two, answered, ¡°Who are you, walking around like you are?¡±


    Emmy answered him back, and I realized I couldn¡¯t understand her because she was talking to him in some other language. I recognized when she told him her name, but it sounded strange, too. She said some more in that language I couldn¡¯t understand, but the big guy clearly did.


    ¡°Do not speak to me in that language of oppression. This is a new land, and we are free of your kind here.¡± He advanced, and I was sure he was going to attack Emmy. ¡°We don¡¯t want your kind here. This is a free land, and you have no say here!¡± The big guy was getting more and more agitated, but the smaller guy didn¡¯t look as if he wanted anything to do with this confrontation. Neither did I, but Emmy was doing nothing to defuse the situation. She kept talking to the guy in the foreign language, which kind of sounded like Arabic or something like that to me.


    ¡°No!¡± shouted the big guy. ¡°I will not! You have no right to demand anything! This is not your place!¡± He was extremely upset, but Emmy was still calm, giving me flashbacks to her argument with Jake Merrick.


    Emmy pointed at the ground at her feet and said something that sounded like a demand, but the guy just got even madder.


    ¡°No! I will not!¡± he said again. ¡°You need to be taught your place in this new land!¡± he shouted, rushing at Emmy as he pulled a knife from inside his jacket.


    Emmy stepped back, then quick as a rattlesnake she spun on her back foot, kicking him in the head with the heel of her foot as she did so. The blow knocked him to the ground and she pounced on him with her knees in the middle of his back. Looking up at the smaller guy (who was just about to bolt) she said something in that strange language in a commanding tone and he stopped as if glued to the spot. I saw that she had that wicked folding knife of hers in her hand, and she pointed it at the small guy. ¡°Tell the other to come out,¡± she commanded in English, then held her knife to the throat of the guy she was pinning to the ground.


    As Emmy returned her focus to the leader, a third figure, smaller than the first two, entered the alley when the second guy called out.


    Emmy said something to the man on the ground, and he said ¡°I will not speak that tongue any more. I have turned my back on that life.¡±


    Emmy replied ¡°English, then. Tell me, who is your king here?¡±


    ¡°We have no king,¡± spat the man. ¡°We are done with that.¡±


    ¡°In whose shadow do you hide?¡± demanded Emmy.


    ¡°I told you! No one casts their shadow on us here!¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Emmy snapped at the smaller guy, who still looked on the verge of making a break for it. ¡°Whose shadow?¡±


    The guy was clearly terrified, and he could barely stammer out ¡°Nobody¡¯s, no, nobody¡¯s,¡± he said.


    Emmy was slowly dragging the tip of her knife across the cheek of the bigger guy, who was still lying face down in the dirty alley. He looked terrified, too. It seemed to me that he was more than half convinced Emmy was going to kill him. In all honesty, so was I. I was completely unprepared for all this, too stunned to process it all.


    The third person, standing near the entrance to the alley, started to cry. With a shock I realized it was a girl, and her voice sounded young.


    Returning her attention to the man on the ground, Emmy hissed ¡°Come to my shadow, then. Come to my shadow.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the larger man replied, almost sobbing in his terror.


    ¡°You do not have a choice,¡± Emmy told him. ¡°If you wish to live, you must do it.¡±


    My eyes had adjusted to the dim light in the alley by this time so I could see the serrated blade of Emmy¡¯s knife tracing lazy lines across the man¡¯s face. Even though she wasn¡¯t putting enough pressure to cut him, I had to look away as the tip of the knife slid across his closed eyelid.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Emmy hissed, anger in her voice. ¡°Do it for her. Do it, or else. This knife is so sharp you will never even feel the cut that draws your red blood from your body. If you die, who will take care of her?¡±


    Emmy¡¯s low, hissing voice chilled me to the bone, and it was too much for the young girl, too. She cried out in despair and collapsed to the ground. The choking noise the girl made was what it took to break the big man¡¯s resolve, and he cried out ¡°Yes! Please! Give me your shadow! Please!¡± he begged, all dignity gone.


    In a loud, clear voice Emmy said ¡°I cover you with my shadow.¡± She stood up off the man, and looked at the smaller man, who fell to his knees.


    ¡°Please, I beg you, give me protection of your shadow!¡± he implored, utterly terrified.


    ¡°I give you my shadow,¡± Emmy announced. She then walked over to the girl, who was still crying on the filthy ground. ¡°Do you wish my shadow as well?¡± Emmy asked, but in a far gentler voice than she¡¯d used with the two men.


    The girl nodded, unable to look at Emmy. Emmy gently lifted the girl¡¯s face and said ¡°I give you the protection of my shadow, little one. You no longer have anything to fear.¡±


    By this time the big guy had gotten to his feet. He watched Emmy and the girl, defeat slumping his shoulders.


    Emmy gently lifted the girl to her feet, and motioned for me to come out from where I was still hiding behind the dumpster.


    ¡°What are your names, my children?¡± asked Emmy in a gentle voice, as if she were trying to calm them. The three gathered around her, looking like scolded puppies expecting to get swatted for their transgressions.


    ¡°I am Michael, and this is my daughter Jassie,¡± said the bigger guy. His whole attitude was like somebody who¡¯d just been told his execution was scheduled for tomorrow. He was a beaten man, and it was painful to see.


    ¡°My name Hakan,¡± said the smaller man, who was still clearly terrified.


    The whole scene was so surreal to me that I couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around it. I had no idea what was going on.


    Emmy wrapped her arm around the girl¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Jassie will come with me to my home tonight. Tomorrow we will all meet at noon at the restaurant on the corner for lunch. Here is some money,¡± Emmy said, pulling a wad of cash out of her pocket. ¡°Buy yourselves some new clothes and clean yourselves up. Remember, noon at the restaurant on the corner. And this is very important. Come showing your skin, like me. As you said, Michael, this is a new land, and things should be different here.¡±


    Emmy steered the girl out of the alley, despite the girl¡¯s reluctance. The look of anguish on Michael¡¯s face was terrible to see, but he didn¡¯t protest, and neither did Jassie.


    Emmy, Jassie and I left the two men behind in the grimy alley and walked to the car. In the better light of the street I saw how shabby Jassie¡¯s clothes were, and how filthy. She smelled a bit, too. It had been a while since her last bath, and she really needed one.


    I had too many questions running through my head to actually come up with anything intelligent to ask, so I didn¡¯t say a word on the long drive back to Palo Alto. Neither did Emmy, so the only sound in the car was Jassie¡¯s quiet sobbing.


    When we got to our condo, Emmy took the girl¡¯s hand and led her inside. Jassie had stopped crying by this point, but she was clearly terrified and really didn¡¯t want to be there. I was feeling more and more furious with Emmy for subjecting this girl to this emotional abuse, but I kept my mouth shut for the time being.


    I did have to grudgingly admit that Emmy was being very gentle with the girl, trying to soothe her tattered nerves by speaking in a quiet, gentle voice and not making any sudden moves.


    Once inside our place, Emmy turned to talk to Jassie. Holding the girl¡¯s hands and looking her straight in the face, Emmy asked ¡°Do you understand what happened tonight?¡±


    Jassie nodded, but that didn¡¯t satisfy Emmy. ¡°Words, please. Tell me in words.¡± She was still using that gentle, soothing voice, but it was clear that it wasn¡¯t a request.


    ¡°You are our queen now,¡± Jassie said, her voice trembling.


    ¡°Yes, that is correct. I am now your queen. And what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°I have to do what you say,¡± Jassie replied, still tremulous.


    ¡°Yes, that is true. You must do what I tell you. What will happen if you do not?¡±


    ¡°You will kill me,¡± the terrified girl answered.


    ¡°Yes, that is right. If you disobey me, I will kill you,¡± Emmy agreed, all in the same pleasant tone. ¡°What else does it mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± stammered the girl.


    ¡°It means that it is my duty, my obligation, to protect you and keep you from harm any way I can. Do you know what that means?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°You¡­ you won¡¯t hurt me?¡±


    ¡°No. I will not hurt you, Jassie. As long as you obey me, I will do what I can to make your life better. Part of what I will do is protect you, and your father, from others who may wish to harm you. Do you understand?¡±


    When the girl nodded again, Emmy gently chided her ¡°I told you to use words, Jassie. Do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Sorry!¡± squeaked the girl, again terrified that she¡¯d angered Emmy.


    ¡°It is O.K. I know you forgot, and you are not used to speaking very much. But you are safe here, Jassie. I will protect you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± whispered the girl.


    ¡°Now. My first edict for you, your father and Hakan is to show yourselves. Did you hear me tell that to the others?¡±


    Jassie nodded, then quickly added ¡°Yes!¡± before Emmy could scold her for not using words.


    ¡°Good. I will take you upstairs, and you will bathe. You will clean your skin and you will show your true nature to the world.¡± With this, Emmy tenderly led the girl upstairs, and I followed to see what Emmy had planned.


    In our bathroom, Emmy turned on the water in the shower, and when she was satisfied it was the right temperature she told the girl to take off her clothes.


    Jassie didn¡¯t want to do it, but when Emmy repeated her command in a firmer tone, the girl started to strip. I stepped out of the bathroom, embarrassed for the girl. She only looked to be about ten years old at the most, now that I could see her in better light. Her hair was a ratty mess under her beanie, and her dark brown skin didn¡¯t look healthy at all.


    Emmy stayed in the bathroom, but opened the door I¡¯d just shut behind me when I stepped out. Emmy looked at me, as if to ask that I stick around.


    Although I couldn¡¯t see the girl, I could hear when she got into the shower. Emmy was watching her through the shower¡¯s glass door, giving her instructions on how to bathe herself. I got the impression that Jassie had never used shampoo before, judging by how Emmy had to explain it to her.


    Emmy took the girl¡¯s clothes and handed them to me while Jassie was in the shower.


    ¡°Please go through all the pockets very carefully,¡± Emmy requested. ¡°Look for anything hidden, and put everything you find in a box or something. Throw these in the washing machine with a lot of detergent and really hot water, please, Leah.¡±


    I did as she asked and found a few dollars, a small knife, and in an inside pocket of Jassie¡¯s ratty coat I found a Barbie doll that had been colored black with a marker.


    The Barbie was old and thrashed and the black marker hadn¡¯t done a very good job coloring in all the details. For some reason, just looking at the shabby little doll made me really sad. This girl¡¯s only real possession was something most people would simply throw away without a second thought.


    I threw the clothes in the washer and set it on ¡°Sanitize¡± mode, then washed my hands, which felt dirty from handling the filthy garments.


    Surprised that the other two weren¡¯t done yet, I went back upstairs just in time for Emmy and Jassie to come out of the bathroom. Jassie was wrapped in one of our big bath towels, and looked completely transformed.


    First off, her skin was now as black as Emmy¡¯s. Suddenly understanding what Emmy had meant about showing her true self to the world, I realized that Jassie, her dad and the other guy must have been wearing makeup to make themselves look like ordinary African-American black people and not the truly pitch black-skinned Children of the Night. Second, my guess of her age seemed to be off by a couple of years. Jassie was starting to show signs of becoming a young woman, so I revised my estimate to maybe twelve years old. A small twelve, though.


    Emmy motioned for me to come over, saying ¡°I want you to see something.¡± I sat on the edge of the bed, and Emmy turned the girl away from me.


    ¡°Let us see, Jassie.¡± Emmy said it gently, but it was still clearly a command. The girl unwrapped the towel from around her body and lowered it so I could see her back. Ashamed to be naked in front of us, she covered herself with her arms even though she was facing away from us. I felt terrible for the humiliation that Emmy was putting her through, and I was determined to discuss it with Emmy later.


    ¡°Do you see that?¡± Emmy asked me.


    I tried to see what she was trying to show me, but all I could see was how skinny the poor girl was. ¡°What am I looking at?¡± I asked, unsure.


    ¡°This,¡± Emmy said, lightly tracing her finger along Jassie¡¯s bare back.


    Looking closely, I saw what she was indicating. The girl had some kind of ornate design marked out in scars covering the majority of her back, from her shoulder blades down to the top of her butt.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I gasped, looking closer at the extensive markings carved into the girl¡¯s flesh.


    ¡°Jassie, please tell Leah what those scars are from.¡± Emmy¡¯s voice was very gentle and soothing.


    ¡°It was my fault,¡± the girl began. ¡°I was in the way, and I didn¡¯t get out of the way fast enough. He got mad and had his men hold me down. He used his knife, to remind me forever to be better.¡± Jassie¡¯s voice was small, but she didn¡¯t sound as terrified as she had earlier.


    ¡°Who did this, my child?¡± asked Emmy, but she clearly already knew.


    ¡°It was Prince Marfan,¡± the girl answered.


    Tracing the design, Emmy explained ¡°This is his name, here. And this,¡± she said, pointing to Jassie¡¯s right shoulder, ¡°means ¡®property of¡¯ or maybe ¡®owned by¡¯.¡±


    Sickened, feeling as if I might barf, I asked ¡°You mean one of your princes did this to her?¡±


    ¡°Not one of my princes, no. Jassie and her father come from a different nation from mine. They are from the largest realm of our people, not from the one my parents lead. My parents would never tolerate this in our lands,¡± Emmy explained to me. Then, to the girl, she said ¡°That is enough, Jassie. Thank you.¡±


    Emmy led the shame-faced naked girl over to her dresser and pulled out some pajamas for her to wear. ¡°Here, put these on. They are my clothes, but I give them to you. They are yours now.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The girl dressed quickly, happy to no longer be naked.


    ¡°Now let us go downstairs and see what we can get you to eat,¡± Emmy said, motioning for me to go with the two of them.


    Emmy scrounged around in the pantry and found a can of chicken noodle soup. ¡°Could you please cook this for Jassie?¡± she asked me. ¡°I would, but I don¡¯t know how,¡± she apologized.


    ¡°Jassie,¡± Emmy said to the girl sitting at the table. ¡°Leah is my¡­¡± and then Emmy said something in that other language. ¡°Her word is law, do you understand? Anything she says you must obey as if it were me that said it. Is that clear?¡±


    The girl nodded, then quickly said ¡°Yes! I understand!¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Now, I want to tell you what will happen. Tomorrow, Leah and I will take you to get your hair cut, just a little bit, so it looks more beautiful. Then we will buy you new clothes. After that, we will go to meet your father and Hakan for lunch.¡±


    The microwave signaled it was done, so I put the bowl of soup and a spoon in front of the girl. She sniffed it cautiously, then picked up the bowl to try a sip. It must have passed her taste test, because she started slurping it up in a hurry.


    ¡°Jassie, my child. Not so fast. There is no need to rush,¡± Emmy said, making Jassie lower her head as if she expected a beating. Emmy just rubbed the girl¡¯s shoulder to let her know it was O.K. Jassie did slow down, though. After the soup, I made her a ham sandwich. I was about to add cheese, but Emmy indicated I shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°She probably cannot tolerate dairy products,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°They are not a normal part of our diet.¡±


    After the sandwich Jassie ate two bananas and an apple. Finally full, she seemed a little more confident that we were unlikely to kill her at any moment and actually smiled a little bit.


    Jassie was a lot prettier than I¡¯d believed at first. She cleaned up nice, I thought. The occasional shy smile really helped, too.


    I have to admit I¡¯d been staring at her, absorbing the similarities and differences between the way Jassie and Emmy looked.


    Her dark eyes were vaguely almond shaped, where Emmy¡¯s eyes were round. Jassie had a short, slightly upturned nose, but Emmy¡¯s was long, narrow and straight. Mom had described Emmy as having a Greek nose, whatever that meant.


    Also, Jassie¡¯s skin was darker than Emmy¡¯s. I¡¯d noticed that about Emmy¡¯s parents, too- that their skin color was even blacker than Emmy¡¯s, but I hadn¡¯t given it much thought at the time.


    Jassie¡¯s straight black hair looked a lot better than it had earlier, and now that it was clean it had a little more body to it. She did need a haircut, though, just to even it up and get rid of the split ends.


    It made me happy that Emmy was being so kind and gentle with the girl, who¡¯d been so terrified at first. When Jassie was done with her dinner, Emmy led her up to the middle bedroom and told her to get some sleep. I watched as Emmy sat on the edge of the bed and stroked the girl¡¯s hair, then sang a lullaby in that same strange language. Even though Jassie hadn¡¯t fallen asleep by the end of the song, Emmy and I left the girl alone, closing her door behind us.


    Emmy turned off all the lights downstairs while I got ready for bed. I put on my pajamas, just in case I had to get up in the middle of the night (which, technically, it already was).


    Emmy wore a pair of shorts and a T-shirt to bed, evidently thinking similar thoughts.


    Finally alone with her, it was time to ask Emmy what the hell had happened that night. I mean, some of it I¡¯d figured out, but there were still some things I wasn¡¯t clear on.


    ¡°O.K., I think I understand the shadow thing. You guys are people of the dark, right? So being in the shadow is preferable, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. It is a sort of metaphor for protection. If someone is in my shadow, I am protecting him from harm. However, it goes both ways. For them to remain in my shadow, they must follow me when I move, right? Therefore, they must do as I wish if they are to remain in my shadow.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it seemed more formal than that somehow.¡±


    ¡°It is. By accepting the offer of my shadow, they accepted me as their undisputed ruler. By offering them my shadow, I accepted them as my, um¡­ charges, perhaps. They are now my responsibility, and I must do what I can for them.¡±


    ¡°I guess I still don¡¯t get why you did that. I mean, Jassie¡¯s dad, Michael, he clearly didn¡¯t want it, but you forced him. You told him you¡¯d kill him if he didn¡¯t. I mean, I¡¯d like to think it was just an idle threat, right? You wouldn¡¯t really have killed him, would you?¡± I asked, hoping Emmy would say she wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°No, I would not have killed him,¡± Emmy said thoughtfully. Then, turning to face me in bed, she brushed a strand of my hair from my face and said ¡°Leah, I saw that some of the things that happened tonight really bothered you. Some of the things I did really bothered you,¡± she added. ¡°I want you to understand this. Our culture is very, very old. We have writings that go back almost five thousand years, Leah, and some of those texts refer to earlier writings. And here is what is important for you to understand, Leah. Our culture has changed very little in all that time. It is as if the ancient Babylonians were still around, using the same laws that Hammurabi passed down.¡±


    ¡°What-¡± I began, but Emmy interrupted me.


    ¡°Our code of laws reflects our culture, Leah. It is a very cruel culture in many ways. You saw Jassie¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°What was all that about?¡± I asked, thinking about the design that had been cut into the girl¡¯s skin, feeling nauseated again.


    ¡°She offended a prince of her nation, and it was his right to punish her as he saw fit.¡±


    ¡°His right?¡± I exploded. ¡°How can something like that be anybody¡¯s right?¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way you do, Leah. It was a terrible thing. But according to the laws of our people, it was perfectly acceptable. This is what I wish to change, Leah. This is why my people must come out of the dark.¡±


    ¡°So why were you being so cruel to them?¡± I asked, still not satisfied with Emmy¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°I did not like to do that, Leah, please believe me. I had to do it, because that is all they understand right now. Did you see them? They were so pathetic. They are living in fear, Leah. The only way I could see to help them was to force it on them.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯d fear you? Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a little bit. That is the relationship they know with their rulers. In time, though, I hope to show them that things can be better.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you were so cruel to Jassie. She didn¡¯t deserve to be treated the way you did. I mean, you practically kidnapped her from her dad!¡±


    ¡°Yes. That was very important for me to do, and here is why. I hope that I can explain it so you will understand, Leah. It was important for me and for Michael and Jassie. Important for them, because they had to show that they accepted my rule without question, and put their trust in me. In truth, if I had known what Prince Marfan had done to her I would not have demanded that she leave her father. I am sorry for that,¡± Emmy explained, and I could hear the sadness in her voice.


    ¡°But it was important for me, too. I had to show that I accepted their trust, and would not betray it. I must bring them back together, in better condition than when I separated them. This is the first step towards making their lives better.¡±


    ¡°So why were you so inconsiderate of her feelings once you got her away from her dad?¡± I asked, still unconvinced.


    ¡°What do you mean? I was nice to her,¡± Emmy protested.


    ¡°You had her strip naked! She was embarrassed and ashamed, Em. That was cruel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right. It was a little bit cruel. But it was necessary, for two reasons. She was filthy and needed to remove the makeup, and had no experience with showers or shampoo. She had to be told what to do. Also, she needed to learn to trust that I mean her no harm, even in her most vulnerable state. I demanded that she place herself in an utterly vulnerable position, and then rewarded her trust by offering her comfort and security. Did you see when I gave her those pajamas? She was happy to have clothes, yes, but it meant even more to her that they were my own clothes that I gave her. In a very real as well as metaphorical sense, Leah, she accepted my protection. Then we fed her, and I sang her the traditional lullaby that her mother sang to her when she was little. I reduced her to a state of acceptance, then drew her back up. In the morning we will make her breakfast and buy her clothes. Perhaps we will buy her a new doll, too, and I will give her a better knife.¡±


    I listened to Emmy¡¯s justification for her behavior, and it made sense in an uncomfortable sort of way, but I still wasn¡¯t happy. ¡°What are you going to do about after she goes home with her dad? Won¡¯t it just be back to the same old same old for her?¡±


    ¡°No, it will not. I have some thoughts on what to do with Michael and Hakan. I am going to do what I can to bring them fully into the light.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I asked, realizing that Emmy had given this all a lot more thought than I¡¯d grasped at first.


    ¡°I am going to give them jobs, for a start. Then I will find them suitable living conditions.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K.,¡± I agreed grudgingly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯ll be as easy as you think.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah, I do not think it will be easy, but it is what I must do. I saw that tonight was very hard for you to witness, and your feelings are very important to me. I want you to know that I am trying to do my best, and this is part of what my obligations to my people demand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that, Em. I do,¡± I sighed. ¡°And maybe now I understand what it all meant it won¡¯t be so bad for me. I just wish¡­¡±


    ¡°Leah, if it is too much to accept, I can understand, and I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°What? Hey, no!¡± I protested. ¡°You warned me things might get difficult, and I said I would love you anyway. I¡¯m here for the duration, Em. Just, please, be careful. I mean, you could have been killed tonight, Em. Michael had a knife. He could have stabbed you.¡±


    ¡°No, I was never in any real risk, Leah. Michael was no danger to me.¡±


    ¡°Pretty confident of yourself, huh?¡±


    ¡°It is an honest assessment. I have been trained my entire life to fight, to kill, even. Michael, as a lower caste, could never have been taught any such skills. Yes, he is bigger than me, but he did not know what he was doing, or who he was up against,¡± Emmy answered, her voice serious.


    ¡°I guess that explains about the guy at the mall that one time,¡± I conceded. ¡°But what about Jake Merrick? How did he lay you out like that?¡±


    ¡°I let him hit me,¡± Emmy answered.


    ¡°You just let him knock you down like that? Why?¡± I demanded, but I already had at least suspected it was true, and thought I knew the answer.


    ¡°It would not have furthered my goals to fight him, Leah. It was much simpler and more effective to let it work out the way it did.¡±


    I¡¯d pretty much known that Emmy had played Jake mercilessly, but it was still something else to hear her admit it. ¡°Wow, Em. That¡¯s¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t find the words, but I think Emmy understood.


    ¡°I have never lied to you about these things, Leah. I have been honest with you about what I have done, and why,¡± Emmy said, and I had to admit it was true. She¡¯d admitted the thing at the Halloween party was for effect, and she¡¯d told me that she was milking the fight with Jake for sympathy. In retrospect, she¡¯d as much as told me that she was a schemer all along.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say that you haven¡¯t given me some warning, that¡¯s true. Still, it doesn¡¯t make me all that happy.¡±


    ¡°Leah, I understand your misgivings, I do. All I can ask is that you trust me in this matter. This is what I must do. It is who I am, Leah. Who I must be. Please accept it. Please,¡± she begged. ¡°Please stay with me through this.¡±


    It was only a few hours later when Emmy and I got up to set her plans in motion. Jassie was sound asleep, curled up into a little ball in the guest bed, the covers wrapped tightly around her skinny body.


    She was difficult to wake, which reminded me of Emmy. ¡®Night owls¡¯, I thought to myself.


    Emmy insisted Jassie shower again, and once more Emmy watched to make sure she did it right. When she was done in the shower, Emmy trimmed the girl¡¯s hair herself. As Emmy had predicted, Jassie seemed much more comfortable with us in the morning, and she watched Emmy cutting her hair in the bathroom mirror with a smile on her pitch-black face. Emmy tried to teach the girl to brush her teeth with mixed results. I have to admit it was sad to see that this twelve year old girl had none of the basic life skills we all take for granted.


    Afterwards Emmy gave Jassie some clothes to wear. They were a bit too big, but close enough. As Emmy had pointed out, Jassie did seem to really appreciate the fact that the clothes were from Emmy¡¯s own wardrobe. With her cuffs and sleeves rolled up and wearing a pair of Emmy¡¯s sunglasses (which were too big for her face) Jassie looked adorable.


    I made us all breakfast, then we headed out to do some shopping. At Target we bought the girl a big duffel bag for her things and at least five full changes of clothes. A couple of pairs of shoes and a good coat finished the clothes.


    Throughout all this, Jassie was on cloud nine. I got the impression that nobody had ever really treated her nicely before (except maybe her dad) and it was a new and pleasant sensation. Emmy kept asking my opinions on what would look best on the girl, which shoes were better, and so on. I appreciated that Emmy wanted to include me in the proceedings, and I think it worked at least as far as Jassie was concerned. She actually took my hand and smiled up at me when we left the clothing department to head to the sporting goods section. It was amazing to see the transformation from the terrified little girl of the night before.


    I was surprised when Emmy picked out a small locking knife for Jassie. ¡°For protection,¡± she explained. A pair of sunglasses that fit her small face was the final piece of the girl¡¯s new wardrobe.


    In the electronics department Emmy bought four prepaid disposable cell phones, and then we were done.


    Loading everything into the big black X6-M, Jassie asked if it would be O.K. for her to put her things in the duffel, and Emmy laughingly explained that of course she could. After all, it was all her stuff now, and nobody else¡¯s. I opted to sit in the back so I could show Jassie how to remove the tags and fold everything so it would fit. I also showed her how to take care of the lenses on her new sunglasses, because dirty, scratched sunglasses are a pet peeve of mine. Jassie paid very close attention to everything I said, asking questions when something wasn¡¯t clear. I guess the ¡®Leah¡¯s word is law¡¯ part had stuck.


    The sheer happiness and gratitude was almost pouring off the girl in waves, and it occurred to me that maybe Emmy really did know what she was doing with these ¡®strays¡¯ as she¡¯d called them.


    We got to the restaurant early and requested a table where we could talk privately and waited for the two men. Emmy told the waitress that we would order for everybody right then and not wait, explaining to me that the others probably couldn¡¯t read the menu and wouldn¡¯t know any of the dishes anyway.


    Watching Jassie, I saw how she flinched a little every time we were approached by a hostess, waiter, busboy, even other patrons. Basically, she was afraid of everybody but Emmy and me. When Michael and Hakan arrived they showed the same sort of apprehension. They looked as if they were in fear for their lives when they entered the restaurant and the hostess led them back to us.


    Michael was overjoyed to see his daughter, and she was just as happy to see him. She bolted out of her chair and ran to him when she spotted him, giving him a big hug. Emmy and I remained seated and waited.


    The two men had cleaned most of the makeup off, and they were both wearing new but ill-fitting clothes. They looked better, but far from transformed the way Jassie was.


    Emmy indicated they should sit, and boy, did they ever sit immediately. Emmy made it clear that she was the boss, and the two men put up no resistance.


    Over lunch we talked about how the three had been getting by (poorly, by the sound of things) and what their living conditions were. When Emmy asked if where they were living was safe, the answer was ¡°It is well hidden.¡± This didn¡¯t seem acceptable to Emmy, and she made her displeasure clear.


    ¡°After lunch, you two will have three hours to gather your things. We will meet at the park down the street, and Leah and I will take you a new, safer and better home.¡±


    ¡°Will we live with you?¡± asked Jassie, a hopeful look on her face.


    ¡°No, you will have your own home, but it will be near our home. It is time for the three of you to stop living in the shadows, stop living in fear. I will provide for you, but in return, I will have tasks for you to do.¡± Turning to face Michael and Hakan, Emmy asked ¡°Do you understand? No more hiding.¡±


    When they nodded they understood, Emmy demanded ¡°Look at me. I have never hidden in the dark. I have always lived in the daylight. My whole life has been in the sun. I do not live in fear.¡± She paused to emphasize her point. ¡°I. Do. Not. Live. In. Fear,¡± she repeated with emphasis. ¡°I am proud of what I am, and I am accepted by day walkers. My lover is a day walker, and she is also now your queen, equal to me, understand?¡± When the three nodded that they understood, Emmy added ¡°Whatever Leah says is law. She gives you her shadow.¡±


    After lunch, Jassie stayed with us while Michael and Hakan left to go get their things. We went to the nearby park and I played with Jassie while Emmy made some calls. Again, I was stunned by Jassie¡¯s lack of what I would consider basic childhood experiences. The swings were completely new to her, for example. When I bought her a Popsicle from the little store on the corner the look of shock on her face when she tasted it was priceless. Once Jassie got over her initial surprise at the cold, she loved it, though.


    Seeing Emmy sit in the shade, it occurred to me that Jassie might be just as liable to suffer from the sun as Emmy was, so I asked Emmy if she¡¯d brought any of her extra powerful sun block.


    ¡°I do not think Jassie will need it, Leah. I do not believe it will be a problem for her.¡±


    Emmy was right- the sunlight didn¡¯t bother Jassie at all, at least for the couple of hours we spent in the park. She was squinting a lot, even with the sunglasses, but other than that she was fine.


    When Hakan and Michael arrived with their belongings (which were nothing more than a few bags of clothes and some blankets) we all piled into the BMW and drove to Palo Alto. Emmy had reserved a couple of rooms for the two men at a motel a few blocks from our house, and explained that this was only temporary until something better could be arranged. She told Michael that Jassie would be sleeping at our place until that time, but she would spend her days with him.


    At the motel Emmy told the men to show her all of their belongings. Every piece of bedding and almost all of their clothing were unacceptable, and she had them throw it all away in the motel¡¯s dumpster. ¡°We will go shopping this afternoon, and I will buy you new clothes. When your new home is ready, we will buy new bedding. Until then, the motel will supply what you need.¡± Seeing the confused expression on Hakan¡¯s face, she explained to him in what I¡¯d come to realize was their ancestral language. At lunch it had become obvious that his grasp of English was not nearly as good as Michael and Jassie¡¯s. I understood that Emmy was trying to honor Michael¡¯s wish to only speak English, but Hakan needed to understand, too.


    Jassie was starting to drag, so when Emmy announced that it was time to go shopping I suggested that I could take Jassie home while the three of them went out.


    I walked back to the house with Jassie¡¯s new duffel bag slung across my back, holding the hand of a very tired little girl. When we got home I made sure she drank some juice, then I carried her upstairs and settled her in to bed for a nap.


    ¡°You can¡¯t sleep too long,¡± I told her. ¡°You need to learn to sleep at night and be awake during the day. You understand that, don¡¯t you?¡± When she nodded, I reminded her ¡°Remember to use your words, Jass.¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± she squeaked, suddenly worried I would be mad at her. ¡°I understand!¡±


    ¡°Then please explain to me why you need to sleep at night,¡± I coaxed, my voice as gentle as I could make it.


    ¡°So we can be children of the day, like you?¡± she asked, a bit unsure of her answer.


    ¡°That is it exactly,¡± I said, stroking her hair to comfort her. ¡°So you can live in the daylight and never be afraid again.¡± I kept stroking her hair, and she soon dozed off. I leaned down to kiss her forehead, and was surprised when her skinny little arms wrapped around me in a hug.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jassie murmured into my shoulder.


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked, gently lowering her back down.


    ¡°For being our queen,¡± she said, with a shy, tired smile.


    I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and whispered ¡°Everything will be better now¡± as she finally fell asleep. I wasn¡¯t just saying it to reassure Jassie, I realized. I was also trying to convince myself.


    After dinner that evening I drew a bath and turned on the whirlpool jets for Jassie. In so many ways she reminded me of Tiffany, even though she was four or five years older. Somehow Jassie¡¯s delayed development from her homeless living conditions made her seem a lot younger.


    Thinking about how protective I¡¯d started feeling about that little girl as I helped shampoo her hair, I realized that deep down I thought that what Emmy was doing for these people was the right thing to do. It was going to be a tough transition, but it was very important to give Jassie and her father (and Hakan, too) a life worth living.


    After settling Jassie down for the night, Emmy and I talked for quite a while. She told me that stumbling across the three Night Children was a surprise. She had no idea that there were any of them living in the western U.S. at all, since the region was not and had never been any part of their nations. Her people had never really settled the New World, Emmy explained. Travel has always been difficult for her kind, especially travel across the ocean because of the high risk of discovery by day walkers. For Michael to have escaped with Jassie from the Near East (where they were originally from) and travelled all the way to the Bay Area was quite a feat, driven by fear of retribution from Prince Marfan and his kind.


    Hakan was from a different nation, one that Emmy thought had vanished over a hundred years before. Hakan had been wandering since the last few of his tribe had died off when he was a child, and his distrust of the other nations had spurred him to find a land free from their ancient culture, she explained.


    ¡°If there are these three here,¡± Emmy mused, ¡°then chances are very high that there are others as well. If they are all living lives of such squalor, perhaps we can convince these others to join us in living in the daylight.¡±


    ¡°How did the three find each other? I mean, you said Michael and Hakan hadn¡¯t known each other for more than a year, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That is a good question, Leah. In fact, that may be the key. If we can set the two men to finding others of our kind, others who have strayed this far from their homes, perhaps we can start a new nation, a new nation with new ways.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that sort of your whole plan for your people? I mean, to change the way they live, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emmy answered. ¡°I just had not thought that this was how it might happen.¡±


    ¡°Well, you said you weren¡¯t sure how things were gonna shake out, right? This may just be the start of big things, Em. I mean, I like Jassie, and I want to see her life get better. Whatever we can do for her, I think we need to do it.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± said Emmy. ¡°That is what we will do.¡±


    That weekend Emmy had a bunch of posters made at a local print shop, the kind that people put up to advertise upcoming shows. They were nothing but a white background with big black writing in a strange, curly looking alphabet that seemed Middle Eastern. ¡°Michael wrote these,¡± she explained. ¡°Back in his homeland he was a¡­¡± she trailed off, searching for the word. ¡°Scribe, I think is the correct word. He wrote official documents, things like that. He is a very educated man. It says ¡®Fear no more. Hunger no more.¡¯ Then it has instructions on how to call me,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°Hakan and Michael are going to put these up in places that others like us may be hiding. This will be their job for now.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I agreed. ¡°But meanwhile, we need to figure out what we can do for them, personally. I mean, sure, renting them a place to stay is good and all, but they have no idea at all how to get by in our society. We need to get Jassie in school, and stuff like that,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Yes, you are right, Leah. You are so good at seeing what needs to be done,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Whatever you think is right, that is what we must do.¡±

 A New Idea

    Because we were so involved in getting things set up for the strays, we opted to stay in Palo Alto for winter break. We figured that we could spare a couple of days for a quick trip to Fallbrook to be with Mom and Tiff, but otherwise we needed to stay local.


    Michael and Hakan had been very busy putting up posters in the Night Children language all over the Bay Area, mainly in parts of town that seemed likely to hide any others of their kind. By making themselves very visible the two of them had attracted the attention of a few other strays, and we soon had a half-dozen who were willing to accept Emmy¡¯s offer of her shadow.


    Our requirements were simple, and first and foremost the new members of our little tribe had to ditch the makeup and quit hiding. A couple had jobs already, and we encouraged them to reveal themselves to their co-workers and see what happened. We gave them a story for them to explain themselves to everybody, that they were members of a small minority that had suffered persecution for centuries and had learned to hide themselves. It wasn¡¯t the full truth, but it certainly wasn¡¯t a lie, either.


    Those who didn¡¯t have jobs we sent out on the recruitment missions with Michael and Hakan until we could find them some kind of work.


    Finding housing was easy enough, but teaching some of them how to live a ¡®normal¡¯ life was an enormous challenge. They¡¯d been hiding and living off the scraps of society for so long that they could conceive of no other way of living.


    Emmy and I were relaxing in the tub, enjoying our soapy time after a long day when something occurred to me. ¡°Em, maybe you¡¯re going about this the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, contentedly leaning back into me and gently splashing some water onto her chest. ¡°Doing what wrong?¡±


    ¡°Trying to bring your people into the mainstream. I mean, I don¡¯t think what you are doing is wrong or not working. It¡¯s just, well, maybe there might be a quicker, more effective approach.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± she asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Well, maybe a top-down method might work better. I mean, you¡¯re trying to get the strays out there in public, right? To get daylighters used to seeing them, right?¡± When Emmy nodded, I continued. ¡°Maybe you need to reach a wider audience.¡±


    ¡°A wider audience?¡± Emmy repeated, not sure what I meant.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°If everybody in the nation got used to seeing a Night Child on T.V., then it would come as no big deal when they saw one in person. You could do it, Emmy. You¡¯re amazingly talented, beautiful, and very charming. If anybody can put a good face on our new neighbors, it would be you.¡±


    ¡°Me, on T.V.? How would I go about getting on T.V.?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe audition for Dancing With The Stars, or American Idol or something. That¡¯s the part of the plan I haven¡¯t worked out yet,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°And what would I do on T.V.?¡± Emmy inquired, sighing as I wrapped my arms around her middle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it matters, really. Just be yourself. What I mean is, if people see you on T.V. and you¡¯re pretty, charming and nice, which of course you are, then they¡¯ll associate your looks with positive traits, right? I mean, you¡¯ll be the first one like you they¡¯ll ever have seen, so you¡¯ll set the tone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you may be right. I have been trying to do something like that for years, but just with the people I have come in contact with. If I could reach, as you say, a wider audience, then the process would be that much faster,¡± Emmy agreed, contemplating the idea.


    We were both lost in our own thoughts for a few minutes, when I gave her a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± I said. ¡°Start a band.¡±


    ¡°A band? A musical group?¡± Emmy asked, wondering where I was going with it.


    ¡°Yeah. Back in San Diego everybody loved seeing you perform, right?¡± When Emmy nodded that she was listening, I continued. ¡°You remember that review in the newspaper? That guy reviews music for a living, and he thought you were headed for the big time, right? So start a band of your own. Play as much as you can until you get noticed, which shouldn¡¯t be too long. Make music videos, tour, do interviews, whatever, as long as it gets you in the public eye. Then, when you¡¯re famous and everybody knows who you are, you can use the publicity to bring the Children into the light.¡± I was excited by this idea, and really thought it could work.


    ¡°I imagine that also, if I did become famous, it could help draw more strays into the fold, too,¡± Emmy granted, thinking the plan through.


    Emmy turned around, facing me in the tub. Looking me straight in the eyes, she added ¡°It could mean greater risks, too, Leah. You do realize that, I hope.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I conceded. ¡°I suppose so. But you said you wanted to do whatever was necessary, and I agreed to do it with you. If it means we need to have Edouard work for you instead of your mom, well, that¡¯s the price we¡¯d have to pay.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you would support me in this?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so surprised, Em. I said I would do whatever it took, and I meant it. You¡¯re my princess, right? My princess,¡± I emphasized. ¡°But I¡¯m willing to share you a little bit with the adoring public.¡±


    Emmy laughed that musical little laugh of hers and leaned in. ¡°You are so generous,¡± she said, then the kissing started and the talking was done.


    One thing that I really have to hand Emmy- when she decides on a plan of action she doesn¡¯t mess around. By the end of the day Monday she¡¯d put up notices on practically every bulletin board on campus looking for musicians for her new band, promising good pay for dedicated effort.


    She also put up notices in the music department looking for songwriters, offering to pay cash money for their songs. Interestingly, she also put up the same notices in the English department but she reworded the notice to appeal to poetry writers. ¡°I am not imaginative with words,¡± Emmy had explained to me. ¡°Why not avail myself of the creativity of others?¡±


    She also rented a rehearsal space, which was a small commercial warehouse about six blocks from our house. It had a small office in front and a large open area in back with a big roll-up garage door, designed for some kind of small business. The neighbors were a welding shop and a silkscreen printing business, both of which closed at five in the afternoon. Perfect for rehearsals, Emmy said. I could think of all sorts of other uses for the space, too. We could set up a gym and workout area, I suggested. We could also use it for meetings of Emmy¡¯s strays, since the commercial development was practically deserted after dark.


    Armed with these ideas, Emmy found a contractor to do the work we needed to the space and within a couple of weeks it was done. The office walls were removed to make it one large room (plus bathroom, of course). One long wall was completely mirrored but the others were covered with that egg-carton foam stuff you see in pictures of recording studios. Half of the floor was left polished concrete, which was stained rust red then varnished. The other half had a wood dance floor, with a barre installed on the mirrored side. Heavy sound-absorbent floor to ceiling drapes slid on a rod to divide the two halves or open it up as desired. I thought it was amazing empty, but when the sound system, workout equipment and lighting got installed it was absolutely incredible.


    Emmy had been taking the names and phone numbers of potential band members, and when the rehearsal space was ready she scheduled auditions. She asked me to help evaluate the candidates and there was no getting out of it no matter how much I protested that I had no clue about music.


    ¡°It does not matter,¡± she¡¯d said. ¡°All that matters is that you like what you hear, or you do not. Also, I would like you to evaluate them personally, to see if you think that they would work out.¡±


    With that logic I reasoned that the more opinions the merrier, so I twisted Kerry¡¯s arm and got her to commit to helping us as well. When I mentioned it to Donny, he volunteered, too. I figured that if two heads are better than one, four must be twice as good as that, right?


    While Emmy and Kerry got the space set up for the auditions, Donny and I went and got snacks and refreshments for the thirty-some-odd musicians we expected.


    ¡°This BMW is incredible,¡± Donny said, admiring the SUV. I¡¯d gotten used to driving it by that point and didn¡¯t even really think about it anymore, but when Donny asked about things like the paddle shifters and the heads-up display I had to admit I really didn¡¯t know much about any of that stuff at all.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I just drive it, that¡¯s all,¡± I admitted sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m just bummed it only gets about fifteen miles per gallon. Our Mini gets about twice as good a mileage.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but this is twice the car,¡± Donny said, practically drooling on the seats.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. After we¡¯re done shopping, you get to drive it back. How¡¯s that?¡± I suggested. The gleam in Donny¡¯s eyes let me know the idea was well received, and he was very motivated to get everything on our shopping list as quickly as possible.


    At every stoplight he couldn¡¯t help but rev the engine. ¡°Just listen to that!¡± he¡¯d say, but I just rolled my eyes. He was such a guy sometimes.


    When we got back to the rehearsal studio there were already a few of the early appointments waiting for things to start. Emmy had told them that there wouldn¡¯t be any auditions until we got back, and that was that.


    When Donny and I started unloading the goodies a couple of the hopefuls volunteered to help out and carried stuff inside for us. Points in their favor, I thought to myself. The two other guys that didn¡¯t offer to help at all? Negative points to them.


    When everything got set up and people helped themselves to the munchies, Emmy gathered the musicians together and explained how it was going to be.


    ¡°I am looking for two or three musicians for a band I am assembling. I need a drummer, a bass player and perhaps a keyboard player. There will be requirements for practice times, and soon, music video filming. We will schedule public performances also, as I get them lined up. I expect a substantial commitment, and I also expect substantial commercial success for the project. I have contracts written up and I expect you to look them over to make certain that you are comfortable with the arrangements,¡± Emmy announced, handing out copies of the paperwork.


    ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± the guy wearing the Arcade Fire T-shirt I¡¯d already taken a dislike to said. ¡°So are you just hiring us as backup musicians, or will this be a real band in the sense of mutual cooperation?¡±


    ¡°That is an excellent question,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I hope that there will be collaboration, and feel that if the right selections are made tonight then we could well be on our way to that goal. The contract, if you will look it over, indicates some degree of equality in partnership, but it also includes language to protect your investment of time and effort by guaranteeing you recompense for your time, regardless of eventual success. I expect to bear the risk, and the bulk of the reward. I think that is only fair.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re hiring us as musicians for your project, but we¡¯ll get relatively equal billing?¡± a dark-haired goth-looking woman asked.


    ¡°And relatively equal reward,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°I see this as my project, but I would prefer it to be a partnership rather than a simple employer/employee relationship.¡±


    This seemed to be clear enough, and the gathered musicians took a few minutes to look over the paperwork, occasionally asking questions about this detail or that. Others slowly trickled in, and Emmy greeted them and explained what they had missed.


    At eight o¡¯clock, Emmy announced it was time to start and called the first names on the list. The auditions went well past midnight, and I was tired, and sick of hearing the same three songs over and over. ¡°Let¡¯s clean up tomorrow, O.K.?¡± I pleaded, but Donny just said he¡¯d take care of it, and to my amazement he did. Even at that late an hour he was a whirlwind, taking out all the trash and bagging up whatever was left over from the snack stuff, which Kerry took home.


    We agreed to meet the next day to talk about whom our favorites were, then Emmy and I drove Donny back to the dorms and went home. I crawled straight into bed, but Emmy stayed up a bit longer to listen to the tapes of the auditions. I was so wiped out I didn¡¯t even notice when she finally came to bed a couple of hours later.


    I had been in the habit of hitting the gym early on Sundays, but just didn¡¯t feel like it that morning. I called Donny and asked him if he¡¯d like to meet me for coffee, since Emmy was not about to wake up any time soon.


    Sipping our delicious caffeinated beverages, Donny got a serious look on his face. ¡°Leah?¡± he began, but it was clear he wasn¡¯t sure how to break the subject he wanted to talk about. ¡°Um, about Emmy¡­¡± he continued.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve spent a lot of time with you guys the last few weeks since the term started, and almost a whole week with you two over the break.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I prompted, wondering where he was going with this.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve noticed things about Emmy. I mean, some things are really hard not to notice, like the color of her skin, and her hair, right? But I¡¯ve noticed other things, too.¡± Donny was turning red, embarrassed by his boldness in bringing it up.


    ¡°Such as?¡± I asked, wondering how much he¡¯d figured out.


    ¡°Well, every photo I took of you two that used a flash you got red eye, which is normal, right? I mean, you¡¯ve got blue eyes, and that¡¯s just what happens, right? It happens to me all the time. But her eyes don¡¯t reflect red like everybody else¡¯s in pictures. Her eyes glow bright green, like a cat¡¯s do.¡±


    ¡°Well, her eyes are an amazing green, Donny. What do you expect?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I mean, her eyes are really green, sure, but it¡¯s more than that,¡± Donny said, looking awkward. ¡°After I noticed it in the pictures, I started paying attention. Emmy has amazing night vision, Leah. She¡¯s like a cat or something.¡±


    ¡°Donny, look at me,¡± I commanded. When he looked me straight in the eyes, I asked him, as seriously as I could, ¡°This is a secret. You absolutely cannot tell anyone, ever. O.K.?¡±


    The look on his face almost made me break out laughing, but I held it in. When he nodded that he agreed, I said ¡°I should tell you, since you seem to be on the verge of figuring it out for yourself.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, man, I knew there was something really different about her. You know, I looked up ¡®reverse albinism¡¯ and couldn¡¯t find any references anywhere. I even asked some of the genetics professors about it, and none of them had ever heard of such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is really important you don¡¯t tell anyone, Donny. Really, really important. What I¡¯m about to tell you, you can¡¯t tell anyone, all right? Swear?¡±


    ¡°I swear,¡± he replied, anticipation on his face.


    ¡°O.K. Here it is,¡± I said, savoring the moment. ¡°Emmy is really¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Emmy is really a what?¡± Donny demanded.


    ¡°Emmy is really an alien from the planet Tralfalmadore,¡± I announced. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± I said, trying to look pensive. ¡°Maybe she said she was a vampire? Yeah, that might be it,¡± I said, confidently.


    Unable to stifle it anymore, I broke out laughing at the look on Donny¡¯s face.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Donny exclaimed, giving me a shove. ¡°You had me all wound up there!¡±


    Once we stopped laughing, I said ¡°Look. This really is a secret, and you really can¡¯t tell anyone. Not that anybody would believe you, anyhow.¡±


    Donny got all serious again, waiting to hear what I had to say.


    ¡°All joking aside, Emmy really isn¡¯t like you and me. You figured out she has good night vision, but it¡¯s even more than that. She can see in the complete dark. You remember in Bio last term, the prof used the phrase ¡®dark adapted¡¯ when he was discussing bats? Well, that¡¯s what Emmy is. She¡¯s evolved to live in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Evolved? What do you mean?¡± he asked, looking puzzled.


    ¡°Donny, this is absolutely, no joke important that this stays a secret. Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell anyone,¡± Donny promised, so I continued.


    ¡°Emmy isn¡¯t human, Don. Not like you and me. She calls her people ¡®Homo Nocturnis¡¯, and they evolved parallel to us homo sapiens, but they¡¯re night dwellers.¡±


    ¡°How come I¡¯ve never heard of this?¡± he demanded, disbelieving.


    ¡°They hide, Donny. They are all around us, but we never see them. In fact, I personally know at least a dozen who live here in the Bay Area, and that¡¯s hardly any compared to places in the Old World like Paris or Istanbul, where I guess there are maybe a few thousand.¡±


    ¡°How can they stay hidden, then? How come nobody¡¯s ever seen them?¡±


    ¡°You might have seen some of them and not known it,¡± I replied. ¡°They only come out at night when it¡¯s hard for us to see them, and they usually wear makeup to hide their black skin. The first time I ever saw some of them that were wearing makeup I had no idea what they were, and I even knew about Emmy by that point.¡±


    ¡°How come nobody¡¯s ever displayed a dead body of one of them for the world to see?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an answer I don¡¯t have for you,¡± I admitted. ¡°But if you want to meet some more besides Emmy, it can be arranged. As I said, I know about a dozen in the area.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I¡¯m going with the reverse albino thing. Sounds a whole lot less crazy.¡± Donny said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Come over to our place tonight. We¡¯ll have dinner, and I¡¯ll make sure there are some other Night Children there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± Donny said, still not convinced.


    That afternoon I told Emmy about the conversation with Donny, and she was O.K. with me letting the secret out. ¡°We have to start somewhere,¡± she said. ¡°I hope by the end of the year everybody will know.¡±


    Michael and Jassie were already at our house when Donny showed up for dinner. I made the introductions, and explained to the two of them that Donny knew they were Children of the Night and wanted to meet them. They were shy, careful as always of strangers, but a month of not hiding had helped reduce their natural wariness. Donny was excellent, and his good nature and sense of humor helped put them at ease.


    After dinner I offered to drive Donny back to the dorm so we could talk.


    ¡°You have officially blown my mind,¡± Donny declared. ¡°I would never have believed it, but there it is. A complete other civilization of people living just out of sight of our own.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, crazy, huh?¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I get the feeling there¡¯s more going on than you¡¯ve told me, Leah. There are other details you¡¯re leaving out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there are. Here¡¯s the big one- Emmy wants to reveal her people to the world. She and her parents think it¡¯s time to come out of hiding.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Donny as I parked the Mini by the dorms.


    ¡°There are a couple of reasons, as I understand it. First, they believe that it¡¯s going to be impossible to hide much longer anyway, and it¡¯d be better to reveal themselves than have it done to them.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense, I guess,¡± said Donny.


    ¡°The second is that their civilization is dying. Their birth rate has always been low, but now it¡¯s even worse and they¡¯ll simply die out within a few more generations if they don¡¯t do something. Also, as human society has gotten more sophisticated they¡¯ve had to go to greater lengths to hide, to the point where they don¡¯t really ever come out of hiding any more.¡±


    ¡°Wow. That would explain why Michael and Jassie were so shy, wouldn¡¯t it? I mean, if they¡¯ve been hiding all their lives?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s more, but that¡¯s basically it. Emmy¡¯s parents realized that something had to be done, so they raised Emmy in the daylight. She¡¯s the first one of her people to live her whole life out in the open.¡±


    ¡°I can see why you said this was a secret,¡± Donny commented.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but hopefully not for very much longer,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly how Emmy and her family want to break the news, though.¡±


    ¡°So... Emmy''s whole life has been, um, like an experiment or something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe not so much an experiment as a proof of concept, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy''s parents were living in the open before she was born, so they knew it was possible. They wanted to prove to all the rest of their kind that it could be done, so they decided to raise their daughter that way from the start.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± breathed Donny. ¡°Just... wow¡±


    ¡°Yeah- no shit,¡± I agreed.

 Rich And Famous In Three Easy Steps

    The next few months sucked as far as our relationship was concerned. The sad truth is I hardly got to see Emmy at all. She was so wrapped up in her music project that she was spending almost every waking hour at the rehearsal space with her new bandmates Jackson Coolidge and Lee Park when she wasn¡¯t in class. We tried to grab lunch together when we could and occasionally enjoyed lazy mornings in bed on weekends, but that was about the limit of our together time.


    Although I admired Emmy¡¯s drive and determination to succeed, I hoped it wasn¡¯t going to be at the expense of our life together. A side effect of Emmy¡¯s long hours working on her music was that the strays just sort of wound up as my issue to deal with. They got into the habit of calling me instead of Emmy when they needed something, and more often than not the Sunday night dinners at our house were just Michael, Jassie, Donny and me.


    Donny was a great help, and I found myself spending a lot of time with him. He¡¯d offered to help with what we referred to as ¡®life lessons¡¯ for the strays- basic stuff like how to shop for groceries, how to clean their apartments, things like that. He had a whole lot more patience for it than I had, and was very good at explaining things so the strays could understand.


    In fact, after Emmy and I discussed it, we started paying Donny for his time. He didn¡¯t want to accept any money from us at first but finally gave in. I also talked him into letting us rent an apartment for him so he could get out of the dorms and away from his no-load roommate and nearer to us. He didn''t like the idea of mooching off us but finally agreed when I worked out a deal with him. Donny would live in the apartment we rented for him, and in return he would help the strays get accustomed to their new lives in the daylight. He tutored them in English, taught them personal finance, and so on. He helped them fill out job applications, and coached them on what to do in interviews when they got them. His help was a real big deal, and the strays owed him a lot.


    I was working out harder and longer than ever before, too. Since the season was over and there were no official V Ball workouts I¡¯d asked team trainer Sammy to develop a fitness plan for me. I wanted to go into the summer¡¯s training camp stronger and fitter than I¡¯d ever been in my life so I was determined to work hard in the off season.


    When I first approached Sammy, she was fired up with the idea. ¡°Leah, you train harder than just about anybody I¡¯ve ever seen. When I gave you that workout plan after last July¡¯s camp, well, you know, I figured it was just a waste of time. It usually is. But you came to school in August noticeably stronger, and the work you¡¯d done showed. If you can stick with it, I can give you a plan that will take you to another level.¡±


    That¡¯s exactly what she did. She had me doing weights and plyometrics in the gym, along with alternating days of kickboxing for speed and yoga for flexibility. All in all, it was three hours a day of workouts. The first few weeks were rough, but once I settled into the groove I could really feel myself getting faster and stronger, so I did what I could and pushed it hard and the improvements in my fitness became their own reward.


    It also helped keep me distracted from how little time Emmy and I were spending together, which was a good thing because it was hard not to get jealous of the time she was putting into her band. I kept telling myself it was my idea, it was for a good cause, and I promised I would do anything it took, right? Yeah, that didn¡¯t help my lonely feelings much when I ate dinner alone in our condo, with just the stereo for company. The only real consolation was knowing that it wasn''t going to be like this forever.


    One Friday in March during a break in our team¡¯s weekly ¡®voluntary¡¯ volleyball game, Stacey and Kim asked me if that was my girlfriend in that band on YouTube. When they saw the confused look on my face, Stacey added ¡°They¡¯re called ¡®The Downfall¡¯, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯s Emmy¡¯s band,¡± I answered. ¡°On YouTube?¡± I asked. Emmy hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about any videos, so it took me as a surprise.


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯ve got a whole bunch of videos. Wait- you mean to tell me you didn¡¯t know your girlfriend¡¯s band is on YouTube?¡± Kim asked.


    ¡°Well, no,¡± I admitted. ¡°We don¡¯t really talk about her band much at all.¡± We don¡¯t talk about anything much at all, I wanted to say, but kept it to myself.


    ¡°Seriously? Her band has, like, maybe ten or fifteen videos posted up. They have their own channel, and you didn¡¯t know?¡± Kim demanded, still unable to believe it.


    When I got home that evening the house was empty (no surprise) so I turned on my computer and searched for the videos. Sure enough, there they were. Over a dozen of them. They had a lot of views, too. In fact, the video of them doing that ZZ Top song about a cathouse in Texas had over a million views, and tons of ¡®likes¡¯. I watched the video, smiling at the image of Emmy and Jackson wearing big, cheesy fake beards. When Emmy sang ¡°How how how¡± and waggled her eyebrows I nearly sprayed my Coke on the screen. Reading through the comments, almost all of them were positive.


    I watched all the rest of the videos and read through tons and tons of comments. A few themes emerged. One was that a lot of people wondered what was up with Emmy. Her looks had really caught everybody¡¯s attention. There were a few comments that seemed to be from people that knew her, who said she really did look like that in real life. The second thing that became clear is that a lot of people thought the band was amazing (especially Emmy on the guitar) and wanted them to do some original songs, instead of just the cover tunes they were posting.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    After watching the videos and reading through thousands of comments, I started googling Emmy¡¯s band to see what else might be out there. There were tons of blog posts linking to the videos and the band¡¯s website, and even a few professional music reviewers commenting on the videos. In fact, a website called Pitchfork even listed the Downfall¡¯s version of Led Zeppelin¡¯s ¡°Whole Lotta Love¡± as one of the best tracks from a new band in a long time.


    I was still online when Emmy came home. ¡°Em, why didn¡¯t you tell me you guys had videos and everything?¡± I asked as she came over and kissed me hello.


    Looking over my shoulder at the laptop she replied ¡°I did not think you would be very interested.¡±


    ¡°Not interested? Of course I¡¯m interested! Why would you think I wouldn¡¯t be?¡±


    ¡°You never come to our rehearsals, Leah. The few times I¡¯ve tried to talk to you about what was happening you seemed distracted, as if you were not paying attention, so I stopped.¡± There was a note of hurt in her voice. ¡°It has seemed to me that it did not interest you at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, babe,¡± I said, realizing that maybe she was right and I¡¯d just been too caught up in my own world. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to give you that impression. I am interested, really. I guess I thought you guys were still just rehearsing, and I have to admit I do think that¡¯s boring. But actually recording? You guys are much farther along than I¡¯d realized,¡± I said, pulling Emmy onto my lap.


    With a few clicks I brought up the video they¡¯d done for ¡®Wipeout¡¯. ¡°This one is my favorite. I wish I could have been there when you guys made the video,¡± I said, as we watched. Emmy was wearing an old-fashioned bikini, playing her white guitar while standing on a surfboard. Jackson was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and swim trunks, also standing on a surfboard playing his bass guitar, while Lee had his drum kit set on another board. Really cheesy greenscreen effects had the three of them on a giant wave. It was so obviously tongue-in-cheek that you couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The musicianship was incredibly solid, though, so once the initial comedy wore off you realized just how good the three of them were. Turning the volume up so we both could hear, I caught Jackson saying ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± after one of Lee¡¯s amazing drum solos and it made me laugh.


    After that video was over I clicked to a couple of others that I¡¯d liked. When we were done watching them I asked Emmy if she was hungry. When she said no, I said ¡°I think I¡¯m ready for some dessert.¡± She asked what I wanted for dessert, and I looked her straight in the eye. I waggled my eyebrows and replied ¡°hmm hmm hmm¡± just like Billy Gibbons. She laughed and kissed me, so I picked her up and carried her upstairs to the bedroom for some hot love.


    The next morning we were lazy and stayed in bed until late. I was lying on my belly, enjoying the feel of Emmy¡¯s gentle touch as she ran her hands up and down my back. ¡°Your tan has faded,¡± she said. A moment later, she added ¡°That makes me sad, and happy, and sad because it makes me happy.¡±


    ¡°That makes no sense,¡± I murmured, enjoying on the feel of her touch on my skin.


    ¡°I feel sad, because your tan was so beautiful,¡± she explained. ¡°You were like warm gold. You were like summer, and like the sunlight on a perfect day. You are still very beautiful, of course,¡± she added. ¡°But your tan was¡­ one of the most beautiful things ever.¡± Straddling my thighs, Emmy went on. ¡°That is why I am sad your tan is fading. The reason I am happy it is fading is because I know you got that tan with Stephanie-¡±


    ¡°Em-¡± I started to interrupt but she continued, ignoring my interruption.


    ¡°And it is a reminder of something she could do with you that I never could. I could never lie by the pool and enjoy the sunshine the way that you and Stephanie can do. As much as I hate to admit it, Leah, I am jealous. Jealous of Stephanie of course, but also envious of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Em,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°It makes me sad that I am jealous of you and Stephanie. I know I should not be, but I am. I wish¡­¡± she stopped, at a loss for words. She leaned down and kissed my bare back, slowly trailing soft little kisses along my spine.


    ¡°I love you so much, Em,¡± I replied. ¡°And you know what? I love that you¡¯re different from everybody else. I love the color of your skin. It¡¯s like black velvet, so smooth, so soft.¡± I turned over so I could face her. ¡°I love your hair. I love your amazing eyes, Em. I love that you can do things I can¡¯t. Don¡¯t ever think any less of yourself because of the way you are. I sure don¡¯t,¡± I said, pulling her down to me and kissing her as if there were no tomorrow. She just melted onto me as I ran my hands over her bare skin. It was perfect. Just Emmy, me, and all the time in the world. The way she fit against me, the way she smelled, the way she tasted. The small, contented sighs she made, the way she moved. Perfect.


    Later, while recovering, Emmy whispered ¡°I never want this to end,¡± a satisfied half-smile on her face. ¡°Promise me this will never end.¡±


    My sweat cooling, I reached over and took her hand. ¡°I promise you that it will always be like this.¡± I played with the ring on her finger, saying ¡°This is my promise.¡±


    After lunch I went with Emmy to the rehearsal studio. Emmy had told me they were working on original songs, so maybe I would find it interesting.


    I spent the afternoon listening to them work on the same song over and over, which really did reinforce my impression that rehearsals were just plain tedious. I tried not to give Emmy the impression I was crushingly bored, but I think she realized it anyway.


    At dinner, she thanked me for staying. ¡°I know that you do not find practice very interesting, Leah-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I started to protest but she kept going.


    ¡°It is O.K. I understand. The process is very slow, but the end results can be amazing. Hopefully we will be ready to go into the recording studio in a couple of weeks and record our first album. I think that the YouTube videos have generated some interest in the band-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say so!¡± I interrupted. ¡°You¡¯ve got millions of views! I think when you put out a CD people are gonna be lining up to get it!¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Emmy said, smiling. ¡°I hope people like it.¡±


    ¡°Em, I spent almost all of last night reading a zillion comments on your videos on YouTube. A few were negative, but most were about how amazing you guys- and you in particular- are. People are fired up about the band, and really interested and curious about you, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have read some of the comments. It does seem as if your idea is working, Leah. A lot of people have had their first glimpse of a child of the night because of our music, and most reactions have been curiosity, not fear,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I am very pleased.¡±


    ¡°I''m glad it''s working, too,¡± I said. I didn''t mention that I was jealous of the time the whole music project was taking from us being together, and a part of me regretted the whole thing. I didn¡¯t want to take anything away from the moment, and the glow that Emmy was feeling about The Downfall.

 Not a chapter- a bit of self congratulation and more

    So I''ve passed 200,000 words posted so far. That''s roughly the same as two smallish paperback novels.


    A fair number of words, in other words. Now, I''ve said on a number of occasions that this is intended as a single novel, with a specific end in mind. I haven''t finished writing it yet, but I do know where it will end up even though sometimes the characters surprise me with unexpected detours.


    I still have a lot left to write, and even though I have a decent buffer of chapters stashed away I am concerned that I may have to slow down my posting at some point in the future. Not now, and maybe if I can keep my productivity high there may be no interruption, but it does remain a possibility.


    By my guess we are a bit more than halfway through. Things still need to happen, and they won''t all be easy on our couple, but we are far from the end now.


    So that''s the current state of the story and my writing. All well and good, and continuing as planned.


    but in other news, Emmy And Me has passed the 100 Followers mark! Today we picked up two new followers, putting the story into that coveted rank. Obviously there are other stories here in RR with thousands of followers and I''m not trying to compare this story with those others- after all, as has been pointed out, RR may not be where readers would go to look for a story like this. So far there have been no signs of any [System], no magic, no rebirths...


    Despite all that, over a hundred of you have enjoyed this story well enough to bookmark it to be reminded when it updates. That means a lot to me. I can hardly express how much.


    I started writing this story after a dream I had that introduced me to the main duo (they weren''t exactly as they are in the story, though the most important elements were) and their hopes and dreams. I chewed on the story mentally for a while, then decided I''d write it as my first attempt at writing long-form fiction. As I outlined it and the characters evolved, I thought that maybe I could have some fun with it.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I got well into the story, showed it to a few others and they suggested that it was actually worth reading and that somebody might want to publish it.  I contacted an editor, who didn''t much like it at all.  Not genre enough, she said.  Well-written enough, but it misses its market.  So I looked into self publishing, then set it aside for a while.  I stumbled into the weblit scene on another site, quickly realizing that wasn''t the right venue but another such site might be.  Eventually, I wound up here on RR, and although my story is outside the typical for this site, I figured that the readership here is probably younger and maybe more open to unusual stories than a lot of others, so I created an account and started uploading.


    With my very first upload (The Day Before) my story was ranked at #11,860.  I figured that was the total number of stories on RR at the time, since obviously mine had to be dead last since nobody had read it at all.  Now it is above #700, so that''s the top 6% on the site. That makes me very, very pleased with my efforts, and maybe, just maybe, I should start to think about publishing again, even if it is just a self-published e-book.  I mean, I''ve put in the work, perhaps somebody out there might want to read it enough to send me a few bucks for my efforts, right?


    Well, I''m not there yet.  As you may have noticed, I haven''t even set up a "Donate" for Emmy And Me.  I''m writing this story because I want to flex a muscle- my writing muscle.  Not because I think I''ll be the next Stephanie Meyer, but because I want to exercise my creativity.


    And it has worked.  I''m already thinking of the stories I want to write next.  I''ve outlined a Sci-Fi story, a fantasy novelette and a separate series of fantasy short stories, and a contemporary fiction novel.


    So it has so far been a win as far as I''m concerned.  This is in a big part a result of the fact that you guys are reading Emmy And Me, enjoying it, and commenting on it.  The comments, really, really make my day.  Thanks for that.

 Moon Kissed

    The Downfall¡¯s first real video took five days to shoot. Five days that Emmy and the boys were in Los Angeles. Five days of an empty bed, because I had a big midterm in Bio that kept me from going with them. I had an ¡®A¡¯ going in the class and I didn¡¯t want to jeopardize it, so I acted like an adult and buckled down and studied instead of going to Hollywood for the video shoot, as much as it sounded like a lot of fun.


    I guess it was a good thing I stayed home because one of the strays (a girl about my age named Sana) really needed my help. We had set her up in a studio apartment in San Jose in a neighborhood that seemed O.K., but she got harassed by some jackasses on her way home from work. Thankfully the guys were frightened off before they could do anything too serious, but she was still very shaken up. As soon as she called me I rushed over to her place, where I found her crying.


    ¡°I hate this! I hate it!¡± Sana sobbed, her usually soft English accent stronger than I¡¯d ever heard it.


    ¡°What, Sana?¡± I asked, sitting next to her on the couch, rubbing her shoulder.


    ¡°Living in the daylight! I hate it! They all hate me, too!¡±


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t all hate you,¡± I said, giving her a shoulder hug. ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m a daylighter, and I don¡¯t hate you. Donny doesn¡¯t hate you, does he?¡±


    ¡°No, Donny is nice. And you¡¯re¡­ well, you¡¯re¡­ No, I guess not all daylighters hate us,¡± Sana admitted.


    ¡°Tell me why you hate living in the daylight,¡± I urged, trying to make her feel better.


    ¡°I get headaches all the time. It¡¯s too bright,¡± she complained. ¡°And the daylighters all look at me, they stare all the time.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you something,¡± I said. ¡°When I first met Emmy, I stared, too. I¡®d never seen anybody like her ever before, and never even imagined anybody could look like her. Obviously, I didn¡¯t know about the Children of the Night. She came to my town, to my school, and I was asked to help her out, to show her around. At first I had a hard time. I wasn¡¯t afraid of her, and I didn¡¯t hate her- I was just fascinated. She was so different, so amazing. We spent a lot of time together, and after a while I stopped even noticing that she was different from everybody else. She was just Emmy, that¡¯s all. But when we went out in public together, I saw how other people would stare and it really bothered me. I would get really mad, but then Emmy reminded me that I stared at first, too. It¡¯s just human nature, Emmy said. Don¡¯t take it personally, she said, because it¡¯s not personal. It¡¯s curiosity more than anything else, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°But what about those two men that wanted to beat me up?¡± Sana demanded.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. Some people, but only just a few, hate anybody different. Those people are ignorant, and dangerous. Those same guys would probably have attacked me because I love another girl. For some reason, bigots like that just can¡¯t stand anybody that isn¡¯t just like themselves. Really, it wasn¡¯t personal with them, either,¡± I explained.


    ¡°It felt personal to me,¡± she said, her voice bitter.


    ¡°Yeah, I can imagine,¡± I agreed. ¡°But all I can say is to just keep watch for guys like that in the future, and do your best to avoid risky situations.¡±


    ¡°It will be hard. I know they live in the area. I¡¯ve seen them a few times before,¡± Sana said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get you out of this neighborhood. I don¡¯t want to put you at risk of being attacked again,¡± I said. ¡°Stay at our place tonight. I¡¯ll get something figured out, something better for you. Meanwhile, we need to get you some sunglasses. They''ll help your headaches. Grab what you need for tonight and let¡¯s go.¡±


    On the way back to the condo we stopped at a sunglass place in a strip mall near campus and I helped Sana pick out a two hundred dollar pair of Revo sunglasses. I¡¯d never spent anything near that for sunglasses for myself, but I didn¡¯t need them nearly as much as someone who was evolved to live in total darkness, did I? The lenses weren¡¯t all that dark, but did an excellent job of cutting the sunlight down enough for Sana to be comfortable.


    Sana was shocked at how much they cost and also at the fact that I was willing to spend that kind of money on her. She tried to talk me out of it, but I told her that she was my responsibility and I was not going to let anyone in my shadow suffer if I could help it.


    ¡°Look,¡± I explained. ¡°Emmy and I are the ones making you live in the daylight, so it¡¯s only fair that I do what I can to make you able to do what we demand of you, right?¡± When Sana nodded, I went on. ¡°I am going to tell you to be very careful with those sunglasses. Treat them well and they¡¯ll treat you well. All right?¡± Sana nodded again, and the discussion was over. I paid for the glasses and we went back to the townhouse.


    Sana had never been to the house. In fact, none of the strays but Michael and Jassie had up to this point. Emmy was a bit private about it, mainly to reduce our exposure to risk, I think, and I understood that. Sana needed a place to stay and also needed some emotional support, though, so I thought it would be best if she stayed over for a day or two until I worked out new living arrangements for her.


    ¡°Your house is so beautiful!¡± said Sana as we entered. ¡°¡±Oh¡­¡± she breathed, running her hand along the leather couch. ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Make yourself at home,¡± I replied, and she flopped down on the big, cushy sofa. The look of bliss on her pitch-black face was almost comic as she kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the couch.


    I sat down on the armchair and said ¡°Look, Sana. You can stay here for a couple of days. We need to get you a new place, someplace safer, and get you moved as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Can I just stay here with you and Emmy?¡± Sana pleaded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live by myself anymore.¡±


    ¡°We just don¡¯t have the room,¡± I replied. ¡°Jassie stays here at night when her dad is out looking for more Children. He¡¯s due to go out looking on Monday night, so we need to figure out something for you before then.¡±


    ¡°Why does she get to stay, but I can¡¯t?¡± Sana pouted.


    ¡°Two reasons. The first is that Michael and Jassie were the first to accept the offer of our shadow, so they get special treatment. But even more important than that, Jassie is just too young to be on her own, and we need Michael to continue his work. She¡¯s our responsibility, and as the youngest, she needs the most protection.¡±


    Sana seemed to accept that, so I got up to fix dinner. Donny was happy to accept an invite, so I made pasta salad for the three of us.


    Later, when the discussion turned to Sana¡¯s housing dilemma, Donny was quick with a solution. ¡°She could stay with me,¡± he offered. ¡°The apartment you guys got me is plenty big enough, and I¡¯m not really using the second room as an office, so it could be turned back into a bedroom no problem.¡±


    ¡°Would¡­ would that be O.K.?¡± asked Sana, unsure where she stood.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯d be great!¡± Donny raved. ¡°The only thing is, I¡¯m a terrible cook, so don¡¯t expect to eat too well.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ would cook for me?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m crummy at it. But if you¡¯re cool with burritos and mac and cheese, sure I¡¯ll cook.¡±


    ¡°Mac and cheese?¡± Sana asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry- you¡¯ll love it,¡± Donny assured, but I wasn¡¯t so certain.


    ¡°Um, Donny,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy mentioned that a lot of Night Children may be lactose intolerant. You might want to be careful with the cheese.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°We''ll just have to work out what you like and what you don''t. It''ll be fine,¡± Donny said, with far more assurance than I had.


    By the time we were done with dinner, it was all arranged. Donny had Saturday to get the apartment ready, and then we''d move Sana in on Sunday.


    Sana was an O.K. house guest, but it was clear she wasn¡¯t used to living in such nice conditions. She told me she was raised from the time she was ten in various foster homes in the U.K. and when she got out of the system at the age of sixteen she made her way to the Bay Area to put as much distance as possible from her past. Most of the time she had been simply ignored, but had been the victim of quite a bit of bullying over the years. Here in California she¡¯d managed to get a job and had rented a room in what seemed like some kind of boarding house, but it was all so crummy and shabby that even the little one-bedroom apartment we rented for her was a huge step up. I mean, at least she finally had her own bathroom, right?


    ¡°Sana¡¯s really great,¡± Donny said over coffee a couple of weeks later. ¡°I thought that having a roommate again would be a pain, but she¡¯s been really great.¡±


    ¡°In what way? I asked, curious. I had gotten to enjoy our regular coffee stops, and I could always count on Donny for interesting conversation.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s very neat. She¡¯s the first roommate I¡¯ve ever seen that actually cleans up after themselves. She can¡¯t cook, but that¡¯s O.K. because she doesn¡¯t mind doing the dishes after I cook, so it works out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just like Emmy and me,¡± I laughed. ¡°I cook, and she does the dishes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s nice. It¡¯s also forcing me to eat better, because now I can¡¯t just eat soup straight from the can anymore- I have to cook for the two of us.¡±


    ¡°Straight from the can?¡± I asked, aghast. ¡°You mean, without even heating it up?¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°It¡¯s a guy thing. You wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Donny teased.


    ¡°Yuck,¡± I replied. ¡°I should hope not.¡±


    ¡°Well, anyway, Sana¡¯s been a great roommate, and I like having her around.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Donny,¡± I wondered. ¡°Does she walk around the apartment naked?¡±


    Puzzled, Donny replied ¡°No¡­ Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, she did for the couple of days she stayed at our place. I told her that when she moved in with you she would have to stop that.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how much I hate you right now, Leah,¡± Donny said. ¡°Call her up right now and tell her it¡¯s perfectly O.K. to walk around the apartment naked as much as she wants. In fact, tell her that you were wrong, and she should spend as much time naked as possible at home.¡±


    Smiling at the comically intense look on Donny¡¯s freckled face, I replied ¡°Don¡¯t you wish.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do,¡± he sighed, a wistful look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m really getting to like her, but I¡¯m not sure if I should even ask her out. I mean, we¡¯re living together, and things are going O.K., but if I try to put a move on her maybe it¡¯ll make things really awkward.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I could see that,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯d say just keep doing what you¡¯re doing and maybe something more will develop,¡± I said, shouldering my backpack to leave for class.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell her about the naked thing,¡± Donny said, hopefully.


    I just laughed, and we walked to Bio in companionable silence. I was thinking about upcoming midterms, but judging by the grin on Donny¡¯s face he was thinking about a naked Sana.


    A few days later Donny came over for dinner. Emmy was at rehearsal and Sana had the evening shift at her job at the department store, so it was just the two of us.


    Chatting over dinner, most of what Donny wanted to talk about was Sana. ¡°She¡¯s got a great sense of humor,¡± Donny gushed. ¡°Now that she¡¯s opening up and feeling more comfortable it¡¯s really starting to appear.¡± Suddenly serious, he looked at me. ¡°I like her a lot, Leah. I¡¯m starting to think that it might be mutual. That¡¯s O.K. with you and Emmy, right?¡±


    Laughing, I said ¡°Of course it is! Donny, you know better than anyone that all we want for the strays is for them to find their place in society. If that means falling for some guy who couldn¡¯t get a tan if his life depended on it, well, that¡¯s perfectly fine. You¡¯re a great guy, and any girl would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Except you,¡± Donny said, reminding me of his old crush on me.


    It made me a little sad to think he might still be hung up on me a little bit, so I just laughed it off. ¡°I¡¯m taken,¡± I replied, smiling to let him know things were O.K.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± he agreed, smiling back to show me he was over it.


    As we were cleaning up, Donny remembered something he wanted to talk about.


    ¡°I¡¯m learning a lot about Night Children culture from Sana,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s been explaining how the whole ¡®being in the shadow¡¯ thing, and about how you and Emmy are the queens of the strays, and how they would do anything for you. She also told me about the different nations, and how Hakan came from a nation everybody thought was dead and gone.¡±


    ¡°You might actually know more about all this than me,¡± I laughed. ¡°Emmy really doesn¡¯t talk much about it at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Donny said, recalling something else. ¡°She also told me about how Emmy is super special because she¡¯s ¡®moon kissed¡¯ and how there are so very few ¡®moon kissed¡¯ throughout history, and they¡¯re always a sign of something important.¡±


    ¡°Moon kissed?¡± I asked, turning to face Donny. ¡°What does that mean?


    ¡°Well, the way Sana explained it, the moon kissed are only born once in a great while, like every few hundred years or something. They always become great leaders, or prophets, or something like that. They are like, sacred or something. Kinda like white buffalos for American Indians or something.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain what ¡®moon kissed¡¯ means, Donny.¡± I said, exasperated.


    ¡°Oh- yeah, right. Well, with the white hair and pale eyes. They really are like albinos, I guess. From what Sana has told me, some family lines tend to produce them more than others. The founder of the Lascaux dynasty was moon kissed, for example.¡±


    ¡°What else has she told you about them?¡± I asked, wondering what else Emmy hadn¡¯t been telling me.


    ¡°Well, she said they tend to live amazing lives, but always too short,¡± he said, then realized what he¡¯d just said.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®too short¡¯¡± I asked, suddenly paying a lot of attention.


    ¡°Well,¡± he answered, looking uncomfortable. ¡°I¡¯m sure Emmy will be different, ¡®cause, I mean, medicine is so much better now, and all¡­¡± he trailed off. It was making me feel sick to hear what he was saying, but I had to know.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± I demanded, and Donny knew he wasn¡¯t getting off easily.


    ¡°Sana said that moon kissed never live past thirty years old,¡± he finally admitted, refusing to look me in the face. ¡°She said they always die young.¡±


    When Emmy got home that night, she found me waiting for her. ¡°Were you ever going to tell me about you being ¡®moon kissed¡¯?¡± I demanded. ¡°Didn¡¯t you think this was something I ought to know?¡± I was hurt she¡¯d kept me in the dark, and absolutely heartsick to know that we¡¯d have maybe a decade together at the most.


    Emmy stopped in her tracks, looking at me like a deer in the headlights. She didn¡¯t know what to say, but I could see the emotions flittering across her face. Unable to take it any longer, I reached out and took her in my arms, squeezing her slender body against mine as if it were the last time- which it felt as if it could possibly be.


    ¡°God, Em,¡± I sobbed, clinging to her with all I had. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I did not want you to know,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°I was afraid you would not want me.¡±


    Soon we were both crying, clutching each other in a embrace neither of us ever wanted to end. I don¡¯t know how long we stayed like that, but eventually we wound up on the couch, holding each other. I couldn¡¯t help touching Emmy. It was as if I wanted to convince myself of her permanence, to convince myself she was there, and always would be.


    ¡°How¡­ who told you?¡± Emmy asked, her voice quiet as a whisper.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who told me, Em. Well, it does, actually. It matters because it wasn¡¯t you who told me.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± Emmy moaned, about to burst into tears again. ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sorry that you never told me, or sorry that I found out?¡± I asked, and it sounded harsher than I¡¯d intended.


    ¡°Sorry for what I am,¡± Emmy wailed softly, collapsing onto my lap. Great heaving but silent sobs wracked her slim body, but all I could do was gently stroke her hair and wipe away her tears with my thumb.


    ¡°Oh, Em, you can¡¯t help the way you were born. Don¡¯t cry, baby. Please, don¡¯t cry,¡± I urged, but the tears were rolling down my face as well. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry.¡±


    Eventually, Emmy¡¯s tears subsided, but she made no move to get up off my lap. She was lying on her side, her knees tucked up tight to her middle, her face buried in my tummy. I was stroking her face and running my fingers through her fine white hair, wondering what it really meant to be moon kissed.


    ¡°Em,¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you never told me. I don¡¯t even really understand what it means. Please- explain it all to me, would you?¡± I asked, trying to make my voice as gentle as possible. I was doing my best to stay calm and under control, but deep inside I was panicking. ¡°Please,¡± I begged. ¡°I need to know.¡±


    ¡°Leah, it means that¡­ Well, it means that my life is to be short, but significant,¡± Emmy finally replied, barely loud enough for me to hear. ¡°It means that I must do great things, but I must do them soon, for I do not have much time left. Perhaps as little as ten more years,¡± she added, her voice trailing off to a whisper. That seemed to be all that she was going to say on the subject at the moment, so I just held her, stroked her hair, and murmured that I loved her no matter what, and we would face this together.


    Emmy suddenly sat up and looked me straight in the eyes. ¡°Leah, I will grow old and die when you are still a young woman,¡± she said. ¡°If I am lucky, the most I can expect to live will be thirty-five years. No moon-kissed has ever lived any longer than that, Leah.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± I said. ¡°I got that part. What about the part about having to do great things? What¡¯s that all about?¡±


    ¡°This is why my parents believe that I am the one to lead our people into the light,¡± Emmy explained, still serious. ¡°Moon kissed are always bringers of change, Leah. Always. My parents thought that their child would help them show our people a new way of living, but when I was born in that daylight hospital in Paris with white hair and light eyes they knew that I would do it- that I was the one, Leah. I am the one.¡±


    I had nothing to say to that, so I let my actions be my answer and took her in my arms and squeezed her, holding her tight and close. I buried my face in her snow-white hair and just held her like that for a long time.


    Later, after I¡¯d fixed her something to eat, I brought the subject up again. ¡°Em,¡± I began, not really sure how to frame my thoughts. ¡°So moon-kissed have a life expectancy of somewhere around thirty to thirty-five years, right?¡± I asked, and Emmy nodded yes as she sipped her soup. ¡°I¡±m assuming that is without proper modern medical care, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say for the sake of argument that with top care it can be pushed back, like, maybe five or ten years. That means that we have anywhere from ten to twenty-five more years together, right?¡± I asked, more to help my own train of thought along the tracks than really expecting a response.


    Emmy made a sort of noise to indicate that she was following, so I continued. ¡°This means that we need to have our child by the time you turn twenty-five or so. I want our daughter to get to know her own mother before it¡¯s too late,¡± I said, doing my best to remain objective and not give in to the tears that were threatening to escape.


    ¡°You¡­ you still wish to have a child with me?¡± Emmy asked, sounding surprised.


    ¡°Of course I do, Em. Of course I do. Also, you need to do it for your family¡¯s sake. I guess I understand a little bit better about how intense your mom was on the subject now,¡± I admitted. I was doing everything I could to not think of my own dad who¡¯d disappeared from my life when I was only a child, but I knew that our own baby would face the same thing.


    ¡°I do not think the time is right just now,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I think that we should wait until you have finished school and my music is done.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°But maybe we could go upstairs and see if we can make a baby now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is how it works,¡± Emmy laughed as she put her bowl into the dishwasher. ¡°But I think we should try anyhow.¡±


    It seemed as if we had both come to some sort of acceptance of the situation, but it didn¡¯t just disappear from my thoughts. Yeah, I knew what we had to do as far as Emmy¡¯s duties were concerned, and yeah, I did my best to avoid thinking about Emmy growing sick and dying in a dozen years, but both issues did continue to percolate in my mind and I knew that there had to be some way to make this work out.


    "Call me," the text from Stephanie said, completely out of the blue. Wondering what was up, I called back after class.


    "Was her video about you and me?" she asked as soon as she answered my phone call.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "Emmy''s new video. You know, her band, The Downfall?"


    "Well, yeah, I know her band. But I haven''t seen any new video, much less one about you and me," I replied, exasperated.


    "Well, like, go on YouTube and check it out!" Stephanie demanded.


    "It''ll have to wait until I get home. I have a midterm in half an hour," I responded.


    "O.K. But when you do, call me right away. Or maybe you could just ask Emmy, I guess," she said.


    Wondering what could have Stephanie in such a tizzy, I did watch the video when I got home that afternoon.


    It was for the song that Tom had written for Emmy, the one about how you could never love someone like me. The scene for the video looked like a typical high school, and Emmy was one of the students. She had a crush on the good-looking guy who never noticed her, but dated the beautiful cheerleader instead.


    There were a few things interesting about the video, besides the fact that the cheerleader did look an awful lot like Steph, and the golden-tanned blond love interest guy did play beach volleyball while his girlfriend looked on, making me think that maybe Steph had been right.


    No, the thing I found most interesting was the way Emmy was dressed. She had a flannel shirt over a ''Prodigal Sons'' T shirt, cargo pants, and Chuck Taylors on her feet, with a beanie pulled down low on her head. In one scene she was in her room and it looked like a guy''s bedroom, not a girl''s.


    I couldn''t figure out if she was playing the role of a wallflower tomboy girl who didn''t know how or care to be the pretty girl to attract the hot guy, or if Emmy was playing the part of a gay boy who was in the closet and was dreaming about the guy he could never have.


    I called Stephanie and told her that it certainly did look as if the guy and his girlfriend were modeled after the two of us, but I hadn''t had a chance to talk to Emmy yet.


    "Well, tell her that next time she wants somebody for one of her videos that looks like me, tell her that, like, I''m available and would be happy to be in a video, will you?"


    "It doesn''t bother you that she did that? Put somebody in her video that looks like you?" I asked.


    "Mostly it just bothers me that she didn''t ask me to be in her video," Steph admitted. "I mean, it''s not like I know any other rock stars, is it?"


    ¡°So you aren¡¯t pissed at her?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Stephanie replied. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m like, envious, you know? I mean, Emmy¡¯s like Barbie. She has everything.¡±

 TMI, Donny

    Sana came over to our place one evening about a month later, looking worried. She said she had something to talk about, something about Donny.


    After sitting Sana at the table and getting us some tea, I sat down to hear whatever bad news she might have. "What''s wrong?" I asked, wishing Emmy were home so I didn''t have to deal with Night Children drama by myself all the time.


    "I thought it was important to tell you," she said, looking as if she didn''t want to tell me at all.


    Impatient, I demanded "OK, what''s going on? Something''s up."


    "I... we... Donny and I..." Sana stammered, looking anywhere but at me. She looked embarrassed, but not ashamed or hurt, so I figured whatever it was couldn¡¯t be too bad.


    Suddenly, the light dawned. "You guys are having a relationship, aren''t you?" It was more of a statement than a question, and Sana looked relieved to have it out in the open.


    "Yes, we are. I felt it was necessary to tell you about this right away, to see if it was O.K. with you.¡±


    ¡°Um, I have two questions, I guess. The first is, is Donny treating you well? Is he showing you respect?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, he is,¡± she gushed. ¡°He¡¯s wonderful! He¡¯s so good to me, and so attentive!¡± She went on like that for a while longer, and I could tell that she was head over heels for that goofy redhead.


    ¡°My second question is how long has this been going on, and what do you mean when you said you needed to tell me right away?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯d been feeling things for him for a few weeks now, but last night was the first time we did anything. He told me he loved to look at me, and I told him that I loved the way he looked at me and he could look all he wanted.¡± She paused to think about how she was going to continue her story.


    ¡°I wanted to see the desire in his eyes, you know? It made me feel so good, to know this wonderful daylighter could see me as attractive, even though I¡¯m a child of the night. I could tell he liked me, because of the way he cares for me. He¡¯s so sweet, you know?¡± she asked, more than a little bit dreamily. ¡°So I showed myself to him. I made it seem as if it was an accident, that I didn¡¯t know he was home.¡±


    ¡°Uh, what do you mean ¡®showed yourself to him¡¯?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I walked out of the bathroom fresh from my shower with no clothes on,¡± she answered. ¡°I wanted so badly for him to want me, and when I saw the look in his eyes, I knew he did.¡±


    ¡°Is that when he said he loved to look at you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it was a few minutes later, but yes. That¡¯s when I knew I didn¡¯t want to put any clothes on. I wanted him to keep looking at me with that desire in his eyes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well. I can see how that might have done it, all right. So what else happened?¡± I asked, wondering how far things had gone.


    ¡°I told him I wanted him to kiss me, and touch me,¡± Sana confessed.


    ¡°Let me guess. He was perfectly willing to do both, am I right?¡± I asked, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Yes, he was. And it felt good, Leah. Very good. I¡¯d never kissed anybody before, so I didn¡¯t know what to expect, but it was nice. I liked it a lot. And his hands on me, well, that was amazing. I felt like I was on fire, you know?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I know the feeling,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°It felt so good that we just didn¡¯t want to stop. I wanted him to touch me everywhere, and I wanted to touch him, too. Soon we were both naked-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get the picture,¡± I interrupted. A thought occurred to me, and I asked ¡°Did you guys use protection?¡±


    ¡°Protection?¡± Sana asked, puzzled.


    ¡°A condom? The pill? Anything?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°No, no condom, and we didn¡¯t take any pills, either...¡± Sana replied, still puzzled.


    ¡°Aw, damn it,¡± I groaned. ¡°What if you get pregnant?¡±


    ¡°That would be wonderful!¡± Sana exclaimed, her face lighting up at the thought (if you could describe a face as black as midnight ever lighting up).


    ¡°Um, what?¡± I asked, surprised by her reaction.


    ¡°If I could have a baby it would be the greatest gift I could imagine!¡± Sana said, positively glowing with pleasure at the idea.


    The next morning when Donny and I met for our traditional coffee stop, I asked point-blank about what was going on. ¡°Donny, Sana told me last night that the two of you did it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Donny nearly lost his coffee all over his shirt as we walked, he was so surprised by what I¡¯d said.


    ¡°Sana told me that you two had sex, that¡¯s what,¡± I answered him calmly.


    ¡°Uh, well, yeah, we did,¡± he admitted bashfully. ¡°But why did she tell you?¡±


    ¡°All the Night Children tell me what¡¯s going on in their lives, Don. You know that. I¡¯m always the first one to know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± he conceded. ¡°I mean, you and Emmy do so much for them.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to it than just that, but let¡¯s get back to the topic at hand,¡± I said, mentally grimacing at my choice of words. ¡°I want you to tell me about the relationship you two are having.¡±


    ¡°Jeeze, what¡¯s up?¡± Donny pouted. ¡°Are you her mother now or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I answered, making it clear that we were going to have this discussion, no matter how uncomfortable it might be.


    Donny gave me a strange look, then relented, deciding to not push the issue. ¡°Well, you know a few months ago when you first introduced me to the Night Children and I started working with them, I started to like Sana the most. I mean, she¡¯s the most like us of any of them, the most adapted to our culture, right?¡± I nodded I understood, so he continued. ¡°Then, when she had that trouble and needed a new place to live I offered that she could stay with me. I mean, it wasn¡¯t really mine to offer, in a sense, because you guys are paying my rent, but anyway,¡± he babbled. I was hoping he¡¯d get to the point.


    ¡°Well, I jumped at the opportunity to spend more time with her, so for me it was a total win having her move in with me. I mean, I liked her a lot, Leah. I really liked having her live with me. I liked cooking for the two of us, and I liked having someone home in the evenings, someone I could just talk to, you know? It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize I was crazy about her, either.¡±


    ¡°You''re crazy about her?¡± I asked for clarification.


    ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± he replied, warming to his subject. ¡°She¡¯s pretty, she has a good sense of humor, she¡¯s sweet and kind, she¡¯s smart, she has a sexy accent... I mean, what¡¯s not to like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡± I admitted. ¡°Now tell me what happened two nights ago.¡±


    ¡°It was kinda like some sort of porn fantasy,¡± Donny confessed. ¡°I came home from my last afternoon class, right? I was sitting on the couch going through the mail when Sana walked out of the bathroom. She¡¯d just taken a shower and didn¡¯t realize I was home, so she was completely naked, just toweling off her hair.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I prodded to keep him talking.


    ¡°She was surprised- I mean, hell, we both were. But she took it calmly and walked over to see what I had in my hands.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t cover up?¡± I asked, knowing the answer. I just wanted to hear how the scene played out for him.


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. When I asked her if she was going to, she asked me if I wanted her to. I said something like ¡®No way, I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t have any clothes on¡¯ or something stupid like that. She asked if I liked to look at her, and I said I did, and she told me she liked the way I was looking at her. She sat down next to me on the couch, and I mean right next to me. She asked if I wanted to kiss her, and I said I did, so we kissed. She asked me if I wanted to touch her, and of course I did, so...¡± he trailed off, lost in the memory.


    ¡°Next thing you know,¡± I said, giving him a little shoulder bump to continue.


    ¡°Next thing you know, we¡¯re, like, totally making out. She¡¯s pulling off my clothes and we¡¯re going from ¡®batter up¡¯ to ¡®home run¡¯ over the next couple of hours.¡±


    ¡°So then what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, we finally got up and showered (together, I might add) and went out for dinner. When we came home we climbed into my bed and made love again, then we fell asleep with her in my arms. In the morning I would have made love to her again, but she was still sound asleep, so I just kissed her for a bit then left for class.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wake her up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, she was just too beautiful, too peaceful. I was just so amazed that this wonderful girl was in my bed- don¡¯t tell this to anyone, Leah,¡± he suddenly demanded.


    ¡°Tell anybody what? You know I don¡¯t spill secrets,¡± I said.


    ¡°When I pulled the covers back and just looked at her, Leah, she was so amazing, so ... so... I couldn¡¯t help myself. I started to cry. I mean, nineteen years, and no girl even looks at me twice, and now, this amazing girl wants to be my lover? I was so nervous at first, but it was all so natural once we got started, you know?¡±


    ¡°You were a virgin?¡± I asked, a little bit surprised.


    ¡°Ssh! Not so loud!¡± Donny hissed, looking around to make sure nobody heard.


    I reached my arm around his shoulders and gave him a sideways hug. ¡°No, It¡¯s cool,¡± I said. ¡°Seriously.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not any more, I tell you. We¡¯re making up for lost time, Sana and me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Last night was more of the same. I couldn¡¯t wait until Sana got home from work, and neither could she. It was killing me that she was later than usual getting home, but the moment she got back to the apartment she was tearing off my clothes like there was no tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You know why she was late?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°Um, no...¡±


    ¡°Because she was at my place telling me what you guys did the night before,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°She gave you all the details?¡± he asked, floored. ¡°And you still grilled me like the third degree?¡±


    ¡°There were a couple of details she told me that you might want to know.¡± I cautioned. ¡°Some are good, some...¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Donny demanded, wondering if it was going to be bad news.


    ¡°Well, first off, she knew you were home.¡± The look in Donny¡¯s eyes was well worth it, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°You mean she-,¡± he sputtered.


    Laughing some more, I said ¡°Yeah. She told me she thought you were interested in her, and she wanted to see if you desired her the way she did for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it worked,¡± he grinned, seeing the humor in it. ¡°I¡¯m glad she did, ¡®cause I never would¡¯ve been able to take the first step.¡±


    ¡°Another thing you might want to know is that it was her first time, too.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? I mean, are you kidding me?¡± Donny asked, stunned.


    ¡°Seriously. You¡¯re her first, Don. I guess she¡¯s been making up for lost time, too.¡±


    ¡°Wow. I mean, just wow,¡± he breathed, amazed at the news.


    ¡°O.K. Now, Donny. Here¡¯s where the conversation gets serious. When I asked her if you guys used any protection, she didn¡¯t even know what I was talking about.¡±


    ¡°I guess I just assumed...¡± Donny mumbled, looking bashful.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I guess there was no chance of either of you giving each other any STDs, so that¡¯s good, right?¡± When he nodded, I continued. ¡°But here¡¯s the kicker. She wants to get pregnant.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Donny exclaimed, too stunned to even continue walking to class.


    I grabbed his arm to get him going again, and explained. ¡°I talked to Emmy about it last night, and she told me that the Night Children have such a low birth rate that there are no unwanted pregnancies. Any woman that carries a baby to term is considered very fortunate, and any pregnancy at all is a ¡®blessed event¡¯¡± (I used my fingers for air quotes). ¡°The odds are strongly against Sana getting pregnant, but she would absolutely welcome it if she did,¡± I told him, trying to make the point crystal clear.


    ¡°Well, I guess I need to pick up some Trojans, then.¡± he said, looking uncomfortable.


    Since we were practically at the Bio building by that point, I grabbed his shoulder and said ¡°C¡¯mon. Let¡¯s go someplace to talk. This is important.¡± Unresisting, Donny let me steer him away and towards a quiet bench in the shade. ¡°Look, I need to make this clear, Don. Sana wants a child. She wants your child, and she¡¯s not going to want you to use condoms. She¡¯s not going to get on the pill, either. As far as she¡¯s concerned, a kid would be the greatest thing that could happen.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t I get a say?¡± Donny asked, somewhat petulantly, lowering my opinion of him a notch.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied, a little bit harshly. ¡°Don¡¯t have sex with her. Look, Donny, I guess what I¡¯m trying to get at is that you may be getting into more than you realized with Sana. And no, although I don¡¯t like saying it, I kinda don¡¯t think you do get a say in it. I mean, this is part of the package with a relationship with a Night Child girl.¡±


    ¡°Well, what about you? I mean, you and Emmy, doesn¡¯t she want kids, too?¡± Donny demanded, looking angrier than I¡¯d ever seen him.


    ¡°Yes, we want to have kids. Actually, we need to specifically have at least a daughter. This has never been a secret between us.¡± I tried to stay calm, and I think it helped defuse Donny''s emotions. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about how we are going to do it, and what donors we¡¯d use and so on. We¡¯re planning on it, Donny. Just like you need to think about it if you and Sana are going to have a relationship.¡±


    Burying his head in his hands, Donny moaned. ¡°I¡¯m too young to be a dad. I mean, I¡¯m still just a freshman, for chrissake.¡±


    ¡°Donny, my parents were twenty and nineteen years old when mom got pregnant with me. It happens all the time. People have to grow up in a hurry when they have kids to raise, but they do it. We all have to grow up some time, Donny. I didn¡¯t expect this would be the year that I would do it, but I¡¯ve done a whole lot of growing up in the last twelve months, Don. I mean, you asked if I was Sana¡¯s mom? I kinda feel that way. I kinda feel like mom to all of the strays, you know? And they treat me like I''m their mom, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve seen that,¡± Donny agreed, leaning back on the park bench and tilting his head back to look at the branches above us. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that if I want to continue to have a relationship with Sana I have to be prepared to become a father, right?¡±


    ¡°Um, to put it bluntly, yes.¡± I agreed.


    ¡°But you said the odds are that she isn¡¯t fertile, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not clear on that, actually. I don¡¯t know if the Night Children women are infertile or the guys shoot blanks or both, but their birth rate is too low to sustain their population. Emmy¡¯s parents actually believe that day walker genes might be the answer. They wanted Emmy to hook up with a healthy day walker.¡±


    ¡°So I probably won¡¯t get her pregnant, but I might, and if I do, for sure she¡¯ll want to have the baby.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. There¡¯s one more thing that Emmy explained to me, and I hope it doesn¡¯t make any difference to you, but it might,¡± I said, really hoping I knew Donny as well as I thought I did.


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s that?¡± he asked, looking me straight in the eye for the first time in what seemed like hours.


    ¡°The baby will be a Night Child. I guess what gives them their coloring is somehow carried on the X chromosome or something like that, and so any baby born of a Night Child mom is a Night Child, too. The baby might have your blue eyes, but it¡¯ll definitely have Sana¡¯s midnight black skin.¡±


    Donny gave it a moment¡¯s thought, then said ¡°I guess that makes sense, somehow. I mean, I never really thought about it, but I¡¯d have no problem with our kid looking more like her than me.¡±


    I gave him another shoulder hug, and when that wasn¡¯t enough, I wrapped my other arm around him and pulled him in for a great big squeeze. ¡°So you¡¯re gonna man up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t... Breathe...¡± he gasped, so I let him go. With his more typical humor, he said ¡°Jeeze, Leah. You¡¯re getting super freaking strong. You just about crushed the life outta me! But I have to say, there are worse ways of dying than being crushed to death in your cleavage!¡±


    Laughing at the shove I gave him, he got serious again. ¡°Yeah, I think I can man up if the circumstances arise. I mean, I¡¯m crazy about her, Leah, I really am, and she seems to like me a lot, too. I want to try to make this work, you know?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s crazy about you, too, Don.¡± Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. ¡°Hey, I have one more question for you, and this is a big one. If I bought the two of you tickets, would you take her back to Seattle to meet your parents for spring break?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking that because you aren¡¯t sure if it¡¯s too early, or if you aren¡¯t sure how I think my parents will take it?¡± Donny asked, again looking me right in the eyes.


    ¡°Both, I guess,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, my parents will be thrilled to meet any girlfriend I¡¯d bring home, since I¡¯ve never had one before and I¡¯m pretty sure they have the feeling I might be gay- no offense, Leah,¡± he said, realizing he¡¯d just put his foot in his mouth.


    ¡°None taken,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°They won¡¯t care what she looks like, and Sana is so nice and polite that I know they¡¯ll adore her.¡±


    ¡°What if they ask about her background?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, Dad¡¯s a doctor so the whole ¡®reverse albino¡¯ story isn¡¯t going to play out. I guess we¡¯ve gotta go with the ¡®very rare ethnic group¡¯ line.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not a lie, is it?¡± I teased.


    ¡°No, I guess not,¡± Donny admitted.


    ¡°So I¡¯ll do it. I know you were planning on staying here for the break, but if Sana can get the time off work I¡¯ll buy you guys tickets.¡±


    ¡°Uh, why is this important to you?¡± he asked, and I have to admit it was a reasonable question.


    ¡°Because I want Sana to feel part of our society, for one. I mean, that¡¯s what we¡¯re trying to do with the strays, right? The other reason is that you don¡¯t want your parents¡¯ first news about your girlfriend to be that they are going to be grandparents, right?¡±


    ¡°No, I guess not,¡± Donny agreed, looking chagrined.


    ¡°So if you think you want to make this relationship work, commit to it, Don. Take her to meet your parents. Will they be O.K. with your girlfriend staying with you in their house?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. I mean, they¡¯re open minded, but that might be pushing it. We do have a guest bedroom, though... I¡¯ll call them tonight and tell ¡®em I want to bring my girlfriend up for the break and see how they react.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± I said, grabbing his hand and shaking it.


    Later that night in bed when I told Emmy about the visiting the parents thing she turned over and wrapped her arms around me, planting a big kiss on my lips. ¡°You think of everything. You are so amazing, Leah. You come up with the most incredible plans all the time, and they make so much sense.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, blushing at the compliment. ¡°I try.¡±


    ¡°You do more than try, Leah,¡± Emmy said as she rolled me onto my back. ¡°You are so strong, so powerful, it makes me want you even more than I thought was possible.¡±


    The next morning over coffee, Donny told me he had a talk with Sana.


    ¡°We talked about our future,¡± he said. ¡°We decided that we want to try to make a go of it as a couple, and we are gonna face whatever comes together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± I crowed. ¡°See, Donny, you grew up! Just like that!¡± I said, snapping my fingers.


    Donny blushed and looked embarrassed, but continued anyway. ¡°We want to take you up on your offer for tickets to visit my parents. Sana said that getting time off will be easy because so many students want extra hours during the break, so I called my folks.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d that go? I asked, sipping my latte.


    ¡°Good, real good. I told them I¡¯d been seeing this girl since the term started, and that we were getting serious. I told ¡®em I hadn¡¯t wanted to mention anything until I was sure things were on solid ground, but now it¡¯s time. I told them we¡¯re even living together.¡±


    ¡°What did they say about that?¡±


    ¡°Well, Mom started talking about safe sex and so on, and Dad wanted to make sure we weren¡¯t rushing in to things. Typical parents, I guess,¡± he grinned sheepishly.


    ¡°Did you tell them Sana is different?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I kinda mentioned that Sana is of a different ethnic and cultural background than us, but they didn¡¯t even bat an eye. Like I said, they were so pleased to hear I had a girlfriend at all that I could have told them I was dating a girl from Mars and they would have been happy to hear it.¡±


    That got a smile from me, and I said ¡°Yeah, well, that wouldn¡¯t have been too far off the truth, would it?¡±


    ¡°No, I guess not,¡± Donny said with a grin, back to his usual goofy self.


    Later, when I called Sana, she was thrilled that Donny was committing to be her boyfriend. ¡°He is so wonderful,¡± she enthused. ¡°I was afraid he would be ashamed of me, but he hasn¡¯t been,¡± she said, her English accent getting stronger in her excitement. ¡°He¡¯s taken me to restaurants for dinner the last few nights, and he¡¯s opened doors for me, and held my hand, and kissed me where others could see us. He¡¯s been better than I could ever have hoped.¡±


    ¡°He told me you guys talked about your future,¡± I said, hoping that Sana would corroborate Donny¡¯s story.


    ¡°Yes, we did. He told me that while he didn¡¯t feel ready to be a father yet, if it happens, he would be as proud as any father could be. He also said that he wanted us to make a commitment to each other, and that he loves me.¡±


    ¡°He told you he loves you?¡± I asked, surprised. I mean, really, a guy dropping a bomb like that without being coerced into it? Wow. He really did man up big-time.


    ¡°Yes, he said he does, and I believe him. The way he looks at me makes my knees weak,¡± she confessed. ¡°He is so sexy!¡±


    Not how I would have ever described the guy, but O.K. As long as the two are in love, who am I to say?

 Memorial Day II

    Emmy and her band were in the middle of recording their follow up album, so she couldn¡¯t go back to Fallbrook with me for Memorial Day. Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t have minded giving it a pass too, but it was always such a big deal for Mom that there was no way I could avoid it.


    Stephanie had emailed asking if I was coming back down for the holiday and if I minded if she went with us again. ¡°I know it¡¯s a big deal for you guys,¡± she wrote. ¡°Last year I kind of enjoyed it. I mean, it was sad and all, but it was cool to see them honor your dad like that. Anyways, if you¡¯re going, I¡¯d like to go, too.¡±


    Emmy didn¡¯t mind me spending that time with Stephanie as long as I promised to come back to her, which was an easy promise to make.


    Mom and Tiff picked me up at the airport down in San Diego. Tiff was happy to see me, but seriously disappointed that Emmy hadn¡¯t come to visit.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Emmy miss us?¡± she asked, her voice quavering.


    ¡°Yes, she does,¡± I replied, picking her up for a big hug. ¡°But you know how she¡¯s making music, right? Well, her band is in the studio recording another C.D. right now and she just couldn¡¯t take any time away. I promise we¡¯ll both come back in a couple of weeks when school is over, O.K.?¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. In fact, why don¡¯t we call Emmy right now to tell her I got here safely, and you can ask her yourself.¡±


    I carried Tiff out into the parking lot as she chattered on the phone to Emmy, following as Mom led the way to aunt Alicia¡¯s Camry. Seeing my confusion, Mom explained ¡°Oh, the car needs new C.V. joints and brakes. I¡¯ve been putting off taking it in, but I don¡¯t trust it for a drive all the way down here so I borrowed Alicia¡¯s car.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± was all I could reply.


    I told Mom that Steph wanted to go with us to the cemetery again, and she was O.K. with it. ¡°So, you two are still friends?¡± she asked, curious.


    ¡°Yeah, we talk once, maybe twice a week. Mostly about college, you know, but sometimes we just talk about whatever.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lee. Is that fair to Emmy?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Steph and I are just friends, that¡¯s all. Emmy doesn¡¯t mind. I mean, she isn¡¯t jealous at all.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Mom replied, clearly unconvinced.


    The rest of the drive the conversation turned to school, my workouts, Emmy¡¯s music, and other similarly harmless topics. I was relieved, because Mom¡¯s questions had made me feel vaguely guilty even though there was no reason for it. I mean, Steph and I were really just friends, after all.


    When we pulled into the parking spot at the apartment a couple of guys in suits leaning against a white car stood up and walked over.


    ¡°Miss Farmer?¡± the first guy asked, looking at my mom.


    ¡°That¡¯s Mrs. Farmer,¡± Mom corrected. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Leah Farmer?¡± he asked for clarification.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s me,¡± I said, interposing myself between Mom and this guy.


    He looked surprised, but he handed me his card and a set of car keys. Well, I call them keys even though they were really just the electronic remotes for keyless entry, but you know what I mean. ¡°My name¡¯s Jack Powell. I work at Temecula Valley BMW. Here are the keys for your courtesy car, Miss Farmer.¡± He indicated the white sedan he and the second guy had been leaning against. ¡°Mr. Lascaux said it¡¯s yours as long as you need it. Just give me a call when it¡¯s time to pick it up, and I¡¯ll come get it. My number¡¯s on the card, right there,¡± he said, pointing to the numbers on the card. ¡°If you have any problems with the car, or it isn¡¯t suitable, please call.¡±


    ¡°Um, thanks, Mr. Powell-¡±


    ¡°Jack,¡± he interrupted. ¡°Please, call me Jack.¡±


    ¡°Jack,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m sure the car is fine. It¡¯s this one, right?¡± I asked, walking over to the brand new BMW sedan.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Here. Let¡¯s just¡­¡± he said as he reached for the keys to open the car. I handed them over and he popped the door open to show me the interior, as if he were going to sell the car to me.


    Not wanting to spend any more time on it, I glanced in, then said ¡°Looks fine. Thank you, Mr. Powell. I¡¯ll call when it¡¯s time to pick it back up,¡± I said, sticking my hand out for the keys. He got the hint, and handed them over. I closed the door and locked it, then gave him a smile that was clearly meant as a dismissal. ¡°Have a good afternoon,¡± I wished him as I turned back to Mom and Tiff. I reached down and picked Tiffany up and headed towards the stairs, and Mom got the hint and grabbed my bag and followed.


    Once we got settled in the apartment, Mom asked ¡°Did you know Mr. Lascaux was going to give you a loaner car?¡±


    ¡°No, I had no idea. Emmy must have put him up to it,¡± I said, flopping down on the couch.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s really nice of him,¡± she said, surprising me. I was honestly expecting some minor tirade about wealth not earned is wealth not worth having, but she didn¡¯t go there.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to have a way to get around for the next couple of days.¡± Then, changing the subject, I asked ¡°Do you have any plans for dinner?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t really thought about it,¡± Mom said. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, kinda,¡± I admitted. ¡°How about I treat tonight?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go out, you know. I can fix something pretty quickly.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I want to take you and Tiff out tonight. Someplace nice, you know?¡± I suggested, hoping I could talk her into it.


    ¡°Should you be spending that kind of money? Honey, your scholarship money has to be tight,¡± Mom objected.


    Knowing this discussion was going to happen sooner or later, I thought we might as well get it over as soon as possible. ¡°Mom,¡± I said, crossing over to sit at the table with her. ¡°I have lots of money now. I mean, a whole lot.¡±


    Mom gave it a moment¡¯s thought, then asked ¡°Because of Emmy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°Look- Emmy and I are going to get married, Mom. We¡¯re living together right now, right? But what I haven¡¯t told you is what¡¯s already happened. Emmy, she-¡± I paused, not sure how to say it. ¡°She told me that as far as she¡¯s concerned, we¡¯re already a committed couple, and the best way to do that with the laws the way they are is to legally bind us together as much as possible, as if we were already married.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this rushing things?¡± Mom asked, unsure about the arrangement.


    ¡°Well, there are, um, circumstances, I guess, that indicate that taking too long would be a bad idea,¡± I hedged. ¡°I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is that it¡¯s important we move forward with our life, and since we can¡¯t get married yet in California, and since this is our home and where our families are we don¡¯t want to go and get hitched somewhere else, we¡¯re just going to make it as official as we can right now.¡±


    ¡°So what does this have to do with being able to afford a nice dinner out?¡± Mom asked, trying to figure out what this verbal diarrhea had to do with anything.


    ¡°Well, I guess what I¡¯m getting at is, well, now Emmy isn¡¯t the only one who¡¯s rich. It¡¯s all my money, now, too,¡± I blurted out.


    ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± Mom asked, her voice sharp.


    ¡°I mean that my name is on the bank accounts, too. What¡¯s Emmy¡¯s is mine, and what¡¯s mine is Emmy¡¯s. The house up there at Stanford is in both our names, and so are the cars and everything. I mean, all of it.¡± I knew Mom wasn¡¯t going to be too thrilled about all this, and I have to admit the conversation was going exactly as I¡¯d imagined it would. Awkward and uncomfortable, for sure.


    ¡°So, let me get this straight. Emmy just handed over half of her wealth to you? Just like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. It was a surprise to me, let me tell you, but I understood what she was doing,¡± I replied, trying not to get defensive. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s trying to make it as much like we¡¯re already married as possible, even if we don¡¯t have the certificate that says we¡¯re legally married.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re O.K. with that?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m more than O.K. with that. I would be happy to go to Massachusetts or someplace like that where we could actually get married, and we¡¯re gonna do that if things don¡¯t change here in California. But for now, we¡¯re doing what we can right here.¡±


    ¡°And so now you have a lot of money,¡± Mom stated.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I do, Mom.¡± I said it a bit defiantly, but not too much. I wanted it to be clear that this was the way it was, and that was all there was to it.


    ¡°So I shouldn¡¯t feel guilty ordering the lobster at dinner tonight?¡± Mom joked, evidently not wanting to make more of a fight about it.


    ¡°Order two,¡± I agreed, happy that she¡¯d decided to defuse the argument.


    I did some searching online and found what seemed to be a good choice for a nice dinner for the three of us down in Escondido. I was happy I¡¯d packed some nice clothes, because the restaurant was classy enough to require dressing up a bit.


    ¡°Wow, Lee, you look great,¡± Mom said when she saw me in the dark blue pencil skirt and jacket. ¡°I mean, you always look good, but with that outfit on you look like, I don¡¯t know, some sort of women¡¯s magazine model or something.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Emmy¡¯s been getting me to dress a little bit more, I don¡¯t know, classier, I guess,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, that suit looks fantastic on you. Where did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, it was a little boutique in San Jose,¡± I answered, surprised at Mom¡¯s interest.


    ¡°It looks so good, Lee. It looks like a designer label or something.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, it is,¡± I said, wishing the conversation was over.


    ¡°Really?¡± Mom asked, surprised. ¡°A name I would recognize?¡±


    ¡°Armani,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Armani? Isn¡¯t their stuff usually really expensive?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, feeling guilty at the money I¡¯d spent on the clothes I was wearing.


    ¡°How much?¡± Mom asked, and I detected a slight note of disapproval in her voice.


    ¡°A lot,¡± I said, hoping it would satisfy her, but no luck.


    ¡°How much, Lee? I¡¯d like to know.¡±


    ¡°I guess it was about four grand for this outfit, but that didn¡¯t include the accessories,¡± I admitted, holding up the little black clutch.


    ¡°And how much did that cost?¡± Mom demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to admit,¡± I replied. Mom gave me a look, so I confessed. ¡°It¡¯s a Jimmy Choo. It cost almost twelve hundred bucks,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°And all this makes sense to you?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, Mom, it doesn¡¯t in some ways, but in some other ways it does,¡± I said, trying not to sound too defiant, but also trying to make a point. ¡°Mom, in some ways, the price of clothes like these is just the price of admission in some circles. If Emmy and I show up to some of the parties we¡¯ve been going to in anything less nobody would take us seriously.¡±


    ¡°And what kind of parties are these, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Well, social business parties,¡± I said, wishing this whole conversation would just go away.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Mom said, letting it slide. I guess sometimes wishes do come true. ¡°Well, I guess I need to tell Tiffy to put her best dress on.¡±


    Tiffany was excited to ride in the BMW sedan that Emmy¡¯s dad loaned me, but Mom was giving off her reverse snobbery vibe and going out of her way to ignore how nice the car was.


    I pulled up to the front of the restaurant to the valet stand, over Mom¡¯s objections. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s only a few bucks,¡± I said, and she resigned herself to going with the flow.


    Dinner was nice, and the seating on the restaurant¡¯s large balcony overlooking the entire west side of the town was fantastic. True to her word, Mom got the surf and turf. Tiff got an unusual mac and cheese with bacon and I had the roasted chicken. When the check came, Mom made some noises about splitting the bill, but I said ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve got this. I invited you and Tiff out to dinner, and I picked where. I¡¯m paying,¡± I said, laying one hundred and fifty dollars in the little folder.


    On the drive home, Mom was quiet for a while, thinking about something, but I wasn¡¯t going to ask her what. It was probably something I didn¡¯t want to hear.


    That night, after Tiff went to bed, Mom made it clear she wanted to talk.


    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t begrudge your newfound wealth, Lee, but-¡±


    ¡°No, Mom, no ¡®but¡¯ anything,¡± I interrupted. ¡°Look. It¡¯s not as if I went out to try to score a rich husband, or in this case, wife. The person I fell in love with and want to spend my life with just happens to be well off, all right? I mean, I¡¯d want to be with Emmy even if we had to live in a box by the river. I have to admit, where we live is nicer than a cardboard box, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°Lee, I understand that, believe me, I do,¡± Mom protested. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see money change you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it already has,¡± I admitted, ¡°but probably not in the way you¡¯re concerned about.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°Well, for starters, I¡¯m changing my major to Business as of next year, for one. Also, I¡¯ve been learning a lot about money in general. I¡¯ve been doing most of our financial stuff, giving Emmy more time to concentrate on her music.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re taking this seriously?¡± Mom asked, sounding a bit surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, Mom, I am. This is my life now, and will be from now on out. I¡¯m happy, and doing what I¡¯ve been doing for the last six months has somehow felt like the right thing. I wish I could explain it more, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± Mom reflected, thinking about what I¡¯d just said. ¡°Here you are, starting out your life as a, I don¡¯t know, investment banker or something, and you¡¯re not even nineteen years old yet. I¡¯m about to turn forty, and I¡¯m worried about the cost of keeping my old car running.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something I wanted to talk about, too. I just wasn¡¯t sure how to bring it up,¡± I said, not looking at her. ¡°I¡¯d like to buy you a new car.¡±


    ¡°Oh, honey, I appreciate it, but that¡¯s just too much. No, don¡¯t worry about it, really. Besides, what would Emmy say about you spending money like that?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? She doesn¡¯t understand why I haven¡¯t bought you a new house yet.¡±


    ¡°A house?¡± Mom asked, surprised. ¡°She thinks you should buy me a house? That¡¯s, I don¡¯t know, ridiculous!¡± Mom said, surprised. ¡°You two can¡¯t just waste that kind of money!¡±


    ¡°Mom, I told her we couldn¡¯t buy you a house because you wouldn¡¯t accept. It isn¡¯t because we can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    ¡°You could afford to buy me a house? Just like that?¡± The amazement in her eyes almost made me laugh, but there was no way I was going to do that.


    ¡°Mom, since February, I¡¯ve bought over forty-five million dollars of real estate up there in the Bay Area.¡± I said it calmly, as a simple statement of fact, knowing that would be the most effective way to communicate.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    She just stared at me for a long moment, a look of shock on her face. Finally, she asked ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom. I am serious. Very serious. Like I said, I¡¯ve been doing most of the financial dealings, and this is what I¡¯ve done. I started a corporation, hired some staff, and I¡¯ve been buying properties. Mostly residential homes, but some small apartment buildings and a couple of commercial properties as well. I¡¯ve sold a few, too, but most of them I plan on holding for a while. Now is a good time to buy, and it looks as if we¡¯ll get great return in a few years.¡±


    Mom just listened, not commenting, so I continued. ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to some people about doing some V.C. investment.¡± Seeing the look on Mom¡¯s face, I explained. ¡°V.C. means venture capital. It¡¯s when somebody has a good idea for a business, but needs money to get it off the ground. A V.C. investor funds the development of the company in return for partial ownership. It¡¯s how all the new tech companies get going these days.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re doing all this?¡± Mom asked, still trying to take it all in. ¡°All this real estate investment, this V.C. stuff?¡±


    ¡°Mmm hmm,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°What do Emmy¡¯s parents think of you throwing their money around like this?¡±


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not their money. It¡¯s not ¡®Emmy¡¯s money¡¯. It¡¯s our money. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you. When Emmy turned eighteen and agreed to fulfill her family obligations, her parents released a bunch of money to her. Like a trust fund, I guess. From that point on, she could do anything she wanted with it, anything at all. What she chose to do is to give it to me. Not half,¡± I added. ¡°All of it. It¡¯s all mine, and it¡¯s all hers. There¡¯s no separating it. It¡¯s our money.¡±


    ¡°But Lee, what if things don¡¯t work out with you two?¡± Mom objected.


    ¡°They will.¡±


    Mom looked as if she were about to say something more on the subject, then changed her mind. With a quick smile to indicate that she was going to let it go, she asked ¡°So, you have an office and everything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just a little one for now. Maybe when things get to a level we can¡¯t handle we¡¯ll expand, but we don¡¯t want to do it too quickly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say that you¡¯re moving very quickly,¡± Mom jibed. ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You want to know?¡± I asked, trying to make it clear that this wasn¡¯t a joking matter.


    Mom got the hint and turned serious. ¡°What is it, Lee?¡±


    ¡°Mom, we¡¯re in a rush because we kind of need to be. Emmy has some sort of genetic condition that means she¡¯s going to die young. Like, thirty, maybe thirty-five years old at the most.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mom gasped.


    ¡°You know how she used to say she has some sort of albino thing? Well, it turns out she actually does. It¡¯s why her hair is white, and she can¡¯t tolerate the sun much at all. It¡¯s really rare among her people, and everybody that¡¯s born that way always dies by their early thirties. So that¡¯s why we¡¯re in a hurry. Because we only have ten, fifteen years together at the most.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lee, that¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t even have words for how sorry I am.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me either,¡± I admitted, choking up despite myself. ¡°But now you understand why we might seem to be in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she agreed, taking me into her arms. It had been a while since I¡¯d felt that familiar sense of security that only a warm hug from Mom could give, and I found myself breaking down and crying. I cried for Emmy, I cried for myself, and I even found myself crying for the kids that Emmy and I plan on having who will grow up like me, with only childhood memories of a long-gone parent.


    Mom said nothing, understanding that there was nothing that could be said. She just held me and let me cry myself out, supporting me in her silent way. Eventually I ran dry and Mom let me go, fetching me a glass of water for my sore throat.


    ¡°Get some sleep, Lee. Get some sleep,¡± she urged, so I did just that.


    Saturday was an open day for me, so I called Stephanie to see what she was up to for the day.


    ¡°I can¡¯t talk right now, I¡¯m at work,¡± she said when she answered her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll call you at break¡±.


    Tiffany was playing at a friend¡¯s house and would be gone a lot of the day and Mom had left a note saying she had extra office hours because of the end of the term but would be home for lunch. This left me a few hours with nothing to do and no real desire to get dressed and go out.


    I called and talked to Emmy for about an hour, not really even saying much. Just talking to hear the sound of her voice. After that I turned on the T.V. to see what was going on in the world, and what I noticed most was the car ads. Thinking about buying Mom a car, I fired up my iPad and checked various web sites, so when Mom got home I was ready.


    I was dressed in a nice business skirt suit, my ¡°professional shark¡± look, as Donny had described it. When I asked him what he meant, he said ¡°Well, you know, like a high-priced lawyer or something. All sleek and elegant like a shark, but you know is gonna take a bite out of your flesh.¡±


    ¡°You look- well, very impressive,¡± Mom said when she walked in the door. ¡°What¡¯s the occasion?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re buying you a car,¡± I announced.


    ¡°Lee, honey, I appreciate it, but-¡°


    ¡°No, no buts,¡± I interrupted. ¡°You need a new car. You¡¯ve had that old Toyota since I was little, and it¡¯s time for a new one.¡±


    ¡°But I like that car,¡± Mom objected.


    ¡°Yeah, I like it, too, but it¡¯s just time to put it out to pasture,¡± I replied, and it hit me like a flash that we had somehow switched roles. I was acting like the parental figure and Mom was the kid I was trying to talk out of her security blanket. ¡°Look,¡± I said, turning my voice gentle. ¡°You need a reliable car. You¡¯re a single working mom, and a car that breaks down every now and then is just no good. Let me buy you a new one.¡±


    ¡°But Lee, I just don¡¯t feel right about you spending Emmy¡¯s money on me like that,¡± she objected.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°I told you. It¡¯s my money, too. I can do whatever I want with it. And what I want to do right now is buy you a car.¡±


    ¡°But-¡°


    ¡°No. No buts. I¡¯m buying you a car. Now, you can come along and pick it out, or I can go by myself and choose something for you, but in either case, you¡¯re getting a car today.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Mom said, her eyes turning angry. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me as if I were a child!¡±


    ¡°Then stop acting like one!¡± was what I wanted to snap back at her, but I stopped myself just in time. ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± I apologized. ¡°It¡¯s just- this is something you need, and it¡¯s something I can get for you. You¡¯ve done so incredibly much for me over the years, let me do something for you.¡±


    My little reverse guilt trip seemed to work. Her eyes softened and her shoulders dropped a bit. ¡°Honey, it isn¡¯t about that. I know you want to help, and I appreciate that, I do. I just don¡¯t want to take some sort of charity from you and Emmy, is all.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t charity. It¡¯s a gift, from me, to you. When I was little all I could give you were macaroni picture frames. Now, I can give you the safety and security of knowing that your car won¡¯t let you and Tiff down.¡±


    Soon enough we were at the car dealership. Mom kept looking at the base models, but when it came time I told the sales guy we wanted the fully loaded version of the Subaru wagon that Mom liked.


    Mom objected, but eventually I was calling our banker to get the money wired to the dealership. An hour later we pulled out of the lot, me in my loaner BMW headed to Stephanie¡¯s house and Mom behind the wheel of her brand new dark green Subaru wagon. She was going to drive around a bit, then pick Tiffany up from her friend¡¯s place. I wished I could be there to see Tiff¡¯s face, but oh well. I¡¯d gotten Mom to accept the car, and that was a big battle won.


    Later, when I told Stephanie about the morning and the struggle to get Mom to accept a gift from me, she responded, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t, like, catch me saying ¡®no¡¯ to a new car!¡±


    ¡°So it wouldn¡¯t bother you to just accept a gift like that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No way. I mean, like, it¡¯s a gift, right? You¡¯re giving it to her because you love her, and you know she needs it but couldn¡¯t buy one on her own, right? There¡¯s nothing wrong with that,¡± Stephanie said with conviction.


    ¡°Well, see, that¡¯s how it seems to me, too. I just hope Mom sees it like that, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she will. Like, right now the whole idea of you having money is still weird to her, you know? But soon it¡¯ll just be the way it is- especially if you don¡¯t really act any different. Like you always did, I mean.¡±


    ¡°That sort of made sense,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Yeah, well, sometimes I do,¡± Stephanie replied, smiling. That smile of hers still melted my heart a little bit, even though I feel guilty admitting it. I mean, I love Emmy with all my heart, but somehow there is still a little bit of room in there for Steph as well.


    ¡°So what do you want to do today?¡± asked Stephanie. ¡°I have the rest of the day free.¡± A thought occurred to her, and with a mischievous smile she said ¡°We could go swimming?¡±


    ¡°I thought your mom didn¡¯t want you hanging around with me any more,¡± I objected. ¡°What if she came home while I was here?¡±


    ¡°Well, you want to know something terrible? If she, like, saw that brand new 540 in the driveway and found out it was yours, her attitude might change. If she thought you were doing really well, I mean like rich, she would probably want me to spend as much time with you as possible.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m totally serious. She¡¯s told me a million times that if I want to have a lot of money, I need to surround myself with people that have a lot of money. So if she thought you were loaded she¡¯d be all over me to get close to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda shitty,¡± I said, not wanting to say much against Mrs. Houk, but also more than a bit appalled.


    ¡°Yeah, but I can also understand what she means. I mean, not like, marry money, you know, but just get into the mentality, I guess,¡± Steph said, defending her mom a little bit.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± I conceded, still not convinced.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me once that Emmy had subscriptions to, like, the Wall Street Journal? I think that¡¯s what my mom means. People who have money think differently, and hanging around with them it might rub off.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can see her point, but it¡¯s still weird to tell your kid something like that,¡± I argued, but really, I could see her point.


    ¡°Well, whatever,¡± Steph said, indicating she wasn¡¯t interested in arguing, either. ¡°So what should we do? I don¡¯t have anything to do from now until tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening tomorrow night? I asked, curious.


    ¡°Well, you remember Brett¡¯s band, right? The Prodigal Sons? They¡¯re playing at a club down in San Diego.¡±


    ¡°Like, a bar kind of club?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Stephanie answered.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not understanding why this has anything to do with you,¡± I replied, puzzled.


    ¡°I manage them now,¡± Steph said, as if I should have known. ¡°In this case, that means I have to go down and, like, man the merch table, and make sure the club owner meets his end of the contract- mainly because the boys can¡¯t deal, you know?¡±


    ¡°You never told me you were managing their band,¡± I said, amazed. ¡°That¡¯s cool!¡±


    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t know how they ever got along without me. They had, like, no freaking idea how much to charge to play their gigs, for one. I had to go out and do research on what was standard and all. Also, they didn¡¯t even have any merch to sell besides the CDs they had made. Even those they paid too much for.¡±


    ¡°That is so awesome, Steph. It sounds as if you are really treating this like a pro,¡± I said, amazed.


    ¡°Thanks. I really had no idea what any of it involved when they first asked me to sell merch for them at shows. I did some reading and talked to the boys about me being their manager and they agreed to give it a shot, so I found a contract online and had everybody sign it. I read some books about managing bands and next thing you know, I¡¯m, like, making more money managing a local band nobody¡¯s ever heard of than working at my job at Target- and it only takes a few hours a week.¡±


    ¡°That kicks ass, Steph. I mean it. That really kicks ass.¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn''t compare to you doing your real estate investments,¡± Stephanie protested.


    ¡°You know what? Actually, it kinda does. I may be dealing with a whole lot more money, but both of us are learning an entirely new thing and making it work, right? I mean, I got a huge head start because of Emmy¡¯s money, but I¡¯m learning the ropes of the business by doing it, just like you are,¡± I told her, meaning every word.


    ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡±


    ¡°So, now we¡¯ve settled on what we¡¯re doing tomorrow night,¡± I started, but Stephanie interrupted me.


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna come down and watch, of course.¡±


    ¡°What part of ¡®it¡¯s a bar¡¯ didn¡¯t you catch? I can get in because I¡¯m working, but they won¡¯t let you in,¡± Stephanie protested.


    ¡°Yes, they will,¡± I said. ¡°I have a one hundred percent believable fake ID.¡±


    ¡°You''re kidding me!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, her eyes wide. ¡°Let me see!¡±


    Grabbing my wallet, I took out my fake ID and showed it to her. ¡°Washington State?¡± She asked, examining it closely. ¡°Why not California?


    ¡°Just the way it worked out,¡± I replied, shrugging. ¡°But I¡¯ve never had it fail me yet.¡±


    ¡°Can you get me one?¡± Stephanie asked, giving me puppy dog eyes.


    ¡°Sure. You just need to get a passport photo and I can have the rest done,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So like, do you have some sort of criminal connections now?¡± she asked, partly playfully and partly serious.


    ¡°If I told you I¡¯d have to kill you,¡± I replied, smirking.


    ¡°You totally do!¡± Stephanie exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.


    We didn¡¯t really do much that day, but I did go to the bar in San Diego to watch The Prodigal Sons play Friday night. It was a little place by the airport and it really reminded me of some sort of cave or something. The guys were good, and their set was almost entirely originals, unlike the other times I¡¯d seen them mostly do classic rock tunes. The one song they did that I recognized was actually a Downfall tune, which I thought was kind of awesome.


    I mostly hung out at the merchandise table with Stephanie and watched her play the potential buyers. She was flirty, but kept turning their attention back to the stuff for sale- a real natural saleswoman. What really fascinated me, though, is what happened after the show was over. Talking to the club manager, she didn¡¯t give an inch.


    ¡°I counted the door,¡± she said to the guy. ¡°There was a capacity crowd of two hundred here tonight. The Sons brought in the gate. Two hundred times ten is two grand, Jake. They did a good job of selling the liquor, too, and we didn¡¯t even ask for a cut of the sales- that¡¯s just the guys being professional and doing the club square.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I appreciate it, Stephanie, believe me, I do,¡± the manager replied. ¡°It¡¯s just that even national touring bands don¡¯t generally make as much here as you guys tonight. It throws off the scale.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not my concern. The deal was signed, and you¡¯re making good money, too, so just give me the cash and let¡¯s talk about another date.¡±


    Watching Steph go toe to toe with this guy who has clearly had many, many bands perform in his club really impressed me. He was trying to take advantage of her inexperience and she just wasn¡¯t having it. Finally he caved and handed her two thousand bucks cash, and they agreed on another show date for the following month.


    On the drive back to Fallbrook, I asked ¡°So how much did it all amount to tonight?¡±


    ¡°Well, gate was two grand, and we sold about three hundred and fifty bucks worth of merch.¡± Stephanie said, going through it in her mind as she spoke. ¡°Generally we make about sixty per hundred on the merch, after costs, so we cleared roughly two hundred there. So, like, twenty-two hundred for the night.¡±


    ¡°And how much do you keep as manager?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Twenty per cent. Same as each band member,¡± she replied, a bit defensively. ¡°But look, if it wasn¡¯t for me, they never would even have booked that show.¡±


    ¡°No, I get it, I really do,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just curious, is all.¡± Thinking about it for a moment, I asked ¡°How many shows do the Sons do a month?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been more and more, so, like, I can¡¯t really give you a good answer for that. When I started working with them they were only doing club shows once in a while, and playing parties for beer. Now they¡¯re getting recognition, I¡¯m able to book them gigs pretty much every weekend, plus a few here and there midweek.¡±


    ¡°And do they always make this kind of money?¡±


    Stephanie laughed and said ¡°I wish. No, this was a really good night. It¡¯s usually half this. But we¡¯ve been booking better places more and more.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± I asked.


    Turning to look at me, Stephanie said ¡°What do you mean? You know you can ask me anything.¡±


    ¡°Do you see a career doing this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure,¡± Steph replied, after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°I mean, like, I¡¯ve been thinking about it a bit, and you know, my major is marketing, so it kinda ties in, you know?¡± Stephanie was quiet for a bit, then said ¡°Yeah, I guess I can. It¡¯s fun, I¡¯m making good money, and it really doesn¡¯t take much of my time.¡±


    We finished the rest of the drive in silence, lost in our own thoughts.


    Knowing Emmy would be up late, I called and she actually answered. After telling each other how much we missed each other, I told Emmy about seeing the Sons play, and about Stephanie being their manager and what she¡¯s been doing for the band. ¡°They¡¯re starting to take off,¡± I told her. ¡°And a lot of it is the work that Steph has been doing for them.¡±


    ¡°It sounds as if she is helping them very much,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I am glad to hear they are doing well.¡± And with that, we switched back to talking about how much we missed each other and what we would do if we were together. I fell asleep with a warm glow in my heart and an ache in parts farther south.


    Sunday rolled around and Stephanie showed up right on time for our drive down to San Diego. Mom wanted to drive her new car, so we all piled in the Subaru. Tiff was finally old enough to not need the booster seat and as a result called shotgun every chance she had. I didn¡¯t mind, because it gave me a chance to sit and talk to Stephanie in the back seat.


    ¡°I got an email yesterday,¡± she said. ¡°Do you know anything about this?¡±


    ¡°How would I know anything about something you¡¯re only just now telling me about?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It was from a record label. They want to sign the Sons.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± I replied. ¡°Congrats!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, the reason I ask if you know anything about it is that it¡¯s the label the Downfall is on,¡± Stephanie explained.


    Suddenly it clicked, and everything became clear. ¡°Well, OK, I knew nothing about this,¡± I said, ¡°But we own that label. Emmy must have talked to them about signing the Sons.¡±


    ¡°You guys own the label?¡± Steph asked, stunned. ¡°Like, really own it? Completely?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°So you''re saying Emmy put them up to this? To emailing me about signing the Sons?¡±


    ¡°It makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°I talked to her the other night about how they¡¯re really taking off, and she must have spoken with the guys at the record company about it.¡±


    ¡°So tell me more about how you actually own a record label,¡± Stephanie insisted, staying on-topic.


    ¡°Well, when it was time to record an album for The Downfall, no record company was willing to offer a deal that we thought was reasonable, so Emmy went out and found an independent label that she liked- I think because of the other bands they¡¯d signed, honestly- and she made them an offer. The owner agreed to stay on as CEO, and there it is. Our own label, ready-made.¡±


    ¡°So, like, is offering a deal to the Sons some sort of charity deal? If so, I¡¯m not even going to respond,¡± Stephanie said, and I could hear the anger in her voice.


    ¡°Honestly, and I say this without knowing about whatever conversation Emmy might have had with Diego Garcia, the label boss, I doubt it. When we bought the label we made it clear the label was still his to run.¡±


    ¡°So what do you think happened, then?¡± Stephanie demanded, still angry.


    ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say that Emmy called Diego and told him to check the band out. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d want to sign a band just to kiss ass.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Stephanie hmphed, letting me know she wasn¡¯t totally convinced.


    ¡°Look, call Emmy and ask her. Just ask. She¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have her number,¡± Stephanie objected.


    Eventually Stephanie gave in and used my phone to call Emmy, but it fell on voice mail and Stephanie didn¡¯t leave a message. Instead she texted the number to her phone, then used her phone to text Emmy. About this time we arrived at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and were waved to a parking spot by a fresh-faced young Marine.


    The ceremony was a lot like it had been the year before (and the years before that, too) but dad¡¯s old buddy wasn¡¯t there this time. After the ceremony we went to lunch at a really nice seafood place right on the bay and I treated. This bothered Mom a little bit, but she didn¡¯t make a stink, for which I was grateful.


    I had to hop on a plane back to the Bay Area that night, so after we got back home I gave Stephanie a goodbye hug and relaxed for a bit before heading to the airport.


    ¡°Lee,¡± Mom said as she sat down on the edge of the couch where I was just vegging. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking.¡±


    ¡°What about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About you and Emmy, and your new wealth, things like that,¡± she answered, and I can¡¯t say I was surprised one bit.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Lee, I¡¯m sorry for being hard on you about this, I really am. I know you didn''t set out to marry money. I understand that. I am just concerned that you may be rushing things. No, wait,¡± she said as I was about to object. ¡°I understand what you said about having a fairly short window of time together, and there¡¯s nothing I can say to let you know how bad I feel about that, but I¡¯m just worried you¡¯re rushing into becoming an adult too fast.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m eighteen now. Legally I am an adult,¡± I said, trying to not get upset. I mean, I know Mom only wanted the best for me, but it was really time she started to understand that I was perfectly capable of making my own way now.


    ¡°Of course I know that, but you''re still my baby girl, and you always will be. I can¡¯t stop feeling like a parent simply because a date on the calendar says you''re an adult now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to stop feeling like my mom,¡± I said. ¡°I just want you to accept that you''ve done what you can to prepare me for the world and now it¡¯s time for me to act on what you''ve taught me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lee,¡± Mom sighed. ¡°I know it is. I know it is. It¡¯s just¡­ harder than I ever thought it would be.¡±


    I had no good response to that, so I kept quiet and let Mom gather her thoughts.


    Eventually, she just gave up on finding anything to say and sighed again. ¡°Lee, just¡­ You¡¯ve always been a serious kid, more like a little adult than anything. I can easily believe that you¡¯re taking on all these responsibilities, and I would be surprised if you weren¡¯t doing very well with them. I know how you are, and I¡¯d expect nothing less. All I ask is that you, I don¡¯t know, take some time for yourself, I guess. It¡¯s O.K. to be a little selfish sometimes, to do things just because you want to, not because it¡¯s what¡¯s required or expected of you.¡±


    Flying back to San Jose, I thought a lot about what Mom said. Was I doing all these things because it was expected of me? Eventually, I came to realize that while there might have been some sense of duty that was motivating me, mostly it was because I wanted to be someone Emmy would be proud to marry. Like Jack Nicholson said in that comedy with Helen Hunt, she makes me want to be a better person. If that meant being an investor and wealth manager so she could do what she needed to do, well, I was happy to do so.


    I could be the queen the Strays needed when Emmy was unavailable. It felt good to help them out, and that was its own reward. I was going in to my new duties with my eyes open.

 The Things I Do For Love

    ¡®Ugh. The things I do for love,¡¯ I said to myself as I pushed open the door and walked in to the dimly lit space. Not knowing really what to do, I made my way over to the bar and waved the bartender over.


    He gave me a quick once-over, then leaned in to be heard over the too loud music and said ¡°If you want to work, you gotta talk to Mike. He comes in around five.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m here for,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°Actually, sort of the opposite.¡±


    ¡°What is it, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a pole dancer,¡± I said, not really sure how to have this conversation.


    ¡°We got ¡®em,¡± he said, indicating the girl dancing on stage behind me, at whom I¡¯d been trying not to look.


    ¡°Yeah, I see that,¡± I agreed. ¡°But what I want is the best one you¡¯ve got. I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s the prettiest, or sexiest or whatever. I just want to talk to the girl that¡¯s the best at pole dancing.¡±


    The bartender raised his eyebrows and asked ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°I need somebody who could teach pole dancing lessons. This is for a music video,¡± I explained.


    ¡°You in a band?¡± the bartender asked, his interest piqued.


    ¡°No, not me. My- my friend is in a band, and they want to do a music video with her as a pole dancer, so I told her I¡¯d find somebody that can teach her.¡±


    ¡°Is there a finder¡¯s fee?¡± he asked, laying his hand out on the bar, palm up.


    ¡°There is if she¡¯s the right one,¡± I said.


    ¡°You want Genevieve. Come back tomorrow night. She starts around eight.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, turning to go.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so quick to leave,¡± the guy said. ¡°Buy a drink- sit and watch a bit.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± I answered. ¡°This really isn¡¯t my scene,¡± I said, glancing over at the stage, where a dark-haired girl was doing the splits, displaying all she had for a group of guys who looked as if they just got off work at the used car lot next door.


    The next evening I was back there again, hoping I wasn¡¯t making a fool out of myself. I¡¯d dressed nicely and driven the BMW to give the impression that I had money and wasn¡¯t just yanking the girl¡¯s chain.


    I paid the doorman (who hadn¡¯t been there the previous afternoon) the cover charge and walked in, heading straight for the bar. The bartender recognized me and came over right away. ¡°Genevieve should be up after the next girl,¡± he said, indicating the stage. ¡°After Tiffany it¡¯ll be Courtney, then Genevieve. Go ahead and take a seat, and I¡¯ll have her sent over.¡±


    Musing to myself about how my sister and my ex best friend had stripper names, I found an empty table and sat down. I did my best to ignore the stares from all the guys in the place, but I¡¯m not going to lie and say that I felt comfortable, either. A skimpily dressed waitress came over to take my order, leaning in very close to talk pretty much directly into my ear so she could be heard over the extremely loud music.


    ¡°Eddie said you wanted to talk to Genevieve?¡± she asked, making sure I got a very good view of her cleavage. When I nodded yes, she said ¡°She¡¯ll treat you right. I¡¯ll find her for you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have much time to wonder what the waitress had meant before a girl about my age (but it was hard to tell in the dim light of the club) wearing an oversized men¡¯s white button-front shirt and apparently nothing else besides her clear plastic high-heel shoes came over to where I was sitting. She leaned in to talk to me, allowing the shirt to drape forward. Since her shirt was only buttoned about halfway up I could see all the way down inside it to her white panties. She glanced down, checking, I guess, to make sure her boobs were properly on display. Satisfied, she asked ¡°You wanted to talk to me?¡±


    ¡°You Genevieve?¡± I asked, even though it was pretty evident that she¡¯d been sent my way by either the bartender or the waitress. When she confirmed that she was, I told her that the bartender had said she was the best the club had to offer as far as pole dancers go.


    ¡°He said that?¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. So why is that important?¡±


    Having a hard time communicating over the obnoxiously loud hair metal music on the club¡¯s sound system, I asked ¡°Is there someplace we can go that would be a bit quieter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m up next, but afterwards, sure,¡± she replied, standing up straight. She took my hand and pulled me out of my seat, leading me to an empty seat at the rail of the club¡¯s stage. After I sat down, she disappeared backstage, presumably to get ready for her dance. I made a point of looking at all the guys seated at the rail, and precious few of them could make eye contact. Yeah, I might be their fantasy of a lipstick lesbian there to check out the babes at the strip club, but none of them were willing to look me in the face.


    The DJ announced Genevieve as she climbed the steps at the stage¡¯s back corner. Prince¡¯s Raspberry Beret blasted from the sound system as she sauntered to the center of the stage, looking around at the handful of patrons there at the club on a Wednesday night. Apparently she didn¡¯t see any of the guys as worthwhile prospects, because she turned her attention my direction, making it clear her show was all for me. As the song progressed she removed her dress shirt, leaving her in nothing but a pair of white lace french-cut panties. I¡¯d never really given it any thought, but it became obvious that bare skin was necessary for pole dancing. I mean, the entire thing is based on the friction bare skin has on the metal of the pole, right? Anyway, I did have to admit she was really good at what she did. I could have done well without the way too explicit views she gave me after her panties came off. I kept trying to not look at her privates, but I¡¯m only human, right? At one point I caught myself looking at her girl parts, then made myself look up at her face instead, but the knowing little smirk she gave me turned my face hot with embarrassment. Thankfully, even though she was under the lights I sat in the gloom, so hopefully nobody could see my mortification.


    After Genevieve¡¯s two-song set was over she collected the dollar bills that were held out by having the guys tuck them into the waistband of her panties. I hadn¡¯t known to bring dollar bills so all I had to pay her for her show was a twenty, which went into the waistband with all the rest. After she put her clothes (such as they were) back on Genevieve handed all the money to the bartender. Another girl had started dancing by this time, but I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to her- I was too fascinated by the process of Genevieve and the bartender counting out the money and writing it down. It seemed to me that the system was much better than the girls carrying around tons and tons of dollar bills every night. I briefly wondered if the girls got the cash money at the end of the night, or did the club give them a check at the end of the week?


    Roused from my ponderings by Genevieve heading my way, I stood up and intercepted her. ¡°Where can we talk?¡± I asked, having to speak right into her ear to be heard over the Lenny Kravitz pumping out of the club¡¯s sound system.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be twenty-five for a private dance,¡± she explained, then took my hand and led me to the far side of the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a dance,¡± I objected as she sat me down and started moving to the music.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Genevieve asked in what can only be described as a lascivious tone.


    ¡°Pole dancing lessons,¡± I replied. ¡°Somewhere other than here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do outcall work,¡± Genevieve said, continuing to dance. I guess my imagination of what a lap dance would be doesn¡¯t match reality. Genevieve never removed her clothes, or in fact, even touched me. Sure, it was a private dance, but she wasn¡¯t on my lap. ¡®Lied to by Hollywood,¡¯ I thought, but grateful all the same that she wasn¡¯t on me like white on rice.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want you to strip,¡± I objected. ¡°I want you to teach my girlfriend to pole dance.¡±


    ¡°Girlfriend?¡± she asked, suddenly looking interested. ¡°There are plenty of pole dancing gyms. She can learn there,¡± Genevieve said. ¡°Why come here?¡±


    ¡°Those gyms teach it as an exercise,¡± I explained. ¡°My girlfriend wants to learn to do it like a strip- uh, an exotic dancer. For a music video.¡±


    ¡°What band? Anybody I¡¯ve heard of?¡± Genevieve asked, now looking a whole lot less bored than before. She was still dancing, and while I do have to admit it was very sexy, I stayed focused.


    ¡°Probably not. They just got started. They¡¯re called ¡®The Downfall¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Did you say The Downfall?¡± Genevieve asked, astonished. She just stood there, all thoughts of sexy dancing gone.


    ¡°Um, yeah. That¡¯s my girlfriend¡¯s band,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Seriously? Like, you aren¡¯t just yanking my chain?¡±


    ¡°No, seriously. And I¡¯m willing to pay you. How about two days of lessons, and I¡¯ll pay you what you make in a week here.¡±


    ¡°Emmy is your girlfriend?¡± Genevieve asked, still trying to process.


    ¡°Well, actually, my fianc¨¦e,¡± I corrected. I thought it was a good sign she knew of the band and knew who Emmy was, and maybe that would seal the deal.


    ¡°No shit,¡± Genevieve said, still standing there in amazement. ¡°Emmy wants to learn to pole dance from me?¡±


    ¡°Well, she wants to learn to pole dance for the video they¡¯re gonna make. She went to a pole dance studio and didn¡¯t like the way they did it, so I told her I¡¯d find somebody who could teach her how to do it all sexy-like. You were recommended as the best here, so¡­¡± I told her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± She announced. ¡°It¡¯d be a kick.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said, standing up and handing her a hundred I peeled from my money clip. Her eyes went wide at the stack of cash I¡¯d gotten used to carrying around.


    ¡°Um, so, you said you¡¯d pay me a week¡¯s worth for two days of lessons, right?¡± she asked, licking her lips.


    ¡°Yeah. How much would that be?¡±


    ¡°Um, five hundred bucks, I guess?¡± she answered, making me think that was a good week type of number, maybe padded a bit.


    ¡°Sure. It¡¯s a deal. Here¡¯s my card. That¡¯s my cell phone number right there,¡± I said, showing her the number on the back of the card. ¡°Call me tomorrow and we can set it up.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go so fast,¡± Genevieve objected. ¡°I owe you a few more table dances,¡± she said, waving the hundred dollar bill I¡¯d handed her.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s O.K.,¡± I said. ¡°Just call me tomorrow and we can set up the lessons.¡±


    That night I told Emmy about Genevieve. She asked me if I¡¯d watched Genevieve dance, and I said I had.


    ¡°Was it sexy?¡± Emmy asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Yeah, it was,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Super sexy?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m an expert on pole dancing, but she was much better than the other two girls I saw,¡± I replied.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°But was she sexy?¡± Emmy persisted. ¡°Did you get¡­ uh¡­ aroused?¡±


    I could feel the heat rising on my face, but I had a ¡®full disclosure¡¯ policy with Emmy, so I wasn¡¯t going to lie. ¡°Well, yeah, a little bit. But it was also extremely uncomfortable, you know?¡± Seeing the puzzled look on Emmy¡¯s face, I told her about all the guys in the place checking me out like I was on the stage, and how when Genevieve did the fully nude splits right in front of me I got way too good a look at her girl parts.


    ¡°Is she pretty?¡± Emmy asked, thrilled.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, she¡¯s pretty,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough, anyway.¡±


    Emmy wanted to know more details about the club, and speculated that it might be a good place to film the video.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy to rent it out off-hours,¡± I agreed. ¡°They seem sort of, I don¡¯t know, mercenary maybe? Like if they saw a way to make a few extra dollars they wouldn¡¯t pass it up.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Emmy murmured thoughtfully. ¡°This may be easier than I had thought it might be.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m still not sure why you playing a stripper in the video is such a great idea.¡± I objected. ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t just want to be dismissed as some sort of pop tart, right?


    ¡°No, I do not want that, that is true, but I do want people to see me as desirable. I think that if I do not play the sex kitten role very often it will not be a problem.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s inadvertent use of Kerry¡¯s nickname for Stephanie caused a momentary stab of mixed emotions, which I tried to ignore. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± I said, unconvinced.


    Emmy and I were at the rehearsal space three days later when Genevieve nervously walked in the big roll-up garage door we had open for her. I recognized the big guy following her as the strip club¡¯s bouncer- her boyfriend, maybe?


    Genevieve¡¯s face lit up when she saw Emmy. ¡°It is you!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°What, did you think I made it up?¡± I asked, annoyed.


    ¡°Well, to be honest, in this business you just never know. You can¡¯t be too careful,¡± she replied, and to her credit she didn¡¯t take my annoyance personally.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s just the two of you here?¡± Genevieve asked, looking around at the big open space.


    ¡°Yes, it will only be us here tonight,¡± agreed Emmy.


    It must have seemed acceptable to Genevieve, because she turned and spoke to the bouncer and slipped him some money. He took off, leaving her alone with us.


    As I shut the garage door, Emmy led Genevieve over to the pole she had had installed to make sure it was acceptable. Genevieve gave it a few tugs, then did a quick swing around it to test how solid it was, I guess. Satisfied, she came over to where I was standing.


    ¡°Music?¡± She asked, and I pointed to the stereo system in the corner. ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t catch your name before¡±, she admitted.


    ¡°Leah,¡± I replied, holding my hand out to shake.


    Laughing, she replied ¡°Jen.¡±


    ¡°So Genevieve is your real name? I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Oh, hell no. I¡¯m really Jennifer. Genevieve is just a stage name.¡±


    ¡°Well, Leah is my real name,¡± I told her, ¡°and she really is named Emmy.¡±


    That got a laugh and seemed to break the ice and lighten the mood a bit.


    ¡°So, um, Leah?¡± asked Jen. ¡°We talked about two days of lessons, but I realized later we didn¡¯t talk about how long those lessons would be,¡± she said, a bit nervously, apparently uncomfortable about bringing up money, which surprised me. I mean, she was a stripper, right? She had no qualms about telling me the price right up front for the private dance, so why would this bother her?


    ¡°I guess I was thinking maybe two or three hours each day,¡± I said, giving it a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°Do you think you''ll be able to teach her your moves in that amount of time?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I can know that until we start, is there?¡± She asked, and I saw her point.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just see how it goes, then,¡± I said. ¡°If it takes longer I¡¯ll just pay you more at the same rate.¡±


    Relieved, Jen smiled. ¡°That¡¯s cool, but I do have to work at the club Friday and Saturday nights.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    While Jen and I were talking Emmy had gotten the music ready and started The Downfall¡¯s cover version of the Cheap Trick song ¡°I want you to want me¡± that she planned on dancing to.


    ¡°I love this song!¡± Jen exclaimed. ¡°You know what¡¯s funny? I dance to this song on stage!¡±


    ¡°Our version?¡± asked Emmy, surprised.


    ¡°Oh, hell yeah!¡± Jen replied enthusiastically.


    ¡°That is wonderful,¡± exclaimed Emmy as she pulled off her sweatshirt to reveal her stripper push-up bra.


    Looking at Emmy, then back at me, Jen asked ¡°Where can I put my stuff?¡± so I pointed to the low bench along the wall opposite the mirrors where Emmy had her duffle bag.


    Emmy had ditched her sweatpants by this point and was down to her fluorescent pink bra and booty shorts. ¡°Shoes or no?¡±


    Jen set her bag down and looked at Emmy, then said ¡°Not yet. We¡¯ll work on the basics first before we get to that point.¡± Jen took off her shirt, revealing a sports bra in boring black. Taking off her pants, she had a typical dance bikini bottom (modern dance type, not stripper dance type). It looked more like workout wear than what I would have expected. This was the kind of outfit the ladies at the fitness pole dancing studio would wear, and definitely not what Jen had been wearing at the club.


    I sat down to watch in one of the comfy chairs as the song repeated for the second time. I liked the tune, but I just knew that a few hours of that song over and over again were going to drive me up the wall.


    I couldn''t hear Jen and Emmy talking over the music, so I just settled in for the long haul. Actually, it wasn¡¯t too bad. Once it became obvious that Jen was just going to teach the basics Emmy changed up the music so we didn''t have to listen to the same song over and over, and that made it a lot more bearable.


    Jen showed Emmy how to climb and slide down, how to support her weight with just her legs, use momentum to make spinning around the pole easier, and so on. Nothing particularly sexy, and nothing Emmy wouldn''t have learned at one of the pole dance gyms.


    After a couple of hours, the two of them called it quits for the night and set up a time for the next night¡¯s lesson. I walked Jen back to her car, which was parked in the commercial complex¡¯s front lot.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Jen began, a bit nervously. ¡°Um, do you suppose I could get some money tonight? I mean, I know we aren''t done¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± I replied. ¡°How much do you need for now?¡±


    ¡°Could I get two hundred?¡± Jen asked, her voice hopeful.


    I peeled a couple of hundred dollar bills from my stash and handed them to her. ¡°Thanks for helping Emmy,¡± I told her as I handed her the money.


    Tucking the bills away, Jen replied. ¡°It was a kick! And anyway, it¡¯s better than working at the club, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Emmy was practicing some of the moves when I returned to the studio. Hanging upside down with just her legs wrapped around the pole holding her up, she looked at me and asked ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± I asked as she slid slowly down to a handstand and gracefully kicked away from the pole, doing a sort of slow-motion cartwheel to stand upright.


    ¡°About Jen, of course,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°How do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ in general. Do you like her?¡±


    ¡°She seems all right, I guess,¡± I replied, wondering what Emmy was getting at.


    ¡°I like her, too,¡± Emmy agreed as she gracefully did another slow-motion cartwheel back to the pole. Climbing up the pole, Emmy looked back over her shoulder and caught me watching. ¡°Leah, we are alone now. Would you like me to perform for you?¡±


    I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. Unable to articulate, I merely nodded yes as Emmy grinned.


    Emmy climbed back up the pole with a sinuous movement that reminded me of a snake climbing a tree. I¡¯d seen her move like that before, way back when at Stephen¡¯s Halloween party, so I can¡¯t say it surprised me. That said, her fluid movements were far more graceful than anything I¡¯d seen at the strip club.


    When she got to the top, she hooked one knee and held on with one hand, throwing her other leg out and back to give herself some inertia to slowly spin around the pole, her outside leg pointing out and back. It almost looked like a ballet move to me, it was so elegant and graceful. Snapping her outside leg back to the pole, she let go with her hands as she dropped her body down, suddenly hanging upside down and facing me.


    Looking me straight in the eyes, she slowly reached back behind her and undid her bra, dropping it down into her hands, then tossing it to me. I felt the warmth of the bright pink bra, but couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from her breasts, hanging upside down as she was.


    She slowly slid down the pole until her hands reached the ground, then she kicked off the pole into another one of those handstands that turned into sort of a slow cartwheel as she stood back upright.


    She hooked her knee on the pole and grabbed it again, kicking herself forward into another graceful spin around the pole. When she returned to face me she gave me a very lascivious look, then slowly stepped towards me as the song ended.


    With the start of the next song she straddled my lap, leaned in and whispered ¡°Don¡¯t forget- no touching.¡± Needless to say, that is exactly what my hands wanted to be doing, but playing the game, I kept my hands full with her sexy bra and not her oh so inviting flesh.


    She shimmied side to side, draping her arms on my shoulders, her chest right at my eye level. I tried to look her in the eyes, leaning my head back, but she kept brushing my cheeks with her breasts, even dragging her nipples across my lips a couple of times. As you can imagine, I found that extremely distracting.


    When that wasn¡¯t enough for Emmy she lowered herself a bit until her panties just brushed the backs of my hands in my lap. I could feel the heat as she rubbed herself ever so gently, her eyes daring me to give in and break the ¡®no touching¡¯ rule we were playing by.


    I didn¡¯t give her the satisfaction of winning that easily, as badly as I wanted to just cup her mound in my hand and take her right then and there. Emmy, frustrated by me keeping my hands to myself, upped her game. She stepped up onto the seat of the big chair I was sitting in, turning around so that her feet were on either side of my thighs, facing away from me. She slowly bent over and looked at me from between her ankles down by my lap, then slid her hands up the backs of her calves, then the back of her thighs, then finally up the back of her butt. I couldn¡¯t do anything but watch them glide up her beautiful, smooth charcoal skin.


    When her hands arrived at her hips, she hooked her fingers in her waistband and slowly, oh so slowly, slid her neon pink booty shorts off that magnificent behind of hers and down her thighs. I watched them, hypnotized, until I caught sight of her face looking at me from there by my lap. She flicked her eyes up, and I couldn¡¯t help but glance up between her legs. There, just a short distance from my face was her perfect little pussy, just begging to be kissed, licked, savored. I leaned forward, close enough for her to feel my breath on her most intimate parts. But I did not touch.


    This proved too much for Emmy, though. She leaned back, smashing her lady bits on my face, grinding her sensitive little slit on my mouth and nose. Reveling in my win, I grabbed her hips and held her to me, diving in and giving her exactly what we both needed. I reveled in the delicious noises she made as I slid my tongue up, down, in and out. Her knees almost gave out when I gently dragged my lower teeth across her little pearl, but I held her hips up so she couldn''t collapse and fall off the chair. I was merciless in my attentions, and only stopped when she completely lost all ability to control her legs, shaking and very nearly passing out.


    I carefully lowered her down into a sitting position on my lap, holding her to me as she curled up, gasping and panting. I felt mighty proud of myself, knowing I still held that power to be able to reduce Emmy to a puddle with my attentions.


    ¡°I love you so much, you beast,¡± Emmy murmured, content and satisfied.


    ¡°I love you more,¡± I whispered as she drifted off to sleep on my lap, naked and content.


    When Jen showed up the next night, Emmy was already on the pole, practicing the moves that she¡¯d learned the night before. This time Jen wore an outfit that was more in line with what I thought of as ¡®stripper attire¡¯. Instead of looking as if she were going to do modern dance she was dressed for lap dance.


    When I asked her about the change, she admitted that really, she¡¯d only worn the other getup because she hadn¡¯t been sure what the situation was and wanted to prevent any thoughts that she was there on some sort of outcall. After how things went on the first night she wasn¡¯t worried about it.


    ¡°Besides,¡± she laughed, ¡°I kinda want you to check me out some, too.¡± True to her word, Jen made sure Emmy always remembered and focused on where her audience was sitting, and the two of them wiggled their asses at me, made eye contact as they did the splits, and on and on. Jen didn¡¯t merely instruct Emmy in how to do these things. No, she demonstrated how to best flaunt a woman¡¯s gifts. Yeah, O.K., she didn¡¯t actually take her skimpy outfit off, but as I¡¯d already seen her nude in extremely explicit detail it wasn¡¯t as if I had a hard time visualizing what was under that bra or those panties.


    I found it uncomfortable in the very best way possible and had to keep my legs tight together, my ankles crossed and my hands in my lap.


    Recognizing the tension in my body, Jen laughed and said to Emmy ¡°You are getting sooo laid tonight!¡±


    Emmy laughed that sparkling laugh of hers and said ¡°I do not know if I could take it again tonight!¡±


    ¡°Last night?¡± Jen asked, and Emmy nodded with a big self-satisfied grin.


    ¡°Lucky!¡± Jen sighed.


    Eventually the lesson finished and Jen left after I paid her three hundred more dollars. She¡¯d agreed to one more night, but I thought that Emmy had learned all she needed for a successful video shoot.


    Emmy was once again very aroused, and after another round of the lap dance game we both had our clothes off and were (to coin a phrase) fucking like rabbits on the couch. Emmy was on fire, and just couldn''t get enough of my body. She touched, licked, caressed, pinched and fingered me to a huge mind-blowing orgasm, paying me back for what I¡¯d done to her the night before. I have to say, I thoroughly approved of what the pole dance lessons were doing to Emmy¡¯s libido.


    Night three of the classes started out the same, with Emmy warming up and doing some of the moves on the pole when Jen arrived. What made it really different, though, was that Jameson and Lee both showed up only a few minutes later. I hadn¡¯t realized that Emmy had invited them, and I will admit that it made me a bit uncomfortable for me to have my fiancee doing a sexy dance with them there.


    Emmy must have seen the look on my face, because she said ¡°They were going to see me like this for the video shoot eventually, no?¡± to me in a low voice.


    When she pointed that out, I did feel a bit sheepish. I mean, I guess it hadn¡¯t really occurred to me, but yeah, Lee and Jackson were going to see her practically nude, and so was the cameraman, director, sound guy, and so on. And then, of course, everyone in the freaking world who ever sees the video, too.


    Jackson and Lee picked up the couch and moved it away from the wall and into position as if it were seats at the strip club, and I grabbed the chair I¡¯d sat in the previous night and put it next to the couch, setting up an audience area for the show.


    Jen and Emmy worked out a routine for Emmy to follow, piecing moves together into a seamless flow for the length of the song, which wasn¡¯t even playing on a loop this time. Lee had the stereo laptop in his lap and was rewinding it over and over so Jen and Emmy could work through it bit by bit. To my surprise, the two guys were both really involved, making suggestions and discussing when the camera would be away from the stage anyhow- like during Emmy¡¯s guitar solo or the drum break.


    Finally satisfied, Emmy ran through the whole thing a couple of times, then she and Jen called it a night as far as the dancing goes. Emmy came over and curled up on my lap again and Jen sat on the arm of the sofa nearest to Emmy and me. The talk turned to various aspects of the shoot, including the possibility of using the club that Jen danced at for filming. I didn¡¯t pay much attention, just zoned out and enjoyed the feeling of Emmy in my arms.

 Not A Chapter- A Request For Input

    Sorry for interrupting the story, but I''d really like as much feedback on this subject as I can get and I think that if I buried this in the notes with the next chapter it might get missed.


    My original intention when starting to post this story online was simply to get some commentary from potential readers.  I''ve never written any long-form fiction before this- just a few short stories for college writing classes many, many years ago.  I wanted to see if I could write a novel, and if I did, would anybody like it?


    The jury is still out on whether I can write it- not all evidence has been evaluated yet.  After all, it''s still unfinished as of this point.  I''m pretty happy with the progress so far, and the reviews you guys have been posting lead me to believe that at least a few of you are enjoying reading my work in fumbling attempt to tell a story. Thanks for that.


    So now we get to the question I have for all of you. Several readers have suggested I set up a donations button, but I just am not sure how that would even work. Of course I''d love a little monetary renumeration for my efforts, but that''s never been my main goal here. I am not going to put the story behind any sort of paywall. But if you guys like the story enough to think it might be worth a dollar or two, I''ll happily hold my hat out.


    The options here on Royal Road are limited to Patreon and PayPal. In all honesty, I don''t care for Paypal and worry that my story could get flagged as smut and blackballed by them and have them seize the donations.  It might be a long shot, but I''ve seen it happen to other creators so I know it does happen. Sometimes in cases where the artist isn''t even all that risque- all it takes is for a complaint or two and bam! You''re toast.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Not that I think it''s likely, but there are jerks out there who might post a complaint just to be, well, jerks.


    Similar things happen on Patreon, but at least they give warning and don''t withhold the funds. However, Patreon''s model is almost entirely subscription-based, and I am not too comforatble with that model.  I mean, do I ask for a monthly amount (even though my story is only likely to run for another couple of months at the most)? Do I ask for a per-post amount, which at their minimum could run up to $30 or more by the time my story is done? They take a chunk, too, which I guess is O.K. They have to make their money, too, but still... on small amounts it adds up to a hefty percentage.


    Ko-Fi seems like a better alternative, since it''s geared towards one-time small dollar amounts with no fees to either the reader or me, the author.  But... isn''t supported by RR''s Donate mechanism, so I really don''t know what to do.


    Any advice is greatly appreciated. If you think Patreon is the way to go, I''d love to hear your ideas on tiers, how much, what incentives, so on. If you think simple one-time donations via PayPal is the correct route, tell me why that is your answer.


    I really don''t know what to do, or if I should even bother. Maybe the best thing I could do is publish the story as an E-book on Smashwords or something and beg you guys to buy a copy for a few bucks if you liked the story when it''s done.


    Thoughts?  Advice? Please, let me know.


    Gen

 Killer In The Dark

    Driving up to San Francisco for the Downfall¡¯s big show, Emmy insisted we listen in to the interview the boys were giving on the local alternative station. Tuning it in, we realized we¡¯d already missed the start.


    ¡°I have to ask you guys about the song ¡®Killer In The Dark,¡¯ the deejay said. ¡°First off, that scream or whatever it is at the start of the song. Where did you guys get that sound? I mean, it¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever heard before. I gotta say it makes my hair stand on end every time I hear that intro.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all Emmy,¡± Jackson answered, laughing. ¡°The first time she did that in the recording studio I just about wet myself.¡±


    ¡°No lie there,¡± added Lee. ¡°I had nightmares that night. It still gives me chills when she does it.¡±


    ¡°So you mean Emmy Lascaux, who couldn¡¯t be here in the studio with us today, actually does that, uh, nightmarish shriek? I guess I¡¯d thought it must have been some sort of, I don¡¯t know, something like a panther or something. It just doesn¡¯t sound human at all,¡± the deejay wondered.


    ¡°Nope. It was Emmy,¡± answered Lee. ¡°Mike DeCarlo, our sound engineer, had a really hard time recording it, too. When Emmy first belted it out I thought he was going to have a heart attack. The thing is, and this doesn¡¯t come out in the recording, when Emmy screams like that it¡¯s really loud. She had to do it over and over again until he finally got the levels right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jackson added. ¡°After Mike finally got the scream recorded he had to take a break, he was so shaken up. I mean, can you imagine hearing that sound with the volume turned way up, pounding into your head by way of sound isolating headphones?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, I can,¡± the DJ replied. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what happened the first time I heard it, too. I was expecting something like ¡®See The Light Of Day¡¯ when I previewed the new CD, so I was in my booth with the headphones on and the volume turned up.¡±


    ¡°So you got it cold?¡± laughed Jackson. ¡°No warning?¡±


    ¡°None. I was the first one here to get my hands on the CD,¡± the deejay admitted.


    ¡°So what happened when it first hit you?¡± asked Lee. ¡°What did you think?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? If you want to know the truth, I bolted for the door. Just about had my head pulled off by the headphones, too,¡± confessed the deejay. ¡°It was just so primal, so terrifying at some sort of basic level that I just couldn¡¯t help myself. Seriously, I¡¯ve never heard anything like it. When I brought our music director in to hear it I warned him in advance that the track was extremely disturbing but absolutely incredible. We listened to it over and over, maybe ten, a dozen times. It was his decision to put it in heavy rotation, but not at drive times. He also insisted on the warning we always play right before the song.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that warning,¡± laughed Jackson. ¡°It¡¯s funny to think that a rock song could need a warning before it gets played on the radio.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the number of calls we get about ¡®Killer In The Dark,¡± the deejay said. ¡°We get calls asking about it, calls asking us to play it, and calls demanding we burn the CD and never play it again.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that means we did our job. We wanted ¡®Dark Times For The Downfall¡¯ to express raw, unfiltered emotion, after all,¡± Jackson said. ¡°This was the first album where Emmy wrote most of the songs, and she really put it out there. Starting the album off with ¡®Killer¡¯ was a gamble, and I have to admit I was against it. I was afraid that it would immediately turn off all our fans who were hoping for another ¡®Light Of Day¡¯, with its lighter, sweeter sound.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a big change, all right. I mean, the basic elements are the same. There¡¯s still just the three of us, but this album holds nothing back, lyrically or musically,¡± Lee added. ¡°When Emmy brought these songs to Jackson and me, I honestly had no idea how to deal with them. You know, Emmy¡¯s an incredible guitar player. I mean, absolutely mind-blowing. When she played the guitar line from ¡®Killer¡¯ for Jackson and me I was completely stunned. She just shredded it, I mean, she killed it. We were speechless. It took us quite a while to figure out what we needed to do to fill it out. All the songs went the same. She¡¯d play her lines for us, and then the three of us would spend the rest of the time fleshing it out.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t begin to express how incredible it is to work with Emmy,¡± Jackson chimed in. ¡°She knows what she wants and she works harder than anybody I¡¯ve ever seen to get it just right.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad she couldn¡¯t be here today. There are a lot of questions I¡¯d like to ask her,¡± the deejay lamented. ¡°But thanks to you two for coming in. This has been two thirds of The Downfall, here in studio. Thanks a lot to Lee Park and Jackson Coolidge.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for having us, it was really great,¡± Jackson replied.


    ¡°What song would you like me to play off your new CD?¡± asked the deejay.


    ¡°Play ¡®I Will Die (For You)¡¯,¡± requested Lee. ¡°That¡¯s my favorite.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you mentioned that song,¡± said the deejay. ¡°It isn¡¯t on our playlist yet so this is a sneak preview for our audience, but I¡¯ve listened to it quite a bit and I have to ask- it¡¯s a beautiful song, but is it about suicide?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not how I see it,¡± said Jackson. ¡°I think it¡¯s about expectations of mortality, and complete and total love. The key lines, to me, are when Emmy sings


    I¡¯ve lived my life for you, now I give you my last gift


    The last breath of my lungs, the final beat of my heart¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s basically saying that she gives it all, without reservation, to the one she loves,¡± added Lee.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s give it a listen, here on KLXB, the Bay Area¡¯s home for the newest alternative music. Thanks to Lee Park and Jackson Coolidge, two thirds of The Downfall, playing tonight at San Francisco¡¯s own Red Lantern.¡±


    I¡¯d heard that the tickets for The Downfall¡¯s platinum record party were in very high demand, and judging by the crowd waiting to get in to see the show I''d guess a lot of people were hoping to score from scalpers. The show had been billed as ''An intimate evening of old favorites with The Downfall''. Emmy had told me that it was going to be a bit different, and to expect the unexpected. She''d taken me shopping for clothes to wear to the show, and for herself she bought a long white cocktail dress and matching heels. She wanted me to wear something similar, but I just couldn''t see myself in anything like that so I bought a black velvet smoking jacket and tuxedo pants. Emmy tried to get me to buy a pair of black pumps, but I told her I was tall enough already so flats were just fine, thank you. Eventually I settled on a pair of men¡¯s black dress shoes that really seemed right with the outfit. Sure, it was a bit butch, but what the heck.


    The show was held at a nightclub in the middle of San Francisco and parking was a bear. I finally found a spot a couple of blocks away down a side street, grateful that Lee and Jackson had brought up all the equipment earlier in the day. Emmy and I were early so the band could do their sound check, but even two hours before the doors opened there were a lot of people waiting in line.


    When we walked up everybody recognized Emmy and crowded around. It made me nervous, but she took it with good grace. ¡°I will be available to talk after the show,¡± she announced. ¡°I am sorry, but right now I need to go inside to get ready.¡±


    The inside of the club was pretty cool. I¡¯d only ever been to two real nightclubs before so I had no way to judge, but this place seemed really nice. The walls were covered with dark red drapes with red lanterns giving off a muted light. The performance area was two stories tall, a large wrap-around balcony making up the seating area on the second floor. A couple of tables upstairs were designated for the ''special invitees'', which included friends and relatives of the band as well as some DJs from local stations that supported The Downfall and a few others that I guessed were industry types.


    The setup on stage wasn''t what I expected at all. There was no drum kit, just a black concert grand piano and a standup bass, plus an old-school type of big metal microphone on a stand for Emmy.


    After leaving Emmy in the dressing room with Jackson and Lee I headed up to the V.I.P. table reserved for me. I was soon joined by a middle-aged guy and his date, who looked way too young for him. I don''t think I spoke five words to her the entire night, but the guy wanted to talk. It turned out he was a music writer for Rolling Stone magazine, and once he found out I was Emmy''s significant other he peppered me with questions all night long. A lot of them were the usual ¡°Where is Emmy from?¡± And ¡°She sure is unusual looking...¡± Eventually I told him I wasn''t going to answer any personal questions about Emmy, and he could ask her himself after the show.


    ¡°I''ll make sure she has time to talk,¡± I assured him. That seemed to satisfy him to a degree, but he still continued to ask questions. If it wasn''t a personal question I did my best to answer, but I think he realized I was getting annoyed and shut up after a while.


    The house was packed by the time Lee walked on stage in a tight spotlight. He was dressed in a tuxedo, looking mighty good. He bowed to the audience, then sat at the piano. The audience hushed, and he started playing. The tune was familiar, but I didn''t recognize it right away. Lee was really good, which surprised me since I thought he only played the drums.


    A second spotlight suddenly lit up Jackson with his standup bass, and he joined in. The two played for a couple of minutes, then a third tight spotlight lit up Emmy at the microphone. She looked amazing in her long sheath dress and long white fingerless gloves, you know the kind that is really like a sleeve that hooks to the middle finger?


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Downfall,¡± she announced, her voice as pretty as I''ve ever heard it. ¡°On the piano tonight, but better known for his skill with the sticks, is the amazing Lee Park.¡± Lee played a little flourish and nodded his head at the audience.


    ¡°On the bass is the stunningly good looking Jackson Coolidge,¡± Emmy said. Jackson gave an exaggerated wink, getting a laugh from the crowd.


    ¡°And my name is Emerald De Lascaux.¡±


    At this some chick yelled out ¡°We love you, Emmy!¡±


    Emmy smiled, and replied ¡°Thank you. We love all of you, too. Tonight we will play a few of our songs, but mostly we will play old familiar classics. We,¡± and she waved to indicate Lee, Jackson and herself, ¡°wanted to do something different, something special. The show tonight may not be what you came here expecting, but we hope you will enjoy it nonetheless.¡±


    With that, she nodded to the other two, and the song changed. It took me a moment to recognize their first single, ''Black and white'' because they treated it so differently- much slower and more introspective. Emmy sang with a powerful, clear voice a lot like some of the old singers my grandparents used to listen to. Instead of a pop ballad about loving a boy from afar it was a jazzy blues lament about hopeless dreams, and Emmy poured her heart out into that song. I don''t know about the rest of the audience, but everybody sitting at our table had wet eyes by the time she sang the lines


    ¡°I know you could never love someone like me


    Never anyone like me


    Except in my dreams¡±


    After the applause died down, Emmy said ¡°That song was written by a good friend of mine. I am happy to report that he has found himself a good guy, and they are very happy together. Now I would like to sing a song to the one I love, a song that''s very important to the two of us.¡±


    Emmy looked up at me, sitting front and center in the balcony. She blew me a kiss, and started singing that same song she''d sang for me the first night we made love.


    I''m not ashamed to admit that tears were running down my face, but they weren''t sad tears. No, I was crying because at that moment I was as happy as I''ve ever been in my life. As Emmy sang about finding comfort in the arms of an angel I knew that all the time we''d been spending away from each other as Emmy devoted herself to her music had been worth it. Emmy was born to sing, and I was born to love her.


    ¡°Oh. My. God,¡± breathed the writer''s date, looking over at me. ¡°That''s-¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± interrupted the writer. ¡°I''ve gotta say I''m totally blown away.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°She''s amazing.¡±


    When the last notes faded away Emmy spoke again. ¡°I am sorry we are starting the night off so slow-¡±


    ¡°Emmy! Marry me!¡± shouted the same chick from before, making Emmy laugh in that beautiful, musical way of her that always reminded me of bells.


    ¡°I am sorry, but I am already spoken for,¡± she said smiling, holding up her left hand to show off her ring, that same silver ring with the green garnet I¡¯d given her that first Christmas together. It occurred to me that I really ought to buy her something nicer, with a real emerald this time. I mean, I had plenty of money now, so for my fianc¨¦e to be wearing a two hundred dollar ring was a bit ridiculous.


    The next hour and a half was a mix of familiar tunes from old songs like ''Somewhere over the rainbow'' and David Bowie''s ''Heroes'' to some of the other tracks from their first CD, ''The Downfall See The Light Of Day''. For me, the two best tunes were a song I didn''t recognize about playing cards as a form of meditation, which was followed by an amazing piano rendition of Pink Floyd''s ''Wish You Were Here''.


    Emmy''s singing was so soulful and the emotion was so intense that I hardly even noticed she changed the lyrics.


    ¡°Did you exchange a peaceful life at home


    For death in a foreign war we waged?¡±


    Tears were once again running down my face and there was nothing I could do to stop them. Looking down at Emmy, I saw her wipe tears from her own eyes as she sang, and I just knew that she was singing the song for me, and sharing my pain. If I had had any doubt that Emmy was the most amazing thing to ever come into my life, well, those doubts were smashed to pieces.


    As the show progressed the tunes got progressively faster, so by the time they got to Johnny Cash''s ''Ring of fire'' The Downfall was positively belting it out. Lee had shoved the piano bench back and was standing up and pounding on the keys like a man possessed and Jackson was working the upright bass like crazy. Emmy was singing with amazing power, absolutely wailing about the flames going higher.


    I had no idea how they could top that, but as the song built to its crescendo all of a sudden it stopped cold as all the lights in the whole place went out. It was dead still for a long moment, everybody holding their breath and wondering what could possibly come next, trying to see anything at all in the completely pitch dark room.


    The silence lasted long enough for everybody to start to fidget and wonder what had gone wrong, when suddenly, a terrifying shriek tore through us in the audience like a sharp knife. I can''t say what it was like for the others, but I have to admit I nearly died from a heart attack right then and there.


    After a few seconds a single spotlight came on illuminating Emmy, her head thrown back as she wailed that terrifying primal scream. She looked around, wild-eyed and intense, with her blue guitar low on her hip. She then proceeded to wring the life out of her guitar as she ripped into ''Killer in the dark.'' Additional spotlights shone on Lee, who was seated behind his familiar drum kit which had appeared out of nowhere, and on Jackson with his bass guitar, the stand up bass somehow made to disappear.


    The three played with such intensity you could easily describe it as violence. It was an incongruous picture, Emmy in her elegant evening wear screeching, wailing and screaming such a frighteningly threatening song, which I''d read a reviewer online describe as ¡°a predator''s love song for her prey.¡±


    Emmy changed the lyrics a bit on this one, too. After the last refrain, when she belted out


    ¡°I''m going to cut your heart out and let you bleed¡±


    she added in a chilling whisper


    ¡°Because I love you¡±


    The audience was completely stunned, and there was a long pause after the song ended in its familiar explosion of noise before anybody dared clap. Once the applause started, though, it opened a floodgate and everybody was on their feet, clapping and cheering for Emmy and the boys.


    After a bit, Emmy waved for everybody to stop. When it quieted down, she said in her usual clear, pretty voice ¡°Thank you all very much. We enjoyed taking it slow for the first half of our show, but now...¡±


    Jackson leaned in to his microphone and yelled ¡°It''s time to tear off the fucking roof!¡±


    With that, Emmy smiled and ripped into another intense guitar solo, showing off her stunning skill as The Downfall tore into a set of familiar rock tunes mixed with songs from the ''Dark Times'' CD.


    The stage lighting was anything but typical for a rock concert, with just the tight spots on the three performers but everything else pitch black. Emmy''s long, tight white cocktail dress, high-heeled shoes and pearl necklace all shone as white as her hair in the spotlight, but her skin seemed so black it was almost as if it disappeared into the darkness.


    Eventually the songs started to slow down, and finally Emmy announced ¡°We only have one more song to play tonight. It is a favorite of mine, and seems like a fine way to end this enjoyable evening.¡±


    With that, Emmy started in on the guitar. In a clear, strong but very sensual voice she sang that old song ''Because The Night''. When he recognized the tune the magazine writer laughed, then explained to me what he thought was so funny.


    ¡°Because The Night¡¯ is always performed as a piano song,¡± he said. ¡°That''s the way Springsteen wrote it and Patti Smith recorded it. On the 10,000 Maniacs version and even the U2 version, it''s always a piano song, right? These guys have a piano right there, but they¡¯re doing it as a guitar song instead.¡±


    I didn''t see the humor, but whatever. I was used to Emmy playing things on the guitar that nobody would ever expect, and I told the guy that. ¡°Emmy likes doing that kind of thing. The very first song she ever played for me on the guitar was ''Father Figure'' by George Michael, and then right after that ''Bad Romance''.¡±


    ¡°Lady Gaga? You''re kidding,¡± the guy said, surprised.


    ¡°No, seriously. It took me by surprise,¡± I said.


    By this point the song had ended and Emmy had thanked the audience and then bid everybody good night.


    ¡°Our show tonight has been recorded,¡± Emmy announced. ¡°If you would like a copy of the recording, please check our website in a week or so where there will be a download link. The download will be free, but we ask that you give what you think is fair to any refugee aid organization. Please give generously.¡±


    Lee and Jackson stood and joined Emmy at the front of the stage. ¡°Thank you all for coming tonight to see The Downfall,¡± Emmy said, and all three bowed to the audience. ¡°We will be out to meet you all in a few minutes, so please do not go anywhere,¡± she announced, and the three slipped behind the curtain and disappeared backstage. The house lights came on immediately, letting everyone know that there wasn¡¯t going to be any sort of encore.


    Emmy texted me from the dressing room to say she was going to mingle for a few minutes before she came up to my table.


    ¡°Hurry,¡± I texted back.


    ¡°She''ll be up in a few minutes,¡± I explained to the writer. We sipped our drinks (mine was a Coke- a habit I''d picked up from Stephanie) and chatted for a few.


    ¡°That was the most amazing show I''ve ever seen!¡± the guy''s date raved. ¡°She''s just so...¡±


    ¡°You said she''s nineteen years old, right?¡± the guy asked, once again interrupting his date. He¡¯d basically ignored her all night long, and I have to say it grated on me a bit.


    ¡°Yeah, she just turned nineteen a month ago. Why?¡± I asked, trying to be civil.


    ¡°Well, it''s just that if she''s this good now, imagine how she''ll be when she''s, I don''t know, thirty-five or so?¡±


    Talk about a sudden slap in the face. I''d been floating on a glorious wave of happiness from seeing my beautiful Emmy do what she loved and was so good at, to all of a sudden the harsh reality that we were going to have so very, very little time together.


    ¡°Umm,¡± I mumbled, feeling as if I''d just high-dived into an empty pool.


    ¡°What?¡± the guy asked, thinking maybe I''d said something worthwhile.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied, fighting to keep the tears under control. The writer must have realized I didn''t want to talk, because he just shut up and left me alone for a while.


    I jumped when I felt warm hands on my shoulders from behind, but when Emmy leaned in to give me a kiss I relaxed. It''s only ten years, I told myself, but they''ll be the best ten years anybody ever had. I was going to make sure of it.


    Emmy plopped down on my lap so I wrapped my arms around her slender body, telling her in my silent way that I was so very, very in love with her.


    Seizing his chance, the writer pulled out a recorder and started interviewing Emmy right then and there. I only half-listened, preferring to enjoy the feeling of the most amazing, talented girl in the world in my arms, and enjoying the smell of her hair and skin mixed with that familiar jasmine perfume that I found so intoxicating. I did notice that Emmy pretty much blew off all his questions about her background and her unusual looks. All she wanted to talk about was the music and after a while he got the hint and quit asking personal questions.


    The interview was interrupted by an almost constant flow of fans coming up to tell Emmy how incredible they thought she was and how much they loved her and so on. Emmy was very gracious to each and every one and signed anything they had to autograph, thanking them personally for coming to see the concert that night.


    With the interview and all the fans wanting to talk to Emmy, we were just about the last ones to leave the club. We fetched Emmy''s guitar from the dressing room (the boys had already packed and taken the rest of the equipment) and said good night to the doorman, then walked the couple of blocks to where we''d parked. As is typical for San Francisco, the night (well, early morning, by this point) was cool and foggy, muffling sounds and making halos around the streetlights. The effect made it seem as if we were in our own isolated little world. Emmy was on a high, still feeling the positive energy from the show. She couldn''t stop babbling about how much fun it was, and how everybody seemed to love the performance and so on.


    "It did not bother you when that woman said she loved me and wanted to marry me?" Emmy asked, a bit concerned.


    "Are you kidding? I know exactly how she felt!" I replied, laughing. "No, I felt proud that I''m the one who''s gonna marry you."

 Curb Stomping

    Loading and strapping the guitar case down in the back of the BMW, I thought I heard some noise from the front of the car but when I peeked over the back seat I didn''t see anything. Shutting the rear hatch, I looked around for Emmy but didn''t see her anywhere. Worried because I had no idea where Emmy could have gone, I heard the noises again and thought it sounded like some kind of scuffle coming from the entrance to a small alleyway between buildings.


    Peeking down the gap between the buildings my worst fears came true. In the dim light filtering down the narrow passageway from the streetlights behind me I saw that Emmy was struggling against two guys who were doing a good job of beating her up. I imagine that if Emmy had been dressed for a fight she could have defended herself better, but her long, tight cocktail dress did her no favors at all.


    The larger of the two guys was holding Emmy roughly by her arms while the smaller guy, who was facing Emmy but away from me, was punching her repeatedly. Only later did I realize that none of them were making any more noise than just the sounds of their movements.


    Without even pausing for a second, I rushed down the walkway, and used the last six months of kickboxing training, kicked the guy doing the punching as hard as I could right in the side of the ribs. It slammed him into the brick wall to my left, momentarily stunning him. In that instant I got a much clearer view of the scene and what was actually going on, which was worse than I''d realized.


    Emmy was dazed, all fight already beaten out of her. The taller of the two Night Children (it was now clear that''s what they were) was holding Emmy up by her arms, her face towards his. The shorter guy had torn the back of Emmy''s dress open and had been about to cut into her back with the wicked looking knife he held in his hand.


    Enraged, I kicked him again straight in the chest, knocking him against the wall one more time and causing him to drop his knife. Without even the slightest hesitation I scooped the knife up off the ground and punched him right in the gut with it as hard as I could. I felt the knife sink into his belly with the blow and he slid down the wall, all fight completely gone.


    The second guy threw Emmy to the ground, but his slow reaction was his undoing. I leapt at him, completely focused and not hesitating one tiny bit.


    I put everything I had into that punch, and it did the job. A memory of my father came to me as the guy slammed to the ground from the blow to his face. "There is no such thing as a fair life-or-death fight," my dad said, teaching what self-defense skills he could to an eight-year-old girl. "Do anything you can to win."


    It would have made my father proud to see what all that speed and weight training can do when you kick a man as hard as possible straight in the family jewels. Unsatisfied with that, I kept kicking and punching him until he stopped moving at all.


    The whole fight (well, the part I was involved in, anyway) couldn''t have taken more than a couple of minutes, but while I''d put the two guys down for the count, Emmy was out, too. She had been beaten really bad and was unconscious from her injuries. Staying focused and totally amped on adrenalin, I picked her up as easily as if she were a rag doll and carried her back to the car. I loaded her in, my mind working overtime on a plan.


    I punched in the nearest hospital on the GPS, and checked the street signs as I drove away. In the few minutes it took to get to the emergency room I called Michael. "Take Jassie to Donny and Sana''s house, and gather up as many guys who can fight as you can, as fast as you can,¡± I ordered him. "Emmy was attacked tonight and badly hurt. I fought and beat the two attackers, but I want you and the guys to make sure they don¡¯t get away. I left them in an alley by the corner of-" and here I read off the two street signs. "Find them, but be careful. I hurt ''em pretty good, but they might still be dangerous. Find them and take them someplace secure, but not anywhere near any of our homes. Someplace close to where you find them. Don''t kill them, just keep them for me until I get there. Also, and this is even more important, clean up that alley. I don''t want any blood left behind, or anything else that can be traced to Emmy and me or the two Night Children that attacked us. Oh, and don''t tell Jassie anything," I added.


    "They were Night Children?" asked Michael, stunned. ¡°You and Emmy were attacked by Children of the Night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, two guys. Now get moving, and do what I told you as fast as you possibly can."


    Hanging up, I called Donny. "Donny, Michael is bringing Jassie over. As soon as he drops her off, leave her with Sana and come up to San Francisco General Hospital. I''m taking Emmy to the emergency room. Don¡¯t tell Jassie anything."


    At the hospital, they reacted quickly when I carried an unresponsive and bloody Emmy in the E.R. doors. After they put her on a gurney and wheeled her back into the examining area and out of my sight, the nurse ushered me back to an exam table, saying "Here. Let me take a look at that cut."


    I was confused for a moment, but when I touched my cheek and my fingers came away covered in blood I realized that the guy with the knife had managed to nick me and I''d been so pumped with adrenalin I hadn''t even noticed.


    It didn''t take long for the nurse to get me cleaned up and for the doctor and his needle and thread to stitch me closed. In all honesty, I really didn''t care what they were doing to my face. All I wanted to know was how Emmy was doing. They couldn''t tell me anything right then, so soon I was back in the waiting room wishing somebody would let me know Emmy''s condition.


    Michael called before Donny even got to the hospital. "We found them,¡± he said. ¡°We are cleaning up the alley right now. Where do you want us to take them?"


    "Someplace private, where we won''t be bothered. Find someplace quiet and out of the way." Since that was exactly the kind of place Night Children used to hide from daylighters, I knew they would be able to do it. "Make sure nobody sees anything."


    Just as I hung up a police officer walked over to ask some questions. I told him Emmy was attacked by a couple of guys. I didn''t get a good look, I said, but I did see they both had shaved heads. They ran off when I showed up and punched one of them in the face, I explained. My story about poorly seen skinheads seemed to satisfy the officer, to my relief. I hated lying, but this time it was necessary.


    By this time Donny had arrived, but waited until the cop left to come over.


    "Skinheads? Really? Wow," he said, sitting down and wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into a hug.


    Looking to make sure the cop couldn¡¯t hear, I whispered "No, it wasn¡¯t skinheads. It was a couple of Night Children. I had Michael round up some of our guys to find them. I was waiting for you here so I could take off and deal with the two of them." I think I was as surprised as Donny that I was still in action-figure mode and didn¡¯t particularly need or want comforting at that moment.


    "Um, Leah, what do you mean ''deal with them''?" Donny asked in a whisper, suddenly not looking like he wanted the answer. "Did you tell Michael to beat the guys up?"


    "Didn''t have to," I answered. "I beat the shit out of ''em myself."


    "You did what?" Donny stammered.


    "The less you know, the better," I told him. "Look, I''ve got to go deal with this. You stay here and be here when Emmy wakes up. Tell her I love her and I''m taking care of loose ends."


    "Fuck, Leah," he said, nervous. "Just... don''t do anything I wouldn''t do," he begged.


    "It''s too late for that," I replied, as I pulled out my phone to call Michael. "Way too late for that."


    I found the place that Michael had secured easily enough. Parking in the alley parking spot for a shop that was out of business, I went in the back door the guys had jimmied, pushing the door open with my elbow. There were no lights at all (which was fine for the Night Children) but I had to use the mini mag light I''d grabbed from the glove box.


    Michael led me to the empty back storeroom where three other men were standing around, looking at the two who''d attacked Emmy. The two attackers were seated on the floor, slumped against the wall, unmoving. The reaction when I entered the room was unexpected- all our guys stepped back from me and bowed.


    Ignoring the weird behavior, I snapped at Michael. "I told you not to kill them. I needed to know why they attacked Emmy!" I was pissed off, and the adrenalin still pumping through my system was keeping me very keyed up.


    "We didn¡¯t do anything to them, my queen," Michael answered, using an honorific he''d never used for me before. "You did."


    "Are they both dead?" I asked, afraid of the answer. I''d thought maybe I''d killed the first guy when I stabbed him with the knife, but to hear I''d killed both of them, well, that was a bit much.


    "When we found them, Prince Marfan was dead and his servant was very nearly so, my queen."


    "This was Prince Marfan?" I asked, indicating the shorter of the two, the one who had held a knife poised to carve his name into Emmy''s back. In some back corner of my brain I knew that the idea of Emmy being disfigured so horribly was going to make me sick, but I kept my focus on the moment at hand. "You said his friend wasn¡¯t dead when you found him. Did he have anything to say?" I demanded.


    "He said we were all traitors to our race and that we were going to die for our sins," Michael answered.


    "Yeah, no great surprise there," I said, stepping in closer to get a better look. I''d never seen any dead people before, much less ones I myself had killed, so it was a new and very unpleasant experience. Again, in the back of my mind I knew I was going to have to deal with some serious emotional issues from this night, but now was not the time to freak out. Examining Prince Marfan''s strange gray ashy skin by the light of my small flashlight, I asked "Why does he look like that? He didn''t look like that before."


    "No, he didn¡¯t," Michael agreed. "That is what happens when we die. The spirit of the night leaves us, and in death we resemble day walkers."


    "Huh," I said, surprised. "I guess that answers some questions about how you''ve managed to stay hidden for so long."


    After a few moments of really looking close at the two guys I said ¡°Well, it doesn''t look like we''re going to learn much about why they attacked Emmy, unless it was just some kind of hatred for her betraying the race, as they said." The four living Night Children nodded their heads in agreement, and I suddenly realized that the only one who''d said a single word to me was Michael. Weird, but a lot of other things were higher up on the list of stuff demanding my attention, so I ignored it.


    "I want you to find some way to get rid of the bodies so they will never, ever be found. This is on you, Michael. This is very, very freaking important. Whatever you have to do, make absolutely certain that no evidence ever, ever comes back to haunt Emmy and me. You cleaned up the alley, right?" When they all nodded, I said "Clean it up again. Use bleach; get a hose- whatever it takes. And these two guys? I never want to hear about them again."


    My commands clear as a bell, Michael only had one more question. "What should we do with their things?" he asked, pointing to a shelf. Looking through the stuff for possible clues, I picked up Prince Marfan''s wicked looking knife, now clean and free of blood.


    "This is now mine," I said, looking them all in the eyes. "It''s my trophy, and this proves that we will not be defeated. Burn the rest." Nodding at the rightness of my actions, the guys all made to follow my orders. I indicated Michael should follow me out, and back in the parking lot I asked "Is this the same knife he used on Jassie?" in as gentle a voice as I could manage. Michael nodded that yes, it was. "Then I''m glad to have taken it from him. Call me when everything is taken care of. Don''t tell your daughter anything yet. I want you and me to tell her what happened together."


    When I got back to the hospital, Emmy still hadn''t awoken from her injuries. "They''ve taken her for some MRIs. They''re really worried about internal injuries, and maybe brain damage," Donny explained. "The admitting nurse had some questions about payment and I told her that you''d talk to her as soon as you got back," he added.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Did you tell them where I went?"


    "How could I? I had no idea myself!" he protested.


    "Yeah, and that''s a good thing, believe me." He must have believed me, because he sure didn¡¯t ask questions about it at all.


    "Donny, you can go home now. Thanks for coming," I said, but he didn''t want to leave, and honestly, I appreciated the company.


    After dealing with the admitting nurse and all her questions about payment, we sat in silence for at least an hour before Donny finally spoke.


    "Leah," he said, unsure how to approach the subject.


    "Yeah?"


    "I heard you tell the cop you punched one of the guys and they ran away."


    "Uh huh," I agreed, noncommittally.


    "That''s not really what happened, is it?"


    "Well, I did punch one of the guys in the face," I confirmed.


    "There''s more to the story than that, isn¡¯t there?"


    "Yeah."


    "You know I''m ass deep in the whole Night Children thing, right? Sana''s told me some things..."


    "Yeah?" I asked, wondering how much Donny might have guessed.


    "She told me that what Emmy wants to do, expose the Night Children, I mean. Sana said that there are others among them that think it''s a really bad idea, and might get violent. I''m guessing that¡¯s what this was about, wasn¡¯t it?"


    "Yeah, you''re right. It was a couple of Night Children guys, and it does look as if it was about Emmy¡¯s fame."


    "And you told the cop it was skinheads because?"


    "Two reasons. First, there''s no need to expose the Night Children by way of a lurid news story about political violence between their nations. Second, because pointing the finger at white supremacists puts Emmy in a more sympathetic light when the news gets out that she was attacked by a couple of racists..."


    "Wow. I have to say, Leah, that''s pretty damned cold and calculating."


    "Yeah, it is, isn''t it? And you know what''s funny?¡± I asked, feeling the irony. ¡°Something Emmy did back in high school made me think of it."


    "So, um, when you left to go ''take care of some things''," Donny said, making air quotes with his fingers, "Is it correct to say that the guys that attacked Emmy won''t do it again?"


    "Donny," I said, my tone as serious as I could make it. "You never heard this. If this ever gets to any sort of criminal investigation, the less you know the better."


    "Oh, fuck," Donny whispered. "You had the guys kill ¡®em!"


    "No, I didn''t,¡± I hissed back. ¡°I promise you, none of the guys killed anybody."


    Donny thought about it for a while, then, still whispering asked "They didn¡¯t need to, did they?"


    "No, they didn''t. All I had them do was clean everything up."


    "Did you actually kill somebody, Leah? I mean, honest to fucking god, did you kill somebody?" His voice was far from steady, but he did manage to look me straight in the eye when he asked.


    "I didn''t mean to," I confessed. "But there was no way I was gonna let ¡¯em hurt her any more. When I saw them hitting her in that alley, I just kinda went into attack mode, you know? I''m pretty sure that I never could have done much if I hadn¡¯t gotten them by surprise, but I just... I don''t know. In all the books they say you see red, but it wasn¡¯t like that at all. I didn''t stop to think for even a second- I just launched into those two guys like a freaking pit bull and pounded the living shit out of ''em." I felt relieved to tell Donny, but I was also very aware that it was a really bad idea. I mean, I''d just committed a crime that could get me the death penalty, and now I was admitting it to him. All I could do is hope Donny would keep it to himself.


    "But it was self defense, right?" Donny asked, clearly thinking along the same lines as me.


    "I guess so, but that doesn''t make me happy about it."


    "Maybe not, but better them than Emmy," Donny said with conviction.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°Much better.¡±


    It was a long time before they finally let me back to see Emmy. She looked so small in that big hospital bed, and so very vulnerable.


    "The scans look good. She''s suffered extensive but not life-threatening injuries. There is a possibility of renal failure, but we have to wait for further tests to know for certain. It might be a while before she wakes up, but there''s no indication of permanent damage to her brain." When I didn¡¯t respond, the doctor continued. "I have some questions about her I was hoping you could answer." I was hardly paying any attention to what he was saying. I was stroking Emmy''s snow-white hair, trying to ignore the bandages on her face. The beeping of the machines hooked to her body by various wires and tubes only served to hammer home how fragile and tenuous our grip on life could be.


    "I''m sorry, what?" I asked, realizing that the doctor had asked me a question.


    "I''ve never seen anybody like her before," the doctor repeated. "Is her coloration natural?"


    Biting back the urge to tell him it''s because she only drinks India ink, I replied "Yeah. It''s genetic."


    "Are you sure?¡± he asked, a dubious expression on his face.


    "Of course I''m sure," I snapped, my patience worn thin, and many hours of stress and exertion taking its toll.


    "No, look, I''m sorry,¡± he apologized. "It''s just that I''ve never seen anybody like her before, or even ever heard of anybody with skin that color."


    "No, I''m the one who should be sorry,¡± I sighed. ¡°It''s been a long night, and the girl I''m going to marry just got beaten within an inch of her life by people who hated her because of that skin color. I''m feeling really stressed right now. Can we talk later?" I pleaded, and the doctor relented.


    "Sure. I''ll be by later."


    Once he was gone, I climbed onto that big hospital bed and wrapped my arms around that delicate, abused little body that lay there, hopefully dreaming of a better place.


    A little while later a nurse came by to check on Emmy''s condition and made me get off the bed, so I waited until she was gone and climbed back on and held Emmy in my arms again.


    I don''t know how long I slept, but I woke to the sound of Emmy whispering my name. When she saw I was awake, Emmy whispered "What happened? Are you O.K.?"


    "Oh, god, Em! You''re the one they beat up, and you''re asking me if I''m O.K.?" I spluttered, astounded.


    "They didn''t hurt you, did they?" Emmy asked again, her voice quiet and raw.


    "No, they didn''t get a chance. They aren''t going to hurt you again, either."


    "What happened?" Emmy asked, alarmed at the tone of finality in my voice.


    "I killed them, Em. When I saw them hurting you I just went crazy and I killed them both. I didn''t mean to," I said, and the whole thing just hit me like a ton of bricks. I was suddenly overwhelmed, and all the things is been holding back came rushing to the front. I felt sick, ashamed, guilty, afraid, worried, and just about everything else all at once. I''ll admit it was too much, and I broke down completely.


    "Shh, baby. Shh," Emmy whispered, her voice rough with her own pain. We just held each other like that, crying in each other''s arms for quite a while. I vaguely heard someone come in and then leave again, but whoever it was chose not to interrupt our tear-fest.


    Eventually I got myself together and told Emmy what had happened after she was knocked out. When I got to the part about calling our guys, I felt a little bit guilty. ¡°I knew I had to do something,¡± I explained. ¡°And what¡¯s the point of being the queen if I can¡¯t use it to our advantage? I told Michael to have all the strays meet at the studio tonight. Shit just got real, and it¡¯s time to tighten up and get our act together.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± she asked, not even batting an eye at my assumption of her role as queen.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna do what I have to,¡± I answered, which seemed to satisfy Emmy. ¡°Whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± whispered Emmy, her strength fading.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, Em. It¡¯s not necessary. I want you to know that I will do anything for you. Anything at all, any time it¡¯s needed, ever.¡± I don¡¯t think Emmy heard me, though, because she¡¯d slipped back into unconsciousness.


    I drifted off to sleep soon after, totally exhausted.


    A new nurse woke me in the morning. Standing there in the room was a man in a suit, evidently some kind of representative for the hospital. He was there to tell me that there were some reporters who wanted to talk to me about what had happened, and asked what I wanted to do about it.


    ¡°I guess I need to talk to them,¡± I groaned. ¡°Can you tell them I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes?¡±


    When he left, I used the time to wash my face and finger-comb my hair into something halfway reasonable. I was still wearing the same clothes from the show, and I noticed some dried blood on my jacket. I tried to blot it off as best as I could with paper towels and water from the sink in the bathroom. Satisfied it didn¡¯t show too much on the black cloth, I followed the hospital guy to a meeting room, where a handful of reporters were waiting.


    I¡¯d known I would have to talk to the reporters at some point, but I wasn''t thrilled with the idea. I had to give them the same story I''d told the police, about Emmy being attacked by a couple of white guys with close-cropped hair, and I knew better than to add too much detail. I mean, I''m a terrible liar, so a confused story with poorly remembered details was the best way to go.


    One face in the small crowd looked very familiar, and it only took me a moment to recognize him as the Rolling Stone writer from the show the night before. I gave him a nod to show I saw him, then announced myself to the group of reporters. I was nervous, especially with the camera crews filming me for the evening news, but I had to get it done.


    "My name is Leah Farmer, and I''m Emmy De Lascaux''s fianc¨¦e," I began. Saying it like that sounded strange to my ears, but hey, this was San Francisco, wasn¡¯t it? It''s not like they hadn''t ever seen same-sex couples, right?


    "Last night, immediately after The Downfall''s show at the Red Lantern, Emmy was attacked and badly injured by two men." Ignoring some questions shouted by some of the reporters, I continued. "I was loading Emmy''s guitar in the car when I heard a noise. Looking around, I couldn''t see Emmy, but I heard some more noises coming from a nearby alley. When I looked to see what was going on, I saw two guys beating her up. I rushed in and kicked one of the guys and punched the other in the face and they ran away. I brought Emmy to the emergency room as quickly as I could, and she''s been in intensive care since."


    Looking around for questions, I pointed to the writer from Rolling Stone.


    "Can you describe the two men?" he asked.


    "Not really," I replied. "It was dark in the alley and I didn''t get a very good look. All I saw us that it was two white guys with shaved heads."


    "Did they say anything?" another reporter asked.


    "If you''re asking if they explained their motivations, no, they didn¡¯t. The only things I heard them say were things like ''bitch!'' and ''fuck!'' and stuff like that." That got a few laughs, which really wasn''t my intention, but whatever.


    "Why do you think they attacked Emmy?" somebody else asked.


    "Your guess is as good as mine," I replied.


    "Why did they run off?" was the next question.


    "My guess was they weren''t prepared for broken ribs and noses," I said.


    "So you think that you hurt them that badly?" asked an older guy with well-manicured silver hair, skepticism oozing through his voice.


    "I''ll tell you what," I said. "Come up here and let''s see what I can do to you." I raised my fist so they could see the bruising on my knuckles. This got a laugh at the guy''s expense, which he didn''t appreciate.


    ¡°What¡¯s Emmy¡¯s condition right now?¡± asked a reporter who looked as if she was still in college.


    ¡°Well, the doctors told me that she¡¯s got a concussion, but the MRIs don¡¯t look as if there¡¯s any serious damage to her brain. They said something about possible kidney damage, and we¡¯ll have to wait for more testing on that. She has a couple of broken ribs, but thankfully her lungs weren¡¯t punctured. She has plenty of bruises and cuts, but nothing that won¡¯t heal.¡± Listing Emmy¡¯s injuries like that, all clinical and detached, sure made it seem a whole lot less immediate than seeing her in that hospital bed. ¡°The doctor says that she will probably recover completely.¡±


    ¡°The police report said her clothes were torn. Can you tell us about that?¡± asked the young-looking reporter.


    ¡°Oh, damn! I forgot to tell the officer about that,¡± I said, thinking about how I was going to say it. ¡°When I found the two guys in the alley, Emmy was already knocked out. One of the guys was holding her up while the other guy had torn open the back of her dress and was about to carve something into her back with a knife he had.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, he what?¡± asked the girl, not sure she¡¯d heard me correctly.


    ¡°He had a knife, and he was about to cut her up with it. I got the impression that they didn¡¯t want to kill her, because he didn¡¯t stab her or anything. He was going to permanently scar her or something.¡±


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t a sexual assault?¡± she asked, still wanting more details.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. I mean, they tore her dress to expose her back, not anything else.¡±


    ¡°What do you think they were going to carve into her back?¡± the reporter persisted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Your guess is as good as mine. I¡¯d never seen these guys before, and as far as I know Emmy has no enemies, so I have no idea where these two came from. What I do know, though, is that if ever I do see them again I am absolutely going to make sure they regret the day they were born.¡± Again, I raised my fist to make my point.


    The hospital guy in the suit interrupted and said ¡°I think that¡¯s enough. If there is any more news, we¡¯ll let you all know.¡±


    The reporters all filed out, the young one stopping to tell me she was from the Stanford Daily and asked if she could talk to me sometime in the next few days.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied. ¡°Just call first. I¡¯m probably going to be here at the hospital for a while.¡±


    The guy from Rolling Stone was waiting to talk, so I indicated he should follow me to the cafeteria.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this happened,¡± he said, starting off. ¡°I mean, it was just a few hours ago I saw her put in one of the most amazing performances I¡¯ve seen in years, and now this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, slumping down in a plastic chair and resting my elbows on the table. ¡°Talk about highs and lows.¡±


    ¡°So, you seriously beat up two guys, at least one of which was armed?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah. I mean, in a fair fight I would have been in trouble, you know, but they didn¡¯t see me coming until too late. I just hit ¡®em like a freight train and pounded the daylights out of ¡®em.¡± I said, my voice sounding dead tired.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a story,¡± he said. ¡°Have you had any kind of martial arts training or anything like that?¡±


    ¡°I kickbox,¡± I replied. ¡°And I¡¯m an athlete. I mean, I train and work out three hours a day, every day. I do weights and stuff, so I¡¯m pretty strong.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± the guy said. ¡°I guess they tangled with the wrong girl.¡±


    ¡°To tell you the absolute truth,¡± I said, looking him straight in the eye for emphasis. ¡°I would have killed those guys for what they did to Emmy. No fucking around. Anybody that did what they did to her deserves to die.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I think I¡¯m going to leave that out of my story,¡± he said, rising from his chair. ¡°But I do hope that they get what they deserve.¡±


    ¡°Karma is a bitch,¡± I said, standing. ¡°And so am I. If I ever see those two guys again...¡±


    When I got back to Emmy¡¯s room I was happy to see that she was awake.


    ¡°Hey, Em. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Numb,¡± she replied. ¡°I can barely feel anything at all,¡± she croaked, her voice hoarse.


    "Well, that''s good for now. You need your rest," I said, stroking her hair. "Just sleep as much as you can, baby. It''s gonna take a little while for you to recover."


    "How are you doing, Leah?" she asked, her voice still rough. "Are you O.K.?"


    "I''m dealing," I answered. ¡°I mean, physically, I''m fine. I''m still trying to process, but that''ll come with time." To tell the truth, I was still way shaken up, but no way was I going to tell that to Emmy. She needed me to be strong for her, so that''s what I was going to do.


    "Thank you for saving me," Emmy whispered, taking my hand.


    "Em, some things are worth fighting for," I said, as I leaned in to kiss the corner of her mouth that wasn''t bruised and swollen. "And you are top of my list."

 Battles

    Gathered in the rehearsal studio, it seemed like a lot of people. In the last six months we''d only convinced fourteen strays to join our new little nation, but in that room it was plenty.


    "I called you all here to tell you what happened last night. A few of you know, but it is important to clear up all the details, so here we are," I announced. "Last night, your queen Emmy De Lascaux and her band The Downfall performed their first big public concert. Emmy appeared before over a thousand people, many of them writers and reporters.¡±


    I waited for everybody to quiet down, then continued. ¡°The concert was a huge success, and Emmy is well on her way to presenting a positive image for you guys among the daylighters. It was originally my plan for Emmy to put herself in the public eye as much as possible. I felt, and she agreed, that this was the best way to introduce the Night Children to the world of the day."


    Continuing, I explained "We always knew there was a possibility of danger for us, but we felt the risk was worth it." Looking at the faces around me, I mostly saw agreement. "We took this risk for you. Not for me, and not for Emmy, but for you," I said, looking every one of the strays straight in the eyes. "So you could live your lives as you wished, and not have to hide any longer. Has it been working?" I demanded, again making eye contact with every single one. "Is your life better now than it was before?"


    There was no need to clarify what I meant by ''before''. They all knew exactly what I was getting at, and almost all nodded in agreement.


    "There is no going back," I stated. "This is a revolution against the old ways, and we are the revolutionaries. You," I said, pointing to each and every one, "are revolutionaries."


    Taking a moment to let my words sink in, I continued, "Revolutions are wars, and wars have battles. Last night we had our first and second battles. The first battle was your queen Emmy performing on that stage and winning the hearts and minds of the people who don''t know of the Children of the Night. People who don''t know how or why Emmy is different from them. Emmy is not hiding from these people- she is putting herself out there for all of them to see, and see that she is special, and different can be good. Emmy won that battle last night,¡± I said, and pulled out the copy of the morning¡¯s newspaper folded open to show the entertainment section''s headline. ¡°Emmy stuns- The Downfall is for real,¡± it said in big black type.


    ¡°The Downfall showed in grand fashion that they are not just another YouTube sensation. Emmy De Lascaux, the band''s leader, proved that she is more than exotic looks when she wowed a capacity audience at The Red Lantern last night. If those critics who doubted her talent could have seen the way she had the crowd wrapped around her midnight black fingers...¡± I read out loud to the strays.


    ¡°You see? Our plan is working,¡± I said, and again, made eye contact to make sure everyone was paying attention and understood. ¡°And that was the first battle. The second battle came after the show was over. When we were alone, Emmy was attacked by Prince Marfan and his man.¡± I had instructed the guys that helped last night not to say a word to anybody else, so this was a surprise to most of the people in the room, and their gasps of surprise let me know my gag order had been followed.


    ¡°They injured her badly, intent on punishing her for going against tradition and the old ways. They were about to mutilate and disfigure her when I got there.¡± Looking around, I saw that everyone in the room was riveted to my every word, and had no idea of the extent of Emmy''s injuries.


    I reached into the inside pocket of my coat and drew out Marfan''s strange knife, with its handle that curved forward and blade that curved back. I pulled it from its sheath and held it up above my head so everybody could see it, and said ¡°This was the knife that he planned on carving Emmy up with.¡±


    The effect was immediate. Every single one of the strays, even those who''d helped clean things up the night before, took a step back in horror. To my dismay, little Jassie broke out crying at the sight of the knife and the knowledge of what it was capable of doing in Prince Marfan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°This knife!¡± I repeated for emphasis, holding it high. ¡°But I got there in time, and I took it from him, and I killed him with it. His own knife!¡± I said, stabbing an imaginary foe for emphasis, and believe me, my theatrics were working. Everybody was completely and utterly wrapped up in my story. ¡°Then I turned on his bodyguard and I beat him to death with my bare hands!¡± I made a fist and waved it in the classic ''put up your dukes'' style. ¡°My own bare hands,¡± I repeated, my voice low and menacing.


    ¡°This is what happens to those who try to take from me what is mine. Emmy is mine. My lover, my partner, my queen.¡± I looked around, giving every single person in the room a long, cold stare. This moment was key, and I knew I had to make it pack a wallop. ¡°Emmy was in my shadow, and no one gets to harm anybody under my protection. No one. Is that clear?¡± I demanded, and everybody responded that it was completely crystal clear.


    I waved the knife to get their attention again, and once again looked them all in the eyes. ¡°Do you know who else is in my shadow?¡± I asked, trying to make my voice as chilling as possible. It must have been working, because they were all shrinking back, not wanting to say a word, just shake their heads.


    ¡°You are,¡± I said, answering my own question, waving the knife to indicate everyone in the room. ¡°All of you are. Do you know what that means? It means I would do the same if any of you were attacked. You- Max!¡± I said, suddenly singling out one of the men. ¡°Are you in my shadow?¡±


    Falling to his knees, the elderly man cowered. ¡°Please!¡± he begged. ¡°I am in your shadow, oh queen!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Max, you are,¡± I said gently, and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ¡°And no one, ever, is going to hurt you, or they will have to face me,¡± I added in a much harder tone, tapping my chest with the tip of the knife.


    ¡°Sana, are you in my shadow?¡± I asked of the young woman.


    ¡°Yes! Yes, forever!¡±


    Continuing around the room, I asked each one to reaffirm that I was their queen, and they all did without the slightest bit of hesitation. They were all so intimidated by this point that I could have told them all to have coronaries and they probably would.


    ¡°Excellent. I only have one more question,¡± I said to the group. ¡°What will you all do for me?¡±


    Everybody started shouting their answers, so I pointed to Michael. ¡°Anything you wish,¡± was his answer, and all the rest nodded in agreement.


    ¡°That is what I wanted to hear,¡± I said, and nodded my head as well. ¡°Because I have some very important new rules to follow. The first and most important rule is keep your eyes and ears open. Prince Marfan found Emmy, even though his territory is half a world away. He took us by surprise, but I think someone must have known he was in the area. Any one of you would have told me he was here, but we know of at least a dozen more Night Children living in the Bay Area that have not chosen to come under our shadow. I want to know if any of them are hostile to our goals. I want to know if any newcomers enter the region, especially any of high rank. So what''s rule number one?¡± I asked the group, and they are responded with some variation of ''keep your eyes peeled.¡¯


    ¡°Rule number two. Our business is private. Anything that has to do with our little revolution here,¡± and I indicated all of us were in this together, ¡°does not get told to anybody else. Nobody. If anyone asks anything, what will you tell them?¡± I asked, pointing at Hakan.


    ¡°Nothing, my queen!¡± he stammered, trembling.


    ¡°That''s right, nothing. Do. Not. Tell. Anyone. Anything. About. Our. Business.¡± I looked around to make sure that everyone understood perfectly. ¡°What if a friend from work asks?¡± I asked, looking at Sana.


    ¡°I won''t tell them anything!¡± she said quickly.


    ¡°Good.¡± Pointing at Jassie, ¡°What if a police officer asks?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± she squeaked, terrified. I felt bad about putting the young girl on the spot, but I had to make sure she understood I was the highest possible authority figure.


    ¡°What if Emmy''s mother asks?¡± I directed at Michael, who had distinctly been elevated to number two spot in the hierarchy somehow.


    ¡°Emmy''s mother?¡± he asked, puzzled by the thought. ¡°Queen Lascaux? I don''t know...¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± I yelled. ¡°You will tell her nothing about our business! This is our business, not hers! None of you will tell anybody anything about what we do, is that clear?¡±


    Shocked to be yelled at, Michael went down on his knees in a placating gesture.


    ¡°Get up,¡± I said, my voice gentle. I pulled him to his feet, and asked ¡°Is it clear now? Nobody tells anybody anything. If anybody needs to know anything, anything at all, either Emmy or I will tell them.¡±


    ¡°What about Donny?¡± Sana asked.


    Realizing I hadn''t thought about his level of involvement, I answered ¡°That''s a very good question. I''ll have to talk to Emmy about that. I think it''s O.K. to talk to him about general Night Children things, but don''t tell him any specifics about our revolution right now, until we get things sorted out with him. He''s my best friend, and a very good friend to all of you, too, but he doesn''t understand what it means to be... he''s not in my shadow, and I''m not sure he wants to be. Until I get that sorted out, don''t share any specifics with him.¡±


    ¡°Third rule,¡± I announced. ¡°Be safe. I don''t know if they will send somebody to look for Prince Marfan, but we have to assume they will. I don''t want anybody out after dark by themselves for a while. If you see anything that makes you uncomfortable or seems suspicious, don''t ignore it. We have to be extremely vigilant. We know, because they will be bound by the old ways, that any of our enemies will only work at night. This means that the day belongs to us, so we need to remember that the daylight means safety, and it is our strength.¡±


    Everybody nodded that they understood, so I continued. ¡°Jassie is the most vulnerable of us, so it''s crucial she''s never alone. If she''s not with her father, she''ll have to be with Emmy and me. If that''s not possible, with Sana and Donny. I hate that we have to think this way, but for now, it''s better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°This is our revolution, and like any revolution, we¡¯ll be facing resistance. We are strong!¡± I declared, once again holding Marfan¡¯s knife up high. ¡°We must be vigilant, and we must be unified. We are all in this together.¡±


    Seeing agreement, I continued, ¡°Why are we doing this? Why are we revolutionaries?¡± I asked the group.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°For better lives for us, and for our children!¡± spoke up Michael.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I granted. ¡°Have our first small steps made our lives better?¡± I asked. ¡°Has the leadership that Emmy and I have provided made things better? Has living in the open been a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± answered Michael.


    ¡°Has it been easy, giving up the old ways?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°No, my queen. It has been difficult to change a lifetime, to change old habits and fears,¡± he answered for the group.


    ¡°Change is inevitable,¡± I declared. ¡°What is important is for us to make the changes in our favor, and that¡¯s what we are doing. Although things may get harder for us soon, now is the time to show our resolve! We will not lose this fight!¡± I felt I¡¯d gotten my point across, and everybody was on board with the program and willing to fight to keep their gains.


    To involve everybody in the discussion, I asked them as a group to start thinking of things that we could do to strengthen our position in case of further aggression, and while everybody was talking I got Sana to help me bring in the food I¡¯d picked up for the meeting. We all ate and talked, and I gave more info about Emmy¡¯s condition.


    For me, the most emotional point of the evening came when Jassie gave me a big, long hug.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°For saving Queen Emmy,¡± she answered, choked up.


    I knelt down to put myself at her eye level, and said ¡°Prince Marfan will never be able to hurt anyone again, Jass. Never again. I didn¡¯t want to kill him, but he gave me no choice. But do you know what?¡± I asked, my voice gentle.


    When she shook her head that she didn¡¯t know, I told her ¡°I would have killed him if I had been there to save you, too.¡± I took the knife out again and showed it to her. ¡°Jass,¡± I said, ¡°this is the knife he cut you with.¡±


    She recoiled in terror, but I took her hand and laid it on the handle of the knife. ¡°I will do whatever you want with this knife. Do you want me to destroy it?¡± When she shook her head no, I asked ¡°What should I do with it?¡±


    ¡°I want you to keep it,¡± she said, her high voice surprisingly steady. ¡°I want you to keep it and put it somewhere you can see it all the time. So you know that you are stronger than him. You are the strongest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I will do, then. I¡¯ll let it be a reminder that it is my duty to protect the people in my shadow,¡± I said, putting the wicked blade back in my jacket pocket. Jassie hugged me again, as hard as her little arms could manage. She wanted to let me know as clearly as she could that I wasn¡¯t just her queen, but her hero, too.


    Michael watched the whole scene between us, and when Jassie finally let go, he said ¡°That night in the alley, accepting Emmy''s shadow, I was afraid I¡¯d failed Jassie,¡± putting his hand on his daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But now I know it was the best thing that could have ever happened to us. Thank you.¡±


    The sincerity of his admission was almost too much and I felt a bit choked up by it, but I managed to get myself under control before I responded ¡°That means a lot to me, Michael. Thanks for telling me that.¡±


    Later, back at the hospital, I told Emmy about the meeting. I was pretty sure she wasn¡¯t going to remember any of it because of the painkillers, but it was important for me to keep her informed anyway.


    ¡°You are my hero,¡± she mumbled as she drifted off.


    Sitting in the chair next to the hospital bed, I was deep in my classwork for calc when the ER doc from before stuck his head in. He saw I was there and Emmy was asleep, so he seized the opportunity. ¡°Um, I hate to bother you, but I just came off shift, and I was hoping I could talk to you about...¡±


    I sighed, knowing what he wanted to talk about. ¡°How about we go get some coffee?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Sounds good. The coffee here is grounds for a malpractice suit,¡± he said, only catching his unintentional pun when I smirked at the word ¡°grounds¡±.


    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°There¡¯s decent coffee at the cafe just around the corner, if you don¡¯t mind being away for a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°No, it should be O.K.¡± I agreed, leaning down and kissing Emmy¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯m going out for a few minutes, babe. I¡¯ll be back in just a little bit,¡± I explained when she opened her eyes a bit. She nodded that she understood and drifted off.


    Dr. Ames led me to a small cafe next door to the main hospital building. We got our coffees and sat down at a table in the corner by the window with a lovely view of the parking structure across the street.


    ¡°You said that your partner¡¯s condition is genetic,¡± Dr. Ames began. ¡°I¡¯ve looked through the literature, but I can¡¯t seem to find anything like it at all.¡±


    I looked at the doctor, debating with myself how much I could tell him. He was a large teddy bear of a man who was somehow calm and reassuring even in the middle of his duties in the E.R. With his graying ponytail and wire-frame glasses he looked like an aging hippie, even in his hospital scrubs. He seemed honestly curious, and I have to admit it seemed as if I could trust him with at least partial information. I mean, it was all going to come out sooner or later anyway, right? Why not start with him.


    ¡°Well,¡± I began, trying to get my story together. ¡°Emmy¡¯s skin color is genetic. It¡¯s a hereditary condition.¡± He started to say something, but I kept going on. ¡°But it isn¡¯t some kind of birth defect or anything like that. Her coloration is typical for her ethnic group.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you say this condition is common in her ethnic group?¡± Dr. Ames asked, puzzled.


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what I meant. I meant that she belongs to an ethnic minority that is very small- maybe fifty thousand of them worldwide, but the numbers are just a guess. And this ethnic group is all colored like her. That¡¯s their normal pigmentation.¡±


    Dr. Ames leaned back in his seat, a disbelieving look on his face. ¡°If there really were that many people that looked that way surely I¡¯d have seen them before, in photos if not in person.¡±


    ¡°They hide,¡± I tried to explain. ¡°They¡¯ve been the subject of persecution for ever, so they¡¯ve learned to hide really well. They typically wear makeup to hide their true skin color and only interact with the wider society at night, when it¡¯s harder to spot their difference.¡±


    Looking as if he just caught on, he grinned. ¡°You almost had me there,¡± he laughed.


    Seeing that it was going to take some proof, I pulled out my phone and showed him some of the pictures I had of various strays.


    ¡°I personally know over a dozen here in the Bay Area, and know of maybe a dozen more that live here.¡± I showed him a shot of Donny and Sana waiting in line for a roller coaster at Six Flags. ¡°This was taken a couple of weeks ago.¡±


    Dr. Ames scrolled through the pictures, zooming in every now and then to look more closely.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± he mumbled to himself. Finally he handed me my phone back and commented ¡°Your partner is the only one with white hair. The rest all seem to have dark hair.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s the only one like that. I guess it happens sometimes that one of them is born with the white hair. It¡¯s considered lucky.¡±


    ¡°So, back to my earlier question. Why haven¡¯t I seen anybody like this before?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Like I said, they hide. They hide really well. One of them could be here in the cafe with us and we wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if they had their makeup on.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t hiding in your photos,¡± Dr. Ames objected.


    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t,¡± I agreed. ¡°Emmy¡¯s parents brought her up out in the open. They figured that it was time to try to integrate into society and not to hide any longer. Emmy and I have been convincing some of these others to ditch the makeup and come out of hiding, too.¡±


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± he said. He took a sip of his coffee, only to realize it had gotten cold while we talked. He made a disgusted face and stood up to get the two of us fresh cups. When he returned, he asked ¡°Do you think I could meet some of them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it could be arranged,¡± I answered, pleased at how well he was taking it all in. I took a sip of the fresh cup and asked ¡°Um, I don¡¯t want to seem rude, but I have to ask. Why do you want to meet them?¡±


    ¡°Honestly,¡± he responded after giving it a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°Curiosity, I guess. It completely blows my mind that these people could hide so well that they could remain virtually unknown in this day and age.¡±


    ¡°Well, actually, that¡¯s why Emmy¡¯s parents chose to break with their culture and live out in the open. They¡¯re convinced that they, as a group, won¡¯t be able to hide much longer anyway, so they¡¯d better get used to the idea of being out in the open.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Dr. Ames agreed, nodding.


    ¡°Emmy and I have been doing what we can to convince others to come out of hiding, and it¡¯s been slow. I mean, it¡¯s going against their cultural traditions from farther back than anybody can remember, so it¡¯s a big shift for them. Emmy was raised that way, but for the rest of them it¡¯s an incredibly frightening prospect to expose themselves.¡± I paused for a sip of coffee and found the picture I wanted on my phone. ¡°There have been some successes, like the couple in this picture at Six Flags. Donny and Sana are living together and planning on making a life together. The little girl you saw in some of the other photos was living with her father in hiding, homeless and scraping by, living in an abandoned building in the East Bay. Now he has a job and she¡¯s going to school for the first time in her life and making friends who don¡¯t care that she looks so different.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve had some setbacks, too,¡± Dr. Ames acknowledged.


    I understood he was talking about Emmy¡¯s visit to the emergency room, and I had to agree. ¡°Yeah, well. We knew that when Emmy put herself in the public eye with her music that she might draw that kind of attention. It was a risk that we knew we had to face.¡±


    ¡°She could well have been killed,¡± he said, his voice gentle and compassionate. It made me like him even more, so I decided to share some more information with him.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s family is very influential in their society,¡± I said. ¡°They see it as their duty to bring their people out of the shadows, no matter what resistance they might have to deal with.¡± I sipped my coffee, then added ¡°I knew this when I proposed to her. I knew it, and told her that I would do whatever I could. Honestly, although I hoped there wouldn¡¯t be any violence, at the same time I can¡¯t say I¡¯m too surprised. I just hope that there isn¡¯t any more.¡±


    ¡°I saw your little press conference this morning,¡± the doctor said. ¡°You were quite impressive. You were clear; you weren¡¯t emotional even though it was obvious you were quite angry. You stated the facts and didn¡¯t speculate on motives, leaving it up to the listener to draw their own conclusions. It was very well done. You handled yourself better than most professionals. You look young, but you seem very mature,¡± Dr. Ames said.


    ¡°Thanks, I guess. I¡¯ve never really had a problem with public speaking, so it wasn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how old are you? I¡¯d guess maybe twenty?¡±


    ¡°Emmy and I just finished our freshman year at Stanford. In a few months I¡¯ll turn nineteen,¡± I told him.


    ¡°You are amazingly mature for your age,¡± Dr. Ames mused. ¡°I wish my kids had your level of maturity, and they¡¯re ten years older,¡± he chuckled.


    We sat there for a few minutes, when a thought occurred to me.


    ¡°Doctor,¡± I started to say, but he interrupted me.


    ¡°Jake,¡± he said. ¡°Please, call me Jake.¡±


    Liking him even more, I continued. ¡°Jake, then. My name is Leah. Anyway, I was going to ask, do you have a practice outside of the hospital? The reason I ask is that I¡¯d like to find a doctor for these people, a doctor who would show some sensitivity to their situation.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have my own practice, but I do put in a couple of days a week at a clinic down in Hayward, if that helps.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping for more of a private office type thing,¡± I confessed. ¡°Most of them have never been to see a doctor in their lives, and even a small clinic might be very stressful for them.¡±


    Thinking about it for a minute, Dr. Ames finally said ¡°I can understand that. Let me see what I can do. I may be able to set something up.¡±


    ¡°If it makes any difference, if money is an issue, I¡¯d be happy to do what I can. I can rent an office, if it¡¯s necessary, or something like that.¡±


    Surprised, Dr. Ames asked ¡°You would rent a doctor¡¯s office for this?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, if it helps.¡±


    ¡°Rent in a medical professional''s building is extremely expensive. Typically it¡¯d be a year lease, and you¡¯d be talking about twenty-five hundred or more a month.¡±


    ¡°Well, and you¡¯d need some staff, even if it was just a single nurse, right?¡± I asked, thinking about the numbers.


    ¡°You¡¯d do that? We¡¯re talking about a minimum of forty, fifty thousand a year!¡± Dr. Ames asked.


    ¡°Sure, if I had the right doctor, who would also have to be paid to make it worth his time,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°How much money would you be willing to throw at this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°I hadn¡¯t even given it any thought up until just now.¡±


    Leaning back, Dr. Ames asked ¡°So, I guess you have money?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, we do,¡± I confessed. ¡°Enough for something like this, no problem.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. The free clinic I volunteer at could use all the funding it can get. If you could steer some of that money in their direction, I can make certain that any of these people gets a private consultation. It might have to be outside regular hours, though.¡±


    My respect for the guy went through the roof for turning away cash like that in favor of helping the poor. ¡°Yeah, that could work,¡± I agreed. ¡°If I write them a check for, say, a hundred grand, do you think that would be enough?¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes bugged out of his head at that, and he nearly choked on his coffee. ¡°You¡¯d drop that kind of cash¡­¡± he spluttered.


    ¡°Yeah, I would, if I thought it would help. I¡¯d write that check right now if you thought we could work something out,¡± I explained. ¡°As I said, these people hide, and one of the things that they just don¡¯t do is seek medical attention. We need to bring them into society, and that means checkups, shots, and all that. So yeah, if you could arrange it so the clinic could open after hours on certain days for them to come in, I¡¯d be happy to make a donation.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll make it happen,¡± Dr. Ames said. Taking out his phone, he said ¡°Give me your number. I¡¯ll call you and let you know all the details. We also have a dental clinic, which might be a good thing for these friends of yours, as well.¡±

 Friends Help Friends

    ¡°Sana and I talked last night,¡± Donny said over coffee.


    ¡°What about?¡± I asked, trying to look uninterested.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing. I talked. She didn¡¯t say a damned thing. Not one word, Leah, but I know for a fact that she was at some kind of strays meeting last night.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, sipping my morning brew.


    ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t be that way with me,¡± he said, starting to sound pissed off. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been there for you, Leah. You know I know what¡¯s going on. You know I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea about what happened the other night with Emmy¡¯s attack, so don¡¯t bullshit me. Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get mixed up in things.¡±


    ¡°Leah, have you seen the bumper sticker that says ¡®Friends help you move- really good friends help you move the body¡¯? Leah, if I¡¯m not a very good friend of yours, I don¡¯t know who is.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Donny, of course you¡¯re a really good friend. You¡¯re the best friend I¡¯ve got. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to involve you in this mess,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Really good friends help you bury the bodies, Leah. I¡¯m serious about this. If somebody attacked Emmy and shit got outta hand, I think I deserve to know what we might have to deal with, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Looking around, it seemed to me the coffee shop was not the place to have this conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk,¡± I told Donny, and he understood what I meant.


    ¡°Donny, you¡¯re right. You are my best friend and it isn¡¯t right to shut you out, but what I¡¯m gonna tell you could be dangerous for you to know,¡± I said, after we¡¯d walked far away from anybody who might hear.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to rat you out, you know that,¡± Donny said, completely seriously.


    ¡°No, I know that. Well, at least I hope that¡¯s true,¡± I said, giving him a little smile to know I was ribbing him.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. I already know you killed the guys that attacked Emmy, right? I mean, you did kill them, didn¡¯t you? I still can¡¯t freaking believe it!¡±


    ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t kill those guys because I wanted to,¡± I objected. ¡°And it was more or less an accident, anyway. I mean, I just wanted them to stop hurting Emmy,¡± I finished lamely.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my best friend is a stone cold killer,¡± Donny gloated, reminding me that I¡¯d been called that before, but not so literally.


    ¡°Donny, it isn¡¯t funny,¡± I said, looking around to make sure nobody could hear us. ¡°I could go to prison!¡±


    ¡°Look, Leah,¡± Donny said, turning serious again. ¡°I¡¯ll testify on your behalf if it ever comes to trial, but I don¡¯t think it will. You said you had the guys clean everything up, right? Well, hiding is what they do, and what they know better than anybody. If you told them to bury the evidence, it¡¯s gone and nobody is going to find it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping,¡± I said. ¡°But it might not be the police we have to worry about the most.¡±


    ¡°You think the two guys might have friends?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure of it,¡± I replied, sipping my mocha. ¡°So, there¡¯s more to tell you about what¡¯s going on in general, stuff that maybe I should have told you a while back.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Donny asked, intrigued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much Sana has told you about the nations of the Night Children, but here¡¯s the deal. There are currently five nations left, but there used to be more. Hakan was from a sixth nation that everybody thought had died out a hundred years ago.¡±


    Donny nodded his head that he either knew or understood, so I kept going. ¡°Michael and Jassie and a couple of the others are from the largest of the remaining nations, which is roughly in the area of Turkey, Iran, and a few of the countries that used to be part of Russia.¡± Seeing that he was still following, I explained further. ¡°Emmy¡¯s family is from the nation that lies in western and central Europe. Most of them live in Italy and France, but quite a few are in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and some in England as well as Spain and Portugal. Sana and Julia are from that nation, too.¡±


    ¡°O.K., the details are new to me, but I had the general idea from talking to the different strays that there were a number of tribes or something,¡± Donny agreed.


    ¡°Yeah, well, here¡¯s where we get into stuff I maybe should have explained before. Emmy¡¯s parents are the rulers of their nation. They¡¯re the king and queen, making Emmy the princess, and the royal heir.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the strays call you and Emmy ¡®queen¡¯,¡± Donny said. ¡°But she¡¯s actually their princess?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. They¡¯re two separate things. Emmy is the princess of the Lascaux Nation, heir to the royal throne. That¡¯s her birthright. To the strays, though, she is the queen of her own little nation, the ¡®Bay Area¡¯ nation, which they are the citizens of. So am I, for that matter. Emmy and I are their rulers, and they are our subjects, I guess. That¡¯s totally independent of her being the princess of the Lascaux Nation.¡±


    ¡°So let me get this straight. You two are setting up your own new little nation of Night Children here in California, right under her parents¡¯ nose?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I agreed. ¡°It started by accident, but then just sort of took off. There aren¡¯t very many Night Children here at all, so the nation will never get big like the other five, but we¡¯re trying to do something different. We¡¯re trying to integrate the Night Children into society.¡±


    ¡°Well, that part I knew, obviously. And Sana told me that there may be some opposition, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s where we get to the dangerous part,¡± I said, again looking around to make sure nobody was anywhere near. ¡°The guys that attacked Emmy?¡±


    ¡°The two guys you killed, you mean?¡± Donny interrupted.


    ¡°I wish you¡¯d quit saying that,¡± I complained. ¡°Yeah, those guys. Well, one of them was the prince of the land that Michael is from, the one I told you was the biggest of the five nations? Evidently they¡¯re the most stuck in the old ways, and once they got wind that Emmy was making herself publicly known they came all the way here to teach her a lesson.¡±


    ¡°I guess the lesson got taught to them,¡± Donny crowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m hoping it didn¡¯t, in a way.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Well, I wanted to question the guys, to find out who sent them and who knew where they were, but they died before I got a chance,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, ¡®cause you¡¯re so freaking bad-ass!¡± Donny was enjoying my elevation to Rambo status way too much.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said, perhaps a little too sharply. Donny had to realize that this was no joke. ¡°In any case, we don¡¯t know if there are others who are going to come look for them. We have to assume, since one of them was their crown prince, that somebody will want to know what happened, and¡¯ll want revenge.¡±


    Donny thought about it for a moment and nodded his agreement. ¡°Yeah, I can see that. And your little nation isn¡¯t prepared for war.¡±


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t. But this is where you come in, Donny. If the strays get targeted, odds are you¡¯ll be relatively safe, because they probably won¡¯t be looking for daylighters. Same goes for me. They just won¡¯t know to expect that we¡¯ll be with the Night Children. Sana, though, well, she¡¯s at risk, and so are all the rest. That¡¯s what the meeting was about last night. I told them that they needed to keep their eyes open and be careful. I also, and this goes for you too, Donny, told them to keep their mouths shut about all this.¡±


    ¡°First rule of Night Club is, don¡¯t talk about Night Club,¡± Donny joked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty much it. I mean, this is real important, Donny. We want to introduce the Night Children to the world in as positive a way as we can. I mean, that¡¯s the whole point of Emmy living the life she has, and the whole point of her music project, right? To get famous and have people see somebody that looks like her in a positive way, you know? So if the first thing anybody hears of Night Children is them having a war and killing each other it¡¯s gonna be the worst kind of publicity.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. That¡¯s why you told the cops that Emmy was attacked by skinheads, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. We need to win the hearts and minds of society so they can accept the Night Children,¡± I said.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Donny admitted.


    ¡°So, Donny¡­¡± I began, not sure how to phrase it.


    ¡°What? You know I¡¯ll do anything,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing. I told you we are the two queens of this new little nation, right?¡± When Donny nodded yes, I continued. ¡°At the meeting, your status came up.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Um, well,¡± I responded, trying to frame it correctly. ¡°Some of the strays wanted clarification on where you stand in relation to this new nation we¡¯ve got going. Basically, they wanted to know if you¡¯re one of them.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Puzzlement was quickly followed by understanding on his freckled face. ¡°I think I understand. Sana wouldn¡¯t talk to me because you told her not to.¡± I started to interrupt, but he ignored it and continued. ¡°Well, I¡¯m in. Whatever the secret handshake is, teach it to me. I mean, I¡¯m so in it already that it seems ridiculous to even have this conversation, but whatever.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how much that means to me, Don,¡± I told him. ¡°Seriously.¡±


    ¡°So- what is the secret handshake?¡± Donny asked, his usually goofy sense of humor reasserting itself.


    ¡°There is no handshake, but there is an oath,¡± I told him, mentally cringing at the idea of making Donny swear allegiance to me and Emmy.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Donny said, unaware of my reluctance. ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯ll swear it.¡±


    I heard the argument before I got to Emmy''s room. Recognizing right away both of the voices in the conversation, I hurried to get there as fast as I could. Sure enough, there was Michael standing his ground and not letting Emmy''s mother in to see her daughter. I was glad to see that Michael was taking his duty to keep visitors away, so I thanked him and told him that I would take care of Mrs. Lascaux, for which he looked very grateful. Turning to Emmy''s mom, I smiled and said "Madame De Lascaux! I''m glad you''re here."


    "Who is that man?" She demanded, indicating Michael.


    "Here," I said, indicating an empty sitting area. "Let''s talk for a bit. I need to fill you in on some stuff."


    "First I want to see my daughter," she demanded.


    In the past I would have just rolled over and gone along with whatever she wanted, but not any more. "No, let''s talk first. You need to know some things before you see her," I said. Seeing the look of alarm on Mrs. Lascaux''s face, I added "Don''t worry, she''s going to be O.K., but you need to know some things before you talk to her."


    Confusion and concern quickly turned to indignation, and Emmy''s mom clearly didn''t like the idea of anybody else taking control of the situation and telling her what to do. "No. I must see the princess first," she stated, as if it were a self-evident fact and there were no other possibilities.


    Trying to be polite and yet firm, I responded with "No, really, we need to talk before you go in there."


    Looking at me with surprise as if nobody had ever told her ''no'' before, she started to stand, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back into her seat. The shock on her midnight black face almost made it worth it, but I knew this was going to be tough. "First, we talk. Then you can see her, but not before."


    "Who are you to tell me that I can''t see my daughter?" she demanded, completely indignant. I glanced at Edouard out of the corner of my eye, but he didn''t seem inclined to get involved in any way, for which I was grateful.


    "I''m your daughter''s fianc¨¦e," I replied, holding up my hand to show her the ring on my finger. "I''m her assati," I said, using the Night Children¡¯s language word Emmy had taught me for ''mate''. ¡°She is mine to protect now. Even, if necessary, from you.¡±


    Taken aback, Emmy¡¯s mom was speechless for a moment, but then recovered quickly. ¡°And you think you need to protect her from me?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Yes, in a way, I do, at the moment. Look, Emmy was attacked and severely injured. She¡¯s going to recover, but right now, you need to understand that she needs comfort and sympathy. She needs a mom right now, not a queen. Just be there for her, that¡¯s all I¡¯m asking. Don¡¯t ask about what happened, don¡¯t bring up her duties, anything like that. I¡¯ll be happy to have those conversations with you, but she just needs you to hold her hand and tell her that you love her.¡±


    ¡°I do love my daughter,¡± Mrs. Lascaux replied, indignant.


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed, although I wasn¡¯t actually any too sure. ¡°Just- well, I mean, let her know, too.¡±


    I guess by this point Emmy¡¯s mom had realized that I was just trying to spare her daughter some unwanted stress, so she softened a bit. ¡°When I heard that the princess had been attacked, I came right away. Unfortunately the information on the news was incomplete, and I had no way of reaching her, or you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I wanted to call you, but I don¡¯t have your number. I even asked a friend in Fallbrook to go out to the house, but he said that nobody was home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were in Paris,¡± Mrs. Lascaux confirmed. ¡°So, please, tell me what happened.¡±


    Thinking about how many details to share, I explained that Emmy¡¯s band had performed that night to a standing ovation, then as we returned to our car, Emmy was jumped by two guys.


    ¡°On the news they said it was two neo-Nazis,¡± Mrs. Lascaux said, checking to see if her facts were correct.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling everyone,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°But they weren¡¯t?¡± she asked, clearly understanding what I¡¯d implied.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°It was two Night Children men.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Lascaux practically shouted in surprise.


    Looking around to make sure nobody besides Edouard could hear, I explained. ¡°Yeah, it was two Night Children men. They grabbed Emmy-¡±


    ¡°Who were they? And who is that?¡± Mrs. Lascaux asked, indicating Michael, who had resumed his seat by Emmy¡¯s door.


    ¡°That¡¯s Michael,¡± I answered, knowing that it wasn¡¯t really the information that she wanted. ¡°The two men were some Night Children who felt that Emmy¡¯s exposure in the public eye was treason against the race.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡±


    ¡°One of them said so,¡± I answered. Returning to my narrative, I continued. ¡°These two guys jumped her and dragged her back into an alley when I wasn¡¯t looking. I heard a noise and couldn¡¯t see Emmy, so I looked in the alley and saw that they had beaten her and knocked her out. I rushed in and punched and kicked the two guys and they ran away.¡±


    ¡°They should not have been able to take her so easily,¡± Mrs. Lascaux said, a look of disappointment on her face.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing,¡± I said, defending Emmy. ¡°We were on a public street, and these guys had planned their ambush. I think they just caught her by surprise. Also, she was wearing a long, tight evening gown, so her ability to actually fight couldn¡¯t have been very good. I know she usually carries a knife, but she didn¡¯t have it with her. Anyway, so after I chased them off, I loaded her in the car and brought her here.¡±


    ¡°That was very brave of you, to fight two armed Night Children men in the dark like that.¡±


    ¡°Bravery had nothing to do with it, honestly. It never even occurred to me to do anything else.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Emmy¡¯s mom responded, eyeing me with a degree of new respect. ¡°So where are these men now? Will they come back to attack the princess again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where they are now,¡± I truthfully admitted. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll see them again.¡±


    ¡°Should I assign a bodyguard for the princess?¡± Mrs. Lascaux asked.


    My first reaction was to say it was a little late, but I swallowed the words before I had a chance to blurt them out. ¡°No, I think we have it covered, but thanks.¡±


    ¡°Is that man, Michael you said his name was? Is he her bodyguard?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± I admitted. ¡°He¡¯s just here to make sure nobody gets in to bother Emmy. He really can¡¯t fight much at all. The hospital has security guards who know to respond quickly if Michael yells for them. No, I¡¯m pretty much her bodyguard for the moment.¡±


    ¡°This Michael- he is showing his face,¡± Mrs. Lascaux said, looking at the guy in question. ¡°I do not know him,¡± she said, her voice thoughtful. ¡°He would not speak our language to me.¡±


    ¡°No, he won¡¯t. He¡¯s under orders to use the old language only if the other person doesn¡¯t speak English.¡±


    ¡°Whose orders?¡± Emmy¡¯s mom asked, surprised.


    ¡°Mine,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Yours?¡± The shocked look on her midnight black face was unmistakable.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I confirmed. ¡°He¡¯s in my shadow.¡±


    ¡°He what?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in my shadow,¡± I repeated. ¡°The rule to speak English if possible extends to everybody in our shadow. Same for ditching the makeup.¡±


    ¡°Everybody in your shadow?¡± Mrs. Lascaux asked, astonished. ¡°How many are there in your shadow?¡±


    ¡°About two dozen so far. It isn¡¯t many, but more and more all the time.¡±


    ¡°Two dozen Night Children?¡± Emmy¡¯s mom said, again repeating my words. Her mind was just not processing this new information well. ¡°And they all show their face?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve been- well, I mean, we require ¡®em to live in the daylight. With jobs and everything.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s mom took a few moments to collect her thoughts, then asked ¡°Is the princess somehow bringing them from Europe without my knowledge?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered. ¡°These are not your people. These are our people. They are in our shadow, and not anybody else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Where do they come from, then?¡±


    ¡°Most of them have run away from the old nations and wound up here on their own. One of them was born here in the U.S. from parents who escaped here years ago. We even have one older guy who is originally from Khannatayn¡± I said, using the old name for Hakan¡¯s long-gone nation.


    ¡°That is not possible. The Khannatayni died out long ago,¡± Mrs. Lascaux objected.


    ¡°Apparently he¡¯s the last,¡± I agreed. ¡°But in any case, these people are our little nation now.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ unexpected,¡± she replied, still trying to assimilate the news. ¡°You say they follow your orders?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They are in my shadow,¡± I explained. ¡°Mine and Emmy¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Then after a moment, she asked ¡°You said his name is Michael?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Michael!¡± she called out. ¡°Come over here!¡±


    Michael simply looked at her, then at me, questioningly. I gave him a small shake of my head, and he stayed where he was.


    Emmy¡¯s mom turned to look at me. ¡°I never would have believed it,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and see Emmy,¡± I suggested, hoping to end this uncomfortable scene.


    As we approached Emmy¡¯s door, Mrs. Lascaux asked Michael ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lady, I do. You are the Madame De Lascaux, queen of her people. Mother of my queen.¡± He was very proper and polite, and I was glad to see that he felt confident enough to look her in the eye.


    ¡°And yet you didn¡¯t let me in to see my daughter?¡± she demanded, still testing the waters.


    ¡°No, Madame. My queen had said no visitors,¡± he responded, indicating me.


    ¡°I see,¡± she replied. ¡°In that light, I am glad that you take your duties to protect my daughter so seriously. Thank you for your diligence, Michael.¡±


    I opened the door and let Emmy¡¯s mom into the private room, glad that Edouard chose to stay outside.


    I was glad to see that Emmy¡¯s mom respected my wishes and did nothing but offer comfort and support to her daughter. My one year of college French was barely enough to follow their conversation, but I couldn¡¯t detect anything but motherly love and worry in anything Mrs. Lascaux said.


    Eventually I had to usher her out, though. Emmy was fading and the pain meds were making it hard for her stay awake.


    Outside the room, I asked Mrs. Lascaux how long she would be in town and where she was staying, hoping it wouldn¡¯t be long.


    ¡°I had no idea what to expect,¡± she admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t know if I would have to make arrangements to bring her home, but that does not seem necessary. For that matter, it does not seem as if you would allow it,¡± she said, a begrudging smile on her stern face. ¡°I think that the princess is in good hands, and being well taken care of.¡±


    Then, as if it suddenly occurred to her, she asked ¡°You said you have two dozen in your new little nation, right?¡± When I nodded yes, she went on ¡°You should have them searching for the men that did this. You should set some to tracking those who hurt the princess.¡±


    I took her arm and steered her a little bit away for privacy and said ¡°Trust me. That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± I gave her what I though would be a meaningful look and she nodded in understanding.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already done it, and they have already been captured?¡± she asked. ¡°I would greatly appreciate it if you would hand them over to me. I would like to make them pay for their crimes.¡±


    I looked her in the eyes again and said ¡°They¡¯ve paid.¡±


    Mrs. Lascaux regarded me thoughtfully for a few moments, then nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Suddenly changing the topic, she replied to my earlier question. ¡°I am staying at the Ritz-Carlton. I will stay a week, I think. I would appreciate it if you would allow me to see my daughter during this time.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I agreed. ¡°Just¡­ please be a mother first and a queen second.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, and yes, I will do that. It seems she already has all the queen she needs in you.¡±


    After Emmy¡¯s mom left, I thanked Michael for what he¡¯d done. ¡°It must have been tough, standing up to her like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, it was not,¡± he replied. ¡°She is not my queen. I am not beholden to her.¡±


    ¡°Still, thanks, Michael. Really.¡±


    ¡°There is no need,¡± he assured me.


    Checking in on Emmy, I saw she was woozy, but awake. ¡°Is my father here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, just your mom and Edouard,¡± I told her, snuggling up next to her on the bed as best I could.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you Edouard is a bastard?¡± she asked, her voice getting less and less distinct.


    ¡°He¡¯s always seemed like a decent enough guy,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Oh, he is. He is very noble,¡± Emmy agreed, her speech slurring as she fell back asleep.


    Emmy¡¯s mom visited every day for the next week. After a couple of days Emmy¡¯s father arrived in San Francisco and he started visiting her every day as well. I was glad they were showing their love and concern, but at the same time I was worried that they might somehow make life more difficult for the two of us.

 Not A Chapter- A Place For Discussion About The Storys Techniques And Direction

    I just got a couple of comments yesterday that I wanted to talk about, and open for further discussion.


    The first was from reader Arnissan, and here it is:


    I''m not sure I like current direction of the story. Or perhaps how we got here. It used to be Emmy and Me but now it''s mostly Leah the Queen.


    The story worked best for me until the Stephanie arc. It was a pretty great slice of life/high school drama story with a little mystery thrown into the mix. I loved everything about it, especially the romance.


    Then the Stephanie arc came, and it felt forced in many ways. Surely Emmy could get some kind of message to Leah, even if weeks/month later. She wasn''t imprisoned, she was on a tour with her parents. And her parents weren''t even against the relationship in the end. But I could still go with it. The arc wasn''t bad, it just wasn''t as good as the story that came before it.


    Later Emmy shows up and their coming back together again felt forced. Leah forced their relationship back into the old tracks with Emmy being incredibly passive. And it happens almost instantly, without proper buildup and emotional resolution. Leah decided they¡¯re back together so they¡¯re back together and powers through what seemed like Emmy¡¯s depression. The dynamic that existed between them pre Stephanie is pretty much gone.


    Then the music stuff came on, which felt pretty random. Emmy as an active story participant is almost gone completely with only a few noticeable flashes of what once was like the stripclub sex scene. The sex scenes are always great, but I also crave the feels.


    And now Leah is doing kung-fu and wins fights against multiple grown ass men of what¡¯s supposed to be a physically superior race, investing millions of dollars in real estate and doing the Braveheart speech thing at 18 years of age. It¡¯s a bit hard to believe that a bunch of insular, secluded tribesmen would follow an 18-year-old white chick as a queen. And it''s not clear to me how Leah arrived at this point in the story. It''s as if I''m missing years of character development where Leah transforms from a regular teenager into a queen. But ok, I can still deal with it.


    Long story short, I loved story for the Leah/Emmy dynamic and their romance. All the other stuff was just cherry on top, but now the cake is gone and that cherry is pretty bitter by itself.


    The flippant attitude characters have towards killing in this chapter also throws me off. It''s as if they''re talking about a video game.


    P.S. If I understood Emmy¡¯s inquiry into the strip club chick correctly as some kind of setup for a reverse harem or a threesome and it¡¯ll actually happen down the road then I¡¯m out for good. But I¡¯m sticking around for now, I still do love the characters.


    I really appreciate that Arnissan took the time to write this. Feedback like this is what will help me grow as a storyteller, and that is the whole purpose of me even writing and posting this story here. As much as it''s nice to receive "Thanks for the chapter" comments, in depth, thought (and discussion) provoking posts like this are just so much more.


    I''m going to try to adress all of Arnissan''s points, but what would be completely awesome from you, my lovely readers, is if you could voice your opinions, too. I''m going to break this into numbered bits to make it easier to reference. Thanks!


    1. I''m not sure I like current direction of the story. Or perhaps how we got here. It used to be Emmy and Me but now it''s mostly Leah the Queen.


    Yes, this is true. In the current moment in the storyline, Emmy is relegated to mostly a supporting role. Now, in all fairness, this has always been Leah''s story about her time with Emmy, but at this stage Emmy is mostly a prop with a few flashes of the old dynamic.


    2. The story worked best for me until the Stephanie arc. It was a pretty great slice of life/high school drama story with a little mystery thrown into the mix. I loved everything about it, especially the romance.


    A number of readers have made this comment. I don''t really have much to say, except that without the ever-increasing stakes, this would be a very different story than I''d imagined (and outlined). Emmy and Leah did fall in love, and that love has faced some difficulties. This isn''t a simple puff piece, full of nothing but sweetness and light. Without the lows it''s hard to see the highs. And this story will have plenty of both.


    3. Then the Stephanie arc came, and it felt forced in many ways. Surely Emmy could get some kind of message to Leah, even if weeks/month later. She wasn''t imprisoned, she was on a tour with her parents. And her parents weren''t even against the relationship in the end. But I could still go with it. The arc wasn''t bad, it just wasn''t as good as the story that came before it.


    O.K., this one is a specific aid for me in my writing. I had thought that I''d made it clear that Emmy was very much imprisoned in a way, and when she finally did get back to Leah some months later she discovered it was too late- Leah had moved on. Feeling betrayed, she made no further effort to contact Leah, and in fact avoided her as much as she could.


    Apparently this is something I need to work on a bit. I''ve tried, with this story, to leave some things unexplained and only later fill in the missing details. This is one of the biggest examples of this technique. You''re left wondering why Emmy blasted off, and what happened to her, and why she hasn''t sent word- just as Leah wonders all these things. Leah doesn''t get any sort of answer until nine months later, and she''s the one narrating, right? If I''m faling to convey this idea, it''s on me as a writer. I think that when I''ve finally finished the story, I''ll actually go back and do a rewrite with the helpful criticism you guys have been giving me along the way.


    4. Later Emmy shows up and their coming back together again felt forced. Leah forced their relationship back into the old tracks with Emmy being incredibly passive. And it happens almost instantly, without proper buildup and emotional resolution. Leah decided they¡¯re back together so they¡¯re back together and powers through what seemed like Emmy¡¯s depression. The dynamic that existed between them pre Stephanie is pretty much gone.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Their dynamic is certainly different. Emmy had been very hurt by what her parents did to her, and the repercussions it had (losing Leah, the one thing she ever felt was hers and hers alone). Yes, Leah was very forceful, and Emmy was very passive- both of them feeling the damage from the previos nine months. I guess this is where adding a little bit more detail might make the story a bit more solid, explaining the emotional state both characters were experiencing.


    5. Then the music stuff came on, which felt pretty random. Emmy as an active story participant is almost gone completely with only a few noticeable flashes of what once was like the stripclub sex scene. The sex scenes are always great, but I also crave the feels.


    If it felt pretty random, I must not have dropped enough hints in the first half. This seems like an easy fix. And yes, the feels will come back, but at this stage, Emmy and Leah are experiencing a bit of "bed death" and first, have to recognize it for what it is (and Leah seems to more than Emmy does at this point). Again, the relationship isn''t all wine and roses, unfortunately.


    6. And now Leah is doing kung-fu and wins fights against multiple grown ass men of what¡¯s supposed to be a physically superior race, investing millions of dollars in real estate and doing the Braveheart speech thing at 18 years of age. It¡¯s a bit hard to believe that a bunch of insular, secluded tribesmen would follow an 18-year-old white chick as a queen. And it''s not clear to me how Leah arrived at this point in the story. It''s as if I''m missing years of character development where Leah transforms from a regular teenager into a queen. But ok, I can still deal with it.


    Although a few readers have mentioned that they got this impression, nowhere have I actually said that Night Children are in any way physically superior (aside from the night vision). Emmy shows some talents, and it''s mentioned that her dad killed a tiger, but those are from years of training, not from any innate superhuman ability.


    As to the rest, yes, Leah does step up big in a hurry. I''d thought I''d dropped enough hints that she was turning into a leader and making decisions for the Strays, as well as her increasingly aggressive tendencies on the V Ball court. I may need to go back and add a few more details to the fight in the high school bathroom, though... And maybe a little bit more here and there. This seems like something easy to add back in.


    7. Long story short, I loved story for the Leah/Emmy dynamic and their romance. All the other stuff was just cherry on top, but now the cake is gone and that cherry is pretty bitter by itself.


    I love the analogy. Don''t be surprised if those words end up in the story somewhere...


    8. The flippant attitude characters have towards killing in this chapter also throws me off. It''s as if they''re talking about a video game.


    The only one flippant is Donny, and he''s a teenaged boy full of gamer testosterone and too much exposure to movie violence. Also, he didn''t see any of it happen, or see the aftermath. To him it''s fairly abstract.


    Leah isn''t cavalier about events at all, but does a good job of compartmentalizing until later. Emmy has a different cultural attitude- to her, Leah killing the two guys was an achievement, a sign that Emmy had picked a winner in choosing her mate.


    9. P.S. If I understood Emmy¡¯s inquiry into the strip club chick correctly as some kind of setup for a reverse harem or a threesome and it¡¯ll actually happen down the road then I¡¯m out for good. But I¡¯m sticking around for now, I still do love the characters.


    Let me spare you any concern. There will be no harem in this story. But Emmy''s question is... well, a sign of what''s on her mind. [No Spoiler]


    Adding to this comment thread, cheuk4 said this:


    I wouldn''t say that it doesn''t work, more that it happened so frequently so recently, and during a shift in time perspective as well.


    I''m clearly not a writer myself so I don''t know how to best explain myself (having written, deleted and re-written this reply multiple times already), but the best analogy I can think of is Star Wars Prequel Episode 2, where Obi-Wan and Anakin were in the elevator telling us the adventures they went on together. For me, that scene was disappointing as it alluded to events I wanted to witness, and not blandly told. A case of "told, not shown".


    Back to your case, the ball scene with Emmy and parents was fine, as it was a small event that you gave extra detail to. However for the real estate scene, it didn''t work for me as that was, for me, what felt like a major change in personality and character growth that was pulled out of nowhere.


    You''ve been alluding to Leah''s physical prowess throughout the story, so her physically winning against the attackers was acceptable to me. But for her financial work, we''ve never been clued in on that part of her character development. We know she''s academically smart, but not business smart.


    10. I wouldn''t say that it doesn''t work, more that it happened so frequently so recently, and during a shift in time perspective as well.


    I''m clearly not a writer myself so I don''t know how to best explain myself (having written, deleted and re-written this reply multiple times already), but the best analogy I can think of is Star Wars Prequel Episode 2, where Obi-Wan and Anakin were in the elevator telling us the adventures they went on together. For me, that scene was disappointing as it alluded to events I wanted to witness, and not blandly told. A case of "told, not shown".


    Sometimes those sorts of things reall only exist as background. We know Anakin and Obi-Wan have a history of adventures- they just casually mentioned it. This lets us fill in the gaps using our imagination, but the deatils aren''t important.


    11. Back to your case, the ball scene with Emmy and parents was fine, as it was a small event that you gave extra detail to. However for the real estate scene, it didn''t work for me as that was, for me, what felt like a major change in personality and character growth that was pulled out of nowhere.


    You''ve been alluding to Leah''s physical prowess throughout the story, so her physically winning against the attackers was acceptable to me. But for her financial work, we''ve never been clued in on that part of her character development. We know she''s academically smart, but not business smart.


    I actually did write out the chapter in which Leah goes to Las Vegas with Emmy''s family, but ultimately decided it didn''t actually advance the plot or the characters are to spell it out. In fact, Leah just mentioning it off-handedly to Stephanie and Stephanie reacting the way she did tells us more about both characters than the actual club scene did. Well, at least in my mind ;) it did. The same for Leah''s real estate development business. I thought I''d dropped a hint earlier on, but it looks as if I must have cut it out. Easy enough to add back in, but again- the business is background, not important exept when it directly affects the main characters. We''ll get more of it as the story progresses.


    But clearly if the reader is blind-sided by anything I must have dropped the ball as a writer. I don''t want anything to develop out of the blue, as it were. So now I have a road map on what to go back and flesh out a bit.


    All right. I''ve taken some notes, and have an idea on some things in the story that could use some help. Anybody else have any helpful criticism? Remember, this is a work in progress and my first attempt at writing a novel, so I''m bound to blow it badly here and there. The more you beautiful people help me out, the better the final result will be.


    Thanks for putting up with my ramblings. I''ll have the regular chapter up tomorrow on the usual schedule.

 Time To Do Some Shopping

    Seeing the power that Prince Marfan¡¯s knife had over the Night Children, it occurred to me that I needed a symbol of my own. Sure, waving that knife around showed that I was more powerful than Prince Marfan had been, but I wanted to stamp my own authority. I needed my own intimidating knife.


    Chewing on this idea in my head for a while, I realized that the blade I needed wasn¡¯t in any knife shop.


    I called my mom and asked her to ship me Dad¡¯s old footlocker with his uniforms and such in it. I told her I wanted something to display in our house that would remind me of him, and Mom was happy to oblige. A few days later I was rooting through it looking for what I¡¯d remembered from my childhood, and there it was: a black-handled dagger with a simple leather sheath, badly in need of a good polishing. It was heavier than I¡¯d expected, and the brass metal showing where the black paint had worn off the handle told me why.


    That Saturday, after some googling, I made my way to a local South Bay knife shop that had been recommended as the best for real enthusiasts.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± the bored sales guy asked when I walked up to the counter.


    ¡°Well, there are a couple of things I want,¡± I began. ¡°First, I want the best EDC tactical folder you¡¯ve got,¡± I said, using some of the jargon I¡¯d learned in my research.


    Surprised, the guy asked ¡°And what do you want that for?¡±


    ¡°Personal defense,¡± I answered, knowing this was going to be a struggle.


    ¡°You know, a Taser might work better for what you want,¡± he said, apparently being what he thought was reasonable.


    After a few minutes of convincing the guy I actually did want a folding knife, he eventually did bring out some knives for me to look at. I rejected all of them that he showed me originally as too small, too slow, or too wimpy. Finally he started showing me knives that fit the bill and I settled on four from different manufacturers, explaining that only by carrying and using them would I be able to truly evaluate them.


    ¡°You said you had a couple of things you were looking for?¡± asked the sales guy, whose name tag read ''Mike". He had apparently re-evaluated me as a customer by that time and was treating me with much greater respect.


    ¡°I need the name of somebody who can do custom restoration work, and somebody who can sharpen these,¡± I said, indicating the four knives in their boxes on the counter.


    ¡°I sharpen knives here,¡± Mike offered. ¡°But these come pretty sharp from the manufacturers.¡±


    ¡°I want them sharper than sharp,¡± I said, making myself clear. ¡°I want ¡®em so sharp they¡¯ll cut you if you even look at ¡®em. I mean, hair-splitting sharp.¡±


    ¡°Um, I can do that, but it¡¯ll cost you.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll pick them up tomorrow. If they¡¯re not frighteningly sharp, though, I won¡¯t be a happy customer.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be sharp,¡± Mike promised.


    ¡°So do you know anybody that can do restoration work?¡± I asked, since the whole ¡®sharp¡¯ thing seemed settled.


    ¡°Like what?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, I do some restoration work myself. I make custom blades, too. Those are mine there in that case,¡± he said, pointing to a glass display case with a bunch of really Hollywood-looking knives of various designs.


    ¡°Well, I want this sharpened and cleaned up,¡± I said, pulling Prince Marfan¡¯s wicked-looking curved blade from inside my jacket pocket. I drew it from its sheath and laid it on the glass counter for Mike to look at.


    Curious, he picked it up and studied it closely, swinging a desk lamp over to get more light on the subject. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± he asked after a minute or two of examination.


    When I didn¡¯t answer he repeated the question, so I knew I was going to have to make something up. ¡°It¡¯s from the Near East,¡± I told him, which was true enough.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the style, exactly,¡± Mike muttered, engrossed. ¡°May I?¡± he asked, indicating his desk in the back of the shop.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed, and watched as he searched online for knives like Marfan¡¯s, eventually giving up.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s obviously old,¡± he said. ¡°You see this?¡± he asked, pointing at something on the handle. ¡°This hilt isn¡¯t original, but it¡¯s really old, too. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say this blade is Eighteenth Century at the latest, probably made in Northern Iran or what¡¯s now Azerbaijan or Armenia. The hilt, though, that looks more Arab to me¡­¡± he said, lost in thought.


    ¡°So, can you clean it up?¡±


    Jarred from his train of thought, Mike looked at me as if I had two heads. ¡°This should be in a museum,¡± he admonished. ¡°Sharpening it would be a crime. You don¡¯t want to wear any of the material of the blade away- this is real Damascus.¡± He really did look offended at the idea, so I tried to smooth things over.


    ¡°Well, it has been sharpened recently, but not very well,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Look how rough the edge is. I just want it cleaned up. It¡¯s going to go on display.¡±


    ¡°Did you do that?¡±


    ¡°No, the guy I got it from did it. I couldn¡¯t sharpen a knife to save my life.¡±


    ¡°Neither could that guy,¡± Mike said, still horribly offended that anyone would mistreat a blade that way.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll do it? Clean it up and sharpen it, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ll need a few days,¡± he agreed. ¡°You can¡¯t rush art.¡±


    Laughing at Mike¡¯s use of the line from the Disney movie Toy Story, I said O.K. to what he asked in payment.


    ¡°Here¡¯s another,¡± I said, taking out Dad¡¯s old dagger.


    At first glance, Mike was a bit dismissive, but then did a double-take as he got the knife under the light.


    ¡°Where did you get this one?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It was my dad¡¯s. He always had it with him when he served.¡±


    ¡°And he let you have it?¡± Mike asked, curiosity pouring off him in waves.


    ¡°Well, he died when I was ten. I couldn¡¯t really say he just let me have it.¡±


    ¡°What branch of the military was he in?¡±


    ¡°He was a Marine,¡± I responded.


    ¡°Semper Fi,¡± Mike responded automatically. Then, back to the subject at hand, he said, ¡°These weren¡¯t issued to the Marines.¡±


    ¡°No, this knife was my great grandfather¡¯s, from World War Two. He gave it to my grandfather when he enlisted, then it got handed down to my dad,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Was your great grandfather English?¡±


    ¡°No, he was American.¡±


    ¡°But this blade is English,¡± Mike protested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the story very well. Dad told me, but I was young and don¡¯t remember the details. Something about North Africa is all I know.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± pondered Mike. ¡°So what do you want done with this?¡± he asked, holding up the dagger.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°It needs a new sheath, one without any belt loops. Just a simple leather sheath, snug enough it won¡¯t fall out on its own, if you know what I mean. Like a boot sheath. I also want it sharpened, and given a really serious polishing. I want the blade to gleam.¡±


    Looking pained, Mike said ¡°This is a museum piece!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It was Dad¡¯s working tool. He told me he¡¯d had to use it more than once, and so had Grampa and his dad. This is for stabbing people, not for sitting in a glass case somewhere.¡±


    ¡°So what do you plan on doing with it?¡±


    ¡°Stabbing people,¡± I answered, shrugging my shoulders as if his question was ridiculous. I mean, what else would I use it for, right?


    Giving me another long look, but deciding not to pursue it any farther, Mike said ¡°O.K. Give me until Wednesday to get these two cleaned up. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll have the lockers sharpened by the end of the day if it stays slow like this. Call me around four and I¡¯ll let you know if they¡¯re done. Here, fill this out,¡± he said, handing me a duplicate receipt form with lines for my name and so on.


    The only thing I filled out was my phone number (which I knew was untraceable), but no name or anything. I counted off the twelve hundred-dollar bills to pay for everything, causing Mike to give me another of his re-evaluating stares.


    ¡°Name?¡± he asked, to fill the paperwork in.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need it,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, I guess I don¡¯t. So what should I call you, then?¡± Mike asked, eyeing me thoughtfully.


    ¡°Spike,¡± I suggested, giving him the name that Kerry had started calling me towards the end of last season. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°Spike it is,¡± Mike agreed and wrote that down. ¡°Well, Spike. It¡¯s been a pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot!¡± I said, mentally slapping myself. ¡°Could you take a moment and put an edge on this one for me?¡± I asked, pulling out Dad¡¯s old Buck folding knife, flicking it open with my thumb before I set it on the counter.


    ¡°How sharp do you want this one?¡± Mike asked, clearly impressed. Little did he know I¡¯d been practicing that move for days.


    ¡°Sharp enough,¡± I answered.


    Giving me another of his stares, Mike went back to a workbench and in a few minutes handed the knife back. ¡°That¡¯s sharp enough to shave with,¡± he announced, and it did seem to be pretty sharp when I checked it.


    ¡°That¡¯ll work for now,¡± I agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t expect to need it any sharper in the next few days.¡±


    I could tell Mike was watching to see what car I got into, which made me happy that I¡¯d gotten the address wrong and had missed the shop driving down the one-way street, so my car was a block down and around the corner. I looked over my shoulder and saw Mike standing out in front of his shop, watching me. When I gave him a little wave he went back inside. I was definitely going to park a block away and out of sight next time, too, I resolved. I wasn¡¯t sure why I had been so paranoid, but it somehow seemed to me that the less Mike knew about my business the better.


    I got really busy that afternoon and didn¡¯t call, then the shop was closed Sunday and Monday. At that point I figured I¡¯d just wait until Wednesday and pick up everything at one time. When I finally did return to the knife shop there was another man at the counter talking to Mike. When Mike glanced up as I entered the door he nodded to the second guy to look at me, which made me a bit nervous.


    ¡°Ah, Spike. Your things are all ready.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied. ¡°Any problems?¡±


    ¡°No, none at all. In fact I was just talking to Jim here about this little thing,¡± he said, pulling Dad¡¯s dagger from its new black leather sheath and laying it on the glass countertop.


    Acting casual but wondering what was going on, I picked it up and looked carefully at what Mike had done to the blade. ¡°What were you guys talking about?¡±


    ¡°We were wondering where you got it,¡± answered Jim, speaking for the first time. His voice sounded somewhat hostile and put me on edge.


    Looking at how Mike had followed instructions and polished the blade but hadn¡¯t touched the worn, knurled handle of the knife, I kept Jim in view in the corner of my eye. ¡°What does it matter?¡± I asked, trying for nonchalance. Yes, I was happy to see the double edges of the dagger were incredibly sharp and even, and the tip had been returned to a needle-like pointiness.


    ¡°It matters,¡± answered Jim.


    Looking straight at him for the first time, I made eye contact and held it when I responded. ¡°I know why it matters to me,¡± I said, tapping my chest with the tip of the dagger. ¡°Explain why it matters to you, and maybe I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The guy was big and burly, but middle-aged and going soft. If it came time to throw down, I was pretty sure I could take him, especially given that I had an exceptionally stabby dagger in my hand. This guy was not going to intimidate me, no matter how hard he played at being Mr. Tough Ex-Military, with his old-style BDU jacket. There were a lot of his type back home in Fallbrook, so as far as I was concerned he was nothing special.


    He finally broke eye contact, looking back at Mike for support. Mike was standing a little back behind the counter, looking like he wanted no part of the discussion. Mike raised his hands in the classic ¡®leave me out of this¡¯ gesture, so Jim turned back to me. ¡°I think I know who that blade belonged to,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°Great,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m sure I do.¡± With that, I slid the dagger back into the really nice sheath Mike had made for it and slipped the thing down into my right boot, where it fit perfectly behind my anklebone.


    Turning back to Mike, I asked ¡°Are the other knives ready, too?¡± summarily dismissing Jim. Mike opened a box and brought out the new folders I¡¯d bought and a kraft-paper wrapped object that turned out to be Prince Marfan¡¯s knife.


    I had just opened the box the Benchmade folding knife came in when Jim took me by surprise, grabbing my wrist. ¡°Now, listen, Missy-¡± was all he had time to say before all my hours of training with Ruben kicked in and I had Jim face down on the floor, his arm twisted behind him and the freshly sharpened folding knife just below his ear. It happened so fast even I was stunned. In retrospect I think I was a little primed and ready, given how hostile the guy had seemed, but still¡­ it was a little scary to me how I¡¯d responded.


    ¡°No. You listen. I don¡¯t care what you know or think you know. It¡¯s none of your business, got that?¡± I hissed, wrenching his arm a little bit harder. ¡°I¡¯m going to let you go, but you¡¯d better not lay another hand on me, ever. Got it?¡± When Jim nodded, I stood off him and flicked the blade closed.


    ¡°Nice action on this one,¡± I said to Mike as I put the folding knife in my pocket. ¡°So far I can¡¯t complain. I didn¡¯t get to see how sharp it is, though,¡± I said, turning to look at Jim getting up from the floor. I was watching his hands, but didn¡¯t see any sign of him reaching for the gun I thought I¡¯d felt holstered in his lower back when I¡¯d pinned him.


    Confident the situation wasn¡¯t going to escalate, I grabbed the box off the counter. ¡°Mike, it¡¯s been a pleasure,¡± I said. ¡°Jim, I hope we meet again under better circumstances,¡± I said to the ex-Marine rotating his sore shoulder, and walked out.


    I glanced back but neither of the two were watching me, so I rounded the corner and jumped in the car and drove away, wondering how things could have played out differently, and why I¡¯d gone into defensive mode with the shop owner, and then with the guy named Jim.


    A week later I returned to Mike¡¯s knife shop. He looked surprised to see me, but he was dealing with another customer, so I waited patiently until the guy left.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry-¡± I started to say, but Mike spoke at the same time.


    ¡°Spike, um, Jim, he-¡± Mike began, then we both shut up to let the other talk.


    Laughing, I said ¡°Mike, I¡¯m sorry about getting violent in your shop last week. It¡¯s just-¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Jim had no call to grab you like that,¡± Mike said. ¡°What he did was wrong, and he knows it. He won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have pulled the knife on him like that,¡± I said ruefully. ¡°Him grabbing my arm didn¡¯t justify it.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe not, but at least you got to test the action on that Benchmade, didn¡¯t you?¡± Mike joked, lightening the mood.


    ¡°Yeah, there is that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, uh, Spike, I did some asking around¡­¡± Mike admitted, not looking directly at me. ¡°If you¡¯re who I think you are, your dad was a great man.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m who you think I am, my dad was a great soldier,¡± I corrected. ¡°He left his wife and two daughters behind. I¡¯m not sure that makes him a great man.¡± Yes, my voice was bitter, I admit it.


    Surprised by my reply, Mike looked up at me. ¡°I guess I¡¯d never looked at it that way,¡± he said, thoughtful.


    ¡°I do,¡± I told him. ¡°Every time I see that folded flag.¡±


    Somber, Mike asked ¡°What can I do for you today?¡±


    ¡°You did a really nice job on both those restorations. I wanted to thank you for that. Also, the folders I bought were very sharp. I appreciate that you did what I asked.¡± Mike nodded his thanks for the compliment, so I continued. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that I like this one the best,¡± I said, setting one of the smaller of the four I¡¯d bought down on the counter. ¡°I need about a half dozen of these.¡±


    ¡°A half dozen?¡± Mike asked, looking surprised. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve got that many in stock,¡± he said, rubbing his chin as he walked back to the shelving where the knives were kept. He returned after a few moments with five of the same little boxes, setting them on the counter. I checked them all and they seemed fine, so I said I¡¯d take them.


    ¡°Um, Spike,¡± Mike began. ¡°Why do you need so many?¡±


    ¡°Gifts,¡± I answered, making it clear we were back in the ¡®mind your own damned business¡¯ territory.


    ¡°Do you need these sharpened?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re fine as is,¡± I answered, checking the edge on one of the new knives. ¡°They¡¯ll do.¡±


    Looking at the filled-out the duplicate receipt, I saw that Mike had given me a twenty percent discount, effectively charging me for only four knives, the fifth being free.


    ¡°What¡¯s the discount for?¡± I asked, grateful but still curious.


    ¡°Well, I would have given you a little bit of a discount as a repeat customer who pays in cash, but most of it is in honor of your father¡¯s service.¡±


    Jim walked in just as I was counting out the cash to pay for the knives. He stood a respectful distance away, waiting until I¡¯d paid Mike for the knives.


    ¡°Hey, look, I didn¡¯t mean-¡± he began when I turned to face him, but I interrupted.


    ¡°Look, Jim, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have overreacted the other day,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°No, look, I shouldn¡¯t have grabbed you. I was upset, because I thought I knew who¡¯d owned that blade and I thought it didn¡¯t belong in the hands of a little girl, but I guess you showed that you¡¯re worthy of the history that thing carries with it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, but I have to admit I didn¡¯t like the idea that these guys knew who my dad was just by seeing the knife.


    ¡°I knew your dad when he was fresh out of Annapolis,¡± Jim continued. ¡°Sometimes you can just tell who¡¯s got it and who doesn¡¯t, and he certainly had it.¡±


    Not knowing what to say I just thanked him, trying to make it clear I had no interest in continuing the conversation.

 Im Bad, Im Nationwide

    Emmy had healed up nicely from her injuries, and even though I could tell her ribs hurt, she was back to practice with Lee and Jackson way before I thought was wise. Still, I wasn¡¯t going to tell her what to do, just try to make it work for her as best as possible. Soon enough things were back to the way they were before the attack, and I had mixed feelings about that. I was spending my time working out, attending classes and just plain working. Emmy was mostly focused on her music, and when she wasn¡¯t at the rehearsal space she did a lot of sleeping. I was O.K. with her getting a lot of sleep. I mean, that¡¯s when healing happens, right? Every now and then she¡¯d move wrong, like when she put on her shoes or something like that and I¡¯d see her wince with discomfort, but never, ever once did I hear her make even a single sound of pain.


    One thing we did very little of was discussing the attack, talking about its ramifications, or really, anything about it at all. Emmy seemed to be perfectly happy handing over the reins to our little nation, and it seemed that the strays accepted the new paradigm just as easily. When any calls for direction, advice or guidance came in, they were always to me, not Emmy.


    Michael had also assumed the role of my second in command, for which I was grateful. He was an intelligent man and took his duties very seriously, which allowed me to hand off a lot of the day to day, minor issues that arose. It seemed as if the Strays were settling into their new lives just fine and getting on an even keel, so after discussing it with Emmy, I sent Michael, Hakan and Eddie further afield. The Bay Area was just the start and I thought we¡¯d pretty well found all the strays that wanted to be found, so it was time to broaden our search. Figuring that the hugely spread-out cities of Southern California might be tough to canvas, the guys went north, first to Portland and then to Tacoma, Seattle and Vancouver.


    Portland proved to be a positive surprise. The guys quickly found a local Night Child man who led them to the small community that had formed there for mutual protection. When Michael told them about our new nation in the Bay Area and the benefits that had resulted to the nearly two dozen Night Children who had joined, they agreed to meet Emmy and me.


    I¡¯d never been to the Northwest, so I was looking forward to making it a week-long vacation. Emmy complained some about missing rehearsal time, but when I pointed out that we¡¯d hardly spent any time together in a very long while she relented. I booked us a suite at a classy old hotel in the center of downtown Portland, realizing with a start that I¡¯d gotten used to having money. In the past the idea of a three hundred dollar a night room would have seemed completely ridiculous, but now it didn¡¯t even make me blink. Wow, how things change.


    I liked the idea of driving up for a couple of reasons. The first was that we needed a way to get around in Portland, and Emmy thought it was important to have a car that indicated power and prestige. I looked into luxury car rentals, but again, just couldn¡¯t bring myself to spend the money. Seriously, it would have cost us a couple of grand just to rent a car like the two in our garage, so that was a non-starter as far as I was concerned.


    Mainly, though, I wanted to drive because I¡¯d never been north of San Francisco and I¡¯d heard that the coast was beautiful. I mean, redwoods! It would add two days to get there and a day to get back if we took the freeway, but I wanted to spend time with my fianc¨¦e and a romantic bed and breakfast on the coast seemed like a great way to reconnect. Just the two of us, maybe some champagne, some strawberries¡­ you get the idea. I reserved us a room in a super cute old Victorian-style B&B in a little town with a historic main street on the north coast of California. The pictures online made it seem as if the town were exactly the way it must have been a hundred years ago. No fast food chains, no big box strip malls. Just cute shops and local restaurants. I couldn¡¯t wait to surprise Emmy. I emailed the owners and they promised they¡¯d have the bubbly and the berries ready for us when we arrived, so I was jazzed.


    The drive was as good as I¡¯d hoped it would be. The Upper California coast was amazing, and there¡¯s a whole lot more of the state up there than I¡¯d realized. I mean, I¡¯d lived almost all my life within an hour¡¯s drive of the Mexican border and to me the Bay Area was Northern California, right? Turns out that San Francisco is only about two-thirds up the state, and there¡¯s a whole additional four hundred miles to go before you get to Oregon. There¡¯s a whole part of the state they call the ¡®Lost Coast¡¯ because it¡¯s so undeveloped and remote. It was wonderful, and when Emmy suggested maybe buying a cabin or something up there it sounded good to me.


    We got to the little town with the bed and breakfast just about sunset, the late summer twilight giving the tiny town a magical quality. After checking in we walked down the main street to look at the quaint little shops and find something to eat.


    I¡¯d gotten used to people¡¯s reaction at seeing Emmy, so I didn¡¯t even notice it at first when a teenaged girl spun her mom around and pointed at Emmy. Since they were on the other side of the street I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but after a few moments the girl dragged her mother over to where we were looking in the window of a shop that sold ironwork and metal sculptures.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡± exclaimed the dark-haired girl, who looked to be about fourteen years old or so. ¡°It¡¯s really you! Can I take your picture?¡± she asked Emmy, holding up her phone.


    Puzzled, Emmy asked ¡°Why would you wish to take my photo?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Emmy Lascaux! You¡¯re my favorite! I can¡¯t believe this! My friend Grace is gonna die when she hears about this!¡± the girl squealed, hardly even taking a breath.


    ¡°You know my music?¡± Emmy asked, still not quite sure what was going on.


    ¡°Know it? I live it! I listen to ¡®The Light Of Day¡¯, like, all the time!¡±


    ¡°And do you also like ¡®Dark Times¡¯?¡± Emmy wanted to know. I glanced over at the girl¡¯s mother, who was rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, but it kinda has to be a special occasion for me to listen to it. I mean, it¡¯s really intense, you know? Like when me and Grace get in a fight, or I bomb a test or something.¡±


    Laughing, Emmy granted. ¡°Yes, it is a very intense album. We wanted it to be as raw and primal as possible.¡±


    ¡°Chyeah,¡± agreed the girl, nodding. ¡°Um, Emmy?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°The song ¡®I will die for you¡¯? Grace thinks it¡¯s about-¡° and she suddenly stopped, remembering her mom was standing right next to her. ¡°Um, Grace thinks it¡¯s¡­¡± she trailed off, unsure how to say what she wanted to say and not upset her mom.


    ¡°Many people have asked me if it is a song about suicide,¡± Emmy said, saving the girl from her dilemma. ¡°Some have speculated that it is in response to rejection from a lover, or even fear of announcing one¡¯s sexuality.¡± The girl turned completely red at this and darted a look at her mom, but fortunately her mother was getting bored and wasn¡¯t paying attention. ¡°But that is not what the song is really about. It is in fact a celebration of life in the face of one¡¯s mortality. Knowing that at the very end, when one has nothing left, there is still the gift of love to give.¡±


    ¡°Grace is not gonna believe me when I tell her. She¡¯s like, convinced it¡¯s about suicide ¡®cause you¡¯re afraid to come out of the closet, and can¡¯t tell the one you¡¯re in love with.¡±


    ¡°Well, should we call her and tell her she is wrong?¡± asked Emmy, smiling and pointing at the girl¡¯s phone, which was still in her hand.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Emmy replied.


    The girl dialed the number, then when her friend answered she blurted out an amazingly fast yet complete recap of the last few minutes. Clearly her friend didn¡¯t believe her, but she bashfully handed the phone to Emmy. ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe it¡¯s really you,¡± she explained, somewhat unnecessarily.


    ¡°Grace?¡± asked Emmy. ¡°It is me, Emmy De Lascaux, from the band The Downfall. Your friend-¡± she glanced over at the girl, who said ¡°Mary¡± in response to the unspoken question. ¡°Your friend Mary told me you had some questions about my song ¡®I will die (for you)¡¯ and asked if I could help clear them up for you.¡±


    I was amused by the whole thing because this was Emmy¡¯s first encounter with a random fan on the street (as far as I knew) and she was taking it very well, completely making this girl¡¯s day.


    Emmy talked to Grace for a few minutes, then said goodbye and handed the phone back to Mary. ¡°If you would like a photo with me, we should get your mother to take it,¡± Emmy suggested. The girl was all too happy to follow the suggestion, and immediately texted the picture (presumably to Grace) when she got her phone back.


    ¡°Mary,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We are working on our third album right now. If you give me your email address I will send you and Grace one of our new songs when I get back home.¡±


    ¡°Really? Before it comes out? Like, before anybody can even buy it?¡± Mary asked, not believing her good fortune.


    ¡°Yes, just like that,¡± Emmy agreed, taking out her phone to create a new contact for the girl. The two spent a couple of minutes on that while Mary¡¯s mom and I gave ¡®I¡¯m bored, but what can you do?¡¯ looks at each other. Eventually Emmy said goodbye to Mary and her mother and we continued in our search for dinner.


    At a little restaurant that served home-style food, Emmy asked ¡°Do you think Mary and Grace are in love?¡±


    ¡°I kinda got that feeling, yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think that they¡¯re anything near ready to tell anyone, though. The idea that Grace¡¯s favorite song is the one she thinks is about suicide can¡¯t be a good thing.¡± Thinking a moment, I said ¡°I mean, I hate to bring it up, but that was the major problem I had with Stephanie. She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell her parents about us.¡± When I noticed Emmy¡¯s face fall at the mention of Stephanie¡¯s name I hastily added ¡°Well, that, and she just wasn¡¯t you,¡± which got a little smile.


    I ordered for both of us, since Emmy had no idea what dishes like tuna casserole or meatloaf were like. As I said, it was home-style big-time. I figured Emmy would like a chicken pot pie, and I ordered a salad, dry with no dressing and a turkey breast sandwich with no mayo. It¡¯d been over half a year since Sammy laid down the law on my diet and by this point I didn¡¯t even miss fried foods or any of that kind of thing, but I will admit I still drank a Coke every now and then.


    ¡°I do hope things work out for Grace and Mary,¡± said Emmy, bringing me back from my thoughts.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. I mean, you and me, we had it easy. Neither of our parents were anti-gay, and we were already seniors with our place in the world already set. I can¡¯t imagine what it would have been like in ninth grade to go through all that.¡±


    ¡°I wish there was something we could do,¡± Emmy said, looking thoughtful.


    ¡°I kinda think you did it. I mean, you completely made Mary¡¯s day, and probably Grace¡¯s, too. If they see you as a positive role model it¡¯s gonna make it easier for them to come to grips with it. Also, telling Grace that her favorite song isn¡¯t about suicide but rather commitment to the one you love couldn¡¯t hurt,¡± I said, popping a cherry tomato in my mouth.


    ¡°I still wish I could do more.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Send them that song. That¡¯ll make them both feel extra special, that they have a direct connection to their favorite rock star,¡± I said. ¡°It certainly makes me feel extra special,¡± I added, smiling at my weak joke.


    That night, in our incredible Victorian fantasy room at the bed and breakfast, I snuck a little box from my luggage. ¡°Em,¡± I said, a bit bashfully. ¡°This is for you.¡±


    She took the rectangular box and felt the dark blue velvet. Her eyes shining with excitement, she looked up at me for confirmation.


    ¡°Open it!¡± I urged, hoping she would like it.


    Emmy carefully opened the box and saw the pendant inside. I¡¯d commissioned a jewelry maker in San Francisco to create it for her, and thought he¡¯d done a wonderful job on the piece.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Emmy sighed as she took the little guitar out of the box and held it up on its golden chain. ¡°It is the exact color of my guitar! Where did you ever find it? I love it so much! It is perfect!¡±


    I reached for the chain, and she turned around so I could fasten it around her neck. Admiring her new jewelry in the large free-standing oval mirror, Emmy¡¯s eyes went moist with tears of happiness. ¡°I love it so much,¡± Emmy breathed. ¡°I love you so much, Leah,¡± she breathed as I kissed and nibbled on her slender, graceful dancer¡¯s neck.


    I slipped the strap of her little sundress off her shoulder, making my intentions clear. I wanted her so bad I could feel it and Emmy seemed to be in just as ready a mood, so we made passionate beautiful love for the first time in many long, dry months. It was so wonderful to feel her move under my touch, to hear her little gasps of pleasure as I found all the right places with my tongue, to hold her as she trembled in my arms with release. I don¡¯t want to imply that it was one-sided, though- she played my body just as well as I¡¯d ever done to hers. Her touch on my skin, her fingers deep inside me, her amazing tongue playing with my pearl¡­ it was all just so, so very perfect.


    Later, exhausted and satisfied, we lay in bed simply holding one another. ¡°I am sorry,¡± Emmy whispered, waking me as I was dozing off.


    ¡°What?¡± I mumbled, unsure I¡¯d heard her right.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Leah. I have been a terrible partner,¡± she said, her voice low and sad.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, my mind coming up with any number of unfortunate scenarios. Maybe one of those groupies that always seem to be hanging out at the studio, or who even knows what¡­ I was making myself more and more upset. I hardly even heard Emmy¡¯s explanation, but when I finally realized she was talking, whispering almost, I quieted my inner voices and listened.


    ¡°I have been taking you for granted, Leah. I have been so focused on my music, and I think that somehow I thought that you were keeping yourself busy with school and your workouts, that maybe you did not mind me spending so much time away from you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been working really hard on your music, Em,¡± I offered, trying to make excuses for her, still hoping that that¡¯s all it was.


    ¡°Yes, and now it seems to me that my music has consumed me, and left nothing for you. Earlier, when you gave me this beautiful necklace, I realized that I haven¡¯t been thinking enough of us, of our relationship. I have been selfish of my time. I think that I must re-evaluate my priorities.¡±


    Even though I agreed with her, I kept it to myself and just pulled her tighter into my arms, and that is how we fell asleep.


    The drive to Portland took a lot longer than I¡¯d expected the next day, too. Of course, we had to drive through the redwoods, and that took a fair bit of time, but was well worth it. When we finally arrived at our hotel we were both starving. The concierge recommended a little Chinese restaurant nearby, and I have to say the crispy orange chicken was the best I¡¯ve ever had.


    That night Emmy and I made love again after a long soak in the suite¡¯s wonderful old claw-foot tub. Clearly we need to travel more, I thought as I basked in the afterglow, Emmy snuggled up asleep in my arms.


    We got up at a leisurely hour and did a bit of sightseeing before it was time for our meeting with the local strays.


    Getting ready in our hotel suite, Emmy and I put on what I¡¯d jokingly referred to as our ¡®power suits¡¯. Custom tailored, mine was a pantsuit of charcoal gray. A white shirt and black oxfords with low heels set the gray off nicely. I tied my hair back in a ponytail and wore the sapphire studs that Emmy had gotten me for my birthday in my ears. I thought the outfit made me look like a high-priced attorney, which was exactly the sort of power and confidence that I wanted to project.


    Emmy¡¯s ensemble was decidedly more feminine. She wore a deep green skirt suit with a pair of matching pumps that almost killed me when I saw how much they cost. Her white silk shirt made a stunning contrast to the vivid color of the suit. For jewelry she wore a string of pearls and some small pearl studs in her ears.


    The two of us looked wealthy and powerful, and the concierge just about did back flips for us when we walked out of the elevator and into the lobby. Having money really does make a lot of things in life go easier, all right.


    We were scheduled to meet the local group¡¯s leaders at a small park about a mile from the hotel at sunset. We had suggested a daytime meeting and they¡¯d wanted to meet at night, so we compromised. This far north meant that it was light enough for me to see long after the sun had actually gone down, so I was not at a particular disadvantage with sundown, to my relief.


    By arrangement we met Michael and Eddie at the park half an hour early to evaluate the situation during daylight and to give us an edge in the negotiations. This worked perfectly, as Emmy had said it would.


    Soon enough the three Night Children (accompanied by Hakan) approached where Emmy and I sat at a park picnic table, Michael and Eddie standing behind us. They looked like homeless beggars, they were so shabbily dressed. The three seemed quite timid, and were puzzled by what I was doing there. They seemed quite impressed by Emmy, though, and when she indicated they should sit opposite us at the rough wooden table they didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment.


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Emmy began. ¡°Would you like some wine?¡± she asked, indicating the bottle and glasses Michael had set on the table. ¡°Perhaps a little bite to eat?¡± she indicated the fresh fruit and sliced French bread. Michael stepped forward and poured some wine for Emmy and me, and then for the three without asking whether they wanted it or not.


    One of the three, who presumably was their leader, spoke in their language to Emmy, indicating the food.


    ¡°English, please,¡± Emmy requested, but it sounded more like a command. ¡°This is a new land, and we need to do things in a new way. The old language has no place here,¡± she said, echoing what Michael had said that first night nearly a year before.


    The leader of the three said something in their language again, and Michael stepped forward menacingly. ¡°The queen said to speak in English, and you will do as she says,¡± he said in a threatening tone. ¡°Show respect!¡±


    This seemed to have the desired effect, because the next words from the man¡¯s mouth were indeed in English. ¡°I apologize, Queen Lascaux. I did not wish to show disrespect.¡±


    ¡°That is good,¡± Emmy said magnanimously. ¡°English is the language of this land, and therefore it is very important for us to be comfortable with it.¡± She took a sip of her wine, and so I followed her example. The three others did as well, clearly not wanting to be rude and anger Emmy again.


    I took a sweet apple from the bowl of fruit and made a big show of cutting it into pieces using Prince Marfan¡¯s knife, which I¡¯d carried in my jacket¡¯s inside pocket. It had the desired effect. Two of the three Night Children did serious double-takes when they saw the blade and could not take their eyes off it. When I was done slicing the apple, I used a napkin to clean the blade, then set it on the table in front of me, in plain sight. I offered a slice of apple to Emmy, and she accepted it and started nibbling. I offered another piece to the leader of the group and he looked horrified, almost ready to bolt.


    Enjoying how the display had unsettled the men, I said ¡°I see you are fascinated by my knife.¡± I picked it up and casually touched the tip with my index finger.


    ¡°How-? Where did you get that?¡± asked guy number two.


    ¡°I took it,¡± I answered.


    ¡°From¡­ from Prince Marfan? He let you take it?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t let me take it,¡± I answered, making my voice very ominous. ¡°I beat it from him, then I used it to kill him.¡±


    All three of the Portland Night Children looked ready to book it out of there as fast as their feet would carry them when Emmy interrupted their panic. ¡°Prince Marfan made the mistake of trying to attack me,¡± she said smoothly. ¡°Leah here killed him and his bodyguard. By herself,¡± she added, to make the point clear. ¡°She is not one to be trifled with, but she only did it because she was defending me. She is my partner, my queen.¡±


    The leader of the three said something that sounded like an expression of surprise in their language, then immediately corrected himself. ¡°I apologize, Queen Lascaux. When your representatives told us that there were two queens, we had no idea that the other was a daylighter. Your representatives spoke very highly of Queen Leah, which puzzled us because we had never heard of such a person. We could never have imagined such a ¡­ formidable person as her highness.¡±


    Clearly he¡¯d gotten his bearings back and was reevaluating the situation. My intimidation tactics had worked just as we¡¯d planned, and now the three clearly took us as a force to be reckoned with. Now it was just up to Emmy to play the ¡®good cop¡¯ and the deal would be sealed.


    ¡°Yes, Queen Leah is a very¡­ powerful woman,¡± Emmy said, resting her hand on my arm. ¡°But very, very generous, as well. She cares very deeply for those in her shadow, as I am sure Michael, Hakan and Eddie have told you. She is benevolent to her Children, and a truly fierce protector when needed. She is greatly beloved by all of our people.¡±


    ¡°Very true,¡± said Hakan, who had been standing silently at one end of the table. ¡°Queen Leah give us homes, she give us safety. Queen Leah our protector.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Hakan,¡± said Emmy. Turning her attention to the leader of the three Portland Night Children, Emmy made her pitch. ¡°As I am certain our representatives have told you, we offer protection, safety, and comfort.¡± She indicated the food on the table. ¡°Those in our shadow eat well. They do not need to steal for their table. Look at how healthy they are,¡± she said, waving in the direction of the two standing behind us. ¡°We offer a better life.¡±


    ¡°What would you require of us, for this?¡±


    ¡°You must abandon the night. You must live as the daylighters do. As you have seen, we do not hide our nature. Look at Michael here,¡± Emmy said, indicating for him to come forward. ¡°It has been a year since we gave him a good, safe home of his own. It has been a year since he has hidden, a year since he disguised his nature. His little daughter goes to school, yes, a daylighter school. She has friends among the daylighter children. Friends who invite her into their homes, friends whom she and Michael welcome into their home, as well. For Michael, to step into the daylight was difficult at first, but now, he has a life he could never have dreamed of for himself and his daughter.¡±


    Michael spoke up at this. ¡°My daughter laughs more now than she ever did when we lived the old way. My daughter is happy, healthy, and for me, it is most important of all, she has a future of freedom and happiness to look forward to. Accepting the offer of Queen Emmy and Queen Leah¡¯s shadow was the best thing that has ever happened for my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Do any of you have children?¡± asked Emmy, in a gentle voice. When guy number three nodded, Emmy asked ¡°Have you ever seen the daylighter children play in this park, happy and carefree? Would you like that life for your children?¡±


    Looking at his companions, guy number three said ¡°If this is what you promise I would like to accept. The question remains: what do you require of us?¡±


    ¡°As I said, we would require that you stop hiding. You must clean off the makeup, you must show your true nature-¡± Emmy began.


    ¡°But the daylighters will fear us and kill us!¡± objected the leader of the three.


    Michael bristled at the rudeness of the interruption, but Emmy put a quieting hand on his arm.


    ¡°You see me, sitting here before you. I have never worn the makeup, not once in my entire life. Michael and Hakan have not worn the makeup for a year now, and Eddie has not worn it in over six months. All three live amongst the daylighters, never hiding their true skin. All of the Children of our new nation show their skin, and yet none of us have been killed. Yes, there have been a few moments of discord, it is true. These have been very few and far in between.¡±


    Considering the matter settled, Emmy returned to the original question. ¡°We also require that you take jobs among the daylighters. We will help with this, but you must, absolutely must, do the jobs you are given with complete diligence and utmost care. I cannot emphasize this enough. It is absolutely important that the daylighters see your integration with their society as a good thing. Whatever job it is that you are given, you must be the best at it. Whatever the task, you must be the one that the boss relies on to get it done well and quickly. Is this clear?¡±


    Guy number two spoke up at this point. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why is this so important to you? Why should we not live as we always have?¡±


    ¡°Because we cannot continue to live as we always have. Our people cannot continue to hide for much longer at all. Daylighters will soon discover us, whether we want them to or not. It is better this way, better for them to come to know us gradually, and comfortably.¡±


    Nodding that this made some sense, the leader of the three asked, ¡°How does this work? If we agree, what must be done?¡±


    ¡°Michael will handle all of the immediate details, but in general, if we,¡± Emmy said, indicating herself and me, ¡°grant you our shadow, we will find you good, safe and clean homes. We will help you integrate into society, and we will make certain that your needs are met. In return, you will show yourselves. There will be absolutely no makeup. You will do the jobs that are found for you to the best of your ability. If we hear otherwise, we will be greatly displeased.¡± I took Emmy¡¯s cue and picked the knife off the table and fingered the tip, which had the desired effect of making their eyes bug out as they got the hint.


    ¡°There will be other tasks that we may set you, such as reaching out to others of our kind, but those will be infrequent. The better you perform your duties, the more we will reward you,¡± Emmy explained, indicating Michael¡¯s nicely cut suit. ¡°Now, let us not talk any more of business. I would like for the three of you to take a night to decide. In the meantime, please help yourselves to this fine meal.¡±


    I took another slice of apple and drank a sip of wine to try to help them to feel comfortable doing the same. Soon enough their hunger won out, and the three men polished off the bread and fruit. The wine helped loosen them up a bit, too, and after a little while I managed to get the third guy to tell me about his little son. At that point it was clear that the deal had been made and they would join our new little nation, the first outside our local Bay Area group.

 Turning Point

    That trip to Portland marked two milestones for us. First, our little Nation of Strays was expanding, and I could see that with time and effort we could probably bring most (if not almost all) North American Night Children into our fold. Clearly our strategy of boots on the ground combined with Emmy¡¯s increasing public visibility was making it easier to recruit newcomers. Our plan to start with the West Coast was yielding dividends right away, and with the numbers we were seeing, we could only imagine that the larger, older cities on the East Coast would have even more Strays to find.


    Of course, that presented its own challenges. It was certainly easier to deal with the Strays that were local to us than those that lived hundreds of miles away, but that was nothing more than an organizational issue that was going to have to be sorted out. Thankfully, Michael¡¯s willingness and ability to step up and assume more of a role in that regard was of immense help.


    On a personal level, Emmy started spending more time at home, and that meant more time with me. On my side of things, though, I couldn¡¯t see any easy way to spend more time with her.


    True to her word, Emmy cut back her hours to match my schedule. Since my routine was determined by my classes and V Ball commitments which were not flexible, Emmy talked to the boys and the band stopped working until late into the night, sticking to hours that corresponded to mine. This meant that we actually got back into the habit of dinners together, and even more important, our sex life came back to life, pun intended. Going to bed at the same time is key, as it turns out. Who would have thought?


    We talked about me quitting V Ball, since I certainly didn¡¯t need the scholarship anymore. ¡°You enjoy it, do you not?¡± Emmy asked when I brought the subject up one night over dinner.


    ¡°Well, I mean, sure I do. But you know, it was always a means to an end, you know? I played in high school because I was good at it and had fun doing it, but then when it looked like a good way to get into a decent college¡­¡± I replied.


    ¡°What would happen if you quit?¡± Emmy asked me.


    ¡°For me, or for the team?¡± I asked to clarify what she meant.


    ¡°Both,¡± she answered. ¡°First, what would it mean for you, personally?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d have a bunch more free time,¡± I said. ¡°Now, during the season, it takes about 12, 15 hours a week between practice and games, not counting travel.¡±


    ¡°I meant for you, personally, Leah. You have played for so many years, played hard, and made it a big part of your life. What would you do without it?¡±


    I didn¡¯t really have an answer, and I admitted as much. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I mean, I do like it, but it doesn¡¯t define my life, you know?¡±


    ¡°So what would it mean for the team?¡± Emmy asked, not willing to let the topic drop.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already given up my scholarship spot so Coach could recruit another player, but as much as I hate to say it, none of the freshmen are ready to play yet, so my quitting would leave a hole in the rotation.¡± I replied, thinking about it. ¡°I know Coach doesn¡¯t like stealing upperclassmen from other schools, and I¡¯m probably the best player on the team now that Janie, Stacey and Kerry graduated, so I guess that¡¯d be a big blow to the program¡­¡±


    ¡°How would you feel about leaving them?¡± Emmy asked, getting to the heart of her questioning.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯d feel shitty about leaving the team in the lurch. Coach went out on a limb for me, and I¡¯d feel as if I¡¯d be betraying him, to just quit,¡± I realized.


    ¡°It would not be in your nature to abandon your team like that,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°You are not that person.¡±


    ¡°No? What kind of person am I?¡± I asked as I cleared the table.


    ¡°I think you are a person who needs a long, hot bath with another person who enjoys long, hot baths,¡± she replied, giving me a mischievous grin.


    ¡°Hmm? Who would that other person be?¡± I asked I pulled her into my arms.


    ¡°Moi, bien s?r,¡± she replied, burying her face in my chest.


    ¡°And how hot would the bath be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tr¨¨s, tr¨¨s hot,¡± Emmy replied in a sultry voice.


    ¡°What about the dishes?¡± Emmy squeaked as I scooped her up in my arms.


    ¡°The dishes can wait until tomorrow. We have more important things to do right now,¡± I growled as I carried her upstairs for that long, very, very hot bath.


    Settling in to the very hot water, Emmy beckoned me to sit with my back towards her. It took me quite a bit longer to ease into the very nearly scalding tub than it had Emmy- she was always much more heat tolerant than I was.


    After slowly inching my way down until I was finally submerged, Emmy started working on my shoulders.


    ¡°You are so big now!¡± she exclaimed, soaping me up. ¡°So very strong,¡± she murmured, sliding her hands down my arms, then up my lats and back to my shoulders. Pulling me back against her, she slid her hands down my chest, cupping my breasts. She used the tips of her thumbs to circle my nipples, which felt heavenly.


    ¡°You have gotten so lean,¡± Emmy said, nuzzling my ear. ¡°I love the way you look now, but I do miss the breasts you had before.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, surprised. She¡¯d never mentioned it before, and it wasn¡¯t as if my losing a cup size was a sudden thing.


    ¡°They are still beautiful,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°There is simply a bit less to adore.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should get some work done,¡± I joked, but Emmy took it seriously.


    ¡°The doctor who did mine is excellent,¡± she said, nibbling on my earlobe. ¡°We should wait until after volleyball, though,¡± she said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I said, rolling around to face her and sliding down a bit. ¡°I think I might need to examine his work a bit more closely¡± I said, finding her nipple with my tongue. ¡°Very closely.¡±


    As much as I hated to get out of that bed when my alarm went off at 4:15, I rose to greet the new day same as always. There was no way I was going to skip my workout, since I was paying Ruben Da Silva for personalized training sessions before the kickboxing club opened in the mornings.


    After Emmy¡¯s attack I¡¯d determined to take it up to the next level, and Ruben was just the guy to teach me what I needed to know. As a former MMA champion he knew how to fight in the ring, of course, but even more important than that he¡¯d grown up in Brazil¡¯s underground vale tudo fighting scene so had no qualms about teaching me to fight like I really meant it. I had two hours with him every day, split between speed and strength training and actual fighting technique. It left me tired and sore for the first few months but soon enough my body had gotten used to the stress and found myself invigorated by the workouts, even though Ruben threw me around like a ragdoll and beat me like I owed him money. I was getting better, though, and I could feel it.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Sammy, the team¡¯s strength and conditioning trainer, couldn¡¯t believe the gains I was making. My jumps were higher and my spikes harder than anybody else on the team, so she gave up on assigning me any strength work or gym plans of any kind. ¡°Whatever it is you¡¯re doing, just keep doing it,¡± she said one morning at the weekly weigh-in and strength eval.


    I enjoyed my status as the team¡¯s powerhouse, the intimidator. Other schools were coming to recognize that they needed to match their best against me at the net, and more often than not I dominated anyone who tried to go toe to toe. It was rare that opposing players ever went for jump blocks on my spikes, which opened up different hitting options for me.


    As a result of my strength on offense, Coach Burke made me work on defense drills harder than anybody. He explained to me that a one-dimensional player is useless at top level competition, and if I was known as a strong offensive player other teams would target me assuming I was weak away from the net. Of course this reminded me of high school and our game against West Temecula High and SmAshley¡¯s inability to defend once I started taking the game to her.


    So ultimately, Emmy and I agreed that V Ball was important and I should continue to give it one hundred per cent, even though my career at Stanford was in no way dependent on my performance on the court.


    I¡¯d given up on trying to maintain any sort of A average in my classes, figuring that Bs were just fine. There was going to be no need to impress any potential job interviewers with my academics, so all that really mattered was that I learned the material and not whether I made the Dean¡¯s List or whatever. This freed up a few hours a week, which I used to spend more time with work.


    Our property management division was pretty much self-maintaining, so I mostly focused on the real estate development side, and building and maintaining relationships with our investors.


    As it turns out, there are a whole lot of stunningly rich people in the area, and plenty of them want to park their funds in investments with a more stable earning potential than the tech industry offers. Sure, our REIT (real estate investment trust) was never going to propel any of these people into being the next Warren Buffett, but as a way to backstop against any potential losses in the tech companies that were their main focus our company performed admirably. All we had to do was keep making our solid profit margin and these tech multimillionaires were happy.


    As odd as it may seem, there¡¯s also a sort of cult of youth in the Silicon Valley money crowd. They respect old guys (yes, they are mostly guys) who¡¯ve made bank, but somebody young who makes a place for herself at the table garners a lot more attention. It got so that my contact list was full of the names you wouldn¡¯t necessarily know if you were outside that bubble, but if you were an insider, you knew these were A Listers.


    It became obvious to me quickly enough that it didn¡¯t matter what you knew, or who you knew that mattered. No, what mattered is who knew you. It was one thing to have these phone numbers and be able to call to talk to these heavy hitters- that was a sign that you were a player. Much, much better, though, is to be the one they call. If your phone rings and it¡¯s Apple¡¯s Head Of Development or the Chief of one of Google¡¯s many Departments, well then, you have arrived.


    Of course, at this level almost all relationships are transactional and I knew they wanted to talk to me as a result of my success at making them money in a field most were utterly clueless about. I also knew that I had a certain appeal as an attractive young woman, and more than one of these guys admitted that they liked the idea of working with me because of some sort of group-think. I was making money for this guy, so that guy wanted to get on that train, too. Honestly, I was totally O.K. with that. As Stephanie¡¯s mom said way back when, money makes money.


    An unexpected result of spending time with a lot of these tech bros was that I wound up getting involved in the high-end car culture that seemed mandatory in that crowd. There wasn¡¯t a single one of them that didn¡¯t have a McLaren, Audi R8, or Porsche Carrera 4 at the minimum. The Aston Martin that Emmy had bought me fit in perfectly with this scene, and the first time I was invited to do a track day up in Sonoma I was hooked.


    Sure, I may have been the slowest around the track, but by the end of that first day I was a lot closer than I¡¯d been during the morning sessions.


    That first day on the track was one hell of a rush, and a couple of sessions with the driving instructor really showed me what the car could do. I mean, I couldn¡¯t drive it nearly as well, but I knew that with some practice I could improve greatly, and by the time the track went cold (that means the end of the day in track day vernacular) I¡¯d already looked into signing up for driving schools.


    There were four couples at dinner that night at The French Laundry, and while I was busy talking cars with the guys, Emmy totally charmed the three wives. I wasn¡¯t really listening to what they were talking about, but it struck me that I was clearly ¡®one of the guys¡¯ as far as these people were concerned.


    Soaking in the great big tub at the hotel that night, Emmy asked me ¡°Could this be our life?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, enjoying the way she was really getting into the muscles of my shoulders with her thumbs.


    ¡°Well, this,¡± Emmy said, gesturing at the room we were in, but I understood her to mean everything in general. ¡°You, doing business, making connections, me making my music. Us, living our lives, being adults, taking care of responsibilities, but still taking time to enjoy things¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure I get what you mean,¡± I murmured, just basking in the moment. ¡°This is our life.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be,¡± Emmy replied, kissing the back of my neck. ¡°We could do anything, anything.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°You have your duties and I have mine. There are things we need to do, and we are doing them. I¡¯m gonna keep doing what it takes to keep us on track and working towards our goal.¡±


    ¡°What is our goal, Leah?¡± Emmy asked, and I finally understood what Emmy was getting at. ¡°Why are we doing all of these things?¡±


    I turned around to face her, taking her hands in mine. ¡°Emmy, you are the queen your people need right now. I didn¡¯t really understand it when you first told me about your people and your parents¡¯ plan, but now that I¡¯ve met a bunch of Night Children, it¡¯s really driven it home. You need to lead them, and you need my support. It¡¯s that basic.¡±


    ¡°Do I have your support? Leah, you are doing so much just so that I can play at rock star¡­ Is this really the right way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what we have committed to, Em. It might not be the best way, but it¡¯s the way we¡¯ve committed to. Your ever-increasing fame is helping to bring more Night Children into the light all the time, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, it does seem that way,¡± Emmy admitted.


    ¡°Then we should keep at it,¡± I said, and I meant it.


    At the track the next day the instructor helped me improve my lap times even more, and by lunch I was doing well enough to stay on the wheel of almost any of the others in our little group.


    ¡°Part of what¡¯s going on is pride,¡± the instructor scoffed. ¡°These guys grew up watching the Fast And Furious movies and think that they can drive like that. They really need somebody to show them how to do it right, but won¡¯t admit to themselves that they need any sort of coaching to get better. You, though, know you need help and you¡¯ve listened to what I¡¯ve been telling you. That¡¯s a bigger deal than you might think.¡±


    ¡°I realized a long time ago that I can learn a lot from people who know more than I do,¡± I told him. ¡°I don¡¯t pretend to be an expert at anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, keep learning. Don¡¯t ever stop,¡± he said.


    Back home, Donny loved hearing about the track day, and I promised him I¡¯d take him when an opportunity arose. Sana wasn¡¯t so thrilled with the idea of her boyfriend risking himself and the Mini that we had given them, but when I assured her that it was actually safer than trying to cross the Bay Bridge on any given afternoon she relented and gave her blessing.


    ¡°Just- be careful,¡± she told Donny. ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    It was great to see the two of them so in love. I never saw Donny treat Sana with anything but care and respect, and she was crazy for him, too. I had asked Michael what he thought about their relationship, and he told me that he saw it as a very positive thing, but he did admit there was a bit of grumbling from some of the other Night Children men that they were losing a potential mate to a day walker.


    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous,¡± he told me. ¡°None of them would have ever been able to attract her attention under any circumstance anyhow. It¡¯s her right to chose her mate, and not theirs to ever have any say in the matter simply because she chose someone other than them.¡±


    ¡°What do they think of Emmy and me?¡± I asked, curious.


    It took a bunch of prodding, but finally Michael relented. ¡°Everyone adores Queen Emmy. She is seen as the purest example of what our kind should be.¡±


    ¡°What do they think of me?¡± I asked, really wanting to know.


    ¡°Everyone is¡­ intimidated by you,¡± he finally said. ¡°Terrified, really, but at the same time, everyone respects you enormously and wants your approval. You are the stern taskmaster, and nobody wants to earn your wrath, but kind words from you are worth more than gold.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s reaction when I told her what Michael had said was unexpected. Her expression softened, and she wrapped me in her arms. ¡°I knew it,¡± she breathed. ¡°I knew you would be perfect.¡±

 Bumps In The Road

    Things quieted down for a while, and that was nice. I had my schedule, Emmy had hers, and we spent as much time together as we could when we could. In a way, we had settled into the life I¡¯d daydreamed about way back when Emmy stayed at our apartment for Christmas break. We had our goals and we were supporting each other and doing what we could to make each other¡¯s lives easier. For her, that meant being home as much as she could during my off hours, and for me, that meant shouldering our financial and business dealings.


    Emmy also resumed dealing with any personal issues that might arise among the strays, while I concerned myself with keeping them employed and housed. Of course, Michael and Donny really helped out in that as well, so there really wasn¡¯t too much stress in that area.


    Donny had proven himself to be a great asset as well as a great friend, willing to help out any way he could. After I¡¯d switched majors he and I no longer had any classes together, but we continued our tradition of coffee in the mornings three days a week. It was on one of these chats over a steaming cup that he told me about the teacher of his molecular genetics class.


    ¡°Professor Gushwa is a world-renowned researcher in the field of genetic autoimmune disorders, Lee. I asked him the other day about Emmy¡¯s condition,¡± he said.


    ¡°You did what?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t use names or anything like that,¡± he hastily assured me. ¡°I said that I knew somebody with an extremely rare genetic disorder that affects the immune system and leads to an early death, and that I knew for a fact that nobody had ever done any research into it.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. And what did he say?¡± I asked, a bit skeptical.


    ¡°Well, he seemed doubtful, but I told him that it was absolutely true and the only reason this friend of mine hadn¡¯t sought any medical attention is that she knows nobody knows anything about this condition, and she is concerned about her privacy. ¡°


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true enough,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Anyway, he said that if it¡¯s really true that this is an unknown syndrome, he would be interested in talking to Emmy. He said that everything would be subject to HIPAA confidentiality laws, and if he published anything in the literature no names would ever be mentioned.¡±


    ¡°He researches autoimmune genetic disorders, you said?¡± hopefully. ¡°What was his name again? Let me google him and maybe I can talk Emmy into talking to him,¡± I said, thinking this just might be what I¡¯d been hoping for.


    ¡°Leah, I know you¡¯ve told me that you¡¯ve tried to get Emmy to see a doctor about the whole ¡®moon kissed¡¯ thing and she¡¯s said no, but seriously, this guy is a genius. If anybody can figure it out it¡¯s this guy.¡±


    That night I spent about an hour digging around online for any info on Donny¡¯s teacher. Sure enough, the guy seemed to be exactly what Donny had said. These were clips of him speaking at international genetics conferences, papers he¡¯d published, and so on. I saw nothing that raised any red flags, so I brought the idea up to Emmy.


    ¡°Em,¡± I started, unsure how to broach the sensitive topic. ¡°I know you¡¯ve said that you don¡¯t want to go to any doctors about the moon kissed thing, but what if it wasn¡¯t a medical doctor, but a genetics researcher? Would you consider getting tested to see if there is anything that can be done?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing that can be done, Leah. It it simply the way I was born, that is all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even want to see if there is some sort of treatment? Anything at all?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There is no treatment.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°No, no buts,¡± Emmy said with finality.


    I didn¡¯t understand her resistance, but really, it was her choice so as much as it killed me, I knew I had to accept her wishes.


    Telling Donny about it the next morning, he didn¡¯t seem surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, Sana said Emmy might not go for it,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°She said it¡¯s a cultural thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, sometimes cultural things suck!¡± I exclaimed in frustration. ¡°I mean, the whole idea is to bring the Night Children into our culture, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ well, no,¡± Donny said, avoiding making eye contact.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, wondering what he was getting at.


    ¡°A while back Emmy made it clear that it¡¯s important that the Night Children retain as much of their culture as possible. She told me to help the Strays integrate, but at the same time, respect their heritage as much as possible,¡± he said.


    I didn¡¯t really have any response for that. It did seem like something she would tell him, and it did make sense, but in this case it was her life we were talking about! This was an issue we were going to revisit, I promised myself.


    It was not long after this that Emmy¡¯s music took her away from Palo Alto for a while. Since Jackson got to determine the direction of The Downfall¡¯s third album and that direction was blues (yeah, big surprise there), the three of them made a decision to release it under a different band name and in a different way. It was going to be a straight-up blues record under the band name ¡®Jay Cool¡¯s Midnight Blues Band¡¯.


    I thought it was a bit corny, but never said so to anybody. I mean, the three of them were doing what they wanted to do, and so who was I to say anything? The approach to publicity the band took was also different this time around. Basically, there was no publicity at all. Not even a hint of what the band was working on to the music press or fans, just a ¡°We are working on our next album.¡±


    Emmy left it to Jackson to break the news one night when we all went out to dinner. ¡°We¡¯re goin¡¯ to record the album in Austin,¡± he explained. ¡°We¡¯ve got a studio booked for two full weeks.¡±


    Lee and Jen nodded, so it was obvious this wasn¡¯t news to anybody but me.


    Later, after we got home, I asked Emmy. ¡°When were you going to tell me you were going to be out of town for two weeks?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I am sorry, Leah, I have been meaning to talk to you about it, but it never seemed to be a good moment to tell you. Also, it is not two weeks. We will be in Austin for longer than that,¡± Emmy confessed.


    ¡°How much longer?¡± I asked, trying not to get upset.


    ¡°Two months,¡± Emmy said, not meeting my eyes.


    ¡°How long have you been planning this?¡±


    ¡°For the last month or so,¡± Emmy said in a small voice.


    Sighing, I wrapped her up in my arms. ¡°I wish you¡¯d told me yourself,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°I understand you need to do this, really I do, but hearing it from Jackson like that was a rude shock.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Leah. I¡­ it has been so good being with you here at home, I did not want to ruin the mood. I should have talked to you about it, before we made the decision to go to Texas.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you should have, but I would have encouraged you to go. It isn¡¯t V Ball season right now, so it¡¯ll be easy for me to fly there to see you on the weekends every couple of weeks or something.¡± Then, a thought occurred to me. ¡°Are Jen and um, Robin, isn¡¯t that her name- going also?¡±


    ¡°I think Jen is, but I do not believe that Jackson has invited Robin. I do not think they have that serious a relationship,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll need to talk to Jen, then.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Emmy asked, curious.


    ¡°Making sure you guys keep somewhat normal hours and don¡¯t burn yourselves out,¡± I told her, but that wasn¡¯t the complete truth. I¡¯d also talk to Jen about making sure Emmy ate well and took care of herself. The three of them tended to work themselves to exhaustion, Emmy worst of all.


    Keeping it on the Q.T., the band booked a gig at a famous Austin blues bar during South By Southwest and the club owner quietly invited a lot of press and music industry types to the show, telling them nothing more than ¡°You would regret missing this.¡±


    For the first time the band took on additional musicians to fill out the lineup, too. Well, at least for the live performance, anyway. On the record it was still just the three of them playing everything. On one weekend that I flew out I watched them rehearse in the space they had rented in a commercial warehouse district there in Austin. I was quite surprised to see Jackson playing guitar along with Emmy, some sort of lead/rhythm thing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always played the guitar,¡± he explained in his Texan drawl. ¡°Playin¡¯ the bass, well, I do that with The Downfall, because, y¡¯ know¡­¡± he said, pointing to where Emmy was practicing a particularly flashy slide guitar solo. ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    I understood him completely.


    When time came for the actual concert I headed back to Austin, curious as to how it was going to turn out. It had been a month since my last visit, and I couldn''t stand being away from her any longer. Sure, we had talked plenty on the phone and I¡¯d gotten updates from Jen on a regular basis, but it just wasn¡¯t the same.


    The bar was packed on show night- the promoter had obviously spread the word. I noticed more than a few Downfall t-shirts in the crowd, so I had to assume that the news that it was a Downfall project had somehow gotten out as well.


    Jen and I found seats at a table, then when a Texas hipster couple asked if they could share we said OK, even though it made it a bit crowded. I could tell they recognized who I was but thankfully they didn''t make any sort of big deal about it.


    Our view of the stage was OK, but not great. I guess that didn''t really matter by this point, since both Jen and I had seen Emmy and the boys perform too many times to count, but still¡­ It would have been nice to be closer.


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    Closer to the band, anyway. The tables were packed in pretty tight, and the woman at the table behind me kept bumping into me more and more and getting louder and louder the drunker she got.


    Eventually I couldn''t stand it any more and turned around, asking her to please keep it down. ¡°Some of us are trying to listen to the music,¡± I said, while Emmy sang ¡°I¡¯m the jealous kind,¡± belting it out with her full, powerful voice.


    ¡°Well, la de fucking da,¡± was the drunk woman¡¯s answer. ¡°It isn¡¯t like you don¡¯t hear them all the time, you fucking dyke!¡± Just warming up, she went on to say ¡°It ain¡¯t natural, women fucking other women, much less marryin¡¯ ¡®em! You should go the fuck back to fuckin¡¯ California, and take your black lesbo bitch with you!¡± She shouted, standing up.


    I stood up, too, wondering where this belligerence came from, when she suddenly slapped my face, hard, taking me by surprise. I stepped back into the open walkway between tables, taken by the absurdity of the situation.


    ¡°What, you think I¡¯m funny?¡± Shouted the woman, taking a wild swing at me, which I easily stepped back from. Enraged, she reached back to her table and grabbed a beer bottle, then actually did what I always thought was purely a fiction created by Hollywood- she broke the bottle on the edge of the table and then brandished the jagged glass at me.


    I stepped back again, looking around for the club¡¯s security, but saw the bouncer was having a hard time making his way over through the crowd.


    The drunk woman made a lunge for me, but I easily side-stepped, grabbed her wrist, pulled her forward and then rabbit punched her. Her knees got weak from the blow but she didn¡¯t go down, so I punched her again a bit harder. Since I was still holding onto her wrist, I lowered her unconscious body to the ground, avoiding setting her on the sharp glass of the bottle.


    Just then the bouncer got there and I stepped back, holding my hands up to show I meant to do nothing else. He gave me a nod, then helped the woman to her feet and led her away. I picked up the broken bottle and set it on our table, looking over at her table to make sure that her friends didn¡¯t have any plans on revenge. None of them even met my eyes, so I figured they wanted nothing to do with it. The hipsters at our table looked shocked as they kept looking at the broken bottle and at me, but seemed to calm down soon enough.


    Jen leaned in once I¡¯d settled back in my seat. ¡°You know, you could have killed her,¡± she said in my ear so nobody else could hear.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hit her that hard,¡± I answered, taking a swig of my Coke.


    ¡°No, I mean, legally you could have killed her. This is a ¡®stand your ground¡¯ state,¡± Jen explained. ¡°She attacked with a deadly weapon. You were legally justified in using lethal force. You could have killed her with the knife you carry around all the time and it would have been OK.¡±


    Not understanding why Jen was telling me this, I asked ¡°Why would I do that? I mean, she was stupid and bigoted and drunk, but that doesn¡¯t mean it would have been OK to stab her!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s one more?¡± Asked Jen, shrugging her shoulders.


    ¡°What?¡± I demanded, standing up and grabbing Jen¡¯s arm, pulling her up and out of her chair. I dragged her to the women¡¯s bathroom, and I guess the look on my face made people get out of our way.


    There were a couple of women in the restroom, but I told them ¡°Out. Now!¡± And they all cleared out plenty quickly. I kicked the door stop under the door, effectively locking everybody else out while Jen and I had a little discussion.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯s one more?¡¯,¡± I asked, trying to keep from shouting.


    ¡°Well,¡± Jen said, looking around, trying to avoid my eyes. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t killed people before, is it?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± I asked, stunned to hear this from her.


    ¡°Well, um, from what I understand, you¡¯ve already killed some people, right?¡±


    ¡°Who told you that?¡± I asked, stepping in closer, making Jen back up against the wall. There was somebody banging on the door, but I ignored it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Lee, I guess,¡± said Jen, trying to back farther away.


    ¡°And where did Lee hear this?¡± I asked, getting right in Jen¡¯s face.


    ¡°Emmy told him!¡±


    ¡°Emmy told Lee that I¡¯ve killed people?¡±


    ¡°Yes! She told Jackson, too! Everybody knows it!¡±


    ¡°When you say ¡®everybody,¡¯ who exactly do you mean, and why did Emmy say this about me?¡± I asked, my voice low and menacing.


    ¡°Just our friends, that¡¯s all!¡± Jen said, clarifying that it wasn¡¯t actually everybody. ¡°I think she¡¯s proud of it.¡±


    ¡°Emmy is proudly telling people that I¡¯m a psychopath?¡±


    ¡°No! She¡¯s proud that you¡¯re brave and strong! She- she says you defended her, that you did what you had to!¡±


    ¡°Have you spread these stories at all?¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not my place! I would never,¡± Jen said, breathing a little easier when I stepped back.


    She backed up right away again when I reached into my boot and pulled out Ol¡¯ Stabby. ¡°Did you mean this knife?¡± I asked, waving the tip back and forth.


    ¡°Oh, fuck¡­¡± Jen whispered, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Because you had better not spread these stories at all, or¡­¡± I hinted, slipping the dagger back behind my ankle.


    ¡°It¡¯s really true, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked, but I didn¡¯t reply.


    The banging on the door had gotten more insistent, so I kicked the stop away and opened the door, only to face the club¡¯s two bouncers.


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± The first big meatslab asked, looking me up and down.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°My friend just had a panic attack after that chick went crazy.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± he said, satisfied. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to talk to the police when they get here, though. They¡¯re gonna need your statement.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I said, taking Jen¡¯s arm and helping her back to our seats.


    The hipster couple had vanished, leaving the small table to just Jen and I, which was fine with me. Drunk crazy lady¡¯s friends had all cleared out too, replaced by a group of rednecks who congratulated me on my epic takedown of an armed opponent.


    Jen leaned in again. ¡°I swear to you, I¡¯m never going to say a word to anybody about it. Seriously.¡± Continuing, she said ¡°You remember the club I worked at when you asked me to teach Emmy to pole dance, right?¡±


    Puzzled by the sudden change of topic, I nodded that I did. ¡°Well, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve never told anybody. You know, sometimes guys would offer me money to, well, fuck ¡®em. It¡¯s just the nature of the business, being a stripper, right?¡±


    Again, I nodded that I understood. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never told anybody this, but sometimes, if I needed money for textbooks, or rent was coming due and work had been slow, and the guy wasn¡¯t too skeevy, I¡¯d do it. Take ¡®em up on it, I mean. They always had to use protection, and I made damned sure it was always someplace sort of safe, but still- it¡¯s what it was.¡±


    I turned and looked in Jen¡¯s eyes, seeing she was serious. She leaned in to tell me more. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m pretty sex-positive and don¡¯t think prostitution should be illegal and all that, but I¡¯ve never told this to Lee and never will. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m ashamed of it,¡± she said, her tone belying her words. ¡°It¡¯s just not something that I think he would ever want to know about me, you know?¡±


    Again, I looked at Jen, wondering why she had just told this to me. Once more, she leaned in. ¡°Now you know something about me that I don¡¯t ever want anybody else to know, so we¡¯re equal, right?¡±


    Turning to speak into her ear, I said ¡°Well, maybe not quite. You just told me something that could make your boyfriend break up with you, but you know something about me that could get me the death penalty. I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s on the same level.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Jen said with a shrug. ¡°But it¡¯s a trust thing, right? Emmy trusted her friends enough that she felt she could tell them about you, and now I¡¯m showing that I trust you enough not to ruin my life. And now we will never speak of either thing ever again. It¡¯s the biggest secret I¡¯ve got,¡± she said, shrugging, ¡°And I don¡¯t want anybody to know.¡±


    ¡°What, biggest secret other than the fact that you want to climb into bed with Emmy and me for a three-way?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a secret,¡± Jen laughed. ¡°Everybody knows that. Hell, Lee even said that if I ever get the chance he¡¯d be OK with it!¡±


    A few minutes later the bouncer came over and asked me to come talk to the police, so Jen and I went to give our statements. The police didn''t seem interested in hassling me at all, so soon we were back to our seats. The rednecks at the next table had draped their jackets on our chairs so nobody would take our spot, so I bought them a ¡®thank you¡¯ round in appreciation and soon Jen and I were their best friends. They knew I was Emmy¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and that didn¡¯t seem to bother them in the slightest, to my relief. Soon enough we¡¯d pushed the two tables together and Jen and I were learning more about the life of tractor mechanics than we¡¯d ever expected.


    Despite their trucker hats, plaid shirts and work boots the four guys were actually really well-spoken and good conversationalists. I¡¯ll freely admit that my surprise at this fact reveals more about my prejudices than anything, but what can I say? I guess we all sometimes judge books by their covers without ever bothering to learn how wrong we might be.


    In fact, Emmy and I went to a barbecue the following afternoon at Rawson¡¯s house in Holly, a neighborhood in east Austin. He had thrown open the invite to everybody in the band, but the two of us were the only ones that didn¡¯t have any prior commitments. The others really missed out, because the brisket that Rawson had spent many hours on was absolutely incredible.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve got a couple of home-made barbecue sauces,¡± Rawson explained as he loaded my plate with enough meat for three people. ¡°But first, try it without. Personally, my feeling is if the meat and the rub are good enough, sauce just gets in the way.¡±


    ¡°Raw, I know you and I have had this argument many times,¡± said Charles, one of Rawson¡¯s neighbors. ¡°But BBQ just ain¡¯t all it could be without that little bit of sweet and spicy that a good sauce brings.¡± Yes, he did actually call it by the three letters rather than ¡®barbecue¡¯ which is apparently too long of a word, and he did back up his statement by spooning some of Rawson¡¯s ¡®hot¡¯ sauce on his brisket. His wife Jimena caught my eye and shook her head to show she disagreed with her husband.


    ¡°And you know I don¡¯t dislike a good sauce, Charles,¡± Rawson replied. ¡°But I do think that the meat should have the ability to stand on its own merits, y¡¯know?¡±


    I left the two men to continue their long-running argument and went over to the old-school picnic table in the shade of a big old sycamore. Sitting next to Emmy, I set the plate down so we could share.


    Emmy introduced me to the tall, muscular man wearing a small girl on his shoulders sitting across from her. ¡°Leah, I would like you to meet Daunte. Daunte lives across the street, and works with Rawson at the Caterpillar dealership. And that adorable little thing there,¡± she said, pointing at the girl, ¡°is Cecilia.¡±


    ¡°I am not a thing!¡± objected the girl whom I guessed to be about four, or maybe a small five years old from her perch on Daunte¡¯s broad shoulders.


    Cecilia had the classic looks of a Latina, while Daunte¡¯s milk chocolate skin certainly did not make it seem as if he was biologically related to her, even though she demanded ¡°Daddy, put me down. I need to go potty.¡±


    ¡°Sure, baby,¡± he said, as he stood up and with practiced ease swung her down to the ground. ¡°You know where it is.¡±


    After watching the girl run into the house, Daunte ambled over to get some brisket.


    A moment later he was back with a plateful of lunch for himself, and another plate with just a little bit of meat, beans and slaw for his little daughter. When she ran back and sat down he asked ¡°Did you wash your hands?¡± Her only response was to hold them up for him to check, and when he was satisfied that they were at least damp he poured her some of his mineral water and she dug right in.


    Rawson made a pass with the tray of brisket, making sure everybody had all they could eat. ¡°Where¡¯s Carlos?¡± He asked Daunte as he put another small piece of beef on Cecilia''s plate.


    ¡°He had to work late, but he¡¯ll be by as soon as he gets off,¡± Daunte answered. ¡°If you could set aside a plate for him, that¡¯d be great.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Rawson replied. ¡°No problem at all,¡± patting Cecilia¡¯s head as he headed back to the smoker.


    ¡°Rawson is one damned fine pit master,¡± Daunte said as he cut another piece of brisket. ¡°Damned fine. I keep telling him he should open up a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°I mean, this is really good, all right, but I have to admit to a certain level of ignorance on the subject of barbecue,¡± I replied. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell really good from great, I don¡¯t think.¡±


    ¡°Well, we here in this neighborhood consider him our secret treasure. We actually have a neighborhood fund to keep him supplied with all the brisket, chicken and sausages he can ¡®cue,¡± Daunte explained. ¡°He¡¯s even been experimenting with tri tip,¡± he said, looking around as he didn¡¯t want to be overheard.


    ¡°And this is why,¡± he said, waving at the meat on his plate. ¡°It just don¡¯t get any better than this.¡±


    This got me thinking, and when Rawson finally sat down to eat I asked point blank the question that had been forming in my head. ¡°Daunte tells me that the folks here in the area think you should start your own barbecue place,¡± I started.


    When he nodded his head that yes, it was true, I proceeded. ¡°Would you ever consider opening a restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are two problems with the idea,¡± Rawson replied in between bites. ¡°First thing is, I make decent money doing what I¡¯m doing now, and a restaurant, well, that¡¯s a risky proposition money-wise. I mean, what if I go all in and don¡¯t make enough to cover my expenses during a slow month or two? I just can¡¯t afford that risk. The second thing is the upfront costs. I¡¯ve got a little saved, sure, but not really enough. I¡¯ve thought about just doing a Saturday morning takeout thing right here from the house, but it¡¯s a commitment in time and money that I¡¯m just not sure will pay off.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± he added, ¡°these guys are just spoiled here. They love my ¡®cue because they get it for practically free!¡±


    ¡°Now you know that¡¯s not true, Raw,¡± said Charles. ¡°I¡¯ve sampled every notable BBQ place here in this part of the state and you know you can hold your head up high with the big boys.¡± Yes, he said the letters again.


    Later, when Emmy was playing Rawson¡¯s old guitar in the shade of the porch to a rapt audience, I told him that if he ever actually wanted to open his own restaurant I¡¯d be happy to have our business analysis expert go over numbers with him and I¡¯d even be willing to bring funding to the table as a partner. ¡°You know my company has a hospitality division, right? We¡¯ve launched a fair number of successful restaurants, nightclubs and bars,¡± I told him.

 Little Wing

    In the rental car on the way back to Jackson¡¯s parents house (where Emmy had been staying for the last two months) Emmy asked me about the conversation I¡¯d had with Rawson.


    ¡°It seemed as if you two were discussing something serious,¡± she said as we headed northwest out of town.


    ¡°Well, maybe,¡± I hedged. ¡°I suggested to Rawson that if he wanted to open a restaurant I¡¯d be willing to partner with him.¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to own a barbecue restaurant in Texas?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°O.K., you know when I had to find jobs for the Strays at first, I got them all jobs as helpers in the various trades our property management company uses, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember that,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°Well, it seems to me that public-facing service positions would be a better idea. If a carpet layer goes into an empty apartment, he¡¯s got no contact with anybody outside his crew, right? Sure, the crew gets used to seeing a Night Child, right, but does anybody else?¡± I asked.


    ¡°So you think that if they have jobs as waiters, cashiers, and so on more people will be exposed to seeing them,¡± Emmy said, pondering the idea.


    ¡°Exactly. Now, we haven''t had the guys try to recruit any Strays here in Texas yet, but it¡¯ll happen sooner or later, and it would be good to be able to give them jobs right away, right?¡± I explained.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Emmy began. ¡°You amaze me every day, Leah. You plan, you think things out, you- you are amazing,¡± she finished, at a loss for words.


    ¡°I try,¡± I said, smirking as I blew on my fingernails and rubbed them on my shirt, which got a laugh from Emmy. God, I loved the sound of her laughter. I think I¡¯d mentioned that it reminded me of bells, or wind chimes or something like that. Her laugh sparkled.


    As Lake Travis came into view, Emmy gasped as she remembered something. ¡°Leah, do you mind going to see a show tonight? I had forgotten all about it!¡±


    ¡°Um, sure, I guess,¡± I replied, not really burning with enthusiasm. ¡°Who¡¯s playing?¡±


    ¡°It is the Prodigal Sons! They are playing at a club Downtown!¡± Emmy said, excited. ¡°I just found out yesterday that they are going to be here!¡±


    Hearing who it was really changed my attitude. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s awesome. I¡¯d love to see ¡®em,¡± I replied. ¡°Do we need tickets? What time?¡±


    ¡°I have tickets. They were delivered to our dressing room yesterday. I will look to see what time when we get back to Wendy¡¯s house,¡± she said.


    I found it interesting that she always referred to the house owned by Jackson¡¯s parents as ¡®Wendy¡¯s house¡¯, not ¡®the Coolidge residence¡¯ or even ¡®Bob and Wendy¡¯s house¡¯. I guess I could understand it, giving it some thought. Bob got the home office, the outside garage and the basement game room, but Wendy ruled the rest of the house- the kitchen most of all. There was no way I was ever going to make the mistake of offering to help do the dishes ever again, let me tell you. For a tiny woman in her sixties she swings a mean wooden spoon, no doubt about that.


    Pulling up in front of the rambling ranch house, their three big dogs came running up to say hello. I wasn¡¯t used to dogs, much less dogs the size of small ponies, but Emmy had been living there for two months and got along great with them.


    Laughing, Emmy told the boisterous dogs to stay down and not jump up. The three were big enough to put their paws on her shoulders and give her a big old slobbery kiss, but she¡¯d perfected a technique of pivoting out of the way just in time, which really only seemed to encourage them even more.


    Thankfully they left me alone even as they mobbed Emmy. Once they¡¯d finally calmed down, Emmy gave them all scratches along the full length of the ridges along their spines. This seemed to be a ticklish spot, because every time Em scratched them there a hind foot would come up part way as if to scratch, but then the dog would stand on the other three feet, uselessly waving the one that was off the ground. It was a comical sight, seeing Emmy coo and make baby talk noises to these monstrous dogs who seemed to absolutely adore her.


    Bob, Jackson¡¯s dad, had admitted that the three were useless as guard dogs. ¡°About the worst they¡¯d ever do is lick somebody to death,¡± he¡¯d said. ¡°But they do have a helluva bark, and that¡¯s really all that¡¯s needed. For people, anyway. They¡¯re excellent at keeping coyotes off the property, though.¡±


    Wendy came out of the kitchen to say hello when we walked in, and asked if we were going to be home for supper. I¡¯d noticed the first time I came out to Austin to see Em that Wendy and Bob referred to their house in such a way that made it clear they felt it was Emmy¡¯s home, too, and mine by extension.


    ¡°No, thank you, Wendy,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°We had a very big dinner just a little while ago. Leah¡¯s friend Rawson made an excellent barbecue.¡±


    That got Bob¡¯s attention. ¡°Did you say ¡®Rawson¡¯?¡± he asked. ¡°Dark hair, sideburns, about so tall?¡± he asked, holding his hand up a couple of inches below his own height.


    ¡°You know him?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ve known him for years. He¡¯s the mechanic I always ask for whenever we have any trouble with our Caterpillar machinery out in the field. I had no idea he ¡®cued,¡± Bob said thoughtfully, a distant expression in his eyes. Thinking about barbecue, I figured. Texans.


    ¡°Leah wants to open a restaurant with him,¡± Emmy volunteered.


    Turning his gaze to me, Bob smiled. ¡°Well, he¡¯s a helluva good kid. If he is as good a pit master as he is a mechanic I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be good. I¡¯d be sorry to see him leave Caterpillar, though¡­¡±


    Laughing, I said ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be happy to hand you a plate of brisket next time he grills. Actually, Bob,¡± I said, as something occurred to me. ¡°It¡¯d be a big favor to me if you¡¯d go over to his place next time he does a barbecue and really give it a fair evaluation. I mean, I don¡¯t know one barbecue from another, but you¡¯ve tried them all, right?¡±


    ¡°Repeatedly,¡± Bob confessed, laughing.


    That night we got to the club where the Sons were playing right when it opened for the night, about an hour before the band was scheduled to take the stage. We¡¯d invited Lee and Jen, but they were going to some other show (I can¡¯t even remember who it was), so it was just Emmy and me.


    The place was an old brick-fronted building in the downtown club district, stuck between a cocktail bar and a tacky tourist gift shop. Even that early, there was already a line waiting to get in, and they all went crazy when they spotted Emmy.


    I¡¯d thought seeing Emmy get mobbed by the Coolidges¡¯ dogs was something, but seeing all these local hipsters was even more comical. They were torn between wanting to rush up and fawn over Emmy, not wanting to lose their spot in line, and wanting to look too cool to admit they wanted to see her up close.


    Ultimately, Emmy had to raise her voice to say that yes, we were going to see the show tonight and if people wanted to come over to our table to say hello, that would be nice.


    I would have gotten in line with the crowd, but Emmy was having none of that. She took my hand and led me straight to the door, cutting in front of everybody. The doorman seemed to expect that and didn¡¯t even glance at our tickets, just waved us straight in.


    There was a little antechamber, I guess you¡¯d call it, with a counter displaying club merch and also stuff from the band. I liked the new shirt design and thought I¡¯d pick one up later. The blonde girl standing behind the counter hoping to sell the stuff wasn¡¯t Stephanie, I noticed.


    At the top of the stairs the entire upper floor was basically one big, long room, with a hardwood planked floor and black-painted rafters. Along one side were old-fashioned diner-style booths, but otherwise it was standing room only- no tables, no chairs.


    All but one of the booths had already been claimed, and the only thing keeping the open one from use was the ¡®Reserved¡¯ sign on its table. ¡°That one is ours,¡± Emmy said, pointing to the empty booth. ¡°We should go backstage and say hello before sitting down,¡± she added, grabbing my hand to pull me to the small side door to the right of the stage.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The security guy stood aside as we walked up, so clearly the staff had been told to expect us (and probably been given a description, if that was even necessary at this point). We went back into the hallway covered in autographs written in permanent marker to a green door. When somebody called out ¡°Come in,¡± after Emmy knocked, we entered to say hello to the band.


    The guys looked pretty much the same as they did back the last time I¡¯d seen them in San Diego, but with a bit more facial hair and a few more piercings and tattoos.


    Justin, the bass player, leapt up to give Emmy a hug. To my surprise, he gave me a hug, too. ¡°It¡¯s great seeing you guys!¡± he exclaimed as the rest of the band crowded around to say hello. Brent being Brent, he just gave a nod to me and said, ¡°Lookin¡¯ good, Leah. Real good.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Brent. How¡¯re things going for you?¡±


    ¡°Awesome, dude. Just awesome. Living the rock star dream- just livin¡¯ the dream.¡±


    We only spent a few minutes backstage before we returned to the booth being held for us. It seemed as if quite a few people were upset that one of the maybe half-dozen booths in the entire club was off-limits, but when they saw who we were they seemed to be a bit more understanding.


    The booth itself was one of those horseshoe-shaped naugahyde things you¡¯d picture in a classic diner, but the color was a strange, unappealing brownish red. Maroon, I think the color is called. Anyway, we sat down and that left room for at least three or four other people, so when Emmy saw a small group looking for a place to sit she invited them to share the booth with us. Emmy was always good like that.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± said the tallest of the three girls as she scooted to the deepest part of the booth.


    ¡°My name is Emmy, and this is Leah,¡± Emmy said, introducing us.


    ¡°Um, yeah, we guessed,¡± said the girl with the hipster glasses and Sons T that she must have just bought.


    Ignoring her friend¡¯s snide comment, the tall girl said ¡°This is Marie, Courtney and I¡¯m Dawn,¡± pointing at the blonde, glasses girl and herself. ¡°We go to U.T.¡±


    ¡°How do you know the music of the Prodigal Sons?¡± Emmy asked as I waved a waitress over.


    ¡°Oh, the college radio station plays them a lot,¡± Dawn answered. ¡°We saw them when they came through last fall,¡± she added. ¡°Um, Emmy, you wrote some of their songs, right?¡±


    ¡°Only four,¡± Emmy said, which was news to me. I hadn¡¯t realized she''d written any songs for them at all.


    ¡°And you used to perform with them, right? They were your original band?¡± Dawn asked.


    Emmy laughed, asking ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°I think I read it somewhere online.¡±


    ¡°No, I only performed with them one time, back in high school. They were never my band, I just was a guest musician,¡± Emmy explained.


    Turning to the blonde girl who hadn¡¯t said anything so far, Emmy said ¡°It is O.K. You can take as many pictures as you would like. It is fine with us.¡± Relieved, the girl brought her phone up from where she had been trying to hide the fact she was snapping pictures of the two of us. Obliging, Emmy snuggled up against my side and I wrapped my arm around her, posing as the other two took out their phones as well.


    I¡¯d noticed a few people in the crowd trying to be subtle about taking Emmy¡¯s photo, but when the three girls made it obvious that we were O.K. with it everybody became much more willing to come up and ask for photos. Of course, being who she was, Emmy obliged every one.


    By the time the emcee took the stage the three girls had gotten over the novelty of sitting with a rock star and the conversation had turned to more normal topics, like ¡°What¡¯s your major? You went to Cancun for spring break? How did you like it?¡± and so on. I wasn¡¯t that involved, honestly. It was all Emmy, keeping the three girls engaged.


    The house lights dimmed, and as the crowd cheered, a guy in sunglasses, a black cowboy hat with the sides folded up and a leather vest walked onstage.


    ¡°I¡¯m Eddie Delgado, D.J. at Austin¡¯s best rock station, KBCA!¡± He yelled into the microphone, trying to get the crowd fired up. ¡°We at KBCA are proud to present, playing here tonight at The Assembly, Austin¡¯s finest independent music venue, straight from Los Angeles, The Prodigal Sons!¡±


    As he stepped aside and waved to the stage door, the guys walked out onstage to cheering and whistling. Sure, I¡¯d seen them at that little club in San Diego and the mood was good, but this place was about twice the size and it was packed. It was good to see the guys get this kind of reception so far from home, out on tour.


    ¡°Thanks, Eddie!¡± Said Brent into the mic as he settled his guitar strap into place. ¡°And thank you, Austin!¡± Which got more cheering.


    ¡°We are very happy to be here, right here during South By Southwest! This is the center of the musical universe, and being a part of it is a wonderful feeling!¡± Brent said. ¡°So let¡¯s get to the music!¡±


    I¡¯ll be the first to admit that while I¡¯d listened to both of their CDs, I didn¡¯t really know their music. I mean, I enjoyed it anyway, and the boys sounded good, so did it really matter that I couldn¡¯t sing along the way the three girls were doing?


    After the second song was over Emmy got up out of her spot at the end of the booth and to my surprise Stephanie slid in next to me. I scooted over a bit, crowding the blonde girl, who in turn moved over a bit and so on until there was room for Emmy again on the end.


    I leaned in to speak into Stephanie¡¯s ear (because the music was loud enough to make conversation difficult) and said hello.


    Getting that close, smelling her familiar scent of vanilla and cocoa butter, did something to me down inside. I couldn''t help but breathe in, savoring the moment. Yes, I did feel a bit guilty, but I couldn¡¯t help but get a tingle from being pressed up against her, squeezed into that naugahyde booth. It had been almost a year since I¡¯d seen her last, and although we texted every once in awhile, we hadn¡¯t actually spoken since Memorial Day the year before and a lot had happened since then.


    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you, Steph,¡± I said, grateful I was even that smooth. ¡°You look great!¡±


    Turning so she could speak into my ear, I was hyper aware that her boob was pressing up against my arm. Like I said, yeah, getting so aroused made me feel a bit guilty, but the way I saw it, it was like an art museum, right? You can look and admire all you want, and in fact, absolutely should- just don¡¯t try to take anything home with you, right?


    ¡°Leah. I¡¯m glad you guys could come to the show tonight. The boys are super amped that Emmy agreed to do a few songs with them,¡± Steph said. ¡°And I¡¯m glad to see you, too, babe. It¡¯s been too long.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to take that, so I didn¡¯t say anything. Better to stay silent, I realized.


    Steph and I chatted like that for a while and I totally missed most of the show. It wasn¡¯t until Emmy reached over and grabbed my thigh to get my attention. She signaled that she was headed to the stage and I nodded to show I understood.


    Unfortunately, Emmy leaving meant the rest of us had room to spread out a little once more, and Steph moved a little bit away.


    I felt the loss, and using the excuse of talking to her again I moved over to regain that contact. I was telling myself that this was all O.K. and meant nothing, just harmless flirting with an old friend, but really, I wasn¡¯t buying it.


    Emmy joined the Sons on stage for their encore set, waving to the crowd who were cheering like you wouldn¡¯t believe.


    ¡°Emmy De Lascaux, ladies and gentlemen,¡± Brent announced, as if everybody didn¡¯t already know. ¡°Now, I have to admit, we,¡± Brent said, indicting himself and the rest of the band, ¡°didn¡¯t know Emmy was going to join us until earlier tonight, so we haven¡¯t practiced any songs together in years. But that doesn¡¯t matter, because this is rock and roll, and rock and roll never forgets!¡±


    Emmy stepped up to the front of the stage, one of Brent¡¯s guitars slung low on her hip. Looking out over the crowd, she smiled and waited until the crowd grew quiet, wondering what they were going to hear.


    ¡°What is she going to play?¡± asked Stephanie, but I had no idea and I told her so.


    Just as the wait seemed to go on just almost too long, Emmy started playing that chik chik chic wow wow wow riff and the crowd went wild, recognizing Hendrix when they heard it. The drums joined in, then that old, so familiar guitar lead from Voodoo Child had the crowd absolutely loving it.


    Brent picked up the vocals as Emmy just laid waste to the audience, at turns taking it cool, then hot as the sun. Emmy kept the theatrics to a minimum- no playing the guitar with her teeth or anything like that- just played it like she meant it, if you know what I mean.


    As the song came to a close, Emmy moved up to the mic and started the next song with another familiar riff. ¡°Ohhhh yeah!¡± she said, leaning into the heavy blues lead. Red House is a classic, and Emmy did both the guitar line and the vocals justice. ¡°I got a bad feeling my baby don¡¯t live here no more,¡± she sang, then settled into an amazing bridge, the audience just eating it up.


    ¡°If my baby don¡¯t love me no more, well, I know her sister will!¡± Emmy sang as she finished up the song.


    ¡°Give it up, people!¡± Brent said into the mic, and believe me, they did.


    After a quick little bow to the audience, Emmy said ¡°This is my last song for tonight. I want to thank Justin, Brad, Tom and Brent for inviting me to play with them tonight! Here is a little bit of history trivia for all of you here tonight. My very first public performance was with the Sons! Can you believe that? The very first time I took the stage in front of a real audience, it was with these beautiful boys!¡±


    Nodding to the drummer, Emmy started into a much slower riff, which was yet a third Hendrix tune, Little Wing. Of course, it¡¯s my favorite Hendrix song, so I was absolutely floored that she would play it.


    It meant a lot that she looked right at me when she sang ¡°Take everything you want from me,¡± her voice soaring along with the guitar.


    ¡°Jesus,¡± Stephanie whispered. ¡°God, she really is fucking amazing,¡± and I had to agree.


    After the show, we said goodbye to Stephanie and the boys and headed back to the lake house.


    ¡°It was good to see Brent and the others,¡± Emmy said, looking out the car window. ¡°It has been a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, not really paying much attention to the conversation.


    ¡°Stephanie looked good,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, she looked great,¡± I agreed starting to see the thin ice forming in what Emmy was saying.


    ¡°She seemed happy to see you, too,¡± Emmy added, and the ice was getting much clearer, and I realized that I would have to tread very carefully.


    ¡°I was happy to see her, too,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s been almost a year since I saw her last Memorial Day.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to dissemble in any way to Emmy, but I also wasn¡¯t going to make it seem as if Steph and I were anything but old friends- because that¡¯s all we were anymore.


    ¡°You should try to see her more often, Leah,¡± Emmy said, and I felt the ice under my feet give way. This was not how I expected the conversation to go. ¡°She misses you, and you obviously miss her, too.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess after I graduate and we move to L.A. it¡¯ll be a lot easier to see old friends from home,¡± I hedged.


    ¡°Yes, I think that is true,¡± Emmy said, and left it at that.

 The Big Day, Part I

    During the week between my return home and when Emmy finally got back from Austin, I gave a lot of thought to what had happened. It was great to spend the weekend with Emmy and even though she had her show and we went to see the Prodigal Sons, we had spent pretty much the entire weekend together, and that was actually fairly special. It seemed that we just didn¡¯t have as much time for each other as I¡¯d like, and one more week without her helped drive it home.


    I also thought about Stephanie. It had been good to see her, and the reaction I had to being so close was for sure physical, but even I could recognize that deep down inside I still felt something for her. It isn¡¯t as if we broke up in anger, or because she cheated on me (or the other way around). There was no reason for me to stop loving her merely because we couldn''t make it as girlfriends, and so I guess that I did still feel for her. I¡¯d never actually stopped loving her, I realized.


    But that¡¯s O.K. We were just friends now and if I felt more for her than I did any of my other friends, well, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. Hopefully she would continue to be a part of my life.


    That said, Emmy was my life now, and I needed to do what I could to make sure that continued to be the case. The time had come for me to do what needed to be done, so by the time Emmy emerged into the airport terminal in San Jose from her flight from Texas, I was ready.


    After giving her a big hug and a kiss that showed I really meant it, I asked if she wanted to go out for dinner.


    ¡°I am a little bit hungry,¡± she agreed, so I took her to the French restaurant south of San Jose that we¡¯d come to love. It was a little out of the way, but it was worth it. When I made the reservation I requested our favorite table, in the back patio overlooking the little creek running alongside the property.


    Walking in, holding Emmy''s hand in mine, I was ridiculously nervous but did my best to not show it at all. I was playing as if I was just happy to have her back after two and a half months of separation, and I think she bought it.


    Dinner was excellent, as always. If I recall correctly I had the lamb with couscous and Emmy had some sort of salad, but dinner passed in a bit of a blur so I probably have the details wrong. What I do know is that when our waiter brought out the chocolate terrine dessert, he turned to Emmy and said ¡°Mademoiselle, I believe this is for you,¡± handing her a small midnight blue velvet box.


    Emmy¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. ¡°For me?¡± she asked, excitement in her voice.


    ¡°Open it,¡± I urged, trying not to let my voice tremble.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Emmy asked, her voice high.


    ¡°Just open it!¡± I urged, recalling that Christmas so long ago.


    Slowly, she lifted open the lid of the little box, prolonging the suspense, but when she finally saw the wedding set inside she held her hand to her mouth to muffle her squeal of excitement.


    ¡°Emmy,¡± I asked, ¡°will you marry me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± she sighed, her face radiant with happiness. ¡°Of course I will marry you. I could imagine no other person I would want in my life the way I want you. I will happily spend the rest of my life with you.¡±


    Unfortunately, Emmy was too tired for anything more than snuggling and kissing before falling asleep, but I took a while to drift off. Sure, we¡¯d already made plans for our lives together, and sure, we had more or less said we would get married when we went back to Fallbrook that first Thanksgiving break, but still, this felt momentous somehow. I had asked Emmy to be my wife, and she had said yes. No uncertain terms, not ¡®someday¡¯, no ¡®when things settle down¡¯. This was it. I¡¯d asked, she said yes, and now it was simply a matter of planning and going through the ceremony. Eventually I did fall asleep, remembering my daydreams of us together way back when. Our life was nothing like what I thought it would be, but you know what they say- life is what happens while you¡¯re busy making other plans.


    Neither of us wanted a big, elaborate wedding, so it was easy enough to make the arrangements. Of course, given that Emmy and I both wanted the actual marriage to happen as soon as possible, this was a good thing. A few family members, some friends, and of course, a few of the Strays made up our guest list. I think it amounted to less than fifty guests all told. The actual wedding was held at Emmy¡¯s parent¡¯s house in Fallbrook, in a big grassy area between the house and the orange groves on the north side. One of those big party tents had been set up, but all the catering and bar duties, as well as valet parking and so on were performed by the household staff. I think Marie-Anne would have been very deeply insulted if we¡¯d even mentioned bringing in any other cook, much less a catering service, to the house.


    Emmy never once mentioned any sort of Night Children marriage traditions, and neither did her parents. They all seemed perfectly happy with our standard American-style weddings, and this meant a lot of the usual. I didn¡¯t get to see her gown before the ceremony, and she didn¡¯t get to see mine, either. We spent the night apart, too- I actually stayed at the apartment with Mom and Tiff, and Emmy was out at the Lascaux mansion.


    Of course, Tiffany got the honor of flower girl duty, but now that she was ten years old she took the responsibility quite seriously. On my side, after discussing it with Emmy, I¡¯d asked Donny to be my best man, and of course he agreed.


    ¡°Are you kidding? I¡¯ll be there even if I have to hitch-hike and steal a tux!¡± he¡¯d said, and I believed him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about hitch-hiking,¡± I told him. ¡°We¡¯re chartering a jet.¡±


    ¡°Aw, damn!¡± he said, excited. ¡°Yeah, baby!¡±


    When it came time to fly down for the wedding, I went with the big group on the charter plane, since Emmy had gone the week before to help get things ready. It was the first time most of the people on board had ever been to Southern California and certainly most had never flown on a chartered plane, so there was quite the party atmosphere on board.


    We settled into our seats and the plane taxied out, then took off a few minutes later. Once we were up in the air, Kerry waved me over and we sat on one of the couches in the back. ¡°Girl, you showed me pictures of Emmy¡¯s house, but you didn¡¯t mention she had the money to charter a jet,¡± she said, as if I¡¯d been holding information from her.


    ¡°Heck, this is just a rental,¡± I said, relaxing on the comfy leather couch. ¡°Actually, the Lascaux family owns their own jet, but it¡¯s only an eight-seater,¡± I said. ¡°We chartered this because we had too many guests for the family plane.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ostentatious,¡± Kerry said, clearly trying to avoid making it into any sort of insult, but at the same time indicating that she thought it was a ridiculous expense.


    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± I said. ¡°I never told anybody back in high school for just that reason. I mean, sure, Emmy¡¯s family has tons of money, but there¡¯s no reason to flaunt it.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that,¡± Kerry said, lowering her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the two of you together, so I know you two really do love each other. I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, but isn¡¯t she, well, I don¡¯t know how to say this¡­¡±


    ¡°Slumming?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Well, yeah, I would have used something more politically correct than that, but I guess that¡¯s what I was getting at.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for your high opinion of me,¡± I said, rolling my eyes, but I smiled to let her know I was just giving her a hard time. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a whole lot more complicated than that. Emmy¡¯s family is European nobility. I mean, really old money aristocrats. Really, really old money, and a whole lot of it. I am so way below her station it¡¯s ridiculous, but she doesn¡¯t care, and her parents¡¯ only objection with me is that I can¡¯t give Emmy kids. Otherwise they seem totally fine with it. In fact, they offered to pay my way through school, but I said no thanks.¡± No need to tell Kerry how that offer had caused Emmy and me so many problems, I thought. ¡°I wanted to-¡±


    Just then Donny came back to where we were sitting and barged in to our conversation. ¡°Hey, Leah, we¡¯re at cruising elevation now,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Yeah? So?¡± I asked, wondering what he was getting at.


    ¡°Well, now would be a good opportunity for us to join the mile high club,¡± he explained, waggling his eyebrows at me.


    I rolled my eyes and Kerry snickered. ¡°What about Sana? You should ask her, since she¡¯s your, I don¡¯t know¡­ girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did, but she told me to get lost, so now I¡¯m asking you.¡±


    ¡°Donny, you know you¡¯re barking up the wrong tree,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Well, Kerry? How about you and me?¡± he asked, looking at my old teammate hopefully, but only getting a laugh out of her. When he saw it was not going to get him anywhere, he sighed with a resigned look on his face. ¡°Oh, well. I guess I¡¯ll just have to join the mile high club all by myself.¡± He stood up and walked back to the head with one last pleading look in our direction.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    When he was gone, Kerry and I busted up laughing. ¡°I see why you like him so much,¡± Kerry said. ¡°That boy has a sense of humor.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a great guy,¡± I agreed, just as Donny emerged from the head about thirty seconds after he went in. He looked at us and raised his arms in a victory salute, then pumped his arm and said, ¡°Yeah, baby!¡± in his best Austin Powers voice, sending Kerry and me into another laughing fit. Donny couldn¡¯t keep a straight face, and plopped down on the couch, laughing along with us.


    The three of us talked for a while longer, then it was time to go back to our regular seats for the final descent into Carlsbad.


    Emmy and I had discussed where to put everybody up for the weekend, and eventually came to the conclusion that Fallbrook was just too small and there really weren¡¯t any places that would have been appropriate, so we settled on a resort hotel by the beach in Carlsbad. Sure, it was a forty-five minute drive out to the Lascaux house from there, but at least it was close to touristy stuff and within easy walking distance of plenty of shops and restaurants.


    Donny had asked if it was at all close to Disneyland, and I had to admit that no, Disneyland was still an hour¡¯s drive away. ¡°How about the Zoo? It¡¯s supposed to be awesome!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only half an hour¡¯s drive,¡± I assured him. ¡°You and Sana can go on Saturday if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°What about the rehearsal?¡± he asked, and seeing the blank look on my face, he added ¡°The wedding rehearsal. You know, I am the best man, right?¡±


    ¡°No rehearsal,¡± I told him. ¡°We are going to just wing it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said. ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s cool. I mean, really, what could go wrong?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, nothing will go wrong because we aren¡¯t having some ridiculously over-the-top wedding,¡± I replied, shrugging. ¡°No string quartet, no military jet flyover, nothing. Just a pastor performing the rites in Emmy¡¯s back yard, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You really need to learn how to do royal weddings better,¡± Donny grumbled, but Sana elbowed him for me so I didn¡¯t have to.


    After getting everybody settled in to the resort, I gratefully accepted a ride from Edouard back to Fallbrook. Relaxing in the back of that big BMW, I lost myself in thoughts of the wedding, so it took a moment to realize that Edouard had asked me something.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I missed that,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Would you like to go to your mother¡¯s apartment, or to the Lascaux estate, Miss Farmer?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Well, to be honest, I¡¯d love to go out to see Emmy right now, but if I don¡¯t stop off and spend time with Mom and Tiffany they¡¯ll be upset. So I guess my house, please.¡± Thinking about it for a moment, I added ¡°And in forty-eight hours you¡¯ll have to start calling me ¡®Mrs Farmer¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied. ¡°If it is not too familiar, may I ask why you are keeping your name?¡±


    Amused by the assumption that I would take Emmy¡¯s name and not the other way around, I said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Emmy and I discussed it, and she¡¯s famous as Emmy De Lascaux, so changing her name wouldn¡¯t really work. Plus the whole ¡®family line¡¯ thing too, of course,¡± I added. ¡°And for me, I have a ton of business under the name ¡®Farmer¡¯ and it would be awkward to try to change all that, as much as ¡®Leah De Lascaux¡¯ does sound great,¡± throwing that in to please his family pride. ¡°So we decided that we¡¯d keep our names, and when we have a daughter, she will take the Lascaux name.¡±


    Of course, the discussion had been quite a bit more involved than that, with talk of hyphens, keeping De Lascaux as a stage name and so on, but ultimately we had decided that simplest was best.


    I had a little sense of deja vu when Edouard pulled the car into the lot by my Mom¡¯s apartment, remembering back to high school. I had a little bit of a chuckle to myself that it hadn¡¯t even occurred to me to grab my own suitcase from the trunk, merely assuming that Edouard would get it for me. I guess I really had changed.


    Tiffany was still in school and Mom was out, so I had the apartment to myself for a few hours. I settled in to my room, lying down on my little old bed, wondering how Emmy and I had ever both actually slept on the thing. It really wasn¡¯t all that long ago, I mused, but it felt like a different life. We were kids, doing kid things, and now, just a few years later, we were adults and doing grown-up things. Like getting married. I wasn¡¯t even old enough to drink without a fake I.D., and here I was, about to get married. There is no way I could have imagined this at the start of my senior year in high school.


    The doorbell jarred me from my thoughts just then, so I got up and answered the door. It was that same BMW dealership salesman I¡¯d gotten used to, handing me the key fob to yet another loaner sedan.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr Powell,¡± I said, taking the key. He seemed surprised I remembered him, so I added ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell Mr Lascaux thanks for this, and thanks for your help.¡± This seemed to perk him up, and it¡¯s always good to keep people on your side, right? If telling his boss that he did a good job got him any sort of benefit, far be it from me to withhold that.


    I¡¯d gone back to my nap, and when Mom and Tiff got home I felt nice and refreshed. Sometimes even a little bit of sleep can make a world of difference, and this was one of those times.


    Tiffany was in a serious phase, which Mom had said reminded her of me as a kid. Every time I came home it seemed as if she¡¯d grown much taller and much older in just the span of a few months, and this time was no different.


    ¡°Hi, Leah,¡± Tiffany said, feigning disinterest. She wasn¡¯t going to run up and hug me they way she used to do- no way. She was ten years old now! Practically grown up.


    Mom wasn¡¯t shy about giving me a hug, though, and I was glad for it. As sappy as it may sound, there really is no substitute for a mom¡¯s love.


    ¡°Hey, how about I take you two out to dinner tonight?¡± I asked, thinking about that restaurant in Escondido.


    ¡°Well, normally I¡¯d say yes, but I invited Mei Ling over for dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be great to see her again,¡± I replied. ¡°She could come with us, if that¡¯s alright with her.¡±


    ¡°I guess we can ask,¡± Mom said, and I took that to be a yes. I called the restaurant and made reservations for four, explaining to Mom that if Mei Ling didn¡¯t want to go out I could cancel.


    As it turned out, she was happy to go out for dinner. ¡°It¡¯s a rare treat,¡± she said. We piled into the loaner car and headed south to dinner. I didn¡¯t really dress up any more than usual this time, since Mei Ling was wearing fairly casual clothes and this is Southern California, after all.


    Mei Ling was fascinated by the topic of upcoming wedding, and a bit worried she¡¯d feel out of place since she didn¡¯t know anybody that was going to be there other than the three of us at that table.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Tiffany replied at that. ¡°You¡¯ll love Emmy. Everybody does.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have much to do on Saturday, so I hung out at the resort hotel with Michael, Jassie, Donny and Sana. Jassie was having a blast playing in the pool while the rest of us just watched. There were some other kids about her age playing and splashing around, and it was great to see her acting like the other early-teen kids, flirting, chasing, being chased- all the stuff normal kids do at that age. A few short years of living normally had totally transformed her from the small, frightened child she¡¯d been when we dragged her and her father off the streets.


    Michael, too, was better for it. He was healthy, well fed, and nicely turned out. He gave off the air of somebody who knew their place in the world, sort of an ¡®upper management¡¯ vibe. It had been a stroke of luck when he¡¯d come into our lives, for Emmy and me as well as for him and his daughter. We relied on him quite a bit, and he¡¯d never once said he couldn¡¯t do what we asked, and never once failed in doing it. I had literally trusted him with my life, and had no regrets or misgivings.


    Later, I drove out to the Lascaux mansion to see if there was anything I needed to do for the preparations. Emmy¡¯s mom made it clear that she had everything under control, so Emmy and I retreated back up to her old room.


    ¡°One last time for premarital sex?¡± Emmy suggested, knowing the magic words to get me revved up. ¡°You had me at ¡®sex¡¯.¡± I said, smothering her with kisses. I gently pushed her back until she fell backwards onto that big old bed of hers. I¡¯d pulled off her shoes and socks and was just starting to unbutton her jeans when a knock on the door interrupted me.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Emmy called out, despite my urgent whispers to ignore it.


    ¡°Princess, your friend Tom and his friend Robert are here,¡± Emmy¡¯s mom called through the door. She hadn¡¯t made any attempt to open the door, to my relief. ¡°It would be good of you to come down to greet them.¡±


    Buttoning up her pants, Emmy gave me a wry smile. ¡°We will be right down,¡± she said. ¡°I promise sex soon, Leah. Even if we have to disappear for a little bit.¡±


    ¡°If I said you had a really sexy body, would you hold it against me?¡± I asked.


    Emmy gave me a puzzled look, then laughed when she understood the joke. ¡°I promise I will hold my body against yours. I will hold it so close, parts might actually be inside you.¡±


    We found Tom and Robert down in the basement, Tom showing his boyfriend the theater. He had selected the original Star Wars movie and we got there just as Darth Vader shows up for the first time.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± I said as we entered. ¡°How was your flight?¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± said Tom, giving Emmy and then me a big hug. ¡°I tell you though, it¡¯s weird to be back in Fallbrook.¡± Turning to Emmy, he said ¡°Thanks for letting us stay out here. I really didn¡¯t want to risk accidentally bumping into my folks in town.¡±


    ¡°It is my pleasure, Tom. I am glad you two could come down for this,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Are you kidding? This is a big deal! And anyway, you bought the tickets and the tuxedos, so how could we say no?¡±


    Emmy and I just relaxed and hung out down in the theater with the two guys and chatted about Portland, Palo Alto, Fallbrook, whatever while the movie ran in the background. It was nice to catch up, and visit with old friends that we hadn¡¯t seen in a while.


    After the movie, we went up to the kitchen to see if there was any food, and Marie-Anne whipped us up some chicken with rice, which was just perfect.


    ¡°Who else is going to be here from our old group? Asked Tom between bites.


    ¡°Well, Mindy and you are really the only ones.¡± I answered.


    ¡°What about Courtney?¡± Tom asked.


    ¡°I haven''t heard word from her since we graduated,¡± I said, surprised at how I felt a little stab of pain at the thought.


    ¡°Stephanie?¡± Tom asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s still on tour with the Sons and couldn¡¯t make it,¡± I answered. I was at least half convinced that she really could have gotten on a plane for this but chose not to. I would have been happy to have her there, but I could also understand that it would be awkward and maybe a bit painful, too. Still, I really did think of her as a friend and wished the baggage could be ignored for at least a weekend.


    ¡°Bummer,¡± Tom said, and I couldn¡¯t agree more.


    After getting the two guys settled in one of the guest rooms, Emmy said point blank ¡°I am sorry we must leave you now. I promised Leah sex, and it is getting to be time.¡± Of course, the two broke out laughing as I turned beet red.


    ¡°Go get ¡®em, Tiger!¡± Tom said, giving me a gentle punch on the shoulder.


    ¡°Rock her world,¡± Robert added, giving me a big ¡®thumbs up¡¯.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you said that,¡± I complained as we headed back to Emmy¡¯s room.


    ¡°It is true, is it not?¡± Emmy asked, laughing that musical laugh of hers.


    We opted for some good tub time, Emmy lighting a candle and turning off the lights the way she had on that very first night we¡¯d ever made love. To be honest, it really changed the dynamic. I¡¯d been ready for some hot and sweaty sex before, but with the memories of that night years ago, it turned out to be a night for gentle caresses, slow kisses, and lots of sweet words of love.


    True to Emmy¡¯s word, parts of her did wind up inside me- her little nubbin in my mouth, her fingers deep inside my pussy, but most of all, I felt her deep in my heart. She had worked her way in there, and it was the best feeling imaginable.


    Unfortunately, the water cooled off far too soon and we were wrinkled prunes anyway, so we toweled off, kissed some more, and then it was time for me to go home. Well, what used to be my home, anyway. Now my true home was with Emmy. Returning to the nest felt different nowadays.

 The Big Day, Part II

    The next morning Donny showed up to my apartment at about nine to help me get ready. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure how this is supposed to work,¡± he confessed. ¡°I mean, ¡®best man¡¯ is usually the guy that helps the groom get his shit together, right? But you¡¯re a bride, to state an obvious point. Am I supposed to help you with your makeup? Supposed to help you get into your wedding gown? What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, some of that, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, this is my first time, too.¡± This got the laugh I was hoping for and helped ease the stress a little bit. ¡°You have the ring, right?¡±


    ¡°Right here,¡± he said, tapping his pocket.


    ¡°And your tux?¡±


    ¡°Sana is taking it out to Emmy¡¯s house,¡± he answered. ¡°Taken care of.¡±


    ¡°Well, my dress is here, but I¡¯m not gonna put it on until we get there. I¡¯ve already done everything I can here, but we aren¡¯t supposed to get there until eleven. Edouard is coming to pick us up in about an hour and a half. My mom and my sister have already gone out there.¡±


    ¡°What are we going do until then?¡± Donny asked, voicing the question I¡¯d just been pondering.


    ¡°Beats me,¡± I said, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes me feel better,¡± Donny said. ¡°I¡¯m not the only clueless idiot.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, this is my first time, too.¡±


    We wound up killing time listening to music and just talking about Sana and when the two of them were going to get married.


    ¡°Sana wants to get married up in Seattle, but all our friends are down here. In Palo Alto, I mean,¡± he added. ¡°I told her that my parents would come down, but she wants all of my family to be there, even the ones I really don¡¯t ever see. Family is a big deal for her, I guess because she hasn¡¯t really had any of her own since she was a kid, you know?¡±


    When Edouard knocked, I took one last quick look around to make sure I wasn¡¯t forgetting anything, then grabbed my bag and off we went.


    ¡°This car is super nice,¡± Donny marveled. ¡°I mean, your Aston is sexy as hell, but this¡­ This is just super cush.¡±


    ¡°The very first time I rode in this car it felt like a vault to me. It was like being locked away in a private little world,¡± I told him.


    ¡°That was back in high school, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Emmy and Edouard used to give me rides to and from school every day. It sure beat the hell out of the bus!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d say so,¡± Donny agreed.


    Donny hadn¡¯t yet seen the Lascaux house, so he was agog from the moment we went through the gate.


    ¡°They live in a gated community?¡± has asked.


    ¡°No, that gate is just for their house alone.¡±


    Winding our way through the orchard, he got his first glimpse of the house. ¡°Holy¡­¡± he said, not finding the words.


    The place was buzzing with activity, and Carmela, the maid who¡¯d comforted me the time I¡¯d come looking for Emmy, led Donny and me away from the house and out to the pool. Apparently my ¡®dressing room¡¯ was going to be the pool house¡¯s back area, to keep me away from possibly seeing Emmy too early.


    ¡°God, this is amazing,¡± Donny breathed, wowed by the grounds, the pool and the pool house itself.


    ¡°You need to get a tour of the main house,¡± I told him. ¡°It¡¯s incredible.¡±


    ¡°It would have to be, if this is just the pool house,¡± Donny agreed.


    ¡°In an hour, you two will need to be dressed and ready,¡± Carmela interrupted, explaining the rules. ¡°If you are hungry or thirsty I can get you whatever you need, but you two are not supposed to go to the main house.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Carmela, I said. ¡°I could use a Coke, please.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± said Donny. ¡°Thanks!¡±


    We found where Donny¡¯s tux and my dress were hung up, so I went into the bathroom and sat down at the vanity to put on my makeup while Donny hung out to keep me company.


    ¡°It¡¯s always a bit weird to see you with makeup on,¡± he said as I applied my eyeliner.


    Just then a loud knock on the door announced the entrance of the same makeup lady that had done me up for that Las Vegas party.


    ¡°Oh, no, missy!" she said, taking the eyeliner from my hand. ¡°That is my job today.¡±


    Grateful for professional help, I sat while she put on more makeup than I was used to, but somehow it wound up looking as if I weren¡¯t really wearing makeup at all. Just somehow more beautiful, more perfect. It was like some sort of strange magic.


    To Donny¡¯s surprise, after she was done with me she sat him down and worked on him a bit, too. She didn¡¯t really apply any makeup per se, just groomed his eyebrows, trimmed his silly little goatee a bit, then powdered him so he wouldn''t be shiny in the photos. The individual actions were small, but it did make him look a bit more handsome, to his surprise.


    After the makeup lady scooted out, Donny said ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s time to get dressed. You first or me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need some help,¡± I confessed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can even get my dress on by myself.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K.,¡± Donny said, suddenly nervous. ¡°I guess as best man I¡¯m supposed to help you get dressed, but I didn¡¯t realize it was gonna be literal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a real pain.¡±


    ¡°But there is a real solid upside, though,¡± Donny said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, I get to finally see you nakie!¡±


    ¡°I should have seen that coming,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± he replied, his big goofy grin threatening to split his face in two.


    ¡°Well, unlucky for you, I don¡¯t need any help putting on my underwear,¡± I said, having a hard time being mad at him. Donny was always good for a laugh, always good to lighten the mood.


    ¡°Well, can I at least watch?¡±


    Tapping my chin and looking thoughtful, I said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see why not. Just this one time, though. After today I¡¯m going to be a married woman.¡±


    The look on Donny¡¯s face was absolutely priceless. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what she said,¡± I added.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Donny howled in disappointment. ¡°For a moment there¡­¡± he trailed off, at a loss for words.


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    ¡°As a consolation, you will get to see me in my sexy undies,¡± I told him, laughing.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s O.K. then,¡± he said, brightening up a bit.


    Donny went into the bathroom to change into his tux while I waited. He really was going to see me in my sexy undies, a fact that was now obvious but which I hadn¡¯t planned for. ¡®Oh well,¡¯ I mentally shrugged. ¡®What¡¯s a little near-nudity between friends?¡¯


    Donny emerged from the bathroom looking better than I could have ever imagined. His unruly curls had been tamed and the tux fit him properly. He actually looked comfortable in it, too, which is the key for a man to make a tuxedo work. If you can make it seem you wear one frequently enough that it¡¯s no more of a thing than a T shirt and jeans, well then, you¡¯ve got style to spare.


    Me, on the other hand, I was still staring at my wedding dress in dismay, my T shirt and sweatpants still firmly on my body.


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± asked Donny, no trace of flippancy in his voice. He really was there to help me, and was going to do what he could.


    ¡°Well, when the dress was fitted, there were three ladies that helped me get it on, and it was sort of chaotic. I think you need to hold it up by the front while I step into it, then help me fasten it in back,¡± I explained, trying to remember the process. Seriously, why are these things so complicated?


    While Donny took the dress out of the closet, removed the cover and hanger and brought it up to hold it as I¡¯d asked, I kicked off my Vans and pulled off my T and sweats.


    Donny looked over at me, and said ¡°Yup. You were right. Those are sexy undies,¡± and left it at that, to my relief. He held the dress down low so I could step into the skirt, which was a pain because there was so much extra cloth involved. In retrospect it made it obvious why they¡¯d had that little pedestal at the dress boutique.


    I finally got my feet on solid ground inside the skirt with no material trapped under my feet, so Donny and I hitched up the waistband and lifted the top part of the dress into place. Thankfully the whole process was so involved that I didn¡¯t have time to be embarrassed about being mostly naked in front of Donny.


    That is, until he helped with the fastener in back and said, ¡°Um, Leah, did you realize this dress has a fairly open back?¡±


    ¡°I should,¡± I replied. ¡°I did pick it out, after all.¡±


    ¡°Well, did you maybe not take your bra straps into account?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have got to be freaking kidding me,¡± I groaned, instantly realizing what Donny had meant.


    Sighing, I said ¡°OK, undo me.¡±


    Donny unfastened the dress so I could lower the front. ¡°Since you¡¯re there, go ahead and unhook my bra, too,¡± I directed.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Donny asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure,¡± I said. ¡°I guess you¡¯re going to get to see more of me than I¡¯d expected.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s cool. I won¡¯t look,¡± Donny said, being a gentleman.


    ¡°Might as well,¡± I told him. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve seen you with your shirt off, right? Fair¡¯s fair,¡± I said, dropping my bra off my shoulders and tossing it on the couch with my other clothes. Of course, while I did this the dress dropped down to my knees again, since neither of us were holding it up.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Donny exclaimed, and when he bent quickly to grab the dress from falling all the way to the floor he accidentally bumped me.


    My feet were trapped by the skirt, so I couldn¡¯t step forward to balance myself, and this had the predictable comedic results- I went sprawling on the carpet.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Donny said again, dropping the dress to help me up. ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve broken my ego," I moaned. ¡°Or at least sprained it severely,¡± I said as I stood up. At this point any hint of modestly was long gone, and humor was the best that could be salvaged from the situation.


    Standing there in nothing but my lacy silk French-cut panties, I looked Donny straight in the eye. ¡°Sana and Emmy never hear of this,¡± I said, my tone low. ¡°Never.¡±


    Donny smirked for a moment, then said ¡°Agreed,¡± in the same conspiratorial voice.


    I¡¯d gotten to the ¡®aw fuck it¡¯ stage of acceptance at this point and said ¡°By the way, Donny, you look really good in that tux. Seriously.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks- but you look even better in those panties,¡± Donny said.


    Donny had become the best guy friend I¡¯d ever had, and the fact he would casually joke about it to defuse the situation in what could have been a crushingly embarrassing moment just minutes before the second biggest day of my life meant the world to me. Rolling with it, I went and got a drink from my Coke and calmed myself for a moment. If I was going to be almost completely nude in front of Donny, I was going to own it. I took a couple of minutes, then squared my shoulders to return for another round with that dress.


    This time it went without a hitch. Donny and I had both learned from our mistakes in round one and in moments the dress was up, on, and fastened correctly. Except for my shoes, that is. I¡¯d vetoed heels, since I¡¯m already taller than Emmy by nearly six inches, but really I should have put on my ballet flats before attempting the dress. Thankfully, Donny came to the rescue again, slipping my shoes on while I held on to the back of the couch for balance.


    Checking myself over in the floor-length mirror, I was happy with the way I looked. Thankfully none of the comedy skit we¡¯d performed had ruined my hair or makeup, so all that was left were the pearl necklace and earrings. Donny was still styled up nicely, too, so we were good to go with ten minutes to spare. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could even sit down in my dress, so I just stood there and sipped my Coke through its straw while we waited for our cue.


    ¡°You have the ring, right?¡± I asked again, my nerves starting to show a tiny bit.


    ¡°Right here,¡± Donny confirmed, pulling the little velvet box from his pocket, then removing the ring and handing it to me to inspect. I glanced at it, and yes, it was the correct ring, so I handed it back. Donny tossed the box onto the pile of my clothes and slipped the ring into his pocket.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to fuss with the box when it comes time,¡± he explained at my puzzled expression.


    Just as the standing around started to become awkward, Donny said ¡°You know, Leah, I knew you¡¯d been working out, but seeing you like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Naked, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, naked,¡± he agreed. ¡°You are, like, fully freaking built. I mean, I¡¯d seen you plenty in your volleyball outfit and that doesn¡¯t leave a whole lot to the imagination, but I¡¯d never seen your shoulders and back before. You¡¯re just¡­ built!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you said that already,¡¯ I laughed.


    ¡°Well, it bears repeating. You''re a solid mass of muscle- I mean, impressive as all get out.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Don,¡± I replied, sipping on my drink.


    ¡°But I do have to tell you, and don¡¯t take this personally, Leah,¡± Donny hedged.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, wondering where he was going with this.


    ¡°Sana¡¯s boobs are better than yours,¡± he said, his voice serious.


    ¡°Jeeze, Don. Way to give a girl a complex,¡± I laughed. Really, if there was one great talent Donny had, it was his ability to make a joke at just the right moment.


    Carmela arrived at about that time to usher us to the tent where the wedding was going to take place. Emmy and I had figured that for the actual ceremony, I¡¯d take the lead and she would follow, as if I were the groom and she the bride. I had to admit at least a tiny bit of that was that we had settled into me in the traditionally male role in our household, and I was maybe just a tiny bit more butch than Emmy¡­ or something like that.


    That meant that for the wedding, I¡¯d already be in place with Donny by my side when Tiffany, scattering flower petals, led Emmy down the aisle, walking arm in arm with her father.


    The actual ceremony went off seamlessly. I said I did, Emmy said she did, we put our rings on each other¡¯s fingers, kissed, and smiled for the assembled crowd. I was terrified I¡¯d blow my few lines or drop the ring or something like that, but thankfully I¡¯d gotten all my embarrassing pratfalls done beforehand. Of course, Emmy was flawless as usual. She was calm, collected, and unbelievably beautiful. The cliche is to say that she was never more beautiful than that moment, but it was absolutely true. She was glowing with happiness, radiant in that wedding gown, graceful and poised, but smiling and welcoming at the same time. It¡¯s corny, but I really do believe that I was the luckiest person in the world just then.


    The next couple of hours were nothing but posing for pictures, greeting everybody that had come, and eating cake. The only part of it that stands out in my memory was when Grandma gave Emmy a hug and a kiss, then hugged and kissed me.


    ¡°From the time you were little,¡± she said, her voice a little bit quiet so only I could hear, ¡°I figured you were probably never going to be able to get married. But thankfully the laws and peoples¡¯ attitudes have changed, and now look at you. You look happier than I¡¯ve ever seen you, dear. Emmy seems really sweet- you make sure you treat her right- especially in the bedroom. And the kitchen. And every other room in the house, for that matter.¡±


    I laughed, a bit scandalized, but I saw the love in my grandma¡¯s eyes. ¡°How long have you known I was gay?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Eh, since you were maybe ten or eleven, I guess. That¡¯s when I think I started noticing the way you looked at other girls more than boys. Also, you have to remember, I live in Palm Springs, which may be the gayest town in the world, so it isn¡¯t as if I¡¯m not exposed to it, you know. Besides, I did go to an all-girls college.¡±


    Eventually it came time for us to leave so Emmy and I piled into the BMW and Edouard drove us out of sight of the party, but then around back and to the pool house via a back driveway I hadn¡¯t realized existed. It was sort of a silly thing, ducking out like that, but it meant we could change into normal clothes for our escape to our honeymoon. Emmy hadn¡¯t seen my wedding dress before the ceremony and I hadn¡¯t seen hers (they were coordinated by the wedding designer Emmy¡¯s mom had hired), so when I dropped the gown off my shoulders and my bare boobs made their appearance she gave me a funny look.


    ¡°No bra?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The dress has an open back,¡± I explained, shrugging, which refocused her attention on my chest.


    ¡°Lucky me,¡± she breathed, cupping my breasts and rubbing her thumbs over my rapidly puckering nipples.


    ¡°Edouard is waiting,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°But-¡± she pouted, not letting go of my boobs.


    ¡°Ever hear of the mile high club? We can join it in just a little while,¡± I said, remembering Donny¡¯s antics on the plane.


    ¡°I do not know what that is,¡± Emmy said, reluctantly letting go of my anatomy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain once we take off,¡± I promised.

 Changes in Latitudes

    ¡°Feel the air!¡± Emmy said as we disembarked from the plane. ¡°It is so thick! It feels like swimming!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong- compared to the low humidity we were used to in California, just moving through the air in Southern Florida did feel a bit like swimming. At eight in the morning it was already warm, too. Not hot yet, but I could feel it was going to get that way before long.


    Emmy skipped across the tarmac to the private plane terminal, her excitement too much to contain. Me, I just watched Emmy, her antics bringing a smile to my face. This was the Emmy that had captured my heart, lighthearted and in love with the world. This was the Emmy that I wanted to never lose again. This was the Emmy I would do anything to protect from life¡¯s troubles, even if it meant twice the load on me.


    Impatient at my slow progress, she dropped back to where I was walking and took my hand to pull me forward. ¡°Come on!¡± she demanded.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry,¡± I replied. ¡°We¡¯re on our honeymoon. That means vacation. That means nothing to do but relax and enjoy ourselves.¡±


    ¡°But why would you want to spend even one extra minute in an airport?¡± she asked, and I had to admit I could see her point.


    Before we even got to the terminal doors, a middle-aged lady approached. ¡°Leah Farmer?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m Barbara Davis, with Miami Luxury Auto Rentals. The Land Rover you reserved is over this way,¡± she said, indicating the small parking lot adjacent to the terminal.


    I signaled to the Lascaux jet¡¯s steward to follow us with the luggage, and we all veered to go directly to the car. No reason to spend any longer in an airport than necessary, right?


    As the steward loaded our bags into the back of the car, I signed the paperwork the lady handed me. In just a few minutes we were done, and with a quick goodbye to Henri we took off.


    We¡¯d flown in to Miami instead of the Key West airport because I¡¯d always wanted to see the Overseas Highway from the tip of the mainland down through the Keys, and Emmy had another stop she wanted to make in South Florida- a place I¡¯d never heard of called the Coral Castle. Thankfully it turned out to be right off the highway to the Keys anyhow, so it wasn¡¯t going to be much of a detour.


    Driving in Florida was a bizarre experience. Ninety percent of the drivers on the freeway were just fine, but roughly ten percent used some sort of random internal guideline as to what was the appropriate speed. It could be forty miles an hour, ninety-five miles an hour, whatever- just as long as it wasn¡¯t the speed everybody else was going. I just couldn¡¯t understand it.


    It was pretty nerve-wracking for a while, but I just took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and tried to accept it for what it was. The little Evoque we rented was a good choice for the drive, I¡¯m glad to say. It was reasonably quiet inside, the air conditioner worked extremely well, and the car had good road manners. All this mattered more than you might expect because the drive was a lot longer than I¡¯d realized. We didn¡¯t spend any time in Miami, just got on the road and headed south, the morning warming up quickly. Even still, the GPS said it was going to be almost five hours to our destination. Add in a few stops here and there and it was going to be late afternoon by the time we got to the bed and breakfast we¡¯d booked.


    Soon enough we were out of the heavy traffic of the Miami area and seeing signs for the Everglades and the Keys. Emmy had set the GPS for the Coral Castle, which really wasn¡¯t all that far away.


    The parking lot for the castle wasn¡¯t all that promising, but this was something Emmy really wanted to see so I didn¡¯t grumble. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t put up any sort of fight, either, because the place was amazing. Sad, when you hear the story, but amazing.


    Emmy and I took the guided tour and when that was done spent a while just wandering around. I was a bit worried for Emmy, since it was a sunny morning and she was wearing a lightweight sleeveless sun dress with sandals. Sure, she had on her big sun hat- you know the kind. Made of straw, with a big black ribbon tied into a bow for the hat band. The ensemble was freaking adorable on her, but except for the hat and sunglasses left her pretty well exposed to the sun. Yeah, I¡¯d sprayed her down liberally with Coppertone SPF 100 on top of the special sunblock she applied every morning, but still¡­


    There just wasn¡¯t a lot of shade. Calling the place a castle was a bit of a stretch, but it did have big stone walls around the outside, so I guess that¡¯s all it takes.


    Emmy was completely in love with the place, and the story of its creation and the guy who built it captured her imagination. She was bouncing from carving to staircase, rocking chair to pivoting door to standing stone. She was buzzing with enthusiasm, and all I could do was watch and enjoy her joy.


    Of course, I wasn¡¯t the only one who was following her around like a puppy- at least a half dozen other tourists asked to take her picture, or for her autograph and so on. None of that bothered Emmy in the slightest. If anything it only improved her mood, which still continued to amaze me.


    Thankfully we were not surrounded by fans when we went to the upper floor of the little ¡®tower¡¯, because Emmy, in her playful mood, flipped up the skirt of her little sundress as I followed her up the stone stairs, giving me a quick eyeful of her lovely little bubble butt and the tiny little thong (not) covering it. The small room at the top was deserted, so I seized the opportunity and took her into my arms, sliding one hand up under her skirt to squeeze the body part in question.


    ¡°Oh, you beast!¡± she squealed in mock dismay as I bent down and nuzzled her neck.


    I just growled in response and slid my fingers a bit farther in between her legs, rubbing the smooth silk barely covering her slit. A soft moan is all she replied as she lifted her leg and wrapped it around my hips. Needless to say, this did nothing to discourage me, so I continued kissing her, and sliding my fingertips past the flimsy barrier of her tiny little panties. I stroked and rubbed her little nub with my pinkie, slid my fingertips up and down her folds, and eased the tip of my middle finger gently in and out, enjoying the sensation of her body reacting to my touch. Her little gasps of pleasure as I nibbled her earlobe were enough to drive me mad, too, I have to admit. Emmy was so damned sexy it hurt and right then I couldn''t stop for anything.


    I could feel it building, and when Emmy¡¯s entire body went tense with her orgasm I felt my own hit me as well. Mine was nothing near Emmy¡¯s, but it was satisfying in its own way. I knew that I was going to get very, very laid that night at the bed and breakfast, so this was just a bit of a teaser- foreplay, very before.


    Emmy unwrapped her leg from around me, readjusted her panties, and gave me a shy smile. ¡°Thank you, Leah. That was wonderful,¡± she said, then picked up her sun hat from where it had fallen. I gave her butt a quick squeeze as she did so, causing her to straighten up quickly and give me a light slap on the chest.


    ¡°Beast!¡± she laughed, her face all lit up with the afterglow.


    Back on the road, Emmy thumbed through one of the books about the Coral Castle that she¡¯d bought in the gift shop, but her attention soon focused on the scenery as water started appearing on both sides of the highway.


    ¡°Is this the Everglades?¡± she asked. ¡°Can we see alligators?¡±


    ¡°Um, we¡¯ve been passing the Everglades for a while now,¡± I told her. ¡°I think this is sea water. I think we are actually heading out to the Keys right now.¡±


    ¡°This does not look how I imagined,¡± she said, sounding disappointed.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it will soon enough,¡± I said, negotiating the first bend in the road in quite a while. As it turns out, there was a fair bit of unlovely on the drive, but there were plenty of sections that were just amazing. The road, when it passed through each individual Key, was mostly touristy restaurants, dive shops, store fronts for sport fishing marinas and so on- not really attractive at all. Between the Keys, though, when the road was actually a bridge over the water, it was stunningly beautiful and it made me glad we¡¯d opted to do it this way instead of just flying in to Key West itself.


    One of the prettiest spots was Bahia Honda Key, where Emmy insisted we pull off the highway and into the state park. We walked along the beach, then out onto the old train bridge that ran parallel to the modern highway. The water was a collection of blues and greens, and so transparent you could clearly see the fish swimming down below. We snapped some pictures with our phones, but they could never have done any real justice to the scenery.


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    Again, I was a bit concerned with Emmy¡¯s exposure to the sun, so I¡¯d made sure to hose her down again with sunblock before we started our walk. She¡¯d protested a little bit, but I didn¡¯t want her to get burned. As it turned out, she did O.K., but she did spend most of the walk out onto the bridge holding her hat in place to prevent the breeze from blowing it away.


    We finally got to our bed and breakfast in the heart of Key West at about five in the afternoon, which wasn¡¯t a moment too soon for Emmy. She wanted to take a nap as soon as we checked in, and I can¡¯t say that I blamed her one bit. The place was nice- it was an old Southern-style Victorian mansion, with a big wrap-around porch and lush tropical foliage.


    Our room was on the second floor, facing the back of the property. My favorite part of the room was the big veranda, with a really comfy seating area and a hammock off to the side.


    I unpacked our stuff as Emmy showered to get clean before snoozing for a little bit. I felt pretty sticky from sweating in the warm, humid air but I figured I¡¯d shower later, before bed. No point in cleaning off when we were going to be back outside soon enough where it was still kinda hot and muggy.


    Dinner that night was at a local restaurant near where we were staying, but I can¡¯t say it was all that memorable. We went straight back to the bed and breakfast afterwards- Emmy wanted to spend some time in their little pool before heading to bed, and that sounded good to me.


    We¡¯d packed our same old swim suits, which was O.K. for Emmy, but my gold suit didn¡¯t fit me very well any more. ¡°Good enough for now,¡± I said when Emmy suggested we should buy another. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll need one before we go to the beach, but for tonight this¡¯ll do.¡±


    Wrapping ourselves in the fluffy robes that were provided, we soon found ourselves passing through the back screened-in porch, which had a little wet bar on one side. ¡°Hello, ladies,¡± said the middle-aged woman behind the bar. ¡°Can I get you anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like something tropical,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°What is good?¡±


    Laughing, the woman started grabbing bottles. ¡°You¡¯ve come to the right town for that,¡± she said. ¡°If there is anything Key West is famous for, it¡¯s rum drinks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take one, too,¡± I said, even though I don¡¯t normally drink. Hey, our honeymoon, vacation, and a town famous for tiki drinks, right? What choice was there?


    Taking our vivid orange and red drinks out to the back patio, we found the tiny little pool was empty, just waiting for us. It was nice for dipping and relaxing, but trying to swim a lap would only work if you were less than three feet tall. Thankfully there was a separate hot tub, so we could alternate between bathtub-warm water in the little pool and really hot water in the jacuzzi.


    We were just relaxing in the jacuzzi, sipping our drinks, Emmy on my lap when an older couple showed up. They weren¡¯t particularly rude, but he couldn''t keep his eyes off us and she glared daggers in our direction. Unfortunately, this made for an uncomfortable situation, so Emmy and I finished our drinks and went back up to our room.


    ¡°Why do you think she seemed to dislike us so much?¡± asked Emmy, but I¡¯m sure she had as much or more of an idea than I did.


    Making light of it, I said ¡°It wasn¡¯t you she resented,¡± I said. ¡°It was me.¡±


    ¡°What? Why is that?¡±


    ¡°She was just jealous. She knew I was going to get the hottest babe in the universe naked tonight, but all she had was her fat old husband who stopped satisfying her twenty years ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You are so mean!¡± Emmy laughed. ¡°But, is it true?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I replied. ¡°I am going to get you naked.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s eyes widened in mock surprise. ¡°You truly are a beast! You had me earlier today- was that not enough?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? That was just a sneak preview of coming attractions!¡± I said as I lowered the robe off her shoulders, dropping it to the ground.


    ¡°Oh? And what is the main feature?¡± she asked, playing along as I reached around and untied the strap of her bikini top.


    ¡°Well, it features a lot of action,¡± I said as I pulled her top off completely, then knelt down in front of her and tugged the high waist of her thong bottom off her hips.


    ¡°Just action?¡± asked Emmy.


    ¡°No, there will be romance, too,¡± I said as her bikini bottom fell to the floor and I leaned in and kissed her on the belly button, playing with the little stud with my tongue.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course, there will be humor, too,¡± I said, then quickly picked her up and tossed her bodily onto the big, soft bed.


    Shrieking with surprise, Emmy laughed and said ¡°I think I will enjoy this film!¡±


    I threw off my own robe and shucked my bikini in a flash, wanting to waste no time getting to the action. I climbed onto the bed, kneeling but otherwise upright. I reached down and caressed Emmy¡¯s feet, which were on either side of my knees. In another sudden move, I lifted her feet up in the air, pulling her close to me, her feet now resting on my shoulders.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Emmy squealed. ¡°What are you going to do to me, you beast?¡±


    Rubbing my cheek on her instep, I slid my hands down the front of her shins, then past her knees. ¡°I am going to eat you up, my pretty little morsel!¡± I growled I''m my deepest, gravelliest voice. I¡¯m sure any bystander would have laughed, but hey- it was our game. Kissing my way down the inside of her leg, I continued to make growly animal noises as I lowered myself down.


    ¡°Sacre bleu! Vous ¨ºtes une monstre!¡± Emmy sighed, surrendering to my animal urges.


    I scooped my hands up under her hips and lifted them up, and she obliged by spreading her slender legs even wider to give me better access. I¡¯d been wanting this all afternoon- the smell of her on my fingers during the drive had been driving me nuts, and now I was going to feast like a starving animal. I didn¡¯t want to take it slow and easy this time, so I started by running my tongue up from the bottom of her slit straight to the little pearl hiding at the top, my tongue wide and flat.


    This seemed to be the right approach, as I got one of her rare moans of pleasure for my efforts. Encouraged, I did it all- the alphabet thing, the fast flicking, the long, slow dives, all of it, including a gentle scrape of my teeth on her little bud, which got another moan and a full-body spasm from her. It was the first time I¡¯d ever tried that with Emmy, but it had been something Steph really liked to do to me, so I figured I¡¯d give it a try. It seemed to be a winner, but not something I¡¯d do very often. I could feel Emmy getting close, her body writhing, legs trembling, breathing ragged.


    I eased off, kissing her labia, nuzzling her thighs, breathing my hot breath on her perfectly smooth mound. Emmy could only tolerate this for just so long, before she reached up and grabbed the sides of my head and pulled me back into place. ¡°Leah- no teasing! I need it!¡± she gasped, so I got back to work, smashing my face into her perfect little pussy, driving my tongue as deep as I possibly could. This was all it took, and she gave herself into an enormous orgasm, clamping my head between her thighs as her whole body shook and quivered. Emmy finally lost all muscle control and fell down boneless on the bed, panting with the effort.


    I sat back on my heels, enjoying the view. Emmy¡¯s skin had a light sheen of perspiration, but the air conditioning was drying it quickly. Her breathing was slowing down, but I still enjoyed the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Best of all, though, was the look she was giving me. It was a mix of utter contentment, love, and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, triumph.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking pretty self-satisfied there,¡± I said, stroking her legs.


    ¡°I am very satisfied with myself,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°Why should I not be? I have everything I ever wanted right here, right now.¡±


    ¡°So do I, Em, so do I,¡± I said as I settled down on my side next to her. Running my fingertips up and down from her hip to her collarbone, I enjoyed watching her shiver from my touch. She was just so perfectly sexy, glowing with the moment, that I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away. Not that I wanted to, mind you. I wanted to see this moment with my eyes, hear this moment with my ears, smell this moment with my nose, feel this moment with my fingertips, and savor this moment on my tongue.


    My freshly sexed-up lover, my beautiful wife. Mine, to have and to hold, even if it wasn¡¯t going to be forever.


    Emmy was sensitive to my mood, as always. ¡°Do not be sad, Leah,¡± she whispered. ¡°Do not think of anything but this moment.¡±


    Amazed how she could read me like a book, I kissed her shoulder and said ¡°I wish this could last forever.¡±


    ¡°But then it would not be special,¡± Emmy replied.


    There was nothing I could say to that- this was an argument I didn¡¯t want to have just then, and knew that it wasn¡¯t one I¡¯d ever win, anyhow. All I could do was hold her close and feel her heartbeat under my hand, listen to her breathing, and not lose myself in my own thoughts of loss.


    Emmy was fast asleep when I left to go for a nice run around the northeastern two thirds of the island. Roosevelt Boulevard had a big, smooth pedestrian walkway the entire length, making for a great place to stretch my legs, especially since it was pretty much deserted that early in the morning.


    Hearing the shower running when I got back to the room I wasted no time shucking my clothes and slipping into the bathroom. ¡°May I join you?¡± I asked.


    Emmy peeked out through the curtains, her eyes widening when she saw me ¡°Oh, no! It is the hungry beast!¡± she wailed, but her wide grin told me that she was just as in the mood as I was for some soapy time.


    Unfortunately, a two-up shower in that big old iron claw-footed tub turned out to not be as good an idea as we¡¯d thought. It was awkward and borderline dangerous, so we kept our shenanigans to a minimum. Really. Nothing more than Emmy helping to clean my hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, nothing more.


    After breakfast, we went out for a stroll around the neighborhood. Emmy wanted to take a photo of us at the famous ¡®Southernmost Point¡¯ pylon, and I just wanted to spend time with her doing whatever. Of course, before we set out I made sure to load her up with the SPF 100 sunblock again, and this time I sprayed myself as well.


    At some point in the day we had a little bit of shopping to do. I needed a new swim suit, and it seemed quite likely that we would see a bikini shop somewhere in town. We also needed to get some mosquito repellent- Emmy had gotten a few bites the night before. For whatever reason I hadn¡¯t gotten bitten, but I figured that wasn¡¯t going to last.


    Of course, we needed souvenirs to take home, too, and I absolutely knew we would see plenty of places willing to take our money in exchange for T shirts or snow globes or whatever, and let me say- I was not wrong.


    By now I¡¯d gotten used to people recognizing Emmy and wanting to talk to her, take her picture, get autographs- that kind of thing. Of course I knew that walking around town like all the other tourists was going to increase the opportunities for such encounters, too- but the encounter that I did not expect at all was for a blast from the past to bring his car to a screeching halt right next to us.

 Changes in Attitudes

    Just as were starting to think about what we should do for lunch, a car pulled to a sudden stop in the otherwise empty little street next to us. ¡°Hey! Leah! Emmy!¡± called out the driver as he stepped from his beat-up old Jeep Cherokee.


    I expected some sort of Downfall fan excited to see his favorite rock star but it turned out far more surprising than that.


    ¡°Hey, you two!¡± said Mr Pacheco, the old music teacher from Fallbrook High School. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Um, what are you doing here?¡± I asked, trying to process.


    ¡°I live here now,¡± he explained, leaving his car in the middle of the street, door wide open. ¡°I retired from teaching the year you guys graduated. Now I¡¯m back here in Florida,¡± he said, grinning, happy to see familiar faces.


    ¡°It is very good to see you, Mr Pacheco,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We are here for our honeymoon,¡± she explained, holding up her hand to show off her wedding ring.


    ¡°You guys got married? That¡¯s great!¡± he said. ¡°And call me Jordie. I¡¯m not Mr Pacheco the teacher any more. Now I¡¯m Jordie the beach bum and small business owner, and even my employees don¡¯t call me Mr Pacheco.¡±


    ¡°Jordie, it is, then. It is nice to see you again,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Emmy, I¡¯ve got to say I¡¯ve been following your career and I¡¯m super impressed. You¡¯ve really been making a name for yourself. It¡¯s great to see,¡± Jordie said. I was going to have a hard time with calling him Jordie, but I¡¯d give it a try.


    ¡°Hey, have you guys had lunch yet?¡± he asked as a car pulled up behind where his Jeep was blocking the street. ¡°How about I treat you to the best conch chowder on the island?¡± he asked, pronouncing it ¡®konk¡¯.


    Emmy looked at me and I just shrugged. ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    The three of us got into Jordie¡¯s rusty car and drove three blocks up the street to a small parking lot next to a brick building covered in brightly painted murals. The restaurant occupied the entire ground floor. Well, I say ¡®entire¡¯, but it wasn¡¯t particularly large at all. It seemed like the type of place that catered to the locals and not the tourist trade, but there were a handful of tables occupied by what were clearly out-of-towners. In just the few hours we¡¯d been in Key West I could already discern the signs.


    Jordie led up to an empty table by the window as everybody else in the place gawped at us. As I¡¯ve said, I had mostly gotten used to it now. It was only on the occasional rare moments when I became aware of the staring.


    To my surprise, Jordie didn¡¯t sit down with us. ¡°What would you two like to drink?¡± he asked as if he was the waiter. After taking our requests for a Coke for me and an iced tea for Emmy, he hustled back into the kitchen. The real waiter came over and handed us menus, which were just folded photocopies on mango-orange paper. ¡°Once Jordie gets you your drinks,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking care of you guys. I¡¯d recommend the Cuban sandwich.¡± Looking around to make sure nobody was listening, he leaned in conspiratorially ¡°It¡¯s the best thing on the menu,¡± he said in a low voice.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Jordie said as he placed three drinks on the table. ¡°Joey, three bowls of chowder,¡± he ordered.


    Shrugging, Joey said ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± as he headed back to the kitchen.


    ¡°How that kid managed to grow up here in the Keys hating seafood is beyond me,¡± Jordi said, shaking his head.


    ¡°I have to admit I¡¯m not generally a big seafood fan, either,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, at least try the chowder. If you don¡¯t like it, well, the sandwich is pretty good.¡±


    When Joey brought out the chowder, he asked Jordie ¡°Is there any way I can get off a bit early today? Some of the boys want to go out tonight and asked if I could go.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to close tonight, right? If you can get Manny to close you¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Joey said, immediately heading back to the kitchen, presumably to talk to Manny.


    ¡°My nephew,¡± Jordie explained. ¡°Good kid, and a decent worker, which is rare around here, let me tell you. Anyway, the chowder,¡± he said waving at the bowls. ¡°Probably not what you were expecting?¡±


    ¡°Um, no,¡± I admitted. ¡°I guess when I think of chowder I imagine sort of a gluey white kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this isn¡¯t that,¡± Jordie said, smiling. ¡°Give it a try.¡±


    ¡°It kinda looks like minestrone,¡± I said, stirring the soup to give it a bit to cool down.


    ¡°Yeah, it does a bit,¡± agreed Jordie. ¡°Most places use canned tomatoes, but we only use fresh,¡± he said, his pride showing.


    ¡°So how does a music teacher from Fallbrook wind up owning a restaurant all the way over here in Key West?¡± I asked as I waited for my soup to cool down a bit more. I don¡¯t have a very high tolerance for food that¡¯s too hot, and I didn¡¯t want to burn my mouth. For some reason it seems that tomatoes really retain the heat well, so I was taking precautions.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually from here originally. My family has lived in the Keys and Southern Florida for generations. My great grandfather opened this restaurant in 1923,¡± he said. ¡°I wound up in Fallbrook the same way everybody does- the Marines.¡±


    As he was giving us his life story, I finally got around to trying the chowder. Honestly, and I say this as somebody who really doesn¡¯t like seafood much, it was really good. A whole lot spicier than I¡¯d expected, too, even though I hadn¡¯t added a bunch of Tabasco the way Jordie had done to his.


    ¡°I met a local girl when I was stationed at Pendleton, got married and settled down,¡± Jordie explained. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to grow avocados working for my in-laws, so I finished college and got a job as a teacher,¡± he said finishing up his bowl of chowder. ¡°Twenty years later, it was time to cash it in and come back here.¡±


    ¡°Has it been difficult, coming back home after so long away?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Naw, not for me. For Sherry, though (that¡¯s my wife) it¡¯s been a bit of culture shock. But she likes to sail, so we spend a lot of time on the water. Plus we get up to Miami one, maybe two weekends a month in low season and she likes that. So it¡¯s been O.K.¡±


    ¡°Do you still play music?¡± Emmy asked, and pointed to the small stage on one side of the room. It was really just a raised area with a couple of track lights aimed down on it, but it was a stage.


    ¡°Yeah, on Friday and Saturday nights a couple of friends of mine and I play. Mostly just classic tunes to keep the tourists happy, you know?¡±


    "I would like to see that,¡± Emmy said, then turned to me. ¡°Mr Pacheco- sorry, Jordie,¡± she corrected herself, ¡°Has a wonderful singing voice. We should come back on Friday night to listen.¡±


    After lunch, we walked to the beach shop that Jordie had recommended and got the mosquito repellant we needed, along with some SPF 100 sunblock designed for ocean swimming. I tried on a few bikinis, but really didn¡¯t fall in love with any of them. I had just started looking at the one-piece suits when Emmy came up holding a hanger with an eye-popping blue two-piece that actually glowed under the fluorescent lights in the shop. It was fairly minimal, but not nearly as scandalous as something Emmy might wear.


    ¡°This is the one,¡± Emmy announced with finality.


    ¡°Mmm¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, taking it from her and looking it over.


    ¡°This. Is. The. One.¡±


    ¡°Well, let me try it on before we make that call, O.K.?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It will be perfect on you,¡± Emmy stated with conviction.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna try it on anyhow,¡± I said and headed for the little dressing room at the back of the shop. Just as I was checking myself out in the mirror, dreading telling Emmy that she was right- it fit me perfectly and did look good, she stuck her head in through the curtain.


    ¡°It is the one,¡± was all she said, before pulling her head back out of sight. Sighing, I changed back into my regular clothes and stepped out into the shop.


    ¡°Yes, you were right,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°I am looking forward to seeing you in it at the beach,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And out of it later on.¡±


    I had to admit to myself that so far married life was looking pretty damned good. Emmy was, too, in that sexy little summer dress, and she knew I was watching her little bubble butt sway as she walked. She looked over her shoulder and gave me a wink that promised more fun times in the near future, and all I could think about was rushing back to the bed and breakfast for some play time.


    On our way back to the B and B, Emmy was in a great mood, and so was I. It was nice to be out walking, and although it was kind of hot, there was a bit of a breeze moving the early afternoon air around so it wasn¡¯t too bad. Since it was past peak season, there really wasn¡¯t all that much traffic on the commercial street we were walking along and not very many pedestrians, either. It wasn¡¯t that we had the town to ourselves, really, but it wasn¡¯t too far off that, either. Strolling along, holding Emmy¡¯s hand, enjoying being a tourist- it was wonderful. Just the relaxing vacation I needed, and it sure seemed to be doing Emmy a world of good to be there as well.


    At the corner of the cross street that would lead us back to where we were staying, just as luck would have it, there was a little guitar shop. Of course, Emmy just had to check it out, so that¡¯s what we did. It certainly wasn¡¯t a repeat of the guitar shop visit back in high school, though. The moment the clerk¡¯s eyes landed on Emmy he recognized who it was and he immediately sprang into fanboy mode.


    ¡°Emmy!¡± he said, rushing up to say hello. ¡°Welcome to ¡®The Key Of G¡¯!¡±


    Emmy gave the guy a big smile, saying, ¡°We were just walking by and saw the shop. I wanted to come in and take look around.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    At this point the two other customers had stopped what they were doing and were staring at Emmy as well. I got the feeling it was more a matter of being star-struck than any reaction to her unusual looks. I mean, by this point she¡¯d been on plenty of magazine covers and so on, so she was an easily recognizable figure to almost everybody, not just subscribers to guitar or music magazines.


    ¡°Would you like to see any guitars? We have the nice ones over here," he said, leading us to the back wall of the shop.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Emmy gasped, spotting one in particular. ¡°That Taylor is beautiful,¡± she sighed. ¡°May I see it?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± the guy said, pulling the stunning sea-blue guitar down from the pegs.


    Emmy sat down with the guitar and checked and adjusted the tuning before strumming it a little bit. ¡°It has nice sound,¡± she said, not looking up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a really nice piece,¡± said the shop guy. ¡°Honestly, we don¡¯t sell many guitars that nice,¡± he admitted. ¡°Mostly it¡¯s acoustics for beginners, or maybe one of those Ovations for people on vacation who want to buy a good guitar to travel with,¡± he said, babbling.


    Looking up from the guitar, Emmy asked ¡°Do you have an amp for trying out?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure,¡± the guy said and hustled over to the other side of the shop. While he was busy Emmy played some classical Spanish guitar tune. I know I¡¯d heard her play it before, but I couldn¡¯t tell you the name. As she finished the song, I looked up and realized that not only had I been staring at her, but the shop guy had been standing there, stunned, and so had the other customers in the shop. We all had been watching silently, enjoying the music.


    I don¡¯t know who it was that started the clapping, but in a moment we were all applauding Emmy¡¯s playing.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Emmy said with a wide grin, enjoying the attention. ¡°May I try it plugged in now?¡± she asked the shop guy, pointing to the little amp he¡¯d forgotten all about.


    He had the guitar plugged in in a moment, and Emmy flipped a little switch on the top of the guitar and all of a sudden it sounded like a normal electric guitar and not acoustic. Strumming a couple of chords, Emmy made a few adjustments on the controls.


    Looking around the shop, she asked ¡°Is it O.K. if I play it a little bit loud?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± the guy assured her.


    Needing no more encouragement, Emmy launched into a long, slow blues slide, then picked up the pace into a quick shuffle, still slinky and metallic- sounding. ¡°Well I rolled and I tumbled, I cried the whole night long,¡± she sang. She played the whole song, at times sliding across the notes and other times strumming hard and fast. ¡°When I woke up this morning, I didn¡¯t know my right from wrong,¡± Emmy sang and then finished off with one last, long, low note, drawing it out.


    ¡°Holy shi¡­¡± One of the customers said under his breath.


    I¡¯d long since been used to Emmy¡¯s amazing playing, but moments like this hammered home just how awesome and versatile a guitarist (and vocalist) she really was. Seeing as how nobody was making any move to interrupt her, Emmy slid into her next song, another Blues classic (yes, by this point I¡¯d gotten to know quite a bit more blues than I had before).


    ¡®Baby please don¡¯t go¡¯ never sounded like that in any version of it I¡¯d ever heard before, a strange, sexy mix of longing in her voice while playing slinky and smooth, but also bitter vocals when the song turned fast and the playing got angry. I guess Jackson¡¯s emphasis on the blues had really rubbed off on Emmy, all right.


    The handful of others in the shop were completely floored. The guy that worked there at least had the sense to get his phone out and record the whole song, though. There was no doubt in my mind that was going up online the moment we left.


    Emmy slowed it down after that rocking Blues tune into something much more laid-back and relaxed. ¡®Gold Dust Woman¡¯ is one of my favorite classic rock tunes, but the way she played it was somehow even more bluesy and languid than the original, drawing out the melancholy of the song in a way I¡¯d never heard before, even though I must have listened to it hundreds of times growing up.


    Emmy was absolutely loving this, performing like she was for the small crowd, which by this point had grown to maybe seven or eight people. After the Fleetwood Mac song, Emmy took a little bow and said ¡°Thank you all for taking the time to listen to me play. It has been a pleasure.¡±


    After that, Emmy posed for a couple of pics with people and the shop guy took a few for promotional purposes. Of course, Emmy just had to buy the guitar after that, too. By this point, a three thousand dollar guitar just seemed par for the course, and Emmy did love the sound and the deep blue color, so why not?


    Emmy didn¡¯t even want to put the guitar away to carry it back to the bed and breakfast. She asked if I could carry the case so she could continue to play as we walked. I might have been tempted to roll my eyes, but she was just so sweet in her enthusiasm that I couldn¡¯t possibly begrudge her this tiny thing, so that¡¯s what we did. I carried the guitar case in one hand and our shopping bags in the other, while Emmy walked beside me strumming and picking her new guitar. We only had a few blocks to go and none of what I was carrying was heavy, so it wasn¡¯t bad. As a bonus, having walking music was nice, even though it kept Emmy from chattering the way she had been doing before.


    Back in our room, Emmy sat out on the veranda to play a bit more. I could tell something was on her mind, so I gave her a verbal nudge. ¡°You look as if you¡¯re thinking about something, but don¡¯t know how to ask,¡± I said, sipping my Coke while idly relaxing in the hammock.


    ¡°Would it be O.K. with you to go back to Jordie¡¯s tonight for dinner?¡± Emmy asked, but I could tell that wasn¡¯t what she really meant.


    ¡°If you want,¡± I replied, starting to see where this was going. ¡°You want to play there, don¡¯t you? On the little stage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± admitted Emmy. ¡°It has been a while since I performed like that today for just a small group of people, and I had forgotten how much I enjoy that. Would it be too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I replied. ¡°Do you need to call Mr Pacheco- Jordie, I mean, to set it up?¡±


    ¡°I think that might be a good idea,¡± agreed Emmy, picking up her phone to call the restaurant.


    Of course Jordie was ecstatic to have Emmy play at his little restaurant that night. He promised he wouldn''t tell anyone. It¡¯d just be the regular crowd, which was exactly what Emmy wanted.


    We opted to drive the handful of blocks instead of walking that evening, mainly because we didn¡¯t want to have to walk back later on. Sure, it was lazy of us, but whatever. We were on vacation.


    Dinner was as good as lunch had been. Emmy had the ¡®konk¡¯ fritters (all my life I¡¯d only ever heard the word pronounced ¡®konch¡¯ but here they seemed to think that wasn¡¯t correct). Not wanting sea food again, I opted for the Cuban sandwich and in all honesty, for me anyway, I had to agree with Joey. It was better than the chowder.


    The drinks Jordie had set us up with (the same red/orange drinks we¡¯d had at the hotel) were tasty but I could feel my toes start to tingle after only a few sips. I could tell one was going to be my limit if we were going to drive back home after the show was done.


    After dinner, Jordie took to the small stage and tapped the microphone to make sure it was working. ¡°Ladies, gentlemen and any others who might be here tonight, thanks to an unexpected circumstance, we have music for you tonight. Yes, it¡¯s only Tuesday, but you¡¯re going to want to stay for this. Heck, Wednesday is a good day to sleep in and not go to work, right?¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure plenty of people there had put two and two together by this time. I mean, it wasn¡¯t as if Emmy escaped notice anywhere she went ever, much less now that she was famous. Emmy stepped up next to Jordie and smiled, waving to the audience. I don¡¯t think there could have been much more than fifteen tables in the place, and it was only about two thirds full, so maybe forty people at the most would have been my guess.


    ¡°Hi! My name is Emmy,¡± she said into the mic, getting some laughter. I mean, of course most of the crowd knew who she was, right? ¡°I asked Jordie here if I could maybe play tonight, just for free dinner and maybe make some money in tips, and he agreed. I did have to promise to play at least one Jimmy Buffett song, though,¡± she said, making a face. This got another laugh, because of course she had to play ¡®Margaritaville¡¯, right? And of course Emmy would play for tips, because why not?


    ¡°So I¡¯ll be taking requests tonight. Just write down what you want to hear and hand it to your server and I will see what I can do,¡± she chirped, all smiles at the idea of almost busking for dinner.


    ¡°First, to start things off, I am going to play a song for Jordie here. He is almost directly responsible for my career as a professional musician, you know,¡± she said, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°He was my music teacher in high school back in San Diego, and he suggested I play at an open mic night at a local coffee shop. I earned fifty whole dollars that night!¡± This got more laughter, as everybody in the place had forgotten their dinners and had turned to watch Emmy.


    ¡°It was incredible, and a true turning point in my life. I cannot thank him enough for giving me the boost in confidence to do that. So for him, I will play two,¡± she said, holding two fingers up to emphasize the point. ¡°Two Jimmy Buffett songs. But that is where I draw the line. Gratitude and friendship only go so far!¡± This got the biggest laugh of the evening, and it was clear that Emmy had totally captivated the audience by this point.


    Picking up her guitar and plugging it in, she gave it a quick little strum to check the sound. ¡°This is a new guitar,¡± she explained. ¡°I only got it this very afternoon, from the wonderful people over at ¡®Key Of G¡¯ guitars. If you happen to need a guitar any time soon, stop on by. Tell them Emmy sent you.¡±


    After adjusting herself on the stool and lowering the mic a bit, Emmy started to play. Within the first few gentle acoustic notes, the audience erupted with applause. When she started to sing, ¡°Mother, mother ocean,¡± at least a half dozen patrons sang along with her. When she got to the refrain, at least half the restaurant sang ¡°I¡¯ve made enough money to buy Miami, but pissed it away so fast.¡± Emmy was eating it up, enjoying the love.


    After the applause for the first song died down, Emmy said ¡°That was wonderful! Thank you all for joining in! Feel free to sing along to any song I play tonight. I expect most will be very familiar.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know the next song about sailing on a boat with a pony, but plenty in the crowd did and just as Emmy had encouraged, plenty sang along.


    Glancing around, I saw a few diners handing slips of paper to the wait staff. Requests for Emmy, apparently, because they were handed to Jordie who put them in a fishbowl on the stage. It was around this time that our waiter asked me if it would be O.K. if Emmy and I shared our table. I looked around and noticed that all the tables had filled up, and more people were trying to crowd in. Word had gotten out, it seemed.


    I was fine with another couple at our table, and I said so. The two guys that sat down were an older, obviously well-off gentleman and a younger guy, maybe his son? They introduced themselves as Geoffrey and Hunter, and we shook hands. They ordered the same drink they saw in front of me, which I learned was called a ¡®Rum Runner¡¯. We chatted a little bit, but not too much since all three of us were watching Emmy play.


    She played a lot of songs I just plain didn¡¯t know, but a few I remember were that old Blondie song, ¡®Tide Is High¡¯ and of course ¡®Southern Cross¡¯ and ¡®Sitting On A Dock On The Bay¡¯. I may not have known most of the songs, but everybody else in the place sure did. So many sang along with every song Emmy sang that it made me feel as if I was the odd one out. Each time she would reach into the fishbowl, stir it around, then draw out a piece of paper. She played every single one, too. A huge crowd pleaser had her singing ¡°Baby baby baby, light the roof on fire." When she sang ¡°I¡¯m on fire!¡± at least half the crowd did a move where they held their hands above their heads and made as if they were pushing the ceiling up as they sang along.


    The second Jimmy Buffett song was one she drew from the bowl. ¡°Oh, no!¡± she said upon seeing the request, clapping her hand to her mouth. Looking around at the crowd, she said ¡°This is another Buffett song. I had said I would only play two of them tonight, and this one is so much fun that I simply must play it instead of Jordie¡¯s second request. So here you are.¡± The crowd knew it from just a few notes of the first bar, and soon almost everybody in the place was singing ¡°Why don¡¯t we get drunk and screw?¡±


    When the applause had died down afterwards, Emmy said ¡°I do not know how I could possibly improve upon that, so I think that I must call it a night. Thank you all for being so very much fun. I had a great time tonight and I hope that you all did, too.¡± Then, remembering, she added ¡°Please do not forget to drive safely on the way home. There are going to be a lot of drunk people on the road tonight!¡± This got some more laughter, since everybody in the place had been drinking fairly liberally and they knew exactly who the drunks she was referring to were.


    Emmy packed her guitar away, then came back to the table to join me and the two guys (whom I had learned were a Miami investment banker and his boyfriend). Of course Emmy instantly became old friends with the two guys, as she does with almost everybody. Soon enough they invited us to go to some civil war fort on some island nearby in their speed boat the next day. Emmy and the two guys were drinking fairly heavily, so I felt that it was time to cut Emmy off and get her out the door by the time she finished the third Rum Runner. We agreed to meet the guys at their marina resort at eleven the next morning, then got good night hugs and thanks from Jordie on our way out.


    ¡°Stop by any time,¡± he said. ¡°Of course you guys eat here for free.¡±


    Emmy and I had learned our lesson about trying to shower together, so I took mine after she was done, only to find her out cold when I emerged from the bathroom. A bit disappointed that there was going to be no play time that night, I climbed under the covers and spooned my little crowd-pleasing artist and thought about the evening. Emmy had been so lit up by simply performing for a small crowd like that- and the crowd had absolutely adored her in return. It was something to see, alright.

 You Should Be Ashamed

    I got up early, as I always do, and since Emmy was still dead to the world I went out for another run. I ran around the island clockwise, since I¡¯d done it counter-clockwise our first morning in Key West. I hated running when I first started doing it at Sammy¡¯s recommendation, but now after doing it on a regular basis for over a year and a half I¡¯d gotten to the point where I could just disengage my mind from the actual running and let my thoughts drift.


    This particular morning I was thinking about Emmy and how much she enjoyed performing, but mostly how she just turned on in front of an audience. It didn¡¯t seem to matter if it was for just a few or if it was a giant concert hall- as long as there were people to perform for, she was happy to put on a show.


    Emmy was still asleep when I got back to our room, so I took a quick shower and then woke her up. ¡°Time to get up, Em,¡± I said as I kissed her cheek. ¡°We have to get going fairly soon.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to?¡± whined Emmy, squinting her eyes against the daylight.


    ¡°You made the arrangements, so you don¡¯t get to complain,¡± I chided.


    Sighing, Emmy got up and took her shower and got dressed. She perked up a bit during our late breakfast on the back patio. It always amazed me that half of a grapefruit and a cup of coffee were all she needed in the morning, when I would be hungry all day if I didn¡¯t get a full helping of protein and carbs.


    ¡°Leah, thank you for last night,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°For letting me play at Jordie¡¯s restaurant. This is our honeymoon, and I should be devoting all my time to you, but yet you allowed me to spend a night doing something else.¡±


    ¡°Em, I didn¡¯t allow you to do anything,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not the boss of you. If you want to play your new guitar for a free dinner and drinks, that¡¯s your choice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but you are the boss of me, Leah. You are. You are the one who is best at knowing what to do, at making plans. You are the one who rules me here,¡± she said pointing to her head, ¡°and here,¡± pointing to her heart.


    ¡°By some odd coincidence,¡± I replied, ¡°you rule me in those places, too.¡±


    On the drive to where Geoffrey and Hunter were staying (since it wasn¡¯t actually on Key West proper but actually the next key over) Emmy said ¡°I am having a wonderful time, Leah. I wish we could simply be on vacation like this forever. Perhaps we can drive back to Palo Alto instead of flying? Make it a classic American road trip? I have always wanted to see New Orleans!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been,¡± I agreed. ¡°That would be cool.¡±


    Geoffrey had said that their hotel had its own marina and they liked to stay there when they came down because it had good slips for their fifty foot boat. Finding the place was easy enough, and we got directions to the marina visitors¡¯ parking from the guy manning the lot. Spotting the marina store, I suggested to Emmy that we go in and get a dry bag for the things we were bringing with us. I didn¡¯t want our phones to get wet or anything like that.


    ¡°This is exactly what I meant,¡± she said as we loaded our things in our new waterproof bag. ¡°You think of everything.¡±


    Hunter had spotted us, so he led us to where Geoffrey was getting the boat ready. When I¡¯d heard ¡®fifty foot boat¡¯ I¡¯d imagined a sport fisher, or maybe a little yacht type of thing, but this wasn¡¯t anything like that. It was longer than a city bus, but so sleek it looked more like a rocket ship than a normal boat. The black, gray and green paint job looked like the color of money, and judging by the owner¡¯s work, it was undoubtedly intentional. I could see no cabin, just an open cockpit that started a little behind halfway down the length, with two seats in front by the low windshield and three more in a second row.


    ¡°Um, Emmy, this might be a bad idea,¡± I said, looking at the arrangement. Geoffrey had said it was an hour to get to the fort, which meant at the minimum Emmy would be in the full sun for more than two hours, and if this boat was anything as fast as it looked (and it looked extremely fast) there was no way her sun hat would survive the experience. I¡¯d made sure we really covered her with the sort-of greasy waterproof sunblock on top of her normal special sunblock she always wore, but still¡­


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Emmy asked, her thoughts clearly not going in the same direction as mine.


    ¡°There¡¯s no shade,¡± I said as we walked down the dock.


    ¡°Geoffrey told me that there was a way to get out of the sun and wind if I needed to,¡± she replied, but I didn¡¯t see how that was supposed to happen.


    Following instructions, we took off our shoes before stepping on board, and to my relief, I saw a little set of stairs leading down between the front seats into some sort of cabin.


    ¡°Hunter, could you please show the ladies where to stow their gear?¡± asked Geoffrey as he started up the motor. The incredible rumble from the engine made it immediately obvious that yes, this boat was as fast as it looked, which had me even a bit more worried as Em and Hunter disappeared into the cabin area.


    ¡°Do you guys have hats?¡± Geoffrey asked me, satisfied the startup procedure had been flawless and everything was running correctly.


    ¡°Emmy just has her big sun hat,¡± I said. ¡°And I don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonna work.¡±


    Snorting a quick laugh, Geoffrey said, "No, not really.¡± He hollered down to Hunter ¡°Hunter, could you grab them some hats from the port bin?¡±


    Soon enough Emmy and Hunter returned to the cockpit, Emmy sporting a baseball-style cap with an AMG logo on it. She handed another to me, which I accepted gratefully. Hunter stepped back onto the dock to undo the lines, pushing the boat away a bit before stepping back on like he¡¯d done it hundreds of times. Probably had, I guessed.


    Geoffrey carefully maneuvered the boat out of the marina, keeping the engine idling until we got out a little bit and past the buoy marking the marina¡¯s zone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been on a boat in the ocean before,¡± I confessed. ¡°I think this is my third time on any kind of boat, ever.¡±


    Emmy said ¡°I have never been on one like this,¡± with excitement in her voice.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll take it easy for a bit, then,¡± Geoffrey said, and I was glad he wasn¡¯t going to be macho about it. ¡°If you start feeling sick, the best thing to do is look outside the boat, at something far away, like the horizon, or an island or something. If you¡¯re feeling queasy, let me know. We have dramamine and it¡¯s always best to take it before it gets too bad.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I have no idea if I get seasick or not.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s no big deal. Everybody does at some point or another. But if you feel you¡¯re going to be sick, just holler and we¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    Geoffrey had gradually eased the throttle on, so we were cruising along at maybe twenty-five or thirty miles an hour. ¡°Just until we get clear,¡± he¡¯d said, looking around for other boats. As soon as we were maybe two miles offshore, he increased the speed again. I noticed it wasn¡¯t a gas pedal like in a car, but a big, fancy slider handle to his right that moved forward for faster, back for slower.


    ¡°How are you two doing?¡± he asked, looking back at where Emmy and I were sitting, checking out the scenery.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied, and Emmy nodded in agreement, so he picked the speed up even more. I had no real good way to gauge the speed, but if I had to guess I would have said fifty miles an hour or so.


    ¡°O.K.?¡± Geoffrey asked, having to shout now over the noise of the boat on the water and the roar of the engines. We gave him a thumbs-up, so he sped up even more. Now the boat was going so fast it was hardly even touching the water, just skimming across the top of the glassy smooth Caribbean.


    Emmy was clutching my hand, squealing with delight at the speed. ¡°How fast are we going?¡± I shouted to Geoffrey, curious. It felt pretty damned fast, but it didn''t seem the big motor was trying all that hard.


    ¡°A touch over ninety miles an hour!¡± replied Geoffrey, looking at the GPS.


    ¡°How much faster can it go?¡± I yelled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had it up to almost one hundred and forty, but that was under perfect conditions! It¡¯s too rough today!¡±


    As much as Emmy and I were both enjoying the thrill of speed, I was glad Geoffrey wasn¡¯t pushing it to try to impress us. Heck, I was impressed enough at just under a hundred miles per hour, and getting bounced around plenty as it was.


    Pretty soon the island fort came into view and Geoffrey eased off the throttle. Dropping down to fifty after that speed almost felt as if I could get out and swim alongside and keep up! It seemed so slow it was funny. I mean, I know that wind resistance is exponential to speed, so at half the speed we only had one quarter of the wind, but the difference was striking. At one hundred, it was impossible to hold a real conversation but at fifty we could talk like normal people.


    ¡°Do you guys want to go straight to the island?¡± Geoffrey asked.


    ¡°Um, what are the options?¡± I asked, unsure what he meant.


    ¡°Well, we could tool around a bit before going in, we could stop anywhere and swim, if you want, whatever,¡± he replied, being a good host.


    ¡°We can swim here?¡± Emmy asked, looking into the crystal blue Caribbean waters.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Hunter said. ¡°All we do is just stop the boat and go swimming. The water¡¯s great!¡±


    Leaning out to look straight down, Emmy said ¡°But there in nothing to see here,¡± her voice doubtful.


    ¡°Well, how about I bring us in closer to the beach, then. We can¡¯t get too close, because this boat doesn¡¯t have an anchor.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±Emmy asked.


    ¡°It means that if I shut off the motors so we can swim, the boat will just drift. It isn¡¯t a problem if we aren¡¯t too close to shore, because we¡¯ll drift with it and we can just start it up if it goes too far in the wrong direction, right? But that means that we can¡¯t get too close to the beach,¡± he explained. ¡°The other option is that we can tie up at the dock and swim in the little harbor there.¡±


    ¡°That sounds perfect!¡± said Emmy, still buzzing from the speed.


    The docks were mostly empty, presumably because it was a Wednesday morning, so we had no problem getting a spot. Geoffrey suggested we do the tour first, then swim, and it sounded good to me. Walking through the old civil war fort, Emmy and Hunter walked ahead while Geoffrey and I followed.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s show last night,¡± he said to me. ¡°It was amazing. I¡¯d seen a few videos of her band, you know, and pics on magazine covers and so on, but seeing her in real life- she isn¡¯t what I expected.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, wondering where he was going with this.


    ¡°She¡¯s isn¡¯t like any rock star I¡¯ve ever met. She isn¡¯t full of herself at all, for one,¡± he explained. ¡°Also, the way she looks- I¡¯d assumed it was some sort of affectation, her coloring, but in person you can clearly see that¡¯s the way she is,¡± he mused.


    I didn¡¯t see any need to reply, and I didn¡¯t think he expected one. ¡°She''s just so much like a kid, you know?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, in a lot of ways she really is,¡± I agreed. ¡°And there¡¯s a reason for that,¡± I told him. ¡°I think it¡¯s because she really didn¡¯t have a normal childhood, for one,¡± I said, not voicing my other theory that it had a lot to do with Emmy knowing she had less than half the normal life expectancy.


    Our conversation soon turned to other things, mainly business. We got to talking about banking, me complaining that it seemed banks were leeches drawing off their share and him countering that it takes money to make money, and having access to capital is a service banks provide.


    Eventually the conversation turned to the idea of private banks, and when I mentioned that I¡¯d been seriously considering the idea of a family office for our financial needs he perked up.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You do understand that basically requires at least a hundred million in assets, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy and I would just barely be able to justify it, but if I can talk her parents into the idea, then we are way, way past the threshold.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s French, right? Her parents are French?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, which complicates matters, being that they live mostly in Europe.¡±


    ¡°No, it probably doesn¡¯t,¡± Geoffrey said, getting excited. ¡°If they¡¯re European high net worth, they probably already have some sort of Swiss or offshore concierge banking, so they might be more willing to go along with the idea than you might think.¡±


    Soon I was so lost in the discussion of fractional reserves, Cayman offices and Swiss accounts that I hardly paid any attention to the fort we were walking through at all. All I can really remember is lots and lots of bricks.


    After the tour we went back to the boat and crowded into the small cabin for a light lunch and some drinks, then walked out onto the key that was basically a sandbar to a secluded beach. Hunter had brought a big beach blanket and Geoffrey and I sat down to continue our conversation while Emmy and Hunter splashed around and swam in the water.


    I don¡¯t want to make it sound as if Geoffrey and I didn¡¯t do any swimming, but we didn¡¯t have nearly the fun that Hunter and Emmy did. Eventually it was time to head back to the boat and then back to Key West. It had been a lot of fun in the sun for Emmy, and I could see she was starting to fade a bit.


    ¡°Em, are you doing O.K.?¡± I asked as we settled into our seats.


    ¡°I feel¡­ I think I was in the sun too long,¡± she said, her voice soft.


    ¡°Geoffrey, is it alright if Emmy chills in the cabin?¡± I asked. ¡°I think she overdid it today.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± he replied, and Hunter led Emmy down to get comfortable.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t really do to well in the sun,¡± I said, explaining. ¡°She gets headaches. That¡¯s why she wears those mountain climber sunglasses.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± he said sympathetically. ¡°I wish I¡¯d known. We could have skipped the swimming.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we could have,¡± I said. ¡°The whole reason she wanted to come to Key West was to go someplace tropical so she could swim in the ocean at a white sand beach. That¡¯s always been a fantasy of hers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep the speed a bit lower going back. That¡¯ll make it a smoother ride for her down there, maybe she can get some sleep,¡± he said.


    The more I talked with Geoffrey the more I had to admit that my initial impressions had been way off. I¡¯d tagged him as a middle-aged playboy millionaire, the typical arrogant asshole you meet all the time, but really, he¡¯d been a far more considerate host on this trip than I could have expected, and a much more agreeable conversationalist. He hadn¡¯t been condescending at all when educating me on banking options, to my surprise, and he hadn¡¯t talked down to Hunter even once that I¡¯d seen, which I was glad to see. Usually wealthy older guys do patronize their much younger partners. Well, I say older guys, but I¡¯d met a lesbian couple like that, too, so it isn¡¯t just guys, but that¡¯s where I¡¯d seen it more.


    After about half an hour of fairly mellow cruising I went down to check on Emmy, finding her lying on the couch wrapped in a blanket even though the air was plenty warm.


    Concerned, I checked her forehead, finding her skin to be sweaty and clammy. I felt her tremble a little, as if she were shivering despite the blanket.


    ¡°Em, how are you feeling?¡± I asked quietly, not wanting to wake her if she actually was asleep.


    ¡°I do not feel good,¡± Emmy moaned. ¡°It¡¯s so cold¡­¡±


    Memory from my long-ago first aid class told me that it seemed like a heat stroke, but a mild one since she wasn¡¯t showing any sign of a fever.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back at the hotel soon, baby,¡± I murmured. ¡°You¡¯ll be O.K. with some rest. In the meantime, you should drink some water.¡±


    ¡°I do not want any water,¡± Emmy whimpered. ¡°My stomach isn¡¯t happy.¡±


    ¡°Little sips, baby. Please, for me?¡±


    After getting a bit of water in Emmy, I went up to tell Geoffrey. ¡°It looks like she¡¯s got a bit of heat stroke going on,¡± I said. ¡°I need to get her back into bed.¡±


    ¡°Aw, shit,¡± he replied. ¡°That¡¯s a bummer. You don¡¯t think she needs a doctor?¡±


    ¡°No, not now, but I¡¯m gonna keep an eye on her temperature. If she gets a fever I¡¯m going to take her in to urgent care.¡±


    ¡°All right. Hey, I¡¯m really sorry,¡± he said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± I replied. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    When we got back to the bed and breakfast, I carried Emmy up to our room, then filled the tub with warm (not hot) water to wash off the sand and salt from the beach. I bathed her despite her protests, since she was too listless to do it herself. After I tucked her in to bed I took my own shower, I went out to the corner market to get Gatorade and bananas for her. Thankfully the lady running the B and B had a thermometer I could borrow after I explained that Emmy had a heat stroke.


    She was still sleeping when I got back, so I checked her forehead. Still cool and clammy, so I turned the ceiling fan up a little higher and settled in next to her.


    She slept off and on all through the afternoon and evening, with no real change in her condition. I did manage to get her to eat one of the bananas and drink some Gatorade, so I was hopeful that she¡¯d recover soon.


    Unfortunately things hadn¡¯t gotten any better by the time morning rolled around. No worse, thankfully, but really no better. I had to help her up to go to the bathroom, and in the morning I bathed her again to clean off the sweat that had dried on her during the night. I knew I had to take care of myself, too, so I forced myself to go downstairs for breakfast. When the manager asked how Emmy was doing, I told her and requested fresh sheets to replace the sweat-soaked linens from the previous night.


    The rest of the morning was just the same. Emmy dozing in and out with very little energy, but not getting any worse, until I noticed the blisters forming on her skin. Despite all that industrial-strength sunblock she¡¯d gotten sunburned after all, and when I looked closely I could see it was almost all her body that had been affected.


    When Emmy was sleeping I went to the drug store that that had been recommended and bought several bottles of aloe vera lotion, more Gatorade in different flavors, and some Tylenol. I felt fairly helpless, but I was going to do what I could to help Emmy get through this.


    That evening, Emmy started crying when I bathed her. ¡°I am so sorry, Leah,¡± she moaned. ¡°So sorry!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Em, you just weren¡¯t paying attention. It¡¯s my fault, too. I should have realized earlier that it was too much sun for you.¡±


    ¡°I have ruined our honeymoon!¡± she sobbed. ¡°I am terrible.¡±


    ¡°Oh God, Em,¡± I sighed, washing her hair. ¡°Yeah, this sucks for me, but not anything as bad as it is for you, baby. I wish you felt better, but not because it¡¯s causing me any inconvenience, but because I hate seeing you feeling bad like this.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Leah, please don¡¯t ever leave me,¡± she said between her tears.


    ¡°Where did that come from?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯d even say that, Em. I¡¯m never going to leave you- I love you far too much to ever do that.¡±


    ¡°Just¡­ I am just feeling sorry for myself,¡± she said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. ¡°I am sorry I am so pitiful.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to that, so I simply leaned in and gave her a kiss, then when she responded I slipped my tongue past her lips. Moaning, she deepened the kiss. clutching me tightly.


    Eventually we parted, and I looked her in the eyes. ¡°Em, you are the most beautiful woman in the world, and my love for you isn¡¯t gong to be any less just because you¡¯re sick,¡± I said. ¡°¡®In sickness or in health¡¯, remember?¡±


    I got a shock when I helped Emmy out of the tub and started to dry her off. She had a blister filled with fluid about three inches across on her upper back. When I looked close, I realized that her skin was peeling and the bathwater had gotten trapped under the outer layer.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said as I squeezed the water out of the pocket it was trapped in. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to peel big-time. The next week or two are going to really suck.¡±


    That afternoon Emmy was still exhausted and couldn''t do anything but stay in bed, but at least it seemed that the worst was over.


    ¡°You need to get out,¡± she said. ¡°There is no need for you to be trapped here with me.¡±


    ¡°What would I even do without you? I¡¯m not going to go down to Duval Street and go bar-hopping or anything like that,¡± I said, but eventually Emmy won the argument and I did get out for another run to clear my mind and burn off some stress. I stopped in at a gym I¡¯d seen on my route to ask about day rates, and soon enough I was calling Emmy to tell her I¡¯d be a few hours. They had a decent boxing area, and thankfully I could buy tape and some Everlast grappling gloves from the counter since I hadn¡¯t thought to pack anything like that.


    I was working on the heavy bag when one of the club¡¯s trainers came over to talk. ¡°You look like you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± he said after watching for a few minutes.


    ¡°I try,¡± I grunted as I stepped back from laying a solid back kick on the bag. At this point I just wanted the guy to go away, so I was trying to engage him as little as possible.


    ¡°Yeah, looks like you fight,¡± he said.


    Stopping what I was doing, I said to him ¡°Look, not to be rude or anything, but I¡¯m just trying to get a workout in. I don¡¯t need coaching or anything like that, and I¡¯m not going to be in town for more than a few more days anyway.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± he said, holding up his hands in the ¡®I surrender¡¯ pose. ¡°I was just going to ask if you wanted to spar, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°That, I can do,¡± I agreed, happy to have someone to work with .


    ¡°Not me, but my client over there,¡± he said, pointing to a guy about my age warming up with weights. ¡°He¡¯s got a fight coming up and could use the ring time.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s O.K. with it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s cool. Just sparring, normal MMA rules, but the gym says you guys have to wear helmets.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t want to come home from vacation with a black eye,¡± I said, getting a laugh.


    The kid was good and gave me a decent fight. We went three rounds, then took a break.


    ¡°You telegraph your side kick too much, and don¡¯t follow though on your lefts very well,¡± I told him as we were catching our breaths and sipping some water. ¡°How are you on the ground?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be cool with grappling?¡± he asked, surprised. ¡°I thought that, you know, a chick wouldn¡¯t like that,¡± he said, trying to not sound sexist.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll admit it¡¯s not my strong suit, but it¡¯s a big part of fighting, right? Next round let¡¯s open it up so we aren¡¯t just striking,¡± I said. The guy had maybe ten or fifteen pounds on me, but I had much longer reach so a striking game was strongly in my favor, especially as I was noticeably faster. I felt that giving him the O.K. to grapple would maybe even things up a bit, and besides- I needed the practice with someone new.


    A lot of the other patrons in the gym had stopped their workouts to watch us go at it, and I was enjoying the physicality of it. The kid was stronger than me, but I was quicker and had a more subtle technique. When I¡¯d told him he telegraphed his moves, I¡¯d meant it. It was easy for me to see what was going to come next, but he had no way to avoid my kicks, much less my punches.


    Since I¡¯d opened the door and said I¡¯d be fine with wrestling moves he spent a lot of time trying to get ahold of me, but I wasn¡¯t going to give him the opportunity if I could avoid it. Eventually we did end up on the floor and I thought it was going to be all over but I managed to flip him off me and quickly returned the favor. I had him in an armlock that I thought was going to finish him off, but he managed to slip it and get away just as the round ended.


    ¡°That was awesome!¡± he said, coming over to give me a high five when we both stood up. Stomping his foot as he turned away, the kid said ¡°Fuck! That was good!¡±


    ¡°I can go one more round, then I¡¯ve got to bounce,¡± I said. ¡°If you¡¯re up for it.¡±


    The kid was going to accept, but his coach nixed it. ¡°Jake, you can¡¯t do too much right now,¡± he cautioned. ¡°You can¡¯t get tuned up this close to a fight.¡±


    ¡°When¡¯s the fight?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Saturday,¡± the trainer answered.


    ¡°Day after tomorrow?¡± I asked. ¡°Then how about this,¡± I suggested. ¡°Light contact, one minute rounds, strikes only. This¡¯ll help his eye and his speed.¡±


    Looking at his fighter, the trainer thought about it. ¡°Sure, O.K. You¡¯re faster than the guy he¡¯s going up against, so it¡¯ll be good for him. If you can, throw in a lot of hooks. The guy he¡¯s going up against is famous for his hooks.¡±


    We did four more rounds like that, and it really seemed as if the practice was good for Jake¡¯s reflexes. Even though he was getting tired his reaction time was better than when we¡¯d first started.


    Drinking water from the bottles his trainer had gotten us when we finished, I asked Jake where the fight was going to be.


    ¡°Mallory Square, over at the other end of the island,¡± he said.


    ¡°What time?¡±


    ¡°My fight is third on the card, and the first fight starts at sunset, so maybe 7:30?¡±


    ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll be there,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hey, how long are you in town for? Maybe want to get lunch or something?¡± he asked, with a hopeful look on his face.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Married.¡±


    ¡°All the best ones are,¡± he sighed.


    After checking it was OK to leave my newly purchased gear there in a locker overnight, I finished my run and returned to the hotel. Emmy was awake and watching some old western on the T.V. when I got in.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A little,¡± she admitted. ¡°But my stomach is still a bit upset. I think that I cannot eat anything too substantial.¡±


    ¡°How are you doing otherwise?¡±


    ¡°I am very itchy,¡± Emmy complained. ¡°When I scratch, my skin tears. It is horrible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think you can expect that for a while. Basically until all your top layer of skin peels off.¡±


    ¡°That is disgusting,¡± Emmy complained.


    After a quick shower and then a run to a nearby restaurant to get myself a Cuban sandwich and Emmy some rice with butter, it was back to the room and soon enough to sleep.


    The next day was just the same. Emmy was feeling somewhat better but still not good enough to emerge from the room, much less step into any daylight at all. I ran and worked out at the gym again while Emmy snoozed, then stopped in at a grocery store to get a few things. Standing in the checkout line, the old lady cashier gave me the evil eye.


    ¡°You ought to be ashamed of yourself,¡± she said.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, puzzled. Yeah, it was a pretty poor comeback, but really, she had taken me by surprise.


    ¡°You just got married not even a week ago, and already you¡¯re here and your wife is gone back to California? Not even a week!¡± she said, scolding me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what are you talking about?¡± I asked, floored.


    She pointed at the rack behind me, and I looked at the newsprint tabloid she indicated. The headline read ¡°Trouble In Paradise?¡± and the terrible photos showed Emmy and me walking together, then another picture of me without her.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Emmy was in the sun too long at Dry Tortuga the other day and has been laid up in our hotel with sunstroke,¡± I explained to the cashier, not that it was any of her business. ¡°That¡¯s what this Gatorade is for.¡± I said, holding up the bottle of green liquid. ¡°The only trouble we¡¯ve had is her feeling crummy.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t leave to go back to her parents?¡± the old lady asked.


    ¡°No!¡± I said, exasperated. ¡°She got a terrible sunburn and has been sleeping it off for a few days, that¡¯s all,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    When I got back from my shopping trip we had dinner (such as it was) in our room. I told Emmy about the tabloid, and she just laughed. It was good to see her mood improve, even if it was only for a few minutes. After eating, we watched TV, I answered my emails, and then it was back to sleep.


    Saturday started out the same as the last two days, but Emmy felt good enough to walk the mile to the park where the smoker was being held. We waited until the sun dipped below the horizon before we started out, since Emmy felt the sunshine on her skin, even late in the day. On our way over there we grabbed a bite to eat and made it there halfway through the second fight on the card.


    We found where the fighters were warming up, and I wished Jake luck. In answer to his unspoken question, I said ¡°Yeah, Emmy¡¯s my wife.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re not just hot and a great fighter, you¡¯re married to a freaking rock star! Why does my life suck so bad?¡° he asked, looking up at the heavens.


    Jake won his bout, but honestly it wasn¡¯t the greatest fight I¡¯d ever seen. Still, Emmy and I took him and his trainer (named Jack, amusingly enough) out to dinner to celebrate. Emmy was still not at one hundred per cent, so she just had rice with a little bit of chicken. I wasn¡¯t really worried for her by this point, since it was clear she was getting better, but still it hurt me to see her still feel so low.


    She put on a good face for Jake and Jack, though, and was as charming as ever. Still, we called it an early night and walked back home by nine thirty, ready for bed. Needless to say, any thoughts of a road trip had been cancelled so it was one more day of recovery in our room there in Key West and then back to Miami and then home.

 Not A Chapter- Time For More Discussion On The Story

    All right. The last time I held one of these story discussions, it was because a few readers had suggested that the story left out some bits that it would have been good to have built up.


    Several others expressed a desire for more ''slice of life'' as well.


    Taking these suggestions into account, I just wrote and posted almost 35,000 words on the time in Texas, the wedding and the honeymoon emphasizing the interpersonal interactions and filling in lots of character building and life details while still hitting the plot points that are the key to moving the story forward.


    I could have told the same amount of story with half (or less) of the word count, but what many of you readers enjoy about Emmy And Me is the ''fuzzy pajamas'', the minutiae of the relationship between our two leads, and their interactions with supporting characters. You don''t simply want me to cut to the chase, as it were.


    So I''ve tried to write to accomodate both somewhat competing goals. I''ve hit the plot points, but wrapped them in the fuzzy stuff.


    The most tangible result of this is that Emmy And Me has lost 2.25% of its followers. From a high of 400 after the Texas arc to 391 now. Odlly, it picked up seven favorites during this same period, so I''m left wondering just what is going on.


    I''ve looked through the writer''s forums on Royal Road for any other mentions of this phenomenon, thinking it may be some site-wide realignment or shedding of inactive accounts or something, but I haven''t seen anything.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    So I have to imagine that nine readers lost interest during the wedding and honeymoon arcs.


    While that''s fine, I really wish I could ask them what it was that made them give up on the story. In effect, what am I doing wrong?


    So, those of you that have stayed (and that is 97.75% of you), what do you think I''m doing right with this story, and what am I doing wrong?


    Do you like this new emphasis on the ''fuzzy pajamas'' or should I return to the somewhat more cut and dried storytelling of the alley fight and its repurcussions?


    On a subsidiary note, the fuzzy pajamas style is ill-suited to traditional publishing. If I do try to get this book published via an editor and publishing house I''ll have to cut huge swaths out to appease the limitaions of print distribution. As it stands, this would be a thousand page book as of this point, so bigger than a typical James Michener novel. Thick as the proverbial brick.


    Should I not give a damn about that and just pad all the fuzz the story needs into it and figure that the weblit serial format encourages such writing? I''ll obviously never reach Wandering Inn levels of word count, nor do I want to. I want to write a story that people would enjoy reading. I''m doing this to flex my creative muscles, not in the expectation of becoming the next Stephanie Meyer and having my books optioned into hit movies.


    This is for me, and for you, the reader.


    The pajama fuzz is easy- it practically writes itself, and while I still keep an eye on the dictum that every passage must either build the characters or advance the plot, I''m not too rigorous about it. Sure, Leah falling on her face trying to get into her wedding gown was comic relief, but it also gave insight into her attitudes and her relationship with Donny, so it wasn''t just a non-sequitur. And that has been my guideline in the last few arcs. Go ahead and add the padding, but make sure it still advances the narrative.


    So- the 391 of you who have been reading this story, what do you think? I open the floor to comments.


    Oh- feel free to comment on specific plot points, developments, character questions etc. If it isn''t spoilery, I''ll explain or elaborate.

 A Distress Call

    My phone rang while I was touring an old warehouse that I thought might make a good tech development space. I was distracted, thinking about how to remodel to make the place attractive to startups looking for a cool, hip work space and didn¡¯t look at the caller ID, so I had no idea who it was on the other line when I answered.


    ¡°He- hello?¡± stammered a girl¡¯s voice, nervous and unsure.


    ¡°Yes? Can I help you?¡± I asked, turning and walking a few steps away from the realtor agents who had been showing me around.


    ¡°Emmy?¡± the girl asked, not sounding too hopeful.


    ¡°No, this is Leah. Emmy isn¡¯t here right now. Is there something I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have called,¡± the girl said, sounding dejected and hopeless.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t hang up. What¡¯s going on, and how did you get my number?¡±


    ¡°I thought this was Emmy De Lascaux¡¯s phone number. I¡¯m sorry for bothering you,¡± she said, and I could hear the tears in the girl¡¯s voice. She sounded young, like a high school freshman or maybe still in middle school.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emmy¡¯s wife,¡± I replied. ¡°If you tell me what it is, I can give her the message.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said the girl. ¡°Um, well¡­ No, I shouldn¡¯t have called. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, worrying me. This girl was clearly very upset, and it wasn¡¯t just because she didn¡¯t get to talk to her favorite rock star.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m here, and I¡¯m listening,¡± I said. Trying to make my voice as gentle and comforting as possible. Whatever was going on, this girl needed to talk to somebody, and it just happened to be me that she got on the phone. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me your name, and why you wanted to talk to Emmy?¡±


    ¡°My name is Grace,¡± she began, and suddenly I knew who she was.


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re the one she recorded that song for, aren¡¯t you? The one whose favorite song was ¡°I will die (for you), right?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah,¡± she said, sniffling.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Grace?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know who else to call,¡± Grace said, going past just sniffling and now into full-blown crying. Whatever this girl was going through had her really tied up in knots, and it was making me worried. I mean, this girl¡¯s favorite song of Emmy¡¯s was one she thought was about suicide, right?


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you called me, Grace. If there¡¯s anything I can do to help you get through whatever¡¯s going on¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°Miss Farmer?¡± one of the realtors called to get my attention.


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said, ¡°I need to talk to some people for just a minute. Whatever you do, stay on the line. I really want to talk to you, O.K.?¡±


    Satisfied she wasn¡¯t going to hang up after hearing a small ¡°O.K.¡± from the other end of the line, I returned to the realtors.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said, ¡°I like the space. I think it has potential, but I¡¯m going to need to bring my builder down here to inspect the place. I¡¯d like to schedule that for tomorrow. I know it¡¯s a Sunday, but I¡¯d like to move on this as soon as possible.¡±


    After one of them agreed to open the place for us the next day, I said ¡°I hate to be rude, but this is a very important phone call and I need to take this. Thanks for your time today.¡±


    Walking back outside to the Aston, I spoke back into the phone. ¡°Grace, are you still there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± came the soft voice.


    ¡°O.K.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m all yours now. Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know who else to call,¡± she repeated. ¡°I just thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said, gently. ¡°It¡¯s O.K. Whatever it is, if it¡¯s something I can help you with, just let me know. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±


    Leaning against my car, watching the realtors getting into their various cars to leave, I waved to our guy to wait, and he walked over but stood at a respectful distance away to give Grace and me some privacy.


    ¡°It¡¯s too much to ask- I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have called,¡± Grace said, repeating herself again.


    ¡°No, Grace, that¡¯s not true. I¡¯m glad you called, and if it is something I can do, then you definitely did the right thing by calling.¡± I wanted to cheer her up, and at that point I would have said almost anything to get her to stop crying.


    ¡°My parents¡­¡± she sobbed. ¡°They¡­ they kicked me out. I don¡¯t have any place to stay.¡±


    ¡®Oh, damn¡¯ I thought. ¡°Um, can you stay with your friend, the one we met?¡± I asked, trying to remember the other girl¡¯s name.


    ¡°Mary?¡± Grace asked. ¡°No- I mean, I¡¯m at her house right now, but I can¡¯t stay here for more than a couple of days,¡± she stammered. ¡°Mary¡¯s mom and dad are really nice, but they go to church with my parents, and I think when they find out I¡¯ve been kicked out, and why, they won¡¯t want me around, either.¡±


    Mentally cursing the ignorant bigots of the world, I asked ¡°Did they find out you¡¯re gay?¡± in as gentle a voice as I could.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she confirmed. ¡°Mom was cleaning my room and found my journal,¡± she said, or at least that¡¯s what it sounded like through her wracking sobs.


    ¡°You said that Mary¡¯s parents will be upset when your folks tell them that you got kicked out because you¡¯re gay, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure they won¡¯t want me in their house after that. They just think I¡¯m staying over for a couple of days for a visit. Mary and me, we haven¡¯t told them what happened,¡± she confirmed.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Mary when they find out their daughter is gay?¡± I asked, afraid of where this was going to lead.


    ¡°Mary¡¯s not gay,¡± she corrected. ¡°She might get in trouble for having me as a friend, but I don¡¯t think anything more is gonna happen to her.¡±


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    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± I replied. ¡°I thought you two were¡­¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re just best friends. I don¡¯t like Mary- I mean, I like her, she¡¯s my best friend, but I don¡¯t like her like that,¡± Grace said, her crying diminishing as she explained the situation to me.


    ¡°O.K., sorry for jumping to conclusions. So you¡¯re at Mary¡¯s house right now, so at least you¡¯re safe for the time being, right?¡± I asked, and when she confirmed my assessment, I continued. ¡°But your parents kicked you out and don¡¯t want to have anything to do with you any more, right?¡± Again, she agreed that I was correct. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a chance they might change their minds?¡± I asked, hopeful this was just a momentary thing.


    ¡°No,¡± she wailed, back into full-on crying.


    ¡°Grace, listen to me,¡± I commanded. ¡°Stop crying. We¡¯ll get through this.¡± Coming to a unilateral decision, I asked ¡°Where do you live? I mean, what town?¡±


    ¡°Arcata,¡± she sniffled, trying to get herself under control.


    ¡°O.K., look,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m coming up there. It¡¯s like an eight hour drive from here in San Jose,¡± I said, remembering the funky little hippie town we¡¯d passed through on our way up to Portland. ¡°I have to grab some stuff from home, but I¡¯ll be up there tonight. Is this your phone number?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mary¡¯s phone. My dad took my phone away. He said I was lucky to have the clothes I was wearing,¡± she said, and I could hear the tears about to burst the dam again.


    ¡°O.K., Grace. I¡¯ll call when I get up there, but it¡¯ll probably be too late to do anything tonight, but I¡¯ll let you know when I get into town, and you or Mary can give me the address. Is that O.K.?¡±


    ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± she asked, suddenly unsure whether she¡¯d made the right call.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to your parents. Try to get them to see reason. If that doesn¡¯t work, well, then I¡¯ll think of something. Anyway, you sit tight, Grace. This will all work out, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, her voice hopeful for the first time.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t think I could make things better, why did you call me?¡± I asked, hoping it came across as funny rather than flippant.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was calling you,¡± she pointed out. ¡°I thought I was calling Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I admitted, a bit embarrassed. ¡°So what did you think Emmy could do for you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Grace confessed. ¡°It¡¯s just, well, she¡¯s gay, and she¡¯s famous and everybody loves her, so I was hoping she could somehow, I don¡¯t know¡­ I guess I don¡¯t even know. I just thought maybe she could do something, that¡¯s all,¡± she said, her voice small and broken.


    ¡°Well, you got me instead, and I¡¯m going to do what ever it is I can to make things better,¡± I promised. ¡°Now I have to get going if I¡¯m gonna get there any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Grace said. ¡°I¡­ thanks,¡± she finished, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you when I get to Arcata. Talk to you then,¡± I said, and hung up.


    Seeing the phone conversation was over, our agent walked over to where I was sitting on the front fender of the Aston.


    ¡°So, what did you think?¡± Nash asked, indicating the warehouse.


    ¡°I think the location is primed to be really desirable. I think the space seems fundamentally workable, but it¡¯ll take some money to get it ready for occupants. I also think they¡¯re asking too much, but I know it¡¯s been on the market for a while, so I expect we can hammer them on the price,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty much what I thought, too. I was talking to Gene and he said he thought the sellers were motivated to make a deal, so I think we¡¯re in a strong negotiating position.¡±


    ¡°I do want to get Stan in here to take a look,¡± I said. ¡°He might spot something that we didn¡¯t, but I¡¯m going to have to run up to Arcata tonight, so I won¡¯t be back in time to do a walkthrough with him tomorrow. Can you meet him here and show him what we talked about?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem,¡± he said. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m not, in some ways. I wanted to meet with Stan tomorrow so I wouldn¡¯t have to come over here on a weekday, but if you¡¯re going to do the walkthrough I guess you can reschedule it to whenever works for you and him,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Nash said. ¡°You say jump, and the rest of us, well, all we need to know is how high do you want it. I mean, you¡¯re the boss, so if you want it done tomorrow, or even this afternoon, for that matter, we¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, believe me, I do, Nash. You¡¯ve been working hard, and it¡¯s been really great to have you on the team. I just want you to know that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Leah. Hey, on another note, Jackie wanted me to invite you and Emmy to dinner next Friday. Jenny¡¯s going to be home from college and I know she¡¯s been dying to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°You mean ¡®dying to meet Emmy¡¯, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Laughing, Nash answered ¡°No, you, although I suppose meeting a rock star would be cool, too. No, she¡¯s playing volleyball there at Chico, and when I told her who you were she was thrilled to get the chance to meet one of the top collegiate players in the country.¡±


    ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere,¡± I teased, ¡°But don¡¯t quit trying.¡±


    Laughing, Nash asked ¡°So you¡¯ll come over?¡±


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll be there,¡± I said, climbing into the low-slung car.


    I called Donny to let him know I wasn¡¯t going to be home tonight so we would have to postpone our regular dinner until the next night. At home I threw my power suit and some basic necessities into a garment bag, then hit the road north. Once I was underway I called Sana to have her find me someplace to stay for the night, and when she called back a few minutes later I plugged the address of the bed and breakfast into the GPS. Six hours to arrival, it said, so I turned up the stereo and settled in. If you¡¯re going to be stuck in a car for that long it sure could be a lot worse than the Aston Martin, I thought as I crossed the Golden gate bridge a little bit after noon.


    101 isn¡¯t too bad, as far as freeways go, so the time passed quickly and soon enough I was navigating through the streets of Arcata. The B&B that Sana had booked for me was an old Victorian a few blocks from the downtown plaza, and looked nice enough from out in front. I was glad to see it had covered parking in back, because I wasn¡¯t too thrilled with the idea of leaving the Aston on the street.


    When I saw my room, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. I mean, it was nice enough, but not nearly as amazing as the Victorian B&B Emmy and I had stayed in a few miles south the last time we¡¯d passed through the area.


    After hanging my garment bag and a quick freshening up I called Grace.


    Remembering that she¡¯d told me it was Mary¡¯s phone, I asked for Grace when an unfamiliar girl¡¯s voice answered.


    ¡°Is this, Um, Emmy¡¯s girlfriend?¡± asked the voice.


    ¡°Wife,¡± I corrected. ¡°Is this Mary?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Um, is Emmy here, too?¡± the girl asked, her voice hopeful.


    ¡°No, sorry. It¡¯s just me today. Emmy is in New York working on an album and couldn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Mary, disappointment in her voice. ¡°I was hoping¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that. Anyway, is Grace there?¡± I asked, getting back on track.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, here she is,¡± Mary replied, and soon enough Grace¡¯s voice said hello.


    ¡°You¡¯re here in Arcata? I can¡¯t believe you came,¡± she said, her voice much calmer than it had been that morning.


    ¡°I said I would, didn¡¯t I? Hey, I haven¡¯t had dinner yet. Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we had dinner about an hour ago,¡± she said, once again sounding nervous and unsure.


    ¡°Well, look. I¡¯d like to talk to you, and maybe talk to your parents. It isn¡¯t as late as I thought it would be by the time I got here, so why don¡¯t I grab a quick bite then come over and pick you up?¡±


    ¡°Pick me up?¡± she asked. ¡°Um, why?¡±


    ¡°To go see your parents. I¡¯d like to talk to them, see if we can straighten things out,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Grace said, her voice trailing off.


    ¡°What¡¯s the address there?¡± I asked, not giving her room to lose her nerve.


    ¡°Here- talk to Mary,¡± she said, and handed the phone over. After getting the address and directions, I told them I¡¯d be over in half an hour to give myself time to get dressed. I wanted to look as powerful and intimidating as I could but still classy and refined, so I put on a little bit of makeup, but kept it subtle. I wore the sapphire earrings and cufflinks to give the charcoal suit a bit of color, then went out to find something to eat.


    I found Mary¡¯s house easily enough, and when I pulled up in front the door opened almost immediately. Two girls came rushing out to say hello and to look at the car. I recognized the taller girl as the one Emmy and I had met in Ferndale a few months back, so I figured the other must be Grace.


    While we were saying our hellos and making our introductions, the rest of Mary¡¯s family came out to see what was going on. When Mary saw her family walking toward us, she whispered ¡°They don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Hi!¡± I said to Mary¡¯s parents. ¡°My name is Leah Farmer. I don¡¯t know if Mary told you I was coming, but I¡¯m here to talk to Grace, and I was told she was here.¡±

 We Gain A Daughter

    ¡°Grace?¡± Mary¡¯s dad asked, confused. He was looking at me, then at the Aston Martin parked in front of his small, well-kept little house. It occurred to me that the car probably cost more than his home, and was probably the first Aston to ever park on this working-class neighborhood street, which even the afternoon¡¯s rains couldn¡¯t really wash entirely clean.


    ¡°Yes. She won a contest as part of The Downfall¡¯s fan club,¡± I explained, trying to go with the first thing that occurred to me.


    ¡°The Downfall?¡± he asked again, his mind refusing to make sense of events. His wife, with whom I¡¯d shared a few bored minutes almost a year before suddenly recognized me.


    ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s right! You were with that singer!¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± I agreed. ¡°Grace won a fan contest, and I¡¯m here to talk to her about it. I¡¯m sorry for disturbing your evening, but the drive up from the Bay Area is pretty long.¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s O.K.,¡± Mary¡¯s mother said, her hospitality surfacing. ¡°Won¡¯t you please come in?¡±


    Mary¡¯s dad was still staring at my car when the rest of us entered the house and headed for the kitchen table. The house was neat and clean inside, but definitely very ¡®lived in¡¯ in appearance, with mismatched furniture and an old, somewhat worn carpet.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay for very long, Mrs¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure what Mary¡¯s family name was.


    ¡°Oh, just call me Julie,¡± she answered. ¡°Can I get you anything to drink? I think we have some diet Pepsi in the fridge.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I just ate before coming over here,¡± I replied. ¡°But as I was saying, Julie, I can¡¯t stay very long. I need to go talk to Grace¡¯s parents, since she is a minor, so I really just stopped by to pick her up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, O.K.,¡± she said, still looking a bit awestruck that I was there in her kitchen at all.


    Grace, who¡¯d been mostly silent since I arrived, asked ¡°Can Mary come?¡±


    ¡°No, sorry,¡± I replied. ¡°My car is only a two-seater.¡±


    ¡°What kind of car is that?¡± asked Mary¡¯s dad, who had finally joined us in the kitchen.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Aston Martin Vantage,¡± I replied as off-handedly as I could, trying to downplay my wealth in the face of this family¡¯s humble means.


    ¡°That¡¯s some car,¡± he said, but I didn¡¯t reply, because I wanted the conversation over with.


    ¡°So, Grace, are you ready to go?¡± I asked, and then turned to Mary¡¯s mom. ¡°We¡¯ll be back in a little bit, maybe an hour or so.¡±


    I stood up and motioned for Grace, then put my hand on her shoulder to steer her out, while telling Mary¡¯s folks we¡¯d be back in a bit.


    Once I got Grace settled in to the car and the doors shut, I asked her ¡°Where can we go to get a cup of coffee and talk for a few minutes?¡±


    ¡°I thought we were going to see my parents?¡± she asked, her voice small.


    ¡°Not just yet. First we need to talk, so I can get a feel for the situation. I need to figure out what it is I can do for you, Grace. How I can help you through this.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all she replied.


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said, turning to face her. ¡°I¡¯m here to help. You reached out to us, hoping we could do something. I¡¯m here to do something, but until I know more, I have no idea what it is I can do to make things better for you, do you understand?¡± When she nodded, I said ¡°Now let¡¯s go get some coffee.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t- I mean, there¡¯s a coffee shop down at the plaza,¡± she said, so I followed her directions and we pulled up in front in a few minutes. I didn¡¯t like the looks the local hippie street people were giving my car, so I made sure we had a table right by the big front window so I could keep an eye on it as we talked.


    I coaxed Grace into telling me all the details of what had happened at her house and how her parents had found out she was gay. The short fifteen-year old told me that her mom had found her journal when she was cleaning Grace¡¯s room, and read through it, seeing where Grace had poured out her love for another girl.


    ¡°Not Mary, right?¡± I asked, just for confirmation.


    ¡°No, a girl in our school. She¡¯s a year older than me and Mary.¡±


    ¡°Does she know?¡±


    ¡°No, I could never tell her,¡± Grace said, dejected.


    Rubbing Grace¡¯s back, I tried to console her. ¡°Have you thought that maybe she might like to hear it from you?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know I exist,¡± Grace replied, her voice mournful.


    ¡°Oh, god, I remember those days,¡± I said. ¡°It sucks, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°But you have somebody,¡± Grace replied, sounding a bit envious.


    ¡°Yeah, I do. And you know what? I¡¯ve had to fight for her. I¡¯ve had to fight, and I¡¯d do it again in a moment, because she¡¯s the best thing that ever happened to me.¡±


    ¡°I read about when she got attacked and you beat up the two guys,¡± Grace admitted. ¡°I could never do that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that isn¡¯t what I meant, but I would do that again if I had to, if it came down to it. No, I meant that I¡¯ve had to fight to make sure that Emmy was mine, and that she knew I loved her. I mean, not fight in a literal sense,¡± I clarified, holding up my fists. ¡°I mean that some things had come between us, and I had to make it clear that whatever happened, I was going to be there by her side.¡±


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    ¡°Oh,¡± Grace said, sipping her tea.


    ¡°Look, Grace. I want to help. I really do-¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she interrupted, her hazel eyes suddenly intense behind her glasses. ¡°Why do you want to help me?¡±


    Stumped for a moment, I had to give it some thought. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s a couple of things. Emmy and I have had to deal with people¡¯s ignorance and bigotry, and so I know how much it sucks. I mean, my mom was mostly O.K. with me being gay, but a lot of other people weren¡¯t so I understand a little bit of what you¡¯re going through. I guess I also just feel protective, you know? You sounded so hurt when you called me this morning all I wanted to do was reach though the phone and give you a hug and somehow make it better for you. I guess that¡¯s what it boils down to, you know?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know me,¡± Grace objected.


    ¡°No, and you don¡¯t know Emmy, but you thought she could help, and might be willing to do so, right?¡± I asked. When she nodded, I continued. ¡°I might be able to help, or I might not, I don¡¯t know yet. But you asked, and I¡¯m here to try.¡±


    ¡°What do you think you can do?¡± she asked, a note of hope in her voice.


    ¡°Well, first off, I¡¯m going to try to talk some sense into your parents. That¡¯s the first thing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work,¡± she said, dejected again.


    ¡°Maybe not. But I figured if I came in looking extremely successful and like some kind of high-priced lawyer maybe they¡¯d listen to me. I could point out that whatever it is that you are, it¡¯s because they made you that way. I could also point out that yesterday they loved you, and you¡¯re the same person now that you were then, right?¡±


    Grace shrugged, but didn¡¯t seem convinced her parents would be swayed by reason.


    Sorry to say, it seemed she was right. Her parents were completely unmoved by any argument I made, and in fact, only seemed more set in their decision to kick the poor girl out of the house the more I talked with them. Seeing that it was getting nowhere, and Grace was being subjected to their hateful words just crying to herself on the couch, I finally had a thought that might do the trick.


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hanshaw,¡± I said, still doing my best to be polite, ¡°I have an idea. You don¡¯t want Grace as your daughter any more, is that correct?¡± I asked.


    When they agreed they wanted nothing to do with the sick pervert that they thought her to be, I suggested ¡°Well, she needs a guardian of some sort. If I have papers drawn up handing her guardianship over to me, will you sign?¡±


    Grace looked up in surprise at this. The Hanshaws looked at each other, unsure what this might mean.


    ¡°This would mean that I would be responsible for her. I would see that she goes to school, I would see that she has a roof over her head and food to eat. As I understand it, you no longer wish to associate with her, or to provide her these things. Is that correct?¡± When Mr. Hanshaw grunted in the affirmative, I continued. ¡°As it now stands, you two are legally obligated as her parents to do these things. I could call Child Protective Services and have you two arrested for throwing a fifteen-year-old girl out on the street, but that wouldn¡¯t solve anything. However, if you transfer legal guardianship over to me, you would be off the hook for having to provide for your daughter.¡±


    When I put it that way, they seemed to think it was a good idea.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll sign,¡± Mr. Hanshaw grudgingly agreed.


    ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll bring the papers over around eleven or so.¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t work,¡± said Mrs. Hanshaw. ¡°We¡¯ll be in church until noon.¡±


    Realizing that this church was the same one Mary¡¯s parents went to and they might have a chance to talk, I said ¡°O.K. Eight o¡¯clock in the morning then, before church, and Grace will be out of your life forever.¡±


    That settled, I said ¡°Grace would like to collect some of her things before we go, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°We threw all her stuff out,¡± said Mr. Hanshaw, making me despise the man even more than I already had.


    ¡°Everything? I asked.


    ¡°All of it,¡± he confirmed.


    ¡°All right, then. Grace and I will be on our way. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow morning.¡±


    We left the small house with the beat-up old pickup truck in the driveway, and Grace still hadn¡¯t said a word. I just drove around aimlessly for a few minutes before I could think up what to say. Finally, I broke the silence with ¡°Well, Grace, I hope you like living in the Bay Area.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m gonna live with you? You and Emmy?¡± she asked, still completely stunned by events.


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s O.K. with you,¡± I answered. ¡°I should have asked you first, I know, but it was the only way I could see to get you away from them and make sure you¡¯re safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± she stammered, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said, pulling over so I could talk to her face to face. ¡°I¡¯ll be your legal guardian, so that means that it¡¯ll be up to me to look after your well-being, all right? If we all decide that living with us isn¡¯t the best for you, we can make some other arrangements, but right now, in this moment, I think getting you to a safe environment is number one on the list of priorities, all right?¡±


    She nodded, still too stunned to talk.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be O.K., Grace. Really, it will. This is going to be hard for you, leaving everything, your whole life behind, and I wish your parents had been more reasonable, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s O.K., really,¡± Grace said, coming to some sort of conclusion. ¡°Thank you, Leah. I never would have¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, Grace, what do we tell Mary and her family?¡± I asked, putting the car back in gear. ¡°I know Mary is your besty, and it¡¯ll be hard to say goodbye to her.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell them the truth. I don¡¯t like lying, and Mary¡¯s parents are nice people.¡±


    ¡°That works,¡± I agreed, as we pulled up in front of Mary¡¯s house again.


    The conversation with Mary¡¯s folks went a whole lot better than with Grace¡¯s parents, but I could see that they still had a lot of misgivings about Grace¡¯s revelation to them that she was gay. When Mary admitted to them that she¡¯d known Grace was gay for years, they were a bit horrified, but seemed very relieved when they found out Grace had a crush on somebody besides their daughter, and Mary was in fact straight.


    They didn¡¯t agree with the way the Hanshaws had treated their own daughter, but were clearly terribly uncomfortable knowing that they¡¯d harbored a lesbian under their roof.


    Seeing the way the conversation was going, it looked as if it would be better if Grace didn¡¯t stay there another night so I took her back with me to the B&B. Thankfully they weren¡¯t full, so Grace got a room of her own.


    Once she was settled in, I called our lawyer on his cell phone.


    ¡°James,¡± I said when he answered the phone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for calling you so late, but this is an emergency.¡±


    He grumbled a bit about it being outside his area of expertise and I¡¯d owe him one, but agreed to email the paperwork to me ASAP so I could take it to a copy shop in the morning.


    Grace looked terrible at breakfast. It seemed obvious that she¡¯d spent the whole night crying, and I could understand why. ¡°Grace,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about your parents. I wish¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, Mom and Dad, well, they¡¯re¡­¡± she obviously still loved them at some level, despite the way they¡¯d treated her, and she didn¡¯t want to talk badly about them. ¡°But it¡¯s mainly Mary I¡¯m gonna miss.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to talk to her as much as you want, Grace. We can even come up for visits every now and then.¡±


    This seemed to cheer her up a bit, so she was in a better mood when we got in the car.


    ¡°This is a really nice car,¡± she said, clearly afraid to touch anything.


    ¡°Yeah, it is. I wouldn¡¯t have bought it, but Emmy insisted,¡± I replied. I went through the menu on the entertainment unit and selected The Downfall¡¯s first CD, which seemed to brighten Grace¡¯s mood even more, now that it was hitting home that she would actually be living with her favorite rock star.


    I asked Grace to wait in the car when I went in to talk to her parents, and she was perfectly happy to not have to see her folks again.


    They signed the papers without any real comment, and I thanked them and left without a backward glance.

 Graces New Life

    We stopped by Mary¡¯s house to say goodbye, and the girls hugged each other and cried for a bit, but at the same time the reality that Grace was going to be living a dream made it a sort of happy goodbye at the same time.


    We made a quick stop at the local Target store to get Grace a few items including a change of clothes, then went back to the bed and breakfast so Grace could change and we could check out.


    Once we were on the road south Grace seemed to come out of her shell and she told me all about her life, and about the girl she had a crush on, and on and on. After about three hours of that I was really starting to wonder what I¡¯d gotten Emmy and myself into. The thought suddenly struck me- I¡¯m a mom now. I¡¯ve got a fifteen-year-old daughter, and I¡¯m not even old enough to drink yet.


    O.K., maybe I wasn¡¯t really a mom, but close enough. It had been an impulsive thing to do, but it was the right thing, too, and all I could do is hope it didn¡¯t bite me in the butt.


    Just as I was lost in this train of thought a call came through from Nash down in San Jose.


    ¡°Grace, this is a business call, so I need to take this,¡± I said, answering the phone on the hands-free car speaker.


    ¡°Nash, do you have good news for me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Stan and I just finished the walkthrough, and he thinks the work we¡¯ve been talking about should run a lot less than we¡¯d thought.¡±


    ¡°How much less?¡± I wanted to know.


    ¡°The budget was one point five, but he thinks it can be done for nine, plus or minus,¡± Nash answered.


    ¡°That is good news,¡± I agreed. ¡°Well, let¡¯s do it. I¡¯ll call up the sellers¡¯ agent as soon as we get off the phone and tell them if they¡¯ll accept four point six they can have the cash tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Four point six?¡± he asked, astounded. ¡°No way will they go for that. I¡¯m thinking five point five is the minimum they¡¯ll accept.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°In any case, we¡¯re still on for Friday, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Jackie¡¯s making her famous pot roast.¡±


    ¡°Well, would it be O.K. to bring along an extra mouth to feed?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course! Anybody I know?¡± Nash asked.


    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t met her yet. Her name is Grace, and she¡¯s the newest member of our family. Say hi, Grace,¡± I said, turning to look at the girl.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Grace said, her voice somewhat timid.


    ¡°Hi, Grace,¡± Nash replied, his enthusiastic voice booming through the car¡¯s speakers. ¡°I hope you like pot roast with grilled vegetables, ¡®cause my wife generally cooks enough to feed an army.¡±


    When Nash signed off, Grace asked ¡°Um, who was that?¡±


    ¡°That was Nash Greene. He works for our company as a scout. He helps us find attractive properties to buy.¡±


    ¡°You have a company?¡± she asked, amazed.


    ¡°Yeah, we do. We buy and sell real estate, and manage residential and commercial properties. We do some property development, too. That¡¯s what that call was about. When you called yesterday Nash and I were looking at a warehouse we¡¯re going to develop into a high-tech business incubator,¡± I explained.


    ¡°So when you told him you were gonna offer four point six, was that four point six million?¡± she asked, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°Nash might be right about them holding out for more money, but I think the incentive of cash first thing in the morning will tip things in our favor.¡±


    ¡°What does four point six million dollars in cash actually even look like?¡± she breathed, her mind boggled by the idea.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered, laughing. ¡°It actually isn¡¯t even cash at all. I¡¯ll just have the money wired to their account, and nobody will actually see even a single greenback change hands. The whole ¡®cash¡¯ thing just means that there won¡¯t be any loans or financing.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Grace said, sounding disappointed. After a moment, she said ¡°Still, just the fact that you have almost five million dollars you can do that with is amazing. I can¡¯t even imagine that kind of money.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sometimes amazes me when I think about, too,¡± I agreed.


    I called the selling realtors of the large warehouse and they called the owners, all of us connecting on a conference call. When everybody had said hello, I threw it right out and said that if they were willing to accept my offer we could conclude the deal by lunch tomorrow. I pointed out that cash talks really loudly in the current economy and mine was a fair offer given the amount of time the property had sat on the market. I pointed out that I could find a similar property to buy the next day if I wanted, but they weren¡¯t likely to find a buyer so easily. They hemmed and hawed, but eventually accepted my bid and the deal was done. I told them that Nash would come by their office for the paperwork first thing, and we all said goodbye.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Grace breathed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the way you just totally took control like that!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I grinned, pleased with myself. ¡°I would¡¯ve been willing to go as high as five, but glad I didn¡¯t have to. Hey, four hundred grand in my pocket is better than in theirs, right?¡±


    After a quick call to Nash to tell him the deal was done at four six, we settled back into comfortable silence, which was good, because we were just getting in to the Bay Area at about that time and it was time to focus more on driving.


    As we headed south I pointed out the sights to Grace, who had never been so far from home before. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco, I suggested we make a quick stop at Ghirardelli to get some celebration chocolate and Grace agreed. After buying fifty dollars worth of chocolate we walked around a little bit, and I promised her we¡¯d come back soon and see all the sights.


    After negotiating our way to the freeway, I said ¡°Grace, look. I know I just came into your life and took over, and I¡¯m sorry about that. No, wait, let me finish. I have no real idea what to do next, or how this is going to work, exactly.¡± Seeing the look of sudden alarm on her freckled face, I said ¡°No, don¡¯t panic. What I¡¯m saying is now, legally, you¡¯re my kid. Obviously, I¡¯ve never had a teenaged daughter before, so this is going to be a learning experience for me, and for Emmy, too. She¡¯s going to get one hell of a surprise when she finally calls me back,¡± I said, chuckling a little bit and hoping that Emmy would be O.K. with the developments.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know?¡± Grace asked, suddenly panicked.


    ¡°No, not yet. When they go into the studio they shut the outside world out, so she may not check her phone for another couple of days,¡± I explained.


    ¡°What if she- I mean, she might not-¡± Grace worried.


    ¡°Look, Grace. There are a lot of things that are going to be very different about your new life than you¡¯re used to, and in fact, a lot of things that are going to seem very strange. Some of this stuff is private and you can¡¯t tell anyone, not even Mary, but some of it you can. I¡¯ll let you know what you can and can¡¯t talk about.¡±


    Looking as if she were about to freak out, I reached over and put my hand on her pale little arm. ¡°Relax,¡± I said. ¡°None of it is bad, I promise. None of what I¡¯m going to tell you and you¡¯re going to see is¡­ well, you might think it¡¯s cool. I hope you do,¡± I finished lamely, not sure how to begin. ¡°Emmy and I have a very unusual, um, lifestyle.¡±


    Raising her hands to her face, Grace asked ¡°It¡¯s not some kind of weird sex stuff, is it?¡± in a horrified voice.


    ¡°What? No!¡± I responded, laughing. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that, I promise.¡±


    Still laughing, I exited the freeway onto University. Since it was still only mid afternoon I figured it was a good opportunity to stop for the things Grace would need. Pulling into the shopping center¡¯s valet parking, we got out and headed straight for the cell phone store. After I bought Grace an iPhone and put her on our plan I suggested she call Mary and give her the new number. ¡°You guys can talk any time you want,¡± I said, then added ¡°within reason.¡±


    After a few minutes of chatter, I suggested to Grace that she could call Mary back that evening- we still had shopping to do.


    I figured there was no need to buy everything today but just get enough for the first week or so, so that¡¯s what we did. We bought a number of outfits, several pairs of shoes, and some makeup from one of the department stores. We stopped at the Apple store and I bought her a small laptop computer and an iPad, too, explaining that she could Skype with Mary if she wanted.


    Grace couldn¡¯t believe all the money I¡¯d just spent on her, and kept insisting it was too much, and she didn¡¯t need it all.


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said as we sat down to enjoy some frozen yogurt. ¡°I wasn¡¯t kidding when I said that legally, you might as well be my daughter now. You¡¯re my responsibility. You¡¯re also a good kid who got dealt a tough hand, and I want to do what I can to make your life better. I know that buying you things isn¡¯t going to make up for you losing your parents like you did, but that¡¯s not the point. Like I said, you¡¯re, in effect, my daughter, right? Well, I¡¯m a millionaire, if that hasn¡¯t become totally obvious, so now you¡¯re a millionaire¡¯s daughter. As such, that¡¯s the new life you¡¯re going to have ahead of you. It¡¯s going to be a big change in a lot of ways.¡±


    Nodding that she understood, Grace finished her yogurt and we grabbed our many bags (we¡¯d already taken a number of them back to the car) and headed back to the valet parking stand. One nice thing about having a really flashy car is that the valet services like to leave it right there to show off, I guess, so they never have to go more than twenty feet to fetch it.


    ¡°Welcome home,¡± I said as I ushered Grace into the townhouse. ¡°Here, let me show you to your room,¡± I said, leading her upstairs. I showed her into the third bedroom, the one farthest from the room I shared with Emmy. It had only been used a few times when we had guests over, but in some ways was nicer than the slightly bigger middle room. Better windows, for one, and a balcony, which seemed like features that might appeal to a fifteen-year-old girl.


    Wide eyed in amazement, Grace looked around. ¡°This is- is this really my room?¡±


    ¡°Well, I figured you¡¯d like this one better. You can take your pick of whichever of these two you prefer,¡± I explained, and after looking the two over, she chose the smaller room as I¡¯d expected.


    We brought up all her new things and I helped her settle in. When we had her clothes put away, I asked her to come to the kitchen and keep me company while I cooked us dinner. ¡°Bring the computer and iPad, too,¡± I suggested. ¡°You can set them up on the network while we¡¯re talking.¡±


    Still overwhelmed, Grace did as I asked and soon she was perched on a barstool at the counter while I made dinner.


    ¡°I expect that our diet here is going to come as a shock,¡± I apologized. ¡°I¡¯m an athlete, and my dietary needs are very specific. You¡¯re only going to get healthy food here in this house, but I have no objection to you eating whatever you want other times.¡±


    ¡°So, what are the rules?¡± Grace asked.


    Momentarily stumped, I was at a loss. ¡°Well, I hadn¡¯t even thought about it,¡± I confessed. ¡°O.K., here are some basic rules. Keep the house clean, don¡¯t make a mess. If you do, clean it up. Keep your room clean, too. We make our bed every morning, but you don¡¯t have to do that if you don¡¯t want. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, but if you use something up please add it to the grocery list,¡± I said, pointing to the small yellow pad on the counter. ¡°Feel free to watch the T.V. or listen to the stereo, but if anybody asks you to turn it down, you¡¯ve gotta do it. Is there anything else I¡¯m forgetting?¡±


    ¡°What about going out?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be an issue for the next few days, do you?¡±


    ¡°Um, how about borrowing the car?¡± she asked, smiling to let me know she was kidding. I was happy to see it, hoping that all of this was going to work out for her after all.


    ¡°Ask me after you¡¯ve got your license,¡± I replied, laughing.


    During dinner Grace peppered me with questions about Emmy, and how we¡¯d met, and what she was like.


    ¡°Whoa there, cowboy!¡± I replied. ¡°Hold your horses. You¡¯ll get to meet her in a few days and then all your questions will be answered.¡±


    Looking a bit worried, Grace asked ¡°But what if she doesn¡¯t like me? I mean, you just took me in and all without even asking her, right? What if she-¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait,¡± I commanded. ¡°Yes, I did just take you in without talking to Emmy, that¡¯s true. But here¡¯s the thing- she trusts me to make any decisions for us that need to be made.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± mumbled Grace, suddenly unsure of herself again.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grace. Emmy will be surprised, but she¡¯ll be happy to have you here with us. I promise.¡±


    After dinner I called Sana to ask her to make some arrangements the next day. I explained about Grace and what had happened, and told her that Grace needed appointments with our doctor, dentist, eye doctor and even the chiropractor and massage therapist.


    I explained to Grace that these were mostly just checkups, and I didn¡¯t want her health to go ignored. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you squint to see things far away,¡± I said. ¡°Has it been a while since you got new glasses?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah,¡± she admitted. ¡°You know, we just didn¡¯t have a lot of money, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that isn¡¯t a problem now,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call Mary, and then it¡¯s bed time. We need to get up really early tomorrow,¡± I said, before going to the home office to call Emmy. As expected, it went straight to voice mail, so I left her a good night message, but didn¡¯t mention anything about Grace. I figured voice mail wasn¡¯t the right way to broach the subject.


    Back at the counter, Grace was talking to Mary, telling her about the drive, the house, her new room, and the shopping trip all without even stopping to breathe.


    Grace was so different from the way I¡¯d been at her age, and none of my friends back then had been such¡­ ¡®airheads¡¯ popped into mind, but that wasn¡¯t fair, I told myself. If anything, she was the typical one and I¡¯d been the oddball when I was fifteen.


    At a loss for what to do, I went upstairs, turned on some soft music and did yoga for a while, until Grace and Mary finally wound down about an hour and a half later. Grace knocked, then entered when I said ¡±Come in.¡±


    She¡¯d changed into her new pajamas, and wanted to say good night.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to brush your teeth and wash your face,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°O.K., Mom,¡± she said, rolling her eyes, but I could tell she was teasing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you take that tone with me, young lady,¡± I replied in an old lady voice, shaking my finger at her, which got her to laugh.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, turning serious. ¡°When I mentioned getting up early, I meant really, really early. We need to be out of the house by 4:45.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!¡± Grace exclaimed. ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Workout,¡± I answered. ¡°It¡¯ll just be for the next couple of days, until Emmy gets home. She sleeps in late.¡±


    ¡°Oh, O.K. G¡¯night, then,¡± she said, heading to her new room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to brush your teeth!¡± I called after her.


    Four o¡¯clock rolled around way too soon for Grace¡¯s tastes, but she did drag herself out of bed and got ready in time for a quick breakfast of granola with rice milk.


    I felt bad about dragging her out of bed so early just so she could watch me work out, but surprisingly, Grace seemed to enjoy it. In fact, after I was done she even asked if she could maybe take kick-boxing classes, which surprised me. I mean, she was so soft and girly it seemed unlikely that she would be interested, but I do think it¡¯s important for girls to be able to defend themselves, so I was in favor of it. If it helped her shed a few pounds of the baby fat she still held onto, so much the better.


    Returning home so I could take a quick shower and get dressed in a business skirt suit, I suggested Grace dress up a little, too. ¡°We need to stop by your new school and get you signed up,¡± I explained. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to make a good impression right off the bat.¡±


    After the stop at the high school (which went far easier than I¡¯d expected) we stopped by the office.


    Sana stood up from her receptionist desk as we entered, and exclaimed ¡°This must be Grace!¡± in her refined English accent, as she walked over to us. Grace looked a bit stunned, but broke out of it when I introduced the two of them.


    As soon as the pleasantries were over, I asked ¡°Have you heard anything from New York?¡±


    ¡°I got a text from Eddie last night. They are going to be done recording today, so they will be back home late tonight,¡± Sana replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± I said, but inside I was a little bit upset that I didn¡¯t get this info direct from Emmy herself.


    I took care of the necessary paperwork to authorize the payment transfer for the warehouse, then asked Sana if she and Donny would like to come over for dinner later. She said she¡¯d talk to Donny, but she thought they could make it.


    When Grace and I were back in the car, I could tell that she was thinking about Sana¡¯s unusual looks.


    ¡°That lady, Sana? She¡¯s like Emmy, isn¡¯t she?¡± Grace asked, clearly unsure how to frame the question.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered, but unsure myself how to explain the Night Children to Grace. ¡°You remember how I told you there were some things you were going to learn that are sort of secret?¡± When she nodded yes, I continued. ¡°Well, this is sort of secret, and sort of not. Let¡¯s just say it isn¡¯t common knowledge.¡± I went on to explain a bit about the Night Children, giving her a quick overview.


    ¡°You¡¯ll learn all about them soon enough, I promise. But meanwhile-¡± Just then the phone rang, and I saw on the car¡¯s screen that it was Emmy, so I pulled over to answer the call.


    ¡°Hey, baby!¡± I said as I answered the phone.


    ¡°Oh, Leah, it is so good to hear your voice!¡± replied Emmy on the car¡¯s hands-free system. ¡°I have missed you so much!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, too, Em,¡± I said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if you¡¯d just call every so often, you know,¡± I chided.


    ¡°I know,¡± she agreed, ¡°but when we are recording we try to shut everything out, and it seems to work well for us. I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Em, I understand,¡± I said, softening my tone. ¡°But hey, I¡¯ve got big news for you!¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°We have a lovely new daughter!¡± I proclaimed, smiling at Grace, so she¡¯d see the humor in the situation.


    ¡°A daughter? That is very fast! I did not even realize you were pregnant,¡± Emmy said, going along with the joke, even though she was clearly not really understanding what I was getting at.


    ¡°Well, you have been out of town for a while,¡± I said, teasing. ¡°Emmy, I¡¯d like to introduce you to our new daughter, Grace.¡±


    ¡°Grace?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°That is a lovely name, Leah. You know that I have liked that name ever since Ferndale.¡±


    ¡°Grace, say hello to Emmy De Lascaux, your new mom,¡± I urged.


    ¡°He-hello,¡± Grace said, stammering in her nervousness.


    ¡°Leah, what is going on?¡± asked Emmy, suddenly realizing more was going on than some odd joke.


    ¡°Em, the short version of the story is that Grace here called me, thinking the phone number was yours. She was in desperate need of help and was in a terrible situation. Not knowing what else to do, but knowing I needed to do something, I drove up to Arcata to see what I could do,¡± I explained. ¡°Grace¡¯s parents had found out she was gay, and kicked her out of the house.¡±


    ¡°This is Mary¡¯s friend, that same Grace? The one I recorded ¡®I can see clearly now¡¯ for?¡± Emmy asked, starting to see the picture.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°That Grace. Well, Mary¡¯s parents weren¡¯t gonna take her in, and I couldn¡¯t just leave her to fend for herself, so I got her parents to sign some legal papers that said that I¡¯m now her legal guardian. She¡¯s going to live with us,¡± I announced, crossing my fingers that Emmy would take it as well as I¡¯d hoped.


    There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone line, just long enough for Grace to start to panic.


    ¡°Grace, are you there?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Ye-yeah,¡± responded Grace, still at a loss for words.


    ¡°Grace,¡± Emmy asked, ¡°Does this seem to be a good answer to your problems?¡±


    Grace took a moment before she understood the question. ¡°Do you mean, do I think Leah did the right thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is my question. Do you think Leah did the right thing to make your situation better? To solve your problems?¡± Emmy asked, her voice very serious.


    ¡°Um, yeah, I guess. I mean, yeah, I do. I didn¡¯t know what was gonna happen to me, and I didn¡¯t know who could help. I called Leah, thinking it was you, and she came all the way just to help me out. It was amazing, you know? She just showed up and took control- I didn¡¯t ask for this, I couldn¡¯t have asked, you know? But she did it. She just¡­ Yeah, this is amazing. I mean, I hope it¡¯s O.K. with you,¡± Grace added, turning timid again.


    ¡°If Leah thought it was the right thing to do, then it was the right thing,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Welcome to our little family, Grace.¡± Then, changing the subject, she asked ¡°Did you like the song I recorded for you?¡±


    Grace gushed about how much it meant to her, and how nice the house was, and so on. The two chatted for a while, but then another call came buzzing in.


    ¡°I hate to interrupt, but it¡¯s Max. I need to take this,¡± I apologized. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Love you,¡± Emmy said as she hung up.


    ¡°Max,¡± I said in greeting.


    ¡°Good morning, my queen,¡± responded Max, making me roll my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you there¡¯s no need for that, Max,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my- Leah,¡± he replied, catching himself.


    ¡°So give me some good news,¡± I said. ¡°How are things going in sunny Vancouver?¡±


    ¡°Sunny is not a word I would use to describe this place,¡± Max said, chuckling. ¡°And for the good news, I do have some.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. You also have some bad news.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. First the good news. I think I¡¯ve found someone who can do the required paperwork. He comes highly recommended. He works mostly with the Chinese gangs, and they think highly of his abilities.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said, glancing over at Grace, to see how she was reacting to this conversation. ¡°If he can do what we need, try to negotiate a blanket price. Tell him that we could bring a lot of work his way if he does right by us.¡±


    ¡°I had already spoken with the man, and told him that there was a possibility of continued work for him in the future. He seemed pleased at the thought of an additional revenue stream.¡±


    ¡°Cool,¡± I said. ¡°Make certain that nobody ever mentions my name or Emmy¡¯s to him, ever. Got that?¡±


    ¡°There have been no names at all,¡± Max agreed. ¡°He does not know mine, yours, or anybody else¡¯s, and I do not know his. I only know him as ¡®the paperboy¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, good work, Max. Good work. Any other good news?¡±


    ¡°The owners of the nightclub you were interested in purchasing have indicated they may be willing to sell, if the price is right. They want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°O.K. I guess I¡¯ll have Sana set something up. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°For the good news, yes. For the bad news-¡±


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I said, interrupting. ¡°It''s Rahsett, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± confirmed Max. ¡°Rahsett has been contacting your people, trying to intimidate them into turning away from you.¡±


    Knowing this conversation couldn¡¯t sound good to Grace, I plowed ahead anyway. ¡°Max, I want you to talk to him. You tell him that they are my people now, and are no longer any concern of his. I have been very patient with him and made him a generous offer, but my patience is just about at its limit. I want you to make it very clear to him that if I hear one more time that he¡¯s harassing my people, he will pay. Tell him that if he says one more word to my people, he had better run and hide as best he can because my knife is very, very sharp and it will drink his blood. I will have him buried where no one will ever weep at his graveside. Tell him that I am a very dangerous woman, but,¡± I said, emphasizing the next point. ¡°Tell him I am also generous. If he gives up his opposition, I will allow him to live in peace. I will not come after him if he stays away from my business and my people. Make it clear to him that I am still willing to consider granting him my protection, but there will be new requirements from him.¡±


    ¡°I will tell him, Leah. I will make your position very clear to him,¡± Max said.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°If I have to come up there to deal with him, it will be a very bad thing for him.¡±


    ¡°I will tell him.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± I asked, lightening the mood.


    ¡°No, that is all,¡± Max said.


    ¡°O.K. then. Thanks for the update, Max. I¡¯ll have Sana set something up with the club owners. Talk to you soon,¡± I said, hanging up.


    I looked over at Grace, to gauge her reaction.


    ¡°That sounded like something from the Sopranos,¡± she said, wide-eyed. ¡°Are you a gangster?¡±


    Laughing, I told her, ¡°Something like that, but actually, something totally different.¡± Pulling the car back into traffic, I said ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get some lunch.¡±


    After a few minutes of silence, Grace asked ¡°Do you have a sharp knife?¡±


    Stopped at a red light, I looked over at her, and in a very serious voice said ¡°A very, very sharp knife,¡± then broke out laughing at the look on her face.


    She gave me a shove on the shoulder and said ¡°That¡¯s mean! You really had me going!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you when we get home,¡± I said, returning her shove.


    We went to a local organic restaurant for lunch, where I took the time to explain some things to Grace. ¡°You asked if I¡¯m a gang boss,¡± I mentioned. When Grace nodded, I continued. ¡°You heard Max call me ¡®my queen¡¯, right? Well, like I told you, Emmy¡¯s people have their own culture, and one of the things about it is that they¡¯re very, uh, well, they¡¯re divided into, like, clans, or something, like the Scottish used to be, or something like that. Emmy and I, well, we¡¯re the rulers of one of these groups. They call them ¡®nations¡¯. So as far as Max is concerned, and Sana, too, who you met earlier, I am their queen. They have to do what I say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Grace said, doubt showing on her face, her turkey burger halfway to her mouth.


    ¡°No, I know it sounds crazy, but it¡¯s the truth. We have a little nation of these folks and it¡¯s up to Emmy and me to lead them. They work for us, and we provide them with what we can to make their lives better.¡± Ignoring my quinoa salad, I continued. ¡°You heard the conversation with Max. The background to that is that we are expanding our reach, and we¡¯ve been moving into new areas. We moved into Vancouver and found a small community there, led by this guy named Rahsett. We offered them a better life if they joined us, and most of them did. Rahsett is pissed off that he¡¯s lost his little domain, so he¡¯s been trying to make life hard for the people that left him to join us.¡±


    Taking a moment to let it settle in while I had some of my lunch, I waited and eventually Grace had a question.


    ¡°So, when you told Max to tell this Rahsett guy that you would cut him, you didn¡¯t really mean it, did you?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. I don¡¯t want violence. The thing is, Rahsett has to believe that I¡¯m as deadly as a heart attack or he won¡¯t take me seriously. He¡¯s heard my rep, and has to believe that I¡¯ll kill him if he makes too much trouble. Unfortunately, it¡¯s all he knows. We¡¯ve tried being nice, so now it¡¯s time to get tough with him.¡±


    ¡°You have a rep?¡± Grace asked, her burger totally forgotten.


    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°Everybody is convinced I¡¯m a stone cold killing machine, just looking for an opportunity to do some nice, enjoyable slicing and dicing,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°I can believe it,¡± Grace said, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Believe what? That I¡¯m a psycho?¡±


    ¡°Um, no, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a psycho,¡± Grace said, picking her words carefully. ¡°I mean, like, you came up and saved me, right? I mean, you didn¡¯t need to do that, but you did. Just because it seemed like the right thing to do, and because you felt protective, you said. A psycho wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± I kept quiet, because Grace was still thinking about what she wanted to say. ¡°But the way you just came in and took over, saw what you thought would be a good solution, then didn¡¯t even ask for anybody¡¯s permission, just bullied everybody into going along-¡±


    ¡°Wait. Is that how you feel?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Well, no, I guess you¡¯re missing my point,¡± Grace said, trying to clarify her position. ¡°What I mean is that that could be how it looked to others. That you just came in to the situation, looked it over and came to a decision, then did what it took to make it happen, and you didn¡¯t care if you stepped on anybody¡¯s toes, right?¡± She looked up at me, hoping I wasn¡¯t offended. I just nodded to let her know I was listening. ¡°Well, most people aren¡¯t like that. Most people don¡¯t want to make waves. Most people don¡¯t want to take charge. But you did, like it was no big deal. I mean, my life has been turned completely upside down-¡±


    ¡°Which you¡¯re dealing with really well, by the way,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Grace agreed. ¡°But anyway, you just rolled in like a boss, and everybody did exactly what you told them to do, because you¡¯re so¡­ I dunno, forceful, I guess. It didn¡¯t really seem like anybody had any choice but to do what you told ¡®em to do.¡±


    I ate my salad in silence while Grace gathered her thoughts. Eventually, Grace continued. ¡°It¡¯s everything about you,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re amazingly beautiful, tall, and confident. You drive a car that¡¯s like some kind of fierce animal, the way it growls. You dress super nice, and you¡¯re- well, you¡¯re like a female James Bond or something. Good looking, mysterious, confident. Heck- even that scar is intimidating.¡±


    ¡°Jane Bond?¡± I asked, laughing.


    ¡°Well, yeah. And this morning, watching you train with that Brazilian guy, the way you threw him to the mat and started just punching the shit out of him-¡±


    ¡°Please watch your language, Grace,¡± I admonished, well aware of how much like my mother I sounded.


    ¡°You had him down, and just, like, went to town on him. It was freaking amazing,¡± Graze said, correcting herself. ¡°I mean, I saw there on the wall of the gym he¡¯s some kind of UFC champion, and there you were, working him over.¡±


    ¡°Ruben could take me any time. Like you said, he was world champion. That was just training, just sparring.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, it didn¡¯t look like he was holding back to me,¡± Grace said. ¡°It looked like you caught him when he wasn¡¯t expecting it and took him down.¡±


    Suddenly remembering her lunch, Grace took a big bite, then continued. ¡°I was watching your faces. When you grabbed him and slammed him to the floor, he was surprised. But there was no expression on your face, Leah. You looked like, well, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s hard to describe.¡±


    I leaned in, curious. I really wanted to hear where Grace was going with this.


    ¡°It was like when my mom does her crosswords. She¡¯s focused, concentrating, you know? But there is no emotion there. I mean, why would there be? It was like that. You blocked his kick and hooked his leg, then lifted him and threw him down. You jumped on him and started pounding away, and not once did it look like you cared one way or another. It was like it was just something you do while waiting for the bus, or something.¡±


    I sat back, unsure how to process what Grace had just said.


    ¡°So, I guess, I mean, I can understand why people would think you¡¯re a stone cold killer. When people say ¡®Like a boss¡¯ that¡¯s exactly what they mean,¡± she said, looking unsure of herself, as if she might have just put her foot in her mouth.


    ¡°Well, thanks, I guess,¡± I replied, not too sure how to deal with this information.

 Coachella

    Coachella


    Grace settled in surprisingly easily, and i have to think that it was a combination of her treading softly because of some degree of insecurity in her situation and partly because she was just an agreeable kid.


    Of course Emmy loved having Grace around, alleviating any worries that Grace might have had that she was unwelcome. Emmy doted on the girl, Buying her clothes, things for her room, and so on. It wasn¡¯t just material goods, though- Grace often attended Downfall rehearsals after school hours, too.


    At home, Emmy had suggested an allowance, which hadn¡¯t actually occurred to me.


    ¡°What chores did you do at home?¡± I asked, trying to gauge what she was used to.


    ¡°I did the dishes every night and vacuumed twice a week, and took out the trash,¡± Grace answered.


    ¡°And how much allowance did your parents give you?¡±


    ¡°I got ten bucks a week,¡± she said, looking hopeful. This made me think she¡¯d underreported the work and over reported the money, but that¡¯s O.K. with me.


    ¡°All right. How¡¯s this. You do the dishes and take out the trash, keep your room and bath clean and I¡¯ll give you fifty dollars a week. Keep your grades up and it¡¯ll be a hundred.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Grace asked, wide-eyed. ¡°A hundred dollars a week?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°But that¡¯s contingent on you doing the work.¡±


    ¡°I can do that!¡± she said, burning with enthusiasm at the idea of that much money. The funny thing about it from my perspective is that I was worried it would be much less than most of her new peers at school. I was worried I was giving her too little for her new environment. Well, I guess Emmy was buying her all the clothes she¡¯d ever need, so the money was purely for personal entertainment, so it should be fine.


    When I discussed it with Emmy later that night, she told me that she thought it was low, too. ¡°My allowance was five thousand Euros a week,¡± she said, recalling her teenage years in France. ¡°But I had to buy my own clothes,¡± she added.


    ¡°Well, Grace isn¡¯t getting anything near that,¡± I said. ¡°But maybe we can up it if it seems to be too little.¡±


    Thankfully, Grace needed very little parenting. She was good about doing her chores, dedicated to her school work, and quiet around the house. She wore headphones when she watched the television, so I didn¡¯t even have to listen to that, for which I was grateful.


    The one concern I really had was her choices in girlfriends. At her new school, she was out and proud and according to her, nobody batted an eye. In fact, there were plenty of girls who were either gay or willing to give it a try, so Grace had little problem finding companionship. I was happy for her for that, but it seemed from my perspective that there wasn¡¯t really much if any love there. The girls she brought home just mostly wanted to fool around, and most of them (again, from my perspective) seemed more enamored of the fact that they got to see Emmy¡¯s house and spend time in the home of a rock star than actually be into Grace.


    In fact, at one point I asked Grace about it. ¡°I hate to say it, but I got the impression that Tish was just here to see Emmy,¡± I said after Tish¡¯s parents picked her up after dinner. ¡°It kinda seemed like she was just using you,¡± I said, trying to be blunt but gentle.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Grace agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s a two way street, you know?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, Tish is just using me in a way, but it¡¯s only fair, since I¡¯m just using Emmy to hook up with Tish, too,¡± she said, shrugging.


    ¡°That¡¯s..um, callous of you,¡± I said, displeased with the admission.


    ¡°I mean, yeah, kinda,¡± Grace agreed. ¡°But look. Tish knows I live with you guys, right? Me being near Emmy makes me a whole lot more attractive to her, so I have to use what I can, you know?¡± she explained. ¡°I think she kinda likes me, and I kinda like her, too, and us both liking The Downfall gives us something in common to start with. I hope that things go farther, since, I mean, you know, she¡¯s hot, and all, and I think she¡¯s ready to, uh, well, go farther¡­¡± she said, trailing off as she realized she might have shared a bit too much.


    ¡°Just to be clear,¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re mainly interested in her because you think she¡¯s sexy and might, um, put out?¡±


    ¡°Leah, I¡¯m almost sixteen¡± Grace said. ¡°And Tish is the first girl I¡¯ve even kissed. And it was awesome, you know?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I think I have some idea,¡± I said, trying to not roll my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m kinda scared, but I want more, too,¡± Grace said, and I knew exactly what she meant. ¡°And I think Tish might be into it, you know? She says she¡¯s straight, but she kissed me first, so what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m no expert,¡± I admitted, ¡°but from what I understand, it means she¡¯s either in denial or just experimenting. Either way, it¡¯s probably not going to end with ¡®happily ever after¡¯.¡±


    ¡°It doesn''t have to,¡± Grace said. ¡°It¡¯s not like either of us are in love with the other, you know? We¡¯re just fooling around, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And if it means you get laid¡­¡± I said, trying to be sympathetic but at the same time, not so much.


    ¡°If Tish and I get, you know, nakie, and do things I¡¯ve only ever seen online, well that¡¯s one hundred per cent awesome,¡± Grace agreed, a bit to my dismay.


    I¡¯ve only ever made love with three people in my life, and I was in love with each of them in their time. It just didn¡¯t seem right to sex up somebody simply because it was available and convenient, but maybe that¡¯s more my hangup than Grace¡¯s.


    She was reinventing herself in real time, and maybe the person she wanted to be was a womanizer. I hoped not, but I¡¯d come to know a number of people who felt just the way Grace was explaining herself to me.


    The scene backstage held no real interest for me, so I was wandering through the crowd when the lights came on the stage, announcing that The Downfall was about to start their show. Like everybody else, I pressed forward in anticipation. I knew Emmy and the boys had worked a while on a special performance for this night and I was curious to see what they had in store for everybody.


    Lee walked on stage, wearing shorts and a yellow and black Charlie Brown T-shirt. He bowed to the audience who all went wild, clapping and cheering. Lee waved at the crowd with his sticks, then took a seat behind his kit. With one last, long look at the crowd, he started in with a heavy, steady beat. The audience roared with excitement, and Lee pounded his way into a long solo, driving the crowd wild. The energy was amazing out on the grass of that polo field and everybody was just eating it up. After a couple of minutes Jackson strolled out onto the stage, which caused even more cheering. He picked up his bass guitar and matched Lee¡¯s powerful, driving beat. The two matched each other, then counterpointed (I think that¡¯s the right word) the rhythm each other were playing out on that warm desert night.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The interplay between the two, blasted out on that million-watt sound system, had my heart beating in time and there was nothing I could do to resist the music as it seemed to take over my central nervous system. I wasn¡¯t the only one, either- everybody was moving to the heavy, pounding beat.


    My eyes were yanked back to the stage by the crowd¡¯s insane screaming as Emmy walked on stage, wearing baggy cargo pants, Chuck Taylors and a white tank top that was so thin you could clearly see the hot pink bra underneath it. She smiled and waved to the crowd, then picked up her guitar. Her pick in her right hand, her left on the neck of her blue guitar, Emmy took a long, slow visual sweep of the crowd, smiling with satisfaction. Finally, after killing us all with anticipation, she ripped into a screaming, wailing guitar riff. If I¡¯d thought the audience was as loud as it could get before that, I was proven completely wrong. With a shock I realized my own throat was hoarse with screaming, too. I¡¯d been just as caught up as everybody else, and embarrassed, I shut my mouth in chagrin.


    At the end of the instrumental intro that had become a signature of The Downfall¡¯s live shows, Jackson stepped up the microphone. ¡°Thank y¡¯all for coming tonight,¡± he said, his Texas accent as thick and sweet as ever. ¡°We are The Downfall, here to play some music for a couple a hours. It¡¯s gonna be just us, you, and fifty thousand of our very best friends here tonight in beautiful Indio, California,¡± he said, pronouncing it ¡®Cal ee fornya¡¯.


    ¡°I hope y¡¯all are in the mood to rock, ¡®cause this ain¡¯t gonna be an intimate evening of acoustic music. No, this here¡¯s gonna one big-ass rock show tonight, courtesy of Emmy, Lee and me.¡± Turning to look at Emmy, he asked ¡°Ready to kick it, Em?¡±


    Emmy just smiled, nodded, and hit a powerful, piercing chord. Jackson and Lee followed her lead and soon the band was blasting out a hard rock version of ¡°Any way at all¡± from their first album. Jackson hadn¡¯t been kidding about the night not being acoustic, it seemed. The pretty little ballad from the CD was turned into a rock anthem and soon the crowd was chanting the refrain at the top of their lungs, completely wrapped up in the music.


    Jen and Steph had appeared on stage and were dancing in their respective white devil and black angel costumes, the light show was going full blast, and the giant video screen behind the stage was showing a twenty foot tall close-up of Emmy¡¯s face as she sang.


    ¡®A big-ass rock show¡¯, all right, I thought as I pushed my way through the crowd to get over to the right side so I could go backstage and check on Grace and Patty, her current girlfriend. Glancing up I saw that I had a great view of Stephanie dancing, so I paused for a moment to watch as she did a slow, sexy shimmy during a quiet moment.


    I overheard the girl in front of me shouting to her dark-haired friend something like ¡°You say you went to school with her?¡± which caught my attention. I looked at the two college-aged girls and felt a shock when I realized that the dark-haired girl holding the blonde¡¯s hand was Courtney Hubbard, my old best friend. As I watched from less than four feet behind, Courtney leaned over to talk in her friend¡¯s ear, which she followed up with a nuzzle and a kiss. A very friendly kiss, I might add.


    To say I was stunned is an understatement. I had no idea what to say or do, so I backed up and let the crowd fill in between me and Courtney and her girlfriend. I circled around to the side entrance to the backstage area, still in a daze. Seeing my badge the security guys let me through, and I made my way back to the dressing room, which was really just a trailer parked behind the stage.


    The girls weren¡¯t there, so I just flopped down in one of the comfy chairs to think about what I¡¯d just seen, and what it meant.


    After an hour, Emmy and the boys came bustling in, all sweaty and wired on adrenaline. The two guys were shirtless, and Emmy had removed her tank top as well, stripped down to her hot pink bra.


    I quickly told Emmy about what I¡¯d seen, and to my surprise she just laughed.


    ¡°Does this mean that her behavior winter term was just jealousy?¡± Emmy asked, her eyes shining with excitement. Needing to return to the stage for their encore, Emmy grabbed my hand and dragged me to where I could sit off-stage to watch. Grace and Patty were already there, so I just grabbed a director¡¯s chair and sat next to them to watch the end of the show. Emmy said something to the boys, and they nodded they understood as they took their places.


    Emmy raised her hands to quiet the crowd, and when she was satisfied, she announced ¡°I have just been told that an old friend of mine from school is here in the audience tonight.¡± Again she raised her hands to hush the audience before she continued. ¡°Courtney, I am glad you came to see us tonight. I hope you¡¯ve enjoyed the show. In fact, if you want to come back stage after the show, I would love to say hello. Meanwhile, though, this next song is for you. We had not planned on playing it tonight, but it seemed appropriate.¡±


    I had a sinking feeling this was going to be a train wreck, and when Emmy started singing ¡°She¡¯s Got (What I Want)¡± all I could do was bury my face in my hands. Jeeze, Em. I mean, really. All I could do was cringe when Emmy sang


    ¡°What I want, baby, she¡¯s got


    What I want, baby, is you¡±


    Grace was a sharp kid, and I just knew I was going to have to answer some questions later, judging by the inquisitive look she gave me.


    I was not the least surprised that Courtney never made her way back stage. I figured even if Emmy had in fact told the security guys to let her and her friend back to the trailer she¡¯d have been too insulted by Emmy¡¯s verbal slap to show her face.


    Grace and Patty wanted to go with Lee, Jackson and Jen to some party being hosted by Kanye West or somebody like that, but I put my foot down and told them no way. The five of us were going back to the hotel to get some sleep, and anyhow, fifteen-year-old girls did not belong at rock parties- there was no way that was any kind of good idea. We piled into the Escalade, Emmy and Stephanie tired from performing, the girls full of energy and excitement, and me, kind of depressed. When we got back to the house we¡¯d rented in Palm Springs I made sure the girls were settled down in their room, then went back to ours and waited for Emmy to get out of the shower.


    I guess my unhappiness was obvious, because it didn¡¯t take more than a moment for Emmy to drop the towel she was using to dry her hair and come over to sit on my lap. Usually a naked Emmy up close and personal made me happy, but this time my mood wasn¡¯t so good.


    ¡°What is wrong, Leah?¡± she asked, stroking my hair.


    ¡°That was mean, what you did,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Is this about Courtney?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be so bitchy,¡± I complained. ¡°I mean, even if she was just jealous back in senior year, you didn¡¯t need to rub her face in it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, baby,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°You are probably correct. But I could not help myself, Leah. She had mistreated you so badly, and why? Because she was jealous of me? Because she never moved to tell you how she felt about you? These are not good reasons to avoid the one who had been your best friend since childhood, are they?¡± Emmy asked, defending herself.


    ¡°No, maybe not, but Emmy, there was no reason to antagonize her like that. That was just mean. And besides, when you thought I was with Stephanie, you did the same thing to me.¡±


    Emmy started to object, but just as quickly shut up, biting off whatever it was she had been about to say. After a moment of thought, she agreed. ¡°Yes, I did, did I not?¡± Then after another thoughtful pause, she said ¡°I should apologize.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said doubtfully. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how that¡¯s gonna work.¡±


    Hopping off my lap, Emmy walked over to the bed stand to grab her iPad. The old joke about hating to see her leave but loving to watch her walk away ran through my mind as I admired the way her beautiful naked body swayed as she moved. How could I stay mad at somebody I loved so much? It just wasn¡¯t possible.


    She climbed back on my lap settling herself into a comfortable position, and I used the opportunity to run my hands over her still-damp skin as she logged in to Facebook. On The Downfall¡¯s page Emmy posted ¡°During the final set of tonight¡¯s show at the Coachella Music festival, I dedicated a song to a friend of mine from high school. The words I spoke before the song, and the choice of song we performed were really quite bitchy, and I am sorry. I hope you see this, Courtney, and please accept my apology. It was thoughtless and cruel, and I do hope that we can become friends again. Again, I am sorry, and I hope I did not ruin the night for you. Please contact me so I can make it up to you and your friend somehow. Signed, Emmy.¡±


    ¡°I hope that she sees that,¡± Emmy said, hitting the button to post her apology.


    ¡°Did you mean it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, I did. When you told me you saw Courtney with another girl, it only confirmed what I had felt back then, which is that she had been jealous. I was excited and felt¡­¡± Emmy struggled to find the right word. ¡°Triumphant. I was the one who had you, not Stephanie, not Courtney. Me. I was the one on stage, the one everybody was cheering for, and Courtney, well, she was watching from the crowd. I had won, and she, she had lost. That was how I felt.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± I started to object, but Emmy put her finger to my lips to shush me.


    ¡°Now, now that I am calm, I see that it was not the right thing to do. Taunting like that is cruel, as you said. Nobody likes an ungracious winner, and that is not what I want to be.¡±


    With that, she hit the refresh button, and I saw that her post already had a bunch of replies. The first said ¡°OMG! What happened?¡± The second was from somebody that had obviously been there at Coachella, because it said ¡°It seemed like some kind of love triangle thing¡±. There were more, but Emmy hit refresh again and the first few vanished, Facebook only showing the last handful of comments.


    ¡°I think she will soon hear of it,¡± And I had to agree.


    Unable to stay angry, I pulled Emmy into my embrace and nuzzled her damp hair. ¡°I want you to know, you didn¡¯t win,¡± I whispered. As Emmy started to pull away in indignation, I continued. ¡°I did.¡±

 Going Home Again

    I¡¯d finally talked Mom into the idea of me buying a house for her and Tiffany, so I figured that it would be nice to spend some time house-hunting with Mom once school got out for summer break. Grace complained a bit, but she¡¯d never been to Southern California and I told her we would rent a place by the beach for a month and she could learn to surf.


    She¡¯d really gotten into outdoor activities and so doing nothing but surfing for a month appealed to her. The timing worked for Emmy as well, since her parents were going to be in Fallbrook all summer and she could spend some time with them.


    I found us a short-term rental in Leucadia a block from the beach the surf camp I signed Grace up for used for their instruction, and within easy walking distance of shops and restaurants. It was nice and breezy, with a view of the ocean from the back deck.


    We¡¯d driven down, taking both cars so that Emmy and I could have our separate vehicles for the month. In addition to spending time with her folks, Emmy wanted to visit some Los Angeles recording studios and of course, I was going to be seeing real estate with Mom.


    I¡¯d insisted we bring Eddie with us and that Emmy wouldn¡¯t go anywhere without either me or him along, and Emmy acquiesced fairly easily. ¡°I¡¯d feel a lot better if you had somebody watching your back,¡± was all I really needed to say.


    There were a few errands that I needed to run in SoCal, and a few I could have done back home in Palo Alto but never seemed to find the time to get them done. Heck, I didn¡¯t even have to feel guilty about missing workouts, since there were beach V Ball courts maybe a quarter mile away.


    Relaxing on the deck on the afternoon of our first full day there, Emmy said ¡°This is very nice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty today, but that¡¯s unusual for this time of year. Realistically we can expect a lot of cloudy days, maybe some light drizzle this time of year. It won¡¯t be cold, but the famous ¡®May gray¡¯ is a real thing,¡± I said. I was a bit distracted, trying to figure out if I was actually seeing a whale way offshore or not. ¡°I wish we had binoculars,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll pick some up tomorrow.¡±


    A big selling point for the house I¡¯d rented us was the big master bath with large soaking tub, and that night Emmy and I tried it out. As usual, she filled the tub with water so hot I had to ease in very slowly, but after a while it cooled down, or maybe I just got used to it- like the famous frog.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said as she washed my hair. ¡°Have I ever told you that you make me think of California? Of beaches, and sand and sky?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve said that, yeah,¡± I mumbled, enjoying her fingers on my scalp.


    ¡°It is true. In my mind, when I imagine you, it is almost always near water. A pool, or the sea. I imagine you on a boat in the Caribbean.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I asked, luxuriating in the scalp massage I was receiving.


    ¡°You are like gold,¡± Emmy said. "Even now, when you are not very tanned, your skin is like gold, your hair is the color of a sandy beach, and your eyes- they are like the sky on a perfect day. You are summer, Leah, and sun and waves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really all that much of a beach person, though,¡± I objected.


    ¡°You would be, if we lived here all the time,¡± Emmy assured me.


    Once I¡¯d rinsed the shampoo out of my hair I turned to face her. ¡°You told me that you were envious of that, too, but I told you that you shouldn¡¯t be. I told you that I love that you¡¯re different, that you¡¯re so much more beautiful than just another beach blonde.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did say that,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I do wish that I could enjoy that life with you.¡±


    ¡°The life we have together is suiting me just fine, thank you,¡± I replied, pulling her onto my lap. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trade this for anything.¡± Cupping her round bottom in my hands, I said ¡°Besides. We tried the beach thing in Florida and it didn¡¯t work out so well.¡±


    Covering her face with her hands, Emmy groaned. ¡°I cannot believe how badly I ruined our honeymoon,¡± she said. ¡°It was terrible.¡±


    ¡°Not all of it, Em. There were some really good parts, too. They just weren¡¯t the parts where we spent too long in the sun, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Good parts? I do not remember. All I remember is sweating and shivering in our bed for a week.¡±


    Leaning in to kiss her, I asked, ¡°What about Jordie¡¯s restaurant? That show you put on?¡±


    ¡°But that was not for us,¡± Emmy said. ¡°That was me being selfish and enjoying myself without you.¡±


    ¡°I had a great time, Em, don¡¯t ever think I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m still amazed at how you knew every song that anybody requested.¡±


    Leaning back to look at me, Emmy grinned mischievously. ¡°I did not know them all.¡±


    ¡°But you played every one!¡± I objected.


    ¡°No, I did not,¡± Emmy said, smiling at the memory. ¡°Nobody else could see the name of the song that I drew from the bowl, right? So when I drew one that I did not know, I simply chose a song that I did know and said that it was the song chosen.¡±


    Laughing, I pulled her in tight. ¡°You are a devious one,¡± I laughed. ¡°But my devious one.¡±


    When we were out running errands a few days later, a bright red jeep pulled into the post office parking lot right behind us and then into the spot two spaces away from my parking spot, even though I¡¯d pulled to the far side of the lot. I generally tried to park well away from other cars to avoid door dings, so this jeep¡¯s parking close to us but well away from any other vehicles had me on alert.


    ¡°Stay in the car for a moment,¡± I told Grace as I stepped out into the bright sunshine, my hand reaching into my jacket pocket to grasp the knife there, just in case.


    A large Marine in desert MARPAT camouflage fatigues climbed out of the jeep and asked ¡°Lee?¡±


    ¡°Chris?¡± I asked, seeing a man that looked an awful lot like the boy I¡¯d dated back in high school. ¡°Is that really you?¡± as he stepped closer.


    He whipped off his utility cap and gave me a big hug, which I returned. When I saw his lips zoom in for a kiss, though, I turned my head so he got my cheek instead of my lips. Getting the hint, he stepped back, putting his cap back on.


    ¡°Wow, you look great, Lee. Really great,¡± he said, looking me up and down. ¡°It looks like things are going really well for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± I agreed. ¡°How about for you? Are you back in town long-term?¡±


    We chatted like that for a few minutes before I realized Grace was still waiting in the car. ¡°Hey, Chris, I hate to be rude, but we have an appointment to get Grace here her passport paperwork going. Is there a chance we could meet for lunch somewhere in an hour?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Chris said. ¡°I just saw you driving and couldn¡¯t believe it was you, so I followed you here. I have all afternoon free, so call me when you get done here and we¡¯ll get together,¡± he said, fishing a pen out of his pocket along with an old 7-11 receipt. Writing down his number, Chris said ¡°I¡¯m just running errands today, so I can meet you anywhere you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call,¡± I said, tucking the number in my pocket. Chris got back in his Jeep and I opened the door for Grace.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± she asked, watching the bright red Rubicon leave the lot.


    ¡°An old boyfriend of mine,¡± I replied, shutting the door after she climbed out. ¡°You¡¯ll get to meet him- we¡¯re going to have lunch later.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t Emmy mind?¡±


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t care,¡± I responded, pretty sure it was the truth.


    Filling out the paperwork and getting the pictures taken took a whole lot less time than I¡¯d expected, so it was only half an hour later that I called Chris. We met at the Caf¨¦ that Emmy introduced me to that first night she slept over at my house, which had become my favorite place to eat in Fallbrook.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in here,¡± admitted Chris when he sat down at the table with Grace and me.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± I said. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve tried here has been really good.¡± I introduced Chris to Grace as ¡°An old friend of mine,¡± even though I¡¯d already told her he¡¯d been my boyfriend. I mean, I was happy to see Chris and glad he seemed to be doing well, but I wanted to make it clear that there was no way any chance of rekindling anything was going to happen.


    I introduced Grace to Chris as ¡°my daughter,¡± making Grace blush in embarrassment.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Chris said. ¡°I know kids grow up fast these days, but¡­¡± Chris responded, making me laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m not her daughter,¡± Grace said, indignantly.


    ¡°I kinda figured that,¡± Chris said, laughing. ¡°Since you¡¯re about fifteen years too old for that.¡±


    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t my daughter, but I am her legal guardian,¡± I explained. ¡°She¡¯s living with us.¡±


    ¡°Who is ¡®us¡¯?¡± Chris asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.


    ¡°My partner and I,¡± I replied, stringing him along.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, right.¡± Chris said. ¡°And your partner would be¡­?¡±


    Giving up my game, I asked Chris ¡°How much do you know about what happened at school the year after you graduated?¡±


    He admitted that he had a pretty good idea and knew about me and Emmy.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re married,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m in my junior year at Stanford, and Emmy is taking time off from school to do her rock star thing.¡±


    ¡°I downloaded their CD,¡± admitted Chris. ¡°Their second one, I think.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re pretty well caught up to speed, then,¡± I said.


    The waitress brought our food just about then, and eating slowed the conversation down somewhat. Still, I got from Chris that he¡¯d just made Sergeant and things were going really well.


    ¡°We¡¯re in town to visit for a while,¡± I told him. ¡°Maybe you¡¯d like to meet Emmy?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that be awkward?¡± Chris asked.


    ¡°Well, it wouldn''t be awkward for me, and I don¡¯t think Emmy would be bothered either, so if you¡¯re cool, then no- not awkward at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s O.K. then,¡± Chris said. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a rock star before.¡±


    ¡°You remember Brent from school, right?¡± I asked. "His band is doing pretty well these days,¡± I said.


    ¡°The Prodigal Sons?¡± Chris asked. ¡°Yeah, but they aren¡¯t in the same league as The Downfall.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± I conceded, ¡°But they still count.¡±


    I was right in some ways. Dinner with the two of them wasn¡¯t awkward for Emmy or Chris, but it was a bit mortifying for me. The two told ¡®Leah stories¡¯ all night, and with each one I just wanted to sink farther into my chair. It isn¡¯t that the stories themselves were all that embarrassing, really, but just the basic fact that I was the center of conversation and they were talking about me as if I were some sort of secret treasure they shared in common.


    Of course Grace ate it all up, and kept asking for clarification on this point or that, or explanation of who various people were in the stories.


    Finally Chris left, promising me that he¡¯d look into what I¡¯d asked, and a few days later, he called to tell me he¡¯d set up the meeting that I¡¯d asked for.


    Grant Henry was a big man, at least an inch taller than me and maybe two hundred pounds. He had the look of work-hardened leather about him, and the direct, no-nonsense demeanor of somebody secure in their position in the chain of command.


    "I''m told you''re a fighter," he said, looking me up and down. "Chris tells me you want some training and workouts while you''re here in town. He seems to think that you''re interested in doing some armed combat training. Sounds like a load of shit to me, but I guess if you make it worth my while I can show you a trick or two."


    "I''m not looking for ''a trick or two''," I replied. "I''m pretty confident in my knife technique, but I thought that perhaps I could learn a little more. Chris said you''re the best, and I''d like to see how I stack up."


    "Pretty confident, huh? That''s a good quality, but it can get you in trouble.¡±


    Leading me over to the boxing ring, he said ¡°Well, let''s get started. Let''s look at your unarmed technique first," he said, quickly stripping off his jacket and long pants to reveal a tank top and mesh shorts. He was muscular, but not big and beefy. No, he was lean and looked extremely fit, despite looking as if he might have been pushing fifty years old.


    I followed his example and got down to my sparring gear, which consisted of a sports bra, bike shorts and grappling gloves. The Marine looked me up and down again, reevaluating. "You look like you might have done this before," he grudgingly admitted.


    "Once or twice," I agreed. I could see Grace giving me a thumbs-up from a bench near the ring, and it made me smile.


    "O.K. Let''s see what you''ve got," he said, assuming a defensive stance. I lunged in as quickly as I could, causing him to react just as I''d expected him to. Since he played into my hands I carried through with my plan and a second later he was on the floor, my knee in his back.


    I stood off him, and he got up off the canvas. "That was a sweet move," he admitted. "Let''s see if you can do it again."


    He didn''t fall as easily the second time, but after a little bit of back and forth I had him on the mat again.


    "Chris," he called out as he stood. "You brought me a ringer. You say this was your old girlfriend?"


    "Yeah," Chris said.


    "I hate to tell you this, kid, but she''s more of a man than you," the Marine said, giving Chris a ribbing.


    We took our stances again, and this time it was a long back and forth before he finally got me to the floor, pinned. It hadn¡¯t gone easy for him, either. I slipped loose a couple of times and made him pay for it each time with a vicious elbow jab or punch to something unprotected. As we stood and took sips from our water bottles, he said "Well, it certainly looks as if you''ve got the unarmed combat covered. In fact, that was the best match I''ve had in months. I like that you never gave up. Most guys, you get ¡®em down and that¡¯s it."


    "Thanks," I replied, my breathing returning to normal. "You aren''t so bad yourself, for an old guy."


    Snorting, he asked "You still have some to learn, but it''s clear that whoever has been coaching you knows what he''s doing. You aren''t falling into the trap I see so often of guys who come to me thinking they can fight because they''ve been doing Muay Thai or Jiu Jitsu or something. Most of those guys can''t break out of their form. Most of them have no idea what a real fight is like, just what a bout in a ring with all its rules is like. You, though, aren''t held back by any sort of preconceptions about fair fights. You fight dirty. I like that. In fact, if I hadn¡¯t been wearing a cup, that punch you gave me right in the sack would have won that fight quicker¡¯n spit."


    "Thanks, I guess," I replied, not sure if it really was a compliment or not.


    "Keep doing what you''re doing. Whoever it is you''re working with isn''t teaching you any bad habits. You''re fast and a lot stronger than you looked when I first saw you, and that''ll surprise most opponents. Use it to your advantage." Then, changing topics, the big Marine asked why I wanted to learn to fight with a knife.


    Seeing that Grace and Chris were engaged in a conversation and not paying attention, I stepped in closer and told the guy "I killed a guy with his own knife a while back, then I beat his friend to death with my bare hands. I have a nagging suspicion that similar circumstances may arise again, and I want to be better prepared."


    He looked at my face, then looked long and hard straight in my eyes. Evidently what he saw convinced him I was telling the truth, because he asked "What makes you think it might happen again?" as if we were talking about getting a flat tire on my car.


    "The two guys were sent after my fianc¨¦e," I replied. "Whoever sent them might send more."


    "And it''s your job to protect him?" The big Marine asked. "Why not hire a bodyguard?"


    "Her," I corrected, hoping the news that I was gay wouldn''t bother the guy.


    "Her, then,¡± he said, not batting an eye. ¡°Why not hire a bodyguard? Chris mentioned you have a lot of money."


    "We have, but Eddie can''t be around all the time, you know?"


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense,¡± Grant admitted.


    ¡°Also, as dedicated as Eddie is, he could never care as much as I would, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true. Most real good bodyguards would take a bullet, though. Which brings up my next question. Why not get a concealed carry permit? I mean, you don¡¯t want to be the one bringing a knife to a gunfight, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to explain, but there is almost no chance of these guys being armed with firearms. It¡¯s a cultural thing, you know? For them, it¡¯s all about the knife,¡± I replied, hoping he wasn¡¯t going to want too much detail.


    Nodding that he understood, Grant asked ¡°And you want to use a knife against these guys to make a point, if I understand correctly?¡±


    ¡°So to speak,¡± I agreed, and he chuckled at his own unintentional pun.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Then, getting to business, he said ¡°I¡¯ll train you. I can give you as many afternoons as you want for the next month or so. How long are you going to be in town?¡±


    A little bit of schedule comparing got me three hours a day every afternoon for the following two weeks. We spent the rest of the hour sparring, and although I came away sore and bruised, it was a good session and I felt good about working with Grant.

 The Cosmic Unconsciousness

    It only took a few days and we settled into a regular schedule. I got up early and ran to the sand courts for a couple of hours of pick-up games, then ran back to the house and made breakfast. After breakfast, Grace had her surf camp and Emmy did whatever it was she had planned for the day. I would spend a few hours on work, then go work out with Grant for a couple of hours. On days that Mom could swing it, we¡¯d go house hunting after I was done with Grant.


    I¡¯d told Mom that my training with Grant Henry was general fitness stuff, but I¡¯m pretty sure she noticed some of my bruises and the limp I had on one particularly rough day.


    I was grateful that Grant didn''t hold back at all once he¡¯d come to the conclusion I wasn¡¯t just some sort of rich girl playing G.I. Jane. We worked on all aspects of close combat, not just knife work, and I came to realize pretty quickly that I had a lot to learn. The biggest difference between what Ruben had been teaching me and what Grant was coaching me had to do with the very basic nature of the combat the two excelled in.


    Ruben was a fighter- he¡¯d fought in the ghettos of S?o Paulo as a kid, then in the slightly more sanctioned pits of the vale tudo fights as a teenager. Graduating to MMA and real prize fights had been his move to legitimacy, and allowed him to leave his gritty roots behind, but taught him to fight scrappy and never, never give up. This is what he¡¯d taught me after Emmy¡¯s attack- the down and dirty, do what it takes to beat the other guy mercilessly.


    Grant Henry, in contrast, wasn¡¯t concerned about putting a severe beat-down on anybody. No, his style of fighting was to do what you had to do to kill the other person as quickly as possible, and not get killed doing it. He didn¡¯t care about pummeling the other guy into submission- submission was never, ever the goal. It was kill as fast as possible and move on. So that¡¯s what we worked on, and it really opened my eyes to the fundamental difference between a fighter and a killer.


    I learned how to deal fatal injuries with as few moves as I could, and inflicting injuries that would disable or cripple my opponent in short order. This wasn¡¯t about hurting the other guy- hurting him took too long and left too many opportunities to get hurt in return.


    After about a week of working with Grant, he made a comment one day that I¡¯m sure was meant as a compliment, but I¡¯m not really convinced was a good reflection on my character.


    ¡°Leah, I gotta say I am impressed,¡± he said after a particularly brutal session. ¡°I think you have what it takes.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, taking a moment to stretch out my sore muscles.


    ¡°You find your trigger point easily,¡± he said. ¡°Not many folks can do that. And when the situation is over, you shut it right off again, and that¡¯s a very rare ability.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®trigger point¡¯?¡± I asked, unsure what he was getting at.


    ¡°It¡¯s when you switch on, into combat mode,¡± Grant explained. ¡°In sports it¡¯s usually called ¡®flow state¡¯ or some horsheshit like that. It¡¯s when your conscious mind switches off and you act on instinct, but more importantly, on training and conditioning.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand what you mean,¡± I said, thinking about how the outside world vanishes the moment the ball is served in a volleyball match.


    ¡°The thing is, thinking slows you down,¡± Grant said. ¡°A reflex is faster than a conscious movement because it doesn''t rely on the brain for processing, right? Well, when you hit that trigger point and switch on, you don¡¯t take time to think. You simply act. Precious few people can get there at all, and even rarer are those who can trigger instantly. Rarest of all are those, like you, who can switch it right the fuck off when you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks, I guess,¡± I said, trying to think what this meant.


    ¡°Thing is, it¡¯s something that takes most guys years and years to even learn to trigger, if they ever get to that point at all. Then, switching off after everything¡¯s over, well, that isn¡¯t something that can be trained. Either you can do it, or you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So what does this mean for me?¡± I asked. I thought I understood what Grant meant, but the ramifications were still unclear.


    ¡°Well, if you were in the Marines, I¡¯d recommend you for special operations training. But since you¡¯re not, and you aren¡¯t going to even think about any of the letter organizations, it might not mean much. But what it does mean is that you have an automatic advantage in any sort of confrontation. Use it as a tool, like any other, and it¡¯ll serve you well.¡±


    Still thinking about what Grant Henry had said that evening, I talked about it with Emmy after dinner. Grace had gone out with one of her new surfing friends to see a movie, so we had the rental house to ourselves.


    Sipping some wine Emmy had picked out, we relaxed on the back deck, enjoying the gas fire pit, since the evening was damp and cool- typical for a Southern California June evening.


    ¡°It sounds as if he is saying that you are¡­ I am not sure how to express it,¡± Emmy said, thinking.


    ¡°It kinda sounds like he meant I¡¯m a sociopath on demand,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°Like I can turn off normal human emotions and reactions when I want.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see that may be an interpretation,¡± Emmy mused, sipping her wine. ¡°But I do not think that is accurate, either. But I do believe that he is right. I have seen it in you,¡± Emmy said, looking me in the eye.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It is clearly obvious when you play volleyball, Leah. When you play, from the moment you step on the court, your focus is pure,¡± Emmy said. ¡°The gymnasium could catch on fire and burn down around the game, but you would not notice. Your ¡®trigger¡¯ has been pulled and you are there to do what needs to be done, with no interference.¡±


    ¡°You make it sounds as if I¡¯m some sort of robot or something,¡± I said, not really comfortable hearing Emmy confirm my ¡®on demand sociopath¡¯ status.


    ¡°No, not a robot,¡± Emmy replied, leaning against me and resting her head on my shoulder. ¡°I do not know how to express it, but it is something else.¡±


    ¡°Well, thanks, Em. That really cleared it up for me,¡± I said sardonically. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze to show that I wasn¡¯t taking the conversation as any sort of criticism, but to be honest, I wasn¡¯t too comfortable with the idea that I had the unusual ability to become a mindless volleyball (or killing) machine on a moment¡¯s notice.


    Emmy refilled our glasses, finishing off the bottle. Picking up her glass, she stood and indicated we should go inside. ¡°I would very much like it if you you would demonstrate to me another of your amazing talents, Leah.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked as I stood.


    ¡°Your ability to turn all my bones to Jello with your lovemaking,¡± she said with a saucy grin, then turned to enter the house, wiggling her perky little butt at me.


    ¡°I will do my best, but I make no promises,¡± I said, following that amazing rear, watching her hips sway. Whatever amazing abilities I may have had, she absolutely knew how to trigger my libido.


    In the bedroom I set my glass down and when Emmy did the same I swept her up in my arms and tossed her through the air onto her back on the bed. Her squeal of surprise at the move was music to my ears. I loved it when I could get her to make noise like that.


    Emmy stared at me as I slowly pulled my T shirt off over my head, revealing my bare upper body to her. For maximum effect I tensed my muscles to make them stand out but not look as if I was flexing.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± was her response, which was exactly what I wanted to hear. I shucked my sweatpants, making sure my briefs went with them, leaving my body completely nude for her gaze. I stood there for a moment, doing my best to pose without posing, still keeping my muscles tensed for her visual pleasure. It had the effect I was looking for, as Emmy stared at me lustfully, licking her lips while her eyes roamed over my body.


    I stepped forward and grabbed her ankles as she tried to scoot away from me higher up the bed. Pulling her towards me, her light summer short skirt slid up, revealing her lack of panties.


    ¡°Looks as if you were ready for me,¡± I growled as I drew her legs apart.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Emmy cried in mock despair. ¡°It is that evil beast again! Oh, what depravities will she inflict upon me this time?¡± she wailed, putting the back of her hand to her forehead.


    I slid my hands down to just above her hip bones and said ¡°I am going to eat you, my delectable morsel!¡± With this, I lifted her hips up off the bed, and brought her sweet pussy right to my face as I stood there letting her upper body dangle over the bed as I braced my knees against it for balance.


    I held her there, dangling upside down, my face buried between her legs, growling as I lapped up the moisture flowing even before I started.


    Emmy continued to make little squeaks of protest, gasping words in French that I didn¡¯t hear very clearly as she wriggled in a completely ineffectual (and honestly, halfhearted) attempt to get free as I licked, suckled, and even nibbled a bit on her perfect little pussy. I could feel it as her movement turned to uncontrolled spasms, backing off a bit until she regained control. I returned to work on her tiny little bud, swirling and stroking it with my tongue to bring her back to the edge before easing off and giving my attention to nearby, less sensitive spots.


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    ¡°Oh! You truly are a monster!¡± Emmy gasped after the third or fourth time of easing off. ¡°You are evil, you beast!¡±


    Taking my cue, I buried my face in her delicious folds one final time, not sparing her one bit. I swirled, flicked, and sucked on that little pearl until her thighs clamped my head like a vise. Emmy let out a loud gasp as she lost all muscle control, going limp in my hands.


    Setting her down gently, I carefully rolled her onto her side so I could unzip her sun dress and slide it off her, then spooned her in my arms until her breathing evened out.


    ¡°That was¡­ incroyable, Leah,¡± Emmy finally managed to say. ¡°I do not understand how you could hold me in the air that way for so long. You have become so strong¡­¡± she said as she ran her hand on my arm wrapped around her like a boa constrictor. ¡°I never want you to let me go, Leah. Never let me go.¡±


    ¡°Em, I will always hold you,¡± I answered, loving the feel of her body against mine.


    Emmy soon fell asleep, but I wasn¡¯t tired. Energized, more like, and thirsty. I carefully slid out from around Emmy and admired her beauty before covering her with the blanket.


    It was in moments like this that I was reminded just how perfectly gorgeous and completely unusual Emmy really was, and how very lucky I was that she had chosen me.


    I left the room quietly to avoid waking her and got quite a shock as I stepped into the living room on my way to the kitchen for a glass of water.


    Grace and her little surfer friend were sitting on the couch, not making a noise, their eyes as big and round as anything, watching my naked stroll through the room.


    By the time I realized they were there I was committed. Halfway to the kitchen anyway, there was really nothing I could do. It was obvious they¡¯d gotten in while Emmy and I were making love and probably heard it all. Now they were watching me walk through the house in the buff, still a bit sweaty and smelling like sex.


    Every single option at that moment was wrong, so I took the only course I could to retain any shred of dignity. I acted as if there was nothing wrong at all.


    ¡°Grace, Cait,¡± I said, nodding hello as I proceeded on my course.


    ¡°Um- hello, Beast,¡± Grace said, confirming they¡¯d heard enough. Caitlyn, Grace¡¯s friend, slapped her on the shoulder and the two giggled, but stayed in their seats and watched me walk naked across the living room.


    I got myself a drink, then walked past them and back to the bedroom. ¡°Don¡¯t stay up too late,¡± I said, still in my dignity retention mode. Emmy was still fast asleep, so I just settled in the big spoon position again and fell asleep, putting the embarrassing encounter behind me.


    At five thirty the next morning, just as I was eating my pre-workout snack of a glass of rice milk and a banana, Caitlyn walked into the kitchen, looking nervous and shy, and also completely naked.


    ¡°Um, Leah,¡± she said, her voice shaky. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about last night¡­¡±


    ¡°Cait,¡± I said, trying not to laugh. ¡°I have two- no, three questions for you. First, did you spend the night with Grace?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes?¡± Caitlyn replied, surprised by my reaction to her standing there in the kitchen of our vacation rental without a stitch on.


    ¡°I figured that was going to be the case when I saw you were here at ten thirty last night,¡± I said. ¡°Second: are you guys getting serious?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Caitlyn said with a bit of a nervous laugh. ¡°We¡¯re just F.W.B.¡± Yes, she said the letters. ¡°I mean, I like Grace and all, but you guys are going back to NorCal in a few weeks, so it wouldn¡¯t work out.¡±


    ¡°O.K., this brings me to my third question,¡± I said, still trying not to laugh. ¡°Did you realize you forgot to get dressed?¡±


    Caitlyn looked down at herself and suddenly became shy, covering herself with her hands for a moment, then uncovering herself and standing straighter. ¡°No, this is on purpose,¡± she said, regaining a little of her composure. ¡°I wanted you to look at my body.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± I asked, unsure where this was going.


    ¡°Well, last night, Grace and me heard you and Emmy, like, having sex, then you came out and got yourself a drink, you know, completely naked. You said hello to us like it was completely natural, like, um, it was nothing, you know?¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I asked, hoping she get to the point soon- I wanted to be at the nets when the six A.M. matches started.


    ¡°Well, a couple of things. I asked Grace and she said it was the first time she¡¯d ever seen you walk through the house naked, so, like, you must not have known we were there, right? Because if you had, you would have put something on?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°But when you saw us, it didn¡¯t bother you. You just did what you were gonna do anyway, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so, but what does that have to do with you being naked?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wanna be like you,¡± Caitlyn said. ¡°No fucks given, right? I mean, you have a body to die for, seriously, but I should be proud of mine, too?¡± she said, her voice rising at the end as if she were asking me if she was right.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°You should be proud of what you¡¯ve got. Never let anybody tell you otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I look O.K.?¡± Caitlyn asked, standing a little straighter, rolling her shoulders back and sticking her chest out. ¡°I mean, like, I know I could lose a couple of pounds, but, like, I look O.K., right?¡± she asked, turning around so I could look her over.


    ¡°Whoever told you you need to lose weight is full of it,¡± I told her. ¡°You¡¯re fine. Seriously. And besides, it isn¡¯t my opinion that matters. It¡¯s yours. You¡¯re the only one who should ever get a say.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say,¡± Caitlyn said, standing more normally now. ¡°You¡¯re like, unbelievably hot and totally perfect. Nobody ever gave you a hard time about your weight,¡± she said, sounding just a bit petulant.


    ¡°No, nobody ever did give me a hard time about my weight. With me, it was about my height. I was always much taller than any of the other kids in middle school, and I got teased mercilessly about it. Kids called me names to make me feel bad about my height all the time,¡± I said, remembering how those words stung. ¡°But you know what? I was the height I was, and nobody saying mean things was going to change that, so I came to realize it didn¡¯t matter. I was the way I was. As the old saying goes, fuck ¡®em if they can¡¯t take a joke- or something like that.¡±


    ¡°So you really think I look O.K.?¡± Caitlyn asked, just for a bit more reassurance. ¡°I mean, would you do me?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, because you¡¯re sixteen years old,¡± I replied with a snort. ¡°And besides, you¡¯re not my type.¡±


    Puzzled, Caitlyn asked ¡°What is your type?¡±


    ¡°Well, not blondes, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I said, getting up to rinse my glass. ¡°Blondes are nothing but ditzy airheads.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Caitlyn started to object, then realized I was yanking her chain. The fact that it even took her that long to realize that we were both blonde and I was giving her a hard time did a little bit to reinforce the stereotype, though.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to come out here and show me your naked body for confirmation that you¡¯re sexy. I mean, Grace certainly seems to think you¡¯re hot, right? Go back in there and wake her up the good way if you aren¡¯t convinced,¡± I said as I stepped out the back door to start my run to the V Ball nets.


    I can¡¯t say I really gave the encounter much thought on the two mile run on the beach, beyond a simple ¡®Glad I¡¯m not a teenager any more.¡¯


    Thankfully, I got to the board in time to sign up for one of the six o¡¯clock spots. As unexpected as it might be, the first couple of hours of the day were the best as far as the competition went. The really dedicated players knew that only the similarly committed would bother to get there that early in the day, and it gave them a chance to get a few good games in before work. The regular crowd at that time was pretty hard-core, too. On any given day there were likely to be several ex Olympians or current beach volleyball pros in among the competitive amateurs.


    Since beach volleyball wasn¡¯t my specialty, my game tended to be a touch lower than some, but still much better than most. There weren¡¯t any regulars that I¡¯d played that could blow me completely off the court, but a few of them would beat me more often than not. Of course, beach V Ball is played by two-person teams and it was random draw who your teammate for any given match would be. This generally had the effect of evening up the competition, but sometimes two powerhouses would get paired together and absolutely smash everybody. I always signed my name on the men¡¯s list, since I needed the tougher games to keep myself sharp.


    That morning, my teammate was a new guy, one I hadn¡¯t seen before. I heard him grumble a bit when he saw that he was going to get paired with the only woman playing on the men¡¯s side, but one of the other guys told him to shut it until after I showed him how the game is played.


    The guy was tall, maybe two inches taller than me, and tanned from plenty of time on the beach. He looked plenty fit, too, so I figured he was some sort of star wherever it was he came from, with the attitude to go with it. I introduced myself and I could see him evaluating me as a teammate.


    ¡°You play much?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Some,¡± I said. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± he said, playing the same game.


    After we completely demolished our opponents in our first match, he had a bit of a different attitude.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said as we took our ten minute break. ¡°You did pretty well for only just playing a little bit.¡±


    ¡°You know, if you played more than just ¡®some¡¯, you could do pretty well at this,¡± he replied, waving at the nets. ¡°Hey, sorry for getting off on the wrong foot,¡± he said.


    ¡°No worries,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m just here to play, and as far as I¡¯m concerned that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d heard the competition here was top notch,¡± the guy said. ¡°I¡¯m out here for the Manhattan Beach. My partner is still back in Miami.¡±


    ¡°What do you think so far?¡± I asked, curious how the Florida scene compared.


    ¡°The South Beach has some pretty good players,¡± he said. ¡°A few pros, you know? But the average level is better here, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Well, get ready with your A game,¡± I told him. ¡°Our next round is against a couple of regulars on the pro circuit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve played ¡®em?¡± he asked, curious.


    ¡°Yeah, a few times.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± the guy asked, wanting more info.


    ¡°Well, if we play as well as we did last game, we can beat ¡®em. I mean, they¡¯re good, but not invincible,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯d be awesome to beat a couple of real pros. Hey, what was your name again?¡±


    ¡°Leah Farmer. Yours?¡±


    ¡°Mark Marquez,¡± he answered. ¡°Hey, your name sounds familiar. You play in the AVP tournament in South Beach last fall?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not a pro. In fact, beach really isn¡¯t my thing,¡± I explained. ¡°I play collegiate indoors. I¡¯m just here on vacation, playing here to keep in form.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s freaking working,¡± Mark said. ¡°You have excellent form,¡± he added, eying me up and down. It didn''t feel sexual, more like he was appreciating the athleticism of my body more than anything.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re up.¡±


    We actually really played well in that match-up, and for whatever reason our two opponents were just off enough that we cleaned their clocks. It wasn¡¯t easy, but Mark and I played as if we had been teammates for years, not just an hour and a half.


    After receiving our congratulatory handshakes, I told Mark it was great playing with him but I needed to head back to my place.


    ¡°Um, any chance of maybe having lunch?¡± he asked, suddenly a bit shy.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my wife when I get back to the house to see if she has any other plans.¡±


    ¡°Wife?¡± Mark asked. ¡°So I guess asking you out on a date is a no go?¡± he said, laughing.


    Emmy was awake when I got back to the house, but still lounging in bed. ¡°How was it this morning?¡± she asked as I entered.


    ¡°It was good,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to jump in the shower. Care to join me?¡±


    ¡°I would, but only if you promise to be gentle,¡± Emmy said, sitting up. ¡°I am feeling a little bit sore from where some beast mauled me last night.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder how that could have happened?¡± I said as I stripped off.


    As Emmy requested, I was very gentle as I made sure every inch of her body was soaped up and rinsed off.


    Emmy took her turn washing me, and she spent a fair bit more time making sure that I was quite satisfied with the job she did in all those difficult to reach nooks and crannies. It took a while, but finally we were both completely and totally clean and also in a very, very good mood.

 The Great White North

    The Great White North


    It had become clear that Vancouver was going to be too big an issue for Max to deal with alone, so I told Emmy that I needed to go up there for a week or so to sort things out.


    ¡°I have never been to Canada,¡± Emmy said when I told her I was going. ¡°I have heard Vancouver is very pretty.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t get to go last time I went up there, because you had your recording sessions planned. Can you go with me next week?¡± I asked, hopeful we could have some time together.


    ¡°I wish I could, Leah, but we are going to film our music video next week. I am certain I told you about it, no?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯d just forgotten that it was coming up so soon. Bummer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to go!¡± Grace chimed in. ¡°Now I have my passport I can go to Canada!¡±


    Emmy nodded to show she was O.K. with Grace going with me, so I said ¡°Sure, why not? You¡¯ll like Vancouver, but I¡¯m not sure how much sight-seeing we¡¯ll be able to do.¡±


    After dinner, while Grace was straightening up, Emmy said ¡°I will ask my parents if you may use the plane. It would make things very much easier for you, since you will be bringing a few people with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring Eddie, but Michael doesn''t need to come up. Max seems to have a pretty good handle on the scene up there- and it should only be a few days to straighten everything out.¡±


    ¡°Can you take Grant Henry? I would feel better about it if you could,¡± Emmy said, a touch of worry in her voice.


    ¡°No, he has another month almost before he musters out and comes to work for us,¡± I answered. "Besides, I can¡¯t imagine needing his help for this. Irritating paperwork is all I¡¯ll have to fight up there, and anyway, I¡¯ll be bringing Eddie and Jakob if I need a little more muscle.¡±


    ¡°Still, three or four people traveling on short notice to Vancouver may be hard to arrange. With the family plane, it is much more simple.¡±


    ¡°Sure, twist my arm,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°Anyway, Grace doesn¡¯t even know your parents have a plane at all, much less ridden on one. In fact, I¡¯m not even sure she¡¯s ever flown at all before.¡±


    ¡°Then this will spoil her,¡± Emmy agreed, laughing.


    Sure enough, when I broke the news to Grace that she could go and we would be traveling on the family jet, she just about lost it, she was so excited. ¡°Can Patty go, too?¡± she asked, hopeful.


    ¡°No way am I taking somebody else¡¯s kid to another country,¡± I replied, crushing her sudden hopes.


    ¡°Well, I guess that makes sense,¡± she admitted. ¡°I still want to go, though.¡±


    Grace was completely blown away by the jet. ¡°This belongs to you and Emmy?¡± she asked, gaping at the jet waiting in the hangar for us. ¡°Why haven¡¯t we been flying all over the place?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ours,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°It actually belongs to Emmy¡¯s parents. They¡¯re just letting us borrow it because they are in California and won¡¯t be needing it for a while.¡±


    ¡°We should, like, totally fly to Europe or something while we have it,¡± she gushed as we climbed the stairs.


    ¡°Hello, Henri,¡± I said to the waiting steward.


    ¡°Bonjour, Madame Farmer,¡± Henri replied. ¡°Bienvenue ¨¤ bord.¡±


    As we all settled into the comfy seats, it occurred to me that I was the only one in our group that had ever actually flown on the Lascaux jet before, and looking around, I could see amazement in the eyes of the others. It wasn¡¯t as if I had flown in it all that often, but enough to not be overawed, that¡¯s for sure. I¡¯d actually crunched the numbers at one point and given up on the idea of Emmy and I buying something similar- it just doesn''t make any sort of financial sense. Still, it was nice to have available for this trip, and it was a treat for Grace and the guys I was bringing along.


    We picked up our two rental cars- a Dodge Challenger and a Chevy Suburban. Realistically we could have gotten by with just the Suburban, but it would be convenient to have two vehicles at our disposal for all the running around we had to do.


    That first night Grace, Eddie, Max and I ate at a nice Japanese restaurant there in Fairview, not too far from our AirBnB. Max filled us in on what was going on, the difficulties he was having finding jobs and housing for the Strays in the area that had opted to come into our fold, and so on. It seemed as if I¡¯d tasked him with a bit too much, and I was going to have to do a lot more than I¡¯d expected to get things under control.


    Last of all, Max finally got to the issue of Rahsett, the guy who had been the self-elected chief of the region¡¯s Night Children before we showed up and offered them a better life.


    ¡°Rahsett has been¡­ difficult, my queen,¡± Max said, unsure how to break the unwelcome news. ¡°He has continued to make trouble, including threatening several of your people and doing things to make life difficult for some of the others.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He has called the employers of several of your people to try to get them fired, for one thing. He has called the police and told them that Jayii was armed and had abducted a child, which caused the police to break the door of his apartment and rush in with guns ready, only to find no child, no weapons, nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that kind of thing. It¡¯s called ¡®SWATting¡¯,¡± I told Max. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me when it happened?¡±


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    ¡°I did not know about it until several days later, and since there was no evidence of any crime, the police let Jayii go with no charges against him. They even fixed his door,¡± Max said. ¡°By the time I was told, the incident was already past. It was only a few days ago that I heard that Rahsett claimed responsibility. He bragged about it, and said that he would do it to others if they did not leave your shadow and return to him.¡±


    ¡°I have put up with far too much shit from that guy,¡± I said. ¡°Max, set up a face to face meeting with him. I need to make it very freaking clear that his shit will not be tolerated any longer.¡±


    ¡°I will do that, my queen,¡± he replied. ¡°When would you like to meet him?¡±


    ¡°The sooner the better. I need to get this over with.¡±


    The next morning Max called. ¡°My queen, Rahsett agreed to meet you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Good. That asshole needs to get straightened out,¡± I said, not really looking forward to the encounter.


    That day Grace and I did some sightseeing, walking around Granville Island and taking the boat tour. It was nice, and I wished that Emmy could be there with me. When we¡¯d visited the city last time we had no time for sightseeing or relaxing, so this was a pleasant change of pace.


    After dinner, Max, Eddie and I met with Rahsett in a park in a run-down part of town. Just in case, I was wearing the stab-proof hoodie I¡¯d bought following Grant Henry¡¯s suggestion. It was made out of some sort of kevlar weave and padded on the inside to help blunt any bruising. It was a little thick and awkward, but the night was cool anyway so it turned out to be just fine. Paired with my Doc Marten stompers, I was ready to intimidate.


    I¡¯d never actually met Rahsett before, but had somehow pictured him as a more imposing figure. He was only about five foot eight maybe, and built somewhat slender. I had half a foot on him in height and maybe twenty pounds, and what he had wasn¡¯t a lot of muscle. Clearly he had something going on, though, since he¡¯d managed to cow nearly two dozen Strays into accepting him as boss and paying him protection money before Emmy and I showed up.


    ¡°You are Leah?¡± he asked as he approached. ¡°Tell them to stay back,¡± he said, pointing at Max and Eddie.


    Waving my guys back, I stepped forward and into Rahsett¡¯s space. Grant and I had practiced a lot of the physical intimidation and domination techniques he taught, and I was going to put them to use. As expected, Rahsett stepped back, giving himself more room. I didn¡¯t push it just then- it needed to seem natural, not intentional on my part.


    ¡°I¡¯m Queen Leah,¡± I answered.


    ¡°You are no queen of mine,¡± he sneered.


    ¡°That is a choice you have made,¡± I answered, leaning into him a tiny bit. ¡°Your life could have been a lot easier if you¡¯d accepted my shadow.¡±


    Unconsciously he stepped back a bit, and I knew I was winning the psychological war. ¡°You do not intimidate me,¡± he said, despite the obvious fact that I was doing just that.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want the protection of my shadow,¡± I said, ¡°that¡¯s fine. But you no longer have any right to harass those who have. They are my people now. Mine. And I don¡¯t take well to threats or intimidation leveled at those who have accepted my shadow. If you don¡¯t stop I¡¯ll have to put you in your place.¡±


    ¡°You do not frighten me,¡± he said, drawing himself up. ¡°I have resources you cannot imagine.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± I said. ¡°Take your imaginary resources and leave town. Go someplace far away and I won¡¯t bother to chase you down. Stay here and your life will be short and unpleasant.¡±


    ¡°I have warned you,¡± he said, puffing up. ¡°This is my town, and these are my people. I will not give them up to an interloper who isn¡¯t even one of us!¡±


    ¡°They came to me of their own free will, Rahsett. I offered them a better life and they accepted. They are not your people, and really, never were. I¡¯m going to say it one more time- get the fuck out of here. Get the fuck out of Vancouver. Hell, I¡¯ll even give you some money to use to do it. Just go.¡±


    ¡°You do not know who you are dealing with,¡± Rahsett said, trying to regain the advantage.


    I stepped in close again, forcing him to back up another step. ¡°No, you are the one who doesn''t understand the situation,¡± I said in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯m done playing nice. If I see you one more time I will feed your body to the fishes in the harbor. That offer of go-away money? It¡¯s off the table. You¡¯re on your own now. Go while you still can.¡±


    ¡°This is not over,¡± Rahsett said as he stepped back and turned, fleeing.


    ¡°You should have killed him,¡± Eddie said from behind me. ¡°He will only make more trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± I said, knowing that Eddie was probably right.


    The next few days were completely Rahsett-free, giving me some hope that he had made a run for it. None of the local Strays heard or saw anything of him, to my relief. This gave me time to meet with them all again individually and see what it was they needed. Most of them were in pretty sorry shape, with living conditions I¡¯d consider quite poor and a fair number without the jobs I¡¯d promised them, just living off the stipend I¡¯d set up for them. Obviously I need to do more for these people, or I¡¯d be going back on the promise that Emmy and I had made them when they accepted our shadow.


    Three days passed like this, but on the fourth day Max didn¡¯t show up for our morning meeting. Eddie and I went to Max¡¯s little house to see what was keeping him. When we entered, we were hit with the smell of blood. We found Max in the kitchen, his throat cut from ear to ear. The killer had used Max¡¯s blood to write something in the Night Children¡¯s language on the floor near the body.


    ¡°It is a place, an address,¡± Eddie said, reading it. ¡°It says to come at two in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Was it Rahsett?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say,¡± Eddie said.


    We looked around the house and everything seemed undisturbed. I called Emmy, but the call went straight to voice mail, and I didn¡¯t leave a message.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re gonna go back to where we¡¯re staying. You¡¯re going to bring Jakob back here and look everything over really carefully. You¡¯re going to clean this up,¡± I said, indicating the blood. ¡°And while you¡¯re doing that, I¡¯ll find a mortuary that won¡¯t ask questions for the body. We need to bring him back home.¡±


    Nodding that he understood my instructions, Eddie made sure the doors and windows were locked before pocketing Max¡¯s keys and locking the front door behind us as we exited.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I said as we drove back to the AirBnB. ¡°I really should have killed that fucker the other night. If I hadn¡¯t been so set on trying to resolve this bullshit without bloodshed Max would still be alive.¡±


    ¡°You cannot accept responsibility for what others have done, my queen,¡± Eddie said.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe not, but I damned sure feel as if this was my fault,¡± I said. ¡°I guess all I can do now is get some retribution on Rahsett¡¯s ass.¡±


    After Eddie and Jakob left to clean things up at Max¡¯s place, I started making some phone calls. I¡¯d gotten pretty good at dancing around the subject in just the right way to feel out people who might be willing to let cash take the place of ethics or morals, and it was only a few calls before I had the name of a small funeral home in the Eastside area that was in no hurry to ask any questions and would fill out the correct paperwork to list Max¡¯s death as a heart attack. I called Eddie and told him to meet me so I could give him cash to pay the funeral home. I also called up Michael, and told him he was needed up here right away and had Sana book him a flight for that afternoon. After those calls, I did a little research for the shopping I would have to do for a few things I needed for the night¡¯s events. I waited for quite a while, but Eddie and Jakob were taking their sweet time with their tasks, so armed with my shopping list, I left Grace surfing the internet on her iPad.


    I couldn¡¯t have been gone for more than an hour, but when I got back to the AirBnB, Grace was missing, and a note scrawled in the Night Children language lay on the floor of the entry. I looked around, but saw no blood anywhere.


    Eddie and Jakob finally showed up while I was looking for signs of violence, and thankfully not finding any.


    ¡°What does it say?" I asked, handing Eddie the note.


    Reading it, he said ¡°Be at the warehouse at two and she will be unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Is it Rahsett?¡± I asked, but pretty sure it was. I was also pretty sure he must have had some help- Grace would have put up a fight if she thought she could have won, and Rahsett wasn¡¯t an imposing guy.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say,¡± Eddie answered. ¡°But whoever it is, they will die tonight.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on the same page, then,¡± I agreed. ¡°These fuckers are going to suffer.¡±

 The Good Soldier

    Knowing that we would need local knowledge, I had Jakob go out and round up Larry, one of the Strays that lived near the designated address. Larry described the place as an old abandoned sawmill with its back to the water, in an area of industrial and warehouse buildings that were all empty at night. Of course this is the kind of place Rahsett and whatever help he had would want for their showdown, and no doubt they had some sort of ambush planned. Well, I had some ideas on how to turn that one around.


    A few minutes before the designated time, I drove past the mill, slowing down to take a look, and being very obvious about it. I¡¯d dropped Eddie off around the corner, but with the addition of Larry, we had the correct amount of silhouettes in the car.


    Driving past the front, I could see it was exactly as Larry had described, and for all intents and purposes looked empty and dead. I proceeded to the end of the block, then turned around and parked under the only functioning street lamp in the area near the mill. Thankfully the rain had paused for a bit and the low clouds reflected the city¡¯s lights, so it wasn¡¯t too dark for me to see the open door to the left of the big roll-up garage doors in the middle of the front of the building, lit by a single security bulb too high for Rahsett to have removed. The now empty equipment yard showed no signs of life, either, although I hadn¡¯t expected any.


    A minute or two later, my phone buzzed in my pocket, letting me know a text arrived. ¡°2. Both down¡± it read. I texted back ¡°OK¡± and slipped the phone back in my pocket. Leaving the parked SUV, I told Larry to stay behind me and steer clear of any fighting that might need to be done. He was only too happy to agree, and was in no hurry to follow me in too close.


    I zipped up the tall collar on my jacket and put on my gloves, readying myself. ¡®This is it¡¯ I thought, and stepped through the door. As I¡¯d expected, it was as dark as midnight inside. I thumbed the switch on my secret weapon (a hand-held battery-powered spotlight) and swept the light across the room, temporarily blinding the three men standing near the back of the large, empty space. A quick look around revealed a panel of light switches not too far away, to my relief. Knowing that I was helpless in the dark, I ran over to the panel, praying that the lights still worked in this forgotten place.


    Only about half of the fluorescents sputtered to life, but it was enough. I could see. Keeping the spotlight on the figures, I approached the three men. As I got closer I saw that Grace was tied to a chair behind the men, and apparently uninjured.


    ¡°If she has been harmed, none of you will survive this night,¡± I declared.


    Rahsett stepped forward, squinting into the light I held. ¡°You do not make threats now,¡± he said, voice full of bravado.


    ¡°Not threats,¡± I corrected. ¡°Promises.¡± Yeah, it was a tired clich¨¦, but I was sure none of the guys had seen enough movies to realize it.


    Angered, Rahsett rushed to attack. Dropping the spotlight, I stepped aside, easily dodging his clumsy charge. Pivoting, I slammed a punch as hard as I could into his kidney as he passed. I stepped back so I could keep him and the other two on the same side. I absolutely did not want to have to deal with attacks from more than one direction, but it seemed that the other two were in no hurry to help Rahsett take me down.


    Rahsett approached more cautiously this time, so I took a step back to encourage him to rush me again. Falling into my trap, he leaped. I stepped into it and punched him as hard as I could right in his bare throat, lunging forward as I did so. The force staggered him and he fell to his knees, clutching his crushed windpipe.


    ¡°This is for Max,¡± I said as I hit him with a roundhouse kick to the side of his head with my booted heel. I didn¡¯t even feel any remorse as I heard his gagging attempts to breathe end in a choked gasp. The world was a better place without scumbags like him, anyway.


    Turning my attention to the others, I examined them for the first time. Looking at them, the dynamic of their relationship was clear. The larger, younger guy taking a defensive posture was obviously the bodyguard of the older man in the well-tailored suit. Both wore makeup giving them the appearance of well-tanned Caucasians, but I wasn¡¯t fooled. They¡¯d been perfectly comfortable in a pitch-black old industrial building, after all.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I demanded, addressing my question to the older guy, who was obviously in charge.


    The man spoke in the language of the Night Children, and Larry, who was keeping a wary distance, translated. ¡°Impressive, he say,¡± Larry supplied. ¡°He say you are formidable as described.¡±


    ¡°Tell him to answer my question. Who is he, and why is he here?¡±


    While Larry translated, I watched the larger guy carefully, seeing that he was slowly easing his unzipped jacket to the side to expose a weapon. Emmy had assured me that guns simply weren¡¯t used by her people, and the handle of a knife sheathed by the man¡¯s side confirmed that I wasn¡¯t bringing a knife to a gunfight.


    Relieved, I moved to flank the two men, drawing their attention away from the direction of the door by which I¡¯d entered the building. Larry followed me as I circled around the two of them to get a better look at Grace, whose terrified expression assured me that she was at least alive and breathing. The two men didn¡¯t do anything to prevent me from reaching Grace, but the larger guy did make certain he was between me and the older guy at any given moment.


    ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± I asked Grace as soon as I removed the rag that had been used as a gag.


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K.¡± she replied, her voice far too shaky for me to believe it was completely true.


    ¡°Did they hurt you?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± she replied as I cut the ropes holding her with my folding knife. I helped her to stand, keeping a wary eye on the two men.


    The older man spoke, saying something in the language of the Night Children. ¡°The girl mean nothing. She no concern. He do not care about her,¡± Larry translated.


    ¡°What does he care about?¡± I asked, leading Grace in a big circle around the two men. When I was between them and the door, I whispered to Grace ¡°Stay back. This could get ugly,¡± and gave her a gentle shove towards the door.


    ¡°Could?¡± asked Grace, eyeing Rahsett¡¯s motionless body on the floor.


    ¡°Yeah, it could,¡± I hissed. ¡°If things go bad, go get in the car. The keys are inside. Your phone is in there. Lock the doors and get ready to call 9-1-1.¡±


    Grace took a few steps back, ready to bolt.


    Larry took that moment to translate the guy¡¯s reply. ¡°He say you kill his son. He say you must pay.¡±


    ¡°Does he?¡± I asked, immediately realizing that this was the confrontation I¡¯d been expecting for months and months. ¡°So he must be King Marfan?¡± I asked for confirmation. At my use of his name the old man nodded.


    ¡°Marfan,¡± he agreed.


    ¡°Tell him his son was a coward and an evil bastard and deserved to die. Tell him that his son didn¡¯t even put up a good fight. Tell him his son¡¯s body lies in an unmarked grave,¡± I spat. ¡°Tell him that his son came into my kingdom and tried to take what is mine, and no one gets away with that.¡±


    His voice trembling, Larry spoke in their ancient language. I could tell that my words stung by the effect they had, both on the older man and his thug. As Larry spoke the two grew visibly more and more agitated.


    ¡°Tell him that I killed Prince Marfan with his own knife, and I only wish I had the opportunity to do it sooner.¡± I wanted them upset and off-balance, and it was working. The king said some command to his man, who leapt to attack, drawing his knife as he closed the distance between us.


    ¡®It¡¯s on!¡¯ I thought to myself as I pulled my great grandfather¡¯s dagger from my boot, taking a defensive stance. This is the moment all those hours of training had prepared me for. This moment would define me from now on out. I was either going to die fighting for those who depended on me, or I was going to kill for them.


    The bodyguard checked up as he realized that he faced not just some random daylighter girl, but one who had just killed one of his kind with her bare hands. One who was now armed with eight inches of cold, sharp steel. One who showed no signs of backing down or giving in.


    Sudden doubt written on his face, the bodyguard approached more cautiously than his initial rush had suggested. As strange as it may seem, I felt a sense of calm as all thought vanished from my mind but the two of us, him and me. I was in the zone.


    He lunged low, aiming for my belly. I easily knocked his arm aside and slashed across the side of his ribcage. Although my knife was recently sharpened, his leather jacket saved him from injury.


    He stepped back, looking at the large cut through most of the layers of his jacket and muttered what sounded like a swear word. Seizing the moment of his distraction I belted him a solid left in the face for his inattention. Staggering back and wiping at the blood suddenly pouring from his face, he reassessed the situation.


    He made a few ineffectual swipes in my direction that were never going to actually reach me, just keep me back. By this time I¡¯d come to realize that this man was nowhere near the fighter that Ruben or Grant Henry were, and I seriously outclassed him. I felt almost guilty that it was going to be so easy, but as his knife swung past me on an inward slash I stepped in, pinned his arm against my side, and stabbed him up from under the ribs. As quick as that it was over, the anonymous man gurgling his last as I let him fall at my feet.


    Looking up, I saw that Eddie had used the distraction to sneak up on King Marfan and now held a knife to the King¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him,¡± I told Eddie. ¡°I want him alive.¡±


    Looking around to assess the situation, I saw Grace, her hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide with shock.


    Larry stood near her, frightened out of his mind by the violence that he¡¯d just witnessed. There was nothing I could do for Grace at the moment, but I needed Larry.


    ¡°Larry!¡± I commanded, getting his attention. ¡°Jakob! We need to bring the other two in here, right now. Go bring them inside, and try not to get any blood on yourself. Bring the bodies here,¡± I said, indicating the spot the bodyguard lay. He disappeared to follow my orders with amazing speed.


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said, in a much softer tone. ¡°Please go wait in the car. You don¡¯t need to be here for this.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± she agreed, her voice shaky as she turned to go outside into the falling rain.


    I walked out with her, and as she settled in the Suburban¡¯s back seat I grabbed what I needed from the back. ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± I asked, worried for this teenaged girl.


    She eyed the gas can and kitchen matches I held in my hands and replied ¡°Yeah, just fine, thank you,¡± her voice sardonic.


    A few minutes later I returned to the car after doing what was needed. ¡°Here, sit up here in front,¡± I told Grace. Larry and Jakob climbed into the third row, and Eddie and his prisoner sat in the middle seat.


    Driving through the cold, dark rain, I was pleased to see the fire in the grimy windows of the old mill. The cops would know it was foul play, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to identify the bodies. I was certain that Rahsett had chosen the place because of the complete lack of video or other surveillance, so we were good. At least, I hoped so. I drove us on a winding, roundabout route, but eventually we ended up at the airport.


    We had four hours before the jet could fuel up to leave, so I told Eddie to keep King Marfan quiet in the car for now. I told Jakob to take Larry home, then sit tight at the AirBnB. ¡°You can tell people that Rahsett is no longer a danger, but don¡¯t explain any more than that. Don¡¯t talk about what happened tonight to anybody,¡± I told Larry. He agreed, but I had little confidence that he wouldn¡¯t blab.


    I made some more calls and got everything settled so when we boarded the Lascaux family jet everything was in order.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you got involved in this,¡± I said to Grace. ¡°I never should have brought you up here to Canada.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Grace asked. ¡°This was like, the most amazing thing that¡¯s ever happened to me! It was like a movie!¡±


    Surprised by her reaction, all I could do was stammer ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well, it woulda sucked if I¡¯d gotten killed or something, but as it was you came in all freaking like Jason Bourne and rescued me. I mean, you killed those guys like nothing!¡±


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said, suddenly feeling very sad. ¡°It wasn¡¯t something to be, I don¡¯t know, thrilled by, I guess. Five men lost their lives tonight. It shouldn¡¯t have happened like that.¡±


    ¡°But it did,¡± Grace insisted, her eyes gleaming. ¡°Those guys would have killed me, they would have killed you, too, if they could. But they never stood a chance, because you¡¯re so, like, completely badass.¡±


    ¡°I want you to do me a big favor,¡± I pleaded. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about this to anybody. This is serious crime shit, you know? This can¡¯t go beyond those who were there, right?¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°What about Emmy?¡±


    I thought about it a moment, then told her ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Emmy. Don¡¯t tell her anything before I get to talk to her.¡± Grace nodded her agreement, so I hoped that the issue was settled.


    I would have liked to see the sights in Reykjavik when we stopped for fuel but we just couldn¡¯t spare the time, since we needed to unload our unwilling passenger as soon as possible. I¡¯d instructed Eddie to tell him that if he spoke Eddie would cut out his tongue, and mercifully King Marfan believed it and didn¡¯t speak a word on the entire ten hours to Iceland or on the six more hours to Istanbul.


    I¡¯d spoken with the pilots and they understood, and understood well enough not to question my instructions. In Istanbul we taxied to the airplane parking lot, where Eddie walked King Marfan to the customs building, then returned to the plane. I¡¯d told King Marfan that I was within my rights to kill him for what he had done, entering my kingdom without asking and threatening me and mine. I told him that I was only letting him live because he had not harmed Grace, and I expected that he would not bother us again or it would be his blood that got spilled next time. He seemed to understand. I hoped it was the last I¡¯d ever see of him.


    We took off moments later and three hours after that landed in Nice, in Southern France. I¡¯d picked Nice because it was far from Marfan¡¯s territory, safely in the region controlled by the Lascaux family.


    We needed a layover for the plane¡¯s crew as well as for Grace, Eddie and myself. Unfortunately the winter weather was terrible, so sightseeing was out. We were all super exhausted anyway, happy to just crash at the airport hotel.


    I finally had a chance to call Emmy, and her surprise when I told her we were in France was comical.


    ¡°Nice?¡± she asked. ¡°How did you end up there?¡± she asked, her voice clearly registering her surprise.


    ¡°We had to drop a passenger off in Istanbul, and I really didn¡¯t want to stay there at all, so we came here to refuel and take a break.¡±


    ¡°A passenger? Istanbul?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. King Marfan,¡± I responded. ¡°He was in Vancouver. Rahsett had contacted him to make trouble for us. I made it clear he isn¡¯t welcome.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emmy gasped. ¡°Are you O.K.? Is everybody all right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m O.K., and so is Grace. Eddie and Jakob are fine, but Rahsett killed Max. I¡¯ve got to go back to straighten everything out up there. Can you send Michael to Vancouver? I could really use his help.¡±


    ¡°Sure, baby. Do you need me to come up there?¡±


    ¡°No, you stay home. There¡¯s no need to get you involved.¡±


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Emmy said, blowing me a kiss across the phone line.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that,¡± I replied. ¡°Way too late.¡±


    We returned by way of New York City, where we stayed overnight. Grace had never been to the Big Apple (or, in fact, anywhere outside California and Oregon before this trip) so she was thrilled to see the city. I got us tickets to see the Broadway production of Cats and we went to the top of the Empire State Building, too. If anything it left Grace with a desire to spend more time in New York, but we had to get back to Vancouver. I was pleased with how well she was bouncing back from her ordeal, though. She seemed to be taking the events in stride, and thankfully, hadn¡¯t said another word about the violence. Maybe I should have worried that she was somehow internalizing it, but at the time I was just glad enough that she was alive and healthy. I really should have sent Grace back home to the Bay Area, but she insisted she wanted to stay with me, so I didn¡¯t push it.


    Back in the cold, wet winter weather of Canada¡¯s Pacific Coast, I had some issues to deal with. Max had been working on a lot of things for us, and I had to figure out who the ¡®Paperboy¡¯ was so I could get the forged passports, birth certificates and so on for the local strays now under my dominion.


    Going through Max¡¯s notes at his house, we found his contact number for the Paperboy written in the looping characters of the Night Children language.


    I called the number using a locally purchased prepaid cell phone, and when a man with a heavy Chinese accent and smoker¡¯s cough answered I said ¡°I¡¯m looking for the paperboy. My agent had some unfinished business that we need to complete.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± came the answer. ¡°How you know me?¡±


    ¡°My man had contacted you about some papers for a dozen or more clients, clients of a particularly dark-skinned variety.¡±


    ¡°Old guy, black as a nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was him,¡± I agreed. ¡°I need you to produce the agreed-upon articles.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you,¡± the Paperboy said, pausing a moment to cough up a lung. ¡°I only work with the guys I know.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, nobody works with Max any more,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Max dead?¡± he asked. ¡°What happen?¡±


    ¡°A man named Rahsett killed him,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Ah, O.K. You want papers?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I want you to meet my new agent and work out the details with him. His name is Mike. Where can you meet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It cost extra to make these changes,¡± the Paperboy said. ¡°Tell Mike meet me at tea shop I meet Max at. Tell him wear a red hat so I recognize him.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t need a red hat. Mike is as black as Max was. What time and where exactly is the tea shop?¡± I asked, wishing the whole thing were over.


    He gave me the intersection of a couple of streets in Chinatown and we agreed on four o¡¯clock that afternoon.


    Wearing my best tourist face, I wandered into the tea shop at three thirty. It was nearly empty, and I was the only western person in the place. The menu board only had one thing in English: ¡°Sorry, no boba¡±


    The little old lady behind the counter looked at me as if to ask ¡°Why would you come in here?¡±


    I asked ¡°What hot teas do you have?¡± trying to look soggy and pathetically cold, which wasn¡¯t all that hard given the weather.


    She replied ¡°Jasmine tea,¡± and poured me a cup. I handed her a couple of bills and sat down, cradling the hot cup in my hands. I looked over the Chinese-language newspaper on the table, occasionally glancing around at the d¨¦cor. The other patrons were mainly older Chinese men who seemed to have nothing better to do than play Mah Jong as they sipped their teas.


    The door opened and Michael walked in as I was getting a refill from the grandma that ran the place. He looked around curiously, only glancing at me for a moment, before his eyes slid to the various men in the place.


    Walking up to the counter as I returned to my table, he asked the lady for a cup of green tea, which she obliged. Taking his tea, he turned to look at the tables. I watched him, fascinated by his ease and nonchalance. He was a far different man from the one I¡¯d met in that Berkeley back alley all those months ago. He nodded to a guy in the back and walked over to his table, sitting down with his back to the room. I stared for a moment longer, then finished my cup and thanked the little old lady and left after asking her about good things to see in the area. Michael had it under control, and I trusted him to do what was needed.


    Walking through the afternoon rain, I thought back to the man that Emmy and I had met in that alley my freshman year. Two years ago he was living in an abandoned building with no electricity or running water, and now he has a nice townhouse with all the modern amenities. He used to skulk around dark alleys looking for food in dumpsters, and now he has a good salary and a healthy diet. He¡¯d told me in no uncertain terms that coming under our shadow was the best thing that had ever happened to him and his little daughter, and it showed. He was loyal, and I had no doubt he would do anything at all for Emmy and me. Of course, we had done a lot for him, too- everything he had was because we gave it to him. Not all of the strays had worked out so well, but for some, joining us had transformed their lives for the better.


    Now he was our go-to guy, our troubleshooter (so to speak). It seemed as if all the other Night Children respected him and his position as our second-in-command, and he¡¯d grown into the role as well.


    Walking along, thinking about how things had gone for so many of us since Emmy and I had reconnected, I barely noticed the rain and the growing dark.


    The third major item on my list was to finalize a deal for the nightclub I wanted to buy, so I headed northwest to the club district, a walk that would take me at least forty-five minutes.


    Lost in my thoughts, it didn¡¯t take long until I was at the entrance to the club. I knocked on the closed door, and it was promptly opened by a burly tattooed guy.


    ¡°We¡¯re closed. Come back later,¡± he said and went to close the door again.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to Jimmy,¡± I said, grabbing the door. ¡°He¡¯ll want to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± burly guy asked, clearly unwilling to let me in without good reason.


    ¡°Maybe me becoming your boss. I want to buy the club,¡± I explained. ¡°Tell him Leah is here.¡±


    Not sure what to make of my comment about becoming his boss, he opened the door to let me in. ¡°Stay here,¡± he commanded and hurried down the stairs into the club proper. He returned a minute later with Jimmy, the club¡¯s owner, in tow.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Jimmy exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. I wasn¡¯t expecting you,¡± he said, motioning for burly guy to leave us alone as we walked down to the club¡¯s back area and Jimmy¡¯s cluttered office.


    ¡°I must say, you¡¯re younger than I expected,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°Coffee?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± I replied. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to be rude, but let¡¯s cut to the chase. I¡¯ve looked at your financials, and although the club is doing O.K. and the restaurant¡¯s business is growing, you have to realize you¡¯re slipping behind.¡±


    Looking pained, Jimmy said ¡°Well, it takes time to establish a brand, you know. I figure we¡¯ll start breaking even by next year, this summer tourist season, if things go well.¡±


    ¡°How about if I buy out your debts, give you a cash payout, but keep you on as manager? I have no desire to run a nightclub, much less one a thousand miles from home.¡±


    ¡°So why are you interested in my club, then?¡± Jimmy asked, perplexed.


    ¡°I think we could make some changes and make it very profitable. The space is excellent- in fact, I might buy the building, too, if this deal goes through. I have what you might call an ulterior motive, and an ace up my sleeve,¡± I explained.


    Curious, Jimmy asked ¡°Ace?¡±


    ¡°I can connect a celebrity name to the club. Someone who would be happy to do the DJ thing to bring in the crowds and give the club some press.¡±


    ¡°Who, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°Emmy De Lascaux,¡± I answered. ¡°She¡¯s mentioned wanting a club of her own, and I¡¯d love to give this place to her.¡±


    ¡°She lives in San Francisco, doesn¡¯t she? What makes you think she¡¯d be interested in a club way up here? And what do you mean, ¡®give the club¡¯ to her?¡± Jimmy asked, his confusion clear.


    ¡°Well, first off, she¡¯s my wife,¡± I told him. ¡°She loves night clubs, and I¡¯m sure she would love this one, with a few changes. She¡¯s told me that she¡¯s been asked to guest DJ at a number of places, and she loves the idea. If I could give her a club she could DJ at once in a while she¡¯d be in heaven.¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s your wife? Wow. I didn¡¯t see that one coming. She¡¯s huge right now here in Vancouver. If she could DJ a couple of times a month it would be, well, huge.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my thought, too. With a remodel and a publicity blitz to let everyone know they might see her here, I think we could bring in the crowds.¡±


    Looking thoughtful, Jimmy asked ¡°What does Emmy think of the idea?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know yet. I want it to be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to spend that kind of money on a surprise for your wife?¡± he asked, astonished.


    ¡°Well, as I said, I have an ulterior motive, as well.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I have a bunch of local people who need jobs. I need to buy some kind of service industry business here in Vancouver so I can put a dozen or more unskilled people to work, and this club and restaurant seem like great places for that.¡±


    ¡°But what about the folks I already have working?¡± Jimmy asked. ¡°I¡¯d hate to sack some good people.¡±


    Respecting that he was concerned for his employees, I assured him ¡°I¡¯d want them to stay on. Well, the good ones, at least. No, as I said, these people have few skills, so they¡¯ll need to be shown the ropes by experienced staff. I¡¯d use the club and the restaurant as training for the folks I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re fully staffed as it is. We don¡¯t need any more,¡± Jimmy objected.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. It isn¡¯t as important to me if the place turns a profit, as long as it achieves my goal of employment for these people.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Sort of like money laundering, except in this case you¡¯re laundering workers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think of it as a non-profit work training center,¡± I said, ¡°But yeah, something like that.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯d want me to continue on as manager,¡± Jimmy mused. ¡°How much would you pay?¡± With that, I knew the deal was sealed. It was simply a matter of numbers. After we agreed on the details, we talked for a bit about the remodel I wanted. Burly guy came and interrupted, telling Jimmy there was someone here to see me.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be Michael,¡± I said. ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Burly guy looked at Jimmy for confirmation, and Jimmy responded with ¡°You¡¯d better learn to do as she says, Shannon. She¡¯s going to be the one signing your paychecks.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± asked Shannon, looking at me again.


    ¡°As a heart attack,¡± responded Jimmy. ¡°Hopefully the deal will be done this week, and Leah here will be the new owner.¡±


    ¡°Well, damn,¡± muttered Shannon as he left to let Michael in.


    ¡°Jimmy,¡± I said. ¡°I told you I wanted to hire a bunch of others, and I thought that they could fit in with the club¡¯s new theme? Here¡¯s why,¡± I announced as Michael entered the office. Jimmy looked at him in surprise, taking in Michael¡¯s midnight black skin, dark eyes and black hair. ¡°The people I want to bring to work here look like this. Jimmy, this is Michael, my right-hand man. Michael, this is Jimmy, the man I¡¯m buying this place from.¡±


    After the two shook hands, I asked Michael ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he answered. ¡°He will do what we asked. It will cost a little more than originally negotiated, but within the range you told me to accept.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I responded. ¡°Hey, could you please go get Grace and bring her back here? I want her to see this place before they open tonight.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Michael responded. He nodded goodbye to Jimmy and left to go back to the hotel.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Jimmy said when he was sure Michael had left. ¡°I¡¯ve never- hey, is he related to Emmy somehow?¡±


    ¡°No, not related, except they¡¯re both from the same ethnic minority. And here¡¯s the deal- they all look like that. I want to find them a place to work, and it seemed to me that a nightclub would be perfect. The Downfall has that ¡®day and night¡¯ thing going already, and a staff of people who look like Emmy and look like they are creatures of the night would work well with the theme of ¡®Club De Nuit¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I get it,¡± agreed Jimmy. ¡°Everybody knows Emmy is from France, so the name in French ties in with that. If we called it ¡®Emmy¡¯s Club De Nuit¡¯ we¡¯d coattail on her fame, and Downfall fans would flock to the place,¡± Jimmy said, his eyes gleaming with the possibilities.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Shall we toast to our new arrangement?¡± asked Jimmy, rising from his desk. We wandered into the main club area and talked about changes necessary to create the ¡®Club De Nuit¡¯ while we sipped our drinks. Most of the remodel was going to be a simple paint job, replacing the red theme with black and installing some new low-key lighting. Grace arrived after a little while, Eddie following her in, looking very bodyguard-like. It was clear to me he felt that he was somehow to blame for her getting taken by Rahsett and King Marfan and hadn¡¯t forgiven himself.


    Michael followed a minute later, having had to find parking. I introduced Grace and Eddie to Jimmy, who couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Eddie and Michael.


    ¡°This could work,¡± he breathed. ¡°This could totally work.¡±


    Grace had never been in a bar of any kind before, so she looked around wide-eyed. ¡°I¡¯m buying this club for Em,¡± I told her.


    ¡°She¡¯ll love it!¡± Grace exclaimed. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll take it!¡±


    ¡°Not so fast, kiddo,¡± I laughed. ¡°You¡¯re not even old enough to drink!¡±


    ¡°Neither are you or Emmy, back in the States!¡± Grace retorted.


    ¡°True,¡± I had to admit.


    That evening I called a get-together of the local strays at a nearby Mediterranean restaurant. I was pleased (and a bit surprised, I must admit) that all thirteen showed up. After ordering for everybody, I stood up to make some announcements. We had the back room of the restaurant all to ourselves, but I still wasn¡¯t about to broadcast our business to the world, so I kept it simple. ¡°Max is, sadly, no longer with us,¡± I said. ¡°In a related matter, Rahsett will no longer cause anybody any trouble.¡± Looking around, I saw surprise on only a few of the inky black faces. I¡¯d figured Larry would blab, and I guess he did, it seemed.


    ¡°I need a new local liaison,¡± I said to the crowd, getting a few puzzled looks. Michael noticed it too, and translated for those who didn¡¯t speak English well enough. ¡°I need you all to choose someone from among you, someone you can trust. Someone who will answer to me. Someone who will take care of things here for me. This position comes with rewards, but also, responsibilities. Anyone who is interested, talk to Michael after dinner. He will explain what would be expected.¡±


    I looked around at all the expectant faces and continued.


    ¡°I will also have jobs for all of you soon. I am buying a nightclub and restaurant and there will be jobs available. I expect you all to work the hours that the club manager, a man named Jimmy, will give you, and follow all his instructions. This is very important. You must work as diligently as you possibly can. I will hear about it, whether you work well or poorly. Those whose work is not acceptable will feel my anger, but those who work well will be rewarded.¡± I looked around as Michael translated, making and holding eye contact with every single Vancouver stray. I wanted them to want my satisfaction and fear my displeasure, and I wanted it clear I was going to be keeping tabs on them.


    After a few quick questions and answers, we all settled down to eat. The chicken shawerma was mediocre at best, but eating in a restaurant was such a novel experience for most of the strays that I enjoyed myself just watching them try to deal with the occasion.


    Two days later we returned to the Bay Area, less Jakob, who would be staying for a while. The paperboy was doing his thing, Rahsett was taken care of, the club was mine, the local strays had elected one of their own to be the local liaison (I made it very, very clear that she was not the boss. I was the boss. Jadi was merely the local ¡°union rep¡± of sorts). I¡¯d gotten everything I¡¯d hoped to accomplish in Vancouver done, albeit with a fair bit of unexpected mayhem. That seemed to be my M.O., I had to admit.

 Tribute Band

    ¡°Do you mind if we make a little detour?¡± Emmy asked, glancing over the top of her iPad at me as we sat at the kitchen counter one evening after dinner.


    ¡°How little a detour are we talking about?¡± I asked, looking up from my laptop.


    ¡°Just up to Boston for one night,¡± she replied. ¡°Maybe a little longer, and we can do some sightseeing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be on a fairly tight schedule as it is,¡± I said. ¡°I can only steal a few days from the volleyball schedule anyway- I told you I asked Coach Burke to pull me for the match against Oregon State and he was very grudging about doing it, so we can¡¯t add any days to our trip. There¡¯s no way I could get out of the U Dub match,¡± I reminded her. Taking a day in Boston means giving up that much time in New York. What¡¯s so interesting in Boston, anyway?¡± I wondered. I mean, we¡¯d been to Boston before and it wasn¡¯t as if I hated on the town or anything, I just wondered why the sudden urge to divert from the purpose of our trip to New York.


    ¡°There is a band I would like to see, playing on the night we would otherwise arrive in New York,¡± Emmy explained. I could tell from her too-casual expression that it actually meant a lot to her, so I gave in.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll fly in to Boston, rent a car, and drive down to Manhattan the next day. I think it¡¯s only something like a four hour drive,¡± I said. ¡°It means we¡¯ll have one less day in New York, but that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Leah,¡± Emmy said. Sometimes I wished she¡¯d assert herself just a little bit more- it meant that I had to work that much harder to pick up on her subtle hints in times like this.


    The girl at the little ticket window couldn''t stop looking past me over my shoulder at Emmy standing behind me. I couldn''t blame her, but it was still a bit annoying. On the one hand, I was pretty sure the stares weren''t because of Emmy''s unusual looks any more, but I would have expected that somebody working at a club that books some well-known bands wouldn''t be so star-struck.


    The waitress inside was a bit more honest about it when she asked for Emmy''s autograph and if she could take a picture for her Instagram. Emmy didn''t mind, as usual, and the waitress left to fill our order, happily posting the photos.


    Quite a few patrons came over to say they adored Emmy''s work, and wanted pictures and so on. Emmy was happy to oblige, and I tried to not be annoyed at all the fuss. The strangest moment came when a really, really pale girl came over to talk to Emmy. She just stood in front of our table and stared at Emmy, too tongue-tied to say anything, even though you could see that she really wanted to. After a few moments she bolted out of there, and rushed off in the direction of the bathroom.


    Curious, I told Emmy I''d be right back and followed the strange pale girl to see what was going on. There were a couple of others in the restroom, but I couldn''t spot the girl I''d followed, but a moment later the sounds of gagging and dry heaves came from one of the stalls. Concerned, I pushed the door open and there she was, worshipping the porcelain god.


    "Are you all right?" I asked, which was a stupid question, I know.


    She stood up and wiped her face with some TP and turned to face me. When she got a good look at my face her eyes got super wide and I could see that they were as green as Emmy''s. "You- you''re..." she stammered.


    "Are you ok?" I asked again.


    She nodded, then brushed past me to clean her face and rinse with some water from the sink. When she was done, she was a little more composed. "You are Leah, no? Emmy''s wife?" she asked.


    "Yeah..." I responded, not sure where this was going.


    "Oh, mon dieu!" she cried, and bolted into the stall to retch a bit more. I didn''t really know what to do, so I texted Emmy to tell her I''d be back in a minute. Eventually the girl finished and came back out to wash up again.


    "I am so sorry," she moaned. "This is not how I imagined it would be."


    "Imagined what?" I asked.


    "Meeting Emmy. Meeting you," she replied, still distraught. "You must think I am some kind of freak," she moaned.


    As my mind was trying to process this bizarre scene, I noticed a few more things about this girl. First, besides the super green eyes like Emmy''s, her straight black hair was cut in a bob just like Emmy used to have. Second, her outfit was exactly like the one Emmy wore the first time The Downfall played Coachella- the night Emmy slagged on my old friend Courtney in front of fifty thousand fans. Third, she had a noticeable French accent. Putting two and two together, it finally hit me.


    "You''re the singer for Night Into Day, aren''t you?" I asked, but really, it was obvious she must be. She was like a negative image of Emmy. White where Emmy was black, black where Emmy was white.


    She nodded, and said "I dreamed Emmy would come to one of our shows, but I never..."


    "Are you going to be O.K.?¡± I asked when it became clear she wasn''t going to finish that thought. When she nodded, I said "Come by our table after the show." Again, she nodded, and satisfied she was going to live, I went back to the table and told Emmy what had just happened.


    "Poor girl," sympathized Emmy. "I do hope she says hello when the show is over."


    After about forty-five minutes the light dimmed and the emcee took the small stage to introduce the band. "From Montreal, Canada, comes the number one Downfall tribute band on the East Coast! Let''s give it up for Day Into Night!"


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    The pale girl stepped up to the microphone and thanked the crowd, her French accent a little overdone in my opinion.


    ¡°Merci d''¨ºtre venu tonight,¡± she said. ¡°We are Day Into Night!¡± And with that, the band started playing.


    I thought they did all right, even though the singer wasn¡¯t the one playing the guitar, as Emmy would have done. Every so often I caught Emmy making faces, clearly a bit displeased at something she heard that I completely missed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked after one particular grimace.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t how that riff is played,¡± Emmy complained. ¡°He has it all wrong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d bet he just doesn''t know how you did it,¡± I said, trying to mollify her, but it didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°It is obvious he does not know how to do it right,¡± she grumbled.


    Eventually it just became too much for Emmy to bear, and she got up and pushed her way through the crowd to the stage. As soon as the current song was over, she beckoned to the guitarist. He leaned down to talk to her, and next thing I knew she was up on stage with the band, looping the guy¡¯s guitar strap over her shoulder while he stood back.


    There was a quick discussion with the singer, and the pale girl stepped back up to the microphone. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see, we have the real thing with us here tonight. Please welcome Emmy De Lascaux!¡±


    As you might expect, the entire audience went completely wild, cheering, clapping and making a ton of noise. Emmy stepped forward to the microphone and thanked the crowd. ¡°It is wonderful to see you all here tonight. Thank you very much for coming to see Day Into Night, and thank you to the band for letting me join you for a few songs. This is a lovely treat.¡±


    The crowd roared in approval as Emmy gave a little wave. Emmy and the pale girl conferred for a moment, the girl shaking her head no at something Emmy said. Emmy insisted, though, and eventually the girl stepped back to her microphone. ¡°I tried to get Emmy to sing this next song, but she insisted that I sing it while she plays the guitar. Maybe she can sing the next one? What do you all think?¡±


    The crowd seemed to approve of that idea, so Emmy shrugged and smiled that maybe she would. Emmy nodded back to the drummer, who settled into a familiar beat accompanied by the bass player. A few moments later, Emmy tore into the slinky opening riffs of Love For Sale from Dark Times For The Downfall, the band¡¯s second album.


    Looking a bit nervous, the pale girl stepped up to the mic and started to sing. I was afraid her voice was going to be as shaky as her confidence seemed to be, but no, she slid into the song smoothly, hitting it perfectly. After the second verse she stepped back to watch Emmy play that famous solo. Emmy didn''t disappoint, and even extended the languorous guitar bit for a few extra minutes after looking at the band members to see if it would be OK.


    The crowd was hushed in a way they hadn¡¯t been all evening. Even the ever-busy waitresses had stopped in their tracks and were just watching Emmy play, well aware that this was one of those moments that they will remember forever. It seemed at least half of the people had their phones out and were recording it, too. I had no doubt it would be all over social media like wildfire before the evening was over.


    As Emmy wrapped up her solo, she nodded to the band and they rejoined as if it had been rehearsed that way, seamless and smooth as silk. To my ears, the band¡¯s singer didn¡¯t actually sound exactly like Emmy, but pretty damned close. After the song finished and the crowd had quieted down a bit the singer introduced herself and her three band mates. I don¡¯t remember the names of the three guys, but she said her name was Elly.


    Emmy handed the guitar back to the band¡¯s guitarist and stepped up to whisper something to Elly, who nodded in agreement. Elly moved back a bit and Emmy took center stage. ¡°Elly was kind enough to let me steal the spotlight for this song, after Brad (she indicated the guitarist) let me sit in for him on that last one. I hope I do not let you all down,¡± she said, getting laughter from the audience.


    Emmy launched into Get It Now, and Elly joined her for the backing parts that normally would have been Jackson singing. It actually worked really well with Elly¡¯s voice sounding so similar to Emmy¡¯s.


    After the song concluded Emmy gave Elly a hug, then waved goodbye at the audience as she stepped off the stage. As Emmy pushed her way back to our table, Elly spoke into the mic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about all of you,¡± she said, ¡°but that might have been the best thing that has ever happened to me!¡±


    Emmy settled back at our table and seemed to enjoy the rest of the show better than she had at the start, even rejoining the band on stage for a couple of songs for their encore. I closed out our tab and made my way backstage, following where Emmy and the band had gone. The security guy obviously recognized me and waved me back to join Emmy and the band in the dressing room, such as it was.


    When I got there Emmy was sitting on the beat-up old couch with a guitar in her lap, showing the guitarist sitting next to her how to play a particular riff. Elly spotted me and came rushing up. ¡°Leah!¡± she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me and planting a big kiss on my lips. Evidently her earlier nerves had been forgotten in all the excitement. ¡°Thank you for getting Emmy to play with us! That was fucking amazing!¡±


    I glanced at Emmy as if to ask what Elly meant, but she just gave me a little nod so I rolled with it. ¡°No problem,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m glad you had a good time, ¡± I said as I gently peeled her off me.


    ¡°Good time?¡± she asked, her voice still overly loud. ¡°It was the best fucking time ever!¡±


    We wound up hanging out with the band for a couple more hours as the four members of Day Into Night just couldn¡¯t get enough of Emmy, which was O.K. with me, but I found Elly¡¯s hanging all over me more than a little bit uncomfortable. I was trying to be a good sport about it, but when she climbed onto my lap for the second time I just hit my limit.


    ¡°Em, we really need to get going,¡± I said, lifting Elly off my lap and onto the couch next to where I had been sitting. ¡°We have to look at that townhouse in New York tomorrow, and it¡¯s a four hour drive.¡±


    Emmy held out her hand so I gave her a hand up out of the low couch, then guided her to the door.


    ¡°Make sure you stay in touch,¡± Emmy told the band. ¡°Don¡¯t lose my number.¡±


    ¡®As if that was going to happen¡¯, I thought. These guys were so over the moon with getting to perform with their idol that they were going to remember tonight for the rest of their lives.


    As we settled into the rental car to go back to the hotel, Emmy asked ¡°That girl, Elly. Do you think she is pretty?¡±


    Unsure what brought this on, I replied ¡°Um, yeah, I guess so. Why?¡±


    ¡°She wants to sleep with you,¡± Emmy pronounced, as if that explained everything.


    ¡°Well, yeah, I kinda got that vibe,¡± I agreed. ¡°But, I mean, so what? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna just take her up on it because she¡¯s pretty.¡±


    ¡°No? Why not?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, why not?¡± I asked, floored by this discussion. ¡°I have you!¡± I said.


    ¡°But what if I am not enough for you? What then?¡± Emmy asked.


    Looking at her, I could tell that this conversation had more meaning than I¡¯d realized. We had arrived at the classic hotel by Fenway at this point, so I looked Emmy straight in the eyes once I¡¯d pulled to a stop in front of the valet stand.


    ¡°Em, this seems like a conversation we need to have- but not right here,¡± I said as the valet opened the passenger door for Emmy.


    It really was late, and we really did have to get up early in the morning, so I let it lie and didn¡¯t bring up the discussion at all. I guess I chickened out, but it was easier than trying to have what might be a difficult talk that late at night.

 New York City? Well, Maybe

    The next morning we got up early for the drive to Manhattan. Driving in the East Coast is very different from what I¡¯m used to in California. Sure, the traffic laws are pretty much the same, but the unspoken rules of the road are just different and the behavior of the local drivers is hard for me to predict. I guess if I spent more time behind the wheel I¡¯d get used to it, but with my limited exposure to the East Coast roads I found the driving to be quite stressful.


    We got to New York a bit more quickly than I¡¯d expected, so we had time grab lunch and walk around the neighborhood.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what had interested Emmy so much about this particular house, but moving to New York after I graduated was her idea anyhow, so I just went along. I agreed that for the music scene New York was hard to beat, and the big cities on the East Coast were definitely going to be very important in our bringing new Strays into the fold. Also, moving into the real estate development and management business in the East Coast was a big step for my work, too. Logically, moving to New York made all kinds of sense.


    The place Emmy wanted to see was a few blocks from the U.N. Building on the East side, which surprised me. I would have expected Emmy to want someplace in Greenwich Village, or Chelsea or someplace a bit more arty than the East Side, but whatever. Walking around, the neighborhood seemed nice, but not all that special. It was mildly interesting that the townhouse next door was the Moroccan Embassy, but other than that the street was fairly quiet.


    The real estate agent showed up late for our appointment to tour the house, and that didn¡¯t help my attitude much at all. When he finally did arrive he gave off the vibe that he felt put out that he was even there. He stood to make almost half a million dollars if he made the sale, so you¡¯d think he would jump at the chance to show the house to buyers with verified financials, but that sure wasn¡¯t the feeling I got.


    The house itself had some aspects that I really liked, like the giant kitchen down in the basement and the great views across the East River from the upper floors, but the furniture and decorations were absolutely not to my taste.


    ¡°This place looks as if it was decorated by someone¡¯s grandma,¡± I told Emmy, looking at the flowery wallpaper in the sitting room.


    ¡°We would have to have it completely redecorated,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But I think that would be the case with any house we were to buy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°This house was designed for entertaining,¡± Emmy pointed out as we looked at the giant commercial kitchen. ¡°It would be ideal for dinner parties.¡±


    ¡°And how much of that do we do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not much now,¡± Emmy conceded. ¡°But I do think that we should perhaps socialize more than we do now. Do you think Marie-Anne would like this kitchen?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Marie-Anne? Are you thinking of hiring her away from your parents? Would she even leave them?¡±


    ¡°She might,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Especially if we had a baby for her to shower with attention.¡±


    ¡°Did she do that for you?¡± I asked. Emmy almost never talked about her childhood, so any little nugget like this was welcome information.


    ¡°Yes, she did,¡± Emmy answered, remembering back. ¡°She always had a little treat for me, or kind or encouraging words when I felt sad. She was a wonderful person to have around.¡±


    ¡°Was she your nanny?¡± I asked, wondering who had actually raised Emmy.


    ¡°No, I did not have a nanny,¡± Emmy said. ¡°My mother was home most of the time and she was the one who instructed me.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that ¡®instructed me¡¯ thing, so I stayed quiet.


    ¡°My parents are both from the oldest lines of my people, and the old ways are very important to them,¡± Emmy continued, lost in thought. ¡°I am certain they will want to instruct our baby as well.¡±


    Again, I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that, but it wasn¡¯t the moment to have that discussion. We continued our inspection of the townhouse, thankfully without the realtor, who was parked in the third floor sunroom facing the East River, incessantly yammering on his phone. I was happy to look the place over at our pace.


    ¡°I like that the two servant¡¯s apartments are on the top floor, with windows with nice views, and their own little deck,¡± Emmy commented. ¡°So often they are stuck in the basement, or some other undesirable location.¡± This was the first place like this I¡¯d ever really looked at, so I had no reference, but it did make sense. Putting the staff in a spot the owners didn¡¯t want to use seemed like just the kind of thing that would happen in a really wealthy home. If Marie-Anne was going to live with us, I wanted her to feel wanted, not begrudged.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Do you think Marie-Anne would like to live here?¡± I asked. Up until a few minutes before it hadn¡¯t even occurred to me that we might have a household staff, but now that the possibility that she might come to work for us was very appealling.


    ¡°It is worth asking," Emmy said.


    Finishing up our walk-through, I told the realtor, ¡°We like the house, but it¡¯ll need a fair bit of remodeling and redecorating. I¡¯m going to talk to a couple of designers for some ideas and I¡¯ll get back to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long,¡± he said as we walked out. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of interest in this house. Houses of this quality don¡¯t come up for sale very often.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have an answer in a few days,¡± I replied. ¡°And this house has been on the market for eight months, with the asking price dropped twice. I don¡¯t think we are at risk of having it sold out from under us.¡± Yeah, the guy was an ass, and I wasn¡¯t going to accept his sad attempt at a snow job. ¡°We¡¯ll call you, one way or another.¡±


    As we walked back to the garage where our car was parked, I asked Emmy the question that had been bothering me, but hadn¡¯t wanted to broach. ¡°Emmy, do you really, I mean really, want to live in New York? Sure, music scene, sure, easier to get to Europe, sure, probably a lot of Strays... but seriously, wouldn¡¯t living in Los Angeles give us most of those things anyway? It¡¯d be a lot easier to build out a home studio for you, or even find a place with a recording studio already, than it would be here in New York. That place we just looked at?¡± I continued. ¡°That was about what we can expect for ten million bucks here. I¡¯m not even sure where we could even put a studio in that house. Maybe if we completely cleared out the bedrooms on the sixth floor we could find room, but it would take something like that,¡± I said. ¡°Sure, the house is almost six thousand square feet, but it¡¯s only twenty-five feet wide and that really constrains the possibilities.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right about that house. Of all the townhouses I looked at online, it seemed to have the best potential. I do like the house, but I am not certain that it could be built to our needs,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°Would you prefer to live in Los Angeles? Do you not like New York?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I like New York well enough,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit overwhelming. It¡¯s hard to ever relax here.¡±


    ¡°I would be happy living in Los Angeles, Leah, if that is what you want and feel best. But I would like to ask you for one truly enormous favor, Emmy said, stopping and turning to face me.


    ¡°Of course, Em. You know I¡¯d do anything for you. Anything. Whatever it is, I¡¯ll do it. You know that,¡± I said, taking her hand.


    ¡°This is a big favor, though,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Well, two favors, really, but one is much bigger than the other.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the little favor?¡± I asked as we started walking again.


    ¡°I have never had a famous New York hot dog, and I would like to have one for lunch. With sauerkraut and mustard and ketchup!¡±


    Laughing, I said ¡°Of course we can do that. Let¡¯s go downtown, maybe see the World Trade Center monument. There should be hot dog carts near there. So what¡¯s the big favor?¡±


    ¡°Please buy me that house,¡± Emmy said, and I could tell from her voice it meant a lot to her.


    ¡°So you do want to live here?¡± I asked, puzzled. Hadn¡¯t she just agreed that L.A. might be a better fit?


    ¡°No, I think that you are correct and Los Angeles would probably be better for us at this time. I am thinking that at some point in the future we may wish to have a New York address as well, so that when we are here we would have a place of our own.¡±


    ¡°Would you want to have a studio built?¡± I asked, wondering just how much time she thought we would spend here.


    ¡°Yes, but it does not need to be very elaborate,¡± Emmy replied, thinking about it. ¡°I think we could leave the bedroom on the sixth floor that has views of the river, just open up the street-side bedroom, deleting the closet and en-suite to make more room. That should be enough.¡±


    ¡°Emmy, if you want to spend the money, I have no objection. I mean, it¡¯ll probably appreciate in value, so it isn¡¯t as if it¡¯s a terrible investment. I think the main reason it has been sitting on market so long is that it¡¯s just so old-fashioned inside in a terrible way. Nobody wants that style any more. But if we remodeled to more modern tastes I¡¯m sure we¡¯d get our money back when it came time to sell,¡± I said, more or less thinking out loud. ¡°But that real estate agent was an ass. I¡¯m going to check to see if anybody else has the listing and buy it from them instead.¡±


    ¡°You are terrible!¡± Emmy said, swatting my shoulder, and that was that. We were going to be New York homeowners.


    I hailed a cab, and asked the cabby to drop us off by the best hot dog stand that he knew downtown. As luck would have it, the driver was a vegan, so he had no recommendations. ¡°Take us to the World Trade Center Memorial, then,¡± I told him. Emmy held my hand on the drive, in a really good mood. While she gawked out the window at the passing scenery, I used the opportunity to check online and found that yes, the house we just looked at was in fact listed by another agent. I called her up, and after five pleasant minutes of conversation, told her that we would be by her office that afternoon to seal the deal. Seriously, that agent just made the easiest money of her life by merely not being a jerk.


    After a couple of hours wandering around downtown, we made our way to the new realtor¡¯s office and signed the paperwork that Royal Holdings, LLC was committing to buy that townhouse. Our lawyers and bankers would take care of the rest.


    That evening we went to a Broadway show and had a late dinner at a restaurant Emmy had wanted to try. Apparently the place was ridiculously hard to get into, unless you¡¯re really famous, or really beautiful, or really rich. When Emmy called to get us a table, they were happy to accommodate, since she was all three.


    The food was good, but honestly, not as amazing as people claimed. It was amazingly expensive, so I guess it¡¯s that whole ¡®confirmation bias¡¯ thing.


    The night out did put Emmy in a really good mood, though, and she expressed her appreciation when we got back to our hotel room. Sure, we had an early flight, but so what? We could sleep on the plane.


    Back home in Palo Alto, Emmy dove into research on New York designers and remodeling contractors, while poring over the photos of the townhouse the new real estate agent shot for her. I just wrote it off as a pet project of Emmy¡¯s, figuring that if it made her happy, then I would benefit as well. ¡°A happy wife makes for a happy life,¡± or so the saying goes. She had the free time, since The Downfall were taking a break for a few weeks, so why not? In fact, it was the first break the band had ever taken since forming, to everybody¡¯s amazement. The three of them were absolute workaholics.

 Sorry- Another Delay

    Work has been crazy and I just haven''t had time to get any writing done. I''m hoping that things calm down in the next couple of days and I can post the next chapter on Saturday, but I can''t make any promises right now.


    I apologize for the interruption, dear readers, but I just simply couldn''t find time to write the last few days.


    To make up for it, I''m going to post a thing I wrote but cut from way back during Leah''s first term at Stanford, before Stephanie slammed herself back into the closet:


    Phone Secks


    I was just relaxing, doing some of my assigned reading when my phone rang with her special ring tone- Prince¡¯s ¡°Little Red Corvette¡±.


    Where were we?¡± Steph asked.


    Steph had switched on the sexy voice, and she knew I couldn¡¯t resist it.


    ¡°I remember now.¡±


    ¡°Steph, baby, my roommate just got home,¡± I said, but that didn¡¯t cool down her side of the conversation.


    ¡°I wish I was there.We would have been all over each other and she would have walked in on us getting it on.¡±


    I¡¯d love to see the look on her face.She¡¯s totally straight, right?¡± Stephanie asked.


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    This was an unexpected turn in things.


    ¡°You like to think about us getting caught?Who by?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more being secretly watched.¡±


    Who do you fantasize would be watching us?¡±I¡¯d never suspected Stephanie for being an exhibitionist, but maybe I should have.After all, she loved showing herself off to me, right?


    You¡¯ve let the cat out of the bag, and now you¡¯re shy about it?¡± I teased.


    But promise you¡¯re not going to tell anyone.¡±


    I have this fantasy where you come over to my house, and you don¡¯t realize she¡¯s already there.You come out to the pool and jump my bones, and Mindy comes out from my room where she was changing into her swim suit.She sees us, like, making out and stops, just watching us through the sliding patio door.You¡¯re on top of me, just totally going to town, and I can see her just watching.We really get into it super hot and heavy, and Mindy just keeps on watching, getting totally turned on.¡±The fantasy did nothing for me, but I could tell from Steph¡¯s voice and breathing that it was working for her.


    Please don¡¯t take this the wrong way, I just want to know.¡±


    Is that what was going on when we drove out to Emmy¡¯s house way back when?¡± I asked, my voice gentle.


    I don¡¯t mind.I was just curious, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Steph¡¯s voice was still uncertain.


    ¡°I used to imagine the two of you all the time, actually.There was something so hot about thinking about you and Emmy, and when I¡¯d see you guys kiss, it, like, would really send me over the edge, baby.God, it was so hot.¡±


    I mean, I¡¯ve been watching some girl-girl videos on line and they don¡¯t do much of anything for me, but you and Emmy?Just thinking about it would get me hot.¡±


    ¡°Did- did you know you were gay back then?¡± I asked.

 Back To New York- For A Little While

    The decision to move to Los Angeles after I graduated lifted a weight off my shoulders I hadn¡¯t even realized was there. I mean, sure, Emmy had her New York townhouse pet project, but that wasn¡¯t where we were going to live full time- just an outrageously expensive pied-¨¤-terre.


    Los Angeles was going to be our future, and my preparations were just that much easier than they would be if we were to move to the other coast. I contacted NYU to let them know I wouldn¡¯t be pursuing my MBA in New York after all, and talked to the admissions people at UCLA¡¯s school of business about attending there instead. My grades from Stanford were certainly good enough to make the cut to get into UCLA Anderson, but really, the fact that I¡¯d built a company into nearly half a billion dollars of assets over the last three years sealed the deal.


    I also had to make the preparations for moving my location to our office in Santa Monica, which meant a physical expansion since it would now be the corporate headquarters. Of course, this meant a bit of a shakeup among the old hands in the San Jose office, and more than a few of them came to me with worries that they would be sidelined and the erstwhile main office would become a backwater. I was really grateful to the staff there, so I offered to move anybody that was willing, and reassured the rest that I would still have a presence in the Bay Area as well.


    It was during this period that Grace left us to go to college in Flagstaff. I had invited her parents to come to her high school graduation, but they didn¡¯t even respond. Emmy and I were there, of course, and so were a number of other friends (including her old best friend Mary), but nobody from her birth family could be bothered to put in the effort.


    It didn¡¯t seem to bother Grace all that much, though. I think she¡¯d written her parents off well before that moment, so she made out that it was no big deal. I¡¯m sure it must have stung inside, but she played it off as if it meant nothing. The two years she¡¯d spent with us had seen a fairly dramatic transformation, so the shy, soft girl that I¡¯d brought back from Arcata was unrecognizable in the butch, athletic girl who drove off in her blue and white Toyota four-by to settle in in her new apartment in Flagstaff that May. Her decision to spend the summer there by herself before college started in the fall made sense, since we were going to move to L.A. in another couple of months anyway. Why move twice, right? She¡¯d packed up all her stuff in (or on) the Toyota and a small U Haul trailer, waved goodbye and left a week after graduation. I stood on the sidewalk and watched until I lost sight of the mountain bike on the roof rack vanishing down the street, realizing that I was feeling a little bit like Mom must have felt when I came to Stanford.


    It was sad to see her go, but she¡¯d promised she would come to L.A. for a visit once we settled in down there, so it wasn¡¯t going to be all that long before we got to see her again. On the positive side, it meant that Emmy and I had the place to ourselves for the first time in two years, and that empty nest feeling was a bit of its own reward.


    Of course, Donny, Sana and their little baby Aaron were over for dinner at least twice a week, and so were Jassie and Michael, so we really didn¡¯t have as much alone time as one might think. Still, after the guests left in the evenings we were just the two of us, and that was very special indeed.


    ¡°Want to go to New York for a few days?¡± asked Emmy one evening.


    ¡°What¡¯s in New York?¡±


    ¡°I have a meeting scheduled with the designer for the house, and the builder, and also a meeting with the specialist who will build out the recording studio,¡± Emmy answered. ¡°Hopefully we can get some ideas firmed up.¡± Then, after a moment, she asked ¡°You do not mind spending this money, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Em,¡± I replied. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this already. Spend whatever you want- we have the money, after all.¡±


    ¡°But you are the one who watches our finances,¡± Emmy objected. ¡°I do not even really know how much money we even have access to without liquidating assets,¡± she said.


    Surprised by this admission, I asked, ¡°Do you want to see the numbers? I can show you where we stand pretty easily.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not necessary. If you say that we have enough money, I believe you. You have done so well with our portfolio- it amazes me, really. You have been incredible.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not hard to make a ton of money if you have a ton of money to start with,¡± I laughed. ¡°Seriously, it wasn¡¯t rocket science.¡±


    ¡°But still,¡± Emmy objected. ¡°You have built a lot- I know that the money my parents gave us was quite a lot, but you have leveraged it many times over now.¡±


    ¡°But back to your question, Em. We¡¯re good for pretty much anything you want to spend on the townhouse there in New York. As long as you don¡¯t start buying Rembrandts at auction to hang on the walls, that is,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, no Rembrandts,¡± Emmy said. ¡°They look nice in my parents¡¯ house, but I do not want any Dutch masters in our house.¡±


    ¡°Of course your parents have Rembrandts. Probably been in the family for hundreds of years, right?¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°It is amazing to me that we have still not gone to Paris together,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We must do that. And go to the chateau, too. You must see it.¡±


    ¡°Chateau?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯ve never mentioned any chateau before.¡±


    ¡°It is the ancestral home,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It¡¯s in southwest France, near the Pyrenees.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. It¡¯s a castle, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emmy said, at a loss as to why I would even have thought otherwise.


    ¡°Well, maybe we can take a break and go over there this summer, after graduation and once we get situated down there in L.A.,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°That would be wonderful,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But for now, would you like to go to New York next week?¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Sure. Nothing is happening at work right now, and it¡¯s all just review at school. I can take a few days off.¡±


    ¡°That is wonderful! We will have so much fun,¡± Emmy exclaimed.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be nice to get away for a few days and not be in any sort of rush or anything,¡± I agreed. ¡°Maybe we can do some sightseeing, too. There are a lot of things I¡¯ve never seen that would be cool to check out.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°And pickles!¡± Emmy said. ¡°We must have some traditional New York delicatessen pickles!¡±


    ¡°Uh, O.K., if you really want, we can do that, but you get to do the research on that to figure out where to go,¡± I said, chuckling at Emmy¡¯s enthusiasm.


    I made sure my plate was cleared before we left for New York- I didn¡¯t want to deal with school, work, or any issues with the Strays while we were out there, so I made certain that I¡¯d taken care of any loose ends before packing to go.


    When I¡¯d asked Emmy if she had made any hotel reservations, she just laughed and said that we would stay in our new house.


    ¡°Yes, I agree that the furnishings are out of date, but the seller included them all with the sale, so at least we will have a bed to sleep on and a table to eat at,¡± she said. ¡°Also, Jacqui has recommended a housekeeper, and I have hired her to have the house ready for us. If we like her, it might make sense to keep her on permanently.¡±


    ¡°Jacqui?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You must remember her,¡± Emmy admonished. ¡°She is the one who sold us the house!¡±


    Flying into New York is always stunning, and this time was no different. The late afternoon sun streaming through the skyscrapers of Manhattan was spectacular and the city looked amazing, and for a brief moment I did wonder if maybe we should move to the East Coast after all.


    Of course, the limo ride from JFK Airport into town cured me of that momentary lapse of reason. Our driver was good and the ride was smooth, but still¡­ the traffic was a complete cluster. After carrying our bags into the house, the driver made to leave, but Emmy stopped him.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said. ¡°It was very rude of me, but I forgot to ask your name.¡±


    ¡°Wally, miss,¡± replied the guy. I was sure that wasn¡¯t what his family called him- he looked Lebanese, or maybe Syrian to me.


    ¡°Wally, thank you for driving so carefully this evening. I am very grateful,¡± Emmy said, taking his hand and slipping a folded up bill into it. ¡°Can we request you in specific for our needs this week?¡±


    He had the class to simply slip the folded up money into his pocket discreetly and not check it in front of us, showing that he was used to dealing with high-dollar clients. ¡°Yes, miss. If you want me to be your personal driver you can tell the dispatcher at this number,¡± he said, smoothly producing a business card from his vest pocket. ¡°Tell them that you would like to keep me on retainer for a week, and they will explain the additional charges and limitations.¡±


    ¡°Which are?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Since I would be reserved for your exclusive service, I can¡¯t drive any others, so it removes a car and driver from the fleet, in essence. This means that the service must charge more. Also, if you call for me at a time outside of normal hours, it would likely take me longer to arrive than it would for whatever driver is on call and closest to your location, so there would be a longer lead time," he explained.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°Wally, I have one more question. We would probably need your services through the day and into the night as we go shopping, see plays, and so on. This will take up a lot of your day. Would the company make it worth your while? Would this be good for you?¡±


    ¡°The company pays extra for personal service, miss. It is considered quite a bonus amongst the drivers to get such an assignment.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, that is what we will do. Thank you very much, Wally. Oh, and please, call me Emmy. This is Leah,¡± she said, introducing me. ¡°We won¡¯t need you any more tonight, but if you could bring us typical New York bagels at nine tomorrow morning I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Emmy. Have a wonderful evening. You too, Miss Leah,¡± he said, giving us a bow as he turned to leave.


    Once he left, I asked Emmy ¡°How much did you slip him?¡±


    ¡°I gave him a hundred dollars,¡± Emmy replied offhandedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big tip,¡± I said.


    ¡°It was not a tip,¡± Emmy said, correcting me. ¡°It was an incentive. He will be that much more attentive if he thinks that we are generous and will reward him for good service. Besides, we will be keeping him away from his family for quite a bit this week, at our whim. It is the least we can do to pay for his inconvenience.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°So why did you want to make sure we have the same driver the entire time? As Wally pointed out, it¡¯s an inconvenience for us as well as for him.¡±


    ¡°Security, mostly,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We won¡¯t be getting into random cars with unknown drivers each time we need a ride- we will always know that Wally will be the one driving us. This reduces the possible risks by quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± I admitted. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of it like that. I guess I need to talk to Grant about that sort of security thinking, because I¡¯m obviously still terrible at it.¡±


    ¡°Do not be hard on yourself,¡± Emmy said as she loaded her clothes into the ornate antique dresser and I hung up my suits in the walk-in closet. ¡°You have only been thinking about these things for a little while, but I have had to think this way my whole life.¡±


    After Emmy called the livery service and put in the formal request to have Wally assigned exclusively to us for the week, she called another number. At my puzzled expression, she put her hand over the phone and whispered ¡°Chinese food delivery. Another New York thing I¡¯ve always wanted to try.¡±


    She ordered orange beef and General Tso¡¯s chicken, gave them the address and said she¡¯d be paying cash. After ending the call, she said ¡°This is regarded as one of the finest traditional Hunan-style restaurants in New York, and it is only a few blocks away. I am excited to try it!¡±


    Emmy¡¯s enthusiasm still struck me as endearing, even after five years. We weren¡¯t kids any more, but sometimes she still acted like one. I hoped that would never change, to be honest. I loved her just the way she was.


    We had dinner at the little table in the sun room, even though it was twilight. The lights across the East River were pretty, but just as importantly it would have felt strange eating Chinese take-out out of cardboard boxes at the fourteen-seat formal dining table down on the first floor, with its chandeliers and satin-upholstered antique chairs.


    It was actually pretty nice, just the two of us in that room with views on three sides. Sure, the northeast and southwest sides mostly had a view of trees, but the southeast side out over the river had a great view of Roosevelt Park and then Long Island City beyond that. We could see ships and boats of various sizes and purposes traveling up and down the river and the lights of the cars crossing the Queensborough Bridge all made for a wonderful backdrop to our first meal in our New York townhouse.


    Making conversation, I asked about the place Emmy grew up in. ¡°Your townhouse in Paris,¡± I said. ¡°What is it like? How does it compare to this one?¡±


    ¡°It is not like this house at all,¡± Emmy replied, thinking about it. ¡°It is the same in the sense that it is a mansion in a dense city environment, yes, but it is very, um, unusual in its layout. This house, you see, is visually and architecturally distinct from the two on either side, yes?¡±


    I nodded that I understood, so she continued. ¡°Our house in Paris looks like any other hotel particulier, which simply means ¡®mansion¡¯. On one side is a building that has a six-story apartment building, with shops on the ground floor. On the other side is the garden, then another six-story apartment building- in Paris, you see, almost all such buildings are six stories tall, because they were built before elevators, and six stories is all anyone would ever want to walk up. What makes our house so different from most hotels particuliers is that we own both buildings, and in fact part of our living space is in the nearest of the two buildings. The other building has no windows or balconies that face our house, and there is a wall in front of our house as well as all the sides of the garden in back. It is difficult to describe, but it is very, very large but looks much less impressive from the street. It is obviously a mansion, but one cannot tell how large it is or what it is like. It is significantly larger than the house in Fallbrook, in complete floor space, but much of it is underground,¡± she explained. ¡°I am dying to show it to you! I cannot wait until we have time to spend in Paris.¡±


    ¡°This house is about twelve thousand square feet, and you said the Fallbrook house was about twenty thousand,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°How much bigger is the Paris house?¡±


    ¡°It is hard to know,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°If you include the apartments and the tunnels, it may be twice as big as the house in Fallbrook? Maybe more? I am not certain. The part of the house we lived in was roughly the size of the Fallbrook house, I would guess.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said, trying to imagine an ancient house in the middle of Paris that big.


    ¡°But to call it a single house is misleading,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°It is really a series of interconnected spaces.¡±


    ¡°That does nothing to help me imagine it,¡± I said, laughing.


    ¡°It does not matter much,¡± Emmy said, putting down her chopsticks and coming over to sit in my lap. ¡°That was where I lived when I was a child. Here, with you, I have a more welcoming home than I ever had there.¡±

 Back To New York, Part II

    The master bedroom was on the third floor, facing to the back of the house. The FDR Highway was down there, but thanks to the trees in the park between the back of the house and the road it wasn¡¯t actually visible and surprisingly, not really audible at night, either. It had been loud enough to hear on the terrace, so it must be that the French doors were sound-proof enough to block the sound.


    The furniture absolutely had to go- it was the kind of stuff someone my great grandmother¡¯s age might have bought if they had money, and wanted to show it off. I¡¯m pretty sure most of it was actually antique, but it looked like expensive reproductions to me. Sleeping in that big four-poster bed amongst all that granny furniture was alright- it was very, very comfy. So maybe we should find out who made the mattress and get a new one.


    The rest of it, though¡­ Emmy suggested that someone might want it, and the interior decorator we were going to meet with might know where to unload the stuff. Heck, as far as I was concerned it could all be donated to the nearest dumpster. Rationally I knew that it was all expensive, reproductions or not, but still- all that toile, velvet, gold paint and high polish was just, well, hideous.


    Thankfully, Emmy agreed. The master bath, with its glass and green and white marble and gold fixtures, struck me as really tacky, but Emmy summed it up best when she described it as the kind of bathroom someone would have who wanted to remind themselves that they were rich. It screamed ¡®I have more money than taste¡¯.


    As far as I was concerned, most of the house was like that. The giant commercial kitchen in the basement was fine and could stay (in fact, Emmy admitted to me that the idea of a kitchen suitable for entertaining on a large scale was one of the reasons she liked the house) and the parts of the house that had been left in the Pre-War style were O.K. too, but unfortunately the previous owners had remodeled about a third of the house in atrocious style.


    Emmy and I were discussing the basic structure of the house when the doorbell rang exactly at nine in the morning. ¡°That must be Wally!¡± exclaimed Emmy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the door,¡± I said, remembering Emmy¡¯s thoughts on security. I guess I was going to have to think that way when it was just the two of us and Eddie wasn¡¯t there to make sure Emmy was safe.


    I ushered Wally in, happy to see he had a couple of coffees as well as the bag of bagels. The three of us went up to the sunroom, and Emmy invited Wally to sit with us.


    ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± Emmy asked him as we sat down.


    ¡°Yes, Miss Emmy,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been up for several hours now.¡±


    A bit downcast that he wasn¡¯t going to eat with us, Emmy brightened when he started pulling bagels from the bag.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you might want,¡± he explained, ¡°So I bought a selection.¡±


    I was content with the plain toasted bagel with cream cheese, but Emmy went for the everything with cream cheese and lox, even though she could only eat half of it.


    ¡°This is probably the best bagel I¡¯ve ever had,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯m never going to get another chain bagel again!¡±


    ¡°This is actually not my favorite bagel shop,¡± admitted Wally, who had finally agreed to have one after all. ¡°My favorites are from a place in the Bronx, but this bagel shop is close, so the bagels would get here fresher.¡±


    ¡°Good enough for me,¡± I said, taking a second on from the bag.


    ¡°This bagel shop was mentioned on several episodes of Seinfeld,¡± Wally said, finishing off his bagel. "It¡¯s the best in this part of Manhattan.¡±


    ¡°Wally, thank you for the excellent breakfast,¡± Emmy said. ¡°That was perfect. We have the day open and no real plans. What would you recommend for a day like that?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the 9/11 Memorial?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we saw it the last time we were here, a few weeks ago,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Empire State Building?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have both seen it, but not together,¡± Emmy answered.


    It went back and forth like this for a while until Emmy and Wally finally settled on a museum I¡¯d never heard of at the far north end of the island.


    While Emmy went upstairs to get dressed, I sat and talked with Wally a little bit more. It turns out I was mostly right- Wally was actually Jordanian, and had moved to the U.S. with his parents when he was five years old, so he really had no memories of Jordan and hadn¡¯t ever been back


    ¡°I¡¯m American,¡± he shrugged. ¡°My parents might have been Jordanians once, but that changed when they came here. My Arabic is terrible, and my kids don¡¯t even speak it at all,¡± he continued. ¡°My son¡¯s two best friends were born here from parents that immigrated from China and Venezuela. My daughter¡¯s best friend has ancestors that came over with the Pilgrims in the Mayflower. My belief is that being American is a choice, you know?¡±


    ¡°How old are your kids?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My son is twelve now, just about to turn thirteen. My daughter is nine,¡± he said, pulling out his phone to show me pictures, like any proud dad would.


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    Looking at the family photos, I asked ¡°Wally, does driving pay well?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a living,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s the overtime that really makes a difference.¡±


    ¡°Emmy and I aren¡¯t going to live here in Manhattan full-time. Realistically, we might only really spend a month or two here a year, but if this works out this week, being the way she is, Emmy will probably want to retain your services every time we¡¯re here. Is that a thing that could be arranged?¡±


    ¡°Our company deals with a lot of demanding clients, Miss Leah, and requests like that aren¡¯t unusual. I¡¯m sure it could be arranged.¡±


    ¡°Would it help you out?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Wally replied. ¡°The pay for on-call is nearly double normal.¡±


    ¡°O.K., then. Let¡¯s see how this week goes, and if it works for you as well as us, we¡¯ll make the appropriate arrangements. I just have one other question- what security training have you received?¡±


    The drive to Fort Tryon Park was surprisingly quick, mainly because we didn¡¯t go through the city really at all but just jumped on the FDR Highway right behind the house and drove along the East River to the Harlem river and on up the length of Manhattan that way.


    The museum wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d expected at all- it looked like something from Medieval France, which is exactly what it turned out to be. Apparently a French monastery had been brought over stone by stone and reconstructed for this museum of European art. I thought it was amazing, but Emmy seemed a bit underwhelmed by it. When I asked her why she seemed bored, she explained that this was the kind of thing she¡¯d seen plenty of back when she was growing up.


    ¡°The chapel in the chateau has stained glass windows like these,¡± she said, pointing to the circular window with images of knights and saints. ¡°And we have tapestries like those on the walls, too,¡± indicating a woodland scene tapestry from the fifteenth century.


    ¡°Well, I guess that would take a bit of the novelty out of all this, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I laughed.


    ¡°I do have to admit that ours aren¡¯t as, um, clean and nice as these, though,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It may be that we need to get them restored.¡±


    After the museum turned out to be a bit of a bust (as beautiful and amazing as I thought it was) we went for a walk in the park. We strolled the paths through the leafy trees, enjoying the late May weather, eventually finding ourselves on a stone walkway that ended in a sort of projecting viewpoint. It was high above the Hudson River, with views to the south of one of New York¡¯s many bridges, but directly across were nothing but tree-covered shoreline and rocky cliffs. We stood there, holding hands, enjoying the view and the beautiful day.


    It was at this moment I actually fell in love with New York a little bit- the moment was perfect. Perfect weather, perfect place, perfect company.


    We hadn¡¯t seen all that many people walking through the park, and luckily there was nobody there at the overlook with us, so I seized the moment and pulled Emmy into my arms for a long, deep kiss.


    Wide-eyed, she asked ¡°What was that for?¡± Keeping her arms wrapped around me, she added ¡°I am not complaining!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, well, I love you so much, Em, and this is a a beautiful place, and it got me thinking how lucky I am to be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, you know?¡±


    ¡°I am not certain I do. You may need to tell me some more,¡± Emmy replied with a saucy grin.


    ¡°Sometimes silence is golden,¡± I said, capturing her lips with mine and holding her tight. We kissed for what seemed like forever, but really couldn''t have been more than an hour or two. Actually, just kidding. But it was a solid ten minutes, long enough for several other park parsons to come and go while we sucked face and completely ignored everybody.


    After a quick lunch at a cafe inside the park, Emmy texted Wally to come pick us up, and ten minutes later we were back in the limo, headed back.


    ¡°Wally, could you please take us through the city? I would like to see New York,¡± Emmy said as we started off.


    ¡°Broadway goes all the way through the heart of Manhattan, north to south,¡± Wally said. ¡°It¡¯ll take us a long time, but if you want to get a feel for the city, it¡¯s a good place to start.¡±


    Checking to make sure I was alright with the idea, Emmy said ¡°That would be lovely. Thank you, Wally.¡±


    He was one hundred per cent correct- it did take a very long time. Nearly one hundred and fifty blocks of Broadway would have been a bit too much, but Wally proved to be a good tour guide. He told us about the neighborhoods we were passing through, the names of the churches and other large, notable buildings, and explained a bit about the history of the different parts of town.


    When Emmy remarked on how knowledgable Wally was, he explained that there is an actual city license for tour guides, and it has a very hard exam that must be passed in order to qualify, and he kept his current.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a citizen of New York almost my entire life,¡± he said, ¡°And still find the city fascinating. I enjoy it here, and honestly couldn''t imagine living anywhere else.¡±


    Back at the house, Emmy went upstairs for a nap while I excused Wally for the day. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need you this evening, but if we do decide to go out we¡¯ll give you plenty of lead time,¡± I told Wally. ¡°Thanks for the suggestion of The Cloisters. It was really nice,¡± I said, leaving out how Emmy thought the museum was boring. ¡°If we don¡¯t call you tonight, could you please bring more bagels tomorrow at the same time?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back.¡±


    Laughing, Wally said ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. The company issues us charge cards for incidentals like that, and it all goes back on your bill.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright then,¡± I said, chuckling. ¡°Since I probably won¡¯t see you again tonight, have a good afternoon. Thanks again.¡±


    Emmy was already out like a light by the time I got to the bedroom, so I changed my clothes and went out for a run. I thought I¡¯d cross the Queensborough Bridge to Roosevelt Island and run around its perimeter, but halfway across the bridge it became obvious that there was no way to get down to the island we were crossing high above. A pedestrian explained that I need to cross into Queens and then go north to the Roosevelt Island bridge, which seemed odd but she pointed out the route I¡¯d have to take and I could see what she meant from that high vantage point. All in all, it wound up a longer run than I¡¯d expected, but nice nonetheless.


    Emmy was still out when I got back, so I took a quick shower, once again appalled by the gold fixtures in the bathroom- they were so unbelievably crass.


    I accidentally woke Emmy with the noise of me getting dressed.


    ¡°What time is it? she asked, rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Almost four,¡± I said, leaning down for a kiss. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The housekeeper is supposed to be here at five,¡± she replied, stretching in that slow, graceful way of hers. ¡°I am glad I did not oversleep.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± I asked watching Emmy climb out of bed, admiring her in nothing but a pair of white panties.


    ¡°Luisa,¡± Emmy replied, hunting in the drawers for something to wear. ¡°She comes highly recommended.¡±


    ¡°Highly recommended by whom?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Jacqui gave me her name and contact information, and Luisa gave me the name of her last employers. I spoke to them and they had nothing but praise for her work.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t she still working for them, then?¡±


    ¡°The Daltons decided to sell their house here in Manhattan and stay in London full-time. Mrs Dalton told me that they tried to find Luisa another good position before they left, but nobody they knew was hiring.¡±

 New York, Part III

    Luisa wasn¡¯t what I had imagined at all. I guess in my mind I¡¯d pictured a slightly heavyset middle-aged woman, maybe with her hair pulled back in a bun or something like that. Comfy, sensible shoes and some sort of dress with maybe a sweater on top.


    That description was far from accurate. Luisa was younger than I expected- she was twenty-nine years old, and instead of somewhat overweight and dowdy, she was built like a Playboy model. She also wasn¡¯t wearing practical and somewhat frumpy clothing. No, she was wearing an extremely chic pencil skirt in a sort of burgundy and white check, along with a tight velour long-sleeved top in a deeper burgundy under a fashionable black leather jacket.


    She told us she was a third-generation New Yorker, but had gone to college in Boston, and had a Bachelor¡¯s in Fine Arts from Boston University. ¡°That¡¯s as far from New York as I ever want to live,¡± she told us.


    ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t move to London with the Daltons?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Well, honestly, it was only one of the reasons,¡± Luisa admitted. ¡°London is nice enough to visit, but live there? No, thanks,¡± Luisa said. ¡°Cold and rainy just gets to me.¡±


    ¡°What were the other reasons?¡± I asked, wanting to know more about this woman who might be living in our house.


    ¡°Well, my degree is in art education, and I¡¯ve been teaching in the mornings, and I didn¡¯t want to give that up. I could maybe get a teaching credential in England, but it just seemed like too many hoops to jump through just so I could keep doing what I¡¯m already doing here, you know?¡±


    ¡°You were teaching while working for the Daltons?¡± I asked, wanting clarification.


    ¡°Yes, for the last couple of years. I¡¯m always back at the house by noon, so it never affected my duties as house manager.¡±


    ¡°You did not make them breakfast?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Mostly no. The Daltons had a full-time cook, so I only cooked on the weekends,¡± Luisa explained. ¡°Well, I made breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, then dinner on Sundays. Saturdays they always, I mean always, went out.¡±


    ¡°I spoke with Mrs. Dalton, and she had very good things to say about you. She explained to me what it was you did for them, and it seemed to match well with what we have in mind for this house,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We need someone to manage the house, and she said that you did that very well. However, we will need something from you that I do not believe the Daltons asked of you. We will be remodeling this house extensively but will not be here when it happens, so we will need for you to be our local intermediary. Is that something you think you would be willing to do?¡±


    ¡°Actually, with the Daltons I was in charge of several small projects,¡± Luisa replied. ¡°I don¡¯t see that it would be any different. Bigger, maybe, but not fundamentally different.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Emmy said. ¡°Would you like to see the house?¡±


    As we toured the townhouse, Emmy explained the changes that she had in mind while I just sort of followed along, letting them chat. As far as I was concerned, this house was Emmy¡¯s pet project, and whatever she wanted was the way it was going to be. It was her vision, her choice of designer, her say on whether we hired Luisa or not.


    My mind drifting as I followed the two of them upstairs, I caught myself checking out Luisa¡¯s ass in that tight skirt of hers more than once. I rationalized it to myself that I was just glancing at the menu, right? After the third time or so I just gave up and told Emmy I was going to do some work and parked myself in the office on the sixth floor. I had some work emails I had to respond to, so it wasn¡¯t really a lie. I had a hard time focusing on the screen on my laptop, despite my best intentions.


    It wasn¡¯t as if I was about to throw Luisa down on that big four-poster bed and ravish her until she screamed out my name in passion or anything like that, or even subtly hint that ¡®special treatment¡¯ might be well rewarded. I was satisfied with my sex life with Emmy, but it just seemed as if there were beautiful women everywhere I looked and as I¡¯d become more aware of that fact, my eyes simply had to take stock.


    I didn¡¯t really like that about myself, but it was something that seemed a bit out of my control. I guess it¡¯s a lot like stereotypical male behavior, staring at tits and ass and objectifying sexy women. That scene in that movie when Billy Crystal explains to Meg Ryan that men and women can¡¯t be friends. The sex thing is always there.


    Heck, even the slight hint of Luisa¡¯s perfume made me feel a bit turned on, the way Emmy¡¯s jasmine did to me every single time. I¡¯m not going to say I didn¡¯t like the feeling- no, in reality, the smell of a beautiful woman is one of the very best things in life.


    If I had to name the source of my discomfort, it¡¯s that these feelings made me feel a tiny bit unfaithful to Emmy. I mean, she was the love of my life, so I should have eyes for her and her alone, right? Isn¡¯t that the way it¡¯s supposed to be?


    I was just staring out the window at the brick apartment building across the street (thankfully mostly screened by some trees) when Emmy and Luisa came into the office, chattering like old friends.


    ¡°Leah, Luisa has some excellent ideas for the house! I will have to tell you all about them!¡± Emmy said, her usual enthusiasm rearing its pretty head.


    ¡°I should head back to my sister¡¯s place,¡± Luisa said. ¡°You¡¯ll let me know soon, right?¡±


    ¡°We will talk it over tonight and let you know in the morning,¡± Emmy assured her. ¡°How will you get to your sister¡¯s house? Should we call a car for you?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Luisa exclaimed. "It¡¯s in Murray Hill- not even a mile from here. I¡¯ll just walk.¡±


    Catching the look Emmy gave me, I said ¡°I¡¯ll walk you back home. It¡¯ll give me a chance to grab something for dinner on the way back,¡± I added to head off any objections.


    Once we stepped out the front door, Luisa sheepishly grabbed a pair of running shoes she had stashed just outside the front door. ¡°No way was I going to walk over here and back in these,¡± she said, holding up the stylish pumps that she had worn for the meeting.


    Laughing, I said ¡°O.K., I have to give you points for that. Stylish when necessary, practical when called for.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Luisa said, giving me a grin. ¡°Well, shall we?¡±


    We chatted about inconsequential topics as we walked down Second Avenue. I told her about volleyball after she commented on my long legs giving me one hell of a stride, and she told me about dealing with the Daltons¡¯ teenaged kids- making it very clear she wasn¡¯t any sort of nanny. Soon enough we arrived at the step of the brownstone where her sister lived. ¡°It¡¯s a walkup on the fourth floor- you don¡¯t need to come up,¡± Luisa explained, and I could tell she was uncomfortable with me seeing her living circumstances. She¡¯d told Emmy and me that she was couch surfing until a job came along, so I figured it was probably not as nice as the glamorous image she wanted to portray would lead one to believe.


    I wished her a good night but made sure she got in the door alright and it latched closed behind her before I headed back to the townhouse. I¡¯d spotted a pho place on the walk over that looked decent, so visions of rare beef soup quickened my step.


    ¡°What did you think of her?¡± Emmy asked almost as soon as I¡¯d stepped inside.


    ¡°She seems nice,¡± I said, leading Emmy down to the kitchen for dinner. We had been eating in the sun room, but it was just that much easier to eat at the little table downstairs. After all, that¡¯s where the bowls and utensils were, after all.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I would like to hire her,¡± Emmy announced as I served up the pho.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll hire her,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That is O.K. with you?¡± Emmy asked, sounding a little surprised.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be? Emmy, this is your house, you get to decide who works here, what the house looks like, what tiles go in the bathroom, what plants go in the pots on the terraces. This is your house, babe. I¡¯m just here to keep you company.¡±


    ¡°You do not like this house?¡± Emmy asked, a worried expression on her inky black face.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°What I meant is that as far as I¡¯m concerned this place is yours to design, decorate and set up as you see fit. Whatever it is you want to do is just fine by me- as long as the bed is comfy and the tub big enough for the two of us, I¡¯m satisfied.¡±


    ¡°After dinner, would you like to test the tub out with me, to see if is big enough for the two of us?¡± Emmy asked, a gleam in her eyes.


    ¡°You know how I feel about soapy time, Em. I would absolutely love to evaluate the existing tub to see if it needs to be replaced or not. But not immediately after dinner, though- I have a few more emails I have to answer tonight before we can have our play time.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s lower lip came out in an exaggerated pout, making me laugh. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll make it quick.¡±


    True to my word, it couldn''t have been more than half an hour after we finished dinner that we were running the water to fill up the tub in that monstrous green marble bathroom.


    As usual, Emmy filled the tub with water so hot it was nearly scalding, so it took a while for me to ease into the near-boiling water. Emmy, however, got in without any sort of hesitation. I¡¯d asked her once how it was she liked her baths so hot, and she¡¯d just shrugged and said she¡¯d always enjoyed really hot water, and had since she was little.


    After a few minutes the water cooled off enough (or I became inured to the heat) and I began to feel comfortable. Of course, Emmy leaning back against me was very welcome indeed. I loved looking down over her shoulder at her breasts, nipples right at the water line, begging for my touch. Who was I to deny those perfect little nubs the love and attention that they deserved? I could never be so heartless, so I cupped her breasts in my hands and gently toyed with her nipples, giving them exactly what they needed.


    Emmy sighed with pleasure, pushing back into me to get more body contact. I dropped my right arm to her waist and pulled her into me even harder, nuzzling and nibbling under her ear. Looking down, I saw that her hand had slipped down between her thighs and was busily at work.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s my job!¡± I said, sliding my hand underneath hers, moving her fingers out of the way of my own. The feel of her most delicate flesh, the soft petals of her labia and the firm little nub hiding under that little hood¡­ I could never tire of playing with her adorable little box. As I stroked two fingers up and down, Emmy¡¯s head lolled back on my shoulder and her breathing rapidly grew ragged, but I didn¡¯t want my little play session to end too soon, so I eased up as I felt her start to fall over the edge. I kissed her behind her ear as I slowed down, only returning to my task when Emmy impatiently ground my hand against her vulva with her hand on top of mine.


    This time, I ignored her labia and that ever-so-sensitive little clit of hers and slid one, then after a few strokes, two fingers inside. I kept a gentle pressure with the heel of my hand on her pearl, but devoted most of my attention to sliding my two middle fingers in and out with a slow, steady rhythm. The point was to prolong the pleasure, to build the fire slowly, and it was working just right. Every now and again I¡¯d slide my fingers out entirely and use them to circle her bud, maybe giving it a light pinch, but nothing too serious before slipping into her depths again. My left hand was busy stroking and squeezing her breast, even pinching her nipple once in a while, simply to add to the experience. My lips were busy kissing her neck and behind her ear, with the occasional nibble on her earlobe thrown in for good measure.


    As much as I tried to prolong it forever, eventually it was all too much for Emmy and she came with a full-body shudder and a gasp, before falling boneless down onto me. I slowly withdrew my fingers and simply cupped her mound in my hand, the way I had that very first night we¡¯d made love.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered in her ear, rubbing my face against the side of hers. ¡°I love you so much, Em.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy sighed, still unable to move. ¡°I love you even more.¡±


    We stayed like that for a while longer then got up and toweled off. I caught myself staring at Emmy as she used the big, fluffy towel to dry her hair, mesmerized by the way her breasts swayed back and forth with the motion.


    Unable to resist, I dropped my towel on the floor and pulled hers from her hands. Puzzled, Emmy gave me a quizzical look. I answered by scooping her up in my arms as if she weighed nothing, then carrying her into the bedroom and tossing her on the bed, making her squeal.


    She scrambled backwards up the bed in mock fright as I advanced on her, climbing onto the bed and crawling forward on my hands and knees.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Emmy cried out. ¡°You are insatiable!¡±


    Saying nothing, I hooked my hands behind her knees and pulled her towards me, pulling her legs wider as I did so. I started by kissing the inside of her left knee, then worked my way down into that playground that my fingers had been enjoying only a little while before.


    Sure, we¡¯d just taken a bath, but Emmy was slippery again with her own juices as I slid my tongue up and down her slit. I wrapped my lips around her little pearl, gently swirling around it with my tongue, first one way, then the other.


    That whole ¡®spell out letters with your tongue¡¯ thing is mostly bullshit, but really the basic idea is sound. Use your tongue in a variety of ways and you¡¯re bound to please the object of your affections. Emmy arched her back as I lapped like a kitten at a saucer of milk, then her breath caught as I slid her recent companions, my two fingers, back inside that place they never wanted to leave.


    My tongue glided up and down her folds, only stopping to tickle her swollen clit when I could feel her tightening against my fingers. This time I wasn¡¯t going to show any mercy- I was going to slam her into a gigantic climax good and hard, so as she started to pant with the sensations in between her legs I worked harder and faster, slipping my fingers in and curling them upwards, caressing that little bumpy section inside. Timing my tongue in opposition to my fingers, I worked her clit from the front and back, driving her crashing over that cliff of pleasure.


    This was one of these special times when I actually got Emmy to cry out as she came. With a shuddering moan of gratification she spasmed, clamping her legs on my head like a vise, shaking with the overload.


    After a few moments, she collapsed onto the bed, a dazed look on her face, her body covered with a fine sheen of perspiration.


    ¡°You truly are a beast,¡± she murmured. ¡°That was incredible.¡±


    ¡°Em,¡± I said as I crawled up next to her.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, still unable to move.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need a shower,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am very sweaty,¡± she agreed, running her hand on her hip.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not why,¡± I said.


    Puzzled, she turned her head to look at me. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why, then?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, because my juices are going to be all over your face,¡± I said as I got up and threw a leg over her shoulders.


    Her eyes big, she looked me in the eyes, then dropped her view down to my pussy, which was rapidly approaching.


    ¡°Yes, that would be a good-¡± she started to say before I cut her off by parking my vaj right on her mouth. Leaning forward to grab onto the headboard, I rocked my hips forward and back to find just the perfect amount of tongue and lips right where I wanted them. I had been turned on fingering Emmy in the tub, then had a little sympathetic orgasm when Emmy came on the bed, but I wanted to feel really good and fucked, so I was going to put Emmy¡¯s skilled tongue to best use exactly where my body demanded.


    Thankfully, Emmy was just as committed to this course of action as I was, her hands cupping my butt, squeezing and stroking them as she licked, tickled, and inserted her tongue as I moved above her.


    It didn¡¯t take long before all that attention on my most sensitive spots did the job and I fell of the cliff. My last thought as I went over was to not crush Emmy beneath me, so I made sure to fall to the side as I crumpled to the bed.


    Emmy wasn¡¯t satisfied, though as I lay there panting and trying to catch my breath, she rolled me onto my back and parted my legs. I weakly tried to protest, but she slipped her fingers inside me anyway. The feeling was too much, but Emmy fended off my weak attempts to get her to stop. Emmy drove her long, slender guitarist¡¯s fingers deep inside, then drew them out completely, before driving them in deep again.


    I gave up my protestations. Yes, it was too much, I was too sensitive, but at the same time it was just right and felt wonderful. After a little while of these deep, deep strokes, Emmy gathered my moisture and stared rubbing slow circles around my painfully swollen clit, gently pinching it as she continued her assault on my cervix.


    On top of my earlier orgasm, the depth of the sensation was enough to rapidly drive me to an even greater wave of pleasure, and when I came crashing down I felt that rare moment when I slipped out of consciousness on pure satisfaction, that ¡®little death¡¯.


    I lay there, completely unable to even think, much less move a muscle. I was roused from that state by Emmy climbing on top of me, lying down on me as I lay sprawled. I opened my eyes to see her green eyes looking into mine, a very self-satisfied smile on her face.


    ¡°It seems that I can defeat the beast,¡± she said with a saucy (and somewhat wet) smirk.


    ¡°I am defeated,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Are you too defeated to take a quick shower with me?¡± Emmy asked, leaning in for a kiss. I tasted myself on her lips, and I¡¯m certain she tasted her own juices on mine as we kissed, and kissed some more, and then kissed even more for good measure.


    ¡°I think I can walk now,¡± I said when we stopped to catch our breaths.


    ¡°My kiss roused the sleeping beauty?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re mixing up your fairy tales,¡± I laughed.


    Rolling off me, Emmy stood up and beckoned me to follow her.


    ¡°One thing, though,¡± I said as I slowly sat up. ¡°No fooling around in the shower.¡±

 Yet More New York

    Sleep came easily that night, both of us too wiped out to stay awake. It was nice, drifting off with Emmy cuddled again me, the post-coital glow giving me a warm, relaxed feeling. The townhouse really was surprisingly quiet, too, and that helped as well.


    I must have finally recalibrated my internal clock to East Coast time, because I woke up early. Not as early as I usually did back in Palo Alto, but earlier than I had the last few mornings in New York. Knowing Emmy would sleep for at least two more hours, I quietly slipped out of bed and threw on my running gear. It wasn¡¯t until I opened the front door that I realized it was raining, but decided to run anyway. It wasn¡¯t particularly cold, after all, so why not get wet?


    I took the same route as I had before, crossing the bridge to Queens, then backtracking to Roosevelt Island and running the perimeter. My run was quite a bit faster, since this time I knew where I was going and the landmarks were at least a little bit familiar. From the southwest side of the island I tried to spot our townhouse, but I wasn¡¯t sure I could really tell ours from any other. Not that it mattered, but still- it would have been cool.


    It¡¯s funny. When I first started running at Ruben¡¯s recommendation, I really didn¡¯t enjoy it at all. He promised me that it would get better, and he was right. It didn¡¯t take long for my form to smooth out and my speed to increase, while at the same time feeling easier. It only took a few months of running two or three times a week for me to reach that point where my brain disengaged from my physical actions and I could run on autopilot. This freed me up to think about other things while running, things like school, work, Emmy, whatever.


    When I talked about it with Coach Burke, he¡¯d said that when he¡¯d been a runner back in the ¡®80s he¡¯d thought of it as a sort of meditative state and welcomed the time to solve the problems of his daily life. I¡¯m not sure I really solved any problems while running, but it was nice to have an hour inside my own head.


    Emmy was still asleep when I got back to our place, so I showered and got dressed, then went to the office to work on a proposal for a bit until Emmy was up. I was deep in the financials of an apartment complex in Sunnyvale we were thinking of acquiring when Emmy came in.


    She had a sleepy, just-woke-up look on her face, which she emphasized by yawning and stretching. She was wearing my white dress shirt from the day before, and as she stretched, I could tell that she had nothing else on at all. The hem of the shirt only rose up as high as her upper thighs, but she¡¯d only buttoned a couple of buttons and as her shoulders rolled back it parted below her belly button and I got a glimpse of her lady parts.


    As the shirt moved back into position, I glanced up and caught Emmy¡¯s mischievous look and realized I¡¯d been busted. Then again, in a sense, so had she- it was obvious she¡¯d put on a little show for me and it wasn¡¯t merely an accidental flash.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Emmy said, her voice still a bit sleepy. ¡°Have you been up long?¡±


    ¡°Not too long,¡± I lied, enjoying seeing her in my shirt. Of course, on her it was comically oversized, but that simply made it all that much more sexy.


    Emmy stood there, nervously fidgeting, so I beckoned her to come over next to me and I swiveled my chair so she could sit on my lap, but she didn¡¯t- she just stood next to my chair, holding the hem of the shirt. This had the pleasant effect of emphasizing her pert little nipples, standing proud in the slightly cold room.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said. ¡°You seem as if you want something.¡±


    She nodded her head, saying, ¡°Yes?¡± giving me a hopeful look.


    She was so damned sexy, looking like that, there was no way I would deny her anything. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t anyway. After all, she was my princess, right? I figured she was going to want to drag me to art galleries, or go to someplace really fancy for lunch or something like that.


    ¡°Anything you want, Em. What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Um, sex?¡± she asked, her eyes pleading.


    Laughing, I stood up and quickly wrapped my arms around her, using her butt to lift her up so her eyes were level with mine. I gave her a long, deep kiss while she wrapped her legs around my hips.


    ¡°What, last night wasn¡¯t enough for you?¡± I asked when we broke our kiss.


    Nuzzling my face, Emmy said in a soft voice ¡°Last night only reminded me why I am so in lust with you.¡±


    Chuckling, I replied ¡°I lust you, too, baby. Very, very much. But it¡¯ll have to be quick. Wally is due with bagels in about forty-five minutes.¡±


    ¡°I guess you will just have to do me right here, then,¡± Emmy declared, pointing at the big, old-fashioned desk that was part of the granny furniture that came with the house.


    I set her down on the edge of the desk and she scooted back just enough to hook her heels on the edge, her knees wide open, displaying herself as she rocked her hips back.


    This was all the invitation I needed, and so without any sort of foreplay I dove right in. Thankfully my tongue had fully recovered from its strenuous workout of the night before, so I used it to give her exactly what she wanted as I knelt between her legs. I didn¡¯t draw it out at all, just going straight in as I ate her with enthusiasm.


    It didn¡¯t take long before she was breathing hard, so I just kept at it, enjoying the feeling of the girl I loved in the throes of ecstasy, brought to that state by my efforts. When I felt her walls tighten around my fingers, I gently scraped my teeth across her sensitive and vulnerable little bud, drawing a muffled squeak followed by a groan as she fell back onto the cold glass top of the desk.


    ¡°How was that?¡± I asked as I stood up, enjoying the sight her splayed out like that, her legs still wide open.


    ¡°Did you bite me, you terrible brute?¡± she asked in wonder, her voice belying her words.


    ¡°You are just too delicious to resist,¡± I growled in my best Beast voice. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I only took the slightest nibble!¡±


    Then, just to make sure she really was O.K. with it, I asked ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt you, did I?¡±


    ¡°No, it did not hurt,¡± Emmy said, sitting up on the edge of the desk. ¡°But it was just so very intense. It was wonderful this time, but please, do not do that too very often. Save it for very special occasions.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± I said. ¡°Now go and get dressed. I don¡¯t want Wally seeing you like this.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he would not like it?¡± she asked, her voice playful as she spread her legs again to give me another peek.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he would, but you¡¯d ruin him for his wife,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°No other woman could ever compare to you, and seeing you naked would simply be unfair to the man.¡±


    Walking down the stairs to the third floor, Emmy asked ¡°What about Luisa? Do you think seeing her naked would ruin him for his wife?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± I replied. ¡°I guess I¡¯d have to see his wife to make that call.¡±


    ¡°Luisa is very spectacular,¡± Emmy said, perhaps a bit too casually.


    My spider-senses tingling, I said ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a lot prettier than I expected. To be honest, when you¡¯d told me about her I expected a slightly frumpy middle-aged woman,¡± I said, trying to redirect the conversation.


    ¡°Mrs. Dalton had described her to me, so I knew that she was young and pretty,¡± Emmy explained as she shed my shirt. I was sorry to see her take it off, she¡¯d looked so adorable in it, but on the other hand, I always, always enjoyed seeing Emmy naked.


    ¡°When she told me about Luisa¡¯s appearance, I expressed my doubts. Mrs. Dalton told me that it was a recurring source of amusement for her and her husband. Apparently many in their social circle assumed that Luisa was Mr. Dalton¡¯s mistress.¡±


    ¡°Why was that funny for them?¡± I asked, following Emmy into the bathroom. I didn''t do it because I wanted to watch Emmy take a shower, although that was certainly a benefit, but because I needed to wash my face and brush my teeth. And watch Emmy take a shower.


    ¡°She told me that Mr. Dalton is actually gay, and has a male lover, but nobody knows that. The rumors about Luisa only helped to bolster his image as a heterosexual. The Daltons stay together because they are friends, and for the sake of the children.¡±


    ¡°So Luisa was a sort of second beard for the guy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Beard?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a woman who is seen in public with a man, pretending to be his romantic partner to conceal the fact he¡¯s gay,¡± I explained.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Yes, that is what she was,¡± Emmy agreed.


    I could have left the bathroom, since our conversation was over and my face washed and teeth brushed, but that would have meant I would have missed the show Emmy was putting on. Once she¡¯d realized I was watching her, she took the opportunity to show off a bit, and I think we both enjoyed it. She enjoyed showing off and being sexy, and I enjoyed watching her do just that. It was a win all around.


    I glanced at my watch and saw that the time was very nearly nine, so I sadly left Emmy and went downstairs to greet the perfectly punctual Wally with this morning¡¯s load of bagels.


    Instead of leading him downstairs to the kitchen again, I led Wally up to the second floor sunroom. While we waited for Emmy, I asked Wally if he enjoyed driving for the limo company.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he said. ¡°I get to see the city, and meet interesting people, you know?¡±


    I liked the fact that he was opening up a little bit, not seeming as stiff and formal as he had at first. I was starting to think that maybe us hiring him full-time as a driver when were in New York and a general gopher while we were away but the house needed something might be a halfway decent idea.


    ¡°I imagine you get to drive for plenty of celebrities? How is that?¡±


    ¡°Well, I actually mostly drive businesspeople, you know? Maybe one in five is a face I recognize. Like you two,¡± Wally said. ¡°Miss Emmy is a rock star, and I¡¯ve seen your picture in magazines with her on red carpets, right? So I knew who to look for in the airport when I picked you up. Most of the time, it¡¯s just a name. Mr. Jones, Ms. Smith, so on. But honestly, in my experience, there isn¡¯t one class of people it¡¯s better to drive for than another. Everybody is an individual, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good attitude to have,¡± I said, just as Emmy joined us.


    ¡°What did you bring today?¡± Emmy asked, eying the bag of bagels on the table.


    ¡°I mentioned that my favorite bagel shop in all of New York is in the Bronx. I stopped by there this morning so you two could try the best New York has to offer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is wonderful!¡± exclaimed Emmy. ¡°Thank you so very much!¡±


    The bagels were excellent, just as promised, but I¡¯d have to do a back-to-back taste test to really determine if they were better than the ones he¡¯d brought from the Seinfeld place. Maybe if we stayed in New York long enough I¡¯d be able to evaluate the nuances of bageldom, but for now, all I could tell you is that they were all of them much better than the national chain bagels I¡¯d had before.


    As we finished our breakfasts, Emmy announced to Wally and me that today, she would like to go shopping. ¡°New York is one of the world¡¯s greatest cities for boutiques, and I would like to spend the morning buying clothes. Leah, we need to update our wardrobes, and this is the perfect time to do some of that.¡±


    Wally chuckled a little tiny bit at the look of suffering I gave him, but really, I¡¯d expected this. I mean, Emmy was right- maybe London, Paris and Milan might be better for high-end clothing boutiques, but really, nobody could possibly complain that New York was any much worse.


    I also knew, from past experience, that Emmy would want to start off with lingerie. I had mixed feelings about that. Emmy loved buying sexy lingerie, and loved modeling it for me, and there was no way I could ever complain about that- don¡¯t get me wrong. I loved seeing Emmy in sheer, lacy underthings, and slowly peeling them off her was a very, very good way to spend the time. However, Emmy modeling sheer, lacy underthings in a private room at an upscale boutique with the saleslady watching was more than just a touch mortifying. Even worse, she liked to pick out things for me and then demanded that I model them, in front of that same saleslady.


    This had happened more than once back in the Bay Area, and I just knew it was going to happen again today.


    Of course, Emmy always got really amorous when we did that, so I guess that was another upside. It wasn¡¯t as if we were negligent in the lovemaking department the last few days, but really, more is always better, right?


    We hit three lingerie boutiques that morning, and coincidentally or not, all three were for brands based in London. The three were decidedly different in style- one more innocent and practical (my favorite for myself- I bought quite a bit there) that didn¡¯t have private rooms, to Emmy¡¯s dismay. The second was more classically classy, with lots of lace and silk. The bras were comfortable, but the panties didn¡¯t really seem like anything I would ever wear for more than a few minutes at a time. Emmy made up for the lack of private room in the first boutique and she spent at least an hour trying on various pieces. I tried not to even look at the total the Emmy spent there, since the cheapest piece I saw were a pair of silk and lace panties for over three hundred dollars.


    The third shop carries a brand that was sort of ¡®elegant Frederick¡¯s¡¯. Lots of teddies, some corsets, garter belts and so on, but in really high-end materials. Surprisingly, Emmy didn¡¯t much want to play in that boutique at all. When I asked why she didn¡¯t like their stuff, her response struck me as funny.


    ¡°They are trying too hard to be sexy,¡± she explained. ¡°Being sexy must seem effortless.¡±


    Back in the limo, Emmy asked Wally where we should have lunch.


    ¡°You want the truly New York lunch experience?¡± he asked. ¡°Then there¡¯s only one real answer. Sure, other places and other dishes may claim to be iconic New York, but really, they¡¯re all second-place contenders at best,¡± Wally said, taking out his phone. I couldn''t see what he did, but it must have been some sort of online ordering.


    ¡°There!¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯ll be ready by the time we get there. I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I ordered for myself, too.¡±


    Emmy laughed, and said ¡°But of course! We will all have lunch together!¡±


    As we drove, Wally explained that the real, truly real, experience would actually involve going in and standing in line for our order, but that¡¯s an experience that could be put off for another day. For now, ordering ahead and picking up beat the lines and the noise and crowds.


    Wally pulled up in front of a surprisingly small corner deli with old-school neon signs on the storefront and windows. He disappeared inside, returning in about two minutes with a couple of brown paper bags.


    Jumping back in the driver¡¯s seat, he explained, ¡°Now I¡¯m going to find a parking spot, then we¡¯ll have a little walk ahead of us- maybe a couple of blocks.¡±


    Soon enough he parked the car in a pay garage and we crossed the FDR Drive and found a park bench to sit on while we ate looking out over the East River.


    From the first bag, Wally produced three bottles of sparkling water and some napkins. From the second bag, some large, paper-wrapped sandwiches.


    ¡°You haven''t truly eaten New York-style until you¡¯ve had a genuine, old-fashioned pastrami sandwich,¡± he declared, unwrapping half of a sandwich and handing it to Emmy, then doing the same for me. ¡°And really, what better way to eat them than enjoying a beautiful day, watching the river?¡±


    The sandwiches were huge, with tons of meat and some mustard on rye bread, and nothing else (unless you count the pickle on the side). As good as it was, I couldn¡¯t even eat half of mine. Emmy, of course, came nowhere near even eating that much, but she made a point of assuring Wally that the sandwich was amazing, just too much food for her tiny little tummy, but thanks for the amazing experience.


    We sat there for perhaps an hour, eating, talking and enjoying the view and the people-watching. A few cyclists and pedestrians obviously recognized Emmy, but were too cool to do more than a double-take. None came up for autographs or selfies, to my relief.


    After lunch, we went back to the house and told Wally we wouldn¡¯t need him until that evening when Emmy had dinner plans for us.


    I expected Emmy would want to nap, but to my surprise she said that the contractor and the designer were due to arrive for the meeting at three.


    ¡°I have a few ideas I would like to discuss with you before they get here,¡± Emmy said, taking my hand to lead me upstairs. ¡°I would like to turn the sitting room into a little recording studio, but that would mean converting Luisa¡¯s office into the control room, and the closet into an iso room, so that would mean that it would take up all the sixth floor but your office. Is that O.K. with you?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Em, I don¡¯t really need my own office space, if you need the room. We have five other bedrooms besides the master- I could set up a desk in the smaller third-story bedroom and be just fine. It isn¡¯t as if we have a ton of kids and need all the bedrooms, right?¡±


    ¡°I had thought that bedroom might be your workout room,¡± Emmy said, looking a little distressed. ¡°If that is to become your office, where will we put your gym?¡±


    Emmy seemed really bothered by the idea that her plans might not be suitable, so I said ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the first idea. I¡¯ll keep the large office on the sixth floor as mine. It¡¯s nice that it has the terrace, even if it is on the street side of the house. We can scrape the rest of the floor clean and remodel it into your studio, however that works best. We can convert the street-side bedroom on the third floor into a workout room, and since it won¡¯t be its own bedroom we can open up the two bathrooms into one larger bath. And get a really nice tub in there.¡±


    ¡°That is perfect!¡± Emmy exclaimed, enamored of the idea. Of course, I¡¯d just gone back to her original plan, but whatever. It was her house, after all. Whatever made her happy made me happy.


    The general contractor and the sound studio guy arrived right on time, but the designer was late, so we started our walk-through without her. Figuring that the two of them needed to work out ideas together for the sixth floor, that¡¯s where we started. While Emmy and the sound guy were busy bouncing ideas off each other, the general introduced himself as Erich. He was originally from Germany, but came to the U.S. for college, fell in love with an American girl, and never went back.


    Erich and I discussed some general ideas about the house, how we wanted to preserve as much of the Pre-War details as possible, and restore them in the areas that had been remodeled in the intervening decades. It meant custom mouldings, Erich explained, but those were easy to source- they would just take a while and cost a lot.


    I explained that there was time to do it correctly, and the budget would allow for expenses like that, so as far as I was concerned the only priority was that it be done flawlessly. ¡°I want to not be able to tell which rooms are original and which are reproductions,¡± I told him.


    ¡°We can do that,¡± Erich agreed. ¡°All we do are these sorts of high-end remodels, and we have the experience and the subs to do it right.¡±


    By this point, Emmy and the sound guy (whose name I never caught) had settled on a plan, so they brought Erich in to talk about what had to be done. I headed downstairs to wait for the designer, who had run over an hour late by this point.


    Figuring I¡¯d hear the doorbell anywhere in the house, I went down into the basement to do some exploring. I hadn¡¯t even really looked down there at all besides the big kitchen, so clearly there was more to see. Down at the other end of the hall was a good-sized room with what appeared to be an ancient oil-fired boiler and a more modern (but still old) A/C unit. I¡¯d noticed a cheap air conditioner unit in the window in the big kitchen, so I figured that was an area we would have to spend a big chunk of money on.


    Past the boiler room was a laundry, with two fairly current washing machines and two dryers, as well as a strange open shower setup that I realized must be a dog wash station. The thing that struck me as the oddest about the laundry room, though, was the fact it had an exterior door to the street. Outside the door, a small below-grade landing and stairs led up to a gate and then the sidewalk. I¡¯d seen the stairs and door from the outside, but it hadn¡¯t occurred to me that they would lead into a laundry room. Strange.


    Heading back inside, I checked the various pantries, linen closets and so on, and again, was surprised when I found a spiral staircase leading down to an even lower level. Down the iron stairs, a cramped hallway opened into several storage rooms filled with boxes of who-knows-what, and a room that held the machinery for the elevator (which didn¡¯t actually make it all the way down to the level I was in at the moment).


    At the end of the hallway, though, was a heavy door with one of those push-button combination locks. Pondering for a moment, I tried punching in one, two, three, and four and it popped right open.

 New York, Part V

    The other side of the door was an amazing room, fully half of the sub-basement in size, with walls and groin-vaulted ceiling of antique brick. All four walls were lined with wine rack after wine rack, at least two thirds of which had bottles in them. There must have been over a thousand bottles of wine in that room, lit by an iron chandelier.


    In the center of the room was a rough farm-style table with six chairs around it, the raw wood of the table stained by many, many wine spills over the years.


    I¡¯d be the first to admit that I knew next to nothing about wine at that point. Sure, Emmy and I had done a few wine tours in Napa and Sonoma, but really, besides ¡°yeah, this is tasty¡± or ¡°no, that one doesn¡¯t really work for me¡± I had no concept of what that collection might be worth, if anything at all.


    Looking around for a minute, I found a bottle of Bordeaux, since Emmy had mentioned the Lascaux Chateau was somewhere near there. I got a laugh, seeing the date- that bottle of wine was over twice my age.


    Locking the wine cellar door behind me, I went back upstairs, carrying the dusty bottle with me.


    My timing was perfect- just as I got to the ground floor again, the doorbell rang. The designer had finally gotten there.


    She was an extremely well-dressed older lady, maybe sixty or so, but manicured, botoxed and coiffed to perfection.


    ¡°Leah Farmer?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m Charlie Carlton. Pleased to meet you. Is your wife home?¡± She said it without any hint at all that the idea of me having a wife might be strange, which put a mark in the ¡®positive¡¯ column as far as I was concerned.


    ¡°Emmy? Yeah, she¡¯s upstairs with the contractors. Let¡¯s go up- they¡¯re on the sixth floor,¡± I said, ushering Charlie into the little elevator. It¡¯s funny- up to that point, I¡¯d never even stepped foot in the antique Otis. Thankfully, it worked just fine, no terrifying creaks, groans or rattles as it made its way up.


    Spotting the bottle I was carrying, Charlie asked ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Just a bottle of bordeaux I found in the wine cellar,¡± I replied, holding it up for her to see.


    ¡°There was wine left?¡± she asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, we bought the house with all the contents,¡± I said. "It belonged to a woman who lived here for decades, and when she died, there were no close relatives, so her great-grandkids just sold it with all the furniture and everything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank god,¡± Charlie said.


    ¡°What? Why¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was horrified at the thought that the furniture I saw downstairs was yours.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you and me both. This stuff has to go,¡± I agreed.


    Emmy and the two contractors were waiting for the elevator, standing in the hall.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, "This is Charlie Carlton. Charlie, this is my wife, Emmy De Lascaux. This is Erich, the general contractor,¡± I said, indicating the tall man with thinning blonde hair. "And the other guy is the sound studio expert, whose name I failed to catch earlier,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lewis,¡± Emmy chimed in. ¡°His name is Lewis Parkfield. He is responsible for designing the recording studio we will have on this floor.¡±


    ¡°Did you guys get all the details worked out?¡± I asked Emmy.


    ¡°Mostly,¡± said Lewis. ¡°I need to look into some things, then draw up detailed plans for Erich here, but yeah, I think we¡¯re good to get rolling.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said, and just then the doorbell rang. Puzzled, I asked ¡°Em, were you expecting anybody?¡±


    ¡°Luisa,¡± She replied. ¡°If she is to be our liaison here she must know what is to be done here.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her up.¡±


    When I let Luisa in, once again I was surprised by her appearance. She was wearing tennis shoes, age-faded jeans and an oversized hoodie. She was still pretty, but the outfit did a lot to hide her knockout body, which I was sure was the point.


    ¡°Hi, Luisa," I said, ushering her in. ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to need to get you a key, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± she agreed. ¡°Emmy called me this morning to say I got the job. You¡¯re O.K. with it, right?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn''t I be?¡±


    ¡°I just want to make sure,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I¡¯ve gone on a handful of interviews for positions like this in the last couple of months, and every single time the wife said no way.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡± I said leading her to the elevator, ¡°Why did you dress so sexy for the interview? Why not dress like this?¡± I said, indicating her casual wear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get the job, then get fired by the jealous wife the moment she sees me in club wear, you know? I want that issue sorted out beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Emmy said that Mrs. Dalton thought it was something of an advantage that people assumed you were Mr. Dalton¡¯s mistress.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was kind of funny, but it worked out,¡± Luisa said.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be too surprised if you somehow end in the gossip rags and maybe even on TMZ, now that you¡¯ll be living in Emmy De Lascaux¡¯s love nest,¡± I said, laughing.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to have to get used to that,¡± Luisa agreed.


    Stepping out of the elevator, there seemed to be nobody on the sixth floor, but the door to the stairwell that led up to the top floor, where Luisa was now going to live, was open and we heard voices. Following the sound, we found Emmy, Erich and Charlie on the terrace facing the East River, leaning over the railing and talking about the tiny little postage-stamp of a back garden and what to do with it. Apparently the sound guy had left at some point while I was letting Luisa in.


    I don¡¯t think Luisa had been out on that top floor terrace before when she¡¯d toured the house with Emmy, because her reaction was surprise at seeing the amazing view. Our townhouse was a floor taller than the buildings on either side, and the view of the taller apartment building across the street was blocked by the top floor of our house, so the terrace was actually completely private, and felt isolated from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Sure, you could hear the noise of the highway down below, but it really wasn¡¯t too bad. The sad old umbrella needed to be replaced, but the cast aluminum table and chairs were in decent shape. Just a quick paint job and some cushions and it would be a lovely place to enjoy a nice day.


    ¡°What do you think of the view?¡± Emmy asked Luisa.


    ¡°This is really nice,¡± Luisa said. ¡°Would this be my private deck?¡±


    ¡°I do not think it would be yours alone, since it is accessed from the main hallway on this floor and there are two apartments up here, but if we have no other permanent staff it would be yours to do with as you please,¡± Emmy said.


    The next stop on the tour was, in fact, Luisa¡¯s apartment-to-be. Emmy wanted it spruced up in keeping with the rest of the house, and told Erich that it should be at the top of the priority list along with the studio. ¡°I want Luisa¡¯s apartment to be a nice place for her to live while all the mess is being made downstairs,¡± Emmy explained.


    We worked our way down room by room, and only a precious few were to remain untouched by the construction crew. A lot of the rooms merely needed a fresh bit of moulding, new windowsills, or new door hardware while others needed to be gutted- like that horrible master bath.


    The tour took a lot longer than we¡¯d expected, so we had to call it a night halfway through the second floor.


    After Erich and Charlie left, planning to return the next afternoon, Emmy asked me ¡°What is that bottle of wine you are carrying? Did Charlie bring that?¡±


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    ¡°No, I found this in the wine cellar downstairs,¡± I said, handing it to her for inspection.


    ¡°This was down in the basement? There is a wine cellar down there?¡± she asked, reading the label.


    ¡°Below the basement,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s freaking amazing.¡±


    ¡°This bottle is amazing, Leah,¡± Emmy said, wonder in her eyes. ¡°This is from a vineyard fifty kilometers from our chateau. Leah, 1970 was a famous year for wines in the region. This bottle would probably sell for fifteen hundred Euros at auction.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯d better get an expert in to catalog the cellar, then. I just picked that bottle out more or less at random because I knew you liked Bordeaux, but there might be a thousand bottles down there.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± asked Luisa.


    ¡°As serious as a heart attack, but twice as deadly,¡± I replied with a smirk. ¡°Come on, let me show you.¡±


    I led the way down the spiral staircase and into the sub-basement, which really needed a good cleaning. It wasn¡¯t that it was dank or gloomy down there, just neglected.


    I surreptitiously blocked the view of the keypad from Luisa when I punched in the combination. If there was really maybe a million dollars in wine down there I wanted it inventoried ASAP, before any of it could go missing. It was a simple precaution, right?


    Emmy gasped with amazement at the wine room, which really did look like something that might be found in her family¡¯s chateau.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± Luisa said, wandering around, but not touching anything. ¡°This is so cool down here!¡±


    ¡°You are right, Leah,¡± Emmy said, inspecting bottles at random. ¡°We must get an expert here to take stock, and make an inventory. A lot of this may have gone bad, but I am certain this collection is worth a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Can you do the research and find the expert?¡± I asked her. ¡°I really know nothing about this,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I will find someone who can evaluate the wines,¡± Emmy said, thinking about it. ¡°But Luisa, this may be one of your first tasks- to assist the expert and make certain the inventory is correct,¡± she said, turning to our newest employee. ¡°I can see that there exists a strong possibility for deception, or even simple theft. By simply not knowing what we have here and allowing in someone who does, the best bottles might simply vanish and we would be none the wiser. Luisa, the Daltons spoke highly of you and said that they trusted you completely. I hope that this is the start of a similar relationship here, as well.¡±


    Luisa looked a little bit taken aback by this admission. ¡°I¡¯ll- I¡¯m going to make sure it¡¯s all above-board, Emmy. I think the first thing we need to do is simply count the bottles, just so we have a number,¡± she said. looking around. ¡°And I¡¯ll make a list. I know wines a little bit, mainly what the Daltons liked, so this is way, way above my level, but I can at least write down all the names and dates. We can show the list to a third party expert to get independent confirmation, right? That way we can be sure the guy who comes and evaluates isn¡¯t trying to scam you guys.¡±


    ¡°That is a great idea!¡± Emmy said. ¡°We should get started on this first thing tomorrow. It would be best if the wine were secured before the construction starts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and maybe get a locksmith here to redo the combination on that lock, too,¡± I added.


    I liked that Luisa immediately recognized the potential problems and immediately thought of some quick safeguards. This made me think that she was trustworthy, which had been a concern in the back of my mind. I mean, here was a woman who would be living in the townhouse more than we ever would, who would control a healthy amount of money with the house budget and have the opportunity to rob us blind while we were away, right? Any reassurances that she was honest were welcome.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get started on it tomorrow,¡± Luisa said, pulling out her phone to take notes. ¡°I¡¯ll need a notebook, some sort of tags, some fresh lightbulbs¡­¡±


    ¡°Great! That is fantastic!¡± Emmy said. ¡°But that is tomorrow. Now it is time to think about getting ready for dinner. Luisa, would you care to join us for dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Luisa asked, looking up from her phone. ¡°Dinner? With you guys?¡±


    ¡°Yes! We would love to have you go out with us tonight, wouldn¡¯t we, Leah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, that would be great. I mean, it¡¯ll give us all a chance to get to know each other better, right?¡± I said. I¡¯d expected a nice night out with my wife, but I could understand Emmy wanting to make Luisa feel like more than just an employee.


    ¡°You¡¯re going out for dinner? Wouldn¡¯t I just be a third wheel?¡± Luisa protested.


    ¡°No, really, it¡¯d be great if you came with us,¡± I said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are sure,¡± Emmy said as we headed back up the spiral staircase. This time I made sure I was following Emmy, so I could stare at her ass instead of Luisa¡¯s as we went up.


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯d be nice to go out for dinner,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I¡¯ve been imposing on my sister for a while now, and I feel guilty every time she cooks extra dinner for me, you know?¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Emmy said. Then, as if it just occurred to her, she asked ¡°Is there any reason you can¡¯t move in here right away? Perhaps even tonight?¡±


    ¡°Um, I- No, there really isn¡¯t,¡± Luisa said, surprised at the suggestion. ¡°Most of my stuff is in storage. I really only have some clothes at my sister¡¯s place¡­¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Then we will have dinner, and afterward you will settle in here,¡± Emmy declared, as if it were just that easy.


    ¡°Oh, and we are going to a nice restaurant tonight, so wear something a little bit dressy,¡± Emmy added.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go back to my sister¡¯s house to change,¡± Luisa said, a bit dismayed.


    ¡°We will have Wally drive you,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Wally?¡±


    ¡°Our driver,¡± Emmy replied, pulling out her phone to call. ¡°He is very nice. You will like him.¡±


    Wally brought Luisa back before too long, wearing the same shirt and top combo as she¡¯d worn for the job interview, but with a bit more formal jacket than the leather she¡¯d worn before.


    ¡°You look lovely,¡± Emmy assured her.


    Emmy and I had gotten dressed for dinner while the two were gone, so without any real delay we climbed into the limo. Emmy had suggested bringing the bottle of wine I¡¯d been carrying around, but I said we should save it for later, after we got home.


    Luisa was thrilled to ride in the limo- she said the last time she¡¯d been in one was her high school prom, and that was shared with three other couples.


    ¡°Is this limo yours?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s from a livery company,¡± I said. "We¡¯re just getting full-time service while we¡¯re here in New York.¡±


    ¡°Wally works for a limousine company? Not you guys?¡±


    ¡°Well, he does now,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m thinking of hiring him away.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡± asked Emmy, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been thinking it might be a good thing to have him permanently on staff,¡± I said, voicing my thoughts. ¡°He¡¯d drive for us when we¡¯re here in New York, maybe drive Luisa if she needs it, too. Maybe drive Jen and Lee if they stay here¡­ Or whoever. He could run errands, whatever needs to be done that Luisa wouldn''t be able to do easily on her own. I don¡¯t know, it was just a thought.¡±


    ¡°I like the idea, but would we have enough for him to do to keep him busy?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°See, I¡¯m not sure. I mean yes, for sure when we¡¯re here, right? But when we¡¯re not, it might get really slow for him. But maybe that¡¯s O.K., too. If we keep him really busy when we¡¯re here but he gets some down time when we¡¯re not, maybe it balances out?¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know- it¡¯s just an idea I had.¡±


    The car pulled to a stop in front of the restaurant, and Wally opened the door for us. I stepped outside first, quickly scanning the area, then gave Emmy a hand out. The moment she stepped from the limo camera flashes went off. I wouldn''t say I was totally used to it by that point, but the novelty had worn off a while ago. Luisa, though, was stunned by the paparazzi snapping our picture outside one of New York¡¯s most celebrated restaurants.


    The ma?tre d¡¯ held out his hand to lead Emmy inside, Luisa following bemusedly along and I brought up the rear of our little group.


    We were led up to a sort of raised area that contained only four tables and given the table with the best view of the restaurant.


    ¡°Ms. De Lascaux, Ms. Farmer, it is such a delight to have you dining with us tonight,¡± the ma?tre d¡¯ said as he and two servers pulled out chairs for us. ¡°You may notice that our menu varies a bit from our sister restaurant, but the simple matter is that the ingredients that are available fresh here are different than in Napa, and hence lead to somewhat different final results. If you have any questions at all, please ask. Danielle here will be your server this evening. She will take care of your every need. Now, if you will excuse me?¡± he said, giving a little bow before going back to his station.


    Danielle introduced herself, then said ¡°I was told you two are regulars at the French Laundry, is that right?¡±


    When Emmy said that yes, we eat there with some frequency, Danielle said ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! We love it when people familiar with the Laundry come here to eat. I guess you could say that it¡¯s a sort of sibling rivalry- we want you to think of us as the better of the two, and please, please tell us how we compare before you go tonight. Now, may I interest you three in trying the tasting menus? They offer a sampling of a wide variety of our best.¡±


    After Danielle had left us alone for a moment, Luisa said in a hushed voice ¡°When you said you were taking me out to dinner, I had no idea this is what you meant! Seriously, this is so beyond what I¡¯d expected, I don¡¯t even know!¡±


    ¡°If this chef is as good as David there in Napa, you are in for a real treat,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Just walking in the door and sitting down in here is a treat," Luisa replied.


    Just then the chef came to our table. ¡°Ms. Lascaux, Ms. Farmer,¡± he said, and nodded at Luisa. ¡°I was just informed that you were here. Talking with my counterpart in Napa, he tells me that you, Ms. Farmer, aren¡¯t preferential to seafood, but that you, Ms. Lascaux, are. Miss?¡± he asked, directed at Luisa.


    Flustered, she said ¡°I¡¯ll eat anything- I¡¯m not picky.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. It will be my pleasure to cook for the three of you this evening.¡± He went on to explain the first dish that came out, little cups of a sort of cold vegetable soup, then excused himself to go back to the kitchen.


    After the sommelier poured our first pairing, we had a moment to talk again. ¡°The rivalry thing is funny,¡± I said. ¡°It could be real, or it could be completely made up to try to get us to feel special.¡±


    ¡°You guys are special,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I mean, the chef made it seem like you two had never been in here before, but he knows what you like because he asked the chef there in Napa, right? I¡¯ve never, ever heard of anything like that happening. The Daltons used to like to go out for dinners, and I know they came here once in a while, but I doubt the chef ever came out to talk to them, much less customized the menu for them. I mean, four other tables have been seated since we got here, and the chef hasn¡¯t come out to talk to any of them.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s partly because Emmy¡¯s a celebrity and a very, very recognizable face, and two, we do eat at the French Laundry at least twice a month, sometimes more,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is this what you guys¡¯ life is like? Riding everywhere in a limo like it¡¯s just the way you get around? Paparazzi? Thousand-dollar dinners?¡± Luisa asked.


    Laughing, Emmy said ¡°No, not really. Our life is mostly work, dinners at home with friends, normal things like that.¡±

 Dinner And Conversation

    Dinner went well, with good food, great wine pairings and enjoyable company. The chef came back out a couple of times to explain the dish we were being served and to ask how we liked the previous one, but mostly the staff were unobtrusive.


    Luisa, once she got over how star-struck she was at the treatment we were receiving, held up her side of the conversation just fine but when she got to talking about the art scene in New York, they lost me entirely. It isn¡¯t as if I have no interest or appreciation for art, but I just don¡¯t know the names of any current artists, or the labels of the types of art they were making. All I could do was nod and agree as if I knew what they were discussing, while thinking about the likelihood that the two of them were going to be spending a lot of money on art for the new house before everything was said and done.


    It isn¡¯t as if I was going to begrudge any of it, really. We couldn''t buy a fifty million dollar Rembrandt, but if she wanted a fifty thousand dollar Warhol lithograph for the hallway, well, that was fine. We had the money, and Emmy had grown up with the finest things money could buy. I wanted her to feel like the queen of her domain, and if it meant surrounding her with expensive things, so be it.


    I guess I got a bit lost in my own thoughts for a while, because before I knew it Danielle was serving our desert- this funny little sculpture of strawberries, watermelon and sherbet. Of course it was amazing, like everything else had been, and when the chef made his final appearance at the table he had an iPad with him. He was video chatting with David, the chef at the sister restaurant in California.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Asked the Napa chef from the iPad. ¡°Was dinner as good as what you get here?¡±


    ¡°I am not certain,¡± Emmy said, being coy. ¡°I think we may need to make further evaluations- it was very, very good and the service was excellent. It has been weeks since we last stopped in for dinner at the Laundry, though, so perhaps we need to do another comparison!¡±


    This seemed to make both chefs happy, keeping their rivalry going and complimenting both at the same time. Emmy really was good with people in that way. I discreetly handed my card to Danielle, and soon enough she came back with the receipt. I¡¯d texted Wally, so the limo was waiting for us at the curb. Paparazzis snapped our photos again as the maitre d¡¯ escorted us to where Wally stood, car door open.


    Once inside the limo and headed back to the townhouse, Luisa said, ¡°No, seriously, this is crazy. I mean, going out to dinner in your own limo, tabloids taking your photos, and that dinner! Oh. My. God. That was the best meal I¡¯ve ever had in my life, and you guys are talking to the chef like ¡®Yeah, this is O.K., for a Wednesday, anyway.¡¯ And I saw the receipt. Dinner was over fifteen hundred dollars! For a dinner!¡±


    ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡­¡± I said, laughing. ¡°But trust me- you get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t see that happening,¡± Luisa shot back.


    After Wally walked us into the house, we told him he was done for the night and that we¡¯d see him at nine the next morning. ¡°Bagels for four,¡± Emmy said as he left.


    ¡°Wait- am I staying the night here tonight?¡± Luisa asked. ¡°I need some stuff from my sister¡¯s place.¡±


    I texted Wally, and in moments he was back to take Luisa to get her stuff. While they were gone, Emmy and I went up to the master bedroom to kick off our shoes and change our clothes.


    ¡°Did you have a nice time tonight?¡± Emmy asked as she unbuttoned her blouse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± I asked, having been distracted by the sight.


    ¡°Did you enjoy dinner? Did you have a pleasant time this evening?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± I said as I moved in to help Emmy remove her clothes. Reaching around to unbutton her skirt, I breathed in her familiar jasmine perfume. ¡°But mostly because of you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy asked as she unbuttoned my shirt.


    ¡°You light up the place wherever you go, Em. You make me happy just by being there, and I know for a fact I¡¯m not the only one who feels that way. You make everybody fall in love with you a tiny bit just by being so you.¡±


    ¡°You are kind to say so, and I can only wish that were the truth,¡± Emmy responded, leaning down to kiss my breast. Looking up, she asked ¡°Do you know what would light me up right now?¡± with a hopeful look on her face.


    ¡°How many guesses do I get?¡± I asked, slipping her panties off her hips and letting them drop down her slender legs.


    ¡°Only one guess,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Unless you guess wrong. Then you will have to guess again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± I said, stepping out of my skirt lying on the floor, moving my body up against hers. I reached down to cup her firm little butt in my hands and lifted her up. Emmy wrapped her legs around my hips and her arms around my neck. ¡°Does it involve us getting really close?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very close,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    ¡°So close that I might even be inside you?¡±


    ¡°Yessss¡­¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°Definitely that close.¡±


    ¡°Does it involve me being horizontal and you mostly vertical?¡±


    ¡°It could. Yes, in fact, I am certain it does,¡± Emmy said, getting excited by the idea.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to be sort of quick,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how soon Luisa will be back.¡±


    ¡°Not too quick,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°She can wait until we are done.¡±


    ¡°All right then. Shall we make our way to the bed?¡± I asked, which was sort of silly, since I was holding her up and walking that way anyhow. I knelt on the edge of the bed and lowered her down, then climbed on and lay on my back.


    Emmy eagerly leaned in for a kiss, then slid her body up mine, giving me ample time to kiss and suckle on her breasts, then kiss my way down her belly. As she positioned herself above my face, I took in the sight of her body above me, all the way up to her beautiful, charcoal-dark face smiling down at me.


    Taking her hips in my hands, I pulled her pussy down onto my mouth, eliciting a sigh from Emmy. ¡°Yes, you guessed correctly,¡± she said, stoking my hair. ¡°You are so smart.¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t say anything in response as my mouth and lips were already busy.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Emmy started to tremble, but I wanted to prolong it some more so I lifted her up a bit and devoted my attention to her perfectly smooth labia. I¡¯d never once seen her shave or wax, so how she stayed that way was a mystery to me, but one we both benefitted from so I wasn¡¯t about to complain.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Grumbling in protest, Emmy tried to shove herself down on my face again but I wouldn¡¯t let her. I held her up just high enough that she could feel my breath and the very light little touches with the very tip of my tongue, but no more.


    ¡°Leah!¡± she protested. ¡°You are not close enough! I need you inside me!¡±


    A few more moments of teasing as Emmy struggled to lower herself, then I gave in and dove back in. I polished her little pearl, licked her labia and penetrated her pussy with everything my tongue had to give and in a matter of just a few minutes her trembling gave way to a giant full-body shudder, then after a moment of rigidity, she collapsed.


    I rolled her over onto her back, admiring my handiwork. Or maybe ¡®tongue work¡¯ is a better description. I leaned down and kissed her sharp hip bone, then worked my way up her tummy, between her breasts and up her still-heaving chest. Up her neck I kissed, worked my way across her chin, then my lips captured hers. My tongue, that had so recently been between another set of lips, slid between her lips. I plundered her mouth as I had just plundered her pussy, and she welcomed my tongue once again. We kissed like that, passionate and savage, for at least as long as I¡¯d gone down on her (or is that gone up on her, since she was sitting on my face?). I held her tightly, showing her how much I treasured her and how I never, ever wanted to let her go.


    Eventually, though, we pulled apart. ¡°I think we should get dressed,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Luisa should be here soon.¡±


    I went to wash my face, but Emmy asked me not to. ¡°I want to know that you smell like me,¡± she said. ¡°And you will know my legs are shaky because of you.¡±


    I pulled on a comfy old Cardinal sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, while Emmy grabbed the dress shirt I wore at dinner and put her panties back on, but nothing else. At my look, she said, ¡°If Luisa is going to live in our house, she must get accustomed to the way we choose to live, and not the other way around.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t really find any fault in that logic, so we went downstairs, only to bump into Wally and Luisa bringing her things in from the car.


    Apparently they¡¯d grabbed pretty much all her stuff, because it was quite a pile of boxes, bags and suitcases.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Wally,¡± I said, once everything was out of the car. ¡°You can go ahead and take off for the night. I¡¯ll help her get this stuff upstairs.¡±


    ¡°See you in the morning!¡± Emmy called out as he left.


    ¡°Good night. I¡¯ll see you at nine?¡± he asked, and when Emmy confirmed, he was gone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much of this can go in each pass in the elevator,¡± I said, eyeing the pile. ¡°And anyway, it only goes up to the sixth floor, so we¡¯ll have to carry it all up the last flight of stairs.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Wally helped me bring all this down from my sister¡¯s apartment,¡± Luisa said, looking at the boxes. ¡°Did I tell you it¡¯s a fourth-floor walk-up? As in, no elevator at all?¡±


    ¡°He seems to be a very diligent man,¡± Emmy said, pondering how many trips that must have been.


    ¡°I was just going to grab a few things, but he suggested that we could get it all in one trip if we just went ahead and did it,¡¯ Luisa explained.


    ¡°You do not need to carry it all upstairs right now,¡± Emmy declared. ¡°Just bring up what you need for tonight and leave the rest for tomorrow.¡±


    Relieved, Luisa pointed out the two boxes and single suitcase she needed. ¡°Just those, then,¡± she said, picking up a big bag.


    ¡°Easy enough,¡± I said, pressing the button to call the elevator.


    It only took about ten minutes to get the minimum needed up to Luisa¡¯s new apartment on the top floor. We didn¡¯t bother unpacking or anything like that- we had a fifteen hundred dollar bottle of wine waiting, as Emmy reminded us.


    While Luisa and I were toting the stuff upstairs Emmy had started the fire in the parlor¡¯s gas fireplace and gotten three glasses and a corkscrew from the kitchen.


    Emmy and I settled down on the off-white couch and Luisa took the matching chair so we could all face the fireplace. After Emmy opened the bottle and poured the wine, she jumped up to dim the lights. Sitting back down next to me, Emmy raised her glass.


    ¡°To our new house!¡± she toasted.


    ¡°To our new house!¡± I said, holding up my glass.


    ¡°To the new house,¡± said Luisa, leaning forward to clink her glass on ours.


    It didn¡¯t take us long to finish off the bottle, which I will admit tasted good to me, but then again, I¡¯m no expert. Honestly, the bottle was wasted on me, and probably Luisa. Emmy might have been able to appreciate the quality and the rarity, but she would have been the only one among us.


    As we chatted and enjoyed the evening and the wine and the company, we talked about the work that was going to be done on the house, how Emmy wanted to decorate, and what we expected from Luisa.


    Emmy made it very clear that she wanted Luisa to feel at home. ¡°We may own this house, but you are the one who will live here full-time, so you must treat this house as if it were yours. In a very real sense, it will be yours more than ours.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ what do you mean?¡± Luisa asked, uncertain she understood.


    ¡°I do not wish for the rest of the house to be off-limits to you while we are gone. I want you to use the house. I want you to enjoy living here,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I want you make it your home, and not simply live in that small apartment on the top floor. Have breakfast in the sunroom, read a book in the library with a fire going on a winter night, while music plays on the sound system. Use the gym we will install on the third floor, then the sauna. Actually live in this house, Luisa. Don¡¯t simply take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Like, you want me to act like I own the place?¡±


    ¡°This is your new home,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°You are the new caretaker, yes, but you are also the one who will most benefit from this house.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K¡­¡± Luisa replied, a bit unsure.


    The conversation moved on to other topics, and eventually we all decided it was time for bed. Luisa went up to her new apartment and Emmy and I returned to the master bedroom.


    As I lay on the big four-poster bed looking up at the ridiculous gold-leafed ceiling while Emmy used the bathroom to get ready for bed, I thought about the day. I had grown more and more comfortable with the idea of Luisa as caretaker, and understood what Emmy had meant over the wine. She wanted Luisa to feel as if she were a member of our family and not simply an employee, and I saw the value in that. I was lost in thoughts of whether keeping Wally on full-time made any sense when Emmy turned off the lights and joined me in bed.


    ¡°Earlier, when you lit me up, I did not get the chance to return the favor,¡± she said, her hand stroking my hip. ¡°Are you in the mood?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? I¡¯m always in the mood,¡± I said. ¡°But mostly I just want to hold you, if that¡¯s O.K.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I always want you to hold me.¡±


    Looking at the weather outside when I got up to go run, it looked somewhat ominous. Stepping out onto the terrace, I was surprised by how warm it was, even though the humidity was off the charts and the clouds were a fairly uniform gray. Dressing for the heat and humidity, I figured if it rained it would be a warm rain, so what the heck.


    I ran my now familiar Roosevelt Island loop counterclockwise. Since I was looking at it from a different angle, I was pretty sure I could tell which one was our house across the East River, but I may have just been fooling myself.


    As I¡¯d expected, it did rain a little bit but it was plenty warm and didn¡¯t bother me at all. In fact, I found it rather enjoyable. Warm summer rains just aren¡¯t a thing in California at all, so it was quite a change for me.


    Luisa was loading some of her things in the elevator when I surprised her by walking in the front door. ¡°Oh, Leah- I hadn¡¯t realized you¡¯d gone out!¡± she said. ¡°Did you go for a run?¡± She immediately realized how silly that sounded, so she said ¡°Of course you did. I mean, look at you¡­¡± Which is exactly what she was doing. She¡¯d stopped moving her stuff and was just staring at me as if I were some sort of alien or something.


    ¡°Is that what you usually wear when you run?¡± she asked, still staring.


    ¡°Well, sure, when it¡¯s this warm,¡± I replied, wondering why she was so distracted. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to grab a shower. Wally is due at nine, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be happy to help you move that stuff if it¡¯s too much for you right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s O.K.¡± Luisa replied, remembering what she was doing. "I¡¯ll have it all up there in just a few.¡±


    Emmy was still snoozing when I got to the master bedroom, to my complete lack of surprise. She did join me in the shower, though, which made me happy. It¡¯s just so hard to get all those nooks and crannies and hard-to-reach spots clean without help, you know what I mean? Eventually even soapy fun has to end, so we got dressed for another day of meetings with contractors and designers and various others. There was no need to impress anybody today and I wanted to get some things done around the house, so I opted for jeans and a Stanford T, and Emmy picked a light sun dress.


    As we were getting dressed, I mentioned that Grant¡¯s plane had already taken off and he¡¯d be in New York in time for the meeting that afternoon.


    ¡°Grant Henry? He is coming here?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I wanted him to look at the house and talk to the contractor about security measures,¡± I said, tying my shoes. ¡°You know he used to implement defensive plans for embassies around the world, right? I figure he could make sure this house has appropriate safety measures.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°It would be good to have his expertise.¡±

 A Hidden Room!

    Breakfast was a bit strange. Wally had brought his usual bagels, from yet another shop considered one of New York¡¯s finest. He was determined to give us the full selection of top bagel places during our time in New York, and I appreciated his diligence.


    No, what made breakfast a bit odd was that after a while it became clear that Luisa was avoiding looking at me. At least, mostly. I¡¯d catch her looking at me but quickly glancing away when I glanced in her direction. I didn¡¯t let it annoy me, but I did find it strange.


    After breakfast Wally took Luisa to her storage rental to get some more of her things while Emmy and I did a more thorough exploration of the house, starting from the top.


    There were the two small studio apartments up there, each with its own kitchenette and tiny bath. I guess by Manhattan standards they were on the small side, but not any smaller than millions of New Yorkers lived in every day. Luisa had mentioned that it was bigger than her last apartment, so I didn¡¯t feel too bad about having her live in the ¡°servant¡¯s quarters¡± of the house. After all, as Emmy had pointed out, she had free run of the rest of the house, too.


    In addition to the two apartments, there was a storage closet filled with stuff we would have to sort through, and a room that held some machinery that looked as if it had to do with the elevator. I guess that made sense, since it was right above the shaft. Looking at it, though, I wasn¡¯t really clear on why it needed a room the size of a decent walk-in closet.


    There were a few pieces of outdoor furniture stored in there, along with an old cafe umbrella that was probably trash.


    The sixth floor had the sunny sitting room that was to become Emmy¡¯s studio, a bathroom, a small, windowless room that was set up as an office (Emmy had referred to it as the housekeeper¡¯s office, and I figured she knew more about these things than I did) and a larger office facing the street, with an old, ornate desk (that we¡¯d had sex on). The larger office was where Emmy had envisioned that I would set up my work office and I had no objections to that. I still didn¡¯t think we were going to spend all that much time in New York, but I would need to have something set up for when I was in town.


    The fifth floor had a front-facing bedroom and another that faced to the back of the house as did the fourth floor, but the bedrooms on the fifth were just a little bit smaller and had much smaller bathrooms, leaving the space in between for a sort of kids¡¯ play room.


    The fourth floor¡¯s two bedrooms were larger, with bigger en-suite baths and walk-in closets. The space between the bedrooms was a decent-sized storage room, again filled with boxes of who knows what, and a small room with a fan and an old exercise bike.


    ¡°I guess this was the old gym,¡± I said as we checked it out.


    Opening a tall cabinet, Emmy said ¡°Look! A massage table!¡± Pulling a bottle of baby oil off a shelf, she had a gleam in her eye. ¡°This gives me some wonderful ideas¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°Not with that old oil, no you don¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°If we are going to get all rubby dubby it¡¯s going to be with a fresh bottle of massage oil, not that manky old stuff.¡±


    ¡°We must do some shopping today, then,¡± Emmy announced, putting the bottle back on the shelf.


    We bypassed the third floor, since we¡¯d already fully explored what the master bedroom and front bedroom (soon to be gym) had in store.


    The second floor had the living room facing the street, with a little Juliet balcony overlooking the front door. Really, the room didn''t need much help other than a paint job. The ornate carved wooden fireplace was in great shape and the pre-war mouldings were all intact. The furniture, though, was hideous, like most of the rest of the house.


    The parlor where we had the wine last night was a nice room, a bit cozier than the living room. The only area I hadn¡¯t really checked out was the corner wet bar, which was about half stocked. I figured the real estate agents or whoever had already grabbed whatever full or really good bottles there might have been on display, but there was a locked cabinet above the refrigerator that might hold something worthwhile. I made a mental note to have the locksmith open that for us later.


    Proceeding down to the first floor, I finally took the opportunity to look at the books on the shelves in the classic library. I say classic in the sense that the room itself fit every stereotype. Dark-stained wood paneling, carved wood fireplace, shelves filled with hardcover books that look like prints of the great novels, overstuffed chairs¡­ As I said, you¡¯ve seen it in any number of costume drama movies and T.V. shows.


    Well, to my great surprise, the books turned out to be fakes. Not even real books at all, just props of a sort to look like books. Pulling one of the things off a shelf, I showed it to Emmy who couldn¡¯t figure out what I was holding at first. From the back it looked like a box- only the front and top varied according to the ¡®book¡¯ it was supposed to represent.


    ¡°How bizarre,¡± Emmy commented, turning the object masquerading as a row of books in her hands. ¡°Why would anyone do this?¡±


    ¡°I have two guesses, and they basically boil down to the same thing. The last owner wasn¡¯t a reader, but wanted the look of impressive bookshelves, or their interior designer did. I¡¯d bet these were kind of expensive, since they¡¯re obviously well made, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°What should we do with them?¡± Emmy asked, pulling another from a different shelf.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s make sure they haven¡¯t left anything hidden in or behind these things- but that would be pretty cliche, don¡¯t you think? Second, we ask our designer. I¡¯d bet she would know who would want ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°It would be like that cartoon show, with the idiots and the dog!¡± Emmy exclaimed, thrilled with the idea of something hidden. ¡°We must find a hidden room!¡±


    ¡°I hate to burst your bubble, Em, but that wall is the front of the house, that one is the side, and on the other side of that one is the entry hall. That leaves that little wall there, and it¡¯s the coat closet on the other side.¡±


    Downcast, Emmy pouted. ¡°You are too logical! You spoiled the fun.¡±


    ¡°I tell you what,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s have Erich build us a secret little room. He can put in a secret door right there,¡± I said, pointing at the wall shared with the coat closet. ¡°We¡¯ll have him shrink the closet a little bit, enough for a spiral staircase down into the basement. If I have my bearings right, that would lead down into the giant boiler room, and that¡¯s definitely big enough to steal part of.¡±


    Her eyes wide with the idea, Emmy said ¡°We must do that. Except the staircase must go past the boiler room and down into the wine cellar. Yes! That will be so perfect!¡±


    Laughing at the expression on Emmy¡¯s face, I said ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see if it¡¯s possible. That would be really cool.¡±


    A few minutes of checking the faux books revealed nothing as cool as a hidden safe or secret jewelry box, so we put them all back just as we saw Wally pull up to the front of the house. The open door of the limo revealed a mess of boxes crammed inside, so Emmy and I went out to help bring the stuff in.


    ¡°This is probably the first time in history that a limo was used to help somebody move,¡± Luisa said as I picked up a box.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how often it happens,¡± Wally replied.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Luisa demanded, stopping to look at Wally in surprise.


    ¡°Twice so far this year for me alone,¡± he replied, nodding.


    ¡°Wait- twice, plus me makes three, or I¡¯m the second one?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re number three,¡± Wally said, laughing.


    With the four of us, it only took a few minutes to get the car emptied out. Wally pulled a dust brush and cordless vacuum from the trunk and gave the interior a quick once-over, then came in.


    ¡°Wally, I¡¯ve got a pick-up at La Guardia at a quarter after twelve for you. The guy¡¯s name is Grant Henry. Here, let me text all the info,¡± I said, pulling out my phone to forward the flight number and ETA to Wally. ¡°The guy is about this tall, has a salt-and pepper military haircut and likes dark blue suits, so that¡¯s probably what he¡¯ll be wearing. I doubt he¡¯ll have any luggage, probably just a carry-on. If he¡¯s hungry, stop somewhere good for lunch, and get yourself some, too. We¡¯ll call for delivery for something for the three of us.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll get going, then,¡± Wally replied. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have a picture of Mr Grant, do you?¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°No, sorry,¡± I said. ¡°But if you can imagine a Marine combat instructor in a nice suit, that¡¯s exactly what he looks like.¡±


    As we loaded some of the boxes in the elevator, I suggested we take the stuff to the other apartment. ¡°That way you won¡¯t have the clutter in your place while you¡¯re unpacking,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, a lot of it doesn¡¯t get unpacked,¡± Luisa replied. ¡°The boxes with blue tape go to my studio, when I find a place and get one set up.¡±


    ¡°Then it makes even more sense to not load them into your room,¡± I said, opting to carry a large but light box up the stairs.


    Hearing somebody on the stairs behind me, I glanced back to see Luisa carrying a wooden contraption that I figured had to be an easel. On the fourth floor landing I let her go ahead of me, since she had a lighter load. It hadn¡¯t occurred to me that this would mean several flights of stairs staring at her butt in her grey yoga pants. Really, it hadn¡¯t. But there it was, and once I realized what was right in front of me I couldn¡¯t make myself look away, as much as I really felt I ought to.


    I can¡¯t even say that Luisa was flaunting her attributes. I mean, she was just carrying some stuff up some stairs, and I was the one who suggested she go first, so really, it was on me.


    We got to the top floor not a moment too soon, and as I¡¯d suggested, carried the things into the empty apartment.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Luisa gasped, a bit out of breath. ¡°Man, that is a lot of stairs! But look at you- you aren¡¯t even breathing slightly hard. It must be that jogging you do. How far do you run every morning, anyway?¡± she asked, using a lot of air, for somebody out of breath.


    ¡°The route I¡¯ve been running works out to a little over eleven miles,¡± I say, setting the box down in the corner.


    ¡°And you do that every morning?¡±


    ¡°Well, every morning we¡¯ve been here, sure. Back home I usually only run every other day, but I do a lot of gym work,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I have to say, and don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but it absolutely shows,¡± Luisa said as we walked down a floor to call the loaded elevator up.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied as we waited for the next load of boxes to make its way up the six floors.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve been thinking about the wine,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I¡¯ve got some thoughts on it, but I want to see if they make sense to you.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said as the elevator arrived and the door unlocked. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°So, there are three problems, the way I see it. First off,¡± she said, as we worked to unload the boxes from the small elevator car. ¡°We need to catalog and evaluate the bottles, just to know what¡¯s there and what is any good and what isn¡¯t, right? I mean, I did a little bit of reading and there are ways to tell if a bottle has gone bad without opening it, but I wouldn¡¯t know enough to judge. But I think we need a pro for that. But we know this wine has been in that cellar for a long time, right? And it¡¯s nice and cool down there, so the conditions are probably good and have been forever.¡±


    ¡°Um hm,¡± I agreed, carrying boxes.


    ¡°We also need to know what the wine is worth. If Emmy¡¯s right and that bottle we drank was worth fifteen hundred Euros, and it was just one you grabbed randomly, then there could be a whole lot of money wrapped up in that collection, right? But we don¡¯t know market prices, or really, what any of it should go for if it went up for sale, right? This means that the whole situation is ripe for fraud or outright theft until it¡¯s catalogued. And that includes the pros that we bring in to evaluate it. Also, anybody even knowing there is potentially a million dollars worth of wine in the basement may try to break in and simply steal it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d kinda thought those same things,¡± I agreed as I punched the button to send the elevator back down to the first floor.


    ¡°So we need to catalog it ourselves first, before we let anybody know. Also, we probably don¡¯t want it in the house while the construction is happening, so we need to find a wine storage facility for the duration of the work, too.¡±


    ¡°I guess I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± I admitted. ¡°I was just thinking a better lock on the door would be enough, but I can see your point. I imagine there must be facilities that specialize in long-term wine storage, and you¡¯re right- that would be much better than trusting a lock to prevent some random construction worker from making off with a few bottles.¡±


    ¡°O.K., so we write every bottle down and take photos of the labels, front and back. We have them evaluated for whether they¡¯ve spoiled or not, and the bottles the experts say have gone bad, we pour out right in front of them, right then. That way we can see if they actually are bad, and if the expert knows what he¡¯s talking about.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really have been giving this some thought,¡± I said, surprised.


    ¡°I think we send the list, maybe with photos, to at least one other expert who isn¡¯t here in New York, and has no possible stake. We just pay him (or them) for an assessment, a reasonable estimate of market values, and see how that compares with our local expert¡¯s valuation. That way we have a backstop against the local guy lowballing.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think the local guy would do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because he thinks he can give us a low number, then offer to take the entire collection for a ¡®fair¡¯," here Luisa did air quotes with her fingers, "price. Even if we tell him we aren''t interested in selling, he may still figure there¡¯s a way to try to scam us rubes,¡± Luisa explained. ¡°It¡¯s a New York thing.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°It sounds as if you¡¯ve given it a lot of thought. I tell you what- you go ahead and do the photos and catalog, find the wine experts and a storage facility, and you get whichever bottle you want as a sort of bonus. Drink it, sell it, whatever. It¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? We¡¯re talking about potentially over a thousand dollars!¡± Luisa said, stopped in her tracks.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of work, what we are talking about. You¡¯ll earn it, believe me.¡±


    By this time we¡¯d brought all of the boxes up, so we headed back down the elevator.


    ¡°You know, this elevator is pretty cool because it¡¯s so old, but at the same time that kind of worries me,¡± I commented.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not the only one who¡¯d had those thoughts,¡± Luisa said, laughing. ¡°Look at that plaque,¡± she said, pointing. ¡°Otis Elevator, 1911. Over a hundred years old. I¡¯d be rickety and creaky at that age, too!¡±


    We¡¯d finished off our lunch of Thai food by the time Wally and Grant arrived.


    ¡°Any problems?¡± I asked Wally, and he shook his head.


    ¡°You described him perfectly,¡± he said with a chuckle.


    ¡°How was the flight?¡± I asked Grant.


    ¡°I have to say, working for you spoils a man,¡± he replied. ¡°I could get used to business class, let me tell you.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of spoiling you, I wasn¡¯t sure if you were O.K. with staying here in the house, of if you¡¯d prefer a hotel,¡± I said, apologetically.


    ¡°I appreciate it, but I¡¯d be better off here, if I¡¯m going to evaluate the site,¡± he said.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°Here, let¡¯s get you set up,¡± I said and indicated he should follow me up the stairs, leaving Luisa, Wally and Emmy downstairs. ¡°You get to choose which room you want on the fourth floor,¡± I said. ¡°I suppose you could stay on the fifth floor, but those are kid¡¯s rooms.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re dragging me up all these stairs for a reason, I imagine,¡± he replied with a chuckle.


    ¡°Well, you need to get some movement in after six hours of sitting down, for one, but also, I want to talk to you in private a little bit and I figured nobody would follow us up three flights of stairs.¡±


    After a quick inspection, Grant chose the room facing the street. ¡°This way I can develop a feel for the traffic patterns,¡± he said, which is exactly what I expected him to say.


    ¡°What is it that you don¡¯t want the others to hear?¡± he asked once he¡¯d set his bag down.


    ¡°I need you to do a deep dive on Wally and Luisa. Emmy has hired Luisa to manage this house for us, and her recommendations were very good and my initial impression is that she¡¯s trustworthy, but I¡¯d like to know if there are any skeletons in her closet.¡±


    ¡°And Wally, that¡¯s the driver, right? He¡¯s already had to pass a background check to get a commercial chauffeur¡¯s license here in New York, and besides, that¡¯s the limo company¡¯s business,¡± Grant said, taking out his phone to write notes.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m considering hiring him away to be our driver slash gopher slash general assistant. Again, he seems really straight-up, and he¡¯s extremely knowledgeable about New York, and that could come in very, very handy.¡±


    ¡°Are you planning a full-time move here? I thought you¡¯d said you two were moving to L.A.,¡± Grant said, typing on his phone.


    ¡°Well, we are, and we just bought this place so Emmy would have a sort of getaway pad here on the opposite coast,¡± I explained. ¡°But it sure seems as if Emmy¡¯s enjoying this place a lot, so I have the nagging suspicion that we may split our time more than we¡¯d really thought.¡±


    ¡°Sure. It would be useful to have a man on the ground, that¡¯s true. But you said Luisa has already been hired. Couldn¡¯t she do all the errands you expect might happen?¡± Grant asked, voicing a concern I¡¯d had.


    ¡°Well, a lot of them, sure. But she would have been hard pressed to pick you up from the airport, for example. I don¡¯t think she really drives,¡± I explained, realizing that I might be making an assumption not based on reality.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to employ him full time but only need him part time, he¡¯ll have a pretty easy gig. But unless I somehow missed it, this house doesn''t have a garage for the car.¡±


    ¡°No, but the title includes ownership of two spots in the parking garage half a block down," I said.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, that¡¯s a security risk right there, not having control of the car at all times,¡± Grant said, thinking about it. "I¡¯m assuming Luisa will live here at the house, right?¡± he said, changing the subject.


    ¡°Yeah, there are two small apartments on the top floor. I guess they would have been fairly deluxe servant¡¯s quarters back in the day, but I hate calling them that,¡± I said.


    ¡°So Wally would have the other?¡±


    ¡°No, he has a family and they have their own place in Queens somewhere,¡± I said.


    ¡°All right. Anything else, before we go back down?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could go and get some gear and clear out the room I¡¯ve been thinking would be the gym? I could use a bit of sparring- I¡¯m feeling rusty, you know?¡± I said, hopefully.


    ¡°I brought my gear,¡± Grant answered with a laugh. ¡°I was hoping we could get some mat time in.¡±


    Walking back down, I said ¡°The place next door is the Algerian Embassy, and on the other side is a condo building with six floors, one condo per floor. We have the height advantage over both buildings. You saw across the street- that¡¯s an apartment building, eight floors. In back we have our small walled garden, then a ten foot drop to a large pedestrian patio-type park back there. Reasonably secure, but certainly not impenetrable.¡±


    ¡°Reasonably secure is all you can really ask for in an urban setting like this,¡± Grant said. ¡°But let¡¯s see what we can do to take it to the next step. What time is the meeting with the builder?¡±


    Looking at my watch, I said ¡°An hour and a half.¡±


    Hearing voices from the parlor, we stopped on the second floor, to find Wally, Luisa and Emmy sitting in the sunroom, chatting about pickles.


    ¡°Leah, both Luisa and Wally agree that we must try pickles from a pickle shop in the Lower East Side they say is the best. Maybe after the meeting?¡± Emmy asked, a hopeful look on her face.


    ¡°Sure, sounds good,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to take a few minutes to inspect everything,¡± Grant said. ¡°Luisa, I hate to intrude, but may I look in your room upstairs?¡±


    ¡°Um, sure,¡± she replied. ¡°Here, we¡¯ll go up together and I can let you in.¡±


    After the two of them left, Wally asked ¡°Mr Henry, he works for you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s my chief of security,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s here to evaluate the security of the house, and specify what may need to be upgraded.¡±


    ¡°He strikes me as a very serious man,¡± Wally said.

 A Night To Remember

    The meeting with Erich the builder and Charlie the designer went about the way I expected. Grant told Erich all the windows and exterior doors need to be upgraded and actually had a company that he specified. He also said that the house needed to be wired with ethernet cables, despite Erich¡¯s protest that wi-fi does everything anybody wants nowadays. Grant also wanted surveillance cameras facing the front and rear of the house, all of which got added to the construction list.


    Charlie specified some things, too, but they were basically cosmetic. Replicate this moulding here for the other room as well, remove that wallpaper, so on. She and Emmy seemed to be on the same page as far as the redo of the interior was concerned, so that was a good thing.


    Charlie really had nothing to talk about once we got down to the basement level and the kitchen, so she went back upstairs with Emmy to talk furniture. Grant, Erich and I discussed the lower front entry into the laundry room and how to make the exterior stairs down more secure.


    I¡¯d wanted to talk to Erich about redoing that entire end of the basement. ¡°It seems to me,¡± I said, ¡°that this old boiler is a museum piece and needs to not be here any longer. Modern, better systems exist, and are much, much smaller. Can we get rid of this monstrosity and reduce the size of this room to increase our useable space for the rest of the basement?¡±


    Looking around, Erich said ¡°Sure. A new combo unit for a house like this would really only take up about a quarter of the space of this old boiler, and wouldn''t need nearly so much clearance around it. Fortunately, this old house is heated with forced air, so it¡¯s an easy retrofit. A new A/C cooler unit on the roof would be much more efficient, too. In fact, some of the high-end units would pay themselves off in savings in no more than five years.¡±


    ¡°All right, sounds good. Put that on the list,¡± I said. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve noticed the hot water in the master bath is hot right away, so that tells me there¡¯s a recirculating system. Let¡¯s update to a tankless system and get rid of this beast, too,¡± I said, pointing at the giant hot water tank.


    ¡°It¡¯d be good to update everything for better efficiency,¡± agreed Erich.


    ¡°Well, and there¡¯s something else,¡± I said. ¡°I want to bring that back wall in about five feet.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°Last night, Emmy said she wanted a secret door in the library, leading to stairs that go down to the wine cellar. If I have my bearings right, the back wall of the library is up there,¡± I said, pointing to the ceiling off to my left. ¡°And the front wall of the wine cellar is down there,¡± pointing down to my right.


    ¡°Wait- there¡¯s a sub-basement?¡± asked Erich.


    ¡°Yeah, I found it by surprise the other day. C¡¯mon- let¡¯s go down there,¡± I said, leading the two men out of the boiler room and into the enormous restaurant-grade kitchen. They followed me into the storeroom next to the stairs going up, and when I opened what looked like a large cupboard at the back and they saw the spiral stairs, they were both as surprised as I had been.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Erich said, peering down the spiral staircase. ¡°It looks like it was meant to be hidden from the very start!¡±


    Once at the bottom landing, I opened the door to the room with the elevator machinery. ¡°Well, obviously that stuff has been here all along, and somebody has had to come down here to service it, so it wasn¡¯t that secret.¡±


    I opened the wine room door and went to flip on the light, but it was already on. Luisa, dressed warmly against the cold, had a laptop computer set up on the table along with a small desk lamp, working away on the wine collection. She waved as I stepped into the room, but continued snapping pics of a bottle¡¯s label and entering the info on her computer.


    Again Erich was amazed. ¡°This is¡­ I wonder if they hid the stairs during Prohibition? They had their own little speakeasy down here!¡± he said, looking around at the racks of wine bottles and the wet bar in the corner. ¡°Seriously, this find makes the purchase of this house. It really makes it. This space is¡­¡±


    ¡°So my thinking is that the secret stairs would come in right there,¡± I said, pointing to the wall by the wet bar.


    ¡°I think it should be doable,¡± agreed Erich, distractedly. ¡°This is so cool!¡±


    ¡°While we are at it,¡± I said. ¡°Is is possible to upgrade the elevator mechanism? I mean, it works, but it¡¯s creaky and rattles like crazy. It isn¡¯t very confidence inspiring at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s outside my wheelhouse, but I can bring in some specialists,¡± Erich said, still looking around the cellar.


    ¡°This sub-basement could work really well as a panic room,¡± mused Grant. ¡°If we reinforce the two secret doors leading down here and conceal them well, use that small storage room over there as a server room and surveillance center¡­ Maybe that secret staircase can have a hidden entry into the laundry room and then outside¡­¡± he said to himself, as he tried to visualize how an escape route might work.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to need to figure out how to make it all fit,¡± said Erich, standing in the doorway and looking at the two sides of the wall. ¡°But yes, I¡¯m pretty sure it can be done. It won¡¯t be cheap, though.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it would be,¡± I said, trying not to roll my eyes. ¡°But look- I bought this place for eleven million bucks because Emmy saw it and liked it. That¡¯s it- she wanted it, so I bought it for her. If she wants a hidden stairway, she gets a hidden stairway.¡±


    ¡°Point taken,¡± agreed Erich.


    ¡°Just do the job right. Make it as hidden as possible.¡±


    We found Grant in the sub-basement¡¯s front storage room, looking thoughtful. ¡°Make this the electronics room,¡± he told Erich. ¡°If I understand it right, this end of this room should be under the boiler, so it¡¯ll be easy to hide the cooling vents the electronics will need. Route all the ethernet lines, home entertainment cables and house automation into here.¡±


    Erich looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded. ¡°If Grant says this is the right way to do it, then do it that way.¡±


    Our tour of the depths over, Erich, Grant and I returned to the main floor, where Emmy and Charlie sat at the fourteen-seat dining room table looking at pictures of furniture on Charlie¡¯s iPad.


    ¡°Did you get things sorted out?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got plenty to get going on,¡± agreed Erich. ¡°I need to go and get the blueprints from the records office and start drawing up some sketches. Oh, and I¡¯ll call my elevator guy and have him come take a look,¡± he added, before taking off.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a look around the area, maybe talk to the next-door neighbors,¡± said Grant, and he left also.


    ¡°I think we have some clear ideas on decoration and furniture,¡± said Emmy. ¡°Would you like to take a look?¡±


    ¡°No thanks, babe,¡± I said. ¡°You know that whatever you choose is fine with me. Unfortunately, I have to go do some work for a few hours,¡± I said, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss.


    ¡°Would you like to do anything this evening?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d be up to go out if you want,¡± I said on my way out.


    I was about done looking at the financials for an apartment complex in Cupertino when Emmy poked her head in my office. ¡°Can you take a break?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I would like to go out tonight, to have dinner and hear some music. Would that be O.K. with you?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°Sounds good. Do you have something in mind?¡±


    ¡°There is a famous jazz club in Greenwich Village. We could have dinner there and stay for the show afterwards,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know anything about jazz, but that¡¯s fine. Should we take Luisa?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you do not mind, I would like to take her along, yes,¡± Emmy said. ¡°If she wants to go.¡±


    ¡°What time should we head over there?¡±


    ¡°Whenever you are ready. The show starts at nine, but dinner seating starts at seven,¡± Emmy explained.


    ¡°Alright. Let me get changed- give me twenty minutes and I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    ¡°I will ask Luisa if she would like to go as well,¡± Emmy said.


    I laughed as I passed her in the hall, waiting for the elevator. ¡°I asked Erich to get an elevator specialist in here to look at upgrading. That old thing is kinda scary. I¡¯m taking the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is old and slow,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°But perhaps it needs the exercise as well!¡±


    I kept my jeans, but threw on a white shirt and black blazer. I figured that was dressy enough for a jazz club, anyway. Emmy didn¡¯t bother to change out of her black miniskirt and ankle boots, just layered a mesh tank over her spaghetti strap top, finishing it off with one of those little matador jackets that she loved so much.


    I thought Emmy looked hot, and told her as much.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I have one complaint about your outfit tonight, though.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, checking to make sure everything looked O.K.


    ¡°Your butt looks so amazing in those jeans, but with that jacket on I cannot see it!¡± she complained, giving an exaggerated pout.


    Laughing, I led her downstairs to wait for Luisa, who wasn¡¯t far behind. Luisa was wearing a classic V neck little black dress, which is never a wrong choice- especially when you have a figure like hers.


    Wally arrived about the same time, so we didn¡¯t really have any waiting around. In the car we talked briefly about how the wine cataloguing was going, then the conversation turned to the club.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been,¡± admitted Luisa. ¡°I have to admit I know nothing about jazz, and it¡¯s an expensive way to spend the evening if you don¡¯t know who¡¯s worth seeing, or even know anything about the music.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m clueless, too,¡± I admitted.


    Wally pulled up to the curb in front of the club, which had a surprisingly long line waiting outside. Once we stepped out of the limo, the doorman took one look at us and waved us over, indicating we should go right in.


    ¡°You made a reservation?¡± Luisa asked, surprised that we didn¡¯t have to wait in line.


    ¡°No, I did not. Why do you ask?¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Seriously? Life is really different for celebrities, I guess,¡± Luisa said as we followed the hostess to a tiny little table right up next to the stage, crammed in tight amongst way too many other little tables. It wasn¡¯t clear to me how the waiters could navigate the place, there was so little room between patrons.


    ¡°O.K., and we get just about the best seats in the house, too,¡± Luisa said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Life just isn¡¯t fair.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but you¡¯re benefiting from it right now, and you did last night, too,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°God, that dinner¡­¡± she said, a dreamy look in her eyes.


    Dinner at the jazz club was not nearly so good. The salad was fine, but my chicken breast entr¨¦e was dry and Emmy hardly touched her fish. Luisa seems to enjoy her Cajun pasta, so at least that wasn¡¯t a loss.


    On the positive side, their bartender was excellent, and the Old Fashioned I had after dinner was very good. Luisa and Emmy said the sangria was tasty, and they each had several glasses.


    I¡¯d run out of things to talk about to keep my end of the conversation going before too long, but Emmy and Luisa seemed to have no problem chatting away. I was just sort of lost in my own head, thinking about the remodel and wondering how much money this townhouse was going to cost when all was said and done. As my thoughts wandered, I considered the possibility that Emmy was enjoying all of this so much, she may actually want to move to New York full-time. Maybe she was subtly trying to convince me too, I thought.


    I was glad when the band took the stage, pulling me from my thoughts that Emmy might be trying to manipulate me away from Los Angeles. It isn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t think she was capable of such a thing, but I do believe that if she really wanted to move to New York instead of L.A. she would just outright tell me so.


    Anyhow, the band was a bunch of older guys, led by an amazing trumpet player. As little as I know about jazz, I have to admit my ignorance really didn¡¯t matter. The band was so smooth, so tight, and the sound so clean that it was impossible not to appreciate the talent and artistry.


    I¡¯d always thought of the saxophone as the most soulful instrument of all, but that old Cuban guy¡¯s trumpet made me reconsider my preferences in that arena. Seriously, it was that good.


    The show lasted almost two hours, and I wasn¡¯t bored for even a moment of that time, and neither were Emmy or Luisa. I found new appreciation for a kind of music that truthfully I¡¯d just never paid attention to in the past, but I could see more jazz in my future.


    After the set, Emmy stood up and spoke with the band leader a bit (in Spanish, of course), then congratulated the others in the band on an excellent set, and they all seemed pleased to get the compliment.


    As we left the club, Emmy said ¡°It is too early to go home yet! What else can we do tonight?¡±


    ¡°There are a couple of comedy clubs around the corner,¡± Luisa offered. ¡°I think they have shows until like two in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Is that O.K. with you?¡± Emmy asked me.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s fine, if you guys are up for it,¡± I said. I mean, it was after my usual bed time, but nothing said that I had to get up early, so why not?


    ¡°The clubs are this way,¡± Luisa said, taking the lead. We walked down a half block, then turned right onto a street with ethnic restaurants, coffee shops and shoe stores- an odd mix of club district and working-class neighborhood. There were a fair number of people walking around, even though it was almost midnight on a weeknight. ¡®The city that never sleeps,¡¯ I though to myself.


    Luisa was right- the comedy club was only a couple of blocks away, and even at midnight it was still pretty well packed. I didn¡¯t know the comedians we saw that night, but both of them were pretty funny, and the contrast between the two added to the humor. The first guy was playing the part of a stereotypical Southern Good Ol¡¯ Boy, speaking with a drawl and joking about fishing, hunting, and cooking meth. The last one of the night, however, was just as deep into her character of uptight, neurotic Middle-American housewife. Her jokes were rips on PTA potlucks, taking kids to soccer practice and talking about the neighbors¡¯ new boat.


    We had a great time, and Emmy laughed at almost all of the jokes, even though they must have been like watching a foreign movie for her.


    After the blonde lady left the stage, the club manager came over to our table to talk to Emmy. He just wanted to schmooze, and that¡¯s fine, but I was getting a bit tired and was ready to go hit the sack.


    By the time we left the comedy club it was nearly three in the morning, and the street was almost entirely deserted. I texted Wally to let him know to come pick us up, but really, I should have done it earlier because it meant a bit of a wait.


    Emmy and Luisa were chatting about the shows we¡¯d seen that night when I noticed a guy walking towards us, and something about him seemed wrong. It was a warm night, but he was wearing a heavy coat, his hands stuffed deep in his pockets. He was looking nervously around, and he checked over his shoulder more than once in the time I was watching him.


    I didn¡¯t want to freak out Luisa or worry Emmy, so I just sort of casually stepped in front of the two of them, placing myself between them and the sketchy guy with face tattoos.


    My instincts were spot-on, too. As soon as he got close, he pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at the three of us. ¡°Gimme- gimme your money! And that watch!¡± he said, waving his gun at Emmy.


    I took a small step towards him, drawing his attention away from the other two. The guy was obviously a tweaker, with bad skin and a hollow face emphasizing the shitty tattoos. He¡¯d shaved his eyebrows and had some words inked in their place, but I couldn''t read what it said in that brief moment.


    Luisa made some kind of noise, making him look past me. This was all I needed- that lapse of attention gave me the time to step in and grab his hand on the gun and swing it away from myself and the two behind me. The gun went off, pretty much right next to my ear, but that didn¡¯t matter. I had my hand wrapped around the cylinder and my thumb across the hammer so he couldn¡¯t pull the trigger again. He tried to pull away, but I slammed him in the nose with the heel of my right hand and felt the crunch of bones and cartilage breaking under the impact. I spun, lifting his gun hand higher and grabbed his wrist with my free hand, then levered the gun away and back, ripping it from his fingers. Retaining possession of his wrist, I pulled him forward and off-balance, then clubbed him with the pistol in my left hand. I hit him a second time to make sure he was out of the fight, then let go and let him drop to the sidewalk.


    I turned to check that both Emmy and Luisa were O.K. only to find Emmy in a ready stance and Luisa standing there with her hands to her face in shock.


    ¡°Luisa!¡± I said firmly to snap her out of it. ¡°Call 911! Get your phone and call the police!¡±


    She fumbled in her purse for a moment, got out her phone and called, while the club¡¯s doorman came rushing out to see what was going on. ¡°What happened?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°This guy tried to mug us,¡± I said, toeing the unconscious dude.


    Taking a look, I saw his eyebrow tattoo spelled out ¡°Stay Free,¡± which I found morbidly amusing. He started to rouse, so I put my foot on his neck and said ¡°Stay down or I¡¯ll fucking kill you,¡± which seemed to do the trick.


    The police arrived moments after Wally did, and I asked the officer if Luisa and Emmy could wait in the car while I explained what happened. Since it seemed as if it was going to take a while, I sent the two home once they¡¯d given their statements and told Wally to come back after he¡¯d dropped them off.


    ¡°You really put the hurt on that guy,¡± a second officer said as they loaded the would-be mugger into an ambulance.


    ¡°Yeah, well, he pulled a gun on me,¡± I answered, just wanting to go to bed now the adrenaline was wearing off.


    ¡°It¡¯s a really bad idea to confront an armed assailant,¡± the officer continued. ¡°You shoulda just given him your cash- that way nobody woulda gotten hurt.¡±


    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t going to happen,¡± I said. ¡°The moment he threatened my wife and my friend, he was going down.¡±


    ¡°What, you think you¡¯re some kinda Wonder Woman or something? Lady, there ain¡¯t no such thing as superheroes. You are not bulletproof. We coulda been loading you into the hearse.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I said. ¡°You should be happy to have one less shithead on the street.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I ain¡¯t happy to have you running around thinking you''re invincible, either,¡± he replied. ¡°Next time, just give ¡®em the cash.¡±


    ¡°Not going to happen,¡± I said. ¡°Now excuse me- I have to get home.¡±


    Wally was quiet on the drive, but finally he spoke up. ¡°Miss Emmy told me what happened,¡± he said. ¡°You could have been killed.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think so. The guy wasn¡¯t focused on what he was doing. He was probably high as a kite, so his reactions were slow and uncoordinated. Really, he was as much a danger to himself as he was to us.¡±


    ¡°But he had a gun!¡± Wally protested.


    ¡°And I knew what to do,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve trained for just that situation. I don¡¯t want to say I had it completely under control, but my threat assessment was that it was a situation I could deal with.¡±


    When Wally opened the door for me, I told him ¡°Sleep in a bit. Don¡¯t worry about breakfast. I¡¯ll text you when we need a ride.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, gratefully. ¡°I could use it.¡±


    ¡°You and me both,¡± I agreed.


    I found Emmy and Luisa in the kitchen drinking tea at the breakfast table. ¡°Are you doing O.K.?¡± I asked.


    Emmy nodded that she was fine, but really, it wasn¡¯t her I was worried about.


    ¡°Luisa? You O.K.?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°It was so fast¡­¡± she said, her voice breaking. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize what was going on and you were already pounding the shit out of the guy! Just, like, bam! The gun went off and like a second later he¡¯s down on the ground, bleeding! At first I thought you shot him- I just couldn''t figure out what was going on!¡± she said, fighting tears.


    ¡°Shh¡­ it is alright now, we are safe,¡± Emmy said, stroking Luisa¡¯s shoulder, which only seemed to open the floodgates to more tears.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I kept quiet, but put my hand on hers on the table.


    Eventually Luisa¡¯s tears dried up, and she said in a shaky voice ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a good idea,¡± I said. ¡°Need any help?¡±


    ¡°In bed?¡± she asked, not understanding.


    Chuckling, I said ¡°No, not in bed. I meant getting upstairs. Getting to bed. You seem pretty shaky.¡±


    ¡°I- I¡¯ll be O.K.¡± she replied, but then had a hard time standing up, so I helped her out of the chair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in bed in a few minutes,¡± I told Emmy as I helped Luisa to the elevator. Since the elevator didn¡¯t go up to the top floor (yes, I know there¡¯s a joke in there) I helped Luisa up the final flight of stairs and into her little apartment. I was going to leave her there, but she just stood in the middle of the room, still in shock, trembling a bit, not making any move to take care of herself.


    ¡°Luisa, look at me,¡± I said, turning her to face me. ¡°Don¡¯t take this wrong, but I think you shouldn¡¯t be alone tonight. Do you want to sleep with Emmy and me tonight? Would that make you feel safer?¡±


    She just nodded, so I led her back to the elevator and then to the third floor. Emmy was already in bed when I entered with Luisa, but the lights were still on. I knew she¡¯d turned them on for me, since she didn¡¯t need them, and I appreciated it.


    ¡°Em, Luisa¡¯s having a tough time,¡± I said. ¡°I think she should stay with us tonight. Is that alright with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Emmy said, scooting over to make more room in the bed.


    I sat Luisa down on the edge of the bed, then gently took her shoes off for her, since she was still having a hard time doing anything for herself. I stood her up again and unzipped the back of her dress, then pulled it off her shoulders and dropped it down. To my surprise, she was only wearing a pair of undies and no bra, so I quickly grabbed a T shirt for her out of my drawer and pulled it on her to cover her significant breasts. Leading her to bed, I tucked her in, then grabbed myself a T shirt to sleep in and went to the bathroom to change and brush my teeth.


    I shut off the lights and climbed into bed, spooning behind Luisa, who I could feel was still shaking a little bit. It didn¡¯t take long for her to fall asleep, though- all that stress was exhausting.


    Once Luisa had dropped off, I whispered "Good night, Em. I love you.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Leah,¡± she whispered back. ¡°What you did tonight was very brave. I am very proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want that guy to hurt either of you.¡±


    ¡°You were magnificent,¡± Emmy whispered. ¡°Truly magnificent.¡±

 Rise And Shine

    Waking up in the morning with somebody snuggled up to me that wasn¡¯t Emmy was a momentary shock, until I remembered bringing Luisa to our bed, since she¡¯d been so traumatized.


    I slid my arm out from around her and my shoulder from under her head as I climbed out of bed. Sure, I¡¯d only gotten maybe three hours of sleep, but my body said it was morning and time to get up. I quietly grabbed my running gear, then silently slipped into the bathroom to get dressed.


    Emmy and Luisa were still asleep when I emerged, so I took a moment to look at Luisa. Her face was a bit of a mess, since she¡¯d cried a lot, then went to bed without washing off her makeup. Understandable, but one more little thing to deal with once she awoke.


    Stopping in the kitchen for some water, I found Grant at the breakfast table drinking a cup of coffee and eating some sort of pastry from the little bakery over on First Avenue.


    ¡°We had some excitement last night,¡± I mentioned.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± he asked, looking up from the newspaper crossword. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A tweaker pulled a gun on us, so I beat the crap out of him,¡¯ I said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.


    ¡°Oh. Serves him right,¡± Grant replied, then went back to the puzzle.


    Figuring that was the end of the conversation, I went for my run. I opted to go a different way this time, heading up 50th street to Fifth Avenue, then into Central Park. By this point I was getting used to the rhythm of running on Manhattan sidewalks. Thankfully the pedestrian traffic is light at five in the morning, so I didn¡¯t have to dodge that many people as I ran. I¡¯d also learned to look half a block up at the stoplights to time my arrival for green lights. Stopping cold at a red light really sucks, and I did my best to avoid it whenever I could, either by slowing a bit or sprinting to make the light.


    Central Park itself was really nice- I stuck mostly to the outside-most paths on a counterclockwise loop around the park and enjoyed the scenery quite a bit. Even at that early hour there were quite a few runners, cyclists and skaters out for their morning workouts, which I was happy to see. My Roosevelt Island loop was generally a solitary affair, but the park was filled with others enjoying the early morning.


    Back at the house, I slipped into the bedroom as quietly as I could, and to my complete lack of surprise Emmy and Luisa were still asleep.


    After my shower, I peeked in the bedroom again, only to find that they were awake, but talking in low, hushed tones to each other.


    Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I asked ¡°How are you two doing?¡± Honestly, I wasn¡¯t worried about Emmy, just Luisa, but I didn¡¯t want to single her out.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m O.K.,¡± Luisa said, not sounding too convinced. ¡°I¡¯m still not too sure what actually happened. Did that guy actually try to shoot us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Get up, take a shower, get dressed, and I¡¯ll explain everything over breakfast,¡± I said. ¡°See you in the sunroom in an hour?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, O.K.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to head over to the bakery on the corner for some stuff for breakfast. You two want coffee?¡±


    Receiving two enthusiastic yeses, I wandered down to the kitchen to see if Grant was still there.


    Finding no sign of the guy, I strolled over to the bakery and got some croissants and some breakfast sandwiches in addition to the four coffees. It was nice, just doing normal things like an ordinary person. Not getting to cut to the head of the line because Emmy is a celebrity, not getting special treatment because I¡¯m a millionaire. Just getting some coffees and baked goods to take home, that¡¯s all.


    Bemused, I walked back to the townhouse, thinking about how crazy my life had become. It¡¯s not that I regretted it in any way, mind you. It¡¯s just that every now and then I¡¯d have a moment like that, when I¡¯d just sort of stop and marvel at how things had turned out.


    Half a block from home I spotted Grant looking at the front of the house, so I strolled over to where he stood.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked, offering him a cup of coffee.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, taking the cup. ¡°I think it looks pretty good from a security standpoint. After the windows get replaced and the shades installed, there won¡¯t be any risk from sniper fire-¡°


    ¡°Sniper fire?¡± I asked, interrupting. ¡°Is that really a concern?¡±


    ¡°Most likely not, no,¡± Grant conceded. ¡°But that isn¡¯t the same as zero possibility. You have the money, the windows should be replaced to current standards anyhow, may as well close off that risk, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, O.K., I can see that. But then, wouldn''t a sniper merely wait until we walked out the front door?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s a possibility, but if they don¡¯t know the glass is security-rated, they may try for the easy shot to set up.¡±


    ¡°All right, so what else?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t much like the terrace outside your office. An intruder could come over from the condo building¡¯s roof, but with security windows and door they would have a hard time entering. The same goes for the little back terrace outside Luisa¡¯s apartment. It would take a ladder to get up onto your roof from the condo building roof, then a drop down to that back terrace, but again, it¡¯d be tough to get in from that point, so I guess we¡¯d have to consider those avenues to be pretty difficult ways to gain entry."


    ¡°Sounds good so far,¡± I said, sipping my coffee and looking at the house along with Grant.


    ¡°The front door is plenty stout and the locks are good, and if we replace the inside entry door at the top of the landing with a security door we can retain the original front door, no problem, while still maintaining good security. I¡¯d like to install some hidden shriekers in that front entryway to make life miserable for anybody trying to penetrate that way.¡±


    ¡°Shriekers?¡±


    ¡°Alarm sirens that are so loud all you can do is cover your ears in agony,¡± Grant explained.


    ¡°Sounds nice,¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Cheap and effective,¡± Grant agreed. ¡°If they can¡¯t even hear themselves think, getting past the interior security door is virtually impossible.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve put them on Erich¡¯s list?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Grant agreed.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I guess it would have been called the servant¡¯s entrance back in the day. That set of stairs going down to the little mud room, then the laundry room. Again, we can put a set of shriekers in that mud room, and a security door going in from there. Some sensor lights out of easy reach in the actual stairwell along with a hidden camera and that blocks any easy access by that route,¡± Grant said. ¡°So far, it¡¯s all been easy to do, and relatively cheap.¡±


    ¡°Well, how about the back?¡±


    ¡°Getting into the little garden patio would take some work. There¡¯s no access from that side,¡± he said, waving at the embassy to the left. ¡°And the wall between your patio and the ground floor condo on that side is eight feet tall, so it would have to be ladder work. Then, getting into the house would require getting through the security doors into the dining room, which would be difficult. So I think we can consider the house reasonably secure with what¡¯s already been discussed. I would like to do what we talked about and make it so the sub-basement can be sealed off in case of invasion, however unlikely.¡±


    ¡°How likely do you think it actually would be?¡±


    ¡°Very, very unlikely,¡± Grant admitted. ¡°You¡¯re right next door to the Moroccan embassy, which has a full-time security staff, for one thing. I went out for drinks with the head of their security detail last night, and he told me there is zero, and I mean zero, crime in this block. Also, he mentioned the local police precinct house is just three blocks that way. He¡¯d tested their response times and they are pretty damned quick to respond, so realistically all the security windows and doors need to do is hold out for five, maybe eight minutes at most. Against any but the best-prepared and committed intruders, the precautions already planned would do the trick.¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, but nothing. From what you¡¯ve told me, any Night Children that would try to attack Emmy would do so at night, by stealth, right? They aren¡¯t going to come in here with trained squads and shaped charges. They¡¯d sneak up, try to find an open window or unlocked door, right? But they won¡¯t. For them, it might as well be Fort Knox.¡±


    ¡°Good enough for me, then,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for doing this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s my job- of course I¡¯m going to do whatever I can,¡± Grant replied. Then, he turned to me. ¡°Leah, you know I¡¯m a no-bullshit kind of guy. ¡®Subtle¡¯ is not my name, so I¡¯m just going to come out and ask. It seems like Luisa is going to be here by herself most of the time, right? Would you maybe consider taking on somebody who could be here and take care of security, maybe basic maintenance, things like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d been sort of concerned about her being here alone,¡± I agreed. ¡°So what are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Well, I know you haven''t met her, but my oldest just finished her four years active, and she¡¯s thinking about college. If she had a place to stay, New York could be a really good experience for her. She could do the basic maintenance I mentioned, maybe odd chores, whatever, in return for free rent in that other apartment upstairs. She¡¯s a good kid, dependable. I¡¯d really appreciate it as a personal favor to me,¡± he said, seeming a bit uncomfortable even asking.


    ¡°Your daughter? I asked. ¡°I can assume she knows how to kick ass?¡±


    ¡°With the best of ¡®em,¡± Grant agreed.


    ¡°And as a Marine, she knows how to shoot. She see any action?¡± I probed.


    ¡°She did a tour in Afghanistan, got herself into a few firefights,¡± he confirmed.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°What about if I hired her, gave her a real job as security slash bodyguard? Would she be O.K. with that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, that might make it hard for her to attend school,¡± Grant hedged.


    ¡°Nah, we could make that work. If she can act as home security, and like you said, maybe do the occasional maintenance, she could be free during the days to attend classes. Luisa has a day job teaching art, and we¡¯re O.K. with that taking her days during the school year. If your daughter can drop everything and come here so I can meet her, we could see if we could make it work.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in Raleigh, North Carolina right now. I can have her drive up,¡± Grant said, looking hopeful.


    ¡°Call the office, in,¡± I said, looking at my watch, ¡°three hours and have them get her a plane ticket. I¡¯ll shoot an email confirming it right now,¡± I said pulling my phone out.


    ¡°Thanks, Leah,¡± Grant said. ¡°This means a lot to me.¡±


    ¡°When I offered you the job, I said I¡¯d take care of your family as well as you. I wasn¡¯t just yanking your chain.¡±


    ¡°No, I guess not,¡± he agreed as we walked in the front door of the house. ¡°I¡¯ll look into what it takes to get a bodyguard license here in New York¡± he added.


    We found Luisa and Emmy in the sunroom, chatting. It seemed as if Emmy was the one holding up the conversation- Luisa still seemed a bit out of sorts.


    Grant and I sat down and as he handed out the coffees I took out the various breakfast goodies and laid them on the table for everybody to take what they wanted.


    ¡°Oh, god,¡± Luisa groaned. ¡°Leah, I don¡¯t even know how you can look so awake this early after last night,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Well, my ten mile run this morning helped quite a bit,¡± I said, not intending to be snarky.


    ¡°You what? Are you kidding me?¡± she asked, disbelieving.


    ¡°Yeah, she was out the door a little before five thirty this morning,¡± Grant confirmed.


    ¡°Jesus, that¡¯s inhuman,¡± Luisa said with another groan.


    After a few sips of coffee and half her breakfast sandwich, Luisa was revived enough to ask ¡°O.K., so what exactly did happen last night?¡±


    I explained the whole incident, both for her sake and to describe it to Grant. I figured he¡¯d have some good input in a debrief, after all.


    ¡°I swear I thought at first you¡¯d shot the guy,¡± Luisa admitted. ¡°I mean, you had the gun in your hand and he was lying on the ground all crumpled up like he was dead or something.¡±


    ¡°No, I just pistol whipped him pretty good,¡± I said, taking a sip of my coffee.


    ¡°And here you are, talking about it like it was something you just saw on T.V., like it was no big deal,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can be so casual about it all.¡±


    ¡°Luisa-¡± Emmy began, but I interrupted her.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing. I did what I needed to do to take care of the situation. There was no time to freak out- I just had to act, and that¡¯s it,¡± I explained. ¡°Then, once the situation was stabilized, it was too late to freak out. At that point, everything was over and done with and all I had to do was deal with the police and get you guys taken care of. Nothing else mattered.¡±


    ¡°But that guy was all fucked up!¡± Luisa said. ¡°You smashed his face in, broke his hand and I don¡¯t even know what else! That guy isn¡¯t ever going to forget last night- and I don¡¯t think I am, either.¡±


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯m going to be thinking about the encounter for a while, too,¡± I replied.


    ¡°What do you mean? You look like you¡¯re already completely over it!¡±


    ¡°On my run this morning I gave it a lot of thought, and something I realized is that I fucked up on a real fundamental level,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Luisa.


    ¡°I saw the guy half a block away and identified him as a problem,¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, I should have just taken you two back into the club and avoided the whole scenario.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Grant said, throwing his two cents in. ¡°The best fight is one you don¡¯t even get into at all.¡±


    Luisa looked back and forth between Grant and me for a few moments, then said ¡°You want to know something? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s right. In this case, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Grant asked, curious to hear what she had to say.


    ¡°Well, that guy was a junkie, looking to rob somebody for some drug money, right? If you hadn¡¯t put a stop to him, maybe somebody would have gotten shot, you know?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I said. ¡°But I can¡¯t protect the world from guys like that. All I can do is protect my own people.¡±


    ¡°Am I your own people?¡± Luisa asked.


    Catching her eyes, I said ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, you are until you tell me otherwise. If you don¡¯t want to be, that¡¯s fine. But if you do, I¡¯ll do what I can to take care of you.¡±


    Luisa really had no response for that, so after a few moments she mumbled something about getting back to work on the wine collection, then left the sunroom.


    Grant, who¡¯d been silent through that last exchange, said ¡°Well, I know which way I would choose,¡± and left to go do whatever it was he was going to do.


    ¡°Leah, you may be correct about avoiding the trouble entirely, but Luisa is also correct in that you may have saved the life of someone else last night. You did a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, relieved that she felt that way.


    ¡°Do you have any plans for today?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, not really. I need to get some work done, and I guess I should do some review for my finals, but that¡¯s not really a plan, more like a vague suggestion of things I really should do,¡± I said. ¡°Why? Do you have anything going on today?¡±


    ¡°There is a guitar shop I would like to visit,¡± Emmy said. ¡°If you do not mind.¡±


    ¡°Why would I mind? But I have an idea. Take Luisa with you,¡± I said.


    ¡°You do not wish to go?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, really. I think she needs a little time away from me, and since you¡¯ll inevitably play some music, she¡¯ll get a mini concert out of it. It¡¯ll cheer her up. It always does for me,¡± I responded. ¡°And I really should get some work done.¡±


    After the two left with Wally, I went upstairs to spend some time in the wonderful world of local rental market predictions of various regions of the Bay Area. My mind wasn¡¯t really on it, though, so I went out for a walk. New York isn¡¯t a city that really encourages strolling. It¡¯s full of pedestrians, sure, but they aren¡¯t out for walks. They are walking to get someplace, and not for enjoyment. As a result, if you simply amble along you become a rolling roadblock, and impediment for others to have to get around on their way to some other place.


    I¡¯d mostly been enjoying this trip to New York, and enjoying seeing Emmy be so enthusiastic about the house and going out. Sure, last night ended badly, but up until that tweaker tried to mug us it was a fun night out.


    But this, this walking along with the flow of people in a rush around me, the long, straight canyon of buildings disappearing into the distance, the fumes, the sounds¡­ This really wasn¡¯t for me. Sure, I could see spending more time here, but living here full time? I was not ready for that. As much time and money as we were sinking into the townhouse here, I was more and more convinced that our future really lay back in California.


    When I got back to the house it was still empty, so I went down to the wine cellar to look at what Luisa had done. She¡¯d been busy, that much was obvious. Maybe a third of the bottles had little red twist ties around their necks. I figured those were the bottles that had been recorded already, so I didn¡¯t mess with anything. I just sat there for a while in the coolness of that wine cellar, sipping an old can of Coke I¡¯d found in the wet bar¡¯s fridge. I intentionally didn¡¯t think about how long it might have sat there. I figured it was printed with the current label, so it couldn¡¯t be too old, right? And who knows how long the shelf life of that stuff was, anyway?


    I was working on a second can when Luisa came into the cellar, letting out a little squeak of surprise to find somebody already there.


    ¡°Did you guys have a good time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Um, yeah. I mean, I did, and I think Emmy did, too,¡± Luisa blurted out. ¡°What are you doing down here?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, really,¡± I admitted. ¡°Just¡­ thinking. Well, not even that, really. Just vegging.¡±


    ¡°Down here? It¡¯s freezing down here!¡± Luisa said. ¡°You¡¯re not even wearing a coat!¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just my hardy Southern Californian blood,¡± I said, laughing.


    ¡°Well, Jesus, you¡¯re making me cold just looking at you!¡± she said, setting down her desk lamp and laptop on the old farm table.


    ¡°Luisa,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± she asked, looking up from where she was plugging the lamp in the wall socket.


    ¡°What do you think? Do you want to be one of my people?¡± I asked. ¡°All joking aside, this is a real question.¡±


    ¡°I- well, I need this job, and you guys have been good to me so far,¡± she said, nervous. ¡°I¡¯m still a little bit shook up from last night. I mean, the mugger was one thing, you know? But the way you kicked his ass like it was nothing- I guess that has me a little bit spooked.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°No. Well, I mean, I guess¡­ no. I¡¯m not afraid of you per se. I mean, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re gonna pistol whip the shit out of me or anything like that. It¡¯s just¡­¡± she trailed off, at a loss for words.


    ¡°It¡¯s just?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that you knew that guy had a gun, but it didn¡¯t bother you. You were like a machine or something. You just grabbed him, smacked the living shit outta him and then waited for the police, with your foot on the guy¡¯s neck. I know for a fact that when you told him you¡¯d kill him if he moved, he believed you. I sure as fuck did. You were so stone cold. It¡¯s like you weren¡¯t even angry. He walked up, pulled a gun, you put the beat down on him, end of story. He might have just as well stepped in front of a train. You didn¡¯t care any more than that train would have cared,¡± she said, letting out what had been bothering her.


    ¡°Is that it? You¡¯re worried I¡¯m some sort of psychopath?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± she said quickly. ¡°I took a year of psychology in college, and I know that a person with antisocial personality disorder can hide it well, but not as well as you do. I mean, the things you do, I¡¯ve seen you do, you do to benefit others. A psychopath can fake it, but they ultimately only do things for themselves,¡± she explained, the words pouring out. ¡°So no, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re either of those things. I do wonder what it is you really are, though. I mean, I¡¯d just assumed you guys have money because Emmy¡¯s a rock star, right? But the way she keeps asking you about spending money, well, it makes me think I had it wrong. But you don¡¯t act like most of the rich people I¡¯ve met, and working for the Daltons, I met quite a few.¡±


    I made little ¡°Mmm hmm,¡± noises to let her know I was paying attention and she should keep talking.


    ¡°So, I mean, you¡¯re obviously the top in the relationship. You keep going up to the office to work, so I know that you do something, but it¡¯s only a few hours every now and then, so it¡¯s not like a full-time job. But clearly you have the money in the relationship,¡± Luisa said, her thoughts running at a hundred miles an hour. ¡°But the other day, when you came back from your run- I¡¯ve never seen anybody with a body like yours in real life. Women aren¡¯t supposed to have six-pack abs, but Jesus, you in that sports bra and running shorts- you are so fucking ripped it¡¯s like it¡¯s not even real. I¡¯d half convinced myself I¡¯d imagined it, but then last night the way you took that guy down looked so effortless, so quick and easy¡­ It¡¯s obvious you train for that sort of thing, and train hard. I mean, yeah, you run ten miles every morning before breakfast, but runners don¡¯t look like you do¡­¡±


    ¡°No, most don¡¯t,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So,¡± Luisa said, taking a breath. ¡°I want to be one of your people, but I want to know what I¡¯m getting into here. You aren¡¯t some kind of international assassin or something, right? Please tell me you¡¯re not.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°No, I can promise you I¡¯ve never been paid to kill anyone in my life.¡±


    ¡°What, you do it for free?¡± Luisa asked, rising up out of her chair to bolt for the door.


    ¡°O.K., let me be serious here for a moment,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°No, I¡¯m not some sort of Jason Bourne-style trained killer for the government, or mafia hit woman or anything like that. I am trained. I train really hard, as you noticed. In fact, I¡¯ve been feeling guilty this week here in New York for slacking off so badly.¡±


    ¡°But you run!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been running, and that¡¯s cool, but normally I¡¯d be in the gym for a few hours every day, also. I do mixed martial arts. I used to play volleyball for Stanford, and even was invited to try out for the Olympic team, but chose not to go for it.¡±


    ¡°Stanford?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I attended on a full athletic scholarship to play V ball,¡± I explained. ¡°While I was going to school, I started doing real estate investment, property management, that kind of thing. It turns out I¡¯m good at it, and have made a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°While in college?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, sipping my ancient Coke.


    ¡°Christ. I had a part-time job tending bar at an Applebee¡¯s while I was in college,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I could just barely make rent, and all my school got paid for with loans. And here you are, training for the Olympics, spending hours in the gym kickboxing, and building a real estate empire. It makes me feel kinda pathetic,¡± she said.


    ¡°Eh, whatever,¡± I replied. ¡°I can¡¯t play even a single chord on the guitar, and my singing voice is better not mentioned. When I compare myself to Emmy, I have no talent at all. And you- you teach art, and do your own art. Me, I wouldn¡¯t even know which end of a brush to dip in the paint, much less the difference between tempera and oil. We all have our skills, you know?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± Luisa said. ¡°So- to recap. You¡¯re an Olympic athlete, professional kick boxer, and real estate tycoon, married to a rock star. You have enough money to buy a ten million dollar Manhattan townhouse on a whim, even though you don¡¯t plan on ever actually living here. Do I have that all right?¡±


    ¡°Well, sort of, some of it, anyway,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And you¡¯re immune to cold,¡± Luisa added.


    ¡°So, are we good?¡± I asked. ¡°Feel a little better about things?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re good. And yeah, I think I have a better handle on things,¡± Luisa replied. ¡°I guess I have only one more question, and don¡¯t take this the wrong way or anything, but I¡¯d really, really, and I mean this completely, I¡¯d really love it if you would model for me. I know it¡¯s not really appropriate to ask, and if you say no I won¡¯t ask again. I don¡¯t mean nude or anything, but if you want to do that, that¡¯s cool too¡­¡± she said, babbling again.


    ¡°Let me see your portfolio, and I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Luisa asked, hopeful.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I said. ¡°Now I should go back upstairs and see what Emmy is up to.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Leah,¡± Luisa said.


    ¡°I haven''t agreed to pose yet!¡±


    ¡°No, not about that. About all the rest. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. It means a lot,¡± she said.

 A Proposition

    I figured I¡¯d probably find Emmy up in the sitting room that will eventually become her recording space, playing the guitar she no doubt just bought, and that¡¯s exactly where she was. Emmy was sitting in a chair facing the river, strumming her new guitar and singing softly to herself when I walked in.


    ¡°Hey, babe. How was the guitar shop?¡± I asked, resting my hands on her shoulders.


    Emmy leaned her head over and nuzzled her cheek on my hand. ¡°It was not what I expected,¡± she admitted. ¡°I thought they would have more guitars for sale, but to my surprise, they mostly repair and fine-tune guitars for clients. The guitars they did have were all there on consignment. I bought this Ovation just so I would have something to play while we are here. It is nice enough, but I am not in love with it,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m in love with you,¡± I said, rubbing her shoulders.


    ¡°Leah¡­ that feels wonderful. And it reminds me- I need to buy some massage oil.¡±


    Laughing, I leaned down for a kiss, and told Emmy ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one who wants to get me naked.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course not,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You are stunning!¡±


    Laughing at how Emmy¡¯s verbal judo had left my joke flat on the mat, I explained. ¡°Luisa asked if I would pose for her.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Emmy asked, her eyes widening with excitement. ¡°Nude?¡±


    ¡°Well, she said either way, but if I was O.K. with nude that would be great,¡± I said.


    ¡°I think you should do it!¡± Emmy said, captivated by the idea.


    ¡°You want another woman to check out your naked wife?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°Yes! You are magnificent, Leah. How could I not wish to show you off?¡±


    Laughing, I said ¡°I¡¯m not really sure I¡¯m comfortable with posing nude, you know?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Emmy asked. ¡°You did it for that calendar.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that was the whole team, and the pics were ¡®implied nude¡¯ and didn¡¯t actually show anything,¡± I replied. ¡°And I didn¡¯t know the photographer, and my session was over in, like, fifteen minutes. If Luisa is going to paint a portrait it¡¯d have to be hours, I¡¯d imagine.¡±


    ¡°Usually the artist does a series of sketches in the first sitting, getting the pose and composition she wants. Then she paints the majority of the portrait working off the sketch, and only calls the subject to sit down for another hour, maybe two, for the final details,¡± Emmy explained.


    ¡°Let me guess- you¡¯ve had your portrait painted,¡± I said. Of course she had, right?


    ¡°Yes, several times during my childhood,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°So you would be O.K. with me being nude in front of Luisa?¡± I asked, just for confirmation.


    ¡°I am very much in favor of it,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°When would it happen?¡±


    ¡°When she asked, I told her I wanted to see her portfolio first, and only then would I agree. So I guess whenever she drags it out to show me.¡±


    ¡°This could be so much fun!¡±


    ¡°For you, maybe,¡± I grumbled, but to be honest, I didn¡¯t actually hate the idea. I mean, she was an artist, and had done plenty of figure studies, right? So for Luisa, I¡¯d just be another model posing, that¡¯s all, I told myself. No reason for it to be weird. It wasn¡¯t weird when I took her clothes off so she could sleep last night, was it?


    Changing the subject, I asked, ¡°Hey, what do you want to do for dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°I would like to stay in tonight,¡± Emmy replied, after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Perhaps we can order something for delivery?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I agreed.


    Leaving Emmy alone to practice, I wandered back down to the wine cellar to find Luisa.


    ¡°Hey, Emmy said you cooked for the Daltons, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°At least once a week,¡± she agreed. ¡°They had a cook, but she only worked Monday through Friday night, so I made the Sunday dinners,¡± Luisa explained.


    ¡°What about Saturdays?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They always went out for dinner on Saturdays,¡± Luisa said, shrugging. ¡°Sometimes I¡¯d cook if any of the kids stayed home, but usually the whole family went out.¡±


    ¡°Well, how about if you make dinner tonight? I know there¡¯s really nothing here at the house, and Emmy and I are leaving in a couple of days, but you¡¯re going to need some groceries, too, right? Let¡¯s do some grocery shopping and have dinner in, tonight.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you¡¯re the boss,¡± agreed Luisa, racking the bottle she¡¯d finished cataloguing. ¡°The Daltons liked pretty standard American fare. Steaks, potatoes, roast chicken, that sort of thing, but I¡¯m also pretty good with Italian, too,¡± Luisa said, winding up her extension cord and stuffing her laptop under her arm. ¡°Give me twenty minutes and I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the kitchen,¡± I said.


    The two big refrigerators were almost entirely empty, save for a few things like bottles of water, some Cokes, and the like. The freezer was totally empty, too, for which I was probably grateful. The pantry had a fair amount of canned goods, and thankfully it was all fairly recent, judging by the date codes.


    ¡°Yeah, I looked at that stuff,¡± said Luisa as I was checking the cans. ¡°I think that the cook here kept the stock up to date, so none of those cans are too old at all, from what I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Except maybe the Cokes in the fridge in the cellar,¡± I joked.


    ¡°What? No, I put those there,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I needed something while I was working down there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank God,¡± I said. ¡°I was a bit worried I was drinking stuff that should have been thrown out years ago,¡± getting a chuckle from Luisa.


    ¡°No, that fridge down there was empty. Those Cokes and bottles of water are all new.¡±


    ¡°Should I call Wally to give us a ride to the store?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s only like three blocks away,¡± Luisa answered. ¡°But if we do a big shopping trip we¡¯ll want a ride back here.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll text him to let him know we¡¯ll need him in an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°How bizarre is it to go grocery shopping in a limo?¡± mused Luisa as we walked out the door.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve been considering keeping Wally on full-time,¡± I said as we walked. ¡°What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Luisa said, thinking about it. ¡°You need a driver when you¡¯re in town, right? But how much of the time are you guys actually planning on being here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± I said. ¡°But it won¡¯t just be us. I expect that friends and family members will be able to use the house as their New York headquarters, even if Emmy and I aren¡¯t here. So maybe, I don¡¯t know, three or four months out of the year, all told? But also, what if you need a ride somewhere?¡±


    ¡°If I can¡¯t get there by walking or on the subway, I usually get an Uber,¡± Luisa said. ¡°So it isn¡¯t as if I need a limo to chauffeur me around.¡±


    ¡°Well, it wouldn''t be a limo,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d probably buy two vehicles for here, since we have two parking spots. A nice sedan, and maybe a van or something like that for when we have something big that needs to be picked up. I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I haven''t really given it a lot of thought.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s think about this for a moment,¡± Luisa said as we waited at a crosswalk. ¡°Right now, this visit, you¡¯re here for, what, ten days? And how much is the limo service charging for you to keep Wally exclusive?¡± Not waiting for an answer, she continued. ¡°Now let¡¯s say you need a driver for three months out of the year- that¡¯s the low end of your estimate, right? So that¡¯s ninety days. Multiply what the service is charging you times nine. Is that more or less than the cost of keeping Wally on the payroll, plus the cost of the cars you¡¯re talking about? If so, then hire him. If not, you¡¯d only be paying for convenience, which is O.K. if you accept that that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing. I mean, really, the rational economic choice is to just Uber wherever you want to go and pay delivery fees when you have to.¡±


    ¡°All right, I can see that¡¯s the rational argument,¡± I agreed. ¡°And I¡¯d more or less thought the same thing. But the reality is that I can¡¯t drive Emmy wherever she needs to go all the time, and parking is such a¡­ challenge, here in Manhattan, that having our own car that we drive would be as much a pain in the ass as anything,¡± I said. ¡°This means having a driver. Uber and taxis are O.K. for most people, but Emmy¡¯s really recognizable and famous, and there are those out there who are most definitely not fans and I¡¯m not really in love with the idea of her getting in cars driven by randos, know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°You mean those religious asshats that sometimes protest her shows?¡± Luisa asked.


    ¡°Yeah, and others,¡± I said, and realized that I needed to explain the whole Night Children thing to her.


    After that, the actual shopping took most of our attention. We got ingredients for dinners for the next few nights, as well as things that Luisa would need for herself, living in the townhouse after we leave.


    I texted Wally as we went through the checkout, and he pulled up to the curb just as we exited the store. Quickly loading the groceries in the trunk, soon we were back at the house.


    ¡°Wally, can you stay for dinner?¡± I asked as we carried the grocery bags down the front steps and into the lower entrance. I refused to call it the ¡®servants¡¯ entrance¡¯.


    ¡°Dinner? Me? With you and Miss Emmy?¡±


    ¡°And Luisa and Grant, too,¡± I said. ¡°I have some things I¡¯d like to talk about with you.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Wally said. ¡°Let me park the car and I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Grant was at the breakfast table in the kitchen, reading something on his laptop. He jumped up to help, but we¡¯d already carried in everything between the three of us.


    ¡°Luisa¡¯s making dinner tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Anything I can do to help?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Well, I was thinking that after dinner, we could maybe have some drinks,¡± I said. ¡°Luisa, you said you tended bar in college?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but at Applebee¡¯s,¡± she answered as we worked to put the groceries away.


    ¡°Know how to make a Manhattan?¡± asked Grant.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Luisa replied, a look of disbelief on her face that he would even ask.


    ¡°Well, how about you check to see what we actually have that¡¯s any good, then make up a shopping list? Grant, would you make a run to the liquor store with me for whatever Luisa needs?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can do that,¡± Luisa said.


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Grant agreed.


    Fifteen minutes later, after Luisa had Grant and Wally bring up everything from the wet bar downstairs to the bar in the parlor, she started working on her list. She tossed the cherries and the like in the trash, poured a few bottles down the sink and generally eliminated everything that was no good any more. Grant managed to pick the lock on the locked cabinet, which did have the good stuff hidden away.


    She wrote down what was needed, and then what would be good to have. A third list were things that we should have gotten at the grocery store- limes, oranges, fresh mint, olives- that sort of thing.


    ¡°You know that when the crews are here, all this needs to be locked up,¡± Luisa said.


    ¡°I guess we can just transfer everything to the cellar bar when the time comes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re going to work down there, too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to have the wine removed into storage by then,¡± I agreed. ¡°Any progress on that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent out a couple of emails,¡± Luisa said.


    With the list in hand, Grant and I headed for the liquor store Luisa recommended while she stayed behind to get going on dinner. Wally stayed to help, with the understanding that we might need a ride back to the house.


    ¡°I got my daughter tickets for tomorrow,¡± Grant said as we walked.


    ¡°Great!¡± I replied. ¡°She¡¯s on board with the whole idea?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯d been feeling stuck in a rut, you know? This is just the sort of kick in the pants that she needs,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, she hasn¡¯t come up to check things out yet, or met me and Emmy, never mind Luisa, who¡¯d be her roommate, in a sense. She might change her mind.¡±


    ¡°Realistically, you have to remember that she just got out of four years in the Corps. At no point in any of that time did she get to pick her roommates, much less her boss, so it isn¡¯t like she¡¯ll complain.¡±


    ¡°No, maybe not,¡± I agreed.


    We grabbed the things we needed from the grocery store, then walked to the liquor store in amiable silence.


    Our shopping list didn''t seem that long, but the total was almost two thousand bucks anyway. A few of the bottles made the bulk of the ticket, and we didn¡¯t even buy any of the really expensive Scotches. Still, it was a couple of heavy grocery bags¡¯ worth, so we called Wally for a lift. It was only three long blocks home, but still- we had a driver, so why not put him to use?


    Settling into the limo, Grant said ¡°Leah, I gotta admit this wasn¡¯t the life I expected after retirement.¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I expected I¡¯d take some civilian contracting job, maybe training soldiers in the UAE or someplace like that. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be wearing tailored suits, riding in limousines.¡±


    ¡°And here you are,¡± I said.


    ¡°And here I am,¡± he agreed.


    Back at the house, Grant and I carried the alcohol and mixer ingredients up to the parlor bar. As we were stocking the shelves, Grant said ¡°I know I kind of sprung the idea of hiring Mia on you,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t spare my feelings if she doesn''t work out when you talk to her. Sure, she¡¯s my daughter, but she needs to either get this job or not based on her own merits, not just because you¡¯re humoring an old man.¡±


    ¡°Grant,¡± I said, pausing a moment. ¡°You brought up the idea, but I was already thinking along those lines. You suggested a candidate, and because I¡¯ve come to trust your judgement, I¡¯m happy to interview her. Your recommendation carries some weight, don¡¯t get me wrong, but if she isn¡¯t the right fit, I¡¯m not going to try to make it work. It never even occurred to me to hire your daughter simply because she¡¯s your daughter. Now, because she is your daughter, I am willing to be flexible on some things, like taking the time to attend classes, for example. But I also look at that as an investment. Maybe she¡¯ll study real estate law and I¡¯ll switch her job position when she graduates. Maybe she gets her degree in culinary arts and she takes over as household chef- whatever. If she¡¯s doing what she wants, she¡¯ll be better at it and more motivated, and everybody wins, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course,¡± he admitted. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t hired her yet.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Thanks for, hell, I don¡¯t know how to say it. Thanks for being so¡­¡±


    Laughing, I said ¡°Let¡¯s go down and see how close dinner is to being ready.¡±


    Passing through the first floor, we saw Wally setting the dining table, and Grant went in to help. ¡°I¡¯d bet you didn¡¯t see this as how you were going to spend this work week,¡± Grant said to Wally as I descended to the basement kitchen.


    Luisa was busy, so after I asked and she told me that she had everything under control and dinner would be ready in twenty, I went to find Emmy. I eventually found her up on the top floor terrace, the one I¡¯d already started thinking of as Luisa¡¯s patio.


    Emmy was leaning against the railing, looking out over the East River at Long Island City in the distance, enjoying the warm humid evening air.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked as I wrapped my arms around her.


    Sighing with pleasure, she leaned back into my arms. ¡°I am thinking about things.¡±


    ¡°What things are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°The activity in this house, with Luisa, Grant and Wally here- it reminds me of home when I was young.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve only ever seen your Fallbrook house, but it always had people around, working.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Our house in Palo Alto has always felt very quiet to me. Perhaps even a bit lonely.¡±


    ¡°Even with Grace and her little girlfriends around all the time?¡±


    ¡°Even so,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said, thinking about what Emmy had just told me. ¡°So, if you like that activity, why are you up here, all by yourself?¡±


    ¡°I do not need to be in the activity, Leah. I simply need to know that it is happening.¡±


    I had no reply for that, but it did get me to thinking.


    We stayed like that, me holding Emmy, her arms across mine, looking at the ships on the river and the lights of the city across the water.


    ¡°I love you so much, Leah,¡± Emmy whispered. ¡°I wish this could last forever.¡±


    ¡°I do, too,¡± I whispered back. ¡°I do, too.¡±


    Luisa had prepared salmon steaks for those of us who liked fish and roasted chicken breasts for Wally and me. It was good- not too fancy, but well cooked and nicely presented. I particularly enjoyed the saut¨¦ed summer squash, which got compliments from everybody. This was the first meal Luisa had cooked for us, and I thought she did an excellent job.


    During dinner, we chatted about relatively trivial things, then, as they say, ¡®retired to the parlor¡¯ to have drinks and a more serious conversation.


    Luisa made me a really nice Old Fashioned, and Grant got the Manhattan he¡¯d asked about earlier. Wally stuck to ginger ale, since he had to drive home afterwards, and Emmy had a glass of sherry, as did Luisa.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said when everybody had settled down. ¡°I wanted to get you all here together to get your input on some things.¡±


    Wally looked puzzled, probably wondering why I¡¯d ask him to be involved.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. Emmy and I, we bought this house to be a place to stay when we are here on the East Coast. This isn¡¯t going to be our full-time residence. You all know that, right?¡± When everybody indicated they understood, I continued. ¡°Right now, Luisa is our only person who will be here full-time. She¡¯s going to take care of the house for us while we¡¯re gone. But I don¡¯t really like the idea of her being in this big old house all by herself all the time, so I¡¯m thinking of hiring somebody else, somebody who could do some of the maintenance, somebody who could help her out. This is a big house, and running it will take a fair amount of work, and I don¡¯t want Luisa to have to deal with it all on her own.¡±


    Looking around, I saw that Wally still didn¡¯t know why he was involved in this discussion, Grant knew exactly what I was talking about, and Emmy seemed sort of pleased that I¡¯d maybe hire somebody to help Luisa. Luisa herself looked a bit concerned, but she didn''t say anything, so I continued.


    ¡°Luisa doesn''t drive, and the other person I¡¯m thinking about hiring won¡¯t necessarily be a driver, either, so Wally, this is where you come in. How would you feel about joining our staff on a permanent basis?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± he asked, surprised. ¡°But you just said you wouldn''t be here all the time. Why would you need a full-time driver?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°But we will often enough to make having you on staff make sense. The way I see it, you¡¯d drive Emmy and me when we¡¯re in town, or, if we have guests staying here, you¡¯d drive them. Also, if Luisa needed your help, maybe for a big shopping trip or something like that, you¡¯d drive for her when she needed it. Realistically, you¡¯d be on call all day and evening for maybe three, four months out of the year, and the rest of the time you¡¯d just wait until your services are needed. So it¡¯d be busy like this last week for maybe one third of the year, and mostly time off the rest of the year.¡±


    ¡°And pay?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d pay you every other week, regardless of how much or how little you worked for us that period, and I¡¯d make sure you earned at least what you¡¯re getting now from the livery company. But this would mean you¡¯d have the possibility of being called on at any time. If we just decided to fly in at two in the morning on some random Tuesday, we¡¯d expect you to meet us at the airport. While we''re in town, we might ask you to work from breakfast time until the clubs close down at three the next morning, or might give you the day off- I can¡¯t say. You¡¯ve seen what it¡¯s been like this week. But if we¡¯re out of town, unless Luisa calls you in or something like that, your time¡¯ll be your own.¡±


    ¡°Why- why would you do this? It makes no sense,¡± Wally protested.


    ¡°Sure it does. Simple math says that if we want a dedicated driver like you for the times we¡¯ll be in town, it¡¯d cost us as much as we¡¯d pay you for a year¡¯s salary,¡± I explained ¡°Emmy and I like you, and you¡¯ve been nothing but excellent in the way you¡¯ve treated us and accommodated our requests. Who knows what driver we¡¯d get next time, even if we specifically requested you?¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Wally said at the compliment. ¡°It has been a pleasure to drive for the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Also, Wally, one more thing. If we do hire you, I¡¯m going to send you to some specialist driving schools, and you¡¯ll spend some time working with Grant here, too.¡±


    ¡°Driving schools?¡±


    ¡°She means evasive driving,¡± Grant said. ¡°Hey, Luisa, can I get another one of these?¡± he asked holding up his glass.


    ¡°The company had us go through an evasive driving course,¡± Wally said.


    ¡°Not like this one,¡± Grant said. ¡°I guarantee it wasn¡¯t like the one she¡¯s talking about.¡±


    ¡°Um, medical? Dental?¡± Wally asked.


    ¡°It may seem strange, but you¡¯ll actually be on the payroll of a real company with real accountants and real health care plans, both of you,¡± I said, looking at Wally and Luisa. ¡°My company has retirement plans and everything. It¡¯s totally above-board.¡±


    ¡°Let me talk to my wife,¡± Wally hedged.


    ¡°Of course. We also have college aid, too.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯d match my current pay?¡±


    ¡°At least,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Can I call my wife now?¡± he asked, and I knew he was onboard.


    ¡°Sure, or talk it over when you get home. I don¡¯t need an answer right now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said and sat back down.


    ¡°Now, Luisa, what happened last night makes me think that you need to work with Grant here, too.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, looking nervous.


    ¡°Grant is our security chief. He¡¯s trained thousands in self defense strategies and techniques. You and Wally will study with him, maybe an hour a day, whatever works best, until he says you¡¯re good enough.¡±


    ¡°Good enough?¡± she asked, looking even more worried.


    ¡°Leah means good enough to deal with shitheads like the junkie last night,¡± Grant said, sipping his Manhattan.


    ¡°I could never beat anybody up like that!¡± she protested.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what either of us mean,¡± Grant assured her. ¡°Hell, of those thousands that I¡¯ve trained, only a handful could have done what Leah did last night as easily. No, mostly I¡¯ll be teaching you how to spot trouble like that a mile away and avoid it,¡± he said, giving me a meaningful look. ¡°Same goes for you, Wally. Sure, I¡¯ll teach both of you some basic self defense combat moves, but mostly it¡¯ll be conflict avoidance strategies.¡±


    ¡°Um, why?¡± Luisa asked, still nervous.


    ¡°This is confidential- don¡¯t share this around,¡± I said. ¡°Wally, you need to take this into consideration on whether you want the job. There are people who literally want Emmy dead. Not idiots like that guy last night, but people who have very specific agendas against Emmy. It¡¯s unlikely that either of you two would ever be targeted- that isn¡¯t their style, but with Grant¡¯s training, you¡¯ll perhaps be able to see suspicious behavior that you¡¯d otherwise miss and avoid getting caught up in it. I don¡¯t want either of you thinking you have any sort of bodyguard duties. No, if these people come around, I want you to get away, protect yourself by not getting involved if it comes down to a fight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Luisa asked.


    ¡°Very serious. I want you to learn self defense to defend yourself, and threat assessment to know when to get away. I just want you to be safe. I don¡¯t want you wrapped up in any dangerous situation,¡± I said.


    ¡°This is why you¡¯d want me to take evasive driving classes?¡± Wally asked, showing that he was paying attention.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°How often does this happen?¡± Luisa asked.


    ¡°Once in the last four years,¡± I said. ¡°Well, twice, actually,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not counting last night?¡±


    ¡°Not counting last night,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°What happened those two times?¡± Wally asked, beating Luisa to the punch.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you all the details if you decide to hire on,¡± I told him. Turning to Luisa, I said ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you decide you¡¯re still onboard tomorrow.¡±


    Emmy chimed in for the first time since we¡¯d all sat down. ¡°Leah is¡­ Leah is very, very committed to the security and well-being of our people. All of our people on the West Coast, even those who were caught up in the two mentioned incidents, they trust her with their lives. It is no exaggeration to say that our people adore her and would do anything for her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Grant said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it. Unbelievable loyalty.¡±


    ¡°You make it should like she¡¯s some sort of cult leader,¡± Luisa said.


    ¡°No chanting, no saffron robes,¡± Grant said, laughing. ¡°I promise.¡±

 The Day I was Born

    ¡°Take a bath with me?¡± Emmy asked as we got to our room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t have to ask me twice,¡± I replied, kicking off my shoes. ¡°Call me when it¡¯s ready,¡± I said, stripping down and flopping on the bed. Once again I was struck by how quiet the townhouse really was, despite being in the middle of one of the biggest cities on Earth. Sure, there really wasn¡¯t much traffic on the street in front, but the FDR Drive was pretty much just a couple hundred feet away from the bedroom windows, and despite the traffic that road got, I couldn¡¯t hear it at all.


    I¡¯d almost fallen asleep right there on top of the bed by the time Emmy called out that the bath was ready. I got up, still a bit groggy, and joined her in the tub. The water was as scaldingly hot as usual, so actually getting into the tub was a slow process. When I finally settled in and Emmy had leaned back against me I wrapped my arms around her and simply held her. I felt no need to talk, but eventually Emmy broke the comfortable silence.


    ¡°Do you think Wally will work for us?¡± she asked, stroking the back of my hands.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure he will. Essentially getting paid a full year¡¯s worth for what may be essentially six to eight months off? He¡¯d be acting against his own best interests to turn it down. The way I look at it, he¡¯d get to spend a lot more time at home with the wife and kids, or he can maybe drive for Uber when he¡¯s not driving for us. In any case, it¡¯s a distinct improvement to his standard of living. He already said that driving for us has been good, so I can¡¯t imagine him turning it down,¡± I said.


    ¡°Who is this other person you are thinking of hiring? You had not mentioned anybody before.¡±


    ¡°Grant¡¯s oldest daughter just got out of the Marines and needs a job. She¡¯s flying up tomorrow afternoon to interview,¡± I explained.


    ¡°What are you thinking her duties would be?¡±


    ¡°Well, general around-the-house sort of things. Light maintenance, maybe a little bit of cleaning, but also, she¡¯d be security. She¡¯s seen combat, and Grant knows the potential threats here and believes she¡¯d be able to deal, so I figure she would be a good addition to the household,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Leah, have I ever told you that I love you?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Once or twice,¡± I said, giving her a squeeze.


    ¡°Well, let me tell you one more time. I love you very, very much. You are far more than I could have ever imagined.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too, Em. More than I can say.¡±


    Grant was at the breakfast table when I grabbed a bottle of water for my run in the morning. ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°I got to thinking last night- did you explain the potential threats Mia might have to deal with working for us?¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t spell out anything about the Night Children,¡± Grant said, sipping his coffee. Apparently he¡¯d figured out the complicated brewing machine, since it wasn¡¯t in a to-go cup. ¡°But I did tell her that there are groups actively hostile.¡±


    ¡°All right. If she seems receptive to the job today, I¡¯ll explain everything. I guess I¡¯ll have to explain to Luisa and Wally, if they both decide to stick with us.¡±


    ¡°They will,¡± he said, then went back to his crossword.


    I ran clockwise around Central Park that day, just to change it up. I¡¯m not sure I preferred the Central Park loop or the Roosevelt Island loop, really. The Park is cool, and it¡¯s nice to see everybody else getting their morning workouts, but running across the Queensborough Bridge was pretty damned cool, and then running along the shoreline of the Island was special as well.


    Luisa was working in the kitchen when I got back to the house. ¡°Would you like some coffee?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Maybe after my shower,¡± I answered. ¡°Hey, are you making breakfast?¡±


    ¡°French toast,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Better tell Wally not to pick up any bagels today, then,¡± I said on my way out.


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t have his number!¡± Luisa called after me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know,¡± I said from halfway up the stairs.


    I texted Wally before I jumped in the shower, which soon had a second occupant, to my surprise.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you up so early,¡± I said as Emmy shampooed up my hair.


    ¡°You woke me up when you came in.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said enjoying the scalp massage.


    ¡°Do not be sorry. I am very happy that you did wake me- now I get to bathe you,¡± Emmy said, turning me to put my head under the shower.


    I seized the opportunity to take her breasts in my hands, rubbing little circles around her nipples with my thumbs.


    ¡°No, no!,¡± Emmy said, twisting away. ¡°I get to play with you this morning. Hands off.¡±


    I stuck my lower lip out in an exaggerated pout, which got one of those musical laughs of hers. She didn¡¯t relent, though, so I played along. She soaped me up very, very thoroughly, especially in all those difficult-to reach nooks and crannies, then took the handheld shower head and rinsed me off again, paying extra attention to certain parts.


    When Emmy was finally satisfied, she handed me the shampoo and said ¡°O.K., now you may do me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am absolutely gonna do you,¡± I agreed.


    What with one thing or another, our shower took nearly a full hour and we both felt ready for a nap afterwards. Exhausted, but very, very clean, we made our way downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast.


    Luisa served up a couple of plates of classic French Toast, with real whipped cream and everything, along with some fresh-squeezed orange juice for me and coffee for both Emmy and I.


    ¡°Oh! It is like pain perdu,¡± Emmy said after tasting it. ¡°It is delicious, but it is just too much! I could only eat half of this,¡± she said.


    ¡°Um, can we talk?¡± asked Luisa while Emmy and I were enjoying breakfast.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°What you were saying last night, about people wanting to kill Emmy,¡± Luisa began, clearly unsure how to phrase what she wanted to say.


    ¡°I said I¡¯d explain everything if you decided you wanted to keep working for us,¡± I said.


    ¡°Um, yeah, I guess I have one question before I make that decision,¡± Luisa said, playing nervously with the dish towel she was holding. ¡°Is it, like, some sort of criminal thing, and that¡¯s why it¡¯s a big secret?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s political,¡± I said. ¡°We aren¡¯t engaged in any sort of criminal business, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about. No drugs, no guns, nothing like that. The people that hate Emmy do so for a completely different reason- her political activities.¡±


    ¡°What, is she like some sort of dissident or something?¡±


    ¡°Something like that. But that¡¯s why I said that you were unlikely to ever get wrapped up in any of it. These people want to shut Emmy up, but don¡¯t really care about anybody associated with her.¡±


    ¡°O.K. If you promise you guys aren¡¯t drug lords or anything like that, I¡¯ll stay,¡± Luisa said. ¡°If you guys are drug lords, I don¡¯t want to know any details- I¡¯ll just go.¡±


    Laughing, Emmy said ¡°No, we are a musician and a real estate developer, that is all.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Well, alright then. I¡¯m staying. So what¡¯s the secret?¡± Luisa asked.


    ¡°I''ll explain it later, when Wally and Mia can be part of the conversation,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mia?¡± Luisa asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one I might hire to help you out here. She¡¯s Grant¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°And Grant knows the secret?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course he does,¡± I said. ¡°Look, it¡¯s only secret in the sense that we don¡¯t want the info going public. It¡¯s more P.R. than anything else, and really, nobody¡¯s business outside those involved. Grant knows, and isn¡¯t concerned about the risk his daughter might be facing, working for us.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Luisa said. ¡°You¡¯ve got me curious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain everything, I promise,¡± I said.


    ¡°Luisa,¡± Emmy said, changing the subject. ¡°Leah told me that you wanted her to model for you?¡±


    ¡°Um, oh, yeah, I do, I mean, if that¡¯s alright with you, I mean, she is your wife¡­¡± Luisa babbled, nervous again.


    ¡°I would like to see your work, ¡° Emmy said.


    ¡°Uh, well, a lot of it is in boxes, but yeah, I can show you some things- can you give me an hour to get my sh- my stuff together to show you guys?¡±


    ¡°Take all the time you need,¡± Emmy said. Then, turning to me, Emmy said ¡°I will be up in my studio. I have some new song ideas I need to work on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± I said. ¡°I should do some work, too.¡±


    Moments after Emmy left to go upstairs, while I was helping myself to a second cup of surprisingly good coffee, the doorbell rang.


    Looking at me, Luisa asked ¡°Do you want me to get that?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I was just about to head upstairs anyway.¡±


    I was surprised to see Grant answer the door before I got there. He spoke for a moment, then led the two guys into the foyer, where I was waiting.


    ¡°Miss Farmer, these fine gentleman are detectives from the local precinct. They¡¯ve come to ask you some questions about the other night,¡± Grant said, for some reason doing a remarkable impersonation of a butler.


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go in here,¡± I said, indicating the library. ¡°Would you guys like some coffee?" I asked, leading them into the room adjoining the foyer.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯d be great,¡± one of the plainclothes officers said, and the other nodded.


    ¡°How do you take it?¡± asked Grant, still acting like a butler. Moments later he was off to go get them their java.


    I sat down in one of the overstuffed easy chairs, and the two sat down on the silk couch. ¡°I gave my statement to the officers on the scene, but if you have any further questions, I¡¯d be happy to help,¡± I said, sipping my coffee.


    Just as the shorter of the two was about to speak, Grant came back with a tray with he two cups on it, setting them down on coasters in front of the two. This distracted the guys for a moment, and they both made appreciative noises after sipping the elixir of the bean.


    ¡°Uh, thanks,¡± said the short guy. Pulling out a little note pad just like you see in the movies, he checked his notes. ¡°You were out late with your¡­ wife, and a friend,¡± he said. ¡°The suspect approached you and pulled a gun. You disarmed him, then assaulted him with his own weapon, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Well, that isn¡¯t how I would describe the events, but it¡¯s essentially correct,¡± I agreed.


    Nodding, the detective continued. ¡°The suspect suffered a broken nose, a fractured skull and concussion, as well as two broken fingers and wrist,¡± the officer read off.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, just nodded that I was paying attention.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°You beat him up pretty good, didn¡¯t you?¡± he said, trying to get a reaction.


    ¡°Well, he did try to shoot me,¡± I replied, as cool as a cucumber.


    ¡°Yeah, about that,¡±¡± the detective said. ¡°He claims that he¡¯s the victim here, and that you pulled a gun on him and fired at him.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ ballsy.¡±


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t your pistol?¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°No, I can¡¯t say that it was. I¡¯m curious,¡± I said, leaning forward. ¡°Why would three well-off women, out for night at a comedy club, go around assaulting tweakers? And why, if I had a gun, would I fire it once, miss, then use it to pistol whip some random junkie outside that same comedy club? Just for laughs, maybe? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a good story there somewhere,¡± I said, leaning back and taking another sip.


    ¡°So you deny that it was your gun?¡±


    ¡°I deny that it was my gun,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And you deny you fired it?¡±


    ¡°I deny I fired it.¡±


    ¡°How about beating him up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, I absolutely did that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why did you beat him up once you had taken his gun away from him?¡±


    ¡°To neutralize the threat,¡± I answered simply. ¡°I had no way of knowing what other weapons he might have had, and I certainly didn¡¯t want him to turn around and stab me, my wife or our friend the moment I let go. He clearly had the intent to rob us, perhaps worse, and the fact that he actually pulled the trigger proves that he was perfectly willing to even kill us.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, you¡¯re saying it was self-defense?¡± the detective asked.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Did you need to rough him up so thoroughly?¡±


    ¡°I could have done a lot more. I did the minimum to keep him down, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°He says you threatened to kill him.¡±


    ¡°I told him that if he moved a muscle before the police got there, I¡¯d kill him. That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Would you have? Killed him, I mean.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°I just wanted him to believe that getting arrested was in his best interests.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said the detective, taking notes.


    ¡°If I can ask one more question,¡± the detective said, looking up from his notebook. ¡°How does a volleyball star from California wind up beating up muggers in Manhattan at three in the morning on a weeknight?¡±


    ¡°Just lucky, I guess,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°Is there anything more I can help you guys with?¡± I asked, standing up.


    ¡°You gave this as your address to the officer on scene,¡± the detective said as the two stood. ¡°But your domicile is listed as being in Palo Alto.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we just bought this house,¡± I agreed. ¡°The purchase was made by an LLC to keep our names off the records.¡±


    ¡°Any particular reason for that?¡±


    ¡°My wife is a rock star,¡± I said, knowing full well that he was fishing. ¡°Paparazzi and stalkers are an issue, and the less people know this is our home the better.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, as the two stood in the doorway. ¡°We¡¯ll let you know if we have any more questions.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving in a couple of days,¡± I said. ¡°Call ahead before stopping by.¡±


    As soon as the guys had left, I asked Grant ¡°What was with the butler routine?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted them a bit off-balance, and to reinforce the idea that you were rich and therefore couldn''t possibly be a criminal,¡± he replied with a grin.


    ¡°Well, I thought it was funny,¡± I said. "It was hard not to laugh, seeing you with that tray in your hand like you¡¯d done that a million times before.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I have,¡± Grant said. ¡°When I was on my embassy protective assignments, I¡¯d often pose as a butler at functions.¡±


    Laughing, I said ¡°Well, you pulled it off this time. Those guys kept glancing at you out of the sides of their eyes, wondering how a California volleyball star could have a butler and a fancy old-school townhouse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the suit,¡± Grant said, indicating the navy pinstripe he was wearing. ¡°Who wears a suit at eight in the morning at home? There was no way they were going to believe I was your dad or anything like that.¡±


    Laughing, I took my now mostly empty cup up to my office to get some work done. I was in the middle of writing a proposal to a potential client when a text came through on my phone.


    ¡°Hey, R U guys in New York?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Yeah, we bought a house in Manhattan,¡± I sent back, glad for the distraction.


    ¡°SRSLY? U bought a house?¡±


    ¡°SRSLY¡±


    ¡°We R on tour right now- we¡¯ll be in New York next week! We should get together!¡±


    ¡°Well, that timing sucks,¡± I texted. ¡°We¡¯re going back to the Bay Area the day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    ¡°SRSLY,¡± I agreed. ¡°Where are you guys now?¡±


    ¡°Last nite was Pittsburgh, tomorrow nite Buffalo, then Rochester, Albany and then three sites in NYC.¡±


    ¡°I wish we could be here for your shows. I know Emmy would love to see the boys, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯d want to join them on stage,¡± I wrote.


    ¡°Is there any way you can stay?¡±


    ¡°I have finals next week. But maybe Emmy can stay and you and the boys can hang out here?¡±


    There was a long pause while the little dots indicated Stephanie was typing, then the dots disappeared for a moment, then reappeared.


    ¡°That would be great,¡± Stephanie wrote, but I was pretty sure she¡¯d meant to say something else at first.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Honelsty, I was hoping to see U,¡± Stephanie replied after a bit.


    ¡°Yeah, it would be great to get together,¡± I replied. ¡°We are going to be moving to LA after school is over. We can get together then.¡±


    ¡°LA? But you just said you bought a house in NYC?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we did, and yeah, we are. It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it is,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Emmy about her staying another week here.¡±


    After the text conversation with Stephanie, I just couldn¡¯t get my head back into the proposal that I¡¯d been writing, so I wandered down the hall to the sitting room that was slated to be transformed into a recording studio. Emmy was picking out a melody on her new guitar, adjusting a note here and there as it formed in her mind.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, interrupting her, which I hated to do in general. ¡°I just got word from Stephanie that the Sons are going to play three nights here in New York next week, I told her that I had to go back to Stanford for finals, but maybe you could stay and guest with the band. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Stay here without you?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Yeah, just for another week,¡± I said. ¡°That way you could hang out with Brent, Justin, Todd and Eddie for a few days, do some music, maybe get the house settled a little bit more. I have finals next week, so I¡¯m not going to be much fun to be around back home, anyway.¡±


    ¡°You would not mind? Me here without you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d miss you, not gonna lie. But seriously, if you want to see the boys, I¡¯m fine with you staying here for the extra week.¡±


    ¡°You are too good for me,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°Simply too good.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll stay?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to stay?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I want you to do whatever will give you the greatest enjoyment, Em. I know you love playing with the Sons, and I absolutely know that they would love to have you onstage with them. If that sounds like a good time, then that¡¯s what I want for you.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any of my gear here!¡± Emmy protested.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Brent has an extra guitar or two lying around, and probably some effects pedals you can use- or maybe, just maybe, you should go out and buy whatever gear you might need. You¡¯ll need to keep some stuff here in New York, anyhow, right?¡±


    ¡°You would not mind?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± I said. ¡°When have I ever minded you spending money on your music?¡±


    A knock on the door announced Luisa¡¯s entrance. ¡°I¡¯m not interrupting, am I?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± I said. ¡°We were just discussing Emmy maybe staying here another week.¡±


    ¡°Will you be staying?¡± Luisa asked, looking at Emmy.


    ¡°I think so, yes,¡± she said.


    ¡°All right,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I¡¯ll do some more grocery shopping this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Better plan for a few more mouths,¡± I said. ¡°Grant will be staying here, too, and if Mia hires on, she¡¯ll be here from now on out.¡±


    ¡°Grant will be staying?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re here, he will. Besides, he¡¯ll need to work with Luisa and Wally, right?¡±


    ¡°I had not thought of that,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Um, anyway,¡± Luisa said, ¡°I¡¯ve got some stuff for you guys to look at. Some of my art, I mean, if you have a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°I can take a break,¡± I said. ¡°Em?¡±


    ¡°I can, too,¡± she agreed. ¡°Let us see what you have to show us, Luisa. I am very looking forward to seeing it.¡±


    Following Luisa upstairs, it occurred to me that she was wearing a uniform of a sort- it certainly wasn¡¯t just normal casual wear. She had on a pair of dark pants, a white button-front shirt and a vest that matched the pants- almost like two out of the three pieces of a suit.


    I didn¡¯t comment on it, just filing it away as maybe what she thought was appropriate work attire for her new job.


    She had set up the spare apartment as a sort of gallery, with maybe a dozen canvasses leaning against the walls, and a big portfolio binder on the little kitchen table. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d expected as far as Luisa¡¯s art was concerned, but this was definitely not it. The paintings were really old-fashioned in the sense that they were realistic portraits- not photo realistic, but not far off. They were very detailed, and the lighting and shadows were perfect examples of what Mrs Rubias in high school would have called chiaroscuro.


    ¡°Wow- these are amazing,¡± I said, looking around.


    ¡°You are very talented, Luisa,¡± agreed Emmy.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Luisa said, self-consciously.


    ¡°Have you displayed your works in any galleries?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Nobody is interested in this kind of thing these days,¡± Luisa sighed. ¡°This type of painting is so out of fashion nobody wants to touch it with a ten foot pole. I¡¯ve done a handful of commissioned pieces, and sold a few others at art fairs, but really, I just mostly do it for myself, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Emmy asked me.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing. The detail work is incredible.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I meant, but I do agree with you. I meant about posing.¡±


    ¡°Um, Luisa, I don¡¯t see any figure studies, much less nudes,¡± I said, looking around.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only done a couple of nudes,¡± she admitted. ¡°And those got sold. I do have some photos I took of the pieces, though,¡± she said, opening up the binder.


    Emmy and I leafed through the binder, which was mostly pencil sketches with a few pen and ink drawings. At the back were photos of all of Luisa¡¯s completed works, including a fair number that weren¡¯t on display in that room.


    The three nude figure studies were all of men, and two of them were posed in ¡®implied nude¡¯ poses, such that no goodies were on display. The third, which was full frontal, had the figure¡¯s arm blocking the view of the guy¡¯s face, so the model¡¯s identity was hidden.


    ¡°I would not like that,¡± Emmy said, looking at the three laid out on the table. ¡°I would want to see Leah¡¯s face, and not have anything be hidden.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, that¡¯s up to the model, you know?¡± Luisa protested.


    ¡°I will commission you to paint Leah,¡± Emmy announced. ¡°But I get to choose the pose.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K.,¡± Luisa said.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t I get a say in this?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°No,¡± Emmy replied, with a smug look on her face. ¡°This is my present to me,¡± leaving me with a sinking feeling that I was going to be experiencing maybe more than just a tiny bit of mortification.


    ¡°All right,¡± I sighed. ¡°Where are we going to do this?¡±


    ¡°Out here on my deck,¡± said Luisa, waving in the general direction of the upper terrace.


    ¡°Outside?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nobody can see,¡± Luisa assured me. ¡°Seriously, I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    We went out on the terrace and Luisa said ¡°Look around. Can you see any windows of any buildings nearby?¡±


    ¡°Well, no,¡± I had to admit. ¡°But I can see people on the bridge and across the river,¡± I said, pointing.


    ¡°Those people on the bridge that you see- tell me what any of them are wearing,¡± Luisa demanded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t really make out what they¡¯re wearing- they¡¯re too far away,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Exactly. Look, if it makes you feel any better, we can move the table and umbrella over there to block their view entirely.¡±


    ¡°Emmy, will you be O.K. out here for the duration?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I will stay in the shade, and wear a hat and my sunglasses,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I would not miss this for anything.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s move the table.¡±


    While Luisa got her things set up, Emmy and I went back downstairs to get ready. I ditched my clothes and threw on a silk kimono Emmy had bought for me, but I almost never wear, while Emmy put on another layer of her sunblock and grabbed her hat and sunglasses.


    ¡°Thank you for doing this for me,¡± Emmy said, stretching to give me a quick kiss. ¡°It means very much to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you did such a thorough job shaving me this morning,¡± I said. ¡°At least I won¡¯t be stubbly in all my glory.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and you are very glorious indeed,¡± laughed Emmy, snaking her hand up under the hem of the kimono and giving my vaj a quick caress. ¡°Very, very glorious.¡±


    ¡°Hey, cut that out,¡± I said, stepping out of reach. ¡°If you keep that up we¡¯ll never get back upstairs for the painting.¡±


    ¡°Afterwards, then,¡± said Emmy. ¡°Promise me.¡±


    Walking back up the stairs, I made the mistake of leading, giving Emmy the opportunity to lift the hem of the kimono to check out my butt. After the first couple of times I slapped her hands away, I just gave up and let her ogle the rest of the climb to the seventh floor.


    Luisa had brought out her easel and drawing pad, of course, but she¡¯d also brought out a chair and draped a sheet across it for me to pose on, or with, or something. Emmy took a seat at the table, on which Luisa had set a couple of bottles of water.


    I asked ¡°How do you want to do this?¡± as I looked out over the East River.


    ¡°Well, typically a model does a few warmup poses, for maybe five minutes each, then when she¡¯s feeling ready, we start to figure out what pose you¡¯re comfortable with, and I guess what Emmy wants, right?¡± Luisa said, clearly as nervous as I was- maybe even more so.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said, untying and removing the kimono and handing it to Emmy. ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±


    This seemed to jar Luisa from her momentary paralysis, and she stepped behind her easel. ¡°O.K., just do whatever feels natural. These are just warmups, alright?¡±


    I felt awkward, but Emmy really wanted this, so I put any misgivings aside and struck my first pose of the day- sort of a standing version of that famous statute, ¡®The Thinker¡¯. My left foot went up on the chair, my elbow on my knee and my chin in my hand. My right arm crossed below my breasts and hand resting on my thigh, I looked off, past Luisa.


    ¡°Oh my god, that¡¯s perfect,¡± Luisa said. ¡°Now, if you could just, maybe, I don¡¯t know, flex a little? Show off those muscles a little bit?¡±


    While Luisa was giving instructions, Emmy relocated to one of the other cafe chairs to see better.


    ¡°What do you think, Em? Like the view?¡± I teased, to try to take some of the awkwardness of the situation away for everybody involved.


    ¡°Oh, yes, very much,¡± laughed Emmy. ¡°It does not get any better than this.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K., that was five minutes. Want to try a different pose?¡± Luisa suggested.


    For my second pose, I faced the river, away from Luisa, and took a sort of classic body builder pose standing on my left leg, trailing my right leg behind and resting on its pointing big toe. I curled my spine a little sideways, lifting my left arm high and my right in a standard bicep curl position. I tensed my back and my glutes to maximize the effect, getting a quiet ¡°Oh my god,¡± from Luisa.


    ¡°Jesus, Leah. That¡¯s incredible. Yeah, just hold that for a few minutes,¡± she said, and I could hear her pencil on the paper louder than the traffic on FDR down below.


    After five minutes of that, I took a sip of water, then got back to posing. All in all, I posed in a dozen different positions until Luisa finally said ¡°I think we¡¯re done with the warmups. Why don''t you take a few minutes, and Emmy and I will discuss the pose we¡¯ll want for the real portrait.¡±


    While Emmy and Luisa looked over the sketches and discussed different aspects, I wandered over to the railing to look out over the river. The morning was warming up, and I¡¯d been in the sun for an hour, but I felt fine. I guess the little bit of a breeze helped, and of course, the fact that I had full-body ventilation. Somehow in the last hour of posing I¡¯d gotten over my discomfort, I realized, since it hadn¡¯t even occurred to me to put the kimono back on during the break.


    ¡°All right, I think we¡¯re ready,¡± Luisa announced, as she turned the sheet-covered chair sideways.


    She directed me to sit sideways on the chair with my right arm draped over the back, my wrist resting on the top edge. My right knee pointed towards Luisa off the side of the chair, while my left leg was at a ninety degree angle off the front. It was a pose that was calculated to look casual, as if I was just sitting comfortably in the chair, but in reality it was as uncomfortable as anything. Sitting like that would naturally involve slouching, but Luisa had me arch my back to emphasize my chest and keep my abs tensed- the absolute opposite of the natural position. My off-side foot was in an awkward position, too. All in all, it was one hundred per cent uncomfortable, bordering on intolerable.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to maintain this very long,¡± I warned Luisa.


    ¡°Oh, but you must!¡± Emmy protested. ¡°It looks incredible!¡±


    ¡°We can take breaks if you need to, just as long as you can get back into the same pose afterwards,¡± Luisa assured me.


    ¡°All right,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Hey, Em, could you get me a cold Coke, please?¡±


    ¡°There are some Cokes in my fridge,¡± Luisa said, her pencil working at warp speed on the paper.


    I held the pose for maybe ten minutes, then stood up to stretch and drink the Coke that Emmy had gotten me. I was just standing there, leaning back against the rail and chatting with Luisa and Emmy when Grant, Wally, and presumably Mia walked out onto the terrace to join us.


    Of course, I was as naked as the day I was born.

 Back to California

    The last time I was caught with my figurative pants down I just rolled with it and that seemed to work, so after my initial moment of shock and embarrassment, which I don¡¯t think anybody saw, I played it cool.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± I said, sipping my Coke.


    Wally seemed to not know what to do, so he looked away after gawking for a moment. Grant, though, stepped right up, so to speak.


    ¡°Leah, Emmy, Luisa,¡± he said to each of us in turn. ¡°This is my daughter, Mia.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± I said, stepping forward to shake her hand.


    ¡°Um, how do you do, ma¡¯am,¡± Mia said, shaking my hand, trying to keep eye contact.


    After the initial moment of embarrassment, I realized with a little rush that I actually enjoyed the comedy of the awkwardness of the moment, so I decided then and there to not put the kimono back on. After all, Mia was going to be living in my house, right? The possibility certainly existed that she¡¯d see me nude at some point. Might as well get that over with.


    My nudity didn¡¯t seem to faze Grant at all. Of course, we¡¯d wrestled plenty with neither of us wearing anything besides minimal athletic gear, so he was fairly familiar with at least my basic outline.


    Wally, though, was mortified, and doing his best to not look at my body, but it¡¯s the same thing as when somebody tells you to not think of an elephant. What¡¯s the first thing you do? Imagine an elephant, right? The more Wally tried to avoid looking at me the more he couldn¡¯t do it.


    Mia, after her initial surprise, seemed to take it in stride. ¡°Dad didn¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a model,¡± she said, looking at the easel and Luisa¡¯s sketch.


    ¡°Luisa is an artist, and Emmy wanted me to pose for a painting, so here I am,¡± I said, shrugging like it was no big deal.


    ¡°Hey, I need to get back to posing if we¡¯re going to finish this up,¡± I said. ¡°Grant, can you give Mia a tour of the house? Wally, do you suppose you can get us some more of those sandwiches like the ones you got from that deli the other day for lunch? We¡¯ll be done in what, forty-five minutes or so?¡±


    Wally rushed to leave, but Grant and Mia stayed for a moment longer. ¡°Leah, should we set Mia up in one of the bedrooms downstairs or in the other apartment?¡± Grant asked.


    Thinking about it for a moment, I said ¡°One of the bedrooms for now. Luisa has the other apartment half filled with boxes at the moment, but Mia, you should definitely take a look at the apartment to see what it¡¯s like and if it¡¯ll suit your needs.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Grant replied, and the two followed Wally back into the house.


    ¡°Oh, that was delicious!¡± Emmy said, laughing that beautiful laugh of hers. ¡°The look on poor Wally¡¯s face!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the way you just acted like nothing was unusual at all, Leah,¡± Luisa said. ¡°You were just like, ¡®Oh, hi. Nice day, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ and they were trying to be cool about it, too, but failing completely!¡±


    I shrugged, still acting nonchalant, then burst out laughing. ¡°Yeah, that was funny as hell,¡±I agreed. ¡°Embarrassing, but funny as hell at the same time.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look embarrassed at all,¡± Luisa said as I got back into that uncomfortable pose.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this done,¡± I said.


    Finally, after what felt like forever, Luisa was satisfied with her work and she said we could stop.


    ¡°Damn,¡± I groused. ¡°How can sitting still be so much work?¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± agreed Luisa. ¡°It¡¯s amazing how tough it is to just sit there and not move.¡±


    This time, after I stretched, I put the kimono back on. ¡°As soon as you get your stuff put away, come downstairs to the parlor, and we¡¯ll have that conversation I promised everybody,¡± I said to Luisa. ¡°C¡¯mon, babe,¡± I said to Emmy, taking her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get some clothes on.¡±


    ¡°But I like you without any clothes on,¡± Emmy said, pouting.


    After taking a quick shower and throwing on jeans and a T shirt, I went to the parlor for the meeting. Emmy had rounded everybody up while I was getting presentable, so I was the last to arrive.


    Without any real preamble, I got straight into the conversation. ¡°Luisa said this morning that she will be working for us after all. She feels assured that the risks to her are not anything to be too concerned about. Wally, have you made up your mind?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sherrie and I talked it over, and we decided that this was a great opportunity,¡¯ he said. ¡°I brought my tax forms so you can see how much I¡¯ve been earning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s excellent,¡± I said. ¡°Really excellent. I¡¯m glad to have you, Wally. Oh, and sorry about earlier. I hadn¡¯t realized that you guys would get back to the house so early.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, we shouldn¡¯t have barged in like that, Miss Leah.¡±


    ¡°Eh, whatever,¡± I said with a dismissive shrug. Turning to Mia, I asked, ¡°Did your dad give you a tour, and an idea of what you¡¯d be expected to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Mia, this isn¡¯t the Marines any more. ¡®Leah¡¯ is fine, or if it¡¯s in public or a formal setting, ¡®Miss Leah¡¯ is good. Sure, I¡¯ll be your boss, but seriously,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, ma- Yes, Miss Leah. How should I refer to Emmy?¡±


    ¡°Princess,¡± I said, laughing. "Call her ¡®Princess¡¯. That works perfectly,¡± I said, and glancing at Emmy I could see the look of consternation on her pretty face. ¡°So, you¡¯ve seen the house, seen the second apartment, met Wally, our driver, and you know Grant, my head of security,¡± I said to Mia, teasing her a bit. ¡°My name is Leah Farmer, my wife there is Emmy De Lascaux. This here is Luisa Rossi, who is the household manager here. She¡¯ll be yours and Wally¡¯s direct supervisor, if you decide that you do want to work for us.¡±


    Looking around at the group, I said ¡°I¡¯d promised to explain the risks you¡¯ll potentially face working for us. Mia, your dad told me that he¡¯d explained a bit, but not all, to you. I want you to regard this as privileged information, and to not share this with anyone, whether you take this job or not. Can I have your assurance that this will remain under your hat?¡±


    ¡°Of course, ma-Leah,¡± Mia said, sitting up straight.


    ¡°Wally, you don¡¯t have to keep this secret from your wife- Sherrie, you said her name was?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± he responded.


    ¡°It¡¯d be great to meet your family sometime soon,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe you can bring them over for dinner?¡±


    ¡°My wife would like that,¡± Wally agreed.


    ¡°So, yeah, you can share this info with her, but please impress upon her that it would be best if she doesn¡¯t tell anybody else. You¡¯ll understand why when I explain,¡± I said.


    I went on to explain that Emmy is, in fact, a princess of a European royal family, and that her family has political opponents back in the Old World, opponents who have tried to kill her (and me) in the past because of Emmy¡¯s fame and visibility. I explained that Emmy is from a hidden ethnic group, sort of like the Roma, and that they live in amongst everybody else, hiding what they really are, and Emmy, simply by being publicly visible and famous, threatens their old way of living in secret.


    ¡°This sounds crazy, if you don¡¯t mind me saying, ma¡¯am,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Really crazy,¡± Luisa agreed.


    ¡°I know it does,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s one hundred per cent true.¡±


    Mia looked to her dad for confirmation, and he nodded his head. ¡°It might seem crazy now, but soon enough you¡¯ll meet some of the others, and hear their stories. It might be crazy, but it¡¯s real.¡±


    ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± Luisa said. ¡°These others, these political opponents, hate Emmy because she¡¯s famous, that¡¯s it? They want to kill her just to keep her, um, out of sight?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I threaten the old ways simply by being visible, and they do not want that.¡±


    ¡°So, the threat you¡¯ve been talking about is that these guys might hire hitmen to kill Emmy, but they have no real beef against any of the rest of us, so we¡¯re pretty much safe?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an over-simplification, but more or less true,¡± I agreed. ¡°If they broke into this house, they might tie you up or something like that, but it¡¯s really unlikely they would harm you. That isn¡¯t to say there¡¯s no chance they would, which is why keeping this house secure is important to us.¡±


    ¡°And this has happened twice in the last five years?¡±


    ¡°No, both incidents were nothing like direct home invasions,¡± I said, then went on to give general outlines of the alley attack way back when, and the Vancouver incident with Rahsett and King Marfan. Of course, I skipped the bits about me killing the bad guys. They didn¡¯t need to know that, even though I¡¯d told Grant about both instances.


    ¡°Um, this girl, Grace. Where is she now?¡± asked Luisa.


    ¡°She¡¯s about to start her freshman year at Northern Arizona University. She moved there right after graduating high school, wanting to spend the summer there before school starts in the fall. You¡¯ll meet her at some point, I¡¯m sure. She¡¯s one of the people I expect might come and stay here when she wants to visit New York.¡±


    ¡°Who are the others?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe my mom and little sister, Emmy¡¯s band mates, probably not Emmy¡¯s parents. If they come to New York they¡¯ll stay in a hotel,¡± I said, thinking about who might use our new pied-¨¤-terre. ¡°Maybe a few other friends, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°So it isn¡¯t going to be like some sort of AirBnB, right?¡± Luisa asked, just to get further clarification.


    ¡°No, not at all. Not a bit,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°We will have grand parties every now and then,¡± Emmy announced. ¡°That is why I wanted this particular house, because of the enormous kitchen. I expect we¡¯ll entertain large groups once in a while, but do not worry- we will bring on a chef and extra staff for those occasions.¡±


    ¡°I wondered,¡± Luisa said. ¡°The kitchen is ridiculously huge.¡±


    Getting back on track, I said to Wally, ¡°Do you have to give two week¡¯s notice at the livery company?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I can turn in my notice today, if you would like.¡±


    ¡°Sure, may as well get it done as quickly as possible,¡± I agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll need to buy a car.¡±


    ¡°Two cars,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We have two parking spaces, correct? We should get two cars.¡±


    ¡°Two cars, then,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll set that up after we¡¯re done here. Now, Luisa, is there anything you need that we haven''t discussed?¡±


    ¡°I need a bank account, if I¡¯m going to pay the household bills and things like that.¡±


    ¡°Sure, after this meeting let¡¯s go up to the office and set one up. I guess Wally will need a charge card, too.¡±


    ¡°Um, don¡¯t we need to go to the bank?¡±


    Laughing, I said ¡°When you have as much money as we do, the bank comes to you.¡±


    Turning to the last person I needed to square away, I said to Mia, ¡°I don¡¯t need your answer on whether you¡¯ll take the job right now. Think about it overnight, and let me know in the morning. Also, think about what you need, and let me know about that, too, if you decide this gig is for you.¡±


    Looking around one last time, I asked ¡°Any questions?¡± I just knew that if Stephanie were there she¡¯d reference that movie with Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis and ask ¡®What was the middle part again?¡¯ but she wasn''t there, and nobody asked anything.


    I felt a little pang, thinking about Stephanie, and how I was going to miss seeing her the following week.


    Grant said ¡°I think I¡¯ll show Mia around the neighborhood. Luisa, do you need anything from the store?¡± and that was all it took for the meeting to adjourn.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I led Luisa and Wally upstairs to my office, and pointed out the smaller office down the hall. ¡°That was the old household office,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy¡¯s stealing it to be part of her recording studio, so we need to figure out where to move your seat of power.¡±


    ¡°My seat of power?¡± Luisa asked, laughing. ¡°With the Daltons, I just sat at the kitchen table to do bills. I never had my own office.¡±


    ¡°Well, give it some thought,¡± I told her. ¡°If we need to convert one of the larger storage areas into a little office, we¡¯ll need to tell Erich.¡±


    ¡°Wally, I hope you like driving BMWs,¡± I said as I sat at my desk and they took the two chairs facing me. ¡°We own a couple of dealerships in California.¡±


    ¡°Would I have to drive them back here?¡± he asked, looking a little concerned.


    ¡°We could do that if you¡¯d like, but no- I was thinking we¡¯d get the cars delivered from the factory to a local dealer here in New York. Here, give me a moment,¡± I said, flipping open my laptop. I sent a couple of quick emails, and then turned back to the two. ¡°O.K., that¡¯s set up. The first car should be ready this afternoon, but the second one, the seven series, that¡¯s a special order from the factory. It¡¯ll probably take a month, unless one can be sourced here in the US somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Special order?¡± Luisa asked.


    ¡°Bulletproof,¡± I said. ¡°Special order.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°Better safe than sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Haven¡¯t needed that feature yet, but I¡¯d rather have it and not need it¡­¡±


    Turning back to my laptop, I shot off a couple of emails, then looked up at the two. ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to need a printer,¡± I said, ¡°For the necessary paperwork. I¡¯ve let the bank know to open an account-¡± I said, but was interrupted by my phone ringing in my pocket.


    Seeing that it was my banker, I answered. ¡°Yes, one account. Let¡¯s use the LLC we set up to buy the house. I¡¯ll need two charge cards, and the statements need to go to Luisa Rossi here in New York and Tracy there at my office. Yeah, no limit, but verification on charges over, say, two grand?¡± I looked at Luisa, who seemed a little dumbstruck.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be charging more than two grand at a time very often?¡± I asked, and she snapped out of her surprise.


    ¡°Um, no, I don¡¯t think so,¡± she replied.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said into the phone. ¡°I¡¯ll have the two fill out the forms, then I¡¯ll scan them and send them back. There¡¯s no printer here, so I¡¯ve got to run out and get one real quick.¡±


    Making one last call to my office, I said "Tracy, I need employment forms for three people. Email them to me, and I¡¯ll send them back as soon as I can. Yeah, I¡¯ll send you the salary info. Yep- full package. If you can email me the employee info file I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said to Luisa and Wally. ¡°Welcome to your new jobs at Royal Holdings.¡±


    ¡°Just like that?¡± Wally asked.


    ¡°Well, no, actually. I need to get a printer-scanner unit so I can give you the employment paperwork to fill out, and the bank paperwork. Wally, go ahead and tell your boss you¡¯re quitting, but do yourself a favor and don¡¯t tell him I¡¯ve hired you away. Emmy and I will continue to use your exclusive service with the livery company for the next week, then you¡¯ll go back to normal service duties for another week. I don¡¯t want your boss pissed at you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would be angry that I¡¯m leaving, but I do think he wouldn¡¯t like losing me to a client,¡± Wally agreed.


    ¡°O.K., so I¡¯m gonna need for you two to go get me a good quality laser printer, so we can make this official. Grant would be pissed at me if I connected via wifi, so get me an ethernet cable, too. In a couple of hours, Wally, I¡¯ll need a ride to the dealership to get our new X5.¡±


    ¡°Can I come?¡± Luisa asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never bought a car before and I want to see what it¡¯s like.¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t be like a normal car purchase,¡± I said.


    ¡°Still¡­¡± she wheedled.


    ¡°All right, why not?¡± I said.


    After Luisa and Wally left to go find me a printer, I shot some emails back and forth with our accountant and banker, getting everything set up. I was engrossed in this when a knock on the door and a ¡°Do you have a moment?¡± interrupted my train of thought.


    ¡°Come on in, Mia," I said, and she entered and sat down. I think this was the first time I¡¯d actually seen her walk for more than a couple of steps, so it was then that I first noticed her limp.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think I want the job, Miss Leah,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it and talked with Dad. I think this could be a really good opportunity for me, so if you still want me, I¡¯d like to sign up.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°Now, this is important. I¡¯m going to have to have you sign a non-disclosure agreement, and if you break it, my lawyers will absolutely skin you alive, you understand?¡±


    ¡°Did my dad sign one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did. But also, I know, since he¡¯s had top secret clearance from the DOD, that he knows how to keep things quiet. I trust him to not talk about anything that he learns here unless I¡¯ve cleared it. Are you willing to sign the NDA?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯ve got Secret clearance, myself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a printer yet to print out a nice-looking form, but I can write something up really quick,¡± I explained as I pulled out a piece of blank paper and wrote a basic NDA agreement on it.


    ¡°Now, by signing this, you¡¯re agreeing that anything I tell you is absolutely confidential, you got that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I got it,¡± she replied, reaching for the pen.


    After she¡¯d signed it, I said ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. There is a very real possibility I may need you for some, um, paramilitary ops. These will be local, here inside the U.S., and may possibly involve, let¡¯s call them, extrajudicial proceedings. Is this a thing that you might be prepared to be involved with?¡±


    ¡°Does my dad know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he does. Now that you¡¯ve signed the NDA, he can talk to you about it, but the same rules apply to anything he tells you involving Emmy, me, or our company, or our people.¡±


    ¡°And he recommended me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did. He said you¡¯d seen combat, and he thought you¡¯d be O.K. with these possibilities,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯t want to hire you because you¡¯re his daughter, I wanted to hire you because of his recommendations of your character.¡±


    ¡°And he said I¡¯d be O.K. with what, gang wars?¡±


    ¡°Not gang wars. Well, not exactly. It¡¯s complicated, and boils down to the politics I mentioned earlier. It may never come down to violence, but I¡¯m going to need to have you prepared if it does.¡±


    ¡°Dad said something about me getting a bodyguard license,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s the easiest route to a concealed carry permit here in New York,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°How likely is it that it¡¯ll be needed?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely, but not out of the question,¡± I said. ¡°There is a lot of resistance to the reforms that Emmy embodies, and it may result in fighting. I don¡¯t want Luisa to be involved in any of that- it¡¯s not her place. All I need Wally to be able to do is spot trouble and evade it, but you, I might need you to punch that trouble in the face.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good at punching faces,¡± Mia replied. ¡°I¡¯m real good at shooting back when shot at, too.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s a yes? You¡¯re still on board?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am, I am. If my dad knows what¡¯s going on, and he has no problem with the, um, ethics of it, then I don¡¯t either.¡±


    ¡°All right. Now, ostensibly, mostly you¡¯ll just be doing whatever Luisa needs to have done. Run errands for her, maybe help clean up once in a while, water the plants, whatever she tells you needs to be done. On top of that, you¡¯re going to maintain the household security. Check the video feeds from the night before every morning, make sure all the windows and doors are locked every night, that sort of thing,¡± I explained. ¡°This should leave you plenty of time to take classes during the day, if that¡¯s what you want. If you have any specific requirements, let me know if you think of them today or tomorrow. After that, let Luisa know and she¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Seems pretty straightforward,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°It should be,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Oh, and one more thing. Starting soon, construction crews will be remodeling throughout the house. I¡¯d like you to stick around as much as possible while they¡¯re working here, just to make sure no problems arise. I doubt they will- the contractor specializes in these high-end homes, and has a good reputation. But still¡­¡±


    ¡°I gotcha,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Mia, one more thing. Emmy and I are among the most famous lesbians in the world, right? I mean, everybody knows about us. We¡¯re like Ellen and Portia, and the tabloids love to talk shit about us, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine they do, ma¡¯am. I don¡¯t pay much attention.¡±


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing. We went out to dinner with Luisa the other night, and paparazzis took our pictures entering the restaurant. Now, I¡¯m sure you noticed, Luisa is very pretty. The next day, those pics with the headlines that said ''Emmy and Leah¡¯s new toy?'' were all over the tabloid sites. No offense intended, but you¡¯re kinda masculine looking,¡± I said, pausing.


    ¡°No offense taken, ma¡¯am. I fully admit that I present as butch,¡± Mia said with a self-deprecating smile, rubbing her high and tight haircut.


    ¡°So if you go out with Emmy as her bodyguard, it¡¯s going to make it in the rags. I don¡¯t care, and Emmy thinks it¡¯s funny, but I want to warn you, you¡¯re probably going to become internet famous as a dyke.¡±


    ¡°Not to be too crude about it, ma¡¯am, but I don¡¯t think that would hurt my chances with the ladies,¡± Mia said.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°No, probably not.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I speak freely?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is Luisa your new toy?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± I said, laughing. ¡°No, she¡¯s not. I¡¯d like to think she¡¯s a friend as well as an employee, and hopefully you and I will get to that same place, but just a friend and employee. Despite all the rumors and innuendo, a lot of which has been spread by Emmy, we¡¯re probably the most vanilla people you¡¯ll ever meet.¡±


    ¡°Forget I asked, then,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°No, no worries,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯re pretty much all caught up on our big, dark secrets now. Seriously, for the most part, we¡¯re pretty boring.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look boring when we walked out onto that deck,¡± Mia said, smirking.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d imagine it didn¡¯t,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    The trip to the dealership was about as uneventful as you would imagine. Wally dropped Luisa and me off in front, we walked in, I asked to see the sales manager, told him who I was and what I¡¯d come for, he led us to the car, we checked it over, I said it was fine, he handed me the key and said the paperwork was on its way.


    ¡°Just like that?¡± Luisa asked.


    ¡°Well, a lot happened behind the scene,¡± I said. ¡°But yes, essentially, just like that.¡±


    I drove us back across town, while Luisa marveled at the nice, new car.


    ¡°You know, the limo is cool, riding around like that, but having a car like this is even better,¡± she said.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are a lot of places where a limo just isn¡¯t appropriate, right? Say you want to drive up to the Hamptons, or Montauk. A limo would just be silly, but this¡­¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why Emmy wanted two cars, and not just two sedans,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You guys- your lifestyle is just so¡­¡± Luisa trailed off, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Really, once you get to see us in action more, you¡¯re going to realize we¡¯re actually pretty boring,¡± I said.


    ¡°As if!¡±


    I hadn¡¯t actually been inside the garage halfway down the block that held our two spots, but it wasn¡¯t hard to find our designated parking places. I parked nose-out out of habit, glad that the garage wasn¡¯t too cramped. Two full-sized cars would have no problem right next to each other.


    Walking back to the house, Luisa asked ¡°That¡¯s it? You get a brand-new BMW and you don¡¯t even want to drive it?¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°I¡¯ve got one back home.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask Wally to stick around after he¡¯d taken his paperwork to fill out, just asked him to be there at nine the next morning to take me to the airport.


    Grant and Mia went out for the evening, so it was just Luisa, Emmy and me for dinner. I¡¯d asked Luisa for something light, so she fixed a really nice Caesar¡¯s salad, which was perfect.


    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think I ate dinner even once actually with the Daltons,¡± Luisa said. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be real different working for you guys.¡±


    ¡°In a lot of ways, I imagine,¡± I said.


    ¡°Luisa, Leah is leaving for San Jose tomorrow, but I will be staying for another week. Next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we will be having some guests, so we will need to prepare all the bedrooms. There will be five of them.¡±


    ¡°Will Grant still be here?¡± Luisa asked, doing the mental math in her head. ¡°Because we only have four empty bedrooms now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Grant will still be here,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kick him out just for one of the boys.¡±


    Emmy looked thoughtful, then said, ¡°We will work something out.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ll need to feed a few extra mouths,¡± I said. ¡°You and Mia should go shopping tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What do you think of Mia?¡± Emmy asked, and I wasn¡¯t sure if she was asking me or Luisa, so I let Luisa answer first.


    ¡°She seems¡­ Well, she seems like she¡¯ll be able to do the job,¡± Luisa hedged.


    ¡°But?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, but nothing. It isn¡¯t as if I¡¯ve really had a chance to get to know her, you know?¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you think you will be O.K. with living under the same roof as Mia?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t see any problem with it,¡± Luisa said with confidence.


    ¡°Leah, what do you think of Mia?¡±


    ¡°She seems competent, for sure. I think she¡¯ll have no problems doing what we ask. I also think she has a good sense of humor, and that helps, too,¡± I said. ¡°She just needs to get rid of some of her military habits. I can only take ¡®yes, ma¡¯am¡¯ and ¡®no, ma¡¯am¡¯ just so long.¡±


    Laughing, Emmy asked, ¡°You spoke to her about our security concerns?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and she thinks she¡¯s up to the job,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°That is good,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Luisa,¡± I said, turning to face her. ¡°I told both Wally and Mia that you¡¯re the boss as far as the household goes. You¡¯re the one in charge. They both seemed to understand that, but if there¡¯s ever any question, feel free to get ahold of me to straighten things out.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K.,¡± she said. ¡°What kind of things should I have them do?¡±


    Grant and Mia came back in while we were discussing specific job duties, so after dinner we ¡®retired to the parlor¡¯ (yes, it sounds funny to me to say it that way, so I used the phrase every chance I got) to discuss it, then, over drinks, the conversation turned more informal and just became a group of people chatting.


    I think it was a really good thing, in a way. Emmy had never really talked much with Grant, and obviously Mia was new to the party, so it was a real ice-breaker with regards to just getting to know each other.


    Emmy and I called it a night a little bit after eleven, leaving the other three still going. Settling into bed, Emmy said, ¡°I am going to miss you very much this next week.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have so much stuff going on, and so many people here, you won¡¯t even notice I¡¯m gone,¡± I said, pulling her into my arms as we snuggled.


    ¡°I will miss you ever so much,¡± Emmy protested. ¡°I will miss you so much, that I already miss you.¡±


    Chuckling, I said, ¡°Well, at least you¡¯ll have a house full of people to keep you distracted. I¡¯ll be all alone there in Palo Alto.¡±


    ¡°That makes me sad to imagine,¡± Emmy said, pushing back against me as we spooned, wrapping my arms tighter around herself. ¡°I hate the idea of you ever being lonely.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just for a little while,¡± I said. ¡°A week isn¡¯t very long.¡±


    ¡°It will feel long.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what he said,¡± I replied, and chuckled a little at my own joke. It¡¯s a punchline that never fails.


    ¡°You are terrible!¡±


    My last morning run there in New York for the foreseeable future took me back across the Queensborough Bridge and around Roosevelt Island one more time. On my way back across the bridge, I stopped to take a really good look at the top terrace of our house, and realized that yes, I probably was visible in my nudity, at least when I walked out to the railing looking out over the river. Maybe not when I was posing, but I¡¯d probably spent half an hour all told in plain sight of any runners or cyclists heading west across the bridge. Thinking about it as I continued my run, I decided to not share that information with Emmy or Luisa.


    After my shower, I woke Emmy up as I packed to go. ¡°Hey, babe. I¡¯m taking off. I¡¯ll call you when I land, O.K.?¡±


    ¡°Have a good flight,¡± Emmy mumbled, still mostly asleep. ¡°I already miss you.¡±


    I gave her a quick kiss, then went down to the kitchen for a croissant and a cup of coffee.


    ¡°Luisa, call me if you have any questions about anything,¡± I said as she got the kitchen ready for the day.


    ¡°When do you think you¡¯ll be back in New York?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably a few months, maybe sooner. No idea, really. Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, we need to finish up that portrait. I can work on it some, get it roughed out, but I¡¯ll need you to pose again so I can finish it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°You just want my naked body.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s-¡± Luisa started to protest, then realized I was teasing her. ¡°Well, O.K., you got me. That¡¯s all I want you for. Well, that and my paychecks, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I agreed.


    I had just finished my coffee when Wally came down to the kitchen and accepted a cup of coffee from Luisa. ¡°We need to leave in ten minutes or so,¡± he announced. ¡°Can I get your bags?¡±


    ¡°Up in the foyer,¡± I said. ¡°Just the one suitcase, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± he said.


    Michael and Jassie were waiting for me when I landed in San Jose, and I was very glad to see their familiar, smiling faces. New York had been mostly fun, but it¡¯s always nice to come home.


    ¡°How was your trip?¡± Michael asked as I settled in the back seat with Jassie.


    ¡°It was good. Really good, actually. I think in a couple of months I¡¯m going to have to send you to run a team there, to see who we can find to get to join us. I think it¡¯s time we branched out away from the west.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was inevitable that we would have to approach the East Coast in our recruitment,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°I expect we will find larger numbers of Night Children in those older places.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will,¡± I agreed.

 Not A Chapter- Story Discussion Interlude Pt I

    Several commenters have mentioned the incredibly weak sauce story blurb I have on the front page. They have said that they gave the story a chance despite the description, certainly not because of it. I will readily admit it lack a certain je ne sais quoi- so I am going to appeal to you, my lovely and talented readers, to help me out on this. Please suggest a better intro description, and I''ll pick my favorite (aided by crowd enthusiasm) and use it as the new story description.


    So let your creative juices flow, and give me a short non-spoilery paragraph to entice new readers into the fold.


    Thanks for your help on this.


    Also, fan art! Or even just any pics you''ve stumbled across that make you think of the story. Post some links if you can and I''ll happily make a gallery list. In fact, I''ll post some links for some pics that I''ve found that have either inspired characters or elements of the story, or at least elements thereof.


    This could be a lot of fun- but remember, some may be NSFW. That said, let''s keep it on the relatively tame end of things. It''s not that I mind stuff that might be a bit harder, but please PM me those links and I''ll see if they might violate Royals Road''s TOS before I post them for all to see.


    I''m going to try to break down the story discussion into workable chunks, and each day for a little while will address a specific sub-topic. I thought these two would be fun ways to kick off the conversation.


    Thanks, you guys. This whole project would have stalled out quite a while ago if I didn''t have you all keeping on track. Really, it means so much to me I can hardly begin to tell you.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Royal Road demands a minimum of 500 words per chapter installment, so I have a bit more to fulfill to meet that. So, let me tell you the genesis of the story of Emmy And Leah.


    I have always had very vivid, unusual dreams. My dreams never involve anybody I know from my daily life. Never. I''ve come to understand that''s atypical, but that''s all I''ve ever known. Last night, for example, I dreamt I managed a boxing gym in Indonesia and was irritated by the politics I was getting caught up in, since my dad was running for President. For me, that''s a standard sort of dream.


    Anyhow, in the dream that inspired me to start writing Emmy And Me, I dreamt of a couple of girls in high school- one, a child of privilege and wealth, the other, a kid of humble means- but both secretly envied the other and resented their own lives'' restrictions and limitations. Emmy was a pampered heiress, but otherwise normal. Leah was a kid full of drive, but not athletic in the dream.


    Anyhow, I''ve read a lot of ''paranormal romance'' novels- Twilight, Interview With A Vampire (I read that back in the ''80s), the Sookie Stackhouse books, Mercy Thompson books, so on. I wanted to write something that seemed to fit the narrative format almost all those books have, but then turn the expectations on their heads.


    One of the early reviews of Emmy And Me thrilled me very much because it said that the story was cliched but well done- and at that point (still before Emmy was taken by her parents) that was exactly was I was shooting for.


    Obviously the story has moved on from that point, but that is exactly what I wanted the early hook of the story to be.


    Anyhow, thanks ever so much for reading my little story. I''m having a blast writing it.

 Not A Chapter- Story Discussion Interlude Pt II

    All right.


    It''s time to visit the question of tradtitional novel format vs web lit format. I''ve mentioned many times that I set out to write a novel here. Maybe I would try to get it published, maybe I wouldn''t- simply writing a novel was my goal.


    Of course, I wanted people to read it and let me know if it was worth the effort, too, but mostly this was to be an exercise in creativity for me.


    Well, to my surprise and great pleasure, the story of Emmy and Leah has picked up quite a few dedicated readers, a fair number of whom have cared enough to let me know what they thought was working and what wasn''t.


    One of the recurring criticisms was that details were omitted, and things seemed to take leaps and bounds ''off camera'' every now and then. This was intentional on my part as a storyteller, and I''ve said as much in the previous ''not chapters''. However, the fact that I''ve even had to explain my reasoning indicates that my storytelling broke down a bit with those gaps.


    When I was in 8th grade I looked for a copy of "Lord Of The Flies" by William Golding in the school library, but it had been checked out. However, right next to where it had been was another book with a sort of silly, anassuming name. Since the book I wanted was gone, I read the book "A Princess Bride" by William Goldman instead. Mind you, this was in the late ''70s. Yes, I''m old enough to be your mom. Anyhow, the book was subtitled "The Good Parts Version". The text was in green ink for parts of the book and black for other sections. I''ve looked at more recent editions and it seems to be italics and standard text these days instead.


    So the thing was, the author told a story about how he had been read "The Princess Bride" by his own grandfather. It was some sort of novel from the 1800s or something. Every so often, his grandpa would skip big sections and say "What with one thing or another, time passed". As a kid, he wondered what was in those passages his grandfather skipped over, and when he finally inherited the ancient book and read it for himself, he realized those sections were simply 20-page descriptions of what the Princess packed to go on her trip, or other mundane, boring stuff that didn''t advance the story in any way. As a result of this revelation, the author claimed that his was simply an edited version of this much older novel, skipping the huge chunks of details that modern readers would find boring and trivial. Hence "The Good Parts Version".


    So, returning to Emmy And Me, I intentionally left out bits and just focused on ''the good parts''. I felt that, as narrator, Leah was paying attention to her interactions with Emmy, and somethimes others (like Stephanie) where it has an impact on the story of Leah''s time with Emmy. She doesn''t feel that irrelevant facts, such as her own classes in college and the grades she got, or really, how her college volleyball career went (as examples) were worth talking about unless they had some relevance to her relationship with Emmy. Hence, "what with one thing or another, time passed."


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    When I go back and rewrite the whole thing I''ll certainly do what I can to make this clearer, but those big jumps will still happen. Nobody wants to read a blow-by-blow description of Leah''s training time with Ruben, or any more than a cursory retelling of a V ball tournament in Cleveland that her team swept. Really, these are the same as Princess Buttercup packing 47 steamer trunks for her trip abroad.


    So- up until this recent arc, that had been my guiding principle. Describe in detail time spent with Emmy, less detail on time spent without Emmy but on things that affect her relationship with Emmy, and little to none on parts that have very little bearing at all to Emmy.


    A recent example is the honeymoon. That was long, since it was 100% about Emmy and Leah''s relationship, right? However, when I discussed Leah taking her mom to go house shoppping, it barely warranted a few sentences. Sure, the house buying was important for Leah''s mom and sister, and meant something to Leah as well, but had nearly zero relevance to Leah''s relationship with Emmy.


    I''m going to stick to this same basic theme throughout the rest of the two-part trilogy (Maybe it has made it''s way to three or four parts by now?). That''s one of the foundational underpinnings of the story I set out to write.


    Now, those of you who have been reading these "not chapters" and the comments should know well by now that I''d also wrestled with word count questions. I''ve written about how web lit encourages endless verbiage, but traditional publishing doesn''t like that at all. I''d been trying to follow a more tradtional format, but then had an episode of life burn-out and took a little break to go for a long motorbike ride to clear my head.


    While riding, I came to the thinking that since this here, on Royal Road, is the way this story is seeing its birth, I should embrace the web lit format and just go ahead and write All. The. Words.


    And this is how a week in New York City, setting up a new pied-a-terre, took 45,000 words. In traditional publishing, a typical novel is around 100,000 words, so that week was half a paperback''s worth! That said, I found it very easy to write that way. The words poured forth, since I had no real need to self-edit for content. Many, many great authors have expounded on the point that if a passage doesn''t advance the plot or build the characters, it should be trashed, and in general, I agree. In fact, even when writing All. The. Words. I tried to keep to that basic guideline.


    My concern, though, is that it''s easy to miss the trees for the forest that way. In the NYC arc, there were a couple of plot points I meant to hit, and I did hit them. There were a few important character development elements that I planned to expound on, and I did- but did anybody notice?


    Sure, now we all know about the new house and its new staff/occupants, but do we know why any of that matters?


    If I had trimmed the arc to 1/4 of its final length I could probably have hit the same beats, after all. The counterargument, though, is that doing so would shine a spotlight on Checkhov''s rifle hanging above the mantlepiece. So very, very many of the elements that later become important were intended to only become obvious in retrospect- and that''s the way I want it. If I stripped the book way down, those beats would overwhelm the subtlety, which I really want to avoid.


    So my question is this: is All. The. Words. too much? Is it just right? If I ever go to publish in any sort of traditional format I''ll have to trim big-time, but maybe that''s O.K. Maybe I return to the earlier parts of the story and fluff them until they are nice and long...


    Thoughts?

 Not A Chapter- A Mea Culpa

    All right, I know I''m days overdue, and I apologize for slacking off. That whole pesky real life thing, you know what I mean?


    Work has been crazy, family issues have happened, and, to be honest, perhaps a bit too much alcohol has been consumed.I''d expected that I could get a bunch done today, but the fam has insisted on celebrating Firewater, Firearms & Fireworks Day and there wasn''t much I could do but join in.


    Hey, kids- don''t play with explosives. Let the adults who have been drinking a bit too much do that for you. It sounds like an artillery battle somewhere in the distance. Thankfully my dogs don''t seem to be bothered by it.


    As far as Emmy and Leah go, I''ve been chipping away at the next arc- leaving the Bay Area and moving to the City Of Angels. The tone is very different from the NYC chapters, and I''m having a bit of a time shifting gears. It''s happening, my lovelies, just not at the speed I''d expected.


    Tomorrow is a day off for me, so hopefully I''ll be able to take the time to get something posted.


    I have to admit that another thing has interrupted my writing time, and that''s that I''ve been doing some reading. Yes, it''s true. You guys ought to try it. The whole reading thing is actually pretty amazing.


    Here''s where I need to give some shouts out (shout outs? Whatever) to some stuff that has been demanding my attention away from producing my own literature.


    First off, I''ve been enjoying several stories here on Royal Road. Let me start by mentioning Abyssal Road Trip</a> by redhand. It''s strange and nightmarish, makes some odd leaps here and there, but is always compelling and true to itself. It may not be your cup of tea, but it''s creative, fascinating, and perhaps a bit disturbing. Give it a try.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    An extremely well-written fantasy you may find worthwhile is A Practical Guide To Sorcery</a> by Azalea Ellis. It''s actually being published in eBook format as well. If you enjoy it, please follw the links and buy a digital copy. The story is well written, certainly as well as or better than the typical fantasy novels you might find on the shelves of your local bookstore. The story so far has been well worth the time I''ve spent reading it.


    A third I''d recommend is military sci-fi, but delivered in a strange and unusual way. First Contact</a> by Ralts Bloodthorne was originally from reddit''s HFY (Humanity, Fuck Yeah!) sub, but now can be found here on Royal Road. The HFY stories all revolve around a simple premise. What if we, as human beings, are the scary space monsters every other star-faring species is terrified of? The most famous of the HFY stories is The Deathworlders (hosted on its own site now) with is something like 4,000,000 words long at this point. I''ve been reading Deathworlders for a while now, and I do enjoy it, but I really wish it weren''t so very Heinlein-esque in its adoration of ubermensch figures born to be great. Anyhow, First Contact is like a tapestry of vignettes, mini-stories, really, of the war between the human-led TerraSol Confederation and ancient alien murdermachines left over from the Precursor War a hundred million years ago. I greatly admire the way the story is being told- from many POVs, many different, non-contiguous events, and many different styles of narrative. Military sci-fi really isn''t my bag, but this one has sucked me in. I really wish the author had the incredible proofreading crew you guys have been for me, but hey- the errors and typos rarely derail the storytelling.


    Anyhow, let me get back to Leah in Palo Alto. With any luck and a bit of perseverence I''ll have a chapter up tomorrow.

 Home Alone

    As odd as it may sound, our townhouse in Palo Alto was so quiet with Grace gone to college in Arizona and Emmy in New York that I had a hard time sleeping. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, then realizing that I hadn¡¯t heard a noise at all- there was nothing to hear.


    On the plus side, I was able to really devote my time to last minute cramming for my finals, even though I was doing O.K. in all my classes and the final grades didn¡¯t matter much at all. I¡¯d already been accepted to UCLA¡¯s Anderson School of Management, and that wasn¡¯t going to change if my grades tanked after the acceptance was a done deal. Still, I¡¯d maintained decent grades throughout my four years at Stanford and it was important to me to keep doing well. It¡¯s not as if I had ever made it to any Dean¡¯s List and nobody was going to ask me to speak at the graduation ceremony, but it was a point of personal pride nonetheless.


    I slipped easily back into my old schedule of working out with Ruben before the gym officially opened in the mornings, leaving the whole day to study. Emmy and I talked every day, too- even if it was about nothing in particular.


    In a turnabout from the way it had been before, though, I was having dinner with either Sana, Donny and Aaron or with Michael and Jassie every night. It was nice not having to cook, but even more, it was great having the company so I didn¡¯t feel too lonely.


    On my second night back home I brought one of the bottles of wine from the cellar in New York to give to Sana and Donny.


    ¡°There¡¯s a funny story to go along with this,¡± I said as I handed the bottle to Sana. ¡°The place we bought in New York had a hidden wine cellar that nobody knew about, with almost twelve hundred bottles of wine down there.¡±


    ¡°Is that a Bordeaux?¡± Asked Donny, glancing at the bottle. ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything about French wines,¡± he admitted. ¡°Sana and I, you know, we¡¯ve done some wine tasting tours up in Napa, and my folks like Oregon pinots, but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever actually had any French wine in my life.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in for a treat,¡± I said. ¡°Well, at least, I hope so. 1970 Chateau Latour is supposed to be pretty good.¡±


    ¡°How much did this cost?¡± Donny asked, examining the bottle.


    ¡°Almost eleven million dollars,¡± I replied. ¡°But it came with a free house.¡±


    Laughing, Donny said ¡°Well, O.K., fair enough. But if you were to buy this from a wine shop, how much would it be? It has to be pretty expensive.¡±


    ¡°Luisa, that¡¯s our new house manager there, found that similar bottles have been selling at auctions for around four hundred and fifty dollars.¡±


    ¡°Four hundred and fifty dollars?¡± Sana gasped. ¡°For a bottle of wine?¡±


    ¡°The other night we drank a bottle that would have sold for almost two thousand bucks,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But seriously, as far as I¡¯m concerned, all this wine was free. Just a little, I don¡¯t know, bonus, in a way.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I get that,¡± Donny said. ¡°But it seems sort of ridiculous to bring a bottle of wine twice as old as any of us, that costs four hundred dollars, to have with a dinner of pot roast and grilled brussels sprouts. Maybe we should save it for a special occasion.¡±


    ¡°You can if you want,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯d think a nice hearty Bordeaux would go well with pot roast.¡±


    At dinner we talked about the new house, and I told them that if they ever wanted to get away to New York for a vacation, they were welcome to stay at the townhouse.


    ¡°Now, when you say ¡®townhouse¡¯, Leah, I kind of imagine your place here in Palo Alto, but it isn¡¯t like that at all, is it?¡± Donny asked while Sana fed Aaron, who watched us all with those big, attentive eyes of his. Emmy had explained that Night Children babies rarely made any noise, but I still found it amazing how quiet Sana and Donny¡¯s little six-month old could be.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a seven story tall brownstone. Except it isn¡¯t actually brown or stone- it has a brick front. And it¡¯s really nine stories, if you count the basement and sub-basement,¡± I said, pulling out my phone to show them pictures.


    ¡°It used to be owned by the great aunt of the king of Jordan who bought the house in 1952 from the family that built it, so we¡¯re only the third owners of the house, even though it¡¯s over a hundred years old,¡± I explained as they looked though the pictures. Showing the pics of the wine cellar, I said ¡°Our builder thinks the wine cellar might have been a sort of private speakeasy during prohibition, and that¡¯s why the stairs leading to the cellar were hidden behind a cabinet door in a storage room by the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°O.K., that is freaking cool,¡± Donny said.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m serious. If you guys need to get out of Seattle for a week, take a break and stay at our place in Manhattan. Or, if you need sun, come down and visit us in L.A. once we get moved. Mis casas son tus casas.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Leah,¡± Sana said, burping the baby. ¡°We may take you up on it.¡±


    ¡°No, not ¡®may¡¯,¡± I said. ¡°You ¡®will¡¯ take me up on it.¡±


    ¡°If you insist,¡± she said, laughing. I liked how her English accent got stronger when she was more relaxed.


    In the end, Donny did open the Bordeaux, and it did go really well with the pot roast he¡¯d made. It was really nice, and to be honest, just relaxing to be around the two of them (and little Aaron, of course). For four years Donny had been my best friend, and we¡¯d seen each other almost every single day, even if it was just for coffee in the mornings. It was going to be tough to leave everything that I¡¯d gotten used to in the South Bay, but even more, tough to leave the people behind.


    Of course, Donny was going to go to the medical school at U Dub in Seattle, which would have taken him away even if Emmy and I were staying. It isn¡¯t as if I could complain, though- Donny had his own life to lead, and I was super happy for him and Sana in this next step in their lives.


    I¡¯d brought up the idea of buying them a place near Donny¡¯s parents, but he¡¯d seemed horrified at the idea.


    ¡°We want to be sort of close, but not too close,¡± Donny had explained. ¡°I grew up in Ballard, so I like it and all, but one, it¡¯s too far from school, and two, it needs to be far enough away from my parents that they don¡¯t just pop in all the time. I love ¡¯em both, but sometimes a little distance is a good thing.¡±


    Eventually we¡¯d settled on me buying a small eleven-unit apartment building a few blocks from campus which Sana would manage in exchange for rent for the duration. It was a good investment for my property management company, it gave them a place to live, and would seem to Donny¡¯s parents as if he and Sana were making it on their own. Donny had avoided telling them about the economic support that Emmy and I had given him over the years, or the work that he¡¯d done for us, and he wasn¡¯t in any hurry to tell them about any of it.


    Of course, they¡¯d met and really liked Sana, but had accepted the ¡®really small ethnic group¡¯ story and not pushed too hard. Donny just didn¡¯t want them to know about any of the drama around the Night Children, and I was O.K. with keeping them in the dark. If that meant keeping our economic support on the QT as far as his parents were concerned, well, that was fine.


    Donny was planning on going into fertility medicine, with an eye to figuring out the low birth rates among the Night Children, and if he could do that it was worth any amount of money.


    After a nice evening¡¯s visit I made my way home to the empty townhouse, climbed into my empty bed, and eventually fell asleep. When I awoke at my usual early hour I couldn''t really remember my dreams from the night before, just that Emmy, and oddly, Stephanie were featured in them.


    I went in to work that day, even though I should have spent the time studying for finals. I really didn¡¯t even get much accomplished in the office, but it had been over a week and getting some face time was a good thing. I had a long meeting with my key VPs and came to the realization that I was going to have to spend some time in the San Jose office even once Emmy and I moved to Los Angeles. I¡¯d built up a thriving business there, and even though my various VPs had a good handle on things they still wanted my hands on the reins.


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    The flight time between LA and San Jose was less than an hour and a half, so it wasn¡¯t unrealistic to plan on two or three days every other week to take care of whatever needed my physical presence.


    ¡°Leah, Jackie and I have been talking,¡± Nash said after our meeting. ¡°You know she¡¯s originally from Orange County, right? Well, her folks are getting older, and she¡¯s thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be such a bad thing to be closer, you know, to be able to spend more time with them, and the kids are all out of the house, too¡­¡±


    ¡°Nash, I¡¯d love to transfer you to the Santa Monica office, if that¡¯s what you and Jackie want. Heck, I¡¯ll even buy your house here at fair market if you want to sell, and you know we¡¯d be happy to manage it if you want to rent it out. Whatever I can do to make your life easier, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°Well, if we do move it wouldn''t be until fall,¡± Nash replied, looking relieved. ¡°We just have too much to do, you know?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I have a suggestion. Come down to LA one day a week, starting when I move down there. Get your feet wet, learn the local market, so when you do make the move you¡¯ll already be up to speed. Of course, make sure your replacement here is ready to take over. I¡¯m not abandoning this market.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Nash said. ¡°Um, I think that Sandy might want to move to LA, too.¡±


    ¡°Anybody else?¡± I asked, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°No, I think just me and Sandy,¡± Nash said. ¡°Oh, and¡­¡± he said and I could tell from his smirk he was pulling my leg.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll talk to Sandy, too,¡± I said. ¡°But seriously, this office is going to stay just as important and busy as it has ever been, you guys know that, right? Just because I¡¯m moving my physical location doesn¡¯t mean that anything else has to change.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that, and I think Sandy just wants to move because he wants a change, but everybody else is going to keep working same as ever.¡±


    I had dinner that night with Michael and Jassie at their condo in Sunnyvale. During dinner Michael mostly wanted to talk about the possibilities of expanding our reach among the Night Children of New York and then the rest of the East Coast, while Jassie spent most of her time texting her friends.


    ¡°She has a boy that has been interested in her,¡± Michael confided.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s getting to be that age,¡± I agreed. ¡°Her fifteenth birthday is coming up real soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Michael. ¡°But that doesn''t mean I have to like it,¡± he said, but I could tell he was mainly performing for his daughter.


    ¡°Dad! You know you¡¯ll always be number one!¡± Jassie said, glancing up from her phone. ¡°And besides, I don¡¯t know if Bryce even actually likes me likes me, anyhow.¡±


    ¡°Have you met this Bryce?¡± I asked Michael.


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± Michael admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve told Jassie that he has to come by for a meet and greet before the two of them can go out together, but since neither is old enough to drive yet, they only socialize with other kids so far.¡±


    ¡°God, I remember those days,¡± I said with a groan. ¡°Frustrating, right?¡± I asked, looking at Jassie.


    ¡°Very,¡± she agreed, not even looking up from her phone.


    After eating, Michael mixed us a couple of drinks and we went out on the back patio to talk.


    ¡°Leah, I know you and Emmy have to move, that your time is done here, but it¡¯s going to be tough without you around,¡± Michael said, sipping his paloma. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong- everything is running reasonably smoothly and I don¡¯t really foresee any issues with the Children already in the fold, and little by little some of the others that stayed away at first are joining us, but without you and Emmy¡¯s presence, it¡¯s going to be harder to recruit.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, Michael, I don¡¯t see how I make any difference on that. I mean, I¡¯m not any sort of Night Child myself, so I don¡¯t see how I have any kind of legitimacy in any of this,¡± I said, voicing a concern I¡¯d had for a while.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± said Michael, thinking about his response. ¡°Obviously, Emmy is old blood. Really, really old, and everybody knows that. She''s the product of two well-known royal lines that date back to at least pre-Christian times, so there is undisputed claim to rule on her side, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, sure, of course,¡± I agreed, but really, I hadn¡¯t quite known the Lascaux family was that old.


    ¡°So simply by being her wife, you¡¯re automatically elevated to royal status, but here¡¯s the thing. The rumor among the Night Children is that you¡¯re actually one of us, too, from some unknown but undoubtedly noble family.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± I said, rolling my eyes at Michael. ¡°Look at me. There¡¯s no way I could ever pass for a Night Child.¡±


    ¡°The prevailing theory is that you¡¯re an illegitimate daughter of a noble Night Child father and a daywalker mother, and your parentage has been kept secret.¡±


    ¡°You have got to be kidding me,¡± I said, leaning back in my chair.


    "Offspring of daywalker women are always daywalkers, and Night Child women always have Night Children babies, regardless of the father''s nature," Michael explained.


    ¡°I get it. So the story about me is something like that- I¡¯m a first-generation daywalker? Why do people think that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who started the rumor, but it¡¯s actually pretty easy to believe. You act like Night Child royalty, you¡¯re comfortable around Night Children and have never once acted as if we were any different than anybody else you know. You use the word ¡®we¡¯ when talking about your people, too. Don¡¯t think these things go unnoticed.¡±


    Chuckling at the absurdity of it all, I said ¡°Let me guess. You and Emmy have never done anything to put a stop to these stories?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never met your father,¡± Michael said, sipping his drink. ¡°He certainly might well have been a Night Child, for all I know,¡± he added, a smile on his jet-black face.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to lie, but if people thinking I¡¯m a first-gen daywalker helps keep everybody happy, then I guess there¡¯s no harm, right?¡±


    ¡°That has been the principle that Emmy and I have been working from ever since we first heard the rumors,¡± agreed Michael. ¡°In fact, the rumor has spread beyond our people and is now a fairly widely known fact amongst all the new Children I talk to.¡±


    ¡°Oh, jeeze,¡± I groaned. ¡°I wonder if Emmy¡¯s parents have heard it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain they must have by now,¡± Michael agreed.


    When Emmy called the next morning I asked her about it.


    ¡°Yes, many of our people believe that about you,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    ¡°And you haven''t told them otherwise, have you?¡±


    ¡°No, I have not,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°It is a useful fiction, so why would I?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not true,¡± I said. ¡°That seems like a good reason.¡±


    ¡°I have not lied and told anyone that you are descended from Night Children,¡± Emmy said, defending herself.


    ¡°But you also haven¡¯t put a stop to the story you know is false that''s been spreading around, either. That¡¯s walking a thin line,¡± I said.


    ¡°It would not matter if I did at this point, Leah,¡± Emmy said. ¡°If I denied it, that would only confirm to people that it was true and was being intentionally hidden.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± I said, realizing that she was right. ¡°I don¡¯t like lying, or even, in this case, letting a falsehood perpetuate, but I guess it does no harm.¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, actually,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Instead of an outsider, you are one of us. This matters to people.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± I admitted, grumbling. ¡°But I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Then, changing the subject, I asked ¡°How are things there in New York?¡±


    ¡°Very good,¡± Emmy said, happy to talk about something that didn¡¯t make me upset. ¡°Erich came by yesterday with the sketches for the work to be done, and it seems we will get our secret stairway after all. He brought some moulding samples for the restoration work and it all looked very good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s excellent. When will he get started on the work?¡±


    ¡°He has other work right now, and the earliest he will be able to get his men here will be next month. He will have some things that need to be ordered in advance that he will need your approval for, like the new heating unit, for example.¡±


    ¡°Tell him to email me with anything he needs me to look at,¡± I said, wishing Emmy would just sign off on it herself.


    ¡°Thomas is going to start on the studio next week, though,¡± Emmy said. ¡°He has his own crew to do the work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool. Do they need any money to get started?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he will send you an invoice when he has it ready,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I said, again wishing Emmy would deal with this herself.


    ¡°Luisa and Wally have been learning self defense from Grant,¡± Emmy said. ¡°He has been training them every day for almost half the day. Yesterday they went walking around the city, simply evaluating potential threats as they went. Luisa told me it was the most eye-opening thing she¡¯d ever experienced on the streets of Manhattan.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°She said that Grant was seeing people, picking them out of a crowd, identifying them as potentially dangerous from hundred feet away. Pointing out how this guy was looking around too nervously, that guy was following a woman and she didn¡¯t even know, that sort of thing. Luisa said that just seeing like that, seeing who was up to no good, was amazing to her.¡±


    ¡°How did Wally take it?¡±


    ¡°He was quiet about it, but I could see that the experience had him thinking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± I agreed. ¡°How was Mia with all of that?¡±


    ¡°She did not go with them,¡± Emmy said. ¡°She worked on getting some of the storerooms cleaned out, separating what was to be given away and what was to be kept.¡±


    ¡°Oh, man,¡± I groaned. ¡°She¡¯s a brave woman.¡±


    ¡°It is indeed a labor worthy of Hercules,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°On a different note, when do Stephanie and the boys get there?¡±


    ¡°This afternoon,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Have you figured out where everybody is going to stay?¡±


    ¡°It is more complicated than we had thought,¡± Emmy said with a sigh. ¡°In addition to Stephanie and the four in the band, they have two roadies as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s awkward,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°Grant cleared out of the room he was using and will be staying with Mia in her apartment for the next few days, so that opens up a room. One of the smaller bedrooms on the fifth floor has bunk beds, so that means we have six available beds for the seven of them,¡± Emmy explained.


    Then, in a different tone of voice, Emmy said ¡°Leah, Stephanie is the only woman in the whole crew.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Would it be acceptable to you if I offered to let her stay in the master bedroom with me?¡± Emmy asked in a soft voice.


    ¡°Hey now,¡± I said in a stern voice. ¡°You aren¡¯t planning on putting the moves on my old girlfriend, are you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Emmy said in a panic. ¡°That is not what-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding,¡± I said, my voice normal again. ¡°If you want to offer and she takes you up on it, I¡¯m fine with it. I trust both of you guys.¡±


    ¡°I have not said anything to her about it yet,¡± Emmy said, the relief in her voice very obvious. ¡°I did not know how you would react.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I trust both of you. You can have her talk to me if she¡¯s nervous about accepting. It¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Then, in a low, husky voice, I said ¡°In fact, I think I¡¯m going to go take a shower and think about the two of you in the same bed as soon as we get off the phone.¡±


    ¡°You are encourage-able!¡± Emmy exclaimed.


    ¡°You mean ¡®incorrigible¡¯,¡± I said, correcting her English.


    ¡°No, that is not what I meant,¡± Emmy replied with a laugh.

 The Sons Show

    My Human Resource Management class final was easier than I¡¯d expected and I buzzed through it quickly. This left me a few hours to kill before dinner at Sana and Donny¡¯s, so I did something I hadn¡¯t done in years- I lay out on the sun deck to just catch some rays and veg out.


    I¡¯d just turned over for the third time when my phone rang. Hoping it was Emmy, I grabbed it and answered without checking to see who it was. To my surprise, it was Stephanie.


    ¡°Hey, babe!¡± she said when I answered the phone.


    ¡°Steph?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yup! It¡¯s me!¡± she replied.


    ¡°Um- how are you doing?¡± I asked, my mind a bit blank.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing pretty well. How are you doing?¡± she said, obviously enjoying me being on the back foot.


    ¡°O.K., I guess,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t a girl call just to talk?¡±


    ¡°Sure she can, but she doesn¡¯t do that very often at all,¡± I said.


    ¡°Ooh, ouch!¡± Stephanie said, laughing. ¡°Yeah, O.K., I do have a reason for calling. I just found out that the Sons¡¯ show tonight is going to be live streamed, so you can watch it from the comfort of your couch, while wearing your PJs. Cool, huh?¡±


    ¡°Now, Stephanie, you know I don¡¯t wear pajamas,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ hey, what are you wearing right now?¡± she asked in a husky voice.


    ¡°Nothing but cocoa butter. I¡¯m tanning on the roof deck,¡± I said, matching her sexy voice.


    ¡°No, seriously, what are you wearing right now?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m lying out catching some afternoon rays. Why?¡±


    ¡°Damn. You totally derailed my train of thought,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°What were we talking about?¡±


    ¡°Cocoa butter,¡± I replied, smirking even though I knew she couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Hang up right now. I¡¯m gonna FaceTime call you right back so we can go to video.¡±


    ¡°Nuh uh,¡± I said. ¡°First, you stay at my house, second, you snuggle up with my wife, and now you want me to cam girl it up for you? You¡¯ve become quite demanding, Steph, I gotta say.¡±


    ¡°I demand you cam girl it up for me right now!¡± Stephanie said, laughing. ¡°And, by the way, nice house, snuggly wife.¡±


    ¡°It is a nice house, isn¡¯t it? And she does snuggle very nicely,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°The boys really freaking love the house, too. But they didn¡¯t get to snuggle with Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Their loss,¡± I said.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Stephanie agreed.


    ¡°But hey, I was serious about the live stream. Emmy¡¯s going to play the entire set with the boys, not just a couple of songs for the encore. It turns out she had learned all their songs from listening to their records, so they had a practice session this morning and it all worked perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Wow- that¡¯s awesome, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. I mean, she picks up songs just from listening to them once.¡±


    ¡°Well, the boys are totally, I mean totally, stoked about it. You know they have three nights at the Ballroom, and she¡¯s going to play all three.¡±


    ¡°Has it been announced that she¡¯s going to guest?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Nobody has said a word. The promoter doesn¡¯t know, none of the boys have let it leak on social, nothing. It¡¯s gonna be a surprise,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Well, that oughta sell some tickets when news gets out,¡± I said, imagining the crowd going crazy when Emmy steps onstage.


    ¡°No, actually, it won¡¯t,¡± Stephanie said, and I could hear her gloating. ¡°The shows are already sold out.¡±


    ¡°Have they been doing that a lot?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, almost every stop on this tour,¡± Stephanie said, and she was definitely gloating. ¡°One thing has become obvious and that¡¯s that the Sons are going to book bigger places next time out.¡±


    ¡°You did all the booking, right? I mean, that¡¯s all you?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, not really. I mean, yes, I handle everything for the band, but at the other end, when word gets out that the Sons are planning a tour I get a lot of calls and emails from local promoters wanting the Sons to play in their venues, you know?¡±


    ¡°So they reach out to you?¡± I asked, really curious.


    ¡°A lot of the time, yeah. Then, if I don¡¯t know them or the venue, I have to do research to see if it¡¯s appropriate, if the promoter has a good rep, all that. I swear, I work harder at this than the boys do.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m getting pretty tired of this touring shit, too,¡± Stephanie grumbled. ¡°This is our third national tour, and we¡¯re heading to Europe after this East Coast swing. Don¡¯t get me wrong, Europe will be cool, but how wrong is it to want to sleep in my own bed?¡±


    ¡°Make sure you take some time to sightsee while you¡¯re over there,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, I intentionally left gaps in the schedule so we could be tourists, not just tour its,¡± Stephanie replied.


    ¡°How long will you be there?¡±


    ¡°Seventeen shows, twenty nine days in Europe. The shows aren¡¯t evenly spaced out, though, so we have a few clumps of days off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± I said. ¡°You haven¡¯t been to Europe before, have you?¡±


    ¡°No, and neither have any of the boys, either. We¡¯re all Europe virgins.¡±


    ¡°Hot tip- get some local to drive,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°Yeah, no shit, huh? Especially in the U.K.¡±


    ¡°Hey, when does the show start tonight?¡± I asked.


    "The opening act goes on at eight, they leave the stage at a quarter till nine, and the boys take the stage at nine. Eastern time, of course,¡± Stephanie added.


    ¡°Well, sure. So I need to be in front of a big-screen TV with everything set up by six California time.¡±


    ¡°Exactamundo,¡± agreed Stephanie.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± I said. ¡°Text me the details on how it¡¯s going to be streamed.¡±


    ¡°No prob,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Oh, and you know what?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna totally groupie on Emmy and go home with her and you know what? I¡¯m gonna sleep with her, too!¡±


    Laughing, I said ¡°Facetime call me when you do.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°No way. You won¡¯t cam girl for me, I¡¯m not gonna stream for you, either!¡± Stephanie said in a mock huff.


    As soon as we got off the phone, I texted Mia. ¡°Hey, Mia, this is important,¡± I sent. When she responded with a question mark, I said ¡°Wherever Emmy goes tonight, you go, too. Stick to her like glue. She goes backstage, so do you. She goes out into the crowd, you¡¯re right next to her. The band goes out and parties, you go out, too, but stay sharp.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± she texted back. ¡°Dad already gave me my marching orders on this one.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it. Let me know if you have any problems at all.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Next, I texted to make sure it was O.K. before showing up early at Sana and Donny¡¯s place, letting them know that I wanted to watch the concert at their house. Both were excited by the idea, so I made sure they had all the necessary tech bits to make it work. I guess I¡¯d never really paid any attention, but it turned out they had a bigger, newer TV with a better sound system than we did. Setting up to watch the streaming video was a snap for Donny, to my relief. I¡¯m not some sort of luddite or anything but Emmy and I just don¡¯t really watch much TV at all, so I really hadn¡¯t paid any attention to any of that stuff.


    Donny and Sana though, were big fans of staying in, especially once Aaron came into their lives. Sure, Jassie was eager to babysit any time they wanted a night out, but most of the time they were content to have dinner home, then watch something on the tube. Well, LCD, I guess it is nowadays.


    Sana nursed Aaron, then put him to bed for a late nap.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting him used to sleeping in his own room, but the transition is tough,¡± Sana said when she came back to the living room.


    ¡°Does he cry when he¡¯s by himself?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What? No, he¡¯s fine with it. It¡¯s Sana who¡¯s having a hard time,¡± Donny said with a laugh.


    ¡°Sometimes I wake up and can¡¯t hear him breathing and I freak out until I remember he¡¯s not in our room anymore,¡± admitted Sana, settling into her seat next to Donny. I noticed he reached out and took her hand and just held it without even thinking about it- like it had become so automatic that it just happened by itself.


    It was almost six, so when the emcee came onstage to introduce the band Donny un-muted the sound.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give a big welcome to the Prodigal Sons!¡± he said, and the band filed on stage, Brent in the lead. Emmy was last in line, and when the crowd recognized who it was, the cheering and clapping almost doubled in volume.


    Brent stepped up to the microphone, waving to the audience. ¡°Thanks, thank you,¡± he said. When the crowd quieted down, Brent said, ¡°Thank you all for coming out tonight. We are the Prodigal Sons plus one tonight. We have a special guest playing with us tonight, an old friend of ours. Please, welcome Emmy De Lascaux, our very own Prodigal Daughter!¡±


    Emmy waved at the crowd, but didn¡¯t step up to the mic.


    ¡°Some of you may know this bit of history, but Emmy¡¯s very first time on stage, playing for an audience, was with us, what, five years ago? Has it really been that long? Seems like just yesterday!¡± Brent said, looking back at Emmy. ¡°Come on up to the mic, Em, say hello.¡±


    When Emmy shook her head, Brent chuckled and said ¡°Well, that¡¯s Emmy for you. Shy as always.¡± After the laughter died down, he went on. ¡°So here¡¯s the deal. Emmy didn¡¯t want to upstage the rest of us here tonight, so she¡¯s mostly gonna play rhythm guitar, and take lead on only a few songs. She¡¯s gonna sing a couple, too, don¡¯t worry, but this is still a Prodigal Sons show, so we aren¡¯t going to change our play list up at all. Like I said, tonight, and the next two nights are The Prodigal Sons plus the Prodigal Daughter. I hope you all enjoy it as much as a regular Sons show!¡±


    As the laughter started to die back down, Brent nodded to Justin to lead off their song ¡°Night Time¡± with its heavy bass line.


    ¡°R U watching?¡± Stephanie texted.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I texted back.


    ¡°Than what song R they playing?¡±


    ¡°Night Time,¡± I texted, chuckling at the fact she would really check to make sure.


    Stephanie and I kept texting back and forth through the entire set, mostly about the songs, how touring has been, stuff like that. At one point Donny asked who I was chatting with, and when I told him it was Stephanie, he looked shocked.


    ¡°Your ex? The cheerleader?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Does Emmy know you two are still in contact?¡±


    ¡°Want to hear something hilarious?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The two of them slept together last night, and will again tonight and tomorrow,¡± I said.


    ¡°O.K., this is gonna take some explanation,¡± Donny said.


    ¡°The short version is that Steph is managing this band, The Prodigal Sons. We all went to high school together, right? Well, these guys were doing a crappy job of promoting themselves and were playing parties for beer money when Stephanie agreed to become their manager. She got them paying gigs, a record contract, set up their tours, had merch made up, the whole thing,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Wow,¡± said Donny. ¡°This is the girl I talked to on the phone back in freshman year, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°She- and I don¡¯t mean this in any sort of mean way- didn¡¯t seem very serious, but what you¡¯re talking about must be a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she really stepped up. She did all this while maintaining a solid B plus grade average at San Diego State and just got her degree in Marketing last month.¡±


    ¡°So anyway- back to the sleeping together thing,¡± Donny said, his eyes wide.


    ¡°So the Sons are on tour, and are playing three nights in New York, right? Well, Emmy invited the whole band to stay at our place instead of getting hotel rooms.¡±


    ¡°O.K¡­¡± Donny said, impatient for the good bits.


    ¡°As it turns out, there are two roadies, too, so there weren''t enough spare bedrooms for everybody. So Stephanie, since she¡¯s the only girl in the group, is staying in the master bedroom with Emmy.¡±


    ¡°And that doesn¡¯t bother you?¡± Sana asked.


    ¡°Not at all. I trust both of them, for one, and they¡¯re just friends, anyhow. Heck, despite the teasing I¡¯ve been getting, Stephanie probably slept on the couch or something like that.¡±


    Just then I got a text from Stephanie. ¡°PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEXT SONG!¡± it said, all in caps in the equivalent of a shout.


    ¡°Why?¡± I texted back.


    ¡°Just do it¡± was Stephanie¡¯s response.


    The song Stephanie wanted me to watch was one that had been getting a lot of attention for various reasons, from the title ¡®Bitch Hit Me Back¡¯ to the theme of domestic abuse. If you didn¡¯t pay any attention to the lyrics it was still a pretty good rock tune, somewhat reminiscent of classic Aerosmith. When the song hit its famous guitar solo, Brent stepped back from the microphone and Emmy took the spotlight.


    A new guitar I hadn¡¯t seen before slung low on her hip, she tapped something on her effects pedal board and her guitar sang out in a long, slightly fuzzy note that lasted for quite a while, and as she dragged it out she sang the exact same note. Her vocals must have been running through the same effects, because it had the same hint of distortion as the guitar. She sang along perfectly with every note of the solo she played, giving an eerie echo effect as the wordless vocals matched the guitar riffs perfectly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anybody do that before,¡± breathed Donny as the extended solo came to a close and the audience went insane with applause. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that, ever,¡± he added.


    ¡°No, that was new to me, too,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°What did U think?¡± Stephanie texted when the song finished.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± I replied.


    ¡°SRSLY¡± she agreed.


    ¡°The rest of the show was good, but that solo was clearly the high point so far.¡± I texted.


    ¡°Fo sho¡± Stephanie texted back. ¡°But wait for the last song of the encore¡±.


    The band finished their main set, then did the obligatory five minute wait to return to the stage. I¡¯d gotten so used to The Downfall¡¯s shows, and they never, ever did any sort of encore, so I¡¯d forgotten how irritating that whole encore thing really was. Everybody knows the band isn¡¯t done, but it¡¯s some sort of ritual that the band and the audience have to go through for some reason.


    Anyway, they came back on stage and played a couple more songs, then Emmy took the lead for the final song of the night. It sounded familiar, but I didn¡¯t recognize it until Emmy started singing a rendition of the Guns N'' Roses version of ¡®Knocking on heaven¡¯s door¡¯. It definitely was inspired by Axl and Slash¡¯s treatment of the song, with Brent playing the long, chainsaw guitar chords and Emmy the piercing, clear guitar lead. The two sang the song as a duet, with Emmy singing the main part and Brent the response.


    It was a giant, grandiose rock song and the two did it justice.


    Donny glanced over at me after the song finished and caught me crying. ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± he asked, concerned.


    ¡°Don, you know she¡¯s moon kissed,¡± I said, wiping my tears away.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Donny breathed. ¡°She knows she only has a few more years, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does,¡± I said, my voice thick. ¡°She does.¡±


    ¡°Have you guys looked into treatment? I mean, maybe there is some sort of gene therapy-¡±


    ¡°Emmy refuses to consider it,¡± I said, interrupting.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, my voice betraying the frustration I¡¯d felt on the subject. ¡°She won¡¯t tell me. She just says that it isn¡¯t a thing that needs to be cured.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Donny said.


    ¡°I guess it does to her,¡± I said, more than just a touch bitter.


    ¡°Um, Leah,¡± Sana said, timidly.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s not my place to say anything,¡± Sana said, realizing she was overstepping. ¡°It¡¯s for you and Emmy to talk about.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, wondering what she¡¯d been about to say.


    ¡°Sorry. Just forget I said anything at all.¡±


    My mood killed, I made my goodbyes and left to go back to my empty house. On the way home I stopped at the liquor store and bought a bottle of tequila and a six pack of Squirt sodas to make myself some palomas. I felt like getting a bit drunk, and I¡¯d enjoyed the drinks Michael had made the night before, and the ingredients were basic.


    Back at home, I mixed up my drink, then went out up to the rooftop deck to wallow in my misery.


    My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I saw that it was a text from Emmy. I¡¯d missed a few from Stephanie, too, I noticed.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the show?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Up until the last song¡± I replied.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t like it?¡± came the immediate response.


    ¡°Emmy, you played that song¡± I started to type, then backtracked and erased what I was starting out to say.


    ¡°Em, it fucking crushed me.¡± I finally got out.


    The little ¡®typing¡¯ dots appeared, then disappeared, then reappeared after a moment. Eventually, Emmy sent, ¡°I am so very sorry. I did not mean to upset you.¡±


    ¡°How could it not?¡± I replied quickly. Then, ¡°I want you forever, Em. Not just the next few years¡±.


    ¡°I want you forever, too, Leah¡± she sent back, then the phone rang. I answered Emmy¡¯s call, but we couldn¡¯t really talk- it was just too loud where she was. ¡°I¡¯ll call you as soon as I can¡± was really the only communication that happened.


    I read the texts from Stephanie, asking me how I enjoyed the encore.


    ¡°Ask Emmy about why she played that song¡± was all I replied, then put the phone down and stared up at the night sky.

 Fast and Furious

    Leaning back on the lounge chair, sipping my drink, looking at the sky, I lost myself in thought. Or maybe not-thought. I don¡¯t know. I guess it was easier to not think, just sort of zone out and wallow in grief for an event that hadn¡¯t even happened yet. My phone buzzed a few times, but I ignored it. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to Emmy, or Stephanie either.


    My glass empty, I went back down to the kitchen and fixed myself another drink. I sipped from the glass as I walked around the townhouse that Emmy and I had shared for nearly four years. I looked at the rubber tree in the sunny corner of the living room, the one that had grown so well that I¡¯d had to re-pot it every year since I bought it at the farmer¡¯s market so long ago. It was perfect for the house, and I wanted to leave it for Michael and Jassie, but I wasn¡¯t sure they would know how to keep it alive and thriving.


    I looked at the antique dagger on the mantle, too. I guess I¡¯d been ignoring it for years, not really bothering to give it any thought- it was simply an item on display. Really looking at it brought back a rush of memories, foremost among them was the fact that I¡¯d used it to kill for the very first time.


    I¡¯d taken a man¡¯s life with that dagger, then kept it as a souvenir, a reminder. A reminder to others that I wasn¡¯t to be messed with, and a reminder to myself of what I was capable of doing when the time came.


    Well, that time had come again not even two years later. All in all, I¡¯d killed four men with my own hands. The thought made me melancholy, but not because those lives had been ended. No, I was melancholy because I had been brought to that point, the point where killing another person was the solution to my problems.


    Any rationalizations I might make about the fact they were bad people and would hurt those I loved were for others, not for me. I knew that I did what needed to be done then and there, and if I found myself in a similar situation in the future, well, I¡¯d spill blood again. Without hesitation, and apparently, without any real remorse.


    ¡®Is this what it was like for you, Dad?¡¯ I asked silently, looking at the dress uniform in its big shadowbox frame. ¡®Was it just something that needed to be done, so you did it?¡¯


    I realized I¡¯d reached the bottom of my glass, so I mixed another drink, then drank half of the paloma staring at the Eagle, Globe And Anchor on the collar of Dad¡¯s dress blues. ¡®Swift, Silent And Deadly,¡¯ I thought to myself, thinking of the medals, badges and insignias framed and displayed at Mom¡¯s house.


    I was just about to mix myself another drink when a knock on the door startled me. My watch said it was past one in the morning, so I was cautious as I checked out who it was.


    I was surprised to see Donny, looking concerned, waiting on my doorstep. ¡°What are you doing here so late?¡± I asked as I let him in.


    ¡°Emmy called,¡± he said, sitting down at the kitchen counter. ¡°She was worried. She¡¯s been trying to reach you for a while now.¡±


    I went to check my phone, but it wasn¡¯t in my pocket.


    ¡°Aw, shit,¡± I groaned. ¡°I must have left my phone up on the deck. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said, as I went back up to the roof to get it. Sure enough, it showed I¡¯d missed a lot of calls and texts.


    When I got back down to the kitchen, Donny asked ¡°What¡¯s going on, Leah?¡±


    ¡°Just- I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m in a crappy mood, I guess. Being reminded that Emmy is moon kissed, missing Em, thinking about how school is over and soon you¡¯re going to Seattle and we¡¯re going to L.A¡­. Just things, you know?¡± I said.


    ¡°None of that is exactly news,¡± Donny said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not news. It just sort of all hit me at the same time, that¡¯s all,¡± I replied. ¡°Hey, want a drink? These are good,¡± I added, pouring myself my fourth or maybe fifth paloma of the evening.


    ¡°How many of those have you had?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been counting. Want one?¡± I asked.


    "Uh, thanks, but no. My last test is tomorrow, and I need to be sharp for it,¡± Donny said. ¡°Are you done with your finals?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I had my last one today. It was a breeze. I can sleep in tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you,¡± Donny said, stealing a little sip from my glass. ¡°Hey, that is good. Maybe tomorrow night you can make us some to go with dinner?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the hook for dinner tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell yes. You¡¯ve taken your last final at Stanford today, mine is tomorrow. Tomorrow night we celebrate!¡±


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go out then,¡± I suggested. ¡°See if Jassie can babysit Aaron, and let¡¯s go out for dinner and maybe hit a bar afterwards. Sound good?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m down,¡± Donny agreed. ¡°But now I gotta go home and get some sleep so I can kick ass on my CRISPR final.¡±


    ¡°Donny?¡± I said as he was about to step out the door.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°You know I love you, right? You¡¯re the best friend I¡¯ve ever had,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, with a smug look on his face, then ducked out the door.


    Smiling to myself at how Donny could always lighten the mood, I finished off my drink and went to bed.


    I had a bit of a hangover the next morning, so I drank a bunch of water and had a cool shower to bring myself back to life. After eating breakfast, I finally felt up to calling Emmy back to tell her that yes, I was alive, and yes, I still did love her.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t answer so I just left a lame voice mail message and went out for a run.


    I was running the Grove trails when up ahead, by the Angel, I saw another girl running. She was going my speed, so being the competitor that I am, I put in a little kick to catch up. This girl was going at a pretty respectable pace and her gait was nice and smooth, so it was obvious she wasn¡¯t just a casual jogger. It took me a little while to catch up, and I turned right towards the Oval to follow her where my route would normally have me continue straight.


    She wasn¡¯t as tall as me, but then, very few women are. Still, she must have been five foot nine or something like that, so tall enough. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a pony tail, which swung back and forth as she ran. Her legs were nice and lean, and well tanned, too, highlighting just how bright her optic yellow runner¡¯s split shorts really were.


    At first, I¡¯d wanted to catch her merely as a personal challenge, but as I got close, I realized I didn¡¯t really want to pass her all that much at all. Recognizing that I was perving on her athletic figure, I drew up next to her and saw she was running with earbuds in.


    I know a lot of runners do that, but to me it seems like an extremely bad idea. I, for one, would really want to hear the out of control car coming up behind me in time to get out of the way. Or, in a case like this, hear that somebody was sneaking up on me from behind.


    In fact, she jumped with surprise when she finally spotted me out of the corner of her eye as I caught up.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± she blurted out as she moved over on the sidewalk to give me more room.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Looking at her, I realized she was young. I mean, I was only twenty-two, so it isn¡¯t as if I was old, but this girl must not have been any older than just a freshman.


    I indicated she should pull out her earbud, which she did immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry- I didn¡¯t hear you behind me,¡± she said, not even breathing all that hard.


    ¡°Yeah, I could tell,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been following you since the Angel.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said as we ran along side by side. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not one to tell you what to do, but that just isn¡¯t safe. You really need to pay more attention to your surroundings.¡±


    My sermon over, we got to chatting as we ran. She asked if I was a senior, and told me she was just finishing her freshman year. She was on the track team, had been the star of her small-town high school track team back in Virginia and wanted to go to a West Coast school to get away from everything back there, her freshman year was hard, but she passed all her classes and kept her GPA high enough to keep her scholarship, and¡­


    I stopped paying much attention after a while. This girl was obviously smart enough to keep up her grades at Stanford, but at the same time, she seemed like a complete airhead. Just listening to her talk made me feel so old- much older than the three year difference in our ages could possibly explain.


    ¡°Hey, want to get lunch?¡± she asked as we came to a stop by her dorm, a hopeful look on her face.


    ¡°Sure, sounds good,¡± I replied. ¡°I need to go home and shower. Pick you up in, say, forty-five minutes?¡±


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± she asked, puzzled by the idea that we would actually go someplace rather than eat at the Commons.


    ¡°There¡¯s a really good burger place over on Emerson. You aren¡¯t vegan, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, burgers are cool,¡± she said. "See you right here in forty-five!¡± she chirped, as she vanished into Toyon Hall.


    I ran home, wondering if the girl whose name I never even got was thinking this was some sort of date, then wondering if it really was some sort of date, and what was I doing talking to cute girls anyhow- I was a happily married woman, right? I half talked myself into simply not showing up, but then I realized that was the jerk move and I didn¡¯t want to be ¡®that guy¡¯.


    As I showered, I thought about what I was doing. Just a little harmless flirting, I decided. She might not even be into girls, much less be interested in that way. Her invite might simply just an act of simple friendliness.


    Well, I was going to buy her lunch, try to convince her to ditch the earbuds when she ran, and just maybe make a new friend, who I will probably never, ever see again.


    I dressed casual in jeans and a Cardinal T shirt, and pulled my hair back in a simple pony tail. I didn¡¯t want to look as if I¡¯d dressed up for the occasion.


    In the garage, on a whim, I jumped in the Aston. She was from a small town in Virginia, right? She might not have ever been in a car as nice as that, so why not give her a little treat?


    I ignored the little voice that said ¡°Yeah, that car is the panty-dropper.¡± That really wasn¡¯t what it was all about.


    I pulled up by the dorm, and there she was, waiting. Her eyes got huge when she saw the car, so I definitely got the reaction I¡¯d hoped for.


    She had gone a bit farther out of her way to look good for the not-date, with some light makeup and a cute little yellow sun dress.


    I stepped out of the car, asking, ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Is this really your car?¡± she asked, looking back and forth from me to the Aston.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s mine,¡± I said. ¡°Hop in.¡±


    ¡°This is a really nice car,¡± she said as she sat down.


    ¡°I like it,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°James Bond drives one of these, right?¡± she asked, admiring the wood dash.


    ¡°No, his car was a DBS. That¡¯s actually a bigger car, more of a GT than a real sports car. This is a Vantage.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really nice,¡± she repeated.


    I found a parking spot fairly easily, and the burger place was mostly empty- I guess as a result of school being out for those who were done with finals, and those who still had finals weren¡¯t likely to go out to eat. We grabbed a table in the patio, where the music wasn¡¯t so loud.


    ¡°What do you recommend?¡± she asked, leaning forward.


    This had the effect of allowing me to see down the front of her dress, which I really tried not to do, but those tan lines and little brown nipples were hard to ignore.


    ¡°Um,¡± I said, completely drawing a blank.


    ¡°How is the breast?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The chicken breast. The sandwich,¡± she explained.


    Regaining my footing, I looked her straight in the eyes and said ¡°Well, I haven''t sampled the breast, but I do have to say it looks good.¡±


    This got the reaction I¡¯d hoped for, and she burst out laughing. ¡°So, you¡¯ve had a good look at it?¡±


    ¡°Only briefly,¡± I said, with a shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± she said, leaning forward again, and pointing at something random on my menu. Of course, I took a much longer look, since she was inviting it.


    I looked up and met her smiling eyes. ¡°Yes, the breast looks tasty.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you like? Breast, I mean?¡± she asked, and I could tell we were getting into sex comedy territory. She¡¯d clearly laid out that she was available and tested to see if I was interested, and I was willing to go along for a while but there was no way I was ever going to seal the deal. For me, this was just fun and games.


    ¡°Breast is good,¡± I said. ¡°But tacos, I could eat tacos all day long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never actually had tacos,¡± She said, crossing her arms under her bust and leaning forward, making sure I had plenty of time to gaze deeply at her chest. ¡°But I¡¯d like to give them a try.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to say they aren¡¯t on the menu,¡± I said, leaning back.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Positive,¡± I replied. ¡°Absolutely positive.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to do without,¡± she said, leaning back with a laugh.


    ¡°Hey, this is college,¡± I said. ¡°There are plenty of good tacos available if you just look.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was hoping I¡¯d found one, but I was denied,¡± she said with an exaggerated pout.


    That over, we both ordered burgers and the conversation turned to harmless topics. I finally point blank asked her name, and she told me it was ¡°Ashley, not spelled weird with a G H or anything like that, and my friends call me Ash.¡± I told her mine, and explained that I was married and had been for a couple of years already.


    ¡°So why did you ask me on a date?¡± Ash asked.


    ¡°You asked me if I wanted to have lunch,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I did, didn¡¯t I? So why did you take me up on it?¡±


    ¡°Bored, I guess,¡± I admitted. ¡°My wife is in New York and I would have otherwise just eaten lunch alone.¡±


    ¡°Wife? So you do eat tacos, then!¡± Ash said, triumphantly.


    ¡°Yes, I am in fact a taco eater,¡± I agreed, just as the waitress showed up with our food. To the waitress¡¯ credit, she barely snickered.


    ¡°And I do enjoy breast meat, too, but really, I think that I¡¯ve come to realize I like thighs more,¡± I added.


    ¡°So, am I correct in assuming that the reason you followed me halfway across campus was to check me out?¡± Ash asked.


    ¡°Not at first, and not at the end, but for a little while, for sure,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°My thighs looked tasty to a dedicated taco eater?¡±


    Nodding, I shrugged. ¡°What can I say?¡±


    The dam burst with that, and Ashley just couldn''t keep from laughing. Soon enough the two of us were giggling like idiots, drawing looks from the few other diners in the patio.


    Done with lunch, Ashley asked ¡°Can we just, you know, maybe drive for a little bit?¡± once we got in the car.


    I checked my watch and saw that I had plenty of time, and the idea of a nice run up Mt Hamilton Rd would be fun. ¡°How fast do you want it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I like it good and fast, but not if it is over too soon,¡± she replied.


    ¡°And back to the innuendos,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°No, these aren¡¯t innuendos,¡± Ashley said, pulling the front of her dress down and just plain popping her boobs out at me. ¡°These are outduendos.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they sure do seem to be out,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know you said no taco eating was gonna happen, and this was just a friendly lunch, but I was really hoping it was going to be¡­ well, more,¡± Ashley said, pulling her top back up and covering her cute little boobs.


    ¡°The only ¡®more¡¯ you¡¯re gonna get is a car drive to the top of that mountain over there,¡± I said, pointing to the east. ¡°I¡¯m serious about being happily married. I agreed to have lunch with you, and lunch was good-¡±


    ¡°How were the sights?¡± Ash interrupted.


    ¡°The sights were good, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°But not good enough to tempt me away from my wife.¡±


    ¡°Humph,¡± Ashley humphed, crossing her arms. ¡°Well, can we at least go for that ride you promised? This is a really nice car.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a really fast car, too,¡± I said. "This is a perfect time for a Hamilton run. It¡¯s a weekday, and too hot for the bikers. The road should be pretty empty.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Ashley said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.


    As I¡¯d hoped, we got really lucky and had the road almost entirely to ourselves. I very rarely let the car really rip on public roads, but all that track time and instruction I¡¯d gotten over the last three years made itself known and I absolutely railed up that hill.


    Somebody had once told me that there were 365 curves on that road, but I certainly can¡¯t say I¡¯d ever counted to actually check for sure. All I know is that those are some of the twistiest eighteen miles of roadway I¡¯d ever driven, and that Aston Martin was made for roads like that.


    Ashley squealed with delight every time I stepped the back out in a drift, to the point that I was sure her voice was going to give out. As we slowed to pull into the little parking lot by the observatory, Ashley held out her hand.


    ¡°Look- I¡¯m shaking,¡± she said, and sure enough, her hand was trembling.


    ¡°Shit, I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I thought you were enjoying it.¡±


    ¡°Leah, that was the most amazingly terrifying and exciting thing I have ever experienced,¡± Ashley said. ¡°I freaking loved it so hard I can¡¯t even begin to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you want to keep going?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have never wanted to go all the way so badly in my life,¡± Ashley answered, getting a laugh from me.


    Ashley looked around, and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. I am so wet, you¡¯re gonna have to get this seat cleaned.¡± She hiked up her little skirt up to around her hips and spread her legs as much as the somewhat cramped leg space would allow, rotating her hips back to show me her shaved pussy. ¡°I¡¯m so soaked- I¡¯ve never been like this in my life.¡±


    ¡°Tacos are still not on the menu,¡± I said, glancing one last time at her swollen brown clit, before backing out of the parking space.


    I turned the car east, figuring we¡¯d hit Mines Rd before heading back to Palo Alto, and wondering what to do about Ashley.

 Well, Now

    I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t a bit turned on, but really, there was no way I was going to have sex with this girl, no matter how hard she pushed- and she was pushing harder than anybody I¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°Where are your panties?¡± I asked as we started down the hill to the west.


    ¡°In the trash can in the ladies¡¯ room where we had lunch,¡± Ashley said, in no hurry to lower her skirt back down to cover her bits.


    I took the road at a sporty pace, but nothing like the way I¡¯d driven up the mountain. For one, I wanted Ashley to cool off a bit- well, O.K., a lot, and for two, it was hard to focus so closely on driving with a teenaged girl rubbing herself in the seat next to me.


    ¡°Ash, could you do me a favor?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Anything,¡± she said.


    ¡°Could you please get your hand out of there, and pull your skirt back down?¡± I asked in a calm, conversational tone.


    ¡°Is that really what you want?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is really what I want,¡± I said, still keeping it calm and collected.


    ¡°Spoilsport,¡± Ashley said as she dropped the hem of her skirt to mid thigh. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I replied, wondering how this could get any more awkward.


    ¡°Um, Leah, you just don¡¯t know how hot I am for you right now. I¡¯d do anything you wanted, you know. Anything. So why are you shutting me down?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°Honestly, I shouldn¡¯t have taken you up on that lunch invite. I wouldn''t have if I¡¯d know it would lead us here, you know? But like I said, you seemed nice and I thought it would be nice to maybe make a new friend- have lunch, talk about how dangerous it is to wear earbuds when jogging, talk about school being done, you know, just whatever stuff?¡±


    ¡°But then you started talking about breasts, thighs, and tacos,¡± Ashley objected.


    ¡°You started that conversation. It was all you, and you started it by giving me a peek,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, and you took that peek, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, sure. A good-looking thing like you flashing me her girls? How am I not going to look?¡± I said.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m good-looking?¡± Ashley asked, perking up.


    ¡°We established that at lunch, if I recall correctly,¡± I said.


    ¡°When you admitted you followed me running,¡± Ashley remembered. ¡°So do you often follow cute girls around?¡±


    ¡°No, never,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re the first.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m just the lucky one!¡± Ashley said with a laugh.


    ¡°Guess so,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, um, is your wife the reason you don¡¯t want to fuck me?¡± Ashley asked. ¡°Because, I¡¯d be totally O.K. with a threesome, if she¡¯s hot. You aren¡¯t married to some old rich lady, are you? I guess if she was, you know, a cougar, I could maybe get into it¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess you could call her a cougar. She is five months older than me,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°And she¡¯s maybe the hottest woman on Earth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great when married people think their husbands or wives are sexy,¡± Ashley said. ¡°My dad says that about my mom, too."


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one who thinks my wife is the hottest. Esquire magazine had her on the cover of this year¡¯s ¡®sexiest¡¯ issue,¡± I said.


    ¡°What,¡± Ashley said, turning to look straight at me.


    ¡°Yeah, my wife made the cover of Esquire as the sexiest woman alive. In fact, I think the issue is still in newsstands,¡± I said.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Ashley demanded, pulling out her phone to look it up, but there was no signal.


    ¡°Somebody unbelievably hot, incredibly talented, and devoted to me, that¡¯s who.¡±


    ¡°And you aren¡¯t going to tell me,¡± Ashley said, pouting. ¡°But that brings up what I was saying earlier. I would absolutely be your sex toy for you two to play with- no question.¡±


    ¡°Ash, I gotta ask. Why are you so¡­¡±


    ¡°Turned on? Hot in the twat? In heat?¡± she suggested, interrupting.


    ¡°Yeah, all that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Um, I guess it¡¯s a few things, you know? First off, when you caught up to me, my first impression was that you¡¯re like gold. I mean, you¡¯re so tall, and you¡¯re blonde, blue eyed, but tanned, too, but tanned like gold, know what I mean? And those long legs of yours, your easy stride- it¡¯s just like you were some sort of perfect California goddess.¡±


    ¡°Flattery will get you nowhere,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Back in Virginia, when I found out I was accepted to Stanford, I imagined every girl here was going to look like you, but they just don¡¯t. And there you were, right there, easily matching pace.¡±


    ¡°You were going pretty good,¡± I said. ¡°It took me a while to catch up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you did catch up, and you aren¡¯t even on the track team,¡± Ashley objected. ¡°Then, I couldn¡¯t help myself, I just wanted you to keep running with me, so I just kinda babbled, you know? And you didn¡¯t seem to mind, even though I couldn¡¯t stop myself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did give off a bit of an airhead vibe,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Then, when you ran all the way back to my dorm with me, I got to thinking you might be interested, and, you know, I¡¯ve been kinda curious about, um, sex with another girl, but didn¡¯t know how to¡­¡±


    ¡°I get it. You¡¯ve had boyfriends, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, a few,¡± Ashley said.


    ¡°And they always pursued you, right? I mean, they were always the ones that asked you to go out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Ashley said, relieved I¡¯d understood her point.


    ¡°So let me see if I have this right. You¡¯re finishing up your freshman year, about to go back to Virginia for the summer,¡± I said, holding up one finger. ¡°You¡¯d heard about college experimentation and figured you¡¯d have some sort of lesbian experience by now, but it just never materialized. I come along, seem interested, and you think I¡¯m attractive,¡± I continued, holding up a second finger. ¡°As a bonus, I¡¯m a graduating senior, so I¡¯ll be experienced, and I won¡¯t be around next year so you won¡¯t have to think about any sort of long-term relationship. You can go back to your high school boyfriend and never tell him anything, but maybe tell your girl friends you had a girl-girl hookup in college in California, because you¡¯re oh so sophisticated now,¡± I added, holding up a third finger.


    Ashley grabbed my hand, pulling my fingers down. ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± she protested. Then, ¡°Well, all right, it is like that,¡± she admitted. ¡°Plus, you were funny and sexy at lunch, you have this fucking amazing car, and you drive like Vin Diesel. You¡¯re obviously rich, and I bet your house is amazing.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± I agreed. ¡°But the house we just bought in Manhattan is nicer.¡±


    ¡°See? Rich. Seriously- that watch you¡¯re wearing cost more than my dad¡¯s truck- and it¡¯s a nice one.¡±


    I glanced at the Patek Phillipe on my wrist. ¡°What if I told you it was fake?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d know you were lying,¡± Ashley said with a laugh. ¡°You have ¡®class and money¡¯ written all over you. And now you tell me you¡¯re married to some smoking hot actress- wait, it¡¯s Margot Robbie, right? You¡¯re married to Margot Robbie!¡±


    ¡°No, but she is pretty hot,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know, right? When I first saw Wolf Of Wall Street is when I first started thinking that maybe sex with another girl might be something fun,¡± Ashley said.


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± I said.


    ¡°So let¡¯s have hot lesbian sex!¡± Ashley said, pulling her skirt up again.


    ¡°Seriously? I thought we¡¯d gotten past that.¡±


    ¡°Look, you said so yourself. There¡¯s no long-term thing here. This would just be a quick hook up, and nobody else would need to know.¡±


    ¡°Just your friends back home, when you tell them all about it, right?¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°Well, sure, but they won¡¯t know who you are or anything,¡± Ashley protested.


    ¡°Honestly, there is a very real chance you¡¯ll be hanging out with your girlfriends and you¡¯ll point to a picture online or on a magazine cover and say ¡®See her? That¡¯s the chick I banged.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Are you really that famous?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°My wife is, and therefore so am I by extension.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve been on the cover of magazines?¡± Ashley asked, doubting it.


    ¡°I was on the cover of The Enquirer a couple of weeks ago. It happens,¡± I said.


    ¡°No shit,¡± Ashley said, her eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯m about to get fucked by a celebrity!¡±


    ¡°No, you absolutely are not,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s establish this right now. I will not be having sex with you today, and not any time after that, either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious about being you and Margot¡¯s sex toy. I mean, take me home right now, tell Margot you brought me to her as a present, and I will absolutely do anything the two of you want,¡± Ashley said. ¡°Take me back to your New York mansion and I¡¯ll be your toy all summer until school starts again in the fall. I¡¯m serious, Leah. You can bend me over any way you want.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m serious, Ashley. My wife and I aren¡¯t like that. We¡¯re not into any kind of swinging, no three-ways, nothing. And I¡¯ve never had a random hook-up in my life, and I¡¯m not about to start now.¡±


    ¡°Never? Not even in high school?¡± Ashley asked, surprised.


    ¡°Nope. Never.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Ashley mused. ¡°I¡¯ve had, like, a few.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not going to start now,¡± I said with finality.


    ¡°O.K., I get it. If I had Margot Robbie waiting at home for me, I probably wouldn¡¯t screw around, either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you- I don¡¯t have Margot Robbie in my bed. I have somebody hotter,¡± I said as we passed the biker hangout burger stand out in the middle of nowhere. ¡°Way hotter.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Ashley said, crossing her arms over her chest.


    Ashley was mercifully silent for a while, until she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. ¡°Can you play some music?¡± she asked, pointing at the infotainment system.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, turning it on. Of course, it was set to the mp3 player, and the Downfall¡¯s song ¡®Fire¡¯ came on.


    ¡°Do you like these guys?¡± Ashley asked with a frown. She hit the fast forward/next button and ¡®Dreaming of me¡¯ came on. ¡°Is there anything else on here?¡± she demanded, hitting fast forward again and getting another Downfall song.


    ¡°Hang on,¡± I said as I flipped it to satellite radio. ¡°What would you like?¡±


    ¡°I like the Outlaw Country station on Sirius,¡± Ashley said. ¡°I think it¡¯s channel 60.¡±


    I can¡¯t say that it was my favorite style of music, but I didn¡¯t hate it so that¡¯s what we listened to all the way back to campus.


    When I dropped Ashley off, she asked ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t come back to your place?¡± one last time.


    My only response was, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you threw away your panties for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Going up that mountain was one of the best sexual experiences I¡¯ve ever had!¡±


    ¡°Take care, Ashley. Go back to your dorm room and jump your roommate¡¯s bones. Maybe it¡¯ll work out.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? She¡¯s- well, no, I wouldn¡¯t jump her bones if she was all there was.¡±


    I looked in the rear view mirror as I drove away, only to catch her flashing her pussy at me one last time.


    Some voice mails had come piling in once we¡¯d gotten back into cell range, so I checked them as I walked into the house.


    Seeing I¡¯d missed a call from Emmy, I buzzed her immediately.


    ¡°Leah!¡± she said when she answered the phone. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°How are things there?¡± I asked as I kicked off my shoes and settled down on the couch.


    ¡°It is very much fun having the boys and Stephanie here. They are so¡­ enthusiastic!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet,¡± I said. ¡°Are they there now?¡±


    ¡°No, they have all gone out, except Stephanie. She is upstairs in the office, working.¡±


    ¡°I hate to ask it, but have they been respectful of Luisa and Mia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have. I think Stephanie told them before they got here to behave, but I do not think they would have done otherwise. Yes, they are rockers, but they have been very polite and respectful. They have been wonderful guests.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± I said, and it was true.


    ¡°Stephanie is a very different young woman than I remember from high school,¡± Emmy said in a soft voice.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°She is¡­ very mature. She is incredibly professional with the way she is managing the Sons. She is very detail oriented and makes everything run smoothly, so all they need to worry about is the actual performance. She takes care of every single thing. It is amazing. I only wish we had a manager like her for the Downfall. You know that Jackson does most of that, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d had a feeling that was his job,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Steph makes life so good for the Sons,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°I wish we had a Stephanie.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that, so I just kept quiet.


    After a moment, Emmy said ¡°I am sorry that I made Donny go check on you last night. I was worried.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s alright,¡± I said. ¡°I was in a crummy mood and I¡¯d forgotten my phone up on the deck, so I didn¡¯t realize you were trying to reach me.¡±


    ¡°Was it because we played that song?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, yeah, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°It just hit me that you only have a few more years, Em. It hurts to think about.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry, Leah,¡± Emmy said softly. ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to start an argument over the phone, so I bit back my response demanding to know why she was so hesitant to trying medical treatment. Instead, I said ¡°Em, let¡¯s just make sure that the time we have together is the best anyone could ask for.¡±


    ¡°I am trying, Leah. I am trying to make life the best we could possibly hope for,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing a good job of that,¡± I said, trying to lighten the mood.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m really horny right now and you¡¯re way too far away,¡± I told her.


    ¡°You are aroused?¡± Emmy asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Yeah, I am. I¡¯m going to have to take a long, hot shower, which, sadly, will be solo.¡±


    ¡°I wish I were there to take care of things for you,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, I wish you were here, too. Hurry up and wrap up there in New York and come home,¡± I urged.


    ¡°Only a few more nights, then I will be home,¡± Emmy said. Then, changing the subject, she asked, ¡°Did you tell Mia that she was to be my bodyguard?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course I did,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, that is her job.¡±


    ¡°She seems to take it very seriously,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I could not even go to the bathroom by myself last night!¡±


    ¡°That is exactly what I told her to do,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m glad she took it seriously.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the concern, but I am not totally helpless, you know,¡± Emmy objected.


    ¡°I know that better than most,¡± I agreed. ¡°But simply having a visible bodyguard means that most problems will not even appear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I imagine that is true,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Thank you for being concerned for me.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯re my world, babe. You mean everything to me.¡±


    ¡°And you mean more to me than I can ever express, Leah,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°More that I can possibly put in words.¡±


    ¡°Well, hurry home and put it into action, then.¡± I said. ¡°I miss you.¡±


    ¡°I miss you, too,¡± Emmy said.


    After the call, I did take that shower, but it wasn¡¯t as hot and steamy as I¡¯d said it would be. Talking to Emmy had stabilized me somehow. I was still a bit turned on, but my libido had cooled a bit from the way Ashley had left me.


    After my shower I figured I¡¯d do some work, but when I checked my email I saw one from Stephanie.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± she wrote. ¡°Emmy and I spent half the night last night just talking, you know? I¡¯m really sorry for a lot of things, but Emmy made me understand that she didn¡¯t hate me for taking you away the summer after High School. I think we had a really good talk, and cleared the air between us. I¡¯m just telling you this because I think it¡¯s important that you know (and I told this to Emmy, so don¡¯t worry) that I¡¯ve never stopped being in love with you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she wrote, ¡°that you and Emmy are life partners, and I will absolutely never come between you two. I treasure the time we had together. It will always mean something special to me. With love, Stephanie.¡±


    I read and reread that short email over and over, with absolutely no clue how to respond. In all honesty, I had never fallen out of love with Stephanie. I loved Emmy, completely and totally, but that didn¡¯t mean that there was no room left in my heart for Stephanie. Love isn¡¯t an either/or thing, at least not for me.


    I was married to Emmy, and if I had my choice I would spend the rest of my life with her, but that didn¡¯t mean my feelings for Stephanie magically vanished.


    I started to write a response to Stephanie, then trashed it, then started again, and trashed that, too. Finally I wrote, ¡°Steph, the time we had together was magical for me, too. You are an unbelievably beautiful, wonderful person and will always fill a space in my heart.¡±


    ¡°If things had been different,¡± I wrote, ¡°we could have been happy together. Unfortunately for the two of us and our relationship, things we had no control over proved too strong.¡± I didn¡¯t want to slam her mom too hard, but what can I say? It was her that caused our breakup.


    ¡°I treasure our friendship now, and wish we could spend more time together. I¡¯m glad that you and Emmy have had a chance to talk, to come to understand each other better. I hope that our move back to SoCal will bring us all closer, metaphorically as well as physically.¡±


    It felt a bit wishy-washy, but what could I do? I didn¡¯t want to lead Stephanie on, but I did want her to understand that I still cared for her very much.


    I CCed Emmy on the email- There was no way I was going to keep any secrets from Emmy. Sure, I hadn¡¯t told her about Ashley, but I would when Emmy got home.

 Out on the Town

    I¡¯d promised I would take Donny and Sana out to celebrate the end of undergrad life, and I realized I hadn¡¯t actually made any plans. Thinking about where to go, I thought of the French Laundry, but that was a two hour drive each way and they had to get home at a reasonable hour because Jassie could only babysit Aaron for just so long.


    I thought of the various restaurants Emmy and I enjoyed, but then had a better idea. I called ahead to make reservations just to ensure we would get seats, even though I didn¡¯t think it would be a problem.


    When it was time, I called for a Lyft (I was going to drink, and didn¡¯t want to drive) and headed over to their apartment. I¡¯d told them to dress ¡®a little bit nice¡¯, not just college student style, and was happy to see that they¡¯d dressed up a bit, but not too much. Sana was wearing a pale blue silk blouse with a pair of nice jeans, and Donny had on long sleeve button-up shirt and a pair of chinos. Of course, he insisted on wearing his Chuck Taylors, but that was fine. We were in Silicon Valley, after all, and Chucks are almost mandatory among the engineers there.


    As for me, I had way, way overdressed. I had on an old-fashioned vest over a white cotton shirt with a men¡¯s neck tie, and high-waisted trousers. My jacket didn¡¯t match my pants or my vest, so you couldn¡¯t call it a suit, really, but it gave off that vibe.


    It¡¯s funny- all through my childhood and into my teenage years, I¡¯d always preferred pants. In high school, I don¡¯t think I wore a skirt to school even once before Emmy showed up at the start of senior year. Subconsciously at first, but then intentionally, I started dressing nicer, just as a result of her influence.


    Then, when I realized I was gay, my wardrobe became even more feminine, in a sense. It took me a while to recognize that the transformation had to do with some sort of rejection of the butch lesbian stereotype that would have been so easy to fall into.


    I mean, here I was, a big, athletic lesbian, dating (and then married to) a petite little femme. I even drove a Mini Cooper- It would have been hard to be more of a clich¨¦ than that.


    So anyway, for the most part my wardrobe moved away from jeans and T shirts to skirts and blouses. If I did wear pants, they would definitely not be men¡¯s Levis. Sure, I had a pair of Doc Martens on my shoe rack, but the butch dyke look just wasn¡¯t really my thing. That night, though, I was going with classic Jazz-age androgyny.


    Anyway, Sana and Donny were ready to go, so we all jumped into the Lyft that I¡¯d arrived in.


    ¡°Where are we going for dinner?¡± asked Sana from the back seat.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise,¡± I said.


    ¡°Someplace nice?¡± Donny asked.


    ¡°I like it,¡± I said, not willing to give anything away until they figured it out on their own.


    When the car drove onto campus, Donny grew even more puzzled. ¡°Just wait,¡± I urged him.


    When the light bulb went off, Donny laughed out loud. ¡°That Thai place! You¡¯re taking us to that Thai place we used to go to all the time when we were freshmen!¡±


    ¡°The very first place you and I ever shared a meal,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That is unbelievably¡­ appropriate,¡± Donny said, choking up. I could see tears forming in his eyes, which made me tear up, too. I stopped walking and just opened my arms, and Donny came in for a big, long hug.


    ¡°Donny, I¡¯m going to miss you so much,¡± I mumbled, blinking back tears.


    ¡°God, Leah, I¡¯m gonna miss you, too,¡± Donny said, his voice catching. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to be, like, fifteen hundred miles apart.¡±


    ¡°Who am I going to have coffee with in the mornings?¡± I demanded. ¡°That¡¯s it. You guys just need to move to LA.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Donny said as I released him from the hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding,¡± I assured him. ¡°You guys need to live your life, and that means going back home to Seattle. Emmy and I need to live ours, and that means LA. I just want you guys to understand that any time at all you want to come down and visit, we¡¯ll have a place for you, all right?¡± I said, rubbing Donny¡¯s back.


    As Donny swept his mop of curly red hair back from his forehead, I realized that it could be a long time before I¡¯d see that simple nervous gesture I¡¯d grown so accustomed to over the last four years again.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Donny said. ¡°Our budget is going to be tight, and med school is going to take a lot of time and work. I just don¡¯t know if¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the money aspect, Don. If you let me know you want to come down, I¡¯d be happy to spring for the tickets. Or Emmy and I could come up to visit you guys. Maybe you could show us around, be a tour guide for a weekend or something. I don¡¯t know, but don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll make something work out,¡± I assured him.


    Dinner was better than I¡¯d remembered the food as being. In fact, the curry fried rice was about as good as any I¡¯d had at much, much pricier restaurants over the least few years.


    ¡°Donny, why did we stop coming here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I know, right? I¡¯d forgotten how good the Pad Thai was here!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of me,¡± Sana said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, Donny cooks most nights, so we eat at home, and when we do go out, he tries to impress me, so we go out to fancy restaurants,¡± Sana explained.


    ¡°I guess that makes sense," I agreed.


    We were just finishing up and waiting for the cashier when Ashley walked in with a couple of other girls.


    Of course, she spotted me instantly and strode over to where I was standing by the counter.


    ¡°Margot Robbie my ass!¡± she said, poking me in the chest with her finger. ¡°You let me make a fool of myself and didn¡¯t say anything!¡±


    ¡°Um, hi, Ash,¡± I said, not sure what to do.


    ¡°Seriously, when I went back to my room and Googled you and found out you¡¯re married to Emmy fuckin¡¯ Lascaux, I could have just killed myself then and there!¡± she said, her voice rising a bit, and her finger repeatedly jabbing me in the sternum.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You let me make a fool of myself, and didn¡¯t say nothin¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Um, Ash, nobody knew anything about that until just now, when you shouted it out to the world,¡± I said, pointedly glancing over her shoulder at her friends, who were huddled together and whispering.


    Ashley looked back at her friends and quickly turned beet red.


    ¡°Aw, shit,¡± she groaned. She quickly grabbed a pen and a take-out menu from the counter and wrote her phone number on it. ¡°Remember what I said? It¡¯s still true,¡± she said, jamming the menu in my hand before turning away to rejoin her friends, and maybe try to explain away the scene.


    ¡°What was all that about?¡± Donny asked, looking at Ashley whispering animatedly with her friends.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll explain over drinks,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Drinks?¡± Sana asked.


    ¡°Yeah, you didn¡¯t think this dinner was it, did you? We have another stop after this,¡± I said as I led the two out to the street, where the rideshare I¡¯d arranged waited for us.


    ¡°Where are we going now?¡± asked Donny.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you guys know this place,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a hipster bar done up to look like a Prohibition speakeasy. It¡¯s pretty cool,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is it the bar where Jeremiah and Yusef work?¡± Sana asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Hey, is that cheating?¡± Donny asked. ¡°Is it cheating to take us out to a place you own?¡±


    I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Maybe?¡± I said. ¡°Have you guys been there?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Donny admitted. ¡°I remember Yusef talking about it and I thought it sounded cool, but you know¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it is pretty cool, and the idea is working really well. We¡¯re thinking of opening up a few more speakeasy-style bars kind of like it up and down the West Coast. The whole craft beer thing is playing itself out, and all the cool kids are moving on to cocktails these days.¡±


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡± Donny asked Sana.


    ¡°No, the hospitality division is separate from the real estate division,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do with that. It¡¯s even run out of a different office.¡±


    ¡°I never knew you had more than one office,¡± Donny said to me. ¡°Jesus, Leah, how do you even have any time for all this?¡±


    ¡°I have pros working for me that take care of all the details,¡± I explained. ¡°I only need to weigh in on the big decisions.¡±


    ¡°How many offices do you even have?¡±


    ¡°Well, three, sort of. Physically, two, but I¡¯m thinking that soon we might have to break loose the VC stuff from the space it¡¯s taking up in the real estate office and set it up in its own location. Plus our SoCal office, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Donny said, shaking his head.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to have to set up an office on the East Coast pretty soon,¡± I added.


    ¡°O.K., I get it,¡± Donny said. ¡°You big boss business boss.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± I agreed.


    We had arrived at a nice steakhouse, and as we stepped up to the stand, the hostess took one look at me and said ¡°Ms Farmer, your table is ready, if you¡¯ll come this way.¡±


    We followed her through the restaurant to an unmarked door near the kitchen out of sight of the dining area. She knocked twice, and it opened to reveal a large man in an old-fashioned pinstripe suit minus the jacket- just the vest over a white Oxford shirt. ¡°Boss! It¡¯s you!¡± he said, as he tipped his flat hat and stepped aside to let us past.


    After a dimly lit hallway, it opened up to a moderately large room with booths around the sides, tables in the open space and a big, round bar under an illuminated dome in the center. On the far side was a small stage, empty and dark at the moment.


    ¡°This is fucking awesome!¡± Donny breathed, looking around as a hostess dressed in men¡¯s suit pants and a smoking jacket led us to our booth.


    ¡°Here you go, Boss,¡± she said. ¡°Your table.¡±


    ¡°When you said this was your place, you weren¡¯t kidding, were you?¡± Donny asked. ¡°Everybody calls you ¡®Boss¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, I am their boss,¡± I agreed, ¡°But part of that is the theme, right? The whole concept is a secret speakeasy run by some sort of mob boss, right? If the guests see somebody walk in looking like they own the place and the staff jumping to attention and kowtowing the moment I walk in, it reinforces the idea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Donny said as he glanced over the menu.


    I was leaning back, looking over the crowd, which was almost at capacity despite it being only a Thursday night, when I spotted a couple of guys headed over.


    ¡°Andrej! Hey, good to see you!¡± I said to the one on the left as they got near.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± Andrej said in his thick Middle European accent. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, too. I¡¯d like you to meet my friend Mohsin here,¡± he said, indicating the other guy. ¡°We work together. I was just telling him about you, and how you¡¯ve made me a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯ve made me a fair bit, too, Andrej,¡± I said, playing up the gangster persona. ¡°Business has been good.¡±


    ¡°So, Mohsin here was wondering if maybe he could invest, you know?¡±


    I waved at the waiter to bring over a couple of chairs for the two to sit. When they did, I leaned forward and shook Mohsin¡¯s hand.


    ¡°You¡¯ve talked to Andrej, and he¡¯s explained what I do, right? And what kind of returns you can expect?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, he has,¡± Mohsin said.


    ¡°And he¡¯s explained the minimum investment threshold?¡±


    Mohsin nodded, so I said, ¡°Well, I think we can get something going, then. There¡¯s plenty of money to be made all around, and I¡¯m happy to bring new investors in.¡±


    I waved the waiter over, and when he asked ¡°Yes, Boss?¡± I pointed at the glasses the two guys had in their hands.


    ¡°Another round for these two gentlemen. Oh, and their table drinks for free tonight, got it? And make sure Mohsin gets on the list,¡± I said, and got a ¡°Sure, Boss,¡± in return as he hurried away to get their drinks.


    Mohsin looked surprised by this, but Andrej had a smug look on his face. ¡°I told you I knew the owner,¡± Andrej said to his friend.


    ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t want to take up any more of your time, Leah,¡± said Andrej. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Mohsin around to your office next week, all right?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, Andrej,¡± I said as the two stood up to go back to their dates.


    ¡°You just comped those guys a night of drinking?¡± Donny asked. ¡°Leah, the cheapest drink on this menu is fifteen bucks, and most are like, twenty-five or more. Those guys and their dates could probably ring up a couple of hundred bucks here!¡±


    ¡°If they go for the top shelf bottle service, it could be a few grand,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But look- that guy, Andrej? He has almost ten million dollars invested in my REIT. He¡¯s a VP of engineering at Google. I¡¯ve made well over half a million dollars off him, so I can afford to comp him a night out. Also, a night out, even an expensive night out at these prices, means nothing to him as far as the money is concerned, right? But he can go back to his table, brag to his date that he has connections and impress the hell out of her and his pal Mohsin. Mohsin, meanwhile, if he¡¯s on Andrej¡¯s level, can buy in at say, five million initial. That means after a couple of years, I¡¯ll make bank off him, too. It¡¯s a cheap investment.¡±


    Donny, his eyes wide, said ¡°I had no fucking idea you were such a¡­ such a player.¡±


    Just then another guy came up to see me. He clapped me on the shoulder and said ¡°Leah, hey, when are we going to get back to the track? I got a new Porsche that hasn¡¯t been, yet.¡±


    ¡°Hey, James, ¡° I said, bumping fists. ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°A Weissach 918,¡± James replied with a smug expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!¡± I said. ¡°Let me know as soon as you can get a date scheduled and I¡¯ll be there for sure!¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a day at Thunderhill in two weeks,¡± James replied.


    ¡°Email me the info and I¡¯m there. Damn, I¡¯m gonna have to bring my A game for sure,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been kicking my ass for too long, Leah,¡± he replied. ¡°I vill haff my revenge! Bwahaha!¡± he said in a comical German accent, rubbing his hands together. ¡°Bwahaha!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s on!¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take more than the pinnacle of German engineering to defeat the mighty Godzilla!¡±


    ¡°Ve shall see!¡± James said, barely able to keep a straight face.


    After he left, Donny said ¡°Isn¡¯t that car over a million bucks? And he¡¯s gonna take it to a track to race you?¡±


    ¡°Donny, that guy is a billionaire, or close to it. He could wreck the shit out of that car and laugh it off.¡±


    ¡°Holy fuck, Leah. Holy fuck.¡±


    Sana, who had been quiet through all this, asked ¡°What was that about the list earlier?¡±


    ¡°You want to know the secret to this place?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s invite only. There is a ¡®member list¡¯ and nobody knows how to get on it except for being invited. This means that the club keeps its exclusivity, right? That makes it more desirable. If you look around, at any given table here there¡¯s likely to be only one member, and the rest are his or her invites. The member gets to brag that they are ¡®on the list¡¯ and so on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny as hell,¡± Donny said, looking around. ¡°So what gets you on the list?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a combination of things, honestly,¡± I answered. ¡°You have to get a member to vouch for you, and then we have a guy who does a sort of background check. The person has to be wealthy and have some sort of name recognition. Not necessarily famous,¡± I said as Donny was about to interrupt. ¡°This is Silicon Valley, so being a VP at Google or Apple does the job. As long as the person¡¯s an industry heavy hitter, that counts.¡±


    ¡°So somebody like me could never get on the list,¡± Donny said.


    ¡°Except you know the boss,¡± I said with a laugh and raised my glass.


    When Donny clinked his against mine and we both took a sip, he said ¡°The big boss.¡±


    Our evening was interrupted a couple more times by people coming over to say hello, but otherwise it was a lovely evening of reminiscing and chatting about the future and what it may hold. Emmy and I weren¡¯t actually going to pack and leave for a few more weeks, and neither were Sana and Donny, but this felt like a sort of goodbye and thanks for all the good times. When the rideshare dropped the two of them off at their place I didn¡¯t go in, just continued on to my empty townhouse.


    Settling in to a hot bath (not Emmy level hot, but hot for me), I reflected back on the night, and really, the last four years. I could never have predicted where I¡¯d ended up, or what I¡¯d done in that time, but now Emmy and I were going to transition into a new phase of our lives. It wouldn¡¯t be all that different for Emmy. For her it would just be a different home, really. Her band mates didn¡¯t actually live in the Bay Area any more, just got together to rehearse and record once in a while.


    For me, though, I was leaving Stanford, leaving the volleyball team, and leaving the Bay Area¡¯s business contacts I¡¯d built up. Well, I wan¡¯t actually going to abandon the local business scene, since I was still planning on being here about a quarter of the time, but still¡­ for me it was going to be quite a change.


    Four years before I¡¯d set out for Palo Alto with only what could fit in the trunk of Mom¡¯s car, and now I¡¯d be headed back to SoCal with a truckload of stuff- even though we weren''t taking any of the furniture.


    The hi-rise condo I¡¯d rented us in Century City was furnished, and besides, Michael and Jassie were going to move into our townhouse and they needed the stuff we were going to leave behind. It was time for them to move up from the mostly IKEA furnishings of their place in Sunnyvale.


    It was time to say goodbye to this place and move on.

 Attitude Adjustment

    The next morning I called Emmy to see how things were going and just to hear her voice, then went in to the office and really buckled down and got a lot done. There were a number of proposals that I had to look at and consider and I soon lost myself in the work. I hadn¡¯t even noticed the passing of time, so when Sandy knocked on the door to ask if I wanted to get some lunch, I was quite surprised to see it was almost two in the afternoon.


    Sitting at an outdoor table at the nearby sandwich shop, Sandy and I talked about Los Angeles. I¡¯d approved his move, and he was excited to really dig in to the commercial real estate scene down there.


    ¡°Honestly, I kind of feel that a change of scenery will do me good,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve been here in San Jose for almost ten years now, and think I¡¯m getting stale here.¡±


    ¡°You moved here straight from Perth, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he agreed. ¡°When my wife¡¯s company got acquired by Yahoo they offered to move her here and we jumped at the chance, but now, well, she¡¯s ready to move on.¡±


    ¡°Will she be able to get work in LA?¡° I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she already has a job lined up with Snap. It¡¯s a good move for her- there¡¯s better opportunity for advancement there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome, Sandy. Do you guys have a place to live yet?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about that. I contacted the Santa Monica office to ask about rentals, but they weren¡¯t very helpful.¡±


    ¡°Let me talk to them,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s no reason they shouldn''t be able to get you set up.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Leah,¡± Sandy said.


    After work I answered a bunch of emails, including one from Andrej from the night before. He wanted to know when he could bring his friend Mohsin in for a meeting, so I told him any time in the next few days would work for me.


    An email from James Atherton (also from the night before) contained no text, just a photo of a Porsche Spyder wrapped in classic Gulf blue and orange graphics. ¡°Very sexy,¡± I shot back. ¡°When do we get to dance?¡±


    Almost immediately a reply came back with the links to the track day at Thunderhill, and another at Sonoma the same weekend.


    ¡°Sonoma,¡± I sent back. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Lunch is on me,¡± he replied, again almost immediately. ¡°Dinner is on whoever gets spanked.¡±


    ¡°Laundry?¡± I shot back


    ¡°Hell yes¡±, was his reply, so I went ahead and signed up for the day at Sonoma.


    ¡°Signed up. No backing out now, James,¡± I emailed.


    ¡°Bring it, babe. Bring it!¡±


    Laughing, I got back to work. I figured I was going to have to go out to do a site inspection of the complex in Hayward, but all of the financials looked good on the deal, so it was probably just a formality. Nash hadn¡¯t submitted a bad deal yet, and I didn¡¯t think this would be the first.


    As the office emptied out, I caught Sana as she was about to head home.


    ¡°Hey, thanks for coming out last night,¡± I said. ¡°It was great to hang out with you two.¡±


    ¡°We had a great time, too,¡± Sana said as we walked out to the parking lot. ¡°It was nice to have a night without the baby, you know?¡±


    ¡°I can only imagine,¡± I said as I waved when I spotted the Mini with Donny behind the wheel.


    Leaning down to talk, I said, ¡°So, Donny, that place we went last night? You guys are on the special list now.¡±


    ¡°So we can get in without you?¡± he asked from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Even better. Your drinks are all on the house. You¡¯re just on the hook for whatever you want to tip.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Completely seriously. Tell the doorman your name and you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± Donny said. ¡°But we¡¯re leaving for Seattle pretty soon, so I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to use it.¡±


    Shrugging, I said ¡°We might open a speakeasy in Seattle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell yeah! Do it!¡± he said, and once more Donny¡¯s unbridled enthusiasm made me laugh.


    ¡°You guys have a good evening,¡± I said.


    ¡°You, too,¡± Sana replied, and they drove off.


    I didn¡¯t have any plans to meet anybody for dinner and nobody was waiting for me back at the house, so I figured I¡¯d just go for a drive instead of heading home.


    Mentally debating which way to go, I thought of Mt Hamilton, which made me think of Ashley, which made me remember the menu with her number written on it and her last ¡°Remember what I said.¡±


    Laughing at the absurdity of it all, I headed west, figuring I could hit Skyline and maybe Pescadero Creek before dark and maybe have Dinner at Alice¡¯s.


    Later, Emmy called to talk at about nine, so nearly midnight New York time.


    ¡°We had so much fun tonight,¡± she said, on a high from the performance. ¡°I do so enjoy playing with the Sons. Do not misunderstand,¡± she said quickly, ¡°I love Lee and Jackson, but playing with Brent and the boys is a very different experience. They are so much looser¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°I imagine a way to describe it would be that they are perhaps a bit sloppy, but that sounds bad and I do not mean that. I mean that they have a style of play that is less focused on perfection and more on the feel for the music, if that makes sense,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your word for it,¡± I replied.


    We chatted for a little while longer, then Emmy handed the phone to Stephanie.


    ¡°Hey, babe!¡± she said.


    ¡°Hey, Steph,¡± I replied. ¡°How is New York treating you?¡±


    ¡°Great! Really great, actually. You don¡¯t know how awesome it is to have your guys¡¯ house to come back to rather than a hotel room. It¡¯s so freaking nice!¡±


    ¡°Even though you don¡¯t get your own room?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding? Snuggling Emmy is the best part!¡± Stephanie said with a laugh.


    ¡°Yeah, it is pretty nice,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Seriously, thanks for letting us stay here. It¡¯s been an unbelievable treat. I just wish you were here, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so do I,¡± I said. ¡°So do I.¡±


    After talking to Stephanie and Emmy for maybe half an hour, I stripped down and did some yoga for an hour or so. I¡¯d been neglecting my workout routine, and it was time to regain my center. A nice, calming bit of stretching and relaxation, followed by another bath would help me get back on an even keel. In the bath, I decided I would get up early and go to the gym to work out.


    I was at the gym when they opened the doors the next morning, ready to get back to a regular schedule. It had been weeks since I¡¯d had a real workout, and I was really looking forward to some delayed onset muscle soreness.


    I had just finished a set on the bench press when Tony, the trainer who had been spotting me, asked what I was going to do now that I¡¯d graduated.


    ¡°This place won¡¯t be the same once you¡¯re gone,¡± he lamented after I told him we were moving back to Southern California.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be strange finding a new gym, all right,¡± I agreed. ¡°This place feels like home.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll do O.K.,¡± he said. ¡°Just stay away from the big chain places, you know? Those and the little strip mall so-called ¡®fight gyms¡¯. You need to figure out where the real fighters train, and there have to be dozens in the LA area.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll find a place I¡¯m comfortable,¡± I agreed. ¡°It might take me a while. I just got really lucky here, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, we got lucky when you signed up here, too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Tony,¡± I said as I lay back on the bench for another set. ¡°Do you know any gyms down there? Any recommendations?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± he said as he moved into position. ¡°I don¡¯t know the scene down there at all, but I¡¯ll ask around and see if I can find something for you.¡±


    I can¡¯t say Tony was ever really a friend per se, but still- it was nice to know that he felt that I was a part of his community (of a sort).


    I was just about to slip into the shower at home after my workout when Emmy called.


    ¡°Leah, I will be home on Sunday,¡± she announced. ¡°And that is far too long. I miss you terribly.¡±


    ¡°I miss you too, Em,¡± I said, sitting on the edge of the tub. ¡°I wish you were here now.¡±


    ¡°I do, too,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I would soap you up, certain to scrub every bit of you, then rinse you off. To ensure that I rinsed you very well, I would do random spot taste-tests here and there, checking for any lingering soap.¡±


    ¡°I have two questions,¡± I said. ¡°First, how did you know I was about to jump in the shower? And second, would the spots you would check actually be random?¡±


    ¡°It is the right time of the morning for you to be home from your workout, and the sound of your voice has an echo, so you must be in the bathroom,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And no, I confess, there would be several spots that I would make certain to taste.¡±


    ¡°Why those spots?¡±


    ¡°Because they are difficult spots to rinse thoroughly, that is why. The soap might hide in those specific areas. No other reason.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s the only reason.¡±


    ¡°What other reason could there be?¡± she asked.


    ¡°None that I can think of at the moment,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I have not bathed yet this morning either,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Do you think that would could make a video call and keep each other virtual company while we get clean?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking me to do phone video sex with you- Stephanie must have rubbed off on you,¡± I said. Then a thought occurred to me. ¡°She isn¡¯t there listening to this, is she?¡±


    ¡°No, everybody packed up and left first thing this morning for tonight¡¯s show in Connecticut,¡± carefully pronouncing every letter in the state name. ¡°The townhouse feels very empty now they are gone.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine. The house here has been feeling really empty, too,¡± I said, commiserating. ¡°At least you still have Mia, Luisa and Grant.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°So- how do we do a video call?¡±


    ¡°As much fun as that sounds, I just don¡¯t think it can really work,¡± I said. ¡°We can¡¯t get the phones wet, and I¡¯m not sure how we could put the phones someplace safe and still be able to see or hear anything.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, then I will simply have to imagine you here with me. This will be easy, as it is what I have been doing every day since you returned to California.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll just have to imagine you doing your taste-tests,¡± I said.


    ¡°I love you very much, Leah,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Very much.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Em. More than anything.¡±


    As sexy as the talk had been I really didn¡¯t spend any time thinking about it once I¡¯d jumped in the shower. In fact, my mind had already shifted to work, and what I needed to get done that day. Flirting with Emmy on the phone had been fun, but it was never going to be as good as the real thing.


    I¡¯d been thinking that I would do a site inspection for that apartment complex in Hayward, but once I got to the office there were a few emails that needed my immediate attention, which led to some calls, and so on. My morning vanished just like that and all I¡¯d done was put out some fires that really shouldn¡¯t have ever been allowed to get to the point that I had to get involved.


    It was lunch time before I managed to get out of the office to drive up to the East Bay, so I told Sana that I would head home after the inspection.


    ¡°Would you like to come over for dinner?¡± she asked. ¡°I think Donny is planning on grilling tonight- I could call him and tell him to pick up an extra steak.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, but not tonight. Thanks, though,¡± I said as I headed out the door. I didn¡¯t actually have any other plans, but didn¡¯t want to impose on their family time, either.


    After my walkthrough, I spent about an hour driving around the neighborhood the apartment complex was in. There were a few things I didn¡¯t like, but on the whole it seemed as if the area was on an upward trajectory, making me think the area was going to become more desirable with time.


    I stopped for dinner at a strip-mall pizza place a few blocks away from the complex, and because it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner the place was almost deserted. The western theme of the restaurant was odd, but the pizza was decent.


    I asked the waitress if she lived in the area and told her I was thinking of buying a place nearby.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice area,¡± she said. ¡°Home prices are a bit high, and rents are up there, what with the college being just right down the street, but it¡¯s safe, and other than the college students, it¡¯s mostly families that live around here.¡±


    A small crowd of college-age kids came in, but they seemed like quiet, serious types and not partiers. I asked the waitress about the school, and she said, ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s not any kind of party school. The kids are nice and well-behaved. No frat parties or anything like that around here.¡±


    The waitress¡¯ comments cemented in my mind that the deal was a good one, so I shot off a few emails giving the deal a thumbs-up, then sat back to finish my pizza and beer in peace.


    I was in no hurry to get home, so I really didn¡¯t mind the rush hour traffic all that much. The car was comfy, the stereo worked really well, and I had no need to be anywhere anytime soon, so I just relaxed and let the slow flow of traffic carry me along. Thankfully westbound on CA-84 isn¡¯t bad in the afternoons, so it really didn¡¯t take me too long to get home. To my empty house.


    I¡¯d eaten lunch really late, so I wasn¡¯t hungry for dinner. Instead I just turned on the stereo and flopped on the couch with my iPad and dealt with some work emails. I was cleaning out my inbox when I spotted another email from James Atherton. Like before, no text, just some glamour shots of his new Porsche getting new tires. The subject line said ¡°Getting Ready!¡±


    I shot an email back with the subject ¡°Grip Is Good¡±. I¡¯d found a picture I¡¯d taken of some racing slicks I¡¯d taken off my car, all gummy and balled up from getting worked hard, and sent that in lieu of any text.


    My emailing finished, I went upstairs and did an hour¡¯s worth of yoga, then a soak in the tub. Yeah, it was lonely, but only for couple more days, and I could put up with some alone time for another forty-eight hours.


    Sleep didn¡¯t come easy, and my alarm went off way too soon. I briefly debated with myself about skipping the gym, but decided to be good and get my workout in.


    Since the day before had been weights, Saturday morning was all about speed work and plyo. I¡¯d just gotten off the rower after my half-hour warmup when a guy I didn¡¯t recognize tried to chat me up. I was trying to be polite but uninterested when Tony the trainer came over.


    ¡°Leah,¡± he said, handing me a piece of paper. ¡°Here are a few gyms in the LA area that specialize in MMA- I mean, real fighter¡¯s gyms, like we talked about.¡±


    I thanked Tony and he left, but the rando didn¡¯t get the hint.


    ¡°You do kickboxing?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing it for a while- I could maybe give you some pointers, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, toweling my face off. ¡°You compete?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t yet, but people tell me i¡¯m good enough to give it a try,¡± rando said.


    ¡°Hey, Tony?¡± I called out across the gym. ¡°You seen this guy fight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him spar,¡± Tony said, walking back over towards us.


    ¡°He any good?¡± I asked in a more normal voice, since I didn¡¯t have to shout.


    ¡°Eh, he¡¯s all right. You¡¯d wipe the floor with him, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that is what I was asking. I was wondering if maybe I could get in a workout sparring with him,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, you could get in a workout, sure. Hey, you could get in a decent workout with the heavy bag, you know?¡± Tony said with a shrug.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, you know,¡± said rando.


    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna spar with her,¡± Tony said to rando, jerking a thumb at me, ¡°I¡¯m gonna require you to wear headgear and a body protector.¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡± rando demanded.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to have to wear the sparring gloves with the big padding,¡± Tony answered.


    ¡°Are you freaking serious?¡±


    ¡°Look- you don¡¯t get padded up, I won¡¯t let you in the ring with her. It¡¯s that simple,¡± Tony said, trying to sound reasonable.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. What would you wear if you were gonna spar with this chick?¡±


    ¡°My running shoes,¡± Tony said.


    Throwing up his hands, rando said ¡°I get it. You think she¡¯s a bad-ass. But seriously, no chick could take on a fit, strong guy and expect to actually win.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Tony said. ¡°But headgear and body protector. And you, Leah,¡± Tony said, turning to me, ¡°You gotta wear the big gloves.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°And no shin guards,¡± Tony added.


    Rando and I get dressed up and ready to dance, and Tony said he was going to ref while we sparred.


    ¡°It¡¯s just sparring!¡± Rando protested.


    ¡°Yeah, but here¡¯s what you¡¯ve been missing. Leah there?¡± he said, pointing at me. ¡°She¡¯s been trained by some real serious guys. I mean, rip your freaking head off guys, so that¡¯s what she knows. She doesn¡¯t train soft, ever.¡±


    ¡°So does that mean I can punch her as hard as I can?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Go for it,¡± Tony said, checking the guy¡¯s gear. ¡°You¡¯re alright with that, right, Leah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I said.


    ¡°Awesome,¡± rando said. ¡°I like a girl that can take a punch.¡±


    In the ring, rando started off with some feints, trying to gauge my ability. I threw a few weak punches and kicks, drawing them in a bit. This made him bold, so he stepped in, thinking he was still outside my range. His swings were slow and soft- he clearly hadn¡¯t actually believed the part about hitting hard, so I laid him out with a left cross, knocking him to the mat. I dropped on him and started raining punches down on his head every time he dropped his guard in the slightest.


    After a few moments Tony stepped in and waved me off. We returned to our corners, and when Tony waved us in rando was a lot slower to engage. He tried bobbing and weaving, so I finally got bored and rushed him, knocking him on his ass and then pounding on him some more on the ground.


    Tony waved me off again and we returned to our corners. This time, rando came out with something to prove and went on the attack immediately. He wasn¡¯t bad- he could probably beat any of his pals. But like Tony had warned him, the guys I¡¯d trained with were absolute beasts.


    Rando got a few good hits in but I caught him with another cross and as he spun, I caught him around the hips and suplexed him straight into the mat. Again, I dropped a knee on him and slammed him with a flurry of punches before I got pulled off by Tony.


    Tony helped the guy to his feet and asked him if he was doing O.K.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± snarled the dude whose ass I¡¯d been beating.


    It went on like this for a while longer, rando getting slower and slower as he tired out, which just made it easier for me to get past his defenses, and defense was all he was doing after he hit the mat a few more times.


    Eventually Tony told the guy, ¡°Man, you¡¯re done,¡± and rando didn¡¯t protest as Tony helped him out of the ring.


    Looking around, I realized that we¡¯d attracted a few onlookers, to my surprise. As I climbed out of the ring somebody handed me a bottle of water. I took it and thanked the person, only really looking up when an all-too familiar voice said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Leah.¡±


    ¡°Ashley? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Watching you clean that guy¡¯s clock, that¡¯s what,¡± she said.

 Emmy Comes Home

    ¡°No, seriously,¡± I said, sipping from the water she¡¯d handed me.


    ¡°Yeah, you seriously cleaned that guy¡¯s clock,¡± Ashley replied with a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t think he even knows what hit ¡®im.¡±


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± I said, not letting Ashley off the hook.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not stalking you, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking, alright?¡± Ashley said, getting defensive. ¡°I was thinking about what you said the other day, you know, about how I was being unsafe running with earbuds in, and it got me thinking I really should take some self-defense classes.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And, you know, I did a search and this gym came up as having really good self-defense teachers, and it¡¯s really close to campus, so I came in yesterday to look around and sign up for a week¡¯s trial membership.¡±


    ¡°The school year is over. You¡¯re going back to Virginia any day now,¡± I said, not believing her story.


    ¡°In two weeks,¡± Ashley agreed. ¡°And then I¡¯ll be back here in two more months.¡±


    ¡°So why sign up for the gym now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Trial membership, for one week,¡± Ashley said. ¡°If I like it, I¡¯ll join full-time when I get back after break.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said, grudgingly accepting her story.


    ¡°Um, Leah,¡± Ashley began, her eyes darting around to make sure nobody was listening. ¡°My friends asked what that was all about, there at the Thai place, and who you were and why you were dressed like some sort of Chicago gangster¡­¡±


    ¡°What did you tell them?¡± I asked, finishing off the water bottle.


    ¡°I said that I¡¯d met you running, and we had lunch together and I put my foot in my mouth complaining about your taste in music, not realizing it was your favorite band I just insulted.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± I agreed. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell them that I basically sexually assaulted you,¡± she said, dropping her voice down to make sure nobody heard. ¡°What did you tell your two friends? And that chick, she¡¯s like Emmy, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t ask, and I didn¡¯t tell them anything. If they had asked, I probably would have told them something similar to what you told your friends. And yes, Sana is like Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for what I did,¡± Ashley said. ¡°I was out of control.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you were,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that I take back what I said,¡± Ashley added. ¡°If you need somebody to wash your back in your after-workout shower, I want to be first in line.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± I said. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, I need to get to my workout.¡±


    ¡°That sparring- that wasn¡¯t your workout?¡±


    Shrugging, I replied, ¡°That was just for fun.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that guy thought so,¡± Ashley replied, clearly not wanting to buzz off and leave me alone. ¡°In fact, I think you kinda wrecked his shit.¡±


    ¡°He was warned,¡± I said, walking over to the box jump area. Unfortunately, Ashley followed.


    ¡°What exercise are you going to do next?¡±


    ¡°You know what? I think I¡¯m done for the day,¡± I said, heading for the locker room.


    ¡°Is this the time you normally work out? Will you be back tomorrow?¡± Ashley asked as she followed me to my locker.


    ¡°No, I think today was my last day here,¡± I said, maybe a little regretfully.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°You know I just graduated, right? I¡¯m done here in Palo Alto. Emmy and I are moving back to Southern California,¡± I said, still trying to be polite.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ashley said, stopping in her tracks. ¡°I was afraid it was because of me.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t your move-out day yesterday?¡± I asked as I zipped my duffle bag.


    ¡°Well, no, because our athletic schedule- track team stays in town two more weeks,¡± Ashley said, following me to the front door.


    As I pushed the door open, I glanced around and asked Ashley, ¡°Why are you following me out? Don¡¯t you have a workout to do?¡±


    Looking downcast, she said, ¡°I was hoping for maybe a goodbye kiss?¡±


    ¡°Ash, I¡¯ve never even given you a hello kiss-¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± she blurted, interrupting me.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not going to start kissing you now. Go inside, have a good workout, go back to Virginia, train hard, have a good life,¡± I said, giving her a gentle shove back into the gym. ¡°Now, goodbye.¡±


    Her shoulders slumping, she did go back into the gym without another glance back. I felt a tiny bit bad, but Ashley was more grief than I possibly wanted to deal with.


    Since it was Saturday and the office was closed, I spent some time at home going over some work emails, putting aside the email I¡¯d gotten from Erich in New York. After all the work stuff was taken care of, I opened Erich¡¯s to see what he had to say.


    He¡¯d written up a very thorough proposal, including plans, diagrams, and even color references and photos of the stone selected by the designer for the counters and such.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The total price was eye-watering, but we had the money, and realistically everything (except maybe the recording studio) we were having done would increase the property value and curb appeal anyhow.


    I signed off on the work, and told him that I¡¯d transfer the initial funds on Monday. I sent an email to Luisa, telling her that I¡¯d authorized the remodel work and sent her a copy of the proposal, so she had an idea of what was involved and the anticipated scheduling.


    I sent another email to our banker, telling him to set up a construction fund for the townhouse. I gave him Erich¡¯s contact info as well, so he could deal directly with Erich for the draws. That way all I had to do was O.K. each distribution as it came and not otherwise be involved.


    Not in the mood to fix myself some lunch, I went to the local Whole Foods market and got some salad to go. I went home, opened a can of La Croix and had myself a veritable feast of not-too wilted greens with a little bit of chicken so dry it was nearly jerky.


    Satiated by my glorious repast, for lack of anything better to do, I went up to the rooftop deck for some more tanning. I turned the bluetooth speaker on and just let my mind drift. Emmy was coming home in a little over twenty-four hours, and not a moment too soon.


    The warmth of the early June afternoon felt nice, and the music Emmy had going on the internet radio station was soothing, so it didn¡¯t take me long to doze a little bit. Not real sleep, just a sort of drift. I was brought out of my relaxed state when the phone buzzed.


    Puzzled by why Mia would be calling me, I answered, ¡°Hey, Mia. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Sorry to bother you, ma¡¯am,¡± Mia began, ¡°But I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Emmy can¡¯t help you out?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about a disagreement I had with her,¡± Mia hedged.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s the boss,¡± I said.


    ¡°Respectfully, ma¡¯am, she¡¯s the principal. You¡¯re the boss,¡± Mia replied.


    Chuckling a little, I asked ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You told me to stick to her like glue, and I¡¯ve been doing that every time she leaves the house, but she said that I didn¡¯t have to worry so much and she is fine going to the guitar shop or places like that. I told her that she probably was perfectly safe in places like that, but simply having a visible bodyguard made sure that things stayed on the level and you wouldn¡¯t like it if I was derelict in my duties.¡±


    ¡°Out of curiosity, where does your dad stand on this?¡± I asked, pretty sure I knew the answer.


    ¡°He thinks that Emmy is a big girl and has a fair idea of personal safety, but that I should never let her out of my sight in public.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly how I feel on the subject, too. If I can¡¯t be there, I want you to be in Emmy¡¯s back pocket at all times outside the house. I¡¯ll give her a call and tell her that it¡¯s your job, and you take it seriously.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, ma¡¯am,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°On a different note, how was it with the Prodigal Sons there at the house?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, they were better house guests than I¡¯d expected a rock band to be,¡± Mia said. ¡°They¡¯re a pretty decent group of guys.¡±


    ¡°So, no troubles?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, none at all. They were fun to be around, and didn¡¯t even do any more than a little bit of flirting with Luisa, just harmless stuff. They even took turns doing the dishes. You want to hear something funny? The guys in the band didn¡¯t let the two roadies lift a finger. The guys in the band helped cook, helped set the table, helped straighten up, all that kind of thing, except for Jim and Ed. They had the time off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice, and I¡¯m glad it didn¡¯t make too much work for Luisa,¡± I said.


    ¡°You could talk to her about it, but I think she liked having people around, too.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could have been there,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°I think you would¡¯ve had a good time,¡± Mia replied.


    Awake now and not in the mood to lie out any more, I went downstairs and sat in front of the computer for a while. It felt as if I should be doing something, but I couldn¡¯t think of anything that actually needed to be done. At a loss, I fixed myself an early dinner of grilled chicken pesto, and ate while sitting in front of the TV.


    Grace had been really into Game Of Thrones, but I¡¯d never really paid it any attention and when I tried to watch an episode I realized I had no clue what was going on, so I gave up on that and just idly channel surfed for an hour or so. Dinner done and nothing worth watching, I cleaned up the kitchen then went upstairs to do some yoga for a while.


    Eventually even that became boring, so I took a bath, then went to bed, wondering what I was going to do the next day to keep myself occupied.


    I didn¡¯t want to go back to the gym and risk being seen by Ashley again, so maybe a run was called for, but she¡¯s a runner, so I might see her out on the running trails¡­ Ugh. I hated that I was letting this ridiculous girl determine my life for me.


    When the morning came I dressed and went out for a run, with two thoughts about Ashley. One, she was probably going to the gym first thing, hoping to catch me there, and if she wasn¡¯t, the odds of bumping into her out running were very slim anyhow.


    Thankfully, there was no sign of Ashley on my run, so by about the midpoint I started to relax and let the movement and effort calm me down. Focusing on the early morning sun, the rhythm of my footfalls, and the timing of my breathing brought me to that flow state that I¡¯d come to love. No, actually, to need. That state was my meditation, my zen. When I got to that point I could let my body perform on autopilot, my mind disengaged, everything effortless. My best volleyball games were like that, no thought, just action. Those were the games when everything just happened as if it were planned and rehearsed and executed perfectly.


    Eventually, though, my feet brought me back home. My home, which wouldn''t feel so empty for much longer, since Emmy was arriving that afternoon. After a quick shower I straightened up a bit and did some laundry, then hit the grocery store for a few staples as well as ingredients for that night¡¯s dinner.


    I wasn¡¯t planning anything elaborate, just some grilled chicken, roasted veggies and rice pilaf, along with a nice white wine from our last trip up to Napa. It was easy to cook, tasty, and nutritious. I hoped it would serve as a sort of ¡®comfort food¡¯ for Emmy, since that was the kind of meal we¡¯d eaten so often in our almost four years in that house.


    The airport wasn¡¯t too crowded, so I got a decent parking space without too much hassle. I found a seat at the arrivals waiting area, then just had to wait until Emmy exited the security checkpoint. She came out before long, wheeling her carry-on bag behind her, chatting animatedly with a middle-aged, well-dressed lady.


    ¡°Leah!¡± Emmy said when she spotted me, rushing over to give me a big hug. ¡°Leah, this is Miriam,¡± Emmy said, introducing me to her new friend. ¡°She is here in San Jose to visit her son and daughter-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± I said, extending a hand. ¡°Were you on Emmy¡¯s flight?¡±


    ¡°We sat next to each other,¡± Miriam explained. ¡°Your wife is quite the charmer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that she is,¡± I agreed, wrapping my arm around Emmy¡¯s shoulders in a side hug. ¡°She sure charmed me, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Miriam lives in New York,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Her house is not very far from ours.¡±


    ¡°Emmy told me about the work you¡¯re having done there,¡± Miriam said. ¡°Your contractor is a good one- he did a lot of work for another friend of mine, and she was very happy with everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± I said. ¡°He seemed to be very professional. Expensive, but quality.¡±


    ¡°Yes, his proposals do tend to run to the higher side, but you get what you pay for,¡± Miriam assured me.


    ¡°Miriam, I am certain you want to visit with your son this evening, but we would be honored to have you come to our house for dinner some time this week, or perhaps we can all go out together? Maybe with your son and his wife?¡± Emmy suggested.


    ¡°That would be lovely,¡± Miriam agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with them and we can make an evening of it.¡±


    We parted ways, Emmy and I headed to the parking structure and Miriam following a driver to the hired cars station.


    ¡°You make friends so easily,¡± I said to Emmy. ¡°It still amazes me.¡±


    ¡°I enjoy meeting people, and hearing their stories,¡± Emmy said with a shrug. ¡°You do not mind that I invited her, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I replied. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°I am looking forward to being home,¡± Emmy said as we left the airport. ¡°New York was very much fun, but it will be lovely to relax in peace, and sleep in our bed with you tonight.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been really lonely this week without you,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve really missed you.¡±


    Emmy put her hand on my leg and gave me a squeeze. ¡°I missed you as well.¡±


    I rested my hand on hers as I drove, just enjoying having her back with me.

 Fast Times

    Emmy seemed to be at a bit of a loss as far as what to do with herself the next few days. The Downfall was on hiatus, taking a break from practice and recording while the three got things sorted out in their lives. Jackson was in Texas trying to decide if he wanted to move back there full time, and Lee and Jen had moved to Los Angeles a few months before. Of course, we were going to move to LA, too, so the question for Jackson was whether he wanted to move back home and come out to LA when the band had work scheduled, or simply move to Los Angeles with the rest of us to make working with the band that much easier.


    I know that the three of them had discussed remote collaboration, but I couldn¡¯t imagine how well that would actually work. I think Emmy and Lee would be willing to give it a try if Jackson really wanted to move full-time back to Austin, but I know that Emmy was hoping he wouldn¡¯t.


    As for me, I did go back to my early morning workouts at the gym, and didn¡¯t bump into Ashley again, to my relief. Slipping into a regular schedule of gym, work, then home was easy for me, since it wasn¡¯t really very different from what I¡¯d been doing for almost four years by this point- instead of school and volleyball, I had work at the office instead.


    Of course, a lot of the time at the office was preparation for setting up in our Santa Monica location, but I didn¡¯t think that was going to be as much of a shock to the system as most of my crew there in San Jose did. Most of my work was in front of a computer screen or with a phone in my hand anyhow, so except for the site visits and the occasional in-persons with potential sellers or buyers nothing would change. I was planning on spending some time up in the Bay Area even after we moved, so I could still do all the face to face meetings that might come up. It was just a matter of scheduling, that¡¯s all.


    I decided to keep my gym membership, too, since I¡¯d want a place to work out when I was in town and I was comfortable there. Emmy and I talked about it, and we decided to buy a two-bedroom condo in a high-rise not too far from the airport and the office for those times I¡¯d be up in the area for work. I had originally thought I could just stay with Michael and Jassie, but staying in the guest room of the townhouse we¡¯d moved out of would be a bit weird, so instead we wound up spending seven hundred grand on an apartment with a sweeping view of a freeway interchange.


    At least decorating the place gave Emmy something to do. She had the apartment painted, re-carpeted and new light fixtures installed in no time, and was happy as a clam finding just the right furniture and furnishings for the place. Since Sana had already quit working at the office, Emmy dragged her (and little Aaron) all over the place looking at linens, tableware, and who even knows what. But hey, it kept Emmy busy and distracted, so I was happy to encourage it.


    One evening, Emmy came home with a couple of sheet sets she was considering. ¡°Which one do you prefer?¡± she asked, holding up the two contenders.


    ¡°Whichever you like,¡± I said, but that was the wrong answer.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said in a scolding tone. ¡°This is mostly for you. You will be the one staying in the apartment when you are here for work, not me. You will be the one sleeping on these sheets, so you should be the one who will choose which to buy.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± I asked. ¡°Are you saying you won¡¯t be coming up here with me? I¡¯m not sure I want to keep coming back up here to the Bay Area if it means being apart from you,¡± I said.


    Emmy¡¯s eyes softened, and she replied, ¡°That is sweet. But we both know it is¡­ bullshit,¡± she said, seeing through my ploy. ¡°I will come up with you when I can, but I do not wish to be stuck here with nothing to do while you have your meetings and spend your days at the office. No, we both know you will be here on your own more often than not.¡±


    Sighing, I made my best puppy-dog face, sticking out my lower lip in an exaggerated pout. ¡°I guess the sheets won¡¯t matter so much then, since I¡¯ll just have to bring sheets off our bed in LA with me so they smell like you.¡±


    The look on Emmy¡¯s face told me I¡¯d scored a hit with that one. ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± she sighed. ¡°I do love you so very much,¡± she said as she climbed onto my lap, straddling my legs. She took my face in her hands and leaned in for a long, slow, tender kiss. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in tight, increasing the body contact and deepening the kiss.


    When Emmy pulled away for a breath, I murmured ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you, you know. The week you were in New York was torture.¡±


    Wrapping her arms around my shoulders, Emmy whispered in my ear, ¡°It was difficult for me as well. I had fun with the boys and enjoyed spending time with Stephanie, but it was not the same as being with you.¡±


    Cupping my hands under her butt, I stood up, lifting the two of us out of the seat. Emmy gasped in surprise as I did so. ¡°You are so amazing! So strong,¡± she breathed, wrapping her legs around my hips as I carried her upstairs to the bedroom that would be ours for only a few more days.


    ¡°You truly are incredible," Emmy said as I climbed the stairs. ¡°You are not even breathing hard!¡±


    ¡°I will be soon.¡± I growled, getting one of Emmy¡¯s sparkling laughs in return.


    ¡°Oh?¡± she asked. ¡°Why is that?¡±


    Instead of a verbal response, I simply tossed her onto the bed, eliciting another squeak of surprise from Emmy. I stood next to the bed, staring straight into her eyes as I slowly unbuttoned my shirt.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Emmy asked in fake alarm.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough,¡± I said, my voice husky.


    Keeping up the pretense, Emmy scooted back on the bed until her she hit the headboard as I unbuttoned and dropped my pants to my ankles, then kicked them off.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Emmy cried out in mock panic.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± I growled. ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    Once all my clothes were off and I was completely bare, I flexed a bit, tensing up my muscles for effect. ¡°Oh, yes,¡± I said again, my voice low.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Emmy asked, her voice high and squeaky.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do you!¡± I replied, climbing up onto the bed and catching her ankle in my hand.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Emmy exclaimed again as I pulled her to me, then unbuttoned her jeans with my free hand.


    ¡°Won¡¯t someone please save me?¡± Emmy cried out as she helped me get her jeans off her hips.


    ¡°There is no-one that can save you from me now!¡± I declared as I pulled her jeans free of her legs and tossed them aside. ¡°You are mine, you sweet little thing. All mine!¡±


    I hooked my fingers in the waistband of her panties and gave them a tug as Emmy lifted her butt up to make the removal easier.


    ¡°What have I ever done to deserve this fate?¡± she wailed as she kicked the panties off her ankle and over the side of the bed.


    Without further warning, I reached and grabbed her hips from below and lifted her up. I pulled her to me, my face parting her legs as I hoisted her lower body into the air.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Emmy said again, but this time it was more of a moan as my face plunged right to her perfect little pussy. She was already a bit wet, her arousal clear. As I went to work with my tongue and my lips, the heels of her feet pushed against my upper back as she tried to pull me into where she needed me. Her hands were in my hair, yanking and tugging me in her need.


    I was bearing all of of the weight of our two bodies on my knees, as Emmy¡¯s head was barely even touching the bed by this point. Emmy was moaning and gasping with pleasure, calling out ¡°Eat me, you beast! Eat me until there is nothing left!¡± as she writhed in pleasure.


    Of course, I had my mouth full, so I could only respond with non-verbal growls as I feasted. The vibrations seemed to drive Emmy even wilder, so I kept it up as I suckled on her perfect little pearl and lapped at her labia like a cat with a saucer of milk.


    Emmy came with a giant, full-body shudder, but I didn¡¯t even slow down despite her tugs on my hair turning to her trying to shove me away. Soon enough, though, she was back to needing me even closer and wave number two hit only a few minutes later. I was going to go for number three when Emmy protested.


    ¡°No, beast, you have taken all I have to give,¡± she groaned. ¡°Please, let me rest.¡±


    I lowered her down to the bed, enjoying the sight of her boneless body, her head lolling to the side. Her legs were spread out wide, my knees just touching her butt, so I parted my knees to scoot up higher. I trailed my hands up her legs, then up the front of her shirt, which I unbuttoned slowly, tenderly, and with obvious intent. I slid an arm under her shoulders to lift her up since she was in no shape to help me remove her shirt, still unable to move on her own. I took my time, but eventually I got her shirt and lacy black bra off and laid her back on the bed.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The look on her face told me that she was faking her passivity, as her eyes were bright and playful. I ran my hands over her body, stroking her smooth, satiny skin. It struck me that it had been a while since I had even given any thought to how unusual her charcoal black coloration was- it had been years since I¡¯d even noticed Emmy¡¯s difference.


    Emmy¡¯s skin was so smooth, so perfect, so beautiful, the emotion rose too high and I couldn¡¯t help it. Tears welled up in my eyes as I cupped her breast in one hand while stroking her sharp hip bone with the thumb of my other hand.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Emmy asked, alarmed.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said, my voice raspy. ¡°I just love you so much, Em.¡±


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Emmy asked, reaching up to wipe a tear off my cheek.


    ¡°Tears of happiness, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m crying because you¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°That does not make sense,¡± Emmy replied with a little frown of puzzlement.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± I agreed, ¡°But it¡¯s true.¡±


    Emmy pushed herself up and straddled my lap again, holding me close and kissing my tears away as she murmured some words too softly for me to really hear. She took my head in her hands and leaned in, touching her forehead to mine.


    ¡°I love you ever so much, Leah,¡± she said, her voice gentle. ¡°I only want to make you happy, that is all. I will do whatever I can to that end, always.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Em,¡± I said, holding her tight. ¡°More than I can say.¡±


    We stayed like that for a while, just holding each other, kissing, whispering that we loved each other more than life itself.


    Eventually, Emmy suggested a bath. It had been a while since we¡¯d had good soapy time, so I wasn¡¯t about to turn down the idea down. As usual, the water was way too hot for me at first, but that was the way Emmy liked it so I just slid in very slowly, as I always did.


    Reclined, with Emmy leaning back against me, we just enjoyed the comfortable silence for a while. Eventually Emmy said, ¡°I was not fair to you, earlier.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, realizing I¡¯d zoned out.


    ¡°You satisfied me earlier, but I left you unfulfilled,¡± Emmy explained.


    ¡°You mean when we had sex?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°You are such a generous lover, Leah. You know that is my favorite game, and you never ask for anything in return.¡±


    ¡°You mean the beast thing? Em, that isn¡¯t just for you. I like that, too.¡±


    ¡°You enjoy dominating me, taking me like that?¡± Emmy asked, a bit surprised.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t quite how I would phrase it, but yeah, I do like that. I like it a lot,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am glad that you enjoy that as much as I do,¡± Emmy said, her voice soft. ¡°It is a very warm feeling, you handling me like that. So powerful and fierce, but I know that it is playful love. You would never hurt me, so strong though you may be.¡±


    ¡°I would never hurt you,¡± I agreed. ¡°At least, not very much,¡± I said as I pinched her nipple.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emmy complained, covering her breasts with her hands. ¡°I am still very sensitive!¡±


    ¡°I like my prey to feel it,¡± I growled in her ear.


    ¡°Oh, you!¡± Emmy said, turning around in the tub to face me. ¡°I will get my revenge!¡±


    ¡°And how will you do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I will make love to you until you cannot move, until you beg for mercy. Then, I will make love to you even more, until you are nothing more than a mass of boneless flesh, unable to stop my onslaught!¡± Emmy declared.


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Sounds good to me. When can we start?¡±


    Emmy was true to her word once we got out of the tub and dried off. She worked on me for what felt like hours, kissing, tonguing, stroking, penetrating¡­ she was everywhere all at once, but at the same time, somehow slow to build me up, then easing off to let me step back from the edge before increasing the tempo again.


    I don¡¯t know how many times I came, but eventually I was as Emmy had promised- completely unable to get my body to move under my own control. As I lay there, splayed out and insensate, Emmy sat on me, straddling me and rubbing herself on my belly, slowly spreading her juices on my abs. Her hips slowly rocking back and forth was hypnotic, as was seeing her slit vanish as she slid forward, only to reappear as her hips rotated back as she slid down my belly. Her hands were on my shoulders, and her breasts swayed temptingly above me as she slowly got herself off.


    I wanted to touch, to grab, to squeeze and fondle, but even more, I just wanted to watch as Emmy used my belly to rub one out. She was masturbating, and I was her sex toy. I was completely O.K. with that.


    Gradually she started to speed up, eventually becoming more and more frantic until suddenly she stilled, her muscles tense for a moment, then she sagged, drooping down a bit. I took this as my opportunity and lifted her up a bit, sliding down until Emmy was straddling my face. Emmy leaned forward and put her hands on the headboard, and I dove back in to that sweet little pussy of hers. She resumed rocking her hips, pleasuring herself as I put my tongue and lips to good use. I could feel her tempo increase, so I slowed down to match as she sped up, driving her crazy.


    ¡°Leah¡­¡± she pleaded, wanting to get off.


    I relented and stopped edging her, committing to giving her the best orgasm of the night. When she finally came, it was with a cry out loud, which is something I¡¯d never heard her do before- she¡¯d always been silent in the past.


    I held her through the aftershocks, until finally her body stopped trembling against mine as we spooned.


    ¡°Oh, Leah, that was¡­¡± Emmy said, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Better than with Stephanie?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°Much, much better,¡± Emmy agreed, running with the joke.


    Over breakfast the next morning Emmy asked ¡°Will you miss this place?¡±


    ¡°This house has a lot of good memories for me,¡± I said, looking around.


    ¡°I meant Palo Alto, Stanford, the Bay Area,¡± Emmy said, gesturing broadly.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve already said goodbye to my teammates, and most of my friends are moving away anyhow, so it really is like they say- things change.¡±


    ¡°You have your office, and I know that you have friends outside of school,¡± Emmy said, not letting go.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that reminds me,¡± I said. ¡°On Saturday I have a track day at Sonoma. Want to come?¡±


    ¡°Why did that remind you?¡± Asked Emmy.


    ¡°Well, James Atherton got a new car and he wants to try to put me in my place,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°James? Will he bring his wife?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Want me to ask? I do know that the bet between us is that whoever loses on the track has to buy dinner at the Laundry, so I¡¯d imagine that Imogen will be there.¡±


    ¡°Then I will go, too,¡± Emmy announced. Then, she asked ¡°Do you think he will beat you? And how will you even know? It is a track practice day, not a race, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just a track day, and we¡¯ll know. It¡¯s just bragging rights, that¡¯s all,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Do you think his new car will be faster than yours?¡±


    ¡°Nah, no way,¡± I said. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a supercar worth over a million bucks, but after all, it¡¯s still a street car. My car is purpose built for the track, and takes no prisoners. Now, if the question were which car would be better for a drive in the country, well, hell. My car isn¡¯t even close to street legal.¡±


    ¡°So you will win, then?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Because I¡¯m gonna let him have his day. James is a good guy, and I want him to enjoy his new car. I¡¯m gonna push him, make him work for it, but ultimately, I¡¯ll let him beat me.¡±


    ¡°Letting someone else defeat you seems very unlike the Leah that I know and love,¡± Emmy said with a laugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯ll work,¡± I said, laughing along with her. ¡°Nobody would believe I¡¯d ever intentionally throw a fight.¡±


    ¡°Throw a fight?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled by the idiom.


    Emmy and I drove up to the track early, since I wanted to get everything squared away without having to rush around. I¡¯d driven the Aston, thinking maybe I could get in a session in the Vantage just for laughs.


    It was easy to find the toy hauler belonging to the track support company I used, and I was glad to see they¡¯d already set up the hospitality tent and had the car in the garage. I¡¯d told James what to look for, and he rolled up (with his wife) in the Porsche soon enough.


    ¡°Damn, James, she looks even better in person,¡± I said, as the two got out of the car. ¡°The car, too,¡± I added.


    Imogen gave me a smile and said, ¡°Now, Leah- and right in front of your wife, too.¡±


    ¡°Eh- I¡¯m sure she¡¯d agree,¡± I replied with a wink.


    ¡°Leah,¡± James said, getting my attention. ¡°Where should I park this thing?¡±


    ¡°Give the keys to Reggie there in the orange vest,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯ll check it over and get it teched.¡±


    ¡°Have you always used these guys?¡± James asked, admiring the professionalism of the crew.


    ¡°Yeah, since I got real serious about it,¡± I said. "Here, let me introduce you.¡±


    After introducing James to the crew, I showed him around the garage, then the toy hauler that had brought my car up from Oakland, and last of all, the hospitality tent, where Imogen and Emmy were chatting about home decorating.


    ¡°What does all this cost?¡± James asked, admiring the turn-key service The Track Club offered.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± I asked with a grin.


    ¡°No, I guess it doesn¡¯t, does it?¡± James admitted.


    ¡°Seriously, since my car isn¡¯t street legal, I¡¯d need a toy hauler and truck of my own anyhow, right? And garage space for all of that, too. Plus, I¡¯d need a shop that would check and tune the car, plus change tires, and so on. After a while, it starts to look like real money, you know? So a service like this makes sense, even if it is expensive. In fact, I¡¯m not the only one they do this for. I know a couple of other guys that use The Track Club.¡±


    ¡°You said they are based out of Oakland, right? How far do they travel? If I wanted to do a track day up in, say, Pacific Raceway, would they transport up there?¡± James asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°They charge for the travel, but so what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta get me in with ¡®em,¡± James said, his eyes gleaming with the thought.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°No problem.¡±


    After the drivers¡¯ meeting, we rode back to the pit in the Track Club golf cart. ¡°Damn, I could get used to this,¡± James said, enjoying not having to walk.


    ¡°James, you have money. A ton of it. Why not enjoy it?¡± I asked as we passed all the pedestrians unfortunate enough to have to walk.


    We took the first few sessions easy, so James could get used to his car at track speeds, but then, after lunch, it was ¡®game on!¡¯


    James was a good driver, and of course, the Porsche 918 was an incredible car, but my predictions to Emmy had been accurate. Our two cars were fairly even on horsepower, since I¡¯d had Reggie dial the boost back on my GT-R. Mine, though, was a pure race car and was built for speed on the track and held a significant edge in that respect. Also, and this really can¡¯t be emphasized enough, no matter how good the tires James had on the Porsche, they were still street tires. My race tires weren¡¯t going to last beyond the day, but they had unequalled grip while they lasted.


    I played it up as I¡¯d told Emmy I would, edging out James the first session, then running the same speeds as him for a couple of sessions, then letting him sneak away the second to last session. It was all high-fives and back slapping every time we got out of the cars, and James was all smiles, especially once we really got to dicing. There were a few other really high-dollar cars on the track, and it was a blast running up the exhaust pipes of the McLarens and Ferraris in my big, mean green machine.


    James offered me the key to the Porsche for the last session of the day, so we swapped cars. Driving that Porsche was both amazing, and a little bit disappointing. Disappointing in the sense that it was too sterile, too much involvement from the electronic nannies that kept it all under control and pointed in the right direction. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it would make a truly awesome road car, and was light years more comfortable than my loud, brutish Nissan, but still¡­


    Back at the pit, James gave me the usual fist bump, then pointed at my Godzilla. ¡°How do you even drive this thing?¡± he asked. ¡°It felt like it wanted to kill me, along with everybody else on the track!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does that,¡± I agreed with a laugh, taking off my helmet.


    ¡°What did you think of the Spyder?¡± James asked, pointing to his baby blue and orange car.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± I said, running a hand over the car¡¯s roof. ¡°If you ever decide to sell, I claim first right to buy it.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± James said with a laugh.

 Welcome To The City Of Angels

    Dinner at the French Laundry was always something I looked forward to, and even though it meant I was paying, the day on the track had been worth it. James was one of the few friends I¡¯d made in Silicon Valley (outside of those I¡¯d met at Stanford) who didn¡¯t see relationships as inherently transactional. He wasn¡¯t looking for a way to make money off me, or use me for connections. I¡¯d never brought up the idea of him investing in my REIT, never tried to sell him on anything, never tried to get him to introduce me to anybody for business purposes, and I was happy to keep it like that.


    Most of the high-dollar types in the Valley were always, one hundred per cent of time, looking to get ahead, looking to find the angle, and looking to keep score. Fair enough, I guess, but that isn¡¯t friendship. That¡¯s a mutual benefit arrangement that only lasts as long as the benefit actually is mutual.


    With James, it was about cars, driving fast, enjoying life. We¡¯d met one day when I was out for a nice, spirited drive. He was, too, and we just started chatting at a gas station. He asked me about a road nearby, and I asked him about his car- an Audi R8. Soon enough we were railing the local roads at high speed, and a friendship was born. He didn¡¯t care I wasn¡¯t from the tech sector, female, whatever. All he cared about was that we both enjoyed driving too fast, and that was perfect.


    Sand-bagging at Sonoma Raceway was small price to pay to see him happy about the car he¡¯d just dumped a ton of money on, and in all honesty, it really was an incredible machine. Emmy and Imogen got along well, too, and the four of us had double-dated a few times over the last year and a half that we¡¯d known each other, so it was all good as far as I was concerned.


    A few minutes after we were seated, David, the chef, came out to say hello.


    ¡°Emmy! Leah! It is great to see you two again!¡± he said. ¡°And who did you bring with you tonight?¡±


    Emmy introduced Imogen and James to David, who then went on to explain the night¡¯s dishes. After running through the day¡¯s tasting menu, he asked, ¡°So, be honest. Was your dinner at Per Se as good as what you get here?¡±


    ¡°It was different enough that a direct comparison is impossible,¡± Emmy said, diplomatically. ¡°The local ingredients there are not the same as here in California, and therefore the dishes were not the same as here. The service was excellent, but it is always stellar here as well. I am afraid that I have to tell you the same that I told Charles there in New York- we must have further evaluation to make a fair judgement.¡±


    This seemed to satisfy David, so he left us alone, saying that he¡¯ll have to visit New York and see for himself.


    ¡°You guys are on first name basis with the chefs of the Laundry and Per Se in New York?¡± Imogen asked, astounded.


    Emmy just shrugged and said ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Imogen said, still in awe. ¡°How does that even happen?¡±


    ¡°Celebrity,¡± I said. ¡°And an unbelievable ability to make friends anywhere she goes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess both of those count,¡± Imogen agreed.


    Of course, dinner itself was fantastic, as the wine pairings were perfect, as usual. James and I both kept our consumption minimal, since we both had long drives back to the South Bay ahead of us, but still¡­ A little sip here and there loosened us both up a bit.


    James and I were talking about the track day, and he commented on driving my Godzilla.


    ¡°That car of yours, Leah, it really, um, illuminated some things for me. I really had a serious insight about five, six laps in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I figured out two things. First, you could have driven off into the distance any time you wanted, and you were holding back, to, I don¡¯t know, play around, I guess.¡±


    I nodded, not surprised he¡¯d figured it out.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that the GT-R is that much faster, it¡¯s that it¡¯s a freaking honey badger, and honey badger don¡¯t care,¡± James said. ¡°That car was on the edge of getting out of shape at every single moment, but it didn¡¯t matter if it did or not. It was gonna haul the damned mail regardless.¡±


    I laughed, and said ¡°Yeah, it has a certain will of its own,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That leads into what the second thing I realized about you. You go so goddamned fast because you have a flagrant disregard for human life. Yours, mine, everybody on the track. You don¡¯t care that that Nissan monster could get you killed, because if you did, you¡¯d never drive it again. But I¡¯ve seen you. I¡¯ve seen the look in your eyes when you drive it. You freaking love that, that¡­ I dunno, rush of speed, thrill of victory, I don¡¯t know what it is, but you have that.¡±


    ¡°A friend of mine once told me that I was a killer and that everyone we knew was terrified of me,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°Yeah, well, your friend wasn¡¯t wrong,¡± James said, laughing along. ¡°No, I mean, really, I¡¯ve talked to a few people about you. People we know in common, and at least half of them are convinced you have some sort of secret life going on- that you¡¯re some kind of ¡®International woman of mystery¡¯,¡± he said, making air quotes with his fingers.


    Laughing, I said ¡°Yeah, baby!¡±


    ¡°But no, seriously, a lot of people swear they¡¯ve heard stories of you having people bumped off, crazy stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s crazy talk. I would never have anybody killed. Not when I could do it myself.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± James said with a laugh.


    ¡°If you want it done right, do it yourself, that¡¯s what I say,¡± I added, laughing.


    ¡°And see? That¡¯s what I¡¯ve told these people. I said that you seemed like a hands-on sort of serial killer, not some sort of delegator afraid to get her hands dirty,¡± James said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, then sighed. ¡°But you know what? All the screaming and the blood and all- it gets old after a while.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± agreed James. ¡°Plus the dry cleaning!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a real problem,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Imogen asked, leaning in to bump shoulders with her husband.


    ¡°How Leah is thinking of retiring from her work as a secret agent assassin,¡± James told her, giving her an affectionate peck on the cheek.


    ¡°I keep telling Leah that she cannot retire until the 401(k) is vested,¡± Emmy said, sipping her wine. ¡°And that takes five years.¡±


    ¡°Sensible,¡± said James, nodding his head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the retirement bennies are significant.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but getting to retirement is murder,¡± I said with a groan, which got a laugh from everybody.


    ¡°So, no, seriously, what were you guys talking about?¡± Imogen asked.


    ¡°That really was what we were talking about,¡± James protested.


    I just shrugged when she gave me a questioning look. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°That is what we were talking about.¡±


    ¡°Well, we,¡± Imogen said, pointing to Emmy and herself, ¡°Were talking about New York.¡± Turning to James, she asked, ¡°Did Leah tell you they just bought a townhouse on the upper East Side?¡±


    ¡°No, it hadn¡¯t come up,¡± James said, ¡°What with all the discussion of murder and mayhem and vested stock options.¡±


    Imogen rolled her eyes, then said, ¡°Emmy invited us to visit with them next time they¡¯re in New York. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve visited my parents, and this would give us an excuse to not stay out there in Connecticut.¡±


    ¡°You know I love your mom and dad, honey, but it would be nice to not have to stay there at their house,¡± agreed James.


    ¡°Hey- any time you need a place to stay in Manhattan,¡± I said, ¡°Just let me know and the place is yours.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a real shame you guys are moving to Los Angeles,¡± Imogen sighed. ¡°The Bay Area is going to be a lot more boring without you two.¡±


    ¡°It is going to be difficult, leaving friends here,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°But we must relocate for my music, and Leah is done at Stanford, so it is time.¡±


    ¡°Stanford?¡± asked James.


    ¡°Yeah, I just graduated,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Wait- how old are you?¡± James asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna turn twenty-two in September,¡± I said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°All this time, I thought you were a lot older. I mean, no offense, but you don¡¯t seem like you¡¯re that young.¡±


    ¡°That is a spectacular foot you just shoved in your mouth, hon.¡± Imogen said drily.


    ¡°You know what I meant,¡± James said, waving it away. ¡°I always figured Leah was just a really young-looking early thirties. She carries herself with too much, I don¡¯t know, maturity, to be only twenty-two.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-one for a few more months,¡± I said, taking a sip of wine.


    ¡°So the secret life you¡¯ve been leading is a college student?¡± James asked, still trying to process.


    ¡°Google me,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised what comes up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna do that.¡± he agreed.


    ¡°You know what you¡¯ll find, besides my Stanford volleyball stuff?¡± I asked, smirking.


    ¡°What?¡± James responded.


    ¡°A lot of rumors about me killing people,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Seriously, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I can believe that,¡± he said, ¡°Judging by the conversations I¡¯ve had.¡±


    On our way back down to Palo Alto, Emmy rested her hand on my leg. ¡°I enjoy seeing you with your friends,¡± she said, softly. ¡°I am sorry to be taking you away from them.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be,¡± I reassured her, resting my hand on hers. ¡°We¡¯ll still see James and Imogen, when we come up from SoCal. Maybe in New York, too.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Emmy said, doubt in her voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a change, baby, I¡¯m not saying it won¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s not going to be the end of any friendships, nothing tragic like that. It¡¯ll be good,¡± I said, to reassure myself as much as to reassure Emmy. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll make plenty of new friends in Los Angeles.¡±


    The actual move was completely anticlimactic. Sana and Donny had already left for the great Northwet, so really the only people there in Palo Alto for tearful goodbyes were Michael and Jassie, and they were going to help us move down to Los Angeles. I was going to drive the truck with Michael, while Emmy and Jassie were going to drive down in the Aston.


    We¡¯d sold the BMW already, and my track car would be shipped down once I figured out where it would be kept. There really were no loose ends, so when the morning came to hit the road, we all had breakfast together, then climbed into our respective rides for the drive south.


    I don¡¯t know what Emmy and Jassie talked about, but eight hours in the truck gave Michael and I plenty of time to discuss Night Children matters, parenting issues, the upcoming election, and so on. The part of the discussion that really stood out to me, though, is when Michael ruminated on how life had been for him for the last three years.


    ¡°That first day, showing my true face to the world,¡± he said, ¡°was truly terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you and Hakan looked ready to bolt out the door if anybody even glanced at you cross-eyed, there at that restaurant,¡± I said, remembering that day three years before.


    ¡°Yes, it was completely nerve-wracking,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°I simply couldn¡¯t understand how Emmy lived that way from the time she was born. Now, though, since I¡¯ve been out of hiding for a few years, I¡¯ve become accustomed to the stares, the puzzled looks, and even the indifference. I still see the sidelong glances, but I¡¯m not paranoid about it anymore. Now I understand it¡¯s just about how I look different than most people, and not that people secretly know I¡¯m a Night Child and hate and fear me for it,¡± he explained.


    ¡°And that¡¯s better?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Infinitely,¡± agreed Michael. ¡°Now, I stand tall. I wear nice clothes, drive a nice car, have a beautiful place to live. When I see someone look at me a little bit longer than is comfortable, I tell myself they see a successful man, and are envious. Or appreciative.¡±


    ¡°That''s¡­ a good way to look at it,¡± I said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Emmy told me, perhaps two or three months after we first met, that that was her method. Whenever anyone stares at her, she tells herself that they admire her beauty, her style, her poise. This is her secret weapon against the fear and the anxiety. It has taken me a while to internalize it, but now I find myself standing up a bit straighter, throwing my shoulders back a little, every time I notice anybody staring at me,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°That¡¯s- you know, Emmy never said anything about that to me, but now that you¡¯ve said it, that makes a ton of sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°I can totally see it, now,¡± I said, pondering what he¡¯d just said. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve kinda done something like that with my height¡­ but I¡¯d never really given it as much thought. Just sort of, I don¡¯t know, embraced it, you know?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I have seen it in you,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°You stand up straight, and use your height to look down on the rest of us. You use the fact you¡¯re taller than most people to establish an attitude of, superiority, might be a good way to say it. Unconsciously, perhaps, the rest of us are metaphorically forced into looking up to you, as we do so physically.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°You make it sound as if I use my height to push people around.¡±


    Looking away from the road long enough to make eye contact for a moment, Michael said, ¡°You do. You may not recognize that¡¯s what¡¯s happening, but it¡¯s part of your¡­ your aura, maybe. You are a very commanding presence, Leah. A very commanding presence. People do what you tell them to do. They can¡¯t help it. A major part of it is your physically imposing presence, and part of that is your height. How tall are you, anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listed on the team roster at six foot three, but that¡¯s rounding up a little bit,¡± I said.


    ¡°Which is taller than most men, and taller than maybe all but one tenth of a percent of women,¡± Michael said. ¡°When you wear heels, you¡¯re the tallest person in the room wherever you go.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I hardly ever actually wear heels,¡± I said. ¡°Well, that, and the fact that I don¡¯t wear them enough to ever feel comfortable in ¡®em.¡±


    Laughing, Michael said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand how any woman can wear those things. They¡¯re death traps!¡±


    ¡°You should see this one pair that Emmy has. The heels are so tall on them that all her weight is on her tippy toes. They¡¯re unreal- I¡¯ve seen her walk in ¡®em and I have no idea how she even does it,¡± I said with a laugh.


    Despite the conversation getting sidetracked by the part about high heels, Michael had given me something to think about- something about what Emmy had told him, and what he¡¯d said about me.


    I certainly didn¡¯t think he was wrong. In fact, it was immediately obvious that he was completely correct, but I didn¡¯t really know what to do with the revelation as far as my behavior was concerned. So I mentally filed the information away for later, knowing well that that later would probably never happen.


    Navigating to the new place in Century City was easy enough, and thankfully there was a loading dock that would accept the smallish U-Haul truck we were driving. The tower also had big cargo mover trolleys, so it only took a few trips to unload, even though we were all tired from the drive. Michael and I did most of the physical work while Emmy dealt with the reception staff and Jassie helped unload and distribute the boxes and so on in the rental apartment.


    It was definitely time for food once the truck had been emptied and re-parked. Emmy had asked at the lobby for a good place to eat nearby and was pleased to hear there was a fairly high-end restaurant on-site that served Japanese/American fusion, so that¡¯s where we went. Dinner was good enough for me to expect to eat there regularly, and so we all went back to the apartment with our bellies full and ready to sleep.


    The furnishings in the apartment were all quality, even though the style wasn¡¯t to my taste at all- but that didn¡¯t matter, since we were only going to be living there until we found a home to buy. Good thing, too, since it was twenty-five grand a month rent.


    The view, though, that was amazing. Our unit was on the seventeenth floor, facing downtown in the distance. Off to the north we could see the Hollywood hills, but unfortunately not the actual Hollywood sign. The balcony area was large enough to qualify as an outdoor living room, and since we were on the east side the breeze was muted.


    Not a bad place to live for the next few months, but I couldn¡¯t see us exercising our option to buy.


    I got up early, as usual, and made use of the building¡¯s gym. It was at least as nice as most chain gyms, and to my surprise there were quite a few people working out at five in the morning. I introduced myself to the training staff and got the introductory ¡®Do you know how to use the equipment properly?¡¯ stuff out of the way quickly, then got to warming up on a treadmill.


    Running in place, as I glanced around I couldn¡¯t help but notice that there were a lot of really good-looking people in the gym. I mean, really good-looking. This only reinforced the West LA stereotype I had in my mind. Once I realized that I was mentally putting all these pretty women and men into a category in my mind, I admonished myself for being shallow.


    Sure, that stunningly hot girl over there doing leg lifts while looking in the full-wall mirror might have been admiring herself, but more likely she was looking to make sure her form was good. Well, I could tell her that her form was damned near perfect, but I was sure she already was well aware of that fact.


    That guy over there in the skin-tight tank top? He was probably as concerned with his health as he was with his perfect pecs and washboard abs, right? Well, to be fair, he probably was some sort of actor or model or something and needed to look that way for work, anyhow¡­


    I was minding my own business, trying not to pay any attention to the others there in that gym at five-thirty in the morning, when one of the trainers came over to talk to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching your workout,¡± he said. ¡°We always keep an eye on new members here, just to make sure they¡¯re O.K. on the equipment, you know how it is,¡± he said.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Josh. I¡¯m the morning manager here,¡± he added.


    ¡°Leah,¡± I replied, taking a moment to shake his offered hand.


    ¡°So, Leah, it¡¯s obvious to anyone who isn''t visually impaired that you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± he said with a smile, his teeth amazingly white in his perfectly tanned face.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been in a gym or two.¡±


    ¡°Well, not to be, um, don¡¯t think I mean this in any sort of unprofessional way, but you¡¯re really, well, built,¡± Josh said, tripping over himself to not offend.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as I returned to my barbell rows.


    ¡°I mean, look at what you¡¯re doing now,¡± he said, indicating the barbell I was lifting. ¡°There aren¡¯t three guys in here who could do a set like that, and none of us could do it with the stability you¡¯re displaying.¡±


    ¡°It took me a while to work up to it,¡± I said as I finished my set and stood up to let my back recover.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d imagine so. So I guess what I¡¯m getting at is that you obviously know really well what you¡¯re doing, and we don¡¯t need to babysit you in any way, but if you do need any help, or a spotter, anything at all, just give a shout and somebody will be happy to give a hand.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, Josh,¡± I said. ¡°I have to admit that wasn¡¯t the way I saw the conversation going when you first came over.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Asked Josh. "Did you think maybe I came over to hit on you, or something?¡± he said, with a grin.


    ¡°It¡¯s happened before,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Well, I can certainly imagine it has,¡± he said. ¡°But I have never, and I mean never, hit on a woman in my entire life, and I¡¯m not about to start now.¡±


    That got a laugh out of me, so I held out my fist for him to bump. ¡°Family member, myself,¡± I said, and the light of recognition lit up in his eyes.


    ¡°Stay proud,¡± he replied with a smile as he bumped my fist.

 On A Mission

    The rest of my workout was uneventful, and when I got back to the apartment with Starbucks coffees and breakfast sandwiches the others were just starting to stir.


    We ate out on the outdoor living area, then said our goodbyes. I slipped Michael some cash to cover gas for the truck and food, plus a few hundred as a ¡®thank you¡¯ for helping out. Once the two had driven away, Emmy turned to me and asked ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Well, babe, we¡¯re here in the entertainment capital of the world. Go be entertaining,¡± I said, getting one of Emmy¡¯s laughs that sound like bells, or wind chimes or something like that.


    ¡°O.K., then that is what I shall do,¡± she said as we walked back inside our new home.


    Lee and Jen came over early that afternoon to discuss the Downfall¡¯s plans and see the new place, respectively. I had nothing to add to Lee and Emmy¡¯s conversation and neither did Jen, so the two of us went out for a drive. We promised we¡¯d bring dinner back, but otherwise had a few hours to kill. Jen had grown up in San Jose, and I was from San Diego County, so neither of us really knew West LA at all, besides just the famous streets. As a result, we just sort of drove around aimlessly for a while until Jen spotted a guy selling maps to the homes of the stars. She bought one, and, following the directions, we wound our way through parts of Bel Air and Holmby Hills, but it wasn¡¯t until we found ourselves winding around all these crazy little streets up in the Hollywood Hills that I found any of it interesting.


    ¡°Well, sure, you and Emmy have more money than you could shake a stick at- it¡¯s no wonder those giant fucking houses don¡¯t impress you,¡± Jen said when I commented that Bel Air left me cold. ¡°But me? I see those houses and dream.¡±


    ¡°You guys have money now, too,¡± I objected. ¡°I know how much the Downfall has made over the last three years.¡±


    ¡°How much money Lee has made,¡± said Jen. ¡°Me, I¡¯m just the girlfriend. I¡¯ve got a job in a gallery downtown, but it¡¯s really just enough for me to say that I¡¯m bringing in some. He¡¯s the one that actually pays all our bills, and bought the house. In his name alone, I might add.¡±


    ¡°Are you guys not doing O.K.?¡± I asked, surprised to hear the bitterness in Jen¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Oh, no, we¡¯re doing fine, especially now since Dragon Mama has given up on trying to get Lee to dump me and find a nice Korean girl. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Jen said, thinking about what she needed to say. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s all him, you know? I have a hard time just being the ¡®plus one¡¯. I¡¯ve been waiting for him to ask me to marry him, but at this rate I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s ever gonna happen, you know?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t,¡± I said, negotiating a bend in the road that seemed to corkscrew around on top of itself. ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen him look at another woman,¡± I said.


    ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t think he has,¡± admitted Jen. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a running joke that if either of us gets a chance to sleep with Emmy we¡¯re free to go for it as far as each other is concerned, but I don¡¯t even think he really looks at Emmy in any sort of sexual way anymore. He¡¯s even said that she¡¯s more like a sister than Hannah is.¡±


    ¡°Hannah?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never met Hannah, his sister? Count yourself lucky,¡± Jen said, slumping back in her seat. ¡°She¡¯s a total bitch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never talked to Lee about his family, like, ever,¡± I said, pulling to a stop in front of what the map said was Charlie Chaplin¡¯s old house- but all you could see were tall hedges and an ornate iron gate.


    ¡°So, let me give you the rundown. Lee¡¯s dad is dead, probably poisoned by his wife, Lee¡¯s mom. She¡¯s a mean old bat. I¡¯ve never heard her say anything nice about anyone. When Lee bought her a really nice house over in the San Gabriel Valley, in Arcadia, she didn¡¯t even say thanks as far as I know. Did you know she¡¯s the source of the band name?¡±


    ¡°The Downfall?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah. When Lee gave up the piano at thirteen and only wanted to play the drums, she told him that it was shit, he¡¯d never amount to anything playing the drums, and she forbade him from playing. All that meant is that he moved his drum kit to a friend¡¯s house and hardly ever spent any time at home from then on.¡±


    ¡°So, the name?¡± I prompted, pulling away from chez Chaplin.


    ¡°She told him that rock music was going to be his downfall, and to not come crying back to her when everything went bad.¡±


    ¡°Emmy never told me that,¡± I said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Yeah, well, when he bought her a three million dollar house in Arcadia, she didn¡¯t remind him of that moment, either, now did she,¡± Jen said, bitterly.


    ¡°I can see why she wouldn¡¯t have brought it up,¡± I agreed with a chuckle.


    ¡°So anyhow, Hannah, Lee¡¯s younger sister, she¡¯s just the same. Mean, rude, generally unpleasant to even be near, much less spend any time with. When we do see her, she spends all her time trash-mouthing me. They both hate The Downfall, Jackson and Emmy, but seem to reserve most of their¡­ animosity towards me. Mainly because I¡¯ve taken Lee away from them, but also because I¡¯m a gaijin.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s a Japanese word, not Korean, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Jen said. ¡°You get the idea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think I do,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So if you ever get in a killing mood and need a good victim, there¡¯s two who would benefit the world from being stabbed,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± I replied, rolling my eyes.


    Eventually we found ourselves back on Santa Monica Boulevard, so I turned west. ¡°Look for a place to grab something for dinner,¡± I said to Jen.


    ¡°Pink¡¯s! We gotta do Pink¡¯s!¡± Jen said, suddenly excited.


    ¡°What¡¯s Pink¡¯s?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a classic- old school Hollywood place. Hot dogs. Really famous. We gotta go,¡± Jen said. ¡°I think it¡¯s on, um, La Brea or something.¡±


    ¡°You want to take hot dogs, from a place that¡¯s famous, back to Lee and Emmy to have for dinner?¡± I asked, incredulous.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°How about we go back to the apartment, get Lee and Emmy, and go to this hot dog place for dinner? That way they get the whole ¡®famous Hollywood eatery¡¯ experience, too?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Deal,¡± Jen agreed, nodding once.


    On our way back to Century City, Jen asked, ¡°So you know Lee¡¯s been making more money with The Downfall than he ever would have with an MD/PhD, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, wondering where she was going with this.


    ¡°But he told me that Emmy gives away all her income to charity,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°Yeah, she does,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°He said every dime.¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Yeah, it all goes to charity.¡±


    ¡°So all her net income from the band goes to, like, refugee aid organizations?¡± Jen asked for clarification.


    ¡°No, all her gross income,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Seriously? So where do you guys have all this money from?¡± Jen asked.


    ¡°I have a company that does real estate investments, property managements, that kind of thing, and another that does hospitality. Restaurants, night clubs, you know. Also, I do venture capital with tech start-ups.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s your money? I got the impression from what Lee said that Emmy¡¯s parents are loaded,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°Well, they gave her a bunch of money, a trust fund, and when we started at Stanford I used that money to get started,¡± I explained.


    ¡°How much money?¡± Jen asked.


    Normally I¡¯d find questions like that intrusive, but I knew Jen and she wasn¡¯t the type to mean anything by it. ¡°The trust fund was a hundred million Euros, but I only invested half that,¡± I said.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s what, a hundred and thirty million dollars? Divided by two, that¡¯s sixty-something million?¡± Jen asked.


    ¡°Yeah, more or less,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And how have the investments done?¡±


    ¡°Well, my REIT- that¡¯s a real estate investment trust- is valued at nearly seven hundred million dollars now, the hospitality division is worth roughly a hundred forty million, but it isn¡¯t very profitable, and I just cashed out of one of my venture capital investments at eighty-two million. You know that video sharing app that just had its IPO? That one.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re like, almost a billionaire?¡± Jen asked, stunned.


    ¡°Well, no, that¡¯s not actually how it works,¡± I said, but at the blank look on her face I said, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m most of the way to being a billionaire.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not even twenty-two yet,¡± Jen said, her voice hushed.


    ¡°I¡¯m only three months away,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even understand how you¡¯ve done this,¡± Jen said, looking out the window.


    ¡°Like I said, Emmy¡¯s parents gave us a hell of a head start,¡± I replied, turning south on the Avenue Of The Stars.


    ¡°You make me feel like a complete loser,¡± Jen said with a sigh.


    Emmy and Lee were fine with the idea of going to Pink¡¯s, so we all piled into Lee¡¯s Mercedes for the drive back to Hollywood.


    When the staff realized who was there (and it only took them seeing Emmy to recognize her) the manager came out to take photos of Emmy and Lee for their ¡®Wall Of Fame¡¯. Plenty of other patrons, tourists mostly, wanted selfies with the two of them, so dinner was a time-consuming process.


    ¡°Nobody ever recognizes Lee,¡± Jen said while the two members of The Downfall posed for pics with fans.


    ¡°Everybody recognizes Em,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, I bet you guys can¡¯t go anywhere and not get mobbed,¡± Jen agreed.


    ¡°You know what though?¡± I asked, watching fans tell Emmy how much they adored her.


    ¡°What?¡± Jen asked.


    ¡°It was the whole point,¡± I said. ¡°The whole idea of starting a band was to get famous and for Emmy to be known nationwide, or even better, worldwide.¡±


    ¡°Well, it worked,¡± Jen said, taking a bite of her ¡®Rosie O¡¯Donell dog¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah, it did.¡±


    After our dinner of surprisingly good hot dogs, we stopped off at a liquor store and bought some supplies on our way back to our new home. I mixed drinks for everybody, then Jen and I went out onto the outdoor living area while Lee and Emmy returned to their Downfall discussion.


    ¡°I like this- well, it isn¡¯t really a balcony, is it?¡± Jen said as I started the gas fireplace. ¡°It¡¯s more like a room that¡¯s open on two sides.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is pretty nice,¡± I agreed, sitting down on the couch and kicking my legs up.


    ¡°This whole place is pretty nice,¡± Jen said, indicating the apartment.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s O.K. I mean, yeah, it¡¯s really nice and all, but I just can¡¯t see living here forever. This is just until we find a place to buy,¡± I said.


    ¡°I could be happy living here,¡± Jen said, taking a sip of her Boulevardier. ¡°This is nice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s not nice- and for twenty-five grand a month it had better be- it¡¯s just that it isn¡¯t what we need right now,¡± I said.


    ¡°How much?¡± Jen asked, sitting up, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Three month¡¯s rent here buys a pretty nice Mercedes,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± Jen breathed. ¡°How much would it cost to buy?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Didn¡¯t ask. Ten, maybe twelve? I have no idea, really.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Jen said. ¡°You guys really are in a different tax bracket.¡±


    "The house Emmy lived in when I met her was something like twenty thousand square feet, and she told me that it was much smaller than their place in Paris. Oh, and their castle in Southern France. Which apparently has twelfth-century tapestries and stuff like that, because it¡¯s been in the family for that long,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you fu- you¡¯re joking, right?¡± Jen asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°No, seriously, her family has owned that castle since eleven hundred A.D. or something like that, and their Paris mansion since sixteen-something,¡± I said.


    Jen just stared at me for a few seconds, trying to process.


    ¡°How¡­ I mean, like, fuck. How is that even possible? How many wars, revolutions, whatever have they been through, and still kept their shit from getting taken?¡± Jen asked, pondering.


    ¡°To be honest,¡± I said, ¡°I suspect it was Emmy¡¯s ancestors that did a lot of taking during those wars and revolutions.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s how it works, right? The families that manage to take advantage stay on top of history,¡± Jen said, thinking about it. ¡°And here I thought it was a big deal that one of my ancestors signed the Declaration Of Independence.¡±


    ¡°Hey- as far as America is concerned, that is a big deal,¡± I agreed.


    Jen and I had finished off our drinks, so I went inside to make us some more. ¡°You guys O.K.?¡± I asked Lee and Emmy, holding up the empty glasses.


    ¡°I¡¯d take another, Leah. Thanks!¡± Lee said, handing me his glass.


    ¡°I will help you,¡± Emmy said, taking Lee¡¯s glass and her own into the kitchen.


    I mixed up another round while Emmy leaned against my back, her arms around my waist.


    ¡°I love you, Leah,¡± she murmured, the vibration of her words tickling my back.


    I put my hand on hers. ¡°I love you, too, babe. Are you and Lee having a productive discussion?¡±


    ¡°We are, but I am afraid that there may be some bad news. He tells me that top studio time is much more expensive here. Even more than the studio we used in New York, so it will cost more to produce our next album,¡± Emmy said, her voice still muffled by my shirt.


    ¡°How about setting up your own studio?¡± I asked. ¡°We talked about finding a house with a possible studio space, but how about if we prioritize that aspect?¡± I asked, turning around in her arms. ¡°How about if we look for a space that either has a top-end studio space already, or can be built out for a full-fledged recording studio? And I don¡¯t mean a little one like our place in Manhattan. I mean, a real, full-scale recording studio.¡±


    ¡°You would be O.K. with that?¡± Emmy asked, burying her face in my chest.


    ¡°Of course I would, baby. Why would you even doubt it?¡±


    ¡°It is so much to ask, Leah,¡± Emmy said, leaning back to look me in the eyes. ¡°Perhaps too much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll start looking tomorrow.¡±


    Returning to the balcony, I found Jen leaning against the railing, looking out towards downtown.


    ¡°Look how far it is to downtown,¡± she said, taking the drink I offered. ¡°It¡¯s like fifteen miles away. If you wanted to walk there, you could, but it would take you pretty much all day. Lee and me, our place in Pasadena is just as far on the other side. So just walking from here to our place would take you something like twelve hours of non-stop walking.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure where Jen was going with this, so I just looked at downtown¡¯s towers off in the distance and took a sip of my Old Fashioned.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s what determined the original Spanish missions here in California, right?¡± Jen asked, sipping her Boulevardier. ¡°They built the first one in San Diego, then the next one a day¡¯s walk north, in, um, Carlsbad or someplace.¡±


    ¡°Oceanside,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Yeah. And then another long day¡¯s walk north from there, in San Juan Capistrano, and so on, until finally, twenty missions later, they got to San Francisco. But you know what? There was never a mission in Los Angeles. One over in the San Gabriel Valley, by Alhambra, and another in the San Fernando Valley, up right by where the five and four-oh-five come together, but not one here in the City Of Angels.¡±


    ¡°When I was in fifth grade we took a field trip to the Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside,¡± I said. ¡°Other than that, I¡¯ve never been to any of the rest.¡±


    ¡°I guess I was about that age when my folks thought it would be cool to see them all on a family road trip,¡± Jen said. ¡°We drove all the way down to San Diego. Of course we went to the zoo and Sea World, but then the mission. And then the one in Oceanside, and the one in San Juan Capistrano, and the two here in the LA area. By that time, us kids were so fucking over it that my parents gave up and bailed on the whole thing. We wound up backtracking and did the Universal Studios tour, then went back home to San Jose. I¡¯ve never seen any of the rest of ¡®em. Funny, I saw all of them at the far end of the state, but never the missions near where I was born and raised.¡±


    ¡°Would you do a road trip like that now?¡± I asked, wondering where all this was coming from.


    ¡°Maybe, but I¡¯d probably get three or four missions in and bag the whole thing again,¡± Jen said with a laugh. ¡°I mean, sure, they¡¯re cool, and they really are all different- at least the ones I¡¯ve seen- but only so much history can one girl take.¡±


    ¡°Twenty missions would be a lot to see,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Twenty-one,¡± Jen corrected. ¡°There¡¯re twenty-one of ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even more,¡± I said, finally sitting down on the couch again.


    ¡°Too many,¡± Jen agreed.


    ¡°So you guys found a place in Pasadena? Is it nice?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice, I guess. It¡¯s a Craftsman from a hundred years ago, which is cool, but it doesn''t have central A/C and gets hotter than a crack pipe, you know? It¡¯s also way too close to Dragon Mama, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°How much did you get it for?¡± I asked, just to make conversation.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t get that great a deal, really, but Lee saw it and liked it and was burned out from home shopping. All told, it was just shy of one point six million.¡±


    ¡°Could you retrofit air?¡± I asked, thinking about the huge cost the new HVAC system was going to cost in New York.


    ¡°It has those wall units, you know the horizontal kind that go up on the wall? It has those in a few rooms, like the living room and the master bedroom, but they just aren¡¯t enough. We¡¯d need one in almost every room, you know?¡± Jen said.


    ¡°Sounds like you need to move,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, we do, but we just bought this place, so we¡¯re stuck with it for a while,¡± Jen said with a sigh.

 How Do You Find L.A.?

    Jen and Lee wound up spending the night, so after my morning workout I brought pastries and coffee from a nearby French bakery for everybody. Honestly, I was surprised to find anyone awake back in the apartment, but there Jen was, straightening up and washing the glasses from the night before.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that,¡± I said, setting the bag of croissants down on the counter and handing Jen a hot cup of coffee.


    ¡°Coffee? And what¡¯s this?¡± she said, looking into the bag. ¡°Pastries? Oh, dude- no wonder Emmy loves you so much!¡±


    ¡°Do I smell coffee?¡± asked Lee, stumbling into the kitchen, bleary-eyed. ¡°Must. Have. Coffee.¡±


    ¡°Pastries, too, baby,¡± Jen said, handing him a chocolate croissant.


    ¡°Oh, awesome!¡± Lee said, gratefully.


    Emmy wandered in about that time, snuggling up to me in a sleepy hug. ¡°Good morning, my love,¡± she said, nuzzling her face in my chest.


    I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in tight, enjoying the feel of her body against mine.


    ¡°Help!¡± came her muffled voice. ¡°I am caught in a booby trap!¡±


    Laughing, I kissed the top of Emmy¡¯s head, then let her go.


    ¡°I did not say I wanted out,¡± came her response, difficult to hear as her face was still buried in my chest. I hugged her tightly again, getting a solid squeeze in return.


    ¡°Do you guys have any plans today?¡± I asked to the group in general.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got work this afternoon,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°Lee and I were going to look at some studios today, and hopefully find a good practice space for the time being,¡± Emmy said, releasing her grip on me and gravitating towards the coffee. ¡°Do you have any plans?¡± she asked me as she selected a croissant.


    ¡°I need to go in to the Santa Monica office, show my face, make sure everything is set up, but I wasn¡¯t thinking of spending the full day there,¡± I answered. ¡°Other than that, I have nothing going on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long it¡¯s gonna take Emmy and me,¡± Lee said. ¡°It might be a long time. All day, maybe. We have a pretty long list of places to check out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°Just let me know if I¡¯m on my own for dinner, O.K.?¡± I said to Emmy.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she replied.


    I don¡¯t think anybody in the Santa Monica office had expected I¡¯d roll in first thing Monday morning. The receptionist seemed flustered when I came in right at nine.


    ¡°Ms Farmer!¡± she said when she realized who it was that walked in the door. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll be in my office,¡± I said as I headed back.


    ¡°Um-¡± she said, unsure of what to say. ¡°Will you be here for a while?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I responded. ¡°Full time from now on.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°We haven¡¯t hired you a P.A. yet,¡± she said, flustered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one yet, Marisa,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯ll talk to H.R. later this week about hiring one.¡±


    With that, I left and went back to the last door on the right that led to my new office suite.


    I left the door open, of course, and sat down, adjusted the chair, and set out my laptop. I checked the desk drawers for the usual office supplies and saw that my favorite pens and writing notepads had been stocked. I took out a notepad and pen and started making a list of what I needed to personalize the office when somebody knocked on the door.


    ¡°Come on in,¡± I said, recognizing Randi, my property acquisitions director.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said, sitting down in front of the desk. ¡°So this is it? You¡¯re here for good?¡±


    ¡°Well, mostly,¡± I admitted. ¡°I figure I¡¯ll have to spend a few days every other week up in the Bay Area, but yeah, other than that, here I am.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she said. ¡°There are a few properties that I¡¯ve been interested in that I want to show you to sign off on. Maybe once you get settled in here?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve also got something I want to talk to you about. I need a house. I¡¯m renting a place in Century City for now, but I want to buy.¡±


    ¡°What neighborhood?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t as important as what I need in the house. You know my wife is a recording artist, right?¡± When Randi nodded, I continued. ¡°We need a house that has a professional-level recording studio, or space to build one out. I mean, a real top-level studio, not some converted bedroom or something. Like maybe, I don¡¯t know, the house Quincy Jones is selling, or something.¡±


    ¡°This is Los Angeles. That shouldn¡¯t be too hard,¡± Randi said with a smile I¡¯m sure she meant to be charming, but just seemed forced. ¡°What else do you need?¡±


    ¡°As far as the house goes, it needs to have a big garage, at least five cars, preferably a somewhat separate staff quarters, and decent security,¡± I said.


    ¡°Does it need to be move-in ready, or are we willing to look at spaces that could be built to suit?¡± Randi asked, taking notes on her phone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind a remodel, but I don¡¯t want to build from the ground up. I want to be moved in by this time next year at the latest,¡± I said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Budget?¡±


    ¡°All in, I¡¯d rather not spend more than, I don¡¯t know, twenty or so,¡± I said, thinking about our finances.


    ¡°Twenty million?¡± gasped Randi. Recovering, she said ¡°That¡¯ll get you a whole lot of house.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m spending fifteen on our place in Manhattan, and that sorta stings a bit,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Can I be honest?¡± Randi asked. When I nodded O.K., she said, ¡°Those numbers are a lot higher than I would have expected. I know the REIT is doing well and profits have been, well, excellent, but your compensation package can¡¯t be that good,¡± she said.


    Choosing to not be offended, I said ¡°I have other irons in the fire. I could spend up to, I don¡¯t know, maybe fifty? But I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°Fifty would buy a palace,¡± Randi said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need a palace, and let¡¯s say ten, plus five for remodel and decoration, should buy us a plenty nice place.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Randi said. ¡°A recording studio, big garage, secure. Got it.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t convinced she really had a grasp of what I wanted, so I figured I¡¯d have to do some hunting of my own.


    All morning was a parade of the various staff members of the office, all wanting their face time with the boss who¡¯d been a distant figure up until now. It isn¡¯t as if they¡¯d never met me- after all, I¡¯d come down to sign off on all the big money deals a fair number of times, but I¡¯d never really been a presence in the office. Now they knew I was going to be there all the time, and wanted to make sure that I was aware of the value they brought to the company.


    I¡¯d expected something like that to happen, and I¡¯d undergone sort of the same thing when I¡¯d bought the property management company in San Jose three years before. It didn¡¯t make it comfortable, but it was understandable.


    The most awkward conversation was with Jake Harris, the most senior property manager in the Santa Monica office.


    I¡¯m not sure really what started it, but he seemed to take a defensive attitude right from the start. Jake came out metaphorically swinging, immediately questioning why I was going to take over the office when it had been doing fine for years without my supervision.


    ¡°Jake,¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s this simple. My wife and I moved from the Bay Area to here in Los Angeles. I¡¯m not here to micromanage the day to day workings here any more than I did up in the San Jose office. I do intend to re-orient the general thrust of the business here, but that¡¯ll have little to no effect on ongoing operations.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°This office has been plenty profitable as is- why change it?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°This office has been all about property management. The acquisitions here have all been with that in mind. That¡¯s all well and good,¡± I said, ¡°And that business will continue the same as ever.¡±


    ¡°So what are you talking about, then?¡±


    ¡°Property development. When I bought the company three years ago I started doing more than simply buying and maintaining existing properties. We have been very successful there in the Bay Area with this, and my intention is to bring that expertise to the LA Basin as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tough field- lots of competition,¡± Jake said, dismissing the idea.


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Lots of competition in the Bay Area, too. That¡¯s just the way it is.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people have come into this market thinking they¡¯ll shake things up, only to go home with their tails between their legs,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°I have no doubt,¡± I replied. ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m not asking you to be part of this new division. You¡¯ve done really well in your market- and believe me, I¡¯ve analyzed the numbers. I¡¯m a firm believer in the Peter Principle, so I¡¯m happy to keep you where you¡¯ve proven to excel. There¡¯s no reason for you to do any differently than you have been up to now.¡±


    Unsure whether I¡¯d just insulted him or not, he replied, ¡°So who will be doing this new ¡®development¡¯ work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing two of my experts in the field from San Jose down here. We¡¯re probably going to need to expand our footprint as far as office space is concerned fairly soon, but for now Nash and Sandy can work with the space we have here now.¡±


    ¡°You have this all planned out, don¡¯t you?¡± Jake asked, a dismissive look on his face.


    ¡°Jake,¡± I said. ¡°When I bought this company, it was a small real estate property management company with twelve employees in two offices- one here in Santa Monica, and one in San Jose. We had a good name and reputation among our owners, and made decent profits and kept costs manageable. George Loeltz was quite happy with the way things were, and I was happy to pay him what he asked for the business.¡±


    Looking Jake in the eye, I said, ¡°But here¡¯s the thing. Since I took over and started making changes, we¡¯ve gone up to thirty-four FTEs, and net profits have jumped to nearly eighty million a year. Net profits under George¡¯s ownership were in the four to five million dollar range per year, which was quite respectable for a basic bread and butter property management company, but tiny compared to what a development company makes, and that¡¯s smaller than the real estate investment trust fund generates in an economy like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been doing all this out of the San Jose office?¡± Jake asked, a look of surprise on his face.


    ¡°A lot of it will remain there,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m planning on building up those other branches here, too. That doesn¡¯t mean the property management aspect will lose out in any way- more properties means more management work, after all. But it does mean that yes, things around the office will change.¡±


    Looking at my watch, I said, ¡°Hey- let¡¯s go get lunch and we can talk about things while we eat.¡±


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m the newbie here, you¡¯re the local. You get to show me the good spots.¡±


    We wound up at a sushi place that I was half convinced Jake picked because it was the most expensive place he could think of on a moment¡¯s notice. I¡¯m not a fan of raw fish, so I got the chicken yakisoba, and I do have to admit it was really good. The waiter said they made their own noodles, and I could believe it. They were just right.


    Jake had a couple of enormous rolls and I seriously considered telling them to separate the checks, but in the end I didn¡¯t. The conversation had gone well enough, and once Jake realized that his turf was safe he lightened up a bit. He didn¡¯t come close to apologizing for acting like an ass earlier, but I didn¡¯t care. As long as he continued to do his job well it didn¡¯t matter to me if he thought I was some sort of rich kid playing at business.


    After lunch I settled back into my new office and dealt with some emails, but nothing was really pressing so I called it a day around two in the afternoon. I hadn¡¯t gotten any news from Emmy all day, so I shot her a text asking how it was going, then wandered over to the office manager¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Brenda, do we manage this building?¡±


    ¡°What? No, we don¡¯t manage any commercial properties.¡±


    ¡°Find out for me if the owners are willing to sell,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s about time we started doing commercial space here, and we need to expand. If they won¡¯t sell, we¡¯ll need to relo the office.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked, surprised. ¡°But we¡¯ve been here for over ten years now!¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I asked with a shrug. ¡°Call me as soon as you find out. I¡¯m going out for a drive.¡±


    Most of the managed properties were on the west side, so a Santa Monica location made sense, but really, it wasn¡¯t absolutely necessary. If we couldn¡¯t expand where we were on Wilshire, moving was inevitable. I¡¯d prefer to keep my commute short, and it would be good employee relations to get input on where worked best for the group as a whole, but really, the office could relocate pretty much anywhere.


    Without really thinking about it I headed west on Wilshire, then south when I got to the beach. I just sort of followed traffic, and pretty soon the area I was driving through turned super hip. Lots of little independent boutiques, surf shops, and restaurants dominated the mix, with precious few chain establishments.


    On impulse, I pulled over and parked to just walk a bit and enjoy the area. I¡¯d just stepped into a shoe store that specialized in Doc Martens when my phone rang. Giving an apologetic smile to the sales girl, I stepped to the side of the shop to talk in some degree of privacy.


    ¡°Leah Farmer,¡± I said, answering.


    ¡°Ms Farmer, this is Brenda, at the office,¡± she said. ¡°I asked the building¡¯s manager if the owners might be willing to sell, and he said he¡¯d ask, but they are foreign investors and might not get back right away.¡±


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for looking into it, and keep me posted when they do get in touch. In the meanwhile, what availability is there for us to expand the office under the current circumstances?¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know,¡± Brenda said, her uncertainty coming through loud and clear.


    ¡°All right, well, realistically, we need twice the current footprint. Talk to the building¡¯s manager and see if we can make that happen for the near term.¡±


    ¡°All- all right, I¡¯ll ask,¡± Brenda said.


    ¡°Thanks, Brenda,¡± I replied. ¡°Let me know when you have an answer.¡±


    Hanging up the phone, I apologized to the sales girl who had been waiting for me to finish.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get something for my wife,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have those old-school punk high-top boots?¡±


    ¡°You want the 1460s,¡± she said, leading me over to the correct wall display. ¡°Of course, the real classic punk color is the oxblood, but black is good, too,¡± the girl said. ¡°I like the oxblood, myself.¡±


    I examined the boots, and realized that not only did Emmy need a pair, so did I. They didn¡¯t have the women¡¯s version in my size, but that was O.K.- the men¡¯s model fit me just fine, even though the leather was brutally stiff.


    ¡°They take a while, but once they¡¯re broken in they¡¯ll be your most comfortable shoes,¡± the girl assured me. In addition to the two pairs of boots (black for me, oxblood for Emmy), she sold me some conditioner and handed me an instruction sheet on how to break the boots in quickly and easily.


    As she was bagging everything up, the girl gave me a shy look and said ¡°Um, could you tell Emmy that I¡¯m a huge, huge fan?¡±


    I smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell her. She loves hearing that people enjoy her music.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how amazing she is,¡± said the girl, a dreamy look in her eyes.


    ¡°You work here full-time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Weekdays, usually, but yeah, I¡¯m usually here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I can talk Emmy into coming by,¡± I said, totally making the salesgirl¡¯s day.


    ¡°That would be awesome!¡±


    Feeling good about the present I had for Emmy, I checked my phone but still no text. A bit disappointed, but not too concerned, I got back in the car and continued south, turning left on Venice Blvd. It was not even four in the afternoon yet, so I figured I¡¯d have time to play a little bit. I turned north on the One to head back north to Malibu. I¡¯d heard so much talk about some of the roads in the Malibu hills that I figured I¡¯d let the Aston run a bit up there.


    Topanga Canyon seemed as if it would be a hell of a lot of fun if it didn¡¯t have so many cars on it. Every time I got a little bit of a groove going I¡¯d catch up to another Prius or G Wagen or something and have to shut it down until a passing opportunity arose.


    A bit frustrated, I pulled over into the parking lot of a run-down looking store for a Coke. The place was a dump, but at least they kept the fridges nice and cold. I was sipping my Coke, leaning against the Aston, when an AMG coupe pulled in to the lot and a good-looking guy in his 30s got out.


    ¡°Nice car,¡± he said, admiring my Madagascar Orange Vantage.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, tipping my Coke bottle in his direction. ¡°Hey, do you drive?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I mean, do you drive? Like, really put that AMG to work?¡± I said.


    ¡°You mean, like get out on the back roads and haul ass?¡± he asked for clarification.


    ¡°Yeah, exactly,¡± I nodded, taking a sip. ¡°I¡¯m not from around here and I¡¯ve heard the roads are good, but have no clue where the secret stash is,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a shitty time of day for that right now, since everybody is getting home from work. You really want mid-morning, or really early on weekends, and yeah, there are some really fun roads around here. They film a lot of sports car commercials on some of these roads, you know.¡±


    ¡°Is there a place to meet other drivers, to maybe get the local knowledge?¡± I asked.


    The guy winced, and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s The Snake, over on Mulholland, but don¡¯t bother with that. I mean, seriously, it¡¯s a shit-show. You could try the Rock Store, maybe you¡¯ll get a Leno sighting, but that¡¯s kinda shit, too,¡± the guy said, thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± he said, coming to some sort of decision. ¡°Give me your email address and I¡¯ll hook you up with a bunch of car guys I know that like to get out and rip it up.¡±


    ¡°Do any of them spend any time on the track?¡± I asked, hopefully.


    Surprised, the guy asked, ¡°You track that Aston?¡±


    ¡°Not much any more,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Mostly I drive my race car nowadays.¡±


    ¡°You have a track car,¡± he said, starting to re-evaluate me a little bit. ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a GT-R in GT3 spec, but I¡¯ve had the engine worked on quite a bit. It isn¡¯t homologation-legal any more,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked, stunned.


    I just gave a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ shrug. ¡°It¡¯s one hundred per cent not street legal, though, so it¡¯s track-only.¡±


    ¡°I really gotta hook you up with the boys,¡± the guy answered. Handing me his phone, he said, ¡°Here- plug in your contact info- well, email address, at least. I¡¯ll shoot out some introductions this evening.¡±


    ¡°Cool, thanks!¡± I said. ¡°By the way, my name is Leah.¡±


    I got another look of surprise when I stood up straight to hand him his phone back. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d actually realized I was taller than him until that moment.


    ¡°Uh, Stephen,¡± he replied. ¡°So, I¡¯ll shoot you an email tonight. The guys usually get out at the crack of dawn on Saturdays, and maybe meet after work once in a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m an early riser.¡±


    Stephen gave me a tip on a nearby road to try, and just as I was pulling out of the lot Emmy called.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, answering the phone.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Would you like to have dinner at Lee and Jen¡¯s place tonight? Jen gets off work at eight, so it would be a late dinner, if that is O.K. with you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said, checking the time. ¡°Just text me the address and I¡¯ll be there by eight.¡± I figured this gave me another couple of hours play time before I had to head over to Pasadena.

 No Rest For The Wicked

    I got to Jen and Lee¡¯s place a few minutes before eight, but at first I was convinced I had the address wrong. Sure, it was Pasadena, sure, it was a Craftsman-style house, and yes, it definitely looked a hundred years old, but it gave off the ¡®owned by granola-eating hippies¡¯ vibe, which I had a hard time squaring with either Lee or Jen.


    The lot was large, at least twice the size of most older neighborhood parcels, and had such a profusion of mature landscaping plants, including one huge tree in the front yard, that the house itself was barely visible from the street.


    An old, cracked concrete driveway led past the left side of the house, presumably to a garage back there somewhere, but I just parked out in front. I had no worries for my car- the neighborhood looked as if no crime had ever happened there in the history of ever.


    Walking up to the covered porch, I could hear the sound of a piano playing, which assured me that yes, it probably was Lee¡¯s house.


    I had to knock loudly a second time for the pianist to stop, and moments later Lee opened the door for me to come in.


    ¡°In here!¡± Emmy called out, so I followed the sound of her voice to the parlor.


    The inside completely belied the impression I¡¯d gotten from the front. It was all classic American, with glossy white-painted trim and pale khaki-colored walls. The furniture was nice, high-end but not flashy.


    The parlor was dominated by a full-size electronic keyboard and bench, with a laptop station next to it, facing into the middle of the room. Along the opposite side of the room was a long, low couch and coffee table, but the middle of the room was empty. Well, except for the microphone stand, that is.


    Emmy had a headphone set resting on her shoulders, which she removed and hung on the mic stand to come over and give me a kiss.


    ¡°We were just working on a song,¡± she explained, as if I couldn¡¯t have guessed.


    ¡°How did things go today?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It was a mixed bag,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We found the recording studio we will use to record our next album, but we have not found the right rehearsal space.¡±


    ¡°That place in Silver Lake was O.K.,¡± Lee said from his place on the couch.


    ¡°It will do for now,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But I cannot think of it as a second home, the way our space in Palo Alto seemed to me.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right, but at least it¡¯ll do for now while we keep searching.¡±


    Changing the subject, Emmy said, ¡°Leah, we ordered food to be delivered. Lee said it is the best Korean/Italian fusion restaurant in the Valley.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously, it¡¯s a real thing,¡± Lee said, seeing the look of disbelief on my face. ¡°I mean, dude, it started a while back, and soon a handful of fusion places popped up in K-Town. Here in the Valley we¡¯ve only got three that do it, but the one we¡¯re getting dinner from is the best of the three, and maybe almost as good as Cafe Dukbokki in K-Town.¡±


    ¡°I am having a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea,¡± I admitted.


    Shrugging, Lee simply said, ¡°Los Angeles, my dude. Welcome to Los Angeles.¡±


    Jen had just walked in the back door when the delivery guy knocked on the front door.


    ¡°What¡¯re we having?¡± Jen asked, dropping onto the couch.


    ¡°Apparently Korean/Italian fusion,¡± I replied.


    Jen¡¯s face lit up. ¡°The place in El Monte? I love that shit!¡±


    Dinner was better than I could possibly have imagined, but I did stay away from the kimchi calamari carbonara, sticking to ingredients that didn¡¯t come from the depths of the sea.


    The others seemed to enjoy those little fermented bits of things better left in the ocean, though. I will say, I wasn¡¯t going to kiss Emmy until she¡¯d had a chance to brush her teeth, that¡¯s for sure.


    Conversation was easy and dinner was pleasant, but soon enough Emmy and I were on the road heading back to our new home.


    ¡°I did not like the rehearsal studio we found,¡± Emmy complained, looking out the window.


    ¡°So why are you guys going with it, then?¡±


    ¡°I liked the other places much less,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°I already miss our space in Palo Alto.¡±


    ¡°Would you like me to find a light industrial space like that again?¡± I asked. ¡°I can have the scouts on the lookout.¡±


    ¡°No, I do not think that would make sense,¡± Emmy grumbled. ¡°If we find a house that has good studio space, we will not need a separate rehearsal studio and building one out for what may only be a few months would be too much effort for too little utility.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense. So what¡¯s so bad about the place that Lee likes?¡±


    "It is small, has no windows, and only one door. It is basically a rental unit in one of those personal storage places that they have soundproofed and marketed to musicians.¡±


    ¡°Like a ¡®U Store It¡¯ place?¡± I asked, astonished.


    ¡°That is exactly what it is, but with soundproofing and electrical outlets for our gear. It is nothing more than an ugly empty box.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making it sound real appealing,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°So what¡¯s good about it? Why does Lee like it?¡±


    ¡°It has a month to month rental plan, so we are not committed to a long-term contract. That way, when we do find the right house, we can move out quickly.¡±


    ¡°I can see the value in that,¡± I agreed. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°It is very secure. We can leave our gear there and not worry about theft or damage, and it is accessible at any hour, day or night.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I can see the value in both of those things, too. So it sounds like something you¡¯ll just have to put up with for the short term, and look at it like a stop-gap solution.¡±


    ¡°That is it,¡± agreed Emmy.


    ¡°So tell me about the recording studio,¡± I prompted.


    ¡°It is amazing,¡± Emmy gushed, her irritation at the rehearsal space forgotten. ¡°It is very old-school. They have been recording music there since forever, and artists from The Doors to Lady Gaga have recorded there!¡±


    ¡°So you like it? It¡¯s nice?¡± I asked, enjoying her enthusiasm.


    ¡°No, it is not nice at all- it is a dump. But it is a dump with great acoustics, and so much musical history you can feel it.¡±


    That made me laugh, so Emmy added, ¡°No, it is true. It looks like nothing from the front, the paint inside is old and it smells of tobacco smoke and sweat and alcohol, the carpet in the front is stained¡­ it really is a dump. But none of that matters, since it is all the signs of musical history that has been made there.¡±


    ¡°So, if we buy a place and build out a really nice, high-end studio, would you still use that place?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°That is a good question,¡± said Emmy, pondering. ¡°I think it would depend on how the sound in our home studio turns out.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s make sure we get just the right place, then.¡±


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    After my workout the next morning, I woke Emmy up with a cup of coffee and a fresh pastry.


    ¡°We really need to do some grocery shopping,¡± I said.


    ¡°We do,¡± agreed Emmy, still half asleep.


    ¡°When I get home from work today we should make up a list and go do a big shopping trip. We need pretty much everything,¡± I said.


    ¡°What time do you think you will be home?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°Should I not go work with Lee today?¡±


    ¡°No, go ahead and go over to his place, just try to be home by, mmm¡­ maybe four or five?¡± I said. ¡°We can grab an early dinner, do our shopping, and be back home with time to relax.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any ideas on how to relax?¡± Emmy asked, her interest piqued.


    ¡°The building¡¯s pool looked nice, and it has a big jacuzzi, too,¡± I replied. ¡°We could try those out.¡± Sure, I¡¯d gotten the idea that Emmy had been hinting about sex, and that sounded good, but some swimming would be a nice way to unwind beforehand.


    ¡°I like that idea,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I do so love to see you in a bikini.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, baby. Likewise.¡±


    Loading a few things to take to the office into the Aston, I spotted the big shopping bag and realized I¡¯d forgotten all about Emmy¡¯s present. ¡®I¡¯ll give them to her this evening,¡¯ I thought and moved the bag aside to fit the stuff I was taking in to personalize my work space. There really isn¡¯t much room in that car under any circumstances, and the big bag with the two giant shoe boxes took up about half the trunk space. I had to do some creative arranging to fit everything inside, but eventually I managed it.


    I walked in right at nine, pretty much the moment Marisa unlocked the front door of the suite.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need a key card for the office, I guess,¡± I said to Marisa as she jumped up to help me carry my stuff in.


    I handed her the framed poster of Emmy¡¯s famous Rolling Stone cover, the super close-up of her face. It was by far the largest and most cumbersome item I had with me. It wasn¡¯t heavy, just awkward to carry under one arm while I tried to carry three other things with my other hand.


    Marisa looked at the poster, a puzzled look on her face. ¡°That¡¯s, um, that rock star, um, Emmy, right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah. Emmy De Lascaux,¡± I said, finding a little bit of humor in the situation.


    ¡°Why do you have a poster of her?¡± Marisa asked.


    ¡°I just like it, that¡¯s all,¡± I said with a shrug. I knew that within minutes somebody would tell her, but I was having my fun at her mild expense anyhow.


    I set the framed poster against the wall facing my desk, the potted plant on the small side table near the French doors, the wedding photo on my desk, and framed photo of me holding the NCAA championship trophy I hung on a picture hook sort of behind and to the right of my desk. It was the only picture hook in the room, oddly enough.


    ¡°Marisa, who do I talk to about getting that hung up?¡± I asked, pointing at the poster.


    ¡°Usually one of the guys does it. I don¡¯t know where the hammer and things are- I¡¯ll ask.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Jake about it.¡±


    Once I had my things squared away, I wandered over to Jake¡¯s office. ¡°Hey, Jake- could you do me a favor?¡± I asked. ¡°I have a picture I¡¯d like to hang on my wall.¡±


    I knew he was too old-fashioned to ever tell me he couldn¡¯t do it, so he got up and I followed him to the break room and saw where the very basic assortment of tools and such were kept. Thankfully, there were picture hooks in various sizes.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty big,¡± I said. ¡°We should probably use the big hook.¡±


    I could almost hear his eyes roll, but he grabbed a couple of the biggest hooks from the container and followed me back to my office.


    ¡°Where do you want it?¡± he asked, after looking at the poster for a surprisingly long while.


    ¡°Directly opposite the center of the desk,¡± I said, pointing. ¡°About that high.¡±


    He looked at the amount of slack on the cable on the back of the frame, pulled it taut to estimate how much drop it would have, then tapped the nail holding the picture hook in with care.


    Everything aside, he actually did a really nice job of it, making sure the poster hung level and true.


    ¡°She¡¯s my granddaughter¡¯s favorite,¡± Jake said when he¡¯d stepped back to check his work. ¡°I guess yours, too?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d better be my favorite musician,¡± I said, surprised he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Since, you know, I married her and all.¡±


    The look of surprise on his face was genuine, convincing me that he really hadn¡¯t known I was married to a celebrity.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I thought everybody knew,¡± I said, handing him the small framed wedding picture off my desk.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned,¡± he said, looking at the photo of Emmy and me smiling with cake smeared on our faces.


    ¡°Leah,¡± he said, ¡°Can I ask you a big personal favor?¡±


    ¡°You want your granddaughter to meet Emmy?¡± I guessed.


    ¡°That would be great, but that wasn¡¯t what I was going to ask,¡± Jake said, handing me the wedding picture. ¡°I¡¯d like to bring Makayla in to work, to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s having a really hard time in middle school, and my daughter thinks it¡¯s because she¡¯s being bullied about her sexual orientation,¡± Jake explained.


    ¡°Makayla¡¯s gay?¡±


    ¡°Well, she hasn¡¯t actually come out, you know? But everybody in the family is pretty convinced she is.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re all O.K. with that?¡± I asked, surprised that this gruff middle-aged man would be open to having a gay family member.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°We all want her to be happy, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And you think that her talking to me would somehow help?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Leah, I may have come across yesterday as sort of a resentful jerk, but the truth I can¡¯t deny is that you¡¯re phenomenally successful in a traditionally male field, and you don¡¯t try to hide your orientation. In fact, by putting this picture up right here in your office, you make it clear you don¡¯t give a fu- a damn whether anybody else cares or not,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. I gave up caring what anybody else had to say back in high school,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, yeah, being able to talk to somebody that¡¯s at your level, but still young enough to relate to, might help Makayla see that it¡¯s O.K. to be whatever she is,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯d be happy to talk to her,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know what she has in mind as far as careers go? What are her hobbies? Anything like that I can use to break the ice?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, she likes music, and she has a poster of the Downfall in her room. Other than that, I guess she¡¯s just a typical thirteen-year-old. She likes hanging out with her friends, posting on social media, that kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°You know, it doesn¡¯t have to be at work,¡± I said. ¡°You could bring Makayla by to our place to meet Emmy, too, if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be too much of an imposition?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Emmy would love that. I mean, seriously love to meet a young fan. Maybe Makayla could post some pics of her hanging out with Emmy on Instagram, or Vine, or whatever it is that she uses.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up with my daughter,¡± Jake said. ¡°See if she¡¯s O.K. with it.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Emmy would love it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thanks, Leah. I really mean it. Even if this doesn¡¯t work out, I appreciate that you¡¯re willing to help.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°Of course.¡±


    After Jake left, I sat at my desk and enjoyed the view of the poster for a moment or two, before remembering what else I had to do first thing.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, entering Brenda¡¯s office area. ¡°Did you ever get any reply on the building?¡±


    ¡°Still nothing from the owners about possibly selling,¡± Brenda answered, checking her email. ¡°And this one from the building¡¯s manager says that the only available spaces for the next six months are a small corner unit on the second floor, and one of the retail spaces on the ground floor.¡±


    ¡°O.K., so my next question to you, is what part of town do you live in?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Me? What part of town do I live in?¡± Brenda repeated, surprised by the question.


    ¡°Yeah. If we have to move the office, I¡¯d like to make it easier for as many of us as possible. Shorten the commute for as many of us as we can arrange.¡±


    ¡°Oh- well, I live in Fullerton, so my commute is usually forty-five minutes or so, but sometimes it takes over an hour.¡±


    ¡°Each way?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s usually better in the mornings, worse in the afternoons.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, why don¡¯t you schedule an all-staff meeting sometime this week? We can order lunch in, and we can all discuss what part of town would make life easiest for the most of us possible.¡±


    ¡°But all our properties are here on the west side,¡± Brenda objected. ¡°We can¡¯t just up and move to Orange County.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t, but maybe Long Beach works better? Inglewood? I don¡¯t really know the city very well, and have no idea what the traffic patterns look like, and maybe it¡¯ll turn out that Santa Monica is the best place for the majority, anyway. But if we can¡¯t expand here, we are going to have to move the office somewhere.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll look at the schedule and find a time everybody is in the office,¡± Brenda said.


    "Cool,¡± I said. ¡°Now, my next order of business, who mainly deals with the various contractors?¡±


    ¡°The tradesmen? Each property manager individually deals with them as needed for their properties. Why?¡±


    ¡°Does everybody use the same subs?¡±


    ¡°We have a list of approved vendors, sure, but it seems like the various managers each have their own favorites,¡± Brenda explained.


    ¡°So, there might be, say, five carpet guys on the list, and Jake might prefer ABC Carpets, but Dylan might typically call in XYZ Carpets?¡± I asked, making sure I understood.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± agreed Brenda.


    ¡°Do some of them charge more than others?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but some are higher-end than others. We use the better ones in the nicer properties. Why do you ask?¡± Brenda inquired.


    ¡°Just trying to understand the way this office is run compared to the San Jose office,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t a lie, but it sure wasn¡¯t the entire truth, either. It sure looked like an opportunity for some skimming, and I was going to have to dig deeply but carefully to see if my fears might be true.


    After leaving Brenda, I went back to Jake¡¯s office.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said when he looked from his computer.


    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the overall numbers, of course, and the office here is doing well, but I have no real feel for what it is this office actually manages. I mean, sure, it¡¯s a mix of single-family and apartment complexes of various sizes, but I don¡¯t have a good visual grasp of the local market.¡±


    ¡°So what is it you¡¯re asking?¡±


    ¡°I want you to give me a tour,¡± I said. ¡°I want to see our entire portfolio for myself, even if it just means looking at the properties from the sidewalk. I want you to show me around all the properties you manage, then I¡¯ll get Dylan to do the same, and so on.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± Jake said. ¡°That¡¯ll take weeks.¡±


    ¡°I have time,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just drop what I¡¯m doing and drive you around,¡± he objected.


    ¡°Yes, you can,¡± I replied, my tone making it clear that yes, he certainly could.


    Sighing, Jake admitted defeat. ¡°It¡¯ll set me back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡±


    ¡°When do you want to start? And which properties do you want to see?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s look at places that have vacancies first. And there¡¯s no time like the present.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me half an hour to get this,¡± he said, pointing at his computer, as if I was supposed to know what it was he was working on, ¡°wrapped up?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°Come get me when you¡¯re ready.¡±

 Hungry For You

    I was sitting at my desk, thinking about what I was likely to find with the site inspections, good and bad, wondering who were going to be the ones (if any) that were going to get fired as a result of this sort of internal audit.


    Logging out of the company¡¯s system, I checked my personal email. There a new one from an address I didn¡¯t recognize, but hadn¡¯t gotten blocked by the spam filter.


    The subject was, ¡°So, looking for a good time?¡± which I would totally have deleted without reading, but the email address was ¡®[email protected]</a>¡¯ and that seemed unlikely to be some kind of dating app spam.


    ¡°My boy Zeke gave me your address,¡± the email began. ¡°He says he bumped into you on Topanga, and you asked about locals-only roads and wanted to find somebody to show you around. Can you meet at the same place you met Zeke at nine tomorrow morning? PS: Pix of the GT-R or GTFO".


    The sheer absurdity of the posturing convinced me the guy was ether a complete tool, or had a sense of humor. The line about the GT-R shots tipped it in favor of humor, so I replied.


    ¡°Trakjunki, I can meet you there at nine. I¡¯ll be in an orange Aston. What will you be wearing? PS: Here¡¯s a teaser of the GT-R. No full-frontal until we get to know each other better.¡±


    I attached a picture of the rear quarter panel and wing, cropped from a photo taken at Laguna Seca a few months before.


    I was still chuckling about the email exchange when Jake knocked on my doorframe and came in.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good,¡± I said, shutting my laptop and dropping it into my briefcase. I grabbed a pen and notepad from the desk, and off we went.


    We wound up looking at nearly ten units that day, so I got a good start on my survey of how we fit in the local market. Jake and I did a fair amount of talking, too, so I got a much better feeling for him as a person at the same time. I think that helped a lot, since we both had incorrect assumptions about the other coming in. All in all, it was a good day as far as information-gathering is considered.


    We stopped for a late-ish lunch at a taco shop Jake liked, and while we waited for the food I checked my personal email.


    I¡¯d gotten a response from trakjunki, saying, ¡°Sexxxy GT-R. Can¡¯t wait to see it in person. In the meanwhile, I¡¯ll be in a 458, in red, of course. C U there!


    I laughed as I shot a quick response back. ¡°How will I be able to tell you from all the other red 458s?¡±


    ¡°Something funny?¡± asked Jake, looking up from his phone.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s sort of like a blind date,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to meet a guy who¡¯s going to show me around the Malibu hills tomorrow morning, and he seems like a real joker.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the guy?¡±


    ¡°Never met him, don¡¯t even know his real name. He¡¯s just some car guy that some other car guy suggested might be able to show me some good roads, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Well, be careful,¡± Jake replied. ¡°Some of those roads are amazingly remote, for being right next to town.¡±


    I bought some roses from a vendor at the freeway on-ramp on my commute back to the apartment.


    Pulling into the parking garage, I saw a brand-new X6-M in an amazing metallic aqua color parked in our second spot, with BMW of Temecula paper temporary plates. I took a minute to look it over, checking the differences from our older car. I liked the aqua exterior and grey interior colors a lot more than the older one¡¯s black on black, and generally I thought the styling was good.


    Pleased that Emmy had gotten herself the new car, I grabbed the bouquet and the shopping bag with the shoes and took them up to our new home.


    I found Emmy unpacking some of the boxes in our bedroom.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, holding out the roses.


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy said, taking the flowers and tip-toeing in for a kiss. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    ¡°I saw your new car,¡± I said, following her to the kitchen. ¡°I like the color.¡±


    ¡°I had them deliver it this morning,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And look! I went grocery shopping!¡± she said, opening the fridge to show me how full it was. She then gave a funny frown. ¡°When I came back with the shopping, Lacy told me that the building has concierge shopping service and all we need to do is give them our list.¡±


    ¡°Lacy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Our next door neighbor,¡± Emmy informed me. Somehow I was not at all surprised Emmy was already making friends in the building we¡¯d lived in a grand total of half a week.


    ¡°I got you another present,¡± I said.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Emmy demanded, her eyes lighting up with excitement.


    ¡°Well, I actually got presents for both of us,¡± I said, pulling the big shopping bag out from where I¡¯d sort-of hidden it. I handed Emmy the box with the oxblood boots, and took mine with the black boots over to the couch to try them on.


    ¡°Oh! I love them!¡± Emmy exclaimed when she opened the box. ¡°They are so¡­ so very- is ¡®butch¡¯ the right word?¡±


    ¡°¡®Butch¡¯ is the perfect word, Em,¡± I said with a laugh as we both struggled to get our new boots on.


    ¡°The sales girl- who said she loves your music, by the way- gave me an instruction sheet on how to break them in quickly, and some conditioner to use to make the process quicker,¡± I explained.


    ¡°She loves my music? How did she know these were for me?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I guess she recognized me as your wife, babe. You know I¡¯m in at least half your red carpet shots in magazines and web sites, right?¡± I said, lacing the boots up nice and tight.


    Emmy had hers all done up by this point and was clomping around the apartment in them, admiring her big, stompy boots. I was busy admiring how damned cute she was in her little shoulderless sun dress and purple Doc Martens, the contrast being just too adorable for words. Unable to help myself, I whipped out my phone and snapped a bunch of pics. When Emmy realized I was taking her photo, she posed for me, all cute and flirty.


    ¡°I know I suggested we go down to the pool for a while this evening, but how about we just skip all that and get straight to the sex?¡± I asked, hopefully.


    ¡°No!¡± Emmy repied. ¡°You promised I would get to see you in your bikini!¡± she said, her hands on her hips. ¡°First the swimming pool, then the sex!¡±


    How could I possibly say no to that?


    ¡°All right,¡± I agreed, pretending I was making a big concession. ¡°But I want you to wear that little black bikini you got back in high school.¡±


    ¡°Then you must wear that blue one we bought in Key West!¡± Emmy demanded with a smile.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I took a big breath, sighing on the exhale. ¡°If I must,¡± I said, my shoulders slumping.


    ¡°Yes! You must!¡± Emmy insisted, stamping her foot.


    That late in the afternoon it was easy enough to find a shady chaise for Emmy to relax on, while I positioned mine to catch the last of the sun. A waiter approached us minutes after we settled down.


    ¡°Can I get you ladies anything?¡± He asked. ¡°Would you like to see our menu?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Emmy said, leaning back. ¡°A drink menu, too, if you would.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said the guy, who then disappeared, presumably to get the menus.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they had food poolside,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lacy told me all about it today,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°How long did you talk to her today?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°We had lunch together,¡± Emmy said.


    Shaking my head at Emmy¡¯s ability to make friends at the drop of a hat, I said, ¡°So no work with Lee today?¡±


    ¡°No, not today,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I had too many things to do.¡±


    Just then the waiter came back with the menus. The food items weren¡¯t all that appealing to me, so I went with the Caesar¡¯s salad while Emmy chose a grilled chicken sandwich. We had the house sangria to drink, which was a perfect way to enjoy the warm evening by the pool.


    A few others were either lounging poolside or actively swimming, but all in all it was pretty low-key, which suited me just fine. Emmy and I swam or hot tubbed it every now and then, but mostly just relaxed in the lounge chairs and enjoyed each other¡¯s company.


    After a couple of hours we left the pool to go back up to our apartment for our post-swimming activities.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Emmy asked in the elevator. ¡°You seem distracted.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Em,¡± I replied, giving her hand a squeeze. ¡°Just some work stuff.¡±


    ¡°Is there any way I can help you?¡± she asked, concerned.


    ¡°No, not really,¡± I said. ¡°Just some concerns I have about the Santa Monica office, and how things are run. I think I¡¯m gonna have to shake things up a bit, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that you will do the right thing. You always do,¡± Emmy replied, rising up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss.


    Emmy tossed off her robe the instant we walked in the door of our new place, so I reached out and caught her around her waist.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Emmy said, then realizing quickly that I¡¯d untied her top and was pulling it off her with my other hand.


    ¡°You are simply insatiable!¡± Emmy cried, pretending to struggle, while slipping off her bikini bottom at the same time.


    I pulled her against my body, her back to my front. I held her in place with one arm around her waist and another across the top of her shoulders, resting on her collarbones. I leaned in to nibble on her earlobe when she glanced up at the big mirror facing the front door and realized I was watching her reflection.


    ¡°This is not fair!¡± Emmy said, squirming.


    ¡°What do you mean, babe?" I asked, nuzzling behind her ear.


    I¡¯d distracted her enough that it took her a moment to respond. ¡°It is not fair that I am the only one who is nude! You must take off your clothes, too!¡± she said, squirming helplessly in my grasp. Of course, I wasn¡¯t actually holding her all that tightly at all, but then, she wasn¡¯t actually trying to get away, either.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna enjoy the sight of your beautiful body.¡±


    ¡°So I am yours to play with? Must I do your bidding?¡± Emmy demanded, still play-struggling.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, breathing into her ear. ¡°You must do my bidding.¡±


    Sighing with resignation, Emmy repeated my line from earlier. ¡°If I must,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes, you must,¡± I growled into her long, elegant dancer¡¯s neck.


    I let her go, and she spun around to face me. ¡°What must I do to satisfy your carnal desires?¡± Emmy asked, posing with one hand on her hip and her other held out, elbow down, palm upraised. It was an odd stance, but elegant and obviously practiced.


    ¡°First off, no clothes for the rest of the night. I want to see you in all your glory,¡± I said, my eyes wandering up and down her slender, charcoal-black figure.


    ¡°You have already seen to that,¡± Emmy said, pointing at where her bikini lay on the marble floor.


    I stepped forward and pulled her against me again, drawing her in for a kiss. Our lips met, then parted, and Emmy¡¯s tongue slid gently past my teeth. Our tongues didn¡¯t wrestle for dominance, no, they played with each other, gently touching, tips sliding around and past each other. We stayed like that, Emmy¡¯s arms wrapped around my shoulders and mine around her waist, simply kissing each other for a very long while, but neither of us really noticing the time pass.


    Eventually we parted, and Emmy asked, ¡°Are you still hungry?¡±


    ¡°Hungry for you,¡± I said in my beast voice, deep and growly.


    ¡°No, you silly monster,¡± Emmy said, walking into the kitchen. I followed her and watched as she opened the refrigerator, then bent at the waist to look for something.


    Sure, that was what she was doing- checking the fridge, while keeping her legs straight, her hips rotated forward and her upper body low. It was only accidental that this provided me with a perfect view of her perfect little innie pussy, wasn¡¯t it?


    I stepped up right behind her and put my hands on her hips, then dropped to my knees and leaned forward, gently putting my teeth on the lower curve of one of her butt cheeks. I then did it to the other side, which got an encouraging moan from Emmy, who was still leaning into the cold air from the fridge.


    After planting a soft, gentle kiss on her pussy, I stood up and let her go.


    ¡°What? No!¡± Emmy complained, standing up straight. ¡°You are so mean!¡±


    I gave her a light slap on the butt and said, ¡°You know what? I could use one of those Perriers.¡±


    ¡°Oh- you!¡± Emmy exclaimed, but handed me the sparkling water anyway.


    ¡°Thanks, babe,¡± I said, twisting the top off as I walked away.


    ¡°You are so mean!¡±


    Turning to face her, I shrugged and said, ¡°I was thirsty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I am horny!¡± Emmy said, her hands on her hips in an exaggerated angry pose.


    ¡°As soon as I¡¯m done with this,¡± I said, holding up the bottle, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that for you,¡± I said, taking another long, slow drag from the bottle of mineral water.


    ¡°Hurry up! Drink faster!¡± Emmy ordered.


    I took another slow sip, smiling. ¡°Make me,¡± I said.


    Her eyes flaring wide with mock anger, she rushed at me sort of slowly, giving me time to set my bottle down before she leapt up onto me, wrapping her legs around my hips and her arms around my shoulders.


    ¡°Sex! Now!¡±


    I made a show of staggering back to fall onto the big dark gray sectional sofa, Emmy on top of me.


    ¡°I have you now!¡± she crowed as she straddled my belly. ¡°You are mine!¡± Grabbing my wrists, she pinned them above my head, which put her boobs right in my face- exactly where I wanted them.


    ¡°Om nom nom,¡± I said as I took first one breast into my mouth, than the other, making exaggerated suckling noises as I did so.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Emmy complained. ¡°Do it right!¡±


    I pulled my arms down, despite Emmy trying to hold them in place. Wrapping her up, I drew her chest down, and lavished the attention Emmy demanded on first one nipple, then the other, mixing the gentle bites that I knew really got her worked up in with the more gentle tongue flicks and swirls.


    Emmy¡¯s breathing grew heavy as she started to fidget, then writhe with more vigor in my arms. I wasn¡¯t about to let her go until I was good and ready, and believe me- I was taking my time.


    Eventually I had mercy on Emmy and flipped the two of us over, so she was lying on her back on the sectional and I was above her. I sat up straight, admiring Emmy¡¯s slender form as she breathed heavily, trying to recover from the onslaught I¡¯d waged on her sensitive breasts.


    I sat there, towering above her, just watching the hypnotic way her chest rose and fell with every breath, hardly noticing that she¡¯d recuperated and was now watching me watching her.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said, her voice gentle. ¡°I love you ever so much.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too, Em. So much it makes my chest hurt sometimes,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Let me make love to you,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I want to make you feel as good as you do to me.¡±


    ¡°You always make me feel good, baby,¡± I said, as I helped Emmy untie my kimono.


    ¡°I want to see you,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I always want to see you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked as I stood up to ditch the bikini bottoms.


    ¡°You are so amazing, so¡­ statuesque. It takes my breath away every time I see you in all your glory,¡± Emmy said. ¡°No, do not sit down,¡± she added, as she sat up straight. ¡°I just want to look at you. Please, let me enjoy the view.¡±


    I felt ridiculously self-conscious about it, but I struck a few poses for Emmy, much to her delight. She really got into it, and started directing my posing. At first, they were all just your typical fitness model poses, highlighting my back muscles, my shoulders, my abs, or my legs. After a while, though, the poses grew sexier and more and more compromising.


    I could see the effect it was having on Emmy, and enjoyed watching her squirming uncomfortably, with her legs clamped shut and her hands clutching at the material of the couch. She was desperately turned on, but didn¡¯t want me to bring her to release, since that would mean the end of the show I was putting on for her.


    Finally Emmy couldn¡¯t take it any longer and her hand slipped between her thighs when she thought I wasn¡¯t looking, and within moments her eyes were shut tight and her fingers were hard at work rubbing her little pearl like it was a genie¡¯s lamp and she wanted her three wishes.


    I scooped her up off the couch, eliciting a shriek of surprise as I hoisted her lean body into the air. I flipped her upside down and drew her up, jamming my face between her legs as Emmy realized what I was doing and opened them up for me. She rested the tops of her thighs on my shoulders and wrapped her arms around my waist as I dove in, spending no time on gentle foreplay. Our height difference was too great for Emmy to do any more than kiss me right above my pubic mound, but that didn¡¯t matter. This was all about sending Emmy into a mind-blowing orgasm.


    I licked her folds, swirled her little nubbin, and jammed my tongue deep inside and in just a few brief moments Emmy was gasping, panting and shuddering her climax.


    I gently lowered her back onto the couch to recover.


    ¡°You are a brute,¡± Emmy said once she caught her breath. ¡°You are my brute. My beautiful brute.¡±


    ¡°And you are my beautiful little sex toy,¡± I said, sitting her up on the couch and pulling her legs forward so I could kneel in between them. I leaned in for a kiss, Emmy responding eagerly.


    When we parted, I said, ¡°You are the sexiest thing I have ever seen in my life.¡±

 Not a chapter- another quick discussion

    Thanks. I''ve looked into this and am happy to close this case and ticket. Just in future try to keep sexual content to or below our 15% limit. Also remember this is based on chapters, not the actual content.


    SO I guess Emmy And Me is in the clear, but I''ve got to mind my Ps and Qs...


    UPDATE: I got a reply from the moderator to my query about what was flagged as sexual. He gave me a list of 19 chapters that the filter marked as containing sexual content. Now, that isn''t 24% of my posts, even if you subtract all the discussion not-chapters, but whatever. Among the chapters that had been flagged were the Halloween Party, Pool Party and the Wedding Day 2 chapters. You guys might remember them. I pointed out that none of those three contained any sex, and I actually described the passages that may have provided the false positives, so we''ll have to see what comes of this. In the meantime, the next post will be delayed while I deal with this issue and maybe rewrite the coming chapter. Sorry.


    ...................................................................... I just got a sort of PM from the moderators here at RR. Apparently they have a filter algorithm that screens for excessive sexual content, and Emmy And Me got flagged as having 24% of the chapters showing some of the sexy stuff.


    Now, I haven''t gone and checked, but I can believe that stat may be true, or close to it. For an example of a chapter that might have been flagged without deserving it, the portrait painting scene might have contained some of the key words, but I certainly wouldn''t consider that sexual content.


    In any case, I got threatened with the ban hammer. That''s right- my story may get deleted.


    If it does, I''ll find another venue and keep writing. Maybe Literotica, if it''s really all that porny? I don''t know. This all has me in a sort of tizzy.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I guess I may have my plug pulled suddenly- I don''t know. I responded back to the moderators that the 24% of the chapters stat may be true, but it certainly isn''t the case that 24% of the story is sexual in nature, and the sex is far from the main focus of the story.


    So we''ll have to wait and see. If Emmy And me vanishes suddenly, search for other stuff by me or somebody whose name is very, very similar (if I get banned) here on Royal Road and I''ll try to point readers to whatever new location I may find.


    Oh, and also, I got called to the carpet once again for the cover picture. Seriously. I mean, JFC. There are many, many covers of stories higher up in the charts that are more sexually suggestive than the cover I''m using.


    The minimum word count to post a chapter is 500 words and I''m only at 300, so I''m going to spend the next couple hundred words ranting about the inherent simple-mindedness of filter algorithms and how they can be useful, but only as starting points in any sort of real analysis.


    It might well be true that very nearly a quarter of the chapters of Emmy And Me contain the key words that the algorithm searches for. I am not going to do a search to check.


    The existence of those words don''t mean much- plenty of uses of the word "cunt" (which I despise in its derogatory usage) have absolutely nothing to do with any sex at all, but yet would flag a word search algorithm in a heartbeat.


    I mentioned the nudity of the portrait scene, which was comic relief and not sexy, but I have no doubt that it flagged as a, let''s call it a "false positive."


    Yes, I will admit that Emmy And Me does contain a fair number of sex scenes, but I recently just uploaded chapter #101 and the vast majority of those contain no sexy times at all. The bulk of the chapters that do contain sex scenes also mostly contain other plot or character development, too. In fact, I''m drawing a blank trying to think of any one chapter whose primary focus is the sex scene contained therein.


    My plea to the moderators was that they chose any five chapters (I suggested the five most recent as a start for them) and read them to use their real live human intellect to evaluate whether or not Emmy And Me''s focus is in fact too pornographic for Royal Road.


    So let''s see what response I get.


    I''m out on the road, enjoying a long weekend motor biking through the desert Southwest and my only connectivity is my phone, so I can''t really do some of the things I''d like to to address this situation.


    My dearest, most lovely readers, I hope this is not good bye here on Royal Road. If my story gets deleted, I''ll try to find some way to get back in contact and post Emmy And Me''s new home.

 Malibu For Beginners

    ¡°What do you have planned for today?¡± Emmy asked me over breakfast.


    ¡°I¡¯m skipping work today,¡± I said without a shred of guilt. ¡°I¡¯m meeting a guy who¡¯s supposed to show me the fun driving roads in the area.¡±


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You know I worry about you every time you go out for a fast drive.¡±


    ¡°I know, babe, and I appreciate it, but I really don¡¯t take much in the way of risks really at all,¡± I said. ¡°Besides, I have no idea how this guy drives, so I¡¯m just gonna go at my own pace, anyway.¡±


    ¡°What is his name?"


    ¡°That¡¯s the funny part,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t even know his name. His email address is ¡®trakjunki¡¯, and I know he drives a Ferrari 458, but other than that I haven¡¯t a clue.¡±


    ¡°Track junkie?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, handing her my phone so she could see the emails.


    Scanning through them, she asked, ¡°What does this mean?¡± pointing at the most recent email. ¡°Bish?¡±


    I laughed, and explained what he meant when he wrote ¡°Oh, meow! I like you already, bish!¡±


    ¡°He thinks you are a bitch?¡± Emmy asked, still trying to understand.


    ¡°No, not really. He¡¯s kidding- it¡¯s just, um, playful banter.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Emmy said, still unconvinced.


    ¡°So what does your day look like?¡± I asked Emmy.


    ¡°Lee and I are going to rent that rehearsal space we saw in Silver Lake, then work on some songs with Jackson when he gets in at noon,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Jackson¡¯s coming to LA? That¡¯s good- it¡¯s been a few months since the three of you have gotten together, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, it will be good for the three of us to work together again,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°It is not the same without him.¡±


    ¡°Dinner over at Lee¡¯s house again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think probably so, yes,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I will let you know as soon as any plans are made. You do not mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said. ¡°And, you know, if you want to bring everybody here for dinner we can do that, too,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Perhaps not tonight, but soon I would like to welcome everyone to our new house,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Jen and Lee have already been here- what¡¯s the difference if Jackson comes over, too?¡± I asked.


    Thinking a moment, Emmy conceded the point. ¡°You are correct. It is not different at all.¡±


    I pulled into the parking lot of that run-down little store there on Topanga, spotting the Ferrari 458 already there. It was red, of course. I parked two spots over in the nearly empty lot, and the occupants of the Ferrari got out of their car as I exited mine.


    ¡°Leah?¡± asked the guy as he walked over.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± I replied, reaching out a hand to shake. ¡°So what should I call you besides ¡®trakjunki¡¯?¡±


    ¡°My friends call me Jimmy,¡± said the guy, but it was obvious his real name was Jianyu or Jiang or something like that, even though he had almost no accent at all.


    ¡°So what should I call you?¡± I asked, smirking.


    ¡°Oh, you- I can tell we are gonna get along great!¡± he said with a laugh.


    I was dressed casually, wearing jeans and a T shirt that matched my Aston¡¯s orange paint job, and of course my favorite driving shoes ever, my classic Chuck Taylors.


    Jimmy was dressed in what I would describe as ¡®Asian-American rich kid¡¯ style. Five hundred dollar designer jeans, limited-edition Yeezy sneakers, some sort of oversized turtleneck sweater, ridiculous glasses (that he probably didn¡¯t actually need) and baseball hat at a stupid angle.


    The girl that was with him, the one who hadn¡¯t said a word so far, was wearing very nearly nothing. She had on booty shorts that were so snug you could tell she¡¯d freshly shaved, a spaghetti-strap top that showed off her black bra underneath, and ridiculously high-soled clunky black boots. Her completely disinterested demeanor sat well on her doll-like face, with its heavy black eyeliner and blood-red rosebud of a mouth. Bored of our conversation, she got back into the Ferrari to wait, revealing that the back of her shorts rode so high the bottom half of her butt was completely uncovered.


    The two of them looked young- Jimmy seemed as if he might be my age, twenty or twenty-one, but she looked underage. She could have been twenty-five for all I knew, but she looked seventeen at the most.


    ¡°So I have a question before we get rolling,¡± I said to Jimmy.


    ¡°What¡¯s that? Ask away, my dude.¡±


    ¡°The guy I met here the other day said his name was Stephen, but you called him Zeke in your email. Which is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your one question?¡± laughed Jimmy. ¡°I¡¯m gonna let you figure that one out on your own,¡± he said, as he walked around my car, eyeballing it carefully.


    ¡°What have you done to your Aston?¡± he asked, looking the car over.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said. ¡°Bone stock.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I deserved that,¡± Jimmy said with a laugh. ¡°But seriously, that Ti exhaust- that¡¯s not stock. I can¡¯t imagine anybody dropping the coin on pipes like those without spending some money under the hood.¡±


    ¡°Bone stock,¡± I repeated, my face totally deadpan.


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Jimmy said, peering under the car. ¡°Sure it is.¡± Straightening up, he said ¡°Zeke mentioned that your GT-R is the track package, right?¡±


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t what I told him,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the NISMO track package?¡± Jimmy asked, surprised. ¡°That pic you sent me showed the NISMO rear spoiler.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a track junkie, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re going to the track next and I¡¯ll bring Godzilla,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Do you track that 458?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the ¡®Speziale¡¯ edition, so it really kicks at the track,¡± Jimmy boasted. ¡°It¡¯s rear wheel drive, not all-wheel like your GT-R, so it takes a little more skill.¡±


    ¡°My GT-R isn¡¯t all-wheel drive,¡± I said with a shrug.


    Frowning, Jimmy said, "What do you mean? They¡¯ve been all wheel drive for a long time now.¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Yeah, most are,¡± I agreed. ¡°Mine isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me?¡± Jimmy asked, realizing what I was telling him. ¡°It¡¯s one of the special race cars?¡±


    Pursing my lips and nodding, I said, ¡°Yep. GT3.¡±


    He swore something in Chinese, then said, ¡°So that explains why you said it isn¡¯t street legal.¡±


    ¡°Never been registered, anywhere,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Fuck, this I gotta see,¡± said Jimmy.


    ¡°Pick a date,¡± I said. ¡°My schedule is flexible, and I really want to get some time in here on the SoCal tracks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too hot the next few months,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°Nobody runs in the middle of summer. The heat kills cars, so we really can¡¯t do any track days until late September at the earliest,¡± Jimmy said, his disappointment at not seeing my car anytime soon obvious.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get driving what we¡¯ve got here, then,¡± I suggested, indicating the Ferrari and the Aston Martin.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Jimmy agreed. ¡°Just follow me. I¡¯ll try not to drop you.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said.


    I followed Jimmy down Tuna Canyon (yes, that really is the name), then up Las Flores, Old Mulholland, Stunt Canyon¡­ after a while the roads all sort of blurred together. Jimmy started out fairly conservatively, but by the time we¡¯d hit road number three he was going pretty good and using his local knowledge to make life hard for me. I wasn¡¯t about to let him get away, though and was having a lot of fun following him through all these crazy, windy roads.


    After a while, Jimmy pulled over and waved for me to come up alongside. ¡°Wanna get lunch?¡± he shouted when I rolled my passenger window down.


    ¡°Sure, sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    Following Jimmy into Malibu, I had to wonder why the area had such appeal for the rich. With only one real street, traffic was absolutely horrible. Sure, the ocean was right there, but all the beachfront homes had front doors that opened onto the Pacific Coast Highway and its non-stop cars. ¡®No thanks,¡¯ I thought, wondering at the lifestyle choice.


    Jimmy pulled into the parking lot of a cafe right there off the Coast Highway, a parking lot filled with high-end cars. My Aston and Jimmy¡¯s Ferrari fit right in, not standing out in any way.


    The three of us were younger than most in the place, though. The bulk of the crowd in the cafe were middle aged, tanned, and perfectly groomed. And of course, they were all busy checking each other out.


    ¡°I hate the vibe here, but the burgers can¡¯t be beat,¡± Jimmy said in a conspiratorial whisper.


    I noticed more than a few people checking the three of us out, evaluating us, maybe mentally assessing our net worths. I caught a few eyes and stared them down, finding a tiny bit of personal satisfaction with the knowledge that they had nothing I want.


    The hostess showed us to our table, which was far from the best in the house, but whatever.


    ¡°You recommend the burgers?¡± I asked Jimmy, glancing through the menu.


    ¡°Yeah, but not the fake ones. That stuff tastes like shit.¡±


    When the waitress came and got our drink order, Jimmy ordered for the girl whose name I still didn¡¯t know, without even asking what she wanted.


    The girl said something in Chinese when the waitress asked for our lunch order, so Jimmy ordered for her, then, too. I did as was suggested and got the Hawaiian burger with sweet potato fries.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Jimmy said, taking a sip of his Pepsi. ¡°You got some skills. Even when I was workin¡¯ it pretty hard, you were on me like white on rice. My car should be able to roll away from yours, since it¡¯s, like, five hundred pounds lighter and has maybe fifty more horsepower, right? But every time I looked in the mirror you were right fucking there.¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°It¡¯s easier to follow another driver than it is to lead out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Jimmy hedged. ¡°But I¡¯m starting to think that you¡¯re gonna work me over good when we do get to the track. I mean, if this is your bone stock street car¡­¡±


    ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon- it¡¯ll be fun!¡± I said.


    ¡°For you,¡± agreed Jimmy. ¡°It¡¯ll probably be embarrassing for me.¡±


    Changing the subject, I asked, ¡°So where do you live?¡±


    ¡°We live over in Arcadia, along with all the other rich Chinese kids,¡± Jimmy said, a note of bitterness in his voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Arcadia?¡± I asked. ¡°A friend of mine bought his mom a house there.¡±


    ¡°She Chinese?¡± Jimmy asked.


    ¡°Korean,¡± I said.


    ¡°Close enough,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. That whole area is just too damned Asian.¡±


    ¡°It may not be, um, PC for me to mention this, Jimmy, but, well, you¡¯re Asian.¡±


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± he asked, then pulled back his sleeve to look at the skin of his arm. ¡°Huh. Yeah, I guess it is.¡±


    This got a laugh from me, and the first real reaction from the girl he had with him. She looked over at him with what seemed to be disdain, but again, she kept silent.


    After lunch, Jimmy said, ¡°Hey, we gotta do this again some time soon. I¡¯ll show you some of the other fun roads- ACH, GMR, Big T¡­ And you gotta meet the guys, too. They¡¯re gonna get a kick outta you.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll run Tuna again before heading in to the office.¡±


    ¡°You gotta work? Dude, that sucks. I guess it¡¯s no worse than what I gotta do. I promised her,¡± he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the silent girl, ¡°That I¡¯d take her shopping after we drove. She¡¯s so F.O.B., she doesn''t even have a license yet.¡±


    ¡°You are really an asshole, Jimmy,¡± the girl said in perfect English, with even less of an accent than he had. ¡°Don¡¯t make me tell Mom about all the shit I have to put up with from you. You¡¯ll fucking regret it,¡± she threatened.


    ¡°See?¡± Jimmy said, spreading his hands wide. ¡°Can¡¯t even speak any English. F.O.B, I¡¯m tellin¡¯ ya.¡±


    ¡°Shopping. Now,¡± demanded the girl that apparently wasn¡¯t his girlfriend, but maybe his sister.


    ¡°Hey, look,¡± Jimmy said, glancing around, furtively. ¡°I can let you have her for, like, five grand. Five Gs and she¡¯s yours, but no give-backs.¡±


    ¡°Asshole!¡± the girl shouted from inside the Ferrari.


    ¡°Three grand. C¡¯mon, it¡¯s a deal!¡±


    ¡°Seems like she¡¯s your problem, my friend, but I appreciate the offer,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°Look, she can¡¯t cook, can¡¯t clean, and I get it, that knocks some value off, but I¡¯m told she gives amazing head. Twenty-five hundred.¡±


    ¡°Get in the fucking car and drive me to Costa Mesa now, or I¡¯m calling Mom,¡± came the angry voice from inside the 458.


    ¡°Your loss,¡± Jimmy said to me with a shrug as he got into the car and drove off, presumably to the mall.


    ¡°Did that scene just happen?¡± a well-dressed woman in her thirties asked me as I tried to stop chuckling.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it did,¡± I said.


    ¡°That was the funniest thing I¡¯ve seen all week, and probably the least politically correct,¡± the woman said with a smile.


    ¡°That about describes it,¡± I agreed.


    I strolled into the office in a good mood, figuring I¡¯d put in a couple of hours crunching numbers before heading over to the ¡®way too Asian¡¯ San Gabriel Valley to Lee and Jen¡¯s place for dinner.


    Glancing in Jake¡¯s office as I walked past, he gave me a glare and tapped his wristwatch meaningfully. I furtively glanced around, then stuck my head in his doorway.


    ¡°Ssh! Don¡¯t tell the boss I came in late!¡± I stage-whispered.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t make a habit of it, young lady,¡± Jake said in a disapproving tone, but couldn¡¯t keep a straight face. ¡°I thought you said you weren¡¯t coming in today? We could do some more inspections if you want- my afternoon looks pretty light.¡±


    ¡°How does tomorrow look? I had some thoughts last night and wanted to spend some time looking at numbers,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± Jake said. ¡°But honestly, why anybody would want to look at numbers is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± I agreed.


    I¡¯d just settled in to my chair and fired up my laptop when Brenda knocked on the frame of my open office door.


    ¡°Got a moment?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°We finally got a reply from the building owners, and they said they¡¯d be willing to sell. Here, I printed up their email, and also the breakdowns of the various leases in the building as they currently stand,¡± she said, handing my several sheets of paper. ¡°Also, I did a quick market survey of commercial real estate sales in the area, broken down by price per square foot, cross indexed with income flow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really helpful, Brenda,¡± I said, glancing over the papers. ¡°Thanks. What¡¯s your assessment of the deal?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? It¡¯s not a good deal at all. As much as I hate to say it, I think they asked for a pie in the sky number.¡±


    ¡°O.K., this brings us back to the idea of moving the office. Did you ever send out that memo about a staff meeting to discuss where we might be best situated?¡±


    ¡°No, I wanted to wait to see if this deal,¡± she said, tapping the papers on my desk, ¡°would work out, first.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. I think we can go ahead and schedule the meeting. The more I thought about what we may need to do here, the less viable this location seemed. I think we need a lot bigger footprint than we could really ever get here.¡±


    Dinner at Jen and Lee¡¯s place was actually really nice. Jen had cooked tarragon chicken with pilaf and a beautiful salad, and it was very tasty. We ate out on the back patio, which was nice, other than the screeches of the peacocks off in the distance.


    ¡°Fucking things,¡± grumbled Jen. ¡°At least they actually shut up by bed time. Can you imagine trying to sleep with that racket?¡±


    ¡°Where are the peacocks?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°All over this part of town,¡± Jen said. ¡°They run wild, all over the residential neighborhoods in this area.¡±


    Puzzled, Emmy said, ¡°I did not think they were native to North America.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t. They were introduced, and now they¡¯re pests. Well, some people like ¡®em and put food out, even though that¡¯s illegal.¡±


    ¡°It is illegal to feed the peacocks?¡± Emmy asked for clarification.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± confirmed Lee. ¡°You can feed any other bird you want here in Pasadena, just not the peacocks.¡±


    ¡°And since this is inside the city limits, I guess you can¡¯t shoot ¡®em, either,¡± said Jackson. ¡°I wonder how they taste? Maybe like turkey?¡±


    ¡°But more colorful,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°On a totally different note,¡± Jackson said, changing the subject, ¡°I saw a couple of Night Children in Austin the other day, walkin¡¯ down the street. I didn¡¯t know you had any of your people in Texas.¡±


    ¡°No, we do not have any of our people there. They were showing their faces?¡± Emmy asked. This conversation surprised me a bit, since I had had no idea that Jackson, Lee and Jen were in the loop on Night Children affairs at all.


    ¡°Yeah, plain as day, and in the middle of the afternoon, too.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ interesting,¡± Emmy said, giving me a look.


    ¡°We might need to send Michael and some of the guys to Austin to make contact,¡± I said, wondering who the mystery Night Children were.

 Welcome to Wonderland

    The next few weeks passed without anything major happening, other than the band settling in to their new practice space and me finding myself driving with Jimmy and his group of car guy friends. I still didn¡¯t know why Jimmy called Stephen ¡®Zeke¡¯ but soon enough discovered that he was referring to me as ¡®Lizzie,¡¯ so I just wrote it off as some sort of private joke.


    The guys were pretty good drivers, for the most part. Maybe not ready for their Formula One debuts, but good enough. Jimmy was clearly a trust fund kid, Stephen and Geoff had high-end professional jobs of some kind, Stein... I had no clue. Last but not least was a guy everybody referred to as ¡®Teddy Bear¡¯, who was apparently an actor on some show I¡¯d never even heard of, much less seen. I did look him up on IMDB and he did have a surprising number of credits to his name, but nothing I¡¯d seen at all.


    Generally we met on Saturday mornings, and took turns leading the route. Of course, since I still didn¡¯t really know more than a few roads, I was content to play follower. For the most part, anyway.


    When we stopped for breaks or lunch, the discussion almost inevitably turned to my track car, with several of the guys offering to buy it, even though none of them had seen it in person. Apparently Jimmy had done some searching online and found pictures of me and the car, and sharp analysis of the visible details of the car had confirmed it was in fact a built GT3 race car. Some more digging had gotten him to believe that it had placed third at a 1000km endurance race at Paul Ricard in France, and I never bothered to correct him. Still, the guys were all gaga over the idea that one of their driving group owned an honest-to-god professional racer, which was enough to send them all into a tailspin.


    Add that to the fact that it was obvious to everyone in the group that I was one of the fastest in that circle of friends and my star shone brightly in that little clique.


    They were fun to drive with, and the weekly (or semi-weekly if I got out on a Wednesday) sessions behind the wheel were really good for blowing off steam.


    Emmy had encouraged me to find a beach volleyball scene, and I¡¯d considered it, really I had, but shelved it in favor of more time to do other things. Maybe I was just done with volleyball- it had been a huge focus of my life from middle school all the way through four years of college, so perhaps it was just time to hang it up.


    Emmy and I settled into the apartment more and more each day, and it started to feel a bit more like a home than a long-term hotel room after a while. It was still odd to come home to find the place had been cleaned and the fridge restocked while we were out, but the benefits of the building¡¯s housekeeping and concierge services were undeniable.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t right for our needs, so I kept looking for a place to buy.


    ¡°This is getting really old,¡± I complained to Randi after another morning of searching. ¡°I somehow thought this would be a lot easier.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean,¡± she replied, stirring her soy latte mocha grande something or other. ¡°When you told me what you wanted I thought it should be simple. I mean, this is L.A., right? Finding a space like you want should be no problem.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s killing me. We¡¯ve seen how many of these dumps that can be converted at stupid amounts of money, but they¡¯re still in areas like this,¡± I said, waving my arm to indicate the industrial/commercial district we were in. ¡°Seriously- does this look like a place you¡¯d want to live?¡±


    ¡°Well, this area is up-and-coming,¡± Randi replied. ¡°I mean, there are galleries opening up, and hip little coffee shops like this. There¡¯s a lot of potential,¡± she said, defending the neighborhood.


    ¡°Sure, but there are also sweat shops, furniture factories and brake and wheel alignment shops. What there aren¡¯t are parks, movie theaters, grocery stores- any of the things any real neighborhood should have,¡± I said.


    ¡°You must admit, that place we looked at this morning had some charm,¡± Randi said. ¡°It could be really cool with some work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it did. But it would be a lot of work, and it would still be here in this part of town.¡±


    ¡°Well, you wanted a music studio slash living space, and the Arts District is where we¡¯d find something like that,¡± Randi said, a touch defensively.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to wonder if we¡¯ll ever find just the right place.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find it,¡± Randi said, patting my hand. I didn¡¯t tell her I found that sort of thing sort of insulting, but it did add to my feeling that maybe she was just too old-school to really understand what it was that we needed.


    Really, given how pessimistic I¡¯d gotten, her call telling me we had to go look at something right now came as a surprise. I followed her car up into the winding little roads of the Hollywood hills to a gated driveway. She keyed in a code on the pad and we drove into a surprisingly large parking lot. One whole side of the lot was fronted by a rambling building that really looked nothing like a house at all.


    ¡°I know this place looks a little, well, rough,¡± Randi said as we stood looking at it from the parking lot. ¡°But it has everything you guys want, and loads and loads of potential.¡±


    She was right- it was nearly perfect. As strange as it sounds, it had been a small film studio built during World War Two, so it had everything- a good-sized sound stage, rehearsal studios, sound rooms, and so on. The offices had been converted years ago into some sort of residential rehab facility, but could be easily remodeled into a spacious home for Emmy and me. Yeah, it was sort of industrial-ugly from the outside, but it could be fixed up. It certainly would be an easier remodel than some of the warehouse buildings Randi and I had looked at.


    ¡°Tell the sellers we¡¯ll take it if the price is right,¡± I said, knowing that I didn¡¯t even need to consult with Emmy. She was going to love the place.


    ¡°They¡¯re asking six point eight,¡± Randi replied, looking at the paperwork.


    ¡°Done,¡± I said. ¡°Call them right now and tell them we¡¯ll take it, and I want the fastest close we can get.¡±


    ¡°It needs a lot of work,¡± Randi said, looking around with a doubtful expression on her face.


    ¡°Yeah, it does, but money can take care of that,¡± I said, imagining how crazy happy Emmy would get with the place.


    I didn¡¯t tell Emmy anything that night other than that I¡¯d seen a place that might work out, but needed to get some more details. This seemed to satisfy Emmy, who went on to complain once again about the rehearsal space. Yes, it was exactly as billed, but the shortcomings were getting more and more pronounced as The Downfall spent more time cooped up in what was essentially a long-term storage locker.


    The next morning I got confirmation that the sellers had accepted my offer and were willing to speed the process up as much as possible.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I hired the building inspector from our vendor list at work to go over the place with a fine-toothed comb while I set about finding a designer and architect to work up plans for the conversion to private home and to return the studios to working order.


    I was excited to be able to present Emmy with the live/work space of her dreams and wanted it to be a surprise, so I had no intention of telling her anything until I had all the ducks crossed and the rows dotted.


    The basic structure of the place was completely utilitarian, but with a little bit of trickery could be at least somewhat pleasant to look at.


    Two days later I had my first meeting with the builder, the architect and the interior designer at the site. Emmy was still in the dark, which hopefully wouldn¡¯t last much longer. For now, though, until I had plans and deed in my hand I was keeping it all quiet.


    The builder got there first, and he and I walked the property with the inspector¡¯s thorough list in hand, simply assessing the state of the place.


    A fair bit of the building had more or less been abandoned, the roof was in sorry shape, the windows were old and the metal casings were rusty, and on and on, but none of it was in any way insurmountable. The builder, a Persian guy named Ned Tavakh, took copious notes as we examined the place and asked a lot of questions about what I wanted with this item, that detail, or the other concern. The more time I spent with him the better I felt about using his services, as he seemed really sharp.


    When the architect and designer showed up two hours later, the four of us walked through again. As I talked with the two new guys, Ned kept taking notes of the discussion.


    I made it clear that I wanted to keep the work space and the living space separated, so we could have some semblance of personal space and privacy even while the studio was being put to use. I also stipulated that I wanted the design to reflect a Mid-Century Modern aesthetic, with an emphasis on comfort in the living areas and clean, open space in the work areas.


    After taking a lot of notes and photos, the designer and architect left to go work on their respective presentations, leaving Ned and me to discuss things a bit more.


    We discussed timelines, and how I wanted his full attention on this project. I made it clear I was willing to pay for premium materials and craftsmanship, and wasn¡¯t going to micromanage the project over his shoulder.


    Satisfied we were on the same page, Ned and I shook hands and he left. Ned had nothing to do, really, until the architect came back with his sketches, and honestly, neither did I until the sale cleared escrow.


    The day after escrow cleared and the place was officially mine, the four of us met once more at the property to look over the ideas that the architect and designer had worked up.


    I had a few things I wanted to change, such as enclosing the lower parking area into a real garage and using the fourth floor tower as my home office. The designer wanted a free-form pool up against the hillside behind the left wing, which he¡¯d re-imagined as a sort of entertaining center, not really part of the home but also separate from the work areas. I thought Emmy would love that, so I signed off on those changes, mentioning that there needed to be shade in the pool area.


    The sketches the architect had worked up for the redesign of the building¡¯s appearance really knocked it out of the park, and I was happy with the way he¡¯d managed to isolate the living areas from the studio and sound stage. He¡¯d cleverly moved some hallways, staircases and doors around so that the two disparate functions of the building intertwined, but never blended. If you walked in the front door of the house, only one door in the entire ten thousand square feet that made up the private area ever actually opened into any part of the work areas. The TV room, for example, was physically in between the editing room and the film vaults (one of which was to become a wine cellar) but was inaccessible from either.


    Of course, this made for a convoluted layout of some parts of the house, but in the studio you wouldn¡¯t necessarily recognize that parts were, in effect, missing.


    In love with the architect¡¯s plans and the aesthetics the designer had worked up, I gave both the go ahead to develop detailed blueprints and floor plans and inspiration palettes. From Ned, the builder, I requested a rough work-up of timelines and estimate, with the understanding that much would likely change with the final blueprints.


    Meeting adjourned, I called Emmy, who actually answered her phone.


    ¡°Leah!¡± Emmy exclaimed. ¡°I am so happy to hear your voice!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°More so than usual?¡±


    ¡°It is going very poorly today, and we are not making any progress,¡± Emmy lamented. ¡°Hearing your voice is a lovely break from the frustrations of the day.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re there with Jackson and Lee right now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, we are here at the rehearsal space,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°But we have been talking about taking a break.¡±


    ¡°Well, load them in the car and come to the address I¡¯m gonna text to you.¡±


    ¡°Jen is here. Should I bring her as well?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°And what is this about?¡±


    ¡°I might have found the perfect house for us, so yeah, bring everybody. I¡¯d like their input, too, since you guys will be making music in the studio here.¡±


    ¡°It has a studio?¡± Emmy asked, excitement in her voice.


    ¡°It needs some work, but yeah, it has an awesome studio space.¡±


    ¡°We will be right there!¡± Emmy said, all the frustrations of the day forgotten.


    About half an hour later Emmy pulled the BMW into the lot, followed by Lee¡¯s Mercedes.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled, when she got out of the car.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, let me show you,¡± I said, beckoning for the group to follow me as I walked around the corner to where I¡¯d left the giant warehouse-style door to the sound stage open.


    ¡°It was built as a small film production facility in the Forties,¡± I explained. ¡°It was sold and turned into some sort of rehab facility in the seventies and all the film and recording equipment was all stuffed into storage downstairs in the basement, but it has all of what you guys would need to build out a professional sound studio again, and maybe use the sound stage for rehearsals, or maybe filming videos, or whatever.¡±


    ¡°This is fucking awesome,¡± Lee said, his eyes wide, taking it all in.


    Jackson was a bit more laconic, but I could tell he was imagining the possibilities. ¡°Man, with some work this place could be legendary,¡± he finally said as we walked through the sound recording areas.


    ¡°If it is not too much money, I would very much like to buy this studio,¡± Emmy said as I led them into what had been the kitchen of the rehab facility.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s too late for that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is it not for sale?¡± Emmy asked, a look of anguish on her face from having a toy dangled in front of her face and then taken away.


    ¡°Nope. At least, not until we decide to sell it sometime in the future.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy asked, her charcoal-black brow wrinkled.


    ¡°I already bought it. As of yesterday, we own this place.¡±


    ¡°You did this? You secretly bought this studio without even telling me?¡± Emmy asked for clarification.


    ¡°Yup,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°I did not think it was possible to love you more than I already do, but I was wrong,¡± Emmy said, wrapping her arms around me and hugging me as tightly as she could.


    ¡°You snuck this past Emmy?¡± Jen demanded. ¡°That is so¡­¡±


    ¡°So fucking awesome!¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Yeah, that,¡± Jen agreed.


    ¡°Check these out,¡± I said, laying out the rough plans and sketches the architect and designer had worked up.


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy said, looking through the drawings. ¡°This is so amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about calling the guy from New York to design the recording studio,¡± I said. ¡°But I haven¡¯t called him yet.¡±


    ¡°I am not certain that would be best,¡± Emmy said, biting her lower lip thoughtfully. ¡°Perhaps we need to find someone here in Los Angeles. That way we could work with local talent who understand what is available or perhaps customary here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°Also, a local might be easier as far as flexibility with plan changes as they come up.¡±


    ¡°Em, you guys- I mean, this is the most awesome thing ever, you two. I can totally see us using this sound stage for rehearsals. This is just so perfect, it blows my mind. Like, even knowing we¡¯ll be here in what, six months maybe? Makes that shitty little place in Silver Lake survivable, know what I mean?¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Lee, man, that was one long, fucked-up run-on sentence, but I think I can say I understood exactly what you meant,¡± said Jackson with a laugh.


    ¡°This will be amazing,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°Leah, you have done the impossible and found us a better place than I could have even imagined.¡±


    ¡°No lie. This is going to be epic!¡± Lee said. ¡°When do the contractors start work?¡±


    ¡°As soon as the architect¡¯s plans are finalized,¡± I said. ¡°And honestly, it might be six months before the sound stage and studios are ready, even if we do what we can to rush it.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s cool,¡± Lee replied. ¡°Like I said, just knowing we have this in our future makes it all bearable right now. I mean, I know you bought this place for Em, but I gotta give you my props, too. This will make life so much better for all three of us I can''t even. Thanks, Leah. Really, man. Just thanks.¡±


    ¡°Welp, I guess this means I gotta find a place of my own here in LA,¡± said Jackson with a sigh. ¡°Damn. All those little starlets, the beaches, the great weather. Man, it''s gonna suck living here, but I guess I gotta take one for the team, right?¡±


    ¡°That''s what we love about you, dude. You''re a giver,¡± said Lee.

 No Rush

    Jackson and Jen left with Lee in his car after a while, and Emmy and I were alone in our soon-to-be house.


    ¡°I love it so much, Leah,¡± Emmy said, looking through the sketches some more. ¡°This is so perfect, I cannot even express it. This house will be everything I wanted, but even better than I thought it ever could be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it so much, Em,¡± I said. ¡°I want you to take these sketches home and look over them, just to see if you can think of anything you¡¯d want to change. I made a few requirements, so my wants are taken into account already.¡±


    ¡°I will do that,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But I have a hard time envisioning anything that could improve on these now.¡±


    ¡°Well, seriously, look at how the studio is set up, see if the work space is set up right. Maybe talk it over with Lee and Jackson? I mean, this is going to be where you guys are going to do all your work, so we want it perfect.¡±


    ¡°That is a good idea,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I will find a studio construction expert to consult with, and to build out the equipment. He will have ideas, too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± I said. ¡°In the meantime, let me show you some of the stuff that I thought was really cool about the plans,¡± indicating that Emmy should follow me.


    ¡°So, it turns out this place is over fifty thousand square feet, but the sound stage itself is nearly twenty thousand square feet. That¡¯s actually right in the range for a major studio sound stage size, which means you could film real, full-scale productions here. If you decide that¡¯s how you guys are going to use the space, we¡¯ll need to get some film industry experts in here to help set it up- the lighting, the camera equipment, all of that- that¡¯s gonna take somebody who knows what they¡¯re doing,¡± I explained as we walked through the cavernous space. ¡°There¡¯s an open workshop area down below, where they must have actually build the sets and things like that. Right now it¡¯s more or less abandoned, but it could be restored to usefulness if that¡¯s what you guys want to do.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do with the sound stage?¡± Emmy asked me.


    ¡°Me? I want whatever you want, babe. This is for you. Well, you and Lee and Jackson. This is just so you guys can do your music. How you want to use it is entirely up to you,¡± I said.


    ¡°What if I decide I want to become an avant-garde film director and make movies that nobody will want to watch?¡± Emmy asked with a smile.


    ¡°Then I¡¯d say we bought the perfect house for you,¡± I said in reply, which got a laugh from Emmy.


    That night, over dinner back at the apartment, Emmy asked me how much the new house-to-be cost.


    ¡°Significantly less than the townhouse in New York, even with the remodel,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Can we afford both houses?¡± Emmy asked, concerned. ¡°Must we sell the townhouse?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said. ¡°We could buy another house like those two and still be just fine. I know that you¡¯ve really not paid much attention to the investments I¡¯ve been making for us, or how much I¡¯ve been earning with our company and its various divisions, but we¡¯re doing really well. I mean, really well. We have a lot of money, Em. A seriously huge amount of money these days.¡±


    ¡°You do not talk very much about these things,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t, because when I do bring them up your eyes just glaze over and you don¡¯t seem interested. I¡¯m O.K. with that,¡± I said, holding up my hand to forestall any rebuttal. ¡°I¡¯ve accepted that is my role in our relationship, and I¡¯ve been enjoying it. Even more than that, it¡¯s been important to me to give you the room for you to concentrate on your music and not have to worry about finances. So if you want to know, I can show you what¡¯s going on. If you would rather not think about it, that¡¯s fine, too. Just know thatwe have way more than enough money for just about anybody.¡±


    ¡°Do¡­¡± Emmy said, thinking about how to phrase it. ¡°Do we have enough left over, to support ourselves and still afford the things we have and our two new houses, do we have enough for all that and to pay my parents back the money they gave me when I turned eighteen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d take me a couple of days to arrange it, but yeah, we could even give them interest on that hundred million Euros,¡± I said. ¡°Is that something you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Emmy said. ¡°What I would like to do with that money, if it is available, is to use it to help the Night Children of my nation. That wealth is at least partially from their hard work over the many generations, and it seems to me that giving it back would be fair.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°But simply handing every Night Child a check for five grand or whatever won¡¯t really be that helpful in the long term.¡±


    ¡°No, it really would not, would it?¡± Emmy said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Look at the things we¡¯ve done for the Night Children in our shadow,¡± I suggested. ¡°What¡¯s helped them the most? What¡¯s made the most difference in their lives? Is that something we could do over there, in Europe?¡±


    ¡°That is an interesting way to think about it¡­¡± Emmy said, pondering the issue.


    ¡°But yeah, if you want, we can allocate that money,¡± I said.


    ¡°It will not harm our finances?¡± Emmy asked for confirmation.


    ¡°Not appreciably,¡± I confirmed.


    A few days later at the regular Saturday morning meetup Stephen asked me how things were going, and I told him I¡¯d just bought a fixer-upper in the Hollywood Hills.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± he said. ¡°How many square feet?¡±


    ¡°Well, a little over fifty thousand square feet, but-¡± I started to say.


    ¡°Did you just buy a fifty thousand square foot house?¡± Teddy Bear demanded, interrupting me.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but-¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Jimmy demanded.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Asked Stein as he and Geoff wandered over to see what the hubbub was about.


    ¡°Leah just bought a house in the Hollywood Hills that¡¯s fifty thousand square feet!¡± Teddy Bear announced.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any places that big there. Maybe in Holmby Hills, but not Hollywood,¡± proclaimed Geoff, who always had to be right.


    ¡°Yeah, here¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to tell you idiots. The place is a bit over fifty thousand square feet, but it was built as a movie studio, so over half of that is the sound stage and the recording studios and so on. I¡¯m gonna have the place remodeled so it¡¯ll have a ten thousand square foot residence and the rest will be used as a film and audio recording work space. So no, it¡¯s not a fifty thousand square foot house. But I guess it could be, if I wanted it to be.¡±


    ¡°A movie studio?¡± Jimmy asked. ¡°You bought a movie studio? Dude, you gotta get my sister in some film or something. She¡¯ll do full frontal, no problem.¡±


    ¡°Not that kind of film,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    Teddy Bear, looking really interested, asked, ¡°What do you plan on filming there?¡±


    ¡°Maybe music videos, maybe nothing. It might just get used as a rehearsal space, I don''t know. That¡¯s up to my wife and her band.¡±


    ¡°Your wife?¡± asked Geoff, his voice disapproving.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Yeah, my wife,¡± I said in a tone that just dared him to say more.


    ¡°Your wife¡¯s in a band?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°Is it anything I might have heard of?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± I replied. ¡°Ever hear of ¡®The Downfall¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Aw, shit!¡± exclaimed Jimmy. ¡°You''re kidding! Emmy is your wife?¡±


    ¡°For three years now,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°How come you never invite us to any of your rock star parties, huh? We¡¯re not good enough or something?¡± Jimmy asked, but he couldn''t keep a straight face.


    ¡°Well, we don''t have rock star parties, for one, and you guys aren''t rock stars, for two,¡± I said, ticking off the points on my fingers. ¡°And for three, rock star parties are boring, anyway. Nothing but loud music, booze, drugs and naked groupies, anyhow.¡±


    ¡°You''re right- that does sound pretty boring,¡± said Stephen, and the rest of the guys nodded in agreement, except for Jimmy.


    ¡°Hey, I like loud music, drugs and booze- and even naked groupies, too. I know, it may seem like I''m old fashioned and out of step with the times, but I''ve always been a lover of the classics, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡­¡± Stein said. ¡°Maybe rock star parties aren''t so bad.¡±


    ¡°I''ll tell you what,¡± I said. ¡°Next rock star party we have I''ll make sure to invite you guys. How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°My schedule is pretty busy, but I''ll try to make it,¡± said Stephen, and the rest of the guys nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I can''t believe you been hiding the fact you''re married to Emmy Lascaux,¡± Jimmy said, shaking his head in disappointment. ¡°I thought we shared everything.¡±


    ¡°If you think you''re gonna guilt me into letting you drive my GT-R, Jimmy, it''s not gonna work.¡±


    ¡°You know the deal, Liz- I get a day at the track in your GT-R, and you can have my sister. No strings attached.¡±


    ¡°Jimmy, I''ve met your sister. I am not taking that deal.¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on! She¡¯s really flexible. She does all that yoga shit, you know? The one where they turn up the heat to, like, a hundred degrees?¡±


    ¡°No deal, Jimmy. Besides, your mom would probably have me killed.¡±


    ¡°Well, you and me both,¡± Jimmy said, his shoulders drooping. ¡°She¡¯s the original tiger momma.¡±


    It turned out to be Stein¡¯s turn to lead out that morning, which was good because he was fast in his McLaren, but bad in that his choice was almost always Angeles Crest Highway, and therefore traffic. That particular morning we got the headlight flash warning after about four turns in, and Stein was the only one to miss the signal. The rest of us dropped anchor while he hauled ass away, only to get lit up by a CHP officer around the next blind left sweeper.


    Of course, by the time the rest of us saw the cop he¡¯d already jumped back in his car and was off in pursuit, and Stein showed no inclination at all to slow down. If anything, he wicked it up to drop the officer. As soon as the cop was out of sight ahead of the rest of us Geoff, who had been second in line, reached his hand out his window and signaled for a U turn, which we all did at the next turnout.


    Back at the Shell station at the bottom of the hill, we regrouped to discuss what to do next.


    Just as we¡¯d all gathered outside our cars another CHP officer pulled into the little cul de sac where we were parked.


    ¡°Were you with that car that ran up on ACH?¡± Demanded the officer as he stepped out of his vehicle with his hand on the butt of his pistol.


    ¡°What car was that, officer?¡± Asked Stephen, in his best attorney voice.


    ¡°A group fitting your description was seen speeding, and one of the cars ran from the officer on the scene,¡± said the cop.


    ¡°Well, we were out driving, and we did go up and down ACH, officer, but I don¡¯t know anything about excess speed, and certainly none of us would have tried to evade.¡± Stephen said, while the rest of us, even Jimmy, stayed quiet.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know the guy in the blue McLaren?¡±


    Stephen shrugged. ¡°I wish I could help you, officer, but this,¡± he said, indicating all of us there at the moment, ¡°is the sum total of our Saturday morning group.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± grumped the officer, who got back into his Explorer and left.


    ¡°Why did Stein run?¡± I asked. "He must have seen the drivers flashing their headlights at us,¡± I asked.


    ¡°He does that,¡± Geoff said, shrugging. ¡°He likes the thrill or something. He¡¯ll get away, and next time you see his car it¡¯ll be wrapped in a different color. He¡¯ll tell you he does it so none of the rest of us get pulled over, but I think that¡¯s bullshit. He just likes the chase, and he knows he can be in the next county by the time the CHP gets a chopper anywhere near.¡±


    ¡°He lives dangerously,¡± agreed Jimmy.


    ¡°Huh. Well, I¡¯ll buy him a round next time, then,¡± I said.


    By some sort of mutual agreement we all decided that was it for the day. As we were getting back into our cars, Stephen said, ¡°Hey, Leah, want to get coffee?¡±


    ¡°You did hear me when I said I was married, and to another woman at that, right?¡± I asked, teasing him.


    ¡°Hey, if a guy doesn''t try, he can¡¯t score, right? No, seriously, I want to talk to you about some things you mentioned earlier.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°The morning¡¯s drive is shot, so might as well get some coffee to make up for it. I¡¯ll follow you.¡±


    Thankfully, he knew a cool independent coffee shop nearby and didn¡¯t drag me to a Starbucks.


    Once we¡¯d ordered and sat down, Stephen said, ¡°Leah, I know it¡¯s rude to ask, but how old are you, anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to turn twenty-two in a month. Why?¡±


    ¡°O.K., I¡¯m gonna say something here- maybe put my foot in my mouth, but don¡¯t take offense. You don¡¯t seem like your typical trust fund kid. Am I right?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Yeah, no, I didn¡¯t grow up with money, if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve hinted that you work- that you go into an office. What is it you do, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all,¡± I said, sipping my latte. ¡°I own a company that has divisions in real estate investment and development, entertainment, and hospitality. I also do some VC investments. In fact, I just cashed out a few months ago on that video sharing app that had its IPO back in February.¡±


    ¡°You own the company?¡± Stephen asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m the big cheese.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re twenty-one years old.¡±


    ¡°Almost twenty-two.¡±


    Stephen just looked at me for a while, thinking about what to say next. Finally, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t take this wrong, but that¡¯s just about impossible to believe. There¡¯s just no way you could have had time. I mean, most people your age are still in college and hoping to get a good enough job to pay off their student loans.¡±


    ¡°Athletic scholarship,¡± I said with a shrug and took another sip. ¡°If the story sounds too crazy to be true, feel free to Google me. Right now. Take out your phone and Google ¡®Leah Farmer¡¯ and see what comes up. There¡¯re gonna be a lot of hits.¡±


    Looking doubtful, Stephen took out his phone and did exactly what I¡¯d suggested. Scrolling through the results, he said, ¡°You really are married to Emmy Lascaux.¡± And then, a few moments later, ¡°National volleyball championship game MVP?¡± Continuing, he clicked on a link, and frowning, read the web site. ¡°This says you¡¯re suspected of several murders?¡±


    I rolled my eyes so hard the barista could hear the sound over the foamer she was using. ¡°If you¡¯ll notice, those stories are all speculation, innuendo and complete bullshit. I don¡¯t know who started those rumors, but they¡¯ve been saying that shit about me since I was a senior in high school.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s not true?¡±


    ¡°Stephen, seriously. Do I look like a stone cold serial killer?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Um, maybe? I mean, you do come across as really intense- no offense, but it¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t say that makes you a serial killer, but you are pretty intimidating.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t help those stories that in the collegiate volleyball world everybody called me ¡®Killer Leah¡¯.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually pretty awesome,¡± laughed Stephen. ¡°But you¡¯d better hope that Jimmy never finds out about those stories or next thing you know he¡¯ll be calling you Lizzie Borden.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d bet he¡¯d already read that and that¡¯s why he calls me Liz. I know he googled to find out about my track car.¡±


    Stephen laughed, thinking about it. ¡°Hey, at least you¡¯ve figured out why he calls you that. I¡¯ve known him for over a year now and I still have no clue why he calls me Zeke.¡±


    ¡°So, now you know my life story, or at least know to Google it to find out the details, tell me a bit about yourself? What is it you do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m an intellectual property lawyer, I work for a firm that mainly represents film studios. I¡¯m thirty-six years old, have a girlfriend I¡¯m planning to marry. I graduated from USC in 2003, then went to NYU for law school. I did grow up with a fair amount of money, but basically all that meant for me was private schools, then my folks paid for my college. The rest was on me,¡± Stephen said.


    ¡°Having rich parents is nice,¡± I said. ¡°My mom teaches at a community college in San Diego County.¡±


    ¡°How about your dad?¡±


    ¡°He was a Marine- killed in Fallujah when I was a little kid.¡±


    ¡°That sucks. I¡¯m sorry to hear it,¡± Stephen said, and he sounded as if he actually meant it.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°So, besides buying an old movie studio, what brought you to LA?¡± Stephen asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s music. Once I graduated back in June from Stanford, there was no reason to stay up there, not when the music industry is all here. We talked about New York and even bought a townhouse in Manhattan, but ultimately decided that Los Angeles made more sense, especially since one of her bandmates was from here.¡±


    ¡°What did you do with the Manhattan townhouse?¡± Stephen asked, sipping his Americano.


    ¡°We¡¯re spending a ton of money having it restored and remodeled,¡± I replied, rolling my eyes again.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you even buy it if you were just going to move to LA anyway?¡±


    ¡°Emmy found the place on some realty web site, and fell in love with it when we saw it, so I bought it for her as a sort of pied-¨¤-terre or something. An eleven million dollar vacation home. Can you believe that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°And you just bought the studio here for her and her band?¡±


    I nodded in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ sort of way and said, ¡°It¡¯s only money.¡±


    Stephen looked at me for a moment, then said, ¡°Yeah- a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nickels and dimes compared to what she wants to spend money on next,¡± I said. ¡°She wants to endow a foundation with a hundred million Euros to start.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°What did you say when she suggested that?¡±


    ¡°I told her it would take a couple of days for me to move the money around. I told her she could have it by Wednesday at the latest.¡±


    ¡°OK, now I know you¡¯re yanking my chain,¡± Stephen said, leaning back and laughing.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s pretty much how the conversation went, but she said she wasn¡¯t ready to get it started just yet and might not be ready for a few more months, so no rush.¡±


    ¡°Jesus,¡± Stephen said. ¡°I¡¯m barely worth a couple of million all in, and here you are, talking about giving a hundred and thirty million dollars away because your wife wants to start a charity.¡±


    ¡°Nah, not a charity. A refugee aid foundation. It¡¯s a different animal entirely.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±

 A Day Together

    Stephen and I talked a while about Emmy¡¯s ideas for her foundation, and I explained to him a bit about the plight of the Night Children, which blew his mind. Of course he¡¯d had no inkling they even existed, so once again I had to bring out my phone to show photos, which led to a discussion about how I¡¯d started all my business ventures initially to provide housing and jobs for Night Children refugees, and it just snowballed from there.


    ¡°Are you serious? You built up a nearly billion dollar business empire because you wanted to help these people?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what got the ball rolling, all right,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Wow. I mean, fucking wow,¡± Stephen said, leaning back. ¡°Emmy might be the famous one, but you''re a freaking rock star, too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said.


    As we were walking out to our cars, Stephen turned to ask one more question. ¡°So, seriously, have you actually killed anybody?¡±


    I sighed and let my shoulders slump. ¡°You know, you kill four or five people and next thing you know, everybody thinks you¡¯re some sort of psycho or something. Let me give you some advice,¡± I said. ¡°If you¡¯ve got to kill somebody, make sure nobody actually knows about it. Your rep follows you everywhere.¡±


    Laughing, Stephen asked, ¡°Which is it- four, or five?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± I said, silently counting off on my fingers as I gazed into space.


    ¡°That many?¡± Stephen said, laughing again.


    ¡°Hmm. I guess it comes to six,¡± I said, finally. ¡°So far.¡±


    Laughing, Stephen climbed into his AMG. ¡°Hey, you know I¡¯m gonna hold you to that rock star party invite, right?¡± He said before closing his door.


    ¡°O.K., but you¡¯ve got to bring your girlfriend. I want to meet the woman that would put up with you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You know Jimmy will probably have to bring his sister, right?¡± Stephen said from his open window.


    ¡°Aw, Jeez,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for that thought.¡±


    When I got back to the apartment Emmy, Jackson and Lee were sitting around the table, deep in conversation about something musical. I kissed Emmy on the top of the head and said hello to the boys.


    Emmy asked, ¡°Do you mind if we order in tonight?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, babe,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Thank you. We are probably going to work late tonight.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Jen?¡± I asked Lee.


    ¡°Working,¡± he replied, distracted. ¡°She¡¯ll come over when she gets off.¡±


    The three were soon back into their discussion of thematic chord changes, whatever that meant. I wandered off to my little home office area to check my email and maybe kill some time web surfing.


    I got bored quickly, though, and was just watching old Youtube videos when Jen arrived. Glad that I¡¯d have somebody to talk to, I dragged her out to the balcony/outside living room to talk.


    ¡°What are they working on?¡± Jen asked, tilting her head to indicate the three at the table.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± I asked, shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t claim to understand any of it when they get to talking about Pentolian Scales, descending arpeggios, or whatever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not the only one,¡± Jen said with a laugh. ¡°Lee nerds out so hard sometimes when he¡¯s listening to music or watching videos. ¡®Hey, Jen!¡¯,¡± she said, imitating Lee¡¯s voice as best she could. ¡°¡®Check this out! This guy¡¯s playing in an eight fifths time, then switching to five eighths!¡¯ As if any of that meant anything at all to me. I can¡¯t even understand what he¡¯s talking about, let alone hear it in the music.¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Here¡¯s to us music illiterates,¡± Jen said, raising her can of Coke in a mock toast, so I clunked my can against hers in agreement.


    ¡°So how¡¯s the gallery going?¡± I asked, leaning back.


    ¡°Pretty good, actually,¡± Jen said, mirroring my posture. ¡°I think I made a big sale today, so that was good.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you think you made a sale? I mean, either you did, or you didn¡¯t, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that straightforward. Most of the time, when a buyer is going to shell out a hundred, two hundred grand, maybe half a million or whatever, you make the pitch, and then they have to follow up by making sure the finances allow it. Not very many people walk in and just write checks, you know? So this piece today, we have it at three hundred and fifty thousand, right? Well, by the time the guy I talked to gets done with Mr. Guillard, the gallery owner, the actual deal might be three twenty five, or three hundred, or three fifty. I won¡¯t know until the deal is finalized,¡± Jen explained.


    ¡°You don¡¯t work on commission, do you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Salary, but commission-based bonuses, so I might see seventeen and a half if the deal gets inked and the guy takes the painting home at full price.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not bad,¡± I said, nodding my head. ¡°How often does that happen?¡±


    "This would be my second big sale since I started at the gallery, if it goes through. I¡¯ve had a decent number of smaller sales, so I know Mr. Guillard is happy with me, but if I can do four pieces like this a year it¡¯ll put me right near the top of any of the associates. Kelly sold two Chihulys this year, though, and that¡¯s over two million, so that¡¯s a hard act to follow.¡±


    ¡°You know Emmy is going to want art for our new place, right? That¡¯ll be a ways off yet, but we might be in a position to buy before the end of the year,¡± I said.


    Jen looked at me for a moment, then said, ¡°Look, you guys are friends, and while I seriously appreciate you wanting to throw work my way, our gallery is probably not the right place to look for the right works for your new place. I¡¯d love to help you guys find the right pieces, but realistically, you guys need to seek out the right art and not just walk into a gallery and buy what¡¯s hanging on the wall. Maybe go to Art Basel in Miami, or just do some digging online. Don¡¯t expect any local galleries to have any good Mid Century works just lying around.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense. The whole Mid Century thing, you know, I just kinda jumped on that because of the vibe of the structure of the studio, you know? I sort of don¡¯t really care, except that the place would look bizarre if I asked the designer and architect to dress it up to look any other way, really, but maybe contemporary loft industrial or something like that.¡±


    ¡°No, do the Mid Century,¡± Jen said with conviction. ¡°The loft look is so played out, and you¡¯re right- it would look cool if it¡¯s done well with an eye towards keeping it authentic.¡±


    ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly my instruction to the architect and designer. I told them to keep it in the spirit, but not be slavish to the look. I want it comfortable and useful, and not necessarily authentic at the expense of actually living there.¡±


    Jen laughed, and said, ¡°Fair enough. Still, you¡¯ll want art that captures that vibe, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about the vibe,¡± I agreed.


    That night, after everybody had left, I told Emmy about the talk about art that I¡¯d had with Jen.


    ¡°Do you think she could help us find the right pieces for the new house?¡± Emmy asked as we relaxed in the tub.


    ¡°Yeah, I think she¡¯d be happy to do it, but I think we need to get her together with the designer and see if the two of them can come to some sort of working arrangement.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± said Emmy, thinking about it. ¡°The designer- what is his name again?¡±


    ¡°Well, the design firm is called A.C. Design. I think that stands for ¡®Angel City,¡¯ but I might be wrong, since the designer¡¯s name is Alex¡­ But I guess both could be true.¡±


    ¡°Alex. He understands what you want as far as the design is concerned?¡±


    ¡°I think so. I told him that I wanted a Mid Century Modern feel, and the drawings he gave me seemed to have that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Designers charge a commission on the furniture and decorations, in addition to their fees, correct?¡± Emmy asked, but it was a rhetorical question, so I didn¡¯t answer. ¡°So he may expect that he will find us whatever art and he will earn his percentage from that.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Is that what Charlie in New York is going to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I told her to merely design the rooms and find the furniture. No decorations or art- we would find those ourselves.¡±


    ¡°So maybe we make that same stipulation with Alex here. I certainly don¡¯t want a bunch of useless knickknacks cluttering up the place merely because they¡¯re decorative and fit the motif.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we should hire Jen to help us find the art for the new house?¡± Emmy asked as she pulled my arms around her middle and snuggled up tighter against me.


    ¡°In all honesty, I''m not sure. On the one hand, she seemed as if she¡¯d be happy to help with no expectation of any money for her time, but on the other hand, we¡¯d be asking her to do work for us. Maybe we could find some other way to pay her back?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I will give that some thought,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Oh! I forgot to tell you. Do you remember Andy Temple?¡±


    ¡°Emmy, I''ve known him most of my life. Of course I remember him. Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He emailed me. Somehow he had heard that we are now in Los Angeles, and he is looking for a house here as well, since he will be playing for the Rams American football team.¡±


    ¡°The Saint Louis Rams?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°The team is moving to Los Angeles, and will play at the Coliseum until their new stadium is built,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°He said it will be funny to play there as a professional, since his college home games were all played in that same stadium.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said. ¡°We should get together and see how he¡¯s doing. We were never all that close, but I always did think of him as a friend all through school. It¡¯d be good to catch up and see how he¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°I am glad you feel that way. I would like to see him again,¡± Emmy said. ¡°There is no reason to let good friendships die from lack of contact.¡±


    ¡°We were never really close friends,¡± I objected. ¡°I mean, sure, I went to his birthday parties and he came to mine when we were ten, eleven years old, but after fifth grade or so we didn¡¯t really hang out that much.¡±


    ¡°But he never did anything to make you think that he was no longer your friend?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I agreed. ¡°We never had any kind of fight or argument or anything,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just, well, he had his things going on, and I had mine, and there really wasn¡¯t much overlap. We always got along whenever we interacted, but that just didn¡¯t happen much once we got into middle school and even less in high school.¡±


    ¡°And none at all in college,¡± said Emmy. ¡°But now we are all out of school entirely, and since he will be living in the same city as us, I think it would be nice to reconnect. Perhaps we will find little in common, and agree to let our old friendships fade away, but we may discover that we enjoy each others¡¯ company again and therefore find common ground.¡±


    ¡°Sure. It never hurts to have more friends, right?¡± I said, nuzzling Emmy¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Good friends are good,¡± agreed Emmy, leaning back into my kiss.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not be this good a friend with Andy,¡± I said, kissing Emmy¡¯s long, slender neck.


    ¡°No?¡± asked Emmy, tilting her head to give me better access.


    ¡°No,¡± I confirmed.


    The next morning was a Sunday, and for once, neither of us had anything scheduled.


    ¡°I would like to go to the new house this morning,¡± Emmy announced once she¡¯d had her morning coffee.


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± I said. ¡°Any particular reason why?¡±


    ¡°I would like to see it again, and see if some ideas that I have had could even work.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea. We should probably bring a note pad, and for sure bring the architect¡¯s sketches. You want me to see if I can get the architect to meet us there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I do not wish to disturb him on a Sunday. I would simply like to see if my ideas are even feasible at all. If they seem to be, then perhaps we can speak with him this week. For now, I think, just you and I should go look.¡±


    On our way over to the Hollywood Hills I told Emmy about the driving group finding out that I was married to a rock star.


    ¡°Oh, but I am not a rock star. David Bowie is a rock star. Axl Rose is a rock star. I am merely a musician,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, Em. You¡¯re much more than ¡®merely¡¯ anything.¡±


    ¡°I am glad that you think so,¡± Emmy said, resting her hand on my leg and giving me a squeeze.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one, Em. You have millions of fans around the world.¡±


    ¡°It still seems so¡­ surreal,¡± Emmy mused. ¡°To know that so many people enjoy my music, and enjoy hearing me sing.¡±


    We¡¯d gotten to the house by this point, so I keyed in the access code and the front driveway gate slid aside to let us in. To my surprise, there was a job site office trailer parked to one side of the large parking area (the realtor had called it a ¡®motor court¡¯ but really, it was an asphalt parking lot). There was also a couple of shipping containers, presumably for storing construction tools and materials. I was happy to see that Ned had jumped into action and was already getting started on the project, even without the final blueprints in hand. Sure, I saw no signs of any actual work having been done on the building, but at least he was staging his equipment to get going.


    It¡¯s funny, in a way- the old studio looked so, well, ugly in the light of day, but I could easily envision how amazing it was going to look when the work was done. I think Emmy was so absorbed into the idea of what the place could become that the sheer physical unattractiveness of the place as it sat didn¡¯t even register.


    We entered through the man door into the sound stage as Emmy started explaining what she wanted. I¡¯ll admit that I wasn¡¯t paying much attention, really, just losing myself in the sound of her voice, excited and enthusiastic, and, honestly, perhaps a bit like a kid on Christmas Eve telling Santa what she wanted.


    ¡°And here, I would like a sound isolation room,¡± Emmy said as we walked into yet another of the many sound recording rooms of the old studio.


    Looking around, I said, ¡°It might already be soundproof. I mean, they did the voice-overs and things like that in here, right?¡±


    ¡°It may be soundproof, but I want even more than that. I want sound deadener baffles, sound absorptive ceiling panels, all of those things,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any problem with that,¡± I agreed. ¡°Just write it on the notes.¡±


    We continued like that for a while, Emmy telling me what each room would be used for and me nodding and saying, ¡°Uh huh,¡± when appropriate. As far as I was concerned, this was the whole point of buying this old place, right?


    After Emmy ran out of steam, we went for lunch at a place in West Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard.


    I was pleased to have found a parking spot close to the cafe, but the moment we got out of the BMW a photographer spotted us and started snapping pictures as we walked from the car.


    I have to admit I¡¯d started to sympathize with actors who punch out the paparazzi, but Emmy was just the opposite. Whenever she spotted one of those guys (and they are almost all guys, for some reason) she¡¯d go up and talk to them and even pose for pictures.


    Her attitude was that their job was tough enough, and a positive relationship with a celeb was something that would make their lives easier. Also, she pointed out, that if they liked us as people then they¡¯d be more polite and only try to sell the more flattering photos.


    In fact, that day was the first of a number of occasions when Emmy invited a paparazzo to stop and have lunch with us when we were out.


    Emmy walked right up to the guy and asked him his name, which at first he didn¡¯t want to give her. ¡°I am going to need to know what to call you if you are going to sit down and have lunch with us, right?¡± she asked, confusing the guy.


    ¡°Um, what?¡± Was his clever response.


    ¡°Would you like to have lunch with us? My treat?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°This place has a wonderful lunch menu.¡± Reaching out, she took his hand and started pulling him towards the cafe.


    He looked at me, not really understanding what was going on, so I shrugged and said ¡°We were about to have lunch. Won¡¯t you join us?¡±


    At first, the guy was very guarded, sure this was some kind of trick, but as lunch went on Emmy charmed him (as she always manages to do) and he loosened up. She got him talking about his work, and which celebs were better to deal with than others, whose pictures sold the best to the magazines and websites, so on. By the end of our long lunch she had him wrapped around her finger.


    ¡°It was really nice meeting you, Ted,¡± she said as she gave him a little cheek kiss goodbye. ¡°Maybe we will see you around?¡±


    Ted, who was clearly not used to being treated nicer than a cockroach, mumbled something about how he was around all the time and he¡¯d see us for sure, then walked us to our car to see us off.


    ¡°Em, you still amaze me.¡± I told her as we drove away.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That guy, that paparazzi¡± (I hadn¡¯t learned by this point that paparazzi is plural). ¡°You absolutely made his day- maybe his week.¡±


    ¡°It was just a little thing,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°To you, maybe, but to him¡­ well, that was a really big deal.¡±


    ¡°I have read the saying in English: ¡®One catches more flies with honey than with vinegar.¡¯ It is better to befriend people than to make enemies of them,¡± Emmy said.


    I really had no good counter-argument, so I just mumbled some sort of vague agreement.


    ¡°Do I have you for the rest of the day?¡± Asked Emmy.


    ¡°Yeah, of course you do, Em. You have me forever,¡± I replied.


    Smiling at my response, Emmy said, ¡°Then I would like to do something special. Something uniquely Los Angeles.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I want to go to Disneyland!¡± Emmy announced.


    ¡°Em, you know it¡¯s a big place, with long lines for everything, right? And most of that time, while you¡¯re waiting, you¡¯ll be in the sun?¡± I asked.


    This popped Emmy¡¯s balloon and I hated the way her shoulders slumped, so I said, ¡°Let me tell you what. I¡¯ll see what arrangements I can make. Maybe they have some sort of special evening or night tickets. Also, if we go during a weekday the lines¡¯ll be shorter, anyway. So is there something else you''d like to do today? Something we can manage in an afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the record store we went to with Courtney and Allie? I would like to go there again,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°We can do that. I don¡¯t remember exactly where it was, but I do remember it was in Hollywood, right? Can you look it up on your phone?¡± I asked, turning right to circle around the block to go back eastbound on Santa Monica. After a minute or so, Emmy held up her phone so I could follow Siri¡¯s directions. Which, of course, were in French.


    I¡¯m pleased to say that I understood the instructions to turn right or left- but then, four years of college French should be good enough to manage simple driving cues.


    We parked in the same pay lot we had almost five years earlier, which caused me to muse on how I¡¯d been scandalized at the idea of five bucks an hour for parking back then, but now it didn¡¯t bother me in the slightest. My perspective certainly had changed.


    Of course everybody in the record store immediately recognized Emmy. A fair number of the customers wanted selfies with her, or for her to autograph copies of Downfall CDs or the like. The store manager waited patiently while Emmy interacted with her fans, and then, when the crowd had faded away, asked her for some of her time. I was a bit bored, so I hunted around for gifts and things like that while Emmy and the manager did whatever it was. When I stopped by for a moment, Emmy was arranging an end-cap display with CDs from various artists. The manager had come up with a sign that said ¡®Emmy De Lascaux¡¯s Picks¡¯, and mounted it on top of the display.


    While they were doing that sort of promotional stuff, I found some things for Mom and Tiffany, and bought a half dozen rock-themed coffee table books. In fact, I grabbed two copies of the book of photos from the early Los Angeles punk scene. One for our new house and one for Mom. She was a bit too young to have been a part of those times, but certainly would know who all those people were.


    The girl at the register rang me up for over seven hundred dollars, which I paid in cash. Way back when I¡¯d been so stunned that Emmy had spent a couple of grand on music, and now an expenditure like that was literally pocket money.


    Eventually Emmy finished signing all the copies of the various Downfall CDs they had in the store and picked out some music for us to take home. It was only a dozen or so CDs, so again, I just paid in cash, bringing the day¡¯s total to nearly a grand.


    The cashier gave me a funny look when I chuckled to myself at how I¡¯d changed, but I didn¡¯t bother to explain.

 Spoiled Surprise

    Once we got back to the apartment, we discovered that there was no CD player in the entire place. We could play the CDs in the TV¡¯s DVD player, but there was no actual stereo in the apartment at all. An obvious oversight in a furnished place, but I guess most renters wouldn¡¯t necessarily want one, anyhow. The look of dismay on Emmy¡¯s face was both perfectly adorable and perfectly heartbreaking at the same time.


    ¡°Would you mind if we went to the store and bought one of those portable CD players?¡± Emmy asked, looking hopeful.


    ¡°You know what? We¡¯ll need a decent stereo in our new house, anyway. Let¡¯s go ahead and buy something worthwhile. There¡¯s no point in even considering a portable.¡±


    ¡°But we do not know where it would go,¡± Emmy protested.


    ¡°It¡¯ll go in the living room. We¡¯ll just have to make sure that we get a nice piece of furniture for the rack, and some good-looking speakers that go along with the decor. But you know, a record player in the living room would fit right in with the Mid Century theme, anyway,¡± I said.


    ¡°We must make certain that the components look good, if they are to be displayed¡­¡± Emmy said, thinking about it.


    Next thing you know, we found ourselves in an audiophile Hi-Fi shop on the eastern edge of downtown, looking at systems for many, many thousands of dollars, to play a few hundred dollars¡¯ worth of CDs. That¡¯s actually not fair- Emmy had a large collection of CDs, far more than just the handful she¡¯d bought earlier that day. We would obviously need to get some sort of nice storage rack for the CDs, too, but that would be a job for the interior designer to handle.


    Emmy seemed taken by the idea of sticking with a brand she knew, so we wound up shelling out nearly fifty thousand dollars on the top of the line Yamaha stereo system in a nice brushed aluminum finish. We arranged for a tech from the store to install the system on the following Tuesday, which was the soonest appointment we could get.


    A bit disappointed at the lack of instant gratification, Emmy was a bit downcast again when we climbed back into the car, so I suggested something that I thought might cheer her up.


    ¡°Hey, babe, want to do something uniquely Los Angeles?¡± I asked, checking my watch to make sure we¡¯d have time.


    ¡°I believe that I said that I did this morning, did I not?¡± Asked Emmy, perking up enough for a snarky answer.


    ¡°All right, I have an idea. I¡¯ve never done this before either, so it¡¯ll be a first time for both of us. I can¡¯t promise it¡¯ll be amazing, but several people have recommended this,¡± I said, trying to tantalize Emmy even more.


    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, curious.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait and see,¡± I said, as I plugged the destination into the GPS app on my phone.


    Soon we were exiting the freeway, then through city streets and finally into a road that wound upwards through a canyon into the Hollywood Hills well east of our new house. Emmy had no idea where we were headed until we rounded the last turn and the Griffith Observatory came into view.


    ¡°Oh! It is beautiful!¡± Emmy gasped. ¡°I have seen this place in movies!¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± I agreed. ¡°The Griffith Observatory shows up in almost every movie ever set in Los Angeles. I¡¯ve been told by more than one person that it¡¯s the best place in town to watch the sun set.¡±


    I¡¯d been warned that parking at the top of the road was limited, but we got lucky and scored a spot in the upper lot.


    ¡°This is so¡­ so very lovely,¡± Emmy said as we walked hand in hand towards the iconic building.


    I squeezed her hand and told Emmy that it paled in comparison to her beauty or something cheesy like that, earning myself a long, sweet kiss in return.


    We walked the grounds, gradually making our way to the west side terrace as the sun neared the horizon.


    ¡°Look!¡± Emmy said, pointing to the flagstones of the terrace. ¡°They have the solstice and equinox sunsets marked!¡±


    Sure enough, there were bronze lines embedded in the floor, pointing to where the sun would set on those days. We¡¯d missed the solstice by almost two months, so that night¡¯s sunset didn¡¯t line up, but was spectacular anyway. Of course, to the west the sky was lit up in all shades of pink, orange and red, but to the south, the low rays of the sun lit up the towers of Downtown in brilliant gold tones.


    Emmy leaned back against me, my arms wrapped around her as we stood there, enjoying the amazing views, along with each others¡¯ company.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy breathed as the colors stated to fade away. ¡°Have I ever told you that I love you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, babe, I think you might have, once or twice,¡± I said, giving her a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°I do not think that I tell you often enough,¡± Leah said.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I love you, Leah. I love you very, very much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± I replied. ¡°Because I love you more than I could ever express.¡±


    Turning around in my arms to face me, Emmy stood on her tiptoes to give me a kiss. We stayed like that, just standing there and kissing, for maybe twenty minutes before turning to go back to the car.


    ¡°Leah, I want to tell you something I am not supposed to tell you,¡± Emmy said as we walked arm in arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to tell me?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°No, I am not. It is to be a surprise, but I want to tell you so very badly,¡± Emmy said, pouting like a little girl.


    ¡°A surprise?¡± I said, surprised.


    ¡°Yes, for your birthday next month. My parents have gotten you something very, very special, and I want to tell you so much it is killing me.¡±


    ¡°Your folks got me a birthday present?¡± I asked, even more surprised.


    ¡°Yes, and I think that it is something you will enjoy very much. It was difficult for my father to arrange this for you, but he used his¡­¡± Emmy trailed off, searching for the right word. ¡°His leverage to get this for you. There are not very many of them, and demand is high.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K., you have me really curious now,¡± I said. ¡°But my birthday is only a little over three weeks away. Can you wait that long to tell me?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure that I can,¡± said Emmy, pouting again. ¡°And it may be that you would need to know before then, anyway. You will probably wish to invite some of your friends.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on having a birthday party,¡± I said as I opened the car door for Emmy, then shut it when she was safely inside.


    ¡°This would not be a typical birthday party, Leah, and I am convinced that you would have a better time with some of your friends in attendance than you would by yourself,¡± Emmy said as we made our way back down the hill. ¡°And three weeks might be the amount of time needed to arrange for them to be there.¡±


    ¡°O.K., you have me totally stumped. What friends would I invite that would take three weeks notice?¡±


    ¡°If I tell you it will ruin some of the surprise,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°So I do not know what to do. Keep the secret and maybe you will not have as enjoyable a time, or tell you and ruin the surprise, but have you enjoy it more.¡±


    ¡°How about if you tell me, but don¡¯t tell your parents you did?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do not like to lie to them,¡± Emmy objected.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie, just don¡¯t mention it at all. I¡¯ll act surprised and they¡¯ll never know, right?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure¡­¡± Emmy said, looking out the window.


    Later that night, after our evening soapy time, Emmy announced that she¡¯d come to a decision.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I will tell you,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I do not think my parents will be able to attend, so I do not think I will be compelled to lie to them. When you speak to them, you can tell them you enjoyed the surprise, but I would have to tell you at least the day before, in any case, so it would not be a total surprise even if I did not tell you now.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K.,¡± I said, enjoying watching Emmy lotion up after drying off.


    ¡°My parents have arranged a private track day at Willow Springs Raceway for your birthday, and my father is flying in experts from Europe to tune your car and coach you to improve your skills,¡± Emmy said. I could tell she was enjoying my eyes on her, as she was giving me a bit of a show. ¡°In fact, the driving instructor is a retired Formula One driver who will work with you all day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± I said, stunned. ¡°I can understand what you meant about inviting friends. I¡¯ll need to arrange for The Track Club guys to bring my car down, too.¡±


    ¡°That has been arranged,¡± Emmy said, sauntering over to the bed, where I sat propped up, watching her. ¡°Everything has been arranged. All you need to do is to be ready to drive.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± I said, lifting aside the covers so Emmy could join me.


    The next morning I was feeling good about life, and felt extra invigorated for my workout. I¡¯d developed a simple routine there at the building¡¯s gym, based mostly on the fact that there was nowhere nearby that had good running roads, and the gym itself had no kickboxing facilities at all. First thing, I¡¯d run on the treadmill for an hour for warmup, then do weights or plyometrics on alternating days. I thought of it as a sort of holding pattern until we got settled in to our permanent home, at which time I¡¯d figure out running routes and find a good fight gym nearby. In other words, good enough for now.


    I¡¯d just come off the treadmill when a middle-aged guy I¡¯d seen a few times approached me. I generally tried to give off ¡®don¡¯t bother me, I¡¯m busy¡¯ vibes that kept most people away, but this guy was determined to talk to me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said. ¡°Look, I know this may seem creepy,¡± he added, and he was totally correct. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen you work out almost every time I come in here early. You look like you¡¯re in pretty good shape.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, still trying to give this guy a tacit ¡®go away¡¯ message.


    ¡°So, I guess what I¡¯m leading up to, is that I¡¯m a producer, and I could probably get you on TV, or maybe some film work.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but not interested,¡± I said.


    ¡°With your looks, and the shape you¡¯re in, you could get big in a hurry, with the right help. That scar you got- it even adds a little something, you know?¡± the guy said, persisting.


    ¡°How much money are we talking?¡± I asked after I¡¯d wiped my face and turned to face him square on.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard that Israeli chick is making over a quarter of a million dollars for the Wonder Woman movie coming out next year,¡± he said.


    ¡°A quarter of a million, huh?¡± I asked, just for clarification.


    ¡°Yeah, but she has bad representation. She coulda held out for four hundred grand, between you and me.¡±


    ¡°How long does it take to film a movie like that?" I asked.


    ¡°Probably five, maybe six months with reshoots,¡± the guy guessed.


    ¡°So, doing the math, she made about forty thousand dollars a month,¡± I said. ¡°Or, in more here and now terms, slightly more than I¡¯m paying in rent for my apartment on the seventeenth floor here in this building.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re paying rent?¡± He asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, just until my house in the Hollywood Hills gets finished,¡± I said. ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m having a lot of work done on my brownstone in Manhattan right now, too, so I had to find a place to stay in the meanwhile.¡±


    He gave me a long look, then said, ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you have plenty of money.¡±


    ¡°I just gave a hundred and fifty million bucks to start a foundation to help refugees. I wrote a check,¡± I said, looking him straight in the eyes. ¡°To start the foundation.¡±


    ¡°In other words, I¡¯m barking up the wrong tree,¡± the guy said with a shrug.


    ¡°Yes, you are,¡± I agreed. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a workout to finish.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, sorry for bothering you,¡± the guy said, taking it fairly gracefully.


    The rest of my workout went uninterrupted, but my good mood from last night had been lost. In some ways, I shouldn¡¯t have been so irritated. He did, after all, offer the possibility of Hollywood stardom to me, which would appeal to most young women in Los Angeles. It was the thinly veiled hint that he¡¯d expect a little bit of special gratitude that really put me off. I may have been reading the situation wrong, I¡¯ll admit, but that was how it had seemed. I really hoped that he hadn''t been successful getting other girls onto his casting couch, and with his tone-deaf approach he might not have, but I¡¯d bet he had.


    After I finished racking my weights, the really gorgeous girl I¡¯d seen working out a few times approached. Now that I got a better look at her, I could see how amazing she actually was. Her face reminded me of Jennifer Connolly in her younger days, and her body was straight out of a fitness magazine cover.


    ¡°Did that man offer you an acting job?¡± she asked with a soft Spanish accent.


    ¡°Yeah, he tried,¡± I said. ¡°I told him to buzz off.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she replied. ¡°Stay away from him. He is not a good man.¡±


    ¡°I got the impression he¡¯s a sleaze,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°He didn''t know who you are? He did not recognize you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Do you?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°You''re married to that singer, Emmy, right? I have seen you with her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am.¡±


    ¡°I am a big fan of hers,¡± the girl said. ¡°Please tell her that I love her music.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, so I can tell her?¡±


    ¡°Angela,¡± came the response.


    ¡°Angela, do you live in this building? Maybe you could come up to our place for lunch some time. Emmy always loves to meet her fans.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we live on the fourth floor,¡± Angela said. ¡°I would love to meet Emmy- that would be amazing!¡±


    We exchanged phone numbers and I told her that I¡¯d talk to Emmy about having her and her husband up for dinner sometime soon.


    ¡°We''re not married yet,¡± Angela corrected me.


    ¡°You and your boyfriend, then,¡± I said.


    Emmy was up and sitting at the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee when I got back up to the apartment.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, giving her a kiss. ¡°I met a fan of yours in the gym this morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Her name is Angela. I told her that I¡¯d talk to you about having her and her boyfriend here for dinner sometime soon.¡±


    ¡°Did she seem nice?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she did,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Then we should invite them over soon,¡± Emmy said, then went back to whatever it was she was looking at on her iPad.


    ¡°Well, O.K. then,¡± I agreed, as I headed off to the shower, somewhat bemused by Emmy¡¯s distracted nonchalance.


    Once I got done with the various emails I had to deal with to start my work day at the office, I shot off a group text to the Saturday morning crew.


    ¡°How hot is it in Rosamond in mid September?¡± I asked the group. ¡°Because I¡¯m doing a track day at Willow Springs for my birthday.¡±


    Jimmy responded almost immediately. ¡°Hot, but not world on fire hot. But there aren¡¯t any track days scheduled for then.¡±


    I let that go unanswered while I shot James up in Palo Alto an email. ¡°Hey, bro. Want to come down this way for a track day at the road course at Willow Springs?¡±


    After sending that, then responding to a couple of work emails that popped up, I checked my texts again.


    Stein and Stephen had both responded by asking what organization was putting on the track day, so I let the cat out of the bag.


    ¡°Private track for the day. My in-laws have rented out the track for my birthday present. You guys in?¡±


    ¡°Awwwwww damn!!!!!!¡± Jimmy replied almost before I¡¯d even sent my text. ¡°Oh hell yesssss!!!!¡±


    ¡°Private track? All day? Count me in,¡± Stephen sent.


    Teddy Bear replied with, ¡°I might be back in town by then, if shooting wraps on schedule. If so, count me in.¡±


    Stein simply posted, ¡°In¡±, nothing more.


    Just as I was writing my next text for the group chat, a text came in from Michael, sent to both Emmy and myself. ¡°Eddie and Elias have finally found the mystery Night Children in Austin. The four of them say they are uninterested in coming under your shadows, but appreciate the positive image of Emmy that they have seen. They had decided on their own that if Emmy can show her true face, so can they, so they have benefitted even without any direct help.¡±


    ¡°Give them your contact info, and let them know that if they need anything they can reach out to us, and our offer stands as always,¡± I sent back.


    Sitting back in my chair, I reflected a moment on what this meant. This was huge- really huge, and I needed to talk to Emmy about it, so I shut my office door and called her.


    When she answered, I asked if she¡¯d seen Michael¡¯s text.


    ¡°No, I have been practicing,¡± she said.


    I explained what Michael had said, then added my own analysis.


    ¡°Em, this is it. Seriously, this is what you¡¯ve been working so hard for these last few years.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, but I was pretty sure she knew exactly what I was talking about.


    ¡°If these Night Children in Texas have seen you on TV and recognized that your visibility means their freedom from fear, well, they can¡¯t be the only ones, right? Even though these guys aren¡¯t under our shadow, they¡¯re already living proof that our whole plan is working.¡±


    ¡°You are right. This is momentous,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°I must call my parents and tell them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± I agreed. ¡°I love you, babe. Let me know how your call with your folks goes.¡±


    After hanging up, I sat there for a few moments, just thinking about the ramifications. Realizing that I needed more details, I called Michael.


    He answered the phone on the first ring. ¡°Yes, my queen?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, I thought we were over that,¡± I grumped.


    ¡°We were, but this seems a special occasion,¡± Michael countered.


    ¡°It seriously is,¡± I agreed. ¡°This is a really big deal.¡±


    Michael and I talked for almost an hour, at first about the Austin Strays, then about other Stray business, then finally about Jassie, and how she missed Emmy and me.


    ¡°I think that when she leaves for college, I will move to Los Angeles, to be closer to you and Emmy,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°Where is she planning on going to school?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know yet. She thinks she wants to study veterinary medicine, which means that she needs to get a Bachelor¡¯s in biology from a decent school, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good idea, of course it is, but I just don¡¯t think she¡¯s really motivated enough for it. She has two more years before she needs to apply for college, so she¡¯s got plenty of time to change her mind,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true enough,¡± I agreed.


    After getting off the phone with Michael, I had a few more work emails before I could allow myself to read James¡¯ reply.


    ¡°Open track? Private? That¡¯s awesome!¡± his email said. ¡°I¡¯ll be there. Imogen has been talking about wanting to see the Getty, so we¡¯ll make a mini vacation out of it. I¡¯ll have the Track Club guys bring my car down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be great to see you guys,¡± I replied. ¡°Emmy and I haven¡¯t had a chance to see the Getty yet, either, so maybe we can make it a double-date.¡±


    Checking my texts one last time before buckling down to work, I saw that the Saturday crew had sent nearly three dozen texts back and forth while I was paying attention to other things.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal,¡± I posted in the conversation. ¡°My in-laws are treating me to a really nice birthday present. Not only are they renting the track for the day, they¡¯re bringing in a European race crew to set up my car just right, and a retired driver to coach me for the day. Because, yes, my in-laws are that awesome.¡±


    This prompted a flurry of texts, wanting to know more details.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait and see,¡± I teased.

 Coming Out

    Returning my focus to work, I read through the portfolio Sandy had put together on a brewpub in Venice. I''d come to trust his instincts, so I was ready to rubber-stamp the purchase when something caught my eye. He¡¯d included an article from GQ from the year before labeling the main street in Venice ¡°The Hippest Street In America.¡± It was the street I''d randomly driven down a month before, the one with the Doc Marten shoe store. Sandy had included the article to show the district¡¯s current appeal- just the sort of intangible he was so good at spotting, but here it was backed up by a national publication.


    I figured it might be a good place to grab lunch, to take a look at the brewpub myself, just for one last confirmation.


    I was busy scrolling up and down the avenue using Google¡¯s Street View, mostly just wasting time when somebody knocked on my office door.


    Honestly, I''d forgotten I ever shut it, since I usually keep it wide open to encourage communication within the office.


    I got up and opened the door, swinging it wide, intending to leave it open after whoever it was was done with whatever it was they¡¯d come for.


    Jake was standing there, and peeking out from behind him was a teenaged girl.


    ¡°Is this Makayla?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Kay, come out and say hi to my boss, Mrs. Farmer,¡± Jake said, encouraging the girl.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Makayla said, slowly edging out from behind her grandfather.


    ¡°Makayla, Ja- your grandfather told me that you might be interested in a career in music. Is that right?¡± I asked, completely at a loss on how to have this talk.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she agreed, finally out in the open. ¡°Grampa told me that you¡¯re married to Emmy Lascaux. Is it true?¡±


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you come in to my office and we can talk. It¡¯s more comfortable than just standing around like this,¡± I suggested, heading back to my desk. I grabbed my chair and rolled it around so the desk wouldn''t be in the middle of our conversation as Jake steered the girl into one of the two chairs facing my desk.


    On her way to sit down, Makayla spotted the poster I¡¯d had hung opposite my desk and seemed about to say something, but held it in.


    Once everybody was seated, I told Makayla that yes, Emmy and I had been married for a few years now.


    ¡°We got married young, but we both knew it was what we wanted, so why put it off?¡± I said.


    ¡°She¡¯s so amazing,¡± Makayla said. ¡°She can play the guitar, she sings, and she¡¯s totally beautiful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all true,¡± I agreed. ¡°But those aren¡¯t why I fell in love with her, you know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°I fell in love with Emmy because she¡¯s sweet, loving, and kind. She¡¯s always polite, even when people are rude. She taught me to be my own person, and ignore what other people might think or say about me.¡±


    ¡°Like¡­ like what?¡± Makayla asked.


    ¡°Well, we met at the beginning of our senior year of high school,¡± I said. ¡°At first, we were just friends, you know? But before long, I realized I was in love with her, and she was in love with me. I was worried about everybody in school finding out I was gay, but Emmy just didn¡¯t care what anybody said, and following her example, I stopped caring, too.¡±


    ¡°What kind of things?¡± Makayla asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°Mean things,¡± I said. ¡°Insults designed to hurt my feelings, or make me seem lesser, somehow. These other kids thought that being gay was somehow wrong, and they thought it was their job to tell me so.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Makayla asked.


    ¡°I ignored them. Just plain ignored ¡®em. The thing is, the happiness that loving Emmy brought me was so much more important to me than what these kids I didn¡¯t even care about thought or said, that it just didn¡¯t matter. I was happy, and they weren¡¯t going to take that away from me.¡±


    ¡°I read that you got in a lot of fights in school,¡± Makayla said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked. Shaking my head, I said ¡°I got in one fight in school, ever. Just one. Two girls who hated me tried to beat me up in the bathroom one time. That¡¯s it. The only fight in my entire time in school. I don¡¯t know who it is that keeps spreading these stories about me online, but seriously- don¡¯t believe what you read online,¡± I said.


    ¡°Did they?¡± Makayla asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°Did they what?¡± I asked, not sure what she meant.


    ¡°Did they beat you up?¡± Makayla clarified.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Oh, heck no. I pounded the two of ¡®em pretty hard! They were afraid of me for the rest of the school year.¡±


    ¡°Were you really big in school?" Makayla asked. ¡°I mean,¡± she added, realizing she¡¯d put her foot in her mouth a bit, ¡°you look really big and strong now. Were you back then, too?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was the tallest kid in my class in fifth grade, but then some of the boys started getting taller than me. My senior year, I was the tallest girl in school, but I wasn¡¯t all that strong. I didn¡¯t really get strong until college, when I really worked out a ton. How about you? Are you strong?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not strong. But I am fast- I like to run,¡± Makayla answered.


    ¡°Are you on the track team?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My school really doesn¡¯t have a track team. We just run and stuff in P.E.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re thirteen, right? Just do whatever sports you like just because you like it right now. In high school you can start running, or swimming, or playing basketball or whatever more seriously. Right now, just enjoy yourself.¡±


    Turning to Jake, I asked, ¡°Do you guys have any lunch plans?¡±


    ¡°No, no plans,¡± Jake answered. ¡°I was thinking I¡¯d take Kay for a burger or something, but that¡¯s about the extent of it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a place in Venice I¡¯d like to check out. If you¡¯ll drive, I¡¯ll buy lunch.¡±


    ¡°Venice Beach? It¡¯ll take us over half an hour to get there,¡± Jake objected.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The boss won¡¯t yell at you for taking a long lunch,¡± I said, getting a little laugh from Makayla.


    We all piled into Jake¡¯s older Lexus, since my car was a two-seater. On the drive south, Makayla and I talked about school, about music (especially Emmy¡¯s), about sports, and so on. There was no mention of boys in there, anywhere. Since the girl was thirteen years old and in middle school, boys would have been an expected part of the conversation if they¡¯d held any interest for her at all.


    The brewpub had just the right kind of hipster vibe, and the friendly waiter that took our orders was heavily tattooed. He¡¯d introduced himself as Tommy, then did an excellent job of running down the list of daily specials, including a daily kid¡¯s special, to my surprise.


    ¡°Why did you want to come here?¡± Jake asked, once our drinks had been delivered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you met Sandy yet,¡± I answered, sipping my lemonade (served in a Mason jar, of course). ¡°Aussie guy, sorta tall, kinda loud?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t actually been introduced, but I have seen a guy like that around the office a few times,¡± admitted Jake.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s a big part of one of my other businesses- the hospitality division. He is my scout- he identifies places like this, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, that sort of thing. Places that are doing O.K., but the owners want to sell for one reason or another. This place might be the first of his local portfolio.¡±


    ¡°Local? He¡¯s from the San Jose office?¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s moving down here at the end of the summer. Sandy and a few others are relocating down here to help establish our hospitality presence in the L.A. area.¡±


    ¡°So this is why you¡¯ve been talking about moving our office because we need more space,¡± Jake said, nodding his understanding. ¡°It isn¡¯t because you¡¯re going to bring in additional property managers.¡±


    ¡°Up in San Jose I had the property management and development divisions in one set of offices and the hospitality division in another, but adjoining, space. They looked separate from the outside, but shared a lot of common space inside. That way I didn¡¯t have to split my time between physical locations. The entertainment division was separate, with an office in San Francisco, but I really had no hand in that anyway so that didn¡¯t matter. I¡¯d really like to do the same thing down here, but maybe even take it a step further,¡± I said.


    ¡°I get it now,¡± Jake said, nodding in agreement. ¡°There¡¯s been talk that some jobs may get axed and new blood brought in with the relo.¡±


    ¡°Well, some jobs may get axed, but that¡¯s separate from the relocation. Keep that under your hat,¡± I added.


    ¡°So why this place?¡± Jake asked, looking around.


    ¡°It makes money, has growth potential, and is fairly new. You know the average life expectancy of a restaurant in the U.S. is only four and a half years? So statistically, this place only has another two, three years before it fails or gets reworked into something else. This place, though, has good numbers. Here, let me show you,¡± I said, pulling the folder out of my briefcase.


    Just then, Tommy the waiter came by to ask if we needed anything. I glanced around and saw the crowd was light, since we were early for the lunch crowd.


    ¡°Tommy,¡± I said. ¡°Can we have five minutes of your time? I¡¯d like to ask you some questions about this restaurant.¡±


    Looking suddenly concerned, Tommy said, ¡°Let me get the manager,¡± and started to back away.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s O.K.,¡± I reassured him. ¡°It¡¯s you I want to talk to.¡±


    ¡°What about?¡± he asked, still obviously uncomfortable.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the deal,¡± I said, pointing to the folder that Jake held in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to buy this restaurant, and I wanted to get some impressions that aren¡¯t in the stuff the CPAs care about. You work here, you see how things are run, how business is doing, that kind of thing. What I want to know is what is it like to be in the trenches, I guess is one way to put it. If I¡¯m going to drop almost two million dollars on this place, I¡¯d like a feel for what I¡¯m buying.¡±


    Glancing around, Tommy said, ¡°Yeah, O.K., I guess I can talk for a few. So it¡¯s really true? Thomas really is going to sell?¡±


    ¡°The paperwork I have right here says he is,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°So what do you want to know?¡± Tommy asked, feeling a bit more comfortable with the situation.


    ¡°Do you work full-time?" I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I mean, I could always use more hours, right? But yeah, I generally get my forty in.¡±


    ¡°How is the pay relative to your costs? Can you live on the paycheck you get here?¡± I asked.


    Clearly surprised by this line of questions, Tommy said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got, like, two roommates, but yeah, we make rent every month. I¡¯ve got enough left over for what I want, so yeah, sure, I guess the pay is O.K.¡±


    ¡°Looking at the paperwork, it seems as if only about half the staff are full-time. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got a lot of students, you know? College doesn¡¯t leave much room to put in full weeks, if you get what I mean,¡± Tommy answered.


    ¡°So it isn¡¯t that the management is keeping people part-time to keep costs down?¡±


    ¡°What? No, Thomas doesn¡¯t play that game. He¡¯s a good boss, not like a lot of guys.¡±


    ¡°So, one last question. Can you see yourself working here in, say, five years?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Um, well, I mean, I guess,¡± Tommy said. ¡°It¡¯s a decent job, and I like the people, you know? I¡¯m not sure I want to be a waiter all my life, but it pays the bills, right?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Tommy,¡± I said. ¡°You might have just earned yourself a raise. I¡¯ll talk to you in a couple of weeks when everything gets finalized.¡±


    Smiling, Tommy reverted back to attentive waiter mode and said, ¡°So, in the meantime, is there anything I can get you folks?¡±


    ¡°Are you really gonna buy this restaurant?¡± Makayla asked, amazed.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I am,¡± I said. ¡°If the food is any good.¡±


    ¡°Kay, Leah here is really good with numbers. She got a business degree from Stanford and really knows what she¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Makayla,¡± I said, leaning in. ¡°Let me tell you a secret.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, her eyes wide as she leaned in to hear what I had to say.


    ¡°The trick to success in business, and in life, is to find people who are good at what they do, and to rely on them to do their best. Like your grampa, here,¡± I said, indicating Jake. ¡°He¡¯s really good at his job. I mean, really good. I¡¯m really glad he works for me, and not for one of my competitors.¡±


    ¡°Grampa?¡± Makayla asked.


    ¡°Yep. Your grampa is my best property manager here in Los Angeles, and I trust him to do his job well, so I don¡¯t have to even think about it at all. Like this waiter, Tommy. He seems pretty good, don¡¯t you think?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, and I like his tattoos,¡± agreed Makayla.


    ¡°He¡¯s good-looking, too, so that helps,¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Makayla said, looking doubtful.


    ¡°Not your type?¡± I asked, fishing even though I was pretty sure by this point.


    ¡°I think-¡± she said, then looked at Jake, who was leafing through the file on the restaurant and making a point of not listening. ¡°I think I like girls, better,¡± Makayla said, barely above a whisper.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I whispered back. ¡°But you know what?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Makayla asked, still whispering.


    ¡°I don¡¯t keep the fact that I like girls a secret, and I don¡¯t think you need to, either. Can I tell you another secret?¡± I asked, still leaning way in and whispering.


    ¡°What?¡± Makayla asked.


    ¡°I think your family knows. I think that¡¯s why your grampa wanted us to meet, so we could talk about what it¡¯s like to like other girls.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure. Should I ask him?¡± I whispered, glancing over at Jake, who was still doing his best to not notice our chat.


    ¡°What if he¡­ What would my mom say?¡± Makayla asked, worried.


    ¡°She¡¯d say she loves you and knew all along, that¡¯s what,¡± I said. ¡°Bet me five dollars. Your grampa knows I¡¯m gay, right? And he doesn¡¯t care at all. He loves you. He¡¯s gonna love you just the same, gay or not.¡±


    Makayla sat up and looked over at her grandfather. ¡°Grampa Jake?¡± she asked, her voice unsteady.


    ¡°Yeah, Kay?¡± Jake asked, looking up from the folder.


    ¡°I think- no, I know, I¡¯m gay,¡± Makayla announced.


    ¡°Well, sure, of course you are,¡± Jake said, then went back to reading the papers in his hand.


    ¡°See?¡± I asked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t hard, was it?¡±


    ¡°You were right- he knew already!¡± Makayla said, a look of immense relief on her young face.


    ¡°Of course he did,¡± I said. ¡°And you know what? He¡¯s known for a long time. And he loves you just the same. I¡¯m sure your mom does, too.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Jake said, interrupting our coming-out moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about this industry, but these numbers look solid. As a complete layman, I¡¯d say that you should go ahead and buy the place.¡±


    Grateful for the change of topic, I said, ¡°Yeah, Sandy is really good at putting these deals together. I think this place is a winner.¡±


    ¡°Another thing that struck me,¡± Jake mused. ¡°This place makes money, but not a whole heck of a lot, to be honest. Is this typical?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the way the hospitality industry is,¡± I agreed. ¡°There¡¯s money to make, but not as much as in a lot of fields.¡±


    ¡°So why do it, then? A small apartment building might cost about the same, but it¡¯ll have a much higher ROI.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you a secret, Jake.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m in the hospitality market because it employs a heck of a lot of people.¡±


    At the puzzled look on his face, I said, ¡°I run my businesses to put people to work. That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about.¡±


    ¡°So why property management?¡±


    ¡°To give people good places to live at fair prices,¡± I replied. ¡°Making money is just the happy by-product. Like you said on that first day we went out to do site inspections- doing well by doing good.¡±


    Then, changing the subject, I said, ¡°Oh, and by the way, Makayla just came out of the closet.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± Jake agreed. Turning to his granddaughter, Jake said, ¡°Kay, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally ready to tell us all that you¡¯re gay, but you know what? We already all know.¡±


    ¡°See? What did I say?¡± I asked the girl. ¡°And you know what? Being honest with your family is a first start. It only gets easier from now on out. Gimme a high five,¡± I said, holding up my hand, which Makayla reflexively slapped.


    ¡°Wait- why are we high fiving?¡± she asked.


    ¡°To coming out of the closet. To being honest with your family, and maybe, when you¡¯re ready, with your friends. To being who you are. To ignoring those who will try to put you down because of it. Most of all, to being true to yourself.¡±


    Just then, Tommy the waiter appeared with Makayla¡¯s baby Hawaiian burger and my chicken breast sandwich. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I couldn¡¯t help but overhear,¡± he said to Makayla. ¡°It sounds as if you just told people for the very first time that you¡¯re gay. That¡¯s completely awesome- I am, too,¡± he said, and held his hand up for another high five, and Makayla slapped his hand, too. ¡°Seriously, what she said,¡± Tommy said, indicating me, ¡°Is completely true. Being out is so, so much better. Even the bad parts are still better than lying to everyone around you. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    I gave him a ¡®thanks¡¯ look as he left to go get Jake¡¯s lunch. ¡°See?¡± I said to Makayla. ¡°More people are going to be happy for you than you might think. So- are you going to go to the next Pride Parade with me and Emmy?¡±


    ¡°Can I? Really?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Only if it¡¯s O.K. with your family,¡± I said, realizing that I didn¡¯t know if her parents were together or not. In fact, I knew nothing about her situation other than that Jake was her grandfather, but that¡¯s it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask!¡± Makayla said, energized by the thought, and in truth, by coming out of the closet. It was obvious that a giant weight had been lifted off her little shoulders, and I was very pleased with myself that I was able to help.


    Lunch was good, and halfway through lunch Makayla asked me how it was I said, ¡°Yup. Gonna buy the place,¡± getting a laugh.


    After lunch, I emailed Sandy. ¡°Move on the deal,¡± I said, keeping it simple. Of course, there were a bunch of texts from the Saturday gang, but I didn¡¯t respond. ¡®Let them stew,¡¯ I thought, and moved on to an email from James in Palo Alto.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, is it O.K. if I invite a few others? I was thinking Justin, and maybe Amash. What do you think?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Cool with me,¡± I replied. ¡°I want to keep the track fairly empty, so maybe no more than four from up there? And seriously, bring Imogen down. You can stay at our place if you want- I know Emmy would love to have you guys over for a few days.¡±


    The rest of the day was spent with work, and I was good about it.


    That evening, I mentioned to Emmy that I¡¯d invited James and Imogen to stay at our place and she was excited about the the idea.


    ¡°Did James say they would stay here?¡± she asked, her face lit up.


    ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t said one way or another. I¡¯m sure he had to wait until he got home to talk to Imogen about it before committing,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯ll probably let me know by tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°It would be lovely to have them here,¡± Emmy said, thinking about having house guests.


    ¡°Yeah, it would,¡± I agreed. I liked James and Imogen, and the two of them really seemed to like Emmy as well, so it was all good as far as I could tell.


    ¡°Oh, I talked to Andy today,¡± Emmy said. ¡°He asked if it would be O.K. to bring his fianc¨¦e to dinner, and of course I told him it would.¡±


    ¡°When is this dinner going to happen?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That has yet to be determined,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°When would work for you?¡±


    ¡°Any time at all,¡±I said.

 Just Another Day In Paradise

    Apparently ¡°any time at all¡± meant the very next night. Emmy asked if I could cook my mom¡¯s special recipe roasted tarragon chicken, one of Emmy¡¯s favorites from my admittedly limited repertoire. I worked up a shopping list, which Emmy said she would hand to the concierge first thing in the morning, getting a chuckle from me about how our life had become.


    ¡°I think we will need to hire people, with our new house,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Just as we hired Luisa and Wally in Manhattan, we will need people to take care of things for us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d been thinking about that,¡± I admitted. ¡°I figure we have a few months before we need to start looking, but it¡¯s not a bad idea to put some thought into what help we¡¯ll need. You¡¯re also going to need people to work in your studio, too.¡±


    ¡°Lee and Jackson and I have discussed this. We have offered permanent positions to several of our tour crew, and Snake and Riggo have already accepted.¡±


    ¡°Snake? You have a guy named Snake as a roadie? And Riggo?¡± I asked, amazed.


    ¡°Snake is not a guy, but yes, that is really her name. I have seen her driver¡¯s license. Riggo, that is his nickname, since rigging is his specialty.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll get an LLC setup for, I don¡¯t know, ¡®Downfall Productions,¡¯ or something like that and get payroll and accounting going,¡± I said, thinking about what needed to be done.


    ¡°The payroll and costs will be paid for by the band,¡± Emmy said. ¡°This is something that the three of us have decided.¡±


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll have the three of you listed as the officers. I know that Jackson was studying law before you guys formed, so he¡¯ll understand the steps involved. The three of you are going to have to come up with seed money to start the bank accounts and pay the professionals¡­¡± I said, thinking aloud.


    ¡°We have discussed that, too. How much do you think we will have to deposit?¡±


    ¡°Well, assuming that all your royalties will get diverted into the LLC, you¡¯ll have revenue immediately, so not too much. Maybe a hundred grand each? Can Jackson and Lee handle that?¡±


    ¡°I believe so, but I will talk to them tomorrow, to make certain.¡±


    ¡°O.K., talk to the guys right away when you get together, and call me at work. You can speaker phone it and we can talk about what needs to be done, and then I¡¯ll get the thing set up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Leah,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I do not know what I would do without you.¡±


    ¡°Thankfully, that¡¯s not a concern, since you do have me,¡± I said.


    Emmy called a little bit before ten the next morning, and sure enough, the two guys were there on speaker with her. I ran over what was needed to set up an independent business entity. Jackson was vaguely familiar with a lot of it, but he¡¯d never actually had to put anything he¡¯d learned in his corporate law classes into use, so the nuts and bolts were unfamiliar. By the end of the conversation we¡¯d gotten all the basic details sorted out and a commitment for two hundred grand each from Lee and Jackson (and of course, from us, too) to get the ball rolling. The LLC would rent the studio space from Emmy and me at a nominal cost, but be responsible for maintenance and expenses. All in all, generous on our part, but fair enough. While we were all hashing out the details, I shot off emails to our lawyers with instructions to create the LLC, and to our banker to create the necessary account paperwork and email it to the various parties.


    After the call wrapped up, Nash knocked on the doorframe. I¡¯d noticed him lurking out in the hall, waiting for my call to end.


    ¡°Hey, Nash,¡± I said when he stepped into my office. ¡°How is the transition going?¡±


    ¡°Good. Really good, actually, really good. Jackie and I have been house hunting, and we¡¯ve seen a few places that are close to what we want. We¡¯ll find the right place soon.¡±


    ¡°Close to your in-laws? You said they live in Orange County, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Costa Mesa,¡± Nash confirmed. ¡°We want to be close enough, but not too close, if you get what I mean,¡± he said, taking a seat and laying a fat three ring binder on my desk. ¡°Here are three possibilities for the new corporate office,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve ranked them three different ways. You¡¯ll see, it¡¯s all there.¡±


    ¡°All three are suitable?¡± I asked, sure the answer was going to be ¡®yes¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah, to one degree or another,¡± Nash said. ¡°It¡¯s just a question of priorities. The first place gives us the most room to take everything under one roof, but the area, well, it¡¯s not the best, and might not present the best look for visiting clients. The second one would cost more to build out, and would require a sort of ¡®campus¡¯ setup rather than one single building, but could be made to be really nice. The bones are there, but it¡¯d take a while to get it to where we need it. The third is almost move-in ready, but offers the least room for growth long-term. It¡¯s my least favorite of the three, but I wanted to include it so you could see the option and go that route if you wanted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± I said, leafing through the binder. ¡°It¡¯s going to take at least a year to get the company realigned anyhow, so we have some time. Still, it¡¯d be good to get rolling on this ASAP. Thanks for putting this together so quickly, Nash.¡± Then, since it just occurred to me, I asked, ¡°Hey, you and Jackie want to come over for dinner some time? I¡¯m not nearly the cook Jackie is, but Emmy and I would love to have you guys.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d love to,¡± Nash said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Jackie and we can figure out when would work.¡± With that, he got up to leave. ¡°Um, Leah, you remember Jenny, right? My daughter? Played volleyball at Chico State?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s staying with us until school starts again next month. Would it be O.K. if she comes over, too?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? I asked. ¡°Of course it¡¯s O.K.!¡±


    After Nash left I looked through the info on three properties he¡¯d found, ultimately deciding that I would really have to do a site inspection to get a feel.


    Setting the binder aside to look at later, I returned to looking at what I¡¯d been reading when Emmy and the boys called earlier, the inspection analysis for a twenty-seven unit apartment complex in Long Beach that we were thinking of acquiring. The inspector we used in Los Angeles had a different way of writing up his reports than the guy I was used to up in San Jose, so I¡¯d flagged a few items to ask him about.


    I found my mind drifting a bit, so I set the report aside and went out to get lunch. I didn¡¯t really feel as if I wanted company, so I just walked a block east to the Irish pub. As odd as it may sound, they had a really good Cajun chicken penne that was worth putting up with all the ersatz Irish decorations for.


    Since I was eating alone, I just sat at the bar rather than take a table or booth. It¡¯s not that the place was all that busy, but still- it¡¯s just common courtesy towards the establishment. I was sitting there, working on my pasta and responding to an email from James in Palo Alto about whether he could extend the invite to a mutual friend of ours to the track day, when a guy sat on the stool next to mine, even though there were plenty of empty spots farther away.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he grunted in greeting when I looked up at him. I just nodded, then went back to paying attention to my phone.


    ¡°That¡¯s the cajun pasta, right?¡± he asked, interrupting my thoughts. ¡°How is it? I¡¯ve seen it on the menu and wondered what an Irish pub is doing serving an Italian dish done up in a Louisiana style.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good, actually,¡± I replied, more to be polite than anything else. ¡°Honestly, besides the Harp and Guinness signs behind the bar, there really isn¡¯t much Irish about this place at all.¡±


    ¡°True dat,¡± the guy said with a laugh. ¡°Now, maybe if they played some Dropkick Murphys on the stereo¡­¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Then it¡¯d be a Boston bar,¡± I said.


    ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± the guy replied.


    Thankfully, that¡¯s as far as the conversation went, because just then the bartender came and took his order for Cajun penne. I returned to emailing James that it was cool if he invited Justin down, too, and anyway, I was coming up to San Jose later in the week and we could get together at the speakeasy and talk details.


    ¡°You were right- that pasta is pretty good,¡± the guy sitting next to me said.


    ¡°Try the fish tacos next time- they¡¯re also worth eating,¡± I replied. ¡°And just as Irish.¡± With that, I signaled for the bartender, and handed him a twenty when he came over. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as I stood up to leave.


    ¡°Hey, great talking with you,¡± the guy said.


    ¡°Try the marshmallow milkshake for dessert,¡± I told him as I started walking away. ¡°It¡¯s also really authentic.¡±


    Bemused by the odd conversation, I walked back to the office, ready to face an afternoon of spreadsheets, financial reports and other forms of paperwork.


    Settling down at my desk, I glanced up at the poster of Emmy¡¯s face on the opposite wall. Just seeing that gigantic photo of her face made me smile, so I sent her a text. ¡°Missing you¡±, I texted. I figured she was probably practicing and wouldn''t hear the phone buzz, so I was surprised when a reply came back almost immediately.


    ¡°I miss you, too.¡±, was the reply, followed by a series of three little red hearts. ¡°When will you be home?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking I¡¯d head home at 4.¡± I texted back. ¡°Andy and his girlfriend are supposed to come over at 6:30, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Will that give you enough time to cook dinner?¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°No problem¡±, I sent back.


    ¡°OK. See you then¡±, Emmy texted, with another three red hearts.


    In a better mood, I dove into work, and the time passed quickly. Driving back to Century City, I got to wondering what Andy would be like. Sure, I grew up going to the same schools as he did, and so in that sense we¡¯d known each other since we were eight years old or something like that, but we really hadn¡¯t travelled much in the same circles at all since high school started. In fact, the most time I¡¯d spent with him was when he and the other guys from the football team had sat with us in solidarity for a while after Emmy and I were outed.


    Since then, it¡¯d been four and a half years since I¡¯d seen him last. I was trying to picture what he must look like, mentally adding a few years and maybe fifty pounds of muscle to his already fairly big frame. He undoubtedly still had that slightly lopsided grin, and I just couldn¡¯t imagine him with anything but the same mop of dark blonde hair he¡¯d had in all the time I¡¯d even known him. I mentally tried on facial hair, too, but that just didn¡¯t seem right.


    What would his fianc¨¦e be like? Probably nice, I decided. Andy hadn¡¯t ever really fit the shallow football player stereotype back in school. He hadn¡¯t gone for the typical pretty girls the way some jocks did, so she probably wasn¡¯t a cheerleader or anything like that. Maybe they met in international studies class, or world history? That would be much more believable than some sort of air-headed sorority girl out to snag a husband with good economic prospects.


    How much did linebackers fresh out of college even make in the NFL, anyway? I knew that big contracts made the news, but most players don¡¯t get those gigantic paydays. Maybe Andy was signed to a three, maybe four year deal?


    I was pondering the possible paychecks of defensive football players when I walked in the door of our seventeenth-floor apartment, which smelled amazing.


    ¡°Leah!¡± Emmy exclaimed, her face lighting up. ¡°Look! I am making cookies!¡± she said, indicating a pan of chocolate chip cookies cooling on the countertop. ¡°Lacy shared her secret recipe with me. It is not hard!¡±


    I looked at the relatively minimal mess Emmy had made and spotted the empty bag of Ghirardelli chips, laid flat and smoothed out.


    ¡°This recipe?¡± I asked, pointing to the back of the bag, with the instructions written on it.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°That is Lacy¡¯s secret. She simply follows the directions on the bag, and does not try to alter it or modify it to make it better, since that always turns out poorly,¡± Emmy explained, completely seriously.


    Laughing, I asked, ¡°Are they ready?¡± as I reached for the tray.


    ¡°Yes, but you may have only one before dinner. The rest are for afterwards.¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I agreed, already stuffing the cookie into my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m gonna wash up, then get started on dinner.¡±


    ¡°I will clean all this up right away,¡± Emmy said. ¡°How was the cookie?¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, is that a bird on our balcony?" I asked, looking past Emmy. When she turned around to see where I was looking, I snagged another cookie, but she caught me.


    ¡°Oh! You are terrible!¡± Emmy said, giving me a playful swat.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s sweeter than these cookies?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± I said, wrapping my arm around her waist and drawing her in for a kiss.


    After we parted, Emmy said sternly, ¡°Do not think your Casanova ways will earn you another before-dinner cookie. You have had enough for now.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, I¡¯ll just have to get another kind of sweetness, won¡¯t I?¡± I asked, leaning in for another kiss. Yeah, it was cheesy, but sometimes that¡¯s what was called for. It seemed to work, since Emmy melted in my arms.


    ¡°How did I get so lucky?¡± I asked, when we broke our kiss. ¡°Beautiful, talented and charming,¡± I said, and Emmy¡¯s eyes grew soft. ¡°And also a wife who makes cookies.¡±


    Emmy realized what I¡¯d just said, and gave me another swat. ¡°Yes, you are beautiful, talented and charming,¡± she said. ¡°But do not count on too many cookies in the future!¡±


    ¡°As long as I can get my sweetness this way,¡± I said, kissing her again, ¡°I can live without cookies.¡±


    ¡°How much time do we have before you must start cooking dinner?¡± Emmy asked, glancing towards the bedroom.


    Checking my watch, I said, ¡°A little less than half an hour. Why?¡±


    Looking disappointed, Emmy stuck out her lower lip. ¡°That is not enough time for you to make it up to me for stealing an extra cookie. You will need at least, mmm, two hours for that. I will just have to wait until later tonight,¡± Emmy declared.


    ¡°And how will I make it up to you?¡± I asked, gently stroking her sides.


    ¡°I will think of a way,¡± Emmy promised. ¡°It will involve plenty of exercise to work off those calories.¡±


    ¡°If I promise to work it off with an additional hour, can I have one more cookie now?¡± I asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Yes, you may,¡± Emmy said, giving it some thought. ¡°But do not use your tongue when eating it. You will need for your tongue to be well rested before the exercises start.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± I agreed, snagging another Toll House from the tray. ¡°Hee? O tong,¡± I said, eating the treat like Cookie Monster from Sesame Street.


    ¡°Go get cleaned up,¡± Emmy commanded, trying to keep a straight face. ¡°I must clean up the kitchen. And hide the rest of the cookies.¡±


    Doing as I was told, I changed out of my office clothes and into a pair of jeans and a nice sage green linen shirt. Keeping it California casual, I didn¡¯t bother with shoes and just went barefoot.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± Emmy said when I returned to the kitchen. ¡°And talented and charming. Now make dinner,¡± she commanded.


    ¡°Your wife¡¯s place is in the kitchen?" I asked.


    ¡°Right now it is,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Later, my wife¡¯s place will be in the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°I see how you are,¡± I said. ¡°I see how you are.¡±


    ¡°How am I?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Adorable,¡± I replied, wrapping her in my arms again.


    Emmy leaned her head against my chest and held me tight for a little while, then got up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss. ¡°I do love you so,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°I love you, too, baby,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head.


    It didn¡¯t take me long to prep the chicken and get it roasting, along with a baking pan of veggies. While that was in the oven, I made a nice salad and put it aside, then cut up some fruit, and, following Mom¡¯s recipe, mixed up a pitcher of sangria.


    ¡°You make all that look so easy.¡± Emmy commented from where she¡¯d been watching from the kitchen counter bar stool.


    ¡°It mostly is easy,¡± I said, cleaning up. ¡°Well, the doing is easy. The knowing what to do, that takes some guidance.¡±


    ¡°I liked to watch Marie-Anne when I was young,¡± Emmy recalled. ¡°I do not believe I ever saw her use a cookbook. Not one time. It was like magic. She could make amazing meals from whatever she had available.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never be as good a cook as Marie-Anne,¡± I admitted. ¡°Not in this lifetime.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about bringing her to Los Angeles?¡± Emmy asked, thinking about it.


    ¡°Would she leave your parents? Would they be O.K. with that?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, it would be awesome, and I know we talked about needing some people for the new house,¡± I said, considering the idea. ¡°I guess we¡¯d need to tell the architect to carve out some space for an apartment or two in the plans, if we¡¯re going to have full-time live-ins like Marie-Anne.¡±


    ¡°You would be O.K. with that?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°To have other people in our house all the time?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I guess that¡¯s the way you grew up, Em, so it seems normal to you, but it¡¯s a little strange to me, you know? But we¡¯ve committed to that in New York, right? And eventually we¡¯re going to have a baby, so it would be nice if we had somebody else taking care of things while you focused on being a mom¡­¡± I said, rambling.


    ¡°It would mean a very lot to me if we could bring Marie-Anne to Los Angeles,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°I had not suggested it before because I did not think that you wanted people in our house.¡±


    ¡°What made you think that?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°When I suggested in Palo Alto that we get a cleaning lady, you said that you did not like that idea,¡± Emmy said.


    Understanding dawning on me, I said, ¡°No, babe, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want strangers in our house or anything like that. It was just that I didn¡¯t think that the two of us made enough mess to justify it, and we could clean up after ourselves just fine. After all, that was just a fifteen hundred square foot townhouse. But our new place? It¡¯s going to be what, eight times the size? That¡¯s a lot for just the two of us to manage.¡±


    ¡°I think Marie-Anne would come if I asked,¡± Emmy said, thinking about it. ¡°Especially, she would come if she knew there would be a baby.¡±


    ¡°There is going to be a baby, right?" I asked, moving to sit next to Emmy so we could talk. ¡°We are going to try to get you pregnant once we¡¯re settled into our new place?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°I want to have a baby with you so very much it hurts when I think about it. I want it so very much, Leah,¡± Emmy said, tears forming in her eyes.


    ¡°Me too, Em, me too,¡± I said, taking her into my arms again. ¡°Soon, baby, soon.¡±


    ¡°I worry that we will not be good mothers sometimes,¡± Emmy said in a little voice. ¡°I am too busy with my music, and you with work. How will we be able to give our child the time and love she will need?¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll be great moms. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    We sat like that for a few minutes, until Emmy regained her composure. ¡°I must wash my face,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Our guests will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± I said. ¡°Dinner is almost ready.¡±

 Dinner And Conversation

    Thankfully, Andy and his girlfriend Jenna arrived on time, sparing me the grief of having to keep the food warm while waiting. Emmy had set the outside table so we could enjoy the summer evening on the balcony/outside living room area. We¡¯d really come to spend a lot of time in the evenings out there rather than inside the apartment, and honestly, it was really the only part of the apartment I was going to miss when we moved out.


    Andy looked exactly the way I¡¯d visualized him. A little older, a bit beefier, but still the same guy. No facial hair, thankfully. Jenna, well, she was blonde and pretty, to my surprise, but at least she seemed as if she had a brain in her head.


    ¡°Your home is really beautiful!¡± she said after introductions were made.


    ¡°I am afraid we cannot claim any responsibility,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°We are renting, and the apartment came furnished as you see it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, you chose a nice one, then,¡± Jenna said, recovering nicely.


    I ushered everybody out to the balcony, saying, ¡°Dinner is almost ready. I just have to get it from the oven.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Jenna asked, to her credit.


    My first instinct was to tell her that I had everything under control, but I relented. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be great. Thanks!¡± I said, cocking my head towards the kitchen so she would follow. Jenna helped me in transferring the chicken and roasted vegetables into serving dishes, making idle chit chat while we did so.


    ¡°Andy told me that he¡¯s known you since you guys were kids,¡± she stated, but I could tell it was really a question.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve known each other since grade school,¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve been to Fallbrook,¡± I hedged, and when she said she hadn''t, I said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a small town. Only one high school, two middle schools, and I think four elementary schools. Five, if you count the school over in Rainbow. I¡¯d lived in Fallbrook since I was born, but Andy and his family moved into town when he was maybe eight? His family lived in the same basic area as mine, so we wound up in the same third grade class, and the rest is history.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what he said. He also told me that you were bigger than him back then.¡±


    ¡°God, that was so awkward,¡± I said with a groan. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve always been tall, but at that age, you know the girls grow up quicker than boys, right? So I was, like, the tallest kid in class from about third grade all the way into middle school.¡±


    ¡°Well, you are really tall,¡± Jenna said, looking me up and down. ¡°He said you were, but I guess I just didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be as tall as you are.¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Six foot two and a half or so. My mom is kinda tall, and so was my dad, so I just doubled down on the genes, I guess. But at Stanford, I had a teammate on the volleyball team who¡¯s six foot eight. Now that is tall,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe a bit too tall,¡± Jenna agreed with a laugh. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m treading on any toes, here,¡± Jenna said, looking embarrassed. ¡°But Andy said that he and Emmy used to date in high school?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for a little while,¡± I agreed, not wanting to contradict Andy¡¯s story, but not knowing what he¡¯d told Jenna. ¡°Before I swooped in and stole her away,¡± I added with a laugh.


    ¡°So, us being here, it isn¡¯t awkward, is it?¡± Jenna asked, still unsure of how things stood.


    ¡°You know what? Andy was a friend of mine for most of our childhood. I¡¯m happy to see him again, and pleased to meet you. If you can make Andy happy, I¡¯m glad for the two of you, so no, I don¡¯t feel awkward about it at all, and neither does Emmy.¡± Thinking about it for a moment, I asked, ¡°Are you O.K. with meeting an old friend of your fianc¨¦ who happens to be another woman? And meeting another that he had romantic interest in for a few months in high school?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah,¡± Jenna said, thinking about it. ¡°I mean, you guys are married to each other now, and I¡¯m going to marry Andy, so it¡¯s not like there are any leftover feelings, right?¡±


    ¡°Just old friendships,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°And maybe new ones?¡±


    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Jenna said. ¡°We don¡¯t really have any couple friends here in LA, you know?¡±


    ¡°I can relate,¡± I said as we carried the food to the table.


    ¡°Relate to what?¡± Andy asked as he helped set the salad bowl down.


    ¡°Not having any couple friends,¡± Jenna said, sitting down next to Andy. ¡°Leah was just telling me about Fallbrook. It seems like everybody knew everybody.¡±


    Protesting, Andy said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t that small. Leah and I just lived in the same part of town, you know? So we always went to the same schools together. We were in the same class in, what, third grade, right? And then again in fourth. Did she tell you that her birthday party was the first time anybody in Fallbrook invited me over to their house?¡±


    ¡°Was it really?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Andy confirmed. ¡°Your birthday was right after school started, and you invited me. It was a pool party there at your apartment complex, and I got sunburned.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jeeze, I remember that now,¡± I said. ¡°You were so pale. I forgot- you guys moved from Japan, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my dad was stationed in Iwakuni before Pendleton,¡± Andy confirmed.


    ¡°So that really was the first time anybody from school invited you over?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Andy said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember, but I was kinda shy and was having a hard time making friends.¡±


    There was a lull in the conversation while we both remembered back to those days in our childhoods. Finally, Andy said, ¡°It¡¯s true. Even though girls were mostly yucky back then, you were my first friend at Ellis Parker.¡±


    Jenna put her hand on Andy¡¯s arm and smiled. ¡°You never told me that,¡± she said.


    ¡°I guess it just never came up,¡± Andy said. ¡°But yeah, I had a hard time for the first few years of school when I was a kid. We moved around a lot, so I never got to stay in the same school for a whole year in kindergarten, first and second grade. It wasn¡¯t until we moved to Fallbrook that I had any real friends, you know?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that, either,¡± I said. ¡°You told me that you guys moved a lot, but I didn¡¯t know it was that bad.¡±


    Smiling to show that it wasn¡¯t worth being sorry about, Andy shrugged. ¡°Well, it was what it was. Once Dad got posted to Pendleton, everything settled down, you know? It¡¯s all good.¡±


    Jenna was a good conversationalist and kept the easy discussions flowing, asking about Emmy¡¯s music, what Stanford was like and so on, freely telling stories about her own childhood in Chicago, and meeting Andy at USC in a calculus class.


    After dinner, we moved over to the couches by the fireplace and burned through the pitcher of sangria, still talking amiably. Once the sangria was gone, I broke out a couple of bottles of wine, and those disappeared, too.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for a house to buy,¡± Andy said at one point. ¡°But we just don¡¯t know where we should even look. Our games are going to be at the Coliseum, but our practice facility is out in Thousand Oaks. T.O. is nice enough, but it¡¯s pretty far from where anything interesting happens in LA,¡± Andy lamented.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°What things do you guys want to be close to?¡± I asked. ¡°If you buy in, say, Studio City or someplace like that you¡¯ll have a commute against traffic, so it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. You would still be close to Hollywood and Downtown.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s sort of where we¡¯ve been leaning. A lot of the other players have been buying in Calabasas, but that¡¯s a bit too close to the Kardashians for comfort,¡± Jenna said, making me laugh.


    ¡°Leah just bought us a new house in the Hollywood Hills,¡± Emmy said. ¡°She is having it remodeled for us so we can move in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? When¡¯ll it be ready?¡± Asked Andy, interested.


    ¡°The general says that he should have it done in six months with all hands on deck once the plans are approved, but I¡¯d bet it winds up closer to a year¡¯¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re having a lot of work done.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Asked Andy, his interest piqued.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a story to tell first. First off, it¡¯s not really a house now.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Jenna, puzzled.


    ¡°It is an old movie studio,¡± said Emmy. ¡°With a sound stage and recording facilities. Even old film vaults in the cellar!¡±


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s so cool!¡± Jenna said, excited by the idea. ¡°So you¡¯re remodeling it into a place to live?¡±


    ¡°Well, part of it. Most of it is going to get restored for video and audio production and rehearsal space for Emmy¡¯s band. Only about ten thousand square feet will be converted into a residence.¡±


    ¡°Only,¡± snorted Andy, rolling his eyes. ¡°So what, half the size of your place in Fallbrook, right, Em?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± Emmy agreed. Then, a thought just occurred to her. ¡°Both of our new houses together coming to make one house as big as my parent¡¯s house in Fallbrook,¡± she said, her eyes wide with astonishment at the idea.


    ¡°Both your new houses?¡± asked Jenna.


    ¡°Leah bought me a townhouse in Manhattan a few months ago, too,¡± Emmy said. Not really bragging about it, but proud that I¡¯d done that for her, I guess.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± Jenna breathed, setting down her wine glass. ¡°Is it Pre-War? Like, Upper East Side? Maybe in Chelsea?¡±


    ¡°Mid-Town East, right by the East River,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°And yes, Pre-War. In fact, we are having it restored to undo some of the changes that had been made to it in the last hundred years. It will be so beautiful- here, let me show you pictures,¡± she said, and moved over to the squeeze into the space next to Jenna on the other couch, pulling out her phone.


    ¡°You know I worked in construction back in high school and even my first couple of summers at USC,¡± Andy said to me while the girls oohed and aahed over the pics of the townhouse. ¡°I¡¯d like to see your new place, just to look at what they¡¯re doing. It sounds really cool.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s cool,¡± I said. ¡°I have a meeting scheduled with the general and the architect Saturday afternoon. If you want to check it out, that¡¯d be a good time.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± Andy said. ¡°So, you guys bought in the Hollywood Hills because you need to be near the entertainment industry, right?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we moved to LA in the first place,¡± I said. "It just so happened that the place we stumbled on was there in the Hills.¡±


    ¡°So, you would have been O.K. with, I dunno, Pacific Palisades, or Laguna Beach?¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± I admitted. ¡°We needed to be close to the center of the music industry, right? So it had to be in certain parts of town, like you said.¡±


    ¡°So why¡¯d you guys buy a place in New York, too?¡±


    ¡°The music industry is really big there, too,¡± I replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. You know, I have all her music on my phone. None of my teammates at USC ever believed I actually knew Emmy, much less dated her a couple of times.¡±


    ¡°My teammates at Stanford all believed it,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Since she came to the home games.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that would do it,¡± Andy said, leaning back. ¡°But you know I¡¯m gonna have to get some selfies with you guys.¡±


    ¡°Well, sure, and I¡¯m going to need some with you, too, to prove that I know the star defensive back for the Rams.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®star¡¯ anything yet,¡± Andy admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve only played two NFL games so far, and they don¡¯t count since they¡¯re just pre-season, anyway. I¡¯ll be lucky to start as a rookie.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve made it to the NFL- how many great high school players never even pull on a pro uniform? You¡¯ve signed a contract for what, two, three years, right?¡±


    ¡°Four,¡± Andy said, correcting me.


    ¡°Four years. If I understand anything about NFL contracts, that means you¡¯re making a minimum guaranteed salary of what, a million a year, something like that? So you could retire after those four years and live comfortably for the rest of your life if you manage things right,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve basically won the lottery. Just be careful, be smart, and look at the long term.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a four year contract for six million, four million guaranteed,¡± said Andy. ¡°I know that doesn¡¯t sound like much compared to you guys¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the apartment I grew up in. You know I used to take the city bus to school. Heck, you know I used to work afternoons at the frozen yogurt place there on East Mission. I know you know, because I gave you extra scoops for free sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know, I know,¡± he admitted. ¡°It¡¯s just, now you¡¯re married to a billionaire¡¯s daughter, and look at this place,¡± he said, indicating the apartment, the view, everything. ¡°You¡¯ve just bought two mansions, one on each coast, and Jenna and I are trying to find a house in our price range that¡¯s worth living in.¡±


    ¡°Here, come inside,¡± I said, standing up and waving for him to follow me. I sat him at the kitchen counter, then grabbed my laptop and opened up some of the files Randi had sent me. ¡°Yeah, here we are,¡± I said, pulling up the listings by area. ¡°Look at this place,¡± I said, turning the computer his way.


    While he looked at the house description, I asked ¡°Care for an Old Fashioned?¡± as I got out the bourbon.


    ¡°What? That¡¯d be awesome,¡± Andy said, before turning his attention back to the screen. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said, doubtfully. ¡°The house needs some work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does, but that¡¯s why I¡¯m gonna buy it. Well, that and that cool ironwork,¡± I explained, handing him his cocktail.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much Emmy has told you, but I do real estate investment and management. I¡¯ve made hundreds of millions of dollars by buying up places like that,¡± I said, indicating the computer. ¡°The old rule of ¡®buy the worst house in the best neighborhood¡¯ is absolutely true. I buy a place like that, spend the money to fix it up and either sell, or rent it out for a while while the market appreciates, then sell. Or I just hold on to it if the metrics are right. So that house right there is at least two hundred grand below market value if it were fixed up. Since I have my own set of contractors, fixing that place will cost me about a hundred grand, and that¡¯s with a new kitchen and baths, and fresh landscaping. So I could buy that house, get it dialed in, and sell it immediately and pocket a hundred thousand bucks. But I wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯d rent it out, since that neighborhood is getting hotter by the minute. If I hold onto it for, say, three years? I might make a million dollars when I do sell.¡±


    ¡°So why¡¯d you want me to see this?¡± Andy asked, sipping his drink.


    ¡°I want you to buy it from me at that cost, plus what I¡¯ve spent remodeling, as soon as it¡¯s ready. You can afford a nine hundred and fifty grand house, which, again, will be worth nearly two, two and a half million dollars by the time you renegotiate your contract. It¡¯ll be like you signed for seven million bucks, not six.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯ll be a million bucks you don¡¯t make,¡± Andy said. ¡°Why would you do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re old friends, for one,¡± I said. ¡°And you guys will be close enough to visit on the regular, and like Jenna said, it¡¯s good to have friends in the area. The second thing is, even if I don¡¯t make any money by hanging onto the property for a while, upgrading a rough-looking house in a neighborhood like that has a positive effect on values up and down the street, and it¡¯s an area I¡¯ve been investing heavily in.¡±


    ¡°Plus, it keeps your crews working,¡± he said.


    ¡°Eh, they¡¯re working their asses off anyway,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°So go take a look at the house. It¡¯s empty now- I¡¯ll text you the address and lockbox code. Take Jenna, of course, and think about how you¡¯d like the place done up. I¡¯m scheduled to finalize the deal on Tuesday, I think, so normally I¡¯d get our guy out there before the end of next week to work up the renovation plans. If you guys like the neighborhood and think the house has potential, let me know ASAP and I can have you meet my guy there to specify what you want.¡±


    ¡°Leah, this is so awesome,¡± Andy said. ¡°But what if Jenna doesn¡¯t like it?¡±


    "Come down to my office in Santa Monica sometime and we can look through some other properties. I buy places like this all the time. Or you guys can find one on your own, and have my guys do any work you need. Whatever. I¡¯m just saying, there are still deals to be had, and you should play your hand smart.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Andy said, looking into his glass. ¡°So many of my teammates rush out and buy these really big places with their first contract, and buy really flashy cars, too.¡±


    ¡°And you haven¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Well, I did get myself a Mustang GT- you know, the Shelby model? But that¡¯s only sixty grand, and Jenna insisted I treat myself at least that much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a sweet car, and she¡¯s right. You do need to reward yourself a bit. But remember, you¡¯re making your money playing football, and that¡¯s precarious. You could get injured any given time. So bank on that four million, since it¡¯s guaranteed, but for now, assume that¡¯s all the money you¡¯ll ever make playing in the NFL, and plan accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, Leah,¡± Andy said, looking at me with amazement. ¡°That¡¯s almost exactly, word for word, what my agent told me after I¡¯d signed the contract.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s seen more players blow their money on stupid shit than you or I can even begin to imagine,¡± I said. ¡°So go, buy yourself a nice house, but not too nice. If you renegotiate for five, ten million a year, whatever, then buy a bigger place. But not yet.¡±


    Just then, Jenna and Emmy came inside, carrying the leftovers to put in the fridge.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Jenna asked Andy, sitting on the side of his lap.


    ¡°Leah wants us to take a look at a house in Sherman Oaks,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Sherman Oaks? Isn¡¯t that by Burbank?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s west of there,¡± I said. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s in the Valley, but plenty of celebrities live in Sherman Oaks. I think Leo DiCaprio does, and I know George Clooney used to, and Jenifer Aniston,¡± I said.


    ¡°LA,¡± Jenna said, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s crazy.¡±

 Baby Making

    Later, after Jenna and Andy had gone and we¡¯d cleaned up, Emmy and I returned to the couch by the outside fireplace and snuggled.


    ¡°What did you think of them?¡± Emmy asked, wrapping my arms around herself as she leaned back against me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been friends to one degree or another with Andy, and it was kinda like no time had passed, you know?¡± I said. ¡°Just¡­ comfortably familiar, I guess. That was really nice.¡±


    ¡°And Jenna?¡± Emmy prompted.


    ¡°She seems nice. The two of them seem to be good together, too. I¡¯m happy for him.¡±


    ¡°I am, also,¡± Emmy said, rubbing her cheek on my arm. ¡°But I am even more happy for me.¡±


    ¡°Smooth,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°Very smooth.¡±


    ¡°Other parts of me are also very smooth,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And they would like to be kissed, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± I asked. ¡°What smooth parts in specific?¡±


    ¡°Various smooth parts,¡± Emmy replied, her voice soft and slow. ¡°You will simply have to kiss all of them to make sure you get the right ones.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a thing I can do,¡± I said, squeezing Emmy and kissing the top of her head again. ¡°But this is really nice right now. Can we just snuggle a little while longer?¡±


    This got no response from Emmy. Craning my neck, I could see that her eyes were closed and her breathing was even, leading me to conclude she¡¯d just fallen asleep. I gently kissed the top of her head again and mused about how much I loved this amazing, charming and talented woman in my arms.


    I lost myself staring into the flames of the gas fireplace, thinking abut the evening. It had been better than I¡¯d expected to catch up with Andy, and meeting Jenna was less weird than I¡¯d been worried it might be. Emmy had gotten along well with Jenna, and I saw no real sign of any jealousy there, to my relief. I could imagine spending more time with the two of them in social settings, maybe we¡¯d all go out for double dates, or when they get their place they might invite us over for a barbecue, something like that.


    Thinking about how good it had been to see Andy after these four years of college, when he wasn¡¯t even really all that close a friend back in school, made me wonder about what it would be like to maybe reconnect with Courtney. Allie was a lost cause, I could accept that. Emmy and I had seen Tom in Portland a few times over the last four years, and so I¡¯d heard that his family had more or less cut him out of their lives. The only one he had any contact with was his father, and that seemed to be a secret his father was keeping from his own wife.


    But Courtney, well, maybe whatever had pushed her away from me when she found out that Emmy and I were together had run its course and she might be amenable to me reaching out. Sure, Emmy¡¯s stunt at Coachella that one year wouldn¡¯t have helped and maybe burned the bridge between them forever, but who knows?


    Emmy snuggled against me in her sleep, breaking me out of my thoughts and returning me to the here-and-now.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said softly, to see if she was awake, but got no response. I was enjoying just holding her while she slept, so didn¡¯t want to wake her if she was comfortable. Yeah, it was getting quite late and I should get up early to work out before going in to the office, but just holding a sleeping Emmy was so very, very nice¡­


    ¡°Leah, wake up,¡± Emmy said, rousing me from my own sleep. ¡°We must go to bed.¡±


    I got up and followed her to the bedroom, where I shed my clothes on the floor and just crawled under the covers with no regard to neatness. Emmy followed my example and climbed back into my arms, and we fell back asleep like that.


    I awoke at my usual time, but opted to stay in bed rather than get up and head down to the gym. It was just too nice and cozy, and Emmy was still snuggled up against my side. To heck with the gym- I was just going to relax and enjoy sleeping in. I didn¡¯t have any meetings scheduled anyhow, so why not enjoy the benefits of being the boss?


    I drifted back to sleep with a smile on my face. Life was good.


    ¡°Leah?¡± Emmy asked, her voice still sleepy as she rubbed her eyes. ¡°Are you staying home today?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about it,¡± I replied, enjoying the view as Emmy stretched in that slow-motion way of hers.


    ¡°You do not have to go in to work?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I can do everything I need to today from home. What did you have planned for today?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have to practice this morning,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Lee and Jackson are going to come over for lunch to discuss our plans, but that is all I have for today. Could we do something later?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°I can get my work done by lunchtime. Let¡¯s make a date of it this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Have you bathed yet this morning?¡± Emmy asked, getting out of bed.


    ¡°No, I was waiting for you,¡± I replied. The appeal of a nice, steamy morning shower with the woman I loved was too great to resist- not that I¡¯d have any intention of ever resisting under any circumstance, anyhow.


    ¡°That is good,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°I may need some help in the shower this morning.¡±


    After the shower, I spotted Emmy looking at herself in the full-length trifold mirror in the walk-in closet. She was turning one way, then the other, examining her reflection.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my job,¡± I protested when I saw her.


    Puzzled, Emmy asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Admiring your naked body is my job,¡± I explained as I wrapped my arms around her slender, ink-colored form. ¡°If anybody gets to eye you up and down, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are encourageable!¡± Emmy said, tilting her head for a kiss, which I was pleased to bestow.


    ¡°But I was not admiring my naked body,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I was thinking about my hair.¡±


    ¡°What about your hair?¡± I asked, nuzzling into said hair.


    ¡°Do you think I should grow it out?¡±


    The idea of Emmy with long hair had never really occurred to me- she¡¯d always had that oh-so-French bob cut that I simply couldn¡¯t imagine her with anything else.


    ¡°This is a style suited to a girl, a jeune fille¡± Emmy explained. ¡°I am now a grown woman, and perhaps it is time that I change my look to better suit that fact.¡±


    ¡°I love your hair the way it is,¡± I said, continuing to nuzzle. ¡°But I¡¯m sure I¡¯d love your hair long, too. If you want to give long hair a try, go ahead. But it¡¯s a pain,¡± I said, kissing my way down her graceful neck.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Long hair is always in the way,¡± I said. ¡°It takes a lot longer to wash. You have to tie it back if you¡¯re going to be doing anything active, or outside. Sometimes, when you roll over at night, putting your weight on it yanks your head and wakes you up. The list is long,¡± I said, kissing her shoulder.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°But it looks beautiful,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Yeah, it can,¡± I agreed. ¡°But so can short hair.¡±


    ¡°You are distracting me!¡± Emmy protested as I ran my hands up and down her sides, gently stroking my fingertips across the bottom curve of her breasts.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did you say?¡± I asked. ¡°I was a bit distracted,¡± I murmured as my hands continued their paths across Emmy¡¯s warm, soft skin.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said in a stern tone as she stepped out of my grasp and turned to face me. Putting her hands on her hips, she stamped her foot in frustration. ¡°If you are going to sex me, do it right. Do not tease me this way!¡±


    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how you feel, I guess I¡¯d better do it right,¡± I said as I stepped forward and scooped her up into my arms.


    Emmy squealed in surprise as I lifted her up over my shoulder and carried her into the bedroom, where I dropped her on the bed.


    Emmy, eyes as wide as her smile, said, ¡°Yes! That is what I wanted!¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I agreed as I climbed on top of her, covering her body with my own. I lowered my weight onto Emmy as she wrapped her arms and legs around me, pulling me down, her hunger and desire equal to my own.


    ¡°I want you to sex me, Leah. I want you to give me a baby.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how that works,¡± I said as I claimed her soft, velvety lips with my own.


    ¡°Make it work,¡± Emmy demanded when our lips parted. ¡°Do it for me. Do it to me.¡±


    I kissed under her chin as she threw her head back to give me access, then raked my teeth along her neck. Emmy responded with a buck of her hips, letting me know that she was as fired up as I was. I drew my knees up and to the sides and Emmy rotated her hips forward for better contact as I rubbed myself up and down across her most delicate parts.


    Normally that sort of thing really didn¡¯t work well for us. Well, for Emmy, I should say, since our relative anatomies had my sensitive bits out and proud, while hers were a bit more introverted and shy. This time, though, the angle was perfect and my outie found its way between her slick folds and kissed her cute little innie pearl. The two did a very intimate dance, sliding up and down, bumping each other as they passed with each stroke.


    I found myself pondering what missionaries would think of that position as my hips moved, keeping my lady bits in very, very close contact with Emmy¡¯s, the heat and slippery wetness driving both of us to the edge.


    Feeling my imminent orgasm, I slowed down a bit to draw it out, but this got a plaintive whimper from Emmy.


    ¡°Noooo,¡± she complained. ¡°Faster! Do it more!¡±


    Easy for her to say, since I was the one doing all the work, but I increased my rhythm again and pressed my pussy down harder against hers as I did, getting satisfied noises from Emmy in return.


    ¡°Yessssss¡­¡± she moaned, so I smashed down even more, driving my clit into hers with enough force that I knew I was going to be sore afterwards, and so, undoubtedly, was Emmy. She wasn¡¯t thinking about that at the moment, though- her hands were grasping, pulling and yanking on my shoulders as her heels dug into my lower back and her breathing grew increasingly ragged. I kept on, focussing only on the contact between her clit and mine, only on the feeling as the two nubs dragged back and forth across each other.


    Before too long it grew too much and Emmy¡¯s gasp and shudder as she threw her head back was enough to send me crashing over the edge. With one long, final push I came so hard my legs, butt and lower back all gave up the fight and I couldn¡¯t stop from collapsing on top of Emmy with all my weight.


    Instead of protesting that I was crushing her, Emmy used whatever strength she could muster to pull me down onto her even more.


    ¡°Leah, that was so good,¡± she said, her voice soft and a bit shaky. ¡°I think¡­ I think we need to do that more. A¡­ very much more.¡±


    ¡°Very?¡± I asked, trying to lift myself up with my arms, but finding I was lifting both of us, as Emmy refused to let go.


    ¡°Yes, very,¡± Emmy replied, clinging onto me, her head now buried against my shoulder. ¡°But in a few more minutes. I am not ready just yet.¡±


    I sat us both up, me on my knees and Emmy straddling my lap. Leaning back, I looked in Emmy¡¯s eyes. ¡°That was amazing,¡± I said, ¡°But I don¡¯t know if I can do much more of that. I think Little Leah is going to be sore.¡±


    ¡°Petite Emmy, aussi,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But she enjoyed it very, very much while it was happening.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Little Leah liked it a lot, too, but now she thinks she¡¯d like something a bit more gentle.¡±


    ¡°Would Little Leah¡¯s owie be better if I kissed it?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°It might,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s definitely worth a try.¡±


    ¡°Then lie back and think of France, and it will all be better soon,¡± Emmy said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.


    ¡°How do you even know these phrases?¡± I asked, amused, as I lay back.


    ¡°I have wide-ranging cultural references,¡± Emmy said, archly. It was a bit hard for her to pull off the superior attitude, though, since her face was between my legs at the moment and all I could see were her vivid green eyes.


    Emmy stopped talking, but definitely did not hold her tongue. She licked, lapped, kissed, and even blew gently on my overheated core, making me forget the earlier abuse entirely. I let myself drown in the sensations, giving no thought to anything but the pleasure Emmy was providing me. She brought me to the brink once, twice, I don¡¯t know how many times, and each time as she felt my climax approaching she would ease off a bit, or change up her technique to let me fall back from that peak. Normally I would have hated that tease, but this time I simply let myself revel in it, relishing the agony of the denial as much as anything. Eventually, Emmy showed me mercy though and with a final swirl of her amazing tongue sent me over the edge into one of the greatest orgasms of my life, my legs twitching but the rest of me completely and utterly unable to move under my own power.


    Emmy snuggled up beside me and held me tight, telling me in a quiet voice that she loved me more than she could ever express.


    Eventually I came back to life and pulled Emmy in closer. ¡°That was incredible, babe,¡± I said. ¡°Absolutely mind-blowing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emmy replied in a fuzzy voice, which told me that she was nodding off. Heck, I had nothing on my plate that morning anyway, so I let myself drift, too, and the two of us were soon fast asleep in each other¡¯s arms once again.


    I woke up about an hour later, but Emmy was still dead to the world. I showered for a second time that morning, then dressed for work. Before I headed out, I kissed Emmy and as she woke up a bit I reminded her that the boys were coming over for lunch, so she couldn¡¯t sleep too long.


    At her mumbled ¡°O.K.¡±, I took her phone off silent mode and left the apartment, figuring I¡¯d call her around eleven to make sure she was up. I strolled into the office a little past ten in the morning, giving Marisa at the front desk a little wave as I sipped the coffee I¡¯d gotten from the Starbucks across the street.


    In no real mood to work, I checked my personal email once I was settled in at my desk, surprised at the number waiting for me.


    First up was an email from Andy, thanking me for the great night he and Jenna had at our place. ¡°It was really great seeing you guys again,¡± he wrote. ¡°It¡¯s funny- it¡¯s like no time had passed at all, you know?¡± he asked, mirroring what I¡¯d said to Emmy after they¡¯d left.


    ¡°Jenna and I talked, and we think we want to take you up on your offer to help us find a place. If it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯d like to come by your office and look through the houses you said you were in the process of buying, to see if any would work for us. And I do want to check out your new place on Saturday, if that¡¯s still OK with you.¡±


    I sent him a reply that said that Emmy and I enjoyed having the two of them over, and we hoped it could become a regular thing, and sure- he could come by the office, but it¡¯d have to be next week since I was going to be in San Jose Thursday and Friday.


    Next up was an email from James Atherton, saying that Justin could come down for the track day, but Amash was a no-go, since he was going to have to be in D.C. then.


    ¡°We¡¯re still on for Friday night at the club, right?¡± I sent back.


    Finally, I get to the near daily email that I always saved for last- Michael¡¯s update on all things Night Children. Usually most of it was a dry recitation of facts- this person had gotten a promotion at work, that one had enrolled in night classes, so on. Occasionally there was something that I might need to take action on, but most things were within Michael¡¯s wheelhouse and didn¡¯t need my intervention. This time, though, it seemed as if Emmy and I might need to head up to Seattle to settle a dispute. Hopefully nothing too drastic would need to be done, but you just never knew.


    ¡°Michael, can you go to Seattle to evaluate the situation?¡± I sent back, hoping he could sort this out.


    Michael¡¯s email had put a damper on my good mood of the morning, and I was just sitting, staring idly out the glass door to the balcony when somebody knocked on my doorframe.


    Looking up, I saw Sandy¡¯s perennially sunburned face peeking in. ¡°Got a minute?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sure, come on in,¡± I said, happy for the distraction from Night Children drama.


    ¡°Get a chance to look over that brewpub info?¡± he asked, his Aussie accent undiminished by his years here in California.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Even went and had lunch there. Talked to one of the waiters. Seems really solid- go ahead and get the ball rolling,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right,¡± Sandy said. ¡°Will do.¡±


    ¡°But that isn¡¯t why you came here to talk to me, is it?¡± I asked, familiar with his mannerisms.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± Sandy admitted. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about an idea I¡¯ve been chewing on,¡± he said, sitting down. ¡°I¡¯d been thinking about it for a while, but the South Bay never really seemed like the right place for it.¡±


    ¡°You want to open a new nightclub?¡± I asked, well aware of his predilections for night life.


    ¡°Right, but not one that would have worked up north. This needed to be here in Los Angeles, I know that now,¡± Sandy said, his accent getting thicker with his enthusiasm. ¡°LA has the flash, the glamor, and especially the appreciation for showmanship that the place I¡¯m thinking of would require.¡±


    ¡°Sounds expensive,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, would be,¡± Sandy admitted. ¡°But probably quite profitable, too. I think I have a few of the key pieces lined up to make it work.¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I said. ¡°Elevator pitch.¡±


    Sandy went on to describe an upscale restaurant in front/secret bar in back, similar to the San Jose speakeasy, but ultra contemporary. Listening to his enthusiasm, and banking on the fact that he hadn¡¯t yet steered me wrong, I gave him the go-ahead to develop the business plan. We needed a flag to plant here in the Los Angeles area, and just buying up brewpubs and the like wasn¡¯t going to do it.


    My mood improved by the meeting with Sandy, I dove into the market analysis report that had been waiting for me and the rest of the morning passed uneventfully.

 Night Clubbing- Its Whats Happening

    Emmy had said that the boys would be over for lunch, and since that meant I was going to be on my own until two or so, I went back to the Irish pub for some more Mexican food. Hey, this is LA, right? The place was pretty full, so I sat at an empty seat at the bar again.


    ¡°We have to stop meeting like this,¡± said the guy next to me as I looked over the menu. I glanced up and saw it was the same guy from last time, the one who¡¯d asked about the Cajun pasta. Amusingly, he was eating the fish tacos I¡¯d suggested he try.


    ¡°So what do you think of the Irish fish tacos?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve had better, but they do remind me of the ones my abuela used to make back in Ciudad Killarney when I was a kid, so that¡¯s good,¡± he said with a completely straight face.


    ¡°Comfort foods are comfortable,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± the guy agreed.


    The bartender took my order of chicken skewers with peanut sauce and poured me a glass of iced tea.


    ¡°You work around here?¡± the guy asked, but I got the impression he was simply being friendly and not trying to chat me up.


    ¡°What gives you that impression?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Office clothes,¡± he said, glancing at the suit I was wearing. ¡°But really, really nice office clothes, so you can¡¯t just be a secretary or something. I¡¯m guessing something financial.¡±


    ¡°Close enough,¡± I said, leaving it at that.


    Undeterred, the guy said, ¡°Hey, my name¡¯s Henry. I¡¯m in real estate,¡± he said, holding out his hand to shake.


    I shook his hand and said, ¡°Leah. I¡¯m in real estate, too, in a sense.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Small world,¡± Henry replied, but didn¡¯t pursue the issue any farther.


    As we ate our lunches in companionable silence I realized that I really didn¡¯t mind the guy¡¯s banter. It didn¡¯t seem as if he was trying to hit on me, or make some sort of business connection, or anything like that. He just seemed to be an affable sort, and I was O.K. with that.


    My lunch was interrupted by my phone buzzing in my pocket. I took it out to see who was calling and whether I could ignore it or not. Unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t a call I could simply let fall on voice mail.


    ¡°Hey, Michael,¡± I said, answering the call.


    ¡°Leah, I have tickets for this afternoon for Eddie and myself to fly to Seattle. They were expensive, since it is short notice. Do I have your authority to spend the money to rent a car and stay in a hotel?¡±


    ¡°Of course you do!¡± I replied. ¡°You know I¡¯ve never quibbled about things like that. Spend whatever you need to, and keep me updated. I¡¯m going to be in San Jose tomorrow and the day after, but if I have to come up to Seattle to kick some ass I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully I can resolve the matter without dragging you up there,¡± Michael said. ¡°But it¡¯s good to know that you¡¯ll assert your authority if called for.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I said, sardonically. ¡°Always ready to punch peoples¡¯ faces in.¡±


    Laughing, Michael said, ¡°And sometimes that is how peace is maintained- with a bit of judicious violence.¡±


    ¡°Well, personally, I¡¯d be happier not having to beat anybody up this time,¡± I said with a laugh of my own. ¡°But you know how it goes.¡±


    ¡°I will let you know when I have taken stock of the situation in Seattle,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Jassie going to be while you¡¯re dealing with this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She will be staying at a friend¡¯s house for a few days,¡± Michael said. ¡°The two girls are inseparable these days, so it is nothing out of the ordinary for her to stay over there for a long weekend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± I said. ¡°Tell her I said hello, and hope you guys can come down to LA before school starts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± Michael said.


    Henry was just finishing up his lunch as I hung up. He gave me a questioning look. ¡°HR issues?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sending my troubleshooter, but I might have to get directly involved.¡±


    ¡°By punching somebody¡¯s face in?¡±


    ¡°Well, sometimes performance reviews get ugly, you know?¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Real estate can be a tough business,¡± agreed Henry as he handed the bartender his credit card to pay his bill.


    ¡°Yes, it can,¡± I said with a sigh.


    After Henry left, I sat there for a while longer, eating slowly as I caught up on my Saturday morning crew¡¯s text message group chat. It was mostly just idle chatter about what new color Stein¡¯s McLaren should be, who gets to lead this week, and so on. The only thing directed at me was Teddy Bear saying that he would definitely make it to my birthday track day, and asking for specifics. I shot off a text with the details of when to be there and what was required. ¡°Lunch and refreshments will be provided,¡± I added.


    Almost immediately Jimmy responded with, ¡°Adult beverages?¡±


    ¡°Not for the drivers¡±, I sent back, ¡°Until after the track closes for the day.¡±


    ¡°I make a mean margarita¡± Stephen posted. ¡°I¡¯ll bring enough for everybody. What¡¯s the head count?¡±


    Thinking about it, I replied, ¡°8 drivers, at least two SOs, I don¡¯t know how many mechanics and so on¡±.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it 20-25, then. No problem¡±, Stephen texted.


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing my sister¡±, Jimmy texted.


    ¡°Dude, she¡¯s not old enough to drink¡±, Stephen shot back.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t stop her¡±, Jimmy replied.


    ¡°I DO NOT want to see your sister drunk¡±, Stein posted.


    ¡°I do¡±, Teddy Bear sent back immediately. ¡°That would be funny AF¡±.


    Chuckling, I pocketed my phone and ignored the continued buzzing as they all texted back and forth like teenagers.


    I figured I had an hour to kill before I needed to be home, so I just popped in to the office to grab my stuff, then went to go look at the third site Nash had identified as a potential for our new offices. It was over on Sepulveda, so more or less on the way home anyhow. I drove by the site, then circled the block to see how it stacked up from other angles. Nash had been right- it was almost perfect- but maybe too small in the long term. Plenty big enough for right now, but I could see that in a few years it might start to feel cramped as the businesses consolidated under one roof, especially if we wanted to think about bringing the heavy construction in-house.


    Scratching option number three off my mental list, I headed home. Jackson and Lee were still there at the apartment, and the three of them were busy discussing what would be needed for the recording studio, making up lists of gear and so on.


    I gave Emmy a hello kiss, then changed out of my office clothes and into some jeans and one of my favorite shirts- a black ¡°Alice¡¯s Restaurant¡± T that was a size too big.


    Since they were still working, I got out my laptop and did the same for a couple more hours. Market analysis is dry as hell, but I understood very well that staying ahead of trends is how I¡¯d done so well with the REIT, so I plowed through it. In a very real sense it was my bread and butter and had earned a lot of money the last few years.


    I¡¯d gotten myself so buried in it, in fact, that I didn¡¯t hear when the boys left and was startled when Emmy put her hands on my shoulders and gave me a kiss.


    ¡°That looks really boring,¡± she said, peering at the computer screen.


    ¡°It kinda is,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s also like a puzzle. It turns out I¡¯m pretty good at solving this kind of puzzle, too.¡±


    ¡°I have a puzzle for you. I will give you two hints.¡±


    ¡°Two? Isn¡¯t three hints more traditional?¡± I asked, leaning my head back for another kiss.


    ¡°Perhaps so, but I think you will only need two. Perhaps not even two,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°O.K., what¡¯s the puzzle?¡±


    ¡°What shall we do for tonight¡¯s date night?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°The hints are: I want to go out and do something fun, and I want there to be music.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ That¡¯s a tough one,¡± I said, rubbing my chin. ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t get another hint?¡±


    ¡°No. Only two hints,¡± Emmy said, her voice firm.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s see¡­ We could look to see who¡¯s playing around town tonight if you want to see live music, or we could go out to a club for some dancing. We haven¡¯t done that in a long time,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°No, we have not,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°I would like that- but you have to promise you will dance with me. I know you think you are not a good dancer, but I do not care. I want you to dance with me anyway.¡±


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    ¡°O.K., O.K., I¡¯ll dance,¡± I said, putting my hands up in surrender. ¡°But I don¡¯t know anything about the local club scene, so you get to pick out where we go. And also, I have to be on my flight to San Jose at eight tomorrow morning, so we can¡¯t stay out until four or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Can we stay out until two?¡± Emmy asked, hopefully.


    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯ve got to get a ride. I¡¯m not driving.¡±


    ¡°Bien s?r,¡± Emmy said, before rushing off to do her research.


    While Emmy looked online for dance clubs, I went back to my maps and graphs. Eventually, Emmy came back with her news.


    ¡°I have made reservations for us at eleven tonight, so we should have dinner no later than nine. That way we can dance and not feel heavy,¡± she announced.


    ¡°Any thoughts on what you want to do for dinner?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The restaurant downstairs,¡± Emmy said. ¡°After we eat, we can relax here for a little while before we go out.¡±


    ¡°Sounds as if you have it all figured out,¡± I said, amused.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Emmy said, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°Except for what you will wear.¡±


    ¡°That is a really big problem,¡± I agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t really have any club wear.¡±


    ¡°Then we must go shopping. Right now,¡± Emmy said with finality, making it clear I wasn¡¯t getting out of this one.


    Soon enough we were in the car, and Emmy was giving me directions on where to go. We wound up in Beverly Hills, at, of course, Rodeo Drive. It was exactly as I¡¯d pictured it- an unending row of designer-brand boutiques.


    Emmy was in heaven, but she knew that there would be only so much I could tolerate before calling it quits, so she led us straight away to one shop in particular. It was, from what I could tell, an independent and not affiliated directly with YSL, Chanel, Anne Klein or Ralph Lauren (all of which had their own flagship stores there on the Drive).


    Emmy knew exactly what she wanted for me, and after a brief conversation with the sales lady, had a few outfits for me to try on.


    Now, I¡¯m a lot taller than most women, so normal sizing doesn¡¯t really work for me. A mini dress that would look cute on someone with the same sideways dimensions as me would put the hem line right around my hips. Emmy and the sales lady had come up with a strategy to deal with that problem- a two-piece combo that bared my midriff, allowing a lot of my belly to show. The top was mostly just a sexy night out version of a sports bra, as far as I could tell. Emmy wanted it to show off my back and shoulders, and it sure did that. She also wanted to show off my long legs and was torn between leggings and a skirt that I thought wandered too far into the ¡®Hey, sailor, want a good time?¡¯ territory, but whatever she wanted to buy me, I was just going to grin and bear it.


    Thankfully, the low-cut leggings won out, and I have to say that I did kinda like the way the wet-look shiny blue outfit made me look. It was sexy in an athletic sort of way, and did highlight my legs, shoulders and, importantly, my abs. Finally, Emmy and the sales lady selected a ridiculous little jacket that had arms that were too short, a length that was too short, and didn¡¯t even meet in front.


    ¡°That is the way it is supposed to look,¡± Emmy had admonished when I¡¯d complained that it came nowhere near fitting me. ¡°And yes, it does fit across your shoulders, and that is how we know it is the right size.¡±


    The jacket seemed like a joke to me, but looking at the entire ensemble in the mirror, I had to admit that with the jacket, the outfit went from ¡®maybe too sexy gymwear¡¯ to ¡®I¡¯m gonna dance all night long¡¯.


    For herself, Emmy selected an open-backed little black dress, but in white. The short skirt but long sleeves and generous boob window somehow managed to look racy, but still a bit classy. She paired the dress with a pair of white heels in a height that would have broken my ankles instantly, but I knew she was perfectly capable of dancing in for hours.


    I¡¯d tried on a couple of pairs of block heels, but Emmy just wasn¡¯t having it.


    ¡°Nooo!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Those will not do!¡±


    ¡°Em,¡± I protested. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to those stilettos you wear!¡±


    Of course, Emmy won that discussion, and eventually I went with a nice pair of black pumps with a more sensible heel. Two and a half inches was more than I was used to, but not so crazy as what Emmy had opted for herself.


    Eventually we were back in our street clothes, all our purchases stowed away in a couple of gold and black shopping bags.


    As we exited the store, Emmy asked, ¡°Do you mind if we stop in one more store? It will not take as long,¡± Emmy promised.


    ¡°Sure. We have time,¡± I said.


    Emmy took my hand and led me a block down to the Cartier jewelry store. "I have wanted to buy you something for a very long time,¡± Emmy said as we entered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really a jewelry person,¡± I objected.


    ¡°No, you are not, but I have something in mind that you should find acceptable.¡±


    A middle-aged, impeccably dressed lady came up to ask us if she could help us, casting a dubious eye on my jeans and T shirt.


    ¡°I would like to see your necklaces, in yellow gold, please,¡± Emmy said to the woman.


    I caught the woman glancing at my watch and noticed her attitude shift. Really, here in Los Angeles plenty of filthy rich people dress really casually, so signifiers like watches that cost more than a typical Mercedes carry outsized importance.


    ¡°Right this way, ladies,¡± she said, ushering us to a side room. Emmy was not bothered in any way by the stunning amount of wealth on display in the store, so I followed her lead and did my best to act as if this was all ¡®same old, same old¡¯.


    Emmy quickly selected a simple gold chain with two rings resembling interlocked wedding bands for the pendant. ¡°This is exactly what I wanted for you,¡± Emmy said as I tried it on. ¡°It is simple, elegant, and the gold color is perfect for your complexion.¡±


    The sales lady made some approving noises and Emmy said, ¡°We will take it. I would like another matching necklace in white gold for myself as well.¡±


    With that, no more than ten minutes had passed, and a quick five grand changed hands.


    ¡°I have wanted to find you the right necklace for a very long time, Leah,¡± Emmy said as we walked back to the car. ¡°I hope that you will wear it and think of me.¡±


    Bringing her knuckles up to my lips, I said, ¡°I think of you all the time, babe. All the time.¡±


    ¡°You are sweet,¡± Emmy said, stopping to turn and give me a little kiss right there on the sidewalk in front of the Ralph Lauren store. I pulled her into my arms and gave her a much bigger kiss in return.


    Of course, Emmy kissed me back, and soon enough some random passerby jokingly said, ¡°Get a room, you two!¡± causing us to pull apart, laughing.


    Dinner at the Japanese restaurant in our apartment complex was nice and casual, but somehow Emmy managed to keep the mood flirty and fun in a low-key sort of way, making it feel more like a date than just the two of us being too lazy to cook at home.


    When it was time to go, Emmy and I went down to the lobby in our party outfits. I felt a little silly dressed like that in our apartment tower, but nobody batted an eye. I¡¯d expected an Uber when we walked out into the front entry, but it was a limousine waiting for us instead, adding to the party feel.


    ¡°You do know it¡¯s only a Wednesday night, right?¡± I asked as we climbed inside the Mercedes. ¡°Wednesdays aren¡¯t really known to be high profile type of nights.¡±


    ¡°This is a rare treat for me,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I plan on enjoying it.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve gone out like this.¡±


    ¡°Far too long,¡± Emmy agreed.


    My guess is that the club Emmy had picked got its fair share of limo arrivals, just not on Wednesday nights. The bouncer recognized Emmy right away and beckoned us in immediately, skipping the line to get in.


    The hostess also knew who Emmy was, and led us up to the balcony level to the VIP area, past another bouncer. Glancing out over the dance floor, I noticed that there were a couple of women wearing very, very little on raised platforms, dancing to the music. Even more surprising, there were a couple of male go-go dancers, too, strutting their stuff on a raised deck above the bar. Their stuff was pretty clearly on display, since they weren¡¯t wearing any much more than the girls were.


    The music up there on the balcony level wasn¡¯t so loud you couldn¡¯t hold a conversation, but it was loud enough to make talking a really close-up affair. The area that was reserved for us had three curved couches around a low table, making me even more grateful that Emmy hadn¡¯t picked that mini skirt for me after all. It took me a moment to recognize Lee and Jen were already there, and so was Jackson with some girl I¡¯d never seen before. They all had drinks already, and the cocktail waitress was right there to ask what Emmy and I wanted. I opted for an Old Fashioned, but Emmy ordered two bottles of champagne.


    ¡°You must have some champagne, Leah!¡± Emmy said. ¡°It is right for a party like this!¡±


    ¡°You look hot,¡± Jen said when I sat down. ¡°Real hot.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I replied. ¡°Have you guys been here long?¡±


    ¡°No, maybe ten minutes,¡± she said. ¡°We just got our drinks.¡±


    I noticed that Emmy hadn¡¯t sat down, but was leaning on the balcony railing, looking down at the dance floor. Her butt was sticking out in a very, very appealing way in that white dress of hers, lit up as it was by the club¡¯s black lights.


    ¡°Emmy looks hot as fuck,¡± Jen commented, seeing where my eyes were parked.


    ¡°Yeah, but she always does,¡± I answered, not taking my eyes off my stunning wife. I got up to go stand next to Emmy, putting my hand on the exposed skin of the small of her back. I briefly considered cupping her ass, as much to give a show to Jen and to stake my claim as anything, but I resisted.


    ¡°After we have our drinks, we must go down and dance,¡± Emmy said, looking at the bodies moving below us. The crowd on the floor wasn¡¯t dense, but it was early on a weeknight, so that¡¯s no surprise. I¡¯ve never really been much of a fan of EDM, really only knowing what I¡¯d heard with Emmy, but the DJ was doing a good job of keeping the beat going and the energy high, so I was feeling it, even though it wasn¡¯t really my thing.


    Emmy¡¯s champagne and my drink were waiting for us when we returned to the table, but Jen and Lee were gone- presumably to dance.


    Emmy poured four glasses and those of us still at the table toasted to a good night out. I¡¯ll be the first to admit I know zero about champagne, but Emmy does, and she seemed pleased with the stuff they¡¯d brought us, so I figured it was probably expensive.


    I drank the champagne fairly quickly, then switched to the cocktail. I figured it¡¯d help to have a bit of drink on before making a fool of myself on the dance floor, and Emmy seemed content for the moment to chat with Jackson¡¯s date.


    Emmy finally finished her glass just as I¡¯d taken my last sip of mine, so, seeing her opportunity, she grabbed my hand and we were off to the dance floor. I wasn¡¯t so buzzed that the stairs presented any challenge, but I was careful, because the heels I had on presented a very real hazard. Dancing wasn¡¯t going to be pretty, I thought, as I stepped carefully.


    Emmy pulled us right into the middle of the floor, too. I hoped nobody would see my clumsy moves, surrounded as we were by so many people dancing. It took me a few minutes to find my groove, and I sure wasn¡¯t doing anything flashy, but Emmy made up for it. She was like some sort of liquid in human form, moving so gracefully I couldn¡¯t even understand how it was possible. After a while I stopped thinking about it so much and just let my body do what it felt like, making everything better. Emmy had drawn a fair number of admiring glances as well as outright stares, but I was O.K. with that. After all, it was me that was taking her home.


    Eventually, Emmy suggested we head back to the table, and I was very willing to acquiesce. Following her up the stairs, I purposefully lagged a step or two so I could watch her amazing bubble butt in that little, tight white dress as she climbed the steps. Hey, I will admit to no shame at all. I was staring. At my own wife, whom I¡¯d seen naked pretty much every day for almost four years. Staring, and maybe even drooling a little bit. Damn, Emmy was hot. How did I ever get so lucky?


    Jen and Lee weren¡¯t at the table, and when I asked Jackson about it, he said, ¡°I think they went to find someplace to have sex.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a place like that here?¡± I asked him, grabbing Emmy¡¯s hand. ¡°Where? We gotta go right now.¡±


    Jackson just laughed in that way of his and said, ¡°Hold your horses, cowgirl. You¡¯ll have all night once we¡¯re outta this place.¡±


    ¡°Spoilsport,¡± I said, sticking out my lower lip in an exaggerated pout.


    The rest of the night was more dancing, drinking, and copping feels and just generally enjoying ourselves. After a while, though, Emmy and I had to leave, even though the other four were going to stay longer.


    ¡°Leah has to go to San Jose tomorrow,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°Today. In a few hours,¡± she corrected herself, realizing what time it was. ¡°She needs some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Not gonna lie,¡± I said. ¡°Sleep is not what¡¯s on my agenda right now.¡±


    ¡°Go get ¡®em, Tiger,¡± Jackson said, laughing as we stood up to leave.


    As much as I¡¯d had to drink, I was a bit concerned every time we went up and down those stairs, but we had no mishaps of any kind. The twisted ankle I¡¯d been dreading just didn¡¯t ever happen. Emmy had maybe even had more to drink than me, but she was always so effortlessly graceful that I was never in doubt of her abilities to manage, even with those ridiculously high heels of hers.


    The ride back to our apartment building was unmemorable except for the pawing and the giggling and the feel of soft, warm skin under my hands. Back in our apartment, I kicked off those miserable pumps and scooped Emmy into my arms to carry her to the bedroom. I set her down on her feet, hooked my fingers under the hem of her dress and peeled it up and off her in one movement. Laughing, Emmy let herself fall back on the bed while I struggled my way out of that top, and then shimmied out of the skin-tight leggings. Finally naked, I strode over to the bed, only to find¡­ Emmy asleep already.


    Sighing, I carefully lifted her up so I could tuck her under the covers, then turned off the lights and crawled into bed beside her, making sure my alarm was set.

 Do You Know The Way

    The alarm woke me way too early, but despite my desire to do nothing but stay in bed I got up and got ready for the day. I showered, dressed and packed, occasionally glancing over with envy at the bed where Emmy was sleeping peacefully.


    I gave her a kiss and told her I¡¯d be home late friday night and got a mumbled, ¡°I love you. I miss you already,¡± in reply.


    Smiling despite a bit of a hangover, I drove to the Van Nuys airport in a good mood, even though it was going to be a long couple of days away from home. The flight was quick and comfortable and it only took a few minutes to pick up my rental car- a lovely blue base-model Camry.


    Recognizing my dismay at such a pedestrian car, I had to laugh at myself as I adjusted the seat and mirrors. That Camry was, by any objective standard, a nice car. It was clean, comfortable, and reasonably quiet inside- certainly quieter than either my Aston or Emmy¡¯s X6.


    It felt like a floaty boat, though, but oh, well. I wasn¡¯t going to rail Mt Hamilton in the thing, now was I? It would do just fine for the two days I¡¯d be in the South Bay.


    Pulling into the office parking lot felt like coming home. I¡¯d planned on coming up to the Bay Area office for a couple of days every other week or so, but this was the first time I¡¯d been back since the move to Los Angeles and it had been almost three months. I¡¯d successfully avoided making any in-person meeting plans up till now, but I couldn¡¯t put it off any longer, so here I was, back in my old office like I¡¯d never been away.


    After a quick check-in with the receptionist to let her know I was on track for my first meeting, I went upstairs and sat at my old desk in the corner office. It didn¡¯t take long for a number of the old hands to stop by and say hello, a few asking for some face time to discuss one thing or another. Of course, I agreed, but I had a day full of meetings scheduled, so it would probably have to wait until tomorrow. Again, so familiar, but a little odd, too, since I¡¯d grown used to the Santa Monica office by this point.


    My first meeting of the day went well and we cleared one of the sticking points holding up a planned mixed-use development in Campbell that we¡¯d been working on for over a year, which was a relief. Sure, it could all have been worked out by phone or email, but sometimes person-to-person is how things get accomplished.


    My second meeting was going to be a lunch date at a classy Indian restaurant in Menlo Park that Emmy and I loved, which was good, but with a particularly difficult client, which was bad. Still, I hadn¡¯t had any good Indian food since moving to Los Angeles, and maybe this meeting would be productive¡­


    Edward Burke was just getting out of his Bentley when I pulled into the parking lot in my Camry, and he couldn¡¯t resist a jab at the car.


    ¡°Decided to upgrade from your Aston Martin?¡± he said, eyeing the dark blue Toyota disdainfully.


    ¡°I needed something more reliable,¡± I said, shrugging. There was no point in getting defensive with this guy- maybe just rolling with it would defuse his personality a bit. I followed Mr. Burke inside, a bit surprised he held the door open for me. The guy was old-school arrogant, and to him, the only real gauge of a person¡¯s worth was their bank account. I¡¯m pretty sure that meant by this point that I was his better, but it sure wouldn¡¯t do me much good to point that out.


    The dimly lit, very red restaurant was packed with tech industry types, making the business attire worn by Mr. Burke and myself stand out as we walked to a booth in the back, following the hostess. Walking through the narrow gaps between the tables, I spotted Andrej Markovi? and gave him a fist bump as I passed by.


    ¡°See you at the club tomorrow night?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± he said.


    ¡°How do you know that guy?¡± Mr. Burke asked, looking over at Andrej, taking in his ratty jeans and Gogol Bordello T shirt.


    ¡°He¡¯s an investor,¡± I said with a shrug, not pointing out the fact that in that respect, Andrej and Burke were the same as far as I was concerned. Except I liked Andrej more.


    ¡°Really,¡± Mr. Burke said.


    ¡°Last I checked, he has a little over twenty million in the REIT,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°That guy?¡± Mr. Burke asked, surprised.


    ¡°That guy is a VP of some sort at Google,¡± I said. ¡°His vested shares are worth over a hundred million.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± was all Mr. Burke could come back with.


    After giving the waitress our orders, Mr. Burke got right down to business. ¡°Look, Ms. Farmer, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Your return on your REIT has been good, but it¡¯s lagged behind some of the indices. I¡¯m considering pulling my funds and investing elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said. ¡°Where are you thinking of putting your money?¡±


    This was not the answer he expected, and I caught him flat-footed. ¡°There¡¯s a tech stock fund that¡¯s been doing really well,¡± he said, scrambling. ¡°Some of their holdings are doing exceptionally.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s your money,¡± I said as the plates were set down in front of us. ¡°You can do whatever you want with it. But see that guy over there?¡± I said, hooking my thumb over my shoulder at where Andrej was sitting. ¡°That guy lives in the tech industry, in one of the biggest growth companies in the world, right? Do you know where he invests his money?¡±


    ¡°Not in tech, I assume,¡± Mr. Burke said.


    ¡°In my REIT. He knows the volatility of his industry, even with giants like Google, Apple or Facebook, is unpredictable. Yahoo just sold for five billion, but a few years ago it was valued at twenty-five times that much and looked as if it was going to rule the world.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to argue with some of these valuations right now,¡± Mr. Burke said, but I could tell his convictions were weakening.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I agreed. ¡°Look how long it took Buffett to reach the level he has now, versus Zuckerberg, Bezos, or even Larry Ellison. Doing it the old fashioned way can be slower, there¡¯s no doubt. But I guarantee every one of those guys is diversifying to an extent that would make your head spin if you saw the numbers. They know they¡¯re riding a wave that could crash at any moment.¡±


    Mr. Burke looked thoughtful, and for a while we ate in silence while he was thinking about what I¡¯d said. It was at this point that Andrej came over to say he was leaving, but he¡¯d see me at the club the next night.


    ¡°And hey, Leah,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to Sergey, and I think he¡¯s gonna park some money with you guys. It seems like he likes the idea.¡±


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    ¡°Cool,¡± I said. ¡°You think he¡¯ll want a face to face? I can come back up if he wants to talk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him about it,¡± Andrej said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a meeting for the morning. I¡¯ll let you know tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know where to find me,¡± I said and we bumped fists again before he left.


    ¡°Sergey?¡± asked Mr. Burke.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing he means Sergey Brin,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°The CEO of Google wants to meet with you?¡± Mr. Burke asked, surprised.


    ¡°I have a lot of tech money invested in my REIT,¡± I said. ¡°A lot.¡±


    ¡°This has the smell of a set-up,¡± Mr. Burke said, leaning back. ¡°Did you plan this?¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°No, but I¡¯m not surprised to see another investor here. This is pretty close to ground zero for the Silicon Valley heavyweights, and like I said, a lot of these guys have money with me.¡±


    ¡°This has given me a lot to think about,¡± Mr. Burke said, eating slowly.


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s your money. I¡¯ve given you a pretty healthy return for a couple of years now, but if the grass is greener, feel free to pull up stakes and move on,¡± I said.


    ¡°How quickly could you free up the liquidity, if I were to ¡®move on¡¯, as you put it?¡±


    ¡°Probably not this afternoon, but by lunch time tomorrow,¡± I said, thinking about it.


    ¡°I mean all of it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, I got that. Just tell me where you want it sent, and it¡¯ll be done by noon or so.¡±


    ¡°You have that much free capital?¡± Mr. Burke asked, surprised.


    ¡°Mr. Burke, maybe you didn¡¯t read the latest report closely enough. I¡¯m not only the biggest investor in the REIT, my personal investments make up roughly sixty per cent of the overall fund. No single other investor, yourself included, makes up more than seven per cent. Any one, two or three investors, even the biggest, could pull out and it would be an inconvenience, but not any real amount of trouble for the trust.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, a bit taken aback. ¡°So me threatening to withdraw has no real bite to it.¡±


    ¡°Not much. If you pull your, what is it right now, sixty-four million, right? I¡¯d simply transfer the money out of cash reserves and wouldn¡¯t touch the actual investments in any way. In fact, it would have no effect on any other investor in the slightest.¡±


    That seemed to have the effect of stomping on his arrogant attitude and the rest of lunch passed without any further discussion on the matter, which gave me the time to really enjoy my lamb biryani.


    As we walked back to our cars, Mr. Burke gave another disapproving glance at the Camry, to which I said, ¡°I heard Warren Buffet drives a Camry. I figured I¡¯d give it a try.¡±


    Getting a snort of disbelief, I said, ¡°O.K., it¡¯s what they gave me at the rental counter. It¡¯s nicer than I expected a Camry to be, but I do miss my Aston.¡±


    That little bit of rapprochement seemed to help, seeing the little smile I got in return.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you later,¡± Mr. Burke said as I climbed into the Toyota.


    I rolled the window down and said, ¡°Talk to you then.¡±


    Back at the office, Jason, my head accounts guy, caught me the moment I settled into my seat. ¡°So what did that assho- fine gentleman have to say?¡±


    ¡°He wanted to make me shake a bit by threatening to take his money out of the trust,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°What did you tell him?¡± Jason asked, surprised.


    ¡°I told him he was free to hit the highway any time, and I wasn¡¯t going to try to talk him out of it.¡±


    ¡°So is he? Going to pull his funds, I mean?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, but maybe. Wouldn¡¯t bother me much if he does. He¡¯s always been a pain in the ass,¡± I replied. ¡°For such a fine gentleman,¡± I added.


    Just then I got a buzz for a call coming in, so I waved goodbye to Jason and he ducked out to give me some privacy.


    The rest of the day went easily enough. My 3:00 went well, adding a 72-unit complex in Santa Clara to our management portfolio. The owner had come to the conclusion that the on-site team just wasn¡¯t suited to the task of running everything and professionals needed to be brought in, and a friend had recommended he talk to us. He¡¯d already spoken with the property management team, but just wanted a face-to-face with me, the owner of the company, for assurance that we would run the place the way he wanted it done. Really, all he was looking for was a little hand-holding to assuage his guilt that he was firing the couple that had been trying and failing to manage the complex properly.


    Since I had nobody waiting for me back at the condo we¡¯d bought and Michael was out of town, I just stayed at the office and worked until I was the last one there. When the janitors came through I knew it was time to leave, so I went to the condo, changed clothes, and headed over to the speakeasy.


    I had dinner in the steakhouse in front, opting for the rosemary roasted chicken. I ate alone, but the manager and the chef both stopped by to make sure everything was up to my expectations. I must have spooked them a bit dropping in unexpectedly and ordering dinner like any other customer.


    After dinner, I went to the speakeasy, past the unmarked door at the back of the restaurant and took my favorite booth, where I could see the whole place easily. There weren¡¯t any of the regulars I knew, but it was fairly early on a Thursday night, so that wasn¡¯t surprising.


    Once I¡¯d taken my seat, the bartender came out from behind the bar. ¡°Boss,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying out a few new recipes, thinking maybe we could add them to the list. I¡¯d love it if you could give ¡®em a try and tell me what you think.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Theo,¡± I said. ¡°Set me up.¡±


    Moments later, he was back with a drink in a champagne flute that went from tobacco brown at the top to pale gold at the bottom. ¡°This is my twist on the classic ¡®Death in the afternoon¡¯,¡± Theo said.


    ¡°Looks good,¡± I said, admiring the brown drifting down into the depths of the glass.


    ¡°What is that? That does look good,¡± a familiar voice asked, and I looked up to see Imogen Atherton standing at the side of the table.


    ¡°Imogen!¡± I said, sliding out of the booth to give her a cheek kiss. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you!¡± Looking around, I asked, ¡°Did you manage to give James the slip?¡±


    Laughing, she replied, ¡°No, he just forgot something in the car. He¡¯ll be in in a minute.¡±


    ¡°Hey, have a seat,¡± I said, waving to the booth. ¡°And Theo, another one of these for the lovely lady.¡±


    ¡°Hey, now, are you muscling in on my wife?¡± James asked as he walked up.


    ¡°You snooze, you lose,¡± I replied. Then, turning back to Theo, I said, ¡°Pour him one of whatever¡¯s next on your list.¡±


    ¡°Emmy stayed back in Los Angeles?¡± Imogen asked as we all sat down.


    ¡°Yeah, Emmy and the boys are working on their next album,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re really doing this one differently, you know? Lots and lots of planning sessions, to start.¡±


    Theo set down another brownish gold drink for Imogen, and something completely different served in a black tumbler for James.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± James asked, looking dubiously at the black glass.


    ¡°Theo has been working on some new recipes,¡± I said. ¡°Take a taste and give him your feedback.¡±


    ¡°And this?¡± Imogen asked, indicating her drink.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mystery,¡± I said, and lifted my own champagne flute for a toast. ¡°Sant¨¦!¡±


    ¡°Sant¨¦,¡± they both replied and we all took sips.


    I was not prepared for the taste of black licorice and at first almost gagged with surprise, but then, after a moment, it mellowed out and actually became really tasty.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± Imogen said, making a face as she set down her glass. ¡°It tastes a little bit like that ouzo we had in Thessaloniki on our honeymoon,¡± she said to James. ¡°You remember, that time I swore I was never going to drink again, ever.¡±


    ¡°Mine was good,¡± James said, setting down his black glass. ¡°I¡¯d order that again.¡±


    Taking a small sip of my drink, I let it roll around my tongue a little bit and discovered that it was better than I¡¯d thought at first taste. A third sip and it was even better. It still wasn¡¯t going to become my go-to, but it was worth adding it to the menu. Maybe with a warning about the initial hit of licorice¡­


    ¡°Imogen and I were just talking about you and Emmy on the way over here,¡± James said, derailing my train of thought. ¡°We¡¯re looking forward to going down to LA.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that reminds me. Have you given any thought as to whether you¡¯d stay at our place, or are you going to get a hotel?¡± I asked. ¡°Seriously, Emmy would love to have you guys stay with us.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be putting you out at all, would we?¡± Imogen asked.


    ¡°Not even the slightest,¡± I said. ¡°Not even a tiny bit.¡±


    Just then Theo came over and I told him, ¡°One yes and one no for this one, and one yes for that,¡± pointing at the black glass that James was finishing off. ¡°What¡¯s next on the list?¡±


    ¡°Since we already have our house negroni variant,¡± Theo said, ¡°I¡¯ve been working on a boulevardier.¡±


    ¡°Three of them,¡± I said.


    Imogen looked a little worried, so I said, ¡°Just take a sip. You don¡¯t have to drink the whole thing. Just give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down. This is a tasting party, not a frat party.¡±


    We chatted a while longer and tasted a couple more of Theo¡¯s experiments and generally had a pleasant time of it. A few others stopped by the table to say hello, but for the most part it was a quiet evening.


    I got back to the condo at around eleven and drank a couple of glasses of water to work the alcohol through my system, took a quick shower, and then off to bed. I really hadn¡¯t had that much to drink, since I¡¯d only taken a few sips of the various drinks Theo had presented, but still¡­

 Asserting Authority

    The next day at work I mostly just met with my department managers to discuss how things were going, so there really isn¡¯t much to report on that front. Things were going along just fine without my physical presence in the office, as I¡¯d expected. Still, several of the staff did say that it was good I¡¯d come in to the San Jose office, even if it was for just a couple of days.


    It was during lunch with a couple of my project managers that I got the call I¡¯d been dreading in the back of my mind. When I saw who was calling, I stepped away from the table to talk, apologizing. ¡°I¡¯ve got to take this,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say it,¡± Michael said when I answered his call. ¡°But I think you will be needed here in Seattle. I¡¯m not able to sort things out here without your authority.¡±


    ¡°You know Emmy and I¡¯ve given you authority to deal with Night Children issues as they arise,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ This is a matter for a queen to deal with, not merely her designated man,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°Do I need to bring Emmy?¡±


    ¡°I have two thoughts on that. The first is to say yes, that it would be good to have her rule on this matter. The second thought is that perhaps that undermines your authority, since it may seem as if you are unable or unwilling to make a ruling without her,¡± Michael said.


    Sighing, I said, ¡°Yeah, I can see that. It¡¯d be like your mother saying ¡®just wait until your dad gets home- then you¡¯ll be in trouble¡¯, all right. O.K., I¡¯ll come up. I guess I may as well fly from here, since I¡¯m already north of LA anyway.¡±


    ¡°The sooner the better,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°Damn. Alright. I¡¯ll grab the first flight I can. I¡¯ll let you know the details once I¡¯ve got it set up.¡±


    Back at the table, Margo could tell my mood had changed. ¡°Leah, what¡¯s up? Everything O.K. back in LA?¡±


    ¡°What? Yeah, LA¡¯s fine. This is a problem in Seattle,¡± I said. ¡°It looks as if I¡¯ve got to go up there to deal with a personnel issue.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have an office in Seattle, do we?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s on the other side, the hospitality division,¡± I said. ¡°And no, no local office.¡±


    I called in to the San Jose office, and got the receptionist. ¡°Get me on the first plane to Seattle,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t need a car.¡±


    ¡°The life of the jet-setting executive,¡± Chad said with a laugh.


    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°I just wanted to relax tonight. Now I¡¯ve got to fly up to Washington and deal with some stupidity of some kind or another. I have no idea how long it¡¯ll take or anything.¡±


    A few minutes later I got a call that I was booked on a 3:10 flight, so I texted the info to Michael, reminding him that I was going to fly into King County airport, not SeaTac. He confirmed the info almost immediately, so I got back to lunch and the discussion of the strip mall remodel that Chad was managing.


    After lunch, I stopped at the office to grab my things and say goodbye, then went back to the condo to pack. Soon enough I¡¯d dropped off the Camry and was waiting in the private aviation terminal for the flight.


    Stepping outside, I called Emmy, and as expected, got her voice mail. ¡°Hey, babe, I¡¯ve got to go up to Seattle after all. I¡¯ll keep you updated,¡± I said and left it at that.


    Wishing I¡¯d packed some of my protective clothing and Old Stabby, but hoping I wouldn''t actually need any of that, I watched the planes land and take off for a while until it was time to board.


    When our jet pulled up in front of the terminal and the stairs were rolled into place, I handed my travel bag to the steward and followed a handful of business-suited types and a couple of tech bro guys onto the plane. I was the only woman, and my jeans and long sleeved T shirt set me as not part of the business crowd. One really nice thing about these little executive jets is that there was never a need to fight over an armrest, since no two seats were next to each other. Also, nobody next you wanting to talk for hours. As soon at we hit ten thousand feet, every other passenger I could see pulled out their laptops, as did I. Hey, it was a couple of hours, so might as well read through a few of the proposals that had been sent to me, right?


    I¡¯d never flown into King County, also called ¡°Boeing Field¡±. It was a lot smaller and less hectic than SeaTac, which was a good thing, since I just wanted to get things sorted out and then get out of Dodge. I¡¯d considered trying to get a visit with Donny and Sana in, but just didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d have time.


    It was a nice, clear late afternoon when we stepped out of the plane, for which I was grateful. I hadn¡¯t packed any sort of rain gear, not expecting to actually have to travel to the Pacific Northwest.


    I spotted Michael and Eddie right away, and soon we were on the freeway headed north. We passed Downtown, making me wish I was there as a tourist instead of having to bust some guy¡¯s balls for being a jackass.


    Eventually Michael exited the freeway and we headed into a part of town that was clearly working-class. Not bad, really, just not all that attractive and of little appeal for tourists. After a while the sidewalks vanished and it was just the mostly overgrown yards that ran right up to the edge of the street¡¯s pavement. We pulled into a weedy gravel driveway in front of a small house in need of fresh paint.


    ¡°This is where Samuel lives,¡± said Michael. ¡°He is expecting us.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s do this,¡± I said, getting out of the car. I followed Michael to the front door, Eddie bringing up the rear. The door opened immediately at Michael¡¯s knock, proving that Samuel was indeed expecting us.


    Inside the small living room were three Night Children, to my surprise. I recognized their faces, but the only one whose name I remembered off the top of my head was Samuel, the local liaison.


    The two on the couch stood up and bowed when I entered, but Samuel made no such gesture, just waved us in.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. ¡°Everybody here knows who I am. This is Michael, my second in command, and Eddie, Michael¡¯s right hand man. Just for clarity, please introduce yourselves.¡±


    ¡°I am Samuel. I am the Queen¡¯s representative here in Seattle,¡± the bald man said.


    ¡°I¡¯m Katharine,¡± the beefy woman said.


    Realizing it was his turn, the third Night Child said, ¡°I¡¯m Ronnie.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m Leah, Queen of the Night Children in North America. You have all accepted my shadow.¡± I looked each one in the eye to make it clear that I was the big boss and I wasn¡¯t going to take any shit. ¡°I¡¯ve been called here to Seattle to settle a dispute. Samuel was right to bring it to Michael¡¯s attention, and he brought it to mine. Samuel, if you will, please explain to me what the problem is.¡±


    ¡°Queen Leah, Katharine and Ronnie are husband and wife, but they find they cannot get along. This has lead to numerous disputes between them, and talk of petitioning you or Queen Emmy to grant a divorce. Events came to a head a few days ago when their neighbors called the police to break up a fight between the two,¡± Samuel said. ¡°By the time the police had actually arrived, things had calmed a bit and the police left without arresting either of them, but I heard of it.¡±


    ¡°So what did you do?¡± I asked Samuel.


    ¡°Nothing, my queen. I have not been given a position of power over others- I¡¯m simply here to serve as a conduit between the local Night Children and the national Figures such as Michael, and yourself.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m glad you recognize that fact. You were right to not take issues into your own hands. So,¡± I said, turning to the couple who I now realized were sitting at opposite ends of the couch, as far from each other as they could. ¡°Katharine. Tell me your side of the story.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an asshole,¡± she said, jerking her thumb at Ronnie. ¡°He always has been, you know? But now, now we¡¯re living in the daylight, I don¡¯t have to put up with it anymore, right? I¡¯m not hiding any longer, and don¡¯t need the safety and protection afforded by having a husband who can keep an eye out while I sleep.¡±


    ¡°Ronnie,¡± I said. ¡°Your turn.¡±


    ¡°Kat has always been tough to live with, my queen. She gets moody and turns violent when she drinks, which has been more and more frequent now that we¡¯ve both been working real jobs. I¡¯m worried that one of these days she¡¯ll stab me in my sleep.¡±


    ¡°Me? Stab you? No, I¡¯d just lock you out so I could listen to you cry outside all night,¡± Katharine said.


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough,¡± I warned her. ¡°Ronnie, tell me about the fight the other day.¡±


    ¡°I came home from work, and she was already home, in our apartment,¡± he said. ¡°She works odd hours, and that day she had an early shift. I could tell she was drunk, so I just tried to avoid her, but she would not let me go to bed in peace. She demanded sex, but I didn¡¯t want to touch her in the state she was in.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t get it up,¡± Katharine said, derisively.


    ¡°Let Ronnie speak,¡± I said, giving her a look.


    ¡°I told her that I wasn¡¯t in the mood, but she didn¡¯t take no for an answer, and she tried to force me.¡±


    ¡°Six years! Six years we¡¯ve been married and he still hasn¡¯t given me a baby!¡± Katharine yelled.


    ¡°Shut it,¡± I said, pointing at her. ¡°You¡¯ll get your turn.¡±


    I indicated that Ronnie should continue, so he said, ¡°She wrestled me to the ground, and pulled the belt from my pants, then hit me with it over and over.¡± With this, he leaned forward and pulled up his shirt, turning to show the bruises he¡¯d gotten.


    ¡°Did you hit him?¡± I asked the woman.


    ¡°Yeah, but his belt buckle hardly weighs anything! There¡¯s no way it did that!¡±


    ¡°Ronnie, did she hit you with the buckle?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, over and over,¡± he said.


    ¡°All right. This seems pretty clear to me,¡± I said. ¡°As of right now, you two are divorced. Ronnie, Katharine, you two are not to see each other without at least one other Night Child present. One of you will move out of your apartment tonight. I don¡¯t care which of you it is, but whoever moves out, stays out. A new place will be found for whoever moves out,¡± I announced. Continuing, I said, ¡°You, Ronnie, should have brought this to our attention earlier. There is no need to put up with this sort of abuse. You, Katharine, are lucky. You¡¯re getting your divorce. You¡¯re free to find some other man that will put up with your behavior.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m lucky?¡± she sneered. ¡°Yeah, I guess I am. Damned lucky, now I don¡¯t have to put up with that weak-ass piece of shit. But how am I gonna make rent on my own? That¡¯s what I want to know.¡±


    ¡°Get another job, find a roommate, whatever. It¡¯s on you, now,¡± I said.


    ¡°This is bullshit!¡± she said, standing up. ¡°The deal was that you¡¯d provide. That¡¯s the whole thing about forcing me to accept your fucking shadow, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I took a calming breath and said, ¡°It goes both ways. Yes, I provide, but in return, you have to accept my decisions and do what I say. You¡¯ve been beating your husband, and I say that he is no longer your concern. You are now in the position of being a woman on your own. I got you a decent job, and I know how much it pays and what the cost of living is here in Seattle. I know that you can find a place with the money you¡¯re earning. It might not be as nice as the apartment you two have been sharing, which I provided, but this is what you wanted. Now take it, and consider yourself lucky that¡¯s all that''s happening.¡±


    Katharine closed the distance between us, but I waved Eddie back when he moved to intercept.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s so damned easy? You and Miss Fucking Heiress have never had to scratch by in your fucking lives!¡± Katharine shouted in my face. ¡°Who even made you the fucking queen, anyhow? You aren¡¯t even one of us!¡± she said, and tried to jab me in the chest with her finger.


    I knocked her hand away and said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    ¡°Or what? You¡¯ll have your flunkies, real Night Children, beat me up?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    ¡°Sure, of fucking course you will. ¡®Queen Leah, daywalking terror¡¯,¡± she said, doing finger quotes. ¡°¡®Queen Leah, bringer of justice¡¯. Yeah, I¡¯ve heard all that bullshit, and that¡¯s exactly what it is. It¡¯s nothing but lies,¡± Katharine said, getting more and more worked up. ¡°You know what? This whole queen thing is bullshit, too. Fuck you. Fuck you, and fuck that Emmy bitch, too!¡±


    As I¡¯d figured, she took a swing at me, but to my surprise, she was a much better brawler than I¡¯d anticipated. I blocked her roundhouse, but she¡¯d planned for that and clocked me with a surprise left. I¡¯ll admit that the hit was much harder than I¡¯d expected she¡¯d be able to manage, and it staggered me. She followed me back and tried another jab, but I¡¯d gotten my legs back under me and was ready to dish back out.


    Katharine turned out to be a practiced fighter and much stronger than she looked, and I was trying not to wreck Samuel¡¯s living room, but soon enough I had her face down in the threadbare carpet, my knee pinning her down and her arm twisted painfully behind her back.


    ¡°Listen carefully,¡± I said, twisting her arm a bit more to make my point. ¡°I withdraw my shadow from you. You are no longer to associate in any way with me or mine. You are on your own now. Tonight, you will take your things from your apartment and leave. You can keep your job, but I will not intervene in any way to make your life better. Do you understand?¡± Getting nothing but a muffled ¡°Fuck you,¡± I twisted Katharine¡¯s arm even harder. ¡°Do you understand?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Yeah! I fucking understand!¡± Katherine yelled, trying to turn to take some strain off her arm and shoulder, but I leaned my weight down more to keep her pinned.


    ¡°Then explain what I just said,¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m fucking cut out, all right? I get it. You¡¯re kicking me out of your little fucking nation!¡±


    ¡°No, Katharine,¡± I said, my voice low. ¡°Your actions are what took you out of my nation. Violence against your partner was bad enough, but attacking me? The one who got you a job and a good place to live? You were living in an abandoned warehouse before I offered you my shadow, and begging or stealing to get by. Do you remember that? Do you?¡± I demanded, yanking her arm again.


    ¡°Yeah! I fucking remember!¡±


    ¡°Be thankful I¡¯m letting you keep your job. But if your boss decides to fire you for whatever reason- and it won¡¯t be me telling him to do that- I won¡¯t be there to help you out. You¡¯ve gotten all you¡¯re ever going to get from me,¡± I said.


    ¡°All right! I got it! Now get the fuck off of me!¡± Katharine said, and I could hear the pain in her voice.


    I let go and stood up, ready to fight again if she made any moves, but she didn¡¯t. Katharine slowly got to her feet, glaring daggers at me. ¡°How am I gonna get my stuff out? Where am I gonna go?¡±


    ¡°Where you go is no concern of mine, as long as you don¡¯t bother anyone in my shadow. How you¡¯re going to move out? Also not my concern.¡± I turned to Michael and Eddie. ¡°O.K. You two, take Ronnie and Katherine back to their apartment, and help her get her things out. You can even drive her to wherever it is she wants to go, if reasonable. And Eddie? If Katharine gets violent or abusive, you don¡¯t need to put up with it. Just stab her and bury her in the woods somewhere. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Queen Leah. If Katharine is difficult, stab her. Got it.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± Katharine said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give anybody a hard time, and you¡¯ll walk away on your own two feet,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    I got my bag from Michael¡¯s car and went back inside once Michael and Eddie had left with the two others.


    ¡°Samuel, I¡¯m sorry about your living room,¡± I said, looking at the mess the fight had made. ¡°Michael will buy you a new table and lamp.¡±


    I called myself a ride share, surprised it was going to be there in less than ten minutes. Somehow I¡¯d gotten the idea we were sort of in the sticks, but I guess that wasn¡¯t really true.


    While waiting for the car, I spent the time asking Samuel about how things were going other than this particular issue, and got a quick rundown. He seemed to have a pretty good handle on things, but I told him I¡¯d be back in a month or so to see how things have shaken out. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I have the visit scheduled, and we can call a meeting of all the local Night Children,¡± I told him. ¡°It may be that I need to keep a closer eye on things up here for a while. I appreciate the job you¡¯ve been doing, but maybe I need to reinforce the idea that there are rules to follow.¡±


    The Lyft driver gave me a funny look when I climbed into his Honda, but I didn¡¯t think anything of it. I spent twenty minutes finding a flight back to LA that left that night. It meant flying in at almost midnight, but at least I¡¯d be in my own bed.


    I got a few more questioning looks at the airport, no doubt from the black eye I could feel developing. I acted as if nothing were any different than any other time, and nobody asked about it.


    Neither did the taxi driver at LAX, or the doorman at the apartment building, even though he did give me a look when he opened the front door for me.


    Emmy was awake, practicing her guitar with headphones on when I got home. At first she didn¡¯t realize I was there, so I walked into her field of view so as to not surprise her.


    ¡°Leah! What happened to your face?¡± she asked, setting the headphones and guitar aside. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°My face doesn''t hurt me,¡± I said. ¡°Does it hurt you?¡±


    ¡°How can you joke?¡± Emmy demanded, when she realized what I¡¯d said. ¡°Tell me what happened while I get ice for that.¡± I followed her to the bath, where she got a wash cloth, then the kitchen where she got some ice from the freezer. She wrapped the ice in the cloth and handed it to me while I told her about all that had happened.


    ¡°She is very lucky you did not kill her,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t actually kill her, even though she is a terrible human being,¡± I said, indignant. ¡°The whole thing with Eddie stabbing her was just to keep her from doing anything stupid. Really, I could have maybe kicked her a few more times or something just to make a point, but I think she got the message.¡±


    ¡°And what was the message?¡± Emmy asked, brushing a stand of my hair back.


    ¡°Do not question mah owthoritay!¡± I said in my best South Park accent, but Emmy didn¡¯t get the reference.

 The First Rule

    I wasn¡¯t the first one to our Saturday meeting spot the next morning. Jimmy (without his sister, thankfully) and Stein were already waiting when I arrived. Overnight my eye had swollen pretty good, and started to turn all kinds of interesting colors, but I wasn¡¯t going to skip driving just because I¡¯d gotten punched in the face.


    ¡°Hey, Liz- Damn!¡± Jimmy said as I stepped out of my car. ¡°Have a rough night?¡±


    ¡°Well, I had to work late, but other than that, no. Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your- no, wait. Nevermind.¡±


    Stein said, ¡°Jimmy, you know the first rule of fight club.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about fight club. Yeah, I got it,¡± Jimmy said, rolling his eyes.


    I was happy to see the two play it off like that, and when Stephen and Geoff showed up, Jimmy and Stein acted as if there was nothing wrong with my face at all. Geoff didn¡¯t ask about my black eye, but Stephen seemed as if he was going to, but then kept quiet.


    We hit the usual Malibu Hills roads with Geoff leading out in his Carrera 4. It was a good morning of driving, but I begged out of having lunch with the guys, explaining that I needed to meet my builder.


    ¡°For your fifty thousand square foot house in the Hollywood Hills?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± I said, refusing to rise to his bait. "We have a meeting at one with the architect to go over some details.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are we driving next Saturday?" Stephen asked. ¡°Since we¡¯ll all be at the track on Sunday, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be driving, since I¡¯ve got to miss Leah¡¯s private track day,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°Not me,¡± Jimmy replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be getting some new shoes for my baby.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a really good idea,¡± Stephen said. "Where do you get it done?¡±


    I took the opportunity to leave while the three were busy talking about where to get your tires changed without having your expensive rims scratched. I wanted to be at the house early, so I could do a walk-through before the builder and the architect arrived.


    I wasn¡¯t all that concerned with the studio side of the project, figuring that was Emmy¡¯s gig, but I wanted to think about how the house would flow, now that I¡¯d had time to consider the preliminary plans that Emilio had drawn up. His concept of the house almost being secret, with the studio and working spaces being all you¡¯d see from the ¡®motor court¡¯ and the living spaces hidden behind, seemed interesting and all, but I just wasn¡¯t sure that it wouldn''t make life a bit more of a pain than it might otherwise be.


    I was just standing in the middle of the motor court, looking at the overall structure, when the rumble of a big V-8 interrupted my thoughts. A brand new blue Mustang rolled through the gate I¡¯d left open, and Andy leaned out the driver¡¯s window to ask where he should park.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I said, ¡°Anywhere.¡±


    He pulled his car next my Aston, while I eyeballed his ride. ¡°That¡¯s the Shelby version, right? It has the track package?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, it does,¡± Andy said, giving me a quizzical look. ¡°Um, hey, Leah, I don¡¯t know if you realized, but, like, your mascara is smeared all over,¡± he said, circling his eye with his finger.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I took a good hit sparring yesterday,¡± and shrugged in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ sort of way.


    ¡°Jenna mentioned that Emmy told her you did kickboxing,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a great workout. As a bonus, you get to hit people,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°So, let me explain what the architect has in mind for the remodel while I give you a tour,¡± I said, indicating he should follow me.


    We walked through the house and I explained how it was going to be divided up, keeping most of the square footage for the sound stage and recording studio use.


    Standing in the large room at the top of what I¡¯d started thinking of in my mind as the ¡®air traffic control tower¡¯, I said, ¡°And this is going to be my home office.¡±


    ¡°Man, this is gonna rock for an office,¡± Andy said, admiring the full three hundred and sixty degree views out of the windows all the way around. ¡°And home office- seriously, this is big enough to have at least a dozen desks in here.¡±


    While we were looking out the window and discussing where the pool would go, two more cars pulled into the parking lot.


    Seeing the drivers get out, I said, ¡°Come on. The guys I need to meet with just got here.¡±


    ¡°Leah, uh, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s cool to ask, but how much is all this costing?¡± Andy asked as we made our way to the front of the building to meet Ned and Josh.


    ¡°All in? Preliminary budgets say nine million bucks, including purchase price, but I¡¯ll bet it comes in closer to eleven million by the time we get the studio side of things done.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re just writing checks for it, no loans or anything?¡±


    ¡°Andy,¡± I said, stopping and turning to him. ¡°If you¡¯re fishing for info on how much money we have, let me be completely honest. Emmy¡¯s parents gave her a hundred million Euros when she went to Stanford. That¡¯s a lot of freaking money, but Emmy had no desire to do anything with it, really. It was just sitting there in an account yielding seven per cent interest when I first saw it. I took half, leaving the other half untouched. I invested in a couple of smallish companies, buying them from the guys that had built them up. One is a property management with offices in San Jose and here in LA, and the other is a real estate development company, also based in San Jose. I bought the first because of reasons too long to go into right now, and the second because it overlaps with the first.¡±


    As we continued walking, I said, ¡°Both of these companies were well poised and well staffed, but just needed more capital to really take off, and that¡¯s what I brought in. Since then, in the last few years both have done extremely well, and that initial sixty-five million bucks is now almost two hundred million. I also started a real estate investment trust with another chunk of the initial fund, and that¡¯s done spectacularly well, and is valued at almost seven hundred million now, but a lot of that isn¡¯t our money, but from outside investors.¡±


    Thinking about what I¡¯d just said, Andy said, ¡°So Emmy had the money, but you¡¯re the one that¡¯s making the bank with it. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about the speed of it,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And now you¡¯ve got way, way more than Emmy¡¯s parents gave her.¡±


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯ve made so much money, that we¡¯re going to give that initial hundred million Euros back, in a sense. We¡¯re going to start a non-profit in Europe with that money.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool, actually,¡± Andy said as we walked out onto the parking lot.


    The walk-through went well, and Josh pencilled in a few changes based on suggestions from me, and from Ned as well. I got a much better feel for how the two parts of the structure (the house and the studio) would interlock but not really interface all that much. My concern that the house would feel spread out and disjointed was still sort of there, because it sort of would be, but really not much worse than a lot of large houses on difficult multilevel lots. Yes, it was quite a hike from the wet bar at one end and down in the basement to my home office, clear at the other end and on the fourth floor, but really, how often would I actually make that trip?


    The changes were all minor, and Josh promised that he¡¯d get them in to the city first thing Monday morning for approval. He also wanted to schedule a meeting with Emmy and her bandmates to discuss what they wanted to have done in the studio part, and said he¡¯d bring in an outside specialist for that phase of the architecture.


    Once Josh had left, Ned and I discussed scheduling and he said there were things he could get started on before the permits were issued, so I gave him the go-ahead to get going ASAP.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Watching Ned¡¯s truck leave, Andy said, ¡°I gotta say, Leah, it¡¯s obvious you¡¯ve done this before.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, construction, development, this kind of thing. I mean, maybe you¡¯ve never converted an old movie studio into a home before, but construction is construction, right? You had answers when those guys had questions, and the questions you asked all made it clear that this isn¡¯t your first rodeo,¡± Andy said. ¡°I want to be you when I grow up.¡±


    Laughing, I gave him a two-handed shove on the shoulder. ¡°You big goof!¡± I said. ¡°And speaking of big, you really bulked up since senior year. How big are you now, anyway?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listed at 251 right now,¡± Andy said. ¡°I was 209 at the end of the season at Fallbrook. But, damn, I¡¯m not the only one. You¡¯re just a whole lot, well, bigger than high school, too. I mean, you were always tall, but I think you''re taller now, and way more filled-in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, four years of serious strength training will do that to a girl,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice the size of the room you¡¯ve got for your home gym,¡± Andy said. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re planning on staying in shape.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could quit now if I had to,¡± I admitted. ¡°If I go more than a few days without working out I just feel, well, blah, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand. I¡¯m pretty much the same way. Hey, on a totally different note, your birthday has to be coming up soon. Are you going to have a party?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± I said. "Emmy¡¯s parents have rented out a race track and are bringing in a race driver to coach me for a day. A bunch of my driving buddies are going to come out and we¡¯re just gonna spend the day doing laps.¡±


    ¡°At Fontana?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Fontana? You mean the NASCAR track? No way, Jos¨¦. Willow Springs, a road race track.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty cool,¡± Andy admitted.


    ¡°You ought to come out. That Mustang of yours would be a lot of fun,¡± I said, pointing at his new car.


    ¡°What day?¡±


    ¡°Next Sunday,¡± I said.


    ¡°Aw, damn,¡± Andy said. ¡°No way can do. We have our season opener in Phoenix. It¡¯s Monday night, but Sunday is our travel day.¡±


    ¡°Well, that sucks,¡± I said. ¡°Wait- is that your first regular-season game in the NFL?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I get to start- isn¡¯t that awesome?¡± Andy asked, his chest swelling with pride.


    ¡°Let me see if I can get tickets. Maybe Emmy and I could come out to watch?¡± I suggested.


    "I wish I had some to give you guys, but I already handed out my allocation,¡± Andy said, apologetically.


    ¡°Let me see what I can scare up,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna cost,¡± Andy warned. ¡°The game is sold out.¡±


    ¡°Hey, if the problem can be solved with money, is it even a real problem?¡± I asked, shrugging.


    ¡°Not if you have money, I guess!¡± Andy said and held up his hand for a high-five.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of having money, if you don¡¯t use it, right?¡± I asked after slapping his palm.


    ¡°Um, well, if I don¡¯t see you next week, happy birthday, Leah,¡± Andy said, holding his arms out awkwardly for a hug, which I gladly returned. ¡°You know, it seems kinda weird to say it like this,¡± he said when we parted. ¡°But I was thinking about it after dinner the other night. You know, um, you¡¯re my oldest friend. Not oldest in the sense of being old, I mean, but outside of my family, you¡¯re the person I¡¯ve known the longest,¡± he said, fumbling for the right words. ¡°And it really makes me feel, I dunno, proud, I guess, that you¡¯re doing so good. I mean it. I¡¯m really glad to see it.¡±


    I gave him another hug, to show him that I understood where he was coming from. ¡°Thanks. That really actually means a lot,¡± I said, and it absolutely did.


    When we separated, I said, ¡°Now that you say it, you might be my oldest friend, too.¡±


    After Andy had driven off, I walked around the outside of the building and looked at the lower parking lot, where Ned was going to build my garage. I had had no place of my own to store the GT-R, so I¡¯d always just left it with the Track Club guys, but that wasn¡¯t really going to continue to work now that I lived in Southern California. I was going to have to buy a toy hauler, and a truck, too, but at least there was plenty of space for all that, even if towing a full-sized trailer on those narrow, winding Hollywood Hills streets was going to be no fun at all¡­


    Emmy wasn¡¯t home when I got back to the apartment, so I fixed myself some lunch and got out the laptop to do some work. My mind wasn¡¯t really on work, though, and soon enough I found myself looking for local shops like the Track Club, places that could maintain my car, and support me trackside. I found a few and made myself a list to stop by and check them out. Most looked like street tuning shops, but at least a couple of them had actual race cars in their photo galleries.


    Satisfied with that, I then looked for seats for the Rams vs Cardinals game, and found two right on the bottom row, closest to the field smack-dab on the fifty-yard line. Impulsively, I went head and bought the tickets, figuring that if Emmy couldn¡¯t or didn¡¯t want to go, reselling them should be easy enough, even if they were running nearly eight hundred bucks each.


    I almost sent Andy a text telling him I¡¯d gotten seats, but then thought better of it. What if Emmy said no?


    My two distractions done, I went back to reading the report that I¡¯d found so dull earlier. It was still dull, but I knew I needed to get through it at some point, so might as well do it right then.


    By the time Emmy came home a few hours later I¡¯d worked through my backlog of reading, responded to all the emails that needed responses, and generally felt good about being caught up with work. In fact, I was back to searching the internet for info on toy haulers and the trucks needed to tow them. I had fallen down a rabbit hole of bigger and bigger and more and more amazing rigs, many far too large for the lower lot at the new place. I found myself fantasizing about driving one of the full-sized semi-truck setups through Hollywood¡¯s narrow hillside roads, and how hilarifying that would be, when Emmy walked in the door, carrying take-out bags from the Japanese restaurant downstairs.


    ¡°I hope you do not mind,¡± she said, setting the bags down on the kitchen counter. ¡°For some reason I wanted yakisoba tonight.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything in mind as far as dinner goes, anyway.¡±


    Emmy, done taking out the take-out, looked up at me and saw my black eye. ¡°Oh, Leah! Your eye! It looks so painful!¡±


    ¡°Naw,¡± I replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really hurt anymore.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry you got in that fight,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I wish that had not happened.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me, too, but mostly because of the fallout, you know? I hated that it was necessary to kick Katharine¡¯s ass, but it had to be done. We don¡¯t need anybody like that in our shadow.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I am truly sorry that I ever got you involved in my peoples¡¯ issues, Leah. Other times, though, I am glad that I did, since you have become such an amazing figure among the Night Children. Did you know that they know of you over in Europe? My mother told me that she has heard about you from several of their subjects in France and Spain.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°What could they possibly know about me all the way over there?¡±


    ¡°My mother tells me that you are very highly thought of, and that it is very rare for a Night Child without the blessing to rise to become queen, but you have done so through your strength of spirit and will,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°You¡¯re making this up,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°And what does that mean, ¡®without the blessing¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It means they believe that you are a Night Child, but one who has not received the blessing of the night. Like Edouard, my cousin.¡±


    ¡°Edouard is your cousin? Your mom¡¯s bodyguard? That Edouard?¡± I asked, surprised again.


    ¡°Yes, he is the son of my father¡¯s brother and a daywalker woman.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that would make him your cousin, all right,¡± I admitted. ¡°That would explain some things. So, Michael had told me a while back that a lot of the Strays think my dad was a Night Child, and he didn¡¯t bother correcting them, since it helped bolster my legitimacy. I guess word has spread.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I had heard that rumor as well,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°And you also didn¡¯t tell anybody it wasn¡¯t true, did you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I did not,¡± Emmy said. At least she had the grace to look sheepish about it, though.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s no harm, no foul,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t think Katharine believed it, though. She said that I wasn¡¯t ¡®one of us¡¯ when she got really angry.¡±


    ¡°Many Night Children feel that way about the non-blessed. Even if the lineage is obvious, and the only difference between a non-blessed and a true Night Child is that one has one Night Child parent and one daywalker parent, but the other has one daywalker parent and one Night Child.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t make any sense, but I think I understood what you meant anyway, babe,¡± I said, wrapping my arms around my beautiful true Night Child wife. ¡°Well, if it makes life easier, I say let them keep believing I¡¯m a non-blessed. Why not?¡±


    Emmy snuggled up into my chest, murmuring, ¡°I missed this.¡±


    ¡°Missed what?¡±


    ¡°You holding me,¡± she replied. ¡°It has been days. Far too long.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it has,¡± I said, leaning my cheek down against the top of her head. ¡°The only hugs I¡¯ve gotten since Wednesday were from Andy Temple.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°You have been hugging Andy?¡±


    I told her about how Andy had wanted to see the new house, and how we¡¯d talked about oldest friends and all that.


    ¡°I am very glad that you two have reconnected,¡± Emmy said, her face still buried against my chest. ¡°That is something special.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°Oh, and speaking of Andy, do you have any plans for next Monday night?¡±


    ¡°Not the day after tomorrow, but eight days from now Monday?¡± Emmy asked, for clarification.


    ¡°Yeah, the day after the track day.¡±


    ¡°No, I do not,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Have Imogen and James said they would stay here with us? If so, maybe we would all go out to dinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d forgotten about them maybe staying here,¡± I said with a groan.


    ¡°You do not want them to stay here?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, I do, it¡¯s just that I made other plans for the two of us for Monday, but if James and Imogen are here, maybe I have to cancel.¡±


    ¡°You should talk to James and see what their plans are,¡± Emmy urged. ¡°What are these other plans?¡±


    ¡°I got us tickets to see Andy¡¯s first regular-season game as a pro.¡±


    ¡°American football?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I confirmed. ¡°I got us great seats, too.¡±


    ¡°At the¡­ the Coliseum, no?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s an away game. It¡¯s gonna be in Phoenix,¡± I said. ¡°Monday night football. I figure we fly in for the game, and come back home the same night.¡±


    ¡°But I have never been to Phoenix,¡± Emmy objected. ¡°It would be nice to do some sight-seeing.¡±


    ¡°One,¡± I said, holding up a finger, ¡°it¡¯ll be hotter than the surface of the sun in Phoenix this time of year, and two,¡± I added, holding up another finger, ¡°There really isn¡¯t anything to see there, anyway.¡±


    ¡°You cannot be serious,¡± Emmy said, giving me a disbelieving look.


    ¡°Yes, it will in fact be hotter than the surface of the sun,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll be well over a hundred degrees in the shade.¡±


    Emmy took a moment to do the mental math. ¡°Forty degrees?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, somewhere in that range,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That is hot, but not hotter than the sun.¡± Emmy said, scolding me for exaggerating. ¡°It gets that hot in parts of Spain in the summer, and I am O.K. with that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s still nothing to see in Phoenix, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that there must be,¡± Emmy said, her face taking on a determined cast. ¡°I will look it up and find things for us to see.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± I said with a doubtful shrug.

 New Toy

    The next few days at work were extra busy for me, since my free time before the start of the fall term and the beginning of grad school was running out fast. It wasn¡¯t that I wouldn¡¯t be able to come in to the office at all, just not on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Throw in a visit to San Jose every other week, and it was starting to look like I¡¯d be part-time at best. Of course, I could still get work done after hours and over the weekends, but my time was going to have to be more carefully managed, and I was going to have to be better about staying laser-focused and on-task while I was working.


    On Wednesday, Jake stopped by my office. ¡°Hey, I was going to do a site inspection on a new property- want to come along?¡±


    My first instinct was to tell him I was busy, but really, it was important to keep sight of the basics of the business, too, so I said O.K. ¡°I¡¯ll buy lunch if you drive,¡± I said.


    ¡°One of these days I¡¯m gonna get to ride in that Aston Martin of yours,¡± Jake said with a chuckle.


    ¡°You want to today? Then you buy lunch, and I¡¯ll drive,¡± I said, and the deal was sealed.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jake said when he finally shoehorned himself into my car. ¡°This thing is really low. Getting in is a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Damned nice, though,¡± he said, running his fingers over the leather, then the polished wood inlays.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice car, but it does require a little more, um, engagement than some,¡± I said and fired it up, the deep rumble filling the cabin.


    ¡°Holy-¡± Jake said. ¡°I feel it in my teeth!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the pipe I have on here is a bit, well, open.¡±


    ¡°By ¡®open¡¯ you mean loud enough to wake the dead,¡± Jake replied.


    As we cruised to the new apartment building on Montana Avenue, Jake asked, ¡°How fast is this car?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fast,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Have you had it over a hundred?¡±


    ¡°Pshh. I get it over a hundred on my commute to work every day.¡±


    ¡°A hundred fifty?¡±


    ¡°I usually only do that on weekends,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the use of a car like this,¡± Jake admitted. ¡°It¡¯s so low, you look up at the hubcaps of SUVs. It¡¯s too fast for the street, and it feels, well, claustrophobic inside- it¡¯s so, um, snug.¡±


    ¡°The point of a car like this to completely haul ass,¡± I told him. ¡°Driving on city streets like this? Not what this car was made for. After the inspection, let¡¯s take a few minutes and I¡¯ll show you what this car does so well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if my heart could take it,¡± Jake said, laughing, but sort of meaning it, too.


    ¡°Well, the offer stands.¡±


    ¡°Do you often drive fast?¡± Jake asked, as we pulled up in front of the apartment building.


    ¡°As often as I can,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll be spending Sunday driving my track car up at Willow Springs Raceway.¡±


    ¡°You have a track car?¡± Jake asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll tell you about it when we¡¯re done here,¡± I said as we exited the car (some of us less gracefully than others).


    The building was small and somewhat old, but it looked to be in good shape, even though the gray color was terribly uninteresting. I was surprised by how nice and airy the interior of the very contemporary apartment felt, and how well appointed it was.


    ¡°O.K., tell me about this place,¡± I said to Jake.


    Looking at his notes, he said, ¡°Built in 1949. Six units, between seven hundred and fifty to nine hundred square feet. On-street parking, that¡¯s a minus, but you wouldn¡¯t expect it in a place this old. The previous owner updated the units, as you can see. The five that are currently rented all have leases that run out within the next six months. The owner has several other properties with us.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the owner like?¡± I asked, more out of curiosity than anything.


    ¡°Real hands-off. All he wants is his check. He doesn¡¯t micro-manage, just wants to see a nice, steady income stream and ROI.¡±


    ¡°I love him already,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°My kind of client.¡±


    ¡°I wish they were all like that,¡± Jake agreed.


    ¡°So, now, tell me your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Well, the exterior needs a coat of paint. That gray is terrible,¡± Jake said. ¡°This looks good in here, but it could use a quick pass with a brush, too. The hardwood floors look to be in good shape, the appliances are pretty new and good quality. I think we can get it rented pretty quickly, even if it is a bit on the high side of the market as far as rents go. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I kinda wish I¡¯d bought this place myself,¡± I said. ¡°The location is excellent, the units classy and large. I think, like you said, it¡¯ll be easy to keep rented. Go ahead and get the exterior painted, too. I think this is one we¡¯ll keep in the portfolio for a while."


    As we walked back to the car, I asked, "You sure I can¡¯t talk you into going for a quick spin up Topanga?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Jake said. ¡°But there¡¯s a good cafe down the street a few blocks, for lunch.¡±


    ¡°So you really have a race car?¡± Jake asked, once we¡¯d sat down at one of the patio tables at the hip cafe Jake had picked.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t actually race, but yes, it¡¯s a race car,¡± I said, pulling out my phone to show him some pictures.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Jake said, looking through some of the photos. ¡°That looks serious. And expensive.¡±


    ¡°It is both of those things,¡± I agreed, taking the phone back.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how much did that car cost you?¡±


    ¡°It came to a little under two hundred and fifty grand, but it was in Europe, so I had to pay to have it shipped here,¡± I said, sipping my iced tea.


    ¡°Over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for a car you can only drive on the track?¡± Jake asked, his mind boggled.


    ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡­¡± I said. Our orders arrived at that point, faster than I¡¯d expected, so we stopped talking to enjoy our food.


    ¡°Leah, I don¡¯t- well, I¡¯m afraid I might be putting my foot in my mouth, but I¡¯ve noticed that¡­ You know what? Never mind. Not my business,¡± Jake said, leaning back.


    ¡°Well, now you have me curious,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, forget I ever said anything. It wasn¡¯t my place.¡±


    ¡°Is this about my money?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s about¡­¡± he said, and pointed at his eye.


    ¡°Ah, my black eye,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°The office has been talking,¡± Jake said. ¡°But nobody was going to mention it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± I said. ¡°Just a little domestic misunderstanding.¡± Then, laughing at the look on Jake¡¯s face, I said, ¡°No, I¡¯m kidding. Emmy would never, ever hit me where it would show.¡±


    Laughing more at Jake¡¯s expression and his inability to come up with a clever reply, I said, ¡°No, seriously, I do kickboxing, and took a good hit sparring last Saturday. It happens sometimes, so don¡¯t be surprised if I come in to work every once in a while looking like I got in a fight- because, well, you know, I had in fact gotten in a fight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± Jake said, the look of shock having turned to disbelief.


    ¡°No, not kidding,¡± I said. ¡°I do MMA, and that sometimes involves getting hit in the face.¡±


    ¡°So, you could, I don¡¯t know, beat up any clients that really pissed you off?¡± Jake asked, regaining his sense of humor.


    ¡°I wish,¡± I said with a groan. ¡°I had a client meeting up in San Jose on Thursday and the guy spent the entire time trying to get a rise out of me. It would have been so satisfying to smash his face into the hood of his Bentley¡­¡±


    ¡°I think we all have those thoughts every once in a while,¡± Jake admitted.


    ¡°Yeah, which is why getting it out in the ring can be really satisfying,¡± I said.


    ¡°Even though you got beat up.¡±


    ¡°What? No, it wasn¡¯t me that wound up face down on the mat,¡± I said. ¡°No, I kicked ass.¡±


    Laughing, Jake said, ¡°Remind me not to get on your bad side!¡±


    When I walked in the office the next day, Marisa asked me, ¡°Is it true? You do cage fighting?¡± in a voice breathless with excitement.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a ring, not a cage,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, I do mixed martial arts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so awesome!¡± she gushed.


    When Jake had said that the office had been talking about my black eye, I knew that whatever I told him would make the rounds (so to speak), so it was no surprise that the receptionist would mention it. She was good at her job, but a bit of an airhead in other ways, and from what I understood, a big gossip. Setting her straight would mean that she would at least repeat what I told her, instead of some third-hand info.


    The San Jose office had become accustomed to seeing me after particularly tough sparring bouts with Ruben, and now the LA office would learn that sometimes it was better to reschedule client meetings until after the swelling had gone down.


    The Saturday before my birthday track day, I was doing my morning workout in the gym at the apartment building when Josh, the gym¡¯s trainer, came over to talk.


    ¡°Leah,¡± he said. ¡°I know you said you¡¯ve been wanting to find a good MMA gym near where you¡¯re going to buy a house, right? And you just bought in the Hollywood Hills? Well, a guy I know just got hired on as a trainer at this gym in WeHo. He said that they have some real serious guys, I mean, like world champion UFC guys, who¡¯re instructors there. You might want to give the place a try.¡±


    I took the card he handed me and thanked him, but didn¡¯t really give it a lot of thought at the moment. Later, after my shower, I saw the card and figured I¡¯d check the place out. Looking at the address, I saw that Josh had the area wrong. It wasn¡¯t West Hollywood, but actually Santa Monica. That might be O.K. for getting in workouts and then heading straight to the office, I thought, so it might be a good location after all.


    ¡°Happy almost-birthday,¡± Emmy said as she joined me in the kitchen, her voice still sleepy. ¡°Do you have any plans for today?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± I said. ¡°Other than to make some breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I approve of this plan,¡± Emmy said, sitting at the counter, so sexy and adorable in her silk panties and camisole. ¡°At ten o¡¯clock they are supposed to deliver your birthday present downstairs,¡± she announced. ¡°We must sign for it.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t the concierge sign?¡± I asked, whisking the eggs.


    ¡°No, it must be you,¡± Emmy said.


    After breakfast, Emmy showered while I straightened up. Honestly, I was a little bit glad that James and Imogen had opted to stay at the Beverly Wilshire and not with us. Yeah, it would have been nice to have house guests, and I really liked the two of them, but Emmy wouldn''t have been able to stroll around the house in her underwear with them staying over¡­


    At a quarter to ten we got a call from the concierge, so we went down to the front desk. The concierge, who seemed to be an old friend of Emmy¡¯s, was standing next to a guy in a cheapish suit.


    ¡°Alfonso!¡± Emmy said, greeting the concierge. ¡°Is it here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Lascaux, this man has the paperwork,¡± he said, indicating the other guy.


    ¡°But first, we must take a look and see if it is acceptable,¡± Emmy said, leading the way out the front door.


    I followed, of course, and so did the two men. Waiting, parked right in front of the doors, was a brand new BMW M6 in a stunning metallic orange-red.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Emmy asked, hopefully.


    ¡°Is this for me?¡± I asked, dumbfounded. ¡°You bought me a new car?¡±


    ¡°I know you love your Aston,¡± Emmy said, chewing on her lip, unsure of herself. ¡°But it is getting old, and I thought that you might like a new one, one that has more than two seats.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous, Em,¡± I said, running my hand over the fender. ¡°Thanks! Seriously, this is awesome!¡±


    Now, it obviously wasn¡¯t the first time Emmy had surprised me with a new car. The Aston had been a birthday present, too, after all, but that had been less of a surprise than this.


    The cheap suit guy handed me the key fob and said, ¡°Go ahead and fire it up.¡±


    I did as he said, admiring the black leather interior. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t as classy as the Vantage, but it was also fifty grand cheaper, at a guess. Still, the BMW was a lot roomier than the much smaller Aston, and as Jake had pointed out the other day, a tiny car isn¡¯t easy to get in and out of.


    The engine sound was lovely. Again, not as smooth and refined as the twelve in the Aston, but the eight in the BMW had a sexy sound of its own.


    ¡°Sign the papers so we can go for a drive,¡± Emmy urged, so I shut the car off, and went back inside to the concierge desk. Alfonso handed me the pen from his pocket, and I filled in the ownership paperwork. Cheap suit guy was satisfied, and left. I noticed that he climbed into a car carrier truck- they hadn¡¯t driven the car here from (presumably) Temecula.


    ¡°Have fun, you two,¡± Alfonso said as Emmy thanked him for his help. She was so good at that kind of thing, and I just wasn¡¯t, I¡¯ll admit.


    Emmy and I spent a few hours driving a bunch of the Malibu Hills roads I¡¯d become quite familiar with, and as I grew more and more accustomed to the big BMW my speeds picked up. It still felt really huge on some of the narrower roads like La Tuna, but it handled the weight and size well and soon enough I stopped being so concerned I was going to drag body panels on the guard rails.


    We stopped for lunch at that same place I¡¯d gone to with Jimmy and his sister a couple of months before, and again, it was filled with rich, well dressed and well tanned middle aged folks.


    The food was good, though, so we couldn¡¯t complain. After lunch, instead of hitting the twisty roads for some more high speed fun we just headed up the coast, then cut inland and though Ojai. Emmy had never been, and thought the place was too cute for words. Eventually we found ourselves back in Los Angeles, enjoying the beauty that is freeway traffic.


    ¡°Do you like your new car?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I love it, Em,¡± I said, laying my hand on top of hers on my thigh, where it had been for the last hour or so. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡±


    ¡°I wanted you to have a day to drive it before tomorrow¡¯s track day,¡± Emmy said. ¡°So you would be used to it before taking it out on the track.¡±


    ¡°Take this on the track?¡± I asked. ¡°But I¡¯ll have my GT-R for the track.¡±


    ¡°That car has only one seat,¡± Emmy pointed out. ¡°How would the race driver coach you, if he cannot ride in the same car as you?¡±


    ¡°Huh. Good point,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°So that is why I wanted you to have this car a day early.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I agreed.

 Willow Springs Eternal In The Human Breast

    Since we had to get up unreasonably early, I made sure I loaded everything I would need in the new car before we turned in for the night. My driving suit, helmet, gloves and shoes all went in the car, but really, that was it. Knowing that everything but my personal equipment would be taken care of sure made packing a breeze. No cooler for cold drinks, no lunch, nothing- all would be provided. Sure, I was used to that kind of service thank to the Track Club guys, but I still remembered having to go through my checklist back when I first started.


    It was going to be an hour and a half drive in the morning and I wanted to be there by seven, since the track went hot at eight, and I wanted to be rolling the moment they waved the green flag. Leaving the apartment before five thirty meant that I had to be up at four thirty and Emmy awake by five.


    Emmy was about the opposite of a morning person, but she could be ready quickly when it was required. I¡¯d packed a pillow in the car, too, so she could get some sleep on the drive. Since breakfast would be provided at the track, there was no need to even worry about grabbing a bite before hitting the road.


    The drive was uneventful, and soon enough we pulled into the track¡¯s driveway. We signed the form at the gate and got our wristbands, and were directed to the left. ¡°Look for the big rig with the giant BMW logo on it,¡± the woman manning the gate said when I told her why we were there.


    Sure enough, there was a giant tent setup next to a semi truck painted with bold ¡°M Sport¡± graphics and the BMW rondel. Parked nearby was the Track Club rig, with a large canopy setup as well. I¡¯d always thought the Track Club guys did it up right, but the BMW factory crew was on a different level. Parked under canopies at the Track Club pit were my GT-R and James¡¯ 918, the cars already lifted, warmers wrapped around both cars¡¯ tires.


    I parked by the BMW pit, but first walked over to the Track Club pit to make sure my baby was being properly pampered.


    ¡°Hey, Reggie,¡± I said as I spotted the crew chief. ¡°You guys have coffee going yet?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know we do!¡± Reggie said with a laugh. ¡°The coffee pot is the first tool out of the crate.¡±


    We chatted for a few minutes, then Reggie indicated the BMW pit. ¡°So, what¡¯s the story? I thought this was a private track day for your birthday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I said, sipping the Kona roast that Reggie claimed was from a private supplier. ¡°My in-laws are doing this for me for my birthday, and my father-in-law owns a string of BMW dealerships. I guess he¡¯s the biggest BMW dealer in France, from what I understand. He knows I¡¯m into it, you know? So they rented the track, and brought the race crew in, and a retired driver to coach me for the day.¡±


    ¡°What is a BMW crew thinking they¡¯re gonna do with a Nissan?¡± Reggie asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too clear on that myself,¡± I admitted. ¡°But Emmy just bought me that M6 Competition yesterday, so I guess they can fuss around with that. Since I needed a car with two seats, you know, for the driver guy to ride along.¡±


    ¡°Seems overkill,¡± Reggie said, scratching his head. ¡°I guess if they want to mess around with the GT-R, I¡¯m O.K. with that, but I want to watch to see what they do.¡±


    ¡°Like you said, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be lost. I mean, their wrenches probably only fit German cars, right?¡±


    Laughing at that, Reggie and I bumped coffee mugs in a sort of toast.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the driver they brought in?¡± Reggie asked as we watched Stein¡¯s McLaren, now in rose gold chrome wrap, pull up to the BMW tent.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the guy,¡± I said, as Stein got out of his car. ¡°That¡¯s one of my driving buddies.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Leah, you know we¡¯re here all day, right? Yours and James¡¯ cars are already set up, so if you want to tell your buddies they can hit us up for suspension tuning or setup, we¡¯d be glad to do what we can,¡± Reggie said, eyeing the incredibly tasteless McLaren.


    Stein spotted me, and strolled over. ¡°Gonna be hot today,¡± he said. Then, glancing at the cars in the pit, he said, ¡°Holy fuck, Leah! You never mentioned you had a freaking supercar!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve shown you pictures,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, of the GT-R, but not that Porsche! Why have you been driving the Aston, when you could have been rolling in that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not my car. Yet,¡± I said. ¡°For now, it belongs to my friend James, who came down from the Bay area to drive today.¡±


    ¡°Yet?¡±


    ¡°I made him promise me that I get first dibs if he ever wants to sell it,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait too long,¡± Stein said. ¡°They go up in value like a thousand bucks a day or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± I said.


    ¡°So this is the beast that Jimmy can¡¯t stop talking about,¡± Stein said, eyeballing the Nissan. ¡°I gotta say, it looks mean as fuck.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a really angry car. It loves to crush major metropolises.¡±


    ¡°Looks it,¡± Stein agreed. ¡°I¡¯m kinda grateful it¡¯s not street legal- that thing would destroy us all on the Saturday morning drive.¡±


    Just about then Jimmy (with his sister) and Stephen drove up, and parked right by the Track Club pit, where Stein, Reggie and I were standing, looking at the cars.


    When the three got out of their cars, I introduced the guys to Reggie and repeated his offer to help with their cars¡¯ setups.


    ¡°We¡¯re brand agnostic,¡± Reggie explained. ¡°We speak Italian, German, Japanese, English, whatever. Come in after you¡¯ve done a few laps and we can look at your settings and make adjustments.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome, dude!¡± Jimmy said. ¡°I¡¯ve never touched anything on my car- it¡¯s still at factory settings.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, your Speziale is probably set up pretty well as is, but there¡¯s always a little bit more that can be found. It¡¯s all about matching the car to the driver¡¯s style.¡±


    Pointing at my Nissan, Jimmy asked, ¡°What style is that set up for?¡±


    Glancing at me, Reggie laughed and said, ¡°Crushing major metropolises.¡±


    Emmy had come over while we were chatting, along with a short, thin guy with curly gray hair and a long, straight nose.


    ¡°Leah, this is Alain,¡± she said. ¡°Alain, this is Leah.¡±


    He looked me up and down, exaggerating how high he had to look up. I had nearly a foot on him, and rather than be intimidated, Alain made something of a joke about it, which I appreciated.


    ¡°Emmy tells me you speak French, but probably don¡¯t know any of the racing vocabulary, so we¡¯ll stick with English,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thanks, yeah. My four years of college French didn¡¯t really include the words for ¡®understeer,¡¯ ¡®lift,¡¯ or even ¡®shift¡¯,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°That is fine,¡± Alain said. ¡°Maybe we can work on your vocabulary as we work on your lap times. Emmy showed me the car we¡¯ll be driving together. She said this is your track car?¡± he asked, pointing at my mean green machine.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my baby,¡± I said.


    ¡°All wheel drive, or is it GT3 spec?¡±


    ¡°GT3,¡± I said.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± he said with a big smile. ¡°I think we will have fun today.¡±


    When Alain and Emmy walked back to the BMW tent, Reggie just stood there, his mouth open in shock.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± he said, mostly to himself. ¡°Jesus. Nobody back at the shop is gonna believe this. One hundred per cent, I¡¯m getting a selfie today.¡±


    Jimmie and Stein both just looked at each other and shrugged, like ¡®whatever¡¯.


    ¡°Reggie, if I were to guess, I¡¯d say that what¡¯s gonna happen is I¡¯m going to take the M6 out with Alain for a few laps, working on basic lines. I¡¯ve never driven this track, but I did watch some videos on Youtube, so I think I understand the basic lines.¡±


    ¡°Um, we have a track diagram on the whiteboard, and the lines are down out on it,¡± Reggie said. ¡°But it¡¯s only nine turns, so you¡¯ll learn it really fast anyway,¡± Reggie said.


    ¡°Yeah, it only seems like a couple of turns are tricky,¡± I agreed. ¡°But anyway, we¡¯ll do a few laps, maybe ten? I don¡¯t know, in the M6. I want to do a morning timed run in Godzilla, then another at the end of the day to see how my times improve.¡±


    ¡°The tires will be up to temp by the time the track goes hot at eight,¡± Reggie confirmed. ¡°Any time you want to take it out, it¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    Walking over to the BMW tent, Jimmy asked, ¡°M6?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Emmy bought me that thing yesterday,¡± I said, pointing at the orange BMW. ¡°So I¡¯d have a two-seater to drive today.¡±


    ¡°What was wrong with the Vantage?¡± Stephen asked.


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Not BMW enough, I guess? Emmy¡¯s family owns a bunch of dealerships, so maybe it was important to them that I represent the brand? Your guess is as good as mine.¡±


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Jimmy¡¯s sister was already having breakfast when we found the hospitality area, while Alain, Emmy and some guy in a BMW uniform were drinking coffee and speaking in French.


    The rest of us sat down to eat a quick breakfast, as Teddy Bear, James and Justin joined us. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± he said. ¡°I had a hard time figuring out which pit you guys were in. I wish the BMW was a little more prominently displayed,¡± getting a laugh.


    I introduced everybody and mentioned what cars they had so everybody could identify who it was on track, and of course, discussions of the various cars (especially James¡¯ 918) dominated the talk.


    As we ate, a representative of the track came in and explained the rules. I¡¯d done plenty of track days before, so I knew the flag etiquette, but some of the others never had and so I still had to hear the whole spiel anyhow. Stephen realized he didn¡¯t have a fire extinguisher in his car, and Jimmy didn¡¯t have a helmet, but those two things were easily sorted out.


    By eight Alain and I were suited up so when the green flag waved we were off.


    ¡°Take the first lap slow,¡± Alain said. ¡°We want to see the track.¡±


    I led out a procession, the other drivers falling into line behind me. I did as Alain said, and he talked me through the various track features as we progressed.


    ¡°Look at this turn,¡± he said. ¡°It seems to go on forever without change, but notice that right here, the camber changes- it goes from a positive bank to level,¡± he said. ¡°This is hardly a turn, but it¡¯s over a crest, so you¡¯ll want to set up early,¡± and ¡°That dip right at the apex will upset the car as speeds increase, so you¡¯ll want to stay wide and late apex here.¡±


    Sure, I¡¯d figure all that stuff out on my own eventually, but Alain¡¯s eye for the track was well beyond my abilities. I could see what he was pointing out, and how it would affect my lines, but on my own I would have simply fumbled through and gotten my lines dialed by trial and error.


    Each lap we picked up a bit of speed, and Alain continued talking about track features, but then started adding in driving directions after a few laps. ¡°Here, you will want to start your braking. This turn looks sharp, but it is very wide, even though it doesn''t seem it, so brake at maximum here, but no earlier. You¡¯ll want to take this turn at a hundred and fifty or so.¡± Of course, he was talking kilometers per hour, but that seemed pretty high for what was, in effect, a ninety degree turn. I did as he said, though, and pretty soon we were flying at a really good clip around those nine turns.


    Stein had passed us a few laps earlier and he was off doing his own thing. I knew that he¡¯d driven Willow Springs a fair number of times, so his track knowledge, and the fact he was driving a McLaren 570 gave him the ability to roll past Alain and I in the M6 with ease.


    We did maybe fifteen laps or so, until Alain thought I had a good basic feel for the course. Now, he¡¯d never been to Willow Springs, either, but his ability to read the track was almost unbelievably good, so I paid very, very close attention to everything he said, and by the time we rolled back into the pits I was feeling pretty good about things. I¡¯d felt as if I¡¯d gotten a bit of a feel for the limits of that big BMW coupe, too. Yeah, it handled better than I had expected, given the size and weight, and had pretty good power, too, but honestly, it wasn¡¯t up to the level of my little old Aston Martin. Of course, I¡¯d had that thing massaged quite a bit, and this was as-delivered¡­


    When we got out of the car, Alain spoke to the BMW crew chief in French, and within moments the car was rolled away for some adjustments.


    ¡°Leah, you should do some timed laps in your Nissan now,¡± Alain said. "Do a few laps at a comfortable speed, then do a few at the limit, and we will see how you do.¡±


    ¡°Time to get busy,¡± I told Reggie as I strolled up to the Track Club pit. ¡°Alain wants me to do a timed run.¡±


    The first lap in the GT-R felt so slow, even though I was going faster than I had been in the coupe. That¡¯s just the reality of a road car vs a race car, after all. Soon enough I spotted that ridiculous pink chrome McLaren of Stein¡¯s up ahead, and then it was ¡®game on¡¯ and time to put Godzilla to work. I passed him by late apexing turn one and cutting inside his line, then powered into turn two at warp speed. Heading up the hill to turn four, I couldn¡¯t even see that pink car in my mirrors, I¡¯d blown by him so hard. Cresting turn six, I spotted a clump of cars up ahead and stayed hard on the accelerator, passing Stephen, Justin and Teddy Bear around the outside of turn eight, staying way wide before diving into nine and up the straight, the back end clawing for traction on the marbles. Jimmy was my next victim. I passed him as he got on the brakes at the end of the straight. I had a clear lap after that, so I stayed focused and kept my lines tidy, pushing that car as hard as I could.


    After two good laps, I pulled in to the Track Club pit for the telemetry download.


    Alain looked at the data and said, ¡°See this? Your braking trace on turn one? You¡¯re on the brakes, then let off a little bit, then back on again. This tells me you got in, and then realized you were going too slow. So brake later, eh? Brake later, and harder.¡± He went on, analyzing the data on Reggie¡¯s laptop, showing me where I was losing time compared to a virtual perfect lap, made up of my best runs through each segment.


    While we were looking at the info, Emmy came over and shared a look with Alain.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alain said. ¡°Now, it is time for your birthday present, from Monsieur de Lascaux.¡±


    Puzzled, I followed him and Emmy back to the BMW pit, where they led me to an area I hadn¡¯t noticed before.


    ¡°Happy birthday!¡± Emmy said, as I laid eyes on a pristine, flawless new BMW M6 race car.


    ¡°It is next year¡¯s GT3 car,¡± Alain said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked, running my hands over the arctic white car with the M blue, red and indigo accents.


    ¡°This is why the race crew is here,¡± Emmy said. ¡°To set your new car up just right.¡±


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± I said, thinking it was too pretty to get dirty out on the course.


    ¡°It is ready for you to take out," the crew chief said. ¡°The tires and engine are warm. Go ahead and take it for its very first laps.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have to tell me twice!¡± I said, climbing in. The crew chief showed me how to adjust the wheel and pedals to fit me, since in a race car, the seat is bolted in place and the controls adjust instead.


    I pulled out of the tent and onto the hot pit lane, marveling at how very different it felt than my familiar green monster. It felt huge, even though it really was only a few inches longer and no wider than the Nissan, which wasn¡¯t a small car. I think it had more to do with the size and shape of the windshield, and how much farther away it seemed.


    The track worker waved me onto the track, so I gave it some gas and let it run. The sound was very different than I was used to, and the sensations through the wheel and seat were disconcerting, too. All in all, I felt awkward and uncomfortable, so my speeds were much lower than they¡¯d been in the GT-R, but still higher than I¡¯d managed in the coupe.


    Things started to come together after a few laps, and my shift and brake points realigned to the new car. The BMW felt slow compared to the Nissan, but I knew that most of that was simply in my head. The lap timer showed I was only a few seconds off my best lap in the GT-R, after all.


    After maybe a dozen laps I pulled the car back in and the crew immediately went to work, downloading the data and using that to adjust the car¡¯s settings.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Emmy asked, excited.


    I couldn¡¯t very well tell her that it felt slow and heavy compared to the car I already had, so I said, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten so used to Godzilla, this thing is going to take me some time- it¡¯s much more different than you¡¯d expect.¡±


    Alain said, ¡°After lunch, you and I should go out in the two cars and play follow the leader.¡±


    ¡°I might be ready for that by then,¡± I said. ¡°You want to take the Nissan out for a few laps?¡±


    ¡°But of course!¡± Alain said, his face lighting up. ¡°I¡¯ve never had the chance to drive one before.¡±


    ¡°Do you not like the new car?¡± Emmy asked, concerned.


    ¡°No, I love it,¡± I said, but that wasn¡¯t really true. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to it yet. I¡¯ve put in so many laps in Godzilla, and it¡¯s set up just the way I like it. This car needs some adjustments, and I need to figure out how to drive it, that¡¯s all.¡±


    A few of the guys had found their way to where we were talking by this point.


    ¡°Damn, dude!¡± Jimmy said. ¡°Earlier, when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw an up close and very personal view of the front of your GT-R I just about shit myself!¡±


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s no lie,¡± said Teddy Bear. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you were there until you ripped past on the outside on eight, then bombed into nine so fast it made my head spin.¡±


    ¡°I told you guys,¡± James said, shaking his head. ¡°But you didn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°So, am I correct in guessing that your real birthday present is that BMW racer?¡± Stein asked, watching the mechanics adjust the suspension according to the feedback from my first few laps.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, still amazed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about the car- Emmy didn¡¯t mention it at all.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had in-laws like that,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t even married,¡± Teddy Bear objected.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that there¡¯s still time,¡± Stein said with a laugh.


    After the mechanics finished, I took the car out for some more track time. It felt a lot better, and within a lap my time had improved. The car gripped the track better and got much stronger drive out of the corners as a result. In fact, after a half dozen laps or so, I had to admit it was easier on exit than my Nissan. The BMW didn¡¯t have the outright power the Nissan did, but that was outside of GT3 spec limits anyway, so of course it didn¡¯t. But it hooked up better, allowing me to accelerate harder, since I wasn¡¯t as concerned about managing rear traction.


    It occurred to me that maybe I was feeling the benefits of some really high tech wheelspin nannies, so I thought that maybe some back-to-back laps in the two cars with traction control turned off might be instructive.


    When I brought the car back in after that second session, I asked about the TC. The chief showed me the driver controls for the TC and ABS, saying, ¡°You really won¡¯t want them shut off entirely. Dial them back down, sure, but if you turn them all the way off, the car becomes a lot to handle.¡±


    When Alain came back into the pits in the Nissan, I asked him about his impressions.


    ¡°It is a madman¡¯s car,¡± he said, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°It is so loose, so powerful, so heavy! I haven¡¯t had that much fun in a car in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Powerful?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It has more power than the Formula One car I raced,¡± he said. ¡°More power everywhere, but it¡¯s a lot heavier, and doesn¡¯t have as much downforce, so it breaks the wheels loose every time I step on the throttle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was a question I had for you,¡± I said. ¡°I have the TC turned off in the GT-R, but in the BMW it feels like it¡¯s slowing me down, even though it¡¯s keeping everything in line.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is what it does,¡± Alain agreed. ¡°If that is what you are used to, try the BMW with no aids.¡±


    ¡°Wait- you mean Leah¡¯s been driving the GT-R with the traction control turned off?¡± James asked. ¡°Was it turned off when I drove it?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can I drive it again, but this time with it turned back on?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°If Alain is done with it for a while. Get Reggie to set it up for you.¡±


    I went out again in the BMW, and it was a lot more fun being able to steer with the gas the way I was used to in the GT-R, and the brakes felt much more immediate without the ABS keeping me from getting too aggressive on the binders. All in all, it was much more engaging- but the lap timer told me the truth, and that I was a little slower letting the BMW loose like that. I bumped the TC up a bit every lap until it started to slow me down again, then backed it off two clicks, which seemed the best compromise between fast and controlled, but still a little bit fun.


    Finally bringing the car back into the pit, I looked for Alain but he was out on the track, driving Jimmy¡¯s 458. I did bump into Stein, though. He was taking advantage of Reggie¡¯s offer and having his shiny pink McLaren¡¯s steering adjusted.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± he said as I walked up. ¡°You were damned fast out there. I mean, really, really fast.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said.


    ¡°So what are you going to do with your Nissan, now you¡¯ve got the BMW?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± I replied. ¡°At this point, I still like Godzilla better, you know? But I¡¯ve had a bunch of work done on it, you know, and it¡¯s set up just the way I like it. The BMW is brand new and I¡¯m not used to it yet, and it just has the spec motor settings for a GT3 car- right around six hundred horsepower, nowhere near what I¡¯ve had the GT-R set at.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? How much power are you getting in that thing?¡± Stein asked, surprised.


    ¡°I had it built up at eight hundred and seventy-five, but it was too peaky. Right now it¡¯s running around seven hundred forty,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s almost two hundred more than my McLaren,¡± Stein said. ¡°No wonder you were dropping me like a bad habit out there.¡±


    ¡°Well, that, and the fact you brake like a pussy,¡± I said with a laugh.


    Teddy Bear and Stephen had joined us by this time. ¡°She¡¯s got you there, brother,¡± laughed Teddy Bear.


    ¡°Yeah, no need to rub it in,¡± Stein said, not taking offense. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t help notice she tore the doors off your Corvette every time she lapped you, too.¡±


    ¡°Dude, my car is gonna have PTSD every time it sees a green Nissan on the road,¡± Teddy Bear said with a laugh. ¡°It wet itself the first time she came flying by on the outside, sideways, shredding tire rubber like it was going out of style.¡±


    ¡°No freaking lie,¡± Stephen agreed. ¡°No lie. Leah, when you said you had a GT-R race car, to be honest, I thought it was maybe something you, I don¡¯t know, just, you know, drove around a track every once in a while. I had no idea you had a pit crew, or that you drove that car like a freaking maniac.¡±


    ¡°Man, I know I told you that this morning,¡± James said. ¡°I specifically said to all you guys that Leah is a psychopath with a death wish and a serious adrenaline habit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one thing hearing it,¡± Stephen said. "Another seeing it up close and personal."

 Fast Times

    Just then Alain pulled up in Jimmy¡¯s Ferrari and the two of them got out. Alain looked as if he¡¯d been enjoying himself, but Jimmy looked on the verge of being sick.


    ¡°Dude, man,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°That was fucking epic!¡±


    ¡°So now you see how fast you can go in that car of yours,¡± Alain explained, as if he was teaching class.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s how fast you can go in that car,¡± Jimmy countered. ¡°I¡¯m never gonna be able to do that.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it comes from practice,¡± Alain said.


    We all wandered back as a group to see if lunch was ready yet, only to find Imogen, Emmy, Jimmy¡¯s sister, and to my surprise, Stephanie already eating.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, giving Emmy a kiss.


    ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± Stephanie demanded, so I gave her cheek a kiss, too.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you here,¡± I said. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too boring.¡±


    ¡°We watched you for a while, then came back in and we¡¯ve just been talking,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Mostly about your place in New York,¡± Imogen added. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to talk James into buying a place there, you know.¡±


    ¡°I lay the blame for that squarely on you two,¡± James said, giving me and Emmy the eye, before he bent down to give Imogen a kiss.


    ¡°Wait- you guys have a place in New York, too?¡± asked Teddy Bear.


    ¡°Yeah, Leah just bought a Midtown townhouse,¡± Stephen said as we all sat down.


    ¡°It¡¯s really nice,¡± said Stephanie, from down at the other end of the table. ¡°Super classic East Coast vibe, you know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been there?¡± Stephen asked, leaning forward to see Stephanie better.


    ¡°Yeah, a couple of months ago,¡± Stephanie confirmed. ¡°My band had a couple of dates in New York, and so we stayed at Emmy and Leah¡¯s place.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in a band, too?¡± Stein asked.


    ¡°Well, no, I¡¯m not in the band, per se,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I manage a band. Ever hear of The Prodigal Sons?¡±


    ¡°They have that one song that¡¯s been getting airplay on my Pandora stream,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°The one about fast cars and faster women?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s been getting good traction,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Um, do they know Leah?¡± Teddy Bear asked. ¡°Because, um, she¡¯s hella fast in that fast car of hers.¡±


    ¡°High school friends,¡± Stephanie confirmed.


    ¡°Aw, shit, seriously?¡± Jimmy protested. ¡°Not only does Lizzie have the sweetest cars, the hottest wife, and houses on both coasts, she has rock songs written about her? What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Leah has a lot of rock songs written about her,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that songs written by her wife count,¡± Stein said. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s just cheating.¡±


    The catered lunch was really good, considering we were eating in a big tent in a parking lot beside a race track in the high desert. I had the chicken cacciatore, and Emmy had the salmon. The conversation was nice and easy, too, and everybody seemed to get along just fine.


    After lunch, I went out with Alain again in the coupe, lapping the track much, much faster than I had been doing in the M6 that morning. Alain¡¯s coaching was a bit more general this time out. Instead of pointing out specific track features to use as braking markers or such, he spent his time trying to get me to see the flow of the track, to see where in the turn I should be increasing or decreasing brake pressure, easing on the accelerator or stomping it to the ground.


    ¡°The definition of a straight on a track is anywhere you can be at maximum throttle,¡± he said as we crested turn six. ¡°Now, as you set up through seven and into eight, tell me- can you have your foot all the way to the floor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, doing just that.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± Alain asked as I hugged the inside of the long sweeper.


    ¡°Really fast,¡± I replied, paying attention to the track more than the conversation.


    ¡°Yes, we are going about two hundred twenty-five,¡± Alain said, then, after I made the frightening turn using the apex dip on nine and onto the straight, he added, ¡°That is fast for any track. And you held the pedal down until it was time to lift for nine. Therefore, we can say that eight is actually a straight.¡±


    By this point I was braking and downshifting into one, coming up on Jimmy¡¯s Ferrari.


    ¡°Pass him on the outside,¡± Alain said. ¡°On the left.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think I was going to be able to manage it, since two was a long, long turn and the inside line was just that much shorter, but I¡¯d drawn even and maybe a little past the 458 by the time we exited and had to start thinking about three, a left turn uphill. I had the inside line, but it was a terrible one.


    ¡°Run him out,¡± Alain said. ¡°He will give way.¡±


    Feeling a tiny bit bad about shouldering Jimmy out of the way, I swept right, closing him out and forcing him to check up hard.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Alain said. ¡°Remember- the one who is in front owns the track.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a race,¡± I objected as the car got light over the crest of four.


    ¡°All of life is a race,¡± Alain said. ¡°Now, who is that in the Mercedes?¡± he asked, pointing up ahead at Stephen¡¯s AMG GT. ¡°You can take him by entering eight faster and keeping your foot on the floor. It is a straight, remember? Treat it as such.¡±


    I did as Alain directed and passed Stephen about a third of the way around eight, off to the left, in the marbles. The tires were complaining and the car really didn¡¯t want to hold my line, but I kept my foot down and railed it anyway.


    ¡°Stay left¡­ Now!¡± Alain instructed, so I late apexed nine, getting better drive than I ever had onto the front straight. ¡°And there it is,¡± Alain said, leaning back as if this was just a casual drive down the Coast Highway. ¡°I think you have it.¡±


    ¡°Alain,¡± I asked, as we streaked up the front straight. ¡°Have you ever driven the Nurburgring?¡± I kept my foot slammed to the floor until the last possible moment, then stomped the brakes, dropping to ninety for the turn. I took it a bit early and stayed next to the curbing, using the inside banking to slingshot me out.


    ¡°Very nice,¡± Alain said. ¡°I assume you are asking about the Nordschleife, and not the Formula One track. Run a little wide here. Now tighten up. I¡¯ve driven it a few times. Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to try it some day, and I¡¯d love to have somebody talk me through it.¡±


    ¡°Eh, there are what they call ¡®taxis¡¯ with prepped cars and professionals who have done thousands of laps. That is the way to do it. Do not damage your own car.¡±


    After that lap I pulled back into the pit to trade cars. First, though, I wanted a Coke and quick little bite of something, so I stepped into the hospitality tent.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± Stephanie said, looking up from her phone. ¡°Hey, I watched you in the orange car. You were really flying out there! Is there any chance I can get a ride?¡±


    ¡°Um, I think we could probably find you a suit and a helmet,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, I¡¯d love to show you a fast time.¡±


    ¡°I bet you say that to all the girls,¡± Stephanie said with a laugh.


    ¡°Not to me,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I tried riding on the track with her one time and nearly got sick. I am not made for these things.¡±


    ¡°You told me you like roller coasters, though?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Yes, but not the very biggest, fastest ones. Those are too much for me.¡±


    ¡°I tried riding along with James once when he was driving at Sonoma,¡± Imogen added. ¡°We almost got divorced.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°You guys are doing a terrible job of talking me out of it,¡± Stephanie said, laughing.


    ¡°Out of what?¡± Stephen asked, walking in too late to hear any of the rest of the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna hitch a ride for a few laps with Leah,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°You¡¯re braver than I am,¡± Stephen said.


    ¡°Steph, talk to the BMW crew guys about finding a racing suit and helmet. If they don¡¯t have any, hit up the Track Club guys. I¡¯m gonna see if I can find James, see if he wants to go out in the Nissan and play follow the leader with me in the BMW,¡± I said.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s over at the Track Club pit,¡± Imogen volunteered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few,¡± I told Stephanie.


    James was at the Track Club setup, going through the driver controls of the GT-R. Reggie was leaning in the window, explaining the various mapping setting switches when I walked up.


    ¡°James says he wants to try the car with the TC on,¡± Reggie said, pulling his head out of the Nissan¡¯s window.


    ¡°Try it at five,¡± I said. ¡°No, wait, dial it to seven, but show him how to adjust it so he can get a feel for the different levels,¡± I said. Then, leaning down to talk to James in the driver¡¯s seat, I asked, ¡°About ready to play follow the leader? You lead out for a couple of laps, then I¡¯ll take over and you follow me. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready by the time you get the BMW rolling,¡± James said, a look of excitement in his eyes. ¡°This is gonna be good!¡±


    The BMW was waiting for me, so it only took me a moment to put on my helmet and my HANS device and climb in, checking to see that the mechanics hadn¡¯t ¡®adjusted¡¯ my TC and ABS settings. It all looked good, so I started the GoPro, put on my gloves, and rolled out onto the pit lane, where James was waiting in the GT-R. He gave me a thumbs up, so I pulled up in front of him, waiting for the track worker to give us a green flag. A small group of cars went by- I could pick out that ridiculous wrap job on Stein¡¯s McLaren, and the Italian red of Jimmy¡¯s Ferrari, but the other car in the middle could have been Justin, Teddy Bear or Stephen- no way to tell.


    After they passed and were well out of the way, we got the signal we could go, so I launched, James right on my rear bumper. Needless to say, I floored it, getting everything I could out of that V8¡¯s six hundred horsepower. Compared to the Nissan, the BMW was at a weight and power disadvantage, but that¡¯s O.K. It was still plenty fast, and now that the crew had a few sessions¡¯ worth of data, they¡¯d gotten the handling dialed in just right for me.


    I took our first lap fairly easy so James could follow my lines, then picked it up on the next lap. Still not at full gallop, but fast enough to make the car work. James did a great job of staying on me, really only letting a gap open on eight, and then nine. Nine is unbelievably frightening, so that was understandable. The only way I could carry such speed is by completely ignoring the concrete wall to the outside of the turn, and not thinking about how the paint in the impact zone looked fresher than on the rest of the wall.


    ¡®I guess he hasn¡¯t gotten the memo about keeping the foot on the floor through eight,¡¯ I thought as I slowed a bit for him to catch up on the front straight, then gassed it when the gap closed. He did a good job on one, only letting a little bit of space open between us, closing up when I took two a little easy. The rest of the lap went like that, with little gaps on the turns, but James using the accelerator well to catch up when I didn¡¯t push it too hard on the straights.


    Finally, on lap five, it seemed he¡¯d worked up his confidence, so I let loose with a full-speed lap, starting with a full-gas drive up the front straight, which James managed to almost close by the time I stomped on the brakes for one. From that point on, I gained ground in every turn, even creeping away on eight. The front straight wasn¡¯t long enough for James to reel me in, so I kept at it and rolled away from him, until I eased up on the straight so he could go shooting by.


    I¡¯d wondered why we hadn¡¯t seen the other guys¡¯ cars on the track, until I noticed quite a group of people sitting in the bleachers midway up the straight. Evidently the other guys had opted to watch instead of acting like road blocks, which was probably a good thing for everybody involved.


    James dove into one, but got on the gas a bit harder and earlier than he should have, which sent him to the right side of the track earlier in two than was optimal. I stayed tight in one, using the banking on the inside of the turn to slingshot me to where I wanted, which was right on James¡¯ ass. It¡¯s funny- I¡¯d never seen the GT-R this way, from the seat of another car. I¡¯d never really appreciated how big and blocky it looked, or how aggressive. I¡¯d always liked the green and black wrap, along with the matte black of the carbon bodywork, and following it and seeing it like that, I could really understand how intimidating that car really was. It seriously did look ready to smash everything in its path.


    I was jolted out of these thoughts by James using a bit of brake on entry into eight. By that point I was used to exiting seven and being on full throttle by eight¡¯s entry, so even the little bit of brakes that James used came as a surprise.


    I stayed right on his rear bumper through eight, but he turned in for nine earlier than me. This turned out to be a good thing, since my late apex allowed me better drive up the front straight, helping to counter the GT-R¡¯s power-to-weight advantage.


    We went like that for a few more laps, then James waved me by on the straight and I resumed leading. A handful of laps later, we pulled into the pit. James jumped out of the Nissan, and had his helmet off by the time I¡¯d gotten out of the BMW.


    ¡°That was awesome!¡± he said, his face lit up. ¡°Freaking unbelievable!¡±


    I gave him a high five, saying, ¡°James, you are seriously starting to get your groove on!¡±


    Glancing around, James leaned in. ¡°Leah, if you decide to part with that GT-R, I¡¯ll take it. I mean, if you said you''d part with it, I¡¯d have the cash in your account so fast it¡¯d make your head spin.¡±


    ¡°What would Imogen say?¡± I asked. ¡°And you don¡¯t even know how much I¡¯d want for it.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d be fine with it, and it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± James replied, as Alain walked up.


    ¡°You looked really comfortable out there,¡± Alain said. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve done a bad thing,¡± I said to Alain. ¡°James has decided he needs the GT-R.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have the BMW now,¡± Alain said. ¡°You can¡¯t drive both at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, looking over at the green monster. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°What do you know?¡± asked Emmy as the rest of the group came over to see what we were talking about.


    ¡°She knows that two race cars is one too many,¡± James said, answering Emmy, but looking at his wife. ¡°And her very best friend of all is more than willing to help her out with this problem.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to give me the GT-R after all?¡± asked Jimmy, acting like a surprised audience member on Oprah¡¯s show. ¡°You really must love me after all!¡±


    Stein elbowed Jimmy, laughing.


    ¡°Do you really want it?¡± Imogen asked her husband.


    ¡°I told Leah I¡¯d buy it in a moment if she wants to find a good home for it,¡± James confirmed.


    ¡°How much?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s fair,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Last year¡¯s racers are selling at auction for around two hundred thousand Euros,¡± Alain said.


    James gave me a questioning look, and I shrugged. ¡°Sounds fair,¡± I said.


    ¡°If you want it, I say you should get it,¡± Imogen said.


    ¡°Deal,¡± James said, holding his hand out to shake.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be sorry to see it go,¡± I said. ¡°But at least it¡¯s going to a good home.¡±


    ¡°Dude, did we just see a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar used car just get sold just like that?¡± Jimmy asked, snapping his fingers.


    ¡°Yeah, Jimmy, we just did,¡± said Teddy Bear. Then, shaking his head, ¡°It¡¯s a fucking different world.¡±


    "Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Now that it¡¯s your car, James, you need to get Reggie to set it up for you. Me, I¡¯m gonna take passengers out for a few laps in the coupe. See you out there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be out in a few,¡± he said.


    ¡°Leah, you¡¯re going out in the street BMW?¡± Stein asked.


    ¡°Yeah, my friend Stephanie wants a ride,¡± I said.


    ¡°That means it¡¯s safe to go back on the track,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°Mostly.¡±


    I left them laughing, while Stephanie, in her borrowed racing suit and with her brand new helmet, followed me back to the orange M6.


    ¡°I want you to really go,¡± Stephanie said, putting her helmet on. ¡°Just as fast as you want. I want you to pass those guys hard.¡±


    ¡°I think I can manage that,¡± I said, buckling up.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad the race car has only one seat,¡± Stephanie said, wistfully. ¡°It¡¯d be so awesome to ride in that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said as we pulled onto the pit lane. ¡°We¡¯ll go plenty fast enough in this.¡±


    Getting the green flag, I gunned it and we rocketed forward out onto the track. I took the first turn at about eighty miles per hour, well off the speed I¡¯d been doing earlier with Alain in the car.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Stephanie exclaimed as I gave it gas on exit. ¡°That was awesome!¡±


    Encouraged by her enthusiasm, I picked it up a bit on the next couple of turns, Stephanie screaming with excitement like a little kid on a roller coaster.


    We hit eight flat out, which worked out to be about a hundred and fifty miles an hour. Stephanie was saying, ¡°Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod," as the tires fought the forces trying to shake them loose. As we turned through nine and onto the front straight I saw a dark-colored car up ahead. It was either Teddy Bear, Stephen or Justin- I couldn¡¯t tell which. As the car approached one, I could see they were right behind Jimmy¡¯s bright red 458.


    ¡°There! Get those guys!¡± Stephanie said, pointing at the cars up ahead on the track.


    They were way ahead, so even though I was working that coupe as hard as I could it still took us almost a full lap to reel them in. It was eight that really did it- Stephen, Jimmy and Teddy Bear in front just weren¡¯t willing to commit to the speed that I was finding on that big, big sweeper, so by the time nine came around, I was right on Stephen¡¯s AMG.


    Exiting nine onto the straight, Stephen pulled to the right so I could pass. I mean, I was gonna do it anyway, so it was really just a nice gesture on his part and it allowed me to run up on Jimmy nice and hard.


    When Jimmy glanced in his rear-view and saw I was right there, he signaled over and took one wide so I could dive inside. I needed no more of an invite than that, and within moments I was doing to Teddy Bear what Alain had me do to Jimmy earlier in the day, block-passing him going into three.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Stephanie shouted. ¡°Just like that!¡±


    Cresting four, we spotted Justin¡¯s Audi up ahead, leaving turn five. ¡°Get him, too!¡± Stephanie urged. ¡°Get all of ¡®em!¡±


    Justin was going pretty good, but I was on him by the time we got to turn nine. His car was lighter than my BMW and had just as much power, but with his all-wheel drive he got better acceleration onto the straight than I did. I stayed on target, though, and was back on him braking for one. He tried to use his car¡¯s advantage driving out of the corner, but my line was better and I was back on him by the apex of two. He let the throttle carry him outside on exit, but I stayed tight to the right and kept on the gas when he started braking for three, an uphill left. Realizing he couldn¡¯t make the turn from so far to the left side of the track and I was in the way of him being able to swing right, he dropped behind me, but I had the advantage and left him behind.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Stephanie said. ¡°That was intense!¡±


    ¡°The life of a repo man is always intense,¡± I said, quoting a movie we¡¯d watched together all those years before.


    Now that I had clear track I really let it fly over six and seven, foot flat on the floor into and through eight. Sure, we weren''t going as fast as I had in either of the true race cars, but it felt fast enough in that street coupe.


    ¡°Waaahahahaha!¡± Stephanie half screamed, half laughed as the tires screeched in complaint at the G forces side-loading them to their max.


    We did another couple of laps at full speed, but then Stephanie finally said, ¡°O.K., I¡¯ve had enough- could this be our last lap?¡±


    After that, I mellowed out a little bit, and this allowed Justin to catch back up. When we pulled off, so did he.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Justin said as we all got out of our respective cars. ¡°You really don¡¯t fuck around, do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all fun and games,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Until somebody gets hurt,¡± he replied, looking more than a little bit pissed off at my hard pass on him from a few laps before.

 The Day Draws To A close

    ¡°That pass- it was way too aggressive for just a track day,¡± Justin said.


    ¡°Did you crash?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, but I did have to get hard on the brakes,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Out of curiosity,¡± Stephanie said, ¡°Do you think Leah would have complained if you¡¯d passed her like that?¡±


    ¡°I think anybody would,¡± Justin grumbled.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s ask the guy with the ¡®Vette. She passed him in that same turn a lap before.¡±


    ¡°We could ask Jimmy, the guy with the Ferrari? I passed him in turn three earlier today,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Ask me what?¡± Jimmy asked as he walked up.


    ¡°When I passed you in turn three earlier, how did you feel about it?¡±


    ¡°This morning? In your M6? I knew it was coming, but then when you actually block-passed me like that, I knew I was a little bitch and had to take it,¡± Jimmy said with a shrug. ¡°I wasn¡¯t man enough to push back.¡±


    ¡°Shit, that makes two of us,¡± said Stephen. ¡°When Leah passed around the outside on eight and closed off my line for nine, all I could think about was that I was being served.¡±


    By this time James and Reggie had wandered over, wondering what was going on.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± James asked, looking around the small group.


    ¡°I was just telling Leah that her passes left a little to be desired,¡± Justin said.


    ¡°Ha! Yes, they do. Like ¡®hey, Leah, please leave me a little bit of dignity as you totally case my ass¡¯. Yeah, I know that feeling well,¡± James said.


    ¡°Dude, I ain¡¯t got no dignity left,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°I see her car in my rearview and I pull over. I¡¯m developing a complex.¡±


    ¡°As if,¡± I said.


    ¡°You know I told you that Leah is a knife fighter, Juss. ¡®She will absolutely murder you,¡¯ I said. ¡®She¡¯s way fast, and much more willing to get into it than anybody you¡¯ve ever driven with on track,¡¯ I said,¡± James told his friend. ¡°And that¡¯s why it¡¯s so awesome to drive with her. She is one hundred per cent honest about it. She forces you to be a better driver.¡±


    ¡°What, because she¡¯ll crash you out if you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t do that. If you crash, it¡¯ll be your own fault, since her lines are completely predictable. She won¡¯t hit you, or suddenly jink in front of your car out of the blue. If she hammers a hard pass on you, you¡¯ll know it¡¯s about to happen. You got passed, right? In a spot that was maybe a bit tough?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, going into turn three,¡± Justin said.


    ¡°Did you know she was there?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Well, sure, I mean, she was on my ass for half a lap.¡±


    ¡°So you knew she was looking for a place to get by, and when she came around, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t gonna be able to make the turn with her car inside like that, so I slammed on the brakes.¡±


    ¡°And she passed you.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, because I slammed on my brakes to avoid running off the track!¡±


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t crash.¡±


    ¡°No, because I slammed on the brakes!¡± Justin said, getting more upset.


    ¡°You knew she was going to pass somewhere, right? You knew you didn¡¯t have the speed to stay ahead, so you forced her to pass when she saw an opportunity. Sounds like you were at least as much to blame for your situation as she was,¡± James said, in his best ¡®reasonable¡¯ voice. ¡°You could have pulled over any time to let her by.¡±


    Seeing he was getting no support, Justin deflated. ¡°Yeah, I guess I could have done that,¡± he admitted. ¡°I just didn¡¯t think she would pass that aggressively.¡±


    ¡°I told you she would,¡± James said. ¡°Seriously. I know I told you.¡±


    The situation defused, everybody went their separate ways, leaving me standing there with James.


    ¡°Honestly- am I being an asshole?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What? No!¡± James said. ¡°Justin is just butt-hurt because he¡¯s used to being the fastest, and he¡¯s only ever seen you on the streets in your Aston. You and I both know the back roads are fun, but you can never really let it rip like you can on the track, so he, I don¡¯t know, imagined that he¡¯d school everybody, or something. He could accept you going fast in a race car, because, well, race car, but when you spanked him in a family sedan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a coupe,¡± I said, but I got the point.


    ¡°Coupe, sure. But he¡¯s got an Audi R8 ¡®plus¡¯,¡± James said, making finger quotes when he said ¡®plus¡¯. "He¡¯s got the horsepower from the V10, he¡¯s got a fortune in carbon on that thing, so I¡¯m sure it weighs at least thirty pounds less than stock, and it¡¯s all wheel drive. He thinks he should just blow by everybody, and then to have you roll up on him in what looks like a middle-aged man¡¯s car, well, like I said, butt-hurt.¡±


    ¡°Then," he said, changing the subject, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until everybody is out on the track, and then jump in the two track cars and rail on ¡®em.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°And Justin was saying I was evil,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    By the end of the day I¡¯d really come to grips with the BMW. It was easier to drive fast than the Nissan GT-R, but a little bit harder to drive really fast. I chalked it up to saddle time and maybe a horsepower deficit, both of which had straightforward remedies.


    I was a bit sad to see the Track Club guys load up the GT-R to take back to the Bay Area, now it was James¡¯ car. Also a bit sad, since it seems I wasn¡¯t going to be using their services any longer, and I¡¯d grown to think of the guys (Reggie especially) as friends. I¡¯d known that I¡¯d have to find a similar service down here in SoCal, but still, it was a little bit painful to see them loading up their rig.


    In the meanwhile, the BMW team guys were going to take my new GT3 race car down to BMW of Temecula to display in the showroom until I needed it next. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I¡¯d keep it there, but this was a workable plan for the moment.


    Alain left with the BMW crew, leaving me his phone number and a promise to come do some laps with him at his favorite track in France. I don¡¯t know how much Emmy¡¯s dad paid him, but I have to say that I really appreciated his coaching, and would love to take some spins around more complex courses with his guidance.


    Stein had suggested we all go for dinner at a nearby steak house he swore was actually pretty good, but about half the group said they needed to be home. In the end, it was Stein, Stephanie, the Athertons, and Emmy and me that went to the steakhouse, which turned out to be the restaurant associated with a small general aviation airport there in the high desert. The decor was ¡®cowboy desert¡¯ mixed with ¡®experimental aircraft¡¯, making for a strange sort of theme.


    It had been along time since I¡¯d had red meat, so I opted for the six-ounce filet, not wanting to hammer my system too badly. Emmy did the same, as did Stephanie and Imogen, but the two guys had New York strip and ribeye steaks. Despite my misgivings when we entered, the beef was really good, and the grilled vegetable sides I got were done just right, too. I made a mental note to come back next time I had a Willow Springs track day.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m glad James got that car from you,¡± Imogen confessed, leaning in to keep it quiet. ¡°Two reasons. Well, three, really. First is, he hasn¡¯t shut up about that car since that day at Sonoma a few months ago. He¡¯s been talking about it ever since. Now, he¡¯ll keep talking about it, but it¡¯ll be about his new car, not the car he wished he had.¡± This got a chuckle from me, so Imogen continued. ¡°Second, this will keep him from driving that Porsche on the track. Seriously, that¡¯s nearly a million dollar car. I mean, sure, it¡¯s their top performance model, but running off the track into the dirt is a fifty thousand dollar mistake in bodywork damage alone.¡± I nodded that I understood, and so she listed the last item. ¡°This one James doesn¡¯t hear about, right?¡± When I nodded, she said, ¡°Now he has his new toy, it¡¯s going to be that much easier for me to get him to buy us a place in Manhattan, like you guys have. My parents live in Stamford now, but I grew up in New York. We had a beautiful co-op in the Upper East Side, and I miss the city so very much.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the old ¡®now it¡¯s my turn¡¯ ploy,¡± I said, teasing.


    ¡°Works like a charm,¡± Imogen said.


    ¡°What are you two plotting over there?¡± James asked, breaking away from his conversation with Stein.


    ¡°What color you should get the Nissan wrapped,¡± I said. ¡°We were thinking rose gold chrome, like Stein¡¯s McLaren. That just exudes class.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be hatin¡¯,¡± Stein said. ¡°The CHP are on the lookout for a McLaren just like mine in navy blue, or matte black, or metallic red. To date, they aren¡¯t on the hunt for a shiny pink one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± I quipped, getting a groan and eye roll from most of the people at the table.


    ¡°So what¡¯s this I hear about you going to a football game tomorrow?¡± Imogen asked when the commotion died down, louder this time for everybody to hear.


    ¡°Leah and I are going to Phoenix tomorrow. I will get to see my first American football game!¡± Emmy said, proudly.


    ¡°Phoenix?¡± Asked James. ¡°Why Phoenix? There¡¯s nothing there.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± I asked Emmy.


    ¡°An old friend of ours is playing. It will be his first professional game in the National Football League,¡± Emmy announced.


    ¡°Well, his first regular-season game. He¡¯s already played four preseason games,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Somebody you know from Stanford?¡± James asked, curious.


    ¡°No, high school,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± asked Stephanie. ¡°From Fallbrook?¡±


    ¡°Andy Temple,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You remember him?¡±


    ¡°Of course I remember Andy,¡± Stephanie said, indignant. ¡°We dated a few times in junior year.¡±


    ¡°You all went to high school together?¡± asked Stein, pointing at Stephanie, Emmy and me.


    ¡°Fallbrook High School, down in San Diego County, class of twenty-twelve,¡± Stephanie said proudly.


    ¡°Fallbrook- I¡¯ve been through there,¡± Stein said. ¡°Avocados, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the place,¡± I admitted. ¡°Lots of avocados.¡±


    ¡°Lots of avocados,¡± Stephanie added for emphasis. Then, turning to me, she said, ¡°You¡¯re really going to Phoenix to see Andy play?¡±


    ¡°And to do some sightseeing,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°You guys have to go to the museum of the musical instrument, or whatever it¡¯s called,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°That is in Phoenix?¡± Emmy asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s way on the north side of town, but it¡¯s worth a visit,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°What else should we see while we are there?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know,¡± Stephanie said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s really not like there are all that many tourist attractions there that I know of. I mean, the Grand Canyon, but that¡¯s a few hours¡¯ drive, and so is Lake Powell, and Sedona, all that stuff. I don¡¯t really know of anything to see in Phoenix itself. Besides the instrument museum, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Like I told you, Em. It¡¯s just not a town with a lot of sights to see.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been to a football game before? Wait- you said this would be your first,¡± James said to Emmy. ¡°It¡¯s a ridiculously complex game, with lots of fairly arcane rules. Don¡¯t try to figure out everything that¡¯s going on at any given moment, just sort of go with the flow and try to get the general feel. And expect the whole thing to take you maybe five hours, all told.¡±


    ¡°Five hours?¡± Emmy asked, surprised. ¡°I thought the game was one hour?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s one hour of action, packed into a hundred and eighty minutes, to paraphrase Dorothy Parker,¡± James said. ¡°And it¡¯ll take you an hour to get into the stadium and seated, plus another hour to leave again.¡±


    ¡°What happens in the other one hundred and twenty minutes?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Both teams just stand around, the fans buy hot dogs, or beer, and the giant screen shows replays of the last interesting thing that happened,¡± James explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s a completely terrible, but also very accurate, description of a football game,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°I am looking forward to it,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Mostly because our friend Andy Temple will be playing.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll only be on the field half of the time,¡± James said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Emmy, puzzled.


    ¡°Well, O.K., you¡¯re thinking it¡¯s a bit like some odd version of the game that they call ¡®football¡¯ everywhere else in the world, but with throwing, right?¡± James asked. ¡°But it¡¯s not like that at all. Each team actually has two, well three, teams that are almost completely independent of each other.. In ¡®soccer''," he said, making air quotes with his fingers, ¡°the same guys stay on the field no matter which team has possession of the ball or who is attacking whom, right? In American football, one team is on offense and has their offensive team players on the field, while the other has their defensive team on the field. There are no players that will stay on the field on both offense and defense,¡± James explained, but this only furrowed Emmy¡¯s brow even more.


    ¡°It¡¯ll make more sense when you see it in action,¡± Stein added. ¡°Just don¡¯t bother trying to figure out too many of the minor details. Like he said, they aren¡¯t all obvious.¡±


    ¡°To be fair, we aren¡¯t really going for the game itself,¡± I said. ¡°Mostly to show support for an old friend.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were friends with Andy,¡± Stephanie said, looking at me.


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°You want to know something funny? I¡¯m the very first friend he ever made in Fallbrook.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously.¡±

 A Day In The Valley Of The Sun

    The next morning was already hot when we disembarked from the plane. Emmy had on her big sun hat and I¡¯d convinced her to wear her super dark mountaineering glasses, but I could tell the beating sun was affecting her nonetheless.


    ¡°It is so hot!¡± she exclaimed as we walked across the tarmac to the terminal.


    ¡°Yeah, the pilot had announced it was ninety-two degrees,¡± I commented. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to hit a hundred and two today.¡±


    ¡°Will it be hot in the stadium?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Well, no. I mean, yeah, it¡¯ll probably be warm, but it¡¯s enclosed, so there¡¯ll be air conditioning,¡± I said as we entered the executive aviation terminal to wait for our bags.


    ¡°I am grateful for that,¡± Emmy said. ¡°The heat is intense, but I could stand that. The sun, that is another matter. I would burn into a tiny cinder before too long.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you and everybody else,¡± I said. ¡°The sun here is no joke.¡±


    ¡°How much time do we have until we have to be at the stadium?¡± Emmy asked.


    Glancing at my watch, I said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s almost nine now and the game starts at four, but we really should try to get there no later than three, so six hours?¡±


    ¡°That is enough time to see the museum Stephanie recommended,¡± Emmy announced.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s enough time to see the museum and every single other thing worth seeing here in Phoenix,¡± I said, correcting her.


    ¡°You are mean,¡± Emmy said with her musical laugh that sounded like bells to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a nice enough place to live,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just kinda low on tourist attractions, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The steward handed us our overnight bags at about that time, so we collected the keys to our rental car and stepped back outside. The X5 was parked right there, but when I opened the door the heat inside was stifling, so we gave it a moment to air out before getting in. The leather seats were very hot and the steering wheel was way too hot to hold onto, so I let the A/C do its job for a few minutes before we shut the doors and took off.


    ¡°I have a hard time imagining how hot it must get here in the middle of summer,¡± Emmy remarked as we got on the freeway.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to know,¡± I said. ¡°It gets really hot. I mean, really, really hot.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean it gets really hot?¡± Emmy asked, laughter in her voice.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I mean. I mean it gets really hot,¡± I said, playing along.


    ¡°How hot does it really get?¡±


    ¡°Really, really hot,¡± I answered.


    By this point Emmy got distracted by the sight of downtown off to our right. ¡°How big is Phoenix?¡± she asked, curious.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s bigger than San Diego,¡± I said. ¡°The sixth biggest city in the US?¡± I said, unsure. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Over four million people in the metropolitan area,¡± Emmy said, reading it off her phone. ¡°That is a big city, by any standards. But it does not look like a big city.¡±


    ¡°What does it look like?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It looks like a medium sized city but spread out over a very large area.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s sorta what it is,¡± I agreed. ¡°I mean, as far as cities go, it¡¯s really new, right? And it only got big fairly recently, so pretty much everything you see was built within the last fifty years or so. And since they had plenty of room to expand in pretty much every direction, there was never any need to build with any kind of density.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Emmy agreed, still looking out the car window. ¡°Why is it so big now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you ever met Carly, one of the girls on my team that graduated two years before me,¡± I said. ¡°But she was from Phoenix, and she explained it to me with two letters.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy asked, turning to look at me with a frown of puzzlement on her face.


    ¡°A/C,¡± I said. ¡°Before the invention of air conditioning, it took a particularly hardy soul to live here, but once air conditioning became cheap and pretty much universal it opened the floodgates and people moved here to get away from cold winters in the Midwest, cramped cities in the Northeast, high cost of living on the coast, you name it.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ makes a lot of sense,¡± admitted Emmy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the population was here in, say, nineteen forty, but it wasn¡¯t a very big town at all, and mostly existed because they grew cotton and oranges thanks to the river. Then somebody put air conditioning in, and boom- nearly instant big city,¡± I said.


    ¡°And that is why there are no tourist attractions here?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah, I guess.¡±


    The museum of musical instruments was cool, and as expected, Emmy loved it a lot more than I did, but I was happy just seeing the look on Emmy¡¯s face with each new exhibit. The place wasn¡¯t really that big, but we wound up staying almost three hours anyway, what with Emmy having to check out every single thing. Of course, it didn¡¯t help that other museum visitors asked Emmy for selfies at almost every turn, and she never turned them down.


    After the museum, we had lunch at a nearby Mediterranean cafe. The food was¡­ acceptable, to be generous. Far from great, but it did the job of sating our hunger, and as a bonus it didn¡¯t make either of us sick, so I¡¯ll call that a win.


    We had a couple of hours to kill before we needed to be at the stadium and Emmy wanted to see more of the city (from the comfort of the air conditioned, tinted windowed car), so I aimed for the general direction of downtown. We drove around the downtown area and the older parts of town nearby. Emmy commented that the area by the basketball arena looked nice, and some of the houses that dated back a hundred years or more in the old neighborhoods had a lot of charm, and I really couldn¡¯t disagree.


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m sure Phoenix is a nice place to live, if you can get over the heat,¡± I told her when she pointed out the hip restaurant row we were passing.


    Later, as we neared the stadium, she asked, ¡°Why have they tried to make it look like a chicken?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a cardinal, not a chicken head,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°But it does look kinda like a chicken.¡±


    ¡°A cardinal?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bird species native to North America, and the Phoenix team, um, mascot, or symbol, name, whatever.¡±


    ¡°The Phoenix Cardinals are going to play against the Los Angeles Rams? That is very¡­ animalistic,¡± Emmy commented as we followed the traffic into the parking lot.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I paid the attendant the extra money for a spot in the covered parking garage, and followed the signs in purple. It was worth an extra thirty bucks to come back to a car that wasn¡¯t as hot as a blast furnace inside.


    Walking to the stadium itself, I realized that Emmy and I had never been in such a huge crowd together, and certainly not since she¡¯d become so famous. We were stopped many, many times for people who wanted selfies, or to tell Emmy they loved her music, or even just to ask why we¡¯d come to Arizona for a football game.


    ¡°An old friend from high school is playing his first regular-season game today,¡± Emmy explained to one group wearing the red, black and gold of the home team.


    ¡°For the Cards?¡± Asked one of the guys.


    ¡°No, sorry, for the Rams,¡± Emmy said, apologetically. ¡°I am afraid I must root-¡± Emmy said, and gave me a quick questioning glance to make sure she had the word right. I gave her a tiny nod, so she continued. ¡°I am afraid I must root for the enemy team. I am sorry, but that is simply how it is,¡± Emmy said, shrugging.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said the heavyset guy. ¡°Heck, I¡¯d even root for the Seahawks if one of my high school friends signed for ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t!¡± Said one of his pals, giving his shoulder a shove.


    ¡°Naw, you¡¯re right. I wouldn¡¯t,¡± admitted heavyset guy.


    Emmy laughed, in that bright, sparkling way of hers.


    ¡°What if I told you it was my old boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°Well, sure, if it was an old boyfriend of mine that signed for the Sea Chickens, that¡¯s be a different matter,¡± heavyset guy said, earning a laugh from his friends. Turning to Emmy, he said, ¡°It¡¯s a bummer your old boyfriend¡¯s first real NFL game is gonna be a loss, but that¡¯s what happens when facing a vastly superior team.¡±


    Emmy laughed and said, ¡°He is strong. I am sure the pain and humiliation will not last too long!¡± This earned another laugh from the guys, and heavyset dude held his hand up and Emmy gave him a high five, amazing me once again with her ability to make friends in an instant.


    After going through the checkpoint, I suggested we get some bottles of water, then find our seats.


    ¡°I would like to buy a souvenir,¡± Emmy said, pointing at one of the stalls selling NFL licensed gear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until after the game,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Will they still have a good selection?¡± Emmy asked, concerned.


    ¡°I guarantee they won¡¯t sell out of anything we might want,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure they have storerooms somewhere with tons of stuff.¡±


    ¡°Where are our seats?¡± Emmy asked as I checked the tickets.


    ¡°This way- lower level,¡± I said, and Emmy followed along.


    I was pleased with the way she was dealing with the crowd- even though everybody we passed stared at her, Emmy didn¡¯t even seem to notice that she was the center of a sort of bubble of attention as we walked to our seats.


    ¡°This place is huge!¡± Emmy said when we emerged from the tunnel into the open air of the stands. I say open air, because the stadium was so large and full of natural light that it felt like the outside, even through we were technically indoors, under a roof.


    I showed our tickets to an usher, who let us by and into the lowest tier of seats.


    ¡°This is very close to the field," Emmy marveled, but then when I indicated we had seats on the very bottom row, right at the fifty-yard line, she asked, ¡°How did you even get seats like this? These must be the best seats in the whole stadium!¡±


    As I spread the folded up blanket across our two seats for extra padding, I said, ¡°Well, I got ¡®em online, and they were expensive, but worth it.¡±


    ¡°Yes! This is amazing! Thank you for this,¡± she said.


    ¡°I have one more thing,¡± I said, reaching into the bottom of my backpack. ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Emmy asked taking the bag from my hands. She opened it up and pulled the Rams jersey out and held it up. ¡°This is for me to wear?¡±


    ¡°Before you put it on, look at the back.¡±


    Emmy turned the mesh jersey over, and squealed with delight when she saw the name ¡°Temple¡± in blocky white letters sewn across the shoulders.


    Emmy threw her arms around me and gave me a giant hug. ¡°I love it! This is the best!¡±


    Settling back into our seats, Emmy pulled the oversized jersey on over her shirt.


    The music from the PA system changed, and the announcer said, "Let¡¯s welcome back our defending NFC West Champions, the Arizona Cardinals!¡±


    The team emerged from the tunnel leading to the locker rooms in single file, running out with their arms held high through a shower of sparks and cloud of colored smoke. The announcer called their names as each player passed through the final inflatable archway and ran out onto the middle of the field. Eventually all the home team players took to their sidelines on the far side of the field.


    When I¡¯d bought the tickets I didn¡¯t know which side would be the home team sideline, just hoped we¡¯d get lucky. It seemed that things worked out for the best, since the Rams got the side we happened to be seated right next to.


    As Andy¡¯s number and name were called and he ran into the field, Emmy stood up and waved, calling out his name. There was no way he heard her, though, and he still had to go through the whole ritual until the entire team was assembled. Eventually, the Rams sat down on the benches near us and things quieted down for a moment.


    Emmy took this opportunity to call out to Andy, since he was seated no more than thirty feet away from us. He didn¡¯t hear us, but one of his teammates got his attention and pointed back over Andy¡¯s shoulder.


    Andy glanced over to see what was going on and spotted Emmy and me, waving from the rail. He waved back, got up and had a word with one of the coaches, then came over to say hello.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were going to come to watch! This is awesome!¡± Andy said, reaching up to grab our hands in greeting.


    ¡°Leah surprised me with the tickets!¡± Emmy said. ¡°I had no idea we would be this close!¡±


    ¡°I just got lucky on that,¡± I admitted. ¡°Originally I looked for seats up in the boxes,¡± I said, pointing up at the row of sky boxes above the upper deck.


    ¡°This is so much better,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Hey, I gotta go, but I¡¯ll stop back over if I can,¡± Andy said, waving as he went back to the bench.


    Once the game started, I did my best to field the almost unending stream of questions Emmy had about the game, but really, it just drove home how little I actually knew about football. Sure, I knew the basics of the game, but I had no idea what half the penalties were, or anything like that.


    The absolute highlight of the game was in the third quarter, when Andy and another Ram pressured, then sacked the Cardinals quarterback and Andy recovered the fumble.


    Andy held the ball up high over his head in celebration, then ran over and handed the football to Emmy. He¡¯d jumped up on the low wall separating the field from the stands, and Emmy gave him a big hug, the railing in between the two.


    Of course, the whole scene was immediately replayed on the Jumbotron screens at either end of the stadium. Emmy glanced up and saw the screen, then looked for the camera filming us. Once she saw which one it was, she held up her new souvenir and waved, a big smile on her face.


    About a minute and a half later, I felt the phone in my pocket buzz with an incoming text. ¡°I just saw you and Emmy on TV! You guys got great seats!¡± Stephanie texted.


    ¡°Yes we did¡±, I texted back. ¡°Its hard to see a lot of the plays since we are so low, but other than that its fantastic¡±.


    With the last possession of the game, the Rams ran out the clock for a narrow win. In all the commotion, Andy came over to where we were sitting.


    ¡°Hey, if it¡¯s cool, I¡¯d like to bring Jenna over to your place sometime this week? We talked about it, and we want to take you up on your offer of helping us find a place, Leah.¡±


    ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°No, of course not. Jenna and I both had a really nice time last week when we came over and we kinda wanted to try to make it a regular thing. Getting together, I mean,¡± Andy said.


    Just then a handful of his teammates came over, and one guy said, ¡°You know, I thought you were bullshittin¡¯ when you said you knew Emmy Lascaux,¡± lightly slapping Andy on the back of the head. ¡°But sure as shit, here she is, and here you are.¡±


    ¡°Jamaal, these are Emmy Lascaux and Leah Farmer. Leah, Emmy, this is Jamaal White,¡± Andy said, introducing us. ¡°And this is Ben Burroughs, that¡¯s Andr¨¦ Howard, and that guy over there is Paul Street.¡±


    We waved to the group, and they all waved back.


    ¡°Leah¡¯s a friend from way back,¡± he said to his teammates. ¡°Known her since third grade.¡±


    ¡°No shit?¡± Andr¨¦ (I¡¯m pretty sure it was Andr¨¦) said. ¡°And you put up with this guy all that time?¡± he asked me.


    ¡°What can I say? Trust me- he grows on you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yeah, so does that fungus between my toes!¡± said Paul (I think).


    This comedy session went on for a little longer, but then one of the assistant coaches came over to round the guys up and get them into the locker room.


    ¡°Wednesday?¡± Andy asked, before he was dragged off.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Emmy said, and that prompted another round of Andy¡¯s teammates giving him a hard time.


    On our way out of the stadium, quite a few other fans in the dark blue and gold of the Rams congratulated Emmy on getting the football, and talking about the Rams win. All in all, it was a really positive experience, but yeah, it did take a bit over five hours.


    ¡°I would like to come back and do some real sight-seeing,¡± Emmy said over dinner at an Italian restaurant I found via Yelp. ¡°I am convinced that there are things to do and see here.¡±


    ¡°Honestly? There has to be. I just don¡¯t know any off the top of my head,¡± I said, agreeing with her.


    ¡°When we come back, though? It must be later in the year, so it is not so very hot and sunny,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°It¡¯s always sunny here, even when it¡¯s cold. That¡¯s just the basic reality of the place,¡± I replied.


    I could tell Emmy was getting tired, so when she fell asleep on the plane it didn¡¯t surprise me a bit, even though it was only about an hour and a half flight time. The little nap really didn¡¯t help her much, and she was really dragging on the way to the apartment from the airport. When we finally got in the door, Emmy just went straight to the bedroom without a word. I didn¡¯t worry about unpacking or anything like that- I just left the bags on the bedroom floor, then helped Emmy out of her clothes and into bed. Within moments she was fast asleep, so I gave her a little goodnight kiss on the cheek, then took a nice, long shower, brushed my teeth, and climbed into bed with my beautiful little Rams fan.

 A Perfect Sense Of Timing

    The next morning, I saw that fitness model girl, Angela, and invited her and her boyfriend to dinner on Wednesday. ¡°We¡¯ll be having a couple of friends over,¡± I explained. ¡°We can make a little dinner party out of it.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Angela said. ¡°Should we bring anything?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about bringing anything, just yourselves. It¡¯ll just be the six of us- you and your boyfriend, the couple I mentioned, and Emmy and me. Not a big deal, just dinner, and maybe a bit of hanging out and talking afterwards, that¡¯s all.¡±


    At work, I reminded everybody that I was going to be attending grad school, so Tuesdays and Thursdays were going to be half days at the most for me. It isn¡¯t as if it was a surprise, but still, I wanted it to be well-known that I wouldn¡¯t be available on those two afternoons. I also made it clear that my recent visit to the Bay Area office had driven home how important it was that I still showed my face up there, and I committed to scheduling every other Friday in San Jose.


    Other than these things, work was pretty much the same old same old. The only real break from the typical was that I had driven in to work in my new orange BMW.


    ¡°Hey, did you get a new car?¡± Jake asked, sticking his head in my office. ¡°Or did somebody else steal your parking space?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, new car,¡± I said. ¡°My wife got it for me for my birthday.¡±


    ¡°Um, not to put my foot in my mouth, but isn¡¯t a BMW sedan a step down from your Aston Martin?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, in some ways it is,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s newer, and maybe a tiny bit less conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Not in that metallic hot lava color, it¡¯s not,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± I conceded with a laugh. ¡°Hey, have any lunch plans?¡±


    ¡°It depends- are you buying?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I was thinking of that brewpub down in Venice, the one where we took your granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°Let me guess- you bought the place,¡± Jake said, not fully inside my office, not just leaning in the doorway.


    ¡°Well, signed the deal, anyway. All the final paperwork is still pending, and of course, the liquor license is always a hassle, but yeah. It¡¯s ours now, barring any last-minute hiccups. Bought the building, too, in a separate deal.¡±


    ¡°What time do you want to head out? I need about twenty to clear up my desk,¡± Jake said, heading for the door.


    ¡°Nice car,¡± Jake said, admiring the M6 as we headed south to Venice. ¡°Much easier to get into than your Aston, too.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not looking upwards at peoples¡¯ hubcaps in this, either,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Are you gonna miss the Aston Martin?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°No, because I still have it,¡± I countered. ¡°I can drive it any time I want.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Jake sighed, looking out the window.


    At the brewpub, Jake asked about the hospitality side of the business. ¡°I know you brought that Aussie guy down from San Jose with you,¡± he began. ¡°He¡¯s the scout for your restaurant acquisitions, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Sandy. That¡¯s the guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked to him a couple of times in the hallway, you know, but that¡¯s about it. He doesn¡¯t spend much time in the office, does he?¡±


    ¡°No, for two reasons. One is, mostly he does field work, talking to the owners of the places we¡¯re considering, and the second, we don¡¯t really have room for him in our space there on Wilshire. Sure, he¡¯s got a desk, but it¡¯s jammed into a room with three other desks, and nobody there really has any elbow room. As a result, he¡¯s been mostly working from home,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°We really need to move into a larger place,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you met Nash, my commercial acquisitions guy. He also came down from San Jose?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have. Maybe, but the name doesn¡¯t ring a bell,¡± Jake admitted.


    ¡°Well, I had him out looking for a new place to set up shop, and he¡¯s identified three possibilities. Maybe you could drive by and take a look at the three when you¡¯re out doing inspections? I¡¯d be interested in getting your feedback.¡±


    Just then the waitress came to ask if we were ready to order, and I asked her about a waiter that we¡¯d met a few weeks before- young guy, good-looking, sleeve tattoos?


    ¡°That describes about half the guys that work here?¡± she said with a completely straight face.


    ¡°I think his name was Tommy,¡± Jake put in.


    ¡°Yeah, Tommy. He¡¯s been working nights the last few weeks. Why? Can I give him a message for you or something?¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s no big deal,¡± I said.


    ¡°So, you were asking about Sandy?¡± I prompted Jake once the waitress left with our orders.


    ¡°Well, no, not about Sandy, but about the hospitality division. Well, it¡¯s new for us here in the Santa Monica office, you know? Our office has just been property management, that¡¯s it, up until you brought in these new guys, and I¡¯m not sure how everything is gonna work.¡±


    ¡°Well, so here¡¯s the deal,¡± I said. ¡°The property management stuff is going to continue, same as it ever has. Sure, more and more of the properties you¡¯ll be handling will be ones we own and not just for outside owners, but the process is the same, all in all. Now, the Santa Monica office has a really small commercial portfolio, and that¡¯s going to increase with time as well, so we¡¯ll probably need to staff up on that side, but that really isn¡¯t a change.¡±


    Sipping my iced tea, I went on. ¡°So the hospitality division, and the entertainment division, those will be completely separate. Sharing the same office building, when we get our new place, but with a separate suite number and all that.¡±


    ¡°Entertainment?¡± Jake asked, curious.


    ¡°Yeah, since we have a handful of live music venues in our portfolio, we do a certain amount of promotion, but not much, really. That market is pretty saturated, and a few of the big players do whatever they can to squeeze out the little guys, you know?¡± I said.


    ¡°So when we move into our new place, wherever that winds up being, you¡¯ll consolidate everything under one roof, but it¡¯ll still be three different businesses, in effect,¡± Jake said, getting a clear picture.


    ¡°Four,¡± I said. ¡°I plan on doing more venture capital down here, too.¡±


    ¡°So, in addition to the people we already have working in the office right now, you plan on staffing up for three more, um, divisions. Yeah, I can see why you¡¯re in a hurry to move out of that place on Wilshire.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice enough office, and the location is good, but really, I¡¯d have to clear out all the other tenants from the building just for room for us, and the owners are asking a ridiculous price anyhow,¡± I said. ¡°And even then, we wouldn¡¯t have facilities for the trades.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°You mentioned wanting to bring that work in-house,¡± Jake said. ¡°I guess you would have that be a fifth, um, division?¡±


    ¡°Up in San Jose, we have a facility for the trades. A warehouse and workshop, plus a decent-sized yard for the trucks and heavy equipment. It¡¯d be convenient if it could be at the same site, or at least adjacent,¡± I commented.


    Just then the waitress set down our plates and refilled our drinks, so we stopped talking shop and dug into our food.


    On the way back to the office, Jake asked, ¡°Do you do that often? Eat at restaurants you own?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I try to,¡± I said. ¡°Just like doing the site inspections with you and the other property managers. I think it¡¯s important to actually see the real-world part of the business, not just the financial spreadsheets, you know?¡±


    ¡°George Loeltz never liked to do inspections,¡± Jake mused, looking at the scenery.


    ¡°He ran the company very differently than I do,¡± I said.


    Emmy wasn¡¯t home when I got back to the apartment, so after I changed out of my work clothes I fired up the laptop and got back into the funding proposal I¡¯d been chewing on at the office. Sure, it was as dry as the Sahara, but it needed to get done.


    Emmy got home around six thirty or so from the temporary rehearsal space, in an unusually grumpy mood.


    ¡°I hate the space we have to work in,¡± she groused when I asked what was wrong. ¡°It is small, it is too hot, and the neighbors are- well, they are not nice people,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why are you guys even putting up with that place?¡± I asked. ¡°If it sucks that bad, why not find a space like you guys used up in Palo Alto?¡±


    ¡°I miss our rehearsal space up there,¡± Emmy said, still grumpy. ¡°I wish we had a place like that here in Los Angeles.¡±


    ¡°Baby, you should have told me you were having such a hard time where you guys are. I would have found you something better.¡±


    ¡°I do not like to always ask so much of you,¡± Emmy complained. ¡°You do so much already.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I do so much?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because I do not really do anything except practice and work on my music,¡± Emmy said, not breaking out of her bad mood. "I am very sorry for that."


    ¡°I do so much because I love you, and want you to be able to focus on your music,¡± I said. ¡°Anything I can do to make your life easier so you can concentrate on your music, well, I¡¯m happy to do it for you.¡±


    ¡°You are too good for me,¡± Emmy said as I wrapped her up in my arms. ¡°I do not deserve you.¡±


    I kissed the top of her head and gave her a gentle squeeze. Sometimes words aren¡¯t the right thing to say, so I just held her, breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling her breathing against my chest. We stood like that for a while, neither of us saying anything. It seemed like a really long time, but realistically it couldn¡¯t have been more than a few minutes.


    Finally, Emmy sighed, letting out some of the tension I¡¯d felt in her body.


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you could do that for us, Leah,¡± Emmy said, capitulating. ¡°Could you please find us a better practice space? One similar to what we had in Palo Alto?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Em. Of course.¡±


    I led Emmy to the bedroom and sat her down on the bed, then went into the bathroom and started filling the tub. Once I was satisfied with the temperature, I went back into the bedroom, only to find Emmy sitting exactly where I¡¯d left her. I knelt down and untied her big, stompy Doc Marten boots I¡¯d gotten her, pulling them off and sliding her socks off as well. Then I stood up and helped her to her feet. I reached around behind and undid the zipper, then pulled her little summer dress up and off. Sliding my hands down her sides, I hooked my fingers in the waistband of her panties and slid them off, too, leaving her completely naked.


    I stepped back to admire her slender beauty, and when my eyes finished their slow walk across every inch of her nude body and settled on her eyes, I saw that she had a sly little grin.


    I reached out and she took my hand, so I led her into the oversized master bath and helped her into the big soaking tub. She stepped right in, even though the water was scalding hot.


    ¡°Are you going to join me?¡± Emmy asked as she settled into the hot, hot water.


    ¡°In a few minutes,¡± I said. ¡°I need to let the water cool off a little bit before I can get in. So just go ahead and relax, and I¡¯ll be back in a few minutes.¡± I lit the scented candle on the counter and flipped off the lights on my way out, leaving Emmy to relax in peace for a little while.


    I called and ordered dinner from the Japanese place downstairs, and when they said it would be forty-five minutes for delivery, I figured that gave me plenty of time. I stripped off my jeans and T shirt, bra and undies, and joined Emmy in the still very hot bath.


    I have no idea how she could be comfortable in such hot water, but I''d come to expect it. She liked it about twenty degrees warmer than I did, so I always had to ease in very slowly when I took a bath with Emmy.


    ¡°Feeling any better?¡± I asked when I finally settled all the way into the tub.


    ¡°I am now,¡± Emmy said in a soft voice, as she turned around and slid my way to lean back against me. I wrapped my arms around her just below her breasts and pulled her in, nice and snug, loving the feeling of her skin against mine. I was also loving the view, as I looked over her shoulder in the light of that single candle, watching her breasts rise and fall, her nipples emerging and then submerging again with every breath.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said so softly it was almost a whisper.


    ¡°What, babe?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I just like to say your name, that is all. Leah. It is the most beautiful word ever invented.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re silly,¡± I murmured, kissing her behind her ear.


    ¡°No, I am absolutely, completely correct,¡± Emmy said, a hint of indignation in her voice that I would naysay her claim. ¡°It is, without a doubt, the most aesthetically pleasing conjunction of sounds ever uttered by a human being. Leah. You see? Sheer perfection, rolling off the tongue.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a coincidence,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Emmy is sheer perfection on the tip of my tongue,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, my!¡± Emmy gasped, pretending to be scandalized. ¡°How could you insinuate such naughtiness?¡± she asked, turning around to face me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I answered, as innocently as I could make it. ¡°All I said was that I enjoy Emmy on the tip of my tongue.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K., then,¡± she said, settling back against my chest. ¡°I am glad we cleared that up.¡±


    We chatted idly like that for a while, soaking the day¡¯s stress away in the hot water. It was nice, just spending some quality time with Emmy like that, enjoying the comfort of her body snuggled up to mine.


    Truth to tell, I completely lost track of time, and when the doorbell rang at first I failed to understand what it was. In fact, I¡¯d only ever actually heard the doorbell once or twice before, so it took me a moment to put it together.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± I exclaimed, startling Emmy as I stood up and stepped out of the tub.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, puzzled by my reaction.


    ¡°I ordered dinner from downstairs,¡± I said, wrapping a towel around myself. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be the delivery.¡±


    Emmy went to get out of the tub, but I said, ¡°No, just stay there. I¡¯ll be back in a couple of minutes.¡± I rushed into the bedroom to grab some cash for a tip, then hurried to the door as the doorbell rang for the third time.


    ¡°Sorry I took so long,¡± I said as I opened the door, but it wasn¡¯t actually who I was expecting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Angela said. ¡°I didn¡¯t- no, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, turning to go, but I reached a hand out and stopped her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, concerned by the tears I saw in her eyes. ¡°Come on in.¡± I gave her a gentle push towards the living room, and she only resisted a little bit before she followed my instructions.


    I could tell I was falling into a comedy bit by the way the towel around me kept wanting to slip and undo the wrap, causing me to hold it with one hand while the other was still on Angela¡¯s lower back, guiding her towards the couch.


    Of course, it was at this moment the doorbell rang again, so I apologized to Angela and told her to have a seat, while I went back and opened the door again, this time for the delivery guy. He handed me the first bag and I handed him the tip, which I still had in my free hand. With my second hand I did the best I could to tuck the end of the towel in tighter, then took the other bag the delivery guy held out.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I said, and used my foot to shut the door. Walking back to the living room, it was at this moment that whatever god it is in charge of comedy decided to make his (or her) move. Just as Angela had turned on the couch to look my way, I held up the bags and asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Of course, it was at this precise moment that the towel came untucked and fell around my ankles. Sure, I could feel it as it was happening, but there was precious little I could do about it, holding two decent-sized bags of Japanese food in my hands. All I could do, really, is watch the towel on its inexorable mission to expose me in front of our downstairs neighbor.


    Angela watched, too, and the moment seemed to be in slow motion as the event transpired. Finally, after an agonizingly long time (or so it felt, anyhow), the towel landed on the ground around my ankles with a soft thump.


    I looked up at Angela, and she looked up from the towel at the same moment. When we made eye contact, the look of surprise on her face was almost worth the embarrassment. Her eyebrows had disappeared up into her hairline, her eyes were as big around as saucers, and her mouth was forming a perfect circle as she failed to come up with anything more clever to say than just, ¡°Oh!¡±


    I sighed, letting my shoulders droop a bit. ¡°Here, let me put these down,¡± I said, and turned back to the kitchen counter to set the food down. I was about two steps away from retrieving my towel when Emmy poked her head into the living room to see what was going on.


    ¡°Leah, why are you naked?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Her towel just fell,¡± Angela said, trying to explain.


    I picked up and rewrapped the towel around myself, doing my best to regain whatever shred of dignity I could.


    ¡°Emmy, this is Angela, the one I was telling you about. She and her boyfriend live down on the fifth floor.¡±


    ¡°Fourth floor,¡± Angela said, correcting me. ¡°We live on the fourth floor.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the couple that I invited over for dinner on Wednesday,¡± I explained, trying to move past the events of a few moments before.


    ¡°Oh, it is nice to meet you,¡± Emmy said, moving over to greet Angela, who¡¯d gotten to her feet to say hello.


    Emmy had taken the time to throw on the T shirt I had been wearing earlier, so at least she wasn¡¯t in immediate risk of flashing our neighbor as I¡¯d just done. That said, I could tell that she had nothing on underneath, and although the T was long enough to reach mid thigh, there was still a possibility of more comedic nudity ahead.


    Satisfied the towel was going to stay put, I said to Angela, ¡°Well, I guess that got you to stop crying, didn¡¯t it?¡±

 Not A Chapter- Time For Another Discussion

    Yeah, I know I''m interrupting the story at a particularly particular moment, but that''s just how it goes.


    I said we needed to talk, and it can''t be put off any longer. Well, it could, I guess, but that''s neither here nor there.


    I have several things I want to talk about, and the first one is update pacing. Now, as we''ve discussed (well, at least I''ve mentioned), Royal Road encourages frequent posting. Every time a story gets updated, it appears (however briefly) on the Home Page in the "Latest Updates" list. Readers looking for something new might see that, and click if the picture and blurb are attractive enough.


    The ''Trending'' lists are another way that frequent posters get rewarded- by appearing on the trending lists, a story can attract new readers. An increase in readership, of course, means the story moves up on the trending lists and in the overall rankings.


    The obvious limiter is how much an author can write, and how willing the readers are to put up with more frequent but necessarily shorter updates.


    Some authors here on Royal Road crank out a stunning amount- frequent (sometimes daily, or close to it) updates with decent-sized installments. I admire these other authors, and I wish I could take the time to write that would allow me to post so much.


    That''s the background. So, my question is this- should I continue to post twice a week, shooting for 3-4,000 word updates, or once a week, but the chapters would be twice as big?


    I''m a bit like Jen in the story- I can go either way. So I''ll leave it up to you guys. What do you say? Once a week, but twice as big a chapter? Twice a week, keeping it the way it is now?


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The second issue I want to discuss is whether I''ve gone too far into the slice-of-life fluffiness. Yes, the track stuff had a point, yes, the discussions about work are there for a reason, yes, Jimmy and the rest of the Saturday Morning Crew play a part in the overall plot... but I worry that it might not seem that way, since the plot is now moving forward so slowly.


    What do you guys think? Should I step on the accelerator and pick up some speed, or are you guys happy to enjoy the view at a more leisurely pace?


    As a corollary question, why do you guys think I spent so much time on the track day? What aspects of the story were served by highlighting it so egregiously?


    Third thing I wanted to discus is... Um, hold on. It''s right on the tip of my tongue...


    Oh, yeah. The steamy bits. Do I really write sex scenes like a middle-aged guy from Ohio? I''ve never even been to Ohio! What are middle-aged guys there like? Are they known for their lesbian erotica? Inquiring minds want to know!


    Seriously, I''ve been trying to write the sex scenes consistent with Leah''s narrative style, and that''s sort of challenging. Leah, as we all recognize by now, isn''t really very introspective. She isn''t given to flowery speech, and more than occasionally she''s pretty damned unaware of others'' feelings. Not that she''s uncaring or unempathetic, it''s just that she''s sort of oblivious. Since she''s our narrator, she doesn''t tell us about things she doesn''t notice... and that''s how we end up with, among other things, sex scenes that sometimes focus more on the physical side of things rather than the emotional.


    I''ve been kicking around the idea of writing something closer to a traditional romance/erotica story, probably too steamy for RR... maybe I''ll write it and post on Literotica? If I do, I''ll provide a link, or at least a way to find it. The characters I have in mind share aspects with Leah and Emmy, but are definitely not the same. The main point would be to develop my love scene writing chops a bit, so it wouldn''t be anything close to the length of Emmy And Me.


    Anyhow, please let me know what you guys think about chapter length and frequency. Also, let me know about the pacing, and if I''m just losing you in all this stuff that seems beside the point and get back to Emmy, damn it!


    Also, critique the sex scene writing. And please, help me understand how middle-aged guys from Ohio write their lesbian erotica, so I can figure out what it is I''m doing wrong (or right, as the case may be).

 Exhibit A

    As it turned out, that was the wrong thing to say. Although the comedy interlude had in fact gotten Angela to forget all about her troubles for the moment, my attempt at a witty quip merely served to remind her that she¡¯d come here for a reason, and that reason hadn¡¯t actually gone away.


    Suddenly remembering what brought her up to our apartment, Angela¡¯s face crumpled up again, and the tears started to flow.


    ¡°It¡¯s Antonio,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s been arrested. They say he¡¯s been dealing drugs.¡±


    ¡°Has he?¡± I asked. Emmy shot me a look, but I thought the question was appropriate.


    ¡°No!¡± Angela replied. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think he does,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°But you¡¯re not sure?¡± I asked, trying to make sure we were all clear on the situation.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t talk much about his work,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said, settling down on the couch next to the distraught woman. ¡°Your boyfriend Antonio has been arrested on charges of drug dealing. You don¡¯t think he deals drugs, but it¡¯s a possibility. The police haven¡¯t arrested you, so that tells us that they don¡¯t think you¡¯re involved in any way, right? So that tells us that they believe he¡¯d been hiding his activities from you,¡± I said, laying out my understanding of the situation. ¡°Did the police search your condo?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they checked everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Do you know if they found anything?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t let me in to the condo while they were looking.¡±


    ¡°Well, if they did find anything, it must not have been anywhere in your stuff, or anywhere you¡¯d know about it, or they would have arrested you, too,¡± I explained. ¡°So at this point, unless Antonio somehow lays some blame on you, I¡¯d say you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Angela protested.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope not,¡± I said.


    ¡°What can we do for you?¡± Emmy asked from her seat on Angela¡¯s other side.


    ¡°I was hoping you knew a good lawyer,¡± Angela answered. ¡°I¡¯ve never needed one before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we have lawyers on retainer,¡± I said. ¡°But they¡¯re really expensive, and you may not need one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no- not for me. For Antonio,¡± Angela said.


    I sighed, not knowing how to have the next part of this conversation and not be a jerk about it. ¡°Listen, Angela, you have to think about yourself first, then Antonio second. Ask yourself this- if he really has been dealing drugs, would you still do what you can to support him?¡±


    The look on her face let me know that she hadn¡¯t actually given any thought to that side of the equation.


    ¡°If he was dealing drugs, he clearly didn¡¯t want you to know or be involved, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess,¡± Angela said, thinking about things.


    ¡°Which means either he thought you wouldn¡¯t approve, or he wanted you to be safe if things went bad, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s my suggestion. Be completely and totally truthful with the police and any prosecutors that want to talk with you, and tell them what you¡¯ve told us tonight. Antonio didn¡¯t talk much about work, you never got any hints he might have been dealing drugs, and you never suspected anything. That¡¯s all true, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± Angela said, thinking about it.


    ¡°All right. If you get to talk to Antonio, you have a choice to make. Don¡¯t ask him if he did it, and continue to support him. Or, you could ask, and if he says no, it¡¯s all a big mistake, you can believe him and continue to support him. But if he tells you he did it, then you suddenly become an accessory after the fact, and it¡¯ll affect every conversation you have with the authorities. So don¡¯t ask, and hopefully he won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the other choice?¡± Angela asked, showing that she was paying attention.


    ¡°Cut him loose. If you ask him if he¡¯s guilty and he admits it to you, or he just tells you out of the blue, then tell him you¡¯ll find him a good lawyer if he needs one, but otherwise, he¡¯s on his own.¡± As I spoke, I tucked the towel in a bit better, as sitting on the couch was tugging on it from below.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Angela said, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Do you love him?¡± Emmy asked, her voice gentle.


    ¡°I thought we were going to get married and live together for the rest of our lives,¡± Angela said as the tears began again.


    ¡°Would you still love him if you found out he was dealing drugs?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°Maybe if it was just weed? Not grown by cartel types? Maybe?¡±


    ¡°How about if it was meth or heroin?¡± Emmy asked, still in a gentle voice.


    ¡°Those ruin peoples¡¯ lives,¡± Angela said. ¡°Knowing he was doing that would be too much,¡± Angela replied, more firmly.


    ¡°You remember what I said about making sure you¡¯re O.K.? You need to think about your personal situation right now,¡± I said. ¡°First off, have you had dinner yet?¡±


    Surprised by the change in topic, Angela shook her head.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°We were just about to have Japanese food. I am certain there is enough for the three of us. Let¡¯s eat, and talk things through,¡± Emmy suggested, giving Angela¡¯s elbow a gentle lift to get her moving.


    I stood up, and of course my towel made a break for the floor again. I caught it and held it in front of me as it came completely unwrapped again. Rolling my eyes, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment,¡± as I made my way to the bedroom to throw on a T shirt and a pair of jeans.


    ¡°She is not actually a nudist,¡± I heard Emmy say, her laughter bright and sparkling. ¡°I think she is more of an exhibitionist.¡±


    This got a laugh from Angela in return, so I guess there was at least a little bit of a silver lining to my embarrassment.


    Sitting at the kitchen counter, Emmy divided up the yakisoba and the mixed tempura while I poured us all glasses of wine.


    ¡°I hate to be the one who bears bad news, but we need to discuss your situation in practical terms,¡± I said, once we¡¯d all started on dinner. ¡°As shitty as jail might be for Antonio right now, things are going to be rough for you for a while, too.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s start with your condo. Is it paid for, or do you have a mortgage?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°Antonio takes care of all that stuff.¡±


    ¡°You keep separate bank accounts?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, and he pays all the bills. I pay for my things, and our vacations. I usually pay when we go out, too,¡± Angela explained.


    ¡°The police have probably put some sort of judicial hold on his bank account, if they think he¡¯s been making his money illegally,¡± I said. ¡°So if he¡¯s been paying the mortgage and association fees, well, those are going to not get paid until this clears up. Is the condo in both your names?¡±


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s his,¡± she said, starting to sense the level of problems she was about to face.


    ¡°Do you have any relatives nearby you could stay with until all of this is settled?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°My family is all back in Colombia,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Antonio- is he Colombian, too?¡± I asked, fearing that he¡¯d maybe be part of some cocaine cartel.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s Chicago Italian,¡± she said, which didn¡¯t really ease my mind much.


    ¡°All right. If I were in your position, I¡¯d grab my stuff from the condo and find a place to stay for now,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you think Angela could stay with us?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°Just for now, I mean?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t impose on you two like that!¡± Angela protested.


    ¡°We have two empty bedrooms. It wouldn¡¯t be much of an imposition,¡± I said, nodding at Emmy that I was O.K. with the idea.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get my things,¡± Angela said, her shoulders slumping. ¡°The police have sealed the condo.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s awkward,¡± I said, taking a sip of wine. ¡°Are the police there now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They were there when I left to come up here, but they might be gone by now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. After dinner, let¡¯s go down and see, and if they¡¯re gone we can grab your things,¡± I suggested.


    By that time we finished with dinner, Angela had calmed down and was really starting to look at things clearly. When a quick trip downstairs revealed that the condo was still off-limits, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll only need a couple of days, until I can find my own place, then I¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡±


    ¡°You do not need to rush,¡± Emmy assured her. ¡°You are welcome to stay as long as it takes.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t totally in love with the idea of a roommate, but Angela seemed nice, and she needed a place to stay until this mess with her boyfriend cleared up, so I could live with it.


    The three of us settled into the balcony living room with another bottle of wine, chatting and enjoying the summer evening. I¡¯d turned on the fireplace just for the ambiance, even though it wasn''t needed for warmth. I was zoning out, not really paying attention, when I caught Angela asking about me being an exhibitionist.


    ¡°I¡¯m not actually an exhibitionist,¡± I objected. ¡°I don¡¯t even have an art gallery, much less a museum, so how could I even exhibit anything?¡±


    It took Angela and Emmy a moment to understand what I¡¯d just said, but then they both laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right if you are,¡± Angela said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with showing off your body, you know. Especially since yours is so amazing,¡± she added.


    ¡°You have seen Leah¡¯s body?¡± Emmy asked, perking up.


    ¡°Um, yeah- when she dropped her towel earlier, but I meant at the gym,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Oh- that is right,¡± Emmy said. ¡°She did show off her beautiful nude body for you earlier!¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional.¡±


    ¡°It is alright, Leah,¡± Emmy said, patting my knee reassuringly. ¡°I know how you like to show off for beautiful women.¡±


    ¡°She does that a lot?¡± Angela asked, her eyes wide, playing along.


    ¡°All the time,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    Sighing, I said, ¡°Not all the time.¡±


    ¡°Only to women you find beautiful?¡± Angela asked, leaning forward a bit.


    ¡°There was Luisa, Mia¡­¡± Emmy said, counting off on her fingers. ¡°And you, of course. Twice!¡±


    I could tell it was ¡®roast Leah¡¯ time, so I just sighed and took another big sip of my wine.


    ¡°But of course, Leah has the most amazing body ever, so it is understandable if she wants to show it off,¡± Emmy said, running her hand up and down my denim-covered thigh. ¡°In fact, I adore seeing her nude. What did you think?¡±


    ¡°I only saw her naked for just a moment, and I was so surprised I really didn¡¯t get a good look,¡± Angela said, getting into the ¡®roast Leah¡¯ groove. ¡°But my impression was of legs that went on forever, and those abs! And her shoulders. Really, it was all very impressive.¡±


    ¡°I think you deserve a better look, after all you have gone through today,¡± Emmy told her. ¡°I think that Leah should take off her clothes.¡±


    ¡°I am not taking off my clothes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, but Leah! Angela has been through so much today! Just think how much it would improve her mood to see you in all your glory!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she does actually want to see me naked, since, you know, she¡¯s not actually gay,¡± I said. ¡°She has a boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°I think I had a boyfriend,¡± Angela said, her face falling. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I do anymore.¡±


    Emmy got up and sat next to Angela, wrapping her arm around the other woman¡¯s shoulders. ¡°It will be alright,¡± Emmy murmured. ¡°Things will work out somehow.¡±


    Angela couldn¡¯t stop the tears, and within moments she was sobbing. Emmy motioned me over, so I sat on Angela¡¯s other side and followed Emmy¡¯s example, wrapping an arm around the distraught woman. We held her like that for a while, until she stopped crying. I handed her a napkin to clean her face and tried to stand up to fetch some kleenex for her, but she put her hand on my leg to keep me there, so I sat myself back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Just stay here for a little bit longer.¡±


    ¡°As long as you want,¡± I said, wrapping my arm arm around her waist again. I used my other hand to tuck Angela¡¯s long, dark hair back so it wasn¡¯t in her face. ¡°Are you going to be O.K.?¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Angela answered. ¡°I¡¯m just really¡­ emotional right now.¡±


    ¡°That is understandable,¡± Emmy said, her voice soothing. ¡°Take all the time you need to recover.¡±


    We sat like that, crowded into the smaller of the two couches, for at least another fifteen or twenty minutes, until, with a big sigh, Angela announced that she was O.K. ¡°Thank you, you two, for everything,¡± she said, wiping the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°Is there anything more we can do for you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me already,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can ever repay you.¡±


    ¡°There is no need for that,¡± Emmy assured her. ¡°We are in a position to help you when you need it, and that is all.¡±


    Later, when were bringing everything back inside, Angela asked, ¡°Leah, I¡¯m sorry for being so difficult, but can I borrow some workout clothes for tomorrow morning? All I have is this,¡± she said, indicating the torn jeans and fuzzy hoodie she was wearing. ¡°All my other clothes are in the condo.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± I said, indicating she should follow me. I led the way to our walk-in closet, Emmy trailing along behind. ¡°How is this?¡± I asked, pulling some leggings from my exercise wear drawer. ¡°Will this do?¡± I asked as I handed Angela a sports top.


    ¡°I have some things if those do not fit you,¡± Emmy said, as Angela held up the top against her chest.


    ¡°Let me see,¡± Angela said. ¡°Where can I try them on?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Let me show you to your room,¡± Emmy said, taking Angela¡¯s hand and dragging her out.


    Emmy returned a moment later and started looking through her drawers for something Angela could borrow.


    A minute or two after that, Angela joined us again, wearing the ensemble I¡¯d loaned her. She was holding up the waistband of the leggings, which extended all the way down her feet, her toes just barely poking out. The top I¡¯d handed her was drooping loosely like a redneck¡¯s tank top, except for where it was snug across her remarkably buoyant breasts. She was significantly smaller than me everywhere except her boobs, it seemed.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Emmy exclaimed, her voice happy. ¡°That is perfect for you!¡±


    Angela gave a wry smile and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be hard to work out if I have to hold onto the pants with one hand to keep them from falling off.¡±


    ¡°You could join Leah in the exhibitionist¡¯s club!¡± Emmy said, laughing.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s see,¡± Angela said, letting go of the waistband and mimicking barbell curls. As she moved, the leggings drooped down dropping enough to just hang up on the top of her legs, showing the top half of her undies. She looked down and said, ¡°Maybe only a provisional member.¡±


    ¡°Here, I have some things for you to try on,¡± Emmy said and handed her some pieces of brightly colored spandex.


    Angela pulled the leggings back up and took the new clothes with her other hand, shuffling out and back to her room.


    ¡°That was hilarious,¡± Emmy said, her face lit up. ¡°I really like her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she seems really nice,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame about what¡¯s happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± agreed Emmy.


    Angela returned wearing Emmy¡¯s dance wear, which was just the opposite of the clothes I¡¯d given her earlier. Emmy was much more slender than Angela, and the cross-back sports top was squeezing Angela so tightly she could barely move. The leggings were so tight they gave her a muffin top, even though Angela had hardly any body fat to speak of. I took in her pained expression and covered my mouth, trying to hide my laughter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this would work, either,¡± Angela said, deadpan. ¡°And god, the camel toe! I wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate on my workout at all with that going on!¡±


    I couldn''t help but look, and sure enough, there was significant crotch cleavage on display.


    ¡°Ooh, that is sexy!¡± Emmy said. ¡°But it looks uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, handing Angela another outfit to try on. It was nothing like the things I¡¯d seen her wear in the gym downstairs, but it would certainly do for a workout if you didn¡¯t really care how you looked on Instagram.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna need help taking this off,¡± Angela said, indicating the sports top, so Emmy followed her back to the other room.


    A minute or two later, they were back. Angela was wearing the mesh drawstring shorts and T shirt, which was a little bit baggy, but since it was my smallest it wasn¡¯t too bad. She looked as if she was ready for a pick-up basketball game at a street court, but honestly, it looked good on her.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Angela said. ¡°This really isn¡¯t my style, but it¡¯ll work just fine until I can get my own clothes back.¡±


    ¡°It was a real struggle to get that top off,¡± Emmy commented. ¡°I was afraid I was going to have to get out a pair of scissors!¡±


    ¡°Do you need any pajamas or anything like that?¡± I asked, since we were already trying to find clothes that would fit her.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s alright,¡± Angela said. ¡°I don¡¯t need ¡®em. What time are you going to go to the gym in the morning?¡± Angela asked. ¡°And do you eat beforehand?¡±


    ¡°I try to be down there by five thirty, and usually just eat a banana before I go down. I don¡¯t like to have anything much in my stomach.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready at five fifteen. Do you have a phone charger I could borrow?¡±


    Later, after Emmy and I had climbed into bed, Emmy snuggled up against my side. ¡°I envy Angela a little bit,¡± she said, kissing the top of my boob.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°She got to see you naked,¡± Emmy answered, and I could hear the smile in her voice.


    ¡°You get to see me naked every day,¡± I objected.


    ¡°Yes, I do, and that makes me the luckiest girl in the world,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But the day I got to see you naked for the very first time was the very best of all of those days. And today was her first day to see you naked.¡±


    ¡°Only day,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°With your exhibitionist ways, I am certain she will see more of you,¡± Emmy teased.

 I Never Did Mind The Little Things

    Sure enough, Angela was ready to go down to the gym at five thirty the next morning. In the T shirt and shorts I¡¯d loaned her she looked good, if not nearly as Instagram-ready as she usually did while working out.


    ¡°Thanks again,¡± Angela said, indicating the loaned clothes. ¡°And thanks for letting me stay at your place, and the advice. It may not mean all that much to you, but for me, you and Emmy have been life-savers.¡±


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s no problem,¡± I said as we entered the elevator. ¡°I¡¯m just glad we could help.¡±


    ¡°I thought a lot about what you said last night, and, well, I think you¡¯re right. I need to talk to Antonio. I¡¯ll ask him if he really was dealing drugs, and depending on what he says, I have a decision to make.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s best. Remember, though, you need to do what¡¯s best for you, and your own safety,¡± I said.


    Just as Angela was about to reply, the elevator doors opened, so she kept whatever it was to herself for the moment.


    Amusingly enough, I spotted Angela taking selfies several times during her workout, even though she wasn¡¯t made up like usual and was wearing an outfit that was far from stylish.


    I finished my workout, telling Angela I¡¯d see her upstairs. I didn¡¯t actually see her before I left for work, though, since her workout was so long. I¡¯d been slacking since we moved to Los Angeles, really only putting in an hour a day in the building¡¯s gym. The gym was good by your typical gym-goer¡¯s standards, with enough treadmills, exercise bikes and so on, as well as a good selection of machines of various kinds. It even had a respectable free-weight section for the ¡®hard core gym rats¡¯ that used the place. What it didn¡¯t have was any sort of fighting facilities, which I was coming to miss more and more. Angela staying in the gym really brought home how lazy I''d been getting.


    Since it looked as if it would be six months at the very minimum until we could move into our new house, I thought it was time to follow up on that lead I¡¯d gotten for a good fight gym in Santa Monica.


    I stopped by the place on my way to work, figuring I¡¯d give it a look and see if the place seemed worthwhile. As odd as it may seem, I actually found the grungy commercial location appealing, and liked the fenced-in parking lot in back. Whatever might await inside, the outside was far from pretentious. This wasn¡¯t a yuppie gym like the one in my apartment building, or even worse, one of those MMA-bro wannabe fight gyms full of frat boys and guys that think they¡¯re tough because they drive lifted Dodge trucks.


    Walking in, the size of the place surprised me. It was way bigger than I¡¯d thought from the street, and had quite a number of rings in addition to mats on a large part of the floor. The weights occupied one side, with only a few machines tucked off in one corner. Definitely not your big-chain fitness place, I was glad to see.


    A guy approached me as I looked around. He was giving off a ¡®what the hell are you doing here, Princess?¡¯ vibe, but was polite enough when he said, ¡°Welcome to Clancy¡¯s. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I need to find a new gym,¡± I said. ¡°The place I¡¯ve been working out just isn¡¯t, um, working out,¡± I said.


    ¡°As you can see, we really don¡¯t have much of a selection of fitness machines,¡± he said, his voice apologetic, as he indicated the bare handful of Nautilus setups in the far corner.


    It was obvious that he was put off by my designer skirt suit, and I understood it, even as much as I was both slightly irritated and amused by his assumptions.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± I said. ¡°What I really need is a place to train for fighting. I¡¯ve heard you have some good trainers?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, we do. I mean, that¡¯s what we¡¯re all about, right? But are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡± the guy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d been training with Ruben Da Silva up at The Pit in San Jose for the last three years, but now I¡¯m here in Los Angeles I¡¯ve just been using the gym in my apartment building to avoid losing any strength in the meanwhile until I find the right place.¡±


    ¡°Ruben Da Silva?¡± the guy asked, surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve been taking his classes?¡±


    ¡°No, not classes. Personal training,¡± I clarified. ¡°So yeah, I need to find a guy I can work with here in LA. Someone like Ruben.¡±


    ¡°Um, we have a couple of guys who do private sessions,¡± the guy said. ¡°Um, do you have a specific, uh, style? Like, Muay Thai or something like that?¡±


    ¡°How much do you know about Ruben?¡± I asked, stepping a bit closer to the guy and dropping my voice a little bit.


    ¡°Uh, well, I mean, I know he was Brazilian MMA champ for a few years, won a UFC title, stuff like that¡­¡±


    ¡°What I was working with Ruben for is vale tudo,¡± I said, looking him in the eye. ¡°You know what that is?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure, but¡­ Why would you- I mean¡­¡± the guy said, clearly not knowing where to go with his question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t fight in the ring,¡± I said.


    The guy stepped back, taking another long look at me.


    ¡°This scar?¡± I said, pointing at my cheek. ¡°Knife fight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pulling my leg,¡± the guy said, regaining his footing.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said. ¡°So I need a guy to train with that understands, um, my specific needs, technique-wise.¡±


    The guy seemed to have come to the conclusion I was bullshitting him, so he said, ¡°Look, why don¡¯t you come back some time and spar with one of our coaches, and we can evaluate whether we can help you out or not.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Uh, any time,¡± he answered. ¡°We¡¯ve got guys who can spar any time,¡± he said.


    Thinking that if I just got over this hurdle and convinced this guy (and whoever else that mattered) that I was serious, maybe this gym might work for me, I said, ¡°Look, I can blow off work this morning. Why don¡¯t I go grab my gear and we can do it at, say, ten? That¡¯s an hour and a half from now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, that would work,¡± the guy said, so I took one last look around and left. As I pulled out of the lot I saw the guy was eyeballing my car, so I gave him a friendly wave as I drove off.


    Back at the apartment, I found Emmy listening to music and playing her guitar along with the tune.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°Why are you home so early?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong,¡± I said. ¡°I stopped off at a new gym on the way to work, and thought the place had promise, so I¡¯m going to grab my gear and go back to spar with one of the coaches to see if we can work together.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°Would it be alright if I came to watch?¡±


    ¡°You want to watch?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°I have never seen you fight,¡± Emmy said with a shrug.


    ¡°It won¡¯t really be a fight,¡± I protested. ¡°Just sparring to get a feel for each others¡¯ abilities, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Still, I would like to watch, if that is all right.¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you want,¡± I said, shrugging. I was a tiny bit concerned that the gym might have issues with spectators, but whatever. They were either going to accept it, or lose a lot of potential money, right?


    I changed clothes and grabbed my gear bag, and by the time I made my way back out to the living room, Angela put in an appearance. She was wearing the same clothes as the day before, which I realized must be all she had to wear until she could get back into her condo and get her stuff.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked, looking at the duffel bag.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try out a new gym today, so I came back to grab my stuff.¡±


    ¡°You''re going to work out again?¡±


    ¡°Probably not a workout,¡± I answered while Emmy got ready to go. ¡°Just gonna do some sparring with one of the trainers, to see if we can work together, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Sparring? You box?¡± Angela asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Um, I do mixed martial arts,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am ready,¡± Emmy announced.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Angela asked Emmy.


    ¡°To watch Leah fight,¡± Emmy answered proudly.


    ¡°What time will you two be back?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Let me grab my things.¡±


    ¡°You want to come along?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Well, I thought that if you two weren¡¯t home, I¡¯d have to, um, not be here, you know?¡±


    ¡°No, it is O.K. if you stay here while we are gone,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want to be a problem.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, if it looks like you¡¯re going to be here for a while, we should get you a key.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?" Angela asked. ¡°You guys are so amazing!¡±


    Pulling into the gym¡¯s parking lot, Emmy said, ¡°This place does not look very nice.¡±


    ¡°Nice isn¡¯t what I¡¯m looking for,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, I suppose not,¡± Emmy said.


    As we walked in, the same guy approached. ¡°Your name is Leah Farmer, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I called and talked to Ruben at The Pit,¡± he said. ¡°He said- well, he said to take you serious. We talked a bit, and I think maybe we don¡¯t need this, um, tryout,¡± the guy said.


    ¡°Look, this goes both ways, right? You wanted to see if I was serious, and I want to be sure I could get good training here, so I say let¡¯s do it anyway. I¡¯m all dressed up and ready to dance, so let¡¯s go ahead and get this party started.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K.,¡± the guy said. Then, drawing in close so nobody else could hear, he said, ¡°Keep it clean, all right? I don¡¯t want anybody else here thinking we do anything outside of the usual MMA stuff, all right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool, I understand,¡± I said. ¡°Since this is just friendly sparring, headgear or no? I¡¯m assuming you want us gloved up, right?¡±


    ¡°You train with Rubin bare-knuckle?¡± He asked, stunned.


    ¡°No, usually we wear grappling gloves, you know? But sometimes just wraps,¡± I assured the man.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± the guy said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to know any of this. You¡¯d better sign the release forms before you go any farther, though. In fact, sign it twice. Heck, maybe three times just to be sure.¡±


    I laughed and said, ¡°Point the way. And if you talked to Ruben, he probably told you we worked out before the gym opened in the morning, right? When nobody else was there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m beginning to understand why,¡± the guy said, shaking his head. ¡°Anyway, I think Jody is the guy you¡¯ll want to work with. I talked to him about you, so he¡¯ll be ready after his class ends in, um, ten minutes. Go ahead and get ready and warmed up, and I¡¯ll have him find you when he¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°So let¡¯s get the paperwork done quickly so I can get to it.¡±


    Maybe twenty minutes later the first guy found me stretching in the corner. ¡°This is Jody. Jody, this is Leah. We¡¯re gonna do a couple of rounds, just to, you know, figure out where we¡¯re at and all that, right?¡±


    I looked at Jody, evaluating him while he eyed me, doing the same. I had a few inches on him, but he was well-built, and maybe had a few pounds on me. He looked like a real fighter, with a nose that had obviously been broken more than once, and a hard look in his eyes.


    ¡°Eddie tells me you¡¯re interested in some, uh, ¡®special technique¡¯ training,¡± Jody said.


    I glanced around to make sure nobody else was close enough to hear, and said, ¡°Yeah. Unsanctioned-style.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea why a rich chick like you would want to learn to fight, um, ¡®unsanctioned-style¡¯ fighting, but if that¡¯s what you want, I can work with that.¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good enough, I guess,¡± said Jody, shrugging. ¡°All right- let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Eddie led us to an empty ring off to one side, holding the ropes so we could enter. He then checked my gloves and headgear, making sure I was good to go. He inspected Jody¡¯s gear, then said, ¡°O.K. Here¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be. You two are going to keep it clean, alright? No hitting below the belt, none of that shit. Other than that, it¡¯s whatever works. We want to see what Leah can do, to see what level she¡¯s at, but we don¡¯t need any injuries. Got it?¡±


    We both nodded that we did, so he said, ¡°Touch gloves, then back into your corners. All right!¡± He said, clapping his hands together to signal the start.


    I stepped in and laid a solid low kick on Jody¡¯s right thigh, making it clear to him I had the reach advantage and was going to use it.


    He answered with a left swing, stepping in to try to follow with a quick jab. I saw him coming and got in first, knocking him back with a strong left.


    It went back and forth for a while, but it was quickly obvious that I had reach and speed on him, so Jody¡¯s only real move was to either get inside, or grapple. Since I was showing that I could counter almost every strike of his, he did the inevitable and went for a takedown.


    Now, this was the last thing I wanted to have happen, since I wasn¡¯t all that great on the floor and with his strength advantage he¡¯d have me tied into a knot in no time. I''d been able to read Jody¡¯s moves since we began, and this was no different. I could see him coming in for the double leg takedown, and as he shot in I sprawled like a champ and got a couple of really solid undercuts in, knocking him down to his knees. I stepped back as he jumped back to his feet, laying a couple more low kicks in before he got his position set.


    It went like this for a little longer before Jody stopped fighting like a wuss and began really putting some muscle into it. I¡¯d known it was going to come eventually, but when he finally connected with a right hook with all his power behind it, it really rocked my world for a moment.


    Using the mitigation trick that Grant had shown me, I flew to the left, trying to absorb and diminish the blow rather than counter it. Combining that with Ruben¡¯s training, my right leg flew up in a capoeira-style roundhouse, taking Jody in the back of the head as I cartwheeled away.


    Both of us momentarily dazed, Eddie stepped into the middle of the ring. ¡°Alright!¡± he called out, holding his palms out to us. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    I shook out my neck and stepped forward, holding my fists out. Jody tapped gloves, and we climbed out of the ring to talk.


    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Emmy said, taking my headgear as I handed it to her. ¡°I had no idea!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, babe,¡± I said. ¡°But if that was a real fight, I¡¯d have lost.¡±


    ¡°I am not so sure,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I think if it was a real fight, you would have had him the first time you knocked him to his knees.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, doubtfully.


    Jody and Eddie came over to talk, so Emmy stepped out of the way to give them room.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re a quality striker,¡± Jody began. ¡°Since I never actually got a takedown, we don¡¯t know how your grappling or wrestling are, though.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m weakest on the floor,¡± I admitted. ¡°So I do my best to avoid getting taken down.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s something we can work on,¡± Jody said. ¡°You¡¯re clearly well-trained, you have incredible speed for someone so tall, and you aren¡¯t shy about going for it. If you want, I can help you with your weaknesses, and maybe we can work on some of those special techniques we talked about before, if you still think this might work for you.¡±


    ¡°The only way you could do that is outside regular hours- you know that, Jody. I don¡¯t want anybody hearing about it, either,¡± Eddie said.


    ¡°I could make it worth your time,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m an early riser, so we could maybe do three days a week before the gym opens?¡±


    ¡°The gym opens at six thirty weekdays,¡± Eddie said.


    ¡°How much would it cost me for it to open for me at five on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays?¡± I asked, and the two guys looked at each other.


    ¡°Hour and a half session, three days a week, at the ass-crack of dawn?" Jody asked. ¡°I¡¯d want a hundred fifty an hour.¡±


    ¡°Slip me a C note the mornings I let you in early, and it¡¯s a done deal,¡± Eddie said.


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with two hundred and twenty-five bucks per session, but it has to be worth the money. So we go straight into it, no fucking around with bag work, no games like that,¡± I said, looking Jody in the eye.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± he said, already imagining what he¡¯d spend nearly two grand a month on.


    ¡°Whatever you two do, it is none of my business, and has nothing to do with the gym, got that?¡± Eddie said, making sure he wanted his hands clean.


    ¡°All you have to do is open the door and turn on the lights,¡± I said, agreeing.


    After a quick trip back home to shower and change, I made it to the office by noon.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t coming in today,¡± said Nash as he walked into my office and sat down.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I had something I had to do this morning.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the boss, you don¡¯t have to check with me about your schedule.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hey, did you get a chance to look over those three potential sites for the relo yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the info you gave me, and drove by one of the properties,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think number two is right for us.¡±


    ¡°No, probably not,¡± Nash agreed. ¡°It¡¯d work for a while, but not really long-term. I still like the place in Westwood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look at it sometime in the next couple of days,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask,¡± Nash said, standing up. ¡°Oh and that you and Emmy come over for dinner sometime soon. We¡¯ve gotten settled in, and I¡¯m dying to try out my new grill.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± I said. ¡°Let me talk to Emmy and figure out when we can make it happen.¡±


    After Nash left, Jake came in. ¡°You up for a site inspection?¡±


    Sighing, I said, ¡°Not today, sorry. Since I came in late today, I need to make up for lost time on this,¡± I said, holding up the renovation plans for a twenty-two unit complex.


    ¡°Why are you even bothering with this?¡± Jake asked as he looked through the binder full of estimates and plans.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job,¡± I said, shrugging.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be,¡± Jake said. ¡°This is something that one of us managers should be handling. Whose is this, anyway?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Tracy¡¯s property,¡± I said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°She should be the one dealing with all this. If this was in my portfolio I wouldn¡¯t have brought it to you unless there was some serious difficulty somewhere along the line.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I said. ¡°How many renovations like this have you personally overseen?¡±


    ¡°This big? Maybe five in all my years here,¡± Jake admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s within my wheelhouse.¡±


    ¡°How big is your plate right now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You want me to take this on?¡± He asked, surprised.


    ¡°If you can handle it.¡±


    ¡°Well, sure I can, but it¡¯s Tracy¡¯s,¡± he objected.


    ¡°Was.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not gonna like that,¡± Jake said, clearly not wanting to ruffle any feathers within the office.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, don¡¯t care,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her right now, if you can take this off my plate.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-two units? She¡¯s gonna screech. Maybe not at you, but I¡¯ll hear it.¡±


    ¡°Let me take care of that,¡± I said.


    "That''s something I admire about you," Jake said. "You don''t mind starting a fight."

 Dinner Party

    When I got home that evening, Angela was in the kitchen, apparently cooking something.


    ¡°Angela is making arepas,¡± Emmy said from her seat at the counter. ¡°They sound delicious.¡±


    I gave Emmy a little kiss hello, and she gave me a concerned look. ¡°What is the matter?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Ah, just some work stuff, that¡¯s all. No big deal.¡±


    ¡°Can I tell you something?¡± Emmy asked, leaning in and speaking quietly so Angela wouldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, also keeping my voice down.


    ¡°I have been thinking about your fight this morning. I have been thinking about it all day.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fight,¡± I protested.


    ¡°It looked like a fight to me,¡± Emmy countered.


    ¡°So why have you been thinking about it?¡±


    Glancing over at Angela, who was busy at the stove, she whispered, ¡°I have been sexually aroused ever since. I am dying to get you to bed.¡±


    ¡°Well, now,¡± I said, grinning. ¡°I can skip cooking dinner tonight and we can order in and we can go take a nice, long bath right now.¡±


    ¡°Jenna and Andy will be here in less than an hour,¡± Emmy complained.


    ¡°And if it¡¯s anything like last time, they¡¯ll be here until midnight," I said.


    ¡°I cannot wait that long!¡± Emmy proclaimed. ¡°I will die!¡±


    Laughing, I gave her another kiss, but this time long and slow, pulling her up and into my embrace. She returned the kiss avidly, clinging to me desperately.


    ¡°I need you,¡± she whispered as we parted.


    ¡°You have me,¡± I said.


    Straightening, I glanced at Angela, who quickly turned away, focusing her attention back on her cooking. Amused, I said out loud, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a quick shower and then get started on dinner.¡±


    Emmy got a wistful look on her face, asking, ¡°Will you need any help?¡±


    ¡°I might,¡± I agreed. ¡°Are you volunteering?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Emmy said, quickly standing up.


    I stole another quick glance at Angela, in time to catch her watching us, blushing like a schoolgirl. ¡°We¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said, taking Emmy¡¯s hand.


    As fun as our soapy time was, we had to keep it quick, since we did have guests coming over soon. It seemed to do for Emmy for the moment, judging by the satisfied look on her face as we got dressed. I will certainly admit that just that little bit of love-making really improved my mood dramatically.


    Back in the kitchen, Angela had finished and cleaned up after herself, to my relief. Her cooking had smelled wonderful, but I needed to get started on dinner. The actual roasting time for the tuna was only ten minutes, so that was the last step, but I needed to make the mango salsa and grill the vegetables.


    Angela had vanished to her room, but she emerged soon after I got started on dinner.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯ve got it,¡± I said. ¡°But thanks.¡±


    While I was prepping the veggies, to make small talk I said, ¡°I see you¡¯re wearing something else today. Did you manage to get your clothes from your condo?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Angela said with a sigh. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I moved all my things into the guest bedroom.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said as Emmy sat down at the counter. ¡°So what¡¯s the story?¡±


    ¡°I talked to the detective in charge and told her I needed my things, so she and her partner met me at the door to the condo, and they watched as I packed up as much of my stuff as I could. I guess they were making sure I didn¡¯t make off with any evidence, you know?¡± she said. ¡°It took me a bunch of trips, but I got all my things out of Antonio¡¯s apartment.¡±


    ¡°Did you get a chance to talk to Antonio?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Angela said, her accent stronger than usual as she thought about it. ¡°The more I think about it, the more I think it might be true.¡±


    "That is¡­ very unfortunate,¡± Emmy said, sympathetically. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I think I have to separate myself from Antonio, and find a new place to live. Today I talked to my sponsors, to let them know what¡¯s going on and that I¡¯m not involved in any way, you know?¡±


    ¡°Sponsors?¡± Emmy asked, unsure what Angela meant.


    ¡°I have three main sponsors,¡± Angela said, then realized that Emmy really had no clue. ¡°I have three main companies that I represent, and they need to know that I¡¯m not going to give them bad P.R.¡±


    ¡°Like clothing companies?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two are clothing companies. One is casual athleisure wear, the other is a swimwear company. I also have an energy drink sponsor.¡±


    ¡°I guess that explains all the energy drink cans in the fridge,¡± I said, jokingly.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Angela said, wincing.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s cool,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a big fridge, plenty of room.¡±


    ¡°What do these companies pay you to do?¡± Emmy asked, intrigued.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly Instagram influencing, but when I get a magazine interview or web article, I make sure to wear their clothes, unless it¡¯s a commercial shoot, you know?¡±


    ¡°I do not do any social media other than our band¡¯s Facebook page,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°How does this influencing work?¡±


    Just then the front desk called to let us know our guests had arrived, so I started on the process of grilling the vegetables. I figured half an hour of that, and we¡¯d be eating inside of forty-five minutes.


    Jenna and Andy were right on time, which is an amazing feat in Los Angeles, with its unpredictable traffic patterns.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± Andy said, opening his arms wide for a hug, but since he was holding a bottle of wine in each hand, it looked comical. I gave him and then Jenna hugs, telling Andy to throw the white in the fridge but leave the red out.


    ¡°Dinner will be in about twenty minutes,¡± I said. ¡°You guys want to eat outside again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was really nice last time,¡± Jenna agreed. ¡°Can I help somehow?¡±


    ¡°Maybe set the table out there?¡± I suggested.


    While Jenna, Angela and Emmy set the balcony table and got things situated out there, Andy hung out in the kitchen with me.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, I¡¯ve been thinking about what you said last time, and you know I said we want to go ahead with your idea about helping us buy a house, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we need to set up a time you guys can come by my office, to look at properties. We can narrow the choices down, then go out and do some site inspections.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°¡®Site inspections¡¯?¡± Andy repeated, amused. ¡°You do not sound like a realtor at all.¡±


    ¡°Not a realtor,¡± I confirmed. ¡°That¡¯s not my gig at all. To me, they¡¯re ¡®sites¡¯ or ¡®units¡¯ or ¡®properties¡¯, not ¡®homes¡¯,¡± I said, with liberal use of air quotes to make my point.


    ¡°I guess that kinda leads into what I wanted to talk to you about,¡± Andy said, rubbing the back of his neck, nervously. ¡°You said you do real estate investing, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a thing I do,¡± I confirmed, pulling the asparagus off the stove-top grill.


    ¡°Um, how can I¡­ I mean, is there a way I can get into that, too? I thought about what you said, about guaranteed salary and all that, and it made all kinds of sense. Jenna and me, we think we want to invest as much as we possibly can as quickly as we can, so when I retire we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives from then on, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me for advice on how to go about investing in real estate?¡± I asked for clarification.


    Jenna had bustled into the kitchen just then, so she¡¯d replied to my question. ¡°What this big goof is asking, Leah, is if we can somehow invest in your company or whatever? We don¡¯t know a single damned thing about investing, but it¡¯s obvious you do.¡±


    ¡°We want to jump on that train,¡± Andy said, wrapping his arm around Jenna¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°What train?¡± Angela asked as she and Emmy joined the three of us in the kitchen, which was becoming crowded.


    ¡°Jenna and Andy want to invest in my real estate investment trust,¡± I said. Turning to Andy and Jenna, I said, ¡°if that¡¯s what you want to do, it¡¯s really easy. Come down to my office, read the prospectus, fill out some forms, and hand over as much money as you want. Last year the ROI was a bit over twenty-eight percent, but it¡¯s gonna vary year to year.¡±


    ¡°So, like, it¡¯s just some sort of fund, and you can invest as much or as little as you want?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but there is a minimum, usually. I mean, ten bucks wouldn¡¯t be worth anyone¡¯s time, right?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Andy admitted. ¡°So, if we gave you a million bucks, after a year, we¡¯d have one point two eight million? We¡¯d make two hundred and eighty grand?¡±


    ¡°Andy, look at your big brain!¡± I said, giving him a little shove.


    He looked sheepish, but laughed at himself anyway. ¡°I are smart!¡± he declared.


    Sitting out at the balcony table, conversation turned lighter. Emmy mentioned to Angela that Andy played in the NFL, and we saw his season opener a few days before.


    ¡°He even gave me the football when he stole it from the other team¡¯s boss!¡± she said. Now, I knew that she was playing up her ignorance of the game for effect, so I didn¡¯t bother to correct her. Jenna, though, ran with it.


    ¡°I saw that on TV! He totally just mugged that guy and stole the ball right outta his hands!¡± she said. ¡°And then he was like, all Robin Hood, giving the ball to someone who didn¡¯t even have one!¡±


    ¡°That was it! He saw that I had no football, so he took it from that other guy that probably has lots of them, and gave it to me. I shall treasure it forever!¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°You¡¯d better treasure it,¡± Andy said. ¡°That football cost me twelve hundred bucks.¡±


    ¡°You bought it? I thought you had stolen it?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Fined?¡± I asked, and Andy nodded.


    ¡°But I knew it beforehand, so it¡¯s cool. I just wanted you guys to have it. If you guys have a Sharpie I¡¯ll sign it after dinner.¡±


    ¡°That would be awesome,¡± I said. ¡°You should sign the jersey I got Emmy, too.¡±


    ¡°I saw her wearing that,¡± Andy admitted. ¡°It was so awesome you guys came to the game. It really meant a lot, and you would not believe the traction it¡¯s given me with the guys on the team. They all want to meet you, Em.¡±


    ¡°Maybe when our new house is ready we can have a party and you can bring some of your teammates,¡± Emmy suggested. ¡°We cannot really have any parties here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll have to have a housewarming party when we get settled in,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You bought a house?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yes, Leah found us an amazing place in Hollywood,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But it needs a lot of work, so it will be six months until we can move in.¡±


    ¡°At least six months,¡± I said, trying to temper Emmy¡¯s expectations. Privately, I thought it would be a miracle if Ned got everything done that quickly, but I didn¡¯t want to rain on Emmy¡¯s parade too much.


    ¡°I was telling Jenna about it,¡± Andy said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I did a very good job of describing the place, though.¡±


    ¡°He said it was a movie studio you were converting into a house?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Emmy said. ¡°But we are only converting part of it. Most of it will stay as a recording studio and rehearsal space, including the, what is it called? The really big room?¡± Emmy asked, turning to me.


    ¡°The sound stage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the sound stage. That will remain ready for filming, if we choose, or for stage rehearsal, if that is what we need. It will be wonderful!¡±


    ¡°Sounds pretty cool,¡± Jenna agreed. ¡°But Andy was saying the house will be hidden inside, somehow?¡±


    ¡°Not hidden, exactly, but sorta,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe, but basically the house part will be separated from the commercial parts, with separate entrances and all that.¡± Seeing the puzzled look on Jenna¡¯s face, I said, ¡°It¡¯ll make sense when you see it.¡±


    ¡°And meanwhile, we¡¯re stressing about buying a three-bedroom house in the Valley,¡± Jenna said with a sigh.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find you guys a great place, don¡¯t worry,¡± I assured her. ¡°You¡¯ll be in your new home in no time. Faster than we will, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    Angela had mostly been quiet all evening, but after dinner, when we moved to the living room so Emmy could play records on her new stereo and we all got into the third bottle of wine, she loosened up and told Andy and Jenna about what she¡¯d been going through the last couple of days.


    ¡°I¡¯m super grateful that Emmy and Leah are letting me stay here, even though they hardly know me,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re really wonderful people.¡±


    ¡°It was the least we could do,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°You said you¡¯re a fitness model?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°Is that a good living?¡±


    ¡°I get paid fairly well for my fitness modeling, sure, but I make a lot more with my social media presence,¡± Angela said, pulling out her phone to show off her Instagram feed.


    ¡°How does that even work?¡± Andy asked, curious.


    ¡°Watch this,¡± Angela said, getting up from her seat and handing her phone to me. ¡°Here, could you take our photo?¡± She asked, as she sat on the couch with Jenna and Andy. She directed the two of them on how to pose, so that it looked casual, as if they were just hanging out, even though the actual way they were sitting was totally unnatural.


    ¡°Take a few photos from various angles,¡± Angela instructed me, then took the phone back when I¡¯d snapped the pics.


    ¡°O.K., now I look through to see which photo is best, that¡¯s this one, see?¡± she said, showing the photos to Andy and Jenna. ¡°Now, I do a little work¡­¡± she said as she fussed with the phone, ¡°And here we go. Now look at the picture.¡±


    Jenna and Andy looked at the photo on the phone. ¡°You cropped it, and whatever you did makes me look fantastic,¡± Jenna said.


    ¡°It¡¯s all filters,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°And the cropping is all about highlighting the background you want people to see.¡±


    ¡°So you take a completely staged picture that looks natural, adjust it so everybody looks amazing, and then what? Post it on Facebook?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Mostly Instagram, but Facebook, too, and I¡¯ll Tweet it,¡± Angela agreed, as her fingers flew across the touchscreen. ¡°O.K., now look on your phone. Do a search for my Insta profile.¡±


    She waited as Andy took out his phone and did as she instructed. ¡°See my new post?¡± Angela asked when Andy said he¡¯d found her account.


    ¡°Yeah, here we are, the three of us, on the couch, looking like old friends having a great time,¡± he said.


    ¡°Now look at the hashtags,¡± she instructed. ¡°You see I¡¯ve hashtagged the two of you, the Los Angeles Rams, the NFL, Los Angeles, The Century, good friends, and so on, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Well, that means that anybody doing a search for any of those will see this post, right? Well, I¡¯ve also tagged the clothing company that sponsors me, and I¡¯m wearing their clothes, right? So that means that every click on their account that comes from people who¡¯ve just seen my post will net me some money. Not a lot, but since I have over a million followers, that post might make me, maybe a hundred bucks? Maybe two hundred, if it gets shared a lot? That isn¡¯t a ton of money, but I post a half dozen times a day, so it adds up,¡± Angela explained. ¡°It helps a lot if there is somebody else in the picture that is famous, or has a strong social presence, and of course, my bikini or implied nude pics always get a lot of likes and shares.¡±


    Andy had been scrolling through her feed while she explained all of that, and at the mention of nudes, he said, ¡°You mean like this one?¡± Holding up his phone for Angela to see, then showing Jenna.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Jenna exclaimed, taking the phone from her fianc¨¦e. ¡°Jesus, just look at you! Nobody has an ass like that!¡±


    ¡°A picture like that will make me a couple of thousand dollars,¡± Angela said. ¡°But I can¡¯t post too many like that. I have to seem as if my pics are just my daily life, you know? So only maybe one out of twenty is a nude, and five or six are bikini pics. The rest are gym photos or casuals, with a few professional modeling photos thrown in.¡±


    Jenna had been scrolling through the pics on Andy¡¯s phone, muttering, ¡°No fucking way¡­ Not human¡­ Must be photoshop.¡± Finally, she handed the phone back to Andy, saying, ¡°You must really be the master of, like, Photoshop and those filters.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Because nobody looks like that in real life. Those have to be fake.¡±


    Angela laughed, saying, ¡°The boobs are fake, but the rest is hard work. Hang on a moment,¡± she said as she got up. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her in her workout outfit. She¡¯s pretty built,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m calling shenanigans,¡± Jenna said, sipping her wine.


    As quick as that, Angela came back to the living room, but this time with no clothes on. Well, she had a tiny little bikini on, which was three small bright pink triangles with some strings holding them onto her body. So, basically, ninety-eight per cent nude. She walked across the living room like a model on a catwalk, all our eyes on her as she stopped in the middle and posed, alternating flexing like a bodybuilder and posing like a Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl.


    ¡°Looks real to me,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°You¡¯d better stop looking, mister, if you know what¡¯s good for you,¡± Jenna told him in a mock-threatening tone.


    ¡°I can¡¯t look away!¡± he cried out, making like he was trying to turn his head but some force was holding him in place. Honestly, I understood completely. Angela was a bit too muscular for me, but damn, her ass was truly a thing of beauty.


    Angela posed for a minute or two, then sat down on the couch next to Jenna again. ¡°See?¡± she asked, extending her leg so her quad tensed and showed its amazing definition.


    Jenna put her hand on Angela¡¯s thigh and gave it a squeeze. ¡°Jesus H Roosevelt Christ,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s as hard as a freaking rock.¡± She gave it another squeeze and said, ¡°You know, I used to think I didn¡¯t have a gay bone in my body¡­¡±


    Angela laughed, and said, ¡°I¡¯d thought the same thing until quite recently.¡±


    Jenna laughed, stroking Angela¡¯s thigh one last time for good measure.

 Remember It For The Rest Of Your Life

    I was glad to see Angela showing off, laughing and joking. She¡¯d been in such a down mood for the last couple of days, and I couldn¡¯t blame her. I was also glad to see that Jenna was having a good time, and wasn¡¯t bothered by the fact that Emmy and I were old friends of Andy¡¯s and had known him before she had. It showed the confidence she had in their relationship, and that made me happy for Andy.


    ¡°You said ¡®Up until recently¡¯,¡± Jenna said to Angela. ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a story there.¡±


    Angela glanced at me, and Jenna caught it.


    ¡°Something about Leah?¡±


    ¡°I saw her naked,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°And she is built like you can¡¯t believe.¡±


    ¡°More than you?¡± Jenna asked, looking Angela (who was still wearing her tiny bikini) up and down.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but different,¡± Angela hedged.


    ¡°You saw Leah naked how?¡± Jenna asked, more and more curious by the moment.


    ¡°She¡¯s an exhibitionist,¡± Angela said with a shrug.


    ¡°Says the woman who¡¯s practically naked herself,¡± Jenna replied.


    ¡°This whole ¡®exhibitionist¡¯ thing,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just not true at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, Angela has been staying with you for less than two days, and she¡¯s seen you naked,¡± Jenna said to me.


    ¡°I saw her naked within my first minute here,¡± Angela added, none too helpfully.


    ¡°Plenty of people have seen Leah in the nude,¡± Emmy contributed.


    ¡°I have,¡± Andy piped up from his end of the couch. ¡°But that was a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, am I the only one here who hasn¡¯t seen Leah naked?¡± Jenna demanded.


    ¡°When did you see me naked?¡± I asked Andy, not doubting his word, just not knowing when it could have happened.


    ¡°Like I said, it was a long time ago, when we were kids. You remember the time my cousin took us to the beach?¡± Andy asked.


    Suddenly, the memory came rushing back, and I had to cover my face with embarrassment as I recalled that day so long ago.


    ¡°O.K., I¡¯m going to need details,¡± Jenna said.


    ¡°You have never told me this story,¡± Emmy said, dogpiling on. ¡°I would very much like to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Andy¡¯s cousin came to town to visit and he asked me if I wanted to go to the beach with them. Andy either didn¡¯t know or didn¡¯t tell me it was a nude beach.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Andy said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot more to the story than just that,¡± he protested.


    ¡°It seems like you remember it better than me, so why don¡¯t you tell the story?¡± I suggested. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna need something stronger than this,¡± I said, holding up my now-empty wine glass. ¡°Anybody want a cocktail?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have whatever it is you¡¯re gonna make,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Jenna added.


    ¡°Emmy? Angela?¡± I asked, looking at the two in turn, but both shook their heads.


    Andy held off on telling the story, giving me time to mix up the beverages. When I¡¯d handed Jenna and Andy their Manhattans and sat back down, Andy began his tale.


    ¡°Like I said, Leah was the first real friend I¡¯d made in California, and that first year, even though I made other friends, she was still the one I spent the most time with, I guess. You know, at that age, most boys and girls don¡¯t really hang out with kids of the opposite sex, right? The whole ¡®girls have cooties¡¯ thing. But Leah never seemed to care, and we had a lot in common. Our dads were both in the Middle East and not home, we lived pretty close to each other, and our moms got along, so sometimes when my mom needed to leave me with someone, Leah¡¯s mom was O.K. with me spending the afternoon or evening over at their place, and the other way around, too,¡± Andy said, giving the background. ¡°The next couple of years we both made other friends, but we still hung out a lot, you know?¡± he said, taking a moment to sip his drink and think about how to tell the story.


    ¡°And then, when Leah¡¯s dad was killed when we were in fifth grade, Leah spent a lot of time over at our place while, I dunno, your mom took care of things or whatever,¡± he said, looking at me.


    This was the part of my life that I least wanted to remember, and I¡¯d done a pretty good job of not remembering it much at all, so it was strange to hear somebody else talk about the worst part of my childhood from their perspective.


    ¡°Leah was really angry all the time, and I mean, I guess I can understand why,¡± Andy said, gazing off into the distance, bringing back those times. ¡°But she was never mean to me. She got into a few fights at school, with other kids who were complete assholes and talked shit about her dad, but now that I think about it, the teachers and school officials must have given her a lot of slack, since she never got suspended or anything. Did you, Leah? I don¡¯t remember you getting in trouble at all for beating up, what was his name? Mark?¡±


    ¡°Matty,¡± I corrected Andy. ¡°Matty McDaniels or something like that. Now that you mention it, I was taken to see the Principal, but I don¡¯t think they even called my mom,¡± I said, trying to remember details from a time I¡¯d done my best to forget.


    ¡°Yeah, that was it. Matty. His parents pulled him from school, and he never came back. I heard he went to school in Temecula after that,¡± Andy said. ¡°But anyway, even though Leah was angry at the world, I guess you could call it, we still got along like nothing had ever happened.¡±


    Hearing Andy talk about that time was bringing up painful memories, the loss still difficult even though it was half my life ago.


    ¡°So anyway, I think it was a Saturday, Leah was going to come over to our place, but my cousin, who was, um, twenty at the time?¡± Andy said, making it sound like a question. ¡°Anyway, my cousin Beth had gotten into town the night before, and she wanted to go to the beach, so my mom talked to Leah¡¯s mom, and both were O.K. with Beth taking us to the beach down in San Diego for the afternoon. Now, you have to remember, we were both spending almost all our free time in the pool at Leah¡¯s apartment complex, and we could both swim really well, so our moms weren¡¯t worried, right?¡± he said, looking at me for confirmation.


    ¡°When he says we were in the pool as much as possible, what he isn¡¯t saying is that was true for almost everybody we knew. Half the kids in our grade had backyard pools, or like me, lived in a place that had a pool. The Boys And Girls Club pool was right by our school, too, so everybody knew how to swim,¡± I explained.


    ¡°So yeah, we were all super good swimmers and tanned like you wouldn¡¯t believe,¡± Andy confirmed. ¡°Anyhow, we grabbed our towels and Boogie Boards and jumped in Beth¡¯s car and she drove us to this place that had a long, gated road down to a secluded beach.¡±


    ¡°Blacks Beach,¡± I said with a wry grin.


    ¡°Yeah, neither of us had any idea that Beth wanted to go to a nude beach,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Your cousin took you guys to a nude beach?¡± Jenna asked, astounded.


    ¡°Beth is¡­ well, a sort of wild child,¡± Andy said with a shrug. ¡°I guess it never occurred to her that maybe it wasn¡¯t appropriate for two eleven-year-olds to go with a twenty-year-old to a nude beach,¡± Andy explained. ¡°But we didn¡¯t really understand what was going on until Beth laid out the blanket and took off all her clothes.¡±


    ¡°You did not see the other nude bathers?¡± Emmy asked, trying to imagine the scene.


    ¡°Like I said, to get there, you had to walk, like, a mile or something down this steep road with a locked gate at the top, so that means you really need to want to go there to even be there, and that keeps the crowds basically non-existent. There really weren¡¯t very many others there at all.¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Until that creep,¡± I said, remembering.


    ¡°Uh yeah, getting to that,¡± Andy said, taking the story up again. ¡°So Beth ditches her T shirt and shorts, and wow- no bathing suit underneath. Now, I¡¯d never seen a naked woman before, but, like, she was so much older that somehow it kinda didn¡¯t register. I can¡¯t really explain it,¡± he said with a shrug.


    ¡°So we¡¯re looking around, and that¡¯s when we notice that nobody else has a bathing suit on, either. We look at each other, and I¡¯m like, freaking out a little bit, you know?¡± Andy says. ¡°But Leah, she¡¯s like, ¡®Fuck it,¡¯ and takes off her shorts and T shirt, right? But then also ditches her two-piece. And she¡¯s looking at me like, ¡®Say something- I dare you.¡¯ She¡¯s standing there, completely naked, and all I can think is that her tan lines make it look like she still has her swim suit on. But eventually, I take off my clothes, too. Because it was like she was daring me to do it, you know?¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Emmy said. ¡°Exhibitionist.¡±


    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t like that,¡± Andy protested. ¡°It was more like, I don¡¯t know, Leah was gonna do whatever the fuck she felt like, and that was it. And just then, she felt like getting naked, just like everybody else was. So there we were, the two of us, staring at each other¡¯s naked bodies, but then, Leah said, ¡®I¡¯m going in the water. What are you going to do?¡¯ So we raced into the waves, and from that moment on, it was just like any other day at the beach. Us being naked stopped being a thing.¡±


    ¡°Until the creepy guy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, until the creepy guy,¡± Andy agreed. ¡°We were sitting on the blanket, having some snacks that Mom had packed for us, when Leah stood up and said, ¡®I¡¯m gonna tell that guy to quit staring.¡¯¡±


    ¡°There was this older guy, who had his towel a little bit away from where we had our blanket, and he just kept staring at Andy and me,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I think he was mostly staring at Beth,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t. He was staring at the two of us. When we went to play in the surf, he watched us and didn¡¯t look at Beth sunbathing on the blanket even once.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Andy said. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t realize that. So anyway, Leah gets up and walks over to this old guy, who stands up as she approaches. It¡¯s too far away for me to hear, but she makes a fist at him and holds it up, I guess, like, threatening the old dude, you know? Next thing, he¡¯s grabbing his stuff and leaving.¡±


    Andy stopped to take a big sip of his drink, finishing it off.


    ¡°And here¡¯s the part I¡¯ve never talked about, to anyone, ever,¡± Andy said, gathering the courage to tell the next part of the story. ¡°So Leah walks back to the blanket and just stands there, still angry, her hands on her hips, you know?¡± Andy says, looking around to make sure everybody was listening. ¡°She just stands there, watching this old guy leave, but ready to take action, I guess, if he doesn¡¯t.¡± Andy got up off the couch and stood there, facing the rest of us, his hands fisted on his hips, his feet shoulder-width apart. ¡°Like this, right? So she¡¯s standing there, right next to the blanket,¡± he said, moving over by the couch and standing near Jenna to make his point.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sitting on the blanket, you know, just, I mean, right there, and I can¡¯t stop staring.¡±


    ¡°Oh. My. God,¡± Jenna said, covering her mouth as she realized what Andy was trying to explain.


    I will admit that I was a tiny bit slower, but when I got the image, my reaction was similar.


    ¡°So Leah¡¯s watching this guy go, and I¡¯m eye-level with Leah¡¯s, um¡­¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Her pussy!¡± Jenna exclaims, covering her face with amusement.


    ¡°Yeah, that. So I¡¯m looking at Leah¡¯s, um, pussy, and it struck me right at that moment. Girls are beautiful,¡± Andy said, his face as red as I¡¯d ever seen it. My face was pretty hot, too, I have to admit. Angela was mimicking Jenna, also covering her mouth with her hands. Emmy had the broadest grin, enjoying every moment of Andy¡¯s revelation and the mortification it was bringing both Andy and me.


    ¡°So I look up at Leah, and she seems like she¡¯s seven feet tall, and capable of anything. She just chased this old pervert off, and now she was standing there, completely naked, and completely not giving a single damn. She didn¡¯t care she didn¡¯t have any clothes on. I don¡¯t think it even occurred to her to give it a moment¡¯s thought. In that moment, she was Supergirl, Wonder Woman and every other super hero chick all rolled into one. But no spandex anywhere in sight.¡±


    ¡°So, what- what did you do after that?¡± Angela asked, wrapped up in the story.


    ¡°Well, I mean, nothing, really. The guy left, we finished our snacks, then did some more Boogie Boarding until it was time to go home,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Did it feel kinda weird to wear clothes afterwards?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, you too?¡± Andy asked. ¡°It did feel strange, putting my shorts back on. So, I never asked you, but what did you say to that guy?¡±


    ¡°I think I told him that if he didn¡¯t quit staring and leave, I was gonna punch him so hard in his nuts that he¡¯d remember it for the rest of his life,¡± I said. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it worked,¡± Andy said with a laugh. ¡°He could tell you meant business.¡±


    ¡°I would have, too,¡± I said. ¡°I would totally have used his nuts like a speed bag,¡± I said, mimicking a boxer in training.


    ¡°That is one hell of a story,¡± Jenna said. ¡°So what happened after that? I mean, like, was it life-changing?¡±


    ¡°It was for me,¡± Andy admitted. ¡°That was the day that puberty hit me. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Leah¡¯s, um¡­¡±


    ¡°Pussy?¡± Jenna suggested, helpfully.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Andy said, rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°So you were in lust with Leah,¡± she asked, for clarification.


    ¡°Well, no, and I guess that¡¯s the funny part,¡± Andy said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d suddenly realized that girl parts were really good to look at, sure, and Leah¡¯s formed the basis of what I imagined all girls looked like under their clothes, you know? But I didn¡¯t suddenly feel any different about Leah herself than I ever did. We still hung out, like nothing had ever happened, and we didn¡¯t really ever talk about it, either. Even though she¡¯d gone from ¡®just like me¡¯ to ¡®magically different from me¡¯ in a very specific moment, and with her she¡¯d taken all girls into this, like, other realm of existence, she was still Leah, and I was still me.¡±


    ¡°So was that the night you learned to jack off?¡± Jenna asked, clearly loving giving Andy a hard time.


    ¡°No, but it wasn¡¯t long after that,¡± he admitted sheepishly.


    ¡°So how about you, Leah?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°Did anything magically change for you that day?¡±


    ¡°You want to hear something funny?¡± I asked. ¡°Until Andy brought it up, I¡¯d forgotten all about the whole thing. The pervert, the swimming, the beach, all of it. Completely forgotten. If you¡¯d asked me who the first boy I ever saw naked was, I¡¯d have told you it was five years later and my boyfriend Chris.¡±


    ¡°How could you forget something like that?¡± Angela asked, amazed.


    ¡°Like Andy kinda said, fifth grade and sixth grade were really bad for me, and I think I¡¯ve pretty much tried to forget all of it.¡±


    ¡°Andy said your father died?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he was a Marine, killed in Iraq. In Fallujah,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wow, that must have been tough,¡± Jenna said, sympathetically. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sucked big-time, all right,¡± I said. ¡°I still miss him.¡±


    Nobody knew what to say, but finally Jenna broke the uncomfortable silence by asking Angela, ¡°So tell us about your naked Leah moment.¡±


    ¡°God, I¡¯m gonna need more alcohol,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I just want to get to the bottom of this exhibitionist streak of yours, Leah,¡± Jenna said. ¡°Now we know it goes way back, right?¡±


    ¡°Anybody else need a refill?¡±


    ¡°I could use a refill,¡± Andy said, getting up to follow me into the kitchen.


    Once we¡¯d gotten away from the others, he apologized. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bring up bad memories, Lee. I¡¯m sorry for doing that,¡± he said in a voice too low for the others to hear, calling me by the nickname he hadn¡¯t used in ten years or so.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s cool,¡± I said, also keeping it quiet. ¡°You know, I really had forgotten all about that day. And I guess I¡¯d kinda forgotten how much time we used to spend together, too.¡±


    ¡°I can kinda understand why you¡¯d try to block a lot of those memories away,¡± he agreed. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t all bad.¡±


    ¡°Did you really stare at my girl parts? We were eleven!¡± I said, but really, I wasn¡¯t feeling all that indignant. It was a long time ago, and looking back, I¡¯d scoped out his equipment at the time, too.


    ¡°Yeah, I really did,¡± Andy admitted. ¡°I can¡¯t really remember what Beth looked like naked, but I can vividly recall how you looked.¡±


    ¡°Well, that may be about the only part of me that still looks about the same,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m a whole lot bigger now. I was as flat as a boy back then.¡±


    ¡°Mos def,¡± Andy said with a smile.


    I handed Andy his Manhattan, and told him, ¡°You know what? Thanks for telling that story. I mean it. You¡¯re right, it wasn¡¯t all bad back then, and thanks for reminding me that you were a big part of the good stuff that happened.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d really forgotten all that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I really did,¡± I admitted.


    We rejoined the other three just as Emmy came back into the room with her acoustic guitar. ¡°I have a song I have been thinking about recently,¡± she said, strumming idly. ¡°I wrote this song back in high school, for Andy, but I have never played it for anybody. If you do not mind, I will play it for all of you tonight.¡±


    ¡°You wrote a song for me?¡± Andy asked, stunned.


    ¡°Yes. Would you like to hear it?¡±


    We all said we would, so Emmy sat up straight and started playing the tune.


    ¡°Andy, Andy


    When will these clouds disappear?


    Oh Andy, Andy


    Where will it take us from here?¡±


    Andy and I had both broken out laughing by this point, but it took a little longer for Jenna and then Angela to recognize that Emmy was trolling us all with the old Rolling Stones tune.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you wrote that song for me!¡± Andy said, smirking. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m pretty convinced you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You really had me going for a minute,¡± Jenna said.


    Emmy just laughed, and finished the song, substituting ¡®Andy¡¯ for ¡®Angie¡¯ as she sang. When she finished, Jenna got right back on track.


    ¡°So- Leah¡¯s exhibitionism,¡± she said to Angela. ¡°Details.¡±


    Angela looked to me for some sort of signal, but I just gave a wry smile and shrugged, so she figured that meant I was O.K. with her telling Jenna and Andy about my towel misadventure.


    Angela kept the story pretty factual, except when she described how I looked. ¡°So there she was, naked as the day she was born, holding two bags of Japanese takeout, looking down at her towel. She said ¡®Curse you and your sudden but inevitable betrayal!¡¯, then casually walked over to the kitchen counter and set the bags down like nothing was wrong. She walked back over and was just about to pick up the towel when Emmy came into the living room and asked ¡®Leah, why are you naked?¡¯ like it was a thing that happened all the time.¡±


    ¡°It seems to,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°So, just to be clear. I¡¯m the only one here who hasn¡¯t seen Leah naked?¡± Jenna asked, enjoying herself way too much.


    ¡°Are you sure you have not?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°Most people have.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, babe,¡± I said as the rest laughed.

 Taking The Day Off

    ¡°So, just to make it completely clear,¡± Jenna announced. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair that all of you have seen Leah naked, but I haven¡¯t.¡±


    "Hey,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re looking at it the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re special. Unique. Among the few, the proud, right?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Jenna objected. ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, innocently.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to get out of letting me see you naked,¡± she retorted.


    ¡°That was never actually on the table,¡± I said.


    ¡°Spoilsport!¡± Jenna complained, sticking out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout.


    ¡°Quid pro quo, babe,¡± Andy said, sipping his drink.


    ¡°What, me show her mine and she shows me hers?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Hey- it worked for me,¡± Andy said. ¡°And Emmy, too, I¡¯m guessing.¡±


    Jenna had no real response for that, so she just shut up and finished off her glass of wine.


    Emmy took the momentary silence as her opportunity to sing another song, something about ¡®If I strip for you, would you strip for me?¡¯, which lightened the mood some.


    Jenna gave up on hounding me, and instead patted Angela¡¯s thigh. ¡°Well, at least Angela here is still pretty much naked,¡± she said with some degree of satisfaction.


    During a lull in the conversation, Emmy went and found a permanent marker, and brought the football and jersey for Andy to sign.


    ¡°I should order another jersey for you to autograph,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll put it up in my office.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Andy said. ¡°I¡¯d love to sign as many as you want.¡±


    ¡°Do you get the money when one of your jerseys sells?¡± Angela asked, watching Andy sign on the number below the name ¡®Temple¡¯.


    ¡°Not directly,¡± Andy said, capping the pen. ¡°All the player-specific merchandise money goes into a pot, and it gets divided up among all the players in the league. So I get just as much money when someone buys a Patriots Brady jersey as I did when Leah bought this for Emmy.¡±


    ¡°So the superstars subsidize the unknowns?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. I mean, like, maybe ten players account for half of the jersey sales or something like that, right? A lot of players in the NFL have never had a jersey with their name on it sold- guys like backup kickers and whatnot that nobody knows, and who might not ever actually play a snap, but they¡¯re on the roster. Those guys get just as much of that money as your Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, or J.J. Watt does,¡± Andy explained.


    ¡°That seems fair,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I have heard that the biggest stars make many millions a year, but the average player makes far, far less.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Look, Jared, our QB, is making something like eighteen million dollars this year, his rookie season, same as mine, but I¡¯m making a million bucks this year and doing better than a lot of other guys on the team.¡±


    ¡°The struggle is real!¡± Jenna said, sipping her wine.


    ¡°A million dollars a year is still a lot of money,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Yeah, it is, but if I really kick ass the next couple of seasons I¡¯ll be able to renegotiate for a lot more.¡±


    Hearing this made Angela¡¯s face fall. I¡¯d noticed that she wore her emotions very openly in her expressions- she¡¯d be a terrible poker player.


    ¡°I lost one of my sponsors today,¡± she said.


    ¡°Was it from Antonio¡¯s arrest?¡± Emmy asked, setting aside her guitar and leaning forward.


    ¡°Yeah, they said they didn¡¯t want the negative publicity,¡± Angela explained. ¡°I can understand it, I guess, but still, it sucks.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°The energy drink. They said they get enough grief about their formulas containing bodybuilding supplements that they don¡¯t want any hint of connection to a guy who¡¯s been busted for selling oxandralone, and I guess that makes sense¡­¡±


    ¡°Oxandralone? Hey, I bet some of my teammates were his buyers,¡± Andy joked, but it fell flat, and Jenna elbowed him in the ribs to shut up.


    ¡°They have asked me to go back and delete all my old posts featuring their products, too,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Wow- right down the memory hole,¡± Andy said, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°That¡¯s sorta, I dunno, despicable seeming.¡±


    ¡°It is public relations,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Public relations people are mostly despicable.¡±


    ¡°Harsh!¡± Andy said, chuckling. ¡°But not wrong.¡±


    Later, after Andy and Jenna left and Emmy went to bed, Angela helped me clean up.


    ¡°Losing your sponsor like that- do you think the other two will follow?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve talked to both of them, and they say that as long as I¡¯m not being investigated they don¡¯t have anything to do with Antonio¡¯s problems. I explained the situation, and both of my clothing companies will continue to sponsor me.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. It¡¯d be a real bummer to lose your fianc¨¦e and your income at the same time for something that you had nothing to do with.¡±


    Angela set aside the wine glass she was washing and said, ¡°Leah, I want you to know that I am super grateful that you and Emmy are letting me stay here. I promise that I¡¯ll find a place to stay soon- I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t started looking, but the last two days have been¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to rush,¡± I said, leaning back against the counter. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay here as long as it takes to get back on your feet. I¡¯m serious. Just think of this as your home for as long as you need it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll start paying rent,¡± Angela offered.


    ¡°Angela, look at me. I¡¯m being serious here,¡± I said. ¡°You just lost a third of your income, and if I¡¯m guessing right, you weren¡¯t making enough to live in this building on your own, anyhow, right? I¡¯m not saying this to be mean or anything, but I think you¡¯d be better off keeping that money and saving it.¡±


    ¡°I have money,¡± Angela objected, but I raised my hand to stop her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do,¡± I said. ¡°If I did the math right when you were explaining the influencing thing to Andy and Jenna, it sounded like you make what, a hundred and fifty to two hundred K a year?¡±


    ¡°A hundred and seventy-eight thousand last year,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°Which is much better than the median here in the Los Angeles area,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯m assuming that it¡¯s been getting better every year, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it has,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°So, from what you were saying, you¡¯re selling a certain image with your social media posts, right? A certain, let¡¯s call it, um, ¡®aspirational¡¯ image, right?"


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°So your gym shots, the gym needs to look like a place people would wish they could work out, right? Like the gym downstairs and not some big chain place like, well, LA Fitness?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Angela agreed, but her face told me she didn¡¯t know where I was going with this.


    ¡°So look around this apartment. This is pretty aspirational, right? Feel free to take all the pics you want using this place as your backdrop. I guess what I¡¯m saying is that I¡¯d prefer it if you looked at this as an opportunity, sort of. Emmy and I are fine with you living here for a while, as long as you need, and if being here helps your work, then absolutely take advantage.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t pay you guys rent?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Two things,¡± I said, holding up a couple of fingers. Pulling the first one down, I said, ¡°I pay twenty-five grand a month for this place. Yeah, we¡¯re just renting for now. So, a third of that would be over eight thousand bucks a month. Rounding down, since you¡¯ve got the smaller room, let¡¯s say five grand a month. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d hit you up for that kind of money, especially since that room has been sitting empty since we moved in.¡±


    Pulling down my second finger, I said, ¡°And anyway, I earn enough money that whatever rent you might actually pay makes no difference anyhow.¡±


    Angela resumed washing the wine glasses, lost in thought. When we had everything straightened up, I said good night and joined Emmy in bed.


    ¡°I had a nice night,¡± Emmy murmured as she snuggled up against me.


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head.


    Although my classes at UCLA Anderson didn¡¯t start until the following week, I¡¯d planned on taking that Thursday off anyhow. I wanted to visit the campus and figure out where my classes would be, find the best parking lot, and of course, make sure I had everything I was going to need as far as books and things like that. Now, the first week was going to be an all-day intensive, but after that it was going to be Tuesday and Thursday nights from six to ten. I¡¯d told everybody at the office to not expect me those two days- maybe I¡¯d come in for a few hours in the morning, but that was a solid maybe at best. I wanted the flexibility to do my schoolwork those days, whatever that might entail, and not be pressed for time.


    In other words, I didn¡¯t really need to get up early to work out, but did it out of habit. Apparently, so did Angela. I certainly would never do my makeup before heading to the gym, but then, her job, such as it was, was very different from mine. She was made up nicely, and dressed in her butt-exaggerating leggings. She had on an oversized T shirt, but I knew that was going to come off when she started her workout.


    I don¡¯t want to make it seem as if her workouts were nothing but posing for selfies in her sexy gym clothes- far from it. You just don¡¯t get a physique like hers without really putting in a lot of effort. It¡¯s just that a lot of her income derived from those sexy gym selfies, so that was always her first order of business at the start of every morning¡¯s session. She¡¯d do her posed selfies, then once that was taken care of, get down to business. She¡¯d told me she put in twenty hours a week in the gym, and I certainly found that believable.


    On the elevator ride down, Angela said, ¡°I thought about what you said last night, and-¡±


    Interrupted by a middle-aged couple with suitcases entering the elevator, Angela didn¡¯t finish her thought. We got off on the second floor, while the middle-aged couple continued on, presumably to the lobby and their ride to the airport.


    ¡°Talk later?¡± Angela asked as we entered the gym.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be home most of the day,¡± I confirmed as we split up to do our very different workouts.


    I¡¯d just finished my run on the treadmill when Josh came over to talk to me.


    ¡°Leah,¡± he said, glancing around to make sure nobody else could hear. ¡°It¡¯s about, um, Angela over there,¡± he said, tilting his head slightly in the direction of where she was working out.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, toweling off my face.


    ¡°Word came down from management that she¡¯s no longer listed as resident, so she shouldn¡¯t be working out here any more, but I saw you guys walking in together. I¡¯ve noticed that you two know each other, so I figured I¡¯d ask you what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate you not making a big deal about it, Josh,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but it boils down to her boyfriend got arrested on drug charges and she¡¯s locked out of their unit by the police. She¡¯s not under investigation or anything, but suddenly had no place to live, so she moved in with us for the next few months. So I guess this means I need to talk to the front desk and add her to our unit to get her resident privileges reinstated?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, O.K.,¡± Josh said. ¡°Thanks for clearing that up.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you for bringing that to my attention and being discreet about it. The whole thing has hit her pretty hard, and the management rubbing her face in it wouldn¡¯t help her in any way.¡±


    ¡°Glad I could help,¡± Josh said. Then, as an afterthought, he asked, ¡°Hey, did you ever check out that fight gym?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did. Thanks for that tip. I¡¯m going to start workouts there tomorrow, actually.¡±


    ¡°Cool, cool. Let me know how it goes!¡± Josh said as he left me to continue my workout.


    I thought about stopping by the front desk on my way back upstairs, but decided that I should do it when dressed nicely, not in sweaty gym clothes. Emmy was still asleep when I returned, so I quietly slipped into the shower to clean off, trying to not disturb her. Reaching for my towel after shutting off the water, Emmy¡¯s voice startled me.


    ¡°I could watch that all day,¡± she said, her voice husky.


    Turning around, I saw her leaning against the side of the doorway, still in her cami and PJ shorts, watching me in the glass-walled shower.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you come in,¡± I said, toweling off my hair, making sure to stand straight and roll my shoulders back.


    ¡°I was perfectly happy just to watch you bathe,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I did think of joining you, but watching you like that was its own reward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you still find me sexy,¡± I said, leaning in for a kiss. ¡°After all the years we¡¯ve been married.¡±


    This earned me one of her musical laughs and another kiss. ¡°Yes, all of these long, long years.¡± She leaned back a bit and laid the back of her hand on her forehead, assuming a long-suffering expression. ¡°I have given you the best years of my life,¡± she moaned.


    ¡°And I, for one, am very glad you have,¡± I said, taking her in my arms for a damp hug.


    We stayed like that, just holding each other, for a while. I enjoyed the feeling of Emmy in my arms, and she seemed to enjoy holding me, so neither of us were in any hurry to let go.


    Eventually, though, we parted, Emmy asking, ¡°What are your plans for the day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to head over to campus this morning and scope out where my classes are, stop by the bookstore to get my books, that sort of thing, but then my day is open. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Jackson and I are going to Lee¡¯s house to work on some songs. We are supposed to get there around nine. We will probably be there all day.¡±


    ¡°So, no chance for having lunch together?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you would like to come out to Pasadena, I would love to see you for lunch. But if it is too far, I can understand that, too.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, noncommittally. ¡°It depends a lot on how long it takes at UCLA.¡±


    ¡°Let me know if you think you will be able to make it,¡± Emmy said.


    I made breakfast for the two of us while Emmy showered and dressed for the day. For her, it was a cup of coffee and a piece of avocado toast. I¡¯d long since stopped trying to get her to eat more, figuring that although Emmy was very slender, she didn¡¯t seem unhealthy, so it was fine. After we¡¯d reconnected back in freshman year at Stanford she had been too skinny, and it hurt to see her like that. Now, she was lean, but in a good way, not bony at all.


    Still, I¡¯d probably die if I ate as little as she did¡­ But then, I was literally nearly twice her size. O.K., one hundred and seventy per cent her size, but close enough.


    We both left at the same time, Emmy in a little summer dress and Doc Marten boots, carrying her guitar case, me in an office-casual outfit with my briefcase. We kissed goodbye in the garage and got into our respective BMWs, and as I pulled out I looked at the Aston in our third designated spot. It occurred to me that Angela probably needed that allotted parking spot now, so I should park the Aston at the new house, if there was someplace safe to store it.


    Through good planning back when we moved to Los Angeles, it was an easy fifteen minute drive to the north end of the UCLA campus. I considered the possibility of getting in a little run to and from school, but nixed the idea after a moment¡¯s thought. Sure, it¡¯d be an easy enough half hour or so, but then I¡¯d get to school sweaty, unless I showered and changed clothes, which meant more to carry back and forth. Running wearing a backpack seemed like a real pain, too¡­


    I found the parking structure easily enough and spent an hour or so just walking around the complex of a half-dozen buildings, getting a feel for the layout.


    I was sitting down on a bench looking at my phone, trying to figure out where to get coffee, when a voice interrupted my Googling.


    ¡°You look lost,¡± the voice said. ¡°You an incoming student?¡±


    I looked up at the speaker, a good-looking well-dressed guy maybe a couple of years older than me.


    ¡°Yeah, I start next week,¡± I said.


    ¡°Femba?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Tuesday and Thursday evening schedule,¡± I confirmed. ¡°I was just trying to find a place to get coffee before classes.¡±


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s where the Femba students get shafted,¡± he said with an easy grin. "There¡¯s a nice little cafe right up there,¡± he said, pointing to a top floor balcony I could see on one of the buildings that surrounded the central plaza. ¡°But it closes at five, so we,¡± he said, pointing at me and then himself, ¡°Are S.O.L. on class nights. There¡¯s an even better little cafe a little ways over there,¡± he said pointing off to the north-east. ¡°But, yes,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°It, too, closes at five. So we could go to either one right now, or I could show you the way to the only option at six in the evening, which is a bit of a walk in that direction,¡± he said, pointing south.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with walking,¡± I said, standing up. And while I didn¡¯t quite tower over the guy, I was a good four inches taller than him, which I could tell put him on his back foot.


    ¡°My name is Leah,¡± I said, offering my hand.


    ¡°My friends call me Sammy,¡± the guy said, shaking my hand.


    ¡°What do your parents call you?¡± I asked, jokingly.


    ¡°Mostly ¡®Hey, you¡¯, or sometimes ¡®Son¡¯,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°It depends on their mood, or what they are mad at me for.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I replied, smiling. ¡°Hey, I like your accent,¡± I said as we walked. ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°I was born in Ethiopia, but my family is Eritrean. We moved here to California when I was ten,¡± he explained.


    On the way to the cafe I told him where I was from, and we talked about our undergrad schools (he¡¯d gone to Cal State Fullerton, basically across town). He was about to start his third year of the program, so he had a lot of practical advice on parking, traffic, and what to bring and what to not bother with. Sammy was a good conversationalist, and took the hint when I completely failed to respond to his flirtation. We talked for a couple of hours, and after we left the coffee shop he showed me the way to the school book store.


    ¡°You can get all of your books on Amazon,¡± he said on the way. ¡°And often much, much cheaper. Most people don¡¯t bother with the book store any more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get them today, and I¡¯m going to be giving UCLA seventy grand this year anyway, what''s a few more, right?¡± I replied.


    ¡°That is a very cavalier attitude,¡± Sammy said. ¡°I admire that.¡±


    After I got the three books required for the onboarding and the two classes I¡¯d be taking fall term, the two of us walked back to Anderson.


    ¡°I appreciate you taking the time to hold a newbie¡¯s hand like this,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± Sammy said. ¡°Who knows? Maybe we¡¯ll both end up working together at some point.¡±


    ¡°Are you in the real estate field at all?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I work for Raytheon. I¡¯m a radar systems engineer,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then we probably won¡¯t ever work together, I¡¯m sorry to say,¡± I told him. ¡°But if you ever have a great idea for a startup, pitch it to me first- I also do V.C. investing. First and second round.¡±


    ¡°Give me your contact information,¡± Sammy said, holding up his phone. ¡°There is something I have been thinking about with a fellow engineer at Raytheon.¡±


    ¡°You know that any ideas you come up with in the line of work belong to Raytheon, right? Don¡¯t plan on any new business with an idea they can sue you over,¡± I cautioned. I¡¯d seen a few tech would-be startups killed by the big boys for just this sort of reason.


    ¡°No, no, not related to my work there at all, really. It¡¯s an idea for drone control systems,¡± he said.


    ¡°Drone like ¡®shoots missiles at people in the Middle East¡¯ drone, or drone like ¡®remote-controlled flying toy¡¯ drone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Flying toy,¡± Sammy replied with a laugh. ¡°I get too much of the ¡®shoots missiles¡¯ kind at work.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K., then,¡± I said. ¡°I have no experience with funding military contract stuff.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot of V.C. funding?¡± Sammy asked, interested.


    ¡°Yeah, I have an office up in San Jose,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to set one up here in Los Angeles in the next few months.¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Sammy said, a bit doubtfully.


    ¡°You know that video sharing app that just had its IPO? I was second-round on that. I cashed that one out at eighty-two million.¡±


    ¡°That would explain why you didn¡¯t care about saving money on the textbooks,¡± Sammy said wryly.


    ¡°Part of it, all right,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°If I may ask, if you¡¯re doing so well, why would you even bother with getting your MBA?¡± Sammy asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what my wife asked, too,¡± I said. I was about to explain my rationale, but the look on Sammy¡¯s face told me the conversation had just come to a sudden halt.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m married. To another woman,¡± I said. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°It is your soul that will suffer eternally,¡± he said, backing up.


    I sighed, and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry you feel that way. I was hoping we could be friends.¡±


    ¡°I will wish you well with school and in business, Leah,¡± Sammy said. ¡°But I cannot overlook your sin.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s that, then. Still, if you change your mind on that, feel free to look me up. And thanks for being my tour guide today.¡±


    We parted ways, Sammy fleeing the heathen sinner, and me wondering how a guy that seemed so sophisticated and intelligent could be stuck with that sort of mentality. ¡®Oh, well, his loss,¡¯ I told myself as I headed to my car.


    Back at the apartment building, I stopped off at the front desk and confirmed Angela as our new roommate, and made sure that her resident privileges remained uninterrupted. I also said that I was going to move my third car and give her the parking spot. They said that she could continue leaving her car in the spot associated with Antonio¡¯s unit, since nobody else was going to use it, but I said that it might be better for her to separate herself from him as much as possible, and they understood.


    When I got back up to the apartment Angela had her laptop open on the kitchen counter and was busy with a video chat. She waved for me to come over, so I did as she suggested and stood behind her and to her left to get in the field of view of her laptop¡¯s camera.


    ¡°Kate, this is Leah, Leah, this is Kate. Kate runs the social media marketing for a company that might sponsor me. I was just telling her about what¡¯s happened the last few days, and explaining that my home life is stable despite everything. I told her who you guys are, and how I¡¯ll be your roommate for the next few months,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Kate said from the computer. ¡°We¡¯d been talking about taking Angela on for a while now, but then this whole thing with her fianc¨¦e getting arrested, well, to be honest, it put a bit of a dark cloud over things. But now, we¡¯ve seen how forthcoming Angela has been, really staying ahead of the storm on the socials, and to be honest, we¡¯ve been impressed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s doing really well, bouncing back from this, um, shock,¡± I said.


    ¡°Angela tells me that your wife is Emmy Lascaux, right?¡± Kate asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I looked, and Emmy has no social presence other than the Facebook page for The Downfall,¡± Kate said. ¡°And I couldn¡¯t find one for you, either.¡±


    ¡°I have Facebook and Instagram accounts, but never post anything,¡± I admitted. ¡°I just don¡¯t really see the point.¡±


    ¡°If Angela posts a picture with either of you in it, it might potentially be used for advertising purposes. Would you be O.K. with that?¡± Kate asked, and I started to see where she was going with her questions.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± I said, hedging. ¡°I think that¡¯s something I¡¯d have to talk to Emmy about.¡± Thinking for a moment, I asked, ¡°Um, Kate, not to be rude, but does my answer have any influence on your decision to sign Angela?¡±


    Kate was sharp, and could tell what I was thinking. ¡°No, the decision will be based on Angela¡¯s track record and marketability, and hers alone,¡± she assured me, but I wasn¡¯t too convinced.


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± I said. ¡°So I¡¯ll talk to Emmy about it, and we¡¯ll have Angela let you know our feelings on the subject.¡±


    ¡°Looking forward to it,¡± Kate said, so we said our goodbyes and I went to get changed into casual clothes.


    When I came back to the kitchen, Angela said, ¡°Sorry about that. I didn¡¯t realize that she thought that she could use Emmy¡¯s fame like that.¡±


    I grabbed a can of sparkling water and plopped down on the couch, putting my feet up. ¡°I guess I could have seen it coming, in a way. I have conflicting thoughts about it, honestly.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Angela asked as she joined me in the living room.


    ¡°Look, your job, basically, is advertising, right? That¡¯s what the whole ¡®influencer¡¯ thing is all about, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, one hundred per cent,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°And as you said, you are trying to present an aspirational vision, an image of a lifestyle that anybody can have if they work out enough, or whatever. And of course, people who live that lifestyle will naturally wear the clothing brands you do, and the swimwear you do, and drink the energy drink you do, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard it put quite that way, but yes, that¡¯s pretty much it,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°Well, as I said, you can use this apartment as a backdrop all you want, along those same lines. I mean, of course, the lifestyle you lead would naturally mean that you¡¯d have a nice place like this, right?¡± I said, warming up to my subject. ¡°The obvious next step is that somebody leading your lifestyle would of course have famous friends. I told Kate that I never post to Instagram or Facebook, and that¡¯s true, but I did log into both to see your recent posts. I saw where you explained all that had happened, and that you were living with some friends. Believe me, I noticed that you didn¡¯t mention our names, and I¡¯m pretty sure that was intentional.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Angela said. ¡°I would never post any information about you guys without clearing it with you first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped it was something like that. Which is why Kate asked, right? She thinks that your value as an influencer goes up if you start posting pics, like, ¡®Here¡¯s me with Emmy, the famous rock star and BFF of mine,¡¯ or, ¡®Just hanging out with Emmy, like we do¡¯, and so on. If the contract gives her company rights to any picture you tag with them, then suddenly they can assume ownership of pictures that have Emmy in them, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I can see that happening,¡± Angela said. ¡°So I¡¯ll just tell them no.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right answer, either,¡± I said. "Emmy and I, we want to help you out. You¡¯re a friend, after all.¡±


    ¡°Why?" Angela suddenly asked.


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why are you helping me? Letting me stay here rent-free? You hardly even know me.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true, we do hardly even know you, but we¡¯re getting to know you more every day, right? And nothing I¡¯ve seen so far makes me regret giving you a helping hand,¡± I said. ¡°So, anyway, back to the social thing. If a company sponsors you as an influencer, you are the one who controls your posts, right? They might get upset and dump you, but they don¡¯t have any real say other than that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, mostly,¡± Angela said. ¡°They can stipulate things like ¡®no politics¡¯ or ¡®no smoking¡¯ or whatever, but they don¡¯t get to approve my posts before they go up- they''d just fire me if they don¡¯t like what I post.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough- like the energy drink company firing you for something you had nothing to do with, but might possibly bring them bad publicity.¡±


    ¡°Exactly like that,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°All right, so getting back to pictures of Emmy and me, and maybe anybody else we introduce you to. How about we set this rule? Any picture you post that has me, Emmy, Andy, pretty much any of our friends, you don¡¯t tag with any of your sponsors. Like the other night, that pic with Andy- you tagged your clothing company, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Angela replied, thinking about it.


    ¡°So, in theory, the clothing company could assume implied consent and use that photo in their advertising. I guess, in reality, they already have, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I see what you mean,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°So here¡¯s the rule, and it protects everybody¡¯s privacy at the same time as it benefits you, and thereby your sponsors, but indirectly. Any picture you post containing anybody but just yourself, you make sure you tell the others in the photo it¡¯s going up, and get their O.K. The second part of the rule, no sponsor tags on any of those photos,¡± I stipulated. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, you can leverage Emmy¡¯s fame all you want. Heck, take pictures with my cars, too, if you¡¯d like, whatever. Use this situation to your advantage- your personal advantage. This will help you get more followers, right? It¡¯ll help present more of that aspirational lifestyle image if you post a pic like, ¡®here¡¯s me and Emmy and Beyonc¨¦¡¯, after all.¡±


    ¡°You guys know Beyonc¨¦?¡± Angela asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Met her at a party, can¡¯t really say I know her,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But don¡¯t get sidetracked. So does this rule make sense?¡±


    ¡°I can take pictures and post them with you guys,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°With anybody,¡± I said, interrupting. ¡°This is a good rule in general.¡±


    ¡°I can take pictures with anybody, but I have to clear it with them whether I can post it up on social, and,¡± she said with extra emphasis, ¡°No sponsor tags on any photo that has anybody not sponsored by that company.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a little bit better fine-tuning of the rule,¡± I agreed. ¡°That way, if you''re posing with another influencer for the same sponsor, you¡¯re obviously good to go.¡±


    ¡°I can live with that,¡± Angela said. ¡°Especially if you introduce me to Beyonc¨¦. Or Rihanna.¡±


    ¡°Never met Rihanna,¡± I said. ¡°But who knows? It could happen.¡±


    ¡°And I can use the apartment, your cars, your yacht, whatever for my pictures?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a yacht,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°And it¡¯d be best if maybe you don¡¯t spell out that it¡¯s my car, or Emmy¡¯s apartment, right? I mean, you want to sell the idea it¡¯s your place, your car, your yacht.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you don¡¯t have a yacht?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t. I was just seeing if you were paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Meano,¡± Angela said, sticking her tongue out at me.


    ¡°Hey, missy, be careful. That looks like an invitation to a big, bad lesbian like me,¡± I said, joking.


    That got a laugh out of Angela, whose face turned thoughtful. As I¡¯d mentioned, her emotions showed very plainly on her face.


    ¡°Are you or Emmy good at taking pictures?¡± she asked.


    ¡°For your posts?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Angela confirmed. ¡°Antonio always took my posed photos. I can¡¯t really do those by myself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess not,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°I don¡¯t really know the first thing about photography,¡± I admitted. ¡°And I¡¯m not sure Emmy does, either. At least, I¡¯ve never seen any signs, and it¡¯s not like either of us even own a nice camera.¡±


    ¡°Here, I want to show you some things,¡± Angela said, getting up and rushing off to her room. I took the opportunity to send a quick text to Emmy, apologizing for not making it for lunch.


    ¡°Here''s my camera,¡± Angela said, sitting down next to me on the couch, and handing me her Nikon digital SLR. ¡°It¡¯s pretty much all automatic, all you really need to do is frame the picture right and click the shutter. Like this,¡± she said, reaching over and turning it on, aiming it at the record player and pressing the button.


    ¡°Now look at the image on the screen on the back. Is it framed right? If it is, you¡¯re pretty much done. If it¡¯s not, retake the picture. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    I held the camera up and looked through the viewfinder, aiming at the record player. I played a little bit with the zoom until I got what I thought seemed O.K., then pressed the button and got that classic clicking noise, which I assumed was a fake sound effect. I mean, it didn¡¯t use film, right?


    ¡°Now let¡¯s look at the picture you just took,¡± Angela said, reaching over and angling the camera so we could both see the last shot on the screen on the back. ¡°All right, I hate to say it, but that¡¯s a pretty terrible shot,¡± she said. ¡°You have the stereo smack in the middle of the picture zoomed in so we can¡¯t really see anything else. That¡¯s great if you want somebody to see the details of your stereo, but crummy if you want anybody to get a feel for anything. Now check this out,¡± she said, taking the camera from my hands and snapping a pic of the sound system.


    ¡°Look- I¡¯ve zoomed out a bit, so now you can see the speakers as well, and it¡¯s off-center, to give you a better feel for the space the stereo occupies, right?¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I guess,¡± I replied, but I wasn¡¯t really too clear on what she was getting at.


    ¡°Hmm. O.K. Look at these,¡± Angela said, flipping open her laptop and opening up a folder with a bunch of photos. To my surprise, they were all still-lifes of one sort or another. I¡¯d expected selfies, to be honest, or at least modeling pictures.


    She went through the pictures one by one, explaining the composition and lighting, and why she took that particular photo. A few of them were really beautiful, and I told her so.


    ¡°These are great,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d pay money in a gallery for a print of a photo like this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s a hobby of mine.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re really good at it,¡± I said, admiring a photo of a sand dollar half buried at the beach.


    ¡°Thanks, but we¡¯re getting off track. Do you see what I mean by interesting composition?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Um, maybe?¡±


    ¡°All right, if you¡¯re going to take my posed photos, we need to look at some of those, too,¡± Angela said as she closed the folder of still lifes and clicked on another. She opened a gallery, and it was nothing but bikini shots.


    ¡°O.K., now look at this series,¡± Angela instructed. ¡°The real point of the picture is the can of soda, right? I mean, as you said, it¡¯s an ad, right? But look, it needs to be a tiny bit, um, subtle, too. So the can is down about midway between the vertical center and the bottom- three quarters of the way down, and about the same to the left. But me, I¡¯m taking up the bulk of the frame just to the right of center. What¡¯s the thing that catches your eye immediately upon looking at the photo?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Um, your belly? Your abs and belly button?¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, for me, it¡¯s the space below your belly button. There¡¯s like, an acre of skin before you finally get to the top of your bikini bottom. Seriously, if it were any lower, we¡¯d see the top of your, um¡­¡±


    ¡°That bikini doesn¡¯t naturally rest that low,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°I have to, like, pull it down in front and up in back to get it that low.¡±


    ¡°Well, it got my attention,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°So then what do you see?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Well, then my eyes start wandering, right? I see your muscular thighs, and your boobs, and your smile, then I wonder what it is you¡¯re looking at, and where you are. It looks like some kind of dock, maybe?¡± I said.


    ¡°In other words, the photo has captured your attention, even if it¡¯s just for a moment. You haven¡¯t even mentioned the can of soda.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, I see it, but it just looks like you set it down for a moment while you, I don¡¯t know, waved to some people in a boat of something?¡±


    ¡°That picture was totally staged and posed, but that look of, um, spontaneity, is exactly what I was going for. Like with that picture with Jenna and Andy, right? Did you see how much posing it took to get that unposed look just right?¡±


    Thinking back to how much work it had been to look natural for Luisa¡¯s nude painting of me, I nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s the trick. You have to set the picture up so that it looks spontaneous and natural, but even more spontaneous and natural than real life could ever be,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°You¡¯re making it sound like a whole lot of work,¡± I said, meaning it as a compliment.


    ¡°It¡¯s how you can tell the amateur influencers from the pros,¡± Angela boasted. ¡°Here, look at these,¡± she said, and opened up Instagram on her laptop (which was, in fact, on her lap).


    ¡°Look at this account,¡± she said, opening up another account¡¯s gallery. ¡°See, she¡¯s pretty, but look. Her poses are stiff, fake-looking.¡±


    Clicking through the posts, I could see what Angela meant.


    ¡°Look at the way she¡¯s standing in this one,¡± Angela commanded. ¡°Her pose is stiff, she¡¯s looking straight at the camera, which feels awkward. Not that looking at the camera is necessarily wrong, but the way she¡¯s doing it looks like one of those jail photos.¡±


    ¡°Mug shots? Yeah, I can kinda see that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Is there anything about this photo that makes you think, ¡®I really like that dress?¡¯ or is it just something to skip over on the way to the next actually interesting post?¡±


    ¡°O.K., point made,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°So, now that you understand what I¡¯m looking for, let¡¯s try to take a few photos, all right? Let me go get ready.¡±


    While Angela went to her room to get dressed for the shoot, I played with the camera a bit, looking back at the pictures of the stereo. I thought I had at least a little bit of an idea what she was looking for now, so I thought we could maybe make this work.


    Looking at the photos on the little screen on the back of the camera, I accidentally scrolled past the last one of the living room and onto an old photo of Angela, posing on a boat on the water somewhere. I really tried to look at the picture the way she¡¯d broken down that one post of hers, trying to identify what caught my eye first, then second. I thought about the story the photo tried to project, too. After a minute or so, I scrolled farther and saw that it was virtually the same picture, just ever so slightly different. Same session, obviously, so I kept scrolling.


    My scrolling came to a halt with a shot of Angela lying on her belly on a towel on the back deck of the boat, her upper body propped up on her near elbow while she pulled her hair back with her far hand. Of course, the detail that caught my eye first was that she was completely nude. No bikini anywhere in sight. The shot was sexy as hell, but it wasn¡¯t pornographic at all. The angle was low, so you got to see the swell of her naked butt cheeks, but more from the side than the back. You got good side-boob, but her arm was in the way so no nipple showed. She was smiling and looking at the camera as if she was greeting a friend, or maybe lover.


    ¡®This is the implied nude stuff she told Jenna made her a lot of money,¡¯ I thought as I clicked to the next one. Again, same scene, slightly different pose. And the next, and so on for maybe a dozen shots.


    Then, I got to the pictures that were not implied at all. The first one was still on the towel, but viewed from down near her feet, straight up her body, with a very clear view between her legs. A bit embarrassed to have stumbled across Angela¡¯s private photos, I scrolled away to the next one, which was even more, well, explicit. In this one, Angela was lifting her butt up off the towel while keeping her upper body down, sort of like an extended puppy yoga pose. The center of the view was, well, her most intimate parts.


    I¡¯ll admit, I didn¡¯t scroll away as fast as I should have, but when I heard Angela¡¯s door open, I hurriedly got back to the shots of the stereo. As she walked into the room, I took a few photos of her crossing in front of the sliding glass doors of the balcony, trying to get an interesting silhouette shot.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Let¡¯s figure out the shot we want to take.O.K.?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±I asked.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll do a series, and pick out the best. Since we¡¯re shooting here in the condo, we want it to seem casual, but highlighting the outfit at the same time. Let¡¯s look through some of my older posts and see if we can find a good example to follow.¡±


    Sitting down beside me on the couch, she opened up the laptop again and clicked on a different folder, this time opening up a gallery of casual clothed photos. She selected one and opened it up.


    ¡°This should work,¡± Angela said. ¡°Casual clothes to wear out for a day shopping at Whole Foods or Gelson''s, maybe running errands, right? So for the pose, we want an image that says, ¡®I can¡¯t be bothered to get all dressed up, so this is my messy-sexy look¡¯.¡± Setting aside the laptop, Angela wandered into the kitchen.


    ¡°Maybe leaning against the counter? Let¡¯s take a couple and look to see what we¡¯ve got. Stand over there,¡± she instructed.


    I stood where Angela indicated as she posed, her hip against the granite countertop as if she was talking to someone off-camera. I snapped a few like that, then we reviewed the pictures.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Angela said, disappointed. "The lighting''s fine and the framing is all right, but you¡¯re too tall,¡± she said. ¡°The angle is wrong. Try taking the same picture, but from a height of about here,¡± she said, holding her hand up at her own eye level.


    I did what she instructed, snapping a few pics as she modified her pose slightly each time.


    ¡°That¡¯s much better,¡± Angela said, looking at the new batch. "I¡¯ll look through and pick the best one later on. Now let¡¯s do some by the fridge.¡±


    We shot a bunch more pictures with her holding the refrigerator door, looking into the open fridge, grabbing something, and so on. Angela seemed satisfied with the results, so we stopped for a little bit while she uploaded them on her computer.


    ¡°Are you doing alright?" Angela asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m taking up all of your time for this, and I know you have other things you could be doing,¡± she said.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. Today is basically a day off for me, and this is kinda fun. It¡¯s different, at least,¡± I said.


    ¡°How do you feel- um, never mind,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, curious.


    Before Angela could explain, my phone rang, Seeing it was Emmy, I answered.


    ¡°I missed you for lunch today,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I had been hoping you could join us.¡±


    ¡°It took a lot longer at school than I¡¯d expected,¡± I said by way of apology. ¡°I met a third-year student and he gave me a tour and everything.¡±


    ¡°Did you make a new friend?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Well, at first I thought so, but then, no, not so much. It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you when you get home.¡±


    ¡°I might be a bit late,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Would you mind if I stayed and worked with Lee and Jackson for longer?¡±


    ¡°Will you be home for dinner?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you do not mind, I will probably be here until maybe ten?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°Things going good?¡±


    ¡°Excellent! We had a very important breakthrough today!¡± Emmy replied, her enthusiasm clear.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, babe,¡± I said, happy to hear her so fired up. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Are you home now?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here with Angela. She¡¯s teaching me to take pictures for her social media stuff.¡±


    ¡°I am glad you are not home alone,¡± Emmy said. "I will see you later tonight. I love you!¡±


    ¡°Love you, too,¡± I replied as we ended the call.


    Turning back to Angela, I said, ¡°So, what were you going to ask?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too much. I¡¯m, uh, overstepping,¡± she replied, looking embarrassed.


    ¡°Well, you can always ask, and if I think you¡¯re overstepping I¡¯ll say so.¡±


    ¡°You said I could use the apartment for, um, backdrops, right? My room is too full of stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, I got it. You want to shoot some photos that look like your bedroom, but your actual bedroom is too full because of all the stuff you had to bring up from your condo. I guess I¡¯m O.K. with the idea,¡± I said. ¡°The maids cleaned the room up so it should look good for the pictures.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re alright with that?¡±


    ¡°I said you could use the place to help your career out, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Angela said, excited. ¡°Let me get ready. I¡¯ll¡­ Hmmm¡­¡± she said as she headed off for another wardrobe change.

 I See A Lot More Of Angela

    Wondering what I was getting myself into and pondering the possibility I had some sort of White Knight Syndrome, I wandered into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. I idly scrolled through the photos on the little screen on the back of the camera, making sure I went the other direction on the feed this time. Honestly, I won¡¯t deny that I enjoyed seeing those pics of Angela with her butt in the air, but those were obviously taken by her now ex-boyfriend, and that was a bridge a little bit too far.


    Anyway, scrolling through the photos in the other direction, I took the time to really look at some of the scenes Angela had set up, with the backdrops, the clothing, the poses¡­ The more I looked and analyzed the shots, the more I came to understand what she¡¯d been saying about ¡®more real than real life¡¯. Almost every scene had a dozen or more photos, with slightly different angles, framing, and subtle variations in the pose. I couldn¡¯t necessarily tell you which one was the best, but I could easily imagine Angela looking over the batch from a given shoot and eliminating them one by one until she arrived at the best of the lot.


    Of course, the tiny little screen on the back of the camera really didn¡¯t allow for picking up much in the way of subtleties, but still, I could spot the bigger differences.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how much I appreciate this,¡± Angela said as she came into the room with a sort of day bag full of stuff. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d really like to do a couple of outfits, then some concept shots, if you have time,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m all yours,¡± I replied, hefting the camera. ¡°I¡¯m actually having fun doing this, so it really isn¡¯t some sort of imposition.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± Angela said, her smile lighting up the room. ¡°So, for the first shot, I want to set the scene like this- I¡¯m getting ready to go out on the town. We¡¯ll do a few with this cocktail dress,¡± she said, indicating the slinky little pink dress she had on. ¡°Let¡¯s start over here by the vanity.¡±


    She laid out the shot, me standing off to one side as if I¡¯m waiting for her to finish so we can go, while she sat in the chair and reached down to strap up her stiletto heels. She first angled the chair just right, looking through the viewfinder and visualizing where she wanted me to snap the picture, then sat in the chair, posing a few different ways, from looking down at her shoes, to twisting her body to look up at the camera. The twist and angle did amazing things for her cleavage, but also highlighted her fantastic, shapely legs at the same time.


    We looked at the handful of shots, and Angela made some adjustments in framing, telling me to stand just a little bit to the left, and take the photo from a somewhat lower altitude.


    She also modified her pose slightly, and after maybe a dozen shots like that, she called it good enough.


    ¡°Alright, now this one, I¡¯ll be leaning in to the mirror to work on my lipstick. We¡¯ll try it with shoes and without. Since the mirror will be in full view, we need to think about what angle to shoot at to get the best background¡­¡± she said, examining the vanity from various angles until she was satisfied.


    ¡°O.K., stand here, and remember, don¡¯t be so tall,¡± she joked, since my height had been a recurring issue with the correct perspectives. Angela stood, resting her thighs against the stone top of the vanity, leaning forward to use a little lip brush to touch up her already perfect pink lipstick. She had a slight sway to her back, bumping her butt into prominence in the shot. We took a few like that, then Angela looked them over, slightly adjusted my angle and used the wrinkles sewn into the dress to gently slide the hem up, gradually losing the excess over the length. When she resumed her pose, the hem was roughy two point eight millimeters from the bottom of her ass, showing absolutely maximum leg. We shot a few more with that pose, then the same pose but with the shoes kicked off and to the side but still in the frame.


    Angela was satisfied with what we¡¯d done so far, so we took a break for a few minutes while she uploaded the whole series to her computer. When she was done with that, we went back into the bedroom.


    ¡°Can I- can we shoot using the bed?¡± she asked, shyly.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that would be fine,¡± I said.


    Angela took a few moments to artfully mess up the bed, so it looked as if she¡¯d just woken up. She took off her shoes and put them off to the side by her bag of stuff, then pulled a piece of clothing out of the bag. Facing away from me, she peeled off her pink party dress, leaving herself wearing nothing but a little lacy thong panty.


    I glanced away, a bit embarrassed to be watching her change clothes, only to realize that the vanity mirror gave halfway decent view of her now naked front. I looked for a little bit longer than I maybe should have, but hey, I¡¯m only human, right?


    ¡°O.K., I¡¯m ready,¡± Angela said and walked past me to the bed, where she flopped down on her belly. She was wearing an oversized T shirt, the midriff cut off high enough to completely expose her washboard abs. Of course, lying on her belly, I couldn¡¯t see those abs. All my attention was focused on her amazing butt, to be honest.


    ¡°Alright, stand¡­ about there,¡± she instructed, pointing to a spot at a diagonal to the direction she was oriented. As she lifted herself up on one elbow and pointed, I got a bit of underboob along with those amazing well-defined abs.


    I stood where she¡¯d indicated, and thinking of the height thing, crouched down a little bit to frame the picture with how I thought it¡¯d look best. I snapped a first test photo, and the flash went off, which Angela didn¡¯t like.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we want fill flash,¡± she said, sitting up and holding her hand out for the camera. After looking at the pic, she made some adjustments on the camera, explaining that we wanted just the natural light from the window to give a somewhat backlit effect.


    ¡°Now, move a little bit more this way than before,¡± she said, while she lay back down on her belly and adjusted her pose a bit.


    I snapped a few, then sat down on the bed so we could look at what we¡¯d gotten. Angela seemed satisfied, so we shot a dozen or so more, with her making slight adjustments to her pose.


    ¡°This is great,¡± she said, scrolling through the pictures on the camera. ¡°Thanks for helping me out like this, Leah. I know it isn¡¯t what you signed up for.¡±


    ¡°I was serious when I said I was enjoying this,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m getting a view into a completely different world. I mean, I¡¯d never really given this stuff any thought before, so it¡¯s cool to see the process.¡±


    ¡°This is half of my work,¡± Angela said, looking up from the camera. ¡°Half is the time in the gym, and I guess the makeup and hair, to get myself ready to do these shots.¡±


    ¡°How many hours a day do you spend on this stuff?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°I try to get the shots done in blocks, then trickle them out as I process them. The photos we¡¯ve taken today will get posted in the next few weeks.¡±


    ¡°So what we¡¯ve shot will last you for a while, then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, no,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°At least not how you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯ll post an old photo that hasn¡¯t been shown before, then one of the new ones, and maybe a selfie or a shot from a professional shoot on a typical day, and a few gym photos, for example. Since we shot several different scenes, I¡¯ll have maybe ten pictures from today that I can upload eventually.¡±


    "Sure, that makes sense,¡± I said. ¡°So are we done for the day?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re getting tired, we can be done,¡± Angela said. ¡°Thanks a lot, again.¡±


    ¡°I can keep going if you want to do one or two more scenes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can I ask a serious question, Leah?¡± Angela said, turning to face me and leaning back a bit to make more room.


    ¡°Um, sure?¡±


    ¡°How- how comfortable are you with this?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, like, you¡¯re taking pictures in your bedroom of a girl who¡¯s more than half naked. Are you really O.K. with that? It isn¡¯t going to cause any problems, is it?¡± Angela asked, looking at my face for an answer.


    I thought about it for a moment, and said, ¡°O.K., it is a little weird, I¡¯ll admit, but if Emmy were here she¡¯d be perfectly O.K. with all of this anyway, and it¡¯s not like- well, I mean, you¡¯re a professional model. Like you said, this is your work. As long as¡­¡± I said, not sure how to formulate my thoughts. ¡°So, Emmy and I have a friend, a girl named Jen. When I first met her, she was working as a stripper up in San Jose. So before I ever got to know her as a person, you know, I¡¯d seen her do the naked splits not three feet away from my face, you know? But then, getting to know her over the last three years or so, I¡¯ve almost forgotten that pretty much the first impression I had of her was how pink her lady bits were.¡±


    Angela looked at me as if she was waiting for me to make my point, so I continued. ¡°The thing is, that was her job. It took me a little while to stop thinking of her as ¡®a stripper I know¡¯ and instead as ¡®a friend of mine who strips¡¯, but we got that way.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Does she still, um, strip?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯t for a couple of years now, but that¡¯s kinda beside the point. The first impression I had of you was ¡®that amazingly hot girl I see at the gym¡¯, right?¡± I said, making air quotes. ¡°Then, ¡®the friendly neighbor I see at the gym most mornings¡¯, then ¡®the neighbor who ran into a serious problem and needed help¡¯. After that, you¡¯ve become ¡®new friend and roommate¡¯ and now ¡®friend and roommate who has an unusual job¡¯. None of those were ever wrong, but each has just, um, added layers to the picture, right?¡±


    Still giving me a ¡®what are you even saying?¡¯ look, Angela¡¯s face showed her puzzlement.


    ¡°I guess what I¡¯m getting at is that helping you out like this and seeing how you make a living just adds more dimension to the image I have of you in my mind. This is who you are, and I¡¯m glad you feel comfortable enough to open up and show me this aspect.¡±


    Nodding that she understood, she asked, ¡°So you don¡¯t think it¡¯s too weird or, um, uncomfortable, seeing me like this?¡± she asked, standing up and indicating her minimalist outfit.


    ¡°No, actually. I¡¯m O.K. with it.¡±


    ¡°How about like this?¡± Angela asked, pulling the cut-off T over her head, so she was down to just her little lacy thong panties.


    ¡°Ooh, ouch,¡± I said, looking at her now bare breasts. ¡°Did those hurt?¡± I asked, pointing at the little gold barbells piercing her nipples.


    Surprised that that was my reaction, Angela took one of her breasts in her hand and used her fingertips to roll the nipple up so she could see it better.


    ¡°Yeah, at first, and it took a while until they stopped being tender,¡± she said. ¡°But I like the way they look.¡±


    ¡°They do look sexy as hell,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So you would be O.K. with me posing in just this?¡± Angela asked, indicating her fairly minimal undies.


    ¡°Looking through your pics on Instagram, I saw some where you didn¡¯t even have that on,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t about to mention the explicit view on the pictures I¡¯d seen on the camera¡¯s tiny little screen. By accident. And which I hadn¡¯t looked at all that closely. At all.


    ¡°Seriously, if you¡¯re O.K. with it, and it isn¡¯t too much, it¡¯d be awesome if we could do some shots in that amazing bathroom of yours,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Um, sure,¡± I said. ¡°I did say you could use the apartment as a set, after all.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Angela said, picking up her bag, not bothering to put anything on.


    I followed her into the bathroom and watched her chew on her lip as she looked around.


    ¡°How about we do some tub shots, and then maybe a few in the shower?¡± she suggested.


    ¡°You¡¯re the artistic director here- I¡¯m just the lowly camerawoman. Whatever you want. Just tell me how to frame the shots.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any bath bubbles?¡± she asked, looking around.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t really do bubble baths,¡± I replied, trying to avoid focusing too much attention on Angela¡¯s pierced nipples. ¡°Emmy likes a little splash of body oil in the hot bathwater, but no bubbles.¡±


    ¡°Like baby oil?¡± Angela asked as she started filling the tub.


    ¡°Well, kinda, but it¡¯s not mineral oil. I don¡¯t know exactly what it is, but she orders it from a shop in Paris. It costs a freaking fortune, but it¡¯s completely worth it.¡±


    ¡°Can I see?¡± she asked, viewing the tub from different angles.


    ¡°Here, I think. The light will come in that way from the window. We¡¯ll turn off the lights so we just get a nice backlit effect,¡± Angela explained, picking up the camera and looking through the viewfinder. She turned off the overhead light, looked through the camera again, then fiddled with the various controls for the lighting in the bathroom, finally settling on leaving the overhead lights off, but the shower enclosure light dimmed about halfway. She adjusted the window blinds a bit while I leaned against a corner and watched her. It was hard to ignore the fact that Angela was very pretty, had a body that had graced the cover of most of the women¡¯s fitness magazines, and was almost entirely naked.


    But I tried. I did my best to be as casual about her near-total nudity as she was and just watch and take mental notes about how she was setting up the lighting for the shot, and not how her breasts rose on her chest when she reached her hands back to pull her long, black hair back into a temporary ponytail. Or the definition of the muscles in her thighs when she put a foot on the edge of the tub. Or how her ass was just so amazing when she bent down to get something out of her bag.


    Actually, I realized with a little shock, she wasn¡¯t taking something from her bag, she was putting something in- the panties she¡¯d been wearing. I was standing at an angle to her, so I didn¡¯t get the straight-from-behind view like in that picture I¡¯d seen on her camera. but I still got a little glimpse of her now-bare lady parts as she stuffed the panties in the gym bag.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Angela asked, handing me the camera. ¡°I¡¯ve set it up, you just need to point and shoot.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K.,¡± I said, taking the camera, trying not to look down.


    I did watch as she climbed into the big tub, though, and yes, my initial impression was correct. She did have a third piercing, totally belying her sweet, innocent face.


    Well, sure, Jen had her nipples pierced, and a clit ring, too, but also a fair amount of tattoo work to go along with it, and nobody would ever look at her and think she was an innocent little thing¡­ But Angela had a face like Jennifer Connolly¡¯s in that movie with David Bowie, just as wide-eyed and uncorrupted as a child, and here she was, standing in the tub in my bathroom, naked as the day she was born but with a few extra pieces of body jewelry in very intimate places.


    She settled into the water, which I¡¯d noticed was only a little bit warm at best. Dunking her thick, dark hair under the water and running her fingers through it to get it completely wet, I stole a peek at her boobs, nicely rising above the level of the water. Sure, she¡¯d admitted to Jenna that they were fake, but I hadn¡¯t noticed any scars.


    Of course, Emmy¡¯s were also aftermarket, and I¡¯d examined them very, very closely and never found any scarring, either, so I guess it¡¯s a matter of having the right surgeon, right?


    ¡°Let¡¯s start off with a few low-angle shots,¡± Angela suggested, breaking me out of my thoughts on her girls. ¡°Let¡¯s try for right there at about that height like you¡¯re getting ready to join me.¡±


    Taken slightly aback by the way she¡¯d phrased that, it took me a moment but the light finally clicked on. With these shots and the ones on the bed, she wasn¡¯t selling an aspirational lifestyle idea, she was selling an aspirational girlfriend image. She wanted to capture the idea that somehow, here was this perfect, sexy, romantic, beautiful girl, and if you had the right lifestyle, of course your girlfriend would be like this.


    In essence, what we were doing with these bedroom and bath shots was presenting the dream that your life could be like this, and your girlfriend could be like this, if only somehow your life was more perfect than it actually was.


    Kneeling down to get the right height and angle to frame the shot correctly, it occurred to me that what I¡¯d sort of been concerned with, Angela¡¯s flirtation, wasn¡¯t really directed at me as a person, but instead at the camera in my hands.


    Both relieved and slightly disheartened by this revelation, I asked, ¡°Um, are your boobs supposed to show?¡±


    ¡°I want to hint at them, but not actually be really visible,¡± Angela said, sitting up to talk. ¡°The socials don¡¯t allow nipples, and I wouldn¡¯t want them online, anyway. I want the suggestion, you know? But not the, um, full Monty.¡±


    ¡°O.K., get back into position,¡± I said, and she leaned back against the side of the tub again. ¡°Slide a little lower into the water- I can still see your nips.¡±


    Angela did as instructed, tilting her head back against the side of the tub. I snapped a few pictures from slightly different angles, then held out the camera for her to check the results.


    She noticed that I was careful not to hold the camera over the water as she took it from me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s waterproof. The worst that would happen if it fell in is that the touchscreen wouldn¡¯t work until it was wiped off.¡±


    She looked through the pictures, picking out the one she liked the angle on. ¡°That was perfect, with you right there,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s shoot a few more from that same spot.¡±


    Angela recreated her pose, but more and more out of the water, until in the last one her nipples were right at water level. Then we did the same series of poses, but with the blinds shut and a single candle lit, creating a really intimate feel.


    ¡°Probably can¡¯t use those last couple, but maybe with the right adjustments they¡¯ll be O.K.¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Why do you even take pictures that you aren¡¯t planning on using?¡±


    ¡°Maybe down the line the rules will loosen,¡± Angela said as she sat on the edge of the tub. "Let¡¯s open the blinds halfway again.¡±


    I did as she asked, then resumed my spot with the camera. Angela had wrung most of the water out of her hair and was carefully draping it over her shoulders and across her boobs, hiding those little pink peaks with their gold accents.


    ¡°The water¡¯s starting to get too cold,¡± she commented idly, arranging her wet hair. I¡¯m pretty sure it was unintentional, but the way she was leaning forward meant her knees opened a bit wider, giving me a really nice, clear view of her vulva and its two little dots of gold.


    ¡°What prompted you to get your clit pierced?¡± I asked, as if I¡¯d asked about the weather or the Dodgers game.


    Angela gave me a wry smile as she opened her legs wider and rotated her hips so we could both look at the subject under discussion. She reached down and pulled the skin above it tight, revealing the little gold balls on either side of her hood.


    ¡°Antonio,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°It was always something he liked from the pornos he watched. He begged me to get my nipples and clit pierced, so finally I did. The joke was on him, though. We couldn¡¯t have sex for a month after I got it pierced.¡±


    ¡°Bummer for him,¡± I said, sympathetically. ¡°So, since you¡¯re not together with him anymore, are you going to remove it and let it heal?¡±


    Angela had reached down with her middle finger and flicked the jewelry from side to side. Needless to say, I couldn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll keep it,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s perfect for hypnotizing lesbians!¡±


    I glanced up and saw her smiling, and I had to laugh with her.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it is,¡± I agreed, blushing.


    She flicked it a couple more times just for good measure, then got serious again. We shot a bunch more photos in the tub, then Angela let the water drain out and we switched to the glass-walled shower. We spent maybe another hour taking photos of her in there, until she announced that she¡¯d had enough. I closed the door to the shower stall and she turned up the hot water to warm up.


    She¡¯d spent the last couple of hours in lukewarm water, since we didn¡¯t want the steam to fog up the lens or the shower walls, and she was ready to be warm again.


    I watched her shower for real this time, washing her hair and quickly soaping up and rinsing off. I actually took a few pictures, too, trying to get an angle that didn¡¯t show, only hinting at the goods while still capturing her amazing physique. It¡¯s funny how in the course of an afternoon and into the early evening, looking at Angela¡¯s body had gone from awkward and a bit embarrassing to, well, not normal, exactly, but something that was O.K. with both of us.


    When she shut off the shower and got out to towel dry, I shot some more photos, continuing to snap while she applied some lotion from her gym bag, then as she reapplied her makeup, replicating the pose from earlier, but this time instead of her party dress, she had a big, fluffy white towel wrapped around her.


    After she was done putting her face back on (to be honest, I thought she was every bit as pretty without the makeup), we sat down at the kitchen counter again so Angela could download the hundreds of photos we¡¯d shot in the last couple of hours.


    While she was doing that, I looked in the refrigerator for something to cook for dinner, but came up empty.


    ¡°Want to go grab a bite?¡± I asked. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing in the fridge.¡±


    ¡°Sure. This can wait,¡± Angela replied, indicating her laptop. As she stood up to go get dressed, the towel came loose and fell down around her ankles.


    ¡°Curse you and your sudden but inevitable betrayal,¡± she said to the towel, then bent down and grabbed it, throwing it over her shoulder as she walked naked to her room.

 Working Things Out

    When she got home around nine thirty or so, Emmy found Angela at the kitchen counter, working on her laptop, and me doing the same with mine.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Emmy exclaimed upon seeing us. ¡°I have missed all the fun! I shall go get my computer and join you two!¡±


    Emmy¡¯s sparkling laugh never failed to get a smile from me, and Angela couldn¡¯t help but laugh, too.


    I held out my arms and Emmy snuggled in for a hug and a kiss.


    ¡°It looks as if you two are hard at work,¡± she said, glancing at the report I¡¯d been reading.


    ¡°Hey, have you eaten? There¡¯s still some Jidori chicken left,¡± I said, indicating the to-go container on the counter.


    ¡°Yes, Jen made dinner tonight. It was a lovely salad with bits of braised lamb. I would have brought you some, but it was so good it all got eaten,¡± Emmy said, apologetically.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said, patting my lap so Emmy would sit. ¡°You said you guys had a big breakthrough today?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It was enormous,¡± Emmy said, her face lighting up enthusiastically. ¡°We had been struggling for so long with this problem, and in one swift stroke, Lee came up with the perfect solution! You see, we¡­¡± Emmy explained, slipping into her musical jargon that may as well have been Russian for as far as I understood it, but I just nodded and said ¡°uh huh¡± at the right moments and that was enough.


    Eventually, she stopped. ¡°I am boring you, I think,¡± she said, ruefully.


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t understand half of what you¡¯re telling me,¡± I said, leaving out that the other half was incomprehensible, too.


    ¡°Trust me, then, when I say that yes, it was a very big deal today, and quite an immense relief.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± I said, and I really was.


    ¡°I am quite tired, though, and I think I will take a bath and then go to bed,¡± Emmy said, getting up off my lap.


    ¡°I¡¯ll join you in a moment. I just need to finish reading this,¡± I said, indicating my computer.


    ¡°Join me in bed, or in the bath?¡±


    ¡°The bath. I probably have ten more minutes and then I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°See you in a few,¡± Emmy said, giving me a little kiss. ¡°Good night, Angela,¡± she said, giving a little wave as she headed to the bedroom.


    ¡°Night,¡± Angela said in response. Once Emmy had disappeared, Angela confessed, ¡°I didn¡¯t understand any of that musical stuff. The words, sure, some of them, but what does ¡®drop G¡¯ even mean? Or Aeolian rhythms? Burundi mode?¡±


    ¡°Beats me,¡± I said with a shrug. Deciding that I didn''t really need to finish the report that night, I closed up my computer and said good night to Angela, following Emmy¡¯s path to the bedroom.


    Emmy was just getting in the tub when I arrived, so I took a few minutes to light the candle, turn off the lights and strip off my clothes, throwing them to the side.


    Of course, the water was still way too hot, necessitating a very slow entry into the tub, but that was par for the course.


    Once I¡¯d settled in, Emmy turned around and leaned back against me, using me as a human back rest. I wrapped one arm around her ribs below her breasts, the other on top of her upper chest. Sighing contentedly, Emmy just seemed to sink into my embrace even more.


    ¡°I am so tired,¡± she murmured. ¡°It has been a very long day.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a productive one, though.¡±


    ¡°Yes, tremendously so,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°How did it go on campus today?¡±


    I told her about the place, and the whole thing with Sammy, including the end when he turned out to be homophobic.


    ¡°That is too bad, but he is only causing himself to miss opportunities with that sort of mindset,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, it is¡­ unfortunate,¡± I agreed. ¡°I actually really liked the guy up until then. I guess I still sorta do, and if he ever got over it, I¡¯d be happy to have lunch or something with him in the future.¡±


    ¡°What did you do the rest of the day?¡± Emmy asked.


    I told her about helping Angela with her pictures, not leaving any of it out, even the part about being concerned Angela might be trying to, well, seduce me or something.


    ¡°She really has her vagina pierced?¡± Emmy asked in disbelief, focused on the detail i thought was relatively unimportant.


    ¡°Well, her vulva,¡± I corrected. ¡°The vagina is the inside part. Her piercing is right about here,¡± I said, reaching down and giving her tiny little bit of hood a gentle pinch.


    ¡°That must have hurt so very badly,¡± Emmy said, wincing at the thought.


    ¡°She said that she and Antonio couldn¡¯t have sex for a month after she got it done, so I¡¯m guessing it was painful, yeah.¡±


    ¡°It seems that what Andy said was true,¡± Emmy mused after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Quid pro quo,¡± Emmy said with a laugh. ¡°Quid pro quo.¡±


    ¡°Har de har har,¡± I said as she laughed.


    ¡°It was the same with us,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You saw me nude before I got to see you.¡±


    ¡°Remember Andy¡¯s story?¡± I countered. ¡°Who did he say took off their clothes first?¡±


    ¡°His cousin Beth,¡± Emmy replied, still giggling.


    ¡°You know I meant between Andy and me,¡± I said, tickling her sides. Emmy tried to wriggle free, but resistance was futile.


    ¡°I give up! I surrender to your mighty onslaught!¡± Emmy play-shrieked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve fully atoned for your sins,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, no! How must I perform my penitence?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­ Sex. Yes, definitely sex,¡± I said.


    ¡°The things I must do for love,¡± Emmy moaned, putting the back of her hand to her forehead. ¡°Oh, the humanity!¡±


    I lifted her up a little bit and set her butt down on my thigh, nuzzling the back of her neck. She sighed and leaned back into my embrace, wrapping my arms tightly around herself.


    ¡°I love this,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°I love you, Leah.¡±


    I held her tight, kissing behind her ear, the back of her neck, and under her cheek as she tilted her head to give me better access.


    ¡°I love you, too, Em. More than I can say.¡±


    ¡°Try saying it anyway,¡± Em teased. ¡°I like to hear you tell me you love me.¡±


    What could I do? I blew a raspberry on her shoulder, eliciting a shriek of laughter.


    Emmy wriggled free, and turned around to face me. She shook her finger at me, but all I could say was, ¡°You totally deserved that.¡±


    ¡°I think that you should treat your wife a little better than that,¡± she scolded, teasingly. ¡°Especially since you spent the whole afternoon ogling another woman¡¯s naked body.¡±


    ¡°I only did a little bit of ogling,¡± I protested. ¡°Not nearly as much as I ogle you, babe.¡±


    ¡°I want you to ogle me now,¡± Emmy demanded, standing up in the tub so I could get a better view. ¡°Or do I need to get my pussy pierced, too?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ let me see¡­¡± I said, moving in closed for a better view of said body part. ¡°A little ring would be pretty sexy,¡± I said, gently stroking the little bit of hood that peeked out. ¡°But it looks perfect now, and why would we want to mess with perfection?¡±


    ¡°Good answer,¡± Emmy said, approvingly. ¡°Now dry me off and take me to bed.¡±


    My alarm woke me at four the next morning, and it took me a moment to remember why it was set so early. It was going to be my first workout at the new gym, and I wanted to give myself time to get there without needing to rush. I got up, threw on my fighting outfit and a pair of sweats and a hoodie, grabbed the bag I¡¯d packed the night before, and within twenty minutes I was on my way to the gym. On the way, I stopped at a twenty-four hour convenience store for a Coke. I¡¯d downed a bagel and a protein smoothie back at home, but a little bit of boost from the caffeine and sugar was welcome.


    I got to the gym about five minutes early, but when Eddie saw my car, he opened the gate to the parking lot, pulling it closed after I¡¯d entered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta be crazy, agreeing to this,¡± he muttered as I handed him a crisp C-Note.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Is Jody here?¡± I asked, seeing the two other cars already in the lot.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s inside,¡± Eddie said, tucking the money into his jacket pocket.


    I followed Eddie inside, and he said, ¡°Last time you were here, I didn¡¯t really get a chance to talk about the gym membership, so after your workout with Jody, I¡¯ll need you to come to the front desk so we can get everything squared away.¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± I said. ¡°Where are the lockers?¡±


    In less than five minutes I was ready for the ring, but Jody waved me over to where he was sitting on the mats.


    ¡°Look, I know you said you wanted to get right into the training, and that¡¯s cool, I understand it, but we need to talk about what we¡¯re doing here, and what you want to get out of it, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, sitting down, facing him. ¡°Let¡¯s start with us telling a little bit about each other. I tell you why I want to improve my street fighting game, and you tell me why you¡¯re the guy I should learn it from.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Jody said. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    ¡°O.K., me first. Because of certain, um, lifestyle choices, I¡¯ve found myself getting in fights. I mean, real, do or die kinda stuff. I¡¯d been training kickboxing with Ruben Da Silva as a way to increase my strength and speed, and work on my reflexes for my primary sport-¡±


    ¡°Which is?¡± Jody asked, interrupting.


    ¡°Was. I played collegiate volleyball. Top-ranked team, we won the nationals my junior year. So anyhow, I¡¯d been cross-training, doing kickboxing, when suddenly I got involved in a fight in an alley. This scar here?¡± I said, pointing at my cheek. ¡°A guy¡¯s knife. Anyhow, I surprised the two guys and beat ¡®em up. It turned out they were, um, specifically looking to come after my family, and chances were really high that others from their group were gonna try again, so I asked Ruben to teach me how to fight like I really meant it, you know?¡± I explained.


    ¡°Since he used to do the tudo vale stuff in Brazil, he showed you some of their dirty tricks?¡± Jody asked.


    ¡°It goes beyond that,¡± I said. ¡°A whole lot of what we worked on was the mental aspect of really being willing to hurt another person, really being ready to kill if necessary.¡±


    Thinking for a moment, Jody asked, ¡°You want me to train you to be a killer?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m over that hump by now,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m good on that aspect.¡±


    ¡°So you think you could go into a situation where it¡¯s life or death, kill or be killed?¡± Jody asked, skeptical.


    ¡°I have. A number of times now.¡±


    Jody just looked at me for a while, then said, ¡°O.K. I don¡¯t need to know the details.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell them to you,¡± I said. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Jody said. ¡°I was a high school wrestler, made it to the state championships my junior and senior year. I was really into MMA, but there was no way for a kid to compete, so all my Muay Thai stuff was extracurricular. I thought I might have a chance at turning pro when I got a little bit older, but the summer after I graduated, my cousin got killed in Afghanistan, so I signed up to kick some Taliban asses. I did a couple of years with the Airborne and then went through the Q, and next thing you know, I was operating all over the Middle East,¡± Jody said.


    ¡°My dad was Marine Recon,¡± I said. ¡°I know nothing about the Green Berets.¡±


    ¡°Well, more or less the same shit, you know? It¡¯s all the same in the end. Anyhow, I got discharged for punching out my CO, but the board agreed there were circumstances, so it it was kept under wraps, but they still told me to walk.¡±


    ¡°And here you are,¡± I said.


    ¡°Here I am. I¡¯m trying to get my shit together and qualify for a pro license, maybe make that career I wanted when I was a kid, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious how your Army training is going to be different than what I¡¯ve been doing,¡± I mused. ¡°I¡¯ve been working with a retired Marine SAD trainer.¡±


    ¡°Probably exactly the same,¡± Jody admitted. ¡°It¡¯s all mix and match in the SAD anymore, anyway, so hell- I might have worked with your guy.¡±


    ¡°Could be,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I was thinking about our spar yesterday,¡± Jody said. ¡°You said your ground game is your weak point, right? But the thing is, if we¡¯re talking life or death, chances are you¡¯ll never get to that point. I mean, you¡¯ll have a knife, or he will, and it¡¯ll be ¡®game over¡¯ way before you start thinking about leg locks or arm bars, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s been what Ruben and Grant have said, yeah,¡± I agreed. "It¡¯s why I¡¯ve mostly worked on my striking with Ruben and on my knife work and avoidance techniques with Grant.¡±


    ¡°You know what the single best piece of advice I can give you on knife fighting is, right?¡± Jody asked.


    ¡°Run away,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard that one before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I understand it, but sometimes it¡¯s not an option. The guy that did this to me?¡± I said, pointing at the scar on my face. ¡°He wasn¡¯t gonna simply leave well enough alone.¡±


    ¡°So how did that go down?¡± Jody asked.


    ¡°Guy came at me, so I gave him a front kick right in the solar plexus, knocked him back against the wall. He dropped the knife, I picked it up, followed up, end of fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how quick it goes, all right,¡± Jody said, imagining the situation. ¡°Alright, well, we know you can strike with the best of ¡®em, so we don¡¯t really need to work on that except to maybe keep you sharp. Traditional wrestling is gonna be of little use to you, since you aren¡¯t going to be competing, and we can assume that any knife work I could teach you, this other guy has already worked on with you,¡± Jody said, leaning back and resting his weight on his hands.


    ¡°So the obvious is that we should work on your escape and counter techniques. If we imagine a situation where the enemy gets you in a situation where they have you in a hold, either standing or on the ground, you need to get loose and turn the tables. This is almost pure wrestling stuff, with maybe a bit of Judo and BJJ in there for good measure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done some of that, but like I said, it¡¯s my weak game.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get on it, then, and shore it up. A lot of what I¡¯m gonna teach you is, like you said, ¡®unsanctioned¡¯, so be careful using it in the ring if you spar with any normie.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I said. ¡°Half of what Ruben taught me began with, ¡®Now, don¡¯t do this in the ring¡¯. And of course, nearly a hundred per cent of what Grant has trained me on is down and dirty, stab and go.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever?¡± Jody asked as we did a few stretches.


    ¡°Ever what?¡±


    ¡°Stabbed and gone,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, a few times.¡±


    Since we were going to be wrestling and striking was not on the menu, we skipped the protection and just wore our bare minimums, Jody in shorts and me in my sports bra and bike shorts. I¡¯d gotten over being squeamish about close contact in the ring, but was still grateful that Jody was professional and didn¡¯t ¡®accidentally¡¯ cop a feel.


    We worked on body position and dynamic angles, not doing anything strenuous, just practicing everything soft-contact. At the end of the session, I didn¡¯t actually feel as if I¡¯d even actually gotten a workout, but I did come away confident that Jody had things to teach me.


    As I handed him cash for the morning¡¯s work, he said, ¡°Um, if it¡¯s cool with you, I¡¯d rather not have a bunch of cash in my gym bag every couple of days. How about we make the payment weekly, and you, I don¡¯t know, PayPal me or something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to set up a direct deposit, so the money just gets zapped into your bank automagically every week, if that¡¯s what you want,¡± I said as we walked to the front desk area. ¡°That way no fees will get taken out.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. So, uh, do I just give you a check stub or something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll need the bank routing number and account number that are on the bottom of a check.¡±


    ¡°Cool, cool. I¡¯ll bring one on Monday.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to stick with the all-cash, myself,¡± Eddie said, handing me the gym membership paperwork.


    I got a few looks from the guys there working out early when I left the gym fifteen minutes after they opened, wearing my skirt suit for work, but I didn¡¯t care. Of course, that meant that even with a stop at the Starbucks for coffee and a breakfast sandwich, I was still the first one to the office.


    It was nice to have almost two hours of peace and quiet before anybody showed up, giving me time to finish some of the things that I¡¯d been hoping to get done before the weekend. In fact, I managed to get all my work done by eleven, so I skipped out early, making it clear that I was going to be out of the office all the following week and I would still be able to return emails, but no calls.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said to Emmy when she answered my call as I left the parking garage. ¡°Are you home? Any chance of having lunch together?¡±


    ¡°No, Jackson and I are over here at Lee¡¯s, working. We wanted to build on yesterday¡¯s momentum.¡±


    ¡°Bummer for me, great for you guys,¡± I said, wryly. ¡°Give everybody my love, but keep most of it for yourself,¡± I added.


    ¡°I had plenty of it last night!¡± Emmy giggled. ¡°I am surprised I can even walk today!¡± she said, putting a smile on my face that lasted the whole way home.


    Pulling into my spot in the parking garage, I eyed the Aston, considering what to do about parking.


    When I walked in the door, Angela was out on the balcony, catching the late-morning sun before it disappeared over the building and left our side in the shade. I walked over to say hi, but saw that she had on a set of over-ear headphones, her head bobbing a bit to whatever music she was listening to while she lay on her belly, engrossed in her phone.


    Of course, those headphones were the only things she had on. I decided to not disturb her, so after a moment or two (well, O.K., maybe three moments) of ogling her butt, I went to get changed. I threw on a pair of comfy jeans and a long-sleeved Cardinal T shirt, got myself a sparkling water from the fridge, and took my laptop out to the balcony, where I settled down on one of the couches.


    Sure, I just happened to sit in a spot that gave me little glimpses between her legs when she wiggled her butt to the music, and O.K., it was exceptionally erotic, but all that was secondary to the amusement I felt in waiting for her to realize I was there.


    Really.


    After quite a while, the sun had moved enough that Angela realized she was partly in the shade, so when she sat up and reached around to move her towel, she spotted me out of the corner of her eye. She squeaked in surprise, then dropped her headphones down onto her shoulders.


    ¡°Leah! What are you doing here?¡± she asked, trying to calm down from the surprise.


    ¡°I live here,¡± I answered with a little shrug. I mean, why wouldn¡¯t I be there?


    ¡°I mean what are you doing here right now?¡± she asked.


    I indicated my laptop (which actually was on my lap). ¡°Shopping online for yachts,¡± I said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Angela asked, wide-eyed.


    ¡°No, just kidding. I was actually reading over a work proposal,¡± I told her, which was at least seventy-five per cent a lie. The sights had been so distracting I¡¯d barely managed to read a thing.


    ¡°You should have said hello when you got home, instead of scaring me like that,¡± Angela admonished.


    ¡°I did say hello, but you didn¡¯t hear me,¡± I replied, making a ¡®pulling off the headphones¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be home this time of day. Sorry I¡¯m naked.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. If you¡¯re fine with it, I¡¯m fine with it, you exhibitionist, you," I replied, getting my little dig in.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, after I shut my computer down, ¡°Feel like lunch? I¡¯ve got the rest of the day off, and I kinda want to go out for a bite.¡±


    ¡°I could have lunch,¡± Angela agreed, gathering up her water bottle and towel. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Maybe get out for a little drive? Have lunch in Malibu?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°A little drive? Emmy told me how you drive.¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°She said you drive really fast. Like, really, really fast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, speaking of driving, I was thinking that you probably need our third parking spot. Maybe we can take the Aston up to the new house and leave it there, so you can have the spot?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually have a car,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°I¡¯d been driving Antonio¡¯s other one, but the police seized both of them.¡±


    ¡°Well, that sucks,¡± I said. ¡°So how have you been getting around?¡±


    ¡°Mostly I haven¡¯t. The few times I¡¯ve left in the last few days I¡¯ve Ubered it.¡±


    ¡°What a pain in the ass,¡± I commiserated. ¡°So- back to the topic at hand. Lunch?¡±


    ¡°Let me get some clothes on. I¡¯ll be ready in five minutes.¡±


    Angela was true to her word, and in five minutes she came out into the living room in a really remarkable outfit. The top was a snug long-sleeved knit thing with a low cut in front, revealing lots of cleavage, only coming to just below her breasts, leaving her well-defined abs on display. Below, she had on a pair of artfully ripped jeans with a slit from the waistband down to the hipbone on either side, laced together to hold the front and back part of the jeans from falling apart. This revealed that there was no sign of panties underneath, since you could see the skin from her midsection all the way down to the outer parts of her hips. To finish the ensemble off, she wore a pair of black suede high-heeled ankle boots.


    To me, the outfit screamed, ¡®I¡¯m a model and I can wear stuff you could never possibly get away with¡¯. Angela was absolutely not shy about showing off, but I found that a big part of her charm.


    I¡¯d changed out of my Stanford T shirt and into a pale gray Oxford shirt, and thrown my Chuck Taylors on- my favorite driving shoes ever.


    Walking through the parking garage, I asked Angela which car we should take, pointing out my new red-orange BMW M6 and the lighter orange of the Aston Martin Vantage.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never ridden in one of these before,¡± Angela said, looking at the Aston with wide eyes.


    ¡°O.K., but I have to warn you, this car likes to go fast,¡± I said, only half joking.


    ¡°All I ask is that you don''t crash and kill us. I¡¯m too pretty to die,¡± Angela said as I unlocked the doors.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said with a laugh.

 Nothing Important Happens

    As impressed as Angela was with the car, I restrained myself from really letting it rip on the way to lunch at the place that Jimmy had taken me to that first time. Just enough speed to give her a rush, but not enough to get my blood pumping at all.


    When we pulled into the lunch place¡¯s parking lot, Angela took the opportunity to ask me to take a few pics of her with the car. In the driver''s seat, leaning against it, stepping out of the driver¡¯s side door, so on. I used her phone to snap the photos, and she seemed happy with the results.


    After we were seated, Angela started acting funny. She kept touching my hand, and leaning in and acting coquettish- very flirty, smiling at me and generally acting like we were a thing. Eventually, I had to straight-up ask what was going on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look, but there¡¯s a guy over there at that table off to your left and a little behind you. He¡¯s one of Antonio¡¯s friends. I want to make it seem like I¡¯ve, um, moved on, and you¡¯re my girlfriend now. Is that O.K.?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jeeze,¡± I said. ¡°I can understand where you¡¯re coming from, and generally I¡¯d be O.K. with that, but if there are any paparazzi and they shoot pictures of me flirting with you, it¡¯ll be all over the tabloids. ¡®Leah cheats on Emmy with Instagram model!¡¯ will be up on TMZ by the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any paparazzi, but if you¡¯re worried, I can stop,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°You know what? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. Emmy knows it¡¯s all bullshit anyway, and I don¡¯t really care what the gossip sites say, anyway,¡± I said, taking her hand in mine. We made goo goo eyes at each other all lunch long, even though we could barely keep from laughing. It was silly, but I¡¯d had far too little of that sort of light-hearted meaningless goofing around in a very long time.


    Eventually the guy left, and the giggles that Angela and I had been holding in finally broke free.


    ¡°You should have seen the look on his face!¡± Angela said. ¡°That was great!¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s still in contact with Antonio?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Angela said, with a shrug. ¡°But they know a lot of the same people, and word will get around, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°I hope that this somehow doesn¡¯t come back to haunt you,¡± I said as I paid the bill.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ve traded up, baby,¡± she said, batting her eyes at me.


    Laughing as we walked out into the parking lot, I saw a familiar figure standing by my car.


    ¡°Dude!¡± Jimmy called out as we approached. ¡°Duuuuude!¡±


    ¡°Wassuuuuuuup!¡± I replied.


    ¡°Nuttin¡¯. Just watching the game, having a Bud,¡± Jimmy said as we bumped fists.


    Angela watched the whole exchange with a look of complete ¡®WTF?¡¯ on her face.


    ¡°God damn, Liz,¡± Jimmy said, looking Angela over. ¡°You¡¯re married to the sexiest woman alive, and your side chick is just as smokin¡¯ hot!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a fitness magazine model,¡± I said with a smirk, not even bothering to try to correct his assumption.


    ¡°Angela Castro, right?¡± Jimmy asked, turning to her. ¡°I follow your Insta.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± she said, breaking out in a huge smile. ¡°Let¡¯s take a selfie!¡± she suggested, and the two quickly posed, snapped the photo and uploaded it, tagged and all in a mind-bogglingly short amount of time.


    ¡°Lizzie,¡± Jimmy said when they finished. ¡°Out for a drive? I saw your car and was hoping we could maybe get a little driving in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got time for a road or two,¡± I said, nodding. Then, remembering I wasn¡¯t the only one involved, I asked Angela, ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing else to do,¡± she said with a shrug.


    ¡°You lead the way, Jimmy,¡± I said, and we all climbed into our respective cars for a couple of hours of hooning up and down the narrow, winding roads of the Malibu Hills. Angela was a really good sport about it, but I could tell she was a bit out of her comfort zone a lot of the time.


    Eventually we had to stop for gas and head home.


    ¡°How was that, Angela?¡± Jimmy asked when she got out of the Aston, a little bit wobbly.


    ¡°Mostly terrifying, but a little bit fun, too,¡± she said.


    ¡°You gonna join us tomorrow morning?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow morning?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°We do this every Saturday morning. Me, Liz, and a bunch of other guys,¡± Jimmy explained while I pumped gas.


    ¡°Like what we just did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like that,¡± Jimmy confirmed.


    ¡°What if you guys crash?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Jimmy said, reassuringly. ¡°You¡¯re too pretty to die.¡± Of course, I almost spilled gas everywhere as I broke out laughing, but I managed to keep it under control.


    After leaving Jimmy, we cruised at a mellow pace back to the apartment. About halfway home, Angela seemed as if she wanted to say something, but was having trouble finding the words.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked after she started to speak but then clammed up a second time.


    ¡°That guy, Jimmy, are the other guys you drive with like him?¡±


    ¡°Nobody else is like Jimmy,¡± I said. ¡°Nobody.¡±


    ¡°What are they like, then?¡±


    ¡°One¡¯s an actor, another one is a lawyer, I have no idea what Stein does for a living, and I guess I don¡¯t know what Geoff does, either. I think Jimmy just mooches off his parents¡¯ money,¡± I explained. ¡°Most of the guys are in their thirties or forties, and seem like reasonably normal guys. At least, compared to Jimmy, anyhow.¡±


    ¡°But you all drive like that?¡±


    ¡°Some of the guys are faster, some a little slower,¡± I said. ¡°Jimmy is maybe one of the slower in the group, which is why I had him lead.¡±


    ¡°It seemed like you wanted to pass him a few times,¡± Angela said, thinking back.


    ¡°Nah, I just wanted him to know I could if I wanted,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Gotta keep him on his game.¡±


    Angela remained silent for a while, finally saying what she¡¯d been thinking about while we were in the elevator.


    ¡°You¡¯re really, um, tough,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, you race cars, you kickbox, you run your own company¡­¡± she trailed off, not sure what else to say. I didn¡¯t say anything, just let her form up her thoughts.


    Changing the subject, she said, ¡°Jimmy called me your side girl. He thought we¡¯re having an affair.¡±


    ¡°I doubt he actually does,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°Jimmy just loves to say outrageous things to get a reaction.¡±


    ¡°Why does he call you Lizzie?¡±


    ¡°I have theories, but I don¡¯t actually know for sure,¡± I answered with a laugh as we walked into the apartment.


    After checking my email and grabbing a bottle of Perrier from the fridge, I told Angela I was headed to the new house to check on things. To my surprise, she asked if she could come along. I suggested that maybe she should change into something more appropriate for walking around a construction site, so she quickly threw on a normal pair of jeans and an oversized hoodie, doing a great job of hiding her amazing figure.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    I didn¡¯t expect to find too many guys working at the new house, so I was quite surprised to see it was extremely busy when we got there. I parked the M6 off to one side of the ¡®motor court¡¯, away from the workers¡¯ trucks and far away from where the Bobcat was busily excavating for the new pool.


    To my even greater surprise, Ned was there in person, overseeing the work.


    ¡°You guys are really going at it for a Friday afternoon,¡± I said as the three of us walked around the site.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be here tomorrow, too,¡± Ned said. ¡°Well, most of us, anyway. A few of the guys don¡¯t want to work Saturdays, even though the pay is good. Can¡¯t blame ¡®em, a guy¡¯s gotta do what¡¯s right for himself, you know? But most of the guys are happy to take the extra green home.¡±


    ¡°How are the neighbors taking the noise and dust?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve only had one complaint, and a promise to not make noise before eight on the weekends seemed to do the trick there,¡± Ned said. ¡°Truth is, there¡¯s so much work going on all throughout this neighborhood, it¡¯s just background noise any more. Everybody¡¯s gotten used to it.¡±


    Ned showed us that all of the interior demo work was done and the new framing was almost complete and ready for inspection, electrical was coming along and the plumbing was roughed in, so things were humming along nicely. I had a few questions, but Ned had ready answers, which helped reassure me that he really was on top of things and wasn¡¯t letting anything slip.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is going to be your house,¡± Angela said as we stood in the tower, watching some workmen install new low-e panes in the big windows that gave a three-hundred and sixty degree view. ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ enormous!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± I joked, and one of the window guys broke out laughing.


    ¡°But really, most of all of this is still going to be a video and audio production facility. Our house is only going to be, like, twenty per cent of this space. Honestly, it would have been a lot easier to have renovated this place and kept it as it was designed, and just bought the house next door to live in,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, but that wouldn¡¯t have been nearly as cool a project as this,¡± the window guy volunteered.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s absolutely true,¡± I agreed. ¡°This place is going to be amazing.¡±


    Driving back to Century City, I said, ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to moving onto the new place. It¡¯ll be nice to settle down and make a home that feels permanent, you know?¡±


    ¡°You said you guys are renting the condo in the Century,¡± Angela said, confirming that we never intended to be there very long.


    ¡°Yeah, we needed a place while we found our footing here in LA, you know? But it seems as if we¡¯re going to have our ducks in a row pretty soon.¡±


    Back at the condo, I was going through the end-of-the week report from Michael when Emmy came home. She seemed tired, but happy, so I suggested we order in and just relax at home.


    ¡°Is Angela home?¡± Emmy asked as she sat on my lap and cuddled into my arms.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s in her room,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her in a couple of hours, though. Maybe she¡¯s taking a nap or something.¡±


    ¡°Will she want dinner with us?¡±


    ¡°I imagine so,¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much you guys have talked about things, but it seems like she¡¯s pretty, um, reliant on us, I guess. She doesn¡¯t have her own car, and from what what I¡¯ve gathered, she really didn¡¯t have much in the way of friends of her own here in Los Angeles, either. She was almost entirely dependent on Antonio in a whole lot of ways.¡± Thinking about it for a moment, I added, ¡°I also think she might be worried about what she¡¯s going to do when the new house is ready. I kinda think she¡¯s worried that she¡¯ll be out on her own then.¡±


    ¡°I have gotten some of those same impressions from her,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I do not want to give the impression I think of her as a stray kitten that we took in and now must feed and care for, but that is not too inaccurate an analogy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m never gonna tell her that,¡± I groaned.


    I went on to tell Emmy about my day, and how Angela and I had played it up at lunch.


    ¡°Do you think that man believed you and Angela were lovers?¡±


    ¡°I dunno,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not sure it matters. If he did, then Angela has successfully communicated to that circle of Antonio¡¯s friends that she¡¯s moved on. If he didn¡¯t, he¡¯d realize that she was putting on a show for him to make the point that she¡¯d moved on, right?¡±


    ¡°That almost made sense,¡± Emmy laughed, getting a smile from me.


    ¡°And then Jimmy saw my car in the parking lot and was waiting when we finished lunch,¡± I said. ¡°That meeting went about the way you might expect.¡±


    ¡°Jimmy is a very funny guy,¡± Emmy said, smiling at the thought. ¡°Was he with his sister?¡±


    ¡°No, no sign of her. Just him.¡± We sat in silence for a moment, then I said, ¡°Oh, and we stopped by the new house. Work is coming along at an amazing pace. Ned¡¯s really doing his best to earn that early completion bonus I promised him.¡±


    ¡°That is great!¡± Emmy said. ¡°Did you ask him to prioritize the recording studio parts of the project so we can use the space soon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d sent him an email about that a while back, but now that I¡¯ve seen how things are going, I¡¯m not sure that¡¯ll really work. So much activity and noise is happening that I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d be able to do anything even if they got the recording studio finished tomorrow.¡±


    A look of understanding and disappointment fell over Emmy¡¯s charcoal-colored face at that. ¡°That makes sense,¡± she admitted, crestfallen.


    Hating to see her so downcast, I said, ¡°Let me call Ned and talk to him. If the studio gets finished early and the soundproofing is good enough, you might be able to use it after all to practice and rehearse. Maybe you just don¡¯t actually, you know, record anything until after all the workers have gone home for the day.¡±


    "That could work,¡± Emmy said, hope lighting up her features. ¡°We have given up entirely on the space we rented, and rehearsing at Lee¡¯s house is difficult. The neighbors have complained several times now.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± I said. ¡°Soon we¡¯ll have the new place, and you¡¯ll have all the room and soundproofing you need to make as much noise as you want.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like heaven,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°Just like heaven.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°How about you take a nice, relaxing bath and I¡¯ll call downstairs for dinner. Maybe we can turn on the tube and watch a movie or something.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like heaven,¡± Emmy said in exactly the same voice as before, making me laugh. ¡°I¡¯d like a California roll, and some edamame.¡±


    Emmy made no move to get up off my lap, even when I gave her a little nudge to get moving.


    ¡°You gotta get up if you want that bath,¡± I said, gently.


    ¡°I do not want to get up. I am too tired,¡± Emmy said, leaning in to me.


    ¡°Do you need some help?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That sounds like heaven,¡± Emmy repeated one more time.


    Smiling at my lazy little princess, I stood up, picking her up in my arms. She squeaked with surprise at the move, but failed to hide her smile as I carried her into the bedroom. I set her gently on the bed so I could untie the laces on the Doc Marten boots she¡¯d taken to wearing almost every day. I slid her socks off her delicate feet, then unbuttoned her dress and slid it up and off. Her panties were last, leaving her bare. I took a moment to go start her bath water, splashing a little bit of the French jasmine oil in the water as it started to fill. I drew the shade about two thirds of the way closed, so the late afternoon light would be reduced to a nice, soft glow.


    Returning to the bedroom, I scooped Emmy up in my arms, getting another barely-hidden smile for my efforts. I carried her into the bathroom, setting her gently on her feet next to the enormous tub.


    The water level was just about right, so I shut it off as Emmy stepped into the hot, fragrant water, sinking down with a contented sigh.


    ¡°Thank you, Leah. This is wonderful.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, baby,¡± I said as I knelt next to the tub and gingerly sank my hand in the scalding water to fish out one of Emmy¡¯s feet, which I then began to rub, massaging the arch, the instep, the base of her pretty little toes, and so on. Groaning with pleasure, Emmy asked, ¡°Why did I wait so long to come home? I could have been enjoying this hours ago!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t home hours ago, either,¡± I said, stroking Emmy¡¯s smooth calf. ¡°But I would have come home if I¡¯d known this was waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Will you join me in the bath?¡± Emmy asked, hopefully.


    ¡°No, sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got to call in dinner, and get back to my emails.¡±


    ¡°Work? But it is after hours on a Friday night!¡±


    ¡°No, not work, per se. I was just reading Michael¡¯s weekly report, and it seems like things are going pretty well in the Midwest, but there might be some problems in Chicago. He wanted to know if there¡¯s a possibility we might be able to put in an appearance. I was just working on a response when you came home.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to tell him?¡±


    ¡°Next week I can¡¯t leave LA, but the week after, if it¡¯s still necessary, I can fly out, and maybe you can, too.¡±


    ¡°I could take a few days off from work with Lee and Jackson the week after next,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    ¡°Also, Luisa sent me a bunch of pictures of how things are going there at the townhouse, and I was happy with most of it, but I had some questions I need to shoot to Erich and Charlie there in New York. Maybe if we have to go to Chicago anyway, we can head over there for a day or two?¡±


    ¡°How will you be able to miss school, since it will just be starting?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I have class Tuesday and Thursday nights, so we¡¯d fly out late night Thursday and make sure we¡¯re back no later than mid afternoon on Tuesday. That gives us four full days back East.¡±


    ¡°That will give Luisa a chance to work on her portrait of you!¡± Emmy exclaimed, enthusiastic about the idea.


    ¡°Maybe she can paint one of you, too,¡± I replied. ¡°That would be cool.¡±


    Emmy laughed, and said, ¡°And Angela, too! We will start a collection!¡±


    During dinner, which we ate out on the balcony, Emmy asked Angela if she had any plans for the week after next. ¡°We are going to go to Chicago and New York for a few days. Would you like to go with us?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Angela asked. ¡°I¡¯d love to go!¡±


    ¡°Then is is settled. You will come with us,¡± Emmy announced.


    Emmy fell asleep about halfway through La La Land, so I carried her to bed and tucked her in, giving her a little kiss before I went back out to the living room to clean up. Angela had gone to her room after dinner, so I had the place to myself, in a way. I wrote the emails to the designer and builder back in Manhattan, BCCing Luisa on both of them to keep her in the loop. I sent her an additional email explaining my concerns and telling her Emmy and I would be there in a week and a half.


    I also finished my email to Michael, telling him we could put in a couple of days in Chicago. One more email to Ned, explaining to him that he should prioritize the work in the rehearsal and recording spaces and make certain the soundproofing was up to the highest standards. I complimented him on the progress, too, and told him I was very happy with everything I saw that afternoon.


    Satisfied, I shut down my computer and wandered back out onto the balcony to relax and shut my mind off for a while. I sat there on that comfy couch, looking out over the city lights to Downtown to the east.

 Its A Deal

    I wasn¡¯t all that much in the mood with the Saturday morning group. Just sort of languishing for a while and really not feeling it, I kept pace but didn¡¯t push it at all. When we pulled over at the big turnout at the top of ACH, Stephen asked me what was up.


    ¡°Leah, you¡¯re not your usual self,¡± he said as we looked at the collection of cars and bikes gathered there.


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡± I said. ¡°Just having an off day, you know? I¡¯m having a hard time focusing on the road. Too much stuff going on.¡±


    ¡°I think Geoff appreciates it,¡± Stephen said with a laugh. ¡°Normally he¡¯d never even come close to being able to pass you like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said with a rueful grin. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just head home, call it a day.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± Teddy Bear said as he ambled over. ¡°I saw you and Emmy on TV the other day at the Rams game. It was awesome the way that new guy from USC, Temple? Gave Emmy the ball after the sack!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Andy Temple. He and I go way back. I¡¯ve known him since we were little kids,¡± I said. Then, on the spur of the moment, I asked, ¡°Hey, you two. Do you guys have plans for Wednesday evening? We¡¯ve been doing a little dinner and sort-of party at our place on Wednesdays and it¡¯d be cool if you guys could come. Don¡¯t tell the others- I want to keep it low-key.¡±


    ¡°Can I bring my girlfriend?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m between girlfriends right now,¡± Teddy Bear admitted. ¡°But I¡¯d be happy to come over. Just text me the deets and I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    Emmy was over at Lee¡¯s house and Angela was out somewhere, so I had the apartment to myself when I got home. Pleased to have some time to myself, I changed clothes, put on some London Grammar (which I had Jen to thank for) and relaxed into a nice couple of hours of yoga. It had been a few months since I¡¯d taken the time for a good long session, and I could feel the tightness in my back and shoulders. Stretching, working the kinks out and simply letting the tension go felt absolutely fantastic. I followed it up with a nice, long shower, after which I slipped into a pair of sweats and a soft old T shirt. Comfy and relaxed was how I was going to spend the rest of the day.


    I was relaxing on the balcony couch with my iPad when Angela got home.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± she said. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Shopping online for a yacht,¡± I joked. ¡°I think I like this one,¡± I said, tapping on the screen.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± she said with a sigh, plopping down on the armchair.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I need a car,¡± Angela said. ¡°But I can¡¯t get a loan or lease, since I don¡¯t have a real job, and I don¡¯t have a green card. I mean, I show income, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°What were you looking for?¡±


    ¡°It needs to be something cute, you know, for my socials, and new, too. I was thinking maybe a convertible, you know?¡±


    ¡°How much cash can you spend? The reason I ask is because maybe you should just go ahead and buy outright,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Says the woman shopping for a yacht,¡± Angela replied, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Out of curiosity, did you notice anything about the three cars we have parked down in the garage?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah- they¡¯re really nice,¡± she said.


    ¡°Did you notice that two out of three are BMWs? And you haven''t seen them yet, but both our cars in New York are BMWs, too.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Angela asked, puzzled by where I was going.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing- we own a couple of BMW dealerships.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± Angela said, slumping down in her chair. ¡°Of course you do.¡±


    ¡°So, I guess where I¡¯m going with this, is if it¡¯s a BMW or Mini you¡¯re thinking of, I can get you a really good deal.¡±


    ¡°Can you get me a lease on a Z4?¡± Angela asked, suddenly enthusiastic.


    ¡°Are you sure you want a lease? The buy-outs can hit pretty hard here in Southern California, since we tend to drive a lot here,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°The payments are so much lower,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s the only way I can afford that nice a car.¡±


    We talked a little bit about realistic budgets, then I pulled out my phone and called down to Temecula BMW.


    ¡°Hey, Walter,¡± I said when the sales manager got on the line. ¡°I¡¯ve got a friend here who wants a Z4. What¡¯s the best deal you can give her? Yeah, family pricing. Buy or lease. Just go ahead and email me the options. Thanks, Walter- talk to you soon.¡±


    Angela was sitting on the edge of her seat, watching with wide eyes.


    ¡°He says he has a leftover from the last model year that¡¯s been sitting in the showroom. It¡¯s the base model with the four, so there really hasn¡¯t been any interest in it. It¡¯s been taken out for a few test drives, so he can sell it as a demo model, and that takes a big chunk off the price,¡± I explained.


    ¡°How much?¡± Angela wanted to know, cutting to the heart of the matter. It seemed it didn¡¯t matter that it was the slow version or didn¡¯t have any of the fancy packages, and I could respect that.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to give Walter a few minutes to put a deal together,¡± I said, setting down my iPad. ¡°I¡¯d say that probably means half an hour.¡±


    ¡°So, since you own the dealership, do you get your cars for free?¡±


    I laughed and said, ¡°No, I wish. We¡¯ve gotta pay for ¡®em. We just get a better deal than anybody else does.¡±


    Nervous and excited, Angela jumped up out of her seat. ¡°I¡¯m gonna grab a drink,¡± she said. ¡°Want anything?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± I said with a wave, returning to the article on the negotiations just getting started between the UK and the European Union now that Brexit had passed. It seemed as if a whole world of self-inflicted grief was headed their way, and I idly wondered what impact would be felt by the Lascaux business interests.


    Emmy came home just then, so I set the iPad down and opened my arms so she¡¯d join me on the couch.


    ¡°How was work today, babe?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is a bit frustrating sometimes,¡± She admitted as she lay on top of me. ¡°There are times I think the three of us share a vision, and other times it seems we do not see eye to eye at all.¡±


    Kissing the top of her head, I said, ¡°Just tell them I said they need to do whatever it is that you want them to do. And that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°If I do tell them that, they will probably listen,¡± Emmy said with a laugh. ¡°They are terrified of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Jen said,¡± I replied, amused. ¡°I have a hard time believing it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°It is absolutely true,¡± Emmy said, snuggling more closely. ¡°They like you, and respect you, but are also terrified of you.¡± Thinking about it a little bit more, she said, ¡°I think that is actually true of most people we know.¡±


    ¡°Terrified of Leah?¡± Angela asked, only having heard part of the conversation. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It is because they know her,¡± Emmy said with a cheeky grin.


    ¡°Ha Ha,¡± I said, giving Emmy a squeeze. ¡°I am absolutely not terrifying.¡±


    ¡°I will tell that to Lee, Jackson and Jen.¡± Emmy said. ¡°They will stop being terrified of you if you tell them to stop, since they absolutely do not want to go against anything you say. I will also tell Michael, Eddie and the rest, too. Oh, and Donny and Sana.¡±


    I had no witty comeback for that, so I just rolled my eyes.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I can imagine being terrified of you,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°You are really, um, intense sometimes, and that can be super intimidating.¡±


    ¡°Et tu, Brute?¡± I asked, but Angela didn¡¯t know the classics, so the reference sailed right past her.


    ¡°Hey, babe, Angela went out car shopping this morning. When she told me about it, I suggested maybe she could get a deal at Temecula. I called and talked to Walter James and he was going to email back with some prices. How would you feel about a drive down this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°We could visit your mother and sister!¡± Emmy suggested.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re in Glasgow right now,¡± I said. ¡°They went to Scotland for vacation this summer. They come back next week in time for school.¡±


    ¡°That is too bad,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It has been a couple of months since we have visited with them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°Mom sent me some pics- I guess they really loved Edinburgh. We should go some time.¡±


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Emmy said, nestling herself a bit more comfortably on top of me. ¡°Wake me up when it is time to go.¡±


    ¡°To Scotland?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± was her reply as she closed her eyes.


    Becoming more and more convinced that Emmy had actually fallen asleep draped all over me on the couch, I gently reached over and picked up my iPad from the coffee table, trying not to disturb Sleeping Beauty. I checked my email, looking for anything from Walter James.


    ¡°Here,¡± I whispered to Angela, handing it to her so she could read the options that Walter had laid out. She read through it a couple of times, zooming in on the picture of the car.


    ¡°Is this¡­¡± Angela whispered. ¡°Is this real? I mean, can I go down and buy this at this price?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you sure can,¡± I agreed. ¡°Think you want to do it?¡±


    ¡°Can we go now?¡±


    Glancing at my watch, I said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a two hour drive, and it¡¯s almost five now. How about we do it first thing in the morning?¡±


    Looking at Emmy sleeping peacefully on me, Angela bit her lip. ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I said.


    Angela made a nice grilled chicken salad for dinner, and even waved me off when I offered to clean up afterwards.


    As Emmy and I relaxed in bed later, Emmy asked, ¡°Do you think Angela is beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, sure,¡± I said. ¡°She is a professional bikini model, after all.¡±


    ¡°Do you find her sexually attractive? You have seen her completely nude- she has shown off her body for you.¡±


    ¡°I mean, sure, she¡¯s hot,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe a bit too muscular for me, but that really only shows when she flexes, you know? But otherwise, yeah, she¡¯s pretty sexy. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I think she is beautiful, too,¡± Emmy admitted.


    I didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for Emmy to continue, which took a while.


    ¡°I think that she has¡­ She has feelings for you,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°She¡¯s straight,¡± I objected halfheartedly.


    ¡°I think that for most people, those distinctions are more, um, fluid than we realize,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I think that Angela has only ever had male lovers in the past, but I believe that she would be happy to share a bed with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯d be pretty crowded, then, since I am absolutely not going to kick you out to make room for her,¡± I replied, pulling Emmy in tighter into my ¡®big spoon¡¯.


    ¡°What would it be like, the three of us in this bed?¡± Emmy pondered. ¡°I wonder how that would be?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re gonna have to keep wondering, because I¡¯m in no hurry to invite her in here with us,¡± I said, doing my best to slam that door shut. I will admit that a threesome is kind of a hot fantasy, but I just couldn¡¯t imagine how it would ever be sustainable in the real world. I could, however, imagine all sorts of ways that feelings could be hurt and rifts develop. Just not worth it, in any way that I could see.


    Emmy pulled my arm tighter around herself and didn¡¯t reply, which I guess is its own sort of answer.


    The next morning, Emmy didn¡¯t want to get out of bed early to go to Temecula, so Angela and I went without her. Angela was excited and nervous, which I could understand, but it was still a bit annoying to spend two hours in the car with her like that. Hey, at least she¡¯d be driving back home in her own car, I told myself.


    We got to the dealership pretty much just as it opened. Walking into the showroom, I stopped to look at my new toy, all cleaned up and pretty.


    ¡°Why do they have a race car on display?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Is it for sale?¡±


    ¡°Not until I get bored of it,¡± I replied. ¡°This is my new baby.¡±


    Just then Walter James walked up and saw us looking at the GT3. ¡°Ms Farmer! The guys told me you really tore it up there at Willow Springs!¡± he said, in his overly friendly way. The guy got on my nerves a little bit, but he was good at his job, so what could I do but put up with him?


    ¡°Yeah, it was a lot of fun,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°When this thing came in from Germany and word came down it was for you, a lot of the guys here were just so jealous, you know? I mean, this thing is by far the most expensive car to ever come through this showroom. The most expensive BMW I¡¯ve ever even heard of, actually.¡±


    ¡°Their Formula One cars were worth millions of dollars each,¡± I pointed out, just to be contrary.


    ¡°How much is this car worth?¡± Angela asked, curious.


    ¡°Nearly half a million dollars,¡± Walter replied.


    ¡°You need to take me for a ride in it!¡± Angela demanded, turning to me, giving my that little-girl look she somehow managed.


    ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t,¡± I replied and pointed inside the car. ¡°Only one seat. But if you want, I can take you for a hella fast drive in the M6. That¡¯s basically the street version of this same car.¡±


    ¡°Faster than we went in your, um, Bentley?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Aston Martin,¡± I corrected. ¡°And yeah, we went slow the other day.¡±


    ¡°Felt really fast to me!¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Anyhow, we¡¯re here for you to buy a car,¡± I said. ¡°Angela, go with Walter. He¡¯ll show you the car, to make sure it¡¯s what you want. I¡¯ve got to go talk to Joe Wilson in the service department.¡±


    They left to go out to the lot, and I went back to the service area, looking for the guy I needed to talk to. I wandered back into the service bays, and a guy I didn¡¯t recognize tried to stop me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, blocking my way. ¡°You can¡¯t be back here. This is employees only.¡±


    I was just about to come up with some sort of ¡®well, what about employers?¡¯ retort when Joe Wilson came hustling up.


    ¡°It¡¯s O.K., Luis. She can go anywhere she wants,¡± he said. Then, seeing the look on Luis¡¯ face, he said, ¡°Her family owns the place.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± Luis said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I said, waving it away. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Ms Farmer, this is Luis Mu?oz, our new service writer. Luis, this is Leah Farmer, Mr Lascaux¡¯s daughter-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Luis,¡± I said, shaking his hand.


    ¡°You, too,¡± Luis replied.


    ¡°So what can I do for you this fine morning?¡± Joe asked, once the niceties were taken care of.


    ¡°Two things,¡± I replied as we walked the service bay. ¡°I want a nice wrap on the GT3 car, to protect the paint. Basically mirroring the M Sport color scheme, but put ¡®Temecula BMW¡¯ on there in big graphics,¡± I said. ¡°The shop should get some advertising out of the deal, after all.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s no problem,¡± Joe said. "We can get that done in no time.¡±


    ¡°Second thing, my new M6 should probably get a quick oil change and tire rotation, since I was beating on it pretty hard on the track.¡±


    ¡°We can do that right now,¡± Joe said, leading me to Luis¡¯ little office. Joe explained what I wanted to Luis, telling him the M6 service work was priority and make sure Alex did the work. He also had Luis write up the ticket for the vehicle wrap, but had him mark the invoice ¡®No Charge- Promotional Service¡¯. I paid the reduced rate for the service on the M6 and handed Luis the key, then wandered back to look for Angela and Walter James.


    I found them as they walked back into the showroom, apparently having been out for a test drive.


    ¡°What do you think of the car?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± Angela gushed.


    ¡°And you¡¯re O.K. with the price? I know Walter has pulled some strings to make you the best deal we can,¡± I said, and he nodded.


    ¡°It is a very good deal,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°I did some looking online last night and it¡¯s thousands less than any other I could find anywhere in the country!¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± I said. ¡°If you need me, I¡¯ll be in the waiting room.¡± I didn¡¯t want to be overprotective and hold Angela¡¯s hand through the car-buying process, since she was an adult and could take care of things on her own. Besides, I knew that Walter really had set up the most favorable deal possible, and he knew I¡¯d check it all over after the fact, anyhow, so there was no way he was going to sneak in some high financing rate or anything like that.


    I got myself a cup of coffee, then, wandering around the gift shop area, I bought Angela a BMW key fob and a ¡®Temecula BMW¡¯ T shirt.


    About an hour later, Joe Wilson found me to tell me the car was done. ¡°You took about ten thousand miles off the life of those tires,¡± he joked as he handed me the service report and my key. ¡°It¡¯s great to see a competition package M car get used like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fun car,¡± I said.


    I¡¯d just returned to reading my email on my phone when Angela and Walter walked up. Angela held up the key for me to see, beaming proudly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all mine now!¡± she said, giving me a big hug when I stood up. ¡°Want to go for a ride?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. How about we take my car back home, then you can give me a ride,¡± I suggested, handing her the things I¡¯d gotten her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Angela said, her eyes wide with excitement. ¡°See you at home!¡±


    When Angela left, I turned to Walter. ¡°No ugly surprises on the paperwork, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, getting her financed wasn¡¯t easy, since she doesn¡¯t actually have a real job, so I had to do it in-house. I gave her our best rate, but my underwriter is gonna yell at me for it.¡±


    ¡°Need me to co-sign?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you would, that would take a whole lot of heat off my back,¡± Walter said, grateful. ¡°In fact, if you¡¯ll co-sign, I can get the rate down even lower. But you know that means if she can¡¯t make the payments, you¡¯re on the hook, right?¡±


    ¡°Emmy had suggested we simply buy the car for her,¡± I said. ¡°But I wanted Angela to feel like she had something of her own, that she¡¯s earned and not just had somebody give to her.¡±


    As we walked back to his office, Walter said, ¡°Man, I wish¡­ You don¡¯t know how many rich parents come in here to buy their kids a 3 series or something like that, and the kids complain it isn¡¯t the M, or have the whatever package. Spoiled little brats. If any of those kids have to work for anything, ever, it¡¯ll be the death of ¡®em.¡± Then, realizing he was talking to a rich kid, he suddenly shut up.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you I used to work in my uncle¡¯s rare tree nursery down in Fallbrook when I was a kid? And I used to take the city bus to school?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, see, you get what I¡¯m talking about, then. You understand the value of work,¡± Walter said, relieved to be let off the hook.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± I said as we sat down to fill out the paperwork. ¡°Emmy is a very hard worker with her music, but obviously she¡¯s never had to save up for anything in her life. Her family¡¯s had money from the freaking Middle Ages, but they all seem to be pretty good about buckling down and doing what needs to be done."


    ¡°Middle Ages?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°The Lascaux are a noble family from southern France. They have a castle that dates back to the twelfth century or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Mr Lascaux never talks about that,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°But you¡¯re right about being a serious worker. When he bought the place, he reviewed every aspect of the way the dealership was run and step by step made a lot of changes. We went from barely doing enough business to justify staying open, to being one of the top dealers in the region.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a string of BMW dealerships in France,¡± I said. ¡°From what I understand he¡¯s the number one dealer there.¡±


    ¡°I can believe it,¡± Walter said.


    After co-signing and getting almost a full one and a half percentage points off the rate for Angela¡¯s loan, I thanked Walter and hit the road. I knew Angela would be itching to take me out in her new car, so I didn¡¯t want to keep her waiting too long, even though that meant skipping Ortega Highway¡¯s twisties, to my regret.

 Angelas Dream

    Surprisingly, I got back to the apartment first, finding Emmy practicing her guitar in the living room when I walked in.


    ¡°Have you had lunch?¡± she asked, setting down her guitar to get up and give me a kiss.


    ¡°No, have you?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking about making myself a sandwich,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Would you like one as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised Angela didn¡¯t get home before me,¡± I said. ¡°She left Temecula at least twenty minutes before I did. She¡¯ll probably want lunch when she gets home, too.¡±


    ¡°Should I wait until she gets here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, what are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°I do not have any plans,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Angela is gonna want to take us out for a drive in her new car, but it only has the two seats. Do you want to go first, or should I?¡±


    ¡°I do not think Angela would really care to show off her new car to me,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I believe that you are the one she will want to take for a drive.¡± Her saucy grin let me know that yes, the double entendre was intentional.


    Angela got home roughly an hour after I did, long after we¡¯d given up waiting and had our sandwiches. Her first words when she came in were, ¡°Oh, my god! I love that car!¡±


    She grabbed me in a big hug, which basically meant that since I was sitting down, she smashed my face into her boobs.


    ¡°Thank you for arranging everything for me! I love it!¡± she said.


    Disentangling myself, I asked, ¡°So, what do you think? Do you like the car?¡±


    ¡°I love it!¡± Angela said, smashing my face into her boobs again while Emmy just laughed.


    ¡°Emmy! Come down and see my new car!¡± Angela said, giving me the opportunity to laugh at Emmy¡¯s predicament.


    ¡°Yeah, Em. You guys should take the car out for a spin,¡± I said, smirking at my wife.


    ¡°I would love to see your new car, and go for a ride,¡± Emmy said, graciously.


    Expecting to have at least an hour to myself while they were gone, I went out on the balcony to call Michael and ask about the email he¡¯d sent me earlier. I was increasingly concerned that Chicago might turn ugly and wanted a bit more context than his reports had really given me.


    ¡°My queen,¡± Michael said when he answered his phone. ¡°Thank you for calling.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Michael. Explain to me a little better what¡¯s going on there.¡±


    ¡°As I explained, there seem to be a fairly large number of Night Children here, and in the nearby cities, that are all associated into what some of them have called ¡®the Underground.¡¯ It seems to be run by a local figure that few have actually met. Most refer to him in vague terms, calling him simply ¡®The Boss.¡¯ It seems this Boss figure has a number of subalterns who do all his dirty work for him, which is apparently mostly extortion and coercion of the local Night Children.¡±


    ¡°You say that you¡¯ve talked to some locals who want to get away from this guy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. The Boss is not loved, but feared. A large number of the area¡¯s Night Children would leave the Underground, but are afraid of what would happen to them or their loved ones if they tried.¡±


    ¡°This guy sounds like a real piece of work,¡± I groaned. ¡°What will it take to get rid of him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe he will ever willingly relinquish control of his domain. I fear that he will not be reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right. Set up a meeting anyway. Maybe we can convince him that his life would be better living legitimately,¡± I said, but doubting it could ever be that easy.


    ¡°I will do that,¡± Michael said. ¡°But I am concerned that violence may be his response.¡±


    ¡°All of the team there, you guys have all worked with Grant Henry, right? You¡¯re all capable of defending yourselves?¡± I asked, just to confirm that what I¡¯d ordered had actually happened.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Michael said, and I could hear the hesitation in his voice.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°I''m not really a fighter, my queen. Eddie is, of course, and a couple of the others are better at it than I am, but I would say that of the six of us, only three could really be considered dangerous,¡± Michael explained.


    ¡°Yeah, I understand that,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Just make sure that you stick together and nobody wanders off alone, all right? I don¡¯t want you or any of the guys caught off-guard.¡±


    ¡°We are being very careful, my queen. This place feels very dangerous to us- we are well aware that we do not have the upper hand here.¡±


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    ¡°What do you think about calling in a few more hands? Who else do we have that knows how to handle themselves in a fight?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We simply do not have such people in any numbers, my queen.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought. All right, then. You said there are a lot of Night Children in the area. How many are we talking about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°By the sound of it, as many as fifty or sixty, but it is hard to know. The Boss tries to keep them from each other, not allowing a real community to form.¡±


    ¡°And how many, um, henchmen does he have?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The most reliable estimates range from half a dozen to as many as ten or fifteen. I think the higher numbers are unrealistic, though. I would expect that the number is probably closer to ten at the very most, more likely six or seven.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. ¡°So if Emmy and I count among our combat-capable, this Boss guy might not have much of a numerical advantage, even just counting the three in the team that are fighters.¡±


    ¡°I believe that to be true,¡± Michael said. ¡°But I also do not believe that Queen Emmy should involve herself in any fighting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather she didn¡¯t, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°But the truth is, we both know she can do it if necessary.¡±


    The sigh at the other end served as all the agreement I needed. ¡°So we¡¯ll fly in the Thursday night after this next one. Set up a meeting on Friday if you can. We¡¯ll see if we can have a civil discussion with this Boss character, and if not, maybe we can scare him off.¡±


    ¡°I will set it up,¡± Michael said.


    After that call, I called Grant Henry.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± he said when he answered the phone.


    ¡°Are you in the loop with what the guys are running into in Chicago?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Michael asked me for advice, so yeah, I guess I have an idea,¡± Grant replied.


    ¡°It looks like it may come down to violence, if this Boss guy won¡¯t play nice. Do we have any other guys I can send Michael that are ready to play?¡±


    ¡°A couple of the guys up in Vancouver might be handy in a fight. They¡¯d be solid against anybody untrained, but I wouldn¡¯t want to stack ¡®em up against any real opposition. Other than that, I wish I could say I had more for you, but really, all I¡¯ve been teaching any of the Night Children is basic self-defense and situational awareness.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I sighed. ¡°I never really wanted to train up an army, you know? I just didn¡¯t really see any organized opposition like this ever being an issue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really clear on the politics, and haven¡¯t wanted to ask,¡± Grant said. ¡°But is it possible to get some soldiers from Emmy¡¯s parents? They¡¯ve gotta have some, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they do,¡± I agreed. ¡°But the impression I¡¯ve gotten from Emmy is that she doesn¡¯t want to ask for their involvement in our affairs here in North America, because it would serve as an admission that we can¡¯t handle our shit on our own, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figured there was something like that going on,¡± Grant said. ¡°And I suppose this would be a bad time to bring up firearms training again, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve had this discussion,¡± I replied. ¡°Silence is a real cultural thing, and I don¡¯t want to be the one that instigates an arms race. I¡¯m perfectly happy to not have to worry about a bullet from the shadows taking me or Emmy out, you know? If we introduce guns, pretty much immediately everybody else will ditch the old ways and get their own guns, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna say I disagree with your thinking,¡± Grant said. ¡°But what happens when a knife fight starts going against you? It sure could be a literal life saver if you could reach back into your concealed holster and start shooting.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t disagree, to be honest. I¡¯ve been thinking that maybe Emmy and I should think about carrying just for last-resort situations.¡±


    ¡°Anytime you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll get you guys set up and trained,¡± Grant said. ¡°In the meantime, you want me to head to Chicago?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a good idea, but I want you to stay behind the scenes. Don¡¯t interact with any of the local Night Children, and don¡¯t be seen in public with our guys. I want you to be my ace in the hole, and to help Michael with strategy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Grant said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep you posted.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Grant. After Chicago, we¡¯ll be heading to New York for a couple of days. You can go with us if you want to visit Mia.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be great,¡± he said.


    Thinking about what the two had said, I lost myself in thought about Chicago, the possibility of some sort of Night Children war, and how that could even happen. It would be a mother of a challenge, hunting down opponents who could disappear into the environment the way they could.


    The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it would be nearly impossible to bring the fight to the enemy in a situation like the one in Chicago. Maybe we could get intel on The Boss¡¯ hideout, but that would be a lot to expect. More realistically, we¡¯d be chasing figurative shadows all over town and getting nowhere, except maybe ambushed.


    I was visualizing different scenarios when Emmy and Angela came back to the apartment.


    Emmy gave me a quick kiss and disappeared into our bedroom, but Angela joined me on the balcony after getting herself a bottle of water from the fridge.


    ¡°Leah, I can¡¯t thank you enough,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m serious. This is a really big deal.¡±


    ¡°Hey, just helping out a friend, right?¡± I shrugged, trying to make light of the whole thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ well, it means a lot to me,¡± Angela said. Then, her brow wrinkled up, she asked, ¡°What are you doing out here? You looked lost in thought when we came home.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about yachts,¡± I said, giving her a wry smile.


    ¡°I swear, some day you¡¯re gonna actually buy a yacht, and your teasing me will come back to haunt you,¡± Angela declared.


    ¡°If I do, I¡¯m gonna name it ¡®Angela¡¯s Dream¡¯,¡± I said.


    ¡°What is Angela¡¯s dream?¡± Emmy asked, now dressed in a pair of loose jeans and a T shirt of mine, which was huge on her.


    ¡°A yacht,¡± I said.


    ¡°I have dreamed of having a yacht, too,¡± Emmy confessed. ¡°But I know nothing about the sea. In fact, I have never been on a longer boat ride than when Leah and I had our honeymoon in Key West.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I groaned. ¡°What a disaster that was,¡± I said.


    ¡°Your honeymoon was a disaster?¡± Angela asked, curious.


    ¡°About half of it was a disaster. The first half was great, the second half, not so much,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I got a terrible sun burn and became very ill,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°I could barely get out of bed for days, and could not leave our hotel room.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? That sucks!¡± Angela said, commiserating. ¡°I got a bad sunburn when I was little and got a fever from it, so I know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°It was horrible,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    Later that night, as we relaxed on the balcony sipping wine in front of the fire, I mentioned to Emmy that I¡¯d invited Teddy Bear and Stephen to dinner on Wednesday night.


    ¡°That will be great!¡± Emmy said, enthusiastic. ¡°I liked both of them at your birthday at the track- they seem like intelligent men, and both are good conversationalists.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t mind getting to know them better,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I have been enjoying our Wednesday dinners,¡± Emmy said, sipping her wine. ¡°It has been nice, spending time with friends.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°Even when Jenna was roasting me about being an exhibitionist and demanding to see me naked.¡±


    ¡°That was hilarious!¡± Emmy said with a laugh. ¡°I wonder what she would have done if you had taken off your clothes?¡±


    ¡°I never would do that to Andy,¡± I said.


    ¡°To Andy? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, turning his fianc¨¦e into a lesbian just wouldn¡¯t be fair to him, now would it?¡± I asked, smirking.


    ¡°No, it would not,¡± Emmy agreed.

 Personal Enjoyment

    The next morning I was back at the fight gym in Santa Monica nice and early, and thankfully so were Eddie, to let me in, and Jody, to work out with. As he preferred the cash, I handed Eddie a crisp hundred dollar bill when he opened the door for me, getting a bleary, ¡°Thanks,¡± in response.


    Jody was more awake than that, so I ditched my sweats and we got straight to work on more of the escape and counter moves we¡¯d started last time. Like with Grant, we trained the moves over and over, slowly and gently at first, but eventually working up to real speed and strength. It felt good to work my stress out this way, and by the time we wrapped up I was sore in a good way and ready to face my first day of grad school.


    Jody and I took a few minutes to set up the electronic payment while Eddie officially opened up the gym.


    ¡°This is really gonna help me out,¡± Jody said. ¡°Money¡¯s been tight, you know?¡±


    Classes started at nine, so I had two and a half hours to go home, shower, get dressed and grab my things and make it to Anderson. Plenty of time if I kept on track, but not really enough to loaf around at all. Emmy was still asleep when I got to the apartment, so I went about my tasks quietly so as to not wake her. I figured Angela was down in the gym and wouldn¡¯t finish her workout until after I left, so it was a solitary morning for me.


    I got to the designated classroom about ten minutes early, taking the badge and desk name plate the teaching assistant handed me when I told her my name.


    ¡°Take any empty seat,¡± she said, indicating the desks arranged in a sort of arena style. This was the intro class to the whole program, so every new student for the year was required to attend. I figured this was probably the largest lecture hall in the entire business school, with maybe two hundred and fifty desks between the three tiers.


    I grabbed a seat smack dab in the middle, middle tier. I wanted to keep my focus on the instructor, so the least possible distractions the better.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Li,¡± said the woman seated next to my desk of choice. Glancing at her desk name plate, I saw that it said ¡®Lisa Quon- Snap, Inc.¡¯


    I set mine down, tilting it so she could see. ¡°Leah,¡± I replied, reaching out to shake her hand.


    ¡°Royal Holdings?¡± she asked, looking at my desk plate. ¡°Is that some sort of financial company?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a private asset management company, yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± Li said. ¡°What do you do there?¡±


    ¡°Manage private assets,¡± I said with a smile to let her know I was teasing. ¡°What do you do at Snap?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an engineer in the applied data division,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that this MBA will help me move into more of a managerial role in the company,¡± she confided.


    By this time the seat to my right was claimed by a guy named Edward Jones, who worked for the County Of Los Angeles, according to his name plate. Ed merely gave me a little nod of greeting, then got back to setting up his laptop on the desk.


    I wasn¡¯t a fast enough typist to ever take notes on my computer, so I pulled out a notepad and pen- one of the few in the class who did so.


    That first morning was mostly devoted to an outline of the program in general, a discussion of the various emphases we could choose as we progressed through the curriculum, and so on. Really, nothing much worth taking notes, anyhow.


    After an hour and a half we got our first break, and those of us that didn¡¯t bolt for the bathrooms or the coffee cart set up in the plaza milled about and either avoided or tried to make conversation with our fellow classmates.


    I didn¡¯t really have much in common with data analysts from Snap, so I parted ways with Li and looked for people with badges identifying them to be in my industry.


    I spotted a tall, thin guy with a badge that said, ¡®Myles Johansson- Angel City Realty Advisors¡¯. Bingo, I thought. Here¡¯s a guy who I might want to network with.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, approaching the guy. ¡°My name¡¯s Leah. I¡¯m in real estate investments.¡±


    Looking me up and down, he asked, ¡°Leah Farmer? Your name seems familiar. I don¡¯t know Royal Holdings, though.¡±


    ¡°You probably know a couple of our divisions- Loeltz Property Management, or Royal Real Estate Investment Trust?¡± I suggested.


    "Loeltz- that¡¯s mainly west side, right?¡± he asked, showing that he did know the company. ¡°Royal REIT- isn¡¯t that up in the Bay Area?¡±


    Impressed that he did know the industry, I said, ¡°Yes on both accounts. Mostly. Loeltz has a San Jose office, and Royal REIT is mostly Bay Area, but also in LA, Seattle, Vancouver, San Diego and Reno, but with a bit lower profile.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I was reading about Royal on Nareit- you guys are growing like crazy,¡± Myles said.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve been doing really well, providing high yield while growing like crazy, like you said.¡±


    ¡°I hate to even ask,¡± Myles said, ¡°but the article I read almost made it seem like you guys must be some sort of Ponzi scheme. I mean, you¡¯re beating the industry by a huge margin, and still growing at thirty per cent a year. How do you guys do it?¡±


    ¡°No, no Ponzi scheme, but we are attracting a lot of outside money,¡± I admitted. ¡°We have deep penetration in Silicon Valley tech cash.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Myles said. ¡°So what do you do with Royal?¡±


    ¡°I own it,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°No shit? Of course! That¡¯s where I knew your name from! You¡¯re much younger than I expected, though.¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°So, Myles, what do you do at Angel City?¡±


    ¡°Market analysis,¡± he said. ¡°Basically, I drive around all day and look at neighborhoods for signs of improvement, or if they¡¯re starting to slide.¡±


    ¡°I know that drill,¡± I said, commiserating. ¡°I¡¯ve done that far too much, myself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I want my MBA,¡± Myles said. ¡°Move up the food chain.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°It¡¯s not gonna do that for me.¡±


    ¡°No, I guess not,¡± agreed Myles.


    The rest of the day went without any surprises, except for the fact that Myles sought me out when we broke for lunch. He suggested that we grab a bite to eat at the student center, and I took him up on it. The food court had reasonable choices, too, which was a good thing. I got some Thai curry fried rice, and Myles had a Caesar¡¯s salad, explaining that he was trying to cut back on eating meat.


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    ¡°I¡¯d never call myself a vegetarian,¡± he explained. ¡°But I try to eat red meat no more than once or twice a week.¡±


    ¡°Really, that¡¯s all the human body needs,¡± I said, agreeing with him. ¡°But it¡¯s just so tasty!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it can be. I like to barbecue on the weekends- I¡¯ll do up a tri-tip, slow smoking it overnight. The downside, of course, is now I can barely tolerate poorly cooked steaks, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can relate,¡± I agreed. ¡°We¡¯ve got a friend named Rawson, in Austin, and his barbecues were so famous in his neighborhood that he finally got talked into opening his own restaurant. I¡¯ve only been to the restaurant once, but his backyard barbecue was just amazing. Now, when we go out to a place that says they have brisket or whatever, I just skip right past it on the menu. Why be disappointed? It¡¯ll never compare.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly, you get it,¡± Myles said, waving his fork in my direction. ¡°It¡¯s a real problem.¡±


    We chatted like that until it was time to go back to class, and it seemed as if I might have made a friend.


    When I got back to the apartment that afternoon Emmy wasn¡¯t home, but Angela was sitting at the kitchen counter, working on her laptop.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, come take a look,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on the pictures you took.¡±


    I grabbed a sparkling water from the fridge and joined Angela, looking over her shoulder at the computer. Of course, I couldn¡¯t help glancing down the cleavage revealed by her plunging neckline, but quickly focused my attention on the laptop screen.


    She had one of the ¡®implied nude¡¯ shower pictures up, with the edited version side by side with the original. She¡¯d cropped it and done some sort of photoshop magic to fill her long hair in a bit more to fully cover the nipple not hidden by her right arm. The colors, too, were somehow more vibrant and warmer-feeling.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You want to know the truth? I think you look amazing anyway, but that picture is really something else. Everything about it looks fantastic,¡± I said, meaning every word.


    ¡°Does it make me look desirable?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Leah, would you take some more photos? This session turned out really well, and I would like to do some more, if you don¡¯t mind. Unless you have things you have to do for university.¡±


    ¡°No, no homework today,¡± I said. ¡°Let me get out of these clothes and we can take some pictures.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to take off your clothes, too?¡± Angela asked with a giggle. Once again I was struck by how expressive her face could be, thinking it was a perfect trait for a model.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna take off my clothes,¡± I agreed. ¡°But then I¡¯m gonna put on other clothes.¡±


    ¡°Spoilsport,¡± Angela said, pouting.


    Laughing, I went to change out of my work clothes and into a pair of comfy jeans and lightweight halter top.


    I was surprised to see Angela in pretty much the same spot I¡¯d left her, sitting at the counter in front of her laptop. The big difference, of course, was that now there was no need to look down her shirt to see her boobs, since there was no shirt to be seen. Or bra, for that matter. Or any clothing at all, actually.


    She handed me the big Nikon and said, ¡°I want to do some here, in the kitchen, and in the living room. Maybe some on the balcony, too?¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever you want,¡± I said.


    Standing up, Angela indicated I should sit in her seat. ¡°I want to check the angles,¡± she explained as I did as instructed. ¡°Put your hands on the keyboard, like you¡¯re typing.¡±


    Viewing the scene from different spots around the kitchen, she finally found the perspective she was looking for. ¡°Stand right here,¡± she said. ¡°And shoot from this height.¡±


    I¡¯d be lying if I said that watching a completely naked smoking hot fitness model wander around my kitchen was boring. The simple truth of the matter was that I found the circumstances completely fascinating, and enjoyed every moment of it.


    Like before, we shot over a dozen photos in that scene, with Angela varying her poses each time. After the laptop scene, Angela wanted some with the refrigerator door open, and her reaching in to get something. First from one side, then the other, so we had shots with her half hidden by the open door, and shots with the door on the other side of her exposed (but sideways) body. Her poses were exaggerated, bending over at the waist but keeping her legs straight.


    Finally satisfied we¡¯d shot enough like that, Angela asked me if I minded shooting a few more. ¡°But from right there,¡± she said, pointing almost directly behind her. ¡°And low- angle.¡±


    This obviously strayed far from ¡®implied nude¡¯ territory and straight into Playboy levels, since I¡¯d basically be staring straight between Angela¡¯s legs as she bent over. She gave me a sexy smile over her shoulder as I took the position she indicated and started snapping away. Just like every other scene we¡¯d photographed, she varied her pose a little bit with every photo, until we had over a dozen like that.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Angela asked when we finished with that scene. ¡°Hot?¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t shoot those kinds of nudes,¡± I said, both disappointed and relieved we were done with that particular set.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, commercially,¡± Angela said, pausing to take a sip of her Seven Up. ¡°Those pictures are purely for, um, personal enjoyment.¡±


    ¡°And you were calling me an exhibitionist!¡± I protested.


    Laughing, Angela reclined on the couch. ¡°Not for my enjoyment,¡± she said, arranging her legs artfully. ¡°Try from over there, sitting on the chair,¡± she said, pointing.


    I shot a few from the angle she had indicated and was just checking the little screen on the back of the camera when Angela came over to look.


    As she leaned in to peer at the tiny view screen, I felt her boob brush against my bare arm, her nipple leaving a trail of goosebumps where it grazed my skin.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I like that. Let¡¯s shoot some more from that same angle,¡± Angela said, not noticing the contact.


    She lay back on the couch again, one heel up on the back and the other foot down on the floor. She was playing with her long, dark hair, trying to get it to drape just right across her chest when Emmy came home.


    Startled, I stood up, embarrassed, but Emmy just glanced at Angela on her way over to give me a hello kiss.


    ¡°Have you two thought about dinner at all?¡± Emmy asked, sitting down on the arm of the chair I was shooting from. ¡°I am very hungry.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve been taking pictures ever since Leah got home,¡± Angela said, sitting up. ¡°I could cook something really quick, if you want. How does a chicken salad sound?¡±


    ¡°I would love you forever,¡± Emmy replied, sounding exhausted. ¡°But I would hate to interrupt your photography session.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s O.K., we can take more pictures after dinner,¡± Angela said. ¡°We got a few good sets in already.¡±


    A bit bewildered by Emmy¡¯s completely casual attitude towards finding Angela bare-ass naked in her living room, I asked Emmy, ¡°Would a shower help?¡±


    ¡°A shower would be lovely,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But I am too tired to bathe myself. I would appreciate it very much if you could help me with that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to help in any way I can,¡± I said, setting down the camera and scooping Emmy up in my arms. I carried her to the bathroom and set her gently on her feet. We both quickly ditched our clothes and were soon relaxing under the gentle rain shower head. As I lathered up Emmy¡¯s hair, I could practically hear her purring in contentment.


    ¡°What happened today, that you¡¯re so wiped out?¡± I asked as I helped rinse the shampoo from her silky white hair.


    ¡°This new album is very challenging,¡± Emmy said as she leaned back into me. ¡°Lee has a vision of a grand concept album- he hopes to make an OK Computer for our generation, and he is obsessing over every detail. I understand and agree with what he wants to do, but it is so very much work- far more than all of our previous albums combined.¡±


    ¡°Why is Lee the one who gets to determine this? You make it sound like it¡¯s his record.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Emmy answered. ¡°While we worked on our first album, we decided that after that one, we would each take a turn and make the record we each wanted. ¡®Dark Times¡¯ was my album, ¡®Jay Cool¡¯ was Jackson¡¯s, and now this one is Lee¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Huh. I guess I didn¡¯t know that, but it makes sense,¡± I said, soaping up Emmy¡¯s back. ¡°So after this one, do you get the next? Does the rotation start over?¡±


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°We have not discussed it. It may be that this will be our last as The Downfall.¡±


    ¡°Really? I have a hard time imagining that,¡± I said.


    ¡°I do, too,¡± Emmy sighed, then moaned as I soaped up that spot where her legs got together and really made an ass of themselves.


    ¡°Leah¡­¡± Emmy murmured. ¡°I love the way you touch me.¡±


    ¡°I love to touch you, so that works out for both of us,¡± I responded, pulling Emmy upright and against me, so we got maximum slippery, soapy contact.


    Emmy giggled, wriggling like a sexy eel in my arms. Eventually we got done fooling around, so I rinsed her off, then rinsed the soap off my own body. We toweled off, then threw on some comfy clothes and joined Angela (who was also now dressed) in the kitchen for the salad she¡¯d made.


    ¡°Thank you for making dinner, Angela,¡± Emmy said as we ate. ¡°This is perfect. Just what I needed.¡±


    After dinner, Emmy relaxed on the couch while Angela and I shot some more photos. I was happy Emmy was there to see how the process went, since I knew Angela had shown her the pics we shot last time.


    Angela wanted to shoot out on the balcony, using the distant lights of downtown as backdrop, so we did that for almost an hour before she got a little too chilled. It wasn¡¯t a cold night, but when you aren¡¯t wearing a stitch even a mild breeze can cool you off.


    Angela took the camera and parked right next to Emmy on the couch, showing her the pics on the little screen on the back.


    ¡°Look- this one¡¯s really good,¡± she said.


    ¡°That is very sexy,¡± Emmy agreed, taking the camera and looking more closely. ¡°Angela,¡± she said, ¡°I would like an art print of this photo. I would like to frame it, if that is O.K. with you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Angela asked. ¡°I¡¯d be honored!¡±


    Later, cuddling Emmy in bed, I asked, ¡°Did it bother you to come home and find Angela naked?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I know she has a crush on you, and wants you, but I am the one who has you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do have me,¡± I agreed.

 Must Be Nice

    The next couple of days at school were unremarkable. I continued to sit next to Li, and continued to eat lunch with Myles. It was easy enough companionship, and the schoolwork itself was basic at this point. Since most currently-employed MBA students had non-business Bachelor¡¯s degrees, the week was mostly an introduction to the sort of terms and language I¡¯d been swimming in for the last three years at Stanford.


    I understood the need to go over this material, but it was so basic I really didn¡¯t even bother taking notes in lecture, mostly just listening for any new nuggets of wisdom.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you even going to pretend to pay attention?¡± Li asked at one point. ¡°You know there¡¯s going to be a test.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is,¡± I replied. ¡°But this is all review for me. I just graduated three months ago from Stanford¡¯s business school, so I¡¯ve been neck-deep in this stuff for a while now.¡±


    ¡°You just got out of college?¡± Li asked, surprised. ¡°Like, this June?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, nodding.


    ¡°But you already have your own company?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I started it late in my freshman year,¡± I said.


    ¡°Overachiever,¡± Li grumbled, jokingly.


    Tuesday night I voiced a bit of concern about taking Angela with us to Chicago. ¡°We¡¯re going to be doing Night Children stuff, and she doesn¡¯t need to know anything about any of that,¡± I said to Emmy, but she brushed it off.


    ¡°We have already invited her, so it is too late to disinvite,¡± she said. ¡°And Angela does not need to follow us around when we go to our meeting with this ¡®Boss¡¯ individual. She can go out on her own, or stay in the hotel. She is an adult, after all.¡±


    Emmy hadn¡¯t been there in Vancouver when Rahsett and King Marfan grabbed Grace so she didn¡¯t really understand my misgivings, but I could understand her position, so I gave in.


    What I didn¡¯t tell Emmy was that I was going to ask Grant Henry to stick to Angela like glue every time she wasn¡¯t with us, just to keep her safe.


    Dinner on Wednesday was a hit- Stephen and his girlfriend brought wine, and so did Teddy Bear- his from the vineyard owned by the singer from the band Tool. Apparently Teddy Bear¡¯s last shoot was in the same town in Arizona where the vineyard was located.


    Of course, Andy brought brown liquor. After a hug hello, he handed me a bag containing a bottle of whiskey from a distillery in Texas, where the Rams had most recently played.


    ¡°I¡¯m told this stuff is great in Old Fashioneds,¡± he said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to try it out,¡± I suggested.


    The evening went by really well, the wine (and cocktails) flowed, and the conversation was easy. At one point Stephen¡¯s girlfriend (whose name I honestly can¡¯t remember, but she seemed nice enough) commented on how nice our place was, and Emmy told her we were renting it furnished, until our new place was finished being remodeled.


    ¡°Leah said the place is fifty thousand square feet,¡± Stephen said to his girlfriend.


    ¡°The building is that big,¡± Andy said, "But the part they¡¯re making into a house is only what, ten thousand square feet?¡± he asked, looking at me for confirmation.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about right,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the rest of it, then?¡± Stephen¡¯s girlfriend asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a friggin¡¯ movie studio,¡± Andy said. ¡°Well, I mean, Emmy¡¯s gonna use it as a rehearsal space and recording studio, but it has a sound stage big enough to film whatever you want in there.¡±


    ¡°A sound stage? Like at Universal Studios?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like one big room, about as big as a grocery store inside, right? And it¡¯s two and a half stories tall inside, with rigging for lights and sets and things, with a catwalk around the outside and across the middle, like twenty feet up,¡± Andy said, warming to the subject.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen it?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Leah and I went and talked to the general contractor the other day. I gotta say, that guy knows his shit. I mean, he¡¯s really on top of it, and it¡¯s a big project.¡±


    ¡°It sounds amazing,¡± Stephen¡¯s girlfriend said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like much right now, just a construction site,¡± Angela said. ¡°But you can see that it¡¯ll be spectacular.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me, Lee,¡± Andy said. ¡°We need to set up a time that Jenna and I can come over to your office.¡±


    ¡°Any day early next week,¡± I said. ¡°Just call or text me to let me know when you¡¯re headed over.¡±


    ¡°Cool, cool,¡± he said.


    After everybody left, the three of us took a few minutes to straighten up before heading to bed.


    ¡°I like your friends,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s nice to just have friends over for dinner and to hang out, you know?¡±


    ¡°You know, Ange, this is your place, too. If you want to invite people over, feel free.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have anybody I¡¯d want to invite over like that,¡± Angela said, her face thoughtful. ¡°But I¡¯ve been thinking of sending my little sister airline tickets to come visit, if that¡¯s O.K. with you guys.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it,¡± I said. ¡°Has she been to the U.S. before?¡±


    ¡°Just to Miami, right after I came to the States.¡±


    ¡°Well, now you will be able to take her around in your new car, so you two should do some sightseeing while she is here,¡± Emmy said. ¡°There are so many amazing things to see.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d like that,¡± Angela agreed.


    Angela asked if she could go with me for the Saturday morning group drive, and once I¡¯d explained that the speed might be quite high but she still didn¡¯t back out, I said she was welcome to come along.


    ¡°You are braver than I am,¡± Emmy said to Angela as we were leaving the apartment.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright,¡± Angela said with a giggle. ¡°I¡¯m too pretty to die.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to crash, right?¡± Angela asked as I pulled the M6 out of the garage.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t yet,¡± I said.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a chance you might?¡±


    ¡°Heck, there¡¯s always a chance we might get in a car crash, even if we¡¯re just driving down to the grocery store,¡± I replied. ¡°Life is a series of risks.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Angela said, unconvinced.


    When we pulled up to the meeting spot, Geoff, Stein and Stephen were already there, sipping on convenience store coffee.


    ¡°Hi, Stephen,¡± Angela said brightly as she climbed out of the BMW.


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    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Stephen said, waving his cup in her direction.


    ¡°Is Teddy Bear coming today?¡± I asked. ¡°He said something about maybe having a shoot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he texted me last night,¡± Stein said. ¡°Said he¡¯ll be here.¡±


    Just then, Jimmy and his sister pulled up in his Ferrari. ¡°Hey, chica!¡± he called out to Angela as he rolled past. ¡°Hey, Liz!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve met?¡± Stein asked me, one eyebrow raised, Spock-style.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve met,¡± I said. ¡°Stein, Geoff, this is my friend Angela. Angela, this is Geoff, and that¡¯s Stein. Of course, you remember Stephen, and who could forget Jimmy? That¡¯s Jimmy¡¯s little sister. She doesn¡¯t talk much, but when she does, it¡¯s usually to call her brother an asshole,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Nailed it,¡± Geoff said with a laugh.


    Jimmy¡¯s sister didn¡¯t bother getting out of the car, so Jimmy made his way alone across the parking lot to greet us.


    ¡°Hey, dudes,¡± he said. Then, turning to Angela, he said, ¡°And dudette.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Jimmy,¡± came the reply chorus.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the haps today? Is Teddy Bear gonna make it?¡± Jimmy asked. ¡°Are we just gonna stand around like idiots?¡±


    ¡°Well, you are, for sure,¡± Stein replied.


    ¡°Ooh, ouch! Why you gotta be so hurtful?¡± Jimmy demanded.


    Just then Teddy Bear¡¯s Corvette rolled to a stop next to us and the window slid down.


    ¡°You guys ready, or what?¡± he asked. ¡°Hey, Angela,¡± he said, nodding in her direction. ¡°If riding with Leah gets too terrifying, I¡¯ve got a seat for you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, Teddy, maybe,¡± she replied with a laugh.


    It was Geoff¡¯s turn to lead out, so when he called out that it was time to saddle up, we all got back in our respective cars and filed out of the parking lot.


    ¡°Well, I guess the other three are going to have no problem figuring out there was a party they weren¡¯t invited to,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Angela asked. Up ahead, Stein did a smooth ninety-degree drift through a left turn at the light, so I followed his example, breaking the rear tires loose through the intersection.


    Angela had the door¡¯s grab handle in a death grip, I noticed, but didn¡¯t say anything more than a quiet ¡°Eep!¡±


    Geoff¡¯s routes were always predictable, and as Stein and I were the last in line, we spent the time goofing off and getting sideways wherever we could, leaving black rubber stripes on the road everywhere we went. It was silly fun, and Angela seemed to relax once she accepted that it was intentional and I never actually lost control of the car.


    When it came time for the lunch break Back at Malibu Village, Geoff (again, predictably) led us to the Italian restaurant back a block off the PCH. Sure, the place is good, but it was all old-style Southern Italian cooking, and always sat really heavy in my stomach afterwards.


    As usual, we grabbed the big table by the kitchen, and the waiter brought over an extra chair and place setting to accommodate our larger-than-usual group.


    ¡°So, Angela, what do you think of the Saturday drive?¡± Teddy Bear asked after we¡¯d ordered.


    ¡°You guys are all maniacs!¡± she said with a laugh, her expressive face showing that she had fun.


    ¡°Some of us more than others,¡± Teddy Bear replied. ¡°You should have been there at the track day- that was epic.¡±


    ¡°Epic isn¡¯t the word I¡¯d use to describe it. More like terrifying,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°Your girlfriend there showed us all her true colors,¡± he said, tilting his head at me. ¡°The rest of us are lucky to have survived the experience.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no lie,¡± agreed Stephen. ¡°I mean, seriously.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve been there,¡± Stein said, elbowing Geoff. ¡°The sound of Leah¡¯s old GT-R blasting past is gonna haunt my nightmares for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, true dat,¡± Teddy Bear agreed. ¡°I was real happy when she switched to the BMW- it doesn¡¯t sound nearly so freaking psycho.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really gonna miss that car,¡± I sighed. ¡°Me and Godzilla, we had something special.¡±


    ¡°Godzilla?¡± Angela asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Her green and black Nissan GT-R GT3,¡± Stein explained. ¡°It¡¯s called that because it¡¯s from Japan, and it destroys anything in its path.¡±


    ¡°You had another race car before that BMW I saw?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah, a particularly mean one,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°But she sold it to a dude she knows from up in the Bay Area. Two hundred and fifty grand, just like that,¡± he said, snapping his fingers. ¡°Dude didn¡¯t bat an eye at dropping that coin, either. But then, his car was a Porsche worth a million and a half, which Liz said she¡¯s gonna buy from him.¡±


    ¡°A million and a half dollars? For a car?¡± Angela asked, looking at me with wide eyes. ¡°Explain to me again why you don¡¯t have a yacht?¡±


    ¡°I know, right?" Jimmy agreed.


    After lunch, Angela and I stopped off at the new house to see how things were going, and the progress in just the last week was impressive. Ned was there, talking to the architect that specializes in recording and film studios. They were deep in discussion, so I saw no need to interrupt beyond just saying hello and telling Ned everything was looking good.


    ¡°This place really will be amazing when it¡¯s done,¡± Angela said as we watched a giant crane lifting a fully grown coral tree into place on the slope behind the pool, which had already been shaped, awaiting the final plaster coat.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really looking forward to moving in,¡± I said as we got into the car to leave.


    ¡°Are you still thinking it¡¯ll be in six months?¡±


    ¡°Like Andy said the other night, the last five per cent of the work takes fifty per cent of the time,¡± I replied. ¡°But it really seems like Ned is extra motivated to earn that early completion bonus I promised him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for my own place,¡± Angela said, looking out the window. ¡°I¡¯ll have something by the time we move out of The Century.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, patting her leg. ¡°Emmy and I have discussed it, and we¡¯re O.K. if you don¡¯t get a place by then. This place has seven bedrooms, so you can stay here with us if you want.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Emmy and I are happy to have you stay with us as long as you want,¡± I confirmed.


    Angela quickly unbuckled her seat belt and threw her arms around me the moment I pulled up to the stop sign at the end of the street. ¡°You guys are the best!¡± Angela said. ¡°I love you guys!¡±


    Not really knowing what to do, I patted her on the back, hoping she would stop crying. She did, after a few minutes. As she sat back and buckled up again, she said, ¡°You and Emmy have been so good to me, even though you had no reason to be. You two are so¡­¡±


    I patted her leg again and said, ¡°We¡¯ve loved having you stay with us, too.¡±


    When Emmy got home from practice, I told her about my conversation with Angela.


    ¡°I do enjoy having her living with us,¡± Emmy said.


    Going back to work on Monday was sort of a nice, familiar feeling. I¡¯d grown comfortable in my office there on Wilshire, and after being away for a week it felt a bit like a sort of homecoming.


    ¡°Marisa, tell Jake I need to talk to him when he gets a chance,¡± I said as I walked in, then went and settled into my chair, opening my laptop to look at the morning¡¯s emails. I¡¯d had a really good session with Jody that morning, and was feeling ready to take on the world.


    Jake hustled in moments later, asking, ¡°What¡¯s up, boss?¡±


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± I instructed him, and he sat down, looking worried.


    ¡°Relax,¡± I said. ¡°You look as if you expect me to yell, or something.¡±


    ¡°Marisa made it sound like you came in on the warpath or something,¡± Jake admitted.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°No, no warpath. Just the opposite. I wanted to talk to you about a few things, and none of them are bad, I promise.¡±


    Seeing the relief on the heavyset man¡¯s face, I continued. ¡°First off, I¡¯m generally pretty happy with the way things are going here in this office, and I think you and I have the same basic philosophy on how to do property management, so I¡¯m going to make you the head of the division. Now, we both know how the Peter Principle works, right? So I¡¯m not gonna give you managerial duties. You don¡¯t need that, and that may or may not be where your strengths lie. You¡¯re going to head the property management aspects of the office. You¡¯ll take over from me in that regard.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Jake asked, floored.


    ¡°Absolutely. You¡¯re the new boss. It¡¯s your show now.¡±


    ¡°Um, raise?¡±


    ¡°For sure. Like I said, you don¡¯t need to do any managing people, though- I¡¯m going to hand that to Brenda. You don¡¯t need to worry about any of that. All you need to do is focus on the properties and the tenants. Brenda will take over the back end.¡±


    ¡°Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to realign my focus on the trust and the venture capital work,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m happy with what you¡¯ve been doing here, and I¡¯m confident that you¡¯ll run things for me just fine while I step back and do other things. You understand my vision, and we see eye to eye on pretty much everything on the property management front,¡± I explained.


    ¡°All right,¡± Jake said, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°So, can I hire and fire?¡±


    ¡°If you think it¡¯s called for, yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s your shop, now. You want Tracy gone?¡±


    ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°Talk to Brenda. I¡¯ve documented enough of what looks like graft to make a solid case for firing her,¡± I said. ¡°But as the office manager, it¡¯s Brenda¡¯s job to do the actual firing now.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I think I¡¯m beginning to understand the division of labor between Brenda and me. I run the business, she runs the office?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. There¡¯s no need for you to even bother with hours, payroll, any of that stuff. I want you to focus on growing our portfolio, keeping the properties in top shape, and dealing with the owners, more and more of whom will be me. I¡¯m going to be doing a lot of buying in the region.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Jake said again. ¡°You said a few things?¡±


    ¡°What do you know about Angel City Realty Advisors?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a medium-sized player in the property management business, maybe about our size. They mostly work in the Los Feliz and Silver Lake areas, if I remember right. I think they¡¯re trying to move into the investment trust field, but I haven¡¯t heard that it¡¯s going too well for them.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Well, from what I¡¯ve heard, and this is third or fourth hand at best, they¡¯re mainly having a problem attracting capital. They¡¯ve been known for managing lower-end properties, and not a lot of investors want the ¡®slum lord¡¯ stigma, know what I mean?¡± Jake said.


    ¡°Interesting. Ever heard of a guy named Myles Johansson?¡±


    ¡°He work at Angel City?¡± Jake asked. ¡°Never heard of him. Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in my class at UCLA Anderson. He seems unhappy over there, and I was wondering if we want to poach him,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around,¡± Jake promised.


    ¡°Cool. Last thing- I¡¯ll be taking a long weekend. Leaving Thursday night, coming home Tuesday. Since I have class on Thursdays and Tuesdays, my last day here in the office will be Wednesday, and I¡¯ll be back the following Wednesday.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice to be the boss,¡± Jake said. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to straighten out some shit in Chicago, then Emmy and I are going to New York for a couple of days to see how the townhouse is coming along.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you just dropped over ten million bucks on an Upper East Side townhouse you aren¡¯t even going to live in,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°Midtown East,¡± I corrected. ¡°And it¡¯s because Emmy wanted to buy it.¡±


    ¡°My wife wanted to buy a new car, and I said no. You know, that¡¯s a word you can use every so often,¡± Jake said, but I could tell he was just giving me a hard time.


    ¡°Well, with your new job bonus, now you can say yes,¡± I said.

 I Want This

    On Wednesday morning, Jenna and Andy came by the office pretty much first thing. I brought up some properties, and we considered a few, ultimately deciding to go and look at two houses in Sherman Oaks that we¡¯d just bought but hadn¡¯t done anything to yet. After touring the two houses and discussing what could be done with them, Andy and Jenna chose the less expensive of the two. It did have a better location, and better bones- it just needed more work.


    Back at the office, Andy and Jenna sat down, and, nervous as anything, started the bank transfer of two million dollars to cover the purchase price and expected remodel costs, with the remaining one point one million to go into the investment trust.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much all the money I got from signing,¡± Andy explained. ¡°My contract is structured so that I get three hundred grand a year for the remainder, and then any bonuses as they happen. I figure we can pay off our student loans and live on half that, if we don¡¯t have a mortgage or anything, so we want to keep adding to the trust as we go along. That¡¯s cool, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°And you can withdraw any time you need it, too. It¡¯s your money. I¡¯m just investing it for you guys.¡±


    ¡°What if you have a loss?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°What happens then?¡±


    ¡°Over the long term, there is no such thing in real estate in California. We may hit a bumpy patch, but that only ever lasts a few years at the most, historically speaking. Look at the Great Recession, for example. That was the worst economic decline since the Depression in the Thirties, right? Southern California home prices took a serious hit, but within four years were higher than before. Smart money was buying everything they could back then, knowing it was going to go back up.¡±


    ¡°Like Will Rogers said,¡± Andy explained, holding Jenna¡¯s hand. ¡°Buy land. They ain¡¯t making any more of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it boils down to, all right,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You guys are coming over tonight, right?¡± I asked as they were leaving.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Jenna replied. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s like, the highlight of our week, having dinner over at you guys¡¯ place.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t invited Stephen and Teddy Bear that week and they had no idea it was a recurring event, so I texted to Emmy that she should ask Jen, Lee and Jackson over that night. They all agreed, and Jackson asked if it¡¯d be O.K. if he brought a date, so we said sure. At nine people, dinner would get a little bit unwieldy since the dining table only had eight chairs, but we could make something work.


    As it turned out, Jackson¡¯s current girlfriend couldn¡¯t make it, so eight chairs was enough. We didn¡¯t really spend all that long at the dining table, though. Since September is Southern California¡¯s warmest month, the temperature was perfect out on the balcony even after the sun went down. While the rest of us relaxed, Emmy and Jackson sang a duet accompanied only by her guitar and Lee drumming on the table- a really nice, soulful rendition of that old Willie Nelson song, Seven Spanish Angels. When they finished, clapping from the next balcony over could be heard, even though a wall separated the two balconies.


    ¡°Lacy?¡± Emmy called out.


    ¡°Hey, Emmy, don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m just enjoying hearing you guys sing,¡± came the disembodied voice.


    ¡°Come on over!¡± Emmy replied. ¡°We are just drinking wine and enjoying the evening- we would love to have you join us.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Emmy said.


    A few minutes later, Lacy was handing Emmy a bottle of wine and taking a seat on one of the couches, next to Jenna. A quick round of introductions later, and it was like she¡¯d been there all along, engaging in the conversation perfectly comfortably.


    It turned out she had been an actress when she was younger and had made a lot of money starring in a popular family drama I¡¯d never seen, socking it away in a time when that just wasn¡¯t fashionable. She¡¯d gotten out of acting, investing her royalties and never needing to work again. She was over twice as old as any of the rest of us, but was every bit as current as anybody and did just fine with the group.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a loss when you two move out,¡± she lamented at one point. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss our lunches, Emmy.¡±


    ¡°That is nice of you to say,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°There is no reason we cannot still get together- after all, Hollywood is not that far away.¡±


    ¡°I suppose not,¡± agreed Lacy. ¡°And it¡¯ll be good to get out of the house once in a while.¡±


    Going inside to mix up some more drinks, I found Jenna talking to Jen about the house she and Andy were buying from me.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been doing a lot of house hunting, you know?¡± Jenna said. ¡°And Leah is one hundred per cent right. It does all come down to buying the worst house on the best block, and with her contractors, soon it¡¯s gonna be the best house on the block.¡±


    ¡°I wish we didn¡¯t buy where we did,¡± lamented Jen. ¡°The area¡¯s all right, I guess, but the neighbors all suck, and the house is old and kinda crappy. It looks charming enough, but it needs more work than it could ever justify, if you know what I mean. I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right place for us.¡±


    ¡°With the new studio being built,¡± I said as I mixed up some Boulevardiers, ¡°It should be easy to talk Lee into moving closer to Hollywood.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, wouldn¡¯t that be awesome!¡± Jen said, accepting the drink I handed her.


    After everybody left and Emmy and I snuggled in bed, she told me, ¡°I took Angela shopping today. I bought her some nice clothes to wear on the trip.¡±


    ¡°She has a ton of clothes,¡± I objected. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her closet. It¡¯s jammed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it is all that ¡®fast fashion¡¯ that the clothing company she represents sells. I am certain you have noticed it is a bit¡­ unsophisticated,¡± Emmy said as she snuggled into my ¡®big spoon¡¯.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t necessarily call it trashy,¡± I hedged. ¡°But yeah, a lot of it is, um¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly. That is why I took her shopping for clothes of a higher quality.¡±


    ¡°That was nice of you,¡± I said.


    ¡°If she is going to be our¡­ Our long-term companion, I would like it if she would dress a little bit better.¡±


    ¡®Our long-term companion¡¯? I mused, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Since I¡¯d packed that morning, all I had to do after class was take a quick shower and throw on some casual clothes, and we all climbed into the X6 for the short drive to the Burbank airport. I pulled up in front of the executive terminal and the porter took our bags while the valet gave me a receipt for the key to the car.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a real airport,¡± Angela said doubtfully as we followed the porter¡¯s cart out onto the tarmac. As soon as Angela realized we were headed to a private jet, she let out a little squeal of excitement.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You guys have your own jet? How come you never told me?¡±


    ¡°It actually belongs to Emmy¡¯s parents- we¡¯re just borrowing it for the week.¡±


    ¡°Bonsoir, Mademoiselle Lascaux,¡± said the pretty attendant whose name I could never remember. ¡°Bonsoir, Mademoiselle Farmer.¡±


    As we took our seats, Angela¡¯s wide eyes took in everything. ¡°This is amazing,¡± she said. ¡°Is it O.K. if I take pictures for the socials?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°But do not mention that the plane belongs to my parents.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Angela replied, still stunned.


    The moment we hit cruising elevation Angela handed me her phone to snap some photos, and we went through the whole routine of angles and poses, much to the attendant¡¯s amusement. In fact, we even got her to take a couple of shots of the three of us together, sipping champagne.


    A few hours later we landed at Chicago Executive, where a driver was waiting to take us into town. It was very late at night (or very early in the morning) when we checked into the hotel downtown, but the desk clerk had known to expect us and soon enough we were up in our two-bedroom suite on the twelfth floor.


    After the bellhop left, Angela flopped down on the couch in the living room. ¡°God, this is so amazing!¡± she said. "Thank you guys for bringing me with you!¡±


    ¡°I am tired,¡± Emmy announced. ¡°I am going to go pass out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°See you guys in the morning,¡± Angela said as she took out her phone to snap a few selfies in the luxurious suite¡¯s main room.


    ¡°Do not stay up too late,¡± Emmy advised. ¡°We have sight-seeing to do tomorrow.¡±


    I slept in the next morning, which I rarely ever do. Of course, the two hour time zone difference made it even later, but good rest is sometimes more important than rising to meet the dawn. Even with my laziness, I was still the first one up and so I had time to do some yoga before the others stumbled out of bed.


    We had a late breakfast at the hotel¡¯s second-story restaurant, with great views of the Chicago River to the south. After we ate, we walked the few blocks east along the River Walk to the Millennium Park.


    ¡°I want to see that big shiny bean thing,¡± Emmy had announced, so that was first on our list to see. As expected, Angela took a fair number of selfies, as well as shots of the sights we passed as we walked. Further south, along the shore of Lake Michigan, we hit the thing I wanted to see- the aquarium. I¡¯d heard it was well worth the time, and it absolutely was. Having lived my whole life within a few miles of the Pacific Ocean, I had never really given any thought to what sort of aquatic life might even exist in the Great Lakes, and was surprised by the diversity and vibrancy of the exhibits. Of course, they had coral reef tanks and so on, but it was the freshwater tanks that really made me stop and stare. For Angela and Emmy, the best part was the shallow petting tank where you could feed and touch the stingrays, but I¡¯d seen that before at Sea World when I was little.


    I got a work call while we were walking back to the hotel, so I dropped back behind the other two to talk. Brenda had a question about the new office organization chart, and what to do about Tracy- easy stuff to answer. While I talked, I watched Emmy and Angela walking, admiring the way their hips swayed as they strolled, and their nice, firm legs and great butts. I like boobs as much as the next girl, but I am on the record as a strong believer in great butts.


    Emmy leaned in to point something out to Angela, and they paused for a moment, Emmy taking Angela¡¯s hand to get her walking again afterwards. The two held hands for a while, laughing and chatting as they walked, making for a truly charming sight.


    After we returned to the hotel, Emmy settled down for an afternoon nap while I got out my laptop to get a couple of hours of work done. Angela did the same, but her work involved some photo adjustments and uploading to Facebook, Instagram and who knows what else.


    ¡°Emmy mentioned dinner plans,¡± Angela said, looking up from her computer. ¡°Do you know what time?¡±


    ¡°I think we have an eight o¡¯clock reservation,¡± I answered absently. ¡°The car¡¯ll pick us up at twenty of.¡±


    ¡°I need to take a shower and get ready,¡± Angela decided, looking at her watch.


    ¡°It¡¯s still two hours before time to leave,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    About an hour later, I woke Emmy up and we took a shower together. We had a little bit of fun, but not too much, since we really didn¡¯t have all that much time. September weather in Chicago is nice and warm in the day, but it cools off quickly in the evenings, so I wore a blazer with my Oxford shirt and nice trousers. Emmy chose a beautiful forest green silk shirt and black pencil skirt, looking stunning as always. She opted to wear her pearls, setting off the satiny smoothness of her charcoal-black skin and her white, white hair. When Emmy dressed up, nobody, and I do mean nobody, could possibly compare.


    Angela came out of her room wearing a snug, self-belted knit dress in a dove gray. It was elegant but not too much so- and clearly showed Emmy¡¯s touch in its selection. She looked great, and certainly a lot more classy than her usual outfits.


    The limo was waiting for us when we exited the lobby, the dark-suited driver standing beside the car. He opened the door and helped Emmy in first, then Angela, then me. Of course, as soon as we got rolling towards Lincoln Park, Angela had her phone out and was taking selfies to post. I can¡¯t even say that I found it annoying- after all, selling this ¡®aspirational lifestyle¡¯ was her job, and she was diligent about it.


    The restaurant had been listed by Cond¨¦ Nast as among the top twenty in the world, so I was looking forward to dinner and wondering how it would compare with some of the other world-class restaurants we¡¯d eaten at. My initial impression of the place was very positive. We¡¯d booked a table for four (necessary, since they only took reservations for even numbers of patrons) on the main floor, so we could watch the chefs through the glass wall separating the small dining area from the kitchen. The maitre d¡¯ promptly sat us at our table, and within moments the sommelier was asking about our preference for wine pairings. I let Emmy handle that, since I still really didn¡¯t know much about wines, even after reading all Luisa¡¯s emails on the subject of our New York cellar.


    Angela, predictably, was awe-struck, marveling at the small restaurant¡¯s elegance and the other patrons¡¯ obvious wealth.


    Wealth is good, and it¡¯ll get you reservations at places like that, but fame is what you need to get a table on demand, which Emmy had essentially done. She¡¯d mentioned that typically the place is reserved two to three months in advance, but she got us a table on the day she requested with only a week¡¯s lead time.


    Of course, having extremely recognizable patrons enhances a restaurant¡¯s cachet, so places like this always kept a table open for celebrities. It isn¡¯t fair, by any measure, but it¡¯s true.


    The tasting menu was truly excellent, on par with anything I¡¯d ever eaten, and Angela soon got over the shock of these tiny little morsels of food served up like jewelry, perfect examples of presentation as much as of the culinary arts. Of course, it was all supremely delicious, especially the quail drumsticks- truly heavenly.


    The wine pairings were indeed stellar as well, and even my unrefined palate appreciated the way the wines complemented the many tiny little tidbits cooked to perfection.


    All those little courses do add up, eventually, and it¡¯s fair to say that we left the restaurant with our bellies full enough, our heads buzzed enough, and our tongues very happy, indeed. Dinner took nearly two and a half hours, as these things do, so we had no plans for afterwards except to return to the hotel, basking in the glow of a fantastic dinner. Even though I¡¯d had to pay for the empty fourth seat, dinner with the wine came to significantly less than I¡¯d expect to pay back in the Bay Area or in New York, so I didn¡¯t complain at all.


    Angela, though, was curious how much I¡¯d just spent for dinner and didn¡¯t get the hint when I tried to change the subject. Eventually, I had to admit that with gratuity, it came to just shy of three grand, all told.


    ¡°Three thousand dollars? For dinner?¡± she breathed, having a hard time wrapping her brain around the idea. ¡°How much is our hotel room?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen hundred a night,¡± I told her, making her eyes open even wider.


    She took a moment to think about it, and then said, ¡°It¡¯s costing you almost three thousand dollars to bring me here to Chicago¡­ Just for the one dinner and hotel¡­ plus however much it costs to fly the plane, and the limo, and breakfast¡­ So maybe five thousand dollars?¡±


    ¡°Angela, stop that line of thinking right now,¡± I said. ¡°We invited you because we enjoy your company, and we both thought you¡¯d enjoy a little trip out of town.¡±


    At that, Angela sat back in her seat there in the limo and looked pensive, so Emmy just took her hand and held it.


    ¡°It is true, Angela,¡± she said. ¡°We wanted you here, and that is what matters.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Angela said, softly, and by the looks of it, she was on the verge of tears. ¡°That was the best meal I¡¯ve ever had in my life, and you two have been so¡­¡± That was as far as she got before the tears did well up and spill out, but they were happy tears, at least. ¡°Today has been so wonderful. Thank you, both of you.¡±


    When we got back to our twelfth-floor suite, Angela disappeared immediately into her room, while I went to the refrigerator and got myself a bottle of water. Emmy and I had just started talking about the next day¡¯s plans when Angela returned, completely nude. She came over to where Emmy and I were looking out the window down at State Street and reached out and took our hands.


    ¡°Leah, Emmy,¡± Angela said, nerves making her voice a little unsteady. ¡°I want you two to¡­ take me to bed with you. I want to give myself to you two. I want you two to make love to me tonight. I want¡­¡± she said, trailing off, not sure how to express herself. ¡°I want you. I want you both, and I really, really hope you want me, too.¡±


    I was completely floored, so I looked to Emmy for guidance. She looked up at me and said in a very soft voice, ¡°I want this, too.¡± Then, almost too quietly for me to hear, she added, ¡°For us.¡±

 Household Of Three

    I gave her a questioning look and she nodded, so I nodded back. Reassured, Emmy used her free hand to stroke Angela¡¯s cheek, gently turning Angela¡¯s head her way.


    ¡°Angela,¡± Emmy said, gently. ¡°We want this, too.¡± Leaning in, she kissed Angela, tender and sweet. I followed suit and used my free hand to do the same, turning Angela my way, then leaning down and kissing her, a nice sort of ¡®let¡¯s get to know each other better¡¯ kiss.


    Angela didn¡¯t want to leave it at that, so she pushed harder against my lips, and soon enough, my tongue slipped past her lips and started exploring.


    Angela welcomed the intrusion, and within moments, my arms were wrapped around her nude form, pulling her in while I deepened my kiss. While I was plundering Angela¡¯s mouth, Emmy embraced Angela from behind, nuzzling her ear.


    Breaking from the kiss, I suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s take this to the bedroom.¡±


    As I leaned back to look at Angela¡¯s face to see how she was doing, I noticed Emmy¡¯s hands cupping Angela¡¯s breasts, her long, graceful fingers playing with the little barbell jewelry piercing the nipples.


    ¡°You two take baths together a lot,¡± Angela said, surprisingly shyly given the circumstances. ¡°The tubs here are huge. Do you suppose we could¡­¡±


    ¡°I would enjoy that,¡± Emmy said as she stroked Angela¡¯s six-pack abs. ¡°Very much.¡±


    I followed Emmy and Angela to the bath on our side of the two-bedroom suite, admiring Angela¡¯s bare butt, and thinking about the way Emmy was holding Angela¡¯s hand. It seemed to reassure Angela, who despite being the one to precipitate the situation seemed the least confident of the three of us.


    She¡¯d told me she¡¯d never even kissed another woman before, much less gave any thought to having sex with one, so I could understand her trepidation, and was happy that Emmy was being so gentle with Angela.


    Emmy started the water while Angela stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do, so I drew her into my arms for another kiss.


    When we parted, I asked, ¡°Would you like to undress Emmy or me?¡±


    Emmy had already kicked off her shoes, so I pointed Angela in her direction. ¡°Make it fun,¡± I suggested when Angela hesitated.


    After a couple of nervous steps, Angela stood in front of Emmy, unsure what to do. Emmy took Angela¡¯s hands and held them for a moment, then brought one to her lips and kissed it.


    ¡°Angela,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Imagine how you would want a lover to treat you. Do that to me.¡±


    Following instructions, Angela apprehensively started to unbutton Emmy¡¯s blouse, starting at the top. Encouraged by Emmy¡¯s gentle smile, Angela continued with the buttons with more confidence, occasionally using the back of her fingers to ¡®accidentally¡¯ brush against Emmy¡¯s bare skin underneath.


    While this was happening I adjusted the water temperature to more rational levels of hot, then quickly stripped out of my own clothes, but making sure I kept watching the incredibly erotic show the two others were putting on.


    Angela was pleased to discover that Emmy wasn¡¯t wearing a bra, and when she slipped the silk blouse off of Emmy, she dared to lean down and kiss Emmy¡¯s bare shoulder. Emmy stood a bit straighter, encouraging Angela. Angela kissed Emmy¡¯s collarbone, drawing her hands up Emmy¡¯s sides, and finally cupping Emmy¡¯s breasts. She leaned down farther and kissed the top of Emmy¡¯s left breast, then the right.


    Emboldened by Emmy¡¯s pleased sigh, Angela kissed, then gently suckled Emmy¡¯s nipple. Emmy clearly enjoyed it, stroking Angela¡¯s long, dark hair.


    ¡°That is it,¡± she murmured. ¡°That is nice.¡±


    Taking a break from the kissing, Angela reached around to unzip Emmy¡¯s skirt. Task achieved, it fell to the floor, revealing Emmy¡¯s silk thong.


    I think Angela ran out of confidence at that point, because instead of continuing and removing Emmy¡¯s last tiny piece of clothing, Angela stood up and looked to see what I was doing.


    I¡¯d ditched my own clothes by that point, so I reached out and took Angela¡¯s hand and led her to the giant soaking tub. Emmy followed, slipping off that last bit of modesty before stepping into the hot water with Angela and me.


    ¡°What¡­ what do you two usually do?¡± Angela asked, suddenly unsure again.


    ¡°We soak,¡± Emmy said, leaning back. ¡°We touch, we caress. We talk about the day, we speak of our setbacks and our victories. We use this time to be together.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t- you don¡¯t have sex?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Sometimes, yes, but other times no, but it is always an opportunity to be intimate.¡±


    Realizing that Angela was out of her depth, so to speak, I gently pulled her back so she was leaning against me, occupying the position usually taken by Emmy. I stroked Angela¡¯s arms, enjoying seeing goosebumps follow my touch. I kissed the top of Angela¡¯s head, and as I did so, I slid my hands down the outside of her arms, eventually lacing my fingers in with hers, the back of her hands facing my palms.


    Emmy slid so that her legs were in between Angela¡¯s, stroking Angela¡¯s feet and calves as she did so.


    I could feel the tension in Angela¡¯s body release a tiny bit with every gentle stroke, with every soft caress.


    ¡°Are you doing O.K.?¡± I asked, kissing Angela¡¯s ear.


    ¡°This is nice,¡± she said. ¡°Very nice.¡±


    ¡°Is it what you wanted?¡± Emmy asked gently.


    ¡°I- I think it is,¡± Angela replied. ¡°I wasn¡¯t really sure what I wanted, but this is¡­ this is good.¡±


    ¡°Is it what you expected?¡± I asked, still kissing.


    ¡°Um, no, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°I thought, um¡­ I don¡¯t know what I thought.¡±


    Disengaging my fingers, I slid my hands back up to Angela¡¯s shoulders, then down her front, lightly circling her nipples with the softest touch of my fingertips.


    ¡°Angela,¡± I said, continuing to nuzzle her hair. ¡°What do you want out of this relationship? I think that this isn¡¯t just about you wanting to try out lesbian sex.¡±


    ¡°No- I mean, yeah, I do want that, but I want¡­¡± Angela said, trying to find the words to express herself. ¡°I want to be the one you¡­ When you go out of town for business, I want to be the one who keeps Emmy warm at night. When the two of you want a little something extra in bed, I want to be that something. But that isn¡¯t all I want,¡± Angela said, the words starting to spill out.


    ¡°I want to go with you two when you go to Chicago. I want you to want me to go with you. I want to listen to Emmy practice her guitar on the balcony. I want to have dinner with your friends. I want to work out with you. I want you to watch me do my back squats and think about how you get to be the one who gets to peel me out of my gym clothes. I want to go on drives with you. I want to see your friends¡¯ faces on your driving days, and see they hold you in high respect. I want to watch Emmy record her next record, and be there to help in any way I can. I want¡­ I want to be part of your lives. That¡¯s it. I want to be part of your lives, and I want you two to be part of mine.¡±


    ¡°What did you think of dinner tonight?¡± Emmy asked, seemingly out of the blue.


    Puzzled, Angela said, ¡°That was the best food I have ever had in my life. I mean it. I¡¯ve never eaten at a place like that before. I thought the restaurants that Antonio took me to were nice, and they were good, but that place tonight was another level entirely.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go to restaurants like that again?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that would be great,¡± Angela said. ¡°But not too often. Then it wouldn¡¯t be special.¡±


    ¡°Is this special, this trip?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°This is wonderful,¡± Angela sighed.


    ¡°Do you understand that we brought you along with no expectations from you? That we did not expect you to have sex with us? That we thought that you might enjoy this little vacation, and that was all we wanted- for you to enjoy yourself?¡± Emmy continued.


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I didn¡¯t say that I wanted to have sex with you two because I thought I owed it to you for a nice dinner. I want to have sex with you two because- because I want to. Because I¡¯ve heard you two a few times, and I see the way you are together, and if I can have even a tiny little bit of that, it¡¯d make me happier than I think I ever was with Antonio.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve heard us have sex?¡± I asked, a bit surprised.


    ¡°I listened,¡± Angela confessed. ¡°Your door was a little bit open the first time and I heard a noise, so I listened to hear what it was, and realized you guys were, um, you know.¡±


    ¡°The first time?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only listened a few times, that¡¯s all,¡± Angela protested.


    ¡°It must have sounded good to you,¡± Emmy said, leaning forward and sliding her hands up Angela¡¯s thighs.


    Angela couldn¡¯t really speak, she was too mortified, so she just nodded and mumbled an ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    Emmy leaned in a little farther, her hands having arrived at the top of Angela¡¯s thighs by that point, and she used her thumbs to stroke the little concave spots there on the inside.


    Angela leaned forward, taking Emmy¡¯s head in her hands and kissing her, deeply and passionately. Emmy leaned back against her side of the big tub, taking Angela with her.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Angela had gone from reclining against me to kneeling in front of Emmy, presenting me with a perfect view of her amazing ass and beautiful pink pussy, which were now just above water level.


    As they continued to kiss and Angela¡¯s hands explored my wife¡¯s chest, I leaned forward to take advantage of the opportunities presented. I put my hands on the outside of Angela¡¯s hips and slid them up to her hip bones, then, spreading my fingers, I let the tips of my thumbs touch each other right at the top of her tail bone. Sliding my hands down her muscular butt, I kept my thumbs together, running them down the cheeks and gently across her exposed pink butthole, which caused Angela to tense up for a moment, but then she relaxed and I continued on, using my thumbs to gently stroke her puffy pink labia.


    I kept my hands right at the bottom of the curve of her ass, my thumbs parting her soft lips and sliding into her folds. I kept my touch soft and slow, caressing Angela¡¯s sensitive lady parts. I wanted this to be foreplay, to get Angela heated up for the main event that would happen on the hotel bed¡¯s luxuriously soft, white sheets. I glanced up from what I was doing to see that Angela had her head resting on Emmy¡¯s shoulder, her breath coming out in uneven, ragged little gasps.


    ¡°Whatever it is you are doing down there,¡± Emmy said when she caught my eye. ¡°It is working.¡±


    Laughing, I took my hands away and just cupped Angela¡¯s mound with my left hand and stroked along her spine with my right.


    ¡°Are you two ready to take it to the bed?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± Angela whined, looking over her shoulder at me, making the most exaggerated pout ever.


    I climbed out of the tub and toweled off while the other two kept kissing, running their hands over each other¡¯s bodies. Eventually Angela sat up, and I offered her a hand out of that giant tub, then helped Emmy out as well. They both toweled each other off, giggling as they tickled, pinched and squeezed each other in the process.


    It was unbelievably sexy, sure, but also somehow wholesome, watching the two play and flirt like that. They were enjoying each other¡¯s attention, reveling in the physical contact, but more importantly, the bond of affection that was growing between the three of us.


    After a brief stop at the suite¡¯s refrigerator to get ourselves some sparkling water, we made our way to the bedroom that Emmy and I had claimed.


    Angela threw off her towel the moment we entered and flopped face-first onto the king-sized bed, not bothering with the sheets or blanket.


    Emmy grinned and followed suit, plopping down next to Angela. The sight of their two amazing butts side by side like that, one pale and muscular, the other black as charcoal and firm from a lifetime of dance, set my mouth to watering. I wasted no time in throwing off my towel and climbing up on the bed, wedging my way between the two goddesses there.


    Sitting back on my heels, my knees even with their hips, I slid my hands up the inside of each of their near thighs. I didn¡¯t go all the way, though, reversing course just before arriving at the most sensitive spots where their legs joined. Sliding my soft touch back down, I got a groan from Angela.


    ¡°You¡¯re evil!¡± She moaned, while Emmy just shimmied side to side in silence, enjoying my touch.


    I slid my hands back up again, this time all the way. I cupped their two mounds in my hands, taking pleasure in the wetness I could feel building there. The two were very different in their anatomies, and the contrast between Emmy¡¯s tiny little innie and Angela¡¯s pretty, very pink outie was stunning. Holding the two perfect little kitties in my hands was like skipping the entr¨¦e and enjoying two desserts at once.


    Sliding my fingers gently through their folds, the differences became even more clear. Emmy was so small down there, she required the subtlest of touches. Angela, though, was easy to navigate, and oh, so slippery. Angela was so ready, whereas Emmy always took a bit more stroking and caressing before I could even think of entering her.


    While I continued to warm Emmy up, Angela needed no further foreplay, so I gently slid my middle finger in deep. I felt no resistance on my way in- just the opposite, in fact. I could feel her muscles tightening around my finger, but almost drawing me further in.


    ¡°Oooh,¡± Angela gasped as I buried myself in her center. I looked up at her face, to see her eyes shut tight and an expression of pleasure on her sometimes very girlish features.


    I noticed Emmy was watching Angela¡¯s face as well, her vivid green eyes drinking in the sight of her new lover¡¯s ecstasy.


    This seemed to have an effect on Emmy, because she loosened up and my finger was suddenly bathed in her juice. Never one to let opportunity pass, I slid the middle finger of my left hand deep inside my wife, matching the rhythm of my right.


    Emmy let out a pleased gasp and maneuvered herself to give me a better angle, all the while watching Angela¡¯s beautiful face.


    Angela, for her part, was moaning with pleasure as I added a second finger, stroking smoothly and deeply into her burning hot pussy. She was writhing with bliss, unable to do anything more than give in to her body¡¯s needs.


    Although Emmy was moving her hips in time with my motion, letting out her little soft breaths with pleasure, she kept her eyes open and focused on Angela, watching her with a satisfied look on her own inky-black face.


    As I knelt there, pleasuring both women, I got to thinking about how I was making love to two of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Was this going to be our future? Was Angela going to become our lover, our third partner in a m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois? If this was going to continue (and Emmy and I could do worse for another lover- in fact, it was hard to imagine how we could do better) how could we keep it quiet? We were already in the public eye, and I didn¡¯t want to subject Angela to the sort of tabloid harassment I¡¯d seen out there.


    Feeling that Angela was getting close, I refocused my attention on what I was doing and put aside my concerns for the time being.


    I pulled my fingers out of the two, eliciting some non-verbal complaints before I slid my thumbs back where my fingers had been. This allowed me to use my fingertips to stimulate Emmy¡¯s tiny little pearl, and to tickle and play with the barbell piercing in Angela¡¯s much larger (and easier to find) clit.


    ¡°Ah, yes! Like that!¡± Angela hissed, lifting her butt up a bit as I drove my thumb as deeply as I could.


    Emmy subconsciously mimicked the move, and I could feel that she was on the verge as well. Of course, Emmy was as silent as always during sex, so Angela¡¯s vocalizations were an unexpected change. I liked hearing her little ¡°Ay, dios!¡± and ¡°Co?o!¡± As she neared orgasm, but it did kind of drown out the quiet cues I¡¯d gotten used to hearing in Emmy¡¯s breathing that let me know how she was doing.


    I could feel Emmy¡¯s walls tighten up on my thumb just fine, though, and Emmy followed Angela¡¯s climax by only a moment.


    Slowly I slid out of the two, Emmy boneless in release in contrast to Angela¡¯s twitching muscles.


    Admiring the two sweaty, naked bodies on either side of me, I sucked on my left thumb first, savoring the familiar taste of my wife. Then, wanting to compare, I took my right thumb and did the same. Angela was now the third woman I¡¯d ever made love to, and her nectar had a different flavor than either Emmy or Stephanie had had. Of course, that was no surprise, since they were different people, after all.


    Emmy and Angela soon recovered, and by some sort of unspoken agreement rolled over and pulled me down between them. They flipped me over on my back, and the two started going to work, taking turns kissing me while the other stroked my body.


    ¡°You¡¯re so huge,¡± Angela murmured as she kissed my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve got the muscles of a bodybuilder, but they¡¯re¡­ I don¡¯t know. They look more natural on you.¡±


    ¡°I love her body,¡± Emmy said in agreement. ¡°She is like some sort of goddess of war- big, strong, and so very powerful.¡±


    ¡°I used to watch her work out in the gym,¡± Angela confessed. ¡°One time after she forgot to rack her weights I tried a set of dead lifts. I¡¯m strong, I work out a lot, you know? But I could only lift that bar three times, and Leah¡¯d just done, like, three sets of fifteen or something.¡±


    ¡°So very powerful,¡± Emmy agreed.


    The two never stopped kissing and caressing my body as they chatted, and it felt wonderful. Two sets of lips are better than one, and four hands were twice as good as two. I copped the occasional feel as they lavished their attention on every inch of my body, but mostly just relaxed and let the sensations carry me into a world of bliss.


    I was drawn out of my reverie by the two jostling around, Emmy directing Angela to straddle me, then moving her up to open herself up to my tongue.


    ¡°She is very good at this,¡± Emmy assured our new lover.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never- I mean, like this,¡± Angela protested, but Emmy¡¯s insistent hands pushed Angela¡¯s hips down as I craned my neck upwards for contact.


    Emmy moved into place right behind Angela, sitting on my chest. Looking up between Angela¡¯s thighs, I saw the two of them kissing, Emmy¡¯s hands squeezing Angela¡¯s breasts, playing with her nipple piercings.


    Meanwhile, I was in heaven. I loved the feel of Angela¡¯s pussy on my tongue and lips, and the way her body moved as I hit just the rights spots.


    I could barely make out what Emmy was whispering in Angela¡¯s ear, but the little I did hear was surprisingly tender. Emmy seemed to be telling Angela that this was just the beginning, and the three of us will have plenty of time together in the future.


    Angela¡¯s movements became more frantic, and before too long she was shuddering with another climax, groaning with pleasure as she came. Emmy lowered her down onto her side, still whispering endearments. I snuggled up behind Angela, pulling her into my big spoon while Emmy snuggled her from the front.


    ¡°That was so good,¡± Angela said when she finally recovered enough to talk. ¡°So good.¡±


    ¡°I loved being there with you when you had that experience,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It was a special moment for me, sharing Leah with you.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ever have been brave enough without your help,¡± Angela said. "None of my boyfriends ever did anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Their loss,¡± I said, kissing the back of Angela¡¯s neck. ¡°They don¡¯t know what they missed out on.¡±


    ¡°You really like that?¡± Angela asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, I really love that,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could do that,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°It is O.K. if you are not ready to try yet,¡± Emmy reassured her. ¡°It is O.K. We will only do things that you are ready for.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even ready for this two weeks ago,¡± Angela said with a little laugh. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even imagine being here like this.¡±


    ¡°Now that you are here, how are you doing?¡± I asked, stroking her hip.


    ¡°This is good. This is better than good,¡± she said, correcting herself. ¡°This is great. You two are so wonderful, you¡¯ve been so good to me¡­ I can¡¯t believe the way things are turning out.¡±


    ¡°I did not expect this, either,¡± Emmy responded. ¡°But I am very happy that it has.¡±


    I got up early the next morning and went out for a run. I hadn¡¯t run outside since New York City, and thought that the cool morning air would do me some good. Emmy and Angela were out cold from a long night, and seeing the two of them cuddled up in bed together raised tender but poorly defined emotions.


    I felt a bit underdressed in the elevator, since I shared the ride with an elderly couple with suitcases, presumably returning home after a vacation in the Windy City. They were bundled up, but I was only wearing my running tights and a singlet over my sports bra.


    It was a bit cold when I left the front entrance of the hotel, but I knew that I¡¯d be plenty warm in moments. The river walk area was deserted, but there were a surprising number of other runners and cyclists on the lakeshore path heading south.


    While I ran, I let my mind wander. I wasn¡¯t trying to steer my thoughts to the previous night, but of course it was the main topic on my mind. It seemed as if Emmy wanted Angela as a lover, but a lover for the two of us to share. Sex with Angela was hot, no denying that, and she was a very, very pretty girl, if a little tiny bit too muscular for my tastes. She was fun, charming, and easy to spend time with, too. In the short while Angela had been staying with us I¡¯d come to care for her, and could maybe see it developing into real love with time.


    Obviously, I hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to talk to Emmy about Angela¡¯s future with us, but Emmy had provided the nudge that it took to get us all into bed, so I had to imagine that her feelings mirrored my own.


    Eventually, by the time I got back to the hotel an hour and a half later, I¡¯d settled into accepting it as it developed. I was concerned about how we were going to present to the world, and thinking that maybe we needed to keep it quiet for a while, but with the full knowledge that the secret would be out before too long.


    Back in the room, the two were still sleeping, so I ditched my running gear and stepped into the shower. I was just about to shampoo up when Angela joined me.


    ¡°Is this O.K.?¡± she asked.


    Glancing back towards the bedroom, wondering about how the dynamic would work with just one of us with Angela, I saw Emmy standing in the doorway, watching. She nodded yes, so I said, ¡°Of course.¡± Giving it a tiny bit of thought it had occurred to me that I was fine with leaving Emmy alone in bed with Angela, after all.


    Angela took the shampoo from me and lathered up my hair, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve never done this for another girl before.¡±


    ¡°Washing their hair?¡± I asked, enjoying the feel of Angela¡¯s fingers on my scalp.


    ¡°Well, yes, and the rest, too.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want,¡± I said.


    ¡°I do want,¡± Angela replied. ¡°I want this a lot.¡±


    Since my hair was shampoo-free by that point, I turned around and took her into my arms. I leaned down and we kissed, long and tender.


    ¡°Welcome to the family, Angela. Emmy and I are glad you¡¯ve joined us,¡± I said, pretty sure it was true.


    Emmy couldn¡¯t take just watching any longer, stepping into the large shower, joining Angela and I.


    ¡°Angela, do you know the phrase ¡®m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois¡¯?¡± Emmy asked. When Angela shook her head, Emmy explained. ¡°It is French, and it means ¡®household of three¡¯. Three people, living together, in a relationship. I think this what we will be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want,¡± Angela said, reaching an arm out to draw Emmy into a three-way hug. ¡°I want to be part of a¡­ what was it?¡±


    ¡°Household of three,¡± Emmy replied with a kiss.


    The rest of the shower was a soapy, slippery, fun time, and none of us felt even slightly guilty for using up so much of the hotel¡¯s water.

 Negotiations

    During our late breakfast in the hotel restaurant I told Angela that I was going to have to leave for a while for a meeting.


    ¡°But Emmy will stay here with you,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°This hotel is famous for its spa,¡± Emmy said. ¡°That is what we can do while Leah is taking care of business. I think that would be quite enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°I should only be a few hours,¡± I said. ¡°We have early-ish reservations for dinner tonight, and I should definitely be back in time.¡±


    After eating, I went downstairs to the lobby and Emmy and Angela went to make arrangements for their spa treatments.


    In the elevator, I called Michael. ¡°How soon can you pick me up?¡±


    ¡°I can be down by the Loop in thirty minutes, my queen,¡± he said.


    ¡°O.K. I¡¯ll walk down to the River Museum. Let me know when you get close and I¡¯ll meet you outside.¡±


    It might seem like paranoia, but I didn¡¯t want any of The Boss¡¯ people knowing where we were staying. They wouldn¡¯t know me from a hole in the ground, but Emmy was a very conspicuous figure, so the less she paraded around in public the better. If they were somehow keeping an eye on Michael¡¯s movements I wanted to be nowhere near the hotel when he picked me up.


    The black Chevy Suburban was both comically obvious and yet, there in the Upper Midwest, also blended in with the other traffic just fine since cars like that were a dime a dozen, from what I¡¯d seen.


    Climbing into the middle row seat, I said hello to Michael and the other Night Children, and also Grant Henry, sitting shotgun.


    ¡°Anything new?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We scouted out the meeting place,¡± Eddie volunteered. ¡°It is a run-down old warehouse in a run-down industrial area near the train tracks, in a terrible part of town,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not nearly as nice as Eddie makes it sound,¡± Grant said. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely the kind of place you¡¯d expect an ambush, some murders, and most likely some arson as well.¡±


    I sighed, and said, ¡°Sure, that¡¯s what we usually do. So what do you think we can expect from The Boss¡¯ crew?¡±


    Grant chuckled a bit and said, ¡°See, I knew there was a reason I liked you.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t joking,¡± Michael said. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what happened the last time we had a meeting like this. Plus some kidnapping. And a breakdown in international relations.¡±


    Grant looked at Michael, but didn¡¯t detect the slightest whiff of bullshit, so he turned to me.


    ¡°Maybe you ought to tell me what did happen the last time you had one of these get-togethers.¡±


    ¡°Of course, what I¡¯m about to tell you is a complete fabrication and in no way reflects reality and I will deny all of it if ever questioned in a court of law,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, there was a kidnapping and a demand for a meeting. We showed up, killed some people, freed the hostage, took a hostage, then set fire to the building on our way out. We took our hostage to Istanbul and dropped him off, telling him that if we ever heard from him again I¡¯d nail his balls to the floor before setting the place on fire around him.¡±


    ¡°So, all this was allegedly another Night Children power play?¡±


    ¡°Allegedly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Fatalities?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°One on our part, but the other guys lost five that day. Allegedly.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let¡¯s quit dancing,¡± Grant said. ¡°You brought me into the fold because you thought I could help you out in just these sorts of situations, right? That¡¯s what I¡¯m here to do. Now, I don¡¯t know how many guys I¡¯ve actually put in the ground over the years, so I understand that sometimes arguments only really get settled when one side or the other isn¡¯t around to argue any more. Michael has brought me up to speed on what we¡¯re facing here, and I understand what it is you¡¯re doing, and honestly, I approve.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right. So let¡¯s cut the legal and ethical horseshit right out. This is a turf war, and you¡¯re the invaders here. You¡¯re here to intimidate this ¡®Boss¡¯ guy and get him to roll over. How well did that go last time you tried something like that?¡±


    ¡°Very poorly. Negotiations broke down,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right. So let¡¯s assume the same will happen tonight, and prepare for it. If things work out, then great- all we¡¯ve done is spin our wheels a bit, right? But if things turn to shit, and it sounds like that¡¯s the way it¡¯s most likely to pan out, then you want to be the one with the bigger shovel.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So let¡¯s find a place to talk and do some planning, then get what we need to make this operation a success.¡±


    We found a neighborhood park nearby that had a roofed area with a handful of park benches in the shade where we could work out our plans, and after maybe an hour I thought we had a reasonable strategy. Yeah, ¡®no plan survives contact with the enemy¡¯, sure, but at least we came up with some workable objectives and implementations.


    ¡°If it comes down to a fight,¡± I told the crew, ¡°Protect Emmy. She can fight, and quite well, but she is the one among us that has to be able to continue past tonight. Our nation dies if she does. Not if I do, and not if any one of you guys do, so we¡¯re all expendable, at least in comparison with Emmy. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± Eddie answered for everybody.


    ¡°You, Grant, I can¡¯t ask you to do this tonight, so I¡¯ve got something else for you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Grant asked. ¡°I¡¯m in this to win this.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure as shootin¡¯¡±


    ¡°O.K. I think we all understand. We won¡¯t be the ones to pull first, but if knives come out, it¡¯s no fucking around. They die by our hands,¡± I said, and looked every one in the group in the eyes, making sure they understood. The only two I knew without a doubt could hold their own in a fight were Eddie and Grant, so the three of us were going to be the main players if it got all stabby. The others knew their jobs were to stay alive and to protect Emmy, but that was about it.


    ¡°Pick Emmy and me up at nine at the Starbucks just two blocks north of the hotel, and for fuck¡¯s sakes, don¡¯t forget your protective gear, everybody. That turtleneck pullover might be hot, uncomfortable and scratchy, but you won¡¯t care about any of that if it prevents a would-be fatal stab wound.¡±


    ¡°Pullover?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°I bought the guys anti-slash gear,¡± I explained. ¡°I have an extra anti-stab vest you can wear under your jacket.¡±


    ¡°I packed mine already,¡± Grant said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised you have ¡®em for all the guys.¡±


    ¡°Any advantage,¡± I said. ¡°Any advantage.¡±


    ¡°That is rule number one,¡± Grant agreed as the car pulled up to the River Museum again.


    ¡°See you guys at nine. We¡¯re gonna do this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± said Michael. ¡°We are, indeed.¡±


    When I got back to the hotel room Emmy and Angela were cuddled up on the couch together, looking at something on Angela¡¯s phone. Apparently Angela was giving Emmy lessons on how to social, and setting up accounts for Emmy.


    "Hey, babes,¡± I said, leaning down and first kissing Emmy, then Angela. ¡°How was the spa?¡±


    ¡°It was very nice,¡± Emmy said, smiling.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just nice,¡± Angela protested. ¡°It was glorious! You should totally do it!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have time, unfortunately,¡± I said. ¡°After dinner tonight Emmy and I have our meeting to attend to, then tomorrow morning we fly to New York.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see your house there!¡± Angela said. ¡°The pictures Emmy showed me are amazing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how amazing it is right now, since it¡¯s being remodeled and a lot of the furniture has been donated,¡± I said. ¡°But the place is pretty cool.¡±


    ¡°Why are you guys having a meeting late at night like that?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°I told you that my people prefer the night,¡± Emmy said, letting me know that she¡¯d explained at least some things about the Night Children. ¡°We will be meeting with the local leader, and it is polite to do it after dark.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I guess,¡± said Angela, but she didn¡¯t sound too convinced.


    ¡°Hey, you two. Don¡¯t forget we have a six o¡¯clock dinner reservation,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a quick shower and get ready.¡±


    When I turned away from the shower head to rinse my hair, I caught Emmy and Angela watching me through the glass enclosure. The ¡®uh oh, busted!¡¯ looks on their faces were hilarious, so I just had to laugh. I continued on washing myself, maybe putting on a show for my wife and our new lover. Just a tiny bit of a show, though, since I¡¯m not actually an exhibitionist, despite the rumors.


    Once we were all dressed, which did involve a little bit of fooling around, we descended to the lobby to wait for our car. The driver was a few minutes late, but we managed to get to our destination on time. Occupying the entire 95th floor of one of Chicago¡¯s tallest buildings, the views from the floor to ceiling windows were absolutely incredible. When Emmy had made the reservations she¡¯d told me that the sunset dinner times were the most desirable, and I could certainly understand why. The ma?tre d¡¯ sat us on the lake-facing side, away from the setting sun, assuring us that the twilight over Lake Michigan was the better view.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I can¡¯t say that¡¯s true, since I haven¡¯t seen the sunset from there facing west, but the eastward panorama was superb.


    The food was good. Not great, but good enough. The real appeal of the place was its location, and not necessarily the dining itself. Still, the view was spectacular, and the place was ideal for a romantic dinner. For three.


    I was still having a bit of a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that we were now a threesome, but I was willing to give it a shot and see if we could make it work.


    Angela hadn¡¯t announced her new relationship status on social media, and although we hadn¡¯t discussed it, I got the impression she wasn¡¯t in any hurry to tell the world she was having an affair with both members of a same-sex marriage. I was just fine with that. It would become public knowledge eventually and we¡¯d have to deal with whatever fallout happened then, but for now, we could pretend that moment was never going to happen.


    In the limo ride back to the hotel, Angela said, ¡°We should have sex. I¡¯ve always thought the idea of getting it on in a limousine is just so sexy!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an eight minute ride,¡± I objected. ¡°It¡¯d be hard to get much done in that short a time.¡±


    ¡°When we get back to LA, then,¡± Angela said with a saucy grin. ¡°We¡¯ll hire a driver to take us all over town while we screw like rabbits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the driver would be used to it,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Except he¡¯d expect us to have a cameraman, too.¡±


    ¡°We have to do it!¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯d be so hot!¡±


    As Emmy and I got dressed for the meeting, Angela looked at us with some skepticism.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re going to a business meeting,¡± she said, eyeing the gear we were putting on. ¡°You look like gangsters, or something like that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re dressed just right for this kind of business meeting,¡± I said. ¡°You dress to match the company you¡¯re going to keep, right?¡±


    ¡°These guys are street thugs?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Angela cautioned.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s all just posturing, you know? We¡¯ll be back in a couple of hours. See you then,¡± I said, and leaned down to give her a kiss.


    Emmy gave Angela a kiss that was just a little bit longer and sexier, and asked her, ¡°Could you please do us a very big favor?¡±


    ¡°Sure, of course!¡± Angela replied.


    ¡°Could you please have the bed nice and warm when we come back?¡±


    Angela¡¯s expressive face showed her puzzlement, until she realized what Emmy had meant. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it nice and warm for you two,¡± Angela said. ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ange,¡± I said, giving her another little peck. ¡°See you in a few.¡±


    I texted Michael while we walked to the Starbucks, and he responded that he was already there. Without wasting any time, we climbed into the Suburban to get the rest of the crew and head to the meeting place, which was a few miles south and a little west of the Loop.


    I walked Emmy through the plans we¡¯d worked up, explaining what her role was, and the specific actions she should take at certain moments.


    ¡°You are really prepared for a fight,¡± Emmy said, checking the edge on her folding knife.


    ¡°I hope it won¡¯t come down to that, but I¡¯d rather be prepared than surprised,¡± I admitted.


    We stopped at the motel the guys were staying at that night to pick up the others. When Michael and the guys ran into the first sign of resistance there in Chicago I¡¯d instructed them to stay at a different place every night, just for security reasons. Michael hadn¡¯t even grumbled about the hassle, understanding the point immediately. ¡®Better safe than sorry¡¯ is universal.


    Everybody was dressed in their tactical gear, with a variety of hoodies and jackets over the top to hide the anti-slash layers.


    ¡°It looks as if you¡¯re all ready,¡± I said, as everybody settled into the car. ¡°You all know your jobs, right?¡±


    Looking around at the group, I got nods from everyone. ¡°You good, Grant?¡±


    ¡°Ready and able, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, and he looked it. In fact, everybody seemed to have their game faces on, giving me looks of determination and commitment to the cause.


    Michael pulled up a little ways away from the old warehouse and we all got out, Danny climbing back into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Remember- don¡¯t stop moving, but don¡¯t get more than a mile away,¡± I told him. ¡°And keep an eye on your phone.¡±


    ¡°Got it, my queen,¡± he said, then drove off, leaving us to walk the half a block to the warehouse.


    As we approached, Grant and Maggie peeled off to circle around the run-down warehouse yard, Grant slipping his goggles on as they went. Their job was to make sure there were no surprises waiting for us back there, and secondarily to open a second exit for us just in case we needed it.


    Eddie led the way, unhooking the rusty chain holding the metal gate closed. I had to suppress a chuckle at the security. The chain had a big padlock, but was hooked to the back side of the gate on a simple hook, so the lock was purely for show.


    We slipped in through the gate, looking around to make sure nobody was watching. The area seemed to be completely abandoned- if there was anybody watching, they had a good hiding spot and there was no way we¡¯d see them.


    Closing the gate behind us, I took the chain from Eddie and instead of replacing the end on the hook, I left it dangling so we could just bull the gate out of the way if we needed to run. Eddie saw what I did and nodded that he understood.


    I¡¯d been living with Emmy for years by this point, but I still found it very impressive how silent Night Children could be, and how good they all were at non-verbal communication.


    Signaling to move forward, I slipped my goggles on before we entered the dark building. Inside, the only light was provided by the streetlamp on the corner shining dimly through the dingy wire glass clerestory windows. Without the night vision goggles I wouldn¡¯t be able to see a damned thing, so I was very grateful I¡¯d been training with them off and on ever since Vancouver. That piece of Israeli military tech had cost me quite a penny, but it was the very best in the industry and worth the money.


    A voice called out something in the Night Child language that always sounded a bit like Arabic to me, and Michael responded in English.


    ¡°We are here, as agreed,¡± he said as we approached the back of the warehouse, which had been cleared of the detritus filling the rest of the space.


    There were four Night Children waiting for us, standing in a sort of semi-circle.


    Emmy stepped forward and demanded to know which one was The Boss. The Night Child woman in the center answered in their language, with what was obviously a dismissive tone.


    ¡°If he is not here, then we have nothing to discuss,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We are simply wasting time. Tell him that his failure to meet us here is an insult, and we will no longer consider his concerns as we move into and take control of this region.¡±


    The Night Child woman said something I couldn¡¯t understand, stepping forward to get into Emmy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Chicago and the Upper Midwest is ours now,¡± Emmy told her. ¡°Tell The Boss that if he wishes to accept our shadow, we will be generous and grant it. If he does not, he may continue to do whatever it is he does, but he may not interfere with us or ours.¡±


    While Emmy was facing off with the woman, I was looking around, noticing that pretty much everyone had one hand in a pocket, or tucked into their jacket, or otherwise hidden. ¡®Knives in their hands, no doubt¡¯, I thought. I knew my guys were just as ready to throw down, But I was still hoping that it wouldn¡¯t come to that, even as things were going down the toilet.


    The woman replied to Emmy, her voice hostile.


    ¡°I think we are done here,¡± Emmy declared. ¡°Chicago is ours now.¡±


    The woman swung a slap at Emmy, who easily ducked and stepped back out of range. This was the signal we had prepared for, so we were all ready when the other guys all produced knives.


    Just as quickly, our knives were out and we faced each other warily, ready to react. I heard a scuffle behind us and spun around to see Grant taking down a Night Child who¡¯d been sneaking up on us from behind.


    Just like that, it was on. Another couple of Night Children appeared from where they had been hidden in amongst all the junk, unsure whether to rush the group containing Emmy and me (their original targets), or refocus on Grant and Maggie behind them.


    I rushed the nearest, capitalizing on his indecision. Without any hesitation, I slipped Old Stabby straight up under his ribs, pulling it out again just as fast, job done. This got the attention of the second ambusher, who came at me with a wild swing. Again, I put my great grandfather¡¯s dagger to work, and guy number two suddenly had an eight inch piece of steel poking its way through his heart.


    Maggie and Grant were working their way around the outer edges of the larger space, looking for more hidden assailants, so I turned back to the main fight. Emmy and The Boss¡¯s spokeswoman were facing off, swinging at each other but not getting in close enough to actually connect, so I charged in past Emmy and laid the woman out with a solid front kick to the face, which sent her flying onto some rusty old machinery.


    Seeing she was down, I turned to the next target and saw Michael wrestling on the ground with a tall, lanky guy, both fighting for possession of a big Ka-Bar. I ran over and stomped the guy¡¯s head flat against the dirty concrete floor, ending that fight then and there.


    Scanning the scene, it looked as if it was all over. None of the enemy were still moving, and our guys were, so I¡¯d call that a total victory. Eric was holding the back of his hand and blood was flowing at a decent rate, so we hadn¡¯t gotten out totally unscathed, but good enough.


    Signaling for Eric to come over to me, I asked if anybody else was injured. When I got the good news that everybody else was O.K., I told the rest to pair up and search the warehouse. I wanted to make sure we¡¯d gotten everybody, for one, and for two, if this was their headquarters or base or something I wanted any intel we could glean.


    Wrapping Eric¡¯s hand, I said, ¡°I¡¯m really proud of you, Eric. I saw you holding off that guy who wanted to get past you and get to Emmy. You did exactly what I asked of you. That was awesome.¡±


    ¡°What you said earlier today really struck me, my queen. Emmy is more important than any of the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°She is, that¡¯s true. She is the very embodiment of our movement. Without her, we have nothing,¡± I said. ¡°Now, I want you to go with Michael to an urgent care clinic and get this taken care of as soon as we get out of here. If you feel up to it, you can continue our work here in Chicago, but if the injury is too bad, go back home to California. I don¡¯t want you to risk injuring yourself further.¡±


    Michael had drawn close by this time, and said, ¡°I will take him to get medical care immediately, my queen.¡± Then, after a moment, Grant and Eddie joined us.


    ¡°The place is clean,¡± Grant said. "This was just a place of convenience. There¡¯s no sign that this shithole has been used on any sort of regular basis.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. "Go check the bodies- take everything. Take their knives, too- everything. We¡¯ll leave the bodies here.¡±


    ¡°Should we burn the place down?¡± Eddie asked.


    ¡°No, this place has been abandoned for years, by the look of it. We just walk away, leaving it locked up. With any luck, nobody will come around for a really long time, and by then we¡¯ll be long gone. If we torch the place, that¡¯ll bring the authorities, and they¡¯ll investigate immediately, instead of next year when the bodies get found.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Eddie said, then hustled off to follow my directions.


    Michael had found an empty plastic crate, into which everything the enemy Night Children had possessed got unceremoniously dumped.


    Making sure we took everything of ours with us and left no trace of our own behind, we locked the place up as best as we could on our way out, securing the door with the new-looking padlock we¡¯d found on one of the dead guys.


    Danny pulled up as soon as we emerged onto the empty street and we hurriedly piled into the Suburban. We dropped Michael and Eric off at a neighborhood twenty-four hour urgent care clinic, then the rest of us went back to the motel for debriefing.


    ¡°Well, that went exactly as expected,¡± I said. ¡°Except for the part about The Boss not even showing up.¡±


    ¡°How do we know?¡± Eddie asked, and I thought that was an observant question.


    ¡°I suppose the woman Emmy talked to might have been The Boss,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I do not think she was,¡± Emmy said, speaking for the first time since the fighting started. ¡°I think she was acting on his orders. I think she was his enforcer, nothing more. She was not¡­ flexible enough in her responses to have been doing anything but parroting what she was told to say.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Grant agreed. ¡°She was a piece that this Boss guy was willing to lose if things went wrong. My bet is that she was second or third on the totem pole, and his main guy is still around.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s assume The Boss is still out there, and still able to project some force. He just lost seven-¡±


    ¡°Eight,¡± Grant said, interrupting. ¡°There was a guy guarding the back door outside.¡±


    ¡°Eight of his enforcers, then. Estimates ran as high as fifteen of these guys in the organization, but that¡¯s probably on the high side. That means we wiped out half or more of his troops tonight, and that¡¯s gotta sting. He has two options at this point. Slink away and hide, or strike back. Or, third option, he just up and leaves, but I doubt that one is likely,¡± I said. ¡°My guess is that he retreats, regroups, and tries to come at us when we aren¡¯t prepared. This means that we need to bring in more people, and only work in groups. Never solo, not even just in pairs.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be real damned hard running this guy down,¡± Grant said. ¡°He could hide anywhere.¡±

 The Unready Queen

    I ditched my jacket, gloves, pants and boots, since they had blood on them, changing into the spares I¡¯d brought along. Emmy had stayed clean, so she had no need for any such measures.


    ¡°Everything anybody has that got blood on it, no matter whose blood, gets burned,¡± I instructed Eddie and Grant. ¡°We need to stay as clean as possible.¡±


    Agreeing to meet the next morning to discuss next steps, Emmy and I got an Uber ride back to our hotel, figuring that none of The Boss¡¯s people would be watching for whatever random car Uber provided for us. When we finally got back to where we were staying, Emmy put her hand on my arm.


    ¡°I do not want to go to our room just yet,¡± she said. ¡°I would like to talk about what happened tonight.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± I agreed. ¡°How about we go to the bar on the top floor? It¡¯s open twenty-four seven.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Emmy said with some relief. ¡°I think that a glass of wine would be wonderful.¡±


    As we settled into a corner booth in the virtually empty hotel club, I asked, ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°I do not know where to even begin.¡± Emmy said with an uncharacteristic groan. ¡°What happened tonight¡­ I thought I would be ready, but I was not. You were, though. You took command, had a plan that covered all the contingencies, and executed it flawlessly. I could not have done any of that,¡± Emmy said, letting out a breath.


    Just then the waiter arrived with Emmy¡¯s wine and my Old Fashioned, so we waited to continue until he¡¯d left.


    ¡°I thought that I would be able to take command, but I was not. I thought that if it came down to a fight, I would be able to take the life of another, but I was not. I thought that¡­¡± she said, trailing off, looking off into the distance. She took a sip of her wine, thinking about what she needed to say.


    ¡°I have been playing queen, Leah. Playing, not really understanding what you have been doing. You have been doing what should have been my job, Leah. I should never have asked you to take this role.¡±


    ¡°Em,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing all this so you don¡¯t have to. I want you to know that this has been my choice. You didn¡¯t force me to do all this. I¡¯ve done it on my own volition, so you don¡¯t have to. I didn¡¯t want you there tonight, because I didn¡¯t want you at risk-¡±


    ¡°Me at risk?¡± Emmy interrupted. ¡°You were certain that there was going to be violence tonight, and you went into that prepared, and you prepared our people. Me, I was useless.¡±


    ¡°If anything good was going to happen tonight, any real negotiations, you needed to be there,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re the face of our nation, not me. I might be the one who got our guys ready for a fight, but you¡¯re the one they¡¯re all willing to fight for,¡± I said. ¡°Without you, none of this happens at all, and all our people would still be living in hiding, stealing to survive. Without you, we can¡¯t recruit any new Night Children to our cause. They might think I¡¯m an unblessed, but they wouldn''t follow me as queen without the legitimacy of my being married to you.¡±


    ¡°They honor and respect you!¡± Emmy protested.


    Putting my hand on hers, I said, ¡°Yes, they do, because they see that I am literally fighting for them.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea you- no idea you are so very¡­ I saw you fight that man at the gym and thought that you were very impressive, but seeing you tonight¡­ I would never have believed it. You are so gentle and loving to me, but to those others tonight, you were a terrible force of death, unstoppable in any way. I do not know how you can do that, and here you are, so calm, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Apparently, people who understand these things say that I¡¯m very good at compartmentalizing,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s sort of a gift, I guess.¡±


    ¡°That woman that I was fighting,¡± Emmy said, her hands trembling a bit. ¡°I was faster, and better trained. I should have been able to end her quickly, but I could not do it, Leah. I could not- I simply could not. But you, with no hesitation at all, charged in, and with a single kick, you¡­ You smashed her chest so hard with your kick, it sent her onto that old machinery and killed her. Then, without a moment of hesitation, you turned and smashed the skull of that man fighting Michael. I felt, at that moment, that you would kill anyone still standing without any chance of their survival. You were unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing as a fair fight outside a ring, Em,¡± I said. ¡°Those people had a plan to murder us. I just had a better plan, and we murdered them instead.¡±


    Emmy took my hands in hers and looked at me, her eyes probing mine. ¡°Does it bother you?¡± she asked, gently.


    ¡°It bothers me that it came down to that,¡± I said. ¡°It was a waste. A stupid waste of those peoples¡¯ lives. But does it bother me that I stomped some guy¡¯s head flat into the concrete? No. He was trying to kill Michael, a man I consider a very good friend. I would much rather Michael be alive to hold his daughter in his arms, than that guy who was doing his best to knife him keep walking,¡± I said. Yeah, in retrospect it wasn¡¯t the most eloquent I¡¯d ever been, but I made my point.


    ¡°I have not wanted to ask, but how many people have you¡­ how many lives have you taken, Leah?¡± Emmy asked, still holding on to my hands.


    I thought about it for a moment, and said, ¡°Me, personally? Eight now, I think.¡±


    ¡°I would never have asked you to do this for me,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I volunteered,¡± I replied. ¡°To keep you away from harm. To keep you safe, so you can lead by example. Because I love you, and I believe that bringing the Night Children out from the shadows and the old ways is important. I will continue to do what needs to be done, so you can continue to do what you need to do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emmy whispered.


    When we got back to the room, Angela was asleep in our bed. In sleep, her resting face looked even more youthful than ever, and so very innocent. She really was a very pretty girl, and I really felt myself hoping that things would work out for the long term with the three of us. Angela brought a sort of lightness with her, and I thought that was just what Emmy and I needed, then more than ever.


    Emmy simply peeled off her clothes and climbed into bed, but I needed a quick shower to wash the night away and get the smell of blood out of my nose and off my skin. When I finished, I found Emmy already asleep, so I slid in behind her and took her into my big spoon, holding her against my body, in hopes that it would reassure both of us.


    Emmy had been shaken by the night¡¯s events, and thinking about it, I could understand why. She hadn¡¯t been there for Vancouver, she hadn¡¯t even seen me fight Prince Marfan and his man in that San Francisco alley four years before. She hadn¡¯t been there for any of the violent side of our growing nation, and me recounting the events did nothing to prepare her for the brutal reality. Lying there in that hotel bed, I determined that I would do whatever I could to keep the ugliness away from Emmy, and never even give a hint of it to Angela, the most innocent of all.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Thanks to years of habit, I woke early, unable to sleep any longer. I went out for another run along the lake, trying to avoid thinking about any one thing in particular, just letting my thoughts drift as they wanted. I kept coming back to the problem of finding The Boss and taking him out of the picture, and the only possible route I could see was to turn his people against him, and have one or more of them roll over on the guy and tell us where we could find him.


    An even higher-level problem was that we had no way of identifying the guy in any case. Maybe we had gotten him the night before, but I doubted it. Since he had his underlings do all his dirty work, the average Night Child in the region probably wouldn¡¯t know what he looked like, anyhow, so if we managed to locate his hideout and raided it, how would we know if we had him or not?


    I was chewing on this problem when I got back to the hotel room, only to find the other two still in bed. They weren¡¯t asleep, just cuddling and talking softly to each other.


    ¡°Come to bed,¡± Angela pleaded when I entered the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sweaty and stinky,¡± I objected. ¡°Let me grab a quick shower first.¡±


    Within minutes I was sliding into that king-sized bed with the two, who rearranged themselves so I was in the middle. I¡¯d actually expected that they would want sex, but that really didn¡¯t seem to be it so much as the two just wanted to snuggle up and hold me. They both settled down pretty quickly and fell back asleep, wrapping me in a warm and cozy cocoon of lovers.


    ¡®This is nice,¡¯ I thought as my thoughts drifted lazily. ¡®Very nice.¡¯


    I don¡¯t think I actually fell fully asleep, just dozed lightly for a while, enjoying the feeling. I¡¯d never have considered taking a third woman into our bed, and when Emmy had suggested the possibility back home in LA, I¡¯d dismissed it as too fraught with emotional landmines to be worth it. Now, though, feeling Emmy and Angela¡¯s bodies next to mine, hearing their gentle, steady breathing and enjoying holding them in my arms, I was ready to accept that this could be a very, very good thing.


    When Emmy finally started to stir it woke Angela as well, and the three of us got up. Since I¡¯d already showered, I took the opportunity to watch the other two bathe. I felt a little jealous, seeing Emmy lather up Angela¡¯s long, dark hair and massage her scalp- jealous that Emmy was lavishing her attention on somebody other than me. Much more than that, though, I enjoyed seeing the obvious pleasure both of them were having at that simple act of affection. I knew how good it felt, and I was glad that Angela had the chance to experience that simple little pleasure.


    Sure, it was sexy as hell watching the two of them soap each other up and I will admit it gave me a bit of a lady boner, but even more than that, it filled me with a sort of warmth. A tender kind of warmth, not just a sexual heat.


    I helped towel them both dry after their shower, and again, it was more of a ticklish and playful fun, rather than simply sexual. It had certainly seemed as if Angela¡¯s first lesbian sexual experience two nights before had been a very good one for her, and she hadn¡¯t shied away from sexual moments since then, but I was amazed at how smoothly we seemed to be transitioning into a physical relationship that was based on more than just plain old sex.


    Angela seemed happy now in a way I hadn¡¯t seen her before, and that gratified me to no end. I was getting to see a side of her personality that was more open, less self-conscious, not as concerned with projecting an image, and I was liking what I was seeing.


    I know it¡¯s shallow of me, but it helped that she was very, very easy on the eyes, too. Easy on the hands and tongue, for that matter, to be honest. It¡¯s fair to say that Angela was extremely sexually desirable, but as I was getting to know her better, I was pleased to discover that wasn¡¯t the only attractive thing about her.


    We had our now-typical breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and I explained that I had to go meet with the guys again.


    ¡°Do you need me?¡± Emmy asked, still somewhat unsure of her footing.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, babe,¡± I replied, letting her off the hook. After all, I had told her that this was my side of the bargain. ¡°I can take care of everything.¡±


    Emmy put her hand on mine, saying, ¡°Thank you,¡± in a soft voice, and I understood what she meant.


    ¡°You guys go shopping or something while I¡¯m gone. Maybe hit that guitar store you were telling me about?¡± I suggested, hoping that would lift Emmy¡¯s mood.


    It was clear she knew why, too, but she ran with it anyway.


    ¡°Angela, would you like to go with me?¡± she asked, and the two of them made their plans.


    I met Michael at the Starbucks again, and as we drove to that day¡¯s motel, I asked about Eric.


    ¡°His hand is injured,¡± Michael said. ¡°But he does not want to go back home. He feels that he can continue here, albeit in perhaps a different capacity.¡±


    ¡°Did you guys have any problems at the urgent care? Anybody ask where he got the cut?¡±


    ¡°No, nobody even asked at all,¡± Michael said. ¡°They didn¡¯t seem to care.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s in our favor, then,¡± I said with some relief.


    ¡°When we evaluated last night, we found that Maggie had a long cut in her hoodie and I have a bruise on my side from where I was stabbed, but it didn¡¯t penetrate the special sweater,¡± Michael said. ¡°Things would have gone much worse without the protective clothing.¡±


    ¡°I just wish Eric had actually been wearing the gloves,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°Several among us have complained that they feel slippery, and that it¡¯s hard to hold a knife with them on,¡± Michael said as we pulled into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to find some others that have better grip,¡± I said. ¡°I want you guys to get in the habit of wearing the protective gear any time you¡¯re out and about. It sounds like it already saved two lives.¡±


    ¡°Grant, Eddie and I discussed that very thing and came to the same conclusion. Better safe and uncomfortable than the other way around.¡±


    The whole crew was gathered in the surprisingly large motel room, so we could all discuss matters and work out our next steps.


    ¡°First off,¡± I said, ¡°I want to congratulate all of you. We had a plan and it worked out perfectly. We expected it would turn to violence, and were all ready when it did. We knew they would try to ambush us, and turned the tables on them instead. I couldn¡¯t have asked for anything more than what you guys managed last night, and I¡¯m damned proud of all of you. You all stepped up and did what needed to be done.¡± I looked around the room, meeting everyone¡¯s eyes in turn. "I¡¯m sorry that we couldn¡¯t negotiate any sort of peace here in Chicago, but it seems like this ¡®Boss¡¯ guy never had any intention of peaceful discussion. He stayed away, and just sent his strongmen to get rid of us. The whole meeting was just a pretext to get Emmy and me in one place to take us out,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t work. We wiped his guys out to the last, seriously weakening his position here. We¡¯ve been told he rules by fear, but once word spreads that he lost eight of his enforcers and we lost none, well¡­ People will fear him less, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°And fear you more,¡± agreed Eddie, grinning.


    ¡°And fear me more,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I¡¯ve been giving it some thought. I want you guys to speak with your contacts, and make it clear that this was my operation. Emmy came in peace, but I came to make war.¡±


    ¡°Sort of a ¡®good cop, bad cop¡¯ approach? ¡°Grant asked.


    ¡°Exactly. Start handing out cash and gifts to any of the locals that are willing to talk to us, and tell them explicitly that this largesse is from Queen Emmy. She wants the region¡¯s Night Children to live in peace and will help that happen however she can, but also spell out that I came to destroy our enemies, and I won¡¯t stop until they have all been crushed under my heel,¡± I said. Yeah, overdramatic, but that¡¯s what worked sometimes.


    ¡°Like that guy that tried to stab Michael,¡± somebody said. ¡°He got crushed for sure.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand your strategy, my queen,¡± Michael said. ¡°It¡¯s the carrot and the stick.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Make it very clear that Emmy is generous and kind, and she was betrayed by The Boss when she agreed to meet him. Also make it clear that we held out hope for peace, but when they pulled knives on us, they doomed themselves, and we can¡¯t forgive that. The Boss and his enforcers are living on borrowed time, and they will be hunted down.¡±


    ¡°Well, that brings us to our next problem,¡± Grant said. ¡°How do we find that needle in this big ol¡¯ haystack? He could be anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Honestly? We can¡¯t, not on our own. We have two problems here. The first, finding the guy. The second, knowing it¡¯s actually him,¡± I said. ¡°We need local intel, from somebody close to the guy. Most of the area¡¯s Night Children have never seen him, as far as they know, right? So even if they knew the location of his headquarters, we wouldn¡¯t know which one is The Boss.¡±


    ¡°Kill ¡®em all and let God sort them out,¡± Grant said from his spot on one of the beds.


    ¡°I hate to say it, but if we get any leads, that¡¯s pretty much got to be our plan,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Now, the obvious second approach is that we don¡¯t go looking for him at all- we let him come to us. We dangle easy targets, then ambush when he strikes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a real dangerous way to do it,¡± cautioned Grant.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed.

 Is That What They Call It These Days?

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to be the bait,¡± Maggie suggested, daring to speak up in a meeting for the first time.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, hoping for options.


    ¡°Well, we know The Boss¡¯s people are demanding protection money from the locals, right? Some of those people have told us that they would help us if we moved into the region, too. So all we need to do is to tell all these people that we¡¯ve kneecapped The Boss¡¯ ability to do anything at all to them, and we¡¯re now the ones calling the shots. Like you said, we hand out money and gifts, and impress on everyone how much better Queens Emmy and Leah are for them. Soon enough, The Boss¡¯ crew will make contact with one or another of these people, and they¡¯ll tell us. If we can get there in time, we can follow them back to wherever The Boss is hiding,¡± Maggie explained.


    ¡°Sounds good in theory, and I think the basics are there, but I don¡¯t see how we can expect to ever arrive in time to actually tail anybody back to their hideout,¡± Grant said, rubbing his chin. ¡°But I do like the idea of using the dissatisfied locals to identify the remaining bad guys.¡±


    ¡°What we really need is to grab one of those guys still left on The Boss¡¯ crew, and get him or her to give The Boss up. They all have to know that we just wiped the floor with the guys at the warehouse, so they have to be feeling pretty jumpy right about now,¡± I said. ¡°They have to believe that the only way they¡¯ll make it through this is by staying hidden, right? They don¡¯t know how many of us there are, or where we are. All they know is that they just lost eight of their guys, in what was supposed to be a slam-dunk ambush. This has to have them rethinking their life choices. If we grab one of them, I¡¯m willing to bet that he¡¯ll give up The Boss in a moment.¡±


    Eddie looked doubtful, but Michael agreed. ¡°I would expect that his organization will show some cracks. Perhaps capturing one or more of his lieutenants will be enough for the rest to abandon him.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K. Let¡¯s start with step one- getting the locals to love us. Start making the rounds, talk to everyone you can, hand out gifts and cash, promise them the usual benefits if they accept our shadow. Tell them to tell everyone they know. You know the drill,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, absolutely nobody does anything alone, right? I¡¯d prefer three or more in any group, and at least one should be a real fighter. Also, keep moving where you¡¯re staying. I understand it¡¯s a pain, but I want you guys to stay as safe as possible. Also, wear the protective gear. I know it¡¯s uncomfortable, but we¡¯ve seen proof it saves lives.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°I need you to coordinate operational safety, and continue working with everybody on the combat skills. It looks as if we¡¯re going to need that more than I¡¯d expected we would.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he said.


    Emmy and Angela were still out by the time I got back to the hotel, so I took the time to catch up on work emails. The real world didn¡¯t stop just because I was off doing nefarious shit halfway across the country, right? Thankfully there weren¡¯t any fires to put out, so it was all wrapped up by the time that Emmy and Angela burst back into the hotel room, laughing and smiling. I stood up and got a kiss from each in turn, Angela slipping me a little bit of tongue just to be saucy.


    Looking at their surprisingly empty hands, I asked, ¡°What happened to the guitar store trip?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that is what we did,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I bought a guitar, a really beautiful nineteen sixty-three Fender Stratocaster, and an amp to go along with it.¡±


    I made an exaggerated ¡®looking around¡¯ motion, getting a laugh from Emmy.


    ¡°I had them delivered to the hotel,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°They are downstairs, waiting for when we leave.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°You should have seen it,¡± Angela said, all lit up. ¡°The moment we walked in the door of the guitar store, everybody dropped what they were doing and immediately focused on Emmy. It was like she was¡­ I don¡¯t know, the second coming, or something. They couldn¡¯t wait to show her all these guitars, and asked her to play something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve seen that happen a time or two,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°So they set up a video camera and recorded her trying out a bunch of guitars and saying what she liked or didn¡¯t about each one, and playing a few songs. It was amazing. There were a lot of people in there, but nobody did anything while Emmy was playing. I mean, nothing. They just watched.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what happens,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Is it like that every time?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I said. Then, changing the topic, I said, ¡°Hey, we need to be out of here in less than an hour. Do either of you need to shower or change clothes or anything before we leave?¡±


    When both said they were fine, I suggested we launch a bit early. I called for a car, while Emmy phoned the flight crew to let them know we¡¯d be ahead of schedule, and within an hour we were taxiing for takeoff.


    ¡°I never want to fly in a normal plane again,¡± Angela said, sipping from her glass of champagne and leaning back in the plush couch in the cabin of the Lascaux family jet.


    ¡°I do dislike flying commercial,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But since this plane belongs to my parents and not to me, sometimes we have no real choice.¡±


    ¡°A girl could get used to being spoiled like this,¡± Angela said, tucking her feet up under herself.


    Despite Chicago¡¯s location in a region called the Midwest, it¡¯s actually a whole lot closer to the East Coast than the West, so the whole flight only took us about two hours to get to Teterboro, where Wally was waiting with the sedan.


    ¡°Miss Emmy, Miss Leah,¡± he said, signaling to the porter to follow with the luggage.


    ¡°Wally!¡± Emmy said, pleased to see the man. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Our driver,¡± I explained to Angela.


    As Emmy and Wally chatted, Angela said, ¡°You guys don¡¯t have a driver in LA?¡± somehow making the statement into a question.


    ¡°New York is a different thing,¡± I replied. ¡°You can¡¯t really drive yourself here. It¡¯s just too much of a pain in the ass.¡±


    It took us about an hour to cover the fifteen miles or so to the townhouse, and Emmy and Wally talked nonstop about how the remodel was progressing, what a pain relocating the wine had been, and how the time working with Grant had really changed Wally¡¯s understanding of the world around him. I only half listened to the conversation going on in the front seats, and Angela was completely lost in the sights outside the big BMW¡¯s dark-tinted windows. She¡¯d said she had never been to New York before, and it was obvious that the sights were captivating her to no end.


    ¡°Can we go up to the top of the Empire State Building?¡± She asked. ¡°Where¡¯s that place- 30 Rock?¡± And ¡°Is this the tunnel that got blown up in that Sylvester Stallone movie?¡±


    I did my best to answer her questions, but really, my mind was still back in Chicago. I¡¯d wished I could have stayed there and just sent Angela along with Emmy to New York, since there was so much yet to do.


    Realistically, though, the next phase there was likely to take some time, so me staying to supervise would probably be a waste of my time, on top of stepping on Michael and Grant¡¯s toes with micromanaging. I had to let them do what they were there to do, knowing that I could be back in a few hours¡¯ notice if needed.


    When we pulled up to the townhouse, Mia and Luisa came out to greet us and help bring in the luggage. Both looked good in dark trousers and light-colored shirts, almost like uniforms but not quite. Of course, Wally had on his usual business suit, but I¡¯d expected that. Seeing Luisa and Mia dressed like staff somehow seemed a little wrong to me. I was going to have to talk to Emmy about her expectations, and maybe find out if it was her idea.


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    The house smelled like fresh paint, and when Emmy wrinkled her nose, Luisa said, ¡°They just varnished the woodwork in the library on Friday. I tell you, it was unbearable in here, even with the fans going full blast.¡±


    I took a moment to peek into the library, since it was right next to the foyer anyhow. Yeah, it smelled pretty strong, but looked really, really good.


    Luisa pulled me aside and asked, ¡°Which room will Angela be using?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s ready?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, the master, of course, and the fourth floor bedrooms are both done.¡±


    ¡°Furniture and everything?¡± I asked.


    ¡°All ready. The only parts of the remodel they¡¯re still working on are down in the basement. Everything else is pretty much done, and Charlie¡¯s already got the rooms all done up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± I said, looking around to really take it all in. Yes, the ugly, heavy old overdone furniture was in fact all gone, replaced by much lighter, more simple and elegant pieces. The walls were all freshly painted or papered, too, and the floors shone, at least the parts of the parquet not covered in area rugs.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to give me a tour to catch me up,¡± I said.


    The master bedroom was greatly improved, with the Pre-War moldings restored and painted white, contrasting with the pale celery walls. I¡¯d expressed to Charlie, the designer, that the bed in that room was just about the single piece of furniture I¡¯d liked, so she¡¯d replaced it with a new one of the same make, but this time with a classic canopy bed frame.


    ¡°Charlie did an amazing job with this place,¡± I remarked to Emmy as we checked out the room.


    ¡°Oh! The bath is perfect!¡± Emmy exclaimed, drawing my attention. Sure enough, Erich and Charlie had transformed it from a green marble monstrosity into an invitingly light and airy space, somehow feeling much larger than it had before. The free-standing tub was at least as large inside, but the space it took up was only about half what the old built-in marble-clad thing had occupied.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe this is the same room,¡± I agreed.


    Luisa had cooked a lovely dinner of lamb chops and asparagus, apologizing that it wasn¡¯t up to Per Se¡¯s standards.


    ¡°This is lovely,¡± Emmy said, truthfully. ¡°Not every meal can be like that, and I would not want them to be.¡±


    Angela and I both complimented Luisa¡¯s cooking, and Mia chimed in that she¡¯s been eating better since moving in with Luisa than she ever had in her life.


    Puzzled, Angela asked, ¡°You two are lovers?¡±


    ¡°I wish!¡± Mia said, and Luisa laughed. ¡°No, we just both work for Leah and Emmy, and we both live here. Luisa¡¯s been doing pretty much all the cooking when we¡¯re both home at night, since my idea of a decent meal is Kraft Macaroni And Cheese.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s absolutely the truth,¡± Luisa said when the laughter died down. ¡°Mia can¡¯t cook anything more advanced than, well, Mac and cheese.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I do it up right,¡± Mia said, mock pride on her face.


    After dinner, I was trying out the new tub, relaxing with my eyes closed when somebody came in. I heard clothes being removed, then a foot stepped into the tub with me, then another. I opened my eyes to see Angela lowering herself onto me, lying down front to front. She saw that I had my eyes open, and gave me a long, slow, sensual kiss.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Emmy?¡± I asked as Angela settled herself into a comfortable position.


    ¡°Upstairs, playing in her new recording studio with Luisa and Mia,¡± Angela replied.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you with them?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to spend some time alone with you,¡± Angela replied, laying her head on my shoulder. I wrapped her in my arms, stroking her long dark hair where it covered her back.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked after a while, when it seemed that Angela wanted to talk.


    ¡°I want this to last forever,¡± Angela murmured, kissing my collarbone.


    ¡°The water¡¯s going to get cold before too long,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± she replied, blowing a little raspberry on my skin.


    ¡°You want me to grope your butt forever?¡± I asked, giving said butt a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Well, yeah, that, and other things,¡± Angela said, again nestling herself against me.


    I continued to gently squeeze her world-class rear end, waiting for her to continue.


    ¡°Emmy and I talked,¡± she finally said. ¡°She said that it¡¯s O.K. if you and me, we, you know, without her being there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we talked about that, too,¡± I confessed. ¡°We¡¯re both O.K. with you having sex with the other.¡±


    After a while, Angela said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was gonna like it,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Why did you ask for it, then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to sound¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain,¡± Angela said, burying her face against my neck. ¡°I want to be with you two, you know? And it seemed like you guys, well, sex is a big part of how you two, um¡­ express your love for each other?¡± She said, making it a question. I gave her rear a gentle squeeze of encouragement, and she continued.


    ¡°I want to be part of your lives, and I want you two to be part of mine, O.K.? So I thought that maybe, um, if I gave myself to you guys, you¡¯d want me around, you know?¡±


    ¡°Angela,¡± I said, moving my hands up her back, finally sliding her hair to one side so I could see her face better. ¡°We wanted you to stay with us even before you did that, you know. I asked if you wanted to move into our new house with no expectation of sex, I hope you know that. Emmy and I enjoy having you as part of our lives, whether or not you share our bed.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela said, her voice timid. ¡°But¡­ I thought that maybe, well, maybe you guys felt the way I did, and maybe you guys have fallen a little bit in love with me, like I have with you guys. I thought that you two express your love for each other that way, maybe you¡¯d do the same with me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really know what to say, so I just kept stroking Angela¡¯s hair while holding her close.


    ¡°Like I said, I didn¡¯t think I was going to like it, but I thought that if it was something I could do for you guys, then that would be alright. I mean, I never liked giving Antonio blow jobs, but he liked it, so I did it for him, you know? So I figured that I¡¯d try it, and maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡±


    ¡°And how was your first taste of Sapphic love?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°You mean sex with another girl? I mean, two other girls?¡± Angela asked for clarification.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I liked it a lot,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°I mean, the actual sex part was good, you know? It was amazing having my fingers deep inside you, feeling how you, um, responded to my touch. It made me feel really close to you and Emmy, close in a way¡­ I didn¡¯t expect. And the way you guys licked me, that was incredible. I really loved that.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying the sex was better than you expected?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Much better,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t just the sex, you know? Lying there in bed, your arm wrapped around me, I felt so warm, so safe¡­ It felt like maybe you did love me, even if it¡¯s just a little bit. And then, when I woke up and you were gone but Emmy was there, I wanted to hold her. Just hold her, that¡¯s all, and it felt good, too.¡±


    ¡°Holding Emmy does feel really good,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I guess what I¡¯m saying is that I¡¯m happy. Happy like this, Leah. I want us to continue to be like this,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not really sure what this thing we have really is,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°A household of three?¡±


    ¡°What does that mean for you?¡± I asked, using a grip on her butt to scoot her up so we could look eye to eye. Seeing her concerned look, I gave her a long, tender kiss, to make it clear that I did care for her and it wasn¡¯t just a one way thing.


    ¡°I want to be your lover. And Emmy¡¯s lover. I want you to kiss me when you get home from work. I want to kiss Emmy when she wows everyone at a music store. I want to take baths with you. I want to wash Emmy¡¯s hair in the shower. I want¡­¡± Angela said, running out of words.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think of yourself as lesbian, do you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gay, just for you and Emmy, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Did you notice how beautiful Luisa is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course?¡± Angela said, making it another question.


    ¡°Imagine what she¡¯d be like in bed,¡± I said. ¡°What would you like to do to her?¡±


    Giving me a little frown, Angela said, ¡°Kiss her? I guess? I¡¯m not sure what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Just checking to see if you find other women attractive,¡± I said, giving Angela a little kiss on the nose.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Angela said, doubtfully.


    ¡°You never practiced kissing with any of your friends when you were little?¡±


    ¡°No, I never did,¡± Angela said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said. ¡°Well, how do you feel about practicing kissing with another girl right now?¡±


    ¡°I think I need all the practice I can get,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s different than it is kissing a man.¡±


    After our practice session, Angela rested her head on my shoulder again.


    ¡°I have a question for you,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to tell everybody? Your parents? Your little sister? What are you going to post on the social media sites?¡±


    Angela groaned, making it clear this was something she¡¯d been thinking about. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°I guess it depends a lot on what¡¯s going to happen, you know? I mean, if you and Emmy want me to be part of your lives, and you want me to be, um¡­ your lover, third in the household, whatever we call it, and it looks permanent, I¡¯d be happy to tell the world if you guys want.¡±


    ¡°There you two are!¡± Emmy exclaimed as she entered the bathroom. ¡°I have been looking for you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here, talking,¡± I said as Emmy knelt by the side of the big claw-foot tub.


    ¡°Is that what they call it these days?¡± Emmy said, laughter in her voice. She slipped her hand into the water and stroked Angela¡¯s ass, causing Angela to squirm a little. Seeing the reaction, Emmy slid her fingers up between Angela¡¯s legs, stroking gently. ¡°What were you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Angela wants to sleep in our bed tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Every night,¡± Angela corrected, her squirming increasing with the movement of Emmy¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°And what did you tell her?¡± Emmy asked, continuing to pay attention to Angela¡¯s sensitive bits under the water.


    ¡°I told her that she needs to think about what it would mean to be our lover. You and me, we¡¯re used to the tabloid trash talk, right? But Angela hasn¡¯t had to face that yet. And there¡¯s her family to tell, too.¡±


    ¡°Angela, no one in this household is going to question where you spend your nights, in our room or not. But outside of this house, the world can be cruel,¡± Emmy said, pulling her hand from the water. ¡°You need to determine if you are ready for that, and what it will mean for you.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela groaned, as much from the cessation of physical stimulation as anything. ¡°I need to think about it.¡±


    ¡°You do,¡± Emmy said, her tone gentle. ¡°We will wait for your decision. In the meantime, we can try to keep it away from the public eye. As for tonight, we would love to have you join us in our bed.¡±


    ¡°Not just tonight,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°No, not just tonight,¡± Emmy concurred. ¡°We would be happy to have you sleep with us every night.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Angela asked, sitting up, straddling my belly.


    ¡°Angela,¡± I said, my hands on her hips. ¡°I think we¡¯re all in agreement. We all want to make this work.¡±


    Angela bit her lip, her face a picture of indecision. ¡°I guess that means it¡¯s up to me, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think it is,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll accept whatever it is you want to do.¡±


    Thinking about it for a moment, Angela said, ¡°Can we try the sex thing again?¡±

 Angela Gets To Drive

    I threw on a pair of jeans and a T shirt after Angela and I dried off. It was too early for bed, and I really did want to see the state of the remodel. I found Luisa in the kitchen, going over some filled-out forms.


    ¡°School stuff,¡± she said at my unspoken question. ¡°The school year just started, but already there¡¯s paperwork. I swear, there¡¯s more to do outside of the classroom than there is inside.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my mom teaches at the local community college,¡± I said, sympathizing. ¡°She says every classroom hour is actually three hours of work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s about right,¡± Luisa said, stacking the papers neatly. ¡°So, ready for your tour?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start at the top,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Well, no, let¡¯s not, because the top means the new A/C units on the roof, and we don¡¯t want to go up there,¡± Luisa said with a cheeky grin. ¡°How about I show you what they did in Mia and my apartments, and work our way down?¡±


    ¡°Lead on, Macduff!¡± I said.


    ¡°And here I thought you¡¯d told me your mom taught English literature,¡± Luisa said with a mock frown. ¡°You know, that¡¯s not actually the quote.¡±


    As we waited for the elevator, I replied. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a trick question- or something like that. The Hamlet quote is ¡®Lay on, Macduff¡¯ as a challenge to a fight, but in the book King Solomon¡¯s Mines by H Ryder Haggard, a character misspeaks it as ¡®Lead on, Macduff¡¯ when they¡¯re about to enter the place of death.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I take it back. You are the daughter of a book nerd,¡± Luisa said with a laugh.


    ¡°As you can tell, the elevator hasn¡¯t been redone yet,¡± Luisa said as we creaked and rattled our way up to the second to top floor. ¡°The elevator folks have come and taken all the measurements and whatever, and now they¡¯re waiting on the special parts. Apparently wanting to keep the vintage car is the difficulty. If you were O.K. with a modern car, they could''ve had it done already.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with waiting, as long as the restoration is done properly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I told them. I made it clear the project was a restoration to historically accurate specs, and a modern elevator car would look ridiculous in this house,¡± Luisa confirmed.


    The elevator took us to the sixth floor, then we walked up one more set of stairs to the topmost level. Luisa led me down the short hall to the deck facing the East River.


    As we looked out at the evening view, Luisa said, ¡°I love this out here, really. I spend a lot of time on this little deck, so I¡¯ve been meaning to ask if we can set up some sort of retractable shade for when it¡¯s too sunny.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I have no problem with that,¡± I said. "Talk to Charlie and Erich about it. All I ask is that it keeps with the character of the building,¡± I replied.


    ¡°And there¡¯s another thing I¡¯d like to run by you. If it¡¯s O.K., I¡¯d like to put a little jacuzzi hot tub up here. Just a little one, for relaxing after a long day.¡±


    ¡°Talk to Erich about that. He¡¯ll need to evaluate whether this deck can take the weight, but if it can, go ahead. I know Emmy and I have said this before, but this is your home even more than ours, and we want you to be comfortable here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Luisa replied, leading me back inside. ¡°My room here, well, it¡¯s small as far as apartments go, but like you said, it¡¯s home,¡± she said, opening the door and ushering me into her little apartment.


    I was happy to see that it had been decorated and painted as nicely as any other part of the house. I¡¯d thought I¡¯d made it clear to Charlie and Erich that I wanted the two top-floor apartments to be anything but simply bare minimum servant¡¯s quarters, and it looked as if they¡¯d taken it to heart.


    The moldings were as nice as any in the rest of the house, the paintwork just as crisp. The floors had been redone with wood parquet like downstairs, and there was a nice Persian-looking area rug in colors that went well with the drapes and the wall color.


    ¡°Charlie got Mia and me the same brand of mattress as you have in the master bedroom, and now in all the other bedrooms, too¡± Luisa said, pointing at the queen-sized bed by the windows. ¡°This might not be the biggest apartment I¡¯ve ever lived in, but it¡¯s definitely the nicest.¡±


    All of the furniture looked to be extremely high quality, and the built-in kitchenette had only the best fixtures. ¡°Thanks for all of this,¡± Luisa said. ¡°I mean, you didn¡¯t have to have any of this done, and Mia and I would have been fine up here, but it really means a lot that you wanted our apartments to be done up as nicely as the rest of the house. Not very many people would have spent that money.¡±


    I shrugged, and said, ¡°You know what? It¡¯s an investment in your happiness. I want you to be happy here.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I really mean it.¡±


    I peeked in her little bathroom and saw that it had been redone, too, and looked really good, with all new fixtures, a new glass shower door and tiles.


    ¡°Looks great,¡± I said. ¡°How were the guys to deal with?¡±


    ¡°Most of them were really professional,¡± Luisa said. ¡°One of the guys gave Mia a hard time and called her a dyke, so I told Erich I didn¡¯t want that guy here ever again and we never saw him after that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for sticking up for her like that,¡± I said as we walked down the stairs.


    ¡°I think that if I hadn¡¯t gotten involved, she would¡¯ve beaten the guy up,¡± Luisa said with a laugh.


    ¡°I guess nobody told the guy that she¡¯s a combat veteran?¡± I said, laughing along with Luisa.


    The next floor down, Luisa said, ¡°Check this out. I don¡¯t really know anything about these things, but this is super cool.¡± With that, she opened the door to what had been the sitting room, but was now a tiny but full-featured recording studio. Emmy, Mia and Angela were all crowded into the small production room, listening to the playback of something Emmy had just recorded.


    ¡°All good?¡± I asked Emmy.


    ¡°This is perfect!¡± she said with a big smile. ¡°It is very small, but it has everything!¡±


    Leaving that little studio, Luisa showed me to what was designated as my office.


    ¡°You said you liked the desk, so that stayed,¡± Luisa explained. "But they redid all the woodwork, so it matches the library downstairs.¡±


    ¡°That explains the ¡®new paint smell¡¯," I said, wrinkling my nose.


    ¡°You can blame Charlie for that. Erich¡¯s painter wanted to use lacquer, and said the smell would clear out quickly, but she insisted on a brushed varnish like they would have used a hundred years ago. That¡¯s why it stinks so bad,¡± Luisa explained.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s understandable, but still¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°Now the weather¡¯s been cooling off a bit I¡¯ve been leaving the windows open as much as possible to clear the smell, but it only helps just so much,¡± Luisa said, apologetically.


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, sure, it smells, but it looks great, right? The smell won¡¯t last very long, but the restoration is for good.¡±


    ¡°I like the smell,¡± Angela said, peeking into the office. ¡°It smells like new paint. This whole house smells like new paint.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does,¡± I agreed.


    The tour continued, and I was really happy with everything that Erich¡¯s crew had done, and very happy with Charlie¡¯s colors, as well as the drapes, rugs and furniture she¡¯d selected to go along with everything. I¡¯d paid her a ton of money, so I was pleased to see that she¡¯d done exactly what we¡¯d asked. The place was complete class, top to bottom.


    The library stank strongly of fresh varnish, but looked perfect. The cherry woodwork that had faded with time looked as deep and rich as it must have when new, and I could easily imagine filling the shelves with real books, not the fakes that the previous owner had used. A few comfy chairs and reading lamps, along with a fire in the grate, and this would be a wonderful place to spend a quiet evening.


    ¡°Check this out,¡± Luisa said, pulling open an extremely shallow drawer from the bookcase near the door. ¡°This drawer is designed for a pen collection, right? Try to pull it all the way out of the cabinet.¡±


    I pulled it out as far as it would go, but couldn¡¯t actually remove it from the body of the cabinet below the bookcase.


    ¡°Try a little bit harder,¡± Luisa instructed, so I gave it a tug and felt some sort of extra give, but then couldn''t pull it any farther.


    ¡°Right, so that¡¯s the locking mechanism for this,¡± she said and grabbed the wooden frame of the bookcase to its left, and swung it aside on silent hinges, revealing the stairs down to the sub-basement.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± exclaimed Angela. ¡°That is the coolest thing I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±


    The staircase itself was steep and narrow, the steps cut from some sort of rough stone. The walls were reclaimed brick, as was the barrel-vaulted ceiling. The handrail and widely-spaced ceiling light fixtures were wrought iron, giving the whole thing a ¡®descent into unknown depths¡¯ sort of feel, made all the more by the length of the staircase, as it went down two floors with no interruption.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I admitted. ¡°That is freaking cool. I mean, I¡¯d seen the plans, but seeing this in person? So much better.¡±


    The heavy wooden door at the bottom had an incongruously modern digital lock pad above the weathered bronze doorknob, but was unlocked.


    ¡°The keypad will need to be programmed when everybody is done with all the work,¡± Luisa explained as we stepped into the wine cellar.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold down here!¡± complained Angela, rubbing her arms.


    ¡°Fifty-five degrees,¡± Luisa proclaimed, pointing out a jarringly-high-tech control pad on the wall near the wet bar.


    ¡°We need some warm coats down here, so people can put them on when we have a wine party,¡± I said.


    ¡°You need wine for that,¡± Angela protested. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to buy a lot if you don¡¯t want this place to look empty.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be a problem,¡± Luisa said. ¡°There¡¯s literally a ton of wine in storage, waiting to go back on these racks.¡±


    ¡°I know we talked about stocking the wet bar,¡± I said to Luisa.


    ¡°Yeah, I was going to wait until all the work was done before doing that,¡± Luisa said. ¡°The bar upstairs is pretty well stocked right now, so I could easily bring everything down if you guys wanted to have a party down here¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯m O.K. with waiting for that,¡± I said. ¡°That reminds me- I heard Wally tell Emmy that moving the wine was a chore¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jesus, was it ever,¡± Luisa said with a groan. ¡°The stairs are too small for two people to pass by each other, right? So Poor Wally wound up carrying most of the wine upstairs himself. Mia and I had everything boxed, and we made sure it got loaded in the moving van correctly, but Wally carried over a hundred cases of wine up those stairs to the kitchen and out through the laundry room.¡±


    ¡°How long did that take?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two days,¡± Luisa answered.


    ¡°How much wine?¡± Angela asked, stunned.


    ¡°One thousand, three hundred and forty-seven bottles, not counting the ones that had obviously gone bad,¡± Luisa announced, pleased to see Angela¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of wine,¡± Angela replied, trying to imagine the room¡¯s extensive racks full of wine bottles.


    ¡°Jesus, is it ever,¡± Luisa agreed.


    After the wine cellar, Luisa showed me Mia¡¯s security room, pointing out the camera views on the multiple monitors, and the computer that controlled all the alarm systems and the like.


    ¡°Mia¡¯s dad has even talked the guys at the embassy next door into sharing our external feeds, so some of these views are from their cameras,¡± Luisa explained.


    ¡°And in return, they get to see our views?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just the external ones, front, back and rooftop. See that? That view right there is from their building. You can see our front door down here on the left.¡±


    ¡°I guess that improves security,¡± I said.


    ¡°You want to know the truth?¡± Mia asked, poking her head in. ¡°It¡¯s more than just camera feeds.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, Dad explained it like this. If the security guys next door think of us as cooperating in their security also, if anything serious happens, we can rely on their help, right? The police are only a few minutes away, but the Moroccan marines are thirty seconds away.¡±


    ¡°O.K., now that¡¯s good thinking,¡± I said. ¡°Your dad had tried to impress on me to invite the embassy bigwigs over and make friends, so I can see why.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s always good to get along with your neighbors in any case,¡± Luisa said.


    ¡°True,¡± I agreed. ¡°So this reminds me. We need to set a date for a housewarming party. Talk to Charlie about when she thinks she can finish dressing the house, and we¡¯ll plan something.¡±


    ¡°I think she wanted to come over tomorrow and meet with you and Emmy anyway, so that works out.¡±


    The four of us made our way up to the kitchen, which had remained basically unchanged, except for the lighting was now LED instead of fluorescent, and the walls and trim were all freshly painted.


    ¡°This does not look like a kitchen in a house,¡± Angela proclaimed, looking around the large space. ¡°This is a restaurant kitchen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I thought when I first saw it, too,¡± Mia agreed with a laugh. ¡°This is way overkill.¡±


    ¡°So here¡¯s the thing,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy wanted this house for entertaining. She wants to be able to hold big dinners here, and parties, right? Her idea is that we¡¯d bring in a chef and extra catering staff for big events, but for that, we¡¯d need a big, commercial-grade kitchen. Like this one.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Angela breathed, awestruck.


    A quick glance at the revamped laundry room and the now smaller ¡®boiler room¡¯ was all I needed, and we were done with the tour. There were still a few things that needed to be done, but the project was definitely almost finished, and looked nearly perfect. The house was better than it ever had been and now that all the remnants of the ugly past remodels were gone, it was as elegant as any grand old dame of a New York townhouse ever could be.


    Saying goodnight to Luisa and Mia, Angela and I took the rattly old elevator up to the sixth floor to Emmy¡¯s new studio. The ¡°Recording¡± light was on above the door to the performance room, so we stepped into the production room to watch Emmy through the glass as she played her new old Stratocaster. The music was piped into the production room speakers, so we could hear it as it was being recorded.


    ¡°She is so amazing!¡± whispered Angela after watching Emmy for a few minutes. ¡°So talented¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± I agreed. ¡°Very much so.¡±


    When Emmy finished the blues song she was playing, so leaned forward and spoke into the microphone. ¡°Hey, you two! How does the house look?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so amazing!¡± Angela gushed.


    ¡°See that red button on the top left of the board?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°You have to press that so I can hear you.¡±


    Looking sheepish, Angela found the button and pressed it. ¡°This house is so amazing!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable, really!¡±


    ¡°The remodel is perfect,¡± I added. ¡°They did an amazing job.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Emmy replied, smiling. ¡°Leah, do you mind if I stay up here and record some more? Do you mind if I come to bed late?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s O.K.,¡± I said, and seeing Emmy¡¯s blank look, I pressed the red button. ¡°Stay and record as long as you want, Em,¡± I said. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been bottling everything up since we moved to LA, so go ahead and get it all out now you have your own studio.¡±


    Emmy smiled and said, ¡°I cannot wait to send these files to Lee and Jackson!¡±


    ¡°Good night, hon,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m heading to bed.¡± Then, turning to Angela, I said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay up here with Emmy if you want, but I want to get up early, so I¡¯m gonna call it a night.¡±


    ¡°I am going to sleep with you tonight, right?¡± Angela asked, a little bit of insecurity in her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to have you join me,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep the bed warm for you!¡± Angela said to Emmy, pressing the red button. When Emmy just waved back, we left the production room and went downstairs to the master bedroom.


    ¡°Leah, this house- it¡¯s everything I ever imagined a New York mansion would be,¡± Angela said as she kicked off her shoes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys have this mansion here but are building a place in Los Angeles also.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± I said. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d ever own a home on the East Coast, and here we are, owning a classic Manhattan townhouse in one of the most old-school exclusive parts of town.¡±


    I turned around to look at Angela, who was using the big cheval mirror to remove her earrings. She looked so beautiful, wearing nothing but a lacy baby-blue bra and panty set, her long, dark hair flowing down her back to her waist.


    Emmy was an incredibly gorgeous woman, and I certainly would never say that I¡¯d gotten tired of seeing her nude, but the sight of Angela just then took my breath away. Maybe it was still the novelty, since this was going to be only our third night in the same bed, but the sight of her getting undressed made my lady parts tingle in anticipation.


    Even if we weren¡¯t going to actually have sex, just the thought that this woman wanted to sleep next to me was enough to dry my throat in anticipation.


    Angela caught my eye in the mirror and asked if I could help her with one of her earrings- she couldn¡¯t get the lock-back off the stud. Leaning in to help, I breathed in the soft, floral perfume that Angela used, and reveled in the feel of her thick, lustrous hair against the back of my hand. After I got the earring loose, I wrapped an arm around Angela¡¯s belly and pulled her in, nuzzling her and giving her a kiss on the back of the neck.


    She made a sort of purring sigh as she leaned back against my chest. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d like this,¡± she said. ¡°But you and Emmy have made this so wonderful for me. So wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed,¡± I suggested, my voice husky.


    I finished removing my own clothes with no sort of finesse at all, too focused on watching Angela gracefully remove her bra, one arm holding the cups against her breasts while the straps fell away, then lowering her arm and letting the bra fall to the rug.


    Honestly, Angela¡¯s breasts weren¡¯t her best feature. I think that she¡¯d asked for a little bit too generous of a helping when the doctor asked her how big she wanted them. It isn¡¯t that they were too large, but real boobs aren¡¯t quite round on the top side on their own. When Angela had a bra or bikini top on they looked natural and nice, but when they were out in the open like that, well, it was clear they weren¡¯t original equipment. Boobs just aren¡¯t supposed to be hemispherical. Still, like the old saying goes, I wouldn¡¯t kick her out of bed for eating crackers.


    Her washboard abs and lower belly, though, those were one hundred per cent the result of the time she spent in the gym, and were absolutely world-class.


    And don¡¯t get me started on her unbelievable butt and thighs.


    Angela turned her back to me to drop her lacy blue panties to the floor, proving she knew which part of her anatomy had the greatest effect on me, and I was O.K. with that. Leaving the panties on the floor where they lay, Angela stepped daintily to the bed and pulled aside the covers.


    ¡°Join me?¡± she asked, sliding under the sheets.


    I¡¯d had visions of leaving the lights on, us making like rabbits on top of the covers so I could enjoy the sight along with the other senses, but in that moment, gears shifted and I wanted something else. I flipped off the lights in the room, leaving on nothing but the dim nightstand light.


    I slid into that big canopy bed and took Angela in my arms, holding her close to me. She resettled herself on top of me, resting her head on my upper chest, reminiscent of the position we¡¯d taken in the tub earlier. Sure, her legs were parted and I was in between them, but the position wasn¡¯t particularly sexual. It was more tender, a closeness of affection rather than lust, despite the earlier talk about wanting more practice with the sex thing.


    ¡°Leah, can it stay this way?¡± Angela asked softly, echoing what she¡¯d said in the bath. ¡°I know we haven¡¯t known each other very long, but I really do want you. I want you and Emmy so much¡­ I want to be with you two forever.¡±


    Stroking her sides, I asked, ¡°What is it- I mean, why do you like us so much?¡± I asked, kissing her hair.


    ¡°You¡¯re so strong and confident, and everybody respects you, and you¡¯re so tall and confident¡­¡± Angela said, almost whispering. I resisted the urge to tell she¡¯d already said that, just letting her continue. ¡°Everybody does what you say. You have presence. At first, when I saw you in the gym, I thought you were scary. You had this look in your eyes, and that scar¡­ How did you get that, anyway?¡± Angela asked, lifting her head up to look at my face.


    ¡°I was cut by a man with a knife,¡± I said as Angela gently stroked the line across my cheek.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked, surprised. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A couple of guys jumped Emmy and dragged her into an alley,¡± I explained. ¡°One of them had a knife.¡±


    ¡°What happened? How did you get cut?¡±


    ¡°I rushed the guy with the knife and he cut me. I never even knew it had happened until later.¡±


    ¡°What happened after that?¡±


    ¡°I beat the guys up, and took Emmy to the hospital,¡± I said, leaving some details out.


    ¡°You beat the guys up.¡± Angela made it a statement, but one of those sort of ¡®I don¡¯t actually believe the story you¡¯re telling me¡¯ statements without actually saying it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I confirmed. ¡°It was in the news.¡±


    ¡°Would you beat up somebody if they attacked me?¡±


    ¡°Without a moment¡¯s hesitation,¡± I replied, and she smiled and gave me a kiss.


    ¡°I bet you could beat up Antonio,¡± she said with a saucy little grin.


    ¡°Is he a professional fighter?¡± I asked. ¡°Does he do mixed martial arts?¡±


    ¡°He likes to say he used to box,¡± Angela said, dismissively. ¡°But I think what that means is he took a class at a boxing gym.¡±


    ¡°Then I could definitely beat him up,¡± I said. ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡°I totally believe it,¡± Angela said, moving up my body a little bit so her face was above mine. ¡°I¡¯m also pretty sure you could make love to me better than he ever could. He couldn¡¯t even get hard half the time.¡±


    ¡°That was something I didn¡¯t need to know,¡± I said. ¡°But if it makes you feel any better, I¡¯d be happy to give you all the action you could possibly want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hold you to that promise,¡± Angela said, kissing the tip of my nose.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve decided that lady sex is alright after all?¡±


    ¡°The night before last was pretty convincing,¡± Angela replied. ¡°But I wonder what it would be like with just one of you?¡±


    ¡°Well, Emmy¡¯s busy right now, so I guess I¡¯d have to be the one, then,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯d hate to bother her when she¡¯s being creative,¡± Angela said, lowering her head for a kiss.


    ¡°Yeah, that would be inconsiderate,¡± I agreed, and went in for another kiss.


    ¡°So I guess I¡¯ll just have to settle for you, then,¡± Angela said. ¡°What a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, you know,¡± I said. ¡°You can wait for her, if you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an instant gratification sort of girl,¡± Angela said with another kiss. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can wait.¡±


    Angela drew up her knees and used the leverage to lift herself up and off my chest, sitting upright, straddling my hips. She swept her long hair back over her shoulder, a move I found unexpectedly sexy. With my hands resting on her hips, she ground against me as she used both her hands to pull her hair back. Of course, this had the desired effect of emphasizing her chest, the nipple piercings reflecting the dim light of the single lamp on the nightstand.


    Tearing my eyes away from those little gleaming points of light, I looked up at Angela¡¯s face. Her always-expressive eyes were hooded, a smile on her lips. She was enjoying my reactions as much as I was enjoying her actions.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, ¡°Let¡¯s try something different tonight. I want you to do what you want. You¡¯re in the driver¡¯s seat this time.¡±


    She stopped rocking her hips, a mild look of panic on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± she protested.


    ¡°What you were just doing? That was great. Don¡¯t think about it- just do what feels natural. Do what you want. Odds are that the things you like are also things I like, alright? Touch me the way you like to be touched. Kiss me the way you like to be kissed. Ask me to do the things you want done to you. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have any problems.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K., alright,¡± Angela said, still unsure. ¡°What should I do first?¡±


    ¡°How about grinding on me like you were just doing? I liked that,¡± I suggested. ¡°And those sexy looks- I really liked that, too.¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡± Angela asked, returning to her pose, and moving her hips like before.


    ¡°Here, let¡¯s try it a little bit more like this,¡± I suggested, lifting her up and repositioning her, as I opened my legs up a bit and angled my hips. With the changes, now her little pierced nubbin was sliding up and down on mine, and suddenly things got a lot better. And slipperier.


    ¡°Ohh¡­¡± Angela moaned as the sensation built. I was in complete agreement, to be honest. Emmy and I had tried that sort of tribbing on a number of occasions, but her tiny little pearl very rarely ever managed any stimulation. Angela¡¯s, though, was another story. That little barbell, too, well that was magical.


    As Angela¡¯s rhythm increased, she leaned forward, supporting her weight on her arms. The effort she was putting into it and the look of concentration on her face let me know that she was getting at least as much out of it as I was, and had no intention of stopping any time soon.


    I cupped her breasts in my hands, pinching her nipples and toying with her little barbells. This was just what it took, and within moments Angela was shuddering with release, gasping for air. Exhausted, she dropped back down onto my chest, still panting from the exertion and the orgasm.


    ¡°Fuck, that was good,¡± she finally managed to say once her breathing calmed down. ¡°How was I? Did I do that right?¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said. ¡°That was great. You enjoyed it, and I enjoyed it. That¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°I just want to do it right,¡± she replied. ¡°For you. And Emmy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing great,¡± I reassured her, kissing the top of her head.


    ¡°Can I- um, I want to try something, if it¡¯s O.K.,¡± Angela said, looking up at me.


    ¡°If you think we¡¯ll both enjoy it, I say go for it.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Angela said, climbing off me. I felt the loss of the weight of her body pressing me down, and the warmth of her skin, almost enough for me to pull her back down on top of me, but I didn¡¯t. This was Angela¡¯s chance to try new things, and I was going to let her have every opportunity I could give her.


    ¡°Roll over,¡± she commanded, so I did, turning to face her direction. She straddled my butt, sitting upright again. ¡°Your back is so amazing, Leah, and your shoulders- they¡¯re like¡­ amazing,¡± she finished lamely, not finding the words. As she spoke, she gently stroked my shoulders and back, caressing with the lightest of touches.


    ¡°When your towel fell and I saw you naked that day that Antonio got arrested, I¡­ Well, I mean, I¡¯d seen you working out in the gym, so I could tell you were strong and in great shape, but seeing you naked¡­¡± Angela said softly, as she continued to explore my back with her fingertips. ¡°I¡¯d never looked at another woman and found her sexually attractive, you know? I¡¯ve seen beautiful women and evaluated them, but it¡¯s always been a sort of competition?¡± She said, her voice rising at the end, turning it into a question. ¡°Is she more beautiful than me? Better toned? Clearer skin?¡± Angela leaned down and kissed my back, drawing her lips softly against my skin.


    ¡°But you were there, naked, and unashamed. You were so confident, all I could think of was that you were, in your way, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Not in a¡­ traditionally feminine way, like Emmy, but in a sort of Athena way. She was the goddess of war, after all,¡± Angela said. ¡°Some people have criticized me, especially back in Colombia, for being too muscular, you know? But I¡¯ve always tried to shape my body like, well, feminine, but firm? But your body, it doesn¡¯t look like a man¡¯s, but it isn¡¯t soft and curvy, either.¡±


    I lay there on my belly, listening to Angela as she ran her fingers lightly over my back and shoulders, enjoying the touch, but also enjoying hearing Angela explain her feelings.


    ¡°You can do anything,¡± Angela said. ¡°In Spanish, we say, ¡®capaz de todo,¡¯ and we usually mean it about somebody you need to be careful around. They are ¡®capable of anything,¡¯ and that¡¯s usually bad. But sometimes, it means the opposite. It means somebody who can¡¯t be told ¡®no, you can¡¯t do that,¡¯ because they¡¯ll just prove you wrong. You¡¯re like that, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so highly of me,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one,¡± Angela objected. ¡°Everyone who knows you thinks the same thing. Your driving friends? They act macho, but they¡¯re completely intimidated by you. Emmy¡¯s band mates? The same. They respect you, Leah. They can see how powerful you are. They know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make my head swell up,¡± I joked from my position face-down on the mattress.


    ¡°It means a lot to me that you and Emmy have accepted me into your lives,¡± Angela said. ¡°And right now, it means a lot to me that you¡¯re letting me be on top, letting me do what I want. It makes me feel¡­ I don¡¯t know the word for it,¡± Angela said, kissing her way down my spine. ¡°I feel like- I feel like you aren¡¯t trying to make me into what you want, if that makes sense. You¡¯re letting me¡­ No, you want me to do what I want. That¡¯s very important to me,¡± Angela said as she kissed right at my tailbone.


    She¡¯d slid the sheets down as she¡¯d worked her way down my back, but the bedroom air wasn¡¯t cold, so I didn¡¯t mind being uncovered. Angela repositioned her knees between mine, parting my legs as she did so. She put her hands on the back of my knees, then slowly slid them up my thighs, her strokes almost as deep as a massage would be. When she got to my butt, she squeezed and kneaded my glutes for a while, almost as if she was working herself up for what she was going to do next.


    ¡°Leah, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing,¡± she confessed.


    ¡°Just keep doing whatever you want,¡± I urged her. ¡°If all you want to do is squeeze my butt, I¡¯m O.K. with that. If you want to do more, go ahead and do it.¡±


    ¡°I do want to do more. I¡¯m just not sure what to do.¡±


    ¡°Did you like kissing my back?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A lot.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about kissing the backs of my legs? Would you like that?¡±


    ¡°Is that enough?¡± Angela asked, dubious.


    ¡°Whatever you do is enough,¡± I answered her. ¡°If you want to kiss my ankles for the rest of the night, by all means. If you want to play with my boobs, that¡¯s good, too. Whatever you want, Ange. I¡¯m enjoying this, right now. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll keep enjoying it, whatever you do.¡±


    Seeming to come to a decision, Angela changed position again, this time straddling my lower back in a sort of reverse cowgirl, but with me still facing down. She began running her fingertips up and down the backs of my thighs, leaving goosebumps in their wake.


    ¡°Is this O.K.?¡± Angela asked, still uncertain.


    ¡°That feels great, Ange. Really good.¡±


    As she grew bolder, her hands slipped down to the insides of my legs, her touch light on the soft skin she found there. She must have recognized the effect it was having on me, judging by the pleased little noises she was making. Soon she was brave enough to let her fingertips wander all the way up to where my legs joined, and gently caressed my outer labia.


    ¡°Is this good?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Very good,¡± I said, sticking my butt up a bit to give her better access. ¡°Are you doing O.K.?¡±


    ¡°I like this,¡± Angela said. ¡°This is very, um¡­ It makes me feel close to you, touching you like this." As she spoke, she finally let her fingers graze my inner labia. ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed, surprised. ¡°You''re wet!¡±


    ¡°I told you I was enjoying it,¡± I said as her fingertips lightly parted my folds, exploring me by touch.


    ¡°Can I- Can I, um¡­¡± Angela said as I felt her finger at my entrance.


    ¡°If you want to,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t if you don¡¯t want.¡±


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Angela said softly, then again with more confidence.


    ¡°You had your fingers in me the other night,¡± I said, puzzled by her lack of confidence.


    ¡°Yes, but this feels more, um, personal, somehow,¡± Angela replied as her finger started working its way in. ¡°The night before last was like some sort of um, org¨ªa, way out of normal bounds. This, this is me making love to you.¡±


    ¡°Make love to me, Angela,¡± I urged. "Make love to me the way you want to.¡±


    By now, her finger had found its way as deep as it could, and started a slow retreat back out. As it slipped from me, I couldn¡¯t suppress a little groan of disappointment. Angela, though, had other ideas. She spread the moisture she¡¯d collected up and down my folds, dipping inside again for some more, stroking in and out a few times, then using my own juices to lube up my inner labia and, thankfully, my poor, neglected clit.


    In, out, and on a round trip went her finger again, before sliding deep inside me once more. The next time that finger worked its way back out, though, she reached down and circled my clit, making me groan with pleasure. She kept circling my nubbin, as a finger from her other hand slid down into my depths.


    Angela¡¯s touch was soft, her movements slow and steady, and just exactly what the doctor ordered. The build up was slow, ever so slow, but oh, so good. When her hands swapped places a second finger joined the first, sliding in smoothly and easily, filling me that little bit more, and leaving me that much more empty-feeling when the two slid back out again.


    Angela continued, gradually speeding up, reacting to my sounds of pleasure. I realized after a bit that my hips were well off the bed, my butt pointed at the ceiling, and Angela was taking advantage of the improved access to really get into what she was doing. At the same time, her hips had started rocking of their own accord, and I could feel the smear of her juices on my back as she used me for her own pleasure.


    It took a while, but eventually it grew to be too much and I slipped over the edge, collapsing as my legs gave way in a flurry of twinges, no longer under my control.


    Angela got up off me as I recovered, then she rolled me over onto my back. Looking down into my face, she swept her hair back again in that move that I found so sexy. ¡°That was incredible, Leah,¡± she said. ¡°It made me feel¡­¡± she said, as she straddled my hips again, once more in the traditional cowgirl. She leaned down, letting her long, thick hair drape across the two of us. She lowered herself into a kiss, long, slow and very deep.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± she whispered. ¡°I never thought I could love a woman like this. But I do. I love you,¡± she said, her voice almost too soft to hear, even in that quiet room.

 Visitors

    I woke up early, as usual, but instead of hitting the gym, my plan for the day was a nice, long run. I hadn¡¯t noticed when Emmy had come to bed, but there she was, snuggled up on the other side of Angela, sleeping peacefully.


    As quietly as I could, I dressed and slipped out the door. I found Mia in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee when I stopped to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.


    ¡°Goin¡¯ out for a run?¡± she asked. She looked as if she¡¯d been up all night. Not in any sort of tired and disheveled way, just like it was the end of her shift and not the start.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got a loop I like. It works out to be a little over ten miles.¡±


    ¡°I kinda miss running,¡± Mia said, a bit wistfully. ¡°Hey, there¡¯s some things I want to talk to you about when you get back, alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem. I have a nine o¡¯clock with the designer and the builder- we can talk after that,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Mia replied. ¡°I¡¯m gonna hit the rack for a few, then. See you at eleven?¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    The cooler morning was a nice change from how warm and humid it had been the last time I did my lap of Roosevelt Island, but the views were just as impressive. Meditating on the difference between New York City (well, Manhattan, at least) and West Los Angeles as I ran, I remembered the moment Emmy and I had kissed there at that Hudson River viewpoint. The whole style of living was so, so different, but maybe New York wouldn¡¯t have been the wrong choice after all. I had a few years at UCLA Anderson tying me to Los Angeles, but after that, maybe we should move full-time to New York, just to get a different perspective on life.


    Crossing back over the Queensboro Bridge, I made a point of picking out our townhouse off to the left. Now that I knew what to look for, spotting it was easy enough. I stopped and looked really closely, becoming more and more convinced that anybody with binoculars could get a solid view of that upper deck, and anybody on it. It was too far away to really see well with the naked eye, though. Also, the trees did a halfway decent job of screening the view, but maybe some sort of privacy barrier on the north side of the deck wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea. Maybe the design could be incorporated into the sun screen Luisa wanted¡­


    Back at the townhouse, Wally was waiting down in the kitchen, reading the New York Times. On the table sat his customary bag of bagels, which I was glad to see. ¡°I took Luisa to her school this morning,¡± he announced. ¡°Is there anything else for me today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Emmy¡¯s going to want to go shopping,¡± I said, enjoying a bagel with cream cheese. ¡°And we¡¯ll probably go out for dinner tonight, so it might be a late one.¡±


    ¡°I figured,¡± Wally said with a nod.


    ¡°I have a meeting in a little over an hour with the designer and the builder, so I need to jump in the shower. I guess you can just relax until Emmy is up,¡± I said, and he nodded and went back to the news.


    Emmy was still in bed, but she roused when I came in. ¡°Hey, Leah, did you go out for a run?¡± she asked, her voice sleepy. I gave her a kiss and asked, ¡°How late did you stay up last night? I didn¡¯t hear you come in.¡±


    ¡°I do not know,¡± she replied. ¡°Three, maybe? Yes, I think it was midnight West Coast time, so three here,¡± she answered, sitting up. ¡°We have a meeting with Erich and Charlie, right? When is that?¡±


    ¡°Not for another hour,¡± I told her as I stripped out of my running gear.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± Emmy exclaimed, getting out of bed and following me into the shower.


    As I washed her hair, Emmy asked, ¡°Did you and Angela make love last night? The bedroom smelled of sex.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we did,¡± I answered.


    ¡°I am glad that she felt confident enough to do that,¡± Emmy said. ¡°That is part of why I stayed up late.¡±


    ¡°I thought it might be,¡± I replied as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair. ¡°Now you need to find an opportunity to get intimate with her without me around, too, so she knows that we¡¯re both O.K. with that.¡±


    ¡°Are we?¡± Emmy asked as she returned the favor and lathered up my hair. ¡°Are we O.K. with having a sexual relationship outside our marriage?¡±


    ¡°I thought we were,¡± I replied. ¡°I thought we were both O.K. with sharing Angela.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I simply wanted to be certain that you are, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it a bunch,¡± I said, ¡°And I think that this could be a good thing for the two of us. Angela can be the things for you that I¡¯m no good at. You can take her shopping, for example. You know I kinda hate that, right? But she¡¯d love that.¡±


    ¡°And she can go with you on your drives, when you know that I do not like that,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I do not feel jealous that you and she had sex last night, and if you do not feel jealous if Angela and I do the same, then I believe that this could work.¡±


    ¡°She told me she loves me last night,¡± I said as Emmy washed my back.


    Emmy took a few moments to think about what I¡¯d just said, and asked, ¡°Do you think she is a gold miner?¡±


    ¡°A gold miner? You mean a gold digger?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°Yes, that. Do you think she is merely after our money?¡±


    ¡°No. I mean, sorta, but not maybe the way you mean,¡± I said, thinking about how to phrase the thoughts that had been forming the last couple of days. ¡°I do think that she¡¯s fallen in love with our lifestyle. I mean, the nice places to live, the expensive cars, the private jet, all that. She wants to be part of that, so in that sense, yeah, she maybe sorta is. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s intentional, you know?¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°I mean, no, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just out for our money. I think she honestly has fallen for us, but us being rich is part of that package.¡±


    ¡°I think the same,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I believe her feelings are honest, but I do also believe that she has fallen under the spell of wealth.¡±


    ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t mind buying her nice things, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, I do not,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°But I do not want her to think that we are buying her, either.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we are?¡± I asked, turning to face Emmy.


    She thought about it for a moment, then said, ¡°I do not want to think that.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t,¡± I urged. ¡°Do what you want for her because you want to, not because you feel she demands it. So far she hasn¡¯t asked anything from me. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a gold digger in that way.¡±


    ¡°I hope she is not,¡± Emmy sighed.


    ¡°Put it out of your mind,¡± I suggested. ¡°Thoughts like that can be toxic.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Emmy said.


    After our shower we dressed for our day, me in jeans and a button-front shirt, Emmy in a nice dress, casual but classy. I had no plans for the day but dealing with work emails and so on, while Emmy (as I¡¯d expected) wanted to go out and hit some boutiques.


    Angela was only about halfway through her workout in the new home gym when we checked in on her, done with the selfie part and down to the serious body sculpting.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll go shopping with you!¡± She exclaimed when Emmy asked if she wanted to go. ¡°I¡¯d love that!¡±


    ¡°When you are ready, come find me in the studio,¡± Emmy told her. Then, turning to me, she asked, ¡°Do you mind if I do not meet with Charlie and Erich with you?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said, giving her a little kiss to let her know I really didn¡¯t mind.


    Erich was early for the meeting, but Charlie was running late. At least she¡¯d texted to tell us, so we didn¡¯t wait for her and just went straight into the discussion with the contractor. I told him everything looked great, and he explained what the holdup was on the elevator, apologizing it wasn¡¯t done yet.


    ¡°Hey, I understand it¡¯s out of your control,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll get done when the parts get here, right? It¡¯s much more important to me that it be done correctly than it be done quickly.¡±


    Erich pointed out the items left on the punch list as he and I walked though the house, and it seemed he had a really good handle on the details, so I assured him that I had no problem releasing the funds when the list was taken care of. ¡°You¡¯ve done an excellent job,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you were recommended for the job.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Erich replied. ¡°Word of mouth is my only advertising, so please, feel free to tell your friends that you¡¯re happy with my work.¡±


    A taxi dropped Charlie off just as Erich climbed into his work van, the two waving their greetings at each other in passing.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m so late,¡± Charlie apologized as we entered the townhouse. ¡°I had a complete dumpster fire I had to put out first thing this morning.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± I said. ¡°It happens.¡±


    ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t, but sometimes it does,¡± she agreed.


    We made another walk-through, Charlie pointing out details here and there, while I mostly said ¡°It all looks great,¡± over and over.


    ¡°Emmy had said you didn¡¯t want any decorations or art, but the house looks unfinished,¡± Charlie complained, waving at the bare walls.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take care of that,¡± I said, trying to ignore the fact that she was complaining of lost margins on all that stuff. I can¡¯t really begrudge her, since that was how she made her living, but Emmy and I had been clear on that. No dead twigs in vases, no baskets of fake flowers, nothing. Designers seem to love cluttering up the place with useless bric-a-brac nonsense, and that just wasn¡¯t what we wanted.


    Charlie had done a phenomenal job on the paint colors and the style and materials of the furniture, so I had to praise her eye for those things, but I wasn¡¯t going to have some reproduction vintage French travel poster framed on the wall merely to take up the empty space.


    There were a few pieces that she¡¯d ordered that hadn¡¯t come in yet, mostly for the library and my office, but otherwise she was done with the project. I told her, too, that I was fine with releasing the final payment, minus the last of the furniture, if she wanted to get an invoice to Luisa.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure working for you two,¡± she said as she left.


    I wandered upstairs to find Emmy, since she and Angela hadn¡¯t left yet. They were in the production booth, listening to something Emmy had recorded earlier.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°We are almost ready to go out,¡± Emmy said when the song ended. ¡°Would you like to join us?¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ve got to talk to Mia, and do some work. You guys try to have a good time without me.¡±


    ¡°We will do our best,¡± Emmy said gravely, looking doubtful of their ability to enjoy themselves shopping. Laughing, I pulled her in for a kiss.


    ¡°Do not neglect Angela,¡± Emmy said when I let her go, so I wrapped Angela up in my arms and kissed her, too, which Angela reciprocated.


    ¡°See you guys later,¡± I said. Then, ¡°Hey, have you made any dinner plans?¡± I asked Emmy.


    ¡°I will do that,¡± she replied. ¡°Should I plan for Luisa and Mia to join us?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you text them both and ask if they¡¯d like to go out?¡±


    ¡°Text them?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled. ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Mia¡¯s here, but Luisa¡¯s teaching,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, that is right. I had forgotten,¡± Emmy said, and pulled out her phone. A few moments later, a group text came through, including me in the conversation.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. ¡°See you two later.¡±


    Since I was at the top end of the house anyway, I checked Mia¡¯s apartment but she wasn¡¯t in, so I headed all the way down to the sub-basement, finding her in the little security office.


    ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± I asked, dropping into the other chair.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a couple of things,¡± Mia said. ¡°First, let¡¯s talk business.¡± Turning to her computer setup, she brought up a video recording. ¡°See this?¡± she asked as she played a clip from one of the exterior security cameras. It was taken at night, and it showed two guys walking down the street towards the house.


    ¡°See these guys? This was taken at around three-thirty in the morning. Now, no normal person walks down this particular street at that time of night. Check this out,¡± she said, and turned up the volume. ¡°We have street-level microphones. These guys? Didn¡¯t say a single word.¡±


    The two men in the video clip glanced around as they approached the townhouse, looking to make sure there was nobody around. One of the guys stayed out on the sidewalk, continuing as lookout, while the other casually walked up to the front door and checked to see if it was locked. Of course it was, this being New York City, but I guess they had to do their due diligence and make sure. Looking over at his companion, who gave him a nod, the second guy then went down the steps to the laundry room entrance. Mia switched feeds to show the guy checking that door, too, and peeking through the small, barred window next to the door, then checking to see if it was unlocked. Silently, he rejoined his companion and the two left the way they had come, never a word spoken between the two.


    ¡°So, this was about a month ago,¡± Mia said. ¡°Pretty weird, for a couple of reasons.¡±


    ¡°Well, they obviously targeted this house in particular,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s one thing, all right,¡± Mia agreed. ¡°And they had a plan. This wasn¡¯t just some random dudes thinking they might be able to break into an empty house or something.¡±


    ¡°You can tell by the way they didn¡¯t need to communicate,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Oh, they communicated,¡± Mia said. ¡°They just didn¡¯t talk. Here, watch this part again,¡± she said, as she replayed the part where the one guy checked the front door. Through the speakers, I could hear the noises of the late-night city, but nothing from the two men. ¡°Look,¡± Mia said, pointing at the hands of the sidewalk guy as he made some complex hand gestures, clearly giving the other guy instructions.


    ¡°Well, O.K.,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    ¡°Dad tells me the Night Children have a fairly elaborate hand sign language,¡± Mia said. ¡°Does this look like what they do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does,¡± I said. ¡°It sure isn¡¯t ASL.¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± Mia said, turning back to her computer. ¡°This is two and a half weeks ago.¡± She hit the button and another late-night security camera video played. Again, two men checked the front of the house. ¡°Notice this? That guy is the same, but the other guy, no. Same drill, though. They check the security status of the house, then leave when it looks like they can¡¯t get in. Now, here¡¯s last week,¡± she said, playing yet another reenactment of the same scene. ¡°Same two guys as the first time.¡±


    ¡°All right. So, let¡¯s itemize what we know for sure,¡± I said. ¡°First off, they''re targeting this house in particular. Those guys come from down the street and don¡¯t even glance at any other house on their way here, or after leaving. That¡¯s one thing we know. We also know they aren¡¯t trying very hard. They check, find the place is locked up, and leave. Will they always be this easy to, um, thwart? We don¡¯t know that, but for now, they seem to be scouting more than anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my take on it,¡± Mia agreed.


    ¡°The third thing we know is that they aren¡¯t aware of our surveillance. They made no attempt to hide from our cameras, because they don¡¯t know they exist,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why the hush-hush if they don¡¯t know we have a microphone?¡± Mia asked.


    ¡°Well, if they are Night Children, and it sure looks like they might be, that¡¯s just the way they are. Like your dad said, they communicate a lot silently.¡±


    ¡°Alright. So, what can we extrapolate?¡± Mia asked. ¡°First off, they¡¯re probably Night Children,¡± she said, answering her own question. ¡°And they probably know Emmy owns this house.¡±


    ¡°It would make sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why they¡¯d target just this one house on the block otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Assuming they are Night Children,¡± Mia cautioned.


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed. ¡°Assuming they are Night Children. Emmy will be able to tell us if those are common Night Children hand signs. That¡¯d confirm it for sure.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do about it?¡± Mia asked.


    ¡°Nothing, for now. Just keep watching, and making sure the doors and windows they can access are locked. Look for any escalation or new behavior, too. Also, I want a print-out of the best shot we have of each of their faces. I want to be able to recognize ''em if I see them on the street,¡± I said.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Mia agreed.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want ¡®em to know we¡¯re onto them, so no obvious changes in behavior,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°What do you think about adding some wireless cameras back along their route? Maybe we can figure out where they¡¯re coming from,¡± Mia suggested.


    ¡°If you can set something like that up without anybody noticing, I say go for it. The more intel we have, the better.¡±


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll have something set up within the week,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°So, you had some other things you wanted to talk about?¡± I asked, leaning back now there was no need to look at the monitor.


    ¡°Yeah, about my dad,¡± Mia said. ¡°He¡¯s in Chicago, right? Running some kinda of operation?¡±


    ¡°What has he told you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Precious fucking little,¡± Mia said with an annoyed look on her face. ¡°He¡¯s being really cagey.¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m going to tell you some things. This is¡­ Well, this is, um, ¡®extralegal¡¯ shit, all right? If your dad hasn¡¯t told you, it¡¯s because he thinks you don¡¯t need to know. I would have agreed with that assessment before you showed me that footage, but maybe now, well, maybe you do need to know.¡±


    ¡°You do know that I signed up knowing that there might be some of that extralegal shit you¡¯re talking about, right?¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Yeah, I do. That said, the more informational security the better, right?¡± I replied. ¡°So here¡¯s the deal. We¡¯ve run into resistance in Chicago, and there was some blood shed. A lot, actually, and there will probably be more.¡±


    ¡°What exactly do you mean by ¡®resistance¡¯,¡± Mia asked, making finger quotes.


    ¡°I have no idea if your dad told you this about the Night Children, but we, Emmy and me, we¡¯re taking over the Night Children here in the New World. We started in California, and we¡¯ve been working our way east as well as north and south.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®taking over¡¯?¡± Mia asked, leaning back and crossing her arms.


    ¡°So here¡¯s the deal. Night Children never arrived here in any numbers, right? So all of them that are here are basically refugees,¡± I explained. ¡°And as such, there¡¯s no overall community, or nation, supporting them here, the way there is in Europe, the Near East or North Africa. We''re forming that nation. As we find pockets of Night Children hiding here or there, we invite them to join our nation and reap the benefits.¡±


    ¡°Invite?¡± Mia asked, again making finger quotes.


    ¡°Yeah, invite. We don¡¯t force anyone,¡± I replied, a bit annoyed.


    ¡°Then why is there resistance?¡± Mia asked, and I had to admit it was a good question. I spent the next hour explaining about how we¡¯d found little pockets where some local boss had set himself up and was ruling over his tiny fiefdom with force, like in Vancouver and now in Chicago. If the locals wanted to join us but the area¡¯s chief said no, we took exception.


    ¡°Your dad thinks we¡¯re doing the right thing,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s willing to go all in on this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in, you know?¡± Mia said. ¡°And I guess I can see why you think I might need to know. If there is some sort of local boss here in New York, one who might be, um, recalcitrant, I might need to be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly. We don¡¯t know what these people are doing here. Heck, for all we know they¡¯re just checking to make sure we¡¯re safe and locked up properly. But odds are, that¡¯s not the case,¡± I said. ¡°As we¡¯ve been moving east, the communities we¡¯re finding are getting bigger, and in better communication. Honestly, I expect we¡¯ll find some sort of head honcho here in New York City, or maybe Boston or Philly, who¡¯ll have a lot of clout and we¡¯ll have to negotiate at a higher level.¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯ve said about migration, that makes sense,¡± Mia agreed. ¡°So is this house gonna be some sort of forward base?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hell no, no way. We¡¯ve been working up plans, and they don¡¯t involve using this house in any way but as a house,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m in, whatever it works out to be. In for a penny, in for a pound, right?¡± Mia asked, grinning.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m glad we had this conversation. Now you know the security situation a bit better,¡± I said.


    ¡°Um, there¡¯s one more conversation I want to have, and you can totally tell me it¡¯s none of my business,¡± Mia said, looking uncomfortable.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d kinda been assuming that you, um, had designs on Luisa,¡± Mia said, looking any way but at my face. ¡°But now it looks like you and Emmy have this new girl, Angela¡­¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I said with a little laugh. ¡°As far as Luisa goes, yeah, she¡¯s smoking hot, but I¡¯ve never had any ¡®designs¡¯ on her at all. And this thing with Angela, it¡¯s all really new and I¡¯m not sure how it¡¯s going to shake out in the long term. So if you were keeping your distance, don¡¯t worry. Luisa is fair game.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that, but as hot as Luisa is, and don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯d rock her world if she said yes, she really isn¡¯t my type,¡± Mia said with a grin.


    ¡°What is your type?¡±


    ¡°I like bois with skinny little butts and chips on their shoulders,¡± Mia said, smirking. ¡°They wanna pound me all freaking night long just to prove they can.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to that,¡± I said, sharing a laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve come to recognize it¡¯s the femmes for me. The more girly the better.¡±


    Mia raised her hand for a high-five, saying, ¡°Different strokes!¡± I slapped her hand and then gave her a fist bump.


    ¡°It makes the world go ¡®round,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t appreciate the eye candy, though,¡± Mia said as we left the little security office and made our way to the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey, do you have any lunch plans?¡± Mia asked. ¡°I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great,¡± I replied, meaning it.


    Mia was right- her grilled cheese was far better than most, and I told her so.


    ¡°I can¡¯t cook very many things, but grilled cheese sammiches with tomato soup is the one dish I can do better than most,¡± Mia half bragged, half confessed.


    We ate in companionable silence, but after a while Mia asked something that had obviously been on her mind.


    ¡°Dad hinted there was violence in Chicago. How bad was it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We had one wounded, not too bad.¡±


    ¡°Out of how many?¡±


    Mentally counting off the names on my fingers, I said, ¡°Seven.¡±


    ¡°And their losses?¡±


    ¡°Total loss in that engagement. Eight.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Mia breathed. ¡°If I understand the rules of engagement right, this was all close-quarters, right? Knives out?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°What was your count?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let your dad tell you how it all went, alright? Thanks for lunch, but I¡¯ve got to get some work done,¡± I said as I stood and put my dishes by the sink.


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Mia replied. ¡°You¡¯re the boss.¡±


    Grateful we¡¯d kept the ridiculous old leather office chair and giant mahogany desk in my office, I set up my laptop and started plugging away at my work emails. There wasn¡¯t anything particularly memorable, just the day to day, but it needed to get done.


    Luisa checked in sometime in mid-afternoon when she got home from teaching.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t smell bad in here at all with the windows open like that,¡± she said.


    ¡°No, the smell isn¡¯t too bad anymore,¡± I agreed. ¡°It just needs a little ventilation, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Um, Leah, Emmy said you¡¯d pose for me this trip, but you guys are leaving tomorrow morning, right? Is there any chance it could still happen?¡±


    ¡°I guess so, sure,¡± I replied. ¡°How long do you think the sitting will take?¡±


    ¡°A couple of hours, if that¡¯s O.K. with you?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Let me wrap this up. Back on the deck?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be best, yeah, and the light should be good for a few more hours,¡± Luisa confirmed.


    ¡°How about we meet up there in twenty?¡±


    ¡°I can be ready,¡± Luisa agreed, and rushed out to get her things together. I finished the email I was working on, shut down my computer and closed the windows, being sure to lock them. Yeah, I know, fifth floor, but still¡­


    Down in the master bedroom, I changed into comfy sweatpants and a hoodie and slipped a pair of zoris on my feet. Heck, I was going to be back out of that stuff in a few minutes, so no point in getting all dressed up like I was going to Walmart or something.


    Luisa had set the chair I¡¯d originally posed with in the same exact spot, and her easel was where it had been the first round. She had her paints arranged and had changed her own clothes, now wearing an old pair of jeans and long-sleeved T shirt with a smock on top. This was obviously an outfit she wore often while painting, judging by the many colors festooning both the shirt and pants, never mind the apron.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too cold, is it?¡± Luisa asked, worried.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a nice afternoon.¡±


    Luisa got some jazz going on her bluetooth speaker while I ditched my clothes and got back into the same uncomfortable and awkward pose as before. I was reminded of Angela¡¯s instructions on unnatural poses that look completely normal, amused that things haven¡¯t changed since posing began.


    Luisa and I chatted about inconsequential things while she worked. I think she was too focused on the brushwork to actually put any real effort into the conversation, and that was fine with me.


    We¡¯d been up on that deck for a little over an hour when Emmy and Angela found us.


    ¡°You are posing!¡± Emmy said, delighted.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Angela exclaimed, looking over Luisa¡¯s shoulder at the canvas. ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡±


    Emmy leaned in and gave me a kiss, giving my butt a quick squeeze to go along with it. ¡°We spent a lot of money today,¡± she announced. ¡°I cannot wait to show you the things we bought.¡±


    ¡°What kind of things?¡±


    ¡°We bought a lot of lingerie,¡± Angela volunteered.


    ¡°And musical equipment, too,¡± Emmy said. ¡°For the studio.¡±


    ¡°We bought you some things, too,¡± Angela said, a bit shyly. Finally done staring at the painting, Angela came over and gave me a kiss, too, and I caught the look of surprise on Luisa¡¯s face. It was brief, but it was there.


    ¡°We will see you downstairs when you are done posing,¡± Emmy announced, and the two left, giggling conspiratorially.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not my place to ask¡­¡± Luisa began.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s what it looks like,¡± I admitted. ¡°Somehow, Angela has become our girlfriend. Not my girlfriend, or Emmy¡¯s, but both of ours. Emmy calls it a ¡®household of three¡¯- a m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois.¡±


    ¡°I wish you guys well,¡± Luisa said, doubtfully.


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I agreed.

 Put To Bed

    By the time Luisa had lost the daylight I was feeling a bit chilled, since the evening had cooled off and I was just sitting there with the breeze blowing across bits of me that weren¡¯t accustomed to much ventilation. Happy to put my sweats back on, I headed down to the master bedroom for a hot shower to warm up.


    Angela was relaxing on the bed, lying down on her tummy, playing with her phone.


    ¡°Hey, you have a good time shopping today?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it was fun,¡± she replied, but I got the feeling she was just saying that for my benefit.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, sitting on the bed next to her and stroking her bare leg.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Angela said, turning back to look at her phone.


    Trying to get her out of her mood, I slid my hand up the inside of her thigh, up under her short skirt. She wiggled her butt side to side, as if trying to shake my hand loose, but she didn¡¯t squeeze her legs shut on my hand, so I figured I wasn¡¯t really trespassing. Slowly, my hand made it all the way up, and soon enough I was gently stroking the lacy material where Angela¡¯s legs came together.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Angela said, and it sounded like a complaint.


    ¡°More? Or less?¡± I asked.


    Angela sighed and said, ¡°I like it, but I just want to be grumpy for a little while. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°I can understand wanting to sulk sometimes. If you need to talk, I¡¯m happy to listen.¡± That said, I kicked off my zoris and ditched the hoodie, then slid the sweatpants off and kicked them to the side. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a shower to warm up,¡± I announced, heading for the bathroom.


    ¡°Warm up? You already look pretty hot to me,¡± Angela said, and I could hear the grin on her voice.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± I replied, giving my hips a bit of an exaggerated swing as I walked.


    Finding the bedroom empty after my shower, I threw on some clothes and went looking for Emmy. To my complete lack of surprise, she was up in her new studio, sitting at the controls in the production room.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, giving her a kiss. ¡°It seems as if this little studio is working out for you.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I am very pleased. It would be a bit tight with a full band, but it is perfect for me.¡±


    ¡°Does this make you even more excited for the studio in LA?¡±


    Emmy got a dreamy look on her face, her vivid green eyes turning wistful. ¡°It will be so magical¡­¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I guess that¡¯s a yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is a yes,¡± Emmy said with her sparkling, musical laugh. ¡°I am trying to be patient, but it is so difficult!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to our new place, too. It¡¯s gonna have quite a task at hand to measure up to this place, though.¡±


    ¡°This townhouse is very nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Emmy agreed.


    Lost in our respective thoughts, neither of us had anything to say for a little while.


    ¡°Hey, did you ever wind up making plans for dinner tonight?¡± I asked, breaking the silence.


    ¡°When I mentioned it to Luisa, she said that she had been planning on cooking tonight.¡±


    ¡°That works for me,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to have a mellow night at home.¡± Then, remembering what I¡¯d meant to tell her, I said, ¡°Em, you should talk to Mia tonight. She has some security camera video you should look at.¡±


    ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    ¡°Maybe some Night Children. Watch the videos.¡±


    ¡°Now I am very curious,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°On a completely different note, did Angela seem O.K. When you guys were shopping?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emmy replied, but it came out more as a question than a concrete answer.


    ¡°She just seemed down earlier,¡± I explained. ¡°I wondered if something happened while you guys were out.¡±


    ¡°I do not think so,¡± Emmy said, a thoughtful look on her face. ¡°She seemed to have a good time.¡±


    We ate dinner in our formal dining room for the first time that night. Thankfully, it was no longer the neo-Versailles monstrosity that the previous owner had left us, but it did still have seating at the long table for fourteen people. The five of us sat at one end of the table and just ignored the other two thirds of its length, so it really wasn¡¯t too strange at all.


    Luisa had made a wonderful marinaded salmon with lentils on the side, which everybody seemed to love. For dessert, she¡¯d whipped up some poached apricots, which contrasted wonderfully with the earthy, salty lentil dish.


    ¡°This is very good, Luisa,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Thank you for making dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°So, is this better than my grilled cheese?¡± Mia asked me.


    ¡°That grilled cheese sandwich was good,¡± I said. ¡°But you didn¡¯t make dessert, so I¡¯m giving this one to Luisa.¡±


    ¡°Aww, dang,¡± Mia said with an exaggerated downcast look on her face.


    ¡°But I¡¯m willing to give you strong runner-up points,¡± I added. Then, seeing the looks of puzzlement we got from the others, I explained that Mia had made lunch. ¡°And it really was an excellent grilled cheese sandwich.¡±


    After dinner, we retired to the parlor, where Luisa slid behind the bar to mix us up some drinks.


    ¡°Can I have that drink they always talk about on ¡®Sex In The City¡¯?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Cosmopolitan,¡± Luisa said. ¡°No problem.¡±


    I went for a Manhattan, which seemed appropriate. Emmy opted for some white wine, and Mia a beer. The beer, I was surprised to note, was on tap.


    ¡°We have three local microbrews on tap,¡± Luisa said when I asked. ¡°The bar was already set up for it, so I just went ahead and got some pony kegs.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is all real,¡± Angela said, putting her feet up on the ottoman. ¡°This is like a dream.¡±


    ¡°This is not how I expected my first job after the Marines would go, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Mia agreed.


    We spent the next hour or two just chatting, talking about nothing much in particular, and it seemed to me that whatever had been bothering Angela earlier had been forgotten.


    Eventually, Emmy went downstairs with Mia to watch the security footage and Luisa went to the kitchen to clean up after dinner, leaving Angela and I alone. We finished our drinks, setting the glassware on the bar for Luisa to wash and put away in the morning. I felt slightly guilty about not doing it ourselves, but reasoned that it was, in fact, Luisa¡¯s job.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Can we, um, take a bath?¡± Angela asked when we got back up to the master bedroom. ¡°Together?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± I replied. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get it started?¡± While she did that, I checked my email to see if there was anything pressing. Thankfully there was nothing I couldn¡¯t ignore, so I stripped down and wandered into the bathroom. The sight of Angela in the nude, bending over to light the scented candles near the tub, was enough to get certain parts of me hot and bothered.


    ¡°Is the bath ready?¡± I asked as I stepped up beside her, resting my hand on her hip.


    ¡°Almost,¡± Angela replied, straightening up. Angela¡¯s face always showed exactly what she was feeling, and in that moment it was a mixture of doubt, sadness, and at the same time, maybe some hope.


    I took her hand and stepped into the claw-footed tub, helping her settle in after me. Unlike bathing with Emmy, the water wasn¡¯t near boiling, so getting in wasn¡¯t a slow, scalding process. Angela did lie back against me in Emmy¡¯s favorite position, though. Thinking about it, I realized that it was sort of the default for how two people could fit into a bathtub, so maybe it wasn¡¯t actually Emmy¡¯s favorite, just the easiest.


    Angela used her cupped hands to pour water on her chest, enjoying the bath. I kept quiet, since it was obvious that Angela had requested this time together to talk. I figured that giving her the time to get her thoughts together was the best I could do to encourage her. I held her in my arms, gently stroking her sides.


    ¡°I can see why you and Emmy like this so much,¡± Angela finally said, her voice soft. ¡°This is really nice, just relaxing like this.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed, kissing the top of her head.


    It seemed as if Angela was just about to say what was on her mind when Emmy came in. ¡°There you two are!¡± she said. Sitting on the edge of the tub, Emmy ran her hand through the water. ¡°Do you mind if I stay up and record some more tonight?¡± She asked.


    Figuring that she was giving Angela and me room to talk, I said, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine with it, if Angela doesn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Surprised I put the ball in her court, Angela said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I will be quiet when I come to bed,¡± Emmy assured us with a smile, and she was off.


    After a while, I wrapped Angela up in a hug and said, ¡°Hey, Ange, I¡¯m about ready for bed.¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± she agreed, and climbed out.


    She started drying off, but I stopped her. ¡°Let me,¡± I said, so she put her towel aside and let me do it. It wasn¡¯t really an attempt to be erotic, so much as just showing Angela that I enjoyed lavishing attention on her. She returned the favor, laughing at how silly but fun the whole process had become.


    ¡°Do you do this with Emmy?¡±


    ¡°Every chance I get,¡± I confirmed.


    The moment we climbed into bed, Angela started kissing and rubbing up against me. ¡°Ange,¡± I said, holding her still for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m kinda not in the mood for sex right now.¡±


    ¡°Oh- sorry,¡± she said, and made to move over to the other side of the bed, but I held her tight.


    ¡°I am in the mood to cuddle, though,¡± I said, and kissed her hair. I pulled her in against my side, and she rested her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arm around my tummy.


    We stayed like that for a few minutes, but eventually Angela spoke.


    ¡°Am I sexually attractive to you?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Very,¡± I replied, and it was the truth.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t want to have sex tonight?¡±


    ¡°No, not tonight,¡± I agreed. ¡°I just want to hold you, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°But in general you do?¡±


    ¡°In general, yes, I find you very sexually appealing, and in general, I want to rock your world until you can¡¯t walk straight,¡± I said, which got a little chuckle.


    ¡°I want to be your little sex toy,¡± Angela said, her voice quiet. ¡°Yours and Emmy¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Have you and Emmy had sex without me yet?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°We¡¯ve made out a couple of times, but that¡¯s it so far,¡± Angela said. ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I answered, and it was true. ¡°I was hoping you two would have had a chance to make love.¡±


    ¡°Leah?¡± Angela began, somehow making my name into a question.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I want to be your sex toy. I want you to use me. I want your hand up my skirt. I want you to kiss me, all hot, with tongue and everything. I want¡­¡± she trailed off, not sure how to say what she was feeling.


    ¡°By some coincidence,¡± I said, my tone light, ¡°I want you to be my sex toy, too. I want my hand up your skirt. I want to kiss you, deeply, with tongue.¡± Turning more serious, I continued. ¡°But I also want to make you smile, to hear your laugh. I want to take relaxing baths with you. I want to hold you in my arms like this, and talk about what our days were like. I want to take pictures of you for your social media. I want to watch you working out in the gym, imagining you naked.¡±


    Laughing softly, Angela slid her hand up and cupped my breast. ¡°I already imagine you naked in the gym.¡±


    ¡°You naughty little minx!¡± I replied. ¡°Just for that, I¡¯m going to imagine you twice as naked, working out in the gym.¡±


    ¡°You know, with the gym you have here in the house, you don¡¯t have to imagine it,¡± Angela said, her tone saucy. ¡°I¡¯m going to do my workout tomorrow completely naked, just for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to get much done as far as lifting weights goes, if that¡¯s the case. But I¡¯ll definitely give you one hell of a workout.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± Angela said, still playing with my boob.


    We grew quiet for a while, lost in our own thoughts, until Angela spoke again.


    ¡°Leah, how do you do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you, once you lay back on that weight bench,¡± I said, intentionally misunderstanding the question.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, and you know it,¡± Angela said, playfully pinching my nipple.


    ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± I asked, just for clarification.


    ¡°You don¡¯t come from a rich family, right? I mean, not like Emmy¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°We never had all that much money.¡±


    ¡°Emmy took me to a lingerie boutique. This is after she spent fifty thousand dollars at the music store. Oh, and you¡¯re right- the moment she walks in to one of those places, it¡¯s like the Pope walking into a local church. Everybody falls to their knees and kisses the hem of her skirt,¡± Angela said wryly. ¡°Anyway, we went to this really, I mean really, fancy lingerie boutique. So, I¡¯m looking at the bras, right? None of them have prices on them. I¡¯m looking at this one bra, and it¡¯s seriously the nicest bra I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. It¡¯s so beautiful¡­¡± Angela said, her voice trailing off with the memory.


    ¡°Anyhow, I show it to Emmy. She asks if I like it, and I say yes. She tells the sales lady to find my size, and buys me one in each of the three colors, with the matching panties. I¡¯m thinking this is sort of an expensive thing for her to buy me, right? Probably three hundred dollars, maybe a little more, even?¡± She went on. ¡°But I saw the receipt. Leah, it was over two thousand dollars. Those bras were four hundred dollars each. The panties were three hundred dollars. Each, Leah. Each.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice panties,¡± I ventured.


    ¡°They are really, really nice panties,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve never owned anything like them in my life. They¡¯re like wearing air.¡±


    ¡°So, where¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just too much,¡± Angela sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have accepted when Emmy asked me if I wanted them, if I knew how much money it was.¡±


    ¡°Emmy has a different attitude about money,¡± I said, kissing Angela¡¯s hair. ¡°To her, the price has nothing to do with anything. It simply isn¡¯t a factor in any decision she makes. To her, that two thousand dollars is the same as the three hundred dollars you imagined, or two dollars to buy you a Coke from a vending machine. To her, it¡¯s the gift that matters. She saw that you liked the bra, she wanted you to be happy, so she got them for you.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I said, pulling Angela up for a kiss. ¡°Just accept it as part of who she is,¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Angela replied.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, rolling on my side to look her in the face. ¡°Would you be bothered by it if she bought you a T shirt that says ¡®I heart NY¡¯?¡±


    Thinking about it, Angela said, ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Even thought that T shirt is probably twenty, twenty-five dollars?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Angela replied, a little more sure of herself.


    ¡°To Emmy, it¡¯s the same. It¡¯s a gift she got you, because she thought you¡¯d like it. The price tag means nothing to her, whether it¡¯s a twenty dollar T shirt or a four hundred dollar bra. It¡¯s all exactly the same.¡±


    ¡°When you explain it like that, I guess it makes sense¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much money Em¡¯s parents actually have. I¡¯m not sure it could actually be measured. I mean, the family has its own castle, and has had its little duchy, or fiefdom, or whatever it is, for over a thousand years. When people talk about ¡®old money¡¯, they mean new rich compared to the De Lascaux family. This is how Emmy grew up. This is the way she thinks. Do you know what her parents bought me for my last birthday? A half-million dollar race car. Half a million dollars, for a car I¡¯ll drive a couple dozen times a year, if I''m lucky. They knew I liked driving fast, so they thought it would be a nice thing to get me.¡±


    ¡°The one on display at the dealership?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Five hundred thousand dollars. For a birthday present.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a different world,¡± Angela sighed.


    ¡°But babe,¡± I said, lifting her chin so she would look me in the eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be part of our family, this is your world, now.¡±


    Angela was silent for a bit, thinking about it. ¡°I want to keep working,¡± she finally said, sitting up on her heels and facing me. ¡°I want to keep modeling, keep influencing. I don¡¯t want to stop doing that stuff.¡±


    ¡°I want you to keep working,¡± I said, stroking her leg. ¡°I want you to have your own life, too. I don¡¯t want you to stop any of that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay for my car,¡± Angela said, poking me in the chest to make her point. ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with you and Emmy buying me things, but don¡¯t think that makes any difference to how I feel, alright?¡± She said, her voice getting more forceful.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it did,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I need to talk to Emmy,¡± Angela announced, climbing out of bed.


    ¡°Um, O.K.,¡± I said as she left the bedroom, presumably to go up to the studio. To talk to Emmy. Naked. Which, to be fair, is a great way to talk to Emmy, I¡¯ve found.


    Wondering idly if Angela was going to realize she had nothing on and there were other people in the house besides just her, Emmy and me, I thought about the conversation we¡¯d just had. It seemed to me that it put to bed the thoughts that Angela was just in it for the money, as Emmy had feared she might be.

 Late To Bed, Early To Rise

    Angela and Emmy came to bed together some time later, but they were quiet and I only woke up enough to mumble something about how I needed to be up early. When I woke for my morning run, the two were sleeping cuddled together, looking totally adorable. I slid out and got dressed as silently as I could, and managed to not wake them.


    The weather had turned during the night, and it was gray, drizzly and a bit colder than I was ready for, but I went out in it anyhow. The old rule of thumb that says ¡®if you¡¯re comfortable when you start, you¡¯ll be too hot ten minutes in¡¯ proved to be correct, and the only parts of me that really felt the cold once I got moving were my ears and my hands. The cold weather was a good incentive to keep the effort high, and as a result I posted my fastest time for my now-traditional Roosevelt Island loop.


    Feeling good but certainly ready for a hot shower, I entered the master bedroom as quietly as I could in case Emmy and Angela were still asleep. Finding the room empty, to my surprise, I ditched my clothes and jumped in the shower, grateful for the recirculating water heater system that meant instant hot water. Reveling in the steamy heat, I didn¡¯t notice Angela come in.


    When she rapped on the glass shower door to get my attention, I just about jumped out of my skin with surprise.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m about to start my workout,¡± Angela announced. ¡°Naked.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute,¡± I said with a smile.


    Hurrying, I finished my shower and toweled off, throwing on a pair of Cardinal sweatpants and a T shirt. Hey, if things went well, it¡¯d all be coming off in just a short while, right? No reason to get any more dressed than that.


    Padding barefoot down the hall to the bedroom that had been converted to a small home gym, I heard some noise from downstairs. Curious, I went down two flights to the foyer, only to find delivery men unloading boxes from a truck, and Wally and Emmy supervising.


    ¡°These are the things I bought for the studio,¡± Emmy explained as I gazed at the ever-increasing stack of boxes. I saw a Yamaha keyboard, a whole bunch of boxes containing drum-type things, microphone stands, you name it.


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°No, I think that between Mia, Wally and me, we have it under control,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Where is Mia?¡± I asked, looking around.


    ¡°She has taken a load up already,¡± Emmy said, indicating the ancient elevator.


    ¡°All right. You know our flight takes off at noon, right? We need to be out of here by eleven.¡±


    ¡°I have not forgotten,¡± Emmy assured me as she leaned in for a kiss. ¡°I will be ready.¡±


    Heading back upstairs, I found Angela in the gym, sadly still clothed.


    ¡°You said you¡¯d be naked,¡± I pouted.


    ¡°I needed to take my social pictures first, and I¡¯m definitely not going do that naked,¡± Angela said with a laugh. ¡°But now that you¡¯re here¡­¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, "Just go ahead with your normal workout. I really wish I could stay and watch you take your clothes off and get all sweaty, but I¡¯ve got some work I need to get done before we take off.¡±


    ¡°Aww,¡± Angela said with an overdone pout. ¡°Can I at least give you a peek?¡± She asked, then pulled her leggings down around mid-thigh, exposing her lady parts.


    I smiled, and as I leaned in and gave her a kiss, I cupped said parts in my hand and gave her a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Very nice,¡± I said. ¡°And now I¡¯m going to have one hell of a hard time concentrating on work¡­¡±


    As I made to leave, she grabbed my wrist to hold my hand where it was. ¡°Leah, I was serious when I said I want to be your little sex toy.¡±


    Squeezing a little more firmly this time, I said, ¡°And I was serious when I said I want that, too.¡± Our next kiss was quite a bit more passionate, and while our tongues explored each others¡¯ mouths, my fingers slid up and down her delicate bits. ¡°But I really do need to take care of some emails. Tonight, though, I¡¯d love to make up for it.¡±


    ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°I expect you to hold me to it,¡± I said with one last squeeze. ¡°And to hold it to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible,¡± Angela laughed as she pulled her leggings back up, wiggling her hips to get them to sit right.


    The work emails were pretty standard stuff, and easily dealt with. The only one that really caught my attention was that the San Jose office had set up quite a few appointments to meet with clients (or potential clients) on Friday. Wishing that I didn¡¯t have to go up there but knowing that I did, I confirmed I¡¯d be there.


    Turning to non-work email, I read through Michael¡¯s report. There had been no sign of The Boss since the warehouse fight, and quite a few of the locals were eager to accept our shadow. Of course, this meant another visit to Chicago, but that was something that could happen at some point in the reasonably near future and not necessarily this week or next.


    There was an email from Sana, which was about evenly split between personal stuff about Donny, Aaron, and Donny¡¯s parents (all of whom were doing well, I was happy to read) and the trials and tribulations of managing a small apartment complex mostly full of students. I replied that her list of issues was almost exactly the same as the problems that Grace had had there in Flagstaff, and that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t do that sort of managing myself. I gave her the contact info for a couple of our easier-to-get-along-with managers in Santa Monica and San Jose and told her to hit them up for practical advice as needed, and said that Emmy and I would like to come up and visit sometime soon.


    Mom had sent me a link to her online photo gallery of the pics that she and Tiffany had taken during their summer in the UK, and I spent a few minutes scrolling through, more than a little bit envious of the time they¡¯d had. When I was a kid, Mom never had the money for us to go on vacations like that, so we had camping trips to Yosemite, a week or two at Grandma''s house in Palm Springs, or a long weekend in San Francisco. Now that Mom no longer needed to pay rent and had one less mouth to feed, she actually had spending money, and she and Tiffany had had two months abroad to enjoy it. Of course, I¡¯d contributed by buying their airfare and paying for their rental car, but Mom had insisted on covering the rest.


    Seeing their smiling faces at this cathedral or those standing stones, the green, green countryside behind them, made me wish I could have had that experience at Tiffany¡¯s age. Of course, she was right around the age I was when Dad was killed, so our life experiences were drastically different.


    Thinking about that time reminded me of Andy Temple. I really had forgotten so much of our childhood, blocked it out so it would hurt less. Andy¡¯s revelations had shown me that I¡¯d thrown the baby out with the bathwater, though, and not everything from back then was so terrible. We really had been close back then, and the more I remembered of our friendship, the less it hurt to remember what it was like to be eleven years old.


    Thinking about Andy, I sent him an email, asking if he and Jenna would be able to make it for dinner on Wednesday, and asking how the remodel planning was going on with their new house.


    Done with all that, I wandered to the other end of the hall to see all the stuff that Emmy had bought for the studio. Between Wally, Mia and Emmy, they had it all unboxed and the boxes removed, but the equipment was far from set up. Emmy was trying to figure out the arrangement to fit the drum kit in the little isolation room, but eventually just threw up her hands.


    ¡°I will let Lee arrange it as he wishes,¡± she explained to Wally. ¡°For now, just put it all in there and we will not worry about it.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Seeing me standing there watching, Emmy asked, ¡°Leah, could you please move that keyboard over there?¡±


    Wally moved to help me, grabbing one end. When I went to lift it, I suddenly understood why he had done so- the thing was much heavier than I¡¯d expected. ¡°Here?¡± I asked as we set it down.


    ¡°That is good for now. When we get the boys here we can arrange things as we like,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Right now we just need to put things more or less where they will belong.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t forget we have to leave in a little bit over an hour from now, and you haven¡¯t packed yet.¡±


    Suddenly looking distressed, Emmy asked, ¡°Could you please pack for me? I would like to keep working on this.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I can do that. But it¡¯s gonna cost you.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Emmy asked, a saucy look on her charcoal-black face.


    ¡°To be determined. Payable tonight.¡±


    ¡°You drive a hard bargain, Mrs Farmer, but I accept your terms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need a down payment,¡± I said, leaning down for a kiss.


    ¡°Get a room, you two!¡± Mia catcalled, making Emmy laugh, ending the kiss.


    ¡°You are simply jealous,¡± Emmy countered, and as I left the two were bantering back and forth.


    I packed Emmy''s stuff up first, leaving out a sweater for her to throw on when we left, since it was still cold and damp outside. I¡¯d checked the weather back in LA, and was completely unsurprised to find it was sunny and warm. As strange as most people outside the region find it, September is typically the hottest month in Southern California, after all.


    I was just packing my things when Angela came into the bedroom, done with her workout. She stripped down for her shower, making sure I was watching. Which, of course, I was.


    ¡°It¡¯ll only take me a few minutes to pack,¡± she assured me as she sashayed into the bathroom. I could tell she wanted me to follow, and I briefly considered it, but in the end I didn¡¯t. I let Angela shower without an audience.


    I carried the luggage down to the foyer, then wandered down to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I sat at the small farmhouse table off to one side of that enormous kitchen and just relaxed for a few minutes. We weren¡¯t late, there was nothing to deal with, and nobody was demanding my attention. It was nice. When my coffee was done, I set the cup by the sink and went upstairs, finding Angela and Emmy waiting. Mia was standing off to the side, unsure what she should be doing.


    ¡°Wally has gone to get the car,¡± Emmy explained, somewhat unnecessarily. It was a bit like being in an elevator- none of us really knew what to do or say except maintain the awkward silence while waiting for our floor.


    Thankfully, Wally only took a couple of minutes. We quickly had the luggage loaded and we were off, with one last goodbye to Mia.


    ¡°Say goodbye to Luisa for us!¡± Emmy called out as she climbed into the big sedan.


    For some reason it felt as if we were leaving permanently, rather than just the few weeks until we were planning on returning.


    Wally drove straight into the hangar where the jet awaited, keeping us out of the increasingly heavy rain. The morning was dark and dismal, but we were bound for the SoCal sun in just five hours or so.


    The flight crew welcomed us aboard the family jet, as usual, and we were in the sky with no delay.


    Relaxing in the comfort of the leather couch towards the rear of the main cabin, I idly wondered about the economics of private jet ownership. How much would it cost to have that sort of convenience all the time? Of course, I¡¯d heard the saying ¡®If it flies, floats or fucks¡­¡¯ but at some point maybe owning our own plane would make sense. I was idly doing the math in my head, estimating hours per year of flight time vs the overhead of owning a jet, when Emmy came back to where I was relaxing.


    ¡°You are being terribly quiet,¡± Emmy said, sitting down next to me and leaning her head on my shoulder. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    Sheepishly, I admitted that I was considering the merit of buying a jet for ourselves. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much we¡¯d have to fly to make it worthwhile,¡± I said. ¡°Probably more than we do now.¡±


    ¡°If we had our own plane, we would fly more than we do now,¡± Emmy countered.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°I feel guilty every time we borrow your parents'' plane, but it sure is nice.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I really do not like flying commercial airlines. It is inconvenient and uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Babe, you¡¯ve never flown coach in your entire life,¡± I rejoined. ¡°You have no idea what uncomfortable really means in regards to flying.¡±


    ¡°It sucks,¡± Angela agreed, joining us. Sipping from the flute of champagne she¡¯d gotten from the flight attendant, she said, ¡°This is so unbelievably much better. The seats are comfy, you can move around, and the plane takes off when you want it to. This is the life,¡± she sighed, reclining her legs out in front of her.


    ¡°It sounds as if you both vote for our own plane,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°Oh, God yes,¡± Angela said. ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I asked. ¡°A plane like this is only, what, about the price of the Los Angeles and New York houses combined, and only costs, I dunno, a million bucks a year to run? Seems like a great deal! I¡¯ll buy one right away!¡±


    ¡°Well, when you say it like that, you make it sound like a terrible idea,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°Are they really that expensive?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I have no clue,¡± I admitted with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll ask around.¡±


    Back in Los Angeles, I really didn¡¯t have any time to relax at the condo before I had to leave for class. I hit the Starbucks drive-through (something I would never, ever do in the Aston) for some java and made it to class just in time.


    Really, I should have stayed back at home, since the material that night was more of the same from my junior year at Stanford. Still, my attendance record was perfect so far and I didn¡¯t want to start coasting and thinking I was above the material, only to get caught out for not paying attention.


    At the evening¡¯s fifteen minute break, Myles came over to talk.


    ¡°You look tired, Leah,¡± he said. ¡°Wanna hit the coffee cart? My treat.¡±


    Smiling my thanks, I said, ¡°Coffee sounds good.¡±


    Standing in line, Myles asked me why I was looking dead on my feet.


    ¡°Well, I got up early for my run this morning- five thirty New York time- that''s two-thirty AM here. Then, a five hour flight, and we landed just in time for me to make it to class.¡±


    ¡°You were in New York last night?¡± Myles asked, amazed. ¡°And you came to class today?¡±


    ¡°Sad, but true,¡± I agreed as we were handed our paper cups full of hot, caffeinated goodness. ¡°We were in New York the last couple of nights. Before that, it was three nights in Chicago. We actually left right after class on Thursday.¡±


    ¡°Jesus,¡± Myles said, sipping from his cup. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of airport time. I bet you wish you had your own plane.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°We did. Emmy¡¯s parents loaned us their jet for the week.¡±


    Myles looked at me as if I were some sort of alien from another planet. ¡°You seriously had a private jet? A private jet that your in-laws just let you use for a quick little vacation?¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± I agreed. ¡°It was nice. I¡¯m considering getting one of our own.¡±


    Myles gave me a dead-eyed stare for a long moment, then finally asked, ¡°Why are you even here? Why are you bothering with getting your MBA? I mean, you have your own company already, you have enough money to buy a private jet, so you must be doing freaking great, right? Why bother?¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± I replied, ¡°It¡¯s funny. Everybody I¡¯ve talked to in the program here has told me they want their MBA to help them get a leg up in their fields. You said so yourself. I think I¡¯m the only one here who just wants to learn how to run my business better. I just want the education, not the degree.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that is different,¡± Myles agreed.


    That night when I got back to the condo the place was quiet and all the lights were off. I slipped into the bedroom as quietly as I could, finding Angela and Emmy fast asleep. I took off my clothes and climbed in next to Emmy, and within moments I was asleep, too. Sure, we''d joked about having sex that night, but I guess we were all just too damned tired.


    My alarm went off way, way too early, but I got up anyway and made it to Clancy¡¯s fight gym on time.


    I told Jody I was feeling a bit tired and wanted to take it easy, but he wasn¡¯t having any of it.


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re gonna spar, and spar like we mean it. When you¡¯re tired and just wanna crawl back into the rack is when the enemy has the greatest advantage. That¡¯s when you need to be ready to dig fucking deep, and fuck those motherfuckers right in the fucking face.¡±


    Laughing at his salty language, I said, ¡°Well, fucking alright, then. Let¡¯s get wrapped up and fucking get down.¡±


    I could tell I was a tiny bit off the pace when we threw down, but even so I was still faster than Jody. Not fast enough to avoid taking a few hits, and when he shot in on me my sprawl was too late and too little, and before I knew it we were on the floor, wrestling.


    He had an enormous advantage on me in every way once we hit the mat. He was a lot stronger, much more compact, and had years of wrestling experience under his belt. It didn¡¯t take long, despite me trying every escape technique I knew, for Jody to have me tied up like a knot and tapping out.


    ¡°We really do need to work on your ground game,¡± Jody said when he helped me up.


    ¡°As fun as that was," I said as I rotated my sore shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how useful it is to me out in the real world. I mean, wrestling is kind of a ring thing. How often does it happen in a dark alley?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will admit that I never, ever once tried to pin anybody to a mat in my years operating,¡± Jody said, rolling his neck. ¡°But that¡¯s mostly because it was all either kill or be killed, and I always had a weapon of some kind.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s good training, and I do realize it¡¯s a weak point for me, but for what I want¡­¡±


    Jody looked over towards the front desk, where Eddie was playing with his phone, making a point of ignoring us. ¡°Look,¡± he said, his voice low. ¡°There are a lot of ways to kill a guy bare-handed, in close. If you want, we can, um, work on that stuff, instead of competition wrestling.¡±


    ¡°You ever kill a guy with your bare hands?¡± I asked, in the same quiet tone.


    ¡°Yeah, once or twice,¡± Jody admitted. ¡°Is this something you think you might want to learn?¡±


    ¡°Last Friday night?¡± I said. ¡°I got in some practice.¡±


    Jody gave me that same long, assessing stare that I¡¯d gotten from Grant Henry way back when. ¡°Is this something you should be telling me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you anything,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, I guess you didn¡¯t.¡± Jody replied, looking me up and down. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you continue not telling me shit. Need to know, and I don¡¯t need.¡±


    ¡°So anyway, yes, I could probably use some new weapons in my arsenal,¡± I said.


    ¡°If this fucking comes back to me¡­¡± Jody growled.


    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If it does-¡±


    ¡°Seriously, it won¡¯t. Hell, it won¡¯t come back to me, much less you. You¡¯re just my fitness trainer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Jody said. ¡°I¡¯m just your fitness coach, that¡¯s all. I don¡¯t get paid enough to do anything else.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you to,¡± I agreed.

 Another Not-Chapter. Time For More Discussion.

    Alright, kids, gather ''round. It''s that time again, Story Discussion Time! Yay!


    It''s been a while since the last time we did this, and a few readers (one in particular) have raised some style/theme/plot questions that I''d like to address, and at the same time, open up for wider discussion.


    First, I want to address a challenge I''m facing, and this will tie into some of the questions/comments I''ve gotten from some readers.


    Since making the commitment to tell the story in very-long-form weblit format, the pace of plot movement has necessarily slowed way, way down. This is inherently part of the trade-off.


    Most stories here on RR are violent fantasies of one sort or another, and basically amount to ''and now here''s the monster/pit trap/obstacle I have to deal with, immediately after dealing with the last one. When I beat this one, I''ll have to deal with the next''. I''m not slamming the basic format- I quite enjoy a fair number of these stories. The one I''ve just recently stumbled upon (and I''m now caught up) is about a guy delving a dungeon by himself to take revenge on said dungeon''s soul. It''s a perfect example of the ''unending string of monster/trap/obstacle'' story, but enjoyable.


    The reason I mention this, is that the prevalence of these stories sets a sort of expectation for what to expect on this site.


    This story was NEVER going to be that. When I first imagined the story, it started out with two characters- one a pampered princess who wishes for a normal life, and the other a normal kid who envies the easy, privileged life the first one had. It evolved from there into the story it is today, by the time I wrote my outline and major plot beats.


    The story is still following the outline closely, just a whole lot more slowly than I''d imagined it would (and started out writing). The plot points are still being hit, but now, thanks to the commitment to ALL.THE. WORDS. a whole lot of detail and development is sort of smothering Chekhov''s gun in a sea of other wall hangings.


    I really don''t want to give any spoilers, so I''ll talk about an example that sort of doesn''t matter, but has come up in reader questions. People have asked about what ever happened to Grace- it seems she just vanished from the story.


    Well, that''s sort of true- she has, for now. The thing is, from the time Grace packed up to go to Flagstaff to the current moment in the book, it''s only been three and a half months story time (Late June to mid September). In real life, that''s just not a lot of time. In real life, things don''t come at you one after another like clockwork. In real life, we experience long stretches of humdrum daily grind, punctuated with brief periods when a whole lot of stuff happens.


    As a reader, you have to remember that Leah only narrates the things that she thinks relevant, either at the time or in retrospect. Some things just have no importance as far as her recollection of the overall story are concerned, so Grace settling in to her new apartment, new job and later, starting her freshman year in college just happen off in the universe somewhere and only matter if things go wrong. We''ll see her again soon, when she comes to visit for Thanksgiving, but in the meanwhile, she''s leading her own life just fine and we''ll hear about it when she does visit. This is also true of Donny and Sana- they have their own life, and until it intersects back with Leah and Emmy''s life, they''re off-screen.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I guess all this is my way of saying that the plot is still moving forward in the same (in-story) time frame I''d outlined back before I started. Now, I''m just filling in the gaps in between a whole, whole lot more.


    The positive aspect is that the ALL. THE. WORDS. format gives me more time to breathe details into the whole thing in a way that I couldn''t in a normal book-publishing schema. An example is the inordinate amount of time discussing the New York house. Instead of simply saying "It was a classic Midtown East townhouse mansion, in one of the snobbier districts" and expecting everybody to fill the details in their own mind, now I have the flexibility to make it more real, more concrete for the reader. Now, when Angela says, "It''s just the way I imagined a New York Mansion to be,", well, the reader can understand.


    Another positive is that I get to really hammer home certain aspects of character that would otherwise be exposited. By now, the reader KNOWS that Leah is almost all work and no play, except for her car thing. In a normal book, I would have had Emmy complain, "All you ever do is work and train. You''re no fun!" and that would have been that, but building it this way, the reader understands that Leah is very task-oriented, and unusually focused well beyond normal. The car stuff, too, illustrates those aspects of her personality- she''s driven (pun intended. Sorry, not sorry) by a sense of competition and a need to beat others, whether she realizes it or not. And she probably doesn''t, because she isn''t very introspective.


    So, in other words, the ALL. THE. WORDS. format is a bit of a curse, but mostly a blessing for me as a writer. I''ve given up any thought of trying to find a publisher for Emmy And Me in its current form- I''ll have to edit the ever-loving snot out of it to get it pared down enough for that, and anyway, it will probably not find a publisher, since it''s simply not able to fit nicely in the genre categories they like.


    But that''s OK. This is my first attempt at long-form fiction, and I''m learning by doing. A huge part of that learning process is from the feedback that you, my lovely and talented readers, give me. I appreciate it all, even when people tell me I write sex scenes like a middle-aged guy from Ohio. Even better, though, are those readers who ask questions or make comments that cause me to sit back and evaluate what it is I''m doing, and why. Generally, I think I have a good handle on where the story is going and how it''s progressing, but a few times now somebody has raised a hand and asked, "Um, why is this like this?" and I''ve had to take a minute or two (or more) and ask myself why, and is that the best way to write it.


    I guess what I mean to say is that this story is my fumbling attempt to tell a somewhat complicated story in a certain way, and your questions, advice and help is immeasurably important to my growth as a writer.


    Writing this story in the first person from the point of view of a flawed narrator was always intentional, and was, again, a big part of the challenge I set myself. It would have been far, far easier to have written from an omniscient third-person, but it would have dumbed the story down quite a bit. I know that there are a lot of so-far unanswered questions, such as "OK, WTF isn''t Leah asking about where Emmy disappeared to?" or, "OK, WTF isn''t Leah asking more about Emmy''s ''moon kissed'' short lifespan thing?"


    But here''s the thing. She hasn''t asked. So we, as readers, don''t know the answers. Why hasn''t she asked? We don''t know that, either, because she hasn''t told us.


    Some readers seem to have found this frustrating, bordering on infuriating, judging by some of the PMs I''ve gotten. Well, sorry. Life isn''t neatly wrapped up and explained all that often. Leah only tells us what she tells us, and the rest we have to piece together, infer, or wait for answers later. "Later" means a whole lot later than I''d originally planned, since shifting to the really-long-form format. I''d expected to have the whole thing finished by now, but that isn''t happening. At the current rate of plot progression, I think we''ll wrap it all up sometime in the Fall, maybe October or November.


    All right- enough from my side of things. Now it''s time to open the floor to you guys, and please, tell me what you think.


    Gen

 Back To The Grindstone

    Since I was already up and about, I grabbed a bite from a chicken and waffles place I¡¯d seen but never tried. I found the whole idea odd, but it was popular, so I figured I¡¯d give it a try. I like waffles, and I like fried chicken, but I have to admit the combo left me feeling a little bit at a loss as to why it even existed.


    I was surprised to find I wasn¡¯t the first in the office that morning. In fact, the place was humming at eight fifteen, well before our usual opening time.


    ¡°Marisa, what¡¯s going on? Why''s the place so busy this early?¡± I asked the receptionist.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember? We changed the hours- now we start at eight,¡± she replied, surprised by my surprise.


    ¡°When did this start?¡±


    ¡°Monday was the first day,¡± she replied. ¡°Brenda sent out the email about it last week.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said. ¡°Nobody ever tells me anything.¡±


    Settling into my office, I opened the laptop and prepared for the work day. Sitting there at my desk with my computer in front of me, I felt a strange sort of dislocation. It seemed as if this was the bizarre and imaginary life, and all that¡¯d happened in the last week in Chicago and New York was the real world.


    I took a moment to relax and take a breath, letting the feeling pass. ¡®It¡¯s all real life¡¯, I told myself. ¡®Just different aspects¡¯.


    Jake came into my office sometime around ten and plopped down in one of the chairs facing my desk. ¡°How was your vacation?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Some of it was really good, some of it not so much,¡± I replied, still thinking about the email I was sending to the San Jose office.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back. You know, some of the changes you made before you left, well, there¡¯s been grumbling.¡±


    Focusing my attention on the new head property manager, I asked, ¡°Tracy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, her, and maybe a couple of others,¡± Jake agreed. ¡°Tracy is upset that you took that complex away from her and gave it to me. She thinks she¡¯s entitled to it, and resents having her toes stepped on. Mike, he¡¯s upset that Brenda got the job as office manager. He feels that he should have been allowed to apply for the position. And Randi, she has been complaining that she feels sidelined. Like you¡¯re making an end run around her, and she¡¯s actually mentioned maybe looking for work with another company.¡±


    ¡°Does Tracy know she¡¯s on thin ice already?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not that I can tell,¡± Jake replied.


    ¡°It looks as if I¡¯m going to need to have a heart to heart with her. Alright- I¡¯ll get that sorted out today. As for Mike, what makes him think he should have been in consideration for the office manager position? The guy doesn¡¯t do any office-type work at all that I¡¯ve ever seen. He¡¯s a freaking accountant, not a manager,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°Jake, Randi is your baby now. You get to be the one to point out to her that now that I¡¯m refocusing what I do, she¡¯ll need to step up and go above and beyond what she has been doing. This change is an opportunity for her to shine.¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± Jake said. Ticking off on his fingers, he said, ¡°You¡¯ll talk to Tracy. I¡¯ll talk to Randi. Brenda will talk to Mike?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I need to talk to Brenda first. She needs to be clear on how things need to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send Brenda in,¡± Jake said, rising out of his chair.


    The discussion with Brenda was short and sweet. Brenda was one of those people who waste no time getting to the point, a trait I wished more people in business shared.


    Nash must have been waiting for Brenda to leave my office, because he came in and sat down the moment she left.


    ¡°Busy this morning?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Too much management drama,¡± I sighed. ¡°I hope you have something to take my mind off it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I found another potential location for the new offices, and I really think this one¡¯s a winner. It¡¯s sort of unusual in the way it has three street-facing sides, and three separate addresses. I¡¯d like you to take a look ASAP, since I think the place might move pretty quickly.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go now, and maybe grab lunch afterwards,¡± I suggested, shutting down my computer.


    Marisa reminded me I had a two o¡¯clock when I told her we were headed out for a site inspection and lunch.


    At Nash¡¯s questioning look, I groaned and said it was with a potential investor for the REIT. ¡°The guy is talking about parking as much as fifty million in the fund, which is cool and all, but we¡¯ve been doing an email and phone call dance for a while now and I¡¯m just getting sick of it. Just show me the money!¡± I called out was we stepped into the parking garage.


    Nash laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s you dealing with these people, not me. I don¡¯t know how you have the patience.¡±


    ¡°I get my frustrations out in the fighting ring,¡± I replied. ¡°Punching and kicking people really helps calm me down.¡±


    Shaking his head, he said, ¡°Yeah, that sounds like fun, but the problem is, those people punch and kick back, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s half the fun,¡± I said with a grin.


    ¡°New truck?¡± I asked as we approached his parking spot.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured it was time. I gave my old one to Jenny. She¡¯s been really getting into mountain biking, and her Civic just wasn¡¯t any good for getting her and a bike to the trails.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember Grace¡¯s Toyota,¡± I said as we headed east on Wilshire. ¡°Last I heard, it had over two hundred thousand miles on it. She puts something like forty thousand miles a year on that car just getting to whatever river she¡¯s gonna kayak, or trail she¡¯s going mountain biking on, or ski area¡­ whatever. It¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°How is Grace doing? She¡¯s at Arizona State, right?¡±


    ¡°Northern Arizona,¡± I corrected. ¡°She¡¯s only a few weeks into her freshman year, but seems to be enjoying it. It¡¯s a little hard to be sure, but I think she¡¯s already found a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s in Flagstaff, right?¡± Nash asked, more to keep the conversation going than anything else. We chatted like that for a while, until he pulled up in front of a sleek four-story brick and glass office building in Brentwood.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the front. This building is currently seventy per cent occupied, but there¡¯s enough room for us at our current level.¡± Starting up the truck again, he made a right turn at the corner. ¡°Strangely enough, this entrance has its own address and reception area. The building is split in two internally.¡± Turning right again down an alley, he pointed to the opposite side. ¡°That yard and warehouse are part of the same property.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re the financials on the current tenants in the offices?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Really good, but that¡¯s part of why the price is steep,¡± Nash admitted. ¡°Also, this area isn¡¯t exactly cheap.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± I agreed. ¡°Park and let¡¯s take a walk.¡±


    We spent almost an hour walking around the office building, looking at the large, recently vacated suite on the top floor, and talking to the manager of the equipment rental yard.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. This is perfect,¡± I said to Nash. ¡°Talk to the sellers, let them know we¡¯re interested and want to look a little bit more closely. It¡¯ll take some juggling, but if the numbers work, we can do a cash deal and maybe come out ahead.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d like it,¡± Nash said, grinning like a man who¡¯d just won the lottery.


    We went to a nearby farm-to-table restaurant for lunch, and the two of us spent most of the time working on our phones instead of talking. Nash was trying to get the deal moving forward, and I was looking at the area¡¯s commercial rental market, trying to fit the pieces together in my mind of how this was going to work.


    I was still crunching numbers when Marisa announced my two o¡¯clock was here.


    ¡°Send him in,¡± I replied, and a minute later an older guy in upscale casual clothes came into my office. I stood up and ushered him into one of the seats facing my desk, then sat down myself.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot younger than I expected,¡± Mr Harris said as soon as the formalities were over.


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve examined your prospectus,¡± he said. ¡°And you¡¯re doing remarkably well in a tough field. Your growth and returns are both above the industry average, despite your relatively short track record. Now that I see you in person, I can understand why it seems you¡¯ve come out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°I started the investment trust in my freshman year at Stanford,¡± I said.


    ¡°Excuse me if I say that sounds a lot like Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos,¡± Mr Harris said.


    I laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never met her, but she and her company were all the talk in my business classes. No, I don¡¯t claim any new technological innovation, just good diligence and a lot of market analysis.¡±


    Mr Harris smiled at that and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to believe it, but I¡¯d be remiss if I didn¡¯t do my due diligence as well. What is your policy on outside accountants looking at your books?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re open book. Like I said, in contrast to Theranos, we have no mysterious trade secret that we keep hidden. Our financials are in the prospectus, but if you want to have your accountants talk to ours, I can authorize access.¡±


    Leaning back, Mr Harris said, ¡°I did a little research into you, personally.¡±


    I smiled at that, and said, ¡°Then you must have known how young I am.¡±


    Smiling sheepishly, he said, ¡°I guess I stepped in that one, didn¡¯t I? Yes, I did know. I also know that you were a national champion volleyball player at Stanford, and that you¡¯re married to the pop musician Emmy De Lascaux. Yes, I wanted to know to whom I was handing fifty million dollars.¡±


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    ¡°How much of my family background did you look into?¡± I asked, more curious than annoyed.


    ¡°Your mother teaches English literature at a community college in San Diego County, your father was awarded the Medal Of Honor posthumously for his actions in Fallujah. You have a younger sister,¡± he said, answering my question.


    ¡°Are you a football fan, Mr Harris?" I asked.


    ¡°I was born and raised in Pittsburgh,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°So naturally, I¡¯m a Steelers fan.¡±


    ¡°My best friend when I was young is playing his first year as a pro with the Los Angeles Rams- Andy Temple. You can add that to my file,¡± I said, smiling to let him know I was both teasing and not bothered by his investigation.


    ¡°Not many people take having their pasts looked into so well,¡± he said.


    I shrugged and said, ¡°Honesty is the best policy. I¡¯d be happy to answer any other questions you may have.¡±


    Leaning forward, Mr Harris said, ¡°You and your wife are probably the most famous lesbian couple in the United States right now, after Ellen and her wife. Have you felt this has had any sort of negative impact on your business?¡±


    I leaned forward, mirroring Mr Harris¡¯ posture. ¡°No, and let me tell you why. The bulk of my investors so far have been from the Silicon Valley, and mostly young tech millionaires. For them, one, they have no stigma against lesbians- in fact, they see it as hip. Two, my marriage to a rock star gives me a sort of personal, um, image. In their eyes, I¡¯m living a life they admire. If there are any who don¡¯t want to do business with me because of my orientation, well, I guess I just never hear from them.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Mr Harris said, leaning back again. ¡°The reason I ask is that if it affects your business, and your business has my money, then it affects my money as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. It was a valid question, and I was glad Mr Harris didn¡¯t dance around the subject. ¡°Honestly, as far as the investment trust goes, I think it¡¯s a complete non-issue. Although some potential investors may shy away, my personal fame may well bring others in. I guess there¡¯s really no way to know for certain.¡±


    ¡°You singled out the investment trust in that statement, I notice,¡± replied Mr Harris.


    ¡°Well, my umbrella company has entertainment and hospitality divisions as well, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware. In those fields, my fame, and that of my wife, is a very real asset,¡± I explained. ¡°In my property management business, it¡¯s of no consequence whatsoever. Few owner clients even know I own the company, and I can¡¯t imagine any tenants have any idea at all.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± he agreed. ¡°So let¡¯s call it perhaps a tiny bit of a net positive, but difficult to measure one way or another.¡± After a moment of thoughtful silence, he said, ¡°I guess I have only one more question. How did you get that scar?¡±


    ¡°This?¡± I asked, pointing to my cheek. ¡°I got in a late-night fight in an alley in San Francisco with a couple of guys, one of whom had a knife.¡±


    Judging by the lack of reaction, Mr Harris had known that, too. ¡°When your wife was attacked after a concert, right?¡±


    ¡°Right. A couple of skinheads grabbed her and dragged her into an alley while I was busy loading up the car. I heard a noise, saw them assaulting her, and rushed in and beat them up.¡±


    ¡°Did the police ever catch the guys?¡±


    ¡°Not as far as I know, no,¡± I answered truthfully.


    ¡°The rumor that I have heard is that some believe that you had the men killed,¡± Mr Harris said, voicing the whispers that had been following me for years now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard those rumors, too,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t true?¡±


    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. But talking about what effect it may have on my business, every client or potential client that¡¯s ever mentioned those stories seemed to think that it was a part of my mystique, somehow, and only made investing with me more attractive,¡± I explained with a chuckle. ¡°I guess it paints me as a ¡®very serious individual¡¯,¡± I said with finger quotes.


    Mr Harris laughed at that. ¡°Yes, I can imagine it does. Really, how many fund managers are literal back-alley brawlers?¡±


    ¡°So, do you have any questions for me?¡± Mr Harris asked after a moment, again leaning back, and I knew he was coming on board.


    Emmy was still at Lee¡¯s house by the time I got home that afternoon, but Angela was sitting at her computer, editing pictures from the trip to Chicago and New York. She gave me a big smile when I walked in, an expensive bottle of champagne in my hand. I gave her a kiss, but when I went to pull away afterwards she wrapped her arms tighter around me and didn¡¯t let go, instead deepening the kiss.


    ¡°I missed you today,¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry I fell asleep last night. I did promise you some love-making.¡±


    ¡°It was a mighty long day,¡± I said, giving her a little kiss as a sort of ¡®it¡¯s alright¡¯ gesture. ¡°Maybe we can make up for it tonight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a plan. Are we having friends over tonight?¡± Angela asked, and I got a little thrill at her use of the words ¡®we¡¯ and ¡®friends¡¯.


    ¡°Just Andy and Jenna tonight,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°I wish you would have told me earlier,¡± Angela pouted. ¡°I could have made something nice for dinner.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. I was planning on ordering delivery from downstairs. I figured we all needed a break after all that travel.¡±


    ¡°You were busy the whole time, but I just sat around and did nothing the entire trip,¡± Angela pouted. ¡°We didn¡¯t even go to the Empire State Building!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back there in a few weeks, maybe a month. We¡¯ll go then,¡± I promised, putting the champagne in the wine fridge.


    Angela followed me into the bedroom, wanting to continue talking. She sat on the bed while I changed out of my suit and into a comfy pair of jeans and a long-sleeved Cardinal T shirt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± she began.


    ¡°A dangerous habit,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°I know,¡± she agreed with a smile. ¡°I was thinking about some of the things you said on the trip- well, things you and Emmy said.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, sitting down on the vanity¡¯s chair so we could talk.


    ¡°About keeping our relationship secret, or telling everybody. What it would mean if my parents found out, and my little sister. What it would mean for my sponsors, and even what it would mean for you and Emmy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you how I feel about it,¡± I said, getting up and kneeling next to the bed, taking her hands in mine. ¡°I¡¯ll support you whatever you decide, but if it¡¯s secrecy, that might be difficult in the long run. People will find out eventually.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela said. ¡°Emmy said pretty much the same thing. She said she would respect whatever it was I wanted to do.¡±


    ¡°So, what is it you want to do?¡± I asked, my voice gentle.


    ¡°I want to tell Andy and Jenna tonight. I¡¯m going to ask them to keep quiet about it, though. I want to be the one that- the one who tells the world, alright?¡±


    ¡°Ange, don¡¯t feel you have to rush anything. Don¡¯t let yourself feel pressured. I mean, all this is so new for all of us, and we¡¯re all so emotional about it right now¡­ I guess what I mean is, take all the time you need. Tell Andy and Jenna tonight if you want, but if you don¡¯t, that¡¯s fine, too.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s fast,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°But I love you guys more than I ever loved Antonio, and I was with him for almost three years. I want to tell everybody- I¡¯m just worried that some people won¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Some people won¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°They just won¡¯t, and won¡¯t want to hear how happy you are. But those people? You don¡¯t need ¡®em.¡±


    I sat on the bed next to Angela and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, not saying anything, just holding her.


    After a little bit, Angela fished around in her pocket and pulled out her phone. ¡°I¡¯m going to update my status on Facebook,¡± she explained. A moment later, she showed me the screen. ¡°In a relationship¡± it said. ¡°I¡¯m going to wait a little while to tell my family. They never really liked Antonio, even though they never actually met him. I¡¯m going to take my time and warm them up to the idea.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± I said, giving her a quick side-hug squeeze. Honestly, I didn¡¯t really have any idea how I was going to tell my own mom and sister about our new domestic situation, but I wasn¡¯t too worried, and like I told Mr Harris earlier in the day, my public rep was sort of a wild woman, and that helped with a certain crowd.


    Emmy got home a little while later. Angela was back to editing her photos, and I was on the couch, reviewing some market analyses from the San Jose office.


    ¡°I am sorry I am late,¡± Emmy said with a kiss. ¡°The boys were very, very envious of our New York studio. I showed them photos, and now they want to go there and record. We worked on some of the tracks I recorded there, too, and that only made them want to go even more.¡±


    ¡°If you want to take Jackson and Lee back to New York, I¡¯m cool with that,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t really leave LA any time soon, but you don¡¯t need me to be there.¡±


    ¡°You would not mind?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d miss you, but no, I wouldn¡¯t mind, if that¡¯s what you want to do,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Can I go to New York with you?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to stay here with Leah?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Well, I do, but I also want to go back- with you,¡± Angela said, biting the side of her lip, looking adorable.


    ¡°If you guys want, go ahead,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll just stay here¡­ and be lonely¡­ all by myself,¡± I pouted, making Emmy laugh.


    ¡°It would only be for a few weeks, no more,¡± Emmy assured me. ¡°We only need to record some of the things we have been working on, while they are still fresh in our minds. We had been planning on renting studio time, but this way we can take as much or as little time as we wish.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to convince me,¡± I protested. ¡°I understand, I really do. All I ask is that you remember to not go anywhere at night without Mia. If you¡¯re out in public, she¡¯s right there with you.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Emmy promised, giving me another, longer kiss of gratitude.


    The conversation flowed smoothly during dinner, mostly to do with Jenna¡¯s plans for their new house in Sherman Oaks. I was silently pleased with Emmy and Angela that they refrained from talking about the New York mansion we just had redone, letting Jenna have her moment. Jenna had brought a binder filled with photos from magazines and printed off the web, along with quite a few carpet, tile and stone samples. She seemed to really want Emmy¡¯s input on the decorating, which was understandable. I mean, Emmy knew better than anybody the difference between classy and gaudy.


    After dinner, I brought out the champagne I¡¯d bought earlier.


    ¡°What are we celebrating?¡± Jenna asked when I poured her a flute.


    ¡°I had a good day at work today,¡± I replied.


    ¡°What, make an extra million today?¡± She said, teasingly.


    ¡°Fifty-three point five million, actually,¡± I replied, grinning smugly.


    ¡°And you only bought one bottle of champagne? Cheap!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I said ¡®a good day at work¡¯, not ¡®a great day at work¡¯,¡± I replied.


    I did get out the good bourbon, though, and Andy and I enjoyed that while the girls went with white wine.


    ¡°My parents sent us a case of this wine,¡± Emmy said, pouring three glasses. ¡°It is from a vineyard near ours.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we drinking wine from your family¡¯s vineyards?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°We make red wine,¡± Emmy said with a shrug.


    ¡°So do you have some of your family wine?¡± Jenna asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Yes, we have a few bottles, would you like some?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Maybe after this?¡± Jenna replied, holding up her half-full glass.


    While this was going on, Andy tilted his head towards the balcony and raised his eyebrows, so I followed him out to the balcony sitting area. He leaned back against the rail, trying to look casual, but failing.


    ¡°Um, Leah, I know it¡¯s not my place, really, but I¡¯m kinda getting some, um, vibes from Angela and Emmy. It¡¯s- well, they seem, like, really close, you know what I mean?¡± Andy said, stumbling his way through it.


    ¡°Like there¡¯s something going on between them?¡± I asked for clarification, and even more, to see Andy squirm with discomfort a bit more.


    ¡°Um, kinda, yeah,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°I think they¡¯re having an affair.¡±


    ¡°You seem pretty casual about Emmy, um, getting some on the side,¡± Andy said, his brows furrowed.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯d be pretty hypocritical of me to get upset about it. After all, I¡¯ve been sleeping with Angela, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± Andy exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down.


    ¡°In fact, the three of us have been sleeping in the same bed for a week now,¡± I said, sipping my bourbon.


    ¡°Are you shitting me?¡± Andy asked. ¡°You guys have been, like, a three-way?¡±


    ¡°A m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois, Emmy calls it. It means ¡®household of three¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ange?¡± I called into the living room. ¡°Could you come here for a moment?¡±


    When she came out to join us, looking puzzled, I leaned down and gave her a big kiss, with tongue, and squeezed her butt, too, for good measure.


    ¡°You told Andy?¡± Angela asked when we broke our kiss, but I kept my arm wrapped around her.


    ¡°He kinda figured out that something was up,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh, well, O.K.,¡± Angela said, giving me another quick kiss before heading back inside.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s fucking insane,¡± he said as we watched Angela go back to the couch and sit next to Emmy, getting another kiss from my wife.


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re crazy,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I just can¡¯t imagine it working out in the long run.¡±


    ¡°It might not,¡± I agreed, shrugging my shoulders. ¡°But we¡¯re gonna give it a try.¡±


    ¡°As long as you guys are happy,¡± he said, taking a sip. After another sip, Andy said, ¡°Now, I¡¯ll admit I don¡¯t know whiskey all that well, but this is some damned good stuff!¡±


    ¡°It should be- it cost over a grand for the bottle,¡± I replied, sipping mine.


    ¡°Fuck, Leah,¡± Andy said. ¡°Why are you wasting it on me?¡±


    ¡°Are you enjoying it?¡± I asked. When he nodded, I said, ¡°Then it¡¯s not wasted.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking awesome, you know that?¡± He asked, raising his glass in a toast.


    Suddenly feeling emotional, I said to Andy, ¡°You know, I told you I¡¯d forgotten so much of when we were kids. Since we started talking about it, I¡¯ve been remembering more and more. I really think you¡¯re the main reason I got through that time, Andy. I mean it. I don¡¯t really understand why I ever let you slip away- why we stopped being close. But I¡¯m glad- no, more than glad- I can¡¯t even say how much it means to me that you¡¯re back in my life again.¡±


    Andy didn¡¯t say anything in response, just wrapped me up in a big hug. It felt strange to hug someone bigger than myself, but nice, too. We just stayed like that for a while, not saying anything, until the moment passed and we parted.


    ¡°Thanks for saying that, Lee. It means a lot to me, too.¡±

 The Old Same Old

    There was no reason for me to get out of bed early the next morning- no workout, no heading into the office, no flight to catch, nothing. Seeing as I had a beautiful woman snuggling against me from either side, I actually had a very compelling reason to simply enjoy lying there, feeling loved. ¡®Two very compelling reasons,¡¯ I thought to myself as I lay there, not wanting to disturb Emmy or Angela. Hearing their slow, steady breathing, smelling their hair, feeling their warm skin on mine¡­ It was heaven.


    I thought about how it had gone with Jenna and Andy the night before. Once the initial shock had worn off, the two had accepted our new living situation as just another facet of our admittedly unusual lives, and hadn¡¯t had any problem with it as far as I could tell. Now if only the rest of our friends and family members were as accepting¡­


    Eventually I did feel the inescapable need to use the bathroom, so I gently extricated myself from the various arms and legs and wriggled my way out of bed. Since I was up anyway, I took a shower and threw on a tank top and sweats, then made my way as quietly as I could to the living room to start my day.


    As I poured myself a cup of coffee, Angela wandered out of the bedroom and stretched up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss.


    ¡°Good morning, Ange,¡± I told her, admiring the way she looked in my college team hoodie. It was way too big for her, so she¡¯d rolled up the sleeves, but let the length form a sort of mini dress, falling to a little bit above mid thigh.


    ¡°Like this?¡± Angela asked, posing in the sweatshirt. Seeing something in my eyes that indicated that I did, she did a slow pirouette and raised her arms, which drew up the hem of the sweatshirt a bit, but not quite enough.


    Laughing at the look on my face, Angela leaned in for another kiss. I slid my hands up under the back of the hoodie and cupped her butt, enjoying the feel of the delicate lace barely covering the firm flesh underneath.


    We kissed like that for a few minutes, enjoying the intimacy as much as the physical sensation, but finally, it had to end.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°It has been so far,¡± I agreed. ¡°Is Em still asleep?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t a morning person,¡± Angela said by way of an answer.


    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t. You should ask her why that is,¡± I suggested.


    Not really understanding why I¡¯d said that, Angela¡¯s forehead wrinkled in puzzlement. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Just ask her why she¡¯s a night person, that¡¯s all I¡¯m saying. She¡¯ll explain it.¡±


    Still puzzled but willing to let it go, Angela asked for a cup of coffee, so I poured her one.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about going to New York with Emmy tomorrow,¡± she said, leaning her hip against the kitchen island and taking a sip of her coffee. ¡°I hate the idea of you being here all by yourself.¡±


    Charmed, I smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t be here the next few days, anyway,¡± I replied. ¡°After class tonight I¡¯m going to San Jose- I¡¯ll be there until Monday night.¡±


    ¡°For work?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have a lot to do up there,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°That¡¯s even worse. You¡¯ll be in San Jose all by yourself, either at work or stuck in a hotel room. That sounds terrible,¡± Angela said, making a face.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be like that. We have friends up there, and we¡¯ve got a little condo near the office, so I won¡¯t be in a hotel at all. I¡¯ll work during the day, see friends in the evening, then go back to the condo for sleep.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be lonely?¡±


    ¡°Waking up this morning in bed with you and Emmy was wonderful, and obviously, I won¡¯t have that,¡± I said. ¡°But other than that, no, I won¡¯t be lonely.¡±


    ¡°I can come to San Jose with you if you want,¡± Angela said, thinking about it.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s cool,¡± I replied. ¡°Go have fun in New York with Em,¡± I urged.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure¡­¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said.


    Angela had gone down to the building¡¯s gym by the time Emmy woke up, so she found me alone at the kitchen counter, reading the details of a development proposal that I needed to brush up on before my meeting the next day.


    ¡°Angela?¡± Emmy asked, rubbing sleep from her green, green eyes.


    ¡°Down in the gym,¡± I said absently. ¡°Coffee?¡±


    ¡°Oh, very much yes,¡± Emmy replied, but then she intercepted me on my way to the coffee maker. ¡°Kiss first,¡± she demanded. Happy to oblige, I took her in my arms and held her close. After the kiss had ended, she stayed nestled in my arms. ¡°I am going to miss you while we are in New York,¡± she said, her voice soft. ¡°I wish you could come with us.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I have school, and work- I just can¡¯t take the time off right now.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Emmy said, but I wasn¡¯t convinced she meant it.


    During our break in class that evening, Li asked about weekend plans, and I told her I had to go to San Jose for work. ¡°I¡¯m leaving right after class,¡± I explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna make for a late night,¡± Myles said.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I agreed. ¡°I fly out of Burbank at ten, so I need to bolt over there as soon as class is over.¡±


    ¡°Ten?¡± Li asked. ¡°No way you¡¯re going to make it. I get that Burbank is small, but even still, the whole TSA thing is such a pain in the ass¡­¡±


    ¡°She doesn''t have to worry about that,¡± Myles said. ¡°She has a jet.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at Li¡¯s look of shock. ¡°No, I don¡¯t actually have my own jet,¡± I said. ¡°The jet I told you about belongs to my in-laws. No, I take an executive shuttle flight. But still no TSA screening.¡±


    ¡°Executive shuttle?¡± Li asked, unclear on the concept.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s like a mini airline, flies small corporate jets back and forth. They fly four times a day to San Jose, twice a day to Seattle¡­ You get the idea.¡±


    ¡°This sounds like the opposite of Southwest,¡± Li said.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I agreed.


    Sliding into the cold, empty bed of the San Jose condo that night, I did feel a bit of a pang, wishing I had my two snuggle bunnies in bed with me. I knew it was only going to be for a few weeks, but they were going to be long weeks.


    I woke up early the next morning to go for a run, but the area near the condo wasn¡¯t ideal for that. Thinking about my options, I finally decided to drive to campus and run on the trails there, following my old favorite route. Running through the Stanford campus was a bit of a flashback, seeing the students on their way to and from class. It was all so familiar, but at the same time, I felt oddly disconnected. Of course, I no longer was a student there, but I had been recently enough that nothing looked any different than it had ¡®back in my day¡¯, so to speak.


    Relaxed, energized and a bit bemused all at the same time, I drove back to the condo to change for work.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Again, the office was just the same as it always was, even though I somehow felt that it should feel different. I knew that I¡¯d only actually been away for a few short weeks since my last visit, but that didn¡¯t make the feeling of ¡®belonging but not belonging¡¯ go away.


    The morning¡¯s meetings went well, but by the time my last morning meeting wrapped up I really didn¡¯t have enough time before my first afternoon meeting to go out for lunch.


    Thankful for the vending machines in the staff break room, I¡¯d just finished my granola bar when my one o¡¯clock came in and it was time to start round two.


    Again, it was back-to-back meetings until finally I saw the last of my project managers walk out of my office a little past five.


    ¡®I guess this is what I get for spending so little time up here,¡¯ I thought as I slipped my laptop into my briefcase. I looked around my office, pondering how it felt more ¡®mine¡¯ than my corner office down in Santa Monica did. Of course, I¡¯d been spending time in the San Jose office for three years, but only three months in Santa Monica¡­


    Walking out to the parking lot, I stood there at a loss for a minute, unable to remember what my rental car even looked like. Finally, I pulled the key fob from my pocket and looked at the tag, which informed me it was a blue Chevrolet Malibu. Feeling like an idiot, I made my way to the dark blue Chevy that chirped when I pressed the button. I climbed in behind the wheel and sat there for a moment, staring at the unfamiliar dash and steering wheel.


    Sighing, I started the car and was just about to leave when my phone rang with a tone that took me a moment to recognize.


    I answered Emmy¡¯s FaceTime call, happy to see her smiling face.


    ¡°Leah!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I missed you last night.¡±


    ¡°I missed you, too, babe,¡± I said. ¡°I wish I could be there with you guys.¡±


    ¡°I wish you were here, too,¡± Emmy replied as she swapped the phone¡¯s camera direction so she could show me what she was seeing. ¡°See? We have everything very nearly set up!¡± Emmy said as she panned the view around the small studio. Lee waved from where he was messing with the keyboard, and Jackson could be seen moving a throw rug from one side of the room to the other.


    ¡°When will you be able to start recording?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think we will have it all arranged and wired in sometime tomorrow morning?¡± Emmy said, turning the camera back so I could see her face again. ¡°So perhaps we can start recording tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Leah!¡± Jackson called out from behind Emmy. ¡°This place is friggin¡¯ amazin¡¯! I can¡¯t believe you guys have such a nice place here!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Jackson!¡± I called out, hoping the speaker on Emmy¡¯s phone was loud enough for him to hear. ¡°Hi, Lee!¡±


    ¡°How is San Jose?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Lonely,¡± I said, sticking out my lower lip in an exaggerated pout.


    ¡°Will you have time to visit Michael?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still in Chicago,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Still?¡± Emmy asked, surprised. ¡°What about Jassie? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s staying with the family of her best friend. She stays there when Michael travels.¡±


    ¡°I did not know that,¡± Emmy said, frowning.


    ¡°I guess the whole family really loves Jassie, from what Michael has told me,¡± I said. ¡°They don¡¯t mind her staying with them at all.¡±


    ¡°We should do something nice for them,¡± Emmy said, still frowning a bit. ¡°I will talk to Michael about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t,¡± I said, gently.


    ¡°What? Why not?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°They like having Jassie over because of friendship, not that they expect any sort of reward. If we offer to pay them in any way, the whole thing becomes, well, sort of mercenary. Transactional, I guess. Then they¡¯re babysitters, not best friends.¡±


    As Emmy thought about what I¡¯d said, the wrinkles on her brow smoothed out. ¡°That makes sense,¡± she conceded.


    Changing the subject, Emmy asked, ¡°Where are you? Are you driving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the parking lot at work, sitting in my crummy rental car,¡± I said. ¡°You called just as I was about to go home.¡±


    ¡°You do not like the rental car?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not bad,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s just, well, a rental car, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°The enthusiasm I hear in your voice is almost too much to bear!¡± Emmy said with a laugh. Her beautiful, sparkling laugh always lifted my mood, and this time was no different.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep myself under control,¡± I said, laughing.


    ¡°You should try to do something for yourself while you are there in San Jose,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Something fun.¡±


    Back at the condo, I took a few minutes to relax, enjoying the peace and quiet. Eventually, though, I had to get up and get dressed to go out to dinner and to the speakeasy. Dropping my keys into the jacket pocket, a piece of paper caught my attention. Wondering what it was, I pulled out the folded take-out menu and saw Ashley¡¯s phone number written on it with a ball-point pen.


    Smiling, I dropped it back in my pocket and left the empty condo behind. In the elevator, I thought about the last time I¡¯d seen Ash, there at The Pit, planning on taking self-defense classes. I hoped that she was going to stick with it and learn a bit about how to protect herself if she ever needed to do so. My train of thought led me to remembering news reports when I was in high school about a girl who ran track down in Escondido, who had been raped and murdered while out on a training run. Those risks exist, as much as we wish they didn¡¯t.


    Pulling into the steak house¡¯s parking lot, I put those grim thoughts aside. I was going to have a nice dinner and a few drinks, maybe see some people I knew and do some glad handing, so I had to shift my mental state into something more appropriate.


    Getting out of that cheap rental car, I swept my hair back and put on my fedora, at just the right angle. I rolled my shoulders back and tucked my hands in my pockets as I sauntered up to the valet station.


    ¡°Mrs Farmer!¡± exclaimed the valet in attendance. ¡°Where¡¯s your car?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m driving a dog-ass rental tonight,¡± I said, pleased to see the attendant¡¯s demeanor. ¡°It¡¯s too embarrassing to have you park it.¡±


    Laughing, he said, ¡°I guess we all have to slum it once in a while.¡± Chuckling in agreement, I offered up my fist and he gave it a bump. ¡°Have a good dinner, Mrs Farmer,¡± he said as I walked inside.


    At the podium, a pretty young woman I didn¡¯t recognize asked if I was joining a group or was I alone. Just as I was about to answer, the maitre d¡¯ walked up. ¡°Jessica,¡± he said to the young woman. ¡°This is Mrs Farmer. She is always seated immediately. Always. Immediately,¡± he repeated, emphasizing his point.


    ¡°No need, Henry,¡± I said with a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯ll take my dinner in the back.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Henry said, turning to lead me back, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know where I¡¯m going,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied.


    As I walked into the depths of the clubby, dimly lit restaurant, I could hear the girl ask, ¡°Who is she?¡±


    I knocked twice on the unmarked door at the back of the restaurant, which opened immediately. ¡°Boss!¡± the large man behind the door said. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Tony,¡± I said. ¡°How¡¯re tricks?¡±


    ¡°Tricky. Very, very tricky,¡± he said with a smile as he waved me on in.


    I made my way inside, and the hostess spotted me immediately. ¡°Your table is waiting,¡± she said and made to lead me to the back corner, but I held her up.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take the long way there,¡± I said, and she nodded she understood. I made my way to the central bar and shook hands with Theo across the curved mahogany bar top.


    ¡°Something new?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure, set me up,¡± I replied.


    Making a circuit of the tables, I shook hands with a fair number of people I knew and was introduced to many more, eventually making my way to the corner table that was always kept open for me.


    The waitress appeared the moment I sat down and I told her I wanted a filet, and Theo was getting me a drink. She took off immediately to make sure the order was given priority, but it didn¡¯t really matter to me. I was there for the evening, so the steak could take as long as it needed.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± Theo said as he brought my drink. ¡°I know you¡¯re a bourbon drinker, so here you go. This is an American version of a cocktail traditionally made with Scotch.¡±


    I took a moment to savor the aroma first, commenting, ¡°I smell maple. And orange.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Theo said with pleasure.


    Sipping it, I said, ¡°Maple syrup, for sure, and a hint of orange, but the ginger¡­ it¡¯s kicking everything else¡¯s ass.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I may need to ease up on that a bit,¡± Theo agreed with a little frown.


    ¡°I like it, though. Maybe make me another one with half the ginger and let¡¯s see,¡± I said, handing him back the glass.


    As soon as Theo left with the drink, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Seeing it was a text from Angela, I took a look. She¡¯d taken a bunch of photos of Emmy and the boys setting up the studio, some shots of Emmy, and a few more of the new furniture in the library. ¡°I wish you were here with us¡±, she wrote.


    ¡°I do, too.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s the same thing, but with half the ginger,¡± Theo said, putting the drink in front of me to taste. Knowing he was going to stand there until I did, I took a sip.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I like ginger alright, but it was just too strong in the mix. Now it¡¯s just right.¡±


    Pleased with himself, he went back behind the bar to mix drinks for paying customers.


    I spent all evening there, holding court. At nine, a really talented singer and guitarist duo set up on the small stage and played American Songbook classics, loud enough to be heard clearly but not loud enough to make conversation difficult for the bar patrons.


    This suited me perfectly, as it made conversations with the people that came to my table possible.


    About ten o¡¯clock, Andrej Markovi? and his friend Mohsin Kazemi came over to say hello and introduce their dates.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you guys,¡± I said. ¡°Having a good night? Everybody treating you guys right?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s great!¡± said Mohsin. ¡°We just finished dinner in the steakhouse, and came back here for drinks.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I know you guys are maybe a little bit more sophisticated in your tastes than most,¡± I said, buttering them up in front of the women they were trying to impress. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Theo over there is always trying out new, exotic drink recipes, and needs guinea pigs to try them out. If you¡¯re willing to try new things, I¡¯ll have him set you up. All he wants is your honest feedback.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to try these new drinks out,¡± Andrej said.


    ¡°Thanks- you¡¯ll be doing Theo and me a big favor,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯re drinking on the house tonight.¡±


    After they went back to their table, I waved Theo over and told him to try out new drinks on their party. ¡°Give them drinks that aren¡¯t too off-beat,¡± I said. ¡°And make sure the girls¡¯ drinks are appropriately girly, but not too strong. I want the guys to feel bold, and the girls to feel they¡¯re getting special treatment. Put it all on my tab, and make sure the server understands that table gets extra attention.¡±


    ¡°I gotcha,¡± Theo said with a wink. ¡°Can I get you another?¡± he asked, pointing to my nearly empty glass. After my second real drink earlier in the evening, as customary, I switched to non-alcoholic but convincing-looking cocktails.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as I handed him my glass.


    At eleven I finally took my leave, making one last circuit on my way out. I was tired and ready for bed, empty as the condo and that bed would be.

 Shenanigans

    Up early the next morning for my run, I did the same thing as the day before- I drove to campus and ran the old, familiar trails. My second day in a row of running on campus dispelled the strange sensation of disconnectedness I¡¯d had the day before, and everything felt normal and familiar once again. As I ran, I felt myself relax and slip into a meditative state, allowing my mind to wander while my feet did their thing.


    Yesterday had been a good day, I realized. Yes, I had been lonely without Emmy, and I missed Angela, too, which was a little bit of a shock. But I¡¯d gotten a lot of work done at the office, and spending some time at the speakeasy reinforced my image, and that was important to the success of the place. A few days every now and then away from Los Angeles were important for my work, and simply part of the job. It would have been nice to have had somebody to come home to at the end of the day, though¡­


    The only thing on my schedule for the day was a lunch meeting with a client, so I was free to spend the next handful of hours however I wanted. After the meeting, I was free until Monday morning, too, so I had plenty of time on my hands.


    Back at the condo, I set some soft music going and settled into a couple of hours¡¯ worth of yoga. I was going to build on the relaxing run and just bend and stretch myself until I was at one with the universe, or at least nice and tension-free.


    The lunch meeting went well, and the client committed to having us run all of his rental units- eleven hundred of them throughout the South and East Bay. We had been managing two of his complexes, and he had seen that our level of care and professionalism was markedly better than the other two management companies he was working with, so had decided to roll it all our way. Of course, this meant a greater workload for our property managers, but that was O.K. It just meant a little more growth, which wasn¡¯t a bad thing at all.


    Driving back to the condo from the hot pot restaurant, I passed through a stretch of car dealerships. Idly eyeballing the BMW dealer as I inched my way through a surprisingly congested intersection, a baby blue M3 parked out in front caught my eye. On impulse, I pulled into the lot. ¡®Heck,¡¯ I thought. ¡®Emmy did say I should do something for myself.¡¯


    It didn¡¯t take long for a saleswoman to spot me looking at the car, and she hustled out to ask if she could help me.


    I stood up from reading the window sticker and said, ¡°This car? I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    She started talking about financing options or lease programs and I stopped her cold. ¡°No, I¡¯ll pay cash. Let¡¯s go in and get the paperwork done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have our guy look at your car and give you a trade-in appraisal,¡± she said, trying to be helpful.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rental,¡± I said. ¡°No trade-in.¡± This seemed to really put the saleswoman off her game, which honestly, surprised me. You¡¯d think in Silicon Valley there must be plenty of buyers with deep enough pockets to be able to simply point and say, ¡°I¡¯ll buy it.¡±


    We sat down at a table and she produced papers for financing again, and I said, ¡°No. All I need to know is the out the door price- that¡¯s it.¡±


    She made some noise about her manager needing to approve and blah blah blah, so I said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk to your manager. I¡¯m ready to buy this car right here, right now.¡± I finally got through to her (and her manager) that I didn¡¯t want any song and dance about payments, no extra charge for underbody sealant, nothing. I just wanted the car, and I wanted to pay for it with a simple wire transfer.


    We finally got it sorted out and I called my banker, authorizing the ninety-two grand to the dealership. I told the manager I had to go return the rental car, but expected the new baby blue M3 to be ready for me by the time I got back.


    Shaking my head at how difficult the sales team had tried to make the process, I drove back to the airport and dropped that woeful Malibu back with the rental company. A short cab ride later and I was behind the wheel of my shiny new M3 in what I learned was called ¡°Yas Marina Blue.¡± Inspired to just get out and enjoy my new toy, I made a quick stop at the condo to change out of my business clothes and into something more suitable for a drive.


    It didn¡¯t take me very long to get used to the new ride, and soon enough I was comfortable throwing it sideways into turns in the Santa Cruz mountains.


    Of course, I stopped at a couple of spots with stellar views and took pictures, sending them to Emmy and Angela.


    ¡°I love the color!¡± was Angela¡¯s response, and Emmy expressed her relief that I had done something nice for myself.


    ¡°I am glad you have something to enjoy there in San Jose,¡± she¡¯d texted.


    Another dinner at the club and a late night of mingling with the clientele awaited me, and after an afternoon of letting loose on the public roadways was just the thing to get me in the mood.


    Of course, this time I pulled right up to the valet stand, and when I handed the key fob to the same valet as the night before he exclaimed, ¡°Nice car! I like your Aston Martin better, but this is pretty sweet! When did you get it?¡±


    I made a point of looking at my wrist. ¡°About five hours ago,¡± I said with a smirk.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s awesome!¡± he said as he climbed in to park my new sedan.


    The same young woman was at the podium when I made my way into the restaurant.


    ¡°Ms Farmer!¡± she squeaked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about last night- Is there any way I can make it up to you?¡±


    She was clearly terrified she might lose her job if she pissed me off, so I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You didn¡¯t know,¡± which seemed to help calm her down just a touch. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take my dinner out here, in the restaurant tonight.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± she said, looking at her seating chart. ¡°Let me see where I can seat you¡­¡±


    She was saved once again by the timely appearance of the maitre d¡¯, who swooped in and grabbed a menu and wine list and directed me to follow.


    Waiting for the busboy to finish cleaning the table, I glanced around to see how the steakhouse was doing on a Saturday night, pleased to see the place was completely full.


    A second look at one of the booths a bit farther down confirmed I''d seen correctly- Ashley was sitting there, facing towards me. Opposite her in the booth were a man and a woman, but I could only see the backs of their heads.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just be a moment,¡± I said to Henry, then walked over to say hello.


    ¡°Ash,¡± I said in greeting as I arrived at the booth.


    ¡°Leah! Holy sh- Wow! What are you doing here?¡± she said, completely surprised.


    ¡°I was about to have dinner,¡± I replied.


    Realizing she was being rude, Ashley said, ¡°Mom, Dad, this is Leah Farmer. I told you about her, remember? She was the one who convinced me to take self-defense classes.¡± Turning to me, she said, ¡°These are my mom, Becky, and my dad, Rob. They came out to visit, and to see my new apartment.¡±


    ¡°Becky, Rob,¡± I said, shaking their hands. ¡°Is this your first time in the area?¡±


    ¡°No, we came out for orientation when Ash was a freshman,¡± Becky said, her Virginia accent remarkably strong.


    ¡°A little over a year ago,¡± her husband Rob added. He had no real discernible accent, to my surprise.


    ¡°How was your summer?¡± I asked Ash.


    ¡°It was good, but a summer in New York would have been better,¡± she replied with a saucy little smirk. After a moment I remembered that she¡¯d said she wanted to be my sex toy all summer long in New York when she was under the impression I was married to Margot Robbie.


    ¡°New York is nice,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Are you here by yourself?¡± Ashley asked, craning her head to look to see if Emmy were with me.


    ¡°I¡¯m just in town for a few days for business,¡± I explained. ¡°By myself.¡±


    ¡°I hate to be the one to ask,¡± Becky said, ¡°but why are you dressed like a Chicago gangster?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the business I¡¯m in,¡± I said giving her a knowing look, which got a laugh in return.


    ¡°Actually, seriously, it is, sort of,¡± I said. ¡°If you folks don¡¯t have any plans for after dinner, how about I treat you to some drinks, and I¡¯ll explain?¡± I said, stepping aside to let the waitress set down their plates.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°If you were gonna have dinner by yourself, why don¡¯t you sit down with us?¡± Becky suggested, and Ashley, looking hopeful, slid over to make room.


    ¡°Henry? I¡¯ll sit with these fine folks,¡± I said, and he nodded and took off. To the waitress, I said, ¡°My usual, please.¡±


    I slid into the booth, setting my fedora on the little ledge at the back of the booth. This meant leaning across Ashley, and she took the opportunity to grope my boob for an instant when my jacket fell open and hid her hand from her parents. I acted as if nothing had happened, not even giving Ashley the benefit of a glare.


    ¡°You must come here a lot,¡± Rob commented when I¡¯d sat back down. ¡°If you can tell the waitress to bring you your usual.¡±


    ¡°I eat here most nights when I¡¯m in town,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯d ask what you recommend, but it¡¯s too late- we¡¯ve already got our dinners,¡± he said, pointing to their plates.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait for me,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want your steaks to get cold.¡±


    Just then the waitress returned with my virgin Old Fashioned, saying, ¡°Your filet will be out in another minute or so.¡± To the rest, she asked, "Is there anything I can get you?¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s service!¡± said Becky after the waitress left.


    True to her word, the waitress brought my steak out in just a few moments, and soon I was eating and chatting along with Ashley¡¯s parents. Rob told me he worked for the federal government in a mid-level bureaucrat job, and Becky worked for the county in the Recorder¡¯s office.


    ¡°We met through work,¡± Becky said, giving her husband¡¯s hand a pat.


    ¡°Are you married?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Three years now,¡± I said, holding up my hand to show of my wedding ring.


    ¡°Newlyweds still,¡± Becky said. ¡°Don¡¯t let anybody tell you all the magic goes out after you¡¯ve been married for a while, hon. Why, me and Rob here, we still go at it like rabbits every chance we get.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± protested Ashley, her face turning red.


    ¡°Oh, Ash, you¡¯ll understand when you find that special someone,¡± Becky said, which only served to make Ashley blush even more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ash. I know that you didn¡¯t find anybody last year, but maybe this year will be different,¡± I said, piling on.


    ¡°I thought maybe I did last year,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°What was that, dear?¡± Becky asked.


    ¡°Mom, I told you I wasn¡¯t in any hurry to find myself a boyfriend at college,¡± Ashley replied.


    Conversation turned away from Ashley¡¯s love life, to her great relief, eventually coming around to what I did for a living.


    ¡°I am a legitimate businesswoman,¡± I announced in my best Godfather accent, getting a laugh from Ashley¡¯s father. This kicked off a discussion about classic gangster movies, discovering that the genre was a favorite of Rob¡¯s. His knowledge was far, far greater than mine, but it was still a fun topic for the two of us, even though I could tell Ashley and her mom were getting bored.


    Once dinner was finished, I asked if the three of them would like to join me for drinks.


    ¡°I¡¯m underage, remember?¡± Ashley protested.


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± I said. ¡°See this?¡± I asked, holding up my tumbler with the remains of my drink in it. ¡°Non alcoholic.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± she whined, reminding me that she was still pretty young.


    ¡°What do you think, Rob?¡± Becky asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to get up early, and we''re both still on East Coast time,¡± he mused. ¡°If Leah knows a good place, and Ashley can get in, I say it sounds good to me.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said, and as I reached across for my hat, Ashley cupped my boob in her hand a little longer this time. Again, I pretended not to notice.


    I stood up and gestured. "If you folks will come with me?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t paid yet!¡± Becky protested.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s on my tab.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really nice of you,¡± Rob said, pleased to save a couple of hundred bucks on dinner.


    The three followed me towards the back of the restaurant, puzzled looks on their faces. At the unmarked door, I rapped twice, and the doorman opened it.


    ¡°Boss!¡± he said with a pleased smile. ¡°And some guests?¡±


    ¡°Yep, they¡¯re with me,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Welcome, ladies, sir,¡± he said, ushering them in to the dimly lit hallway.


    They followed me back, then across the floor of the speakeasy and to the back corner table, which was, in fact, the only empty table in the place.


    Gawking in amazement, the three sat down, still trying to take the whole place in.


    Jeremiah came to the table with drink and tapas menus, and Ashley and her parents stared at him, too. With his perfectly crisp white pinstripe shirt and dark trousers and suspenders, he looked straight from the Prohibition era, except that he was among the darkest of all of our Night Children. His skin was pure black, his short, slicked-back wavy hair was black, and his pupils were very nearly black, too. It made his brilliant white teeth and the whites of his eyes stand out that much more.


    ¡°Welcome, folks,¡± he said to the three, setting the menus in front of them. Turning to me, he asked, ¡°Would you like your usual?¡±


    ¡°Tell Theo to set me up with something special tonight,¡± I said. ¡°At least, for my first.¡±


    Nodding, Jeremiah left to go give my order to Theo. The other two bartenders were good, don¡¯t get me wrong, but Theo was the artist of the bunch.


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Ashley finally managed to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever seen places like this in movies,¡± agreed Rob, still looking around.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the bouncer called you ¡®Boss¡¯,¡± Becky said. ¡°Do you really own this place?¡±


    ¡°And now you understand why I¡¯m dressed this way,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny,¡± Rob mused, looking at the drinks list. ¡°I¡¯ve seen so many movies set in places like this, and I never imagined I¡¯d get a chance to actually experience it.¡±


    ¡°If you look at the top section of the drinks menu,¡± I said, pointing. ¡°You¡¯ll see they¡¯re all classics from the time of Prohibition. I like the Old Fashioned, but the Boulevardier is good, too. For you, Becky, I¡¯d recommend a Mary Pickford or maybe the Singapore Sling.¡±


    ¡°What about for me?¡± Ashley demanded.


    I looked at her parents and asked, ¡°Are you O.K. with Ash having alcohol?¡±


    ¡°She can drink here?¡± Rob asked.


    ¡°She can, if her parents are here with her in a private setting, and they¡¯re the ones to furnish it to her,¡± I replied. ¡°Which means you have to order it for her and hand it to her. Jeremiah can¡¯t take the order from her, or hand her the glass.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can see that as a reasonable loophole,¡± Rob mused.


    ¡°It only works because this is a private club,¡± I said. ¡°It follows somewhat different rules than an ordinary bar.¡±


    ¡°Well, dang,¡± Becky said. ¡°I sure wish we had places like this when I was her age.¡±


    ¡°I sure wish we had places like this at my age, too,¡± Rob said, still soaking in the ambiance.


    Jeremiah came back and set my drink down in front of me. It was a vivid ruby red thing in a tall cocktail glass, garnished with a lemon twist.


    ¡°That looks good,¡± Becky said. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°The bartender likes to use me as a guinea pig for new recipes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the Sidecar,¡± Rob said to Jeremiah.


    ¡°Two Singapore Slings for me,¡± Becky said.


    Jeremiah looked at Ashley, who just shrugged, so he left with the orders.


    A moment later, a couple of tech bros in zoot suits came over to the side of the table.


    ¡°Leah!¡± the guy on the left said, holding out his knuckles for a fist bump. ¡°Thanks for getting me on the list!¡±


    ¡°You earned it, my man,¡± I said, desperately trying to remember his name. I knew he worked at Apple in the AI field, but his name eluded me. ¡°Not just anybody gets on the list.¡±


    ¡°I know it,¡± he said, pleased as hell with himself. ¡°Hey, this is my man Rafa. It¡¯s his first time here.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Rafa,¡± I said. ¡°You guys having a good time tonight?¡±


    ¡°This place is amazing!¡± said Rafa, drawing out the middle syllable.


    The moment the two left, Jeremiah set the three drinks on the table.


    ¡°Those two guys? Another round of whatever they¡¯re drinking, on me.¡± I said.


    Sipping his drink, Rob said, ¡°You really do play up the mob boss thing.¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Everybody loves it.¡±


    ¡°I love it,¡± Ash said. ¡°It helps that you¡¯re totally believable. I mean, an Italian guy would be a caricature, right? But you, in that suit, which looks like it was made for you-¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°And that scar, and your whole, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, you know,¡± Becky said. ¡°I could totally imagine you running a vast, criminal organization. No offense.¡±


    Chuckling, I said, ¡°None taken.¡±


    ¡°So, besides owning a restaurant and private club, what does the rest of your vast criminal organization look like?¡± Rob asked.


    ¡°Mostly real estate investments,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not as fun as the hospitality division, but a whole lot more profitable.¡±


    ¡°Division?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my company owns a handful of restaurants, bars, nightclubs and even a couple of boutique hotels up and down the West Coast.¡±


    ¡°This is really good,¡± Ashley said, holding up her drink. It was an obvious ploy to steer the conversation away from boring topics, but Rob and I both let it work.


    ¡°It is good,¡± Becky said. ¡°This is one of those drinks that you hear people order in movies, but I¡¯ve never actually seen it on a drinks list before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enjoying it,¡± I said.


    Changing the subject, I asked, ¡°When do you two go back to Virginia?¡±


    ¡°We fly out of San Francisco at eleven tomorrow morning,¡± Rob said.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Did you rent a car?¡±


    ¡°Yes, from Avis.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Plan on a forty-five minute drive from Palo Alto, and add another twenty-five or so to drop off the car and get to the terminal,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°Sunday mornings aren¡¯t bad, but I¡¯d still get there an hour early. Just to be on the safe side, I¡¯d be out the door by nine, maybe nine fifteen at the latest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Rob said. ¡°I guess that means we should probably call it an early night, then.¡±


    "It''s a shame you''ll miss the entertainment," I said, indicating the singer and guitarist setting up on the small stage. I''d been impressed the night before, and was pleased to see them again.


    ¡°Um, would you guys mind if I stayed?¡± Ashley asked. ¡°Leah can give me a ride back to my apartment, or I can take an Uber,¡± she added. ¡°I¡¯d kinda like to hang out longer and listen to the music, if it¡¯s alright.¡±


    Her parents looked at each other, an unspoken conversation passing between them.


    ¡°Alright, honey, if that¡¯s what you want,¡± Becky said. ¡°We¡¯ll come by and take you out to breakfast before we go in the morning. See you at seven thirty?¡±


    The moment the two were gone, Ashley scooted closer to me in the booth.


    ¡°You never called!¡± she hissed, keeping her voice low. ¡°But now, here you fuckin¡¯ are, all gorgeous, and sexy as hell in that gangster outfit, impressin¡¯ the shit outta my parents!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that you guys just happened to be having dinner in my restaurant when I came in,¡± I protested.


    ¡°No, maybe not, but it is your fault I¡¯ve been havin¡¯ to smash my legs together so hard I¡¯m gonna get bruises!¡±


    ¡°Not gonna lie,¡± I said, ¡°But that was the funniest thing I have ever heard you say.¡±


    ¡°The truest, too,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°I was thinking about you yesterday,¡± I said, trying to change the subject.


    ¡°I think about you a lot,¡± Ashley replied. ¡°Unfortunately, they''re always my own fingers.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that, even at the risk of encouraging her. Thankfully, I was spared from further ¡®stimulating¡¯ conversation by James Atherton and another guy I didn¡¯t know walking up to the table.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± James said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were in town.¡±


    ¡°I thought about calling you, but I was only going to be here for a few days, and didn¡¯t have my own car,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Leah¡¯s the one I was telling you about,¡± James said to his friend. ¡°The one who totally destroyed Justin down at Willow Springs, in a family car.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I remember that,¡± the guy said, his face lighting up at the memory. ¡°He just wouldn¡¯t shut up about how she almost ran him off the track!¡±


    ¡°Bummer you don¡¯t have a car here,¡± James said. ¡°Maybe you could drive my Cayenne?¡±


    ¡°Well, I actually do have a car, now,¡± I said. ¡°I bought myself a little toy this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do tell!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s another family sedan,¡± I said casually.


    ¡°Ten o¡¯clock at the usual spot?¡± James asked.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be there,¡± I replied, and the two left to go back to their own table.


    ¡°You bought a new car today? Like your other one, that, um, Jaguar?¡± Ashley asked, excited.


    ¡°Aston Martin,¡± I corrected. ¡°No, the new one is a family sedan, like I said.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m calling shenanigans,¡± Ashley said. ¡°No way did you buy, like, a Chevy Malibu or something.¡±

 A Gentle Pootle

    ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± Ashley demanded.


    ¡°The last couple of days I have been driving a Chevy Malibu,¡± I finally got out. ¡°And no, no way would I buy one of those.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Ashley grunted, in a sort of mix of ¡®I told you so¡¯ and ¡®I still don¡¯t believe your shit¡¯.


    ¡°Boss, are you doing O.K.?¡± Jeremiah asked, eyeballing our drinks.


    ¡°How was your drink?¡± I asked Ashley.


    ¡°It was good,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯d like another one, please.¡±


    ¡°An Old Fashioned for me, Jeremiah, and both virgin,¡± I said to the waiter.


    Ashley stuck her tongue out at me. ¡°Spoilsport!¡±


    ¡°You heard the law when I explained it to your folks,¡± I said, holding my hands up in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ gesture. ¡°Despite the way this place looks, it isn¡¯t actually criminal.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Ashley repeated, making an unimpressed face.


    When our drinks came, I said to Ashley, ¡°You know I¡¯m going to take you back to your own place tonight, right? I¡¯m not taking you back to my place.¡±


    ¡°But my roommates will be there,¡± she protested. ¡°They¡¯ll hear us.¡±


    ¡°No, because there won¡¯t be any ¡®us¡¯,¡± I countered. ¡°Look, Ash, I like you, and I think you¡¯re fun to be around, when you¡¯re not, you know, grabbing my tit when your parents can¡¯t see, but all we¡¯re ever going to be is friends. I was really glad to hear you tell your mom and dad that you¡¯re taking self-defense classes, because I care about your safety-¡±


    ¡°Not enough to want to make sure nobody comes into my room at night,¡± Ashley grumbled, interrupting me.


    ¡°No, not enough for that,¡± I agreed. ¡°But look- I can see us being friends, hanging out every now and then, going out for dinner once in a while, stuff like that. But this just isn¡¯t gonna turn into anything more.¡±


    ¡°Friend zone, then,¡± Ashley said, flatly.


    ¡°One hundred per cent,¡± I agreed.


    Ashley let out a big sigh, then said, ¡°Your loss. I wasn¡¯t kidding when I said I¡¯d do anything you and Emmy wanted. Anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to live with the knowledge that I let a good thing go, then,¡± I said, trying not to smile.


    ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be, I can live with that,¡± Ashley said, her shoulders slumping. ¡°But I absolutely am going driving with you and that guy tomorrow, after my parents leave.¡±


    ¡°That works for me,¡± I said.


    Her small victory assured, Ashley leaned back. ¡°This place is pretty cool,¡± she admitted, looking around.


    ¡°Your dad seemed to think so,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Dad¡¯s a complete nerd for old gangster stuff,¡± Ashley scoffed.


    ¡°I liked your parents,¡± I said, trying to push her buttons a little bit.


    ¡°They¡¯re O.K., I guess,¡± Ashley conceded. ¡°A little bit bougie, but they can¡¯t help it, you know?¡±


    Just then a couple came up to the table to say hello. When they left, Ashley asked, ¡°Why do all these people come over like that?¡±


    ¡°Two things,¡± I said, holding up two fingers. ¡°Well, O.K., three things,¡± I said and added one more finger. ¡°First, it¡¯s sort of role play, right? It goes along with the theme, and the mob boss image I present, right? They come up to kiss the ring, sort of, if you get what I mean.¡±


    Making the same dubious face as before, Ashley said, ¡°Oooookay¡­¡±


    ¡°Second, and this is probably a bigger deal for most of them, is they want to show off to their pals, or their dates, that they know the owner, and are therefore part of the ¡®in crowd¡¯, right?¡±


    ¡°Is it that big a deal?¡± she asked, frowning.


    ¡°Look around this room,¡± I said. ¡°Almost every single person in this room is a millionaire, some are billionaires. See those guys at that table over there?¡± I asked, pointing to a booth on the far side of the room. ¡°That¡¯s one of the founders of Facebook, a VP at Apple, and two other guys I don¡¯t know, but they¡¯re probably heavy hitters. Their conversation looks like business- I mean, it¡¯s obvious they aren¡¯t friends out on the town, right? Whatever deal they¡¯re doing may be worth literally billions of dollars.¡±


    ¡°Whoa¡­¡± Ashley said, looking at the table I mentioned.


    ¡°See that table over there? The guy with curly hair- he just sold his startup to Google for two hundred and forty million dollars.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this stuff?¡± Ashley asked, amazed.


    ¡°Well, in his case, I was an early investor and made good money.¡± Just then, the guy I was talking about looked up and saw us looking at him. I raised my glass in a cross-room toast, and he did the same with a smile.


    ¡°So anyway, like I said, being a member here is the current Silicon Valley hotness and a whole lot of people want on the list, but don¡¯t have the connections. So when a guy drags his friend over here to my table, he¡¯s saying, ¡®look, I¡¯m connected, I know the right people¡¯. If his friend knows what it means, it¡¯s a really big deal.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the third thing?¡±


    ¡°Well, some of them actually are my friends and just want to say hello,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°And you own this place, and run this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually run it. I have professionals do that. I¡¯m just the figurehead, the recognizable face,¡± I explained. ¡°I really don¡¯t know a damned thing about running a restaurant or bar.¡±


    ¡°That may be the first thing I¡¯ve seen you not be perfect at,¡± Ashley said with a sigh. ¡°Why are you so fuckin¡¯ awesome?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m good at some things, but I¡¯m not perfect, not by a long shot,¡± I protested.


    Ashley held up her hands, all ten fingers pointing skyward. ¡°You weren¡¯t on the track team, but you run as fast as people who are,¡± she said and dropped one finger into her palm. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous, and huge, and move like a freakin¡¯ panther or something,¡± she said, dropping a second finger. ¡°You look awesome in shorts and a singlet, or jeans and a shirt, or a suit from a hundred years ago.¡± Down came finger number three. ¡°You drive the sexiest, fastest car I¡¯ve ever sat in in my life,¡± Ashley added, dropping her fourth finger into her palm. ¡°You¡¯re richer¡¯n shit, buying mansions in New York that you aren¡¯t even gonna live in.¡±


    Just as she was lowering the thumb on her first hand, I put my hands on hers and said, ¡°O.K., that¡¯s enough,¡± laughing.


    ¡°Oh, and you¡¯re some kinda Amazon in the boxing ring, of course¡­¡±


    ¡°I get it, I get it,¡± I said, pulling her hands down. ¡°You¡¯ve got some sort of hero worship thing going on.¡±


    ¡°You know, I did a whole lot of Googling about you, after you took me out to lunch and then driving,¡± Ashley confessed. "I watched some of your volleyball games. You know they¡¯re all online?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, they are. Anyway, I watched a few of them, and you know what? If all you ever did was just be that good on the court, and look that good in those little shorts, I¡¯d still want you to wrap me up and use me for your body pillow. I mean, you were hot as fuck out there. But on top of that, you¡¯re, like, everything.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve got a thing for hot volleyball players, I gotta tell you, you¡¯ve got a pretty good shot at it. At least half are gay, as much as I hate to confirm stereotypes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Ashley replied.


    When the valet brought the car up, Ashley looked at it with dismay. ¡°It is a family sedan,¡± she groaned. ¡°My mom has a BMW!¡±


    ¡°Probably not like this,¡± I said with a laugh as I tipped the valet.


    ¡°When that one guy said you destroyed that other guy on the track, he said you were in a family sedan. Was it this car?¡± Ashley asked when we pulled out of the parking lot.


    ¡°No, that was a different BMW,¡± I said.


    ¡°You like BMWs?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s only part of it. I guess the main reason I have a lot of ¡®em is that we own a couple of BMW dealerships down in Southern California.¡±


    ¡°So you get ¡®em for free?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°No, and unfortunately, not as much of a discount as you might expect,¡± I said. ¡°So the main reason I drive BMWs is to sort of represent the brand, kinda like advertising, you know?¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Ashley admitted. Changing the subject, she said, ¡°You sure I can¡¯t spend the night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I said. ¡°Just friends, remember?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it,¡± she said, slouching down in her seat.


    I dropped her off at her apartment near campus, waiting to make sure she got in alright. Heading back to the condo, I questioned what I was doing. Sure, it would be nice to have somebody to hang out with when I came up to San Jose, but Ashley might not be the best choice in that category. She was still such a teenager, in so many ways, and the giant crush she had for me might well continue to be a problem.


    It occurred to me that if she found some outlet for her urges (other than me) maybe she¡¯d be easier to deal with. Now, who did I know from the team that was still there, preferably a sophomore, who was hot, into girls, and didn¡¯t have a girlfriend?


    Pondering the possibilities of setting Ashley up, I pulled into the condo building garage and into my designated spot.


    Walking towards the elevator, my spider senses suddenly went off, and hearing somebody behind me, I spun around to see a shabby-looking guy step out from between two cars, where he¡¯d been hiding.


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking kidding me,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°You think this is some kind of joke?¡± demanded the guy. ¡°Gimme your money, and that watch!¡±


    ¡°Fuck off before I kick your ass,¡± I said, drawing myself to my full height, which was easily five inches taller than would-be mugger guy.


    ¡°Big talk! I might just have to cut you for that,¡± he sneered, pulling a locking knife from his pocket. While he was fumbling, trying to get it open, I seized the moment and laid a solid roundhouse kick to the side of his head.


    Sent flying, the guy scrambled and got up on all fours, but before he could stand, I slammed another foot down on the back of his neck, knocking him back down to the pavement. Weakly, he tried to rise again, but I stepped between his shoulder blades and pushed him back down.


    ¡°Quit fucking moving,¡± I said. ¡°The more you struggle, the worse this is gonna go for you. Got it?¡±


    ¡°I got it,¡± he said, his face pressed against the concrete. ¡°I got it.¡±


    I took my phone from my pocket to call the police, idly noticing that I¡¯d missed some texts from Angela and Emmy.


    Reception was poor down in the second level basement of the parking garage, but I managed to get through to the 9-1-1 dispatcher on my second try. I explained that there had been an attempted mugging, and I¡¯d subdued the perpetrator. The dispatcher said the police would be there in ten minutes, so I found the number for the condo building¡¯s front desk.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Hey, do we have an on-site security guy?¡± I asked after I¡¯d identified myself. Assured that there was twenty-four seven security, I said, ¡°Well, send the guy down to P Two. There¡¯s a problem down here.¡±


    The security guy showed up in a couple of minutes, during which I¡¯d only had to threaten the mugger three or four times to get him to stop squirming.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± the security guy asked the moment he¡¯d stepped from the elevator and seen me standing on the bad guy. His hand was straying awfully close to the sidearm on his hip, which I thought was a real cause for concern.


    ¡°This guy tried to mug me. I think his knife is over there somewhere,¡± I said, pointing off to the side.


    ¡°He tried to mug you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He demanded my money and my wallet, threatened to cut me.¡±


    ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± the security guy asked, now close enough to get a good look at the guy face-down on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I replied. ¡°Mostly just annoyed, you know?¡±


    ¡°You took this guy down all by yourself?¡± the security guy asked, putting zip tie cuffs on the mugger.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, not really wanting to recount the whole incident for this guy, and then the police.


    The sound of a car coming down the ramp had us both look up to see a police cruiser making its way towards us. The officers stopped well short, flicking on the Explorer¡¯s high beams to illuminate the scene more fully.


    By this time I was standing back, letting the security guy hold the mugger in place.


    The two policemen got out of the car, assessing the situation. One turned to me and asked if I was the one who called 9-1-1, and when I said that I was, he came over to take my statement while the other went to help the security officer.


    I explained in broad details what had happened, and when he asked how I managed to subdue an armed man, I said, ¡°I¡¯m a mixed martial arts fighter.¡±


    Chuckling, the officer said, ¡°I guess he picked the wrong one to try to jump.¡±


    ¡°Well, the right one, as far as everybody else is concerned. What if he¡¯d attacked the little old lady on the sixth floor, Mrs Rosen? He might have killed her,¡± I said.


    The officer took the time to write everything down while his partner hunted around until he found the knife under one of the parked cars. He explained that it seemed pretty cut and dried, but if there were any questions they¡¯d contact me. He then told the security guy that somebody would be around in the morning to collect the security camera footage.


    As the police drove off, mugger cuffed in the back of the cruiser, the security guy said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to figure out how that guy got in here. Seriously, that¡¯s a major breach.¡±


    ¡°My bet is that he hid in the bushes near the gate, and slipped in following somebody¡¯s car,¡± I said as we got in the elevator.


    ¡°Makes sense¡­¡± the guy replied, thinking about it.


    Back in the empty condo, I stripped out of my gangster outfit and climbed into the tub for a relaxing soak, musing about the crazy day I¡¯d just had. Leaning back in the tub, I looked through the text messages I¡¯d missed.


    It was more photos from Angela of scenes around the townhouse, shots of Emmy and the boys in the studio, stuff like that.


    Emmy sent me a message asking about my day and how was San Jose, to which I replied, ¡°It has been a long, wild day. I''ill tell you about it when we get a chance to talk.¡±


    Almost immediately my phone rang, Emmy replying to my message.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said.


    ¡°What happened today?¡± Emmy asked, concern in her voice.


    ¡°I bought a car,¡± I said.


    ¡°I saw that. It is a very beautiful color,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°It looks even better in person. In the sunlight it really sparkles.¡±


    ¡°I am glad you did that,¡± Emmy replied. "Now you will have something nice to drive when you are up in the Bay Area.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be nice to have,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m actually going out driving with James Atherton tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Emmy asked. "It sounds¡­¡±


    ¡°Taking a bath,¡± I said. ¡°Just relaxing in the tub.¡±


    ¡°I will call you right back,¡± Emmy said, then hung up.


    Puzzled, I looked at the phone, which immediately rang with an odd tone. Emmy was calling me right back, but this time it was a FaceTime call- for video. Smirking, I answered.


    ¡°That was quick,¡± I said, intentionally holding the phone at an angle so she couldn¡¯t see anything from my neck down. Emmy was craning her head to get a better look, as if it were a window she could get a better angle on.


    ¡°So, why did you hang up and then call me back again?¡± I asked, feigning innocence.


    ¡°I did that so we could feel as if we were together,¡± Emmy replied, looking bashful. ¡°I wish I could be in that bath with you.¡±


    ¡°I wish you were here in this bath with me, too,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Are you lonely?¡± Emmy asked, concerned.


    ¡°I told you I¡¯d be happy to go with you,¡± Angela said from somewhere off-screen.


    ¡°Hi, Ange,¡± I said, knowing she could hear me. ¡°What are you guys doing up so late? It¡¯s what, two in the morning there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I had to make Emmy stop doing the music thing and come to bed,¡± Angela said as Emmy angled the phone to get her in view. ¡°They¡¯d be up there all night, and that just isn¡¯t healthy. I had to make her eat dinner, too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for doing that,¡± I said. ¡°They get lost in the music sometimes.¡±


    ¡°It is true, we do,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°Well, you guys need to get some sleep. I¡¯m headed to bed right after my bath.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair that she¡¯s in the tub but not showing us anything- Do you?¡± Angela asked Emmy.


    ¡°No, it is terribly inconsiderate,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°Quid pro quo, babes,¡± I said. ¡°You show me yours, I¡¯ll show you mine,¡± grateful the new iPhone was waterproof.


    Eventually, when I did finally get to sleep, I didn¡¯t feel quite so lonely. Funny how one little video call could make such a difference.


    Despite the late night, I was up early for my morning run, taking the same route as the two days before. I had intentionally done the same thing again to help reinforce the feeling of familiarity, trying to keep the South Bay in my mental ¡®home¡¯ category.


    A cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant at my old favorite bakery helped, too. Maybe this back and forth from Los Angeles to the Bay Area wasn¡¯t going to be such a pain in the ass after all.


    A quick shower and a change into jeans and a long-sleeved T shirt had me almost ready to drive, but I realized that I didn¡¯t have any good driving shoes. A quick search online and I was off to the nearest mall for a chain shoe store that carried Chuck Taylors, and I was all set, and still on time.


    When I knocked on the door of Ashley¡¯s apartment, one of her roommates answered. She took one look at me and yelled back into the apartment, ¡°Hey, Ash! Your Amazon sex goddess is here!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± demanded Ash, giving her roommate a death glare as she came to the door. ¡°Just ignore her- everybody else does,¡± Ashley said to me, pulling the door shut behind her, cutting off her roommate¡¯s protests.


    Ashley was dressed like somebody not going out on a date, I was grateful to see. She had on artfully torn jeans and a scoop-neck sleeveless top, a Cardinal sweatshirt around her waist.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Ashley responded back, oddly shy.


    ¡°Ready to go for a ride?¡±


    ¡°In your family sedan?¡± Ashley asked, teasing.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± I confirmed as we walked down the steps to the ground level.


    ¡°Wow- I love the color,¡± Ashley said as we neared the car. ¡°Last night it just looked, well, I dunno, plain ol¡¯ blue.¡±


    ¡°The color is what caught my eye at first,¡± I admitted as we climbed in the car.


    ¡°It has that new car smell,¡± Ashley said, running her hands across the carbon fiber inlays on the dash.


    ¡°It should. I haven''t even owned it for twenty-four hours yet!¡± I said. Just for laughs, I goosed it pulling out of the parking lot, stepping the back out in a lurid power slide.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Ashley squeaked, holding onto the passenger door¡¯s big grab handle for dear life.


    As the car straightened out, she relaxed a bit. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s gonna be like that, huh?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Yes, yes it is,¡± I agreed, stomping on it to break the back tires loose again, getting another squeak from Ashley.


    By the time we got to the Starbucks on the east side of San Jose I¡¯d thoroughly disabused Ashley of the notion that my new car was just some suburban housewife¡¯s 328.


    James¡¯ Porsche was already the parking lot, drawing quite a crowd. A group of young guys were taking selfies with the car, their girlfriends looking unamused with their antics as I pulled into the spot next to the Spyder.


    ¡°Now look at that car!¡± Ashley exclaimed as we climbed out of the M3. ¡°You should get one of those!¡±


    ¡°She has dibs on it if I ever sell,¡± James said as he strolled up, cup in his hand.


    The young guys suddenly realized that the Porsche¡¯s owner was right there, and they suddenly got self-conscious and let their girlfriends drag them into the Starbucks.


    ¡°It¡¯s only fair,¡± James added. ¡°She did just sell me her baby, after all.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Godzilla treating you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Man, that car is awesome!¡± James said, a smile from ear to ear. ¡°But I¡¯m gonna have to have it rewrapped. Everybody asks why I¡¯m driving your car.¡±


    ¡°Godzilla?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°My old race car,¡± I explained. ¡°It¡¯s mean, green, and spits fire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does,¡± James said, nodding his head.


    ¡°Ash, you want anything?¡± I asked, gesturing towards the coffee shop.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good,¡± she said.


    ¡°So, I was thinking,¡± James said. ¡°There¡¯s going to be about one point seven million cyclists on Mt Hamilton this time of day on a Sunday. We should skip it, or just assume we¡¯ll have to take it pianissimo on the way up, until we cross the summit, anyhow. Or, we could head out somewhere else. How much time do you two have today?¡±


    I looked at Ashley, and she shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have any other plans.¡±


    ¡°I can be out all day, too,¡± I said. ¡°You?¡±


    Laughing, James said, ¡°I¡¯m on Rodriguez.¡± Seeing the complete lack of comprehension on our faces, he explained. ¡°Imogen is visiting her folks in Connecticut, so I have nothing better to do than go driving with my friends.¡±


    I glanced at my watch and looked around the parking lot. ¡°What time did you tell them to show up?¡±


    Laughing, James said, ¡°Let¡¯s hit some roads we don¡¯t usually get to. Hell, let¡¯s rock, and do Sonora Pass.¡±


    ¡°The Sierras?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°That¡¯s a long day in the saddle.¡±


    James just shrugged and made a ¡®So?¡¯ face.


    ¡°You O.K. with that?¡± I asked Ashley. ¡°We¡¯ll get back late.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    ¡°You want to lead?¡± James asked.


    ¡°I can do that, but don¡¯t complain when I drop you like a bad habit.¡±


    Laughing, James slid into the driver¡¯s seat of his supercar, while Ashley and I took our seats in my merely faster-than-most car.


    ¡°That Porsche looks ridiculously fast,¡± Ashley said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to drop him.¡±


    ¡°That car? Yeah, it is pretty fast. For a Prius.¡±


    ¡°A Prius?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hybrid,¡± I explained. ¡°Like a Prius.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen a Prius that looks like that,¡± Ashley said, making that dubious face from the night before.


    Within a few minutes we were working our way up Mt Hamilton, and as James had predicted, every single cyclist in the South Bay was riding up that hill. A lot of other car people I know bitch about the bicyclists, but as for me, I don¡¯t begrudge them their use of the road at all. I mean, we¡¯re all out to enjoy ourselves, right? Who am I to deny them all the suffering and misery they put themselves through in the name of personal enjoyment?


    I took the opportunity to warm up the tires a bit whenever we had clear sightlines, despite the road¡¯s sheer drops and complete lack of shoulder, much less run-off areas.


    Ashley kept pushing hard against the footwell and sliding down in the seat with every big exposure left hander, but she never once urged me to take it any easier on the gas.


    We stopped by the observatory to take in the view to the west, and use the bathrooms at the visitor¡¯s center.


    ¡°That was almost as good as the time we did it in your Aston Martin,¡± Ashley said, sipping the Coke I¡¯d gotten her from inside, reminding me that she¡¯d practically masturbated on that drive.


    Seeing James wasn¡¯t within earshot, I said in a low voice, ¡°Thanks for keeping it in your pants this time.¡±


    She gave me a look that was sort of sad, sort of, maybe, proud of herself. ¡°Just friends, remember?¡±


    Back on the road, heading east and down from the peak, Ashley asked, ¡°Did that guy, Um, James? Did he say he¡¯s gonna sell you his Porsche?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he did. The first time I had a chance to drive it, I told him I liked it and put dibs on it if he ever wants to sell. It seems like he hasn¡¯t forgotten,¡± I said absently, mostly thinking about how grateful I was at that moment that the M3 had ceramic brake rotors as part of the Competition Package. The downhill was long and steep, and we were going into the turns pretty hard.


    ¡°Those Asian guys, back at the Starbucks- they seemed to think that car is a pretty big deal,¡± Ashley said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re into fast cars, it is,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I know Porsches cost a lot,¡± Ashley said, looking at the 918 in the side mirror. ¡°That one must be expensive.¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, and getting more so every day,¡± I replied, still not paying as much attention to the conversation as I was to the road.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°How much what?¡± I asked, now paying more attention, since we¡¯d gotten to the bottom of the mountain and the turns had opened up some.


    ¡°How much does one of those cost?¡±


    ¡°A 918 like James¡¯?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, new, they were about a million bucks, but like I said, they keep going up in value. The number I¡¯ve heard is about a hundred grand a year.¡±


    ¡°A million bucks?¡± Ashley exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief. ¡°And you¡¯re gonna buy it from him? You have the money to spend that on a car?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a silly way to spend money like that, but it is a very nice car. And it¡¯s eco-friendly, being a plug-in hybrid.¡±


    ¡°You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means,¡± Ashley replied, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Which word?¡±


    ¡°Hybrid.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Yes, that car is, in fact, a hybrid. Just like a Prius, it has a gas engine and an electric motor, too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that Porsche made a million dollar car for better gas mileage?¡± Ashley said, skeptical.


    ¡°No, because that wouldn¡¯t be the truth. They did it for improved performance.¡±


    ¡°A hybrid. For performance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°When we stop for lunch, you should get James to show it to you. Maybe even hit him up for a ride?¡±


    ¡°So, if you can afford a million dollar car, why did you just buy this ¡®family sedan¡¯?¡± she said, making finger quotes.


    ¡°I could have bought something fancier,¡± I agreed. ¡°A Lamborghini, McLaren, whatever. But most of this car¡¯s life is going to be spent in the parking garage of my condo here in San Jose anyway, and sometimes I might need a real back seat. Maybe I need to take a couple of people from the office out to lunch, or whatever. I couldn¡¯t do that in a Lambo. And besides, a car like that just doesn¡¯t look professional. This car, on the other hand, looks like a sensible executive¡¯s toy.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Ashley said, but I don¡¯t think she was convinced.


    ¡°Besides," I said. ¡°If a cop spots me and James playing on a back road like this and we split up, which car is he going to focus on?¡±


    That got a laugh from Ashley and she stopped talking for a while, just looking out the windows. ¡°It¡¯s really pretty out here, in a way, but it¡¯s just so brown,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the big difference between the West and the East here in the US. Our summers are dry. No rain falls during the season most plants grow. Back East, though, you get summer rain all the time, so the plants go crazy.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Ashley admitted.


    We chatted like that for a while, until the road finally exited the Diablos and crossed over Interstate 5.


    James called, since we had cell signal for the first time in fifty miles or so. ¡°Need to stop?¡± he asked, since we were about to pass a gas station.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re good,¡± I replied after glancing over at Ashley to make sure it was the case. ¡°I can keep going ¡¯til we stop for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Any thoughts on that?¡± James asked.


    ¡°I say we stick to secondary farm roads across the valley, and maybe around noon, twelve thirty we just look for anything promising.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± James said and signed off. Once we got to the straight, flat, empty roads of the Central Valley, I waved James past and gave him a ¡®hit it!¡¯ sign as he drew even.


    Needing no further encouragement, he put his foot to the floor and rocketed away. I slammed the pedal to the floor, too, but the M3¡¯s four hundred and change horsepower simply couldn''t compete with the nearly nine hundred of the Spyder.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Ashley exclaimed as she was shoved back in the seat. ¡°He¡¯s getting away!¡± and then, ¡°Is that fire coming out of the top of his car?¡±


    Even as the Spyder pulled away, I kept my foot flat, and we flew past the one hundred mile an hour mark, the car pulling strongly. Past one hundred fifty the acceleration was slower, but the BMW still managed almost one hundred-eighty on the speedometer before it became obvious that we were totally maxed out.


    Ashley had stopped talking as our speed grew higher, sliding lower and lower into the passenger seat, barely being able to see above the dash at all, her body completely tensed up.


    I spotted the Porsche up ahead, drawing nearer, so it was obvious James had let off the gas. I followed suit, gradually coasting back to to sixty as we caught up. Sixty miles an hour felt like walking speed in comparison to the velocity we¡¯d just achieved.


    ¡°I swear, I almost wet myself,¡± Ashley said, still trembling a bit. ¡°That was fuckin¡¯ insane.¡±

 Home Again

    ¡°Yeah, that was cool,¡± I agreed. ¡°That¡¯s pretty fast, for a road car.¡±


    ¡°Pretty fast? That was, like, warp nine! Those orchards were going by like- like the stars when the Millennium Falcon goes to hyperdrive!¡± Ashley said, mixing her sci-fi imagery.


    ¡°Like I said, pretty good- for a family sedan,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny- it feels like we¡¯re goin¡¯ so slow now,¡± Ashley commented, looking out at the almond trees as we passed them by.


    ¡°It does,¡± I agreed.


    We skirted Modesto, but when we got to the small town of Oakdale, James signaled to pull into the first gas station we saw.


    While we were filling up, he went in and asked about good places to eat nearby, and armed with local knowledge we found ourselves in a hipster ''New American Cuisine'' brewpub a few minutes later.


    I was a bit surprised to find a place like that on the outskirts of a farming community in the San Joaquin Valley, but certainly happy that we found it. They claimed all their ingredients were sourced from farms and ranches within twenty miles of the restaurant, and I had no reason to doubt it.


    James seemed a bit out of his element, unsure what to order and a bit dubious of the ¡®rough hewn¡¯ decor, but he did admit that the burger he had was about as good as any he could remember.


    Knowing food service margins were low and wanting to help the obviously new business, I stopped to buy a couple of hoodies with the restaurant¡¯s steer logo at the front counter on the way out.


    ¡°Who are those for?¡± Ashley asked when I selected two in a size medium. On impulse, I grabbed a third medium and said, ¡°Just gifts. Want one?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take it!¡± Ashley said, her eyes wide with excitement at this meager offering.


    As I paid, she held up her new hoodie and admired it. ¡°Thanks, Leah- this is awesome!¡±


    I turned to James and said, ¡°You should get one for Imogen. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love it.¡±


    James laughed, saying, ¡°Can you imagine Imogen at her parents¡¯ house, wearing that? She¡¯d probably inherit right then and there, after her mother and father both had heart attacks.¡±


    ¡°There you go- a sound financial investment, then,¡± I replied.


    Out in the parking lot, there were a couple of guys in work boots, flannel shirts and beat up old baseball caps eyeing James¡¯ Porsche. As we walked up, one of the guys asked James if it was his car.


    ¡°Sure is a beauty,¡± the guy said. ¡°Hey, look, I don¡¯t know which way you folks are headed, but they just chip-sealed 120 south of China Camp, so I¡¯d avoid that chunk of road in a car like that.¡±


    ¡°We were planning on going over Sonora Pass,¡± James said. ¡°But thanks for the heads-up.¡±


    ¡°Sonora¡¯s nice and clean right now. It¡¯ll be smooth sailing for you guys,¡± the second farmer said. ¡°Hey, can I ask a favor? Can you, like, I dunno, rev it up for us?¡± he asked, pointing at the Porsche. ¡°I just wanna hear it run.¡±


    James looked at the two guys in their work clothes, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°Tell you what. If you want to jump in, I¡¯ll take you for a quick spin- how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± the second farmer asked. ¡°I¡¯d hate to get your car dirty.¡±


    James just shrugged, and said, ¡°Dust yourself off first.¡±


    Ashley and I just stood around the parking lot with the first farmer while James took the second out for a quick joyride. We made small talk for the ten minutes James and Robbie were gone, mostly about local road conditions.


    When the Porsche pulled back into the lot, Robbie got out, dusted off the seat as best he could, and said to his pal, ¡°Jim, you gotta do it. That car has completely recalibrated my entire reference for what ¡®fast¡¯ is.¡±


    ¡°Well, when you put it that way,¡± Jim said as he slid into the low-slung supercar for his turn.


    Robbie watched the Porsche leave the lot, then turned to Ashley and me. ¡°You ever ridden in that car?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve driven it,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°It is pretty amazing, alright.¡±


    ¡°Amazing doesn¡¯t begin to describe it. I¡¯m just glad I thought to shoot video,¡± he said, holding up his phone.


    ¡°Out on one of the straight back roads crossing the valley, we hit a hundred and eighty miles an hour in the BMW, and he pulled away like it was nothing,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can believe it,¡± Robbie said. ¡°When James stepped on the accelerator, we were over a hundred in about three seconds.¡± Taking off his hat to rub the bald spot on the back of his head, Robbie said, ¡°I¡¯m glad they make cars like that, but I could never imagine owning one. Never mind the cost, the temptation would simply be too strong for me to resist.¡±


    ¡°To be honest?¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t even try to resist it.¡±


    I held up my fist and Robbie bumped it. ¡°Resistance is futile,¡± he agreed.


    James and Jim returned about that time, and, as they climbed out of the car, Jim said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna need that beer, now,¡± visibly wobbling.


    ¡°You guys have a great afternoon,¡± James said to the two, who thanked him and went inside.


    ¡°Have fun showing off?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Those guys loved it,¡± James said.


    ¡°Yeah, I think it made that guy Robbie¡¯s day, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I agreed.


    Leaving Oakdale, we made our way out of the flat farmland of the valley and into the Sierra foothills. We didn¡¯t spend any time in the town of Sonora- just passed through, admiring the touristy cuteness of the Gold Rush main street as we drove by.


    Up we went, continuing to gain elevation as we climbed into the tallest mountain range in the contiguous United States.


    ¡°This is really pretty,¡± Ashley remarked as the oaks of the lower elevations started to give way to pine trees. ¡°It¡¯s just so different from what I¡¯m used to.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re already higher than any mountain peak in the Eastern US,¡± I said as we passed one of the many tiny lakes that dot the Sierras.


    James had thought we¡¯d be able to get in some good high-performance driving on that road, but the reality was that it was too narrow and sight lines were too limited to be able to pass the many slow vehicles we came up on as we made our way east.


    Still, as a sight-seeing road, it was hard to beat. The mid-afternoon sunlight filtering through the pine trees, the small lakes and waterfalls, the walls of granite on either side¡­ It was just magnificent. It didn¡¯t matter that we were stuck behind some Instagramming van life rig going at a snail¡¯s pace. The scenery was just that spectacular.


    Finally dropping down out of the high elevation, we passed the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, then rolled down to Highway 395. James pulled over to a stop, and we got out to talk.


    ¡°My GPS says it¡¯s about a five hour drive back to Mountain View,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s fastest route, which isn¡¯t back the way we came. What are your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°As amazing as that road was,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯d rather see something new.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much seeing we¡¯ll be doing,¡± James said, looking this watch. ¡°We only have about two more hours of daylight.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to find a hotel somewhere and stay the night,¡± Ashley said, hopefully.


    ¡°Not so fast, Missy,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re headed back to Palo Alto tonight.¡±


    ¡°Spoilsport!¡± she replied, sticking her tongue out.


    James just laughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to get home tonight to feed the cat, so I¡¯m headed back.¡±


    ¡°Up 395 to Carson City, then over?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s make the most out of the light we¡¯ve got,¡± I said. ¡°We can grab dinner in Sacramento.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± James agreed, and we piled back into our cars.


    ¡°Seriously, we could get a hotel room somewhere,¡± Ashley said as we made our way north on Highway 395, in the shadow of the Sierras.


    ¡°What happened to the ¡®just friends¡¯ thing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Friends can share a hotel room,¡± Ashley said. ¡°Especially if it has a big, nice king-sized bed and maybe a jacuzzi tub.¡±


    I rolled my eyes so loudly Ashley could hear it over the road noise as we sped along the highway.


    ¡°O.K., O.K., I get it. Just friends.¡±


    ¡°Just friends,¡± I agreed.


    We were both quiet for a while, lost in our own thoughts.


    James called, and when I answered, he said, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to run up a bit farther and take the freeway back. Are you guys going to do that, or turn left at Gardnerville and go past Kirkwood?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking Carson Pass- we¡¯ll run out of daylight before we cross, but at least it¡¯ll be good driving,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Alright,¡± James said. ¡°Drive cheerfully!¡± and signed off, promising to catch up next time I was in the Bay Area.


    ¡°Carson Pass? Is it like what we just went over?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°Nah,¡± I answered. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more wide-open, and a lot more developed.¡±


    As I¡¯d predicted, the evening light faded quickly. By the time we passed Silver Lake, the last of the setting sun¡¯s light was no more than a hint in the sky to the west.


    ¡°There are so many stars here,¡± Ashley said, looking out the window.


    On a whim, I pulled over into a picnic area between the road and the lake, and we got out to admire the night sky.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re at about seven thousand feet of elevation here,¡± I said as Ashley gaped in awe, craning her neck to look up.


    ¡°A shooting star!¡± she said, pointing. ¡°I never seen one before!¡±


    ¡°Keep watching,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯ll see more.¡±


    After a few minutes, Ashley went back to the car for the hoodie I¡¯d bought her at lunch. ¡°It¡¯s kinda cold,¡± she said as she pulled it on.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    During the half an hour we stared at the night sky we each saw a number of shooting stars, and a few satellites orbiting the Earth as well.


    Back in the car, Ashley said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many stars in my life. Heck, I never even imagined the night sky could look like that. And so many shooting stars! Is it always like that up here?¡±


    ¡°On moonless nights, yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°But in the winter, you can see even more stars.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± she breathed.


    Dropping down into the lower elevations on the western slope, we stopped at a little Mom and Pop burger and barbecue place on the side of the road in one of the little Gold Rush towns we passed through.


    The menu had absolutely no pretensions of being anything but what it was, but the beef was good, the onions, tomato and lettuce were all fresh and crispy, and the buns were locally baked, making for excellent burgers. I opted for the sweet potato fries, and they were good, but the home-style hand-cut thick fries Ashley ordered were even better.


    Back on the road, Ashley said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to go back to ramen for the rest of the week to make up for all this food!¡±


    Slipping out of the mountains and into the Central Valley, we talked about Ashley¡¯s training, the cross country season coming up, and the joys of college roommates. It made me miss college, but at the same time, made me grateful I¡¯d finished with all that.


    Pulling into an empty parking spot in front of Ashley¡¯s apartment back in Palo Alto, she made one last play.


    ¡°You could come up,¡±she suggested. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay over, and we could go running together in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Friend zone,¡± I reminded her, receiving a pout in return.


    ¡°At least a good night kiss?¡±


    ¡°How about no,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I tried,¡± Ashley sighed as she got out of the car.


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡±


    Back at the condo, I toyed with the idea of heading to the club for a late night, but ultimately decided against it. It was Sunday night, after all, and bound to be slow.


    I¡¯d had a good day, enjoyed the driving, the scenery, and yes, even Ashley¡¯s company, but it was time to relax, take a bath, and go to bed.


    Emmy and Angela had been uncharacteristically quiet on the text front all day, but that was fine. ¡®No news is good news¡¯, as they say. I shot the two of them a goodnight message before heading to bed, even though it was well past midnight East Coast time.


    When I awoke for my early morning run, I saw a text from Angela. It was a photo of Emmy asleep in that big canopy bed, as beautiful and peaceful as I¡¯d ever seen her.


    ¡°I got her to come to bed at midnite¡±, the text read. ¡°Shes still sleeping. Im going to wake her up 4 bfst soon¡±.


    ¡°I miss you guys¡±, I texted back. ¡°I wish I was there¡±.


    Deciding to skip my morning run, I got ready for work, then picked up a chocolate croissant and coffee on my way to the office. My schedule was a bit more open that day, since I¡¯d be talking to some startup founders. Listening to their VC pitches can sometimes take a while- I¡¯m not one of those who want the basics distilled down to what can be written in large letters on a three by five card. No, I want to get a real feel for the company¡¯s tech, business model, and people at the helm.


    This meant I had one morning meeting and another in the afternoon, after which I was free to jet back down to Los Angeles, and the empty condo there.


    The morning meeting was a bust. The guys had no real idea of the business ramifications of the tech they were proposing, and seemed like nothing more than a couple of frat boys from Stanford who came up with an idea for a web service company after a few too many beer bongs.


    The afternoon, though- that meeting seemed much more promising. Of course, it was second round, so they¡¯d already fine-tuned their approach and had working prototypes and beta-level software. It seemed to me to be an obvious winner, and the first-round investors included a few I knew to be pretty savvy, so I signed off on it, committing a few million for forty-nine per cent of the company. We worked out a framework for executive compensation that was heavily weighted towards performance bonuses, set some challenging but achievable benchmarks, and finally, exit strategies. It was obvious the three guys had done their homework, making the whole process nice and smooth. They grumbled a bit about giving up half the company, but I pointed out that it was my money floating their dreams and ambitions, and if it blew up, well, half a huge pile of cash is still a huge pile of cash. If it crashed and burned, it was me that was on the hook for the loss, since they¡¯d be drawing salary from my money in the meanwhile.


    My workday done, I made my rounds of the office, saying goodbye and telling everybody I¡¯d be back in two weeks. I drove back to the condo, changed clothes, and got an Uber to the airport for my flight home.


    It had been a good trip in a lot of ways, both as far as business was concerned and for my adjustment to spending time in San Jose. The condo still felt a lot like a big hotel room, but that would change with time. I¡¯d started the process of creating a groove to settle in, and I could see that it would become comfortable enough within a few more visits.


    Yes, I¡¯d missed Emmy, and, to my surprise, Angela, but maybe they could come up there with me next time.


    The next day was a school day for me, so I had my morning workout in the building¡¯s gym, worked from home for a few hours, did what homework needed to be done for class that night, then went to class- the same as any Tuesday or Thursday before our trip to Chicago and New York. The only difference was that I was the only one there at the condo that night.


    Sure, we had a video call when I got home and Angela and Emmy were getting ready for bed, and that was nice, but it wasn¡¯t the same as actually having them there to snuggle with.


    After hanging up, I sent Angela a text thanking her again for making sure Emmy got to bed at a reasonable hour (if one A.M. could be considered reasonable) and also making sure that Emmy took care of herself and ate regularly.


    ¡°Somebody has to do it¡±, Angela responded. ¡°She gets so focused she forgets¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re there for her¡±, I texted back, and realized that it was true. If Emmy was going to be in New York to record and I needed to stay on the West Coast, somebody should be there to take care of Emmy, and it should be somebody that loves her.


    I realized that at some point I¡¯d slipped past my doubts about Angela without even noticing, and now just took it for granted that of course Angela loved Emmy, and of course, she loved me, too.


    It was a nice, warm feeling, and thinking about my two beautiful, loving ladies made falling asleep and into pleasant dreams that much easier.


    After my morning workout with Jody, I stopped off and bought myself one of those digital picture frames for my desk, but also some of that film you put on your computer monitor so it can only be seen from certain angles. After I made my rounds and reminded everyone I was back, I set my new picture frame up on my desk, angled towards my chair. With the privacy screen cover, nobody but me would be able to see the photos as they rotated through. I loaded a couple dozen pics from my phone onto the frame and set it to rotate every few minutes or so. Of course, none of the pics were all that racy, but the fact that there was another woman besides my wife might raise questions that I didn¡¯t feel any need to deal with.


    Work was unmemorable that day. The photos on my desk were clearly the highlight, and every now and then when I glanced up and saw Emmy at the Griffith Park Observatory, or Angela and Emmy holding hands walking along the lakefront in Chicago, or that picture of Angela in my Cardinal hoodie (and apparently nothing else), curled up in a big, comfy chair in front of the fireplace in the master bedroom in New York, it brought a smile to my face.


    Since I had nobody at home waiting for me, I took the opportunity to go driving with the boys that afternoon after slipping out of the office early. Driving the M3 up in the Bay Area had been good, but my tuned Vantage was like a favorite comfortable pair of gloves. Sure, I could swing the rear end of the M3 around, but that Aston? I could make it dance.


    Jimmy (and his sister) were waiting at the meeting spot when I showed up, along with Teddy Bear. Stein had texted he was on the way, so we waited for a few minutes until he got there, his McLaren now a dark British Racing Green.


    ¡°I like the new wrap,¡± I said when he got out of the car. ¡°Did you run from the cops again?¡±


    ¡°Nah, not this time. I just couldn¡¯t stand that pink any longer.¡±


    ¡°Next time, my man, get it wrapped in a red like this,¡± Jimmy said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at his Ferrari. ¡°Like a real car.¡±


    As we were trash talking, a text came through.


    ¡°Can Jenna and I bring anything over tonight?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Emmy and Angela are in New York, so it¡¯ll just be me. You guys want to go out or something?¡± I responded.


    A few seconds passed while the three dots did their thing. ¡°We can do that. Like dinner?¡±


    ¡°You pick the place¡± I sent back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Jenna and get back to you¡±.


    ¡°Cool¡± I texted.


    ¡°You ready to drive?¡± Stein asked, looking pointedly at my phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. Let¡¯s rock.¡±


    Jimmy led out, which meant that the route would be unpredictable, but slow. I kept myself amused by throwing the Aston sideways through every turn I could, burning up a lot of expensive tire rubber, but grinning like a maniac with the sheer stupid joy of driving like a hooligan.


    Eventually I had to peel off to go to the restaurant that Jenna and Andy had suggested. Pulling into the parking lot of the Greek restaurant in Woodland Hills, I spotted an empty spot next to a Shelby Mustang GT, figuring that it was probably Andy¡¯s car.


    Sure enough, Jenna and Andy had grabbed a table in the outdoor seating area and waved me over as I approached.


    After the usual greetings, Jenna asked, ¡°So why are you here in LA if Emmy and Angela are in New York?¡±


    ¡°We had a couple of days there after our Chicago trip, and Emmy fell in love with the recording studio we had built with the remodel. She mentioned it to Lee and Jackson, and they all decided to head over there and record their next album there instead of renting studio space here.¡±


    ¡°And Angela?¡±


    ¡°She just went because she wanted to go with Emmy, and I was just going to be boring and work, anyway,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°You¡¯re O.K. with them being together like that?¡± Jenna asked, concerned.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m happy Angela went. She¡¯s been making sure Emmy gets to bed at a reasonable time, and actually takes meal breaks and stuff like that. When Emmy and the boys get into it, they completely lose track of time,¡± I explained.


    ¡°You¡¯re not jealous, even a tiny bit?¡± Jenna continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little bit envious they¡¯re having a good time without me, but if you¡¯re asking about Emmy and Angela, you know, sleeping together? No. In fact, I hope, and this sounds funny, but I hope they have a whole lot of sex while they¡¯re there.¡±


    Andy just about spewed the Pellegrino he was drinking. ¡°Wait- what?¡± he finally managed to choke out. ¡°You actually want them to be, uh, getting it on, without you?¡±


    ¡°Mmm hmm,¡± I agreed, nodding. Just then the waiter came for our orders, breaking the train of discussion.


    ¡°So Emmy¡¯s recording with her band in New York, and you¡¯re here working. It sounds like a raw deal,¡± Jenna said.


    ¡°Yeah, but I have class at UCLA, and although I can do a lot of my work from home, a lot of it still involves being there in person, so I couldn¡¯t really fuck off to New York for a few weeks. Emmy, though, she and the boys have been really frustrated with their working conditions here, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I bet they can¡¯t wait until your new house and studio get finished,¡± Andy commented.


    ¡°Well, they went to New York because they couldn¡¯t wait,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°But yeah, it¡¯s gonna be like heaven for the three of ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Is, um, Jen there in New York, too?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. ¡°I guess I should find out, and if she isn¡¯t, maybe invite her for a night out or something. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she stayed here. I mean, she does have a job here, after all.¡±


    The waiter arrived with our dinners, and we set into our food. After a few minutes, Jenna finally returned to the subject that was clearly still on her mind.


    ¡°Um, you said that you hoped Angela and Emmy were having a lot of sex,¡± she said. ¡°What did you mean? I mean, why?¡±


    ¡°Two- no, three reasons. First, I want this thing, um, our situation, I mean, to be a real equal three way thing. It seemed, before they left, that Emmy was my lover, and Angela was my lover, but the two weren¡¯t as, um, focused on each other, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°O.K¡­.¡± Jenna said. Andy was paying attention, but keeping quiet. ¡°I think I understand what you mean. You want them to have this time to bond more, just the two of ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Reason number two?¡±


    ¡°I guess two and three are sort of the same reason,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°Emmy has never had anybody else. I¡¯m the only one up until now she¡¯d ever had sex with, right? So if she and Angela develop their own relationship, and figure out what each other likes as far as sex and intimacy are concerned, it¡¯ll open up her, um, confidence? Her range of experience? I¡¯m not sure how to phrase it,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°That¡­ makes sense,¡± Jenna said. ¡°I know a lot of people who get married young tend to wonder. The whole ¡®other side of the fence¡¯ thing.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, um, you and Chris, back in high school?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Yep. And me and Stephanie Houk, after senior year,¡± I said.


    ¡°No way!¡± Andy said, his eyes wide. ¡°Stephanie, the cheerleader Stephanie? I mean, I know you guys were friends there after Emmy left, but really?¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± I said.


    ¡°Dude, that¡¯s hot,¡± he said, then noticed Jenna¡¯s annoyed look. ¡°Stephanie was, like, the hottest girl in school until Emmy showed up. I guess that explains why Jonny used to complain that she just wasn¡¯t, um¡­¡±


    ¡°Putting out?¡± Jenna demanded, getting more irritated.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna put it like that, but, um, yeah,¡± he answered, looking as if he expected to get yelled at.


    ¡°Yeah, she told me she just wasn¡¯t into Jonny,¡± I said, trying to rescue Andy from his fianc¨¦e¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°So, putting this Stephanie aside,¡± Jenna said, returning her attention to me. ¡°The third reason?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s really the same as the second reason, but for Angela. This is her first relationship with another woman, right? She¡¯s, well, unsure of what she¡¯s doing, and worried that she¡¯s getting it wrong. The times we¡¯ve had sex-¡±


    ¡°Jesus, now that¡¯s an image. You, a full on Amazon. Her, a fitness bikini model. The two of you in bed must be like an ancient Greek wrestling match or something!¡± Jenna said, which made me laugh. Andy, seeing I was laughing, felt free to join in.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t been thinking about that, but now that image is stuck in my head,¡± he said.


    ¡°I hate to burst your bubble, but when we have sex it tends to be really tender, and, well, gentle,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nope! Bubble not burst!¡± Jenna said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna keep imagining the two of you, all hot and sweaty, trying to pin each other down on the mattress.¡±


    Andy, wisely, kept his mouth shut.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Well, anyway, like I said about Emmy, Angela needs to, um, find her way around down there, and having more than one partner will help her in that regard.¡±


    ¡°What, you mean she¡¯ll get better at rug munching?¡± Jenna asked, while Andy turned more and more red.


    ¡°No, she won¡¯t get any practice at that,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy is as smooth as an eight ball. No rug at all.¡±


    ¡°So the only rug she gets to munch is yours?¡± Jenna demanded.


    ¡°No, no rug here, either,¡± I said, thoroughly enjoying the stricken look on Andy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hey, how about them Padres?¡± Andy said, trying to turn the conversation to anything else at all, even baseball.


    Showing mercy on the poor guy, I said, ¡°If they win tomorrow, they¡¯ll sweep the D Backs. The way the season has been going, any win is a precious thing.¡±


    ¡°No joke,¡± Andy said. ¡°The post season vanished a long time ago.¡±


    Jenna sat back, her mission accomplished for the moment. We talked about the upcoming Rams game, and the house that the two had bought from me, and my work, and so on, steering away from embarrassing topics.


    Before we all went home, I told them that next week I¡¯d make dinner at my house. ¡°This was nice,¡± I said, indicating the remains of the lemon roasted chicken on my plate, ¡°But it¡¯s nicer having you guys over for dinner.¡±


    Back at the empty condo I did some work on my laptop for a while before settling into bed to sleep. Chuckling about Jenna¡¯s imagery of Angela and me wrestling naked, I fell asleep with images of what Emmy and Angela might be doing in bed.

 Cant Stay Away

    At work on Friday morning I realized that my schedule for the afternoon was open, and I had nothing on my calendar until Monday afternoon. Seizing the opportunity, I booked a round trip flight for New York for the weekend. Bolting out of the office at lunchtime, I hustled home, grabbed what I¡¯d need, and made it to the Burbank airport with minutes to spare.


    I hadn¡¯t told anyone I¡¯d be flying in- I wanted it to be a surprise. Sure, I was only going for three nights, but ten hours in a plane was a small price to pay for a weekend with Emmy and Angela. It wasn¡¯t as if the ten hours were really lost, either- I had my laptop with me on the plane and had no distractions keeping me from plowing through my workload.


    Landing at Teterboro, I was a bit dismayed by the weather. I hadn¡¯t packed a raincoat, and it was absolutely dumping down outside the hangar.


    Figuring there was nothing to do but get wet, I made a dash for the car when my Uber arrived.


    ¡°How about this weather?¡± Asked the driver as we left the airport. ¡°Just came outta nowhere this afternoon. One minute it was beautiful, then cats and dogs the next.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even pack a raincoat, either,¡± I said. ¡°Or an umbrella.¡±


    ¡°How far you gotta walk when I drop you off?¡±


    ¡°Maybe twenty feet if you pull up right in front,¡± I answered, amazed at the amount of rain hammering the car¡¯s roof and windshield.


    ¡°That¡¯s not so bad then,¡± the driver said. ¡°Coming home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, not really wanting to get into the details.


    ¡°Well, welcome back to the greatest city in the world. The city that never sleeps. It might be the city that doesn¡¯t go out tonight, though¡­¡± he said, turning the defogger up higher to keep the windshield clear.


    After a few minutes, he asked, ¡°Where you fly in from?¡±


    ¡°Los Angeles,¡± I said, looking out the window at the sidewalks devoid of pedestrians. ¡°The weather was nicer there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bet it was,¡± the driver admitted. ¡°Seventy-five degrees and sunny, right?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah,¡± I said.


    ¡°I gotta get out there some day,¡± the driver said, a wistful note to his voice. ¡°I ain¡¯t never been.¡±


    ¡°You know what?¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I mean, it¡¯s exactly like here. Except, well, completely different.¡±


    Laughing, the driver pulled up in front of the townhouse. ¡°This the place?¡± he asked, checking to make sure.


    ¡°This is it. Home, sweet home.¡±


    ¡°Nice place,¡± the driver said. ¡°Have a good night, alright?¡±


    ¡°You, too. Drive safely,¡± I said as I stepped out of the car, then dashed to the shelter of the front door¡¯s little awning. I¡¯d readied the key as we¡¯d gotten close, so it only took me a moment to slip inside and shut the door behind me. As I took a moment to let the water drip off me in the entryway, the inner door opened.


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Mia demanded. ¡°I ran all the way up here and it was you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong,¡± Mia said, taking my overnight bag. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you, but when the front door alarm went off I just about jumped out of my skin. I wasn¡¯t expecting anybody. You could have told me you were coming. Hell, why didn¡¯t you let Wally know so he could pick you up?¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°I wanted it to be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Well, it surprised me,¡± Mia said. ¡°Are you hungry? You missed dinner, but there are probably leftovers in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a bit later. I want to say hello to Emmy first.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s up in the studio. They were talking about going out tonight, but then when the weather turned, they decided to bag it,¡± Mia explained.


    ¡°Angela?¡±


    ¡°She might be in the studio, or maybe in your bedroom. Sometimes she hangs in the library or the parlor, but I don¡¯t see her here now,¡± Mia said, peeking in the library as we stood in the foyer, waiting for the elevator. I would have just walked upstairs, but since Mia was carrying my bag and I didn¡¯t want to make her climb two flights with her bad leg, the elevator it was.


    ¡°Alright, I guess I¡¯ll find her where I find her,¡± I said as I closed the gate behind us and punched the button for the third floor. Then, a moment later, I said, ¡°Wow! The elevator guys must have been here. This isn¡¯t nearly as frightening a ride as it used to be!¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Mia agreed. ¡°It took them three whole days of fucking around, but it¡¯s so nice and smooth and quiet now you can hardly even tell it¡¯s moving. I think it¡¯s slower now, though.¡±


    The bedroom door was closed, and I would have just barged right in, but Mia knocked first. Getting no reply, she opened the door and set my bag down inside.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said as Mia turned to go. ¡°Let¡¯s get caught up on the security situation in the morning, alright?¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± Mia said as she left.


    Slipping out of my wet work clothes, I wandered into the bathroom to take a quick shower to warm up, only to find Angela soaking in the tub, idly scrolling through social media on her iPhone.


    Startled, she sat up, only to realize it was me.


    ¡°You gave me a heart attack!¡± she complained.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you, too, babe,¡± I said as I leaned down for a kiss. ¡°Is there room in there for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Angela said, doubtfully. ¡°Maybe on top?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good with that,¡± I said as I lowered myself into the tub, straddling Angela¡¯s overly toned legs. Laying my upper body across hers, I said, ¡°Very good with that.¡±


    We kissed for a while, just enjoying getting reconnected.


    ¡°Emmy never told me you were coming,¡± Angela said as we paused for a moment, her voice husky.


    ¡°I never told her I was,¡± I replied, laying my head on her chest and slipping my arms around her middle. ¡°It was a spur of the moment thing. I just decided this morning.¡±


    ¡°How long are you staying?¡± Angela asked as she gently stroked my hair.


    ¡°Only until Monday morning.¡±


    ¡°I wish it could be longer,¡± she said, kissing the top of my head. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you. Emmy¡¯s missed you. It just isn¡¯t the same without you.¡±


    ¡°More room in the bed, though,¡± I said.


    ¡°Too much room in the bed,¡± Angela countered. ¡°The bed is too big without our giant cuddle buddy.¡±


    We lay like that for a while, not speaking. The feel of Angela¡¯s heartbeat and the rising and falling of her chest lulled me into a sort of pleasant drowsiness. It would have been easy to simply drift off into sleep like that, but eventually I did sit up, breaking the mood.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°What have you been doing with your time while Emmy and the boys are in the studio?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, they sleep in ¡¯til noon most days, so I get up and use the gym in the mornings. After we all have lunch, sometimes I go out shopping in the afternoons with Jen. Sometimes I take a siesta, or work on my socials. We have dinner around eight most nights, and sometimes I¡¯ll watch them in the studio, or read by the fireplace with a nice fire going¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been making Emmy come to bed at a reasonable time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how reasonable midnight is,¡± Angela said. Then, remembering something, she asked, ¡°You told me to ask her why¡¯s she stays up so late and has a hard time getting up in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Angela said, her eyes wide. ¡°She told me all about the Night Children, and how they¡¯ve hidden for all this time.¡±


    ¡°What did you think?¡±


    ¡°I thought she was trying to fool me, you know? But she proved it to me. She can see in the dark!¡± Angela said, her face showing her amazement.


    ¡°Yeah, she can,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s all true.¡±


    ¡°So she told me that her people naturally sleep during the day and are awake at night, like, um, jungle cats or something,¡± Angela said. ¡°That¡¯s why she has a hard time waking up in the morning.¡±


    ¡°She used to be better about it, but the last few years she hasn¡¯t had any reason to get up early,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m really happy you¡¯re keeping her from staying up all night.¡±


    The water was turning cold by this time, so we got out and made a fun little game of drying each other off before getting dressed. I threw on some casual clothes, just a pair of jeans and a pullover sweater, not even bothering with shoes.


    Angela looked adorable in the oversized (for her) Stanford Volleyball team hoodie and loose shorts that didn¡¯t even hang below the hem of the sweatshirt.


    ¡°My hoodie looks good on you,¡± I said, thinking of the photo I had of her in that exact outfit.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your hoodie any more. It¡¯s mine now,¡± Angela said with pride.


    Laughing, I swept her into my arms and kissed her, my hand sliding up the back of her thigh and onto the bare skin of her firm butt.


    ¡°I guess it is,¡± I agreed.


    Hand in hand, we left the bedroom and went in search of Emmy. As predicted, the red ¡®Recording¡¯ light was on above the studio door, so we slipped into the adjoining producer¡¯s booth where Lee was fussing with the controls of the mixing board as Emmy and Jackson played guitars in the adjoining space.


    With his headphones on, Lee was unaware we were even there until Emmy glanced up and saw us through the glass.


    ¡°Leah!¡± Emmy squealed with delight, pulling off her own headphones and setting down her guitar. We slammed into each other in the hallway as we met each other halfway, kissing and hugging and laughing.


    ¡°I did not know you were coming!¡± Emmy exclaimed. ¡°I am so happy to see you! I have missed you terribly!¡±


    ¡°I just decided this morning to come to New York,¡± I said when I had a chance to get a word in.


    ¡°How long can you stay?¡±


    ¡°My flight back is on Monday morning, early,¡± I replied, setting her back down on her feet.


    ¡°I wish you could stay for longer,¡± Emmy said with a pout.


    ¡°I do, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Emmy said. Ducking her head into the production room, she told Lee (and Jackson, through the intercom) that she was done for the night. ¡°I am sorry, but I have not seen Leah for over a week, and I need to spend some time with her.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Lee replied. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll go out tonight after all.¡±


    ¡°Have fun!¡± Emmy chirped as she stepped out into the hallway to join Angela and me.


    ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°No, and yes,¡± I said. ¡°I heard there might be leftovers?¡±


    ¡°Luisa made stuffed peppers. They were very good,¡± Emmy said, taking my hand and pulling me towards the elevator. Once inside and on our way down, Emmy asked Angela, ¡°Did you tell Leah about¡­?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± Angela said, shyly. ¡°It¡¯s yours- you should show it to her.¡±


    ¡°I will do that,¡± Emmy agreed.


    Curious, but unwilling to give Emmy the satisfaction of me asking what she was talking about, I let it slide.


    In the kitchen, Angela grabbed the leftovers from one of the big fridges and served a plateful, then topped it with tin foil and slid it into the oven, setting the timer as she did so.


    Emmy took out a bottle of sparkling water and poured three glasses, setting one down for Angela and two in front of me. This puzzled me until Emmy parked her butt on my lap, so the two of us occupied only one chair.


    Nuzzling her face into the side of my neck, she murmured, ¡°I am so very happy you are here, Leah. The bed feels too empty without you.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯ve had Angela to cuddle,¡± I said.


    ¡°I want you both,¡± Emmy said, kissing under my ear. ¡°Is that too much to ask?¡±


    While I was eating my late dinner, Lee, Jen and Jackson found us to say that they were headed out and would see us in the morning. After they left, Emmy got a pensive look on her face.


    ¡°Leah, Jen and the boys will be gone for a few hours at least. Luisa is visiting her mother tonight, so she is gone, also. Mia keeps to her room or the security office at nights, so we have the house to ourselves. How about we go to the parlor and have some drinks by the fire? Angela and I have some things to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sounds good,¡± I said, wondering what they wanted to talk about that Emmy didn¡¯t feel she could mention there at the kitchen table.


    After I ate, Angela and I went to the parlor, while Emmy went upstairs to change into something ¡®more suitable¡¯, whatever that meant.


    I mixed a Manhattan for Angela and an Old Fashioned for myself. While I was doing that, Angela got the fire started. At some point in the distant past all the fireplaces had been converted to gas, but with our recent remodel we¡¯d upgraded the plumbing and installed realistic fake logs, making for a believable effect.


    Just as I handed Angela her drink, Emmy breezed in, now wearing long pajama bottoms and a fleecy top. ¡°Could you pour me some wine, please?¡± she asked as she settled down into the big, overstuffed couch facing the fireplace.


    I found an opened bottle of Chablis in the wine fridge and held it up for her approval. Getting a nod, I poured her a glass, then joined her on the couch, setting the glasses down on the coffee table. Angela, satisfied the fire was going correctly, set her drink down by ours, then lay down across our laps on the couch.


    ¡°Well, O.K., then,¡± I said, amused.


    ¡°I am so glad that you came to New York, Leah,¡± Emmy said, pulling Angela¡¯s legs into a better position on her lap. ¡°I am happy that you are here.¡±


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Angela agreed, looking up at me from where she lay. ¡°Thanks for being here,¡± she agreed as she wriggled herself into a more comfy spot and took my left hand in hers. She kissed my palm, then held my hand to the side of her face. Prompted, I gently caressed her cheek, then ran my fingertips along the curve of her ear, eliciting a satisfied sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy I¡¯m here, too,¡± I said, leaning over to kiss Emmy. ¡°This? Right here, right now, this is the best thing in the world.¡±


    ¡°It is, now that you are here,¡± Emmy said, snuggling up to my side. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and the three of us just stayed like that, cuddled up on the couch, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the sound of the rain on the windows of the adjoining sunroom.


    ¡°Can it be like this forever?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Nothing can be forever,¡± Emmy replied softly, stroking Angela¡¯s bare legs. ¡°So we must enjoy it as much as we can, as long as we can.¡±


    Understanding that Emmy meant that for me, I kissed her forehead. ¡°It will never be enough.¡±


    ¡°No, it can never be enough,¡± Emmy agreed, and I could se her eyes were moist with incipient tears, matching my own.


    Wanting to change the subject, I asked, ¡°What was it you wanted to talk about?¡±


    Emmy quickly wiped her eyes and gave me a grateful smile. ¡°Angela and I have had plenty of time to talk-¡±


    ¡°And have sex,¡± Angela added.


    ¡°And we have had plenty of time to make love, too,¡± Emmy continued. ¡°And we have discovered some things about ourselves. Things we might not have realized, or taken much longer to realize, Leah, if you had been around.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t bad,¡± Angela said, taking my hand in hers again.


    ¡°No, it is not bad,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°It is good, I think, for all three of us. I think that what Angela and I have discovered about ourselves will help strengthen our relationship, our love for each other.¡±


    I¡¯d be lying if I were to say that alarm bells weren¡¯t ringing in my ears, but I kept quiet, giving the two room to say what they wanted.


    ¡°For one thing, I have discovered that I definitely like strong, fit women,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I had thought that I simply loved and adored you, so my infatuation with your muscles was a reflection of my love for you. But now that I have had a chance to explore Angela¡¯s physique, I have come to realize that the feel of a washboard stomach, or strong, hard shoulders, legs made of iron¡­ These things excite me. Of course, you and Angela are not built alike, but still¡­ I want to feel those strong legs wrapped around me, those strong arms holding me tight.¡±


    Chuckling, I gave her a squeeze against my side. ¡°And here I thought you loved me for my girlish charm.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And your Amazon build.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit, I¡¯ve come to realize that I have a type, too,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that soft, curvy women can¡¯t be attractive, but I tend to like lean, firm butts and elegant dancer¡¯s legs.¡±


    ¡°Is it my turn?¡± Angela asked, looking at Emmy. When Emmy nodded she was ready to hand over the metaphorical microphone, Angela spoke up. ¡°I know it¡¯s fast, and we haven¡¯t known each other for very long, but I am very, very in love with both of you, and having the two of you, both so different, but both of you caring for me in your two different ways- it¡¯s so much more than I could ever get with just one person. I want this. I want this so much I can¡¯t even say. I want Emmy, so bad it hurts when I think about it. And I want you, too. I want your arms around me, your kisses on my neck. I want to ride in your car. I want to listen to Emmy sing. I want¡­¡± she said, trailing off to kiss my hand again. ¡°I want this to work for the three of us, and I will do anything I can to make the two of you as happy as you make me.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, stroking her cheek again. ¡°It has been fast, that¡¯s true. I did have my doubts at first, too. I didn¡¯t see how this was going to work. I¡¯m still a little worried that feelings might get hurt somehow, but so far, that hasn¡¯t happened.¡± I turned to look at Emmy. ¡°When I was in San Jose, I realized that I missed sleeping with both of you. I wanted to feel you both in bed with me. Em, I missed your laugh, your smile. But I also missed Ange¡¯s smile, too. I think this can work, if we want it badly enough.¡±


    ¡°You were not jealous that I was here with Angela?¡±


    ¡°No. I wished I was here with both of you, but I didn¡¯t resent either of you being with the other while I was alone.¡±


    ¡°I hated leaving you alone,¡± Angela said. ¡°I felt really guilty about coming to New York with Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m happy Emmy had you here to keep her company, since I couldn¡¯t be here. Stay here with Em when I go back to LA. She needs you here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I confirmed. ¡°But I do really like the video calls¡­¡±

 Not A Chapter- An Apology

    I''m sorry I''ve slipped off the planned update schedule. I''ve been working non-stop, every day, ten or more hours to get this particular project here in the Caribbean finished.


    Hell, my hotel is a block from the ocean and I haven''t been to the beach even once yet.


    I''ve been plugging away, and have had no energy or time to do any writing. I''ve tried to snatch a few minutes in the morning before work, or an hour after dinner, but so far I''ve only managed a few paragraphs.


    I have my fingers crossed that I''ll wrap everything up on Monday and have Tuesday free before my fourteen hour journey bak home on Wednesday.


    That might mean I''ll get a chance to write some the day after tomorrow, if I''m not too tired and wiped out by then.


    Anyhow, I''m sorry for the delay, but I simply haven''t managed to write anything since I left California.


    Since RR requires a minimum of 500 words for a chapter post, here''s an excerpt from a previous chapter:


    ¡°Um, anyway,¡± Luisa said, ¡°I¡¯ve got some stuff for you guys to look at. Some of my art, I mean, if you have a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°I can take a break,¡± I said. ¡°Em?¡±


    ¡°I can, too,¡± she agreed. ¡°Let us see what you have to show us, Luisa. I am very looking forward to seeing it.¡±


    Following Luisa upstairs, it occurred to me that she was wearing a uniform of a sort- it certainly wasn¡¯t just normal casual wear. She had on a pair of dark pants, a white button-front shirt and a vest that matched the pants- almost like two out of the three pieces of a suit.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    I didn¡¯t comment on it, just filing it away as maybe what she thought was appropriate work attire for her new job.


    She had set up the spare apartment as a sort of gallery, with maybe a dozen canvasses leaning against the walls, and a big portfolio binder on the little kitchen table. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d expected as far as Luisa¡¯s art was concerned, but this was definitely not it. The paintings were really old-fashioned in the sense that they were realistic portraits- not photo realistic, but not far off. They were very detailed, and the lighting and shadows were perfect examples of what Mrs Rubias in high school would have called chiaroscuro.


    ¡°Wow- these are amazing,¡± I said, looking around.


    ¡°You are very talented, Luisa,¡± agreed Emmy.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Luisa said, self-consciously.


    ¡°Have you displayed your works in any galleries?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Nobody is interested in this kind of thing these days,¡± Luisa sighed. ¡°This type of painting is so out of fashion nobody wants to touch it with a ten foot pole. I¡¯ve done a handful of commissioned pieces, and sold a few others at art fairs, but really, I just mostly do it for myself, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Emmy asked me.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing. The detail work is incredible.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I meant, but I do agree with you. I meant about posing.¡±


    ¡°Um, Luisa, I don¡¯t see any figure studies, much less nudes,¡± I said, looking around.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only done a couple of nudes,¡± she admitted. ¡°And those got sold. I do have some photos I took of the pieces, though,¡± she said, opening up the binder.


    Emmy and I leafed through the binder, which was mostly pencil sketches with a few pen and ink drawings. At the back were photos of all of Luisa¡¯s completed works, including a fair number that weren¡¯t on display in that room.


    The three nude figure studies were all of men, and two of them were posed in ¡®implied nude¡¯ poses, such that no goodies were on display. The third, which was full frontal, had the figure¡¯s arm blocking the view of the guy¡¯s face, so the model¡¯s identity was hidden.


    ¡°I would not like that,¡± Emmy said, looking at the three laid out on the table. ¡°I would want to see Leah¡¯s face, and not have anything be hidden.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, that¡¯s up to the model, you know?¡± Luisa protested.


    ¡°I will commission you to paint Leah,¡± Emmy announced. ¡°But I get to choose the pose.¡±


    ¡°Um, O.K.,¡± Luisa said.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t I get a say in this?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°No,¡± Emmy replied, with a smug look on her face. ¡°This is my present to me,¡± leaving me with a sinking feeling that I was going to be experiencing maybe more than just a tiny bit of mortification.

 Discussions For Later

    We stayed there on the couch for a while, enjoying the simple pleasures of the warmth of the fire, the sound of the rain, and the comforting presence of loved ones. I was still amazed by how things were going with the the ¡®household of three¡¯, but the feel of Emmy leaning against my side and Angela draped across our laps, both practically purring with pleasure, reinforced the feeling that this was going to work out just fine.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Angela said, breaking me out of my reverie. ¡°Are you sure you have to go back to LA on Monday? I wish you could just stay here with us.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I really do have to get back. I have a couple of meetings on Monday that I just can¡¯t skip.¡±


    ¡°We will have to make the most of this weekend, then,¡± Emmy said, snuggling up against me even more than she had already been. ¡°I will tell the boys that I am going to take the weekend off from recording so that I can spend the time with you. I am certain they will understand.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be great,¡± I said, squeezing her against my side.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here now,¡± Angela said, as she lifted up the hem of my sweater and kissed my tummy. Tucking her head under the pullover, Angela said, ¡°I¡¯m just gonna stay here for a while.¡±


    Laughing, I patted her head as if it were my pregnant belly. When I leaned forward to grab my drink from the coffee table, I felt Angela place a little kiss on the underside of my boob.


    ¡°Enjoying it down there?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°Very much,¡± came the muffled reply.


    ¡°This is perfect,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°Completely perfect.¡±


    As perfect as it was, eventually our cuddle session by the fire had to end so we could go to bed. Angela had drifted off, comfy as she was on our laps, but Emmy and I needed to lie down, too. We roused Angela and the three of us made our way upstairs and to what I was now thinking of as ¡®our bedroom¡¯. Before we entered, though, Emmy stepped behind me and put her hands over my eyes.


    ¡°You must not look until I say it is O.K. to do so,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°You know I¡¯ve already been in the bedroom today, right?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she saw it,¡± Angela said, apparently speaking to Emmy. ¡°At least, she didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°See what?¡± I asked as Angela took my hand and led me into the bedroom, Emmy¡¯s hands still covering my eyes.


    Emmy turned me to face a particular way once we¡¯d entered fully into the room, then removed her hands.


    I¡¯m not sure how I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but hanging above the mantelpiece was an ornate gold-leafed frame holding a good-sized canvas. A painting of me, in all my glory.


    ¡°It is beautiful!¡± Emmy exclaimed, wrapping me in a big hug. ¡°But of course it is- it is a perfect image of you!¡±


    I stood there, staring at the painting, still at a loss as to how I¡¯d not seen it in my earlier passes through the room. The painting had to be over three feet tall, and nearly as wide. I took up most, but not all, of the canvas. The background, I was surprised to see, wasn¡¯t the East River and Long Island City in the distance, but rather a dark room, the details hard to make out. The pose that had been so uncomfortable did, in fact, look natural in the painting, and the dramatic shadows Luisa had painted both highlighted and obscured my body at the same time. All in all, it was sexy and sensual, but also made me look strong yet still feminine. Sure, I was nude in the painting, but I didn¡¯t look embarrassed or ashamed in any way. In fact, I looked proud, confident in my bare skin.


    The most immediately striking aspect of the whole thing, though, was the piercing gaze in the painted Leah¡¯s eyes. She looked as if she were staring straight into the depths of my soul, peeling, me, the viewer, completely to the core.


    ¡°That painting is so incredible,¡± Angela said, looking at it with me. ¡°The eyes- Luisa got ¡®em so right¡­¡±


    ¡°Do I really look like that?¡± I asked, stunned.


    ¡°Luisa captured your essence perfectly,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°She saw you as you truly are, my love. When I close my eyes and picture you in my mind, this is how you look.¡±


    ¡°That painting makes me look, I dunno, scary, I guess,¡± I said, still staring at it.


    ¡°You are scary,¡± Angela said. ¡°You¡¯re just about the scariest person I¡¯ve ever known, in some ways. And I¡¯m from Colombia,¡± she added.


    ¡°It is true,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°You are¡­ Not scary, but intimidating. Yes, that is the correct word. Intimidating. When you- when you focus your attention on someone, they know it.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± was all I could say in response.


    ¡°But it¡¯s part of why you¡¯re so sexy,¡± Angela said. ¡°You give off this, um, aura of danger. It¡¯s like the panther at the zoo. She looks so beautiful, so sleek. You look at her, and think that it would be amazing to cuddle up with that giant kitty cat, but you can tell that she can kill you in an instant if she wanted.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what you find sexy about me?¡± I asked, flabbergasted.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Angela and Emmy answered together.


    ¡°It is true,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You are like a beautiful jungle cat, terribly beautiful, and terribly frightening at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Which am I right now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Terribly beautiful,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°And I want to cuddle up with you.¡±


    ¡°I might bite,¡± I warned.


    ¡°I do hope so,¡± Emmy said with a sexy little smile.


    I felt a little odd with painted Leah watching me as I undressed, as silly as that sounds, and still couldn¡¯t understand how I¡¯d missed the big painting hanging in a place of prominence in the room. I tried to ignore it, but still, I faced away when I stripped off my underwear.


    Angela and Emmy snuggled up on either side of me in bed, both wanting to hold me close. I was O.K. with that- I wanted to hold both of them, too, so it was a win for everybody. Angela fell back asleep fairly quickly, but Emmy, used to her night owl schedule, stayed awake for a while.


    ¡°Is Angela sleeping?¡± Emmy whispered.


    ¡°I think so,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°I am very happy that you are here, Leah, very happy. Very happy, also, that you are O.K. with our m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois. I was very concerned that you might be¡­ resentful that I was with Angela, and I do not want her to ever be a wedge between the two of us.¡±


    ¡°No, Em, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m happy that you have somebody when I can¡¯t be with you, and when the three of us are together, well, it¡¯s good then, too. Are you O.K. with me being with Angela when you aren¡¯t around?¡±


    ¡°Very much so,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I want you to have somebody when¡­ when I cannot be with you.¡±


    Not knowing how to respond to that, I kept quiet and let Emmy continue.


    ¡°Have you come to love Angela?¡± Emmy asked, her voice still so low I could barely hear her.


    ¡°I think I have, yes,¡± I admitted. ¡°She¡¯s super sweet.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°I have, too. Angela is a pleasure to be with- spending time with her is relaxing and enjoyable. I have come to feel that her emotions are true, and she does love us as well,¡± Emmy whispered.


    ¡°I think so, too. She¡¯s a lovely girl, and I think that she makes a good addition to the family.¡±


    ¡°I love you so much, Leah. I want you to be happy forever, even when I cannot be the one who it is that makes you happy.¡±


    At this point it was obvious what Emmy was hinting at, if not saying outright. Emmy¡¯s Moon Kissed life was likely to be much shorter than mine, and she was laying the foundations for a life for me after she was gone.


    ¡°Em, we really need to figure out- to find the right doctors¡­¡± I replied, keeping my voice as quiet as I could and still make my point.


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°We must talk about this later, when we have some time and can speak freely. Not now.¡± With that, Emmy once again slammed the door on a conversation we really needed to have.


    We fell silent, retreating into our own thoughts. Before long, Emmy¡¯s breathing became slow and steady as she drifted off, but I couldn¡¯t turn off my brain quite so easily. It was a long time before I joined Emmy and Angela in slumber.


    Angela woke up early, unintentionally waking me as she slipped as silently as she could out of bed. I followed her into the walk-in closet to get dressed for my morning run.


    ¡°What were you guys talking about last night?¡± Angela asked. ¡°It seems like you were up for a while.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we were talking about you,¡± I replied as we both dressed for our respective morning workouts. ¡°We talked about how we both hope that you felt the way we do and want to be in this family for the long haul.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Angela asked, her face lighting up. ¡°You guys want me, like, this is a permanent thing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we do. We want you with us forever, if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°I do. I really do,¡± Angela replied, positively glowing with pleasure at the idea.


    ¡°As much as I hate to say it, but the three of us need to have a good, long, serious talk sometime soon. There are some things we need to tell you, and our various positions to sort out. I want us all to start from a place of honesty and understanding,¡± I said.


    ¡°You sound so serious!¡± Angela said as she turned so I could straighten the multiple little criss-crossing straps of her sports bra. ¡°All I really need to know is that you guys want me as much as I want you two.¡±


    ¡°I wish it really was that simple,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°It is,¡± Angela said, far more sure than I was.


    That morning I opted to run through Central Park rather than Roosevelt Island. In some ways it was a refreshing change, but since I was getting a later start than usual it was a lot more crowded than my usual route. This made it harder for me to slip into my typical meditative groove, at least until I got to the South Gate of the park and away from Manhattan¡¯s crowded sidewalks. In the more open footpaths and roads of the park I could open up my stride.


    I was running south past the reservoir on my return leg when a voice called out from behind.


    ¡°Hey, girl! What¡¯re you doing here in New York?¡±


    I glanced over my shoulder and saw a familiar face on the cyclist catching up to me.


    ¡°Kerry! Long time no see!¡±


    As my old college teammate matched my speed she reached out and we fist bumped our greetings.


    ¡°Damn! Look at you! When did you get so- so buff?¡± Kerry asked.


    ¡°College, Ker. I got this buff in college.¡±


    ¡°I saw you guys won the Nationals two years ago. Good job!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, after we got rid of the deadwood, it was an easy cruise,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Kerry replied. ¡°See what I get for taking you under my wing?¡±


    Laughing, we continued along in companionable silence for a while.


    ¡°So, seriously, what are you doing here in New York? Last I heard you and Emmy were gonna move to Los Angeles after graduation,¡± Kerry said. ¡°And also, why are we goin¡¯ so damned fast? When did you join the track team, anyhow?¡±


    ¡°Sammy talked me into running sophomore year, and I just kinda took to it, you know? I¡¯ve gotten to like the feel, too,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Quit avoidin¡¯ the question. Why are you here in Central Park, running like some kind of¡­ Ethiopian marathoner or something, on some random Saturday morning?¡± Kerry demanded.


    ¡°Emmy and I bought a place here,¡± I said. ¡°She and her band are recording their next album here in New York.¡±


    ¡°You guys bought a place. Let me guess- it¡¯s some sort of Park Avenue penthouse or something.¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s a pre-war townhouse near the UN. But close enough. What are you doing here in New York? Last I heard, you were in the graduate program at UNC?¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Kerry groaned. ¡°I¡¯m interning at Bellevue. I swore I was never coming back to New York, but here I am. At least I¡¯m in Manhattan, though.¡±


    We were approaching the south end of the park, so I asked Kerry, ¡°Which way are you going? This is my exit coming up.¡±


    ¡°I gotta do a couple more laps,¡± Kerry replied. ¡°You still have the same phone number? I¡¯ll call you- we could grab a bite and catch up,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°I go back to LA Monday morning, so call me this afternoon!¡± I said as I waved goodbye.


    Mia was sitting at the kitchen table reading the Times when I stopped in for a drink and a light breakfast.


    ¡°Hey, tall, blonde and sweaty,¡± she said as I grabbed the pitcher of OJ from the main fridge. ¡°Got a minute?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡±I said, pouring myself a glass. I held the pitcher up in an unspoken question, but Mia shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to cut back,¡± she joked.


    Once I¡¯d loaded a plate with a couple of croissants I sat down opposite Mia so we could talk.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve been talking to my dad,¡± Mia began. ¡°He told me what happened in Chicago.¡±


    ¡°What, exactly, did he say?¡±


    ¡°He told me about the fight, and how it went down. He also told me about this Boss character and how he¡¯s just vanished.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, taking a bite of my pastry. ¡°Sounds as if you¡¯re all caught up.¡±


    ¡°He mentioned something sorta offhandedly that I thought was interesting,¡± Mia said. ¡°He told me that the locals there are even more terrified of you than they were of The Boss.¡±


    Nearly choking on my croissant, I took a sip of juice to wash it down. ¡°He said what?¡±


    ¡°He said that word got out that you killed six of The Boss¡¯s heavies without even breaking a sweat. He said that everybody there thinks you¡¯re, well, you kick ass and don¡¯t bother with names.¡±


    ¡°Six guys? All by myself?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Dad said. You actually do that?¡± Mia asked.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what happened at all,¡± I told Mia.


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t kill six guys in hand to hand combat in a dark warehouse in Chicago¡¯s South Side?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°Only four. Your dad got one, and the others got the rest.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re a pussy and only killed four guys in knife fights? Not six after all?¡±


    ¡°Sad but true,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I only actually knifed two of ¡®em. The other two I kicked to death.¡±


    ¡°JFC, Leah. That¡¯s next level shit, you know that? I know hardened fucking Special Ops guys that could never lay claim to something like that. And you¡¯re so, well, casual about it. It¡¯s like¡­¡± Mia trailed off, at a loss for words. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s no wonder everyone is terrified of you. Luisa told me about the night you guys went out and you took out that mugger as cool as a cucumber, like it was no big deal. I figured she was just exaggerating, you know? But then my dad says you faced off and almost single-handedly wiped out a bunch of Night Children bad guys in an unlit warehouse in the middle of the night and never flinched once.¡±


    I shrugged and said, ¡°We all have our failings.¡±


    Mia gave me a long stare, finally saying, ¡°She¡¯s a stone cold killer, but at least she¡¯s our stone cold killer.¡±


    After finishing my first croissant, I asked, ¡°So what¡¯s going on with our mystery night visitors?¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯ve been stopping by about every week and a half, and it¡¯s always the same. Guy number one and a rotating cast of helpers. I did what we talked about and covertly installed a series of wireless cameras down the street to see if I can figure out where they come from and where they¡¯re going back to. I¡¯ve managed to track them to the subway entrance at Lexington and 53rd, but every camera I place inside the station gets removed before too long.¡±


    ¡°Do the visitors follow a regular enough schedule to place a camera right before they come through?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I wish,¡± Mia said, with an exasperated look on her face. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s roughly every week and a half, but plus or minus three or four days. I suppose I could just get lucky, but that¡¯s what it would be- dumb luck.¡±


    I took a moment to think about it, finally saying, ¡°Let me see what I can do. Sometimes money solves problems.¡±


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Mia asked, curious.


    ¡°Not sure yet,¡± I admitted. ¡°Maybe hiring somebody to hack into the transit authority video network? Maybe super high tech spy cameras that the transit authorities won¡¯t find? Heck, maybe something low tech like having my best guy follow the two of them. I¡¯m open to ideas.¡±


    ¡°Any one of those ideas might work, alright,¡± Mia admitted. ¡°I was thinking about ways I could slip a GPS tag in their pockets or something.¡±


    ¡°How would you do that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of a way,¡± replied Mia. ¡°But I haven¡¯t totally given up on the idea, either.¡±


    We sat there, neither of us saying anything, just pondering possibilities, when Lee and Jen joined us in the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, Mia,¡± said Lee.


    ¡°Morning, babes,¡± Jen said. ¡°You guys look totes serious, all lost in thought and shit. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°The usual,¡± Mia replied, completely deadpan. ¡°Just plotting on taking over the world.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Jen barked with laughter. ¡°I¡¯ve always known Leah was planning on becoming a Bond Villain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing throwing my hat at people,¡± Mia admitted.


    ¡°The funny thing about this conversation,¡± Lee said, ¡°Is that I¡¯m not convinced you¡¯re joking.¡±


    ¡°Hey, did Wally bring bagels this morning?¡± Jen asked, looking hopeful.


    ¡°Croissants today,¡± Mia replied.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± Jen said with pleasure. ¡°Even better!¡±


    Making my goodbyes, I went up to our floor to see how Emmy and Angela were doing. First I checked the gym, finding Angela in the middle of her workout.


    ¡°Morning, Ange,¡± I said, leaning down to give her a kiss.


    ¡°What? Just a kiss?¡± Angela demanded, setting down the weights. ¡°Has the spark gone out already?¡±


    Laughing, I took her into my arms and planted a long, passionate kiss on her lips, while my hands roamed her back side. She returned both with ardor, making it clear that she was completely on board with the whole ¡®kissing girls¡¯ thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± she said when we finally parted. ¡°Now go wake up the pretty one while I finish my workout.¡±


    Laughing, I swatted Angela¡¯s butt as I turned to leave. Emmy was right- Angela was really easy to be around.


    Emmy was still asleep, but she woke easily enough when I gave her a kiss.


    ¡°Leah- you are here. I was afraid I had merely dreamed that you came to New York.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, babe,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°And in about two minutes I¡¯ll be in the shower. Care to join me?¡±

 Spending The Day Together

    Emmy¡¯s vivid green eyes opened wide, and she almost literally leapt out of bed at the invitation.


    ¡°I would love that very much,¡± said my gorgeous naked wife as she wrapped her arms around me. ¡°Very much.¡±


    Emmy started the shower while I stripped out of my running clothes, but I wasn¡¯t far behind in stepping into the spacious glass enclosure. I stopped for a moment just to admire the water cascading down Emmy¡¯s onyx-black skin and pouring off her stunning little body. I would never tire of the sight- could never tire of it. Emmy took my breath away, just like she always did. So slender, so graceful, so lovely that it made me ache just to watch her like that.


    ¡°Are you going to join me?¡± Emmy asked, holding out her hand. I took it in mine, and she pulled me in, under the twin shower heads. Charlie, the designer, had wanted to install a giant rain head but I nixed that idea. As fashionable as those things might be, I hated them. In a compromise, we¡¯d installed two traditional shower heads, one on each adjoining wall, so if you stood in the right spot you could get enveloped in the flow.


    Shampooing Emmy¡¯s hair, I asked, ¡°How long are you going to let it grow?¡±


    ¡°I do not know yet. I have not had long hair since I was small. It will be a new experience. I talked with Angela, and she told me that it has taken her ten years to grow her hair so long. I do not think I will try to match her.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine you with hair down to your waist,¡± I said, massaging her scalp. ¡°Whatever you choose, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be beautiful.¡±


    Emmy leaned back against me, sighing with pleasure. ¡°When I was a child I could never have imagined this life with you, Leah. You have made everything so perfect. Thank you. Thank you for being my queen.¡±


    We stayed like that for a while, my arms wrapped around her slender body and her arms on top of mine. We luxuriated in the feel of the hot water cascading down on us as we held each other, communicating our love by simply being there with each other.


    Returning to our original tasks, I finished bathing Emmy, then she took her turn to lather me up and rinse me off. It was a very nice way to spend the time, but eventually we did have to dry off and face the world.


    ¡°What would you like to do today?¡± Emmy asked as I toweled her off.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much to me what we do,¡± I replied. ¡°I just came here to spend time with you, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And Angela,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°And Angela,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°We should do something very New York,¡± Emmy said, thinking about it. ¡°Perhaps a museum?¡±


    ¡°We could do that,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Do what?¡± Angela asked as she entered the bathroom. ¡°Aww, did I miss the group shower?¡±


    ¡°We were discussing what to do today,¡± Emmy told Angela, leaning forward for a kiss, which Angela was happy to give, then follow up with a kiss for me.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything really touristy since we got here,¡± Angela said as she stripped out of her exercise wear. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go to the top of the Empire State Building.¡±


    ¡°With the low clouds this morning there might not be much of a view,¡± I said.


    ¡°The Statue of Liberty, then.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± I said, enjoying the view of the two incredibly beautiful naked women. ¡°We can go back into the bedroom and screw like rabbits all day long.¡±


    ¡°That could be fun.¡± Angela said from the shower enclosure.


    ¡°No, we must go out today. Angela and I have hardly gone out at all since we have been here. We will save the screwing like rabbits until tonight,¡± Emmy declared.


    I will admit that I hardly heard her, since the glass walls of the shower provided an excellent view of Angela soaping herself up. Emmy saw where my eyes were directed and laughed in that musical way of hers.


    ¡°But first, we will watch Angela bathe.¡±


    Angela must have heard, because she started to really put on a show for Emmy and me. Emmy leaned against me and I took her in my arms, and the two of us just watched in appreciative silence as Angela took her time, making sure we got the best angles as she lathered up her muscular, yet feminine physique.


    Neither Emmy nor I said a word for the fifteen minutes Angela took to wash herself in a very sexy manner and then rinse herself off. Wordlessly we welcomed her with soft, fluffy towels fresh off the warming rack, and the two of us gently, but very thoroughly dried every inch of her superb body.


    ¡°This,¡± Angela sighed. ¡°This is heaven.¡±


    When Emmy and I finished our self-appointed task, Angela said, ¡°I agree about tonight. We rabbit, but today, we have to go out.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m outvoted then,¡± I said, making an exaggerated pout for comic effect. ¡°In that case, I have an idea. Let me see if I can make arrangements.¡±


    ¡°How should we dress?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t, for now. I want you naked as long as possible,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You remind me of an old song from the Eighties,¡± Emmy said with a laugh, as she began to sing.


    ¡°All you ever think about is sex,


    all you ever think about is kissing me


    all you ever think about is sex,


    that¡¯s alright with me,¡±


    she sang, getting a laugh from Angela and me.


    ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± I said. ¡°But I blame you guys. If the two of you weren¡¯t so freaking hot, I might not sport such a lady boner all the time.¡±


    ¡°A lady boner?¡± Angela asked, puzzled, then, after a moment, I could see the light dawn. Laughing, Angela said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to remember that one.¡±


    We made our way into the bedroom, where, true to my instructions, neither of the two bothered to put a stitch of clothing on while I hurriedly did some research on my phone. Calling the number I found, a quick conversation arranged everything.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I said. ¡°We have a reservation for two o¡¯clock. That¡¯s in an hour and a half, which means we should probably get dressed and have lunch on our way.¡±


    ¡°You never said what we should wear,¡± Angela pointed out.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°It might be cold, so wear layers. And Emmy, we might get some sun, so bring your dark glasses and a hat.¡±


    ¡°You have me very mystified,¡± Emmy said. ¡°What are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°A boat tour of New York,¡± I announced. ¡°We¡¯ll go to the Statue Of Liberty, but also sail completely around Manhattan. It¡¯s five hours all told, so we¡¯ll grab dinner afterwards.¡±


    ¡°A nice dinner?¡± Emmy asked, pausing to contemplate what to wear.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought that far ahead,¡± I admitted. ¡°How about we just get something easy, and plan for a nice dinner tomorrow night? Want to hit up Per Se again?¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely,¡± Emmy said, choosing a silk camisole from the drawer.


    The two dressed as I¡¯d suggested, and soon enough we were enjoying a leisurely (thanks to traffic) ride in the big BMW sedan down to Tribeca. Wally dropped us off a block and a half away from the pier at a tiny little restaurant I¡¯d found online.


    Lunch was good enough to earn a ¡®will return¡¯ mark in my mental list of places to eat when in this part of town. Since the boat ride would take all afternoon and into the evening, I ordered some muffins and scones to take with us.


    The boat itself was maybe a bit smaller than I¡¯d expected, but plenty roomy for just the three of us, Captain Dave and Mate Jaquan.


    In my email I¡¯d said that Emmy was light-sensitive, and they¡¯d promised to run the loop clockwise instead of the usual counterclockwise. This would maximize our time in the shade of Manhattan¡¯s tall buildings, but unfortunately we¡¯d miss the setting sun reflecting off the skyline in the normal tour.


    First off, we headed south to Ellis Island and Lady Liberty. Captain Dave kept up a running description of the sights we were passing, and was amazingly able to answer any questions we might have had on anything we saw.


    ¡°I grew up sailing these waters,¡± he explained. ¡°I¡¯ve always been fascinated in the history of the region, especially as it relates to its relationship with the ocean and the Hudson river.¡±


    We didn¡¯t actually set ashore at Ellis Island or Liberty Island, just motored close enough for excellent views. Captain Dave explained the history of Ellis Island, telling us his great grandparents came to the US at that very place. At Liberty Island, he explained how the statue had been a gift from France, and said there was a replica on an island in the Seine.


    ¡°There are more than just that one in Paris,¡± Emmy told him. ¡°There is one in the Mus¨¦e D¡¯Orsay, two in the Mus¨¦e Des Arts-et-Metiers and another in the Jardin De Luxembourg, in addition to the largest one on the ?le aux Cygnes on the Seine,¡± she said. ¡°None of them are nearly this large, though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Captain Dave said. ¡°You do learn something new every day.¡±


    After Liberty Island, we turned around and headed up the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan. Out of the sun, with the wind coming off the water, it got cooler almost immediately. It didn¡¯t seem to bother Emmy, but Angela put on her coat and her adorable beanie, making her look even younger than she usually did.


    I snapped a couple of pictures of Emmy and Angela huddled together under a blanket Mate Jaquan had provided, sharing a blueberry scone, Hoboken¡¯s waterfront in the distance behind them.


    I don¡¯t know what it is about the Hudson River, but it seems it brings out the sentimental in me or something. When Emmy and I had gone to Fort Tryon Park, I¡¯d felt so in love with her I couldn¡¯t even express it. This time, seeing Emmy and Angela huddled together and smiling, the same feelings washed over me. They were both so beautiful, so loving, so completely perfect, I felt as if my heart would burst with love for both of them.


    Emmy and Angela had worried that I¡¯d be jealous of the two of them being together, but just the opposite was true. I wanted both of them to be as happy as possible, and they each made the other light up in a way that I couldn¡¯t do for them. My relationship with Angela was different than Emmy¡¯s was, and of course, my relationship with Emmy was different than with Angela. Angela had said it the night before, and it was true. We each had our own, unique traits to bring to this relationship, and having Angela as a lover didn¡¯t subtract- it added to the depth of my feelings for Emmy.


    As fascinating as the tour was overall, a lot of it wasn¡¯t pretty or all that interesting. Captain Dave did a good job of relating the history of even the less-attractive sections of waterfront, even if it was things like, ¡°This park was reclaimed from an illegal dumping site,¡± or ¡°This is one of two repair and retrofit yards for the entire subway system.¡±


    As informative and interesting as the tour was, all three of us were happy to finally get off the boat when we got back to the berth. As a thanks, I slipped both guys a C Note each as I stepped onto the concrete pier. I was pretty sure Captain Dave owned the boat and the tour company, but he¡¯d given us excellent service, so he deserved to make good money for his efforts.


    The sun had set half an hour earlier and the air had gotten a little bit chilly, so the pier was almost empty of tourists. Somehow it made it seem as if the three of us had our own little world all to ourselves, so I took the two in my arms and hugged them tight. We¡¯d all been good about PDAs on the boat, but I just couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. I needed to kiss them both, and it seemed they felt the same way.


    ¡°Thank you for the boat tour, Leah,¡± Emmy said when she could catch her breath again. ¡°I enjoyed it very much.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me, too,¡± Angela said. ¡°It was cold, but so much fun!¡±


    ¡°Are you guys hungry?¡± I asked as we walked to where Wally waited.


    Making a sort of apologetic face, Angela said, ¡°I just want to go home and relax, if that¡¯s O.K.¡±


    ¡°I think that sounds good,¡± Emmy agreed, and I had no problem giving in. Spending an intimate evening with two women I loved? Sign me up!


    Mulling over how it made me feel to hear Angela refer to our townhouse as ¡®home¡¯, and how I¡¯d begun to think of it that way as well, I asked Wally if he knew whether the others were at the house.


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m scheduled to take them down to Chelsea as soon as we get back. They¡¯re going to the comedy club for the evening.¡±


    ¡°Nice!¡± Angela said. ¡°Mia was planning on going dancing tonight, too, so we¡¯ll have the house to ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should pick up some take-out, so we don¡¯t have to cook dinner,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°The Mediterranean place around the corner is good,¡± Angela said. ¡°They have a lot of light choices, too.¡±


    ¡°That sounds perfect,¡± Emmy said from the front seat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call it in,¡± Angela volunteered. ¡°What do you guys want. Wally, you want anything?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you, Miss Angela,¡± Wally replied. ¡°I¡¯m heading home after I drop the others off.¡±


    Our order was waiting when Angela zipped in to grab it, so within moments we were back at the house.


    Jen, Lee and Jackson jumped into the car as we climbed out, a quick, ¡°Have a great night!¡± and they were off, leaving us alone in peace and quiet.


    We took our dinner to the sunroom, sitting at the little cafe table there and enjoying the twilight views across the river as we ate.


    ¡°I had a lovely day today, Leah. Thank you for taking us on the river tour,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I learned so much!¡± Angela agreed. ¡°And New York is so big! Even just going around Manhattan took us five hours. It¡¯s crazy!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys enjoyed it,¡± I said. ¡°The first time I came to New York with the team, we went on a shorter boat tour and I was really impressed. This tour was much better, though- and a lot longer.¡±


    ¡°I enjoyed getting to see the city from a different view than usual,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And hearing the history! I did not know any of that,¡± Emmy admitted.


    ¡°Heck, I¡¯m an American born and bred, and I didn¡¯t know most of it,¡± I confessed.


    Once we¡¯d cleaned up after dinner, by some unspoken agreement we found ourselves back in the parlor, where Angela once again got the fire going. I found myself in the wet bar, pouring Emmy a glass of Chablis and mixing drinks for Angela and myself.


    As I set the drinks down on the coffee table, I wondered where Angela had gone off to. Just as Emmy and I had made ourselves comfortable on the couch, Angela came back with one of the big, soft comforters for our bed wrapped around her like some sort of oversized robe.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± she announced. ¡°Could you two please move that over there?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the coffee table. Emmy and I did as she asked, and once the space in front of the fire was cleared, Angela shook the comforter out and laid it down on the floor as a sort of giant picnic blanket.


    Of course, I had a hard time paying attention to what Angela was doing with the blanket, since she was completely nude.


    Once she was satisfied with the arrangements, Angela lay down on her tummy, facing the fire. Of course, this gave us on the couch a perfect view of her perfect butt, as she¡¯d no doubt intended.


    Emmy and I sat there for a little while, sipping our drinks and admiring the scenery. Finally, I broke the silence with two little words. ¡°Damned fine,¡± I said.


    Angela looked over her shoulder at the two of us and smiled. ¡°I liked it this morning when you two watched me in the shower,¡± she said arching her back to lift her butt higher off the comforter. She rolled to one hip, drawing her knee up a bit, making sure we could clearly see her pink parts.


    I glanced over at Emmy, seeing her chewing on her lower lip, eyes intent on Angela¡¯s nude body. She was completely rapt, focused on what literally lay before her. She¡¯d forgotten all about the glass of wine in her hand, which was slowly drooping, ignored.


    I reached over and took the glass from Emmy¡¯s unresisting fingers, startling her. She gave me a sheepish look, so I leaned in and kissed her.


    ¡°It¡¯s O.K.,¡± I whispered. ¡°I feel the same way. Angela wants us, wants to be loved by us. Don¡¯t feel guilty about it.¡±


    Smiling uncertainly, Emmy whispered back, ¡°I know you are right, but I still feel a bit¡­ unfaithful to you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, babe. Don¡¯t even think that way. Here,¡± I said, giving Emmy a nudge. ¡°I want to watch you two for a little bit. Go to her.¡±


    At Emmy¡¯s unsure look, I nodded and kissed her again. ¡°Make love to Angela. Show her that you love her. I¡¯ll join you two in a little bit.¡±


    Emmy got undressed while I turned off all the lights, leaving the fireplace as the sole source of illumination. Once I was done, I sat back down on the couch to watch the two women I loved, love each other.

 Rabbits

    Watching Emmy and Angela make love had been a fantasy of mine, and now it was happening right in front of me. The sound of the rain that had started again provided a soft, soothing accompaniment to the gentle sounds of passion from my wife and our lover there in front of the fireplace. The flicker of warm light from the flames lit their bodies in a mysterious, unpredictable way, hiding as much as it illuminated as the two moved slowly in a dance of their own.


    Angela welcomed Emmy¡¯s touch, reveling in the soft caresses and gentle kisses that were being lavished on her statuesque body. Emmy knew how to work magic with her fingers, and Angela opened herself up to the touch.


    Angela was no pillow princess, though- her hands were gliding over Emmy¡¯s charcoal-black skin, too, squeezing, stroking and holding Emmy close as she kissed and nuzzled Emmy¡¯s lean dancer¡¯s body.


    The views I had were tantalizing, more of a hint to what was happening than an outright explicit view. I could see Emmy¡¯s hand moving between Angela¡¯s legs and could hear the soft, wet noises, but the exact details were left up to my imagination. Angela¡¯s muffled exclamations and Emmy¡¯s hard breathing were getting me worked up, but the sight of them riding each other¡¯s thighs and the smell of sex in the air was finally too much for me to bear.


    I shucked my shoes and socks, then slipped out of the rest of my clothes. I was conflicted about joining them- on the one hand, watching was incredible, and they¡¯d gotten into a position I¡¯d fantasized about but could never make work, but my need to touch, to kiss, to taste the two of them was overwhelming.


    I moved up next to the two, running my hand along Emmy¡¯s arched back and across her butt, then into Angela¡¯s mass of dark hair as she used that adorable tongue of hers to savor every little detail of Emmy¡¯s perfect little pussy. I was turned on beyond measure by the look of pleasure on Angela¡¯s face as she tongued Emmy, but also heartened by Angela¡¯s progress. When she and I had last made love, she¡¯d said that she wasn¡¯t sure about performing oral sex on another woman and didn¡¯t know if she could bring herself to do it. Here, a couple of weeks later, Angela was sliding her tongue up and down Emmy¡¯s folds, showing obvious signs of practice in the art.


    Of course, the look of ecstasy on her face was at least partly because Emmy was using her own magic tongue on Angela¡¯s bubblegum-pink lady parts at the same time, but still¡­ The two had clearly done this before and liked it.


    As I watched, Angela¡¯s head dropped down to the blanket and her back arched as she came, lifting Emmy up before the two fell back onto the blanket with a little crash.


    Emmy rolled off Angela, a self-satisfied grin on her face, her hand on Angela¡¯s tummy as Angela trembled with the aftershocks.


    Seeing my opportunity, I leaned down and kissed Angela, my tongue invading and exploring her mouth, savoring Emmy¡¯s nectar on those pretty, pouty red lips.


    ¡°You- I want you,¡± Angela sighed as I raised my head to look at her.


    Obliging, I straddled her face, lowering myself down so she could eat me as she¡¯d just done to Emmy. Angela pulled herself into me hard, her hands on the top of my thighs for grip. I could feel her squirm into a better position under me, so I lifted a bit to give her room to maneuver, but quickly realized that I wasn¡¯t her problem. I looked back over my shoulder and saw that Emmy had moved between Angela¡¯s raised knees and was tickling Angela¡¯s pierced clit with one hand while sliding the fingers of her other in and out of Angela¡¯s core.


    Angela had clearly decided that eating pussy was every bit as good as claimed, and although her skills weren¡¯t polished, her enthusiasm made up for it. Looking down at her face peeking out from below my mound, I caught her looking up at me in the firelight, making eye contact with her big blue eyes.


    Running my hand through her thick, dark hair, I whispered, ¡°I love you, Ange.¡± I don¡¯t know if she could hear me, but I¡¯m sure it was easy enough to read my lips. Her eyes crinkled up in a pleased smile, so I¡¯m sure the message got through one way or another.


    Soon after that, Angela¡¯s eyes slammed shut and she dropped away from me, lost in another orgasm thanks to Emmy¡¯s attentions on her lady parts.


    I climbed off Angela, who was shaking and trying to catch her breath, her eyes still clamped shut. I lay back and pulled Emmy up on top of me and we kissed, long and hard.


    ¡°Let me finish you,¡± Emmy whispered when we parted, sliding down my body. All too happy to oblige, I lifted my knees, parting my legs wider to give her better access. Emmy knew just how I liked it, and she took up where Angela had left off. I felt Emmy slip a couple of her long, slender fingers inside me, slowly pumping in and out as she lapped me up like a kitten drinking her milk. Emmy loved to penetrate me like that, and she''d learned how to hit all the right spots to send me over the moon, so it was a win for both of us.


    Angela had recovered by this time and was stroking my chest, tummy and thighs as Emmy worked farther south. She leaned forward, shaking her head to drape her long hair down across my body, sweeping it back and forth. It was an incredibly sensual feeling, overloading my senses in a way I¡¯d never experienced before. So many hands, so much hair, so much stimulation...


    Making love to one woman is an amazing experience, but being the center of attention of two lovers, well, it¡¯s a completely different level. Emmy and Angela were pouring their feelings into the way they touched me, the way they kissed me, and the way they used their bodies against mine. It wasn¡¯t just the physical lovemaking, but the emotion behind it that built inside me like a wave, rising, rising up until it crashed over me, wiping me out, sending me over the edge and into new territory.


    I must have passed out for a moment, because the next thing I knew, Emmy and Angela were cuddled up on either side of me, the three of us wrapped up in the big, soft comforter.


    ¡°That was¡­¡± was all I managed to say, making Angela giggle.


    Rallying, I said, ¡°That was just about the best thing ever,¡± kissing the top of their respective heads. ¡®The dark-skinned girl with the white hair, and the light-skinned one with the dark hair,¡¯ I thought, amused.


    Laying my head back, I relaxed and let my breathing slow, soaking in the love and care Emmy and Angela had shown me. The two had fallen asleep snuggled up against my sides, as worn out by the night¡¯s activities as I was.


    Pondering what the future would hold for the three of us, I heard activity downstairs. ¡®Jen, Lee and Jackson must have gotten home,¡¯ I thought, glad that Angela had shut the parlor¡¯s double doors before we started our play time.


    Of course, just by thinking about that, I had dared the gods of comedy to have their way with us, so of course, the three poured into the parlor to make themselves nightcaps before heading to bed.


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    ¡°What the-?¡± Asked Lee, fumbling for the light switch. ¡°Who left the fire going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was those three,¡± drawled Jackson, pointing at where we lay in front of the fire. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure they were screwin¡¯ like rabbits, judging by the looks of things.¡±


    ¡°That is exactly what we were doing,¡± Emmy confirmed, not at all embarrassed to be caught like we were. ¡°It was nice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet!¡± Jen barked with a laugh.


    ¡°Um, we¡¯ll leave you guys alone,¡± Lee said, looking embarrassed enough for the three of us.


    After they left, Angela pulled the blanket down from where she¡¯d buried her head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they just came in like that!¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Do you know what that means?¡± Emmy asked, her eyes bright.


    ¡°What?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°It means that now they know to leave us alone, so we are guaranteed privacy for the rest of the night!¡±


    ¡°Can we- can we just go to bed? Angela asked, obviously still mortified. ¡°I¡¯m kinda not in the mood anymore, if that¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s alright,¡± I said, kissing her forehead. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for your feelings.¡±


    Angela wrapped herself in the comforter again for our trip upstairs to our room, but Emmy and I just grabbed our clothes from the floor and made the trip nude. After all, Jen, Lee and Jackson were probably down in the kitchen, or maybe even the wine cellar by this point.


    Back in our bedroom, when I said I was going to take a quick shower, both Emmy and Angela were quick to join me. We really didn¡¯t do much fooling around, though. Well, O.K., we washed and rinsed each other off, and that was nice, but that¡¯s as far as it got.


    Angela started the fire going before sliding into bed with Emmy and me. The three of us cuddled up again, Emmy on one side of me and Angela on the other, same as we¡¯d been downstairs in the parlor.


    ¡°That was so embarrassing,¡± Angela said. ¡°Em, I can¡¯t believe you told them we¡¯d been having sex!¡±


    ¡°Jackson had already figured it out,¡± I said, amused. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was all that hard, either.¡±


    ¡°Now I won¡¯t be able to look any of them in the face!¡± Angela moaned.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said gently. ¡°Did you know Jen used to be a stripper? She danced nude on stage for strangers three nights a week all the way through college. I can tell you for sure that if we¡¯d invited her to join us she would have gotten naked so fast it¡¯d make your head spin. And Jackson? I couldn¡¯t even begin to tell you how many women I¡¯ve seen him with. No, there¡¯s no reason to be embarrassed around him, either.¡±


    ¡°What about Lee?¡±


    ¡°Lee? You should definitely be embarrassed around him,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Definitely.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Not helpful, Em. Not helpful,¡± getting a giggle from her.


    Turning on my side, I pulled Angela into my big spoon, holding her close. ¡°Ange, this is your house now. Your house, you get to do what you want here. If anybody should be embarrassed, it should be those three for being so rude as to barge in on us, even though the doors were closed.¡±


    ¡°I love hearing you say things like that,¡± Angela said with a sigh.


    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This is my house. It makes me feel¡­ like you want me as much as I want you. You two¡­ you want me in your lives. That¡¯s how it makes me feel.¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± Emmy said from her position partially on top of me. ¡°We do want you to be part of our family. Not just now, not just this week, or this month, or this year. We want you to be with us always.¡±


    ¡°Ange, we love you,¡± I said as I gently traced the tears that had started flowing down her cheek. ¡°You¡¯re sweet, you¡¯re smart, you¡¯re fun to be around, you¡¯re affectionate, and you have an amazing butt. Of course we love you!¡±


    The ¡®butt¡¯ part got a giggle from Angela, helping break her out of her mood.


    ¡°It really is amazing,¡± Emmy chimed in. ¡°I completely adore it.¡±


    Laughing harder now, Angela tried to pout but failed miserably. ¡°Is that why you guys love me? My butt?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, mostly,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°Your belly, too,¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    ¡°And your piercings,¡± I added.


    ¡°Oh, yes. Your body jewelry,¡± Emmy said, nodding. ¡°Definitely.¡±


    ¡°You guys are mean!¡± Angela said, giggling like a little girl as she tried to fend off Emmy¡¯s weak attempt to play with her nipple barbells.


    While Angela was busy trying to block Emmy''s efforts, I slid my hand up between Angela¡¯s thighs and flicked the jewelry hidden down there with my fingertip.


    ¡°Oooh!¡± Angela exclaimed, so I did it again, seeing as how her legs hadn¡¯t clamped down to prevent further clit tickling.


    ¡°I think- I think maybe I am changing my mind,¡± Angela said after a few more gentle strokes on her little bud. ¡°Maybe I am in the mood after all,¡± she said, somewhat breathlessly.


    Emmy clambered over me and snuggled up to Angela¡¯s other side, very ready to take advantage of Angela¡¯s change of heart.


    Kissing Angela¡¯s cheek, I could taste the salty tears she¡¯d cried just a moment before. Something about kissing the physical manifestation of her emotions was magical to me. Angela had been so overwhelmed with love that she¡¯d cried tears of happiness, a happiness I could literally taste on my tongue.


    I wanted to kiss every square inch of Angela¡¯s body, run my fingers through her long, long dark hair, and caress every bit of skin. Emmy seemed to feel the same way- Angela needed the reassurance of our touch, a show of our love that couldn¡¯t be expressed with words.


    Sometimes sex is just sex, but this was making love. It wasn¡¯t about orgasms, although those certainly did happen. It was slow, sensual, and much more intimate than a quick fingering could ever be. Of course, there was fingering, and tonguing, and all the rest of the fun stuff, but it was secondary to the holding, stroking, and long slow kissing.


    Emmy and I wanted Angela to feel our love for her, to let her know in this non-verbal way what she meant to us, and that we felt fortunate just to have her in our lives as our lover and companion.


    Eventually we wound down, and by some sort of wordless mutual agreement we relaxed in the position we¡¯d found ourselves. I was sitting semi-upright, propped up on some pillows. Angela was cradled between my legs, leaning back against my chest, and Emmy was lying on her tummy between Angela¡¯s legs, her cheek resting on Angela¡¯s magnificently sculpted abs. I watched in amusement as Emmy¡¯s head rose and fell with every deep breath Angela took. Then again, Angela was rising and falling with my breaths, too¡­


    ¡°Em? Emmy?¡± Angela said, running her fingers through Emmy¡¯s fine, snow white hair.


    ¡°Mmm?¡± Emmy mumbled in response.


    ¡°I love you, Em,¡± Angela said, her voice tender. ¡°Every day I love you a little bit more.¡±


    ¡°What about Leah?¡± Emmy asked, resting her chin on Angela¡¯s belly button as she looked up.


    ¡°Every day I love her a lot more. But that¡¯s just because there is so much of her to love,¡± Angela added, her chuckle making Emmy¡¯s head bounce up and down.


    ¡°Leah is very big,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°Which is good- that means there is more of her for us to share.¡±


    ¡°Har har har,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you both weigh more than I do.¡± Then, quietly, just loud enough for them to hear, ¡°Combined.¡±


    Angela¡¯s laughter sent Emmy¡¯s head bouncing up and down again, but that didn¡¯t erase Emmy¡¯s amused grin. Emmy slowly climbed her way up Angela¡¯s body, giving her a long passionate kiss as they drew even. When they parted, Emmy whispered, ¡°I love you, too,¡± before resuming her upward movement, pausing only a moment to let Angela pay some attention to one of her dark nipples as they passed by. Emmy gave me a long, deep and intense kiss, too, whispering, ¡°You are my everything, Leah.¡±


    The moment was broken when Emmy suddenly sat up, kneeling on either side of Angela¡¯s body and my legs. She looked down in surprise at Angela, who had slid down even as Emmy was crawling her way upwards. I could only see the top half of Angela¡¯s face, the lower half hidden by Emmy¡¯s mound.


    ¡°Where did you learn to do that?¡± Emmy asked, astonished. Angela didn¡¯t reply with words, but Emmy jumped a little again and Angela¡¯s eyes crinkled up in amusement.


    ¡°You have my permission to do that any time you wish,¡± Emmy said as her hips began a slow rocking movement. ¡°Yes, just like that,¡± Emmy confirmed, making me wonder just what Angela¡¯s new technique actually involved. ¡°Just like that, yessss¡­¡±


    Just like that, and we were on to round three. This time it was kittenish, with some tickling, some gentle nipping, and even some good-natured teasing, all of which were new to our lovemaking with Angela. Sex had been sweet, sometimes intense, and occasionally vigorous, but we hadn¡¯t really been what I would call playful before. Again, I took it as a sign that Angela¡¯s confidence was growing by leaps and bounds, and was very, very pleased to see it.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the sex to degenerate into a tickle fight, both of them ganging up on me before we all just fell into a heap, laughing, too worn out to continue. Of course, it was me on the bottom again, Angela and Emmy both piled on top. I saw no reason to complain about this turn of events. After all, I had them exactly where I wanted them.


    As I drifted off to sleep, I mentally crossed ¡®get up early to go for a run¡¯ off my list of things to do in the morning.

 Never Anything So Nice

    It¡¯s usually hard for me to sleep in, after so many years of getting started early in the day. That morning, it was not a problem. The bed was so warm and comfy and my bunnies were so snuggly that even the thought of getting up to go work out never even entered my mind. Well, O.K., it did, but only for the most fleeting of moments. The idea that replaced it was much better- staying in bed and getting a workout. Or, maybe, just enjoying the moment as it was. After all, both of the girls were sleeping peacefully, tired from the night¡¯s activities. It would be selfish to wake them up just because I was in the mood, right?


    I must have drifted off again, waking up once more when Angela tried to slide out from under my arm without disturbing me.


    ¡°G¡¯morning,¡± I mumbled quietly, trying not to wake Emmy up.


    ¡°Morning,¡± Angela whispered in reply.


    ¡°M¡¯gon sleep a bit longer,¡± Emmy said, not really waking up, just rolling over to a more comfortable position.


    Amused, I gave Emmy a kiss, then slipped out of bed with Angela. I had no intention of going out for a run or even a light workout in the home gym, but I did need to use the bathroom and take a shower before facing the day, even if that just meant walking to the local bakery for breakfast pastries.


    ¡°Thanks for last night,¡± Angela said as we showered. ¡°You and Emmy- I just sometimes feel, I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°We want you to feel loved,¡± I said as I shampooed her thick, dark hair. ¡°Because you are.¡±


    Angela leaned back into me, reaching around behind her to wrap an arm around my middle to pull me in tight. ¡°Sometimes it seems like this is all a dream, you know? Like it can¡¯t be real. I¡¯m just going to wake up and find out none of this really happened.¡±


    ¡°It really is happening, baby,¡± I said, wrapping my arms around her upper chest. ¡°You are going to wake up, and Emmy and I are going to be right next to you in bed.¡±


    Angela turned around in my arms to face me, again pulling me in tight, but this time for a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you so much when you go back to Los Angeles tomorrow,¡± she said when we parted. ¡°I hate the idea of you being there by yourself.¡±


    ¡°I hate the idea of Emmy being here by herself even more,¡± I said, giving Angela another kiss.


    ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± Angela countered. ¡°She has Jackson and Lee, and Jen, to keep her company, and also Luisa and Mia. This house is full of people. The apartment in LA? It¡¯s empty.¡±


    ¡°That may be true,¡± I conceded. ¡°But none of those people will make sure she gets to bed at a reasonable hour, or make sure she remembers to eat, or, especially, tell her she¡¯s loved.¡±


    ¡°I suppose not,¡± Angela agreed.


    After our shower and our familiar game of drying each other off, Angela and I got dressed for the day. I¡¯d made no plans, but the weather looked nice and clear and sunny, so I wanted to go out and do something fun.


    When we emerged from the dressing room, Emmy was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked, her voice still sleepy.


    ¡°Almost ten,¡± I said, checking my watch.


    Angela crossed over to the bed and leaned down to give Emmy a good-morning kiss. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day outside. Wanna go to the Empire State Building today?¡±


    Emmy pulled Angela down for another kiss. ¡°What time? When do we have to go?¡±


    ¡°If you guys want to go to the Empire State Building, I¡¯ll get us reservations. I¡¯ll see what I can get,¡± I said, also kissing Emmy. ¡°Now get up, Sleeping Beauty, so we can grab a late breakfast.¡±


    ¡°You are a horrible taskmaster, Beast!¡± Emmy replied with a laugh as she climbed out of bed.


    ¡°The beatings will continue until you love me!¡± I growled in my best Robby Benson impersonation.


    Angela watched this exchange with puzzlement, wondering what the heck we were talking about.


    ¡°You must have Leah show you her beastly side,¡± Emmy told her. ¡°She keeps it hidden most of the time, but when it comes out to play¡­¡± With that, Emmy sashayed past us and into the bathroom.


    ¡°Beastly side?¡± Angela asked me.


    ¡°It¡¯s- Well, I was gonna say ¡®it¡¯s complicated¡¯, but it¡¯s really not. It¡¯s just a sort of game Emmy and I play.¡±


    ¡°Um, like a sex game?¡± Angela asked, sounding intrigued.


    ¡°Sorta,¡± I said. ¡°But not just sex. Sometimes just in private moments like just now.¡±


    ¡°Sleeping Beauty and the Beast weren¡¯t the same story,¡± Angela said, her brow still wrinkled. She was so adorable, the way her face showed her every emotion.


    ¡°No, they weren¡¯t, and that¡¯s part of the joke,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I think it actually all started when we went to see the Disney movie about Rapunzel.¡±


    Still frowning with confusion, Angela said, ¡°It¡¯s true, you can be very Beastly.¡±


    For whatever reason, this reminded me of the talks I¡¯d said we needed to have, but never got around to. I plopped my butt heavily on the side of the bed, and patted next to me to indicate that Angela should sit.


    She opted to sit sideways on my lap instead, but that was O.K. with me.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said. ¡°You know I said we needed to talk?¡±


    She nodded, looking a bit apprehensive.


    ¡°Well, there are a lot of things about our life that really are kind of like a fairy tale, and you really should know them. Some are good, some are bad, but it isn¡¯t fair to bring you into our life without you knowing- without you having all the details that might have some very real impact on your life. Will have some impact,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Like what?¡± she asked, her big, blue eyes wide.


    I reached up and smoothed out the worry furrows from her forehead and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Emmy needs to be here for this conversation,¡± I said. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to worry about one thing. Emmy and I do love you very much, and we want you to be happy, and with us. That¡¯s the most important part.¡±


    ¡°I am happy,¡± Angela said. ¡°You two have made me so happy I can¡¯t even believe it. I just- sometimes, when I¡¯m all alone, and I think about you and Emmy and how my life has completely turned around, I just sometimes dance with myself, you know? Just a happy little dance, that¡¯s all, to, like, celebrate, you know?¡±


    ¡°Turned around?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I know now I wasn¡¯t happy with Antonio,¡± Angela said, the smile vanishing from her face. ¡°I thought I was, but now, looking back, I know I wasn¡¯t, even before he got arrested. He was- um, he wasn¡¯t mean to me, and he never hit me or anything like that, but I don¡¯t think he really respected me, either. I think I was¡­ Something he thought he deserved, I guess. Like, I was his property, more than I was a partner, you understand?¡± she asked, but I just nodded to let her know I did, but didn¡¯t want to interrupt her train of thought.


    ¡°I see you and Emmy, and you both love and trust each other. You¡¯re O.K. with her coming to New York without you, and she has no problem you going to Los Angeles or San Jose without her. You don¡¯t, I don¡¯t know, feel a need to keep an eye on each other, you know? And here I am, and neither of you is jealous, or anything,¡± Angela said, leaning her forehead against mine. ¡°You guys are so¡­ So perfect. I still just can¡¯t believe how lucky I am to have met you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky you came into our lives, too,¡± I said, nuzzling behind her ear. ¡°We¡¯re grateful to Antonio for getting arrested.¡±


    That got the laugh I was hoping for, and by the time Emmy finished in the shower she found us making out like teenagers on the bed. We hadn¡¯t gotten to the ¡®remove clothes¡¯ stage, but certainly the ¡®grope¡¯ stage was well underway.


    ¡°Should I get dressed, or are you two planning on getting naked, too?¡± Emmy asked, her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.


    ¡°No, no, we¡¯ll be good,¡± Angela said, extricating herself and sitting up. ¡°I really do want to go see the Empire State Building.¡±


    While Angela went into the dressing room to ¡®help Emmy get dressed¡¯, I got out my phone and looked into tickets for the three of us. I saw that the sunset time slot was available for the VIP tour, so I went ahead and bought them, figuring it was a stroke of luck.


    Still, that left us with many hours to kill before it was time for the tour. I briefly toyed with the idea of a double shot of elevated views with a Rockefeller Observatory tour, but thought that might be too much. Slumping back on the pillows against the headboard, I realized that I didn¡¯t need to entertain Emmy and Angela. They were perfectly capable of making their own choices and picking out what they wanted to do. I had my contribution taken care of- the rest of the day could be left in their hands.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    When they emerged from the dressing room, I said as much. Emmy got a thoughtful look on her face and pulled out her phone. She made a call, and when the person on the other end answered, Emmy introduced herself and said that she¡¯d like to book a table for three that evening at eight. Satisfied, Emmy thanked the person, then hung up.


    ¡°We will have dinner at Per Se tonight,¡± she announced. ¡°That takes care of that.¡±


    ¡°Per Se?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°You will love it,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Do you remember the restaurant in Chicago? Per Se is a lot like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh. My. God!¡± Angela said, covering her mouth with her hands. ¡°That was the best dinner I ever had in my life!¡±


    ¡°And tonight you will have another just as delicious,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°So that just leaves us with, um,¡± I said and checked my watch. ¡°Five hours or so to kill.¡±


    ¡°Shopping,¡± Emmy declared. ¡°We must visit some designer boutiques,¡± she said, looking right at me as if to dare me to complain. I held my hands up in surrender, knowing that this was a thing that Emmy enjoyed, and I¡¯d hate to spoil it for her.


    Angela had a concerned look on her face, and I think I knew why.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, indicating that she should sit on the bed with me for a moment. When she did, a puzzled look on her face, I explained. ¡°Angela is going through the same process I did, back when we first got together. Do you remember how awkward I felt every time you spent money on me?¡±


    Glancing at Angela and seeing the look on her face convinced me I¡¯d hit the nail on the head. ¡°I think Angela has some of the same concerns I did. She likes the things you buy her, and likes that you want to get her nice things, but she feels, I dunno, maybe a bit guilty about accepting them?¡± I suggested, again looking for confirmation from Angela, who nodded slightly. ¡°Also, there might be a little bit of, well, maybe some stigma about feeling as if you¡¯re buying her love. She doesn¡¯t want to feel like a ¡®kept woman¡¯,¡± I said, making air quotes. ¡°I know you don¡¯t mean it that way, and she knows it too, but there¡¯s the whole social construct around this sort of wealth disparity. We both know better, but a lot of people might look at this and think she¡¯s just in it for the money.¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Emmy asked Angela, her voice sad.


    ¡°It- like Leah said, I know you don¡¯t mean it that way, and¡­ Well, if I start wearing a, I don¡¯t know, Cartier watch or something, people are going to guess that you guys bought it for me, and they¡¯ll think just what Leah said. That I¡¯m only with you two because of your money,¡± Angela said, not meeting Emmy¡¯s eyes. Angela¡¯s shoulders were slumped, and her normally cheerful voice was sorrowful. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± she wailed softly, if such a thing is possible.


    Emmy stood up and embraced Angela, holding her gently while she cried. I did the same, wrapping the two in my arms. Neither Emmy nor I said anything, just silently supported Angela while she got it out of her system.


    When Angela¡¯s tears finally ran dry, I said, ¡°Angela, we know it¡¯s not true. You know it¡¯s not true. People are going to say a lot of mean things about the three of us, once everybody figures out our relationship, you know that, right? I hate to break it to you, but that¡¯s probably going to start tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Angela asked, sniffling.


    ¡°The last time we ate at the restaurant we¡¯re going to tonight, we took Luisa. Paparazzi pictures of the three of us were all over the tabloid websites the next day with the headline ¡°Who is Emmy and Leah¡¯s new plaything?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Angela asked. When I pursed my lips and nodded, she got a disbelieving look on her face. ¡°Luisa? They thought you guys and her?¡±


    ¡°That is how it works with the tabloid media,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°All they need is a photo, and they make up the rest.¡±


    ¡°But this time, it¡¯ll be true,¡± I said. ¡°You really are in a relationship with Emmy and me. The tabloids didn¡¯t follow up on the Luisa story because they quickly figured out it was bullshit. But with you, they¡¯ll find out who you are, and they¡¯ll post some of your sexy Instagram pictures, call you ¡®South American Beauty¡¯, which is absolutely true. They won¡¯t play the gold-digger angle, because they won¡¯t care. They¡¯ll play the angle that Emmy and I are wild lesbian sex fiends who¡¯ve found some hot new babe to fill our bed, and you¡¯re hot, alright.¡±


    ¡°You warned me this would happen sooner or later,¡± Angela said, and I just nodded in agreement. ¡°I said that I didn¡¯t care. I¡­ I still don¡¯t care, but I wish it didn¡¯t have to happen like this.¡±


    ¡°We do not have to go out tonight,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You do not have to face this yet if you do not want to.¡±


    Angela took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. ¡°No, I want to go out tonight. If this is going to happen, it might as well be tonight. I want you two very much, and I¡¯m not going to let something like this take me away from you.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean that we can go to the Cartier boutique?¡± Emmy asked, her hopes rising.


    ¡°I want you to understand something,¡± Angela told Emmy. ¡°You can buy me a Cartier watch, but you can¡¯t buy my love.¡± Seeing Emmy¡¯s puzzled expression, Angela added, ¡°I already gave it to you for free.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s sweet, musical laugh filled the room as the tension in the air eased. ¡°I am so very pleased that you feel this way,¡± she said. ¡°Leah is a terrible shopper. I love to buy her clothes, beautiful clothes, but she just wants to wear the same old jeans and sweatshirts. You, you can be my partner in crime. Together, we can convince Leah to try on, and perhaps even buy, beautiful dresses, skirts, perhaps even some nice shoes. While we do this, we can pick out a few things for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just relax here while you guys go shopping,¡± I said with a groan, flopping onto the bed again.


    ¡°Oh, no, there is no escaping this torture,¡± Emmy laughed as she and Angela took my hands and pulled me upright.


    True to Emmy¡¯s word, she had Wally drop us off at the Cartier boutique on Fifth Avenue for our first stop. As the big sedan pulled up in front and the doorman came to open the car door, I gave Angela¡¯s hand a squeeze.


    ¡°We know the truth,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s what matters.¡±


    She squeezed my hand back and gave me a grateful smile. ¡°Please don¡¯t let Emmy buy me anything too expensive,¡± she whispered. ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her,¡± I said, wondering what this idea might be.


    On the sidewalk, Angela shot a quick selfie with the famous storefront behind her, making sure that Emmy and I weren¡¯t in the shot. I figured it was for her socials, and the whole ¡®selling the lifestyle¡¯ thing.


    Emmy led the way into the store in her typical imperious fashion, and of course, everyone in the store recognized her instantly. When a well-dressed young man approached and asked if he could help us, Emmy told him that we wanted to see watches for our friend, indicating Angela, and he should ask her what she wanted.


    To the guy¡¯s credit, he didn¡¯t blink at Angela¡¯s fast-fashion outfit, despite the fact that it was indicative of a lower economic status than most of the rest of the shoppers in the store.


    ¡°Miss, you¡¯d like to look at watches? Do you have any preferences? Round, oval, square?¡± he asked Angela, devoting his full attention to her. I was impressed at the guy¡¯s professionalism. Once Emmy had indicated that Angela was the customer, the sales guy¡¯s whole focus shifted away from the famous celebrity to the unknown, not as well-dressed person standing next to her. I¡¯d noticed him giving me a quick once-over, and picked out that he¡¯d spotted my Patek Phillippe, reassuring him that I was among the moneyed class as well. Angela, though, had none of the indicators.


    As Angela and the salesman got into their discussion, I pulled Emmy aside a little bit. ¡°Let Angela pick out the watch,¡± I said in a low voice. ¡°Maybe help her find something that looks good- you have excellent taste for that kind of thing, but let her have the final say.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emmy said, looking surprised I¡¯d even bother to say it. ¡°We are buying a watch for her, and so it must be the one that she would want to wear.¡±


    Satisfied, I said, ¡°Thanks. It means a lot to her.¡±


    The two of us followed Angela and the salesman into the elevator and went up to the third floor, where the sales guy led Angela to a display of women¡¯s watches. The two discussed several models, Angela trying them on before dismissing them, finally deciding on a pretty mid-sized round model with a classy stainless case and pink leather strap.


    Emmy and I voiced our approval, and really, it was perfect for Angela. It was feminine, but not dainty at all, with a classic elegance. It looked great on her, and I could tell that she absolutely loved it.


    ¡°I adore that on you!¡± Emmy said, holding Angela¡¯s wrist for inspection. "The color- I would not have thought to look for a watch quite so¡­ pink, but on you, it is perfect,¡± she said.


    I nodded to the sales guy, giving him a silent thanks for finding the right watch for Angela. Really, it was perfect for her.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you, ladies?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I think that is all for today,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°But you have been very, very helpful. I am afraid I did not catch your name- I would like to be able to ask for you the next time we visit. Do you have a card?¡±


    This was exactly the right thing to say to make the guy¡¯s day, and he had a business card with his name on it in her hand so fast it almost seemed like a magic trick.


    ¡°Thank you, Hunter,¡± Emmy said. Then, as if it just occurred to her, she asked, ¡°Are repairs done on site? My pearl necklace really needs to be restored.¡±


    ¡°Yes, our atelier is on the fourth floor,¡± Hunter replied. ¡°Your necklace, is it Cartier?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it is old. I think my great grandmother bought it almost a hundred years ago,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Please, bring it in. Our experts will evaluate it and let you know what can be done to restore it to like-new condition,¡± Hunter said, obviously understanding that repeat customers are the best, and old money best of all.


    ¡°I shall have to do that,¡± Emmy replied. Of course, she¡¯d had the necklace fixed after the alley attack in San Francisco, but she¡¯d complained that one of the pearls had gotten lost and it felt a bit too snug, so she never wore it anymore. Maybe replacing the one and adding two more would make the whole thing that much more comfortable, I thought, wondering if I should send it to New York when I got home to LA. That might make a nice surprise for Emmy¡­


    Satisfied we were done shopping for the day, Hunter ushered us into a small room to pay for the watch. The first time I¡¯d seen this sort of thing I¡¯d thought it funny that they wanted to keep the filthy business of money changing hands out of sight of the genteel customers in the main areas, but I guess from a practical standpoint it made sense, too. I mean, I wouldn¡¯t want the whole shop to know I¡¯d just spent two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for a necklace for my girlfriend, as an example. Emmy paid, while Angela looked both very happy with her new watch, but a bit sheepish that Emmy just dropped over six grand on a fashion accessory for her, too.


    Figuring we could just walk down Fifth Avenue to whatever boutique might be next, I didn¡¯t bother texting Wally to come get us.


    As we exited, Angela snapped a picture of her wrist with the watch on it with the storefront in the background, presumably for the socials again.


    ¡°Are you two hungry? Emmy asked. ¡°There is a good restaurant in Armani, which is only a few blocks away.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I agreed as she led us north.


    ¡°Ange, that watch really is perfect for you,¡± I said, catching her gazing at her wrist. Then, quietly, I asked, ¡°Are you O.K. with everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. It¡¯s all perfect,¡± she said. ¡°I wanted to kiss you and Emmy so bad in there, I just about exploded. I want to kiss you right here, right now, in the middle of the sidewalk. I can¡¯t wait until we get home.¡±


    I gave her a companionable pat on the back. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it. Just remember what I said about the panties Emmy bought you. To her, you just needed a pretty watch, so she bought you one. I¡¯m not saying it doesn¡¯t mean anything to her- far from it. It¡¯s just that the price of the watch was totally immaterial. She got it because she wanted you to have a nice watch, and it really does look great on you. End of story.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela said. ¡°I get it. But I¡¯ve never had anything as nice in my life before. Ever. I feel like you guys are just giving me so much, and I¡­¡±


    ¡°Emmy and I are both happy to do it,¡± I said. ¡°You make us happy.¡±


    ¡°It is true,¡± Emmy said, looking back over her shoulder at us. ¡°The look of pleasure on your face when you selected that pretty pink watch made my day that much brighter. It was worth every penny to see that smile.¡±

 Just Plain Awesome

    I suggested we eat before doing any shopping, since I wanted to talk about some things Emmy and Angela might not have considered. Since none of us had eaten yet that day, it was easy enough to convince Emmy and Angela that food first was a good idea.


    I¡¯d never been in the Armani store before, but Emmy led us right past the crazy free-floating staircase and to the elevators to take us up to the third floor restaurant. As far as I knew Emmy hadn''t been here since we got together, so I figured her familiarity must have come from shopping trips with her mom.


    The maitre d¡¯ had us seated immediately, even without reservations- one of the perks of being rich and famous. Angela looked a little intimidated by the obviously high-dollar restaurant, but I caught her hand and gave it a little squeeze, which seemed to help.


    We were seated near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Fifth Avenue, which, unsurprisingly, meant that pretty much all the other diners could see us. This was, of course, one of the drawbacks of being ¡®beautiful people¡¯- the maitre d¡¯ wanted the rest of the diners to know that Emmy Lascaux, the world¡¯s sexiest woman (according to more than one magazine) dines at Armani Ristorante.


    I was used to this, but I could tell it was still a bit of culture shock for Angela.


    ¡°Everybody¡¯s staring at us,¡± she whispered once the waiter had taken our order, which, of course, Emmy ordered in Italian.


    ¡°Yeah, that happens,¡± I said. ¡°It happens everywhere, all the time. I¡¯m surprised you hadn¡¯t noticed it before.¡±


    ¡°Why is everybody staring?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Emmy,¡± I explained, my voice low, too. ¡°Everybody has seen her picture, or seen her videos or on TV, but nobody really believes she looks the way she does until they see her in person.¡±


    ¡°The salesman at Cartier didn¡¯t stare,¡± Angela objected.


    ¡°He was too much of a pro to react in any visible way. The three of us could have walked in naked, covered in blue paint, and he wouldn¡¯t have batted an eye. I guarantee you, though, when he gets home tonight he¡¯s going to tell his boyfriend that he met Emmy De Lascaux today.¡±


    ¡°You think he was gay?¡± Angela asked, focusing on the wrong part of what I¡¯d just said. ¡°I thought he was really handsome.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how you can tell he¡¯s gay,¡± I said. ¡°He was too well dressed, manicured and groomed to be straight.¡±


    ¡°Leah, you said you wished to talk?¡± Emmy asked. She¡¯d been listening to our conversation, but made no comments about what I¡¯d said, and this was an obvious ploy to change the topic.


    I sat up a little straighter, and in a more normal conversational voice, but still quiet enough that our talk was private, I said, ¡°Yeah, about shopping for clothes for Angela.¡±


    Angela started to say something, maybe to object to what she thought I was getting at, but I continued on. ¡°Angela is a model, Em. She makes her living by selling clothes with her social media influencing, right? These two clothing companies that sponsor her, they pay her to appear in their outfits, right, Ange?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, one¡¯s a fashion brand and the other swimwear, so there¡¯s no real conflict¡­¡± she replied, unsure what I was getting at.


    ¡°No conflict between the two lines, you mean?¡± I asked for clarification.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t pick up another swimwear line without losing the one I¡¯ve got, for example, but I could, say, pick up an outdoor wear brand, like, um, Patagonia or something and there wouldn¡¯t be any conflict.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said. ¡°And even if you aren¡¯t repping another brand, you can¡¯t post pictures of you wearing another company¡¯s bikini, because of your contracts, can you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Angela said, thinking about it. ¡°It isn¡¯t against my contract, but they wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Now, say Emmy takes you downstairs and spends a ton of money on Armani clothes for you- which I know she is just dying to do. She¡¯s hoping you¡¯ll be her real-life dress-up doll, and she can pick out outfits for you from all her favorite designers. Isn¡¯t that true, Em?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Am I that transparent?¡± Emmy asked, looking sheepish.


    ¡°I know you pretty well by now, babe. You did it with me, too, don¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°And what is wrong with that?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Nothing, in most ways. You have incredible fashion sense, and if Angela likes shopping with you, I¡¯d say go ahead and shop ¡¯til you drop. But here¡¯s the thing. Ange needs to wear her Fashion Flash stuff when spotted in public. If the paparazzi shoot pictures of her wearing Armani, Dior, whatever, but her socials are pictures of her in the clothes she¡¯s supposed to model, word will get out and there¡¯ll be a disconnect.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Emmy said, nodding her head. ¡°She is a public figure for her brand, and to be seen as unfaithful to it would be problematic.¡±


    Angela had a sort of stricken look on her face, like she hadn¡¯t thought about what I¡¯d brought up, and now that she was thinking about it, she didn¡¯t like the ramifications. ¡°Fashion Flash paid me over seventy-five thousand dollars last year,¡± she said, thinking about it. ¡°Now that I have over two million followers, it¡¯ll be even more this year.¡±


    ¡°So how would Fashion Flash feel about you appearing in the tabloids wearing a Chanel dress?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in my contract about wearing other brands when I¡¯m not posting¡­¡±


    ¡°There is the other possibility,¡± Emmy suggested. ¡°If you are seen wearing Prada as often as you wear Fashion Flash, will that elevate Fashion Flash to a higher level in your followers¡¯ opinion? After all, if you could wear the high-end designers, but choose to wear your sponsor¡¯s clothes, would that not mean that your sponsor makes very desirable clothing?¡±


    Instead of clearing things up for Angela, Emmy¡¯s conjecture seemed to confuse matters even more.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, resting my hand on hers on the tabletop. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to stop working. I want you to continue doing what you enjoy, and to have your own thing. Look- Emmy and I are rich by anyone¡¯s measure, and if you never worked another day in your life we would be fine with that. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯d feel right about that, and I don¡¯t want you to feel like- well, I mean, we¡¯ve had this conversation,¡± I said as the waiter brought our spinach salads.


    As we ate, Angela spent more time on her phone than with a fork in her hand. At Emmy¡¯s questioning look, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sending an email to my inside rep. I told her I want to splurge on myself and buy some designer clothes, and asked how the brand would feel if I posted a selfie with Armani shopping bags.¡±


    ¡°I think that is a very good idea,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Oh, and look,¡± Angela said, holding her phone out so we could see her Instagram post featuring her in front of the Cartier store, her new watch on her wrist, and exiting the store showing the watch with the store front as a backdrop. ¡°Look how many likes and comments I¡¯ve already gotten,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s on fire. In my email, I told Sandra to look at that post and notice that I¡¯m wearing Fashion Flash and a Cartier watch.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess- the reason you wanted a watch that wasn¡¯t too expensive was so that you could tell your followers that you¡¯d bought it for yourself, and it¡¯d be believable?¡± I asked.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Looking guilty, Angela turned red and nodded, embarrassed to have been caught.


    ¡°I do not mind that at all,¡± Emmy said. ¡°In truth, that is a very good idea.¡±


    We switched to lighter topics after that, and left the subject of clothes alone while we worked on our main courses. Angela and I had both ordered the chicken and Emmy had opted for the filet, of which she only ate half. While the three of us were splitting a single order of hazelnut chocolate mousse, Angela¡¯s phone buzzed with a reply email from her sales rep.


    ¡°We had a talk,¡± she read aloud. ¡°We¡¯re O.K. with you wearing high fashion brands in your posts, but the old rules about our competitors still apply. Let¡¯s review in a month and see how this affects clicks, and we can revisit the subject then,¡± she read.


    ¡°This means that I can take you downstairs and dress you up like my real-life paper doll!¡± Emmy said, pleased at the outcome.


    ¡°Um, O.K.,¡± Angela said, a bit taken aback at Emmy¡¯s joy at the prospect.


    In all honesty, I thought Angela¡¯s outfit was at least as stylish as most of the things we¡¯d seen on the mannequins we passed on our way to the restaurant- but then, from what I¡¯d seen, the big fashion houses tended to have two separate and mutually exclusive product lines. The ¡®pop fashion¡¯ stuff with big, garish logos, and the classy, understated elegant stuff for big money.


    The fast fashion clothing I¡¯d seen Angela get from her sponsor was, to my mind, better than the oversized T shirts with ¡°A/X¡± splattered all over, or anything like that. I¡¯ve always had a real hate-on for that kind of thing. Seriously, why would I pay money to advertise someone else¡¯s product on my body? The clothes that Angela wore carried no obvious logos and seemed to be well-cut, so what was there to complain about?


    Anyhow, I tried to bow out of the shopping, but Emmy wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°We want to spend time with you while you are here,¡± she said, tugging at my hand to get me moving. ¡°You need new clothes as well, and this area has a great number of designer boutiques to chose from. We only have a few hours before our tour, so we cannot take too long.¡±


    Sighing, I let Emmy and Angela drag me downstairs and into the realm of high-priced fashion.


    We actually didn¡¯t spend much time at the Armani boutique after all, quickly heading down the block to the Bergdorf Goodman department store instead. True to her word, Emmy really did pick out any amount of things for Angela to try on, eventually buying her at least a half-dozen complete outfits. Of course, I didn¡¯t escape unscathed, but hey- I did need some new work outfits, anyway.


    I didn¡¯t even want to look at the total when Emmy paid for everything. Sure, I was going to see the charge when I looked over our bills later on, but whatever. If Emmy wanted to spend the money this way, I was fine with it.


    Angela had seemed a bit uncomfortable at first, but Emmy¡¯s infectious laugh and upbeat attitude soon had her enjoying the whole experience, and when we walked out the door carrying four shopping bags each her smile was as big as Emmy¡¯s.


    Wally pulled up the moment we stepped outside, and he helped us load the many bags into the car before we got in.


    He dropped us off at the special entrance on 33rd Street for our tour before heading back to the townhouse to unload our purchases. I have to say, having attentive personal staff really rocks, and Wally was proving to be worth every penny we paid him. The guy was utterly professional and reliable- we really couldn¡¯t ask for more.


    The Empire State Building tour was a lot of fun. Of course we saw all the typical parts of the building, the displays that showed how the skyscraper was built and all that, as well as the 86th floor open-air observatory and the enclosed observatory on the 102nd floor. The best part, though, was that we got to ride in the private elevators and didn¡¯t have to deal with the long lines that everybody else had to suffer through. Our tour guide, dressed like a classic doorman in his burgundy uniform with black cuffs and hat, explained all the sights and waited patiently while we oohed and ahhed at the views.


    The Empire State building hasn¡¯t been the world¡¯s tallest in a long time, but it¡¯s still pretty damned tall and the views are truly incredible. Everybody should make the visit at least once- a visit to New York City just wouldn¡¯t be complete without it.


    Dinner later that night was a lot like the time we¡¯d taken Luisa to Per Se. The main difference, I guess, was that Angela had already experienced a dinner like that back in Chicago, so she wasn¡¯t quite as awed as Luisa had been.


    Angela was impressed that the chef came out and visited our table, and that we (well, Emmy) was on a first-name basis with the guy, but the attentive staff was otherwise just par for the course, so to speak.


    The food was excellent and the wine pairings were spot-on, as expected, and the meal was as good as I¡¯ve ever had.


    Angela agreed that it was hard to say whether the place in Chicago was better or not, since both were so amazing. ¡°It¡¯s a tie, as far as I can tell,¡± she said. ¡°I really don¡¯t know enough to be able to say which one was better.¡±


    When we got back to the house, we found Jen, Lee, Jackson and some girl I¡¯d never seen before hanging out in the parlor, talking and drinking.


    Jackson introduced his new girlfriend as Maddie, and said they¡¯d met at the club last night. She seemed awestruck to meet Emmy, even though she must have known that Jackson and Lee were her bandmates.


    Emmy wanted to socialize, but I begged off, explaining that I had an early flight in the morning. Angela went upstairs with me, and soon enough we were both soaking the day away in the big tub we¡¯d had installed with the remodel.


    Angela seemed to be in a quiet mood, so I kept my talking to a minimum. It didn¡¯t seem as if Angela was sad, just¡­ thinking about things. Eventually, she asked, ¡°Can I come back to Los Angeles with you tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°You can do whatever you want, Ange,¡± I replied, kissing behind her ear. ¡°You don¡¯t ever need to ask my permission.¡±


    ¡°I know, I understand that, but I also know you wanted me here to take care of Emmy, and I feel like I¡¯m going to be letting you down if I don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°I liked the fact that you were taking care of her, you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed. ¡°But she¡¯s an adult. She might get really wrapped up in her music and forget what time it is, and maybe her sleep schedule will get all messed up if you aren¡¯t here to make her go to bed and get up at reasonable times,¡± I said. ¡°But it isn¡¯t as if she can¡¯t take care of herself at all. Like you said, there¡¯s a house full of people here, so she won¡¯t be all alone.¡±


    ¡°Now it sounds like you¡¯re trying to talk me into coming to LA,¡± Angela joked, leaning her head back on my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to have you with me there,¡± I admitted. ¡°But seriously, I¡¯m not really going to be home all that much, what with work every day and school twice a week. You¡¯ll be the one all alone a lot of the time.¡±


    Angela sighed, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Consider your options realistically, and make whatever decision you think is right. Don¡¯t be here for Emmy or be there in LA for me. Be wherever you want, for you.¡±


    Angela sat upright and turned around to face me, scooting close. ¡°I want to be here for Emmy, and I want to be there for you,¡± she said. ¡°I want you both, for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dilemma,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I would love to have you to come home to after work, and I would love to have you to snuggle at night.¡±


    ¡°While Emmy is here in New York?¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, giving one of her nipple barbells a tug. ¡°You aren¡¯t a substitute for when I can¡¯t have her. I don¡¯t want you thinking that way.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± she complained, gently slapping my hand away. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you only love me for my body jewelry!¡±


    ¡°Well, you did use it to hypnotize me,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°Would you ever consider, you know, getting pierced? Or maybe tattooed?¡± Angela asked as I played a bit more gently with the other barbell.


    ¡°It never seemed like something I wanted,¡± I said. ¡°I love these little things on you, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in any hurry to get any, myself.¡±


    ¡°How about tattoos?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, maybe a tattoo, if I got inspired or something, but I¡¯m not gonna rush out and get inked just because it¡¯s the in thing to do,¡± I replied. ¡°Have you been thinking about getting a tattoo?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a heart with ¡®E¡¯ and ¡®L¡¯,¡± Angela joked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± I cautioned. ¡°Everybody knows that the moment you get your girlfriend or boyfriend¡¯s name inked on you, you¡¯ll wind up breaking up immediately.¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a well-known fact,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want that, so no hearts with your initials, then,¡± Angela declared. ¡°But maybe a charm necklace?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s only tattoos that cause problems.¡±


    Angela scooted up to straddle my lap, resting her arms on my shoulders. She leaned down and kissed me, fierce and demanding.


    ¡°I am yours. And Emmy¡¯s. This is like a dream for me- the best dream I¡¯ve ever had. I want this to go on forever.¡±


    The mention of ¡®forever¡¯ reminded me that we¡¯d managed to avoid our necessary talk once again that day. Angela needed to know about things, and I didn¡¯t want to have the conversation without Emmy being involved, but it seemed that she did a good job of avoiding the subject.


    ¡®When Em comes to bed, that¡¯s when we¡¯ll talk,¡¯ I told myself, knowing full well that it probably wasn¡¯t going to happen like that.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming back to Los Angeles with you tomorrow,¡± Angela declared after another kiss. ¡°Can we still get plane tickets?¡±


    ¡°Of course we can,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I want you so much,¡± Angela said holding me tight, smashing my face into her boobs, not getting any complaint from me.


    After the bath Angela started the fireplace, saying that she enjoyed the ambience. I didn¡¯t mind at all, so the two of us cuddled on the couch instead of going straight to bed.


    Angela and I were still there when Emmy stopped in. ¡°Do you mind if I go up to the studio for a while?¡± she asked. ¡°I have been thinking about a song all day and I would like to record it while it is fresh in my mind.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll probably be asleep when you get done, though.¡±


    ¡°I will try to not wake you when I come to bed,¡± Emmy said, leaning down and giving Angela and me kisses.


    ¡°If you had told me that a situation like this could ever happen, I would not have believed it,¡± Angela said when Emmy had gone. ¡°How can I love two people so much? And both of them women?¡±


    Pulling her in a little closer, I gave Angela a slow, tender kiss. ¡°Ange,¡± I said softly. ¡°It¡¯s just that Emmy and I are so awesome.¡±


    ¡°That must be it,¡± Angela agreed, a smile lighting up her face.

 Secrets Kept, Secrets Shared

    After we kissed Emmy goodbye in the morning before we left, Angela promised to come back the moment Emmy needed her in New York.


    ¡°I miss you two already. I wish you two could stay,¡± Emmy mumbled, still mostly asleep.


    ¡°I do, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll call you when we get to LA, babe. I love you,¡± I said, giving her another kiss, after which she fell back asleep.


    I¡¯d booked Angela¡¯s ticket after our bath the night before so there was no drama at the airport when we checked in at the executive charter terminal. The flight¡¯s most memorable event was when Angela asked me to take some pictures of her in the small jet¡¯s plush seat for her socials.


    Back in LA, I dropped Angela off at the condo before heading in to the office.


    ¡°Do you have to go to work today?¡± Angela asked as I grabbed my briefcase.


    ¡°Yeah, I do, but it¡¯s not a school night, so we¡¯ll have the evening together,¡± I assured her as I kissed her goodbye. ¡°See you in a few hours.¡±


    Reflecting on how it now seemed as if I had two wives and wondering what that said about me and Emmy, I really wasn¡¯t good for much that day at the office. Other than the two meetings I had to suffer through I had nothing else on my agenda so it was no great loss that I wasn¡¯t really mentally there, but still¡­ Recognizing that I wasn¡¯t being productive anyhow, I left a bit earlier than usual. Since I was the boss I really didn¡¯t need to make any excuses to anybody, but I felt a little as if I¡¯d let my own professionalism down, and that was bad enough.


    On the spur of the moment I pulled into a parking spot next to a flower stand on the way home to get Angela some flowers. I was still worried that she felt a little bit insecure about her place in our newly expanded family, and I wanted her to know that I really did care for her.


    Opening the door to the condo, I stopped in my tracks at the sight. Angela had the big TV that I¡¯d never once turned on playing a reggaeton video quite loud, so she hadn¡¯t heard my entry. She was facing the TV, apparently wearing nothing but one of my old T shirts, which on her was like a super short but loose mini dress. She was dancing to the music, shaking her hips and bumping her rump like those dancers you see in videos from Rio¡¯s Carnaval.


    With every little flip of her amazingly toned butt the hem of the T shirt flipped up tantalizingly, but never quite as high as I¡¯d wished. Still, it was completely hypnotic and all I could do was to stare dumbfounded, swallowing repeatedly as my mouth watered at the sight.


    Eventually Angela spun around as part of her dance and saw me standing there with the bunch of flowers in my hand like an idiot . She let out a sort of squeak of surprise, clapping her hand to her mouth. Recovering quickly, she hit the mute button on the remote and came over to give me a kiss hello.


    ¡°Sorry that was so loud,¡± she said after I handed her the flowers.


    ¡°If it gets you to dance like that, I am one hundred per cent O.K. with it,¡± I told her as I followed her into the kitchen. She hunted around for a bit for a vase for the flowers, partially filling it with water before sticking the flowers in it and arranging them to best effect.


    Leaning back against me, she said, ¡°They¡¯re beautiful. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady,¡± I said, bending down to nuzzle the back of her neck while my hands found their way up under the hem of the shirt and onto her bare hips, confirming there were no panties there.


    Her hair was damp, and smelled like that French shampoo that Emmy preferred. ¡°Just out of the shower?¡± I asked, continuing to nuzzle as Angela tilted her head to give me better access.


    ¡°I just¡­ finished my workout,¡± she said, moaning a little bit as I nibbled her earlobe.


    ¡°We should go out and do something tonight,¡± I suggested, continuing my gentle assault on Angela¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Go¡­ out?¡± Angela asked, her breath hitching.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t get dressed and go out and do something, I¡¯m going to set you up on this counter here and absolutely ravish you until you can¡¯t see straight.¡±


    ¡°You,¡± she said, breathing hard, ¡°say that like it¡¯s a bad thing. And anyway, ¡®straight¡¯ is not how I¡¯ve been doing anything recently, anyhow.¡±


    Chuckling at that, I slid my hands up to Angela¡¯s waist, enjoying the feel of her well-defined obliques under my hands. Angela had leaned her head back onto my shoulder, making little sounds of pleasure as I continued to caress her body and kiss under her ear.


    Just as my fingertips found their way up to the underside of Angela¡¯s breasts, causing her to writhe with pleasure, a loud, vigorous knock on the front door interrupted our activities.


    ¡°Mi¨¦rcoles! Puta madre!¡± Angela exclaimed in surprise and consternation at being interrupted.


    ¡°Who the fuck can that be?¡± I asked, dropping the hem of Angela¡¯s T shirt down and checking to make sure it covered everything before I answered the door.


    Checking the little security monitor screen by the front door, I saw a large guy with dark hair standing there.


    Not knowing who it might be, I opened the door, ready for anything.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you,¡± the guy said. ¡°But Joey downstairs said Angela was staying with you guys while I was, well, going through some issues?¡±


    ¡°You must be Antonio,¡± I said, waving him in. I glanced back to the kitchen and saw that Angela had vanished, presumably hiding from her ex-boyfriend.


    ¡°Nice place you¡¯ve got here,¡± he said, looking around as I led him to the living room and indicated he take a seat on the couch while I sat in the armchair opposite.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied. ¡°But I can¡¯t really claim credit. We¡¯re renting the place furnished.¡±


    ¡°You rent?¡± Antonio asked, surprised.


    ¡°Just until the remodel on our house is completed,¡± I said, making small talk. ¡°So what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s- I need to talk to Angela. I¡¯m really sorry about everything that happened, you know? I just want to see if maybe we¡­ Maybe I can somehow get things straight with her, you know?¡± he said, clearly nervous.


    ¡°Hey, Tony,¡± Angela said as she entered the room. She still had on my T shirt, but she¡¯d thrown on a pair of pajama shorts to go with it and was using a towel as if she was finishing drying off after a shower. ¡°Hey, Leah, I didn¡¯t hear you come home,¡± she said to me as she sat on the love seat perpendicular to the seats Antonio and I were occupying.


    ¡°Angie, baby,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    ¡°Do you two need some privacy?¡± I asked, hoping that Angela would want me to stay.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Antonio replied, obviously unsure of his footing.


    ¡°Leah, if it¡¯s O.K. with you,¡± Angela said, and I took it to mean that she did want privacy.


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± I replied. ¡°Tony, can I get you something to drink? A bottle of water, maybe a Coke?¡± I asked as I rose.


    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m good,¡± he said, waving it away.


    I wasn¡¯t getting any danger signs from Tony, but I kept the two of them in view out of the corner of my eye when I went out on the balcony and opened my laptop to pretend to do some work.


    I¡¯d shut the glass door to give them privacy, so I couldn¡¯t hear the two talk. Honestly, my biggest fear was that he¡¯d succeed in talking her into coming back to him, not that he¡¯d get violent. Although Angela had only been in our lives for a short while, I didn¡¯t want her to leave, and I was sure Emmy didn¡¯t, either. That said, Angela¡¯s life was hers to lead, and if she did decide to give Antonio another shot, well, that was our loss.


    The two talked for quite a while, and when they both stood Angela gave Antonio a hug before he left, his shoulders slumped.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Angela said when she joined me in the balcony living room.


    ¡°Sorry that he came to try to make it up to you?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Well, I mean, sorry that he ruined our afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Has he? We can still go out,¡± I said.


    ¡°You were serious about going out?¡± Angela asked. ¡°I thought you were just going to take me on the kitchen counter,¡± Angela said, grinning slyly.


    ¡°Taking you on the kitchen counter certainly seems like a good plan,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I did really want to get out and do something this evening. You can sit on my face after we get home again.¡±


    ¡°I like that idea,¡± Angela replied, her grin getting more mischievous. ¡°I¡¯ve come to realize that the whole face-sitting thing is even better than advertised.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is pretty good, isn¡¯t it?¡± I laughed.


    Turning serious, Angela said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell Antonio about us. He didn¡¯t ask and I didn¡¯t feel like telling him.¡±


    Figuring Angela wanted to tell me something more, I just nodded for her to continue.


    ¡°He¡¯s not a bad guy, really,¡± she said, twisting her long hair in her hand nervously. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t want to hurt him, to know I¡¯ve moved on, you know?¡±


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t that you were hiding that you were involved with another woman? Two women?¡± I corrected myself.


    ¡°No, but he doesn¡¯t need to hear that, either,¡± she said, looking away. ¡°He¡¯s just, you know, been through some really rough stuff, and telling him that I¡¯ve found somebody else, somebody better for me, somebody who loves me more, well, that would just be, um, piling on, you know? One more kick while he¡¯s down.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said, scooting my chair out and patting my lap. Angela got the none too subtle hint and sat down sideways on my lap. I pulled her in close and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ¡°It was kind of you to think about his feelings like that,¡± I said softly. ¡°It says something about your gentle heart that you didn¡¯t just tell him to get lost.¡±


    ¡°I kind of did,¡± Angela said, leaning against me. ¡°I told him that it was good while it lasted, but that his betrayal of my trust and hiding things from me¡­ That was too much, and we could never have a future together after that.¡±


    Suddenly, with those few words, all the stuff that Emmy had been dodging talking about sprang to my mind.


    ¡°Emmy and I have secrets, too,¡± I said, looking Angela right in her wide, guileless blue eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to find the right time to tell you some things, but every time I bring it up, something always seems to come up and we never actually get to talk.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°In the bath a few days ago, you said we needed to talk, but you wanted to wait for Emmy,¡± Angela said, proving that she had been paying attention.


    ¡°Most of it has to do with Emmy, so really, it¡¯s hers to tell,¡± I said. ¡°But I kinda get the impression that she has been avoiding talking about it, and I¡¯m pretty sure I know why. But it isn¡¯t fair to you to keep things from you, things that might have a real impact on your life, too,¡± I said, trying to convey to Angela that I wanted to be open and honest.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Angela asked, puzzled, but not worried.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s really Emmy¡¯s to tell you. It¡¯s not right for me to tell you the things that are her story, you know? But I can tell you the things about me that you really should know. I hope that your feelings for Emmy and me will still, I don¡¯t know, that you¡¯ll still want to be with us after we¡¯ve told you everything,¡± I said, holding her close, hoping I wasn¡¯t ruining everything.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been selling drugs, have you?¡± Angela asked in a jokey tone, trying to lighten the discussion.


    ¡°No, no drugs,¡± I said. ¡°My business is exactly what it claims to be. I do real estate investment and management, along with a few other completely legal and legitimate fields,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°Pretty boring stuff, really.¡±


    Stroking Angela¡¯s firm thigh, I took a moment to think about how I was going to say what I needed to tell Angela.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I finally said. ¡°The background is for Emmy to tell you, and it isn¡¯t right for me to share her secrets, even if some of them really aren¡¯t secrets any more-¡±


    ¡°Like the Night Children stuff?¡± she asked, trying to understand what I was hedging about.


    ¡°She told you?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°She told me about her people, and that her family is royalty among their kind, and they view her, and you, as their queens here in the States,¡± Angela said. ¡°You told me to ask about why she¡¯s a night owl, after all.¡±


    ¡°O.K., well, so that¡¯s the background. Did she tell you she¡¯s Moon Kissed?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Angela replied, not knowing what I was talking about.


    ¡°That¡¯s something for her to tell you,¡± I said. ¡°Make sure you ask directly, otherwise she¡¯ll try to ignore the subject.¡±


    ¡°Moon kissed?¡± Angela asked for confirmation.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Ask her point-blank,¡± I said. ¡°So that¡¯s the second part of what she really has to explain to you.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re worried that it¡¯ll make me stop loving her?¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t that. It¡¯s something that might affect your life down the road, something you should know if we¡¯re going to be a family of three for the long-term,¡± I said.


    ¡°O.K., I¡¯ll ask her,¡± Angela said, kissing me on the forehead. ¡°You said something may make me not want to be with you, but that isn¡¯t it,¡± she reminded me.


    ¡°Well, the Night Children thing is background, and important for the next part,¡± I said, thinking about how to say it. ¡°The thing about us being the queens? Well, it¡¯s a work in progress,¡± I said. ¡°Not all the Night Children want us as their queens, and we¡¯ve been slowly bringing all of North America under our, um, rule, I guess, as far as the Night Children are concerned. We started in the Bay Area, and have been expanding north and south, then east. That meeting we had in Chicago? That was Emmy and me consolidating our control in that region.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it was at night,¡± Angela nodded, putting the pieces together. ¡°Alright, so you guys are, um, expanding your, um, kingdom,¡± she said.


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed. ¡°And here¡¯s the part you might not like, and this is more my story than Emmy¡¯s, so I feel O.K. telling you this part. Not all the Night Children have been welcoming of their new overlords.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Angela asked, turning to face me head-on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had to use force on occasion,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna tell you all the details if you want, but trust me when I say that our¡­ dominion has been good for all those that have accepted us as their queens. I¡¯ll introduce you to some Night Children who would tell you exactly that. But in a few places, we¡¯ve come up against local leaders that were, well, real assholes to their local Night Children, and didn¡¯t want us moving in on their turf.¡±


    ¡°And this led to violence,¡± Angela said, understanding what I was getting at.


    ¡°We never want violence,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s happened a few times, yeah,¡± I said.


    ¡°Leah, I¡¯m from Colombia,¡± Angela said. ¡°Most of my life, groups like FARC and M-19 have used violence against the people to get their way, politically, and government-backed paramilitares like Autodefenso do the same thing. I¡¯m no stranger to these things. My uncle was killed by the ELN for speaking out against them.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve got a different perspective than most here in the US.¡±


    Angela shrugged. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that you have your own paramilitares?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so, but that¡¯s not mostly it,¡± I said. ¡°Mostly our groups go into new areas, find the local Night Children and offer them jobs and housing, trying to give them better lives than they¡¯ve had up ¡¯til now. That¡¯s actually how I got started in the real estate business, trying to find places for the Night Children who joined us to live.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± Angela said. ¡°And I think I understand what you¡¯re trying to tell me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been responsible for people dying, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯ve had to have people killed,¡± Angela stated matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± I said, resigned to whatever may come from the admission. ¡°But I¡¯ve never attacked anybody first. Everybody that¡¯s died has been a result of them attacking us.¡±


    Looking me straight in the eye, Angela said, ¡°Promise me that,¡± she said. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ve never had anybody innocent killed.¡±


    ¡°I promise you,¡± I said, seriously. ¡°We¡¯ve never killed or even threatened anybody who just wanted to be left in peace and didn¡¯t want our leadership. We¡¯ve never harmed anybody who¡¯s spoken out against us or anything like that. The only people that have died were those that actually drew weapons against us first.¡±


    ¡°You swear,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I swear,¡± I said, holding up my hand, palm out.


    Seemingly satisfied, Angela said, ¡°You said this was your story more than Emmy¡¯s, but she¡¯s the actual Night Child¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m the, um, military leader, I guess,¡± I said, dancing on the inside that Angela was taking this so well.


    ¡°Have you ever had anybody tortured?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± I exclaimed.


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t ever torture anybody. If you do, we¡¯re over,¡± Angela declared. ¡°I knew a girl in school whose dad was tortured,¡± she said, a distant look in her eyes as she remembered back. ¡°Only evil people do that.¡±


    ¡°I one hundred per cent agree,¡± I said. ¡°Ange, we¡¯re the good guys in all this, I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°I want to meet some of these Night Children,¡± Angela declared. ¡°I want to talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Get dressed. We¡¯re gonna go out to dinner. Dress casual,¡± I suggested, giving her a little boost to get up off my lap.


    ¡°I know you''ve been wanting to tell me these things for a while now,¡± Angela said as she stood up. "You wanted to talk back in Chicago. Thank you for being honest with me.¡±


    ¡°Angela,¡± I said, giving her a hug. ¡°There¡¯s still more, but now you know the big part of it all.¡±


    Parking was hard to find by the brewpub in Venice, but eventually I found a spot almost half a block away. As we walked, Angela reached out and took my hand. This little gesture meant so much after all that I¡¯d told her earlier, making me think that she could accept Emmy and me for all that we were, not just the parts that she¡¯d seen so far.


    ¡°Ms Farmer!¡± the hostess said as she recognized me. ¡°Let me get a table ready for you.¡±


    ¡°The more private the better,¡± I said, "and quiet, too, if that¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Let me see what I can do,¡± she said as she scurried off while we waited.


    ¡°You eat here a lot?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°No, not a lot,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe four or five times, ever.¡±


    ¡°Then how did she know who you are?¡±


    ¡°I own the place,¡± I said.


    ¡°You could have led with that,¡± Angela said, rolling her eyes.


    The hostess came back, grabbed a couple of menus and the drink list and indicated that we should follow. She led us up to the rooftop patio, which was mostly deserted because of the cool evening ocean air.


    The waiter had followed, and he moved one of the propane heaters closer and lit it to provide us warmth. After introducing himself and taking our drink order, he said, ¡°You want me to send Marjorie up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be great,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, I just want her feedback on something.¡±


    When he left, Angela asked, ¡°Marjorie?¡±


    ¡°The manager,¡± I explained.


    Marjorie joined us a few minutes later, and I indicated she should sit. ¡°Thanks for taking the time,¡± I said. ¡°I only need a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to ask how Isaiah and Keenie are working out,¡± I said.


    ¡°Isaiah¡¯s great,¡± Marjorie said. ¡°He¡¯s always early to work, never complains, happy for extra hours, friendly- he¡¯s the whole package. In fact, I just gave him a raise last paycheck.¡±


    ¡°And Keenie?¡±


    ¡°She has a hard time getting here on time,¡± Marjorie said. ¡°She has to take the bus, and usually she¡¯s early, but sometimes, well, her bus ride is over an hour each way, you know? The days she gets here late, she always makes up the lost time, but it affects everybody else¡¯s schedule, too.¡±


    ¡°How is she as a worker?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s good,¡± Marjorie said. ¡°She¡¯s really shy, so she¡¯ll never make it as a server, but she¡¯s great in the back of the house.¡±


    ¡°Is either of them working tonight?¡±


    ¡°Isaiah is due to come in tonight, in about twenty minutes or so,¡± Marjorie said, checking the time on her phone.


    ¡°Can you have him come up to talk when he gets here?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to him for a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Marjorie replied, standing up. ¡°If you need anything else, just let Bradley here know,¡± she said, indicating the waiter who was standing just far enough away to give us privacy.


    ¡°You own this restaurant,¡± Angela said after Hunter took our dinner orders and left us alone. ¡°How does this have anything to do with real estate?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t, but it does have to do with giving people jobs,¡± I said. ¡°Most of the Night Children have never held real, steady jobs before we took them under our wings, and so I needed to find ways to give them work experience. Service work, like being a waiter or busing tables, is a great way to get them started.¡±


    ¡°You own this restaurant to give jobs to two Night Children?¡± Angela asked, amazed.


    ¡°Two for now,¡± I corrected. ¡°Maybe more in the future. Maybe Isaiah and Keenie will move on to other jobs, once they get enough experience. The thing is, places like restaurants have two advantages as far as employing Night Children is concerned. First, it¡¯s great job training. Second, it exposes the Night Child to a lot of strangers in a relatively safe environment, allowing them to get used to interacting with day walkers.¡±


    ¡°Day walkers?¡±


    ¡°People who aren¡¯t Night Children,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Originally, I wanted all the Night Children to have jobs during the day, you know? To get them used to the schedule the rest of the world follows. But it turns out, it¡¯s actually physically hard for a lot of them, so I¡¯ve kinda softened on that position. I encourage them to get day shifts, but if they have a hard time with that, well, restaurants, bars and nightclubs need people who can work late shifts.¡±


    ¡°You said you started the real estate business to make places for them to live, and now you¡¯re telling me you own restaurants and night clubs to give them jobs. That doesn¡¯t sound like the things an evil, um, warlord? would do.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, we¡¯re the good guys in all this,¡± I agreed. ¡°All we want is for the Night Children to have better lives.¡±


    ¡°Except for those you kill,¡± Angela said, teasing, telling me that I¡¯d been worried about spilling my dirty secret for nothing.


    ¡°Except for those I¡¯ve killed. But they deserved it,¡± I said, trying for a light tone.


    Hunter returned with our dinners about then, so we stopped talking and dug into the food. A little bit later Isaiah, a middle-aged Night Child man with short kinky hair, came to the table.


    Glancing around to make sure nobody could hear, he said, ¡°You wanted to speak with me, my queen?¡±


    ¡°Isaiah,¡± I said. ¡°Have a seat. I¡¯d like maybe ten minutes of your time, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Anything you say,¡± he said, sitting down.


    I introduced Angela, and asked Isaiah to tell her about what his experience as a Night Child in California had been like, before and after coming under our shadow.


    He explained that he was second generation, born in Los Angeles, but never had any legal papers since his parents had snuck into the country and he¡¯d been born outside a hospital. They¡¯d never stayed very long in any one place, always hiding. He¡¯d never had any formal education, but his parents had taught him the basics and he¡¯d more or less struggled by doing more or less the same thing his parents had.


    He¡¯d seen the posters that Michael¡¯s crew had put up and recognized that it was Night Child writing, but couldn¡¯t read them. Luckily, he¡¯d actually spotted one of the guys putting more posters up and had talked to him.


    ¡°Up to that point, I¡¯d never seen another Night Child showing their true face,¡± he said. ¡°Honestly, I found it shocking, so I had to talk to him, and he told me all about Queen Emmy and Queen Leah. I was so amazed that they were telling us to stop hiding- I can¡¯t even tell you how I felt. I was terrified by the idea, but so- so excited at the same time. The men I met asked if I want a better life, and I jumped at the chance, and now here I am.¡±


    ¡°Now your life is better?¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, yes,¡± Isaiah said. ¡°I have my own place, I actually have money of my own, I¡¯m making friends, and Queen Leah has gotten me legal papers, too, so I don¡¯t have to hide anymore. You don¡¯t know how- It¡¯s so much better now,¡± he finished, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Isaiah, besides working, what have I asked you to do to stay in my shadow?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, I take classes during the day,¡± he said. ¡°You told me I needed to learn the things that I should have been taught a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hide any more. I wear my face proudly now,¡± he said, getting at what I was asking.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I agreed. ¡°No more makeup, no more hiding what you are. Has it led to any problems?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Isaiah said, almost as if it surprised him. ¡°A lot of questions, but no problems.¡±


    "Marjorie told me that she¡¯s been extremely happy with your work,¡± I said. ¡°She said she gave you a raise.¡±


    ¡°I love Marjorie,¡± Isaiah said. ¡°She has been so good to me, and to Keenie. Anything I can do to make things easier for her, I¡¯m happy to do.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Isaiah,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to talk about. I want to say that I¡¯m really proud of what you¡¯ve been doing, and remember, as your queen, it¡¯s my job to make your life easier, too. If you need something, don¡¯t be shy about asking.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my queen,¡± he said, rising. Turning to Angela, he said, ¡°It has been my pleasure to meet you.¡±


    After he¡¯d left, Angela said, ¡°It was one thing to meet Emmy, and another to hear her tell me that there¡¯s a whole group of people like her, but to actually meet another one¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± I agreed, remembering the shock I¡¯d felt years before.


    ¡°What he said, about living the way he did- is that what it¡¯s like for them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for the most part,¡± I said. ¡°Their whole culture is based on hiding from day walkers. Very few have stable living conditions, and fewer still have economic stability. This is what Emmy and I are trying to bring to them.¡±


    ¡°So why are you fighting resistance?¡±


    Sighing, I leaned back and told Angela about Rahsett and his little petty tyranny of the Night Children in Vancouver, omitting quite a few details that Angela really didn¡¯t need.


    ¡°This is a lot like what was happening back home in Colombia,¡± Angela said. ¡°These bullies have their little area of control, and they don¡¯t want to lose it, even if it would be better for everybody, even them.¡±


    I shrugged and said, ¡°Well, people are people, anywhere you go.¡±

 Back Home Again

    The next day at class Li asked how the trip to New York had gone.


    ¡°It was great, other than the part where I got dragged to Fifth Avenue to do some shopping,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Dragged to Fifth Avenue to do some shopping? Oh, the horror!¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°Next you¡¯re going to tell me you were forced to do some sightseeing, too.¡±


    ¡°No, the sightseeing was my idea,¡± I said. ¡°We did a boat tour completely around Manhattan, and also went up to the top of the Empire State Building.¡±


    ¡°Ooh! I loved the Empire State Building when I visited when I was a kid,¡± Li enthused.


    ¡°Yeah, it was my third time up there, and I have to say, it never gets old,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Dang, Leah, I wanna be you when I grow up,¡± Li said, laughing.


    During the break between classes, Myles, Li and I made plans to work on the upcoming project together, and I offered to host. The plan was that they would come over to my place Saturday afternoon, maybe staying long enough for dinner. It wasn¡¯t until later, on the drive home, that it occurred to me that I was being inconsiderate.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said after a hello kiss. ¡°I invited a couple of classmates over to work on a class project on Saturday, but I really should have called and made sure it was O.K. with you first,¡± I apologized.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be O.K. with that? It¡¯s your house,¡± she said, her forehead wrinkled up.


    ¡°It¡¯s your house, too,¡± I said gently, holding her in my arms. ¡°It¡¯s your house, too.¡±


    Angela sighed and gave me a squeeze. ¡°I love it when you say things like that,¡± she said. ¡°It means a lot to me.¡±


    ¡°Angela,¡± I said, leaning back to look into her pretty eyes. ¡°It means a lot to me, too.¡±


    Sometimes Angela¡¯s face looked so innocent and young- like a teenager¡¯s- and the way she smiled at that moment was one of those times. Her shy little smile, her big, baby-blue eyes and the slight flush to her dimpled cheeks made her completely adorable. Objectively I knew she was several years older than me and had lived through a lot, but right then, she was my sweet little baby doll and all I wanted was to scoop her up and hold her in my arms, so I did just that.


    She squeaked with surprise when I lifted her up off the ground and crushed her body to mine, but relaxed into it and giggled with delight as I spun us around.


    ¡°I want you so much, Leah,¡± she said, breathless with laughter. ¡°I want you forever.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me nice and clean?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯d be great if you could scrub my back in the shower.¡±


    ¡°Ooh! I can do that!¡± Angela replied, leaning down and kissing me.


    In the shower, Angela said she¡¯d talked with Emmy earlier. ¡°She says she misses us already, and can¡¯t wait until we can get back next. I said that I would try to talk you into going next weekend, but I guess if you have to work on your school project, that won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°You could go,¡± I said as I lathered Angela up. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stick around LA just because I do.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Angela replied as she ducked her head under the spray to rinse off. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Emmy about it and see what she thinks.¡±


    Spooning in bed later, Angela asked, ¡°You really don¡¯t mind if I go to New York for the weekend?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t mind,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you, and of course I miss Emmy, too, but I¡¯m a big girl. I¡¯ll survive somehow.¡±


    ¡°You two are so amazing,¡± Angela said. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how you don¡¯t get jealous.¡±


    ¡°Do you? Get jealous, I mean. If you were here in Los Angeles and I was in New York with Emmy, would you be jealous of me?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°I¡¯d be jealous of both of you,¡± Angela replied after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°I¡¯d want to be there with you two.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure that actually answered the question I was trying to ask, so I rephrased it. ¡°I guess what I meant is whether you get jealous when I kiss or make love to Emmy. Do you feel¡­ like you wish you were there instead of me or her?¡±


    Angela thought about it for a while, eventually saying, ¡°No, I guess I don¡¯t feel like that. I want to be there kissing and making love to you both, but I don¡¯t feel bad that it¡¯s her you¡¯re kissing and not me.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly how I feel when you¡¯re in New York with Emmy. I wish I was there, holding you both, but I¡¯m not upset at all that you guys are holding each other. In fact, it makes me happy to know that you have somebody when I can¡¯t be there.¡±


    Angela was silent for a while, thinking about what I¡¯d just said. She pulled my arm in tighter around her middle, holding my hand in hers between her breasts.


    ¡°I am the luckiest girl in the world,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be,¡± I said, kissing her shoulder. ¡°Because I am.¡±


    The next night Andy and Jenna came over for dinner, keeping our Wednesday tradition alive. Andy said they couldn''t stay late since the team was flying to New Jersey first thing in the morning, but it was a nice evening anyway. Jenna still seemed a tiny bit uncomfortable with the idea that Angela and I were together in Los Angeles and Emmy was in New York, but Andy seemed to take it in stride with no issues.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    After they left, Angela said, ¡°You should have suggested they visit Emmy if they¡¯re going to be in the area anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think Jenna is going on the trip,¡± I replied as we cleaned up. ¡°I get the impression that it¡¯s team members and staff only on these things. Also, I think Jenna likes you, me, and Emmy, but I get the impression she might be a little, um, jealous? You know, she might not like the idea of Andy spending time with Emmy and nobody else around.¡±


    ¡°I think I can see that,¡± Angela said, after thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Even if nothing would ever happen, it¡¯s still¡­ inappropriate?¡± she said, unsure if she had the right word.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°I think that Jenna would be O.K. with me and Andy hanging out together, since we¡¯re more like, I dunno, cousins almost, but Andy did use to have a crush on Emmy.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. I could be wrong,¡± Angela said, sitting at the kitchen counter while I washed a few dishes. ¡°But I think Jenna doesn¡¯t have very many friends. Women friends, I mean, girls to just go out with.¡±


    ¡°Both of them pretty much said so. All their college friends left when they graduated, and Andy doesn¡¯t socialize much with the guys on the team, so she really doesn¡¯t know the WAGs, either.¡±


    ¡°WAGs?¡± Angela asked, unfamiliar with the term.


    ¡°Wives and girlfriends,¡± I explained. ¡°Usually used when talking about male sports figures.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really sexist,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Yeah, sports talk in general is pretty sexist. You wouldn¡¯t believe how many articles about me when I was playing mentioned that I¡¯m blonde and blue-eyed. They wouldn¡¯t think to bring that up about a guy player, but somehow, us female athletes, well, it matters that we¡¯re good-looking, too,¡± I said, and even I could hear the note of bitterness in my voice.


    ¡°But you are sexy and good-looking,¡± Angela protested.


    ¡°Thanks, but it shouldn¡¯t matter,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Do you think, um, David Beckham is as famous as he is because he¡¯s the greatest f¨²tbol player?¡± Angela asked. ¡°No, he¡¯s famous because he¡¯s a really good player and extremely handsome. There are dozens of players out there that are better, but not as handsome, so they don¡¯t get on the cover of GQ.¡±


    I laughed, because with a few words Angela had swept the feet out from under my high horse. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± I admitted. ¡°But it still shouldn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°It matters in life,¡± Angela said. ¡°Right or wrong, beautiful people get treated differently than plain people.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, you beautiful person,¡± I said, moving around behind Angela to wrap my arms around her. ¡°I was thinking maybe, if you don¡¯t go to New York this weekend, we could do something fun. Maybe drive up to Big Sur or something, you and me.¡±


    ¡°Is this a bribe to stay?¡± Angela asked, teasing.


    ¡°Ummmm¡­ Maybe? Is it working?¡±


    ¡°I thought you had friends coming over on Saturday?¡± Angela asked, rubbing her cheek on my encircling arm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll reschedule,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°If you¡¯ll be here this weekend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to do something fun,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°But can we do something local, here in Los Angeles? Nothing too hectic, just, you know, fun stuff here. So we can sleep in our own bed at night.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the planning up to you.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? I can plan the whole weekend, and we¡¯ll do it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sounds good,¡± I said, enjoying the look of excitement on Angela¡¯s face. I was happy enough that she wanted to do something local, since it seemed as if it had been go, go, go for a while and it¡¯d be nice to relax and, as she put it, sleep in our own bed at night.


    It also pleased me that she referred to it as ¡®our bed¡¯. Angela was rapidly growing more confident in her place in our household of three, and it occurred to me that letting her take the initiative for the weekend might mean more for her than I¡¯d thought it would. I''d have to keep that in mind going forward.


    The next morning, during a quick break in my workout routine, Josh the trainer came over to talk.


    ¡°Um, Leah, I hate to bring it up, but Angela is still listed as a guest,¡± he said, tilting his head in her direction. ¡°But she¡¯s here almost every day still. Is she, um, still staying with you until she gets on her feet?¡±


    ¡°What does ¡®guest¡¯ mean in this context?¡± I asked, wiping my forehead with my gym towel.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s only supposed to be able to use the gym three times a month,¡± he began. ¡°And some of the services are off-limits.¡±


    ¡°Who do I talk to about getting her listed as a resident? She¡¯s moved in with us permanently,¡± I said, not going in to any details beyond that simple fact.


    ¡°Well, uh, the front desk, I guess, and they¡¯d pass it on down to us here at the gym.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take care of that today,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± he said. ¡°I just wasn¡¯t sure.¡±


    "Seriously, I appreciate it. I thought I¡¯d cleared it up that she was living with us, but I guess somehow it slipped through the cracks. I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s sorted out. But in the meantime, yeah, she¡¯s a resident,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys were able to step up and help her out. She¡¯s a nice girl, and that was a terrible situation her boyfriend put her in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m really glad we could help, too. It¡¯s been really nice getting to know her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a sweet girl,¡± Josh agreed as we both looked in Angela¡¯s direction. She glanced up and caught us looking at her, and a big smile lit up her face as she waved hello from the other side of the gym. ¡°I hear her boyfriend had to sell his unit to cover legal costs.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t know the guy, but the few minutes I talked with him led me to believe he wasn¡¯t a terrible person, and I didn¡¯t want his life ruined.


    ¡°Drugs are bad, m¡¯kay?¡± Josh said in a terrible South Park imitation.


    My workout regimen was only ever half as long as Angela¡¯s, so I¡¯d already stopped by the front desk, then showered, gotten dressed and was chipping away on my schoolwork by the time Angela finished her routine.


    After a quick, sweaty kiss she was off to the bathroom for her own shower, and I returned to the report I was working on. A few minutes later, I completely lost my train of thought on the supply-chain analysis of an automotive start-up when Angela walked into the living room, completely bare-ass naked. They say that guys are more visually stimulable then women are, and that may be true- but a gorgeous, confident, nude woman will always be a sight that will set my loins on fire. Angela laid out a beach towel on the bit of the balcony that still got sun in the late morning and settled down on it to catch some rays, undoubtedly knowing the effect she was having on me.


    I know she didn¡¯t tan much, since she was paler than me by a long shot, but she was, after all, a swimsuit model and so had to have at least a bit of color.


    I completely gave up on my homework and just sat there, enjoying the view as Angela occasionally rotated to catch the sun evenly. I was grateful that Angela was providing me so much to look at, and not even feeling a tiny bit of guilt that I was shirking my assignment. Some things in life are more important than others, after all.


    After a while, Angela came in and saw me sitting idly, my laptop closed in front of me. She wedged herself in between me and the table, straddling my lap and resting her arms on my shoulders. ¡°Did you enjoy the show?¡± she asked, cheekily.


    ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact, I did,¡± I said, wrapping my arms around her and feeling the sun-heated skin of her back. ¡°That¡¯s a show I could watch over and over and never get bored.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of what we are going to do this weekend,¡± Angela announced.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have it all planned out. Your friends can come over on Saturday, after all. I¡¯ll make dinner. But you¡¯re mine Saturday morning, and all day Sunday.¡±


    ¡°Do I get any hints?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°There will be sexy times,¡± Angela responded.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± I asked, hoping the answer would be ''no''.


    ¡°Yes, we will do a few other things in between,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°You know, we can get a head start on those sexy times right now,¡± I suggested, leaning in and kissing the top of Angela¡¯s breast.


    Looking thoughtful, Angela said, ¡°Hmmm¡­ I guess we could¡­¡±

 Angelas Weekend

    At class that night I confirmed with Li and Myles that they were still planning on making it to our place on Saturday afternoon, and promised them that there¡¯d be a home-cooked dinner. Of course they both said yes, as any rational person does when presented with the chance for a free (and hopefully decent) meal. I think they were probably looking forward to seeing where I lived, since they both had this image of me as some sort of jet-setting gazillionaire. I didn¡¯t know if they knew I was married to Emmy De Lascaux, since it¡¯d never really come up, but maybe they did and were hoping to meet a real-life rock star, too.


    At work on Friday, Angela sent me a text asking when I was going to get home. When I asked why, she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t forget you''re mine this weekend, and this weekend starts when you get done with work¡±.


    Smiling, I texted, ¡°I see how it is. You just want me for my body.¡± Then, a moment later, ¡°I¡¯m OK with that.¡±


    A winking smiley face emoji was Angela¡¯s reply, so I sent, ¡°I¡¯ll be home by 5 or so¡±.


    ¡°C U then¡±, Angela sent back, with a kiss emoji.


    Thinking about how lucky I was to have two loving, beautiful women in my life, I sent Emmy a text to tell her I was thinking of her and I missed her.


    ¡°Angela told me you have a project for school you need to work on.¡±, Emmy replied a few minutes later. ¡°I miss you very much.¡±


    ¡°I miss you, too¡±, I sent back. ¡°I have to go to San Jose end of next week, but maybe I can come to New York for a couple of days afterwards.¡±


    ¡°I would love to see you¡±, Emmy sent back. ¡°Even if it¡¯s only for one or two days.¡±


    ¡°How much longer will you be in New York?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Another month, I think,¡± Emmy said. ¡°This album is taking ever so much more studio work than any we have done before.¡±


    ¡°Are you happy with what you¡¯ve done so far?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, very much. It is amazing! We are rising to a completely new level.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear it¡±, I said. ¡°Call me tonight when you head to bed. I want to hear your voice¡±, I sent. ¡°But I have to get back to work now. I love you and miss you¡±.


    ¡°I miss you, too, very much¡±, Emmy sent back as we finished our text convo.


    That made my day quite a bit better, and in my good mood the afternoon flew by and soon enough it was time to head on home.


    Jake caught me on my way out. ¡°Judging by that smile on your face, I¡¯d have to guess you¡¯re headed back to New York to see your wife again,¡± he joked.


    ¡°No, not this weekend,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just happy it¡¯s Friday, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, his tone making it clear he didn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Well, have fun,¡± he said. ¡°See you on Monday!¡±


    ¡°Have a good weekend, Jake,¡± I replied. ¡°But not too good. There is a cap on the employee legal aid plan.¡±


    Laughing, Jake said, ¡°I¡¯m not the one who drives like her ass is on fire.¡±


    ¡°What can I say?¡± I asked, shrugging.


    Angela met me at the door of the condo with a kiss and instructions to change into casual clothes. ¡°We¡¯re going out for dinner as soon as you¡¯re ready. Wear jeans or something like that.¡± Then, thinking about it for a moment, ¡°Those faded Levis of yours. I love the way they look on you.¡±


    Angela was wearing a very snug pair of gray stretch jeans with a few artful rips here and there, and some cute low-heeled ankle boots. She had on a sort of black long-sleeved top that left her midriff bare, all the better to show off her sculpted abs.


    Keeping in mind the way Angela was dressed, I wore the jeans she liked with a pair of Chuck Taylors, and a white T shirt and white denim jacket to finish it off. The weather was still warm, but it could get cool in the evenings, especially if we were going near the coast.


    As we left the condo Angela grabbed her black leather jacket, thinking the same thing I had, that the evening might cool off if we were out late.


    In the garage, I went to head to the X6, but Angela grabbed my hand and pulled me to her little convertible. ¡°I¡¯m driving tonight,¡± she announced, as if daring me to contradict her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to a ride in your new car,¡± I said, giving her hand a squeeze. This seemed to be the right answer, judging by the pleased smile I got in return.


    Instead of heading west towards Santa Monica, which I¡¯d somehow gotten into my mind as our destination, Angela drove us east on city streets all the way to Downtown. She parked in an unremarkable pay lot, and took my hand to guide me to our destination. We turned a corner and I took in the unexpected sights. This was an old part of Downtown that I¡¯d never seen before, the building fronts dating back to the early 1900s. Glancing around, I spotted the name of the building we were passing- The Bradbury.


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± I said, stopping short. Since we were still holding hands, this brought Angela to a stop, too. ¡°We have to check this place out,¡± I said, indicating the two sets of double doors in the building¡¯s entry.


    ¡°But we¡¯re going over there,¡± Angela protested, waving in the general direction of across the street.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be just a minute,¡± I said, pulling her along. ¡°I have to see the inside of this place.¡±


    The Bradbury was clean, the brickwork immaculate and the tile floors swept and mopped. ''Not at all like in Blade Runner,'' I mused as we walked into the central area of the ground floor and took in the several floors of cast iron handrails and support columns the building was famous for. Angela took a quick glance around and that was enough for her, but I wasn¡¯t in such a hurry to leave, imagining Roy Batty chasing Deckard up to the roof.


    Finally, I had my fill and we left, but I made a mental note to take Stephanie there some day when she was up in Los Angeles. She''d love seeing it.


    True to Angela¡¯s word, our destination was just across the street and a couple of doors down. I¡¯d heard people mention the Grand Central Market, but I¡¯d never visited the place before. It was fairly crowded, mostly people from the many offices in the area getting something to eat after work. Angela knew where she was going and led me straight to the Latin American spice shop, where she quickly selected a few things and paid for them before I could even offer. Another stop got her some veggies and fruits from the produce stand, and then her shopping was done.


    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Angela asked. ¡°My favorites here are the ramen place, the pupuseria, and the Texas barbecue.¡±


    ¡°Pupu what?¡± I asked as Angela tugged me along.


    ¡°Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador,¡± Angela said. ¡°They¡¯re a bit like a cross between a tamale and a tortilla. Sort of.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try that, then,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m always up for something new.¡±


    The line was surprisingly long, which I viewed as a good sign. As we neared the order counter, I scanned the menu board. ¡°How big are they? I mean, is one enough? Should I order two?¡±


    ¡°Two,¡± Angela replied, decisively. ¡°If it isn¡¯t enough, we¡¯ll try something else, if you¡¯re still hungry.¡±


    Figuring that was a solid plan, I ordered one carne asada and one pork and cheese, while Angela selected two with chicharron.


    ¡°Chicharron- isn¡¯t that pork rind?¡± I asked, a little bit intrigued and a little bit horrified.


    ¡°Usually,¡± Angela replied. ¡°But I think here they use, um, bellies of porks? Not the skin?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pork bellies,¡± the guy behind the counter confirmed. ¡°All the taste, but not nearly the grease.¡±


    ¡°You can try a taste of mine,¡± Angela said as we stood aside to wait for our order.


    Looking around the crowded aisles of the large indoor market, it struck me that nobody was staring in our direction. Sure, we¡¯d get the occasional glance, or a quick once-over or slightly longer lingering appraisal, but none of the outright staring that I¡¯d grown used when out in public with Emmy. The people checking Angela and I out were merely looking at two young women. Maybe Angela was prettier than most, and I was definitely taller than most men, let alone other women, but that just made us slightly interesting. Emmy, on the other hand, stood out in any crowd and captured everybody¡¯s attention. When we were younger that was purely as a result of her looks, but now that she was a famous celebrity, it only made it that much more of a constant.


    With Angela, though, I felt almost invisible, and it was a strange but welcome feeling. Nobody was asking for selfies, or wanted to talk about how much whatever song meant to them, or anything like that.


    When our order was ready we found a table in a sort of dining hall up a short flight of stairs from the main market. Looking out the big, open doors to one side, I spotted that famous old angled train. ¡°I wish that thing still ran,¡± I said, pointing at the lower train platform. ¡°It did when I was a kid, but we didn¡¯t come up to LA very much and I just don¡¯t think it was ever on Mom¡¯s radar.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a much bigger, more modern one of those in Bogot¨¢,¡± Angela said, looking where I was pointing. ¡°In Castellano it¡¯s called a funicular.¡±


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the same word in English,¡± I said as we sat down. ¡°If that one was still running, it would have been fun to ride.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they will fix it and we can all three ride it sometime in the future?¡± Angela said with a shrug.


    ¡°It¡¯s a date,¡± I said, smiling at the thought that Angela was planning on a future with Emmy and me. Sure, she¡¯d said as much, but it was the little unconscious confirmations of the commitment that I found very reassuring. We¡¯d jumped into the whole ¡®household of three¡¯ thing really fast, but I was becoming more and more comfortable with the idea that it could work out long-term.


    I noticed Angela kept checking her watch as we ate, so I asked her, ¡°Are we on some sort of schedule?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯re doing fine,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°No hurry.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s next on the agenda?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise,¡± Angela said. ¡°I hope you like it.¡±


    ¡°Well, this was a surprise,¡± I said, indicating the market and the pupusas. ¡°And I¡¯ve enjoyed all this so far.¡±


    ¡°I have a whole weekend planned out,¡± Angela said. ¡°And you promised I get to pick what we do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did, and so far it¡¯s been great," I said, giving her a thumbs-up.


    After we finished the pupusas (which were pretty much as Angela had described- like a really thick corn tortilla stuffed with whatever ingredients inside, or maybe a disk-shaped tamale) we went back downstairs for some ice cream cones.


    Walking back to the car, I asked Angela how she¡¯d ever found out about the Market.


    ¡°When Antonio and I first moved here to Los Angels from Miami, I bought a guidebook,¡± she said, but I had a hard time paying attention to anything but the sight of her pink tongue delicately licking the ice cream. How ridiculous was it that I was getting turned on by a sugary dessert?


    ¡°Since I had nothing to do during the days but work out, that left me plenty of time to use the book to explore while Antonio worked,¡± Angela continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a great idea,¡± I said as I finished off my cone. ¡°Do you still have the book?¡±


    "Yes, and my plan for Sunday is to check off something I¡¯ve wanted to do for a while now,¡± she answered, tossing the rest of her cone into a trash can as we passed. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Once again, Angela didn¡¯t tell me where we were going, and getting on the 101 North really didn¡¯t narrow it down much until she got off the freeway at the Sunset exit but turned north and then west on Hollywood Boulevard. As we made our way west past the Capitol Records Tower, I pointed out the giant record store on the left.


    ¡°See that place?¡± I asked. ¡°Back in high school, Emmy took me and a couple of our friends there. She spent thousands of dollars on CDs that day,¡± I said. Remembering back, I said, ¡°Some porn photographer tried to get her to pose for him.¡±


    Looking at the front of the store, since we were stopped at the light, Angela¡¯s brow wrinkled. ¡°He was trying to get a school girl to pose?¡± she said, appalled.


    ¡°Yeah. Emmy was real polite to the guy- took his business card and everything. The name of the guy¡¯s studio was ¡®The Cathedral¡¯ or something like that,¡± I said as we pulled away.


    ¡°Maybe ¡®The Abbey¡¯?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± I said, shrugging.


    ¡°David Abbott is a world-famous photographer,¡± Angela said. ¡°He does some nudes, but he¡¯s not porn- if that was him.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, Emmy might still have the guy¡¯s card, for all I know,¡± I said, pulling out my phone for a search. I found David Abbott¡¯s wikipedia page, and sure enough, he did seem to be some sort of big deal in the art photography world. Sure, a lot of his pictures seemed to be sexy women, but just as many, if not more, were of street scenes, dancers, or portraits of what you would call ¡®ordinary people¡¯.


    I kind of regretted jumping on the ¡®Eww, he¡¯s a porn dude¡¯ bandwagon at the time. Maybe Emmy¡¯s bid for fame might have started earlier if she¡¯d actually contacted the guy five years back.


    As a result of focusing on my phone, I failed to notice that Angela had turned off Hollywood Boulevard and into an underground parking garage.


    It turned out to be that strange Classic Hollywood/Egyptian temple-themed shopping mall (yes, every bit as weird as it sounds), but that wasn¡¯t our destination. We walked right through it and onto Hollywood Boulevard again, smack dab in the middle of the area where all the people dressed like superheroes and such pose for photos. We brushed right by all of them, and almost immediately turned into the entry courtyard for the Chinese Theatre.


    I¡¯d never been there, but how could you not recognize it? Angela walked right up to the will-call window and got our tickets- as she¡¯d said, she had all this mapped out in advance.


    ¡°And here we are. We have to get popcorn. And sodas. And what are those chocolate candies? With mint inside?¡± Angela said as we neared the concessions counter. We were still early enough to miss the bulk of the crowds, so our line was short. Angela did as she¡¯d promised, and soon enough we had two Cokes, a giant tub of popcorn and a box of Junior Mints. Somehow this all made me feel like a kid again, out on a date. Secretly, inside, I loved it. Just going out and having ordinary person fun was so refreshing after so many years of limousines, thousand-dollar dinners and so on.


    The theatre was showing a re-run of the first Harry Potter movie, but in giant-screen Imax format, way bigger than life. I¡¯d never really been that much of a Harry Potter fan, but I didn¡¯t think the actual movie was the point. Angela picked us out a couple of seats in the middle towards the back, which kinda defeated the purpose of seeing the movie on such a ginormous screen, but again- I think the actual movie was secondary.


    The theatre was just as spectacular inside as the photos make it look, with the giant columns, the ornate ceiling thing (I don¡¯t even know what to call it), and the classic heavy curtains across the silver screen.


    Angela had flipped the armrest between our seats up and out of the way so we could cuddle, and that was perfectly fine by me. We ate our popcorn, drank our sodas, ate our Junior mints, and snuck kisses and did some groping. In between, we might have caught a bit of the movie, too.


    Yes, it was perfect. Angela had hit a home run on her first day of the weekend¡¯s plan, and I was looking forward to the next two days.


    But as it turned out, Angela wasn¡¯t done. ¡°If you think you might need to use the bathroom any time soon, now would be a good time,¡± she said as we exited the auditorium and into the lobby. ¡°There aren¡¯t any bathrooms where we¡¯re going next.¡±


    Back in the car, Angela plugged in yet another destination on her phone, and we were off again into the beautiful Hollywood night. She¡¯d dropped the car¡¯s top and the night air felt good, but I was glad for my denim jacket.


    Angela steered us north into ever-smaller Hollywood Hills streets, bypassing a set of road barricades that said ¡°Locals Only¡±. Eventually she found a parking spot and put the top back up. She grabbed a little backpack from behind the seat and handed me a flashlight.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any street lights,¡± she explained as we ducked through a small gap in a stucco wall and went around a locked gate. I¡¯d figured out by this point that we were walking up to see the Hollywood sign up close, but Angela directed us away from the hiking trail, keeping us on the paved access road.


    ¡°This is better,¡± she said, and who was I to disagree? Clearly she¡¯d been there before, and I never had, so I was happy to leave it up to her.


    We passed a few other couples and small groups, mostly walking down from the top. Angela and I walked at a casual pace, hand in hand, not in any sort of hurry. The night was cooling off a bit, but even so, I was plenty warm with the exercise. The walk up the paved road was a bit over a mile, so about half an hour at strolling speed. The road led to the communications towers on the top of the hill, so we were actually looking down at the back of the sign rather than up at the front. Still, we had an incredible view, with the reservoir just to the right and Downtown off in the distance to the left. We stood there without speaking, just holding hands and admiring the view for a while.


    ¡°Thanks for bringing me up here,¡± I said at last, lifting Angela¡¯s hand so I could kiss her knuckles. ¡°This is really special.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± Angela said. ¡°I like it up here a lot, too.¡±


    I wrapped her up in my arms, her back to my front so we could both keep looking out at the view. After a while I said to Angela, ¡°You¡¯re going to have a hard time topping this evening. The next couple of days will have a hard time measuring up to this.¡±


    She leaned her head back against my shoulder and smiled up at me in the moonlight. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve enjoyed this, tonight. I have one more big surprise for you when we get home, and I hope you, um, I hope you like it,¡± she said, faltering a bit, unsure of herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I will,¡± I assured her, giving her a squeeze, getting a contented sigh in return.


    Just as we were about to start down, my phone rang with an unusual ringtone, which I quickly recognized as a FaceTime call.


    ¡°Hey, Emmy!¡± I said as I answered the video chat. "I don¡¯t know if you can see this through the phone, but we¡¯re up above the Hollywood sign!¡± I said, turning the camera around to show her the view.


    ¡°That is beautiful!¡± Emmy explained. ¡°Angela told me about her plans for this weekend. I am glad it is working out.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Em!¡± Angela said when I turned the camera on her. ¡°We miss you!¡±


    ¡°I miss you two very much, also,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I wish I could have gone up there with you two.¡±


    ¡°We can come back up here when you get back to LA,¡± I said. ¡°I guess Angela comes up here a lot.¡±


    ¡°I love it up here,¡± Angela confirmed.


    ¡°I am enjoying being here,¡± Emmy said, ¡°But I do miss Los Angeles. There is a feeling of space there that is completely missing here. And of course, I miss being with you.¡±


    We continued chatting as we walked back down the road to where we¡¯d parked, mostly about how the recording was going, and about how Lee was such a taskmaster, making sure everything was absolutely perfect. Emmy and Jackson didn¡¯t resent it, she was quick to point out, but it was very tiring.


    When we got back to the car we said we loved Emmy and couldn¡¯t wait to see her. Angela apparently had made plans to fly to New York on Tuesday, which made sense since I wasn¡¯t going to be home much for the rest of the week. I promised that I¡¯d see if I could bolt out of San Jose on Friday night, too, and with that, we hung up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind I¡¯m leaving early for New York, do you?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Of course not, Ange. But thanks for staying here with me this weekend. This has been a lot of fun.¡±


    We were quiet on the drive home, each lost in our own thoughts. That was fine, it was nice and companionable nonetheless. I had my left hand on Angela¡¯s leg, feeling the muscles shift and tense as she drove. Angela wasn¡¯t a particularly fast driver, nor reckless, but she did seem to feel that traffic laws were merely vague suggestions that held little bearing on how one should behave behind the wheel. I chalked it up to her South American upbringing- just another one of her many charms.


    Back at the condo, Angela told me to wait in the living room while she got my present from her room (which was, at this point, just for storing her stuff that she hadn¡¯t unpacked yet).


    She came out with a large, flat package wrapped in unmarked kraft paper. Shyly, she handed it to me and I could tell from the feel what it was, but I was surprised anyway when I peeled the paper off.


    Angela had enlarged and framed a print of the photo I had taken that night, over a month before- the one of her nude, leaning forward against the railing of the balcony with the city lights in the distance. She was looking back over her shoulder at the camera, and the light from the fireplace to one side made her stunning curves somehow mysterious and tantalizing, rather than explicit.


    It was a truly amazing photo, and I could hardly believe that I¡¯d gotten so lucky to have taken an image of that quality.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Angela asked, self-consciously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t just like it,¡± I said, ¡°I absolutely adore it. This is amazing, Ange. I have one question, though- is this for me in specific, or for Emmy and me?¡±


    ¡°Um, well, for you, I guess? Why? Does it make a difference?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just for me, I¡¯m going to take it to San Jose and put it up in the bedroom there, so I have something to look at when I¡¯m up there by myself,¡± I answered.


    Angela smiled at that, pleased that I appreciated the gift so much. And really, I did. It was unbelievably sexy, but elegant and artistic at the same time. It certainly was classy enough for public display and wouldn¡¯t look out of place in a fine art gallery, but this was for my personal enjoyment alone.


    Setting the picture aside, I swept Angela into my arms and gave her a big thank-you kiss, and she hugged me back with enthusiasm. Angela¡¯s muscles weren¡¯t merely window dressing, either- she had a really nice and strong hug when she wanted to.


    Since it was late and we were both fairly tired, we took a quick shower instead of a soaking bath that night. We still had a little bit of soapy fun and still took the time to towel each other off, but it was clear we both just wanted to climb into bed and snuggle until we fell asleep.


    I¡¯d learned that Angela loved being the little spoon, and since I was a good eight or nine inches taller than her it worked out well. I loved the feeling of holding her in my arms, too, so it was a win for everybody involved.


    Once we¡¯d settled into our comfy positions, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the plan for the morning?¡±


    ¡°We sleep in,¡± Angela murmured, already drifting off. ¡°No workout tomorrow. Then we meet your car friends in Malibu.¡±


    That was fine with me- It had been a few weeks since I¡¯d gotten our with the crew, and I liked that Angela enjoyed riding with me when I drove.

 Angelas Weekend, Part Two

    The next morning I woke up before Angela and took the opportunity to watch her while she slept. She was dreaming, her eyes visibly moving under her closed lids. The play of emotions across her face, from the slightly furrowed brows of a frown, then a wrinkled nose, and finally a soft smile kept me totally entranced. Angela¡¯s face was the metaphorical open book, and in her case, an easy to read book with big, colorful illustrations.


    When she moved and the comforter slid down, tantalizingly exposing the top of her pale pink right nipple and the two little tiny bits of gold there, it was almost too much. I wanted to kiss her, touch her, make love to her, but that wouldn¡¯t have been right. Not the whole consent issue- I wasn¡¯t worried about that, but rather waking her from whatever dream she was having. She needed her sleep, and as much as I wanted to wake her with a kiss, I let her dream on undisturbed instead.


    I must have watched her sleep for nearly an hour before she woke up. To my mind, this was not time wasted- no, I could hardly think of a better way to spend an early Saturday morning than watching one of the women I loved resting peacefully.


    Of course, I¡¯d watched Emmy sleeping a number of times, so the difference between the two was striking in that regard. When Emmy slept, she was almost perfectly motionless, hardly moving at all the entire night. Angela, in contrast, shifted around a fair bit, moving from her side, to her back, the other side, and so on. When Emmy dreamed, too, the movement of her eyes was visible, but no change of expression on her face ever happened. Her features were as still and composed as a mask, unlike Angela¡¯s, which were highly mobile while she dreamed.


    When Angela did waken, she looked up at me and jolted in surprise. ¡°Co?o!¡± she yelped. ¡°How long have you been watching me?¡±


    ¡°I love to watch you sleep,¡± I said, leaning down for a kiss. ¡°I could watch you all night. You¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°What time it is?¡± Angela asked, glancing at her watch. I¡¯d noticed that she wore that pink Cartier watch whenever she could, only taking it off for her workouts and when she bathed.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early,¡± I reassured her.


    ¡°Then come here and wake me up properly,¡± Angela demanded, lifting the covers so I could slide right next to her.


    I slid into her waiting arms and gave her another kiss, but longer and deeper this time. ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± I said when we parted.


    ¡°Now that is the right way to wake a girl up,¡± Angela sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan for today?¡± I asked after another kiss.


    ¡°We go driving with your friends in the morning, have lunch with them instead of leaving early. After that we come home and relax until your university friends get here. I¡¯m going to make dinner, and then, after they go, we go out dancing.¡±


    ¡°All that sounds good for me, but not a lot of fun for you,¡± I said. ¡°I thought this was going to be your weekend?¡±


    ¡°I like riding along when you drive, so that will be fun. I like your car friends- well, at least Stephen and Teddy Bear. That loud Chinese guy, he¡¯s at least funny,¡± Angela said. ¡°And I like cooking sometimes, and I haven¡¯t had a chance to make you a real home-cooked Colombian meal. Back home, it would be lunch, but here in the US we eat our big meal at dinner, so...¡± Angela said, in between little kisses. ¡°And dancing- we haven¡¯t been dancing, you and me. I love to dance, and so we¡¯ll go out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a very good dancer,¡± I warned. ¡°Really, you should go dancing with Emmy. She¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°I did, in New York,¡± Angela said. ¡°We went out with Jen and Lee and Mia. Emmy is a great dancer! It was a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t promise to be as much fun as Emmy on the dance floor,¡± I said, wishing I¡¯d been there to see the two dance together.


    ¡°It will be great,¡± Angela replied. ¡°But we can¡¯t stay out too late. We have to get up early Sunday morning.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening on Sunday?¡± I asked, kissing Angela¡¯s neck.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting up early,¡± she replied, moaning with pleasure. ¡°That is all I will tell you.¡±


    ¡°We should get moving fairly soon,¡± I said as I kissed my way down Angela¡¯s collarbone. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here in bed too long.¡±


    ¡°Just long enough?¡± Angela said, hopefully, arching her back.


    ¡°Maybe not even quite long enough,¡± I said, giving her one last, long kiss on the top of her right boob. ¡°Not quite long enough at all,¡± I said, ruefully, sitting up. I did give her a quick little squeeze between the legs, pleased to discover that Angela was just as turned on as I was.


    ¡°You are so mean!¡± Angela exclaimed, frustrated. I just sat back and gave her a big smile.


    ¡°Ange, baby,¡± I said. ¡°Wear a short skirt when we go driving.¡±


    Angela¡¯s eyes opened wide as a smile spread across her pretty face. ¡°I can do that,¡± she promised. She threw the covers off and just lay there for a moment, letting me take in her perfect, and perfectly naked body. God, she was glorious. Unable to stop myself, I bent over and gave her one last kiss right on her belly button, getting a moan of pleasure in return.


    ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t go driving this morning,¡± Angela said, hopeful.


    ¡°Oh, no, we do,¡± I replied. ¡°But maybe we skip lunch with the guys.¡±


    True to her word, Angela wore a sexy short skirt along with a cross-wrap halter top, looking sexy as hell. Her whole outfit screamed, ¡®I¡¯m a model and I make this look good. You would never be able to wear this.¡¯


    ¡°Is this good?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than good,¡± I said, swallowing. ¡°Ange, you are thermonuclear hot.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± she said, her smile bright. ¡°Now let¡¯s go and drive way too fast!¡±


    Down in the parking garage, Angela pointed at the Aston. ¡°Let¡¯s take that one,¡± she said. ¡°I picked this top because it matches the color.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Good a reason as any,¡± as I opened the passenger door for her.


    I climbed in and fired up the big V-12 motor, careful not to set off any car alarms. I¡¯d done that a few times by accident when we first moved in, and didn¡¯t want to get yelled at again by the parking security guard.


    I quickly discovered the problem with the choice of the Aston- it was an old-school three-pedal manual, so I had to keep taking my hand off Angela¡¯s smooth, firm thigh as I drove. Very annoying. As good as the brushed aluminum (aluminium? After all, the car was English) shifter felt in my hand, Angela¡¯s warm, soft skin was more appealing.


    Strangely enough, Jimmy¡¯s red Ferrari wasn¡¯t at the meeting spot. When I asked Teddy Bear, he said the car was in the shop for something and Jimmy wasn¡¯t going to make it.


    ¡°Hi, Angela,¡± he said when she climbed out of the Aston Martin.


    ¡°Hi, Teddy!¡± she replied, her smile bright enough to guide aircraft. ¡°Is Stephen coming today?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Teddy said, a bit dumbstruck. ¡°He texted me to say he was on his way.¡±


    While they were chatting I wandered over to check out Stein¡¯s McLaren.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I replied. ¡°Is that exhaust new?¡±


    ¡°Heh. Good eye,¡± he said, looking under the back of the car. ¡°Just had it put on last week, but haven¡¯t gotten a chance to get it tuned yet. I think the car¡¯s running a little rich.¡±


    ¡°Said the millionaire,¡± I joked, getting a chuckle.


    ¡°You know Jimmy has been calling her,¡± he said, tilting his chin over at Angela, ¡°your side piece.¡±


    ¡°Jimmy,¡± I said with a shrug, as if it explained everything. Which it did, to Stein¡¯s satisfaction.


    ¡°I gotta say, it¡¯s one hell of a fucking flex, showing her around like that when everybody knows you¡¯re married to Emmy Lascaux. Most dudes never even come close to any chicks as hot as either one of ¡®em, and you¡¯ve got two,¡± he said. No judgement in his voice, just a bit of admiration at the way I rolled.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°What can I say?¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Chicks dig scars,¡± I said, pointing at my cheek.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s funny,¡± Stein said, sipping his gas station coffee. ¡°Sometimes you give off a real girl-next-door vibe, all wholesome and shit. Other times, I¡¯d swear Jimmy is right when he says you¡¯re a serial killer.¡±


    ¡°Why not both?¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Stein agreed with a laugh.


    Stephen and Geoff had pulled in to the parking lot while we were talking, so we walked over to where the group was chatting. It was Teddy Bear¡¯s turn to lead, which meant we¡¯d most likely get out and hit Angeles Crest, maybe Angeles Forest Road, too, and maybe Big T or some of those. I was happy with that, because I did feel a tiny bit guilty about hauling ass up and down the roads in Malibu all the time. Getting out in the back country meant we could stretch our legs a bit, while not terrorizing the housewives in their Audi Q7s.


    Sure enough, Little T was our first fun road of the day, followed by Sand Canyon, then Soledad to Angeles Forest.


    Since Teddy Bear was leading out our speeds weren¡¯t too elevated, but still fast enough to be fun, especially if I kicked the back end loose in the turns every now and then. Angela seemed to be enjoying it, smiling and whooping with delight when I¡¯d light up the tires and throw the car sideways.


    Taking a break at the Chevron in Canyon Country, Teddy Bear asked Angela what it was like to ride in my car.


    ¡°It¡¯s so much fun!¡± she said, her eyes wide. ¡°I love it!¡±


    ¡°Well, if you ever need to calm down off that adrenaline rush, you¡¯re welcome to ride with me any time,¡± he said, making a charming but clumsy play, completely unaware that Angela actually was my lover.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked Corvettes.¡±


    When it came time to get rolling again, Angela was sitting right beside me in my car, though, so poor Teddy Bear struck out.


    ¡°He is sweet,¡± Angela said as we pulled onto the road. ¡°But clueless.¡±


    I laughed at that, giving Angela a quick squeeze on her bare thigh. I¡¯d managed to sneak my hand up between her legs a few times while we were driving, giving her a quick little rub with the edge of my pinky, but that was the extent of it. Somehow in my mind I¡¯d worked up a fantasy of me fully fingering Angela while driving with my car guy pals, but it didn¡¯t actually work out that way at all. Well, that was O.K. as far as I was concerned. We were going to head back home, where she¡¯d hinted that she planned to have her way with me. I could wait.


    We skipped lunch with the boys, as Angela had suggested, but it turned out she had other plans than just jumping in bed.


    ¡°We¡¯re going down to the pool,¡± she announced when we got back to the condo. ¡°We¡¯ll get lunch down there, maybe spend a couple of hours, that¡¯s all. Then we¡¯ll come back up here and get ready for your friends.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± I agreed.


    Although Angela liked to lay out in the sun, her skin was really pretty pale because she was religious about sunblock. I was only too happy to help her apply it everywhere, making certain it was rubbed into her skin evenly. For my part, I smeared a little bit of SPF 15 on my face and shoulders and that was it. I¡¯d never had a problem tanning easily, and wasn¡¯t concerned about my suit leaving tan lines.


    Of course, there was a whole lot more to my racer-back two-piece than there was to Angela¡¯s very, very small hot pink bikini, too¡­


    Angela wore a halfway transparent oversized shirt cover-up and a cute straw hat on the way to the pool, while I had on a much less fashionable pair of shorts and T shirt. Of course she drew the looks as we found ourselves a table with an umbrella and ordered lunch. Angela knew it, too, and seemed to bask in the attention.


    Once we¡¯d finished our salads, we found a couple of lounge chairs and ditched our cover-ups. Of course, if Angela had people eying her before, it was nothing compared to the looks she was getting in her three-little-postage-stamps-connected-by-strings that called itself a bikini. I might as well have been invisible, relaxing in the next chair over.


    I wouldn¡¯t say the pool was crowded, but there might have been twenty people there that day. Our building¡¯s residents were mostly middle-aged, but there were a few younger people there at the pool, including one family with kids. Their boy, maybe twelve years old, just couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Angela at all, despite his mom¡¯s hissed instructions to stop staring.


    Angela wasn¡¯t bothered at all by this- in fact, I¡¯m pretty sure it was the whole point.


    After a while I got too hot from the sun, so I rinsed off in the pool-side shower and dove in the deep end. Now, I was never all that great a diver, but Stephanie had taught me how to do a nice pike without a diving board, so that had become my go-to when plunging into a pool that was deep enough for that kind of dive. I knew it looked impressive, especially with the elevation I could gain from my vertical leap and the length of my legs, and who doesn¡¯t love to show off a bit?


    Swimming a few laps, I spotted Angela sitting on the edge of the pool. When she saw that I¡¯d noticed her, she waved me over. Clinging to the concrete coping, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°That dive you did- that was amazing!¡± Angela exclaimed. ¡°You jumped so high! How can you even do that?¡±


    ¡°Genetics and training,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯ve seen my workouts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have, but seeing you jump up and down on a box is nothing like that!¡± she said, then slipped into the pool next to me. ¡°I want to watch you do it again, but from up close.¡±


    We swam to the deep end and I climbed out while Angela held onto the side of the pool. I glanced down to make sure she was watching, then turned my back to the pool. Smiling at Angela¡¯s gasp of surprise, I took my bounce and leapt as high as I could into a reverse pike. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but when I surfaced Angela was thrilled beyond belief.


    ¡°God, Leah! That was amazing! I didn¡¯t know you could do that!¡± she said, then let go of the wall and grabbed onto me as I treaded water. She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a big kiss as we sunk below the surface.


    Laughing and coughing as we emerged again, Angela continued on about how amazing it was when a voice said, ¡°Um, excuse me.¡±


    I looked up to see the pool attendant standing there.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s no diving,¡± he said. ¡°I understand that you obviously know what you¡¯re doing, but it¡¯s against the rules for a good reason.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s O.K.,¡± the guy said. ¡°Now you do.¡±


    Angela had a ¡®Busted!¡¯ guilty look on her face, which made me laugh. I leaned in for another kiss, fully conscious of the fact that we were definitely the center of attention for everybody there at the pool.


    I followed Angela to the broad, shallow step along one side, delaying my exit long enough so that her butt was right at my eye level for a few precious moments.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a cabana,¡± she suggested, and it sounded very good to me.


    I found the attendant and signed for one of the cabanas, most of which were available. Clearly paying attention and reading between the lines, he set us up with the cabana on the far right, farthest away from where most of the pool users were clustered.


    After toweling off a bit, Angela lay on the daybed on her tummy, arching her back just enough to present me with a perfect view of her amazing backside.


    I sat next to her and stroked her back.


    ¡°You know everyone is expecting us to pull the curtains shut and get busy,¡± I said, running my fingertips along her spine.


    ¡°Then we should do just that,¡± Angela purred swinging her raised feet back and forth.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said softly. ¡°Are you marking your territory? Is that what¡¯s going on today?¡± It had occurred to me that Stein had had it backwards that morning. It wasn¡¯t me doing the flexing- it was Angela.


    Thinking about my question for a moment, Angela said, ¡°I want everyone to know that you¡¯re mine. You¡¯re the one I want to be with. You, the most amazing, bravest, most-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it,¡± I said, pinching her butt. Glancing around and seeing that it would be difficult, if not impossible for anyone to get a good view of us, I slid my index finger down along the string that constituted the back of Angela¡¯s bikini bottom. Angela obligingly adjusted her legs a bit to give my hand room, which I was happy to take advantage of. I left her suit where it was and kept my fingers outside, just gently stroked the lycra that held her lady bits.


    ¡°Maybe we need to close the curtains now,¡± Angela groaned.


    ¡°No, sorry, babe,¡± I replied, removing my hand and giving her a gentle spank. ¡°I¡¯m not having sex here in public.¡±


    ¡°You are cruel,¡± Angela complained.


    Later, back in the condo, We made out for a little bit in the shower, but not really enough to satisfy either of us. ¡°Just think of it as foreplay,¡± I said.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re past that,¡± Angela said, looking frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s at least seven-play by now.¡±


    Angela dressed down after the shower. Instead of her more typical sexy outfits, she wore an old pair of jeans that weren¡¯t stretchy, ripped, or cut off in any way, and a Stanford T shirt she swiped from my dresser.


    I didn¡¯t mind her grabbing my old T shirts like that- in fact, I liked seeing them on her. Again, territory marking, in an adorable way.


    I was busy finishing up whatever last-minute details I could on our class project when Li arrived.


    ¡°Leah, this place is uh-may-zing!¡± Li said, emphasizing the ¡®may¡¯ part. ¡°So this is how the other half lives?¡± she asked, handing me a bottle of wine. ¡°I got that from Costco,¡± she explained. ¡°The sign said it was good- I know nothing about wine.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine. Costco wouldn¡¯t lie about a thing like that.¡±


    I indicated the table, where I had my laptop set up. Li got the hint and pulled hers out of her backpack and set it up opposite mine. I gave her the WiFi password and soon we had the two computers set up to collaborate.


    Angela came into the living room, so I introduced the two. ¡°Angela Castro, this is Li Quon. Li, this is Angela, my girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Angela said, smiling prettily.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, too,¡± Li said.


    Angela went back to the kitchen and Li and I sat down. ¡°Um, Leah, I kinda hate to ask, but how old is she?¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I know, right? Sometimes she looks like she¡¯s fifteen, and right now, wearing my T shirt, which is way too big for her, it really makes her look young. But she¡¯s actually four years older than me, if you can believe it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never have guessed,¡± Li said, wondering. ¡°She¡¯s really pretty.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is. Really sweet, too.¡±


    Thinking for a moment, Li gave me a puzzled look. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you flew to New York to see your wife?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said, enjoying seeing the cogs turn in Li¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Does, um, your wife know about your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°She should, since they were in bed together when I got to the house there in New York,¡± I said, doing my best to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Wait, what? This is gonna need some explaining.¡±


    ¡°Angela is both our girlfriend. She¡¯s the third part of our relationship.¡±


    ¡°You guys have some sort of poly thing going?¡± Li asked, her mind boggled.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just the three of us, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s an open relationship or anything like that,¡± I said. "So I guess technically poly, but I don¡¯t think any of us think of it that way.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Li breathed. ¡°So, like, right now your wife is in New York, and you two are here, right? And your wife is O.K. with that?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°Angela was with her in New York for a few weeks before I went back there, and she came back to LA with me. She¡¯s going back to New York to be with Emmy on Tuesday again,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°The only part that¡¯s awkward is the fact that Emmy and her band are recording in New York right now and I have work and school here. Angela has been trying to split her time to try to keep us both company, you know?¡±


    ¡°And she just flies back and forth in your private jet?¡± Li asked, still trying to wrap her brain around the whole thing.


    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t have a private jet,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°But if I did, then yes, that¡¯s how she would fly. If I did, which I don¡¯t.¡±


    Just then Myles knocked on the door. Angela let him in, and he joined Li and me at the table.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Myles asked, tilting his head in the direction of the kitchen.


    ¡°That¡¯s Leah¡¯s concubine,¡± Li said with a twinkle in her eye.


    ¡°What?¡± Myles asked, sure he hadn¡¯t heard right.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girlfriend, Angela,¡± I said. ¡°And yes, she¡¯s my wife¡¯s girlfriend, too. We have an, um, atypical relationship.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± he said, looking unimpressed.

 Dinner, Dancing And More

    ¡°She flies back and forth to New York on their private jet,¡± Li added, unhelpfully.


    Rolling my eyes, I asked, ¡°Hey, can I get you guys anything to drink?¡± as I stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks,¡± Li said.


    ¡°Nothing for me, thanks,¡± Myles replied as he set up his computer on the table.


    Just as I was about to head to the kitchen, Angela came out with a tray with four tall glasses on it. ¡°This is a popular drink in my country,¡± she said, setting one down for each of us, taking her own into her hand.


    I looked at the milky-looking drink with its slice of lime garnish skeptically, but took a sip anyway.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s good!¡± Li exclaimed. ¡°Very, um, coconutty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like lemonade, but with green limes, and coconut cream,¡± Angela explained. "It¡¯s very popular in Cartagena- they sell it everywhere.¡±


    It was borderline too sweet for me, but there was no way I was going to criticize it in front of guests.


    Myles took a polite sip, but barely touched his after that. Li, in contrast, finished off hers almost immediately and soon began eyeing Myles¡¯ full glass.


    In any case, soon we were in the thick of the school project and time passed quickly. When Angela came over and asked when we¡¯d be ready for dinner, I was surprised to see it was already seven o¡¯clock.


    Looking at the others for confirmation, I said that we could take a break any time. When Angela bustled back into the kitchen, Myles asked me, ¡°Isn¡¯t she a bit young for you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said!¡± laughed Li. ¡°But she¡¯s actually older than Leah!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, four years older than me, if you could believe that,¡± I agreed. ¡°She just has a really young face.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Myles asked.


    During dinner, which was a plate full of beans, sausages, rice and a fried egg and plantain, Myles casually mentioned it.


    ¡°Angela, Leah tells me you¡¯re actually older than she is,¡± he said, fishing.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like it,¡± sighed Angela. ¡°Leah is so very mature and has done so much with her life already, you know? It¡¯s hard to believe that I graduated from university the same year she finished secondary school.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your degree in?¡± Li asked, interested.


    ¡°Media communications. I attended the National University in Bogot¨¢. I thought I would be a television presenter,¡± Angela said, wincing at the memory.


    ¡°You¡¯d probably be good at it,¡± Li said. ¡°You¡¯re really pretty, have a great voice, and don¡¯t seem shy at all.¡±


    ¡°Why did you leave Colombia?¡± Myles asked, probably just to make small talk. I¡¯d never thought to ask, so I was curious.


    ¡°In university, there was a boy who was interested in me and didn¡¯t like to be told no,¡± Angela said slowly, thinking about how to explain. ¡°He became more and more insistent, and I began to worry that he might¡­ go too far.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t call the police on him?¡± Li asked.


    ¡°His family is very¡­ connected. It would have done no good,¡± Angela said. ¡°He followed me back to Cartagena after we graduated, and that is when I knew that I couldn¡¯t stay.¡±


    ¡°Did he ever, you know, attack you or anything?¡± Li asked, fascinated.


    ¡°Not physically, no, but I was becoming more and more afraid that it might happen. It would have been easy for him to have me kidnapped, and there would have been nothing my family could have done.¡±


    ¡°So you just said ¡®I¡¯m outta here!¡¯ and came to the US?¡± Li asked.


    ¡°I had a job set up with Telemundo in Miami, so I moved there, but it turned out the pay was lower than I had realized, and there was no way for me to advance, really,¡± Angela explained. ¡°I only lasted a year there, before the man I was dating and I moved here to Los Angeles. I thought I could maybe try to get a job at Univision, but they really only want people with Mexican accents.¡±


    ¡°So what do you do for work, then?¡± Myles asked, interested despite himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m a model,¡± Angela said, keeping the details to a minimum.


    ¡°I can certainly believe that,¡± Li said.


    While we were all chatting, both Li and Myles completely demolished their dinners, to my surprise.


    ¡°This reminds me a lot of the kind of food I ate all the time when I was an exchange student in Brazil,¡± Myles had said when Angela set the plates down. ¡°Every meal had beans and rice, plus plantains,¡± he said wistfully. ¡°A bit of pudim de leite for dessert and I would be in heaven.¡±


    ¡°Pudim de leite? Flan? Sorry, I didn¡¯t make any tonight,¡± Angela said. ¡°But I¡¯ll make it next time. My grandmother¡¯s recipe is the best in the whole world.¡±


    Myles¡¯ face lit up at the prospect, and it made me think of the old phrase, ¡®the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach.¡¯


    After dinner, we returned to our project for another couple of hours, getting it pretty well wrapped up. I think the food made everybody just that little bit mellower, and things went more smoothly when our bellies were full.


    As Angela and I saw Myles and Li out, they both surprised me by thanking Angela over and over again for a wonderful dinner.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to cook again for you guys,¡± Angela said. ¡°You should come back to visit again sometime soon.¡±


    Once they were gone, Angela and I went back to the kitchen. She¡¯d already cleaned everything up, so there was really nothing for me to do to help. Still, she busied herself somehow anyway.


    ¡°Would you like a drink?¡± she asked.


    ¡°How about I make you a drink?¡± I suggested. ¡°Dinner was great tonight, Ange. Thanks for cooking. It was a big hit.¡±


    Angela glanced at her watch, then plopped down on one of the bar stools at the counter. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it makes sense to go out dancing,¡± she sighed. ¡°We have to be in Long Beach by seven thirty in the morning, and I don¡¯t want us tired tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± I said, leaning over to give her a little kiss. ¡°How about I make us a couple of drinks while you put on some music, and we just dance here? Just you and me.¡±


    Angela¡¯s face melted into a smile at the idea. ¡°That sounds perfect,¡¯ she said, her eyes a bit misty. Mentally I congratulated myself on somehow coming up with the right answer.


    I mixed us up some Manhattans while Angela turned on the stereo. I had been expecting maybe some reggaeton, like I¡¯d seen her dance to by herself, but instead she chose an internet radio station of old jazz ballads.


    Taking Angela into my arms, we kissed long and tender as we swayed to the music. ¡°Dinner really was good tonight, babe,¡± I said. ¡°I think the love you put into it was the best ingredient.¡±


    Angele¡¯s eyes got a little bit teary with emotion as she replied. ¡°Leah,¡± she sighed. ¡°I feel guilty for saying it, but Antonio¡¯s arrest was the best thing to happen to me. I¡¯m so happy here, with you and Emmy, I can¡¯t even say it.¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°As sorry as I feel for the guy,¡± I said, ¡°his arrest was a really good thing as far as I¡¯m concerned, too. I love you, Ange. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯ve come into our lives.¡±


    Angela laid her head on my chest as we slow danced, and I kissed her hair. Our arms were wrapped around each other, and except for our gentle swaying with the music, we didn¡¯t move or say anything for a long time.


    ¡°I want to tell my family about us,¡± Angela finally said. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell my sister first, then Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢.¡±


    ¡°If you think you¡¯re ready to tell them,¡± I said. ¡°But only do it if you want to. Don¡¯t do it because you think Emmy and I want you to.¡± Yeah, it was awkwardly phrased, but I think Angela understood what I meant.


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯m ready to tell everybody that we¡¯re in love,¡± Angela said. ¡°Today, by the pool, I wanted every single person there to know that you and me, we are lovers, you know? I wanted them to look at me and you and know that we- that we¡¯re in love, and we belong to each other.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± I said. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. It won¡¯t hurt my public reputation any, and Emmy¡¯s, well, it might, for all I know, make her more famous, if not a bit more controversial than she already is, so don¡¯t be concerned about our side of things. But you need to think about what it might do to your image, since your image is your work.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said, her voice soft. ¡°But I think I don¡¯t care any more. You guys matter more to me than anything else.¡±


    ¡°All I¡¯m asking, Ange, is that you make the decision with a clear head and think about the ramifications before you do something you might regret later. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Looking up at me, Angela said, ¡°I want to take a bath and then go to bed.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good to me,¡± I replied, kissing her again.


    We were up early the next morning. ¡°Go make us a quick breakfast,¡± Angela commanded. ¡°I¡¯m going to pick out clothes for us today.¡± I went to grab something to put on, but Angela said, ¡°No!¡± and swatted my hands. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what to wear. Now go make us avocado toast or something. And coffee,¡± she demanded, pointing at the kitchen. Laughing at her bossiness, I strolled into the kitchen and made us breakfast, completely naked.


    After a few minutes she joined me at the kitchen counter. She was wearing a really summery white off-the-shoulder dress that came down to about mid thigh. Peeking out from the collar were the fluorescent pink straps of her very minimal bikini top.


    ¡°I picked out clothes for you to wear,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re on the bed."


    I went to stand up to go get dressed, but Angela grabbed my wrist. ¡°After we eat,¡± she said, eyeing me up and down.


    Laughing, I asked, ¡°Enjoying the view?¡±


    ¡°Very much,¡± Angela agreed.


    Pleased at the effect I was having, I sat back down and finished breakfast in the nude.


    On the bed I found my two-piece swimsuit, a pair of Ralph Lauren Bermuda shorts, a Stanford T and an oversized cotton long-sleeve shirt.


    I¡¯d figured by Angela¡¯s outfit we were going to the beach, and this just confirmed it. Angela came into the bedroom to watch me get dressed, pouting every time I covered up any skin. ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± she said.


    Once I was dressed, she told me to take off my watch. She didn¡¯t have on her pink Cartier, and I shouldn¡¯t wear my nice Patek Phillipe, either. I put on my sports watch instead, since it was beach-appropriate.


    Angela handed me a bright yellow tote bag made of the same stuff as Croc shoes, explaining that it had towels, spare clothes and other necessities for a day at the beach.


    Angela drove us to Long Beach, to the ferry terminal for the boat to Catalina. When I saw where we were, I asked, ¡°Did you talk to Emmy about us going to Catalina?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she said, finding a parking spot. ¡°She told me you guys had a great time there.¡±


    ¡°Did she mention the zip line?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she told me that she was terrified, but you rode with her and it was a lot of fun,¡± Angela said as we walked to the doors of the terminal. ¡°I was thinking we could maybe do it, you and me.¡±


    I made a point of looking her up and down. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re really dressed for it,¡± I said.


    Glancing around to make sure nobody was paying attention, Angela lifted up her skirt to show me she had shorts on underneath.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I see you have it covered. Literally.¡±


    The boat ride was a bit chilly, but Angela had packed a lightweight hoodie, so she was fine. Standing at the Catamaran¡¯s back rail, Angela wrapped in my arms so I could back the wind for her, we watched the Port Of Long Beach disappear behind us.


    ¡°Look at all those cargo ships,¡± Angela marveled as we passed a long line of container ships waiting to pull into dock.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the busiest ports in the world,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can believe it,¡± Angela said, looking at the forest of shipping cranes shrinking rapidly astern.


    Eventually we felt the boat slowing, so we made our way to the front to see Avalon¡¯s small harbor at the base of the steep hills that made up the Channel Islands.


    ¡°It¡¯s smaller than I thought,¡± Angela said as we neared the town.


    ¡°It is really small,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s also really cute.¡±


    We were in no hurry, so we let the crowd thin before disembarking.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been here before,¡± Angela said. "You get to be the tour guide, but when it gets warm, I want to go swimming,¡± she said, pointing to the little protected beach.


    ¡°When Emmy and I came here, we did the zip line, and a jeep tour, and saw the casino,¡± I said. ¡°We can skip the jeep tour. It was cool, but took a long time. We should definitely check out the casino and do the zip line, if you want.¡± Then, thinking about it, I said, ¡°Emmy and I didn¡¯t see the botanical garden. I walked by and saw the signs for it, but that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that first,¡± Angela suggested. ¡°While it¡¯s still a bit cool. Do we need to take a taxi?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s only about half an hour walk that way,¡± I said, pointing up the small valley. I¡¯d noticed that Angela was wearing decent walking shoes, not the cute little sandals I would have expected, so I figured a walk was O.K.


    As we strolled into town, I led Angela to that same little hotel Emmy and I had gotten a room at years before. Angela seemed puzzled by me booking a room, but I explained that it gave us a base to explore from, and meant we didn¡¯t have to carry anything while we walked.


    ¡°We won¡¯t stay the night here,¡± I said. ¡°Just use the room for the day. This way we can shower after we swim, for example.¡±


    ¡°Emmy is right,¡± Angela said. ¡°You really do think of everything.¡±


    The botanical gardens were interesting, and well worth the time. I wished that Emmy and I had visited them way back when, but consoled myself with the idea that we could do it sometime soon. After all, the trip from LA was easy.


    ¡°This is really pretty,¡± Angela said as we stood in one of the garden¡¯s tiled archways and looked down the little valley and out towards the blue, blue ocean.


    ¡°It is,¡± I said, holding her hand. ¡°When Emmy and I came, she asked me a question,¡± I said, remembering back. ¡°She asked if I thought I could live here. In Avalon, I mean.¡±


    ¡°What did you tell her?¡± Angela asked, still gazing down at the water.


    ¡°Something about how I thought the place was pretty, but didn¡¯t think there would really be any work here,¡± I said.


    ¡°But now you don¡¯t need to work,¡± Angela said, getting her Nikon ready for a shot of the valley.


    ¡°No, I still do,¡± I said. ¡°And so does Emmy. We need to be in a place like Los Angeles, or New York. We need to be where we can do what we need to do. Avalon is a nice place to visit, but we couldn¡¯t live here.¡±


    Lost in thought, I hardly noticed when Angela took a few pictures of me from various angles. She then found an older couple to take our picture with the distant Pacific as a backdrop, then with the tiled wall behind us.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Angela apologized to me. ¡°I have to take some pictures for my socials. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, babe,¡± I replied as she led me to a secluded spot with a small fountain on the side of a Spanish-tiled wall. She handed me the camera and we took a bunch of photos, Angela checking the angles the way she¡¯d done when we took pics at home.


    Eventually satisfied, she glanced around and saw we were alone. She kicked off her shoes, then quickly ditched the summer dress and shorts, soon down to nothing but her hot pink mini-bikini. We took a bunch of photos like that, with Angela in various poses.


    Angela didn¡¯t bat an eye when the older couple she¡¯d asked to take our picture came strolling by. We just continued to shoot, while Angela gave them a smile and a wave hello.


    ¡°Are you a model?¡± the lady asked, looking Angela over.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I model for this line of swimwear.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve certainly got the body for it,¡± the lady said as she gave her husband a little shove to get him moving again.


    As soon as they were gone, Angela broke out laughing. ¡°Did you see his face?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I was worried she was going to murder her husband for staring,¡± I said, chuckling.


    ¡°Just imagine if they came now!¡± Angela said, quickly stripping off the very minimalist swimsuit, tossing it aside.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked, glancing around to make sure we were completely alone. ¡°You want me to take some nude pictures here?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Angela said. "But be quick- I don¡¯t know how long we have.¡±


    I snapped a few dozen pictures while Angela posed, most of the positions hiding the really important parts. All too soon, though, we heard approaching voices and Angela quickly pulled her dress on over her head. She had just finished slipping her shoes on when a group of Girl Scouts walked up the path. Smiling at the girls, Angela and I headed back down the hill to town.


    ¡°Do you want these back?¡± I asked, holding out the tiny bits of pink lycra that I¡¯d tucked in my pocket. ¡°Or this?¡± I added, holding up the pair of shorts.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need them now,¡± Angela smiled playfully. ¡°After all, they¡¯d just get in the way,¡± she said, turning to walk backwards, facing me as she lifted up the front of her skirt to flash me her lady parts.


    ¡°Yes, they would,¡± I agreed as I stepped forward and cupped her vaj, giving her a kiss. ¡°And we wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±


    Angela pulled away from my grasp, dropping her skirt. ¡°I think it is maybe a really good thing you got us a room in that hotel,¡± she said, twirling as she laughed.


    ¡°Can I ask you a serious question?¡± I asked as I hurried to catch up. I took her hand in mine and we walked down the dirt road that led back to Avalon.


    ¡°Of course you can,¡± Angela said, smiling.


    ¡°Were you like this with Antonio?¡± I asked. ¡°Playful like this, I mean.¡±


    Thinking about what I¡¯d just asked, Angela said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. We had fun, sure, but no. Not like this. I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°His loss,¡± I said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. ¡°And my gain.¡±


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Do you like it when- when I act¡­¡±


    ¡°I love it when you act spontaneously like that,¡± I said. ¡°I loved it last night when you made dinner and talked with my classmates. I loved it when you took me out to dinner the night before last,¡± I added. ¡°Ange, I love spending time with you. I really do.¡±


    Smiling gratefully, Angela said, ¡°I want to spend the rest of my life with you and Emmy. You make me happy, happier than I¡¯ve ever been.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± I said, kissing her hand.

 So Long, Avalon

    Back at the hotel, Angela put her bikini back on and we went down to the little beach. When I say ¡°little beach¡± I mean just that. It was maybe two blocks long, right in front of the main tourist stretch of souvenir shops and the like. There was an upper, flat sandy bit where most people had their blankets and towels set out, then a short sea wall. Below that, the beach sloped down to the water fairly quickly, but a few people had towels up near the water side of the sea wall, too.


    Angela surveyed the tiny beach, obviously dismayed by the really limited size of the place. You couldn¡¯t even really swim much, since a sort of barrier of floats separated the swim area from the rest of the harbor at large.


    ¡°I thought it would be better than this,¡± she said, disappointed.


    ¡°Well, we have two choices,¡± I said. "We can lay out our blanket and enjoy this little, itty bitty beach with all the tourists walking by and staring at us, or we can skip it and go do something else,¡± I said.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°The zip line, tour the casino, have lunch¡­ The possibilities are, well, definitely not endless, but there are options,¡± I said.


    Sighing, Angela¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°It¡¯s too early for lunch,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s do the zip line, if that¡¯s O.K. with you. I¡¯d like to check out that shop before we go back to the hotel to change, though,¡± she said, pointing at a little tourist trap shop on the corner.


    Angela¡¯s mood perked up quickly with a bit of retail therapy, and soon she was demanding that I snap a photo of her modeling a T shirt that had a print of a man¡¯s big fat hairy chest on it. The juxtaposition of the image on the shirt vs her smooth, muscular legs sticking out below had me and the saleslady both laughing.


    Thankfully, Angela didn¡¯t buy that shirt, but she did get herself a classic Hawaiian shirt with red hibiscuses on a blue background. She urged me to try some similar shirts on, but I declined.


    Back at the hotel again, Angela ditched her coverup dress in favor of her boy shorts and her new shirt. ¡°This will be better for the zip line,¡± she said, and I had to agree that she was probably right.


    The walk to the zip line staging area took us past the Casino, heading north along the coastline out of town.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a casino,¡± Angela said, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like a casino where people gamble,¡± I explained. ¡°I guess ¡®casino¡¯ used to mean where people gather. At least that¡¯s what they tell you on the tour.¡±


    About fifteen minutes later we arrived at the zip line place and listened to their safety talk after buying a couple of tickets. The surfer guy giving the instructions couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off Angela and I couldn¡¯t blame him one bit. The Hawaiian shirt only came down to about mid-crotch, leaving her legs completely on view, and from the back, her world-class butt was well-defined by the snug knit material of her shorts.


    When the talk was over, I put my hand on Angela¡¯s lower back and asked her, ¡°So, ready to do some zipping, babe?¡± and gave her a kiss. Angela wasn¡¯t the only one who could mark her territory, after all.


    We piled into the creaky old Chevy van along with six other soon-to-be zippers for the long ride up to the top of the canyon. Angela had claimed the seat right behind the driver, so I got the middle. A somewhat sullen young teenaged girl got the seat to my right while her parents and little brother sat in the middle row. When she glanced down and noticed my hand on Angela¡¯s thigh she looked up at me with wide eyes, then scooted away as far as the bench seat would allow, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    In a bit of a mood, I kept my hand on Angela¡¯s leg the entire trip, squeezing and stroking. I don¡¯t think Angela noticed any of the little drama, as she was too focused on the view outside of the window. The driver kept up a running commentary on the buildings we passed on our way out of town, then on the various plants, and even, when we got a good view of the ocean, talked about the cruise ship that was making its way into Avalon Harbor. Angela took in all of it with wide-eyed wonder.


    Finally at the top, Angela and I waited while the others zipped their way down the canyon. I was happy to wait, since the view down the canyon and to the ocean was spectacular. Angela made some sort of comment about how we were last to buy tickets, so should be last to ride, but I doubt that really mattered to anybody else.


    As we watched the dad from the family from Salt Lake City get strapped in, Angela said that Emmy had told her we rode tandem.


    ¡°Not an option for you two,¡± the guy getting us into our harnesses said. ¡°You¡¯d be over the weight limit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said to Angela. ¡°When Emmy and I did it I was fifty pounds lighter than I am now, and she¡¯s much skinnier than you. I¡¯d bet the overall difference would equal that guy¡¯s kid,¡± I said, pointing at the dad who was now screaming like a little girl as he zoomed down the cable.


    ¡°Yeah, we have a two hundred and fifty pound limit,¡± the harness guy said as he helped me get buckled up.


    ¡°Can I go first?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Of course you can,¡± I said. ¡°Remember- it¡¯s not just one zip line all the way down,¡± I said. ¡°So we¡¯ll see each other a few times before we get to the bottom.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you take my picture when I jump,¡± she said, handing me her phone. I snapped one right before she jumped, too- the look of determination on her face was just too adorable for words.


    At the first landing, Angela said, ¡°That was great!¡± her face all lit up. ¡°But it would''ve been better if we could have done it together.¡±


    Angela was completely buzzed with adrenaline when we handed our harnesses back to the attendant at the bottom.


    ¡°That was so much fun!¡± she said. ¡°It was like flying! And we were so high up in the air!¡±


    Walking back towards town hand in hand, I told her that Emmy had been so excited by the experience that we¡¯d immediately bought tickets and done it a second time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to do it again right away,¡± Angela said, giving it a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°But next time we come here, with Emmy, we all have to do it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a date,¡± I said, charmed.


    We ate a late lunch at a beach bar on the way back to town, then by lucky chance found that the casino tour was just about to start when we inquired.


    Up on the balcony, looking out over Avalon Harbor, I said, ¡°This is where Emmy asked me if I thought I could live here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sort of a nice dream, isn¡¯t it? Just to live a relaxing sort of life here on the island, far away from all the noise and hustle of the mainland¡­¡± Angela said, leaning her head on my shoulder, my arm around her waist.


    ¡°It has a certain appeal,¡± I agreed.


    Back inside the ballroom, Angela asked, ¡°Can you imagine Emmy and the boys playing a concert here? Wouldn¡¯t that be something?¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s a thing that could even happen?¡± I pondered, enchanted by the idea.


    Leaving the casino, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any more plans,¡± Angela confessed. ¡°We could get dinner, maybe find a place that has dancing, or maybe just take the next ferry back to Long Beach?¡±


    ¡°You know what?¡± I asked as a thought popped into my head. ¡°Let¡¯s play miniature golf.¡±


    ¡°Miniature golf?¡± Angela asked, not understanding. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, suddenly enthused by the idea. ¡°I saw it when Emmy and I came here.¡± I asked for directions and within a few minutes were were getting our clubs and scoring sheets.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t played this since I was a little girl,¡± Angela said, bemused. ¡°They have this at one of the hotels near the beach back home.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few years for me, too,¡± I said, failing to mention that I¡¯d really only ever played with Stephanie.


    Of course, we were both terrible, but it was a lot of fun anyway. We made up a rule that as we tallied up the score for each hole the loser had to kiss the winner. Obviously, that meant the winner kissed the loser, too, but hey- we were having fun and it was a win all around.


    The high school-aged girls ahead of us catcalled and yelled ¡°Get a room!¡± the first couple of times we kissed, but soon enough were cheering us on and laughing, much to the annoyance of some of the other players on the tiny course.


    Done with golf, we headed down towards the waterfront to look for a place to have dinner.


    Angela pointed out a seafood place, but relented when I told her I didn¡¯t really care for the stuff. We settled on a contemporary American restaurant after looking at the menu posted outside.


    Neither of us were really very hungry, so we both had salads, which were just the right choice. Angela asked the waitress about dancing, and she was told of a bar around the corner that had a jukebox, so that¡¯s where we headed after we ate.


    The little dive bar did in fact have a dance floor, but at eight on a late-season Sunday evening it was empty. The few people in the place were playing pool, or darts, or just sitting and talking. I didn¡¯t think it looked very promising, but Angela insisted we get a table and a couple of drinks and see if it picked up at all.


    ¡°The last ferry is at ten, so we can¡¯t spend too much time here,¡± Angela said. ¡°But maybe¡­¡±


    The drinks were at least decent, and it was nice to just sit and relax for a little bit. Eventually, even though the little dance floor was completely empty, Angela dragged me out of my chair to dance with her.


    The first song was a lightweight pop song that I didn¡¯t know, but Angela definitely did. Well, of course she¡¯d selected it, so she must have known it, right?


    As we danced, Angela sang along with the lyrics that said ¡°You can be my baby and I¡¯ll be your girl and you¡¯ll have this heart of mine.¡± Singing along, the line about ¡°make you smile¡± did, in fact, make me smile. Angela¡¯s sweet enthusiasm was endearing her to me more every single day, and dancing on that empty floor, my hands on her hips, I fell in love with her a tiny bit more with every smile, every sparkle of her eyes.


    Angela was happy in my arms, which in turn, made me happy that she was in my embrace.


    After a few mid-tempo songs, a slower one came on and Angela snuggled up, wrapping her arms around me as we danced really close. ¡°Leah,¡± she said, looking up at me. ¡°Thanks for this weekend.¡± She raised herself up on her tiptoes for a kiss, her big, blue eyes misty with emotion.


    I leaned down and touched my lips to hers, soft and tender. It was one of those perfect moments.


    Until all of a sudden it wasn¡¯t. Just as we sank into the kiss, a guy¡¯s loud voice brayed out, ¡°Hell yeah! Lookit ¡®em kiss! That¡¯s hot!¡±


    Angela jerked back in surprise at the interruption, looking for the jackass that had shouted.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t stop!¡± the guy said, loud enough for the entire bar to hear. ¡°That was fuckin¡¯ hot! Kiss each other again!¡± Of course, this caused the other two guys at his table to laugh like lunatics, lifting their beer bottles in some sort of drunken toast to their pal¡¯s sharp wit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Angela said, her good mood ruined in an instant.


    ¡°Yeah, O.K.,¡± I agreed. ¡°This place suddenly lost its charm.¡±


    After we left, I took Angela¡¯s hand and led her along the boardwalk and then out onto the pier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let those idiots bother you,¡± I told her, lifting her chin up so she¡¯d look me in the eyes. ¡°The world is full of assholes like that. You can¡¯t let them under your skin. What they think doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela said, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°Hey, they were right about one thing, though,¡± I said.


    Angela gave me that puzzled look of hers that I found so cute, with her lips pursed into a pout and her forehead furrowed.


    ¡°It was really hot,¡± I said, and leaned down to kiss her.


    This brought a bittersweet smile to Angela¡¯s face as she tilted her head for the kiss. I tried to express how much I loved her in that kiss, and in turn, she showed me how she felt, too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and grab our stuff and take that ferry,¡± I suggested, pointing at the boat approaching the harbor. ¡°I think we¡¯ve done what there is to do here.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a good plan to me,¡± Angela agreed.


    We just barely made it in time, boarding right before they untied the lines and cast off. Unfortunately, the idiots from the bar were on the ferry, and spotting them, Angela steered us up to the top deck, which was open-air.


    We found a spot as out of the wind as we could, snuggling under the Mexican beach blanket from Angela¡¯s bright yellow tote bag. Angela huddled against me, spoon-style, clutching the ends of the blanket closed. This left my hands free, and hidden from view. It wasn¡¯t too long before I was nuzzling her hair, kissing behind her ears, and fondling her breasts. I could lie and say it was an attempt to distract Angela from the cold and to improve her mood, but really, I wouldn¡¯t fool anyone with that. No, the feel of her body against mine, the smell of her hair and skin, the emotions of the day- these things all had me in a loving mood, and with an opportunity like that, how was I going to pass it up?


    At first it was just a light squeeze through the Hawaiian shirt and bikini top, but when Angela responded positively, making soft, sexy little noises, I undid a few of the buttons and slipped my hands inside the rough silk of the shirt. The tiny little bits of pink lycra barely covering her boobs failed spectacularly in their defense against my hands, and within moments I had them pushed aside.


    ¡°Somebody will figure out what you¡¯re doing,¡± Angela gasped as I played with the little bits of metal adorning her flesh.


    ¡°Want me to stop?¡± I asked, my voice husky with desire.


    ¡°I¡­ No, don¡¯t stop,¡± she said, turning her head to kiss me. ¡°Just¡­ No, too much,¡± she protested. ¡°More gently.¡±


    ¡°I thought you liked it like that,¡± I said, easing up.


    ¡°I do,¡± Angela said, chewing on her lower lip. ¡°I like it too much. You¡¯ll make me come right here if you keep doing that.¡±


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t want that, now, do we?¡± I asked, nibbling on her earlobe.


    ¡°God, Leah,¡± Angela said. ¡°That feels so good, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± I said, softly stroking. ¡°I¡¯ll be good.¡±


    ¡°You are good,¡± she gasped. ¡°Too good.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡° I said, replacing her bikini top where it belonged. ¡°I can wait until we get home.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± Angela groaned in relief and disappointment.


    We spent the rest of the trip in a platonic cuddle, huddling together for warmth as well as the enjoyment of having our bodies up tight against each other.


    Angela wanted to wait for the jackasses from the bar to clear out before we disembarked. Of course, if it were up to me I¡¯d simply tell them to fuck off and if they made any sort of stink, well, tossing them into the harbor should do their attitudes some good and make me feel better at the same time. Angela wanted to avoid any sort of confrontation, though, so we waited until we were just about the last passengers left on the boat.


    ¡°Have a good night, ladies,¡± the crewman said as we stepped off the gangplank onto the dock.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Angela said, her smile bright.


    In the parking lot, I heard loud drunken voices. Of course, it was the loudmouth jerk and his two buddies, arguing about whether they should drive or not. I mentally gave them points for recognizing that getting behind the wheel was a bad idea, at the same time as I was sure it was inevitable that they would actually drive home anyhow.


    ¡°Look!¡± the lead asshole said to his friends when he spotted us crossing the now almost empty parking lot. ¡°It¡¯s the two rug munchers!¡± Then, raising his voice to make sure we could hear him, he shouted, ¡°Hey, bitches! You got any videos on Pornhub I can watch? ¡®Cause that¡¯d be hot as fuck, watching you two eat each others¡¯ pussies! Hey! I¡¯m serious! I¡¯d pay to watch you two go at it!¡±


    His two friends thought this was the funniest thing they¡¯d ever heard, and soon were joining in, hollering about amateur videos of Angela and me.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± I said to Angela.


    ¡°What¡¯re you going to do?¡± she asked, grabbing my arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to teach them some manners,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean I¡¯m going to pound some politeness into ¡®em,¡± I explained, peeling her fingers off my arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to fight them?¡±Angela asked, finally understanding my idioms.


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t be a fight,¡± I said. ¡°Look at ¡®em. They can hardly stand, they¡¯re so drunk. All it¡¯ll take is a solid shove and they¡¯ll be on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Leah!¡± Angela said, the tone of her voice getting my attention. ¡°Don'' sink to their level,¡± she said, completely seriously. ¡°We just go home.¡±


    Letting out a deep breath, I turned away from the jerks on the other side of the parking lot. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go,¡± I said, and took Angela¡¯s hand and gave it a squeeze. We did our best to ignore the three guys as we got into Angela¡¯s little convertible and left. Presumably the three idiots got into their car eventually, probably crashing on their way home.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about those assholes,¡± I said to Angela after a few minutes. ¡°They really ruined a great day.¡±


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t,¡± Angela said in reply, taking her eyes off the road to look at me. ¡°They ruined a few minutes of a great day, that¡¯s all.¡±

 Angelas Weekend, Extended

    When I got home from work late the next day, Angela was sitting at the kitchen counter, editing the photos she¡¯d taken over the weekend. When I flopped down on the couch with a groan, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± as she got up and sat down next to me on the couch, a worried look on her face.


    ¡°I had some setbacks at work today,¡± I said, leaning my head back. ¡°The Coastal Commission wants a ton of revisions on one of our projects, and making the changes will probably send the whole thing under water.¡±


    ¡°Under water?¡± she asked, her brow furrowed.


    ¡°We won¡¯t make any money on the deal. We¡¯ll probably lose a lot, actually,¡± I explained.


    ¡°When you say a lot of money, how much do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a swing of maybe twenty million bucks,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll lose twenty million dollars?¡± Angela breathed, her eyes wide.


    ¡°No, maybe three million. But it would¡¯ve returned seventeen or so if we¡¯d been able to go ahead with the original plans,¡± I said, sitting up straight.


    ¡°Are you still going to do it? Lose three million, I mean?¡± Angela asked, trying to wrap her mind around the idea of losing more money than she¡¯d seen in her whole life.


    ¡°I spent all afternoon talking to the various investors, trying to figure out what to do. It¡¯s been a real mess,¡± I said.


    Leaning in and giving me a kiss, Angela got a mischievous smile. ¡°Go take a shower. I know just how to make your day better.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, hoping it meant what I hoped it meant.


    ¡°Go shower,¡± Angela commanded. ¡°I¡¯ll get everything ready.¡±


    When I emerged from the shower wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around me, I saw that Angela had set out a pair of jeans, a T shirt, and a hoodie for me on the bed, dashing the fantasies I¡¯d been exploring while in the shower. I dressed in the clothes that Angela had picked out, including the Chuck Taylors. When I stepped out into the living room I saw that she was also dressed casually in a pair of uncharacteristically loose jeans, cross trainers and one of my Stanford T shirts.


    I found it endearing that Angela kept wearing my old T shirts, both because they looked cute on her (as oversized as they were), and because I saw it as a subconscious claim she was staking on me. ¡®This is my girlfriend¡¯s shirt¡¯ might as well have been written on it in black ink.


    Grabbing her own sweatshirt, she took my hand and pulled me to the door. ¡°Think of this as part of the weekend,¡± she said, tugging me along. ¡°I still get to decide what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    Smiling at my adorable girlfriend, I made only token resistance as she towed me along to the garage and her little convertible.


    Sure, we¡¯d have been more comfortable in any of my cars, but this went along with her ¡®surprise Leah with fun stuff¡¯ agenda from the weekend, so I folded myself into the little car without complaint.


    An hour¡¯s drive took us to an industrial park in Fullerton, and just as I was wondering where the heck we were even going, I saw the sign for an indoor go-kart racing track and my smile grew wide.


    I squeezed Angela¡¯s thigh as she pulled into the parking area for the track. ¡°What made you think of this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I saw an ad for it a while ago,¡± she explained as we got out of the car. ¡°I don¡¯t know why it popped into my head when you came home looking so down in the dumps.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, babe, I really do,¡± I said, giving her a kiss as we walked to the door.


    The place was much nicer inside than I¡¯d have guessed from the fairly nondescript commercial tilt-up exterior. The reception area was nice and clean, with the mandatory souvenir T shirts and the like on display, as well as signage explaining the different pricing. Angela walked up to the counter and told the receptionist her name, receiving two bundles- obviously she¡¯d prepaid for two of the premium packages. Each bundle contained a brightly-colored wristband, some food vouchers, and a T shirt with the place¡¯s checkered-flag logo on it.


    ¡°Are you hungry?" Angela asked. ¡°Should we eat first?¡±


    Charmed by Angela¡¯s eagerness, I said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who gets to decide these things. You pick.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat, then,¡± she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the surprisingly stylish burger lounge off the main track area. Of course, it was race-car themed and the checkered motif was everywhere, but it was clean and well-done. The place even had actual menus and servers that came to your table, not just a fast-food order counter.


    The grilled chicken sandwich I had was much better than expected, and the whole place was rapidly rising in my estimation. There weren¡¯t a whole lot of racers out on the track, but it was a Monday night, after all.


    Watching the electric karts zooming around, I was impressed by the speed they were hitting by the end of the short straight. By my guess they must have been reaching speeds of over thirty miles an hour, which doesn¡¯t sound like much, but on that tight track it was plenty fast.


    After we ate, we headed over to the racing check-in counter. The attendant gave us a safety talk, and asked a few questions to make sure we¡¯d been listening. We were issued racing helmets and assigned lockers for our stuff, then it was off to the races, literally. At the top of the hour there was a practice session, then qualifying, and finally a ten-minute race to finish the hour off. This schedule repeated every hour, so we had a number of chances to get on the box.


    I had a complete blast, zooming around that little track. To my surprise, I wasn¡¯t consistently the fastest driver- it was clear that a few of the others there that night were regulars and knew the performance of the karts well.


    Still, I got third on the night¡¯s leader boards, which earned me a kiss from my sweet girlfriend who had been totally right- she did know how to get me out of my down mood.


    I told her so on the way home and thanked her for a really fun time.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked it,¡± she said, giving me one of those smiles that completely lit up her face.


    It was late when we got home and we were both pretty tired, so we just went straight to bed. Spooning Angela, I kissed the back of her neck. ¡°Thanks again, Ange,¡± I said. ¡°I had a great time tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± she replied. ¡°I hate seeing you unhappy like that.¡±


    The next day was a school day so I would normally not have worked, but I still had to deal with some of the fallout from the Coastal Commission¡¯s rejection of our proposal, so I spent the morning emailing and phoning the various parties involved.


    Angela got back from the gym a little after ten or so, so we had an early lunch before her ride to the airport.


    ¡°I wish you could go, too,¡± she said as we ate by the poolside. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you in New York.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have Emmy,¡± I said. ¡°And it¡¯ll only be for a few days. I¡¯ll fly in Saturday morning.¡±


    ¡°Why not Friday night?¡±


    ¡°I have to put in an appearance at the club on Friday night,¡± I explained.


    ¡°What club?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right- you¡¯ve never been to San Jose, have you? I have a speakeasy there, and I¡¯m sort of a fixture.¡± Of course, then I had to explain what a speakeasy was, and what I meant by my being a fixture. By the time lunch was over, Angela understood the whole thing and wanted to see the place.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to bring you there,¡± I said. ¡°In some sort of long, slinky red dress. That would be perfect.¡±


    ¡°You go up there twice a month, right? Maybe I can go with you next time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a date, babe,¡± I said, leaning over to kiss her. ¡°We just need to get you the red dress before then.¡±


    ¡°I have a red dress,¡± Angela protested.


    ¡°Tell Emmy you need a new red dress for the speakeasy- she¡¯ll know exactly what I mean, and she¡¯ll find you the perfect one.¡±


    ¡°So Emmy gets to use me as her life-sized dress-up doll again?¡± Angela said, smiling.


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    ¡°Get used to it,¡± I agreed with a laugh.


    After class on Thursday night I flew up to San Jose with my prized new decoration for the condo bedroom. I found the hammer and picture hooks in the tool box in the laundry room and had that framed photo up on the wall opposite the bed before I even unpacked my clothes. I found myself amused by the thought that now we needed a nude picture of Emmy in the condo in Los Angeles to complete the trio, with me on the wall in New York and Angela in San Jose.


    Satisfied, I unpacked and settled into bed, lonely but secure in the knowledge that I¡¯d be cuddling with my two bunnies in less than forty-eight hours.


    I was at the office bright and early Friday morning, ready to face a day full of meetings. It was past six by the time I got everything wrapped up- the down side to trying to pack everything into a single day. I went home, changed, and then ate dinner at the steak house before heading back into the hidden bar.


    I went through the same motions as always, glad-handing the regulars and making a show of being the boss, but my heart really wasn¡¯t into it. In the back of my mind was the nagging thought that I could sleep with Emmy and Angela that night if it weren¡¯t for having to show my face at the club, and that killed my enthusiasm for even being there.


    I¡¯d like to think that none of the clients could tell that I was only there in body and not in spirit, but I knew it, and felt guilty about not giving it my all.


    I was on my way to New York after a couple of site inspections first thing the next morning, my mood improving with every mile that the jet flew towards Emmy and Angela.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Wally,¡± I said, greeting our driver at Teterboro¡¯s executive terminal. ¡°I want to stop somewhere and get flowers on the way to the house,¡± I told him as he took my bags.


    Smiling, he said, ¡°There¡¯s a florist only a few blocks away from the townhouse, Miss Leah. If we get the flowers there they won¡¯t suffer from the time in the car.¡±


    ¡°You know New York best,¡± I said.


    The flowers were a big hit with both Emmy and Angela- the few extra minutes the side trip to the florist required certainly paid off. I made a mental note to do that more often in the future, as the two most beautiful women in the world showered me with kisses.


    ¡°I am so happy you are here!¡± Emmy said in between kisses.


    ¡°I wish I could stay longer, but one night here is better than none,¡± I replied.


    ¡°One night?¡± Angela asked, her dismay clear by her expression.


    ¡°Yeah, I have a flight back to LA tomorrow night,¡± I said.


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Angela said, pouting.


    ¡°At least you had her for a long weekend,¡± Emmy said, giving Angela a playful shove.


    Looking around, I asked, ¡°Who else is here?¡±


    ¡°Mia, of course, but Luisa is out right now. She will be home later. Jen and Lee left yesterday for Los Angeles- they will be back on Tuesday. Jackson is visiting friends in Boston this weekend,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°So no recording this weekend?¡± I asked, hopeful.


    ¡°No- we are taking a little break,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    ¡°Do you guys have any plans for tonight?¡± I asked, looking at Emmy and Angela in turn.


    ¡°No,¡± Angela said. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not entirely true. We talked about getting take-out and staying in and snuggling.¡±


    ¡°That''s a plan I can get behind,¡± I said, happy with the idea of just spending time with the two of them.


    Wally had come back down from taking my luggage upstairs by this point. ¡°Will you be needing me tonight?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just to bring Luisa home when she¡¯s done at her aunt¡¯s house,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I think that is all.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll head out. Call if you need me for anything,¡± he said, giving us a goodnight nod.


    Once he was gone, I asked where Mia was, getting shrugs in reply.


    ¡°I know she¡¯s here somewhere,¡± Angela said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering if we¡¯re gonna get interrupted in the parlor again,¡± I said with a smirk as we crowded into the elevator.


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t,¡± Angela announced with finality. ¡°Because we aren¡¯t going to be having sex anywhere people might barge in on us again.¡±


    ¡°Says the girl who wanted to make out in front of everybody at the pool the other day,¡± I countered.


    Angela blushed, her pale cheeks turning bright pink. ¡°That was different!¡± she protested, getting a laugh from Emmy.


    After dinner, Emmy, Angela and I went up to our bedroom. I was pretty tired, since I¡¯d been up since before two in the morning East Coast time. Emmy was more sensitive to that than Angela was, so she drew me a bath to help me unwind. Emmy and Angela didn¡¯t climb into the tub with me- they just found places to sit so we could chat about my work, the trip Angela and I had taken to Catalina, and how the recording was coming along.


    I had a brief moment of embarrassment when I realized that I was the only naked one in the room, but immediately recognized I was being silly. The two were my wife and our lover, after all, and both had seen me naked plenty, and I¡¯d seen them in their birthday suits just as much.


    When I finally climbed out of that big tub the two jumped at the opportunity to towel me off. Sure, this had been a game of Emmy¡¯s and mine for years, but it was somehow special that Angela had adopted the habit so quickly.


    Angela was a beautiful woman, sure, but it was her easy-going nature and playful attitude that were endearing her to me the most.


    It was too early for bedtime for the other two (especially Emmy) so as I slid between the sheets Emmy turned off the lights and Angela and Emmy relaxed on the couch by the fire. Sure, they weren¡¯t in my arms, but hearing their quiet voices as they chatted soon lulled me into a pleasant sleep.


    It was pouring down with rain when I woke, so I decided to get my workout in the home gym rather than going out for a run. Angela was already well into her workout, done with the selfie part of her routine. She was lifting the barbell with her hips, supporting her weight on her feet and her shoulders on the bench. It was a bizarre-looking exercise, and one that I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to manage so well.


    Angela saw my puzzled look and explained between reps that it was a glute strengthening exercise that also worked a few of the other muscles in the area, like the quadriceps.


    ¡°It looks, um¡­¡± I said, trying to think of a way of saying that watching Angela thrust her hips up like that gave me funny feelings in my lady bits.


    Seeing my face, Angela said, ¡°Shut the door.¡±


    Understanding what she was getting at, I did as she instructed, thankful I¡¯d skipped the morning¡¯s run.


    Angela was quickly stripping out of her sport bra and pulling off her leggings, only leaving her cross-trainers on. I would never have thought of those Reeboks as sexy before, but now, they somehow transformed into the most erotic footwear imaginable.


    Watching my face, Angela resumed the barbell hip thrusts. Her nude body had the slightest sheen of sweat as she worked out, which was soon mirrored by my own body temperature¡¯s rise.


    I watched her from various angles as Angela¡¯s butt went from resting on the floor to level with her knees and shoulders, then back down again, over and over.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said. ¡°Why is this the first time we¡¯ve done this? This is just about the sexiest thing I have ever seen!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve suggested it many times before,¡± she said as she sat on the floor and rolled the barbell away, then picked up a dumbbell and started doing some rows. I moved around again, finally deciding that my favorite view was from almost directly behind. Watching the muscles of Angela¡¯s back flex as she worked, my eyes trailed down the length of her spine and down to her truly magnificent butt, then the little bit of pink between her powerful thighs. All I could think of was chewing on that pretty little thing like a piece of bubblegum as the moisture in my own pussy was getting too hard to ignore.


    Angela set the dumbbell back on the rack and set up for a bench press, which proved to be too much for me. As she raised and lowered that bar, I knelt at the end of the bench and rested my hands on her knees, gently moving her legs farther apart.


    Angela set the bar back in the rack as I slid my hands up her thighs, moving them farther apart as I did so.


    I started with soft kisses on her sweaty mons, getting sexy noises from Angela with every touch of my lips. She was as aroused as I was, and the salt on her skin blended with her musk as I breathed in and out. I used my lower lip to play with her pink rosebud''s little golden ring. I¡¯d never seen that particular piece of body jewelry before, but I took full advantage of it as I hooked the tip of my tongue in the hoop and gave it the softest of tugs.


    ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± Angela moaned as I tugged and teased. I returned to kissing the smooth skin of her puffy outer labia and inner thighs, easing off until Angela grabbed my head and pulled my face back squarely where she wanted me.


    She tasted so good when I slid my tongue up and down her folds that I never wanted to stop, and judging by the way she was pulling my hair, trying to force my face even harder between her legs, she was perfectly happy with the way things were going.


    The angle was awkward, though, so I pulled her farther down the bench so her butt was right on the very end. I spread her legs even wider, marveling at the gloriously bright pink wrinkles and folds of Angela¡¯s pussy. It really was bubblegum pink, and like bubblegum, it was there to chew on. Metaphorically, anyway. I certainly wasn¡¯t going to use teeth on Angela, as much as Emmy occasionally liked a soft scrape across her sensitive parts. No, with Angela, it was all lips, tongue, and hot breath to bring her to a loud, shuddering orgasm as she called out my name.


    I sat back on my heels, enjoying the sight of Angela''s glorious pussy as her ragged breathing caused her chest and belly to shudder unevenly.


    ¡°What was that noise?¡± Emmy asked as she poked her head into the gym. ¡°Oh!¡± she said, realizing what had awakened her at the other end of the hall. Emmy slipped inside, closing the door behind her. She joined me, resting a hand on Angela¡¯s knee, then stroking up and down Angela¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°She has a very beautiful pussy,¡± Emmy said, using her thumb to circle around the new gold ring.


    ¡°It tastes good, too,¡± I confirmed.


    Emmy leaned in and kissed Angela right at the bottom of her slit, then slowly drew her long, graceful tongue up, up, up between the folds, finally hooking her tongue in the ring the way I had earlier.


    Angela¡¯s head had lolled back at this second assault. ¡°Ahh¡­ Em¡­¡± she groaned. ¡°Gently- I¡¯m still really sensitive.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my beauty,¡± Emmy replied as she barely skimmed her lower lip across the overheated flesh.


    I¡¯d moved to the side to give Emmy better access and me a better view. As hot as watching Angela work out nude had been, this was far, far better. Emmy was using the very lightest of touches as her fingertips slid up and down Angela¡¯s thighs, making Angela shiver with the sensation even before Emmy¡¯s lips and tongue returned to teasing Angela¡¯s delicate pink parts.


    Watching Emmy tantalize Angela with such exquisitely soft touches, driving her to a second earth-shattering climax, was without a doubt the single most erotic thing I had ever witnessed. Emmy¡¯s approach had been so different than mine, and yet we both rocked Angela¡¯s world all the same.


    ¡°Ay, Dios,¡± Angela groaned as she tried to sit up, her breathing still labored. ¡°That was intense- I don¡¯ think I¡¯ll be able to put my tights back on.¡±


    Emmy grinned in self-satisfaction, her face still covered in Angela¡¯s juices. ¡°You need a bath, Angie. I think we all do.¡±


    Angela wasn¡¯t able to stand up under her own power, so I scooped her up in my arms and followed Emmy back to our bedroom, carrying Angela like a bride across the threshold. Emmy started filling the tub as I set Angela down on the dressing bench by the vanity so I could shimmy out of my own clothes. The tub was huge, but with the three of us it would be crowded even still. Not too crowded to be fun, mind you. Angela got in first, then me, and Emmy last.


    The bath was a lot of fun, more playful than overtly sexual. We washed each others¡¯ hair, soaped each other up, taking every opportunity presented to cop a feel or get a little squeeze in, but mostly just in fun. We¡¯d already had our sex, after all, so this was just afterplay.


    After our bath we dried each other off, then got dressed in comfy clothes for lounging around the house for the day. The heavy rain outside gave us no desire to go out and do anything, so it was just going to be a lazy day, which was fine with the three of us.

 No Consequences

    Back in Los Angeles, it was back to my usual routine but for the fact that the apartment was lonely without Emmy and Angela. Almost every night we Facetimed (thanks, I¡¯m pretty sure, to Angela), but it just wasn¡¯t the same as having them with me. Since I had no real reason to be home, I went in to the office on the mornings I had class in the afternoons, and stayed late at the office on the other days.


    It was on Wednesday when Stein shot me a text. ¡°Hey- Chuckwalla this weekend?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±, I replied, since I had heard nothing about any track days there. Heck, I¡¯d never even actually been to that track, but I know a lot of drivers raved about the place.


    ¡°Open day, no sessions. Just got word some spots opened up.¡± Stein sent back.


    ¡°That sounds sweet- send me the deets¡±, I texted back. ¡°Should I bring the GT3?¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck yes!¡± Stein replied. ¡°That¡¯ll freaking slay everyone. All those kids in their Subarus will wet themselves¡±.


    ¡°LOL¡± was all I sent back.


    I quickly got on the organization¡¯s web site and booked both days. Seeing there were a couple of slots still available, I texted James Atherton.


    ¡°Any plans this weekend? How does a weekend on the track down here in the desert sound?¡±


    Almost immediately James texted back. ¡°It sounds awesome, but Imogen and I are in Connecticut visiting her family right now. Believe me, I¡¯d rather be putting Godzilla though his paces than face my dragon lady mother in law¡±.


    ¡°Sucks 2 B U¡± I sent back.


    ¡°Take pics- shoot video¡±, James replied. ¡°WHat track?¡±


    ¡°Chuckwalla Valley Raceway¡±, I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never driven it.¡±


    ¡°Me either¡±, he texted. ¡°Pics and video or GTFO¡±


    ¡°Will do¡±, I said.


    I called down to Temecula BMW and spoke with the head mechanic, a Brazilian guy named Joachim, who functioned as assistant crew chief at my birthday. I told him to prep the car, including a fresh set of tires on some spare rims. ¡°Bring the whole setup, including whatever mechanics you might need,¡± I said. I made it clear that this was coming out of my pocket, but I¡¯d be paying double wages for the time. ¡°Oh, and GoPro the heck out of the car,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe we can make a promotional video out of the whole thing.¡±


    Satisfied that I¡¯d have a good time that weekend even if I wasn¡¯t with Emmy and Angela, I settled back into work in a better mood than I had been since leaving New York.


    At dinner that night, I mentioned the track weekend to Jenna and Andy.


    ¡°You really like driving fast, don¡¯t you?¡± Jenna asked as we ate.


    ¡°Guilty as charged, your honor,¡± I said, sipping my pinot.


    ¡°Andy, you have that Mustang,¡± Jenna said. ¡°You ought to go drive one of these tracks with Leah some time. You¡¯d have a great time,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯d have to be after the season is over,¡± he said. ¡°Even on our two bye weekends we have mandatory workouts. No way could I get out for a whole day.¡±


    Curious, I asked about his typical weekly schedule and that steered the conversation into two-a-days, sessions with the trainer, so on. I hadn¡¯t really realized that during the season it was basically nine to five with only one or two days off, depending on if they were playing a Monday night game or not.


    Since the coming game was at home, there was no flight the next morning and Andy got to sleep in his own bed all weekend long, a luxury he only had half the time during the season.


    ¡°What do you do when he¡¯s out of town?¡± I asked Jenna.


    ¡°Mostly reality TV and red wine,¡± she said with a laugh. ¡°No, seriously, it sucks when he has road games. They leave early Thursday morning and come home Sunday night, or if it¡¯s a Monday night game, they leave on Friday and come home in the middle of the night or early morning Tuesday. I do watch a lot of TV, but that¡¯s also when I get a lot of my work done, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand that,¡± I said. ¡°With Emmy and Angela gone, I¡¯ve been spending a ton of hours at the office.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much the same thing,¡± Jenna agreed.


    I was at the track nice and early on Saturday morning, pleased to see the Temecula BMW rig already set up. I stopped in and said hello, thanking Joachim and the three mechanics for taking their weekend to help me out.


    At the registration desk, the woman signing me in said, ¡°It¡¯s good to see a female driver. I think there are only three here this weekend. What kind of car do you drive?¡±


    ¡°A BMW M6,¡± I said. ¡°What are the other two girls driving?¡±


    ¡°I think one has a Corvette, and the other¡­¡± she said, looking through the check-in sheet. ¡°Has a Mitsu Evo. That¡¯s right- I¡¯ve seen that car. It¡¯s pretty well set up. Well, here¡¯s your wristband and your tech card. Bring your helmet with you when you get teched. Make sure you have an extinguisher. If you don¡¯t, they sell them at the track shop.¡±


    ¡°I have one, but the car is equipped with a fire suppression system, so it isn¡¯t really needed,¡± I said.


    Her eyebrows raised, she said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s not your usual factory option.¡±


    ¡°It is on this car,¡± I said with a smile, before heading back to my pit.


    The guys had warmed the car up, so I grabbed my helmet and drove over to the tech inspection line. As I¡¯d expected, the car got a lot of looks as I rolled through the pits.


    When it was my turn to be checked over, the guy took one look inside and said, ¡°This car is ready to rock, isn¡¯t it? Do I even need to check for safety wire?¡±


    ¡°You can if you want,¡± I said. ¡°If you find the drain plug isn¡¯t wired, well, somebody is in for it.¡±


    Laughing, the guy extended the mirror under the car. ¡°Good to go!¡± he said and slapped the sticker on the corner of the windshield.


    Back at the setup, the guys lifted the car the moment I stepped out, wrapping the tires in warmers immediately. It was still over an hour until the track went hot, but they wanted as much heat in the rubber as possible by then.


    It was about this time that Stein pulled up next to us in a Dodge truck, his McLaren on a flatbed trailer. ¡°Mind if I park here?¡± he asked, leaning out the window.


    ¡°Anywhere,¡± I said. ¡°Who else is coming today?¡±


    ¡°Teddy Bear was supposed to, but they scheduled a reshoot for this weekend. You probably got his spot when he told the track day guys he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it. So now it¡¯s just you and me. And forty or so others.¡±


    ¡°Tech is already open,¡± I told him. ¡°If you want, I can have my guys get your car off the trailer while you go sign in.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve got it,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡±


    I¡¯d never driven Chuckwalla before, so when the green flag was thrown I went out for a few sighting laps before putting my foot down. A few of the other drivers were fast from the start, clearly familiar with the track, but I wanted to learn the layout and work my way up to a reasonable speed.


    After ten laps or so I felt as if I understood the flow of the track, so with every successive lap after that I opened it up a little bit. Eventually I got to a point where I was really pushing it, enjoying the feel of that big BMW slamming into the corners, clipping the apexes and rocketing out hard, tires squealing in their quest for grip.


    After running for maybe an hour, I pulled in to let Joachim look at the data and adjust the car as necessary.


    Taking a moment to grab a Coke from the cooler and relax while the guys did their thing, I sat down in one of the folding chairs and stretched my legs.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± a voice said, waking me from my momentary doze. ¡°You¡¯re driving the Temecula BMW race car, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± I said to the woman standing there. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Can I- can I sit? she asked, pointing to one of the other chairs.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°Want something to drink? We have bottled water, Cokes, I think I saw some Red Bulls¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, thanks,¡± she said, sitting in the chair facing me. ¡°You¡¯re really fast out there,¡± she finally said.


    I shrugged, not sure what to say.


    ¡°My daughter is out there,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s she driving?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°She has a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, It¡¯s gray,¡± she added.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw it. She was going pretty good,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, I bet she didn¡¯t think so when you passed her on the outside in the bowl like that,¡± the woman said, her tone wry.


    ¡°Her lines were good, her braking markers solid,¡± I said. "I couldn¡¯t see her doing anything wrong.¡±


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    ¡°But you still went by her like she was in reverse,¡± the woman objected.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said. ¡°My car has twice- literally twice the horsepower, and maybe five hundred less pounds. I¡¯m running pure race tires- not street-legal sport tires, and they¡¯re three or four inches wider. I¡¯d be doing something really wrong if I couldn¡¯t roll by like that,¡± I said.


    Just then Joachim came over and said, ¡°The car¡¯s ready. It didn¡¯t take much- just a little bit of tweaking on the suspension, and we adjusted the shift points a bit.¡±


    ¡°And that,¡± I said to the woman as Joachim went back. ¡°I have a professional crew making adjustments to optimize the car to this track.¡±


    ¡°I guess that all makes sense,¡± she said.


    ¡°So, I hate to be rude, but I need to get back out there. You came over for a reason, and I¡¯m pretty sure we haven¡¯t gotten to it,¡± I said.


    Looking nervous, the woman said, ¡°My daughter wants to race professionally, and when I heard that it was a woman driving the BMW out there, I thought maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°I could offer some tips?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, looking abashed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± I said. ¡°Bring her over here at lunchtime and let¡¯s talk.¡±


    She left, and I climbed into the car for some more laps. It didn¡¯t take me long to get back up to speed, the car feeling even more planted than before. There were a few other drivers that took me some time to pass, but none that managed to pass me once I got in the groove.


    All too soon, they waved the checkered flag to indicate that the track was closing for lunch, so I pulled in along with everybody else.


    Back at the pit, the guys lifted the car and threw the tire warmers on the moment I stepped out. Ditching the helmet and unzipping my race suit, the breeze almost chilled me after the heat in the car.


    Joachim handed me a sandwich and another Coke as I sat down to rest. My first bite of the ham and cheese made me realize how hungry I actually was, and I devoured the rest in short order.


    ¡°Damn, Lizzie, you were on freaking fire out there,¡± Stein said as he walked up, a burrito from the track cafe in his hand. ¡°Seriously, freaking fire.¡± He grabbed a Red Bull from the cooler and took a seat, leaning back and stretching out. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you punish the shit out of your street cars, so I know it¡¯s not just the race car, but man, it sure doesn¡¯t slow you down any.¡±


    As Stein was talking, the woman from earlier and a gawky girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old, came over to stand there, looking nervous.


    ¡°Hey, you guys,¡± I said, waving them to come in under the canopy. ¡°Have you eaten? I can have the guys make you sandwiches. Hey, grab some drinks from the cooler, too.¡±


    ¡°Um, we ate,¡± said the mom.


    ¡°What do you have to drink?¡± asked the daughter, so I pointed her in the direction of the big cooler. She grabbed herself a Red Bull and sat down by her mom, facing me.


    Stein looked back forth between me and the two women, wondering what was going on.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m Leah, this here is Stein. He drives that McLaren over there,¡± I said, pointing to his car. ¡°I didn¡¯t get your name earlier,¡± I said to the mom.


    ¡°Oh- I¡¯m Lainey. This is my daughter, Madison,¡± she said.


    ¡°Do you go by Madison, or Maddie?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Maddie,¡± she said, smiling shyly.


    ¡°Maddie, your mom told me you want to be a professional racer,¡± I said, to start the conversation going.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, her smile wide. ¡°More than anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what sort of life or career advice I can give,¡± I said, ¡°But I¡¯d be happy to give you some driving tips.¡±


    Looking confused, Maddie asked, ¡°Well, I mean, like, how did you get to be where you are? That car of yours- it¡¯s a GT3, right?¡±


    Stein barked out a quick laugh, and I gave him a ¡®can it¡¯ look.


    ¡°I¡¯m not actually a professional racer,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just out here, enjoying driving fast around a track, same as you.¡±


    Confused, Lainey said, ¡°But all this? If you aren¡¯t a professional¡­¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s just really rich,¡± Stein said. ¡°Her in-laws gave her the car for her birthday a few months ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not getting paid to do this- in fact, I¡¯m paying a metric assload of money to drive this car here this weekend.¡±


    The look of disillusionment on Lainey¡¯s face was terrible to see, but it didn¡¯t seem to bother Maddie at all.


    ¡°So you own this whole setup? The hauler, the race car, all of it?¡± she asked, looking around.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± I said. ¡°I own the car, but the rig is owned by Temecula BMW. I just hire the guys and the truck.¡±


    ¡°What she¡¯s leaving out is that she owns the dealership,¡± Stein said.


    Sighing, I said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t actually. Not yet, anyway. My father in law owns it.¡±


    ¡°So this is just a¡­ a hobby or something for you?¡± Lainey asked.


    ¡°Yeah, basically,¡± I agreed with a shrug.


    ¡°But you¡¯re the fastest driver out there today, and there are some fast guys here,¡± Maddie said.


    ¡°A lot of that is the car,¡± Lainey said to her daughter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself,¡± Stein said. ¡°See her daily driver over there?¡± he asked, pointing at my orange M6. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her on the track in that, and she freaking rails. Hard.¡±


    ¡°Does that have the Competition package?¡± Maddie asked, looking at my coupe.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°But it¡¯s a stock car. No mods yet.¡±


    ¡°How much slower would you go in that?¡± Maddie asked.


    ¡°A few seconds, for sure,¡± I said. ¡°I probably wouldn¡¯t be the fastest out here today if I was driving my M6.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d still be one of the fastest,¡± Stein said. ¡°You were blowing everyone¡¯s doors off at Willow.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Joachim?¡± I called out. ¡°Can you prep my street car? I want to do some laps after lunch.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Leah,¡± he said and hustled over to get the car ready and teched.


    ¡°Your Evo, it has a passenger seat, right?¡± I asked Maddie. When she nodded yes, I said, ¡°Let¡¯s do a few laps in my BMW, then a few in your Evo. Maybe I can see where you might pick up some more speed.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Maddie asked.


    ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± I said. ¡°Maybe we can get you a second or two.¡±


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯re more of a man than me,¡± Stein said to Maddie. ¡°The idea of riding with Leah terrifies me.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be O.K., right?¡± Lainey asked, worried.


    ¡°Yeah, the car is solid,¡± I said. ¡°We won¡¯t crash.¡±


    When they waved the green flag after lunch, Maddie was buckled into the passenger seat in the M6. On our out lap I kept the speed reasonable and talked Maddie through the lines and the braking points I was using. On lap two, I picked up the pace a fair bit, but still kept up a running commentary as I drove, trying to do what Alain had done for me at Willow Springs.


    By lap five of so we were really flying. Of course the car wasn¡¯t as sharp as the GT3, but it was still holding the track extremely well for a production street car.


    ¡°You take a totally different line through that turn than I do,¡± Maddie shouted over the engine noise as we exited the bowl and headed towards the little right-handed uphill kink.


    ¡°It¡¯s to set the next turn up correctly,¡± I said as I threw the car to the left and ran over the curbing on the inside as we accelerated onto the back straight. ¡°Are you doing O.K.?¡± I asked after we jinked over the hill.


    ¡°I¡¯m good!¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s see what we can do,¡± I said as we flew down the little straight leading into the ninety-degree left-hander. I waited, then stomped on the brakes and threw the car sideways into the turn, kicking the back end out under power to oversteer the car through the double apex.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Maddie yelped as the tires hooked up and yanked us back into line just in time to throw it into the following right-hander.


    ¡°This car doesn¡¯t have the grip of the race car,¡± I explained. ¡°So I need to break the back end loose on some of these turns or it¡¯ll run wide.¡±


    Seeing that Maddie was doing fine, even though she was gripping the door¡¯s grab bar for dear life, I squeezed everything I could out of that poor coupe.


    The tires howling out of the right onto the front straight, the engine strained to put all six hundred of its horses to the asphalt. I¡¯d given up on talking, as I was too focused on wringing that car¡¯s neck, but Maddie managed to get out an, ¡°Oh, shit!¡± as I slammed on the pedal and the Brembos clamped down on the ceramic rotors like a pit bull on a Chihuahua as we flew into turn one.


    Throwing the car into turn two, I let it run wide right to avoid a Porsche Carrera, then back across the track to the left to line up turn three¡¯s apex.


    I thought I heard Maddie say something, but with the engine and tire noises, I couldn¡¯t hear a word she might have said.


    After a couple more laps full tilt like that, I pulled back into the pits.


    Lainey ran over from where she¡¯d been watching in the grandstand and wrapped Maddie in her arms in relief once we stepped out of the car.


    ¡°Mom! That was so amazing! We were going so fast!¡± she babbled as she took off her helmet.


    While the two were talking, a guy in a Chuckwalla Raceway shirt came over to talk to me, and he didn¡¯t look happy.


    ¡°Look,¡± he said. ¡°This isn¡¯t a race, alright? Some of those passes- well, O.K., most of those passes you were making out there were hard, but clean, but there were a few- I got complaints, alright? I was watching, and you were never really at risk- I mean, you obviously know what you¡¯re doing, but you were spooking some of the other drivers.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I was just out there having fun, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that, I do, but not many drivers out here are used to getting mugged like that. It spooks ¡®em, you passing around the outside sideways in a double-apex. They don¡¯t expect it, and when all of a sudden you¡¯re right there, they kinda freak out.¡±


    ¡°I was going faster in that, earlier,¡± I protested, jabbing a thumb at the GT3.


    ¡°Yeah, you were, but you never got so squirrelly in that. I guess it¡¯s different when it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re on the ragged edge as you go by.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯m done in the street car for the day,¡± I said. ¡°Hopefully that¡¯ll calm peoples¡¯ nerves down.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s hope so,¡± the guy said. ¡°And hey, I saw from the list that your name is Leah Farmer, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Look for an email about an invite-only track day coming up,¡± he said as he walked away.


    Maddie and her mom had stopped talking and were just standing there, watching me get chewed out by the track official.


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡± Maddie said when the guy had gotten out of earshot.


    ¡°Mad,¡± her mom said, warning her about her language.


    ¡°Seriously, Mom, Leah was never out of control, even for a moment! Those people are just pissed off because she kicked their asses!¡±


    ¡°Language, Madison,¡± her mom cautioned.


    Trying to divert attention away from me, I asked, ¡°So- ready to take me for a spin in your Evo?¡±


    ¡°I dunno¡­¡± Maddie hedged. ¡°It¡¯s gonna feel slow¡­ Can we go out in that?" she asked, pointing at the GT3.


    ¡°Sorry- no passenger seat,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Seriously- let¡¯s go out in your car. Maybe I can help you with some pointers.¡±


    Maddie was right- it did feel slow in her car, but like I said- half the horsepower, almost all the weight. Her style was very different from mine, too- she was very precise in her lines and never, ever let the car get loose. I guessed the all wheel drive had something to do with that, but I was sure that it was mostly Maddie''s driving style and level of confidence.


    The car¡¯s torque vectoring was a bit disconcerting to me, but it tracked true enough. After a few laps, we pulled in to the pit and found Lainey talking to Stein.


    ¡°You want to know the real key to Leah¡¯s speed?¡± I heard him ask as we got near. ¡°She just doesn¡¯t give a fuck. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Lainey looked up and saw us approaching. ¡°How did it go?¡± she asked her daughter.


    ¡°Good,¡± Maddie said. ¡°Leah showed me some things, and I think if I can really learn what she was talking about I should be able to go faster.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Lizzie- can I ask you a question?¡± Stein said, loud enough to turn Lainey and Maddie¡¯s attention to what he just asked.


    ¡°Of course, Stein,¡± I said, wondering where he was going with this.


    ¡°What would you do if you ran off the track and wrecked your M6?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I guess it depends on how wrecked¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°Totaled. Just completely trashed, not a single part worth salvaging,¡± Stein clarified.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯d buy another one?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that- a hundred and seventy-five grand, right?¡± Stein asked.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, what would you do if you wrecked the GT3?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Um, I guess if I completely destroyed it, I dunno- buy another one? They only build enough to satisfy pre-orders, though, so I¡¯d probably have to wait until next year¡¯s allotment come out,¡± I said.


    ¡°And how much would that cost?¡± Stein asked.


    ¡°Five hundred grand?¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°See that?¡± Stein said, turning to Lainey. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know how much that car cost,¡± he said, jerking his thumb at the GT3. ¡°The big bummer if she wrecked it would be the wait until she could spend half a million dollars on a new one. That¡¯s what I mean. Leah is willing to go faster than anybody else here today because there is near zero risk as far as she¡¯s concerned. Me, if I wreck my McLaren, I have six months of fighting with my insurance company, meanwhile I¡¯m driving my pickup and wishing to hell I hadn¡¯t fucked my nice car up at the track. If your daughter trashes her Mitsubishi, that¡¯s a big deal, right? How about if she runs into somebody? Leah would just walk over to their pit and say, ¡®Sorry- let me pay for that,¡¯ and that¡¯s that. She runs me in my McLaren off the track and fucks it up, hell, maybe she buys it from me to make me whole, you know? It¡¯s just money, after all. This complete and utter lack of concern for repercussions gives her the confidence to push it harder than anybody else here.¡±


    Giving him a cool look, I said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t pay to get your car fixed, Stein. I¡¯d just have it re-wrapped.¡±


    Laughing, he said, ¡°Bitch!¡±


    ¡°Is he right, Leah?¡± Maddie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit he¡¯s not entirely wrong,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°How much money do you actually even have?¡± she asked, her eyes wide. Her mom tried to let her know the question was rude, but I answered anyway.


    ¡°Like Stein said, there isn¡¯t a car here today that I couldn¡¯t buy,¡± I said.


    ¡°With the change under her sofa cushions,¡± Stein added, unhelpfully.


    ¡°You really are an ass sometimes,¡± I said to him, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you love me,¡± he said, laughing.

 Dark Desert Highway

    After a few minutes, Maddie and I went out in my M6 again, but with her behind the wheel.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked when I suggested it. ¡°Like, really sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your driving,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°And like Stein said, if you wreck it I¡¯ll just buy another one. Maybe blue, this time.¡±


    Maddie tip-toed around the track for the first few laps, uncomfortable in the BMW.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not much heavier than my car, but it sure feels a lot bigger,¡± Maddie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± I replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t just say that!¡± Maddie exclaimed. ¡°My mom would have a heart attack, hearing you say that like that!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you gotta have fun, right? Don¡¯t take it so seriously,¡± I said. ¡°Oh, and use the pedal on the right,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I am!¡± Maddie protested.


    ¡°Well, use it more. This car has twice the power your Evo has- put it to good use. Here- the straight coming up- slam it to the floor!¡±


    Maddie did as instructed, but well after the apex. Still, the squeal of delight she let out as we rocketed towards the next turn was worth it.


    ¡°Wait for the brakes,¡± I instructed. ¡°O.K., now!¡±


    Maddie stomped on the brakes, terrified we were going to overshoot the turn, but instead almost brought the car to a halt. She corrected by getting on the gas again for the double-apex left-hander, saying, ¡°Sorry!¡± as she did so.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°So now you know this car can accelerate harder than yours, and the brakes work better,¡± I explained as we swept through the big right-hander. ¡°What your car does better is maintain a clean line in the middle of the turn.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Maddie asked as she set up for the two lefts and then an easy right onto the front straight.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got all wheel drive, and a lighter car. Your car should be able to carry higher corner speed with more precision, right?¡± I asked Maddie as she overbraked for the quick right, then hard left after the straight.


    ¡°Um, yeah, I guess,¡± she said, trying to pay attention to me and the track at the same time.


    ¡°So the only way to not lose too much in the corners in a car like this is to lay it out and let the powerful brakes and motor do the work. So this lap, after the little straight after the hill, stay off the brakes as late as possible for the left, then trail brake in and use the gas to let the back step out. Let the brakes pull the front in, but use the gas to push the back out."


    ¡°What even do you mean?¡± Maddie asked in a near panic.


    ¡°Pull in after this lap, let¡¯s switch drivers,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Maddie did as instructed, and we quickly swapped seats and got going again.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said as we entered the track behind a Subaru STI. ¡°This guy has all wheel drive like your car, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Maddie agreed. ¡°Sorta.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s watch what he does,¡± I suggested as I parked right on the guy¡¯s ass. ¡°See, he takes the classic racing line. Wide, tight, wide, right?¡±


    "Well, sure,¡± Maddie agreed. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what you do, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but some cars are better at it than others. That Subaru? Better than most. Notice how, when I follow his lines, he gets a little gap mid-turn?¡± I asked. By now we¡¯d drafted off the guy for most of a lap, and when we got to the front straight he moved aside to let me by, no doubt tired of a rear-view mirror full of lava-orange BMW.


    ¡°So, in a car like this, with better brakes and much more motor, but maybe not as great corner traction, we say ¡®fuck corner traction! Who needs it, anyway?¡¯ and let the car play fast and loose.¡±


    ¡°Like what you were doing earlier?¡± Maddie asked as I slingshotted us out of the bowl.


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed. ¡°I use the tires breaking grip to rotate the car. I want to spend as little time in the corner as I can, so I do this,¡± I said, heel-and-toeing the entry to the double left to oversteer the car, kicking the back end out in a somewhat exaggerated over-rotation to make the point.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Maddie squeaked. ¡°We almost spun out!¡±


    ¡°Nah, nowhere even close,¡± I said. ¡°I was just showing you what I meant,¡± I said as I did the same thing on the following right, letting the BMW run wide to the outside of the track through the two rights so I could get past some little dark blue hot hatch who was hugging the clean line.


    ¡°If I do it too much, it slows the car down, but looks cool- which I guess is the whole point of drifting,¡± I said as I slammed the pedal to the floor as we entered the front straight. ¡°The key is to get the balance right.¡±


    I powered through another couple of laps, showing Maddie what I meant about rotating the car, then we pulled in for another driver exchange.


    Maddie was clumsy at it, but the technique was alien to the driving she¡¯d learned behind the wheel of her Mitsubishi, so it was understandable.


    Back in the pit, Maddie asked, ¡°So, my car won¡¯t do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s up to you to try to figure out,¡± I said. ¡°It might not, but if it does, I¡¯d bet you could shave a little bit of time every single corner if you got comfortable with the car moving around under you.¡±


    There was only an hour or so until the track went cold for the day, so I climbed into the GT3 for the remaining time, fine-tuning my shift points and braking markers, squeezing a little more speed out of the car than I had earlier in the day.


    When they finally waved the checkered flag to bring everybody in, I found Maddie and Lainey waiting back at my pit.


    The guys swarmed all over the car once I was out, lifting it immediately to change the fluids and download the data. I noticed Joachim collecting the four GoPros, and idly wondered if any of the footage was worth watching.


    ¡°I think I understand what you mean,¡± Maddie said when I settled down into my folding chair. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take me a while to get used to it, though.¡±


    ¡°It took me a while, too,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of an uncomfortable feeling at first.¡±


    ¡°Will you be here tomorrow?¡± Lainey asked.


    ¡°Yeah, all day,¡± I said as I took the beer bottle Joachim handed me and knocked back a big pull. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going clockwise tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Maddie confirmed. ¡°The better way.¡±


    ¡°You like clockwise better?¡± I asked, more to make conversation than anything.


    ¡°I think the track flows better that way,¡± Maddie said, helping herself to another Red Bull from the cooler.


    ¡°Hey, Liz,¡± Stein said as he ambled over. ¡°Any plans for tonight?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of hitting the town,¡± I said, vaguely pointing off into the completely empty desert surrounding the track.


    ¡°It¡¯s only an hour to beautiful Indio, California,¡± Stein said with a laugh. ¡°There¡¯s a great Mexican restaurant that has live bands on Saturday nights,¡± he continued. ¡°It¡¯s awesome for picking up hot Latinas.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got one of those already, thanks,¡± I said dryly.


    ¡°Yeah, you do,¡± Stein said, grabbing a beer from the new cooler that had magically appeared after the track went cold for the night. ¡°But she¡¯s back in New York with your wife, right?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± I admitted. ¡°Even still, I¡¯m not in the market.¡±


    ¡°A chick in the hand is worth two on the opposite coast,¡± he replied with a smirk.


    I just rolled my eyes and took another drink of my beer, leaning back and unzipping my race suit, kicking my feet out.


    ¡°You¡¯re married? To a woman?¡± Maddie asked, intrigued. Lainey, in turn, looked a little bit displeased by the revelation.


    ¡°Not just any woman,¡± Stein interjected. ¡°The hottest woman. She¡¯s married to Emmy Lascaux.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me!¡± Maddie squeaked. ¡°Emmy from The Downfall Emmy? You¡¯re her wife?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Emmy¡¯s my wife,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Hey, how many are going to want dinner tonight?¡± Joachim interrupted. ¡°We¡¯re about to set up the grill,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve got steaks, chicken, and burgers if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    I looked at Lainey and Maddie. ¡°You guys are welcome to stay for dinner if you want.¡±


    Maddie looked pleadingly at her mom, who looked as if she was going to say no.


    ¡°That¡¯s mighty nice of you,¡± Lainey said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to impose- we have stuff for dinner back in our motorhome.¡±


    ¡°Please, Mom?¡± Maddie begged.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s O.K.?¡± Lainey asked me.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how many of my driving buddies were going to be here, so I made sure we brought plenty,¡± I answered. ¡°It¡¯d be great if you guys would have dinner with us.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess, if it¡¯s no hassle,¡± Lainey said, finally giving in to her daughter¡¯s pleading looks.


    ¡°So I guess the four of us,¡± I said to my crew chief, indicating Lainey, Maddie, Stein and myself. ¡°I¡¯ll take a steak, medium rare, please, Joachim. Thanks a lot.¡±


    The rest put in their requests, and soon the Brazilian crew chief was hustling off to get cooking with Manny, one of the three mechanics, while the other two continued washing the GT3. They¡¯d already detailed the M6 while I was out on the track in the last session of the day, but now the GT3 was taken care of mechanically, it was time for its beauty regimen.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, sitting up. ¡°I¡¯m gonna grab a shower and change clothes. You guys can hang around here, or whatever. Dinner should be ready in half an hour? Something like that,¡± I said as I stood to go into the big toy hauler.


    ¡°Yeah, sounds good,¡± Stein said, also standing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back in half an hour, then,¡± Lainey said as she urged Maddie to get up and get moving.


    The shower in the hauler was surprisingly good, and washing off the day¡¯s sweat felt great. My race suit was as good as they get, but the idea of a cooling system sure had its appeal on a hot day at the track. I¡¯d have to talk to Joachim about getting something fitted to the car, I thought as I threw on a pair of jeans, T and hoodie.


    I was back outside and settled into my chair, enjoying the smell of the grill when that same track official came over to talk.


    ¡°That smells good,¡± he said as he walked up.


    ¡°I can have the guys throw a burger on for you,¡± I offered.


    ¡°I appreciate it, but I can¡¯t stay. I just wanted to talk a few minutes about your driving today.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, indicating a chair for him to sit in.


    ¡°Look, I watched you, and like I said earlier, it¡¯s obvious you know what you¡¯re doing out there,¡± he began. "Like I said, a few other drivers complained about your passing. No, wait,¡± he said, holding up his hand as I was about to protest. ¡°I watched, and your passes might have been hard, but you never put any other drivers at any real risk, so if this was a race, you¡¯d never hear anybody complain at all. The thing is, like I said earlier, a lot of these other drivers have never actually raced, you know? They¡¯re used to gentleman¡¯s rules on passing during a track day- you wait to pass until the driver ahead gets over for you, and maybe signals. They just aren''t expecting a pro who is used to actual racing.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± I started to say, but he held up his hand again.


    ¡°I understand- most of the other drivers here don¡¯t look in the mirror often enough to see you coming up hard on ¡®em, so they don¡¯t get over when you¡¯ve run up their tailpipes. I get it, and I¡¯m on your side on this. This is an open track day, and these guys should be ¡®A¡¯ level drivers, and we expressly have no restrictions at all on passing. You heard the drivers meeting this morning- keep it safe was all we said. Which you did. I¡¯m sure you noticed that we didn¡¯t black flag you, right?¡±


    ¡°I did notice that, yes,¡± I agreed with a smile.


    ¡°So here¡¯s the thing. You¡¯re signed up for tomorrow, so at the drivers meeting in the morning I¡¯ll talk a little bit about it and make it clear to everyone. I don¡¯t want a free-for-all out there, you know, but I don¡¯t want people getting all bent out of shape just because somebody passed ¡®em when they weren¡¯t expecting it.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said. ¡°I appreciate you being a good sport about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, all that said, you might really be better off renting the track for your own testing days, you know. That way you won¡¯t have to deal with these sorts of complaints- you¡¯ll be able to get all the track time you want and not have any other cars ruining your laps.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± I conceded. ¡°But I need practice passing slower drivers and taking alternate lines, too,¡± I said.


    Laughing, the guy stood up to leave. ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense,¡± he said. ¡°See you in the morning.¡±


    After he left, a couple of guys in their early twenties came over to say hello.


    ¡°Hey- the guy that drives the BMW GT3- is he around?¡± The first guy asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at him,¡± I said, finishing off my beer.


    ¡°What? You were driving that?¡± he asked, pointing at the now-covered race car.


    ¡°Well, it is my car,¡± I said.


    With perfect timing, one of the mechanics came over to ask a question.


    ¡°Leah, will you be using the M6 much tomorrow? The tires have taken a beating- you want us to change ¡®em for fresh?¡±


    ¡°I might,¡± I said. ¡°How bad are the tires on there now?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d notice,¡± he said. "The fronts aren¡¯t too bad, but the back tires are pretty far gone. On the street, I¡¯d say you¡¯d need to change them soon. For the track, I¡¯d say they¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and swap ¡®em out then, Brian,¡± I told him. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to do it tonight. I¡¯ll start out in the GT3.¡±


    ¡°Cool,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get it done while you¡¯re out on the track.¡±


    The two guys watched the whole interchange silently, then when Brian left one of the guys said ¡°That BMW of yours is bad-ass!¡±


    ¡°Wait-¡° the second guy said. ¡°You were also driving that?¡± He asked, pointing towards the M6 that Brian was buttoning up for the night.


    ¡°Yeah, about half and half today,¡± I said. ¡°What are you guys driving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a Civic R,¡± the first guy said.


    ¡°Dark blue?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yah, that¡¯s right,¡± he confirmed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a Subaru WRX STI,¡± the second guy said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a couple of those out here,¡± I said. ¡°Which one- the yellow one or the green?¡±


    ¡°Yellow,¡± he said. ¡°With the black graphics.¡±


    ¡°Cool,¡± I said. ¡°You guys have a good time today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was great, until somebody in a BMW race car smoked past me so hard I had to check to see if my parking brake was on,¡± the second guy said with a laugh.


    ¡°Dood- you, too?¡± The first guy said to his pal. ¡°I thought I was kickin¡¯ it hard until that BMW came by, spitting fire and shit!¡±


    Laughing at the two guys¡¯ antics, I asked, ¡°Hey, I have a serious question. I guess some drivers complained that I passed uninvited- I mean, passed ¡®em when they weren¡¯t expecting it. I didn¡¯t pass either of you like an asshole, did I?¡±


    ¡°No, not like an asshole,¡± the first guy said. ¡°I mean, like, you passed me all freaking day, so I sorta got used to it, you know? It spooked me pretty good the first time you passed me around the outside between three and four, and then again coming out of the bowl, but after that I kept an eye out for your car. I didn¡¯t know it was the same driver in the orange BMW, but you passed me pretty good in that, too.¡±


    His friend said, ¡°The first time you passed me in the orange M6 was in the little straight after the hill. I thought you were gonna blow the turn and run off the track for sure the way you were on it so hard, but then you threw it in and got all sideways like a fucking boss and you just vanished off into the distance.¡±


    ¡°You were getting so sideways!¡± The first guy said. ¡°I got so I was waiting, hoping you¡¯d pass me where I could watch you go through a turn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys enjoyed the show,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°She does it on the street, too,¡± Stein said as he walked up, his thinning hair still damp from his shower. ¡°You should see Liz terrorizing the soccer moms in Malibu.¡±


    ¡°Liz? That¡¯s your name?¡± Asked guy number one.


    ¡°Leah,¡± I said, holding out my hand for a shake. ¡°For some reason I still don¡¯t understand my driving buddies call me Lizzie.¡±


    ¡°Danny,¡± the first guy said, shaking my hand.


    ¡°June,¡± the second guy said when we shook.


    ¡°This here is Stein,¡± I said, introducing him to the two guys. ¡°He drives that McLaren over there.¡±


    ¡°That is one hella sweet ride,¡± Danny said, admiringly.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Stein said, somewhat self-consciously.


    ¡°I bet she doesn¡¯t pass you like she does to us,¡± June said, eyeing the low-slung car.


    ¡°Oh, trust me, she lets you guys off easy,¡± Stein replied with a laugh. ¡°Hell, now she knows you two and knows your cars, you can expect her to cut you a whole fucking lot less slack.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± One of the two asked.


    Lainey and Maddie showed up about then, looking curiously at the two guys.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll see you out there!¡± One of the two guys said, and they left to go back to where they were pitted.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Maddie asked.


    ¡°Just a couple of guys who wanted to get a closer look at the race car,¡± I said.


    The crew had set up a couple of folding tables and were starting to set out the food, so we all took our seats for dinner. I was slightly bothered by the way it shook out, with the mechanics at one table and the drivers (and Lainey) at the other, but that was just how it happened. I made a mental note to make sure mechanics and drivers mixed it up at meals in the future. I didn¡¯t want the crew thinking they were somehow separate from the drivers in any way, socially.


    I spent a lot of time during dinner fending off Maddie¡¯s questions about Emmy. I understood that rock stars are inherently interesting, but it seemed that Lainey wasn¡¯t too comfortable with the topic of me being married to another woman, and I didn¡¯t want to cause any friction about something that doesn¡¯t concern driving, anyway.


    Stein did a good job of being a pain in the ass in his usual way, but generally the conversation flowed smoothly enough. I¡¯d been worried that Lainey would be anti-lesbian enough that she¡¯d want keep Maddie away from me, but it didn¡¯t seem to really be the case.


    Eventually Maddie and Lainey went back to their motorhome for the night and Stein climbed into the back seat of his truck to sleep, so I helped the crew clean up after dinner, then went out for a walk. It was a surprisingly bright night, with a nearly full moon shining down from the absolutely clear desert night.


    I wandered out onto the track, idly thinking I should walk it clockwise, to get a feel for tomorrow¡¯s layout. Silly, since it was light enough to see the track but not really light enough to make out the kind of details walking a track would normally provide, but hey- at least I knew I was going to get a nice and peaceful late-night stroll.


    I paused for a moment on top of the little hill which marked the farthest point on the track from the pits. Walking, my mind had been something of a jumble, not really organized in any way, just random thoughts bouncing around. Taking slow, relaxing breaths and looking around the empty desert, up at the stunning number of stars, and back towards the diminishing activity of the pits, I felt a sort of calmness wash over me.


    ¡°This is my life,¡± I said out loud, even though there was nobody to hear it but me.

 Its A Thing I do

    Stein was there for breakfast first thing in the morning, looking a bit rumpled from a night sleeping in the back seat of his truck. When I asked him about it, he said that normally he would have slept on an air mattress in the bed of the truck, but he couldn¡¯t find his pump when he¡¯d packed.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I got a good couple of hours of sleep. I¡¯ll be fine after some coffee.¡±


    At the drivers meeting, the track official was true to his word. When it came time to talk about the passing rules, he was very clear.


    ¡°As for passing- do it safely. No running into anybody, no running anybody off the track. Other than that, pass anywhere you want and can do it safely. No need to wait for the driver ahead to pull over for you.¡±


    Looking around to make sure everyone got his point, he added, ¡°I got some complaints yesterday from some drivers who were upset at the way they were passed. Now, let me say, I watched the driver in question, and that driver might have passed aggressively here and there,¡± he said, getting knowing nods and sounds of assent from around the crowd of drivers. ¡°But no pass that I saw, or that any of my corner marshals saw, ever put any other driver at any real risk. This is an open-track day,¡± he said. ¡°Every single one of you, when you signed up, did so with the knowledge that this is for advanced, experienced drivers only with a lot of track time under your belt. If you can¡¯t accept getting passed, go faster.¡±


    There was a little grumbling, and one middle-aged guy raised his hand. When he was recognized, he asked, ¡°Look, this is a track day for experienced drivers, we all understand that,¡± he began. ¡°But it¡¯s something else when a professional shows to do testing. That guy in the BMW-¡± he said, but was interrupted by June, the guy who had come to my pit the night before.


    ¡°That chick!¡± He said with a smirk. ¡°That chick in the BMW.¡±


    All the other drivers looked around and quickly figured out it was me he was talking about. I smiled and waved to the group, not bothering to say anything.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± The middle-aged guy asked. When gave him a wry look and shrugged in a ¡®What can you do?¡¯ sort of way, he frowned, then collected his thoughts.


    ¡°So when did it become O.K. for professional racers to do their testing in an open track day? The rest of us are just rolling obstacles for her to go around.¡±


    The official said, ¡°She signed up, just the same as you. She has to follow the same rules out here as you do. I haven¡¯t heard her complain one bit about slow drivers blocking her lines- in fact, when I went to talk to her yesterday, she said that she liked that there were drivers of different speeds out on the track. She didn¡¯t run into anybody, didn¡¯t run anybody off the track, didn¡¯t force anybody off their line yesterday. What she did do is pass every single one of you when she wanted, that¡¯s it. That was completely within the track rules. End of discussion. If you think a particular pass was too hard, go talk to her. Tell her your side of things, and maybe ask her to give you more room next time. Be a man about it. Don¡¯t come whining to me because your Carrera 4 got outbraked by a BMW sedan going into Turn Eight.¡±


    Looking around, he seemed satisfied that everyone had gotten the point. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°Same instructions as yesterday, but we¡¯re going the opposite direction today.¡± Nobody interrupted or asked any questions, so he finished up the drivers meeting without any more discussion.


    June and Danny came over to say hello just as the meeting was breaking up.


    ¡°Dood, that guy was pissed,¡± Danny said. ¡°Did you see his face when June outed you? He does not like the idea of a chick half his age schooling his shit. I mean, the guy thinks his Audi R8 is the shit, you know?¡±


    ¡°Those are nice cars,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± June agreed.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one in the BMW race car?¡± The track photographer asked as I was about to walk back to my pit. ¡°I have some great pictures of you. You should come check ¡®em out.¡±


    ¡°Did you get any of me in the orange M6?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That was you, too? Yeah, a ton of photos. Stop by at the end of the day and I¡¯ll put a package together for you.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said, but my mind was already moving on to the morning¡¯s driving.


    Back at the pit, I sat down with the track map, thinking about how the flow would work in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Maddie said as she walked up. ¡°Ready to rock today?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± I said with a smile, amused by her enthusiasm.


    ¡°Can I grab a Red Bull?¡± She asked, heading towards the cooler the guys had already set out.


    ¡°Help yourself,¡± I said.


    ¡°So, um,¡± Maddie said, looking a bit nervous. "Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, leaning back and focusing my attention on the teenager.


    ¡°So, like, one of my best friends is gay,¡± she began nervously. ¡°And, like, we made out, on, you know, a dare at a party.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, um, I kinda liked it, and I kinda didn¡¯t want to stop. Does that mean I¡¯m gay?¡± she blurted out.


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah- his name is Hunter,¡± she said.


    ¡°Have you made out with Hunter?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, we do it a lot, when we can,¡± Maddie admitted, looking bashful.


    ¡°And do you like that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s great,¡± she said, and her expression told me that ¡®great¡¯ was underselling it.


    ¡°Then, maybe at the most, you¡¯re bisexual,¡± I said. ¡°Look, here¡¯s the thing. Making out with people you really like is always going to feel good, no matter what else. Don¡¯t overthink it. Just be who you are, and do what you feel like.¡±


    ¡°Do you do that? Do you do what you like?¡± Maddie asked.


    ¡°I do what I like,¡± I confirmed. ¡°I try not to let other peoples¡¯ preconceptions or attitudes change me.¡±


    ¡°Like driving a race car?¡± Maddie asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s one example,¡± I said.


    Out on the track, it only took me a couple of laps to understand the layout. Soon enough I was picking up speed as I felt myself slipping into the zone.


    I know a lot of people talk about ¡®flow states¡¯ or ¡®the zone¡¯ in near-mystical terms, but I¡¯ve never really felt it that way. For me, it¡¯s almost a sort of meditation where my focus narrows to one specific aspect, whether it¡¯s playing volleyball, running, or driving my car. When I get that way, the rest of the world just melts away and all that exists is contained within the limits of my subject of focus.


    In this particular case, my world was bounded by the car, the track, and the other cars on it. There was no emotion, no stress, nothing- just speed, grip and the sound and feel of the engine. The car responded just as I knew it would with every flick of the shifters, every turn of the wheel, every foot on a pedal. This was the first time the BMW and I had come to this level of understanding, a level that had felt natural in my old GT-R.


    Absently I noted the cars I passed with ease, more focused on the handful that took me a little longer to set up and get by. I was using the track layout to my advantage when passing these faster guys, lining up my pass a turn or two in advance when needed.


    Eventually a red flag was waved and we all had to come in off the track while they had to yank some Porsche back onto the track. I hadn¡¯t seen what the guy had done, but his left rear wheel was at a decidedly non-standard angle. His weekend had ended with an expensive repair, but I guess that¡¯s the downside of playing roughly with your toys.


    Like clockwork, the moment I was out of the car the crew had it up and the tires wrapped in warmers to keep them hot. Joachim was busying himself downloading the data, so I grabbed a Coke from the cooler and sat down to take a break.


    ¡°O.K., Liz, you¡¯re always fast,¡± Stein said from his chair. ¡°But you are absolutely on fire this morning. What did you have for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just finally clicking with the new car, that¡¯s all,¡± I replied, taking a big swig. The first big swallow of an ice-cold Coke on a hot day has a special sort of raspiness as it goes down, scouring your mouth and throat in a particularly bracing way, making my eyes water a bit.


    ¡°Well, shit, that really didn¡¯t take you long,¡± he said. ¡°Seriously, what? Is this your third day behind the wheel of the BMW?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but the M6 isn¡¯t really all that different, you know? So I think time spent driving the coupe helps out in getting accustomed to the race car, too.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± he said, unconvinced.


    A few minutes later Maddie and Lainey came over to visit. Maddie grabbed a Red Bull from the cooler without even asking, but Lainey waited until I offered to grab herself a bottle of water.


    ¡°You were going soooooo fast!¡± Maddie exclaimed. ¡°It was like, bzow! You were past, and then what seemed like a few turns later, bzow again!¡± she said, her words faster than her car would ever go. ¡°I tried to watch you, but you were just gone so fast I couldn¡¯t even!¡±


    ¡°I was watching from the stands,¡± Lainey said. ¡°Maddie is right- you were really flying out there. It¡¯s like yesterday was just a warmup.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling really good in the car this morning," I agreed.


    ¡°Leah?¡± Joachim asked, holding up the laptop to get my attention. I joined him at the table to look at what he had for me.


    ¡°O.K., as your speed is increasing, we¡¯ve adjusted the shift points a bit more. Ideally, we¡¯d change out the final drive, but for just a track day, that¡¯s a bit too much to do. We¡¯ll know for next visit to Chuckwalla, though,¡± he explained. ¡°Also, we adjusted the toe-in a tiny bit to reduce oversteer, but that¡¯s just minor. All in all, she¡¯s running really good.¡±


    ¡°The car feels really good, Joachim. You guys are doing an excellent job,¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m really happy with all you and the guys have done this weekend. It¡¯s been perfect.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said. ¡°That means a lot. You¡¯ll put in a good word with the boss, right?¡±


    ¡°You do know he¡¯s told me more than once that he wants to sell the dealerships to me, right? Odds are, pretty soon I will be your boss,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Everybody in the shop knows,¡± he said with a smile.


    Back on the track, it took me no time at all to resume speed. The BMW was flawless, the conditions were perfect, and my thoughts were focused on one thing only- getting around that track as quickly as possible, trying to perfect every corner, every braking marker, every input.


    I was quite surprised when the checkered flag came out to bring us in for lunch- I¡¯d been out for over two hours non-stop, racking up laps like nobody¡¯s business.


    Back in the shade of the canopy at the pit, I unzipped my racing suit all the way to cool down and shrugged my arms out before I sat down.


    Joachim was right there with a Gatorade for me (cucumber lime, my favorite flavor), saying, ¡°Leah, you gonna stick with the GT3 for the rest of the day, or are you gonna go out in the coupe?¡±


    ¡°Probably the race car,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s working really well for me. I don¡¯t want to break the rhythm, you know?¡±


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll change tires right now, then. That¡¯ll give the warmers time to work.¡±


    As he hustled off to tell the boys to swap wheels, I slammed about half the bottle of Gatorade in one go.


    Manny came over with a sandwich and some chips for me. ¡°You¡¯re gonna want to replenish your salt,¡± he said. ¡°Eat the chips first.¡±


    Smiling at his concern, I thanked him for lunch.


    Stein showed up about that time, another track cafe burrito in his hand. He rooted in the cooler for a can of Diet Coke, then sat down in one of the other folding chairs.


    ¡°Liz,¡± he asked after taking a bit bite and washing it down. ¡°When you pass somebody out there, do you even notice? I mean, every time you passed me, it was like I wasn¡¯t even there. Your line adjusted a little bit, sure, but I don¡¯t think your speed ever did. You were just, like, passing a slower car on the freeway. You changed lanes, sure, but never took the cruise control off.¡±


    ¡°Nah, that was mostly just you. Most of the rest of the drivers were harder to pass,¡± I said.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± he replied. ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m laying down solid sub-twos out there, feeling good about myself, and you just ease up and slide by with no freaking fanfare at all. I know I¡¯ve got, like, fifty horses on you, but you get out of the turns and vanish into the distance with zero fucks given.¡±


    ¡°Four hundred pounds less might have something to do with it,¡± I suggested. ¡°And wider tires that aren¡¯t anything close to street legal.¡±


    ¡°Gotta be something,¡± he grumbled, but I could tell he wasn¡¯t actually upset at all, for all the pretense.


    About twenty minutes later the two guys from the night before came over to say hello again.


    ¡°Dood, you are so freaking fast!¡± Danny said as they walked up. ¡°I thought you were killin¡¯ it yesterday, but today, man, that BMW of yours goes by like some sort of loud freakin¡¯ white streak. Blink and it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Nothin¡¯ but afterimages,¡± June agreed. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d be intimidated, you know, but I don¡¯t even have time to think about it. It¡¯s just, like, something that happens, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was saying,¡± Stein said as he stood up to go do something.


    ¡°Guys,¡± I said. ¡°Grab something from the cooler and sit down. Take a load off.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± one of them said as he did what I suggested, grabbing himself a Red Bull. The other snagged a Gatorade, and they both plopped down in the other two folding chairs.


    ¡°So, um, Leah?¡± June asked, unsure whether he¡¯d gotten my name right. I nodded to confirm he¡¯d gotten it correct, so he continued. ¡°Can I ask a question? Why¡¯re you testing on a Joe Schmoe track day like this? I mean, it¡¯s cool to see a pro out here killing it and all, but the rest of us must be just, like, annoying to have to pass over and over.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± I said, not bothering to correct the idea that I was a pro racer. I mean, if they could accept the idea that a woman could race professionally, who was I to tell them that was a rare thing? ¡°Seriously, dealing with other cars on the track keeps it interesting. Otherwise every lap would be exactly the same, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± June conceded. ¡°It¡¯s just- we¡¯re so much slower. We must be holding you up.¡±


    "This might sound funny,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°But the cars that are holding me up the most out here are the guys that are the fastest. There are a couple of other drivers out here who are going fast enough that I have to work to get by- those are the guys that wreck my lap times, because I can¡¯t just get by. I have to plan my passes.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ makes sense,¡± June admitted.


    ¡°A couple of cars out here have a lot more horsepower than I do, too, so I have to get by them on the brakes, so by the time we get on the gas I¡¯ve already opened a gap.¡±


    ¡°Like that McLaren your buddy has?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, or that dark green Corvette Z06, for another,¡± I said. ¡°That guy is going pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he is,¡± June agreed. ¡°He doesn¡¯t pass like you do, though. He only passes in the straights.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s his weakness out here,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, you corner harder in your Subie than he does in that Z06. He¡¯s really good at getting on the gas, though.¡±


    June seemed to appreciate the compliment, taking it with a smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what all that shit is in your cockpit,¡± Danny said as he sat back down. ¡°You¡¯ve got, like, a million switches and shit in there. And the steering wheel- what is all that?¡±


    ¡°Hell, I don¡¯t know,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°I just drive it, that¡¯s all,¡± I said. Sure, it was a lie, but I didn¡¯t want to get into a discussion of mapping, pit lane limiters and the like. That was just too far into the weeds.


    With the five minute call on the PA, the two guys left to get ready to drive. I suited up as the mechanics dropped the car, then grabbed my helmet off the cooling fan. Hans Device on, then helmet strapped and hooked up, I was ready to drive.


    I waited for the initial rush of cars entering the track with the green flag, then rolled out once a gap opened up.


    Traffic was pretty dense for the first few laps, but as my speed picked up it thinned out, allowing me to get back into my groove.


    After a while, I caught up to Maddie¡¯s Mitsubishi in the little straight before the bowl. Out of curiosity, I dropped in behind her to follow her for a couple of laps to see how she was doing. I was pleased to see that she was braking later and harder than she had been the morning before, using the car¡¯s rotation to help scrub off speed instead of simply trail-braking all the way to the apex. This had the benefit of allowing her to get on the gas harder and earlier, just as I¡¯d tried to explain the day before.


    Maddie wasn¡¯t really consistent with the new technique, but I could tell she was trying, so I gave her a thumbs-up when I finally passed her on the front straight and got back to work.


    A few laps later I caught up to June¡¯s yellow STI, so I did the same thing, just to watch his style. After a couple of turns, though, he got nervous and pulled aside and signaled for me to pass, so I did, waving at him as I went. Figuring that most drivers wouldn¡¯t want me right on their asses, I didn¡¯t bother following anybody else.


    Taking the time to watch other drivers threw my focus off a bit, so it took me a while to get back into the zone. When I did, my times weren¡¯t as good as they¡¯d been in the morning, since the track was getting slippery with the heat as the afternoon sun beat down. I took this as an opportunity to play around with the TC settings (yes, some of those controls Danny had asked about). Reducing the traction control to let the car break loose and get really sideways was fun, but not really fast, but at that point my times were slowing down anyway, so why not play?


    Feeling mischievous, I lined up the Audi driven by the guy who¡¯d complained at the morning¡¯s drivers meeting, passing him on the outside through turns four and five, sideways and smoking the rear tires for all they were worth. When he looked up just as I drew level with him, the nose of the BMW pointing almost straight at the side of his car, I gave him a little wave hello.


    Unfortunately his helmet had a dark visor, so I couldn¡¯t see his expression, but hey. I smiled, anyway.


    After another hour or so the tires were completely roasted, so I pulled into the pit.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any fresh tires for the GT3,¡± Joachim said, scratching his head, Temecula BMW cap in his hand. ¡°I guess you¡¯re gonna have to take the coupe out. Maybe we can swap the old tires back on, but they''re pretty well shagged."


    ¡°Nah,¡± I said. ¡°I can be done for the day. It¡¯s been a good weekend. I¡¯ve gotten plenty of track time in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± he said, waving to the guys to not bother with the tire warmers.


    By the time I took a quick shower and changed clothes, the car was already loaded up and the guys were busy packing up all their gear.


    Sipping on a Coke, thinking longingly about the beers in the other cooler, I sat back in the folding chair, just letting the warm breeze wash over me.


    Maddie came over to say hello after a few minutes. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± she asked, seeing the guys loading the large canopy they¡¯d used as a workshop.


    ¡°Not for a little while,¡± I said. ¡°Are you planning on driving some more?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, until the track goes cold,¡± she answered, watching the guys at work. ¡°It must be nice, having somebody else do all the packing up. That¡¯s the part I hate.¡±


    ¡°It is nice,¡± I agreed. ¡°Well worth the money.¡±


    ¡°I was kinda hoping you could, you know, teach me little more,¡± Maddie said, turning her attention back to me.


    ¡°You know, while I was following you, I could see that you¡¯re figuring out what I meant by using the brakes and gas to steer the car. You just need practice, that¡¯s all. Just keep doing what you¡¯re doing, and it¡¯ll start to feel natural.¡±


    ¡°I was really nervous when you suddenly showed up right on my bumper like that,¡± Maddie said. ¡°But then I realized you wanted to watch me, so I tried to do what you¡¯d said.¡±


    ¡°I could see you¡¯re starting to get the hang of it. Like I said, just keep practicing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s kinda hard, you know? I think there are only a couple of these open track days here this year, and it¡¯s really hard to get time behind the wheel in a twenty minute session in a normal track day.¡±


    ¡°I hate to recommend, um, breaking the law, but do you do any canyon driving?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have my driver¡¯s license yet- I can¡¯t drive on the street!¡± Maddie said, throwing up her hands in exasperation.


    ¡°How old are you?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sixteen the day after Christmas,¡± she said.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said. ¡°Well, you¡¯re getting an early start on it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I used to race karts,¡± Maddie said. ¡°When I was a kid.¡±


    Stifling the urge to point out that she was still a kid, I said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you what. The guys that run the track have suggested several times that I should rent it out and do my testing in private. If I do that, I¡¯d be perfectly happy for you to come and get all the track time you could want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± Maddie said, excited by the idea. ¡°Here- let me give you my digits!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, putting my hand on her phone. ¡°Your mom has to be involved in this discussion. Bring her over here and we can talk about it.¡±


    Pulling a face, Maddie said, ¡°I¡¯m not really sure she¡¯d be O.K. with that,¡± she said. ¡°I kinda think she doesn¡¯t like the idea that you¡¯re, you know, LBGT.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why she needs to be in this discussion,¡± I said. ¡°It is absolutely important that she never gets the thought that I¡¯m hitting on you, you know? If we make arrangements behind her back¡­¡±


    Frowning, Maddie said, ¡°But you¡¯ve like, never even said one thing to me like that!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not going to,¡± I agreed. ¡°You and I know that, but your mom needs to feel comfortable with that, too.¡±


    Her shoulders slumping, Maddie said, ¡°Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Alright- I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± With that, she walked off back to her motorhome to find her mom.

 Your Wily Ways

    The same track official I¡¯d talked to the day before stopped by while Maddie was gone. ¡°Personally,¡± he said, ¡°I loved watching you throw that car into the turns like that, laying down rubber all the way through.¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I asked, waving him to help himself from the cooler.


    Grabbing a Diet Coke, he said, ¡°But you didn¡¯t make many friends out there.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess- the guy with the Audi R8,¡± I said, smirking.


    ¡°Yeah, the guy¡¯s been a pain in my ass all weekend,¡± he grumbled. ¡°He must have complained to me or one of my crew at least half a dozen times between yesterday and today. And it¡¯s not just about you,¡± he said, raising his hand to stop my protests. ¡°He¡¯s also complained about the way we¡¯ve run the track day, about slower cars, and I think, once, about how far he had to walk from his pit setup to the bathrooms.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°My buddy here with the McLaren- he¡¯s an ass, and we¡¯re parked about as far as anybody from the bathrooms, but even he hasn¡¯t complained!¡±


    ¡°I know, right? I told him he can park closer next time- the bathrooms aren¡¯t going to move any closer to him.¡±


    ¡°So the guy bitched about that last pass I made on him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He called it ¡®unsafe showboating,¡¯ and threatened to write bad reviews online because we allow pros in our amateur track days,¡± the official confirmed.


    ¡°I failed to notice anywhere in the registration where it said ¡®Must be an A level driver, but not an A+ or better¡¯,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°That was my basic answer,¡± The guy said. ¡°I told him that there was no such restriction, and pros are welcome if they want. They have to follow the same guidelines as everybody else. We don¡¯t dumb down our events to please a common denominator. I told him that the slowest guy on the track, driving a bone-stock twenty year old Miata, that guy never complained once about getting passed.¡±


    By this time June and Danny had made their way over, and caught that part of the conversation.


    ¡°Dood,¡± Danny said. ¡°People complaining about getting passed are freaking lame. Like you said this morning- if you don¡¯t like getting passed, drive faster.¡±


    Chuckling, the official said, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Maddie and Lainey had joined the crowd by that point, wondering what all the commotion was about.


    ¡°Well, anyway,¡± the track official said. ¡°I¡¯ve done my due diligence, so if he collars me again I can tell him that I¡¯ve spoken to you about your driving.¡±


    ¡°And how awesome it is!¡± said Danny.


    Chuckling, the official left to go back to whatever his duties called for him to do.


    June said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that other drivers are being such pussies!¡± Suddenly realizing that he might have made a poor choice of words in that crowd, he caught himself. ¡°Um, I mean, crybabies.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°June, don¡¯t you know pussies are tough? When you pound a guy in the balls, he acts like he¡¯s gonna die. When you pound a chick in the pussy, she tells you to do it harder and faster.¡±


    The looks on the two guys¡¯ faces were completely precious, not sure whether to laugh, blush, or get offended.


    Lainey, to my surprise, did break out in laughter. ¡°That¡¯s no lie,¡± she said, scandalizing her daughter.


    ¡°Moooooom!¡± Maddie said, turning red as a beet.


    This turned the tide for the two guys and they both laughed, somehow assured by Lainey¡¯s laughter that it was O.K. to do so.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you said that!¡± Maddie complained to me.


    ¡°Sometimes the truth hurts,¡± I said with a shrug, getting another laugh from Lainey.


    ¡°Hey, uh, Leah?¡± Danny said. ¡°It was good meeting you. See you around again sometime?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± I agreed, giving the two fist bumps before they walked off.


    Maddie grabbed a Red Bull from the cooler as her mom sat down.


    ¡°Mads said you wanted to talk?¡± Lainey began.


    ¡°Um, yeah, I did.¡± Thinking about how to frame it, I said, ¡°Maddie mentioned that it¡¯s hard to really get a lot of track time, since there aren¡¯t very many of these open-track track days, and in the usual session format you only get a couple of hours out on the track per day. In a twenty minute session you barely get your groove going before it¡¯s time to pull back in again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s always been a problem, even back when she was racing karts,¡± Lainey agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to the guys that run the track here,¡± I said. ¡°About renting the whole thing for private testing days. Essentially, a one-car track day. Just empty track. Well, I got to thinking that if I do that, and I might do it once a month or so, I¡¯d be O.K. if you guys want to come. That way Maddie could get plenty of time to work on her technique and not have her be concerned about other drivers.¡±


    ¡°Other drivers than you,¡± Lainey clarified.


    ¡°Well, yeah, and maybe a few of my friends. You¡¯ve met Stein, but I have a group of guys I drive with, and I¡¯d invite them, too. But it¡¯d definitely be less than ten cars on the track.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lainey asked.


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why would you invite Maddie?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You came over here to talk to me, yesterday. You saw that I was a woman driver, and you wanted advice for Maddie. I¡¯m perfectly happy to help her grow as a driver if I can help, and this is an easy way to do it.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± Lainey said. ¡°So, would you want anything for this?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t cost me a dime I wouldn¡¯t be spending anyway, right?¡± I said. ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t really be free for you guys, either. You¡¯ll have to spend money on gas, tires, things like that, and take the time off to be here- I think all the available days are weekdays, so you¡¯d miss work and school¡­¡±


    ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t charge us anything?¡± Lainey asked for clarification.


    ¡°No, just like I wouldn¡¯t charge Stein or any of my other buddies. Like I said, I could rent the track for the day and be the only one here, or I could rent the track for the day and invite a few friends. It costs me the same either way,¡± I explained. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯d be boring out here going around and around by myself.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯d be others?¡± Lainey asked.


    ¡°Last time there was what, seven of us?¡± Stein said, having joined us mid-conversation.


    ¡°At Big Willow,¡± I said to Lainey.


    "So not just you and Maddie?¡±


    Stein looked back and forth between Lainey and me, suddenly recognizing the subtext. ¡°Look,¡± he said. ¡°Lizzie here may be a thrill-seeking psychopath behind the wheel, but she¡¯s not some sort of predator. Not to cast aspersions on your daughter, but what Liz has at home is a perfect twenty-¡±


    ¡°Not helping, Stein,¡± I said, interrupting whatever he was about to say. ¡°For once, can it.¡±


    Turning to Lainey, I said, ¡°Whatever what my uncouth friend might have been about to say, the simple reality is this. Maddie seems like a good kid, and I¡¯d like to see her do well. That¡¯s it. Nothing but that one simple thing. My driving buddies are all guys, because it¡¯s mostly a guy thing, and that is itself a sort of barrier to girls who enjoy the sport. Encouraging girls, giving them a bit of help, well, as another woman, it¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    Looking at Stein, who had in fact shut up, then back at me, Lainey said, ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll take it as it¡¯s offered. But I¡¯m going to be there, too.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re her mom. It¡¯s your job to look out for her. You¡¯re her number one fan, her pit crew, and caterer. She wouldn¡¯t be here at all without your support.¡±


    Mollified, Lainey gave me her contact info. As she and Maddie went back to their motorhome, Maddie gave me a final wave and smile.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°How do you think she¡¯s gonna react when she finds out you¡¯re not only married to a woman, but have a lady on the side?¡± Stein asked when they were out of earshot.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you, Angela isn¡¯t ¡®on the side¡¯. She¡¯s in the middle,¡± I said. ¡°And probably not too well, if it¡¯s presented like that. It seems like she¡¯s got it in her head that gay people are all on the prowl, and finding out I share my bed with more than one woman might not go too well at all. So do me a favor, and keep that to yourself around Lainey and Maddie,¡± I said, looking Stein straight in the eye to let him know all joking was done. ¡°If they actually make it to any track days I set up, they¡¯ll probably wind up meeting Emmy or Angela, or maybe both, and that¡¯s probably O.K., since both of them can make friends with anybody, but hearing it from a third party, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it,¡± Stein said. After a few moments, he said, ¡°Hey, you looked at the track photos yet? There are some really good shots of you yesterday.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± I said, tilting my head in the direction of the photographer¡¯s trailer. ¡°Let¡¯s go look.¡±


    Of course, I wound up buying the full package for the weekend, with dozens of pictures from both days, plus a few short videos and a couple of shots in the pits that I hadn¡¯t even realized they¡¯d taken.


    Stein bought the full package, too. My favorite of the various pictures of him was actually in the pit, the engine cover up on his McLaren. He was laughing with one of the mechanics from my crew as they talked about something to do with his car. It was a slice-of-life moment, capturing perfectly the off-track interactions that helped make the whole experience so special.


    ¡°Seriously, I¡¯d frame that one,¡± I told him as I looked over his shoulder at the monitor displaying the photos. ¡°That¡¯s a great shot.¡±


    Back at the rig, the guys had packed everything up nice and tight. I thanked all four of them and as I shook their hands goodbye I slipped each one five hundred bucks cash. I told Joachim to let me know everybody¡¯s hours sometime the following week and I¡¯d settle up right away. I was pretty sure it was an expensive weekend, but it was worth it. I¡¯d had a really good time.


    Driving the M6 back to Los Angeles felt so very slow, even though I was exceeding the speed limit by a healthy margin.


    Calling Emmy from the car, I talked to her and Angela for maybe an hour or so as I drove west. I told them about the weekend, and how good I felt in the new car. I told them about Maddie, and predictably, Emmy was excited about meeting her. I even told them about Lainey¡¯s misgivings, which got Angela completely indignant, but Emmy calmed her down. It occurred to me that Angela was dealing with similar concerns about her own parents, so maybe it hit a little too close to home.


    We talked about the recording, and how they were almost finished and soon it would be but nothing but production work which could be done back in Los Angeles, to my relief.


    Angela said that she¡¯d probably come back to LA midweek, so she could be with me the coming weekend.


    ¡°That¡¯s my San Jose weekend,¡± I reminded her, but that only seemed to fuel her desire to return to California. She and Emmy started talking about dresses for the speakeasy, and Emmy said they would go shopping on Monday to get her something perfect.


    I smiled at that, amused at how easily Angela had accepted her role as Emmy¡¯s dress-up doll. She seemed to enjoy it, even. Of course, visions of Angela in a sexy low-cut number swam in my head, and that kept the smile on my face, too.


    The next couple of days were back to the same old routine, but that was O.K. After all, I needed some time to recover from the weekend, right? True to her word, Angela flew back to LA on Wednesday, so there were four of us at the now-traditional Wednesday dinner.


    What was a change, though, was that Jenna had suggested we have dinner at their new place. Andy would grill and we could see the changes that had been done on the house¡¯s makeover.


    I was more than happy to see what Jenna had done as far as the remodel was concerned. I¡¯d looked at the place when I¡¯d bought it initially, but once Andy and Jenna bought it from me all I did was connect them with our preferred contractors, nothing more.


    Angela suggested that we stop for a houseplant as a gift on the way over to Sherman Oaks, and I agreed. It wouldn¡¯t have occurred to me, but it was a nice gesture, so I was glad that Angela had suggested it.


    I was pleased that Angela was dressed casually, and not in her more typical sexy attire, but not for the more obvious reasons. O.K., we were just on our way to visit friends and have a backyard barbecue, so dressing like a model didn¡¯t make sense, but Angela¡¯s ripped jeans and ¡®I heart NY¡¯ T shirt told me that subconsciously she didn¡¯t feel she had to impress anyone. She was feeling more secure about her place in our world and could just be herself around us and our friends.


    Thinking about it, I gave her leg a squeeze at a stop light, and when she looked over at me, I leaned over and gave her a little kiss. This got me smile in return, and a hand on top of mine, holding it there on her thigh.


    Luckily, the X6 didn¡¯t require my hand on the shifter, so I was perfectly content to leave my hand where we both seemed to want it. The contact was just a little thing in the grand scheme of life, but at that moment, it meant more than I could have expressed.


    I was glad to see that Jenna had gotten the comically ornate wrought-iron driveway gate painted and fixed- it swung smoothly on its hinges when Jenna buzzed it open for us. The house had been painted, too, including the overly ornate railings running up the stairs to the front door and along the front of the house¡¯s large wrap-around balcony. As out-of-place as the ironwork was, it had been one of the things about the house that had caught my eye when it went on the market. It was just so charmingly quirky, so quintessentially Los Angeles- a Mid-Century Modern home with iron railings with spiraling vines¡­ Yeah, nowhere else but LA.


    Jenna was waiting for us at the top of the stairs leading to the front door. ¡°Andy¡¯s around back,¡± she said. When I held out the Weeping Fig in its pot, she said, ¡°Um, that looks heavy. Can you carry it inside?¡±


    ¡°I bought a little fig tree like this when Emmy and I first moved in together. It¡¯s quite a bit bigger now,¡± I said.


    ¡°The one out on your balcony?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°The very same. We brought it with us when we moved down here to LA,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s got to be good luck,¡± Jenna said with a smile. "Here- over here. This is the sunniest corner,¡± Jenna said, aiming me in the right direction.


    ¡°You guys want the nickel tour?¡± she asked when I had the little potted tree in just the right spot.


    Of course we said yes, and followed around dutifully as Jenna explained that all of the changes had been purely cosmetic- new kitchen countertops and appliances, new shower enclosures, things like that.


    ¡°Just getting the floors refinished and the whole place painted made such a difference!¡± Jenna exclaimed. ¡°Leah, that painter you recommended- that guy was so amazing! You have no idea how worried I was! You know, all the WAGs talk about their horror stories with remodels and contractor nightmares, but your guys were all real easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have sent them your way if they weren¡¯t,¡± I said, pleased to hear they¡¯d all worked out for Jenna and Andy.


    ¡°I wish we had the place a bit more together,¡± Jenna apologized. ¡°But they just finished the work last week, and you know, with Andy¡¯s schedule, we just haven¡¯t had the chance to even unpack, much less do any furniture shopping.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush things,¡± Angela said. ¡°Take the time to settle in properly. You¡¯ll be here for years- a few weeks of living out of boxes won¡¯t make any difference in time.¡±


    Jenna gave Angela a smile of thanks. ¡°You say that now, but we don¡¯t even really have our dishes unpacked. We¡¯ll be using paper plates tonight,¡± she said with a wry smile.


    Out back, we found Andy at the grill in the little backyard kitchen setup that Jenna had left untouched with the remodeling. He looked as happy as I¡¯d ever seen him, and he had every right to be. Here he was, wearing an apron that said, ¡®Boys heart Grills¡¯, tongs in one hand and basting brush in the other, cooking dinner for his friends and his fianc¨¦e in the backyard of his very own house. A house that he and Jenna owned outright, something his parents had never managed to do. Life was going great for Andy, and he knew it.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek. ¡°Thanks for suggesting this.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it was Jenna¡¯s idea,¡± he admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m happy you guys could come over. Is Emmy still in New York?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for maybe one more week,¡± Angela replied. ¡°They¡¯re almost done recording. They have all the main tracks finished- now they¡¯re just doing fills as they need them,¡± Angela added.


    ¡°It¡¯d be great to see her again. It¡¯s been months!¡± Andy said. ¡°Hey, the chicken is almost ready- you guys should go ahead and sit down. I¡¯ll bring it over in just a minute,¡± he said, turning back to the grill.


    Andy and Jenna had set up a cafe table on the back patio and strung lights in a zig-zag pattern, setting a lovely mood for the area.


    ¡°I love your house,¡± Angela told Jenna, who was dishing up the slaw and potato salad. ¡°This patio is lovely- it seems so private- it¡¯s hard to imagine we¡¯re in the middle of a city of ten million people!¡±


    ¡°This back patio is what sold me on the house,¡± Jenna agreed. ¡°With the hillside, and all the trees, you can¡¯t see any neighbor houses at all. Since the hillside faces north, we get a lot of light, but not much direct sunlight. It¡¯s perfect for relaxing back here.¡±


    ¡°You know what else?¡± Andy asked as he brought over a plate heaped with chicken. ¡°You were totally right, Leah. It only takes me about twenty minutes most days to get to the training center. But this feels like part of real LA, you know? Not like out there in Calabasas did.¡±


    ¡°Bel Air is just on the other side of that hill,¡± Jenna said, pointing at the slope that framed the back of the patio. ¡°When I told some of the other girls we were buying in Sherman Oaks, they were like, ¡®lolwut?¡¯ but I have to say that just in the few days since we¡¯ve moved in I¡¯ve fallen in love with this place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± I said, truly happy for the two of them.


    After dinner, Andy took me down to the garage to show me his plans for a weight room. The house was a rarity in Southern California in that it had what would pass as a basement, since it was built into the slope of the hill. Only half of the lower level was devoted to the garage, while a large part of the open space was simply empty.


    ¡°The last people must have been using this room as some sort of den or something,¡± he explained. "There was what looked like a bar cabinet against that wall over there, and that wall had a million holes in it surrounding a perfectly circular space with no holes at all.¡±


    It took me a moment, but then it occurred to me. ¡°A dartboard?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I¡¯d bet they had a pool table or something like that down here,¡± Andy said. ¡°But I¡¯m gonna turn this into my home gym. Jenna and I went and looked at a couple of fitness stores, and we wound up buying about twenty thousand dollars¡¯ worth of equipment. They¡¯re supposed to deliver it on Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± I said. ¡°You know that means you need a hot tub, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked about it, yeah,¡± Andy grinned, sheepishly. ¡°I kinda didn¡¯t want one, because of the whole ¡®valley¡¯ and ¡®hot tubs¡¯ thing. Jenna just laughed when I said that, though, and told me she¡¯d get me a pizza delivery costume.¡±


    "Bow chicka wow wow,¡± I said, laughing.


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    After we stopped laughing at the idea, Andy said, ¡°Leah, I gotta thank you again for hooking us up with this house. I¡¯ve really given a lot of thought to what you said about our money, and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I¡¯m not gonna let Jenna and me get caught up in the high-roller mentality most of the rest of the guys on the team have going. We have nice cars, we have a great house that¡¯s big enough for us, and it¡¯s all paid for. We paid off Jenna¡¯s student loans, too, so we have nothing hanging over us. We¡¯re paying for everything as we go, too.¡±


    I wrapped Andy in my arms, all two hundred and fifty pounds of him, and gave him a big hug. ¡°You guys are going to do just fine,¡± I said. ¡°Just fine.¡± I let him go, but left my hand on his shoulder. ¡°You know, I had an ulterior motive for recommending you guys buy this house.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only about twenty minutes from our new place, too, so we can visit back and forth all the damn time,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Andy said. ¡°You tricked me! Curse you and your wily ways!¡±

 Red Silk

    In a good mood, Andy and I went back upstairs to the living room, where Angela was helping Jenna unpack the boxes marked ¡®Kitchen¡¯. The two were working pretty well, so Andy and I left them to it and returned to the back patio. I really didn¡¯t do much but carry things inside while Andy cleaned up his cooking mess, but many hands make the work go faster, as they say.


    ¡°Hey, babe, we found the wine glasses,¡± Jenna told Andy when we returned inside with the last loads from the patio. ¡°Now we can have that champagne!¡±


    Andy and I quickly washed up, then carefully cleaned and dried the wine glasses (not champagne flutes) that Jenna had set out.


    Andy took the bottle from the fridge and looked at it dubiously. ¡°You know how to do this?¡± he asked.


    Laughing, I said that Emmy had shown me the correct way. I undid the wire retainer and pulled it off, holding my thumb across the top of the cork. ¡°Everybody thinks you want to pop the cork off, right? But that spills the champagne everywhere and makes a mess. The only time to do that is if you¡¯re already drunk, or just won the race. If you want to actually drink the champagne, wrap your hand around the cork and neck like this,¡± I said, showing him. ¡°Then, holding the base of the bottle against your hip like this, slowly rotate the bottle while using your cork hand to keep it sliding out slowly. Let the gas out like a fart in an elevator- slowly and silently. And there- ready to pour.¡±


    ¡°It looks easy like that,¡± Andy said, wonderingly.


    ¡°It is,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for a toast,¡± I said, pouring the four glasses.


    ¡°To Jenna and Andy, and their new home!¡± Angela said, lifting her glass. We all clinked our glasses together, then sipped.


    Soon we moved into the living room, but the lone couch wasn¡¯t big enough for all of us.


    ¡°We need new furniture,¡± Jenna said, apologetically. ¡°All we have is from our little student apartment. We didn¡¯t buy anything new when we got our apartment in Thousand Oaks, because we knew that place was only temporary.¡±


    At first, Jenna and Angela sat on the couch and Andy and I sat on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table, but that seemed awkward, so eventually Angela and Jenna sat on the floor, too.


    Jenna and Andy were fascinated about the Downfall¡¯s recording studio in the townhouse in Manhattan, and spent a long time looking at the photos on Angela¡¯s phone.


    ¡°That¡¯s an amazing setup,¡± Andy said, wowed by the studio. Jenna, meanwhile, looked at the pictures of the house, saying, ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful! I can¡¯t believe you guys are bothering with Los Angeles when you have a place like that in New York!¡±


    ¡°Jen, you haven¡¯t seen the place they¡¯re building over in Hollywood,¡± Andy said. ¡°When that¡¯s done it''s gonna to blow your mind.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how it can equal this place,¡± Jenna said, holding up Angela¡¯s phone, which was displaying a picture of the first-floor gallery.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be very, very different,¡± I said. ¡°But just about as big, as far as living space is concerned. But the studio is going to be about fifty times bigger. But this reminds me- I should go by to check on progress,¡± I said.


    ¡°We can go tomorrow morning, before your classes,¡± Angela suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, that works,¡± I agreed.


    It was quite late when we got home and I was ready for bed, but Angela suggested we take a bath to relax, and who was I to say no? Soapy time is always good time.


    While Angela was shampooing my hair and gently massaging my scalp, she said, ¡°Jenna asked if I¡¯d go with her to do some shopping next week for things they need for the house. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°Why would I mind?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Um, it¡¯s just that they¡¯re your friends, and I don¡¯t want to- I guess, spend time with them if you don¡¯t want me to,¡± Angela said in reply.


    I turned around to face her in the tub. ¡°Ange,¡± I said, taking her lathered-up hands in mine. ¡°Do you like Andy and Jenna? Do you like to spend time with them?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re great people.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure they like you, too. That makes them your friends, too. And I absolutely think that you spending time with your friends is a great thing,¡± I said.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be upset?¡±


    ¡°Baby,¡± I said as I leaned in for a kiss. ¡°Do you remember about what I said about wanting you to have your own life? I meant it. I don¡¯t want you to just be here for me or for Emmy. I want you to be here for you, too.¡±


    In bed later, it took me a while to fall asleep wondering what kinds of creeps Angela¡¯d had for boyfriends over the years.


    Angela and I stopped by the new house the next morning as planned, but the place was such a hive of activity and vehicles that about a quarter of a mile away was the nearest parking spot I could find. Now, to be fair, parking is extremely limited in those winding little streets up in the Hollywood Hills, but still¡­ There were a lot of workers swarming the property.


    It took me a while of asking around before we found Ned arguing with a sub-contractor about scheduling. Ned seemed extremely upset that the guy had brought a short crew to to do the flooring work and wasn¡¯t meeting the promised timelines.


    ¡°Ron,¡± he said to the sub. ¡°This is Leah Farmer- the owner. I promised her that she¡¯d be able to celebrate Christmas in this house. If you make me a liar, she¡¯ll be unhappy, and that¡¯ll make me unhappy. And you know what rolls downhill.¡±


    Ron looked me up and down, something I¡¯d long gotten used to from short men. ¡°Ms Farmer,¡± he said, holding out his hand for a shake. ¡°Ned and I were just discussing delivery delays on the wood flooring used throughout the house.¡±


    ¡°Your guys haven¡¯t even used half of what¡¯s already here on site!¡± Ned exploded. ¡°Delivery delays don¡¯t mean a damned thing if there¡¯s still a ton of flooring here in the storage area!¡± he said, waving into the open bay doors of the sound stage, which was being used as a depot.


    ¡°Ron,¡± I said, looking him straight in the eyes. ¡°How far behind the timeline is your crew?¡±


    ¡°Well, like I said, we won¡¯t have enough of the plank flooring here-¡±


    ¡°How far behind schedule are your guys?¡± I asked again, interrupting him.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got about half of what should be done by now,¡± Ned said.


    ¡°You signed the contract, which stipulated the activity schedules and finish deadlines for the various parts of the house, right? Why aren¡¯t you meeting your contractual obligations?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Well, like I said, we can¡¯t get the flooring-¡±


    ¡°Ned says there¡¯s plenty on-site that isn¡¯t laid down yet,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve got enough-¡°


    ¡°Explain to me why your guys aren¡¯t caught up with the material we have on hand, if that is indeed the limiting factor,¡± I said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in bringing a big crew if they¡¯re gonna run out of material-¡± Ron began, but I cut him off again.


    ¡°Yes, there is. If you can¡¯t meet the deadlines because the mill that makes the stuff burned down, well, that¡¯s out of your control. Slacking off, using delivery delays as an excuse, that is in fact under your control. You¡¯re holding up other contractors, throwing everybody¡¯s schedule off, and that is absolutely on you,¡± I said. ¡°If your guys are working like gangbusters and they run out of flooring, that¡¯s not their fault. They did what they could. But bringing too few workers to stay up with the schedule? That is one hundred per cent your fault.¡±


    I stepped a little closer and said, ¡°I know what¡¯s in those contracts. There are performance incentives, but also, missed deadline penalties. One of those penalties is termination of the contract. If you don¡¯t have Ned completely convinced by next Friday that you¡¯re back on track, we¡¯ll find ourselves another flooring guy.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Ron protested. ¡°You can¡¯t just unilaterally dissolve a contract!¡±


    ¡°My lawyers wrote those contracts. My lawyers. In fact, I¡¯m perfectly within my legal rights, according to the contract you signed, to tell you to pack your tools and go right this moment. I¡¯m willing to cut you a little slack- but just until the end of next week.¡±


    Turning to Ned, I said, ¡°We¡¯re going to walk the property. Let¡¯s talk in, say, forty-five?¡± He nodded, so Angela and I left the two men standing there in the doorway of the sound stage.


    Angela followed me inside and into the future living room.


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you you can be really scary?¡± she asked as we passed some guys prepping for paint.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard that before,¡± I said, looking around. I was pleased to see the place was actually starting to look like something you could think of as a house. All the drywall (at least in that area) was done, so you didn¡¯t have to imagine what the walls would look like anymore.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true,¡± Angela said.


    We came across Ron¡¯s flooring crew in one of the bedrooms, laying down the subfloor. By ¡®crew¡¯, I mean two guys.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said to the one that seemed to be in charge. ¡°I hear you guys are running behind?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just a bit,¡± he said. ¡°The main crew is on another job over in Marina Del Rey,¡± he said. ¡°They left us here all by ourselves. We¡¯re supposed to get this entire place done by ourselves,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°When do you think you¡¯ll finish?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t know. This place is huge- I¡¯d say two months, easy. And that¡¯s if they deliver the rest of the stick we need.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re out of wood?¡±


    ¡°No, but we don¡¯t have enough to finish. We could maybe get three quarters of the place done with what we¡¯ve got, but that still leaves what, two thousand square feet?¡±


    As soon as we were away from the two guys, Angela said, ¡°That was playing unfair!¡±


    ¡°Contractors lie,¡± I said. ¡°But usually the tradesmen don¡¯t. If you want to know how a job is going, ask the guys doing the work.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Ned caught up to Angela and me as we were inspecting the audio recording studio. The main recording studio room was at least four times the size of the small space in the New York townhouse. It was already painted and the sound baffles had been installed, but the carpeting was missing. Still, it was easy to imagine the room filled with musical instruments, microphones and amps, waiting for The Downfall to make amazing music.


    ¡°Sorry about that, Leah,¡± Ned said. ¡°Ron has been giving me grief since he came on the job. He used to be really on top of things. His quality is still good, but getting him to commit¡­¡±


    ¡°I talked to his guys. Both of them,¡± I said. ¡°They don¡¯t think they¡¯ll finish before mid January at the earliest. Said he¡¯s got another project that is taking most of his crew.¡±


    ¡°I figured it was something like that,¡± Ned admitted. ¡°He had eight guys here right at first, then four, and now it¡¯s just down to the two you saw.¡±


    Glancing around at the studio, Ned asked, ¡°Do you think Emmy will like it?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gonna love this place,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯ll be in heaven down here.¡±


    ¡°All the structural work is done here in the recording part of the studio. The electrical, all of it. All that¡¯s left are the cabinetry and appliances in the lounge, the fixtures in the bathrooms, and the carpeting, but that happens last,¡± Ned explained. ¡°Really, she could be working in here in less than two weeks if she really wanted.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°But where would she park?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a little tight up there in the parking lot,¡± Ned admitted. ¡°But the garages are basically done. Have you seen them yet?¡±


    We followed Ned through the labyrinthine passageways leading us down another level and to the back side of the house and into the garage.


    What had been nothing but a long carport before was now an enclosed ten-bay garage, with a series of five double-wide and double-high roll-up garage doors providing access. The last bay had a car lift, with a large workshop space on the other side.


    The walls were hidden behind acres of cabinetry, and the epoxy floor coating was immaculate. The only thing missing were the light fixtures, but there was plenty of natural light coming in through the glass panels in the garage doors.


    ¡°This is the garage of my dreams,¡± I breathed, imagining the possibilities. There was certainly enough room for our current four cars, but I couldn¡¯t really see bringing the GT3 up here for any reason.


    ¡°This is bigger than the service bays of some car dealerships,¡± Ned joked. ¡°When I saw the plans I thought it was some sort of mistake, but then I found out you race cars, and it started to make sense.¡±


    ¡°This is beautiful, Ned. Just beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Where does- I don¡¯t understand how this works,¡± Angela said, looking out through the glass of the roll-up doors. ¡°Where are all the construction vehicles?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re actually facing the other side of the house,¡± I explained. ¡°The front of the house is back that way,¡± I said, pointing upward at the back wall of the garage. ¡°This side has the secret entrance.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of it like that,¡± Ned said, looking amused. ¡°But now that you say it¡­¡±


    About halfway back to Century City, I got a call from Ned, saying the flooring sub took his two guys and walked. Ned said that he told Ron that was it, and Ron and the two workers packed up their tools and left.


    ¡°Pay them for the work that they¡¯ve gotten finished,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re better off without ¡®em.¡±


    Angela dropped me off at class that night, then picked me up afterwards so we could head straight to the Burbank Airport for our flight to San Jose. It was just a little thing, her giving me a ride like that, but I was struck by how domestic it felt. Somehow, without me even noticing when it had happened, Angela had truly become my girlfriend in ways both big and small.


    ¡°This is nice,¡± Angela said, looking around the condo in San Jose. ¡°I mean, sure, it¡¯s not as nice as the apartment in Los Angeles, but really, that¡¯s hard to match.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for a place to stay while I¡¯m in town, it¡¯s fine,¡± I said.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t joking!¡± Angela called out from the bedroom. ¡°There I am!¡±


    ¡°And here you are,¡± I said, wrapping my arms around her from behind. ¡°Now I don¡¯t need to just look at a framed photo.¡±


    Angela leaned her head back against me, looking up at me with her big, expressive blue eyes. ¡°Have I told you I love you?¡±


    ¡°Even if you have, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m tired of hearing it,¡± I said, kissing her hair. We stayed like that, without any more words, for a while. Eventually, though, it was time for bed, since it was quite late.


    Lying in bed, Angela¡¯s head on my shoulder and her hand on my boob, I asked her, ¡°What will you do while I¡¯m at work tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°This building has a gym, right?¡± she asked. When I said yes, Angela continued. ¡°I¡¯ll work out in the morning, then maybe we can have lunch together? After that, maybe I¡¯ll do some shopping.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you drop me off in the morning? That way you can have the car for the day to get around,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°You have a car here?¡± Angela asked, surprised.


    ¡°You seriously have to ask that?¡± I teased, giving her shoulder a squeeze.


    ¡°It was a silly question- you¡¯re right,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°Of course you have a car here. It¡¯s probably really fast, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fast,¡± I conceded.


    The next morning, Angela drove me in the M3 to work. ¡°See you for lunch?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t know if I have a lunch meeting until I see the schedule they¡¯ve prepared for me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll text you as soon as I know.¡±


    I gave her a kiss and went into the office, briefcase in hand, my steps light. Thankfully I had no lunch meeting planned, so Angela and I were able to go out for a bite.


    She seemed super excited, and took me to a place a bit east of downtown in a little strip mall, next to a 7-11. The sign explained Angela¡¯s enthusiasm- it said ¡®Colombian Cuisine¡¯.


    ¡°I found this place online,¡± Angela explained as we entered the tiny little restaurant, which had only four tables. Half of the place was devoted to South American groceries of various sorts, making Angela¡¯s eyes light up.


    We took a seat and waited quite a while before a woman came out from behind the counter to offer us menus. Angela spoke with her in rapid-fire Spanish, of which I caught maybe two words.


    The waitress took the menus back and left, leaving me sort of dumbfounded.


    ¡°I ordered for us,¡± Angela said. ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have known any of the dishes, anyway,¡± I said.


    Eventually the waitress brought two bottles of yellow soda and two glasses of ice, setting them down in front of us without a word. After that, she vanished behind the counter again.


    Angela looked a little annoyed, but then turned to me and said, ¡°This is the most popular soda in Colombia.¡±


    The label said ¡®Champagne Cola¡¯, but it was bright yellow, so I had my doubts. Sipping it, my doubts were confirmed. It tasted like liquid cotton candy or something like that, and just about as sweet. Angela had wanted to share something of her home with me, though, so I smiled and said that yes, it was great, and no, I¡¯d never had anything like it before. Inside, I was thinking that I would hopefully never have anything like it again, but I kept that to myself.


    Angela had been growing increasingly upset as time passed, looking at her watch more and more. By the time the waitress finally brought our lunch it was almost time for me to get back to the office.


    Angela stood up and lit into the waitress, again in Spanish too fast for me to understand but the message was clear. Angela threw some money down on the table and grabbed my hand, pulling me out the door, neither of us having had even touched our food.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± Angela said as she pulled the BMW out of the lot. ¡°The reviews said the service was slow, but I did not expect that it would be slow even for Colombians,¡± she said, still on fire. ¡°I told her that you only had an hour for lunch and she said it would be no problem,¡± Angela continued. Angela broke into an extended swearing session, again in Spanish too fast for me to understand much at all.


    She spotted a drive through and asked, ¡°Will that do?¡±


    ¡°No, but that mini mart is just fine,¡± I said, pointing. ¡°I¡¯ll get an energy bar and a bottle of water. I¡¯ll be fine until dinner.¡±


    Angela whipped the sedan into the parking lot at high velocity, her anger still on display.


    ¡°Babe,¡± I said as I leaned over and kissed her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. These things happen.¡±


    ¡°I wanted it to be special for you,¡± Angela said with a pout, and I could see tears forming at the corners of her eyes.


    I kissed her again, telling her that just spending an hour with her in the middle of my work day was special enough.


    Back at the office, I made short work of the energy bar and washed it down with a cup of coffee from the break room. Yeah, it wasn¡¯t much, but it would tide me over until we got to the club.


    After work, Angela seemed to be in a better mood. She apologized again for the lunch fiasco, but I made it clear that I was O.K. with the whole thing. I didn¡¯t tell her that I found it endearing that she¡¯d gone on the warpath because her special surprise for me had been ruined, though.


    Back at the condo, Angela said, ¡°Emmy told me to tell you to wear your charcoal suit tonight. And she gave me this for you,¡± she said, holding out a blood red silk handkerchief.


    ¡°Well, O.K., then,¡± I said, taking the vivid piece of cloth.


    ¡°When do we have to leave?¡± Angela asked. ¡°It will take me an hour to get ready.¡±


    ¡°Maybe in an hour and half?¡± I suggested.


    Angela hid herself in the spare bedroom to get herself dressed and ready, clearly wanting to surprise me. I was perfectly willing to go along with her plan, so I dressed (in my charcoal suit, as instructed) in the main bedroom. I folded the red handkerchief and tucked it in my breast pocket, set my fedora on my head at a jaunty angle, then sat at the kitchen counter to wait for my date.


    Of course, I was expecting something special. I mean, Angela was making a big production of it, right? She and Emmy had gone shopping and gotten her a dress especially for this occasion, presumably with all the accessories, so I knew this was a collaborative effort beforehand.


    None of that prepared me for the beauty that emerged from the spare bedroom. Angela had done something with her hair to make it fall in long waves down her back, rather than the straight black hair I was used to. She¡¯d chosen a red lipstick that perfectly matched the blood-red of the silk dress (and my new handkerchief), but otherwise kept the makeup subtle, but sexy.


    The dress, though¡­ There was very little subtle about it. As I¡¯ve mentioned, it was a deep red silk, a color so vivid it demanded attention. Thin spaghetti straps held up the low-cut front of the sleeveless sheath dress, which was so form-fitting it was probably illegal in the Bible Belt. A thigh-high slit on the front of one leg allowed walking, which would have been impossible otherwise.


    I could discern no hint of any underwear, and there certainly was no bra, which allowed Angela¡¯s decent-sized antigravity breasts to bounce enticingly under their silk coverings as as she moved. Wrapped loosely over her arms and around her back was a black velvet stole, which seemed completely insufficient to keep her warm, but it wasn''t a cold day, so it was probably good enough.


    She smiled when she saw my reaction, pleased that she¡¯d knocked me for a loop. ¡°Do you like what you see?¡± she asked, completely unnecessarily.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re a real hazard in that dress.¡± At her look of confusion, I said, ¡°Every single person that sees you in that is going to wish you were on their arm. Every single one.¡±


    ¡°But only one will have me,¡± she said with a smile, holding out her arm for me to take to walk her out. ¡°The rest will just have to dream.¡±


    True to my predictions, we (well, mainly Angela) got plenty of stares as we made our way through the steak house. Sure, we were in costume, but that was only part of it. Mostly it was the fact that Angela¡¯s dress forced people to recognize that her body was one in a million, and she was damned proud of it.


    When the bouncer opened the unmarked door at the back of the restaurant, his eyes bugged out of his head at the vision of perfection on my arm.


    ¡°Boss!¡± he said, once he could tear his eyes away. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Tony,¡± I replied as we sauntered past and into the dark hallway.


    Emerging into the speakeasy proper, I took a good look around. It was early, so the crowd was light, but there were a few faces I recognized, including one in particular I¡¯d been hoping to see.


    Waving to the two bartenders and the waitstaff as I led Angela around, greeting the regulars as I went, I made my way to the table where Andrej was having dinner with his date.


    ¡°Andrej, my man!¡± I said, resting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°How are things?¡±


    ¡°Leah!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°Andrej, I¡¯d like you to meet my lady friend, Angela Castro. Angela, this is Andrej Markovi?,¡± I said, introducing them. Andrej quickly introduced his date, who looked like a typical Silicon Valley computer nerd hipster girl, complete with tattoos and vintage eyeglasses.


    ¡°Andrej, I was hoping you¡¯d be in tonight. I¡¯d like to have a chat with you about something when you get a chance,¡± I said, patting him on the shoulder again, before leading Angela across the room to my table.


    ¡°This place is amazing!¡± Angela said when we sat down.


    Theo came over from behind the bar, probably to ogle Angela as much as anything. Which is fair, since everybody in the whole damned place had been doing that from the moment we walked in.


    ¡°Theo,¡± I said. ¡°An Old Fashioned for me, and a champagne cocktail for my lovely lady friend. And we¡¯re going to want dinner, so have the chef come over, will you?¡±


    ¡°You got it, boss,¡± he said, disappearing into the back of the house for a moment, then heading to the bar to make us our drinks.


    ¡°Emmy told me this place was like something from a movie, but I didn¡¯t know- I had no idea what to expect,¡± Angela said, her eyes wide as they roamed the room, finally settling on the small, dark stage. ¡°You have music here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah, every Friday and Saturday night, but they don¡¯t start until nine,¡± I said.


    Pouting, Angela looked at her watch. ¡°We¡¯ll miss it, then,¡± she said, disappointed.


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°Because we¡¯ll be here until midnight.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Angela asked, stunned.


    ¡°Afraid so,¡± I said. ¡°This is my other job here in San Jose. I have to show my face here at the club, and make sure the regulars see me.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± she said, her brows furrowed.


    I was spared from having to answer by the arrival of the restaurant¡¯s chef. ¡°What can I cook for you tonight, boss?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡± I asked Angela.


    ¡°Um, I haven¡¯t seen the menu yet,¡± she said.


    ¡°No menu. Just tell Chef here what you want, and she¡¯ll make it. I¡¯m in the mood for maybe some roast chicken,¡± I told Angela.


    ¡°Just roast chicken?¡± she asked, still trying to understand.


    ¡°Well, no- I leave the details up to the master of the culinary arts,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Well, um, how about, something light? Maybe with pasta?¡± Angela asked the chef.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Chef replied, and hustled off to make our dinner.


    ¡°The restaurant doesn¡¯t have menus?¡± Angela asked, still baffled.


    ¡°Oh, it does, but not for us,¡± I said with a smile.


    Theo set our drinks in front of us, staring at Angela again. ¡°Uh, boss,¡± he said, turning to me. ¡°The usual tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please, Theo. And switch my lady friend, too.¡±


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Angela asked, more and more confused.


    ¡°Like I said, we¡¯re going to be here for hours, right? Well, this is a bar, so we need to have drinks in front of us and be seen drinking, but I can¡¯t drink that much alcohol. So, after my first of the night, Theo switches my drinks to non-alcoholic lookalikes for a while, until I signal I might be ready for another with alcohol, if I feel like it.¡±


    ¡°That might be the first thing that¡¯s made sense,¡± Angela said with a sigh.

 I Dont Want To Know

    ¡°It¡¯ll all make more sense as you see it happen,¡± I said.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the first of the regulars to come over to the table to say hello and introduce their friends, presumably hoping they would make it on the list. Soon after, another came by, and then it was a steady trickle.


    Eventually all the ring-kissers were done and Andrej saw his opportunity. He brought his date over and asked if they could sit, so of course I said yes.


    ¡°What is that?¡± his date asked Angela, looking at her dinner.


    ¡°The chef called it ¡®pasta primavera¡¯,¡± Angela replied. ¡°I asked for something light, with pasta, and this is what she made me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see that on the menu,¡± the hipster girl said, looking a bit disappointed.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t on the menu,¡± Andrej told her. ¡°Leah gets what she wants. If she told the chef she wanted lobster bisque, with a side of grilled okra, she would have gotten it, no questions.¡±


    I signaled for Theo to bring us all another round, but of course Andrej and his date had no idea Angela and I were drinking virgins by this point. Angela and the other girl were quickly into a conversation about the merits of a vegetarian diet, so I leaned in a bit close and spoke to Andrej in a low voice.


    ¡°Andrej, I¡¯m glad you came in tonight,¡± I told him. ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡±


    Surprised and pleased by the attention, Andrej said, ¡°Like I said, whatever you want, you get.¡±


    ¡°You had a reputation as one hell of a black hat before you went corporate,¡± I said. Andrej¡¯s startled look told me that not many people knew his history, and he certainly didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d be one of them. ¡°Are you still hooked into that community?¡±


    ¡°How did- never mind. Why do you want to know?¡± Andrej said, looking around to see who might be paying attention.


    ¡°I have a certain security problem, and I think that someone like you might be able to connect me with the right person to help solve it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you think I might know¡­ I¡¯m just a computer systems guy. I¡¯ve never been involved in anything IRL," he said, initializing the phrase.


    ¡°I have that side of things covered,¡± I said. ¡°I just need someone to get into a surveillance system and track some guys. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Looking a little bit spooked, Andrej asked, ¡°Corporate system?¡±


    ¡°Local government,¡± I replied, sipping my mock Old Fashioned. ¡°A transit authority¡¯s camera network.¡±


    ¡°Those are easy,¡± Andrej said, taking a drink from his own cocktail, subconsciously mirroring my posture. ¡°What will happen to the guys being tracked?¡±


    ¡°A lot depends on what we discover,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t want to know,¡± Andrej said. ¡°Just- just leave me out of that part, alright?¡± He asked, and I knew he¡¯d do it.


    I explained the mystery of the guys casing the New York townhouse, and how my security team had planted spy cameras and seen that they always come from and disappear into the subway when they visit.


    ¡°If I can get eyes on them and see where they go, it would answer a lot of questions about who they are and who might be sending them,¡± I said.


    Andrej looked thoughtful for a few moments, processing the problem. ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°You say they come by once a week. It might take me a day or two to get into the system. How soon do you need it?¡±


    I sat upright and clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°You rock, Andrej. You need me to do something for you, just let me know.¡±


    Andrej and Lauren (his date) stayed at our table for a while, just being social. Eventually they left to go back to their own table, and I told the waitress to put their night on my tab.


    The rest of the evening went along the usual pattern, excepting the fact that Angela was there, both drawing attention and giving me someone to talk to.


    At a little bit after nine the piano player and torch singer took the stage to play for what had become a full house by then. The two played classic American Songbook standards loud enough to be heard anywhere in the club, but not so loud that you couldn¡¯t hold a conversation.


    All in all, it was a good night, both for me, and for the club. Once Angela really understood the vibe she did a good job of playing up the ¡®mob boss mistress¡¯ role, to my delight. She was an object of fascination for quite a few of the clientele that night, both because of her stunning beauty and her obvious position as my girlfriend.


    Nobody asked about Angela¡¯s presence, though, which I found fascinating. I know that many, if not most, of the people in that club knew I was married to Emmy De Lascaux, but here I was with another (stunning) woman on my arm.


    Back at the condo, Angela pulled the hat off my head and tossed it on the couch, then draped her arms over my shoulders. She looked up at me and said, ¡°That club- it¡¯s amazing. But most of all, you were amazing there. All those people- they adore you!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t say that,¡± I hedged. ¡°More like they enjoy the role play.¡±


    Angela thought about it for a moment, and said, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t if you didn¡¯t play the role so well.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I have to show my face here on the regular,¡± I admitted. ¡°The concept is a sort of immersion experience, and the more believable the better.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and you make a very, very believable mob boss,¡± Angela said, standing on her tiptoes for a kiss.


    I slid my hands from her waist down and cupped her butt, lifting her up towards me as we kissed.


    ¡°And you make a perfect gangster¡¯s moll,¡± I said. ¡°Too beautiful to be true.¡±


    In bed later after a quick shower, Angela was definitely in the mood. At first I just wanted to sleep, since it had been a long day, but eventually I gave in. I mean, who am I to say no? As it turns out, great sex is a fantastic way to cap off a long day, and just the thing to send me straight into dreamland.


    Waking early despite the late night, I briefly toyed with the idea of going for a run, but Angela¡¯s warm body next to mine put an end to those ambitions and soon I was back to sleep, spooning my sweet Colombian girl and enjoying the smell of her skin and her hair.


    I awoke again when Angela got up. Laying in bed and feeling lazy only lasted until I heard the shower running, then I was up and joining her under the running water in a flash.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said, giving her a kiss as I stepped into the enclosure.


    ¡°It is,¡± she agreed with a smile.


    I took the shampoo from her hand and worked some into her long, black hair. I loved the way she arched her back, showing off her muscular definition, and of course, that rock-hard butt of hers.


    ¡°What are your plans for today?¡± she asked as I washed her hair.


    ¡°I have to do a few site inspections, then nothing until it¡¯s time to go to the club tonight,¡± I said, enjoying the process of washing her clean.


    ¡°What about tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Just head back to LA, I guess,¡± I said.


    ¡°I have never been to San Francisco. If we have time, I¡¯d love to go,¡± Angela replied.


    Pulling Angela against myself, I slid my lathered-up hands down her body. ¡°We can absolutely do that,¡± I told her. ¡°And we can do some sight-seeing here in the South Bay today. Let¡¯s hurry up and get clean so I can do the inspections, then I¡¯ll show you some cool things around here.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Do we have to hurry?¡± Angela asked, sliding her butt side to side against my thighs.


    ¡°We can take a few extra minutes here,¡± I conceded.


    After we dressed and had a quick breakfast, we jumped in the car and went to do the site inspections. There was no particular time I had to be at any of the three sites- I just had to look them over and verify the notes that had been taken. Really, it took longer to drive up to Milpitas, then over to Cupertino and Sunnyvale than it did to actually walk the projects. That done, I told Angela we had a really unusual place to visit. I mentioned the Winchester Mansion, but she¡¯d never heard of it, so I figured it would be a real surprise.


    Since it was late morning and off-season, parking was plentiful in the lot and we didn¡¯t have to wait for a tour. I paid the ticket price as Angela gawked at the huge Victorian mansion, then we walked inside to join the tour that was just about to start.


    I¡¯d toured it three times during our years in the South Bay, and the guides tended to vary in their explanations of the place. The guide that Angela and I had really hammed up the ¡®mystery¡¯ aspects of the house, and talked incessantly about ghosts and seances and so on.


    Angela wasn¡¯t buying any of it, but she was fascinated by the bizarre construction details, most especially the cabinet door that led to a whole additional wing of the house.


    ¡°This is like the secret door to the wine cellar in the townhouse!¡± she exclaimed, delighted.


    Angela loved the mansion, but after the hour-long tour was over she said, ¡°I think all that ghost stuff was nonsense.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard two different stories, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯re mutually exclusive. The first is that she was interested in spiritualism, but the thing about continually building to confuse the ghosts is just bullshit,¡± I said. ¡°The second story is that she had a ton of money, but no real friends and not much of an interest in society, so she indulged her hobby of amateur architecture. Things like the stairs that go nowhere are just because she had a room built on top of the stairs, and not for any reason other than she had so much money and space that there was no reason to care if it made any sense.¡±


    ¡°So she wasn¡¯t afraid of ghosts?¡± Angela asked, curious.


    ¡°Evidently that¡¯s just a rumor that the townsfolk spread.¡±


    Satisfied with that explanation, Angela asked, ¡°What¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°Now, we go for a drive,¡± I said.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Up there,¡± I said pointing at the mountain peaks to the east.


    I took Mt Hamilton Road at a quick pace, but nothing too daring since there were plenty of cyclists riding up and down the mountain.


    ¡°This reminds me of some of the roads back in Colombia,¡± Angela said, looking out over the huge drop inches away from the edge of the pavement. She seemed completely unconcerned, but given the amount of time she¡¯d spent in cars I was busy driving sideways at the time, I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised.


    We drove all the way up to the observatory, taking a few minutes to enjoy the view from the edge of the parking area.


    ¡°This is really beautiful,¡± Angela said, holding my hand. ¡°Thank you for bringing me up here.¡±


    I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± I said, holding out my hand for her camera. ¡°Now let¡¯s take some pictures for your socials.¡±


    When it was time to think about getting ready to go to the club, Angela said, ¡°Emmy told me to tell you to wear your blue suit tonight,¡± and handed me a purple silk handkerchief. Of course I did as instructed, picking out a navy tie with paisleys similar in color to the violet of the handkerchief. Not exact, but close enough.


    To my complete lack of surprise, Angela¡¯s dress for the night was made of silk again, but this time in the same violet purple as that night¡¯s handkerchief. Unlike the form-fitting red dress, this was a softer profile, more of a maxi slip dress. Whereas the red one had exaggerated Angela¡¯s figure, this one hinted about her curves as it slid softly over her skin with every movement. When she spun around to show off, I saw the back of the dress was very low cut indeed, dropping all the way down to her hips.


    The red dress had screamed ¡°bombshell!¡±, but the violet one whispered soft sophisticated seductions.


    Angela adjusted the angle of my hat (the charcoal fedora this time, not the gray) and settled my tie into place a little better, fingering the tie pin.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± she said pensively. ¡°Why do you look better in men¡¯s clothes than any man I¡¯ve ever seen?¡±


    I slid my hands from her hips up her bare back, pulling her close. I was about to kiss her but she turned a bit. ¡°I just did my lipstick- you don¡¯t want it on you,¡± she cautioned, so I nuzzled under her ear.


    ¡°And you look so amazing in that dress that if I actually were a man, I¡¯d find these pants painfully uncomfortable.¡±


    Angela leaned back and gave me a scandalized expression, but she couldn¡¯t maintain it and broke into giggles. She slipped her hand down between us and stroked my lady parts through the trousers.


    ¡°Nope- no stiffy,¡± she announced. Her touch felt amazing, and she could see that I was enjoying it. ¡°Tonight, if you¡¯re nice to me, I have a special something for you when we get back home,¡± she promised.


    ¡°Maybe we can skip going to the club,¡± I groaned, shifting to give her a better angle with her hand.


    ¡°Nope,¡± she declared. ¡°You have to take me out and treat me nice first.¡±


    ¡°When do I not treat you nice?¡± I asked, but it was getting difficult to keep the conversation going.


    ¡°You always treat me nice,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°That¡¯s why I love you so much.¡± With that, she pulled away before I could kiss her some more.


    The material of this dress was soft and loose, allowing her boobs to move freely underneath the top. When it pulled tight just right as she moved, you could even make out the outline of her nipples with the barbell jewelry.


    My mouth was dry, but other parts were definitely not as I watched her move around the condo, gathering her shawl and clutch.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± Angela asked, enjoying the attention.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied, holding my arm out for her. ¡°Let¡¯s go knock ¡®em dead.¡±


    Angela had an idea of what to expect at the club, so she had her ¡®gangster mistress¡¯ persona on before the valet even opened her car door.


    When Tony let us in the unmarked door to the speakeasy, his eyes just about fell out of his head at the sight of Angela. There was no way I could blame him- after all, mine had done the same when I first saw her in that violet dress.


    I used a knuckle to lift his jaw, shutting his gaping mouth just like in the cartoons.


    ¡°Tone,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll let flies in like that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, boss,¡± he apologized, staying in character. ¡°I just ain¡¯t never seen a dame like her before.¡±


    ¡°There ain¡¯t never been a dame like her before,¡± I agreed, and we bumped knuckles in agreement.


    Angela and I made the rounds again as I glad-handed the regulars and greeted some new clients that I didn¡¯t recognize before we made it to our corner table.


    Angela told the chef without any hesitation that she wanted a Caesar¡¯s salad, and I ordered a filet. We told Theo to set us up the same as the night before, and we were ready for the evening.


    It didn¡¯t take long before people came over to meet and greet, like usual, but this time Angela was expecting it.


    Just about the time that the singer and piano player took their first break, maybe around nine thirty or so, Andrej came in with a guy I didn¡¯t know. They made a beeline straight to our table and sat down when I waved for them to do so. Andrej scooted a bit closer to me so he could speak without being overheard.


    ¡°This is my friend Tom,¡± he said, introducing the overweight and UV-deprived guy that he¡¯d brought in. ¡°Tom and I worked all night last night and all day today on your problem, and we have done what you asked,¡± Andrej said. ¡°And then some.¡±


    I nodded that I was listening, and he explained. ¡°The MTA camera network in New York City has fairly weak security protocols, so it was easy enough to get in and get admin access, but we found something interesting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I said.


    ¡°It turns out they have a very sophisticated facial recognition system,¡± Andrej said. ¡°Getting into that took us quite a bit more work, but we have access to that, now, too. So now, all we need is to identify your mystery visitors one time, and we can let the system do all the tracking you could possibly want.¡±


    ¡°Andrej, my friend, that is excellent news,¡± I said and clapped him on the back. ¡°So how do we get this ball rolling?¡±


    ¡°Your security guy keeps an eye out, and pings me when the visitors stop by. I access the systems and patch him in to the video feed. When he identifies the targets, I get the recognition system to track them, and flag any time they appear in the subway.¡±


    Not bothering to correct Andrej on Mia¡¯s gender, I said, ¡°Sounds simple enough, but then what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it set up so the system alerts your security guy to the targets¡¯ movements in real-time through a series of anonymized network links, so it¡¯ll be nearly impossible to backtrack the intrusion to you or me.¡±


    ¡°This is well beyond what I could have hoped for, Andrej. This is pure gold.¡±


    ¡°So, Leah,¡± Andrej said, leaning in closer. ¡°It will be exceptionally hard for anyone to discover my involvement in this, so I think that I¡¯m clean.¡± A concerned look on his face, he leaned in closer. ¡°But this got me thinking, and I did some research on you. There are a lot of rumblings online that you¡¯re, well¡­¡±


    ¡°A killer?¡± I asked.


    Relieved that I¡¯d said it and he hadn¡¯t had to, he nodded. ¡°I¡¯d always thought that your reputation as being tough was mostly just theater, you know? But there are actual, real police reports that link you to some disappearances and things like that. In one report from New York, the detective actually wrote that your demeanor was consistent with psychopathic behavior patterns.¡±


    ¡°Because I beat up a junkie who tried to shoot my wife?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The detective¡¯s report said that you showed no remorse at all for beating the man and breaking several of his bones,¡± Andrej said. ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true I have no remorse for beating up a junkie who pulled a gun on my wife. The broken bones he suffered were far less than what a gunshot would have done to Emmy,¡± I said.


    ¡°He had a gun, and you beat him so severely he had to be hospitalized?¡± Andrej asked, still trying to wrap his brain around the idea that it might actually all be true.


    ¡°It seemed the right thing to do at the time,¡± I answered.


    Andrej let out a breath and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what happens to these guys I¡¯m helping you track.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully nothing will happen to them,¡± I said. ¡°They haven¡¯t made any aggressive moves, so I¡¯m leaning towards the idea that they aren¡¯t really a threat.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re concerned they might be.¡±


    ¡°Very concerned,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Tom doesn¡¯t know any of the back story. I didn¡¯t tell him anything, and he doesn¡¯t really care,¡± Andrej said, and we both looked over at the guy across the table. He seemed completely flustered that Angela was even talking to him, at a complete loss for words. He clearly wasn¡¯t used to attention from women, especially not drop-dead gorgeous women dressed like she was.


    After I got Andrej¡¯s anonymized contact info for Mia, the two left.


    ¡°It was a real pleasure to meet you, Tom,¡± Angela said as the large man got up from the table.


    ¡°You, too,¡± Tom said clumsily. ¡°It was nice talking to you, too.¡±


    Once they were gone, Angela said, ¡°I feel sorry for him. I think he is on the spectrum. He doesn¡¯t know how to talk to women at all.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for being nice to him like that,¡± I said. ¡°That was kind of you.¡±


    Shrugging, Angela said, ¡°Just because he¡¯s socially awkward doesn¡¯t mean he has no worth as a human being.¡±


    I rested my hand on hers and said, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t, but most people have a hard time recognizing that.¡±

 Angela Cracks The Door Open A Touch

    Just before eleven a familiar pair came into the club, dressed to the nines. James might have been the only guy in the place with a suit as sharp as mine, and Imogen¡¯s cream-colored dress was as classy as you could get.


    They glanced around, looking for friends in the crowd. James and Imogen made the circuit, saying hello at a couple of tables before joining Angela and me.


    ¡°You brought Angela!¡± Imogen exclaimed as she leaned in for a cheek kiss, then settled down next to my girlfriend.


    ¡°I was hoping we would find you here,¡± James said as we shook hands.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you guys had met,¡± I said, indicating Angela to James.


    ¡°In New York last week,¡± Imogen explained. ¡°We just had to get away from my parents, so we went to Manhattan for the day and saw your townhouse. I absolutely love what you¡¯ve done with it!¡±


    ¡°Too few people recognize the beauty of the classic New York Pre-War style,¡± James agreed. ¡°Most remodels these days graft strange contemporary chic into the older, stately homes and it just doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    As James and I talked about the work that had been done at the place in New York, Imogen and Angela chatted away like old friends, which surprised me. Sure, I could easily believe that the Athertons had popped in to visit Emmy, since we¡¯d been talking about the townhouse and they knew Emmy was in New York, but I wouldn¡¯t have thought that Imogen and Angela would have enough in common to form a friendship.


    Still, there it was, the two of them leaning in to talk to each other like it was something they¡¯d been doing for years.


    James noticed me looking over at the two ladies and said, ¡°Angela is always a looker, but tonight? Wow!¡±


    ¡°James, in New York, did Emmy explain¡­?¡±


    ¡°She did,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re getting away with it, but the three of you seem to have it worked out, and everybody seems happy.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± I confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s not like there was something missing before Angela joined Emmy and me, but her being with us has added something¡­ something unexpected. Something good.¡±


    ¡°From my perspective?¡± James said. ¡°From what I can tell, she brings a sort of¡­ lightheartedness to you two. Maybe a reminder to not take things so seriously, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does that,¡± I agreed. Then, changing the subject, I said, ¡°You missed a great track day down in the desert. I got to put in a lot of laps in the BMW, and it finally clicked with me.¡±


    ¡°How many locals did you terrify?¡± James asked with a laugh.


    ¡°A few,¡± I admitted. ¡°One in particular kept complaining to the officials about me blowing his doors off.¡±


    "Let me guess- a Porsche driver,¡± James said, smiling.


    ¡°Audi R8,¡± I replied. ¡°But close enough.¡±


    We stayed and talked with Imogen and James until well past midnight, just being friends, talking about friend stuff.


    Angela and I got back to the condo tired from a long day, but in a good mood. It had been nice to spend time with James and Imogen, and honestly, a relief that another set of our friends now knew about Angela¡¯s position in our lives and was accepting of the unorthodox situation without judgement.


    ¡°Hey, baby?¡± Angela asked as she undid my tie. ¡°I know I promised you something special tonight, but do you mind if we just sleep? I¡¯m really a lot more tired than I thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with that,¡± I said. "Just holding you in my arms while you sleep is special enough.¡±


    ¡°How do you know what to say to perfectly make me love you?¡± Angela mock-demanded.


    I spun her around so she was facing away, then slipped the spaghetti straps of her dress off her shoulders, letting it slide down and pool around her feet. As I¡¯d suspected, this left her wearing nothing but her high heels. I leaned down and kissed the side of her neck as my hands roamed up her sides to cup her breasts.


    ¡°And you know what to wear to make me perfectly love you, too,¡± I said as I nibbled on her earlobe.


    ¡°Emmy is right,¡± Angela sighed, melting under my kisses. ¡°You are a beast.¡±


    Angela and I had a great time in San Francisco the next day, doing all the typical tourist stuff. We rode the cable cars, spent money at Fisherman¡¯s Wharf, had an amazing lunch in Chinatown, and finished off the clear but cool day at a bar at the top of the Hilton at Union Square. The sunset view from forty-six stories up wasn¡¯t as impressive as the sunset we¡¯d seen in Chicago, but it was beautiful nonetheless.


    As Angela and I snuggled up to each other on the banquette facing the windows to the west, Angela said something I couldn¡¯t quite hear.


    ¡°Sorry, babe, I didn¡¯t catch that,¡± I said, kissing the side of her head.


    ¡°I was talking to myself,¡± Angela murmured. ¡°I just said that if I was any happier I¡¯d probably die.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to do that,¡± I joked. ¡°Maybe you shouldn''t be quite so happy?¡±


    Angela turned to me and gave me a smile, but there were tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I still haven¡¯t told my family back home,¡± she said. ¡°I know I need to, but I¡­¡±


    ¡°Baby,¡± I said, holding her a little closer. ¡°No rush. Tell them when you¡¯re good and ready. Until then, just be here with Emmy and me. That¡¯s all I ask.¡±


    Angela didn¡¯t say anything in reply, just cuddled up and buried her face in my sweater. I stroked her hair, pondering how lucky I¡¯d been with a family that was accepting of me being gay, and how it only mattered to Emmy¡¯s parents because of the need for an heir, but otherwise no objections.


    That led me to thinking about Stephanie, and how different things might have been if she hadn¡¯t felt the need to stay firmly in the closet.


    Could Stephanie and I have made it work? I didn¡¯t know, and speculation was a waste of time, but I still couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Hoping that Angela¡¯s closet wasn¡¯t going to cause problems down the line, I kissed her again and said, ¡°You know we both love you. We¡¯ll get through this. All of us together, Ange.¡±


    It was late by the time we got home to the condo in Los Angeles and Angela still hadn¡¯t gotten over her melancholy mood, so we just went to bed right away and soon we were both asleep.


    Working out with Jody the next morning, my mind wasn¡¯t really in it, and that got me in a heap of trouble.


    ¡°The world doesn¡¯t give a shit if you¡¯re not in the mood, or too tired, or any of that bullshit,¡± Jody declared after roundly trouncing me in our warm-up spar. ¡°In fact, it¡¯s when you¡¯re too fucking tired to go on that you need to rise the fuck up the hardest. When the bad guys think they have you on the ropes, that¡¯s when you need to show them they have it all wrong, and you¡¯re just getting started.¡±


    I was going to snap back at him, but he was right, so I swallowed my words, took a deep breath, and relaxed my shoulders. ¡°I know,¡± I said.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Whatever emotional baggage you got, forget about it for right now. After we¡¯re done here, then you can dwell on whatever it is. Right now, all you need to think about is kicking my ass.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°One ass-kicking coming up,¡± I said as I resumed my stance. Jody was one hundred per cent correct- I needed to compartmentalize. In a fight, there¡¯s no room for worry about my girlfriend¡¯s emotional state. There¡¯s kick ass, or have your ass kicked.


    Jody and I were going at it hard when Eddie came over to the mats where we were wrestling.


    ¡°I gotta open in about five minutes,¡± he said, checking the time on his phone. ¡°You two wanna keep going, I don¡¯t care, but remember- sanctioned moves only when we got other people in the gym working out. None of that shit I seen you guys doing.¡±


    We both stood up off the mat and bumped fists. ¡°Thanks for getting me moving today, Jody,¡± I said, wiping my forehead with my gym towel.


    ¡°Remember- it¡¯s when you feel the shittiest that you gotta harden up the most.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed.


    With that in mind, even though I was feeling pretty beat up from the session with Jody, I stuck around the gym to work out for another couple of hours. I pushed myself hard, thinking about how I¡¯d been slacking off for a while.


    I noted a few curious eyes on me as I trained, but I just ignored the stares I was getting and didn¡¯t engage with anyone. My ¡®not interested in talking¡¯ vibe must have worked, because nobody approached me.


    When I got home from work that night, Angela was in a much better mood. After I changed out of my work clothes she patted the couch for me to come sit down next to her and look at her laptop.


    ¡°My clicks are going crazy!¡± she said, excited. ¡°See? Look!¡± she insisted, showing me the traffic data from her various social media accounts. ¡°And look how many followers I have on Instagram! I¡¯m blowing up!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± I said. ¡°How does that translate to income? I know you said that more followers means more money from your sponsors, right?¡±


    Angela went on to explain the financials and how it meant an immediate increase in her income, bringing it back higher than it had been before she got dumped by her energy drink sponsor.


    About them, she said, ¡°I know they still follow me, so it must hurt them to see that I¡¯m doing so well now and they aren¡¯t getting any return on it. I should ask around and see if any of their competitors need a new influencer.¡±


    Angela showed me her top posts, and unsurprisingly, her two most liked, favorited, commented on, and so on were one of the implied nudes in the shower and another from the few we¡¯d taken in Catalina¡¯s botanical gardens. Interestingly, the next most popular were her posts on her new watch and her new car. Apparently the whole ¡®aspirational lifestyle¡¯ thing was real, and Angela¡¯s fans were excited to somehow partake in her success.


    Although I knew Angela had taken plenty of selfies with Emmy and me, scrolling through her feeds I saw none of those pictures. A few with Andy and Jenna and a couple with my driving crew, but none with either me or Emmy in it.


    I made the mistake of asking her why, since we¡¯d expressly given her our permission.


    Angela set the laptop on the coffee table and flopped over onto me, leaning me back to the side of the couch. She buried her face in my tummy and said something too muffled to hear. I repositioned myself, laying back against the armrest and putting my feet up on the sofa. I pulled Angela up on top of me, and she rested her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°What is it, babe?¡± I asked softly, stroking her long black hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Angela said, her voice tremulous. ¡°If I post a lot of pictures with you and Emmy, people will start to think things.¡±


    ¡°People will start to think correct things,¡± I said, unhelpfully.


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Angela said, starting to sniffle.


    ¡°Baby, look at me,¡± I said, and she lifted her head to do so. ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with you keeping everybody in the dark, if that¡¯s what you want. If you¡¯re worried about your family¡¯s reaction and want to wait, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not offended you don¡¯t have any pictures of Emmy or me in your feed. Seriously. I just want you to be happy, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I have to tell my mam¨¢ and pap¨¢ sooner or later, Leah,¡± Angela said, dropping her head back onto my shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t keep lying to them for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± I agreed. ¡°But you can break the news softly.¡±


    Angela had no reply to that, so I just kept stroking her back, trying to comfort her as best I could. I could tell this was going to become more and more of an issue the longer it went on, but I saw no way I could help besides offer my support.


    Eventually Angela stopped crying and readjusted her position so that she was on her side, slipped down between me and the sofa¡¯s backrest. Her right leg was draped across mine and her shoulder was tucked up under my arm, her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said as she slipped her hand up under the front of my shirt to stroke my abs. ¡°Leah, I don¡¯t want you to think I don¡¯t want to tell mis pap¨ªs about us. I really do. I just¡­ I don¡¯t want them to be disappointed. When I was with Antonio, they kept asking me when we were going to get married and give them grandchildren. They want that so bad, Leah, and now¡­ I can never give them those things.¡±


    ¡°Emmy and I plan on having children,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe even soon, after we¡¯re settled into the Wonderland house and everything is sorted out.¡±


    ¡°How would you do that?¡± Angela asked, although the answer was obvious.


    ¡°We¡¯d find a sperm donor, since clearly I can¡¯t get Emmy pregnant. Lord knows I¡¯ve tried plenty¡­¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Angela said, giving my tummy a little slap. ¡°I just realized! You¡¯ve been trying to get me pregnant, too!¡±


    ¡°Oh, noes! My secret has been discovered!¡± I said, laying the back of my free hand on my forehead in dismay.


    ¡°I would have your baby,¡± Angela said, her voice soft. ¡°It would be a very beautiful baby.¡±


    I kissed Angela¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Especially if the baby looked like you.¡±


    Angela smiled a little at that and resumed stroking my belly under my button-front shirt. Her fingers strayed a little bit, causing her to exclaim in surprise. ¡°You are wearing no bra!¡± she said as her fingertips found their way to my breast. Angela lightly traced the pebbling outline of my areola with her index finger, her touch as light as a soft breeze.


    ¡°I never thought that I would like touching another woman,¡± Angela said after a little while.


    ¡°But now you do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I like touching you, you and Emmy both,¡± she replied, gently rolling my nipple with her fingertips.


    ¡°Even though our bodies are nothing alike?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°You want to know something funny?¡± Angela asked as she palmed my breast. ¡°I have discovered that I love tits. I love your breasts, and I love Emmy¡¯s, too. I just adore holding them, touching them, kissing them¡­ They are the best things ever. That first night we made love, back in Chicago? There was a moment when I was between you and Emmy, and you two were kissing, and I had all four of your breasts pressing into my head, from all sides. It was at that moment that I realized that tits are the greatest thing ever.¡±


    ¡°They are pretty awesome,¡± I agreed, enjoying her touch. I wasn¡¯t about to try to move things any farther forward, though- this was about Angela, and so I was simply going to let her say and do what she needed.


    ¡°And Leah?¡± Angela said, looking up at me. ¡°I was afraid of pussies at first, you know? That sounds silly to say, but you know what I mean, right?¡±


    I kind of did, so I just gave her a reassuring kiss so she¡¯d continue.


    ¡°When I went back to New York the first time alone with Emmy, she was so gentle and understanding, and we made love several times a day. Sometimes two, sometimes three or even more. Maybe just little touches, kisses, you know, that soon escalated into us taking our clothes off and doing more¡­¡± she said, trailing off as she remembered back. It had only been a few months, but it might as well have been years for how much had been packed into that short period of time.


    ¡°Emmy would touch my pussy, and kiss it, and it was so good. I never had any boyfriend that wanted to do that, you know? They just wanted to stick a finger in, then their dicks as soon as they could. But Emmy, she enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoyed her doing it?¡± she said, her voice rising as if it were a question. ¡°So I thought that maybe¡­ And her pussy, it¡¯s so pretty, and little¡­ I tried kissing it, and she liked it, and it tasted better than I thought it would, you know?¡±


    All this talk was turning me on, reminding me of my first few times with Emmy and then with Stephanie, discovering what the whole ¡®cunnilingus¡¯ thing was all about.


    ¡°Soon I found that I liked doing it to Emmy, and as she explained what worked best for her, I got more comfortable, you know?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°And fingering her, it was so¡­ So when I came back here to Los Angeles with you, I wanted to do the things that Emmy and I had been doing, but sex with you, it¡¯s different,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked, mostly to keep her talking. I had it in my mind that her saying these things would somehow make them more real for her, and perhaps help crack that closet door open a bit. If she admitted the truth to herself out loud, maybe it would make it easier for her to admit it to others.


    ¡°You''re so big and strong,¡± Angela explained. ¡°With Emmy it¡¯s really soft and gentle, but with you, it¡¯s almost like a sort of sexual wrestling match. You, um, manhandle me-¡±


    ¡°I womanhandle you,¡± I corrected, getting a chuckle from Angela.


    ¡°You womanhandle me,¡± she said. ¡°You move me the way you like me, and do the things you like to me.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize-¡± I apologized, but she cut me off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry,¡± Angela said. ¡°I love it, and I want you to keep doing it. When Emmy told me that she loved the beast in you, I didn¡¯t understand then, but I do now. You¡¯re so, um, honest and direct- I just love surrendering to you, Leah. Letting you have your way with me is the greatest feeling, because I know that you love me and want to make me understand just how much, and this is your way. And when you turn it around and let me be on top, I know it¡¯s because you want me to feel equal, and not like you¡¯re just dominating me.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel like I dominate you?¡± I asked, hoping the answer would be no.


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± Angela said. ¡°Everybody feels that way around you, Leah. Everybody.¡±


    I had no answer for that, so I said nothing, just let Angela talk and squeeze my boob.


    ¡°But I¡¯m trying to tell you that I like that feeling, and so does Emmy. We feel protected, you know? Protected and comforted by your strength.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing I got in an extra hard workout today, then,¡± I joked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t just mean your physical strength, but that is very nice,¡± Angela countered. ¡°I mean your¡­¡± she said, at a loss for words. ¡°You are strong mentally. You overpower people just by being you.¡±

 Emmys Return

    That night, as she lay sleeping in my arms, I thought about what Angela had said, both about her family¡¯s expectations for her and her sexual experiences with Emmy and me. She seemed to have accepted that she was at the very least bisexual, and sex with the two of us seemed to be something she enjoyed, judging by how she¡¯d taken the initiative after our talk.


    She had said on a number of occasions that she could visualize a life with the two of us, and wanted our household of three to continue indefinitely. The only stumbling blocks to her continuing with us lay outside our menage ¨¤ trois- her concerns about her parents¡¯ disappointment in her lifestyle choices, and her continued worry about public attitudes towards lesbians in general, but even more so, the much farther from mainstream love the three of us were sharing.


    I had no idea if Emmy had spoken with her own parents about Angela, but when I told Mom over the phone one day about how Angela had come into our lives and what she was starting to mean to both of us, her only negative was that threesomes are hard to maintain and are usually undone by jealousy.


    Mom knew about Emmy¡¯s moon-kissed nature, so when I told her that I thought that part of what was going on was that Emmy wanted me to have somebody when she was gone she immediately grasped what I meant, and the long-term ramifications.


    ¡°Are you thinking that you¡¯d marry Angela, um¡­ later?¡± Mom asked, trying to be circumspect about my inevitable widowhood.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that Emmy might be thinking that¡¯ll happen, but I don¡¯t know if the two of them have talked about anything like that,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve urged Angela to ask about the whole ¡®moon-kissed¡¯ thing, but it isn¡¯t my story to share, and I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ve actually talked about that. Angela says things like how she wants to be with Emmy and me forever, so I think maybe she doesn¡¯t know Emmy¡¯s countdown timer is running.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Mom said, her voice compassionate. ¡°I hate that you have to think like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hate it, too,¡± I agreed with a sigh. ¡°Emmy just doesn¡¯t like to talk about it, not that I can blame her, you know? But if Angela is going to be with us for the long run, she needs to know.¡±


    ¡°Do you want her to be?¡± Mom asked. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything one way or another to me, but it¡¯s something you should think about. Can you imagine a life without Emmy, but with Angela? Maybe the two of you, raising the baby that Emmy plans to have?¡±


    I was very grateful that my own mother was willing to accept my life''s atypical aspects, and wondered how it was for Stephanie, whose mom had definitely disapproved, or Angela''s, who probably would as well.


    Angela, her breathing gentle and even, moved a little in her sleep, adjusting her position tucked up under my arm.


    My train of thought about Angela¡¯s future with Emmy and me, and maybe eventually me and baby Em, was momentarily derailed when Angela asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you sleep?¡± , her voice thick with her own drowsiness.


    I kissed her hair, breathed in the smell of her, and said, ¡°I was just thinking how much I love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you, too,¡± she mumbled, before falling asleep once more.


    Wednesday night, we went back to Andy and Jenna¡¯s house for dinner. Angela and Jenna wanted to plan their furniture shopping trip, and Andy was happy to grill again, so who was I to complain?


    While Angela and Jenna wandered around the house, looking at furniture catalogs and trying to imagine how various pieces would fit in each room as they went, Andy and I relaxed in the back yard and drank beers while he cooked.


    ¡°Lee,¡± he said. ¡°I really hope this thing with Angela works out. She seems really nice, and Jenna, well, she doesn¡¯t, like, have many actual friends, you know? It¡¯s really been good for her to have somebody she can call up and ask for advice, or just vent when something gets her all spun up.¡±


    ¡°She calls Angela?¡± I said, surprised.


    ¡°Pretty much every day, I think,¡± he said as he flipped the steaks. ¡°I know they text a lot.¡±


    ¡°Wow- I had no idea,¡± I said. ¡°But you know what? Angela doesn¡¯t have any other friends that I know of, either, so I¡¯m happy the two have hit it off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have, um, a community, you know?¡± Andy said. ¡°Right now, all we have is my team and her work, and of course, you guys. Otherwise, that¡¯s about it. But now we have this house, and we¡¯re doing what we can to make it our own, and make this neighborhood our own. All the neighbors we¡¯ve met have seemed nice. Hey, did I tell you that LeVar Burton, you know, Jordi from Star Trek? He lives four houses that way,¡± Andy said, pointing to the south. ¡°I met him the other day. It turns out he¡¯s a big Rams fan, and he was as stoked to meet me as I was to meet him. Funny world, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± I agreed, happy to see Andy¡¯s enthusiasm. His big, slightly crooked smile made me smile, too, and that¡¯s when Jenna and Angela came to the backyard- just in time to find the two of us grinning like idiots at each other.


    ¡°What did we miss?¡± Jenna asked, looking back and forth between Andy and me.


    ¡°Silly fanboy stuff,¡± I said.


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± Jenna said. ¡°Did Andy tell you that that one guy from Star Wars lives just up the street?¡±


    I could tell she was just trolling, but Andy rose to the bait anyhow. ¡°Star Trek, babe, not Star Wars.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± she said with a shrug, turning away from him so he couldn¡¯t see her smile.


    Angela plopped down on my lap and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re going to go shopping tomorrow,¡± she announced. ¡°Can I borrow the SUV? Obviously we can¡¯t load any furniture in it, but maybe a lot of the smaller stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. ¡°You guys have fun. Me, I¡¯ll be working, earning money to pay for whatever stuff you buy, that¡¯s all,¡± I said.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to buy anything for us,¡± Angela objected, but then she realized I was just teasing. ¡°But maybe we do need a new TV¡­¡±


    Smiling, I gave her a peck on the cheek, and said, ¡°We will need things for the new house, so if you do see something you really want to buy¡­¡±


    Angela turned to look me in the eyes, trying to gauge how serious I was.


    ¡°I mean it,¡± I said. ¡°Just check with Emmy- she has a much better sense of style than I do. Obviously, it¡¯s still a few months away until we can move in, but we do need to start thinking about how we¡¯re going to decorate. The designer will get us all our furniture, but I told him we want to do the rest.¡±


    Angela wrapped me in a tight hug, squeezing me for all she was worth, which was actually quite a lot. All those hours in the gym didn¡¯t just give her a figure to die for, they actually built real muscle, too.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± she said, kissing me repeatedly.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Get a room, you two!¡± Jenna said, throwing a napkin at us. ¡°Don¡¯t make me turn the hose on you guys.¡±


    Smiling like the cat that ate the canary, Angela said, ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous.¡±


    ¡°Oh, trust me,¡± Jenna retorted. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly happy with my big ol¡¯ love chunk right here,¡± she said, getting a kiss from Andy.


    ¡°Well, there you go,¡± I said. ¡°I think he just earned his new nickname.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Andy said, swelling up as if with pride. ¡°Mr Love Chunk.¡±


    The evening was a bit chilly, so we ate at the new dining room set they¡¯d gotten since our last visit, on plates and with silverware that actually matched.


    ¡°Ooh, fancy!¡± I said, admiring the table settings.


    Jenna laughed, and said, ¡°Ikea¡¯s finest!¡±


    On our way home that night, Angela asked, ¡°Did you really mean it? About me helping pick things out for the new house?¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, turning to look at her when I stopped for a light. ¡°I want you to be with me and Emmy. It¡¯s that simple. I want you to be part of our life. That doesn¡¯t mean I want you to be our, I don¡¯t know, pet or something? I want you to be an equal partner in our relationship, and that means that you get to help make decisions about how the three of us lead our lives. Now, obviously, you didn¡¯t get a say in the townhouse, or in the Wonderland house, but those were chosen before you entered into our lives. Now, though, you get to vote.¡±


    Angela didn¡¯t know what to say to that, but she kept her hand on my thigh the rest of the drive home as she seemed lost in thought.


    Later, while I was washing her thick, long hair as we soaked in the tub, she said, ¡°I¡¯m not being fair to you and Emmy. I love you guys, and I want to spend the rest of my life with the two of you, but I¡¯m being too chicken to tell mis pap¨ªs. I¡¯m being the wrong kind of maricona,¡± she said with a little self-deprecating laugh.


    ¡°Um, doesn¡¯t that mean, um, queer?¡± I asked, not too sure of my Spanish.


    ¡°Yes, but it also means, uh, cowardly? Wimpy? Like maybe, ¡®don¡¯t be a pussy¡¯?¡± Angela explained.


    ¡°So you are being a maricona about not telling your parents you¡¯re a maricona?¡± I asked, thinking I was understanding her joke.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it,¡± Angela confirmed, leaning back against me and wrapping my arms around herself, placing my hands on her boobs. ¡°I want to tell them that I have met the two most wonderful, beautiful women in the world and I¡¯m crazy in love with both of them, but I¡¯m too afraid.¡±


    ¡°Invite them to come visit,¡± I suggested. ¡°Maybe if they see how things are, they¡¯ll understand.¡±


    Angela took in a deep breath, her chest expanding under my hands, then let it out in a long sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought that maybe inviting my sister might be better,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°She¡¯s younger, not so set in the old ways of thinking. She could come visit, and then she would go back and tell Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢.


    ¡°I like that,¡± I said, giving her a squeeze. ¡°Get your sister to do your dirty work.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Angela agreed, but she didn¡¯t really seem convinced.


    Emmy came home that weekend, to my surprise. I¡¯d thought she¡¯d said they had another week of recording, but evidently they felt that they had everything wrapped up and could do all the production work back in Los Angeles. She was pretty well wiped out when she got home and just wanted to go to bed, so Angela and I slid in on either side of her and held her until we all fell asleep. As much as I¡¯d come to love Angela, the feel of Emmy¡¯s lean body spooned into mine was pure heaven, a feeling that I had sorely missed.


    The next morning, the three of us stayed in bed and snuggled for quite a while, Emmy and Angela catching up on things while I just listened and occasionally commented when it seemed appropriate. For the most part I wasn¡¯t really listening to the words, just the sound of their conversation, their two voices, and the rhythms of their respective speech patterns. It was a form of music to me, relaxing and hypnotic.


    Eventually, though, we did get up and go out for brunch at a restaurant in a hip boutique hotel on Fairfax. The food was good and the Mimosas were excellent, but most of all, the company was what made the meal so memorable. Emmy was the star of the show, regaling Angela and me with stories of recording sessions gone wildly out of control, songs that wound up very different from how they started, and all-night sessions that produced recordings that nobody could understand the next day.


    I was so happy to have Emmy back I couldn¡¯t express it verbally, but I found myself touching her constantly, whether holding her hand while we walked, putting my hand on her knee under the table while we ate, or brushing a stray strand of hair from her face while we talked.


    Once I realized I¡¯d been doing that, I noticed that Angela was as well. She seemed just as enamored of Emmy as I was, and was hanging on Emmy¡¯s every word just as intently as I was doing.


    After brunch, Emmy asked to see how the house was coming along, so we wound our way up into the Hollywood Hills, Angela and Emmy holding hands in the back seat while I drove. There were only a few workers'' trucks in the parking lot- quite a change from the hustle and bustle of the last time Angela and I stopped by.


    The progress was remarkable in just the short time since I¡¯d last seen the place, and in the months since Emmy had visited it was completely transformed.


    I was very pleased to find flooring crews working in several different rooms at once, making up for the time lost by the last subcontractor. After we left where they were laying the hardwood down, Angela told Emmy a wildly exaggerated version of the confrontation I¡¯d had with the previous sub, which had Emmy in stitches.


    After we toured the house part of the construction, we checked out the studio. The big sound stage was still full of building materials, but the rest of the warren of offices, sound recording rooms, and so on was basically done. Even the carpeting was down and the plumbing fixtures and appliances were installed in the lounge. All that was left was to bring in the actual recording equipment itself.


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy said with wonder as we looked around. ¡°This is so beautiful- so amazing. This is the recording studio of my dreams, it really is. I had been happy recording in our little studio at the townhouse, but this¡­ This is so much more!¡± With that, she leapt into my arms, hugging and kissing me while I held her up off the ground, laughing at her exuberance. ¡°When we use this space we will have all the room we need, and we will not be constantly bumping into each other. The isolation booths are so big, too! Lee can set up his full kit and have room to move! He will love this!¡±


    Emmy was on cloud nine on the drive home, talking about how the new studio will allow the band to do things that they¡¯d discussed, but never had the capacity to be able to manage in the past.


    ¡°We have a song, for example, that we want a full choir for,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°Now we can do that. Or have a real string section, that would be amazing, too. The extra room will make so much difference!¡±


    I was pleased that Emmy was so enthusiastic, and happy that any further recording would happen here in Los Angeles and not in New York. Sure, it was a good thing we had that studio there for the band to record in when they really needed it, but the new facilities would mean a whole lot more time for us to be together.


    Eventually, Emmy ran out of glowing things to say about the new house and recording studio, and Angela picked up the conversational slack. She told Emmy about furniture shopping with Jenna, and how she found a few things that she thought would go well in our new house and wanted Emmy to go look at with her.


    Angela also told Emmy that we need a nude picture of her for our new house.


    ¡°A nude picture?¡± Emmy asked, not understanding.


    ¡°We have that painting of Leah in the bedroom in New York, and the picture of me in the apartment in San Jose. It¡¯s obvious that we need a picture of you in our bedroom here.¡±


    ¡°Nude picture of you in San Jose?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°You remember the picture I took, the one of Angela on the balcony with the city in the background?¡± I said, glancing at Emmy in the rear view mirror. ¡°The one you said you liked and we should get a print made? Well, we now have a nice, big, framed print of it hanging on the bedroom wall in San Jose.¡±


    ¡°The photograph of you looking over your shoulder?¡± Emmy asked Angela. ¡°That one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that one. I had it professionally enlarged and framed.¡±


    ¡°I would like to see that,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Next weekend is a San Jose weekend, right, Babe?¡± Angela asked me. ¡°We can all three go up. And we can go to the club together, the three of us! That¡¯d be great!¡±


    This kicked off a discussion about how much fun the club is, and how Angela¡¯s dresses were so perfect, and how incredibly sexy I was in my tailored suits, and so on.


    I just listened in from the driver¡¯s seat, enjoying hearing the two talk. ¡®My two beautiful ladies,¡¯ I thought, smiling at my incredible good fortune.


    Life after Emmy¡¯s return from New York was nice and restful, slipping back into the old, familiar groove. I trained hard, worked, and went to school while Emmy spent a lot of time over at Lee¡¯s house as they worked through the production of their new album, putting everything together just right. Angela did her workouts, her influencer stuff, and spent a fair bit of time with Jenna when Emmy and I were out for the day. All in all, it was a period of domesticity that I welcomed.


    Emmy seemed to need it, too. Her sleep schedule took a few days to normalize to West Coast time and reasonable bedtimes, but once she readjusted, her health and energy seemed to improve.


    Of course, having her lovers with her helped Emmy¡¯s emotional state as well. The first time I came home and found the two of them napping on the couch, my first reaction was to snap some photos. It was heart-warming, seeing them nestled together like two little puppies in a basket. Of course, I let them sleep. I set up my laptop and did some work at the table, glancing up at them every now and then, a smile on my face every time.


    There was never any doubt in my mind that Emmy loved me beyond words, but at the same time, it was clear she was very much in love with Angela as well. I was glad Angela was able to give Emmy something that I couldn¡¯t.

 Two Important Conversations

    Emmy discussed Grace staying with us for Thanksgiving break one evening while we had dinner that Angela had made. Evidently Grace and Emmy had talked earlier in the day. Grace wanted to bring her latest girlfriend to meet her ¡®mom and mom¡¯, and so of course Emmy had said yes. The condo had three bedrooms, so we had plenty of room for the two girls- that wasn¡¯t a problem, and of course I wanted to catch up with Grace and hear about how college was going for her- I was just a bit less enthusiastic about having to pretend that her new girlfriend wasn¡¯t just another in the long line going back to when she moved in with us in Palo Alto.


    Grace had gone to Flagstaff before Emmy and I had moved to Los Angeles, so she hadn¡¯t seen the condo yet, much less our new house in the Hollywood Hills. She was excited to explore LA while she was visiting, and that was fine with me, as long as she didn¡¯t expect a tour guide.


    Emmy had told Grace about Angela, explaining how we¡¯d met her, and how she had become a very important part of our lives.


    ¡°Grace wants to meet you,¡± Emmy told Angela as we ate. ¡°She is like a daughter to us, so it is important that you two get to know each other.¡±


    A lengthy explanation of how we wound up raising Grace for almost four years followed, which soon turned into a discussion of parents who are unsympathetic to gay kids, and how they should love the children regardless.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Emmy realized the thin ice we were skating on with the topic, but she was always far more perceptive about people than I was, so I thought that she probably was aware of Angela¡¯s own family issues.


    Angela seemed a bit quiet the rest of the evening, but I didn¡¯t make a big deal about it, just let it be. I wasn¡¯t going to apply any pressure- she had enough from her own self.


    The next morning was a Thursday, so I didn¡¯t have my fight gym workout with Jody. Usually I worked out with Angela at the condo building¡¯s gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but that morning when it was time to get moving Angela wrapped her arm around me to keep me from leaving.


    She pushed me back down onto the bed and climbed on top of me, straddling my hips. She leaned down and kissed me, then held herself up with her arms and looked down at me.


    ¡°I need you to make love to me, Leah,¡± she said. ¡°I need for you to make so much love to me that¡­¡± she said, her voice trailing off. ¡°I need for you to love me. Love me, and let me love you.¡±


    ¡°How could I say no to that?¡± I joked, but I could tell that Angela was serious.


    ¡°Leah, I need this,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Need what?¡± Emmy said, her voice slow with sleep.


    ¡°I need you and Leah to make love to me, Em. Make love to me, tell me you love me, make me know it¡¯s true,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°We do love you,¡± Emmy replied, sitting up and putting her hand on Angela¡¯s thigh. ¡°Do not ever doubt it. We love you very much.¡±


    ¡°Show me how much,¡± Angela pleaded. ¡°Show me.¡±


    Emmy leaned in and kissed Angela, long, slow and tender. ¡°We can show you now, but we also show you every day, in so many ways. Leah shows you she loves you when she takes you in her arms while you¡¯re cooking. I show you I love you when I wash your beautiful dark hair when we bathe. We both show you that we love you when we fall asleep, holding you tight. We do not demonstrate our love for you only when we have sex- we do it all through the day and night.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, stroking her strong legs. ¡°Having sex with you is fantastic, and I absolutely love doing that, but like Emmy said, that isn¡¯t the only way we show you our love. I show I love you when I give you a little kiss when I come home. I show I love you when I put my hand on your leg when I¡¯m driving. I show I love you when I walk into the club with you on my arm. I love you all of the time, not just when we¡¯re having sex.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela said with a sigh. ¡°But right now, I want you both to show me with your bodies, with your kisses, with your touch. Show me.¡±


    Emmy quickly whipped off her camisole and straddled my legs, right behind Angela. She leaned in and nuzzled and kissed Angela¡¯s neck, then along her jawline, finally finishing up under Angela¡¯s ear, whispering, ¡°Je t¡¯aime, ma cherie.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s hands worked under the hem of the Cardinal T shirt Angela was wearing, lifting it up slowly. I marveled in the sight of what was revealed- first, Angela¡¯s pretty little belly button, then her washboard abs, firm and sculpted. My hands seemed to move of their own volition, sliding up Angela¡¯s thighs and up her hips, finally settling on that incredible belly. I could feel the muscles tense and relax under my hands as Emmy got Angela squirming with her kisses.


    Emmy continued her slow removal of Angela¡¯s shirt, never letting up with her kisses and her sweet words in Angela¡¯s ear. Following the hem of the shirt on its way up, my hands found their way to Angela¡¯s creamy white breasts. I cupped the two sensitive globes in my hands, using the pads of my thumbs to circle around her pale pink areoles, feeling them firm up with the attention.


    Angela¡¯s hips were rocking, her need becoming something she had to obey. Emmy tossed Angela¡¯s shirt aside (well, technically my shirt, but Angela had claimed it some time back), then put her hands on Angela¡¯s waist. She slid one down, following a path past Angela¡¯s belly button, slowly slipping down between Angela and me.


    Angela moaned softly, the four hands touching her driving her crazy with desire. Tearing my eyes away from Emmy¡¯s fingers sliding down out of view, I saw that Emmy had Angela¡¯s earlobe between her teeth, those bright whites gently biting down. Angela¡¯s eyes were tightly closed and her head was back as Emmy continued to mix kisses and little nibbles, driving Angela mad with pleasure.


    Emmy¡¯s hand had found its way down to the sensitive spot between Angela¡¯s legs, and thanks to Angela¡¯s position on top of me, my sensitive bits as well.


    I habitually slept nude, so nothing separated Emmy¡¯s knuckles from my lady parts, a fact that she took advantage of. To be fair, my hips were moving as well, so with just her left hand Emmy managed to Jill off both Angela and me at the same time.


    With Angela¡¯s first orgasm, she collapsed down on top of me, into my waiting arms. Emmy took the opportunity to ditch her own panties, then sat on her heels beside Angela and me, leaning down and draping herself over Angela¡¯s back.


    It was my turn to whisper my love. ¡°Ange, baby, we love you so much,¡± I said between kisses. I held Angela¡¯s head in my hands and kissed her hard, my tongue sliding past her teeth, meeting hers for a loving wrestling match as we breathed each others¡¯ breath. When we separated, Angela laid her head down on my shoulder, moaning with pleasure as Emmy kissed and stroked her back and shoulders.


    My own hands were also roaming Angela¡¯s body. Lightly touching Angela¡¯s smooth skin, I could feel the goosebumps from the sensation as my fingertips slid across her sides, her back, and her thighs.


    I rolled us sideways, leaving Angela on her back between Emmy and me. The two of us continued to caress, kiss and savor every inch of Angela¡¯s body, sending our dark-haired beauty into a series of shuddering climaxes.


    Eventually it became too much and she begged for us to stop, but as I slowly slid my fingers from inside her, Angela grabbed my wrist to keep me in place. ¡°No- don¡¯t,¡± she implored, so I slid them back in. Truth be told, I loved the feeling of being inside her, too, so I was more than happy to oblige, feeling the last little quivering shakes as Angela recovered.


    Emmy looked at my face, and finding confirmation of her thoughts, leaned down and kissed Angela tenderly.


    Looking Angela straight in the eyes, she said, ¡°Angela, ma cherie- notre cherie, we love you very, very much. We want you to stay with us. If there were a way for us to marry you, we would ask you to be our bride.¡±


    Surprised, Angela looked from Emmy to me. ¡°Angela, we would like you to commit to us. Be ours, and we¡¯ll be yours,¡± I said, then placed a soft kiss on her belly. I looked back up and into her wide blue eyes. ¡°Say that you are ours. You want to know how much we love you? This is how much. Let us put a ring on your finger.¡±


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    Angela let out the breath she hadn¡¯t realized she was holding, letting the tension go from her body. She reached up and pulled Emmy in for another kiss, then did the same to me.


    ¡°I want that more than anything,¡± Angela said, her voice quavering a bit. ¡°More than anything in the world.¡±


    Emmy stroked Angela¡¯s cheek, wiping away the tear that had formed. ¡°Angela¡­ You are so beautiful, and so caring. Fortune smiled on Leah and me the day that you came to our apartment for help. You made our lives better that day, though we did not realize it until later. Today, you have made our lives even better still.¡±


    I took Angela¡¯s hand and laid it on my chest. ¡°This heart,¡± I said. Moving Angela¡¯s hand to Emmy¡¯s chest, I said, ¡°And this heart- they are yours. Give us your heart, Ange. We promise we¡¯ll be gentle with it.¡±


    This was about all Angela could take. Weeping with the strength of her emotions, she rested her head back on the pillow and squeezed our hands in her own. I started to slide the fingers of my other hand out of her, but Angela clamped her legs tight to prevent it.


    She looked up at me, then Emmy. ¡°I want you inside of me. I want- I need you to¡­¡± she said, but couldn¡¯t find the right words. Finally, she said, ¡°I love you two so much, I want you to touch me forever. I want¡­¡±


    Running her hand down the side of Angela¡¯s face, then her neck, down past the collarbone and finally resting between Angela¡¯s breasts, Emmy said, ¡°We will hold you for as long as we live.¡±


    In the shower, Angela said, ¡°I declare today a ¡®nobody goes anywhere¡¯ day. I want us all to stay here at home. No working on the music for you,¡± she said, poking Emmy in the chest. ¡°And no school tonight for you,¡± she said, repeating the gesture on my sternum. ¡°Just the three of us, here, together. No distractions.¡± Then, thinking about it for a moment, she added, ¡°Oh, and no clothes.¡±


    I laughed at that, then swept Angela into my arms. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I agreed. ¡°Em?¡±


    ¡°I think that sounds wonderful,¡± she said and joined the hug.


    True to the edict, the three of us spent the day lounging around the condo, listening to music, dancing, cuddling on the couch, making meals together¡­ all completely naked. Somehow, and maybe it was because of how emotional our lovemaking had been that morning, the nudity didn¡¯t feel sexual. It felt more like a way for the three of us to be close, emotionally speaking. The lack of physical barriers between us meant that we had no metaphorical barriers, either. A light touch as one of us walked past another, a gentle kiss on a bare shoulder, a hand on the butt¡­ These were gestures of love and affection.


    That night it wasn¡¯t me in the middle of our California King-sized bed, for once. Angela had Emmy on one side and me on the other. She fell asleep almost immediately, the emotions of the day leaving her exhausted.


    Seeing that I was still awake, Emmy asked in a quiet voice so as to not disturb our sleeping beauty, ¡°Would you join me in the living room? I would like to talk.¡±


    We slipped out of bed, not waking Angela. I followed Emmy to the couch, where she indicated I should sit. Taking her own seat on my lap, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and leaned in to me to talk quietly.


    ¡°Are we doing the right thing?¡± she asked, surprising me. I¡¯d had the impression that Emmy was the one really pushing for Angela to join our household, and now all of a sudden she was expressing doubts.


    ¡°Do you love her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°I do love her. That is my concern. I am afraid that we will be taking her away from her family, if she chooses to make a life with us.¡±


    Sighing, I said, ¡°I think that was what today was about. She¡¯s been wrestling with how to tell her parents, and how they¡¯ll react when she does. This morning, when she wanted us to convince her we love her, I¡¯m pretty sure it was to help make her own decision.¡±


    ¡°That is what I understood, too,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°I think all we can do is tell her we¡¯ll stick with whatever she chooses, you know? She has to make her own life decision. We¡¯ve laid out our position. Now it¡¯s up to her to accept or not. I hope she does- I¡¯ve really come to love her,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would like to design a ring for her, if she says that she will commit to us,¡± Emmy said, her voice thoughtful. ¡°And perhaps we can add something to our wedding bands, too.¡±


    We sat there for a little while, lost in our own thoughts. After a while, Angela came into the dark living room.


    ¡°Em? Leah? What are you two doing out of bed?¡± she asked, her voice sleepy.


    Emmy slid off my lap and indicated that Angela should join us on the couch.


    ¡°We were discussing you, Ange,¡± I said when Angela took Emmy¡¯s recently vacated seat on my lap. ¡°And how worried you are about telling your parents about us.¡±


    ¡°I decided today,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell them this weekend. I texted my mam¨ª and told her I had big news and I wanted to do a Skype call on Sunday.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± I asked, stroking Angela¡¯s cheek while Emmy kissed her shoulder and rubbed her bare back.


    ¡°No,¡± Angela answered honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be ready. But I need to do this. I want to spend the rest of my life with you two, and I don¡¯t want to lie to them.¡± Then, after looking at Emmy and me in the dim light coming in through the glass doors, Angela asked, ¡°Can we go back to bed now? It was lonely in bed without you two.¡±


    Selling back down to sleep, we did a double-spoon, with Angela in the middle. I kissed the back of her neck and said, ¡°Good night, my love.¡±


    Angela wanted Emmy and me around when she made her Skype call, so we sat outside the view of her laptop¡¯s camera, waiting for her to introduce us at the right moment. We¡¯d done everything we could the previous few days to let Angela know that we did love her and that regardless of whatever happened with her parents, she was an important part of our lives now.


    Angela¡¯s conversation with her parents was in rapid-fire Spanish, so I only caught the occasional word here and there. I heard Antonio¡¯s name and almost laughed at the hand gesture she made- sort of a sideways fanning of her hand held flat in front of her neck. I would have understood even if I didn¡¯t know already that he was out of the picture for good.


    My ears perked up when I heard Angela say the name of Emmy Lascaux and the words ¡®musica rock¡¯. From what I could gather, Angela was confirming that her parents knew who Emmy was, and they did seem to know the name and a bit about Emmy. Angela¡¯s mom asked something something ¡°lesbiana?¡±, to which Angela agreed, and said I was ¡°su esposa¡±.


    A discussion about ¡®lesbianas¡¯ ensued, and I could tell that Angela was trying to convince her parents that lesbians are just like anybody else.


    As that part of the conversation wound down, Angela said, ¡°Mam¨ª, Pap¨ª, quiero presentarles a Emmy y Leah.¡± She waved us to enter the camera¡¯s field of view, which we did, waving at the images of her parents on the laptop¡¯s screen.


    ¡°This is Emmy De Lascaux,¡± Angela said in English, ¡°And this is her wife, Leah Farmer. Leah, Emmy, these are my parents, Marisa and Rafael Castro.¡±


    Emmy smiled and said, ¡°Y ya entiendo de donde viene la belleza de Angela, se?ora Castro. Usted es una flor rara. Y se?or Castro- Angela muestra la dignidad que deb¨ªa haber recibido de usted. Es un placer de conocerles.¡±


    Of course, this set the bar too high for me to follow, so I merely said, ¡°Buenas tardes. Mucho gusto,¡± with a wave at the camera.


    Angela¡¯s parents both started speaking at once, then stopped and looked to each other to start. I was glad to see there was none of that famous Latin machismo in their relationship, as far as I could tell.


    ¡°It is very nice to meet you,¡± said Angela¡¯s mom in accented, but clear English. ¡°Angela says that when Antonio was arrested, she asked you two for help, and even though you hardly knew her, you opened your home to her.¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± I said, when Emmy gave me a look to say that I should field this one. ¡°Angela and I had talked a few times in the gym, and we had made plans to get together for dinner with her and Antonio, but he got arrested before that happened. When she knocked on our door and asked for advice, of course we helped. It¡¯s what anybody would do.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯ think most people would help like that,¡± Mr Castro said. ¡°That was very good of you, to help our Angela like that.¡±


    Angela resumed talking in Spanish to her parents, and from what I could tell it was a recap of events leading up to and including our trip to Chicago, and that¡¯s when she dropped the bombshell on her mom and dad. ¡°Me enamor¨¦ a las dos,¡± she said. ¡°Con cada dia, me enamor¨¦ mas y mas. Las amo, Mam¨ª, Pap¨ª. Quiero vivir mi vida con ellas, y tambien, ellas aman a mi.¡±


    I was surprised that she¡¯d just come right out and said it, but there it was. She said she loved us and wanted to spend her life with us, just like that.


    I rested my hand on Angela¡¯s shoulder in support, and Emmy lowered herself to the same level as Angela and gave her a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Se?ores Castro,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Su hija es una estrella en nuestra noche. Angela,¡± she said, pronouncing it the way her parents did, ¡°ha vuelto un parte importante de nuestras vidas. La amamos. La queremos. Estamos super fortunadas a tener Angela. Dios nos di¨® su bendici¨®n cuando ella vino a nuestra puerta.¡±


    Still stunned, Angela¡¯s parents looked back and forth between the three of us. Angela, not knowing what more to say, took my hand from her shoulder and kissed it.


    ¡°Mam¨ª, Pap¨ª, estoy feliz con ellas. Mas feliz que nunca. Espero que entienden. Eso es mi vida, ya y siempre.¡±


    Eventually Angela¡¯s mom recovered enough to speak. ¡°You two- you are taking my Angela as your lover? Your¡­ mistress? Both of you?¡±


    ¡°She is not our mistress, Se?ora Castro,¡± I said. ¡°We don¡¯t think of her that way. We asked her to be our equal, our other wife. We can¡¯t legally marry her, but we would if we could. Perhaps, some day in the future, we may be able to make our marriage legal, but for now, the three of us know we are married to each other.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯ think that is how it works,¡± objected Angela¡¯s dad. Angela replied in Spanish, and I quickly lost the thread of the conversation as Angela and her father argued. I was pleased to notice that neither of them seemed to get too heated, but there was clearly a disagreement. Angela¡¯s mom stayed quiet for the most part only speaking up every now and then. Eventually matters got as settled as they were going to be at the time and everybody said goodbye. To me, it seemed as if the issue hadn¡¯t been completely resolved, but at least it hadn¡¯t ended in tears.


    The three of us pulled each other into a hug, where we simply held each other without speaking for quite a while. Angela had chosen us, chosen a life with Emmy and me, and left it up to her parents to accept it or not. This was a true turning point in her life, equal to any she¡¯d gone through before and the gravity of the choice had to be recognized.


    ¡°I love you two so much,¡± Angela finally said, her voice muffled against my chest.


    ¡°We love you, Ange,¡± I replied, kissing the top of her head. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing I want you to know, it¡¯s that. We are a family of three, and we will make it work.¡±

 Grace And Rosalie

    The next morning Jody said, ¡°There really isn¡¯t much more I can teach you. Sure, we can continue to practice, and there¡¯s value in that, and I¡¯d be happy to continue working with you- I mean, the money has been really good, and it¡¯s helped me out a lot, you know? But I kinda feel that we¡¯d just be going over old territory, you know?¡±


    ¡°Jody,¡± I said, wiping myself down with my gym towel. ¡°How is your career going as a professional fighter? I¡¯m asking because maybe I can offer you a job that might pay well enough that you can do what you want, and not have to worry about your next rent payment.¡±


    He looked me in the eyes for a long moment. Eventually, he said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve never asked what you do, and I¡¯m not asking now, but if the answer has anything to do with drugs, I¡¯m out.¡±


    ¡°No, no drugs. Mostly I¡¯m a real estate investor, but I also own a string of restaurants, nightclubs and hotels. All completely aboveboard and legit,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Somehow this seems¡­ Well, I can¡¯t see how it squares with what we¡¯ve been doing here,¡± Jody said, still keeping the conversation low. Eddie was the only one in the gym besides the two of us and he was keeping himself occupied in the office, so he wouldn¡¯t have been able to hear anyway, but this seemed like a conversation best kept to a hushed tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but it is sometimes necessary- not for business reasons, exactly, but more like, um, a personal project of mine, to make an impression on people who may wish to resort to violence. I have a crew of guys working on this project for me, and we could use an experienced operator like yourself,¡± I said.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t giving me warm fuzzies in my tummy,¡± Jody said, doubtfully.


    ¡°You may think you understand my need to be circumspect, but you don¡¯t, really,¡± I told him.


    ¡°The image that¡¯s forming in my mind is some kind of mercenary work, probably criminal,¡± Jody said, crossing his arms in the classic ¡®I¡¯m not buying it¡¯ pose.


    ¡°I appreciate your reluctance, I really do,¡± I told him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you to do anything that I, personally, wouldn¡¯t do. I¡¯m not going to say it¡¯s without risk, and I¡¯m also not going to say that it¡¯s, well, completely legal, for that matter. But it is moral, if you understand the distinction I¡¯m trying to make.¡±


    ¡°Moral according to who?¡±


    ¡°Most everybody but the bad guys,¡± I said. ¡°To oversimplify, there are some bad guys out there doing nasty shit to some innocent people, and they need to be shown the error of their ways. The innocent people caught in the middle certainly think we¡¯re doing the right thing, and I sleep easily at night in the belief that it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re dancing around the subject because?¡± Jody asked.


    ¡°Because I¡¯d be asking you to intimidate and potentially hurt, perhaps terminally, some real pieces of shit, and that¡¯s not very acceptable to most authorities.¡±


    ¡°You say you have a crew,¡± he finally said. ¡°How many, and where do you imagine I¡¯d fit in the organization?¡±


    ¡°I have over two dozen in the field right now, but we¡¯re recruiting more as we go from those that we¡¯ve helped. The thing is, most have no training at all. Will and desire, but no training. I have another ex-operator doing all the training, but he is spread pretty thin. Mostly you¡¯d be doing that, but sometimes, when needed, you¡¯d be running operations either with me or with the other guy, or maybe on your own, with your own team.¡±


    ¡°This sounds like a shit show,¡± Jody said. ¡°A real good way to get killed.¡±


    ¡°Our losses have been greater than zero, but not by much,¡± I conceded. ¡°I would expect someone with your training and experience will find most encounters¡­ easy to resolve,¡± I said.


    ¡°So, let me get this straight. You want to hire me to teach a bunch of dumb kids how to play soldier, and go out, what, bounty hunting?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a way to describe it that is almost completely inaccurate,¡± I said. ¡°More like, I want to hire you to train and lead a highly-motivated team to track down and suppress, um, insurrectionists of a sort.¡±


    ¡°I have zero fucking desire to go back to the sandbox,¡± Jody said.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to leave this continent,¡± I said. ¡°At this point, all the action is happening in the Eastern US.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how sketch this all sounds,¡± Jody said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± I replied. ¡°If you think you might be interested, let me know. If you¡¯re completely uninterested, just forget I ever said anything at all, and we just continue on as if we never had this conversation. Sound fair?¡±


    ¡°You said you have another ex-operator on your crew?¡± Jody asked. ¡°Could I talk to him?¡±


    ¡°I can call him right now,¡± I said.


    Jody took a deep breath, then let his shoulders sag. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to him,¡± he finally said, and that was when I knew he¡¯d be on my team.


    I grabbed my phone from my bag and called Grant, who answered on the second ring.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said into the phone. ¡°I¡¯ve got a guy here I¡¯ve been training with. Ex Green Beret. I¡¯m thinking of bringing him in. He wants to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°How old is he?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°Maybe thirty, thirty-two, something like that,¡± I said, eyeing Jody.


    ¡°Alright, put him on,¡± Grant said, so I handed the phone over.


    I could only hear Jody¡¯s side of the conversation, but it started out with him spelling out his bona fides to Grant, and then a series of what sounded like a verbal pissing match as the two questioned each other¡¯s resum¨¦s. Finally satisfied that they were who they both claimed to be, Jody asked the pertinent question.


    ¡°So, uh, this job that Leah is offering. Is it legit?¡± Jody listened to what Grant had to say for a minute, then asked, ¡°What kind of support would I get?¡± After a little bit, Jody asked one final question. ¡°If you were in my place, would you take the job?¡±


    I thought that was a bit ridiculous, since Grant obviously had taken the job, but I didn¡¯t interrupt.


    ¡°O.K., thanks. Yeah, you too,¡± he said, then ended the call and handed the phone to me. ¡°Tell me about the pay and the benefits,¡± he said.


    Over dinner that evening I brought up the subject of me bringing Jody on board. ¡°Em, I hired somebody for our special troubleshooting crew today. Jody, the guy I¡¯ve been training with? He¡¯s agreed to become a full-time employee.¡±


    ¡°Trouble-shooting crew?¡± Angela asked.


    Emmy gave me a look that said that I should be honest with Angela, so I said, ¡°Remember how you asked if I¡¯d ever had anybody killed? Well, my ¡®troubleshooting crew¡¯ are the guys that would do that if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Your paramilitares?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sort of, but like I told you, that¡¯s not their main job. This new guy, Jody, he was in the Army¡¯s special forces, so he¡¯s mostly going to be a trainer and group leader. My hope is that we will need to resort to violence less and less as word of our leadership spreads among the Night Children in the new areas we move into.¡±


    ¡°Remember: no torturing. I¡¯m serious,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Torturing was never on our agenda, believe me. Like you said, only evil people do that, and we¡¯re not evil.¡±


    ¡°I did not realize that you two had spoken of these things,¡± Emmy said, amazed.


    ¡°Em, honesty makes for strong relationships. I never want to keep anything from Angela, just like I never keep anything from you.¡±


    ¡°That is admirable,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I am very glad that these things are not secrets from you, Angela. I was worried that your love for us would suffer if you knew all that we have been doing.¡±


    ¡°Leah explained to me that you two are queens of the Night Children, and trying to make things better. She also told me that you don¡¯t hurt those who only want to be left alone.¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I think that it might be time for you to meet more of our people. Leah, we should have Angela meet Michael and Jassie.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a good idea,¡± I agreed. ¡°He¡¯s back in Palo Alto right now, so we can visit with them when we go up to San Jose next week. You¡¯ll be able to come, right?¡±


    ¡°I would like to,¡± Emmy hedged. ¡°I should be able to break away from the production work for the weekend.¡±


    Of course, that meant that Emmy couldn¡¯t actually break away when the time came, so Angela and I went to San Jose without her.


    Angela and I went to dinner that Friday evening at Michael and Jassie¡¯s place (our old townhouse by campus) instead of eating at the club. Emmy and I had told Michael about Angela, so he knew who she was, but we hadn¡¯t really told Angela anything about Michael and Jassie. We wanted his story to come from his mouth directly to Angela¡¯s ears, without either Emmy or me filtering it in any way.


    It was my first visit to the old townhouse since Emmy and I had left Palo Alto, and merely entering the home we¡¯d lived in together for years brought a certain nostalgia, but Michael had redecorated some since then. He¡¯d had the walls painted a different shade, and the old leather couch we¡¯d left was gone and a sleek new patterned fabric sectional had replaced it.


    I was glad to see that the two of them were making it their own, since in all honesty, Emmy and I never really did that. Emmy bought the place designer-furnished, and that¡¯s how it stayed in our four years there.


    ¡°Leah!¡± Jassie yelled when I walked in the front door, running up and hugging me. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you! It sucks Emmy couldn¡¯t come, but I¡¯m glad you did! This must be Angela, right? Welcome to our home,¡± she said, waving us in.


    Michael led us to the kitchen counter, saying, ¡°Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Can I get you two anything to drink?¡±


    I think the complete normality of the greeting must have shaken Angela out of her surprise at their unusual looks, because she loosened up and asked, ¡°Do you have anything to drink that¡¯s sugar and caffeine-free?¡±


    ¡°We have La Croix seltzers,¡± Michael said. ¡°Would you like grapefruit or lemon?¡± and just like that, the ice was broken.


    The conversation was light at first, mostly talking about Jassie¡¯s junior year in high school, and how she¡¯d just gone camping with her friend Addison and her family up in the redwoods. I asked if she¡¯s seeing any boys, and she got really shy all of a sudden.


    ¡°His name is Booster,¡± Michael announced.


    ¡°Buster!¡± Jassie countered. Turning to me, she said, ¡°He knows it¡¯s Buster. He just says that to make me mad.¡±


    ¡°Honestly,¡± I told her, ¡°Buster isn¡¯t much better than Booster.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not his real name,¡± she confided. ¡°His real name is Ronaldo Bustamante.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s where the ¡®Booster¡¯ comes from?¡± I guessed.


    Jassie¡¯s only reply was to give me a ¡®not you, too¡¯ look.


    Once we sat at the dinner table to eat the lasagna Michael had made, the conversation turned more serious. ¡°Angela,¡± Michael began. ¡°Emmy asked me to tell you about the Night Children. She said that you know a little, but that I should explain things as if you didn¡¯t know a thing about us. Is this right?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I guess so,¡± Angela said. ¡°Emmy told me that the Night Children have always been around, but keep hidden, and her family is the first to try to change things.¡±


    ¡°This is true, but it is only a very small part of our story,¡± he said, indicating himself and his daughter.


    Michael went on to describe the way that the two had been living when he first spotted Emmy on that Berkeley street four years before. ¡°This is the way almost all of us live here in the New World,¡± he said, describing their homelessness and fear, as well as the way they blend in with other people. He went on to tell about how he¡¯d confronted Emmy and she convinced him to accept her shadow, and what that meant. Michael¡¯s version was a whole lot less confrontational than it had actually been, but I didn¡¯t correct his account. He described how Emmy had put him and Hasan to work, seeking out others, and how that effort has expanded all across the continent.


    ¡°We have teams in the Rust Belt and in the Southeast right now,¡± he said.


    Angela gave me a questioning look at the mention of the ¡®teams¡¯, so I asked Michael to tell Angela what those teams were doing.


    ¡°When we enter a new area, we put up signs in our old language in the kind of places that others of our kind might be hiding. We make ourselves very visible, hoping that they see us and come out to speak with us. We explain who we are and who we represent- that¡¯s Queen Emmy and Queen Leah. We show them the benefits of choosing to accept Emmy and Leah¡¯s shadow, and ask them to join us.¡±


    ¡°What if they don¡¯t want to?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°We tell them how to contact us if they wish to do so in the future and ask that they tell any others they may know about us, then move on.¡±


    ¡°Leah said that sometimes there¡¯s, well, violence,¡± Angela said, clearly wanting corroboration of my description of our activities.


    ¡°Regrettably, there have been some incidents where a local boss has set up his own domain, and sometimes these people try to prevent their followers from leaving to join us.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t force anybody to join you, right?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°No, but we will not allow any of these local thugs to prevent others from joining us if they wish,¡± Michael said, his voice turning firm. ¡°Individuals must be allowed their own agency. If they wish to join us, they must be allowed to do so. If they don¡¯t, well, that¡¯s their right, too.¡±


    The conversation had long since become boring to Jassie, so as soon as dinner was over she excused herself to go to her room.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be on her phone for the next three hours,¡± Michael said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°That reminds me- Grace is coming to visit us for Thanksgiving. Do you guys have any plans?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been invited to dinner by a friend of mine,¡± he said, turning a bit shy. ¡°It¡¯ll be our first holiday dinner over at her house.¡±


    ¡°A lady friend?¡± I asked. ¡°What does Jassie think of that?¡±


    ¡°They get along quite nicely,¡± he said. ¡°Liz has a three-year-old son that Jassie adores.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the two of you might have a future together?¡± I asked, pleased for the man.


    ¡°We¡¯re taking it slow,¡± he said. ¡°Neither of us wants to rush into things too quickly, but yes, we have talked about the possibility.¡±


    ¡°Michael,¡± I said, putting my hand on his arm. ¡°This is the best thing I¡¯ve heard in a while. Seriously- this is really good news. Emmy¡¯ll be over the moon to hear it.¡±


    On our way back to the condo to dress for the club, Angela asked, ¡°Why is it such a big deal that Michael has a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Two reasons,¡± I said. ¡°First, we consider him a friend, and he¡¯s been through such a rough time since jassie¡¯s mom died that it¡¯s good to see him maybe opening up to another relationship. Second, a huge part of trying to bring the Night Children into the light means integrating them with the rest of society, and him dating a non-Night Child woman is a very powerful sign that it¡¯s working.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that your friend Donnie married a Night Child?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and they have a little son. Donnie¡¯s parents absolutely adore their grandkid, too. But just because it¡¯s happened once doesn¡¯t mean that it happening again isn¡¯t a big deal. Michael is also the highest-ranked person in our organization outside of Emmy and me, so a lot of Night Children look up to him as an example of what¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Angela admitted.


    The next night at the club it became obvious to me that Angela was becoming as recognizable to the regulars as I was. As we made our pass around upon entering, she greeted quite a few of the clients, too.


    ¡°You really like this place,¡± I said as Theo brought our drinks, his eyes lingering on Angela a bit longer than was entirely necessary.


    ¡°I do,¡± she admitted. ¡°Being here, like this with you, makes me feel like¡­ like a queen of this little kingdom, you know what I mean? All these people, they know you and love the fact that you¡¯re the big boss. Me, they know I¡¯m the big boss¡¯ girlfriend, so they treat me with respect and¡­ admiration, too.¡±


    ¡°They also admire how smoking hot you are in that dress,¡± I joked, but I understood what she meant.


    ¡°You think I look hot in this dress?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Everybody does,¡± I said, and it was true.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who gets to see me out of it,¡± Angela said, her voice sultry.


    ¡°Their loss, my win,¡± I agreed.


    Since the garage was finished at the Wonderland house, I relocated the Aston to leave an empty space in the condo large enough for Grace¡¯s Toyota four-by when she drove in from Flagstaff.


    Of course, it couldn¡¯t go off without a hitch, could it? The valet called me from the garage when Grace tried to drive into the underground parking garage. Apparently he was willing to hand her the temporary parking permit, but she didn¡¯t want to let him drive her car to the designated spot, which left the two of them at an impasse.


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± I grumbled as I put on my shoes to go down and straighten things out.


    I got to the garage entry and found Grace glaring at the valet, who was equally as set in his determination that he was not simply going to let her in without guidance.


    ¡°Look, Grace,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s his job to make sure the garage parking rules are followed. Yes, I can see there are two of you in the car, and it only has two seats, but you need to know where to park, so here¡¯s what we¡¯re all going to do. You drive the car, Manny here will ride in the passenger seat, and the two of us,¡± I said, indicating myself and Grace¡¯s girlfriend, whose name I couldn¡¯t remember, ¡°Will meet you at the parking spot.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Grace started to object.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said, holding my hand up, palm towards her.


    ¡°Leah-¡± she tried again.


    ¡°Nope. The other choice is that you get out of that driver¡¯s seat and Manny here parks it for you.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Grace grumbled as her girlfriend got out of the car and Manny climbed in.


    ¡°You and me, we take the elevator,¡± I said to the well-tanned girl now standing next to me.


    Waiting for the elevator, I introduced myself, and she said her name was Rosalie.


    ¡°Grace said you were really tall, but she didn¡¯t, like, say you¡¯re six and a half feet tall,¡± Rosalie said, looking up at me in the elevator as we rode down two floors.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. At most, I¡¯m six and a quarter feet tall,¡± I said. Changing the subject, I asked ¡°You go to NAU also?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just taking my general requirements now. I¡¯m a bio major- I¡¯m gonna go to veterinary school after I get my bachelor¡¯s. I really love animals,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Veterinary school is pretty tough, from what I understand,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is- is Emmy home?¡± Rosalie asked, changing the subject. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it when Grace said Emmy is like her mom.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s upstairs,¡± I replied as the doors opened.


    We got to the blue and white FJ as Manny finished explaining the parking rules to Grace, who looked impatient.


    ¡°C¡¯mere, kid,¡± I said, wrapping Grace in a big hug. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± She was stiff and a bit resistant at first, but after a moment loosened up and returned the hug.


    ¡°God damn,¡± Grace said. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten how fucking strong you are!¡±


    ¡°Language,¡± I said, giving her a light swat on the back of the head.


    ¡°O.K., Mom,¡± Grace said, jokingly.


    ¡°Leah, this is Rosalie Morales. Rosalie, this is Leah Farmer. Leah¡¯s the one that came all the way up to Arcata to get me when my parents kicked me out when I was a kid. In her Aston Martin.¡± Looking around, it suddenly occurred to her that my Aston was nowhere in sight. ¡°You didn¡¯t sell that car, did you? I loved that car!¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s parked over at the new house so you could have this space.¡±


    While we were talking I helped Grace and Rosalie grab their bags from the back of the car. ¡°C¡¯mon, Emmy¡¯s waiting.¡±


    After a brief stop at the front desk to get the two girls visitor passes so they could use the building¡¯s facilities, we headed up to the seventeenth floor.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s Angela like?¡± Grace asked. ¡°Emmy said she¡¯s really nice, but that¡¯s kinda vague.¡±


    ¡°She is really nice,¡± I agreed. ¡°She¡¯s home, too- you¡¯ll get to meet her in just a minute.¡±


    ¡°This is, like, surreal,¡± Rosalie said.


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked as we stepped into the hallway.


    ¡°Like, Grace told me her adopted parents were lesbians, and I thought that was cool, you know? But then I found out who you guys were, and I was like, ¡®no way!¡¯ but she was all, like, ¡®yes way¡¯.¡±

 More Than The Sun And The Moon

    To my total lack of surprise, Rosalie was completely star-struck meeting Emmy, while Grace rolled her eyes so loudly I¡¯m sure the neighbors could all hear it.


    I gave Grace a little elbow bump and said in a low voice, ¡°You were the same way four years ago.¡±


    Looking as if she would object, Grace let her shoulders slump in defeat. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    Dinner that night was uncomfortable, partially because of Rosalie¡¯s nearly non-stop chatter (mostly with Emmy), but more as a result of Grace¡¯s awkwardness with Angela. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was going on there, but I could certainly feel it, and so could Angela.


    Later, in bed, Angela asked Emmy about it.


    ¡°I think it is a little bit of jealousy,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Grace isn¡¯t accustomed to sharing us with anyone. I am certain it is not intentional or that she is even aware of it.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°Probably at some subconscious level she thinks of you as an intruder.¡±


    ¡°What can I do to make her like me?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Just be nice, I guess. Really, it¡¯s on her to accept that you¡¯re part of our lives now,¡± I said, giving Angela a kiss.


    The next day the two girls went off early to explore Los Angeles or something, so Angela and I went driving with the crew while Emmy worked on her music at Lee¡¯s place.


    Angela was wearing what was basically a bra as a top, covered to some degree by a sort of oversized blazer that only had one button pretty much directly above her bellybutton. Her skirt matched the jacket, but was so short and the jacket so big it barely showed at all. It was a stylish and very sexy outfit straight from her sponsor¡¯s newest catalog, and Angela wanted to get a lot of photos.


    Of course, the boys were all perfectly willing to let her pose with their cars- yes, even Stein. Jimmy¡¯s sister exuded her usual attitude, but it seemed to me that she might have actually liked Angela at least a tiny bit, which was better than the loathing she seemed to harbor for all the rest of us, her brother most of all.


    By coincidence, the new color Stein had chosen to wrap his McLaren was a pretty close match for the lime green of Angela¡¯s outfit, so it was a perfect opportunity. I used Angela¡¯s good camera to take a whole series of shots from on top of Angeles Crest. Angela posed for a couple of dozen shots with Stein¡¯s car, sitting on the hood, sliding out of the driving seat, leaning against the side, so on. With Los Angeles spread out in the distance in the background and the brilliant blue of the sky dominating the top half of the picture, the shots were bound to turn out great.


    Nobody complained about the half hour spent at the big turnout, since for the most part I think they enjoyed watching Angela pose like that. I mean, they had a perfect excuse to stare like schoolboys, right?


    Back in the M6 and headed towards Angeles Forest, Angela asked how I felt about her working.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been asked to do some shoots, but I haven¡¯t said yes or no yet,¡± she said, sounding a bit nervous. ¡°I wanted to talk to you and Em first.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said. ¡°Modeling is your job. Neither of us want you to give up your life for us- I hope you know that. You do whatever it is you think is right for you and your career,¡± I said, resting my hand on her bare leg.


    She put her hand on mine and scooted it a bit higher and more to the inside. When I glanced over, she gave me a saucy grin as I caressed the ever-so-soft skin of her upper inner thigh.


    ¡°I want you to promise me you won¡¯t crash,¡± she said, stroking the back of my hand.


    ¡°Why would I crash?¡± I asked, and in response she slid my hand up to the spot where her two strong legs joined. My pinkie finger found its happy spot, moving across the smooth silk covering Angela¡¯s delicate bits.


    I will admit I did find it distracting, but we were way back in the line of cars so our speeds weren¡¯t particularly high and I could multitask just fine, despite the increasing sexy sounds Angela was making.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Angela¡¯s legs clamped down hard on my hand, holding it tightly in place as she trembled in release.


    ¡°Thank you. I needed that,¡± she gasped as she recovered and moved my hand back to near her knee. ¡°I wish I could do that for you right now,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, but then I probably would crash,¡± I agreed.


    After a few minutes of silence, Angela said, ¡°I do want to marry you and Emmy, even if it¡¯s a secret we three keep. I¡¯m happy with you and her. Happier than I¡¯ve been since I was a little girl, I think. I do want to live with the two of you for the rest of my life. I want to raise our baby together.¡±


    ¡°Our baby?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to Emmy about it,¡± Angela said, looking out the window as we turned onto Big T. ¡°I think it would be amazing to have a daughter raised by three mothers, each of us so different. She would learn so much¡­ And maybe, I could have a baby, too, so they would have each other¡­¡±


    I squeezed her leg and said, ¡°Any child that has you for a mother would be a lucky baby indeed.¡±


    ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t just be me,¡± Angela protested. ¡°She would also have Emmy, and you.¡±


    I kept my hand on her leg, stroking her skin and giving her gentle squeezes every so often to communicate the emotions that I had a hard time forming words to say.


    At our first stop light in Sunland I leaned over and kissed her. ¡°I want you to be a mother to my children,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for saying that you want that, too.¡±


    ¡°Emmy and I have been talking, like I said,¡± Angela replied. ¡°We want to really start making things happen when we¡¯re settled into the Wonderland house.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m really going to have to step up my efforts to get the two of you pregnant,¡± I joked.


    Angela smiled, her ever-so-expressive face lighting up with mirth. ¡°Maybe we can get in some practice tonight,¡± she suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯d like that a lot.¡±


    After lunch with the crew at a Cuban sandwich shop in Burbank, Angela and I made a stop at the new house to check on progress.


    Ned was swamped with subs needing his time, so we just waved hello and walked around. Things were really coming together, and for the first time I truly believed that I was going to pay out on the accelerated schedule bonus I¡¯d promised the general contractor.


    Most of the rooms of the house looked basically finished, except for minor things like the blinds, or the light fixtures or door hardware. It wouldn¡¯t take us long to actually pack and move our stuff, so realistically if we had the full week before Christmas we could be settled in for our first holiday in the new home.


    Ned spotted us when we emerged to the main parking lot.


    ¡°Emmy and her three friends were here earlier- you just missed ¡®em by maybe fifteen minutes,¡± he said. ¡°Since the recording studio is finished, they brought their, I don¡¯t know, sound guy maybe, to plan their equipment install. I think they plan on having the studio up and running in the next two weeks or so.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s been dying to start work in their new studio,¡± Angela confirmed. ¡°She told me that it¡¯s turned out better than she could have imagined.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± Ned said with a smile. ¡°Hey, did you guys get a look at the sound stage yet?¡± he asked, indicating we should follow him. We went in the smaller man door instead of the giant bay doors, which were closed for once.


    All the lumber, boxes of plumbing fixtures, stacks of solar panels and the like had been cleared out, leaving a single, cavernous space. The walls and ceilings had been painted flat black, and the floors had been surfaced with that black, slightly rubbery finish they used for traction. Electricians were up in the catwalks installing lights, but otherwise the place was empty. For the first time I had the sense of how large twenty thousand square feet really was, and how whole movies could be filmed in a space like that.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Angela breathed, looking around. ¡°It¡¯s so huge!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± Ned joked, getting a laugh from both Angela and me.


    ¡°Ned, you¡¯ve performed a miracle here,¡± I said. ¡°And it looks like I¡¯m going to have to write you that big, fat bonus check after all.¡±


    ¡°Good thing, too,¡± Ned said. ¡°My wife has already mentally spent that money. She wants to buy a place in Maui,¡± he said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°There are worse ways to spend it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not that big a fan of Hawaii,¡± Ned confessed. ¡°Now, if she wanted a place in Park City, or maybe Tahoe, well¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to any of those places,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I like mountains more than I like tropical beaches,¡± Ned said, explaining.


    ¡°Where I grew up, we had both,¡± Angela said. ¡°We lived about a mile from the beach, but six thousand meter tall mountains are only a few hours¡¯ drive away.¡±


    ¡°Where is that?¡±


    ¡°Cartagena, in Colombia,¡± Angela said. ¡°Right on the Carribbean.¡±


    ¡°So tropical beaches are no big deal for you, then,¡± Ned said.


    ¡°I like the beach, but¡­¡± Angela said with a shrug.


    ¡°I get it,¡± Ned agreed. ¡°Anyway,¡± he said, changing the subject. ¡°The last contractor should be out of here by the sixteenth. You guys can have the moving vans in here that weekend.¡±


    ¡°That is awesome,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve done a hell of a job, Ned. One hell of a job.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to mention that to any of your friends that might need a house built or remodeled,¡± Ned said. ¡°I could always use good word-of-mouth.¡±


    When Angela and I got back to the condo, we found Grace and Rosalie relaxing out on the balcony. Evidently they¡¯d found the alcohol and were well and truly buzzed from my expensive vodka and some grapefruit juice they found in the fridge.


    ¡°Yer home!¡± Grace said, waving. ¡°C¡¯mere and have a drink! We¡¯re celebratin¡¯!¡±


    ¡°What are you celebrating?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°J.F.C.!¡± Grace exclaimed, looking Angela up and down. ¡°Well, now we¡¯re celebrating how hot you look!¡± she said, lifting her glass in a salute.


    ¡°Grace!¡± Rosalie exclaimed, shoving Grace¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Rosie,¡± Grace said. ¡°Just look at her. She¡¯s like a model or something.¡±


    ¡°She is a model,¡± I said, stepping out onto the balcony. ¡°We were just talking about an upcoming photo shoot in the car.¡±


    Grace really had nothing to say to that, so she just blinked a couple of times and then took another drink.


    Grace looked at Angela again, then at me. She started to say something, but stopped before she got a word out. Finally, she said, ¡°You guys are fucking, right? I mean, the three of you?¡±


    ¡°Grace!¡± Rosie said, turning beet red. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you said that!¡±


    I sighed and sat down on the couch, taking a sip from the bottle of water I¡¯d grabbed from the fridge when we got home.


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said. ¡°I know your manners are better than that.¡±


    ¡°But look at her! She¡¯s like, my age! And hotter than anybody has any right to be!¡±


    ¡°First off, Angela is actually older than either Emmy or me, and second, that¡¯s no excuse for being so rude,¡± I said, my voice level.


    ¡°Well, you guys are, right?¡± Grace demanded.


    ¡°We are lovers, yes,¡± I admitted. ¡°The three of us.¡±


    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re getting into,¡± Grace said to Angela.


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Angela said, staying polite and friendly.


    ¡°You know about Emmy¡¯s, um, people?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Angela replied.


    ¡°And do you know about Leah?¡± Grace demanded.


    ¡°Grace,¡± I cautioned. ¡°Think twice about what you¡¯re about to say, and who you¡¯re about to say it in front of.¡±


    Grace looked at Rosalie, paused a moment, then turned back to Angela. ¡°Ask Leah about Vancouver,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m sayin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Grace,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you stopped talking. And yes, I¡¯ve told Angela about Vancouver.¡±


    Grace finally caught the tone of my voice and realized that she was on very thin ice. ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled. She got up somewhat unsteadily and went inside, presumably to find a toilet to puke into.


    ¡°Well, um, that was awkward,¡± Rosalie said, looking at me, Angela, and where Grace had vanished.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much Grace has told you about growing up with Emmy and me,¡± I said. ¡°It was mostly good, but there were some bad moments, too. Like any family, I guess. She still has some issues with her parents, and sometimes she acts out a little bit, um, inappropriately sometimes. She¡¯s a good kid, though, despite all she¡¯s been through,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go see if she¡¯s O.K.,¡± Rosalie said, getting to her feet, even more wobbly than Grace had been.


    ¡°If you guys barf, make sure you clean it up,¡± I said as she went inside.


    After Rosalie disappeared from sight, Angela turned to me. ¡°Vancouver? Like, Vancouver, Canada?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°It was one of those time we met serious resistance from the local Night Child kingpin.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Grace got kidnapped, and I had to rescue her. Some people got killed in the proceedings,¡± I said.


    ¡°You definitely didn¡¯t tell me about that,¡± Angela said, starting to sound a bit upset.


    ¡°Well, no, I didn¡¯t go into details, but I did tell you we¡¯d had a couple of incidents where we had to resort to violence. This was one of those times.¡±


    ¡°What was another? And how many people died?¡± Angela demanded.


    ¡°Six people died in Vancouver,¡± I said. ¡°One of ours, five of theirs, including the guy who was the root of all the problems. The one that kidnapped Grace. The other major incident was when we went to Chicago. You know that meeting that Emmy and I went to, and came back late?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°We killed eight bad guys that night. We went to the meeting expecting trouble, and it turned out to be an ambush. We were prepared, though, and although we had a couple of minor injuries, we came out O.K.¡±


    ¡°And the others? The bad guys?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°We wiped them out. All eight of them.¡±


    Angela leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath and then letting it out. ¡°You did say that¡­ Well, that you have had to become violent.¡±


    Grace emerged from the condo out onto the balcony, Rosalie nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Yeah, she got violent,¡± Grace confirmed. ¡°I saw her kill three guys with her bare hands, right in front of me.¡±


    ¡°Grace, where¡¯s Rosalie?¡± I asked. ¡°You know better than to ever talk about these things with her around.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Grace said, looking apologetic. ¡°Rosie¡¯s hugging the porcelain god right now. You know, I¡¯ve never talked about what happened in Vancouver to anybody, you know that, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± I said. ¡°Please keep it that way.¡±


    ¡°You know I love you, right, Leah? You saved my life twice, you know that? The first time when my parents kicked me out. I might have ended up on the streets, you know? The second time was in that warehouse, when you came in and just fucking bulldozed those assholes like they weren¡¯t even¡­¡± Grace said, before suddenly bolting back into the house as fast as her wobbly legs would carry her.


    ¡°You killed three men with your bare hands?¡± Angela asked, stunned.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. She doesn¡¯t remember it right. I killed one guy with my bare hands, and another with my dagger. No third guy.¡±


    ¡°Your dagger?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Like, a knife?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Old Stabby,¡± I said. ¡°C¡¯mon to the bedroom. I¡¯ll show it to you.¡±


    In the bedroom, with the door closed and locked, I reached into the bottom of my pants drawer and pulled the sheathed dagger out for Angela to see.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you all this because I want to be totally honest. I hate secrets. I¡¯ve already told you that I have, um, a history of violence, and here is its ultimate expression,¡± I said, handing her the blade.


    Angela pulled it from the sheath, looking at it in wonder. ¡°You¡¯ve- you¡¯ve killed people with this?¡± she asked. ¡°I mean, you, personally?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed, um, six people with that knife?¡± I said, unsure of the exact number.


    ¡°With this knife?¡± Angela said, checking the needle-like tip.


    ¡°Yeah, and a couple more with other knives,¡± I admitted. I fished around in the clothes and pulled out Prince Marfan¡¯s old dagger. ¡°This is the knife I used the first time I killed anybody.¡±


    ¡°The first time you killed anybody?¡± Angela asked, aghast. ¡°When was that?¡±


    "I was about Grace¡¯s age at the time. Just eighteen years old. Two guys grabbed Emmy and beat her up. One of them had this knife. I kicked him super hard, he dropped the knife. I grabbed it and-¡± I said, making an upward stabbing motion to illustrate.


    ¡°Leah, how many people have you killed? I mean, you, yourself.¡±


    I took a few moments, counting on my fingers, but I wasn¡¯t too sure I had the number right.


    ¡°Eight or nine, I think,¡± I admitted.


    Angela stood there, holding Old Stabby, just looking at me for a moment. Finally she said, ¡°Thank you for being honest with me.¡± With that, she handed the dagger back to me, then went and sat down on the bed.


    ¡°Put those away,¡± she instructed, and when I did so, she patted the bed beside her. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I find this very¡­ comforting,¡± she said when I sat down. ¡°But I also don¡¯t find it too surprising. Now I see that you have been trying to hint to me that you have¡­ well, like you said, a history of violence. But to me, you¡¯re gentle, and kind, and loving. To Emmy, too. She thinks the sun rises and sets with you. She¡¯s told me that you make her feel safe and protected, and I thought I understood. But now, I understand better.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s too much for you-¡± I started to say, but Angela put her finger on my lips to shush me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve told me you do these things to help people. You saved Grace¡¯s life, she said. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re an evil person, Leah. This doesn¡¯t make me love you less. Emmy knows all this, right? But she loves you more than the sun and the moon. I trust her judgement. I trust my own heart, too, and it says that I love you.¡±


    ¡°I was afraid to tell you all this, for two reasons,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how you would take it, sure, but also, if you didn¡¯t know, you were in a lot less legal risk. Now you know, if I ever get arrested, you could be held as an accomplice, and I don¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get arrested,¡± Angela said with a shrug.

 Baby, I Was Born

    When Emmy got home Angela and I were relaxing on the couch, cuddled together. Rosalie and Grace had retreated to their room and were probably feeling really sorry for themselves, leaving us in peace.


    Emmy sat down on the edge of the sofa cushion, in the little amount of space that was available. Since Angela was lying on top of me, that left her sweatpants-clad butt right there, so Emmy ran her hand up and down, squeezing Angela¡¯s buns as she did so.


    ¡°We are going to equip the new studio next week,¡± Emmy announced as Angela wriggled her hips a bit to give Emmy better access.


    ¡°Yeah, Ned told us that we just missed you and the boys. I guess we got there right after you guys left.¡±


    ¡°The new house is so amazing, Leah,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And the studio- it is like a dream. The sound stage, too. It will be so wonderful, to have facilities like that available.¡±


    ¡°Ned says that we can move in after the sixteenth,¡± Angela said, her eyes closed, enjoying Emmy¡¯s touch.


    ¡°Yes, that is what he said as far as the house is concerned, but the studio? It is ready to move in and get started now, which is how we can begin setting it up starting on Monday.¡±


    Changing the subject, Emmy said, ¡°I saw Grace¡¯s car in the garage. Are they home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, in their room. They had a bit too much to drink and now I think they¡¯re suffering the consequences,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Do you think they will want dinner?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be surprised,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe we should get them some Gatorade so they don¡¯t get too dehydrated, but I doubt they¡¯ll want anything solid.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps some udon from downstairs?¡± Emmy suggested.


    ¡°That could work,¡± I agreed. ¡°That¡¯s about as mild as you can get.¡±


    ¡°I will call it in,¡± Emmy said, "do you two want your usual?¡±


    The two girls did emerge when dinner was delivered, and they certainly looked miserable, but they did eat their udon noodles before heading back into their room.


    It was a bit chilly out on the balcony, but we started the fire and Angela grabbed a blanket so we could snuggle on the couch out there after dinner.


    Of course I was at the bottom of the pile, but that was O.K. with me. I loved the feeling of the weight of Emmy and Angela pressing me down onto the plush cushions of the couch. Angela lay back against me, and Emmy lay on top of her, face down on Angela¡¯s chest. Somehow Emmy¡¯s hand had found its way up under Angela¡¯s Cardinal T shirt and as we talked, I could see the shape of Emmy¡¯s hand caressing, pinching and generally fondling Angela¡¯s boob.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said after a bit. ¡°Are you- I mean, the corporation you and Lee and Jackson set up, is it going to have a sufficient budget for everything you need for the studio?¡±


    ¡°Yes, at least for the initial set-up and perhaps the first six months of operation with the funds we have banked,¡± Emmy said, a bit distracted. ¡°We are going to make the facilities available to other performers, and that will extend our window. If things work out as Jackson expects, the studio should do more than cover the operational costs by the end of the first year.¡±


    ¡°Jackson?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, he is running the business side of things. He has been reaching out to many of the musicians that he knows and has been generating interest in the community.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Angela said. ¡°He seems to know everybody, and everybody likes him.¡±


    ¡°That, and his law degree makes him very suited to the task,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°Em,¡± Angela said, changing the subject. ¡°I talked to Leah about this earlier today, but I want your opinion, too. I¡¯ve been asked to do a photo shoot. It¡¯s good exposure, and the pay is good, too.¡±


    ¡°Angie, baby,¡± Emmy said, reaching up to kiss Angela. ¡°Do it or not because you want to. You know that you will never need for money ever again.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I hate feeling like I¡¯m just living off you two,¡± Angela finally got out.


    ¡°That is not what I meant,¡± Emmy said, sitting up a bit to better look at Angela¡¯s face. ¡°I meant that taking the job should not depend on how much they pay, but how much you would like to do it. I do not want you to feel as if you are¡­ sponging off us?¡± she glanced at me to check to see if she had the phrase correct, and when I nodded, she continued. ¡°Here is the thing. To put it simply, we are rich, and you, now that you are a member of our family, are rich, too. But it is very important to do something, to pursue your goals, even though you do not have to do so to pay the rent.¡±


    ¡°Like I was saying earlier, Ange,¡± I said, giving her a hug. ¡°Do it if you want to, if you think it¡¯ll further your career, or even if you like the photographer¡¯s style and want to do it for art¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t feel you ever need to take a job you might not like just because it pays.¡±


    Angela sighed, but didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. Finally, she grabbed Emmy¡¯s hand and put it back up under her shirt. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    We didn¡¯t really talk much after that. The three of us just made out, kissing and touching each other for a while until we got a bit overheated and had to retreat to the bedroom, where I did my level best to knock both of them up. It was hard work, but sometimes that¡¯s its own reward.


    Afterwards, sprawled in a tangle of sweaty limbs, Emmy asked, ¡°How did I get so lucky?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering that about myself,¡± Angela said with a tired laugh. ¡°I¡¯m happier than I¡¯ve ever been in my life.¡±


    Sunday morning rolled around far too early, but I got up anyway, leaving my two lovelies in bed while I made coffee and breakfast. The smell of the fresh coffee roused everybody, and soon we had a full table for French toast with blueberries. Grace and Rosalie looked much better for a night¡¯s sleep, but when I offered grapefruit juice both turned a bit green at the idea.


    ¡°Do you two have any plans for the day?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna go down to Disneyland,¡± Grace said, pouring some more syrup on her already-drowning breakfast. ¡°Rosie¡¯s never been.¡±


    ¡°I went to Disney World in Orlando, but I haven¡¯t been to Disneyland,¡± Angela said, making conversation. ¡°I guess real Disney fans can tell you the difference between the rides in the two parks. For them it¡¯s a big deal.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡± Rosalie asked.


    ¡°Well, O.K., in the Haunted Mansion, you start off in a room that gets really tall- the ceiling rises up, and the walls stretch, right? In Florida, that¡¯s what happens. The ceiling rises up. But in Anaheim, it¡¯s an elevator, and the ceiling stays in place but the floor drops down,¡± Angela explained. ¡°I guess it has to do with sea level or something.¡±


    ¡°And people geek out about things like that?¡± Grace asked, appalled.


    ¡°People geek out on all kinds of things,¡± I said. ¡°I distinctly remember listening to you argue with one of your friends about the merits of the various Star Wars movies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Grace said, dismissively. ¡°Star Wars actually matters.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    After the girls left, we discussed what to do and finally settled on a little wine tasting trip up to the Santa Ynez Valley, up past Santa Barbara. Emmy and I had done some tasting tours up in Northern California, but we hadn¡¯t taken the time to try any towards this end of the state.


    Just north of Oxnard on Highway 101, Angela pointed to the islands offshore. ¡°Catalina! We really need to go back- all three of us this time.¡±


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s not Catalina,¡± I said. ¡°I think that¡¯s Santa Cruz Island. But yeah, we should go back.¡±


    ¡°I loved the photos you took,¡± Emmy said, smiling at the thought. ¡°I cannot believe you took nude photos in public!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, when Ange ditched her bikini I expected people to show up at any moment,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°They almost did!¡± Angela exclaimed from the back seat. ¡°Do you remember those girls? If they had been there just a moment sooner, they would have seen me naked!¡±


    ¡°You know, Ange, if I¡¯d seen you naked when I was that age, I never would have bothered with boys at all,¡± I said, looking at her in the rearview mirror. ¡°That would¡¯ve been it. I¡¯d have known I was gay at that very moment.¡±


    ¡°You say the sweetest things sometimes,¡± she said, batting her eyes at me in the mirror.


    Emmy had chosen the wineries she wanted to visit, so I just followed the directions and drove through the cute little towns and country roads of the region.


    I will readily admit that I¡¯m not a wine snob. I can tell the difference between a Syrah and a Pinot, or a Cabernet and a Chablis, but that¡¯s about my limit. Angela seemed to be in more or less the same boat, but of course Emmy could easily detect and discuss the nuances of the various wines we tasted. Angela and I were basically, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s nice. I like that,¡± while Emmy held long discussions with the winery staff about notes of blackberry, hint of earthiness, nice finishing acidity, and I don¡¯t even know what else.


    It was a lovely way to spend the day, though, and we went home with orders for nearly a dozen cases to be delivered to the new house the week before Christmas. Of course, we had a few singleton bottles to take home then and there, but the bulk of the purchases would wait until they could populate our new wine cellar.


    Emmy was tired from being out and about in the bright daylight, so she was relaxing in the back seat with her eyes closed for the two hour drive back to Century City.


    ¡°I had a really good time today,¡± Angela said, reaching out and taking my hand. Speaking a bit louder so Emmy could hear, she said, ¡°Em, thanks for suggesting we do this. Spending time like this with you guys is¡­ It¡¯s the best.¡±


    ¡°I had a good time today, also,¡± Emmy said, keeping her eyes closed. ¡°I am glad we could spend the day together.¡±


    Angela let go of my hand to reach back, and Emmy clasped her hand in turn. ¡°We have forever,¡± Angela said. ¡°We¡¯ll have a lot more days like this.¡±


    ¡°Angela,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too, Em,¡± Angela said, looking back over her shoulder at Emmy.


    We had a mellow evening at home, since the three of us were a bit tired from a long day out, and of course, had not gotten much sleep the night before. Grace and Rosalie came back late, after we¡¯d gone to bed, so we didn¡¯t see them at all.


    I was tempted to skip my workout with Jody the next morning, but I got up and did it anyway. As he¡¯d pointed out, when you don¡¯t feel like it is when it¡¯s most important to rise to the occasion.


    This thought came back to me when I had to deal with more of the Coastal Commission¡¯s bullshit. We¡¯d made the changes they required and resubmitted the plans, but now they were finding something new to throw a stick in our spokes. Something about the ¡®historical character of the area¡¯. Several of our investors were getting gun-shy, considering pulling out of the project entirely, so I had to spend the morning soothing nerves and calming things down.


    I was convinced that the project would pay off big-time in the long run, but some of our investors only wanted quick returns and weren¡¯t enthusiastic about waiting a few extra years to cash out. The more time I spent on the phone wrangling cats, the more I just wanted to tell them all to sit this one out and let me shoulder the whole thing, just so I could laugh at the money they weren¡¯t going to make.


    Needing a break from the office, I ate lunch at the Irish pub, taking the empty seat next to Real Estate Henry at the bar. ¡°Ever have one of those days?¡± I asked when he glanced up.


    ¡°Almost every day,¡± he said. ¡°Almost every single day.¡±


    I ordered the tacos, even though it was Monday. I just felt a little rebellious, I guess.


    ¡°People can be real pains in the ass,¡± I said to Henry.


    ¡°Well, yeah, they can,¡± he agreed. ¡°You know what they say- you can¡¯t live with ¡®em, but you can¡¯t shoot ¡®em, either.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± I agreed, a bit mournfully.


    ¡°So what has your knickers in a twist?¡± Henry asked. ¡°More HR issues?¡±


    ¡°No, not this time,¡± I said. ¡°The Coastal Commission is making life hard and a bunch of my investors are looking to bail out.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Henry said. ¡°Can you round up new investors?¡± he asked, sipping his Sprite.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I want to. At this point I¡¯m thinking I might just plow ahead solo, and fund the whole thing myself.¡±


    ¡°I always figured you were a high-roller type,¡± he said, looking me up and down. ¡°Out of curiosity, how much are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°All in, about four hundred mil for the build-out, but we have lease agreements for all of the key tenants, so cash flow will turn positive almost immediately upon occupancy,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Henry exclaimed. ¡°Pardon my French, but that¡¯s one heaping big pile of cash.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a great project, a real signature, you know? I just wish¡­¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Probably keep the investors that want to stay, and pick up the slack myself, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Henry said, and looked me over again. ¡°Well, if you think it¡¯s a really good deal, I could maybe throw in a few hundred bucks.¡±


    I laughed, appreciating his effort to lighten the mood. ¡°I may hit you up for it, when all is said and done,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Well, I gotta get back to the office,¡± he said, standing up and tossing some money down on the bar. ¡°Remember- if the project is that good, you¡¯re better off making all the money yourself, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to look at it,¡± I agreed.


    Rosalie and Grace were home when I got back to the condo, but Emmy and Angela were missing.


    ¡°They went out shopping for stuff for the new house,¡± Grace said when I asked where the two had gone. ¡°Hey, when are we going to be able to check it out?¡±


    ¡°I could take you guys tomorrow morning,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t go in to the office on Tuesdays.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right- your evening classes at UCLA, right?¡± she asked, looking up from her phone. ¡°How¡¯s that going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said. ¡°Mostly it¡¯s still review from stuff I took at Stanford, since it¡¯s really an MBA program for non-business majors. In fact, I doubt I¡¯ll actually learn anything new this semester at all.¡±


    ¡°That kinda sucks,¡± Grace said. ¡°Most of my classes are like that, too- they¡¯re teaching things that people really should have learned just fine in high school, you know?¡±


    ¡°Welcome to freshman GE,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Hey, how was Disneyland?¡±


    ¡°It was awesome!¡± Rosalie piped up from her end of the couch. ¡°You know what Angela was saying about the Haunted House? How it¡¯s really an elevator? Well, I wouldn¡¯t even have noticed it, it moves so smooth, but after what she said, I paid attention, you know? And, like, you can just barely feel it.¡±


    ¡°What else did you guys go on?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°We hit all the classics,¡± Grace said. ¡°The Haunted House, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Matterhorn¡­ We even did the teacups.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jeeze,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so sick from a ride as the time I rode the teacups in junior year of high school,¡± I groaned, remembering back.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Grace said. ¡°You can get those things really spinning.¡±


    ¡°I thought the Indiana Jones ride was pretty lame,¡± Rosalie said, putting her phone down. ¡°But Matterhorn- that was cool.¡±


    ¡°We were thinking about going back to the other park,¡± Grace said. ¡°Is it worth it?¡±


    ¡°Sure, yeah, it¡¯s fun,¡± I said. ¡°I like the launch tower thing.¡±


    After I changed out of my work clothes and just started to think about dinner, Angela called to ask if they should pick something up on the way home.


    After a bit of back and forth between me, Angela on one side and Grace and Rosalie on the other, we finally settled on Thai.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only had Thai food one time, down in Sedona,¡± Rosalie admitted. ¡°But I thought it was pretty good.¡±


    ¡°We usually go to a place over on Sawtelle. It¡¯s really good, but a few of the dishes are maybe a bit too authentic for me,¡± I said.


    Rosalie looked doubtful, but I assured her that some of the dishes Emmy and Angela would bring home would be really pretty standard stuff and she¡¯d be fine.


    ¡°Lee sent me a file for the final version of our first single from the new album,¡± Emmy announced during dinner.


    ¡°Can you play it on our stereo?¡± I asked, looking forward to hearing it.


    ¡°Yes, the stereo can play digital files,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Lee wants Jackson and me to listen to it. We all liked it when we worked on it together, but he has cleaned it up a little bit, and wants to know if we are happy with the final product.¡±


    ¡°So, like, nobody has ever heard this song yet?¡± Rosalie asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Lee has, of course,¡± Emmy laughed. ¡°And maybe Jen has, too, but no, nobody in the the public has heard it yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± Rosalie said. Turning to Grace, she asked, ¡°Have you ever gotten to hear a Downfall song before it even got released?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Grace replied, totally deadpan.


    After we cleaned up dinner, I poured some glasses of wine for anybody that wanted them (Grace and Rosalie seemed a bit unwilling to touch alcohol, for some reason) and we sat down in the living room to listen to The Downfall¡¯s newest song.


    Emmy hit play and sat down next to me on the couch as the initial drumbeat filled the room. It was a simple double beat of the kick drums, sounding just like a heartbeat. Gradually the guitar faded in, a single long, clear note that abruptly turned into a baby crying.


    Emmy¡¯s voice, clear, powerful and strong, belted out of the speakers, singing


    ¡°I was born to make you cry


    I was born to make you smile


    I was born to sing this song,


    But most of all, baby,


    I was born to die,¡±


    The song continued, coming back to that same refrain: ¡°Baby, I was born to die.¡±


    It was an odd mix of boasting about her achievements, proclaiming herself made to be a star, but yet lamenting that it was all going to end. Finally, the music faded out except for the slow blues slide guitar and that heartbeat from the drums, which faltered, stumbling, then ceased, leaving the last notes of the guitar to fade away.

 Cultural Imperatives

    ¡°That was amazing!¡± Rosalie said. ¡°Totally amazing!¡±


    Angela was a bit more perceptive, though, and was looking back and forth between me and Grace, who looked as if someone had punched her hard in the gut. ¡°What am I missing here?¡± she asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe¡­¡± Grace said, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± she choked out, then bolted from the room, leaving Rosalie looking completely lost.


    ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s going on?¡± Angela demanded, her face showing her concern.


    ¡°Em, you have to tell her,¡± I said. As Rosalie got up to follow Grace and find out what was wrong, I repeated myself. ¡°Tell her, Em. It¡¯s not fair to keep this a secret.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Angela asked, growing more and more agitated. She could tell something serious was happening, but she just didn¡¯t know what it was.


    Emmy stood and took Angela¡¯s hand to lead her to the bedroom. ¡°Leah is correct. There is something that I need to tell you- I should have told you already.¡±


    I sat there on the couch, feeling sorry for myself. I wished for the millionth time that there was something I could do to change Emmy¡¯s mind on seeking medical help, but that was a discussion that I was never going to win.


    The lines from the last refrain kept running through my head as I sat there. ¡°I never wanted to make you cry, but baby, I was born to die,¡± just felt like a knife wound to my heart. A wound that I knew was coming, but could do nothing to prevent.


    Eventually I got up and made my way to the bedroom to check on Angela and Emmy.


    Emmy was sitting on the edge of the bed, Angela¡¯s head in her lap. Angela was curled up in the fetal position on her side, sobbing. Emmy was gently stroking Angela¡¯s hair and face, murmuring softly.


    I sat down next to the two of them and put my hand on Angela¡¯s hip. I didn¡¯t say anything, because there was nothing I could say. I knew just how she felt- I felt the same way.


    Angela kept crying for a long time, actually crying herself to sleep, her head still on Emmy¡¯s lap. When I was certain Angela was completely out, I asked Emmy, my voice quiet, ¡°Why hadn¡¯t you told her before?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I did not wish to hurt her,¡± Emmy said, her voice quavering a bit. ¡°And I was afraid. Afraid that if she knew that I¡­¡±


    ¡°Em, she loves you,¡± I said. ¡°Keeping secrets from her, even if you think it¡¯s for her benefit, well, that¡¯s gonna hurt her more than the truth would.¡±


    ¡°I know you have been trying to- trying to have me tell her, but I could not do it,¡± Emmy said, unmistakably on the verge of her own tears. ¡°I want her to be with us, and¡­ and to be with you, later,¡± she said, confirming my suspicions. ¡°We cannot lose her, Leah! We cannot!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t lose me,¡± Angela said from Emmy¡¯s lap. ¡°But I¡¯m going to lose you,¡± she said, and started crying again.


    ¡°Shh, baby, shh,¡± Emmy cooed, trying to soothe Angela, even as her own tears were sliding down her inky black cheeks.


    I helped the two out of their clothes and tucked them into bed before I did the same for myself. I spooned Angela from behind as she clung desperately to Emmy, the two whispering to each other, crying and kissing each other¡¯s tears away.


    I understood Emmy¡¯s reluctance to tell Angela, even as I was a chicken, too, for not forcing the issue earlier. I knew for a fact that Emmy played that song for us tonight to bring the whole ¡®Moon Kissed¡¯ thing out in the open, but it was a terrible way to broach the subject.


    After Emmy and Angela¡¯s breathing evened out and the two relaxed with sleep, I rolled over on my other side. Somehow I just didn¡¯t feel like dealing with either of them any more and needed a little break. Turning my back figuratively as well as literally, I did my best to shove the emotions (and that damned song) out of my mind so I could sleep, too.


    The next morning I rose at my usual time, but Angela showed no sign of getting up, so I went down to the gym without her. Still feeling raw from the night before, I buried myself in my workout but that song just wouldn¡¯t leave me alone. For the first time in my entire history of time in the gym I really wished I had a set of earbuds to pump some other music directly into my brain, but no. I had that song to keep me company, and it just would not go away.


    I was almost done with my speed squat superset when Angela finally made her appearance at the gym. She spotted me immediately and came over to talk. Finishing my last reps, I racked the bar and started to remove the weights.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been trying to get Emmy to tell me, haven¡¯t you?¡± she asked. She was done up like usual, but I could see her eyes were still red from all that crying the night before, and she looked close to tears at that very moment.


    ¡°I did,¡± I agreed. ¡°I wish she¡¯d told you some other way.¡±


    ¡°But she didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. I know it¡¯s no consolation, but I learned in a pretty shitty way, too. I found out about it from somebody else entirely, and it wasn¡¯t until I asked Emmy directly that she explained everything,¡± I said, wiping my face with my gym towel.


    ¡°You wanted me to do that,¡± Angela said. ¡°You told me to ask her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did. I felt shitty about you not knowing, but it wasn¡¯t my thing to tell.¡±


    ¡°I get that, I do,¡± she said. ¡°All those times you said that we need to have a talk, all three of us, but we never did- I thought it was about your, um, you know, but really it was the whole Moon Kissed thing, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, both things,¡± I admitted. ¡°I wanted to be honest with you about my stuff, and I wanted Emmy to explain her thing, too.¡±


    ¡°I wish we had,¡± Angela said. ¡°Learning like this¡­ it sucks.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± I agreed. ¡°It really does.¡±


    ¡°That fucking song!¡± Angela said. ¡°I can¡¯t get it out of my head, you know? I just keep hearing ¡®Baby, I was born to die¡¯ and it¡¯s killing me!¡±


    ¡°Me, too, Ange. Me, too.¡±


    ¡°She said she was afraid I wouldn¡¯t love her if I knew,¡± Angela said, her eyes glistening. ¡°How- It just makes me love her more, you know? Knowing that we only have such a short time together?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, because it was true.


    Angela¡¯s heart just wasn¡¯t in her workout, so when I finished, she called it quits and returned to the condo with me.


    Grace and Rosalie were at the kitchen counter, eating scrambled egg sandwiches.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°You guys still want to go see the new house?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Grace said, somewhat unenthusiastically.


    Angela was in no mood to go and neither was Emmy, so it was just the two girls and me. I parked in the ¡®motor court¡¯ in front, well out of the way of the crane which was lifting trees into position on the far side of the pool.


    ¡°Wow, this is really a house?¡± Rosalie asked, looking around.


    ¡°What you¡¯re seeing is mostly not the house part,¡± I explained. ¡°This was an old movie studio from the Forties that got decommissioned in the early Sixties. It¡¯s been used as a house, a private rehab center and then a house again in the years since then. We¡¯re having it remodeled back into a film and recording studio, but a lot of what used to be offices and things like that are being converted into a house, built into but separate from the studio part.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Rosalie said, looking confused.


    ¡°Alright, look at this. That big part there, that¡¯s the sound stage, for filming, right? And that, that¡¯s the front door for the studio. Anybody that came to film or record would park out here and then go in through there. That over there? That¡¯s the lounge. The pool is on the other side. If we have parties, that whole area is perfect for it. Now, you see that door there? That is the only part of the front here that has anything to do with the house part.¡±


    ¡°Can we see the sound stage?¡± Grace asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, and led the two inside. The soundstage was dark, but a flick of a switch lit it up enough to see the enormous space.


    ¡°Holy shit! This place is huge!¡± Grace said, gaping at the big, black, empty room.


    ¡°Language,¡± I said, giving her a gentle swat on the back of the head.


    ¡°Sorry, Mom,¡± she said sulkily, but with a smile on her face.


    The two girls wandered around the vast space, looking up at the catwalks, marveling at the fact that the room didn''t actually echo despite the sheer size.


    The novelty finally wore off, so I led them to the recording studio downstairs. A heavily tattooed woman in torn jeans and a black tank top and a middle-aged guy with Buddy Holly glasses and sideburns were hooking up the main board electronics when we stepped into the production room.


    A vaguely remember her name was something animal-like, but I didn¡¯t recognize the guy at all.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± said the woman. ¡°Emmy coming in today?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I doubt it,¡± I said, remembering her name was Snake. ¡°She¡¯s not feeling that great this morning.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Snake replied, handing a cable to the guy, who slid under the control board. ¡°Me and Riggo had some questions on how she wanted things run.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I think Lee¡¯s the real mastermind. He¡¯s probably the one to talk to,¡± I said.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, in general, sure, but it was specifically how she wanted her equipment rigged. Hey!¡± she said, surprised when Riggo tapped her ankle to get her attention.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her to give you a call,¡± I said as we walked out.


    Grace and Rosalie followed me down to the basement. ¡°These used to be the film vaults,¡± I explained, pointing out the heavy steel fireproof doors. ¡°But now they¡¯re just gear storage. Check this out, though,¡± I said, pressing the button to call the elevator down. When it arrived, we stepped into the cargo-sized elevator car, much roomier than the tiny little elevator in the Manhattan townhouse.


    I inserted a key into the button pad and pressed ¡®B¡¯ for basement.The doors shut, then the opposite side of the elevator opened into a different hallway, but on the same floor.


    ¡°What the eff?¡± Grace asked. ¡°What just happened?¡±


    ¡°And now we leave the studio and enter the house,¡± I said. ¡°This is the house basement, and the vault on this side is,¡± I said with a pause, ¡°the wine cellar.¡± I waved dramatically, ushering the two girls into the concrete space lined with glass racks with room for thousands of bottles, as well as shelves for cases and the like. The table and chairs hadn¡¯t been delivered yet, but it was easy to see how the cellar would look loaded with wine.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Rosalie began, but Grace finished for her.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Grace said, looking at the little iPad stand that would keep the bottles organized.


    Back into the elevator, we went up another level to the middle floor. Thanks to the building¡¯s location on a slope, what was below the level of the parking lot on the other side of the structure was well above grade on this side, a detail our architect had used to our advantage. Basically the entire side of the house facing southeast was composed of sliding glass doors that opened onto an enormous deck (actually, the roof of the new garage) with a view down the canyon and to a little slice of Hollywood in the distance. The view was screened a bit by the ancient eucalyptus trees, but that meant a certain degree of privacy, too.


    ¡°Leah, this place is just incredible, you know? I mean, I liked our house in Palo Alto- it was obviously much nicer than the little house in Arcata I grew up in, right? But this- this is completely another level. I mean, seriously,¡± Grace said.


    ¡°You need to spend some time in the New York house,¡± I replied, but secretly, I did agree. The townhouse in Manhattan was old-school cool, elegant in a way this place could never be, but the conversion that had been done on the old movie studio was truly amazing, and so very, very California.


    Upstairs were the bedrooms, which were great, but nothing particularly unusual except for the balconies with a better view than the deck below. Finally, I led Rosalie (who really hadn¡¯t spoken much, just gazed in awe) and Grace up to my new home office in the tower.


    ¡°Yeah, I think we¡¯re gonna like this place,¡± I said in satisfaction, looking down at the electricians who were installing the solar panels on the main flat roof, having already covered the sunny side of the sound stage roof.


    On the drive back to the condo, Rosalie finally spoke up. ¡°Um, Leah, I grew up in a small town out in the desert, you know? Ever been to Wickenburg? Probably not. I mean, why would you? Anyway, your apartment- it was the nicest place I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. I don¡¯t think, like, there¡¯s anything even close to that nice where I¡¯m from. But your new house? It¡¯s a whole ¡®nother level- and it even has its own freaking movie studio! How Hollywood is that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s peak Los Angeles, alright,¡± I agreed.


    Returning to the condo, I had to look around to find Emmy and Angela. Led by the sound of soft voices, I found them in the tub. Emmy was gently washing Angela¡¯s long, black hair while the two of them talked quietly.


    ¡°Are you two doing alright?¡± I asked, leaning down and kissing Angela and Emmy. I knelt down next to the tub so I could look at them at eye level. ¡°How are you guys feeling?¡±


    ¡°O.K., I guess,¡± Angela replied.


    ¡°We have been talking,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I think that Angie and I are all caught up. I have told her everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I said. ¡°You know I hate secrets.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°But secrets are¡­ my cultural imperative. It is a very hard thing to break away from.¡±


    ¡°Angela,¡± I said, stroking her cheek with the back of my fingers. ¡°Does this change anything for you? Do you still want to be with us?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°I wanted it to be forever, you know? But even if it¡¯s only for a few more years, I¡¯ll take what I can get.¡±


    ¡°And that is exactly how I think of it,¡± I agreed. ¡°I won¡¯t lie and say it doesn¡¯t hurt to even think about it, though.¡±


    I gave them each another kiss, then left them alone. Angela needed time with Emmy, and I respected that.


    When I got home after class that night, the two were already asleep, cuddled up together. Emmy mumbled a quiet hello when I slid into bed, trying not to wake them.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°For giving me time with Angela,¡± she said, still not fully awake. ¡°It was important.¡±


    ¡°I know it was, babe,¡± I said, giving her a kiss. ¡°Now go back to sleep.¡±


    The office was closed for the next few days for Thanksgiving but I hadn¡¯t cancelled my workout with Jody, so I got up early and went to the gym to train. Sure, I would have preferred to stay in bed, but as Jody had said, you need to sack up when you least want to.


    ¡°I talked to Grant last night,¡± Jody said during a break. ¡°He wants me to come out to Montreal for a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s your boss now,¡± I said. ¡°Pack a good coat.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re O.K. with him, um, just telling me to move out like that?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, he¡¯s our head of security. If he thinks they could use you there, I¡¯m not gonna second-guess it. Did he explain how to get tickets and all that?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, he did,¡± Jody said. ¡°I guess I¡¯m supposed to fly into Boston and rent a car and drive up to Montreal. I gotta say, this gives me, um, ¡®covert operation¡¯ vibes.¡±


    ¡°Because it is,¡± I said. ¡°If Grant thinks it¡¯s time to stop chewing gum, that means it¡¯s time to kick ass. He probably wants to fit you into the team, show you how things are done, see where your strengths lie. He absolutely knows his shit.¡±


    ¡°He seems really, um, no-nonsense,¡± Jody agreed.


    ¡°Jody,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t take this wrong, but one of the first things he¡¯s gonna do with you is take you clothes shopping. He¡¯s going to buy you a bunch of new outfits, some new shoes, even a nice watch. He¡¯s going to take you to a barber, get your hair done. It sounds strange, but this is important.¡±


    Seeing the puzzled look on his face, I explained. ¡°Like I said, the biggest part of all this is recruiting, right? You need to look as if you have life by the balls. You need to walk into a room and have people look at you and think, ¡®This guy has money and class. He has it made¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t give off those vibes now?¡± he asked, but it was clear he wasn¡¯t actually offended.


    ¡°To be fair, I¡¯ve only seen you in your gym rat clothes,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you when you leave the gym to go to your office,¡± Jody said. ¡°You look like a high-priced lawyer. A lot of guys here are really curious about you, you know.¡±


    ¡°What do they want to know?¡±


    ¡°Well, mainly why a rich babe like you is here at all. The dudes have seen you working out, and they can tell you aren¡¯t some Instagram poser, which only makes them even more curious.¡±


    ¡°What have you told them?¡±


    ¡°I told them to fuck off and mind their own business,¡± Jody said with a snort.


    ¡°That¡¯s the right answer,¡± I said and held my fist up, which he bumped.

 The Usual Things

    Back at home, Angela was alone, working on her computer. She told me that Grace and Rosalie had gone to Disney¡¯s California park and Emmy was with Lee and Jackson setting up their equipment in the new studio.


    I flopped down on the couch, relieved to have nothing to do and nobody to deal with.


    ¡°Emmy said that we shouldn¡¯t wait for her for lunch,¡± Angela said, scooting me over as she sat down on the edge of the couch. She toyed with the hem of my T shirt, pulling it up a bit to expose my belly, which she put her hands on.


    ¡°I love your muscles,¡± she said as I tensed my abs for her to run her hands across. After a little bit of that, Angela asked what was obviously on her mind.


    ¡°Leah, am I just¡­ a replacement? Is that what Emmy wants? For me to be here for you after¡­?¡±


    Sighing, I took Angela¡¯s hands in mine, waiting until she looked up at me. ¡°Ange, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple. I think that may be part of it, sure, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s all of it, or even the majority.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°To start with,¡± I said, trying to frame it properly, ¡°I think that Emmy is planning for after she¡¯s gone. I do think that she was happy you came into our lives, both because we both love you now, but also because she thinks that you and I will have a future together that she can¡¯t be part of.¡± Saying it outright was somehow really different than just thinking these things to myself, and I found my throat constricting a bit as I spoke.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think for a minute that she doesn¡¯t love you and want to be with you right now, Ange. She absolutely does. I absolutely do. But she does know that her future is limited, too, and I do think that she wants us to be happy together after- after she¡¯s gone,¡± I said, even though it was very hard to get the words out.


    Seeing the tears in Angela¡¯s eyes, I pulled her down onto me, holding her tight. ¡°I know, baby,¡± I said softly. ¡°I know.¡±


    I wept for a little while, but Angela was in a much earlier stage of grief than I was, so her sobs were much more than mine. ¡°Why?¡± she demanded. ¡°Why does she have to die?¡±


    ¡°We all do, sooner or later,¡± I said. ¡°Like she says in that song, her candle burns twice as bright.¡±


    ¡°I hate that song,¡± Angela said, her voice muffled against my chest. ¡°I hate it so much!¡±


    I kissed her head and stroked her hair. I rubbed her back and murmured gently, eventually lulling Angela into a sort of semi-consciousness. We lay there on the couch for a while, not saying anything, just thinking about life, the universe, and everything.


    ¡°Even after she¡¯s gone,¡± Angela finally said, ¡°I¡¯m still going to love her.¡±


    ¡°Me, too, baby. Me, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ Leah, I love you so much, and I¡¯ll be your wife, and the best wife there ever was, but I¡¯ll miss Emmy.¡±


    ¡°I will, too,¡± I said, but I had nothing else to add. Apparently, neither did Angela. We just held each other, commiserating in silence on our inevitable mutual widowhood.


    Eventually Angela¡¯s naturally buoyant personality reasserted itself and she got up off me. Sitting astride my lap, she asked if I was hungry.


    ¡°I could eat,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go out, since we¡¯ll be cooking all evening and tomorrow morning,¡± she suggested, and it sounded good to me.


    By the time I showered and put on some nice clothes Angela had gotten all dolled up, her smoky makeup accenting her big blue eyes, and hiding the fact that she¡¯d been crying. Her outfit was what I would call ¡®casual sexy¡¯, showing off a lot of leg in her denim mini skirt. The plain white scoop neck tank with one of my button-up white shirts as an open jacket completed the look. It was sexy without seeming to try, perfect for a sunny Los Angeles November day.


    ¡°You look nice,¡± I said. ¡°But then, you always do.¡±


    ¡°If you keep that up, we might not ever get out of the bedroom,¡± Angela said, her eyes twinkling.


    ¡°I¡¯d be O.K. with that,¡± I said, leaning down for a kiss.


    We went to an Algerian place that had been getting good reviews, and I was happy to see that it wasn¡¯t done up like some sort of souk den full of cushions. No, it was more like a French caf¨¦, with a lovely patio for al fresco dining. My chicken couscous was nearly perfect, and Angela¡¯s tajine looked amazing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never had Algerian food before,¡± she said, looking at the plate full of pieces of chicken, olives, and semolina. ¡°But I really like this.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to come back with Emmy,¡± I said. ¡°You know her parents have a place in Morocco?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go to North Africa,¡± Angela sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a city, a really old city there, that¡¯s all painted in blue. Pictures make it look so amazing, you know? And Casablanca, the old markets¡­¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ve never been,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s on my list.¡±


    ¡°You and Emmy have so much money- I don¡¯t know why you aren¡¯t in Monaco, or Paris, or someplace like that.¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Work, school, building an empire- the usual things.¡±


    In the car, Angela asked if we really had to go home just then. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the beach.¡±


    The weather was nice enough, even if the breeze off the water felt a little bit cold. The two of us enjoyed the sunny fall afternoon, walking along the Santa Monica boardwalk. Walking out onto the pier, Angela did something she¡¯d never done in public before- she took my hand in hers, and we walked together like that. I was thrilled inside that she was able to move past her own resistance to be seen in public as a lesbian, but all I did was give her hand a comforting squeeze to let her know I appreciated the gesture.


    At one of the vendor carts I bought her a little braided leather bracelet and had silver-colored beads with the letters A, E and L slid onto it. She kissed me right there in the middle of the crowd, her eyes bright with happiness after I fastened it around her wrist.


    Walking hand in hand wasn¡¯t enough for Angela after that. She wrapped her arm around my waist and I draped mine over her shoulder, so we could walk and cuddle at the same time.


    We rode the Ferris wheel, but otherwise skipped all the attractions on the pier in favor of simply enjoying the scenery and the company. As the time passed, Angela clearly grew more and more comfortable with PDAs, losing her hangup about appearances. The simple truth of the matter was that the only people checking us out were doing so because they thought Angela was hot, and also probably the idea of a pretty lesbian was titillating.


    I¡¯d long ago given up paying any heed to the quick glances or overt stares, but I could remember how awkward I¡¯d felt back in high school when Emmy and I got that sort of attention.


    On the drive back to the condo, Angela sighed. ¡°I had a really nice day. Thank you, Leah.¡±


    ¡°I had a great time, too,¡± I said, putting my hand on the warm skin of her bare leg.


    Angela covered my hand with hers and sighed again.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It- I just thought that this might be like what we¡¯ll be like after Em is gone,¡± Angela said. ¡°Just the two of us, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Ange, we might have another ten years. Who knows? I guess what I¡¯m saying is to live for today, and don¡¯t think about that far down the road,¡± I said, mixing my metaphors.


    ¡°I know,¡± she sighed again. ¡°But I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± I said. ¡°But you know what¡¯s gonna happen tonight?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You, me, and Emmy are going to cuddle together in our bed, tell each other we love each other, and hold each other like tomorrow doesn¡¯t matter. Because when we¡¯re in each others¡¯ arms, it doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is that we love each other.¡±


    Smiling, Angela said, ¡°I love you, Leah. And I love Emmy. It¡¯s really strange¡­ That wasn¡¯t how I was ever taught it should be, but that¡¯s how it is anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ange, is this the life you want?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes! Of course it is!¡± she said, surprised I would even ask.


    ¡°Then it is how it should be, regardless of what you were taught.¡±


    ¡°At the pier, there was a man and his wife. I don¡¯t know if you noticed them. He was a big guy, and she was normal-sized, but they were old. At least fifty, maybe older,¡± Angela said, looking out the car window but seeing in her mind the couple she was describing. ¡°They looked like they have been married a long time, but they were holding hands, and when they stopped to look out over the beach, she leaned against him. They were obviously still in love.¡±


    Angela paused a moment, then continued. ¡°I imagined that was us, Leah. Just you and me, because we¡¯d lost Emmy by then, but we still loved each other, and we still took comfort in each other. I want that to be us. I wish Emmy could grow old with us, but I know it won¡¯t happen, but I want us to grow old together. When we¡¯re fifty, maybe older, we¡¯ll walk together, your arm around me, and I¡¯ll still feel a little bit, um, thrilled, to feel your strength, to know you¡¯re there for me.¡±


    I found myself needing to blink a bunch for some reason, but I wasn¡¯t going to take my hand off Angela¡¯s leg to rub my eyes.


    ¡°I talked to mis pap¨ªs this morning,¡± she said, changing the subject. ¡°They asked how you and Emmy are doing. I think they are trying, you know? They asked when they will be able to meet you two in person, and I told them that I would buy them tickets to come visit after the New Year. I explained that our new house is almost ready and we¡¯ll be busy moving in during Christmas, but maybe they could come in January?¡± she said, turning it into a question.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to meet your parents,¡± I said. ¡°My Spanish is terrible, but it seemed as if both speak English pretty well, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Have they been to LA before?¡±


    ¡°No, the only place in the United States that they¡¯ve seen is Miami, and Orlando. I took them to Disney World.¡±


    ¡°Would they be O.K. staying at our house, or do you think they¡¯d be more comfortable in a hotel?¡±


    ¡°If they stay at our house, we¡¯ll all get fat. My mam¨¢ loves to cook,¡± Angela said with a laugh.


    ¡°I love your cooking, so that doesn¡¯t sound so bad,¡± I said.


    ¡°She¡¯s a much better cook than me,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask if January works for Emmy, but I¡¯d love it if your parents could come to visit. Maybe your sister, too? And don¡¯t worry about the tickets. I¡¯ll get ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Tickets from Cartagena are always expensive.¡±


    I gave her a look and said, ¡°I have money.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. I forgot,¡± Angela said, slapping her forehead. ¡°What I meant is that they¡¯re my family, and so I should pay for them to come.¡±


    ¡°Are you my family?¡± I asked.


    She looked puzzled by the question, so I clarified. ¡°If you¡¯re my secret second wife, that means you¡¯re my family. If you¡¯re my wife, then that means they¡¯re my in-laws, which makes them my family, too. You¡¯re going to meet my mom and sister tomorrow- I don¡¯t know how you haven¡¯t already, actually. And you¡¯ll meet Emmy¡¯s parents when they come to California after the New Year. And you¡¯re getting two sets of in-laws!¡±


    Angela laughed at that. ¡°Lucky me!¡±


    ¡°My mom¡¯s really cool, and my little sister is a good kid. You¡¯ll like ¡®em. Emmy¡¯s parents are really, um, intimidating at first, but of anybody, they didn¡¯t blink an eye at the idea of you joining Emmy and me. I know they want to meet you, too. They just take a little bit of getting used to.¡±


    Mom and Tiffany arrived early, as expected. I¡¯d made it clear to Mom that she was not coming up to Los Angeles to cook and that Angela and I had everything under control in the kitchen, but it was inevitable that she¡¯d dive right in anyway.


    Tiffany was a bit shy with Angela, but pleased to see me and ecstatic to see Emmy again. She wrapped her little arms around Emmy and didn¡¯t want to let go.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long!¡± she said. ¡°How come you never come down to visit?¡±


    ¡°I do not have a very good reason, Tiffany,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°We have been very busy, and you have school, so it is easy to forget about keeping in contact with those we love.¡±

 Turkey Day

    Mom did try to make herself useful in the kitchen but Angela and I successfully shooed her out, so she settled for a seat at the kitchen counter so we could talk while cooking. Mom seemed really accepting of Angela, and the two chatted amiably with no discernible friction.


    Meanwhile, Emmy played on her acoustic guitar out on the balcony for Tiffany, Grace and Rosalie. Lacy came over about an hour later, bearing the candied yams that she had promised would blow our minds. I introduced her to my mom, explaining that she was the neighbor next door.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be really sorry to see you guys go,¡± Lacy said after she¡¯d taken a spot next to Mom at the counter.


    ¡°You know Wonderland isn¡¯t very far, and you¡¯re always welcome to come over,¡± I said, pouring her some of the white wine from our recent wine tour.


    ¡°I know, and I do need to get out more,¡± Lacy said with a sigh. ¡°I find it all too easy to just stay home these days.¡±


    I had my hands full when a knock came on the door, so I asked Mom to get it.


    ¡°Andy? Andy Temple?¡± Mom gasped, stunned at the new arrivals.


    ¡°Mrs Farmer!¡± Andy said, awkwardly offering Mom a hug, which she accepted.


    ¡°My God, look at you! You¡¯re all grown up!¡± Mom said, still agog.


    ¡°Mrs Farmer, this is Jenna, my fianc¨¦e,¡± Andy said. ¡°Jenna, this is Leah¡¯s mom.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Sandra,¡± Mom said, taking Jenna¡¯s hand.


    Jenna and Andy deposited their contributions on the kitchen counter, then Andy took a seat at the counter while Jenna went out to the balcony to meet the three girls.


    ¡°God, Andy, just look at you,¡± Mom said again. ¡°You look great. Actually, you know what? You look so much like your father, just bigger- and younger, of course, but I mean, I remember your dad from when he was about the age you are now, so¡­¡± she trailed off, realizing she was babbling.


    ¡°So there must be a story here,¡± Mom said when she regained her footing. ¡°You and Lee were practically two peas in a pod when you were little, but just seemed to drift apart with middle school. But here you are.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s funny how life works, isn¡¯t it?¡± Andy said, before he went on to explain how we¡¯d reconnected.


    Jenna came in and leaned against Andy¡¯s back, sliding her hands down his shoulders and onto his chest. ¡°Hey, Mr Love Chunk,¡± she said. ¡°You should come out and meet Leah and Emmy¡¯s kid.¡±


    ¡°Grace, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°How could you possibly have known that?¡± Jenna asked, floored.


    ¡°The secret Fallbrook intel network,¡± he said. ¡°It works in mysterious ways.¡±


    ¡°Well, come out and meet her. Also, I bet you haven¡¯t seen Leah¡¯s sister since she was a baby, right?¡±


    With that, Jenna dragged him out to say his hellos.


    ¡°You know, we were all convinced when you two were kids you were going to get married eventually,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Me? Marry Andy?¡± I asked. ¡°Eww! That would be like marrying my brother or something!¡± I protested.


    ¡°They were like this,¡± Mom explained to Lacy, holding up her hand with two fingers upraised together. ¡°You never saw one without the other.¡±


    ¡°You know what¡¯s funny?¡± Lacy asked, sipping her wine. ¡°The first time I met Andy and Jenna, I just assumed he was Leah¡¯s cousin or something. They seemed like family more than just friends.¡±


    ¡°Andy¡¯s dad and Leah¡¯s father served together in the Marines, so Andy¡¯s mom, Kat, and I did a lot of cross-babysitting. He was over at our place as often as he was at his own house, and vice versa. The two kids were inseparable.¡±


    ¡°Angela and Jenna have become really good friends,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s really good to have him back in my life, and Jenna is wonderful, too.¡±


    ¡°Lacy,¡± Mom said to our neighbor, changing the subject. ¡°Did you use to be in a TV show back in the Eighties?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was me. The middle kid,¡± Lacy said with a sigh.


    ¡°Forgive me if I¡¯m stepping on toes,¡± Mom said, ¡°But I loved that show.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to seem ungrateful,¡± Lacy said, ¡°But it¡¯s gotten pretty tiresome to only be remembered for that one thing.¡±


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d read that you quit acting after Donington Park ended. I¡¯d always thought you were the best actor of all the kids on the show, so I never really understood it,¡± Mom said, curious but trying not to be rude or drag up old feelings.


    ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s nice to hear,¡± Lacy said with a genuine smile. ¡°The thing is, I had been working pretty much non-stop from the time I was eleven until I turned nineteen. I basically had no normal childhood, you know? I was just burned out. I think all us kids were, but Jack had so much debt that he had to keep working, and Chrissie, well, her habits were expensive, you know? She wound up doing a lot of really shitty straight-to-video stuff before finally ODing. When she got out of the hospital, she just wanted nothing to do with the scene at all. Last I heard, she was raising a bunch of kids in Idaho or someplace like that. But me, well, I just wanted to take a break for a while, and then the while became longer and longer and people stopped asking me to even audition, you know?¡±


    ¡°Would you get back into it, if something came up?¡± Mom asked, fascinated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lacy said with a sigh. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Just then Tiffany came into the kitchen at warp speed, spotted the vegetable platter and scooped a bunch of radishes into her mouth before zooming out again.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    We all had stopped what we were doing to watch that little blonde streak of energy shoot by before resuming our conversations or tasks.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine raising kids,¡± Lacy said. ¡°Much less two, as a single mother. That takes a level of energy and commitment I couldn¡¯t even imagine.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does,¡± Mom replied, watching Tiffany out on the balcony with Emmy and everybody else. ¡°But you know what? It¡¯s also, at the same time, the strongest argument ever for rising to the occasion and doing what needs to be done. I never had any time to feel sorry for myself- I had two daughters who needed me to be there for them.¡±


    Dinner was a huge success, everybody chatting and having a great time. The turkey was a bit dry, but isn¡¯t it always? The stuffing Angela had made was a big hit. When Lacy asked about it, Angela cheekily replied that it was her grandmother¡¯s Thanksgiving stuffing recipe and she couldn¡¯t share the secret. It took Lacy a few seconds, but when she realized that they don¡¯t celebrate Thanksgiving in Colombia she had a good laugh.


    ¡°You had me there for a moment,¡± she said, still chuckling. Most of the table had laughed at the joke, but Tiffany and Rosalie just looked around, confused.


    While Grace, Rosalie and Mom cleaned up after dinner, the rest of us found ourselves out on the balcony, the fire going for atmosphere more than warmth.


    ¡°I guess I understand it, but man, I¡¯d really hate to give up this view, you guys,¡± Jenna said, leaning on the railing, looking towards the skyscrapers downtown.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna miss this balcony,¡± I agreed. ¡°But the new house is going to have a lot more room, and of course, the studio.¡±


    ¡°I still have to pinch myself to convince myself that I am not dreaming when I see the studio,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It is more like a dream than I would have believed possible.¡±


    ¡°Emmy said it¡¯s almost move-in ready,¡± Lacy commented. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss you three.¡±


    ¡°I expect you to come to visit,¡± Emmy said, pointing at Lacy. ¡°And I will certainly come back here to visit you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit, I promise,¡± Lacy said, holding up two fingers in the Boy Scouts'' salute.


    ¡°I wanna visit, too,¡± Tiffany said.


    ¡°Of course you shall visit,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°In fact, we have one bedroom that is just for you, so you can stay in your own room when you come over.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Tiffany asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Really,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°In fact, it is painted the same colors as your room in Fallbrook.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± Tiffany said, getting up to give Emmy a hug. Maybe the fiftieth of the evening, by my rough guess.


    Eventually Lacy, Jenna, and Andy left and Rosalie and Grace went to their room. We¡¯d cleared out Angela¡¯s old room so Tiffany and Mom could stay the night, and Emmy had tucked Tiffany in, singing her to sleep the way she had all those years ago. After Tiff fell asleep, Emmy and Angela went to bed while I stayed out on the balcony with Mom.


    I poured Mom another glass of white and mixed myself another Old Fashioned, not ready to head to bed yet.


    ¡°Angela seems really nice,¡± Mom said when we settled down on the couch together. ¡°But I have to ask- how old is she?¡±


    Chuckling, I said, ¡°I get that question a lot. She¡¯s actually older than Emmy or me. She graduated college in Bogot¨¢ the same year I graduated from Fallbrook.¡± Taking another sip, I added, ¡°She has a really young face, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s really pretty,¡± Mom agreed. ¡°And she seems really into both you and Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and we are both really crazy about her, too,¡± I said, thinking back to that night in Chicago. ¡°It¡¯s funny- I didn¡¯t see it coming at all, but Em, you know, she¡¯s just way more attuned to people than I am. When Angela said that she wanted to be a part of our lives, you know, Emmy was right there, but it took me by surprise.¡±


    ¡°So, um, Angela initiated it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she did,¡± I said. ¡°I told you about how her old boyfriend got busted and we helped her out, right? Well, I guess she got to know us, and saw what Emmy and I had together, and realized that she wanted to be a part of that. At first, both Emmy and I were worried that Angela was in love with our lifestyle as much as with us as people, you know? But it soon became obvious that although she might have been attracted by, well, our money and all that goes with it, that wasn¡¯t what was important. Angela had actually fallen in love with Emmy and me both as individuals, and with the relationship we have.¡±


    ¡°You two are amazingly appealing,¡± Mom admitted. ¡°And I could see how all this,¡± she said, waving to indicate the condo, the view, and everything, ¡°Could have its own appeal.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have to remember, she already lived in this building,¡± I said, a touch defensively. ¡°So it¡¯s not like we pulled her up from the gutter or anything.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, Lee,¡± Mom said, her voice softening. ¡°I just meant that you two are so¡­ perfect, you know? and you have a perfect home, and lead lives that most people could only dream of.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I grudgingly admitted. ¡°But anyway, when Angela said that she wanted to be with us, Emmy was right there and said that she wanted that, too.¡±


    ¡°Emmy did?¡± Mom asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah. Like I said, she saw it coming, but I sure didn¡¯t. I mean, I¡¯d really come to like Angela by that point and felt really comfortable with her, but I don¡¯t think I was at the ¡®let¡¯s have a relationship¡¯ stage, but Emmy was. She told me that she wanted Angela to be part of our lives. A menage ¨¤ trois, she called it.¡±


    ¡°A relationship of three people,¡± Mom said, understanding. She took a sip of her wine and pondered for a bit, then asked, ¡°Does Angela know about Emmy¡¯s, um, condition?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does,¡± I answered, not bothering to say that she¡¯d found out just a few days before.


    ¡°What does Angela think about that?¡±


    ¡°Well, she was pretty wrecked when she found out that one of the people she¡¯s in love with only has a few more years,¡± I said, trying to keep my own emotions in check.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen with you and Angela when Emmy, um¡­¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°To be absolutely blunt about it, I think that Emmy is happy that we have Angela, so I¡¯ll have somebody when she¡¯s gone,¡± I said, leaning back and staring into the fire. ¡°I think Emmy has made a lot of plans for after, if you know what I mean. And I think this is one of them.¡± Recognizing how it sounded, I added, ¡°That isn¡¯t to say that Emmy actually planned all this. I think that she saw the situation developing and nudged things along, since it fit in well with her long-term plans.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand what you mean,¡± Mom said. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to sound like a criticism, since it certainly isn¡¯t, but Emmy has always seemed to me like somebody with a plan, an agenda, you know. She never does anything without a reason.¡±


    I started to protest, but Mom held up her hand. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s not a criticism. In fact, I think it¡¯s one of her most admirable traits. She thinks things out. Most people don¡¯t do that at all, but Emmy does. She knows what she wants, and does what she can to make it happen. I can certainly imagine that when the situation with Angela developed, she saw how perfect it could be for both her and you in the long term.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re more right than you maybe know,¡± I said.


    With that, conversation turned to lighter topics, such as how Mom¡¯s classes were going that semester, how Tiffany was doing in school, and so on.


    ¡°It was a real surprise to see Andy tonight,¡± Mom said. ¡°He¡¯s looking really good. His dad was always a good-looking guy, and Andy looks so much like him, just, well, bigger.¡±


    ¡°Andy¡¯s playing for the Rams, did you know that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I gathered that,¡± Mom replied.


    ¡°He and Jenna just bought a house in Sherman Oaks. It¡¯s really nice. I think they plan on starting a family fairly soon.¡±


    Chuckling, Mom said, ¡°Kat and I were so convinced you two would end up together, you know? I¡¯m going to have to look her up and give her a call. I haven¡¯t seen her in a few years- not since you guys were in high school.¡±


    ¡°It was Emmy who brought us back together,¡± I said, sipping my drink. ¡°And I¡¯m really glad she did. Getting to know him again has been really¡­ healing, I guess,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, Lee,¡± Mom said, taking my hand in hers. ¡°I knew you were hurting so much, but there just wasn¡¯t anything I could do. I felt like a real failure as a mother. I just didn¡¯t know what to do for you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have anything to say to that, so I just held Mom¡¯s hand, idly wondering when she¡¯d gotten so small.


    When I slipped into bed, Emmy snuggled up into me, so I held her close as we spooned.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°I know,¡± I replied, but I think the joke was lost, since she¡¯d already fallen back asleep.

 Out On The Road

    I woke early out of habit, even though there would be no training that day, since Jody was still in Toronto. Slipping out of the bedroom quietly so I wouldn¡¯t wake Emmy and Angela, I was surprised to find Mom and Tiffany in the kitchen.


    ¡°Morning, Lee,¡± Mom said, keeping her voice down. ¡°I¡¯m making breakfast- would you like some pancakes?¡±


    Smiling, I said, ¡°I would love some pancakes. Thanks!¡±


    ¡°Is Emmy still asleep?¡± Tiffany asked when I sat down next to her at the counter.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s not really an early riser,¡± I said.


    ¡°I like Angela,¡± Tiffany announced. ¡°She¡¯s really nice. And pretty.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is both of those things,¡± I agreed, accepting the plate of buttermilk pancakes Mom handed me.


    ¡°How can you even eat pancakes without syrup?¡± my sister demanded, appalled.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to it,¡± I replied, stuffing a big forkful into my mouth and smiling with enjoyment.


    ¡°Yuck,¡± Tiffany said as she turned away. ¡°That¡¯s gross.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re gross,¡± I teased, poking her in the ribs.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she protested, then realized she was being loud and clapped her hand over her mouth.


    ¡°Do you guys have any plans for the day?¡± I asked Mom.


    ¡°I was thinking of taking Tiffany to the La Brea Tar Pits, and maybe the Watts Towers. She¡¯s never seen either one.¡±


    ¡°Emmy wants to go with us,¡± Tiffany said. ¡°She¡¯s never seen either one of those things, either.¡±


    ¡°Then I think she should go with you two,¡± I agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think you two have ever gone out in public with Emmy, have you? You¡¯re in for an experience.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tiffany asked, beating Mom to the punch.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Concerned, Mom asked, ¡°Is it something I should be concerned about?¡±


    ¡°No, not concerned,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just that she attracts attention everywhere she goes, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see how that would happen,¡± Mom admitted, thinking about it. ¡°She sure wouldn¡¯t blend in in a crowd.¡±


    ¡°She doesn''t even try,¡± I agreed.


    Angela joined us about that time, wearing the way-too-big Cardinal T shirt she¡¯d stolen from me. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said, rubbing sleep from her eyes. ¡°Pancakes?¡± she asked, her eyes lighting up.


    ¡°How many would you like?¡± Mom asked, grabbing the mixing bowl, ready to make some more batter.


    ¡°Two. No, three,¡± Angela said as she sat on my lap. ¡°That would be wonderful. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, babe,¡± I said, giving her a little kiss. ¡°Is Em still asleep?¡±


    ¡°She asked me to give her another half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any plans for today?¡± I asked, rubbing her back.


    ¡°Jenna asked me to come over and help her develop a workout plan, now their home gym is complete,¡± Angela replied with a yawn. ¡°Maybe we would get lunch or something after, I dunno.¡±


    ¡°Is Andy away this weekend?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, the Rams have a bye week,¡± she said, displaying a better mastery of football lingo than I would have expected. All that time hanging out with Jenna, probably.


    ¡°Well, tell them I said hello, even though we just saw them last night,¡± I said.


    ¡°I will,¡± Angela said, leaning contentedly back into me.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna go see dinosaurs,¡± Tiffany announced. ¡°With Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Dinosaurs?¡± Angela asked, her brow furrowed. ¡°Be careful- they bite.¡±


    ¡°No they don¡¯t,¡± Tiffany said. ¡°Because they¡¯re dead. They got stuck in the tar a million years ago, but then eventually floated to the surface and got put in a museum.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any dinosaurs,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s all saber-toothed tigers, giant sloths, things like that from the Ice Age.¡±


    ¡°Like Sid and Manny? And Diego?¡± Tiffany asked. It took me a moment, but I realized that she was talking about the animated film from before she was even born.


    ¡°Yeah, like them,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That will be so amazing!¡± Angela said, somehow making it sound genuine and not condescending at all.


    After a little bit Angela went to wake Emmy, leaving me alone with Mom and Tiffany.


    ¡°I like her,¡± Tiffany declared. ¡°She¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± I agreed. ¡°I like her, too.¡±


    A few minutes later Emmy and Angela emerged from the bedroom, hair damp but clean. Both were dressed for their respective days, ready to go. Me, I was still in sweats with no intention of getting dressed at all.


    After Angela left to go see Jenna and Emmy left with Mom and Tiffany, I grabbed my laptop to get some work done. I was deep in a pile of bids to renovate one of our apartment complexes in Sunnyvale when Grace and Rosalie finally stumbled out of bed.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± Grace said, still sleepy. ¡°Is there any coffee?¡±


    ¡°There will be when you make some,¡± I replied, not looking up.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± she replied, shuffling into the kitchen.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to Magic Mountain,¡± Rosalie announced. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I like Magic Mountain,¡± I agreed absently. ¡°Make sure you do the roller coaster that holds you upside down and backwards. That one is the best.¡±


    ¡°Upside down and backwards?¡± she asked. ¡°That sounds terrifying!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is.¡±


    After the two of them left and I had the place to myself, I put on some music and returned to work. Those bids weren¡¯t going to select themselves, after all.


    I was surprised when Tiffany came rushing in the front door, followed at a more civilized pace by my mom and Emmy. Glancing at my watch, I saw that it was already mid-afternoon- somehow the hours had just flown by.


    ¡°Lee! We saw just what you said- Dire wolves, giant sloths, mammoths- all sorts of animals!¡± Tiffany said.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Which one was your favorite?¡± I asked, closing down my computer.


    ¡°There was this baby saber-toothed tiger that was all, like, rawr!¡± she said, holding her hands up like claws.


    Emmy came over to my chair and said in a soft voice, ¡°I have a headache. I am going to take a nap.¡±


    I gave her a kiss and asked, ¡°Too much sun?¡±


    She nodded, so I gave her hand a squeeze and asked, ¡°Did you have a good time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was a lot of fun, but just too much,¡± Emmy said, giving me another kiss and heading to the bedroom.


    ¡°Is she O.K.?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said. ¡°She can¡¯t spend too long outside in the day. She gets headaches from the bright light.¡±


    ¡°I wish I would¡¯ve known,¡± Mom said, sounding contrite. ¡°We could have skipped the Watts Towers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I assured her. ¡°Emmy would¡¯ve told you if it got too bad. She normally wears the kind of sunglasses mountain climbers have- you know, the super dark kind to prevent snow blindness? She must have forgotten to bring ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°You told me all those years ago that she was light sensitive, but I guess I never realized it was that bad,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Most of the time it¡¯s not, but we do a lot of things to make her life easier in those respects.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Well, all our cars have windows that are tinted really dark, for example. When we go down to the pool, we go in the late afternoon, when the sunlight isn¡¯t very strong, and she wears some heavy-duty sunblock all the time, whenever she goes out anywhere in the day.¡±


    ¡°Are all her people like that?¡±


    ¡°No, just Emmy. It¡¯s part of her condition, you know, the one I told you about,¡± I said, not wanting to spell it out in front of Tiffany, who had lost interest in the conversation anyway and was busy on her phone.


    ¡°Is there any change in that, um, prognosis?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°No, and Emmy refuses to even consider the idea of medical intervention of any kind,¡± I said, maybe a tiny bit bitterly.


    ¡°Is it cultural?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it is,¡± I agreed, unsurprised that Mom had seen straight to the heart of it.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s really not much you can do,¡± Mom said, putting her hand on mine.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t actually reached the ¡®acceptance¡¯ stage of grief yet,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯m not sure I ever will, but I can¡¯t make Emmy do what she doesn¡¯t want to do.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you can¡¯t,¡± Mom agreed.


    That night Emmy slept in the middle. Her headache hadn¡¯t gone away with her nap, but she said that having the two of us on either side was a comfort and made her feel better, so Angela and I were happy to do what we could.


    The next morning when Angela and I left to go driving with the boys, Emmy said she felt better but was going to sleep in anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Emmy,¡± Angela admitted in the elevator.


    ¡°She spent too long in the sun yesterday,¡± I explained. ¡°She knew better but I suspect she didn¡¯t want to ruin Tiffany¡¯s day by asking to go home early.¡±


    ¡°She told me about your honeymoon,¡± Angela said. ¡°I asked her if she would like the three of us to go to one of those resorts in the Seychelles, you know, where the cabins are out over the water? She told me about what a disaster it was in Key West.¡±


    ¡°You know what¡¯s funny?¡± I asked as we waited for the car to be brought up. ¡°When she was young, she¡¯d always dreamed of places like those resorts you mentioned. That¡¯s why we went to Key West- white sand beaches, warm turquoise water, plus the town is famously gay-friendly.¡±


    ¡°But she got super sunburned and sick, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said as the valet handed me the keys to the freshly detailed M6. ¡°She did.¡±


    As we drove out to Malibu, I explained how Emmy had simply let the day get away from her and overdid it, then paid for it for nearly a week afterwards.


    ¡°So if we do go to one of those places, we just need to stay inside in the middle of the day, that¡¯s all. Just enjoy the early morning and late afternoon and evening,¡± Angela suggested. ¡°Hey, maybe we can go to one of those clothing optional places! I read about a famous one in Jamaica!¡±


    ¡°You can post the pics on your socials,¡± I joked. ¡°You¡¯d get plenty of hits.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true¡­¡± Angela said in a mock thoughtful tone. ¡°Maybe we can go someplace else,¡± Angela suggested after a minute to two of silence. ¡°Just for a short vacation- maybe a Friday through Monday long weekend or something.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be moving into the new house in two weeks, and then not even two weeks later is Christmas, then New Year¡¯s,¡± I said, skeptically.


    ¡°Moving all our stuff will only take two days at the most,¡± Angela countered. ¡°We aren¡¯t even moving any furniture at all, right? So basically it¡¯s just our clothes and other stuff like that. Emmy¡¯s stereo and guitars, and not much else.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true, for the most part, but there¡¯s more than you¡¯d think. Emmy and I brought a U Haul loaded with stuff when we came down from Palo Alto.¡±


    Pulling into the parking lot where we always meet, I was surprised to see we were the first ones there. ¡°Care for some coffee?¡± I asked, shutting off the engine.


    ¡°You say the nicest things sometimes,¡± Angela replied with an adorable smile.


    I followed her into the coffee shop, admiring the way her leggings fit like a second skin. Angela really did have an incredible butt, a butt that she spent literally hours a day in the gym to develop. It was so very worth it.


    Angela and I were waiting for our drinks when Stephen and Teddy Bear walked in and spotted us.


    ¡°You guys order already?¡± Teddy Bear asked, waving vaguely at the menu board behind the baristas.


    As if to answer him, the girl called out our names to let us know our caffeinated beverages were ready.


    ¡°Guess so,¡± Teddy Bear said with a laugh.


    The two guys had made their way up to the front of the line when Stein and Geoff (who¡¯d been driving with us less and less) came in, followed by Jimmy and his sister.


    ¡°Lizzie! Miss Colombia 2011!¡± Jimmy crowed when he spotted us, coming over to say hello.


    Looking mild annoyed, Angela said, ¡°I was runner-up in 2010. I never actually won the title.¡±


    ¡°Close enough! You would have won for sure if you¡¯d competed in 2011, amirite?¡± Jimmy asked, looking to me for confirmation.


    ¡°Mos def,¡± I replied, and bumped fists with the guy.


    ¡°Jiiiimmy,¡± his sister called in a petulant voice to get him to get in line with her, since she was almost to the front and he was the one with the spending money.


    ¡°So, whose turn is it to lead?¡± Stein asked, sitting down with a nod to Angela and me.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s been a while since Geoff drove with us, so maybe he gets his turn,¡± I said as Geoff joined us. ¡°Geoff, you want to take the lead today? We haven¡¯t seen much of your Carrera recently.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, freaking work, you know how it is,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Our damned manufacturer is giving us all kinds of grief. I swear, I¡¯ve spent more time in Shenzhen recently than I have at home.¡±


    ¡°So, how about you blow off some steam and take the lead dog spot, then?¡± Teddy Bear suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I could use the stress relief,¡± Geoff admitted, giving me a brief flash of a grateful look for suggesting he get the number one spot. ¡°Hey, do any of you guys mind if we go a little farther afield? Like, maybe 33?¡±


    After a confirming glance at Angela, I said, ¡°We¡¯ve got nothing else planned for today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been forever since I¡¯ve hit 33,¡± Stein said, thoughtfully.


    ¡°33?¡± Jimmy asked, joining us at the big table. ¡°I¡¯d be down for it, but¡­¡± he said, tilting his head in the direction of his sister, who was still waiting for her drink.


    Stephen said, ¡°I¡¯ve got a lunch date I can¡¯t miss, so no 33 for me, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Looking a bit crestfallen, Geoff said, ¡°Well, maybe next time.¡±


    ¡°Nah, my man,¡± Jimmy sad. ¡°Me and Zeke, we can stay local, and the rest of you go bust out a run or maybe two on 33. No reason you guys need to limit yourselves just because we can¡¯t take the time.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Geoff asked, looking back and forth between Jimmy and Stephen.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Stephen said with a shrug. ¡°You kids go have fun, just make sure you¡¯re home by dark.¡±


    ¡°Do I know this 33?¡± Angela asked in a soft voice, intending the question just for me.


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t driven it together,¡± I answered. ¡°It makes for a fairly long day in the saddle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be, like, a six hour loop, if we hit Cerro,¡± Stein said. ¡°And I¡¯m totally down with that.¡±


    I looked again at Angela, just to check that it was O.K. with her before I committed, and she nodded yes.


    ¡°We¡¯re in,¡± I said.


    ¡°Man! A full day of driving!¡± Teddy Bear said, looking forward to the prospect.


    While Geoff laid out his proposed loop with the gas and lunch stops, Stephen and Jimmy took off to hit the local roads.


    The start of the drive was north on the freeway all the way to Gorman, then northwest on one of the finest driving roads anywhere. Since our pace wasn¡¯t that high and we were in the tail end of the line of cars, I took the opportunity to pull off at a particularly spectacular view point.


    ¡°Check this out,¡± I said as we stepped from the car on the gravel pullout. ¡°That¡¯s the Central Valley way down there. That''s about six thousand feet down- two thousand meters.¡±


    ¡°What mountains are those over there?¡± Angela asked, pointing off into the distance.


    ¡°That¡¯s the southern end of the Sierras,¡± I told her. ¡°A bit farther north is the highest peak in the forty-eight states- Mt Whitney. It¡¯s over fourteen thousand feet tall.¡±


    ¡°We have twenty mountains taller than that in Colombia,¡± Angela said dismissively.


    ¡°Well, sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°The Andes are the second tallest mountain range in the world, right? But here, this is the tallest we¡¯ve got.¡±


    ¡°I thought Colorado had the highest mountains?¡±


    ¡°They like to think so,¡± I snorted. ¡°Let¡¯s catch back up,¡± I suggested, so we got back into the car and resumed speed.


    It took us a little while to reel in the others, but that was fine- I got to stretch the M6¡¯s legs a bit on that vertiginous mountain road, to Angela¡¯s delight.


    The first part of 33 coming from the north is pretty, but also pretty boring. It isn¡¯t until it climbs back up into the mountains that things get fun, but that¡¯s alright. Angela enjoyed looking at the scenery, so very different from the urban landscape of Los Angeles.


    Eventually we rolled into Ojai for lunch, marking the end of the good roads.


    ¡°This is super cute!¡± Angela said, looking at the little shops along the main street¡¯s colonnaded district.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let any of the locals hear you,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Angela asked, her brow furrowed in that cute way of hers.


    ¡°They¡¯re smug enough already,¡± I said. ¡°They don¡¯t need any more confirmation they live in the best place in the world.¡±


    ¡°This is the best place in the world?¡± Angela asked, still not understanding.


    ¡°The locals think so,¡± I said as we followed the others into a parking lot for a cute little caf¨¦. As Angela had pointed out, everything there was cute.


    As we waited for a table to be cleared for us, Geoff looked at the rest of us. ¡°Thanks a lot, guys. I really did need that.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Teddy Bear replied. ¡°It was good to get out of town.¡±

 Death By Snu-Snu

    When the five of us sat down, Geoff turned to Angela. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met,¡± he said, holding out his hand. ¡°My name¡¯s Geoff Peterson.¡±


    ¡°Angela Castro,¡± she replied, giving his hand a little shake. ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡±


    ¡°You have an interesting accent,¡± he said. ¡°Where are you from, originally?¡±


    ¡°I was born and raised in Cartagena, Colombia, but went to university in Bogot¨¢, before moving to Miami,¡± she said.


    ¡°University?¡± he asked. ¡°What did you study?¡±


    ¡°I have a degree in media communications,¡± she replied, not recognizing the subtext of Geoff¡¯s questions.


    ¡°She¡¯s older than she looks,¡± I broke in. ¡°In fact, she¡¯s four years older than I am.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Teddy Bear said, backing me up. ¡°She graduated from college in 2012.¡±


    ¡°How would you possibly know that?¡± Stein asked, more from curiosity than any disbelief.


    ¡°I had dinner over at Leah¡¯s place a few months ago, and we got to talking about how college studies might not have helped directly in our careers, but still made a difference. Like, Angela got her degree in media communications, right? She thought she would go into television, and got a job with Univision, but that didn¡¯t work out. Now she¡¯s modeling and doing that whole ¡®social influencer¡¯ thing on Facebook. Which is back to media communications. Me, I got my degree in English literature, but then started acting and now I¡¯m finding myself more and more interested in work on stage- back to reading the great playwrights.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± said Stein. Turning to me, he said, ¡°You know Jimmy will be pissed off you had a rock star party without him.¡±


    Laughing, I explained that no, it wasn¡¯t that sort of party, just a dinner and hanging out afterwards sort of thing.


    Geoff, returning back to the earlier conversation, said, ¡°I got my Bachelor¡¯s in mechanical engineering. Out of college I went to work for a small company that made injection-molded nylon parts for other companies, mostly in the aviation field. Eventually, I became a VP, then the COO, so I really haven¡¯t done any actual engineering in, I dunno, maybe twenty years now? But if I didn¡¯t have that engineering expertise, no way could I run things the way I do. Your basic MBA simply wouldn¡¯t understand the realities of our specific industry.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°So we were discussing whether it¡¯s your college education that sets you up for success in a specific field whether you recognize it or not, or whether your interests and abilities lie in a certain direction, and you choose your educational and careers paths in pursuit of your interests.¡±


    ¡°And you and Angela were having this conversation?¡± Geoff asked, amazed.


    ¡°Well, yeah, the two of us, and, um, Jenny?¡± Teddy Bear asked of me for confirmation.


    ¡°Jenna,¡± Angela supplied.


    ¡°Yeah, Jenna. It started off with Jenna complaining that her degree is doing nothing for her right now, and then the conversation just progressed from there,¡± Teddy Bear explained.


    Geoff sat back in his chair, looking thoughtfully at Angela and Teddy Bear.


    ¡°I still want to know how my invite to this rock star party went missing,¡± Stein said. Stein was sharp, and I¡¯m sure he picked up on the fact that Geoff had dismissed both Angela and Teddy Bear as shallow, only to have his preconceptions shattered.


    Just then the waiter arrived to take our orders, and the conversation got derailed. When the guy left, Stein mentioned that he noticed we¡¯d stopped at the viewpoint on Cerro.


    ¡°Pretty amazing views, aren¡¯t they?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It was really impressive up there, on that ridge like that,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°Sometimes you¡¯d see way down to the valley, and other times you¡¯d see off west and see all the mountains that way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a great road and there¡¯s never any traffic on it, so you can really rail, which is great, but then you can¡¯t really enjoy the views unless you want to do a Wiley E. Coyote move and sail off a cliff,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°So where do we go from here?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°We just take the freeway back to Los Angeles,¡± Geoff answered. ¡°The good stuff is all done.¡±


    As lunch went on, it became more and more obvious to me that Geoff was doing his best to flirt with Angela. She wasn¡¯t really flirting back, but her friendly nature might have seemed that way to him, for all I know. When we left the caf¨¦ and got on the freeway, I asked Angela about it.


    ¡°He spent almost the entire time staring at my breasts,¡± she laughed. ¡°At least he had the decency to look embarrassed when I caught his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I blame him,¡± I said, putting my hand on her thigh. ¡°That top of yours is so tight I can see your piercings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wore it today,¡± Angela confessed.


    ¡°So Geoff would stare at your tits?¡±


    ¡°Well, not him necessarily, but your friends,¡± she replied. ¡°The others, they all know I¡¯m your girlfriend, and I like to give them hints of what you get to unwrap when we get home.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± she said, surprised that I was surprised. ¡°I like to dress really sexy when I¡¯m with you and Emmy. That way people will look and be jealous.¡±


    ¡°And here, I thought you dressed sexy for me,¡± I said, pouting my lower lip out.


    ¡°I do! And of course, it has benefits for me, too.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m really sexy for you, you get very¡­ excited, and I love the looks you give me. And sometimes, when we get home and you can¡¯t stop yourself, things get very much fun.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to wait until we get home,¡± I said, sliding my hand higher up her leg.


    ¡°Yes, we do,¡± she replied. ¡°You just have to wait.¡±


    ¡°But Mom and Tiffany are at our place still, and so are Grace and her girlfriend,¡± I objected. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get any privacy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to be quiet, then,¡± Angela said, crossing her arms over those boobs that had had Geoff so hypnotized.


    Emmy was the only one home when we got back, to my surprise. She was practicing her guitar with her headphones on, but she saw us come in and set everything aside.


    ¡°Did you two have a nice drive today?¡± she asked, giving us each a kiss hello.


    ¡°It was good, but right now, we need to take a quick shower and then-¡± I said, but Angela interrupted me.


    ¡°Lots of hot sex!¡±


    Emmy looked at Angela, then me, then back at Angela, then back at me. "I had a shower earlier, but I could stand another one,¡± she finally said.


    Mom gave me a knowing look when the three of us emerged from our bedroom after our fun soapy time, but Tiffany seemed oblivious.


    ¡°I did not hear you two come in!¡± Emmy said when she spotted the two at the kitchen counter. ¡°Do you two have any dinner plans?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Mom said, making it more of a question than a statement.


    Emmy suggested that we order from the Japanese restaurant downstairs, and everybody expressed enthusiasm for the idea.


    Grace and Rosalie got back to the condo moments after the delivery guy left.


    ¡°I ordered you guys chicken yakisoba,¡± I told them. ¡°I didn¡¯t know when you were getting back in, and I figured that¡¯s a dish that keeps pretty well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome! Thanks!¡± Rosalie said, her eyes lighting up. ¡°This place makes the best Japanese food I¡¯ve ever had!¡±


    ¡°There was this little hole-in-the-wall Japanese place up by where we lived in Palo Alto that was friggin¡¯ amazing,¡± Grace told her as they retrieved their food from the fridge. ¡°The food was so good up there, like you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±


    It was a nice, low-key dinner, just family talking about family stuff. Grace and Rosalie had had a great visit and Mom and Tiffany had enjoyed their mini vacation away from Fallbrook, but everybody was going back home the next morning, which added a slightly melancholic touch.


    Still, the conversation was light and plans were made for Christmas break. Grace and Rosalie would come out for another week, and Mom and Tiffany would come up Christmas Eve and spend the night in our new house.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see it,¡± Mom said. ¡°It sounds like quite the place.¡±


    ¡°Just one more month,¡± Angela said. ¡°We only get to move in in three weeks.¡±


    ¡°Only a week to settle in before Christmas?¡± Mom asked, dismayed.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we even get that,¡± I said. ¡°I promised the builder a huge incentive if we could be moved in by Christmas, and he said his wife already has plans for that money, so he¡¯d better deliver.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just an invitation to cut corners?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable question, but in this case, I don¡¯t think so. I haven¡¯t seen anything questionable on the job at all, and the general contractor, he¡¯s there on-site almost every day keeping things moving on schedule. He and I set the target date as ambitious but possible, so it¡¯s not like it was too much of a stretch,¡± I explained.


    Later that night, after everybody else had gone to bed, Mom and I settled down with a bottle of wine in front of the fireplace on the balcony.


    ¡°Lee, I don¡¯t say this nearly enough, but I really am proud of you- of what you¡¯re doing with your life. You and Emmy have really accomplished some amazing things and it only looks as if things are getting even better for the two of you. And Angela,¡± she said, taking a sip of wine to give herself a moment to compose her words. ¡°I really didn¡¯t know what to think when you first told me about her. I was concerned, to be honest, that she would somehow come between you and Emmy.¡±


    ¡°If anything, she¡¯s done just the opposite,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that now,¡± Mom agreed. ¡°Honestly, it seems she fills a role that neither you or Emmy are really good at, but maybe both of you need. It¡¯s obvious she¡¯s crazy about the two of you, and she seems¡­¡± she trailed off, not sure how to phrase what she wanted to say. Eventually she continued, ¡°Well, to be honest, too¡­ simple- and no, I don¡¯t mean simple like stupid, I mean simple like uncomplicated. She¡¯s too uncomplicated and, um, guileless to have any sort of secret agenda. It just seems as if she loves the two of you, and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that is what it boils down to,¡± I agreed, sipping my wine. ¡°Angela wears her heart on her sleeve, you know? I don¡¯t think she could fake it if she had to.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know what the great Mae West said, right?¡± Mom asked, then supplied the answer. ¡°Honesty is key. If you can fake that, you¡¯ve got it made.¡±


    With a chuckle, I refilled our glasses, finishing off the bottle. It was nice, spending time with Mom, the two of us relating more as two adults than child and parent. Sure, she would always be my mom and I her oldest daughter, but on that couch it was more like two old friends with a lot of shared history. It was a new sort of companionship with the woman that had given birth to me, and I found it very pleasant indeed.


    The next morning, Rosalie gave Angela, Emmy and me hugs goodbye. ¡°This was, like, the best family visit I¡¯ve ever had. Seriously! It was really great to meet the three of you and hang out here at your amazing place, and see LA- Seriously, like the best vacation I¡¯ve ever had. I mean it.¡±


    ¡°We need to get going, too,¡± Mom said as she and Tiffany brought their luggage out from the other bedroom. ¡°Lee, I¡¯ll give you a call sometime in the next week or two to firm up the plans for Christmas.¡±


    ¡°It was great meeting you,¡± Angela said, giving Mom a hug. ¡°And you, too, Tiffany. It¡¯s been wonderful getting to know you.¡±


    ¡°Tiffany is the best!¡± Emmy declared, giving Tiff a big hug.


    Once the condo cleared out, I flopped down on the couch. ¡°You know, it¡¯s funny,¡± I said. ¡°As much as I was happy to have everybody visit, it sure is a relief they¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°That is terrible!¡± Emmy exclaimed with a laugh.


    ¡°But true,¡± I replied. ¡°I just want some peace and quiet for at least a little while, is that too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°No, baby, it¡¯s not,¡± Angela said lifting up my legs so she could sit down, then placing my legs across her lap. ¡°It isn¡¯t wrong to want to not have to entertain visitors.¡±


    Emmy knelt next to the couch and draped her upper body across mine. ¡°If there is anything I can do to help you relax, please tell me,¡± she said with a kiss.


    ¡°This is helping. A lot,¡± I said. ¡°Just having the two of you with me, like this, it¡¯s heaven.¡±


    ¡°I think so, too,¡± Angela said, stroking my legs through my sweats.


    We really did nothing the rest of the day, and I was perfectly O.K. with that. It was great to just lounge around, snuggling with Angela on the couch while Emmy practiced on her acoustic guitar, playing us some of the classical Spanish stuff she used to work on a lot when we were younger.


    ¡°Em?¡± Angela asked at one point. ¡°Are you ever going to make a record of that kind of music? I really love the way you played Capricho ¨¢rabe- tan emocionante! I bet a lot of your fans would love to hear you play like this.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Emmy asked, pleased.


    ¡°I would buy that album instantly,¡± Angela confirmed.


    ¡°You would not have to buy it- I would give you a copy!¡± Emmy said with a laugh.


    Angela snuggled up into me a little bit deeper, but blew Emmy a kiss. ¡°Come over here with us,¡± she pleaded.


    ¡°But if I did that, I would not be able to play the guitar for you,¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    ¡°Well, when you¡¯re done, then,¡± Angela said, sliding her hand up under my shirt.


    Emmy returned to playing her guitar, while Angela played with my abs, running her hand up and down my belly.


    ¡°I love this,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty fond of it, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°This is about as good as it gets.¡±


    I went to the fight gym early the next morning, even though Jody was still out of town.


    A guy I¡¯d seen around came over while I was working the heavy bag.


    ¡°Um, hey,¡± he said. ¡°Um, I know you work out with Coach Jody, and he¡¯s been on vacation for weeks now, and I was thinking, um, if you need somebody to spar with¡­¡±


    Just then Eddie hustled over, having seen and heard the conversation enough to know what was going on. ¡°Kid,¡± he said. ¡°Richie, right? Hey, look, you don¡¯t wanna spar with her. I know Jody told everybody to steer clear, and I¡¯m repeating it. Nobody except him spars with her. Nobody.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I was just, you know, trying to help her out, since Coach Jody is out of town. I figured she could use something better than that bag, you know?¡± Richie said to Eddie, but he was unconvinced.


    ¡°Kid, you don¡¯t want to see the inside of an emergency room. Let this one go.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Richie asked.


    ¡°As a goddamned heart attack,¡± Eddie said. ¡°Just go back to your workout.¡±


    ¡°Richie?¡± I said as he turned to leave. ¡°Thanks for the offer.¡±


    ¡°Um, maybe you want to get coffee after you¡¯re done here?¡± he asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Thanks for that offer, too, but I¡¯m gonna have to decline. I have to get to the office.¡±


    ¡°Maybe next time?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want to encourage the guy, but I didn¡¯t want to be a bitch about it, either.


    The following Wednesday Richie repeated his offer, so I figured I¡¯d just go ahead and have that coffee, but make it clear that was as far as it was ever going to go. He¡¯d caught me just as I was heading to the locker room at the end of my workout, so I said, ¡°Give me ten and I¡¯ll meet you by the front desk.¡±


    I took my usual quick shower and put on my work clothes and was out by the gym entrance before Richie was.


    He hustled out of the men¡¯s locker room a minute later, a look of surprise on his face when he realized I¡¯d gotten ready more quickly than he had.


    ¡°You showered and changed that fast?¡± he asked, looking me up and down.


    ¡°Military training is hard to unlearn,¡± I said with a shrug. To my surprise, he didn¡¯t comment on that, just shrugged and asked if I knew the coffee shop around the corner.


    When I told him that I didn¡¯t, he said I should follow him.


    He threw his gym bag in the passenger seat, then climbed into his paint-spattered old Dodge truck. I tossed my bag in my trunk, then pulled the BMW out and followed him the three blocks to the coffee shop.


    I was pleased to see it was a little independent place, and not one of the big chains. I found a parking spot before Richie did, so I entered instead of waiting outside. The little old-school bell on the door rang charmingly as the smell of freshly roasted beans greeted me inside.


    Richie joined me a moment later, while I was busy staring at the menu board. ¡°They do a really good light roast here,¡± he suggested.


    When we got to the front, I ordered an Americano with a blueberry muffin and said, ¡°And whatever he¡¯s having.¡±


    After ordering some sort of caramel macchiato and a scone, Richie said, ¡°Thanks!¡± when I paid.


    We found a little high table, and while we waited for our order Richie said, ¡°I asked you out for coffee- I should¡¯ve been the one treating.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m not big on those sorts of rules.¡±


    Just then the barista called out my name, and I got up to grab our stuff. Richie followed, and it was a good thing since I would have had a hard time juggling the two coffees and the pastries at the same time.


    When we sat back down, Richie asked what he¡¯d obviously been dying to know. ¡°So, um, Leah, was it? Nobody at the gym even knows your name. Well, I guess Coach Jody does, and Eddie must, too, but they don¡¯t talk. All the guys are, well, you know, really curious about you. But like I said, Coach Jody doesn¡¯t talk. All he¡¯s ever told any of us is that we were not supposed to approach you at all.¡±


    ¡°And yet you did,¡± I said, amused.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s been gone on vacation,¡± he said, making finger quotes when he said the word ¡®vacation¡¯, ¡°for weeks now, and there¡¯s some talk he might not ever come back. I figure, when the cat¡¯s away¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think he¡¯s on vacation?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, the, um, story going around is that the military called him back for some sort of special mission. You know he used to be a Navy SEAL, right?¡±


    ¡°Army Green Beret,¡± I corrected. ¡°Not a SEAL.¡±


    ¡°He told you that?¡± Richie asked.


    ¡°We talk,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is that where he is? Back in the Middle East somewhere?¡± Richie asked, hoping to hear confirmation of the rumors.


    ¡°Not unless you count Canada as the Middle East,¡± I replied. ¡°He¡¯s in Toronto.¡±


    ¡°Huh. So it really is vacation, after all,¡± Richie said, leaning back. ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna hate to burst everybody¡¯s bubble¡­¡±


    After a few bites of his scone, he asked, ¡°So what¡¯s your story? Like I said, everybody in the gym is curious, and the only guys who might know aren¡¯t saying a word. You¡¯re there before the gym even opens, and it¡¯s obvious you spend that time in the ring, but when the doors open and the rest of us are let in, you go and work the weights or the bags or something all by yourself and never talk to anybody.¡± After another bite of his scone, he continued. ¡°And then, the other day, when Eddie told me to buzz off, he said you¡¯d wipe the floor with me, like it wasn¡¯t even a question.¡±


    I took another sip of my coffee before answering. ¡°I do get to the gym early, and Jody and I do work pretty much exclusively on technique, that¡¯s true. I don¡¯t need him to help me with the strength training, but I can¡¯t very well fight by myself.¡±


    ¡°But nobody else has seen you fight,¡± Richie said, leaning forward. ¡°And everybody is, y¡¯know, curious, like I said. Are you good?¡±


    ¡°I guess Eddie thinks so,¡± I said.


    ¡°You really aren¡¯t going to give me anything, are you?¡± he asked, leaning back and chuckling.


    ¡°You said the guys at the gym are curious about me,¡± I said. ¡°What do they think is my story?¡±


    ¡°Well, some things are obvious, right? You¡¯re there for what, two hours before the rest of us are let in, and then work out for a couple more hours, right? And, you know, your workouts are freaking intense. So, hour three, hour four, and you¡¯re still going harder than pretty much anybody else in the gym when they¡¯re fresh. Anybody can see you¡¯re fit AF, and you¡¯re, like, built, but not like a bodybuilder,¡± Richie said, looking me over again, but in an appraising way that didn¡¯t feel sexual. ¡°You¡¯re lean, and all muscle- like a real fighter.


    ¡°And then you take the world¡¯s quickest shower, and dress like you¡¯re going to work doing investment banking or something. And your car- that thing wasn¡¯t cheap. So nobody has any real clue. I mean, there¡¯s plenty of speculation, but it¡¯s all just, well, wild shit.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡±


    ¡°My favorite is that you¡¯re some kind of, like, secret government killer or something. You¡¯re here to train with Jody while you wait for your next mission.¡±


    ¡°I like that one,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°Yeah, so the story is that after the gym, you go spend a couple of hours a day at the shooting range practicing your sniper skills.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are a couple of really obvious flaws with that story,¡± I said. ¡°The most basic is that real secret government assassins are average-looking people, who can blend in anywhere. There aren¡¯t a lot of crowds I could blend into.¡±


    ¡°No, I guess not,¡± Richie said, looking crestfallen that his pet theory was shot down so easily. ¡°So what¡¯s the second flaw?¡±


    ¡°After I leave the gym, I go to my office where I sit behind a desk. No gunpowder residue on me at all.¡±


    ¡°So you say,¡± he countered with a smile. ¡°We all know that¡¯s just your cover.¡±


    That got a genuine laugh from me, I will admit.


    ¡°You know,¡± I said, narrowing my eyes. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve figured it out, I¡¯m gonna have to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Can I have a last request?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°Can it be death by snu-snu?¡±


    ¡°Dream on,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, I already have!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me spit up my coffee,¡± I growled, chuckling at his comic ploy. I appreciated that he had a sense of humor, but he still wasn¡¯t ever going to get anywhere.


    When I told Emmy and Angela about it that evening neither of them understood the reference, so I did a search and we watched the episode of Futurama together. Of course, both proclaimed that death by snu-snu was definitely how they wanted to go when it came time¡­

 A New Start

    After the movers had taken the last box I made one last sweep of the condo, checking to make sure we¡¯d packed everything. We had the place for another six weeks, so it wasn¡¯t as if it would be a big deal if we had to come back for something we forgot, but still¡­


    Emmy and Angela were already at the new house, ready to direct the guys as to where the many boxes of stuff and remarkably few pieces of furniture belonged.


    I took a few minutes to lean on the balcony railing, thinking about what Jenna had said about the view. Yeah, I was going to miss that, and the convenience of ordering from the restaurant downstairs, and the great job the detailer did on our cars, and the ultra-short commute to school and my office, and¡­ But seriously, it was a really nice place to live and if all else had been equal and Emmy didn¡¯t have her music, I could see us buying a place there in the building.


    But Emmy did have her music, and I did seem to be needing more and more parking spaces. If things went right, soon we would be needing a nursery (or maybe two!) and living quarters for whatever live-in help we might take on, too. This move to Wonderland was really the right step, and our life was going to become easier in some ways. Emmy would have an unreasonably easy commute, and with my full home office I could skip going in on days when I didn¡¯t have any meetings scheduled. Angela, well, her work was location-independent to a great extent, so that was fine. She and Emmy had talked about setting up a photography studio in a corner of the sound stage, so maybe that was going to happen, too.


    All in all, it was going to be an upgrade in our lives, except for giving up the view from that wonderful balcony living room space in unit number Seventeen F.


    Finally satisfied we¡¯d gotten everything that was ours and not part of the condo¡¯s furnishings, I closed and locked the door behind me on my way out, quite likely for the very last time. Yes, it was just transitional space for us, but so much had happened in our lives in the six months we¡¯d lived there that it felt a whole lot longer.


    I stopped off at a flower stand on my way to the new house and got two dozen roses for Emmy and Angela. I felt an odd mixture of sadness to see one phase of our life come to an end, but also excitement at starting a new one, and I wanted to commemorate the occasion with the simple gift.


    Hitting the gate opener, I pulled the car into what we¡¯d all taken to calling the ¡®Batcave Entrance¡¯, which was a surprising distance and around a bend in the street from the house¡¯s main gate into the motor court. The Batcave gate was plain and unmarked and crowded on both sides by a tall hedge hiding a security wall. Passing by, it was far from obvious that it led to our house at all, and that was just perfect as far as we were concerned.


    Although three of the garage¡¯s bays were already occupied, I pulled the M6 into the third spot down the line, the space designated for the coupe. I gazed out across the remaining empty bays, wondering what cars might find a home there¡­ Maybe a Range Rover? Maybe James¡¯ 918? Who knows?


    The house still smelled like fresh paint down there in the bottom level, even though low toxicity products had been specified. There just wasn¡¯t a lot of airflow on that floor, but now we were living there I could keep the garage doors and windows open to air the place out some.


    I found Emmy in the living room, watching Snake and Riggo setting up the Hi-Fi system.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, giving her a kiss and a bouquet of flowers. ¡°Have the movers gotten here yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have,¡± she replied absently, smelling the flowers. ¡°Angela is directing them. You can probably find them-¡± she began, but was interrupted by Angela¡¯s voice speaking in Spanish, issuing commands to the movers, who followed her into the living room with boxes bound for various places.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, getting her attention. I handed her the roses and said, ¡°Welcome home, beautiful.¡±


    Her eyes softened as she smiled, then threw her arms around my shoulders. ¡°We can celebrate when the work is done,¡± she said, giving me a little peck.


    ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± she replied, before turning her attention back to the workers. ¡°Ven!¡± she said, indicating they should follow her as she led them downstairs to the bedrooms.


    Riggo and Snake seemed satisfied with the stereo¡¯s install, and had selected ¡®Dark Times¡¯ to test it out. Riggo pulled the heavy vinyl disc from the sleeve with obvious reverence before setting the LP on the turntable¡¯s platter. Starting it spinning, he gently lowered the needle to the groove, turning the volume knob up about halfway.


    Of course I knew what to expect, but when Emmy¡¯s primal scream from ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯ came tearing out of the speakers, I still just about jumped out of my skin. As the scream died and the guitar intro blasted away, I finally understood the value of the mind-bogglingly expensive speakers we¡¯d gotten for the Hi-Fi. At over a hundred grand for the full set, I¡¯d simply shaken my head at the cost when we bought them. Of course, we¡¯d never actually turned up the volume there at the condo, since we had neighbors above, below and on both sides. Even with the building¡¯s serious soundproofing, these speakers would have been far too much.


    Here, though, it wasn¡¯t a concern. Our nearest neighbor¡¯s house was a fair distance away with plenty of trees and such in between. Still, a silly rhyme Brent had said back in high School about Rammstein popped into my head, but with a different band name. ¡®Roses are red, violets are blue. When I listen to The Downfall, my neighbors do, too.¡¯


    Angela returned to the living room, her hands on her hips. ¡°You should have warned everybody!¡± she chastised. ¡°The guys dropped the boxes when the song started.¡±


    Riggo, for one, didn¡¯t look the least bit sorry. In fact, he grinned like the cat that ate the canary, and high-fived Snake.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Emmy apologized, having to speak loudly to be heard over the music. ¡°We just had to check to see if the stereo was working properly.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is,¡± Angela said, still a little bit cross, but also seeing the humor in it. She turned back to the movers and gestured for them to get back to work, which they all did, giving glances back at Emmy.


    Satisfied, Riggo lifted the needle off the record and put it back in its sleeve in a way that could only be described as ¡®lovingly¡¯. He then tried the various other settings, playing a CD, then internet radio. He tested the whole house speaker systems, too, sending Snake to various parts of the house to check the sound quality as he adjusted the settings.


    Finally satisfied, he left the stereo playing an internet blues station on the house speakers in just the public areas of the house, at a greatly reduced volume from before.


    ¡°See ya Monday, boss,¡± said Snake to Emmy as the two left, their task complete.


    By this time the movers had unloaded the truck and left, so it was finally just us three in our new home.


    Angela bustled about, looking in the kitchen cabinets for vases for the flowers, but finding none. As Emmy and I watched, she vanished to the bedroom, returning a moment later with a notepad.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting a shopping list,¡± she announced. ¡°Anything we need for the house, write it down as you think of it.¡±


    To get the list started, she wrote ¡®Flower vases¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go shopping tomorrow,¡± Angela said. It pleased me to see her acceptance of the idea that this was ¡®our home¡¯ and not just ¡®Emmy and Leah¡¯s house¡¯. Yes, Emmy and I had said it many times, but this was the sort of subconscious proof that Angela really did believe it, too.


    ¡°Angela, come over here. Put that down and come over here for a moment,¡± Emmy said, indicating the couch in between us.


    Puzzled, Angela did as she was told. Emmy wrapped her up in a big hug, then indicated I should do the same.


    ¡°Welcome to our new home,¡± Emmy said. ¡°This is it- where the three of us will make our lives together. We have plenty of time, so no need to feel as if we need to get everything done today, or even tomorrow. In fact, I think we need to celebrate.¡±


    Angela let out a long breath and relaxed her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re right, I know,¡± she said. ¡°But we don¡¯t even have the kitchen unpacked. I put the things in the fridge that needed it, but-¡±


    ¡°After we relax a little,¡± Emmy urged. ¡°I have an idea. It is a warm afternoon, and there is nobody else around. Let us have a little pool party, just the three of us.¡±


    ¡°The big pool or the little one?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°The little one,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the big one has even been heated yet, but yesterday I felt the water and the little one is nice and warm.¡±


    ¡°And,¡± Emmy added. ¡°No bathing suits.¡±


    ¡°Why, Mrs Lascaux,¡± I said, trying to sound scandalized. ¡°This seems like a ploy to see me naked.¡±


    ¡°Will it work?¡± she asked, hopeful.


    ¡°For sure,¡± I replied. ¡°I am an exhibitionist, or so I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    Angela laughed and stood up. ¡°You go get us a bottle or two of wine from downstairs,¡± she commanded Emmy. ¡°And you,¡± she said, pointing at me, ¡°go get us towels. I¡¯m going to grab some snacks and glasses for the wine. I¡¯ll see you outside.¡±


    As she walked away, Emmy gave me an amused look. ¡°Bossy!¡± she said, just loud enough for Angela to hear.


    Turning around, Angela shook her finger. ¡°No backtalk! Get to it!¡± she said, unable to hide her smile.


    I found us some towels in the linen closet and three big, fluffy robes in the master bath, but when I went out on the back deck I noticed a little towel rack by the patio bar had quite a few towels already. Taking some from the rack, I laid them out over three of the chaises by the side of the small pool for us to lie down on.


    Standing there a bit awkwardly, I decided that it was as good a time as any, so I quickly stripped off my clothes and set them aside. ¡°I sometimes think Emmy is a genius,¡± Angela said as she came out onto the deck and saw me naked. She set the tray of fruit and cheeses down, then took me in her arms for a kiss. ¡°I love seeing you with no clothes on,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get tired of that.¡±


    ¡°You know what?¡± I asked, leaning back to look in her pretty blue eyes. ¡°I love seeing you naked, too, so get ¡®em off, missy!¡±


    Laughing, Angela stepped away. ¡°Just one minute!¡± she said as she bolted back into the house. After a few seconds, the music changed from the blues that Riggo had left playing on the house system to some sort of reggaeton station, much more in line with a pool party. Emmy and Angela emerged from the house together, laughing about something, but when Emmy turned to see me, she stopped in her tracks for a moment, surprised to see me already in the buff.


    ¡°Hot, isn¡¯t she?¡± Angela asked knowingly.


    ¡°Tr¨¨s hot¡± Emmy agreed as she resumed walking, carrying her two bottles of wine and a big bottle of Perrier.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said when she set the bottles down. ¡°Now, you two, naked. Now,¡± I commanded. They gave each other an amused look, then both did their own unrehearsed strip teases as I stood there with my hands on my hips, watching.


    Emmy¡¯s was more polished, her practice with Jen clearly showing. Angela¡¯s was more of an enthusiastic amateur¡¯s routine, but that had its charm as well. Still, the two were both soon naked and laughing, and I couldn¡¯t possibly ask for more.


    Pulling them both into my arms, I kissed them each, then lifted both off the ground, took two steps and leapt into the pool as they shrieked in protest.


    I¡¯d specified that I wanted a real deep end on our little pool, so when we entered the water we submerged completely. I released both of them and we all swam to the surface, where Angela and Emmy splashed water on my face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did that!¡± Angela said as she made her way to the side of the pool.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You are so strong!¡± Emmy marveled, clinging to me and feeling my shoulders. ¡°I sometimes forget just how strong you are! You are such a beast!¡±


    The three of us splashed and played in the water for a while, enjoying the warm fall weather and especially the heated pool.


    At one point Emmy got out and poured us some wine, setting the plastic stemware next to the pool. I was enjoying the feeling of swimming nude, a feeling I hadn¡¯t had since that summer in Stephanie¡¯s pool after high school.


    Of course, I was also enjoying seeing my two beauties swimming naked as well, and when Angela or Emmy would climb out of the water to get a bite or to refill our glasses, the sight of their sleek bodies, dripping with water, was enough to get my engine racing.


    I will admit that I became more and more handsy as time went by, but neither Emmy nor Angela seemed to mind it at all. In fact, they both returned the favor.


    As the sun set, the air turned chilly and we decided it was time to head inside. I followed Emmy and Angela to our new bathroom, where we had the biggest tub our designer could find.


    Emmy started the water going while Angela and I fooled around a little bit. Soon there was enough water, so Emmy climbed in, and so did Angela and I, albeit much more slowly than Emmy had.


    Once Emmy had shut off the water, Angela said, ¡°I just don¡¯t know how you can stand the water so hot, Em,¡± wonder in her voice.


    ¡°I like it like that,¡± Emmy said with a shrug. ¡°I always have.¡±


    This new tub was large enough that we didn¡¯t have to be on top of each other to fit, which suddenly struck me as possibly a negative feature. The three of us were touching, yes, but not as close as I¡¯d prefer. Thinking about it, it occurred to me that maybe that was O.K. sometimes. A bath could be a time for companionship that wasn¡¯t carnal.


    ¡°I think this new house might just work out alright,¡± Angela said with a sigh, interrupting my thoughts.


    ¡°I think we will be happy here,¡± Emmy agreed, using her hands to pour water on herself.


    ¡°I already am,¡± Angela said with a disarming smile.


    After our bath, Angela made a nice pasta salad for our first dinner in the new house. It was a low-key celebration, but perfect just for that reason. When I¡¯d first discussed the plans with the architect and designer for what I wanted there with the studio, I¡¯d made it clear that we wanted very real separation between the house and the working parts of the structure, and they¡¯d done just that. My tower office windows looked out over the entire property, but from the house side of things all the windows and the deck looked out towards the south and down the canyon towards Hollywood¡¯s downtown, if you could call it that. The offices, lounge, and so on of the studio all looked towards the north and the motor court and the hillside. Anybody approaching from the motor court (the parking lot, in less fancy terms) would really only see the recording studio and not into the house side of things at all.


    The only real overlap in the two functions was the lounge/game room and big pool and patio area. I figured those could function both as break area for people using the recording studios and, on the weekends or after hours, our own personal playground.


    But for now, our great room had nice triple-sliding doors so the whole side could open up onto the deck which was half covered by a pergola, essentially mimicking the balcony living room we¡¯d had in The Century- except now we also had a small pool and hot tub, too.


    All in all, it made the house seem very private and secluded, even from what would hopefully be a busy recording and film studio on the other side of the wall.


    A nice, relaxing evening with just the three of us, enjoying a simple meal in the privacy of our new home- well, it really was perfect.


    While eating, Emmy brought up the idea of household staff. ¡°We will need someone like Luisa to manage the house here, too,¡± she said. ¡°Riggo and Snake will be running the recording studio, and for now Jackson will manage it, but we will need someone to oversee the actual facility, so it could be the same person who splits duties,¡± she said. ¡°And we will probably need a full-time security service as well.¡±


    ¡°I talked to Ned a few weeks ago about hiring somebody to manage the property,¡± I said. ¡°He said his cousin¡¯s daughter hasn¡¯t been able to find a job in her field after college, and she might be good at it. He said she has no experience managing a property, per se, but she¡¯s really detail-oriented and good with money.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t actually need to hire anybody,¡± Angela said. I still hadn¡¯t gotten over the thrill of hearing her use words like ¡®we¡¯ or ¡®our¡¯- it gave me a little feeling of pleasure every time she did it without thinking. ¡°I can do it. I mean, I feel like I don¡¯t contribute anything, and this is something I could do. It wouldn¡¯t take up all that much of my time, but it would give me something to do. We¡¯re just talking about things like making sure the gardeners, or window washers, cleaning crew, or whoever, do their jobs, and call the plumber if anything needs to be fixed, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, more or less,¡± I conceded. ¡°But babe, don¡¯t take this on because you feel, I don¡¯t know, guilty or something.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that, not really,¡± Angela replied. ¡°It¡¯s just- well, you two are so busy, and I¡¯m really not. It seems like something I can do to make life easier for everybody.¡±


    ¡°But Angela, ma chere, who will do all of that when you¡¯re in New York? Or if we go to Paris or London?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°I am certain you would do a better job than anybody we might hire, but it would curtail your freedom, and I would not want that for you.¡±


    Angela¡¯s shoulders slumped as she absorbed Emmy¡¯s words. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± she admitted. ¡°Right now, I can go to San Jose with Leah, or back to New York with both of you, or wherever, and if I was the one in charge of the property, I couldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I want you to have that freedom. I want you with me, I want you with Leah. The very last thing I would want is for you to feel stuck here because you need to oversee some work that needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°Babe, Em¡¯s right,¡± I said, taking Angela¡¯s hand. ¡°I appreciate where you¡¯re coming from, and I understand better than you might think about how you feel on the subject of wanting to contribute, but here¡¯s the thing- you contribute so much to our lives, Emmy¡¯s and mine, just by being you, and by being with us.¡±


    Angela¡¯s eyes softened as she squeezed my hand. She silently mouthed the word ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Emmy cleaned up after dinner while Angela and I relaxed on the sectional sofa. I¡¯d made it clear to the designer that although I wanted the Mid-Century theme for the new home¡¯s furniture, I absolutely didn¡¯t want to sacrifice comfort and utility for style. No clear plastic ¡®bubble chairs¡¯ or anything like that for us. She¡¯d done a great job of it, and it was all very livable. The gray herringbone couch was a perfect example- it fit the look perfectly, but unlike a lot of furniture from that period, it was actually really comfortable.


    Especially when you had a beautiful, loving woman draped across you.


    Angela lay on top of me, her head tucked up under my chin. As so often was the case when we snuggled like that, her hand had found its way up under my shirt. She was idly playing with my boob as we lay there listening to Emmy sing to herself as she washed up.


    ¡°I am very happy,¡± Angela said, her voice soft. ¡°I love you and Emmy so much, and I love our new home, and I love the thought of us starting a family here.¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I asked.


    ¡°But I do feel like some sort of freeloader,¡± she confessed with a sigh. ¡°I know in my mind what you said when you first took me in, about the rent I mean, well, it¡¯s true. I just don¡¯t make nearly as much money as you or Emmy, so I can¡¯t really contribute like that¡­¡±


    ¡°You know Emmy doesn¡¯t, either, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Angela asked, lifting up her head to look at my face.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t actually make any money. Well, I mean she earns a lot, sure, but she doesn¡¯t bring any home. Every penny she earns from her music she gives away,¡± I said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Angela asked, amazed.


    ¡°Every single penny. Jackson and Lee get their shares, but Emmy¡¯s share all goes to charity,¡± I explained.


    Angela was quiet, digesting the information. ¡°In fact,¡± I added, ¡°we¡¯ve been talking about starting a foundation. We¡¯d start it with a hundred million Euros.¡±


    ¡°I want to build schools in Europe and North Africa,¡± Emmy said as she joined us, sitting on the edge of the sofa. She stroked the back of Angela¡¯s thigh, and said, ¡°Here in the US, we¡¯ve already started doing that, on a small scale. Schools to teach the Night Children how to integrate into Day Walker society.¡±


    ¡°A hundred million Euros?¡± Angela asked, still trying to process.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money,¡± Angela said. ¡°Did you earn all that from your music?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Emmy laughed. ¡°I have only earned about forty million from my music, and I have already given all that away. No, this is money that Leah has earned.¡±


    ¡°You have that much money to give away?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± I said. ¡°Or, I will when we get all the details sorted out, anyway. So you can see why neither of us is worried if you bring any money into the family bank account or not.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea,¡± Angela said, pulling her hand from under my shirt and reaching out for Emmy¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Was this hand squeezing Leah¡¯s breast just a moment ago?¡± Emmy asked, taking the offered hand.


    ¡°Um, yes?¡± Angela said.


    Emmy kissed the palm and slid Angela¡¯s hand back under my shirt. ¡°That is a very good use for it,¡± she said with a laugh.


    Bashfully, Angela returned her hand to my boob, running her fingertips in circles around my nipple. She looked back at Emmy, who smiled her encouragement.


    ¡°Are you happy with us?¡± Emmy asked tenderly.


    ¡°Very much,¡± Angela replied, laying her head down on my shoulder again.


    ¡°We are very happy to have you as part of our lives, Angie,¡± Emmy said, leaning down and kissing the bare skin between Angela¡¯s top and the waistband of her leggings. ¡°Very happy you have chosen to be with us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, babe,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head.¡±Speaking for myself, I can honestly say that my life is better for you being part of it.¡±


    Angela squirmed a little, uncomfortable at being the center of so much attention.


    ¡°Baby, look at me,¡± Emmy said, stroking Angela¡¯s sculpted rear. ¡°I want you to see something.¡±


    Angela lifted her head and turned to look at Emmy, who said, ¡°Angela, this is for you.¡±


    Angela gasped when she saw the small purple velvet box Emmy held out. Turning to face Emmy more fully, she took the little box reverently, almost afraid to open it to see what lay inside. Finally mustering up the courage, Angela flipped open the lid and saw the ring Emmy had commissioned.


    This wasn¡¯t exactly the way I¡¯d imagined the scene would happen, but Emmy and I had discussed it and our first day in the new house seemed like the right time. We¡¯d told Angela we considered her to be our lover, our companion, our secret wife, and she¡¯d said yes, she wanted that, too, but that really hadn¡¯t felt like enough. We wanted the symbol as well.


    ¡°Ay, Dios!¡± Angela breathed as she pulled the metal band from its perch on the tiny purple pillow it was tucked into. Emmy reached out and gently took Angela¡¯s left hand, and then the ring from Angela¡¯s unresisting fingers.


    ¡°Angela, do you promise to love and to hold Leah and me, as long as we shall live?¡± she asked, her voice a bit shaky.


    ¡°I- I do,¡± Angela said, her own voice cracking a bit.


    ¡°Angela, I promise to love and to hold you as well, as long as I live,¡± Emmy said, barely able to form the words, her voice so full of emotion.


    ¡°Angela, I promise to love and hold you, as long as I live, too,¡± I said, taking her right hand. I must confess, tears were rolling down my own cheeks, matching Angela¡¯s.


    ¡°It is done. We are one,¡± Emmy pronounced, slipping the band, split evenly between a black half and a gold half, onto Angela¡¯s ring finger.


    Angela held up her hand, staring in awe at the ring, turning it to see the gold half, then the black zirconium half, then the gold again.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°Then it is perfect for you,¡± Emmy said, leaning down and kissing Angela, long and tender. It was sweet, loving, and oh, so very sexy. When they parted, Angela lowered herself down to me and we kissed, too. I wanted to convey my feelings for her, and she obviously felt the same way.


    ¡°What do I tell people?¡± Angela wondered aloud.


    ¡°Tell people that I love you,¡± Emmy said, stroking Angela¡¯s cheek. ¡°Tell people that Leah loves you. Tell people that you love us, too.¡±


    ¡°Or don¡¯t tell them anything,¡± I suggested. ¡°Or tell them to mind their own business, or that you have a Canadian husband. It doesn¡¯t matter to me what you tell people, as long as you tell us you love us,¡± I said.


    ¡°Canadian husband?¡± Angela asked, perplexed.


    ¡°It¡¯s an old joke,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. What I mean is that it¡¯s not important what you say. Emmy and I love you, you and I love Emmy, and the two of you love me, right? That¡¯s what¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°I have done some research,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I could not find any country that would allow same-sex polygamy, although some traditional African cultures allow it in practice under certain circumstances. This means that we cannot be wed in the eyes of the law, as much as I wish we could. That does not mean that I take it any less seriously, Angela,¡± Emmy continued. ¡°To me, this is real. Very real.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, leaning in for another kiss. ¡°Are you doing alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m- honestly, I feel a bit overwhelmed,¡± she admitted. ¡°But in a good way!¡± she added, to make sure Emmy and I understood. ¡°This makes me so happy I could explode, but also sad, because like Em said, it¡¯s real to us, but not to anybody else.¡±


    ¡°Nobody else matters,¡± I said, holding her tightly.


    Angela clung tightly to me in return, while Emmy rubbed her back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell my parents,¡± Angela finally said.


    ¡°They know the three of us are in a relationship, right? From what I¡¯ve been able to tell, they¡¯ve been surprisingly supportive,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t use the word ¡®marriage¡¯. Tell them you¡¯re committed to Emmy and me, and we¡¯re committed to you. It¡¯s the truth, and it¡¯ll be easier for them to accept.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Angela said, sounding unconvinced.


    ¡°It is very important to me that you make it very clear to your mother and father that you are not our¡­¡± Emmy said, searching for the right word. ¡°Our mistress. You are our partner.¡±


    ¡°Em is right,¡± I agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t want them thinking that you¡¯re somehow just our, um, plaything, you know? We don¡¯t just keep you around for the sex.¡±


    ¡°But the sex is good, isn¡¯t it?¡± Angela asked, a bit saucily.


    ¡°The sex is very good,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°Very good. But it is not why we love you. We love you because of who you are in your heart.¡±


    Angela let her head drop on my shoulder again and let out a contented sigh. ¡°Even if we can¡¯t get married in a church, I¡¯m happy to be your wife, both of you. I love being with you. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives.¡±


    ¡°There is one more important question that I must ask,¡± Emmy said, her voice turning serious.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Angela asked, suddenly concerned.


    ¡°Where would you like to go for our honeymoon?¡±


    ¡°That was mean!¡± Angela protested. ¡°You had me worried!¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the Seychelles might be nice,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe one of those places out over the water.¡±


    ¡°But Emmy-¡± Angela began.


    ¡°I will know to be more careful this time,¡± Emmy said, interrupting Angela¡¯s protest. ¡°I have told you it has always been my dream to go to such a place, did I not? I will simply make certain that I do not get too much sun, and do not become the main food source for all the mosquitos on the island.¡±


    This got a little laugh. ¡°If you need any help applying sun lotion, or mosquito repellant, let me know,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s my job as your wife to make sure you¡¯re taking care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± I said. ¡°Are you implying I did a terrible job there in Key West?¡±


    ¡°You said it, not me,¡± Angela replied with a mischievous grin. ¡°I think my hands will be full taking care of both of you,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Hey- is that a sexual reference?¡± I demanded, unable to stop a chuckle.


    ¡°It could be, yes,¡± Angela agreed, looking thoughtful.


    That night we christened our new bed in grand style, repeatedly. Angela was particularly amorous, and Emmy and I were perfectly willing to let her have her way with us. As far as I was concerned, Angela needed to know that we wanted her to be an equal in our household of three and me topping her all the time would have just the opposite effect. Also, it was nice to be the one receiving attention. It isn¡¯t as if Angela and Emmy were total pillow princesses, but I did have a tendency to give rather than receive.


    It was wonderful to witness Angela¡¯s ever-increasing confidence in bed, and wonderful to experience her ever-improving technique.


    Eventually we fell asleep with Angela getting the middle spot. We were all three sated and happy, and starting this new phase of our lives together in a warm cocoon of love.

 A Lovely Way To Spend The Day

    Andy and Jenna came over the next day for an impromptu housewarming party, bearing a few gifts. A bottle of champagne, of course, but also a nice ficus in a good-sized pot and a gag gift- a door mat that said, ¡°Come Back With A Warrant¡±.


    Laughing, I took the door mat and put it in its place of honor on our unmarked doorstep facing the motor court side of the house.


    Jenna hadn¡¯t been to our new place during construction, so Angela gave her the five-dollar tour while I led Andy out to the patio. It was a nice, warm day and we¡¯d planned for lunch outside, albeit under the cover of the pergola for Emmy¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Damn, this place looks good, now it¡¯s done,¡± Andy said. ¡°I mean, seeing it finished, it¡¯s something else.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really happy with it,¡± I agreed, putting the champagne in the patio bar¡¯s fridge. ¡°It came out amazing.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Emmy?¡± Andy asked as he sat down on one of the couches by the fire pit thing.


    ¡°She¡¯s still asleep,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°She¡¯s just not a morning person.¡±


    ¡°And we kept her up late,¡± Angela said as she and Jenna joined Andy and me. ¡°Celebrating.¡±


    ¡°Celebrating the new house?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°No, not the new house,¡± Jenna said, sitting on his lap. ¡°Angie, show him,¡± she commanded, and Angela obligingly held out her left hand for him to see.


    ¡°Emmy and Leah got me a¡­ commitment ring. Since we can¡¯t actually be married, you know.¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± Jenna said, taking Angela¡¯s hand and holding it closer for Andy. ¡°It¡¯s black on one side, for Emmy, and gold on the other, for Leah.¡±


    ¡°So you guys are really a thing, huh?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, like, a permanent thing?¡±


    ¡°We really are,¡± I said, taking a seat on the other couch, where Angela joined me. I took her hand in mine and looked at the ring, turning it on her finger. ¡°This is for the long haul. Ange, well, she brings something to the relationship I don¡¯t think Emmy or I even realized we¡¯d needed, you know? Life is better with her in the mix.¡±


    ¡°Plus, she¡¯s hot as hell,¡± Jenna adds with a smirk.


    ¡°Who is hot as hell?¡± Emmy asked as she joined us, rubbing her eyes against the bright morning daylight. All she had on was the oversized Cardinal T shirt that Emmy and Angela seemed to keep stealing from each other- after, of course, stealing it from me.


    ¡°You are, babe,¡± I replied as she leaned down for a kiss from me, then Angela.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a smile. Standing up again, she squinted. ¡°I will be back in a moment,¡± she announced and went back inside.


    ¡°Andy, I know you got to see the house when it was under construction, right? But you really have to check it out now. You¡¯ll just die for the gym. Like, seriously. And the wine room? Oh. My. God. It¡¯s incredible. And their bedroom!¡±


    ¡°Did you get to see the recording studio?¡± Andy asked her. ¡°Seriously, this place is world class.¡±


    ¡°No, we just looked at the house,¡± Jenna said.


    ¡°Then you only got to see twenty percent of the place,¡± Andy grinned. ¡°We need a comprehensive tour.¡±


    The house speakers came on, playing Brazilian jazz, nice and smooth. The volume was high enough to hear clearly, but low enough not to affect conversation, which was perfect. Emmy came out of the living room a moment later, fully dressed this time.


    ¡°Hey, Em,¡± I said. ¡°You should give Jenna and Andy a tour of the studio facilities while Ange and I make lunch.¡±


    Emmy looked at Jenna and Andy. ¡°If you two are interested, I would love to show the studio to you.¡±


    ¡°Heck yeah!¡± Jenna said. ¡°I mean, this is peak Hollywood, right? A movie studio and recording studio all rolled into one?¡±


    After they left, Angela and I went inside to fix lunch. We hadn¡¯t planned anything fancy, just a nice chopped chicken salad with Thai peanut sauce. Angela wrapped her arms around me from behind and rested her head against my back while I was mixing everything up in the big salad bowl.


    ¡°Can I tell you something?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, enjoying her warmth against me.


    ¡°I really am happy,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever really been this happy before. It¡¯s just, with you and Emmy, I feel so¡­ So loved, and cared for. Just thinking about the three of us starting a family here, in our new home, with our good friends¡­ It¡¯s all just, well, perfect. I couldn¡¯t imagine my life being any better than this.¡±


    I turned around and pulled Angela tight. ¡°It is perfect, alright,¡± I agreed. ¡°And Ange, I wasn¡¯t kidding earlier when I said that you¡¯re a big part of why it feels that way.¡±


    With that, we kissed deeply and passionately, but also tenderly. I gently wiped the tear forming on her cheek away with my thumb, then kissed her again.


    ¡°You know, my mom really liked you when she visited for Thanksgiving,¡± I said. ¡°And Tiffany said she thinks you¡¯re sweet and pretty.¡±


    Angela smiled that disarming smile of hers. ¡°I liked them, too,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s one set of in-laws taken care of and onboard with the three of us,¡± I said. ¡°But unlike most people, we have two more to go. Have you talked to your mom and dad about coming to visit?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I did,¡± she confirmed. ¡°I told them that we would get them tickets. I said that we had plenty of room for them here at the new house, but if they want we could get them a hotel. Papa seemed to think a hotel would be nice, but Mam¨ª doesn¡¯t like the idea. She says that if they are going to visit, then they should actually visit.¡±


    I laughed at that, and Angela laid her head on my chest. ¡°I¡¯m sure they will like you and Emmy, but I¡¯m still worried, you know?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°As far as Emmy¡¯s parents go, they¡¯ll seem aloof, but I know for a fact they¡¯ll accept you just fine. It might not seem like it, but that¡¯s just because they¡¯re really, um, old-fashioned and formal. The thing with them, they don¡¯t have the same preconceptions that most people do. It never bothered them that Emmy and I were in love- their only concern was that Emmy would still have kids, you know? When we tell them that we¡¯re going to get going on that now that we¡¯re in our permanent home, they¡¯ll be happy. Emmy has told them that you are part of our family now, and they¡¯ve been just fine with that.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Angela asked. ¡°They don¡¯t think it¡¯s weird? Us, being three?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really discussed it much with Emmy, but their culture is different than ours in a lot of ways, and I think that relationships are one of those ways.¡±


    ¡°I hope they like me,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Ange, everybody likes you,¡± I said, kissing her hair again.


    We were still holding each other like that when Emmy led Jenna and Andy into the kitchen.


    ¡°There you are,¡± she said. ¡°How soon will lunch be ready? Do we have time to tour the grounds?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ready now, but go ahead. We can eat when you get done with the full tour,¡± I answered, still holding Angela in my arms.


    ¡°We will be quick,¡± Emmy said, leaning in to give Angela a kiss, then standing on her tiptoes to kiss me.


    After they left again Angela and I remained in the same position, holding each other.


    ¡°I love her so much,¡± Angela said. ¡°Is it weird? Loving two people at the same time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unusual,¡± I agreed, ¡°but it feels right to me.¡±


    Eventually we let go of each other and got back to work preparing lunch. The salad was done, so it was just a matter of transferring the butternut squash soup to a serving dish and setting the table out on the patio.


    Angela and I had just finished readying everything when the other three finally finished their tour.


    ¡°This place is totally amazing!¡± Jenna said as they sat down. ¡°I mean, seriously! I can¡¯t believe this place just fell in your lap!¡±


    ¡°I looked at a lot of properties before this one,¡± I said. ¡°I just didn¡¯t see any that had the right combination of what we wanted. This one, well, the whole movie studio thing, that wasn¡¯t on my shopping list, you know? But the fact it had all the recording rooms already was perfect.¡±


    ¡°So I guess I don¡¯t understand what the house part of it was carved from,¡± Jenna said. ¡°I mean, I get that this whole building was all a movie studio before, and you said, ¡®well, we need to trim some off to make a house¡¯, right? So what was this part before?¡±


    ¡°Offices, meeting rooms, stuff like that. The living room was a pretty big, empty space- I think maybe a rehearsal area or something. When I first saw the place it was all empty, so a lot of the rooms weren¡¯t really obvious what they were, exactly. But a lot of walls got moved, and new stuff got built. The garage, about half that was a construction workshop for the sound stage, and the other half was a carport slash loading dock. Now it¡¯s all enclosed, and that¡¯s where we get this patio- this is the roof of the garage,¡± I explained.


    ¡°You should have seen it when Lee first brought me over here,¡± Andy said. ¡°The whole place was torn down to the studs. They just ripped into the place like gangbusters, and rebuilt it almost from the ground up. This place was freaking swarming with workers- you couldn¡¯t find a parking spot anywhere near.¡±


    ¡°I bet the neighbors looooved that,¡± Jenna said, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°I have sent all our new neighbors invitations to our official housewarming party,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I hope to make a good impression and keep them all happy with us.¡±


    ¡°When will the party be?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Last Saturday in January,¡± I replied. ¡°Be here or be squeer.¡±


    ¡°Well, we aren¡¯t going to the Super Bowl, that¡¯s for sure, so I¡¯ll have a fair amount of free time about then,¡± Andy said, raising his glass in a toast.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    After Jenna and Andy left Emmy went inside to lie down while Angela and I cleaned up.


    ¡°I wish Emmy would take care of herself better,¡± Angela said. ¡°She knows she can¡¯t be in the bright daylight for very long without her dark glasses, but she just won¡¯t wear them like she should.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s always been a problem, but it seems as if it¡¯s getting worse. I know she hates to think of herself as, I don¡¯t know, handicapped, maybe? But what she doesn¡¯t get is that the rest of us would rather she did what it takes for her own comfort.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go see if she¡¯s O.K.,¡± Angela said. ¡°I feel bad for her.¡±


    ¡°Give her a kiss for me,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t that I wasn¡¯t concerned about Emmy, but I¡¯d seen her get headaches from too much light plenty of times and I knew that with some time in a dark room she¡¯d be back to normal in an hour or two. Also, it was important to me that Emmy and Angela have their own relationship, and giving them opportunities to be together were important.


    About half an hour later I realized that my briefcase was in the bedroom, so I gently tiptoed in to grab it. Not wanting to disturb Emmy, I kept as quiet as I could.


    Emmy was lying down on the bed in a semi-fetal position, her head on Angela¡¯s lap. Angela was softly stroking Emmy¡¯s hair and singing quietly to her- something that sounded like a child¡¯s lullaby in Spanish.


    It was such a tender and beautiful scene that I couldn¡¯t help but watch for a while, mesmerized by the care and affection on display. After a few minutes I was too overcome to resist, so I knelt on the side of the bed and leaned in and kissed Emmy. Taking her hand, I asked how she was doing.


    ¡°I am feeling better,¡± she said, but I could still detect a bit of pain in her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see Dr Ange¡¯s treatment is helpful,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is,¡± Emmy said with a little bit of a smile. ¡°It really is.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you in her capable hands, then,¡± I said with another kiss. Standing, I kissed Angela, too. I didn¡¯t say anything to her, just gave her a grateful smile.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked, her voice quiet for Emmy¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Up to my new office,¡± I said. ¡°I just came in here to grab my briefcase with my laptop. I figure I¡¯ll get in a little bit of work before dinner.¡±


    Emmy sat up and gave Angela a look, which Angela returned. ¡°We will go with you,¡± Emmy announced, and they both stood up.


    Puzzled, I said, ¡°No, babe. Just stay here and rest. Let Ange take care of you until your headache goes away.¡±


    Angela and Emmy shared looks again. Angela said, ¡°We got you a present. It¡¯s in the office. We want to watch when you see it.¡±


    ¡°You guys got me a present? And you hid it in my office?¡± I asked. This sounded like a terrible place to hide something from me, so I was perplexed.


    ¡°It is not hidden,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You will see it the moment you go upstairs.¡±


    Emmy seemed to have forgotten her headache in the excitement of me seeing my present, so I was willing to go along with whatever it was that Angela and Emmy had cooked up.


    Emmy was fairly vibrating with anticipation as she took my hand, almost dragging me out of the bedroom towards the far end of the house where my new home office literally towered over the property.


    Amused by Emmy¡¯s giddy enthusiasm, I let her pull me along. Angela smiled at me every time I glanced back at her as she followed.


    I have no idea what the tower had been designed for originally- it made no architectural sense as far as I could tell. From the outside it almost looked like an air traffic control tower, with a wide, overhanging roof and windows circling the entire space. It was a full two stories above the main roof of the building, affording a panoramic view of the entire property as well as far down the canyon towards the main part of Hollywood. There was a windowless floor below the office, which I¡¯d been thinking would wind up as nothing more than a storage space since it was mostly just there for the stairs on two sides.


    But that¡¯s where my new present waited for me, rather than in my office proper. It took me a moment to recognize exactly what it was that Emmy was pointing to with such pride, but when it hit me, I was totally floored.


    ¡°You guys got me a racing sim rig?¡± I asked, but really, I was stating the obvious. There was the Cobra-style chair, the steering yoke, pedals, and multiple large screens for immersive viewing, and the giant gaming computer that looked like some sort of disco Tron mashup.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Angela asked, her eyes sparkling.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never even tried racing sims before, so I won¡¯t have any clue what I¡¯m doing- but this looks awesome!¡±


    I took a seat in the chair and tested the pedals, and to my amazement, they felt real. The steering yoke, too- it was a dead replica of the one in my GT3. ¡°Wow,¡± I breathed. ¡°No, seriously, this is freaking amazing.¡±


    ¡°I am so glad you like it!¡± Emmy said, practically bouncing up an down with excitement. ¡°Angela thought of it, and we did a lot of research to find the very best.¡±


    ¡°You guys might have just lost me forever,¡± I said. ¡°If you need me, you¡¯ll know where to find me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I know how to get you away from this racing game,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Just try it,¡± I replied, examining the buttons on the yoke.


    ¡°Leah, look here,¡± Angela commanded, so I glanced over to see what was so important. To my surprise, she¡¯d ditched her clothes in that brief moment and was totally naked.


    ¡°If you want this,¡± she said, running her hand down her hip, ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to join Emmy and me in the bedroom.¡±


    I exaggerated my reaction for effect, my jaw dropping open and my eyes widening. After a moment, I jumped up out of the racing sim setup (which is harder than it sounds).


    ¡°Nuh uh!¡± Angela said as I reached in her direction, then she bolted down the stairs, completely naked.


    Of course, I made a big show of chasing after her, again playing up for comic effect and thundering down the stairs after her, with Emmy running along behind and laughing like crazy.


    The long hallway that led to my office was unusual in that there were no doors for its full length. Basically, it had been carved from the business side of the building, and only existed to connect the office tower to the rest of the home at pretty much the far end of the structure. As a result, the north side was simply a long blank wall which would eventually have artwork, and on the south side, mostly just floor to ceiling windows the whole length.


    As I chased a shrieking Angela, lit from the left by the late afternoon light filtered by the eucalyptus trees, I had one of those ¡®perfect moment¡¯ flashes. Angela¡¯s muscular back and incredible butt were on perfect anatomic display as she ran, the dappled light from the windows casting specific features into highlights or obscurity as she moved.


    For that brief instant, if I could have made time stand still, I would have.


    Exiting the unbelievably long hallway, Angela made a quick move to the right and down the stairs to the middle floor, where the bedrooms lay. Of course I could actually have caught up to her at any time, but that wasn¡¯t the point, was it? I chased her as she ran into our bedroom, Emmy hot on my heels.


    Angela took a flying leap onto our bed, belly flopping in magnificent style. I seized the moment and leapt on top of her, sliding my knees up between her ankles and pinning her down with my weight as I made ¡®nom nom nom¡¯ growling noises while I kissed and gently gnawed on her butt, back and shoulders as I moved my way up.


    ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯ve been caught by a woman-eating beast!¡± Angela cried out as she played at struggling to get away.


    I pulled her thick, long black hair aside to expose the back of her neck and continued my assault there, kissing and nibbling her neck, under her ear, and along her jawline. Her cries turned quickly to moans of pleasure as her playful struggling changed to something a bit more sensual.


    I felt delicate fingers hooking the waistband of my sweats and pulling them down and off. Realizing that Emmy had joined in the fun, I raised my hips to aid in her task, and soon enough I was bare from the hem of my T shirt down. Enjoying the feeling of skin on skin, I ground myself against Angela¡¯s butt as Emmy worked to divest me of my shirt and bra, too.


    Once Emmy had me as naked as Angela was, I sat back on my heels and grabbed Angela¡¯s hips, pulling her up and onto my legs, my knees between hers. I pulled her back against my chest and snaked my arms around her body, my hands roaming as I went back to nibbling and kissing her neck.


    I was pleased to discover Angela was just as excited by all this as I was, my fingers sliding inside her slick heat as smooth as silk.


    ¡°Ah, Leah!¡± she gasped as I probed deeply, my thumb playing with the little golden ring that adorned her clit.


    Emmy had scooted in behind me and was kissing my back and shoulders, her hands stroking my sides, occasionally reaching beyond me to Angela¡¯s waist, hips, or chest.


    I held Angela in place as I kept up the rhythm and soon her whole body tensed as she shuddered her climax.


    I gently lowered Angela down and rolled her onto her back and met no resistance when I parted her legs. I lowered my face down and tasted what I¡¯d been playing with, using my tongue to lap, probe, tickle and tease until Angela¡¯s legs clamped down on my head in a second orgasm only a few minutes after her first.


    Leaving Angela where she lay, I turned around to take a now naked Emmy into my arms, drawing her into a deep kiss. As my tongue slid into her mouth I knew that Emmy was tasting Angela on my lips and tongue, and the thought excited me even more.


    It seemed to work for Emmy, too, since she sucked greedily on my tongue. When I ended the kiss, she pursued me and kissed and licked the rest of Angela¡¯s juice off my face.


    ¡°Eat me now,¡± she breathed. ¡°Eat me, you beast.¡±


    Emmy lay back between Angela¡¯s legs, her shoulders on Angela¡¯s belly and her head between Angela¡¯s breasts. She spread her own legs wide, inviting- no, demanding my attention. Placing my hands on her knees and then gently sliding them down the insides of her thighs, I kissed her belly button and played with the little jeweled ring there, then slowly, teasingly slowly, I worked my way down to her mound, using my breath and the softest imaginable touch of my lips or my tongue to drive her wild with anticipation.


    Finally it got to be too much and Emmy grabbed my head and pushed my face where she wanted it. That was O.K., since that was where I wanted my face, too, so it was a win for both of us.


    As I slid my tongue up and down her charcoal-colored folds, I looked up and saw Emmy looking down at me, her face an expression of pleasure. Amusingly, I also saw Angela, peering down over Emmy¡¯s shoulder at what I was doing, her eyes hooded with lust. Angela¡¯s hands had come back into action, too, and as I swirled Emmy¡¯s tiny little bud with my tongue, Angela¡¯s fingers mimicked the movement on Emmy¡¯s nipples.


    Emmy didn¡¯t stand a chance against this two-pronged assault and soon she was quivering on the edge, and then with a big gasp, her whole body went rigid for a moment, then collapsed, boneless, on top of Angela.


    Angela held Emmy tight and murmured loving words in her ear as I climbed my way up beside them, leaning in and giving Angela a kiss that mirrored the one I¡¯d given Emmy earlier.


    ¡°She tastes so good,¡± Angela said as we parted.


    ¡°You both do,¡± I replied, before kissing Emmy.


    ¡°Now it is our turn,¡± Emmy declared, getting up off Angela and pushing my shoulders down to the bed.


    ¡°I get to eat her,¡± Angela declared, so Emmy turned around and straddled my face, lowering her pussy down onto me as she watched Angela part my legs and kiss my clit. I felt first one finger, then two, and then a third slide in and out, filling me, then leaving me empty, then filling me again with a slow, deliberate tempo. Angela¡¯s tongue was hard at work on my bud in counterpoint and the combination was heavenly. It was amazing to me how good she had gotten at lady-loving in just the short time she had been doing it, and how quickly she¡¯d taken to it.


    Meanwhile, Emmy¡¯s hips rocked to her own rhythm as my tongue and lips did what they so loved to do to her pretty, tiny little pussy. Emmy was supporting the weight of her upper body with one arm, the other hand squeezing my boobs and pinching my nipples mercilessly.


    I¡¯m proud to say that I outlasted Emmy, who fell to the side with another of her gasps as she came. Looking down at Angela¡¯s pretty, wide blue eyes and smiling face as she licked and kissed my lady bits, it struck me that I hadn¡¯t recognized how much Angela actually enjoyed cunnilingus. She was obviously taking great delight in eating me out, and it wasn¡¯t just because she felt she owed me the return favor. No, she was tonguing me for all she was worth because she wanted to do it, she wanted to taste me and feel my body respond to her efforts.


    I reached down and ran my fingers through her thick, black hair and let myself go, let the sensations that I had been fighting against wash over me in a giant wave of pleasure and release.


    As I lay there, I was dimly aware of Angela kissing Emmy, completing the circle. After a few minutes of that, Angela climbed over me and cuddled against one side as Emmy did the same on the other.


    I lay there, completely satisfied and thoroughly spent, surrounded literally as well as figuratively with love.


    After a while I said to both of them, ¡°We really need to do that more often.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°That was wonderful.¡±


    ¡°It will have to wait for at least another hour or two,¡± Angela said with a groan.


    Emmy laughed that pretty laugh of hers, then reached over to stroke Angela¡¯s shoulder. That wasn¡¯t enough, though, so Emmy climbed over me and spooned Angela from behind, touching and caressing her gently, lovingly, and with increasing intent, sensually. It didn¡¯t take very long before Angela leaned back into Emmy with pleasure as the two kissed, their tongues dancing to a very sexy beat.


    Angela had rolled onto her back by this time, so I took the opportunity to move into position below her. I lifted her legs up and spread them out, sliding up into position so I could grind my still very sensitive clit against that little gold ring she had.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Angela moaned as I got the motion right, my hips rocking at the proper angle for mutual stimulation.


    Emmy watched on in fascination as the speed of my movements increased, the copious wetness allowing us to slide against each other with no friction at all.


    Angela¡¯s orgasm triggered my own and I could barely hold myself up with my arms as my ragged breathing slowed while I recovered.


    ¡°We have never done that,¡± Emmy said in wonder at what she had just seen.


    ¡°We tried a long time ago,¡± I said, still a bit short of breath. ¡°But it didn¡¯t work with us. Your clit is just so tiny, we never really managed to get anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ Angela said. ¡°Maybe it might work with you and me. I mean, my piercing might¡­¡±


    I moved off Angela so Emmy could take my place in the saddle, so to speak. Emmy tried to replicate the angle and movement she¡¯d just watch me do, but really didn¡¯t manage to find just the right position. After a few minutes of trying, she simply gave up. I think it had been working a little bit for Angela, but Emmy was left unsatisfied by the experience.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, babe,¡± I said, taking Emmy into my arms. ¡°You and Angela can do sixty-nine, and I can¡¯t make that work with either of you- I¡¯m just too big. That¡¯s O.K., though- it just means I get to watch sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I like watching you and Angela make love,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°It is unbelievably hot.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure Angela would have had something to say, but she¡¯d fallen asleep already.

 As A Jaybird

    ¡°She is so beautiful,¡± Emmy said, looking down at Angela¡¯s peaceful sleeping face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how lucky I am,¡± I said. ¡°To have the two most beautiful women in the world for my lovers.¡±


    Emmy gave me a smile, reaching over to stroke my thigh. ¡°I do not know how that is possible,¡± she said. ¡°Because it is I who have the two most beautiful women in the world in my bed.¡±


    I sat up, careful not to wake our sleeping beauty. I leaned in and Emmy did the same. Our lips met and we kissed, ever so softly. This wasn¡¯t a kiss of fiery passion, but of gentle tenderness. Our love could be simple and sweet, too.


    After I cleaned up a bit, I wandered out to the kitchen to make us dinner. We¡¯d had chicken salad for lunch, but I was out of ideas so I just grilled some more chicken breasts and added some more vegetables to bulk up the leftovers for another round. It was quick and easy, and I was feeling lazy.


    I went to wake Emmy and Angela up, but they weren¡¯t in bed. Following the telltale noises, I found them in the shower, Angela washing Emmy¡¯s hair. As I got closer I could hear that they were talking, but their soft voices didn¡¯t carry over the sound of the rushing water.


    Angela glanced up and saw me, a big smile crossed her face. She gave me a ¡¯come on in and join us¡¯ wave, which was all the invitation I needed. I ditched my clothes and joined them under the multiple shower heads.


    Emmy finished rinsing her hair, then turned and wrapped me up in a hug, resting her head on my chest.


    ¡°Thank you for joining us,¡± she said, still holding me tight.


    Angela¡¯s fingers immediately started working my hair, ensuring it was thoroughly saturated before applying the shampoo. Holding Emmy while Angela massaged my scalp, I would have purred if I could have.


    ¡°This is very nice,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I can hear your heartbeat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I love the sound,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It is so very strong.¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s strong,¡± Angela said as she rinsed my hair. ¡°Leah is the strongest, ever.¡±


    ¡°I think that is true,¡± Emmy agreed, still showing no sign that she wanted to let go of me. ¡°Leah is incredibly strong.¡±


    ¡°On a totally different topic,¡± I said, ¡°dinner is ready. I just made more salad. It¡¯s in the fridge any time we want it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m really hungry- the workout earlier really took it out of me.¡±


    Of course we fooled around a bit when we got all slippy and slidey with the soap, because of course we did, but it was more of a light-hearted play time than anything else. I mean, two gorgeous naked soapy women rubbing up against me, right? There was no way it was going to stay completely platonic. Not that I¡¯m complaining, mind you.


    After the shower, I threw my clothes back on and went back to the kitchen to dish up dinner, leaving the other two in the bathroom.


    A few minutes later, they came out to join me in the kitchen for dinner. It didn¡¯t take me very long at all to notice that neither of them were wearing the slightest stitch of clothing. Of course, I acted like nothing was any different than usual. They were obviously scheming and wanted to get a reaction from me, so I was determined to keep a completely straight face.


    Of course, I¡¯d had both of them on my face earlier in the evening, so the novelty might not have been as great as it could be under other circumstances.


    It didn¡¯t take the two of them very long to realize that I wasn¡¯t going to rise to their bait. They gave each other a look, then broke out laughing.


    I kept my poker face on, even as the two of them completely lost it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t make anything else for dinner,¡± I apologized. ¡°We really need to do some grocery shopping.¡±


    This set off another round of laughter, but I continued to keep my cool.


    ¡°I told you!¡± Emmy said to Angela. ¡°You did not believe me!¡±


    ¡°Em and I, we had a bet going. I bet that you¡¯d be all over us, but she bet that you wouldn¡¯t fall for it.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, what does Emmy win?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She gets to sleep in the middle tonight,¡± Angela replied.


    ¡°Well, it kinda seems like I won, too,¡± I said. ¡°After all, I get to see you both naked.¡±


    ¡°Wanna know the truth?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Earlier, when you chased me, I really liked running naked through the house. It felt¡­¡±


    ¡°Breezy?¡± I supplied, getting a laugh from both Angela and Emmy.


    ¡°I was gonna say ¡®free¡¯, but that works, too,¡± Angela said. ¡°So I told Emmy I¡¯m going to be naked around the house as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m remarkably O.K. with that,¡± I said, ¡°In fact, the more I think about it, the better it sounds.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a plan, then,¡± Angela said. ¡°Whenever it¡¯s just the three of us, I¡¯m going to do it.¡±


    ¡°Upon further consideration, I strongly support the idea,¡± I said.


    The next morning I got up early to work out with Jody, since he was back from Toronto. I¡¯d honestly been missing having a sparring partner, so I was glad to be back on the mats and getting physical.


    ¡°Grant and me, we did a lot of talking,¡± Jody said when we took a break. ¡°He told me that you¡¯re a natural with a knife. Among the best he¡¯s ever trained- and he¡¯s trained literally thousands of guys.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear,¡± I said, taking a big swig of water. ¡°He¡¯s never said that to me. All he¡¯s ever told me is that I¡¯m better than most.¡±


    Coming closer and dropping his voice so Eddie wouldn¡¯t possibly hear, he said, ¡°Grant told me that if ever I got in a situation where I had to face off with you holding a knife, my best move would be to run like a mother-fucker. I worked with him a bunch on my technique, and he said you¡¯d have me filleted before I even knew it.¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    What could I do but laugh?


    ¡°He said he¡¯s seen you take down guys in one, two moves and then roll on to the next hostile without even blinking. He said you have a certain, um, focus.¡±


    ¡°Allegedly,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s all hearsay.¡±


    Looking a bit irritated, Jody said, ¡°Right. Allegedly. It has been alleged that you killed five hostiles in less than sixty seconds in a Chicago warehouse, allegedly.¡±


    Taking a swig from his own bottle, Jody stepped in a little closer. ¡°Look. Grant made it completely clear. Either I¡¯m in this one hundred and ten per cent, or completely out. In either case, talking will likely be very detrimental to my continued¡­ existence. He didn¡¯t exactly say what would happen, but he didn¡¯t need to. I know how these things work. And you know what? I signed on the dotted line. In blood. I¡¯m so fucking far in now, whoever pulls me out will be crowned king of fucking England.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I think we can quit dancing around, but you¡¯re not one hundred and ten per cent in until you have blood on your hands,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s the level of commitment I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it, I do,¡± Jody said. ¡°From what Grant and the guys tell me, that might take a while or it might be tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully never, but who knows? Trouble comes to us, but we have to be ready to deal with it when it does.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯ve been talking to the guys, not just Grant. The more of their stories I hear, the more I think what you¡¯re doing is, well, maybe the right thing. All the guys absolutely love you, you know. They love your wife and think of her like some sort of, I don¡¯t know, not like a goddess, but maybe something like that. But you, they think of you as, like, a sort of unquestioned ruler. You say jump, they don¡¯t even take the time to ask how high- they just do it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I said in reply.


    ¡°Grant made it clear that he jumps, too. And he expects it from me, too.¡±


    ¡°Are you prepared to jump if I say so?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I am,¡± Jody said.


    Later, after the gym opened and Jody went to coach his classes, I saw Richie talking to him and tilting his head in my direction. Jody shook his head no, and when Richie persisted Jody made it clear he should drop it.


    Richie came over to talk to me not long after that anyway.


    ¡°Coach Jody told me in no uncertain terms that I was never, ever to spar with you. In fact, nobody here should ever get in the ring with you, ever. What is it that has him and Eddie so convinced you¡¯re not to be¡­ Well, that nobody can work out with you? I mean, yeah, you¡¯re a chick, but some of the other girls spar with dudes, right? So why not you?¡±


    ¡°Ask them,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I did,¡± Richie said. ¡°Coach Jody just told me to drop it, but wouldn¡¯t say why.¡±


    ¡°I think we all know the answer,¡± I said, getting ready to work the heavy bag some more.


    ¡°Seriously, I gotta ask- the whole ¡®government assassin¡¯ thing is seeming more and more likely all the time,¡± Richie said with a lopsided smile.


    ¡°And there you have it,¡± I laughed, spinning to land a high heel kick on the bag, coincidentally right at the level of Richie¡¯s head.


    ¡°O.K., O.K.,¡± he said, holding up his hands in an ¡®I surrender¡¯ gesture.


    Since it was almost Christmas, work was slow. I didn¡¯t have any meetings scheduled for the entire week, so there really was no compelling reason for me to even go in to the office, but I felt it was my duty to set a good example, so I put in my time. Thinking about Angela naked at home didn¡¯t help my focus, but it was a pleasant thought nonetheless.


    The positive aspect of half the business world being on vacation was that I got a lot done without the frequent interruptions that I dealt with most days. In fact, I managed to get caught up on a number of things that I¡¯d been letting sit on the back burner.


    Feeling nice and productive, I left the office at four. I had a stop to make on the way home, and I wanted to be home at my usual time.


    I stopped off at a place in Hollywood that I¡¯d passed many times- a specialty florist. Their claim to fame was roses, delivered. Walking in the shop, I was almost overcome by the heady scent of thousands of roses of every color imaginable.


    I talked to the pretty girl at the counter, but my request was above her pay grade, so she got her manager on the phone, who then set up a three-way call with the owner.


    ¡°Seriously, you must have gotten requests like this before,¡± I said, a bit exasperated. ¡°It can¡¯t be all that uncommon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the first one,¡± the owner said. ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you what. Let me do the math, and I¡¯ll have a number for you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I agreed. ¡°In the meanwhile, I¡¯ll take a dozen roses right now. Red, of course.¡±


    When I brought the roses in, instead of handing them to either Emmy or Angela, I put them in the vase Angela had bought the day before.


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful!¡± Angela said, breathing in their perfume. ¡°Smell them, Em- they smell even better than they look.¡±


    Pleased that my gesture was well received (even if it wasn¡¯t a gift specifically for one or the other), I gave both women a kiss. Emmy was dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a tank top, but Angela, as promised, was naked as a Jaybird. Of course, I had to act as if was not only normal, but expected, even as I was bouncing with glee inside, internally yelling ¡®Yeah, Baby!¡¯ In a terrible Austin Powers accent. Now, if I could just convince Emmy to get naked as a matter of daily routine¡­


    Angela did put on an apron to fix dinner, and that whole ¡®sexy bare-butt cook¡¯ thing really worked for me. I really, really hoped that Angela had meant it and this was going to be a full-time deal, and not just one day of ¡®let¡¯s get Leah really spun up¡¯.


    After cooking, Angela ditched the apron again and had nothing on but her birthday suit as we ate at the kitchen table, which, I¡¯m pleased to report was glass, so I could see through it to her lovely, muscular legs.


    At one point, Angela got up to grab the chilled water from the fridge, and Emmy caught me staring at her butt as she walked away.


    ¡°Are you enjoying the view?¡± She asked, teasingly.


    ¡°Why yes, I am,¡± I replied, not taking my eyes off Angela¡¯s backside.


    ¡°So am I,¡± laughed Emmy. ¡°I do hope that she really does stay nude as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking exactly that all evening,¡± I said. ¡°Well, that and one other thing.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking that I really hope you follow her example,¡± I said, tearing my eyes away from Angela and looking Emmy up and down lasciviously.


    ¡°Would you like that?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Oh heck yeah, I would!¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ Perhaps I will consider it,¡± Emmy said, chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully.


    ¡°What are you two smiling about?¡± Angela asked as she sat back down.


    ¡°We are admiring your beauty,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Angela said, giving us that adorable smile that made her look so young sometimes.


    We made love again that night, but it was a lower-key, less vigorous event than the night before, with a lot more kissing and touching than anything else. It was sweet and loving, and very, very tender. I fell asleep thinking I really was the luckiest girl in the world.


    The next day I told Emmy and Angela that I had to go in to the office for a few hours, but that was a terrible lie. What I really had to do was pick up and wrap the Christmas presents I¡¯d ordered for them without the two being any wiser.


    ¡®What do you get for the person who can buy anything they want?¡¯ had been a recurring problem in my gift-giving to Emmy over the years, so I¡¯d settled on the general course of buying her things that she wouldn¡¯t necessarily buy for herself. In this case, I¡¯d had a replacement made for the blue guitar pendant that she¡¯d lost a while back. I¡¯d talked to the same jeweler in San Francisco that had made the first one, and he¡¯d crafted another that was virtually identical.


    For Angela, I¡¯d settled on the newest, nicest Nikon to replace the one she¡¯d been using. Her existing camera seemed to be fine, but it was considered ¡®enthusiast¡¯ level (I¡¯d looked it up) and not professional grade. Nikon¡¯s pro-level DSLR had been awarded ¡®Camera Of The Year¡¯ title on several web sites, so I figured it was time for an upgrade.


    I picked up some Christmas wrapping paper on my way to the office, so I was all set.


    Unfortunately, I did get roped into doing some actual work while I was at the office, so it was several hours before I could get out of there and back home.


    We hadn¡¯t gotten a Christmas tree yet, but at least I had a few presents to put underneath it when we did.


    I was sorry to see that Angela wasn¡¯t naked when I got home, but it was understandable since Jenna was visiting. The two were in the kitchen when I walked in, both in workout clothes.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said to Angela, giving her a kiss.


    ¡°What, don¡¯t I get a kiss, too?¡± demanded Jenna, her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Hey, Jenna,¡± I said as I moved next to her. I leaned down, playing out the joke, but to my surprise she reached up and actually kissed me.


    ¡°There. That¡¯s more like it,¡± she said, satisfied.


    Jenna got up to help Angela dish up some of the fruit salad, and I took a moment to look her over. I¡¯d never actually seen her in anything really revealing, but in those leggings and that sport top, her body was a lot nicer than I¡¯d realized. Angela caught me looking at Jenna¡¯s butt, but she just gave me a wink and a smile. After I smiled sheepishly back, Angela came over to where I was sitting and took my head in her hands and gave me a long, deep kiss. My hands needed something to do while that happened, so they somehow found their way to Angela¡¯s extra firm rear end. I could never get enough of the feeling of cupping her buns in my hands¡­


    ¡°Hey! No fair!¡± Jenna protested when Angela and I broke our kiss, but my hands stayed glued to Angela¡¯s butt. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a kiss like that!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let that happen to poor Andy,¡± Angela said with a mischievous smirk. ¡°If Leah kissed you like that, you would leave him and want to marry Leah instead.¡±

 A Christmas Surprise

    ¡°Awww!¡± Jenna said, sticking out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout.


    Laughing at their banter and pleased that they seemed to have formed a nice, comfortable relationship, I ate my fruit salad in pleasant companionship while the two of them chatted about home furnishings. It seemed as if they planned on doing some shopping for things our house lacked this time. Since they¡¯d just done a lot of that for Jenna¡¯s new place, they had a good idea of where to go to get the stuff we needed. It seemed to mostly be kitchen items like mixing bowls, spatulas, juice pitchers, and the like.


    Thanking Angela for lunch, I made my way to the studio to find Emmy. The place had a certain maze-like quality, so it took me surprisingly long to find her.


    I¡¯d expected they would be in the main recording studio, but that wasn¡¯t where I found them. They were in a room down in the basement, one of the old film vaults. It had been turned into a listening room, with top-notch sound-proofing and the best audio system money could buy. The three were sitting on a couch in the target zone of the speakers. With Riggo and Snake in chairs right behind, they were looking at notes they¡¯d written on legal pads.


    When I entered, Emmy looked up and patted the seat next to her, so I sat down.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re testing the final masters for our new album,¡± Emmy said, leaning against me and wrapping my arm in hers. ¡°We want to make certain they sound good to all of us before we are certain they are truly finished.¡±


    ¡°Well, O.K., then,¡± I said and settled back while Lee played with his laptop.


    ¡°Alright- I Can See,¡± he announced, pressing play.


    The classic song that Emmy had already covered as a solo acoustic track for Grace way back when started to play. When Emmy had recorded it and sent it to Grace, she knew that it was inevitable that it would leak and get bootlegged, but she was fine with that. This time, though, it was an official Downfall recording, and sounded very, very different.


    The version that Emmy had recorded for Grace was a bit subdued, with just her acoustic guitar and no other instrumentation. Her vocals on that recording had sounded shy, picking up a bit in the second half like the original but still staying more hopeful than sure.


    This new version started off with a stand-up bass playing the melody, which was soon picked up by the piano- no guitar to be heard at all. Emmy¡¯s vocals started out in the same range of emotions where the last version ended, hopeful of better things ahead. As the song progressed, though, the confidence and power of her voice increased until it was clear that she was simply going to steamroll any further obstacles in her way, whatever it took. Emmy¡¯s singing ended on that note, secure in a future of unending sunshine, never a cloud in sight.


    While I was still trying to recover from hearing it so powerfully for the first time, Jackson, Lee and Emmy immediately began to pick it apart. Lee backed up to a moment in the song that Jackson had noticed, so they could listen and re-listen to the stand-up bass line. Jackson and Lee got into a bit of an argument, Jackson unhappy with how he¡¯d played it but Lee saying that imperfections are what make music real.


    ¡°We don¡¯t drum-track, we don¡¯t autotune, we don¡¯t over-produce,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re real musicians, not synthesizers and programs. Tiny little imperfections like that, that we hear but nobody but the top-level musicians out there will ever notice, those make our music human,¡± Lee declared.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Jackson said, leaning back. ¡°It¡¯s just, y¡¯know? This is our most perfect album, alright?¡±


    ¡°It is perfect,¡± Emmy said. ¡°As Lee has said, we have never relied on studio trickery for our music, and I do not wish to start now. Your bass line is so smooth, so supple, I do not believe that we should even try to re-record it. I vote we keep it as is.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not my place one way or another,¡± Riggo said from his recliner. ¡°But seriously, that was fucking awesome. If I weren¡¯t working all your shows, I¡¯d happily pay just about any ticket price to see you guys. Everybody knows you¡¯re purists, and all the audiophiles I¡¯ve talked to rave about hearing your fingers on the strings, Jackson, or Emmy¡¯s jingly earrings, stuff like that, that normally gets produced out. They know you guys are the real deal, and aren¡¯t just studio fakes. Leaving those tiny little elements in, like Lee said, it shows your humanity.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that,¡± Snake agreed from her seat. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s fucking rad. If I didn¡¯t know you guys or anything and that song came on the radio, I¡¯d fucking turn it up to eleven.¡±


    Jackson sighed and slumped back on the couch. ¡°Yeah, I get it, I do,¡± he said, admitting defeat.


    ¡°Is it always like this?¡± I asked Emmy, whispering to not disturb the conversation.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Always.¡±


    I gave her a little kiss and stood up to leave. ¡°See you at home,¡± I said, which got me a laugh.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s commute is just murder these days,¡± Jackson said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she can stand it.¡±


    ¡°It is a terrible hardship,¡± she agreed with a smile.


    Back home, I found the roses I¡¯d ordered delivered were in a vase on the kitchen counter. I was waiting for Emmy or Angela to ask why I¡¯d gotten roses two days in a row, but until they asked, I wasn¡¯t going to say a thing. I wondered how long it was going to take them to realize that I¡¯d arranged for a daily delivery every day forever, or until I told the florist to stop. It was expensive, but if it made my girls¡¯ lives even a tiny bit happier it was worth it.


    I didn¡¯t bother trying to hunt Angela and Jenna down, figuring they were either out shopping, or working out down in the gym, or something like that. Whatever it was, that was fine. I didn¡¯t need to involve myself in it.


    Instead, I grabbed a bottle of water and went to play with my new toy, the racing sim rig. Like I¡¯d told Emmy and Angela, I¡¯d never really been any sort of gamer, so I had no idea of what I was doing. It took me quite a while to boot up the system and figure out how to get things started, but eventually I had my profile configured and was off to the races, so to speak.


    I liked that I could select different car types, including several types of GT3 racers. There were tons of tracks to choose from, with the promise of more available as downloadable content. I selected Sonoma Raceway, since it was the track I knew best, and opted for the Nissan GT-R, again, because of familiarity.


    The stereo sound, the rumbling feeling through the seat and yoke, and the view from the front and side window monitors were surprisingly believable.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The track, too- they had it down with amazing accuracy. The pavement seams were in the right places, and if you ran over a cone, it stayed that way for the subsequent laps.


    The only real break in believability was the complete lack of G forces from acceleration, braking or turning. At first that bothered me, but with time I noticed it less and less.


    I had no idea how much Emmy and Angela had spent on the whole set-up, but I could see the value. I could pre-learn a new track and not burn half a day learning the lines on my first visit, meaning I could get up to speed right away.


    I was beating the virtual snot out of my poor BMW GT3 around the N¨¹rburgring Nordschleife when Emmy finally came and dragged me out of there for dinner.


    ¡°Did you like the racing game?¡± Angela asked after we¡¯d all sat down to eat.


    ¡°I watched her for over five minutes, and she did not even realize I was there,¡± Emmy said, smiling. ¡°She was very engrossed in racing her car through the forest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted. ¡°Seriously, once I figured it out, how to set it up and all, it turned out to be way more awesome than I¡¯d ever thought.¡±


    ¡°So now you don¡¯t need to go to a real track ever again?¡± Angela asked, but I could tell she was just teasing.


    ¡°O.K., the sim is pretty awesome, but not that awesome,¡± I laughed. ¡°In fact, it makes me want to set up some track time soon.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been to one of Leah¡¯s races?¡± Angela asked Emmy.


    ¡°Not races,¡± I corrected. ¡°Just practice on a racetrack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have been a few times,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Is it a lot of fun?¡±


    ¡°Mostly it is boring,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I like to watch Leah go very fast, but after a while it is just the same thing over and over.¡±


    ¡°Watch her? You don¡¯t ride in the car with Leah?¡±


    ¡°Her race car only has one seat, and the track officials, they do not allow non-drivers to ride along, anyway.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Angela said. ¡°But if you signed up as a driver, you could ride in her car? If she drove her normal car, I mean?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the way people get around that restriction, alright,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Then sign me up next time,¡± Angela said. ¡°I want to ride along with you.¡±


    Emmy made a face and said, ¡°You are braver than I. It terrifies me, the way Leah drives.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± I protested. ¡°I don¡¯t drive that crazy.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes, you do. Very much so,¡± Emmy said in reply.


    ¡°You do drive like a crazy person,¡± Angela confirmed. ¡°But I like it. It¡¯s like a roller coaster- terrifying in a fun way.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of terrifying, we need to go get a Christmas tree,¡± I said, changing the conversation.


    ¡°Can we go tonight?¡± Emmy asked, suddenly enthusiastic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± I replied. ¡°Ange, did you see the box of decorations when you were directing the movers?¡±


    Next thing I knew, we were at a Christmas tree lot in West Hollywood. The girls wanted something huge and kept looking at trees well over ten feet tall, but when I pointed out that while we might have room for such a thing, there¡¯s no way we could reach the top to hang ornaments on it, even if we bought a ladder- the spread was too much, too.


    Finally we compromised and bought a ten foot Noble Fir, which I paid extra to have delivered and set up the next day.


    Tree shopping done but no tree to show for it that night, I did a quick search for LA-area Christmas light displays and found that a botanical garden in La Ca?ada had what they called a ¡®Forest Of Lights¡¯. The pictures online looked interesting, so I bought tickets and off we went.


    It was way better than I¡¯d expected, and seeing the installation (and interacting with it, too) with Angela and Emmy was extra special. The two were giddy as children on the lit stepping-stones that changed color as you walked on them. Before long the two were jumping around the circular area like fleas, changing red lights to blue, purple lights to blue, and so on.


    Their enthusiasm was so much fun to watch that it was all I could do to resist sweeping them both into my arms and kissing them both until my lips fell off. We did kiss in the Japanese tea gazebo, lit with red or blue paper lanterns that seemed to simply float in the air. The three of us held each other close, kissing back and forth, expressing our love non-verbally. A number of other people came and went through the area while we were engaged in our activity, but nobody said anything. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if anybody did complain, anyhow.


    Following Emmy and Angela, who were holding hands and walking in step, I marveled at the way the field of luminescent tulips on either side of the path lit up their amazing butts, swaying in unison. It was hypnotic in the very best way, and I had a hard time even noticing our surroundings.


    Eventually, though, we came to the end of the path and back to the entrance. It had been a truly wonderful experience, magical in the very best way. Emmy and Angela had such infectious enthusiasm, so much simple joy for life, that they could make a beautiful light installation even better.


    Back home, Angela and Emmy were still buzzing about the light installation we¡¯d just experienced. They went out on the deck and looked up at the pergola and the eucalyptus trees, discussing ways to bring some of that magic back to our house.


    A few minutes later, Angela called out for me to come join them, so I wandered out to the deck to see what it was they wanted.


    ¡°Bring some wine, and glasses!¡± Angela commanded from the hot tub. Both were in and already soaking. They had the tub¡¯s LED lights on some sort of color rotation, shifting through the spectrum as I watched.


    Obliging, I went back inside and got a bottle of champagne from the fridge, along with three flutes.


    Returning back to the deck, I said, ¡°There¡¯s a fee for this service, you know,¡± and leaned down for a kiss. I made sure that I only leaned down far enough that Angela had to rise up out of the water to kiss me, her breasts popping up and out of the bubbly froth as she did so.


    Of course, I reached down and squeezed her boob for good measure, earning me a squeal of protest.


    After getting a kiss from Emmy, I ditched my clothes and joined them in the hot, turbulent water, settling myself in a spot where a jet would hit me right on my lower back.


    ¡°This was a really good idea,¡± I said as I felt myself relax.


    Emmy climbed on top of me, straddling my lap, resting her arms on my shoulders.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said. ¡°I love you more than I can possibly say. I would do anything for you. You have given me a life that I could not possibly have imagined for myself, and for that, I will always be grateful. There is one thing that is missing, though- a child. I want to have a baby. I want your child.¡±


    ¡°We talked about it,¡± I said. ¡°We agreed that when we settled in our forever home, we¡¯d get started on the process,¡± I agreed. ¡°We should probably figure out what we want to do for a sperm donor.¡±


    ¡°I have been talking with Lee,¡± Emmy said, looking very serious. ¡°You know he was studying for his PhD and MD at Stanford, right? Well, he has never fully turned his back on that. He still reads the literature, still stays current.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± I said, wondering where she was going with this.


    ¡°He told me of researchers in South Korea who have extracted the genetic material from the egg cell of a mouse and used it to fertilize another egg cell.¡±


    ¡°Mice,¡± I cautioned, immediately seeing where Emmy was going with this. ¡°Are a whole lot different from people.¡±


    ¡°Only different in scale,¡± Emmy countered. ¡°Lee said that the paper reported on repeated results from trials over the last two years. He said that it is very possible they have advanced their techniques since those experiments.¡±


    ¡°Lee is Korean- American,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°Would he be willing to reach out to that lab for us?¡±


    ¡°I believe that he brought it up with that idea in mind,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Angela said, scooting over next to us. ¡°You mean you could maybe actually have Leah¡¯s baby? Like, she could be the father somehow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is it exactly,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°Could- could that work for me, too? Could I have Leah¡¯s baby, too?¡± She asked, getting excited.


    ¡°If the process works for me, it should be even easier for you,¡± Emmy said, pulling Angela in close. ¡°Should we try to have the babies at the same time, or should we space them out a bit?¡±


    Angela chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she finally said. ¡°I think it¡¯s something we need to talk about.¡±


    Emmy leaned over and kissed Angela on the top of the head. ¡°We have time,¡± she said. ¡°We need to convince this lab to try it with human subjects first.¡±


    ¡°Research labs always need funding,¡± I mused, my mind still agog at the idea of actually having a baby with Emmy. For years I¡¯d assumed that the baby would be the product of some unknown father, but now the prospect of her baby being mine genetically as well as emotionally had me in a whirl.


    Angela¡¯s eyes were shining brightly as she looked at me with new possibilities in mind. ¡°I¡­ I want this so bad,¡± she said, reaching up to kiss me. ¡°I want to feel your baby inside me, Leah.¡±


    ¡°I want you two to have my babies, too. I have an idea,¡± I said, looking back and forth between the two of them. ¡°How about we give the natural method another try, right now?¡±


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Emmy said, arching her back to give me a better view of her perfect breasts.


    ¡°But what if it goes wrong and we get you pregnant?¡± Angela asked, smiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s a risk I am happy to take,¡± I said as I pulled Emmy up higher to my hips.

 Christmas Eve In The New House

    Tiffany¡¯s school got out sort of late for winter break, so Mom and Tiffany came up that Friday to spend the holiday weekend with us. Grace had begged off coming for Christmas, saying that things were going really well with Rosalie and the two of them were going to visit Rosalie¡¯s family for Christmas, but then come to Los Angeles for the New Year. This meant that there would be no overlap, which was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, fewer people to entertain. On the other, Grace really got along well with Mom and Tiffany, and all three were a bit disappointed that they wouldn¡¯t see each other.


    I think Grace promised to stop off in Fallbrook on the way back to Flagstaff for a visit, even though it was out of the way, just so they could have dinner or something.


    Tiffany was knocked off her feet by the new house, especially the big lagoon pool, the sound stage, and the secret entrance via the elevator. Mom liked the deck quite a bit, and the feeling of privacy despite being in the middle of a city of ten million people.


    Of course, Tiffany was excited that one of the bedrooms was specifically hers, and not just a guest room. Emmy had made it very clear that she was welcome any time, and if Mom ever wanted to simply drop her off for an extended stay, she was perfectly welcome to do so.


    Tiffany loved that idea, and I could see that Mom thought there might be some very real advantages to the arrangement, too. It had been over twenty years since Mom had had any sort of time alone, without one or more girls to take care of, and she could use a break.


    ¡°Maybe spring break,¡± she mused. ¡°It¡¯d be nice to have my own vacation, for once.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one problem with that,¡± Angela cautioned.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°When you get back, you might find that Emmy and I have spoiled Tiffy rotten.¡±


    Mom laughed, and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what relatives are supposed to do?¡±


    We went out to dinner that night to a restaurant that had gotten a lot of press, but personally, I found their Asian fusion a bit too hipster and not really solid on the fundamentals. My brisket yakisoba was a bit overcooked, but Tiffany enjoyed her satay tacos and Mom liked her bulgogi with truffle sauce, so I guess the meal was a hit. The conversation was light, and Mom seemed to be in a really good place in her life in general. Tiffany¡¯s school was going well, Mom was enjoying teaching part-time, things like that. Mom mentioned that uncle Bob was doing well and wanted to expand the nursery, and I suggested that I¡¯d be happy to bankroll whatever they needed.


    Later, while Emmy was singing lullabies to get Tiffany to sleep, Mom, Angela and I sat down to drink some wine at the kitchen counter. ¡°This is from Emmy¡¯s family¡¯s vineyard in France,¡± Angela said proudly as she poured us each a glass. ¡°2013 was one of their best years in memory,¡± she explained.


    This surprised me, not so much because of the information, but rather the fact that Angela and Emmy had clearly been discussing the subject and Angela found it interesting. It was another one of those little reminders that although the three of us were in a relationship, we each had our own way of relating to each other. Upon a bit of momentary analysis, I was pleased to realize that it wasn¡¯t jealousy I felt, but a sort of little thrill. I guess I was harboring the (maybe egotistical) suspicion that Emmy was simply going along with the program that she thought I wanted, because she wanted Angela for my sake. These tiny revelations of Emmy¡¯s relationship with Angela helped dispel those doubts, which, oddly, make me feel a wave of affection for both of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a red wine drinker,¡± Mom said, taking a sip. ¡°This might be wasted on me.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Angela scoffed. ¡°All that matters is if you like it or not. If you do, then it¡¯s not wasted at all.¡±


    ¡°My father sent us ten cases,¡± Emmy said as she joined us and Angela poured her a glass. ¡°That is one hundred and twenty bottles. We have plenty to share,¡± she said with one of those tinkling laughs that sounded like bells.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Mom asked, amazed.


    ¡°Ten cases,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°Please, take some home with you when you return to Fallbrook.¡±


    ¡°I guess you need the room- that many cases¡­ what would you even do with that much wine?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°I guess you haven¡¯t seen our wine cellar, then,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s huge. I think it must have room for five thousand bottles or something.¡±


    ¡°What.¡±


    ¡°Come on- let me show you,¡± Angela said, standing up but not putting down her glass even as she reached for Mom¡¯s hand to help her up. To my surprise, Mom took Angela¡¯s hand and let herself be guided (wine glass in hand) to the elevator so Emmy and Angela could show her the wine cellar.


    Bemused, I poured myself another glass of the Lascaux wine and pondered life¡¯s mysteries. Well, at least the mystery of how my sister and mother seemed to like my wives better than me.


    ¡®Wives,¡¯ I thought bemusedly. That might have been the first time I even thought that word to describe Emmy and Angela, and I found it felt both appropriate and very strange at the same time. Emmy was my wife, and had been for years now, but we had both told Angela that we wanted her to have the same kind of relationship, and she accepted. We told her that made her our wife as far as we were concerned, and so, here we were. Wives.


    I wasn¡¯t going to use that word for Angela outside our little family, but sooner or later I would have to explain our relationship to people, and I was still at a loss how to do that.


    I was distracted from these problems by a buzzing in my pocket. Checking my phone, I saw a text from James Atherton, asking if I¡¯d ever driven Inde Motorsports Ranch.


    ¡°In Tucson?¡± I responded. ¡°No, never¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s a country club track¡±, he sent back. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of signing up, but want try the track out first. A day rental of the full course is cheap. Want to go in?¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°TBD¡±, he sent back. ¡°When works for you?¡±


    ¡°First week of January, or after mid February. We have lots of in-laws visiting.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your new place?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Everything we could have hoped for. Seriously. You guys need to come down and visit.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Imogen has been pestering me about coming down. It seems like we only get to see you at the club any more.¡± he wrote.


    ¡°I know. Life has been hectic lately.¡±


    ¡°So lets go to Arizona and get our winter zoomies out. I¡¯ll see what I can do for dates and let you know asap.¡± James responded.


    ¡°Sounds great to me. Give Imogen a kiss for me and you two have a very merry Xmas,¡± I sent.


    ¡°You do the same for Emmy and Angela! TTYL¡±.


    Resolving to download Inde¡¯s layout on my sim rig, I poured myself another glass just as Mom and my two wives returned from downstairs with a couple more bottles.


    Mom and Angela made Christmas dinner together, chatting like old friends as they shared the work, making cooking seem like fun. The rest of us had been shooed out of the kitchen, so I took Tiffany out to the big pool to while away the warm December afternoon.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand what¡¯s going on with you and Emmy and Angela,¡± Tiffany said, sounding very grown up.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked as I laid our towels down on the chaises.


    ¡°You still love Emmy, right? But I¡¯ve seen you kiss Angela. And all three of you are sharing the same room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course I still love Emmy,¡± I replied as I made my way gingerly into the water. It was heated, sure, but still felt cold on entry, so it took me a few moments of acclimation before I could submerge myself. ¡°I love Emmy, she loves me, same as always. But here¡¯s the new thing- we¡¯ve both also fallen in love with Angela, and she loves us both, too.¡±


    Looking skeptical, Tiffany stood on the side of the pool, contemplating her options. ¡°Is it deep enough to dive?¡± She asked, straightening the shoulder strap of her suit.


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    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s deep enough on that side, but over there on the other side it¡¯s a beach- no diving,¡± I said, indicating the wide north side of the pool.


    Emboldened by the news, Tiffany did one of those half dive, half crouch, almost bellyflops into the pool, rising to the surface almost immediately.


    ¡°Do you remember my friend Stephanie? From high school?¡± I asked after Tiffany dunked her head to sweep her long blonde hair back.


    ¡°Was she the one with brown hair?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, her. She was on the cheerleading squad and did a lot of gymnastics when she was little. She had a pool at her house, and we used to go over and swim all the time. Well, she taught me to dive correctly, and I think now it¡¯s time I taught you,¡± I said as I climbed out to stand on the edge of the pool. ¡°Watch this!¡± I called as I jumped high into a pike, then extended and slipped into the water smoothly.


    ¡°That was awesome!¡± Tiffany said when I surfaced, and with that I knew what we¡¯d be doing for the next hour or so.


    We were both pretty chilled after our diving lesson, so some time in the jacuzzi was a must.


    While Tiffany and I relaxed in the hot water, she returned to the earlier subject.


    ¡°If you guys both love Angela and she loves both of you, how do you share? I mean, if Angela is your girlfriend, what does Emmy do?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Angela isn¡¯t just my girlfriend. She¡¯s also Emmy¡¯s. We all share our love,¡± I tried to explain. ¡°It isn¡¯t nearly as complicated as it might seem.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Tiffany agreed sardonically. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Tiffany, swaddled in one of our big terrycloth robes, led the way back to the house when we were done. ¡°Why does your house have a tower?¡± she asked, pointing up at the structure in question.


    ¡°That¡¯s my home office,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why it was originally built that way, though.¡±


    ¡°Later, can you show it to me? Emmy skipped that on the tour,¡± she said, again sounding more mature than I was used to. I guess in my mind she was somehow still the age she¡¯d been when I left home, and the intervening five years hadn¡¯t even happened. At twelve, she was squarely astride the transition from little kid to world-wise teenager, and could veer either way at any given moment.


    Back in the house, Angela and Mom were still going strong while Emmy sat at the counter and chatted with the two cooks.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Tiffany said. ¡°The big pool is awesome! It has a beach, a cave, and even its own little place to sit at, like, a bar, while you¡¯re in the water!¡±


    ¡°Does it have a water slide?¡± Mom asked, looking up from grilling some vegetables.


    ¡°No, no slide,¡± Tiffany said, looking serious. ¡°It¡¯s a pool for grownups, not children.¡±


    Suppressing the urge to laugh, I gave Emmy a kiss and told her I was going to take a quick shower to get the chlorine off.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll show me your office?¡± Tiffany asked.


    ¡°Sure. You should probably shower, too,¡± I suggested, pointing her towards her own room. ¡°And get dressed.¡±


    Tiffany made a frowny face at me and looked as if she would object, but went to do as I¡¯d suggested. I gave Emmy a little kiss, telling her I¡¯d be back in five.


    I showered and dressed in my Cardinal T shirt, which I found draped over the side of the laundry hamper. It smelled like Emmy, and as far as I was concerned that made stealing it back a double win. I threw on a pair of comfy jeans to go with the shirt and was back at the kitchen counter in hardly any time at all.


    ¡°Here- put this on the table, would you?¡± Mom asked, handing me the big blue glass salad bowl that Angela and Jenna had bought two days before. The salad inside looked good- more artistic than I was used to from Mom¡¯s efforts in the kitchen.


    I continued to ferry things to the dining table, amazed at the quantity of food that the two had made.


    Before long were were all seated at the table, waiting for the signal to begin diving in. Raising my wine glass, I proposed a toast.


    ¡°This is the very first meal we¡¯ve had in this room,¡± I began. ¡°We¡¯ve only been living in this house a week, and we¡¯ve just eaten our meals in the kitchen so far, so this is the first of many family gatherings that I hope will be held here. Thanks, everybody, for helping make this come true.¡±


    Everybody clinked their glasses and drank. Angela had bought a case of Martinelli¡¯s sparkling Ros¨¦ cider specifically for Tiffany, so she could feel included. Well, that and the fact that it¡¯s tasty, too. Angela had actually bought white and dark red versions as well, so Tiffany could coordinate her drink to ours. Seeing Emmy refill Tiffany¡¯s glass, I felt a little flash of warmth, and a renewed conviction that Angela really was what Emmy and I needed.


    When Angela had asked for my help unloading the incredible amount of groceries she¡¯d bought the day before, she replied to my unspoken question.


    ¡°We¡¯re having family over the next few days, so I got stuff to cook, but also, the house is basically empty. We don¡¯t have baking soda. We don¡¯t have sea salt. We don¡¯t have balsamic vinegar, or brown sugar, or any of the things you only buy once in a while to replace what you¡¯ve used up. I had to buy all of that stuff, and things like shampoo for the guest bathrooms, and Q Tips, and¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°But three cases of Martinelli¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°We have twenty-seven cases of wine in the cellar, and room for a hundred more. A bottle or two in the fridge, and the rest go down there for when we need them. Or maybe, if we have a wine party down there and we have a non-drinker, we¡¯ll have something for them,¡± Angela explained, showing me that she¡¯d been giving these things a lot more thought than I had.


    Angela had done such a complete job on her mega shopping trip that when she and Mom had started working up the menu for dinner and evaluating what they had on hand, the only things I needed to run to the store to get were croutons and diced black olives.


    Dinner was great, and in the tradition of such holiday meals, I ate way too much and felt like resting on the couch when it was over.


    Emmy, Tiffany and I cleaned up, though, even as much as we might have wanted to just pass out. Well, I wanted to pass out, anyhow. Emmy had eaten her typically tiny portions, and Tiffany had quite a buzz going from all that cider and the cheesecake we had for dessert.


    ¡°Lee, you promised me you would show me your tower office,¡± Tiffany said, her hands on her hips as she stood next to the couch I had draped myself on.


    ¡°Five minutes,¡± I replied. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask first. Give me five minutes to let dinner settle.¡±


    She looked down at the Apple Watch on her skinny little wrist. ¡°Five minutes,¡± she agreed, and I just knew I wouldn¡¯t get five seconds more.


    Sure enough, she was back at the exact specified time, pointing to the watch to show me that it had been, yes, exactly five minutes.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I said, getting up and grabbing myself a sparkling water from the fridge. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    When we turned the corner and she saw the bizarrely long hallway, Tiffany asked, ¡°Seriously? Who puts a thing like this in a house?¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± I agreed. ¡°We¡¯re going to use this as a gallery or something eventually, but right now, it¡¯s just the way to get to my office.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda creepy,¡± Tiffany said, looking out the right side, which was all glass.


    ¡°Not in the daytime,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s really cool when you can see out. It¡¯s almost like a long balcony or something.¡± Of course, I failed to mention how great that hallway was for chasing beautiful naked women¡­


    The simple flight of stairs at the end led up to the floor where my sim rig lived, then continued on up to the top floor of the tower, but we didn¡¯t get that far.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Tiffany asked when she saw the driving simulator.


    ¡°That¡¯s my early Christmas present that Emmy and Angela got for me,¡± I said. ¡°It''s for use with driving games, so it feels like you¡¯re in a real car.¡±


    ¡°Can I try it?¡±


    ¡°Um, sure, but it¡¯s pretty complicated. It¡¯ll take us a little bit to get it set for you.¡±


    I had Tiffany get in, adjusting everything so the seat and pedals were in their correct positions for her. I swapped out the racing yoke for a more traditional wheel, then created a new driver profile for Tiffany and set everything to as easy as possible- no shifting, for example, and high traction, low response throttle, stuff like that. At first, when she realized what I was doing with the settings, Tiffany complained.


    ¡°I¡¯m not some kind of little kid!¡±


    ¡°How much driving experience do you have?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mom has been showing me,¡± she said, a bit defensively. ¡°We¡¯ve gone to the school parking lot after hours a few times and she¡¯s let me steer.¡±


    ¡°O.K., that¡¯s a good start,¡± I said. ¡°But this is the next step. Here you¡¯ll learn to use the pedals. Actually, this is a great thing for you to learn on, because nothing will get damaged if you do it wrong.¡±


    After showing her how to use the gas and brakes, I started her on the tutorial and sat back and watched.


    Of course she ran off the track as often as not, and slammed the gas pedal down when she meant to use the brakes, but after a while she got the hang of it.


    Glancing at my watch, I realized we¡¯d been there for over an hour.


    ¡°Hey, Tiff, that¡¯s probably enough for now,¡± I said. ¡°We should go back and hang out with Mom and the others.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m just getting good at this!¡± Tiffany protested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll leave it set up, and you can come back and do some more driving later, if you want. Or tomorrow. You guys are here for the whole weekend, so you¡¯ll have plenty of time to drive as much as you want.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± She asked, getting out of the racing seat.


    ¡°Yeah, I promise.¡±


    Back in the living room, Emmy had the stereo playing some Stan Getz while the three relaxed.


    ¡°You were gone a long time,¡± Mom remarked as I sat down next to Angela and Tiffany cuddled up against Emmy, who wrapped her arm around my little sister and pulled her in close.


    ¡°Lee has this thing, it¡¯s for computer racing games, and it¡¯s like really driving a car, Mom,¡± Tiffany explained. ¡°Seriously. It was like really driving, with a steering wheel, and pedals, and everything! She said I can drive it as much as I want while we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°I was right,¡± Angela said, nodding her head. At my questioning look, she explained that she¡¯d guessed that¡¯s where we were when we took a while to come back. ¡°That hallway is long, but not that long.¡±


    ¡°That hallway is crazy!¡± Tiffany said. ¡°It¡¯s like a mile long!¡±


    ¡°You know what would make it even cooler?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯d be even cooler if it was underground, and we had those golf cart things to drive from one end to the other.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be like a James Bond bad guy in your secret hideout, planning to take over the world!¡± Tiffany laughed.


    Emmy got a serious look and said, ¡°But Tiffany, Leah does already plan to take over the world. I thought you knew that.¡±


    ¡°Mwahahaha!¡± I fake-laughed as I rubbed my hands together.


    Tiffany gave me ever-increasing puppy-dog looks as the evening wore on, enough that I finally gave in. ¡°O.K., you can go back and drive some more,¡± I said, admitting defeat.


    She got up from where she¡¯d been snuggling against Emmy and stood by my couch, waiting expectantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s still set up and running,¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t need me to get you going.¡± Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to get up. I was comfy, and Angela was sleeping with her head on my lap and I didn¡¯t want wake her.


    ¡°I need you to come with me,¡± Tiffany insisted.


    ¡°The hallway?¡± I guessed.


    She nodded, looking a bit sheepish.


    ¡°I will walk with you,¡± Emmy volunteered. ¡°I would like to see you drive.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, babe,¡± I said, grateful. Emmy leaned in for a kiss and said softly, ¡°Let Sleeping Beauty rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asleep,¡± Angela mumbled in protest. ¡°Just resting my eyes.¡±


    Emmy bent down and gave Angela a soft kiss on the cheek and said softly, ¡°Of course you are, beautiful. Of course you are.¡±


    After Emmy and Tiffany left, Mom got up to refill our glasses. ¡°Like I said earlier, I¡¯m not much of a red wine drinker, but this stuff from Emmy¡¯s estate in France is really good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I agreed as I stroked Angela¡¯s thick, black hair.


    ¡°Best in fifty years,¡± Angela mumbled without lifting her head from my lap.


    Mom just gave me a smile, amused, which of course made me smile, too. Life was good, and I was happy.

 One Hundred And Ten Per Cent Awesome

    After breakfast Tiffany was back to the racing sim rig, Mom just shaking her head as Tiffany disappeared from sight.


    ¡°You¡¯ve created a monster, Lee,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any real harm in it,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°Worse comes to worst, she gets a pretty serious handle on how to drive before she¡¯s old enough for real driving lessons.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but drive like what? Or maybe I should ask, drive like who?¡± Mom countered.


    "Hey, I''m a good driver," I objected.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are,¡± Mom agreed. ¡°You''ve always been good at everything you ever tried. I just don¡¯t want Tiff to spend all her time in front of a video game screen, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Helping myself to another piece of tomato toast with avo, I told Mom about the girl I¡¯d met at my last track day. ¡°This girl Maddie, I don¡¯t really know her whole family situation, but her mom supports her racing career. She drives the RV, and does all Maddie¡¯s support. I don¡¯t know about where the dad fits into the picture, or if he even does at all.¡±


    I took another piece of toast from the plate and continued. ¡°She¡¯s just fifteen years old now and doesn¡¯t have a driver¡¯s license yet, but she¡¯s pretty fast around a racetrack in her Mitsubishi. I guess she used to race go-karts when she was younger.¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with Tiffany and her spending too much time on video games?¡± Mom asked, putting two more pieces of tomato toast on my plate.


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯d bet Maddie doesn¡¯t spend too much time on video games,¡± I replied. ¡°She¡¯s too busy actually doing things out in the real world for that.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting that I should encourage Tiffany to take up actual racing?¡± Mom asked, just to clarify.


    ¡°I dunno¡­ Maybe? My point was more general, which is that if Tiffany has something she¡¯s passionate about that doesn¡¯t involve screen time, it won¡¯t ever become an issue, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course,¡± Mom agreed. ¡°The trick is figuring out where that passion lies.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it is car racing,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just the excitement of something new, something ostensibly ¡®adult¡¯ that has her hooked on the sim right now. Who knows? But whatever it winds up being, encourage it.¡± Thinking a moment, I had an idea. ¡°We could find out today if racing actually is her thing, or if it¡¯s just fun because she¡¯s getting to play a video game. Ange took me to an indoor kart racing place, and they had smaller karts for kids. I could take her there to try it out, and if she¡¯s really into it, we¡¯ll know.¡±


    ¡°You mean just the two of you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, if you want to come and watch, or maybe race a kart yourself, that would be cool,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will Emmy and Angela be here?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they have any plans, but I don¡¯t know. They¡¯re both still in bed- want me to find out for you?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mom said. ¡°Maybe I can spend the day with the two of them while you¡¯re go-kart racing with Tiff.¡±


    Emmy and Angela weren¡¯t sleeping when I went to ask, but they were still in bed. Emmy was face down, enjoying Angela¡¯s touch. Angela was on her side, propped up on one arm while she gently stroked Emmy¡¯s naked back and thighs in long, soft caresses. Every so often she would lean down and kiss the bare skin on Emmy¡¯s shoulder, along her spine, or on her little Venus dimples. It wasn¡¯t sex, really, but it was as sexy as hell to see the two of them enjoying each other like that.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, come back to bed,¡± Angela said, and I have to say that the urge was indeed very strong.


    I sat down on the bed and leaned over and captured Angela¡¯s lips for a sweet, sensual kiss as I ran my fingertips along Emmy¡¯s smooth, velvety black skin. ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± I said. ¡°But I just committed to taking Tiff out for the day. We¡¯re gonna go to that indoor kart track you took me to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice. Just the two of you?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°But hey, I need you to do me a favor.¡±


    ¡°Sure, anything,¡± Angela said as I leaned in to give her another kiss.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to kiss every square inch of Emmy¡¯s body this morning. Think you could do that for me?¡±


    The look of surprise on Angela¡¯s face was quickly followed by a smile. ¡°Yes, I think I can definitely do that. Just because you asked so nicely, you know.¡±


    I leaned down and kissed Emmy, who was smiling in a pleased sort of way. ¡°You guys have fun today,¡± I said.


    ¡°The day is already starting out very well, and it seems as if will get even better soon,¡± Emmy said dreamily.


    Since Tiffany was young and just barely met the height requirements, she had to go through the ¡®Karting for complete idiots¡¯ class before they would let her out on the track. To my surprise, she was an avid student and paid attention, asked good questions, and generally took the instruction with good grace.


    Finally let loose, she proved to be a quick study and within a few laps had the thing pretty much figured out. Corner exits continued to be a problem for her, though, as she kept breaking traction by slamming the accelerator down too hard and fast at the apex.


    Still, she was holding her own against much older kids and managed to qualify for the junior race that evening, in which she took third out of four.


    Wearing her little bronze medal proudly, Tiffany walked with her head held high when we finally left at nearly nine o¡¯clock.


    ¡°Third place doesn¡¯t sound that great,¡± she explained to Mom when we got back to the house. ¡°But the boys that beat me have been doing it much longer. You could tell they had a lot of experience, but it was my first day,¡± Tiffany said.


    ¡°So you had fun?¡± Mom asked, completely unnecessarily.


    ¡°It was totally awesome!¡± Tiffany replied, helping herself to some of the chicken salad that Mom offered her for a late dinner. ¡°Like, one hundred and ten per cent awesome. Seriously, the best.¡±


    Mom raised her eyebrows at me as if to say, ¡°Now look what you¡¯ve done,¡± and I could only shrug helplessly.


    Angela and Emmy had gone to bed early, but when I entered the bedroom as silently as I could I found Emmy still awake.


    ¡°Take a bath with me to help me fall asleep?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I whispered back.


    Relaxing in the tub with Emmy laying back against me, I asked her why she was having trouble sleeping.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°My mind would simply not stop. I was thinking about our new album, about having a baby, about Angela having a baby, about the foundation and how that should be set up¡­ Too many things to even recount,¡± Emmy said with a sigh.


    I kissed the top of her head and hugged her tightly. ¡°I can¡¯t help you with the album, but you know I¡¯m always ready to help you make a baby.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s sparkling laugh let me know that I¡¯d helped lift her mood a bit. ¡°I am so very in love with you, Leah,¡± she said, taking my hand in hers. ¡°I still wonder how I became so very fortunate to have ever met you. How I ever managed to capture your love is still a mystery to me.¡±


    ¡°Not to me,¡± I replied, kissing behind her ear. ¡°I understand it perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Was it because of this?¡± Emmy asked, taking my hand and using it to cup her vaj.


    ¡°I certainly do love that,¡± I said, stroking the soft flesh under my hand. ¡°But it¡¯s other things, too.¡±


    ¡°These other things?¡± Emmy asked teasingly, placing my other hand on her breast.


    ¡°I love those, too,¡± I said, kissing her neck as she tilted her head to give me access. ¡°But honestly, I fell in love with you even before we ever made love for the first time. I fell in love with you because of your smile, your playfulness, your pretty little laugh. I fell for your sense of humor, and your amazing musical ability. You¡¯re very easy to love, Em. Very easy.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Emmy held my hands tighter against her body in a sort of hug. ¡°Do you know why I fell in love with you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°My sparkling wit?¡±


    ¡°That is it exactly!¡± Emmy said with a laugh. ¡°That, and your amazingly long legs. They are so¡­¡±


    ¡°Long?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very long. The longest. But also very defined, and lovely.¡±


    ¡°Lovely?¡± I asked, unsure I¡¯d heard right. I don¡¯t think anyone had ever used that exact word to describe my legs before.


    ¡°Yes, lovely. I love them, therefore by definition they are lovely,¡± Emmy declared. ¡°I love the way they look. I love to touch them and feel the muscles. I love the feel of the soft skin on either side of my face when I am between them-¡°


    ¡°You really have sex on your mind tonight, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked, interrupting.


    ¡°I do,¡± she admitted. ¡°I have been in a mood all day.¡±


    ¡°Angela wasn¡¯t enough for you this morning?¡± I teased, giving her vaj another squeeze.


    ¡°Making love with Angela is fantastic. She is sweet, tender, and very caring. But sometimes I need a beast. I need you to take me, to throw me down on the bed and use me until I cannot even feel my legs or move a single muscle. I need you, Leah, to fuck me senseless.¡±


    Surprised to hear her use such language, I let out a little laugh.


    ¡°It is true!¡± Emmy said. ¡°Sometimes I see this look in your eyes- it is a look of desire, and I know that it is me that you lust after. Me, I am the one who inflames you and turns you into a beast, raging with hunger. This¡­ wild love, I need it. I need to know that you need me, that you want me and must have me.¡±


    ¡°I do need you, Em,¡± I said. ¡°I need you very much.¡± I held her tight, crushing her slender body against mine. ¡°I¡¯ll always need you.¡±


    We stayed like that for a while, enjoying the contact.


    ¡°This morning, when Angela and I made love,¡± Emmy said, breaking the comfortable silence. ¡°I called you a beast, and Angela said that she did not know what I meant. I felt¡­ proud? No, not proud,¡± Emmy said, searching for the right word. ¡°I felt special, that you had not shown that aspect of yourself to her, that you reserved it for me. Afterwards, when I thought about it, I felt a little bit sad for her, to be denied such passion. I do not know if she would even enjoy being taken that way, as I do, but to know that she has never even had the experience¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you want me to go into beast mode with Angela?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°I do not know,¡± Emmy confessed. ¡°I am conflicted. I do, but I also wish it to be special just between the two of us. I have been trying to not be jealous, and I do love Angela, I truly do, but sometimes I want you just for myself. It is not fair, I know,¡± Emmy said, sounding guilty. ¡°There are times when I see you two together and it makes me very happy. It warms my heart to see the way you care for each other. I love you both and want you both to be as happy as possible, but sometimes¡­ it is hard for me, knowing that another is making you smile. But those moments of jealousy- they are few, and greatly overshadowed by the pleasure I feel knowing that Angela loves you and you love her, and you are both my lovers as well. I am very¡­ ¡®happy¡¯ is not exactly the right word, but I cannot think of any better word,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I am very happy with our m¨¦nage a trois. Angela has made our lives better, and I feel fortunate every day that she came into our lives.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit that I¡¯ve had pretty similar feelings,¡± I confessed. ¡°I love her, and I¡¯m grateful her old boyfriend got arrested. It didn¡¯t seem like it at the time, but that was a huge stroke of luck as far as I¡¯m concerned. I love Ange a lot, but you know what?¡± I asked. ¡°Not even the tiniest part of that love comes at your expense. I don¡¯t love you even slightly less because I love her. I¡¯d thought my heart was bursting with love for you and there wasn¡¯t any more room in there, but I was wrong. I don¡¯t love you any less than I ever did, but at the same time I love her a lot, too.¡±


    Emmy sat up, pulling herself from my grasp. She turned around and sat between my legs facing me, her knees on either side of my waist.


    ¡°I will not always be here for you,¡± she said, holding my head in her hands. ¡°I may only have a few more years. Promise me that you and Angela will marry and that you will love her when I cannot be with you.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I broached the subject that had started a number of arguments in the past. ¡°Em,¡± I said. ¡°Medicine has advanced-¡±


    She shushed me by putting a finger on my lips. ¡°This is not a thing that must be cured, like pneumonia or a flu, or something. Me being moon-kissed is a blessing, not a curse.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°I did not choose to be moon-kissed, Leah, but if I had been given the choice, it is what I would have chosen. It is a great gift, the greatest I could have possibly ever received.¡±


    ¡°But Em-¡±


    ¡°No buts. If I had not been moon-kissed, I would never have come to America, you and I would never have met, and never would have fallen in love. If I had not been moon-kissed, I would have led a quiet life in France, tending to the family businesses. It might not have been a bad life, but it would not be this one.¡±


    ¡°Em, that all may be true, but none of that is a reason to avoid seeking medical help,¡± I finally got out. ¡°I still don¡¯t really understand the whole thing, the cultural implications or whatever, but seriously, I want you to grow old with me. I want you to see our baby girl grow up. I want to see you holding our grandchildren in your arms. I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m greedy- I want you forever, not just a few more years,¡± I said, barely holding back the tears.


    ¡°Oh, Leah, I do want these things, too, but I know that I simply cannot have them. No moon kissed have ever lived to old age.¡±


    ¡°Be the first, Em. Be the first,¡± I begged.


    ¡°I do not think that it is so simple as that,¡± Emmy said, showing the very first crack in her resistance to the idea of medical help.


    ¡°Please consider the possibility, that¡¯s all I ask,¡± I said, pulling into my arms and holding her tight. ¡°I love you and I¡¯m not ready to give you up.¡±


    Emmy returned my embrace, the two of us holding on to each other as if our lives depended on it.


    As we toweled each other off, Emmy asked if I had any plans for the next morning.


    ¡°Say goodbye to Mom and Tiff, but that¡¯s about it,¡± I replied as Emmy started brushing my hair.


    ¡°One of the things that I was worried about and would not let me sleep is that Angela has a photo shoot very early tomorrow morning. She had expressed some concern about the photographer. She said that he is very widely published, but he has a reputation among the models. They say that he is a bit too hands-on, and has pressured some models into doing things that made them very uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯d like me to go with her as a sort of chaperone?¡±


    ¡°I do not think I would be very intimidating,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Otherwise I would go.¡±


    ¡°Did Angela ask for a chaperone?¡±


    ¡°No, she did not,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°But I do think she is a bit nervous about this shoot. It could be very beneficial for her career, so she feels she needs to seize this opportunity to work with this man, but his reputation worries her.¡±


    ¡°His reputation as a sleazeball,¡± I said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it, but I don¡¯t want Ange to think I¡¯m babysitting her. She is a grown woman and capable of navigating life on her own, and I don¡¯t want her to think that I believe otherwise. I¡¯m gonna ask her if I can go because I¡¯ve never seen a professional photo shoot before.¡±


    ¡°When your team posed for those calendar photos- that was a professional photo studio,¡± Emmy objected.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna mention that.¡±


    When I felt Angela slide quietly out of bed at four in the morning I slipped out and followed her to the bathroom.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked, rubbing my eyes. ¡°I thought you were getting up to work out, but it¡¯s only,¡± I said, glancing at my watch as I yawned, ¡°four in the morning. Why so early?¡±


    ¡°I have a shoot and we need to be set up for the morning light,¡± Angela said, starting the shower.


    ¡°The golden hour, right?¡± I asked, following her into the enclosure. I poured some shampoo into my hand and indicated Angela should turn around. When she did, I worked her hair into a lather.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Angela agreed, enjoying the feeling of my fingers on her scalp. ¡°It¡¯s a beach shoot, and the only way to avoid crowds here in LA is to shoot at dawn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be freezing!¡± I objected.


    ¡°Yeah it is,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°I just hope I don¡¯t have to go in the water.¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never seen how these things go. Would it be cool if I tagged along and watched? I could, I dunno, maybe have a warm robe and some hot coffee for you between takes, or whatever they call them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s usually the PA¡¯s job, but I¡¯d love it if you would come and keep me company,¡± Angela said, reaching up to give me a soapy kiss.


    We took Angela¡¯s little Z4 to Santa Monica, pulling up next to the photographer¡¯s van as he and his assistants unloaded equipment. Angela introduced me to the photographer and the makeup artist as her significant other, and after that everybody just ignored me as they got set up. I watched as the makeup artist set up a director¡¯s chair and some lights. As soon as the van was empty of camera gear, tripods and lights and all, she ushered Angela into the van and shut the doors. A minute or two later Angela came out wearing a big, fluffy robe and a pair of Crocs. She sat down in the chair so the makeup artist could do her work, which she did quickly and efficiently.


    Honestly, I thought that Angela did a better job on her own makeup, but I could see how it might need to be a bit exaggerated for a photo shoot.


    One of the photographer¡¯s assistants came to fetch Angela, so we all walked out onto the sand where the gear was all set up.


    Every now and then the makeup artist was called over to re-oil Angela¡¯s skin, touch up her eyeliner or lipstick, or something like that, but mostly it was rushing back to the van for a different swimsuit for a new set of shots.


    The whole thing seemed like an odd mix of taking time to get things just right but rushing to get as much as possible done during the limited time window. Finally the photographer declared, ¡°That¡¯s it- we¡¯ve lost the light,¡± and signaled to pack up.


    Angela went back to the van to change into warm clothes while I stood around with the makeup artist.


    ¡°So- you two a thing?¡± she asked, pointing back and forth between me and the van, presumably meaning Angela.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re in a committed relationship,¡± I agreed.


    She looked me up and down, making it clear she was silently commenting on my height. ¡°Like the old saying goes, you¡¯re a tall drink of water.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡±


    Just then Angela emerged from the van in her sweats. I poured a cup of coffee from the thermos I¡¯d been holding all morning, which she took gratefully.


    ¡°Thanks, baby,¡± Angela said, going up on her tiptoes for a kiss.


    ¡°Your lips are cold!¡± I exclaimed, surprised. ¡°Let¡¯s get you into the car-I¡¯ll turn up the heater.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget- the studio at three this afternoon,¡± one of the PAs said as we climbed into the BMW.


    I started the car and turned the heater all the way up as soon as it started putting out warm air.


    ¡°I am so happy he didn¡¯t want any shots actually in the water,¡± Angela said, her teeth chattering a bit as the cold really started to hit her. ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad, just, you know, being almost naked at the crack of dawn the week after Christmas on the beach, but a couple of times waves washed over my feet and the water was freezing!¡±


    ¡°I guess I really didn¡¯t understand how much work it actually is on one of these shoots,¡± I said.


    ¡°When you took pictures of me back at the condo, did it seem really easy?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Well, no, that was a lot of work just to get a few decent pictures,¡± I admitted. ¡°But that was mostly because I had no idea what I was doing.¡±


    ¡°No, it was because we cared about the results,¡± Angela corrected as I pulled the little convertible out of the beach parking lot. ¡°Anybody can snap a selfie, or whatever, but most of those aren''t worth the time it takes to even look at them. It takes planning, an understanding of composition, and a willingness to put in the effort to get it just right. This photographer? A lot of models don¡¯t like him, and for good reason, but everybody, and I mean everybody in the industry, knows that he can make an average model look great and a great model look their best.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t models like him?¡± I asked, feigning ignorance.


    ¡°He has a reputation for taking advantage of inexperienced girls,¡± Angela replied, distaste in her voice.

 Nobody Expects The

    Mom and Tiffany were having breakfast when Angela and I got home. Angela, still feeling chilled, waved and said hello before bolting to the shower to warm up and get the baby oil off her skin.


    ¡°She had an early morning photo shoot at the beach,¡± I explained in answer to Mom¡¯s raised eyebrows.


    ¡°The beach? This time of year?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Ange had to wear these little bikinis and act like it was a glorious day at the beach. I was impressed- she was a real trooper, even though she was freezing her ti- her butt off.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Tiffany said. ¡°You were gonna say ¡®freezing her tits off¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Tiffany,¡± Mom admonished gently.


    ¡°Well, she was. I¡¯m not a little kid any more, you know. I¡¯m nearly a teenager. You don¡¯t have to pretend I don¡¯t know all those words.¡±


    ¡°No, probably not,¡± Mom said with a sigh. ¡°Still, talking about your sister¡¯s, um, girlfriend¡¯s breasts may not be the best topic of conversation.¡±


    ¡°I saw ¡®em, you know,¡± Tiffany said, her tone hard to identify. ¡°Angela¡¯s tits, I mean. Christmas morning. When I went in to wake all of them, she was sleeping with no shirt on.¡±


    Mom looked very uncomfortable with the conversation, but was clearly unsure how to shut it down gracefully.


    ¡°Angela has really nice ones,¡± I said, enjoying Mom¡¯s discomfort just a little bit.


    ¡°She has piercings! On both her nipples!¡± Tiffany said. ¡°That must really have hurt,¡± she added, rubbing her own tiny little bumps in sympathy.


    ¡°She said it wasn¡¯t so bad, because the woman who did the piercing used ice, then some sort of anesthetic, so it felt more like a tug than a jab,¡± I said, conspiratorially.


    ¡°Still¡­¡± Tiffany said, pinching her own nipples through her T shirt thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to do that just yet.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still too young,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Did you- I mean, have you had yours done?¡± Tiffany asked. Glancing over at Mom, I could tell she¡¯d just given up and was letting this one play out.


    ¡°No way!¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m too much of a wimp.¡±


    ¡°Hah! You wimp!¡± Tiffany exclaimed, then made a pinching grab for my boob. I knocked her hand away and made to pinch her chest, causing her to shriek with laughter and squirt away, out of range, continuing to make pinching gestures with both hands.


    I stood and made similar pinching motions in Tiffany¡¯s direction as I lunged forward, getting another shriek of laughter as she darted away again.


    ¡°Girls,¡± Mom said, raising her voice just enough to be heard. ¡°No pinching. Anywhere.¡±


    ¡°You got off lucky this time, little shrimp,¡± I said to Tiffany as I took my seat again.


    ¡°No, it was you who escaped certain pinchitude,¡± Tiffany countered. ¡°It¡¯s like the Spanish Inquisition. Nobody expects the nipple pinch! Our weapons are fear, surprise, and a ruthless devotion to nipple pinching!¡±


    I will admit that Tiffany¡¯s extemporaneous riff on the Monty Python sketch both took me by surprise and made me laugh. I had no idea she¡¯d ever even heard of Monty Python, much less knew their comedy well enough to just toss out a reference like that.


    The commotion drew Angela and Emmy out to see what was going on, but it was all over by that point.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Angela asked, drying her hair with a towel.


    ¡°We were talking about your boobs,¡± Tiffany said, matter-of-factly.


    ¡°My boobs?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And how pinchable they are.¡±


    Puzzled, Angela and Emmy looked to me for explanation.


    ¡°Tiffany mentioned how she saw your piercings the other morning when she barged into our room, and that led to how it must have hurt, and so on, until, yeah, nipple pinching and the Spanish Inquisition,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°The Spanish Inquisition?¡± Emmy asked, not seeing any connection.


    ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t expect that!¡± Tiffany said with satisfaction, causing me to laugh again.


    Emmy and Angela gave each other a look, then just sat down at the kitchen counter with the rest of us without further questions. Of course, this made me laugh even harder, making me look like a crazy person.


    ¡°Would you two like some breakfast?¡± Mom asked Emmy and Angela, doing her best to ignore me and Tiffany, since we were still giggling like idiots.


    The photographer¡¯s studio was located in that area east of Downtown that real estate people were trying to push as ¡®The Arts District¡¯, but mainly it was crappy old industrial buildings from before World War Two that now served as sweat shops, radiator repair places, chrome platers and yes, the occasional cool loft building, gallery, or photography studio.


    I could grudgingly admit that gentrification was inevitable, but it wasn¡¯t mostly arty just yet. It was still gritty and more than a touch nasty, sandwiched as it was between skid row and the train yards. We got there early, parking the Z4 on the street in front of the old brick building. Angela announced herself to the intercom and soon one of the PAs came down to let us in and lead us up to the third floor studio.


    In the main studio the photographer was shooting another model, giving her instructions to stand like this, put her hand on her hip, and so on. Leaving Angela with the makeup artist, I wandered out to watch the photographer do his thing.


    The girl posing looked to be no more than thirteen years old- really, only a bit older than my little sister. Like Tiffany, she had tousled blonde hair and blue eyes, with a nice, even golden tan. Her high-waisted floral print bikini wasn¡¯t what I would call overly sexy for a girl her age, and the photographer¡¯s instructions didn¡¯t seem suggestive at all. Curt, maybe, or perhaps demanding, but all really pretty straight-forward.


    ¡°No, tilt your head up a little more. Turn your shoulders this way. Straighten your left leg,¡± stuff like that.


    The more I watched, though, I could see the girl was struggling. She wanted to do as he required, but she was getting tired and could never seem to get it just right. The photographer didn¡¯t insult her, but he never actually praised her for anything, either.


    Finally, one of the PAs tapped his watch and the photographer called out, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today. We¡¯re done.¡±


    The girl sagged with relief, the smile she¡¯d had vanishing as she turned to her mom, who was sitting in a director¡¯s chair in the corner.


    ¡°Good job, Kennedy,¡± the girl¡¯s mom said, holding out a robe for the girl to cover up. ¡°We can get some frozen yogurt on the way home.¡±


    The gratitude on the girl¡¯s face at that suggestion sent me down all sorts of uncomfortable paths, which I did my best to ignore.


    Not even turning to acknowledge the girl as she left, the photographer and his assistants took a five minute break, then set up for Angela.


    I wanted to say something, to offer some encouragement to the little blonde, anything to cheer her up, but what could I say? I just watched her disappear back into the dressing area, hoping I was misreading the dynamic.


    Angela came out of the dressing area, pulling off her own robe and handing it to one of the PAs as she took her place in front of the camera. She was wearing the same suit that she¡¯d started off with that morning at the beach in Santa Monica. I¡¯m not sure I really saw any value in keeping the same order, but apparently whoever was in charge of wardrobe did.


    The photographer wasn¡¯t really any different with Angela than he had been with the little blonde girl, but being abrupt with a twenty-six year old is very different than with a little kid. His demeanor didn¡¯t seem to bother Angela in the slightest, and when I asked her about it later she said that she actually appreciated it.


    ¡°I like that he knew what he wanted, and didn¡¯t feel a need to talk to me like a baby,¡± she said as I drove us home. ¡°This was just a catalog shoot, you know? Now, if it was gonna be a real fashion shoot, or an art shoot, that would require a lot more, um, communication. But for this? It was perfect. The studio shots are basically just mannequin work. All I needed to know was how he wanted me to pose.¡±


    Grace called and said that she and Rosalie wouldn¡¯t be able to make it for New Year¡¯s after all- they were going to stay with Rosalie¡¯s family for the rest of winter break. Emmy and I were a little bit disappointed to not see Grace again and talked about visiting her in Flagstaff soon, but I think we both knew it wouldn¡¯t actually happen.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Angela liked the idea, though, suggesting that we could see the Grand Canyon and Sedona while we were in the area. Emmy had never been to either place, and I barely remembered either, since the only time I¡¯d gone there was with Mom and Dad, back before Tiffany was born.


    It seemed to me that Angela was using the idea of planning a trip to Arizona to distract herself from her parents¡¯ impending visit. She tried to play it off as no big deal, but I could tell that she was nervous about how it would go.


    Emmy, of course, was always much better at recognizing and dealing with emotions than I ever was, and she did what she could to keep Angela calm, too. It was the little things, like a gentle touch as she walked past where Angela was working in the kitchen, or sitting next to Angela on the couch after dinner. Emmy wanted to subtly convey that whatever else might happen, Angela was loved and treasured.


    Of course, I did what I could to distract Angela as well. Emmy bowed out of going up to the club in San Jose for New Year¡¯s Eve with us, so Angela and I went up to the Bay Area without her. New Year¡¯s Eve fell on a Saturday that year, and we expected the club would be jam-packed, perfect for making our appearance.


    We took our table a bit early and ordered dinner there, rather than in the steak house out front. I planned for us to be there pretty much all night, and to my surprise, Angela was enthusiastic about the prospect.


    Angela had gotten herself a new dress for the occasion, a long, sleek black sheath dress, low cut and slit up one thigh. She did her makeup a bit darker and smokier than usual, and the ensemble made her pale skin seem to glow and her big blue eyes shine. Angela absolutely could have been a Hollywood bombshell from back in the days of black and white film, and the way she walked in that dress made me feel funny inside.


    I went with my black high-waisted suit with a white shirt. The only bits of color were my tie and my silk pocket square, which Emmy had picked to match Angela¡¯s blue eyes.


    The club was nearly full by the time we arrived around eight, so we made our rounds, shaking hands and saying hello to the regulars. It wasn¡¯t just me doing the glad-handing, either. Angela was fully back in her ¡®mob queen¡¯ persona, cheek-kissing the ladies and winking at some of the men. It was clear to me that as far as the clientele of the club was concerned, Angela was almost as much of a fixture as I was.


    Andrej was there with a woman I didn¡¯t recognize. When I leaned down to clap him on the shoulder and shake his hand, he introduced his date, but I have to admit I can¡¯t remember her name.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you here tonight, my man,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for coming tonight.¡± Andrej looked slightly concerned by what I might ask of him, but I ignored it. I waved the server over and said, ¡°Make sure these guys have a bottle of Krug Ros¨¦ at midnight.¡± Then, looking down at my watch, I realized it was still four hours away. ¡°You two are staying, right? We have very special entertainment tonight. I¡¯d hate for you to miss it.¡±


    They glanced back and forth. ¡°Well, we were thinking we were going to an office party¡­¡± Andrej¡¯s date said, unsure.


    ¡°You see those guys every day,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Trust me- stay here. Call your coworkers and tell ¡®em you got a better deal for tonight.¡± Patting Andrej on shoulder again, I said, ¡°Hey, no pressure. Just know that I¡¯m happy you¡¯re here right now. Come on over to the table later, if you feel like chatting.¡±


    Finishing our circuit, Angela and I sat down in our corner booth.


    ¡°Who¡¯s playing tonight?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Not Katy and Edgar?¡±


    ¡°No, we have somebody special coming in tonight,¡± I answered offhandedly, waving Theo over.


    Just then some regulars came over to say hi, and Angela smiled and greeted them warmly, forgetting about her question.


    James and Imogen showed up almost two hours later. I¡¯d tipped off Tony at the door to let them in, no matter how crowded the joint got, and to direct them to our table. The house was completely packed, so they would definitely have been turned away under other circumstances.


    ¡°Look at you two!¡± Imogen said as they got to the table. ¡°The best-looking couple in the place!¡±


    ¡°Well, we were, until you two showed up and upstaged us,¡± I said, giving Imogen a cheek kiss.


    The two of them had just settled down and gotten their drinks when the emcee took to the stage. ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, we have a very special show for you here tonight at the club,¡± the man said. ¡°Please, give a warm welcome to the Sunset Blues Trio on their first appearance on our stage!¡±


    Angela and Imogen were busy talking about trying to find good art for a new house and not really paying attention, so they didn¡¯t see the two men dressed in evening wear take their seats at the piano and drum kit. It wasn¡¯t until the singer walked out and a gasp from the crowd, followed by raucous applause, got their attention and both turned to look to see that it was Emmy at the microphone, Lee at the piano and oddly, Jackson at the drums.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Emmy said as the applause died down. ¡°It is an honor to be asked to play here tonight,¡± she said, getting quite a bit of laughter. ¡°Seriously, we have wanted to play here for a long time, but the owner, well¡­ She took a lot of convincing to let us have this gig.¡± Waiting for the laughter to die down again, Emmy said, ¡°But here we are, and here you are. Hopefully this will be an evening to remember!¡±


    Angela had turned back to look at me with accusing eyes. ¡°You two!¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys didn¡¯t tell me Emmy was going to play here tonight! ¡®Oh, I am sorry, I cannot go with you to San Jose, I have a headache¡¯? How did I ever fall for that?¡±


    Imogen, amused by Angela¡¯s indignation, poured gasoline on the fire. ¡°So, your bedmates keeping secrets from you? What¡¯s next? You¡¯re going to find them sleeping together?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t helping,¡± Angela growled, but she couldn¡¯t keep the smile off her face.


    In the meantime, Emmy had started singing that old jazz song ¡®I need a little sugar in my bowl¡¯, nice and slow. Of course I knew that Lee could play the piano, but I was surprised at Jackson¡¯s soft touch on the drums. Hearing Emmy sing that classic torch song, soft, slow and sultry gave me a thrill- a feeling I recognized from years before, at that coffee shop in San Diego. She was singing that she wants a little sweetness down in her soul, and I knew that it was me (well, and Angela) she wanted it from.


    The place went wild when the song ended. Almost everybody was standing and clapping, making a heck of a noise in that crowded club. Emmy waved for everybody to sit back dawn, saying, ¡°Please, ladies and gentlemen, please sit down. We will be here all night, and that is too long to stand on your feet. Just sit back, relax, enjoy the music, have some drinks with your friends, lovers, wives, husbands, whoever. The night is long, and we have just begun.¡± With that they started into the next song. I missed the start, distracted by Theo bringing another round of drinks.


    ¡°He may be your man, but he comes to see me sometimes,¡± Emmy sang. ¡°When he¡¯s with you, he always has me on his mind.¡±


    I¡¯d never heard the song before, but Emmy sang it with a very convincing attitude, smiling and winking at the guys in the audience as she swayed her hips enticingly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve known you two for years now,¡± Imogen said. ¡°But this is the first time I¡¯ve heard her sing in person. I mean, of course I¡¯ve seen her videos, but it isn¡¯t the same.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± James agreed, mesmerized.


    After a few more songs in a similar blues style that I didn¡¯t know, I recognized ¡®Piece of my heart¡¯ by Janis Joplin. Emmy didn¡¯t sing it with the ferocious intensity of the original, though. Emmy¡¯s version was slower, sadder, not so much angry as simply resigned.


    ¡°She really is amazing,¡± James said, turning to me. ¡°She¡¯s got such a range of expression. I¡¯d never have guessed she could sing like this.¡±


    ¡°She was singing Country music at home a few days ago,¡± Angela said, her eyes shining with excitement. She was clearly proud of Emmy¡¯s abilities. ¡°She can sing anything. I bet she could sing opera no problem.¡±


    Chatting with James and Imogen and the stream of regulars that stopped by the table, the time passed quickly. I realized Emmy was singing a song about midnight, and glanced at my watch.


    ¡°Let our hearts take wings ¡®round midnight,¡± she sang with two minutes to go until the clock struck twelve. When she finished the song, Emmy held up her own wrist and pointed to her watch.


    ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, we have less than a minute to go. Please pour yourselves a full glass, because it is time for a toast. So long old year, hello new!¡±


    One of the waitresses handed Emmy, Jackson and Lee champagne flutes as the two guys joined Emmy at the microphone.


    ¡°Ten, nine, eight¡­¡± the three counted down together, looking at Emmy¡¯s wristwatch. Of course, the whole club joined in on the countdown and when it got to zero, everybody (including those at our table) raised their glass and shouted ¡°Happy New Year!¡± and drank whatever they had.


    Emmy and the boys took a few minutes to circulate around the club, shaking hands, saying hello, and so on. When Emmy finally got to our table, she slid into the booth next to Imogen, giving her a kiss hello.


    ¡°I am so glad you two came tonight!¡± Emmy said, obviously on a high from performing.


    ¡°You did tell us not to miss it,¡± Imogen said, teasingly.


    ¡°Em, you were amazing,¡± Angela said, her big blue eyes bright.


    A few minutes later Lee, Jackson and Emmy took to the little stage again, starting out with that old Creedence song, ¡®Midnight Special¡¯. Somehow the mood had changed, and the crowd seemed more talkative and noisy, more like it was on regular nights. Before midnight it had been a lot like a concert, people sitting quietly and watching the performance, but after the toast the clientele got back to their conversations.


    ¡°So, I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± James said, sipping his champagne.


    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous habit,¡± I rejoined.


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied with a smile. ¡°How does next weekend look for Inde? You said your in-laws are visiting starting in the middle of the month, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that could work,¡± I said. ¡°My car is ready to go any time. It¡¯s just a matter of arranging for the crew and the hauler.¡±


    ¡°I let Reggie know this weekend might be a go, so I¡¯m basically ready to rip,¡± James said.


    ¡°Give me ¡¯til lunch on Monday to get everything lined up,¡± I said. ¡°It should be no problem. Are we talking one day on the track, or both days?¡±


    ¡°Both, if you can swing it,¡± James said.


    ¡°This is sounding better and better,¡± I said.


    When Emmy and the boys finally called it quits around one thirty, they¡¯d been playing for nearly three and a half hours and they were ready to relax. They made one last round of the club, posing for selfies and signing autographs and generally working the crowd. Eventually they made it to our table, crowding into the spots that James and Imogen had abandoned about a half hour earlier.


    ¡°You guys were really great tonight!¡± Angela said. ¡°And you! You totally kept me in the dark about you coming up here to play tonight!¡± she said to Emmy.


    ¡°But you enjoyed the show, did you not?¡± Emmy asked, leaning over and giving Angela a kiss.


    ¡°It was amazing- really amazing, Em.¡±


    ¡°I am glad you enjoyed it, Angie. We played tonight because we wanted to have fun and do something different. We have been too focused on our new album, and it has felt too much like work.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the thing,¡± Jackson said. ¡°If it becomes a chore, the joy dies. That ain¡¯t what we want, so sometimes you just have to break loose, y¡¯know?¡± Then, after a moment, he said, ¡°Speakin¡¯ of breakin¡¯ loose, I¡¯m gonna head out and see what trouble I can find. Lee, you game?¡±


    We left not long after that ourselves, after making another round of chatting with the regulars. I was pleased to see that Andrej and his date were still there, and said so.


    ¡°Was it worth sticking around? Was the show tonight better than that office party?¡± I asked the two of them.


    Andrej¡¯s date looked star-struck, just staring at Emmy, but Andrej responded. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know, since I wasn¡¯t at the office party, so I can¡¯t really compare¡­¡±


    This earned him a shoulder shove from his date, making him smile. ¡°This was the best New Year¡¯s I¡¯ve ever had,¡± he admitted. ¡°Thanks for convincing us to stay. Oh, and thanks for the champagne, too.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, Andrej,¡± I replied, happy he¡¯d had a good time.


    The moment we walked in the door of the condo Angela immediately started stripping Emmy and herself out of their cocktail dresses, pushing Emmy to the bathroom for a shower.


    Chuckling, I took my time undoing my tie and removing my suit, folding it nicely as I did so. Finally nude, I joined Emmy and Angela in that shower, letting the hot water and warm hands slide all over my body.


    Angela was on fire that night, wearing Emmy and me out in all the best ways. As Emmy lay back, exhausted and satisfied, she said, ¡°If this is my reward, I will have to perform surprise shows more often!¡±


    Angela, sitting on her heels, looked up at Emmy adoringly. Stroking Emmy¡¯s leg, she said, ¡°I love to see you perform, Em. You light up inside when you sing and play. I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but it makes me love you more every time you do it.¡±


    ¡°It is settled, then. More singing, more playing,¡± Emmy announced.

 Out Inde Desert

    Emmy and Angela returned to Los Angeles the next day, but I stayed behind to make an appearance at the San Jose office that Monday. Since it was the first workday of the new year, nothing was really happening- too many people were still out on vacation for the holidays. Still, showing my face was a good thing for the old hands there who still felt as if the office had been demoted to also-ran status since I¡¯d moved to Los Angeles. Most of my time was spent talking with various people about their projects and how things were going. It was good to get in touch with the mood at the office, and let everybody know that I hadn¡¯t forgotten them.


    I had lunch at my desk, using the time to sort everything out for the track weekend in Tucson. Thankfully Joachim was willing to drop his weekend plans for me, so everything was good to go. I told him I¡¯d drop off the M6 so they could throw it in the rig and bring it out to the track, since I was going to drive out in the X6 (it had four seats).


    After clearing it with James, I shot an email to Maddie¡¯s mom Lainey to see if they could join us for the weekend in Tucson. She¡¯d said she would try to see if they could make it work and would let me know in a day or two.


    Angela and Emmy were already in bed when I got home late that night, cuddled together peacefully. I slipped under the sheets as quietly as I could, but Emmy woke up anyhow. She mumbled hello and turned to face me, resting her head on my shoulder and falling back asleep.


    Sure, even a king-sized bed can feel small when sharing it with two others, but it was much better than the big, empty bed I¡¯d had all to myself the night before up in San Jose. I wrapped my arm around Emmy and pulled her in close, enjoying the feel of her warm skin against mine as I drifted off to sleep.


    That Wednesday Mom called and asked if Tiffany could stay with us for the weekend. When I told her we¡¯d be out of town and explained about the rented track that James had set up, Mom suggested that maybe Tiffany would like to go with us and see what a real track experience is like. When I asked, Angela and Emmy both said they were good with Tiffany coming along, so Mom agreed to bring her up to Los Angeles Friday morning.


    I¡¯d had some misgivings about four of us packed in the car for the five hundred mile drive, so Emmy and Tiffany were going to fly out while I drove. Angela volunteered to keep me company on the drive, excited about seeing the desert, so it wasn¡¯t going to just be me all by myself. Not that I minded that idea much, but still, it was nice to have company.


    Interstate Ten is a long, boring freeway that cuts through what must be the least scenic parts of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, and the towns along the way are not the highlights. We stopped for gas in Quartzite, right on the California border. Angela suggested we grab a bite to eat, so we stopped at a fairly typical-looking diner just off the freeway.


    The place was a bit shabby, but the food was decent enough and the waitress was cheerful, so I left a big tip. I figure these places need all the help they can get.


    The second leg of the drive had us skirt Phoenix, and Angela kept asking questions about what there was to do or see in the area.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think there is all that much to do here, as far as, you know, tourist attractions,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a big city, so there has to be stuff to do, but things that would actually bring tourists from, I dunno, Europe or whatever, I don¡¯t think there are any.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to check it out sometime,¡± Angela said as the metro area faded in the rear view mirror.


    ¡°Let me know if you find anything interesting,¡± I said.


    We were running about an hour early, so I suggested we check out the old Spanish mission there in Tucson, which was fairly close to the airport. The colonial style of the place reminded Angela of a lot of buildings back in Colombia, and I think it made her a tiny bit homesick.


    ¡°I wish I could take you and Emmy back to see where I grew up,¡± she said as we got back into the car. ¡°There are a lot of really terrible things about Colombia, but there is also a lot of beauty.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot less beauty in Colombia now that you left and came to the U.S.,¡± I joked, getting a smile for my effort.


    ¡°Have I told you I love you?¡± Angela asked, squeezing my thigh.


    ¡°Yes, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to hear you say it again,¡± I replied, putting my hand on hers.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said. ¡°I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Leah. I know I¡¯ll only get a few years with Emmy, and I hate that, but knowing that I¡¯ll have you forever¡­¡±


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t given up on getting Emmy to see if there¡¯s something that can be done. Medically, I mean. Some sort of gene therapy or something,¡± I said, squeezing Angela¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I tried to talk to her about it,¡± Angela said with a sigh. ¡°She didn¡¯t want to hear anything I had to say. We got in a bit of an argument about it, actually¡­¡± she trailed off.


    ¡°Yeah, I know how that goes,¡± I agreed, the conversation drifting off to contemplative silence.


    ¡°That was so cool!¡± Tiffany said as she and Emmy made their way into the terminal. ¡°We flew on a, like, private jet!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you, too, Tiff,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, hi, Lee!¡± Tiffany said, wrapping me in a hug, then going on to hug Angela. ¡°And you, too, Angie!¡±


    Tiffany chattered about this and that all the way out to the track, which was way outside of town. James had lined up a two-bedroom casita for us, and I wanted to get settled in and survey the facilities before dinner.


    The guy at the gate said that the BMW of Temecula rig had rolled in a couple of hours earlier, and I could find it in the main parking area.


    ¡°You can¡¯t miss it. I mean, literally, can¡¯t miss it. There are only two rigs in the entire parking lot.¡±


    Driving through the parking area, I had to agree. The BMW toter-hauler and the hauler from The Track Club were, in fact, the only two setups in the place, parked at right angles to each other. Passing them, I found the casitas and parked in front of ours.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go talk to the guys,¡± I said as everybody grabbed their bags and made their way inside. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few.¡±


    Joachim and the crew were just lounging around, talking shop with Reggie and his guys from The Track Club, relaxing in their M-Sport branded camp chairs, since they¡¯d already unloaded the two cars and had them under the canopies.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, it¡¯s good to see you,¡± Reggie said, lifting his bottle of Mexican Coke in salute.


    ¡°Hey, Reg,¡± I said, tapping fists with my crew as a way to say hello. ¡°James here yet?¡±


    ¡°Nah, they¡¯re supposed to fly in sometime around five,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Fly in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the track has an airstrip, but it¡¯s not big enough for jets, so they¡¯re flying in to the county airport. It¡¯s like a fifteen minute drive from here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± I said, rooting around in the cooler for another one of those glass-bottled Cokes. ¡°How¡¯s he liking Godzilla?¡±


    ¡°He seems to like it a lot,¡± Reggie said. ¡°It¡¯s funny how different we have it set up for him than the way you liked it. It¡¯s practically a different car. Me and Joachim here were just talking about it. He mentioned you liked the BMW really loose, and I told him you were the same with the GT-R, but James, he likes it really tight, you know?¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Just then a familiar motorhome pulling a flatbed with a Mitsubishi EVO pulled into the parking area. I jumped up and waved to the driver. ¡°Hey, guys? Where should I have her park?¡±


    ¡°Um, are they going to spend the night in the RV?¡± Reggie asked. ¡°If so, probably they¡¯ll want to be sorta right there,¡± he said, waving to indicate what he meant. ¡°That way they won¡¯t hear the generators so much.¡±


    ¡°And everybody will have easy access with the cars,¡± Joachim added. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s that girl from Chuckwalla, right?¡±


    I waved Lainey into the area that Reggie had suggested and greeted her and Maddie when they climbed out of the motorhome.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys could make it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thanks for inviting us!¡± Maddie said, looking around. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be cool to drive at a new track!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, James and I have never driven here before, either,¡± I said.


    ¡°So it¡¯s going to just be the two of you and Maddie on the track, right?¡± Lainey asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯ll be wide open.¡±


    While I was talking to Lainey, Emmy, Angela and Tiffany walked up.


    ¡°Lainey, this is Emmy, this is Angela, and this is my little sister Tiffany,¡± I said, pointing to each one in turn. ¡°This is Lainey, and her daughter Maddie, who will be driving this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Tiffany asked, her eyes wide. ¡°You drive?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Maddie said, her chest swelling with pride. ¡°That¡¯s my race car right there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s freaking awesome!¡± Tiffany said. ¡°Can I see it?¡±


    ¡°Your sister¡¯s car is way cooler,¡± Maddie said, embarrassed by the attention.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but she¡¯s old,¡± Tiffany countered. ¡°You¡¯re like, in high school, right?¡±


    With a quick, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m gonna unload the car,¡± the two girls were off to fuss around with the EVO.


    ¡°Your sister?¡± Lainey asked as Maddie showed Tiffany how to undo the tie-downs holding the car in place.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, amused at Tiffany¡¯s enthusiasm.


    ¡°Do you two have dinner plans?¡± Emmy asked Lainey. ¡°I am going to make a reservation in Tucson for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Hey, babe? Can you do me a favor and get tables for the six of them, too?¡± I asked, pointing at the two crews. ¡°I¡¯d like to treat ¡®em to dinner.¡±


    ¡°That is nice,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°I will see what I can do.¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t impose-¡± Lainey began, but Emmy interrupted. ¡°It would be no imposition at all,¡± she replied. ¡°We would love your company.¡±


    ¡°The challenge is how to get everybody to the restaurant,¡± I said, looking around. ¡°I wonder if the track has a passenger van we could use?¡±


    As if the Gods had heard me, a white Ford Transit van pulled up at that moment. The only two passengers were Imogen and James, who stepped out to say hello. While they were doing that, I spoke to the driver and asked if we could borrow the van to go into town for the evening. He hemmed and hawed, saying that I needed to talk to his boss, but then getting his boss on the phone and receiving the confirmation that yes, we could borrow it.


    Emmy managed to make reservations for all fourteen of us at a steak house, to my surprise. ¡°Once Emmy told them who she was, they were ready to jump though hoops,¡± Angela explained. ¡°The benefit of fame.¡±


    None of the mechanics had brought nice clothes to wear to a fancy restaurant, so Reggie told them to scrub up nice and wear their cleanest uniforms to the restaurant. James and Imogen had been surprised when I mentioned that the crews were coming to dinner with us, but both warmed to the idea quickly.


    They were both from old East Coast money and had prep school and country club upbringings, but I knew both of them had tried to adopt a more egalitarian West-Coast attitude. That conflict showed every now and then, but in the end they always did the right thing, and that¡¯s what matters.


    Reggie took the wheel of the van and the rest of us piled in for the really surprisingly long ride back to Tucson. When we pulled up in front of the restaurant, I told Reggie to head to the valet stand. He laughed and agreed, stopping right in front. Once we all spilled out of the van, Reggie handed the key to the kid at the podium.


    ¡°Take good care of her,¡± he said with a smirk.


    Emmy led the way into the restaurant, and when the host saw her his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.


    ¡°Miss Lascaux,¡± he said. ¡°Your, um, tables are right this way,¡± he said, looking over the large group. We drew quite a few looks as we filed though the place to the back corner, where three tables were waiting for us.


    In the van, I¡¯d quietly said to Joachim that I didn¡¯t want the mechanics at one table and the rest of us at another. ¡°Make sure the guys understand that they can order anything they want, and make sure every table has a mixed group of people.¡±


    As people started to sit down, I took control and seated everybody as equitably as I could, even though that meant I didn¡¯t sit with Emmy and Angela, and James and Imogen didn¡¯t sit together, either.


    This caused confusion at first, but when people started to realize what I was doing everybody went along with the program.


    The food was decent, and it seemed mixing up the groups made for good conversations, from what I could tell. I¡¯d found myself seated at a table with James, one of Reggie¡¯s guys and two of the BMW crew, so our talk was almost entirely car-related, but I overheard Angela and Manny (from BMW of Temecula) at the table right behind me talking with Lainey about Spanish colonial architecture. Apparently Manny was from one of those cities in Central Mexico with a lot of that stuff, and so had as much of a background in the subject as Angela.


    The service was nice and attentive and the drinks were good, so all in all I¡¯d say the whole thing was well worth the couple of grand. Of course James tried to pay, but I waved him off. ¡°You can buy next time,¡± I said, which seemed to satisfy him.


    As we all went to our respective accommodations back at the track, Lainey pulled me aside.


    ¡°Thanks for dinner, Leah,¡± she said. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°It was my pleasure.¡±


    Looking uncomfortable and glancing around to make sure nobody was close enough to listen in, she asked, ¡°Um, if it isn¡¯t prying, what¡¯s the deal with, well, with Angela and Emmy? Emmy¡¯s your wife, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Emmy¡¯s my wife,¡± I agreed. ¡°And I know this is unusual, but Angela is our, um, lover. She¡¯s¡­ well, we¡¯re a threesome,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my neck. I really hoped that Lainey would be cool with the whole thing, but I had more than a slight nagging feeling she wouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°A threesome? Like, you¡¯re all lesbian for each other?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a funny way of phrasing it, but yeah,¡± I agreed.


    Taking a deep breath and then letting out as a sort of sigh, Lainey said, ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s your business, and not mine. I¡¯d really like to ask you to do me a favor, alright? Don¡¯t um, try to convert Maddie or anything. That¡¯s all I ask.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a little laugh. ¡°Lainey, she¡¯s fifteen years old. By now, she should know where her interests lie, and like you said, that is none of my business at all. I like her because she¡¯s an aspiring racer, and that¡¯s absolutely as far as my connection to her goes. I¡¯m not gonna lie if she asks me about Emmy or Angela, but I am also one hundred per cent not going to bring up any topic like that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, looking relieved. ¡°It¡¯s not that there¡¯s anything wrong with being gay¡­¡±


    ¡°The way I look at it, we all have our own lives to sort out,¡± I said. ¡°Maddie doesn¡¯t need me to influence her in any way than to encourage her driving, and that¡¯s all I¡¯ve signed up for.¡±


    Nodding, Lainey said, ¡°Being a teenager is tough, but you know, just by you being, well, a role model, you know? That¡¯s going to affect her all by itself.¡±


    ¡°The only influence I might hope to have on her in that regard is that she learns that gay people are just people, you know? Remind me to tell you about a girl named Grace some time,¡± I said.


    At the casita, Emmy was reclining on the couch with Tiffany draped over her lap. Emmy was running her fingers through Tiffany¡¯s hair, and the two were talking too quietly for me to catch. I gave Emmy a little kiss on the top of her head as I passed by, finding Angela on her tummy on the bed in the left bedroom, her phone in hand.


    I sat down next to her bare legs, enjoying the fact that her short shirt had hiked up a bit when she flopped onto the bed.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, idly stroking the smooth skin of her thigh.


    ¡°Posting on my Insta,¡± she replied, not paying me much attention, still fixated on her phone.


    I hooked my thumbs under the hem of her skirt and slid it up and over the swell of her butt, exposing those beautiful, squeezable cheeks, separated by her thong panties. As my hands found their way and stroked and cupped that glorious ass, Angela tried to swat my hands away and pull her skirt back down, but she was still too focused on her phone for her actions to have any effect. It wasn¡¯t until I pulled those tiny little panties down to mid thigh that she put the phone down.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said, exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m trying to do something!¡± she said as she pulled her panties back up.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± I replied, hiking her skirt back up and kissing the round cheek I exposed. ¡°So am I.¡±


    ¡°Look, just give me five minutes, O.K.? After that, I¡¯m all yours.¡±


    ¡°I like the sound of that,¡± I said as I kissed her rear again, then pulled her skirt back into place. ¡°I¡¯ll get the shower started.¡±


    It was longer than five minutes, but Angela did join me in the shower before the hot water ran out. Unfortunately the stall was too small for much besides rubbing up against each other, all nice and slippery with soap, but that was plenty fun. When the water did start to turn cool we quickly rinsed off, laughing at how fast it had happened.


    After toweling each other off, Angela grabbed my lotion from the toiletries bag and guided me back to the bed. She had me lie face down, then squeezed some of my favorite lotion (we each had our specific preference on the subject) onto my back. I enjoyed feeling her hands working it into my skin, as she made certain she didn¡¯t miss any spots at all in the process. I would have been happy to have the experience last forever, but I was happy with the way the massage came to an end.


    When Emmy finally joined us, she found Angela draped across my back, the two of us relaxed and blissful. Angela was on her chest, her tummy parked on my butt, her knees a bit lower than mine, nestled between my calves. Neither of us were asleep, but we weren¡¯t talking or really doing anything except enjoying the contact.


    ¡°What did I miss?¡± Emmy asked, looking us over.


    ¡°A nice massage,¡± I said.


    ¡°A happy ending,¡± Angela murmured.


    ¡°I must be living life wrong,¡± Emmy said, kicking off her shoes. ¡°I could have been in here with two beautiful naked women, but instead I learned all about the tangled social web of a typical pre-teen American girl.¡±


    Angela and I watched as Emmy peeled off the rest of her clothes, then climbed on top of us, making it a three-high stack of naked people.


    After maybe half a minute like that, Emmy sighed and said, ¡°Yes, this is nice.¡±


    The weight of the two of them pressing me into the bed was somehow comforting. I could have fallen asleep like that, using the two as a sort of heavyweight blanket of love. I think maybe I did actually doze a little bit, because I jarred awake a little bit when Emmy finally climbed off and urged Angela to do the same so we could get under the covers.


    It didn¡¯t take me long to fall back asleep, the warmth of the two on either side lulling me back into dreamland.

 Warming Up Nicely

    Waking up early, I slid quietly out of bed, got dressed, and made my way out to the parking area.


    The two crews were setting things up for the day, and thankfully Reggie already had the coffee maker going. Gratefully, I accepted a cup of the nectar of the bean.


    ¡°The weather report says a high in the low seventies today,¡± Reggie said. ¡°Some wind, but not too bad, no moisture. Still, I talked to the guys running the place and they said that nobody has run here since the last rain, so expect the track¡¯ll be really green until you guys lay some rubber down.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± I said. ¡°Think I¡¯ll walk the track.¡±


    Handing him the now empty cup, I made my way out the hot pit lane and onto the track itself. The surface seemed to be in good, but maybe not great, shape. There were a few seams and the occasional tar snake, but no big ugly patches or crumbling bits, so I wasn¡¯t about to complain.


    James was talking with Reggie when I got back to the pits forty-five minutes later. The Track Club guys had Godzilla and the 918 out and were going over them one last time.


    ¡°I like the new color,¡± I said to James, indicating the Nissan. He¡¯d had it re-wrapped, so now instead of the iridescent Japanese Beetle green I¡¯d had, it was a vivid poison green with black accents.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± James said. ¡°It was Imogen¡¯s idea, after the second or third time somebody asked me why I was driving your car.¡±


    Laughing, I fist-bumped him, then went to check on my BMWs.


    ¡°The track goes hot at nine,¡± Joachim said as I walked up. ¡°We¡¯ll throw the warmers on a little bit after eight, so the tires¡¯ll be nice and toasty right out of the gate.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯ve never driven this track before, right? Did you hear what Reggie said about the track being really green? I¡¯m not gonna set any lap records at the drop of the green flag.¡±


    ¡°A slippery track is all the more reason to have the tires up to temp to start with,¡± Joachim said with a smile. "Oh, and we brought plenty of tires, so go ahead and burn ¡®em off as fast as you want.¡±


    ¡°You know the way to a girl¡¯s heart,¡± I replied with a laugh.


    Seeing Lainey and Maddie standing a bit off to one side and looking nervous, I waved them over. ¡°Guys, you¡¯ve met Lainey and her daughter Maddie, but I don¡¯t know if I ever made proper introductions. Maddie, Lainey, this is my crew chief Joachim. That¡¯s Manny, over there is Rob, and somewhere around here is Vance. These guys are great- if you¡¯re having any sort of car issue, let them take a look.¡±


    ¡°Leah¡¯s cars are pretty well dialed in, so we mostly just sit around and wait for something to do, anyhow,¡± Joachim joked.


    Emmy had been waiting to tell me something, so I excused myself to see what it was she wanted.


    ¡°Imogen, Angela and I are going in to Tucson to a day spa while you and James play with your cars,¡± she announced.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Why would I mind?¡±


    ¡°Well, because we¡¯re, I mean, just leaving you here, while we go off and do something without you,¡± Angela said, a bit hesitantly.


    ¡°No, Ange, I don¡¯t mind. In fact, I¡¯m glad you guys are doing it. Much better than being stuck out here in the middle of nowhere.¡±


    Smiling, she leaned in for a quick kiss. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. I gave Emmy a kiss also, and the two of them grabbed Imogen and headed back to the casitas, presumably to get whatever they needed.


    ¡°Can I ride with you?¡± Tiffany asked when I returned to where everybody else was hanging out.


    ¡°Joachim over there is my crew chief, and that means that as far as things like that are concerned, you have to talk to him,¡± I said, pointing at the Brazilian mechanic. ¡°Go ask him, and see what he says.¡±


    ¡°Can you ask him for me?¡± Tiffany pleaded, being bashful.


    ¡°One,¡± I said, holding up my index finger. ¡°Racing isn¡¯t for people who are shy. It¡¯s all about making your way, and not just meekly going along. Two,¡± I continued, lifting up my second finger. ¡°The crew chief is the most important guy in the racer¡¯s world. Seriously, he¡¯s the guy you need to be on good terms with. If you don¡¯t get along with your crew chief, you aren¡¯t going anywhere. And three,¡± I added, extending my thumb. ¡°He¡¯s a really nice guy. There¡¯s no need to be shy with him.¡±


    I gave her a little nudge, propelling her towards where Joachim was looking at the laptop he had sitting on the fender of the GT3, checking whatever it was he was checking.


    Tentatively, but then with more determination after a quick look back in my direction, she walked over and stood by the guy until he noticed her. I couldn¡¯t hear the conversation over the sound of the GT3 warming up, but I could see they had a bit of a back and forth for a couple of minutes. He gave her a sign to wait there, and went into the toter for something. A moment later he emerged with two boxes. He indicated she should follow him into the canopy enclosure and to the camp chairs set up there.


    She sat down as he suggested, and he handed her the first box. She opened it up, puzzled, then her face lit up when she pulled out a BWM of Temecula racing suit in her size. Also in the box were a pair of racing shoes and some driver¡¯s gloves to match. Excited, she opened the second box and pulled out the white, red and blue helmet that she found inside.


    She looked up at me, having realized that I¡¯d set it all up, her smile so wide I thought the top of her head would fall off. She set the helmet down gently, then came racing over to give me a big hug.


    ¡°Thank you thank you thank you thank you!¡± she said.


    ¡°So here¡¯s the deal,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t take you out in my race car, since it only has one seat. I¡¯ve signed the waivers and you can ride in the orange car with me, but the track boss has to inspect your safety gear and approve it.¡±


    ¡°Joachim?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s the crew chief. I mean the track marshall, the guy who actually runs the track while we¡¯re out there. He¡¯s the boss of the track, and what he says, goes as far as the track is concerned. We¡¯ll see him in a bit when he comes over at eight thirty or so to explain the track rules.¡±


    ¡°O.K., so he gets to say who can go out on the track and who can¡¯t? I thought you said the crew chief does that,¡± Tiffany protested.


    ¡°No, the crew chief is in charge of the race team. The track marshall is in charge of the track. Either one can say no at any time for any number of reasons, and both have to say yes for you to go out,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Tiffany said, sounding very much like our mom. ¡°Joachim has the O.K. on whether or not anybody on our race team gets to go out-¡±


    ¡°Well, even whether we can get in the car or not,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°And the track marshall gets to say whether we can get on the track,¡± she finished.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°And I can go out with you when you¡¯re driving the orange car, since it has two seats, but not in the race car, since it only has one.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°So what do I do when you¡¯re out on the track in the race car?¡± Tiffany asked.


    ¡°You can talk to Joachim and the guys about how they set the cars up, or you could watch from the stands over there- you remembered to put on sun block, right?¡± I asked, suddenly remembering.


    When she rolled her eyes and nodded yes, I continued. ¡°You can play on your phone, take a nap in the casita, whatever.¡±


    ¡°So, basically, just sit around and wait for you to give me a ride,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, more or less,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Can I ride with Maddie?¡±


    ¡°Her mom is her crew chief,¡± I said.


    ¡°So I need to ask her?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ll talk to her about it, but you need to directly ask her and get her permission straight from her mouth. No asking me, or asking Maddie. Also, not until after lunch today, even if she says yes. This is a new track for all of us, and the marshall said it¡¯s really slippery right now, so until we¡¯ve gotten a feel for it and the track has warmed up, no riding with Maddie.¡±


    ¡°But I can ride with you?¡± Tiffany asked.


    ¡°Not right from the start. I need to get a feel for conditions before then. And also, you need to make sure your race suit and gear all fits right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll take five minutes,¡± Tiffany said, rolling her eyes the way only a pre-teen girl can.


    ¡°There¡¯s more adjustability than you might think,¡± I said. ¡°It all needs to fit just right- especially the helmet.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I get it,¡± Tiffany said, turning to go back to the canopy to grab her new racing gear.


    I grabbed my own gear from the M6¡¯s trunk and went into the toter to change. I wanted to be out and rolling the moment the green flag waved, after all. Suited up, my gloves stuffed into my helmet (a habit that both Reggie and Joachim had given me hell for, but hey- I saw Alain do it, too, and he¡¯s a freaking legend of the sport, right?), I made my way back out to the canopy.


    James, Reggie and Joachim were all there, talking with a middle-aged guy I didn¡¯t recognize. As I walked up, I saw Tiffany showing off her new racing gear to Maddie. I waved them both over, and soon everybody was there for the marshall¡¯s instructions.


    It was the same as always, a rundown of the various flags and what they mean, track entry and exit rules, so on. It was old news for most of us, but Tiffany was laser-focused and taking it all in. She looked adorable in her little Nomex suit and racing shoes, holding her helmet under her arm. It had taken a lot of money to get them all overnighted from Germany, and I was never going to tell Mom just how much it all cost. In any case, it was worth it, seeing Tiffany in the outfit. I surreptitiously took a few photos and sent them to Emmy and Angela so they could see how cute she was.


    After the marshall (whose name I can¡¯t remember) finished and told us we had ten minutes until the track went hot, Tiffany went right up to him without prompting. She held her helmet out to the guy and spun slowly around so he could see that her suit fit her well and was properly done up.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re good to go, little lady. Which car will you be driving?¡± he asked, smiling.


    ¡°I can¡¯t drive a car yet,¡± she said, completely seriously. ¡°I can¡¯t reach the pedals.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not yet, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be driving soon. In any case, you look ready to go. Don¡¯t forget to fasten your helmet before getting out on the track.¡±


    When he turned to leave, Tiffany rushed over. ¡°Did you hear? He said I was ready to go!¡±


    ¡°I heard, I heard,¡± I said. ¡°But remember what I said about having to wait a little bit until I get a feel for the track, alright?¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± she said with surprisingly good grace. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go see what Joachim is doing to get your car ready.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to take her out?¡± Lainey asked as soon as Tiffany had bolted.


    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± I replied. ¡°She¡¯s been playing these racing games and is really into it, you know? I took her to one of those indoor kart places and she loved it. She did really well, actually, so I figure that she should get a feel for what it¡¯s really like out on a track.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s what? Twelve?¡±


    ¡°Still eleven for a few more months. She¡¯s just tall, like I was at that age.¡±


    ¡°Maddie was nine when she got her first kart. It was something her dad loved to do with her, you know?¡± Lainey said.


    ¡°Maybe karting would be good for Tiffany,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But I know nothing about it.¡±


    ¡°There are a few tracks here in the region,¡± Lainey said. ¡°And it¡¯s way cheaper and easier than full-sized cars, let me tell you.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I bet. Hey, Tiffany asked me if she could go out for a few laps with Maddie. I told her that she had to ask you, because you¡¯re Maddie¡¯s crew chief.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re O.K. with your sister riding with Maddie?¡± Lainey asked, surprised, but rolling with the ¡®crew chief¡¯ designation.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve ridden with Maddie, remember? She¡¯s a good driver, and the car is sound. There¡¯s only the three of us out here, and I guarantee neither James or I are going to run into Maddie, so it should be pretty safe. But if you¡¯re not sure, just tell her no. Tell her that you don¡¯t want her distracting Maddie, or the car won¡¯t handle right with the extra weight, or whatever. Heck, you don¡¯t even need to make anything up. If you say no, she¡¯ll accept it,¡± I said.


    Lainey sighed, and said, ¡°Let me think about it.¡±


    ¡°I told her that even if you do say yes, not until after lunch today. Maddie needs time to learn the track with no distractions,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, I told her that I¡¯m not comfortable taking her out until I¡¯m satisfied that I have a feel for the track.¡±


    Nodding, Lainey said, ¡°Makes sense. Like I said, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask,¡± I replied, and we parted to get ready.


    ¡°Your car is all ready!¡± Tiffany announced as I walked up. Joachim nodded in agreement, so I put on my HANS device and then my helmet.


    ¡°Ready to rock!¡± I said to Tiffany as I climbed into the car and settled into the seat.


    ¡°Go out there and haul ass!¡± Tiffany shouted over the engine noise, making me laugh.


    I rolled up to the marshall, waiting to be waved onto the track. James was right behind me in the now wickedly green Nissan, and Maddie¡¯s meek-looking little Mitsubishi pulled in behind. After a few seconds of talking on his radio, the marshall waved me on, stopping James at the line to give me time to open a gap.


    Just cruising, I rolled through the initial double-apex right-hander just fine, giving it a goose on exit to get a feel for grip. As predicted, it didn¡¯t take much to break loose, but when it did, it was nice and controlled. The long straight led into a right-handed sweeper, then a short little straight. Alain¡¯s description of a straight being any place you can put your foot flat to the floor came to mind as I ran over the curbing entering the second big sweeping right. ¡®So far, so good,¡¯ I thought, but I knew the tricky part was coming up. The track rose midway through the sweeper, hiding the braking zone and entry into the tight right that followed. The next part of the track snaked back and forth, with a few rises to limit visibility. The right-hander in the middle of that section was particularly tough, since the hard braking zone came immediately after a small crest, unweighting the car, especially at the low speeds I was going. Paradoxically, I could tell that going faster and braking harder and later was going to solve the lift problem. Thanks, aero package!


    I picked up the speed a few percentage points on my second lap, confident that I had enough grip to play with the gas a bit. I got a little sideways a couple of times, but nothing too exciting. Turn twelve was better a little bit faster, but knowing there was a hard braking zone you can¡¯t see until almost too late was a bit stressful.


    Every successive lap I picked up the speed, and as I did, my lines naturally changed. It was nice, being all alone out there. The other two drivers popped into view off in the distance every now and then, but otherwise I might have had the whole place to myself.


    After about twenty laps or so I was feeling pretty smooth and fast. I had my braking markers sorted out and felt my lines were nice and solid, so I pulled into the pit to change cars (and pick up a passenger).


    ¡°How was it out there?¡± Joachim asked after I climbed out of the GT3.


    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± I said. ¡°Not as slippery as promised, but good.¡±


    ¡°Well, a certain somebody has been dying to get out there, so take a quick drink of water and head back out,¡± he said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s gooooo!¡± Tiffany said as I opened the driver¡¯s side door of the M6. She was already buckled in, the racing harness snugged up properly for her small frame. Mentally thanking Joachim, I slid into my seat and buckled up.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Where do we enter the track?¡±


    ¡°Over there,¡± Tiffany said, taking the question seriously. She pointed to the entry onto the hot pit lane, so I rolled the car over where she pointed.


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°Wait for the marshall to wave you onto the track,¡± she replied, confident in her answer.


    I did as she said, and we waited while Maddie zoomed by. Another thirty seconds or so later, the marshal gave us a wave and onto the track we went. The M6¡¯s tires hadn¡¯t been on warmers, so I knew I needed at least a lap (or maybe two) before I got the grip I could count on. Add to that the significantly smaller aero package, and there was no way I was going to match the speeds I¡¯d been doing minutes before in the GT3.


    Still, even a warm-up pace was enough to keep Tiffany excited. She squealed with delight when I ran over the curb on turn four and squeaked with surprise when we topped the hump after eleven and I slammed on the brakes for twelve.


    Happy with the way the street car was responding, I felt good about taking lap two a fair bit faster, and judging by Tiffany¡¯s reactions, she was O.K. with the idea.


    Accelerating hard out of two onto the front straight, I let the rear step out a bit before snapping it back into line. I kept my foot flat as long as possible, amused by the maniacal laughter coming from the passenger seat. I slammed the brakes and threw the car into the first sweeper, letting it rotate into a late apex exit.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Tiffany shouted above the roar of the nearly six hundred horses running wild in the engine bay.


    Pleased that Tiffany was taking the experience so well, I let that lava orange car fly around the track. Sure, it wasn¡¯t nearly as fast as the race car, but skating around and letting it slide through the turns was its own kind of fun.

 Inde Desert, Part III

    ¡°Awwww!¡± Tiffany complained when I pulled off the track after a couple dozen laps. ¡°It was just getting good!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I agreed. ¡°But it¡¯s time to let Joachim check the car over and make sure it¡¯s running well. And besides, we need to drink some water and eat a little snack. We don¡¯t want to ignore our own needs.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Tiffany admitted. ¡°But let me guess- you¡¯re going to go out in the race car next, right?¡±


    ¡°You guessed it,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯ll keep switching back and forth, so you¡¯ll get plenty of track time.¡±


    Tiffany crossed her arms and hunched her shoulders, but couldn¡¯t hide the fact that she was trying not to smile.


    ¡°So, what did you think?¡± I asked as we pulled into the pit in front of the BMW of Temecula hauler.


    ¡°It was O.K., I guess,¡± Tiffany responded, unbuckling her harness. ¡°For a slow car, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking I need something faster.¡±


    Joachim waved Tiffany and me to the hospitality setup and made sure we both had bottles of cold water.


    ¡°So, kid, how was your first taste of the track?¡± he asked Tiffany as she set her helmet down on the drying fan, just as I¡¯d shown her.


    ¡°Can I tell you a secret?¡± Tiffany asked, looking at him with big, serious eyes.


    ¡°I can keep secrets,¡± he assured her. ¡°I¡¯m Brazilian.¡±


    ¡°Well, seriously, it was totally AWESOME!¡± she said, pumping her fist in the air.


    Joachim looked doubtful and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that actually is a secret.¡±


    Amused, I asked, ¡°Is the GT3 ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no problem,¡± he replied, then hollered at Vance to pull the tire warmers and drop the car.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a while,¡± I said to Tiffany as I put my HANS device and helmet back on.


    ¡°You better!¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡±


    It didn¡¯t take me long to get back into the groove in the race car, despite the characteristics being very different than the street machine. Sure, it was based on the same platform, but still¡­ In any case, within a couple of laps I was back to the lap times I¡¯d been hitting before taking the M6 out. Feeling in sync with the car, I pushed the pace a little more each lap until I started blowing corners. I backed off a touch and things went smoothly again, so I figured that was good enough for the morning.


    Back in the pit, Joachim asked how it went, and I told him what had happened.


    ¡°That¡¯s a sign you¡¯re either making mistakes, or you¡¯re hitting the limit. I¡¯ll look over the data and let you know what I find. In the meanwhile, take a break. Manny¡¯s been making tacos in the toter¡¯s kitchen- go grab a plate.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Tiffany?¡±


    ¡°I think she¡¯s having lunch with Maddie over in their RV,¡± he said, gesturing in that direction.


    ¡°Did you let them know there were tacos?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but Maddie¡¯s mom wanted Maddie to have something lighter, so she said she was going to make sandwiches.¡±


    ¡°Their loss,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    Hearing a familiar rumble, I glanced over to see James pull the very green GT-R into the Track Club pit. Figuring I had a moment, I did as instructed and let Manny load up a plate of tacos with beans and rice for me, then went over to talk to James.


    ¡°Hey, handsome,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s a guy like you doing in a place like this?¡±


    ¡°Wishing I had some tacos,¡± James said, eyeing my plate hungrily. ¡°Where¡¯d you get those?¡±


    ¡°Go see Manny in the toter,¡± I said, waving my fork in the correct direction. ¡°He¡¯ll fix you up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he said and hustled off to get himself some carne asada.


    ¡°You were looking fast out there,¡± Reggie commented idly, watching the data load onto his laptop. ¡°What were your lap times?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t even know. I wasn¡¯t worried about lap times- I just figured this morning was all about learning the lines and getting a feel for the track.¡±


    ¡°One thirty-nine point five two. That¡¯s your target. Of course, times on an empty track like this can¡¯t really compare to real race laps, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of car was that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A 997 GT3, so comparable to what you two are running today.¡± Reggie replied, still mostly focused on the data. ¡°Hey, are you getting a lot of lift over the two bumps going into ten and twelve?¡±


    ¡°Ten not as bad as twelve. Twelve is still a bit tough,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Gonna have to adjust the aero a bit, I think,¡± Reggie said, lost in thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s that about aero?¡± James asked as walked up, stuffing his face.


    ¡°It looks like trading away some top speed for more downforce will play out well over those two rises,¡± Reggie explained. ¡°The straight really isn¡¯t long enough for top end to matter, anyway.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the expert,¡± James said. ¡°Do what you think is best.¡±


    James and I were comparing notes on the various parts of the track when Lainey, Maddie and Tiffany found us.


    ¡°Do you mind if we join you?¡± Lainey asked.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± James said. ¡°Grab some cold drinks from the cooler there and pull up some chairs.¡± When they did just that, James turned to Maddie. ¡°So how are you liking the track?¡±


    ¡°I like it! It¡¯s pretty tricky- especially the second half, but I think I¡¯m getting a good feel for it.¡±


    ¡°You should bring your car over here and let Reggie and the boys take a look,¡± James offered. ¡°Maybe they can spot some setup adjustments that could help you out.¡±


    Lainey looked about to protest that they just couldn¡¯t, but Maddie beat her to the punch. ¡°That would be awesome!¡± she said. ¡°I mean, it feels pretty good, you know? But if they could maybe make it work better¡­¡±


    ¡°I know they tune EVOs on the regular, so I¡¯m sure they could help you out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve worked on quite a few,¡± Reggie said, looking up from his computer. ¡°Bring it over and let¡¯s see what we can do for you.¡±


    Lainey looked as if she would object but I reached over and tapped her arm. ¡°James is paying the guys to be here all weekend. May as well give them something to do, right?¡±


    ¡°Is that how it works?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°The guys are getting paid the same no matter how much or how little they have to do, so James¡¯ offer is for free work on Maddie¡¯s car. These guys build and set up a lot of race cars, so they really know what they¡¯re doing.¡± I could tell James was listening but pretending not to.


    Relieved that the help would be free of charge, Lainey sat back with a grateful smile.


    After lunch was over, I asked Tiffany if she wanted to go out again.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m gonna go out with Maddie when Mac is done with her car,¡± she said, pointing to the EVO under the Track Club canopy.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s cool,¡± I said. ¡°Have fun!¡±


    Joachim and the guys were eating their own lunches when I walked up.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°Reggie was talking about tuning the aero package on the GT-R for more downforce, since top speed doesn¡¯t matter much.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the right move on this track. The straights aren¡¯t really long enough to hit top speed, anyway,¡± Joachim replied. ¡°I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s taken ¡®em this long to do it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°We adjusted yours after your first session,¡± he said with a shrug.


    ¡°Well, alright then. I guess there¡¯s nothing for me to do but go out there and haul ass,¡± I said.


    At this, the guys all put their plates down and hustled over to the car to pull the tire warmers and drop it so I could roll out.


    Since the pavement had some rubber laid down and the surface was nice and warm, traction was superb. After a couple of laps to reacquaint myself and scrub in the new tires the guys had thrown on, it was off to the races. Allowing the car to play as speeds picked up and things got looser, I found myself slipping into that familiar flow state where nothing else exists. It was just the car and me, dancing our way around the circuit. Improvising the steps as we went, we got to a place where we enjoyed the floating feeling cresting the three little rises on the track, looked forward to the tug on the yoke as we rumbled over the curbing on four, nine and the final chicane, and most of all, loved the howl of the tires in the hard braking and acceleration zones. It was perfect.


    When I finally pulled back in, the BMW guys all clapped when I climbed out of the car.


    ¡°That was beautiful to watch,¡± Jase said, clapping me on the shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s the way to drive a car like that!¡±


    I set my helmet on the fan and grabbed a bottle of Coke from the cooler. ¡°I gotta say, that felt amazing,¡± I said. ¡°The car is working like magic right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna hafta look at the lap times from the data,¡± Joachim said, ¡°But based on an old-school stopwatch, your laps were looking really competitive, Leah. I mean, like, you were there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but like Reggie said, these aren¡¯t official times and there¡¯s nobody else on the track, so it¡¯s not like they count for anything.¡±


    ¡°Bragging rights are real,¡± he replied with a wide grin. ¡°The guy that set the lap record here? He won the GT3 Cup last year and two years before that. He¡¯s a top professional driver.¡±


    ¡°The GT3 series is for people like me- rich assholes who have too much money and want to play racecar driver,¡± I said with a dismissive shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely wrong,¡± Joachim protested.


    ¡°Which part- the fact I¡¯m a rich asshole with too much money, or that I want to play racecar driver?¡± I asked.


    Laughing, he said, ¡°O.K., you might have too much money, but you¡¯re not an asshole. I know- I¡¯ve worked with plenty. And it¡¯s true that a lot of the GT3 series teams are what they call ¡®gentleman driver¡¯, but at least half are professional drivers, and some are factory-level. These are real guys and real teams.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said, sipping my ice-cold Coke.


    Joachim looked over the data and the guys made a few minor adjustments while I relaxed in one of the camp chairs in the shade, my suit unzipped and down around my waist for maximum benefit from the breeze. I could hear the GT-R¡¯s distinctive engine note off in the distance, and it occurred to me that I¡¯d never taken the time to watch other drivers on the track. I grabbed a fresh Coke and made my way to the bleachers to watch Maddie and James lap the course for a few minutes.


    It was nice, sitting there in the January desert sun, feeling the cool breeze and watching the two cars circle the track. I looked over at the sites marked off for the buyers to build their garage condos and wondered if buying here would make any sense or not. I mean, I was enjoying the track quite a bit and could see coming out here again, but buying and building here would make this track a commitment and I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to do that.


    Seeing Maddie exiting the track, I walked back to the pits to talk to her and see how Tiffany was doing.


    By the time I got to the RV, Tiffany and Maddie had their helmets off and bottles of Kirkland sports drinks in their hands. Lainey had the hood up on the car and was checking oil level or something, so I didn¡¯t bother her.


    ¡°So, Maddie, how¡¯s the track treating you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty awesome,¡± she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. ¡°Now it¡¯s getting warmer and the track has a lot more grip, I¡¯m really starting to feel good, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± I agreed. ¡°My last session felt just about perfect.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you were flying out there!¡± Maddie agreed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe how fast you were going when you passed me the first time around the outside of the big sweeper, and then I thought you were gonna launch into space when you went over that hill on, what is it, ten? the second time you passed us.¡±


    ¡°Lee, you were going sooooo fast,¡± Tiffany said. ¡°It was crazy!¡±


    ¡°Well, you have to remember that my GT3 generates more downforce at speed than it actually weighs, right? I mean, the aero package sticks it to the ground like velcro, and the faster I go, the more it does it, so going over those big humps at speed is better for me than taking them slow.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Maddie said, thinking about it.


    ¡°So, kiddo, want to ride with me this time in the orange car?¡± I asked Tiffany.


    Looking at Maddie for confirmation, she said, ¡°No, if it¡¯s O.K. I¡¯m just gonna keep riding with Maddie.¡±


    Happy the two seemed to have hit it off, I said, ¡°That¡¯s cool. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re having a good time.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, this is the best,¡± Tiffany said. ¡°I mean it. I want to do this all the time, forever.¡±


    Laughing, Maddie held out her hand and Tiffany gave her a high five. Smiling, I went to find Lainey.


    ¡°Is Tiffany being good?¡± I asked as Lainey dropped the hood on the Mitsubishi.


    ¡°Your sister is great,¡± Lainey said. ¡°And I think it¡¯s good for Mad to have somebody to just hang out with that¡¯s sort of close to the same age, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad they¡¯re getting along so well,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Tiffany said you guys live in Fallbrook?¡±


    ¡°No, Tiffany lives with our mom in Fallbrook. I live in Hollywood,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Oh. Well, I was going to say that since we live in Lake Elsinore, maybe the girls could get together every now and then, just to hang out, you know?¡± Lainey suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Mom about it, but that sounds like a great idea to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just, you know, Mad doesn¡¯t really have any other friends that are into cars at all, and it¡¯d be good¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, I absolutely get it. All my driving buddies are guys, after all,¡± I said.


    ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want Mad hanging out with boys, but she needs some balance,¡± Lainey said, looking back past me at the two girls laughing under the RV¡¯s big shade.


    ¡°When will she get her driver¡¯s license?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not for a while yet,¡± Lainey said with a grimace. ¡°She just turned fifteen two months ago.¡±


    ¡°Well, when she does¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need to get her a car,¡± Lainey said with a groan. ¡°Something slow and economical.¡±


    ¡°The EVO?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not street registrable. It¡¯s track-only,¡± Lainey said.


    ¡°Used Corollas are nice,¡± I suggested with a smile. Then, hearing that nasty Nissan growl, I said, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna go talk to James. Catch up with you later?¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m gonna try to get the girls to eat something before going back out,¡± Lainey said and turned to head to the RV.


    ¡°James, I was watching you out there. Looking fast, my friend,¡± I said when he took his helmet off.


    ¡°Now that it¡¯s warmed up, the grip is really good,¡± he agreed, running his fingers though his sweaty hair. ¡°The mean green machine is on rails out there.¡±


    ¡°Rails are good,¡± I said, giving him a fist bump.


    ¡°Rails are good,¡± he echoed.


    I was relaxing after my shower and looking over my driver data for the day when Emmy and Angela got back to the casita that evening. The two of them were in a great mood when they came in, smiling and laughing at each other.


    ¡°Hey, Lee!¡± Angela said, putting her bag down and leaning down to give me a kiss. ¡°How did it go today?¡±


    ¡°It was a lot of fun,¡± I said. ¡°I think the BMW and I are really getting to understand each other.¡±


    Emmy snuggled up behind me and crossed her arms over my chest as she looked at the laptop screen.


    ¡°What does all of that mean?¡± she asked, looking at the graphs.


    ¡°Well, this is turn seven, and these graphs show my braking pressure and exact location of my various laps, as plotted against exit speed,¡± I explained. ¡°So I can look at this and see that of all the laps I did out there today, this one in particular I went the best around that corner. Now I just need to do that again, just like that, in that particular spot.¡±


    ¡°Can you do that?¡± she asked, amazed.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly going to try,¡± I joked. ¡°Whether it actually happens or not, we¡¯ll see.¡±


    I turned my head and she kissed my cheek. ¡°We had a lovely time,¡± Emmy said. ¡°The spa was very nice and relaxing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Angela said from the couch. ¡°I felt like a jellyfish after my massage.¡±


    ¡°A jellyfish?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You know, one of those things that float in the sea and have long, um, tentacles?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, those are jellyfish,¡± I agreed. ¡°But what do you mean when you say you felt like a jellyfish?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I felt completely boneless and unable to move on my own.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was it exactly,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°Lee,¡± Angela called out from the couch. ¡°Imogen invited us to dinner in town. Are you up for it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a really long drive-¡± I started to object, but Angela interrupted.


    ¡°No, not Tucson, Willcox. The little town just east of here. One of the guys here at the track recommended a barbecue place.¡±


    ¡°I could do barbecue. What time are they thinking?¡±


    ¡°Whenever we get ready, I guess. No specific time,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I could go any time,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Where is Tiffany?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s over at Lainey and Maddie¡¯s RV. The two girls are great friends now.¡±


    ¡°I am relieved to hear that,¡± Emmy said, giving me another kiss.


    After texting Lainey and finding that Tiffany was welcome to stay and have dinner with them, we went next door to see if Imogen and James were ready.


    Our X6M might not have been the most expensive car ever to pull into the parking lot of that barbecue place, but James and Imogen¡¯s 918 certainly was. That car was so stunningly out of place among the pickups and sedans it was comical. James scored the end spot next to the sidewalk, and I parked next to him to prevent anybody else dinging the Porsche.


    Right by the town¡¯s old train station, the dining area was actually in a vintage train car. It made the space long and narrow, but what it lacked in room it made up for in kitsch.


    ¡°This is charming!¡± Imogen said, looking around at the Western decor festooned all around the place.


    The waitress led us to a table and left us some menus, which had all the expected items. The place had a reasonable beer list but no wine, to Imogen and Emmy¡¯s dismay. They did have margaritas on their short cocktail list, so that¡¯s what Imogen, Emmy and Angela went for. I opted for an amber ale from some Arizona microbrewery I¡¯d never heard of and James went for the Irish red from the same brewery.


    For dinner, James and I went for the brisket and Emmy and Angela shared the chicken plate. Imogen had the breaded jumbo shrimp, which seemed like a questionable choice, but hey, it was her life she was taking into her own hands, right?


    When I asked Emmy how she was enjoying the chicken, she admitted it wasn¡¯t very good. ¡°The barbecue at our place in Austin is very much better,¡± she said, picking at her food.


    ¡°You have a barbecue restaurant in Austin?¡± James asked. ¡°Wait a minute. What am I even asking? Of course you have a barbecue place in Texas.¡±


    ¡°It made Texas Magazine¡¯s annual top ten barbecue list last year,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course it did,¡± James said, shaking his head. ¡°Of course it did.¡±

 Dinner Ends With Drama

    We were all in a good mood despite the mediocre dinner, thanks to the pleasant company. James and Imogen were great conversationalists, and Emmy and Angela were happy to keep the chatter going. Talk had ranged from the Manhattan townhouse market, to Emmy¡¯s new studio and our sort-of hidden house, to the ski-in condo the Athertons just bought in Jackson, Wyoming. Imogen and James had recently been to the Maldives, and Angela wanted to know where they stayed and how they enjoyed it, since she was thinking of planning a trip for the three of us. What with one thing or another, we spent a couple of hours talking and generally having a pleasant evening.


    Laughing about how bad the barbecue had been, we spilled out into the parking lot. The night had gotten cold while we ate, but it was nice and clear. Thanks to the distance from any major cities, the dark night sky was filled with stars. Emmy commented on it, and so we were all looking up and not really paying attention to our surroundings.


    I heard a noise and saw three scruffy guys leaning against an old Suburban, looking as if they were waiting for us.


    ¡°That¡¯s a really nice car,¡± one of the guys said. ¡°I bet it cost a lot of money.¡±


    I stepped in front of Angela and Emmy and said, ¡°Yeah, it is a nice car,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Be a shame if it got scratched or somethin¡¯, I dunno,¡± the guy said, pulling a fixed-blade knife from a sheath on his belt and making a show of cleaning his nails.


    ¡°Yes, it would,¡± I agreed again, stepping towards the guys. ¡°But nothing like that is going to happen. At least, not tonight,¡± I said, taking another step closer.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± the main guy said, straightening up and taking a step towards the Porsche. ¡°I mean, really, who knows the future, right?¡±


    I took another step forward to try to get the angle between Scruffy and the 918. Turning in my direction, he vaguely waved the knife towards the car. ¡°I bet you pay a lot for insurance for that car,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe a little anti-scratch insurance might be a good idea. It shouldn''t be too much for you, rich like you are. How much you got on you?¡±


    ¡°Walk away,¡± I told the guy, getting closer.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a fucking tall thing, now aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked, looking me up and down.


    ¡°Walk. Now,¡± I said again.


    ¡°I¡¯m startin¡¯ to think that maybe I wasn¡¯t askin¡¯ for enough. How about you hand me the keys to that sweet ride and I let you out of here in one piece?¡±


    ¡°I am going to take that knife from you and stuff it down your throat if you wave it in my direction one more time,¡± I said, my voice level.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take that shit from that dyke!¡± yelled one of the other idiots.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t taking no shit from nobody!¡± the main guy said. ¡°But I will be takin¡¯ other things, if you get my drift.¡±


    ¡°Last chance to walk away,¡± I told the guy, taking another step in his direction. ¡°Last chance for you to get out of this unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, bitch. I ain¡¯t the one gonna get cut!¡± he said, lunging forward.


    His rush was entirely predictable, so I swept his arm away and punched him right in the face, breaking his nose and spraying blood everywhere. He staggered back unsteadily, dazed. I kicked his wrist, knocking the knife loose, sending it flying across the parking lot.


    I followed up with a heel kick to the side of his head, slamming him to the ground, down for the count.


    Seeing one of his friends reaching under his shirt for the back waistband of his jeans, I leapt forward and front kicked him back into the old Chevy. The gun he¡¯d been reaching for fell to the ground, so I kicked it away and slammed a back elbow strike into his face. The third guy was backing up, looking around in a panic.


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I told him and he did just that, turning and running down the empty street.


    The second guy was staggering back to his feet, so I kicked his knee and sent him to the pavement again.


    ¡°Stay down or I¡¯ll kill you,¡± I told him, and he seemed to believe me. The first guy was moaning but not really trying to get up, so I wasn¡¯t too worried about whether he¡¯d died or not.


    I glanced around and saw James was on the phone, presumably calling the police.


    ¡°You guys O.K.?¡± I asked, getting confirmation that they were alright, even though some of them looked shaken up.


    The sheriff¡¯s deputies showed up a few minutes later, after half of the restaurant staff had come outside to see what was going on.


    James spoke to the deputies, explaining that there had been three guys that tried to mug us. He described the events, minimizing how confrontational I¡¯d been. The deputies found the knife and pistol quickly enough, manhandling the two remaining idiots into the backs of the two Explorers. After taking all our information down and saying they¡¯d be in touch, they left.


    As the two police cars drove off down the street, James said, ¡°Leah, it¡¯s just a car. You could have been killed for the price of an insurance deductible.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t about the car, per se,¡± I said, holding Angela, who was trembling. ¡°Nobody threatens me. Nobody.¡±


    Shaking his head, James helped Imogen into the 918. ¡°See you back at the track,¡± he said as he climbed into the low-slung Porsche.


    ¡°Angela, ride in the back seat with me,¡± Emmy encouraged. I helped Angela into the BMW, then shut the door for her.


    Nobody said anything on the short drive back to the casita, but when I parked Angela said, ¡°You were never afraid, Leah. I could hear it in your voice. You were never afraid.¡±


    I opened Angela¡¯s door for her and helped her out of the X6. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°I was never in any real danger.¡±


    ¡°He had a knife! And the other guy had a gun!¡± Angela protested as I led her inside.


    ¡°Yes, but they were drunk, and the way they were acting, I don¡¯t think either of them have ever done any worse than get in stupid bar fights with other drunk assholes.¡±


    ¡°I was terrified for you,¡± Angela said, suddenly breaking into tears. ¡°You could have been killed!¡±


    ¡°Those guys weren¡¯t killers,¡± I said, wrapping Angela and Emmy (since she was already hugging Angela) in my arms. I kissed Angela¡¯s hair and wiped a tear from her cheek. ¡°Those assholes thought that they could just bully us into giving them money to go away. They had no plan for when that didn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°He tried to stab you!¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t committed to it. I think he would have been more surprised than anyone if he¡¯d actually done it,¡± I said. ¡°I almost feel bad for those idiots.¡±


    ¡°Lee¡­ Leah,¡± Angela said, still crying. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. Please don¡¯t do things like that any more.¡±


    ¡°Ange, baby,¡± I said, kissing her hair again. ¡°I can¡¯t make that promise.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Angela started to protest, but I put my finger on her lips.


    ¡°Baby, I will always, every single time, do what I can to protect you and the people that matter to me. Every. Single. Time. This is who I am, baby. I don¡¯t want to put myself in these situations, but when they happen, I am never, ever going to back down.¡±


    ¡°This is who she is, Angie,¡± Emmy said, her voice soft and comforting. ¡°Leah is¡­ A warrior. She is a lion, fierce and strong, and you cannot ask a lion to change her stripes.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°But- lions don¡¯t have stripes?¡± Angela said, puzzled.


    ¡°And that is why they cannot change,¡± Emmy¡¯s laughter was like wind chimes, breaking the mood. Angela couldn¡¯t help but laugh along at the silly metaphor fail and of course, Emmy¡¯s infectious laughter.


    Relieved that Angela seemed to have broken out of her shock at seeing the violence, I kissed her again, then kissed Emmy.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check to see that Imogen and James are alright,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    Knocking on the door of the next casita over, I wondered for a moment what I was even doing or going to say, but James answered the door almost immediately.


    ¡°Hey, James. I just wanted to make sure you two are alright. Things got a bit crazy, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Leah?¡± Imogen¡¯s voice came from inside, so James opened the door wider to let her talk to me.


    ¡°Leah, what you did was incredibly brave, but really, it¡¯s just a car,¡± she said, seemingly more concerned for me than I¡¯d been.


    ¡°Like I told James, it wasn¡¯t about the car. Those idiots were waiting so they could mug us, one way or another. They saw an exotic Porsche and figured that some rich out-of-towners would be easy marks.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± she said, leaning on James¡¯ arm. ¡°But even at that, it would have been easier and safer just to give them some money so they¡¯d go away.¡±


    ¡°That would be rewarding bad behavior,¡± I countered. ¡°If they learn that doing that is an easy and painless way to make some quick cash, they¡¯re that much more likely to try it again the next time the opportunity presents itself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Imogen tried to protest, but ran out of words. ¡°You could have been hurt.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Not from those guys.¡±


    James turned to Imogen and said, ¡°Honey, I¡¯d like to talk with Leah for a few minutes. Do you mind if¡­?¡±


    Getting her assent, James stepped out and shut the door behind himself. ¡°Let¡¯s take a little walk,¡± he said.


    Walking out in silence to the moonlit track, James indicated the bleachers, so we sat and looked out over the tarmac looping through the desert.


    ¡°Leah, you have a reputation in the Valley,¡± he began.


    Wondering where he was going with this, I kept quiet and let him talk.


    ¡°People do talk about you, you know. It¡¯s actually quite remarkable how small and insular the community we travel in really is. Everyone knows who you are, if they don¡¯t know you personally, and the people who do know you talk about you.¡±


    I made some sort of noncommittal noise to show that I was listening and that he should continue.


    ¡°So you have a reputation. Everyone knows you¡¯re good at your business, and anybody making money outside of tech is looked on with a degree of wonder and suspicion, as odd as it sounds, but that¡¯s¡­ Well, that¡¯s only part of it. People who have done business with you say that you¡¯re¡­ Well, that you¡¯re someone nobody says ¡®no¡¯ to. You always get your way. Add to this the rumors, which all of a sudden I find much more believable,¡± he said.


    ¡°The rumors I kill people?¡± I asked.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve heard them?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I have,¡± I said. ¡°They started early in my sophomore year at Stanford, and just don¡¯t seem to ever go away.¡±


    ¡°That guy with the knife tonight,¡± James said. ¡°You didn¡¯t blink once. You faced him down like it was nothing,¡± James said.


    ¡°Those guys were drunk. They were more of a danger to themselves than anybody else,¡± I said dismissively.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone else who would have walked up to a man waving a¡­ A Bowie Knife around like that and told him they would shove it down his throat if he didn¡¯t put it away,¡± James said. He turned to look at me, silent for a moment. ¡°That wasn¡¯t your first time, was it?¡± he asked, not expecting an answer. ¡°The rumor is that you are somehow involved in some sort of crime, but nobody knows what it is. Drug dealing, arms sales, money laundering¡­ those are all the leading contenders.¡±


    ¡°Well, that part¡¯s not true,¡± I said.


    ¡°But the rest of it?¡± James asked, looking back towards the track.


    ¡°A lot of it, yes,¡± I admitted. ¡°That was not the first time I¡¯ve faced situations like that, and not the first time I¡¯ve resorted to violence. You¡¯ve never asked about the scar on my face,¡± I said. ¡°I was cut by a skinhead¡¯s knife in an alley in San Francisco, so I beat him and his friend up pretty badly.¡±


    ¡°I always thought that story was bullshit,¡± James said.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. In fact, I think that¡¯s where the serial killer story started. The police never found the two guys- they just seemed to have vanished. The story was that I killed the two and buried them in the woods or something for what they did.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story, but the short version is that they attacked Emmy first and were going to cut her up when I saw them in the alley, and rushed in and killed ¡®em all by myself. Do you know anything about volleyball?¡±


    ¡°Volleyball?¡± James asked, not sure he¡¯d heard me correctly.


    ¡°Yeah, I played varsity volleyball for Stanford. In volleyball, a hit that the other team can¡¯t respond to is called a ¡®kill¡¯. I got a reputation as a freshman for spiking the ball so hard that nobody could, or wanted to, block it. So the team nickname I picked up was ¡®Killer¡¯. The name quickly spread throughout the Pac Twelve, then through the rest of the NCAA. It got so bad that even the game announcers referred to me as ¡®Killer¡¯. Well, that set the stage, right? So when a couple of skinheads who attacked Emmy go missing and I publicly admit to beating them up, despite one of them having a knife, well¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°One thing leads to another,¡± James says. After a few moments of silence, he asked, ¡°Did you?¡±


    I sighed, letting my breath out slowly. ¡°James, you¡¯re one of my best friends,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you something, but please, this is between you and me, O.K.?¡±


    Leaning forward and nodding, James said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°In business, having a reputation as someone who is absolutely not to be fucked with is a real benefit. In fact, I¡¯ve had clients who have literally told me that my reputation is a big part of why they invest with me.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± James nodded.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve never really done anything to squash the rumors,¡± I told him. ¡°It gives me psychological edge, you know? That¡¯s part of why I¡¯ve never had this scar fixed,¡± I explained, pointing at my cheek. ¡°People who¡¯ve heard the rumors, and like you said, the Valley is a small world, they see that scar and it confirms to them that it¡¯s all true. I mean, here¡¯s a big, intimidating woman with a freaking knife scar on her face, right?¡±


    James chuckled a little bit at my self-description, but he didn¡¯t contradict any of it.


    ¡°So they look at me and they take me seriously, completely overlooking that fact that I¡¯m so young, or a woman in a man¡¯s field, or whatever. Instead, they see someone they can¡¯t bully or shove around, and have to accept as an equal.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s just an act, then?¡±


    ¡°Well, my gangster boss persona at the club is an act, but everyone knows that. Some accept it as a sort of meta joke, because, like you said, they might think I really am some sort of crime lord, right? Others just enjoy the dress-up play-acting of the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°But the rest?¡± James asked, fascinated.


    ¡°The rest is absolutely correct. I will not be bullied, talked-down to, or sidelined. Take me seriously or I will make you regret it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I certainly saw that tonight,¡± James said. ¡°I really did think you might kill that guy with the knife.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I wasn¡¯t going to kill him just for being an idiot who really should know better,¡± I said. ¡°But I definitely was going to make sure he learned the error of his ways.¡±


    ¡°But killing him was an option? I mean, it was on the table?¡± James asked.


    I turned and looked straight at him and said in a level voice, ¡°It¡¯s always on the table.¡±


    He looked at me with wide eyes for a beat, two beats, then broke out laughing.


    ¡°Jesus, Leah, no wonder everybody thinks you¡¯re some sort of serial killer!¡± he said, continuing to laugh.


    Laughing along with James felt good- sort of a catharsis for the emotions of the night. We got up and made our way back to the casitas in amiable companionship. We wished each other a good night and parted ways for the night, slipping into our respective casitas.


    Emmy and Angela were already asleep, so I peeled off my clothes and climbed into bed with them.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re freezing!¡± Angela said when I snuggled up against her, waking her up.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said, turning to face away from me but scooting back into my embrace. ¡°I¡¯ll warm you up.¡±


    ¡°Are you doing O.K.?¡± I asked, nuzzling into her long, thick black hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the way I acted tonight,¡± Angela said, her voice soft.


    ¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± I asked. ¡°You did nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°Well, like Emmy said, a lion can¡¯t change her spots, right?¡± Getting a little chuckle from me, she continued. ¡°You told me from the beginning who you are. You told me you¡¯re a lion. You never hid it from me, so I can¡¯t blame you for what you did tonight. You are a lion, and lions do lion things.¡±


    ¡°Rawr,¡± I said as I gently nipped her shoulder.


    ¡°See? Lion things.¡±


    The next morning started the same as the day before, with a cup of Reggie¡¯s wonderful coffee.


    ¡°Joachim and I were comparing notes last night,¡± he said as he refilled my cup. ¡°You were going really fast out there. Have you considered actually racing?¡±


    ¡°It might be one hell of a lot of fun,¡± I said. ¡°But I already don¡¯t have the time to do the things I already don¡¯t have time for.¡±


    ¡°That almost made sense,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°But I get it. It¡¯s a big time commitment.¡±


    ¡°Time and money,¡± James said, joining the conversation as he poured himself a cup of coffee.


    ¡°Not to put too fine a point on it, but between the two of you, money doesn¡¯t seem to be in short supply,¡± Reggie said with a chuckle.


    ¡°No, I guess not,¡± James admitted.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± James said, subtly steering me away from Reggie. ¡°Imogen and I had a long talk last night. About what happened, and what you and I talked about.¡±


    ¡°How did that go?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think she wants to leave me. Do you have room for another in your harem?¡± he said, smiling.


    ¡°For her, for sure,¡± I grinned back, shoulder bumping him.


    ¡°So as I said, we had a long talk, and, well, I guess the upshot of it is that it didn¡¯t damage our friendship, yours and mine, and didn¡¯t chase Imogen away, either. I think in a way she¡¯s taken by the idea that we have, um, ¡®dangerous friends¡¯,¡± he said, making air quotes with his fingers. ¡°She commented repeatedly on how you never hesitated, and you moved like some sort of action movie star. She¡¯s convinced herself that you- well, that the stories are likely to be true.¡±


    ¡°And that doesn¡¯t make her want to run away screaming?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Not a bit. Actually, maybe just the opposite. I think it made you somehow more interesting, and by extension, made Emmy and Angela¡­ Well, your unusual living situation has always been a source of fascination, and this just compounds the fact.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s Imogen,¡± I said. ¡°How do you feel about things?¡±


    ¡°I think I understand you a bit better. And I have a better idea of where your, um, legend comes from,¡± James said. ¡°But the more I talked about it with Imogen and thought about it, you never actually denied that it was true.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    James looked at me, unsure whether I was joking or not. I gave him a very slight nod, and his eyes widened. Almost as quickly, he nodded back and no more was said.

 The Weekend Wraps Up

    While James and I were talking to our respective crew chiefs about the day¡¯s conditions and initial car setup, Tiffany and Maddie came over to say hello.


    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I wanna ride with Maddie all day,¡± Tiffany announced.


    ¡°If she¡¯s cool with it, so am I,¡± I said.


    ¡°I like having Tiffany ride with me,¡± Maddie said. ¡°It¡¯s fun to have a friend to, like, share it with, you know?¡±


    ¡°I absolutely understand that,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s what I have James for, right?¡±


    Imogen, Angela and Emmy walked up about then to tell James and I they were going into Tucson to do some shopping and they¡¯d be back later in the afternoon.


    I asked Imogen how she was doing, and she said she was fine.


    ¡°I talked to James this morning, and he said you guys stayed up pretty late talking,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, we did,¡± Imogen agreed.


    ¡°And everything¡¯s good?¡±


    ¡°I have no reason to think otherwise,¡± she said, touching my arm. ¡°Last night,¡± she said, dropping her voice. ¡°You knew those men were armed. You saw the knife, after all, and you had an idea the other one had a pistol, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It was pretty clear,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And yet you confronted them anyway. James explained your motivations, and I think I can understand them somewhat, but you could have been killed.¡±


    ¡°Not from those guys, not last night,¡± I said. ¡°They weren¡¯t dangerous.¡±


    She looked me in the eyes for a moment, then dropped her gaze. ¡°It seems your risk threshold is much higher than mine, Leah.¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± I said, smiling to lighten the mood a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anybody move like you did last night,¡± Imogen said. ¡°I don¡¯t think those men had any idea what was happening to them until it was all over.¡±


    ¡°No, probably not,¡± I agreed. ¡°Like I said, they were just a bunch of drunk idiots, hoping to scare us into giving them an easy payday. They weren¡¯t killers, or even really fighters.¡±


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°I am a fighter,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s something I do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you and James met that day,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°You three are, by far, our most interesting friends.¡±


    The morning started out a bit cooler than the day before, but the track was well salted from our efforts the previous day. I don¡¯t know how many tires James went through, but I¡¯d burned off two sets, so all that rubber on the track made for great grip from the start.


    Of course, Joachim had all of the data from the day before, too, so the car was set up perfectly for the track right off the bat.


    It only took me a few laps to get back into the groove and remember what I was doing. The big BMW and I were really getting along well and the speed came easily. So easily, in fact, that my low fuel light was the first indication I had that I¡¯d been out for quite a while.


    Climbing out of the car back at the pit, I told Joachim the BMW was running like a champ.


    ¡°I guess it must be,¡± he said. ¡°You were out there for a full hour. Take fifteen or so for us to fill it up. I¡¯ll check the data to see if we need to make any changes today.¡±


    I set my helmet on the fan and grabbed a Mexican Coke from the cooler to relax while the guys did their thing. In the otherwise fairly quiet morning I could hear the GT-R, and sometimes the EVO as it passed by.


    I¡¯d been impressed by Maddie¡¯s pace out there that morning. She was going pretty well for what was essentially a stock car with few mods on street tires. Her lines were clean, and the few times I¡¯d had the opportunity to watch her in the slow corners I could see she was trying to do what I¡¯d shown her at Chuckwalla, letting the car rotate on the brakes on entry to get better drive out again.


    Back out again, I drained another tank but I felt as if I¡¯d plateaued. The laps were coming smoothly and easily, but I wasn¡¯t improving. I felt I was getting stale, so when I came back into the pit I told Joachim I wanted to take the M6 out.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve found my current limit with the GT3,¡± I explained. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to need to be pushed to get any more speed out of it here, and that¡¯s just not happening.¡±


    ¡°Are you done with the GT3 for the weekend?¡± He asked. ¡°Because if you are, I¡¯ll have the boys put it to bed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with the M6 for the rest of the day.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°We got great data, and the car¡¯s running great. It¡¯s always good to end things on a high note.¡±


    ¡°Joachim,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°When you have the time, back in Temecula, put some numbers together for what a race season budget might look like. Talk to the guys about what would be involved- the travel and all that- and see if this is something that maybe could happen.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I hedged. ¡°I might be. Another thing- work up a calendar of race dates, too, so I can take a look at it and see if it¡¯s even possible.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Joachim said, setting down his laptop. ¡°The word around the dealership is that your father-in-law wants to sell you the franchise. I know for a fact that almost everyone thinks it¡¯s a done deal.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s hinted,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, a race team is an advertising write-off, right? If you do it right, it could be that none of it would come out of your own pocket directly.¡±


    ¡°There is that,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But still, run the numbers for me, and estimate high. Give me the worst-case estimate. Include the cost of a new car as an option, too.¡±


    ¡°I can do that, boss lady,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°And you know what? I¡¯m gonna write up a budget for a year¡¯s worth of track days like this for you to compare.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I guess that makes sense. It¡¯s a baseline, right?¡±


    Out in the M6, I threw lap times out the window and just played around. I tried keeping it tight and clean, or loose and wild- whatever I felt like just for fun. I ran off the track on turn eleven twice, but that was fine. It was all about getting a feel for the car, and going past the limits is the way to find out where the limits actually are, right?


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    When the marshall waved the checkered flag for the lunch break I was ready to come in. The M6 was a lot of fun, and an interesting contrast to the race car. The street car actually had a few more horsepower, but narrower, less grippy tires and no downforce to speak of. As a result, it couldn¡¯t put the power down nearly as well, and tended to oversteer compared to the GT3.


    All of that was fine, and expected. It was, after all, a street car, right? Finding its limits (which were actually quite impressive) on the racetrack meant that I¡¯d know where those limits lay on the street.


    Maddie, Tiffany and Lainey were eating carne asada burritos that Manny had made when I found them under the canopy. After I got myself a burrito, too, I grabbed an empty camp chair and sat down with them.


    ¡°You girls having a good day?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Tiffany said, giving me a thumbs-up, too busy eating to say much more.


    ¡°My car is going so good!¡± Maddie said. ¡°Reggie worked on it last night and it¡¯s just amazing today!¡±


    ¡°What did he do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know,¡± she admitted. ¡°He made some changes in the suspension, and I don¡¯t even know what he did, but it feels like the car has more power now, too.¡±


    ¡°Reggie¡¯s a good guy, alright. He knows a lot about setting cars up just right.¡±


    ¡°Maddie,¡± James said, sitting down with a plate in his lap. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching your driving, and I¡¯ve been really impressed. You race IMSA, right?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. I can¡¯t race any IMSA events until I turn sixteen. All I can do now is club racing at Chuck, Willow or Buttonwillow,¡± she replied, her shoulders drooping.


    ¡°And how have you been doing?¡±


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t actually won any races yet, but I did get on the podium twice last year at Streets, both times.¡±


    ¡°Looking at your car, it doesn¡¯t look as if you have a title sponsor,¡± he said.


    ¡°No,¡± she agreed. ¡°I mean, contingency money has helped, but mostly it¡¯s been¡­¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± Lainey said with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m the title sponsor.¡±


    ¡°How many races do you have on your calendar this coming season?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Six weekends at Buttonwillow, plus four at Willow Springs,¡± Lainey said. ¡°We¡¯re not racing at Chuckwalla this season.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Well, money. And time, of course, but since time is money, I guess it¡¯s money squared,¡± Lainey said with a self-deprecating laugh.


    ¡°Lainey,¡± James said, leaning forward. ¡°What if money wasn¡¯t the limiting factor?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say I signed on as title sponsor,¡± he said. ¡°And paid all your racing expenses, so all you had to do was take the time to get Maddie to the races and make sure everything went smoothly. How many would you two be able to do?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You would do that?¡± Maddie asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Well, my company would,¡± James said.


    ¡°We could do the full season at all three tracks. They stagger their races so they don¡¯t conflict with each other, you know,¡± Lainey said, thoughtful. ¡°I think that¡¯s fourteen race weekends, all told.¡±


    ¡°Would you- if I were to extend this offer, would you be interested?¡± James asked.


    ¡°What would you get out of it?¡± Lainey asked.


    ¡°Advertising, obviously,¡± James replied, taking a bite of his burrito. ¡°And a sense of personal gratification, I suppose. I like Maddie, and the idea of her doing well, I guess that appeals to me. If I can help her racing career, why not?¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± Maddie said, looking at Lainey with big eyes. ¡°Say yes. Please.¡±


    Lainey looked at me, and I shrugged. ¡°I could maybe throw in some support, too. Why not?¡±


    ¡°If you two are serious, there¡¯s no way I can say no,¡± Lainey said.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal,¡± James said. ¡°Put together a calendar and I¡¯ll run it by Reggie. He can take the car back to his shop, and they can do the livery and build it out, too.¡±


    ¡°This is a lot,¡± Lainey said, seeming to be in shock.


    ¡°This is totally awesome!¡± Maddie said. ¡°Like, the awesomest!¡±


    After lunch, I asked James what prompted him to make the offer.


    ¡°Like I said, I like the kid,¡± he explained. ¡°Watching her out on the track, she seems to have a real feel for it, and I think that should be encouraged. And realistically, the money just isn¡¯t going to be all that much. I mean, Imogen is probably going to spend more on today¡¯s shopping trip, right?¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I¡¯d be happy to come in as a co-sponsor or something if you¡¯d like,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe we split it fifty fifty.¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± James mused. ¡°I like the kid, and I¡¯d like to give her an opportunity to succeed, you know? Her mother can only do so much, financially.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯re you thinking of having Reggie do to her car?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give him an open ticket to do whatever he can right up to the limit set by the clubs she¡¯s racing with. And of course, wrap it in a proper race livery,¡± James said.


    ¡°Count me in for my share of that, too,¡± I said.


    I pulled in for the last time around four. The track was still hot for another hour, but I¡¯d pretty much gotten out of it what I could, so I called it a day. James and Maddie stayed out until the checkered flag dropped to let them know the day was done.


    While Lainey and I sat on the bleachers to watch, I told her what James and I¡¯d discussed as far as supporting Maddie¡¯s racing habit.


    ¡°You two really don¡¯t have to do this,¡± Lainey protested. ¡°It¡¯s just so much.¡±


    ¡°We want to. Maddie is a good kid, and we both would like to see her make it, and this is how we can help. You¡¯ll still be the main bearer of the burden, but seriously- this is something we can do.¡±


    ¡°Did I understand it correctly that James wants The Track Club guys to take her car back to Oakland with them to do some work on it?¡± Lainey asked. ¡°How much will that cost? And how do we get the car back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll cost you all of zero dollars, and we¡¯ll figure out how to get the car back when it¡¯s done,¡± I said.


    ¡°This is so much money!¡± Lainey said, still not comfortable with the idea.


    ¡°Lainey, do you know how much James and I spent on this weekend? It was fifteen grand just to rent the track for two days. In effect, we just gave Maddie five thousand dollars¡¯ worth of track time.¡±


    ¡°Um, seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously. But honestly, that¡¯s far from the top line item in this weekend¡¯s budget for either me or James. Between engine and drivetrain run time, tire costs and the overhead of having full crews here, every lap of this track in our GT3 cars costs about fifty dollars each. Every lap.¡±


    Lainey tried to process that for a bit. ¡°So my fifth grade math tells me that¡¯s what, twelve to fifteen thousand dollars each day for each of you just to run those cars here?¡±


    ¡°Right. Never mind the fact my car cost four hundred grand and change just to buy.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that supporting Mad¡¯s racing is what, a rounding error in you guys¡¯ track budgets?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, more or less,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to minimize our commitment to Maddie, either. We¡¯re going to do what we can for her from our end, but it¡¯s up to you and Maddie to make the most of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Lainey said. ¡°I know James lives up in the Bay Area, but you said you¡¯re in Hollywood, right? How many of Mad¡¯s races will you be able to attend?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, but if you can get me the schedule as soon as possible I can try to fit them in to my calendar. Honestly, I¡¯d love to watch her race.¡±


    Lainey was quiet for a while, lost in thought and watching the two cars circle the track. Eventually she said, ¡°We¡¯d be- I¡¯d be an idiot to turn this down. Christian- that¡¯s Mad¡¯s dad- he would have loved to see Maddie actually racing his car against other drivers on a real track. So, I guess that¡¯s it. We will happily take you guys up on your offer, and do what we can with what has dropped into our lap. There¡¯s no way I can really thank you and James enough, so just¡­ Just understand that this means a lot to us. More than I can say.¡±


    That evening while everybody was gathered for the big grill dinner that Manny had spent hours on, James stood up and offered a toast to everyone who¡¯d made this weekend so successful and enjoyable. ¡°Maddie, Leah and I got to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You kept the wheels turning so that we could do our best out there on the track. Thanks to you,¡± he said, pointing at the Track Club crew, ¡°And you,¡± this time indicating the BMW of Temecula team, ¡°And to you, Lainey. Thank you for doing what you did so we could get our speed on. We couldn¡¯t have done it without your support.¡±


    Everybody cheered and toasted, raising their glasses. We were all tired but happy after another weekend at the track in the bag with no problems, and that was all anybody could ask for.


    After dinner, James and Imogen came knocking on the door of our casita, bearing a bottle of wine.


    ¡°Ladies,¡± James said as he poured us each a glass. ¡°Imogen and I were discussing a problem we¡¯re facing, and thought that maybe you could help us out.¡±


    ¡°What problem?¡± Emmy asked, frowning.


    ¡°We flew in to Willcox, and our plane is waiting to take us home again. Reggie and the boys brought down the GT-R and the Spyder for us. So far so good, but here¡¯s where we run into our little dilemma. They can only transport two cars, and now there are three that need to go back to the Bay Area.¡±


    ¡°What James is hinting at,¡± Imogen said, elbowing her husband, ¡°Is that we have too many cars to take back home. We were thinking that maybe you could drive the Porsche back for us.¡±


    ¡°Lainey¡¯s trailer will be empty¡­¡± I suggested. ¡°That gets it back to SoCal, at least.¡±


    ¡°If you three are amenable, that¡¯s all as far as it needs to go,¡± James said with a smile.


    ¡°We have plenty of space in our garage,¡± Angela said. ¡°We could keep it until you guys come down to visit.¡±


    ¡°We were thinking you could simply keep it,¡± Imogen said.


    ¡°Leah, you did say that you¡¯d take it off my hands,¡± James said. ¡°This might be that time.¡±


    ¡°Would you be O.K. with that?¡± I asked Emmy, turning to face her.


    ¡°Do you like the car? It is very pretty, and very fast-looking,¡± she replied.


    ¡°And very, very expensive,¡± I said.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You bought me two magnificent new houses, simply because I asked you to, and you wanted to make me happy. If this car would bring you joy, then the cost does not matter to me.¡±


    I looked to Angela, more to be fair to her than because she had any real involvement in our family finances.


    ¡°Leah, you work hard. Treat yourself,¡± she said.


    ¡°Alright, James, looks as if you just sold me a used car,¡± I said, lifting my glass in a toast.

 Sometimes Life Is Good

    The next morning we loaded the X6 on Lainey¡¯s trailer. Not only was Lainey willing to take the car to the dealership for me, she even agreed to take Tiffany home to Fallbrook, since it was close to Temecula anyway. The two girls had become good friends over the weekend and I kinda wanted Mom to meet Lainey, so it was a complete win in my book.


    Imogen and James suggested that they could give Emmy and Angela a lift back to Los Angeles, sparing us the hassle of getting to the airport in Tucson. This left me to play with my new toy all alone on the way back to Los Angeles.


    Sometimes life is good.


    Unfortunately, when I tried to map a fun way home, fun wasn¡¯t on the menu. There really was no good way to incorporate any winding back roads into my route. It was going to be a simple backtrack on the freeway the entire way.


    Watching the Athertons¡¯ jet take off from the small county airport, I consoled myself with the thought that at least I¡¯d be in a truly amazing car, right? I gassed up in town and hit the road west, keeping to a reasonable speed. After all, an exotic supercar done up in Gulf Racing blue and orange would be a choice target for state troopers and highway patrol¡­


    Resolved to get the car re-wrapped into something a bit less conspicuous back in Los Angeles, I set off for nine hours of staring at the desert and the hubcaps of other vehicles on the freeway.


    I stopped for gas in some micro-sized town (if it could even be called that) west of Phoenix. Wondering what I could find for lunch, I spotted a taco truck that seemed fairly popular across the road. Thankfully they had a few picnic tables set up under a big canopy- there was no way I was going to eat in the Porsche.


    A guy sat down at my table while I was eating.


    ¡°Is that your Porsche?¡± he asked, gesturing in the direction of the baby blue and orange supercar.


    ¡°As of this morning,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Yeah, I just bought it used out in the eastern part of the state. East of Tucson.¡±


    ¡°What year is it? They only made nine hundred and eighteen of those, right?¡± he asked, surprising me that he recognized the car, and even more that he knew anything about it.


    ¡°From what I understand, all of them were designated 2015 model year, but this one is number 914. So very nearly the last one,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Could I ask you a favor? Before you take off, could you, um, rev it up? Give me a sound check?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s mine over there,¡± he said, pointing to a vintage 912 I hadn¡¯t noticed.


    ¡°I love that color,¡± I said, looking at his nicely restored Targa.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Bahama Yellow, but I tend to think of it as more butterscotch,¡± the guy replied.


    ¡°From what I understand, my 918 is Sapphire Blue Metallic under that wrap,¡± I said. ¡°Not the color I would have ordered, But I guess it¡¯s O.K.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll never see it under that Gulf livery anyway,¡± he said.


    ¡°I kinda like the Gulf colors, but it¡¯s just a bit too much for me. I¡¯m going to have it redone in something a bit more¡­¡± I trailed off, thinking of the right word.


    ¡°Subtle?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that works. I was thinking something that doesn¡¯t say ¡®arrest me officer, I was flagrantly violating the traffic codes¡¯,¡± I said with a laugh.


    Laughing at that, the guy asked if I was heading to Los Angeles. When I told him I was, he said that he was involved in the LA Porsche club and that I should think about joining. They do some fun get-togethers and drive-outs, he explained. I told him I¡¯d think about it and said maybe I¡¯d see him around. He followed me to the car and I remembered he¡¯d wanted to hear the engine, so I turned the car on. It made its clicks and hums, but that was about it.


    ¡°There you go,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s in electric mode,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°Is it possible to switch it to gas so you can get the engine running?¡±


    It took me a few moments to remember it was a selector on the steering wheel, but when I toggled it into ¡®gas only¡¯ mode the engine started right up. I dutifully revved it, and I have to admit that I enjoyed the sound as much as he did. The exhausts were about a foot behind my head, and with the T tops removed the sound had an almost direct line to my ears.


    ¡°That¡¯s beautiful,¡± the guy said when I let the RPMs drop back to idle. I switched back to hybrid mode and the engine shut itself off.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna take me a while to get used to that,¡± I admitted when the car went silent.


    ¡°My daily driver is a Prius,¡± the guy said. ¡°When I first got it, the same thing. Every stoplight, and it dies. It was weird to get used to at first, but after a little while seems normal.¡±


    After I took off, and faced with a long drive ahead, I set the cruise control and played with the car¡¯s various settings in the complicated menu options. It was going to take me a while to get the car¡¯s user preferences dialed in to my liking, but on that freeway, the softest road settings were surprisingly plush and just right for top-down cruising.


    The Spyder was a surprisingly good road car, if a bit claustrophobic- perhaps even more so than my Vantage. Thankfully, the open roof helped with the shrink-wrapped feeling, but still¡­ Roomy is not a good description for the Porsche at all.


    Realizing that the clicker for the entry gate to the Batcave was still in the X6, I parked in the front motor court. To my surprise, there were at least a dozen cars parked there, none of them familiar.


    Curious, I followed the loud music into the sound stage. There was a set that looked like a high school classroom, and a band I didn¡¯t recognize was shooting a music video.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± asked a woman about my age with too many tattoos. She was holding a clipboard, and looked to be an assistant director or some similar job description.


    ¡°I just came in because I heard the music,¡± I explained. ¡°Who are these guys?¡±


    ¡°These guys?¡± she asked, waving her pen in the direction of the band, who were goofing off between takes. ¡°The name of the band is Murder Ballot. It¡¯s Zach Miranda¡¯s new project,¡± she explained, as if that explained anything.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s cool,¡± I said.


    ¡°I hate to be rude,¡± the woman said, ¡°But this is supposed to be a closed set.¡± She gave me a meaningful look, trying to be polite and only hinting that I should shove off.


    Just then somebody yelled out for everybody to get on their marks, and a smoking hot model dressed as a very sexy teacher took a seat on the edge of the desk facing the rest of the room. She had a bright red apple in her hand, but an amazingly bored expression as the wardrobe lady opened another button on her shirt, then did something to pull it tighter across her chest.


    ¡°Dana, she can stay,¡± said a familiar voice from behind me. ¡°She owns the studio, anyway, so kicking her out wouldn¡¯t work very well anyhow.¡±


    I turned and opened my arms for a big hug. ¡°Steph!¡± I said, wrapping her up tight. ¡°Is this your band?¡± I asked when I finally let her go, almost immediately missing her familiar smell.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Stephanie had a slightly dazed look on her face. ¡°Damn, Leah, you¡¯ve gotten so strong!¡± she said. Then, recovering, she said, ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re one of the bands I¡¯m managing now.¡±


    ¡°Quiet on the set!¡± yelled the director, so we shut up and just watched for a few minutes while they shot the scene.


    ¡°So, um, Emmy said that you guys live here at the studio? You have a house on site?¡± Stephanie asked after the director yelled ¡°Cut!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sort of not the right way to describe it, but yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Can you take a break here and come visit?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really need to be here,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°All I¡¯m really doing is babysitting these jackasses,¡± she said, hooking her thumb in the direction of the band. ¡°I swear, if they don¡¯t freaking grow up a little I might have to fire their asses.¡±


    ¡°Harsh!¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how these guys manage to tie their shoes,¡± Stephanie said with a sigh.


    ¡°Come on- let¡¯s go to my house. We can crack a bottle of wine and catch up. You¡¯ve been talking to Emmy?¡±


    ¡°I mean, some, yeah. When I heard through the grapevine that you guys bought and renovated an old studio, I contacted her about filming some videos here, and she put me in contact with Jackson. I guess he¡¯s the one doing all the studio business, right?¡±


    She turned to the AD and said, ¡°They¡¯re all yours now. I¡¯m taking off. I probably won¡¯t be back. Good luck!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Dana said. ¡°I¡¯ll shoot you a text when we wrap for the night.¡±


    I led Stephanie farther into the studio complex, taking her down the back stairs to the middle floor and then to the elevator. She followed along, bemused.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of empty space here,¡± she commented.


    ¡°Yeah, a bunch of these are rehearsal rooms, and as far as I know, you¡¯re the first actual customers. Eventually this place should get pretty busy, but right now, yeah, it¡¯s kind of a ghost town,¡± I said as pressed the button marked ¡®3¡¯.


    When the elevator started to descend, Stephanie said, ¡°What? How can we be going down to the third floor if we were already on floor number two?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke of Emmy¡¯s,¡± I said. ¡°From the front of the building, what seems like the ground floor is actually the top floor of three. If we¡¯d called the ground floor floor number three it would be kinda strange, so the floors are actually numbered going down. So ¡®3¡¯ is actually two floors below ground level. But the whole place is built on a slope,¡± I said. ¡°So 3 is the ground floor on the west side of the building.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s freaking confusing,¡± Stephanie said, as the door behind her slid open. Hearing the noise, she turned around, surprised.


    ¡°Welcome to our house,¡± I said, ushering her out the door.


    The door closest to the elevator was one of the giant steel doors from the old film vaults, and as I cranked the handle to swing it open Stephanie asked, ¡°Where are you even taking me?¡±


    I swept my arm out to indicate she should look in, and she saw the wine cellar for the first time.


    ¡°Oh. My. God!¡± Stephanie said, stepping in and admiring the walls of backlit clear plexiglas cubbies for bottles. Less than ten per cent were occupied, despite the fact that Angela had dutifully unloaded all the cases from France and from our trips to Central California¡¯s wine country.


    ¡°White or red?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ros¨¦,¡± Stephanie replied cheekily, looking at the neon sign on the back wall that said ¡®Save Water, Drink Wine¡¯ and showed a bottle of red being poured into a glass. ¡°Leah, you could have amazing wine parties in here,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± I agreed. Finding a bottle of ros¨¦ from one of the vineyards by Solvang, I tucked it under my arm and guided Stephanie back out. She followed me down the hall and up two flights of stairs to the great room. There was no sign of Emmy or Angela, to my surprise.


    I opened the bottle and poured two glasses, then led Stephanie to the couch. ¡°So, tell me what you¡¯ve been up to,¡± I suggested, turning to face her. Stephanie had been very pretty back in high school, but now, almost six years later, she looked even better. She was well-dressed, nicely manicured and her chestnut-brown hair was sleek and lustrous. She carried herself with confidence and a certain maturity, too, and I found that very sexy. She¡¯d gone from a pretty girl to a beautiful woman, and I was very pleased for her.


    ¡°Well, I think I told you that I¡¯ve taken on a number of other bands besides the Sons, but they¡¯re still my top performers,¡± she said, sipping her wine. ¡°I just bought a house up here in LA- a little bungalow over in Silver Lake,¡± she said.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s awesome!¡± I said, glad to hear that her life was going well.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like this,¡± she said, indicating the house we were in, ¡°But it suits me perfectly. It¡¯s a little three bedroom two bath, so I have my bedroom, a guest room, and a home office. It¡¯s on a quiet street, but close to good shopping and great restaurants,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s one real negative about this place,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing within walking distance. We¡¯re really tucked away up here in the hills.¡±


    ¡°I like urban living,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I¡¯d hate to have to get in a car to go do anything.¡±


    We talked for a while, and I can hardly express how proud I was of Stephanie¡¯s accomplishments. Unlike me, nobody had thrown a giant pile of cash in her direction. She¡¯d made every dime herself, starting with precious little.


    We were on our second bottle when Emmy and Angela came home, carrying bags of groceries.


    ¡°Oh! You are home!¡± Emmy exclaimed. ¡°I did not see your car in the garage.¡± Then, spotting Stephanie, she set her bags on the kitchen counter and came over and gave Stephanie a hug and a cheek kiss. ¡°Stephanie,¡± she said. ¡°I am very glad to see you. Will you stay for dinner?¡± Then, remembering her manners, Emmy introduced Angela to Stephanie and vice versa, completely omitting any sort of details about relationship status or anything.


    Explaining about the lack of gate opener, I said I should re-park the Porsche and excused myself. Stephanie got up to follow me so we could continue talking. We went down to the third floor again, making Stephanie laugh at the crazy upside-down numbering. I grabbed the remote from the Aston, then we went back up to floor number one, but exited from the front door of the elevator into the studio.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I think I get that one side of the elevator opens into the working studio areas, and the other into the house side, but how does that actually work?¡± she asked as we made our way past the sound stage, where Murder Ballot was still filming their video.


    ¡°There¡¯s a trick to it,¡± I said. ¡°Normally, whichever side you enter from, that¡¯s the side you exit from. If you¡¯re in the house and enter the elevator, it¡¯ll open back into the house for you, and the other way around. There¡¯s an unmarked button that you have to press at the same time to get it to switch, and that button is biometrically locked. It recognizes certain peoples¡¯ fingerprints, so not just anybody can do it.¡±


    ¡°That is freaking awesome,¡± Stephanie said as we walked out onto the motor court. When she saw the car we were headed for, she said, ¡°Seriously, is that your car?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just bought it,¡± I said, opening the door for her.


    Getting in, I thumbed the car into EV mode and pulled us around to the sort-of hidden other gate.


    ¡°This also goes to your house?¡± Stephanie asked, puzzled.


    The gate opened and I drove in, hitting the remote  to open the big roll-up door. Of course, there was an Aston Martin parked in that bay, so I had to get out of the car and enter the garage to hit the wall button to open the fourth bay day so I could pull the Porsche inside.


    ¡°You know I said that my new house wasn¡¯t anything like this one?¡± Stephanie asked as she surveyed the garage big enough for ten cars. ¡°I lied. My house is exactly like this- except the opposite. How big is this place, anyway?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sort of hard to answer,¡± I said, putting the remote back in the Aston, then hunting for where the unused remotes were stashed. I finally found them as I was explaining that the entire building was roughly fifty-seven thousand square feet under roof, but most of it was still the studio, but some of it was shared use between the studio and the house. Figuring out which was the correct remote for the bay I¡¯d chosen for the Porsche, I dropped it on the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Come on- let me give you the full tour,¡± I said. As we exited to the outside, I explained that the place had been built in the Forties as a film studio. I led her around the back side of the house and to the lagoon pool area.


    ¡°This is what I mean about mixed-use,¡± I said, indicating the pool and the lounge. ¡°The idea is that during working hours, this place would be open to people using the studio as a break area, when they just need to relax for a bit. After hours, it¡¯s ours, to have parties, or whatever.¡±


    Spotting the pool table in the lounge, Stephanie smiled. ¡°Up for a game?¡± she asked, selecting a cue from the rack.


    I laughed and admitted there was no way I¡¯d be any sort of challenge. ¡°Steph, you know how bad I was in high school. Well, I haven¡¯t gotten any better. Probably worse, since I really haven¡¯t played since then.¡±


    Stephanie laughed as she racked the balls. ¡°Babe, it¡¯s good to know that there is at least one thing I¡¯m better at than you.¡±


    ¡°Steph,¡± I said, sitting on the edge of the pool table. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like it when you say things like that. You¡¯re amazing, and you always have been.¡±


    Smiling a bit wistfully, Stephanie said, ¡°You know, you were the first person that ever made me feel like that might be true. Back when Emmy got taken back to France by her parents, and you helped me with my grades. You had so much faith in me, I almost started to actually believe it might be true.¡±


    Lacking words, I pulled Stephanie into my arms and just held her for a while. At first she was kind of stiff, but soon she wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned her head against my chest. We stayed like that for a few minutes. There was no need to say anything- we both understood perfectly that we still cared for each other, and that wasn¡¯t going to change. Eventually we parted, and once again I felt that tiny little pang of loss. We may have both moved on with our lives, but Stephanie still owned a certain tiny part of my heart, and probably always would.


    She set the cue ball and broke the table, sinking two stripes. She continued on and ran the rest, before calling the eight ball in a corner pocket. She sank that one easily, with just the softest of clicks as the cue ball nudged it in.


    ¡°I was the SDSU champion my junior and senior years,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°I made a lot of money and scored a lot of free drinks playing this game.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there was no way I was gonna beat that,¡± I admitted with a laugh as Stephanie put her cue back in the rack.

 No Nudity

    We walked out to the lagoon pool, lit up from below the waterline with a deep blue glow. The surrounding trees had uplights as well, giving the area a fantasyland feel.


    ¡°This is really pretty,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°This wasn¡¯t part of the old studio, was it?¡±


    ¡°No, this is all new,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how much money you guys have spent on homes, what with this place and the place in Manhattan,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t either, when I stop to think about it,¡± I agreed.


    By this time our walk had taken us back to the motor court, where people were packing up and getting in their cars to leave.


    ¡°Hey! Steph, baby!¡± called out one of the guys from the band. ¡°We back tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak with the director and let you know,¡± Stephanie replied. ¡°If you¡¯re needed tomorrow, I¡¯ll give you the call time. This time, don¡¯t show up drunk.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t drunk!¡± protested the guy. ¡°I was fully baked!¡±


    Stephanie shook her head sadly. ¡°Zach,¡± she said. ¡°If this turns out shitty, it¡¯s on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready tomorrow. Just- um, not too early, alright?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be,¡± Stephanie promised, and the guy got in his car and left.


    Dana, the AD, came over to talk next. ¡°We got most of what we needed the band for today. Maybe all of it, if we can salvage it in post. All we¡¯ll need tomorrow are the actors.¡±


    ¡°Thank God,¡± Stephanie said with relief.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Dana said as she turned to go back inside the sound stage.


    ¡°Not your favorite band?¡± I asked Stephanie as we watched Dana go back into the cavernous space, where the light and sound guys were packing everything up.


    ¡°It¡¯s like they never graduated from seventh grade,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°But kids buy their shit, so they make me money.¡±


    ¡°Um, excuse me. You¡¯re Stephanie, right?¡± came a timid voice. We turned and saw the actress who had played the sexy teacher in the video approaching us from where the few remaining cars were parked.


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Stephanie replied.


    ¡°Um, one of the guys said that- Well, they said that Emmy from The Downfall owns this studio, and you know her. Is there any way- I mean, would it be possible to meet her?¡±


    ¡°Are you a fan?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a huge Downfall fan!¡± the actress said, her eyes lighting up. ¡°I mean, huge!¡±


    ¡°Well, this studio is owned by Emmy, and yes, I do know her,¡± Stephanie said, and I could detect a mischievous note in her voice. ¡°As to whether you can meet her, hmmm¡­ I don¡¯t know." Turning to me, Stephanie asked, ¡°What do you think? Should I introduce¡­¡±


    ¡°Solange,¡± the actress supplied.


    ¡°Should I introduce Solange here to Emmy?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± I asked, but I understood the little prank Stephanie was pulling on Solange, if that was actually her name.


    ¡°Well, I thought that maybe, just maybe, you might have some say in the matter since you are, after all, Emmy¡¯s wife,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°What? Really?¡± Solange gasped, looking at me. ¡°You¡¯re Emmy¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°That was kinda mean, Steph,¡± I said with a chuckle. Turning to Solange, I said, ¡°Yeah, Emmy¡¯s my wife. And yes, we do own this studio. Solange, have you had dinner? ¡°


    ¡°Um, just what crafty set out, but it wasn¡¯t that great¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you come in and have dinner with us? Emmy loves to meet her fans, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be O.K.,¡± I said, indicating that she should follow us.


    I led Stephanie and Solange to the unassuming and unmarked door facing the motor court and unlocked it and waved them to enter.


    ¡°Seriously? This is the front door to your house?¡± Stephanie asked as she entered.


    ¡°You¡¯d never know,¡± Solange breathed as she stepped into the entry.


    ¡°Hey, babes,¡± I said to Emmy and Angela as we entered the great room. ¡°Do we have enough for one more for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Angela replied, looking up from the cutting board.


    Solange had spotted Emmy sitting at the kitchen counter, but seemed like a deer in the headlights, unsure what to do. I put a hand on her back and gently urged her forward. As we got near, I said to Emmy, ¡°Em, this is Solange. She¡¯s an actress, and was shooting the music video today. She¡¯s a big fan of yours.¡±


    ¡°Really? That is wonderful!¡± Emmy said, standing up to greet the suddenly very shy actress (an unusual trait for anybody in that career, I thought).


    Solange took Emmy¡¯s offered hands and held them, visibly trembling with nerves.


    After an awkward moment, Emmy asked her to sit down at the counter. ¡°Would you care for some wine?¡± Emmy asked, indicating the opened bottle.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Angela said, setting a glass in front of Solange so Emmy could pour.


    ¡°If you guys are O.K., Steph and I are going to continue our tour,¡± I said.


    Assured that things were fine, I led Steph down the very long passage to my office.


    ¡°You need to change the lighting in this hallway,¡± Steph commented. ¡°Dim the lighting in here, and put some exterior lights in those trees,¡± she said, indicating the eucalyptus trees that screened our place from the downhill neighbors. ¡°And maybe some art to break up how plain it is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, art is on the agenda,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Maybe classic concert posters or something?¡± Stephanie suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s a thought,¡± I said. ¡°My problem with this as a sort of art gallery is that I¡¯d be the only one that would see any of it on the regular, since the only place this leads to is my office.¡±


    I led Stephanie up the stairs, past my sim rig room and to the top floor home office. It was still a mostly bare giant space, containing only my desk, a filing cabinet and a couple of chairs.


    ¡°This is a big, empty room,¡± Stephanie said, looking around. ¡°When you get it up and running, how many people will be working here?¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Just me,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I hadn¡¯t really thought anybody else would be using it.¡±


    ¡°I think all this space would drive me nuts,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I mean, not only is this room three times as big as it needs to be for a home office, it has all these windows, making it seem even huger.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I like it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re, like, huge so you take up as much room as at least two normal people,¡± Stephanie said with that familiar smile.


    ¡°Well, there is that,¡± I admitted, laughing.


    ¡°Um, Leah, can I ask you a question?¡± Stephanie asked, sitting on the edge of my desk.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I kinda got the vibes from, um, Angela, right? I got the vibes that she¡¯s- well, she¡­¡±


    Enjoying Stephanie¡¯s discomfort a bit too much, I asked, ¡°She what?¡±


    ¡°Is there something going on?¡± Stephanie blurted out.


    ¡°Yeah, there is,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°Um, what?¡±


    ¡°There is something going on. I¡¯m pretty sure Emmy and Angela are sleeping together,¡± I replied, keeping my face serious. ¡°In fact, I know they are.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Stephanie asked, her eyes wide with shock.


    ¡°But I guess that¡¯s only fair,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Since they''re both sleeping with me, too. Every night.¡±


    Stephanie looked at me for a long moment, her mouth open to say something, but nothing came out.


    ¡°Steph, Angela is our¡­ lover,¡± I said, for lack of a better way to phrase it. ¡°If we could somehow marry her, too, we would, but we can¡¯t. She¡¯s committed to us, and we are to her.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s like some sort of polyamorous thing? You guys are a threesome?¡± Stephanie asked, still struggling with the idea


    ¡°Emmy calls it a men¨¤ge a trois- a household of three. But yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°How does that even work?¡± Stephanie asked, fascinated.


    ¡°Really well, actually. I can feel good knowing that Emmy has somebody when I go out of town for work or something, and Emmy has someone she can take shopping or whatever, too. Ange likes to go driving with me, but Emmy doesn¡¯t, so Em doesn¡¯t have to feel guilty about not wanting to spend that time with me. The only real downside is that sometimes it gets really warm in the middle in bed at night.¡±


    Shaking her head, Stephanie said, ¡°You have never once been boring, Leah.¡±


    Back in the great room, we found Solange setting the table, under Angela¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Em?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Getting more wine,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Anything we can do?" Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Angela answered. ¡°Dinner is almost ready- so maybe just take your seats?¡±


    Solange was very shy and quiet as we ate dinner, even though the rest of us tried to keep her involved in the conversation. It wasn¡¯t until her second (or maybe third) glass of wine that she loosened up and started talking.


    She lamented that acting was not working out for her. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to get any roles when you look like this,¡± she said, indicating herself, ¡°but won¡¯t do nudity. It¡¯s like every casting director asks to see my tits, you know? They don¡¯t care if I can actually act. All they want to know is if I¡¯ll do sex scenes.¡±


    Really looking at Solange for the first time, I could understand what she meant. She was wearing casual jeans and a hoodie, but that didn¡¯t hide her high-set fake boobs very well, and I¡¯d seen her long, slender legs in that pencil skirt earlier. She had iced pink hair, high cheekbones and a cute little razor-thin nose. Unfortunately, she also had collagen-plumped lips, which I think are terrible. Still, she looked like a sexy Barbie doll, so I could imagine those sorts of roles would be the only kind offered to her.


    Solange and Stephanie cleaned up after dinner, which was nice of them. Solange volunteered first, prompting Stephanie to join her. Angela doesn¡¯t make much of a mess when cooking, so it¡¯s not as if it was that arduous a task, but as they say, it¡¯s the thought that counts.


    After dinner we found ourselves in the living room. Angela turned on the fireplace for ambience rather than actual heat, but it was nice. Emmy put a jazz samba record on, but kept it low enough that we could talk with no problems. With the lights dimmed about halfway, it was a nice, intimate space, despite the fact that it was just a corner of a much larger room.


    Emmy coaxed Solange into telling us about her life and what it was like to be a struggling actress, genuinely curious.


    ¡°Acting doesn¡¯t pay my bills, right?¡± Solange said. ¡°So I work as a server at a restaurant in Van Nuys. They have a few of us in the same sort of situation, and the manager used to act, so he¡¯s really cool about us swapping shifts if we have a shoot and need somebody to cover or something. It¡¯s actually a pretty good place to work until I get established.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been acting?¡± Stephanie asked from the opposite end of the same couch as Solange.


    ¡°I started when I was little,¡± was the reply. ¡°All through my childhood, I got parts here and there, you know? Guest star on an episode of CSI, a few ads, a couple of minor parts in some movies. I got to meet Will Smith and Jeff Bridges when I was little¡­¡± Solange said. ¡°But then I hit thirteen, and that was that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy asked, interested.


    ¡°Well, because of child labor laws, nobody wants to hire a kid unless they have no choice. Like, I mean, the role calls for a nine year-old, you have to cast a kid, right? But if the role calls for a fourteen year-old, well, you can find a legal adult, an eighteen year-old or maybe even a sixteen year-old who¡¯s legally emancipated to play younger. Child labor laws won¡¯t apply to them, so they can work unlimited hours and not need to have a teacher on the set, right? So as a result, kids in their teens very rarely ever get work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never thought of that, but that makes a lot of sense,¡± I said.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why everybody in a so-called ¡®teen drama¡¯ is always, like, mid-twenties, right?¡± Solange said. ¡°So anyway, I hit thirteen and work just dried up, so I quit for a while. When I was nineteen, I decided to try to get back into the biz, but my old agent had moved on and so I had to start from nearly zero again.¡±


    ¡°Nearly?¡± Stephanie prompted.


    ¡°Well, I still had my SAG membership, and my credits, so it wasn¡¯t like I was completely new,¡± Solange said. ¡°But like they say, Hollywood is a ¡®but what have you done lately?¡¯ business, and those credits were back from when I was a cute kid. In the meantime, I¡¯d grown up.¡±


    Solange had become more comfortable and involved in the conversation as the evening had worn on, but now that she was talking about something she was familiar with, she was really opening up.


    ¡°And you won¡¯t do nudity,¡± Stephanie prompted. ¡°And since you¡¯re sexy as hell and have a great body, those are the roles you¡¯d naturally get offered.¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m sexy?¡± Solange asked, flattered.


    ¡°It¡¯s how you got the gig in the Murder Ballot video,¡± Stephanie said with a shrug.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Solange said with a sigh. ¡°I want serious roles, you know? I mean, I can act. I¡¯m not just a pair of tits.¡±


    When I walked Stephanie and Solange out to their cars, Solange surprised me by giving me a quick hug.


    ¡°Thanks a ton, Leah. The Downfall has been my favorite band ever since their first videos on Youtube- it was amazing to not just meet Emmy, but to actually have dinner with you guys. It was like a dream. And Emmy invited me to your party coming up!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you had a good time,¡± I replied. ¡°It was nice having you.¡± After making sure I had her phone number so we could send her the details of the party, she gave me another quick hug, then got into her little car and left.


    Stephanie had been watching all that, and when I turned to talk to her she gave me a smile. She stepped in to me, and I wrapped my arms around her for another hug. We didn¡¯t say anything, just held each other for maybe a minute or so. When she finally let go and stepped back, she looked up at me.


    ¡°I swear, you¡¯re like six inches taller than you were back in Fallbrook,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny- I was just thinking that I hadn¡¯t remembered you being so tiny,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Stephanie said, her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m the same height I¡¯ve been since tenth grade, but you¡¯re a lot taller than when we were seniors.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I kept getting taller my first couple of years in college,¡± I admitted. ¡°My senior year the Stanford roster listed me as six foot three, but I was really just a little bit over six foot two.¡±


    ¡°Jesus. I¡¯m just five foot two and a half,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°But it¡¯s not just height. Hugging you, it¡¯s like hugging, I don¡¯t know, a marble statue or something. You¡¯re, like, rock solid.¡±


    ¡°A lot of time in the gym,¡± I said.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Stephanie asked as she got into her coupe.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna be thinking about what you look like under those clothes tonight in my bath. I¡¯m gonna be imagining you, all huge and ripped¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever change, Steph,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re coming to dinner on Wednesday, right?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it,¡± she replied as she started her car.


    ¡°I feel sorry for that girl,¡± Angela said when I returned to the living room. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know what she¡¯s doing wrong.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed. ¡°And I don¡¯t think telling her would help.¡±


    Angela patted the seat beside her, so I sat where she indicated. She leaned against me, putting her hand on my leg


    ¡°Emmy went to bed,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to wait up for me,¡± I said, leaning down to give her a kiss.


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you,¡± she replied, so I reached over and wrapped my arm around her waist.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Emmy told me that Stephanie was a friend of you two from back in school,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, high school, in Fallbrook,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°It seemed like more than that,¡± Angela said, leaning into me.


    Sighing, I said, ¡°It was. It was a lot more than just that.¡± I went on to tell Angela about all of it, even including the fact that Stephanie still stirs a little something in me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never act on it, but yeah, I never really stopped caring for her, you know? These days she¡¯s just a friend, but it¡¯s hard to look at her and not¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± Angela said, cuddled up against me. ¡°She¡¯s very pretty, and smart, and it¡¯s obvious she still has a crush on you, too.¡±


    ¡°Nah, she¡¯s over me,¡± I said. ¡°Really, we¡¯ve both moved on.¡±


    ¡°Sure you both have,¡± Angela said, twining her fingers in mine.

 The In-Laws Arrive

    As the date of Angela¡¯s family¡¯s arrival approached, she got more and more nervous. To help distract herself from the stress, she spent a ton of time making sure everything was just right. She stocked the fridge up with Colombian fruits and vegetables, and stacked plenty of Latin canned and packaged foods in the pantry.


    ¡°How much cooking are you planning on doing?¡± I asked, amazed at how our shelves had gone from barren to stocked in such a short period.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m not going to cook a thing,¡± Angela said with a laugh. ¡°No, this is for Mam¨¢.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make your mom cook on her vacation?¡±


    ¡°Nobody makes Mam¨¢ do anything,¡± Angela replied, smiling. ¡°No, she¡¯s gonna cook because she loves to do it, and she¡¯ll want to show off for her daughter¡¯s new, um¡­ girlfriends.¡±


    ¡°Baby,¡± I said, taking her into my arms. ¡°To me, you¡¯re not my girlfriend. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re my wife. I know it¡¯s not legal, and I know you¡¯re worried about how your parents are going to deal with all of this, and I want you to know that Emmy and I will support whatever you want to tell them. Call us your girlfriends, your wives, your roommates, whatever. That¡¯s up to you, and we¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela said with a sigh, leaning her head on my chest. ¡°I told them that we are in a committed relationship, and I am wearing a wedding ring. They say they understand, and they want to come and meet the two of you, but I¡¯m still so¡­¡± she said, holding out her shaky hand.


    Holding her tight, I said, ¡°It¡¯ll be O.K., babe. You know they¡¯ll love Emmy- everybody does. And me, I¡¯ll do what I can, too.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m not worried that they won¡¯t like you. I just worry that the whole idea of us being a¡­ a threesome. It just may be too strange for them.¡±


    ¡°It is pretty strange,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I¡¯ve gotten used to it. When they see how normal it can be, hopefully they¡¯ll understand. I mean, our home life is actually pretty typical in most ways. When they see that we¡¯re actually sort of boring, it¡¯ll take a lot of the strangeness out of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Boring? Us? Ha!¡± Angela said. She gave my butt a slap and stepped out of the hug and looked up at me. ¡°There is nothing boring about us!¡±


    Even though Angela¡¯s parents were flying in that night, she wanted to go out driving with the crew that Saturday morning. Of course, she insisted we take the Porsche, too. When I had the Gulf team wrap peeled off and saw the Sapphire Blue Metallic paint, I liked it enough that I had it re-wrapped in a clear protective film so the blue would show. Angela just loved the color and loved the way the car looked, and she wanted me to show it off to my driving buddies. Of course, she dolled up all sexy, too- she enjoyed the attention, and enjoyed letting the boys know that she was all mine.


    We got to the Starbucks first and got our coffees while we waited for the others to arrive. Watching them through the store window, we laughed as every single one walked over and eyeballed the Spyder before joining the others. When most of the guys had assembled, we left the Starbucks and joined them where they were standing by Stephen¡¯s AMG.


    ¡°Lizzie!¡± Jimmy brayed out when he saw us. ¡°And sweet, sweet Angela! Hey! Where¡¯s you guys¡¯ car?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Jimmy, guys. I got a new ride. Anybody in the market for a lightly used BMW M6?¡±


    ¡°Whadja get?¡± Jimmy asked, looking around.


    ¡°I got myself a Porsche. Hey,¡± I said, shrugging. ¡°I liked the color, alright?¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the club,¡± Geoff said, looking around for a 911 like his. ¡°What color?¡±


    ¡°Metallic sapphire,¡± I said, as casually as I could.


    It only took moments for realization to hit all of the guys, and they all turned to stare at the 918.


    ¡°Oh, you fucking didn¡¯t,¡± Stein said. ¡°Seriously? You liked the color so you bought a two million dollar car?¡±


    ¡°I got a good deal on it,¡± I said. ¡°And besides, it¡¯s a hybrid, so I get to use the carpool lanes.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me sideways,¡± Jimmy breathed, going over to look at the car again. ¡°I mean, seriously, fuck me sideways. Twice.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pulling our leg, right?¡± demanded Geoff.


    I took the key fob from my pocket and showed them the Porsche logo.


    Geoff looked at it, then pulled his out of his own pocket. ¡°You¡¯d think a two million dollar car would have, I don¡¯t know, but something fancier than any other Porsche fob,¡± he said, and sure enough, there was no visible difference.


    ¡°I guess Porsche figures that nobody cares, right?¡± I said.


    I don¡¯t think he was convinced until I walked over and opened Angela¡¯s door for her and she slid in.


    ¡°Who¡¯s leading today?¡± I asked.


    They all looked around at each other, but Stein said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious. You are.¡±


    ¡°ACH and AFH, then,¡± I said, climbing into the low-slung car. ¡°I want to hear this baby in the tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Stein said.


    We stopped at the traditional viewpoint turnout on Angeles Crest to let the guys check out the car. I had no problems with letting them sit in it and I probably would have even let any of them drive it for a little bit if they¡¯d asked, but none did.


    The car did sound glorious in the tunnel, and since we had the top off, we could hear it perfectly. As odd as it may seem, that was really the highlight of the morning¡¯s drive. Even though I was leading out and therefore had clear road ahead of me, I couldn¡¯t actually let the car run, since that meant I¡¯d drop the other guys like bad habits within a couple of turns. The level of precision the 918 afforded me, along with its mind-warping acceleration and speed, put the Porsche in another realm entirely from the other cars in our group. I could see how it could be a heck of a lot of fun out by myself, just letting the car rip, but that fun would be happening at speeds well beyond ¡®get a serious ticket¡¯ range and into ¡®probably die if you crash¡¯ territory.


    Angela was oblivious to these thoughts, though. She was having the time of her life, enjoying the sound, the feel of the acceleration pushing her back into the seat, the stunningly high G forces we could manage in the turns, and, from what I could tell, really, really enjoying the other guys¡¯ envy.


    Angela wanted to have lunch with the boys, instead of bowing out to go get more done at home. Our collection of high-end to exotic cars half filled the tiny parking lot at the Japanese restaurant I chose, and I made certain I parked between Jimmy¡¯s Ferrari and Stein¡¯s McLaren. Neither of those guys were going to ding my doors, that was certain.


    After we¡¯d ordered, Stein pointed out that my parking had been strategic. ¡°You¡¯re gonna find that a car like that is a point A to point A vehicle,¡± he said, sipping his Sapporo. ¡°A door ding, or somebody keying the car, something like that- it¡¯s a really huge deal on a million-dollar-plus car. So you¡¯ll only go places where you know there¡¯s enough parking you can make sure nobody¡¯s next to your car, or that have valet service, or something like that. You won¡¯t take it to go out to the movies, or go grocery shopping, the usual.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also a strong incentive to keep the mileage as low as possible,¡± Geoff said. ¡°That car has appreciated something like fifty grand a month in the last year. Just parking it in your garage for the next few years could offer an incredible return on your investment.¡±


    ¡°That car isn¡¯t an investment,¡± Stein snorted derisively. ¡°Leah didn¡¯t buy it because she thinks it¡¯s a good way to double her money in two years.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Geoff asked, rising to the bait.


    ¡°Hell no,¡± Stein said. ¡°She bought it to drive it. It¡¯s a shiny toy to her. End of story.¡±


    Teddy Bear sighed from his end of the table. ¡°Must be nice,¡± he said, to nobody in particular.


    Angela glanced around, then leaned over and kissed me, right there in front of everybody. She turned back to look at the guys and said, ¡°Leah gets all the best toys,¡± causing Stein to cough up his last sip of beer, and about half of the other guys to break out laughing.


    Geoff blushed at first, but then joined in the laughter. ¡°Yeah, I guess I deserved that,¡± he said ruefully.


    Before everybody left, I reminded all of them about the upcoming party at our house, and they all promised to attend- even Geoff. I think he was still at least half convinced the fifty-thousand square foot house thing was bullshit and wanted to see it for himself, but that was fine.


    That evening, driving to the airport in the Escalade I¡¯d rented, I was in a great mood. I was looking forward to meeting Angela¡¯s parents and little sister, sure, but mostly I was riding on a really good high from the fantastic sex earlier. Angela had been very demanding, saying that she wanted to get her fill (so to speak) before her parents came to town. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be able to have sex knowing they were just down the hall, so she wanted to get a half-month¡¯s worth in four hours, and Emmy and I did our best to help her out. I certainly felt willing to oblige, and so was Emmy. As I drove that giant land yacht to LAX, I couldn¡¯t help but smile, thinking about Angela¡¯s enthusiasm in the bedroom. She¡¯d been on fire in all the best ways, and although I was a bit sore, it was the very best kind of sore.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Angela asked as I turned onto Century Boulevard.


    ¡°Just thinking how much I love you,¡± I replied, reaching over and putting my hand on her thigh. If my arms had been any shorter that would have been an impossible task, that car was just so damned big.


    I¡¯d rented it so we could all travel together in one car. Four Castros plus Emmy and me would be way too much for any of the vehicles in our fleet, which were mostly two-seaters anyway. This behemoth had three rows of seating, and even full-sized adults could fit in the back row just fine. It would be perfect for carrying everybody here or there in comfort, even if it was a real bitch to park and sucked down gasoline like it was going out of style.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± Angela said, putting her hand on top of mine. ¡°Thank you for coming to the airport with me.¡±


    I understood that it wasn¡¯t merely the driving she was thanking me for, but the moral support in facing her parents.


    ¡°Ange, I¡¯ll always be there for you,¡± I said.


    The wait for the international passengers to exit customs was painfully long. Angela¡¯s sister had texted the moment the plane landed, but it was almost an hour and a half later before Angela spotted her folks exiting the security zone, looking around for a familiar face.


    Angela waved so they¡¯d see us, but I was pretty sure they already had, since they were headed directly towards us.


    They say that if you want to know what a woman will look like in twenty years, look at her mother. It might be true a lot of the time, but certainly not in Angela¡¯s case. Sure, there were some similarities between the Castro women, but Angela got most of her looks from her father. He had the same coloring as Angela, his blue eyes and pale skin contrasting with his dark hair just as they did in his daughter.


    His striking looks weren¡¯t passed on to Angela¡¯s little sister, though. She took after their mother- pretty, but in a more typical Latina way.


    As the trio made their way through the dispersing crowd to where Angela and I stood waiting, I saw Angela¡¯s mother glancing down at our interlaced fingers. I¡¯d told Angela I would follow her lead as far as PDAs in front of her family went, and she insisted that they see us showing signs of affection toward each other right from the start.


    ¡°I have told them that we are in a¡­ romantic relationship, so they understand that we¡¯re lovers, but I want them to see that it¡¯s, well, like you said. Boring, normal, same as it would be if we were boyfriend and girlfriend,¡± Angela said. ¡°So we will not hide it, but we won¡¯t be very¡­¡±


    ¡°Obnoxious about it?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yes. They need to see it, but not have it shoved in their faces.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss,¡± I said, so we did as she suggested and stood there holding hands while we waited. I¡¯d long ago gotten used to the occasional stare, but I could tell that Angela wasn¡¯t at that point yet. She was trying, though. I have to give her credit for that.


    ¡°Mam¨ª! Pap¨ª! Cecy!¡± Angela cried out as they got close. She rushed forward and gave them each a hug, then turned to introduce me. I¡¯d taken Spanish in high school, but had never really gotten that far with it. Still, I understood that when Angela referred to me as her ¡®amor¡¯ that she was outright saying that we were in love.


    This didn¡¯t seem to surprise the Castros at all, and they greeted me warmly. Angela chattered away in Spanish far too fast for me to follow while we waited for the luggage, only every now and then switching to English for my benefit when the subject pertained to me or Emmy.


    Angela¡¯s little sister kept stealing glances at me but was too shy to ask whatever it was that she wanted to ask, and I didn¡¯t press the matter. They were going to be staying with us for weeks, and that would be plenty of time.


    ¡°This is a nice car you have!¡± Mr Castro said when I opened the rear door of the Cadillac for all the luggage.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied, hefting Mrs Castro¡¯s amazingly heavy suitcase into the back. ¡°But it¡¯s just a rental for while you guys are here. We didn¡¯t have any cars big enough for everybody.¡±


    It had become apparent hat Mr Castro spoke good English, and Mrs Castro and Cecilia spoke English well enough to hold a conversation, so I didn¡¯t feel that there really was much of a communications barrier, but Angela insisted on translating and explaining every now and then anyway. It was a bit annoying, but I guess it was better than having any misunderstandings crop up.


    I could follow along well enough to understand her explanation to her dad that we have a lot of cars, but most of them are two-seaters. When I asked her later why she called the BMWs ¡°BMVs,¡± she just shrugged and said that¡¯s what they¡¯re called in Colombia. Easier to say, she suggested.


    ¡°Is Disneyland near your house?¡± asked Cecilia as we drove east on Century.


    ¡°It¡¯s about an hour¡¯s drive,¡± I replied. ¡°We should definitely go this week or next.¡±


    ¡°And Universal Studios?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s much closer. It¡¯s about 15 minutes from the house.¡±


    ¡°Is that downtown?¡± Mr Castro asked, pointing off to the right as we headed north on 405. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem very big.¡±


    ¡°No, Pap¨¢, that¡¯s Century City,¡± Angela replied from the back seat. ¡°That¡¯s where we used to live. You can¡¯t see downtown from here.¡±


    ¡°How many people live in Los Angeles?¡± Mr Castro asked.


    ¡°In the city itself, maybe three million. In the metropolitan area, it¡¯s almost thirteen million,¡± I replied.


    ¡°A little bit bigger than Bogot¨¢, then,¡± he said, continuing to look out the window. ¡°Bogot¨¢ has almost eleven million people in the metropolitan area.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it was that big,¡± I said, surprised.


    ¡°Yes, it is very crowded,¡± he confirmed.


    ¡°Is this Sunset Boulevard?¡± Mrs Castro asked when I exited the freeway.


    ¡°Santa Monica,¡± I said. ¡°Sunset is just a little bit north.¡±


    ¡°Can we go that way?¡± she asked. ¡°I have always wanted to see Sunset Boulevard, and Hollywood Boulevard, too.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll take us a little longer to get home, but if you¡¯re O.K. with that,¡± I replied, turning left to get back on the freeway.


    Santa Monica would have been faster, but Sunset was definitely better sightseeing and I wanted the Castros to have as enjoyable a time in LA as possible, so I didn¡¯t mind. I pointed out UCLA, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Viper Room.


    As we progressed, Cecilia asked, ¡°Do all these rainbow flags mean that they are¡­¡± she trailed off, lacking the vocabulary.


    Thankfully, Angela bailed me out. ¡°This area is called West Hollywood, and it has very many gay people,¡± she explained. ¡°The flags mean that the business is gay-friendly.¡±


    ¡°Can people who aren¡¯t, digamous, maric¨®nes, go there?¡±


    ¡°Claro,¡± Angela replied. ¡°The flag means that they do not discriminate, and if you are not gay,¡± she said, emphasizing the word so Cecilia would learn it, ¡°You must expect that there will be people there who are. Nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Discrimination is illegal in Colombia, is it not here?¡± Mr Castro asked, surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s illegal here, too, but society is slow to change,¡± I replied. ¡°Many gay people prefer to go to places they know they are welcome, not simply tolerated because it¡¯s the law.¡±


    Nodding his head, Mr Castro said, ¡°In truth, it is the same back home.¡±


    ¡°Things are getting better,¡± I said. ¡°I hope that someday soon it simply won¡¯t be an issue anywhere.¡±


    Mr Castro looked over at me, thoughtfully. After a long moment, he said, ¡°I hope that, too.¡±


    I pulled into the motor court at the front of the house instead of the batcave entrance just to make unloading easier, but it had the side benefit of allowing the Castros to see the size of the place.


    ¡°This is your house?¡± Mr Castro asked, craning his neck forward to see it all through the windshield.


    ¡°That is a hard question to answer,¡± I said with a little laugh, so Angela broke in and in rapid-fire Spanish explained that most of what we could see was the movie and recording studio, and the house was hidden mostly behind.


    There were a few other cars in the lot- I recognized Riggo¡¯s old El Camino and Snake¡¯s Beetle, but the others were unknown to me so I figured they were using the studio. I realized that this was going to become the case more and more often as word got out and the place booked up, but it was still a bit novel to me.


    I¡¯d texted Emmy when we left LAX, so she was waiting by the front door and came to the car to greet the Castro family as they exited the Escalade. Of course, her Spanish was pretty good (from what Angela had told me), even if she did have a Barcelona accent. She greeted everyone in Spanish and invited them in, seemingly very pleased to have them in our home.


    The Castros had obviously seen photos and videos of Emmy, but I could tell that seeing her in person was still a bit of a shock. She looked nothing like anybody they had ever seen, after all, and photos and video just can¡¯t capture how unusual Emmy really was. They recovered quickly, though, and didn¡¯t make any sort of fuss, to their credit.


    Emmy led them inside, and Angela and I grabbed their luggage and brought it in behind them.


    ¡°You must be very tired,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Are you hungry? Have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°It was a very long flight,¡± Mrs Castro said. ¡°But the food was good, so we are not hungry.¡±


    ¡°Please let me or Angela know if you are,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Or just help yourselves to anything in the kitchen.¡±


    While Emmy was showing the Castros around, Angela and I carried the luggage downstairs to the guest bedrooms.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be just fine,¡± I told Angela when we¡¯d dropped off the suitcases. I took her in my arms and held her for a minute, kissing the top of her head. ¡°I think your dad might be O.K. with us,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about Mam¨¢," Angela said. ¡°She¡¯s more, um, old-fashioned, and I think she¡¯ll be upset if she thinks I won¡¯t give her grandchildren.¡±


    ¡°Talk to her about that,¡± I suggested. ¡°Tell her that you plan on having our baby, so grandchildren are definitely in her future.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­ Do you really want to raise a baby with me?¡± Angela asked, surprising me with her uncertainty.


    ¡°Ange, honey, of course I do. I get teary-eyed with emotion every time I even think about you holding our beautiful little baby in your arms.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Angela said, looking up at me, and I could see her eyes were glistening with incipient tears. ¡°I want that so much.¡±


    There were no good words, so I just leaned down and kissed her, trying to put my feelings into action rather than mere talk. We were locking lips like that when the elevator door opened and Emmy and the Castros saw us there in the hallway.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Emmy said, cheerfully. ¡°I wondered where you two had gone.¡± Without any ceremony, she walked up and gave us each a kiss. ¡°We should show everyone their rooms.¡±


    Understanding that the kiss was a way to show that we were in fact three people in love, I appreciated Emmy¡¯s ability to take advantage of a situation.


    Emmy led Angela¡¯s parents to the first guest room and showed them the king-sized bed and the en suite bathroom and walk-in closet. ¡°If there is anything wrong with the room, please let us know. You are the first to stay here since the remodel, so there may be some problems we do no know about yet.¡± She showed them the remote controls for the shades and the TV, and told them the wifi password.


    Satisfied they were O.K., Emmy showed Angela¡¯s little sister to her room, just one door down the hall. Cecilia¡¯s room was a bit smaller, but still nice. It shared a Jack and Jill bath with the adjoining room and had a standard closet, but also had the floor to ceiling glass wall facing south with sliding doors onto a balcony, just like the room her parents were staying in.


    Leaving them all to get settled in, Emmy, Angela and I returned to the kitchen to talk.


    ¡°Thank you for the kiss,¡± Angela said, taking Emmy into her arms. ¡°That was perfect.¡±


    Emmy kissed Angela, tenderly and slowly. ¡°Your family needs to see that we are in love,¡± Emmy said when they broke the kiss. ¡°You are mine, just as you are Leah¡¯s, and we are yours. It as simple as that.¡±

 Little Sisters Can Be Trouble

    The three of us were sipping wine and discussing what tourist attractions to take Angela¡¯s family to see when Cecilia joined us.


    ¡°Mam¨¢ y Pap¨¢ are asleep,¡± she said. ¡°Is that wine? Can I have a glass?¡±


    I glanced at Angela, and she gave a little nod, so I grabbed a glass from the rack and gave Cecilia a half pour.


    ¡°That is not¡­¡± she protested, but couldn¡¯t find the right word in time. Angela gave me an ¡®it¡¯s O.K.¡¯ look, so I poured a bit more. Still not a full glass, but at least it matched what any of us had in our glasses at the moment.


    ¡°Tomorrow, can I see the-¡± she said, before becoming frustrated with her weak English vocabulary and switching to Spanish. I caught a bit of it, enough to understand that she wanted to see the studio.


    ¡°Of course you can,¡± Angela said. ¡°In the morning, I will give you and los viejos the full tour. I will show you all of the house, and all of the recording studio. Maybe they will be filming or recording music and you can see that, too.¡±


    Satisfied by that, Cecilia sipped her wine, her nose wrinkling a little bit at the unaccustomed flavor. ¡°I like¡­ vino blanco,¡± she said, taking another sip. ¡°Do you have any that is white?¡±


    Emmy laughed, and said, ¡°Yes, we do. You will see on the tour tomorrow.¡±


    Cecilia smiled, but I don¡¯t think she understood what Emmy had meant.


    Angela spoke to Cecilia about Disneyland and Universal Studios, Magic Mountain and Knott¡¯s Berry Farm in Spanish, presumably asking her what she¡¯d like to see. Cecilia responded, mentioning the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and the Santa Monica pier. I thought I also heard Death Valley and the Grand Canyon mentioned, to my amusement.


    I definitely heard San Francisco, so I said, ¡°Ange, if they want to go up to San Francisco for a day or two, that¡¯s no problem. They can either stay at the condo, or we can just get them a hotel room in the city. Maybe hire a tour guide to show them around.¡±


    ¡°There is no reason they can¡¯t go to New York, too,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We have a great tour guide there already.¡±


    ¡°Nueva York?¡± asked Cecilia. ¡°Me encanta Nueva York!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t go,¡± I said. ¡°But if you guys want¡­¡±


    Angela looked at Emmy and me with a sort of hopeless expression. ¡°I would hate to go without you,¡± she said.


    ¡°Em, could you go?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do not see why not,¡± she said. ¡°But it would need to be the week after this one.¡±


    ¡°I will talk to my mother and father tomorrow,¡± Angela said. ¡°Maybe they would like to go for a few days.¡±


    I was working the heavy bag in the gym the next morning when the door opened and Angela led her family into our workout room. I stopped the bag¡¯s swing and Angela came over to give me a little good-morning kiss.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you get up this morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°You and Em were sleeping pretty soundly,¡± I replied. ¡°I tried to not wake you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving them the tour,¡± Angela said, indicating her folks. Mr Castro was trying to avoid looking at me much, presumably because I was only wearing bike shorts and my racer-back sport bra, but he did look at my hands.


    ¡°You do not wear gloves?¡± he asked, making a hand gesture to indicate he meant thick boxing gloves.


    I held up my hands and showed him the wraps, then pointed down at my ankles so he could see they were wrapped, too. ¡°Not usually. Usually I just wear this,¡± I said.


    I glanced over at Mrs Castro while I was talking to her husband and saw her looking me up and down, mentally measuring me in some way. Cecilia, meanwhile, was just looking at me in wide-eyed amazement.


    Angela turned around and gestured to the room and spoke in Spanish to her folks. I caught the word, ¡°gimnasio,¡± but she said a lot more I didn¡¯t catch. As she led her family back out, she gave me another little peck on the lips. Cecilia shyly waved goodbye as they all exited, presumably on to the next stop on the tour. The bottom floor only had the gym, wine cellar, laundry room and garage, so there wasn¡¯t much to see.


    Bemused, I returned to my workout and soon enough lost myself in the endorphins, sweat and fatigue.


    After my workout I made my way to the kitchen for some ice water, only to find Mrs Castro fussing about, clearly getting ready to cook something.


    She looked me up and down again, saying, ¡°You are too thin. Let me cook you some breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Has everyone else eaten?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Two hours past,¡± she said, glancing up at the wall clock.


    ¡°Then I can wait until lunch and eat with everybody,¡± I said, wiping my face with my towel.


    A pinch to my oblique made me jump.


    ¡°You need to eat. I will make you a little bit to eat now,¡± she said, and it was clear the discussion was over. She was going to make me breakfast, and I was going to eat.


    ¡°Let me go shower. I¡¯ll be back in a moment,¡± I said, remembering what Angela had said about nobody telling her mom what to do.


    Chuckling to myself in the shower, I washed up quickly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush- I was enjoying the view,¡± Angela said as I turned off the water. I turned and gave her a smile, accepting the towel and the kiss she offered me.


    ¡°Your mom is making me breakfast,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela replied taking the towel from me and drying my hair. ¡°She sent me to get you.¡±


    Satisfied I was dry, Angela wrapped her arms around my middle and kissed my back. She just held me like that for a while, not saying anything. Finally she gave my back another kiss and let go.


    I turned around and took her into my arms and gave her a proper kiss, enjoying the feeling of her hands on my bare butt.


    ¡°I really should get dressed,¡± I said, kissing Angela¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Uh huh,¡± she agreed, making no move to let me go. She rested her head on my chest and said, ¡°But this is too nice.¡±


    I gave her another kiss, then peeled her arms off me. Disappointed, she made her ¡®little kid pout¡¯ face at me, the one that I always found irresistible.


    ¡°Later, I promise,¡± I said as I led her into our big walk-in closet. I put on a pair of comfy old jeans and was looking for a bra in my drawer when suddenly I didn¡¯t need one, since a pair of hands were doing a great job of holding my boobs.


    ¡°Seriously, babe, I need to get dressed. Your mom is making me breakfast and I don¡¯t want to piss her off,¡± I said, even though Angela¡¯s attentions had me quite aroused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her that I held you prisoner,¡± came the muffled reply from behind me. ¡°Prisoner of love.¡±


    ¡°Will she think that¡¯s an acceptable reason to miss breakfast?¡± I asked, doing nothing to remove Angela¡¯s hands. Instead, I leaned back against Angela, letting her have her way with my breasts. For a couple of minutes, anyhow, before I finally had to get her to stop so I could finish getting dressed.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Angela¡¯s pout didn¡¯t work quite as well a second time, but it did make me laugh and give her another kiss.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Em?¡± I asked as we made our way upstairs to the kitchen.


    ¡°Out in the studio with Lee and Jackson,¡± she replied. ¡°Cecy went with them, and Pap¨¢ is out walking around the neighborhood.¡±


    Mrs Castro gave Angela and me a scolding glare as we sat down at the kitchen counter.


    ¡°You took a long time,¡± she admonished to both of us.


    ¡°When I saw her naked in the shower, I couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± Angela said, to my surprise. Angela¡¯s mom just laughed at that and smiled.


    ¡°I understand,¡± she said, setting a plate in front of me.


    I recognized arepas, but these were fatter than the ones that Angela usually made. Cutting one open, I saw that it was filled with an omelet, basically. Eggs, cheese, and grilled vegetables.


    ¡°Wow, this looks amazing,¡± I said, meaning it.


    ¡°Eat!¡± Mrs Castro commanded, pouring me some orange juice.


    I had no problem following her instructions, enjoying the familiar yet still a bit exotic dish.


    ¡°That was really good, Mrs Castro,¡± I said, leaning back when I finished.


    She looked at me, then at her daughter, then back at me. ¡°Angela says that she is like a wife to you,¡± she said at last. ¡°She says that she loves you, and you love her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all very true,¡± I said, reaching over and taking Angela¡¯s hand. ¡°I love Angela very much.¡±


    ¡°What about Emmy? Your real wife?¡±


    ¡°I consider Angela my real wife also. Unfortunately, legally, we can¡¯t be married, but in my heart, Angela is just as much my real wife as Emmy is. She loves Angela, too, and feels the same way.¡±


    ¡°Mam¨ª, I love both of them. I¡¯m going to be with them the rest of my life,¡± Angela said. ¡°I never thought I would fall in love with another woman, even less two of them, but this is how it is.¡±


    Mrs Castro was silent for a long moment, looking at her daughter and at me. ¡°So this is real,¡± she said at last. ¡°You really are in love, and truthfully, it shows,¡± she said to Angela. ¡°I never saw you this happy with any of your boyfriends before, and you never talked to me about marrying any of them.¡±


    ¡°I am happy- estoy super feliz, mam¨¢. Nunca he sentido como eso antes,¡± Angela said, slipping into Spanish. She continued on, growing more and more animated as she spoke. Finally, she settled back down and said, ¡°I love them. Both of them. They are very different, and I love them as different people, but I do love them so much¡­¡± Tears of feeling welled up in her big, blue eyes, so I reached over and wiped her cheek with the pad of my thumb.


    ¡°Babe, we love you, too. So much I can¡¯t even say,¡± I said, then leaned over and kissed her, which she returned, hungrily, with a fiery passion.


    When we parted, Mrs Castro said, ¡°I think I understand. It is strange, this relationship you have, but it feels true.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I assured her as Angela shifted over to sit on my lap. ¡°Angela is a treasure beyond compare, and Emmy and I value her more than I could ever say. She makes our lives happier just by being here.¡±


    After breakfast I went up to my office to do a little catching up to get ready for the following week. I had a meeting with a potential client and wanted to be ready for it, so I was deep in the comparables when I heard a voice call up from the staircase.


    ¡°Ola? Is anybody there?¡± Cecilia called as she climbed the steps.


    ¡°Come on up,¡± I replied, glad for the break.


    ¡°This is your¡­ oficina?¡± she asked as she emerged from the stairs into the large, open room.


    ¡°My office, yes,¡± I said as she looked around.


    ¡°It is very big,¡± Cecilia said.


    ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s still pretty empty, too,¡± I agreed as Cecilia wandered around the room, looking out the windows at the wrap-around view.


    Cecilia took a seat on the couch, then laid down, using the arm rest as a pillow.


    ¡°Your house is very big,¡± she said.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°But Emmy¡¯s parents have several houses much, much bigger than this one.¡±


    ¡°Si?¡±


    ¡°They have a real castle in France,¡± I confirmed. ¡°You should ask Emmy for pictures of it.¡±


    ¡°Emmy is very nice,¡± Cecilia said, changing subjects.


    ¡°She is. I love her very much.¡±


    ¡°More than Angela?¡± Cecilia asked.


    ¡°I think Angela loves Emmy a lot, too,¡± I answered, intentionally misunderstanding.


    Cecilia thought about what I said, then sat up. ¡°No, more than you love Angela?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t about to play that game, so I replied, ¡°They are different people, and I love the two of them differently because of that. There is no way I could say that I love one of them more than the other.¡±


    Cecilia flopped back down on the couch. ¡°I want to live here. In the United States, I mean,¡± she said. ¡°Colombia is very boring.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure the US is any less boring,¡± I replied. ¡°It might seem that way to you, since it¡¯s new and different, but believe me- life is pretty boring wherever you go.¡±


    Sitting up again, Cecilia said, ¡°It is not boring for you. You have two beautiful women, you drive a race car, you have a mansion here and in Nueva York. Angela said you even played in the Olympic Games!¡±


    ¡°I think you must have misunderstood. I never played in the Olympics,¡± I replied, looking up from my computer.


    ¡°Angela said you did,¡± Cecilia countered, as if that made it so.


    ¡°No, I was asked to try out for the Olympic team, but I never did. I didn¡¯t have the time for it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Cecilia said, crossing her arms. After a little bit, she asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working,¡± I said, wishing it were true.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sunday! Why are you working Sunday?¡±


    ¡°I have an important meeting tomorrow and I want to be ready for it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right- that is boring,¡± Cecilia said, flopping down on the couch again.


    I resumed reading, doing my best to ignore the girl playing on her phone, but her constant fidgeting made it difficult. Finally I asked, ¡°Um, Cecilia, if it¡¯s so boring, why are you here with me instead of doing something interesting?¡±


    ¡°Mam¨¢ and Angela are talking and don¡¯t want me around, Pap¨¢ is working, too, and Emmy and her friends are listening to the same song over and over again,¡± she said.


    ¡°Can you swim?¡± I asked. ¡°We have two pools. In the break room we have a pool table for billiards and two pinball machines.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know how to swim,¡± Cecilia said, offended that I would even consider the possibility that she couldn¡¯t. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to swim by myself. That¡¯s not fun.¡±


    Sighing, I said, ¡°Give me twenty more minutes to finish this, then I¡¯ll swim with you.¡±


    ¡°You will?¡± she asked, suddenly enthusiastic.


    ¡°Sure, why not,¡± I replied. ¡°But seriously, twenty minutes. Go get ready, get yourself a drink or something.¡±


    ¡°I will be ready,¡± she said, jumping up off the couch and clattering down the stairs.


    Sighing, I got back to my notes. True to my word, after twenty minutes I closed my computer, even though I wasn¡¯t completely finished. Passing through the kitchen, I said hi to Angela and her mom, who were indeed in some sort of heavy conversation in Spanish. I told them I¡¯d promised to swim with Cecilia, and they both just gave vaguely approving nods and noises.


    Back in the kitchen after changing into my swimsuit, I found Cecilia waiting, a towel wrapped around her like a sarong.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a¡­ toalla?¡± she asked, indicating her towel.


    ¡°There are towels out there,¡± I said. ¡°Come on- let¡¯s swim.¡±


    I led Cecilia back down the hallway towards my office, then through a door in the room at the bottom of the tower, which led to the break room.


    ¡°This house is crazy,¡± Cecilia said, surprised by the shortcut.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed, grabbing a towel from the linen cabinet. ¡°Want a Coke?¡± I asked, getting myself one from the fridge behind the bar. When she said yes, I grabbed her a can, too. ¡°Help yourself to anything you find in here,¡± I said. "There¡¯s sodas, water, sparkling water¡­ Grab anything you want.¡±


    ¡°Beer?¡± she asked, hopeful.


    ¡°No, no beer,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Nice try, though.¡±


    Following Cecilia out to the lagoon pool, I got my first glimpse of the back of her side-tied bikini bottom when she unwrapped the towel from around her hips- or maybe I should say almost complete lack of back of her bikini. The front had seemed minimal enough, but in back it was basically three strings with a tiny little triangle where they came together. It seemed awfully risqu¨¦ for a fifteen-year-old, but her mom had seen her in it, so I guess it was O.K. Cecilia was just at that difficult age where she wasn¡¯t actually a young woman yet, but she wasn¡¯t a little kid, either. She had enough curves to catch the eye, but was still more coltish than anything.


    In the pool, she was definitely a little kid. We swam and splashed, laughing and goofing around for a while. It was nice, just playing like that, forgetting about work for a while.


    We were lounging on the deck chairs and sipping our Cokes when Angela came out to see how we were doing. Satisfied that things were fine, she gave me a kiss and left to go back inside. I noticed Cecilia frowning at Angela¡¯s back as she walked away, but didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    It didn¡¯t take too long before Cecilia jumped back in and called out for me to join her. She had moved out towards the middle of the pool, so I set my Coke down and looked at the angles, then took a running jump and leapt, cannonballing just right to completely inundate her in a tsunami of Leah proportions.


    ¡°Oh, no me digas!¡± she yelled as I surfaced. She swam to the side and then did her best to get revenge on me, but she couldn¡¯t possibly achieve the same levels of splashitude. She tried a second time with similar inconsequential effect. Frustrated, she quickly climbed out again, causing me to gasp in surprise.


    Standing on the edge of the pool, Cecilia glanced down to see what I was looking at and spotted her bikini bottom floating on the water. In almost comically slow motion, she looked down at herself and realized that yes, her bikini bottom had in fact abandoned her and left her a bit more exposed than she had been before. Surprise seemed to have momentarily frozen her, because she just stood there looking down at what her bikini should have been covering.


    Recovered from my own surprise and doing everything I could to avoid laughing at Cecilia¡¯s expense, I swam over and grabbed the faithless little piece of clothing. I continued on and handed it to her, at which point I realized that the look on her face wasn¡¯t shock and embarrassment at all. She took the bikini bottoms from me and gave me a look that dared me to say anything, then dropped them on the flagstones.


    We just looked at each other for a long moment, then she reached back and undid her top, which she dropped next to her bottoms. She stood there, completely naked, daring me to look at her. Of course I¡¯d glanced, but I was absolutely not going to ogle my wife¡¯s little sister, no matter how much she wanted me to.


    I swam back into the middle of the pool, turning around just in time to get a faceful of water from yet another cannonball. That seemed to break the strange mood, making me laugh out loud. Cecilia surfaced and splashed me with her hands, and just like that she was a little kid again. Playing and splashing, she was skinny-dipping rather than clumsily trying to seduce, to my immeasurable relief.


    After a while it started to cool off, so we both got out of the pool. Cecilia unceremoniously put her cold, wet bathing suit back on without comment, and we headed back inside.

 An Understanding

    That night we all went out to eat at an amazing Mexican restaurant Angela knew. Evidently she had told her parents that Mexican food was among the great cuisines of the world, and since they¡¯d never tried it before they wanted to see if she was right.


    ¡°This is Oaxaca style, from the central south of Mexico,¡± Angela explained to her parents. ¡°There are regional dishes and styles within Mexico, but this is my favorite.¡±


    As a group, we seriously over-ordered, intending to share. I ordered the mole verde with chicken, and it was as good as I¡¯d ever had. I tried some of the baby goat tacos that Mr Castro had ordered, but goat is just a bit too¡­ flavorful for me. He seemed to enjoy them, though, so I guess that¡¯s O.K.


    We all passed food around, sampling a bit of this and a bit of that from each others¡¯ plates, and as far as I could tell, everybody enjoyed the meal quite a bit.


    It was a good thing dinner lasted for quite a while, since Mr Castro and I both enjoyed samples from the restaurant¡¯s menu of top-shelf Mezcals. Neither one of us had any knowledge about the liquor, but we both gave it an honest try and enjoyed it maybe a little too much. I¡¯d always thought of Mezcal as tequila with worms in it, so the complex, smoky flavors surprised me quite a bit. The restaurant¡¯s version of a sommelier walked us through the origins of the spirit, switching fluidly from English to Spanish as he did so. We each ordered a flight, and I actually bought a couple of bottles of each of our favorites to take home.


    Angela drove home, since she¡¯d only had the one margarita and I was feeling a bit buzzed. In fact, Mr Castro and I wound up sharing the back row seats and continuing our conversation about Colombian rums, and their national drink, called aguardiente. He promised me he¡¯d ship me some of his favorites when they got back home, and I told him I was looking forward to it.


    ¡°In the here and now, though,¡± I told him, ¡°We should have ourselves a bit of a bourbon tasting,¡± so that¡¯s what we did when we got back home.


    I was dragging the next morning in my workout with Jody, but as he¡¯d pointed out, when you¡¯re tired and not feeling up to it is when you need to rise up to the task, so I didn¡¯t grumble or complain, as much as my head hurt. After Jody and I were done, I did my now-usual two hours of weights in a ploy to beat myself into submission and work all the alcohol and metabolites out of my system. Richie came over to chat at one point, but I told him that I had no time to go for coffee- I had to get to the office right after my workout.


    ¡°I was up late last night drinking with my father-in-law,¡± I said, ¡°and I¡¯ve got an important meeting this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°So what are you doing here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I need my workout to clear my head,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I can understand that. Wouldn¡¯t want to go to any meetings where I had to plan the assassination of foreign leaders in a rough mood. It might set the wrong tone,¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°See? You do understand,¡± I laughed.


    At lunch time I called Emmy to ask how things were going at home.


    ¡°Angela took her family out to Universal Studios this morning,¡± she said. ¡°It is nice and peaceful here.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t working in the studio?¡±


    ¡°No, there is another band using the recording studio today, so we have a day off,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I am using my time to work on some songs on my own. It is nice and relaxing,¡± she said, and I could hear it in her voice.


    ¡°Will they be home for dinner?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. I will text Angela and ask,¡± Emmy said. ¡°How is your day going?¡±


    ¡°Good so far,¡± I said. ¡°I was a bit unmotivated this morning in the gym, but after I got moving it was fine.¡±


    ¡°I am glad,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It surprised me to see that you had gotten up early for your workout. I thought that after last night you would want to sleep in.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I did, but I¡¯d told Jody I¡¯d be there, so there was no backing out.¡±


    ¡°I admire your commitment,¡± she said.


    My meeting went well, and we picked up a management contract for nearly eleven hundred units owned by a family trust. I¡¯d made it clear that there were likely to be quite a few costs incurred bringing some of the properties up to our standards, but the client was pleased to know that we never cut corners on maintenance.


    ¡°You¡¯ve built quite a reputation for owner and tenant retention,¡± one of the two middle-aged men said as we all shook hands. ¡°We¡¯ve talked to a number of your owners and they¡¯ve all had nothing but positive things to say about your management.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± I said. ¡°That means we¡¯re doing something right.¡±


    After they left I finished up what I had to for the day, then left work. Hey, I was the boss- I could leave any time I wanted, right?


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said as I leaned down to kiss Emmy. She put aside her guitar and wrapped her arms around my neck, preventing me from moving away.


    ¡°I had hoped that you would come home early,¡± she said, giving me another kiss. ¡°Angela and the Castros are going to be home after dinner. This means that I have you all to myself for at least four hours.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked. ¡°And what is you want me for all to yourself for four hours?¡±


    ¡°I have some ideas,¡± she answered, a mischievous smile on her face. ¡°Oddly, none of them involve any clothes¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I might like some of these ideas,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, time is running out. We should get going on these plans of yours immediately.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s sparkling laughter filled the room as she stood up and took my hand. ¡°The first step,¡± she said, pulling me towards the bedroom, ¡°Is to get you out of those clothes.¡±


    It turned out that Emmy¡¯s plans involved bathing me, then giving me a wonderful full-body rub until I was reduced to Jello and couldn¡¯t move a muscle. When Emmy¡¯s ministrations rendered me no more than a lumpy spot on the bed, she laid down on top of me, both of us face down. The feel of her warm skin against mine was heavenly, and the reassuring weight of her slender body only augmented the feeling.


    Being touched, stroked, caressed and then used as a pillow felt like a wordless expression of love and affection. Words could not have possibly made the feelings any more profound or tender, so our silence was all that needed to be said.


    We dozed off to sleep like that, basking in each other¡¯s body heat. We were sound asleep when Angela came into the bedroom and found us, naked and vaguely slippery, Emmy on top of me like a blanket.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°What did I miss?¡± she asked softly, gently running her hand up and down the back of Emmy¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°A happy beginning, a happy middle, and a happy ending,¡± Emmy murmured, waking up slowly.


    Angela laughed at that and leaned down and kissed Emmy, then me. ¡°Maybe later, after everybody goes to bed, you can show me,¡± she said.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to make love while your parents were here?¡± I asked, relishing waking up to Emmy¡¯s weight on top of me.


    ¡°I¡¯m changing my mind,¡± Angela said, chewing on her lower lip. ¡°I¡¯m coming to realize that I was being too hasty.¡±


    I felt Emmy stretching in a leisurely fashion, then climbing off of me. I immediately missed the warmth and weight of her body on top of mine, but there was nothing to do but get up.


    ¡°Is your family home?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have dinner at the park. Mam¨¢ wanted to cook tonight.¡±


    ¡°We have not eaten dinner, either. We will take a quick shower and join you out in the kitchen,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Wait- a shower¡­ without me?¡± Angela asked, making her pouty face.


    ¡°It would be lovely if you would join us,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°I will let you explain your wet hair to your father and mother.¡±


    Her shoulders drooping, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mam¨¢ that you two will want dinner.¡±


    I caught her as she turned to go and wrapped her up in my arms. ¡°We missed you this afternoon,¡± I said, giving her a kiss. ¡°We¡¯ll help you make up for lost time tonight.¡±


    Angela¡¯s hopeful smile was irresistible, so I gave her another kiss. ¡°We¡¯ll be out in fifteen minutes.¡±


    At dinner Cecilia couldn¡¯t stop talking about what they¡¯d seen at Universal Studios. They¡¯d gone on the classic studio tour and actually seen Brad Pitt by one of the sound stages, which was the highlight of the day. Mrs Castro admitted that Brad was as handsome in real life as he is in the movies, but still not as good-looking as her husband.


    Of course, Cecilia rolled her eyes at that, embarrassed by her parents, as are all teenagers the world over. All in all, it was a nice evening and the Castros were rapidly feeling more like family and less like guests with every passing moment.


    Somehow, and I¡¯m not even sure how it had happened, but Mrs Castro¡¯s tacit claimed ownership of the kitchen was a big part of that. She¡¯d somehow managed, just by insisting that she cook for all of us, to make it seem as if she was the host and we were in her house, rather than the other way around. It was a kind of domestic magic, I guess- a subtle, tricky magic, but very effective. She had staked her claim as the matriarch of the family, and now that family included Emmy and me.


    After dinner, Mr Castro and I put on jackets and went for a walk around the neighborhood. He¡¯d suggested it, and I figured he wanted to talk away from his wife and daughters, so I readily agreed.


    Most of those tiny, winding roads in the Hollywood Hills are narrow and have no sidewalks, but traffic is sparse and you can hear cars coming for quite a ways, so it¡¯s never really a problem. We walked side by side for a while, neither saying anything. I was waiting for him to to figure out how to say whatever it was, and there was no need to rush things.


    Eventually, Mr Castro said, ¡°Mi Angelita says that Emmy has an incurable disease.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t what I expected, so in my surprise I just said, ¡°Um, she said that?¡±


    ¡°She says that Emmy will not live very long. Ten more years, maybe fifteen. Is this true?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, it¡¯s true,¡± I said, still off my footing.


    ¡°This is a terrible thing,¡± he said, not looking at me. ¡°Angela seems to be very much in love with Emmy, and to know that you don¡¯t have long together, that is¡­ a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I agreed. ¡°Knowing that Emmy won¡¯t be able to see her children grow up¡­¡± I said, trailing off.


    ¡°I am very sorry to hear this. Mi Angelita¡­¡± he said, searching for words. ¡°She is heartbroken, simply thinking about the future. She loves both you and Emmy, and wants to imagine a life with both of you, but it hurts her to know that eventually it will be just the two of you.¡±


    ¡°I feel the same,¡± I said, my voice a bit thick.


    ¡°But it will be the two of you, right? You want Angela as a companion for life?¡± he asked, looking at me.


    ¡°I do, and I think that Emmy wants this for both of us, too. She knows she only has a short while ahead of her, and she wants to make sure that we¡¯ll have each other after she¡¯s gone,¡± I said.


    ¡°This is a terrible thing,¡± Mr Castro said, shaking his head. ¡°I have never seen Angela so happy, but when she spoke of this, I could see that it eats at her heart.¡±


    ¡°Mine, too,¡± I admitted.


    He sighed, and then patted my shoulder in sympathy. ¡°Knowing this, the relationship you three have makes more sense,¡± he said. ¡°Before, I had imagined that Angela was your¡­ mistress, and Emmy knew and accepted it. This is not rare where I come from, so that¡¯s where my understanding lay. But seeing the three of you together, I have seen that it is not like that at all. Angela loves you, yes, but she also loves Emmy, and Emmy seems to love her as well.¡±


    ¡°It is unusual,¡± I agreed.


    After a few minutes of silence, he asked, ¡°How did you- how did this relationship form?¡±


    I told him about Antonio¡¯s arrest, and said that we were Angela¡¯s only friends in the building. We offered her a place to stay until she got her feet back under herself, I explained.


    ¡°One night she came to Emmy and me and said that she¡­ she wanted to be a part of- well, she had fallen for us, and wanted to be a part of our lives.¡±


    ¡°She came to you?¡± Mr Castro asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she did. She said that she had seen the love we have for each other, and she asked if we could find a space for her in our hearts. At first I was, um, doubtful, but Emmy wanted to let Angela into our lives, so we did. As time has gone on, she¡¯s become an important part of our lives together, and I¡¯m thankful that she made that first move.¡±


    Mr Castro was quiet for a while, thinking about what I¡¯d said. ¡°You did not chase after her?¡±


    ¡°No, neither Emmy nor I did. We were just being supportive friends. We both liked her, of course, and I always thought Angela was beautiful and had a sexy accent, but I wasn¡¯t in the market for another lover, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I think I do,¡± Mr Castro said. After a few more minutes of silence, he said, ¡°My wife, Marisa, she is the center of my world. I have had offers, many offers, from women over the years, but I have never felt any desire for other women. How could any compare? A man in my position in Colombia is almost expected to have a mistress. Our culture is very machista and this is very common. As I said, many wives know and accept the situation. For some, I imagine, it may be a relief to have the man direct his attentions to another woman. But this is a thing I could never do.¡± He fell silent, and I made some sort of noise to indicate that I was listening, but was going to let him talk.


    ¡°When Angela told us that she was living with two lesbianas, I did not know what to think. I like to consider myself to be an educated, open-minded man, but to have my daughter living with them¡­ I was concerned. Please, I do not mean to make offense,¡± he said, patting my shoulder again. ¡°And then, when she told us that she was in love with the two of you, it was my fears come true. Still, I tried to be supportive, and not rush to judgement. I never cared for Antonio, but I was not sure that this is what I wanted for my daughter, either.¡±


    ¡°But as I said, I have never seen her so happy,¡± he continued after a moment. ¡°She is like she was when she was a child, so full of life and¡­ enthusiams. I can see that she loves both you and Emmy- a blind man could see it. And it is just as easy to see that you both love her, too. You are providing her with a life that a man could only wish for his daughter, and she is¡­ thriving. As I am coming to know you and Emmy, my concerns have come to seem¡­ meaningless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± I said. ¡°I guess we¡¯re doing something right.¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± he said. ¡°More than I could have believed before we came for this visit.¡±


    I had nothing to say to that, so we walked in silence for a bit. ¡°Emmy knows she doesn¡¯t have long,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe ten, fifteen years, if we¡¯re lucky. She made me promise that when she passes, Angela and I get married officially.¡±


    ¡°She said that?¡± Mr Castro asked, surprised.


    ¡°She did, and I told her that of course I would. The only reason we haven¡¯t married her officially is that we legally can¡¯t. We¡¯ve talked about common-law marriage and I¡¯ve had my lawyer look into it, but there¡¯s just no way to make it legal the way the laws are written right now. In the meantime, all we can do is tell ourselves that none of that really matters if we know we¡¯re married.¡±


    ¡°Are you? Married to Angela?¡±


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, absolutely. In my mind I think of Emmy and Angela as my wives, and that¡¯s what I call them,¡± I said. ¡°To me, Angela is just as much my wife as Emmy is, the law be damned.¡±


    Mr Castro didn¡¯t say anything to that, so we kept walking in thoughtful silence. As we neared the house, he said, ¡°I think I understand things much better now. Thank you for this talk.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for talking, too,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s important for Emmy and me that you and Angela¡¯s mother understand and support Angela in this. She loves you two, and was worried sick that you wouldn¡¯t approve of the choices that she¡¯s made.¡±


    ¡°Ultimately, it is her life, and all that we can do is hope that our daughters have lives as good as ours, right? You and Emmy are giving Angela every thing she could wish for- a comfortable home, freedom to be herself, and a loving partner- or in this case, two loving partners,¡± he said wryly.


    While we waited for the motor court gate to open after I keyed in the code, he turned to face me squarely. ¡°All that I ask,¡± he said, his voice serious, ¡°Is that you continue to love her as you do now. Be the¡­ wife to her that she needs, and treat her like the precious flower that she is.¡±


    ¡°I can promise you that,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s an easy promise to make.¡±

 Nobody Wants That

    The next few days were uneventful as far as I was concerned. Angela took her folks to some tourist attraction or another every day, but Emmy and I more or less did our usual things. I worked and went to school while Emmy worked on her music. At some point, I¡¯m not really sure when, I realized that both Emmy and I had gotten into the habit of calling Mrs Castro ¡°Mam¨¢,¡± which seemed to please her greatly.


    Of course, she cooked most nights. Tuesday and Thursday she had something waiting for me when I got home from class, which was nice. Mam¨¢ seemed to really enjoy seeing Emmy and me try out all of her traditional Colombian dishes, too. Some of them were familiar, since Angela had cooked them before, but some were new to us.


    Somehow Mr Castro had turned into ¡°Pap¨¢¡± for Emmy, but he¡¯d insisted I call him Rafael. I¡¯m not totally clear on the distinction, but I guess at some level he subconsciously viewed me as the head of the household (I don¡¯t want to say ¡®the man of the family,¡¯ as facile as that may be) and therefore equal in some way rather than daughter-in-law, which would be of a somehow subordinate status.


    Saturday morning rolled around and the catering and party rental crews arrived to get set up. For the most part I felt like a third wheel, since Emmy and Angela had it all planned out. All I really had to do was to talk to Grant, Jody and Eddie about security, and deal with the valet company that was going to be parking the cars. Sure, we had the biggest parking lot (¡°motor court¡± in realtor-speak) of any house I¡¯d ever seen, befitting the past history as a film studio, but still, thought needed to be given about how fifty or so cars might fit.


    A few people showed up early to help get things set up, but that really wasn¡¯t necessary at all, so Jenna, Andy, Jen and Lee mostly just wound up meeting the in-laws and hanging around the living room.


    Mom and Tiffany arrived about two hours early. I¡¯d asked them to show up then so they could meet the Castro family, which went really well. Mom was pleased to be able to practice her Spanish, and Mrs Castro was happy to oblige.


    Rafael and I were out in front trying to seem as if we were doing something productive when a dark 7 series BMW pulled into the motor court. A familiar-looking blonde man got our of the driver¡¯s seat and opened the passenger door for Emmy¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s parents,¡± I said to Rafael. ¡°They haven¡¯t met Angela yet- I think they just flew in from France for this. We should say hello.¡±


    To his credit, he didn¡¯t balk at all, walking by my side over to the car.


    ¡°Madame De Lascaux, Monsieur,¡± I said. ¡°Please let me introduce Angela¡¯s father, Rafael Castro, from Cartagena, Colombia. Rafael, these are Emmy¡¯s parents, from Paris, France.¡±


    Rafael held out his hand and Emmy¡¯s dad took it. The two shook with a degree of seriousness and dignity that I found appealing, while I gave Emmy¡¯s mom a double cheek kiss.


    ¡°Where is the princess?¡± she asked. Then, looking around, she asked, ¡°Is this really a house?¡±


    Laughing, I told her to go through the correct door and yes, the house is hidden behind the recording and film studio. ¡°Emmy will love to give you a tour,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are looking well, Leah,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said as he shook my hand. ¡°Life must be treating you well.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I said. ¡°But there are things I¡¯d like to talk to you about later.¡±


    Nodding, he said, ¡°Of course,¡± and followed his wife into the house.


    ¡°He seems to be a very serious man,¡± Rafael said as we watched the two of them go inside.


    ¡°When he was younger, he killed a tiger at night in the jungle in Thailand with only a knife,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡±


    ¡°No, he has the tiger skin in his study at home, and photographs of him with the villagers,¡± I said.


    ¡°That is¡­ very serious,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°His family has owned their land in France since the twelfth century or something like that, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very serious,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get to talk to him later,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s scary, but actually pretty easy to get along with once you get to know him. Come on- let¡¯s go check to make sure the bar is up and running.¡±


    We made our way to the break room, where the bar had been stocked up and the two bartenders were setting up their equipment and making sure everything was ready.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± I said. ¡°My name¡¯s Leah. I¡¯m the owner here, so if you need anything, just let me know.¡±


    One of the two bartenders looked puzzled. ¡°I thought this was Emmy¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s my wife,¡± I said. ¡°But don¡¯t bother her if you have any issues. Talk to me, or if it¡¯s a security problem, let one of the security guys know. I¡¯ll have them come over and introduce themselves. In the meanwhile, can I get a Manhattan? Do you want anything, Rafael?¡±


    ¡°I usually don¡¯t drink before dinner, but I will have what she¡¯s having, too,¡± he said, and the bartender whipped up a couple of decent drinks for us.


    Our plastic cups in hand, we strolled out to the pool area, where Grant was talking to a couple of guys about pool safety. I¡¯d hired the two to work solely as lifeguards, in case anybody wanted to swim- especially any kids that might show up. I¡¯d heard too many horror stories of parties where everybody assumed somebody else was watching the kids, only to find them at the bottom of the pool.


    ¡°Grant, make sure you and the other two guys introduce yourselves to the bartenders. That might be where troubles start, if there are going to be any.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± he said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a blonde guy named Edouard with Emmy¡¯s parents. He¡¯s their security guy- make sure he understands the situation, too. You¡¯ll have no problem recognizing him.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be very comfortable giving orders,¡± Rafael commented as we headed back towards the front of the house.


    I paused for a moment, thinking about how to respond. I¡¯d come to like and respect the man and didn¡¯t want to give him some sort of bullshit story, but I also wasn¡¯t sure telling him that I had a paramilitary hit squad was the right idea, either. Finally, I said, ¡°Later, tonight, I want to tell you some things.¡±


    He stopped walking and looked at me. ¡°Is this something I want to hear?¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I hate keeping secrets from family, so you should know.¡±


    He pondered what I said, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s no good to keep secrets from those who are close to you.¡± It struck me that in that short exchange, we both voiced our feelings and our acceptance of each other as in-laws, and nothing more needed to be said on the subject. We were family.


    I spotted a familiar blue and white Toyota with a mountain bike on its rear rack pulling into the motor court, so I urged Rafael to follow me. ¡°Come on,¡± I said. ¡°More family to meet.¡±


    Bemused, he did as I¡¯d suggested and we walked up to where Grace was hanging out the driver¡¯s side window, arguing with the valet.


    ¡°Hey, kid,¡± I said, interrupting.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Grace said, her face lighting up in a smile.


    ¡°So,¡± I said to to the valet, ¡°she doesn¡¯t actually get to park here. She should park in the garage down below.¡±


    ¡°Garage?¡± the young guy asked, baffled.


    ¡°Yeah, the garage,¡± I said. Turning to Grace, I told her to exit the gate, go downhill to the very next gate and I¡¯d buzz her in. ¡°You might get there before I do, so be patient.¡±


    Rafael followed me back into the house, but stopped in the kitchen, where everybody else had gathered.


    ¡°Grace is here,¡± I explained to Emmy in response to her quizzical look. ¡°I¡¯m going to have her bring her car into the garage.¡±


    ¡°Grace is here?¡± Tiffany asked, jumping out of her seat to follow me downstairs.


    I opened the roll-up door to one of the empty bays and then stepped out and used the clicker to open the gate. She stopped in the driveway to say hello when Tiffany got her attention.


    ¡°Grace! You came!¡± she said, excited.


    ¡°Hey, little auntie!¡± Grace said, leaning out of the car window and holding out her hand.


    Tiffany gave her an enthusiastic slap on the palm and said, ¡°Big niece! We missed you at Christmas!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, about that¡­¡± Grace said, looking a bit sheepish. ¡°But hey, I¡¯m here now, right?¡±


    ¡°You gotta see this house!¡± Tiffany said. ¡°It¡¯s crazy!¡±


    Interrupting the conversation, I said to Grace that she should pull into the garage and come upstairs to say hello to everyone. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go back out front to greet people as they come in,¡± I said, handing her the remote for the gate and garage door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you to where you¡¯ll be staying. It¡¯s the room right next to mine!¡± Tiffany said, walking around and climbing into the passenger seat of the FJ. I left them and circled around the back of the house, past the pool and out to the front again, just in time to say hello to the next round of guests.


    People were starting to trickle in, both on foot and in cars. Those walking up had to be neighbors, since I didn''t know any of them. Of course, this was expected, and I introduced myself and welcomed them just the same.


    While I was talking to a couple of ladies that were from the house just above ours on the hillside, my driving buddies all rolled in as a group. It was funny to see the familiar Ferrari, AMG, Corvette and McLaren but with an unfamiliar older Cayenne in the mix. Of course it was Geoff, the only one who needed more than two seats for the occasion.


    While the boys got out and handed their keys to the valet, I told the two women (who were obviously a couple, with the small, athletic-looking redhead showing an obvious baby bump) to go on in and make themselves comfortable. ¡°Emmy is in there,¡± I said. ¡°But pretty soon the party is going to be too big to hang out in just the kitchen, you know? We have catering set up in the break room over there, with an open bar for those of us that can drink tonight,¡± I said, looking down at the redhead¡¯s tummy. I actually almost got a little weak in the knees thinking about Emmy and Angela in that state, but brushed it aside.


    Jimmy¡¯s sullen little sister was the only one of the guys¡¯ ¡®plus ones¡¯ that I¡¯d ever met before, so I got introduced to Geoff¡¯s wife Linda and their two little girls, who were about eight and ten years old. I told them that my sister was in the house, and she was just about to turn twelve years old. To Linda and Geoff, I said that I was glad they could come, and repeated my spiel about snacks and drinks.


    Teddy Bear had an actress I recognized but couldn¡¯t put a name to for his date, but Stein and Stephen were flying solo. I told them that I needed to stay outside to greet guests as they arrived, but please go on in. The only one who didn¡¯t was Stein, and he made his way to the break room to grab a bite and a drink.


    ¡°Bring me back an Old Fashioned,¡± I told him as he went in the direction I pointed.


    ¡°Open bar, open sesame!¡± he said as he walked away.


    In the next hour or so a ton of people I didn¡¯t know showed up, neighbors and music industry types alike. People were freely helping themselves to the catering and the bar by that point, too, and not simply jamming into the living room.


    Angela and Emmy came out to give me a break in front, so I made my way to the break room to see how things were going there.


    Teddy Bear was playing pool with a guy who¡¯d introduced himself as a neighbor from three doors up the street, and it seemed as if they knew each other. Teddy Bear¡¯s date was nowhere around, but I didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    Linda and Geoff were by the pool, eating and drinking while their two girls, Tiffany, Grace, plus a couple of kids from the neighborhood were all splashing around in the pool, despite the cool evening. I¡¯d had the pool heater turned up just for this, and the invitation had specifically said that the pool would be available, so I was glad somebody was enjoying it.


    ¡°You two doing O.K.?¡± I asked as I walked up, enjoying the kids¡¯ energy.


    ¡°Yeah, great!¡± Linda said. ¡°I was doubtful about the pool when the invite said to bring swimsuits for the kids, but I felt the water and it¡¯s really warm!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to get chilled when they get out, though,¡± I said. ¡°The night¡¯s cooling off fast.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is January,¡± Geoff said with a shrug. ¡°Even here in Los Angeles that does mean winter.¡±


    ¡°Or what passes for it around here,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Um, your¡­ excuse me, I¡¯m not really sure,¡± Linda said, trying to find the right words. ¡°Her name is Angela, right? The pretty one with the dark hair?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Angela,¡± I said. ¡°The one who looks as if she¡¯s about seventeen years old? She¡¯s actually older than I am, can you believe it?¡±


    ¡°She does look young. I think the term is ¡®fresh-faced¡¯,¡± Linda said. ¡°Anyway, she said she¡¯s your wife, but I thought Geoff said that you¡¯re married to Emmy Lascaux.¡±


    I looked around and found a nearby chair, so I pulled it up and sat down. ¡°This is going to seem weird. It¡¯s still weird to me, and I¡¯m living it,¡± I said, taking a sip of my drink. ¡°Emmy and I got married a few years ago, when we were both still in college at Stanford. She started her music career, and it took off, so when I graduated, we moved down here to LA to be where the industry is. We met Angela when we were living in Century City, and one thing led to another and we both fell in love with her. I mean, you¡¯ve met her, right? She¡¯s pretty, smart, motivated¡­ What¡¯s not to like? She fell in love with us both, too, and we somehow became a threesome. She told us that she wanted to be with us forever, and so Emmy asked her to commit to us, which she did. Although we clearly can¡¯t all three get married, Emmy and I do consider Angela to be our wife, and she thinks the same about us. Sure, it¡¯s not legally sanctioned, but to us, it¡¯s true.¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s weird, but to us, it feels right.¡±


    ¡°It seems like a recipe for, I don¡¯t know, jealousy,¡± Linda said, her brows furrowed.


    ¡°I think it could be in most cases, yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I haven¡¯t felt it in ours. Mostly I just miss them both when I have to go out of town for work or something, and I¡¯m happy they have each other then.¡±


    Linda turned to her husband and said, ¡°Now, don¡¯t you be getting any ideas,¡± which broke whatever tension there might have been.


    ¡°So, anyway, you were saying about Angela? Wife number two?¡± I asked, smiling to show that I was happy she hadn¡¯t gotten upset at the whole thing.


    ¡°She gave us a tour of the house and the studio,¡± Linda said. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Just pulling into the parking lot, or being in the movie studio, you¡¯d never know there was a big, huge house hiding behind it.¡±


    ¡°That was the idea,¡± I said. ¡°When I found this place for sale, the previous owner had been ignoring most of the building. They lived in part of the place and used the sound stage for a sort of art gallery, but most of the old film studio area was simply left cold and unlit.¡±


    Looking back towards the main building, I continued. ¡°I had the architect carve out a real house from what was mostly office space and like you said, hide it in plain sight, so we could use the studio facilities as they were meant, but not have musicians and actors wandering through our living room.¡±


    ¡°Nobody wants that,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed. ¡°Anyway, when the kids are done, come around to the sound stage. We have entertainment set up for eight o¡¯clock.¡±


    Linda glanced at her phone to check the time. ¡°You said the party was kid-friendly until nine?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s when the show is over,¡± I said. ¡°After that it¡¯s your judgement whether you want to stay- and you¡¯re certainly welcome. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    "Alright,¡± Geoff said, standing up when I did and walking with me a little bit. ¡°Leah,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks for inviting us, and for going out of your way to make the kids welcome. I know you and I, we maybe got off to a rocky start, but- well, you¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°That means a lot to me, Geoff,¡± I said, clapping him on the back. ¡°Hey, you guys make sure you enjoy yourselves, and you don¡¯t need to be stuck by the pool watching the kids. I do have professional lifeguards keeping an eye on things.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we really should do some mingling,¡± he agreed as he turned back to rejoin his wife.


    Back in the break room, the tall brunette and her pregnant partner were playing pool against Teddy Bear and his date. Neither team looked all that good, but I wouldn¡¯t have been much of a challenge. As I was watching, Stephanie, then Stephen, came in to get some refreshments.


    ¡°It pains me to watch this,¡± Stephanie said, indicating the inept game of billiards.


    ¡°Yeah, they''re pretty bad,¡± Stephen agreed. Turning to Stephanie, he asked, ¡°Do you play much?¡± At my snort of laughter, he said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that means you¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°I play,¡± she said. ¡°Not as much as I used to. I don¡¯t have a table of my own.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we get next round,¡± Stephen called out to the players.


    ¡°You want to play the winners?¡± Teddy Bear asked, after missing a shot and handing the cue to the tall brunette. I made a mental note to learn their names, since they were neighbors and obviously ¡®family¡¯.


    ¡°No, me against Stephanie,¡± Stephen said. It surprised me he knew her name, then I remembered she¡¯d been at the Willow Springs birthday track day.


    ¡°Make sure you break,¡± I warned Stephen in a low voice as Stephanie went to select a cue. ¡°She¡¯ll run the table.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°She wins tournaments,¡± I said, low enough that Stephanie couldn¡¯t hear me.


    ¡°Well, I guess I stepped my foot in it, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bet money,¡± I advised with a chuckle.


    At ten minutes to eight, Emmy announced over the whole house speaker system that the night¡¯s entertainment was going to start and everybody should find their way to the sound stage.


    ¡°We should go watch,¡± I said to Margaret, the tall brunette, who was married to Olivia, the little redhead who was carrying their first child. ¡°Emmy has something special planned.¡±


    Margaret gave me a disbelieving look. ¡°Emmy De Lascaux is going to perform at her own party?¡±


    ¡°She loves to perform,¡± I said with a shrug.


    By the time we got to the sound stage, quite a crowd had gathered. The kids were all sitting on blankets up near the stage that had been set up, but the adults were all milling around in the middle of the audience area, wondering what was about to happen.


    Emmy came out onto the stage and said, ¡°Hello, everyone! Thank you all for coming to our housewarming party tonight! I hope you have all been visiting with old friends or family, and also making new friends. I would imagine that most people here tonight do not know more than a handful of others, but that simply makes it a great opportunity to get to meet your new friends, right?¡±


    This got a laugh from the crowd, so she continued on. ¡°As you probably all know, I am one third of a little band we call The Downfall.¡± This got more laughs, because of course, everyone knew who she was. ¡°Well, my two fellow bandmates and best friends in the whole world agreed to help me put on a little show tonight for you all. This is a big thank you to all of our amazingly patient neighbors who¡¯ve had to deal with our construction noise and dust for the past half year, and to our family and friends who put up with us on a daily basis. Thank you very much of all of your support.¡±


    With that, Lee and Jackson came onstage, and that¡¯s when I noticed all three had on beachwear. They took their places, and unlike pretty much all Downfall shows, didn¡¯t do a long, improvised instrumental intro, but just started playing their first song. It was ¡®The Tide Is High¡¯ by Blondie, which made sense with the beach theme. After that, they played a reggae version of one of their songs from their first album, which oddly sounded right somehow.


    Mirroring my thoughts, Margaret leaned over and asked, ¡°Was that always a reggae song and I just somehow missed it?¡±


    I laughed and admitted that similar thoughts had crossed my mind. I forget what the third song was, but it carried the island rhythms also, even though it was originally a rock tune.


    By this time some of the kids in front had started dancing, which inspired some of the adults to do the same. Olivia took Margaret¡¯s hand and dragged her up towards the front so they could dance. I felt a little pang of envy, wishing that Angela were nearby, too, but I couldn¡¯t see her in the crowd.


    When Emmy saw all the dancers her smile grew wider and she said, ¡°We love to see people dance! Do not be shy!¡±


    All in all, maybe half of the crowd danced to the tropical versions of familiar tunes that The Downfall was playing by the time the hour came to a close and the band finished. Once the three stepped offstage and came out into the audience, the home speaker system resumed its playlist of easy beach music, but much louder than it had been before the show. Earlier it had been quiet and in the background unless you were right next to one of the dozens of speakers scattered around the property or in the house, but now it was loud enough that you had to be close to hold conversations.


    Linda and Geoff found me to say goodnight, as did a few of the neighbors who¡¯d brought kids.


    ¡°You have an amazing home,¡± one of the neighbors said as they said their goodbyes.


    ¡°Please, do not be strangers,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We''re only a few houses uphill from you, after all. We should set up an evening for you to come over and have dinner on a normal night, when it is not so crazy. And feel free to bring Bradley and Jameson, too.¡±


    When that family left I asked Emmy, ¡°When did you have time to get to know them?¡±


    ¡°I talked quite a bit with Kennedy and Josh earlier, when they arrived,¡± she said, once again displaying her mind-boggling ability to remember names. ¡°They live in the green two-story house on the other side of the street just down the hill.¡±


    Figuring I should mingle and do some meeting and greeting, I made my way inside the house for the first time in hours. Unsurprisingly, my mom, Mam¨¢ Castro and Emmy¡¯s mother were all sitting together in the living room, involved in conversation. Surprisingly, they were speaking in Spanish.


    ¡°Hi, honey,¡± Mom said when I found them.


    ¡°Are you three doing O.K.?¡± I asked. ¡°Can I get you anything?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± Mom said, holding up her wine glass to indicate they had everything they needed.


    ¡°This is quite a home you¡¯ve made for the princess, and for Angela,¡± Emmy¡¯s mother said. ¡°It suits the three of you well.¡±


    ¡°We like it,¡± I said. ¡°It took a lot of work to make it this way, but it¡¯s perfect for what we need.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it shows the attention to detail. The home is lovely, at the same time as the studio is very business-like. It¡¯s a remarkable fusion,¡± Emmy¡¯s mother said.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the New York townhouse yet, have you?¡± I asked, pretty sure the Lascauxs hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°No, not yet. Emmy sent photos, but I suspect that they do not do it justice,¡± she replied.


    ¡°You really should. It¡¯s pretty amazing, too, but completely different from this place,¡± I said. Then, ¡°Mom, you and Tiffany should see it sometime soon, too. And spend some time checking out New York.¡±


    ¡°I think we are going on Monday,¡± Mam¨¢ Castro said. ¡°Just for a few days.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t spent any time in New York since¡­¡± Mom trailed off, looking thoughtful. ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re going there next, and maybe I can schedule a visit. It would be good for Tiffany to see the East Coast.¡±


    Pleased the three moms seemed to be getting along, I made my excuses and went off in search of others to mingle with.


    I found Teddy Bear talking to a couple of other guys I didn¡¯t know about on-set stuff, then out in the break room found Stephanie taking on challengers while she played pool one-handed, never setting her wine glass down and still beating everyone.


    I bumped into Jody out by the now-empty pool, talking to the two lifeguards. He was making it clear that at least one of them had to be poolside until the last guests left, but it was O.K. for them to take turns, as long as one was on duty at any given moment.


    ¡°Hey, Jody, how are things going?¡± I asked when we walked away from the pool a bit.


    ¡°No issues,¡± he said. ¡°Grant was kind enough to let me have the show duty, so I got to see The Downfall play. That was amazing. Really amazing,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, just amazing.¡±


    ¡°Was it amazing?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°Truly fucking amazing,¡± he confirmed with a smile.


    I found Angela, Jenna, Andy and most of my driving buddies in the garage. They¡¯d gone down there to see my new car, and when I got there Angela was telling the story about the fight in the restaurant parking lot in Arizona.


    ¡°So she¡¯s like, boom!¡± Angela said, making a kicking motion. ¡°The guy slams into the car and drops his gun. Leah just casually kicks it away like it was nothing, then throws him down on the ground next to the first guy. The third guy looks at her, and she¡¯s like, ¡®get lost¡¯,¡± Angela said in her best Dirty Harry voice. ¡°And he does. He takes off running, no looking back.¡±


    ¡°I think my exact words were, ¡®fuck off¡¯,¡± I said, wrapping my arm around Angela¡¯s waist.


    ¡°And he did. He fucked right off,¡± Angela said to the group.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Leah tell people to fuck off before,¡± Andy said. ¡°They always do.¡±


    ¡°I wanna be you when I grow up,¡± Jimmy said to me.


    ¡°That¡¯s never going to happen,¡± Stein said. ¡°Since you¡¯re never going to grow up.¡±


    ¡°Truth,¡± Jimmy said, his shoulders drooping. ¡°How can I ever grow up, the way my mom keeps infantilizing me? She still treats me like a little kid.¡±


    ¡°Tell her to fuck off? It works for Leah,¡± Stein suggested, unhelpfully.


    Jimmy snorted at the idea. ¡°Yeah, no. Not gonna happen.¡±


    That killed the conversation for a moment, until Jimmy perked back up. ¡°Hey, Liz, gonna bring out the Porsche next week?¡±


    ¡°Next weekend is a San Jose weekend for me,¡± I said. ¡°No driving.¡±


    ¡°Then can I borrow it?¡± he asked, looking hopeful.


    ¡°Wait, Liz?¡± Andy asked, confused.


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡±


    Later, after at least half the guests had gone, I wandered out onto the deck only to hear voices. I made my way over to the hot tub to find a guy I recognized from TV in the hot tub, along with Solange the aspiring actress, and to my horror, Jimmy¡¯s sister and Cecilia Castro.


    As I got close I saw no top on either Solange or Jimmy¡¯s sister. Solange¡¯s terribly fake boobs were right at water level, her pink nips raising above the waterline with every movement. Jimmy¡¯s sister was quite a bit shorter, so hers were mostly covered. Thankfully, Cecilia had on her swimsuit, as abbreviated as it was.


    ¡°Underage,¡± I said, putting my hand on Jimmy¡¯s sister¡¯s head but looking the guy in the eyes. ¡°Seriously underaged,¡± I said, putting my hand on Cecilia¡¯s head. I was a bit gratified to see the look of dismay on the guy¡¯s face- at least he hadn¡¯t realized.


    ¡°Actually, you know what? You two, out,¡± I said. ¡°This isn¡¯t appropriate for you two.¡±


    The guy started to get out of the hot tub, too, but I waved him back down. There was no need for the two girls to see his peen as he emerged.


    ¡°No, you and Solange are cool, it¡¯s alright. But these girls have to get dressed and go back inside,¡± I said.


    Begrudgingly, the two teenaged girls climbed out of the hot tub, and to my lack of surprise, Jimmy¡¯s little sister was completely naked. Of course, Cecilia¡¯s swimsuit only just barely covered anything, so it¡¯s not like it was much better, but still¡­


    I handed both of them towels from the linen cabinet right there. Glancing over at the actor (who I remembered had been introduced as a neighbor), I was pleased to see he had the decency to be looking away rather than at the two naked or nearly naked girls.


    Cecilia merely wrapped the towel around herself and begged me not to tell her mom, then bolted inside. Jimmy¡¯s sister glared at me, but didn¡¯t say anything as she made a point of drying her back with the taut towel in such a way that it made her small breasts sway back and forth, not attempting to cover herself up at all until she actually put her clothes back on. I¡¯d heard but never really understood the term ¡®hate sex¡¯, but this was as close as I ever wanted to get to it. Jimmy¡¯s little sister (whose name I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever heard) was definitely hate-seducing me, or at least trying to.


    After she finished putting her clothes on and went back inside, the actor guy started to get out again, but I said he didn¡¯t have to and was fine- just be a bit more careful about who joined him in there.


    Making a mental note to change the hot tub¡¯s water the next day, I left the two of them to do whatever it was they were going to do, and continued on my rounds.


    I found Stephanie in the break room, still humiliating any challengers at the pool table. From what I could gather she was now taking on groups- in this case, Stein, Stephen, Jimmy and Teddy Bear. Each of the guys got a turn on solids before she took her turn and ran the table on stripes.


    As we watched Stephanie sink the balls with precision, Stephen leaned in to ask me how I knew Stephanie.


    ¡°From high school,¡± I said. ¡°Back in Fallbrook.¡±


    Straightening up, Stephanie said, ¡°We were girlfriends right at the end of senior year and into college.¡±


    ¡°Girlfriends?¡± Jimmy asked. ¡°Like, girl friend girlfriends, or girlfriend girlfriends?¡±


    ¡°Leah used to rock my world hard,¡± Stephanie said, leaning against the table with her hip. ¡°I mean, hard.¡±


    ¡°Why is life so unfair?¡± Jimmy wailed, looking up at the ceiling and holding up his arms.


    Stein just shook his head, but whether it was at Jimmy¡¯s antics or Stephanie¡¯s admission, I couldn¡¯t tell.


    I stepped forward and leaned down and gave Stephanie a little kiss on the lips. ¡°Swimming pools will always remind me of you,¡± I said, making Jimmy groan again.


    Of course, this got Stein laughing so hard he almost choked on his drink, which got everybody else laughing, too. Stephanie turned back to the table and intentionally sank the eight ball before its time, throwing the game.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s it for me tonight, boys,¡± she announced. ¡°I¡¯ve got to head home. One of my bands has a gig in Irvine tomorrow and I¡¯ve got a lot of work to do.¡±


    I gave Stephanie a big hug, then another little kiss. ¡°Drive safe, babe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve hardly had anything to drink,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m O.K. to drive. Tell everyone I said goodnight.¡±


    After she left, Stephen asked, ¡°Seriously? You¡¯ve had nothing but the hottest since high school?¡±


    ¡°Steph isn¡¯t just hot,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s also smart, and works her ass off to get what she wants. She¡¯s the complete package.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s top shelf, alright,¡± he agreed, still looking in the direction she¡¯d gone.


    Just as Stein was racking the balls again Jimmy¡¯s sister came into the break room, looking for him. She spoke sharply to him in Chinese, shooting daggers with her eyes at me.


    After a minute¡¯s back and forth, he put his cue in the rack and said, ¡°Well, me boyos, looks like I gotta bail. See you on Wednesday, Stein?¡±


    After she dragged him out, Teddy Bear asked, ¡°What the heck was that about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s his sister for you,¡± Stein said, lining up to break.


    ¡°A few minutes ago I found her naked in the hot tub with some actor guy,¡± I said. ¡°I told him she was underaged, and told her to GTFO the hot tub and get dressed.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Teddy Bear breathed, and even Stein had a look of disbelief on his face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the actor?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know his name,¡± I said. ¡°I guess he lives in the neighborhood. I mean, I know I¡¯ve seen him on TV, but I couldn¡¯t tell you what show.¡±


    ¡°Blonde guy, sorta built, about this tall?¡± asked Teddy, holding his hand at about six feet.


    ¡°He was in the hot tub,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you how tall- or how long- he was.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± Stein cracked.


    ¡°But blonde, right? That was probably Mitchell Wagner. He¡¯s in that Hawaii Five O reboot.¡±


    Thinking about it for a moment, I said, ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome. I¡¯m gonna give him so much shit next time I see him,¡± Teddy Bear said with a laugh. ¡°Hey, wait, do you think he¡¯s still in the hot tub? And where is that?¡±


    ¡°He might be,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Besides the underaged girls, he had an aspiring actress in there with him.¡±


    Looking around, he asked, ¡°Shit- it wasn¡¯t my date, was it?¡± which prompted another round of laughter from Stein, and then Stephen.


    ¡°Nah, a chick with pink hair named Solange,¡± I said.


    ¡°Tall, fake boobs, grouper lips?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s her,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am so giving Mitch a full ration of shit!¡± Teddy Bear said, putting his cue in the rack and taking off to search for the hot tub. Of course, he went in the direction of the lagoon pool, so there was no way he was going to find it.


    ¡°This is rapidly moving into ¡®most amusing party I''ve ever been to¡¯ territory,¡± Stein said, lining up the break again.


    ¡°Well, there haven¡¯t been any fights,¡± Stephen said, watching Stein¡¯s distribution. ¡°Looks like stripes,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably thanks to the security,¡± I said. ¡°I get winner.¡±


    ¡°Security? You mean the really serious-looking guys in tailored suits?¡± Stein asked, lining up his shot.


    ¡°Serious-looking is a good description,¡± Stephen said. ¡°Where¡¯d you even find those guys?¡±


    ¡°FTEs,¡± I said.


    ¡°You need security like that here?¡± Stephen asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, not here per se,¡± I said. ¡°Those three guys are in my paramilitary death squad.¡±


    ¡°Wait- I thought you did all your killing yourself?¡± Stephen asked, running with it.


    ¡°Delegation is the key to success in any organization,¡± I explained.

 Winding Down

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true enough,¡± Stephen said with a chuckle. ¡°So, Kimmy really was in a hot tub, naked with some dude?¡±


    ¡°Kimmy? That¡¯s her name?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°They named their kids Jimmy and Kimmy?¡±


    ¡°Well, no,¡± Stephen said. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s her Americanized name. I don¡¯t know what their real names are in Chinese, but the two do go by Jimmy and Kimmy here in the US.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, yeah, I did catch her in the hot tub naked with some dude over twice her age. To be fair, there were two other girls in the tub, too, and one of them wasn¡¯t naked.¡±


    ¡°Underaged? Sounds like quite the little scandal,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°That actress, Solange, she¡¯s gotta be in her mid twenties, I¡¯d say, so no, they weren¡¯t all underaged.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to be a fly on the wall when TB busts this guy¡¯s chops,¡± Stephen said, turning to take his shot.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna happen any time soon. Teddy Bear went the wrong way,¡± I said.


    ¡°Typical,¡± Stein said, watching Stephen make an easy shot.


    The bartenders had been watching and listening in on the whole conversation, not saying a word. I sauntered over and asked for another Old Fashioned, then grabbed myself another couple of skewers of satay chicken from the catering tables, realizing I hadn¡¯t actually eaten since lunch.


    I strolled out to the motor court to talk to the valets. The lot was down to less than half the cars it had held at its peak that evening, but there were still plenty of people at the party, judging by the number of cars still there. A few I recognized, but not most.


    After talking to one of the valets for a while and hearing that it¡¯d all been smooth sailing, I wandered into the cavernous space of the sound stage. The instruments and amps and the like had all been packed up thanks to Riggo and Snake, so the stage was nothing more than a raised platform with a dark blue backdrop curtain.


    When I wandered in, there was another actor neighbor of ours whose name escaped me emoting the heck out of a Shakespeare monologue, amusing a handful of others, who were sipping their drinks and nibbling on snacks being handed out by a waiter circling the space.


    ¡°And there she is, our lovely host for the evening,¡± the actor declaimed in his best theatrical voice. ¡°Please, everyone, a round of applause for Leah Farmer!¡±


    Surprised by the clapping and cheering, I was at a loss for words for a moment, but then recovered.


    ¡°Thanks, really,¡± I said, loud enough for everybody to hear. ¡°Thanks for coming, too. Most of you are from the neighborhood here, and you¡¯ve had to put up with far too much construction noise and traffic while this old place was reborn, and now, well, there¡¯s still gonna be traffic as it gets used as a film and recording studio, but not nearly as much. And no bulldozers or cranes, so that¡¯s good,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hooray for no bulldozers!¡± shouted somebody, and about half the group laughed in sympathy.


    ¡°I one hundred per cent agree,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m happy with the way the place has turned out, so all that work was worth it. It¡¯s a lovely home, a great work space, and a fantastic venue for parties.¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± boomed the actor. ¡°More parties!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be a lot more parties if Emmy has anything to say about it,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°A toast! To Leah and her talented wife, Emmy De Lascaux!¡± Urged the actor, still using grand, stagey gestures. The crowd raised their plastic glasses, and I raised mine in return. We all drank to more parties, especially parties at other people¡¯s houses.


    Leaving the actor to his audience, I wandered farther into the studio, where I ran into Grant and Edouard, who also seemed to be on patrol.


    ¡°Everything going good?¡± I asked.


    ¡°So far so good,¡± Grant confirmed, and Edouard nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Edouard,¡± I said, offering my hand, which he shook. ¡°I hope you haven''t just been working tonight.¡±


    ¡°I did watch the princess perform,¡± he said. ¡°That was very special.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her you thought so. She¡¯ll be happy to hear it,¡± I said.


    Resuming my wandering, I found Riggo in the recording studio, showing a small group of people the capabilities of the facility. It seemed as if they understood what he was talking about, so I had to assume they were musicians or industry types of some sort and this was a sales pitch.


    To my relief the rehearsal rooms were dark and empty and devoid of any guests, just like rest of the studio facilities. I¡¯d asked Grant, Jody and Eddie to make sure all the recesses of the property got checked every so often, but the place was huge and had lots of nooks and crannies.


    Satisfied things were fine in the studio, I took the elevator down to the garage level to continue my circuit. I heard voices coming from the gym down the hall, but as I got closer I could tell it was Angela and Jenna. They were talking about social media presences and monetizing Jenna¡¯s account, from what I could tell.


    ¡°Hey, you guys,¡± I said as I stepped into the gym.


    ¡°Hi, babe,¡± Angela said from her seat on the big balance ball.


    ¡°Hi, babe,¡± Jenna echoed from where she was leaning back against Andy on the weight bench.


    ¡°Hi, babe,¡± Andy said, making it unanimous.


    I leaned down to kiss Angela. ¡°Why are you guys hiding way down here?¡±


    ¡°We just needed a place to talk, you know?¡± Jenna said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s quiet down here.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting quiet everywhere,¡± I said, reaching out and stroking Angela¡¯s hair. ¡°The crowds are really thinning out.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be up in a little while,¡± Angela promised.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said and gave Angela another kiss before I left.


    On the bedroom level, I poked my head into Tiffany¡¯s room and found Grace showing a bunch of pictures on her iPad that she¡¯d taken in the desert to Tiffany and Cecilia, so all was good.


    In the living room the three moms were still talking, so I just waved as I passed by. The deck (and hot tub) were empty, to my relief, too.


    On the off chance, I strolled down the long hallway and took the stairs up to my office. Rafael and Emmy¡¯s father were up there with the lights mostly off, so they got the best view out of the three hundred and sixty degree windows.


    ¡°Ah, Leah,¡± Mr Lascaux said. ¡°Rafael and I have been having a very constructive discussion.¡±


    ¡°What about?¡± I asked, pulling up a chair.


    ¡°I have explained about the Night Children to him, and we¡¯ve explored the possibility that there may be some of our kind in Latin America, most likely in large cities on the coast, such as Rio De Janeiro, Salvador, and Buenos Aires. Perhaps even in his own city of Cartagena.¡±


    ¡°And this leads into what I wanted to talk to you, Rafael, about, and also to you,¡± I said to Emmy¡¯s father.


    ¡°I think I now understand what you said earlier,¡± Rafael said, leaning back and sipping his drink.


    ¡°Right. I don¡¯t know if this came up yet, but here in North America, Emmy and I are working to consolidate the Night Children under our banner. We have well over three hundred now in our shadow, and maybe fifty others that we¡¯re in contact with who haven¡¯t accepted us as their queens, but are otherwise neutral.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand that,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°You should know, so does your daughter. We¡¯ve kept none of this from her.¡±


    ¡°I had hoped that is what you meant earlier when you said you do not like to keep secrets from those close to you,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Right. And since you and Mam¨¢ are here and part of the family, now it¡¯s time to share this with you.¡±


    ¡°Why wait until now? We have been here a week.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to wait until you¡¯d had a chance to meet other Night Children besides just Emmy, to make the whole thing seem more, well, believable,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡­ is understandable,¡± Rafael said, nodding.


    I spent at least an hour with the two men explaining the difficulties we¡¯d been experiencing and the resistance we¡¯d encountered as we expanded our reach back East. Mr Lascaux said that he¡¯d had no contact with any organized hierarchy on the East Coast, nor even any idea that such a thing might exist. He asked if we¡¯d tried diplomacy, but when I told him that we have no obvious way of contacting any higher-ups and the only Night Children who¡¯ve come to our side profess to know nothing, he grew more thoughtful.


    ¡°This is always the difficulty with our people,¡± he admitted. ¡°As a matter of habit, we shroud ourselves in as much secrecy as we can. The old nations, of course, are well known, but these you are bumping up against¡­ They are a different story.¡±


    He had no real advice on how to engage these possible rulers in any sort of diplomacy, but we discussed a number of scenarios. Rafael was involved in the discussion, too, showing that although the whole idea was new to him, the concept of discussions with foes who could melt away wasn¡¯t entirely alien to a man from Colombia.


    Eventually the three of us made our way down to the great room where pretty much everyone still left had gathered. Emmy and Jackson were playing their guitars and singing duets as much for their own amusement as to entertain others, and the few people talking rather than listening to the music were being polite about it and keeping it low.


    Seeing things were winding down, Mr Lascaux and I made one last circuit, making sure that things were buttoned up. The studio was closed and locked, but I wanted to make sure it was completely devoid of any stragglers.


    We found Grant overseeing the caterers as they packed up, and he confirmed that there were no guests anywhere but in the house itself.


    I thanked him and told him that as soon as the caterers were packed, he, Jody and Eddie could come on in and relax, or go home if they wanted.


    As Mr Lascaux and I passed the pool and then around the back of the house, he said, ¡°Leah, you have grown into quite an impressive individual. I can¡¯t imagine a better mate for our daughter than you have turned out to be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± I said.


    ¡°The princess told me what happened in Chicago,¡± he said. ¡°She said that you planned and prepared for the ambush, and almost single-handedly destroyed the opposition.¡±


    ¡°I think that overstates my contribution,¡± I said.


    ¡°She said that you took down six armed Night Children by yourself, in a dark warehouse. This is not a minor contribution.¡±


    I stopped and turned to look at Mr Lascaux. ¡°As much as I hate to say it, killing people turns out to be something I¡¯m good at. I¡¯m not proud of the fact, and it¡¯s not something I take lightly, but it¡¯s true. I would not ask my people to do what I am unwilling to do myself.¡±


    Sighing, Mr Lascaux said, ¡°I understand completely. The first person I ever had to kill was my brother, and I still regret that it was necessary, all these many years later.¡±


    ¡°Prince Marfan was my first,¡± I said. ¡°Him, I don¡¯t regret even a tiny bit.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think very many people mourn his passing,¡± Mr Lascaux agreed.


    We stood there in silence for a long moment, thinking about the blood on our hands, then went in the man door to the garage.


    Looking at the cars parked in there, Mr Lascaux said, ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been enjoying the GT3 M6.¡±


    ¡°Very much. Thanks again for the amazing gift,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a great way to blow off steam.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve been using it in the way it was meant to be driven,¡± he said. Then, seeing the opportunity, he asked, ¡°Have you given any more thought to buying the dealerships?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the financials,¡± I said as we checked to make sure there was nobody in the gym or wine room. ¡°The thing is, I know real estate, but I don¡¯t know anything about running a car dealership. It¡¯s outside my area of expertise, and I¡¯d hate to have the business fail because of my lack of understanding the industry. Even though you¡¯re out of the area more often than not, you¡¯re still running them better than I could.¡±


    ¡°Consider the offer open, and when you¡¯re ready¡­¡± he replied as we joined the party in the living room.


    Mom and Mam¨¢ Castro organized the clean-up the next day, roping Cecilia, Tiffany and Grace into helping out. Thankfully I was given a hall pass, so I contented myself with changing the water in the hot tub and nothing else.


    Jenna and Andy came over for lunch, also volunteering to help out. Luckily for them everything was more or less done by the time they got there, so there was nothing much for them to do but visit.


    It was nice and low-key, just what we all needed following such a long day before. After lunch, I took Tiffany out for a drive in the Spyder, which knocked her socks off. We stopped at the big turnout on ACH to take in the views of the Los Angeles basin, as we usually do when we pass that way on the Saturday drives. Of course, the car drew a lot of attention, and Tiffany ate that up, too.


    When we got back home, Mom bundled Tiffany into the car for the drive back to Fallbrook. Grace said her goodbyes, too, since she had a seven hour drive ahead of her and class in the morning.


    Soon enough, the house felt empty with only the three of us and the Castros, but at the same time, it felt comfortable that way.


    Instead of continuing my workout after the session with Jody as I usually did, I returned home for breakfast and to drive everybody to the airport. Emmy had waffled on whether to go with Angela and her family to New York, but ultimately decided she would, which was going to leave me all alone for the week. Add to that that the coming weekend was a San Jose trip for me, and I wouldn¡¯t see Mam¨¢, Cecilia and Rafael before they returned to Colombia.


    At the airport, I gave Mam¨¢ a good, long hug and said that it was wonderful to get to know her, and said that we¡¯d need to get together again soon- either in Cartagena, or in the US, whichever worked. I gave Cecilia a hug, too, and told her to be good for her mam¨¢ and pap¨¢. Rafael and I shook hands, but then I pulled him into a hug, too, which at first he was awkward about, but then relaxed and hugged me back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you soon,¡± I promised as they turned to board the waiting jet.


    Of course, I gave Emmy and Angela hugs and kisses and told them to send me pics, which they promised to do.


    After they all climbed the steps into the aircraft, I went straight to the office. There was no reason to stop at the house.

 Things Return To Normal

    Since our house was empty, I went over to Jenna and Andy¡¯s place for our traditional Wednesday dinner. Andy had bought a new barbecue smoker and did up some brisket and sausages, which turned out surprisingly good for a first-time effort.


    ¡°Maybe if the football thing doesn¡¯t work out you can get a job at our barbecue place in Austin,¡± I said.


    ¡°You have a barbecue restaurant? In Texas?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°We have a lot of restaurants, all across the Western US and Canada,¡± I said.


    ¡°I thought you did real estate?¡± Jenna asked, pouring some more wine.


    ¡°I have my fingers in a lot of pies,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, our hospitality division isn¡¯t all that profitable compared to the real estate division, but it was never intended to be.¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t profitable, why be involved?¡± Jenna asked, curious.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t profitable, just not as profitable,¡± I corrected. ¡°Most of our restaurants and nightclubs put up good margins, but real estate is going crazy these days.¡±


    ¡°Angela mentioned a bar you own up in San Jose,¡± Jenna said. ¡°She said she loves the place.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does,¡± I agreed. ¡°All the regulars seem to love, her, too. She¡¯s become an important part of the scene.¡±


    After a non-stop day of meetings in the San Jose office on Friday, I found myself thinking about Angela as I got dressed to head to the club. Of course, that framed photo on the wall helped spur my thoughts in her direction.


    She and Emmy had been sending me updates and pictures all week long so I knew that everybody was having a great time there in New York and that made me happy for them, but it almost felt wrong to go to the club solo. Angela had become such a part of the place for me that going without her just felt¡­ off. In fact, the valet at the front went to open the passenger door out of habit when I pulled up, and was surprised to see nobody in that side of the car.


    Several people asked about her as I made my traditional circuit of the room, and all I could say was that she was in New York visiting with her family. It was true, yet vague at the same time. It did the job of answering the question and implying that she¡¯d be back soon, which seemed to satisfy everyone.


    Settling into my corner booth, I signaled for Theo to bring me my usual. When he set my Old Fashioned down, he asked about Angela, too.


    ¡°Visiting with family in New York,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m a bachelor this weekend.¡±


    ¡°You get along with the in-laws?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They love me,¡± I said, and I¡¯m pretty sure it was true. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t get away from work.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the filthy lucre,¡± he lamented. ¡°Such a cruel taskmaster.¡±


    I¡¯d just finished my dinner when I slipped my hand in my jacket pocket for my phone and felt a piece of paper. Curious, I pulled it out and found Ashley¡¯s phone number. I stared at it for a while, wondering why I even still had it, remembering that comical scene at the Thai restaurant where she handed it to me and I tucked it away.


    I briefly considered shooting her a text and inviting her to the club, but then thought that maybe that was a path fraught with peril of the most perilous kind, and I¡¯d wind up needing to be rescued by a bunch of silly English kniggetts.


    Chuckling to myself, I tucked the slip of paper back in my pocket and returned to my regularly scheduled programming there at the club.


    When I got home on Sunday morning all I wanted to do was be lazy and snuggle with my two beautiful wives, but that just wasn¡¯t in the cards. I¡¯d no sooner stepped out of the elevator and walked into the living room when Angela looked up from her computer on the kitchen counter.


    ¡°Baby! You¡¯re home!¡± she said, jumping up and dragging me to the couch. She sat me down, then pushed me over so I was lying on my back. She climbed on top of me and started showering me with kisses, making little contented noises.


    I wrapped may arms around her and asked, ¡°Happy to see me?¡± when she finally paused to take a breath.


    ¡°You have no idea!¡± she said, sitting upright, straddling my lap, cowgirl style. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t ever leave me alone with my family again!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± I protested. ¡°You had Emmy.¡±


    ¡°She took their side!¡± Angela said indignantly, but I could tell she wasn¡¯t really angry.


    ¡°I missed you two, babe,¡± I said, my hands on her hips. ¡°This house feels really empty without you two.¡±


    ¡°I felt really guilty about leaving you here all alone,¡± Angela said, playing with the buttons of my shirt. ¡°I wanted you there in New York.¡±


    ¡°Other than missing me, how was it?¡±


    ¡°It was freezing! I¡¯ve never been so cold in my life!¡± Angela said, shuddering just thinking about it.


    ¡°My little tropical bunny,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°We all of us had to buy warm clothes! And heavy coats, and scarves, and those beanie hats!¡± Angela exclaimed.


    ¡°Did you get any roasted chestnuts? Or go ice skating?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Chestnuts, yes, skating, no. Nobody in my family has ever even seen ice before, so how would we know how to skate on it?¡± Angela said, probably only exaggerating a little bit.


    ¡°I think my sister has a crush on you,¡± Angela said after a moment. ¡°She talks a lot about you.¡±


    ¡°That could be,¡± I said, thoughtfully. ¡°I mean, I talk a lot about you, and I definitely have a crush on you, so¡­¡±


    Angela smiled at that, and leaned down to kiss me. ¡°Are you hungry? I am. Let¡¯s go wake Emmy up and go out for lunch,¡± she said. ¡°I want¡­ I want a hamburger. Let¡¯s go to the place by the Walk Of Fame!¡±


    ¡°You know what¡¯ll happen when all those tourists see Emmy,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Angela said, her smile disappearing. ¡°You know, it wasn¡¯t bad in New York,¡± Angela said. ¡°People didn¡¯t make much of a deal of it.¡±


    ¡°The locals here don¡¯t, either,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s mostly the tourists.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°Hey, Stephanie told me about this place over in Silver Lake, near her new house. She said they have amazing burgers, but you have to text the guy and ask if he has burgers for you. Kinda like a reservation,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you kidding? You have to, um, know somebody to get these burgers?¡± Angela asked, amazed.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what she said. Let me text her,¡± I said, and reached my hand under Angela¡¯s crotch and made like I was searching for my phone while I really just used the opportunity to rub my knuckles against her lady parts in her leggings.


    ¡°I know for a fact you keep your phone in your back pocket,¡± Angela said, as she wiggled a little bit to get my hand in the right spot.


    ¡°Busted,¡± I laughed, and reached into my back pocket with my other hand.


    It turned out the burger place was actually the guy¡¯s back yard. He had a big outdoor grill setup on one side and he and his two helpers cranked out burgers, fries, and nothing else as fast as they could. Most orders were to go, but Stephanie and the three of us took one of the plastic patio tables and ate our lunch there.


    ¡°This is just what I wanted,¡± Angela said as she devoured her double-double.


    ¡°Sometimes a good hamburger really hits the spot,¡± Stephanie agreed, sipping her Mexican Fanta.


    ¡°How did you find this place?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Somebody told me, just like I told Leah,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°And, seriously, don¡¯t just go sharing it on social media or anything,¡± Stephanie said to Angela, who was probably going to do that exact thing. ¡°John has more business than he can handle now. I wouldn¡¯t want to swamp him, and then never be able to get in because it¡¯s so crowded.¡±


    ¡°Leah, you have that look in your eyes,¡± Emmy said with a laugh.


    ¡°What can I say ?¡± I asked with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s worked before.¡±


    ¡°What has?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°This is almost exactly like how our barbecue restaurant in Texas got started,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We went to a backyard barbecue, and next thing you know, we opened a restaurant with the man who cooked lunch.¡±


    ¡°At least let me give this guy a card and let him know I develop restaurants,¡± I said. ¡°If he¡¯s interested, great. If not, that¡¯s O.K., too.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°When you say you develop restaurants, what exactly do you mean?¡± Stephanie asked, interested.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple. We go to a guy like this who has an idea, or maybe even an existing restaurant that has potential but can¡¯t realize it, and bring in capital, and food service experts to manage the business aspect. A lot of times a guy like this can cook and has a compelling story or idea, but has no clue on how to run a profitable restaurant or night club. So we handle that aspect, and let him, or her, do what they do best. It¡¯s ostensibly their restaurant- we¡¯re just silent partners. We take the stress of the commercial aspect away so they can let their creativity shine.¡±


    ¡°This is exactly what I do with my bands,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I take care of all the grown-up stuff that they have no clue about.¡±


    ¡°So you understand, then,¡± I said. ¡°So, like, I might talk to this guy today and get him thinking. He might call me tomorrow, or maybe next week, or next month. We¡¯ll talk about it and maybe work out a deal, or maybe we won¡¯t and he¡¯ll try to make a go of it the old-fashioned way. If he does that, odds are stacked against him. If we do make a deal, he¡¯ll have his restaurant. It may still fail, but not because of inexpert business understanding.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Well, if you do open a restaurant with John here, make sure I get free lunches for my finder¡¯s fee.¡±


    The next few weeks were uneventful as we all settled back into our routines. I worked out, went to the office or to class in the evening, depending on the day. Emmy worked on her music and some promotional photo shoots, and Angela worked out and did her social media stuff along with the increasingly frequent modeling gigs. Like I said, nice and familiar.


    Angela and I got to the usual meeting spot a bit early one Saturday morning. The only person already there was Geoff, standing by his 911.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said when we got out of the Spyder, ¡°The LA Porsche club is having their monthly breakfast meeting just up the road a bit in half an hour. Like, literally, the next block down on the other side of PCH. It might be worthwhile to skip the driving this morning if you¡¯re considering joining.¡±


    ¡°Not to be dismissive, but is there any real point to joining? I mean, what are the benefits?¡± I asked, genuinely curious.


    ¡°There are some tangibles, like discounts on service at area dealers, occasional group buys, club track days, stuff like that, but for me, the biggest is the knowledge base. If you have a question about your car, or another Porsche, or the marque in general, you can post it to the club board and it¡¯s guaranteed somebody will have an answer for you. Plus, of course, it¡¯s fun to go to the meet ups and see the classics, the rarities, the restomods¡­ Just sort of camaraderie, you know?¡± he said, shrugging.


    ¡°If I go to the breakfast, will you go?¡± I asked.


    Geoff laughed, sharp and quick, almost a sort of bark. ¡°I¡¯d never figured you to be shy like that,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hey, nobody likes going to a party where you don¡¯t know anyone, alright?¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I figure you can point me at the right people to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not? I can do that,¡± he said.


    We waited until the others started trickling in and told them what we were going to do.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Stein said. ¡°The McLaren club is a complete joke. Maybe the Porsche club will be different.¡±


    I followed Geoff¡¯s Carrera into the parking lot of the restaurant, and sure enough, the place was absolutely littered with Porsches. Pulling into an empty parking place next to a familiar Targa, I looked over at Angela.


    ¡°Not only do I have the hottest car here, it looks as if I¡¯ve got the hottest wife, too,¡± I said with a smile.


    She smiled back, then leaned over and gave me a kiss. ¡°It¡¯s only fair,¡± she said. ¡°Not only do you have the most badass car here, but you¡¯re definitely the most badass person here, too.¡±


    By the time we climbed out of the low-slung supercar a small crowd had gathered, including the guy I¡¯d talked to on my way back from Tucson.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you decided to check the club out,¡± he said, holding his hand out for a shake.


    ¡°You can thank my friend Geoff for that,¡± I said, indicating the 911. Geoff was stopped in the aisle, leaning out his driver¡¯s side window to talk to a couple of guys. ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°I never caught your name there by the roach coach. My name¡¯s Leah, and this is my wife Angela,¡± I said. It struck me that I couldn¡¯t remember just outright introducing Angela to strangers as my wife before, but I liked how it felt to say it.


    ¡°Leah, good to meet you properly. I¡¯m Mike.¡± Turning to Angela, he said, ¡°Nice to meet you, too.¡±


    She shook his offered hand and gave him that winning smile of hers, the one that melted my heart a little bit every time I saw it. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Mike,¡± she said. ¡°So you and Leah have met before?¡±


    While he explained how we¡¯d talked at the tiny little nothing of a town in Arizona, I introduced myself to the other guys standing around, and yes, they were all guys. I found it amusing how their eyes kept flitting back and forth. They couldn¡¯t figure out which to ogle- the supercar or the super hot babe, and they definitely couldn¡¯t figure out where I fit into the equation.


    Angela had on a long-sleeved knit minidress in a shade that somehow managed to be reminiscent of the sapphire color of the Spyder, but at the same time made her blue eyes look that much more vivid. She was super hot by anyone¡¯s definition and she knew it, and yet managed to avoid giving off any overly egotistic vibes- a rare trick for a really beautiful person.


    ¡°When did you get that 918?¡± asked one of the guys, a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair.


    ¡°A couple of weeks ago,¡± I said, offhandedly.


    ¡°A couple of weeks ago? I thought they were all spoken for?¡± he said.


    ¡°I bought it second-hand,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I liked the way it looked.¡±


    ¡°Second-hand?¡± one of the other guys asked, probably more surprised by my language than the fact that I wasn¡¯t the first owner.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I confirmed. ¡°The guy wanted two million, but I talked him down to one point seven. It seems like a lot to spend on a car, but hey- my wife likes it, so I guess it¡¯s O.K.,¡± I said, indicating Angela, who was still talking to Mike.


    ¡°Your wife,¡± the second guy said, deadpan. He was looking me up and down, trying to figure me out, probably wondering if this was some sort of hidden camera prank or something.


    ¡°She likes the color,¡± I said, as we both looked at Angela in that form-fitting little blue dress. My eyes lingered on her muscular legs, her calves defined by the high heels.


    ¡°And what my baby wants, I get for her.¡±


    By this point the three guys I was talking to were convinced I was yanking their chains, which, of course, I was.


    ¡°No, seriously, a friend asked if I wanted to buy the car off him, and my wife said I should get it, so I did,¡± I explained.


    Angela joined us at that point, so I wrapped my arm around her waist.


    ¡°I promised Mike you¡¯d give him a ride,¡± she said. ¡°Is that O.K.?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I said.


    ¡°So, are you gonna join the club?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Not sure yet,¡± I replied. Turning to the three guys, I said, ¡°Not to be, um, weird about it, but sell me on joining. Why should I become a member?¡±


    They went through the things that Geoff had mentioned, and I was on the verge of committing when another 918 rolled into the lot. This driver, unlike me, kept it in gas-only mode so even at parking lot speeds everyone could hear it.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure there are more Spyders in Los Angeles than any other city on Earth,¡± one of the guys said as the Liquid Metal Silver 918¡¯s engine shut off and we could all talk again. ¡°I think we have four or five in the club.¡±


    I was already predisposed to dislike the guy because of his obnoxious grandstanding, but when he climbed out of the low-slung car I could tell he was a world-class asshole. He had the look of somebody who expected to be recognized immediately and fawned over. He glanced around the parking lot as if we should all rejoice at his arrival and he was going to be magnanimous enough to tell us all there was no need for applause.


    Mike said, ¡°Well, you¡¯re definitely not gonna want to join now.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Angela asked, in her disarmingly innocent way.


    ¡°Dude¡¯s a complete douche, and makes every conversation and meeting he attends all about him,¡± Mike answered.


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong,¡± one of the three guys said. ¡°Total douche.¡±


    It was about then that the douchebag arrived at where we were standing there in the parking lot.


    ¡°Hey, good people,¡± he said, all smiles. ¡°And smoking hot babe,¡± he added, looking Angela up and down. ¡°Let¡¯s get ourselves some breakfast!¡±


    ¡°You go on in,¡± one of the three guys said. ¡°We¡¯ll be in in a minute.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll save you a seat,¡± douchebag said to Angela, waggling his eyebrows.


    After he¡¯d disappeared into the restaurant, I asked the crowd in general, ¡°Is it O.K. that I want to just punch that guy¡¯s face in?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t punch his face in!¡± Angela said, taking my hand. ¡°You would probably kill him, and we don¡¯t need that.¡±


    ¡°I think the club would probably start a GoFundMe for your legal expenses,¡± Mike said.


    I laughed, and said, ¡°Random douchebags aside, you recommended I join. If there are more like you and less like him, I think I might. But I have to warn you, I have mixed allegiances.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked one of the guys.


    ¡°I own a couple of BMW dealerships,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Traitor!¡± exclaimed Mike, in mock horror. ¡°And here I thought we were friends!¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re still friends,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°In fact, if you come into either of my dealerships I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re set up with a deep discount on any new or used BMW.¡±


    ¡°As much as it pains me to say it,¡± the lead guy of the three said with a sigh, ¡°Ownership of a BMW dealership does not disqualify you for Porsche club membership. As long as you actually own or appreciate the finest automobile marque in the world, Stuttgart¡¯s finest.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Can we call that a maybe? I do own a very expensive Porsche, but a whole garage of BMWs, too.¡±


    The three guys gave each other serious looks, then begrudgingly nodded. Of course it was all in fun, and I appreciated that they had a sense of humor about the whole thing.


    ¡°I guess that would be acceptable,¡± said guy one. ¡°Just- well, don¡¯t drive any of the BMWs to club meetings, O.K.?¡±


    ¡°I think I can accept your conditions,¡± I said.


    Sure enough, during breakfast douchebag did turn the conversation to himself every chance he got. He bragged about his car, his lifestyle, all the chicks he¡¯d banged¡­ it went on and on. I just did my best to tune him out, like most of the others there that morning. Of course, it didn¡¯t help that he was loud, so even though he was at a different table everybody in the room could hear him talk.


    Mike was interested in the story of how I¡¯d acquired the Spyder, and Angela was only too happy to tell the story of the parking lot incident once again. This time, she gave me a cheesy Arnold Schwarzenegger accent when she related the ¡®fuck off¡¯ part, though, which made me smile.


    ¡°Is it true?¡± Geoff asked, leaning over the table. ¡°Did you actually beat up three armed men?¡±


    ¡°She only beat up two of them,¡± Angela corrected before I had the chance to say anything. ¡°The third guy just took off running.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Geoff said, leaning back in his seat. ¡°Stephen has been saying that you¡¯re, um¡­¡±


    ¡°A killer?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, Jimmy does call me Lizzie Borden, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was going to say, you¡¯re seriously not one to mess with,¡± Geoff said. ¡°Stephen and Stein have both said that you are an absolute monster on the track.¡±


    ¡°Track?¡± asked Rick, who I¡¯d come to learn was the club¡¯s event coordinator. ¡°You drive on the track with your 918?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only done a few laps in the Porsche,¡± I confessed. ¡°Mostly I drive my GT3 car.¡±


    The guy thought about it for a moment, then asked, ¡°It¡¯s not a Porsche, though, is it?¡±


    ¡°Nope. M6,¡± I replied.


    Shaking his head, he said, ¡°Some peoples¡¯ children.¡±


    After breakfast a few of us found ourselves out in the parking lot again, talking about cars (to nobody¡¯s surprise) when douchebag joined us.


    ¡°Whose 918?¡± he asked, since we were standing right next to my car.


    ¡°Mine,¡± I said.


    ¡°Does your husband know you¡¯re driving his car?¡±


    I took a calming breath and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had a husband.¡±


    ¡°Hey, just kidding,¡± the idiot said, raising his hands in a ¡®don¡¯t take offense¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°So, like, you two a thing?¡± he asked, pointing at Angela and me. It was an easy assumption to make, since we had our arms around each other¡¯s waists, so I¡¯m not really going to give the guy much credit.


    ¡°We¡¯re married,¡± Angela replied, giving me a squeeze of affection.


    ¡°To, like, each other?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re married to each other,¡± I replied, thinking about that GoFundMe.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± he said, nodding. Then, to ruin any tiny shred of affection I might have had for the guy, he asked, ¡°You guys ever think about, you know, like, threesomes?¡±


    I gave him a hard stare, which he could meet only briefly.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna take that as a no,¡± he said, looking away, then finding some other group of club guys to pester.


    ¡°Leah, for a moment there I thought we were going to have one less club member,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°If looks could kill¡­¡± Rick said, shaking his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t kill him, Leah,¡± Angela said in her most innocent voice, her eyes wide and guileless. ¡°There are too many witnesses here, and it would be a real mess.¡±


    The way Angela had played that so well had me and the group of guys in stitches, completely turning the mood around.


    ¡°Yeah, I really do think the club needs you guys,¡± Rick said. ¡°Just remember that thing about not driving a BMW to any club meetings, alright?¡±


    ¡°Can I bring my M6 GT3 to club track days?¡±


    ¡°Ummm¡­ I¡¯m gonna have to say no to that one, too,¡± he said with a laugh.

 Not A Chapter- A Quick Heads-Up

    I didn''t manage to get this Wednesday''s update done before getting dragged off to a foreign and exotic land for a work emergency and forgetting my laptop at home. I''ve been trying to write on my phone, but it''s slow and the formatting is reprehensible. Definitely not safe for publication.


    I''m going to be here in Whitefish, Montana for at least through Monday, so there''s no way a Saturday update will happen, either. With any luck we can get back on track next Wednesday.


    I''ve been kicking myself for not packing my laptop. I was in such a rush to grab what I''d needed and get to the airport on time that it didn''t even occur to me until it was too late.


    So, sorry, my beautiful and faithful readers. Mea culpa. I dropped the ball on this one.


    Royal Road requires a 500 word minimum per chapter update, so I''m just going to copy and paste something from a past chapter here to make up the minimum.


    Stopping in the kitchen for some water, I found Grant at the breakfast table drinking a cup of coffee and eating some sort of pastry from the little bakery over on First Avenue.


    ¡°We had some excitement last night,¡± I mentioned.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± he asked, looking up from the newspaper crossword. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A tweaker pulled a gun on us, so I beat the crap out of him,¡¯ I said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Oh. Serves him right,¡± Grant replied, then went back to the puzzle.


    Figuring that was the end of the conversation, I went for my run. I opted to go a different way this time, heading up 50th street to Fifth Avenue, then into Central Park. By this point I was getting used to the rhythm of running on Manhattan sidewalks. Thankfully the pedestrian traffic is light at five in the morning, so I didn¡¯t have to dodge that many people as I ran. I¡¯d also learned to look half a block up at the stoplights to time my arrival for green lights. Stopping cold at a red light really sucks, and I did my best to avoid it whenever I could, either by slowing a bit or sprinting to make the light.


    Central Park itself was really nice- I stuck mostly to the outside-most paths on a counterclockwise loop around the park and enjoyed the scenery quite a bit. Even at that early hour there were quite a few runners, cyclists and skaters out for their morning workouts, which I was happy to see. My Roosevelt Island loop was generally a solitary affair, but the park was filled with others enjoying the early morning.


    Back at the house, I slipped into the bedroom as quietly as I could, and to my complete lack of surprise Emmy and Luisa were still asleep.


    After my shower, I peeked in the bedroom again, only to find that they were awake, but talking in low, hushed tones to each other.


    Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I asked ¡°How are you two doing?¡± Honestly, I wasn¡¯t worried about Emmy, just Luisa, but I didn¡¯t want to single her out.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m O.K.,¡± Luisa said, not sounding too convinced. ¡°I¡¯m still not too sure what actually happened. Did that guy actually try to shoot us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Get up, take a shower, get dressed, and I¡¯ll explain everything over breakfast,¡± I said. ¡°See you in the sunroom in an hour?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, O.K.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to head over to the bakery on the corner for some stuff for breakfast. You two want coffee?¡±


    Receiving two enthusiastic yeses, I wandered down to the kitchen to see if Grant was still there.


    Finding no sign of the guy, I strolled over to the bakery and got some croissants and some breakfast sandwiches in addition to the four coffees. It was nice, just doing normal things like an ordinary person. Not getting to cut to the head of the line because Emmy is a celebrity, not getting special treatment because I¡¯m a millionaire. Just getting some coffees and baked goods to take home, that¡¯s all.

 However Long It Might Be

    A few months later, I came home from work one day and found Emmy and Angela cuddling on the couch, kissing and murmuring to each other affectionately. I sat on the edge of the sofa and ran my hand over Emmy¡¯s back, then leaned in for my kisses.


    Unable to contain herself, Angela said, ¡°We have amazing news!¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, using my other hand to stroke her cheek. Her eyes were wide with excitement and the look of elation on her face was impossible to miss.


    ¡°Lee finally got to talk to the head researcher at that lab in Seoul,¡± Emmy said, smiling. ¡°They are willing to try with us.¡±


    ¡°What lab?¡± I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Do you remember when I told you that Lee had read about a laboratory in Korea that had experimented with removing the DNA from an egg cell and using it to fertilize another egg?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°Lee convinced them to try it with our DNA, but under some caveats.¡±


    "Are you saying- can I really be the father to your baby?¡± I asked, stunned. Yeah, I did remember that Emmy had mentioned it, but I¡¯d thought it was just some sort of sci-fi fantasy dream and not something that could actually happen.


    ¡°That is one way of looking at it, yes,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°We could really, actually have your babies, Lee!¡± Angela said, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness. ¡°Can you imagine? We could both have little babies and they would grow up together- not twins, but not separated like most brothers and sisters are!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. My head was spinning with the idea that this could actually be possible. I had, at some level, been thinking about asking Andy and Jenna if Andy could donate so we could have children, but this, this was¡­ well, it was overwhelming.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want this?¡± Angela asked, alarmed at my silence.


    ¡°Oh, baby, I want this so bad,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I never thought this could be a thing, and now, to hear that these people are willing to try it for us¡­¡± I said, and leaned down and wrapped them both in my arms and pulled them into a crushing hug. ¡°Oh, God, Ange, Em, this is amazing news, but it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to stop trying to get you both pregnant by myself.¡±


    ¡°I would not want you to stop,¡± Emmy said, a big grin on her pretty black face. ¡°In fact, I think that it would save us a lot of money if you could do it yourself.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing one of the requirements is that we bring huge suitcases of cash?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That, and tell no-one at all,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°There are no legal prohibitions in Korea against trying it with human DNA, but the researchers do not want to face the inevitable questions that would come if the experimentation with human embryos were to become public.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°What do they need to get started?¡±


    ¡°I do not really know yet. Lee just talked to the head man yesterday, so it was¡­ an exploratory discussion. He agreed in principle if the lab was funded well enough, and secrecy from all parties was guaranteed. Since we agree to those rough terms, the rest is negotiation. I will tell Lee that we wish to proceed to the next step, and we can firm things up.¡±


    ¡°Babies!¡± Angela said, looking up at me. ¡°They will be the most beautiful children the world has ever seen.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be girls,¡± I commented. ¡°No chance of having a boy.¡±


    ¡°Because the three of us only have X chromosomes to contribute,¡± Emmy said, agreeing.


    ¡°I can just imagine our daughters,¡± Angela said. ¡°Lee, however much money they want, give it to them. I want this more than anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°This is worth any amount of money.¡±


    ¡°You are the two most beautiful women on Earth,¡± I said. ¡°I can only imagine how beautiful our daughters will turn out.¡±


    We made love that evening, the three of us. It was tender and gentle, with a lot of kissing and touching, a lot of holding each other. Emotions were very close to the surface, and tears were frequent as we showed our love for each other.


    The idea that I could have my own biological daughters with these two amazing, sweet, and loving women kept hitting me right in the heart. Emmy and Angela understood exactly how I felt, just as I understood it when their eyes grew moist with emotion. The silence spoke volumes, the depth of our feelings on display.


    It was only after both had drifted off to sleep did I take a moment to ponder what it meant that both of them seemed to assume that they would have babies with me, but neither had mentioned having a child with each other. Was it understood that that would happen later? Or was there some other dynamic at play? Did they see me as the father figure of the household? Thinking that it didn¡¯t really matter whatever the reason might be, I drifted off to sleep imagining a little baby Emmy and little baby Angela in my arms.


    Of course, nothing like that happens quickly, and even after the back-and-forth was finished and the terms were agreed upon, the lab in Seoul needed to prepare and we needed to do our part. We had to go to a local fertility center for hormone testing, then a couple of rounds of medications to increase our egg cell counts.


    It was unpleasant enough for me and Angela, but miserable for Emmy. She developed terrible cramps for a couple of days after each round of shots, and general nausea for a few more days beyond that.


    I hated to see Emmy suffering like that, even though she did very little complaining. I did what I could, but Angela was really the one who was there to help Emmy through the worst of it. She hovered over Emmy, attending to her every need, whether it was heating pads, mild broth soup to eat, or just some affectionate cuddling.


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    I don¡¯t think Emmy regretted any of it, despite how bad she felt. She had her eye on the prize and would have gone through much worse if she had to.


    I can¡¯t say that Angela and I enjoyed the shots or blood tests, but they just weren¡¯t all that bad for us. For whatever reason the treatments that really kicked Emmy¡¯s butt didn¡¯t hammer us as badly, or really, at all.


    The actual egg collection was the same basic thing but turned up to ten. Yes, it was invasive and really not pleasant to give much thought to, but for me, that was it. Angela had minor cramps for a few hours afterwards, but again, Emmy suffered badly.


    All she could do is lie in bed, curled up into a little ball in pain for the following couple of days. Knowing that two more rounds would be required, I was strongly tempted to tell the Koreans that they¡¯d have to do with the seven mature eggs that had been collected that first time, but Emmy wouldn¡¯t have it. The lab had said they needed at least twenty eggs each from Emmy and Angela, and twice as many from me. Emmy was totally committed to giving them what they needed, no matter what it cost her in the near term.


    As for me, I had no problem with going in for collection four, maybe five times, even though that meant I¡¯d be on the hormones well into summer. If Emmy was willing to go through the hell she was experiencing, there was no way I was going to air my relatively trivial complaints.


    Of course, it was during this time that The Downfall¡¯s song hit the charts with a vengeance. ¡®Born To Die¡¯ was everywhere that spring- passing cars¡¯ radios, the stereos in clothing boutiques, bar jukeboxes, and so on. It seemed that any place that had recorded music on, at some point Emmy¡¯s powerful voice would sing, ¡°Most of all, I was born to die.¡±


    I¡¯ll admit that the song wrecked me just about every time I heard it, but I¡¯m putting the bulk of the blame on my overactive hormones from the treatments. To be completely honest, it had hit me hard the first time Emmy played it, and I hadn¡¯t been on the treatment back then, but still- it¡¯s my story, and I¡¯m sticking to it.


    Angela and Emmy were on the tail end of their treatment and collection schedules when the song became unavoidably ubiquitous, but I still had a couple more months to go. A couple of months of overly strong emotions, but like I said, it was nothing compared to what Emmy had gone though. Still, it sucked to be brought to tears at any hint of the song that was rapidly becoming the big hit of the summer.


    Angela, always one to wear her emotions on her sleeve, blew up at Emmy one day when we were all out to eat a nice lunch and ¡®Born To Die¡¯ came on the restaurant¡¯s stereo system.


    ¡°Why?¡± she demanded, wiping away tears. ¡°Why did you make that song? It hurts me every time I hear it! It hurts me right here,¡± she said, putting her hand on her heart. ¡°Em, I love you! I¡­¡± she said, breaking down and sobbing right there in the restaurant.


    ¡°Oh, baby,¡± Emmy said, resting her hand on Angela¡¯s shoulder, completely ignoring the stares that we were receiving from the other patrons.


    Of course they all turned away when I gave them a ¡®mind your own business¡¯ glare, but really, I couldn¡¯t blame them for being curious about the scene Angela was making. She was sobbing uncontrollably, and Emmy had moved over to hold Angela and kiss her tears away.


    ¡°I did not record that song to make you sad,¡± Emmy said, her voice soft and soothing. ¡°That was not my intention, and I never expected it to become so popular. I am sorry that it makes you sad.¡±


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t, Em, but I- it¡¯s just, every time I hear it it makes me cry, you know?¡± Angela choked out, her pretty face red and blotchy. ¡°I never want to hear it again. I want you to live forever, with me and Lee, together, forever!¡±


    ¡°I wish that, too,¡± Emmy said, stroking Angela¡¯s hair. ¡°I wish we could all live happily ever after and forever.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we?¡± Angela demanded. ¡°Why won¡¯t you see a doctor, Em? Why? Please, baby, for me. For us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Angie, Angie,¡± Emmy said, holding Angela¡¯s head against her chest as she crouched next to Angela¡¯s chair. ¡°It is not a thing to be cured, like a case of food poisoning or something. Being moon kissed is a mixed blessing, and to accept the good, I must also accept the bad, just like everything in life. This is the way it is, baby. If I were not moon kissed, I would not be the person I am. It is an important part of me, and I cannot give it up. This is not a thing that I would desire, if it were even possible.¡±


    By this point the waitress handed me the check that I¡¯d signaled for, so I just handed her a C-note and helped Emmy lift Angela from her chair so we could leave.


    I drove us home, listening to the soft sound of Emmy comforting Angela in the back seat. I couldn¡¯t make out the words, but the meaning was clear. Angela was loved, and Emmy never wanted to hurt her.


    Back at the house, Emmy led Angela to our bedroom, then gently undressed her and tucked her into bed. She took off her own clothes, indicating I should do the same. The two of us slid into bed on either side and cocooned Angela between us. We kissed and held her, stroking her hair, sharing the intimacy of skin on skin.


    ¡°Ange, babe,¡± I said to the still softly crying beauty. ¡°No matter what else, never forget that we both love you very, very much. You are our treasure.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± Angela replied, sniffling. ¡°That¡¯s why this hurts so much.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, and I really did. ¡°I feel the same way. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it all better, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Em,¡± Angela said, turning back to Emmy. ¡°If I¡¯m only going to have you for a few more years, I want them to be the best years anybody ever had. I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you in the restaurant. I never want you to second-guess your art. You make the music you need to make, and I promise, I¡¯ll support you. You¡¯re the most amazing artist I¡¯ve ever known, and I don¡¯t want you to change what you do just for me.¡±


    ¡°Baby,¡± Emmy said, climbing on top of Angela and holding Angela¡¯s head in her hands. ¡°My music- my art, it¡¯s all about emotions. My own, but also the emotions of others as I imagine myself in their place. Your emotions are true, and important. Feel them, and share them with me. This is important to me, Angie. I love you- all of you, and I want all of you. Don¡¯t hide yourself from me, baby. Be true to yourself, and let your truth shine for me.¡±


    This set off another round of tears as Angie clung to Emmy, pulling her down. Emmy was content to rest her weight on Angela and let the contact comfort the dark-haired beauty. I wrapped an arm around Emmy and snuggled in, holding the two close.


    I¡¯m not sure when the caressing turned sexual, but after a while we were no longer merely holding each other for emotional support, but actively making love.


    Sometimes words just aren¡¯t enough, and love for another person can only be expressed through more physical means. At first, Emmy and I focused on Angela, but after a while, Angela and I turned our attentions on Emmy. She was the one who was going to leave us too soon, after all, and we both desperately wanted her to understand how much she meant to us and how huge a hole she was going to leave in our hearts when she passed.


    Emmy was so beautiful, so full of life and energy, that it was hard to fathom how she could grow ill and die in a dozen more years at most. Angela and I both wanted every bit of Emmy that we could have in the meanwhile, and that evening, that¡¯s what we did.


    Emmy was everything for us. She dominated our senses as we touched her skin, as we tasted her unique flavor, as we savored her delicious scent. She filled our hearts as we gave her pleasure in every way we knew how, needing to experience her completely.


    Angela and I both knew that the day would come far too soon when we wouldn¡¯t be able to do so, so we were having our dessert first, metaphorically speaking.


    Later, after Emmy had fallen asleep between us, Angela and I held hands, making a silent promise to each other that we would give Emmy all the love we could in her remaining time, however short that might be.

 While The Mice Are Away

    Emmy and Angela took a little mini-vacation to New York after their last sessions of egg collection, but I had to stick around Los Angeles for my semi-weekly doctor visits. They¡¯d both professed their reluctance at leaving me alone but I could tell they wanted a break from what they¡¯d both been going through, so I insisted I¡¯d be fine for a week or two without them. It wasn¡¯t that I wouldn¡¯t miss them, but I felt that they needed to break from the routine that had involved so many needles and so many visits to the fertility clinic.


    Of course, I still faced a couple more months of both of those things, but it really hadn¡¯t been so bad for me- mostly just inconvenient.


    The house felt really big and empty without the two of them, but I used the opportunity to catch up on some work that I¡¯d been neglecting. Of course, I went over to Andy and Jenna¡¯s place for the Wednesday dinner, so it wasn¡¯t as if I just buried myself in work and school.


    ¡°Angie tells me that the whole IVF thing has been brutal on Emmy,¡± Jenna said as she cut tomatoes for the salad. I was sitting at their kitchen counter drinking sparkling water, since alcohol and caffeine were off-limits. ¡°She said it wasn¡¯t too bad for her, but it really kicked Emmy¡¯s ass.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it did,¡± I agreed. ¡°It sucked for her, and they just couldn¡¯t collect very many eggs each time, so they had to do it twice more than they¡¯d expected.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Jenna said, shaking her head. ¡°Well, I hope it works out for you guys. If it isn¡¯t prying, what are you doing for a sperm donor?¡±


    ¡°Ange didn¡¯t tell you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°To be honest, she was annoyingly coy about it,¡± Jenna said with a shrug.


    ¡°Coy about what?¡± Andy asked as he came inside bearing a plate full of smoked brisket to cut up.


    Jenna looked at me, so I said, ¡°About who the sperm donor is going to be for Ange¡¯s and Emmy¡¯s babies.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± he asked, looking up from the cutting board. ¡°I was just reading this news article about a fertility doctor in Oregon who¡¯d been using his own sperm, and may have over seventy-five kids.¡±


    I snorted at the thought, imagining a doctor secretly spanking his monkey in the back room of his fertility clinic.


    ¡°Andy, and Jenna, for a while now I¡¯d been thinking about asking you, Andy, to donate, if it came to that-¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh¡­ You said ¡®came¡¯¡± Andy said in his best Beavis impersonation.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Jenna asked, stopping what she was doing. ¡°You were thinking about asking Andy?¡±


    ¡°I was,¡± I admitted. ¡°I hadn¡¯t talked about it to Emmy or Angela, but I had the idea in the back of my mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really big deal,¡± Jenna said.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m super honored you¡¯d even consider that,¡± Andy said. ¡°But I guess I lost out in the end?¡±


    Jenna smacked him on the arm at that, and said, ¡°Um, why Andy? I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Love you too, babe,¡± he said, blowing her a kiss.


    ¡°Well, honestly, just look at the guy,¡± I said to Jenna, waving to indicate Andy, who struck a muscle man pose in response. ¡°He¡¯s good-looking, big, strong, smart, and good-natured.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± Andy said, continuing to pose, this time in the classic two arms down position.


    ¡°And you¡¯re practically related,¡± Jenna said.


    ¡°Not biologically, but yeah, Andy is the closest thing I have to a brother,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So if it isn¡¯t Andy, then who?¡± Jenna asked, returning to the original question.


    I stood up and aped the poses that Andy had just been doing. It only took a few moments before Jenna¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± she asked, completely forgetting about the salad.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lab in South Korea that has successfully taken the DNA from a sheep¡¯s egg cell, extracted it, and injected it into another egg cell, in effect, mimicking a sperm cell. They¡¯ve agreed to use us as test case for human trials,¡± I explained.


    ¡°So, like, you¡¯ll be the dad?¡± Andy asked. ¡°That¡¯s it for us men, then. I guess we aren¡¯t needed any more. We might as well give up now,¡± he said, raising his arms in surrender.


    ¡°Now, wait a minute there, buster,¡± Jenna said. ¡°I¡¯m an old-fashioned girl, and I want my baby the old fashioned way, so I¡¯ll need you for a while longer, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Execution postponed,¡± Andy said with a sigh of relief. ¡°A reprieve.¡±


    ¡°If I were to guess, the reason Ange hasn¡¯t told you all this is that part of the agreement was that both the lab and us were sworn to secrecy, which I guess I just blew,¡± I said. ¡°So don¡¯t tell anybody. Also, this is still veeeeeery experimental, and there¡¯s a good chance it won¡¯t work at all, and if it doesn¡¯t, we may need this stud here after all,¡± I said, jerking a thumb at Andy.


    Later, after dinner, it felt a little strange to relax and hang out with no alcohol involved, just a can of La Croix to sip on. Jenna and Andy kept me company in that respect, the three of us on the wagon, so to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯m still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that it¡¯s even possible for you to get Angie and Em pregnant,¡± Jenna said as she leaned back against Andy¡¯s solid bulk.


    ¡°I¡¯m still having a hard time with the idea that I came that close,¡± Andy said, holding his thumb and index finger a quarter inch apart, ¡°to being a father. Twice over, even.¡±


    ¡°Would you have? I mean, if we¡¯d asked, would you?¡± I asked him, leaning back in the easy chair.


    ¡°For you guys, of course. I can¡¯t think of anybody else I would, though,¡± Andy answered.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Jenna said indignantly.


    Realizing what Jenna was getting at, he said, ¡°I¡¯m talking about jerking it into a cup. When it¡¯s time for us to have kids, we¡¯ll do it the fun way.¡±


    ¡°The fun way does sound like more fun,¡± Jenna agreed, cuddling up against him a bit closer when he wrapped one of his big arms around her.


    ¡°Believe me, we¡¯re trying that, too,¡± I said, causing Andy to choke on his sparkling water.


    Jenna laughed, and said, ¡°Yeah, Angie loves giving me all the details.¡±


    ¡°She does?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°All the details,¡± Jenna reiterated. ¡°I¡¯m like a vicarious lesbian or something,¡± she added.


    ¡°Is the vicarious sex good?¡± I asked, enjoying watching Andy turn red as a beet.


    ¡°Damned good,¡± Jenna said, smiling broadly. ¡°I¡¯m still bummed that I¡¯m the only one in our group who still hasn¡¯t actually seen you naked, though.¡±


    Andy was exhibiting remarkable wisdom by keeping silent and trying to not draw attention to himself while Jenna and I bantered, but when I said, ¡°Well, we might have to do something about that,¡± he just lost it.


    ¡°Dang it, Lee, not when I¡¯m taking a drink!¡± He said after his cough/laughing stopped. ¡°You nearly killed me!¡±


    At the meet up spot that Saturday the guys asked why Angela wasn¡¯t with me.


    ¡°She and Emmy are relaxing in New York for a week or two,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I couldn¡¯t go because I have stuff here I have to deal with.¡±


    ¡°That may be the first time I¡¯ve ever heard the words ¡®relaxing¡¯ and ¡®New York¡¯ used together,¡± Stein said, sitting on the fender of his now metallic sapphire-wrapped McLaren- a color suspiciously close to the paint job of my Spyder.


    ¡°I like New York,¡± Teddy Bear announced, sipping his coffee. ¡°I grew up in a small town in Iowa and always dreamed of the big city when I was a kid, and in my mind, it was always New York.¡±


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    ¡°So how did you end up here?¡± Stein asked.


    ¡°Well, I got a part in a movie that filmed mostly in New York while I was living there, but I had to shoot a bunch here in LA, too, and then I booked another gig here, and next thing you know, I¡¯m here full-time.¡±


    ¡°The old, familiar story,¡± Stein said, finishing off his scone. ¡°Boy comes to Hollywood, gets too much work, can¡¯t leave.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Teddy Bear agreed.


    Stephen joined us with his steaming cup of coffee and a pastry in its green and white bag.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said to me. ¡°I saw your friend, you know, the pool hustler? She was working the table at this little dive bar in Silver Lake.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie? You didn¡¯t lose money, did you?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°Well, sort of. I wound up buying all her drinks for the night,¡± Stephen admitted.


    ¡°The pretty little brunette?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°Yeah, the one from Leah¡¯s party. The one who completely destroyed all of us at the pool table,¡± Stephen replied. ¡°I gotta tell you, watching her play last night, she let us off easy. There were some dudes in there that thought they had game, but she strung them along so hard it was painful to watch.¡±


    ¡°Leah, you went to the same high school as her, right?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°Yeah, down in Fallbrook, in San Diego County,¡± I confirmed. ¡°I¡¯ve known her since sixth grade, I guess, but we weren¡¯t really friends until senior year.¡±


    ¡°There must be something in the water down there,¡± Teddy Bear said, shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°She did some laps in your car last fall at your birthday track day, didn¡¯t she?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°And she was cool with that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, heck yeah,¡± I said. ¡°She kept telling me to go faster.¡±


    ¡°Sure, blame it on somebody who isn¡¯t here to defend herself,¡± Geoff said with a smirk.


    I pulled out my phone and found Stephanie¡¯s number, showing who I was calling to Stephen. When she answered, I put her on speaker. ¡°Hey, Steph. I¡¯m here with my driving buddies, and they were asking about the track day you came to at Willow Springs,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah? You mean Stephen and Teddy Bear and those guys? They were at your party, too,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Yeah, those guys. Remember riding in my new BMW?¡±


    ¡°That totally kicked ass!¡± Stephanie said, her voice clear from the phone¡¯s tiny little speaker.


    ¡°Alright, now for the question everybody is dying to know. Whose idea was it for you to go out on the track with me- yours, or mine?¡±


    ¡°I asked you to take me out,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°And whose idea was it to completely haul ass?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna go with shared blame for that one,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I mean, you were already out there killing it, right? But I did keep telling you to speed up.¡±


    ¡°What happened when we saw my boys on the track up ahead?¡± I asked, as everybody leaned in to hear better.


    ¡°I told you to pass ¡®em,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Good and hard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how I remember it, too,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Wait, are you at the track again?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re here in La Ca?ada Flintridge, about to hit up Angeles Crest,¡± Stephen said so Stephanie could hear.


    ¡°You guys do street driving, too?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°Hey, Leah, are you driving that new Porsche?¡±


    ¡°Sure am,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hey, come pick me up- I want to ride with you. It¡¯s like, just twenty minutes on Highway 2.¡±


    I looked around at the guys. ¡°Do you guys mind waiting twenty minutes or so for me to go get her and come back?¡±


    ¡°Wait- she meant twenty minutes each way,¡± Teddy Bear objected.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said with a little shrug. ¡°Maybe with traffic it¡¯ll take me twenty-five minutes to go get her and come back.¡±


    ¡°I''m gonna start a timer,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°Stephanie,¡± I said into the phone. ¡°Text me your address, and be ready and waiting outside in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± she asked.


    ¡°As a heart attack,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said. ¡°Sending the address now. I¡¯ll be waiting out front.¡±


    I ended the call, then copied the address that came though into the map app. It said twenty-one minutes. I showed it around to the guys, tossed my empty coffee cup into the trash can and jumped into the car.


    ¡°Start your timer!¡± I yelled to Stein as I peeled out of the little cul-de-sac next to the gas station.


    As soon as I hit the freeway on-ramp I dialed the speed way, way up, letting that two million dollar Porsche do what it was made to do. That early on a Saturday morning traffic on Highway 2 was light, so it was easy for me to make very, very criminal speed down through the hills by Glendale, only needing to really slow below a hundred miles an hour when I hit the off-ramp into Silver Lake. Stephanie¡¯s place was only a few blocks from the freeway, so I was right on time when I screeched to a stop in front of her adorable little Spanish-style bungalow.


    She got in the car without any delay, and I backtracked the way I¡¯d come. Our velocity was excessive, but Stephanie just held on and laughed like crazy as we sped past the other cars as if they were in reverse.


    From a block away, I dropped to normal traffic speed and pulled into the little parking area as if I was just out for a typical drive, doing my best to not show the adrenaline rush still coursing through my veins.


    ¡°O.K., that was completely fucking awesome!¡± Stephanie said as I parked the car.


    ¡°That was completely fucking insane,¡± Teddy Bear said as Stein showed everybody the stopwatch timer on his phone.


    ¡°Well, you beat the twenty minute mark, Leah,¡± Stein said. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you exceeded the speed limit, you naughty person, you.¡±


    ¡°That was¡­¡± Stephanie started to say. ¡°You know how when the Millennium Falcon goes into hyperspace, the stars just go shooting past? Now imagine if those were cars. That¡¯s what it was like.¡±


    ¡°How fast do you think you were going?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°No clue,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking at anything but the road.¡±


    ¡°I saw one hundred sixty-three miles an hour at one point when I looked over,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°Cool.¡±


    ¡°That is one hundred per cent go straight to jail speed,¡± Stephen said.


    ¡°Only if you get caught,¡± Stein said, checking his phone. I felt mine chime with a text, and I saw it was a contact card from Stein. ¡°That¡¯s my wrap guy. You might want to get to know him. He does great work, quickly, and at any time of the day or night.¡±


    ¡°O.K., that is fucking funny,¡± Geoff said. ¡°Your wrap guy works on short order any time of the day or night. Because of course he does.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a good guy to know,¡± Stein said with a smirk. ¡°A real life-saver, you might say.¡±


    After lunch, I drove Stephanie back to her place. ¡°You want to come in and check it out? It¡¯s a lot smaller than your place, so the tour won¡¯t take long,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± I said, and I meant it.


    The white stucco and red clay tile roof were classic Los Angeles bungalow, but the fresh turquoise paint on the front door and windows gave it a hip, up-to-date feel.


    Entering, the first thing I noticed is that the walls and trim were painted pure white, maximizing the natural light. The unstained oak flooring, mostly covered by a textured gray area rug, was probably original, as was the glazed brick fireplace.


    The whole house was small, so the living room wasn¡¯t very big, but Stephanie had kept the furnishings a bit minimal, making the room feel nice and open.


    The little dining room had a pass-through archway into the kitchen, so from the living room sofa you could see all the way through the house and out the back French doors to the rear yard.


    The kitchen had been remodeled recently, with clean, white cabinets and porcelain farmhouse sink on one side, and a gleaming stainless stove and matching hood on the other.


    ¡°This is really nice,¡± I said, looking around. ¡°I mean, really nice, Steph. Sure, it¡¯s small, but it looks as if it could feature in a magazine.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Stephanie said, uncharacteristically self-conscious.


    I followed her out onto the back patio through the kitchen¡¯s double French doors.


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± I said, looking around. ¡°This is beautiful. I love this.¡±


    The entire space was small, mostly just an outdoor seating area with a sail cloth shade, a raised bed in back with a mix of citrus trees, and off to the left a tiny little pool. To the right was a converted free-standing garage, with double French doors like those leading into the kitchen. Looking through the glass I could see that it was Stephanie¡¯s office, and it looked a whole lot more functional and, well, functioning than my own home office.


    ¡°I love this place,¡± I said to Stephanie.


    ¡°I do, too,¡± she said. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s still more to see.¡±


    The front bedroom was set up as a guest room, and the back bedroom, which also had double French doors onto the patio, was her bedroom. It was nothing like her room had been back in her mom¡¯s house in Fallbrook. This was the bedroom of a grown-up, very sophisticated and chic woman with her own style and taste.


    Back in the kitchen, Stephanie asked if I wanted a Coke, getting a nostalgic smile from me.


    ¡°I¡¯d love a Coke, Steph,¡± I replied, thinking of how much of the stuff we¡¯d drunk the summer we were together.


    We took our sodas out to the patio and relaxed in the shade on that warm early summer afternoon.


    We sat there for a while, not talking, just lost in thought. Finally, I gave up on trying to find the right words, and just said what was on my mind.


    ¡°Steph,¡± I said. ¡°You know, when we were together, I used to daydream that we¡¯d have a place like this together, you and me. I mean, maybe not exactly like this as far as the details go, but¡­¡±


    Stephanie sighed, letting her shoulders droop. ¡°We were kids then,¡± she said. ¡°I had dreams for us, too. I imagined we could make it work, and be together, maybe get our own apartment¡­¡± After a long pause, she said, ¡°I never told you this, Leah, but I resented that you went to Stanford. Not, like, because you went to a better school than me, but because you chose that over staying with me. You would have been accepted in a hot minute at State, and if you¡¯d stayed, I would¡¯ve told my mom that I didn¡¯t care what she thinks and we could have been together.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Steph,¡± I said, suddenly heartbroken for younger me and younger Stephanie.


    ¡°They say everything happens for a reason, right?¡± she asked, sitting up straighter. ¡°It happened, and what with one thing or another, here we are. You got back together with Emmy, and I swore off dating for a couple of years.¡±


    I wanted so badly to move over to the couch next to her and take her in my arms, but had to settle for blinking back the tears forming in my eyes.


    ¡°Steph, baby¡­¡± I said, my voice soft. ¡°You never said anything. You never asked. I just didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°I know I didn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°I thought about it, but I didn¡¯t want to be selfish. You had a huge opportunity, and it wouldn¡¯t have been fair for me to hold you back like that.¡±


    She tried to hide it, but she was wiping back tears forming in her eyes, too.


    ¡°But like they say, life is what happens when you¡¯re busy making other plans, right? We¡¯ve both grown, and moved on. We have our grown-up lives now, which aren¡¯t the lives we imagined for ourselves when we were kids.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s true,¡± I agreed, leaning my head back and looking up at the shade cloth suspended over the patio. ¡°I never could imagine my life now.¡±


    ¡°Emmy tells me she¡¯s going through fertility treatments for IVF,¡± Stephanie said, changing the topic. ¡°So you guys are gonna have a baby?¡±


    ¡°Ange, too,¡± I said. ¡°Two babies, if all goes right.¡±


    ¡°But not you? You aren¡¯t going to try to get pregnant?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Maybe some day, but right now it¡¯s not on my radar the way it is with Emmy and Angela,¡± I said. ¡°Their biological clocks are going off big-time right now.¡±


    ¡°How will you explain to people that your kids have not one, not two, but three mommies?¡± Stephanie asked with a laugh.


    ¡°It took me a while to get used to telling people that I had a wife after Emmy and I got married. It just felt strange to say, you know? And now that I have two wives, it¡¯s even stranger. Thank God this is California, and most people don¡¯t even blink when I tell them I¡¯m in a poly marriage, if they even ever ask.¡±


    ¡°It is pretty crazy, alright,¡± Stephanie agreed, holding her can up in a salute.

 Me, Im The Exhibitionist?

    Since I had nobody waiting for me at home, I figured an extra day or two at the San Jose office would help me catch up on matters there, so I flew out after Tuesday night¡¯s class. Four whole workdays there would do a lot of good as far as reassuring the staff (and clients) that I hadn¡¯t abandoned them for the glamor of the big city.


    I had complete confidence in my crew, but there were just some things that needed to be handled by the boss, after all.


    Settling in behind my old desk on Wednesday morning felt nice and familiar. The same old view, the same old coffee from the break room (we had a coffee service from a local roaster, and it was actually pretty damned good). The same old staff, with the same old questions¡­


    The day was productive and I got a lot done, but at the end of the day I was at a loss as far as what to do for dinner, or the rest of my evening, for that matter.


    Michael was out of town, so visiting with him wasn¡¯t an option. He¡¯d dragged Jassie on a road trip, planning on spending two weeks driving up the coast all the way to Victoria, off the coast of British Columbia. There had been some talk of Jassie¡¯s best friend and her father going along, but that hadn¡¯t worked out for whatever reason, so it was just the two of them.


    Eventually I found myself sitting alone at a pho restaurant near the condo, enjoying my rare beef and noodle soup. Emmy, Angela and I had set ourselves a rule that we wouldn¡¯t look at our phones while we ate dinner, and just being alone wasn¡¯t a good reason to exempt myself from the restriction. The phone did buzz repeatedly in my pocket, but with texts, not an actual call, so I wasn¡¯t worried about it being any sort of emergency.


    I checked my messages when I was done with dinner and back in my car. It was a bunch of really cute pics of Emmy and Angela on the couch in our bedroom there in New York, accompanied by a caption that simply said, ¡°Wish you were here with us¡±.


    I texted back with a ¡°So do I¡±.


    I rushed back to the condo, and the moment I got in I sent another text. ¡°Facetime me¡±, I wrote.


    A few moments later the phone rang with the distinctive tone indicating that it was in fact a video call. I answered it to see Emmy¡¯s smiling face.


    ¡°We miss you, but as you can see, we are enjoying ourselves here,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can see that,¡± I agreed. ¡°You two look freaking adorable.¡±


    It was true, they did look cute as hell. The two were leaning back against the sides of the classically styled sofa, their legs intertwined. I couldn''t really see what Emmy was wearing, but Angela had on a pair of pajama shorts and a little cotton camisole top that was just slightly too small, showing off her great boobs.


    Angela held up the book she had in her hands for the camera and said, ¡°I was just reading my favorite book to Emmy before we went to bed.¡±


    ¡°What book is that?¡± I asked, unable to read the cover on the little screen.


    ¡°Cien A?os De Soledad,¡± she replied. ¡°It¡¯s by a Colombian writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature. One of the greatest writers ever, in my opinion,¡± she said, growing animated.


    ¡°Um, Garcia Marquez, right?¡± I asked. ¡°My literature teacher in high school talked about him a lot.¡±


    ¡°Have you read this?¡± she asked, holding the book up.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Then I will have to read it to you, when we get back to Los Angeles. But I will read it to you in English.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be a whole lot more likely to understand it in English,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re reading to Emmy in Spanish?¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± Emmy chimed in. ¡°I do not understand every word, but the sound of the language- it is a kind of music.¡±


    Angela smiled at that and rubbed her instep along Emmy¡¯s bare thigh in pleasure.


    ¡°So you two have been having a good time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We have been spending so much money!¡± Angela exclaimed in mock distress. ¡°I know you said it was O.K., but I still¡­¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I replied. ¡°The townhouse needed art, and I¡¯m happy you guys have talked Luisa into helping you find just the right pieces. I like everything you guys have gotten so far,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t bother telling her that I¡¯d done a bit of research into a couple of the pieces they¡¯d bought and expected that they¡¯d actually probably yield great returns if we ever sold them, so the whole exercise was probably a decent investment strategy.


    ¡°Luisa has been excellent,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°She has a real eye for what would work well in this house.¡±


    ¡°Well, she does live there, and she is an artist, so I¡¯d imagine she would,¡± I said.


    ¡°That is true,¡± Emmy agreed with a laugh. ¡°She is also a very hard negotiator and understands the market value of the pieces we have been looking at.¡±


    ¡°Mia has been going with you guys, too, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, she takes her duties very seriously,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°And Wally, too. He has insisted on being here at the house whenever we have had the pieces delivered and hung.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I think that¡¯s a bad thing,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Lee, everybody here is just amazing. I¡¯m not sure I would want to live here full-time, but even being here for a few weeks, this house feels like home to me now,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°You have that modeling gig coming up, right?¡± I asked, settling in to my lonely bed there in San Jose. I knew she did, but just wanted to keep the conversation going.


    ¡°Yes, the day after tomorrow,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m very excited- this will be my first time working with a truly top photographer. He shoots magazine covers, and works with supermodels all day long.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re hotter than any of those girls, babe. Don¡¯t forget that,¡± I said. ¡°Gisele, Adriana, Gigi¡­ You leave them in the dust.¡±


    This earned me a big, happy smile and an air kiss. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that,¡± she protested.


    ¡°It¡¯s one hundred per cent true. I wouldn¡¯t trade you for any of them- or even all of them combined.¡±


    ¡°Leah is right, ma ch¨¨re. You are as beautiful as any woman alive,¡± Emmy said, and I could see her hand stroke Angela¡¯s leg.


    This proved to be too much for Angela. She set her book face-down to keep the page, then leaned forward and onto Emmy, who had to move the phone aside. This had the advantage of giving me my first full view of both of them since the video call started.


    Angela took Emmy¡¯s face in her hands and lavished a storm of kisses on her, putting a halt to the conversation for a while. After a few scorching hot minutes of watching the two kiss, Angela slid down a bit and rested her head on Emmy¡¯s chest, cupping one of Emmy¡¯s breasts through the thin fabric of my Stanford T shirt.


    ¡°I am so happy,¡± Angela murmured. ¡°This is my best life.¡±


    Although I wished I could have been there, I was happy for the two of them to have time to work on their relationship with each other. They were going to be pregnant and then raising our daughters together. The better their bond, the happier the full household would be. I saw no negatives to them being close.


    I drifted off to sleep thinking about two little girls, one with midnight black skin and green eyes, the other with pale skin and blue eyes, running around the house. They would call Angela ¡®Mam¨¢¡¯ and Emmy ¡®Maman¡¯, but would love both women as their mothers. Angela would tend to Emmy, Jr¡¯s skinned knee, kissing it to make it better, and Emmy would teach Angela, Jr to sing. Of course, I¡¯d teach them both how to drive when it was time, and warn their boyfriends (or girlfriends) to not keep my precious daughters out too late¡­


    I was up early the next morning, as usual. The condo building had a gym, but it wasn¡¯t great. I thought about going for a run, but ultimately decided a visit to The Pit was the answer. I¡¯d kept up my membership, but hadn¡¯t stopped by my old gym even once in all the Bay Area trips I¡¯d made in the last year, even though I¡¯d dutifully packed my fighting gear every single time.


    I got to the gym only a few minutes after they opened, pleased to be greeted by familiar faces as I walked in.


    ¡°Leah!¡± said Ruben Da Silva, holding his fist out for a bump. ¡°How¡¯s it going, lindinha?¡±


    ¡°Good, Ruben, real good,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You look good- real lean. I like that,¡± he said, eyeing me up and down. ¡°You been training.¡±


    ¡°I have been, just a little,¡± I said as we walked into the gym.


    ¡°Hey, get suited up and let¡¯s spar,¡± he said. ¡°I got no classes until eight.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°I wanna see what you been learnin¡¯ down there in LA.¡±


    When I emerged from the locker room I saw that Ruben had kicked a couple of guys out of the back ring, my favorite. He had his grappling gloves and headgear on and was rolling his shoulders to get ready.


    I put my headgear on, unused to it since Jody and I never used it, then slipped on my old, comfy gloves.


    Stepping into the ring, I looked around to make sure nobody was close enough to hear, and said, ¡°Mostly I¡¯ve been working on, um, ¡®outside the ring¡¯ techniques, but doing a lot of wrestling, too. Since it¡¯s open gym time, I¡¯m assuming¡­¡±


    ¡°UFC rules,¡± he confirmed, bouncing on his toes. ¡°I don¡¯t want anybody to learn any dirty tricks by watchin¡¯ us.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re on the same page,¡± I agreed. I limbered up for a moment, then we touched gloves and stepped back. I sized up his stance, waited for my moment when his weight was on his off leg, and dove right in.


    Ruben and I had worked almost entirely on striking, so he was completely unprepared when I dove low to shoot him in an outside sweep. Of course, he was a lot more, well, compact than me, so getting low on him was always going to be a challenge. He sprawled his inside leg to avoid the sweep, so I used my momentum to stand up and lift him into a hip toss, and just like that, he was on the mat.


    I stood up and helped him back to his feet, a big smile on his face.


    ¡°That was awesome!¡± he said, holding up his hands for a double high-five. ¡°I never thought you would go in for the jiu jitsu move like that!¡±


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯ll work twice,¡± I said, stepping back and taking my stance.


    ¡°Naw, now I¡¯m gonna take your grappling game seriously,¡± he agreed, this time taking a lower guard than before.


    I lunged in and he took the bait, expecting another take-down. Instead, I brought myself down into a back leg sweep. Of course he reacted in time, jumping to avoid having his legs taken out. In the air, though, he had no power, so my sudden shoulder check sent him on his ass again. He countered with a back roll, but I was on him before he could finish the move. Upside-down with all your weight on the back of your head is never going to be a position of strength, and he tapped out the moment it became obvious he wasn¡¯t going to get out of it.


    ¡°Holy shit, you been learnin¡¯ some moves!¡± Ruben said as he got to his feet again. ¡°And you so aggressive now, too. You go straight in. Nobody gonna expect that.¡±


    We kept going for over an hour, not even bothering with any striking at all, just pure wrestling. Of course, once the novelty wore off and Ruben was prepared, he made life a whole lot harder for me. At times we would stop and he¡¯d fine-tune my position or technique, but generally he had tons of praise for whoever I was working with, telling me that now with my new ground game I was becoming a real threat.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad you¡¯re so big,¡± he said. ¡°No weight class for you to compete in. I¡¯d love to see you in the ring.¡±


    When Ruben had to get ready to teach his first class of the day, I ditched the headgear and gloves to do weights for a while.


    I guess I was lost in my own thoughts, because when a familiar voice said, ¡°Wrestling with me would be a whole lot more fun,¡± I was taken by surprise. Apparently Ashley had been watching Ruben and I for quite a while without me noticing.


    ¡°Hey, Ash,¡± I said, wiping the back of my neck with my towel. ¡°You work out here now?¡±


    ¡°Since school started,¡± she said. ¡°What you said about self-defense got me thinking, and yeah, you¡¯re totally right. I kinda miss running with music, though.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re taking your own safety seriously,¡± I said, meaning it.


    ¡°Aww! You do care about me!¡± Ashley replied. ¡°So, like, you in town for a while? Wanna get dinner some night? Maybe, um, tonight?¡±


    ¡°Ash,¡± I said. ¡°You know I¡¯m never going to give you what you want, right?¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m over that,¡± she said dismissively. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d totally be down for a hookup, but, like, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. I just meant maybe we could have dinner and talk, or just hang out, or something. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I conceded. ¡°Seven at that Thai place? You know the one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a date!¡± she said, upbeat.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± I replied, deadpan.


    The Thai place was just as cheap and cheerful as I remembered it, but it had been repainted since my last visit. The new paint job was just as amateurish as the old one, so I can¡¯t say it was an improvement, but still¡­


    Ashley was already at one of the small tables when I came in, so I seated myself opposite her. ¡°Been here long?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I just got here a few minutes ago,¡± she said as the waitress handed us menus and asked what we wanted to drink.


    ¡°A Coke for me,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Ashley said, flipping open the menu.


    After the waitress left, Ashley noticed I¡¯d left my menu on the table. ¡°Not gonna eat?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, I just know what I want already,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Curry fried rice with chicken,¡± I replied. ¡°You have no idea how many times I had that for dinner when I was going to school here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only eaten here a few times,¡± Ashley said. ¡°Mostly it¡¯s the commons for me.¡±


    ¡°Even when I was a freshman, I barely ever ate in the dining halls,¡± I said. ¡°But then, I only lived in the dorms for one term.¡±


    ¡°You lived off-campus from the start? Lucky!¡± Ashley said. ¡°I can¡¯t afford that. Hell, I can¡¯t afford to eat at places like this very often, either, you know? My scholarship isn¡¯t enough to pay for anything but tuition and books, and my parents can only help so much.¡±


    ¡°Are you working at all?¡± I asked. Honestly, I did like Ashley, when she wasn¡¯t trying to get in my pants, and it really was starting to seem as if she¡¯d gotten over that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a part-time job at the chem lab stockroom,¡± she said. ¡°It helps, but not much. Things like even going to the movies require budget planning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s tough,¡± I said.


    Changing the subject, Ashley asked me if I still had my Aston Martin, and did I drive crazy down in LA like I did up in the South Bay?


    ¡°Yeah, I still have the Aston, but I hardly ever drive it anymore,¡± I replied, thinking about that pretty Madagascar Orange Vantage. ¡°My daily driver is a BMW now.¡±


    ¡°That baby blue one?¡±


    ¡°No, that one stays here. I only drive that when I¡¯m in town,¡± I said. ¡°No, Emmy bought me an M6 coupe for my birthday last year. That¡¯s what I mostly drive.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Ashley said. ¡°Not as nice as an Aston Martin, though.¡±


    ¡°I have a new car that¡¯s really nice- nicer than the Aston,¡± I said. Thinking about it for a moment, I said, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve seen it. Remember my friend James¡¯ Porsche? He sold it to me.¡±


    ¡°The blue and orange one? The one people couldn¡¯t stop eye-fucking everywhere he parked it?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°Well, it''s not blue and orange anymore, but yeah, that one.¡±


    ¡°You gotta take me for a ride in it some day,¡± Ashley begged, grabbing my hand in both of hers. ¡°I absolutely will put out if you do!¡±


    I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head. Ashley looked back over her shoulder and saw the waitress standing there, covering her mouth to hide her laughter.


    Recovering quickly, Ashley said to the waitress, ¡°Well, you¡¯d put out too, if you ever saw this car.¡±


    This was too much for the girl, and she she really did break out laughing at that, which got Ashley and me laughing as well.


    After we ordered, Ashley demanded the details, so I gave her a rough outline of the weekend in the Arizona desert, culminating with the Athertons selling me their car.


    ¡°So this girl, this Mandy?¡± Ashley asked when I¡¯d finished.


    ¡°Maddie,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Maddie. She was already into racing, but you two just, like, swooped in and upgraded her car and fully sponsored her just because you felt like it?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I admitted. ¡°She¡¯s a good driver, and maybe could turn pro when she gets a bit older. It¡¯d be good to say that we helped give her the chance. To be honest, though, it¡¯s really her mom that¡¯s making her racing possible.¡±


    Ashley looked thoughtfully at me for a long moment, but then ultimately decided to not say whatever it was that had been on her mind.


    We talked about school, her roommate, and her varsity track team schedule while we ate. It was easy, relatively meaningless conversation, and completely free of any potential booby traps.


    After I paid for dinner, Ashley asked if we could go for a drive. I could tell there had been something she¡¯d wanted to talk about, so I agreed, hoping it wasn¡¯t any more of her shenanigans.


    In the car, I took us west into the Santa Cruz mountains to get us out of town.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Ashley finally said. ¡°A year ago about this time, when we first met, all I could think about was jumping your bones.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember,¡± I said.


    ¡°I was a horny little bitch,¡± Ashley admitted. ¡°I wanted you to throw me down and girl-fuck me senseless. Sorta still do, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Only sorta?¡± I asked. ¡°What changed?¡±


    ¡°Well, besides the fact that you¡¯re like some sort of hot as fuck Amazonian goddess with amazing cars, expensive, tailored clothes and a fifty-thousand dollar watch and all that, a big part of it was that you weren¡¯t shy about being a lesbian, and I was, um, bi-curious, I guess. I thought that maybe you could introduce me to the Sapphic pleasures, you know? And yeah, I know, a straight girl hooking up just to try it out is maybe the oldest lesbian clich¨¦ ever, but, you know, I really was completely wet for you. You were the first woman I¡¯d ever seen that I just really wanted to bang,¡± Ashley said, looking out the window, away from me.


    ¡°But?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, you said I should find somebody else to try the girl-girl thing on, and so I did. Another one of the girls on the track team, we roomed together at a meet in Phoenix, and you know, we got kinda hands-on. We¡¯ve hooked up a few times since then, but I¡¯m¡­ I guess I¡¯m not really into it all that much, you know?¡±


    ¡°Some are, some aren¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I had a boyfriend before I met Emmy, and I thought I was happy with him. Sex with him was good- at least, I thought so. But then Emmy and I got together, and it was all so much better than I ever thought it could be. I don¡¯t regret my time with Chris, but if I¡¯d understood my sexuality better, I would have been with girls from the start. I just¡­ prefer women. The way they smell, their soft, smooth skin, the way they feel in my arms. Guys are fine, I like men alright, I¡¯m just not that interested in going to bed with any of them anymore.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s like that,¡± Ashley said. ¡°Sex with Jaz is just, well, like you said. It¡¯s alright, but not great. She¡¯s way more into me than I¡¯m into her, and she knows it, too. For me it¡¯s just kind of a booty call thing, that¡¯s all, and I keep trying to tell her that, but she¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an old joke,¡± I said. ¡°What does a lesbian bring to her second date? A U-Haul.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jesus,¡± groaned Ashley. ¡°She¡¯s talked about us rooming together next year.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± I urged. ¡°That can¡¯t possibly end well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking, but I don¡¯t know how to tell her. And Christ, I can¡¯t even imagine me bringing her home. ¡®Hey Mom and Dad, I want you to meet my black girlfriend Jasmine. Oh, and by the way, she¡¯s from Maryland¡¯. That would be the most fun family get-together EVER.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at that, even as I sympathized. ¡°Your parents seemed nice enough when I met them at the steak house,¡± I said. ¡°They must have had some inkling I¡¯m gay, and that didn¡¯t seem to be an issue.¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re O.K.,¡± Ashley conceded. ¡°You know Dad still talks about you and your bar? I think you impressed the shit outta him, and somehow, me being friends with you makes me that little bit, um, cooler, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he sees you less as his little girl and more as your own person?¡± I asked, trying to put a positive spin on it.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Ashley grudgingly admitted. ¡°And I think if I brought you home and said, ¡®Mom, Dad, Leah and I are lovers¡¯, their reaction would be¡­ well, not so bad, know what I mean?¡±


    Thinking about what she¡¯d just said, Ashley rushed to defend her parents. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to say that my parents are racist and they wouldn¡¯t like Jaz but they would like you,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re established, accomplished, and successful. They look at you and see someone respectable. You carry yourself- I mean, just fucking look at you. Who wouldn¡¯t want their kid to wind up with someone like you? You¡¯re every parent¡¯s dream for their kid. But Jaz, she¡¯s an inner-city Baltimore girl on scholarship, barely maintaining minimum GPA to stay in the program. She¡¯s nice, and kind, but I don¡¯t know what her prospects really are, you know? She definitely is not the kind of person my parents want me to marry.¡±


    ¡°I guess I get that,¡± I said.


    Ashley broke the silence after a while with an unexpected question. ¡°So, like, what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised by the question, and unsure what she actually meant.


    ¡°I mean, when we first met, you asked me out for lunch. You flirted with me, and when I turned it back on you, you shut me down. I practically threw myself at you-¡±


    ¡°No ¡®practically¡¯. You totally threw yourself at me,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°Yeah, I totally did,¡± Ashley admitted. ¡°I wanted you to fuck my brains out right there in your car. In fact, I still do, to be honest. I waxed before meeting you tonight, just in case. But you shut me down hard. I would literally do anything you want, but you¡¯ve turned me down over and over.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯re not pulling your panties off in the car this time,¡± I said, half-jokingly.


    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± Ashley replied, and I could hear the grin in her voice. ¡°Commando. Wanna see?¡± she asked, and pulled her skirt up to her hips.


    Being human, I couldn¡¯t help but glance over. It was dark in the car, but by the light of the infotainment system I could see that yes, in fact, she was very smooth down there.


    I sighed and said, ¡°Ash, still not gonna happen.¡±


    ¡°I get that,¡± Ashley replied, making no move to cover back up. ¡°I¡¯m just putting it out there, making my position clear, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty clear,¡± I replied.


    ¡°So, like I was saying, if you don¡¯t want me as your totally willing little sex toy, what do you want from me?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer right away, since this was actually a very good question, and not one that I¡¯d really given any thought to.


    ¡°I have lovers,¡± I said eventually. ¡°I don¡¯t need any more. What I do want is friends, I guess. When everybody graduated last year, almost all the friends I had in the Bay Area moved on, to Seattle for med school, Chicago for law school, or like me, to Los Angeles for the fame and fortune,¡± I said with a wry laugh. ¡°I have my employees here, but they aren¡¯t friends, just people I¡¯m friendly with who have to put up with me because I¡¯m their boss.¡±


    I took a few moments to put my thoughts together, pulling over into a large turnout on the right that had great views of the Santa Clara Valley¡¯s lights down below.


    I got out of the car to take in the view, and Ashley followed my example. I glanced over at her and saw that she was still wearing her little skirt up around her hips like a belt. She caught my glance and said, ¡°It¡¯s a nice, warm night.¡± She reached behind and undid her skirt¡¯s zipper, dropping it to her feet. She picked it up and casually tossed it onto the passenger seat. Seeing that I was watching, she pulled her summer top up and over her head and tossed it on top of her skirt, leaving her wearing nothing but her sandals.


    Standing and stretching in the warm early summer night air, Ashley said, ¡°You were starting to tell me what you wanted, Leah.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was,¡± I agreed. The night was fairly bright, a nearly full moon shining down through an almost cloudless night sky lighting up everything in silvery blue.


    Ashley stepped to the edge of the graveled turnout, ostensibly to admire the view, but she wasn¡¯t fooling anybody. She was doing it to give me as clear a view as possible, so I took the time to look, I mean really look, at her nude body.


    Ashley was a distance runner, and so was lean to the point of being a bit, well¡­ maybe boyish would be the right word. Narrow hips, small boobs, slender but muscular legs. She was pretty in an athletic way, but not anywhere near the category of either of my two wives back in New York. Still, if I were completely honest with myself, if I weren¡¯t committed to Emmy and Angela, I¡¯d probably take Ashley up on her offer.


    Leaning back against the car, I said, ¡°Ashley, when I saw you running that first day, I wanted to catch up with you just because of my competitive nature, that¡¯s all. Then as I got close and realized you had no idea I was behind you and had been for a while, I wanted to tell you that running with earbuds was a terrible idea. But then we got to talking, and I enjoyed having someone I could run with who could really make me work for it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you scared the shit outta me when you all of a sudden were right there,¡± Ashley admitted. ¡°You made your point pretty clear,¡± Ashley replied, still facing away, looking out over the city.


    ¡°Then you asked me if I wanted to get lunch, and-¡±


    ¡°No, you asked me,¡± Ashley interrupted.


    ¡°You¡¯re misremembering,¡± I said. ¡°You asked me, and I suggested we get burgers.¡±


    Ashley turned to face me, her hands on her hips. ¡°No, you asked me, and that¡¯s when I thought maybe you were into me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how I remember it,¡± I said with a shrug. I wasn¡¯t going to argue about it, since it didn¡¯t matter much after all.


    Ashley walked right up to me and poked me in the chest. ¡°No, you asked me for lunch, and I thought maybe, it was like a first date or something. Like I said, you were this smoking hot, giant Amazon goddess and you looked at me like I was worth your time, then you asked me out. You came to pick me up like an hour later or something, and I spent almost all that time in the shower, shaving smooth enough to eat off of, and maybe getting myself warmed up a little bit, if you know what I mean.¡± It was funny for Ashley to use a euphemism like that, and I couldn''t help but chuckle.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true!¡± she said. ¡°Then you showed up, and your freaking car! And your watch¡­ Leah, you are every bi-curious girl¡¯s fantasy come to life!¡±


    Unable to stop it, I really did laugh out loud at that. Sure, what she¡¯d said had been funny, but the fact that Ashley was still completely naked, in the moonlight, in a gravel parking area with the entire Santa Clara Valley¡¯s lights down below, indignantly recounting her version of events from a year before¡­ It was just too much.


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not funny!¡± Ashley said, poking my chest again.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± I managed to wheeze. This caused Ashley to stop poking me, at least, and step back, her hands on her hips again.


    After a few moments, her expression softened, and her posture eased. ¡°Yeah, I guess it is,¡± she admitted. With that, she turned back and walked back to look at the view. ¡°Anyhow, I thought I was gonna get laid, and you said no. You told me you were married to the hottest woman in the world, and wasn¡¯t gonna cheat on her. I guess I took that as, I dunno, a challenge, maybe. Then it was a sort of game, you know? But when we drove with your friend and his crazy Porsche, you just acted like we were friends, and you seemed to like having me there, even though I really didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± she said, thinking back.


    It was about this moment that a car passed on the road behind us, but neither of us even looked back. I was watching Ashley, and she was apparently oblivious of the fact she was still bare-assed naked on a bright moonlit night.


    Ashley turned back around to face me, her hands on her hips again. ¡°You totally friend-zoned me, but, like¡­ it was O.K. I mean, I had fun that day, getting out and seeing parts of the state I¡¯d never, ever get to see otherwise, and just hanging with you and your friend like, um, real adults, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that drive was fun,¡± I agreed, idly wondering if she was ever going to get dressed. Not that I minded her being naked- we¡¯d gone past the point where she was trying to seduce me in her clumsy way, and now it seemed she was subconsciously using her nudity as a metaphor. Baring her soul as she bared her skin, or something like that.


    ¡°So I guess I¡¯m O.K. with just being a friend, Leah. If we aren¡¯t going to be fuck-buddies, being just plain old buddies is good, too. I think I¡¯ve made it very clear I think you¡¯re hot A F, but I also think you¡¯re the coolest person, hot or not, that I¡¯ve ever met, and I want you to- I want to keep spending time with you, even if it¡¯s only every now and then, when you¡¯re in town or something.¡±


    ¡°With clothes on?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°Maybe sometimes,¡± Ashley replied. ¡°But not right now. I¡¯m kinda liking this,¡± she said, raising her arms and twirling around. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ liberating. You should try it.¡±


    ¡°And people say that I¡¯m the exhibitionist,¡± I said under my breath, but Ashley caught it.


    ¡°Wait- you¡¯re an exhibitionist?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m really not,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s just that almost all my friends have seen me naked at one point or another through a series of comic episodes.¡±


    ¡°Comic episodes?¡± Ashley asked, leaning against the car next to me.


    ¡°Well, for example, Emmy twisted my arm to get me to pose for a classical nude painting in New York,¡± I said. ¡°The light was good on the back top-floor deck of our townhouse, and nobody could see, so that¡¯s where I posed, for, like, three hours. While I was posing, our driver went and picked up my head of security and Emmy¡¯s new bodyguard and brought them to the house. He had no idea where we were, so they wandered around the house until they all walked out onto the deck, and there I was, even more naked than you are right now- I didn¡¯t even have on a pair of sandals.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ I would have died of embarrassment,¡± Ashley said. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°What could I do? I acted like it was no big deal, and said hello and glad to meet them, and told them I¡¯d be done posing in another hour or so, so they all went back inside.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bad-ass,¡± Ashley breathed. ¡°Like a boss.¡±


    We were both silent for a while, lost in our own thoughts, but finally Ashley said, ¡°Your gym outfit shows off how built you are, but- I mean, I really would like to see you with no clothes on at all.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were past that,¡± I said, laughing.


    ¡°No, never,¡± Ashley said with a grin. ¡°Come on, take it off!¡± she urged, grabbing the hem of my T.


    Laughing, I slapped her hands away. ¡°Down, girl! Down!¡±


    ¡°Spoilsport!¡± she said, sticking out her lower lip in a pout.

 Thats So Metal

    When we finally climbed back into the M3 to get going again, Ashley didn¡¯t put on her clothes. She set her skirt and top down in the footwell and settled down in the seat in the buff, drawing the belt down across her lap, the chest strap crossing between her small breasts.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Really,¡± Ashley said, nodding. ¡°Like I said, it feels, well, liberating. And your story about acting like nothing was wrong when a whole crowd walked in on you, that got me thinking.¡±


    ¡°A dangerous habit,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know,¡± she agreed. ¡°I try to not do it too much.¡±


    ¡°Wise,¡± I said, nodding as I pulled the car onto the road.


    ¡°Like I said, I got to thinking. I could totally imagine it, you just casually saying hello, sitting on your stool or whatever, posing nude while a bunch of people walk in.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s even more to that story,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°So the townhouse is just south of the Queensboro bridge, right? Well, my favorite running loop takes me over the bridge to Long Island, across the bridge. Running that loop the next day, I noticed that pedestrians can clearly see that deck if they are walking or running west,¡± I said.


    ¡°So who knows how many people could have seen you?¡± Ashley said, delighted.


    ¡°Honestly, I would have been just a tiny little figure off in the distance,¡± I said, ¡°but still.¡±


    Ashley thought about it for a moment, then asked, ¡°It didn¡¯t bother you when you realized that, did it?¡±


    ¡°No, not much,¡± I admitted. ¡°Like I said, nobody without binoculars would have been able to make anything out. And even then, it isn¡¯t like anybody who might have been looking would even tell who I was, so it really didn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, if we¡¯re driving along, and some car passes going the other way, they might,¡± she said, drawing out the syllable, ¡°Just might, be able to see I¡¯m naked, but no way would they ever be able to tell who I am. Even if we stop at a light and the car next to us looks over, it¡¯s dark and the chances they¡¯d recognize me are, like, zero. And it feels, well, like I said, liberating. I¡¯m naked, right?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it to me,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t feel, um, ashamed, or¡­ well, embarrassed, or anything. I feel desirable, you know? But, like, since it¡¯s me doing it, I don¡¯t feel objectified or anything. Just, like, this is me. Me being me.¡±


    ¡°Well, you being you, what are your plans when I drop you off at your apartment?¡± I asked, amused.


    Ashley thought about it for a moment, then said, ¡°I¡¯m just gonna walk right up to my front door like this, then go inside like nothing was any different than usual. Say hello to my roommates, then go to my room, same as always.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to tell them?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling them a damn thing. Heck, I might take my time in the kitchen, grab a snack, who knows? I¡¯m gonna act like being naked is not worth talking about,¡± Ashley said, half convincing herself.


    ¡°What if there are people over? Do your roommates have boyfriends?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d say hello to them, too,¡± Ashley replied, nodding to herself. Then, turning to me, she said, ¡°But honestly, it¡¯s already pretty late and it¡¯s a weeknight, so the chances are they¡¯ll be in their rooms already anyhow.¡±


    Sure enough, Ashley got out of the car and walked naked, carrying her clothes under her arm, across the sidewalk and up the stairs to the second floor of the small apartment building. I watched as she dug her key out of her little purse, opened the door, then turned around and gave me a wave before disappearing inside. Of course, like she said, it was late on a weeknight so the street was deserted, but still, I admired her resolve.


    The next morning I worked out in the condo building¡¯s deserted gym instead of going for a run or back to The Pit. All they had were a few cardio machines and some multi-gym stations, which was a pretty sad effort. It was enough to get an O.K. workout in, but only as a last resort. Still, it got me ready for the day at the office, and that¡¯s what I needed.


    The day passed quickly, work keeping me occupied until I was the last one left in the office. I hadn¡¯t been paying that much attention to the hospitality division, and it was good to really catch up and get a feel for how things were going.


    I talked to Emmy and Angela for about an hour when I got back to the condo. They were both in a really good mood, and wanted to tell me why. They¡¯d spent the day thinking about which room to turn into a nursery, then shopping for just the right bassinets, cribs and other baby furniture. They didn¡¯t actually buy anything, since Angela was convinced that it was bad luck to do so before the pregnancy, but the two of them thoroughly enjoyed the exploratory expedition.


    Angela and Emmy were so giddy talking about the completely adorable baby paraphernalia they had seen that I hardly got a word in besides, ¡®Yeah?¡± and ¡°uh huh,¡± and ¡°I¡¯d bet it was cute.¡±


    I loved that they were so enthusiastic, but honestly I was concerned that the odds were still very much against us and I didn¡¯t want their dreams crushed if the Korean lab couldn¡¯t do what they¡¯d promised. I found myself in a balancing act, trying to sound encouraging and involved, but not feeding their baby euphoria too much, just in case.


    It isn¡¯t to say that I wasn¡¯t excited about the idea of having two beautiful little babies, but rather that I was trying to temper my expectations. For whatever reason their biological alarm clocks had gone off big-time, and I worried that it would hit them extremely hard if things didn¡¯t actually work out.


    Getting dressed for the club, I re-discovered Ashley¡¯s phone number in my jacket pocket. On impulse, I gave her a call to ask if she wanted to go to the club with me.


    ¡°Hello?¡± came her voice from the phone, unsure. ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Ash,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s me. Hey, want to go to the club tonight?¡±


    ¡°Leah!¡± Ashley¡¯s voice squealed from the small speaker. ¡°Your club? Tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my club, tonight,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Oh, hell yeah!¡± Angela said. ¡°And you know what? I have the perfect dress!¡±


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not what you wore last night,¡± I joked.


    ¡°You mean ¡®what I didn¡¯t wear¡¯?¡± she asked, her voice teasing.


    ¡°Yeah, that too,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± she said. Then in a muffled voice obviously not intended for me, she said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s her. I freaking told you, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Told them what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I told them you had a restaurant and secret bar, a place, like, only millionaires can get in. I told them it was all Prohibition-style and you¡¯re like the big gangster boss,¡± Ashley said. ¡°When you come to pick me up, come up to the apartment. I want my completely disbelieving roommates to see you in your suit.¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Yeah, I can do that. Why not?¡±


    When I knocked on the door of Ashley¡¯s apartment about an hour and a half later, a girl that I vaguely recognized as Ashley¡¯s roommate from the year before opened the door. Her eyes widened as she looked me up and down, before she hollered back into the apartment.


    ¡°Ash! Your hot as fuck Amazon gangster girlfriend is here!¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a bitch! Let her in!¡± another voice I didn¡¯t recognized yelled back.


    I stepped into the small, less than perfectly clean apartment, following the first girl. In the living room were two others, who both looked at me as if I were a mermaid, or an alien, or some other mythical creature.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± one of the two on the couch said.


    ¡°No shit,¡± said the other. ¡°Ash said you own a bar for, like, millionaires.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re going for dinner tonight,¡± I confirmed.


    Just then Ashley burst into the room, wearing black heels and a tiny little cocktail dress made of some shiny material that almost looked like black metal chain mail. It hung low and loose over her chest, open down all the way to the bottom of her sternum. The sides showed plenty of side-boob, too, because the back was completely open, showing off her venus dimples. The skirt was short, cut all the way up to the top of her left hip, maximizing her legs.


    ¡°Jesus, Ash,¡± I said, impressed. ¡°That is some dress. Well, it¡¯s actually hardly any dress at all, really¡­¡±


    She¡¯d done her makeup in a much more sultry look than I was used to seeing her, and her long, dark hair was swept up in a sort of complex thing that I didn¡¯t really understand, except that it looked great on her.


    Ashley smiled a bit shyly, seeing my reaction. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Ash,¡± I said. ¡°You look amazing.¡±


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± the roommate who¡¯d opened the door crowed. ¡°Ash gonna get laid tonight!¡±


    Ashley sighed and let her shoulders drop. ¡°Tracy, you are such a bitch,¡± she said, turning to face her roommate. ¡°Seriously, I freaking asked you to act like a normal person, and you said you would. This is why none of the rest of us want you rooming with us next year.¡±


    Turning back to me, Ashley said, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡± She reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me to the front door.


    I opened the car door for her, and she gave me a grateful smile as she slid in. When I settled into the driver¡¯s seat, Ashley said, ¡°I told them that we¡¯re just friends. That whole ¡®getting laid¡¯ thing was just Trace being an ass.¡±


    ¡°To be fair,¡± I said. ¡°That dress is so sexy, I can understand where she¡¯s coming from.¡± I glanced over and caught Ashley smiling at me in a sort of bittersweet way.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen me in a lot less,¡± she said. ¡°Which really- that only means one thing less, I guess, since there¡¯s no way I could wear panties with this thing, much less a bra."


    ¡°The ¡®no bra¡¯ part is obvious,¡± I agreed. ¡°And the ¡®no panties¡¯ part, yeah, I got that, too, when you climbed into the car.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Ashley asked. ¡°I was really not trying to flash you, I swear.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it didn¡¯t seem as if you were,¡± I agreed. ¡°But the valet at the restaurant is going to enjoy the show, if you¡¯re not more careful.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want him to see this,¡± Ashley said in a mock serious tone as she pulled her little skirt up to show off her smooth mound. ¡°This is just for you.¡±


    ¡°It does seem to be regularly on display for me, alright,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided that¡¯s my thing now,¡± Ashley said. ¡°I¡¯ve accepted that you aren¡¯t going to take me back to your place and ruin me forever for other women. Or men, for that matter,¡± she added. ¡°So, since being with you is a safe place, and I know that when I¡¯m with you I can¡­ Well, show off this side, I guess, that¡¯s what I¡¯m gonna do. I¡¯m gonna walk in that bar on your arm, and everybody in there is going to know that you could have me. Nobody else in that place could, but you could in a moment.¡±


    ¡°Please, keep it, um, at least somewhat subtle,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t make me regret bringing you to the club.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry,¡± Ashley said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it classy.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said as I pulled up in front of the steakhouse. ¡°Here¡¯s your first test.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know either of the two valets, but judging by the way they leapt to open our doors, they knew who I was.


    I got out quickly, keeping an eye on the guy helping Ashley out of the car. If he got a peek, he was good at hiding it. Ashley thanked him demurely, and I told the guy that had opened my door that I was going to be there late, so don¡¯t keep my car out in front.


    The steakhouse had a valet policy like any other place¡¯s, where the flashier a car, the closer it got parked to the front, so that other guests could see and be impressed by the caliber of vehicles. By the standards of the cars already parked there, my baby blue M3 was unimpressive, so it could go farther back.


    I followed Ashley into the restaurant, admiring the way that metal dress draped over her little runner¡¯s butt. I mentally made a note to get a dress like that for both Emmy and Angela, imagining the two in those shimmering barely-there outfits.


    The hostess jumped to attention when she saw who it was. ¡°Ms Farmer!¡± she said. ¡°Will you be eating in the restaurant tonight?¡±


    ¡°No, I think we¡¯ll go straight back,¡± I said, tilting my head towards the back of the restaurant.


    ¡°Just so,¡± said the ma?tre d¡¯ as he glided up. Although I obviously knew the way, he led us to the back anyway, rapping softly on the unmarked door.


    Tony gawked momentarily at Ashley when he opened the door, but pulled it together quickly. ¡°Boss!¡± He exclaimed, opening the door wide for us.


    ¡°Hey, Tone,¡± I said, giving him a fist bump. ¡°How¡¯s the crowd tonight?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s early, but we¡¯re close to a full house now,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s getting like this all the time, even on weeknights anymore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good problem to have,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, it sure is,¡± he agreed.


    Making my meet and greet circuit, I saw that he was right. There was barely an empty seat in the house except for my table, which was conspicuously unoccupied. On my round through the club I introduced Ashley as my friend, getting a few raised eyebrows and more than one or two ¡°Where is Angela?¡± questions.


    When we finally made it to the table, Ashley asked, ¡°O.K., who is this Angela person everybody asks about?¡±


    Theo arrived at just that moment, so I avoided the question by ordering us an Old Fashioned and a Singapore Sling. ¡°Virgin, Theo,¡± I said, as he turned to go back to the bar.


    Ashley stuck her tongue out at me. ¡°Seriously, a little alcohol isn¡¯t gonna kill me.¡±


    ¡°No, but it might kill my liquor license,¡± I said.


    ¡°So- who is this Angela person everybody was asking about?¡± Ashley persisted.


    Sighing, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I opened the photo app and found a picture of Angela dressed in her ¡®gangster girlfriend¡¯ outfit. ¡°This is Angela,¡± I said, showing Ashley the phone, but not letting her take it. I didn¡¯t want her scrolling through my photos, now did I?


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty,¡± Ashley said.


    ¡°Yeah, she sure is,¡± I agreed, just as Theo set our drinks down and the waitress asked if we were going to eat.


    ¡°I feel like a salad tonight- maybe with grilled chicken. Thanks, Tanya,¡± I said to the young Night Child woman.


    ¡°Um, can I have a menu?¡± Ashley asked, at a loss.


    ¡°Ash, normally there are only tapas back here- more like snacks, really. But the chef will make whatever you want. Just ask,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can I get¡­ grilled salmon? With, I dunno, Brussels sprouts?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Tanya replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get those in for you right now.¡±


    ¡°Wait- I don¡¯t really want salmon,¡± Ashley admitted. ¡°It was just the first thing that popped into my head. Can I actually have a little filet mignon with grilled vegetables?¡±


    ¡°How would you like the filet?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Medium rare,¡± Ashley said. ¡°And can I get a Coke?¡±


    Tanya smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be right out,¡± and gave a little bow as she backed away from the table.


    ¡°So, like, I could have ordered anything? Like, anything at all?¡± Ashley asked, amazed.


    ¡°Well, within reason. Asking for a sushi roll wouldn¡¯t get you anywhere, but if you¡¯d wanted lamb chops with mint glaze, or stuffed mushrooms in red wine sauce, sure,¡± I said.


    ¡°And anybody here in the um, speakeasy can just order like that?¡±


    ¡°No, just me. It¡¯s good to be the boss,¡± I said, leaning back against the banquette.


    ¡°Jesus, no kidding,¡± Ashley said as leaned forward to reach for my phone again.


    ¡°Boobs,¡± I said, so she¡¯d hear me but nobody else would.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re showing off,¡± I said.


    Ashley glanced around, then convinced that only I was getting a show, she said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen the twins before,¡± with a naughty grin.


    ¡°This is a nice, family establishment,¡± I admonished.


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± she said, leaning back. ¡°So, quit avoiding the question.¡±


    ¡°What question?¡± I asked. I was saved at that moment by a small group of members coming up to our table to say hello, and introduce their guests.


    Unfortunately, one of the regulars asked about Angela, causing Ashley to glare at me.


    After they left, Ashley was insistent. ¡°Seriously, who is this Angela chick? ¡®Cause I know we aren¡¯t talking about your wife that you would never, ever cheat on.¡±


    Just then Tanya came back with our food, so the discussion got postponed for a moment.


    ¡°Take out your phone and shoot some pics for your dad,¡± I suggested before Ashley could dig in. ¡°But maybe don¡¯t send your parents any pics of that dress?¡± This got a laugh from Ashley, and she did as I suggested. When she put her phone away, I had mine out.


    ¡°Let me take a picture of you,¡± I said, and she posed with her shoulders back and a little smile on her face.


    ¡°You should have taken a pic last night,¡± she teased.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I should have,¡± I said. ¡°But this one, I¡¯m sending to Emmy. And to Angela.¡± I typed up a quick text and sent it along with the photo.


    ¡°You just sent that to Emmy?¡± Ashley asked, surprised.


    ¡°And Angela, but that¡¯s easy, since they¡¯re together in New York right now.¡±


    ¡°So you still haven¡¯t told me who this Angela chick is,¡± Ashley said, cutting into her filet.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and one you would probably better hear from Emmy than from me,¡± I said. ¡°I asked her to call and explain it all to you when she gets a chance.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so hard to explain?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, really, I just think it might be better if Emmy explained it to you. That way it won¡¯t sound¡­¡± I said, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Like you¡¯re hiding something?¡± she asked, suspiciously.


    ¡°Not how I would have said it, but yeah,¡± I conceded, digging into my Mediterranean salad.

 Five Thousand Bucks

    The night proceeded as they generally do at the club. The stream of members coming by the table to say hello eased when the singer and pianist took the stage, but other than that, nothing much happened until about ten thirty, when James and Imogen entered. Spotting them, I waved them over.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking lovely tonight,¡± I said to James, giving him a handshake. ¡°And you, you¡¯re looking even lovelier,¡± I said to Imogen, giving her a little kiss.


    ¡°James, you remember my friend Ashley? Ashley, this is James¡¯ wife Imogen,¡± I said, making the introductions.


    ¡°Have you two met?¡± Imogen asked her husband, surprised.


    ¡°Yes, last fall, while you were back east visiting your family, Leah and I went driving, and Ashley came along for the ride,¡± he explained.


    ¡°I do seem to remember you mentioned that Leah had a friend with her,¡± Imogen said.


    ¡°James, I never asked last fall. Have you guys known Leah for long?¡± Ashley asked after Theo had taken the Athertons¡¯ drink orders.


    ¡°A few years now,¡± James replied, thinking about it.


    ¡°Emmy and Leah have become quite good friends in that time. And now Angela, as well,¡± Imogen said.


    ¡°Have you seen their mansion in New York?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve visited,¡± Imogen answered. ¡°In fact, we¡¯re thinking of following Leah¡¯s example and buying a little pied-¨¤-terre for ourselves in the area. We loved the restoration that Leah had done to bring the house back to its Pre-War glory.¡±


    ¡°Leah said that the view from the top deck is impressive,¡± Ashley said, giving me a wink.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been to the top deck,¡± Imogen said. ¡°But the house does have a lovely view from the rear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I understand,¡± Ashley said. ¡°From the right vantage points, you get a lovely view of the rear.¡±


    Seeing the looks on Imogen and James¡¯ faces, I sighed. ¡°Ashley is referring to the portrait incident. Did Emmy ever tell you about that?¡± I asked Imogen and James.


    Imogen¡¯s face lit up with amusement. ¡°Emmy did mention something that happened while you posed for Luisa¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, so you¡¯ve seen the painting?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In your bedroom? It¡¯s hard to miss,¡± Imogen said, while James stayed silent on the subject, not wanting to step on any land mines.


    ¡°Ashley here,¡± I said, indicating the barely-clad girl, ¡°Took away from that whole story that being confident in one¡¯s own skin in front of a crowd is something to aspire to. Hence, her outfit tonight.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Imogen said, looking Ashley up and down.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to see,¡± I agreed, which got a chuckle from James. This earned James a meaningful glare from Imogen, which then turned into a smile.


    ¡°Ah, youth,¡± Imogen said with a shrug. ¡°How old are you, Ashley?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nineteen. I¡¯m a sophomore at Stanford,¡± she replied, doing a really good job of not turning defensive.


    ¡°So young,¡± Imogen sighed, although she couldn¡¯t have been any older than her early thirties herself.


    ¡°Ashley, did Leah tell you that she has the Porsche I drove last fall?¡± James asked.


    ¡°The one that everybody stopped to take pictures of? Yes, she did,¡± Ashley said. ¡°She told me that it¡¯s not baby blue and orange anymore, though.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± James said, his shoulders slumping. ¡°I thought the Gulf livery was fun.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about that,¡± I agreed. ¡°It was just a bit too¡­ flashy for me. You know I like understated.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± James nodded, smirking.


    Later, when Ashley got up to use the restroom, Imogen leaned forward. ¡°Leah, that dress of hers is positively transparent!¡±


    ¡°And barely there to begin with,¡± I agreed, sipping my Old Fashioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s wearing any underwear,¡± Imogen added.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s not,¡± I replied. ¡°Like I said earlier, she wanted to¡­ let¡¯s say, stress-test her self-confidence, and this is her way of doing it. That dress is so close to nude she might as well be naked right now. See the looks she¡¯s getting?¡±


    ¡°I certainly do,¡± Imogen admitted.


    ¡°For her, walking through a crowded room like that, head held high and shoulders back, that¡¯s a Herculean thing. She¡¯s told herself that she can do it, and she¡¯s now proving it to herself,¡± I said.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t something she normally does?¡± Imogen asked.


    ¡°Who knows? It might be going forward, but no, this isn¡¯t historically typical of her,¡± I said.


    ¡°The day she went driving with us, she wore jeans and a T shirt,¡± James said. ¡°She was dressed like any other college student.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s not careful, she¡¯ll wind up working her way through school by stripping,¡± Imogen said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Have you ever met our friend Jen?¡± I asked. ¡°She did that. Paid for her schooling at San Jose State by dancing naked.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s a friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°Next time you guys come down to Los Angeles, I¡¯ll make sure you meet,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°You really do know the most unusual people,¡± Imogen said with a laugh, as we watched Ashley make her way back to the table.


    When I dropped Ashley off at her apartment there were other college-aged people milling around on the street, talking too loud, acting drunk. I walked Ashley up to her door, just to make sure she didn¡¯t have to deal with anything.


    ¡°You wanna come in?¡± she asked hopefully, but I shut that down.


    ¡°Friend zone, Ash.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you never told me exactly who Angela is. Even your rich friends know her!¡± Ashley protested.


    ¡°I texted Emmy to call you,¡± I said. ¡°She probably went to bed early and missed the text tonight, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll call in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± she replied, giving me a McKayla scowl.


    ¡°Good night, Ash,¡± I said, turning to go.


    ¡°No goodnight kiss?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Spoilsport,¡± Ashley said, sticking out her tongue.


    When Emmy and Angela came home later in the following week, I was surprised at my own reaction. Of course I knew I¡¯d been missing the two of them, but actually holding them close in a big three-way hug eased a sort of knot in my heart. I felt as if I was taking my first full breath since they¡¯d left for New York. I just held the two of them, burying my face in Emmy¡¯s hair and breathing her in, then in Angela¡¯s and doing the same.


    It was so good just to hold them, to feel them in my arms, that there was a very real risk I would never let them go and we would remain like that for the rest of our lives.


    ¡°I missed you two so much,¡± I finally said, my voice husky.


    ¡°We missed you, too,¡± Emmy said, and Angela nodded, her head pressed against my chest.


    ¡°Too much,¡± Angela said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be away from you that long ever again.¡±


    ¡°It was far too long,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°Far too long.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you guys needed a break like that, and I couldn¡¯t get away that long,¡± I said.


    ¡°It was nice at first, but two weeks too long,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re all home now,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Emmy agreed, burying her face against me. Eventually we moved to the couch and just relaxed in a big cuddle pile, and it was just about the best thing ever.


    Of course I was on the bottom, with Emmy and Angela laying side by side on top of me. I found the weight of their bodies pressing me down into the soft cushions of the sofa comforting, and soon fell fast asleep, more contented than I had been in weeks. ¡®This is how it should be,¡¯ I found myself thinking as I drifted off.


    Life quickly settled back into a comfortable routine, but that didn¡¯t mean that it was boring. The three of us all seemed to be busy all the time with our careers, but now that my school was done until September, at least we had our evenings together.


    We¡¯d finally hired a housecleaning service and a nutritionist chef to make our meals, and that freed up a lot of time, too. Angela had balked at hiring any sort of live-in help, wanting to keep our home solely to ourselves and our guests in the evenings. I understood, but it seemed odd to Emmy, who¡¯d grown up surrounded by household staff and thought nothing of it.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Emmy capitulated easily enough, so the cleaners only came in the mornings and the nutritionist left at six in the evenings after making dinner. I was pretty sure that the nutritionist was only going to last until Emmy could sweet-talk Marie-Anne into leaving her parents and moving in with us, but I didn''t say anything. Somehow Emmy and Angela were dividing up the running of the household between themselves, and I was perfectly fine with that.


    The two had definitely gone into some sort of nesting mode, and somehow, subtly, I was included out. Like I said, I was perfectly fine with that. In fact, I secretly loved the idea that the two of them were thinking so much about making our place even more homey, and there was no way I would ever do or say anything to prevent them from doing so.


    I was working out one Wednesday morning at the MMA gym when I noticed this woman watching. She was about average height, so maybe six inches shorter than me, but sort of stocky. She looked strong and fit enough to be a regular at the gym, but I¡¯d never seen her before.


    When I stopped to take a break and drink some water she walked over. ¡°I was told there was a chick here who knew her stuff,¡± she said, her attitude sort of belligerent. ¡°You look like you fight. You ever fought?¡±


    Taken by surprise by this out-of-the-blue question, I didn¡¯t have a quick answer. Annoyed, she asked again ¡°You ever actually fight?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, I have,¡± I responded. ¡°Quite a few times, as a matter of fact.¡±


    ¡°How many did you win?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Well, all of them,¡± I said, wondering what was up with this pushy bitch.


    ¡°How many by submission?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ None, I guess,¡± I told her. I just wanted this conversation over and done with.


    ¡°So they were all by decision?¡± she asked, staying in my face.


    ¡°No, none of them were,¡± I told her, trying to make it clear I wanted no part of this discussion.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me they were all T.K.O.s?¡± she asked, disbelief in her voice.


    Just wanting to shut her up, I said something I shouldn¡¯t have, and I knew it at the time. ¡°No, they all ended when the other guy died.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, surprised.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t fight in competition. I only fight in the real world, and it¡¯s always do or die. So far I¡¯ve always won.¡± With that, I turned to go back to my workout.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she said. ¡°Did you just say you¡¯ve killed people street fighting?¡±


    Turning back to face her, I explained ¡°Listen to me. I don¡¯t fight for some kind of sport. I fight because I have to, and when I have to, it always ends up very badly for the guy I¡¯m up against. Now please, I¡¯d like to get back to my workout.¡±


    ¡°Fight me.¡± She replied. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Look, I just told you I don¡¯t fight in competition.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what- I¡¯ll give you a thousand bucks if you can beat me,¡± she offered.


    ¡°Not interested,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Five thousand,¡± she said, upping her offer.


    ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ve got enough money,¡± I said, dismissing her.


    This time I did turn away and I just ignored her when she tried to cajole me into a fight. The last words I heard from her was ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll see, bitch,¡± as she finally left.


    I put in another hour of heavy bag work, then toweled off. As I grabbed my gym bag one of the guys at the counter said, ¡°That chick you were talking to? You know who that is?¡±


    ¡°All I know is that she just wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Dude, her name¡¯s Linda Rubio. She fights in the U.F.C¡±


    ¡°Good for her,¡± I said, ¡°but I have no idea why she wanted to fight me so bad.¡±


    ¡°Well, um, it might be my fault,¡± he confessed. ¡°I was hanging with some bros, and I told a guy I know who trains at her gym that we have this chick here that kicks major ass. So he might have, I dunno, told her about you or something.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Marco,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°Feel free to not tell anybody about me, all right?¡±


    Walking to my car in the adjoining fenced-in parking lot, I was only half surprised when Linda Rubio stepped out from in between a couple of cars. ¡°Let¡¯s do it, bitch,¡± she said as she rushed at me.


    I tossed my gym bag aside and took a defensive stance, wondering what the heck I¡¯d done in a past life to deserve this.


    She checked up when she saw me ready for her attack, and closed in a bit more deliberately. I knew I had a huge reach advantage on her, so it was in my best interests to keep her away by a few judicious kicks and feints. We sparred like that for a little while until she realized that there was no way she was going to win that battle and she lunged at me.


    I¡¯d expected her to go for the take down, since it was her only real shot at staying in the fight. My strikes were taking their toll on her- she just didn¡¯t have the reach, or frankly, the speed, to play that game. I got in a couple of really solid blows, hammering her kidneys repeatedly before she got me down to the ground.


    We wrestled a bit, and it became obvious she had the advantage on me in this type of struggle. There was really nothing I could do to her that she couldn¡¯t get out of, and eventually she got me in a vicious leg lock and it felt as if she were going to break my knee sideways.


    I wasn¡¯t going to give up and I wasn¡¯t going to lose to this testosterone chick, so I did what came naturally to me- I fought dirty. I grabbed her hair and yanked her head back and punched her right in the face. I felt a satisfying crunch and blood poured out of her nose, which caused her to loosen her grip a bit. Yanking her head back even harder now I could get better leverage, I grabbed her throat in my left hand and squeezed hard. Her eyes bugged out and she panicked and let go of my leg, so I kicked her away and jumped to my feet. She was on her hands and knees, coughing and gagging, so I brought my foot down hard on the middle of her back and smashed her to the ground. I jumped on top of her with my knees and just started pounding away with my fists until she stopped struggling.


    I stood up and looked around, but there was nobody in the parking lot and the whole fight had been blocked from view of the street by the parked cars.


    Linda was pretty badly messed up and I couldn¡¯t leave her like that, so I went back in the gym.


    Marco took one look at me and did a double take. ¡°What the fuck just happened to you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, you should see the other guy,¡± I said. ¡°Look, that Linda chick jumped me in the parking lot. I beat her up pretty bad, so I¡¯m going to take her to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡± he asked, incredulous.


    ¡°I trashed the living fuck out of her, that¡¯s what,¡± I replied, my sense of humor failing me. ¡°Look, can you help me get her into my car? Where¡¯s the nearest E.R., anyway?¡±


    He signaled to one of the gym rats to come along, then followed me back outside where I collected my bag and directed the two guys to load the barely conscious woman into the coupe.


    ¡°Put this under her head,¡± I instructed, handing Marco my towel. ¡°I don¡¯t want her bleeding on the leather. It¡¯s a bitch to clean.¡±


    The two guys didn¡¯t say much of anything, just did as I said. I drove her to the E.R. at a small hospital off Santa Monica Boulevard, getting some orderlies to help me pull her out of the car and into the E.R. proper.


    I asked the admitting nurse if there was a police officer on site, and she got on the P.A. and summoned one quickly enough.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, looking at me, all dirty and disheveled, with my work clothes trashed from fighting on the dirty asphalt.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to report an assault,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Who attacked you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The woman in the E.R., Linda¡­ something,¡± I replied. His puzzled expression prompted me to explain further. ¡°She pestered me at my gym while I was working out. She wanted to fight me, and I told her no. She left, but then jumped me when I was walking to my car. We fought there in the parking lot and I busted her up pretty good.¡±


    Taking notes, the policeman asked ¡°She jumped you, but you beat her up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty much it,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯d like to file assault charges against her.¡±


    ¡°But you beat her up,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, but she jumped me first. I didn¡¯t want to fight, but she attacked me in the freaking parking lot of my gym.¡±


    ¡°So you beat her up. Then brought her in to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°What was I supposed to do? Not fight back? Or are you saying I should have left her lying on the pavement after we fought?¡± I demanded, exasperated. ¡°Look, Officer, I wasn¡¯t about to just take a beating, and once the fight was over I also wasn¡¯t about to just leave her there. I got some of the guys from the gym to help me get her in my car and brought her here because it was the right thing to do, even if she is some kind of psycho.¡±


    ¡°So there are witnesses?¡± he asked, again writing in his notebook.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody saw the fight, but I know Marco, the guy that manages the gym, saw her confronting me before she went outside and he was one of the ones that helped get her into my car.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, then asked me for the details on which gym and where, and so on. He then went back into the E.R. to get a statement from Linda.


    ¡°She really just attacked you, all out of the blue?¡± the admitting nurse asked. She¡¯d clearly been listening in on the whole thing, so I didn¡¯t bother to try to deny any of it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°I guess word had gotten around that I was some kind of fighter, so she came to my gym, to, I don¡¯t know, size up the competition or something. She offered me five thousand dollars if I could beat her, even.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like she owes you some money,¡± the nurse laughed. Then, changing into her professional capacity, she asked if I wanted somebody to look at my scrapes and bruises.


    After a nurse cleaned up some of my pavement scrapes and a doctor examined my knee, I was released. I looked around until I found Linda¡¯s bed. She looked pretty bad, and I kinda felt sorry for her. Then again, she¡¯d attacked me, so she only got what she deserved.


    ¡°You owe me five grand,¡± I said, hoping to lighten the mood.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. You cheated,¡± she responded, her voice sounding painful.


    ¡°I told you I¡¯m a street fighter,¡± I said.


    ¡°You fucking strangled me! You could have fucking killed me!¡± she croaked, her throat still badly damaged.


    I leaned in close so only she could hear me. ¡°I told you that¡¯s what I do,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re the first I¡¯ve let live.¡± I let that sink in for a moment, then added, ¡°If I¡¯d really wanted you dead, you would be, now.¡± Yeah, I know it was melodramatic, but it had the desired effect. It took the wind out of her sails and shut her right up.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve filed assault charges against you,¡± I added. ¡°I¡¯ll drop them if you go away and I never see you again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna sue you,¡± Linda threatened. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fucking sue you for everything you¡¯ve got!¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± I replied with a little laugh. ¡°I have lawyers on retainer that make me look like a gentle pussycat. My lawyers will do to your lawyers what I just did to you, but worse. They will grind you mercilessly, and everything you now own will belong to me soon enough. You¡¯re feeling messed up now, but just wait until I¡¯ve set my pit bulls on you. No, really, you only have one choice. Walk away. Walk away and forget this whole thing happened. You do that, and so will I. You make me more trouble, though, and I will crush you.¡± With that, and without any further discussion, I left the hospital.


    I stopped by the office, mostly to tell Brenda that I wasn¡¯t going to be working that day.


    She took one look at me, looking as if I¡¯d just gotten in a street fight in a dirty parking lot, and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Things got a bit out of hand on my way in to work this morning,¡± I said, making light of it.


    ¡°You look like you got in a fight!¡± she said, looking me up and down. ¡°I don¡¯t think that jacket will be salvageable,¡± she said. ¡°Or those pants. Or shoes. Seriously, were you in a car accident?¡±


    ¡°No, you were right. I did get in a fight,¡± I admitted.


    Just then Jake walked by and did a double-take when he saw me. ¡°Holy cow, Leah,¡± he said, taking in my torn clothes and bandaged hands. ¡°How does the other guy look?¡± he joked.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to keep her in the hospital overnight for observation,¡± I said. ¡°I busted her up pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Wait- you weren¡¯t joking about being in a fight?¡± Brenda asked.


    ¡°No, I really was in a fight. This UFC chick, Linda something, she jumped me in my gym¡¯s parking lot after my workout today, so I beat her up.¡±


    ¡°Linda¡­ Rubio?¡± Jake asked. By this time a couple of others had gathered, making for a small crowd.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you saying you just beat up Linda Rubio?¡± asked Jake.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. And since I don¡¯t really look or feel up for work today, I¡¯m gonna head home and maybe spend some time in the hot tub, or maybe just ice my knee,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Brenda said, looking sadly at my expensive clothes, now too damaged to fix.


    ¡°Do you need a ride?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be O.K. driving,¡± I said. ¡°But thanks. I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow.¡±


    Jake followed me to the elevator. ¡°Did this really happen? You got in a fight in your gym¡¯s parking lot with the UFC ex-champion?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it really happened,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Look, Jake, she came looking for a fight and didn¡¯t take it well when I told her to shove off- I wasn¡¯t interested. She waited until I left the gym, then attacked me. The simple reality is that I¡¯m a lot bigger and stronger than she is.¡±


    He got in the elevator with me for the ride down to the parking level, still wanting to talk.


    ¡°Look, I know this is going to be all over the office, and that¡¯s¡­ whatever, but the important detail is that she attacked me, and I defended myself,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, the important part is that you fought one of the best fighters pound for pound in the world and put her in the hospital, and all you got were some scrapes and bruises. That¡¯s completely badass,¡± Jake countered.


    ¡°Pound for pound,¡± I said. ¡°I must outweigh her by fifty pounds. I had six inches on her at least. She¡¯s a better wrestler than me, but she can¡¯t take my punches or kicks.¡±


    ¡°I like a woman who can take a punch,¡± Jake said, joking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll tell HR you said that,¡± I said with a laugh as the elevator door opened.


    ¡°No, probably best for me if you don¡¯t,¡± he agreed. ¡°I¡¯d offer to walk you to your car, but you¡¯re probably safer down here than I am.¡±


    ¡°See you tomorrow, Jake,¡± I said. ¡°And make sure to spread it around that I did nothing to provoke Linda Rubio to attack me. It was all her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, will do,¡± he said. ¡°Where- what hospital is she in?¡±


    ¡°The little one on Santa Monica,¡± I said as the elevator doors shut.

 Not As Relaxing As You Might Think

    I went straight to the bedroom when I got home, ditching my trashed suit for a pair of loose shorts and a tank top. Wandering into the kitchen, I saw Emmy and Angela out on the deck, having lunch with Jenna and Jen.


    ¡°Hey, baby!¡± Angela called out when she spotted me. She jumped up to come inside and give me a kiss, but checked up once she got a good look at me.


    ¡°What happened? Did you get in a crash?¡± she asked, concerned as she looked at the bandage on my knee and the wraps on my hands. She touched my cheek gently, asking if it hurt, and I realized that yeah, it did a bit.


    ¡°No, I was in a fight,¡± I said as the others came inside to see what was going on. ¡°My Armani suit is toast.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Emmy said. ¡°The gray linen suit? I liked that on you.¡±


    ¡°You really got in a fight?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°I thought you said you knew her,¡± Jen said to Jenna. ¡°Of course she got in a fight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re O.K.,¡± Angela said, wrapping me in a gentle hug, careful in case I was sore.


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K.,¡± I agreed. ¡°I could use some ice for my knee, but other than that it¡¯s just bruises and scrapes.¡±


    Angela took my hand and led me to the kitchen and sat me down while she hunted for a ziplock bag for ice.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°We have chicken salad, and fresh grapefruit juice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be great, thanks,¡± I said, accepting the ice pack from Angela.


    ¡°So what happened?¡± Jen asked. ¡°And who did you beat up this time?¡±


    ¡°Some professional UFC fighter named Linda Rubio,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯d heard I was a fighter and came to my gym to get me to fight. I told her to get lost, so she waited in the parking lot until I came out. She jumped me, I beat her up,¡± I said, savoring the feel of the acid in the juice on my cut lip.


    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re some kind of magnet for this sort of thing,¡± Jen said, shaking her head.


    ¡°This happens a lot? I heard about the thing in Arizona, but¡­¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°One time in a bar in Austin some drunk chick threatened Leah with a broken bottle, just like in the movies, right? But Leah just calmly knocked her out cold, like it was no big deal,¡± Jen said. ¡°What happened in Arizona?¡±


    Jenna told Jen about the fight at the barbecue place in Wilcox, getting a lot of the details completely wrong, but whatever. I didn¡¯t correct her, and neither did Angela or Emmy, to my surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds believable,¡± Jen said when Jenna finished with the story. ¡°Like I said, trouble seems to find Leah.¡±


    After I finished lunch, Angela dragged me back to our bathroom to check me over and make sure all my scrapes were clean. She removed my bandages, most of which weren¡¯t really necessary. I wasn¡¯t actually bleeding anymore, and the worst road rash on my knee was superficial. Normally a shower with my dark-haired beauty would be a lot of fun, but Angela focused on cleaning me up and resisted my feeble attempts to get in a bit of sexy time. She scrubbed me carefully, then dried me off and didn¡¯t bother with any new bandages.


    ¡°They will heal better if they can breathe,¡± Angela pronounced, but I wasn¡¯t actually sure that was true. Still, she seemed confident, and so I went along with it. I did like it when she kissed my owies to make them better. Even if it didn¡¯t help my scrapes any, it made my heart feel better. This wonderful woman was going to make an amazing mother, hopefully by this time next year.


    Rejoining the group out on the deck, I poured myself a Cuba Libre to help relax.


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re bartending, I¡¯ll take one, too,¡± Jen said from her lounge chair.


    ¡°If you have a bottle open, maybe some white wine?¡± requested Jenna, and Emmy and Angela both chimed in that they¡¯d like some, too. I dutifully opened a bottle of Riesling and poured three glasses, then mixed some rum and Coke for Jen, adding a squeeze of lime.


    Once the excitement of hearing about my fight wore off, the conversation turned to buying art for the LA house. I really had nothing useful to add to the conversation that had obviously been going on before I got home, so I just sipped my drink and relaxed in the shade.


    Every now and then a question required my, ¡°Uh huh,¡± or, ¡°Yeah, sounds good,¡± but otherwise I just let myself drift, not really paying attention to the specific words. The sound of the birds in the trees, the voices of my two beloved wives and our two friends¡­ It was peaceful and calming, just what I needed after the morning I¡¯d had.


    Next thing I knew, Emmy was shaking my shoulder to wake me up. ¡°I think you need a nap,¡± she said, her voice gentle.


    ¡°I was taking a nap,¡± I said, still a bit groggy. This got a laugh from Jen and Jenna, and a little smile from Emmy.


    ¡°I think you would be more comfortable in bed,¡± she said, urging me to get up and go to our bedroom.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright,¡± I said, but when I tried to sit up I realized I actually was quite sore.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Emmy asked, concerned by my groan of discomfort.


    ¡°I¡¯m just really feeling, you know, like I got in a fight or something,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe instead of a nap I should jump in the Jacuzzi for a while.¡±


    ¡°You do not think the water would be painful for your scrapes?¡±


    ¡°Maybe a bit,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°But mostly now it¡¯s my muscles that are sore.¡±


    ¡°I think she should do some hot tubbing,¡± Jen said. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m feeling like some hot water and bubbles might be good for me, too. I¡¯ll keep her company.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Jenna said, sitting up in her seat. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this was going to turn into a hot tub party. I didn¡¯t bring my bathing suit.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring mine, either,¡± Jen said with a lascivious leer. ¡°Not gonna stop me.¡±


    ¡°Are we gonna be skinny-dipping, then?¡± Jenna asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Hell yes,¡± Jen replied, starting to strip off her clothes.


    Angela looked at me, concerned that things might be getting out of hand, but I just shrugged.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, slowly getting to my feet and crossing the deck to remove the hot tub¡¯s cover and turn the jets on.


    Jen wasted no time slipping into the hot water, already nude.


    ¡°Jen, I like your new tattoos,¡± I said. ¡°Well, the dragon and the heart, anyway. I¡¯m not so sure about the chest plate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had these for a while,¡± she said, looking down at the filigree design between her breasts.


    ¡°I guess I just haven¡¯t seen you naked in a while,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen her naked before?¡± Jenna asked, trying to decide if she was going to skinny dip or not.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°The very first time we met, she got a better view than my gynecologist,¡± Jen said with a smirk.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I said, turning to Jenna. ¡°The first time we ever met, she spread her legs for me.¡±


    ¡°I never heard this story,¡± Angela said, joining us by the hot tub.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great story,¡± Jen said. ¡°Hey, hand me the TV remote, will you?¡±


    Angela handed her the remote, puzzled by the request.


    I could see that Angela and Jenna wanted to join Jen in the tub, but weren¡¯t sure about skinny dipping. It was up to me, and whether I took off my clothes or not.


    I looked at Jen, grinning wolfishly and sitting high enough that her breasts were well out of the water, making sure we all saw.


    ¡®Sure, why not?¡¯ I thought to myself, so I ditched my tank top and slid my shorts down and tossed them all on one of the lounge chairs, climbing in to join Jen.


    ¡°Holy fuck,¡± Jenna said, and I turned to look at her. She had her hand over her mouth, looking me up and down, her eyes wide. She turned to look at Angela and said, ¡°You said she was ¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°Jesus fuck, Leah,¡± Jen said as I slid down into the hot water. ¡°You are built like the proverbial brick outhouse.¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Jenna said. ¡°I mean, seriously, Lee. Angela said you were big, and I mean, I¡¯ve seen you in shorts and whatever, but seeing you like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Naked, you mean?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± Jenna agreed.


    While we were talking, Emmy slipped quietly into the hot tub, also completely free of any swim suit. This prompted Angela to strip down and join us, leaving Jenna as the only one not in the water. Of course we were all staring at her, making it that much more embarrassing for her to take off her own clothes while we watched.


    ¡°Quid pro quo,¡± I reminded her, making her blush even redder. Unable to face us, she turned away before stripping off her clothes.


    When her underwear slipped down around her ankles I let out a wolf whistle, saying, ¡°Check out that bubble butt!¡±


    Jenna turned around quickly, one arm across her breasts and the other hand covering her crotch. She walked like that to the hot tub, but needed her hands to climb into the Jacuzzi, making the effort of covering up go to waste.


    ¡°Nice rack, Jenna,¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess I deserved that,¡± she admitted once her breasts were well hidden by the water.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious,¡± I said. ¡°You have a nice body, and your boobs are really pretty. Nothing to be ashamed of there.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong,¡± Jen agreed. ¡°Natural boobs like yours are the hotness these days. A pair like yours could get you decent work in a club.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess?¡± Jenna said, still feeling bashful.


    Jen had surfed through the smart TV¡¯s menu and found what she wanted, so she directed us all to look at the screen as she played The Downfall¡¯s video for ¡°I want you to want me.¡±


    ¡°So, Jen,¡± Jen said. ¡°The story is that Emmy and the boys wanted to do a video for this song, right? So Leah stopped at the club I worked at and asked who their best pole dancer was. The bartender told her that was me, and I¡¯d be dancing the next day. So Leah came back and watched my routine, then offered me a bunch of money to teach her girlfriend- they weren¡¯t married yet- how to pole dance. I actually choreographed this routine Emmy¡¯s doing here, you see? So yeah, Leah watched me dance naked before we even really talked.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s how you met Lee?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Yeah, at the video shoot,¡± Jen agreed. ¡°Next thing you know¡­¡±


    ¡°How did you and Emmy meet?¡± Jenna asked me.


    ¡°High school,¡± I said, ¡°But you knew that.¡±


    ¡°I guess I meant ¡®how did you guys fall in love?¡¯,¡± Jenna corrected.


    ¡°I guess it was just kind of gradual, you know? We were spending a lot of time together, and just- next thing you know¡­¡± I said, parroting what Jen had said. ¡°How did you and Andy meet?¡±


    ¡°It was typical meet-cute,¡± Jenna said, thinking back. ¡°We were both sophomores, and first day of fall term we wound up sitting next to each other in Calculus class. He hadn¡¯t gotten the textbook yet, so he asked if he could share mine. We went to lunch together after that, and got to talking, you know? Next thing you know¡­¡± she said, getting a laugh from everybody.


    The conversation stayed light and soon enough Jenna grew more comfortable, feeling less awkward about being naked.


    After a while, and a few more rounds of drinks, Jenna¡¯s phone rang and she got out of the tub to answer without any concerns for modesty.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± she said. ¡°Andy¡¯s here! He tried the doorbell, but I guess we didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s busted,¡± I said. ¡°Just tell him to come on back.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re all naked!¡± Jenna said, suddenly becoming aware of her own nudity.


    ¡°He¡¯s seen me naked before,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d love this,¡± Jenna said. ¡°Five naked women in a hot tub? Isn¡¯t that every guy¡¯s fantasy?¡±


    Angela and Emmy both looked at me for some sort of signal, but I just shrugged. ¡°You guys do what you want. I¡¯m fine with Andy seeing me naked. Like I said, he¡¯s seen me with no clothes on before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting out,¡± Angela said, displaying surprising modesty for someone who posts implied nudes online. She stood up, and I took a moment to appreciate her amazing body before she wrapped herself in one of the big towels from the cabinet.


    ¡°I think I will, too,¡± Emmy said, following Angela¡¯s lead.


    I looked over at Jen, who just shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck, one way or another,¡± she said, so I settled back down into the hot water. I was getting pretty well pruned up by this point, but it did feel good on my muscles, so I wanted to stay in longer. If that meant flashing Andy, well, that was fine.


    Jenna ushered Andy back and I waved him to the bar. ¡°We¡¯ve all got a couple of drinks in us already, so you need to get caught up.¡±


    ¡°Lee, are you naked?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hey! I am, too!¡± Jen said, indignant. To prove her point, she sat up on the edge of the hot tub, to show off the fact she wasn¡¯t merely topless.


    Seeing Angela, Emmy and Jenna¡¯s towels, he realized that maybe he¡¯d missed out on something special. ¡°Wait- were you all skinny dipping?¡±


    ¡°You missed it,¡± Jenna said, opening up her towel and flashing him.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Andy said. Looking up at the skies, he said, ¡°Why, God, why did you curse me with bad traffic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late for you to join Leah and me,¡± Jen said, giving Jenna a wink.


    ¡°But mix me up another Old Fashioned before you do,¡± I said, again pointing at the bar. ¡°You know how I like ¡®em.¡±


    Andy dutifully stepped behind the bar and started pouring. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed you guys all naked in the hot tub,¡± he said mournfully. ¡°Jen, you want anything?¡± he asked, being good about not ogling her too much.


    ¡°Another rum and Coke?¡± Jen requested.


    ¡°Like Jen said, some of us still are naked in the hot tub. Ditch those clothes and come on in,¡± I told him as he handed me my drink. I was feeling pretty well buzzed by this point, but that was fine.


    Jenna wrapped her arms around him from behind. ¡°It¡¯s O.K. if you wanna,¡± she told him.


    Jen climbed out of the hot tub and stretched ostentatiously, of course drawing everyone¡¯s eyes. She announced she was going to swim a little bit, then slipped into our small deck pool and did a few backstrokes, which of course made her boobs jiggle right above the water.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright to look,¡± Jenna assured Andy. ¡°Jen wants you to look.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± Andy said, making a point of not looking anywhere near the pool.


    Jenna laughed, and reached up and turned his head towards where Jen was swimming. ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. We¡¯re all grown-ups, right? What¡¯s the big deal, if Jen and Leah are exhibitionists, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Still not actually an exhibitionist,¡± I protested.


    ¡°I am,¡± Jen countered from the pool.


    Andy looked back at me and asked, ¡°Lee, seriously, what is going on here?¡±


    ¡°I was feeling really achy and sore and thought I¡¯d get in some Jacuzzi time. I mentioned it, and next thing you know, we were all hot tubbing naked,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Just like that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I confirmed. ¡°But when you showed up, Angela, Jenna and Emmy all got out.¡±


    ¡°Why were you achy and sore?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, I got in a fight this morning,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°That explains your black eye,¡± he said.


    ¡°Aw, shit,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I was getting a black eye.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not too bad, really,¡± he said, making sure to keep his eyes above my neck.


    ¡°Andy,¡± I said. ¡°I might not actually be an exhibitionist, but I wouldn¡¯t still be in this tub if I was worried about you seeing me naked. Don¡¯t worry about it. I mean, you¡¯ve already seen me naked before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that was when we were eleven,¡± he countered.


    ¡°It¡¯s still me.¡±


    ¡°You sure don¡¯t look like you did then,¡± he said. ¡°You didn¡¯t have shoulders like that back then, or those arms.¡±


    ¡°Or these boobs,¡± I said.


    ¡°Or those boobs,¡± Andy agreed.


    ¡°Take off your clothes and join me in here,¡± I said. ¡°If you do, I¡¯d bet that some of the others will ditch their towels.¡±


    ¡°I will if you do,¡± Jenna agreed.


    Andy looked around, then came to a decision. He kicked off his shoes, then toed off his socks. He pulled his shirt off over his head, tossing it on an empty chair. With one last glance around, he undid the button and fly on his shorts and let them fall down around his ankles, revealing that he ran commando.


    ¡°If I¡¯d have known, I would have manscaped a bit better,¡± he joked, which of course made me look at his package. His pubes weren¡¯t wildly unruly, so he must keep them trimmed with some regularity, I thought.


    Once fully naked, Andy climbed into the hot tub with me, his chin held high.


    ¡°So- tell me about this fight,¡± he said, acting nonchalant.


    Jenna slipped out of her towel and sunk into the water next to her fianc¨¦.


    Jen had gotten out of the pool and settled into a lounge chair in the sun, not bothering to cover up at all (and making sure she was in Andy¡¯s field of view).


    I told him the whole story of what had happened at the gym, and he made all the right comments at all the right moments. ¡°What a bitch!¡± He said when I told him she threatened to sue. ¡°But she jumped you!¡±


    ¡°I told her my lawyers would treat her rougher than I did,¡± I said. ¡°My lawyers are completely merciless, but I¡¯m only mostly merciless.¡±


    Andy laughed at that and raised his hand for a high five, which I returned. ¡°Here''s to bloodthirsty lawyers!"


    ¡°This whole thing is crazy,¡± Jenna said. ¡°I mean, who in their right mind would pick a fight against that?¡± She asked, indicating me.


    ¡°Not me,¡± Andy agreed. ¡°I mean, even when we were kids, Leah was one hell of a fighter. She got into a lot of fights, and I don¡¯t think she ever lost a single one. Heck, that guy I told you about at the nude beach? I one hundred per cent guarantee she would¡¯ve used his nuts as a punching bag if he hadn¡¯t booked it.¡±


    ¡°One hundred per cent,¡± I agreed, making a fist and waving it.

 It Was a Good Day

    I stopped by the fight gym the next morning, right when Eddie opened up.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m done here,¡± I told him. ¡°Go ahead and cancel my membership.¡±


    ¡°Is this about yesterday? About the fight?¡± Eddie asked as we walked to the front desk.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but most of all it¡¯s about Linda Rubio hearing about me from whatever idiots Marco talked to. I don¡¯t need my business broadcast around like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Eddie admitted. ¡°When I heard about the whole thing last night, I gave him a steaming plateful of shit for it.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, a bit too late,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, well, he won¡¯t do it again,¡± Eddie said, handing me the paperwork to sign. ¡°The guys are all going to miss you, you know. You¡¯re quite the topic for discussion around here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not be,¡± I replied, handing him back the signed papers.


    On my way out, I bumped into Richie coming in.


    ¡°Not working out today?¡± he asked, looking at my work clothes.


    ¡°I just quit my membership,¡± I said.


    ¡°Because of yesterday?¡± he asked, even though he wasn¡¯t there when the whole thing happened, proving that yes, word had gotten around.


    ¡°Because of big mouths,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That sucks,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, that really sucks. You gonna find another gym?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± I said. ¡°I might just work out at the super secret government assassin HQ, you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d probably be more convenient,¡± he agreed with a laugh.


    I was first to the office, hoping to make up for some of what I¡¯d skipped out on yesterday. I had over an hour and a half before Jake poked his head in to see how I was doing.


    ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± he asked, taking the seat across from my desk.


    ¡°My knee is a little sore and I have a few scrapes, but I¡¯m O.K.,¡± I said.


    ¡°Your black eye isn¡¯t as bad as I¡¯d thought it was gonna be,¡± he said, touching his cheekbone.


    ¡°Thankfully, I don¡¯t bruise very easily,¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a real positive trait, given your lifestyle choices,¡± Jake said. ¡°Kickboxing seems like a bad choice of activities for anybody that bruises easily.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sure would be,¡± I agreed.


    Changing topics, Jake asked, ¡°Is this going to blow back on the company? What do you think any repercussions might be?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± I said. ¡°Linda Rubio isn¡¯t going to want people to know that she got involved in an unsanctioned fight, and even less that she lost and had to go to the hospital, right? So I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to make a stink. I also think she¡¯s got no real grounds to sue, and if she does talk to a lawyer, they¡¯d figure out pretty quickly who represents me and they¡¯d probably tell her to give it up. No, I think the worst that could happen is for the story to get picked up by some sort of MMA-focused news outlet, or, God forbid, TMZ or some tabloid outlet like that. If that happens, the story could blow up and maybe the company could get some press.¡±


    ¡°Our owners and investors wouldn¡¯t like that sort of publicity,¡± Jake said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Some wouldn¡¯t,¡± I agreed, ¡°But some would. I know for a fact that at least a handful have signed with us because they¡¯ve heard my reputation for being a fighter. Those folks would only have their beliefs confirmed.¡±


    ¡°Metaphorical fighter is different than street fighter,¡± Jake countered.


    ¡°No, I mean my reputation as a street fighter. There have been rumors for a long time that I literally beat people up, and more than one investor has told me that it was a factor in deciding to invest with us. They think that someone who¡¯s known to use their fists won¡¯t take any shit in the boardroom, either.¡±


    ¡°Was this here, or up in the Silicon Valley?¡±


    ¡°A few down here, but mostly up there. I think the business community is smaller up there and they all talk, you know? Down here, it¡¯s just too big a city for everybody to know everybody,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± he said.


    Just then Sandy knocked on the door and peeked in. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, Boss, Jake. Leah, is it true? Did you really put Linda Rubio in the hospital yesterday?¡±


    I waved him to come in and sit down. ¡°Jake and I were just discussing what ramifications it may have on the company.¡±


    ¡°This could be huge,¡± Sandy said. ¡°You know everybody up in the South Bay already thinks you¡¯re a badass, right? Well, this might jump start that same rep down here. We could really capitalize on it with just the right PR.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I want this to blow over. Don¡¯t make a big deal about it,¡± I told him.


    Visibly deflating, Sandy said, ¡°Are ya sure? This could be to our benefit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss, Boss,¡± Sandy said, standing up. ¡°Hey, will you have time to look at a couple of sites this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°I should be able to,¡± I said. I quickly checked my calendar and said, ¡°I¡¯m free after two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you then,¡± he said, shutting the door as he left.


    ¡°O.K., I get that the hospitality world is different,¡± Jake said. ¡°Celebrity owners are a big deal, but not in property management.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed. ¡°And that¡¯s why I want this kept quiet. We don¡¯t need this sort of publicity.¡±


    After Jake left, I got back to work my market analysis for the Dana point project. It was looking more and more as if we were going to have to carry pretty much the whole thing, and I really wanted to make sure we were going to come good. Time passed quickly, and all too soon Sandy was knocking on my doorframe to remind me I¡¯d promised I¡¯d make a couple of site inspections with him.


    ¡°Give me ten minutes,¡± I said. ¡°I need to finish a couple of emails.¡±


    ¡°You want to drive together, or separately?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°One¡¯s in Hollywood, the other Silver Lake,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Then separately. I¡¯d rather not come back all the way here to get my car, only to head back to Hollywood afterwards.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll text you the first address. See ya there,¡± he said, pulling out his phone as he left.


    The first place was on Wilcox, just off Sunset. It had been built as a movie theater back in the Thirties, during the Golden Age of cinema- the period of large, ornate movie houses. It was currently limping along as a discount clothing store, just barely keeping the doors open. I found a parking spot nearby and joined Sandy outside the shabby clothing store.


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    ¡°This place is perfect!¡± Sandy said, his Aussie accent strong with his excitement.


    ¡°Looks like a dump,¡± I said, doubtfully.


    ¡°Oh, it is, now,¡± Sandy agreed. ¡°But the space is amazing, and with creative restoration it¡¯ll be stunning.¡± He led me inside, and I could see what he meant. The grandeur of the old theater had been let slide into ruin over the decades, but the high ceiling, with its elaborate plasterwork, had remained untouched.


    Sandy led me to the checkout counter and asked for somebody named named Emilio.


    ¡°Emilio Ardu?o owns this building,¡± Sandy explained to me. ¡°He¡¯s eager to sell.¡±


    When Emilio arrived, Sandy asked him for a tour of the place. ¡°This is my boss,¡± he said to Emilio. ¡°She¡¯s the one making the final decision.¡±


    After we shook hands and he looked at me curiously, presumably wondering about my black eye, he said, ¡°Would you like the full tour?¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± I said.


    He indicated we should follow him as he led us to a side door. ¡°The old stage and screen were walled off years ago, but we use it for storage,¡± he said, indicating the high space. Although the lights were poor, I could see the old catwalk up behind the new wall where the old curtain had been.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t take much to bring it all back to life,¡± Sandy said, seeing what I was looking at.


    ¡°I guess I don¡¯t really understand why you¡¯d need all this for a nightclub,¡± I said as we followed Emilio down some really shabby stairs down into the old backstage area.


    ¡°The whole concept relies on live music, and live performers,¡± Sandy said, clearly exasperated that I hadn¡¯t paid as much attention to his pet project as I clearly should have.


    ¡°Yeah, I get that, but somehow I¡¯d thought you wanted something more, um, intimate,¡± I said, afraid to touch anything, for fear of tetanus.


    ¡°I think that was the right way to go up in San Jose,¡± Sandy admitted. ¡°But this city is something else. This place thrives on- demands even- spectacle. Intimate is good, but ostentatious is better.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I said.


    ¡°This could be my crowning glory, Leah,¡± Sandy said. ¡°This could take us into the big leagues. Trust me on this one,¡± he said, almost pleading.


    ¡°Emilio, what are you asking for the building, as is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Seven and a half million,¡± he replied.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll take four and a half, you can have it in your hand by lunchtime tomorrow,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, no way I can take that,¡± he said. ¡°Even at seven, I¡¯m not asking what it¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°If you change your mind, you have Sandy¡¯s phone number, right? C¡¯mon, Sandy, let¡¯s look at the other place you found.¡±


    Sandy had a stricken look on his face, but didn¡¯t say anything as we walked out. He followed me to where I¡¯d parked.


    ¡°Six is fair for the building,¡± Sandy said. ¡°It¡¯s in rough shape now, but-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll sell. He¡¯ll try to talk us up, but he¡¯ll accept four and a half,¡± I said. ¡°This place has been shopped on and off the market for years, and nobody¡¯s even made an offer, as far as my research shows,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s only worth what people are willing to pay for it, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m willing to pay for it.¡±


    Sandy stared at me for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re the boss,¡± he said. He pulled out his phone and texted me the address of the second site he wanted to show me, over in Silver Lake. ¡°You wanted Emilio to think we were going to look at another place to buy instead of his, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked, but he knew the answer.


    I gave Sandy a smile and said, ¡°See you over there.¡± Exiting the lot I lit the tires up just to amuse myself and to remind Sandy that I wasn¡¯t all work and no play.


    The place in Silver Lake was a classic neighborhood bar, unassuming from the outside. It was bigger than most dives, but had the requisite neon Corona Beer signs, billiard tables and dartboards. Looking around, I could easily imagine Stephanie cleaning up at the pool tables, taking unsuspecting chumps for drink money. This bar wasn¡¯t super close to her house, but it wasn¡¯t far, either. I made a mental note to ask if she ever stops by.


    ¡°Take a seat anywhere, hon,¡± the middle-aged waitress said with a wave.


    Instead of sitting, I wandered around the room. Noticing that they must have a kitchen, I wondered what Sandy saw in the place that would make it worth our time.


    Just then he walked in and spotted me. ¡°What do you think?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Looks like any other dive bar and grill anywhere,¡± I said.


    ¡°Did you look closely at the pictures?¡± he asked, indicating the old-school signed head shots framed on the walls. ¡°You are standing in the oldest operating bar in Los Angeles,¡± he said. ¡°Not the first bar, of course, but the one that¡¯s been in business the longest.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s up for sale?¡± I asked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Owner wants to retire, kids don¡¯t want to run a bar. Same old story,¡± Sandy said, indicating we should sit at the bar.


    The bearded hipster bartender asked us what we wanted, his gaze lingering on my black eye for a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a pour of the Van Winkle fifteen,¡± Sandy said without hesitation.


    The bartender gave him a look and asked, ¡°You know that¡¯s four hundred dollars, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sandy said. ¡°I think my friend here will need to see the rare bottle list.¡±


    The hipster bartender pulled a printed sheet of paper from the back counter and handed it to me, then turned and grabbed the Rip Van Winkle from a glass-fronted case and poured it for Sandy.


    Looking at the list, I asked, ¡°You actually have a bottle of Four Roses Fiftieth?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll take a double.¡±


    ¡°You see the price?¡± The bartender asked, making sure I knew I was ordering a six hundred dollar pour.


    ¡°I see you have the full bottle prices,¡± I said. ¡°These look a little high, but I¡¯ll take a bottle to go, too.¡±


    ¡°And now you understand,¡± Sandy said with a laugh.


    The bartender set my tumbler of golden liquid down in front of me, saying that he¡¯d get me my bottle when we were ready to go.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± Sandy said. ¡°For most people that walk in here, it¡¯s just a hip dive bar, right? But this place has the best whiskey list in town. I¡¯ve seen their storeroom downstairs, and it¡¯s a literal gold mine. The seller has connections in the industry you can¡¯t believe, and he can get anything, and usually has a bottle or two in the basement. He¡¯s agreed to stay on as buying agent. I¡¯ve talked to him about expanding his activities to work as a buyer for our various clubs.¡±


    ¡°I get it now,¡± I said. ¡°Really, we¡¯d be buying this guy¡¯s contacts and relationships, and getting this bar as a sort of bonus.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I promised him we wouldn¡¯t loot this bar¡¯s stock for our other venues,¡± Sandy said.


    I took a sip of my whiskey, savoring the sweet, mellow caramel, tobacco and leather notes as it went down. The bartender was watching, so I gave him a smile. ¡°Four thousand bucks for a bottle of whiskey is ridiculous,¡± I told him as I took another sip. ¡°But sometimes you just have to treat yourself.¡±


    ¡°True dat,¡± he said with a nod. Apparently I¡¯d passed the test.


    ¡°So what do you think?¡± Sandy asked, enjoying his own stupid-expensive drink.


    ¡°Make the deal,¡± I said. ¡°But part of what needs to happen is that the seller needs to take on an apprentice, so when he finally does retire for good we won¡¯t be left high and dry.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anybody in mind?¡± Sandy asked.


    ¡°Are you angling for the gig?¡± I asked with a laugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s my dream job,¡± Sandy said, smiling.


    Of course I was right- a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush, and Emilio Ardu?o gave in and settled for four and a half for that old theater the next morning. I told Sandy that he had the go-ahead to build his dream club, but he¡¯d better strike while the iron is hot.


    ¡°I want the doors open by this time next year at the absolute latest,¡± I told him. ¡°We don¡¯t want anybody poaching our concept.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hell no,¡± he agreed. ¡°The moment Emilio signs the paperwork I¡¯m going to have our crews in there to start the work. I¡¯m gonna keep it all in-house.¡±


    When Sandy came into my office with the paperwork later in the morning, he handed me a bottle of Michter¡¯s Rye Twenty-Five. ¡°This is a ¡®Thank you¡¯ from Ted for buying the bar and its stock, but even more than that, agreeing to sign him on as buyer for our group. He really liked the idea of an apprentice, too.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± I said, admiring the bottle. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to enjoy this.¡±


    ¡°I brought two glasses,¡± Sandy said, helpfully.


    I laughed and told him to come back at four, at the end of the day.


    Jake came into my office later and saw the bottle sitting on my desk. ¡°Don¡¯t let the boss catch you drinking on the job,¡± he said, picking up the bottle to look closely.


    ¡°Careful with that,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s worth around fifteen grand.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± he asked, gingerly setting the bottle back down on the desk.


    ¡°I looked it up, and the last bottle to come up on auction went for that, yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Fifteen thousand dollars. So that¡¯s about, what, twelve hundred bucks for a two-ounce pour?¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s way too rich for my blood,¡± Jake said. ¡°I¡¯m more of a beer man, anyway. Never really did develop a taste for hard alcohol.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s probably for the best,¡± I said, picking up the bottle and admiring the deep amber-red color of the rye inside.


    Sandy didn¡¯t manage to make it back for his taste of the grain, so I took the bottle home with me. I sat it up on the top shelf of the home bar, giving it pride of place. The reality is that I might never actually open that bottle, but if the right occasion ever came up, well¡­


    Wondering where Emmy and Angela were, I wandered through the house looking for them. I found the two of them in the small bedroom next to ours that was going to be our nursery, snuggled together on a pile of pillows, wrapped in a big, soft comforter from our bed. The room was empty except for the two of them, sleeping peacefully in each other¡¯s arms. I quietly took out my phone and snapped a few photos, planning to load them onto my digital picture frame at work.


    I sat down against the opposite wall and just looked at the two. Quite some time passed like that, the two beautiful women cuddled together in their loving embrace while I engraved the memory deep in my soul.


    This moment was perfect and I would have been happy to simply stare at the two forever, but eventually Angela woke up. Not realizing I was there, she gently kissed Emmy¡¯s hair and gave her a little nudge to wake up.


    ¡°Em, Lee¡¯s gonna be home soon,¡± Angela murmured. ¡°We should get up.¡±


    ¡°She can come join us when she gets home,¡± Emmy said, burrowing against Angela.


    ¡°I would, but I didn¡¯t want to wake you two,¡± I said, my voice soft, but still startling both of them.


    ¡°Lee!¡± Angela squeaked. ¡°You scared me!¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized as I made my way over to the two. I leaned down and kissed each in turn, then again for good measure. ¡°You two were too peaceful to wake up.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± Emmy asked, her voice still a bit groggy.


    ¡°Maybe half an hour?¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°You guys were so adorable I just lost track of time.¡±


    ¡°We were talking about babies,¡± Emmy said, her voice still a little thick.


    ¡°I figured,¡± I said, stroking her fine, white hair. ¡°You two are going to be such wonderful mothers.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I so desperately want this to work.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine anything I want more than a household with our little girls running around, laughing and singing.¡±


    ¡°This, I want so very much, too,¡± Angela said, moisture forming in her big, blue eyes. ¡°I want our little nenas to sing, and dance, and have the best lives anyone could ever have.¡±


    ¡°They will,¡± I assured her with another kiss. ¡°Of course they will.¡±

 Teed Up

    The next morning Angela and I took the M6 to meet the boys for our Saturday morning drive. I¡¯d come to realize that the Porsche really wasn¡¯t very much fun on city streets or mountain roads unless it was driven at warp speed, and although my Saturday boys were fast, only Stein was ever willing to go the kind of speeds it would take to get exciting in the Spyder.


    When Jimmy got his coffee and joined the rest of us in our traditional pre-drive shit-shooting session, he touched his cheekbone and gave me a questioning look. ¡°That from Linda Rubio?¡± he asked.


    My shoulders drooping, I asked, ¡°Jimmy, how the hell have you heard about that? And what exactly have you even heard, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Linda Rubio?¡± Teddy Bear asked. ¡°Like, the Linda Rubio that fights in the UFC?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°Apparently our girl here jumped her in some sort of fight outside a bar or something, and Linda got messed up.¡±


    ¡°Is that really what you heard?¡± I asked, exasperated.


    ¡°What- Did you really get in a fight with Linda Rubio?¡± Teddy Bear asked, his mind still reeling.


    ¡°Yes, Linda Rubio jumped me in my gym¡¯s parking lot, so I beat the living crap out of her. Put her in the hospital,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. Shrugging my shoulders, I said, ¡°Really, it¡¯s not that big a deal.¡±


    ¡°I guess your definition of ¡®not that big a deal¡¯ is different than mine,¡± Geoff said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Lee did get a nasty scrape on her knee,¡± Angela volunteered.


    ¡°Ruined my favorite linen Armani suit, too,¡± I added. ¡°I guess that¡¯s what happens when you brawl on crappy old asphalt instead of a nice gym mat.¡±


    ¡°And you put Rubio in the hospital?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°I had the guys load her in that car so I could drive her to the ER myself,¡± I said, pointing at the BMW.


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± Teddy Bear breathed.


    ¡°We all heard about what happened in Arizona,¡± Stein said. ¡°And now this.¡±


    I was about to defend myself, but Angela chimed in with, ¡°Leah doesn¡¯t take anything from anybody. Nobody messes with my Leah.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like Linda Rubio took something from Leah- a beating,¡± Teddy Bear said with a laugh.


    ¡°Jimmy, how did you even hear about this, anyway?¡± I asked. ¡°And why were the details wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all over some of the discussion boards I check,¡± Jimmy said with a shrug.


    ¡°God damn it,¡± I said, my shoulders slumping. ¡°I really wanted this to stay under wraps.¡±


    ¡°Like, I can set the record straight, if you give me the details,¡± Jimmy offered, trying to be helpful.


    ¡°I would really rather there be no record at all, but I guess if it¡¯s out there, it might as well be the truth. So, I was working out in the MMA gym I train at, over in Santa Monica, minding my own business, and she comes in and gives me the eye. I have no idea who she is, but she looked strong, and tough. Anyway, she wants to throw down with me there and then, but I tell her to take a hike, not interested. She says she¡¯ll give me five thousand bucks if I can beat her, and I tell her to get lost. I¡¯ve got enough money, and anyway, I don¡¯t fight for sport.¡±


    ¡°You told her that?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I told her I¡¯m not into it as far as competition goes. I might have said that the fights I get in tend to be, um, more of the back alley kind.¡±


    ¡°You fucking didn¡¯t,¡± breathed Jimmy.


    ¡°Yeah, I did. I just wanted her to go away, and I wasn¡¯t really thinking about it, alright? Anyway, I finished my workout, changed into my office clothes- that linen Armani suit I mentioned- and in the parking lot, she stepped out from between some cars where she¡¯d been waiting, saying, ¡®Let¡¯s do it!¡¯.¡±


    I took a sip of my coffee, enjoying the rapt attention from the guys listening to every word. ¡°In retrospect, I should have just threatened her with police response and a lawsuit if she so much as touched me, but like I said, I wasn¡¯t really thinking. So I drop my gym bag and kick off my pumps, and we start going at it. Well, I¡¯m like six inches taller and significantly faster than her, so I¡¯m working her over pretty good with the strikes, right? She can¡¯t get in without getting punched or kicked, and she knows that she can¡¯t last like that.¡± I take another sip, then continue. ¡°So it was inevitable she¡¯d try to take me down, and that¡¯s what she does. She shoots, gets a good hold, and next thing you know, we¡¯re rolling around on the shitty old asphalt like a couple of, well, you get the idea.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s known for her ground game,¡± Teddy Bear says, nodding.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been working on mine, but that¡¯s where her smaller size worked in her favor. Come to find out, she won an Olympic medal in Judo, so pretty soon she¡¯s got me in a serious leg lock, and it¡¯s really starting to hurt, so I punched her really hard right in the face. That stunned her, so I did it again and she let go. I immediately smacked her a few more times, then kicked the crap out of her while she was on the ground.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what put her in the hospital?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°Well, that and the fact that I kept slamming her back down onto the pavement any time she so much as twitched, until she stopped twitching,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fucking brutal,¡± Jimmy said, amazed. ¡°That¡¯s fucking brutal.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s when I went back inside and got the guys to lift her into my car to take her to the ER. I found the officer on duty at the hospital and told him I wanted to file assault charges.¡±


    ¡°Even though you beat the shit out of her?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°She freaking attacked me in my gym¡¯s parking lot,¡± I said, still pissed off about the whole thing. ¡°I just wanted to work out in peace, then have a mellow day at the office.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°Stephen, you¡¯ll like this, since you¡¯re a lawyer,¡± I said. ¡°I went to talk to her in the hospital and she threatened to sue me.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Stephen said. ¡°But she¡¯ll find a lawyer who¡¯ll take her case. They¡¯d figure you¡¯ll settle just to make the whole thing go away.¡±


    ¡°I have James Turner at Stoddard on retainer,¡± I said.


    ¡°Holy- Yeah, when any lawyer she talks to figures that out, they¡¯ll drop her like a bad habit,¡± Stephen said. ¡°Those guys are not known for fucking around.¡±


    ¡°Of course Leah would have some real heavyweight lawyers on retainer,¡± Stein said, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Stein, man, these guys are like Mike Tyson in his prime heavyweights. Any lawyer Linda Rubio takes on hears the opposing counsel is Stoddard, they wet their pants. Then run away.¡±


    ¡°The whole thing is completely crazy,¡± Geoff said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I agreed.


    The drive that morning was pretty relaxed, which was fine by me. I actually wound up wishing I¡¯d driven the Porsche, since it would have been nice to pull the T tops off and enjoy the sort-of-convertibleness of it. We were basically just cruising, anyhow, so enjoying it would have been nice.


    Sure, we weren¡¯t really sport driving, but it gave me the chance to simply enjoy Angela¡¯s company as we talked about nothing important. I used the opportunity to keep my hand on her bare thigh, enjoying the warmth of her smooth skin under my hand.


    ¡°I love it when you touch me,¡¯ Angela said, resting her hand on mine. ¡°I feel very lucky to have you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the lucky one. You knocking on our door that day was one of the best things to ever happen.¡±


    ¡°Antonio getting arrested was one of the best things to ever happen to me,¡± Angela said. ¡°I never could have imagined it would lead to me falling in love with you and Em.¡±


    Just then Teddy Bear pulled off at a vista point with a great view of the Pacific Ocean far down below, so I put my hand back on the steering wheel, getting a little noise of complaint from Angela. I parked the M6, then leaned over for a kiss.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Angela said when we separated, ¡°promise me you¡¯ll love me like this always.¡±


    ¡°I can make that promise,¡± I said, leaning back in for another kiss.


    ¡°Hey! Get a room, you two!¡± Geoff said, rapping on my side window.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Laughing, Angela and I got out of the car to take in the view. Looking out over the Pacific, we could see Malibu below us and the Channel Islands just offshore. The warm onshore breeze carried the scent of the dry, dusty sage smell of the chaparral with it as it rose up the slope.


    I held Angela in my arms as we admired the view, her arms wrapped around mine.


    ¡°I want to go back to Catalina,¡± she announced, pointing at the wrong island.


    ¡°That one¡¯s Catalina,¡± I said, pointing at the next island to the right.


    ¡°That one, then,¡± Angela said, pointing at the correct one this time.


    ¡°We can go tomorrow, if you want,¡± I said.


    ¡°I want to go for a whole weekend,¡± Angela pouted.


    ¡°Weekend after next? Next weekend is a San Jose weekend.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a date,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never been to Catalina,¡± Geoff said. ¡°Born and raised in Southern California, and never crossed that seventeen miles of ocean to get there.¡±


    ¡°You really should go,¡± Angela said. ¡°Avalon is just a tiny little town, but it¡¯s pretty, and it feels like a different world. I¡¯m sure Linda and the girls would love it. That reminds me- when are you two going to bring the girls over again?¡±


    ¡°The kids keep asking when we can visit you guys again,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come over tomorrow? We can have lunch out by the lagoon pool and the kids can swim all they want. Or we can have lunch on the deck and they can swim in the little pool,¡± Angela offered.


    I was pleased that she was confident enough of her place in the household that she had no problems inviting friends on the spur of the moment like that, so I just gave her a little squeeze to let her know it was O.K. with me.


    After Angela wandered off to talk to Stephen and Teddy Bear, Geoff said, ¡°You know, it¡¯s true. The girls have told all their friends that they¡¯ve been to Emmy¡¯s house several times. I don¡¯t think any of them really listen to her music, but they all know who she is. It¡¯s a big deal to hang out at a rock star¡¯s house.¡±


    Amused, I asked, ¡°How about you? You tell anybody you party with rock stars?¡±


    ¡°A few, yeah,¡± Geoff admitted. ¡°A couple of the guys at the office are big fans, and when I told ¡®em, they just about shit bricks,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Hey, you know tonight¡¯s the club dinner, right? You coming?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, Geoff, the only reason I might is to continue to rub some of the guys¡¯ faces in it. The¡­ misogyny is pretty thick in the club in general-¡±


    ¡°Not all of us are like that,¡± Geoff protested.


    ¡°No, but a lot are, and the ones that aren¡¯t don¡¯t really speak up. I¡¯ve been dragging Angela to these breakfasts and dinners, and asking her to really get dolled up just so I can look those assholes in the eyes and make it clear that yes, I do have the hottest babe they¡¯ve ever seen in their lives on my arm, and yes, I do have the car they only wish they could drive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sorta petty,¡± Geoff said with a little chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, one hundred per cent,¡± I agreed, laughing along with him. ¡°But it¡¯s true. You know that one jackass, what¡¯s his name? The guy with the orange Carrera RS?¡±


    ¡°Davis Williams?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him. Every single time, he tries to get Angela to go with him ¡®for a drive¡¯¡± I said, making air quotes with my fingers. ¡°With me right there.¡±


    Geoff smirked, imagining the scene. ¡°What does she tell him?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s really nice about it- you know how she is- but she basically tells him the grass is not greener on his side of the fence.¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t take a hint, you could always just- what¡¯s that wrestling move, where you lift a guy over your head and then slam him down on your knee?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°Fake. It¡¯s called ¡®fake¡¯, Geoff. That¡¯s not a real move, and nobody but those WWE guys actually do it in the ring.¡±


    Geoff laughed, and asked, ¡°You mean professional wrestling isn¡¯t real?¡±


    ¡°Every bit as real as the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus,¡± I replied with a laugh.


    ¡°Say it ain¡¯t so!¡± he mock-wailed, which got the attention of the rest of the group, who wandered over.


    ¡°What ain¡¯t so?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°Leah just told me that pro wrestling is all fake!¡± Geoff answered in a stricken voice.


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± demanded Jimmy, lowering his hipster plastic-framed glasses to look at me over the tops. ¡°You mean Goldberg didn¡¯t actually beat Brock Lesnar?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got bad news for you, buddy,¡± Stein said, patting him on the shoulder.


    Thinking about my conversation with Geoff, I tried for a different approach when I got ready for the Porsche Club dinner that evening. Angela wanted to stay home, which was fine for what I planned. I was going to the dinner to make a point more than anything, and going solo would probably work just as well.


    I didn¡¯t often dress up really ¡®girly¡¯, but that doesn¡¯t mean I never did. That night I wore a spaghetti-strap knit mini dress that Emmy had gotten for me because she thought the color really highlighted my eyes and a pair of sandal heels that added nearly four inches to my height. Angela did my makeup, since she was far, far better at that kind of thing than I ever was. With her cosmetic magic she plumped up my lips and accentuated my cheekbones. I told her to not bury the scar, though. A bit of mascara and eyeliner later, and I was ready to go.


    ¡°I love it when you dress sexy like this,¡± Emmy purred when she saw the finished product. ¡°Do not stay at the dinner too late- we have things we need to do when you get back,¡± she said in a husky voice.


    Angela shot a few pictures before she let me go, kissing me on the cheek to not mess up my soft pink lipstick.


    Looking in the full-length mirror in our closet, I liked what I saw. I looked like a perfect paragon of the SoCal pampered blonde, if you ignored the fact that I was six foot six in those heels and one hundred and eighty-three pounds of mostly muscle. Which was honestly very hard to ignore, since that little dress left my arms, shoulders, and legs bare for the world to see. I was never competition bodybuilder-level ripped, but even so, I was obviously very seriously built.


    I pulled up to the valet stand at the restaurant in Venice, getting a comical double-take from the guy in the red vest when I stepped out and handed him the keys.


    ¡°Please be careful with my baby,¡± I urged. ¡°It¡¯s worth a couple of million bucks.¡±


    He almost dropped the key when I told him that, but regained his composure and handed me the ticket with a, ¡°I certainly will, Miss.¡±


    I gave him a smile of thanks, then made my way to the door. I told the hostess I was there for the club dinner and she told me that the tables wouldn¡¯t be ready for another fifteen minutes, but I could wait at the bar if I wanted.


    Rick, the club¡¯s event coordinator and therefore host for the evening, spotted me as I entered the bar area.


    ¡°Wow! Leah, you look really great tonight. And, um, huge¡­¡± he said, looking me up and down.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m feeling great tonight. And huge, too,¡± I said, giving him a quick flex, which made his eyes bug out.


    ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± he said, at a loss for words. ¡°Um, did your wife stay home tonight?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised he asked about Angela, since I¡¯d already paid for her dinner that night and he had the guest list in his hand, but also, she¡¯d managed to charm pretty much all the guys that attended the regular breakfasts and dinners, even the handful that I thought were probably gay.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°She just wasn¡¯t feeling it tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, tell her we missed her,¡± Rick said, checking Angela¡¯s name off his list.


    There was an empty seat next to Targa Mike, so I joined him at the bar. When he glanced over to see who¡¯d just sat down, he did a double-take almost as comical as the valet¡¯s.


    ¡°Wow, Leah, that¡¯s um, a different look for you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, Angela didn¡¯t want to come to the dinner tonight, so I figured it was my chance to be the hot one,¡± I said, signaling to the bartender.


    ¡°House Chardonnay,¡± I told her, amused by the ¡®Of course¡¯ look I got.


    When we were notified that the tables were ready on the patio, I made sure to sit next to one of the guys that I¡¯d pegged as among the club¡¯s most sexist.


    ¡°Hey, Rob, right?¡± I asked as I took my seat.


    ¡°Um, yeah,¡± he replied. ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°Leah, with the blue 918,¡± I prompted.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± he said. ¡°You look different.¡±


    ¡°Different in a good way, or in a bad way?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A good way, I guess,¡± he replied, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the question.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I asked. ¡°Have you ever done any of the club track days? I¡¯m thinking of doing the Willow Springs track weekend next month.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna bring your Spyder to the track?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Sure. I mean, it¡¯s a fast car, right? It should be fine on a racetrack.¡±


    ¡°Cars can get kind of beat up on the track, even if you don¡¯t crash,¡± he warned.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to go so fast I¡¯ll run off the track or anything,¡± I said, sipping my Chardonnay.


    After we gave the waitress our orders, Rob said, ¡°Well, you should be fine. It isn¡¯t a race, after all. So, you¡¯ll need to prep your car- get some fresh tires on it, I mean. Since it¡¯ll be your first time, you¡¯ll need to do the driving school on Saturday, and if the instructors think you¡¯re ready, you¡¯ll get to drive solo on Sunday.¡±


    ¡°Will you be there?¡± I asked. I¡¯d overheard him talking about it to one of the other guys last breakfast, so I was pretty sure he was planning on it.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring my Cayman S,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve got it set up as the perfect track weapon.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked. ¡°What have you done?¡± And with this, the floodgates opened and he spent the next half an hour telling me all about the competition headers, the center radiator, and on and on. I just said, ¡°Uh huh,¡± and occasionally asked him for explanation. At one point I saw Geoff listening in, and when I caught his eye, he gave me a sly smirk.


    After a while I steered Rob in the direction of driving advice, and he was very happy to share his infinite wisdom, peppered frequently with nuggets like, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s just a track day. We¡¯re all there to have a good time and learn our cars that little bit better, right? So there¡¯s no winner and no loser. Well, I guess if you crash, that¡¯s losing, right?¡±


    By the time dinner wrapped up he¡¯d committed himself to giving me driving advice. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll go through the new driver¡¯s school on Saturday, but Sunday I can follow you and see what you can do to go faster.¡±


    After dinner, we all returned to the bar, where Geoff and his wife Linda found me.


    ¡°You just spent an hour setting that guy up, didn¡¯t you?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°Like a ball on a tee,¡± I said, miming a golf swing.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?" Linda asked. ¡°Oh, and what time should we come over tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s not much of a morning person,¡± I said, ¡°So maybe ten, ten thirty at the earliest? That way the girls can swim before lunch.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Linda said. ¡°So what was going on with the guy you were talking to?¡±


    ¡°Leah just spent all dinner talking about the upcoming track weekend with that guy, and he went on and on about how fast his car was and how to drive on the track,¡± Geoff said.


    Seeing the look on his wife¡¯s face, he added, ¡°He has no idea she¡¯s probably driven ten times as many laps on the track as he has, and could probably lap him in a VW Beetle.¡±


    Linda smiled, probably imagining me in a brightly colored Volkswagen with those eyelashes on it, railing around the race track.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna do the club track days, right?¡± I asked Geoff.


    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± he said. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll finally get to see what the other guys have been saying since last summer.¡±


    ¡°What have they been saying?¡± Linda asked.


    ¡°Last what, September? Leah¡¯s parents got her a private track day at Willow Springs for her birthday, and bought her a race car, too. The guys said she was an absolute demon on the track, and totally merciless. Teddy Bear said, well, he said that she would motor by him around the outside, sideways, through a turn. He¡¯d look over and she¡¯d be waving hello as she sailed by.¡±


    ¡°I only waved the one time,¡± I said, smiling at the memory.


    ¡°It left an impression,¡± he said dryly. ¡°So why are you planning on destroying Rob¡¯s ego?¡±


    ¡°Like we talked about this morning,¡± I said. ¡°These guys just can¡¯t believe, even though I own a car that cost ten times as much as theirs, that I can drive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you can¡¯t bring your race car to the Porsche day,¡± he said with a smirk.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to make do,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Oh, and you¡¯ll love this. I have an appointment with Stein¡¯s wrap guy to have the Spyder done up in pink for the track weekend.¡±


    ¡°Pink? Like, um, Penelope from that old cartoon?¡± Linda asked.


    I had no idea what she was talking about, so she pulled out her phone and did a search and showed me pictures from some old cartoon from the Sixties. It turns out the car was actually pink and yellow, a truly horrible combination.


    ¡°No, not like that at all,¡± I said, but the character¡¯s pink helmet made me think that I should get my helmet done with the same vinyl as the car. My lipstick should match, too.

 Its A Nice Car

    Stein¡¯s vinyl guy was not what I expected at all- for the most part. The whole ¡®covered in what look like gang tattoos¡¯ thing, sure, but for the rest of it, not so much.


    He had a shop in a nondescript commercial space in Burbank, with a fairly minimal sign indicating it was a detail shop as well as a wrap specialist. Around back there were a number of cars parked near the large roll-up door to the work space. Most were fairly high-dollar rides, things like an Audi S5, a few BMWs, a Porsche 911 of some type, and three Escalades. Some had been freshly wrapped and were waiting to be picked up, but most were waiting their turn for either a wrap or a detail job.


    There were four guys working under a large canopy when I pulled around, busy detailing a black Mercedes sedan. They all stopped what they were doing to eye the Porsche, no doubt well aware of the rarity and price of the Spyder.


    One of the guys, presumably the supervisor of the detail crew, walked over when I parked. ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, at two,¡± I confirmed, checking my watch and seeing that it was very nearly that time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let him know you¡¯re here,¡± he said, giving the Porsche one last, appreciative look before he went inside.


    A moment later the garage door rolled up and a heavyset guy with a drooping mustache and shaved head came out.


    ¡°Leah Farmer?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m Jorge Santos,¡± he said, extending his hand.


    ¡°My friend Stein recommends your work highly,¡± I said, shaking the man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Stein is one of my best customers,¡± he said with a hearty laugh. ¡°Ain¡¯t nobody else gets a premium wrap every month or two.¡±


    ¡°He gets it done on short order, too,¡± I commented.


    ¡°Yeah, for him, we put in overtime,¡± Jorge agreed, leading me to the little front office area, past the two cars being wrapped in the brightly lit bays. He pulled out some paperwork, to my surprise. Somehow I¡¯d gotten the impression from Stein that the shop was a bit shady, but nothing besides the ludicrous amounts of tattoos on everybody working there seemed anything less that completely professional. The shop was immaculately clean, the workers (including Jorge, the owner) all wore perfectly clean uniforms, and the office was neat and tidy. On the sign-in desk there was a small sign that said, ¡°No Cash,¡± which was the complete opposite of the image I¡¯d formed in my mind from Stein¡¯s hints.


    After looking through the color samples, I opted for a striking dark lavender rather than the bubblegum pink I had been planning on. Somehow it seemed more ¡®Porsche¡¯ while at the same time, very feminine and/or gay.


    I filled out the information and handed Jorge the key and my helmet, which gave him a laugh. ¡°Is it alright if we do something a bit¡­ creative with the helmet?¡± Jorge asked, looking it over. ¡°We¡¯ll stick with the same color for the most part, but maybe do some graphics?¡±


    When I told him they could have fun with it, he gave me a big grin. ¡°That, we can do.¡±


    Paperwork done, he stapled a business card to the receipt he printed out, then asked me, ¡°Do you have a ride?¡±


    I held up my phone and said, ¡°Ride share.¡±


    ¡°We have a courtesy service, if you haven¡¯t already called for a car,¡± he said.


    Once again impressed by the level of professionalism, I thanked him but said I¡¯d already requested the ride and couldn¡¯t back out.


    ¡°Next time, save yourself the twenty-five dollars,¡± he said with another big, friendly grin, showing off his gold tooth.


    I was disappointed to not see the Spyder parked around back when Angela drove me in her little Z4 to pick up the car, so I had her park by the front door. She waited for me while I went inside to find out about the delay.


    Jorge was all smiles when he saw me when he came out to see who¡¯d just entered the office.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna love it,¡± he said, gesturing for me to follow him into the work bay area.


    My car was done, I was happy to see, and wow, was it ever lavender. They¡¯d set up a bunch of lights on tripods to shine on the car from different angles so they could spot imperfections, but to me, it looked amazing.


    ¡°Is it alright if post pictures on our website?¡± Jorge asked while I admired the glossy finish.


    ¡°No name, no license plate,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Jorge agreed. ¡°If you give me your email address I¡¯ll send you all the photos we took during the process, and you can see for yourself before we put them up.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said, spotting my helmet sitting on the driver¡¯s seat. I took it out to look at what they¡¯d done, and was very impressed. They¡¯d actually left most of the black carbon exposed, using the lavender vinyl to create a wide racing stripe down the middle with two smaller stripes on either side.


    ¡°Check out the back,¡± Jorge urged. Turning the helmet around, I saw that they had die-cut the Porsche shield into the lavender stripe, letting the negative space of the black carbon twill show through. Just above the Porsche shield were a small scattering of butterflies cut into the negative space, then extending out into the black carbon in lavender. It gave the design a whimsical feel, contrasting with the very masculine logo.


    ¡°Very fancy!¡± I said, running my finger over the design to feel the texture. ¡°Very fancy indeed.¡±


    Grinning like a proud father, Jorge signaled to his guys to take all the lights away, then ushered me back into the office to complete the paperwork. A few minutes later I pulled the Porsche around to where Angela was waiting.


    ¡°That looks amazing!¡± Angela said, her eyes wide. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the guys to see it on Saturday!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to drive it this Saturday,¡± I said. ¡°The Porsche dealer needs it until Wednesday.¡±


    ¡°That sucks!¡±


    ¡°I really like your vinyl guy,¡± I told Stein that Saturday morning while we waited for the stragglers to arrive.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s good,¡± Stein agreed, sipping his Americano.


    ¡°You really had it wrapped pink?¡± Geoff asked, surprised I¡¯d gone through with it.


    ¡°Not exactly pink,¡± I said. ¡°But close.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s close to pink?¡± Geoff asked, puzzled. ¡°Red?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, um, violeta,¡± Angela said. ¡°Like, purple?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Geoff said, aghast. ¡°You actually had the Spyder done up in violet?¡±


    ¡°More like lavender. I tend to think of violet as a little more purply, and maybe darker?¡± I said with a shrug.


    Just then Stephen pulled into the parking lot with Stephanie in the passenger seat. The two joined us after he parked, Stephanie looking a bit shy.


    ¡°Hey, Zeke, hey, uh¡­ Stephanie, right? You were at Leah¡¯s party- you kicked everybody¡¯s ass at the pool table!¡± Jimmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, she sure did,¡± Stephen agreed.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, Angela,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Stephen said it was cool if I come riding with you guys this morning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, it¡¯s great to have you along. Stephen isn¡¯t going to go as fast as we did in the Porsche that one day, though.¡±


    ¡°Wait- you got to ride in the 918?¡± Jimmy asked Stephanie.


    ¡°Yeah, you weren¡¯t here that day,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°Leah called Stephanie, and she asked if she could get a ride in Leah¡¯s new car. We¡¯re at the gas station at the bottom of ACH, and she lives in, what, Echo Park, right?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Silver Lake,¡± Stein corrected.


    ¡°Right. So Leah pulls up Waze on her phone, and it says, like, 20 minutes one way to Stephanie¡¯s house. Leah says ¡®I¡¯ll be back in twenty¡¯ and hauls ass outta here. Nineteen minutes later they pull in behind Stein¡¯s car like it was just around the block,¡± Teddy Bear explains.


    ¡°So, like, she averaged a hundred twenty or something round trip?¡± Jimmy asked.


    ¡°Because Leah,¡± Teddy Bear said with a shrug.


    ¡°Because Leah,¡± Stein agreed.


    When Angela and I told Emmy that Stephanie had ridden with Stephen, she looked thoughtful. ¡°I wonder if they are together?¡± she pondered.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t look like she was wearing last night¡¯s clothes,¡± Angela said. ¡°So I don¡¯t think she spent the night at his place.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d said that he¡¯d bumped into her before,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°Maybe there is something going on.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about that?¡± Emmy asked, concerned.


    ¡°I think Stephen¡¯s a pretty good guy, so I¡¯m good with it,¡± I said, realizing as it came out of my mouth that it sounded as if I¡¯d somehow appointed myself Stephanie¡¯s gatekeeper. ¡°Really, it¡¯s not for me to- I mean, it¡¯s their business, not mine.¡±


    Emmy didn¡¯t say anything in response to that, but she did come over and sit on my lap. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and kissed my forehead, holding me close. I wasn¡¯t sure what she was trying to express, but I enjoyed the attention anyway, so I kissed her, too. I had everything I wanted, after all.


    Joachim and Manny came by the house the Friday afternoon before the track weekend to load up the gear in a big, white four-door Ford F 250, and load the car into a simple box trailer to take it out to the track. I¡¯d rented one of the trackside garages for the weekend and the two guys were going to get everything set up so all I¡¯d need to do is drive.


    The Porsche was a very fast car, but still a road car, so it wasn¡¯t really tunable the way the GT3 race car was. It had electronically controlled driving modes, so really all that could be done is just set it in ¡®Race¡¯ mode and let the digital brain do its thing. This meant that all Joachim and Manny really had to do was get the tire warmers on and off and swap wheels when the tires got too thrashed. And of course, make lunch.


    Angela and Emmy said they¡¯d come up Sunday afternoon, but other than that I was on my own, which was fine by me. Sitting around in the pits was a terrible way to spend a weekend if you weren¡¯t really into the whole thing, and neither of them liked it all that much.


    Besides that, our uphill neighbors Margaret and Livy had invited us all over to meet their new baby and there was no way that Emmy and Angela were going to miss that. They¡¯d been cooing over photos of little Lawrence (definitely not Larry, Livy had said) for days, and were just dying to get their fix of baby smell.


    I kinda wanted to meet the little guy, but I¡¯d already committed to the track weekend, so I just asked Emmy and Angela to take lots of pictures.


    I followed the guys up to Willow Springs in the X6, since we might need a car with more than two seats, but the truck would probably just stay at the track.


    It was well after sunset when we pulled up in front of the garage I¡¯d rented for the weekend. I was secretly pleased, since I wanted the car¡¯s new color to be a surprise in the morning. We unloaded the car, taking the time to lift it and wrap the warmers on the tires, just so we¡¯d have less to do first thing in the morning.


    We also unloaded all the rest of the stuff, most of which was the grill and tables and such for lunch. I appreciated that Joachim and Manny were good with the barbecue, so there was no way I would ever complain about the amount of stuff they brought just for lunch for a couple of days. After all, I was the beneficiary of their culinary skills, right?


    Everything unloaded and the truck and trailer parked out of the way, I took the guys to the nearby little airport and its strange but good steak restaurant.


    ¡°This place is a bit strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± Manny asked, agreeing with the description I¡¯d given the guys earlier.


    They both spent a few moments looking at the decor, which featured cowboy spurs and experimental aircraft photos.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°But the steaks are good.¡±


    ¡°Best in the high desert,¡± the waitress agreed as she signaled for us to follow her to a table.


    Over our steaks, we got to talking about Manny¡¯s kids and his crazy ex-wife, Joachim¡¯s childhood in Salvador, things like that. I realized that I really didn¡¯t know the two very well, even though I¡¯d thought we were sort of friends. It was nice, getting to know them as people and not just ¡®my mechanics¡¯. I¡¯d like to think that it went both ways, too. Being sociable like this was good for them to know me as something other than ¡®the rich woman who hires us to take care of her toys¡¯.


    The next morning we were at the track nice and early. I wanted to get the car inspected right away so that I wasn¡¯t rushed getting to the drivers¡¯ meeting. And, of course, so most wouldn¡¯t see it until I took to the actual track.


    The tech inspector looked the car over, a smile on his face. ¡°I see you¡¯ve got the requisite tow points, extinguisher, and even the five point harness,¡± he said. ¡°And I really like the helmet, too. OK, you¡¯re good to go,¡± he said. He checked his list and found my name in the green group. Puzzled, he said, ¡°You do know you¡¯re signed up for the fast group, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a very fast car,¡± I said, playing innocent.


    ¡°Green is for experienced track drivers only,¡± he said. ¡°It has nothing to do with how fast the car is.¡±


    Dropping my act, I said, ¡°Seriously, I¡¯ve done plenty of track days. The only reason I¡¯m also tagged for the new driver orientation is that it¡¯s my first Porsche Club day, and that¡¯s a requirement.¡±


    ¡°Ah, O.K., that makes sense,¡± the guy said, then slapped the green sticker and the new driver¡¯s orientation sticker on my windshield for the marshals to see.


    At the new driver¡¯s orientation, the instructor went on and on about proper track entry and exit, and passing only on the straights in the red (beginner) group. I sat patiently through it all, sipping the coffee that Joachim had brewed while I was in line for tech inspection.


    After the talk was over, the instructors were paired off with the drivers for their first session. In theory, this driving coach would work with the driver for the first hour, before the track went hot for the normal three-session rotation. One coach in particular had been eyeing me during the track rules talk, and he bee-lined over.


    ¡°You¡¯re Leah Farmer, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m Pete Miranda,¡± he said, holding his hand out for a shake. ¡°When we saw there was a 918 in the new driver¡¯s school, we drew straws,¡± he admitted, looking a little sheepish.


    I laughed, and said, ¡°I hope it¡¯ll be as fun for you as I expect it will be for me. Um, can you be ready quickly? I want to be first on the track,¡± I said, starting to walk as we talked.


    ¡°I just need to grab my helmet,¡± he said. ¡°Why the rush? We¡¯re going to be out there for a full hour.¡±


    ¡°I want an empty track for the first few laps,¡± I said. ¡°It might be the only time that¡¯ll happen all day.¡±


    ¡°Want to stretch the Spyder¡¯s legs?¡± he asked, knowingly.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed. ¡°See you out front in five?¡±


    I made sure to drive up and down pit row with my helmet off before picking Pete up. I wanted everyone to see the very freaking lavender supercar, and see that a blonde chick was driving it.


    I put my helmet on as Pete opened the door and got in. ¡°I just had to laugh when I saw the color,¡± he said, a big grin on his face. ¡°And of course, your helmet matches,¡± he said, shaking his head. Looking closely, he asked, ¡°Um, that helmet¡¯s set up for a HANS device?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but since this is just a track day I didn¡¯t bother with it today,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Pete said as we rolled up to the hot pit starting lane, thankfully first in line. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think I¡¯m getting punked.¡±


    ¡°Not you in particular,¡± I assured him as I made the mode adjustments with the buttons on the steering wheel. ¡°The whole club.¡±


    Pete took a moment to think about that while the marshal waved us to the line. While the marshal gave the ¡®hold¡¯ hand signal and looked to make sure the track was clear, I toggled the race start and revved up the motor.


    The marshal waved us to go just as Pete was starting to protest, so I stomped the pedal to the floor and we tore out of there like the proverbial bullet from a gun. I¡¯d never accelerated so hard in my life, and the feel of getting smashed back into the seat was exhilarating.


    ¡°Cold tires!¡± Pete shouted in warning as turn one came up very, very quickly.


    ¡°Warmers!¡± I shouted back as I slammed us through at nearly a hundred miles an hour.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± Pete said as we slingshotted through in the classic out-in-out line, taking us tight into two. Hugging the inside through two, I stayed right late for three, then cut left and uphill into three.


    ¡°You nailed the line on that,¡± Pete said, starting to recover.


    By the time we got to eight and I kept my foot flat, Pete had realized that I knew the track really quite well.


    ¡°Holy fuck, that was fast!¡± he said as we drifted wide to late apex nine and get back onto the front straight. Unfortunately, I could see the parade of beginners up ahead that would be a rolling roadblock for us. I kept my foot down until it was time to drop in behind the last car in line.


    ¡°That might have been the fastest lap I¡¯ve ever been in the passenger seat for,¡± Pete admitted as we tooled gently around behind the other ten or so cars.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± I said.


    ¡°So what¡¯s with the whole ¡®rich princess¡¯ thing?¡± he asked. ¡°I mean, you clearly know how to drive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m freaking tired of the misogyny I get all the time in the club,¡± I said. ¡°These middle-aged guys look at me and see, well, like you said, a spoiled princess trophy wife or something, with a car her daddy or husband or whatever bought her and she has no idea how to drive properly.¡±


    ¡°So this is a kind ¡®rub their noses in it¡¯ sort of thing?¡± Pete asked, starting to understand.


    ¡°Got it in one,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Go ahead and pass here over six on the left,¡± he instructed. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to stay back here.¡±


    I passed a few more cars around the outside on eight, disregarding the rules about only passing on the straight, since my instructor told me to do it. I got by the rest on the front straight, so once again I had the track to myself for a while.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty clear that you don¡¯t actually need any coaching,¡± Pete said when we got back to the front straight. ¡°You can pull in if you want and just wait until the green group goes out, or we can keep doing this for the rest of the hour.¡±


    ¡°What would you prefer?¡± I asked, genuinely curious.


    ¡°Honestly, as much as I¡¯m enjoying riding full blast in this car, if you want to play the princess thing until the last moment you have two options. Pull back into the pits and we can make it look like I¡¯d been driving, thus preserving the image and surprising the guys you want to prank, or we could just pull in behind this group and play follow the leader for the rest of the hour. That way if anybody is watching they¡¯ll assume I was showing off at the start, and after that, you were driving.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t full blast,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, well, O.K, then,¡± Pete said with a laugh. ¡°If that wasn¡¯t the fastest you¡¯ve ever gone around this track, when was?¡±


    ¡°Last fall, in my GT3 car,¡± I said, trying to not fall asleep at the pace we were going.


    ¡°You have a Porsche GT3? In addition to this 918? You really are a princess!¡±


    ¡°BMW M6 GT3 race car,¡± I corrected. ¡°And before that, a GT3 GT-R.¡±


    ¡°And that explains the HANS device mounts on your helmet,¡± Pete said, nodding. ¡°You¡¯re a racer. And you want to humiliate the jackasses that can¡¯t imagine a fast woman driver.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s petty, I know,¡± I said. ¡°But if it gets some of these assholes to shut up, I¡¯m all in favor of it.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s enough to risk trashing a two million dollar car?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just money,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°A lot of it,¡± Pete retorted.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a lot of money for a car,¡± I admitted, passing a handful of cars on the front straight. ¡°But it¡¯s a nice car.¡±


    Pete let out a snort. ¡°Yes, it is that.¡±

 She-Ra Man-Haters Club

    I pulled into the pit about fifteen minutes before the hour was up, since I wanted the guys to check the car over before I went out with the fast group right at nine. I dropped Pete off right in front of the classroom, where everybody who was milling around would see that I¡¯d just completed my mandatory instruction.


    Back at the garage the guys only took a moment to check the tires and make sure they were fine before they sent me back out. Parked near the entry to the hot pit lane so I could wait for Rob and his Cayman S, I leaned against my car with my helmet off so every single driver heading onto the track would see me and my long blonde hair, next to my aggressively lavender car.


    Sure enough, Rob did pull up next to me. Eyeballing the car, he said, ¡°That was sapphire blue last time I saw it.¡±


    I shrugged and said, ¡°I wanted to stand out on the track.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll definitely do that,¡± he agreed. Hey,¡± he said, ¡°My session is about to start. I¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    ¡°Is your offer still open for a bit of coaching?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go out with you.¡±


    ¡°This is the fast group,¡± he objected.


    ¡°Green means go, right? I¡¯ve got a green sticker on my car,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Right there,¡± I confirmed, pointing at the top left corner of my windshield.


    ¡°Well, alright,¡± Rob said. ¡°I¡¯ll take it easy for the first few laps and you can follow and watch my lines, how¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good!¡± I said, pulling on my helmet. I followed his solar yellow Cayman out onto the hot pit lane as we got in line for release out onto the track. A few moments later the marshal waved us on, and Rob took off at a decent clip, but I could tell he wasn¡¯t trying too hard. Cold tires, after all.


    I followed along at about two car lengths, keeping pretty much the exact distance no matter what. Rob kept increasing his pace as we went, presumably gaining confidence in my ability to match his speed.


    Now, to be fair, the field was quite a bit faster in the green group than it had been in the newbies¡¯ coached session first thing in the morning. These guys (and they were all guys) were going pretty well in general, but being really respectful and passing like gentlemen, to my surprise. The slower were good about signaling and getting over to let faster drivers by.


    I followed Rob for the rest of the session, and by the end we were up to at least the average speed of the group- we were passing as many as passed us.


    I followed Rob back to his pit area when the session ended. He had a motor coach with a big extended awning and an additional canopy to park under, which was big enough for two cars.


    He invited me to sit at one of the camp chairs so we could talk. Rummaging around in his cooler, he asked what I¡¯d like, offering up a bottle of Starbucks coffee or a water.


    Gratefully, I took the water and sat down.


    ¡°You were doing really good out there,¡± he said, popping the cap on the iced coffee.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I appreciate you taking the time to show me the lines like that. I¡¯m sure you must have wanted to go faster.¡±


    ¡°Well, no, not in the first session of the day,¡± he admitted. ¡°You have to get the tires up to temperature, see, and with the cold track surface, that happens slowly. Even later in the day, you should give them at least half a lap before you start to push it.¡±


    ¡°So, next session, you want to follow me? That way you can see what I¡¯m doing wrong, and let me know,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, we can do that,¡± he said. ¡°But- um, after this next session, you¡¯re on your own. I don¡¯t want to be rude, and I know I offered to give you some, well, guidance, but I¡¯m going to need to get in my own track time, too,¡± he said, a bit apologetically.


    Honestly, I was coming to dislike him less and less. He was trying, in his condescending way, to help me out. He truly believed he was being a good guy.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the track entrance in what, thirty minutes or so?¡±


    ¡°See you then,¡± he agreed.


    Back at the garage, the guys looked at the tires again, but they were perfectly fine so all they did was lift the car and throw the warmers on.


    I grabbed a Coke from the cooler and took a seat. ¡°You guys doing O.K.?¡± I asked. ¡°Not getting too bored?¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not so bad,¡± Manny said, leaning back in one of the oversized camp chairs they¡¯d brought.


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably come out and watch you next session,¡± Joachim said.


    We relaxed like that for a few minutes, then I realized that I had a question I needed to ask one of the club reps, or a coach or somebody. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said, getting up.


    I managed to find the instructor that had driven with me that morning, which was a stroke of luck.


    ¡°Hey, Pete, I have a question,¡± I said. ¡°What are the rules about passing in the fast group? Since I was in the new driver orientation this morning I missed that.¡±


    ¡°Well, if somebody catches up to you, it¡¯s polite but not mandatory to signal and pull over to the right, off the racing line to let the other guy by. You don¡¯t have to, but it¡¯s, like I said, polite. If you¡¯re in the middle of a turn, pull over after the turn,¡± he explained. ¡°If you catch up to somebody else, you can either wait for them to yield the racing line, or if it¡¯s a straight, pass them off the line.¡±


    ¡°How about in a turn?¡± I asked. ¡°Is it acceptable to pass on the outside?¡±


    ¡°Only if you can do it and keep a six foot minimum gap,¡± he said. ¡°Minimum.¡±


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t have to wait for the other driver to pull over if I¡¯m willing to pass off the line, is that what I¡¯m getting from you?¡± I asked for clarification.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it, but don¡¯t be a dick- sorry, I mean, don¡¯t be a jerk about it,¡± he said. ¡°You get too many complaints and you will be black-flagged.¡±


    ¡°So, no block passes?¡± I asked with a smirk.


    ¡°If it was up to me, the fast group would be just that- fast, and that¡¯s that, but most of these guys, they¡¯d have a heart attack if you got anywhere near their bodywork,¡± Pete said with a smile to match my own.


    ¡°But tell you what- during the lunch break and after the last session, we have a limited number of spots for timed attacks. One lap warm-up, then the second lap timed. I¡¯ll make sure your name gets on the list,¡± he said.


    ¡°That would be awesome,¡± I said, and we bumped fists in understanding. ¡°In a way, I kind of wish I had a more ordinary car. That way nobody would be able to point and say, ¡®well, sure, look at the car she¡¯s driving,¡¯ know what I mean?¡±


    Looking as if it was something he might regret, Pete said, ¡°Later in the day, if you still want, you can take my Boxster out for a session. It¡¯s won its class a few times, so it¡¯s legit, but down about five hundred horsepower to your Spyder.¡±


    ¡°That would be awesome,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯l tell you what- I wreck it, I buy you a new one.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll have it ready for the three o¡¯clock session.¡±


    ¡°Will the tires be hot?¡±


    ¡°Um, no,¡± he replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be driving it today.¡±


    ¡°Then how about at two you bring it over to my garage and I¡¯ll have my guys throw warmers on,¡± I said.


    ¡°You have guys? Like, team mechanics?¡± he asked, floored.


    ¡°Just two today, and they¡¯re out of uniform, but yeah. Garage two oh seven,¡± I said.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Pete shook his head. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna need to spread the word to the other instructors and the marshals,¡± he said. ¡°Let everybody know you¡¯re a ringer.¡±


    ¡°Just to be fair, I¡¯ll buy you a fresh set of tires for letting me take your car out,¡± I offered. ¡°After I do my best to roast the tires that are on there now.¡±


    ¡°Remember- you break it, you buy it,¡± Pete said, smiling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry- I¡¯m good for it,¡± I assured him.


    Rob rolled up a couple of minutes early and found me waiting in my car by the entry to the hot pit lane. I waved that I saw him and pulled into the line of cars queueing up to start our session, with him right behind. We weren¡¯t in front, which suited me well.


    When the last of the intermediate group pulled off the marshal started letting us on two by two. When Rob and I were waved on, I accelerated well, but not too fast, and soon we caught up to the car ahead of us, some sort of 911. Truth is, without seeing the badging I couldn¡¯t tell one variant from another.


    Exiting five, I saw my chance and passed on the left over six, Rob right behind. I wasn¡¯t really putting my foot down, but I was gradually picking up speed. We passed another car around the outside on eight, and then one more in the front straight. By this point we were hitting a respectable speed, but I kept increasing the pace little by little. I got a bit of a gap on Rob through turn one, but I think he¡¯d backed off a bit because he wasn¡¯t confident of my ability to hit it that hard. He was right back on me through turn two, which really does seem to go on forever.


    I stayed farther right later than he had into three, late apexing for better drive up the hill, and that opened a fairly sizable gap. I took five a little bit easy to allow him to get back on, but then flew into eight at speed. There was a slow car in eight, so I just went around outside him, out in the marbles. My car was stuck to the track like glue, so I didn¡¯t care, but Rob opted to not pass.


    I eased up a bit to allow him to catch up on the straight, then dove into a completely empty one with conviction. I again allowed Rob to catch up in two, repeating my late apex attack on three, which he followed that time. I was happy to see that he could learn new tricks, so I kept the speed up through four and five. Six was scary because it¡¯s over a blind rise and the combination of not seeing and the car unweighting was problematic for a lot of drivers. I was confident in my line and in the car¡¯s aero package, so I kept it flat over six and through seven again opening a gap. The gap widened through eight, which again, was a very scary turn for most. Of course, turn nine with the big, green concrete wall in the runoff area was intimidating, but I¡¯d seen Rob¡¯s line through there and knew he was good, so I had no qualms about slamming through the dip at the apex and rocketing out onto the straight.


    Once again, I waited for him to catch up, then hammered into one, using the Spyder¡¯s all wheel drive to pull the front through the turn and out the other side.


    There was a white car hugging the inside on two, so I just went around. I didn¡¯t bother to wait for any polite turn signal- I just motored past. Rob, though, didn¡¯t, so I kept the white car in my mirrors and relaxed until Rob got past into six. Once he was on my tail again, I swept into eight at full gallop, again opening a gap. The tires on the Spyder were good, but ultimately they were still only street sport tires and not race rubber, so as much as the heart was willing, the flesh was weak and the grip just wasn¡¯t there for full-on warp speed.


    Into nine and onto the straight, I let Rob catch up again, then repeated the whole thing. To his credit, his speed following me was better than just about anybody else on the track, so I had to give him that.


    When the checkered flag came out I drove back to his pit set-up, where he pulled his car under the canopy. There was a 911 in the other half, and another guy sitting in one of the chairs, his feet up on the cooler.


    When Rob took off his helmet, he glared at me. ¡°You played me for a fool,¡± he said, angry.


    ¡°I never lied to you,¡± I said. ¡°You let your assumptions get the best of you.¡±


    ¡°You told me you¡¯d never done any track days!¡±


    ¡°I told you I¡¯d never done any Porsche Club track days,¡± I corrected. ¡°I¡¯ve driven plenty on the track.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that became pretty fucking obvious,¡± Rob said, still hot.


    ¡°Rob, man, relax,¡± the other guy said. ¡°It¡¯s no biggie, alright?¡±


    Rob let out a breath and let his shoulders relax. ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± he said, shoving the other guy¡¯s feet off the cooler so he could get a drink. ¡°Leah, want anything?¡± he asked, calming down and back to being polite.


    I took the offered bottle of water and sat down one of the other folding chairs. ¡°What I want,¡± I said, ¡°Is for everybody in the club to stop thinking of me as some sort of spoiled rich bitch who has a car way beyond her,¡± I said, being honest. ¡°I¡¯m going out next session and not holding back. I want everybody here today to understand that yes, it is a blonde twenty-something girl driving that two million dollar car around at speeds that would make most guys wet themselves.¡±


    The other guy laughed. ¡°A proud member of the She-Ra Man-Haters club, I see,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate men,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°But I do hate sexist men. Well, I hate the game, but not necessarily the player, I guess,¡± I corrected. ¡°Like Rob here- he¡¯s a good enough guy, but he¡¯s been really condescending ever since I joined the Porsche club. I mean, I like him well enough, I just wanted to rub his nose in it a bit.¡±


    ¡°You know I can hear you,¡± Rob said, deadpan.


    ¡°And I want you to,¡± I replied. ¡°Like I said, I like you. I think you¡¯re a decent guy, but you have this one flaw that bothers me. Other than that, you¡¯re good.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± he said, taking a drink from his water bottle. ¡°So that¡¯s why you had your car painted pink? To make a point?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s actually vinyl,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah.¡±


    Rob and his friend had nothing to say to that, so we all just sat there and worked on our hydration for a bit.


    ¡°That line you took through three,¡± Rob finally said. ¡°That actually is much better.¡±


    ¡°Staying right late like that sets you up for better drive up the hill, but the real key is that the track has better camber there than inside, but you can¡¯t really see it,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Staying right on three?¡± the other guys asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Yeah, Leah was taking a different line than I¡¯d ever seen in three, and it works really well,¡± Rob said. ¡°Stay way right until you can see all the way up the hill, then hit it hard and motor up into four.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Three?¡±


    ¡°It works, trust me,¡± Rob said. ¡°She takes a weird line into eight, too. She stays way over to the left out of seven then enters eight kinda wide, but absolutely flies through eight like, well, freaking fast. She pulls a giant gap on me through there every time.¡±


    ¡°What about nine?¡± the friend asked.


    ¡°I take the same line as Rob there,¡± I said. ¡°Just faster.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, ouch,¡± the friend said.


    ¡°I just spent two thirds of that lap having my ego served on a platter,¡± Rob admitted. ¡°I guess there¡¯s a reason they call them ¡®supercars¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Hey now- don¡¯t go backsliding,¡± I said, pointing my water bottle at Rob. ¡°It isn¡¯t because of the car. I¡¯m going to take out one of the instructors¡¯ Boxster at three, and we¡¯ll see what I can do with one third the horsepower.¡±


    ¡°The rear wheel drive is going to be a change,¡± Rob said.


    ¡°My race car is rear wheel drive,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really think I¡¯m using the all wheel drive of the Spyder to best effect.¡±


    ¡°Your race car,¡± the friend said.


    ¡°Yeah, I have a race car,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, no fucking wonder she ripped your doors off, bro,¡± he said to Rob.


    Rob sighed, and said, ¡°Just imagine how much easier it would have been if you¡¯d just gone and introduced yourself, ¡®Hey, I¡¯m Leah, I¡¯m a race car driver,¡¯ at club meetings. It would have saved all this effort.¡±


    ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°Every single guy with any track experience would have been thinking, ¡®Yeah, probably not all that fast,¡¯ every time they gave it any thought. And I¡¯m actually not a pro. I just like driving fast.¡±


    ¡°In a two million dollar car,¡± the friend said.


    ¡°In any car,¡± I countered. ¡°Heck, I¡¯d probably be one of the faster drivers in here today in my wife¡¯s little automatic Z4.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your wife, the one with the black hair, right?¡± Rob asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s not really a performance driver, so I bought her a little convertible because it¡¯s cute,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now who¡¯s being sexist?¡± Rob¡¯s friend asked.


    I had to admit he had me there, so all I could do was laugh. ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± I said.


    ¡°Anyway, I have to go have the guys throw the warmers on the tires,¡± I said, standing up. ¡°See you out there next session.¡±


    ¡°What guys? Rob asked.


    ¡°My team mechanics,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Hey, wait, I thought you said you weren¡¯t a pro,¡± Rob protested.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, in the sense that I don¡¯t get paid to drive. In fact, I pay stupid amounts of money to go fast,¡± I said.


    After I dropped the car off in the garage, I went to find the head marshal. When I finally did find him, I said straight up, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m driving the pink car. Have there been any complaints about any of my passes this morning?¡±


    ¡°The 918?¡± he asked for clarification, as if there was more than one car out there in any color like that.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Pete told us that you¡¯re a pro driver, but he said he made it clear that rubbin¡¯ is not O.K. here today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I passed quite a few cars last session without waiting for them to yield. Anybody complain?¡±


    ¡°If they have, I haven¡¯t heard it. I saw you pass a guy around the outside in two- that¡¯s pretty ballsy, but you passed clean, so there was no reason to flag you. Keep it clean like that and you¡¯re good,¡± he assured me, so I gave him a thumbs-up and returned to the garage.


    The eleven o¡¯clock session was nearing and I wanted to be first on the track again, so I lined up in the hot pit lane early. Unfortunately there were two cars ahead of me in line, but that was O.K. Once I got past them I¡¯d have an open track for a while.


    I was out in front of the group by turn six, and had the track to myself for a few laps before I caught up to the stragglers.


    I almost collected one guy going into turn one when he got hard on the brakes before turning in. I wasn¡¯t expecting anybody in the fast group to tiptoe through that turn like that, so him stomping on the binders took me by surprise. I swerved to the right to avoid him, then just cut in late and stayed left and passed him around the outside in the early part of two. After that, I had a lot of traffic to deal with and not everybody was quick to pull over to let me past.


    Keeping the whole ¡®polite passing¡¯ thing in mind, I passed when I could, as decisively as I could, but always maintaining a respectable gap between our respective bodywork.


    At first it was just frustrating, but then as I settled in it became its own game. A handful of laps later and I was back into the open, but I could see a few of the faster cars in the group quite some distance up the track.


    Now that I had a rabbit to chase it was time to put my head down and focus on squeezing what I could out of that magnificent machine. I¡¯d been developing a good feel for what lines worked with the Spyder (as opposed to my GT3) and wanted to fine tune them a bit for the time attack later on. This was the perfect chance to get some really solid work done, and I took it.


    I had just caught a red 911 with a big spoiler when the checkered flag came out, indicating that it was time to bring it in. Of course I had to finish the lap I was on, so there was no reason to slow down until after turn nine, was there?


    A track marshal waved me over when I pulled off the track into the pit area.


    ¡°You¡¯re Leah Farmer, right? You¡¯re third up in the time attack, so be ready in the hot pit lane right at noon,¡± he said when I took off my helmet so we could talk.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I replied, giving him a wave. I had forty minutes to get the car on the warmers, drink some water and maybe use the restroom before it was time to make some real noise.

 Getting Fast

    As instructed, I was ready to rumble right at noon. A marshal with a clipboard checked my name off a list, then waved me onto the hot pit lane.


    Cars were launched at about minute and a half intervals- each driver in turn was let onto the track when the previous car started their flying lap. This ensured that each driver would have nothing but empty track in front of them, making it a true timed event. Of course, these times were for bragging rights only since they didn¡¯t count for official rankings in anything but the club, but still¡­


    While I was waiting for the marshal to wave me on, that same red 911 with the huge spoiler pulled up behind me. I had no idea who the driver was, or even whether I¡¯d actually met him, but he was clearly one of the fastest out there that day.


    I caught his eye in my rear-view mirror, and he smiled and gave me a thumb¡¯s up. I returned the gesture, feeling good about having a challenge.


    A moment after the car ahead of me flew by for the start of their flying lap, the marshal waved me on. I didn¡¯t bother with the race start, since my first lap was just for warming up. All that really mattered was that I hit turn nine fast and perfect for the best drive possible onto the front straight.


    I took one at a decent clip, then gradually picked up speed. By the time I entered nine I was really flying. Using the car¡¯s all-wheel drive to best advantage I motored onto the front straight, letting the turn drive me way over to the left edge of the track. That V-8 engine right behind me was absolutely thundering as I flew past the starting line, my foot slammed to the floor.


    Turn one is visually intimidating- it looks like a ninety degree left as you rise up the slope of the front straight. The thing is, the track is ridiculously wide and has more banking than you¡¯d think. Immediately after the exit you start your bend to the right into the very long turn two, so you can stay wide late on one and let it slingshot you well into two, if you¡¯re confident.


    I was feeling good- the track was hot and had a ton of grip, my tires were working well, and I was focused to the point where nothing else existed. I drifted right on my way up the straight, waiting until the very last to ease the brakes on for the turn.


    I¡¯d probably gone through that turn faster in my race car, but again, the Spyder¡¯s limitation was the street-legal Michelins and the reduced grip in comparison to true race tires.


    I could feel it, too- I was right at the limit of the traction provided by the sport street rubber. That was fine- it just let me know that I couldn¡¯t get away with as much as I could in the GT3, that¡¯s all.


    I didn¡¯t want to push too hard, since every time I had to correct a slip I was losing precious hundredths, but if I wasn¡¯t slipping at all I wasn¡¯t going as fast as I could, either.


    My biggest moment came in eight just as I began to turn in for nine. The car never really got too far out of shape, but it did kill my drive. Frustrated that I blew my perfect lap at the very last moment but otherwise pleased with my car¡¯s performance, I kept my foot flat until I passed the finish line. Looking up, I could see the red car out on the track in their warm-up lap. Briefly wishing him a better finish to his timed lap than I had in mine, I rolled around for my cool-down lap before pulling it in.


    My time was displayed on the timing board- I¡¯d run a 1:24.24. I rolled the car back to the garage a bit disappointed, since I¡¯d hoped to break 1:24.


    ¡°That was damned fast,¡± Joachim said, taking my helmet and setting it on the drying fan.


    ¡°I blew it in nine,¡± I admitted. ¡°But that wasn¡¯t all. I¡¯m sure there were at least two tenths out there that I left on the table.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll throw on fresh tires for your run this afternoon. That might make the difference- these are a bit shagged,¡± Joachim said, running his hand on the tread of the right rear tire.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t feel too bad, but I was running right at the edge a lot,¡± I said, rummaging around in the cooler for a Coke.


    ¡°Here- eat up,¡± Manny said, setting a plate on the table. ¡°You only got half an hour before your next session.¡±


    I dug into the sandwich gratefully, suddenly realizing that yes, I actually was quite hungry. I just had time to finish my lunch and use the restroom before the one o¡¯clock session began.


    Rolling up to the hot pit entry, I saw the red 911 up ahead, so I jumped at the chance to follow him out onto the track.


    He gave a little wave out his window when he spotted me behind him, so it was clear he wanted to play, too. He accelerated hard onto the track, but I had no problem matching him. To be fair, I probably had over two hundred horsepower and the benefit of all-wheel drive, but some of those track-spec 911 series cars can get going fast in a hurry.


    Unfortunately we weren¡¯t the first ones on the track, so pretty soon we had traffic to go around. Red Porsche Guy was a bit more willing to wait for other drivers to move over than I was, but I sat behind him and followed his lead. After the third or fourth car we passed I realized that Red Porsche Guy was waiting to pass until we could both get by the slower car together.


    We did this until we reached the front of the field. Once I¡¯d gotten past the last of the cars that had entered the track before us, Red Porsche Guy took off. Of course there was no way I was going to let him get a gap on me, so I took off after him. We had almost five laps before we got into traffic, five laps in which we traded places several times, gapping each other here and there where one of us was faster than the other.


    He could hold a tighter line faster than I could, so he was faster in four, five and six, but I was more willing to let it fly in eight and nine and got better drive onto the front straight. This meant that if he was in front coming out of six, I could get past him before nine and the straight, but he could reel me back in over the top of the track. He managed to pass me in six, cutting inside where my favorite line had me wide to the left, which was a very gutsy move.


    When we did catch up to the stragglers in the group we both backed off a bit and passed the same way we had earlier, until the checkered flag came out and it was time to bring it in.


    I dropped the car off with the guys at the garage, then went out looking to see if I could find the red car with the giant spoiler to talk to the guy. Pete Miranda saw me and waved me over.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°That was some driving out there,¡± he said. ¡°And your flying lap earlier- pretty damned good,¡± he added. ¡°Anyway, my car is yours any time you want to take it out. My pit is down that aisle,¡± he said, indicating one of the rows of pit setups. ¡°Look for the black Boxster with gold racing stripes. My wife knows you¡¯ll be taking it out- she''ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Pete, I really appreciate it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll get your info so I know where to have the new tires sent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have my wife give you my card,¡± he said with a nod of thanks, but really, it was him doing me a favor.


    I walked past the black Boxster in my search for the red 911. Its driver was sitting in the shade of a canopy extended from the side of his toy hauler, enjoying the breeze from a big fan blowing directly on him. He was older, late fifties, maybe early sixties, with short salt and pepper hair. Lean and wiry, he looked very fit and athletic despite his age.


    ¡°There you are!¡± he said when I walked up. ¡°I looked around the pits but couldn¡¯t find your car anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Garage two oh seven,¡± I said.


    ¡°That explains it,¡± he said with a laugh, indicating I should help myself from the cooler.


    I grabbed a bottle of water, then used the cooler as a seat. ¡°That was a lot of fun,¡± I said, tilting my head back towards the track.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how fast you go through eight,¡± he said. ¡°And nine- that¡¯s really ballsy.¡±


    ¡°I just have big ovaries, that¡¯s all,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That must be it,¡± he agreed with a smile. ¡°Hey, my name¡¯s Jeff. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met- I would have remembered you for sure.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± I said. ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d ask if you come here often, but the answer is pretty obvious,¡± Jeff said.


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s only my second time at this particular track,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Where do you normally drive?¡± Jeff asked, surprised.


    ¡°We just moved down from the Bay Area, so it was mostly Northern California tracks up until recently,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I live in Vegas, so it¡¯s a treat for me to come out and play here at Willow Springs,¡± Jeff volunteered. ¡°I have to say, it¡¯s also a treat to see a 918 actually being driven the way it should. In fact, yours is the first I¡¯ve seen on the track.¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s my first day to bring it to the track,¡± I replied. ¡°The only reason I brought it today is that it¡¯s my only Porsche, and I was told that bringing a non-Porsche to a Porsche Club track day was frowned upon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure it would be,¡± Jeff said with a laugh. ¡°So, if it¡¯s not the 918, what¡¯s your regular track toy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a BMW,¡± I said.


    Jeff looked at me for a moment, then grinned. ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s something pretty fast, judging by how you seem very comfortable at warp speed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty fast,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s a factory GT3 car.¡±


    Laughing out loud at that, Jeff said, ¡°Yeah, that would do it. The Spyder must seem slow in comparison.¡±


    ¡°Well, no, it¡¯s not slow,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°In fact, the race start mode on the Porsche is unbelievable. Way faster than the BMW. It has more ponies and all wheel drive, so it gets off the line like nobody¡¯s business. Where the BMW is faster is when grip is an issue. Those big race tires and all that downforce keep the BMW stuck to the track, where the Porsche gets a bit squirrelly.¡±


    ¡°Like turn eight?¡± Jeff asked.


    ¡°Yeah, turn eight, but also four and six.¡±


    ¡°If you were going that fast and feeling squirrelly in eight, I can¡¯t imagine how you take it when you¡¯re feeling stuck to the pavement,¡± Jeff said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Faster,¡± I confessed.


    We stayed silent for a little bit, just relaxing companionably.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Jeff finally said after a minute or two. ¡°Can I ask a question? I don¡¯t want this to, well, come across the wrong way or anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, leaning back a bit to look him straight in the eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s a story behind the paint job on your 918,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a very, um, specific color.¡±


    ¡°I was originally going to go for bubblegum pink, but when I saw the color samples I liked the lavender better,¡± I admitted. ¡°So, not that specific, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I guess what I meant is that it¡¯s, um, an aggressively feminine color. Bubblegum pink would have been, too. These are colors very, very few people would choose.¡±


    ¡°You got me,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I wanted everybody here today to know for absolute certain that they just got passed by a girl.¡±


    ¡°You had it painted just for this track day?¡± he asked, amazed.


    ¡°Wrapped,¡± I corrected. ¡°But it might well stay that color- I kind of enjoy the, like you said, aggressive femininity of it.¡±


    ¡°What color is the paint underneath?¡±


    ¡°Sapphire Metallic, but when I bought it it had a wrap done in the Gulf Racing scheme,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would have liked to have seen that. That could have looked amazing.¡±


    ¡°It did, but it was a bit too gaudy for me,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Says the woman driving an aggressively lavender supercar,¡± Jeff laughed.


    ¡°One of the instructors here is letting me take his race-prepped Boxster out this afternoon,¡± I said, changing the subject. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get to see how the little people do it,¡± Jeff said with a smile to let me know he was teasing.


    ¡°I did tell him that if I wrecked it, I¡¯d buy I''m a new one,¡± I said. ¡°I figure that¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°A new Boxster¡­ That¡¯s what, one car payment on the 918?¡± Jeff teased.


    ¡°I only ever had one payment on the 918, and I can assure you it was a lot more than any Boxster could ever cost,¡± I replied with a laugh.


    Just then the P.A. system called out the five minute warning, so I stood up and said, ¡°See you out there.¡±


    I hustled back to the garage and grabbed my helmet off the fan. The car was ready and waiting, so I hopped in and waved my thanks to Joachim and Manny. They really were doing an amazing job of keeping me rolling with no issues.


    That session and the next I worked on fine-tuning my lines through a few of the turns, not really worrying about outright speed or lap times. I wanted to break into the 1:23 range at the afternoon time attack, so I needed to squeeze out a couple of tenths. Improving my lines, even if only slightly, was the way to do it.


    Of course, I was still doing a lot more passing than I was getting passed, but I¡¯d come to the conclusion by that point that even in the ¡®fast¡¯ group, not many drivers were willing to put their cars at any sort of risk, so ¡®fast¡¯ meant seven tenths, and slow maybe meant four tenths of what their cars were capable of.


    For the three o¡¯clock session I did go out in Pete Miranda¡¯s Boxster. It was a pure race car- internal roll cage, completely stripped interior, single seat, the whole nine yards. I have no idea exactly how much weight that saved, but the car just felt light. It felt way down on power compared to what I was used to as well, but I¡¯d expected that.


    The suspension was well tuned and the car handled extremely precisely, which helped make up for the lack of outright speed. It had on a set race-day treaded Toyos that worked well on the hot track and allowed me to hold an extremely tight line. This steering precision was very different from what I was used to- it made the track feel twice as wide. Of course, simply going slower had that effect, too. And it¡¯s not like I was really going all that much slower, really. According to the onboard lap timer I was hitting in the low 1:30s, so it was less than a ten per cent differential. I could see how with a bit of time behind the wheel I could squeeze out a few seconds, which doesn''t sound like much, but at those speeds each second is a hundred and fifty feet of track.


    I handed the key back to Pete at his pit, thanking him for letting play with his little race car. ¡°That Boxster of yours handles so crisp!¡± I said. ¡°You can take any line you want, anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a lot of fun,¡± Pete agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± I said. ¡°Why don¡¯t I return the favor? Let me know which session you want to take the 918 out, and you can see what it¡¯s like.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hate to do any damage¡­¡± Pete said, hemming and hawing.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t crash into anybody or run off the track, then,¡± I said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re serious, I¡¯d hate to pass up a chance like that,¡± Pete grudgingly admitted.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t pass it up. Simple.¡±


    The five o¡¯clock time attack went better than the noon session had and all those little hundredths added up. Of course, not blowing the turn onto the final straight made a big difference, too, and I just squeaked under the 1:24 mark. When the final times for the day were posted, I made my way over to Jeff¡¯s pit to congratulate him for edging me out by seven one hundredths of a second.


    ¡°I put everything I had into that lap,¡± Jeff admitted. ¡°I thought for sure you were going to take it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always tomorrow,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, there is,¡± he agreed. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be hotter, which might make the track greasy later in the day.¡±


    ¡°If it is, it is,¡± I said with a shrug.

 Like Clockwork

    That night Joachim, Manny and I ate at a little Thai restaurant across the street from our hotel. The food was surprisingly high quality, especially given the dumpy exterior and ramshackle decorations inside. My green curry was about as good as I¡¯d ever had, and Manny and Joachim both said their dinners were excellent as well. Chalk it up as one of life¡¯s little pleasant surprises, I guess.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you coulda taken at least three tenths off with fresh tires,¡± Joachim said when the subject of the time attacks came up. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll swap fresh tires on for your noon run. We shoulda done it for the afternoon run today, but¡­¡± he said with a shrug.


    The reason we hadn¡¯t is that I¡¯d thought the tires on there were probably good enough and I wanted to save the hassle of a tire swap right at the end of the day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s break out the Rs this time,¡± I said. ¡°Put them on for the eleven o¡¯clock session so I can get a feel for ¡®em before the timed runs.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the good stuff!¡± Manny chortled, rubbing his hands together like some old-time movie villain. ¡°They ain¡¯t gonna know what hit ¡®em!¡±


    Settled into my hotel room after a nice, long shower, I had a video call with Emmy and Angela.


    ¡°Laurence is so cute!¡± Angela said. ¡°I want that lab to hurry up and make us babies!¡±


    ¡°He is completely precious,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°He looks very much like an adorable Winston Churchill.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can visit again sometime in the next few days,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I like their house, too,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s super contemporary, and has great views.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if there¡¯s one thing we¡¯re missing out on, it¡¯s any real decent view,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I would not trade houses,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Their home is very stylish, and yes, it does have a wonderful view, but our house is larger, and to me, more comfortable. Also, we have a studio, and they do not,¡± she added with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, and our little pool is as big as theirs, but we also have the big pool, too,¡± Angela added.


    We talked like that for a while, about Laurence, Margaret and Olivia¡¯s house, the upcoming video shoot for the next Downfall single, and whatever else, mostly just to hear each other¡¯s voices and feel as if we were together, if only virtually.


    When we finally hung up, I had a nice, warm feeling in my heart and a smile on my face.


    We got to the track a bit early so the guys could get the tires up to temperature for the first session and change the car¡¯s oil.


    I attended the mandatory drivers¡¯ meeting- but for the fast group this time. It was the same old talk as always, explaining the flags, where to enter and exit the track, and the passing rules. There were some drivers who hadn¡¯t been there the day before, but everybody in the fast group had done track days in the past so we all knew the drill.


    I made sure I was in the hot pit lane early so I could have an empty track for a while, and used that time with no traffic to re-acquaint myself with the new, improved lines I¡¯d worked on the day before. I felt that I could probably shave off a few more tenths with fresh tires now that I was getting a firmer understanding of how this car performed.


    I saw Jeff¡¯s red 911 off in the distance, but we never got close enough to actually interact. That was fine with me- as much fun as it had been playing with him the day before, I wanted to focus on my pursuit of a perfect lap.


    After another session of doing the same, Pete Miranda found me talking to the guys in the garage.


    ¡°I watched you last session,¡± he said after I invited him to sit and have a Coke. ¡°You¡¯re really flying out there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s getting to the point where I¡¯m having a hard time finding more speed.¡±


    ¡°I can believe that,¡± he replied. ¡°I saw your time from last night- that was impressive as hell, for your first time driving that car on the track.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting a feel for it,¡± I said, looking over at the vivid lavender Porsche. ¡°Really, it¡¯s the exits that have taken the most getting used to. I¡¯m used to using the gas to rotate the car to finish the turn, but with this thing, it doesn¡¯t rotate at all- it just pulls itself out and away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an amazing piece of engineering, alright,¡± Pete agreed. ¡°So, were you serious about letting me take it out for a session?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°Any session you want after lunch.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re going to do another timed run,¡± Pete said, nodding.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    We both sat there for a minute or two, looking at the 918, thinking about timed runs and whatever else, when Pete broke the silence.


    ¡°Take my car out for the time attack session at the end of the day. People are going to look at your time in the 918 and say, ¡®Well of course. Look at the car,¡¯ right? But if you put in a real credible lap time in a Boxster, nobody can smack-talk that,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯d be cool with that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Pete said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t offer if I didn¡¯t mean it.¡±


    I thought about it for a moment, and suggested that we swap cars all afternoon. ¡°That way I can get more familiar with your car, and you can have fun in the Spyder,¡± I said.


    ¡°I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea that you¡¯re letting me take your two million dollar Porsche out for the whole afternoon,¡± Pete said.


    ¡°Everybody seems so hung up on how much that car costs,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Because it costs more than most of us will ever have?¡± Pete suggested, which got a laugh from Manny and Joachim.


    ¡°He ain¡¯t wrong,¡± Manny said.


    ¡°You know what car my mom bought me when I turned sixteen?¡± I asked, taking a sip of my Coke while I waited for an answer.


    ¡°No idea,¡± Pete said, shrugging.


    ¡°A bus pass,¡± I said. ¡°We didn¡¯t have any money.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be making up for lost time,¡± Pete said, raising his Coke in a toast.


    ¡°Smoke ¡®em if you got ¡®em,¡± I said, returning his salute.


    ¡°That¡­ is a commendable attitude,¡± Pete said.


    The eleven o¡¯clock session went off like clockwork. The race-spec tires gripped like velcro to the track and all those little slips that had cost me in the previous day¡¯s timed run just vanished. The Porsche simply didn¡¯t make any wrong moves, and I felt as if I¡¯d finally connected with the car. The track was hot, the car was running perfectly, and everything was in total sync.


    I¡¯d gotten the seventh spot in the lineup, which meant I wouldn¡¯t get out on the track until ten after or thereabouts, so we waited until that very last moment to pull the warmers to keep as much heat in them as possible. I rolled up to the hot pit lane and saw only one car in line ahead of me. Reassured that we¡¯d planned it correctly, I only had two minutes wait before the marshal waved me onto the track.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Like the day before, I didn¡¯t try for maximum speed until the tail end of my warm-up lap. All I needed to do was to get the tires hot and keep them there, and I was golden.


    Driving hard out of nine and up the front straight, I relaxed my shoulders, breathed deeply and put every thought out of my head but turn one. I took the late entry line that I¡¯d been working on, sending me flying into two at an insanely fast speed. Turn two is well banked- practically a bowl, but tilted. I used that camber to pin the car to a tight inside line where most people let the car run wide at the exit. This kept me hard to the right, shortening the track that tiny bit for me. Three went off perfectly, and thanks to the car¡¯s serious aero package I stayed stuck to the track across the top of four, where it would get light at lower speeds.


    Five, six and seven flowed just right and I went into eight faster than I ever had in the Spyder, and maybe as fast as I¡¯d managed in the GT3. Thanks to a day and a half of running my wide line, the track was cleaner out there than it had been the day before, or in fact, any time I¡¯d driven it.


    My reference points lined up, I braked late and hard for nine, slingshotting out of the dip right at the apex. From the moment my tires kissed the inside curbing I had my foot slammed to the floor for maximum drive.


    The car¡¯s electronic nannies gave me all the torque-vectored power they could and the Spyder clawed its way through that exit at eye-watering speed, hitting the front straight with massive drive. After crossing the line I glanced down at the dash and saw two hundred and three miles per hour, and that was after I¡¯d eased off a bit.


    My cool-down lap felt glacially slow, even though I was still lapping faster than most drivers had been doing in the fast group in the morning¡¯s sessions.


    The timing lights showed my lap as I rolled into the pit- I¡¯d just hit a 1:21.72- two seconds faster than I¡¯d managed the day before. I saw Pete standing near the classroom, so I pulled up next to him.


    ¡°That was really fucking fast,¡± he said when I pulled my helmet off. ¡°Like, that¡¯s probably the fastest I¡¯ve ever seen an unmodified car ever go around this track.¡±


    ¡°It felt fast,¡± I said.


    ¡°I bet it did! I¡¯d just bet it did.¡±


    ¡°So, come by my garage in twenty minutes or so with your Boxster and we can swap,¡± I said, reaching my fist out for a knuckle bump.


    Back at the garage I told the guys to swap back to the street tires. I doubted Pete would push the car hard enough to keep heat in the race tires, and I didn¡¯t want him to lose it because the tires were too cold. The street tires would work well at lower speeds, and didn¡¯t need the warmers.


    It isn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t think Pete was capable of driving the car fast enough, but rather that he¡¯d be intimidated by the idea of trashing a car worth more than twice as much as his house, so he¡¯d most likely take it just that little bit easy and not push it to the edge. He had repeatedly mentioned how expensive the Spyder was, so it must have been nagging at him a bit.


    The street sport tires were back on the car and the tank filled by the time Pete showed up with his black and gold Boxster. He still seemed as if he couldn¡¯t believe it when I handed him the plain-looking fob for the 918.


    ¡°See you out there,¡± I said with a smile as he got in and started it up.


    His Boxster was a pure race car, so it didn¡¯t even need any sort of key or fob- a simple push-button start was all it took to get that 3.7 liter motor spinning. I resisted the urge to follow Pete out onto the track to watch him drive. I didn¡¯t want him thinking I was keeping an eye on him, so I waited a bit before queueing up in the hot pit lane.


    By coincidence, I found myself right behind Rob in his Cayman. Now, as I understood it, the Cayman was just a coupe version of a Boxster, so we should have fairly evenly matched hardware, right?


    We were waved on together, so I tailed Rob as he accelerated onto the track. I¡¯d seen no sign of recognition, so I was pretty sure he had no idea it was me behind him since I wasn¡¯t in the unmistakable lavender Spyder.


    I stayed with him for a few laps, noticing with amusement that he was taking the line through three that I¡¯d shown him. Through seven, eight and nine, though, he kept to a much tighter line. On our third pass through there I finally realized why- since the cars we were driving had about one third the horsepower of the 918, it was more important to shorten the track than it was to line up the entrances for better drive out of seven and then nine.


    Hitting the gas at the apex of nine, the motor just didn¡¯t have the juice to overpower the tires the way I was used to, accelerating onto the front straight. After all, a smooth, flowing line wasn¡¯t as important in the lighter car as it had been in the heavier, much more powerful 918.


    Learning to run the track this way required a bit of a mental shift, and I was grateful for Rob¡¯s unintentional instruction. It was on lap five, I think, when he finally had enough of the black and gold Boxster on his butt. He signaled and moved over on the front straight to let me pass. There was no way I¡¯d turn down an offer like that, so I gave him a ¡®thank you¡¯ wave as I motored by.


    Using my newfound understanding of how to drive the little Boxster, I picked up the pace a bit. As I gained speed, I did start to reach the grip limits of the tires. This actually felt a lot like my GT3, just at a lower speed. On the positive side, I was able to use the oversteer to rotate through a few of the turns in a way that the all wheel drive of the Spyder simply would not allow.


    I¡¯d seen the Spyder out on the course every now and then but off in the distance on some other part of the track, so I thought about stopping by Pete¡¯s pit to see how it went. Realizing I didn¡¯t want to seem overprotective or anything like that, I just rolled back to the garage.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Manny?¡± I asked as Joachim lifted the car to put the warmers on.


    ¡°I sent him in to town- I found some of these tires in a place in Lancaster. I told him to buy another set like this, but also a set of race DOTs in this size,¡± Joachim said, indicating the Boxster¡¯s wheels. ¡°I know you wanna set a really hot lap this afternoon¡¯s timed run.¡±


    ¡°Am I that obvious?¡± I asked with a laugh as I grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler.


    ¡°Hey- we¡¯re here to kick ass and chew gum,¡± Joachim said with a smirk. ¡°But we didn¡¯t bring any gum.¡±


    While Joachim had the car up he checked under the hood just to make sure everything looked good, even though we both knew it was probably all just fine. The Boxster had run perfectly and Pete seemed like the kind of guy who took care of his race car.


    While I was relaxing and Joachim was keeping himself busy, Pete and Rob wandered into the open door of the garage.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± I said. ¡°Grab something cold to drink and make yourselves comfortable.¡±


    ¡°Rob here came by my pit. He saw the Spyder parked there and wondered what was up,¡± Pete explained. ¡°When I told him we¡¯d swapped cars for the afternoon he realized it was you in the black Boxster last session.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was me,¡± I admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to follow you out like that, but when I saw I¡¯d wound up behind you in the starting lane, I figured I¡¯d be able to learn some more, regarding these kinds of cars.¡±


    ¡°You mean ¡®slow ones¡¯?¡± Rob asked.


    ¡°I wouldn''t call them slow, really,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, sure, maybe in comparison to the 918, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Leah, that car of yours is the fastest thing I¡¯ve ever driven,¡± Pete said. ¡°Hands down. It¡¯s intimidating how fast it is.¡±


    ¡°It should be- it¡¯s got nearly three times the ponies our cars have,¡± Rob said.


    ¡°Well, yeah, sure, but it isn¡¯t just that. I¡¯ve driven high horsepower cars before, but none had the ability to get the power to the ground like this thing. In the 918, you step on the accelerator and it just goes. No drama, no wheelspin, just the hand of god slamming you back into the seat harder than you¡¯d think possible,¡± Pete said.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Rob replied, shaking his head.


    ¡°It is,¡± Pete said. ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°You know what¡¯s funny?¡± I asked. ¡°Once I started to get the feel for your car, I liked that I could step the rear out a bit to oversteer my way through some of the turns. The electronic aids on the Spyder are so over-controlling that I can¡¯t just play, you know? You can¡¯t get it sideways no matter how hard you try.¡±


    ¡°Get it sideways? On a race track?¡± Rob asked, amazed.


    ¡°Well, yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I haven¡¯t found any way to turn off or even reduce the TC below what it allows in ¡®Race¡¯ mode, and with the front wheels pulling through the turns, you just can¡¯t get it to drift at all.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine,¡± Rob said.


    ¡°Hey, Pete, one of my guys went into town to get you another set of tires to repay you for letting me play with your Boxster. You want us to mount them, or do you want to hang onto them until later?¡± I asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°One of your guys?¡± Rob asked, looking around and seeing Joachim for what seemed to be the first time.


    ¡°I guess Leah gave the rest of her mechanics the weekend off,¡± Pete said to Rob. ¡°She only brought two this time.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t bother with the team rig, either,¡± I said. ¡°Mainly since it has ¡®BMW¡¯ in giant letters on the side.¡±


    ¡°Team rig? BMW?¡± Rob asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Leah¡¯s daily driver is a factory GT3 M6,¡± Pete said.


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking kidding me,¡± Rob said, a look of disbelief on his face. ¡°A real, honest to god factory race car?¡±


    ¡°In all its blue, white and indigo glory,¡± I said. ¡°Normally Joachim here would be looking at the data and fine-tuning the car every time I came off the track, but with the 918, he doesn¡¯t really have much to do.¡±


    ¡°Except put on the tire warmers and make sure Leah¡¯s got gas,¡± Joachim volunteered as he dropped the hood. ¡°And Manny, he mostly just makes lunch.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± Rob said, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s a different world.¡±


    Angela¡¯s little Z4 pulled up in front of the open garage door at about that moment. She got out and peered into the darkness of the garage, looking for me.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I called. ¡±In here.¡±


    She looked amazing in a little bitty silk summer dress I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Emmy said she¡¯s sorry, but the last time she came to this track she got a really bad headache from all the sun,¡± Angela said, leaning down to give me a kiss. Looking around, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your car?¡±


    ¡°Pete Miranda here, that¡¯s his car. We traded for the afternoon,¡± I said, indicating where Pete sat.


    ¡°Pete Miranda? Angela asked. ¡°Any relation to Zach Miranda from the band ¡®Murder Ballot¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You know Zach?¡± Pete asked, surprised. ¡°He¡¯s my nephew.¡±


    ¡°Our friend Stephanie manages his band,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m being rude here,¡± I said, interrupting. ¡°Pete, Rob, this is my wife Angela. Angela, this is Pete, one of the driving instructors here, and Rob, one of the guys from the club.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve met, at a club dinner,¡± Angela said, shaking Rob¡¯s hand. ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± she said to Pete, shaking his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad you weren¡¯t here earlier,¡± Pete said to Angela. ¡°Leah here set the best time of the weekend an hour and a half ago.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Angela asked, excited. ¡°Fastest of anybody?¡±


    ¡°Pete- maybe you should try to beat that time this afternoon,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be tough,¡± he said, doubtful.


    ¡°Baby, I saw a shop right by the front gate. Is that a gift shop?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°They have shirts and souvenirs and things like that,¡± Pete offered. ¡°But mostly it¡¯s stuff for racers. Helmets, driving suits, so on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Angela said. ¡°I want to get something for Tiffany and Maddie.¡± With that, she gave me another kiss and turned to leave.

 A Distant Third

    All eyes were on Angela as she walked back to her car. Once she actually left, Pete turned back to me. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Rob said. ¡°I¡¯d never leave the house.¡±


    The remaining two sessions were more of the same, just coming to grips with the way Pete¡¯s Boxster handled and delivered its power to the ground. It was nice to come back to the garage and see Angela¡¯s smiling face between sessions, but I felt a bit guilty about her basically just sitting around while I had my fun. She didn¡¯t seem to mind, though, so I tried to not give it any thought.


    The guys lifted the car and yanked the wheels as soon as I pulled in after my three o¡¯clock session on the track. It amazed me how fast Joachim and Manny changed the tires using the human-powered tire machine in the back of the trailer. In the forty minutes gap between sessions they had the wheels off, swapped the race tires on the rims, balanced them all, and had them mounted on the car and ready for me to roll.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget,¡± Joachim warned as I put on my helmet. ¡°These tires are cold. Take the first lap easy, the second lap a bit harder, and on your third lap they should be up to temp.¡±


    For the most part I did as instructed, but I did goose the accelerator a few times to get the back tires to step out, just to judge the traction.


    It was true- the race tires had much less grip when cold than the street tires did. Once they warmed up, though, they stuck like glue and gave me the ability to sail around the track with confidence. By the end of the session I had the race tires at their limits (and even beyond a few times), so I had a pretty good feeling of what they¡¯d be able to manage during the timed run later.


    Back at the garage the guys had the car lifted and the warmers going immediately- they wanted to keep those things nice and toasty. Manny had checked my position in the queue so they would know just how long they could leave it before I had to take my place in the starting lane.


    ¡°Baby, I know what this means to you,¡± Angela said, holding my hand and looking me in the eyes. ¡°And Pete told me that you said you¡¯d buy him a new one if you wrecked his race car. But I want you to go out there and don¡¯t even think about it. I don¡¯t want you to wreck, but I do want you to win. If that means maybe you trash his car, well, we¡¯ll just get him a new one and he¡¯ll be happy with that, alright?¡±


    ¡°I think I understood that,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°And don¡¯t worry- I¡¯m going to do my best.¡±


    When I was time to go, I gave Angela a kiss before putting my helmet on, and she immediately bolted for the grandstands to watch. I pressed the start button and that Boxster¡¯s motor sprang to life, ready and eager to run.


    I made my way to the hot pit lane just in time to see the car in line ahead of me start their run. The marshal waved me up to the starting line, then a little over a minute later I was off on my warm-up lap. I accelerated hard, then braked hard for turn one just to get a bit more heat in the tires. The five minutes off the warmers wouldn¡¯t have sapped too much heat, especially since the tarmac was plenty hot, but still¡­ hotter was better with race-spec tires.


    By halfway around my warm-up lap I was at full speed, feeling relaxed and focused at the same time. That little car was nice and easy to drive, and did just what I asked of it. The hot race tires made a lot of difference in the car¡¯s ability to corner, which was pretty stellar to begin with. The grip was so good that the engine was more of a limiting factor than the traction driving out of the turns.


    From the late apex of nine onto the front straight I kept my foot flat to the floor, willing those three hundred and some horses to life. I kept my foot in it later than I could have in my Spyder, since the car weighed hundreds of pounds less. When I finally stepped on the brakes for one, I was well past the markers that I¡¯d been using in the 918.


    One went flawlessly, just as I¡¯d expected it would. That car of Pete¡¯s was a willing and able accomplice in my goal for speed, and did its best to give me as much velocity as I wanted.


    By the time I sailed through nine and up the front straight again, that little Boxster and I had come to an understanding. I understood what it was capable of, and it understood just what it was I was asking of it. As silly as it may sound, I felt a twinge of regret on the cooldown lap- regret that I¡¯d be handing the car back to its rightful driver. It was one heck of a fun track toy, after all. The GT3 required so much more of me as a driver, and so much more of a time and money commitment, but the Boxster, well, I could have had plenty of fun with a car like that with no mechanics, no trailer, nothing. Heck, you could drive it to the track day, if it were actually registered legal for the street.


    I rolled back to the garage content with my time, whatever it turned out to be. I¡¯d gotten the most I was going to get from that car, and left nothing on the table.


    Setting my helmet on the drying fan, a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind.


    ¡°That was so fast!¡± Angela said, giving me a big squeeze. ¡°So impress! Much wow!¡±


    Laughing, I turned around and pulled her in even tighter. Her eyes were wide and bright, the excitement clear to see.


    ¡°Did you see my time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No- where would it have been posted?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°1:27.75,¡± Joachim volunteered.


    ¡°Six and a half seconds down compared to the 918,¡± I said. ¡°That sounds about right.¡±


    ¡°Still plenty fast,¡± Joachim said. ¡°Plenty fast.¡±


    After peeling out of my suit and shoes, I enjoyed the relative cool of wearing nothing but my base layer top and tights. Relative cool, because it was over a hundred degrees in the garage, and even hotter outside in the sun. Still, at least I had some airflow. Racing suits might be great at keeping you from catching on fire, but they are pretty poor at keeping you from getting hot.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I was talking to Manny about driving my X6 back to the house so I could ride with Angela when Pete rolled up in the 918.


    He¡¯d already ditched his own suit and helmet, wearing Dad shorts and a Polo shirt with a pair of Dockers without socks- stereotypical Porsche guy wear.


    Handing me back the key fob, he asked what I thought of his Boxster.


    ¡°Honestly, I thought it was a lot of fun. It handles great and has enough power to be fun, but not enough to be intimidating,¡± I told him, sipping on my bottle of water. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s a great little machine.¡±


    ¡°You talk about horsepower being intimidating,¡± Pete said, taking a seat on the cooler. ¡°It¡¯s scary how hard the 918 accelerates. I had four sessions to wrap my brain around it, and even there at the end I had a hard time really stepping on it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the quickest car I¡¯ve ever driven,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°But not the fastest?¡±


    ¡°No, not the fastest,¡± I admitted. ¡°As good as the 918 corners, it just can¡¯t equal my GT3 for outright speed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to try a car like that sometime,¡± Pete said, his voice wistful.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s funny? That last session, I was thinking about how nice your Boxster is for track duty. Just drive up with the car on a flatbed trailer and you¡¯re ready to go. For me to get the GT3 going, I need to bring the team rig, four mechanics, and so on. I calculated it once, and it costs over twenty-five dollars a lap just in running costs. And bringing it to a normal track day like this? People get upset,¡± I said. ¡°That usually means private test days, and an empty track can get sort of boring.¡±


    ¡°And never mind the cost of the car initially,¡± Pete said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Four hundred grand, if you have connections,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Pete said.


    ¡°You gotta pay to play,¡± I said.


    After Pete left, I went into the trailer to change into street clothes- a pair of shorts, Chuck Taylors and my Porsche Club of Los Angeles T shirt.


    I told Angela I¡¯d be ready to go in twenty minutes- I just needed to talk to a few people.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Angela said, her smile bright.


    ¡°We¡¯ll hit the road as soon as we get packed up,¡± Joachim said. ¡°See you back in LA.¡±


    ¡°If you get to the house before me, go ahead and leave the cars in the garage,¡± I said. ¡°I owe you guys. Thanks a lot for helping me out this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Any time,¡± Joachim said, and Manny nodded in agreement. ¡°Any time at all.¡±


    Angela and I walked over to the classroom to look at the weekend¡¯s combined times. I had the top spot with my Sunday lunchtime run, followed by Jeff in his Saturday afternoon run in his GT2 RS. Pete had sixth overall in my 918, confirming my suspicion that he was unwilling to risk the car.


    As odd as it may seem, I was proudest of taking the fifth spot in Pete Miranda¡¯s little Boxster race car. I¡¯d beaten his time in the Spyder, to my delight. The list was going to be posted to the club¡¯s website for everyone to see, hopefully shutting up all the quiet grumbles about a chick driving a supercar that I¡¯d been overhearing.


    Satisfied that I¡¯d accomplished what I¡¯d set out to do, I dragged Angela over to Pete¡¯s setup.


    ¡°Thanks for letting me use your car this weekend,¡± I said as he and his wife packed up all his gear. ¡°I really enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the fresh tires,¡± Pete said with a grin. ¡°And thanks for letting me play with your 918. That was one hell of a treat.¡±


    I told him I¡¯d see him next time, and we took off. Angela had asked me to drive, and I was fine with that. As I got behind the wheel I realized I¡¯d never actually driven the little Z4. Recalibrating my expectations took a little while, but once I remembered that it was the basic four-banger automatic I could accept that it was slow and squishy. What it did have, though, is a killer air conditioner, which was very welcome in the dry desert heat of the late afternoon.


    Resting her hand on the bare skin of my leg, Angela said, ¡°I wish I would¡¯ve seen you set that fast time in the Porsche. That must have been amazing.¡±


    ¡°It is an amazing car,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You know, we could have driven that back home and had the guys put this car in the trailer,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°We could have,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I didn¡¯t think of that. Anyways, this is a nicer car than most people have anyway, right? I mean, seriously.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Angela said, patting the dashboard. ¡°I love my little blanquito.¡±


    Charmed, I gave Angela a smile. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to buy you something bigger when you have your baby. It¡¯d be hard to put a car seat in this little thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive the X6,¡± Angela replied quickly. ¡°I¡¯m keeping this car.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, baby, you know that. Heck, I¡¯d even buy you a minivan if you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Dios, no!¡± Angela said, making a face. ¡°No minivan!¡±


    ¡°They can be pretty nice,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Angela replied. Thinking about it for a moment, she said, ¡°Livy and Margaret just bought a new SUV- a Lincoln, I think. It¡¯s really nice, and has a lot of room for the baby seat and stroller and everything else.¡±


    ¡°It should have a lot of room. Those things are about as big as a bus!¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, they really are,¡± Angela agreed.


    Angela called Emmy on the way home and asked if she¡¯d had dinner already, and if we should pick up something on the way home. Listening to the two of them talk about such domestic matters warmed my heart. It was such a simple thing, but it showed the care that Angela felt for Emmy, and when they each signed off with simple, ¡°Love you¡± it was clear that the two really did.


    Later, after dinner, Angela regaled Emmy with my feats on the track while we relaxed in the hot tub. I thought Angela¡¯s recounting of my hot laps was funny, since she hadn¡¯t seen most of them- presumably Joachim and Manny had told her about events from Saturday and Sunday morning before she got to the track.


    ¡°I would have liked to have seen you set the record,¡± Emmy said, crossing over to straddle my lap.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t set any records,¡± I protested. ¡°Just the best time of the weekend, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Emmy laid her forearms on my shoulders and leaned in for a kiss. ¡°I am glad you bought that Porsche,¡± she said. ¡°And I love the new color. It is very¡­¡± she said, searching for the right word.


    ¡°Lavender?¡± I suggested, sliding my hands up the sides of her ribcage. and around to her back.


    ¡°It is very, very lavender,¡± Emmy agreed, her amused smile lighting up her face. ¡°But I think the word that I was looking of is ¡®distinctive¡¯. It is very distinctive.¡±


    ¡°I think that I made my point loud and clear this weekend,¡± I agreed. ¡°The guys who were there this weekend will absolutely remember being schooled by a chick in a pink car.¡±


    ¡°You are so¡­¡± Emmy said, again at a loss for words.


    ¡°Sexy?¡± Angela suggested, moving across the hot tub to sit on my knees, crowding Emmy from behind. Angela reached around Emmy and put her hands on my boobs, pinching my nipples gently. She kissed Emmy¡¯s shoulder, which caused Emmy to tilt her head away to give Angela better access.


    ¡°Yes, you are very, very sexy,¡± Emmy agreed, looking into my eyes. Her own eyes shone in the light from the bar area behind me, big and green. ¡°You are the sexiest,¡± she said, her voice husky and breathy.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m a distant third in that category as far as this family of ours is concerned,¡± I objected. ¡°You and Ange are the two sexiest women on Earth.¡±


    Emmy and Angela leaned forward together so they could both kiss me. ¡°I look at you, Leah, and I see a goddess,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I could not imagine a more perfect woman.¡±


    ¡°Then you must not look in the mirror much,¡± I replied. ¡°You and Ange are both way hotter than me.¡±


    ¡°We are very different from you,¡± Angela said, her hands still working my breasts. ¡°You¡¯re like Atena, the goddess from Greece. You¡¯re so big and strong, and powerful. Emmy once said that everybody is terrified of you, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s quite right. I think everybody is intimidated by you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is right,¡± Emmy agreed. She kissed me again, then sat up. ¡°I think that tonight is a very good night to not get any sleep,¡± she announced, a saucy smile on her lips. ¡°We should take a shower, then go straight to bed.¡±


    ¡°But not get any sleep,¡± Angela confirmed.

 No News

    Wednesday dinners were developing into a huge deal. It wasn¡¯t just Andy and Jenna anymore- usually Lee and Jen came, and Jackson and whoever his plus one was for the evening. Stephanie and Stephen (who were definitely an item) generally attended, too. Even Lacy, our next door neighbor when we¡¯d lived in the Century City tower, made it a regular thing. Johnny, our neighbor from across the street usually came, too, and so did Livy and Margaret when they could convince Margaret¡¯s parents to baby-sit.


    In addition to the regulars we had a lot of others who came every now and then, so most Wednesday nights we had fifteen to twenty guests. Thankfully, the house was big enough to easily accommodate that number with no problem. There was no way I was going to have Angela work that hard in the kitchen, though, so we brought in a professional chef, and after a while, the bartender from the place in Silver Lake. This freed the three of us from actual hosting duties, allowing us to mingle and enjoy the company.


    One Wednesday night I was chatting with Andy and one of his friends from the team as we relaxed out on the deck by the fire pit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much more I got in me, man,¡± Darius said, looking at the flames. ¡°I¡¯m seriously thinkin¡¯ that when my current contract is up, I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Your stats are still good, man,¡± Andy said. ¡°If you keep it up this season, you could go into free agency in a solid place.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t think I wanna,¡± Darius replied. ¡°I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ that it¡¯s maybe time to downsize, and think about what I¡¯m gonna do in retirement.¡±


    ¡°Lee here gave me the best advice ever, when I first signed,¡± Andy said. ¡°She basically said that I have to think about the rest of my life first, because playing is only going to be for a few years, but the rest of my life is going to be a lot longer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? No shit?¡± Darius asked, looking at me.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± I agreed. ¡°You¡¯re thinking you want to retire after next season, right? That¡¯ll mean no money coming in. Do you have enough saved or invested to be able to spend the rest of your life the way you want? That¡¯s the important question.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck no, man,¡± Darius said with a grimace. He leaned back and took a drink, then admitted, ¡°Man, I can barely cover my shit on my base. I gotta make the incentives, you know?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to my place, Dar,¡± Andy said. ¡°You¡¯ve seen my car. What Lee said made sense. If I get injured and can¡¯t play another game, well, I won¡¯t be buying any Ferraris or anything, but I¡¯ll be O.K. with my investments.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like, man,¡± Darius moaned, shaking his head. ¡°I got my people, and you know, they need this, they need that, and me, I¡¯m the only one in the family that¡¯s made it, you know?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± Jackson said, interrupting. ¡°Hey, Darius, that was one hell of a play you made on Sunday. Turned the game,¡± Jackson said.


    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Darius replied, but he was still too busy feeling sorry for himself to really accept the compliment.


    ¡°Anyway, Leah, my dad told me he tried your barbecue place the other day. He said he¡¯s found a new favorite ¡®cue,¡± Jackson said. ¡°And that got me thinking. I know you take investors in your real estate trust, but have you thought about it for your restaurant business?¡±


    ¡°You want to buy in?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°I¡¯m, thinkin¡¯, maybe, yeah,¡± he replied.


    ¡°We can talk about it,¡± I said. ¡°You know it doesn''t make as much money as the real estate trust.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that, but it could be a lot more interestin¡¯.¡±


    After Jackson left, Andy turned to Darius. ¡°Dar, man, that¡¯s the other part of what Leah told me. Invest the shit outta your earnings- have the money work for you, so you don¡¯t have to work for the money. Her real estate trust? I¡¯m throwing every dime I can into it, so that when my time comes to hang up my cleats I can live comfortably and never have to worry about money for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°You got me thinkin¡¯,¡± he said, back to staring into the fire.


    ¡°Why do you all look so serious?¡± Angela asked as she plopped down on my lap and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.


    ¡°I got a lot of thinkin¡¯ to do,¡± Darius said, looking up at her. ¡°They helpin¡¯ me sort some shit out.¡±


    ¡°No, not tonight,¡± Angela said. ¡°No more thinking. Come inside- Emmy and Lee and Jackson are about to play, and you don¡¯t want to miss that.¡±


    I certainly didn¡¯t want to miss that, either, so the three of us followed Angela back into the house and found places to sit. Emmy and Jackson both had their acoustic guitars, and Lee had a sort of wooden box that he held between his feet and played on like a drum.


    ¡°Play that Willie and Ray duet you two did last summer,¡± Lacy urged as they got ready. Emmy looked at Jackson, and he gave her a sort of ¡®Why not?¡¯ look, so she started in with a classical-sounding guitar while he strummed rhythm.


    ¡°Looking down into her green eyes,¡± Jackson sang, soft and sweet. ¡°He said, ¡®Say a prayer for me¡¯.¡±


    All conversation had stopped and the room was hushed, listening to Jackson¡¯s voice like liquid gold.


    ¡°She threw her arms around him, whispering, ¡®God will set us free¡¯,¡± Emmy replied.


    The two sang the song differently than they had before, mixing it up so any given line was sung by whoever made the most sense in respect to the lyrics. The last time Emmy and Jackson had sung it they each had their own verses, just the way Willie Nelson and Ray Charles had done it, but this was different.


    Together they sang the final verse about the seven Spanish angels taking another angel home, and there was barely a dry eye in the house.


    ¡°Dude, that was fucking amazing,¡± Jen said when the last notes faded away.


    Darius turned to Andy and said quietly, ¡°Thanks for bringin¡¯ me, man. The guys ain¡¯t gonna believe this.¡±


    ¡°I told you,¡± Andy replied.


    While Emmy took a moment to sip her sangria, Jackson started in on the next song, finger picking a tune I was sure I¡¯d heard before. As Emmy strummed gently, Jackson plucked the melody. After a few moments he started to sing, and that¡¯s when it hit me. I¡¯d never heard the Beatles¡¯ song ¡®Let It Be¡¯ played as an acoustic guitar tune before, but it worked really well. They played it slower and softer than the original, too, really bringing out the introspective nature of the lyrics.


    Keeping it slow, Emmy played the opening chords of the next song, using a bottleneck on her finger to get the slide guitar sound she wanted.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a man, made of flesh and bone,¡± she sang, sad and remorseful. ¡°I¡¯ve thrown away all that was once my own. Now I¡¯m old and worn, and tired too. I¡¯m cold, so cold, and blue, so blue.¡±


    I¡¯d never heard the song before, and found it interesting that Emmy was singing such a classic-sounding blues tune. Those were usually Jackson¡¯s thing, but here she was, singing a song about a woman¡¯s loss.


    ¡°Letting my love slip through my hands, too much to lose, for just a man,¡± she sang in a slow lament, and you could hear the heartbreak and misery of lost love in her voice.


    When the song finished, nobody said a thing. There was nothing anybody could say, but then somebody started clapping and we all joined in.


    ¡°Well, thank y¡¯all,¡± Jackson said when the applause died down. ¡°I guess we probably shouldn''t have started out slow like that, but these things just happen sometimes. Let¡¯s lighten the mood a bit, whaddya say?¡±


    Looking around, he said, ¡°I know just the thing.¡± He picked the first few notes, and Emmy and Lee both laughed when they recognized the song. It took a bit longer for me, but when Emmy¡¯s guitar joined in it seemed familiar.


    Of course, when she belted out, ¡°Welcome to the jungle, it¡¯s all fun and games,¡± any doubt was erased. Emmy was singing with her full outside voice, but somehow managing to keep it from drowning out the two guitars. Normally when she really leaned into it her vocals were stunningly loud, but not this time. She managed to sound loud without actually being loud, if that makes any sense.


    The Guns N Roses song did the job of changing the mood, and people went back to laughing and chatting while the three played.


    I glanced around and spotted the hipster bartender who had come in and was standing near the sliding doors, just as captivated by the informal show as everybody else. I caught his eye and smiled at him to let him know it was fine, and he relaxed a bit.


    After a few more songs, the three took a break. Emmy came over to where Angela and I were sitting and stole a drink from my glass. Making a face, she said, ¡°I do not understand how you can drink this. Give me a good glass of wine and I am happy, but this whiskey? It is too harsh for me.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Angela agreed. ¡°I can¡¯t even drink that stuff Pap¨ª sent her.¡±


    Smiling, I patted my lap for Emmy to take a seat, which she did.


    ¡°You guys done for the night?¡± I asked, wrapping my arm around her waist.


    ¡°I think so, yes,¡± Emmy said, leaning into me. ¡°It is fun, goofing around like that, but we also want to enjoy visiting with our friends.¡±


    ¡°I saw you talking with Stephanie earlier,¡± I said, nuzzling Emmy¡¯s long, slender neck. Still, after our years of marriage, her subtle jasmine perfume still got me fired up.


    ¡°We- Jackson, Lee and I- have been discussing the need for a road manager for our upcoming tour, and we thought that perhaps she would be the right one for the job.¡±


    ¡°I thought Jackson was your manager?¡±


    ¡°He is, but the duties of a road manager are very specific and extremely time-consuming, so it would be better to have a full-time professional for this,¡± Emmy said, enjoying my kisses.


    ¡°Has she ever done it for a band as big as The Downfall?¡±


    ¡°No, and she did express some reservations about that, but I think she could rise to the occasion,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And we already know her, and that is important.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± I agreed.


    Eating lunch at the Irish pub one day a week or two later, Real Estate Henry took the seat next to me at the bar. ¡°How¡¯s business?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Pretty good,¡± I said. ¡°But we¡¯re gonna have to stop meeting like this.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that? Your husband getting jealous?¡± Henry asked, signaling to the bartender.


    ¡°No, nothing like that. We¡¯re moving the office to a new site over in Westwood, and to be honest, these tacos aren¡¯t good enough to justify coming all the way over here,¡± I explained.


    ¡°All the two miles over here from the other side of the 405?¡± Henry asked.


    ¡°I walk here from my office now,¡± I clarified. ¡°It¡¯s a couple of blocks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, O.K., I can see how this place could be a lot less convenient if you have to drive,¡± Henry admitted.


    After ordering the Cajun pasta, Henry returned to the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll always treasure these times we had together,¡± he said.


    ¡°Until our paths cross again. May you be in Heaven half an hour before the Devil knows you¡¯re dead,¡± I said, raising my iced tea in a toast.


    ¡°Sl¨¢inte,¡± Henry replied, clinking my plastic glass with his.


    After a few minutes of silent eating, Henry said, ¡°Westwood, huh? Is it a move up?¡±


    ¡°We just need a bigger space,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re maxed out in our current location, and the property owner didn¡¯t want to sell. So they¡¯re losing their biggest tenant, and we¡¯re getting the elbow room we need.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like real estate has been good for you,¡± Henry replied.


    ¡°It has,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never asked. Not to be, um, obvious, but you have the look of success. Do you specialize in the high end of the residential market?¡± Henry asked. ¡°Me, I¡¯m in commercial leasing.¡±


    ¡°Property management and development,¡± I said. ¡°Mid to mid-upper market rentals, mostly. Some commercial properties, too.¡±


    ¡°Loeltz?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s my property management division,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Well, damn,¡± Henry said. ¡°So, are you, um, like, Leah Loeltz?¡±


    ¡°No, no relation. I bought the company from old man Loeltz a few years ago and just kept the name,¡± I said.


    ¡°A few years ago? That makes sense,¡± Henry said, looking thoughtful. ¡°It seemed like the company started making some big moves about then.¡±


    ¡°Well, like I said, we¡¯re gonna make a big move over to the other side of the freeway in a couple of weeks. It¡¯s going to be strange for a lot of the staff, since they¡¯ve been working out of the same office for nearly fifteen years.¡±


    ¡°Change is tough,¡± Henry said, nodding.


    ¡°Have you heard anything from the lab in Korea?¡± Emmy asked one evening. ¡°It has been quite a while since we sent them the genetic material.¡±


    ¡°Just the same emails every week that you get,¡± I said, stroking her hair as we reclined together on the couch. ¡°The same old thing, no news to speak of.¡±


    ¡°I understand that this is cutting-edge science, but I do wish that they would hurry it up,¡± Emmy griped. ¡°And poor Angela- she wants it so very much.¡±


    ¡°I know, babe,¡± I said, nuzzling her neck. ¡°I wish there was some way I could speed things up, but you¡¯ve read the emails. After the first few failures, they want to get their technique right before trying again. They don¡¯t want to waste any more eggs until they¡¯re sure everything¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she sighed. ¡°And I do understand it. It is simply that I had such high expectations, and I want our children to be yours as much as mine and Angela¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Even if this doesn¡¯t work out and we wind up using Andy as a donor, the babies will still be mine in every way that matters, Em.¡±


    She smiled a sort of resigned smile and said, ¡°I know that you feel that way- I would expect nothing else. But it does matter, to everybody else.¡± I had the feeling that she specifically meant ¡®to my parents and the rest of the Night Children¡¯, but I didn¡¯t say it. Emmy had admitted that her society was very archaic in so many ways, and this, it seemed, was one of those ways.


    ¡°Heck, for all I know, the lab in Seoul might have good news for us tomorrow,¡± I replied, pulling Emmy¡¯s slender body in closer. ¡°Maybe by this time next week you¡¯ll be pregnant.¡±


    ¡°I can dream,¡± Emmy said, laying her head on my shoulder. ¡°It is a beautiful dream. In my dream, we have two perfect little daughters running around, laughing, singing, and playing. You take them up and swing them around, and toss them up and catch them. You teach them to be strong and bold, and when they are too bold, Angela kisses them and bandages their skinned knees. She teaches them to be kind and loving, and I teach them the old ways, and how to sing and to dance. This is my dream.¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯ll learn plenty about being kind and loving from you, and hopefully from me, too,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll learn to sing and dance from me, though.¡±


    ¡°Angela has a pretty voice,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Have you heard her sing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard her sing along with the stereo, but never just, you know, sing a song all by herself, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡±


    ¡°Ask her to sing for you sometime,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Her voice is not trained, but it is pretty. I like it when she sings. It is real, you know? A true expression of her heart.¡±


    ¡°Angela expresses her heart all the time,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve never met anyone who is so¡­¡±


    ¡°She is so open,¡± agreed Emmy. ¡°I admire that about her. She feels everything so deeply, and honestly.¡±


    ¡°She does,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°It is what I love most about her,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°What, not her amazing butt?¡± I asked, kissing Emmy¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I do love that,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°She is very sexually attractive. Both of you are- I find myself aroused by the two of you constantly. And when I get to watch the two of you make love¡­ That is the most erotic thing I can possibly imagine.¡± Emmy trailed off, lost in thought. After a few long moments, she said, ¡°In fact, I am quite aroused right now, merely thinking of it. I think- no, I know that I need you to make love to me right now, Leah. I need to feel your powerful body on top of me, crushing me to the bed. I need to feel your muscles, your drive. I need you more than I can say.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to wait until Angela gets home?¡± I asked, sliding my hand down to cup her little dancer¡¯s bubble butt.


    ¡°I cannot,¡± Emmy said, sitting up. ¡°I am not certain I can even wait until we get to the bedroom. I need you now,¡± she said, pulling off her shirt to reveal her pretty black silk bra.


    ¡°I think we don¡¯t actually need to leave this couch,¡± I agreed, reaching behind to unhook the lacy lingerie.

 Amazing Work

    ¡°Your security guy in New York is really sharp,¡± Andrej Markovi? said, sliding into my booth at the club on a Saturday night.


    I didn¡¯t bother correcting him and telling him that my security guy wasn¡¯t a guy at all, since it didn¡¯t actually matter and maybe that tiny bit of anonymity might be a good thing.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let him give you all the details, but it has been fascinating, doing this thing for you,¡± Andrej said, his accent thickening in his enthusiasm.


    I waved to Theo and pointed at Andrej. Theo gave a salute that he understood, and a moment later set Andrej¡¯s drink down in front of him.


    ¡°Your Sidecar, Mr Markovi?,¡± Theo said.


    ¡°Thanks, Theo,¡± Andrej said. ¡°Nobody makes them better than you.¡±


    ¡°I do my best,¡± Theo said with a smile as he left us to talk.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Andrej said, after taking an appreciative sip. ¡°Whatever you pay him, it isn¡¯t enough. He¡¯s worth more.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s good, alright,¡± I agreed. ¡°You know, I went to one of those places in New York where the bartenders are famous for their, well, their tricks, I guess. You know, tossing the jiggers up in the air, catching it behind their back, silly shit like that. And you know what? The drinks were really expensive, and not very good. When I hired the staff for this place, I made it clear that class and professionalism mattered more than anything. They get paid well, but the standards are high.¡±


    ¡°I hate going anywhere else,¡± Andrej admitted. ¡°This place has me so spoiled.¡±


    ¡°Well, you need to see this new club we¡¯re opening up down in LA. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re on the opening night invite list, if you want. It¡¯s going to be spectacular,¡± I said. ¡°Bring Lauren- make a weekend of it,¡± I suggested. ¡°It¡¯s going to open on New Year¡¯s Eve.¡±


    ¡°Lauren- she¡¯s what I wanted to talk to you about,¡± Andrej said, looking a bit nervous.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°I was hoping- I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any way¡­¡± he said, a bit flustered.


    I just waited for him to say whatever it was, and my patience was rewarded.


    ¡°We¡¯d like to hold our wedding reception here, at the club,¡± Andrej finally got out. ¡°Maybe during the day, when it would normally be closed?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell no!¡± I snorted. At the look of dismay on Andrej¡¯s face, I said, ¡°Of course you can have your reception here, but it¡¯ll be at night, when it should be. We¡¯ll just let everybody know the club is reserved for a private function that night. Like I said, anything I can do for you, just let me know.¡±


    ¡°We could schedule it for a Tuesday or something¡­¡± Andrej said.


    ¡°Nonsense. People get married on Saturdays. The reception will be here, on a Saturday night,¡± I told him, making it perfectly clear I was willing to shut the place down any night he needed. ¡°Andrej,¡± I said, ¡°there is one condition.¡± At his questioning look, I said, ¡°I expect an invite to the wedding.¡±


    When I told Emmy the next day that I¡¯d gotten her a gig as a wedding guitarist, she laughed. ¡°How did he react when you told him that I would play at his wedding?¡± Emmy asked, amused.


    ¡°He just about died,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°It was a big deal for Andrej to even ask if he could hold the reception at the club. He was thinking maybe during the day when the club wasn¡¯t open, or something like that. When I told him it would be fine if it was a Saturday night, that was huge. But then, when I told him that you would be happy to play at the wedding, he actually wept.¡±


    ¡°It will be fun,¡± Emmy said. Thinking about it for a moment, Emmy asked, ¡°Why did you- is he that good a friend that you would do these things for him?¡±


    ¡°Andrej¡¯s a good guy, sure, and I like him, but I can¡¯t say that I really know him all that well. He did step way up when I asked him for a favor with the New York mystery strays thing, and I¡¯d think that was enough,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°But there¡¯s also- and this might sound cold- the fact that he¡¯s a rising star at Google and in the Valley, right? If I can, um, make him seem even that much more so by letting him show off his real world connections, that makes him an even better ally going forward, right? If all his tech buddies think of him as, well, somebody to keep an eye on, it helps us as well as him.¡±


    Emmy laughed that pretty, musical laugh of hers and gave me a kiss. ¡°The rumors are correct- you are a true queen of the Night Children,¡± she said. ¡°Every day I love you a tiny bit more, Leah. You are the best possible thing that could have ever happened to me.¡±


    I pulled Emmy in closer, so that she was lying on top of me on the couch. I drew her up so we could kiss some more, whispering that I hoped she would always feel that way.


    As we kissed, I slid my hands up under her shirt, stroking the silky skin of her back. Emmy wriggled out of her shirt and tossed it aside, crawling up my body a little bit so she could bury my face in her cleavage.


    ¡°My heart is in there,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Can you hear it? It is calling your name, Leah. It calls your name with every beat. It will continue to call your name as long as it beats, Leah. As long as it beats.¡±


    Choosing to focus on the loving aspect of what Emmy had just said and not on the hint of mortality, I kissed her right between her breasts.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll love you twice as much,¡± I said. ¡°Because you¡¯re twice as perfect.¡±


    In New York for a long weekend, I finally got to talk to Mia about what Andrej had hinted at. We¡¯d gotten in late, so the first chance was over breakfast. Angela and Emmy were still asleep in bed, but I was up early, as usual.


    ¡°Here, let me show you,¡± Mia said, grabbing her coffee cup and a bagel and indicating I should follow her down to the sub-basement and the little security room down there.


    The small space had changed quite a bit since the last time I¡¯d checked in, with a large bank of flat-screen monitors showing the views from the various external cameras. In one corner was a large safe door, perhaps five feet tall, mounted to the wall. At my puzzled look, Mia explained that it was the gun safe.


    ¡°You have no idea how much work it was to get it down here,¡± she said. ¡°It weighs a fucking ton, and only juuuust barely fit down the stairs at all.¡±


    ¡°Why did you need a gun safe?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, why do you think? For my guns, of course,¡± she said, keying in the numeric code and then turning the handle to open it up. When she did so, I could see that I¡¯d misunderstood- it was actually a complete safe that had been sunk into the wall, and not just a door mounted to the concrete.


    Inside the gun safe were four rifles and at least half a dozen pistols, plus boxes and boxes of ammo.


    ¡°That,¡± Mia said, pointing to a black plastic waterproof case, ¡°Is my sniper rifle.¡±


    ¡°Why do you even have a sniper rifle?¡± I asked, amazed.


    ¡°Why else? To snipe, of course.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    At my look of bewilderment, Mia said, ¡°Look. I¡¯m not seven feet tall and built like a linebacker, like some people. I only have one point three legs, and I¡¯m not any sort of master of knife-jitsu, like some people. If I have to go toe to toe with a bad guy, I need an equalizer like this little baby, here,¡± she said, and reached up under her baggy sweatshirt to pull a gun from her waistband. ¡°I¡¯m licensed by the city, and State, of New York to concealed carry, which is pretty much a miracle. The rest of this? Just in case.¡±


    I looked at Mia¡¯s earnest face. She wanted me to understand, and I did, but I knew I could have a little fun with it, so I did.


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good,¡± I said. ¡°But I think I¡¯ll stick with this,¡± I said, reaching back to the small of my back and pulling out Old Stabby. ¡°Pun intended.¡±


    Wide-eyed, Mia asked, ¡°Shit, that¡¯s the knife?¡± pronouncing it ¡®thee¡¯.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve mostly gotten out of the habit of carrying it,¡± I said. ¡°I only carry it nowadays when going out with Emmy. The only reason I have it on me right now is that it was in my pile of clothes from last night, and I just grabbed it out of habit or whatever this morning.¡±


    ¡°Dad told me about that knife,¡± Mia said, continuing to stare at the dagger. ¡°He said that the Night Children have, like, almost developed a cult about it.¡±


    ¡°What,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what he said. He said that all your, um, I don¡¯t even know what to call them, your little army, they all have tattoos of that knife on their shoulders, right here,¡± Mia said, tapping herself where an Army guy would have his shoulder patch.


    ¡°You¡¯re freaking kidding me,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s what he said,¡± Mia protested.


    I sighed as I slipped the eight inch blade back into its horizontal carry sheath. ¡°Of course they do,¡± I said, my shoulders drooping. ¡°Of freaking course they do.¡±


    Mia shut the gun safe, then took a seat in front of the desk and keyed a few quick strokes onto the keyboard. ¡°Anyway, this is what I wanted you to see,¡± Mia said. I grabbed the only other chair in the small room and pulled it over to peer at the monitor.


    ¡°Your hacker guy is really good,¡± Mia said. ¡°We¡¯ve been kicking a few things around, and have managed to do some pretty amazing things, really.¡±


    ¡°He thinks you¡¯re a guy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯ve kinda been leading him that way when we chat. I figure the less he knows about me, the better.¡±


    ¡°My thinking, too. When he mentioned ¡®my security guy¡¯,¡± I said, making finger quotes, ¡°I didn¡¯t correct him.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, once he got us access to the facial recognition package at MTA, I realized that we could use the system to do our work for us. We had it generate a heat map for our mystery visitors, and we hit gold,¡± Mia said, bringing up an overlay on a map of the New York subway system.


    She pointed out two areas on the map that were nearly a solid red where many fainter red lines converged.


    ¡°We¡¯ve developed two different plans of attack in these two areas,¡± Mia explained. Tapping her finger on one just north of Harlem, Mia said, ¡°This one is interesting. Here, the number one mystery dude looks around, makes sure nobody is watching, then uses a key to slip into a restricted-access maintenance door.¡± Glancing back at me, Mia gave a sly grin. ¡°Since your IT guy has complete admin access, he generated a few work orders. Official work orders, for MTA workers to do work authorized and paid for by the MTA,¡± she said with a little laugh. ¡°MTA workers installed a bunch more security cameras tied into the system down in the maintenance and access tunnels in that area. The cameras kept getting trashed, or spray painted, so the workers got creative and mounted them in places that are hard to spot and even harder to reach.¡± With that, she hit a few keys and brought up a low-light camera¡¯s view of a subway side tunnel. The camera had a viewpoint well off the ground, maybe twenty feet up.


    ¡°So anyway, what with one thing or another, we¡¯ve managed to visually follow the one main guy to right here,¡± Mia said, bringing up a video recording of a man walking through the dark tunnel with no problems, before he stopped and looked around. Satisfied nobody was watching, he pulled some sort of piece of sheet metal aside, revealing some sort of opening. He quickly wormed his way inside, pulling it back into place behind himself.


    ¡°When Dad and that guy Jody were here a month ago, we did a recon. We waited until mystery dude was plenty far away- out in Brooklyn, but I¡¯ll get to that- and we slid down there and took a look. The guy has a cozy little hidden home in there. He¡¯s pulled electricity in there, and has a microwave, a bed, a couch, table, all the comforts of a completely off the grid hidey-hole. It looks like he lives alone down there, and we¡¯ve never seen any of his friends go down there with him.¡±


    ¡°Did you find anything interesting in his place?¡± I asked, amazed at the initiative Mia had shown.


    ¡°No, but we were very careful about not disturbing anything,¡± Mia said. ¡°We didn¡¯t want him to realize that somebody had found his little nest.¡±


    ¡°How hard would it be to raid his place?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Easy as fuck,¡± Mia said. ¡°We could be kicking in his front door in twenty minutes, and there¡¯s nowhere he could bolt to. One way in, one way out.¡±


    ¡°Could you sneak in there and plant a spy cam?¡±


    ¡°Well, sure, but no way would any sort of wi-fi signal ever get out of there,¡± Mia said. ¡°It¡¯s like, seventy feet underground or some shit. Plus, it¡¯s all concrete and rebar.¡±


    I sat back, giving it some thought. Nothing really leapt to mind, so I said, ¡°Tell me about the other hot spot.¡±


    Mia grinned like the cat that ate the canary and said, ¡°Now this one¡­ This one has legs.¡± With a few keystrokes, she brought the heat map up again. ¡°Check this out. Dude number one, and all of the others- we¡¯ve seen six other guys with him so far- all, sooner or later, get off the subway at this stop. It¡¯s the end of the line in an area that really hasn¡¯t seen much, uh gentrification at all. That¡¯s a nice way of saying it¡¯s a shitty-ass area,¡± Mia said. ¡°High crime, sure, but that¡¯s what happens in really poor places. But what really makes that part of town suck is all the old factories and shit that used to be there have all closed up and moved production to China or someplace like that, and now it¡¯s all car chop shops, tire retread places, delivery company service yards¡­ You get the idea. All the crappy stuff that every city needs, but nobody wants to see or be near. Well, the poor people that live around there, they get to see that shit, and be near it, ¡®cause they¡¯ve got nowhere else to go. So they get cancer and their kids do bad in school because they¡¯ve been inhaling lead dust since they were born,¡± Mia said, bringing up Google¡¯s street view of the area. I could see what she meant- it was a grimy place, one where nobody was ever going to be in any hurry to clean it up.


    ¡°Right,¡± Mia said, shaking off her bitter mood. ¡°So anyway, our boys all get off at this stop sooner or later. Usually together, but not always. Well¡­¡± Mia said, drawing it out for dramatic affect. ¡°You know that part about high crime? That part was important. Your IT guy got into the NYPD¡¯s neighborhood surveillance cameras and we¡¯ve managed to follow the dudes around the neighborhood. Since the area is high crime, they have a lot of cameras. I know for a fact that nobody at PD HQ ever watches the feed, but that¡¯s a different matter. Anyway, it¡¯s taken a lot of watching because the NYPD doesn¡¯t have the same sort of facial recognition that the MTA does, for some reason, so I¡¯ve had to actually follow them real-time once I get the alert they¡¯ve gotten off the train.¡±


    ¡°This seems like a real pain in the ass,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, more than you can even imagine,¡± Mia admitted. ¡°But you¡¯re paying me good money to mostly just sit here on my ass, so what else am I gonna do? Anyway, like I said, I¡¯ve watched these guys, and even though they always wander around for a while before they get there, they always wind up here,¡± Mia said, bringing up a picture of a dirty brick building with a battered old sign with peeling paint that read ¡°Thomas Bros¡±, but gave no indication of what the Thomas brothers actually did.


    It was just the sort of building you¡¯d imagine in an area like that, and disturbingly reminiscent of the place where we¡¯d wiped out The Boss¡¯s people back in Chicago. The same filthy, barred windows, the same rusty metal roll-up door.


    ¡°Like I said, they all go in and out of there on the regular,¡± Mia said. ¡°So what did I do? Why, I installed cameras, that¡¯s what I did. I put up three cameras on surrounding buildings, and have been busy taking photos of everybody that ever goes in and out of that place. Your IT guy is working on how to feed the images into the MTA¡¯s facial recognition so we can track all of them as they use the transit system all over town.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess- nobody ever goes in or out of that place during the day?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not once in the month I¡¯ve had it under surveillance,¡± Mia confirmed.


    ¡°Also let me guess. That street has no street lights?¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Mia said, nodding. ¡°But none of them work. On the rare occasion city crews come out to fix one of them, it gets busted out right away.¡±


    ¡°So at night, that block is mighty dark,¡± I said, nodding along with Mia. ¡°And none of the visitors ever seem to need flashlights.¡±


    ¡°Got it in one,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Well then,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°You have been kicking ass on this. Seriously, this is amazing. Keep digging, and also seriously, spend any money you need to, and just keep building up your database of faces. If we can figure out how many Night Children there are in this, um, network, I guess? Then we¡¯re way ahead of the game. They obviously know somehow that Emmy owns this house, so they must have some source of intel, whatever that is, but if we know more about them than they know about us¡­¡±


    ¡°That spend money thing? I¡¯m glad you brought that up, because I have some ideas, but they¡¯re gonna cost some money¡­¡± Mia said with a grin.


    Angela and Emmy were eating their breakfasts when Mia and I went back upstairs.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t need me this morning, I¡¯m gonna go crash,¡± Mia said, hitting the call button for the elevator. ¡°I¡¯ve had a long night.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± I said. ¡°And thanks. Seriously, amazing work.¡±


    ¡°At least two thirds of it is your IT guy,¡± Mia said, stepping into the elevator. ¡°Buy him a beer next time you see him.¡±


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Angela asked.


    Unable to remember if I¡¯d ever told Angela about the Night Children that case the house every so often, I just said, ¡°Home security stuff,¡± with a shrug and left it at that. Sure, she knew about my evidently tattooed ¡®paramilitares¡¯, but there was no real reason to read her in on the whole mess.


    ¡°Leah, how do you feel about going shopping with us? We need new gowns for the gala tomorrow night,¡± Emmy asked, to my dismay. There was no way to weasel out of this one.

 I Dont Know- Alaska

    My new office was larger than either the old one in Santa Monica or my office in San Jose, and, to be honest, much more stylish. We¡¯d had the whole place done up by a designer who specialized in high-end law offices, corporate headquarters, and the like. Our two buildings were very different, and he decked them out to match the architecture of each.


    As I¡¯d promised Jake, I was moving away from the hands-on approach I¡¯d taken with the property management and development side of things, so my physical office was in the east building. The west building, a contemporary red-brick and smoked glass three-story, held the offices for our real estate investment trust and property management and development divisions. Its interior was similarly contemporary, stylish but very functional.


    The east building, a sort of modern interpretation of French Second Empire architecture, held the hospitality division and a space reserved for the entertainment division for when they would finally move in-house. I also ostensibly based the venture capital from that address, too, but really that was still almost all done up in San Jose at that point.


    Thankfully, the architect (and designer) had used 18th Century French design as an inspiration, but stayed well away from its excesses. The interior was classy, but simple and relaxing. Mine was the literal corner office on the second floor, with large windows facing Massachusetts and Sepulveda. Trees blocked most of the view of the streets, but that was actually a positive, since the views weren¡¯t pretty. The light still came in, and the green from the leaves was pleasant. I missed the balcony I¡¯d had in Santa Monica, but that was a small price to pay.


    I was in a meeting in the conference room in the west building with a Coastal Commission representative, two people from the City of Dana Point and several of my own staff when my phone emitted a distinctive text sound.


    I always kept it in silent mode except for texts from Angela and Emmy- I¡¯d set their texts to sound at any time. They rarely texted me at work, but when they did I wanted to know.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized, as I turned away from the big table to see what Emmy had to say.


    ¡°Check your email¡± she¡¯d texted. Then, a moment later, ¡°Good news from Korea!¡±


    I took a deep breath, then logged into my email from my phone. Sure enough, there was one from the lab in Seoul.


    The message was clear, even with the less than perfect English. They¡¯d managed to successfully implant genetic material from Subject A (me) into an egg from Subject C (Angela) and initiated cell division.


    I felt a wave of emotion wash over me, overwhelming in its intensity. This was it. It was really going to work, and we were really going to have babies. Really.


    Reading on, the email said that this was a major step, but that this first successful attempt was only a validation of their methods and that it was too early to believe that it could be successfully implanted. In other words, just a test run, and not going to go anywhere.


    Still, this meant that we were so very close I could taste it. Visions of little Angela Jr in her mother¡¯s arms filled my mind¡¯s eye, and I had to take a few moments to compose myself before sending off a text to Angela and Emmy.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Start thinking about baby names!¡± I sent, before turning back to the meeting.


    ¡°Everything O.K.?¡± the Dana Point lawyer asked.


    ¡°Good news from the fertility clinic,¡± I said. ¡°Really good news.¡±


    ¡°Well, congratulations,¡± she said. ¡°In advance.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said with a grateful smile. The Dana Point mayor¡¯s office had been strong allies through the whole process of wrangling the port project through the various hoops thrown up by the Coastal Commission, the state and Orange County. The city wanted it almost as badly as I did, and the mayor had personally campaigned for the redevelopment. Her office had strongly hinted that they¡¯d be open to further investment and would be willing to throw their support behind me if I wanted it.


    Rebecca Brown (the lawyer at that meeting) had been particularly helpful, and I¡¯d come to think of her as maybe not a friend, but certainly somebody I¡¯d had a few pleasant lunches with. Unfortunately, since she legally represented the city and I had dealings with them, she wanted to avoid any conflicts of interest. This meant that she¡¯d never accept an invite to our house, for example, or even let me treat her to dinner.


    I had had the suspicion that she was gay, too, but neither of us had ever brought the subject up, and I¡¯d long ago given up any belief in my gaydar.


    The meeting went well and the Coastal Commission finally signed off on what was now the official plan, meaning we could break ground tomorrow. All the demolition and clearing had been underway for months, so this final rubber stamp meant there would be no interruption.


    Thanks to investor jitters I was carrying over seventy per cent of the financial burden, which meant I was on the hook for over three hundred million dollars. I had a whole lot riding on the success of the port redevelopment, but if it panned out it was going to make me a lot of money.


    After the meeting wrapped up Rebecca walked out of the conference room with me, clearly wanting to talk in private.


    ¡°Do you have a few minutes?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, and led her across the parking lot to the east building and up to my office. She looked around, focusing on the big photo of Emmy. Looking less confident than I was used to, she sat down facing my desk.


    ¡°Um, Leah,¡± she began. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not prying, and if I am, please let me know. You mentioned good news from your fertility clinic. Have you and your wife been trying for long?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s O.K.,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve been planning on having kids for a while, but we wanted to wait until we were settled down before actually really trying. We¡¯ve only really been in a place where we were ready for about a year now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve- um, that is, my wife and I- we¡¯ve been trying for a few years now,¡± Rebecca said, confirming my suspicions. ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, it¡¯s been really hard on us. Shana, she really wants this, you know? We¡¯ve tried everything, and nothing seems to take. And the hormones! God, what a pain¡­¡±


    ¡°I know what that¡¯s like,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Would you recommend the clinic you¡¯re using?¡± Rebecca asked. ¡°We need to try something new.¡±


    I sighed, and said, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re not even at the local clinic stage. Everything up to this point has been experimental just to get her eggs to accept fertilization. We¡¯re still a long way from the actual implantation.¡±


    Rebecca leaned back in her chair, her shoulders slumping. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to do,¡± she said, despondent.


    ¡°I wish I had some advice,¡± I said, meaning it. ¡°Our situation is, well, probably different than yours. I mean, I can give you the name of our clinic in Beverly Hills, but I can¡¯t guarantee they¡¯re any better than the one you¡¯ve been using. They seem professional and all, and they¡¯ve been willing to accommodate our unusual situation, but when it comes down to it, I have no idea of their relative ability.¡±


    ¡°Beverly Hills? They must be expensive,¡± Rebecca said.


    ¡°Yeah, but not nearly as expensive as the lab trying to fertilize the eggs. That one is costing literal millions of dollars,¡± I said.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°The place in Beverly Hills isn¡¯t doing that?¡± Rebecca asked, curious.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s way beyond them,¡± I said. ¡°They were good about collecting the eggs, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be great at implanting them when the time comes, but the actual fertilization¡­ That¡¯s much more than they¡¯re capable of. In our case, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I was really hoping you had some sort of magic bullet,¡± Rebecca sighed.


    ¡°I wish I did,¡± I commiserated. ¡°Like I said, this is the first good news in the first step in a long road for us.¡±


    Before she left, I gave Rebecca the information on the clinic and wished her all the best. ¡°Here¡¯s to imminent baby showers!¡± I said as I walked her to her car.


    ¡°God, let¡¯s hope so,¡± Rebecca said with a groan.


    When I got home, Angela was working on her laptop at the kitchen counter. I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight. I kissed the top of her head and told her I loved her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been on a cloud all afternoon,¡± I said after she kissed me back. ¡°I know this is just a step, but it¡¯s a step in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± she said with a happy sigh. ¡°Lee, I was starting to worry that the whole thing was just a daydream, and it wouldn¡¯t ever work, you know? But now, it seems real again. Lee, I haven¡¯t told anybody. Not mi mam¨ª, not Jenna, nobody. I don¡¯t want to get too¡­ excited, and then have it not work.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that, babe,¡± I said, nuzzling her thick, dark hair. ¡°I can really understand that.¡±


    ¡°What can you understand?¡± Emmy asked, walking into the room.


    ¡°Waiting to announce the good news until it¡¯s more real,¡± Angela said, holding her arms out for Emmy to join us in a three-way hug.


    ¡°I had a vision today, imagining holding your little baby- our baby- in my arms,¡± Emmy told Angela. ¡°She had very blue eyes, and the sweetest smile anyone could imagine.¡±


    Tears welled up in Angela¡¯s eyes at the thought, and she kissed Emmy long and hard. ¡°Em, I want¡­¡± she said, but couldn¡¯t find the words.


    ¡°I do, too, baby,¡± Emmy said, kissing away Angela¡¯s tears. ¡°We will have children, and they will be the most beautiful, most loved babies the world has ever seen. And they will be ours, the three of us. We will love them more than any children have been loved before.¡±


    Angela smiled a sweet, teary smile. ¡°I know they will be,¡± she said. ¡°I already love them.¡±


    We stayed like that, the three of us holding each other in mutual love and understanding for a few more minutes before I broke the silence.


    ¡°I want do something with you two,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are a total beast,¡± Angela said. ¡°Emmy was right.¡±


    Emmy giggled at that and said, ¡°I would not want her to be any other way.¡±


    ¡°Me, neither,¡± Angela agreed.


    I gave them both kisses on top of their heads and squeezed them a little bit tighter. ¡°Well, that, too, but that isn¡¯t what I meant. I just finished all that hassle with the Coastal Commission, and work is, well, going to be slow for me for a little bit. I was thinking the three of us need a break, to just get away for a bit.¡±


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°The other day one of the contractors I work with mentioned that he and his wife had done an Alaska glacier cruise. It was a small ship, with only ten passengers. He said they did rainforest hikes, kayaked¡­ He said it was the best vacation they¡¯d ever done.¡±


    ¡°When?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°I was thinking we could go right away. I looked into it. The main season is ending, because it¡¯s getting a bit cold and wet, but the advantage is that there¡¯s a greater chance of seeing the Northern Lights in the fall than there is in the summer,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would love to do this,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I have no commitments that would prevent me from going any time.¡±


    ¡°I could go tomorrow,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°Well, maybe the day after. I¡¯m gonna need to buy clothes for the cold weather.¡±


    ¡°Yes, me, too,¡± Emmy agreed, and I could see that the two were already thinking about shopping for cute sweaters.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll book us tickets.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any pictures of the ship?¡± Angela asked, and with that, the three of us turned to Angela¡¯s laptop so I could bring up the boat¡¯s site. Emmy and Angela clicked back and forth through all the pictures while I dragged out my own computer and confirmed the booking for the eleven day cruise starting that Saturday. I¡¯d already emailed back and forth with the cruise operators and reserved the cabin with the biggest bed and made certain there would be no issues with same-sex relationships, happy to hear that they get quite a few gay passengers and it has never been an issue.


    I booked the flights to Sitka and back from Ketchikan, allowing an extra day in both towns just for sightseeing and to keep the trip nice and relaxed.


    ¡°You must come with us,¡± Emmy declared when the subject of shopping came up. I¡¯d realized that it was going to have to be the case, but I still made a show of groaning in dismay.


    ¡°Do I hafta?¡± I whined.


    ¡°Yes, you hafta,¡± Emmy said, her hands on her hips. ¡°You do not own any of the right clothes for a voyage like this.¡±


    I let my shoulders droop in defeat, but really, I was kind of looking forward to it. Still, the game was the game, and it had to be played.


    We went that evening to REI, and when Angela mentioned that we were going to Alaska the sales guy asked if we would be stopping in Seattle.


    Angela gave me a questioning look, and when I nodded yes, the guy said, ¡°The thing is, we haven¡¯t switched over to our fall and winter gear yet, so we won¡¯t really have that great a selection. But if you¡¯re going to be in Seattle, they¡¯ll have everything. The flagship store is more than twice this size, and it¡¯s gonna be much more geared towards the cold and wet than we are here in sunny Southern California.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I admitted.


    Emmy had already spotted a plum-colored jacket that she liked, so it was clear that Seattle wasn¡¯t going to get all our money- some of it was staying there in Santa Monica.


    Emmy made the convincing argument that we would need jackets in Seattle, too, so we eventually left the store with Gore-Tex jackets for the three of us, and a few other items.


    Back at home, Emmy asked Angela if she was planning on taking her camera.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Angela said, not understanding why Emmy would even ask.


    ¡°Do you have the right kind of lenses for taking photos of animals?¡± Emmy asked.


    Giving it some though, Angela said, ¡°I don¡¯t really have any telephoto lenses, just the one zoom¡­¡±


    ¡°Then we must get you a good lens for this trip. If you are to take photos of orcas, bears and eagles, we don¡¯t want them to be nothing more than tiny specks,¡± Emmy announced. ¡°Tomorrow we will go to that big camera store you like and buy what you will need.¡±


    Angela looked as if she was about to protest, but I cut her off. ¡°Em¡¯s right,¡± I said. Seeing that any protests about spending too much money on her were going to fall on deaf ears, Angela just gave in.


    The two went shopping while I was at work, both for clothes for the trip and for the requisite camera gear.


    I¡¯d gotten an email after booking the trip that included a recommended packing list, so Emmy and Angela had a better idea of what to look for. I was surprised to see that the clothing was much more geared towards wet weather than really cold weather. I mean, I know the area is a rain forest and obviously ¡®rain¡¯ is part of the name, but hey- we¡¯ll be seeing glaciers, right?


    That isn¡¯t to say that the recommended items list was lacking in things like thermal underwear or boots, since those were there, but the emphasis was on Gore-Tex rain gear over down-filled parkas.


    Since Emmy and Angela were shopping nearby I actually got to have lunch with them- a rare treat indeed. We ate at a little white-linen Italian restaurant on Westwood, a few blocks from my new office. I¡¯d gotten so blas¨¦ about Emmy¡¯s fame that I hardly even registered it anymore, but the wait staff in this restaurant were all college-aged and hadn¡¯t yet become jaded to the Los Angeles celebrity scene. The manager had tried to apologize to Emmy for the waiters being less than professional, but she just waved it off.


    ¡°To tell you the truth,¡± she told him in a conspiratorial stage whisper, ¡°I enjoy the attention.¡±


    This earned her a laugh and eased the guy¡¯s mood quite a bit. Eventually she posed for selfies with all the staff, even the manager and a couple of the crew from the back of the house.


    Once everything had settled down, I brought up something I¡¯d been thinking about that morning. ¡°Hey, do you two mind if I head up to Seattle a few days early? I¡¯d like to visit with Donny and Sana, and deal with some Night Children business while I¡¯m there. I could fly up, and then just meet you two when you fly into town,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°What sort of Night Children business?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Nothing serious,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Things have been quiet there, all in all. I just need to sort out housing for a few new people, and, you know, formally offer them my shadow.¡±


    ¡°You do not need me for that?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°If you want to, sure, that¡¯d be great, but there¡¯s no need,¡± I replied. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve been taking care of that for a while now.¡±


    Emmy suddenly realized that it must be true. After all, she hadn¡¯t offered anybody her shadow in quite a while, and yet we were adding to our nation all the time.


    ¡°I am a terrible queen,¡± she said, crestfallen.


    ¡°No, babe, that¡¯s not true,¡± I said. ¡°Everybody loves and admires you, and everybody knows that you¡¯re the true queen of North America.¡±


    Mollified a bit, Emmy said, ¡°I want to go to Seattle with you. I want to speak to our new¡­ constituents. I must make more of an appearance,¡± she declared.


    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯re all going,¡± Angela said. ¡°I have never been to Seattle, and I hear it is pretty. We can go up in that tower, what do they call it? And watch the fish sellers throw fish.¡±


    ¡°The Space Needle, and I¡¯m not sure I want to see anybody tossing fish around,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen videos,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s like a kind of show at the fish market. They toss these big salmons or something to each other.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no, I¡¯d prefer to avoid that,¡± I said.


    In the end, we decided to all go together. The two of them could go to Pike Street Market (or whatever it was called) to watch fish sellers fling trout while I took care of business.


    That night I told Emmy and Angela that since I wasn¡¯t going to be with them all the time there in Seattle, I was going to bring Mia out to provide them with security.


    ¡°Will we need it?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°The Seattle and Vancouver area has had a history,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not willing to risk either of you getting hurt.¡±


    Emmy looked as if she might object, but then gave in. ¡°If you think it is best,¡± she said.


    ¡°What history?¡± Angela asked, curious.

 Its Good To Be The Queen

    ¡°Must be nice to be the boss,¡± Sandy joked when I told him I was taking two weeks off.


    ¡°Heck yeah,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s good to be the queen.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t let the grizzlies eat you. What am I even saying? You¡¯d probably knock out any grizzly that looked at you cross-eyed,¡± Sandy said.


    I laughed, saying, ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t get riled up that easy. He¡¯d have to do something serious to piss me off that much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± Sandy replied with a smile.


    For our luggage, Emmy and Angela had gotten us three waterproof duffel bags as well as some day packs. With the understanding that we¡¯d be hiking most days, in addition to wandering around Seattle as well as Sitka, Juneau, and Ketchikan, daypacks made a lot of sense.


    When I saw what they¡¯d bought, I asked, ¡°Why four backpacks?¡±


    ¡°One is for Mia, of course,¡± Emmy replied, surprised I would even ask.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°Of course it is. Babe, I want you to do me a favor and don¡¯t make her walk too much. I¡¯ve never heard her complain, but it can¡¯t be easy for her to keep up all day long.¡±


    ¡°Do not worry,¡± Emmy assured me. ¡°Angela and I will make allowances. I have discussed it with her before, and she says that a normal day of walking, even in New York where walking is expected, is fine. She only gets really sore if she has to stand in one place for a very long time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, but please do try to break things up. I mean, like, do some shopping, then sit down for a long lunch. That sort of thing,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°We can do that,¡± Angela said, her smile bright.


    ¡°Thanks- I appreciate it,¡± I said.


    Mia met us at the airport in Seattle a couple of days later when we arrived. She¡¯d already picked up the car I¡¯d rented for her, a Range Rover Sport. It was a nice enough car and had decent room for all four of us with our luggage while not being too big to park easily.


    ¡°I like this rig,¡± she said as we loaded our stuff in the car. ¡°I don¡¯t get to drive in New York hardly at all. If I need to drive anywhere, Wally gives me a lift. ¡®Course, I wouldn''t want to actually drive in Manhattan, anyway¡­ It¡¯s only when I get outta town, y¡¯know? Wally makes me take the X5, which is an awesome car, don¡¯t get me wrong, but this one is just a lot more plush.¡±


    ¡°How often do you get out of New York?¡± Emmy asked as we piled into the Range Rover.


    ¡°Honestly? Not often enough,¡± Mia said. ¡°I think twice in the last six months. I went to the P-Town Pride Festival this year. I thought it was pretty fu- danged wild, but they told me it¡¯s nothing like it used to be, back in the day.¡±


    ¡°P-Town?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Provincetown, Mass,¡± Mia answered, distracted by the automatic toll gate at the parking garage¡¯s exit. That dealt with, she said, ¡°It¡¯s out on Cape Cod, near Boston. It¡¯s, like, the first real famous gay town on the East Coast.¡±


    ¡°What was the Pride Fest like?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Aw, Jeeze,¡± Mia said, pulling onto the freeway. ¡°Like the biggest, gayest party you¡¯ve ever seen in your life. Bears in leather right next to bois in the tightest pants you¡¯ve ever seen, cheering on a drag queen singing ¡®I will Survive¡¯. It¡¯s so damned wild, and the tail¡­ I mean, the opportunities are endless,¡± Mia said, only sort of remembering she was talking to her bosses.


    Honestly, I found her sort of enthusiastically crass attitude amusing, and I¡¯m pretty sure Emmy did, too.


    ¡°Where do you guys want to go first?¡± Mia asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit late to do much, so maybe let¡¯s check in to the hotel and relax tonight. We can maybe go out later,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so dark outside,¡± Angela said, looking out the window.


    ¡°And wet,¡± I added.


    ¡°It rains a lot in Cartagena, and Miami, too, but it never gets this dark like this,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°This is just the start of the rainy season,¡± Mia said. ¡°I was stationed at Lewis-McChord down by Tacoma, and those six months were the longest years of my life. The rain just gets to you after a while. At first it¡¯s cute, y¡¯know? But after a month goes by and you don¡¯t see the sun even once¡­¡±


    Mia pulled the car up in front of Seattle¡¯s oldest grand hotel, and the doormen leapt forward to shield the car¡¯s passengers with their large umbrellas. We quickly unloaded our luggage and Mia handed the key fob to the valet as porters loaded our stuff onto a trolley to take inside.


    I checked us in and handed Mia her key card. ¡°We¡¯ll be O.K. tonight, but if you want to come to dinner with us, I¡¯ll let you know when we¡¯re headed out.¡±


    ¡°I had a bite while I was waiting for you guys- I¡¯m on East Coast time and my stomach demanded dinner a couple of hours ago,¡± she said as we piled into the elevator. ¡°But if you¡¯re going out somewhere that has alcohol, I could be talked into it.¡±


    ¡°Around here it¡¯s all wine and beer,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good enough,¡± Mia replied. ¡°Just give me fifteen and I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    ¡°I think we will need longer than that,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We should plan on meeting in one hour, and we will all go out together.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Mia said as the elevator stopped at her floor.


    We proceeded to the top floor, and the porter led us to the corner suite. ¡°Here you are, ladies,¡± he said as he ushered us inside. He pulled the drapes and said, ¡°You¡¯d have great views from here if the weather would cooperate. It¡¯s supposed to be nice tomorrow, so you¡¯ll get to see out all the way to the Olympic Peninsula.¡±


    I thanked him and gave him a generous tip. My thinking on the matter is that a good tip ensures excellent service from then on, and realistically, that guy needs the money more than I do.


    Angela had already hung up her jacket and flopped onto the bed. ¡°This room is beautiful,¡± she said. ¡°Can we just get room service and stay here tonight?¡±


    ¡°I want to go out,¡± Emmy said. ¡°After dinner we can come back and take a nice, hot bath and relax. We have nothing to do tomorrow morning, so we can sleep in and be lazy.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± Angela said.


    I sat down on the edge of the bed and ran my hand up Angela¡¯s leg and gave her butt a squeeze. ¡°The bath does sound good,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°It does,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°But Emmy likes them so hot, it¡¯s like lava.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does,¡± I chuckled.


    The concierge recommended a wine bar and restaurant right across the street, which was certainly convenient. The evening had gotten quite blustery, so I turned down the offer of the umbrellas he held out. The four of us just pulled our hoods up and scurried across the street, not enjoying the wind and rain much at all.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The restaurant was surrounded by two-story high windows on three sides, but the main feature was an iron staircase in the middle of the circular bar that spiraled up around a giant tower of wine. The tower was composed of racks and racks of wine bottles, displaying the various vintages the bar had to offer.


    ¡°Fancy!¡± Mia said as we were ushered to a table. When we sat down and the hostess left, Mia asked, ¡°Does that happen a lot? Everybody staring like that? It was like in a Western movie and we just walked into the saloon.¡±


    ¡°It does not happen very often in Los Angeles or in New York,¡± Emmy said. ¡°They are more accustomed to seeing celebrities there, and feign an aura of indifference.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°That place we ate lunch a few days ago, they all wanted selfies with you,¡± Angela reminded Emmy.


    ¡°Yes, that is right- they did. But that does not happen very often,¡± Emmy said, looking through the wine list. ¡°I do not know any of these wines,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Perhaps we should simply ask for pairings with our dinner.¡±


    When the waitress came to take our drink order, Emmy told her that¡¯s what we wanted. She seemed a little bit taken aback, but she rolled with it.


    ¡°This is living,¡± Mia moaned, taking a bite of her duck confit. ¡°And the wine! I mean, I¡¯m not any sort of wine drinker, even though Luisa has been trying to teach me, but this, um, what was it? It¡¯s fu- um, absolutely perfect!¡±


    ¡°I think that was the Willamette Pinot,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s da bomb,¡± Mia confirmed. ¡°I want to take some of this back home with me.¡±


    ¡°I am certain we can buy a bottle or two for you,¡± Emmy said, gesturing at the wine tower. ¡°They seem to be well supplied.¡±


    ¡°Yeah they do,¡± Mia agreed.


    That night we did take a very hot bath, even though it was extremely crowded with the three of us. The tub was big and all, but big enough for two is small for three. As fun as it was, eventually I just had to get out. The other two followed me into the shower and we had fun soapy time in there, so that was O.K. with me. We continued with our fun times in the bedroom of the suite, working to burn off all those calories from dinner.


    Afterwards, relaxing in the afterglow, Angela asked me what my plan was for the next day. ¡°Will you go shopping with us? You need to buy clothes for Alaska, too.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I agreed. ¡°But first thing in the morning I need to meet with Samuel to go over some things, but I should be done by lunch time, if you guys can wait.¡±


    ¡°That would be perfect,¡± Emmy said, snuggling up closer. ¡°That way Angela and I can sleep in.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good,¡± Angela murmured from my other side. ¡°And we will call for room service breakfast.¡±


    I got up early, leaving Angela and Emmy sound asleep in that comfy hotel bed. I had a quick workout in the hotel¡¯s surprisingly good gym, then snuck back into the room to shower and get dressed for the day.


    My two beautiful wives were still snoozing when I slipped out the door for the meeting with Samuel and the four new Night Children. My driver dropped me off at the front of a local breakfast diner, sort of a ¡®hippie panhandler chic¡¯ kind of place on South Rainier Avenue.


    Samuel and the four newbies were already there and waiting, several of them with coffees, but none with food in front of them.


    I simply sat down at the table, asking Samuel, ¡°Is this everybody?¡±


    The four new Night Children were makeup free, but still very clearly uncomfortable. Their postures were hunched over, and one had a baseball cap with his hoodie¡¯s hood pulled over it, trying to hide as best he could.


    ¡°Yes, my queen,¡± Samuel said. He quickly introduced the four of them, saying, ¡°Your rules have been made clear, and they wish for your shadow.¡±


    Just about this time the tattooed and pierced waiter came by to ask if we were ready to order. I glanced at the menu and said that I¡¯d like the Denver omelette. Samuel ordered the huevos rancheros, but the other four looked uncomfortable.


    ¡°Order anything you want,¡± I said. ¡°If you¡¯re really hungry, order two breakfasts.¡±


    All four requested either what I was having or what Samuel had ordered, which got me thinking.


    ¡°First off, let me explain a few things,¡± I said. ¡°If I give you my shadow, you will have to follow my rules. Is this perfectly clear?¡± When they all nodded and mumbled that it was, I said, ¡°My first rule. Do not hide who you are. Darrin, pull your hood down and take off your hat. Be proud of our heritage, not ashamed of it. Our culture is the oldest on Earth. Our history goes back thousands of years- what other people can say that?¡± I asked, leaning into the rumor that I was a Night Child myself.


    Darrin did as I demanded, removing his hat and hood.


    ¡°O.K., now, sit up straight, and when the waiter comes back, thank him and look him in the eye. You are no longer hiding. You are free to be who you really are. Look at Samuel here,¡± I said, indicating the local liaison. ¡°He has shown himself for several years now. He has a good job, and a home of his own. He works and lives among the day walkers, and has had no problems.¡±


    Samuel sat up straight and looked around the table. ¡°Four years ago, I was sitting where you are now. A group of our people had come to Seattle and put up signs, and I met with them. They were tall, and proud, and so very confident. They wore the blessing of the night openly, as I do now. They had cars, and nice clothes, and they told me that if I accepted Queen Leah and Queen Emmy¡¯s shadows, my life would be immeasurably better. They promised me a good place to live, and good work, if I followed their simple rules. The very first rule- no hiding.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°I will give you a good, safe place to live. I will also get you a decent job, one that pays you well enough to get by and if you work diligently, you can get ahead. You can have the things that day walkers take for granted. I will also get you medical care, and any education that you want. Am I right in assuming that the four of you can¡¯t read very well?¡±


    They looked at each other, and when the first one nodded, the rest did, too.


    ¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯ll get sorted out, too,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a crucial skill in the day walker society, and one you¡¯ll need to master if you want to succeed, and that¡¯s exactly what I want for you.¡±


    The waiter came by with the food, so we paused for a moment. As I¡¯d instructed, each of the four thanked the waiter and at least glanced in the direction of his face.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said when the patchouli-smelling hippie went back to the kitchen. ¡°Remember- as Night Children, we are an ancient people. We have been hiding in the shadows for too long. It is time for us to show pride in ourselves and to stand up straight and strong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you,¡± one of the guys said. ¡°You look like a day walker.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± I agreed. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that I care any less about our people. I want us- all of us- to be recognized and accepted for who we are, and not feared or hated. The only way this will happen is if we make it happen, and the way to do that is to do as Samuel here has done. He goes to work, he shops for food and clothing, he eats at restaurants, all of it, every moment of every day, showing his true face to the world.¡±


    ¡°For years now,¡± Samuel agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough for all of us at first,¡± I said. ¡°You four are feeling it right now. You expect some day walker to see your skin blessed by the night and to yell, in anger or fear, but has it happened? No. The waiter here, and the others sitting around us, they¡¯ve been looking, but out of curiosity, not hatred. They¡¯ve never seen any Night Children before, but after today, that¡¯s no longer true. The next time they see a Night Child they¡¯ll remember back and think of the time they had breakfast and there was a table full of us, and that¡¯s it. If, by some chance, you happen to run into one of these people here at your new job, for example, they¡¯ll think ¡®Wow- there sure are a lot of those guys with the really dark coloring¡¯ and that¡¯s it.¡±


    Looking around the table, I asked, ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±


    Robbie and Joseph, who were clearly a couple, looked at each other. Working up her courage, Robbie asked me, ¡°What do we have to do?¡±


    ¡°Rule one: show your face. No makeup, no hoods pulled tight. Be active during the day, not at night. Queen Emmy and I absolutely require you to show yourself to the world. Be proud of your heritage. Rule two,¡± I said, holding up a second finger. ¡°Live as day walkers do. I¡¯ll provide you with apartments, but it¡¯s up to you to keep them clean and nice. I want you to live lives of comfort, and not have to worry about safety and security. If I suspect that you are letting your living conditions go bad¡­¡±


    Holding up a third finger I said, ¡°Rule three. I¡¯ll get you jobs, and you will do the assigned work. These will be jobs that you¡¯re able to do, and they¡¯ll be jobs with dignity, but they will absolutely be jobs where you¡¯ll have to interact with a lot of people. You will do the work as best you can. If you find you are ill-suited to the job I find for you, let Samuel here know and we can try to get you something else, but You. Will. Do. The. Work.¡± I said, emphasizing every word.


    ¡°In return, what you will do for me, are these things. You will act as an ambassador of our people. You will be polite, friendly, and hard-working. The reason for this should be obvious- I want every day walker you ever meet to come away thinking good things about us. Is that clear?¡± I asked. ¡°Darrin, do you understand my whole point here?¡± When he agreed that he did, I turned to Kay, then Robbie, and last of all to Joseph. They all agreed that they understood.


    ¡°Alright, then. We will meet here again tomorrow for breakfast, same time as today. You have overnight to think about it. If you still want my shadow, tell me tomorrow. If you don¡¯t, well, that¡¯s your right. I¡¯ll still buy you breakfast and wish you a good, happy life, and we¡¯ll part ways.¡±


    I signaled for the check, and gave the waiter a generous tip on top of the bill. Standing up, I said, ¡°It was good to meet the four of you, and I hope you¡¯ll choose my way. Even if you don¡¯t, though, don¡¯t hide any longer. We need to come out of the shadows. Samuel, if you¡¯ll please come with me.¡±


    Samuel followed me out of the restaurant and into the car I had waiting. I told the driver to take us to an address in a neighborhood east of downtown.


    Samuel admired the interior of the Mercedes, but focused when I asked him about the newbies.


    ¡°I think they will do as you ask,¡± he said. ¡°They each approached one of our people and asked about them showing their faces, and when they were told to contact me, I explained everything, so they knew what you were going to require.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°Their living conditions now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Robbie and Joseph, but I think they have something. I think Joseph has a job as a janitor. He mentioned cleaning offices at night. Kay, I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t believe that Darrin has anything secure. I think he¡¯s probably squatting in a warehouse or something.¡±


    ¡°Had you told them to clean up for this meeting?¡±


    ¡°I told them to show their faces,¡± Samuel said.


    ¡°Well, none of them stank or looked like homeless people, so at least we know they care about themselves as far as that goes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Samuel agreed.

 Beast Mode

    When the driver stopped in front of the address I¡¯d given him, I pointed at a three-story brick building with lots of bay windows. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about buying this place,¡± I said. ¡°Would this be a good area for our new people to live?¡±


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know this part of town very well,¡± Samuel admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s fairly close to downtown, and it¡¯s known for being diverse,¡± he said, pointing to the Ethiopian restaurant a little down the street, then the Thai restaurant next to it. ¡°There¡¯s a bus stop there on the corner, and we¡¯ve passed two grocery stores in the last few blocks. I think this is a neighborhood I would be comfortable living in, so it should be good for them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to house them all in the same place,¡± I said. ¡°So maybe, if Robbie and Joseph have a home that¡¯s acceptable, I¡¯ll just help them out wherever they are. If they¡¯re happy there, why shake things up? Maybe I¡¯ll just set the two others up in their own apartments here.¡±


    ¡°This place is only about twenty minutes from Donny and Sana¡¯s place by car, so they could come and check and help the new ones gets settled easily enough,¡± Samuel added.


    ¡°Yeah, that was a consideration when I was looking at properties,¡± I replied, taking one last look at the old apartment building.


    Getting out of the car, I told the driver to take Samuel home. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at breakfast tomorrow,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy will be with me.¡±


    ¡°She will?¡± he asked, surprised, his dark face lighting up in delight. ¡°I¡¯ll be there early!¡±


    Watching the Mercedes sedan pull away, I thought about the wisdom of keeping the Night Children more or less where we found them, rather than bringing them all to a single city. The idea was that we wanted people to see them out in public, and this seemed to be the best plan at the time.


    Musing on the topic, I texted Mia to come to the address there on Cherry Avenue and let me know when she arrived.


    A simple ¡°On my way¡± was the immediate response.


    Slipping my phone into my pocket, I rang the buzzer for the unit I knew was occupied by the on-site manager. A woman¡¯s voice asking, ¡°Can I help you?¡± came from the small speaker.


    ¡°My name is Leah Farmer,¡± I said. ¡°We had an appointment this morning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, O.K.,¡± said the woman. ¡°Give me just a minute.¡±


    I waited outside on the front steps, just looking up and down the street and listening to the sounds of the neighborhood. On maps, Cherry Avenue had looked like a fairly main street, but Google Street View had showed me that it was mostly residential in that area. It was an older district with plenty of Craftsman-style bungalows, some in better shape than others. Mixed in were smaller apartment buildings like the one I was standing in front of, and a few shops and restaurants as well.


    It seemed to be working-class but not necessarily poor, which was perfect for our new recruits.


    When the front door opened a middle-aged woman in faded jeans and a tie-dyed T shirt stuck her head out. ¡°Leah Farmer? I¡¯m Skye Blue.¡±


    Thinking ¡®Of course you are¡¯, I held out my hand. ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡±


    She must have seen the look on my face, because she said, ¡°Blue is my married name. I was born Skye Rosenberg.¡±


    I followed her inside to the ground-floor right rear apartment. The hallway and staircase looked nice, the paint and the tile flooring in good shape.


    ¡°To be honest, this is nicer and lighter than I expected,¡± I said, looking up at the varnished wood balustrade.


    ¡°My husband,¡± Skye said with a shrug. ¡°He keeps the place running.¡±


    ¡°If I do buy the place,¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely want to keep you guys on.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Skye said, gesturing for me to enter her apartment.


    The place was absolutely classic hippie, with more than just a passing aroma of weed and incense. I took a seat on the low couch, amused by how Skye fit the Pacific Northwest stereotype so well.


    ¡°Right, so the management company told me that they want to sell the building,¡± Skye said, bustling around the small kitchen. ¡°Would you like some tea? I have mint, chamomile, and Oolong.¡±


    ¡°Chamomile, please,¡± I said. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever had chamomile tea in my life, but why not give it a try?


    ¡°I own a property management company, and we¡¯re looking to expand here in the Seattle area,¡± I said. ¡°We have three apartment buildings and a few single-family homes so far, mostly in the northern half of town. This place came up for sale, and I¡¯m thinking of adding it to the portfolio.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯d keep me and Jasper on?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what arrangement you have with Rainier,¡± I said, referring to the selling management company. ¡°But we have a lot of on-site managers and our system is free rent and a small salary, dependent on the number of units under management. You¡¯d have a general property manager you¡¯d report to at our headquarters down in San Jose, since we don¡¯t actually have a local office here yet.¡±


    ¡°And how about the work that Jasper does around the place?¡± Skye asked, handing me a coffee cup and saucer. I grabbed the little tag and dipped the teabag up and down a few times, then set it on the coffee table to cool for a minute.


    ¡°Again, I don¡¯t know what your current arrangement is, but we¡¯d pay him for any work done. The way I look at it, anything he can do saves us from calling in a contractor, right? Well, he should get appropriate compensation.¡± Raising the cup to my lips, I could tell it was still too hot, so I blew on it a bit. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, and if you tell me it¡¯s none of my business, that¡¯s fine- but what do you and Jasper do, besides manage and work on this place?¡±


    ¡°I teach music and play in a band, and Jasper is a counselor and teaches shop at the high school,¡± Skye said. ¡°He also makes these bowls,¡± she said, pointing at a large wooden decorative bowl on the coffee table.


    I picked it up, surprised at how light it felt, and how thin the wood actually was.


    ¡°This is really pretty,¡± I said, meaning it.


    ¡°He sells them at a lot of the local crafts places around town,¡± Skye said. ¡°They¡¯re food grade- you could use that as a salad bowl, for example. You can wash it- by hand, of course- and all you ever need to do to keep it in good shape is rub it down with a little bit of vegetable oil every now and then.¡±


    I set it back down, wishing there was a way I could take one with me, but of course I wasn¡¯t headed home after Seattle.


    ¡°That really is nice,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s talented.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Skye replied.


    I took a sip of my chamomile tea, which tasted pretty much like every other cup of tea I¡¯ve ever had. ¡°So, we¡¯d keep you guys on, and pay you to manage and Jasper to do any work he could. As units come up vacant, we¡¯d take the opportunity to refresh them, too, and if he could do a lot of that work, we¡¯d be happy to pay him standard rates for his time.¡±


    ¡°So you could bump the rents up?¡± Skye asked, a bit suspicious.


    ¡°Maybe a little bit,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to try to get above the local market. No, I¡¯m not talking about granite countertops and travertine shower stalls, I just mean that we at Royal Holdings aren¡¯t known for being, well, slumlords. We aim for the mid market, but provide high value in the segment.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± she said, leaning back. ¡°So, and don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re telling me all this, but why are we even talking?¡±


    Smiling at her direct approach, I said, ¡°I wanted to see the building in person, and I wanted to meet you. You and Jasper are part of the package, and if you tell me you¡¯ll walk if we buy the building, it changes my position.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be thought of as a commodity, to be bought and sold,¡± Skye said wryly.


    ¡°No, not a commodity, an asset. A value-add. According to the guys at Rainier, you were here when they bought the building thirteen years ago, and they¡¯ve never had a single issue with you two. In my business? That¡¯s gold. If you agree to stay on I¡¯m much more likely to proceed with the purchase, knowing that there¡¯s a steady hand at the helm.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Skye said, a pensive look on her face. ¡°How soon do you need to know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one creating any sort of deadline,¡± I said. ¡°If I don¡¯t hear back from you one way or another I may or may not take the deal, but it could be that some other investor swoops in while I¡¯m on the fence.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Right,¡± Skye said.


    Changing the subject, I said, ¡°You know, my wife¡¯s in a band, too.¡±


    ¡°It still sounds strange to me to hear women talk about their wives,¡± Skye admitted. ¡°I¡¯m a little bit glad every time that things have changed the way they have, but I still get, I don¡¯t know, a kind of little thrill, I guess? Every time.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. I¡¯ve gotten used to it, but for a long time I got a sort of rush every time I mentioned ¡®my wife¡¯,¡± I said, making air quotes.


    ¡°What kind of music does she play? What are her instruments?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in a rock band. She plays guitar and sings,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re from San Jose, right? Does her band ever tour? Is there any chance I might have seen them?¡±


    ¡°We used to live in San Jose, but we¡¯re in LA now,¡± I replied, sipping my tea. ¡°Her band is going to do a national tour in a couple of months. If you want, I could get you tickets, maybe backstage passes, if you¡¯re interested. I think they¡¯ll be playing at the baseball stadium, if I remember correctly. Safeco Field, I think it¡¯s called?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Skye said, sitting straight. ¡°They¡¯re national recording artists?¡±


    ¡°The Downfall,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Emmy De Lascaux is your wife? Seriously? Holy shit. Emmy- and let me tell you this from the perspective of somebody who¡¯s taught guitar for over thirty years now- she¡¯s a genius. I mean that. She¡­ Wow. I don¡¯t even know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to meet her?¡± I asked.


    Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. ¡°Parked¡± was the message from Mia.


    ¡°Ten minutes,¡± I replied.


    Seeing Skye¡¯s quizzical look, I said, ¡°My ride just arrived. I just told her I¡¯d be out in ten.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, shit,¡± Skye said. ¡°You wanna take a quick look at the one empty unit we¡¯ve got right now?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sounds good,¡± I said, standing up.


    Back at the hotel, Emmy was still in bed, but all by herself. Looking around, I heard the shower running in the suite¡¯s bathroom. I peeked in and saw the shape of Angela through the fogged glass of the shower enclosure. I watched for a little bit, tantalized by the blurry, indistinct but distinctly sexy shape under the hot water.


    When Angela turned her back to the shower head to rinse her hair, she spotted me by the door. She wiped away some of the fog to get a better look, then smiled when she saw it was me. She stepped forward and kissed the glass, slow and sexy, brushing the glass with her breasts. Most of her was blurry from the fogged glass, except for her saucily smiling face where she¡¯d wiped the moisture away, and of course, her two boobs, sliding side to side. She could see the effect it was having on me, so she gave me a wink and turned around, rubbing her amazing bottom against the glass and swaying so the round globes moved hypnotically.


    Needing no more of an invitation than that, I quickly kicked off my shoes and socks and dropped my pants like a bad habit. I¡¯d just thrown my shirt to the side when I felt delicate hands hook under the bottom edge of my sports bra to help me lift it up. Once it was off and I was totally nude Emmy wrapped her arms around me and kissed my back.


    ¡°What are we waiting for? We should join Angela,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan, baby, that¡¯s the plan,¡± I agreed, turning around to give her a good morning kiss.


    A moment later we were all enjoying the hot water, soap, and each other in the roomy shower stall.


    ¡°This is the way you two must wake me up every day,¡± Emmy declared as Angela and I trapped her in between us, the soap allowing us to slip and slide against her lithe body.


    ¡°That sounds like a good plan,¡± Angela said, trapping Emmy¡¯s lips in a kiss. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to do this every day.¡±


    As good as the soapy time was, we did eventually get out and dry off. I collected my clothes from the floor and brought them into the bedroom as I followed my two lovely naked wives out of the bathroom.


    Sitting on the bed and watching the two of them, I said, ¡°You know, I really hate it when you guys do that.¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡± Angela asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Put clothes on,¡± I replied, making Emmy laugh in that pretty way of hers.


    ¡°Do you like it better when we take them off?¡± Emmy asked, starting a sexy striptease dance. Dressing, she¡¯d only gotten as far as her underwear, so her impromptu lap dance really didn¡¯t involve any actual stripping, just teasing with pulling on her thong¡¯s waistband or dropping a bra strap off her shoulder. Still, it was very erotic, and I found myself heating up again.


    Angela had crawled across the bed and was kneeling behind me, her knees on either side of my hips and her naked boobs pressing into my shoulder blades. As Emmy continued to dance, Angela¡¯s hands slid up the sides of my ribs and cupped my still-bare breasts, pinching and squeezing while she nuzzled my ear.


    ¡°You guys are going to send me right into beast mode,¡± I said, not complaining at all.


    ¡°I love your beast mode,¡± Angela whispered into my ear.


    ¡°It is the very best mode,¡± Emmy agreed, the cups of her lacy bra just barely holding on for dear life as she swayed.


    ¡°I am completely into this,¡± I said, ¡°But if we¡¯re going to get anything done today we¡¯d better stop now.¡±


    ¡°But what if this is what we want to get done today?¡± Emmy asked as she turned her back on Angela and me and reached back and unhooked her bra.


    ¡°I¡¯m with Emmy,¡± Angela said, nibbling on my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s been too long.¡±


    ¡°What, since the shower we just took?¡± I protested, but to be honest, I was perfectly O.K. with not going shopping.


    ¡°That was just the foreplay,¡± Angela replied, pinching my nipple with one hand while the other slid down my belly.


    I glanced up from Angela¡¯s hands in time to see Emmy slide the waistband of her thong panties off first one hip, then the other. She slid the tiny little garment all the way down to her ankles by bending at the waist as she lowered them, rather than simply letting them drop.


    Still bent all the way over, Emmy gave me and Angela a very saucy upside-down smile from between her ankles. She wrapped her hands around the back of her calves, then slowly slid her hands up her legs, drawing our eyes up to where her long legs made an ass of themselves.


    This was my breaking point- now there was no way we were leaving that hotel room for the next few hours.


    I stood up, pulling myself out of Angela¡¯s grasp. I grabbed Emmy¡¯s hips and slid one arm around, scooping her up off the ground by her waist. She shrieked in surprise and delight as I swung around and tossed her onto the big king-sized bed. I leapt up and straddled her, my knees on either side of her hips.


    Emmy was playing along, wriggling and trying (somewhat weakly) to escape. I caught her wrists and pinned them to the bed above her head and lowered my face down to hers.


    ¡°Now I have you right where I want you,¡± she said, her breathing ragged.


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, and in my moment of distraction Angela pushed me over and off Emmy. The two climbed all over me, doing their best to pin me down as the three of us wrestled naked on the bed.


    Eventually I let them win, happy to be buried under their bodies. Ironically, we¡¯d ended up in almost the reverse of the position we¡¯d started in. Emmy was astride my chest, holding my wrists above my head, her breasts hanging tantalizingly close to my face.


    Seeing that I was about to take one of her nipples in my mouth, Emmy sat up a little straighter. A wicked gleam in her eyes, she slid farther up, maneuvering herself until she straddled my face- exactly where I wanted her.


    While I put my lips and tongue to work, another pair of hands pulled my knees apart, gently roaming up and down my inner thighs, tickling me with anticipation.


    I freed my wrists from Emmy¡¯s grip to take hold of her hips so I could move her exactly as I needed to for best effect. I didn''t just want to eat Emmy- I needed to do it.


    Angela, meanwhile, was busy slipping first one finger, then two, stroking my clit with what must have been the pad of her other thumb. It felt amazing- she¡¯d really learned how to hit just the right spots. She had become such a talented lover in the year since she switched sides that it was hard to even remember her first few times and how awkward and self-conscious she¡¯d been in bed.


    Emmy, meanwhile, was thrashing around in ecstasy as I worked her in exactly the way that I¡¯d learned long ago sent her wild. As much as it was delicious torment, Emmy couldn¡¯t escape my grip as I continued at just the right speed to keep her teetering on the edge for as long as I could. Feeling my own orgasm rapidly approaching, I finally showed Emmy some mercy and finished her off. She collapsed in that boneless way of hers as she climaxed, falling in a heap. If I didn¡¯t still have a hold on her she probably would have fallen off the bed with her loss of muscle control.


    Once Emmy was lying safely on the bed next to me I looked down to see what Angela was doing, only to see her bright blue eyes shining up at me from her face buried between my legs. All this time I¡¯d thought she was fingering my clit it was actually her pretty pink tongue as she fingered me relentlessly.


    The sight of her down there, looking pleased with herself, was enough to send me over the metaphorical edge with an orgasm that could be measured on the Richter Scale.


    As I felt the aftershocks subside I looked down at Angela, who was kneeling between my legs, proud of herself for what she¡¯d just done.


    ¡°I have conquered the beast,¡± she gloated, raising her arms in a victory salute.


    ¡°But not before the beast devoured me completely,¡± Emmy said in a languid voice.


    ¡°You know what?¡± I asked, reaching down to take Angela¡¯s hands in mine.


    ¡°What?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m still hungry!¡± I growled, suddenly pulling her up on top of my body.


    Angela squealed in delight as I rolled us over so I was on top, then started working my way south, kissing a path down her body.


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± she cried, draping an arm across her forehead. ¡°The beast has me!¡±


    ¡°Yes I do,¡± I said in a deep rumbling voice. ¡°You are mine, you tasty little morsel. And now I¡¯m going to gobble you up!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± she wailed again, obligingly parting her legs to let me sample her moist, tender flesh.


    Angela was so aroused, so wet, it was a true feast for me. I¡¯d long gotten used to playing with her little piercing with my tongue when I ate her out, but the simple truth was that Angela was just much easier to navigate than Emmy¡¯s little innie.


    After a little while, when I realized that I was no longer hearing Angela¡¯s cries of mock dismay, I glanced up to see that Emmy was just as busy plundering Angela¡¯s mouth as I was doing to her pussy. Emmy¡¯s hand was squeezing Angela¡¯s breast, pinching and gently tugging on the little gold barbell adorning the rosy pink nipple.


    Pleased that Angela was getting her fair share of both of our attention, I went back to sliding my tongue up and down between those vivid pink folds.


    Sometimes sex was just physical fun and sometimes it was an expression of tender love. This had started out the first, but was quickly turning into the second as I slowed down and became more tender in my efforts. I started mixing in gentle kisses on Angela¡¯s labia and hot breaths across her mound to go along with light touches of the tip of my tongue on her pink pearl. I threw in the occasional broad, flat lick from the bottom of her slit to the top for variety, too, just to mix things up.


    My hands roamed all over her thighs, her hips, and her amazing abs, too, but gently, keeping a light touch. I wanted her to feel loved, not merely fucked.


    Glancing up, I saw that Emmy had her arm under Angela¡¯s head, helping prop it up as the two watched what I was doing.


    ¡°Enjoying your meal?¡± Emmy asked, teasing.


    ¡°Very much,¡± I replied, smiling up at the two, knowing my face was absolutely covered in their nectar. ¡°This is the very finest dining any beast could ever ask for.¡± To prove my point, I dropped my tongue down to Angela¡¯s entrance, sliding my tongue in far enough to slip past the opening, then drew the tip up, up, ever so slowly, all the way to her golden barbell. I captured it between my lips and gently tugged on it, eliciting a gasp of pleasure from the beautiful woman that I was proud to call mine.


    Later, the three of us cuddled together in a sweaty heap. Our limbs entwined and our hearts beat together, blissful in the afterglow.


    ¡°Can I tell you guys something?¡± Angela asked after a while.


    ¡°Always,¡± Emmy assured Angela, stroking her back.


    ¡°You know when I said I was the happiest I¡¯ve ever been? Like, a few months ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m even happier now,¡± Angela said. ¡°I want us to be like this forever.¡±

 Flying Commercial?

    We had six hours before I was due at Sana and Donny¡¯s place for dinner, so we walked a few blocks to a boutique storefront for one of the big high-end outdoor clothing companies. To my surprise they didn¡¯t just carry their own brand, but actually had a good selection of hiking boots, climbing gear and so on, none of which they actually made.


    Angela and Emmy were in shopping heaven, trying on this piece of gear or those boots. Eventually, thanks to the extremely star-struck sales staff, we walked out of there with a bunch of shopping bags full of ridiculously over-engineered clothing. We were ready to mount an expedition to the farthest wilds of the Alaskan rain forests- or at least look as if we could.


    Personally, I thought it was a bit ridiculous, but what the hell. If it made the two of them happy, I wasn¡¯t going to complain. Of course, one of the sales guys had let slip that several of their competitors had similar flagship stores in the immediate area, so we had to stop in at a few of the other stores as well.


    By the time we finished our shopping trip we¡¯d contributed mightily to the local economy and had enough bags with the Mountain Hardwear, Arc¡¯teryx, and North Face logos on them to start our own camping supply outlet. We had base layers, mid layers, rain shells¡­ You name it, we had it and were ready to face the cold and wet weather of the Alaskan coast.


    Even Mia had gotten into the shopping frenzy, getting herself a fleece jacket and a pair of hiking boots. The sales guy that was helping her with the boots was taken aback when she pulled off her socks to don the provided wool socks and new boots. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d never seen a prosthetic foot before or just didn¡¯t expect her to have one, but he stared at it for a long moment before recovering his composure.


    Mia had obviously experienced similar reactions before, judging by her amused, knowing smirk. In the end, she did choose a burly-looking pair of Merrell boots, which fit her butch style perfectly.


    When we returned to the hotel I asked what Emmy and Angela had planned for evening, and Emmy replied that they were going to go to a place that Mia had suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a lesbian bar before,¡± Angela said. ¡°Mia said this one is famous, and should be a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You guys have a good time. I¡¯ll see you later,¡± I said, giving Angela and Emmy kisses. Mia puckered up her lips, earning her a laugh.


    ¡°You know what to do,¡± I told Mia in a quiet voice so the others couldn''t hear as I walked out.


    ¡°Under control,¡± she replied quietly, nodding.


    My driver dropped me off at the little apartment building near the University of Washington right at seven. Giving it a quick look, I saw that the rhododendron bushes hugging the lower walls were well shaped and there were no obvious weeds in the little strip between the sidewalk and the brick walls of the structure. Somebody had tagged the corner, but thankfully it wasn¡¯t on the actual brickwork, so it would be easy to paint over.


    I rang the doorbell and a moment later the door buzzed to let me in. I took the stairs to the second floor, pleased to see the common areas being kept up nicely, too. Sana was mostly a stay-at-home mom these days, but managing even a small building like that can eat up a lot of time when you¡¯ve got a toddler to take care of, too.


    Sana was waiting at their open door with little Aaron in her arms, smiling broadly. I gave her a sort of side-hug and tousled Aaron¡¯s hair.


    ¡°He¡¯s growing so fast!¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, like a weed,¡± Sana agreed as she led me inside their cozy apartment.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because we feed him so much,¡± Donny said, wiping his hands on his apron, which read ¡®Kiss the cook¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯d stop growing if we just stop feeding him.¡±


    ¡°Probably so,¡± I agreed, holding my arms out for a hug from my best friend at Stanford.


    After a good, long hug, Donny stepped back and looked me up and down. ¡°Dang, Leah, it¡¯s like hugging a marble statue or something! I¡¯d swear you¡¯re even bigger than you were back at Stanford.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve put on a few pounds,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°A few pounds of pure stone,¡± he replied. ¡°Hey, dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes.¡±


    Dinner was really nice, just hanging out and talking with Sana and Donny about grad school (mine) and Med school (his), raising a kid, and how Donny¡¯s parents were completely in love with Sana and especially Aaron.


    ¡°Me, they¡¯re like, ¡®whatever¡¯,¡± Donny said with a laugh.


    ¡°Speaking of kids,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re trying for that now, too.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Donny asked. ¡°Is Emmy pregnant?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t for public consumption, so don¡¯t tell anyone, but we¡¯ve been doing the whole thing with hormones, egg collection all of it. Hopefully we¡¯ll have good news soon,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, this little vacation is sort of a, ¡®well, that round¡¯s over, let¡¯s take a break,¡¯ kind of thing before we get into the next phase.¡±


    ¡°Um, you know I don¡¯t mean to pry, and if it¡¯s none of my business, let me know, but how does Angela fit into this?¡± Donny asked, getting a puzzled look from Sana.


    ¡°Angela?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t figure this was something, well¡­¡± Donny said, looking nervous.


    ¡°Sana, has Donny told you about Angela?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Angela?¡± Sana asked, becoming more and more convinced that there was a big story she hadn¡¯t been told.


    ¡°Let me start at the beginning¡­¡± I said, and gave a fairly complete rundown of how we¡¯d met Angela and then how she became part of our lives. I explained that Emmy and I both thought of her as another wife in the relationship, and loved her very much.


    ¡°It¡¯s um, like a polyamorous marriage,¡± Donny said to Sana.


    ¡°Yes, I get that,¡± she replied. ¡°So this brings us back to Don¡¯s question- how does she fit into the parenting thing? Will she be some sort of surrogate mother?¡±


    ¡°No, not in the sense that she¡¯d carry Emmy¡¯s baby to term. Here¡¯s the thing- Emmy and Angela are hopefully both going to get pregnant at the same time, and the two girls will grow up together as sisters, and Emmy and Angela will both be their moms,¡± I said.


    ¡°And what, you¡¯ll be the dad figure?¡± Donny asked, trying to understand how it was all going to work.


    ¡°More than you could imagine,¡± I said, sipping my wine.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sana asked.


    ¡°The lab will be using my genetic material to fertilize both their eggs,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait- what?¡± Donny asked. ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s purely experimental right now, but the lab has had some success so far. We¡¯re the guinea pigs for the whole thing, and they want to keep it on the QT,¡± I said.


    ¡°What Leah is saying is that she literally will be the father to Emmy and Angela¡¯s babies. Like, it¡¯ll be as if she was a man and got them pregnant,¡± Donny explained to his wife.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true,¡± Sana protested, but Donny came to my defense.


    ¡°No, it makes sense,¡± he said. ¡°Really, when you get down to it, eggs and sperm cells are just the carriers for the DNA inside, right? So if they strip that stuff out of Leah¡¯s egg and inject it into Emmy¡¯s egg, then it¡¯s like¡­¡± he said, his brain running ahead of what he was saying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll literally be the father,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mind officially blown,¡± Donny said. ¡°I mean, I can understand how it could be done. Conceptually it¡¯s easy, but it¡¯s gotta be really hard in practice.¡±


    ¡°The lab needed twenty eggs from both Emmy and Angela, and forty from me. They¡¯ve been working on getting their technique just right. They¡¯ve succeeded with rats and sheep in the past, but we¡¯ll be their first human subjects and they need to be absolutely sure they have it down. They have managed to get cell division going in one egg so far, but they only let that one go long enough be able to analyze the genome and make sure there were no problems,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Jesus, Leah, this is some serious shit,¡± Donny said, his usual goofy grin missing. ¡°You¡¯re starting to get me worried for the future of the males of our species. We may not be needed at all anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Don,¡± Sana said, patting his arm affectionately. ¡°I¡¯ll still need you.¡±


    Unable to stop myself, I broke out laughing at Donny¡¯s forlorn expression. ¡°Donny, I¡¯ll still need you, too. Nobody can make me laugh the way you do.¡±


    ¡°Job security!¡± he crowed, his smile reappearing.


    Turning to little Aaron, who¡¯d been watching all this with wide eyes, I said, ¡°I hope you¡¯ve inherited your daddy¡¯s sense of humor, little man.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen it tonight, but Aaron does like to make people laugh,¡± Sana assured me.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Donny confirmed. ¡°The little dude abides.¡±


    ¡°Donny, you¡¯re out of your element,¡± Aaron said quite clearly, and yes, it did make me laugh out loud. I can¡¯t imagine that Aaron had ever actually seen The Big Lebowski in his three short years of life, but somehow he managed to parrot that phrase at exactly the right moment.


    ¡°See?¡± Sana asked proudly.


    I left at about eleven in a good mood, happy to have reconnected with good friends. I promised we would all have dinner when we passed back through Seattle in a week and a half, and Sana and Donny said they would be looking forward to it.


    I was the first one back to the hotel room- Emmy, Angela and Mia were still out. I took a quick shower and climbed into bed, not really waiting for the other two. I wasn¡¯t worried about Angela and Emmy as far as their safety goes, only a little bit concerned that it might be hard to get Emmy out of bed for the morning breakfast meeting. Despite that, I quickly fell asleep.


    I glanced at my watch when Emmy and Angela came to bed. They had tried to be quiet, but it was obvious they¡¯d both had a few drinks and were just a little bit drunk, so their sneaking abilities were somewhat hampered.


    ¡°It¡¯s one in the morning, babe,¡± I said to Emmy as she settled in beside me. ¡°We have to be in south Seattle by eight, which means five, maybe five and a half hours of sleep.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you had to be up in the morning, Em,¡± Angela said reproachfully. ¡°We could have left sooner.¡±


    ¡°It will be fine,¡± Emmy assured both of us. ¡°I will be able to wake up.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± I said, kissing her, then Angela. ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°We had a great time tonight,¡± Angela said. ¡°I wish you¡¯d come with us.¡±


    ¡°Next time, babe,¡± I said and gave her another kiss.


    I woke Emmy up the next morning, and even though she was dragging a bit, she took a shower and got dressed in time for us to make it to the meeting at the appointed hour. Samuel and all four of the newbies were already seated and waiting for us, but when Emmy and I entered they all stood up respectfully.


    ¡°Please, sit, everybody,¡± I said, and they all did. ¡°Emmy, this is Samuel, our local liaison. These are Robbie and Joseph,¡± I said, indicating the two. ¡°This is Kay, and that¡¯s Darrin. Of course, you all know that this is Queen Emmy De Lascaux.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a great pleasure to meet you in person, my queen,¡± Samuel said, clearly awed.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Samuel, Queen Leah has told me good things about you. I am pleased to finally meet you, as well.¡±


    I gave the other four meaningful looks, which Robbie was quickest to pick up on.


    ¡°Queen Emmy¡­¡± she breathed, staring at Emmy¡¯s snow-white hair. ¡°I never imagined we would get to actually meet you.¡±


    At this point the hippie waiter made his way over to our table to ask what we wanted to drink, so I ordered a coffee and Emmy asked for an espresso. He stared long and hard at Emmy, but didn¡¯t actually say anything other than the usual waiter stuff.


    Once he¡¯d gone, Robbie continued. ¡°I almost thought you weren¡¯t real¡­ I¡¯ve seen you on TV and in pictures, but it just never seemed like you actually existed,¡± she said, unsure of what to say.


    ¡°I think that what she means is that you seemed more like a dream than somebody we could ever actually meet,¡± Joseph said.


    ¡°I am very real,¡± Emmy said with a disarming smile.


    The waiter came back with our coffees and took our breakfast orders, which were remarkably similar to the day before. Emmy, of course, ordered nothing more than toast with jam. There was no secret how she stayed so thin, I thought for about the millionth time.


    After our meals were set in front of us and we had a bit of privacy again, I got down to business. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve had overnight to think about our offer. I want to reiterate that this is an offer freely given, and if you choose to not accept, that¡¯s fine. We part on good terms and we wish you well, and that¡¯s all there is to it. We aren¡¯t forcing anyone to do anything they don¡¯t want. Is that clear?¡±


    The group nodded, but I said, ¡°I want you to say it out loud, so there¡¯s no misunderstandings. Do you understand everything that I¡¯ve said this morning and yesterday? Darrin? Is it clear?¡± When he nodded, I pressed him. ¡°Please say so, if it is or isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s clear. I understand what you¡¯re offering,¡± he said, nervous about being put on the spot.


    ¡°And is it clear that if you choose no, we¡¯ll leave you in peace?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s clear, too,¡± he said.


    ¡°Excellent. Robbie? Joseph?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we understand it all,¡± Robbie answered for both of them.


    ¡°Kay?¡± I asked of the man who hadn¡¯t really said much of anything so far.


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s clear,¡± he confirmed. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I want to- I don¡¯t want your shadow.¡±


    He looked extremely unsure of himself, but Emmy reached over and patted his arm. ¡°That is fine,¡± Emmy said. ¡°If you ever change your mind, you know how to get in contact with Samuel here. The offer is open. In the meantime, or if we never see you again, we both wish you a peaceful, safe life. Remember, us coming into the light is to benefit all of our kind the world over, so we can all live freely among the day walkers. I would like it if you stopped hiding your nature, but if you are not ready to do that, that is fine, too.¡±


    ¡°Remember, the offer is freely given,¡± I said.


    ¡°We do,¡± Robbie said, holding Joseph¡¯s hand. ¡°We ask that you give us your shadow.¡±


    ¡°So do I,¡± Darrin said. ¡°Please.¡±


    I nodded, looking at Emmy. She looked around the table, finishing up on Kay. ¡°Are you certain you do not wish this?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I just want to be left alone,¡± he said.


    ¡°But yet you contacted one of our people, who put you in touch with Samuel, and came to these meetings,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You must have been interested.¡±


    ¡°I was. I mean, I am, but it¡¯s just too much,¡± Kay said, nearly stammering with nerves. ¡°I thought it would be easy, to do this,¡± he said, making a vague gesture that seemed to encompass everything. ¡°But coming here yesterday and today, on the bus, in the sunlight, with all the day walkers staring at me¡­ I nearly had a breakdown.¡±


    ¡°It can be terrifying,¡± Emmy said, her voice soft. ¡°It gets easier with time, doesn¡¯t it, Samuel?¡±


    ¡°It does. It was very scary at first,¡± he said. ¡°But now I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    ¡°If we could find a way to make it easier, would you accept?¡± Emmy asked, her hand still on his arm.


    ¡°How? Queen Leah said that the most important rule was to not hide,¡± Kay said mournfully.


    ¡°It is,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°That part is mandatory, but would it be easier for you if you were not alone? If you were in the company of others of our kind? You would not have to face the day by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Remember,¡± I said, my voice gentle. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work for you, you can tell us and we will release you. All you have to do is to say something.¡±


    Darrin said, ¡°I would like that. To be with others, I mean. Strength in numbers, right?¡±


    ¡°Darrin, how, um, fixed are you here in Seattle? Kay? How about you? Would you two be willing to leave the area if it could make this happen?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have nothing here,¡± Darrin said, reinforcing Samuel¡¯s assumptions about his living conditions.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t, either,¡± Kay said.


    ¡°We would like to stay here in Seattle,¡± Joseph said. ¡°This is our home.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, but was interrupted by the waiter asking if everything was O.K. After he left again, I said, ¡°Robbie, Joseph, we¡¯d be happy for you to stay here in Seattle and be part of our ever-growing community. Darrin, Kay, if you accept our shadow, you can be part of our, um, contact team. They move from city to city seeking out Night Children like you. They always travel in groups, never alone. Does that sound like something you could do? It wouldn¡¯t have to be forever, just until you get used to day walking and decide where you want to settle down. Maybe come back here, maybe settle in Phoenix, or Chicago, or Atlanta- wherever. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know what to do,¡± Kay lamented.


    ¡°We would train you,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Traveling is very hard,¡± Darrin said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any paperwork, no ID.¡±


    Looking at Kay, then Joseph and Robbie, I asked, ¡°Do you guys?¡±


    Robbie and Joseph said they did, but Kay admitted he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°We can sort that out,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s something we do for a lot of our people.¡±


    ¡°And we can quit if- if it¡¯s too hard?¡± Kay asked.


    ¡°Yes, you can, but I would suggest that you try and do your best to make it work,¡± Emmy said, her voice still very reassuring. ¡°This really is a better life we are offering you.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Samuel said. ¡°I can promise you that.¡±


    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Darrin asked, and Kay looked at me expectantly.


    On our way back to the hotel, Emmy asked, ¡°Is it like this every time?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I said.


    ¡°And how often do you do this? Give your shadow to new strays?¡±


    ¡°They come in clumps, usually,¡± I replied. ¡°These are the first in a little while. A lot of time I do it using FaceTime, over the phone, if Michael is there to handle matters.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said, turning in her seat to face me. ¡°This makes me realize that I have not been paying attention at all to any of this. How many Night Children do we even have in our new nation? What is it even called?¡±


    ¡°That is what it¡¯s called. We¡¯ve been calling it the new nation, and that¡¯s become the more or less official name. The New Nation.¡±


    ¡°You are joking,¡± Emmy said, looking at my face to see if I was pulling her leg.


    ¡°I kid you not,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s usually accented on the ¡®New¡¯ part.¡±


    ¡°That is a terrible name,¡± Emmy said with a groan.


    ¡°It kinda is, but also kinda isn¡¯t. Yeah, on the surface it¡¯s completely uninspired, like we couldn¡¯t come up with anything better, but really, it drives home that this is a new thing, not like the old nations,¡± I said, maybe a tiny bit defensively.


    ¡°I guess it does,¡± Emmy conceded.


    ¡°So, to answer your other question, just a little bit over a thousand now. Almost eleven hundred, actually,¡± I said.


    Emmy looked at me for a long moment, completely floored. ¡°How is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°There were a whole lot more strays here in North America than your parents ever imagined, for one, and we¡¯re just getting started in on the East Coast, where there are tons. For two, a lot have been seeking us out, like these four. They see the signs, or they see another Night Child showing their face, and they reach out. It¡¯s really starting to snowball,¡± I said.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Emmy breathed, stunned by how much she¡¯d missed.


    ¡°We have something like seventy-five in our contact teams,¡± I said. ¡°Enough that we can flood a new medium-sized city fairly quickly, or a big city over the course of a few months.¡±


    ¡°So the team that I saw in Chicago, when we-¡± Emmy said, but then shut up when she realized that Mia could hear our conversation.


    Interpreting Emmy¡¯s quick glance at the driver¡¯s seat, I said, ¡°Mia knows everything.¡±


    ¡°I know all, I see all,¡± Mia said from the front seat in a cheesy spooky movie voice.


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± Emmy said with a laugh. ¡°And, it seems, I know nothing and see nothing.¡±


    ¡°The team we had a year ago in Chicago, that was just our, um, paramilitaries,¡± I said, for lack of a better word. ¡°Most of our contact teams are, well, non-confrontational, let¡¯s call it. We have less than twenty that are able to go into battle.¡±


    ¡°That night in Chicago,¡± Emmy said, remembering back. ¡°It was¡­ I hated that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t like it, either,¡± I agreed. ¡°But remember, we went there in good faith. All that happened was on them.¡±


    ¡°From what I hear, it happened to them, too,¡± Mia said, unhelpfully.


    ¡°Mia, how much do you know about what happened there?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure my briefings have been complete, ma¡¯am,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Who told you?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Leah and my dad,¡± Mia replied, turning the rear view mirror so she could make eye contact with Emmy.


    ¡°Did they tell you - Did you hear about Leah¡­¡± Emmy said, unsure how to phrase it.


    ¡°From what I gather, you all went to a meeting with this ¡®Boss¡¯ individual, who¡¯d set up an ambush for you, but you guys were better prepared and wiped ¡®em out to a man.¡±


    ¡°Leah, she¡­¡± Emmy said, still at a loss.


    ¡°My dad told me that Leah accounted for four Tangos- four hostiles,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Did he tell you that she killed one of them by- by stomping on his head?¡± Emmy asked, clearly still bothered by the image.


    ¡°That¡¯s fucking brutal!¡± Mia said. ¡°No, he never told me that little detail.¡±


    ¡°She knocked him down to the ground, then crushed his head with her boot,¡± Emmy said, her voice quiet.


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a stomp, ma¡¯am,¡± Mia said, glancing at me in the rear view mirror with what might have been a new level of respect.


    Emmy was quiet for a while, so I just held her hand and let her work through whatever issues she might still be feeling from that night over a year before.


    ¡°I do not think I am¡­ as prepared to be a queen as I had thought,¡± she finally said in a near-whisper.


    ¡°Em, baby, you don¡¯t need to be that kind of queen for your people. You need to be their shining light. I can¡¯t do that, but I can be the hard-ass if that¡¯s what¡¯s needed.¡±


    Emmy didn¡¯t say anything in response. She just squeezed my hand a bit harder, that¡¯s all.


    In the elevator back at the hotel, Mia asked if I could talk for a few minutes, so we walked Emmy to the door of the room, then went back down to Mia¡¯s room.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Mia said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. ¡°Would it be O.K. if I stayed here in Seattle while you guys are in Alaska? That way I don¡¯t have to fly back to New York, only to have to come out to the West Coast again in a week and a half.¡±


    Doing my best to read between the lines, I asked, ¡°Did you connect with somebody last night?¡±


    ¡°I got a phone number, yeah,¡± she admitted, surprisingly shyly.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll let them know at the front desk that you¡¯ll be staying, and I¡¯ll call the car rental place, too.¡±


    ¡°I can stay here? Seriously? And drive the Range Rover?¡± Mia asked, stunned at the windfall.


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m gonna put you to work,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Michael that you¡¯re here in Seattle and can handle what he needs to have done here.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for Michael to determine. He¡¯s the one that deals with all the nuts and bolts concerning the Night Children. Whatever he needs to have done, you take care of it so he doesn¡¯t have to come out here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± Mia said, thinking she got off easy. I thought it was a win for me, too, because Michael had other things to do, and dragging him up to Seattle to deal with our four newbies would be a hassle. It was going to cost me a whole lot less to pay for Mia¡¯s hotel and car rental than it would be for me to fly Michael in and rent him a car and a place to stay, too.


    ¡°You know Michael, right?¡± I asked, suddenly worried that she might have never met him.


    ¡°Well, I mean, no. We¡¯ve never actually met, but Dad talks about him a lot so I certainly know who he is,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you his contact info and send him yours, and you guys can work out the details. You have the numbers of the phones we gave the newbies today, right? Give all that info to Michael when you talk to him, and we can get the ball rolling,¡± I said, pulling out my phone and texting Michael.


    ¡°Thanks a lot, ma¡¯am,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Luisa I won¡¯t be home for a while.¡±


    ¡°That took a long time,¡± Angela said, looking up from her packing.


    ¡°Mia¡¯s gonna stay here in Seattle while we¡¯re in Alaska,¡± I said. ¡°So, sounds like she had a good time at the club last night?¡±


    ¡°We all did,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Perhaps too good a time. I have a terrible headache today.¡±


    ¡°I told you to drink more water last night,¡± Angela chided.


    ¡°I do not know what was in those drinks,¡± Emmy groaned. ¡°They did not taste like much, but I am really feeling it today.¡±


    ¡°You hid it well this morning,¡± I said. ¡°I would never have guessed you had a hangover.¡±


    Emmy gave me a grateful smile at the compliment, then went back to covering her eyes with her arm as she lay on the bed.


    ¡°Nobody should ever drink anything that color,¡± Angela said. Turning to me, she said, ¡°Emmy was drinking these drinks, frozen like Margaritas, but bright pink. Like, glow in the dark pink.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like some sort of ninja drink,¡± I replied. At Angela¡¯s puzzled expression, I said, ¡°They sneak up and get you before you even know it.¡±


    ¡°That is it exactly,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°Well, my poor, sweet suffering honey, we have to be at the airport in about an hour, so we do need to get moving,¡± I said, tapping Emmy¡¯s foot.


    ¡°Why so early? I thought the flight was not until a little after noon?¡± Emmy protested.


    ¡°We¡¯re flying commercial, so we need to go to Sea-Tac Airport and check in at least an hour before our flight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Commercial? Really?¡± Emmy asked, aghast.


    ¡°Sad, but true,¡± I said.


    A lot of people stared as we walked through the airport, since Emmy was so famous and so very distinctive. One teenage girl did ask for a selfie with Emmy, and of course Emmy was as happy to oblige as ever. It was strange going through the whole TSA checkpoint thing- I¡¯d gotten used to flying private jet or executive FBO flights, and those were, well, a lot more casual. I hadn¡¯t flown commercial in almost two years, since my last trip with the Stanford volleyball team. I was reminded why the extra cost of the executive flights were worth every penny when I had to take off my high-top hiking boots with about a mile of laces to undo.


    Waiting at the gate for our flight to board, Emmy struck up a conversation with a kid who was maybe fifteen or sixteen years old, traveling by himself. I didn¡¯t pay any attention to what they were talking about, since I was busy answering work emails, but it seemed that the two hit it off pretty well. Of course, this came as no surprise, since Emmy could charm anybody, any time, anywhere.


    The jet to Juneau was small, with two seats on either side of the aisle. This meant that Angela and I sat together, while Emmy sat across the aisle from Angela, next to a young woman who had a small baby in her lap. This was like catnip to Emmy, who wound up holding and bottle-feeding the baby for most of the hour and a half the flight took to get us to the capital of Alaska.


    ¡°How long do we have until our next flight?¡± Emmy asked when we deplaned.


    ¡°A little over an hour,¡± I said, checking my watch. ¡°But we have to go to the seaplane terminal, wherever that is.¡±


    ¡°Seaplane? Like the kind that land on water?¡± Angela asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°Exactly like that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Can we go into town really fast? I need to buy a guitar,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°A guitar?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Kathy, the one who sat next to me on the flight? She asked if I brought my guitar, and I realized that I had not.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s grab a taxi and find you a guitar, but we need to be quick,¡± I said, slinging my duffel bag across my back like a backpack and picking up Angela¡¯s and Emmy¡¯s, too.


    Juneau is the largest city in the United States by area, according to the in-flight magazine I¡¯d thumbed through on the plane from Seattle, but it¡¯s not actually that big a place in reality. For whatever reason the city limits are basically the entire county. The actual town itself was only about thirty thousand people.


    The music store turned out to be only a few blocks from the airport terminal- we could have walked there almost as quickly as we¡¯d gotten there in the cab, but I paid the driver to wait for us to drive us back anyway, just to save the ten minutes each way.


    Thankfully Emmy didn¡¯t get roped into playing a mini concert the way she usually does at music stores, and so just a few minutes later she¡¯d gotten herself an acoustic guitar and soft case. We made it back with plenty of time to board the float plane to Sitka, to my relief.


    We could have taken the normal commuter-plane flight, but I¡¯d booked the seaplane to add to the Alaska experience, and the money was well spent. The pilot did an excellent job of showing off the channels and islands of the area before flying us to the small town of Sitka.


    Angela and Emmy were giddy with excitement when we stepped onto the dock in the mid-afternoon sunlight, happy to be there. Personally, I was, too, but I was a bit more concerned that the driver I¡¯d arranged didn¡¯t seem to be waiting for us.

 Mysterious And Wild

    The whole setup struck me as really strange. The dock simply turned into a wooden walkway that squeezed between two ramshackle wooden buildings, then ended at a small parking lot next to the street. The closest thing to any sort of terminal was the beat-up wooden shed next to the walkway, which was padlocked closed.


    There was no sign of any taxi, even though we were pretty much right on time. I tried calling the service¡¯s phone number, but it went straight to voice mail. There were a couple of guys working on boat motors in the crappy wooden building to our right, so I went over and asked them how far it was to the Sitka Inn.


    ¡°Um, maybe a half mile that way?¡± one of the guys said, pointing south down the road.


    ¡°Nah, it ain¡¯t that far,¡± the other guy said, wiping his hands with a shop rag. ¡°No more¡¯n a quarter mile. You can¡¯t miss it. Just go down ¡¯til you get to the castle park on the right, and it¡¯ll be on the left.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s painted yellow,¡± the first guy added.


    ¡®They have paint around here?¡¯ was my immediate snide remark, but I kept it to myself. Just because all the buildings I could see in the immediate vicinity hadn¡¯t had a coat of paint in decades didn¡¯t mean that there were no painters in town¡­ Just that people weren¡¯t willing to pay for their services.


    ¡°Looks as if we¡¯re walking,¡± I said to Emmy and Angela. I slung my duffel across my back again and picked up both of theirs, and we made our way south.


    Once we got away from the commercial waterfront area and towards downtown the surroundings gave a much better impression. The ramshackle shacks next to the docks gave way to nicer shacks and metal canneries, then some buildings that I found sort of fascinating. They looked like big, three-story farmhouses, but the ground floors facing the streets were shops and offices. Judging by the looks, the upper floors were apartments. It seemed to me a very urban concept for such a rural-seeming small town.


    Angela wanted some pictures by some totem poles outside the tribal office, but to her credit was sensitive enough to pop inside and ask permission first.


    One of the people from inside the office followed Angela back out to tell her what the various carvings represent, but when Emmy walked up to join her and Angela, the woman suddenly came unglued.


    ¡°Oh, my gosh!¡± she blurted out. ¡°Oh, my gosh! Emmy! Is it really you? I love your music! ¡®Hold Me¡¯ is my favorite song, ever! Nobody¡¯s gonna believe it when I tell ¡®em Emmy¡¯s here in Sitka!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is really me,¡± Emmy assured the woman.


    ¡°Can I- can I get a picture?¡± the woman asked, pulling out her phone.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Emmy said with a big smile.


    Angela took the woman¡¯s phone and had the two pose for a few shots with the harbor and fishing boats in the background, then handed the phone back. The native woman scrolled through the pictures and said they were perfect, and thank you so much, and on and on for a bit.


    Somewhere in all that, somehow Emmy had done her Emmy magic and picked up the woman¡¯s name.


    ¡°Mary,¡± Emmy said. ¡°What can you tell us about these totem poles? That is what they are called, right?¡±


    ¡°In the Tlingit language we call them-¡± Mary said, using a word that I couldn¡¯t possibly reproduce. ¡°This pole represents the founding stories of the Shee Tika village, and that pole is a tribute to the local spirits,¡± she said, starting in on an obviously familiar talk. Emmy and Angela were very interested and attentive, and asked Mary questions that showed they were paying attention. She seemed to enjoy the attention and the respect that Emmy and Angela were showing, making her positively glow with pride.


    ¡°My uncle carved this one,¡± she said, resting her hand on the local spirits pole.


    Eventually Angela got the photos that she wanted, including a few with Mary looking pleased at the attention she and her heritage were receiving.


    Thanking Mary for her time, we continued south. The low clouds had begun a light drizzle by this time, and I was happy that Emmy had insisted we buy rain hats and not merely rely on our jackets¡¯ hoods. The broad brim was excellent for keeping my face nice and dry, even if I did feel a bit self-conscious about looking like some sort of Patagonia catalog model.


    As it turned out, the directions the outboard motor guys had given me were a bit wrong. The road we¡¯d been following dead-ended into a cross street there at the park. Looking around, I saw the inn, just over on the right side of the street after making a left at the intersection. In any case, the guy was right about not missing it, and it was a pale, faded yellow, so at least those parts of the directions were correct.


    The Sitka Inn wasn¡¯t much to look at from the street. There were two typical storefront aluminum and glass doors, one leading into the lobby and the other into the Sitka Inn Grill, which looked as if it took up most of the building¡¯s ground floor.


    Checking in, the middle-aged woman behind the counter gave the three of us a skeptical look when she checked the reservation and saw it was for a single king bed room.


    ¡°It¡¯s extra for a rollaway,¡± she said.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be needing it,¡± I said, daring her to say something.


    She looked as if she was about to, then meekly finished with, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got to charge you for the third guest anyway.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± I said.


    She handed me the room key, an old-school metal key on a big diamond-shaped plastic tag that said ¡°Property of the Sitka Inn¡± and had the room number hot-stamped into it. Pure class.


    We took the elevator to the third and top floor, then made our way to the last door on the right. I was a bit put off by the terribly dated and worn carpet in the hallway, but the room itself was nice and clean, if also a bit dated. The bed¡¯s coverlet was probably decades old, but it wasn¡¯t stained or anything nasty like that. The carpet was a bit worn, too, but clean, so I wasn¡¯t going to complain.


    Emmy looked around, then focused on the big window that looked out over the harbor to the south. It was evening by this time, and the dusk was very picturesque, with the lights of the boats and the businesses and houses along the waterfront.


    ¡°Thank you for all of this,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I am already enjoying our trip, and we have not even seen the ship yet.¡±


    Angela had set her camera bag down and joined Emmy at the window, wrapping her arm around Emmy¡¯s waist. ¡°This town- it¡¯s exactly how I imagined,¡± she said. ¡°The boats, the old wooden buildings, all of it.¡±


    I joined the two, gazing out across the water. ¡°Alaska, here we are,¡± I said.


    ¡°What time do we board the boat tomorrow?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Do we have time for sightseeing?¡±


    ¡°We have some time, but not a lot,¡± I said. ¡°The cruise company is supposed to pick us up here at the hotel at eleven.¡±


    ¡°Then we must go out and see what we can tonight,¡± Emmy announced.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    It wasn¡¯t really night yet, but with the low, dark clouds it felt that way when Angela and I followed Emmy back out onto what must have been the small town¡¯s main street. It was still lightly drizzling, but with all our rain gear that really didn¡¯t matter. There were a surprising number of people walking around, shopping, going in and out of the handful of restaurants, or simply out for a stroll- and every single one was dressed the way we were, with waterproof gear from head to toe.


    The only real way we stood out was that almost all of the locals seemed to be wearing actual rubber boots, and not hikers like us, but other than that, it was Gore-Tex or slickers everywhere you looked.


    I had no agenda for us, so therefore no objection to Emmy and Angela leading us to wherever their whims dictated.


    The two seemed intent on helping out the local economy, too, and soon enough I was carrying around even more shopping bags. Emmy and Angela got themselves some of the same brown rubber boots that were so popular, and some heavy wool sweaters knit by women from one of the area¡¯s tribes. They wanted to buy me a sweater, too, but none actually fit me. I made a big deal about being disappointed, but honestly, it was a bit of a relief, since I didn¡¯t actually want one.


    In a little art gallery Emmy bought a Tlingit print she really liked, and Angela bought a couple of photos, one of a pod of Orcas breaking the surface in a very calm inlet and the other of a fishing boat in the misty morning light. We paid to have them shipped home, since there was no way we could take them with us. Angela bought a couple of books of local lore in the bookstore just two doors down from the hotel, and then we were back at the inn for dinner.


    People had reacted to Emmy everywhere we¡¯d gone that evening. Most were like Mary at the tribal office, awed that a famous rock star was visiting middle-of-nowhere Sitka, but a few merely gave dirty looks.


    While we were eating our unexpectedly good dinners from the inn¡¯s surprisingly sophisticated menu, a middle-aged man approached the table. Somewhat awkwardly, he waited until we turned our attention to him, then introducing himself as ¡®Slim Jim¡¯ Harris. He said he managed the local rock radio station, and when he¡¯d heard that Emmy De Lascaux was in town, he just had to come say hello.


    Of course Emmy treated the man graciously, as she always did with everybody, and when he asked if she could maybe do an in-studio while we were in town, she said that she would be happy to do that, but it would have to be that evening since we¡¯d be leaving the next morning.


    Slim Jim was overjoyed to hear it, promising to wait until we were finished with dinner so he could drive her to the station¡¯s studio.


    There was no way I was going to send Emmy off with some guy all by herself, so after dinner all three of us piled into Slim Jim¡¯s Subaru wagon for the trip to the radio station.


    I had really nothing to do except wait around while Emmy and the evening DJ chatted on-air for a bit, but Angela had brought her camera and took a bunch of photos. She promised Slim Jim that she¡¯d email the best of them, but he took a few with his phone anyway. He¡¯d set up a video camera to record the whole session, but the stills would be nice for the station¡¯s website.


    After the initial twenty minutes of talk about The Downfall¡¯s influences, how Emmy had started learning the guitar at the age of four, and other related topics, Emmy began to play. The DJ had asked her for five of his favorite Downfall songs, starting with Killer In The Dark.


    Instead of the recorded version¡¯s strange, animalistic scream, Emmy howled gently, sounding like a wolf somewhere in the distance. She played the song slower, too, but with a sort of restrained intensity that sent chills up my spine. When she sang the final line, it was easy to believe that she would, in fact, cut your heart out.


    ¡°Wow, that was amazing,¡± the DJ said when Emmy finished. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that song a hundred times, but never like that. Emmy, can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for that one?¡±


    ¡°Lar, if I were to tell you what that song means to me, then it will take away some of the mystery, would it not? Now, the song can mean anything you think it means. If I tell the world that it means this or that, then it becomes limited, confined. So no, I will leave it up to the listener to find their own meaning in it.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± the DJ admitted.


    Emmy¡¯s next couple of songs went similarly, with Emmy gently fending off the DJ¡¯s attempts to get her to explain what they meant.


    Finally, Emmy said, ¡°This is a song that we have never recorded in the studio, but we enjoy playing it live. This song was written by June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash¡¯s second wife, about the all-consuming feeling of being madly in love with another.¡± With that, she strummed the first chord of Ring Of Fire.


    When Emmy finished, the DJ thanked her for coming in to the studio that night, saying that they¡¯ve been receiving non-stop phone calls with request after request.


    ¡°What do most of the callers want to hear? I will play one more song, whatever it is that was the most requested,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Um, let me get our people on that,¡± Lar said, waving through the window at his producer to get moving. After a minute or so of chat between Emmy and the DJ, the producer came back and held up a piece of paper to the window into the sound booth.


    ¡°Well, it seems that the top choice tonight was Baby, I was Born To Die, off your most recent album,¡± Lar announced.


    ¡°Alright, I will play it,¡± Emmy agreed.


    I glanced over at Angela, then, seeing the expression on her face, I took her into my arms and her her tightly as Emmy sang, ¡°I was born to make you cry.¡±


    We stayed like that for the length of the song, me holding Angela tightly while I felt her body shake with silent sobs. Simply holding Angela was the best way I could communicate that I understood perfectly. Although it had never really been said explicitly, I think we both knew that when Emmy was gone it was going to just be the two of us, living with Emmy¡¯s memory.


    Slim Jim thanked Emmy over and over again as he drove us back to the inn, and Emmy reminded him several times that according to the contract she¡¯d had him sign the station can play the songs as much as they want, but one hundred per cent of any revenues from any other distribution must go to the Tlingit and Haida scholarship fund.


    ¡°Not just the profits, but all revenue,¡± she reminded him. ¡°Every penny.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand,¡± he said, and I could see that he was thinking about how to make this work for the station, which was fine. I made a mental note to have my lawyers contact the station in a couple of weeks to look over the books and make sure they were toeing the line.


    If Slim Jim was smart about it, he could spin it into a good PR coup for the station at the same time as increasing their footprint. I hoped he was smart about it.


    Walking into the inn¡¯s lobby, the young woman behind the desk stood up straight when she saw Emmy.


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am?¡± she said. When Emmy acknowledged her, she said, ¡°I just heard you on the radio,¡± she said, pointing to one of the small speakers set into the ceiling, which were playing the radio station we¡¯d just left. ¡°I just want to thank you for giving a shout out to the Tlingit scholarship fund. That fund is helping my little brother go to college in Seattle right now.¡±


    ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± Emmy said, her smile bright.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s really unprofessional of me, and please don¡¯t tell my manager, but can I get a selfie with you?¡± she asked, looking hopeful.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°Here, let Angela take the photo. She is a professional.¡±


    Angela posed the two of them and snapped a handful of pictures using the woman¡¯s phone, before handing it back so the clerk could check the photos.


    ¡°These are perfect! Thanks so much!¡± she said, scanning though the images.


    ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± Emmy said, and I¡¯m sure she meant it.


    Later, in bed, Angela said, ¡°Em, I love you so much, and your music is¡­ I mean, it¡¯s your self-expression, I understand that, but it hurts my heart so much when you sing that song.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I am sorry, ma chere,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I do not enjoy causing you pain.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t, Em, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m never gonna ask you to not play it. It¡¯s your¡­¡± Angela said, searching for the right word.


    ¡°It¡¯s your art, Em,¡± I said. ¡°You need to express your art, regardless of what Ange and I think.¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°Your art is powerful, because it makes people feel things. And that¡¯s why you must never stop.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, baby,¡± Emmy said, stroking Angela¡¯s cheek. ¡°That means very much to me.¡±


    We got up early the next morning and had breakfast at the little cafe across the street, then made our way through the drizzle to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. It had been built back in the middle of the Nineteenth Century when Sitka was the capital of the Russian territory of Alaska, before they sold it to the US.


    After that, a walk down the street and up some stairs saw us at the site of the Russian fort that protected the harbor, now just a flat spot on a little hill with a great view of Crescent Bay and the string of small islands than ran to the south.


    The low, gray clouds emphasized the cool light of the morning, giving the view an ethereal feeling. Emmy stood there for a long time, looking out over the placid water without saying a word while Angela and I wandered around and read all the historical marker signs.


    ¡°This is very beautiful,¡± Emmy said when we joined her again. ¡°It feels mysterious, and wild.¡±


    ¡°You are mysterious and wild,¡± I said, leaning in for a kiss, but our hat brims collided, turning the moment ridiculous.


    Emmy laughed, and so did I, before taking her hand and turning her to head back down and to the inn.


    The Alaska Expeditions van came right at eleven to collect us and several other inn guests to take us to the cruise ship. We all loaded in, and after a short drive to a dock just past the seaplane landing we unloaded again. Deckhands piled the bags on a trolley, and we all trooped down the walkway and onto the dock behind them.


    ¡°Is that our ship?¡± Angela asked, pointing to the pretty white and varnished wood boat tied to the dock.


    Seeing the name on the side, I said, ¡°Yep- that¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was going to be a big cruise ship,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m happy that we won¡¯t be on one of those gigantic floating hotels.¡±

 Cruising

    The ship¡¯s captain and mate welcomed all the guests as we boarded, inviting us into the salon for our orientation talk while our luggage was stowed in our cabins.


    Once we had all found seats in the cozy space, the captain began his talk.


    ¡°Welcome aboard the Motor Vessel Narcisse, out of Port Townsend, Washington. This vessel was built in 1953 by the same shipyard that built Jacques Cousteau¡¯s Calypso, both of them originally sold to the British navy as mine sweepers after World War Two. The Narcisse was then transferred to the French Navy, but then decommissioned in 1985. Our company bought it and brought it back to Seattle, where it was re-imagined as a passenger cruise ship, and restored using period correct hardware and fittings.¡± He gestured broadly at the salon, saying, ¡°The restoration work was done by many of the sons and grandsons of the men who built the original mine sweeper. We¡¯re very proud of the Narcisse, and very pleased to have all of you onboard for this, our last cruise of the season.¡±


    After introducing the rest of the crew (which was bigger than I¡¯d expected) he said that we¡¯d be underway in about twenty minutes.


    ¡°Please, make yourselves comfortable,¡± he said. ¡°This is your home for the next ten days. Enjoy the salon, the forward observation lounge on the skiff deck, or simply enjoy this wonderful Alaskan weather out on deck,¡± he said, getting the laughs he expected.


    I¡¯d booked us two adjoining cabins, for the same reason I¡¯d had to pay for the extra guest at the Sitka Inn. The larger of the two had what they called a king-sized bed, but it looked to be queen-sized at best. Still, I was perfectly happy to snuggle up closely with Emmy and Angela, even if it would be a bit of a squeeze in the smaller bed. Worse come to worst, I could stretch out in the other cabin¡¯s single bed if necessary.


    The cabin was very snug, but that was to be expected. To give ourselves a bit more room we stashed most of our luggage in the smaller adjoining cabin, freeing up space.


    ¡°I like this ship a lot,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I am very glad it is¡­ classic, you know? Not too modern.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like modern boats?¡± Angela asked, reclining on the bed.


    ¡°It is not that I do not like them,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But this,¡± she said, waving her arm to indicate the Narcisse, ¡°It somehow feels more appropriate for traveling through the islands and passages of Alaska than a contemporary ship would. More¡­ personal.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± I said, ditching my rain gear. ¡°If we were on, like you said, Angela, a giant floating hotel, the whole experience would be about the cruise, and the scenery would just be¡­ background, I guess. But this way, we¡¯ll be in the middle of it all.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Angela agreed.


    After we changed out of our rain gear and into more casual (but still warm) clothes, we made our way up to the observation lounge to watch as we motored north out of Sitka¡¯s harbor.


    ¡°Thank you for this, Lee,¡± Angela said, leaning against my side while we watched the tiny islands slide past our left hand side, the bulk of Sitka¡¯s much larger island on our right.


    ¡°Yes, thank you for suggesting this, and arranging everything,¡± Emmy agreed, from her position leaning against my other side. ¡°This would have never occurred to me to do, but I am enjoying this very much.¡±


    We sat there, talking about nothing in particular and watching the heavily wooded shores glide past as the ship threaded its way through narrow passages between steep island hillsides. We were simply enjoying the sights and each other¡¯s company.


    At some point the steward came through and said the the bar was open, and if we wanted, there were light snacks downstairs in the salon, but none of us were in any hurry to take him up on the suggestions.


    A while later the mate popped in and explained that we would be anchoring in a small cove for the evening in a little while, and we could kayak if we wanted, or catch a ride on the boat going to the shore for a visit to some hot springs, or maybe take a nature hike led by the ship¡¯s naturalist in the rain forest.


    ¡°Hot spring?¡± Angela asked the mate. ¡°Is it one of those that smells bad?¡±


    ¡°It has a little bit of a smell, but not bad, really,¡± he said. ¡°And there¡¯s a warm pool outside that doesn¡¯t smell at all, so you can rinse off before getting dressed.¡±


    ¡°I did not bring a bathing suit,¡± Emmy lamented.


    ¡°Babe, it¡¯s a wilderness hot springs,¡± I said. ¡°Nobody wears clothes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s swimsuit optional,¡± the mate agreed.


    ¡°I bet you¡¯re up for that,¡± Angela teased, giving me a poke in the ribs.


    ¡°Hey- I love seeing you two naked, but I don¡¯t necessarily have to got to shore for that,¡± I said, poking her back, intentionally misunderstanding her jibe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go if you¡¯ll go,¡± she said, her big blue eyes wide with enthusiasm. ¡°Em, you want to go to the hot spring?¡±


    ¡°No, I do not think so,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°But I do not mind if you two want to go. I think I will stay here on the ship.¡±


    ¡°You doing O.K.?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am fine,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I have been thinking of a song, and I want to work it out before it escapes me,¡± she explained.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure,¡± Angela said.


    The two of us weren¡¯t the only ones on the skiff to shore, but the others looked as if they were going to go with the naturalist on a hike, so I entertained hopes that Angela and I would have the hot springs to ourselves.


    The small boat ran aground on the small pebbly beach, a crewman in waders jumping out to help pull the boat higher so the rest of us could step out onto the dry shore.


    ¡°Just wave from this beach when you¡¯re ready for me to come pick you back up,¡± he said to everybody disembarking. ¡°The cabin and bathhouse are right up there,¡± he said, pointing to a couple of wooden structures just visible through a screen of trees. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll have the place to yourselves, since I don¡¯t see any other boats here, and this is the only way to access this place.¡±


    While the four hikers and the naturalist headed south down the beach, Angela and I found the short trail that led to the rustic cabin and the bathhouse. We didn¡¯t even bother with the clearly empty cabin, heading straight for the hot spring.


    ¡°Bathhouse¡± is a grandiose word for a rough wooden building with only three sides and a roof, but it did have benches to sit on and hooks and shelves for our clothes.


    There was a bit of a sulphur smell, but it was very mild- certainly not enough to discourage either of us.


    The open side of the bathhouse faced the cove and the ship, too, but it was somewhat screened by the evergreens, so I didn¡¯t think that anybody was likely to be able to see us from there.


    The water was just about hot enough to satisfy Emmy¡¯s preferences on the subject, which meant that Angela and I had to ease our way in slowly, finding comfortable places to sit on the underwater rocks of the natural spring.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± Angela said, pointing to where the water flowed out into another pool outside the confines of the bathhouse. ¡°There is a¡­ stream? Flowing into it to cool it off.¡±


    I had a hard time tearing my eyes off her amazing back and sublime butt as she leaned over the rocks away from me, but eventually I did manage a glimpse in the direction she indicated, and sure enough, I could see what she meant. Whoever had built the bathhouse had routed some of the water from a creek that flowed into the cove, diverting just enough to mix with the hot, hot water to create a warm water pool.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    It didn¡¯t take too long before I found myself in that second pool, recovering from being boiled in the hot one.


    Angela stuck it out longer than I did, but she joined me in the warm pool after a bit, too.


    The warm water was just that- warm. It would be considered too warm for a swimming pool, but too cold for a bath. Coupled with the cool, humid afternoon air, it didn¡¯t take long for us to want the hot pool again. We cycled like that a few times, before I mentioned that in Scandinavia, people often jump in frozen ponds in the winter when they get too hot in the sauna.


    ¡°You could jump in the ocean,¡± Angela suggested, pointing at the pebbly beach a hundred feet away. ¡°You¡¯d cool off in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I would cool off in a hurry,¡± I agreed, thinking about the sea water, and how we¡¯d seen a small iceberg earlier in the day.


    Angela returned to looking out through the trees at where the Narcisse was anchored for the evening, and I returned to admiring her splendid shoulders, back and butt, which was just above the surface of the water.


    ¡°Ange, do you do that on purpose?¡± I asked, my mouth watering.


    ¡°Do what?¡± She asked innocently, looking back over her shoulder at me.


    ¡°Be so damned sexy,¡± I replied, resting a hand on her hip.


    She smiled, asking, ¡°You think I¡¯m sexy?¡±


    ¡°I most absolutely do,¡± I said. ¡°I want to ravish you right here and now. It¡¯s taking a lot of self control to keep myself from doing it.¡±


    ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have quite so much self control,¡± she said, a saucy smile on her lips as she lifted her backside slightly farther out of the water, making it obvious that yes, she was doing it on purpose.


    I¡¯d just knelt down on the pool¡¯s sandy floor behind her, ready to nibble on Angela¡¯s perfect behind, when we heard voices.


    ¡°The others!¡± Angela said, sliding out of my grasp and taking a demure seat on one of the submerged stones.


    Sure enough, we could see the two sets of retirees, led by the ship¡¯s naturalist as they walked up the beach, approaching the cabin and bathhouse.


    ¡°Make ¡®em go away,¡± I grumbled, frustrated beyond measure.


    Angela just laughed at me as I pouted.


    ¡°Hey! You guys still in there?¡± The hiking group¡¯s leader called out as they made their way up the short trail from the beach.


    ¡°Still here!¡± Angela called out in response.


    ¡°You two might want to get dressed,¡± the naturalist said as the group arrived at the bathhouse. ¡°We saw some grizzlies heading this way.¡±


    ¡°Grizzlies? Bears?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Normally they¡¯re not a problem, and these guys might not be, either, but it was two young males, so who knows?¡± The naturalist said.


    A quick glance at Angela confirmed that she thought it was probably wise to do as suggested, and a few minutes later we made our way to the shore to wait for the skiff with the others.


    ¡°Are bears a problem?¡± Angela asked the naturalist.


    ¡°Generally no,¡± the woman replied. ¡°I mean, they can be, if you don¡¯t take reasonable precautions and leave your food trash out, or something like that, but they generally don¡¯t care one way or another about humans per se. Most of the time they¡¯ll just ignore you if you don¡¯t get too close.¡±


    ¡°So what would the bears have done if they came to the bathhouse while we were there?¡± Angela persisted.


    ¡°Most likely nothing. Maybe sniffed around to see if anybody left anything to eat, and then wandered off. I doubt they would have actually bothered you guys, unless you did something to set them off. That¡¯s actually the biggest risk in most peoples¡¯ cases. Simply not knowing to act calm and let the bear get bored and go away,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°When we spotted the bears in a meadow about a mile that way, we just casually turned around and left like it was no big deal,¡± one of the hikers said. ¡°They definitely saw us, but didn¡¯t seem like they cared at all. The thing is, the trail led right past ¡®em, so going forward wasn¡¯t an option.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± the naturalist agreed. ¡°The basic rule of thumb is don¡¯t get too close, or do anything to get the bear to react to you, and they¡¯ll just ignore you.¡±


    Just then the skiff ran aground and the crewman jumped out to pull it up on the beach a bit farther and we all climbed aboard. We were about halfway back to the Narcisse when Angela called out, ¡°Look!¡± And pointed back to the shore, where two brown bears had just emerged from the trees to walk along the beach.


    We watched as the bears ambled to the low tide line, presumably looking for seafood. They poked around among the rocks right at the water line, never once looking up at the skiff or the Narcisse.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t uncommon for two young males like that to travel together once they¡¯ve left their mother,¡± the naturalist said. ¡°They might stay together for another year or two, but will become more and more independent. As adults, they¡¯ll live solitary lives except during mating season or if there¡¯s an unusually rich food source.¡±


    Back on the Narcisse, we found Emmy in a deck chair on the top deck, picking out a melody, a note pad on the little table beside her.


    ¡°I saw the bears,¡± she said. ¡°Is that why you all came back when you did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Angela agreed, leaning down to give Emmy a little kiss. ¡°It seemed like a good idea. I didn¡¯t want Leah to have to punch them.¡±


    ¡°That is very wise of you,¡± Emmy said with a laugh.


    ¡°That song you¡¯ve been working on- how¡¯s it going?¡± I asked, squeezing Emmy¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I am having a hard time with this one,¡± she admitted. ¡°Sometimes songs come easily, but not always.¡±


    Angela leaned down and whispered in Emmy¡¯s ear, and whatever it was lit Emmy¡¯s face up with amusement. ¡°I will stay here and work on this song,¡± she told Angela. ¡°But you two go ahead.¡±


    Back in the cabin, I asked Angela what she¡¯d said to Emmy.


    ¡°I told her that you were feeling beastly, and I had to satisfy your hunger,¡± Angela said with a saucy smile.


    ¡°Did you now?¡± I asked, dropping my voice to a deep growl.


    By this point Angela had already peeled out of her rain gear and was working on removing her base layer clothes.


    ¡°It was unfair of me to get you hot and bothered like that, only to have to get dressed and leave to return to the ship,¡± she explained as the last piece of her clothing fell to the floor.


    ¡°So this is pure altruism? You feel sorry for me?¡± I asked, quickly shedding my own clothes.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I wanted you very much, too. The way you look at me, it- I get so excited, so ready,¡± Angela said, looking back over her shoulder as she crawled onto the bed.


    The view was too much for me, so I abandoned my efforts to get naked and simply lunged forward, taking her hips in my hands from behind. I pulled her back towards me a bit and smashed my face into her pink parts with nothing but desire on my mind.


    This wasn¡¯t about making love- it was about pure sexual lust, unrestrained in any way. I was going to fuck Angela senseless, and nothing else mattered.


    Angela was wet with desire, just as ready for some serious rutting as I was. She pushed back against my face, moving her knees farther apart and rotating her hips to give me better access.


    She was sporting the little gold ring with a pink sapphire jewel that I¡¯d gotten her, perfect for hooking the tip of my tongue into for extra stimulation.


    The sloppy sounds I was making came nowhere near drowning out Angela¡¯s moans, sprinkled with the occasional, ¡°?Ay co?o!¡± or, ¡°?Dios!¡± When I hit just the right spots.


    Angela started bucking when she got close, but I kept my grip on her hips and continued my relentless assault until she came with a loud cry, shaking and trembling uncontrollably.


    I finally let her go, enjoying the sight of her naked, sweaty body on the dark blue bedspread, twitching with little aftershocks as she slowly recovered.


    After a few moments, I remembered that I still had far too many clothes on, and stripped down to my birthday suit.


    Angela had rolled into her back to watch me undress, a satisfied look in her eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯re not done yet, missy!¡± I said in a Husky voice as a climbed up onto the bed, lifting and parting her knees. I scooted myself into position, sliding my lady bits against her soaking wet vaj. Holding her legs up and spread, I ground my clit against hers, feeling that pretty gold ring adorning that even prettier pearl of hers.


    I¡¯d tried this with Emmy, and it sort of worked, but with Angela it was amazing. As I pumped my hips up and down, our most sensitive parts made amazing contact, slipping against each other in the most wonderful way.


    ¡°Slow!¡± Angela plead, pushing against my tense belly muscles as I really got going. ¡°It¡¯s too much!¡±


    I made myself slow down, but that really didn¡¯t last very long at all before I was back to full speed ahead. I needed release, and the feeling was way, way too good to take it easy.


    It had been a long time since Angela and I had gone to town like that, burying ourselves in the sheer physicality of a good fuck.


    Angela¡¯s second climax sent me over the edge, too, and I collapsed on top of her when I came hard enough to see stars.


    ¡°Ah, Lee,¡± Angela said when she got her breathing under control. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me harder down into her. In response I stopped trying to prop myself up and let my weight pin her against the bed.


    ¡°Sometimes I need that so much,¡± she continued, stoking my hair. ¡°I love it when you take me like that. It makes me feel very¡­ desirable, you know?¡±


    ¡°You are very desirable, Ange,¡± I said, my face buried in her thick, dark hair. ¡°I desire the fuck outta you.¡±


    ¡°How romantic!¡± Angela laughed, pinching my side.


    ¡°I¡¯m a true romantic at heart,¡± I agreed, readjusted by my position a little bit for more comfort. Angela had her legs wrapped around mine, and I relished the feel of her wetness against my belly. I had done that to her, I was the one that made her scream with pleasure. Me. Knowing that Angela wanted me as badly as I wanted her was deeply satisfying in a very primordial way.


    She wanted me, she wanted to have my baby, she wanted to spend the rest her life with me. And you know what? I wanted those things, too.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Angela asked, running her fingers through my sweaty hair.


    ¡°About you and me. About how much I love you. About how you make me feel, and how I want that feeling forever,¡± I replied, my voice muffled by her hair.


    ¡°Lee, you make me feel like the queen of the world,¡± Angela said. ¡°I always thought I would find a man who could make me happy and give me the life I wanted, but I was wrong. I found a woman- two women- who make me wake up every morning with happiness in my heart.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, lifting myself up so I could look at her youthful face. ¡°I want to give you everything. I want to make you happy in every way I can.¡±


    ¡°You do,¡± she said lifting her head up to give me a kiss. ¡°You do every day.¡±


    I lowered myself down to return her kiss, long and deep and sensual.


    Emmy returned to the cabin while Angela and I were kissing, exclaiming that she could tell what we had been doing by the very sexy smell. ¡°And the fact that you are still naked and wrapped all up in each other,¡± she said with a laugh.


    ¡°You could have been here with us,¡± Angela said. ¡°In fact, take off your clothes now and we can make up for lost time.¡±


    ¡°As tempting as that may be, it is almost time for dinner, Emmy responded. ¡°You two should shower and get dressed.¡±

 The Downside

    ¡°Maybe a few more minutes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A few more minutes would be fine,¡± Emmy replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. ¡°It gives me more time to enjoy the view.¡±


    Angela beamed at the idea of Emmy enjoying the sight of our afterglow. ¡°Em, how is your song going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It is coming along,¡± Emmy said, stroking my back and butt. ¡°I want to get it just right, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice, strong butt,¡± Angela said, seeing where Emmy¡¯s hand was resting.


    ¡°It is true,¡± Emmy agreed with a big smile. ¡°I love that you two are both so very athletic. I love to touch you both and feel your muscles. It excites me every time I see either of you nude.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should go back to being naked at home?¡± Angela suggested.


    ¡°I would never get any work done,¡± Emmy lamented.


    ¡°The struggle is real,¡± I agreed, playfully hooking one of Angela¡¯s nipple piercings with my tongue.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Angela objected, pushing my head away from her boob. ¡°I¡¯m really sensitive right now!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, not sorry,¡± I smirked. ¡°I can¡¯t help it if you¡¯re just too damned sexy.¡±


    ¡°It is true,¡± Emmy greed with a shrug. ¡°She really cannot help it at all.¡±


    ¡°Go take your shower,¡± Angela said, shoving me off her. ¡°We need to nourish ourselves so we have enough energy for tonight.¡±


    ¡°What is happening tonight?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Tonight the two of us are going to screw you absolutely senseless,¡± I replied as I got up.


    ¡°Because you missed out this afternoon,¡± Angela added.


    ¡°Then perhaps I may need extra nourishment, too,¡± Emmy said, her eyes lighting up as she got a clear view of Angela¡¯s still puffy lady bits.


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± Angela agreed, hooking a foot under Emmy¡¯s armpit to pull her forward.


    I wanted to stay and watch, but I did the responsible thing and ducked into the tiny little bathroom for my shower.


    When I emerged, Emmy was sitting up, gently running her fingertips up and down Angela¡¯s thighs. I leaned in for a kiss and smelled Angela on Emmy¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Have a nice snack?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It was delicious,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But it only makes me want more.¡±


    ¡°I guess I need to shower now,¡± Angela groaned, trying to muster the energy to get up.


    ¡°I¡¯d offer to help you with that, but that shower is too small for me by myself, much less the two of us,¡± I said, giving her a hand up. As she scooted past me I took the opportunity to steal a kiss.


    ¡°I do love her very much,¡± Emmy said while I got dressed in a pair of jeans and a warm long-sleeved merino wool pullover that Emmy and Angela had gotten me for the trip. ¡°And I love that you two are so very compatible.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how grateful I am that Antonio got arrested that day,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°She is wonderful. We are very lucky to have her in our lives,¡± Emmy said. ¡°She is so sweet and caring- she will be a wonderful mother. The best that any child could ever ask for.¡±


    I was just tying my shoes when Angela emerged from the cabin¡¯s tiny bathroom, drying her hair with a big, fluffy towel. Seeing Angela like that, nude and damp, Emmy dropped down to her knees in front of her and wrapped her arms around Angela¡¯s thighs. Emmy rested her cheek against Angela¡¯s tummy and just held her like that for a long moment, bemusing our dark-haired beauty.


    She reached down and stroked Emmy¡¯s snow-white hair tentatively at first, but then with more emotion as Emmy just continued to hold her tightly. Even though Emmy¡¯s face was pressed against Angela¡¯s sculpted abs, I thought I saw a tear forming in the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Mi cari?a,¡± Angela said softly, continuing to stroke Emmy¡¯s hair. She tossed the towel aside, then lowered herself down to Emmy¡¯s level, murmuring endearments in Spanish.


    I settled down behind Emmy, scooting up close so that I could take both of them in my arms.


    Emmy continued to cry in that silent way of hers as Angela and I held her tightly. We stayed like that for a while until Emmy¡¯s body stilled, her sobs eventually stopping.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Emmy apologized. ¡°I have been feeling very emotional recently.¡±


    ¡°Never apologize for loving so much,¡± Angela said, kissing away Emmy¡¯s tears. ¡°Never, ever apologize for that.¡±


    After another minute or two, Emmy made to stand up, so Angela and I gave her a bit of room.


    ¡°Angela, I do love to see you naked, but you do need to get dressed or we will be late for dinner,¡± Emmy said, stroking Angela¡¯s long, thick hair.


    Angela smiled in that wide-eyed, open way of hers. ¡°Is it cold up in the dining area? Maybe I could just go like this, to save time.¡±


    ¡°While I am certain that everybody would love that very much, I think you would freeze,¡± Emmy said with a sparkling laugh, her melancholy mood dispelled.


    Angela laughed, too, then gave Emmy another kiss. ¡°Maybe next cruise should be someplace warmer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m liking the idea of us getting our own yacht more and more,¡± I said as Angela slipped on a warm pair of leggings.


    ¡°That would be a dream,¡± Angela sighed as she continued to get dressed.


    Angela and I followed Emmy to the small ship¡¯s dining area in the stern. The back and both sides were enclosed with canvas and clear vinyl against the evening¡¯s cool dampness, with area heaters keeping it nice and warm. We were in fact the last to arrive, the other passengers already seated, though the meals hadn¡¯t actually been served yet.


    The steward took our drink requests and left us menu cards for the night¡¯s choices.


    Glancing around at the other passengers, I noted that there were quite a few empty seats. I¡¯d read that the Narcisse¡¯s capacity was for twenty passengers, and obviously our trio was taking the space that would normally be for four, but there must have been a few more empty cabins as well, since there were only thirteen of us at dinner.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Musing on how the low attendance for the last cruise of the season was what had allowed me to book it on such late notice, I was pleased that the small ship would have that much more room for the rest of us.


    Most of the others were old enough to be retirees, but there was one family of four with young parents and two boys who looked to be twins. The boys, who couldn¡¯t have been any older than nine or ten, kept sneaking glances at Emmy all dinner long. I¡¯m certain she noticed- she always noticed things like that- but she acted as if she didn''t.


    Dinner was superb, confirming the reviews I¡¯d read online. The dessert was especially memorable, a raspberry chocolate cheesecake as good as any I¡¯d ever had.


    After dinner we found ourselves in the salon, relaxing with glasses of wine. Emmy got to talking with the mother of the twins while their dad supervised the two boys working on a big jigsaw puzzle.


    Angela and I cuddled together in a big overstuffed armchair with a picture book about Alaska¡¯s Inside Passage.


    As I flipped through the pages, Angela put her finger on a picture of two grizzly bears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they look cute, or terrifying,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m one hundred per cent sure that depends on the context,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Angela agreed, slipping into a thoughtful silence.


    A while later, Angela said in a quiet voice, ¡°I think Emmy got her hopes up too high with the lab in Korea.¡±


    Surprised by the non sequitur, I asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I think that she thought it would be quick and easy, and we would be pregnant by now. I think that she is depressed because she had her hopes too high, but now there¡¯s no¡­ There¡¯s no sign it¡¯ll happen anytime soon, and she¡¯s worried it might not happen at all.¡±


    ¡°Have you talked to her about it?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, Emmy¡­ She doesn¡¯t really like to talk about things like that, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I really do,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°I think maybe it has to do with her Moon-Kissed thing,¡± Angela said, looking across the room at Emmy. ¡°She¡¯s worried that she won¡¯t be there for her daughter for very long.¡±


    Suddenly things clicked, and I realized that Angela was probably right. ¡°And she thinks that you¡¯ll be the one who will be there, who will be our girls¡¯ mother after she¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Angela agreed, her voice soft with sorrow. ¡°I hate that she won¡¯t see a doctor about it. I really hate it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why not,¡± I agreed. ¡°She¡¯s never actually explained it to me at all.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t tell me, either,¡± Angela said, and I could hear the tremble in her voice. ¡°She changes the subject every time I bring it up.¡±


    I kissed Angela¡¯s hair and gave her a squeeze. ¡°We need to gang up on her and get her to explain,¡± I said.


    ¡°Tonight. You pin her down and I¡¯ll question her,¡± Angela agreed with a wry smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s a plan.¡±


    I looked up from the book when I heard the first notes of a strummed guitar. Emmy was sitting with one of the older couples, her guitar in her lap. Happy with the tuning, she started into some of the classical Spanish-style guitar I¡¯d heard her play so many times before. Everybody in the room quieted down to listen as Emmy plucked the familiar melody whose name I¡¯d never learned.


    As Emmy continued to play, quite a few of the crew crowded into the ship¡¯s salon to listen, drawn by the sound of the music.


    ¡°She is so amazing,¡± Angela breathed, cuddling in a bit closer. I reached up and pulled the folded woolen plaid blanket from the top of our chair and draped it across the two of us, making it cozier.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± Angela said with a grateful smile. ¡°You and Emmy. You¡¯re both so perfect.¡± She took my hand in hers and kissed my knuckles, then pulled it under the blanket and rested it on her sweater-clad breast. She smiled up at me again as I gave her boob a gentle squeeze. ¡°I¡¯ll love you always.¡±


    We didn¡¯t talk to Emmy about the Moon-Kissed thing that night, I¡¯m ashamed to say. We did screw her senseless, though, letting her know in a very physical way that we loved her beyond any measure. Sometimes these things can be said best by not saying anything at all.


    I woke early the next morning and slipped out of bed as quietly as I could, finding some good hot coffee in the dining area. As I sipped my juice of the bean and looked out over the rail out onto the misty, glass-smooth waters of the little cove we¡¯d anchored in for the night, one of the older passengers joined me.


    ¡°Nice and peaceful,¡± he said. ¡°Really quiet.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Funny,¡± he said, sipping his coffee. ¡°It wasn¡¯t last night. Half the night, the people in the cabin next to ours, well, to put it plainly, were having loud sex.¡±


    I turned to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m guessing your cabin is right next to ours?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t complain too much, though,¡± he said, still looking out over the water. ¡°It did inspire my wife some.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we could help in that way,¡± I said, smiling at the absurdity of the conversation.


    ¡°Do you think you guys are likely to make that kind of noise every night? Because I think there are some empty cabins, and we could change,¡± he said.


    ¡°Probably not every night, no,¡± I said. ¡°But definitely some nights.¡±


    We said nothing for a little while, then he said, ¡°My name¡¯s Hank, and my wife¡¯s name is Jo. We¡¯ve been wanting to do this trip for a few years now, and this was finally the year it all came together.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if we¡¯re ruining it for you two,¡± I said, meaning it.


    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t what I was getting at,¡± he said. ¡°Last night, when Emmy played the guitar¡­ That was unexpected. Of course, we knew who she was when we all got in the van, but for her to just play like that, not because she was getting paid, but just because she loves to make music¡­¡± he trailed off, searching for the right words. ¡°It made it extra special. I don¡¯t really know her music, her band, you know? Not my style, really, but she¡¯s everywhere, on magazines, billboards, all that. To have her just sit down and play for a dozen people just because she wanted to¡­¡±


    ¡°She does love to play for people,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°It shows,¡± Hank said. ¡°It really does.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she plays every night,¡± I said, sipping my coffee.


    ¡°Jo, last night, she was asking me about the three of you,¡± Hank said after a few moments. ¡°I told her I thought you were in some sort of polyamorous relationship. It sure looked to me like the three of you all love each other.¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°How do you avoid jealousy issues?¡± Hank asked, turning to face me.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t really had any,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Consider yourself lucky,¡± Hank said. ¡°Real lucky.¡±


    ¡°I absolutely do,¡± I agreed. ¡°I consider myself the luckiest girl on Earth.¡±


    Hank snorted in amusement at that, then turned back to look out over the water.


    After a few minutes we were joined by another of the older passengers, a guy I¡¯d seen talking to Emmy the night before.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful morning,¡± he said by way of greeting.


    ¡°Jack, this is Leah. Leah, this is Jack. Him and his wife Teresa are from Portland, like us,¡± Hank said.


    ¡°Pleased,¡± I said, offering my hand, which Jack shook.


    ¡°Leah, I talked to your wife last night,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯m a film maker, specializing in nature documentaries. Emmy and I had a good conversation, and I¡¯m thinking of maybe doing a short film about her on this cruise. It¡¯d be just an interview, really, interspersed with a few of her songs.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s O.K. with it, then I¡¯m fine with it, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Emmy said, well, she said that she would be O.K. with the idea as long as it was limited to just her, and just about the music. She didn¡¯t want to make it about her home life or anything like that,¡± Jack explained.


    ¡°Reasonable,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right,¡± he agreed. ¡°All I want is to capture a little bit of what we all saw last night- the artist, performing in an intimate setting. We all of us last night felt it was something special, something we may not ever experience again. I want to give that same feeling to people who watch the film.¡±


    ¡°Leah said that Emmy might actually play every night,¡± Hank said, leaning back against the rail.


    ¡°Back home, we have big dinners every Wednesday night, usually ten, fifteen people over, and Emmy plays pretty much every time,¡± I said. ¡°She loves to perform, and she loves it most of all when it¡¯s a small crowd.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an incredible talent,¡± Jack agreed. ¡°A gift like hers is meant to be shared with the world.¡±


    The three of us stood there in companionable silence, enjoying the misty morning, the trees on the shoreline vague shapes through the fog.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± Angela said as she joined us, standing on her tiptoes for a kiss.


    ¡°Ange, this is Hank and that¡¯s Jack,¡± I said. ¡°This is Angela.¡±


    Both guys said their hellos as Angela cuddled up against me. ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Nothing much, mostly just enjoying the quiet morning,¡± I said. ¡°Em still in bed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s not gonna get up anytime soon,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Long night?¡± Hank asked.


    ¡°He and his wife have the cabin next to ours,¡± I explained to Angela. ¡°Apparently we kept them up, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Angela said, blushing like a schoolgirl. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°No big deal,¡± Hank said with a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go get some orange juice or something for Emmy. See you later!¡± Angela said as she bolted inside.


    ¡°So, um, how does that work?¡± Jack asked. ¡°I mean, the three of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Legally, Emmy and I are married, but emotionally and practically, all three of us are. Emmy and I think of Angela as our wife, call her our wife, and as far as we¡¯re concerned, that¡¯s what matters. Angela¡¯s mom and dad call me and Emmy their daughters-in-law¡­ You get the idea,¡± I explained.


    ¡°And there¡¯s the downside,¡± Hank joked. ¡°Two mothers-in-law!¡±


    ¡°What a nightmare!¡± Jack agreed, raising his coffee cup in a toast to the other man.

 Theres A Joke In There Somewhere

    After breakfast the Narcisse upped anchor and we motored north at a pretty good clip. The Captain had told us that we¡¯d be in Glacier Bay that afternoon, seeing icebergs. The inevitable Titanic jokes ensued, but pretty much every passenger onboard was looking forward to it. As the ship made way through the relatively open waters towards Glacier Bay, it struck me that there was really nothing much to do. Emmy, Angela and I found seats in the dining area which were great for watching Alaska glide past, since the crew had rolled up the canvas sides to open up the view. Just sitting there eventually became boring and a bit uncomfortable, so after lunch we made our way to the salon with most of the rest of the passengers.


    Hank was in there, sitting with a woman I presumed was his wife Jo. When she looked over at us as we settled down on a comfy couch I caught her eye and gave her a knowing wink. She laughed and turned and whispered something to Hank, who gave me a thumbs-up. It seemed that both of them were O.K. with the idea of us being in a poly marriage, and took the lack of sleep the night before with good humor.


    At dinner that night the ship¡¯s naturalist talked about the glaciers we¡¯d seen spilling down into the waters of the bay, and how they calve icebergs.


    ¡°Not the gigantic bergs that could sink the Titanic,¡± she said. ¡°Just little ones. Only very rarely do you see any even as big as the Narcisse.¡±


    Somebody asked about whether that was above the waterline or below, and she went on to explain that most bergs in the area were laying horizontally at the surface, so what you see is mostly what you get. ¡°They really aren¡¯t like what you see in the popular media,¡± she explained.


    This got everybody talking about what we¡¯d seen, and broke the metaphoric ice. We all found ourselves talking with whoever happened to be seated near us, as if we were all old friends.


    For dinner, the steward announced an unusual treat. Salmonberry sherbet, made with ice from the glaciers.


    ¡°This ice,¡± he said, holding up a block of clear blue ice about the size of a cantaloupe, ¡°Is hundreds of years old. It fell on the mountains in the Fairweather Range, then tumbled or slid into the valley, getting compacted with time until it broke off into the sea. We fished it out, let it melt a bit to expose the pure, fresh ice, then made our sherbet with it. After dinner, we¡¯ll be breaking it up into cubes for your cocktails!¡±


    Of course, I had to have a nice Old Fashioned with a big, clear chunk of ice from an ancient glacier, right? When I got to talking to the naturalist (whose name I simply couldn¡¯t remember for the life of me), she said that it was a great story, but mostly bullshit.


    ¡°Eh,¡± she said dismissively. ¡°Margerie Glacier is small and fast-moving. If the snowball that got compacted into that chunk of ice fell at the farthest point possible, it¡¯d still be maybe fifty years at the most.¡±


    Sipping my drink, I looked down at the rough chunk of ice. ¡°Makes a great story, though.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about that,¡± she agreed.


    The next morning I woke up early again and soon found a cup of coffee in my hands. I joined Jack at the rail, looking back up the length of the long inlet.


    ¡°Early riser?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to being at the gym by five thirty,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Honestly, ten days without a workout¡­ It¡¯s gonna be tough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no gym onboard,¡± he agreed. ¡°Hell of a lap pool, though.¡±


    ¡°Is it heated?¡± I asked with a chuckle.


    ¡°Not as such, no,¡± Jack said.


    ¡°That might be O.K. for orcas and seals,¡± I said, gesturing out at the water with my cup, ¡°But I suspect I¡¯d find it a bit too¡­¡±


    ¡°Bracing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be a good word for it,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°When I was in the army, a hundred years ago or so, I got assigned to the Tenth Mountain Division. We did a lot of cold weather training- I was deployed to northern Norway for six months, and we all did a lot of cold-water work. It turns out that the human body can withstand near-freezing water for quite a while as long as you stay very active. A strong swimmer could easily be fine for half an hour or more in ice water. The big problem is the shock your body goes through when you first jump in,¡± Jack said. ¡°If you get past that, just swim to keep your core temperature up.¡±


    ¡°No thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m a pretty strong swimmer, but no thanks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not me, anymore, either,¡± Jack said with a chuckle. ¡°Those days are long gone.¡±


    After dinner that evening Jack and Emmy set up in the dining area, trying to figure out lighting and microphone placement and the like. Jack was used to filming interviews, but he¡¯d never filmed a musical performance before, so it was uncharted territory for him. The two didn¡¯t actually film anything with any sort of idea it was going to be saved- it was just about screen testing the equipment and making sure it would all work.


    The crew of the Narcisse was very into the idea and did what they could to make the filming successful, including re-orienting the way the ship was anchored to take advantage of the twilight on the evergreen-covered slopes in the background.


    Emmy played a couple of tunes on her guitar while Jack positioned and repositioned his camera (a high-end DSLR) and microphone boom.


    A few of the other passengers hung around to watch, but it was pretty boring, so most drifted back into the salon. I stayed out to watch, enjoying another glacier-iced Old Fashioned while Emmy and Jack did their thing.


    While that was going on, Jack¡¯s wife and I chatted quietly, far enough away that we couldn¡¯t be picked up by Jack¡¯s microphone.


    ¡°Jack was really excited to be able to do this,¡± Eve commented. ¡°He¡¯s jazzed to try out something new, you know?¡±


    ¡°Emmy seems pretty pleased by the idea, too, so it works out for everybody,¡± I replied. We both quieted down as Emmy started to sing a song while Jack moved his tripod around until he was satisfied.


    I¡¯d never heard the song Emmy sang- something about dreaming of her father¡¯s house, shining bright through the woods. It ended with Emmy singing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry hon, but nobody by that name lives here anymore.¡±


    The regret and sorrow she poured into the song caused everyone out there in the dining area to stop what they were doing and just listen quietly. The two guys from the crew that had been helping move things around had taken seats, one of them wiping away tears when Emmy finished. I glanced over at Eve, who was also blinking her watery eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is,¡± I said in a low voice to Eve, ¡°But Em¡¯s been in a sort of down mood the last couple of days.¡±


    ¡°And now, so am I,¡± Eve joked, wiping her nose.


    When Jack was satisfied that he had the settings and levels and whatever figured out, he and Emmy broke for the night. While the two guys from the crew moved the tables back where they belonged and lowered the canvas sides, Emmy packed up her guitar and Jack stowed his gear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get an early jump on it tomorrow,¡± Jack suggested. ¡°Right after dinner.¡±


    ¡°That would work,¡± Emmy agreed, her smile bright.


    Emmy and I found Angela in the salon, helping the twins with their half-done jigsaw puzzle.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°I think it went well,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We are going to try recording right after dinner tomorrow.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Angela said with a warm smile. ¡°Have you thought about what you¡¯ll play?¡±


    ¡°I think so, yes,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We want to limit it to five songs, so that will be an easy playlist.¡±


    I made myself comfortable in the big armchair that Angela and I had occupied the first night, while Emmy took her guitar back to our cabin.


    The parents of the twins were seated near me, and the boys¡¯ mother leaned over to talk.


    ¡°Angela, that¡¯s her name, right?¡± she asked tilting her head towards the puzzle solvers.


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m Leah,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a same-sex marriage with Emmy, right?¡± she asked. When I nodded, she asked, ¡°So what¡¯s the deal with Angela? You and her seemed awfully¡­ close last night.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in a poly marriage,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re all three of us married to each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lord,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t you people just be happy now that you can get married like normal folks?¡±


    I could see her husband gently tugging on her arm to get her to shut up, but she was ignoring him.


    ¡°Do you love your husband?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, surprised by the non sequitur.


    ¡°Do you love your husband? It¡¯s a pretty simple question,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± she replied, indignant.


    ¡°How would you have felt if some arbitrary law said that you couldn¡¯t marry him? It didn¡¯t matter how much you loved each other, or how great you¡¯d be as parents, or any of that. Just that somebody else decided for you that you couldn¡¯t get married. Would you still love him?¡±


    Puzzled by where I was going with this, she said, ¡°Well, sure I would,¡± in an uncertain tone.


    ¡°Would you fight to be allowed to get married, just like everybody else could be?¡±


    Finally understanding what I was getting at, she said, ¡°But the Bible says that homosexuality is a sin.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, how would you feel if a bunch of laws got passed saying that you had to cover your hair, because the Prophet Mohammad said it was required?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way,¡± she snorted.


    ¡°No way you¡¯d do it? Cover your hair?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do something required by Sharia Law,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Not even if these laws were passed here in the US?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Look, that¡¯s an Islamic thing, alright? Those rules don¡¯t apply to us Christians.¡±


    ¡°So what would you say if I told you that Angela, Emmy and I were all, say, Buddhists? Does that mean that your Christian laws don¡¯t apply to us?¡± I asked. ¡°Your Christian belief against same-sex marriage, or poly marriages mean nothing to us, since we aren¡¯t Christians?¡±


    She opened her mouth to object, but her husband¡¯s firm hand on her shoulder finally registered. She turned to look at him, and ask him what he wanted, but he spoke first.


    ¡°Anne, let it go. Just- drop it, O.K.?¡± he said.


    Anne was going to argue, but apparently the pleading look in his eyes did the trick.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to agree to disagree,¡± she said to me, crossing her arms.


    I shrugged and said, ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    I turned back to watch Angela with the two boys, who were all completely oblivious of the discussion across the room. She was so good with kids it was easy to imagine her being an amazing mother. Watching her talk to the two boys, explaining something so they¡¯d understand, made me love her that little bit more. I found myself drifting into the familiar daydream of Mama Angela holding our little girls, reading bedtime stories to them, kissing them goodbye when they got on the school bus¡­ I may have been a bit dismissive of Emmy and Angela¡¯s burning desire to have babies, but I will admit that the more it seemed as if it was going to actually happen, the more I realized I wanted it, too.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Emmy asked as she dropped onto my lap.


    ¡°I was thinking about how great a mom Angela is going to be,¡± I said, pulling Emmy down into a cuddle.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy agreed, nestling in my arms. ¡°Ours will be the luckiest children in the world.¡±


    The following morning I woke up early, as usual. Once out of the cabin for my coffee I saw the morning was mostly clear and dry. Slipping back inside, I changed into my workout gear and grabbed my bands. Wishing I¡¯d brought a yoga mat, I found a good, level and clear spot on the skiff deck to get my blood pumping. I warmed up quickly and despite the cool air was soon down to my sports bra and bike shorts as I worked up a sweat.


    In the middle of an extended set of chaos pushups I realized that somebody was watching. Finishing my set, I dropped my knees to the deck and raised myself into a kneeling position. I looked up, seeing it was the twins¡¯ dad.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you,¡± he began. ¡°I just wanted to apologize for last night. Anne had no right to talk to you that way. I¡¯m really sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize for her,¡± I said, wiping my face with a little hand towel I¡¯d taken from our cabin.


    ¡°She had no call to butt into your, um, your personal life like that,¡± he said awkwardly.


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t, but that¡¯s not what I meant. She did it, not you. You shouldn¡¯t apologize for something you didn¡¯t do.¡±


    Sitting down heavily on one of the wooden folding chairs, he said, ¡°Yeah, I know, but she wasn¡¯t going to do it, you know?¡±


    ¡°She seems to have deeply-held beliefs,¡± I said, taking a drink of water from my Nalgene jug.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it. A nicer way than most people would.¡±


    I shrugged and said, ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, she can feel however she wants on the subject. I¡¯m not here to try to change her mind. All I ask is that she stays polite and respectful, and we¡¯ll do the same. Live and let live, right?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s where she¡¯s at, too,¡± he said. ¡°I pointed out that the three of you seem like really nice people, and Angela was great with Jack and Blake¡­¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t need her to apologize for her beliefs, as long as she keeps them to herself.¡±


    ¡°She will,¡± he assured me. After a few long, awkward moments, he said, ¡°Um, those pushups you were doing? On the band things? That looked really hard core.¡±


    ¡°They are pretty tough,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, you work out a lot?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, just wishing the guy would go away so I could get back to my workout.


    ¡°It shows,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t just mean, um¡­ I mean, I could tell even when you had clothes on. Wait- I¡¯m making a mess of this. Let me take a step back.¡± Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he said, ¡°What I meant to say is that even before I found you here, working out, I could tell you were really athletic. I first saw it when you walked down the pier, carrying two big duffel bags, with a third like a backpack, and looked like it was nothing. You move - when you walk, you¡¯re always so light on your feet, even though you¡¯re bigger than me¡­¡± he said, still sort of babbling.


    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± I said, unlooping my resistance bands from the stanchions and setting them aside. I was hoping that he¡¯d get the hint, but he just stood there, so I started in on my chin-ups without waiting for him to leave. The little crane thing to lower the skiff wasn¡¯t perfect for chin-ups, since it was a bit too low, making me have to curl my legs back. The pipe¡¯s diameter was a little big for my hands, too, but it was what was available, so I just made do.


    The guy watched me for about ten reps, then said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you get back to your workout,¡± and finally left me in peace.


    Angela found me after a while, saying that it was almost breakfast time, and I should take a shower and eat with Emmy and her.


    Walking back down to our cabin, a few of the other passengers gave me puzzled looks- presumably because I was hardly wearing anything and covered in a layer of sweat, even though it was a cool morning.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t they ever seen anybody after their workout before?¡± I grumbled, kicking off my shoes in the cabin.


    ¡°Nobody that looks like you,¡± Angela answered, swatting my butt. ¡°Ow!¡± She complained, holding her hand as if she¡¯d just bruised it.


    Laughing, I spun around and scooped her up, giving her a big kiss.


    ¡°You¡¯re sweaty! You need a shower!¡± She said, pushing me away.


    ¡°Are you two flirting again?¡± Emmy asked as she entered from the adjoining cabin.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Angela replied sweetly, puckering up for a kiss from Emmy, who obliged.


    ¡°Have I ever told you guys that seeing you kiss is one of the hottest things ever?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Seeing you naked and sweaty is one of the hottest things ever,¡± Emmy replied, eyeing me up and down.


    ¡°Mmm hmm,¡± Angela agreed, nodding.


    Enjoying the attention, I flexed a few times, getting catcalls of ¡°Oh, baby!¡± And, ¡°Ooh la la!¡± from the two.


    At breakfast, the captain called for a show of hands on who wanted to stop in Juneau, and for how long. He pointed out that every hour spent in Juneau was one less hour in some remote, scenic spot, and really, we¡¯d probably all seen plenty of towns before, right?


    With an argument like that, we unanimously agreed that we could bypass the capital of Alaska entirely and spend the extra time cruising, or hiking, kayaking¡­ whatever.


    After the decision was made he said, ¡°We¡¯ll moor early this afternoon at a cove that usually has a lot of animal life- eagles, sea otters- I¡¯ve even seen foxes on the shoreline before,¡± the captain said. ¡°We¡¯ll break out the kayaks for those who want to paddle in some very calm waters. There are two streams with great fishing, too, for those that are interested in that. It¡¯s peak silver salmon season right now, and we have plenty of gear if you left yours at home.¡±


    After breakfast, the three of us went up to the pilot house to watch the forested hillsides glide by. I can¡¯t say it was exciting, but it wasn¡¯t boring, either. Scenic for sure, if sedate.


    ¡°If we get a yacht, I want to come back up here some day,¡± Angela said as we watched a pod of orcas as they surfaced, then disappeared, then surfaced again a bit farther off.


    ¡°Do you want us to buy a yacht?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Angela sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a dream, you know? But I don¡¯t know when or how often we would use it, really, and they¡¯re very expensive. Not just to buy, but upkeep,¡± she said.


    ¡°What would your dream yacht be?¡± Emmy asked, mostly just to keep the conversation moving.


    ¡°Not too big,¡± Angela said. ¡°But big enough. It would have an Olympic-sized pool, and of course a helicopter landing pad,¡± she said, giving Emmy a saucy smile.


    ¡°Not too big at all,¡± Emmy laughed.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s funny?¡± Angela asked. ¡°At first, I thought this cruise ship was too small and old, and didn¡¯t like it. But after spending a few days on it, and thinking about what the captain said about John Wayne¡¯s yacht being the same as this¡­ I think if this was our yacht, it would be very nice, but we would have to make our cabin much bigger.¡±


    ¡°I think a classic ship like this would be wonderful for our yacht,¡± Emmy said, lost in thought. ¡°It is very small inside compared to newer ones, but it is definitely big enough for us.¡±


    The captain had clearly been listening in on our conversation, because he turned around, keeping one hand on the wheel while he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a tradeoff. You can find an old gem like this for a surprisingly good price, but the vintage boats need more maintenance. We haul the Narcisse out of the water every winter, and spend quite a bit of time and money keeping it in perfect running shape. What are you thinking your budget would be?¡±


    Angela and Emmy both looked at me for the answer. I shrugged and said, ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯d try to keep it under, what, fifteen million, including whatever it takes to get it up and going,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s about what the townhouse in New York cost, and that was sort of similar, in a way.¡±


    ¡°A townhouse is like a yacht?¡± The captain asked. ¡°That sounds like the start of a joke.¡±

 Rain Delay

    ¡°Where would we even sail it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Captain Walter, the Narcisse- how would it be for the Caribbean? Or the Mediterranean?¡± Emmy asked. Somehow she knew his name, because of course she did.


    ¡°It¡¯d be fine either place,¡± he said, turning back to look where he was steering the boat. ¡°She was built as a mine sweeper, and is open-ocean worthy. She does have a somewhat limited fuel tank, so crossing the Atlantic would require taking the Northern route up past Newfoundland and Iceland, then rounding the Iberian Peninsula. This would take a few months, so it isn¡¯t something you¡¯d do very often, but it would certainly be possible.¡±


    ¡°Em, if we sailed in the Mediterranean Sea we could base out of Southern France, right? That way we could visit your family, or maybe they could use the yacht when they want, too,¡± Angela suggested.


    ¡°But if we keep it in the Caribbean, we could sail it to Cartagena and visit your family,¡± Emmy countered.


    ¡°And if you kept it here in these waters, you could see orcas,¡± Captain Walter said, pointing off the port bow.


    Of course we stood up to look at the group of black and white bodies breaking the surface about two hundred yards from the ship. We watched them until they vanished into the distance, even though they really weren¡¯t much to see. A bit like the humpbacks, really.


    Just as we were about to settle down again Captain Walter pointed off to the starboard. ¡°Dolphins over there, coming in. They¡¯ll probably play in our bow wake. If you go up to the prow you¡¯ll get a really good, close-up view,¡± he said.


    Of course we hustled to the front of the boat, Angela making a quick side trip to grab her camera. We weren¡¯t the only ones up front, though. Anne and her husband were there with their two boys, who had binoculars held to their eyes.


    One of the boys pointed and said, ¡°Look, Angela! Dolphins!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we saw them from the captain¡¯s lounge,¡± she replied. ¡°I want to take pictures,¡± she said, holding up her camera with the big new lens Emmy had bought for her.


    Anne gave me a bit of a dirty look, but I ignored it and focused on the dolphins. They did just what Captain Walter had predicted, swimming around the front of the boat, occasionally lifting up out of the water as they played.


    ¡°Perhaps we should keep our yacht here in Alaska,¡± Emmy said with a smile, amused by Angela¡¯s childlike enthusiasm.


    That afternoon the clouds rolled in and it started to rain, becoming progressively harder as the day went on. By the time we got to the promised quiet cove it was hard to even see the shore, and nobody wanted to kayak, fish, or anything like that. I overheard one of the other passengers say that maybe we should have gone to Juneau after all, and I had to agree.


    We all found ourselves in the salon, playing backgammon, finishing the puzzle, or just chatting. We had a couple of hours until dinner to just relax and do whatever we wanted to while away the time. Angela and I found ourselves in the same big, comfy chair while Emmy fetched her guitar.


    ¡°Were you serious earlier?¡± Angela asked, cuddled up to my side with a glass of wine. ¡°About buying a yacht?¡±


    ¡°Um, well, yeah,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°I mean, if you really want it, we can buy a yacht. Like I said about the townhouse, it¡¯s really not that different. We bought that because Emmy wanted it, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have the money, and if it¡¯s what you really want, I¡¯d like you to have it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really asked,¡± Angela said, her voice suddenly uncertain. ¡°But how much money do you even have? I know it¡¯s a lot. You bought James¡¯ Porsche like it was nothing, and that was nearly two million dollars¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, really,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not like people imagine. We don¡¯t have fifty million or whatever in our checking account. It¡¯s all wrapped up in investments, and their values change all the time.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean? I understand what you¡¯re saying, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess what I¡¯m trying to say is that pinning down an exact, or even sorta rough figure is hard. But if I had to come up with a number, I¡¯d say we¡¯re worth somewhere in the four hundred million range right now,¡± I hedged. ¡°But that¡¯s just a rough estimate.¡±


    Angela turned to face me in the chair. ¡°Are you kidding?¡± she asked, stunned.


    ¡°Now you see why Emmy and I don¡¯t care how much your new camera lenses cost. Whatever it was didn¡¯t matter to us as much as your, um, happiness does.¡±


    ¡°Those lenses¡­ Those aren¡¯t what make me happy, Lee,¡± Angela said, returning to her snuggling. ¡°You and Emmy do. Sure, it¡¯s nice that you bought them for me, and they¡¯re great, but they aren¡¯t what really matter.¡±


    ¡°What does really matter?¡± Emmy asked as she sat down in the chair next to ours.


    ¡°You do, and Lee does,¡± Angela said, making Emmy smile.


    Emmy took the guitar from its case and quickly checked the tuning before strumming a few notes.


    ¡°Em, I love it when you play the classics. Play Fandanguillo for me,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I would be happy to play that for you,¡± Emmy replied, picking the notes as she started the song.


    ¡°It is not too loud, is it?¡± Emmy asked after a little bit, directing her question at the room in general. Pretty much everybody sort of said no, it was fine, and sounded great, so she continued on.


    ¡°This, this is what matters,¡± Angela said. ¡°You holding me, while we listen to Emmy play. The three of us on this little vacation. This matters so much.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    I nuzzled her hair, breathing in her scent. Angela, Emmy and I all used the same shower gel and shampoo, and yet somehow Emmy¡¯s hair smelled different than Angela¡¯s, and presumably mine, too. Emmy and Angela were so different, but that difference made them both very special to me in completely different ways. Angela was right, I thought. This right here is what matters.


    During dinner Jack and Emmy decided to postpone the filming since the rain had gotten so heavy that it was hard to even hold a conversation there in the dining area, much less film a musical performance.


    We ¡®retired to our cabin¡¯ for the rest of the evening, but we really didn¡¯t do anything but cuddle together and talk until we all drifted off to sleep.


    When I woke the next morning the rain had tapered off to a really light drizzle- more of a gently falling mist than a real rain. To my surprise when I settled at the rail with my morning coffee, there were a few other passengers already up and moving, kayaking around the sheltered cove.


    They weren¡¯t the kind of kayaks you see people shooting whitewater rapids on, but rather big yellow plastic two-seaters designed for just this sort of thing. I thought about hitting up a crew member for a kayak of my own so I could get some exercise that way, but eventually decided against it. If everything dried up later I could work out with my resistance bands up on the top deck again, and if it didn¡¯t, well, hey- it was a vacation, after all.


    Hank joined me at the rail, the two of us watching in companionable silence while the other passengers paddled around the cove. Eventually my coffee cup ran dry, so I lifted it up in a gesture toward Hank.


    ¡°Gonna get another cup- need a refill?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in with you,¡± he said, checking his own cup and finding it low.


    After we got our coffee situation sorted out we made our way back to the rail to watch as the kayakers all returned to the Narcisse after working up an appetite for breakfast.


    ¡°You gonna grab breakfast now, or wait for your wives?¡± Hank asked.


    ¡°Emmy is not a morning person. She usually sleeps in late, but Angela hits the gym early. I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s still not up.¡±


    ¡°Jo keeps telling me that we¡¯re on vacation, so there¡¯s no need to set an alarm clock,¡± Hank agreed. ¡°She¡¯s missed breakfast twice now since we set sail.¡±


    I chuckled at that, since it mirrored what I¡¯d been thinking. ¡°I¡¯ve always been an early riser, and now I just can¡¯t help it. Emmy, though, when she gets working on her music with the boys, they used to stay up really late. Angela finally put her foot down on that, though, so now the rule is that they have to stop at midnight.¡±


    ¡°Angela told Emmy she couldn¡¯t stay up late?¡± Hank asked, surprise in his voice.


    ¡°I think it was more along the lines of asking Emmy to not stay up past midnight because it was bad for her health, but yeah. That was Angela¡¯s doing,¡± I admitted as we walked to the dining area to get our breakfast.


    Hank was quiet as we sat down and gave our orders to the steward, but then said, ¡°I find it fascinating that Angela would tell Emmy what to do. That¡¯s not really how I read the dynamic at all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°In pretty much every typical binary relationship, one partner tends to be more dominant, right? Even if they think of themselves as equals, it is still usually the case that one or the other makes the bulk of the decisions, or shoulders most of the responsibility. It¡¯s not a husband/wife thing, it¡¯s simple human nature,¡± he explained. ¡°With the three of you, I¡¯d picked you as the¡­ let¡¯s call it ¡®primary¡¯ partner, Emmy as the ¡®secondary¡¯, and Angela as the ¡®tertiary.¡¯ Not to say that one of you is more important than the others,¡± he quickly said to head off my objections. ¡°That¡¯s just the way I saw the ranking of¡­ well, I hate the word ¡®dominance¡¯, but that¡¯s probably what most would call it. Mostly you lead, and the other two follow. After that, Angela typically follows Emmy¡¯s lead.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say you¡¯re totally wrong,¡± I admitted as our plates were set down in front of us. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re completely right, either. Yeah, I¡¯m the classic ¡®dad¡¯ of the family in a lot of ways, but Angela is the mom, more than Emmy is. Angela is much more domestic, much more¡­ Well, I don¡¯t know if ¡®caring¡¯ is the right word, exactly¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one that makes sure everyone has their jackets, in case it gets cold?¡± Hank suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, like that,¡± I agreed. ¡°So when she tells me that I need to be home early because we have something planned, I come home early. Like when she told Emmy that staying up too late in the studio wasn¡¯t good for her, Emmy listened and respected what Angela had to say.¡±


    ¡°So if you¡¯re the father figure and Angela is the mother figure, where does that leave Emmy?¡± Hank asked, curious.


    ¡°Her role is harder to fit into stereotypes,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°She¡¯s the famous one, the one on magazine covers and on TV, right? I think, from an objective standpoint, Angela and I do what we do to enable Emmy as much as anything. We take on whatever needs to be done so that she has the freedom to do her music. In that respect, she¡¯s probably the¡­ well, the most important one in the relationship, as far as a lot of things are concerned.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Hank mused. ¡°She¡¯s the main source of income, after all.¡±


    ¡°What? No,¡± I said. ¡°Angela brings home more than Emmy does, and I earn, like, a hundred times as much as that.¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s got to be making a ton of money,¡± Hank objected. ¡°She¡¯s everywhere on the radio, and billboards¡­¡±


    ¡°Emmy gives every single penny she earns- and this is gross, not net- to charity,¡± I said, interrupting. ¡°Actually, her music and everything cost us a lot of money, since we¡¯ve shelled out for three full studio setups, buy all her instruments and gear out of our pocket, and so on. No, her music is a monetary negative for us.¡±


    ¡°Really? Everything she earns goes to charity?¡± Hank asked, surprised.


    ¡°Every penny that she brings in goes straight to a bunch of charities, mostly refugee aid,¡± I confirmed. ¡°From the very start of her music career. We¡¯ve given a lot of money to Doctors Without Borders, for example. Over twenty-five million dollars, last I added it up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very admirable,¡± Hank said.


    ¡°Emmy did an in-studio at the local rock radio station in Sitka the night before we got on the Narcisse,¡± I said. ¡°She made them sign a contract that every penny of the proceeds go to the Tlingit and Haida education fund. That¡¯s just the kind of thing that she does.¡±


    Hank took a while to think about this while enjoying his stack of pancakes. Eventually he said, ¡°I really can¡¯t say that I would ever have expected all this. The three of you are¡­ unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Like the Spanish Inquisition,¡± I agreed.


    That day our destination was a long inlet, almost like a fjord, with a glacier at the end that calved into the water. The last few miles before reaching the glacier was almost like sailing through a glass of ice water. The surface was covered in little bitty icebergs, most of them no bigger than the size of a beer cooler, but a few large enough for a seal or two to rest on.


    ¡°The Narcisse was built as a mine sweeper,¡± Captain Walter assured us all. ¡°It can take a lot bigger hit than any of this ice can do.¡± Almost as if to prove it, we motored into the inlet at full speed, simply plowing the chunks of ice aside with a lot of clunking and thunking against the hull, but as promised, no damage.


    As in Glacier Bay, the crew fished a decent-sized chunk of ice out to make dessert and ice cubes for our drinks. We spent well over an hour maybe a hundred yards away from the wall of ice, listening to it creak and crack as chunks fell into the water.


    The ship¡¯s naturalist explained that this was the most southerly calving glacier in Alaska, and that during the summer season full-sized cruise ships came all the way up into the narrow bay.


    ¡°They actually have to make a three-point turn using that side spur over there to exit,¡± she said, pointing off to a small opening in the northern wall of the fjord. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s impressive to see those things do it, even if I hate the idea they come up into here at all,¡± she admitted.


    Emmy and I watched as Angela climbed down the ladder and grabbed a small ice chunk from the water, bringing it back up proudly.


    ¡°I wish I could keep this as a souvenir,¡± she said, showing off the clear blue piece of ice the size of a grapefruit.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be O.K. in your duffel bag,¡± I teased.


    ¡°Mine is kinda full. I¡¯ll just put it in yours, how about that?¡±


    ¡°Sure, there should be room,¡± I said, wrapping an arm around her waist and giving her a kiss.

 Tropical Dreams

    That afternoon the Narcisse anchored in a small cove whose mouth was partially blocked by a tiny but heavily wooded island. It was a truly snug little harbor, nice and still.


    I went on a hike led by the naturalist, while Emmy and Angela opted to stay on the boat.


    The trail wound its way up through the thickly forested slopes to the top of the ridge separating the little bay from the larger body of water that made up Stephens Passage. From up there the Narcisse looked like a little bathtub toy, floating serenely way down below.


    The weather wasn¡¯t pretty, but the low clouds added a certain sense of drama to the scene. I found a bare boulder to sit on to enjoy the view, letting my mind drift a bit.


    I wondered briefly if Angela or Emmy were on deck, and if so, could they see us up there, high above the water?


    ¡°What¡¯re you thinking about, that got you smiling like that?¡± The naturalist asked, plopping herself down on the rock next to me.


    ¡°Imagining the people on the Narcisse seeing us up here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, they certainly could, if they knew where to look,¡± she said. ¡°All these bright colors,¡± she said, indicating the two of us as well as the three other hikers, ¡°would stand out like a sore thumb if anybody down there was looking our way.¡±


    Our rain jackets were red, or yellow, orange and bright blue, so I had to admit she was probably right.


    After a minute or so, she asked, ¡°Your girlfriends didn¡¯t want to come out for a hike?¡±


    ¡°My wives,¡± I corrected. At her puzzled look, I said, ¡°It¡¯s a poly marriage.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m from Seattle,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it all. If it makes the three of you happy, go for it.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± I said. ¡°Very happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± she responded. ¡°Just keep doing what it takes to let both of them know they¡¯re special. That¡¯s the key to successful marriages. My husband and I, we¡¯ve been married for thirty-eight years this December, and I haven¡¯t regretted a moment of that time.¡±


    ¡°Any kids?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a son and a daughter. He leads mountaineering expeditions, and she teaches middle school math down in Seattle.¡±


    ¡°Grandkids?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, not yet. David, that¡¯s my son, he doesn¡¯t seem as if he¡¯s gonna settle down any time soon. Valentina and her husband have talked about starting a family once they get their careers stable, but that seems to be an ongoing process, so who even knows?¡± she said, thinking about it.


    ¡°What does Valentina¡¯s husband do?¡±


    ¡°He manages a fancy wine bar restaurant downtown,¡± she said, somewhat dismissively, I thought. ¡°For now.¡±


    ¡°Is it the place with the giant tower of wine?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You know it?¡± She asked, surprised.


    ¡°We had dinner there right before flying to Juneau,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Small world,¡± she said.


    ¡°Sometimes it seems that way, alright,¡± I agreed.


    After a bit I asked, ¡°Why did you say he works there ¡®for now¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Last time they had dinner at our house he told me the restaurant was losing money and may not be open for a whole lot longer,¡± she said.


    ¡°That sucks,¡± I commiserated. ¡°We liked the place, but there wasn¡¯t a whole lot of traffic there when we had dinner there. Of course, it was a very rainy midweek night.¡±


    ¡°The basic problem, as I understand it, is that there¡¯s a lot of lunch business, since it¡¯s downtown, but alcohol at business lunches isn¡¯t really the thing anymore. Most locals don¡¯t want to go downtown for dinner, so¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°And not enough tourists like us,¡± I said. After maybe a minute of contemplation, I said, ¡°I own a company that runs high-end restaurants, nightclubs and bars. Maybe mention to your son-in-law that I might be interested in buying the wine bar if the owners are looking to sell. It would be good to add a Seattle restaurant to our portfolio.¡±


    ¡°You own a company that buys restaurants?¡± She asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, I started it about six years ago, with a nightclub and restaurant in Vancouver. The hospitality division really isn¡¯t much of a money maker, but that¡¯s O.K. Profit isn¡¯t really all that important,¡± I said. ¡°The restaurants and nightclubs are primarily about putting people to work.¡±


    ¡°Division? This company of yours, it has other divisions?¡± She asked, looking at me.


    ¡°Our primary concerns are real estate investment, property management and development. That¡¯s where the real money is,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°And you started this company just a few years ago?¡± The naturalist asked, amazed.


    ¡°Yeah, in my freshman year in college,¡± I said.


    ¡°Jesus. In my freshman year I was mainly concerned with who could I get to buy me booze,¡± she said with a sigh.


    ¡°To be fair, that was what most of my classmates were concerned with, too,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    Back at the boat, Angela and Emmy weren¡¯t in the salon, so I checked our cabin. I found the two of them in bed, cuddling and and talking quietly. It didn¡¯t smell like sex in the small room, so I think that was all they¡¯d been doing.


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± Angela said. ¡°How was your hike?¡±


    ¡°It was good, but it¡¯s almost dinnertime,¡± I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking her leg through the blanket. ¡°You two should get dressed.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that late?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°It is,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Almost six.¡±


    Reaching over, I stroked Emmy¡¯s leg. ¡°What were you guys talking about?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Work, and life,¡± she said. ¡°This is a conversation we need to have with you, too.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound ominous at all!¡± I joked.


    ¡°It is not ominous,¡± Emmy said as Angela slid out of bed. We both took a moment to admire our long-haired beauty as she wiggled her way into a pair of tight jeans. When Angela put on a turtleneck and then the thick sweater she¡¯d gotten in Sitka, Emmy turned back to me. ¡°Actually, I believe it is a good thing. A good thing for all of us.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I won¡¯t dread the conversation,¡± I said. ¡°But you really do need to get up.¡±


    Emmy gave me a pout, so I leaned down and kissed her, getting a smile in return.


    ¡°I do love you so,¡± she said, reaching out to take my hand. I gave her a tug to get her up, enjoying watching the covers fall away from her slender body.


    ¡°I love it when you look at me like that,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I love it very much.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fair,¡± I replied. ¡°I love looking at you.¡± This earned me another smile, so I leaned in for another kiss. ¡°Are you and Jack going to film tonight?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We will, if the conditions are correct. I hope that we can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys out there,¡± Angela said, impatient.


    ¡°Please order me some of that lovely Pinot,¡± Emmy said as Angela opened the door to leave.


    ¡°Pinot for me, too,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks, Ange.¡±


    Emmy took her time getting dressed, carefully picking out what she wanted to wear for the filming. She chose a heavy, pleated blue wool midi skirt over tights- almost a kilt, really, and the Haida-made sweater. She finished the ensemble off with a knit watch cap in the same color as the skirt, making for a sort of adorable rustic princess look.


    We found Angela seated and waiting for us, our wine already poured. ¡°I ordered dinner for you two,¡± Angela said when we sat down.


    ¡°Thanks, babe,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you, Angie,¡± Emmy said at the same time.


    Only about half of the other passengers were seated, the rest trickling in as we ate our salads.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what you two said about yachts,¡± Angela said as she speared a cherry tomato. ¡°I¡¯ve always dreamed about having a yacht, ever since I was little. I always thought that when I became rich and famous, I¡¯d buy one and sail around the world, you know? And maybe I still do want to buy one, but I have an idea. Instead of buying a yacht, why don¡¯t we, um, rent a yacht for a few times and see how we like it, and how much we would use it?¡±


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I think when you rent a yacht it¡¯s called chartering,¡± I said. ¡°Of course, it comes with a crew already.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Maybe we charter a yacht in Miami and sail down to Cartagena, see if we like it?¡± Angela suggested.


    ¡°I think that would be wonderful!¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°That is a good idea,¡± I agreed. ¡°This way we can, um, test the waters, so to speak, to see if we¡¯re the yacht type, without spending millions on a gamble.¡±


    ¡°You guys thinking about buying a yacht?¡± Hank asked from the next table. ¡°My best advice: if it flies or floats, rent it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the phrase before,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re leaving part of it out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡± Hank said, ruefully glancing at the twins sitting at a nearby table, making me laugh.


    Both Emmy and Angela had puzzled looks on their faces, so I said, ¡°I¡¯ll explain later.¡±


    After dinner, the crew cleared one side of the dining area and rolled up the canvas side so Jack and Emmy could film with the water and the woods behind her. It was gently raining, giving the forested hills surrounding the cove a soft look.


    Jack figured they had less than an hour of natural light to work with, but the twilight descending to night in the background would make for a dramatic backdrop.


    The guys in the crew turned up the heaters to keep us all warm and arranged chairs so every single person on the Narcisse could watch Emmy play.


    Jack and Emmy had decided to skip the interview part and simply have Emmy talk a little about each song she played, to make it more of an intimate performance.


    Emmy tuned her guitar while Jack only needed a few minutes to get set up, since they¡¯d dialed in all the settings and positions already.


    When Jack was ready he hit the record button on his camera and Emmy started to talk. As soon as he was satisfied the camera was recording, he stepped out of the way so we could all see better.


    ¡°I have been asked many times why The Downfall does so many covers,¡± Emmy said, looking into the camera lens. ¡°Some critics have called us the world¡¯s greatest cover band, as if that were an insult. The implication is that if we do not stick to our original songs we are somehow lesser musicians. Performing songs that others have written is unsuited for great artists, they suggest.¡± With that, she gave a shrug and a wry look, then started playing.


    ¡°In the twilight¡¯s glow I see blue eyes crying in the rain,¡± she sang, sweet and tender. Emmy¡¯s voice was clear and smooth, with only the most subtle of vibrato for emphasis.


    Her voice soared as she sang the line, ¡°Someday soon we¡¯ll meet up yonder, and walk hand in hand again.¡±


    A little noise from Angela made me look over at her, to see tears flowing freely down her cheeks. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her in to my side, letting her know that I understood.


    ¡°In a land that knows no parting, blue eyes crying in the rain,¡± Emmy sang, letting her voice fall away as she finished.


    After the applause died down she looked at the camera and said, ¡°That song was written by a man named Fred Rose and first performed by Roy Acuff, thirty years before Willie Nelson recorded it and made it a hit. Was Willie wrong for recording a song written by another?¡±


    With that, she looked down at her guitar and strummed a chord. ¡°I do not think so.¡±


    Emmy sang a couple of Downfall songs after that, ¡®I Can Only Dream¡¯ from their first album and ¡®Shards Of Sunlight¡¯ from their most recent. ¡®Dream¡¯ was always a wistful song, but solo acoustic made it seem that much more personal. When she sang the lines, ¡°When he says ¡®Come on, we have to go¡¯, I ache more than you can ever know,¡± I could feel the longing, the desire, in her voice. Her guitar playing was soft and subdued, somehow fitting the gentle rain on the water in the background.


    ¡®Shards¡¯ was a bit uptempo in comparison, her voice strong when she sang the line about overwhelming the dark with a thousand shards of sunlight. Her playing had gotten faster and louder as well, finishing in a triumphant coda.


    Smiling at the small audience, Emma nodded acceptance of their applause.


    ¡°Thank you for that,¡± she said, looking around at the two dozen or so people packed in the small area at the aft end of the ship. ¡°I hope you are enjoying this little show. I certainly am having fun singing for you.¡±


    ¡°My next song is another cover,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Just because,¡± she said with a saucy grin at the camera.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry if I¡¯m so blue, each time we meet,¡± she sang, slow, but with strength in her voice. By the time she got to the last line of the first verse, ¡°I can¡¯t help myself the way I feel sometimes, I¡¯m the jealous kind,¡± her voice was loud and clear, matched by the slinky slide guitar riff.


    Emmy positively belted out, ¡°Oh, baby, oh, baby, I¡¯m the jealous kind,¡± nothing held back. Whenever Emmy sang like that it amazed me that such a powerful voice could come from such a slender body, but there it was. The power in her voice was tightly controlled, so even though it was strong and dynamic, it really wasn¡¯t super loud, even though it felt that way.


    The small audience absolutely ate it up, and gave her the longest applause so far when she finished.


    Beaming wide, Emmy waited until the clapping died down before announcing that she only had one more song to play. It was almost full night behind her by this point, the green of the forest fading into the darkness.


    ¡°I see trees of green,¡± she sang, her voice clear and pretty again. ¡°Red roses, too. I see them bloom for me and you. I think to myself, what a wonderful world.¡±


    By the time she finished with the last line, ¡°Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world,¡± the two dozen people watching were completely mesmerized, many mouthing the words as Emmy sang.


    Emmy waited for the applause to end, then said, ¡°I had a lovely time singing for you this evening. Thank you all for making this so much fun.¡±


    When Emmy stood up and set her guitar in its case, one of the crew members said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna remember this for the rest of my life.¡±


    In our cabin later, Angela said, ¡°Em, I wish I had half the talent you have. You¡¯re so amazing.¡±


    ¡°Ange is right, Em. I¡¯ve seen you play and sing hundreds of times and it never gets old. I¡¯m blown away every single time,¡± I said.


    ¡°I love to play for you two,¡± Em replied. ¡°If I could only ever make two people happy with my music, I want it to be the two of you. Now take off your clothes and get into bed. I want to play some more, but just for you, nobody else.¡±


    Angela and I did as she commanded and soon were snuggled together under the covers, while Emmy settled down on the one armchair in the snug little cabin, settling her guitar down on her lap.


    ¡°Angela, this is the very first song I ever played for Leah, and it made her cry. I was so mortified- I did not know what it meant to her, and how it would make her feel. Now, of course, I do, and every time I play it, I play it in memory of her father,¡± Emmy said, picking out those very familiar notes.


    ¡°So, so you think you can tell,¡± she sang, her voice soft.


    Of course I knew before she even played her first note that I was going to cry, but that was O.K. It wasn¡¯t a feeling I dreaded. In fact, I welcomed the sorrow, the feeling of loss. Dealing with these emotions in that place, with the two women I loved showing they loved me, was a welcome catharsis. Yes, I was in tears, but they were good tears.


    Emmy played some instrumental music until I was done crying, then said, ¡°And this is the first song I played for Angela.¡±


    ¡°Angie, oh, Angie, when will these clouds all disappear?¡± she sang, again keeping it soft and quiet.


    By the time she finished with, ¡°They can¡¯t say we never tried,¡± Angela¡¯s eyes were moist.


    ¡°Em, I love you so much,¡± Angela said when Emmy stopped singing. ¡°You make me feel so¡­ special, so¡­¡±


    ¡°You are special, babe,¡± I said, pulling her in a little closer.


    ¡°Very special,¡± Emmy agreed.


    Angela¡¯s smile of happiness lit up her innocent face. ¡°I¡¯m so in love with you two,¡± she said. ¡°So in love it makes me feel like- like one of those blankets that you plug in? The kind that are electric?¡± She said, searching for the right words.


    ¡°They¡¯re called ¡®electric blankets¡¯,¡± I said gently teasing.


    ¡°In Spanish they¡¯re called ¡®mantas electricas¡¯, so same thing,¡± Angela said with a wry smile. ¡°I mean the way you both love me, it makes me feel warm and¡­ safe, comforted, like wrapped in an electric blanket. I can feel it pour into me from all sides. It makes me sleepy, knowing I will have only good dreams.¡±


    ¡°Angie, ma chere, I want to wrap you up in our love and make you feel safe and warm and cozy. I want you to only have beautiful dreams,¡± Emmy said, setting her guitar aside and joining us, but on top of the covers, since she was still dressed.


    Emmy and I held Angela between us and kissed her.


    ¡°Em, come to bed,¡± I urged. We needed a real three-way snuggle.


    Emmy quickly shed her clothes and washed her face and brushed her teeth, sliding under the covers in no time at all. The feeling of three of us, skin to skin, warm and cozy under the bed¡¯s thick blankets, was perfect, and exactly what Angela needed. She was sandwiched in the middle between Emmy and me, a set of three spoons. It was perfect for me, too, since I could run my left hand from Angela¡¯s muscular thigh to Emmy¡¯s slender one and back again with no interruption. We didn¡¯t talk at first, just reveling in the feel of bodies in close contact. Eventually I felt Angela¡¯s breathing even out and realized that both she and Emmy had fallen asleep.


    I lay there, contemplating my life and the two women that now shared it. One I¡¯d loved for years, the other for only a little over a year. One who was only going to be with me ten more years or so, the other (hopefully) the rest of our lives.


    I woke early, as always, but decided to stay in bed. I could hear it raining outside, so working out wasn¡¯t going to be in the cards. Besides, bed was warm and comfy, and had gorgeous naked women in it, right?


    I lifted myself up on one elbow so I could look at Emmy and Angela, sleeping peacefully. Emmy had turned around at some point, so the two were facing each other, sharing the same pillow. I marveled at the contrast- both were achingly beautiful, but yet totally different. I loved them both, but again, my relationship with Angela was very different than my relationship with Emmy.


    Unable to help myself, I leaned over and gave Emmy a kiss. She didn¡¯t wake up with the touch, but her lips did twitch into a little smile for a moment before relaxing again. I kissed Angela, making her eyes flutter open.


    ¡°Lee- what a great way to wake up,¡± Angela said as she focused on me. She glanced over and saw that Emmy was still snoozing, so she dropped her voice to a whisper. ¡°I was having a very nice dream,¡± she said, smiling. She slowly eased away from Emmy a bit to let her sleep, then turned to face me. ¡°You and Em were in it, and we were someplace tropical.¡±


    I loved the way she pronounced it ¡®tro pee CAHL¡¯, letting her accent slip out a bit. ¡°There was a beach, and the ocean was a pretty blue, and we were naked, enjoying the sun.¡±


    ¡°You know Em-¡± I started to say, but she continued, not letting me interrupt.


    ¡°We were sunbathing on beach chairs, drinking some orange drinks that had little umbrellas. And yes, I know Emmy can¡¯t really sunbathe for very long, but it was a dream, O.K.?¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± I said, leaning down to plant a kiss on her forehead. ¡°It does sound like a lovely dream.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Emmy agreed, her voice sleepy. ¡°I want that, too. I want to go someplace tropical and drink delicious drinks in the sun, on the beach, naked with you two.¡±


    ¡°When you put it like like that,¡± I said, ¡°It does sounds pretty damned good. You two stay here in bed- I¡¯ll be back in a minute,¡± I said, climbing out from under the covers.


    I threw on a pair of jeans and a fleece jacket, not bothering with anything underneath. Quickly making my way to the aft end of the ship where they were setting up for breakfast, I found the steward, who was also the bartender.


    ¡°Quick- I need three tropical drinks. Orange-colored, with tiny umbrellas, if you have them,¡± I told him.


    Amused, he ducked behind the bar. ¡°Alcoholic or non?¡±


    ¡°Alcoholic, for sure,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s gotta be after five o¡¯clock somewhere, right?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t drink all day unless you get started early,¡± he agreed with a laugh.


    ¡°Three Rum Punches to go,¡± the steward said, setting the three drinks on the bar. ¡°You going to be able to get those back to your cabin alright?¡±


    It was a valid question, since they were full to the rim and I only had just two hands.


    ¡°Would it be too much to ask for some help?¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°After last night, anybody on this old tub would happily do just about anything for you guys,¡± he said with a sincere smile. He handed me one of the stemmed glasses, taking the other two. ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    I knocked on the door and announced I had somebody with me, so when we entered Emmy and Angela had the covers pulled up. The steward and I set the drinks down on the little table, then he excused himself and left, reminding us that breakfast would be starting in half an hour.


    ¡°Yes! These were the drinks in my dream!¡± Angela said, her eyes wide.


    I handed one to her, then the other to Emmy, before raising mine in a toast.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Angela said. ¡°Take off your clothes first! We have to be naked!¡±


    Amused, I set the glass down and did as she said, then raised the glass. Angela quickly threw the covers off herself and Emmy, then raised her own glass.


    ¡°To a life of nothing but lovely dreams,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lovely naked dreams,¡± Emmy added, and we all took sips, doing our best to avoid the umbrellas and pineapple chunks festooning our glasses.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Angela said, enjoying the rum punch.


    ¡°As good as in your dream?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Better- because it¡¯s real,¡± Angela replied, making Emmy smile.


    ¡°You two are so beautiful,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m seriously considering pouring some of my drink on you two and then licking it off your naked bodies.¡±


    ¡°Like in my dream!¡± Angela said, her eyes wide.


    Emmy¡¯s sparkling laugh filled the small cabin. ¡°I think that will be real, too, if Leah has her way.¡±

 Adios, Alaska

    At breakfast, the steward asked if we¡¯d like Mimosas instead of coffee. ¡°Round two?¡± he joked.


    ¡°Sure, why not? We are on vacation, after all,¡± I said.


    ¡°Round two?¡± Hank¡¯s wife Jo said, puzzled.


    ¡°Yeah, we started the day off with alcohol,¡± I said.


    ¡°Rum Punches,¡± Angela added, her good mood showing. At Jo¡¯s quizzical look, Angela explained. ¡°I woke up this morning from a dream we were sunbathing on a tropical beach, drinking Rum Punch drinks with those little umbrellas, so Leah got us some.¡±


    Jo smiled at the image. ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± she said.


    ¡°It truly was,¡± Emmy agreed.


    During breakfast Captain Walter announced that since we¡¯d gotten a break in the weather and it was a beautiful sunny day, the Narcisse would stay there in that pretty little anchorage and we could all do the kayaking, hiking, and fishing that had been so unattractive because of the consistently wet weather we¡¯d experienced so far.


    I recommended the hike up to the ridge to Emmy and Angela, but told them I wanted to try kayaking. I needed the exercise that paddling could give me, and I¡¯d already done the hike.


    The morning warmed up quite quickly, and by the time the hikers got on the skiff to head to shore most of them were down to T shirts or other base layers. I was already past the initial learning curve with the kayak by that point, so I did my best to make it a race to the shore. I couldn¡¯t quite keep up with the skiff¡¯s outboard motor, but I did manage to work up quite a sweat in those brief few minutes.


    I¡¯d long since stowed my jacket in the kayak¡¯s cargo area, but now stripped off my long-sleeved mid layer top as well. Even that ensemble was too warm as I paddled vigorously around the little bay, so I made my way back to the ship to change clothes.


    Down to the pair of shorts I¡¯d optimistically packed and a wicking tank top, I was back on the water and paddling like a madwoman, working up one heck of a sweat.


    My technique was lousy, sure, but I made up for it in enthusiasm as I worked myself into some good muscle burn, paddling up and down the length of the inlet, out to the little barrier island, then eventually around it entirely. I lost track of time, absorbed in the motion, the sun, and the water.


    When I finally made my way back to the boat, lunch had already been served and eaten. ¡°We asked them to save a sandwich for you,¡± Angela said with a kiss.


    ¡°We watched you,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You were glorious out there. We are not the only ones who thought that, either. You had a lot of admirers.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There were a lot of people, passengers and crew, who watched you rowing around,¡± Emmy explained. ¡°You were beautiful. So strong, so vibrant and powerful. It is no wonder so many enjoyed watching you,¡± Emmy said, a teasing twinkle in her eye.


    ¡°You were like an amazon out there,¡± Angela added. "Your blonde hair, your golden tan, and those shoulders¡­ ?Ay mam¨ª!¡± She said, shaking her hand as if she¡¯d just burned it.


    ¡°Did you two enjoy the show?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°Very much.¡±


    ¡°It was hot, seeing you out there, rowing around with such¡­ power,¡± Angela agreed, trying for the right word.


    ¡°After all that work,¡± I said, lowering my voice a little, ¡°my shoulders might get sore. Maybe my back, too. I¡¯m sure I could use a good massage.¡±


    ¡°I think your legs maybe got tired, too,¡± Angela said. ¡°They probably need some attention, too.¡±


    ¡°They might,¡± I agreed, nodding. ¡°Can I talk you guys into giving me a good rubdown?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Angela said, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards our cabin.


    ¡°It is a good idea to do it before your muscles cool down too much,¡± Emmy said, taking my other hand.


    The moment we got back to the cabin the two had my clothes off and were shoving me into the little shower stall. I washed up quickly, emerging to find Emmy and Angela waiting expectantly. Emmy took the towel from my hands and carefully dried me off completely, then gently pushed me towards the bed, where Angela sat cross-legged. I lay down on my front, and soon four hands were caressing my body.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this picture,¡± I complained, even though it felt amazing.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°You guys are wearing too many clothes. This would be much better if you were naked, too,¡± I said, groaning a little as Angela (I think it was) found a tender spot on my lower back.


    ¡°But if we took off our clothes, too, we wouldn¡¯t be able to control ourselves and soon we would just be having sex,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing,¡± I said, turning my head to look at her.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a bad thing, not at all, but first Emmy and I have to give you a good massage without any distractions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m finding myself very distracted,¡± I said as one of them started working on my glutes.


    ¡°I am, as well,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Stay focused, Em,¡± Angela admonished as Emmy¡¯s fingers strayed a bit.


    ¡°But Angie, I am certain these muscles need massage, too,¡± Emmy said, her voice just a tiny bit petulant.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they do,¡± I agreed, moving my legs a little farther apart to give Emmy easier access.


    ¡°Em,¡± Angela cautioned as Emmy¡¯s fingers gently stroked my labia. ¡°Remember what we talked about.¡±


    ¡°Did you two talk about how you were totally going to jump my bones?¡± I asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Yes, we did, but we talked about other things, too,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Can we skip the other things?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, Angela is right. Yesterday we said that we needed to talk about some things, and this is a very good time to do so,¡± Emmy said, her fingers withdrawing with one last gentle squeeze of my lady parts.


    ¡°Lee,¡± Angela said, her tone turning serious, but still loving. ¡°If everything goes right, Em and I will soon be pregnant, right? I have been thinking about this a lot, and we- me and Em- have been talking about it. We both think that when we¡¯re pregnant, we are going to need to cut back on our¡­ our work, and other commitments outside the home. We want to spend more time together, and of course, with you.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said, her voice gentle. ¡°Angie and I, we want you to spend more time with us. As we get bigger, we will need you to be home more. When our babies are born, we want you to stay home for a while with us. This is very important to us, to Angie and me, and to our babies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss. You can take all the time you need away from the office. We have a huge home office for you that you almost never use. Maybe only actually go in when you really have to, but work from home most of the time?¡± Angela pleaded.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°This is what you two wanted to talk about?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll take time off when our daughters are born. Of course I will.¡±


    ¡°Your work is so important to you,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to take that away from you¡­¡±


    ¡°My work is important to me because it allows us the things we like, and the freedom to do what we want, and of course, to provide for our people,¡± I said, maybe a touch defensively. ¡°It isn¡¯t important because I love it. I love you two much- infinitely more.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Angela said. ¡°We do. And we love you, Lee. So much it hurts. We¡¯re both dying to have your babies. We want it so bad¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had daydreams about it, too,¡± I said. ¡°Imagining you two as mothers, our little girls running around the house. I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    ¡°So, when we¡¯re big as blimps, you¡¯ll stay home more?¡± Angela asked.


    Propping myself up on one arm to look at both of them, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay home so much you¡¯ll beg me to go to work just to leave you alone for a bit.¡±


    This must have been the right answer, since both gave me happy smiles.


    ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled, can you guys work on my front?¡± I asked, rolling over onto my back.


    ¡°Is sex all you ever think about?¡± Angela asked in mock dismay.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all I think about,¡± I said, dropping my head onto the pillow. ¡°Just, um, eighty per cent or so. Actually, I blame the two of you.¡±


    ¡°How are we to blame for your nymphomania?¡± Emmy asked, her eyebrows raised.


    ¡°By being so damned sexy, that¡¯s how. I can hardly look at either of you and not want to drag you to bed immediately,¡± I replied.


    ¡°She really is a beast, isn¡¯t she?¡± Angela asked Emmy.


    Emmy leaned down and kissed my sternum, right between my breasts. ¡°Yes, and I would not want her to be any other way. She is our beast.¡±


    ¡°No, I guess I wouldn¡¯t, either,¡± Angela admitted.


    That night Emmy played her guitar in the salon again, just instrumental renditions of classic rock tunes. Somehow it turned into a parlor game, people calling out what song she was playing as soon as they recognized it, trying to be the first. Some were really easy- I think it took Jack about two notes to recognize ¡®Life In The Fast Lane¡¯ from the Eagles, for example, and about the same for ¡®Norwegian Wood¡¯ by the Beatles, but it took a long time for anybody to guess Tool¡¯s ¡®Forty Six And Two¡¯. None of the other passengers recognized it- it was one of the younger crew members that walked in and almost immediately said, ¡°Oh, wow!¡± When he heard what Emmy was playing.


    After she finished the Tool song, he asked her to play some Nirvana, so Emmy happily obliged. This started a round of people making requests, and Emmy managed to play most of those, too.


    While Emmy was enjoying goofing around on the guitar for everybody, Angela and I cuddled under the wool Pendleton blanket in our familiar easy chair and just enjoyed Emmy¡¯s effortless playing.


    ¡°I will never get tired of watching her play,¡± Angela said quietly.


    ¡°No, neither will I,¡± I agreed.


    We lapsed back into silence again, just holding each other and maybe occasionally fondling some sensitive bits under the blanket where nobody could see.


    Blake and Jack were completely enraptured, sitting right up front near Emmy. Anne, their mom, didn¡¯t seem too enthusiastic at first, but as the evening went on her mood seemed to soften. All in all, I figured that if she came away from this trip with the idea that not all of ¡®those people¡¯ are so bad, that was a win. She¡¯d already seemed to admit that Angela was nice, and now maybe she might concede that Emmy seemed like a nice person, surprisingly down to earth despite being a famous rock star¡­ That only left me as ¡®the wrong kind of folks¡¯.


    Her husband certainly seemed to have enjoyed watching me work out a couple of days earlier, and Angela had told me he was one of my admirers while I was paddling. He didn¡¯t seem too bothered by the idea of women being overly friendly with other women¡­ Unkind thoughts about his web browser history made me chuckle a little, which got me a questioning look from Angela.


    ¡°Nothing, babe, just thinking about things,¡± I said and gave her a little kiss. Reassured, she snuggled back against me and tucked the blanket over my opposite shoulder. Of course, this gave her cover to give my boob a little loving squeeze, keeping her hand there.


    In bed that night Emmy and Angela sandwiched me in the middle, each one laying her head on my shoulder, facing each other.


    ¡°Have I told you two I¡¯m the luckiest person in the world?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I am,¡± Angela countered.


    ¡°You are both wrong, I am sorry to say,¡± Emmy said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. ¡°I am.¡±


    Our last day on the Narcisse was a bit sad, but at the same time I have to admit I was definitely ready to get off the boat. It had been a great little vacation and wonderful to spend so much time with Angela and Emmy, but ten days cooped up on the little cruise ship was more than enough.


    Stepping ashore in Ketchikan with our bags somehow felt more like the start of something rather than the end. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s correct to say that I¡¯d fallen more in love with Angela on the trip, but somehow the relationship between the three of us had deepened at the same time as it had mellowed.


    I felt more sure of Angela¡¯s place in our little family. More confident that this really was how things were meant to be and that we were on solid ground as far as our emotions and connections to each other were concerned.


    I¡¯d resolved to begin cutting back my hours right away, too. I didn¡¯t want to wait until Emmy and Angela were as big as houses before suddenly becoming an attentive partner. Clearly they both felt I was making myself unavailable to some degree, and I didn¡¯t want that for the three of us.


    We only had a couple of hours in Ketchikan before our flight back to Seattle, so we made a quick pass through the old red light district, then got a ride to the ferry to take us across the channel to the airport.


    As the jet left the runway Emmy looked out the window. ¡°Goodbye, Alaska,¡± she said. ¡°It was a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°I had a great time, too. Thank you for this, Lee,¡± Angela said, resting her head on my shoulder.


    Mia was waiting for us when we collected our luggage in Seattle.


    ¡°The weather¡¯s been shit,¡± she said, taking Angela¡¯s duffel bag and leading us to the parking structure. ¡°But I guess that¡¯s what this place is famous for, right?¡±


    Crossing the covered walkway to the parking garage, I could see what Mia had meant. It was raining pretty hard, the skies so dark at four o¡¯clock in the afternoon it looked like twilight.


    The drive to the hotel was easy, despite the rush hour traffic- Mia had clearly become accustomed to driving around Seattle in the week and a half she¡¯d had there.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss this Range Rover,¡± she admitted, patting the steering wheel.


    ¡°Hey, I think we¡¯re gonna go across the street for dinner again tonight,¡± I told Mia when we checked in. ¡°If you want to join us, we¡¯ll be heading over there at seven or so.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± she said. ¡°See you here in the lobby right at seven,¡± she said before making her way tot he elevators.


    ¡°Seven? That is over two hours from now!¡± Emmy protested.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be just about enough time for a soak in that big tub in the room,¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s been almost two weeks without a long, hot bath, and I plan to make up for lost time.¡±


    ¡°Ooh!¡± She said, her big green eyes lighting up with anticipation.


    Emmy made a beeline for the bathroom almost immediately upon entering the suite, followed by the sound of the tub filling.


    ¡°It was your idea,¡± Angela said with a shrug. ¡°You and Emmy go ahead. There isn¡¯t room for all of us in there.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°An obvious oversight on the hotel¡¯s part.¡± I leaned down and gave her a kiss, and when I went to pull away she grabbed me and held on tight.


    ¡°Thanks for this vacation, Lee. I really mean it. This was some of the best time I¡¯ve ever had in my life.¡±


    ¡°It was good, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I agreed. ¡°We need to do things like this more often.¡±


    ¡°You guys need to take me to Europe. I¡¯ve never been there, and always wanted to go. I want Emmy to show us around Paris,¡± Angela said, still holding on.


    ¡°That would be awesome, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I said, kissing her again.


    The water in the tub was scalding hot, as usual. I never understood how Emmy had developed a preference for such hot water, but I¡¯d certainly grown to expect it. It took me quite a while of slowly easing into the bath before I was finally settled in and submerged. Of course Emmy had simply climbed in with no issues.


    Emmy turned and lay back against me, taking my wrists and wrapping my arms around herself. She leaned her head back on my shoulder and let out a satisfied sigh.


    ¡°This vacation has been wonderful, Leah. Thank you for this.¡±


    ¡°I think we all needed it more than we maybe realized,¡± I said, kissing her fine, white hair. ¡°I am going to spend more time at home with you and Ange,¡± I added. ¡°And maybe we can get away, just the three of us like this, more often.¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I feel that this trip has brought us closer than ever before. I can only imagine what another similar holiday could do for our relationship.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make me love you any more than I do now- that just isn¡¯t possible. But spending this time with the two of you, almost twenty-four hours a day for nearly two weeks straight, it has made me feel closer,¡± I said.


    Emmy sat up and turned to face me, sending little waves of scalding water across my shoulders.


    ¡°I have been selfish,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I have not given myself to you and Angela as fully as I should have been doing. I have focused so much on my work, and not enough on my family. You, Leah, you and Angela are my family. You are what matter most in the world.¡±


    ¡°Em, don¡¯t think about it like that,¡± I said, stroking her cheek. ¡°Ange and I, we¡¯ve been happy to support you and your music and all that, you know it. In fact, I told one of the guys on the cruise that we both think that what you¡¯re doing is incredibly important, and so we do anything we can to make it easier for you to do what it takes.¡±


    Emmy looked as if she were about to object, so I put my fingertip on her lips. ¡°Em, when we got back together, back at Stanford, and you said you had things, duties you needed to fulfill, I said I would do anything at all to help you. We made the decision for you to follow your music, to try to use your music and looks to become famous, so outsiders could see a Night Child for the first time, and see them in a positive light. Em, it¡¯s worked,¡± I told her. ¡°You are literally world famous. Now, when people see any other Night Child out in the wild, they think, ¡®Hey, that person must be like Emmy Lascaux¡¯, and you know what? They¡¯re right. You, Em, you¡¯re the face of the Night Children.¡±


    I put my hand on Emmy¡¯s chest. ¡°We did that. You did that, with my help and support. I did what I could to give you the freedom to make this happen, babe. I see it as a victory for both of us, for the mission we have set ourselves. Every new stray that we can help make a better life for, that¡¯s a win for us. Us, Em, which now includes Angela. She understands, and supports it, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy said, her expression softening. ¡°When I fell in love with you back in Fallbrook, I could never have imagined that you would ever be so strong, so¡­ courageous, and so very, very important to my people.¡±


    ¡°Our people, Em. Our people.¡±

 The Best Thing Ever

    At dinner, a well-dressed man came up to the table. "Excuse me, are you Leah Farmer?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Rob?¡± I asked in return, and he smiled.


    ¡°Mama Cass said you might be interested in talking?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Mama Cass? The singer?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°No, he means his mother-in-law, Cassady. She was the ship¡¯s naturalist,¡± I explained. Turning to Rob, I asked, ¡°Can we talk after dinner?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°Of course. That would be perfect.¡±


    After he left, Angela asked what that was about. I explained that Rob was the general manager of the restaurant, and it had come up in conversation with Cassady that the owners might be interested in selling.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Angela said. ¡°And you might be interested in buying.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Is this a thing that happens?¡± Mia asked, curious. ¡°You just go around buying restaurants and shi- things like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, like, how does that work? You just walk up and say, ¡®Nice place you got here. Wanna sell it to me?¡¯¡± she asked.


    ¡°Um, more or less, yeah,¡± I said. ¡°In this case, his mother-in-law mentioned that he ran this place, I said we¡¯d eaten here and liked it, and she said it may not be in business much longer, because of reasons. I said I might be interested in talking to the owners, and that was that. She must have called Rob almost immediately after we left the ship in Ketchikan, telling him about it. If he¡¯s already talked to the owners, this might be an easy deal.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s a place like this cost to buy? And if it¡¯s circling the drain, why would you want to buy it anyway?¡± Mia asked, not to push my buttons but more because she was curious.


    ¡°Cassady said the business is slowing down because fewer evening diners are coming in, so that¡¯s problem number one for the owners. If their costs keep rising, which they always do, but revenue is gradually decreasing, they can either try raising prices, or fold up the tent, right? Well, maybe the prices can¡¯t really be raised enough to make up the difference, because of competition, or because the higher prices will drive business away,¡± I explained, then realized I was wandering too far off in the weeds.


    ¡°Anyhow, their business is looking bad long-term, right? Well, I might be able to change the dynamics a bit- leverage our scale and experience to find margins the current owners can¡¯t. That¡¯s my opportunity,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why would you even want to buy a restaurant that¡¯s on its way out?¡± Mia persisted.


    ¡°There are a few reasons this place might be a good fit for us, but I¡¯m going to have to look at the numbers and see if it does actually make sense. There are a lot of moving parts, and they need to line up just right. Talking to Rob tonight, I¡¯ll get a good feel for whether to take the next steps or not.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I guess that makes sense,¡± Mia conceded. Then, changing topics, she asked, ¡°Hey, will you need me later tonight?¡±


    ¡°Once Emmy and Angela get settled back at the hotel, no, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I replied. ¡°Got a hot date?¡±


    ¡°Me and my boi, we talked about hittin¡¯ the club later,¡± Mia admitted.


    ¡°Knock yourself out, but remember, we have to be at the airport by ten in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Mia said. ¡°Will you need me before, say, nine in the morning?¡±


    I shook my head and said, ¡°Go get ¡®em, tiger.¡±


    When I got back to the suite after my conversation with Rob, Angela said, ¡°I thought Mia was gay?¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± I agreed, relaxing on the suite¡¯s comfy couch.


    Angela came over and sat on the edge, using her butt to scoot my legs in a bit. ¡°So why is she out with a boy?¡±


    I chuckled a bit, reaching out to pull her on top of me, which she was happy to do. ¡°Not boy B O Y, boi B O I,¡± I said. ¡°There are tons of labels for gay subgroups, For example, you and Emmy fit into the classic ¡®femme¡¯ group, sometimes called ¡®lipstick lesbians¡¯. Mia and I, we¡¯re more ¡®butch¡¯, which is more typically thought of as showing masculine traits, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not masculine,¡± Angela protested. ¡°You¡¯re very much a woman.¡± She emphasized the point by squeezing my boob, making me laugh.


    ¡°Well, none of these terms are set in stone, right? You¡¯re muscular, too, but very, very feminine at the same time,¡± I said, giving her boob a return squeeze. ¡°These are just stereotypes, ways for people to pigeonhole themselves or others to be able to make quick judgements, that¡¯s all. Anyhow, a boi B O I is typically a youngish lesbian who presents in a very masculine manner. They usually look like teenage boys or young men, and generally carry their, um, self-image into the bedroom, too, from what I understand. Mia- and this is between you and me- mentioned that she liked that aspect.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Angela asked, her forehead wrinkled in that adorable way of hers.


    ¡°It means they usually wear strap-ons during sex, and often just wear them around a lot of the rest of the time. At least, that¡¯s the way I understand it. To be honest, I haven¡¯t, um, looked into it too much.¡±


    ¡°Strap-ons? You mean those things?¡± Angela asked, making a rude gesture as if she were stroking a cock between her legs.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed. ¡°So, Mia once told me she likes it when a boi really pounds her good with it. It¡¯s some kind of kink or fetish thing I can¡¯t say I really understand, but honestly, that doesn¡¯t matter at all. As long as Mia and her partners are all into it, it makes no difference to me.¡±


    Angela was quiet for a moment, then asked, ¡°Have you ever tried with one of those?¡±


    ¡°A strap-on?¡± I asked. ¡°No, never. I dunno¡­ It kinda seems a bit too, well, removed for me, I guess. I mean, I can understand the attraction, but I like to actually feel the person I¡¯m making love to, you know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°If¡­ If you ever do, I would do it with you,¡± Angela said, timidly. ¡°If you want, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Ange, is that something you think you want?¡± I asked, my voice gentle. ¡°If it is, it¡¯s something we can do.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know? Maybe?¡± Angela said, making me wonder if she did sometimes miss the big D. Angela hadn¡¯t ever considered herself gay, and I think even at this point still didn¡¯t really identify that way, so maybe this was some sort of issue that had been lying dormant.


    ¡°Why do you two seem so serious?¡± Emmy asked as she entered the room, toweling off her hair.


    ¡°Talking about sex,¡± I said.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°That is a very serious subject,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°Were you talking about having sex now? Because if so, I would like to watch.¡±


    ¡°You want to watch us have sex?¡± Angela asked, a saucy smile on her face.


    ¡°I adore watching you two,¡± Emmy said, sitting down on the easy chair, casually letting the towel she had wrapped around herself drop open.


    Angela sat up, straddling me. She rocked her hips on mine, squeezing her boobs with her hands. ¡°Oh, baby!¡± she said, then winked at Emmy.


    ¡°That is a good start, but you are wearing too many clothes,¡± Emmy objected. ¡°Take them off. Now.¡±


    It felt a little strange performing for Emmy, but if Angela was willing, I was happy to put on a show for Emmy. It certainly wouldn¡¯t be a hardship to make love to Angela, after all.


    Angela started to pull off her top, but I took her hands in mine. ¡°Let me,¡± I said, getting a smile from my dark-haired lover.


    I sat upright and wrapped Angela up in my arms, looking into Angela¡¯s pretty, youthful face. She closed her eyes and leaned in to me, our lips meeting in a long, slow, delicious kiss, our tongues meeting then sliding over each other in a playful, loving way.


    When we parted, she looked into my eyes. Her big, baby blues were so innocent, her smile so guileless, so pure¡­ This was a woman who let her emotions show, and at that moment the emotion that I saw in her was love, simple affection. I had no doubt in my mind that she loved me.


    She reached down to the hem of my fleece sweater and pulled it up, so I raised my arms to allow her to remove it entirely. Angela left my arms tangled in the sweater above my head, using the opportunity to slide her hands up under my tank top base layer, sliding it above my breasts, exposing them to her touch (and Emmy¡¯s eyes).


    I made a show of struggling to free myself from the sleeves of the sweater, but we all knew it was part of the game.


    Angela took my breasts in her hands, gently cupping them, lightly pinching my nipples as she did. She hunched down and took a nipple in her mouth, playing with it with her tongue, while ever so softly scraping her teeth against the underside.


    I was grateful that Emmy had taught her that trick, since it felt amazing. Letting myself succumb to the sensation, I fell back against the armrest, using the sweater still wrapped around my arms to pull Angela down with me. She continued to lavish attention on my chest, kissing her way from one boob to the other, one nipple getting love, then feeling abandoned as its twin received attention.


    Eventually Angela kissed her way to my sternum, then down my belly, resettling herself between my knees on the couch. As she reached my belly button, she teased it with her tongue, tickling me in the most delightful way imaginable. Her hands were busy with my pants, unbuttoning and then unzipping, but not pulling down.


    Angela repositioned herself between me and the back of the couch, lying on her side so she could go back to teasing my breasts with her mouth while her hand found its way down inside my pants.


    I was very, very aroused by this point. I¡¯d never said so to Emmy or Angela, but it turned me on when they took control and led things in bed, and this little bit of dominance and submission play was absolutely doing it for me.


    Angela¡¯s fingers found what they were searching for, and soon she was collecting my moisture, allowing her fingers to slip and slide freely across all my most sensitive spots, which she had come to know well.


    She used long, smooth strokes, fingers gliding up and down either side of my hood, applying just enough friction to drive me mad but not enough to give me release. Angela used her other hand to hold my arms up above my head, still imprisoned in the fleece pullover, adding to the dominance play.


    I glanced over at Emmy, only to find her mesmerized, watching us intently, one hand on her breast, the other buried between her legs. The sight of Emmy getting herself off while watching Angie and me did a little something for me, and my first little orgasm made me clamp my legs on Angela¡¯s hand.


    Angela wasn¡¯t done with me, though, so she pushed my arms up again and used her other hand to move my legs apart, returning to her task, but this time, sliding first one, then two fingers inside me while she used the heel of her hand to put pressure on my pearl.


    I tried, but I just couldn¡¯t keep my eyes open as the sensations washed over me, radiating both from my center and the nipple Angela was gently nibbling on. The combination of incredible pleasure and admittedly mild pain was excruciatingly intense, and it didn¡¯t take me long before a much larger climax crashed over me, waves of electricity running through my body, leaving me completely overwhelmed.


    ¡°That was so hot,¡± Emmy said, her voice barely audible over the ringing in my ears.


    ¡°I loved that,¡± Angela said, slowly withdrawing her fingers. ¡°I love making her feel like that.¡±


    ¡°I love feeling like that,¡± I said, my voice husky, my legs still trembling a little.


    Emmy came over, completely abandoning the towel on the chair. She gently extricated my arms from the pullover, then lifted my tank top up and over my head before tossing it on the floor by the fleece. Next she turned to my hiking boots, untying and removing them, then my socks, which allowed her to pull my pants and panties off in turn.


    Satisfied, she turned her attention to Angela, and stripped her naked, too. Once Emmy had both of us completely bare, she took our hands and pulled us up and off the couch and to the suite¡¯s big, comfortable bed.


    I¡¯d expected that Emmy would sit on my face or something, but that wasn¡¯t what she wanted. She settled herself down in between Angela and me, drawing us both in close, wrapping herself in us.


    ¡°I love you both so much,¡± she said, her voice trembling a bit. ¡°I love this, I love us, our household of three. I love that we are each so different, but together we are better than we could possibly be apart.¡±


    ¡°Em, baby,¡± Angela said, nuzzling Emmy¡¯s slender neck. ¡°We love you. Lee loves you so much, and I love you like crazy, too. This, the three of us, it¡¯s the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to me. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to anybody, ever, in the whole world.¡±


    Emmy laughed at that and then kissed Angela, then me. ¡°I must agree,¡± she said.


    I reached around Emmy¡¯s slender body to pull Angela in tighter, squeezing Emmy between us. We stayed like that, holding, stroking and kissing each other until we all gradually fell asleep.


    I used the hotel¡¯s gym in the morning, pleased to be able to get in a good workout for the first time in what seemed like forever. Sure, I¡¯d done a bit on the boat and the one day kayaking, but it was good to actually lift heavy things and then put them down again, over and over.


    Emmy and Angela had ordered room service and were eating when I got back to the room. ¡°We got breakfast for you, too,¡± Angela said, pointing at the third plate at the table. ¡°Huevos Rancheros,¡± she added.


    ¡°Thanks, babe,¡± I said, giving her, then Emmy kisses. ¡°Are you guys going to be ready to go in,¡± I said, glancing at my watch, ¡°forty-five minutes or so?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°You aren¡¯t coming with us to Los Angeles?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few things to wrap up here before going home,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll take me another day or two. But Grant will pick you guys up at the airport.¡±


    ¡°We could stay here, with you,¡± Angela volunteered. ¡°We don¡¯t have to go back to LA right away, if you need to stay here for a little bit longer.¡± Turning to Emmy, she asked, ¡°Right? We can stay for another couple of days?¡±


    Emmy looked uncomfortable, finally saying that she had recording sessions planned with Lee and Jackson, but she could probably put them off for a few days¡­


    ¡°No, I appreciate it, but you guys go ahead back home. I¡¯ll be following right behind you in a couple of days,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Emmy said, looking sad.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll miss you guys, but it¡¯s just a couple of days.¡±


    After seeing the jet off, Mia and I climbed back into the Range Rover to head back to Downtown.


    ¡°So, how did it go this last week? You get things sorted out for the newbies?¡± I asked once we¡¯d gotten on the freeway.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± Mia said. ¡°Michael knew just what to do, and I followed his instructions.¡±


    ¡°The two guys- Any problems sending them off to San Jose?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, no, but I hadda drive ¡®em down, you know? Fifteen hours is a long drive with two guys you¡¯d never met before,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that. Thanks for doing that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, you¡¯re the boss, and if you tell me to jump, well, I¡¯ll jump as high as I can,¡± Mia said. ¡°Sure, it was a long couple of days of driving, but whatevs.¡±


    ¡°And the other two? The couple?¡±


    ¡°Michael really didn¡¯t have me do anything with them,¡± Mia said with a shrug. ¡°Just the two guys.¡±


    ¡°And they didn¡¯t give you any problems?¡±


    ¡°Nah, not at all. They seemed excited about starting new lives, so they were super respectful and quiet,¡± Mia said.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Any updates on the New York Night Children?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been compiling a database, assigning them tags for the facial recognition software,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ve got most of them- it¡¯s been quite a while since any new ones showed their faces.¡±


    ¡°Have you figured out who owns that building?¡± I asked as we exited the freeway.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really clear,¡± Mia said. ¡°I kinda think nobody does. From what I¡¯ve been able to dig up, it¡¯s officially listed as abandoned, but for some reason hasn¡¯t been tagged for auction or demolition. It clearly still has water and power, so somebody is paying the bills.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it doesn¡¯t matter. You haven¡¯t identified any other gathering spots, right? So we can assume the place in Queens is their headquarters,¡± I said.


    ¡°Brooklyn,¡± Mia corrected as we pulled up to the valet stand in front of the hotel. ¡°It¡¯s actually in Brooklyn, right by the border of Queens, in an area called East New York, if that isn¡¯t confusing enough.¡±


    We had the elevator to ourselves, so I asked, ¡°How caught up on all this is your dad?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± Mia said. ¡°He and Jody have physically cased the area out, and drawn up attack plans.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully it won¡¯t come to that,¡± I said. Then, as the elevator reached her floor, I said, ¡°I¡¯m going across the street to talk to Rob again. You¡¯re welcome to come and have lunch. If not, I¡¯ll need a ride at three.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s cool. If you don¡¯t need me, I¡¯ll chill. See you at three, boss.¡±

 Not A Chapter: Another Discussion Time Episode

    Those of you that have read my author''s notes know that I do slightly obsess over Emmy And Me''s ranking numbers. I like when it climbs in the rankings, and get out of joint when it gets a rating bomb that sends it down a bit.


    And the 0.5 ratings (inevitably on the prologue) really do an amazing job on the ratings. The story was at #244, got a 0.5 and it got sent right back down to 318th place. It takes a lot of 5.0 ratings to bring it back up to where it was before it got bombed.


    Anyway, you guys all know this, since I''ve talked about it before.


    Apparently, many writers have bitched to the management here at Royal Road about the rankings, so yesterday they threw a curve ball. I checked my dashboard and saw that Emmy And Me was ranked in the top 250-500 stories on Royal Road.


    "That''s interesting," I thought. Now instead of giving us exact numbers, they''re giving us ranges. Which, I guess, reduces some writers'' obsession with exact numbers, but really doesn''t change the overall picture. I was a little bummed out, since at #307 last I check Emmy And Me was closer to the 250 mark than the 500, right? So it made it seem as if it was a bit lower than it really should, but whatever.


    I logged into the forums here on Royal Road (I don''t know if any of you guys have checked them out. Mostly they''re just wonky discussions of how to promote your story better) and saw a discussion thread on the topic. As it turns out, most of the people in the thread were some degree of pissed off at the change.


    Some were miffed because of the way it was done, just completely out of the blue, but more were upset that they now had no precise way of knowing if their story is reaching a wider audience or not. A few pointed out that as premium members they were paying for the analytics, and suddenly having a major one disappear was infuriating.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    By the time I got home and logged back into the discussion, the mods had already caved and reverted the rankings back to the way they had always been, for better or worse.


    Reading through the discussion, two things really stood out to me. First off, people (besides me) really are obsessed with the rankings. As I said above, I''m a little obsessed, but some are very much so. The rankings are an inherently zero-sum game. For every rise, others must fall. This is the way. Some seem to see it as a relative merit of their story vs everybody else. Again, I will admit to a bit of that in my case, especially since I know my story is niche, and very much against the grain here at Royal Road. If Emmy And Me does well in this field, I think of it as an accomplishment.


    The second thing that struck me is that Emmy And Me is actually kicking serious ass here. A lot of the others in the discussion were talking about there stories being in the 3500-3000 range, and being pleased with their position, but hoping to improve.


    Emmy and Me has been in the top 300 for well over a year now, with a few bumps below that when it gets rating-bombed. That means it''s in the top 2% of all stories on Royal Road.


    It''s not me who put it up that high- it''s you guys, my lovely and talented readers. All of you, who''ve read all 800,000 words to get to this point. You, who''ve given it more 5 star ratings than anything else. You, who''ve written reviews, you, who''ve given me amazing feedback in my not-chapters. You, who keep me at this crazy project.


    I love you guys so much. You, our little community of readers and commenters. You, who keep me pointed in the right direction.


    Thank you guys. I really mean it. Thanks a lot for holding my hand through this journey. I needed it, and you guys stepped up.

 The Troll

    Grabbing my laptop case from the room, I quickly looked through my email, which had really stacked up in the nearly two weeks of my radio silence. Realizing I had a solid day of simply responding to the ones that really needed it, I fired off a quick couple of emails to let people know I was back in communication, then stuffed my laptop back in the case and made my way across the street to crunch some numbers with Rob.


    Later, having dinner at Sana and Donny¡¯s house, I told them about the trip, then we talked about the newbies and the restaurant it seemed I was going to buy.


    ¡°We don¡¯t go downtown any more,¡± Sana admitted. ¡°Too many tourists, too many panhandlers, and parking is¡­ Well, it¡¯s terrible,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of the last time we even went down there,¡± Donny agreed.


    ¡°Yeah, but look at you two. You¡¯ve got a little kid, who¡¯s too young for anything you might find down there anyway, right? And Donny, how much free time do you even have with med school? And Sana, between work and being a mom, how often do you even get out of the neighborhood?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not very often,¡± Sana said.


    ¡°Right. It¡¯s just the wrong time in your lives to go out to a nice restaurant, or do stuff like go to that market where they throw fish at each other,¡± I said.


    ¡°Locals don¡¯t go to Pike Place,¡± Donny said, rolling his eyes. ¡°Unless they¡¯re showing visiting friends around.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°But a few years from now, once you¡¯re past your residency and Aaron is in school, maybe you will. Maybe you¡¯ll take him to see the undercity or whatever and you¡¯ll rediscover the Seattle that locals try to ignore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculously true,¡± Donny agreed. ¡°Us natives or long-termers totally try to never admit about any of the stuff that tourists love about Seattle. You know, I¡¯d never seen the Fremont Troll until Sana demanded I show it to her, and it¡¯s like a mile and a half from here and maybe two miles from where I grew up.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even actually know where it was!¡± Sana said with a laugh.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s true about most locals most places. I couldn¡¯t tell you how many people in Los Angeles I¡¯ve met that have never, not once, been to the beach, for example. If it¡¯s not in between their house and their work, it might as well not exist,¡± I replied.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true. People talk about Alki Beach down in West Seattle, but I¡¯ve never been there. Not once in my life,¡± Donny said.


    ¡°And your complexion proves it,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°I like to think of myself as ¡®vitamin D receptive¡¯, thank you very much,¡± Donny said in a haughty tone, his familiar goofy grin on his face.


    Feeling a little pang of nostalgia or maybe a bit of loss for how close our friendship had been for the four years at Stanford, I regretted that our lives had taken us in different directions.


    ¡°Hey- when, not if, but when, you guys come down to LA to visit, we¡¯ll make sure to take you to all the touristy hot spots. Disneyland, the Universal Studios tour, the Hollywood sign, La Brea tar pits, all of it. So make sure you plan for a long enough visit. Or New York. We could see the Empire State Building, catch a Broadway show- you know, all the touristy stuff,¡± I said.


    ¡°It would be nice to take a break, but traveling with Aaron¡­ It¡¯s hard,¡± Sana said, helping the little guy cut up his pork chop.


    ¡°I want to visit Aunt Emmy!¡± Aaron said.


    ¡°There. The boss has spoken,¡± I said, holding up my hand, getting a high five from Aaron. ¡°You know you can come down to visit any time, little man. It¡¯s O.K. if you want to bring your mom and dad, too. We have two swimming pools. Just sayin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Two pools? Why not just one big one?¡± Aaron asked.


    ¡°One is big- it¡¯s huge, actually. The other one is our own private little pool, just for us and our very best friends and family. Since you¡¯re family, you get to use the big pool or the little pool, whichever you want.¡±


    ¡°Do you have pictures?¡± he asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Of course I do, but it¡¯ll have to wait until after dinner,¡± I told him.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you should rush through your dinner,¡± Sana said, scolding her son.


    When Sana took Aaron to bed, Donny and I kicked back on the couch with a couple of beers.


    ¡°We really need to come down and visit,¡± he said.


    ¡°You really should. Don¡¯t worry about the cost of the plane tickets- I¡¯d be happy to cover you guys on that, and of course, we have plenty of room for you to stay. Either in LA or New York, for that matter. Come to LA when you decide you need some vitamin D. Maybe over Christmas break?¡±


    ¡°Sana and I sure could use a break,¡± Donny admitted. ¡°I feel bad, her being stuck with mostly being a single parent while med school kicks my ass, you know? My parents take Aaron on Wednesdays, and that helps a lot, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°You know Emmy adores the little man, and I can promise you, Angela will, too. Come down, plan a few things for just you and Sana, and leave Aaron with us for the day, or maybe two. There¡¯ll always be reasons why you can¡¯t do it right now, whenever right now actually is, so just write it down on your calendar in permanent ink and make it happen.¡±


    Donny took a drink from his bottle, then looked at me for a long moment. ¡°Is it just me? Can other people ever tell you no?¡±


    ¡°No, nobody ever does,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°Not ever.¡±


    The next morning I had a meeting with Skye Blue and her husband Jasper, so I got my workout in early before having breakfast with Mia before she drove me to the apartment building.


    Jasper was just as I¡¯d imagined, an aging Pacific Northwest outdoorsy hippie with a kind face. It was easy to imagine him teaching high school kids, and being pretty much everybody¡¯s favorite teacher, the kind of guy you could tell things to.


    Skye fixed me another cup of tea before we sat down, which I accepted, even though tea really wasn¡¯t my thing.


    ¡°Hey, is that offer for tickets to see The Downfall still open?¡± she asked when we were all seated.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to see what I can do,¡± I said. ¡°You said you teach guitar, right?¡± When Skye nodded yes, I said, ¡°Learn a Downfall song. Maybe more than one. I¡¯d bet Emmy would be happy to pull you up onstage to play.¡±


    ¡°What? No! I couldn¡¯t!¡± Skye protested, but Jasper¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°Babe, you could,¡± he said. ¡°You used to talk about playing big gigs like that when we were in college.¡±


    ¡°I''ve given up on those dreams, roughly a hundred years ago,¡± she shot back.


    I interrupted to head off any further arguments, asking, ¡°Um, Skye- have you given any thoughts to what I said last time I was here? Did you two talk it over at all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we did,¡± she said, sipping her tea. ¡°I talked to my guys at Rainier, too. It looks like the building is gonna get sold to one buyer or another, but at least with you, there¡¯s a guarantee we won¡¯t get asked to move out. So yeah, we¡¯ll do it. If you do buy the place, we¡¯ll stay on and keep running things around here.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to hear. I¡¯ll go ahead and make my offer today.¡±


    ¡°Skye said that you¡¯d want to make it a bit more formal, the stuff that I do around here,?¡± Jasper asked. ¡°Like, a real paycheck?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually been giving it some thought since I talked to Skye,¡± I said. ¡°The short answer is yes. The long answer is that if you¡¯re willing, I¡¯d love to make your job a bit different than just building handyman. Skye said you teach wood shop at the high school, right?¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Mostly I¡¯m a school counselor who also teaches wood shop,¡± Jasper corrected.


    ¡°Do you enjoy the teaching?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the best part,¡± Jasper admitted. ¡°No office politics, no drama, just kids who want to learn.¡±


    I leaned back, trying to come up with a way to say what had been percolating in the back of my mind for the last couple of weeks.


    ¡°Alright, and this is just an idea I want to float, to see if it¡¯s even something you¡¯d consider. Skye told me you do all the work here in this old building yourself, and anybody with eyes could see that it all looks great. You¡¯re a teacher, too. Well, here¡¯s the thing. There are a lot of good jobs in construction, here in Seattle and all over the rest of the country, but kids don¡¯t think of these things as possible careers. I was thinking that- and again, this is just a really rough idea, no details or anything- that if you¡¯re interested, I¡¯d be happy to supply you with plenty of training opportunities, for an after-school program in construction. You could show kids that are interested¡­ Heck, I¡¯m doing a terrible job of this,¡± I admitted, leaning back.


    Jasper looked at me for a moment, then asked, ¡°Are you thinking I could somehow run a work training program? Something like that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I have no idea how it could be set up, or anything. All I know is that I like the idea of buying older properties, like this one, and renovating or restoring them, at the same time as kids or even adults could learn the trades,¡± I said, hoping I didn¡¯t sound as half-assed as I thought I did.


    Jasper looked thoughtful for a long moment, then leaned forward. ¡°What would everybody get out of this?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d get updated rental properties. You¡¯d get paid for your time, and so would the kids, plus they would get real-world job training in a field that isn¡¯t going to go away anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d pay the kids?¡± he asked for clarification.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect free labor from them, but obviously it¡¯d be at apprentice trainee rates. I can¡¯t see how kids could really put in many hours during the school week, but maybe make it a summer program?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯d have to figure out how to make it work,¡± Jasper said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.


    ¡°I¡¯d leave that up to you. Like I said, this is just a sort of half-baked idea that came to me after talking to Skye last time.¡±


    ¡°What do you get out of this?¡± Skye asked, curious.


    ¡°A big part of the reason I ever started this business is to help people from underserved minorities get established careers and good, safe, clean affordable housing. Right from the start I was pushing for my contractors to take on these willing but unskilled workers to give them a break,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°The way I look at it, this is a very immigrant-friendly neighborhood, right? I¡¯m guessing a lot of Jasper¡¯s students are immigrant kids, or kids from low-opportunity situations. Giving these kids a way to earn a decent living doing an honest job, it¡¯s not just good karma, it¡¯s good long-term business planning.¡±


    ¡°I hate to say it, but that kinda sounds like bullshit- too good to be true,¡± Skye said.


    ¡°I can have some of my guys that have come up through the program give you a call, if you¡¯d like,¡± I said. ¡°Besides the construction and property maintenance work, I also own a lot of restaurants and night clubs, again, as much to put people to work learning the service industry as anything. It¡¯s pretty accurate to say that it¡¯s all a giant jobs program, in a way.¡±


    ¡°Does this have any¡­ What I mean is, would this affect the sale of the building, and Jasper¡¯s, um, work here?¡± Skye asked.


    ¡°No, not in the way I think you¡¯re asking,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to make my offer, and if the sellers accept, then the deal I proposed last time is still one hundred per cent valid. I just thought that this job training thing was a possible add-on, if Jasper was interested. It¡¯d be on him to set it up and organize it. I¡¯d provide the funding, and the projects to work on, but it won¡¯t affect the setup here,¡± I said, waving my hand to indicate the building we were in, ¡°in any way.¡±


    ¡°How soon would you need an answer?¡± Jasper asked, obviously giving the idea some thought.


    ¡°The ball is in your court right now,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°You think about it, first, if it¡¯s even something you¡¯d be interested in, and second, what it would take to get rolling. Come up with some sort of proposal, however informal. I can have my non-profit guys work with you if you want to maybe go for local government grants, or need to pitch the idea to the school district or whoever. When you¡¯re ready, if you want,¡± I added.


    ¡°You have non-profit guys?¡± Jasper asked.


    ¡°I have non-profit guys,¡± I said. ¡°I directly employ literally thousands of people in various capacities, and yes, I¡¯ve got a small office that deals exclusively with grants, subsidies, stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°So, yeah. This is a thing that I think could work, but only if you want to commit to it. Think about it, let me know when you decide one way or another,¡± I said, leaving it at that.


    Back at the hotel I called the San Jose office and had them submit the offer on the building. ¡°Keep an eye out for similar properties in the area. I think we may want to move into the region in a serious way soon.¡±


    That settled, I dove into my email backlog. Mia texted to ask what my plans were for the evening and when I told her I was going to stay in and catch up on work, she asked if it was cool if she went out. I reminded her that my plane took off at eight, so be back in time to take me to the airport.


    ¡°No sweat¡±, she texted back. ¡°C U at 6:30¡±.


    Needing a break and feeling a bit hungry, I went down to the hotel bar for a quick bite and maybe a drink, since it was after ten o¡¯clock. The place was surprisingly busy, so I just grabbed a seat at the bar.


    ¡°Can I buy you a drink?¡± asked a guy who looked to be in his mid thirties. He had that well-groomed look that told me was probably in sales, in town on some sort of business trip.


    I made a point of tapping my wedding ring, but he shrugged. ¡°Hey- if I were married to Emmy Lascaux, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting in this hotel bar all alone,¡± he said.


    Not too surprised he¡¯d recognized me, I laughed. ¡°Business,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s back at home in LA, recording with the boys.¡±


    ¡°I really like their version of Werewolves Of London,¡± he said, sitting down next to me.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fun,¡± I agreed. ¡°So, you know who I am, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized. ¡°My name¡¯s Robert. I¡¯m not actually married to a rock star, myself.¡±


    Chuckling at that, I said, ¡°Take a seat, why don¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks! I think I will,¡± he replied, signaling to the bartender. ¡°A gin and tonic, please. And get the lady another one of whatever it is she¡¯s having.¡±


    ¡°So, Robert, what brings you to Seattle?¡±


    ¡°A big client meeting,¡± he replied offhandedly, as if work was the last thing he wanted to talk about. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Setting up a non-profit,¡± I said. ¡°And buying properties. And visiting with old friends.¡±


    ¡°Sounds hectic,¡± Robert said, handing his credit card to the bartender.


    ¡°Oh, and there was a trip to Alaska in there, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very hectic.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t too bad, actually, but I¡¯ll be happy to head home in the morning,¡± I said, giving him a little salute of thanks with my glass.


    The cocktail I¡¯d ordered (and then Robert ordered for me again) was some sort of berry-infused, blood orange-essence I don¡¯t know what, but it was actually pretty good.


    ¡°Last night in town?¡± he asked. ¡°Out of curiosity, what airline do you fly?¡±


    ¡°God, we flew commercial up to Alaska,¡± I groaned. ¡°What a pain that is. I tell you, it¡¯s hard to go back to that.¡±


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t often fly commercial?¡±


    ¡°This was the first time in a few years for me,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°You have your own jet?¡± he asked, impressed.


    ¡°No, I just mostly fly executive charter. I¡¯ve been thinking about buying a plane, but you know what they say.¡±


    ¡°Rent it,¡± Robert said with a laugh.


    ¡°Oh, it gets worse. There¡¯s been talk in the household about buying a yacht,¡± I said.


    ¡°Rent it!¡± Robert said again, raising his glass in salute.


    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna do for a while, anyway,¡± I agreed.


    "Must be nice, being in the kind of tax bracket where you¡¯re actually considering buying a yacht and a jet,¡± Robert said.


    ¡°It beats living in a cardboard box down by the river,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s no lie,¡± Robert agreed. ¡°So what kind of jet would you buy, if you were going to buy one?¡±


    ¡°A private one,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Best kind,¡± he said.


    After a moment of silence, I said, ¡°I¡¯m curious. You knew who I was, and knew I¡¯m gay, but you still came over with just about the most tired pick-up line ever.¡±


    ¡°I know it is,¡± he admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s a good ice breaker, since it is so cheesy.¡±


    ¡°It is that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°But yeah, I just wanted to talk. It isn¡¯t every day I get to have drinks with a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a celebrity- my wife is,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Hey- if you¡¯re ever on the cover of People magazine, you¡¯re a celebrity,¡± Robert said.


    ¡°I guess, by some definition.¡±


    ¡°Bask in it! Seriously, I recognized you from across the room, right? That¡¯s fame.¡±


    Robert had made a pretty good point, so I just shrugged.


    ¡°So, what do you want to talk about? You said you wanted to talk to me,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t gotten that far,¡± Robert admitted. ¡°Maybe watches?¡± He suggested, pointing at my wrist, then pulling up his sleeve to show off his own watch, an Omega Speedmaster.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a watch geek,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Says the woman wearing a watch that costs more than the average home price in Milwaukee,¡± he said with a wry grin.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a ridiculously expensive watch,¡± I agreed. ¡°But all it does is tell time.¡±


    ¡°And look good.¡±


    ¡°And look good,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not into watches, what does float your boat?¡± Robert asked.


    Thinking about it for a moment, I said, ¡°Well, I like fast cars.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Like American muscle fast, or Italian fast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few German fast cars,¡± I said.


    ¡°When you say ¡®a few¡¯, what are we talking? A collection?¡± Robert asked.


    ¡°Calling it a collection implies that I¡¯m collecting them, right? I just buy ¡®em to drive ¡®em, not to ¡®collect¡¯ them,¡± I said, making air quotes with my fingers.


    ¡°What¡¯s your newest? Or maybe I should ask what¡¯s on your shopping list to pick up next?¡± Robert asked. He was good at keeping the conversation moving.


    ¡°I guess my most recent purchase was my Porsche 918 Spyder,¡± I said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Wait- that¡¯s the hybrid one, like the Ferrari LaFerrari, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Wow- that¡¯s like a million dollar car, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone up in value. It¡¯s more like two million now,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Crazy,¡± Robert said, shaking his head.


    ¡°So, Robert, do you have any cool cars?¡± I asked, trying to turn the conversation his way.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a BMW M3, but that¡¯s nowhere near the Porsche¡¯s league,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah? I¡¯ve got an M3 in Yas Marina Blue,¡± I told him. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty fun car to drive,¡± I said, an image of driving at night with a naked Ashley in the passenger seat coming unbidden to mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great color,¡± Robert said. ¡°Mine¡¯s Austin Yellow Metallic.¡±


    ¡°Flashy!¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, it is a bit¡­ boy racer, I guess, but it was what they had on the lot,¡± Robert said with a shrug.


    ¡°Next time you¡¯re in the market, bring it in to one of my dealerships and I¡¯ll make sure you get a great trade-in,¡± I said.


    ¡°Dealerships?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have a couple of BMW dealerships in Southern California,¡± I said.


    ¡°And you just bought a million-dollar Porsche?¡±


    ¡°It fell into my lap,¡± I said, sipping my drink. ¡°I got a good deal.¡±


    ¡°As great as that offer may be, I¡¯m based out of Nashville, so¡­¡± Robert said.


    ¡°Your loss,¡± I replied.


    ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± Robert said. ¡°You own car dealerships in California, but are buying properties in Seattle.¡±


    ¡°I own properties all over the western US,¡± I said. ¡°Mostly along the West Coast, but a few in other places, too.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s how you can afford a million-dollar Porsche.¡±


    ¡°I paid cash,¡± I said. ¡°And it was one point seven million.¡± Sure, it was a flex, but why not, right?

 Right Back Into It

    ¡°Hey, querida!¡± Angela said when I got home. ¡°Did you get everything you needed done?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did. Looks like I¡¯m buying that restaurant and the apartment building,¡± I said, giving her a kiss. ¡°Where¡¯s Em?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in the studio with Lee and Jackson,¡± Angela said. ¡°They¡¯ve been working on that new song of hers for a couple of days now.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are we having people over tonight?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Jenna and Andy are coming. They¡¯re going to bring Darius and his girlfriend, too. Jen is out in the studio with Em and the boys, and they¡¯re going to stay for dinner. Lacy is bringing cookies,¡± Angela added.


    ¡°So, a good crowd, then,¡± I said, carrying my bag to the bedroom.


    ¡°But not too many,¡± Angela said, following me.


    I dropped my duffel bag on the floor in the closet, then turned around and pulled Angela into my arms.


    ¡°I missed you, baby,¡± I said, giving her another kiss. ¡°Even though it was just two nights.¡±


    ¡°I should have stayed up there with you,¡± Angela said, snuggling up against me, laying her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°No, it would have been boring for you. I had a bunch of meetings, and had dinner over at Donny and Sana¡¯s house, and you don¡¯t even know them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve told me so much about them, I feel like I do,¡± Angela said, in no hurry to move from her cuddly spot in my arms.


    ¡°I made them promise to come down for vacation, so you¡¯ll get to meet them soon,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will they bring their little boy?¡± Angela asked, hopeful.


    ¡°I told them they couldn¡¯t come without him,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°He¡¯s adorable. Real quiet, but not because he¡¯s shy. He¡¯s just like a little sponge, watching and listening to everything everybody says or does.¡±


    Thinking about it, Angela said, ¡°I think that is what Emmy must have been like when she was little, too. She still does that- she watches everything all the time. She never misses anything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± I said, with a chuckle. ¡°She really doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Angela finally let me go, then took my hand to lead me out of our walk-in closet. ¡°You need a shower, then we need to find Emmy and get her to stop for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Will you help wash my back?¡± I asked, hopeful.


    Angela made a thoughtful face. ¡°Well, I already had one shower today after my workout, and I don¡¯t want my skin to dry out¡­¡± she objected. ¡°If I scrub your back, you have to promise me you¡¯ll help me apply more lotion when we¡¯re done.¡±


    I let out a deep, theatrical sigh. ¡°O.K., I guess I can do that, if I really have to.¡±


    ¡°Fair is fair,¡± Angela said, poking me in the chest.


    It took us quite a while to get showered and then lotioned up, but I can¡¯t say that I regretted even a moment of the lost time.


    ¡°I went shopping yesterday,¡± Angela announced as she brushed my hair.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I bought you some things. Some clothes. I was thinking about what you said, about Mia, and her ¡®bois¡¯,¡± she said. Kissing my shoulder.


    ¡°And this led you to buying clothes?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it did,¡± Angela confirmed. ¡°I bought myself some clothes, and some for you, too. I want you to wear what I bought you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Am I gonna hate it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but you might be a little bit¡­ uncomfortable? I hope you do not hate it,¡± Angela said. ¡°If you do, you don¡¯t have to wear it. But I would like you to, if¡­¡±


    Now really curious, I said, ¡°If you want me to, I¡¯ll do it, Ange.¡±


    With a happy smile, Angela bustled off to the closet. I watched her walk away, enjoying the way her hips swayed and her firm bottom moved with every step. I briefly thought of back when she¡¯d announced she was going to go naked around the house, wishing those days would return. Watching her walk, statuesque in her nudity, was one of the greatest joys to be found.


    She came back with a few small scraps of blue cloth and handed them to me, a nervous but hopeful look on her face.


    A pair of thong panties was obvious, but the two other pieces?


    Angela took the three pieces back, then handed me the undies. ¡°These first- unless you want to skip them?¡± she said with a saucy smile.


    I laughed and put them on. I had other thongs but rarely wore them, so I was unaccustomed to the feeling, but if it was for Angela, I¡¯d do it.


    Next she handed me one of the pieces of blue knit fabric. ¡°It¡¯s a skirt,¡± she explained.


    I pulled it on, wondering where the rest of it was. It was just about the shortest skirt I¡¯d ever worn in my life, which honestly wasn¡¯t saying much. On Emmy or Angela it would have been reasonably conservative, but on me it seemed very risqu¨¦. Looking in the big full-length mirror, I could see that objectively it wasn¡¯t micro, since it came down to slightly above mid thigh, but still¡­ Like I said, it was probably the shortest skirt I¡¯d ever worn.


    Next up was a top in the same blue knit. It was a spaghetti-strap bandeau, cut high to show off my belly. I pulled it on and adjusted my boobs just right, then rotated my shoulders to settle the straps. Angela made a little noise, so I glanced over to see her wide-eyed, her hands over her mouth.


    ¡°Ay, Dios m¨ªo! Que guapaza!¡± she said.


    Amused, I looked in the mirror. It wasn¡¯t the sort of outfit I would ever have chosen for myself- in fact, it was the kind of thing that Angela would wear for her fast fashion photos on social media, but far, far from anything I would normally wear.


    ¡°Look at you! You¡¯re so hot!¡± Angela said as I tried to pull the hem of the skirt a bit lower. She slapped my hand away, saying, ¡°It¡¯s perfect! Lee, you have the longest, firmest legs in the whole world. You need to show them off. Show them off for me, baby.¡±


    ¡°Is that what this is about? Me showing off for you?¡±


    ¡°Claro! Emmy and me, we know you¡¯re the most beautiful, sexiest woman there is, right? But you always wear clothes that hide your amazing body,¡± she said, drawing out the word ¡®amazing¡¯. ¡°Wear this tonight, and all our friends will get some idea of what Emmy and I get to sleep with.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You know, a lot of our friends have actually seen me naked,¡± I joked.


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Angela countered.


    She disappeared into the closet, quickly coming back wearing a pair of loose jeans and a baggy BMW T shirt, Chuck Taylors on her feet. She handed me a pair of sandals to go with my outfit, thankfully with fairly low heels.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re dressing like me?¡± I said, amused.


    ¡°You know what? I want to go driving on Saturday, the two of us dressed like this,¡± Angela said, her eyes bright and her smile wide.


    ¡°Yes, your highness,¡± I said with a little bow. ¡°I aim to please.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll take the M6, not the Porsche,¡± Angela said decisively.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to reach over and feel your leg in the Porsche. The thing,¡± she said, making some sort of strange gesture to indicate something about elbow height, ¡°It¡¯s too much in the way.¡±


    Laughing, I pulled her into my arms to give her a kiss, only to feel her hands on the back of my thighs slide up under the skirt to squeeze my butt.


    ¡°This time I get to be the one groping you,¡± she said, kissing my collarbone.


    ¡°You groped me plenty in the shower,¡± I objected.


    ¡°It¡¯s never enough,¡± she said, lowering her voice to a throaty growl. ¡°For a beast like me.¡±


    We found Emmy and the boys in one of the practice rooms in the studio part of the building. I was pleased to see that two of the other practice rooms were occupied and briefly wondered how the recording studio was doing, business-wise. It wasn¡¯t my concern, though, and I didn¡¯t want to step on Jackson¡¯s toes, so I determined that if the subject came up I¡¯d ask, but I wasn¡¯t going to push it.


    Angela waved at Emmy though the soundproofed glass window, getting a smile in return. Emmy said something to Jen, who opened the door for us.


    ¡°Holy shit, Leah!¡± Jen said, eyeing me up and down. ¡°Lookin¡¯ good!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you guys ready for a lunch break?¡± Angela asked, looking around the small group.


    ¡°I could eat,¡± Jackson said. ¡°We¡¯ve been at it for a while.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, O.K.,¡± Lee said, leaning back against his keyboard. ¡°It¡¯s actually a pretty good point to stop at,¡± he added. Still, even after knowing Lee for years, his SoCal surfer accent still made me want to laugh, since it was so unexpected, looking at him.


    It took the three a few minutes to get their stuff sorted, but soon enough we found ourselves in the kitchen.


    ¡°I love the fact you guys have a chef make all your food,¡± Jen said, eyeing the Thai chicken salad. ¡°You guys eat really well.¡±


    ¡°Worth every penny,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I kind of miss cooking,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°You do cook, every now and then,¡± I countered.


    ¡°Maybe once a week, that¡¯s all,¡± Angela replied. ¡°I don¡¯t do it very often.¡±


    ¡°But seriously, it must be nice to not have to worry about what to make for dinner,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t just that,¡± Jackson said. ¡°What your cook does make is always amazingly fresh and healthy, too. When¡¯s the last time you guys ate anything fried in grease? You guys need to get yourselves some carnitas tacos from that place over on- hey, Lee, where is that place you took me?¡±


    ¡°Highland,¡± Lee said. ¡°Just north of Melrose.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that place. Damned good. And the birria!¡± Jackson added.


    ¡°Yeah, their birria is awesome,¡± Lee agreed.


    ¡°Maybe we should try it?¡± Emmy suggested.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t go late on Friday or Saturday night,¡± Lee cautioned. ¡°The place gets really busy and the line can get really long.¡±


    ¡°Stoners,¡± Jackson said with a laugh.


    ¡°One hundred per cent,¡± Lee agreed.


    ¡°Why were you there then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We were stoned,¡± Lee admitted.


    Andy and Jenna were the first to arrive that evening (if you didn¡¯t count Jen, since she was already there).


    Andy gave me a big hug and handed me a bottle of wine. ¡°We went wine tasting down in Temecula on Monday, and this was our favorite.¡±


    Jen and Jenna were doing their silly hand shake thing, but when they finished Jenna said, ¡°We saw your mom and your sister there!¡±


    I turned back to catch Andy looking me up and down. ¡°That¡¯s kinda a different look for you, Lee.¡±


    ¡°Angela¡¯s idea,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Well, you look good- I mean, seriously good,¡± he said.


    Darius introduced his girlfriend Shelly, who seemed a bit star-struck at meeting Emmy.


    ¡°Uh, Leah,¡± Darius said when the group wandered off into the kitchen. ¡°I wanna talk to you about, um, investing and shit. I been thinkin¡¯ a lot about it, and I¡¯m pretty sure I am gonna retire after this season.¡±


    ¡°We can do that,¡± I said. ¡°You want to talk tonight?¡±


    ¡°Um, I thinkin¡¯ that maybe we could, like, get things started soon, you know? So maybe, if it¡¯s cool with you, if you have, like, a few minutes¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get everybody settled in, and we can go up to my office and talk.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna make you leave the party,¡± Darius objected.


    ¡°I meant my home office,¡± I said, pointing in the general direction of the tower.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool,¡± he said, looking relieved.


    ¡°Hey, Ange?¡± I said when we followed the crowd. ¡°Darius wants to talk about investing, so we¡¯re going up to my office. Give us a shout when it¡¯s dinner time, if we¡¯re not down by then.¡±


    ¡°You need me, bro?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, maybe,¡± Darius said, looking unsure. ¡°Yeah, if you¡¯re cool with it.¡±


    Andy and Darius followed me down the world¡¯s longest hallway to the base of the tower, where I suddenly remembered I was wearing a miniskirt and thong panties.


    ¡°Hey, you guys go on up- I gotta grab something really quick,¡± I said. No way was going to climb those stairs with two guys staring at my ass in that tight skirt.


    I bolted back to the bedroom and grabbed my laptop case, figuring it was my best excuse.


    Of course, the two football players had gotten distracted when they saw the racing sim rig, and were drooling over it when I made it to the floor below the actual office.


    ¡°Dang, Lee!¡± Andy said from the seat. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me you had this setup? I could totally rock Gran Tourismo in this!¡±


    ¡°And my little sister would probably smash your lap times,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s a freaking monster on that game, but her favorites are the rally sims. Tiffy loves that stuff.¡±


    ¡°This is top grade stuff, man,¡± Darius said admiringly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you guys what, if you want to sneak away after dinner you can race yourselves silly.¡±


    ¡°That would be awesome," Andy said, climbing out of the racing seat.


    ¡°Now, up,¡± I commanded, pointing upstairs.


    The two guys looked back longingly at the sim rig, but did as I said and made their way up to the office, me following behind.


    I sat down at my desk so I could fire up the laptop, not actually thinking I really needed it.


    When Darius and Andy settled into their chairs, Andy said, ¡°You know, Lee, you¡¯re the hottest investment advisor I¡¯ve ever seen. It¡¯s kinda hard to think about numbers with you dressed like that.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t gonna say nothin¡¯,¡± Darius agreed.


    ¡°This was Angela¡¯s idea,¡± I said, indicating my bandeau and miniskirt. ¡°Something to do with me not looking so butch or something, I don¡¯t exactly know.¡±


    ¡°Well, ¡®butch¡¯ is definitely not how I¡¯d describe that outfit,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Try to concentrate,¡± I said, but honestly, I was laughing a bit inside.


    ¡°So, like, Lee,¡± Darius said. ¡°You said some things that really got me thinkin¡¯, and I wanna do what you said, but some of it is gonna be hard.¡±


    ¡°Which parts?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m cool with the downsizing. I already started- I sold my Bentley and got myself a Lexus. I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ selling the house is the next step, and I can do that, but¡­ cuttin¡¯ off my people¡­ I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m gonna do that.¡±


    ¡°I can see how that could be hard, but here¡¯s the thing. You have to make it clear that you¡¯re retiring and won¡¯t be making any more money, right? If you aren¡¯t making money, you can¡¯t be handing it out like candy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s easy to say,¡± Darius said.


    ¡°You told me you bought your mom a house, right? It¡¯s paid off?¡± I asked, and with that, we really started to get somewhere. By the time Angela climbed the stairs to announce that it was almost dinnertime, I felt as if Darius had a reasonable action plan that he could make work. It involved him playing for one more year, but downsizing immediately. One idea that he¡¯d floated was opening a hot chicken restaurant back home in Tennessee, and I told him that I could come in as a silent partner if he really wanted to pursue that path.


    When we made our way to the dinner table, people were already eating.


    ¡°Get everything figured out?¡± Jenna asked Andy.


    ¡°Maybe. I hope so,¡± he answered with a shrug.


    After dinner we all made our way out onto the deck, since it was a warm October evening and still in the upper seventies at eight o¡¯clock.


    Darius seemed like a man with a weight off his shoulders, smiling more than I¡¯d ever seen him do before. I hoped that he could stick to the plan, even though it meant telling his family no, something that didn¡¯t seem to have ever happened in the past.


    Watching Angela get ready for bed that night I thought about how she really came alive when we had guests over. She loved having a full house, loved it when friends came over, loved hosting parties. She was a very social person, in a way that Emmy and I weren¡¯t. It isn¡¯t that Emmy and I didn¡¯t enjoy it, but it just didn¡¯t come as naturally to either of us as it did to Angela.


    Emmy must have been thinking similar thoughts, because she said, ¡°Angie, you make friends so easily. Everyone loves you. These dinner parties- you are the one who gives them life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I added. ¡°Everybody does love you. But we love you most of all.¡±


    Angela put her earring down on her dressing table and joined us in bed. ¡°I love you two most of all,¡± she said, sliding in next to me, but reaching over to stroke Emmy¡¯s white hair. ¡°I love it when our friends come over, but I also love quiet evenings when it¡¯s just the three of us.¡±


    ¡°Soon it will be five of us,¡± Emmy said, capturing Angela¡¯s hand on her cheek.


    ¡°Soon,¡± Angela agreed with a hopeful sigh.

 Lightening My Load

    Sure enough, that Saturday found Angela and me in the M6. I was wearing the blue two-piece ensemble that Angela had bought for me, and she was wearing her jeans and T shirt, just like at the dinner party.


    I knew I was going to get a ribbing from Jimmy at the very least, and probably from Stein as well, but what the hell. My Angela wanted me to wear that skimpy outfit, so I was going to do it for her.


    ¡°Whoa, baby!¡± Jimmy catcalled when I climbed out of the BMW. ¡°Lizzie, you¡¯re looking hot today!¡±


    Stein had been facing away, but at Jimmy¡¯s reaction he turned around to see what the fuss was about. The look of shock on his face was priceless, well worth the possible mortification wearing next to nothing would bring.


    ¡°Did you two get dressed in the dark this morning? Grab each others¡¯ clothes?¡± Stein asked after a moment of disbelief.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Angela said brightly.


    "Dang, Liz,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°Somehow you look even taller than usual.¡±


    ¡°Jimmy, it¡¯s the legs. Just look at those things. They go on and on and on until they get together and make an ass of themselves,¡± Teddy Bear said, giving me a wink to let me know he was just teasing.


    ¡°Har har,¡± I said. ¡°Babe, you want anything from the store?¡± I asked Angela as I headed for the mini mart.


    ¡°Maybe a Perrier?¡± she replied.


    ¡°Dang! Look at that walk!¡± Jimmy said as I made my way to the store, but I ignored him, and Teddy Bear¡¯s wolf whistle, too.


    Geoff arrived while I was inside, and obviously the others had mentioned I was wearing something atypical.


    He looked me up and down and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the big deal is,¡± he said.


    ¡°Look at her!¡± Jimmy urged. ¡°Look at that top! Look at that little skirt!¡±


    Geoff shrugged again. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her in a bikini,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s wearing a lot more than that right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen Lizzie in a bikini?¡± Jimmy asked, astounded.


    ¡°Yeah, Linda and I take the girls over to their place to swim every now and then,¡± Geoff explained. ¡°They love going over there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a treat having them visit,¡± Angela said. ¡°Ginnie and Eileen are always welcome.¡±


    ¡°You and Linda, too,¡± I said to Geoff.


    ¡°I guess this means you¡¯ve seen Angela and Emmy in bikinis, too,¡± Jimmy said in a woeful tone.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, why yes, I have,¡± Geoff said with a big grin. ¡°Very, very small bikinis.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Jimmy demanded of the heavens. ¡°Why do you hate me?¡±


    Since it was Jimmy¡¯s turn to lead, we did the usual route through the Malibu Hills, which was always fun but sometimes a bit slow when we hit traffic. During one of the slow times Angela rested her hand on my thigh, sliding the hem of my skirt up a little with the edge of her hand. As she grew bolder, her hand slipped higher and farther to the inside. I glanced over when she stroked even higher, seeing her mischievous grin.


    Next thing I knew, her hand had slid all the way up and she was teasing me through the thin cloth of my thong.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to understand why you like me in short skirts so much,¡± Angela said as she rubbed me with the edge of her pinky. With her right hand she pulled my knee towards her, opening up some more room for her left hand.


    When we stopped at a light on the PCH she said, ¡°Take off your panties, Lee.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Do it. I want you to take them off.¡±


    I was going to protest, but when I saw the look on her face, I gave in. I raised my butt a little off the seat, reached up under my skirt to my hips and pulled the tiny little piece of clothing down to my ankles, slipping my feet out of them just as the light turned to green. Stepping on the gas, I tossed the thong onto Angela¡¯s lap.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Angela said approvingly, patting my bare leg. She kept her hand on my thigh as we drove south, commenting, ¡°I love the feel of your strong muscles, Lee.¡±


    Heading uphill on Murphy Way, Angela slipped her hand back to where it had been earlier, only now there was no cloth barrier in her way.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have a hard time driving like this,¡± I said after a few moments of her touch.


    ¡°Then find a spot to pull over,¡± Angela commanded. ¡°A nice, private spot. I want you now, Lee.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to ditch the guys and take us home,¡± I said.


    ¡°Drive fast,¡± Angela demanded.


    We had just turned off for the drive back to the house when both of our phones chimed with text messages. Puzzled, Angela pulled out her phone and checked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Emmy,¡± she said, concern in her voice. ¡°She says to come home as soon as possible.¡±


    Suddenly concerned, I asked if she¡¯d said why.


    ¡°No, just that,¡± Angela said, her thumbs working overtime on her phone¡¯s touchscreen keyboard.


    ¡°Tell her we¡¯re on our way,¡± I said, sexy times completely forgotten.


    Emmy was waiting for us in the Batcave when I pulled the BMW into its spot.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Angela asked, out of the car almost before it stopped moving.


    ¡°Nothing is the matter,¡± Emmy said, her face lit up with happiness. ¡°In fact, things are perfect!¡±


    ¡°Why did you text us to come home?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We got an email from the lab in Korea- they have fertilized eggs for us to implant!¡± Emmy said, practically vibrating with excitement.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Angela asked, stopping dead in her tracks.


    ¡°Yes! Very serious! It is finally time!¡±


    I swooped in and grabbed Emmy in a giant hug, lifting her up off the ground. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! We¡¯re gonna be parents!¡± I set Emmy down and did the same with Angela, lifting her up and spinning around.


    Somehow the idea that all that stress, all those visits to the fertility clinic, all that money- it was all going to come down to this, and soon. Less than a year from now and we¡¯ll have two babies crawling around the house, and in just a few more years our girls would be going to their prom¡­


    Angela grabbed my hand when I set her down, then took Emmy¡¯s and dragged us into the house.


    ¡°Come on!¡± She said. ¡°We need to celebrate!¡±


    To my surprise, Angela dragged us to the nursery, where we all sat down on the floor and just looked at the empty room.


    ¡°Soon this will have two, what are they called, the little baby beds?¡± she said, gesturing to where she imagined they would go.


    ¡°Bassinets?¡±


    ¡°No, those are for little bitty brand new babies. When they are in their bassinets they¡¯ll be in our room,¡± Angela said decisively. ¡°No, I mean the ones that are like little cages.¡±


    ¡°Cribs,¡± Emmy said.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Yes, cribs. And there will be two dressers, and a changing table,¡± Angela said, pointing out where they would go. ¡°But we will not buy any of it until the babies are born. It¡¯s bad luck to buy these things too early.¡±


    I didn¡¯t believe in bad luck, but I was perfectly willing to humor the mother of one of my children in this. If it made her happy, it made me happy.


    My children. It was really going to happen. Somewhere in Seoul was a lab with a couple of eggs that my DNA had fertilized. I was really going to be the father in a sense to two little girls, little Emmy, Jr and Angela, Jr. It was really going to happen.


    Overwhelmed by the emotions swirling inside me, I wrapped my arms around the shoulders of the two women I loved and just held them close. Our family, our ¡®household of three¡¯, would soon be a household of five.


    I was burning with desire to call Donny, Mom, anybody to tell them the good news, but really, we didn¡¯t actually have good news to report yet. This was just another step on our journey to parenthood, after all.


    We must have spent at least an hour in that empty room that was going to become our nursery, not really saying much other than vague ¡®I love you¡¯ noises. Somehow, though, that hour of just sitting there made me feel closer to Emmy and Angela than I had before, and made the dream of a family with kids that much more real.


    At some point it occurred to me that Emmy and Angela had already had this moment with each other, that time I found them cuddled up together and sleeping in that empty room. The bond they shared was fundamentally different than the relationship I had with either of them, I knew that, but sitting and holding the two and daydreaming about our little girls brought me closer to understanding it.


    We went out for dinner that night- Emmy called and got us a table at the new restaurant at the top of of the US Bank Tower, seventy-one stories up. It was very reminiscent of the restaurant we¡¯d gone to in Chicago, when Angela first found her way into our bed.


    I don¡¯t know if Emmy had planned for that coincidence, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me at all to find out that she had. If there was ever anybody who would plan things like that, it was her.


    The food was good and the views were magnificent, the timing with the setting sun only adding to my suspicion that Emmy had intended it to be a subtle reminder of the first days of our m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois.


    Angela and Emmy were both radiant, their impending motherhood already giving them both a certain glow, and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, a sort of serenity. They were relaxed in a way I hadn¡¯t seen them be for a while, presumably because the worry that the whole process would get us nowhere was now gone.


    I felt lighter, too, I must admit. I¡¯d almost gotten to the point where I was ready to throw in the towel and write it off as a hopeless fantasy, the crazy idea that I could actually father Emmy and Angela¡¯s babies, but all of a sudden it seemed to be on the verge of actually happening.


    We made love that night, the three of us in a very touchy-feely mood. It wasn¡¯t the hot and nasty sex I was expecting earlier in the day when Angela was rubbing me up. No, it was tender, slow, and all about the emotional connection, even more than the physical. We kissed, we held each other, we made it very clear through our actions that we loved each other very, very much.


    Of course I was the first one to wake up in the morning, but I didn¡¯t get out of bed. I stayed where I was, enjoying the memories of the night before. Besides, it was Sunday. I had nothing to do, anyhow.


    Eventually I felt Angela stirring. When she glanced over and saw that I was awake and watching her, she gave me a shy smile.


    ¡°Good morning, querida mia,¡± she said quietly, to not wake Emmy.


    ¡°Good morning, beautiful,¡± I replied, keeping my voice quiet, too.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a mam¨¢,¡± Angela said in an amazed tone.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll be the best one there ever was,¡± I assured her with a smile.


    ¡°I hope our babies are born on the same day,¡± she said. ¡°That way they would be like twins.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to be the most loved little girls in all the world,¡± I said.


    ¡°You are going to spoil them,¡± Angela said, reproachfully. ¡°I can already tell.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna be my job,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°What is going to be your job?¡± Emmy asked, just waking up, her voice still very groggy.


    ¡°Spoiling our little girls,¡± I said, giving her a kiss.


    ¡°I am certain you will be good at it,¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    We stayed home that day, all three of us. We didn¡¯t really do anything in particular, and it wasn¡¯t by any spoken agreement. It seemed as if we just all wanted to be with each other, even if it was just listening to music on the hi-fi and lounging on the couch.


    Amusingly enough, Angela took some selfies and posted them on her socials, with the caption, ¡°Lazy day at home. No makeup, no workout, nothing but comfy pajamas all day long.¡±


    I guess that meant that Angela was working even on her day off, but in a low-key way. I had made it clear a while back that she never needed to work another day in her life if she didn¡¯t want to, but she had insisted that she wanted to continue modeling and doing her influencer stuff.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t about the money any more,¡± she¡¯d said. ¡°It¡¯s about doing something that I¡¯m good at, and something that I like doing.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that- I wanted her to have her own thing, a sense of her own agency and not feel as if she was some sort of ¡®kept woman¡¯ or something. I liked that she wanted to continue and even expand her career, even though she had no need for the income any longer. I don¡¯t think she knew that I knew she was sending a good chunk of her earnings to her family back home, and another decent chunk to a scholarship fund for poor kids there in Cartagena. I¡¯d toyed with the idea of creating an endowment in her name, but ultimately came to the conclusion that I¡¯d just be co-opting her initiative.


    Working out the next morning, I regretted storming out of the fight gym the way I had. Our home gym was excellent by home gym standards, but I missed having people to spar with and to spot me when I lifted heavy. Determined to swallow my pride a bit, I stopped by on my way to work.


    ¡°Long time no see, stranger!¡± Eddie said when I walked up to the counter.


    ¡°I hate to admit it,¡± I said, ¡°But I kinda miss this place.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be the smell,¡± Eddie said.


    ¡°No, it definitely isn¡¯t that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You know Jody doesn¡¯t work here anymore, right?¡± Eddie said.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. He works full time for me these days,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s in Portland, Maine right now, actually.¡±


    ¡°Really? Doin¡¯ what?¡± Eddie asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s helping train my paramilitary death squads,¡± I said as casually as I could manage, and the look on Eddie¡¯s face made it worthwhile. Of course Eddie had heard all the rumors and speculation about what I did for a living, and so he was ripe for a gag like that.


    He recovered after a moment, laughing. ¡°You had me there for a hot minute,¡± he said.


    ¡°So, anyway, I think I want to re-up here. I won¡¯t need the early start, though,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Eddie said with a sigh. ¡°I kinda liked the money. So I guess this means it¡¯ll, uh, all be above-board? No ¡®special techniques¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just standard MMA sparring with whoever, and of course, weights and that stuff,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°There¡¯s twenty guys here at least who would love to spar a few rounds with you. They never got to see you actually fight, and what with Jody tellin¡¯ everybody to not even talk to you, well, everybody¡¯s curious.¡±


    ¡°Tell ¡®em to take a number. I¡¯ll spar with anybody,¡± I said.


    ¡°We got some heavy hitters,¡± Eddie warned.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get my ass handed to me, right?¡±


    ¡°You see, that¡¯s the attitude I like to see in a fighter. In fact, that¡¯s the truest definition of a real fighter, right there,¡± Eddie said with a smile.


    ¡°Hey, Leah!¡± Richie said, walking up to join us at the counter. ¡°You gonna be working out here again?¡±


    "Looks that way,¡± I said, handing Eddie the filled-out forms.


    ¡°So, uh, if you need a sparring partner¡­¡± Richie said.


    Pointing at me, Eddie said, ¡°Remember- keep it cool.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± I said. Turning to Richie, I said, ¡°Not today, but maybe sometime soon. I¡¯m going to try to make it here three days a week again.¡±


    ¡°Cool! See you around!¡± he said, before returning to his weights.


    I had no meetings that morning, which was probably a good thing. I found myself lost in daydreams of motherhood imagining two beautiful little girls sitting in my lap while I read them a story, or swimming in our pool. I imagined their first day at school, with their little backpacks with carefully packed lunches and snacks inside. I thought about what school we would send them to, and how maybe when they got older they could go for a year abroad with their grandparents, or maybe just summers in France or Colombia¡­


    In other words, I didn¡¯t get a damned bit of work done. But that was O.K., since I¡¯d been mostly delegating my duties to various others, so I was only really involved in the top-level stuff anymore.


    Really, the most compelling argument for even coming in to the office on days like that was for the face time with my staff, and the occasional work lunch just so everybody still knew I existed.


    Most of the actual work I did was reviewing proposals, sending and answering emails, and talking on the phone, which I could do just as well from my home office. Still, it was important to actually be a presence, so I was determined to come in three days a week and make my bi-weekly trips to San Jose.


    Two days a week, though, I stayed home until it was time to go to class. I¡¯d grown less and less convinced the MBA degree was worth my time, but I was determined to ride it to the end. I was halfway through the program and classes were starting to cover things that were new to me, so that was good.


    A knock on the doorframe of my open door brought me back to reality.


    ¡°Hey, Boss,¡± said Sandy. ¡°Wanna go for a drive?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to show me?¡± I asked, quickly checking my calendar to see if I could blow off the afternoon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a guy in Silver Lake, wants to open a burger joint. He said somebody gave him your card if he ever thought about starting a real restaurant.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s who I¡¯m thinking of, I gave him my card, but that was last year,¡± I said.


    ¡°Just took him a while to get around to it, I guess,¡± Sandy said.


    ¡°You know what, Sandy? You just go and talk to the guy. If it seems like it would work, well, you know what to do. You don¡¯t need me to hold your hand on a simple deal like this,¡± I said.


    Sandy looked at me for a long moment, then asked, ¡°Am I correct in understanding that you¡¯re giving me autonomy on this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about time. You¡¯ve worked for me for almost five years now, came down to LA when I did. You haven¡¯t steered me wrong on a single acquisition or in-house project yet. I think it¡¯s time for you to fly on your own, Mr McGregor,¡± I said.


    ¡°What about the big projects?¡±


    ¡°Maybe on the big or speculative projects I might want to look ¡®em over,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Sandy asked, ¡°Does this come with a raise?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± I said. "Talk to the other department heads. See if you guys can agree on a basic incentive structure that would work across the various divisions, and then come talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Are you- are you telling us to unionize?¡± Sandy asked, still trying to wrap his brain around the idea.


    ¡°Not unionize, per se, but maybe do a little collective bargaining? Keep in mind, though, that I pay all you guys above industry standards already, so don¡¯t ask for too much, and keep it performance-based.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking,¡± Sandy said, his Australian accent thicker than usual. ¡°Why? I mean, it seems like you¡¯re offering this out of the blue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking that things are going really well, I¡¯m happy with the folks I¡¯ve got in various important positions, and I want to reduce my micromanaging,¡± I said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call what you do ¡®micromanaging¡¯,¡± Sandy protested.


    ¡°Maybe not, but there¡¯s no need for me to be looking over everybody¡¯s shoulders,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°And besides, I promised I¡¯d lighten my load.¡±

 Blowing Out The Cobwebs

    We had a big discussion that night about the egg implantation. My suggestion was that Angela should go first, since the collection had gone much easier for her and that way we could see if it would take before trying with Emmy, but the other two voted me down.


    Angela wanted the two babies to be born as close as possible to each other and Emmy just wanted to get going with things and have the implantation done as soon as possible.


    Of course I caved, since Emmy was ultimately the one who was likely to do the most suffering and she was all for jumping right in.


    We scheduled the appointments for both of them one after the other on the same day at the end of the week. We¡¯d already discussed with our fertility doctor about the number of embryos to be implanted, and we all agreed that only one would be transferred on that first visit. We would keep trying until a pregnancy occurred if we needed to, but we didn¡¯t want to wind up with either Emmy or Angela carrying twins (or more).


    I couldn¡¯t focus on class that Tuesday night, so I asked Myles to send me his notes later (he was an excellent note-taker) and left for home at the break.


    Back at home, I wasn¡¯t much better. I felt nervous and unable to focus, despite having two wonderful women trying to help me relax.


    I was at the fight gym the next morning when Eddie arrived to open the place up, desperately needing a workout to try to get my mental state sorted out. Weights helped, but during my plyo work one of the regulars came over to talk.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said. ¡°Um, you fight, right? I mean, I know you, uh, kicked Linda Rubio¡¯s ass, so obviously you do, but¡­ Well, I mean, Coach Jody isn¡¯t here to work with you anymore, and I just wanted to say that if you need a sparring partner¡­¡± he said awkwardly.


    ¡°You¡¯d be willing to get in the ring with me?¡± I asked, a little bit amused at his approach.


    ¡°I mean, yeah,¡± he replied. ¡°We could, like, take it easy, if¡­¡±


    Eddie bustled over, catching the tail end of the conversation. ¡°Hey, kid,¡± he said, about to put a stop to things, but he saw the look in my eyes. Changing course, he said, ¡°Look, um¡­ Joey, right? If you¡¯re gonna spar with her, I¡¯m gonna need you to understand some things. You, too,¡± he said, turning to me. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d tell a guy who was gonna spar with a chick to, like, take it easy, you know? But I don¡¯t think I need to do that this time. What I will tell you both is I want full protective gear, alright? Training gloves, full face headgear, shinguards, all of it.¡± Turning to me, he said, "I know you got all that stuff, but do you?¡± he asked Joey.


    ¡°Um, not the headgear, but the rest of it, yeah, in my bag,¡± Joey said.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a loaner this time, but you¡¯re gonna want to buy your own,¡± Eddie said. ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m gonna need to ref this one, too.¡±


    ¡°Ref a spar?¡± Joey asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eddie said, and the serious expression on his face put an end to any other questions.


    ¡°Leah, you been workin'' out for over an hour. You need a break before¡­?¡± Eddie asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be ready by the time I get geared up,¡± I said, wiping my face with a towel.


    ¡°You, Joey?¡±


    ¡°No, um, I¡¯m good,¡± Joey replied, really starting to wonder what all the fuss was about.


    About ten minutes later we were in the ring, and when some of the others saw what was about to happen they started to gather around.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Eddie said. ¡°Standard rules. Keep it clean, keep it, um, gentlemanly. But you,¡± he said, pointing at Joey. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. Don¡¯t be thinking you¡¯re hitting a girl, because I guarantee you, she won¡¯t be too concerned about hitting a guy. Remember, this is a friendly training bout, but it¡¯s also a real spar, so do it right. Got it?¡±


    When we both nodded, he pointed to the two opposite corners. We tapped gloves, then retreated to our corners. I was a little nervous, since I¡¯d seen Joey spar before and he was a decent fighter. I had a lot of reach on him, though, so I felt I could probably determine the flow of the fight. From what I could remember seeing, he was mostly a striker, which lessened my weakness against a male fighter.


    Eddie clapped his hands for us to go at it and Joey took a few steps forward, hands raised. I stepped up, but not enough to close the distance. When he moved forward again, I hit his ankle with a low kick at just the right moment, knocking him off his feet.


    As quick as that, I was in on him, raining down blows he was doing everything he could to block.


    Eddie separated us, then waved us back in. Joey was a bit more cautious, so I stepped in to lay a few jabs, bringing myself within his range.


    He went for a right hook, but I got inside and gave him a quick couple of knees to the chest, then pushed him back. He went reeling, so I followed up with a solid kick to the head, sending him to the mat.


    Eddie waved me off, then stood over Joey. ¡°You O.K., kid? You good to go?¡±


    Joey stood up, shaking his head to clear it. ¡°Yeah, Eddie, I¡¯m good, She just caught me by surprise, that¡¯s all,¡± he said, straightening up and resuming his stance.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Eddie said. ¡°Get to work!¡± he commanded, clapping his hands together again.


    Joey took me a lot more seriously after that, and approached me like a real fighter. My keys to success were to keep out of his range but within mine, which was easier said than done. Joey resorted to a strategy of coming in hard, taking whatever hits were needed to get in and lay some really solid punches and kicks on me when he could.


    He was always going to suffer like that, though, because for every hit he managed to land on me, I got in two or more on him. At some point he realized it, too, and had enough sense to change things up.


    After a particularly good kick to his ribs, he trapped my foot to pull me in. I saw his right wind up, and as he swung I threw myself into a spin and brought my left foot up and clocked him hard as he overbalanced with his missed punch. He had no choice but to let me go as he fell forward, needing both hands to catch himself.


    Once I had his back there was no route to success for Joey and after trying and failing to get out and taking a rain of blows, he tapped out.


    I helped him up and tapped gloves. Taking out my mouthpiece, I said, ¡°Good fight, Joey. Thanks- I really needed that.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, Leah, was it? You can really fight!¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how fast you are!¡±


    ¡°You got in some good hits, too,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be feeling it the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Alright, kids, ¡° Eddie said. ¡°That was a good bout. That¡¯s just what I like to see. Now both of you, go drink some water and cool down.¡±


    Stepping out of the ring, I realized that half the gym had been watching Joey and me. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, since I¡¯d been told several times that I was a big mystery and everyone wanted to know if I could actually fight or not.


    ¡°Damn, Leah,¡± Richie said, handing me a bottle of water. ¡°You took him apart!¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°It was just a friendly spar, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Shit- I¡¯d hate to be on the receiving end of one of your unfriendly spars, then.¡±


    ¡°Joey¡¯s a decent fighter,¡± I said. ¡°He held back a little at the start, but once he got into it it was anybody¡¯s game.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± one of the other gym trainers said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You were reading him like a book,¡± the coach said. ¡°You had him any way you wanted him.¡±


    ¡°What would you have done?¡± Richie asked the coach.


    ¡°Honestly? If it had been me in that ring?¡± The coach mused. ¡°Wrestle. She,¡± he said, gesturing at me, ¡°is unbelievably fast, right? You saw it. And it looked like a lot of strength in those blows, too. The only answer is to take that out of the equation. Grapple, get on the floor, and go for submission. That¡¯s the answer. The only answer.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Leah,¡± I said, introducing myself to the coach.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Lawrence,¡± he said, shaking my hand.


    ¡°Lawrence,¡± I said. ¡°I may be in the market for some private lessons, if¡­¡±


    ¡°Nah, sorry,¡± Lawrence said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m not the guy for you. I appreciate it, but you need somebody else.¡±


    As Coach Lawrence walked away, Richie said, ¡°You remember when I said I¡¯d be glad to spar with you? I take that back.¡±


    ¡°No take backs!¡± I joked as we walked back towards the mats, rubbing my thigh where Joey had landed a particularly good kick.


    ¡°So, um, Leah, you know how I said that a lot of the guys were really curious about you?¡± Richie asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Well, you answered one question, but we kinda already knew that you could fight when you put the beatdown on Linda Rubio, right?¡± Richie said.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Now that we all got to actually see you in the ring, it¡¯s gonna start people talking again,¡± Richie finished lamely.


    I stopped and turned to face him. ¡°Look. Here¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m a real estate developer, not some sort of government killer or something. I build and rent apartments to people, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Richie said, visibly deflated. ¡°You know they say you got that scar in a knife fight,¡± he said, pointing at his cheek.


    ¡°Well, that part is true,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Wait, seriously?¡± he asked, gaping.


    ¡°I grew up in a rough neighborhood,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°No shit!¡± Richie said, still trying to figure out if what I¡¯d just told him was true or not.


    Leaving the locker room dressed for work in my dark blue pinstriped skirt suit, a lot of the guys in the gym watched me go. I was sure Richie was right and tongues would be wagging, but whatever. I¡¯d kind of known it would happen if I actually sparred with any of the regulars, after all. Knowing that eyes were on me, I walked out the door like it was any other day and I was going to work in an office, making damned sure not to favor my bruised leg.


    As it turned out, a good fight was just what I¡¯d needed to get my head back on straight for work. All my nerves, all the random thoughts and worries about the appointments at the fertility clinic, all of that seemed to have vanished. Sure, I was still a bit concerned about the visit and especially what it would do to Emmy, but after my solid session in the gym that morning it all seemed to be just that bit more manageable.


    Getting ready for my bath that night, Emmy noticed my bruises. I really don¡¯t bruise that easily, but Joey was quite strong and a few hits had really knocked me hard.


    ¡°Leah, how did this happen?¡± Emmy asked, looking at my ribs when I took off my shirt.


    ¡°Sparring at the gym this morning,¡± I said, as casually as I could. Just a sort of, ¡®yeah, no biggie¡¯ attitude in my voice.


    ¡°This looks very painful!¡± Emmy said, reaching out to touch my outer thigh, but just barely keeping her fingers off in case it was sore.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Angela asked, joining us in the bathroom.


    ¡°Leah got in a fight today,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°It was a sparring match, not a real fight,¡± I protested, not wanting to make a production out of it.


    ¡°Why do you do this to yourself?¡± Angela asked, kneeling down to examine my bruised leg.


    ¡°You know why,¡± I said, sinking slowly into the blisteringly hot water.


    ¡°I wish¡­¡± Emmy said, her voice soft and concerned.


    ¡°Em, you know why, and you know that I¡¯ve accepted it all on my own,¡± I said.


    Her face miserable, she said, ¡°Yes, I do know that, but I still wish that it was not necessary.¡±


    ¡°So do I, babe, but this is what I signed up for,¡± I said, taking her hand.


    Angela stood next to the tub, her hands on her hips. ¡°Is this about your¡­ your paramilitares?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, sort of,¡± I confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more complicated, but basically, yeah, it¡¯s all part of the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Be careful. That¡¯s all I ask,¡± Angela said with a sigh, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.


    ¡°I do my best,¡± I said, relaxing in the hot water.


    ¡°I know you do, Lee. I know you only take risks you think you can control, and I know you need to push, to¡­ to strive for more. I just worry sometimes,¡± Angela said, running her fingers through my hair. ¡°But¡­¡± she said, trailing off.


    When Angela didn¡¯t continue, Emmy asked, ¡°But?¡±


    Angela¡¯s face fell and her shoulders slumped. ¡°But¡­ the reason I love Lee is because she is so¡­¡± she said, trying to find the words. ¡°So¡­ fierce. So untamed. Not¡­ savage, that isn¡¯t the right word, but- well, yes, untamed. I don¡¯t want her to change, just because I worry.¡±


    A soft look came over Emmy¡¯s face. ¡°This is true. Leah is magnificent, is she not? She is a lion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Lee is a lion. Ferocious, deadly, but beautiful at the same time,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°Rawr,¡± I said, making a pawing motion, earning me laughs from the two.


    Friday morning at the gym, the atmosphere was different than I was used to. Before, when I¡¯d been working with Jody, nobody really talked to me. I knew that was because Jody had told everybody to stay away, but also, I think, it was because I was something of an enigma and the regulars just didn¡¯t know how to act around me.


    Somehow me sparring with Joey changed things. Now I wasn¡¯t as much of a mystery. I was just another fighter in a gym full of them. Now they could relate to me on that level, and it made me more approachable.


    As usual, I was there right when Eddie opened the door, first one in. Joey came in not long after, and when he saw me working the heavy bag he came over to talk.


    ¡°Hey, uh, Leah, that was a good, um, session the other day. I just wanna say, if you ever need someone to beat up on, I¡¯d be happy to, well, get back in the ring, if you want.¡±


    ¡°Joey, it was good. And I¡¯ll absolutely take you up on it, but I want you to promise me something,¡± I said, taking a break from the bag.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Despite what Eddie said, you still started out slow. Next time, come at me like you mean it.¡±


    Joey laughed and grinned sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll know better next time,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just, I never fought a girl before, you know? It was kinda weird for me at first. Even as hard as this head is,¡± he said, rapping his knuckles on the side of his head, ¡°I can still learn.¡±


    Laughing, I gave him a high five. ¡°Joey, here¡¯s your tip for today. When you line up a right, you drop your left a little bit. You totally telegraph your intentions.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Joey said, taking a fighting stance, then shadow-boxing a right. Sure enough, his left dropped just a moment before. He did it a couple more times, trying to keep his left up, eventually getting better about it.


    ¡°Practice that,¡± I said. ¡°But also, use it. If your opponent learns to read that a right is coming, you can bring in an unexpected left, or even better a kick, and they won¡¯t be prepared.¡±


    ¡°What, like this?¡± Joey asked, taking the stance, then dipping his left a bit as if he were about to lay a right cross, but bringing out a right low kick instead.


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Remember what Yogi Berra once said: Half of all fighting is ninety per cent mental.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he actually said that,¡± Joey laughed.


    ¡°He also said, ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve said half the things I¡¯ve said¡¯,¡± I replied.


    The appointment at the fertility clinic was surprisingly anticlimactic. No anesthesia was needed, since it was a simple, painless procedure. Angela was fine, of course, and Emmy was only slightly crampy afterwards, but not enough to dim her smile.


    ¡°We will know in ten days,¡± Emmy said with a smile as we left the clinic.


    ¡°Ten loooong days,¡± Angela moaned. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can wait that long!¡±


    The three of us had lunch that day at a little Indonesian restaurant on the west side, near the office. Sandy had taken me there a couple of times for lunch meetings, and I liked the food and the low-key atmosphere of the place.


    The waitress eventually worked up the courage to ask Emmy for a selfie, and of course Emmy was happy to oblige. This opened the floodgates and soon Emmy was posing for pictures with the entire restaurant staff, charming everybody.


    In the car, Angela said, ¡°Em, it still amazes me how everybody loves you. You get people eating out of your hand like it was nothing,¡± she said.


    ¡°I like people,¡± Emmy said with a shrug. ¡°Being polite and pleasant comes easy to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s much more than just that, babe,¡± I said. ¡°Much more.¡±


    ¡°We are close to your new office, are we not?¡± Emmy asked, changing the subject. ¡°Can you give us a tour?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we can do that,¡± I agreed, changing lanes to make a right turn to head back west and toward the office.


    Showing Emmy and Angela around work went about the way I expected. Everybody knew I was married to a famous rock star, but actually getting to meet her and talk to her was something else. Again, Emmy posed for selfies with anybody who asked, and generally just wowed all the staff. She made small talk like a champion, turning every conversation around so that she was asking about their lives, rather than having it all be about her. All in all it took us about two hours to make our way through the two buildings.


    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t one hundred per cent about Emmy. A lot of the staff seemed taken by Angela, too, but I don¡¯t know how many actually knew we were in a relationship with the three of us. Sure, a few did, but I don¡¯t know if Nash, Sandy, Jake or one of the others had spread the gossip. In any case, we finally got out of there and found our way back home for some relaxing cuddle time on the couch.


    Emmy and Angela had been especially affectionate the last few days, since we got the news that the eggs were ready. That afternoon when we finally got to settle down after the implantation appointment (the clinic called it ¡®transferral¡¯) Angela and Emmy were especially so. It seemed that neither one of them could pass a moment without touching me or each other. They held hands, held my hands, kissed and nuzzled each other and when I flopped down on the couch, both somehow managed to drape themselves across me and each other.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong- I enjoyed it, but it was as if some sort of switch got flipped and both of them went straight into nesting mode. As I lay on the couch, buried under my two lovebugs, I wondered how the next nine months were going to go. It might not exactly be death by snu-snu, but it was probably going to be death by cuddlebunnies.


    ¡°What do you think of the name Celeste?¡± Emmy asked as I was drifting off.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Angela said, and I mumbled some sort of agreement.


    ¡°It means ¡®heavenly¡¯,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°It is a very pretty name,¡± Angela said. ¡°But it is bad luck to choose a baby name before the child is born.¡±


    ¡°I am just thinking about names now,¡± Emmy said with a little laugh. ¡°I will not pick one until she is born.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about Leonora,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°I think it¡¯s from Italian, but it was very popular in Colombia in my grandmother¡¯s time. It means ¡®light¡¯, I think. But I also like it because it is like a feminine version of ¡®Leon¡¯, which means lion. Since Lee is a lion, I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°I like that,¡± Emmy said, kissing Angela¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°I was thinking maybe we could name the girls Eunice and Ethel,¡± I said, amused.


    ¡°No, you were not,¡± Emmy said indignantly, giving me a light slap on my shoulder.


    ¡°Terry and Geri?¡± I offered.


    ¡°I hope you realize that you just lost any rights to name our babies,¡± Emmy said, resting her head on my shoulder again.


    The next morning Angela skipped driving with me so she could stay home with Emmy. Since there was going to be no smooth leg to rest my right hand on, I took the Vantage out in what felt like the first time in forever. It was nice, like spending time with an old friend. I¡¯d forgotten how sweet the rumble of that twelve cylinder engine sounded through the Capristo exhaust as I wound it out. Just to blow the carbon off the valves, mind you- not because I enjoyed the sound and speed. No, not at all, officer.


    Stein was waiting at the meeting spot when I got there, a paper coffee cup in his hand while he leaned against his McLaren, checking his phone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you still had that Aston,¡± he said as I climbed out of the low-slung car.


    ¡°I¡¯d have a hard time ever parting with this baby,¡± I said, patting the Madagascar Orange hood.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever drive it?¡± he asked, curious.


    ¡°Honestly? To tell you the truth, it¡¯s because Angela rides with me most of the time.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like it?¡± Stein asked, puzzled.


    ¡°No, she does, but it¡¯s a manual,¡± I said, miming shifting through the gears.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Nowadays my right hand prefers resting on her leg,¡± I said, miming stroking a smooth thigh.


    ¡°Checks out,¡± Stein said, nodding.

 Fulfilling Promises

    The rest of the guys showed up not long after that, trickling in more or less on time. The big surprise was when Teddy Bear drove up in a dove gray Corvette Z06, with the dealer¡¯s paper plates showing that it was brand new. Of course we all had to ogle and admire his new ride, which honestly was pretty sweet.


    ¡°They only made six hundred and fifty with this carbon trim package,¡± Teddy Bear explained. ¡°To commemorate sixty-five years of the Corvette.¡±


    ¡°Real nice, TB,¡± Stephen said approvingly. ¡°So, ready to put it through its paces?¡±


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± Teddy Bear said to me. ¡°Got any of those private track days coming up?¡±


    ¡°I could schedule one,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, and I am feeling the need for speed.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any gigs booked right now,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°So my time is mine.¡±


    ¡°Let me look at the track calendars and see what I can set up,¡± I said.


    ¡°Um, would you be cool with me bringing Steph, if this track day happens?¡± Stephen asked me quietly.


    ¡°Of course!¡± I told him. Thinking about it for a moment, I asked, ¡°Is she- I mean, does it feel weird for her to come out on Saturday mornings? I know she likes to ride in fast cars, and¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe? She¡¯s turned me down every time I¡¯ve asked if she wants to come out driving,¡± Stephen said. ¡°But I¡¯ll let her know you¡¯re O.K. with her being here and everything.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much she told you, but we parted as friends, and I still- well, I like hanging out with her, and spending time just being friends, you know?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, she says pretty much the same thing, but I think she¡¯s a little worried about, I don¡¯t know, maybe tension with Emmy and Angela?¡± Stephen said.


    Shaking my head dismissively, I said, ¡°Make it clear to her there is no tension. Emmy likes Stephanie, even without me in the picture. Angela, well, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the jealous type, but if she is, she just has to deal, you know?¡±


    Somebody (probably Jimmy) declared that since Teddy Bear was the one with the new car, he got to lead out. Everybody agreed, thus making it a new rule. Whoever brings a new car to the Saturday drive gets to take point.


    Teddy Bear was pleased with leading, since that meant no paint chips on his brand new Corvette. Stein had lectured him about vinyl paint protection and I¡¯d seconded the recommendation for Stein¡¯s guy. Teddy Bear agreed to schedule an appointment for a paint correction and protective wrap early the next week, just to keep his new toy new-looking.


    ¡°Just- when we do the track day, do me a favor?¡± Teddy Bear had asked. ¡°Leave my new car with some dignity, alright?¡±


    ¡°Dignity is earned, not granted,¡± I said, giving him a wicked grin.


    ¡°Aw, damn,¡± he replied. ¡°Now I¡¯m really gonna get thrashed, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Step up, my man. Step up.¡±


    That night at the club, Imogen commented to Angela that she looked really good. ¡°You have a certain glow,¡± Imogen said.


    ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t tell,¡± Angela replied. ¡°But I think I might be pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I started to object, but she waved it away. ¡°Emmy and me, we had our visit to the fertility clinic and they implanted fertilized eggs in both of us. I have a feeling it took.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday afternoon,¡± I explained to James and Imogen.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s too early to know for sure, but I feel¡­ confident,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Well, good luck to both of you,¡± Imogen said. ¡°Hopefully you¡¯ll have positive confirmation the next time we see you.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of next time,¡± James said. ¡°What does your track time schedule look like now that it¡¯s cooling off a bit?¡±


    A while after Imogen and James left, Lauren and Andrej Markovi? came by the table.


    ¡°Getting ready for the big day?¡± I asked when they sat down.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it¡¯s almost that time,¡± Lauren said. ¡°And Andrej said that Emmy is going to play at our wedding? How did he talk you into that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Your fianc¨¦e can be very persuasive,¡± I said, nodding towards Andrej, who was blushing with a bit of embarrassment. ¡°But really, it¡¯s the least we can do for a friend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± she said.


    ¡°Andrej, have you decided if you¡¯ll be able to attend my new club opening in Hollywood on New Year¡¯s Eve?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s still on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s on schedule,¡± I confirmed.


    The two looked at each other, then seemed to come to a silent agreement. ¡°We¡¯ll be there,¡± Lauren said.


    ¡°Dress sharp,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a black tie affair.¡±


    Later, when things quieted down bit, Theo came over to my table with fresh cocktails for Angela and me.


    ¡°Boss,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea how you got us that stock of rare whiskies. When we opened that crate and there was about a million dollars¡¯ worth of Pappy, Michener, Sazerac¡­ Well, I just about lost it. I mean, this was the treasure of the Sierra Madre, right there in front of me, right? When we priced them out, I thought, ¡®Nah, no way is anybody going to pay twenty-five hundred bucks for a pour¡¯, but was I ever wrong.¡±


    I nodded, waiting for him to go on.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve had a lot of clients asking for full bottles. Last Friday night we had a table that bought over fifty thousand dollars worth, and that was just what they drank here.¡±


    ¡°This club has a lot of exceptionally wealthy people for members,¡± I told him. ¡°If you¡¯ve got eight hundred million in the bank, fifty K to impress your friends is no big deal.¡±


    ¡°No, I get that,¡± Theo said. ¡°Believe me, every time somebody drops a thousand dollar tip I¡¯m reminded of that fact.¡±


    ¡°Does that happen very often?¡± Angela asked, curious.


    ¡°Couple of times a month, yeah. And that¡¯s just the ordinary clients. That table I mentioned? The guys that bought all that whiskey? A ten thousand dollar tip on that tab. Everyone on the staff went home a bit happier that night,¡± Theo said, remembering back.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I should keep the club supplied?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You can get more?¡± Theo asked, his eyes wide.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t promise to get a given bottle in specific, but I can keep a flow of the extremely high-end juice coming.¡±


    ¡°You do that, boss, and I will kiss your feet. I¡¯m serious. I will absolutely do that.¡±


    ¡°All I ask, Theo, is that when somebody tries to hire you away, you tell ¡®em to screw off. Everybody here loves you and the team, so just keep doing what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°We can do that,¡± Theo said. ¡°This is the best place I¡¯ve ever worked. Hey, did you know I got profiled in Mixology magazine?¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s awesome!¡± Angela said, her big blue eyes wide.


    ¡°It¡¯s an industry insider thing, but still, it¡¯s cool,¡± Theo agreed.


    ¡°Send me the link,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d like to see it.¡±


    We sat there for a moment, then Theo brought up another topic.


    ¡°Um, Sandy Mac came in here a few weeks ago and said your new club down in Hollywood is coming together. He asked if I could spare a couple of weeks with the bar crew he¡¯s putting together, to make sure everybody understands what we¡¯re all about. That¡¯s cool with you, right? For me to take two weeks off here and work down there setting up the new bar?¡± Theo asked.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Sandy is now the official boss of the bar and nightclub division. If he says he needs you down there, it¡¯s policy. Full pay, plus per diem and housing, all that. The new place needs to launch like a rocket ship, no errors, from day one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there with bells on,¡± Theo said, looking excited by the idea.


    ¡°You say everybody loves me,¡± Angela said as we settled into bed that night. Well, morning, actually, but who was keeping track? ¡°But you- people love you, too. Theo? I don¡¯t think he was kidding when he said he would kiss your shoes. And Melanie? The waitress? She has a very serious crush on you. But guys like Andrej- you¡¯ve pulled him in to your¡­ orbit? Is that the right phrase?¡± When I assured her it was, she said, ¡°And now he would do anything for you. I know you told me you had him working on some project with his friend Tom, but I think he would do much more than that. Did you notice how he and Lauren looked when you reminded them about the LA launch? It was halfway between ¡®How did we get so lucky?¡¯ And ¡®Check us out- we¡¯re on The List!¡¯¡±


    I pulled Angela into me a little bit closer, enjoying her warmth and, of course, the way she smelled. Nuzzling her neck as I spooned her nice and tight, I said, ¡°Almost every day I find myself asking how I got so lucky.¡±


    Angela covered my hand on her breast and made a little satisfied sigh. ¡°Me, too.¡±


    The next day Angela and I went to Napa for some wine touring, hitting a few of the vineyards that Emmy and I had liked, and a few I¡¯d never tried before. My wine palate was improving, but I doubted I¡¯d ever have anything like Emmy¡¯s knowledge on the subject. Still, we found a few we liked, so we bought a few cases to have shipped down to Los Angeles.


    It was nice, just spending time like that with Angela. She was so easy to get along with, such an upbeat person, that besides all else, she just made any room brighter.


    I tried to banish the thought when it popped into my head, but I found myself thinking that life after Emmy wouldn¡¯t be so bad, if Angela was in it. Sitting at an outdoor table at a winery named ¡®Four Horses¡¯ or something like that, watching Angela talk to the woman explaining the different varietals mixed into their signature blend, I mentally added thirty years to Angela¡¯s face and figure.


    She was still one hell of a hottie in her late fifties, I decided. I felt myself slip into a daydream of the two of us, wine tasting like this as empty nesters, when our daughters were off making their own lives. Angela would still be a joy to behold, and a joy to spend my life with.


    Emmy wasn¡¯t going to be with us forever, but Angela and I would somehow manage to carry on, even with that Emmy-shaped hole in our hearts. At least we¡¯d have each other, and our daughters, who would be raised to be loving, smart, and strong.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Angela asked when she sat down with our two glasses of red, hers limited to a small splash in case she was pregnant.


    ¡°The future,¡± I said. ¡°Us, you and me. Our daughters. Emmy. The usual,¡± I said, covering her hand with mine.


    ¡°We will be O.K.,¡± Angela said, a bit of sadness in her smile. ¡°It will all work out.¡±


    I squeezed her hand, then took a sip of my wine so she wouldn¡¯t see my eyes get moist.


    A week and a half later, both Emmy and Angela tested as not pregnant, so they underwent another round of transferral. Still only one egg each, the plan was that we would continue doing it this way until they took.


    ¡°I was certain I was pregnant,¡± Angela moaned in the car on the way back home.


    ¡°I thought perhaps you were, too,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I did not feel as though mine had taken, but I had been hoping.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to keep trying until it works,¡± I said. ¡°At least the transferral isn¡¯t so bad.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t nice, having that thing stuck up your¡­¡± Angela said.


    ¡°No, but at least there¡¯s no pain, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There is some pain,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But not too bad.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home and get you in a hot bath,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Emmy said, and I could hear the discomfort in her voice.


    That night we cuddled with Emmy in the middle, sandwiched in between Angela and me. She was still suffering from cramps, but the warmth seemed to help.


    ¡°I hope it works this time,¡± I said, kissing Emmy¡¯s slender neck.


    ¡°I do, too,¡± she replied. ¡°I want this very much.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°I want us to have big bellies together. It¡¯ll be like a comedy show- we¡¯ll have to lean forward to kiss. Our baby bumps will bump into each other.¡±


    Emmy laughed at the image and her mood visibly lifted. ¡°Poor Leah!¡± Emmy said. ¡°I will say, ¡®I need pickles!¡¯ and you will say ¡®I need ice cream!¡¯ and we will both start crying at the same time!¡±


    ¡°You know why it¡¯ll be O.K.?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do not know how it will be anything but a nightmare when we are both hormonal,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be O.K. with me because I love you both and no matter how moody you guys get, I¡¯ll be there for you,¡± I said softly.


    Emmy leaned her head back to rub it against mine, letting out a contented sigh. ¡°Angie,¡± she said. ¡°We are very lucky.¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± Angela agreed.


    As it turned, out, the second round of transferals didn¡¯t take, either. The doctor suggested we re-think our commitment to one egg at a time, but we insisted that¡¯s how it was going to be and she relented.


    The mood was a bit down in the car drive, but soon after getting home Angela managed to perk up.


    ¡°You know what they say,¡± she said, pouring a cup of hot chamomile tea for Emmy. ¡°The third time is the charm.¡±


    Emmy smiled, still a bit disconsolate. ¡°I thought this would be the easy part,¡± she said, gratefully accepting the cup Angela handed her.


    ¡°This part is much better than when they collected the eggs,¡± Angela reminded her.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Emmy said. ¡°That was terrible.¡±


    Angela circled around behind where Emmy was sitting at the kitchen counter and wrapped her arms around Emmy¡¯s middle, stroking the smooth, flat belly there.


    ¡°Soon this will be huge,¡± she said, rubbing Emmy¡¯s tummy. ¡°It will look like you swallowed a watermelon without chewing.¡±


    Emmy laughed, then twisted around to give Angela a kiss, a smile back on her face.


    ¡°You know what the sad part is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s the sad part?¡± Angela demanded.


    ¡°You both are going to be so huge there won¡¯t be room for me in the bed. I¡¯ll have to sleep on the floor,¡± I said.


    ¡°We will have a new bed made,¡± Emmy said, enjoying the moment.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be so big it won¡¯t even fit in our room,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll have to sleep out in the sound stage.¡±


    Pleased that the two had shaken off the dispirited mood from before, I wrapped an arm around Angela¡¯s upper thighs and lifted her up, holding her with my right arm. Emmy had jumped up out of her chair in surprise, so I did the same and lifted her up with my left.


    The two squealed with joy as I bounced them a bit walking around the kitchen.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Practicing for when I have two little girls to carry around,¡± I said.


    ¡°I hope they will not be as large as us,¡± Emmy said, her face lit up in amusement.


    ¡°Not at first, no,¡± I said. ¡°They start out small, but they get big fast.¡±


    Of course we ended up on the big couch in a pile again, once more with me on the bottom and the two of them covering me like a loving blanket. There was a lot of kissing and cuddling, and a morning that had started out with bad news turned into a very nice afternoon. Dinner was just the three of us out on the deck, enjoying the warm evening and each others¡¯ company.


    It went unsaid, but it seemed to me that both Emmy and Angela had come to a certain acceptance that these failures in the process were merely speed bumps, and we would arrive at our destination sooner or later. They would have their babies- it might not be as soon as they wanted, but trusting that it would happen eventually took some of the strain away. The failure of the eggs to take was still a disappointment, but we had over a dozen ready in the pipeline for each of them. We didn¡¯t really need to start worrying for quite a while.


    Cutting back on the hours I spent in the office was harder than I¡¯d expected. There were so many demands on my time, so many people who wanted meetings, so many proposals to review¡­ Eventually I had to make it clear to my various newly-minted division heads that they were running their respective shows now. Day to day stuff? I didn¡¯t want to hear it. They could muddle through just fine without me.


    Weekly reports were expected, and any issues that rose above a certain (fairly high) threshold, yeah, come talk to me. But the mundane stuff? That was theirs to deal with now.


    It took a while, but Sandy, Jake, Nash and the rest (including the San Jose honchos) finally came up with what they all felt was a decent incentive plan for themselves that gave them a stake in the success of their divisions.


    Jake and Nash walked it in to my office one morning, rather than send it via email. They wanted to present their case in person, and I respected them for that.


    ¡°When Sandy told us you¡¯d suggested this idea,¡± Jake said, sitting down. ¡°I thought he¡¯d been spending too much time in the sun. But then you sent out that email with the new company-wide org charts, and we each got emails outlining our new job titles and expected duties, well, it made a lot more sense. So we¡¯ve been working on it.¡±


    ¡°The hardest part,¡± added Nash, ¡°Is that the various divisions aren¡¯t evenly profitable, or have comparable numbers of employees.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s the cultural thing, too,¡± Jake said, nodding. ¡°You¡¯ve made it very clear to me, personally, that you have no desire to squeeze every last dime, so profits can¡¯t be our only metric.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Nash said. ¡°Which brings us to a very important point, Leah. We all value working for Royal Holdings, in its various divisions, because it¡¯s a damned fine company to work for. The whole idea of a company culture seemed like so much bullshit to me five years ago, but I have to admit, it¡¯s seeped into me. And now I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. So this plan we worked up, it required a buy-in from all the heads, and pretty much everybody agreed. Some had ideas to add, but mostly it was just fine-tuning. The key was for the heads of the highly profitable divisions to be willing to, well, subsidize the less-profitable, if you get what I mean.¡±


    ¡°But in the end, every head agreed on this package?¡± I asked, looking over the pages.


    ¡°Eventually, yeah. It¡¯s unanimous,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°This is interesting,¡± I said, one item catching my eye.


    ¡°What¡¯s that ?¡± Nash asked, a bit concerned.


    ¡°The company-wide profit sharing plan. It says, ¡®All FTEs equally.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Jake agreed.


    ¡°So you guys, as division heads, will take home the same annual bonus as the janitors or the busboys?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, yes and no,¡± Nash said. ¡°Yes, the same annual bonus, but our individual salaries as heads will get pegged to the specified performance metrics. So a stellar year will result in more pay, but a dismal year will see us take a hit.¡±


    ¡°And everybody was O.K. with that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Like I said, it comes back to the culture thing. We want everybody, no matter what division, to think of themselves as stakeholders in the success of the whole company, not just their little castle,¡± Nash said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, nodding my head. ¡°Let me look it over for a few days. This next weekend is a San Jose weekend, so I¡¯ll talk to a few of the heads up there and get their input.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all been involved in putting this plan together,¡± Jake said, a touch defensively.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you have,¡± I said. ¡°But interestingly, the heads of the most profitable and the least profitable divisions are both based out of San Jose. As the two outliers, I¡¯d like their feedback.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Pete with VC, and Michael with outreach, right? What the heck even is outreach, anyway?¡± Jake asked. ¡°And why do we have a division that makes no money at all but has over fifty FTEs?"


    ¡°Honestly? It¡¯s the reason any of the rest of this is even happening,¡± I said. ¡°All of the rest of this, the property management division, the commercial development, the REIT, all of it, are just to fund the outreach.¡±


    ¡°Well, what is it? Even the folks I talked to in San Jose weren¡¯t clear.¡±


    ¡°Um, I think it¡¯s some sort of refugee aid or something like that, isn¡¯t it?¡± Nash suggested.


    ¡°Nash, could you please shut the door? This really isn¡¯t for general consumption,¡± I said, settling down in my chair.

 San Jose Without Angela

    Jake and Nash looked at me with some degree of puzzlement and anticipation, but Nash did as I asked and shut the door, taking his seat again expectantly.


    ¡°Turn around and look at that picture,¡± I said, pointing at the giant framed close-up of Emmy¡¯s face from the magazine cover.


    They both did as instructed, wondering what was my point.


    ¡°Look at Emmy¡¯s picture. Now, besides the fact you know who she is, what is the most striking thing about her?¡± I asked.


    They hesitated, but eventually Nash said, ¡°Her coloring? I mean, the white hair and the¡­¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed, saving him from saying what might be inappropriate. ¡°The fact that she¡¯s as black as charcoal. Why do you think she looks like that?¡± The two guys hemmed and hawed, but Jake finally said, ¡°I read something about some kind of negative albino syndrome?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie that Emmy used to tell to deflect attention,¡± I told them. ¡°The truth is that she¡¯s a member of a very, very rare ethnic group, and they all have skin that black, or blacker, even. Nash, have you ever seen Michael in the San Jose office? Do you remember the English girl we had at the reception desk?¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ve been introduced to Michael, and of course I remember Sana,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°And how did they look?¡±


    ¡°Far and away the blackest people I¡¯ve ever seen in my life,¡± Nash said.


    ¡°Right. The simple truth is that these people do live among us, but have been so marginalized for so long that they hide. So our outreach division is doing just that- finding these folks and bringing them into society. We offer life skills training, housing assistance, and job training and placement.¡±


    Both men just stared at me, totally taken by surprise by what I¡¯d just explained.


    ¡°So when I say all the rest of this,¡± waving my arm to encompass the offices in general, ¡°Is to support the outreach program, it¡¯s literally true. I bought Loeltz Property Management originally so I could get these people into quality housing. I started buying restaurants and nightclubs so I could give them jobs. I guess you could make the claim that most other divisions in the company are subsidiaries to outreach, in that sense.¡±


    The two men sat there, absorbing what I¡¯d just said.


    ¡°I guess I always wondered why a company that specialized in real estate would even have a hospitality division,¡± Jake finally said. ¡°It never made any sense to me.¡±


    ¡°Can you guess why I brought all the subcontractors in-house up in San Jose?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Jobs,¡± Nash said, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s all about jobs.¡±


    ¡°Got it in one,¡± I said.


    Jake leaned back, still thinking about it all. ¡°I took my granddaughter to that burger place in Venice a few months ago. I remember thinking that one of the other waiters was the blackest man I¡¯d ever seen.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°My preference is to get them service jobs to start, mainly to get used to interacting with people and becoming comfortable in crowded places.¡±


    ¡°My mind is officially blown,¡± Nash said.


    ¡°So, yes, outreach doesn¡¯t make any money. In fact, it¡¯s a giant money pit. But all the rest of what we do? It allows us to keep shoveling whatever money that pit needs, and we will keep doing that,¡± I said, a note of finality in my voice.


    ¡°And this is because of Emmy?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to the story, and if you want to hear it you¡¯ll have to come over to the house for dinner some night and I can get Emmy to explain it all, but basically, yeah. She wants to help her people, and so this is what I¡¯m doing to make that happen.¡±


    ¡°So what is Emmy doing?¡± Nash asked.


    He didn¡¯t sound as if he meant it in any sort of negative way, so I said, ¡°Presenting a public face for her people to rally around. I guess you could say she¡¯s the outreach PR department.¡±


    In San Jose I had a long talk with Pete Ayres, head of the venture capital division. He was very understanding of the idea that profit sharing would be across the whole company. As he pointed out, the way it had been, one hundred per cent of the profit sharing had been limited to just me. This way he¡¯d at least get a tiny chunk of it, right?


    A few of the others I talked to about it agreed that the plan was a step forward for all of them, and welcomed the sense of independence the new org chart and job titles gave them. I made it clear it was still my company, and as sole owner, I was still at the top of the food chain, but yes, they were free to run their divisions to the best of their abilities.


    Satisfied that everybody really was good with the new arrangements, I wrote out an email to all the heads telling them that I¡¯d O.K.ed the new deal, and we would start on the profit-sharing as of the end of the third quarter. This way the money would come as a sort of Christmas bonus, I explained.


    Dinner with Michael and Jassie was a nice respite from the day of meetings, even though Michael and I did talk shop. Mostly, though, we talked about Jassie¡¯s college plans and how she was going to miss her boyfriend when the two graduated next June.


    ¡°I¡¯ll miss Buster,¡± she said, waving a roast chicken drumstick in the air for emphasis. ¡°But we always knew we would probably be going to different universities, so it was never going to be permanent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet other guys at college,¡±she said with a shrug. ¡°And he¡¯ll meet other girls, but none will ever compare with me.¡±


    An image of the terrified girl in the shabby clothes that we brought home that night so long ago popped into my head, and I marveled at the change. She was still small for her age and that would likely never change, but she¡¯d blossomed into a bold, confident young woman ready to take on the world. Her big, almond-shaped eyes were the same, but they now held a sparkle that had been missing when she was eleven.


    ¡°How about your friend Addison?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Addy and I are applying to all the same schools,¡± Jassie said. ¡°If we both get accepted to the same one, that¡¯s where we¡¯ll go. If not, we¡¯ll just have to get together when we can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very reasonable plan,¡± I agreed. ¡°Where are you guys applying?¡±


    ¡°Mainly small liberal arts colleges, like Reed in Portland and Scripps in Claremont, or Amherst, Lafayette and Bates on the East Coast,¡± Jassie said. ¡°We¡¯ve applied to a ton of ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Your dad tells me your grades are good, so you should be able to get into most of them,¡± I said. ¡°How about Addie?¡±


    ¡°She gets better grades than me,¡± Jassie said, again with another shrug.


    After dinner, Michael and I made our way to the rooftop deck with some Palomas he¡¯d mixed.


    I told him that I¡¯d been making it clear to the other division heads that outreach was the reason the whole company even existed, and the new profit-sharing plan would include everybody on the payroll under his purview.


    ¡°You told them about the Night Children?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Not exactly as such, no. I just said that you and Sana were from the same ethnic group as Emmy, and outreach was all about integrating them into society. The only reason I even bothered to say anything was that a few had seen you on the new org chart and had no idea what outreach even was, or why it showed as a serious loss year after year on the balance books,¡± I explained.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Michael nodded thoughtfully. ¡°If I¡¯m to understand the new order of things, you¡¯re essentially promoting me to be your¡­ your regent?¡±


    ¡°You already have been, functionally,¡± I said. ¡°When was the last time I countermanded or overruled anything you¡¯ve done? You¡¯ve been my right hand for years now.¡±


    ¡°It has been a while,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°But that isn¡¯t all that I meant. Obviously, everything that I¡¯ve done has been in your name and Queen Emmy¡¯s name, and that will continue¡­¡±


    ¡°The only difference is that I¡¯m giving you a bit more autonomy,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m still going to want your weekly reports, and you can come to me and Emmy with anything major that needs to be dealt with, but as for the day to day, well, I¡¯ll leave the decisions to you.¡±


    Michael was quiet for a while in the way only Night Children could be, as silent and as unmoving as a statue. Finally, he said, ¡°I accept.¡±


    ¡°I never doubted it,¡± I said, clapping him on the knee. ¡°You¡¯ve always been there for us, from the very start.¡±


    ¡°You and Emmy, you two have given me so much,¡± he replied, waving his arm to encompass pretty much everything. ¡°Jassie and I, we literally owe you our lives. It is no exaggeration to say that everything that we have, we have because you two saw worth in me. Every day, I have striven to do my best to show that your trust has not been misplaced.¡±


    ¡°I know that it hasn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Believe me, I know that it hasn¡¯t.¡±


    We spent a couple of hours up there talking about how things were going with finding new strays and bringing them into the fold, and how the major eastern seaboard cities were remarkably unproductive.


    ¡°It¡¯s becoming harder and harder to dismiss the idea that someone or some group is actively working against us,¡± he said. ¡°We should be finding more Night Children than we have been. They simply aren¡¯t contacting us at the rates I would expect, based on experience. Why should there be dozens of Night Children in Montreal who are ready to join us, but none at all in Boston? It makes no sense, unless they¡¯re avoiding us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have my suspicions,¡± I agreed. Taking another sip of my Paloma, I said, ¡°There¡¯s been something going on that I was hoping meant nothing. I probably should have kept you in the loop about this, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this about the Night Children enclave in Brooklyn?¡± Michael asked.


    I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised to hear that he knew, but somehow I still was. ¡°Yeah, I guess Grant has told you about what Mia has discovered?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s told me some things, but I would like to hear it from you,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need another one of these,¡± I said, holding up my empty glass. After a quick trip down to the kitchen and then back up to the roof with fresh drinks, I laid it all out for Michael, how the visits every few days had started and how Mia had set up cameras to track the guys back to the subway station. I related that a friend of mine hacked the New York subway system¡¯s security cameras and we¡¯d used them to track the strays and piece together their patterns of travel, finally discovering their central base.


    Michael listened quietly, asking a few questions here and there for clarification. Eventually, when I¡¯d finally finished my tale, he asked, ¡°What do you think we should do with this information?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, yet. The last thing we want to do is tip off our hand that we know where they gather. I think that in New York we need to follow our same old protocols, and see if any locals reach out to contact us. It may be there is a local leader who might be willing to join up with us, and this is all just paranoia on our part. On the other hand¡­¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°It may be like Chicago,¡± Michael finished for me.


    ¡°Right. And if we know more than they think we do, that puts us in a position of power,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°We are more prepared than we were in Chicago,¡± Michael said. ¡°Grant and Jody have been training our teams to a truly impressive level, and we¡¯ve been equipping them very carefully. If it comes down to another battle, I expect that we would do very well indeed.¡±


    ¡°It may,¡± I said. ¡°But I hope not.¡±


    I got to the club later than usual that night, but still put in my appearance.


    Making my traditional pass around the room, glad-handing the regulars and meeting their guests, quite a few asked where Angela was. One even commented that it felt strange to see me without her.


    ¡°Is she?¡± Imogen asked, patting her tummy when I explained that Angela wasn¡¯t in the mood to come to San Jose.


    ¡°Not so far,¡± I said. ¡°But we¡¯ve been trying.¡±


    ¡°Poor thing,¡± Imogen said. ¡°This must be very difficult for you three.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed.


    The night seemed to drag on, and I was happy to leave earlier than usual to go back to the lonely condo.


    I slept poorly that night, and when morning rolled around I was perfectly willing to get up and go to The Pit for some stress relief.


    Ruben wasn¡¯t there, so I just focused on my body and buried myself in a hard workout.


    ¡°I think that poor bag has had enough,¡± a familiar voice said, breaking me out of my zone.


    ¡°Hey, Ash,¡± I said, taking the water bottle she offered. ¡°How¡¯re things?¡±


    ¡°Better, now,¡± she said, eyeing me with a lascivious wink. When I rolled my eyes, she said, ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s good to see you. Especially in that sexy little outfit,¡± she added, earning her another eye roll. ¡°If you need any sort of help with your workout, I¡¯d be glad to, um, you know, help,¡± she said. ¡°And even gladder to help if you need any assistance in the shower afterward.¡±


    ¡°Help,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m being sexually harassed.¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Ashley said. ¡°If you¡¯re in town for the weekend, wanna get lunch or something? Maybe go for a drive, if you have the time?¡±


    ¡°Will you keep your clothes on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No promises,¡± Ashley said brightly.


    We did wind up having lunch together, and she told me about how she¡¯d been doing well in the cross country season.


    ¡°We finished fourth overall at Nats,¡± she said, pointing at me with a piece of peanut-sauce-covered chicken on her fork. ¡°I had the second best finish on our team, in twenty-seventh place. Which doesn¡¯t sound good until you realize there were three hundred starters,¡± she said.


    ¡°Cross country really isn¡¯t even my specialty,¡± she said. ¡°But it¡¯s a great way to end the season, before taking a few weeks off.¡±


    She talked about how her parents wanted her to come home for Thanksgiving, but the airfare was too much, and she¡¯d rather skip the travel anyway and just visit at winter break, and on and on. Sure, it was all pretty mundane, but I didn¡¯t mind. Ashley was just being a friend, and not trying to get in my pants, so that was good. She wasn¡¯t even giving me peeks down her scoop neck T shirt, which was a relief.


    I guess, really, what would that even accomplish anyway, since I¡¯d seen her completely nude for extended periods of time? Still, it was nice not having to fend off the aggressive flirting.


    After lunch we did go for a drive, west on La Honda Rd out to the coast, then up Highway 1 to Pacifica before returning back to Palo Alto.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s funny?¡± Ashley asked at one point. Answering herself, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen more of California riding in your car than I have any other way. I mean, like, I don¡¯t have a car, so it¡¯s campus, and that¡¯s it for me, right? But this?¡± She said, gesturing out at the Pacific. ¡°It may as well not even exist for all that I ever get to see it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, um, are you going to your speakeasy tonight?¡± Ashley asked when I dropped her off at her apartment. ¡°If you are, can I come? I want to meet this Angela.¡±


    ¡°She stayed back in Los Angeles with Emmy,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, you can come if you want. But don¡¯t wear that silver dress this time. Wear something classy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have anything¡­¡± Ashley said, distressed.


    With a sigh, I said, ¡°Get back in the car. I¡¯m gonna take you shopping.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure I can put something together¡­¡± Ashley protested.


    ¡°Get in,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not going to-¡±, I said, stopping myself from saying ¡®bring a poorly-dressed date.¡¯ ¡°Spend a ton, but really, any girl should have a nice cocktail dress,¡± I said, recovering.


    I took her to the Nordstrom by campus, where the saleslady was perfectly willing to help us find a nice, classy dress and matching heels. Ashley wound up with a sleeveless sheath dress in a dark blue-gray, the snug knit showing off the shape of her legs and butt nicely.


    Thankfully, it was all pretty cheap, too. With a pair of heels and a little clutch the whole thing came to less than four hundred dollars, which seemed very reasonable.


    Ashley looked really good that night when I picked her up to go to the club. She had done her hair up in this complicated loose chignon, strands artfully framing her face. She¡¯d spent a lot of time on her makeup, too, transforming herself into a lovely young woman ready to impress.


    We got a few raised eyebrows in the club, and yes, I know how it looked, but whatever. I introduced Ashley to the regulars as ¡®my friend¡¯ and let them think whatever they wanted.


    ¡°You know, my dad still talks about this place,¡± Ashley said when we sat down.


    ¡°What does he say?¡±


    ¡°He asks if I¡¯ve been back since, and he asks about you, too.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think he¡¯d be O.K. if I was in a lesbian relationship with you,¡± she laughed. ¡°He was super impressed by you. Hey, can you take a picture? For my dad?¡± She asked, handing me her phone.


    I snapped a few photos, making sure to capture the club¡¯s ornate bar in the background.


    I took out my own phone and snapped a pic of Ashley, too. ¡°For Emmy and Angela,¡± I explained as I texted it to my wives.


    ¡°They know I¡¯m here with you?¡± She asked, surprised.


    ¡°Of course they do,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t keep any secrets.¡±


    ¡°Did you tell them about, um, last time? The car drive?¡± She asked, turning a cute shade of red.


    ¡°About you parading around naked? Yes, as a matter of fact I did.¡±


    ¡°And they weren¡¯t upset?¡± She asked, looking as if she really wished her drink had alcohol.


    ¡°They thought it was funny, to be honest,¡± I said with a shrug.


    Ashley was saved by the waiter asking if we wanted any dinner. Remembering what I¡¯d told her last time, Ashley asked for roast chicken with garlic-grilled Brussels sprouts, almost daring the waiter to tell her that wasn¡¯t an option. Of course he took her order without question, and after I gave my order of rare filet with asparagus and potatoes he left with a little bow.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you can just order whatever the hell you want,¡± Ashley said, shaking her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be the queen,¡± I said, leaning back and spreading my arms out on the back of the banquette.


    It wasn¡¯t long after that before the usual trickle of club members came to the table to ¡®kiss the ring¡¯ as I¡¯d come to mentally refer to it, somewhat unfairly.


    ¡°You said that you have to be a member to get in here, right?¡± Ashley asked after a while. ¡°And these people are trying to get their friends on the membership list, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a lot of it,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So my dad¡¯s chance of ever getting in here again is roughly zero?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°If you let me know when your folks come out for another visit, I can make sure their names get added to the guest list for a night.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how much my dad would love that,¡± Ashley said.

 Partial Success

    On the drive back to Ashley¡¯s place, she put her hand on my leg. ¡°You don¡¯t have to spend the night alone,¡± she said. When I didn¡¯t respond, she continued, ¡°Look. Angela and Emmy know you¡¯re out with me tonight, right? You¡¯ve told ¡®em that I¡¯m interested in you, and you¡¯ve also told ¡®em that you¡¯ve seen me naked, so they probably expect it, right? I mean, right?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Ash,¡± I said, lifting her hand off my leg. ¡°Friends, yes, benefits, no.¡±


    Ashley sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand you,¡± she pouted. ¡°I¡¯ve served myself up on a freaking platter, and you keep turning me down, even though you¡¯re obviously interested. This isn¡¯t fair to either of us.¡±


    ¡°Ash,¡± I said, pulling up in front of her apartment. ¡°Sure, I think you¡¯re hot. Sure, I¡¯ve taken peeks when you¡¯ve offered them. What red-blooded girl wouldn¡¯t? You¡¯re young, athletic and healthy, on top of being pretty. And you have a cute accent. Of course I find you attractive, but that isn¡¯t what I want from you. I want a friend, not a lover. I like you best when you¡¯re just being yourself, and not trying to tear my clothes off, metaphorically speaking.¡±


    ¡°How about when I tear my clothes off?¡± she asked, back to being playful.


    ¡°Honestly? The night we went driving and you stripped naked and stayed that way? I thought that was, well, pretty damned cool. Once you gave up on trying to jump my bones and just rolled with being yourself, I thought you were at your very best,¡± I said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you should do it again,¡± I said, grabbing her wrist to stop it as she started pulling the hem of her dress up around her waist. ¡°But you allowed yourself to just, I dunno, let go and be, if that makes sense.¡±


    Ashley made no move to pull the skirt of her dress back into place, but I can¡¯t say that surprised me.


    ¡°I liked being naked like that,¡± she admitted. ¡°I liked the feeling of the air on my skin, and the leather seats, and knowing that I was doing something, well, like, naughty, I guess. It was awesome. And I do want to do it again. And Leah, I would have been totally cool with you bending me over your car¡¯s hood and fucking me right on the side of the road, but I was also happy, in a way, that you didn¡¯t. I know this sounds strange, and, like, kinda twisted, I guess, but somehow knowing you¡¯re gonna turn me down gives me room to be, well, wild, I suppose. I can pull my panties off in your car,¡± she said, doing just that, leaving the dress up around her hips. ¡°And still- and yeah, this sounds weird- feel safe.¡±


    ¡°Can we make a deal?¡± I asked, doing my best to avoid glancing down.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°You just be yourself around me. And I¡¯ll continue to make you feel safe.¡±


    ¡°You mean no bending me over the car hood and fucking me on the side of the road?¡± Ashley asked with a pout, but I could tell she was just teasing.


    ¡°No roadside sex,¡± I agreed. ¡°Or sex in your apartment. Or my condo. In fact, sex is off the agenda.¡±


    ¡°But being naked is O.K.?¡± Ashley asked, leaning forward and pulling her knit dress the rest of the way off, leaving her wearing nothing but her heels.


    ¡°Being naked is O.K., I guess, if it floats your boat,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take your deal. I¡¯ll park my ass in the friend zone, no courtesy white telephone calls for me. But I want you to call me when you¡¯re in town, and we can hang out. Do friend stuff. You can take me to the haunted mansion- people keep telling me about it, but I¡¯ve never been. In return, I¡¯ll¡­ well, I¡¯ll be your sometimes naked friend.¡± After a moment, Ashley looked down at her chest and asked, ¡°Is it cold in here, or is it just me?¡±


    Unable to stop myself, I did look down at her little boobs and saw that yes, her temperature indicators were announcing that it was just a bit nipply. I quickly glanced back up, but Ashley had seen me look and was giving me a knowing smile.


    ¡°I guess you are a red-blooded girl after all,¡± she said with a smirk.


    I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket and took a picture of her sitting in the passenger seat of the M3, bare-ass naked. At her puzzled look, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s your dad¡¯s cell phone number again?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Ashley said, grabbing for my phone.


    Laughing my ass off, I held the phone away while simultaneously trying to fend off a naked, grabby Ashley, who eventually more or less climbed out of her seat and over the hump and was draped across me.


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± I said, and bringing up the picture and deleting it for her, then shoving her back onto her side of the car. ¡°Now put your clothes back on and go home. I need to get some sleep.¡±


    Ashley collected herself, then gathered her things, making no effort to put her dress back on. In a very casual way she said, ¡°Thank you for a perfectly lovely evening, Leah. I had a very nice time.¡± Then, unable to stop herself from grinning, she said, ¡°Some day I¡¯m gonna see you naked. Judging by your workout outfit, you have one hell of a freaking body.¡±


    ¡°Go home, Ash,¡± I said, giving her a gentle shove on the shoulder. ¡°Go give your roommates a show.¡±


    ¡°They were all asleep last time,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Probably are this time, too.¡±


    ¡°Their loss,¡± I said as Ashley opened the door and climbed out. And yes, I did check out her skinny runner¡¯s butt as she stepped from the car.


    She leaned in the open passenger window and said, ¡°Call me tomorrow. We can have lunch or something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flying back to LA at ten,¡± I said apologetically.


    ¡°Next time, then,¡± she said, then turned and walked up the stairs to her apartment, her clothes in her hands. I waited until she was inside, then drove away, pondering the mysteries of life.


    What ifs never do anybody any good, but they¡¯re really hard to avoid thinking about. What if Emmy hadn¡¯t come to Stanford? Would I have met a girl like Ashley? Ashley herself was too young- she was a freshman while I was a senior, and the chances our paths would ever have crossed were practically nonexistent, but still¡­


    Lying in bed back at the condo, I realized that I was missing Angela, and not Emmy. Thinking about it, I concluded that the San Jose condo was not really a place I associated with Emmy at all, but Angela and I had spent quite a few weekends there together. It wasn¡¯t that I loved Angela more than Emmy, just that somehow my life had sorted into ¡®things I associate with Emmy¡¯ and ¡®things I associate with Angela¡¯.


    Our third check-in at the fertility clinic yielded a fifty per cent success rate. Angela yes, Emmy no. Surprisingly, Emmy was overjoyed (despite her cramps from another transferral), but Angela was disheartened.


    ¡°I wanted our babies to be born at the same time,¡± Angela said on the drive home, trying to hold back her tears.


    ¡°Now that we know the eggs are good, perhaps this one will take? Babies a week apart- that is still very much the same age,¡± Emmy said, holding Angela¡¯s hand in hers. Wiping Angela¡¯s tears away, Emmy said in a soft voice, ¡°If we had our babies the same day, I would not be able to be there when you give birth, and you would not be there for me.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± Angela said with a teary smile. ¡°I want you holding my hand when¡­¡±


    ¡°I will, and Leah will hold the other. And then, when it is my turn, you two will be there for me,¡± Emmy said, kissing Angela¡¯s hand tenderly.


    I skipped class that night to stay home, and the three of us celebrated the little cluster of cells growing inside Angela¡¯s belly. Of course, our celebration consisted of a good group cuddle on the couch after a nice, healthy dinner.


    Emmy made use of the fact that Angela tended to wear midriff-baring tops and kissed Angela¡¯s tummy repeatedly. ¡°She will be our little princess,¡± Emmy cooed, resting her cheek on Angela¡¯s belly. ¡°She will be so beautiful she will break hearts everywhere she goes. She will be loving, and sweet, like her mother. And fierce and strong, like her other mother. And from me, she will get her voice. I will teach her to sing, and dance. She will grow up knowing three languages, a true citizen of the world. A world which will adore her. Our perfect little daughter.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Angela listened as Emmy spoke, tears of joy leaking from her eyes as she stroked Emmy¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I love you so much, Em,¡± Angela said, her voice shaky with emotion. ¡°And Lee- I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually going to have your baby.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, kissing her gently. ¡°It amazes me every time I think of it. Who would have even thought it was possible?¡±


    ¡°It is a miracle,¡± Emmy agreed, still resting her head on Angela¡¯s bare belly. Her voice was dreamy, lost in the moment. ¡°I could never have imagined this. We are going to have a baby,¡± Emmy said, rubbing her cheek against the smooth skin of Angela¡¯s tummy. ¡°Our little girl¡­ We are so lucky¡­¡± she said, her voice trailing off as she turned to kiss Angela¡¯s belly button.


    Angela was the center of attention that night in the bath, and later when we made love afterwards. Emmy and I caressed her, kissed her, held her. We told her without words how much we loved her and how blessed we felt that she was part of our family, and bearing our baby. When we finally fell asleep, Angela was snuggled in the middle, her two wives holding her from either side.


    I skipped the gym the next morning, preferring to stay in bed. I wasn¡¯t sleepy, just enjoying the feeling of the two most beautiful women in the world sleeping beside me. Marveling at the idea that Angela was carrying my baby- our baby- and that it was really going to happen, I felt my own silent tears of joy on my cheeks.


    I thought about Emmy¡¯s reaction, and how she had been so full of love and giddy with happiness at the idea of Angela¡¯s pregnancy. Biologically, the child was the product of DNA from Angela and me, but Emmy certainly didn¡¯t seem bothered by that at all. As far as she was concerned, the baby belonged to the three of us.


    Angela was of the same mind. Several times she¡¯d commented that the baby was three times as lucky as most, since she was going to have the love of three mothers. Angela clearly believed that Emmy was just as much part of the picture as I was.


    Lying there in bed, listening to the slow, steady breathing of the two mothers-to-be as they slept, I imagined that the reverse was also going to be true. The child that Emmy was going to give birth to would be Angela¡¯s daughter as well. Angela would kiss little Celeste¡¯s scraped knee and put on the Band-Aid just as readily as she would do for little Leonora. They might not be the twins that Angela had been hoping for as far as birthdays go, but I couldn¡¯t imagine Angela loving one child any less than the other.


    Lost in thoughts of how the family dynamics would work, I barely noticed when Angela woke up.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± she asked me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.


    ¡°How amazing a mom you¡¯re going to be,¡± I said, which was true. ¡°And how our little girls are going to be surrounded by love.¡±


    Angela¡¯s sweet smile told me I¡¯d said the right thing. Her expression soft, she said, ¡°Yes, they will. Like I am,¡± she added. ¡°Thank you, Lee. Thank you, and Emmy, for giving me this.¡±


    The slender hand that had been resting on Angela¡¯s middle gave a little tug, and Emmy said, ¡°Angie, thank you. You have brought so much to our lives, so much love and compassion and care. You have made our lives better.¡±


    This opened the floodgates again. Angela¡¯s tears flowed freely as she felt herself overwhelmed with emotion. ¡°I just¡­ I love you two so much,¡± she managed to get out. She pulled Emmy¡¯s hand tight against her belly, saying, ¡°Our baby- she¡­¡±


    Unable to get anything else out, Angela simply clung to Emmy and me for support as her emotions hit her like a tidal wave.


    Stroking Angela¡¯s hair and kissing her lovely face, I whispered, ¡°Our baby will be beautiful, loving, and sweet, just like you.¡±


    ¡°Just like you,¡± Emmy repeated, kissing Angela¡¯s shoulder while rubbing her tummy. ¡°The sweetest, most loving little girl the world has ever known.¡±


    Angela didn¡¯t even try to speak. She let herself cry as we drew ourselves in tight, squeezing her in between us. Emmy and I murmured our love for Angela as we showered her with kisses.


    Eventually Angela¡¯s waterworks trickled to a stop, and she struggled to get free and out of bed. ¡°I need to blow my nose,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m a mess!¡±


    ¡°A very beautiful mess,¡± Emmy said, letting Angela loose. ¡°The most beautiful.¡±


    Once Angela had disentangled herself and gone to the bathroom, Emmy snuggled up against me. ¡°We will be parents,¡± she said, her voice dreamy. ¡°Our baby will be so¡­¡±


    ¡°Our babies,¡± I corrected, putting my hand on Emmy¡¯s belly. ¡°Angela might have gotten pregnant first, but you won¡¯t be far behind.¡±


    Emmy sighed, and said, ¡°Even if I do not, we will still have one,¡± she said. ¡°And we will love her, whatever else happens.¡±


    ¡°You will get pregnant,¡± I said. ¡°We always sort of knew it was going to be harder for you, but we¡¯ll get you there. We¡¯ll have our two little girls.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But if we don¡¯t, at least we will have one perfect little angel.¡±


    Angela was dying to tell people that she was pregnant, but wanted to wait until we could do genetic testing to make sure the fetus was viable before announcing to the world that she was expecting. Our doctor had said that noninvasive DNA screening could be done as early as ten weeks, so that was our bridge to cross before we made it public.


    We were operating under the ¡®trust but verify¡¯ paradigm with the genetic testing, too. We had made arrangements with a lab that was completely unaffiliated with the place in Seoul to do a baseline test on the three of us, then compare the fetal DNA. We considered it unlikely, but not a non-zero chance that the Korean lab might not have used my DNA to fertilize the eggs, or that the chromosomes may have been damaged in the process.


    We were optimistic, but cautious. We really were in uncharted territory. Still, in our hearts we just knew that we were going to have a baby.


    Emmy was a ¡®no¡¯ with her next visit to the fertility clinic, but she remained upbeat. ¡°It is simply a matter of time,¡± she said with a shrug and a smile.


    Angela seemed unable to help herself during that time. She had to be near Emmy whenever they were both home. She was always hugging Emmy, holding her hand, cuddling next to her on the couch. It was as if she needed some assurance that yes, Emmy was just as invested in this baby as she was. I guessed that it was Angela¡¯s way of sharing, subconsciously needing Emmy¡¯s touch in some sort of non-verbal communication.


    But that isn¡¯t to say that Angela turned into some sort of pile of emotional goo. No, she continued doing the same things as ever. She spent time on her influencing of social media, she hung out with Jenna, she went driving with me, same as always. Really, my cutting back at work had a bigger impact on our day to day lives than Angela¡¯s pregnancy, at least in the first couple of months.


    Lauren and Andrej¡¯s wedding was beautiful. It was held outside in a private garden in Mountain View, the late fall weather perfect for the happy event. Plenty of Andrej¡¯s relatives from Europe came over for the occasion, all dressed very formally, but acting like goofballs. Lauren¡¯s side of the aisle didn¡¯t have nearly as many family members, but a lot of friends and co-workers made up the difference.


    Andrej and Lauren had evidently not told anybody that Emmy would be playing at the ceremony, and the surprise and amazement in the crowd was funny to see. When everyone was milling around, well over a dozen people took selfies with Emmy as she sat on a chair off to one side of the altar, strumming familiar melodies.


    After everyone was finally seated and the actual ceremony started, Emmy switched to the traditional wedding march music as Andrej and his brother walked to the altar and waited.


    Lauren looked lovely as she walked up the aisle with her father, dressed in a simple but elegant white gown. Her hipster piercings were missing and her makeup was classy but subdued, just right for the casual formality (if that makes any sense) of the ceremony.


    After the vows were exchanged and the kiss made, the faces stuffed with cake and the bouquet thrown, the newlyweds took off in a limo for who-knows-where. We would see them in a couple of hours at the club, I knew, but for a while anyhow they were going for some privacy.


    Angela and I said hello to the handful of guests that we knew while Emmy posed for more selfies, then we bolted for the condo to change clothes and get ready for the evening.


    ¡°I keep forgetting this photo is here,¡± Emmy said, admiring the nearly life-sized picture of Angela in the condo¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°We still need a naked picture of you,¡± Angela teased. ¡°This one is here, Leah is in New York, but we don¡¯t have a nude of you in Los Angeles. It seems wrong somehow.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°But I am not the exhibitionist that you two are.¡±


    Andrej had insisted that he would cover all costs for the club that night, so we had full staff and open bar (but we had put away the really high-dollar whiskeys). True to stereotype, Andrej¡¯s European relatives really could put away the alcohol, making for a louder, more boisterous night than usual.


    The guest list for the reception was larger than for the wedding itself, with a lot of tech industry notables there for the party.


    In honor of the special night I gave up my table for the first time since the club opened, letting Andrej and Lauren rule the roost. Angela and I had a small table near the stage, where Emmy played more contemporary party music for the crowd.


    Several times during the evening Andrej came over to our table and introduced me to this or that person, hinting that they wanted on the list.


    Eventually the party wound down and we closed the place out. Andrej and Lauren had long since taken off- they had to be up early for their flight to Morocco for their honeymoon.


    Back home in LA the next day, Emmy commented on what she¡¯d seen at the club.


    ¡°It was Andrej and Lauren¡¯s night,¡± she said as we ate a late lunch on the deck. ¡°But everybody knew it was your domain. The way Andrej brought people to meet you- he was using you to- and I do not wish for this to sound demeaning of him- he was using you to climb the social ladder. By showing to his peers that he is in with you, he knows you and you have done him this enormous favor, he is saying, ¡®I am connected.¡¯¡±


    ¡°That is absolutely true,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it works both ways. By him doing that, it also shows his peers that to know me is very desirable. It elevates the value of being on the club¡¯s member list, right? So it¡¯s a two-way street.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see that,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°And you think that you can replicate that here in Los Angeles with your new club?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll be different. The speakeasy is a place for insiders to meet and mingle with other insiders. Away from work, away from their screens. Don¡¯t get me wrong- an incredible amount of business dealing happens there, but that¡¯s the appeal. It¡¯s self-reinforcing, because it¡¯s an open secret. Insiders know, and know that other insiders know. The place in Hollywood? It¡¯s going to be about seeing and being seen. It will hopefully be packed with celebrities and celebrity-adjacent who want to show off to the world that they know the good life.¡±


    ¡°Will you keep a table there?¡±


    ¡°No. Sandy has hired a couple of guys to be the ma?tre d¡¯s. Stolen them from other venues, actually, and they¡¯ll be the gatekeepers. No, if we want to go, we¡¯ll have to reserve a table just like everybody else,¡± I said.

 They Leave The West Behind

    I came home from a day at the office to find Angela sulking, which was extremely unusual.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, babe?¡± I asked, sitting down on the couch next to the frowning dark-haired beauty.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she said, not even really looking up from where she was busily scrolling through her social media feed on her phone.


    ¡°Glad to hear it!¡± I said cheerily, pulling her into me and giving her a kiss on the side of her head. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a really nice afternoon. Want to join me in the pool?¡±


    Angela finally gave up on trying to ignore me and said, ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±


    ¡°We could skip the whole swimming thing and go straight to the sex,¡± I suggested, nuzzling her neck and fondling her boob.


    ¡°Lee!¡± Angela protested, but made no move to get away.


    ¡°Come on, Ange, baby,¡± I said, gently turning her head to face me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Emmy is going on tour next week,¡± Angela said, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to go,¡± Angela said, pouting. ¡°I want her here with us.¡±


    ¡°Babe,¡± I said, my voice soft. ¡°Her music? It¡¯s what she does. She needs to go on this tour. They¡¯ve been planning this for six months. There¡¯s no backing out now.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela said, her voice small. ¡°I¡¯m just going to miss her so much.¡±


    ¡°You can go with ¡®em if you want,¡± I said, holding her tight.


    ¡°But I¡¯m pregnant?¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± I asked. ¡°You know they really don¡¯t party, right? And the riders require fresh food and sparkling water backstage, not vodka and cocaine, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just- Em and me, we should be home, letting our babies grow healthy and strong¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been working out same as ever, right? You¡¯re a month and a half in, but you¡¯re just as capable as ever, right? We don¡¯t even know if Emmy¡¯s latest transferral has even taken yet, but if it has, she¡¯s only going to be a couple of months pregnant by the end of the tour. She won¡¯t even show, and you will, but only just barely. There¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t both take care of your pregnancies and go on tour.¡± Giving her another kiss, I said, ¡°You know, I¡¯d feel better about it if you did go with Emmy. You and I both know how she can forget to take care of herself when she gets really involved in her music. If you¡¯re there, you can make sure she¡¯s eating well and getting good sleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d miss you,¡± Angela said mournfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a few months, and there are a couple of breaks in the schedule. I can come for a few of the dates, and you guys will be home for a week after the European leg, before going to Asia, right? So it wouldn¡¯t be that bad, really,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you come with us?¡± Angela asked, signaling that she would, in fact, go on tour with Emmy after all.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t take all that time off work, and with class¡­¡± I replied. ¡°But I¡¯ll join you guys when I can.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie is going, isn¡¯t she?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°She is,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s going to be working harder than anybody to make sure everything goes smoothly. Babe, I want you to do me a favor. Be nice to Stephanie. She¡¯s a good person. She has the toughest job of anybody on the tour, so if you can make her life easier I¡¯d really appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate her,¡± Angela protested.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think you did,¡± I said. ¡°But for some reason, it seems like you two don¡¯t, I dunno, get along as well as I wish you did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Angela said, downcast. ¡°I¡¯ll try to be nicer to her.¡±


    I got up off of the couch and knelt down between Angela¡¯s knees, cupping her face so she had to look at me.


    ¡°Ange, baby, Stephanie was my girlfriend. Was. Years ago, for about six months. You, you¡¯re my wife. You¡¯ve been my wife for over a year now. That¡¯s twice as long. And wife, that¡¯s twice as good as girlfriend, too, so you¡¯re four times as important to me as she ever was.¡±


    ¡°I like your math,¡± Angela said, trying not to smile but failing. She leaned forward for a kiss, and I happily obliged.


    ¡°And you¡¯re carrying my baby, too. She never did that,¡± I added.


    ¡°I am,¡± Angela said, her voice turning dreamy again. She looked down at her middle, which was still very much closer to ¡®washboard¡¯ than ¡®basketball¡¯ in shape. ¡°Our baby.¡±


    ¡°So- up for some swimming with me?¡± I asked. ¡°Or should we skip that and go straight to the sex?¡±


    ¡°You are such a beast,¡± Angela laughed.


    Emmy¡¯s good news came the day before she and Angela were to fly to Moscow for the start of the tour. Technically it would be the second show of the tour since they¡¯d done a shakedown performance in Anaheim at the Angels¡¯ ballpark, but that show wasn¡¯t listed on the merch T shirts, so it didn¡¯t count.


    ¡°It happened!¡± she said in the car ride home, her eyes wide and her face filled with joy. At the clinic she¡¯d held her emotions in check, but once we got in the car she couldn¡¯t stop laughing, she was so ecstatic. ¡°I am going to be a mother!¡±


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t gotten the genetic testing on Angela¡¯s baby yet,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°I know,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°There still could be problems. But to even get this far is a miracle!¡±


    ¡°Em,¡± Angela said, just as elated. ¡°We¡¯ll be mamas together! It¡¯s our dream come true!¡±


    We cuddled on the couch again that night, full of love for each other and hope for our family¡¯s future. By fall we would have two little girls, keeping us up at night. Two little ones that will need to have their diapers changed. Two little bundles of joy that will be the most adorable things the world has ever seen.


    But that was still many months away. In the nearer term we had morning sickness, which Angela hadn¡¯t started feeling yet but probably would soon, and then of course childbirth, which was always risky, even with the best medical care in the world.


    But it was too soon to think of those things. For now it was a private celebration, just the three of us and our two little secrets.


    Angela was scheduled to get her genetic testing done in the middle of the European leg of the tour, so I spent a bit of time the next morning finding an extremely high-end fertility clinic in London to draw the sample and to check on Emmy¡¯s condition, just to make sure everything was going well. The sample would get sent to the lab here in the US for the actual analysis, so all they would know in London is whether the babies were doing well or not.


    I hated to be the wet blanket, but it was clearly up to me to be the prudent one in the family, since Emmy and Angela were both suffering from baby fever. They both understood my concerns and agreed with them rationally, but emotionally they were already very, very invested. All I could do was cross my fingers and hope that the lab in Korea had done their job well. The testing would let us know, but until then I was doing my best to remain optimistic, but cautious.


    When it came time to say goodbye to the two (maybe four? Two point two?) of them, I gave them both big hugs and kisses, wishing them the best time ever. It was only going to be a few weeks until I caught up with them in Paris, but it already felt too long.


    I stayed to watch the chartered jet taxi to the runway, then take off into the Burbank sky. With a last little wave, I turned back and went to the X6 for the drive to the empty house.


    I¡¯d kinda wanted to go with them since I¡¯d never been to Moscow, but timing didn¡¯t allow it. I was going to fly in for a few days centered around the Paris show, and then travel with the tour to London. That was it for Europe for me. I was going to miss Berlin, Prague, Rome and Barcelona before Paris, and Glasgow and Stockholm afterwards. All cities I would have loved to have spent time in, but really, it wasn¡¯t as if Emmy and Angela would be able to play tourist, either. I¡¯d get to these places eventually, but not this time around.


    Grant had picked one of our ¡®paramilitaries¡¯ to go along with him as bodyguard, a guy who went, predictably, by the name ¡°Tiny.¡± Tiny was the largest Night Child I¡¯d ever seen, several inches taller than me and at least a hundred pounds heavier. When he put on his game face he was impressively intimidating, but was otherwise actually a fairly mellow guy. Grant had admitted to me that Tiny wasn¡¯t maybe the best fighter or the sharpest at detecting danger, but just by being a huge and scary bodyguard he would naturally be the center of attention of any potential threat, allowing Grant to operate behind the scenes, and he was the best fighter and best at detecting danger.


    Grant intended to blend inconspicuously into the entourage, staying near the principals (Emmy and Angela) without appearing as a bodyguard. He had contacts all over, and in every city he¡¯d arranged for local talent to bolster the security detail.


    I was mostly worried about the Prague stop since that was perilously close to the edge of the Lascaux domain and near the Marfan territory, but Emmy had assured me that it would be safe.


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    ¡°My father will flood the city with his men before we get there,¡± she said. ¡°It will be safe.¡±


    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but worry, and I¡¯d communicated to Grant as much.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a team there,¡± he said. ¡°Hard guys. Emmy will be safe, I can promise you that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore Angela¡¯s safety,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t,¡± Grant said. ¡°But realistically, any threat will be aimed towards Emmy, and the two are going to be together pretty much all the time, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine so,¡± I agreed.


    Trying to put my worries behind me, I called Stein to see if he could get away for some spirited driving that afternoon.


    ¡°When you say ¡®spirited¡¯, what exactly do you mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Um, hauling ass?¡± I said.


    ¡°M6 hauling ass or 918 hauling ass?¡± he asked for clarification.


    ¡°918.¡±


    ¡°Well, fucking alright, then,¡± Stein said. ¡°The Shell station in an hour?¡±


    ¡°Be there or be somewhere else,¡± I said.


    ¡°How long are you going to keep that wrap on there?¡± Stein asked as we bullshitted in the parking lot before hitting the road.


    ¡°Until I get tired of it. I¡¯m kinda enjoying the Malibu Barbie thing. It gets a lot of the guys in the Porsche club spun up,¡± I said, sipping the first Coke I¡¯d had in quite a while.


    ¡°Malibu Barbie? I guess that explains the bedazzled license plate frame,¡± he said with that lopsided smirk of his.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I agreed. ¡°Hideous, isn¡¯t it?"


    ¡°So what¡¯s the occasion? You don¡¯t usually get out midweek like this,¡± Stein asked, leaning against his burgundy red McLaren.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bachelor for the next few weeks while Emmy is on tour,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Angela went with?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Somebody has to make sure Emmy takes care of herself while on the road. She gets so wrapped up in her music she forgets to eat, gets terrible sleep, the whole thing,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°Work, school, you know. I¡¯m going to fly in to meet ¡®em in Paris and spend a week there and in London in a few weeks, so that¡¯ll be cool,¡± I said.


    ¡°This must be the rock and roll lifestyle I¡¯ve heard mentioned,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°Yeah, but for me it¡¯s the same old grindstone lifestyle,¡± I said.


    ¡°But with fast cars.¡±


    ¡°Very fast cars,¡± I said. Of course, while we¡¯d been talking quite a few guys (it was all guys) snapped pictures of my car or got out of their own cars to take a look.


    Once he saw that Stein and I were done talking for a moment, one young guy walked over and asked me if the Porsche was mine.


    ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact, it is,¡± I said. He looked clean-cut and well-dressed and had been polite, so I asked him, ¡°Would you like to see the interior?¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± he asked, surprised. He was obviously a car enthusiast, but his Civic Type R just wasn¡¯t anywhere near the league of Stein¡¯s McLaren, and even less of my Spyder.


    I opened the driver¡¯s side door and the guy peered in, eyes wide.


    ¡°Take a seat,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± he asked, stunned.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I replied.


    The guy carefully slid into the driver''s seat and put his hands on the wheel, letting out a soft, ¡°Wow¡­¡± After a minute or two he slid out again.


    ¡°Thanks! That was awesome!¡± he said, a giant grin on his face.


    ¡°You stay safe out there,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Heh,¡± I heard Stein say.


    Out on the road, just the two of us, we really let it fly. Angeles Forest was empty and we took advantage of it, railing the turns hard.


    Eventually we wound up in Acton at dusk, so we found a local diner for a quick bite.


    ¡°You know, I really do like driving with all the guys,¡± Stein said, taking a bite of his Reuben sandwich. ¡°But it¡¯s nice to stretch the legs a bit and let the ponies run sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s to the boys,¡± I said, raising my iced tea in a toast.


    ¡°To the boys,¡± Stein agreed, clinking my glass with his.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that get old?¡± Stein asked as we stepped outside, only to find several guys posing for pictures by my car.


    ¡°You know everybody in the world asks for selfies with Emmy, right? This is small beans in comparison,¡± I said.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± One of the guys exclaimed, elbowing his pal in the ribs as I walked up. ¡°You were right! It is a chick¡¯s car!¡±


    ¡°Did the color give it away?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Um, yeah, kinda,¡± the friend said sheepishly.


    I glanced over at Stein, who was smirking with amusement. I shrugged in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°Excuse me, guys,¡± I said, and they parted to let me by. I heard some quiet comments about my height, but again, old hat.


    Sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, I texted Stein. ¡°Yeah, it does get old¡±.


    I went in to the office the next morning, even though it was a Thursday. Since there was nothing to keep me home, I figured I¡¯d get in a solid push at work while my two wives were out of town. I went straight from the office to class that night, only stopping to grab a bottle of iced tea and an energy bar at a gas station mini mart on my way.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s easy to forget that you¡¯re already a CEO,¡± Myles said as we got snacks from the coffee cart during our class break. ¡°But dressed like that? It¡¯s a quick reminder.¡±


    ¡°That suit must have cost more than I make in a month,¡± Li said in agreement.


    ¡°It is a nice suit,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°A very nice suit,¡± Li agreed. ¡°I bet you have a very nice car, and a very nice house to go with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as a matter of fact, I do,¡± I said. ¡°A big house in the Hollywood Hills, and a garage filled with expensive German cars. Oh, and two pools. Because just one would be too pedestrian.¡±


    Li laughed at that so hard she snorted her Pepsi out through her nose, then gasped in pain and embarrassment.


    Handing her some napkins, I apologized.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to make you laugh.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± Li countered, wiping the tears from her eyes, still stinging from the soda in the sinuses.


    ¡°Well, yeah, I did,¡± I admitted. ¡°You shooting your soda out your nose was just a bonus.¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve gotten it all over your suit,¡± she grumbled, but I could tell she wasn¡¯t actually upset.


    ¡°You know that part about two pools? My house really does, in fact, have two pools,¡± I said.


    ¡°Ow! Stop!¡± Li protested, trying not to laugh again.


    After class, walking to the parking lot, I asked Myles if he¡¯d considered my offer to come work for me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it,¡± he said. ¡°The thing is, I¡¯ve been with Angel City for a long time, and I¡¯ve built up a certain amount of seniority there¡­¡±


    ¡°Give it some more thought,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to have you on the team. And did I mention tuition reimbursement?¡±


    That Saturday morning a whole bunch of my friends came over to watch the livestream of The Downfall¡¯s Moscow concert. The boys had all skipped a day of driving for this, too. When I¡¯d invited them over Jimmy had made the predictably amusing noises about watching a rock concert from the comfort of said rock star¡¯s own home, while his sister just rolled her eyes in disdain.


    Jenna and Andy had gotten to the house early to help me set everything up, for which I was very grateful. It was Andy who figured out how to get the giant TV wall in the home theater to stream from the web feed. I¡¯d tried and had to give up and ask for help, which he was happy (and able) to provide.


    ¡°That is the biggest non-projection TV I have ever seen in my life,¡± he said, admiring the image.


    ¡°It cost an unbelievable amount of money,¡± I grumbled. ¡°But Emmy wanted it, so we bought it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to ask,¡± Andy said with a laugh.


    The opening act was a Russian band that I¡¯d never heard of. They sounded like the Black Keys might if they had an angry girl vocalist. I wasn¡¯t super into them, and it wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t understand their songs. At least half were in English, which seemed odd, for a Russian band playing in Russia, but whatever.


    Emmy had mentioned that local bands were going to open every show, but I don¡¯t know how they were selected. My impression was that it was a big break and huge exposure for all of these acts, both because they¡¯d be playing for a much larger crowd than they were used to, and the livestream was being watched all over the world.


    The audience seemed to like this band and I have to admit that they put on a good show, especially considering it was just the singer, a guitarist and the drummer.


    I settled into the seat next to Andy after the first band finished and their gear was cleared. Once that was done, the house lights dimmed and a laser show started as Jackson walked onstage to loud applause.


    He just stood there with a smile on his face, waiting for things to quiet down. When they did, he said some stuff in Russian and the crowd went berserk again. He waved for quiet, then spoke some more, again in Russian. It sure sounded as if he actually knew the language and wasn¡¯t just parroting some lines, but who knows?


    Not waiting for quiet, he started in on a slow, supple bass line, slowly picking up speed and complexity. Suddenly he switched to a slap style and belted out a really funky rhythm just in time for Lee to walk onstage and take his seat behind the enormous drum kit.


    Lee started in, but his beat was opposite Jackson¡¯s as a sort of echo, creating an odd, unusual counterpoint. As they played, the rhythms evolved into something more complex, the two playing off each other.


    ¡°Emmy once told me that every show they do, the intro is always, um, improvised, right?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°They Rochambeau backstage to see who gets to go on first and start. That person gets to decide how it, um, plays out, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°Today Jackson won.¡±


    ¡°Wild,¡± Andy said, shaking his head. ¡°And they do this every single show?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, they¡¯ve done a few shows here and there where they didn¡¯t, but it¡¯s become one of their signatures.¡±


    ¡°I wish we could have seen them last month at Angels Stadium,¡± Jenna said, taking a handful of Andy¡¯s popcorn. ¡°But this guy had playoffs,¡± she said, poking Andy in the ribs. ¡°Danged inconsiderate, if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, quiet in front!¡± Teddy Bear said from the seat right behind me.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, but everybody knew neither of us meant it.


    Emmy strolled onstage, her blue Gibson Firebird low on her hip. She was nodding along with the extraordinarily complex pattern that Jackson and Lee were weaving. The crowd let out a roar, but Emmy just smiled.


    There was a giant screen above the stage in that arena, and the cameraman zoomed in and caught Emmy¡¯s knowing look. Zooming back out a bit, he captured her hands as she dropped them to the neck and body of that classic guitar. She plucked a note, crisp and clear, the sustain keeping it high above the rhythm of the bass and drum. She kept it there for what seemed like forever, but was probably only twenty seconds or so. Just as the note started to fade away, her hands flew across the strings as she dove into the music that the boys were making.


    The crowd went wild again, because they knew what I¡¯d just explained to Andy. That audience knew that they were seeing something being created right in front of their eyes, something that had never been played before and never would be again. This was for them, and them alone. And, well, the million people watching the livestream too, I guess, but still¡­


    Eventually something recognizable emerged from the instrumental as The Downfall settled into their first song, ¡®Money Can¡¯ from Dark Times.


    ¡°Bring your moneymaker over here, babe, and give me some love,¡± the crowd sang along with Emmy when she got to the chorus. ¡°Give me what I pay you for,¡± they sang while Emmy just smiled broadly.


    It went like that for pretty much the whole show. Despite almost all the songs being in English, the audience seemed to know every word, and sang along with enthusiasm.


    Emmy and Jackson spoke between songs, with Jackson speaking in Russian most of the time, while Emmy stuck to English with a little French thrown in.


    Of course The Downfall was augmented by a handful of additional musicians and backing vocalists, as well as a few dancers for the stage show. The lights, lasers and images projected on the giant screen were all synchronized to the music, too, making for one hell of a rock extravaganza.


    The last song they played was ¡®Baby, I Was Born To Die¡¯, and when the guitar died away to silence and the heartbeat rhythm of the drums faltered and stopped, all the lights went out. The arena was black for a few long seconds while the crowd went absolutely berserk with applause.


    Finally the house lights came on, with Emmy holding Jackson and Lee¡¯s hands in the front of the stage. They bowed, accepting the cheering, the whistles and the stomping of feet. They bowed again, then Jackson took the microphone and spoke some more in Russian. It was clear he was thanking the people for coming out to see The Downfall. Emmy waved to the touring musicians and Jackson introduced them all, then waved the opening act onto the stage, too. Jackson introduced them by name also, handing the mic over to their singer, who spoke a bit, then handed the mic back.


    With one last bow from everyone, the bands left the stage.


    ¡°What, no encore or anything?¡± Jimmy asked.


    ¡°They never do encores,¡± Teddy Bear explained. ¡°They¡¯re famous for it. I read it in an interview in Rolling Stone a while back. They said they thought the whole thing with encores was just ridiculous, and weren¡¯t gonna do that.¡±


    ¡°So, like, all those people pay expecting to see an encore and the band doesn¡¯t give it to ¡®em?¡± Jimmy asked.


    ¡°Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°Did you notice that Every. Single. Person. in that audience knew every single Downfall tune they did, and most of the covers they played? Everybody there knew about the improvised intro, and everybody there knew that when the set was over, it was over. They got exactly what they paid for- and honestly, more. When I saw The Downfall at Coachella a few years ago it was maybe the best show I¡¯d ever seen, and you know what? They weren¡¯t even really on my radar back then. I went because I wanted to see the White Stripes and The Weeknd, and just happened to see The Downfall. And it was amazing.¡±


    ¡°Well, when they come back to California, We¡¯re gonna go see ¡®em,¡± Jenna announced, daring Andy to say otherwise.

 Sneaking Out Of The Office

    Jenna and Andy stayed to help me clean up after everybody else had left, which was nice of them. There really wasn¡¯t much to do since the cleaning ladies came every other day anyhow, but still, I appreciated it.


    ¡°I guess I never really understood what Downfall shows were like,¡± Jenna said as she loaded the dishwasher. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve been to a few concerts, but they weren¡¯t anything like that.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, that concert was something like you¡¯d see from some sort of old-school band, you know? Like Pink Floyd or, I don¡¯t know, somebody like that. All the lasers, and the lights, it was all just so over the top, you know?¡± Jenna said, stopping to think about it. ¡°I mean, I hear their music all the time, right? And we¡¯ve all seen that video of Emmy on the boat. I guess I just thought it would more, well, normal, like a band on a stage playing their music, somehow. I just didn¡¯t picture some giant rock spectacle.¡±


    ¡°They do shows like that, too,¡± I said. ¡°And sometimes they play acoustic sets in coffee shops. They just love to perform, and they wanted to do a big-ass arena rock tour this time. In fact, I think it¡¯s actually called ¡®The Downfall¡¯s Big-Ass Arena Rock Tour¡¯. At least, that¡¯s what¡¯s printed on the T shirts I saw.¡±


    ¡°Nuh uh,¡± Jenna said, giving me a disbelieving glare.


    ¡°Nuh uh what?¡± Andy asked, carrying the last load of glasses up from the home theater.


    ¡°Lee just said that the concert shirts say ¡®The Downfall¡¯s Big-Ass Arena Rock Tour¡¯ on them,¡± Jenna explained.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°And so I said ¡®nuh uh¡¯,¡± Jenna replied, her hands on her hips.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go with Lee on this one,¡± Andy said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me a bit if that is actually what the shirts say.¡±


    ¡°Hang on a sec. The show ended, what, an hour ago? That means that everybody is still awake and probably at the arena still,¡± I said, pulling out my phone. I texted Stephanie, and got a response in about two minutes.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a picture of the shirt,¡± I said, holding my phone up for Jenna and Andy to see.


    ¡°That is awesome,¡± Andy said as Jenna¡¯s face fell in disbelief. Sure enough, there it was. ¡°I am absolutely buying a T shirt when we get to see ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you guys what. You pick the city, and I¡¯ll make sure you have VIP passes. You want to see ¡®em in Rome? Book the plane tickets and I¡¯ll sort out the rest with Steph. You¡¯ll stay in the same hotel, and ride to the venue with the band,¡± I offered. ¡°And maybe get some merch comped.¡±


    Jenna looked at Andy and he looked back at her for a long moment. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to see Tokyo as an adult,¡± he finally said. ¡°It¡¯s off season, and we have the money.¡±


    ¡°I hear the Tokyo Dome is nice,¡± I said.


    ¡°How much notice do you need, to, um, get the passes and all that?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°The more lead the better, but I think today or next week won¡¯t make any difference for Tokyo,¡± I said. ¡°But if you want to see the show in Prague, you¡¯d better get on the ball right now.¡±


    The next week I buried myself in work and got caught up on my projects for class, since I had nothing else to do. The house was empty, even though the studio side was very busy almost all the time. Really, the way the place was divided up, I never even really saw that four fifths of the building unless I went looking for it.


    For me, it was a big, empty house, only the cleaners and the nutritionist making any noise at all. There was no reason to not spend pretty much every waking hour on work, so that¡¯s what I did.


    A few people asked about Angela at the club the following weekend, and when I explained that she was on tour with Emmy and the band, a few eyebrows were raised. I¡¯d never spelled out to anybody besides the Athertons and Andrej and Lauren what the real nature of my relationship was with Angela, and I¡¯m sure that most of the club¡¯s clientele assumed she was my mistress or something like that.


    They could think whatever they wanted as far as I was concerned. In fact, an aura of mystery was probably better for the image I¡¯d been playing there, anyway.


    I didn¡¯t call Ashley that trip to San Jose, and stayed away from The Pit since there was a real risk I¡¯d bump into her there. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t enjoy her company, it was more that I just wasn¡¯t in the mood to be sociable. Michael was out of town, too, so again, it was work, work, work.


    The following week was more of the same. The only real highlights were the texts and phone calls from Angela and Emmy, telling me about the great times they were having. Prague, thankfully, was completely uneventful, too. I¡¯d even asked Grant point blank, and he confirmed that there were no issues of any kind, and everything was going perfectly smoothly, to my relief.


    A week later I decided that I was going to get a jump on my trip to Paris with a couple of days in New York. It would break up the ridiculously long flight and let me catch up with Mia, as well as see the art and decorations that Emmy and Angela had bought with Luisa for the place. It would give me a chance to really try out my home office in New York, too.


    I¡¯d been working from home in Los Angeles more and more and relying less and less on actually being physically at my work office, and had mixed feelings about the whole thing. It¡¯s true, most of what I did was review proposals and contracts, send emails and talk on the phone, all of which I could do from pretty much anywhere I had access to the internet. That said, a lot of work communication is just casual conversation in the break room or something like that, which wasn¡¯t really going to happen if I wasn¡¯t there.


    Working remotely in another city altogether took that one step farther, since there would be a time zone differential on top of the obvious truth that I couldn¡¯t just drop in to the office to pick up blueprints or whatever else.


    I had in my mind that it was possible I could detach from the physical office entirely, only coming in when I had meetings scheduled, but I just wasn¡¯t sure. I wanted to keep my promise to Angela and Emmy and be more present for them when they hit the difficult stages of pregnancy and faced the hard work of caring for babies, so I really hoped it could pan out.


    If it wasn¡¯t for my classes at UCLA Anderson I would have been on tour with Emmy, working from whatever hotel we happened to be staying in. Heck, I thought, maybe in the future after I finished my MBA and didn¡¯t have to go to campus twice a week we could live full-time for at least part of the year in New York, or a place in Paris, if that¡¯s what Emmy wanted, or maybe Maui¡­ Who knows?


    Wally picked me up from Teterboro Airport, looking well-groomed and wide awake despite the ridiculously early hour. He greeted me with a smile and, more importantly, a hot cup of coffee and a bag of bagels.


    ¡°Welcome back to New York, Miss Leah. It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thanks, Wally. And thanks for the coffee and breakfast. This is great.¡± I said, truly grateful for Wally¡¯s sense of courtesy. It wasn¡¯t the first time that I wished he was willing to move to Los Angeles, and it wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    Luisa was still asleep when we got to the townhouse, but Mia was wide awake. ¡°Hey, Boss,¡± she said as she opened the door for me to enter. ¡°You prolly want to crash for a little bit, but when you¡¯re ready I have some stuff to show you.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, I could use a couple of hours first.¡±


    When I got up Luisa was ready to make me breakfast. After a quick meal of a fried egg sandwich with tomatoes, I made my way downstairs to see what Mia had to show me.


    Down in her little security room in the sub basement, she ran through where all the Night Children she¡¯d been tracking seemed to live, or at least close to it. She showed me footage of the hideout, and then, most remarkable of all, a series of digitally enhanced photos of the nearly two dozen associated with the cell, as Mia called it.


    She¡¯d had plenty of time to track each of them to and from the hideout, or headquarters, or social club or whatever it was, and had identified their movement patterns to an amazing degree.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t actually even have to, like, visually follow ¡®em or anything,¡± she explained. ¡°The routines your hacker friend set up do that all for me, and the heat maps pinpoint where they go most often. It¡¯s really impressive,¡± she said. ¡°And, honestly, a bit scary. I mean, if we can do this, what does the NSA even do?¡±


    ¡°If it ever comes down to a- well, a raid, I guess, can you cut those cameras off from the network?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Already set up,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯ve been learning so much about all this shit, it¡¯s freaking amazing. When go time comes, if it ever does, I¡¯ll divert the feed from the whole area, making it look like a network error. It¡¯d be at least a couple of hours for the NYPD to get a service ticket going, and then probably thirty-six hours before a crew gets sent out. And yes, I¡¯ve tested that, twice now, and that¡¯s been the way it¡¯s gone. Of course, before the crews got there I physically sabotaged the lines, so they wouldn¡¯t think to look for anything software-related.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯ve spent a lot of time on this,¡± I said, truly amazed.


    ¡°If it comes down to action, I want us to have every possible advantage,¡± Mia said. ¡°Intel wins wars.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still hoping there won¡¯t be any war,¡± I said, leaning back.


    ¡°Well, sure. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst,¡± Mia replied. After I had no real response but to stare at her multiple computer screens, she finally spoke, her voice a whole lot less confident.


    ¡°Um, hey, Boss, can I¡­¡± she said, before trailing off. I gave her a look intended to say ¡®out with it¡¯, so she continued. ¡°Um, you know, in Seattle I met somebody, and we really hit it off. I mean, we got along great¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to go back?¡± I asked. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, I mean, yeah, I do, but it¡¯s, well, Case is talking about coming over here, to New York. He¡¯s never been to the East Coast and he¡¯s thinking a change might be good.¡±


    ¡°I sense there¡¯s a question in there,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, um, how do you feel about me bringing him back here? I mean, it is your place and all, right?¡± Mia asked, unsure of her footing.


    ¡°To live, or just to visit?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, God, just visit,¡± Mia said in a rush. ¡°If, like, he decides he wants to stay in New York, we¡¯d get him a place of his own, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with it,¡± I said. ¡°But tell me you¡¯re sure about his¡­ well, trustworthiness, I guess. There¡¯s Luisa¡¯s safety and security to think of, and almost two million dollars worth of art, plus another million in wine. If you¡¯re really sure that Case can be trusted¡­¡± I said, leaving it hanging.


    ¡°I think so. I mean, yeah, I¡¯m sure. He¡¯s not some punk with an attitude or anything like that, you know?¡± Mia said.


    ¡°Most important is Luisa¡¯s security,¡± I said. ¡°If she¡¯s uncomfortable, Case has got to go. And the same for when Angela and Emmy are here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, absolutely,¡± Mia said, nodding her head. ¡°But Case isn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgement on this.¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Mia said, relieved.


    ¡°And Case hears nothing about any of this,¡± I said, pointing at the screens.


    ¡°Oh, fuck no,¡± Mia agreed. ¡°This is need-to-know shit, and he does not need to know.¡±


    ¡°As long as we¡¯re on the same page,¡± I said, ¡°it¡¯s fine with me.¡±


    Musing on Mia¡¯s pronoun choice as I made my way upstairs, I pondered the question of whose house is it, really? Sure, Emmy wanted it so I bought it for her, but the people that actually live in it are Mia and Luisa¡­


    Because of the time zone difference the West Coast offices didn¡¯t even open until noon New York time, so a leisurely morning meant that I was ready for my first Zoom meeting at the start of the (California) business day.


    After most of the people in the meeting had signed off, Rebecca Brown (the lawyer for the City of Dana Point) stayed on the call.


    ¡°Leah, is that a new office?¡± she asked, peering at her screen for a better view of my background.


    ¡°My home office,¡± I said. ¡°I guess this is my first Zoom meeting from here.¡±


    ¡°Where do you live?¡± she asked, puzzled. ¡°That looks like the East Coast out the windows.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°This is my Manhattan townhouse,¡± I said. ¡°I just stopped off here on my way to catch up with Emmy in Paris.¡±


    ¡°Paris? Paris, France?¡± Rebecca asked.


    ¡°The Downfall is in the middle of a European tour,¡± I explained. ¡°I¡¯m going for the Paris and London shows.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± she replied with a sigh.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said, softening my voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, and I hope this isn¡¯t too personal. You and your wife, any luck?¡±


    Rebecca¡¯s shoulders slumped and her face turned sorrowful. ¡°Well- and don¡¯t ever let Shana know I told you this- she did get pregnant. We went to the place you recommended in Beverly Hills, and they were really good. They got Shana on a new hormone regimen and finally an IVF actually caught, but she miscarried three months in. God, she was so¡­¡± Rebecca said, her voice nearly cracking.


    ¡°Are you going to try again?¡± I asked, as gently as I could.


    ¡°Yeah, we are,¡± Rebecca replied. ¡°But the doctor wants us to wait for six to nine months until Shana¡¯s back to baseline, you know? Just so we can give her system time to recover and start fresh.¡±


    ¡°How is Shana doing?¡±


    ¡°I was really worried for her when it happened,¡± Rebecca said. ¡°I seriously thought that there was a real possibility she might¡­ hurt herself, you know? But eventually she got through it, and now, as crazy as it might sound, I think it¡¯s actually given her some hope, that, well, it might work next time.¡±


    Sighing, I said, ¡°I wish you guys the best. It¡¯s tough physically, sure, but emotionally most of all,¡± I commiserated.


    ¡°How about you guys? Is Emmy pregnant?¡± Rebecca asked.


    ¡°Well, yes, but it¡¯s just been a few weeks and we need to do testing to see if the fetus is viable before we actually, um, celebrate, I guess. I think I mentioned that the actual fertilization was extremely tricky, right? Well, until we know for sure the lab got everything right with their experimental process, we, well¡­¡± I said with a shrug.


    Rebecca sighed. ¡°Why is it so hard? People have babies all the time when they don¡¯t even want them, and can¡¯t possibly take care of ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± I agreed.


    The rest of the day went well, proving that working very remotely was actually viable. Of course, it meant I was in the home office until nearly nine o¡¯clock at night, only taking a break to wolf down some lasagna that Luisa made. The eight hour difference in Paris was going to be tougher to work around, I reflected. The work day in Los Angeles was going to start at five in the afternoon in France, which meant that I was going to have to juggle my meeting times carefully.


    It was only going to be a single work week, so there was nothing that really couldn¡¯t be put off if necessary, making me think that it was doable.


    Emmy had never brought up the idea of us spending extended periods of time in Paris, but maybe if she wanted, we could buy a place and I could work from a home office overlooking the Seine or something¡­


    The next day was even easier, and really illustrated how it could be possible to do my work from pretty much anywhere. Yes, it meant staying up late, but that was a fairly minor sacrifice.


    I thought back to the first night I spent over at Stephanie¡¯s place and how her mom had barged in at five in the morning, since she had to be ready for the East Coast stock trading hours. ¡°We do what we have to,¡± I thought to myself.


    Navigating Newark Airport the following morning was not fun at all, and a reminder of why I hated flying commercial. Even first class sucked, not so much because of the flight itself but having to deal with TSA and immigration lines. Still, it was a stunning amount cheaper than charter and I couldn¡¯t find any executive flights in the time frame I needed, so this is what I got.


    The woman at the immigration window in Charles De Gaulle Airport looked at my passport, then back at me, and then my passport again.


    ¡°You are married to Emmy De Lascaux, no?¡± she asked, having recognized me (or at least my name).


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m flying in for their Paris and London shows.¡±


    ¡°I think your seat will be better than mine,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Tickets were very expensive.¡±


    I gave her a look, and asked, ¡°Are you really going to the show?¡±


    ¡°My husband and I, we have been waiting for this for a long time,¡± the immigration officer said.


    ¡°What is his name? And your first name? I¡¯ll ask Emmy to name-check you guys,¡± I offered.


    ¡°You could do that?¡± she asked, stunned.


    I took out my phone and brought up a text thread with Emmy, showing the woman my phone.


    ¡°I am Cl¨¦mence and my husband is Laurent,¡± she said, looking around to make sure her supervisor wasn¡¯t watching.


    I quickly texted the names, then took my passport back and said, ¡°See you at the U Arena!¡±


    She gave a little surreptitious wave and smiled broadly. I figured that if I could make her day, why not? I had no doubt Emmy would be happy to throw their names out during the show.


    To my surprise, the driver waiting for me was Edouard, Emmy¡¯s cousin.


    ¡°Bonjour, Mademoiselle Farmer,¡± he said with a bow. ¡°Welcome back to Paris.¡±


    ¡°Thanks! It¡¯s good to be back. Oh, and thanks for coming to get me, Edouard. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, taking my suitcase and leading me to where a midnight blue Seven Series BMW was parked.


    To my surprise we didn¡¯t go to the Lascaux maison, but to a stone and glass-fronted hotel near the Arc De Triomphe.


    When I asked, Edouard said, ¡°The princess is with her entourage here. She has visited the family home, but chooses not to stay there.¡±


    Grant met us in the lobby when we walked in. He gave a nod to Edouard, who nodded back and turned to go, but before he did, I asked him, ¡°Hey, Edouard, are you coming to the show tomorrow night? Are you going to get to see Emmy perform?¡±


    A rare smile flitted across his usually stoic face at the thought. ¡°The Madame et Monsieur have a¡­ box at the arena. I will get to see the performance with them.¡±


    ¡°Well, if I don¡¯t see you before then, I hope you enjoy it. I watched the livestreams from Moscow and Berlin and the show is amazing,¡± I said.


    ¡°I did, too,¡± he admitted. ¡°I have watched all of them.¡± The pride in his smile was unmistakeable as he turned to go.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Grant said, watching the tall blond man walk out the door. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him smile before.¡±


    ¡°I have, but never that big,¡± I admitted. Turning to Grant, who looked like some sort of manager type in an off-the-rack Brooks Brothers suit, I asked, ¡°How are things going?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, waving for the bellhop to follow us with my suitcase. ¡°Really good. No problems at all, and coordinating with the locals has been easy. We¡¯ve had a few minor incidents, but typical concert shit, nothing, um, extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°And the girls? Emmy and Angela?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, they¡¯ve been much better than most principals I¡¯ve taken care of. They listen to my advice, they don¡¯t want to wander off or go sketchy places, nothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. To be honest, I was a bit worried,¡± I admitted as we stepped out of the elevator onto the sixth floor.


    ¡°Caution is warranted, but worry is not,¡± Grant said, and it sounded like something he¡¯d repeated many times before.


    He knocked on the door at the end of the hall on the left, and after a moment Angela opened it. She lit up when she saw me, matching the smile on my own face. She wrapped her arms around me in a fierce hug, which I was happy to return.


    ¡°Give me a buzz if you need me,¡± Grant said, leaving Angela and me alone with the bellhop. Angela noticed him and let me go from the hug, but kept an arm around me. Signaling for the guy to bring my suitcase into the suite, she led the way back inside.


    ¡°Leah!¡± Emmy exclaimed, looking up from the dining table on one side of the surprisingly large room. She had been discussing something with Jackson and Lee and the guys I recognized as the touring musicians, plus two I didn¡¯t know. Set list for the show, or something like that, probably.


    Emmy jumped up from her seat and rushed over to give me a hug, too, the three of us in a group embrace for a little while.


    Once Emmy and Angela let me go I made my greetings to everybody, then let Angela lead me into one of the adjoining bedrooms.


    ¡°This one is ours,¡± she said unnecessarily, but that was O.K. I was just happy to hear her voice.


    ¡°Leah, are you tired? Do you need to rest?¡± Emmy asked after she had thanked the bellhop and sent him away.


    ¡°I should be fine until bedtime,¡± I said. ¡°I slept some on the plane. But I wouldn¡¯t mind a shower and a change of clothes.¡±


    ¡°I would love to join you in the shower,¡± Emmy said, ¡°But we are in the middle of determining our play list for tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Em,¡± Angela said, her voice very consoling as she took Emmy¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s well taken care of in the shower,¡± she said, her tone slipping and a smile sneaking its way out.


    Emmy laughed in that pretty way of hers and the two gave each other a quick kiss. ¡°Make certain you do not miss any spots,¡± Emmy said with a smile before she turned to go back to her meeting, giving me a quick kiss, too. ¡°Angela has missed you very much,¡± she said to me. ¡°And so have I.¡±

 Paris Is For Lovers

    Amused by Emmy¡¯s comment, I followed Angela to the en-suite bathroom, enjoying the way her hips swayed as she walked. I¡¯d missed this, and it was very, very good to be back with the two women I loved.


    Angela was good at following Emmy¡¯s instructions and did a very thorough job of bathing me, making sure to soap me up completely, then rinse me off carefully.


    As much time as she spent on me, though, I found my attention drawn to her tummy, which was starting to show the first signs of a baby bump. I just couldn¡¯t keep my hands off her belly, touching it, stroking it, and even getting down on my knees and kissing her slightly less flat than usual midriff.


    Looking up at her from that vantage point, I said, ¡°Our baby, Ange. It¡¯s really happening. You¡¯re going to have our baby.¡±


    ¡°Leah¡­¡± she replied, stroking my wet hair. ¡°It really is happening.¡±


    Wrapping my arms around Angela¡¯s thighs, I held my face to her belly for a long time, lost in the wonder that it could actually be true. Our baby. Somehow it hadn¡¯t seemed real up until this point, but actually seeing Angela¡¯s washboard abs get pushed a little bit out by the tiny little person growing inside made it hit home that yes, our lives were about to change. We were going to be parents.


    ¡°I am so happy you¡¯re here with Emmy and me,¡± Angela said at last, her voice tender. ¡°We missed you so much.¡±


    Angela and I found Emmy sitting on the bed when finished in the shower. ¡°You two look nice and clean,¡± she said with a knowing smile.


    I dropped my towel on the floor as I swooped in and knocked her on her back, pinning her down with my body as I kissed her hungrily. Emmy returned my kisses, pulling me down onto herself with her arms and legs.


    ¡°I missed you so much, my beautiful beast,¡± she said when our lips parted.


    ¡°I missed you, too. Three weeks is just too long,¡± I replied.


    We kissed a bit more, but when I finally went to lift myself off, Emmy pulled me back down. ¡°My mother and father want to take us to dinner tonight,¡± she said with another kiss. ¡°I told them you may be too tired from the flight, so we do not have to do it if you do not wish to.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°I might not want to stay up super late tonight, but I¡¯m good for dinner. Are we going to go to the place they took us last time?¡±


    ¡°I do not know, but I think it will be either there or someplace similar,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°The last time Emmy and I came to Paris, years ago, her parents took us to the restaurant that was just what you imagine a fancy Parisian restaurant would be. Waiters in pristine uniforms, white linen tablecloths, the whole thing,¡± I explained to Angela as I successfully extricated myself from Emmy¡¯s grasp.


    Emmy scooted up on the bed to lean back against the headboard.


    ¡°Leah, I love you,¡± she said, changing the topic. ¡°And I love you most of all when you are like this.¡±


    Angela saw the puzzled look on my face and laughed. ¡°Naked,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Yes, your¡­ birthday suit? It is wonderful. You look fantastique in Armani or Levis, but you are truly amazing when you have no clothes on at all,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Angela said, nibbling on the corner of her lower lip. ¡°I love it when you walk around naked, so¡­ so confident and proud.¡±


    Dinner that night was at a different restaurant than last time Emmy¡¯s parents took us out. Last time it had been to a restaurant on the ground floor of a classic high-end hotel, but this time it was on the sixth floor overlooking the Seine and the side of Notre Dame.


    The other place had had a tasting menu, but this one was a more traditional five-course meal.The food was fantastic, if a bit rich for my taste, but who am I to talk smack about a Michelin three star restaurant? The service was excellent, our waiter switching back and forth between English and French effortlessly.


    Mr Lascaux had mentioned that the wine selection was unequaled, and he and the sommelier had a lengthy discussion, resulting in some truly excellent pairings with our dinner.


    Angela and Emmy were radiant, dressed elegantly and carrying themselves with grace. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the two of them all dinner long, admiring them both.


    I could hardly tell you what we all talked about that night, but I do remember that Emmy¡¯s parents treated Angela with respect and kindness, like a true daughter-in-law.


    I had been concerned that Emmy or Angela would mention our two little secrets, but neither did, and I certainly wasn¡¯t going to do so- not until we got the test results back. For Angela, that would be soon. For Emmy, we had a while to go yet.


    As enjoyable as dinner had been, there was no way I could eat that way on any sort of regular basis. Too much food, too much sauce, too much butter¡­. Yes, it was delicious and amazing and beautifully presented, but afterward I felt as if I should have only eaten half of what I did.


    We were the first back to the suite that evening, even though dinner had taken quite a while. Jackson and his current girlfriend had gone out with Jen and Lee, and still weren¡¯t back. This made for a nice, quiet return to the shared space, but we really didn¡¯t spend any time in the suite¡¯s large common area. We were headed straight to our bedroom to relax and recover.


    Even though Angela and I had showered earlier that afternoon, we were both very willing to soak in the hotel¡¯s big tub with Emmy before bed. After the water cooled down a little, that is.


    Once I slid all the way in, Emmy turned around and straddled my lap, resting her arms on my shoulders.


    ¡°I will need to be at the venue all day tomorrow,¡± she said. ¡°But there is no reason that you two need to be stuck there, too. You should do something fun. The weather this time of year is cold and wet, but there is no reason you cannot go to the Louvre, or go shopping.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Paris before,¡± Angela said from the other end of the tub. ¡°I want to walk around and see the Left Bank and eat cr¨ºpes by the Eiffel Tower. I want to see the Notre Dame. This is Paris!¡±


    Emmy¡¯s laugh sounded like bells. ¡°You do not have to see everything tomorrow, ma chere. There is the day after, too, and another if you wish, before we go to London,¡± she said, looking back over her shoulder at Angela.


    ¡°Well, I did the tourist thing last time Emmy and I were here, Ange, so whatever you want to do, I¡¯m happy to do it with you,¡± I said, reaching out for Angela¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Do not forget- seven o¡¯clock at the arena,¡± Emmy reminded us.


    Angela scooted forward to sit right behind Emmy, kissing her on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll miss you,¡± she said to Emmy.


    ¡°You have seen what it is like. I will be so busy tomorrow that keeping me company would be terrible for you two. Go, have fun, see my city. It is beautiful, even this time of year. The best part will be the lack of crowds. Few tourists come this time of year.¡±


    After saying goodbye to Emmy the next morning, Angela and I set out for a walking tour. A few blocks to the Arc De Triomphe, then down the Champs ¨¦lys¨¦es


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°These are the same shops that can be found in any city,¡± she complained as we passed the H&M store.


    I shrugged, and said, ¡°Multinational corporations.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand, but I thought it would be more¡­ French, you know?¡±


    ¡°Hey, want to stop in the Starbucks? Or maybe grab a bite at the McDonalds?¡± I asked, pointing to the two places less than a block apart.


    ¡°You!¡± Angela said with a laugh, giving me a shove on my shoulder.


    ¡°Emmy showed me the street with the really high end boutiques last time,¡± I said. ¡°I think we¡¯re headed in the right direction, if you want to check it out.¡±


    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know,¡± Angela said, her expressive face showing her indecision. ¡°I kind of do, but I don¡¯t want to spend all day looking at clothes, either.¡±


    ¡°Like Emmy said, we have tomorrow, too. She¡¯s the one you should go shopping with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Angela said, a smile returning to her youthful face.


    We crossed the bridge with the gold statues and soon found ourselves winding through the streets and the alleys of the university district.


    ¡°Look at that!¡± Angela cried, pointing in the window of a shop that seemed to specialize in pop culture stuff- comics, games, things like that. She dragged me across the street for a better look, and I saw what she¡¯d spotted. It was a set of three bobble-head dolls that were caricatures of The Downfall. There was a little Lee, wearing a tank top and holding drumsticks, a little Jackson in a pearl snap shirt with a bass guitar, and a big-headed Emmy in a leather vest, her blue Thunderbird in her little hands.


    ¡°Those are precious!¡± Angela said, pulling her phone out to snap pictures.


    ¡°You want to buy ¡®em?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I want them, but I don¡¯t want to carry them or have them get smashed before getting home,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯d bet we can find ¡®em back in LA,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Probably so,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°But there¡¯s something special about buying them here.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get ¡®em,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll just have them shipped back home.¡±


    Angela¡¯s face lit up in a happy smile at the thought, rewarding me for saying the right thing. I loved seeing her smile like that.


    Four years of French at Stanford did me reasonably well and although I would never pass as a local, I never saw the infamous Parisian snobbery towards those who spoke the language poorly. In fact, most people I ever interacted with seemed pleased that I, as a foreigner, put in the effort.


    The shop had a large selection of comics, and I spotted some that looked familiar. I grabbed the few Asterix comics they had in French that were in hardback for Donny, thinking of the time we went to San Francisco together when we were freshmen.


    Even though the weather was cold and occasionally drizzly Angela and I had a great time that day. We did eat cr¨ºpes, we did visit Notre Dame, and we did walk past the famous entryway to the Louvre (without going in).


    It got dark by four thirty in the afternoon as we walked back to the hotel along the street with all fancy boutiques, but that was O.K. It made for better window-shopping.


    ¡°I think that maybe I won¡¯t go shopping with Emmy tomorrow, unless she wants to go,¡± Angela said as we looked in the Herm¨¦s boutique windows. ¡°We can always go to any of these boutiques in New York.¡±


    ¡°Or down on Rodeo Drive,¡± I agreed.


    Angela and I got to the arena a bit early and thanks to our all-access passes we were soon backstage. We found the band¡¯s dressing room with some help, where Emmy was taking a nap on the couch while Jackson and Lee were eating an early dinner. The only other person in the room was Tiny, sitting motionless in a chair by the door.


    ¡°Did you bump into Stephanie?¡± Jackson asked, his voice quiet. ¡°She has your tickets for the Lascaux box.¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t see her,¡± I replied, amazed at this bubble of calm and quiet amidst all the noise and activity going on outside.


    ¡°You should probably shoot her a text,¡± he suggested. ¡°I know she wanted to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°How is she doing?¡± I asked. ¡°This is the biggest tour she¡¯s ever managed.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know it,¡± Lee said. ¡°She¡¯s a freaking pro at this.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s been so good working with her, it makes me regret the last five years of me doing it,¡± Jackson admitted.


    ¡°Dude, she kicks ass,¡± Lee agreed. ¡°You shoulda seen it in Rome, when the local promoter tried to, shall we say, spontaneously increase his share of the proceeds. She was on him like you wouldn¡¯t believe. I mean, she¡¯s what, five foot two? But she, like, towered over that dude and made it very clear that his shit was not gonna fly.¡±


    ¡°I missed seeing it, but I heard about it from a few people,¡± Jackson said with a chuckle. ¡°Some of the guys on the crew started calling her the pit bull.¡±


    The mental image of Stephanie intimidating some Italian guy who probably had ties to the Mafia made me laugh, unfortunately waking Emmy up.


    ¡°Leah?¡± she asked, her voice drowsy.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, babe,¡± I said as Angela sat on the edge of the couch and stroked Emmy¡¯s face.


    ¡°You two have seats with my parents in their box,¡± Emmy said, sitting up. ¡°I think that Stephanie has the tickets for you- she is around here somewhere. Did you two eat already? Help yourself to the catering- it is going to be a long night tonight. We will probably not get back to the hotel until well past midnight.¡±


    ¡°We had an early dinner, baby,¡± Angela told her. ¡°And we got you a present.¡±


    ¡°A present for me?¡± Emmy asked, delighted. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A surprise,¡± Angela said mischievously. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until you get back to the hotel.¡±


    ¡°But I want it now!¡± Emmy said, sticking out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout.


    ¡°Nope. You have to wait.¡±


    ¡°Do you see how cruel they are to me?¡± Emmy demanded of Lee and Jackson. ¡°Heartless!¡±


    ¡°Utterly,¡± Jackson agreed in a deadpan voice.


    ¡°Completely,¡± Lee said in a similar monotone.


    ¡°Hey, where are Jen and¡­¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sherry,¡± Angela supplied.


    ¡°Right- Jen and Sherry?¡± I finished.


    ¡°They went out to check out the arena while Emmy slept,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°Maybe we should do that, too, to let you guys get ready,¡± I said.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going on for nearly two more hours,¡± Lee said with a shrug. ¡°Nothing much for us to do until then.¡±


    ¡°Two hours?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Well, yeah, the opening act- who are they again, Em?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°Los Toros,¡± she answered, standing up to stretch.


    ¡°I though they were from here- from Paris?¡± Lee asked, confused.


    ¡°I do not know why their name is in Spanish, but yes, they are from Paris,¡± Emmy confirmed.


    ¡°Anyways, the Spanish band from Paris takes the stage at five after eight, right? They get an hour, then ten minutes to clear their gear off the stage. So we¡¯re scheduled to start at nine fifteen.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Yeah, so we really don¡¯t start to even think about getting our shit together until halfway through the opening set,¡± Jackson agreed. ¡°Besides, we know what we¡¯re doing anyhow, right? We could pretty much roll out of bed and put on a show then and there.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said with a laugh. Then, to Angela, I said, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna go find Stephanie. You want to stay here?¡±


    Angela gave me a grateful smile, so I texted Stephanie to find out where she was and set out to explore.


    I found her in the arena¡¯s giant loading dock area with a clipboard in her hands, talking with the burly guys that do all the heavy work in a tour like this.


    She was very involved in the conversation and didn¡¯t realize I was there until she noticed a few of the guys looking curiously at me over her shoulder.


    ¡°Leah!¡± she said when she turned around and saw me standing there. ¡°Hey, guys- this is Emmy¡¯s wife, Leah Farmer. She¡¯s the one that talked Emmy into starting a band back in college. Leah, these are the hardest working guys in show business. The ones that do all the hard work so it looks easy. Everybody thinks the band is the most important part of a tour, but naw, it¡¯s these guys. Without them the band would just be standing around looking like idiots wondering where all their gear was.¡±


    This got a chuckle and a knowing smile from most of the guys. It was easy to see what Stephanie meant, with a number of big trucks just waiting to be loaded up with everything needed for the next stop.


    Stephanie caught me looking at the empty trucks and said, ¡°This, right now? For the next what, three hours, this is when these guys get to catch their breath and take a break. The moment the Downfall leaves the stage? It¡¯s all hands on deck. Everything you see up there?¡± she said, pointing in the general direction of where the stage might be. ¡°It gets packed in these trucks and by dawn they¡¯ll be halfway to Calais.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gotta be a lot of work,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is,¡± the closest guy said. ¡°But you know what? I wouldn¡¯t trade this for anything.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna be super busy all night,¡± Stephanie said, ¡°But I really want to catch up. How about lunch tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said, quietly admiring Stephanie¡¯s drive and work ethic. She was on the job, and nothing was going to derail that.


    I got the box tickets from her and promised her we¡¯d connect in the morning, then wandered off to check out the concessions.


    I snapped some pictures of the various T shirts and other merch for sale, briefly considering buying some until I realized that I could get whatever I wanted just by asking Stephanie for it, anyway, so why stand in line and pay money?


    I was in the main concourse when some teenaged girls recognized me and approached. My French was good enough to have a conversation with them and admit that yes, I was Emmy¡¯s wife, and yes, I¡¯d come especially to see her perform in the city of her birth, and yes, I thought Paris was very beautiful. A couple of the girls actually wanted selfies with me, to my amusement. Of course I posed with them- after all, Emmy would have, right?


    By this time the place was getting packed, so I barged my way backstage again to find Angela and take her to the skybox level to watch the show with Emmy¡¯s parents. When I got to the dressing room Jen and Sherry were there, along with a couple of the guys from the meeting the day before. In fact, the room was fairly crowded, so I gave Emmy a kiss and told her to break a leg (or whatever it is musicians do), then left with Angela.


    We found the skybox easily enough, and Mr and Mrs Lascaux were already there. I gave Edouard a nod, and he nodded back and gave me a little smile.


    There were hors d¡¯oeuvres to snack on and champagne to drink, befitting the luxurious seating area.


    I was surprised how quiet it was- so much so that it must have been sound-proofed as much as possible, with speakers carrying what little outside noise made its way into the glassed-in room.


    Emmy¡¯s mother stood and gave Angela a double cheek kiss, then poured her some champagne while I shook hands with her husband.


    Soon enough we were all seated again, just as the lights dimmed for Los Toros to start.

 Born For This

    Apparently there was a volume control for the suite¡¯s sound system, and Mr Lascaux kept it quiet enough for us to talk while Los Toros played. They didn¡¯t seem like a really loud band, anyway- more of a sort of Indie Pop/Surf group. They were fun and lighthearted, and even though the arena was still filling up the fans that were there seemed to enjoy their music.


    From their banter, I gathered that they had never played anyplace like that before, and were overjoyed to open for ¡°Le Downfall.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s dad was never one for idle chatter, but we did make some small talk at first. After a while, though, he turned serious.


    Gesturing out over the arena, he said, ¡°The show tonight sold out the day tickets went on sale months ago. From what I understand, every show on this tour has sold out quickly. This is a bit more than forty thousand people who have come to see the princess and her band.¡± After gazing out over the crowd, he continued. ¡°They have come to see her. I don¡¯t wish to demean Lee Park or Jackson Coolidge, but they are not the face of The Downfall. ¨¦meraude is. She is the one whose face adorns the souvenir shirts, she is the one on the billboards.¡±


    Taking a sip of his champagne, he turned to me. ¡°She told us, her mother and I, that you were the one who suggested she start a band. It was your idea for her to turn her love and talent for music into all this,¡± he gestured again at the stage, the arena, all of it. ¡°She explained to us that it was your plan, your way to introduce the world to the Children Of The Night. Give day walkers an icon, an image of us, and thereby introduce us to the world at large.¡±


    He paused for a bit, still looking out over the nearly full arena. ¡°I will admit I was skeptical when she told us of your suggestion. But here we are, and my doubts have long since been banished. She has done it. The world knows her music, but more than that, they know her face. She is on magazine covers in Uganda, on television in Indonesia, and on countless web sites online. I have seen pictures of teenaged girls in Japan who use makeup to look like Night Children- specifically, to imitate ¨¦meraude. I could never have imagined this.¡±


    ¡°When she performed at the Winter Carnival at school back in Fallbrook,¡± I replied, ¡°I saw a rock star on stage. She was born and raised, intentionally or not, for this. All it took on my part was to give her a nudge. The rest has been all her,¡± I protested.


    ¡°I beg to differ,¡± Mr Lascaux replied. ¡°She has been able to devote her energies to doing this because you have made it possible. You have shouldered her duties to our people, Leah. You are the queen of the Night Children in North America, and we, the leaders of the old nations, we have become aware of this. What you have been doing has not gone unnoticed. I have been in talks with my counterparts, and you have been the topic of many discussions.¡±


    ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, you should not be. We are few, and isolated to a great degree, but not so much that we are unaware of what is happening among our people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually good to know,¡± I said. ¡°You say I¡¯m the topic of conversation. What are your peers saying about me?¡±


    ¡°Our peers,¡± Mr Lascaux corrected, making a point. ¡°Our peers have varying degrees of information, and of course, varying points of view, but for the most part, they are adopting a ¡®wait and see¡¯ attitude, with some exceptions.¡±


    ¡°Marfan?¡±


    ¡°He is very much opposed to what you are doing, and of course, to what the princess is doing. But he is in the minority,¡± Mr Lascaux replied.


    ¡°What do they say about me in particular?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°While a few of our peers have expressed dismay that it is a non-blessed leading the new nation that is arising, that is not unprecedented.¡±


    ¡°Because they think I¡¯m a day walking daughter of a Night Child father?¡± I asked for confirmation.


    Mr Lascaux nodded, then continued. ¡°Stories of your personal¡­ exploits are debated. The rumors are too numerous to be dismissed out of hand, but seem too exaggerated to be true.¡±


    ¡°Says the man who killed a tiger with a knife,¡± I countered.


    Smiling, Mr Lascaux admitted, ¡°I killed that tiger with a well-placed trap I fashioned in the forest, but led the villagers to believe that I had attacked it with no more than my knife. An aura of indomitability can be the most useful tool in negotiations.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve certainly found that to be true.¡±


    Just about that time Los Toros finished up their set and the house lights came back on. I got up to grab a snack from the table, asking Angela if she wanted anything to eat.


    ¡°You really should eat something, my child,¡± Mrs Lascaux said to Angela. ¡°You have a little one to feed.¡±


    Angela¡¯s eyes grew wide with surprise. ¡°Did Em tell you?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t have to,¡± Emmy¡¯s mom said, her musical laugh gentle. ¡°You have mimed drinking your champagne, but haven¡¯t so much as taken a sip. You did that at dinner last night, too, and unlike every time I had seen you in Los Angeles, you¡¯re wearing a loose-fitting top. It was a guess, but now I know for certain it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to tell anybody until-¡± Angela apologized, but Mrs Lascaux waved it off.


    ¡°It is never wise to announce too soon,¡± she said, patting Angela¡¯s arm. ¡°There are so many things that can go wrong in the early stages.¡±


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯ve guessed about Angela¡¯s condition, I expect you¡¯ve noticed Emmy isn¡¯t drinking these days, either,¡± I said, sitting back down.


    ¡°The princess as well?¡± Mrs Lascaux asked, her perfectly groomed eyebrows raised.


    ¡°We have an appointment at the premiere fertility clinic in London in¡­ three days? To evaluate both pregnancies. Angela will be far enough along for genetic testing, but Emmy is two months behind.¡±


    ¡°I wanted us to get pregnant at the same time,¡± Angela said with a little pout, ¡°So our little girls could be like twins.¡±


    ¡°Girls? I thought you said you had not tested yet?¡± Mr Lascaux asked.


    Seeing the cat had truly escaped the bag and was well on his way out the door, I said, ¡°We paid an experimental lab a lot of money to extract my DNA and use it to fertilize Angela¡¯s and Emmy¡¯s eggs. So, yeah, I¡¯m the ¡®father¡¯,¡± I said, making air quotes with my fingers. ¡°Since there will only be female sex chromosomes, the babies will be girls.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, leaning back. ¡°And this is the reason for the genetic testing.¡±


    ¡°To make sure the experimental procedure worked as planned?¡± asked Mrs Lascaux.


    ¡°Right,¡± Angela said. ¡°And to make sure they actually did use Lee¡¯s genes.¡±


    ¡°This is astounding,¡± Mr Lascaux said. ¡°Truly astounding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too soon, then, to congratulate you,¡± Mrs Lascaux said, taking Angela¡¯s hand in her own. ¡°But this is the most amazing news. I couldn¡¯t have possibly imagined this. And to get this incredible news on this night!¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Even with the box suite¡¯s sound system turned down, the roar of the crowd nearly drowned out Mrs Lascaux¡¯s words.


    We all turned to look at the stage as the house lights went out and a few lasers and spotlights roamed the stage.


    Mr Lascaux turned the volume up, but it was still nowhere near as deafening as it must have been in the main part of the arena.


    Maybe a dozen tight spotlights focused in on one spot on the stage, and there was Emmy. She was wearing a classy but casual outfit-jeans, a white boat neck T with a navy blazer, sleeves pushed up to her elbows. And of course, a pair of Chuck Taylors.


    She had on a pair of big Audrey Hepburn-style sunglasses to finish the look off just right.


    Instead of her Firebird she had the clear blue acrylic guitar on her hip as she walked to the front of the stage, smiling at the absolutely thunderous crowd. Forty-some thousand people were cheering, whistling, and generally making as much noise as they could, and believe me, forty thousand French people can make a whole lot of noise when they want to.


    Emmy slowly looked out over the crowd from left to right, then back again, surveying the packed arena, which was usually home to rugby games and the like- nice, quiet events like that.


    Satisfied, she pulled a guitar pick from her pocket and played a long, slow blues riff. When she stopped, the crowd went completely nuts again, getting another smile from Emmy. She waited for it to die down again, then repeated the riff, but faster the second time.


    The crowd roared in approval, and Emmy smiled again. She took off her sunglasses and looked the arena over again, then flipped the glasses into the audience, somewhere about ten rows back. Ignoring the crowd noise, she played the riff again, this time faster still, but stopping abruptly part way through, looking as if something wasn¡¯t right. She reached into the pocket of her blazer and pull out another pair of identical sunglasses, which she put on her face.


    The crowd knew a good gag when they saw it, and they laughed and cheered like crazy. Emmy then ripped into the riff a fourth time, continuing on with a shredding guitar solo. She managed to marry blues and hard rock, at turns sliding and slinky and then fierce and aggressive. She was in fine form and showing off her virtuosity for the world to see.


    Jackson took the stage after a couple of minutes to loud cheering, quickly joining Emmy¡¯s guitar with his bass, providing a solid rhythmic foundation for her wild flights across the frets.


    After another minute or two Lee appeared and took his stool behind the monster drum kit, augmenting Jackson¡¯s bass with a deep and heavy kick drum beat.


    The intro went on for almost ten minutes until it finally coalesced into the melody for their first song of the night, their version of Cheap Trick¡¯s ¡®I want You To Want Me¡¯.


    When the song ended, the applause was literally earth-shaking, even up there in the skybox suite.


    ¡°She is quite a performer,¡± Mrs Lascaux said with pride in her voice.


    ¡°The best,¡± Angela agreed, her face showing just how much she loved to watch Emmy play.


    Emmy waved for quiet, and then spoke into the microphone. She thanked everyone for coming, and expressed her joy at performing in the city of her birth, which, predictably, got another huge wave of cheering going.


    ¡°The people really do love her,¡± Mrs Lascaux said, amazed by the crowd¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Everybody does,¡± Angela said. ¡°Everybody loves Emmy. Everybody.¡±


    The Downfall started their second song with a heavy drum intro, stopping any further conversation, but Mr Lascaux leaned over and spoke into my ear.


    ¡°It seems we will need to continue our conversation later,¡± he said.


    I nodded that I agreed, and we settled into our seats to watch a truly amazing rock spectacle. The band was on fire that night, buoyed by Emmy¡¯s pleasure at playing for a home-town crowd as well as the audience¡¯s absolute rapture at seeing what might well have been the greatest concert of their lives. The forty thousand plus fans in attendance were treated to one hell of a show, and Emmy¡¯s rapport with the audience was complete. She joked, she flirted, and she spoke fondly of growing up in the City Of Light. Emmy had her fans eating out of her hands. She even name-checked Laurent and Cl¨¦mence, I noticed.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t just a one-woman show. Although Lee made no attempts to speak in French, Jackson did, and did a reasonably decent job of it. Even I could pick up his Texan accent, which seemed to charm rather than offend the native speakers.


    The Downfall had released a couple of albums in French, but they didn¡¯t necessarily play those versions that night, to my surprise. Sure, Emmy sang in French some, but not as much as I would have expected. It didn¡¯t seem to matter much in any case. I could see lots of fans singing along in English just as well as in French.


    Emmy¡¯s famous primal shriek to start ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯ visibly startled Mrs Lascaux, but after her initial jump a fond smile appeared on her face. She leaned over and said something to her husband, getting a nod in return, and I wondered what that was all about but forgot to ask later.


    When Lee started in with what turned out to be the show¡¯s final song, that painfully familiar heartbeat double kick drum, I reached over and took Angela¡¯s hand. She clutched my hand in both of hers, already feeling the emotions that song would bring.


    Emmy¡¯s guitar started off with a sort of distorted strummed chord before morphing into the long, clear note of the recorded version, gradually dropping down the scale until it dissolved into what sounded disturbingly like a baby crying.


    ¡°How does she do that?¡± Mrs Lascaux asked in amazement to nobody in particular in the quiet moment that followed before Emmy began to sing.


    ¡°I was born to make you cry,¡± Emmy sang, her voice powerful and clear, confident and assured. Angela was already weeping, so I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in as tight as the roomy seats would allow.


    I gave Angela a kiss on her forehead as Emmy sang, ¡°I was born to make you smile. I was born to sing this song, but most of all, baby, I was born to die.¡±


    I kept kissing Angela, holding her to me as Emmy continued singing that damned song that broke Angela¡¯s heart (and mine, I have to admit) every time she heard it. By the end of the song Angela was crying uncontrollably, burying her face against me.


    Stroking Angela¡¯s hair and kissing her, murmuring that we had Emmy for a lot of years yet, I hardly noticed when the house lights came on and The Downfall took their bows.


    When Angela¡¯s tears finally dried up, Emmy¡¯s mother gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. ¡°She knows that Emmy is moon kissed?¡± Mrs Lascaux asked, but it wasn¡¯t really necessary to reply.


    ¡°She does,¡± Angela said from the comfort of my embrace. ¡°But she hates it.¡±


    Mrs Lascaux sighed in understanding, but didn¡¯t say anything else.


    When Angela finally pulled away from me and wiped her eyes, I asked her if she wanted to go down to find Emmy.


    ¡°She said that she had to go to the afterparty tonight. She usually doesn¡¯t, but felt that this time, it being Paris, that she needed to. She asked if we wanted to go, and I said I¡¯d ask you,¡± Angela said, still sniffling.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Angela said, still disconsolate. ¡°I want to support Em and be there for her, but I¡¯m not in any kind of party mood. These afterparties- they aren¡¯t, well, they aren¡¯t all that fun, you know? All these people trying to get close to Emmy and Lee and Jackson, to have their picture taken so they can say they know her¡­ They just¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let her know we¡¯re gonna skip it,¡± I said, giving Angela a tender kiss on her forehead again. ¡°We¡¯ll just go back to the hotel and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°If you want to go¡­¡± Angela said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not much for parties, and there really isn¡¯t likely to be anyone there I¡¯d want to talk to or hang out with besides you and Em anyhow,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s just go back to the hotel.¡±


    Angela gave me a grateful smile, squeezing my hand in thanks as I shot Emmy a quick text.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re calling it a night,¡± I said to Emmy¡¯s parents. To Emmy¡¯s dad I said, ¡°Call me tomorrow and we can figure out a time to get together to talk.¡±


    He nodded, and then said goodnight as I led Angela out of the suite.


    ¡°The car will be waiting for you at entr¨¦e quatre,¡± Edouard said. ¡°The driver is named Said. He will take you back to the hotel.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine on the Metro,¡± I protested, but he wasn¡¯t having it. I finally gave up and accepted the offer of a ride, and thanked Edouard and Emmy¡¯s parents again and wished them a good night.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to find the Seven-Series sedan with the solemn Night Child driver standing beside it.


    ¡°Mesdames Farmer et Castro?¡± he asked as we approached.


    ¡°Said?¡± I asked, and he smiled.


    ¡°Bien s?r,¡± he said, opening the door for Angela.


    Back in our room, Angela flopped down on the bed, her arms out wide. ¡°I hate it, Lee. I hate that they even call it ¡®moon kissed¡¯. That makes it sound like it¡¯s something good, you know? But it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s terrible. How can Em even live like that, knowing¡­¡± she said, her voice trailing off as she started to cry again.


    I climbed onto the bed and scooted over, lifting Angela¡¯s head into my lap so I could stroke her hair.


    ¡°I know, babe, I know,¡± I said, agreeing with her completely. ¡°I hate it too, more than anything. I don¡¯t know how Emmy can do it, either.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand,¡± Angela said, turning on her side to face away, but keeping her head in my lap.


    I ran my fingers through Angela¡¯s thick, dark hair, not saying anything. Sometimes emotions can be conveyed better without words, and I was trying to let Angela know that I understood how she was feeling.


    Eventually she fell asleep, and then so did my legs. I really didn¡¯t want to disturb her, but I had to get up and get some circulation back so I could help Angela out of her clothes and under the covers. It only took me a few more moments before I was in bed also, spooning her tightly as she fell asleep again.


    I wasn¡¯t worried about Emmy¡¯s safety at the party, wherever it was, since she would have Tiny, and more importantly Grant, with her. She could schmooze until dawn if she needed to.


    I glanced at my watch when I felt Emmy climb into bed, surprised it was not even four in the morning. The party must not have gone on very long, I thought as Emmy kissed me and whispered good morning.

 Lunch and Conversation

    I left Angela and Emmy sleeping peacefully when I got up for a morning workout at the hotel¡¯s surprisingly well-outfitted but completely deserted gym. I put in a solid two hours of mostly weights, thankful for the chance to shake off my travel lethargy.


    When I checked my phone on the way back up to the suite I saw I¡¯d missed a text from Emmy¡¯s dad. He asked about meeting for lunch, and I agreed, telling him to pick the place and I¡¯ll meet him there.


    To my complete lack of surprise everybody was still asleep back at the suite. Emmy and Angela were cuddled together in bed, looking completely adorable. I snapped a few photos to capture the moment, then showered and got dressed.


    Returning to the bedroom, I found the two of them awake, but still in bed.


    ¡°Em, I¡¯m meeting your dad for lunch,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you want me there?¡± she asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.


    ¡°No, I think he wanted to just talk to me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Angela told me that my mother realized that we are pregnant,¡± Emmy said, sitting up and scooting back against the headboard. ¡°Is that what my father wants to talk about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said. ¡°I think it¡¯s Night Children business.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll bet your mom wants to talk to you and Ange about babies,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Emmy groaned, sliding back down under the covers, where Angela laughed and wrapped Emmy in her arms.


    ¡°Babe, she was nice last night. I think she¡¯s excited for us,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I am certain she is,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°And I am also certain she is already planning the lives of her granddaughters. I do not wish to think about it any more. Angela, since Leah is going to have lunch with my father, would you like to go shopping today? There is something I want very much to get for you.¡±


    Angela gave me a knowing smile and agreed to go shopping with Emmy.


    ¡°Make sure you take Tiny and Grant,¡± I said, probably unnecessarily. ¡°I¡¯ve got to take off in a few minutes to meet your dad. I¡¯ll text you guys when we¡¯re done with lunch and we can meet up.¡±


    Plugging in the address that Mr Lascaux had sent, I was surprised to see it was in the opposite direction from their mansion, way over in the area called Belleville. It would take me a while to get there, but I was O.K. with seeing more of the city.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve got to a take off now,¡± I said, giving both of them a kiss. ¡°See you two later.¡±


    Sure, it would have been quicker and easier to take a cab, but I opted to travel in a more Parisian way. The streets were somewhat empty on a cold and rainy winter Sunday morning, and so was the Metro station. This suited me fine, as it gave me the time to get reacquainted with the system. Of course it hadn¡¯t changed noticeably since the last time I¡¯d been to Paris, but still¡­ Musing that Emmy had admitted to me that she¡¯d never once ridden Paris¡¯ famous subway system in her entire life, I bought my ticket and made my way downstairs.


    The red line took me to the olive line and then the brown line, which dropped me off just a couple of blocks from the Thai restaurant where I was going to meet Emmy¡¯s dad. Quick, easy, and painless.


    The neighborhood I emerged in was solidly middle class, from what I could tell. It was clean and nice, but there was graffiti on the roll-up doors for the businesses that were closed for the day. This definitely wasn¡¯t a tourist district, but it still had plenty of Paris¡¯ effortless charm in the stone-fronted buildings and the rows of (now leafless) trees lining the street.


    The Thai restaurant was different than I was used to- the interior was done up in urban graffiti, with spray-painted art on the walls and ceiling. The menu was written on a chalkboard behind the register counter, and the music playing on the sound system was some sort of French Hip Hop. The lighting was from a series of randomly colored neon tubes running at angles across the ceiling, making for a sort of ¡®Blade Runner-esque¡¯ feel.


    Glancing around, I saw that Mr Lascaux wasn¡¯t there yet, so I just ordered an iced tea and settled down to wait.


    He entered alone, his wife and Edouard nowhere to be seen. Nodding at me to indicate he saw me, he quickly ordered at the counter and then sat down opposite me at the table.


    ¡°I hope you like satay,¡± he said. ¡°This place has the best peanut sauce in all of Paris.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said with a laugh.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the waitress to set down a couple of paper baskets of papaya salad and a double helping of chicken skewers on rice (with extra peanut sauce). I found the disposable wooden fork and knife to be odd, but I was O.K. with chopsticks anyhow, so I didn¡¯t use the strange utensils.


    Mr Lascaux thanked the girl by name as she brought us our food, confirming to me that he was a regular.


    As we dug in on the salad he confessed, ¡°The dinner we had two nights ago? I simply can¡¯t eat like that more than a few times a month. Yes, it was a fantastic meal, but just too rich to have very often.¡±


    ¡°It was great, but yeah, I¡¯m with you on that one. This is perfect,¡± I agreed, indicating our lunch.


    We ate in companionable silence for a little while, but I noticed a group of girls at one of the other tables in the small restaurant kept looking at us. Finally, prodded by her friends, one of them came over to speak to us.


    She couldn¡¯t have been more than fifteen years old, but with her perfectly smooth, unlined face and her hair hidden by its hijab it was hard to judge.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she said in French. ¡°Are you- are you the wife of Emmy De Lascaux? And you, sir, are you her father?¡± she asked, shy but determined.


    ¡°Yes, you are correct,¡± Mr Lascaux responded before I could put the words together.


    ¡°We saw the show last night and it was the most amazing concert ever and Emmy is so beautiful and we love her music and we thought it must be you and I just wanted to say that I love Emmy so much and we¡¯ve been waiting to see her and we want her to know that all Paris loves her and she should come here more to play, or even move back here because the whole city is so proud of her,¡± she said, or something like that. Her rapid-fire French was hard for me to follow, especially since it seemed to be a nearly random stream of consciousness.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind words,¡± Mr Lascaux responded gently. ¡°We will make sure to tell ¨¦meraude that you feel this way.¡±


    Finally marshaling my French, I asked, ¡°Would you like to speak to her yourself?¡± as I pulled out my phone.


    The girl¡¯s eyes grew wide in surprise and her mouth formed a perfect ¡®O¡¯. I dialed Emmy for a FaceTime call, and when she answered, I said, ¡°Hey, babe. I have a fan here who wants to talk to you.¡±


    I held the phone up so Emmy could see the Somali girl and her friends at the table in the background, and of course, they could all see her.


    Emmy chattered with the girl for a few minutes, her friends eventually abandoning their table to crowd around. When Emmy signed off, the girl thanked me over and over again, saying that was the best thing that ever happened to her in her entire life, if I understood correctly.


    ¡°Does this happen often?¡± Mr Lascaux asked when the girls went back to their table and left us in peace.


    ¡°Things like that happen a lot,¡± I admitted. ¡°And Emmy is always, always happy to engage. She loves her fans, and tries to make a personal connection with as many as she can.¡±


    Silent for a long moment, Mr Lascaux seemed to be thinking. Eventually he asked, ¡°Has she told you much of her childhood?¡±


    ¡°Not that much, no,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want to say that Emmy hadn¡¯t really painted an idyllic picture of her growing up.


    ¡°Emmy was never destined to be¡­ normal,¡± he said, measuring his words. ¡°Before she was born, her mother and I had a plan to bring our people out of the shadows. We saw that it was necessary. The old ways were no longer sustainable, but inertia is very hard to combat.¡± Selecting a chicken skewer he deftly slid the pieces of meat off the stick and onto his plate. ¡°We had to show that it was possible to live as the rest of the world does, so we determined that the princess would never, ever hide. She would never wear the makeup our people use to¡­ camouflage ourselves.¡±


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    ¡°She¡¯s told me all that,¡± I said, savoring my own chicken with the excellent peanut sauce.


    ¡°When she was born, the first Night Child born in a day walker hospital to our knowledge, we saw that she was moon kissed, and our resolve strengthened. Moon kissed are always bringers of change. They are always great leaders, and do things beyond what others can achieve. We laid our¡­ Our dreams and goals on her when we saw this. Of course, we knew it was unfair of us. We resolved to continue to do what we could for the cause and not merely hand over the responsibility to a child, but at the same time, we knew that she could do what we could never manage,¡± he explained, thinking back.


    I kept eating, waiting for Emmy¡¯s dad to continue. He had set this meeting up to talk to me, and I wasn¡¯t going to waste the opportunity to find out more.


    ¡°We did everything we could to prepare her for what we imagined would be her role in all this. We taught her the old ways, which many have long forgotten. We trained her in so very many ways to be the¡­ paragon, the most perfect exemplar of what our people can be. We, her mother and I, we knew that this denied her of any sort of typical childhood. She never got to run and play with other children, never got to do so many of the things that children must do for the sake of their maturation. I don¡¯t want you to think that she had no playmates her own age,¡± he added. ¡°But they were carefully selected for her, and her time with them was limited. She had dance lessons, and vocal coaching, and so many things that were intended to build her into the woman that would be the ambassador for our kind.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s alluded to this,¡± I said.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t think of us as monsters,¡± Mr Lascaux said, sipping his tea. ¡°We know we sacrificed our daughter¡¯s childhood, and that is a terrible thing. It isn¡¯t something we did lightly. I hope you understand why we did it, and what our goal was in working our daughter so hard.¡±


    ¡°I do understand, and Emmy does too,¡± I replied. ¡°And, to be honest, you guys doing that made her into the woman I love, for better or worse.¡± I took a moment to think of what I wanted to say next before adding, ¡°And it worked. I mean, she is the ambassador for the Night Children. She is charming, friendly, and undeniably perfect in almost every way. I¡¯m sure most of that is her natural personality, but I won¡¯t deny that the way you guys raised her made a big difference.¡±


    Mr Lascaux nodded, showing that he understood my position.


    ¡°I¡¯m not convinced the ends justify the means, but ultimately, that¡¯s between you guys and Emmy, not me,¡± I said.


    ¡°We have always tried to be the best parents we can for our daughter, but we have had to balance that with the needs of our people,¡± he said. Then, sort of changing the subject but not really, he said, ¡°And now you tell us the princess is with child.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I hedged. ¡°She tested positive for pregnancy right before her tour started, but, like Emmy¡¯s mom said, the early stages of pregnancy are¡­ well, unpredictable. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to a clinic in London for more advanced testing on Thursday.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said. ¡°Assuming the pregnancy is viable, what is the next step?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to have the fetal DNA tested from Angela¡¯s baby to make sure everything is going O.K. After those results come back, we¡¯ll have a much better idea about Emmy¡¯s pregnancy. Emmy¡¯s was a lot harder to start with- it took a lot of tries to get the fertilized egg to bind in her uterus. We¡¯ve always suspected that low Night Child birth rates might be a problem for Emmy, so it was no surprise that it was hard to get the egg implanted. But now, if Angela¡¯s baby is healthy and everything looks good, the odds are they will be with Emmy¡¯s baby, too,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I see,¡± Mr Lascaux said again. ¡°And you said this experimental lab used your DNA to fertilize both of their eggs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s actually something else we¡¯ll find out from the DNA testing- if they actually did it or not.¡±


    ¡°Do you think there is a chance they didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I mean, they have to know we¡¯ll do this testing, right? If they used some random guy¡¯s sperm it would show up like a bright red flag. I¡¯m giving them a lot of money, and the bulk of it is contingent on success. They have to know that any faking it will get caught,¡± I said.


    Nodding he understood, Mr Lascaux signaled the waitress, who then brought us two small bowls of coconut ice cream.


    ¡°I don¡¯t indulge very often, but this is my favorite ice cream anywhere,¡± Mr Lascaux confessed.


    After we finished our ice cream and left the restaurant, Emmy¡¯s dad suggested we walk, since the rain had stopped.


    ¡°Last night, before ¨¦meraude and her band took the stage, we started to talk Night Children politics,¡± Mr Lascaux said as we strolled along the tree-lined street. ¡°When word gets out that the princess and the queen of the new nation in North America are expecting a child, it will cause quite a furor. The child will be the heir to our nation here, as well as the one you are creating over there. This may be viewed as a power play on your part, or an attempt to legitimize your rule, since you are not blessed.¡± Raising his hand to forestall any protest I might have, Mr Lascaux said, ¡°You and I both know the reality of the situation, but as I said last night, some of our peers do not have such complete access to information.¡±


    ¡°Emmy is your only child, right? So she¡¯s the sole heir to your nation?¡± I asked, even though I knew it was true.


    ¡°Not the sole heir, but the first and most important in line,¡± Mr Lascaux said. ¡°If she does have a child, it strengthens her claim to the title.¡±


    ¡°What effect does her being queen in our nation have?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She is not widely understood to be equal queen with you among our people outside of your domain. You are seen as the queen, and she is your consort. She is still thought of as the heir to our nation here.¡±


    Mr Lascaux led me through the gates of a forested park which had a surprising number of joggers and strollers, despite the cold weather.


    ¡°This- You said you¡¯ve been in contact with some of the other rulers, right? Is it as simple as calling them on the phone?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, no it is not,¡± Mr Lascaux said with a chuckle. ¡°I can only wish that it could be that simple. No, we all have¡­ ambassadors¡­¡± he said, then corrected himself. ¡°No, that really isn¡¯t correct. We all have spies in each others¡¯ circles, and we all know who those spies are, so we play a game of speaking secrets in front of these known spies, expecting that they will communicate with their people back in their own courts. The other kings and queens do the same with the things they wish the rest of us to know. It¡¯s a silly game, a remnant of times long past.¡±


    ¡°Emmy once said that your people are an extremely ancient culture and are very much stuck in old, old ways of doing things.¡±


    ¡°She is, unfortunately, completely correct,¡± Mr Lascaux said with a sad shake of his head. ¡°But this is why I have such great hopes for what you have been doing. You are showing the rest of us the way forward, simply because you don¡¯t know and don¡¯t care about so much of our tradition, which ultimately is what holds us back.¡±


    ¡°What would happen if I were to send a real ambassador to each of the other- courts, you called them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°At least half would get killed immediately,¡± Mr Lascaux said with a shrug. ¡°I can tell you which might be receptive, but even that is no more than a guess.¡±


    ¡°How about if we turn it around? What would happen if you leaked to the spies in your court that I¡¯ve invited you to send an ambassador to the US? Do you think they would follow your example?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Some most likely would,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said, pondering the idea. ¡°If you made it clear they would be welcome and unharmed.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯d have to set some ground rules,¡± I said, giving it some thought.


    ¡°If the idea seems to work, perhaps the others would follow suit,¡± Mr Lascaux said, thinking about it.


    We walked in silence for a while, lost in our own thoughts.


    ¡°It would have to wait until I have total control over the whole continent,¡± I said. ¡°That might take as much as two more years.¡±


    ¡°I am still astonished at what you¡¯ve done over there,¡± Mr Lascaux replied. ¡°None of us had any idea there were any of our people over there at all, and for you to have found so many and brought them under your shadow- a whole continent¡¯s worth- in this short a period is incredible.¡±


    ¡°It has taken a lot of work,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are the stories true?¡± Emmy¡¯s dad asked. ¡°Have you actually disposed of your enemies yourself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what stories you¡¯ve heard, but yes,¡± I admitted. ¡°My knife has seen a lot of action.¡±


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Mr Lascaux said. ¡°You are too valuable to risk needlessly.¡±


    ¡°Funny- that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve told Emmy. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want her anywhere near where fighting might happen.¡±


    ¡°She knows how to fight. We trained her well,¡± Mr Lascaux said as he led me onto a long suspension bridge to an island in the park¡¯s little lake.


    ¡°She does know how to fight, but honestly, I don¡¯t think she has it in her to, well, to kill,¡± I said. ¡°And personally, I¡¯m glad for that.¡±


    ¡°But you do.¡±


    ¡°That has been proven on a number of occasions,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t proud of the fact that I was able to kill people and sleep well afterwards, but I¡¯d come to accept that it was an aspect of who I was.


    ¡°This is a lot to think about,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said as we climbed the stairs to the faux-Greek temple at the top of the island¡¯s little hill. We admired the view for a little while, neither of us saying anything.


    ¡°Angela¡¯s baby,¡± he said, breaking the silence. ¡°What does ¨¦meraude think of it? How does she feel that you are having a child with another woman?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s overjoyed,¡± I said as we headed back down the little hill. ¡°She always refers to the baby as ¡®our baby¡¯. She will be as much of a mother to that little girl as she will be to the one she gives birth to. Honestly? And don¡¯t ever tell Emmy or Angela, but I think that they both, consciously or not, I don¡¯t know, they both want the other for their child. I mean, Emmy knows that Angela is so sweet and caring and loving that little Emmy junior will have Angela to hold her when she needs comforting, probably better than she could do herself, if you understand what I mean. And Angela, she knows that Emmy can teach little baby Angela how to be so confident in new situations, and to encourage her more than Angela could, if that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°You think that each one believes that the other brings things as a parent that she herself might not be able to provide?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a much better way of saying it,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I can understand why they both might feel that way,¡± Mr Lascaux said, nodding. ¡°This helps me understand the relationship better.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not all of it,¡± I protested. ¡°Angela is deeply in love with Emmy, and Emmy loves Angela, too. I don¡¯t want you to think that I¡¯m the glue that holds the two together. They¡¯d love each other even without me in the picture. Each one of us brings something unique to our household of three, and our relationship is better for it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that,¡± Mr Lascaux agreed. ¡°You are correct- when ¨¦meraude¡¯s mother and I first heard about Angela, we assumed that you had taken another lover and the princess was somehow accepting of the situation, but she quickly disabused us of that idea. She made a point of telling us that it was she, the princess, who had asked you to accept Angela as a lover.¡±


    We¡¯d reached one of the park¡¯s gates and made our way onto a busy street by this time. Mr Lascaux expertly hailed a passing cab, saying, ¡°We should go and see how our wives are doing. I expect it will be a very expensive afternoon, with the three of them together.¡±

 London Calling

    After dinner that night in the hotel¡¯s restaurant (which had a life-sized statue of a rhino right in the middle, for some reason), we went back up to the suite where we were once again the only ones not out for a late night on the town.


    I climbed onto the bed, sitting upright against the headboard so Emmy and Angela could show me what they¡¯d bought. Well, Emmy did, anyway. Angela just worked her way into my lap and snuggled up against me while Emmy modeled her new clothes.


    After a little while I realized that Angela¡¯s odd seating position was intentional- she had arranged herself so that my face would be right by her neck. The reason for this, of course, was that she wanted me to notice her new perfume.


    Needless to say, I said nothing about it. Yes, it smelled great- tropical flowers and some sort of spicy smell, and it absolutely worked with the scent of her skin and hair at the same time as it somehow enhanced her sexy Latina-ness.


    But again, I didn¡¯t mention it at all, even as Angela almost literally rubbed my nose in it. I just kept adjusting my own position so that I could watch Emmy¡¯s fashion show, acting as if I didn¡¯t notice what Angela was doing.


    Eventually Emmy got down to her new lingerie, a panty and bra set that probably cost more than I¡¯d ever want to know. The color was the palest blue, with little tiny flowers.


    ¡°Nice. I like it. Floral, but spicy,¡± I said. Of course Emmy had noticed the little dance that Angela and I had been doing, and of course she recognized my game.


    ¡°I think it is a little bit¡­ tropical, no? Sweet, but with a hint of the wild?¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    ¡°Absolutely perfect on the right person,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°It took a long time to get just the right ¡­¡± Emmy said, searching for the right word, but by then Angela figured out that we were teasing her.


    She sat up and gave my shoulder a slap. ¡°That was mean!¡± she protested. ¡°You knew all along I got new perfume and you didn¡¯t say anything!¡±


    I pulled Angela in close and made a bit show of snuffling below her ear like a bloodhound.


    ¡°Hey! You did get new perfume!¡± I said in amazement.


    Angela played at struggling to get loose, but I continued sniffing her neck, collarbone, and behind her ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible!¡± Angela said as she tried to get free, but not very hard.


    ¡°Babe, it smells great. It smells so good it makes me want to ravish you right here and now,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, but you always want to ravish me,¡± Angela countered, and I had to admit she wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°Well, sure I do,¡± I said, nuzzling behind her ear. I dropped my voice an octave and growled out, ¡°I¡¯m a beast.¡±


    The next morning the tour bus left for London, but the three of us, along with Lee and Jen and Jackson and his girlfriend Sherry, plus of course Tiny and Grant, made our way to Paris¡¯ Gare du Nord train station in the hotel¡¯s shuttle van for the high-speed train ride to London.


    The train station was easy to navigate, so we made it to the train with plenty of time to spare, despite the crowd of fans that slowed our progress. The three band members were gracious and posed for photos and signed autographs, never giving any sign that they were anything but pleased by the attention.


    Stephanie had booked us the equivalent of first class, so there was plenty of room, for which I was grateful. Angela claimed the window when we settled down in our seats, and Emmy and I were perfectly fine with letting her have the view.


    At nearly one hundred miles an hour the entrance to the Channel Tunnel was almost instant. One moment we were looking out at the Brittany countryside, next moment it was black outside the windows. This took Sherry by surprise, and she lat out a little yelp when it happened, before looking around abashedly.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect it,¡± she explained.


    The meal they served was as good as any I¡¯d had on any airplane, the seats were comfortable, and of course you could get up and walk around if you wanted. This all made the whole experience much more pleasant than flying commercial, even in first class.


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    As a bonus, it was actually faster than flying when you factor in the time needed to get to an airport and check in, then get to town from the second airport. Both train stations were right in the middle of town.


    ¡°I think that if I had to make this trip often, I would always take the train,¡± Emmy mused as we slowed to a stop in St Pancras Station. ¡°I wonder why we always flew when I lived with my mother and father?¡±


    Making our way out into the station, Lee spotted an upright piano just sitting there, waiting for someone to play it. He nudged Emmy and pointed it out, and so of course The Downfall staged an impromptu free concert right there in the train station. As you might expect, crowds gathered immediately and by the third song the police had arrived to make sure everything stayed civil.


    Lee played the piano (which was actually in tune), while Emmy and Jackson sang. Jackson played drums of a sort on the top of the piano, adding a little depth to the sound.


    They played requests from the crowd, some of which were Downfall tunes, but most weren¡¯t. My favorite was when they played that old Ray Charles song ¡®Hit The Road, Jack¡¯, but they reversed the gender roles. Emmy sang Ray¡¯s parts, while Jackson sang the female backing singer¡¯s lines.


    After a while the police grew concerned enough to ask the band to stop, at which point most of the crowd dispersed, but quite a few stuck around for photos and autographs and that sort of thing.


    We were on no sort of timetable, so the three of them took their time schmoozing the crowd. Eventually we made it to the taxi stand and piled into a bunch of black cabs to take us to the hotel.


    ¡°Look- it¡¯s already up on Youtube,¡± Jen said when we settled in to the suite, holding up her phone so we could see the video of the mini-concert in the train station. ¡°I guess that¡¯s no surprise these days.¡±


    Angela, Emmy and I had just arrived at the hotel and were starting to discuss what to do for the afternoon when Stephanie walked up.


    ¡°Good- you guys are all here,¡± she said, looking at the three band members. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, tomorrow we have two very important things going on. We have the in-studio at the BBC in the morning, then at night we have that fundraiser to attend. The BBC limos will pick you up here at the hotel at eight thirty. Be ready. I mean it- no screwing around. This is important,¡± she said, looking directly at Lee. ¡°As for the fundraiser, before you bitch, remember you all agreed to it. No backing out. Black tie, be ready to charm. Friday, you have a two PM sound check. I¡¯ll send the van to pick you up here at one- traffic is shitty. Eat lunch before the van gets here if you want, the usual stuff will be at catering. The afterparty will be at a bar there at the arena. It¡¯s not very big, so it won¡¯t be a total zoo. I¡¯d appreciate it if all three of you would at least put in an appearance,¡± she said, this time staring at Emmy. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to stay very long. A bunch of industry insiders will be there, mainly promoters and venue owners on Friday night. The afterparty on Saturday will be more recording industry people.¡±


    Stephanie looked at the three. ¡°These two afterparties may not mean much to you guys right now, but these are for networking. To be honest, Friday night¡¯s party is more for me than you guys, but the asshole- I mean, fine gentleman- that books the London Stadium and Wembley shows will be there, and it would really be helpful if you could pal around a little with him. The next time we tour we want to be in one of those places.¡±


    Stephanie looked at the three of them each in turn and said, ¡°Hell, if you guys hadn¡¯t insisted on a fucking winter tour in Europe we could be filling soccer stadiums now, but no- you just had to do this when the weather over here is too cold and shitty for outdoor events, didn¡¯t you?¡± I could tell that Stephanie was only halfway teasing, and halfway meant it.


    ¡°So, anyhow, if you guys want to hear a hundred freaking thousand English people cheering your names we need to do a summer show at Wembley, and if you make nice and pose for selfies and all that with the guy on Friday night, that pump will be primed.¡±


    Taking a breath, she said, ¡°Like I said, it¡¯ll be recording industry folks for the most part on Saturday night. If you guys ever, I mean ever, want to record here in the UK, the guys you¡¯ll want to talk to will be there. A lot of these dudes are the gatekeepers to the music industry over here, and again, making nice now means doors will be open. Blow it off, and those doors? Yeah, you get the idea.¡±


    ¡°Sunday¡¯s show¡­¡± she said, ¡°Well, hell, I don¡¯t have to tell you guys how important it is. Royal freaking Albert Hall, full video production, all of it. For fuck¡¯s sake, members of the royal family will be in attendance, but if you even think of playing ¡®God Save The Queen¡¯ or any shit like that I will put a bomb on your plane myself. Sunday night¡¯s afterparty is going to be nothing but London society bigwigs, but still, at least put in an appearance. Heck- maybe you can get selfies with Prince Charles or something. But these folks are paying literal fucktons of money to be there and meet you guys and it¡¯s all going to a good cause, so be nice and make the rounds.¡± Letting her shoulders droop a little bit, Stephanie said, ¡°O.K., I¡¯m done with my rant. You guys are pros, you know what to do. This week is a whole lot more important than Berlin or Rome, so don¡¯t repeat what happened there and we¡¯ll get through this smelling like roses. Here, I¡¯m putting this up on the door so you have to look at it every time you leave the hotel room,¡± she said, holding up a sheet of paper that had the key times listed in big, fat black marker. Doing exactly what she had said, Stephanie taped the sheet right at eye level (well, a little bit above her eye level and below mine, but you get the idea) on the door.


    ¡°Steph, how many times do I have to apologize?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize any more,¡± Stephanie replied. ¡°Just be ready when it¡¯s time to go. These timetables are not flexible.¡±


    Stepping out the door, she turned and said, ¡°Eight thirty tomorrow morning, in the lobby downstairs. Don¡¯t make me have to come up here and get you.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Lee said after Stephanie had gone. ¡°You two used to date in high school, right? Was she this much of a hardass back then?¡±


    ¡°No, I think she learned it in college,¡± I said, still amazed at how Stephanie had dominated the room.

 Walking In The Rain

    The hotel was in Notting Hill, reasonably close to the BBC studios and to the Royal Albert Hall, but pretty far from the O2 Arena where the band was going to play on Friday and Saturday. Our room was on what they call the first floor in the UK, which is what we would refer to as the second floor. It had a cute little balcony overlooking the courtyard garden, but of course, this being London in the winter, the weather was too miserable to enjoy it.


    The room was done up in some sort of strange, vaguely steampunk Victorian theme, with a big canopy bed, but the canopy mosquito curtains were hooked to the walls somehow so they were just a kind of ceiling decoration. The tub was in the main part of the room and not in the en suite bath, which was odd, but the tub itself was a strange visual focal point. It was an enormous claw-foot thing with a bizarre network of brass piping surrounding it on the spigot end and sides. It looked as if it might spray water from multiple points in the piping, but I was convinced it was more decorative than functional.


    Emmy wanted to take a nap and Angela wanted to stay with her, so I headed out for a walk by myself in the soft winter rain.


    In the lobby, though, Stephanie spotted me. ¡°Hey, Leah, where are you going?¡± she asked from where she was talking to a guy at the front desk.


    ¡°Dunno,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I just need to get out and stretch my legs. I figure I¡¯ll just check out the neighborhood.¡±


    ¡°Give me five minutes and I¡¯ll go with you,¡± she replied, so I waited while she finished whatever business it was she had with the concierge.


    We walked somewhat aimlessly for a while, passing through the Kensington Gardens. We were warned that the gates would shut at sunset, so we didn¡¯t spend any time in there, though.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had you to myself. This is nice,¡± Stephanie joked as we passed a statue of Queen Victoria.


    ¡°How are things going with you and Stephen?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Pretty good, actually,¡± she replied, sounding happy. ¡°I¡¯m kinda thinking of asking him if he wants to move in when the tour is over and things settle down. You know he¡¯s coming to Stockholm for the show there?¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t mention it,¡± I said. ¡°I think he might be a little bit, um, cautious about sharing what¡¯s going on with you and him, since you and me, we used to be¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told him I¡¯m cool with all that,¡± Stephanie said, a note of exasperation in her voice. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to pussyfoot around like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to make it clear that if you guys are happy, I¡¯m happy for you guys,¡± I said.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± she agreed.


    After a while, Stephanie asked, ¡°Did you get me this gig?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, caught by surprise by the question.


    ¡°Did you get Emmy and the guys to take me on as road manager?¡± she clarified.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me. I was surprised when they said you were going to manage this tour for them,¡± I told her. ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say it was probably Emmy talking to Brent. You know they get together every now and then.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to think this was some sort of charity thing for me.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± I said, surprised by her tone of voice. ¡°In fact, back in Paris Jackson said that you¡¯ve been doing such a good job, he regrets doing it himself all these years.¡±


    ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t true, it¡¯s nice to hear,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°And quit walking so damned fast. Those freaking long legs of yours!¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping up just fine.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is far from my idea of a stroll,¡± Stephanie replied.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break for a minute," I suggested, pointing to what looked like an old-school English pub.


    ¡°Split a steak and ale pie with me?¡± Stephanie asked after looking at the menu. ¡°I love ¡®em, but can¡¯t eat a whole one.¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I said.


    I was waiting for a waiter to show up, but Stephanie said, ¡°The way it works here in these pubs is you go up to the bar to order. Here, let me get this. Want anything to drink?¡±


    Sitting back down with a couple of pink drinks, she said, ¡°Pink gin slings.¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°How do you know about English pub food, anyway?¡±


    ¡°The Sons played every night for a week here when we toured a while back. All in all, we were here in London for a little over two weeks, so I got to know a lot about the place.¡±


    As we ate, we talked about Stephanie¡¯s work. Things were going really well for her, she said. ¡°You know, this tour is going to make me enough money to pay off my house. Can you believe that? Not even twenty-five years old and I¡¯ll own a million-dollar home outright.¡±


    ¡°Steph,¡± I said, and I could feel my voice softening. ¡°You know I¡¯ve always believed in you. Back in high school¡­¡±


    Stephanie¡¯s eyes grew moist as she replied. ¡°You did when nobody else did. The way you helped me finish senior year¡­¡±


    ¡°It was all you. You put in the hard work,¡± I said, ¡°I just helped you stay on track, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously underselling your contribution,¡± Stephanie countered. ¡°It was purely and totally because you were willing to put in the time and effort to push me along that I managed to finish out the year so strong,¡± she said. ¡°That got me into SDSU, and told me that if I put in the work, I can do whatever needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°I always knew you could, Steph.¡±


    ¡°And that was a big part of why I loved you, babe,¡± she replied, putting her hand on mine. ¡°That, and you looked fucking hot in my swimming pool.¡±


    ¡°Me? I still can¡¯t see a pair of those heart-shaped sunglasses and not get a lady boner,¡± I said with a laugh.


    When I got back to the hotel room I found Emmy and Angela in that big claw-footed tub, having a relaxing soak.


    ¡°How was your walk?¡± Angela asked as I kissed the two of them.


    ¡°It was good. I got to see some of the area, which was nice,¡± I said.


    ¡°The area was nice, or seeing it was nice?¡± Angela asked with an impish grin.


    ¡°Both,¡± I replied, kicking off my shoes to recline on the bed. ¡°We¡¯re in a really nice part of town- we¡¯re like, just a few blocks from one of the royal palaces, and just walking around and sightseeing was good.¡±


    ¡°Angela and I have been discussing the schedule here,¡± Emmy said, changing the subject. ¡°For the fundraiser tomorrow night I am only allowed to bring one other person, my ¡®plus one¡¯. But I think Stephanie will be attending as well, and I do not believe that she has a plus one.¡±


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    ¡°So Ange will go as yours, and I¡¯ll go as Steph¡¯s?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do not believe it matters who walks in the door with whom, but yes,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°If Stephanie is going.¡±


    ¡°Let me shoot her a text,¡± I said, pulling out my phone.


    Less than a minute later Stephanie responded with, ¡°Sure. That works.¡±


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve got a date,¡± I said.


    ¡°We have our appointment at the clinic on Thursday, right?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah, at two,¡± I said, checking the calendar on my phone.


    ¡°Lee, Emmy and I have been talking,¡± Angela said, a bit timidly. ¡°I know we have to wait for the test results, but what do we do if something¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be, baby,¡± I said, getting off the bed and kneeling beside the tub to take her hand. ¡°I think the chances of any problems are tiny- the same as with any other pregnancy. I mean, they happen, but are rare.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she said, her youthful face showing her worry.


    ¡°Ange, baby, don¡¯t be scared,¡± I said, my voice soft. ¡°Having babies is always risky, and we need to be mindful of that, but you¡¯re young and healthy, you eat well, haven¡¯t been drinking¡­ We¡¯re doing everything right,¡± I said, kissing her knuckles.


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± she said, her shoulders drooping. ¡°Mi mam¨¢ lost two babies, one before me and the other between me and Ceci. I don¡¯t want to lose this baby,¡± she said, on the verge of tears just thinking about what might happen.


    I pulled her head against mine so we were touching foreheads. ¡°I¡¯m beaming positive thoughts into your brain,¡± I said, making an expression of extreme concentration. ¡°All your negative thoughts and worries will be pushed right out of your head.¡±


    It was so ridiculous that Angela couldn¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°See? It worked,¡± I said, giving her a quick kiss. Sitting back, I said, ¡°Look, babe. The clinic here will draw the sample and it¡¯ll get overnighted to Utah, but remember, the time zones are in our favor so they¡¯ll get it first thing Friday morning. The lab in Salt Lake promised me results within forty-eight hours, even over the weekend, so we should know no later than Saturday night.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can wait that long,¡± Angela moaned.


    Emmy leaned forward and kissed her. ¡°Angie, this is for both of us. If your test comes back from the lab and the baby has no problems, then we can assume that mine will be good, too, right? I am just as worried as you are, but I have great faith that we can do this. We will have the two most beautiful babies the world has ever seen, together. Our babies, Angie. One of them is in here,¡± Emmy said, resting her hand on Angela¡¯s belly. ¡°And the other is in here,¡± she said, holding Angela¡¯s hand against her own tummy. ¡°How many people could ever be as fortunate as we?¡±


    Angela sighed. ¡°I know you guys are right. It¡¯s probably just my hormones, but I can¡¯t help but worry.¡±


    ¡°Worrying does no good,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Instead you should be hopeful, and send thoughts of love down to the child developing inside you.¡±


    ¡°I already love her,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°And I hope I can be the mama you two think I will be.¡±


    ¡°You will, babe,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know anybody as loving and caring as you.¡±


    ¡°That is because there is no one,¡± Emmy said.


    We had dinner that night at an incredible Indian restaurant the hotel concierge had recommended. The lamb curry was phenomenal, even better than my favorite place in San Jose. I made a mental note to eat there at least one or two more times before we left London.


    The five of us at the table drew some attention, and Emmy was gracious about signing autographs and posing for pictures with anybody who asked, but for the most part we had a fairly uninterrupted meal.


    To my surprise, Emmy even got Tiny talking. Tiny admitted that he¡¯d always wanted to see London, and especially wanted to go up in the Eye.


    ¡°My mother was born and raised here in London, but she made her way to the US before I was born,¡± he explained. ¡°She used to tell me stories, and to me, this was always a magical place.¡±


    That one sentence alone was more words than I¡¯d heard the man say in total up to that point.


    ¡°Would you like to take some time to see the city by yourself?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°We should be fine without you for the next two days, if you want the time to explore.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked, his smooth bass voice filled with hope.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± Grant said. ¡°As long as you¡¯re ready to go to the arena at one on Friday. Go ahead and take the time off, but keep your phone handy.¡±


    His white teeth flashing in the first smile of his I¡¯d seen, Tiny thanked Emmy and Grant. As he dug back into his biryani, I could tell he was already mentally planning his next couple of days.


    Angela was still feeling emotional when we got back to the hotel, still a bit worried about the baby¡¯s health. Emmy and I did everything we could to let her know that we were there for her as we made love, gently kissing, holding, and touching Angela to express how much she meant to us. She was the center of our world that night. Our dark-haired beauty, the soon-to-be mother of our child.


    Our child. This baby was going to have not just one mommy, not even two, but three mothers to nurture her, teach her, and raise her to be the best we possibly could. But most of all, we would love our little girl. And the most loving, most sensitive, most caring of any of the three of us was Angela. Emmy and I had been so amazingly fortunate that she came into our lives when she did, filling a void in our relationship we hadn¡¯t even realized was there.


    Of course, the unspoken subtext was that Angela would be with me to raise our two daughters after Emmy was no longer with us, in ten short years or thereabouts. I hadn¡¯t asked Emmy point blank, but I felt that Emmy was well aware of the fact that she would be giving the child she would birth only a few short years, and Angela and I would be the ones who would see little Emmy Jr to adulthood.


    Angela, too, must have had those thoughts. Angela was a smart girl, and she could see the way things were going to go if Emmy¡¯s moon kissed thing played out the way she expected. Angela might only give birth to one child, but she was going to be the mother to two.


    None of that mattered that night, though, as we caressed, fondled, kissed and touched each other for hours, letting our bodies spell out our love. We were a household of three, our unusual dynamic working just fine for us. We loved each other, and that was all that mattered.


    The next morning Grant went with Emmy to the BBC studios, but Angela and I stayed behind. We were going to go out and do touristy stuff, take a double-decker bus, see the Tower Of London, watch the changing of the guards¡­ Like I said, touristy stuff. Emmy had been to London many times with her parents, but it was a first for the two of us and we wanted to see the place, even though the weather was miserable.


    Even though the trees had no leaves and the sky was gray and occasionally drizzly, our walk through Kensington Gardens was very pleasant.


    I found myself glancing over at Angela as we walked and talked, enjoying the sound of her voice and admiring the way she looked. Emmy had definitely upgraded Angela¡¯s wardrobe since she had come to live with us. Sure, she still wore her fast-fashion stuff for her social media shoots, but she had taken to wearing clothes of a much higher quality the rest of the time. Peeking over at her, she looked like a millionaire¡¯s trophy wife, which, to be honest, I guess she was. Her cashmere overcoat came from Max Mara, the walking boots from Burberry¡­ her outfit probably cost somewhere in the range of ten thousand dollars. No obvious labels, but all of it clearly very well made and very expensive.


    She took to it well, too, looking as if she¡¯d been born into that kind of luxury just as Emmy had been. Anybody seeing her on the street would know that she was pampered, cared-for and accustomed to the finer things in life.


    I liked that. Quite a bit, actually. I liked that Angela was growing comfortable in her life with Emmy and me. Sure, her family had been reasonably well off back in Colombia, but now she was in another level of wealth.


    And was Angela ever beautiful- Emmy¡¯s perfection was otherworldly, but Angela was the kind of beauty that turned heads just the same.


    I might have Emmy for only a short time, but this was the woman I was going to grow old with. Thinking about Emmy¡¯s condition cutting her short was terrible, but knowing that I would still have Angela helped ease the sting a bit.


    ¡°I had a long talk with Em,¡± Angela said, bringing me back to the moment. We were standing outside a fenced area marked for young children and their accompanying adults only, so we¡¯d been marveling at the Peter Pan-themed play structures from afar. ¡°I asked her if she misses Paris, and she said she does, but when I asked her if she wanted to maybe get a place there, she said no way.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want a place in Paris?¡± I asked, wondering where this had come from.


    ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t. She said that Paris would always be the city of her parents, and she had no desire to be that close on their, well, their territory. She didn¡¯t use that word, but I understood what she meant.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can understand that,¡± I admitted as we turned away to keep walking. ¡°They are pretty intimidating.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t use that word, either, but yeah. I think she loves them, but at a distance.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± I said. ¡°I was thinking that when the test results come back and we know everything is good, we can maybe see if your mom wants to come visit?¡±


    Angela laughed, her smile lighting up the dreary day. ¡°Mam¨¢ will be on the first plane the moment I tell her I am expecting,¡± she said. ¡°Pap¨ª, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with that,¡± I said, taking her hand as we circled around a big round pond. ¡°I want them to be there when our little girl is born.¡±


    Angela squeezed my hand, using it to pull me down a bit so she could kiss me. ¡°Have I told you I love you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, but I never tire of hearing it,¡± I said, leaning down to give her another quick kiss. ¡°Because you know why? I love you too, Ange. I love you so much¡­¡±


    Angela pulled me to a stop so she could throw her arms around me and squeeze me tight. She didn¡¯t say anything, just rested her cheek against my shoulder as she held me tight. I kissed the top of her head, my right arm around her while I held the umbrella with the left. We stayed that way for several minutes before wordlessly starting walking again.


    ¡°This must be really pretty in the springtime,¡± Angela said. ¡°With leaves on the trees, and flowers, and lots of ducks.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty now, in its own way,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It is,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°Even though it is cold and damp.¡±

 Angelas Idea

    Finding ourselves at an exit to the park, we hailed a cab to take us to the Westminster Abbey.


    ¡°I love these cabs,¡± Angela said. ¡°They¡¯re so ugly, but so amazing. They seem bigger inside than they do from the outside.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of cabs here that aren¡¯t like this, though,¡± I said. ¡°I hope these don¡¯t go the way of the dinosaurs.¡±


    ¡°That would be a shame,¡± Angela agreed, looking out the window.


    While she was looking at the scenery, I was looking at her. Angela had a look of wonder on her so very expressive face, admiring the sights that we passed.


    ¡°Look! There¡¯s the Royal Albert Hall!¡± she said, pointing it out as we drove by.


    Angela¡¯s easy enthusiasm was so endearing that I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be inside it in a few days, watching Emmy play,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know! It¡¯s going to be amazing!¡± Angela replied, watching the red brick and limestone building disappear behind us.


    I squeezed her hand, more in love with her every day. ¡®Thank you, Antonio, for getting arrested,¡¯ I thought to myself. Life is just a series of unexpected events, I thought. The old saying that life is what happens while you¡¯re busy making other plans popped into my head, and I marveled at the truth of it.


    Emmy¡¯s parents just happened to pick my small town, and I just happened to get asked to show her around school. Angela just happened to strike up a conversation in the building¡¯s gym, and her idiot boyfriend gets busted for dealing steroids. Random chance, or near enough, and one thing led to another, winding up with me in a cab in London, sightseeing on a gray day with one of my two amazing and beautiful wives.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°How lucky I am,¡± I said, squeezing her hand again. ¡°How Antonio did me and Emmy the world¡¯s biggest favor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Antonio,¡± Angela said, her face falling. ¡°I hope things worked out for him.¡±


    ¡°I do, too,¡± I said, and meant it. The one time I met him, I was surprised at how decent a guy he seemed. ¡°But I¡¯m not giving you back.¡±


    Angela smiled and was about to say something, but just then the cab came to a stop.


    Thanking the driver, we stepped out into the drizzle that was really too light to justify the umbrella.


    It turns out that we should have bought tickets in advance, so we didn¡¯t get to tour the Abbey. Instead we crossed the bridge by the Tower Clock and made our way to the London Eye, holding hands as we walked.


    I was lost in thoughts of how wonderful life really was when Angela tugged on my hand.


    ¡°Can we get something to eat?¡± she asked, pointing to a little place that had a sign that only said ¡°Bakery¡±.


    Following her inside, the smell of the baked goods suddenly made me hungry.


    We got ourselves some chocolate croissants and a couple of cups of coffee, finding a small table in the corner.


    ¡°Can I tell you something, and I don¡¯t want you to, um, misunderstand,¡± Angela said after we sat down. When I nodded for her to continue, she said, ¡°I love spending time like this, just me and you. Don¡¯t get me wrong- I love Emmy more than anything, and I love spending time with her, too, but it¡¯s nice to have you to myself every now and then.¡±


    ¡°Better get used to it, babe,¡± I said, taking her hand in mine. ¡°Because you¡¯re gonna have me for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± she asked with a smile.


    At the top of the circle on the Eye, Angela looked out over London. ¡°Even with the weather so cold and ugly, it¡¯s still beautiful,¡± Angela said. Turning to face me, her back to the glass, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking. You said you¡¯d buy me a yacht if I wanted? How about instead of a yacht, we buy a place here?¡±


    ¡°You mean here in London?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Angela said. ¡°Think about it- Emmy doesn¡¯t want to be too close to her parents, right? But here, she¡¯d be far enough away, but close enough at the same time, right?¡±


    ¡°Have you talked to Emmy about whether she would want a place here in London?¡± I asked, wrapping my arms around Angela and turning her to face the Thames again, pulling her against my chest.


    ¡°No, I just now thought about it,¡± Angela confessed. ¡°But would you be O.K. with us buying a place here? Maybe just an apartment? It doesn¡¯t have to be as big as our place in New York,¡± she said, leaning her head back against me.


    We were getting looks from some of the other passengers in our glass bubble, but I didn¡¯t care. I kissed Angela¡¯s hair and told her, ¡°Baby, if you want, we can buy a place even bigger. Like I said in Alaska, I would give you anything.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to, you know,¡± she said, smiling up at me. ¡°You¡¯ve already given me so much.¡±


    ¡°Babe, not as much as you¡¯ve given me,¡± I said, giving her another kiss. I ignored the guy harrumphing at our PDA and kissed Angela again, this time turning her around so we could fully lean into the kiss, getting more harrumphs from the grumpy old guy at the other end of our glass bubble.


    After the Eye, Angela and I took the District Line on the Underground to the Central Line, which dropped us off a few blocks from the hotel. Pretty much the entire time we held hands when we walked, getting a few dirty looks but most people that saw us didn¡¯t seem to care.


    Emmy was napping when we got in, but woke up when we entered the room.


    ¡°How was the filming?¡± Angela asked, leaning down to give Emmy a kiss.


    ¡°It was good,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We played for nearly an hour, which was more than they expected. The producer said that it should be up tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Babe, it¡¯s almost four,¡± I said. ¡°You can sleep for a while longer before we have to get ready for the thing tonight.¡±


    ¡°No, I think I slept enough,¡± Emmy said, yawning. ¡°Did you two have a good day?¡±


    ¡°It was nice,¡± Angela said, sitting on the couch and petting Emmy¡¯s snow-white hair. ¡°I have something I want to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± Emmy asked, sitting up and letting the blankets fall around her waist.


    The two women made such a contrast- Emmy nude, just woken from sleep, Angela dressed for a day out in the chilly English winter weather. The tableau, though, was breathtaking in its beauty. I pulled my phone from my pocket and snapped a picture of the two of them looking at each other with love and trust. This was one of those perfect moments when time stands still, leaving an indelible memory behind.


    After glancing curiously at my phone, Angela turned back to Emmy. ¡°I was thinking,¡± she said. ¡°You told me you don¡¯t want to have a place in Paris, because it¡¯s too close to your parents, right? But would London be close enough, but also far away enough?¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°You are thinking of us buying a house here in London?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Maybe an apartment? It doesn¡¯t have to be as big and fancy as our other two homes.¡±


    ¡°Would you want this?¡± Emmy asked, taking Angela¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I- I think I could live here, with you and Lee. I love Los Angeles, and I love our place in New York, but maybe we could, well¡­¡± Angela said.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Emmy asked, turning to me.


    ¡°I told her I¡¯d buy her a place if that¡¯s what she wants,¡± I said. ¡°We have the money, and it would be nice to have our own place when we come to Europe. Like Ange said, it¡¯s far enough from Paris, but also only three hours by train, right?¡±


    ¡°Let us think about it, and perhaps look at available properties the next couple of days,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We do not have to buy anything right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re O.K. with the idea, though? Us buying a place here in London?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Angie, if you want it, that is enough. I do not need to¡­ to sign off on your wishes,¡± Emmy said, her voice gentle. ¡°If we can think of Los Angeles as the house that Leah found, and New York as my house, there is no reason you can¡¯t have your house here in London, if that is what you want.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I was thinking it would be so you could be close to your parents when¡­¡± Angela objected, not really finding the right words for what she was trying to express.


    ¡°I know, and it is incredibly thoughtful,¡± Emmy said, leaning in to give Angela a kiss. ¡°But my parents own a home near Leah¡¯s mother, so if they wish to be close to their granddaughter they can come to California.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Angela said, seeming to deflate.


    ¡°Ange, what Em is trying to tell you is that if you want a house here in London, it can be all about a place you yourself want. It doesn¡¯t have to be about Emmy,¡± I said, rubbing her shoulder. ¡°And honestly? Maybe London isn¡¯t the place. Maybe we, I don¡¯t know, find a place in Barcelona, or Monaco or something- if it¡¯s about Europe.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But if you have fallen in love with London, that is O.K., too. Tomorrow we should talk to a real estate agent, and see if there is anything that catches your fancy. Tonight, we have to get ready for our soir¨¦e.¡±


    The fundraiser party was at the townhouse of some sort of financier, right by Belgrave Square, facing an odd little semicircular slice of park. Emmy and Angela led the way inside, the doorman instantly recognizing Emmy and not questioning her plus one. Stephanie gave her name, which the guy checked off a list, letting us in. Grant stopped to talk with the doorman while the rest of us climbed the stairs to the main reception room. The house was surprisingly crowded with well-dressed people holding champagne flutes (mostly the women) or brandy snifters (mostly the men).


    Emmy had known she was to be the prized pony on display, but she accepted the role with her usual grace and charm. I watched her work the crowd as she made her way through the elegant townhouse, greeting people as she went. Angela tagged along, smiling and playing nice, too. I gave Jen a little wave when I spotted her and Lee talking to some people near the French doors that led to a small balcony.


    Stephanie and I were mostly left alone to find our way to the bar. The bartender seemed quite surprised when I asked for a neat pour of the Macallan 18 I saw behind him.


    At his questioning look, I said, ¡°I¡¯m generally more of a Bourbon drinker, but Scotch will do.¡±


    With a knowing smile but no words, the bartender poured me a double, then got Stephanie her Cabernet.


    As we wandered around, Stephanie excused herself to go talk to somebody she knew, leaving me alone in the crowd.


    An older guy with a somewhat familiar face found me in the library, looking at the framed photos on the wall.


    ¡°You¡¯re Emmy De Lascaux¡¯s wife, right?¡± he asked. ¡°My name¡¯s Harry Powell,¡± he said, holding out his hand to shake.


    ¡°Leah Farmer,¡± I replied, automatically taking his hand and shaking it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told you run a real estate investment trust?¡± he asked for confirmation.


    ¡°Yeah, among other things,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°If I may be so bold to ask, how much do you have under management? You see, I¡¯ve been considering getting into that field myself, and wondering if it makes sense,¡± he said.


    ¡°The fund is valued at a little over two billion dollars right now,¡± I said. ¡°The last few years have been good, with the economy climbing out of the Great Recession and housing prices rebounding strongly,¡± I said. ¡°Are you considering starting your own REIT here in the UK?¡±


    ¡°Good heavens, no,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯d let people who know what they¡¯re doing handle all that. No, I¡¯d merely write the cheques,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Let the money make money.¡±


    ¡°It certainly does a good job of that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Would you say that a seed of, say, twenty million pounds would do it?¡± Harry asked, looking for my reaction.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good start,¡± I said. ¡°Heck, I only started with fifty million dollars, and look where I am now,¡± I told him, throwing a bigger number back at him.


    ¡°Fifty million dollars?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, but that was over five years ago,¡± I said, sipping my Scotch.


    ¡°Do you mean to tell me that you¡¯ve increased your holdings by a factor of forty over five years? How is that even possible?¡± he asked, completely forgetting the drink in his own hand and almost spilling his brandy.


    I reached down and caught his hand just before the glass tipped too far, and he brought it back up with a sheepish smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of other investors come onboard,¡± I said. ¡°But yes, it has done very well.¡±


    ¡°Good lord, I should say so,¡± Harry agreed, taking a drink. ¡°Do you have any foreign investors?¡±


    After giving Harry the information needed to contact my office, I wandered around to try to find Angela and Emmy. I found Angela first, talking to a young woman about our age.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, wrapping my arm around her waist. ¡°Are you having a good time?¡±


    ¡°Lee, this is Sophia. She lives next door, and she was telling me that her family may be open to selling their townhouse. She says it¡¯s about this size,¡± Angela added.


    ¡°Would you be interested in a townhouse?¡± I asked. ¡°Somehow I thought you were more interested in an apartment or a flat.¡±


    ¡°This party has me thinking,¡± Angela replied. ¡°Em picked the place in New York so she could entertain guests, right? It might be really hard to do that if we bought some sort of apartment in a high-rise somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Our place in Manhattan is about twice this size,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but look at how many people are here tonight,¡± Angela countered. ¡°We could have a dinner party for twelve without even having to round up extra chairs,¡± she said, pointing in the direction of the dining room.


    ¡°I thought you lived in Los Angeles?" Sophia asked, frowning.


    ¡°We do,¡± Angela replied. ¡°But we have a townhouse in Manhattan, and now we¡¯re thinking of buying here in London, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to visit Los Angeles,¡± Sophia said, drawing out the word ¡®love¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ve never been.¡±


    A bit put off by the hungry way Sophia was looking at me, I gave Angela a quick kiss on her hair and told her I was going to find Emmy.


    Emmy was in what I guess would be considered the breakfast nook, off to one side of the gleaming kitchen. She was seated on a clear acrylic chair, turned to face away from the small table and towards an olive-colored velvet couch that had four girls in their young teens crammed on it. Emmy held what looked like a beginner¡¯s acoustic guitar and was showing the girls how to hold their fingers on the frets, while various parents stood and watched, snacking on canap¨¦s.


    I didn¡¯t want to interrupt, so I just watched from the sidelines, along with the majority of the adults.


    Listening to the comments, it was a mix of, ¡°I never expected that she would actually look like that,¡± and, ¡°She is so good with the young people.¡±


    Satisfied that Emmy was doing just fine, I wandered away, not getting too far before Harry Powell found me again.


    ¡°Ms Farmer, I¡¯d like you to meet James Oxley,¡± he said. I shook Mr Oxley¡¯s hand as he gave me an appraising look.


    ¡°Harry here tells me you¡¯re a whiz at real estate investing in the States,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say anything about my ability here in England, since I haven¡¯t dipped my toe in the waters here yet,¡± I said.


    Both men chuckled appreciatively, then James said, ¡°Harry tells me that you¡¯ve returned healthy margins for your investors?¡±


    ¡°Over the last five years we¡¯ve averaged twenty-four per cent annually,¡± I agreed. ¡°Some of my early investors have tripled their investments.¡±


    ¡°Early investors? How long a time frame is that?¡±


    ¡°Five years,¡± I said.


    ¡°Pardon me for asking, but how old are you?¡± Mr Oxley asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-four,¡± I said, sipping my Scotch. ¡°I started my real estate fund when I was nineteen, my sophomore year at Stanford.¡±


    They both stared at me for a moment before looking at each other. ¡°Do you remember what we were doing when we were nineteen?¡± Harry asked James.


    Shaking his head, James said, ¡°I do believe we were busy wasting our family money, not starting investment funds.¡±


    ¡°To put it kindly,¡± Harry agreed.


    ¡°Your investment fund- do you have your own money in it?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Somewhere in the range of three hundred million dollars,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Harry asked with a wry smile.


    ¡°Well, I have other interests. Probably another hundred, hundred fifty in my other divisions,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But the real estate investment makes the most money.¡±


    I was deep in conversation with Harry and James about the investment world in London and how the two men have become disillusioned with The City¡¯s endless financial games and questionable ethics regarding money from dubious sources when Angela joined us, wrapping an arm around my waist.


    ¡°Ange, this is Harry Powell and James Oxley,¡± I said. ¡°Harry, James, this is my wife Angela.¡±


    ¡°It is always a pleasure to meet such a lovely lady,¡± James said.


    ¡°Babe, I think Emmy is tired and ready to go back to the hotel,¡± Angela said. ¡°If you want, I can go back with her and you can stay¡­¡±


    ¡°Take Grant with you,¡± I said.


    ¡°You know we always do,¡± Angela said with a little pout.


    ¡°I know, but it¡¯s my job to make sure you guys are safe,¡± I said, giving her a little kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll probably be back in an hour or two.¡±


    After Angela left, Harry gave me a quizzical look. Understanding his question, I said, ¡°Our family is a bit atypical. Angela, Emmy and I are a threesome, a m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois.¡±


    ¡°My dear old grandmother would have some words with you about that,¡± James said with a laugh, ¡°But I must admit to more than a touch of envy on my part.¡±


    Harry chuckled in agreement. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem quite fair that you have ensnared two such beautiful ladies.¡±

 Angela Gets What She Wants

    In the cab I wondered if the guys I¡¯d talked to really were going to dump some money into my REIT, or if it had all been some sort of strange businessman flirting. In any case, it didn¡¯t matter that much one way or another. The primary goal of going had been for Emmy to act as a draw to bring money to the refugee aid organization and it had seemed to do that, so that was a very good thing. If my REIT picked up some new investors, well, that was a side benefit.


    Looking out the cab¡¯s windows at the city¡¯s lights, my thoughts drifted to Angela¡¯s idea of buying a house in London. Emmy had pointed out that if her parents wanted to spend time with their granddaughters they could come to California, but realistically our kids were going to grow up as little citizens of the world, so a home base in Europe might be a good thing. I liked Angela¡¯s idea of being just the right distance away from Emmy¡¯s parents, but honestly, there was nothing to stop them from buying a place just across the street from ours in London if they wanted.


    Of course, they could do that in Los Angeles, too, if they felt that Fallbrook was too far from our home in the Hollywood Hills. I didn¡¯t know how much money they had, but I suspected it was significantly more than we did. Certainly enough to justify their own jet, after all.


    Emmy and Angela were asleep when I got in, so I got undressed as quietly as I could and slipped in next to Emmy, who turned in her sleep and rested her head on my shoulder. Pondering my good fortune, I quickly fell asleep as well.


    I woke first, as usual, so I slipped out as quietly as I could for a run. I figured a lap around Kensington and Hyde parks would be a good way to get my heart rate up, but as I stepped out into the cold rain I had second thoughts. Still, I was there and dressed for a run, so run I did. I warmed up quickly as I ran in the still mostly dark morning, and soon enough only my hands were cold.


    I was grateful the park gates were open, even though actual sunrise was probably not for another hour at least. There were a handful of other early-morning exercisers out, but for the most part the two parks were empty. I didn¡¯t mind- it allowed me to let my brain disengage from the act of running to focus on other things in my life, namely Emmy and Angela.


    Angela¡¯s desire for a place in London had surprised me, but I certainly didn¡¯t object to the idea. Any desirable real estate would be a positive investment, after all, so it wasn¡¯t as if we¡¯d lose money on the deal. I had my doubts on how much time we would actually spend in London, but the Manhattan townhouse was being used more than I¡¯d expected, so who knows?


    I had a hard time imagining I¡¯d do much business in the UK, but maybe way down the line I could expand Royal Holdings across the Atlantic¡­


    Then there was the question of stepping on Emmy¡¯s parents¡¯ toes, and that seemed to be a real concern of Emmy¡¯s. That was the unspoken reason Emmy didn¡¯t want to get an apartment in Paris, after all. I doubt our business interests would ever come in conflict, but the idea that we had our own people, our own Night Children that weren¡¯t beholden to their nation, that might be an issue.


    London should be far enough away, but I did get the impression that Mr Lascaux did business in the UK, and his nation probably included the region as well. Still, if we had our own people here but didn¡¯t actively recruit we should probably be fine. This was something to talk about with Emmy¡¯s dad, and I liked to think that the two of us had a good enough relationship that we could have an honest discussion on the subject. I resolved to give him a call before we got too deep into looking for our potential pied-¨¤-terre, just to make sure we were clear.


    ¡°Babe! You¡¯re soaking wet!¡± Angela said when I got back to the hotel room.


    ¡°Yes, I am. You do that to me,¡± I said, wrapping her in my arms for a kiss.


    She squealed and pushed me away, turning to point me in the direction of the shower. ¡°Go take a shower and get warmed up,¡± she admonished.


    Emmy joined me in the shower, taking the shampoo bottle from my hand. ¡°Did you have a nice run?¡± she asked, lathering up my hair.


    ¡°Other than the fact it was cold, wet and dark, yeah, it was nice,¡± I said.


    Emmy laughed and said, ¡°You are so¡­ You are immune to the things that the rest of us find uncomfortable or difficult. I do not understand how you can be so¡­ unstoppable. It is very impressive.¡±


    I tilted my head back as she massaged my scalp, enjoying the attention. ¡°I dunno,¡± I said. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t think about it much.¡±


    ¡°And that is why you are so amazing, Leah. You simply are the way you are.¡±


    Turning around to take Emmy in my arms and kiss her, I said, ¡°And I love you because of the way you are, too, so that makes us even.¡±


    We skipped the hotel¡¯s buffet breakfast in favor of a cute little restaurant a few blocks away. I had their signature eggs Benedict on a muffin with bacon, which really hit the spot. Emmy had avocado toast served with poached eggs and radishes, which struck me as odd. Angela¡¯s ¡®Mexican¡¯ omelet had feta cheese, which was also a head scratcher, but she said it tasted fine, so I guess that was O.K.


    The other diners in the small restaurant were clearly aware of who Emmy was, judging by the sneaked glances and quiet whispers, but none actually came over to ask for pictures or anything, so we could talk in peace.


    ¡°I was thinking this morning on my run,¡± I said. ¡°About us getting a place here in London. Ange, I know you like the idea of a townhouse like the one we went to last night, and I can¡¯t say I think it¡¯s a bad idea, but honestly, an apartment in a secure building might work better for us.¡± Holding up my hand to forestall any objections, I said, ¡°Think about it. Our place in New York- we need Luisa and Mia and Wally to take care of it, even when we¡¯re not there, right? It¡¯d be the same if we bought a townhouse, or country manor or whatever here, right? But if we buy a nice place in one of these high-rises you see up and down the river, the building would provide all the care and maintenance the place would need while we¡¯re in LA or New York. All we would ever need is to just walk in when we wanted.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ makes sense,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°If we could find a building like The Century in Los Angeles, and get a nice unit with a view¡­¡± she said, thinking about it.


    ¡°It would not feel so very ¡®London-like¡¯ as would a classic townhouse in Mayfair,¡± Emmy said, ¡°But it might be more practical.¡±


    ¡°How would we be able to have parties?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°The same way we did at The Century. Sure, we wouldn¡¯t be able to invite a hundred people over, but we wouldn¡¯t be able to do that in a townhouse like last night, either,¡± I replied.


    ¡°There were probably fifty people there last night,¡± Angela countered.


    ¡°That place was about half the size of our place in New York, right?¡± I asked. ¡°So, let¡¯s say, five thousand square feet. If we find a- well, it¡¯ll probably have to be a penthouse, to be that large, but if we find an apartment that¡¯s as big, then maybe we can have that many people over at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± Angela conceded.


    ¡°I think most people here don¡¯t drive their own cars anyway, right? So parking isn¡¯t really the issue it would be back in LA.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Angela said.


    I could see Angela giving the idea some thought while we finished breakfast, and I was happy to leave her to her thoughts. If this was going to be her choice, all I wanted to do was offer suggestions.


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    Emmy glanced at her watch when we left the breakfast place, announcing that we had plenty of time to make it to my appointment.


    ¡°What appointment is that?¡± I asked. ¡°The clinic is tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No, this is for you,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You alone.¡±


    When Emmy gave the address to the cab driver I got my first clue- Savile Row. Sure enough (and honestly, to my surprise) Savile Row was pretty much nothing but extremely high-end tailor shops. Emmy led me and Angela into one shop in particular that didn¡¯t look too promising from the front. Sure, it was obviously a very high-end tailor, but the window only featured men¡¯s suits.


    We were greeted by a middle-aged woman who looked me up and down, nodding to herself a few times. ¡°I can see what you meant in your emails,¡± she told Emmy. ¡°Yes. Will you two wish to stay while we have our consultation and fitting?¡±


    ¡°Em, this is your department,¡± I said. ¡°I know next to nothing about clothing,¡± I explained to the lady. ¡°Emmy here is my fashion guide.¡±


    ¡°That is not particularly unusual,¡± the woman said with a little smile.


    What followed was a whirlwind of discussions of everything from shoulder silhouettes to lapel and buttonhole shapes to appropriate cloth for Los Angeles weather. I offered my opinion on a few things, but for the most part let Emmy and Magdalena make the rest of the decisions for me.


    The measuring was unbelievably thorough, but the two ladies who did it were such pros that I never actually felt uncomfortable, despite the intimacy of the process.


    ¡°This will be interesting for us,¡± Magdalena mused at one point. ¡°I think you are the first of our lady clients to specify range of movement, and to require measures to accommodate your generous musculature.¡±


    ¡°But you have had male clients who¡¯ve had similar requirements, no?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Magdalena admitted. ¡°But we have never tailored hidden pleats in a lady¡¯s suit before. This will take a bit of ingenuity.¡±


    ¡°Then we came to the right place,¡± Emmy said, giving the woman a smile.


    ¡°Most certainly,¡± Magdalena agreed. ¡°Our seams will not rip out if Ms Farmer finds herself in another scrap outside her gym, I can promise you that.¡±


    I did a face palm. ¡°Does everybody know about that?¡± I asked the world at large.


    ¡°Your wife and I have been emailing, discussing your unusual requirements, and she informed me of the failure of your Armani suit under those circumstances,¡± Magdalena said, and I could detect more than a tiny bit of disdain when she said the designer¡¯s name.


    ¡°To be fair, it was a lightweight linen suit, and we wrestled on old, rough asphalt,¡± I said.


    ¡°Our suits will not fail, if it should happen again,¡± Magdalena said with complete confidence.


    We left after four head-spinning hours, with me promising to return in two months for a final fitting. There had been no discussion of money at all, so I assumed that Emmy had worked it out in advance. I preferred to not even think about how much five bespoke suits would even cost, but I guess ultimately it didn¡¯t matter. Emmy wanted this for me, and we had the money, so why not?


    During a late lunch at a vegetarian restaurant nearby, Angela held up her phone. ¡°What do you think of this?¡± she asked, handing it over.


    It was an apartment for sale listing in a high-rise down by that old power station from the Pink Floyd album cover. It looked nice, but that was it. Just nice, no more. The price was a bit ridiculous for what you get, but not actually all that surprising. Seriously, London, right?


    I scrolled through a few more of the listings, finally handing it back. ¡°I like this one better,¡± I said.


    ¡°That one?¡± Angela said, her eyes wide. ¡°But- it¡¯s just too much!¡±


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, of course, I mean, it¡¯s amazing! But we can¡¯t spend that kind of money¡­¡± Angela protested. I took the phone from her and handed it to Emmy for inspection.


    ¡°It has great views, and the natural light is phenomenal,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We should look at it.¡±


    ¡°But Em! It¡¯s too much money!¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Leah knows our finances far better than you or I,¡± Emmy said, looking through the pictures again. ¡°If she thinks that we can afford it, I trust her judgement.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late to choose a yacht instead,¡± I joked as I took Angela¡¯s phone back from Emmy to call the real estate agent with the listing.


    Angela looked at me to see if I was joking, but then said, ¡°I¡¯ve lived this long without a yacht. I can live without one for a while longer.¡±


    Walking into the sales office on the ground floor of the concrete and glass tower, the receptionist was quick to recognize Emmy, immediately calling for someone to come help us. A young guy in a shiny suit quickly emerged from a back office and shook our hands.


    ¡°How may I help you?¡± he asked, unsure whether to look at Emmy or at me.


    I asked Angela for her phone, showing the guy the unit we¡¯d looked at.


    ¡°Penthouse two?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯d like to see it, please,¡± I said, my tone of voice conveying that we were serious.


    ¡°Right, right,¡± he said. ¡°Let me just get my manager. He would be the one to show it to you. He¡¯ll be with you in just a moment,¡± he said, before fleeing back to the offices in the back. Almost immediately a heavyset middle-aged man came out, saying, ¡°Reggie tells me that you¡¯re interested in viewing penthouse two? You do know that it isn¡¯t finished yet, right?¡±


    ¡°We saw the photos online,¡± I said. ¡°I think that we actually prefer it that way. As it is, we can have it built out to our specifications.¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°Right, well, let¡¯s go up,¡± he said, indicating we should follow.


    As we made our way to the elevator he rambled on about the building¡¯s amenities and security. ¡°We are still putting the finishing touches, as you can see,¡± he said, indicating a work crew pushing a trolley laden with equipment. ¡°But by the time the penthouse is finished it will all be well and done.¡±


    As he keyed in a code on the security keypad in the elevator, he said, ¡°This is temporary. When the construction is done a more traditional keyed access to the penthouse level will be installed.¡±


    The elevator took us to the 38th floor (really, for us Americans, the 39th floor) and then the ¡®P¡¯ button lit up to indicate we were at the top.


    There was a small but elegant lobby with three doors, one relatively plain one that must have led to an emergency stairwell or something like that, and two much nicer doors marked ¡¯39.01¡¯ and ¡¯39.02¡¯.


    ¡°Penthouse one is already finished and under contract, but two, which is the larger¡­¡± he said, keying in an access code on the door¡¯s keypad. ¡°This is also temporary,¡± he said, indicating the digital lock. We followed him into the apartment, and he was right- it was very far from finished. Plain wallboard in some areas, metal studs with nothing else in some others.


    But that didn¡¯t seem to matter to Angela. She was drawn to the enormous wall of glass two stories tall that made up the entire southwest corner of the building.


    ¡°Look- there¡¯s the Eye,¡± she said, pointing. ¡°We were up there just yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Explain to me the process of finishing this unit,¡± I said to the real estate guy. ¡°Do we bring in our own construction crew?¡±


    ¡°Oh, heavens, no,¡± he said. ¡°Our crews will do the work, but if you want it built out differently than we have planned, you will need your own architect and design firm.¡±


    The two of us turned to watch Emmy and Angela drift from what would be room to room, if there had been walls. They were commenting on this or that view, and how amazing the light was, even though it was mid afternoon in the middle of winter.


    Eventually we all found ourselves up on the terrace, which was no more than a bare tiled surface with glass walls to block the wind.


    Angela came over to cuddle up inside my overcoat. ¡°I love it, Lee, I really do.¡±


    ¡°Right- that¡¯s it, then,¡± I said to the man. ¡°We¡¯ll take it. Where do I have the money sent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°I said we¡¯ll buy it. My bank is based out of California, and with the eight hours time difference,¡± I said, glancing at my watch, ¡°It¡¯ll be an hour before they get to the office. That gives us enough time to get the paperwork started.¡±


    Recovering, the guy said, ¡°Right, right, the paperwork,¡± he said, leading us back inside.


    As we followed, I told Angela, ¡°O.K., now the next part is on you. You have to find an interior designer who can do up this place the way you want.¡±


    ¡°Me?" she asked, stunned.


    ¡°Emmy did it for the place in Manhattan, I did it for the Los Angeles house. It¡¯s your turn now. Make this the place you want it to be.¡±


    A couple of hours later, after everything was taken care of and the money had been transferred, I told the real estate guy that we¡¯d find a designer and get the project started as soon as we could.


    ¡°This has been the easiest transaction since we opened up sales six months ago,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I buy and sell a lot of properties,¡± I told him.


    ¡°It shows,¡± he said. ¡°It will be a pleasure to see the penthouse finished and occupied." That night we bumped into Lee and Jen coming back from dinner. ¡°What did you guys do today?¡± Jen asked. ¡°We saw Bryan Cranston in the stage production of Network. He was freaking amazing.¡±


    ¡°We, uh, we bought a penthouse by the Thames,¡± Angela said. ¡°Lee bought it for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course she did,¡± Jen said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Of fucking course she bought you a London penthouse.¡± Turning to Lee, Jen said, ¡°Hey, babe, you hear that? Angela wanted a London penthouse apartment, so Leah just bought her one. I think I¡¯d like a London penthouse apartment, too. Whaddaya say? I think you should buy me one.¡±


    ¡°Dream on! Dream on!¡± Lee sang in his best Steven Tyler impersonation. ¡°Dream until your dream comes true!¡±


    ¡°Seriously, did you guys really just buy a place here in England? None of you are citizens here, right?¡± Lee asked.


    ¡°I looked it up,¡± Angela said. ¡°We can stay for six months at at a time without residency.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, Em, it¡¯s gonna be a lot harder to get our work done if you¡¯re way over here in England and me and Jax are in LA.¡±


    ¡°We got work done in New York, did we not?¡± Emmy asked with a laugh.

 Thats A Really Big Needle You Have there, Doctor

    Washing Angela¡¯s hair that night in the hotel room¡¯s claw-footed tub, Emmy said, ¡°You seem very tense tonight, baby. What is wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tense, I¡¯m- well, yeah, I am tense, I guess,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m on an emotional roller coaster. Today, just like that, Lee bought that apartment for me. That was amazing, and I still can barely believe it. It just doesn¡¯t seem real, but I¡¯m also really worried about tomorrow, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh, my love,¡± Emmy said, taking Angela in her arms. ¡°Everything will be O.K. The baby is strong and healthy, and in a few short months she will be our first child,¡± Emmy said, kissing Angela¡¯s shoulder.


    I knelt beside the tub and dipped my hand in the water, resting it on Angela¡¯s tummy. ¡°Em¡¯s right, Ange,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure the test results for our baby will be perfect. I¡¯m also sure they¡¯re going to say that Emmy is coming along just fine, too. Everything is going to be alright.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had the confidence you two have,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ worried, you know?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Emmy said, sweeping Angela¡¯s long, dark hair aside. Kissing Angela¡¯s neck, Emmy added, ¡°I do. And I must confess that I am a little bit anxious as well. But much more than that, I am happy that our baby is growing strong and healthy inside your beautiful belly. Our child, Angie. Our perfect little baby.¡±


    Angela turned around in the tub to face Emmy, her expression still one of worry. Emmy cupped Angela¡¯s pretty face in her elegant inky-black hands and kissed her, softly, tenderly.


    ¡°Angie, we love you, and we love the child you are carrying. Tomorrow afternoon we will go to the clinic and they will tell us that everything looks good and we will be mothers soon,¡± Emmy said.


    I leaned over and kissed Angela¡¯s smooth shoulder. ¡°Babe, Em¡¯s right. We have no reason to think there¡¯s anything wrong. You¡¯re young and healthy and strong, you¡¯ve been taking care of yourself, and eating well, too. No baby could ask for more than that from her mother.¡±


    Angela gave the two of us a grateful smile. ¡°You¡¯ll be with me when they do the testing, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course we will,¡± I said. ¡°And you and I will be there when they test Emmy. We¡¯re all in this together.¡±


    ¡°This is us, Angie. This,¡± Emmy said, indicating the three of us, ¡°We are family. Three of us, lovers, yes, but also partners in life. You and Leah, you both make my life better and I treasure you both more than I can say. I am¡­¡± Emmy said, trailing off at a loss for words as her emotions welled up and tears leaked from her eyes.


    I stroked Emmy¡¯s wet hair and used my thumb to wipe a tear off her cheek. Angela had Emmy¡¯s hands in her own, tears rolling down her own cheeks.


    ¡°Em, you and Lee- I can¡¯t even imagine life without you guys anymore. This, us having babies, us making our lives together¡­ it¡¯s what I want. I love this. Everything else is so perfect, I want our babies to be-¡± Angela said, stopping to wipe her tears away. ¡°I want our babies to be just as perfect as everything else.¡±


    ¡°They will be, babe,¡± I said. ¡°They will be.¡±


    Lying in bed that night, Emmy and Angela talked about the new apartment, shying away from the subject of the testing the next day. Emmy asked for the fourth and fifth bedrooms to be converted into a studio, and of course Angela agreed. They talked about where to fit a small work space for me, and what kind of plants would make sense for the terrace- stuff like that.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to keep two of the smaller bedrooms for the girls, when they get a bit bigger,¡± Angela said. ¡°So they can have their own rooms when we¡¯re here in London.¡±


    I just listened to the sound of their voices as the two chatted away like that for a while, feeling them cuddled up against me, enjoying the love and warmth from both sides.


    I was surprised to find Angela in the middle when I woke up. I hadn¡¯t felt Emmy move over, but that was fine. It made it easier to slip out for my morning run without waking either of them. It was dry but colder that morning, with frost on the grass in the parks. I felt myself looking around differently than I had the day before, realizing that I¡¯d mentally shifted from merely being a tourist to now thinking about London as a town I was going to live in, at least part of the time. How much of the time had yet to be determined, but it was going to be enough that I¡¯d need to start thinking of myself as a local.


    Angela was awake when I got back to the room, but hadn¡¯t gotten out of bed. She whispered, ¡°Oh! Your lips are cold!¡± when I gave her a good morning kiss.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold this morning,¡± I whispered back before taking a quick shower.


    When I stepped back into the room, Angela was sitting up against the headboard, her iPad in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m looking for interior designers,¡± she whispered. ¡°I want to get started right away.¡±


    Nodding, I threw on some sweats and a T shirt and grabbed my laptop to catch up on work for a bit. We had nothing on our schedule until our appointment at the clinic and suddenly no need to see London in the next couple of days- after all, we were no longer tourists, right?


    When Emmy woke up the three of us went back to that same egg restaurant for breakfast.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to find someplace like this by our new place,¡± Angela commented, mirroring my thoughts from earlier. ¡°Someplace we can walk to from our apartment.¡±


    Angela¡¯s worries from the night before seemed to have vanished, her naturally happy nature reasserting itself.


    After breakfast we went to the office of one of the designers that Angela had identified in her search earlier, but they seemed as if they were just furniture and drapes people and weren¡¯t really capable of tackling a full-scale project like ours.


    Undeterred, Angela directed the cab to the next one on her list. ¡°These designers, their style seems to be a little more about, um, world influences, I guess? The pictures on their web site don¡¯t seem as, well, as contemporary as the last guys.¡±


    ¡°That sounds perfect for us,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s perfect for the apartment. I mean, the architecture¡­¡± Angela protested.


    ¡°We will see if they can do the project,¡± Emmy assured her. ¡°If they are any good, they will take the site as well as our preferences into account.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Angela conceded. ¡°Hey, maybe we can talk Luisa into coming over and helping us buy art when the house is ready?¡±


    ¡°I imagine she would be willing to help,¡± Emmy agreed.


    The second meeting went much better, and when Angela showed them the photos she¡¯d taken of the partially finished space, the impeccably-dressed and obviously gay designer grew very enthusiastic.


    ¡°My partner is currently in New York,¡± he said. ¡°But he¡¯s an architect and would absolutely enjoy a challenge such as this,¡± he said, scrolling through the pictures on Angela¡¯s phone. ¡°Simon will be back in London after the first. We would need to do a site inspection, of course, before we can even begin to develop any ideas.¡±


    ¡°So something like this is within your purview?¡± I asked.


    Looking vaguely offended that I¡¯d even suggest otherwise, he said, ¡°This is exactly the type of project we enjoy most.¡±


    Satisfied that William and Simon would at least be able to get the ball rolling, we left for our appointment at the clinic, which turned out to be a discreetly marked office in what would be called a brownstone in New York. I don¡¯t know what buildings like that are generically called in Marylebone, but the clinic blended into the street with no fanfare.


    The receptionist recognized Emmy immediately, as most people did by this point, but was completely professional. We were immediately ushered into a private waiting room, away from any potential prying eyes or gossip reporters, I guess.


    Emmy¡¯s ultrasound showed a tiny little gestational sac, but combined with the simple blood test it confirmed that she was definitely pregnant and her little bundle of cells was doing what it should.


    Angela nearly died of fright at the giant amniocentesis needle, but with Emmy and me holding her hands she got through it just fine. The ultrasound, though, that was magic. We could see the little fetus in its placenta, and as the doctor moved the wand around Angela¡¯s tummy we could make out rudimentary features.


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    ¡°Do you want to know the sex?¡± the doctor asked.


    I looked at Angela and squeezed her hand.


    ¡°Yes. Please,¡± Angela said, her voice a bit shaky.


    Unaware of the emotional drama we were facing if it was a boy, the doctor moved the wand a bit.


    ¡°She¡¯s a little girl,¡± the doctor said, angling the wand so we could get a better view on the monitor.


    I squeezed Angela¡¯s hand and she squeezed it back, relief washing over her face, which looked so very young in her vulnerable emotional state.


    After the doctor left and Emmy and I helped Angela get dressed, the relief was too much for Angela and she burst out in tears again. Emmy took Angela in her arms and comforted her, while I wrapped the two and held them tight until the sobbing ended. There was nothing I could say that would communicate how much I loved the two of them any better than that simple contact would do, so I stayed silent.


    Back in what I¡¯d learned was called the consultation room, the doctor said that everything looked good with both pregnancies and she saw no need for alarm. She said that she understood the genetic material was to be sent immediately to the lab in Salt Lake City for more advanced analysis, but suggested that labs there in London could do as good a job and be more convenient.


    There was no way we were about to explain the issues to her, so we simply said that we had already been working with the lab in Utah and continuity made sense. Accepting that, the doctor suggested we return in a month and a half for Emmy¡¯s next check-up and her amnio, but we said we¡¯d be back home in Los Angeles by then and our local clinic would do the job.


    ¡°Dios m¨ªo, you guys, I was so worried,¡± Angela said in the cab, holding both my hand and Emmy¡¯s.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± I lied. ¡°Like I said last night, every factor is working in little Junior¡¯s favor.¡±


    ¡°When can we pick out a name?¡± Angela asked. ¡°Is it still too soon?¡±


    ¡°It is certainly not too soon to think about names,¡± Emmy said with a laugh.


    Angela gave Emmy a grateful smile. ¡°I have been thinking about names already,¡± she confessed.


    ¡°So have I,¡± Emmy admitted. Looking at me, she said, ¡°None of the choices included the word ¡®junior¡¯.¡±


    Laughing, I opened the cab door for Angela and Emmy to exit, making sure to grope each of them as they passed, but their heavy winter clothing diminished the effect.


    I can¡¯t say that I was too surprised to see Emmy¡¯s mother waiting for us in the hotel¡¯s small lobby. She rose from her chair by the fireplace when we entered, heading straight for Angela.


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re smiling,¡± she said as she took Angela¡¯s hands and looked her up and down. ¡°This must mean good news at the doctors office, yes?¡±


    ¡°Very good news,¡± Angela said. ¡°For both my baby and Emmy¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I am so very glad to hear it, but not a bit surprised,¡± Mrs Lascaux said, before turning to her daughter. ¡°¨¦meraude, my princess. I understand it is early in your pregnancy yet, but everything is going well?¡±


    Emmy switched to French, suggesting that we go to our room to discuss in private. Emmy¡¯s mom nodded in agreement, then tilted her head to Edouard to come along as we all crowded into the hotel elevator.


    Emmy and Angela told Emmy¡¯s mom everything that the doctor had said and that they¡¯d seen on the sonograms. Angela handed Mrs Lascaux the prints from the ultrasound machine, pointing out the barely distinguishable ears and little tiny hands and feet.


    While the three were chatting away, I wandered over to Edouard. ¡°Is Emmy¡¯s dad in town?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, Ms Farmer. He stayed at the hotel to give the Madame time with her daughter and daughter-in-law,¡± he replied in the same low voice I¡¯d used.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to talk with him about some things, if he has the time,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am certain that he would be delighted,¡± Edouard said, pulling out his phone to text Emmy¡¯s dad.


    Plans were quickly made for Angela and Emmy to go out for an early dinner with Emmy¡¯s mom, and I would have dinner with Mr Lascaux.


    When I gave the cabbie the name of the place I was to meet Emmy¡¯s dad, he asked, ¡°That¡¯s the pub right by the Ritz, innit?¡±


    ¡°Sounds about right,¡± I agreed, because of course Emmy¡¯s parents would stay at the Ritz.


    Emmy¡¯s father was waiting for me inside, seated at one of the tables near the wall. They weren¡¯t really booths, but as close as that pub had. Seeing that he had a pint of dark beer in front of him already, I stopped at the bar and got myself a Gin Sling and a bottle of sparkling water.


    ¡°I hear the doctor visit went well today,¡± Mr Lascaux said when I sat down. His lack of greeting didn¡¯t seem strange or awkward at all, I realized. It was the sort of thing that people who are very familiar with each other would do, and yet another subtle sign of his acceptance of me.


    ¡°Yeah, the girls both checked out just fine. The babies are right on track.¡±


    ¡°This is monumental.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, from what little I know about Night Children pregnancies, there¡¯s still a fairly high risk of miscarriage compared to baseline humans,¡± I said. ¡°But so far, so good.¡±


    ¡°There is always a risk,¡± Mr Lascaux agreed, nodding.


    We made idle chat about what to order to eat for a few minutes. After I came back from the bar, I got straight to the point.


    ¡°We just bought a place here in London,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s the penthouse in a newly remodeled high-rise on the South Bank, and it¡¯ll probably take the better part of a year before it¡¯s move-in ready. We bought it because we wanted to be close to you and Emmy¡¯s mother in Paris, but not so close we would be potentially stepping on your toes.¡±


    Mr Lascaux took a long sip of his Guinness, thinking about what I¡¯d just said. ¡°You understand that our borders do include the UK, and we could not countenance your recruiting on our lands.¡± He said it in a simple, matter of fact sort of way. Not confrontational or anything like that, just a simple statement of fact.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why Paris was completely off the table,¡± I agreed. ¡°London gives us enough separation to allow, um, deniability. We would not look to expand our nation at your expense in any way, and if we bring a few of our people over it would be as our, well, our retinue, I guess.¡±


    ¡°That is acceptable,¡± Mr Lascaux nodded. ¡°You may bring as many of your people as you wish, and they may speak to mine, but attempts to recruit will not be tolerated.¡±


    ¡°Consider it a signed agreement,¡± I said as the waitress brought our food.


    A few minutes later, after complimenting the pub¡¯s fish and chips, Mr Lascaux asked, ¡°Our granddaughters- yes, we have discussed Angela¡¯s baby, and as you made it clear last week, Emmy considers it her child as well and so shall we- we would like to teach them the old ways. This is no small task, nor is it quickly done.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t discussed it explicitly, but I get the feeling that Emmy expected it to be the case,¡± I said. ¡°Reading between the lines, I think that¡¯s at least part of why Angela wanted to get a place here in Europe."


    ¡°It was Angela¡¯s idea to buy here in London?¡± Mr Lascaux asked, surprised.


    ¡°At first she suggested to Emmy that we could look for a place in Paris, but Emmy vetoed that idea,¡± I said. ¡°The whole ¡®stepping on toes¡¯ thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see how she would be sensitive to that,¡± he mused. ¡°Of course, as the Lascaux princess, she would not be, but as the queen of the Farmer Nation¡­¡±


    ¡°We call it the ¡®New Nation¡¯,¡± I said. ¡°To emphasize that it¡¯s a break from the old cultural norms as much as anything.¡±


    ¡°Simple, but sometimes that is a virtue,¡± he said with a rare smile. ¡°And yes, as a queen of the New Nation, ¨¦meraude would need exceptional dispensation to set up her own residence in another nation¡¯s center of power. As you say, London is far enough from that center to offer¡­ breathing room for both parties.¡±


    ¡°I think that your place in Fallbrook does that for us in California as well,¡± I said, making it clear it was a two-way street.


    ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re right,¡± he agreed thoughtfully.


    ¡°So, yeah, your granddaughters. We¡¯ve talked a little about it, and there¡¯s thinking the girls can stay with you and Emmy¡¯s mom, maybe a few days now and then, long weekends or something when they¡¯re little, maybe the whole summer when they get a bit older. I¡¯m sure Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ Castro are going to want their share of the girls¡¯ time, though,¡± I said with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, I would imagine so,¡± Mr Lascaux said, his voice gentle. ¡°We had hoped that the princess would find a suitable day walker with whom to form a family, but we never could have imagined this. We never could have imagined you, and even less that Angela would join the two of you to make your household that much more complete.¡±


    ¡°I certainly couldn¡¯t have seen this coming,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I¡¯m very glad it did.¡±


    ¡°As are we,¡± Emmy¡¯s father said.


    After dinner, Emmy¡¯s dad and I walked down Piccadilly with no real goal in mind, just talking amiably about various things. Business mostly, his and mine. He once again reiterated his offer to sell me the car dealerships, and once again I told him that it was a line of business that I simply didn¡¯t know, and would hate to jump in and fail.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s much of a risk,¡± he said as we watched some kids with brightly colored Mohawks and spray-painted leather jackets go by, staring at us as if we were aliens. ¡°They are reasonably self-sufficient, and you seem to have an excellent sense for everything you take on.¡±


    ¡°Taking new things on- that¡¯s part of it,¡± I admitted. ¡°I promised the girls I¡¯d spend less time with work as their pregnancies advance, and of course when the babies arrive.¡±


    ¡°I regret that I didn¡¯t spend more time with the princess when she was small,¡± Mr Lascaux confessed. ¡°I left her almost entirely to her mother and instructors, and as a result, our relationship is¡­ more formal than I would like. Yes, there were reasons that seemed wise at the time, but I do regret some of our choices.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to ignore work entirely,¡± I said, ¡°But I want to spend as much time as I can with the girls as they¡¯re growing up. My childhood¡­ Dad was deployed more often than not, and then he was killed when I was eleven, so it was just Mom after that to raise me and Tiff. She had to work, you know, to support us all¡­ It was tough for her, but she did what she could. Honestly, looking back on it now, I don¡¯t even know how she managed.¡±


    Mr Lascaux was listening to me ramble, using non-verbal clues to show that he was paying attention as I spoke. I admired his ability to do that, and I told him so.


    ¡°You may think that Emmy and your relationship is, well, distant,¡± I said. ¡°But I see a lot of your character traits in her, too. I think she learned more from you than you realize. One of the things that she does so very well, and I¡¯ve seen you do it, is really pay attention. Emmy doesn¡¯t miss a thing, and from what I¡¯ve seen, neither do you.¡±


    Mr Lascaux smiled at the compliment. ¡°This is one of the old teachings. One of the things we would like for our granddaughters to learn.¡±


    Changing the subject, I said, ¡°I¡¯d like to figure out how to get the girls citizenship of as many countries as we can. Emmy¡¯s baby will automatically have French citizenship and Angela¡¯s Colombian, by virtue of their birth mothers, right? I have no idea how we¡¯re going to get me on the birth certificates as ¡®father¡¯,¡± I said, making air quotes, ¡°or if we¡¯ll have to have the babies be born in the US for their American citizenship. In a perfect world we could get everybody dual or triple or even quadruple citizenship, so they could live wherever they chose when they get older.¡±


    ¡°These things are always negotiable,¡± Mr Lascaux said. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of who you talk to and how much it costs.¡±

 Very, Very Good

    ¡°Look at this,¡± I said to Emmy¡¯s dad, pointing in a store window that we were walking past.


    ¡°Is that ¨¦meraude? And her bandmates?¡± he asked, surprised to see the bobblehead doll set on display.


    ¡°Yes it is,¡± I said as we looked at the three little figures on a stage the shop employees had made. The elaborate arrangement was the centerpiece of the shop¡¯s presentation, with a light show and everything, including a video screen mimicking the one the band used on tour.


    Mr Lascaux looked at the figurines for a long moment, then announced that he had to buy them.


    Of course the clerk in the store immediately realized who we must have been, her eyes wide as we laid the set of boxes on the counter for her to ring up. I¡¯d be the first to admit that the two of us made a very, very distinctive pair, so I wasn¡¯t surprised one bit.


    ¡°Are you-¡° she began nervously. ¡°Are you here for the concert?¡± she asked.


    Mr Lascaux said yes, but I added, ¡°Emmy will be here in London a lot more in the future. We just bought a flat over in South Bank.¡±


    ¡°I live in Southwark!¡± she blurted out, then covered her mouth, embarrassed.


    ¡°Are you a fan of ¨¦meraude¡¯s music?¡± Mr Lascaux asked gently.


    ¡°I have tickets to both nights,¡± the girl confirmed. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting months for this week end! I¡¯m going with my friends from Uni,¡± the girl said. ¡°Six of us. Both nights.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to see the Downfall play at the Royal Albert Hall?¡± Emmy¡¯s dad asked. ¡°Can you get free Sunday night?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± the counter girl asked. By now, several other store employees had approached, curious as to what was going on.


    ¡°I had planned on giving these to some of my business associates,¡± Mr Lascaux replied, pulling a handful of tickets from an inner pocket of his coat. ¡°But I suspect that you would enjoy the performance more than they would.¡± He counted out six tickets, laying them on the counter.


    ¡°All I require is that you promise me that you will go to the show, and not simply sell them. I will know, since these are in the balcony box I have reserved.¡±


    ¡°Are you-¡± she stammered, completely floored. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± he asked. ¡°My daughter loves her fans, and she would want to know that these tickets were put to good use.¡±


    Staring at the six tickets lying there on the glass countertop, the girl gaped like a fish for a few moments before an older lady who had been watching said, ¡°Take the tickets, Tabbie. I¡¯ll find someone to cover your hours. This is an opportunity of a lifetime- don¡¯t pass it up.¡±


    Looking at the woman who was presumably her manager, Tabbie managed a thanks before gingerly taking the tickets from the counter and staring at them in her hand as if they were the most precious things she¡¯d ever touched in her life.


    Honestly, they might actually have been just that, at least by weight. Scalper prices for good seats at that show were going for well over a thousand pounds each, so it literally was a small fortune she held in her hands.


    ¡°Tabbie, right? Would you like me to get Emmy and the boys to sign some of these for you?¡± I asked, indicating the bobble headed dolls.


    Tabbie¡¯s manager broke in at that point, seeing an opportunity. ¡°Do you think you could get the band to sign more than just a set for Tabbie? Could you ask them to come to the store here and sign the lot of them?¡±


    ¡°Let me see what I can do,¡± I said, taking out my phone and calling Stephanie. A few minutes later, I¡¯d arranged for Tabbie to take the store¡¯s entire stock of Downfall bobble heads to the hotel after the shop closed, where the band would sign them all. The manager got on the phone to a few of her colleagues at other local stores in the same chain for them to immediately bring what they had over to the Piccadilly store, which was pushing the agreement a bit, but we were talking a few dozen each at the most.


    Laughing about the whole incident, Mr Lascaux hailed a cab as we walked towards the river. ¡°The princess¡¯ fame is more than I could ever have imagined,¡± he said. ¡°For her fans to even recognize you and me¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, look at us,¡± I said. ¡°The blackest man any of them have ever seen, walking with a blonde giant. We don¡¯t really blend in to any crowd.¡±


    ¡°No, we certainly do not,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad agreed as a London cab pulled up. He gave the cabby the name of my hotel as we settled into the seats for the ride. ¡°¨¦meraude¡¯s mother and I have noticed a difference in the way others have reacted to us since the princess¡¯ rise to fame,¡± he mused. ¡°I am coming to believe that your scheme for using her to introduce us to the world has been wildly successful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you how to do things in your nation, but we require that our people show their faces. In North America at least, most day walkers react with curiosity rather than fear. Now that everybody has seen Emmy on TV or magazines or whatever, they immediately jump to the conclusion that the Night Children they see are like her,¡± I said.


    ¡°Perhaps it is time our people showed themselves as well,¡± he replied, lost in thought.


    When Tabbie and another shop employee came to the hotel that night, the two girls were almost useless as far as actually getting the task done. They were so overwhelmed by meeting Emmy, Lee and Jackson that all they could do was stand around in the way. Stephanie took immediate charge of the situation and handed big markers to the three band members while she distributed the various dolls to have their boxes signed.


    Under her direction the whole process only took about twenty minutes or so before the signed packages were back in the big cardboard boxes the two girls had brought. Tiny, Grant and I quickly loaded the boxes back in the van the girls had come in and they were sent on their way. After the obligatory round of selfies, the two girls left to return the now much more precious bobble head dolls to the shop.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The task done, we all retired to our rooms for some sleep. The Downfall had their first night of two nights at the O2 Arena the next evening, so it was important to get good rest.


    Of course that meant a relaxing bath for Emmy and Angela while I took a quick shower, since there wasn¡¯t room for three in the hotel room¡¯s tub.


    In bed afterward, Emmy asked me how the bobble head doll thing had come about, so I told her the whole story and her dad¡¯s reaction, and about the tickets he¡¯d given to the girl that had brought the dolls to be signed.


    ¡°My father did that?¡± Emmy asked, amazed.


    ¡°Your dad and I are getting along really well these days,¡± I said. ¡°And the more I get to know him, the more I get to see a different side of the guy.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, curious.


    ¡°He¡¯s really starting to seem more like a normal guy. More approachable, less formal and intimidating,¡± I said. ¡°Actually, I think we get along really well, and I think we understand each other pretty well, too.¡±


    ¡°I am very pleased by that,¡± Emmy said, kissing my shoulder.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s mom, too,¡± Angela said. ¡°Somehow she seems less scary than when I first met her.¡±


    ¡°This is very good,¡± Emmy said. "Because we are all one big family now.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I asked, kissing her hair. ¡°Have you talked to your parents yet?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said, her voice suddenly small. ¡°I want to wait until we get the results from the lab in Salt Lake City. Just¡­¡±


    ¡°Angie, baby,¡± Emmy said, reaching across my to stroke Angela¡¯s face. ¡°The test results will be fine. Do not worry so much.¡±


    ¡°But what if-¡± Angela started to object, but Emmy put her finger on Angela¡¯s lips to quiet her.


    ¡°The doctor said everything looks good. Until we hear otherwise, that is what we will believe,¡± Emmy said. Leaning forward to kiss Angela¡¯s face, she added, ¡°It is certainly what I believe.¡±


    I wrapped the two in my arms and held them close, kissing the tops of their heads in turn. ¡°Our babies are perfect,¡± I said to Angela. ¡°Don¡¯t make me fight you on this.¡±


    That got the laugh I was hoping for, both of them cuddling up closer next to me as the mood lightened.


    ¡°Fighting you seems like a terrible idea,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen what happens to people who fight Leah,¡± Emmy said. ¡°She breaks them in half.¡±


    ¡°I will never forget those guys in Arizona,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°It was like they ran into a bus. She flattened them so fast!¡±


    ¡°She is a beast,¡± Emmy said, slipping her hand up under my T shirt to feel my abs. Angela followed her example and next thing I knew the two of them had it up and off me, leaving my chest bare. On some sort of unspoken signal the two started kissing my belly and my chest, their hands roaming over my body.


    I was getting so turned on it only took moments for me to rise to the occasion when Angela¡¯s hand snaked its way down inside my boy shorts. Her fingers dipped into the moisture and spread it around, slipping and sliding in just the right way.


    I hooked my leg over hers to give her better access, enjoying the feel of a finger finding its way inside, then easing out again. In, ever so slowly, then back out again, the sensation making me groan with pleasure.


    Emmy sat up in bed and pulled off her camisole and panties, her velvety black skin very nearly invisible in the dim light filtering through the curtains. I reached over and cupped her butt cheek in my hand, curling my fingers around to stroke the back side of her vaj with the tips.


    Needing no more prompting, Emmy threw a leg over me as she moved up the bed, straddling my face just the way we both liked it.


    I took her hips in my hands and lowered her onto me, kissing the insides of her thighs as I brought her closer and closer to where we both wanted to be.


    As I was doing this, I felt Angela tugging at my waistband, so I raised my own hips to allow her to yank my undies down.


    The feeling of Angela plunging two, then three fingers inside me was intense, but not enough to distract me from my feast. I did my best to ignore the rising tide of sensation from between my own legs as I did what I knew would send Emmy into her own universe of pleasure, but once Angela added some clit work to the mix it became a lot harder to do.


    Emmy tried to pull away as she always does when she gets close, but I held her hips and wouldn¡¯t let her escape until she came, even though I was on the verge myself. When I felt Emmy¡¯s body tense up, every muscle contracting, I let myself follow her over that crest. We fell together in a heap on that hotel bed, leaving only Angela sitting on her heels and looking at the two of us in satisfaction.


    I marveled at how she had transformed from a pillow princess uncertain about the whole ¡®girl love¡¯ thing to an eager lover, ready to take charge when she wanted some hot sex. Angela had grown confident in her sexuality, and confident in her place in our family.


    I reached up and took her hands, pulling her onto me for a kiss, which she returned with passion. It didn¡¯t bother her a bit that I tasted like Emmy, again showing that she was solidly in the lady loving category.


    I reached down and grabbed the hem of her Stanford T shirt (which I had long ago given up any hope of reclaiming), pulling it up and off her as she raised herself up a bit before dropping back down to kiss me some more.


    Emmy had revived by this point, leaning in to shower kisses on Angela¡¯s shoulder and back, her hand roaming up and down Angela¡¯s thighs and butt.


    Although I couldn¡¯t exactly see what Emmy was doing , I definitely could see the effects it was having on Angela as she had to stop kissing me so she could breathe heavily, her head resting on my shoulder as she made sexy little noises. I slid my hands down Angela¡¯s back to her hips, then even lower, cupping her firm butt in my hands. I hadn¡¯t noticed when Angela¡¯s panties had come off, but the smooth skin under my touch was nice and bare.


    Angela¡¯s breathing was growing increasingly ragged as Emmy played with her delicate bits, so I just held her and stroked her back, whispering how much I loved her.


    When Angela peaked her body tensed up for a long, shuddering moment before she let herself fall back on top of me in satisfied exhaustion. I continued stroking her sweaty back, telling her in a soft voice that she was gorgeous and I was immeasurably proud that she had chosen to be with Emmy and me.


    Emmy soon climbed on top of Angela, the weight of the two pinning me to the bed in the very best kind of way. Their combined weight felt good, and far from crushing me it made me feel strangely powerful, but I couldn¡¯t really tell you why.


    Emmy nuzzled Angela¡¯s neck, burying her face in the long, dark hair, while I caressed the two in equal measure, their sticky skin a reminder of our passion. The three of us lay like that for a long time, our sweat drying in the slightly cool air of the hotel room.


    After a while, Angela said in a soft voice, ¡°I know I¡¯ve said it before, but this¡­ When people say they¡¯re living their best life? They don¡¯t have it as good as I do right now.¡±


    "I feel just the same way,¡± I said. ¡°There is no way I could even be any happier.¡±


    I snuck out again for another morning run, leaving Angela and Emmy snuggled together in bed. It was dark and cold and lightly drizzling, but only just enough to make everything damp and to cast halos around the streetlamps. I ran through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park again, this time continuing on past Buckingham Palace and to the Thames. At the turnaround point I was pretty sure I could see our new apartment building across the river and past the Eye, but I might have been wrong and been looking at some other high-rise. It wasn¡¯t going to be too long before that tower would be a familiar landmark for me.


    Thinking about what it was going to be like living in London as I retraced my steps back to the hotel, I figured I was going to have to eat a lot of kebabs and curry. No real hardship there. Six months per year with no need for legal residency, Angela had said, but as Emmy¡¯s dad had pointed out, there were no doubt ways around that restriction.


    I did my best to not wake either of the sleeping beauties when I snuck into the room after my run, but I did take a long moment to just stare at the two of them, their heads sharing the same pillow and their limbs entwined in sleep. The urge to throw off my clothes and climb in there and kiss every inch of their bodies was almost too strong to resist, but somehow I managed to be good and not disturb their sleep.


    Life was good, I mused as I warmed up in the shower. Very, very good.

 Not One Of Us

    Emmy and the boys were ready and waiting for the van that showed up at one o¡¯clock to take them to the venue. Angela and I opted not to go with them- hours and hours of sound checks and sitting around backstage held no appeal for either of us anymore. The opening act was scheduled for eight, so that gave us the afternoon to kill while Emmy and the boys attended to the unpretty aspects of their work.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the apartment,¡± Angela suggested after the van carrying The Downfall left. ¡°I want to see it again, and take a whole lot more pictures this time. Maybe we can check out the area a little bit, too?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± I agreed, taking her hand.


    Angela squeezed my hand and gave me a smile. ¡°You are so good to me,¡± she said.


    Using the codes that the building sales guy had given us for the elevator and penthouse entry door with no problems, Angela led the way into the penthouse and soon enough we were once again admiring the view from the giant windows in the main room.


    ¡°I had a thought last night,¡± Angela said, resting her hands flat on the glass as she gazed down at the streets and river below. ¡°Is this apartment a mistake? I mean, I saw you talking to those old guys at the party, and that townhouse, it was owned by somebody like them, right? I guess what I mean is that old, established money here in London isn¡¯t going to buy an apartment like this. It¡¯s too¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to say it in English.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand what you mean. Old-school moneyed types here are going to look down on owners of places like this because only Russian oligarchs and Middle-Eastern oil sheiks would buy an apartment in a tower like this, right? Anybody with any real class would buy a Marylebone townhouse, genteel and understated?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yes, exactly,¡± Angela said, turning away from the view. ¡°Does this mark us as¡­ There¡¯s a racist phrase in Colombia, and I hate to even repeat it, but it captures the attitude: ¡®Indios con plata¡¯. Literally, it means ¡®Indians with silver¡¯, but what it means to say is people who think they belong in the upper class but will never be accepted.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± I asked, turning Angela around to face the view again, wrapping her in my arms. ¡°Real old upper-class people might never accept us because we¡¯re American or Colombian or French to start with, right? Emmy is famous for being a rock star, too, so that¡¯s not a thing ¡®serious¡¯ people do, either, never mind her family has been royalty ten times longer than the Windsors have ruled England. But do we even care?¡±


    ¡°I hate myself a little bit for even caring as much as I do,¡± Angela said with a sigh, leaning back against me. ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You know there¡¯s a certain amount of that in New York, too, right? Blue-bloods with summer homes in the Hamptons and winter homes down in Palm Beach would look at us as upstarts, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°Even if they accept you, with your blonde hair and American accent, people like that will always look at me as some sort of mail-order bride because of my Castellano accent- never mind that my ancestors came to the New World before theirs did.¡±


    ¡°Well, that and you¡¯re just way too beautiful to be from their weird inbred world,¡± I said.


    I could feel Angela¡¯s body move with a little chuckle. ¡°In ten years,¡± she said after a long moment. ¡°Our little girls will be in third grade. At the rate we¡¯re buying houses, we¡¯ll probably have one in Maui, one in Monaco and another in Seattle, or something like that. Our girls will live true jet-setter lifestyles. They¡¯ll talk to their friends about their favorite ski runs at Zermatt, or restaurants in New York.¡±


    ¡°I hope not,¡± I said. ¡°I hope that when our girls are in third grade they talk about whatever boy band is big at the time, or what Jimmy did in class that day. I want ¡®em to grow up normal, concerned with normal things.¡±


    Angela leaned her head back against my shoulder and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure they will ever be just like other kids,¡± she said. ¡°Too much money, too much fame.¡±


    I kissed Angela¡¯s hair and held her for a while, the two of us looking out at what had turned out to be a pretty day. ¡°You¡¯re probably right,¡± I finally admitted.


    We had an early dinner at a decent Italian bistro near the apartment that we¡¯d found while wandering the area. I¡¯m not sure the place was great enough to ever really be a destination stop for us when we were in residence, but it was convenient and the food and service were fine, so it was worth keeping on the mental list.


    After dinner, we took a cab to the arena, which took a lot longer than I expected. Sure, it wasn¡¯t far as the crow flies, but Friday evening traffic was murder. We probably would have been better waiting until later. Traffic might have eased, and in any case, it was early, but we wanted to see Emmy before the band went onstage.


    Our all-access passes did the job and soon enough a stout bald guy in an orange vest led us through various checkpoints and down into the fairly grim backstage area. The walls were plain concrete, undecorated except for the graffiti written in marker by the many performers there over the years.


    The band¡¯s dressing room was nice enough, but fairly crowded with quite a number of extra people packed in. Not wanting to add to the problem, we kissed Emmy and wished her well before leaving to find our seats.


    The arena was strange in that it was just the center part of a giant shallow dome. The area under the dome around the actual venue was a sort of circular shopping mall that we¡¯d had to walk through to get to where the concert was going to be held.


    ¡°I saw a boba tea place on the way in,¡± Angela said as we crossed the arena¡¯s floor seating area. ¡°I¡¯d kinda like to get a smoothie, if they have them.¡±


    ¡°Is this one of those pregnancy cravings I¡¯ve heard so much about?¡± I teased, but her expression turned thoughtful.


    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°I just suddenly thought a mango smoothie would be really good right about now.¡±


    ¡°Babe, if you want a mango smoothie, we¡¯ll get you a mango smoothie,¡± I said, giving her a smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why you want it.¡± I took her hand and led her through the increasingly crowded aisles. At the entrance, a security guy saw us wanting to leave, against the flow of the crowd.


    ¡°No re-entry,¡± he warned us.


    I flashed my all access pass and said, ¡°There is for us.¡±


    He looked at it, then up at me. ¡°So there is,¡± he agreed, and let us though.


    ¡°Is it¡­ shallow of me that I like that we get special treatment?¡± Angela asked when we found ourselves in the less crowded concourse.


    ¡°I guess it depends,¡± I said, looking for the bubble tea place Angela had seen earlier. ¡°Do you like it because you enjoy being able to do what you want, or is it because you enjoy having something that others don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Mostly the first one, but a little bit of the second,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s only a little bit shallow,¡± I replied, giving her hand a squeeze.


    Angela laughed and squeezed my hand back to show that she knew I was teasing her. ¡°It¡¯s over there,¡± she said, pointing up ahead. ¡°On the left.¡±


    As we sat at the lime green cafe table in the tea place enjoying our mango smoothies (with boba pearls), I asked Angela if she was tired of watching The Downfall play yet.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen every show in the tour, plus the warm-up show in Anaheim,¡± I said.


    ¡°Whozzat?¡± asked one of the young guys wearing Downfall T shirts sitting at the small table near ours, who had overheard my question. ¡°You¡¯ve seen every single show in this tour?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t,¡± I said, ¡°But she has.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± the guy said. ¡°Berlin?¡± When Angela nodded yes, he asked, ¡°Moscow?¡±


    ¡°All of them,¡± she said.


    He turned back to his pals, shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°So, like I was asking, have you gotten tired of it yet?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°No, not yet, but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m going to go on the Asia leg of the tour, and maybe not all of the stops in the Americas, either,¡± she said. ¡°I might skip some.¡±


    The young guy turned back around when he heard that, a disbelieving look on his face. ¡°Yer having me on, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Emmy¡¯s wife,¡± Angela said with a shrug.


    ¡°Oh, well fuck,¡± the guy said, throwing up his hands while one of his pals shoved him in the shoulder and laughed.


    Amused by the encounter, Angela and I followed the crowd back into the arena, letting the ushers guide us to section 106.


    ¡°There you guys are,¡± Jen said as we found our designated seats smack dab in the center of the long row, next to her and Sherry, Jackson¡¯s current girlfriend. ¡°Where have you guys even been all this time? I haven¡¯t seen you at all since we got off the train from Paris. I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re avoiding me and Lee or something.¡±


    ¡°Just doing our thing,¡± I said. ¡°You know, sightseeing, buying penthouse apartments, stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know how it is,¡± Jen agreed with a nod. ¡°So when is the housewarming party?¡±


    ¡°Not for a long time,¡± Angela said, fishing her phone out of her pocket to show Jen the pictures she¡¯d taken. Pretty soon the two had their heads together, peering at the small screen and talking about bedrooms, family rooms, Emmy¡¯s home studio¡­ I stopped paying attention pretty quickly.


    The opening act was a four piece combo, with a singer, a drummer, a synth player and a guy on bass, but no guitar player. Their stuff was a bit poppy, but catchy enough. Watching them, I pondered the reality of opening acts. It was a chance at much wider exposure, sure, but only about half the seats were filled when they took the stage. That meant that plenty of Downfall fans couldn¡¯t be bothered to even watch these guys even though they were pouring their hearts into their performance.


    Of course Jen and Angela hardly paid any attention at all to the music, talking with their heads down and close to each other so they could hear. Looking around, I saw that was pretty common- groups of friends were more concerned with socializing than with the opening band¡¯s music.


    To be fair, I had seen a few people in the audience mouthing the words as they sang along and they did get a solid ovation when they finished, so maybe it wasn¡¯t totally wasted effort on their part.


    Jackson must have won the game of rock, paper, scissors backstage, since he was the first to step out into the lights after the house lights dimmed right at nine. He bowed to the crowd as the audience cheered wildly, then stepped over to his stand-up bass. Nestling it against his body like a cello player, he pulled a bow off a stand and began to play a tune that was sort of jazzy, but kind of bluesy, too, if that made any sense. It reminded me of classic Disney movies, like it could be the signature music of a cartoon bear, or maybe an elephant in a circus or something.


    After a few minutes of that, Emmy joined Jackson onstage, selecting the hollow-bodied guitar she¡¯d bought back in high school from her rack of waiting instruments. She picked up on what Jackson was doing and played a jazz guitar melody, not imitating what Jackson was doing, but somehow complementary to it. The rhythm was in counterpoint, but exactly in time. Again, the Disney imagery came to mind. Now we had a bear and his friend the young boy, dancing to the music of the jungle.


    I was so fascinated by how unusual the music was for The Downfall that I hardly noticed when Lee slipped behind the drum kit and joined in with his brushes on the snare and very light footwork on the hi hat.


    As out of character as the music was, the audience there in the arena didn¡¯t seem to mind. They were pretty much all as swept up in the unusual interplay as I was.


    Gradually the music morphed into something less playful, and familiar chords started to make themselves known as the band flowed into ¡®She¡¯s Got (What I want)¡¯ to start their set.


    ¡°That was crazy!¡± Jen shouted to me after the improvised intro. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen ''em do anything like that before!¡±


    I held up my hands in a shrug. I¡¯d never seen anything like it, either, but by this point I knew there was no way of predicting how the shows would start.


    ¡°You asked if I¡¯ve gotten tired of seeing them in concert? How can I, when they keep doing amazing new things?¡± Angela asked, leaning in close.


    The playlist included a few of the same songs they¡¯d played in Paris, but it was mostly different. The banter was different, too, and not just because it was all in English. As Angela pointed out, it was a completely different show from what they¡¯d performed not even a week before.


    They didn¡¯t play ¡®Born to Die¡¯, to my relief, but they did play most of the band¡¯s other big hits. Finishing up the show with Led Zeppelin¡¯s ¡®Going To California¡¯ was a stroke of genius on the band¡¯s part, since the crowd there in London went absolutely crazy when they recognized the picked guitar intro from that rock classic.


    After the house lights came on and the Downfall took their bow, the crowd was buzzing with enthusiasm as they all filed towards the exits. I overheard a lot of comments about how it was the best show ever, how their mates couldn¡¯t get tickets but were watching the livestream, and so on.


    Jen, Sherry, Angela and I had a tough time making our way against the current, but eventually we found ourselves backstage.


    ¡°Babe, you were incredible!¡± Angela gushed as she took a sweaty Emmy into her arms.


    ¡°It was a great show tonight,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I wish I could go back to the hotel and rest,¡± Emmy moaned, toweling herself off. ¡°But Stephanie will kill me if I do not attend the afterparty.¡±


    ¡°Yeh, I remember her, um, monologue,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You two do not need to go to the party, if you do not wish,¡± she said. ¡°I will try to stay for as little time as possible.¡±


    ¡°O.K., we¡¯ll see you back at the hotel,¡± I said. ¡°Keep Tiny close at all times,¡± I said. ¡°His whole point is to be very visibly a bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your concern, I truly do, but I understand,¡± Emmy said, giving me a kiss. ¡°I will have Tiny near me, and Grant wandering around close by,¡± she promised.


    ¡°You know I worry when I¡¯m not with you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°And I love that about you.¡±


    Relaxing in the tub back at the hotel, I asked Angela if she was going to continue the European tour with Emmy.


    ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± she said, twining her fingers in mine and wrapping herself in my arms. ¡°I miss home, but like you said, she needs someone to¡­ to make sure she takes care of herself. What I said about maybe skipping the Asia stops? I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡±


    I nuzzled her thick, dark hair and gave her a kiss on her ear. ¡°I missed you guys a lot back in LA, but I¡¯m happy you¡¯ve been with her on tour, since I couldn¡¯t be. But I want, and I¡¯m sure Emmy does too, we both want you to do what¡¯s best for you. Another couple of months and you¡¯ll really be showing,¡± I said, stroking her belly. ¡°And maybe the road isn¡¯t the right place for someone in their second trimester¡­ Whatever you choose, do it because it¡¯s right for you, not because you feel guilty about abandoning Emmy, or because I miss you.¡±


    Sighing, Angela pulled my arms tighter around herself. ¡°Another month, and then we¡¯re back in the US. The band has a break scheduled, so maybe that¡¯s when the three of us can talk about it,¡± she said.


    ¡°That sounds very reasonable,¡± I said, giving her another kiss.


    Emmy didn¡¯t wake me when she came back to the hotel and slipped silently into bed with us. I only realized she was there when I woke for my morning run and saw her sleeping peacefully next to Angela.


    I ran down to the river again, pleased that it was a bit warmer and completely dry. There were more people in the parks, too, but that may well have been because it was a Saturday morning and not a weekday.


    Letting my mind drift as I ran, I thought about Angela¡¯s concern about the nouveau riche apartment holding us back socially, and what London society would we even fit into, anyway?


    I also thought about the test results that were due later that day, and Angela¡¯s pregnancy. Although I hadn¡¯t said it out loud, I was a bit worried on that score. We were in completely uncharted territory, and we¡¯d gambled so much of our hopes on a science experiment¡­ I desperately wanted everything to come back positive, and didn¡¯t want to dwell on what we would do if it didn¡¯t.


    Running past Kensington Palace, I thought about Angela staying in Los Angeles with me and leaving Emmy to fend for herself for the rest of the tour. I¡¯d trusted Jen to keep an eye on Emmy in the past, to make sure that she ate properly and got her rest, but Jen could never be as attentive as Angela would be. I obviously wasn¡¯t concerned about Angela being there for Emmy¡¯s security, just her health and well-being. Maybe I could hire somebody?


    Angela and Emmy were awake but still in bed when I got back to the room, cuddling and talking to each other in quiet voices. It might sound strange, but every time I caught them like that, I felt a rush of love for both of them. They seemed to have a secret connection that I wasn¡¯t really part of, a relationship with each other that was separate and very distinct from the way either ever interacted with me. Instead of making me feel jealous of what they had together, I reveled in it, knowing that we were all three our own people, and had our own way of expressing our love to different members of our household of three.


    ¡°Did you have a good run?¡± Emmy asked as I leaned down to give them kisses.


    ¡°I did,¡± I said. ¡°The weather is a little bit nicer today.¡±


    ¡°Em and me, we were just talking about what to do today since she doesn¡¯t have to be at the arena until six thirty,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°How about we do nothing in particular?¡± I suggested, kicking off my shoes and stripping out of my running gear. I slid into bed, my cold skin making Angela let out a little shriek.


    ¡°You¡¯re too cold!¡± she protested, pushing me away.


    Laughing, I grabbed her and flipped her over me, so I was in the middle. ¡°I¡¯ll be nice and warm in just a minute,¡± I said, putting my cold feet against her warm legs.


    This started a three-way play wrestling match, and before too long I was plenty warmed up.

 We Get Good News

    Since there was no need for sound checks, Emmy didn¡¯t have to ¡°go to work,¡± as she phrased it, until six o¡¯clock. This gave us most of the day to relax and be together, which made for a nice change. After a late breakfast at the same egg place we visited the British Museum, spending a few hours looking at ancient relics.


    I enjoyed the feeling of normalcy that touring the museum gave us- people clearly recognized Emmy, but they respected our privacy and left us alone, not clamoring for her attention as so often happened. We could admire the exhibits in peace, just the three of us (we¡¯d left Tiny and Grant back at the hotel).


    ¡°Look at this,¡± Emmy said as we stood in front of a glass case with some pottery from 1300 BCE on display. ¡°This was made by my people,¡± she said. ¡°Look at the way the black and white patterns form triangles- that is actually our ancient script.¡±


    ¡°What does it say?¡± Angela asked, intrigued.


    ¡°I have no idea. I cannot read it, any more than you could read Ancient Greek. This bowl was made over three thousand years ago, after all,¡± Emmy said, still staring at the bowl. ¡°But I have seen similar writing in our¡­ Our archives, but the name in our language really means ¡®library¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Is this library a place that somebody could visit?¡± I asked, surprised. Emmy had never mentioned anything like this before, and I found the idea very fascinating.


    ¡°Not really, no,¡± Emmy said, distracted by the information about the bowl. ¡°It isn¡¯t in one place. Our family has some, some of it is guarded by other families.¡±


    Turning to face Angela and me, she said, ¡°It is an aspect of our culture that we very jealously guard what we think of as ¡®ours¡¯ from others. These things belong in a museum, for all the world to see and learn from. If we are ever to weave our threads into the tapestry of human culture, we must show the rest our contributions, our place in history. This?¡± she said, indicating the bowl. ¡°According to what this text says,¡± she said, pointing at the little placard with information about the bowl, ¡°This bowl was made by an unknown group who raided the cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, leading in great part to the Bronze Age Collapse. Well, I know who this group was. In fact, I could tell you the names of our kings who led this period of our history- their names are as famous in our culture as Alexander or Julius Caesar are for day walkers.¡±


    ¡°What would it take to get your parents to have their stuff displayed in a museum?¡± I asked, starting to imagine a conversation on the subject with Emmy¡¯s dad.


    ¡°I do not see how,¡± Emmy said, turning away from the pot.


    Emmy pointed out several additional relics from her people before we left that section of the museum, enough that I could see the similarities and recognize the motifs. Even as we left that wing of the museum behind, ideas were forming in my head, thoughts of maybe endowing one of the premier museums with Emmy¡¯s family collection, and educating the world on the parallel history of the Night Children.


    Emmy still hadn¡¯t actually publicly revealed the nature of Night Children to the world at large, but maybe when that time came¡­


    The three of us were in a cab when I got a text message from the lab in Utah. ¡°Test results complete. For full details, see the email we sent, but everything looks good. Paternity matches, and no abnormalities detected.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Angela asked, concerned at my total attention to my phone.


    ¡°The baby is mine,¡± I said, handing her the phone. ¡°And everything looks good. No problems, no abnormalities, all good.¡±


    Angela handed the phone to Emmy, then slumped back in her seat. ¡°Oh, Dios m¨ªo,¡± she sighed. ¡°Oh, Dios m¨ªo.¡±


    I took Angela¡¯s hand in mine and kissed it, not caring that tears of relief were pouring from my eyes. ¡°Ange, baby, you¡¯re going to be the mother of our perfect little girl. They said they didn¡¯t find any markers of concern at all. Our little baby is healthy and perfect.¡±


    Emmy had wrapped her arms around Angela and was kissing her cheek, saying, ¡°It worked! Angie, it worked! Our baby, she is strong and flawless, just like her mother! Our baby, Angie!¡±


    Angela couldn¡¯t speak to respond, too overwhelmed to get any words out. When the taxi pulled to a stop, I told the driver to just drive around for a while- we weren¡¯t ready to get out of the cab just yet. He gave me a bemused look but did as I asked, driving through the more well-known and touristy parts of London for almost an hour while we just held each other and cried happy tears.


    Eventually Angela calmed down enough to call her parents to give them the good news. She spoke in rapid-fire Spanish, way too fast for me to really catch any of it at all, but after a lot of talk and a few more happy tears, Angela handed the phone to me.


    ¡°Leah, this is amazing news,¡± Angela¡¯s dad said. ¡°Angela tells me that you are somehow the father?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± I confirmed. ¡°We had a laboratory that was doing research into DNA transferral use my DNA to fertilize Angela¡¯s egg. The reason we¡¯re finally calling you now with the news is that we had the baby¡¯s DNA tested just a few days ago. We just got the results, and everything is good. The baby¡¯s healthy, and the paternal DNA is mine.¡±


    ¡°This is incredible. What a world we live in,¡± Rafael said, wonder in his voice. ¡°And my Angela, she is fine?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s more than just fine. She¡¯s absolutely beautiful,¡± I said.


    Rafael laughed at that, even though I hadn¡¯t meant it as a joke. ¡°Yes, she is. I have said many times when she was a child that she is too beautiful for this world. I worried for her- it is a burden, to be so. My worst fears came true when that Carde?o boy made her life miserable¡­¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You want to hear something funny?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m actually grateful to that guy, and to Antonio. Without them, Angela never would have come into our lives.¡±


    Chuckling wistfully, Rafael said, ¡°They say everything happens for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s European tour ends in a few weeks, and the band is going to take a break for a little while before starting the next leg. Would you and Mam¨¢ like to come to Los Angeles then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing could keep us away,¡± Rafael answered, without having to consult with his wife. He knew the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know their schedule, and you guys tell me what days you want tickets. It¡¯ll be great to have you.¡±


    ¡°We will be there even if we have to swim,¡± Rafael laughed.


    ¡°Give Mam¨¢ a kiss for me, and we¡¯ll see you guys soon,¡± I said, handing Angela¡¯s phone back to her.


    ¡°I do not want to perform tonight,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°I just want to go back to the hotel and cuddle and make love all night.¡±


    ¡°I want that, too,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°But that is not an option for me,¡± Emmy said. ¡°The show must go on.¡±


    Angela and I went in the van with Emmy to the arena, but once The Downfall was settled into the dressing room we left to go find dinner of our own in the strange shopping mall surrounding the venue. We found a Brazilian place that didn¡¯t have a long wait, so that¡¯s what we had for an early dinner. It was alright, but not really great.


    The thing is, I hardly paid attention to the food. I found I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Angela. She was so beautiful, lit up with an inner glow that just seemed to radiate off her.


    When she grew self-conscious that I was staring at her, I had to admit that I was crazy in love with her, and there was no way I could express how happy I was that she was going to have our baby.


    ¡°Ange, it¡¯s true,¡± I said, holding her hand, gently twisting her unusual wedding ring. ¡°We are going to have a baby.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said, letting out a breath. ¡°It finally seems real.¡±


    ¡°To me, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°I guess I somehow- I mean, until we got that text and email, I wasn¡¯t letting myself truly believe, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what you mean,¡± Angela replied. ¡°I think I wasn¡¯t letting myself believe, either.¡±


    ¡°But now here we are,¡± I said. ¡°In half a year, our household won¡¯t just be us three, it¡¯ll be four, and then a little bit later, five.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be home more, right?¡± she asked. ¡°When we have our babies?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, clasping her hands in mine. ¡°I¡¯ll be home so much you¡¯ll want me to go to the office just so I leave you alone.¡±


    Angela gave me a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°For being so amazing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the amazing one in the family,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m the least amazing of the three of us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± Angela said.


    I don¡¯t remember much about the concert other than snuggling Angela close and watching Emmy and the boys play. I was too lost in my own thoughts and emotions to focus on the music. After the show ended, Angela and I followed Jen and Sherry backstage.


    ¡°I wish I could skip the party tonight,¡± Emmy said when we congratulated her on her performance. ¡°I would like nothing more than to take a nice bath and then cuddle in bed.¡±


    ¡°If you really want, go ahead and bail,¡± Lee said. ¡°We can tell everyone you aren¡¯t feeling good.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emmy said, her shoulders drooping a bit. ¡°I will be good and do what needs to be done. This is important for all of us, not just Stephanie. She is correct in saying that this could well lead to important doors opening for us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, like Stephy said, there are only so many gatekeepers in the music industry over here, and most of ¡®em¡¯ll be there tonight,¡± Jackson added.


    ¡°If you want, Lee and I will go to the party with you,¡± Angela told Emmy. ¡°We don¡¯t have to stay long, and then we can go home.¡±


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Emmy said with a fond smile.


    The party was held at a nightclub there in the same dome as the arena. It wasn¡¯t as small as Stephanie had said, but there were a lot of people invited, so it was fairly crowded. Angela and I more or less just hung back while Emmy and the boys schmoozed their way around the room, greeting and glad-handing like pros. Stephanie did a ton of networking, too, talking to pretty much everybody, even if it was only for a few minutes.


    I was just beginning to wonder if Emmy had done her duty and we could leave when a commotion broke out. Being taller than most in the nightclub, I could see over everybody¡¯s heads, spotting Tiny lifting some guy in the air. Figuring it must have had something to do with Emmy, I rushed over to see what was going on, elbowing my way through the crowd.


    ¡°Did she ask you to grab her ass?¡± Tiny demanded of the guy, who he held up in the air by the front of his jacket and his wrist.


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t,¡± the man said, clearly terrified.


    ¡°I should break your arm for that,¡± Tiny said, putting enough pressure on the guy¡¯s wrist to make it a very credible threat. ¡°Sexual assault is never acceptable. Maybe an arm in a cast for several months will serve as a reminder of your uncivilized ways.¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯m sorry! I won¡¯t ever do it again!¡± the man said. As I got close, I could see that Tiny wasn¡¯t actually lifting the man by his jacket, but with one hand around the guy¡¯s neck. The man was trying to relieve as much of the weight as possible with his free hand, holding on to Tiny¡¯s massive wrist with all the strength he had.


    Tiny applied some more pressure to the man¡¯s right wrist, making him cry out in pain, but Emmy put a restraining hand on Tiny¡¯s arm to stop him.


    ¡°There is never any time when what you did is acceptable,¡± Emmy said to the man, her voice cold. ¡°And I am certain you have done similar, or worse, things many times in the past, but this time you were caught. It is lucky for you that it was Jeremy that caught you- if it had been my wife,¡± she said, gesturing at me, ¡°You would be sleeping with the fish at the bottom of the Thames tonight. Set him down, Jeremy. I think that he might have learned his lesson and will think twice before sexually assaulting any other women.¡±


    Of course, by this time everybody at the party was paying attention, which added to the guy¡¯s humiliation, as Emmy no doubt intended. When Tiny set him down with a final painful twist to the man¡¯s wrist, the man sagged with relief for a moment before bolting for the door and away from the giant that had grabbed him.


    ¡°What did he do?¡± I asked Emmy, loud enough for everybody close to hear.


    ¡°He reached up under my skirt and groped me,¡± she said, also making sure that everyone could hear. ¡°Jeremy saw him do it and pulled his hand away.¡±


    I took Emmy in my arms and held tightly, telling her in a quiet voice that I was sorry I wasn¡¯t there to prevent it.


    ¡°He would have done it with you right next to me,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Jeremy¡¯s quick reaction turned everything around, and now that man will have to face the knowledge that all his peers know he is a despicable excuse for a human being.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I said. ¡°Come on- this gives us an out. We can tell everybody you just want to go back to the hotel.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I will not be seen as running away. I will stay for a while longer, and if anyone asks what happened, I will tell them. I want every person here to know what that man did.¡±


    ¡°I should have seen that coming,¡± I groaned, but let Emmy go. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll stay until you¡¯re ready to leave.¡±


    Grant found me a few minutes later. ¡°I intercepted our friend Mr Saunders and made it very clear to him that it was in his best interest to go away quietly. I pointed out to him that well over a hundred people witnessed him admitting that he had sexually assaulted Emmy, caught literally in the act. I also made it clear that if he ever made any trouble for Emmy, he would quickly find himself in a situation he would bitterly regret.¡±


    ¡°Sleeping with the fishes at the bottom of the Thames?¡± I asked with a smirk.


    ¡°No,¡± Grant said with a laugh. ¡°Worse. The victim of legal troubles he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.¡±

 Prince Albert In The Can

    I skipped my morning run to stay in bed with my snuggle bunnies. The two were still sound asleep, but I didn¡¯t mind just lying there and listening to them breathe. After the night¡¯s excitement we¡¯d gotten back to the hotel quite late, so I could well understand that they needed their rest.


    Of course, they were each sleeping for two, right? Although neither of them had said anything about it, I had to imagine that their pregnancies were putting burdens on their systems. Pondering the wisdom of Angela (and Emmy, to a lesser extent) continuing on with the tour, I let myself relax and enjoy the feeling of love for my two wives. I mused on how it still sounded strange to me to even think the words, but it was how I regarded our relationship even if it wasn¡¯t legally or culturally sanctioned. Angela had told that guy at the boba tea place that she was Emmy¡¯s wife without a trace of hesitation or any need to explain, so it sure seemed as if she felt the same way.


    Drifting in and out of a doze for I don¡¯t know how long, thoughts floating amorphously through my brain, I lazed indulgently until Angela stirred.


    ¡°Lee? Did you already go running?¡± she asked, her sleepy voice sounding so unbearably sexy.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t go this morning,¡± I said, giving her a good morning kiss. ¡°I couldn¡¯t make myself get out of bed.¡±


    She gave me a sweet smile and kissed my shoulder. ¡°It was nice to wake up next to you this morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°Quoi?¡± Emmy mumbled, still more than half asleep.


    ¡°Lee didn¡¯t go running this morning,¡± Angela said, turning to give Emmy a kiss. ¡°She¡¯s still here.¡±


    Emmy smiled at me, blinking sleep from her eyes. She reached across Angela to touch me, stroking my shoulder. ¡°Good morning, my beloved,¡± she said. Propping herself up on her elbow, she said, ¡°We do not have much of the day to ourselves today. Our soundcheck is at six, so we need to leave the hotel by five. It is,¡± she said, checking her watch, ¡°almost nine, so eight hours at the very most. Is there anything either of you would wish to do today?¡±


    ¡°I would like you to go with Lee and me to the apartment,¡± Angela said. ¡°I had some ideas, and I¡¯d like to hear your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely,¡± Emmy said, sliding her free hand under the covers to rub Angela¡¯s belly, finding my hand already there. Giving me a wry smile, she laced her fingers with mine. ¡°Our perfect little baby,¡± Emmy said, love in her voice.


    ¡°Our little girl,¡± Angela agreed, putting a hand on top of ours.


    I peeked out the window on my way to the shower and saw that the weather was miserable, a steady rain and heavy clouds making the day dark. Shrugging, I resigned myself to a day of umbrellas and heavy coats. On the plus side, Emmy and Angela looked completely adorable dressed up like that, so that was a positive.


    Not for the first time I rued the hotel room¡¯s small shower stall, swearing that my homes would always have showers big enough to hold parties in. As it was, the cubicle was cramped for me and the shower head was low enough that I had to hunker down a bit to wash my hair. Annoying, but typical.


    At least the door was clear glass, so I could watch Emmy bathe while I brushed my teeth and did my face. Trust me when I say that was a very good thing. As adorable as Emmy might have been in a scarf and cashmere coat, she was ever so much more beautiful naked, with warm water flowing across her slender body.


    I helped dry her off while Angela took her turn in the shower. I marveled at how, six years since our first time showering together, the joy had still not gone out of our silly naked play time.


    Of course, I got to towel Angela off, too, adding to my morning¡¯s good mood. Kneeling, I kissed her tummy and wished Angie Jr a good morning, earning me a sweet, loving smile from Angela. Quickly realizing my strategic error, I immediately turned to Emmy and kissed her tum, wishing even littler Emmy Jr a good morning. Emmy gave me a knowing smile, but accepted the save.


    We were too late for a real breakfast so we got some pastries and coffee from a little corner bakery on the street level of the apartment tower before going up to the top floor.


    We were surprised to find a work crew in our apartment, but the feeling was mutual. When I asked what they were doing, the lead guy explained that they had been instructed to clean the penthouse thoroughly, but that mainly seemed to involve vacuuming whatever construction dust had settled on the floor. Thankfully they had gotten most of it done before we arrived, so we didn¡¯t have to wait long until they left.


    It was still raining pretty heavily, so we didn¡¯t bother going out onto the patio as we walked around the very much unfinished space. Angela pointed out the area that she thought would be Emmy¡¯s studio, and where my work area would go.


    Emmy and I followed along, happy to let Angela take the lead on this. This was to be her place, after all.


    Looking down over the main room and out the enormous windows from the upper landing, Angela asked Emmy what she thought, voicing her concerns about the penthouse¡¯s possible nouveau riche stigma.


    ¡°Do we care what those people may think?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°Our girls will honestly be able to call those that may try to shame them ¡®new money¡¯. My family has been royalty for well over a thousand years, and your father told me that your family in Colombia traces back to a land grant given by the Reyes Cat¨®licos,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Very, very few here can claim similar heritage.¡±


    ¡°I notice you didn¡¯t say anything about my ancestry,¡± I said, teasing.


    ¡°I know nothing of your ancestry beyond your grandmother,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But I am certain it is a long and distinguished family history."


    ¡°No doubt,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°So I do not care what may be said about our penthouse here,¡± Emmy concluded. ¡°All that matters is that we enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°What she said,¡± I agreed.


    Angela sighed, saying, ¡°I do love it. Even on a cold and wet day like today, the view is magnificent. I feel like we¡¯re on top of the world here.¡±


    ¡°Then the matter is finished,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Make this the house you want it to be, Angie, and do not concern yourself with anything else.¡±


    ¡°Um, Lee¡­ What¡¯s my budget?¡± Angela asked, her voice uncertain.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said. ¡°Spend what needs to be spent.¡±


    Angela took a long, pensive look down at the lower floor and through the framing where walls would go on the upper floor. ¡°It will probably be a lot,¡± she said finally.


    ¡°Yes, probably,¡± I agreed.


    Emmy and Angela took naps that afternoon to be ready for the long night ahead. I tried to sleep but couldn¡¯t, so I slipped out of the room with my laptop to find a spot I could get some work done. The front desk directed me to the hotel¡¯s lounge, which I hadn¡¯t known even existed. I found a table that had a wall socket nearby and soon enough I was answering emails, which had really piled up.


    None of it was really urgent, but I was still glad that I had some time to catch up. I¡¯d been feeling guilty for letting work slide while I was in London, so this helped ease my mind a bit.


    Buried in a redevelopment proposal, I was startled when my phone buzzed in my pocket. ¡°Where are you?¡± read the text from Angela.


    Surprised at how much time had gone by, I slipped my computer into my briefcase and made my way to the room.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Angela said when I entered, looking up from where she was combing Emmy¡¯s hair back in the chair by the vanity. ¡°Emmy has to go soon. There you go, Em,¡± Angela said, stepping back to admire her handiwork.


    Puzzled by what I was seeing, Emmy¡¯s slicked-back hair didn¡¯t make any sense until she stood up and I could see that she was wearing a man¡¯s Oxford shirt and trousers. She looked very androgynous, but in a completely gorgeous way.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked, slipping on a vest and then a vivid aqua necktie, which she tied quickly and easily, as if she¡¯d been doing it her entire life.


    ¡°Honestly?¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m a little weirded out by how hot you look right now,¡± I said.


    Laughing, Emmy struck several poses, making exaggeratedly pouty faces for Angela and me.


    ¡°Let me guess- your first song tonight is going to be a Bowie tune, right?¡± I asked.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Last song,¡± Emmy admitted with an impish grin.


    Angela and I dressed up for the concert that night, since Royal Albert Hall, right? It felt a bit odd to grab a quick bite at a Spanish Tapas restaurant near the hotel dressed as we were, but nobody batted an eye.


    Thankfully the rain had stopped by the time we arrived at the venue, so we didn¡¯t have the awkwardness of dealing with an umbrella while waiting in line to enter the hall. When we showed our tickets to the tuxedoed gentleman at the door, he signaled an assistant to come over and walk us to the luxury box where Emmy¡¯s parents waited.


    Tabbie was there with five of her college friends, all of them looking a bit ridiculous in their idea of appropriate wear for a night at the Royal Albert Hall. They clearly had never been to the hall before, and were still totally wowed by the very idea of seeing The Downfall play at such a famous and high-class place. They were whispering and pointing around the circular venue, apparently picking out recognizable faces in the crowds slowly filling the seats.


    Angela and I took our seats next to Madame et Monsieur Lascaux, after a round of greetings.


    ¡°The princess tells me that the tests came back positive,¡± Emmy¡¯s mom said to Angela, holding her hand. ¡°This is wonderful news. Beyond wonderful! In just a few short months you¡¯ll make a grandmother of me!¡±


    Angela smiled gratefully and self-consciously put her hand on her tummy. ¡°You have no idea what a relief it was to get that email,¡± she said. ¡°I was so worried.¡±


    ¡°Have you thought of any names yet?¡±


    ¡°Not seriously, no, just- just some ideas, but that¡¯s all.¡±


    While Angela talked to Emmy¡¯s mom, Emmy¡¯s father leaned over to speak quietly to me. ¡°I have been thinking about what you said.¡±


    ¡°What in particular?¡± I asked, unsure.


    ¡°About ambassadors, dialogue between nations, and discarding some of our old ways. I think that with the birth of ¨¦meraude¡¯s child, it will be a time of tumult among our peoples, and that may be our opportunity to open these dialogues.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy and I have discussed when would be the right time to hold a press conference or whatever to formally introduce the Night Children to the world. We know we can¡¯t wait much longer- there have been too many questions about her looks already.¡±


    ¡°I have wondered if you two had been planning something like that,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Emmy has some thoughts on how she wants to do it,¡± I said, accepting a glass of champagne from a waiter. I was amused to see Tabbie and her friends were hesitant to accept the champagne offered to them, but when Mr Lascaux nodded they should do it, they finally took the drinks, giggling and looking nervous.


    The five minute chime rang, causing the crowd to flow to their seats with a little more urgency, as we settled into our chairs to watch the show. Tabbie and her friends¡¯ whispering tapered off as the one minute chime rang, and everyone waited expectantly.


    Angela took my hand, giving me an excited squeeze as the house lights dimmed and the stage curtain raised.


    In an unusual move for a Downfall performance, all three band members (and the extra touring band members, whose names I never learned) were on stage right at the start.


    Lee was seated at a concert grand, Emmy leaning casually against the side of the piano. Jackson stood nearby, his bass guitar at the ready, while the touring band guys waited silently for their cues.


    As per standard practice, they did start out with a single person playing first, in this case Lee Park. He played for a few minutes by himself, some sort of piano concerto which sounded like a famous classical piece, but I knew that according to the band¡¯s self-imposed rules must have been improvised then and there. Jackson and Emmy listened as Lee played, picking up the feel of the music. When Jackson joined in, his bass blended in with Lee¡¯s piano, and through some sort of musical magic the two found the same wavelength and flowed together as though they¡¯d practiced the piece many times.


    Emmy sauntered over to the microphone stand and took the mic in her hand, still listening to the melody and rhythm her two bandmates were developing right there and then.


    Taking one last look around, she leaned against the piano and started singing wordlessly, letting the music emanate from her vocal cords however it wanted. I thought of that Pink Floyd song from Dark Side Of The Moon, but it wasn¡¯t really much like that at all except in a general sort of way. The singer in that Pink Floyd song seemed to express regret and anguish, but Emmy¡¯s non-verbal singing seemed to walk a range of emotions from timid uncertainty to hope, and then to confident exultation. Her voice eventually rang out strong and powerful, clear as a trumpet as she sang. It conjured feelings of triumph and victory as the piano and bass rose in a matching crescendo, before suddenly dropping quiet again. Emmy¡¯s voice, barely audible over the other two instruments, sounded tender and sweet, almost cooing, as if to a baby.


    Nodding to the other two, she set the mic back in its stand and wandered to the side of the stage to accept her blue acrylic guitar from her guitar tech.


    Lee kept playing while she did that, despite the applause from the audience. The crowd wasn¡¯t sure what it had just seen but knew that it was one of a kind and never to be repeated, and completely amazing. While Emmy looped the guitar strap over her head Jackson had stepped up to the upstage mic, and checking to see that Emmy was ready, he nodded to Lee. Lee¡¯s playing changed subtly, sounding less classical concerto and more rock concert.


    Plenty of people in the audience recognized the melody before I did, judging by the cheering, but when Jackson sang, ¡°Woooo oooo oah,¡± in a breathy, sexy voice I finally realized they were doing George Michael¡¯s ¡®Father Figure¡¯, the same tune Emmy had sung for me way back when.


    Jackson¡¯s voice was well suited to the song, and I thought his rendition did it justice. Accompanied only by Emmy¡¯s subtle electric guitar and Lee¡¯s piano, it was stripped down to the basics, doing a great job of showing off what an amazing singer Jackson really was.


    At some point in the song I realized that the two cameramen wandering the stage had stopped annoying me, as focused as I was on the three principals- enough on Lee, Emmy, and especially Jackson that the rest of it didn¡¯t matter at all and just faded into the background.


    When they finished that first song the audience went wild, cheering and clapping like mad. I guess I¡¯d somehow assumed it would be like the audience at an opera at the Met or something, clapping demurely but otherwise quite composed and calm. As it turned out, this wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget that ¨¦meraude¡¯s two compatriots are such talents in their own rights,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said, leaning close to be heard over the noise Tabbie and her friends were making.


    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed. ¡°Of course I¡¯m mostly focused on her, but the boys are pretty damned incredible, too.¡±


    Lee stayed at the keyboard, leaving the drumming to one of the touring band guys. This altered the way a lot of the songs were played, but it was clear that The Downfall had rehearsed this piano-centric mode plenty. It put a different spin on a lot of the songs, but I really enjoyed the variation, thinking about what Angela had said about not getting tired of seeing them perform because every performance is different.


    By the midpoint of the concert Emmy had ditched her vest and removed her tie, tossing them carelessly on her guitar stand. Her top few buttons undone, she was the epitome of relaxed cool, her clear blue guitar slung low on her hip as she played.


    The key moment of the concert came during the outro to ¡®I Can Only Dream¡¯, when suddenly Emmy¡¯s guitar broke away from the sweet, wistful melody and screeched loudly, making everyone jump in their seats in surprise. She stepped up to the microphone and howled out that strange, animalistic scream from ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯, pretty much giving everyone heart attacks in shock and surprise. Her face a mask of violent anger, she ripped into the screeching, wailing guitar solo, totally shattering the complacent mood of the previous set.


    Lee¡¯s piano playing rose to the occasion- heavy, angry chords and fast runs up the keyboard complemented Emmy¡¯s jagged, harsh guitar, while Jackson¡¯s bass filled in the bottom end.


    When the song came to its big, explosive end, Emmy smoothed back her hair and stepped up to the microphone, calm as ever.


    ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, it is wonderful to have you here tonight,¡± she said in a perfectly suave and urbane voice, as though the previous five minutes hadn¡¯t happened at all. ¡°We are very pleased to play our music for you here at the Royal Albert Hall. We are The Downfall, all the way from a little place you may have heard of, called California.¡± This got laughter and some cheering from the audience, which was still reeling from emotional whiplash. ¡°My two brothers and I, we hope you have been enjoying the show so far, but it is time to change things up a bit. It is time for us to get loud!¡±


    I hadn¡¯t noticed that Lee had slipped from the piano bench and taken his stool behind the kit, but when he started into the complex hammering kick drum rhythms of ¡®Right Now¡¯ it was hard to miss his style.


    If the first half had been relatively light and pleasant and mostly sweeter songs, the second half of the show was much darker and more intense, showcasing the band¡¯s ferocity.


    It wasn¡¯t all anger and power chords, though. The last few songs eased up a bit, softening the mood before they finally played the David Bowie song ¡®Heroes¡¯, to wild audience applause.


    I guess it surprised me that Emmy sang it and not Jackson, but her voice was well suited for it. Midway through, when she sang, ¡°I will be king, and you will be queen,¡± her voice raised in pitch and somehow gained a sort of desperate urgency, letting everybody know that time was short and things were not likely to come good.


    ¡°Just for one day,¡± Emmy sang, her voice trailing away as the music faded to nothing.


    The band waited a long moment, collectively catching their breath, then the house lights came on, signaling the end of the concert.


    The audience was silent for a moment, processing what they¡¯d just witnessed, before breaking into thunderous applause. I happened to glance over at Tabbie and her friends, who were almost all in tears, completely wrung out emotionally. I could well understand the feeling, as college lectures on catharsis came to mind.


    Looking down at the main audience level I could see that everyone was standing, but making no moves towards the exits. They were cheering and clapping wildly, giving back a little to the band that had just given them so much.


    All of the musicians came to the front of the stage and took their bows while Jackson introduced them each in turn, finishing with, ¡°And of course, the one and only, the incomparable Emmy De Lascaux! Give it up, ladies and gentlemen, for our Emmy!¡±


    Needless to say, the crowd certainly did that, the roar from the audience filling that circular hall with noise.


    When the band finally left the stage and people started filtering out, Tabbie approached Mr Lascaux, her eyes still puffy with emotion.


    ¡°You giving us those tickets, Mr Lascaux? That was the best thing that has ever happened to me,¡± she said, and I could believe it was true. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget this, ever. Thank you more than I-¡° she said, before losing her voice with emotion. Her friends chimed in with their thanks as they grabbed Tabbie and helped her out of the box.


    Emmy¡¯s mom had an amused smile on her face, but I could tell it was in sympathy. ¡°The princess has an effect on people that cannot be measured,¡± she said after Tabbie¡¯s group left.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it more times than I can count.¡±


    ¡°Are you two going to the after-party?¡± I asked Emmy¡¯s mom.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re having drinks with some old friends tonight,¡± she replied. ¡°But we would like to see the three of you tomorrow for lunch before we return to Paris.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Angela said, leaning in to give Mrs Lascaux a cheek kiss.


    I found an usher to guide us backstage to the dressing room, where the mood was tired but self-satisfied.


    ¡°That was an amazing show,¡± I told Jackson, who had a drink in one hand, his other arm around Sherry¡¯s waist.


    ¡°We wanted to do something different, something special,¡± he said, ¡°And I think we did.¡±


    ¡°You two will come to the afterparty, right? I do not think I could face it alone,¡± Emmy groaned, wiping her face with a small towel.


    ¡°Of course, babe,¡± I said, as Angela took the towel from Emmy¡¯s hands and used it to clean up Emmy¡¯s face a bit more carefully.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Emmy said, holding still for Angela¡¯s ministrations.

 Not A Chapter- An Apology For The Delay

    Sorry for missing Saturday''s update, and for failing to get anything posted tonight. Work has been insane (yes, I worked Saturday and Sunday) and I''ve been getting back to the hotel just destroyed. I''ve managed to put a few paragraphs together, but that''s it so far.


    As sorry as I am for letting you guys down, my lovely and talented readers, I also feel down in the dumps a bit from my lack of personal creativity. Every morning I get up thinking I''ll knock off early and get some writing done, and then it doesn''t happen. (insert sad face emoji here)


    I hope to have something, anything to post on Saturday, but I''m not sure I can promise it. I am absolutely not working this coming weekend, so if the gods cooperate I''ll be able to get something to post.


    In other, somewhat disheartening news, Emmy And Me got hit by another couple of drive-by ratings bombs. Seriously, Royal Road should implement some sort of restriction where people can''t rate a story unless they''ve read at least ten chapters or something. Obviously anybody could simply click ''Next Chapter'' over and over until they met the requirement, but even that much work might dissuade some from shit-rating. Seriously, a 0.5 rating on the very first page? How freaking asinine is that? Hey, I can even accept people tossing off a 0.5 when they get to the first sex scene (two people have, despite the very clear warning on the splash page that it was going to happen), but 75% of the 0.5 ratings have happened on the very first page.


    I know I shouldn''t let it bother me, but the sheer pettiness leaves me completely appalled. Who are these monkeys? Why is flinging poo their first response?


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Well, I''m still 200 words short of the minimum, so I''m going to post a little bit of what I have managed to write:


    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


    Emmy was perched on a stool on a small raised area, not really a stage but more like a sort of presentation dais. She was holding that rusty old metal hollow-body guitar with the flaking blue paint, which she hadn¡¯t actually played in any of the shows I¡¯d seen on this tour. Checking the tuning and adjusting the amp, she glanced up and spotted Angela and me, giving us a smile.


    ¡°I was asked to play a few requests,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But I want to start off with a song that we were expressly told not to play tonight, even though we really wanted to,¡± she said, looking pointedly at Stephanie, who did a classic face palm move.


    Emmy reached into her pocket and when she pulled her hand back out it had her glass slide on her ring finger. Looking around at the expectant faces gathered to watch, she slid into a melody that sounded familiar, but I couldn¡¯t put a name to. I figured it probably wasn¡¯t originally a slide blues guitar tune, but there were people in the audience already laughing in recognition.


    Of course, when Emmy sang, ¡°I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand,¡± it became obvious.


    When the chorus came around, I heard Lee and Jackson chime in with the ¡°Ah hoo¡± howling sound. With each subsequent verse, more and more of the audience joined in on the wolf howls until pretty much the whole room had gotten in on the fun by the end of the song.


    Laughing with joy, Emmy said, ¡°And to think- we were told not to sing that song tonight because it would offend the audience! Let me ask- were you offended?¡± This prompted more laughter from the crowd.

 A True Artist

    The afterparty was held in a reception hall right there in the venue, and like the party earlier in the week in the Marylebone townhouse, it was a pay-to-get-in fundraiser. I saw quite a number of the same faces as earlier in the week, which really came as no surprise. It was for the same refugee aid organization, after all. Emmy had become their biggest individual donor in quite a while when she had signed over all her proceeds from the three London shows, so they loved her and were happy to use her as a headline draw for their charity.


    Emmy immediately went to working the room, still in her Bowie-esque outfit from the show, looking as natural on her as if that was what she wore all the time. Even the way she moved was subtly different than usual- her shoulders were a bit rolled back, hips forward, a sort of swagger in her walk. Emmy¡¯s chameleon-like ability still amazed me after seeing it so many times- she could inhabit a character like nobody I¡¯d ever seen.


    She¡¯d been approached several times about acting but she always turned it down, despite my urging. She would be phenomenal on screen, in my opinion, but she seemed to want nothing to do with it, so I never pushed.


    Harry Powell spotted me in the crowd and came over to talk. ¡°Leah!¡± he said, offering his hand to shake. ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you again. You watched the show? Of course you did,¡± he continued as we shook hands. ¡°Let me say, not to boast, but I have seen almost all the top artists over the decades and very, very few shows have equalled what The Downfall did tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Emmy would love to hear that, Harry,¡± I said. ¡°The performance is everything for her. She loves to leave the audience satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Satisfied is hardly the word for it,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯d seen some of their live videos, but I simply wasn¡¯t prepared for the experience of seeing them in person.¡±


    Just then a waiter passed by and Harry asked him for two Scotches. ¡°That is what you were drinking at the party, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked me for confirmation.


    ¡°Good memory,¡± I said.


    ¡°So how have you been enjoying London?¡± Harry asked when the waiter returned with our drinks.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always liked the town,¡± I said, ¡°but Angela- she¡¯s fallen in love with the place. In fact, I just bought her an apartment here,¡± I said. ¡°So we¡¯ll be spending a lot more time in London in the future.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Harry asked, surprised and pleased. ¡°An apartment?¡±


    ¡°We talked about a townhouse like where the party was held the other night,¡± I said, ¡°But really, if we¡¯re not going to be here more than a few months a year, a house like that would be too much of a hassle to keep up,¡± I said. ¡°An apartment in a new building that comes with concierge services means that all we have to do is arrive and the place is clean and ready when we get here.¡±


    ¡°Practical,¡± Harry said, nodding his approval. ¡°Do you think you will be spending only a few months a year here?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s about how much time we spend in our Manhattan townhouse, so probably. Or maybe half that much, since we¡¯ll have two houses to split time with away from Los Angeles. In any case, we can only spend six months here max, to avoid immigration difficulties.¡±


    Harry nodded in understanding. ¡°Let me know if you would like residency visas,¡± he said. ¡°An old school mate of mine can get that sorted for you.¡±


    ¡°I may take you up on that,¡± I said. ¡°It would be good to not have to limit the time we spend here.¡±


    Just then Stephanie joined us, a champagne flute in her hand. She waited politely for a break in our conversation, then when we turned our attention to her, she introduced herself to Harry.


    ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Stephanie Houk,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m The Downfall¡¯s manager.¡±


    ¡°Harry Powell,¡± he replied, taking her offered hand. ¡°Merely a Downfall fan.¡±


    Stephanie laughed at that, then turned to me. ¡°Hey, Leah, when are you going back to LA? Will you be around tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the plan,¡± I replied. ¡°My flight is a bit after one. Why?¡±


    ¡°Is there any chance you could fly a bit later? Like, maybe four in the afternoon or so?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m flying commercial, so no, not really any flexibility there,¡± I said. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have some stuff I was going to send back home, but if you¡¯re going, I was thinking you could take it with you, if that¡¯s cool. It¡¯s just paperwork, maybe about as much as a medium-sized coffee table book, that¡¯s all,¡± Stephanie explained. ¡°I guess I can drag my ass out of bed and get it to you early.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no sweat,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Thanks, babe,¡± she said, giving me one of her easy smiles that used to melt my heart. Well, still did, to be honest.


    After she left, Harry asked, ¡°She¡¯s young to manage a band like The Downfall, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Just the other day the band was talking about how she¡¯s made their life much easier,¡± I said, defending her.


    ¡°I guess when you get to be my age, everybody looks young. Except Keith Richards, of course,¡± Harry joked. ¡°This apartment you mentioned- where is it located?¡± he asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°Other side of the river, in Southbank,¡± I replied, just as happy to change the subject. ¡°One of the new high rises over there.¡±


    ¡°My daughter lives in one of those towers,¡± Harry said. ¡°Her penthouse has wonderful views out east along the river. I must admit, the view from the fortieth floor is quite impressive.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s got a penthouse on the fortieth floor of a tower in Southbank, I¡¯d guess that she¡¯s probably our new next-door neighbor,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°I think there¡¯s only one residential tower that tall in the area, and only two units on the top floor.¡±


    ¡°You bought the other penthouse apartment? The one with the top deck?¡± Harry asked, surprised.


    ¡°Angela liked the view,¡± I said with a shrug.


    Shaking his head in amazement, Harry sipped his Scotch in silence for a moment.


    Angela joined us just then, wrapping her arm around my waist.


    ¡°Harry¡¯s daughter owns the other penthouse in our building,¡± I said. ¡°The one facing east.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, her face lighting up. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until the apartment gets finished. We¡¯ll have to have a housewarming party, and of course, you¡¯ll have to come,¡± she said, giving him a winning smile. Turning to me, she said, ¡°Hey, I came over here to tell you that somebody brought Emmy¡¯s guitar for her and she¡¯s going to play a few songs over there,¡± she said, pointing to the far end of the large room.


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    ¡°Shall we?¡± I asked Harry, and he inclined his head to say, ¡®lead the way¡¯.


    Emmy was perched on a stool on a small raised area, not really a stage but more like a sort of presentation dais. She was holding that rusty old metal hollow-body guitar with the flaking blue paint, which she hadn¡¯t actually played in any of the shows I¡¯d seen on this tour. Checking the tuning and adjusting the amp, she glanced up and spotted Angela and me, giving us a smile.


    ¡°I was asked to play a few requests,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But I want to start off with a song that we were expressly told not to play tonight, even though we really wanted to,¡± she said, looking pointedly at Stephanie, who did a classic facepalm move.


    Emmy reached into her pocket and when she pulled her hand back out it had her glass slide on her ring finger. Looking around at the expectant faces gathered to watch, she slid into a melody that sounded familiar, but I couldn¡¯t put a name to. I figured it probably wasn¡¯t originally a slide blues guitar tune, but there were people in the audience already laughing in recognition.


    Of course, when Emmy sang, ¡°I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand,¡± it became obvious.


    When the chorus came around, I heard Lee and Jackson chime in with the ¡°Ah hoo¡± howling sound. With each subsequent verse, more and more of the audience joined in on the wolf howls until pretty much the whole room had gotten in on the fun by the end of the song.


    Laughing with joy, Emmy said, ¡°And to think- we were told not to sing that song tonight because it would offend the audience! Let me ask- were you offended?¡± This prompted more laughter from the crowd.


    Her next song didn¡¯t take me nearly as long. Even though the slow, slinky slide guitar work took a while to get where it was going, I knew Led Zeppelin when I heard it.


    Sure enough, Emmy sang, ¡°If it keeps on raining, levee¡¯s going to break,¡± in a slow, soulful voice.


    It was a bit of a disconnect, Emmy wearing this very cultured, sophisticated outfit straight from the English upper crust, singing and playing music with roots in the rural American South. Still, she made it work, and when she sang, ¡°All last night, I sat on the levee and moaned, thinkin¡¯ about what happened to my happy home,¡± I felt the emotions as surely as if I¡¯d been flooded out, too.


    Harry leaned over while Emmy was playing ¡®Money Can¡¯.


    ¡°When I first heard this album, I didn¡¯t really know what to think,¡± he said close to my ear. ¡°It seemed lightweight, but there were flashes of, well, of brilliance,¡± he said.


    ¡°They say money can¡¯t buy love, but believe me, it can,¡± Emmy sang, her voice sultry and slow- much slower than it was on the album.


    ¡°Your wife is absolutely spectacular,¡± Harry added. ¡°She is the real thing. A true artist.¡±


    ¡°Yes she is,¡± I agreed.


    When Emmy finished her solo show and rejoined the crowd, she found me still talking to Harry and his friend Colonel Roger Bridger, a retired UK military officer.


    ¡°Mr Powell!¡± she said in greeting. ¡°Did you enjoy this evening¡¯s performance?¡±


    I still had no idea how Emmy managed to learn and remember everyone¡¯s names so easily, but I¡¯d long since stopped being surprised by it.


    ¡°It was quite the show,¡± he said, nodding to her. ¡°I mentioned to your lovely wife here that I¡¯ve seen very few performances that could equal it.¡±


    ¡°That means a lot, coming from you,¡± she said with a smile.


    Back at the hotel, Angela steered Emmy towards the room¡¯s tub, taking her time peeling Emmy¡¯s clothes off after she started the water. ¡°I like this look on you, Em,¡± she said, carefully rolling up the silk tie and setting it on the credenza. ¡°This androgynous thing, I never found it sexy before tonight,¡± Angela said, helping Emmy out of her shirt. ¡°But you make me hot!¡±


    Emmy laughed and said, ¡°Then I will dress like this more often.¡±


    By the time the two of them were done with their bath, I¡¯d showered and climbed into bed, waiting for them.


    ¡°I am going to miss this,¡± Emmy said, snuggled up against me. ¡°I wish you did not have to go back home.¡±


    ¡°I wish you could come home with me,¡± I replied, stroking her hair. ¡°Both of you.¡±


    ¡°I do, too,¡± Angela sighed. ¡°This whole touring thing was fun at first, but I¡¯m getting tired of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll only be a few more weeks before you take a break,¡± I said.


    ¡°Angie, if you want to go home with Leah, I will be fine by myself,¡± Emmy said, reaching across and resting her hand on Angela¡¯s arm. ¡°I will miss you, but I would understand. For me, this is work, but for you, it is nothing but endless travel and hotels.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, babe?¡± Angela asked. ¡°I hate leaving you alone.¡±


    ¡°I am certain. It is only for a short while,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Your health and the health of our baby is more important than anything. I will be so busy that I will hardly have time to feel lonely.¡±


    ¡°Emmy,¡± Angela sighed pensively as she kissed Emmy¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll keep touring with you until the break, and then we¡¯ll talk about it when we¡¯re all home.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s probably the best plan,¡± I agreed.


    We had breakfast at the Ritz Carlton with Emmy¡¯s parents, then we all parted ways. Emmy and Angela went with the band cavalcade north, and I made my way to Heathrow.


    Watching London disappear out the plane¡¯s window, I settled back into my seat for the long flight to Los Angeles and our empty home. I trusted Tiny and Grant to keep Emmy and Angela safe, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t going to worry some anyway.


    The next morning I was back at the gym when Eddie opened the place up.


    ¡°Where you been?¡± he asked as he unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. ¡°People been askin¡¯ if you¡¯re comin¡¯ back.¡±


    ¡°Just a quick trip to Europe,¡± I said, following him in.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± he replied as he settled down behind his desk.


    ¡°It was,¡± I agreed.


    I¡¯d just racked my bar when Joey came over to talk.


    ¡°Leah, um, hey,¡± he began, more than just a bit awkward. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you back. Me and some of the guys were worried that you¡¯d gone for good.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± I said, toweling my face and neck. ¡°I just had something I had to do in Europe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± he said, sounding relieved. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back. The place wasn¡¯t the same without you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, charmed a bit by his clumsy attempts to strike a conversation. ¡°Hey, um, Joey?¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little rusty today, but I¡¯d totally be down for another spar sometime soon.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked, his face lighting up. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be great! I¡¯ve been working on what you said, about not telegraphing my moves.¡±


    ¡°Then we really need to get it done,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± he said, grinning like an idiot. I held my fist out and he bumped it, stoked. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I bring all my gear!¡±


    ¡°Like I said, not today, but maybe next week? Skipping the gym for a couple of weeks has taken its toll on my fitness.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± he agreed. ¡°Let me know when.¡±


    ¡°Did I hear you ask Joey to spar again?¡± Richie asked when Joey walked away.


    ¡°You jealous?¡± I teased as I took my stance under the bar.


    ¡°Maybe a little,¡± he replied. ¡°I was hoping it would be me that took him apart this time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± I said as I set the bar back on the rack, rather than letting it crush me with a bad squat. ¡°Not when I¡¯m lifting heavy, anyway.¡±


    Richie chuckled, pleased his joke had landed.


    ¡°Hey, you up for coffee after your workout? My treat this time.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sounds good,¡± I said, resuming my stance. ¡°Eight thirty?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you call it ¡®oh eight thirty¡¯?¡± Richie asked. ¡°You know, that military training?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said, straightening up again, wondering if I was ever going to get my set of squats done. ¡°I need to blend in with the civilian population, remember? It¡¯s that whole ¡®covert¡¯ thing.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡±


    The little indie coffee shop had a new mural since the last time I¡¯d stopped in, but the menu was just the same. True to his word, Richie did pay for our drinks and pastries, leaving a generous tip.


    ¡°Gotta support the working man. Or woman,¡± he said when he stuffed the ten in the jar on the counter.


    ¡°So the story going around the gym is that you had a job in Europe,¡± Richie said when we sat down with our coffees.


    ¡°You make it seem as if all that happens in that gym is everybody sits around and gossips about me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, stands around, but yeah, that¡¯s pretty much it,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Like I said, you¡¯re a favorite topic of speculation.¡±


    ¡°Why is it so hard to believe that I¡¯m just an office worker who enjoys a good workout?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nobody believes that,¡± Richie said with a laugh. ¡°Nobody.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the current theory?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°Same as before. You¡¯re like a female Jason Bourne or something, product of some sort of secret government program to create a super soldier or spy or something,¡± Richie said.


    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°Look, as amusing as all this is, I seriously hope it is all just a joke, and you guys are just having fun with it. I mean, nobody really believes I¡¯m some sort of programmed killer, do they?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure¡­ well, O.K., some of the guys probably do actually believe it, but I think most of us are just rolling with it. You know, when you told Joey that you had a job to do in Europe, well, fuel for the fire, know what I mean?¡± Richie asked. ¡°What you did, is it anything I would have seen in the news?¡±


    ¡°That depends on your news source. I went to see a few concerts, and do some sightseeing and shopping,¡± I said, rolling my eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t go to ¡®do a job¡¯,¡± I said, making air quotes.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool, but not nearly as interesting a story,¡± Richie said with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Follow me to my office and I¡¯ll introduce you around. You¡¯ll get to see how boring my line of work really is,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Or how good your cover really is,¡± he countered. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to prove a negative.¡±

 Shoot Me

    The rest of the week was workouts, work, homework, class, and sleep. The only real break was dinner over at Andy and Jenna¡¯s house. I didn¡¯t mention to them that we were expecting- that was something to share when Emmy and Angela were here. Instead we talked about the various Downfall shows, Emmy¡¯s dad giving thousands of pounds worth of tickets to random strangers, stuff like that.


    When I told the two of them about the bespoke suit fitting, Andy got a bit of a dreamy look in his eye.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to have just one custom-tailored suit made,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not like I wear suits much, but still¡­ It¡¯d be awesome to have that kind of swagger when I do wear it, you know?¡±


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t poor,¡± I said. ¡°You could get one if you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard great things about the tailors in Hong Kong,¡± Andy said. ¡°That might be the way to go, if we do go to Japan to see Emmy play.¡±


    ¡°You guys still thinking you want to see The Downfall in Tokyo? Let me know as soon as you can so I can make sure you guys are set up with all-access passes and everything.¡±


    Andy looked at Jenna and she nodded in answer to his unspoken question.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess we do,¡± he said. ¡°If you can get us passes, we¡¯ll go ahead and buy the plane tickets. Are you gonna go see ¡®em in Asia at all?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°A lot of those decisions are going to be made when Emmy and Angela get home in a few weeks. I¡¯d like to- I¡¯ve never been any closer to Asia than Hawaii.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be real different seeing it as an adult,¡± Andy said. "I mean, I was nine when we left Japan, right? Most of the time we were there we were actually in Okinawa, and that¡¯s about as typical of Japan as Hawaii is typical of the US. I didn¡¯t even realize the dialect was any different until we got moved to Iwakuni and I got teased for my accent.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you spoke Japanese when you were a kid,¡± I said, surprised.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t something I made a big deal about,¡± Andy said with a shrug.


    ¡°He minored in Japanese at USC,¡± Jenna volunteered.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± I said, meaning it.


    ¡°Yeah, but honestly, not all that helpful in daily life,¡± Andy admitted with a shrug.


    ¡°We went to this omakase sushi place in Burbank, what, two weeks ago? The chef was blown away by this big, goofy white guy talking to him in Japanese,¡± Jenna said. ¡°It was really cool, and I think Andy made that guy¡¯s night.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty awesome, alright,¡± I admitted. ¡°Well, not the sushi part, but the fact that you could talk to the chef like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right- Angie said you don¡¯t like seafood,¡± Jenna remembered. ¡°Well, you would have hated it, but take my word for it- it was amaaaaazing,¡± she said, stretching out the middle syllable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± I said. ¡°In the meanwhile, I¡¯ll take another couple of slices of that brisket.¡±


    Friday found me back at The Pit in San Jose for my morning workout. Ruben wasn¡¯t in that day, but the rest of the long-time staff knew me and were glad to see me, which was nice. Although I¡¯d moved away from the South Bay, it still felt a bit like home. I only worked out for two hours, though, since I wanted to be at the office early- I had a lot to catch up on, and a ton of meetings scheduled.


    In fact, I wound up working through lunch and staying well past six that evening just to get back up to speed with everything going on. It had been a month since my last visit to San Jose and there was a whole lot that had happened since the last time I¡¯d been in the local office. Staying true to my new org chart, I really didn¡¯t make any decisions on anything- it was all about getting a feel for what my department heads were doing on their own. Sure, I made a few suggestions, but I really tried not to micromanage anybody.


    Checking my phone as I left the office, I saw a text from Ashley. ¡°Hey- the guys down at the pit said u came in this morning. u in town?¡±


    Settling in behind the wheel of the baby blue M3, I texted her back. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here for the weekend. Want to get together sometime?¡±


    She immediately responded with, ¡°U going to the club tonite?¡±


    ¡°Of course¡±, I replied.


    ¡°Take me with?¡± she typed back, followed by a hopeful face emoji.


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll pick you up a little before 8¡±, I sent back. Then, ¡°Wear something nice¡±.


    ¡°No see thru mesh?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Something classier. You made your point that one night. No need to do it again¡±.


    ¡°K. See u when u get here¡±.


    Wondering if I was going to regret it, I headed to the condo for a shower and to change into something less ¡®office¡¯ and more ¡®mob den¡¯.


    I don¡¯t want to give the impression that I didn¡¯t find Ashley fun to be around, or that I didn¡¯t enjoy my nights presiding over the speakeasy, but it had been a long day and not much sleep the night before, so I was hoping for a relaxed evening and maybe calling it a night earlier than usual.


    The door to Ashley¡¯s apartment opened immediately when I knocked, one of her roommates eyeing me up and down.


    ¡°Hey Ash! It¡¯s your hot giant lesbian!¡± she shouted back inside the apartment.


    ¡°Well, let her in!¡± somebody else shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there in the door like an idiot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait out here,¡± I said, amused and a bit grateful that none of the people that I surrounded myself with back in college were such stereotypical air-headed kids.


    Maybe a minute later Ashley stepped outside, looking good in a mini tube dress and a short jacket.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she said, holding a pair of strappy heels in one hand, a little clutch in the other.


    She walked barefoot to the car, and when she slid into the passenger seat, she made sure to give me the expected peek to show she wasn¡¯t wearing any panties. When I glanced up and she caught my eyes, she winked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who gets a peek tonight.¡±


    Dinner and drinks at the club went uneventfully, Ashley keeping it light. We talked about how school was going for her and how the Downfall shows I went to were.


    ¡°I watched one of their shows¡¯ live stream,¡± Ashley admitted. ¡°Trace, my roommate, she¡¯s into ¡®em. I mean, I¡¯m not really a fan, y¡¯know, but it was a good show. They really do a heck of a job.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they do,¡± I agreed.


    Ashley restrained herself from any overt moves when I took her back to her apartment after we left the club, but did ask if I had any plans for the next day. When I told her that I didn¡¯t, she asked if I wanted to do something.


    ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, you did say you¡¯d take me to the haunted mansion sometime,¡± she said. ¡°We could do that. Or maybe go to San Francisco? Heck, we could just go out for a drive again, like that day we drove to the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Well, no mountain passes for us,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s winter, and the roads up there are all buried in snow. We could go to the Winchester Mansion, if that¡¯s what you want. I¡¯m even O.K. with going to San Francisco.¡± Pulling up in front of her apartment, I said, ¡°Tell you what. You come up with a plan, and tell me about it on our run in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Run? Tomorrow morning? But it already is tomorrow morning!¡± Ashley complained.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Right. Be ready at eight,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get in a good, long run.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she moaned. ¡°Like, how long?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Maybe ten miles?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding! Ten miles? Are you some kind of psycho?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°That¡¯s only an hour and a half or so,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°You are a psycho,¡± Ashley groaned. ¡°You really do want to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Kill you? Aren¡¯t you on the track team?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°The fifteen hundred, three K- that¡¯s what I run. My longest training runs aren¡¯t any more than six K,¡± Ashley protested.


    ¡°Eight o¡¯clock,¡± I said.


    ¡°Ten K,¡± Ashley pleaded. ¡°Any more than that and I will die.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t want that on my conscience, now would I?¡± I replied. ¡°Alright, we can keep it short and only do ten K.¡± Then just to tease, I added, ¡°Or so.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an evil woman, Leah Farmer,¡± Ashley said as she exited the car.


    She was ready at eight though, and we did get in a good run even if it really was only about forty-five minutes of hard exercise. Ashley didn¡¯t do too much complaining while we ran, but she didn¡¯t do all that much talking in general. When we slowed for the last couple of blocks to her apartment, she finally had enough oxygen to hold a conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s the off season,¡± she whined. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to go that hard this time of year.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°That wasn¡¯t hard.¡±


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± Ashley said under her breath. ¡°What¡¯s your idea of going hard?¡±


    ¡°That same speed, but twice as far,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s hard.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± Ashley groaned.


    We stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led to her apartment.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll run home and get showered and changed-¡±


    ¡°What? You ran here?¡± Ashley demanded, looking around for my car.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, amused. ¡°I drove. I meant ¡®run¡¯ metaphorically. So anyway, I¡¯ll drive home, get changed, and be back to pick you up in an hour.¡± Seeing she was still looking for the baby blue BMW, I said, ¡°I parked about half a block up that way- closest spot I could find,¡± I said, pointing off down Running Farm Lane to the north.


    ¡°Jesus fuck,¡± Ashley said. ¡°You know I would have believed it, right?¡±


    ¡°My condo is at least fifteen miles away,¡± I said. ¡°That is a little bit too far.¡±


    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t actually have to go home,¡± Ashley said, a sly smile on her lips. ¡°You could use my shower. I have the master bedroom, so I have my own bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. We should save water and shower together, right?¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s the conscientious thing to do,¡± she agreed, smiling.


    ¡°Go,¡± I said, pointing up the stairs. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in an hour.¡±


    Sticking her tongue out at me, she did as instructed but made sure to wiggle her butt as she climbed the stairs.


    We didn¡¯t wind up going to the Winchester Mansion after all. We went out for breakfast at a French bakery, then drove down the Pacific Coast Highway all the way to San Simeon, enjoying the mixed clouds and sunshine through the Big Sur. We even saw a few condors flying around when we stopped at a turnout to look down at the ocean hundreds of feet below.


    On the return leg of the drive we cut inland and took the 101, since we were going to run out of daylight.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Ashley said, looking out the car window at the farmland we were passing. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked, rousing from my own thoughts.


    ¡°Thanks for putting up with me,¡± she said, turning to face me. ¡°I know I can be a bit much sometimes, and I realize that you don¡¯t have to, well, put up with me. So, and I mean this, thanks. Thanks for taking me to your club. Thanks for making me feel safe enough to take off all my clothes. Thanks for¡­ well, just, thanks for all of it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to put up with you,¡± I said, emphasizing the ¡®have to¡¯ part. ¡°I enjoy your company, Ash. You¡¯re fun to be around, even if sometimes I do get worried about what you¡¯re going to do next, and sometimes the flirting is way over the top. But I like to think of you as a friend, somebody to just spend time with because- because doing so is its own reward, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, and when I glanced over, I saw the soft expression in her hazel eyes. After a few moments, she asked, ¡°Are you going to your club tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°Wanna go?¡±


    ¡°Um, can I¡­ can we just have dinner in the restaurant? I mean, I like the bar, but it- I¡¯m not sure I want to go two nights in a row. But I¡¯d still like to have dinner with you, if that¡¯s O.K,¡± Ashley said.


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°I need to stay, but I can get you an Uber when we¡¯re done with dinner.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ashley said, and I could hear the relief in her voice.


    She was dressed nicely but certainly not nightclub-ready when I picked her up at six thirty, emphasizing that she was serious about not wanting to spend the evening in the speakeasy.


    ¡°How many of those outfits do you even have?¡± she asked, looking at my charcoal pinstripe suit.


    ¡°A few,¡± I admitted. ¡°The key is accessorizing to change it up,¡± I said, pulling my electric blue tie out of the vest for her to see.


    ¡°Well, you look hot in ¡®em, whatever your tie color,¡± Ashley said. ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Ashley asked after a few minutes.


    Resisting the urge to say that she just did, I replied, ¡°Sure. What?¡±


    ¡°That scar on your face. Is that from a car accident?¡± she asked, touching her cheek.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, signaling for a left turn. ¡°I was in a knife fight. Guy cut me.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, seriously, how did it happen?¡± Ashley persisted.


    ¡°Seriously, that is how it happened. The guy had this antique dagger from the Middle East and he managed to cut me, but I didn¡¯t even notice until later. Adrenaline, I guess,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°I get the whole gangster image thing, but, like, this is me. How did it really happen?¡±


    ¡°Google ¡®Emmy Lascaux attacked in San Francisco¡¯,¡± I told her. ¡°I think the Chronicle had the most coverage of it, but the Stanford Daily had pretty good coverage, too.¡±


    Taking her phone out of her pocket, she said, ¡°You know I¡¯m gonna do it.¡±


    ¡°You wanted to know,¡± I said with a shrug.


    Just about then we pulled up in front of the steak house, putting the conversation on hold.


    There were quite a few people waiting to be seated, so I dragged Ashley back to the speakeasy, but grabbed a restaurant menu on our way back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to take a table from anybody with a reservation,¡± I explained.


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you doing just the same in the club? I mean, you¡¯re taking a table either way, right?¡± she objected.


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± I said, knocking on the unmarked door. ¡°When I¡¯m not here, nobody sits at my table.¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Boss,¡± Tony said, seeing who it was. ¡°And good evening to you, Miss Ashley,¡± he added, a welcoming grin on his face.


    ¡°Hey, Tone,¡± I said, bumping fists with the large man.


    When we settled down at my corner table, Ashley asked, ¡°How did that guy- Tone, you called him? How did he know my name?¡±


    ¡°Tony has two requirements for his job. First, he¡¯s the bouncer. If somebody needs to be escorted out, he¡¯s well trained to do just that. He¡¯s big and strong, and was a champion Judo wrestler, so he knows all about pins and holds. Second and more importantly, as the doorman he has to recognize and remember everybody on the list. Lots of guys can work as bouncers, but very few have the sort of memory and name recall he does. I guarantee that if your dad walked in the door, Tony would greet him by name.¡±


    ¡°My dad¡¯s only been here one time,¡± Ashley objected. ¡°And you never introduced him to Tony.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the magic of it,¡± I said. ¡°The staff here gets names one way or another, and feeds them to Tony. He remembers everybody.¡±


    ¡°Crazy,¡± Ashley said, shaking her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s more,¡± I said. ¡°The bartenders remember everybody¡¯s favorite drinks, too. Anybody could walk up and ask for the same as last time and they¡¯ll get it.¡± As if to emphasize my point, Theo set down glasses for the two of us just at that moment.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool, I guess,¡± Ashley said, sounding dubious, but looking at her drink as if it had appeared by magic.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s key,¡± I said, leaning in. ¡°Look, the whole concept is private, exclusive club, right? If a member can walk in and get greeted at the door by name, sit down and have his favorite drink set down immediately the moment he takes his seat, he feels special. He- or she, but honestly, it¡¯s ninety per cent guys- feels known, and respected. They feel as if they belong here, and in turn, start to wonder why they would ever go anywhere else.¡±


    Ashley took a while to think about it, then admitted that it made sense. ¡°You¡¯ve really thought about the psychology of it all, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°This place cost millions of dollars to set up, and we knew we had one shot at getting it right. We knew who we wanted for clients, and we went after it with laser-guided precision.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Ashley said. Thinking about it for a long moment, she said, ¡°I think I¡¯m missing something here.¡±


    Just then the waiter came to ask if Ashley knew what she wanted. Ashley ordered the filet with roasted Brussels sprouts off the menu, and I said I¡¯d take the same, but add a side Caesar¡¯s salad, too.


    ¡°Like I was saying, when we met, you were just about to graduate, right?¡± Ashley asked.


    ¡°And you were finishing up your freshman year,¡± I confirmed.


    "Then, when my parents were here last September and you took us back here¡­¡± she trailed off, getting her thoughts in order. ¡°This place was already well established, right? I mean, it wasn¡¯t new, right?¡±


    Nodding that I was following along, Ashley asked what had been bothering her.


    ¡°So, like, it was at least a year old by that time, which means that you started this place when you were what, a junior?¡±


    ¡°A sophomore, actually,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m a sophomore, and I¡¯m sure as shit not spending millions to start exclusive secret bars,¡± Ashley said.


    ¡°Maybe you ought to,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Money has a real different meaning for us,¡± Ashley said dryly.


    ¡°In high school, I took the city bus at six twenty AM to get to school every morning, and then to get back home. I worked two jobs,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, it freaking paid off,¡± Ashley said, looking around. ¡°Seriously, look at this place. It oozes money.¡±


    ¡°Honestly? It doesn¡¯t make as much as the restaurant out front does,¡± I said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Ashley asked, but my answer was interrupted by a couple of guys coming up to the table to say hello.


    Our steaks had arrived by the time the guys left, so we ate in companionable silence for a while.


    I could see that Ashley was thinking about something, so eventually I asked what it was.


    ¡°Well, like, you said you grew up poor,¡± she said.


    ¡°Not poor, per se, but we didn¡¯t have much extra money,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Whatever. But now you have tons of money. Like, literal tons. I mean, you¡¯re for sure a millionaire- maybe even a billionaire, for all I know.¡±


    ¡°See that guy over there? The one with the hot pink tie? He¡¯s a billionaire. That other guy over there? In the green sweater? He¡¯s a billionaire, too. Me? I¡¯m nowhere close,¡± I said.


    ¡°Closer than I am,¡± Ashley replied.


    ¡°Yeah, probably so,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°So anyways, what I was gonna say is that you seem like you were born rich. I mean, well, the way you carry yourself, they way you act¡­ I¡¯ve known some people born into money, and they have a sort of¡­ Well, a way of acting that shows that they don¡¯t have to concern themselves with how much anything costs. You have that same sort of, um¡­¡± Ashley said, at a loss for the correct words.


    ¡°Is that a good thing or a bad thing?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Well, I mean, it¡¯s not good or bad in particular,¡± Ashley said, thinking about it. ¡°I guess some people might think it¡¯s bad, but others wouldn¡¯t. It depends on where you¡¯re coming from. Some people can be real shits about their wealth- I mean, real arrogant, like anybody that has less money than them isn¡¯t worth their time, you know? But you aren¡¯t like that, so that¡¯s definitely good.¡±


    ¡°Shoot me if I ever get that way,¡± I said, agreeing with her.

 You Really Are An Axe Murderer

    I didn¡¯t get together with Ashley on Sunday. I just stayed home in the condo and caught up on work and some reading for my Financial Reporting class. The highlight of my day was when Angela and Emmy FaceTimed me from Edinburgh, Scotland. The two had gone for a day of sightseeing after The Downfall¡¯s show in Glasgow- apparently the two cities are only an hour¡¯s drive apart from each other.


    They called me from a street in the old, historic part of town called The Royal Row, with the castle marking the top end. When Angela panned the phone around to give me a view of the touristy shops I caught a quick glimpse of both Tiny and Grant, to my relief.


    ¡°This place is cool,¡± Angela said, ¡°But kind of gloomy, too.¡± Of course, it was dark and cloudy, so I guess the gloomy part was to be expected. I mean, Edinburgh is pretty much on the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska, meaning the winter days are dark and short at the best of times. At least it wasn¡¯t raining on the four of them.


    Angela kept the call going for well over an hour as the two headed up to the castle, but ultimately decided to skip the tour in favor of just walking around and admiring the sights.


    ¡°When our London place is done, we can come up for a visit any time we wish,¡± Emmy pointed out.


    ¡°We need to do that when we can all of us spend a few days up here,¡± Angela agreed.


    After they ended the call I settled back into the market analysis reports with a warm feeling. Only a couple more weeks and then they¡¯d be back home. I could wait, but video calls sure helped.


    Monday was another long day at the San Jose office, but at least it was interesting. I¡¯d scheduled a day of venture capital meetings, which were a welcome change from meeting with rental property owners or REIT investors.


    Most of the pitches were duds, but a couple seemed like possibilities to look into. VC was about as risky as investing gets- honestly, it¡¯s only slightly more confidence-inspiring than throwing the steel ball on a roulette wheel and hoping for reds. Still, the right startup can yield huge returns if it blows up, so it was worth the effort.


    The San Jose condo had been O.K., but sleeping in my bed in LA left me with little pangs of loneliness. The pillows smelled like Emmy and Angela, driving home the fact that I was all by myself for a while longer. I kept telling myself that the tour would be over in a few more months and Emmy would be done with all this out-of-town stuff for the foreseeable future, but it was precious little comfort. The bed was still too big, and the house was still too empty.


    During our break between classes that Tuesday night Myles asked if the job position was still open. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± he said, sipping his coffee. ¡°I¡¯m not so convinced I have much room to move upwards at Angel City.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Li asked, curious. ¡°Last time you said anything about it, it sounded like you had an automatic raise once you get your MBA.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a raise, sure, but I just found out that I won¡¯t get any sort of actual pay grade promotion. I¡¯ll still have the same job title as I do now, just closer to the pay ceiling,¡± Myles said.


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Li commiserated. ¡°At least I¡¯ll get bumped onto the management track at Snap once I finish here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Myles said. ¡°Angel City just isn¡¯t big enough, and we¡¯re top-heavy as it stands, so this is as far as I go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna promise you¡¯ll go straight into management at Loeltz,¡± I said. ¡°But we¡¯re expanding, so it could well happen relatively soon. Especially if you¡¯re willing to relo.¡±


    ¡°Up to the Bay Area?¡± Myles asked.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re planning on offices in Seattle and Austin next year, and New York and Miami and maybe Toronto or Montreal the following year,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Myles asked. ¡°My wife has been talking about Austin for years now.¡±


    ¡°Does she know it gets hotter than a crack pipe there?¡± I asked, causing Li to snort Pepsi out her nose.


    ¡°Ow! Why do you always do that to me?¡± she complained, trying to mop up with a handful of napkins.


    ¡°Yeah, she does,¡± Myles admitted to me, handing Li more napkins from the dispenser. ¡°She actually grew up in San Antonio. That¡¯s just the same, but nicer and with fewer hipsters.¡±


    ¡°So you know what you¡¯d be in for if you move into our new office there,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, good barbecue, for one,¡± Myles said.


    ¡°I may be a bit biased, but people I trust say that my barbecue restaurant there is among the best,¡± I said.


    ¡°You have a barbecue restaurant in Austin?¡± Li asked, her voice showing her disbelief.


    ¡°Of course she does,¡± Myles laughed. ¡°Let me guess- you have an Italian restaurant in New York, too, right?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°But give me a little while, and I probably will.¡±


    I took a half day at work on Friday so I could get on the road to Chuckwalla before traffic got bad. All I had with me in the X6M were my overnighter bag and my Nomex suit and helmet. I¡¯d dropped the M6 off down at Temecula BMW on Wednesday so they could go over it and throw on some fresh tires, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about anything but my own personal gear.


    Arriving at the track, I went straight to the Temecula BMW rig where the guys were getting everything set up.


    Manny greeted me when I pulled up, saying that Joachim was at the track office and he¡¯d be back in a few minutes.


    ¡°Gonna be windy this weekend,¡± Manny said. ¡°If it gets too bad we might have to pull the canopies. We got the rig parked to block the wind as much as we can-¡± he said, but stopped when The Track Club rig pulled up and Reggie leaned out the passenger window to ask where they should park.


    Joachim returned just about then and the three guys got in a big discussion about prevailing winds, finishing up with Manny reparking the Temecula rig with The Track Club truck nose to nose at a ninety degree angle to form a sheltered space out of the wind for the cluster of canopies.


    Others trickled in while all this was happening, so by the time Manny had the grill set up there was quite a crowd for dinner.


    ¡°Lizzie!¡± Jimmy said as he climbed out of his 458. ¡°You bring your Porsche this weekend? I¡¯m dying to see it out on the track!¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t,¡± Stein answered for me as he handed Jimmy a cold beer from the cooler. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to console yourself with being passed by that monster,¡± he said, pointing at the BMW M6 GT3 under its canopy.


    ¡°Oh, man, I hate that car,¡± Jimmy complained.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Teddy Bear asked as he opened his own beer.


    ¡°It scares the shit outta me when it goes flying by out of freaking nowhere! It¡¯s like, I¡¯m minding my own business and thinking I¡¯m going real good, when all of a sudden that freaking BMW goes sailing by me like I¡¯m in second gear or something. And it isn¡¯t quiet about it, either! It¡¯s like bam! And then there¡¯s the flames, too!¡±


    Stein and Teddy Bear couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Jimmy¡¯s description.


    Turning to Geoff, I asked, ¡°Is that really what it¡¯s like?¡±


    He shrugged, saying, ¡°This is my first track day with you, so I have no clue.¡±


    Lainey¡¯s RV rolled up just then and almost before it even stopped Maddie and Tiffany came bounding out, Tiffany running over to give me a big hug.


    ¡°Hey, Tiff. I didn¡¯t know you were coming this weekend. I love the new haircut,¡± I said, ruffling her short hair.


    ¡°Mads asked if I wanted to come, and of course I said yes,¡± she replied, smoothing her hair back down.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been driving her kart a lot. You thinking about racing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Maybe. Me and Mom have been talking about it. She¡¯s worried that it¡¯ll make my grades suffer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that wouldn¡¯t be good,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t!¡± Tiffany protested. ¡°Mads gets good grades!¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s something you and Mom need to work out between you,¡± I said. ¡°Madison manages it, so it must be possible, right? You need to convince Mom that you can do the same. Develop some sort of action plan and present it to her. But you have to make sure you actually can do it, Tiff. I¡¯ll be happy to help you however I can, but ultimately it¡¯s on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± she said, her slender shoulders slumping. ¡°That¡¯s what Mom says, too.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong,¡± I said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. ¡°Now, go tell Manny how you like your steak.¡±


    ¡°Lee, I¡¯m vegetarian now!¡± Tiffany said with a pout.


    ¡°Then tell him how you like your tofu grilled,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°Ugh! Can you even imagine?¡± Tiffany asked with a disgusted look on her face.


    Lainey found me talking to Reggie from The Track Club.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Hey, you two,¡± she said. ¡°Is James coming this weekend?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d better- I brought his car,¡± Reggie said.


    ¡°Yeah, he texted to let me know he was running late. In fact, he should be getting here soon. He left San Jose about an hour ago,¡± I said, checking my watch. Seeing Lainey¡¯s puzzled look, I said, ¡°He¡¯s flying in. The track has a runway right over there, I think,¡± I said, pointing off past Turn 15.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. Returning to what she¡¯d sought us out for, she asked Reggie if they would have time to look over Maddie¡¯s car. ¡°She says it¡¯s pulling a little to the left, and it seems like the tires aren¡¯t wearing even.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like something we should check out before she takes it out,¡± Reggie said. ¡°Have her bring it over to our pit and we¡¯ll look at it after the guys are done with dinner.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Lainey said. ¡°You guys have been so good to Madison. What you did to her car was nothing short of incredible.¡±


    ¡°Those Evos are great little cars,¡± Reggie replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t take much to really make ¡®em sing.¡±


    My reply was drowned out by the sound of a jet flying low over the track, then touching down at the runway, more or less where I¡¯d indicated. When it got quiet enough, I said, ¡°That¡¯ll be James.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Lainey said, shaking her head.


    ¡°I gotta go get him,¡± Reggie said, turning to head back to The Track Club¡¯s setup. ¡°Back in a few.¡±


    ¡°You guys really do operate in a different world,¡± Lainey said, looking off in the direction of the taxiing private jet.


    The whole evening turned into a great big party, everybody having a great time just hanging out and shooting the breeze. Although I could see Lainey was a bit concerned about her daughter (and, to be fair, my sister) in a big crowd of adult guys, from what I could see every one of the guys just treated Maddie like another driver and that was that. Nobody was weird about her being a sixteen year old girl- in fact, a couple of the guys seemed to really admire that she was actually racing, and not just doing the occasional track day.


    After things wound down, James and I walked the track, as I¡¯d done the night I met Madison and her mother. At first we just talked about the track, discussing the turns, but soon the topic shifted.


    "Emmy is still on tour, and Angela is with her,¡± I said when James asked where they were.


    ¡°Are you O.K. with that? Angela going on tour with Emmy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more than O.K. with it. I¡¯m happy that Emmy has somebody along to keep her company and take care of her. She gets so wrapped up in her music she forgets to eat regularly and doesn¡¯t get to bed at a reasonable time. Angela is doing a great job of making sure Emmy eats healthy and takes care of herself,¡± I said. ¡°But, to be honest, it is lonely with both of them gone.¡±


    ¡°When they get back, are you going to try the, well, try to get them pregnant?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Several times a day, every day,¡± I said.


    ¡°I walked into that one, didn¡¯t I?¡± James admitted with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yes, yes you did,¡± I agreed. ¡°But seriously, no need. They¡¯re both expecting. Angela¡¯s six weeks farther along than Emmy, but we just had them both checked in London and both babies are doing fine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± James said, clapping me on the shoulder.


    ¡°It is,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a big change in our lives. I¡¯ve been reorganizing my companies so I can step away to a great degree when the girls get big, and of course, when the babies are born. I want to be there for them as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°I admire that,¡± James said, looking out over the desert. ¡°Imogen and I, we¡¯ve talked about children and we both agree that we¡¯d like them, but it never seems to be the right time for it. We keep telling ourselves that we¡¯ll do it once this happens, or that gets finished, but it never¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy and I promised ourselves that we would try to have kids once we settled in to wherever it was going to be after college, and that turned out to be Los Angeles. Then it became ¡®once we settled in to our forever home¡¯. Well, we¡¯re there now, life seems to be on a steady track and it was time. Add Angela to the mix and baby fever got pretty strong for a while.¡±


    ¡°I find it interesting that both of them are pregnant at the same time,¡± James mused as we made our way around the bowl. ¡°Imogen and I had discussed it, and- and this is probably our bias showing from our upbringing, and I don¡¯t mean any sort of insult by it- we assumed that Angela would be a surrogate for you and Emmy.¡±


    ¡°I imagine that¡¯ll be the talk on TMZ and the tabloids when the paparazzi notice Ange¡¯s baby bump,¡± I admitted. ¡°But no, the idea was always that Emmy would get pregnant and carry the baby. Angela joining us, well, that was never part of the plan- it just sort of happened. It¡¯s a really great thing that it did, too, because she¡¯s so sweet and caring¡­ she¡¯ll be better at being a mother than Emmy or I ever could.¡±


    ¡°Imogen and I, we¡¯ve seen the relationship you three have, and I must say that we both agree that it works for you. I doubt very many people could make it succeed in the long term, but we both believe that if anyone can, it¡¯ll be the three of you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have anything to say to that, so I stayed silent.


    ¡°I bought Angela a London penthouse apartment,¡± I said, breaking the silence after a while. ¡°She really likes London, and wanted to get a place there- maybe a Marylebone townhouse, but I pointed out that a place like that will need constant upkeep, so an apartment might be better. We found a new tower on the south bank that had an available penthouse, so I bought it for her.¡±


    ¡°London? Really?¡± James asked, surprised.


    ¡°Really. At first she suggested a place in Paris, thinking that Emmy would like that, but Em said she didn¡¯t want to be that close to her parents.¡±


    ¡°I can certainly understand that. Imogen has been talking more and more about buying in New York. She really admired your townhouse there, and likes the idea of being close to her parents, but far enough away that a visit is a special occasion.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°Hence, London. Two hours travel time means it¡¯s easy to visit, but not too easy.¡±


    ¡°What about Angela¡¯s family? Aren¡¯t they in Ecuador?¡±


    ¡°Colombia,¡± I said. ¡°You know what¡¯s funny? Of any of our sets of parents, hers are the ones I wish could visit most often.¡±


    ¡°You get along well with them?¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± I confirmed. ¡°They¡¯re great people.¡±


    ¡°Imogen was right- you three are our most interesting friends.¡±


    The next morning was cold and clear. Everybody was bundled up for our breakfast of huevos rancheros with chilaquiles and coffee, or for those who wanted it, Mexican hot chocolate.


    ¡°This is great,¡± Lainey said, enjoying the food.


    ¡°Manny¡¯s the cook here- give him your compliments. All I do is pay for the groceries,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, he does a great job.¡±


    ¡°Leah, I know you said that, well, that it cost you nothing extra for Mads to drive on these private track days, but I feel kinda guilty about all that you and James have done for her.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°We volunteered it- it¡¯s not as if you twisted our arms or anything. James and I, we saw a kid with big dreams and a lot of drive and figured we could lend a hand, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I guess when you put it like that¡­¡± Lainey said, but she didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°Look. I like Maddie. I think she¡¯s a great kid, and she¡¯s doing what she loves, right? James and I, we both see that and want to help foster it. Maybe Maddie will turn pro and win Le Mans some day, or maybe she¡¯ll hang it up when she goes to college and meets the right guy- who knows? But at least James and I can give her a bit of help in the meantime,¡± I said. What I didn¡¯t point out was that in the relative scale of things, the money we were spending on Maddie¡¯s car, her driving lessons, and everything else was peanuts, but I¡¯m sure the thought occurred to Lainey.


    The track marshal gathered us all around for our drivers¡¯ meeting and explained the basic safety rules. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯ve all heard this before, but I still have to explain it all,¡± he apologized.


    While he was going through meanings of the various flags, I could hear the angry rasp of the GT-R firing up, followed not long after by the BMW.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the BMW before,¡± the marshal said, ¡°But that Nissan- that¡¯s new to me. It looks like today is gonna be one hell of a fast day out there, so all of you, be safe, and keep your heads on your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°So, the guys tell me that you¡¯re completely merciless on the track,¡± Geoff said as we walked back to the pits.


    ¡°She puts Ming to shame,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°Ming?¡± Geoff asked, not getting the reference.


    ¡°Ming The Merciless, from Flash Gordon- ah, you know what, never mind,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°She won¡¯t crash into you or run you off the track, but other than that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all,¡± Stein said. ¡°Just keep your lines nice and tight and don¡¯t worry about her at all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s going to pass you any time she wants, right? As long as you accept that you¡¯re just a rolling chicane for her to go around, you¡¯ll do fine,¡± Stein explained.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m right here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t as if they¡¯re wrong,¡± James said.


    ¡°Alright, I get it. I¡¯m an axe murderer,¡± I said, throwing up my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never driven this track,¡± James said, "so I¡¯m going to take it easy for the first hour or so.¡±


    ¡°Not too easy,¡± Reggie cautioned. ¡°Gotta keep heat in the tires, especially on a cold morning like this.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± James said.


    ¡°Just remember, when the track goes left, turn left. When it goes right, turn right. When it straightens out, floor it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wiser words have rarely been spoken,¡± he laughed as he pulled his helmet on.


    I hustled over to my car, where the guys were pulling the warmers off the tires. They dropped it while I put my helmet on and cinched the strap.


    ¡°We have it set up like last time here,¡± Joachim said, leaning close so I could hear him despite my earplugs. ¡°We know we got good base settings, so don¡¯ be shy about letting it fly out there.¡± I gave him the thumbs-up, then climbed into the driver¡¯s seat. HANS device engaged, I rolled away to the hot pit lane where the marshal stood, holding the red flag. He looked up and down the line of cars forming up one last time, then handed the red flag off and took the green. He pointed at Maddie and Jimmy, the first two in line, and signaled for them to go. The rest of us crept up, then after ten seconds or so the marshal waved Geoff and Stein on. Then it was Teddy Bear and James, then me last of all.


    I used the first few laps to reacquaint myself with the track and remember my markers, not really concerned much with speed until I realized that I was dawdling behind Teddy Bear¡¯s pretty gray Corvette. Seeing an opportunity, I hugged a tight line coming out of ten and sailed past him onto the back straight. Sure, his supercharged Z06 had at least fifty horsepower on my GT3, but that doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t smash your foot flat to the floor.


    The field had spread out pretty well by that time, so I could set up my passes with plenty of room to spare. After a while the track started emptying out as people pulled into the pit for one reason or another before coming back out onto the track again, but I stayed out and let myself get lost in the sounds, the smells, and the feelings of driving that BMW at speed.


    When my fuel light came on and interrupted my groove, I reluctantly pulled in for more gas.


    ¡°We only put in half a tank this morning,¡± Joachim confessed. ¡°Because we knew you¡¯d be out there until you ran out of gas. We wanted to get data and make sure everything was working right before you really got into it.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work,¡± I told him. ¡°I was already into it.¡±


    ¡°You see, that¡¯s what makes you such a natural,¡± Joachim said. ¡°You¡¯re a pure driver. When you¡¯re out there, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t like that at all,¡± I said as he pulled the data from the car.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°When I¡¯m out there, that¡¯s all that exists,¡± I said.


    ¡°Heh,¡± he said, looking up from his laptop. After a minute or two of looking at the information, he asked, ¡°You want it tighter or looser today?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start out tight. We can always loosen it up later,¡± I said.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Jimmy asked as he strolled up, a Red Bull in his hand.


    ¡°Tuning the car for the track,¡± Joachim answered distractedly. ¡°She wants it nice and tight this morning, so we gonna adjust the aero package for more downforce and we¡¯re gonna firm up the rear suspension just a little bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Is he kidding?¡± Jimmy demanded.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not kidding,¡± I replied. ¡°I really do want it nice and tight.¡±


    Jimmy gave me a sardonic look, and said, ¡°I meant about adjusting the car. He¡¯s going to make all these changes just because you want it to feel a certain way?¡±


    ¡°Jimmy, why do you think these guys are even here?¡± I asked. ¡°To help me go as fast as I can,¡± I answered. ¡°And part of that is setup.¡±


    When Joachim and the guys finished with the car, I went back out again. The track felt really empty, since nobody was really clumped together they way they were at the start of the day. As the track warmed the grip improved, my speeds picked up and I felt myself slipping back into the flow, the world around the car narrowing until the only things that had any meaning for me were the track, the other drivers, and my car.


    The checkered flag to come in for the lunch break took me by surprise- I¡¯d been out for over two hours non-stop.


    ¡°How she running?¡± Joachim asked once I had my helmet off. The two of us watched as the guys lifted the car and checked the tires before wrapping them in the warmers.


    ¡°Real good,¡± I said. ¡°Real good indeed.¡±


    ¡°You happy with the feel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± I agreed.


    Geoff and Teddy Bear had joined us by that time. Teddy Bear wandered over to the front of the car and took a long look.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what it looks like from this angle,¡± he said. ¡°I swear, that big ¡®M Power¡¯ logo on that spoiler is gonna haunt my dreams.¡±


    ¡°You know, Leah, I have to admit that all this time I though the guys were exaggerating, talking about the way you drive on the track,¡± Geoff said. ¡°But I was wrong. You really are an axe murderer.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°But Like Stein said, just keep your head down and try to ignore the loud, angry white car passing you at any given moment and you¡¯re O.K.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that, I really do,¡± Geoff said. ¡°But it gets a bit unnerving sometimes.¡±

 Drinking And Driving

    Switching to the M6 Coupe for the last couple of hours of the day was quite a change. The coupe actually had noticeably more power (GT3 cars are restricted) but almost zero ground effects and much less grippy tires. All that added up to a car that skated along clawing for traction, where the GT3 stuck like velcro to the track.


    My lap times were a lot slower, sure, but throwing the car sideways through the turns was its own kind of good fun. Honestly, it put my speeds more in line with most of the guys and gave me a feel for getting passed when James would motor by inside on the bowl or outside on turn 16.


    Stein was plenty willing to play, and we had a lot of fun laps dicing back and forth, passing only to run wide and let the other one get by again. We kept that up until the checkered flag marking the end of the day brought us in, both of us grinning like idiots from being able to play the way we never really could on our Saturday drives.


    Like the night before, dinner turned into a party. Lainey allowed Madison one Margarita, but she and I agreed that Tiffany should get an alcohol-free version. All the adults were welcome to as many as they wanted, which in Jimmy¡¯s case turned out to be at least one too many. His misery was a good source of comedy for the rest of us, though, so that was O.K.


    After everybody had dispersed to their rental cabins, tents, RVs or whatever, I helped the guys clean everything up.


    ¡°Manny,¡± I said as the two of us restocked the cooler for the next morning. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve said it enough. I really do appreciate you cooking like you¡¯ve been doing. It¡¯s been great. I really mean it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it it¡¯s nothing,¡± he said, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°I enjoy doing it, you know? I grew up in a big family, and my mam¨¢, she was the family cook, but my dad, he loved his parrilladas. I guess that¡¯s where I get it from.¡±


    ¡°I gotta say, I¡¯m glad you did. It really makes these weekends something special.¡±


    ¡°You know something? Me and the others, we like these track weekends, too. We get to play with fast cars, hang out at the track, make some money¡­ It¡¯s all good,¡± Manny said with a smile.


    ¡°We also get to get out of the house,¡± Brian, one of the other mechanics, added. ¡°It¡¯s a win all around.¡±


    James was sitting on the front steps of his cabin when I finally made my way over from the track, so I joined him.


    ¡°Maddie¡¯s gotten a lot faster,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°All those driving schools and coaching we¡¯ve been getting her have really paid off. She¡¯s a lot more confident behind the wheel.¡±


    ¡°Lainey gave me a ¡®you two are spending too much money on Mads¡¯ talk a while back,¡± James said, looking off into the distance, remembering. ¡°I told her that motorsports are expensive, and rising to the upper levels can¡¯t be done single-handedly.¡±


    ¡°It takes a village to raise a Formula One driver,¡± I joked.


    ¡°Well, yes, it does,¡± James agreed. ¡°The right support from home, check,¡± he said holding up a hand and folding down a finger. ¡°Decent equipment, check,¡± he added, folding another finger down. ¡°That basic start got Madison to where she was when you met her. But to get any farther, she needed the right technical support and the capital to be able to take advantage,¡± James said, folding down two more fingers. ¡°The coaching, too,¡± he said, wrapping his thumb across the rest of his fingers. ¡°Lainey wouldn¡¯t have been able to provide Madison with the necessary ingredients to move her much farther forward.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, sipping from my water bottle. ¡°Plus, it really isn¡¯t that much money, at least from our perspective. I burn off more money in tires¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no joke,¡± James agreed. ¡°Two sets today,¡± he said.


    ¡°You were going really good out there today,¡± I told him. ¡°Godzilla seems to be treating you right.¡±


    ¡°That is one hell of a car,¡± James agreed. ¡°I still can¡¯t get over how you used to drive it with the TC turned off.¡±


    ¡°You should try it,¡± I suggested. ¡°Maybe do half the day that way tomorrow. It really hammers home the importance of smooth applications of throttle.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it would,¡± James said with a little chuckle.


    I followed my own advice the next morning, running until lunch with all the aids turned off. My tires and my lap times suffered, but it was a lot of fun throwing the car sideways and then feeling it snap back hard into line exiting the turns. I also goofed around with terrible line choices, running late entries or apexing too early and then recovering, just to get used to dealing with less than perfect situations. Again, not good for lap times, but a great learning experience.


    ¡°We really are all just rolling chicanes for you, aren¡¯t we?¡± Geoff asked at lunch.


    ¡°Can you imagine how boring it would be out here if I were just lapping by myself all weekend?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, I could maybe get the best lap times ever, but it would be just endlessly repetitive. Having you guys on the track changes it up a little bit every lap,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we could be of service, my lady,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°But seriously, it would be boring to come out here and do lap after lap by myself. Having you guys here makes the whole thing a lot of fun. And ultimately, that¡¯s what this is about- having fun with friends.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit, it is pretty awesome having the track basically to myself and just a half-dozen others,¡± Geoff admitted. ¡°These private days are really the way to go.¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly cheap, too,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m spending more on tires this weekend than renting the track for the two days.¡±


    ¡°We should do this more often,¡± Jimmy said.


    ¡°You¡¯re just happy that you aren¡¯t stuck with Kimmy all weekend,¡± Teddy Bear replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just me,¡± Jimmy shot back. ¡°We¡¯re all happy she¡¯s not here.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s more or less just a coincidence that this wound up as a stag weekend,¡± Geoff said, ¡°But it is sort of nice to not worry if Linda and the girls are bored while I¡¯m out on the track.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I always feel guilty when I drag Emmy or Angela to the track,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°It was perfect at Inde,¡± James said. ¡°Imogen, Emmy and Angela all went into town and spent the day shopping.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that would be better,¡± Geoff said with a wry look on his face.


    That afternoon was more experimentation on my part, playing with traction, letting the car slide and drift in every turn, fishtailing on exit and getting all sorts of out of shape on the brakes. Basically, I was trying to throw the car into terrible situations and then doing what I could to ride them out as best as possible.


    Of course, this did mean that I found my way out into the dirt quite a few times, but really only had the one completely lurid spin-out in turn 15. Thankfully there was nobody near when it happened, so getting back rolling again wasn¡¯t a problem.


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    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing this is a wrap and not the paint you¡¯re trashing out there,¡± Joachim said when I brought the car in at the end of the day. ¡°You¡¯re gettin¡¯ crazy out there. This isn¡¯t a rally car, you know.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I ought to get one,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of fun throwing up sand and rocks like that.¡±


    Joachim just shook his head in dismay as the guys lifted the car to give it a good cleaning before packing it in the hauler.


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± he said.


    Settling into my own bed after a long, hot shower that night, I thought about the weekend. I was really enjoying the GT3 and feeling really comfortable in the car, but the high point of the weekend might have been goofing off in the coupe with Stein. Sure, it wasn¡¯t fast, but it was ridiculously fun in a ¡®behaving badly¡¯ sort of way.


    That isn¡¯t to say that perfecting my technique in the track car wasn¡¯t rewarding- it very much was. The thing is, the GT3 car was just so much more clinical than the coupe, and that came down to grip. The race car had loads and loads, but the coupe had nowhere near as much.


    It occurred to me that I probably should take the X6M out next time, just for shits and giggles. The most track-focused SUV ever made seemed as if it would be a bizarre experience¡­


    Taking a break from working the heavy bag the next morning, I found Joey doing bench presses.


    ¡°Hey, Joey,¡± I said when he finished his set. ¡°You think you might be up for a few rounds day after tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Oh, hey, Leah,¡± he said, sitting up. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d definitely be down for that. Say, seven? that gives us both time to get warmed up first.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± I said, holding my fist out for him to bump, which he did before returning to his weights.


    ¡°Um, Leah, right?¡± asked the guy who was spotting Joey. ¡°I¡¯d, well, I guess I¡¯m trying to say that, well, if you¡¯ve got an opening in your, um, schedule, I¡¯d be happy to go a few rounds, too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about sparring, right?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, sparring. In the ring, like you¡¯re gonna do with Joey,¡± the guy said.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯d be happy to go a few rounds with you,¡± I replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name.¡±


    ¡°Duane,¡± he replied. ¡°Duane Jones.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Duane,¡± I said. ¡°Depending on how racked up I get fighting Joey here, maybe next Wednesday?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯s cool. Really cool,¡± he agreed, and we bumped knuckles to confirm it.


    On my way back to the bag, Richie caught up to me. ¡°So, like, that¡¯s it? You¡¯re taking numbers now?¡±


    ¡°Take a number and get in line,¡± I said, giving him a shove on the shoulder.


    ¡°I could maybe be your tune-up, but that¡¯s about it,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have much of a chance.¡±


    ¡°Richie, these are just friendly spars, that¡¯s all,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s practice, a chance to learn a thing or two, face unfamiliar techniques and styles, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°With punching,¡± Richie said.


    ¡°Hey, Richie,¡± I said. ¡°Take a look around. This is a fight gym, not a Pilates studio. If you aren¡¯t here to learn to fight, you¡¯re in the wrong place.¡±


    ¡°You might have a point there,¡± he admitted with a wry smile.


    ¡°Hey, go grab your gear,¡± I said. ¡°The back ring is empty right now. Let¡¯s do a light spar- just maybe, I don¡¯t know, three rounds?¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I asked. ¡°We¡¯re both consenting adults.¡±


    ¡°Um, light touch, right? full gear?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed. ¡°You did bring protection, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°These double entendres are making me wonder what I¡¯m getting into,¡± Richie said.


    ¡°Gotta keep on your toes,¡± I told him. ¡°Metaphorically as well as literally.¡±


    The spar went well, but it was obvious that Richie had nothing. He wasn¡¯t particularly fast or skilled, and even worse, he kept dropping his guard and letting me get in on him over and over. When we called it, he dropped to lie flat on the canvas.


    ¡°Damn!¡± he said to the world in general. ¡°For being light touch, I just got my ass handed to me!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it so hard,¡± I told him as I stripped off my big padded gloves. ¡°You almost landed that one kick that one time.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, ouch! And now my ego is bruised!¡± he wailed.


    ¡°Eh, kid, you did O.K. for somebody who never had a chance,¡± Eddie said from ringside. ¡°Ya can¡¯t say you weren¡¯t warned.¡±


    ¡°No, I absolutely can¡¯t say that,¡± Richie agreed as he sat up, slowly climbing to his feet. ¡°I was warned plenty.¡±


    Slipping out between the ropes, he asked me, ¡°So what got you in the right mood today? Have a tough weekend?¡±


    ¡°Nah, a good weekend, actually. I just figured that a friendly little fight would be a good way to start the work week out right.¡±


    ¡°A friendly little fight,¡± Richie said, dropping his gear into his gym bag. ¡°That¡¯s my new favorite oxymoron. ¡®Hey, Richie, man, why you got that black eye?¡¯¡± he said in a different voice, imitating maybe a co-worker or something. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± he said in his normal voice. ¡°I just got in a friendly little fight, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You know what I tell the people in my office when I come in with a black eye or other obvious bruises?¡± I asked. ¡°Marital difficulties. That shuts ¡®em up immediately.¡±


    ¡°Well, sure, but your cover office- they all know you¡¯re really a secret government killer, so it¡¯s probably just another day for them, right?¡± Richie replied.


    ¡°Only when I¡¯m on missions,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Other times, it¡¯s purely recreational.¡±


    There was a box from London waiting for me at the front desk when I got to the office that morning. Opening it at my desk, my surprise only grew more when I read the note and looked at the smaller gray box nestled inside in packing paper. It had come from Harry Powell, the man I¡¯d talked to at the two fundraiser parties.


    ¡°I hope you enjoy this as it was meant to be savored,¡± the note said.


    I pulled the smaller but surprisingly heavy gray box out, admiring the gold clasp in the front. Opening it, I was astonished to see what looked like a giant perfume bottle more than anything, but the ¡°Glenmorangie Pride 1978¡± made it clear it was Scotch whisky and not 750ml of French cologne.


    ¡°Hey, is Sandy in the office this morning?¡± I asked Marisa at the front desk. When she said he was, I asked her to send him to my office.


    Bemusedly, I wondered why Harry had sent me an unusual bottle of Scotch out of the blue like that, as I turned the odd bottle over in my hands.


    ¡°You needed to see me?¡± Sandy asked when he walked in the office¡¯s open door. His eyes opened wide when they fell on the bottle on my desk.


    ¡°Is that-¡± he asked, reaching for it, then catching himself. ¡°May I?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, and he picked up the absurdly heavy bottle.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± he asked, awed.


    ¡°An acquaintance in London sent it to me,¡± I said.


    ¡°He must like you a lot,¡± Sandy said, admiring the color of the liquid inside. ¡°If you can even get this stuff, it goes for around ten grand a bottle.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the first to admit I don¡¯t know much about Scotch,¡± I said. ¡°But that sounds like a lot.¡±


    Carefully putting the bottle back on my desk, Sandy gave me an amused smile. ¡°Yeah, it does seem that way. A bit out of my price range, for sure.¡±


    ¡°So what should I do with it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, give it to me, of course,¡± Sandy said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly take care of it for you.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your willingness to help, but re-gifting seems so¡­¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Seriously, you only really have two options,¡± Sandy said, looking thoughtful. ¡°Three, actually. The first one is drink it. Have a little party, share it with friends. Or maybe keep it to yourself, sipping a dram every now and then, but remember, an opened bottle only lasts maybe a year before it goes bad, and wasting this would be a crime. So yeah, a party. The second thing you could do is put it away somewhere and sell it in a few years. You might get a lot of money in ten years, since it was only ever a limited run. Third, make it available in the club in San Jose. Charge two grand a pour, and people will be happy to pay it.¡±


    ¡°They do seem to be willing to throw stupid money down on the rare whiskies,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°A lot of those guys have so much money they have no understanding of what it even means anymore,¡± Sandy agreed.


    Picking up the heavy, oddly shaped bottle, I turned it over in my hands. Coming to a conclusion, I set it back down on the desk.


    ¡°Bring two glasses at five o¡¯clock today,¡± I told Sandy. ¡°We¡¯ll try it out.¡±


    ¡°You got it, boss lady,¡± Sandy said, a look of pure joy on his face.


    After Sandy left, I looked at the note again and realized that the back had Harry¡¯s contact information. I shot him an email thanking him for the unexpected gift and telling him that I was going to have a little taste that very evening when work was done.


    Of course I figured the whisky was an opening gambit and Harry was going to want to talk business of some sort, but I made no mention of that in my email. I kept it more personal, since that was how Harry had started things. Sure it was a ¡®boy¡¯s club¡¯ way of doing things, but I¡¯d certainly gotten the impression with how Harry had been with his friends that they did business that way, so I was willing to run with it.


    The rest of the day passed uneventfully and quickly enough. Right at five on the dot Sandy walked in with two cut-glass tumblers, a bottle of distilled water and two chilled bottles of Perrier.


    Setting everything down on my desk with a ceremonial air, he pulled one of the chairs up close so he could sit facing me.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± he asked, indicating the fancy gray box.


    I took the awkward bottle from the box and set it on the desk, then worked the hard-to-grasp stopper from the bottle. I poured us two fingers each, while Sandy looked on, a reverent expression on his sunburned face.


    ¡°Sl¨¤inte Mhath,¡± I said, raising my glass.


    ¡°Sl¨¤inte Mhath,¡± Sandy repeated, and we took our sips. I let the amber liquid roll around in my mouth for a bit, not really trying to analyze it but rather just tasting and enjoying it. I¡¯d been worried it was going to be some sort of excessively peaty thing that would taste like ditch water, but that was far from the case. I¡¯m sure a connoisseur could talk about notes of caramel and apricot, but to me, it simply tasted like a whisky should, thankfully without the heavy smoke or peat so many Scotches have. Those are fine for some people, but no thank you.


    I accepted the little bottle of distilled water from Sandy and dropped a tiny splash in my glass to open the flavors up, taking the time to give the whisky a good, long sniff. The apricot and toffee were a bit more obvious, and when I tasted it I could also detect a bit of ginger snap.


    ¡°I¡¯ve died and gone to heaven,¡± Sandy said after savoring a long sip.


    ¡°That¡¯s undoubtedly the best Scotch I¡¯ve ever had,¡± I agreed.


    I poured us another round when we finished our first, and soon enough Sandy and I found ourselves the last to leave the office, well after seven that night.


    ¡°If you need any help finishing that bottle off,¡± Sandy offered as we walked across the parking lot, ¡°feel free to give me a call.¡±

 I dont Understand Any Of It, Either

    Sparring with Joey was actually pretty fun. Now that he knew better, he didn¡¯t fall into the trap of taking it easy on me or thinking I couldn¡¯t hit just because I was female. He gave it a really solid effort and showed that he¡¯d learned from our last time in the ring. He still wasn¡¯t as fast as me or have the reach, but he gave it a solid effort.


    He did a good job of controlling that left shoulder drop until he got tired, too, but that was understandable. It¡¯s hard to maintain good form when you¡¯re exhausted.


    What he absolutely didn¡¯t expect was when I pivoted in on him and tossed him down to the mat with a well-timed hip throw. I¡¯d noticed that neither Joey or Richie had ever once attempted any grappling, so I figured it was somehow mentally off-limits when fighting a girl.


    Again, I wanted real fighting, not some sort of ¡®well, I¡¯m fighting a chick, so I better go easy¡¯ mentality. If those barriers were going to be broken, it was me that was going to have to do it.


    The crowd that had gathered around the ring to watch let out a collective ¡°Ohh!¡± when I tossed Joey down on the mat and started hammering away on him, not giving him the chance to do anything but cover up. Realizing he had no out, he tapped and I stood up off him.


    I gave him a hand to help him up, clapping him on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re getting better,¡± I told him. ¡°Especially on not telegraphing so much. But you still fell into the trap of not treating me like a real fighter.¡±


    ¡°Can I be honest with you?¡± Joey asked, leaning in so nobody else would hear our conversation.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, my voice low.


    ¡°It just doesn¡¯t feel right, you know, um, well, like, wrestling with a chick,¡± he said.


    ¡°I get it, I do,¡± I agreed. ¡°You like the feel of a nice, strong man in your arms.¡±


    Joey looked at me indignantly, then realized I was yanking his chain and laughed. ¡°When you put it that way¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Next time we spar, bring your full game. Get it out of your head that I¡¯ve got tits. What you need to do is come in with the attitude that I¡¯m just another fighter, a fighter who¡¯s got reach and speed on you.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s no fucking lie,¡± Joey admitted. ¡°You read me like a fucking book, too.¡±


    ¡°You did a lot better on that,¡± I said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as we made our way to the ropes. ¡°Keep working on that. Also, do more speed work, and more fitness. You were really slowing down by the end. No way should I have been able to get in with the hip like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was pretty gassed,¡± Joey admitted, holding the ropes for me to exit the ring.


    Ditching my gear at my bag, I had a momentary flash of Angela worrying about my bruises. Emmy had never been concerned like that, but then, she was there at the start when I first took up kickboxing as a form of cross training.


    Coach Lawrence handed me a water bottle once I had my headgear off. ¡°I didn¡¯t see that throw coming,¡± he said. ¡°But I guess I should have. You been working with Jody, after all, and his thing is the ground game.¡±


    ¡°Does that change your thinking on how best to go against me?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Nah,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Just pure striking? There isn¡¯t anybody in this gym I¡¯d put against you. You¡¯re unbelievably fast. Like, I mean world-class fast. It just doesn¡¯t seem right for anybody as tall as you to be able to move so freaking quick. You maybe don¡¯t hit as hard as a lot of the guys, but you get it done so fast that you can land two or three in the time anybody else could land a punch. So yeah, nobody is going to win against you in that game. The only way, and I mean the only way, is to get ahold of you and make it count,¡± he said.


    ¡°So if I were to spar with you¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯d take any hits I had to to get in on you and get you to the floor. It¡¯s as simple as that,¡± he said with a shrug.


    ¡°You¡¯re assuming my ground game is weak,¡± I told him.


    ¡°True,¡± he admitted, making a wry face and nodding his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen your wrestling skills, but that was a pretty sweet judo move.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not my strength, but I like to think it isn¡¯t my weakness, either. The main reason I did that to Joey is because he was being, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Lawrence said. ¡°That¡¯s the other thing. It¡¯s hard for these guys to wrap their heads around the idea that you¡¯re a real fighter.¡±


    ¡°Got it in one,¡± I said.


    I was standing around with a cup of gas station coffee in my hand talking to Geoff when a highway patrol car pulled up.


    Leaning out of his open window, the officer made a show of looking at our two Porsches. ¡°We¡¯re cracking down on reckless drivers on Angeles Crest this weekend,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you two would never consider exceeding the speed limit, but you might want to mention to others that enforcement will be high.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to do that, officer,¡± Geoff said, raising his own paper coffee cup in salute.


    ¡°Well, looks like it¡¯s Malibu today,¡± Geoff said when the CHP car left to head up into the hills.


    ¡°So, the real question is whether we tell Stein or not,¡± I said with a smirk.


    ¡°You are evil,¡± Geoff said with a laugh.


    ¡°And maybe I¡¯m going home,¡± I said. ¡°The 918 just isn¡¯t any fun in Malibu.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can believe that,¡± Geoff said. ¡°Really, driving like an asshole on public roads just doesn¡¯t have the same appeal after spending the weekend hauling the mail on the track.¡±


    "Yeah, there is that,¡± I agreed.


    We stood there in silence for a minute, just drinking our coffee, before Geoff spoke again. ¡°How are Angela and Emmy doing?¡± he asked out of the blue.


    ¡°Good- real good,¡± I said. ¡°They come home next Monday.¡±


    ¡°It must be tough, them being gone so long,¡± he commiserated.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to have ¡®em home, even if it¡¯s only for a little while before the next round of the tour.¡±


    ¡°So besides the track, what have you been doing while they¡¯re gone?¡±


    ¡°When the cats are away, the mouse will work,¡± I said. ¡°Really, since I¡¯ve had nothing better to do I¡¯ve been putting in long hours at the office. I mean, I don¡¯t really watch TV, I wouldn¡¯t even know where to go to bowl a few lanes¡­¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡®bowl a few frames¡¯,¡± Geoff corrected. ¡°The lane is the path the ball goes down towards the pins.¡±


    ¡°Shows how much I know,¡± I said. ¡°I guess my one real pastime besides the driving is beating guys up at my fight gym.¡±


    ¡°You go up against guys in the octagon?¡± Geoff asked, surprised.


    ¡°Well, sure, but it¡¯s just sparring, not real fights,¡± I said. ¡°I do it for practice, not competition.¡±


    ¡°What do the guys get out of it?¡±


    ¡°Same thing. They get practice against a fighter with a different set of skills than their usual sparring partners, get to see how they measure up, learn what works and what doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And get punched in the face,¡± Geoff added drily.


    ¡°Repeatedly,¡± I agreed with a laugh. ¡°Where is everybody, anyway?¡± I asked, looking at my watch and wondering if I¡¯d missed a text changing the start location.


    ¡°Stephen¡¯s still in Phoenix, but I have no idea where everybody else is,¡± Geoff said, just as Teddy Bear¡¯s gray Corvette pulled up to the gas pumps.


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    When Teddy Bear got out to fill his tank he gave us a wave. ¡°Where is everybody else?¡± he shouted, looking around.


    I gave him an exaggerated shrug, since I certainly didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°A CHP officer warned us they¡¯re cracking down on Angeles Crest,¡± Geoff told Teddy Bear when he joined us.


    ¡°That was nice of him,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°We were just talking about maybe bailing this morning,¡± Geoff told him.


    While they were talking about what to do, I checked the text that had just come through on my phone.


    ¡°Hey, Geoff, can I ask a favor?¡± I asked. ¡°Can you give me a ride down to Temecula? I¡¯ll need to drop my car off at home first.¡±


    ¡°Temecula? Down the 15?¡± Geoff asked. ¡°What¡¯s down there?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a used car I might want to buy. I think you might want to see it,¡± I told him, handing him the phone so he could see the picture that Walter James had sent me.


    ¡°Is this real?¡± Geoff asked, scrolling through the photos.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Teddy Bear asked, his curiosity piqued.


    ¡°A late ¡®80s Carrera done up rally-style,¡± Geoff said, handing the phone to Teddy Bear. Turning to me, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the story?¡±


    ¡°When my crew chief gave me a hard time about running off the track last weekend I told him maybe I should buy a rally car. Well, I guess word got around, and somebody just traded this in down at Temecula BMW- so the sales manager wanted to know if I was interested,¡± I explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s too pretty to ever actually take off-road,¡± Teddy Bear said, handing me the phone.


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to buy it? Just like that?¡± Geoff asked.


    I shrugged, saying, ¡°Well, it¡¯s worth a look. I mean, it could be a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°I gotta see this, too,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°How about we all go down and check it out?¡±


    That decided, Geoff shot Jimmy and Stein texts saying that the CHP had shut ACH down and we were leaving. Teddy Bear and Geoff followed me home, where I dropped off the 918. Teddy Bear and I played paper, rock, scissors for which of us got stuck in Geoff¡¯s abbreviated back seat, with the concession that if the sale didn¡¯t work out we¡¯d switch places for the drive back.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve been doing the whole ¡®hot yoga¡¯ thing recently,¡± Teddy Bear said as he climbed awkwardly into the back of the Carrera.


    ¡°If you think this is bad, you should try the back seat of the car Leah¡¯s buying. Those Carreras back in the late ¡®80s were much, much smaller- I think this car has at least a foot longer wheelbase,¡± Geoff said as I climbed in, scooting the passenger seat as far forward as I could for Teddy Bear.


    On the ninety-odd minute drive down to the dealership we got to talking about buying cars, and Teddy Bear told Geoff about how I¡¯d sold Godzilla to James, ¡°Just like that,¡± he said, snapping his fingers.


    ¡°Two hundred fifty K. James asks what¡¯s fair, this race driver dude says they¡¯re selling in Europe for two hundred thousand euros, so James asks if two hundred and fifty grand will take care of it. Leah thinks about it for a moment, then says sure, and that¡¯s that. Done deal.¡±


    ¡°The BMW race car- that was a surprise birthday present from your in-laws, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Geoff asked me.


    ¡°Yeah. I had no idea. I thought they¡¯d just gone and rented the track and got me coaching for my birthday. All of a sudden it was like, ¡®Hey, happy birthday! Here¡¯s your new track car!¡¯¡± I said.


    ¡°Linda¡¯s parents never got me anything like that,¡± Geoff said. ¡°I think I need to talk to them.¡±


    The rallied-out Porsche was much better than I¡¯d expected, and Joachim said that he¡¯d gone over it and that the conversion was properly done.


    ¡°The guy that traded it in, he basically took a high-mileage older Porsche and completely restomodded it,¡± he said. ¡°He had all the paperwork. Body-off- I mean, he did it right.¡±


    ¡°So why did he trade it in?¡± I asked, admiring the flawless dark olive paint, running my fingers over the graphics only to find they were paint, too, and not decals.


    ¡°I dunno. I never got to talk to the guy. But he traded it in for an Alpina,¡± Walter said. ¡°My guess? His wife told him to get rid of the garage queen and get something nice.¡±


    ¡°Leah, if you do not buy this car, I will never speak to you again,¡± Geoff said from the Recaro driver¡¯s seat. ¡°You don¡¯t know how bad I want to tell them to take my S in trade for this thing right now.¡±


    ¡°If Ms Farmer doesn¡¯t want it, I can make you a good deal,¡± Walter James said, trying to be helpful, but completely missing Geoff¡¯s stricken face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take it out for a test drive,¡± I suggested, immediately prompting Geoff and Teddy Bear to Rochambeau for who got the ride-along. Laughing, I said, ¡°We can all drive it. I get to go first.¡±


    Just taking the car out for a quick twenty minute loop in the hills west of town, a few things struck me. Compared to what I was used to, it was way down on power but never felt slow. Sure, slower than my other cars, but fast enough to be a lot of fun. It handled very differently than I was used to, with a lot of body roll and a surprising willingness to throw the back end out at any time. I intentionally ran fast across some really rough sections of road (no dirt, since I wasn¡¯t going to make the guys at the shop clean it up if I didn¡¯t take it home), and the suspension with its additional three or four inches of wheel travel just ate up the pavement irregularities with no drama.


    When Teddy Bear took the wheel and I sat in the passenger seat, I had to keep telling him to go faster.


    ¡°It feels like we¡¯re gonna tip over!¡± he replied after about the third time I told him to take the turn faster.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even gotten any of the wheels off the ground,¡± I replied.


    Geoff loved it, though, happily stepping the back out and gunning it out of turns, laughing like a madman as the inside front wheel got light.


    ¡°Seriously, Leah, buy this,¡± he said. ¡°This car deserves to have somebody that¡¯ll drive it the way it should be driven.¡±


    Back at the dealership, I told Walter to get the paperwork going, so he hustled off to his office to write it up.


    ¡°How much?¡± Teddy Bear asked as we all stood around looking at my brand-new 1988 Porsche Carrera Safari.


    ¡°No idea,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s our Leah,¡± Teddy Bear said with a laugh. ¡°I bet you¡¯re going to pay in cash, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certainly not gonna finance it,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I love the color,¡± Geoff said, changing the subject. ¡°Up until this year, it was only available on 911s in 2007 or 2008, something like that. They brought it back for this new model year.¡±


    ¡°So this wouldn¡¯t have been the original color?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nah. In the late ¡®80s they had a lot of color options- more than they do now- but this wouldn¡¯t have been one of ¡®em,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°Well, it looks factory,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°It does,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You¡¯d better bring this to the club meeting Wednesday after next,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°I was planning on it,¡± I told him.


    ¡°What¡¯re you gonna tell Angela and Emmy?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m not gonna mention it until they spot it in the garage.¡±


    ¡°I wanna be you when I grow up,¡± Teddy Bear said, shaking his head in amusement.


    We went to lunch at a burger and barbecue place in Old Town which turned out to be a locally owned breastaurant. In some ways I was a bit disappointed by that, but the waitresses were pretty and their Daisy Duke shorts and cowboy boots showed off their legs nicely. Some of the waitresses wore snug leather vests with nothing else, but most had plaid shirts knotted under their breasts, which were all in push-up bras.


    ¡°I like this place,¡± Teddy Bear commented after our waitress left with a sassy sashay.


    ¡°I kinda do, too,¡± I agreed, watching Kimberly¡¯s butt in the snug denim. ¡°I wonder if the owners would be willing to sell?¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯ve never even asked,¡± Teddy Bear said, sipping his iced tea. ¡°What is it you do for a living?¡±


    Passing up the chance to tease, I said, ¡°Mostly real estate investment and development, but I do have a hospitality division that owns and manages a bunch of restaurants, nightclubs and even a couple of boutique hotels.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re wondering if this place might be for sale?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Places like this get by on a surprisingly low margin, if they really are owner-operated non-chain or franchise. The food costs are high, especially compared to, say, Mexican or Chinese restaurants, where a lot of the food is bulk staples like rice or beans. Since I own a good number of medium to high end restaurants, I can get better pricing and better choices- well, I mean, I don¡¯t do this, I have people who do it, right? But we can get better access to higher quality meats for cheaper than these owners can, for example. Also, ancillary costs like accounting can eat up a large chunk in a mom and pop restaurant, but since I have a large company, those costs defray down to almost zero on an individual establishment¡¯s P and L sheets, right?¡±


    It was at this point that I saw I was losing the guys, so I finished by saying, ¡°Yeah, I know, not as glamorous as the life of the mob boss that so many people seem to think I lead, but there it is.¡±


    ¡°Seems pretty glamorous to me,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°A great house, twice as many hot wives as anybody really deserves, and all the toys you can play with.¡±


    ¡°Three houses now,¡± I said. ¡°I just bought Angela a penthouse in London.¡±


    ¡°Fuck my life,¡± Teddy Bear said, shaking his head.


    Just then the waitress showed up with our lunches, and after setting them down, pulled her phone from her back pocket. ¡°Can I get a selfie with you?¡± she asked Teddy Bear. ¡°I loved you in ¡®Death Before Dying.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he replied with a smile, which really did show off his rugged good looks. After Kimberly got her picture and left, he asked, ¡°Should I hit her up for her phone number?¡±


    ¡°Would you really want to drive all the way down here just for a date?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Good point,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°She does have nice butt, though¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°You remember that actress that was hot tubbing with Mitch Wagner at your housewarming party? Solange Hamilton? She got cast in my new show. She¡¯s actually pretty good, you know? A lot better than I would have expected, honestly. We shot a sex scene the other day, and besides her rock-hard wall-eyed boobs, the rest of her looks pretty damned good with no clothes on. Her butt¡¯s real, too- no Brazilian lift there. I know, because I got to spend about four hours with my hands on it.¡±


    ¡°And here you were just a moment ago complaining about your life,¡± Geoff said, chuckling.


    ¡°Dude, you have no idea how demotivating it is to be in bed with a hot chick while twenty-seven guys stand around filming and recording everything, talking about where to go for lunch while the director constantly tells you to raise your arm, or whatever. I don¡¯t know how the porn guys do it,¡± Teddy Bear replied.


    ¡°When I first met Solange, she complained that she wasn¡¯t getting any good jobs because she didn¡¯t want to do nudity,¡± I said, remembering back.


    ¡°Honestly, if she toned down the bimbo look, she probably could do O.K. Like I said, she¡¯s a decent actress,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    After lunch Geoff took off for home, But Teddy Bear had no time constraints so he rode with me as I took the very long way back to Los Angeles. We wound up on a very narrow, barely wide enough for two cars type of road through the mountains west of Lake Elsinore. The road was potholed, patched, and occasionally just dirt, perfect for the Porsche Safari.


    Sure, ¡®Safari¡¯ was never an official model from Porsche, but the ¡°Safari 3.2¡± graphics on the rocker panel looked legit, so I was happy to run with it.


    ¡°I feel like I should be reading a rally sheet and calling out the turns ahead,¡± Teddy Bear said as I drove through one particularly rough section at a pretty solid clip.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t understand any of that, anyway,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a couple of rally games for my driving simulator, and they have the co-driver calling out the turns and none of it makes any sense except for the ¡®left¡¯ or ¡®right¡¯ parts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I like watching it on TV, but I don¡¯t understand it, either,¡± Teddy Bear admitted. ¡°But it sounds cool.¡±

 Dont Blame Me

    Teddy Bear wound up hanging out with me at the house that afternoon. When we¡¯d pulled in to the Batcave, he gawked and commented that he never really got to see the house, so I gave him a full tour, including the studio side.


    ¡°Got a lot of room for further additions,¡± he said, looking around the wine room at the still mostly empty racks.


    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have nearly the collection here that we do in New York,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°What¡¯s your New York house like?¡± he asked as we took the elevator up to the first floor.


    ¡°Completely different from this,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s what they call a Brownstone, even though it¡¯s not made of brown stone at all. It¡¯s eight stories, including the basement and the wine cellar level,¡± I said as we made our way to the kitchen. ¡°Want a drink?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure- it¡¯s five o¡¯clock somewhere,¡± he joked.


    ¡°I meant, like, a bottle of water or a Coke or something, but we can do adult beverages,¡± I said, indicating he should follow me out to the deck bar.


    ¡°Wait- the hot tub is back here?¡± Teddy Bear demanded once he spotted it. ¡°No wonder I never found Mitch and Solange!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, when you took off to look for them I told the others you were never gonna find it,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°What¡¯ll you have?¡± I asked, opening up the bar.


    ¡°Oh, man- look at this setup!¡± Teddy Bear said, parking himself on one of the bar stools and admiring the full wet bar. ¡°How about¡­ a Negroni?¡±


    ¡°Classic old-school, or do want any variation?¡± I asked, grabbing an orange to cut a peeling from.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°Well, most people use classic Tanqueray, right? But I kinda like this stuff,¡± I said, pulling down a bottle of light pink gin and handing it to him. ¡°Because it softens the cocktail a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright, then,¡± he said with a grin, handing back the bottle.


    I quickly made us a couple of drinks, then joined him on a bar stool.


    ¡°What are you going to do with your new toy?¡± Teddy Bear asked after a few moments of sipping his Negroni.


    ¡°I dunno,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I mean, drive it, obviously, but it¡¯s not as if I¡¯m going to take it rally racing anywhere. Like you called it- it¡¯s just a toy.¡±


    After making us a couple more drinks I suggested we find our way to the more comfortable deck chairs, where we could look out through the screen of the eucalyptus trees and down the canyon to the south.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, Leah, you¡¯ve got it pretty good here,¡± Teddy Bear said appreciatively.


    ¡°I am well aware,¡± I agreed, enjoying the late winter Southern California sun.


    ¡°How much time do you think you¡¯ll spend in London?¡± Teddy Bear asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°Honestly? No clue. Right now, no time at all, since the unit isn¡¯t even built out, much less furnished. But in six, nine months, something like that, when the place is ready for occupancy, I can see a month or two a year, something like that. I¡¯ve been easing off on my workload, stepping away and letting my department heads have a bit more autonomy so I can spend more time with the family.¡±


    ¡°Family? You mean Angela and Emmy?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t announced it to anybody but our relatives yet, but both of them are pregnant. We¡¯re expecting two little girls,¡± I told him. ¡°Feel free to not share that with anybody just yet.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? That¡¯s awesome!¡± Teddy Bear said, sitting upright.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°Angela is due right around my birthday in September, and Emmy in late October.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Teddy Bear breathed. ¡°Practically twins. That¡¯s gonna be a handful.¡±


    ¡°Angela really wanted the two to be born at the same time, but with the whole hassle that was the fertility process, Emmy didn¡¯t take at the same time as Angela, so here we are, the two six weeks apart,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Well, six weeks is nothing,¡± Teddy Bear said, leaning back. ¡°They¡¯ll be in the same grades in school together after all, and that¡¯s how kids rank relative ages. So, if it isn¡¯t prying, who is the donor? Is it, um, your cousin the football player?¡±


    ¡°You can ask, but I¡¯m not gonna tell,¡± I said with a smile to let him know I wasn¡¯t bothered by the question, but wasn¡¯t about to share that detail. ¡°And Andy isn¡¯t actually my cousin. We were just best friends when we were little kids.¡±


    ¡°I thought I heard somebody say you grew up together,¡± Teddy Bear mused.


    ¡°We kinda did for a while. He was more like a brother to me back then than anything.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice for a sperm donor,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°Big, strong, healthy young guy, and he does kinda look a bit like you- I guess that was part of why I thought he was your cousin- family resemblance.¡±


    We sat out on the deck for a while longer just chatting about nothing particularly important, but when it got dark enough that we needed to turn on the lights, Teddy Bear suggested we go grab a bite.


    ¡°There¡¯s this place down on Hollywood Boulevard that has awesome all-you-can-eat bulgogi tacos,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s tiny, but since we¡¯re early we could probably get in without waiting.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said, collecting our glasses and putting them in the bar¡¯s dishwasher, then closing the bar up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything going tonight, right? I mean, Angela and Emmy aren¡¯t here, so what do you say about we go out and hit a few clubs?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    I was about to tell him no, but then I reconsidered. I liked the guy, he was good to hang out with, and he¡¯d made absolutely no attempt to even hint about coming on to me. There was no reason I shouldn¡¯t spend time with my guy friends, was there?


    ¡°Yeah, sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°Do I need to dress for clubbing?¡±


    ¡°Nah, we won¡¯t be going to anyplace that- well, maybe a little bit, but not too much. Something that works in a dive bar is just fine. Maybe what you have on now, but throw on a leather jacket or something?¡± Teddy Bear suggested, so I changed shoes, ditching my Chucks in favor of a pair of black Doc Marten Oxfords, just to ramp up the butch factor a touch, with a black leather racing jacket over my Porsche Club T shirt and Levis.


    I was pleased with the look- I looked butch, sure, but not overly so. Teddy Bear gave me an approving nod when he saw what I had on.


    ¡°Man, if you were looking to pull tonight you would have zero problems with the ladies, looking like that,¡± he said. ¡°But Jesus, you¡¯re friggin¡¯ tall.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but no pulling for me,¡± I replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Well, no, you¡¯re married to two of the most beautiful women on Earth, so why would you even look at other chicks, amirite?¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± I said.


    We took Teddy Bear¡¯s Corvette back to his place in Studio City so he could throw on something more appropriate, then we got a ride-share to the Korean taco stand.


    By that point we were no longer early, so we did find ourselves standing around for about twenty minutes waiting for a table, but that was fine. It allowed us to watch and comment on the mix of wide-eyed tourists, too cool for school locals, and difficult-to-classify people slipping somewhat furtively in and out of the Scientology building across the street.


    A middle-aged, heavyset woman and her husband, obviously tourists, spotted Teddy Bear and recognized him immediately. They asked him if they could take a picture with him, and he was gracious about it, posing with his arms around their shoulders while I took a few pictures with the husband¡¯s phone.


    ¡°That¡¯s twice in one day,¡± I teased him. ¡°You never told me you were so famous.¡±


    ¡°I am an international star,¡± he said airily. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I am huge in Japan.¡±


    Laughing, we went inside the dumpy little restaurant when they called our number. Teddy Bear was right- the bulgogi tacos were excellent. They made their own corn tortillas fresh, and they were nice and thick- just right. The guy behind the counter said that they made all their own kimchee and marinades in-house, too, and I could believe it.


    ¡°Y¡¯know,¡± Teddy Bear said around a mouthful of taco. ¡°This place? This is why I could never go back home again. I mean, Iowa is a lot prettier than you¡¯d think, but this sort of thing?¡± he said, holding up his taco, ¡°Not happening there. They think Mexican food means Taco Bell and they wouldn¡¯t know Korean barbecue from, well, from anything, to be honest. Great steak places, mind, but there¡¯s only so much of that a man can take. And Jesus, the casserole,¡± he groaned.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    After we ate, Teddy Bear pointed out a bar just down the street. ¡°Have you tried that place?¡± he asked. ¡°Looks like they might have a band playing tonight.¡±


    ¡°Honestly?¡± I said, following him down Hollywood Boulevard. ¡°We don¡¯t get out as much as you might think.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess- you spend too much time in the bedroom?¡± he asked with a big grin on his face.


    ¡°There¡¯s that,¡± I said, giving him a little shove. ¡°But mainly it¡¯s kind of a pain in the ass since everybody and their brother wants to talk to Emmy or take selfies with her. We pretty much can only go to places that get a lot of big names, where we can eat dinner in peace.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°It happens to a lot of A List types. They wind up living in some small town in Montana or Italy or something just to get away from the constant attention. My attitude on that is that it comes with the territory. Don¡¯t want to be recognized everywhere you go? Easy- don¡¯t be a big star.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s- well, the whole point of Emmy¡¯s music is to make her as famous as possible,¡± I said, but we¡¯d reached the door of the club by that point, so Teddy Bear fished some cash out of his money clip to pay the cover charge, since there was a band playing after all.


    The place was mostly full, and it looked as if we might have to sit at the bar until I spotted a familiar figure waving to us.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a guy I know,¡± I said, to Teddy Bear, dragging him to the far side of the room.


    ¡°Hey, Darius,¡± I said when we got to the table. Andy¡¯s teammate was with a couple of other guys that had to be football players, too, given their size.


    ¡°Everybody- everybody,¡± Darius said, waving for his pals to shut up and listen. ¡°This is Leah Farmer, Emmy Lascaux¡¯s wife. Yeah, Andy¡¯s cousin,¡± he said. "And her friend, who goes by the name of ''Teddy Bear''," but it seemed as if they knew who he was already.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Emmy? And, uh, Angela?¡± Darius asked.


    ¡°On tour,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯s the same for us, during the season, but at least we get to come home almost every week.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, one more week until they get home,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s been a long few months.¡±


    ¡°Andy said he¡¯s gonna go see ¡®em in Tokyo,¡± Darius said. ¡°That¡¯d be somethin¡¯ else.¡±


    Teddy Bear and I hung out for maybe half an hour, but the band really wasn¡¯t our thing, so we said our goodbyes and left to find other entertainment.


    Teddy Bear dragged me down a block to a dive bar that had a ton of Hollywood history and hadn¡¯t changed in decades. In fact, a lot of the place looked just the way it would have back in the time right after Prohibition. There were photos of stars like Kirk Douglas, Sammy Davis Jr and John Belushi on the walls, and you could tell in the background the the bar looked exactly the same.


    The jukebox was playing Sinatra or somebody like that, one of those big-band crooners from long ago, and it fit the ambience perfectly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been here a couple of times,¡± Teddy Bear said as we took seats at the bar.


    I ordered an Old Fashioned with Buffalo Trace, and Teddy Bear said that sounded good, so one for him, too, please.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that much of a whiskey guy,¡± Teddy Bear admitted when the bartender set our drinks down.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± I said, ¡°Because I have a ten thousand dollar bottle of Scotch back home that I need to finish off.¡±


    Teddy Bear looked at me for a while, then said, ¡°Of course you do.¡±


    We left after maybe half an hour, wandering west this time.


    Since it was my turn to pick our next stop, I was looking around for what might be a bit more fun than the interesting but fossilized Frolic Room had been.


    ¡°You have much cash on you?¡± I asked Teddy Bear as I spotted our next stop.


    ¡°A few hundy, why?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna need a lot of ones,¡± I said as I steered him towards a strip club¡¯s surprisingly low-key entrance.


    ¡°Ah, O.K., then,¡± Teddy Bear said with a smirk. ¡°You know the ladies inside aren¡¯t going to measure up to your standards, right?¡±


    ¡°Like the sign says,¡± said the bouncer, overhearing. ¡°Thousands of pretty ladies, and three ugly ones.¡±


    Laughing, we held our arms up so he could quickly check we weren¡¯t carrying any weapons, then went inside. I paid the hostess our cover charges and got fifty bucks worth of ones, handing half to Teddy Bear.


    ¡°What, not springing for the VIP package?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°You can if you want,¡± I suggested, but he took a pass, too.


    The music was loud, as expected, and the interior was also just what I¡¯d expected, judging from my limited experience in those kinds of places.


    We managed to score a small table, and soon enough a waitress in bra and panty set with a garter and stockings came to take our order.


    California has some interesting laws regarding that sort of establishment, and the oddest is that if the club has fully nude dancers, they can¡¯t serve alcohol. They often get around that prohibition by partnering with a normal bar right next door, so patrons get their buzz on at the sports bar and then go watch the naked ladies. One side effect of the ¡®no alcohol¡¯ rule is that the legal drinking age of twenty-one doesn¡¯t apply, since nobody is drinking, so they allow eighteen-year-olds in.


    Incidentally, that was how I found Jen to teach Emmy to pole dance, since I couldn¡¯t legally enter bars back then.


    So our choices were sodas, mocktails, or juices for the drinks. I was fine with that, since Teddy Bear and I were already four drinks deep so far that night and it was still early-ish.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the first dancer to make her way to our table to ask if we wanted a dance. Teddy Bear went off with her to one of the couches while I looked around the place, now that my eyes had gotten adjusted to the strange lighting.


    The girl on stage had removed her last tiny scrap of clothing and was doing the splits, looking back over her shoulder at a middle-aged guy seated at the stage¡¯s rail. Obviously she¡¯d marked him as the big spender of the moment. There were four other dancers circulating around the room, trying to talk patrons into table dances, and a couple who¡¯d already collared their clients for a dance.


    ¡°Your date looks busy,¡± one dark-haired dancer said, leaning in close so I could get a whiff of that stripper smell. I have no idea what it was, but they all seemed to use the same combination of body lotion and perfume.


    She was a little bit thicker than I like, but I¡¯d already realized that my type tended to the very fit and athletic, so that was no surprise. She looked South Asian, which seemed to be unusual in that line of work.


    ¡°He¡¯s not my date- just a drinking buddy,¡± I said.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t cops, are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I said with a little laugh at the idea. ¡°He¡¯s an actor, I¡¯m in real estate.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s certainly acting happy over there,¡± she said, leaning forward to give me a good view down the front of her half-unbuttoned men¡¯s shirt. ¡°I could make you happier than he looks. We could go back to one of the private rooms¡­¡±


    Curious, I asked, ¡°What could happen there that couldn¡¯t out here?¡±


    This seemed to be a red flag of some kind. Her manner turned a lot less flirty, and she responded with, ¡°Nothing, really. It¡¯s just private, so you don¡¯t get distracted by all this,¡± she said, waving her arm to indicate the club as a whole.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± I said. ¡°So why don¡¯t we just stay out here? Maybe I should grab a seat on the couch next to my friend.¡±


    That didn¡¯t seem to sit well with the dancer. ¡°I¡¯m up in a couple of songs,¡± she said, gesturing at the stage. ¡°Maybe afterwards?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine,¡± I said.


    To my complete lack of surprise, she made a circuit of the tables, asking others if they wanted a private dance.


    Rejoining me, Teddy Bear asked, ¡°Not your type?¡±


    ¡°I think I wasn¡¯t her type,¡± I replied. ¡°I kinda get the feeling she got vice cop vibes from me or something.¡±


    ¡°I could kinda see that,¡± Teddy Bear said with a little tilt of his head. ¡°But hey, Stacy- or whatever her real name actually is, the one I just got a dance from? She¡¯s pretty good, if you want a table dance.¡±


    We stayed for maybe two hours, and I did get several table dances, but never twice from the same girl.


    ¡°Hey, ready for our last stop? Ready to close out the night?¡± I asked Teddy Bear as we walked down Hollywood Boulevard.


    ¡°Sure, yeah, what¡¯cha got in mind?¡±


    ¡°Yo! Too Tall! Action Man!¡± somebody called out from across the street.


    ¡°Hey, Dar!¡± I hollered back as he and his pals jaywalked across the busy street to join us.


    ¡°Did I just catch you two leaving an adult entertainment establishment?¡± Darius asked.


    ¡°Are we catching you three about to head into an adult entertainment establishment?¡± Teddy Bear teased back.


    ¡°Aw, naw, man,¡± Darius said, shaking his head and waving his hand in a dismissive fashion.


    ¡°He swore them places off after his divorce,¡± one of his two pals said.


    ¡°I shoulda known better when she told me her name was Mon¨¦,¡± Darius agreed with a grimace.


    ¡°O.K., this is a story I need to hear,¡± I said. ¡°But not here in the middle of the sidewalk. We were about to get an Uber to take us to a dive bar I know over in Silver Lake that has the best whiskey list in town. Wanna join us?¡±


    The three guys looked at each other and made funny ¡®whaddaya think?¡¯ faces, then they all nodded, almost in unison, making me think it was a familiar routine.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re down,¡± Aaron said, and the other two made affirmative noises.


    ¡°Do you guys have a car?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°Nah, we knew we was gonna be drinking tonight,¡± Steve said.


    We huddled there on the sidewalk and I gave them the address for the ride share, and when our driver showed up we told the three football players we¡¯d see them at the bar.


    ¡°I dig this place¡¯s vibe,¡± Teddy Bear said when we walked in. ¡°This is like a real old-school dive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the oldest bar in Los Angeles,¡± I told him as we found ourselves a table away from the pool tables. ¡°Or so I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    ¡°What can I get you guys?¡± the tattooed Betty Page lookalike waitress asked.


    ¡°Just a couple of glasses of water right now,¡± I told her before Teddy Bear had a chance to speak up. ¡°We¡¯ve got three friends coming in a few minutes- we¡¯ll order then.¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± she said.


    ¡°You said this place has the most extensive whiskey list in town,¡± Teddy Bear said, looking at the wall behind the bar. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve seen bigger.¡±


    ¡°No, I said ¡®the best whiskey list¡¯, not the largest. This place stocks whiskeys that precious few other places can even get their hands on.¡±


    The waitress set the waters down, along with a couple of menus. ¡°Kitchen closes at ten, so if you want anything to eat, let me know soon,¡± she said.


    ¡°If you¡¯re hungry- and I know this sounds bizarre- but the grilled cheese sandwich is unbelievably good,¡± I told Teddy Bear.


    ¡°Grilled cheese? What makes it so good?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know," I admitted. "It¡¯s just a plain, simple grilled sandwich with cheddar cheese in the middle. No weird ingredients or anything, no truffle oil or anything fancy like that. As far as I can tell, it¡¯s buttered sourdough bread, and melted cheddar. That¡¯s it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve had it a couple of times after it was recommended to me, and, well, like I said, it¡¯s the best I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    ¡°Yo yo yo,¡± Steve said as the three Rams joined our table. "What¡¯re y¡¯all lookin¡¯ so serious about?¡±


    ¡°Leah was just telling me this place has the best grilled cheese sandwich she¡¯s ever had,¡± Teddy Bear said, handing him the menu, which was just a photocopied sheet in a plastic sleeve.


    ¡°Yo, man, I love me some grilled cheese,¡± Darius said.


    When the waitress came back, we ordered eight grilled cheese sandwiches (two apiece for the three giant guys) and more waters.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to set you guys up,¡± I said and went to talk to Rodney, the hipster bartender.


    A few minutes later the waitress brought out five round trays, each with five holes for small glasses, numbered one though five.


    ¡°Alright, boys, here is where it get interesting,¡± I said. ¡°These are what are called flights. Each one of these,¡± I said, holding up one of the small tumblers in my tray, ¡°Is an absolutely top-shelf American whiskey. Some are bourbons, some are ryes, some are single-malt. Every single one of these cost over a thousand dollars a bottle.¡±


    ¡°Are you freaking kidding me?¡± Teddy Bear demanded.


    ¡°Nope. Not kidding. Here¡¯s the list,¡± I said, holding up a photocopied sheet with the names and prices of the five samples.


    ¡°Here are your sandwiches, guys,¡± the waitress said, laying the plates out for us.


    ¡°So, like, we¡¯re gonna eat grilled cheese sammiches and drink the most expensive whiskey any of us have ever tried?¡± Aaron asked, trying to wrap his head around the idea.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Dar, man, you know some interestin¡¯ people,¡± Aaron said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me, man,¡± Darius protested. ¡°She¡¯s Temple¡¯s cousin.¡±

 All By Myself

    We ate our sandwiches first, and everybody had to agree that they were as good as any they¡¯d ever eaten.


    When everybody was done with their tasty grilled cheese, we tried the first of the bourbons. We sipped it straight at first, then with a drop from the bottle of Ozark spring water the waitress had left when she delivered the flights.


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s smooth,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°I like that a lot.¡±


    ¡°They sell the bottle for, um, twelve hundred fifty,¡± Darius said, looking at the photocopied list.


    ¡°Leah here told me she¡¯s got a ten thousand dollar bottle of Scotch at home,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°Makes this stuff seem like a bargain.¡±


    ¡°Damn!¡± Steve said, elbowing Aaron. ¡°I thought you lived large, man, but that¡¯s a whole ¡®nother level.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know,¡± Darius said, shaking his head. ¡°Leah could probably buy the Rams, man. For reals.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not that rich,¡± I said.


    ¡°Pretty damned rich, though,¡± Darius said.


    ¡°Yeah, I am pretty damned rich,¡± I agreed, sipping the second sample.


    ¡°So where¡¯s Emmy and Angela?¡± Darius asked. ¡°How come you¡¯re hanging out on a Saturday night with an actor?¡±


    ¡°Angela¡¯s with Emmy on tour,¡± I said. "They come back in a week. As far as hanging out with an actor, well, Teddy Bear here is one of my best buds,¡± I said, reaching over and giving Teddy Bear a pat on the shoulder. ¡°I try to do my best to overlook the fact he¡¯s an actor.¡±


    ¡°Prolly for the best,¡± Aaron said, nodding his approval.


    The five of us enjoyed our whiskies, just shooting the breeze and talking about the Rams¡¯ prospects next season, and how the Chargers were going to leave San Diego to move to LA.


    Teddy Bear told some funny stories from the set, which started a round of one-upmanship of outrageously comical and embarrassing situations we¡¯d experienced. When it came my turn, all I could think of was the portrait session in New York. I didn¡¯t think it was all that embarrassing, but the guys sure did.


    ¡°So you were naked as a jaybird out on the balcony when they came walkin¡¯ in?¡± Steve asked.


    ¡°Well, it was more like a terrace than a balcony, and they came walking out, not in, but yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You remember when that chick from ESPN walked into the locker room last season? Rog just stepped out of the shower, wearing nothing but his sliders and the towel across his shoulder?¡± Aaron asked his teammates.


    ¡°Leah, what you gotta understand is that Rog is a big boy. I mean, a really big boy, if you get what I mean, and he just stood there, right behind and off to the side while this chick from ESPN tried to interview Case. He was just letting it all hang out, making sure the camera could see him.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Teddy Bear asked, laughing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they used that footage,¡± Aaron said.


    ¡°We all got a talk about ¡®appropriate professional behavior¡¯ after that,¡± Darius said, chuckling at the memory.


    We stayed there at the bar for another couple of hours until it was clearly time to head home. I was glad I¡¯d gotten a ride share, since I was in no shape to drive, and honestly, neither were any of the guys. The football players had talked about maybe finding someplace else to party, but when they actually stood up to leave the bar, they quickly realized that their night was over.


    As we stood out on the sidewalk waiting for our rides, Aaron said, ¡°Yo, man, Teddy Bear, it was good to meet you tonight. And Leah, you got style. We should hang out again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be cool with that,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°Darius has my number,¡± I said. ¡°Text me next time you¡¯re going out- maybe I can make it.¡±


    The three football players¡¯ ride arrived first, and they left after fist bumps all around.


    ¡°So, make up your mind- is Andy your cousin or not?¡± Teddy Bear asked out of the blue. It took me a moment to recall that the players thought he was and I hadn¡¯t bothered to correct them.


    ¡°No, he isn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°But I guess he might as well be. Closest thing I have, I guess.¡±


    After maybe a minute of silence, Teddy Bear said, ¡°Thanks for hanging out tonight. I had a really good time. It was cool getting to see a different side of you.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®not driving¡¯ side?¡± I joked.


    ¡°I meant the ¡®not so intense¡¯ side, actually,¡± Teddy Bear replied. ¡°You¡¯re usually, well, kinda intimidating.¡±


    ¡°This is from a guy who shoots people and blows stuff up for a living,¡± I rejoined.


    ¡°Pretends to shoot people, pretends to blow stuff up,¡± Teddy Bear objected. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®acting¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And I pretend to be a mob boss and secret government assassin,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°You do what?¡± Teddy Bear asked, surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Well, two separate stories, but-¡±, I said, just as Teddy Bear¡¯s Uber arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to hear this,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°Next week, driving day.¡±


    ¡°Sorry- I¡¯ll be up in the Bay Area, playing mob boss,¡± I said with an apologetic shrug as he got into the car.


    My own ride showed up just a few moments after Teddy Bear¡¯s ride left, sparing me the ignominy of waiting alone on the sidewalk for too long.


    I drank a couple of glasses of water, then took a shower to wash the night off me and get ready for bed. Pondering the evening, I thought about hanging out with a bunch of guys on a Saturday night. I¡¯d never actually done that before, I realized. Sure, I¡¯d gone out a couple of times with Jen so the strip club wasn¡¯t a totally foreign experience, and of course I¡¯d been to plenty of nightclubs, but almost always with Emmy.


    Going as ¡®one of the guys¡¯ was novel, but in a good way. I¡¯d been a little concerned in the back of my mind that I might have to fend off unwanted advances, but to their credit, none of the guys had even hinted at trying to make a move on me. Sure, there had been a little bit of ¡®wish I could have seen that!¡¯ joking when I told the story about the New York portrait incident, but that was as far as it went. Other than that, we¡¯d just been a bunch of ¡®guys¡¯ out on the town, having a good time. I¡¯d enjoyed myself.


    Settling down in that big, empty bed, I wished I¡¯d spent the evening with my two snuggle bunnies instead.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I woke with a hangover for the first time in quite a while, to no great surprise. I¡¯d lost count of how many drinks I¡¯d actually managed to put away the night before, and even though I tried to match every glass of alcohol with a corresponding glass of water, I¡¯d known it was still going to come back and haunt me.


    It was a three mile run mostly downhill down to the cafe I liked on Sunset, which seemed like a good way to clear my head.


    A cyclist coming up the hill on Sunset Plaza waved and called out my name so I reflexively waved back, only realizing a moment too late that it was Olivia from just up the hill from us- the one that had just had little baby Laurence. Angela and Emmy had visited them several times now, but I¡¯d so far failed to do so.


    I pondered Angela and Emmy¡¯s abilities to make friends so easily as I continued on, thinking that I really did need to put in an effort to be more sociable.


    Angela and Emmy both really loved our Wednesday dinners- they loved having guests over, and enjoyed hosting decent-sized groups. To me, five or six people seemed like a lot, but for Emmy and Angela, the more the merrier.


    It was wrong to say that I put up with it for their sake, but if it were up to me, I¡¯d keep the get-togethers to a more manageable size.


    The weather that morning was a bit coolish for Los Angeles so it was easy enough to score myself an outdoor table. The waitress asked if I wanted her to turn on a heater, but I said I was fine and didn¡¯t need it, since my core temperature was still elevated from my run.


    As I ate my French toast, I noticed the well-dressed woman at the next table eyeing me. I tried to ignore it, but the looks she was giving me made me feel as if I was the dessert she really wanted.


    Finally she spoke up. ¡°Excuse me,¡±she asked. ¡°Are you a trainer at a gym around here? I¡¯ve been thinking I should get myself in shape.¡±


    Of course it was a way to start a conversation that would eventually lead to to compliments, flirting, and she was hoping maybe some one-on-one time, but I was polite.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a trainer, sorry. I don¡¯t know of any gyms around here.¡±


    ¡°You certainly look very fit,¡± she said, making a point of eyeing my shoulders and arms.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, trying to brush her off but be polite at the same time.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not a fitness trainer, are you in the Industry?¡± she asked, and I could hear the word¡¯s capitalization, as if there really was only one industry that mattered. ¡°Maybe a stunt woman?¡± she continued, ignoring the ¡®don¡¯t bother me¡¯ vibes I was trying to send.


    ¡°No, not in the film industry,¡± I said, keeping my answers short.


    ¡°You certainly could be, with looks like yours,¡± she said, reaching into her purse. ¡°Here¡¯s my card. I¡¯m an agent with United Talent.¡±


    Waving it away, I said, ¡°Thanks, but not interested.¡±


    ¡°You could make a lot of money,¡± she persisted. ¡°Superhero movies are huge right now.¡±


    ¡°More than, say, Chris Evans? How much did he make for Captain America last year?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, no, you wouldn¡¯t¡­ I heard he cleared fifteen mil, plus residuals, of course,¡± she replied.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± I said. ¡°I just bought my wife a penthouse in London for that same amount. I paid cash,¡± I said. ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll take a few more million for the designer to build it out to suit, but¡­¡± I shrugged in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ sort of way. ¡°My baby gets what she wants.¡±


    The woman looked at me for a moment, then asked, ¡°Um, what is it you do?¡±


    ¡°My company does real estate development, investing, and management for the most part, but we also have a hospitality division,¡± I said. ¡°So yeah, I took home a whole lot more than Chris Evans did last year. Hell, I probably have more money than Tom Cruise.¡±


    Recovering her sense of humor, the lady said, ¡°Well, I had been hoping that maybe you needed a sugar momma, but now I¡¯m thinking maybe I could use a sugar baby instead,¡± she said with a saucy wink.


    Relieved by her ability to roll with it, I laughed. ¡°Sorry- I have enough snuggle bunnies in my life.¡±


    ¡°Lucky them,¡± she said with an exaggerated sigh.


    Relaxing in the hot tub that evening with a pink gin sling, I thought about the woman that had tried to pick me up that morning. Back at Stanford I¡¯d read Slaves Of New York by Tama Janowitz for my sophomore literature class, and the idea that some people become dependent on sugar daddies or sugar mommas just to get by had struck me as strange, but I¡¯d certainly seen it as I got out into the world.


    Angela had been that way, to a great extent, even though she made decent money by most standards. She¡¯d been dependent on Antonio¡¯s ability to provide a nice level of comfort with cars and a West Los Angeles high-rise condo that most people could never afford.


    Continuing that line of thought, I mused on how she¡¯d certainly traded up in that regard. I was providing her a much nicer lifestyle than Antonio ever could have done, including, of course, the new London penthouse that was beyond Antonio¡¯s wildest dreams.


    Emmy and I had talked way back when about whether we thought Angela was a gold digger and we¡¯d both felt that she wasn¡¯t- in the time since it had become obvious that Angela really did love the two of us and the money was nice, but not a real part of the equation.


    Of course, all the money I had earned over the last handful of years wouldn¡¯t have been possible without Emmy¡¯s incredible trust fund to get the ball rolling. Sure, I¡¯d been the one who had invested it, and I¡¯d been the one who had used that money to build a small empire, but if I¡¯d had to start from zero I would still be fairly close to zero. There certainly wouldn¡¯t have been any Century City high rise apartment, and no meeting Angela.


    Sure, what ifs are of no real use, but sometimes the mind wanders in those directions. What if Emmy had never come to Fallbrook? What if Stephanie and I had gotten together before Emmy showed up? What if¡­ Like I said, no real use, but the mind can¡¯t help itself on occasion. Focusing on the real, what is actually happening, that is what matters. And in real life, we were rich. In real life, Emmy and Angela were my wives, and we all loved each other very much. In real life, soon we were going to have a couple of daughters.


    In real life, Angela and I were going to raise our two daughters, once Emmy left us in probably less than ten years. In real life, Angela was going to be the woman I would grow old with.


    Knowing that we had Emmy¡¯s blessing made it easier. Of course, she had been the one that had seen the possibility and set it in motion. In retrospect, our trip to Chicago was Emmy sealing the deal. When she¡¯d said that she ¡°wanted this,¡± at the time I thought she meant having threesome sex with Angela. In hindsight it was much more than that. Emmy wanted Angela for me, and for whatever child she might have. She had seen possibilities in Angela, seen what could develop and gave it the nudge it took to get things moving.


    I could easily picture myself growing old with Angela. Angela was a very loving woman, and I simply couldn¡¯t imagine a better mother for our two girls. I had no doubt that she would love Emmy Jr as much as she did Angela Jr, and I had to believe that Emmy was just as confident.


    If I couldn¡¯t grow old with Emmy, I mused, Angela certainly wasn¡¯t a terrible companion for the rest of my life. In fact, I couldn¡¯t possibly want for better.


    I got up and made myself another drink and lounged on one of the deck chairs to cool off from the hot tub, enjoying the mild Santa Ana¡¯s warm, dry air. Sipping my second pink gin sling, I reflected on Angela¡¯s side of the coin. She¡¯d made it clear that she would want to stay with me after we lose Emmy, and I¡¯d promised Emmy I¡¯d make the marriage to Angela legal when that happened. Our girls would lose one mother but still have the other to raise them with love and care.


    I would do whatever it took, I told myself, to keep Angela happy and fulfilled in our life together. Sure, people can change with time and relationships can and do fail, but I was ready to do whatever I had to to make our lives together as long and content as possible.


    Getting a bit cold, I wrapped myself up in one of the fluffy robes from the cabinet by the little pool and went inside. Looking for something to do and not finding myself interested in work, I grabbed my iPad and made my way to the living room to watch some Downfall videos on Youtube.


    In addition to all of the official videos and live performance footage there were a ton of analysis videos from guitar teachers, vocal coaches, and even one guy that billed himself as a ¡®composer¡¯, whatever that actually meant. I watched a few of those and found them interesting, but when they started talking about ¡®vocal fry¡¯ or ¡®aeolian pentameters¡¯ or ''drop D tuning'' and ''polyrhythmic counts'' or whatever they just lost me.


    Still, it seemed that they were pretty unanimous in saying that Emmy and the boys were the real deal, but of course I knew that already. Still, it was nice to see it confirmed.


    Randomly following the ¡®suggested videos¡¯ I stumbled across phone-camera footage of Emmy playing at Fallbrook High School¡¯s Winter Carnival with the Prodigal Sons. Somebody had recorded the whole thing, but broken it up into the various songs.


    Even though the videos were poor quality and the sound was terrible, they had hundreds of thousands of views- undoubtedly the most widely viewed videos that person had ever posted.


    I watched Emmy¡¯s version of the classic Eruption intro and then You Really Got Me. She looked so young in that faux prep school outfit of hers, the one that Courtney had dismissively referred to as stripper-adjacent.


    Emmy¡¯s guitar solo had clearly been inspired by Eddie Van Halen¡¯s playing, but she¡¯d put her own spin on it even way back then. Mr Pacheco had seen it, that Emmy could succeed with her talent and her unusual looks, and he¡¯d been right.


    Growing bored with watching videos and feeling restless, I wandered around the house, trying to find something, anything, to do. I eventually gave up and drew myself a bath for an early bedtime.


    I realized that I was feeling lonely, and felt guilty for wishing that Angela had skipped the rest of the European tour and come home with me.


    Telling myself that it was only a few more days until they were home, I slid into that great big, empty bed of ours, all by myself.

 They Return

    ¡°God damn, Leah,¡± Richie said as he handed me a bottle of water after I finished my plyometric session. ¡°As many times as I¡¯ve seen it, I still can¡¯t believe how intense you work out.¡±


    Nodding thanks for the water, I held the cold bottle against my forehead for a moment before twisting the cap off and taking a big swig.


    ¡°I have to maximize my efforts, since I have so little time to work out,¡± I said.


    ¡°You put in at least three hours a day!¡± Richie protested. ¡°That¡¯s so little time?¡±


    ¡°It is for what I want to get from it,¡± I replied.


    Richie just shook his head in amazement, so I made my way to the heavy bag to work on my strikes.


    Richie followed me and watched for a few minutes, before asking, ¡°Hey- and I mean this as serious question. You know we did a light spar the other day and you cleaned my clock, right?¡±


    ¡°It was just a light practice,¡± I grunted, trying to keep my focus.


    ¡°Yeh, but you still beat me like a dusty rug,¡± he said. ¡°So I¡¯m curious- if it was a real fight, how long would it take you to lay me out?¡±


    I stopped my high kicks for a moment and looked at him, surprised by the question.


    ¡°Like an MMA bout, or a real back alley fight?¡± I asked, not sure what he was asking.


    ¡°Well, I guess I meant in a ring,¡± he said, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°But when you put it like that, maybe a real, like you said, a real back alley fight?¡±


    ¡°About ten seconds,¡± I said, looking him in the eye.


    ¡°You could what, knock me out in ten seconds?¡± Richie asked, aghast.


    ¡°What? knock you out?¡± I asked. ¡°No, I meant I¡¯d take about ten seconds to kill you dead.¡± At the horrified look on his face, I broke out laughing.


    ¡°Oh, fucking Hell,¡± Richie groaned, shaking his head. ¡°I set that up for you, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± I agreed, turning back and giving the bag a really solid high kick.


    I put in long hours at the office that week, as much because I had nobody waiting for me at home as any desire to get a lot of work done. Of course, I did get a lot of work done, so that was good.


    A few really big projects were coming together, most importantly the Dana Point development. Finally all the hurdles had been jumped, so all that remained was to actually build the damned thing. Yes, we had a lot of exposure, but we already had enough commitments from outside players to ensure that we were golden. I¡¯d been worried that we¡¯d have empty storefronts, or even worse, no operator for the hotel, but those fears had vanished, to my great relief. I¡¯d mentioned to Emmy and Angela that we were deep into it with our own money, but I don¡¯t think either of them really understood what that meant. Now that it was clear that I wouldn¡¯t have to tell them we¡¯d be eating instant ramen for budgetary reasons, relief was my main emotion. I¡¯d rolled the dice, and although it was too soon to pop the champagne cork, I was optimistic.


    Sparring with Duane on Wednesday morning was interesting, and more than just a little bit painful. He didn¡¯t hit any harder than Joey had, but he was a bit quicker and harder to read. He managed to land a few good ones, but utterly failed in his attempts to shoot me when he went for the takedown once he became aware that he was losing the striking game badly.


    The training I¡¯d done with Jody really paid off and I might as well have been coated in grease for all his ability to get a solid hold on me. Even though he was significantly stronger than I was, I had better control of the angles and the end result was that he tapped out when he realized that his face against the canvas was an inescapable condition.


    Pleased that all the ground training with Jody had done me some good, I was in a great mood at work despite my new aches and bruises.


    ¡°You seem chipper today,¡± Jake said in the break room. ¡°Did you get to beat somebody up this morning?¡± he joked.


    ¡°Why, yes, as a matter of fact I did,¡± I replied. ¡°And yes, it was very gratifying.¡±


    Jake shook his head, a wry smile on his face. ¡°The funny thing is, I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re kidding or not.¡±


    ¡°Kidding about what?¡± one of the other property managers asked as he walked in.


    ¡°Hey, Jonah,¡± Jake said, sparing me the embarrassment of not remembering the new hire¡¯s name. ¡°Boss Lady here just told me the reason she¡¯s in such a good mood today is that she got to beat somebody up this morning. So, ¡®A¡¯, I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s kidding about that, and ¡®B¡¯, I don¡¯t know if she means it metaphorically, or, like, actually pounded some poor idiot¡¯s face in with her fists.¡± The puzzled expression on Jonah¡¯s face was comical as he looked back and forth from me to Jake, searching for any sort of clue on how he should react. Jake didn¡¯t really clear it up for the guy when he explained, ¡°She has a tendency to do both.¡±


    ¡°It was fists this morning,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°The guy¡¯s name is Duane, and he does seem like a little bit of an idiot, but not a bad guy, from what I can tell. Mostly shy, I think.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really not following here,¡± Jonah said, his brows furrowed as he punched in the setting on the coffee machine for his cup of bean juice.


    ¡°Boss Lady does mixed martial arts fighting,¡± Jake said. ¡°You know, that Mai Tai stuff? She literally beats people up for a hobby.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just a hobby,¡± I said, sipping my own coffee. ¡°It¡¯s a passion.¡±


    Jake snorted, amused.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you guys are doing a bit or what,¡± Jonah protested as the coffee machine started dispensing his macchiato or whatever frothy thing it was he¡¯d asked it to make him.


    ¡°Ask around,¡± Jake said with a shrug.


    ¡°Hey, Jake, I¡¯m headed down to Dana Point after lunch,¡± I said. ¡°I might not make it back to the office afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll clock you out,¡± he joked affably.


    ¡°We have properties in Dana Point?¡± Jonah asked, surprised.


    ¡°Not yet, but soon,¡± Jake told him as I left to go back to my office.


    Jonah had been Jake¡¯s first hire as newly minted Head, and so far he¡¯d seemed to work out alright. Although I hadn¡¯t told him so directly, I was pleased that Jake had taken his new position seriously and had run with the ¡°It¡¯s your job now, don¡¯t bother me unless it¡¯s really necessary¡± edict I¡¯d given the various Heads. He hadn¡¯t asked me if it was O.K. to hire Jonah. Jake had felt a need for more professional staff, found the candidates, and hired him without my input at all.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Maybe the whole ¡®stepping back¡¯ thing was going to work out just fine, I thought.


    I got more confirmation that stepping back was going to work that Friday in San Jose. There were no snags, no problems for me to deal with at all, so my day was nice and stress-free. It seemed as if things were going smoothly in both offices, making it clear that my Heads were doing their jobs well.


    Something else was becoming clear, and that was the need to get our Seattle office up and running sooner rather than later. Now that we had well over a hundred rental units in the area, running things out of the San Jose office was moving past the challenging and into the nearly impossible.


    Resigning myself to the idea that I¡¯d need to spend some time in Washington over the next couple of months, I spent the afternoon on the hunt for local property management companies that might be willing to sell. I shot a few emails exploring the idea to potential buyout targets, and a couple to my two management Heads asking them to identify any experienced managers that might be willing to relocate.


    We did have the one restaurant up there and that wasn¡¯t enough to justify a local office for the hospitality division, but I did mentally file that as a possible future need.


    One very real benefit of a Seattle office is that it would give me a good excuse to visit Donny, Sana and Aaron more frequently, which was a pleasant thought.


    When I got to the Los Angeles office on Monday I had an email waiting for me responding to my inquiry about Seattle property management companies willing to sell. The owners of a small management company with an office in Lower Queen Anne had been thinking of retiring, and the right offer might be just the incentive to do just that. As a very real bonus, they owned their building outright- an old brick firehouse that had been converted into a couple of storefronts on the ground floor and offices above.


    The owners of the company had done a certain amount of due diligence researching me and my company, so they knew that my interest was serious. I spent the rest of the morning on the phone and emailing back and forth with the sellers, and soon enough I had their complete financials, including market analyses and projections. With a bit over four hundred rental units they were a small player in the region, but nicely established. The bulk of their buildings were in the area around the office, extending into the main part of Queen Anne. They specialized in older but still mid-market smaller apartment buildings, which dovetailed nicely with our expertise.


    Feeling good about the potential deal, I took the portfolio with me when I left the office to meet Emmy and Angela at the airport that afternoon, telling Marisa to not expect me in for the next few days.


    Of course the flight from Amsterdam was late, but that didn¡¯t kill my mood at all. My snuggle bunnies were coming home, and that was all that mattered.


    I spotted Tiny first, mostly because he was huge and easy to recognize from a distance, but when I saw Angela and Emmy walking hand in hand behind him I could see nothing else but the two of them. They were so achingly beautiful, even as tired as they looked. When Emmy glanced up and spotted me her inky black face lit up with a smile, which Angela detected, making her look around and find me as well.


    I wanted to rush and wrap the two in my arms but I had to wait until they cleared the security gate, which seemed to take forever.


    When they finally made it past the one-way gate I did take the two into my arms, holding them tight and breathing in their familiar scents.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand in the way,¡± Grant chided, giving us a gentle push to make room for other arrivals. Recognizing that we were blocking the way, we moved aside and continued our group hug.


    ¡°Leah, will you need Jerome and me?¡± Grant asked, keeping it practical.


    Returning to the here and now, I asked Angela and Emmy if they had checked bags, and when the answer came back yes, I asked Grant to stick around until we had everything and everybody loaded in the car.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± he said, signaling to Tiny to stay vigilant.


    Tiny was a great help grabbing the bags from the conveyor, and soon enough we had everybody¡¯s luggage. Walking out to the parking garage, I asked Grant to stay in town for a debrief the next morning, but otherwise he and Tiny were free until it was time for the next leg of the tour.


    Back home I fixed a light dinner while Angela and Emmy showered to wash off the the unpleasantness of the nearly fifteen hour flight, never mind the pain in that ass that was Los Angeles International¡¯s customs control.


    Somewhat refreshed and wearing the comfiest clothes they could find, the two joined me in the kitchen.


    ¡°I just want to sleep for a week,¡± Angela groaned as she ate her Thai chicken salad.


    ¡°I do, too,¡± Emmy agreed, picking at her food. ¡°I enjoyed the tour, but it was very exhausting.¡±


    ¡°How are you two doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Em¡¯s been having some morning sickness recently,¡± Angela volunteered.


    ¡°I would not say that it has been horrible,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°But it is not pleasant. It has not affected my performances any, and for that I am grateful, but it has made eating¡­ difficult.¡±


    ¡°No morning sickness for you?¡± I asked Angela, to which she shook her head.


    ¡°There were a few days I felt a little bit- I had a bit of an upset stomach, but no, not really, but Em, it¡¯s been hard to find her things to eat sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Is this salad O.K.?¡± I asked, suddenly horrified that I¡¯d made something unpalatable for her.


    ¡°No, this is perfect, Leah. I am merely not very hungry,¡± she assured me. ¡°I am very tired, that is all.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get you two to bed,¡± I told her. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to stay up any longer.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but there is,¡± Emmy objected. ¡°It is only,¡± she said, checking her watch, ¡°five o¡¯clock here in Los Angeles. If we sleep now we will wake up at two in the morning and our sleep schedules will be off. We need to wait until later to sleep.¡±


    ¡°You said ¡®sleep¡¯ three times in ten seconds,¡± I chided her. ¡°You¡¯re clearly in need.¡±


    Smiling a tired smile, Emmy said, ¡°What I would really like is to rest on the couch with you, Leah. Not to sleep, but just¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that, too,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that most of all,¡± I said, taking their plates away, then grabbing their hands to lead them into the living room. I plopped down lengthwise on the couch and the two piled on top of me, the way we had done many times before. Angela grabbed the throw from the back of the couch and draped it over herself and Emmy as the two settled down.


    They felt so good in my arms, their weight pressing down on my like a heavy living blanket. I kissed each in turn and got tender kisses in return.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you guys are home,¡± I said, running my hands up and down their backs.


    ¡°I hate being away,¡± Angela confessed. ¡°Lee, please please please come with us on the rest of the tour.¡±


    ¡°What will you give me?¡± I asked, teasing.


    ¡°I cannot give you my heart,¡± Emmy said, her voice drowsy. ¡°Because you already own that. I am certain I can find something to give you, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you my first-born,¡± Angela said, her voice slightly muffled by my shirt.


    ¡°Yes, that is perfect. I will give you mine as well,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°That should be fair.¡±


    ¡°That is a very generous offer,¡± I agreed, kissing the tops of their heads. ¡°I accept.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll do it? You¡¯ll come with us for the rest of the tour?¡± Angela asked, lifting her head to look me in the eyes. Her hopeful expression was so adorable I couldn¡¯t help myself from craning my neck down so I could give her another kiss.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll come with you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to take some time to get work done, but I¡¯ll come with you.¡±


    Angela¡¯s smile was so heartfelt it made me feel like an ass for not having been with them for the last few weeks. I should have been working remotely as I travelled with the tour and not abandoned the two of them the way I did, I thought.


    ¡°You hear that, Em? Lee¡¯s going to tour with us!¡± Angela said, but she only got a muffled sigh in return. Despite Emmy¡¯s protestations, sleep had come.


    Realizing that Emmy had drifted off, Angela softened her voice. ¡°She hasn¡¯t wanted to say it, but pregnancy has been hard on her,¡± Angela confessed. ¡°She hasn¡¯t really been eating anything on performance days so she doesn¡¯t get sick during the shows,¡± Angela said. ¡°She thinks I haven¡¯t noticed, but she¡¯s getting really skinny, right when she should be putting on some weight.¡±


    ¡°I am so glad you¡¯ve been there for her, babe,¡± I said, kissing Angela¡¯s forehead. ¡°Thanks for- thanks for that.¡±


    ¡°Lee, I do it because I love her,¡± Angela replied. ¡°It hurts me to see her feeling bad.¡±


    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± I agreed. ¡°And I¡¯m serious. I will come with you guys- I guess it sounds as if you¡¯ve decided that you¡¯re doing the rest of the tour, too?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave her by herself,¡± Angela said, making it clear that she was more concerned about Emmy¡¯s well-being than her own feelings or comfort.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised to hear that her pregnancy¡¯s been rough,¡± I said. ¡°As hard as it was to even get her pregnant in the first place.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t help that she¡¯s so thin,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°She¡¯s been having a hard time sleeping, too. I wish I could trade places with her,¡± Angela said, giving voice to her compassion. ¡°I¡¯ve had it so easy in comparison.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy that it has been easy for you,¡± I told Angela. ¡°It would be best if neither of you suffered at all, but at least you¡¯ve been able to be there for her.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember when I joked about the two of us being as huge as whales and demanding pickles and ice cream?¡± Angela asked. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ll be there with us on tour to get us our pickle ice cream.¡±


    Angela and I talked about the last few weeks, keeping our voices quiet, until it was time to go to bed. Sure, it was an early bedtime, but that was fine with me. I carried Emmy to the bedroom where Angela and I gently helped her into bed, Angela slipping in beside her. I took a quick shower and joined them, content to have my two loves back home with me.


    The sound of their breathing lulled me to sleep quickly, despite the early hour. I guess it was just the comfort of the sound, and the warmth of the two bodies in bed with me.

 Considerate Beast

    Despite Emmy¡¯s protestations, she didn¡¯t wake up in the middle of the night at all. In fact, she slept in until eight or so, when her need to use the bathroom finally forced her out of bed. When she stumbled into the kitchen wearing nothing but her undies and a camisole that was distressingly loose on her, I could really see what Angela had been talking about.


    Emmy had always been naturally thin, but this was too much. A loss of five pounds on her frame was a serious decrease and it really showed.


    ¡°Em, baby,¡± I said, rushing over to help her sit down on one of the bar stools. ¡°What would you like for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I am not very hungry,¡± she replied, but I wasn¡¯t having it.


    ¡°You might not feel hungry,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head, ¡°but Emmy Jr is, and she needs her breakfast. Even if all you eat is a smoothie, you have to have something.¡±


    ¡°I could not tolerate a smoothie right now,¡± Emmy said, making a face.


    ¡°A chocolate croissant and some juice, then?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°We have croissants?¡± Emmy asked, perking up.


    ¡°I got them this morning from the bakery down on Sunset,¡± I told her. ¡°I can warm one up for you if you want,¡± I said, taking one of the flaky pastries from the bread drawer.


    ¡°Please?¡± Emmy asked in a grateful voice.


    A couple of minutes later she was eating her croissant and sipping the pulpy orange juice I¡¯d just squeezed for her. Both things seemed to sit well, and to my relief she actually wanted more.


    ¡°Where is Angela?¡± Emmy asked as she worked on her second croissant, already looking a little bit better.


    ¡°Working out downstairs,¡± I replied. ¡°She woke up early today and couldn¡¯t wait to get back into her routine.¡±


    ¡°It has been hard for her,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Many of our hotels have not had any fitness facilities, and those that have, have generally been of low quality. I have felt guilty, since she has been at the mercy of my schedule but I have not been able to do things to accommodate her needs.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have ten days here at home before we take off for Seoul for her to get her rhythm back,¡± I said.


    ¡°We?¡± Emmy asked, and the hopeful look on her face broke my heart a little.


    ¡°Yeah, we. I¡¯m going on tour with you guys,¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s been too hard, being away from the two of you.¡±


    ¡°But what about your work? And your classes?¡± Emmy protested, but it was obvious that she was elated by the news.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to spend a fair bit of time on both of those things while we¡¯re on the road,¡± I admitted. ¡°But there¡¯s no reason I absolutely have to stay here. Worse comes to worst, I¡¯ll fly back if I have to take care of something. But I can¡¯t stomach the idea of not seeing the two of you for another month and a half.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy sighed. ¡°It will be so good to have you with us. I- the time you spent with us was the best part of the whole tour, and I hated to leave London without you.¡±


    ¡°I hated it, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°I was glad that you two had each other, but I really wished I¡¯d gone on with you guys.¡±


    After eating, Emmy went back to bed for a morning nap and I resumed my analysis of the analysis provided to me by the owners of Evergreen Property Management. I wanted to see how their numbers looked compared to the market trends I could discern from my own research. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t trust their work, mind you. I was sure that it really was their in-house projection of local conditions, since they hadn¡¯t had time to fabricate anything this comprehensive in the short time between when I¡¯d asked for it and when it got emailed to me. No, the question was whether or not they had the same grasp of rental dynamics that I did, and therefore how much of their work could I use with confidence.


    ¡°Hey, Lee,¡± Angela said, wrapping her arms around me from behind as she nuzzled my neck. ¡°Did Emmy eat?¡±


    ¡°Good morning, babe,¡± I said, kissing a sweaty bicep. ¡°Yeah, she had a couple of chocolate croissants and some orange juice, then went back to bed. How was your workout?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how much I missed our gym,¡± Angela said, resting her chin on my shoulder.


    ¡°Emmy told me you haven¡¯t been able to work out consistently.¡±


    ¡°Hardly at all is more like,¡± Angela griped. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing sit-ups and using those rubber bands in our room most of the time. Our gym is like heaven compared to most of the hotels, if they even have any workout rooms at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Emmy said,¡± I agreed.


    Angela stood up, but left her hands on my shoulders. ¡°So, are you starting a Porsche collection now, too?¡± she asked, giving my shoulders a squeeze to show that she was teasing.


    ¡°You saw the new one, I guess,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to keep it, but it¡¯s fun for now.¡±


    ¡°You and your cars,¡± Angela sighed.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a Porsche Club dinner on Friday night. Want to go?¡± I asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Yeah, sure, why not?¡± Angela replied. ¡°We¡¯ll take your new one, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Angela said with a nod as she got the ingredients for a smoothie from the fridge. After she threw everything in the blender and ran it for thirty seconds or so, she poured the thick mix into her favorite insulated tumbler.


    I was rapt, watching her do all this, enjoying the way her body moved in the minimal spandex outfit she was wearing.


    ¡°I told Emmy I¡¯m coming on tour with you guys,¡± I said, admiring the play of the muscles of Angela¡¯s back and shoulders.


    ¡°That means you can¡¯t back out now,¡± Angela said as she sat down at the counter.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to back out. It has been Hell here without you two. I missed you so much.¡±


    Angela¡¯s smile melted my heart, affirming that I was making the right decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to Australia,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll only be there a week and a half,¡± I protested. ¡°We won¡¯t really have time to see much.¡±


    ¡°No, but it will be summer! After all those freezing cold cities in Northern Europe, it will be glorious!¡± Angela said dreamily.


    As much as I would have liked to stay home that evening, I did have to go to class. After all, I was going to miss six weeks, so I needed to tell my instructors and make arrangements to do my work from the road. My grades had been excellent and I had been an active participant in the classroom, so my professors were all happy enough to accommodate my needs. That said, I was going to attend right up until the last minute to minimize the absence, even though that meant taking a later flight to Korea than Emmy and Angela.


    Being home seemed to agree with Emmy, and although I would have liked for her to eat more than she did, at least she regained some of her vitality over the next few days. She slept a lot, but that was fine. By Wednesday she¡¯d declared herself ready to have guests over, but we kept it minimal with just Andy and Jenna. Even so, Emmy ran out of steam and went to bed early.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°She¡¯s so skinny!¡± Jenna remarked after Emmy said goodnight and went to our bedroom to sleep. ¡°She really needs to put on a few pounds, for the baby¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she does,¡± I agreed. ¡°I guess her morning sickness has been pretty bad the last couple of weeks. She¡¯s been eating O.K. here at home, though, so I hope the worst is behind her.¡±


    ¡°I think it might be,¡± Angela said. ¡°She has been sleeping better since we got home, and like Lee said, she¡¯s been eating more, too.¡±


    ¡°They say the first few months are the hardest, until the last few months, that is,¡± Jenna said. ¡°The middle part is the easiest.¡±


    Angela looked down at her still mostly flat tummy, resting a hand just above her belly button. ¡°I¡¯ve had it really easy so far,¡± she said, her voice tender.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re four months in and still have a flatter tummy than me,¡± Jenna griped. ¡°Life isn¡¯t fair.¡±


    ¡°Have you guys thought about having kids?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked about it, and we want to have kids in a few years- maybe when I retire from pro football,¡± Andy said. ¡°My schedule during the season just wouldn¡¯t be fair to Jenna or the kids, you know?¡±


    After Jenna and Andy left, Angela and I cuddled on the couch for a bit and caught up on things. I asked her if her parents were going to come in the next few days, but she said they were going to wait until after the Asia tour was over so they could spend some real time in California. Of course, Angela would be that much closer to her due date, and I could easily imagine Mam¨¢ Castro staying for a few months.


    That idea didn¡¯t bother me at all, to be honest. She was a sweet lady, and obviously she¡¯d been through the whole process twice, so she could lend the voice of experience and comfort to our two mothers-to-be.


    When I told Angela as much, she snuggled up closer and made a satisfied little noise.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± she said. ¡°We both missed you so bad in Europe. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯ll be going with us to Asia.¡±


    ¡°I missed you guys a whole lot, too,¡± I said, kissing her forehead.


    ¡°Not too much to buy a new car, though,¡± Angela said, giving my boob a little squeeze.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t miss me too much to go sightseeing in Scotland, either,¡± I replied, giving her butt a squeeze in return.


    ¡°It would have been better with you there,¡± Angela sighed.


    Emmy and the boys (along with their sound and lighting guys and all the rest of the touring performers) had a discussion and rehearsal day on Friday, so she didn¡¯t mind that Angela and I were going to the Porsche Club dinner without her. The whole car thing had really turned into something exclusive with Angela, since Emmy had managed to find more and more excuses to not be involved.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t mind. If she really wasn¡¯t interested, that was fine. I wasn¡¯t going to twist her arm and make her suffer through something she didn¡¯t actually enjoy, especially since Angela did seem to have fun with it. It was O.K. that it was our thing together, as long as Emmy didn¡¯t feel left out.


    It was funny to me how attitudes had changed among the good old boys of the club after my track performance, and despite just a couple of assholes the rest of the guys (yes, it was almost entirely guys) had warmed up to me.


    Of course, I usually had Angela with me, too, and she could charm anyone, so that helped. In any case, we¡¯d become regulars and part of the group, not just members on paper.


    Our new Safari was a huge hit when we pulled into the restaurant¡¯s parking lot. We got more eyes than we ever did anymore with the Spyder, never mind it was only about five per cent of the price. It was a cool custom well-done modded rig, and that got everybody¡¯s attention.


    ¡°I think I heard about this car,¡± Rick, the event organizer for the club, said. ¡°You got it from a guy in Riverside or Perris or someplace like that, right?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I guess I could look at the paperwork- the guy kept every receipt. But he traded it in at my dealership in Temecula, so I snapped it up.¡±


    ¡°Your BMW dealership?¡± he asked, his voice dripping with feigned disdain.


    ¡°That would be the one,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m toying with the idea of picking myself up a Porsche dealership to add to the collection, though.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say, but it¡¯s here in the Los Angeles area,¡± I told him.


    Rick shook his head in mock dismay. ¡°Rich people problems,¡± he said.


    Dinner was nice, and during the mixer afterwards it seemed everybody wanted to talk about my new (to me) Safari 911. It generated far more discussion than my 918 Spyder had ever done, which I found amusing. Mike, the guy with the butterscotch-colored Targa, seemed to be absolutely in love with the rally-modified Carrera.


    ¡°Leah,¡± he said, ¡°all other things aside, that is one sweet ride.¡±


    I told him how my crew chief had given me a hard time for finding the dirt and gravel so often on my last track day and suggested I get myself a rally car if I wanted to make it a habit. Coincidentally, this Carrera Safari had been traded in at my dealership not long after, so I scooped it up for myself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not really a competitive rally race car,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it was built as a styling exercise, but the guy did everything right, according to my crew chief. In any case, it¡¯s a fun play car, and yeah, I can run it through the gravel all I want.¡±


    ¡°I have mixed feelings about that,¡± Mike said. ¡°On the one hand, it would be a shame to not use the car like that, but on the other, it¡¯s too pretty to trash.¡±


    ¡°I had the paint corrected and then wrapped with that really thick vinyl paint protection film,¡± I assured him. ¡°It¡¯ll shrug off any small rocks and gravel with no problem.¡±


    ¡°But it won¡¯t do you any good if you roll the car into a ditch,¡± he cautioned.


    ¡°No, I know, but that¡¯s a risk to manage, right? Actually, my biggest problem is where to take the thing. I have no clue where to find the right roads for the car. I took it on South Main Divide down in Orange County and that was a blast, but there have to be some closer options.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have no idea,¡± Mike said with a shrug.


    ¡°Yeah, me, either, and that¡¯s the problem,¡± I told him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Angela asked as she and Linda, Geoff¡¯s wife, joined us.


    ¡°Places to drive the Safari,¡± I said. ¡°There have to be good mountain dirt or gravel roads, but I just don¡¯t know any of them.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to go exploring,¡± Angela said with a shrug and a smile.


    My eyes watered a little as I was hit with a wave of love for my dark-haired beauty. ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to have you,¡± I told her quietly as I pulled her in for a kiss, not caring what anybody might think. The entire club knew she was my wife, and to Hell with them if they were offended by an expression of our love.


    ¡°And I¡¯m lucky to have you, mi cari?a,¡± she replied when our lips parted.


    The next morning Angela and I showed up for the Saturday morning drive group in the Safari, which raised eyebrows from Jimmy and Stephen, but most of all from Stein.


    ¡°I did not see this coming,¡± Stein said, walking around the olive green Carrera Safari. ¡°It¡¯s old and probably slow, and the suspension is probably soft, which means a lot of body roll in the turns,¡± he said, peering in the open window at the giant rally-style shifter. ¡°But I¡¯ll bet it¡¯s hilarious to drive.¡±


    ¡°It sure didn¡¯t feel slow when Leah drove it back from the dealership,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°I thought we were gonna die at least half a dozen times.¡±


    ¡°You should have said something,¡± I chided him. ¡°I could have gone slower.¡±


    ¡°No way! I was loving it!¡± Teddy Bear protested.


    ¡°I love the look,¡± Jimmy said, admiring the Porsche, ¡°But doesn¡¯t it have, like, half the horsepower of your M6?¡±


    ¡°Less than that, according to the dyno,¡± I said. ¡°More like forty per cent of the power. But it weighs a lot less, so that makes up for some of it.¡±


    ¡°Still, it seems like a real change for you,¡± Jimmy protested. ¡°You¡¯re such a horsepower queen.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got you there,¡± Stephen agreed with a smile.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Steph?¡± I asked him. ¡°I thought you were going to bring her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s working,¡± he said with a grimace. ¡°I guess there have been some snags getting everything lined up for the Australian shows and she needs to get it sorted out ASAP.¡±


    ¡°I saw how hard she worked in Paris and London,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s going to need a month off after the tour is over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no lie,¡± Stephen agreed.


    ¡°The entire tour!¡± Angela said. ¡°She was everywhere, making sure everything got done. I have no idea how she did it all.¡±


    ¡°She is definitely a hard worker, alright,¡± Stephen agreed.


    After our usual post-drive group lunch, Angela and I went back to check out several promising dirt roads she¡¯d spotted shooting off from Big Tujunga and Aliso Canyon roads.


    The road she¡¯d seen from Big T was excellent- reasonably rut-free, good sightlines, and no other traffic. It wound up climbing into the pines at higher elevations, and Angela found a spot that she deemed perfect for a photo session.


    We spent well over an hour there, me using her nice Nikon to shoot pictures of her behind the wheel, posing with the car in her safari-esque outfit of lace-up boots, khaki cargo pants and oversized white button-front shirt (which she¡¯d probably stolen from my section of the closet, I mused).


    I even got a few good photos of Angela throwing up a huge cloud of dust as she spun the car out on the dirt road, after I¡¯d shown her how to do it.


    As the ¡®golden hour¡¯ progressed and we hadn¡¯t seen another human being since we arrived, Angela stripped down to nothing but her boots and broad-brimmed hat for some glamour photos. Even though I was trying to do my best to take just the right photos, I found myself losing track of what I was doing and simply admiring her lovely form on more than one occasion.


    After we lost the light and Angela called the photo session done, I took her nude body in my arms and kissed her.


    ¡°You are so damned gorgeous,¡± I said, my hands roaming up and down her back.


    ¡°And cold,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can warm you up,¡± I replied, my voice husky.


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± she asked, gazing up into my eyes.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, giving her another kiss. ¡°Get your clothes on and get in the car. I¡¯ll turn up the heater.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you!¡± Angela said with a laugh, her smile making her look so very young and so, so very beautiful.


    ¡°As much as I hate ever telling you to put your clothes on, we probably should get home for dinner. We can maybe have some fun sexy times later, if you¡¯re in the mood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the mood,¡± she assured me, and as she turned away to get her clothes from the car she gave me an adorable little butt wiggle.


    Unable to help myself, I copped a feel as she leaned over to grab her stuff from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°I thought you wanted to wait?¡± Angela asked, looking over her shoulder at me.


    ¡°What? No! I never want to wait,¡± I said, running my hands over her muscular rear. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you to get cold, and Em is probably wondering where we are.¡±


    ¡°You thoughtful, considerate beast,¡± Angela said as she stood on her toes to give me another kiss.

 Seoul Of The Party

    It was tough, seeing Emmy and Angela off on their flight to Korea. Sure, I¡¯d be joining them in two days, but still¡­ Emmy was just starting to look as if she¡¯d recovered from the road, and sending her back out for another month and a half seemed like cruelty. She insisted that she was able to do the work and I believed that she would manage, but hopefully not at too great a cost. Angela and I would both be there to support her, but I doubted I¡¯d be able to do any better than Angela had by herself.


    At UCLA Anderson that Thursday night I wondered why I''d cared so much about staying just for these lectures that did nothing but cover material in the textbooks anyway, but resigned myself to the fact I''d made an agreement with my professors and had to honor it by attending the full week''s worth of classes.


    Flying in KAL¡¯s first class ¡®suite¡¯ didn¡¯t suck as bad as commercial usually does, and the meals were good, too. Solid Wi-Fi allowed me to spend most of the thirteen and a half hours working, which helped the time go by quickly.


    After passing through the Korean customs checkpoint I spotted a driver holding up a sign with my name.


    ¡°Grant Henry sent me, Ms Farmer,¡± he said in perfect, unaccented English. ¡°I¡¯ll be your driver while you¡¯re here in Seoul. My name is Mike Kim.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks, Mike. Call me Leah. I¡¯d like to stop somewhere on the way to the stadium to pick up some flowers,¡± I said as we walked to the parking area. I followed Mike to a brand new sedan, one of Hyundai¡¯s new premium line.


    The back seat was nice and roomy and the ride was smooth, so I had no complaints. I was glad to not be behind the wheel, though. Sure, the street signs all had English as well as Korean, but none of the place names were familiar and the traffic was quite dense, leaving little room for clueless drivers.


    Mike stopped at a florist shop and accompanied me inside to translate while I ordered a dozen pink roses. I¡¯m sure I could have managed without him, but it did make life easier to have a speaker fluent in both languages help me out.


    At several points on the way to the Olympic park Mike had to argue with traffic cops, but we were eventually let past and to the side door of the arena with no real difficulties. Once again he argued with the security guys, who called in on their walkie-talkies to confirm that I was on the VIP list. After a few minutes a guy with a pass on a lanyard came to the door, compared my ID to the name on the pass, and handed it to me. Mike left to wait until I texted him, and I went down into the bowels of the gymnastics arena, hot on the heels of one of the security guys.


    The dressing area was swarmed with people, but Emmy and Angela had their own little private room, to my relief. They were snuggled together on a couch, not saying or doing anything but just keeping each other company. Neither of them saw me until I thrust the bouquet of roses forward and got their attention.


    ¡°Beautiful flowers for beautiful ladies,¡± I said.


    ¡°Lee! You¡¯re here! We didn¡¯t expect you for another hour at least!¡± Angela said, her smile lighting up her face.


    ¡°I am very happy to see you,¡± Emmy said, patting the seat next to her. ¡°Come sit down. Have you eaten? Crafty is very good here.¡±


    ¡°Listen to you!¡± I said with a laugh as I sat down. ¡°You¡¯ve been in Hollywood too long. Crafty,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°What happened to ¡®hospitality¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Blame Lee for that,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°He is the one that started us all using that term.¡±


    When the 15 minute call came, Angela and I found our way to our seats. We were surrounded by a sea of teenagers and young twenty-somethings, almost all of whom were wearing Downfall merch. The most popular was the black shirt with nothing but a pair of vivid green eyes with white eyelashes- no text at all on the front, and the tour stops listed on the back.


    Emmy had objected to the design at first, but eventually accepted it as one of the choices and at least there in Korea it seemed to be the top seller. I made a mental note to ask Stephanie about the merch sales in general at some point.


    The opening act was a pop-rock group consisting of four pretty boys, but they actually played their instruments well, to their credit. I found it odd that everybody in the band but the drummer sang lead on at least one tune, and often they would trade off leads in the middle of their songs. A few of their songs were in English, but most in Korean, so I couldn¡¯t really understand them much. They were alright, and the crowd seemed to love them, but I can¡¯t say they really did it for me.


    We had a little while to talk after the opening act finished and before The Downfall took the stage, so I asked Angela how Emmy had been the last couple of days.


    ¡°O.K.,¡± she said. ¡°Yesterday and today have been really stressful- the stage wasn¡¯t ready when they promised it would be and that pushed back the sound check today, but I think in the end everything got ready in time. Emmy has been eating good, too, and she got good sleep last night, so I¡¯m happy about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± I said. ¡°So you guys didn¡¯t have a chance to do any sightseeing?¡±


    ¡°No, and we won¡¯t. We leave for Singapore first thing Sunday morning,¡± Angela said. ¡°We won¡¯t have time to see anything here at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± I said, ¡°But I guess that gives us plenty of time in Singapore, right? I¡¯ve always wanted to see that park with the giant metal tree things.¡±


    ¡°Giant metal tree things?¡± Angela asked, her brow furrowed adorably.


    ¡°Yeah, giant metal tree things,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    The house lights dimmed at that point and the audience made too much noise to continue our conversation.


    Jackson took the stage and bowed, his arms wide. He strode over to his bass guitar, and slowly, deliberately took his time taking it from its stand and looping the strap over his shoulder. Grinning like a man who just heard the best joke ever, he looked out over the audience, which was still making plenty of noise.


    I¡¯d seen Jackson do it before, but somehow it surprised me every time when he played the bass in a funk slap style and this time was just as unexpected. He played a melody that seemed familiar, but I simply couldn¡¯t place it. Just as I thought I almost had it, Jackson took a pick from his pocket and switched up his style to power chords, playing the bass like a normal guitar.


    Emmy joined him on stage with her clear blue acrylic guitar and riffed off Jackson¡¯s melody, to the delight of the capacity crowd. I looked around and finally realized what the lights were that I¡¯d been seeing at least half of the audience wave- they were some sort of flashlight thing with a dark ball covering the beam, only letting light out through a pair of vivd green eyes molded into the plastic. Amused, I turned back when the crowd erupted with even more cheering as Lee joined Jackson and Emmy on stage.


    The long, improvised intro started to form into something familiar and then I recognized it- Take It Away from The Downfall¡¯s second album. It seemed to me an odd choice, but basically every single person in that arena sang along with every word, so I guessed it had maybe gotten a lot of exposure there in Korea.


    When the song finished Lee stepped out from behind his kit and took the microphone from Emmy¡¯s stand to address the audience. He spoke Korean, after all, so it was only to be expected. Still, the audience ate it up, loving every minute.


    This was the third city (fourth, counting the Anaheim warm-up show), and so far every show had been remarkably different. The set lists were different every night, sure, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any standard patter, either. Every show was unique, even if some of the songs were the same.


    Stolen story; please report.


    When the show finished and the house lights came on Angela and I made our way backstage. The afterparty was going to be at some famous bar in town, so nobody was really settling down there in the dressing room.


    ¡°You two will come with me to the party?¡± Emmy asked when we found her. ¡°If you¡¯re going, we¡¯re going,¡± I told her, checking to make sure Angela was O.K. with it. Angela nodded, and Emmy took that as a positive sign.


    ¡°We need to go to the hotel to change our clothes, and then to the nightclub,¡± Emmy said, sounding remarkably enthusiastic.


    ¡°Why the rush?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tonight is a special night for our biggest fans here in Korea. Lee and I will DJ and only fan club members will be allowed in. No industry insiders or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unusual,¡± I said.


    ¡°We are going to do it in Tokyo, too,¡± Emmy said as I texted Mike Kim to come get us from the arena¡¯s side door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head straight to the club,¡± Grant said in a quiet voice as the two of us followed Tiny and the girls. "I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s secure by the time you get there.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said, and he nodded to a Korean guy that had been tagging along.


    The club was in the basement of a hotel in what Mike told us was the Gangnam District. ¡°You know, like that song by Psy?¡± he said.


    ¡°I love that song!¡± Emmy said from the back seat.


    ¡°Oh, sexy lady!¡± Angela sang. ¡°Oppa Gangnam style!¡±


    I turned and saw a smile on Mike¡¯s face, and I had to agree- it was adorable.


    There was a large crowd outside the door to the club, but the bouncers were doing a great job of keeping it orderly. When Emmy stepped from the car the waiting fans went mad with cheering and waving, but to my amazement, none took it too far. The worst of it that I saw was a little bit of pushing against the bouncers, but it didn¡¯t seem serious at all.


    As Emmy walked up and down the velvet rope, touching peoples¡¯ hands and giving them smiles and saying hello, it was almost too much for some of them- quite a few of the waiting crowd were actually crying, overcome with emotion.


    Eventually we entered the club, ushered down into the surprisingly cavernous space by a hostess wearing a black velvet Mandarin sheath mini dress and thigh-high black boots, which really emphasized how slender and tall she was, and how pale. She led us to a VIP area on a balcony overlooking the main floor, but opposite the upper floor¡¯s dance area. It was private, but at the same time gave us a view of the whole club and allowed most of the club¡¯s patrons to see us up there, which I¡¯m sure was the point. See and be seen, right?


    Lee, Jen and Jackson were already there, reclining on the plush black leather couches around the low table.


    ¡°What happened to, um Sherry?¡± I whispered in Emmy¡¯s ear as we approached the table.


    ¡°She did not come on this part of the tour,¡± Emmy whispered back. ¡°I have not asked for any more details than that.¡±


    ¡°Well, my guess is that he¡¯s gonna get laid if he puts even the slightest effort into it tonight,¡± I said, keeping my voice low.


    ¡°So are you,¡± Emmy replied, the promise was unmistakeable.


    Apparently nobody was allowed in before the guests of honor, but it didn¡¯t take long for the once-empty club to fill up. The house DJ was excellent, blending in the occasional Downfall tune with a wide variety of other styles of music, but all of it good for dancing.


    I stuck to Cokes, since it had been an exceptionally long day for me and any alcohol would have sent me straight to snooze land. Emmy and Angela only drank bottled sparkling water, but Lee, Jen and Jackson made full use of the bartender¡¯s skills.


    I begged off dancing, since I was quite tired. Emmy only pouted a little before she and Angela (accompanied by Tiny) made their way to the dance floor. It was funny seeing the bubble of space around Emmy and Angela, Tiny¡¯s intimidatingly massive size keeping everyone honest.


    ¡°Been a while,¡± Jen said, taking the seat next to me so we could talk.


    ¡°Yeah it has,¡± I said, bumping her shoulder with mine in greeting. ¡°Things going good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, great,¡± Jen said. ¡°Met a whole bunch of the in-laws in the last few days. A ton of uncles, aunts and cousins.¡±


    ¡°How did that go?¡±


    ¡°You know what? Surprisingly awesome. It seems like Lee¡¯s mom is the only mean one of the bunch. Everybody here has been really friendly and nice.¡±


    Glancing down at the dance floor, I spotted Grant and that same Korean guy making rounds. Jen followed my eyes and spotted Grant.


    ¡°That guy? Grant?¡± Jen said. ¡°He¡¯s one spooky dude. Everywhere we¡¯ve gone, he¡¯s known locals- real tough-looking guys. Like that guy with him? I¡¯ve seen people here turn white and nearly piss themselves when they recognize him. And don¡¯t get me started on those scary fuckers he had with him in Moscow and Prague. I mean, wow. So, like, I don¡¯t know where you found this guy to do tour security, but he¡¯s got some real connections. Sketchy connections.¡±


    ¡°He works for me,¡± I said. ¡°For a couple of years now. He¡¯s my head of security. Those dudes he knows? Probably all ex-special forces or something from their various countries- he told me he had local contacts.¡±


    ¡°He works for you? Like, he¡¯s not some sort of tour security specialist?¡± Jen asked, surprised.


    ¡°You see Tiny, there? Emmy¡¯s bodyguard? He¡¯s a decoy for the most part. Everybody that might intend any sort of harm to Emmy, or Angela for that matter, is going to see him and think that they¡¯ve got to deal with getting around that huge, scary guy, right? Well, meanwhile, Grant spots anybody looking too long or hard and sneaks up behind ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Jen breathed. ¡°So he¡¯s the real deal? He¡¯s the real bodyguard, and Jeremy is just a distraction?¡±


    ¡°Well, anybody would have to take Jeremy seriously, too. You remember what happened in London, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, yeah! I thought he was gonna break that guy¡¯s arm for grabbing Emmy¡¯s ass!¡± Jen said, remembering.


    ¡°He probably would have,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And what Emmy said about throwing the guy in the river in a cement overcoat¡­ Grant would have been the guy to do that?¡± Jen asked.


    I just nodded, and Jen gave me a disbelieving look. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have a guy working for you like that.¡±


    ¡°Jen, you know I¡¯ve killed people,¡± I said, keeping my voice low so only she could hear. ¡°I don¡¯t always do it alone.¡±


    ¡°Holy fuck, Leah. Holy fuck,¡± Jen said, her eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯m really fucking glad you¡¯re on our side.¡±


    ¡°You remember my dagger, right?¡± I asked, enjoying Jen¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°How could I freaking forget?¡±


    ¡°Tiny- Jeremy- has it tattooed on his shoulder, right here,¡± I said, tapping the outside of Jen¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°Everybody in my hit squad does.¡±


    ¡°Your fucking hit squad?¡± Jen asked, her eyes bugging out of her head. ¡°How many people do you have in your hit squad?¡±


    ¡°A fair number,¡± I said, leaving it vague. Truth is, I had no real clue how many actual combat-ready paramilitares I actually did have.


    ¡°Dude, this is next-level scary shit,¡± Jen said. ¡°Seriously. Why do you even have a hit squad? Wait- never mind that. I don¡¯t really want to know.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to tell you,¡± I said. ¡°But to return to the original topic, Grant is here for Emmy and Angela¡¯s security first, then the tour¡¯s. If you have any, and I mean any, possible security issues, let him know. He¡¯ll straighten it out.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Jen said, still watching Grant and his Korean friend, who were talking to one of the bouncers.


    Angela and Emmy returned to the table about then, sweaty and invigorated from dancing.


    While Angela plopped down next to me, Emmy grabbed Lee¡¯s hand to pull him out of his seat.


    ¡°It is time for us to take our turn in the booth,¡± she told him.


    Groaning, Lee said, ¡°Can¡¯t you do it by yourself?¡±


    Turning to Tiny, Emmy said, ¡°Jeremy, please pick Lee up and carry him downstairs.¡±


    Tiny stepped forward, but Lee jumped up off the couch. ¡°O.K.! O.K.!¡± he said, not wanting to be hauled around like a sack of potatoes.


    ¡°You promised me and there is no avoiding it,¡± Emmy said, her voice stern but her expression playful.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m up. See? I¡¯m walking to the DJ booth now,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°I might need that guy around the house when this tour is over,¡± Jen said with a smirk.


    Soon enough Lee was speaking into the microphone as Emmy stood behind the turntable setup. He announced something in Korean, and everybody in the club cheered. The music started immediately, and Emmy and Lee quickly settled into a groove, pumping out tune after tune. The mix leaned more towards danceable rock and less EDM than the club¡¯s DJ had done, but the crowd danced just as much, if not more.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Angela asked, leaning up against me and wrapping my arm around herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, but having a good time,¡± I told her, giving her a kiss. ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°My feet are sore. They¡¯ve been sore a lot recently, and I don¡¯t know why,¡± she replied.


    ¡°My mom always used to say that sore feet were the worst part of pregnancy,¡± Jen said. ¡°And she had three kids.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s it,¡± Angela said. ¡°In four more months my feet won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re five months in and still not showing,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°Not five months, not quite yet, and I am showing. My tummy is getting big, and my breasts¡­¡± Angela replied with a groan.


    After a while, I went downstairs and told Emmy that Angela and I were going back to the hotel. We were tired and it was late-especially for me. Emmy, though, seemed invigorated by the energy of the club, so I was happy that she wanted to stay and keep playing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll save you a spot in bed,¡± I said, giving her a quick kiss.


    The hotel was a big chain business-oriented place, a Sheraton or Radisson or something like that, and pretty much completely soulless. It was a change from the places that I¡¯d seen Stephanie book for the tour in Paris and London, but I guessed there were reasons for it.


    ¡°Would you like a hot bath?¡± I asked Angela when we finally found ourselves alone.


    ¡°I would but I can¡¯t,¡± Angela moaned. ¡°We aren¡¯t supposed to soak in really hot water past the first trimester,¡± Angela complained.


    ¡°Then how about we take a warm shower and cuddle in bed?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°That sounds really good,¡± Angela said, sitting on the bed.


    She looked too tired to stand up, so I said, ¡°Or we can skip the shower and go straight to the cuddling.¡±


    Angela gave me a grateful smile, so I eased her out of her boots and socks, then gently undressed her and helped her slide between the sheets. I didn¡¯t bother folding or putting away our clothes, just left them on the floor when I slipped into the king-sized bed with my dark-haired love.


    It took no time at all before we had fallen asleep in each others¡¯ arms.

 Next Stop

    Emmy came to bed about the time I was considering getting up, but a lot of that had to do with time zone issues. Never mind that I¡¯d only gotten a few hours of sleep- there was nothing to do but get up. I was waking up really early Seoul time, and Emmy was still awake really late. She seemed tired, but happy, so I kissed her and made room for her to snuggle Angela as I got up to get some exercise in.


    One benefit to the big chain hotel was that it had a reasonable workout facility, so I ran on the treadmill for an hour before spending another hour on the machines, which were all empty at five thirty in the morning local time.


    I doubted we would get any sightseeing in at all that day, since Emmy had gotten in so late and odds were good it was going to be the same story after the second show, too. I mentally resigned myself to the idea of spending the day at the hotel until it was time to go to the arena again.


    I¡¯d get some work done, at least.


    My mental predictions proved to be accurate- Emmy didn¡¯t even wake up until early afternoon. Angela and I had eaten lunch in the hotel¡¯s top floor restaurant and returned to the room before Emmy stirred.


    When Emmy did finally wake up, Angela helped her into the shower while I ordered her a light lunch.


    Emerging from the bathroom, Emmy saw the food on the table and smiled gratefully.


    ¡°I did not expect to stay so late at the nightclub,¡± she apologized, but Angela and I made it clear that as long as she had enjoyed herself it was perfectly fine.


    ¡°Em, you were connecting with your fans,¡± I said. ¡°All I ask is that once we get to Singapore you take a few days for yourself, to just relax and recover. Your health, and Emmy Jr¡¯s, that is what is important.¡±


    ¡°Tonight¡¯s afterparty is being hosted by the local concert promotion company,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It will be very different. The guest list will be K-Pop idols, music and fashion scene journalists, and people like that. See and be seen. I am not going to do anything but pose for photos and- what is the phrase? Happy hand?¡±


    ¡°I think you mean glad hand,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, I will glad hand like a champion, but not stay too late. You two do not need to come if you do not wish,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Thank you both very much,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And thank you for ordering lunch for me.¡±


    ¡°How is the nausea these days?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is almost entirely gone,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I find I cannot eat olives or strawberries, but if I stay away from those I am fine.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the dish that would include both of those,¡± I said, revolted by the thought.


    ¡°Can we please not talk about olives?¡± Emmy pleaded.


    ¡°Are they that bad?¡± Angela asked, equal parts amused and surprised.


    ¡°Please?¡±


    Angela made a zipping motion across her lips, and so I did, too.


    Thankfully there were no strawberries (or olives, for that matter) in the fruit salad with yogurt I¡¯d ordered, so Emmy actually ate the whole bowlful.


    The concert that night was more or less the same, but different in all the usual ways, if that makes sense. A different opening act, this one with a female vocalist who seemed to be trying for Joan Jett but mostly just getting Pat Benatar.


    Emmy got to start the intro, and when she looked out at the audience before playing a note the cameraman zoomed in really close on her face, so all we could see on the giant screen behind the stage were Emmy¡¯s incredibly vivid green eyes looking back and forth.


    Emmy reached into one of the big side pockets on her baggy cargo pants and pulled out a handful of something. When she threw them out into the audience I could see they were her signature turquoise-colored guitar picks, and the fans in the front few rows were happy to scrabble for them.


    Pulling out a pick for herself, Emmy hit a long, slow, clear note, which seemed to disintegrate rather than just fading away. She did it again, and again it disintegrated into scratchy, crackling static. She paused and looked out over the arena, then hit the same note, but before it could crumble away she followed up with a slow blues melody, again drawing the notes out.


    The audience ate it up, waving their Emmy-eyes flashlight things and cheering like mad.


    Lee walked onstage and bowed to the crowd, doing a few Kung Fu-style moves, waving his drum sticks as if they were kali sticks and he was preparing for combat. He had a big grin on his face as the twelve thousand fans cheered their approval at his clowning around.


    When he settled down behind his drum kit, he broke into a strange off-beat rhythm, slow to match Emmy¡¯s guitar. He kept the basic beat going but played around it with different elements, somehow accentuating Emmy¡¯s riffs as if he knew what she was going to play.


    Jackson joined after a little bit and kept his playing supple and smooth, hitting on the main beat with Emmy, leaving Lee¡¯s counterpointto stand out all the more. The melody gradually surged, until Jackson stepped up to the microphone and called out, ¡°I want you to want me!¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Unlike the show the previous night, The Downfall ended with ''Baby, I Was Born To Die,¡¯ to my dismay. Even six months after first hearing that song, it still packed a brutal punch. I held Angela close, kissing her hair and whispering that it¡¯ll all somehow be alright, even though we both knew it was a lie.


    The afterparty for the second night was at different dance club in another part of town, not Gangnam. It was another basement, the front door wedged between a record store and, oddly, a skate shop. The red neon sign above the door read ¡°Bakery¡±, which was apparently the name of the club. Maybe it had been a bakery before it was converted into a nightclub or something, but that wouldn¡¯t explain why the sign was in English.


    There were a number of fans milling around by the entrance, but the club¡¯s security was doing a good job of keeping them back behind what are referred to as ¡®velvet ropes¡¯, but these weren¡¯t velvet, like they had been at the other club.


    This place was much grittier in appearance from the front, so the long line of limos and luxury cars waiting to disgorge their passengers seemed really out of place. When it was our turn at the curb I got out first, helping Emmy and then Angela out onto the sidewalk in front of the Bakery¡¯s door.


    The noise level was high from all the bystanders, pretty much every single one holding their phones up to capture the moment. There were professional photographers there, too, all yelling Emmy¡¯s name to get her to look their way.


    Emmy ignored the pros, though, and walked up and down the flimsy barricade, touching hands and saying hello to the fans.


    While she was doing this several cars unloaded their occupants, who were uniformly young, tall, slender and very pretty, both the guys as well as the girls. The pros took their pictures, too, but the crowd of fans hardly seemed to notice the newcomers at all, too fixated on Emmy to pay attention to anyone else.


    When we finally made our way downstairs into the dark basement, I saw that it went for a very different aesthetic from the much larger place the night before. The ceiling was low and painted black, the floor was bare polished concrete, the walls rough concrete, and the bar front and chairs were all red leather (or, more likely, some fake leather substitute).


    About half the tables were already taken, but it was easy to find Lee and Jackson. The tables themselves were small, only room for four people each, so Emmy sat with her bandmates while Angela and I sat with Jen and Stephanie at a nearby table.


    ¡°I¡¯d totally come back here to party,¡± Jen said, leaning in close and shouting to be heard over the loud house music the DJ was playing. ¡°And the drinks here are legit. That place last night was all show and no go.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll stick around,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re flying out first thing. How about you guys?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here for two more days, then we fly to Singapore on Wednesday,¡± Jen said.


    While we were talking we watched a number of the well-dressed pretty boys and pretty girls come up to The Downfall¡¯s table to talk and get their picture taken. It was very obvious the photos were all going to be posted on social media with some sort of ¡®Here I am, partying with The Downfall¡¯ captions. The whole thing reeked of publicity stunt, but that is, after all, what Emmy had said it would be.


    Waiting at the bar while the bartender made my drink and Jen¡¯s, one of the very slender Korean girls came over to talk to me.


    ¡°You are Emmy¡¯s wife, right?¡± she asked, leaning in very close to be heard. ¡°I am Ha Yun. I am trying to be an idol.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Ha Yun,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would like to¡­ to party with you and Emmy. At your hotel,¡± she said, and her meaning was very, very clear.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, curious.


    She gave me this look as if that was the last question she could possibly have expected. ¡°I want to be lesbian with you,¡± was her reply.


    ¡°But why?" I repeated.


    She looked as if she was having a hard time coming up with a good answer for that. Finally she said, ¡°She is very sexy, and so are you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re very pretty, too, but I don¡¯t think it would work out. We don¡¯t share our bed with strangers.¡± Turning away from Ha Yun, I took the two mixed drinks and two bottles of Perrier back to our little table.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Stephanie asked, tilting her chin in Ha Yun¡¯s direction.


    ¡°She wanted to go back to the hotel with me and Emmy to get laid,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I told her not gonna happen.¡±


    ¡°No doubt she would immediately turn around and tell the tabloids,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°From what I understand, there are two types of these ¡®idols¡¯ here. The squeaky clean types that you could bring home to mother, and the bad boy or bad girl types that are just ever so slightly scandalous- enough to seem edgy, but not enough to scare away teen fans. She¡¯s probably hoping to use you guys to launch her career in the second category.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± I said. Ha Yun had been pretty, but in a sort of strangely artificial way. Her boobs were way too big to have been natural, sure, but also her face was too perfect, her teeth too straight and her eyes too blue for any of that to have been real.


    Well, and the pink hair, too, but that hardly counts. I mean, right?


    ¡°Not your type?¡± Stephanie teased.


    ¡°You know my type,¡± I whispered in her ear, my voice just husky enough to get Stephanie to shiver involuntarily.


    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± she admitted, glancing at the next table to where Emmy sat, talking to some pretty boy band singer. It might have been my imagination, but I thought I saw a bit of regret in Stephanie¡¯s expression for just a moment.


    True to Emmy¡¯s word, we only stayed until about one AM. Back at the hotel we all three shared a not-very-hot shower, then cuddled in bed, falling asleep almost immediately.


    The six and a half hour flight to Singapore was really nice as far as flying commercial goes, and I made a mental note to fly Singapore Airlines whenever possible from now on.


    That goes double, or even triple, for the airport there in Singapore. In fact, every airport in the world should be modeled after Changi Airport. Sure, there are many, many pictures of the waterfall vortex, but seeing it in person is a completely different experience. The plants! And the shopping! Really, it was incredible. As a first impression, the airport was a true knockout.


    Seemingly completely unimpressed, Grant led us unerringly to the courtesy van stand and soon we were on our way to our hotel, which was apparently quite close to the concert venue. It was an enormous thing, nice and clean and all that, but fairly impersonal.


    The hotel restaurant was surprisingly good, though, and later in the evening, the rooftop pool was the perfect way to finish off the day.


    I used the hotel¡¯s sad gym while Angela and Emmy slept in, spending an hour on the treadmill and then another hour on the small selection of Nautilus machines. It was better than nothing and the views out of the floor to ceiling windows were good, but it made me miss having a real gym. Determined to find an honest to God fight gym for the week we¡¯d be in town, I made my way back to the room, only to find my snuggle bunnies still deep in sleep.


    Keeping quiet to not disturb Emmy and Angela, I texted Grant, who seemed quite familiar with Singapore.


    ¡°Are there any local gyms you¡¯d recommend for a week¡¯s worth of training?¡± I asked.


    Maybe a minute later his reply came back. ¡°Let me reach out. I¡¯ll have an answer for you within the hour¡±, he texted.


    By the time I¡¯d finished my shower and dried off Grant had found me a gym.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the place for you. When do you want to check it out?¡± Grant had texted.


    ¡°Good morning, Leah,¡± Emmy said from the bed, where she and Angela were still cuddled together, but awake. ¡°We were just discussing breakfast,¡± Angela added.


    ¡°Do you guys have any plans for today?¡± I asked. ¡°Other than breakfast, of course.¡±


    ¡°Lunch, too,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°And perhaps dinner,¡± Emmy added.


    "And maybe see the giant metal tree things,¡± Angela suggested.


    ¡°Giant metal tree things?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me- Lee was the one who said she wanted to see them,¡± Angela said with a shrug.

 The Handler

    ¡°Well, we have a week and a day here, right? So we can do all the sightseeing we want and not have to be in a rush. Let¡¯s have a relaxed breakfast, then think about what to do with the rest of our day. How does that sound?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Room service breakfast?¡± Emmy asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, amused by her laziness. I handed Emmy the binder with the hotel information, including the room service menus.


    We didn¡¯t actually do anything to speak of at all that day. We just lazed around the hotel, using the rooftop pool once the sun had set. The humid, warm weather really didn¡¯t cool off much after the sun went down, so the night was just as good for swimming as the day would have been as far as Angela and I were concerned, but much better for Emmy.


    The next morning Grant and I made our way to the gym that his contacts had suggested. It was in a part of town that hadn¡¯t changed much since the English colonial times, with shops of various kinds on the ground floors and apartments on the second floor. The tightly packed buildings were a mix of colorfully painted or rough and peeling, their decorative plaster ornamentation also in various states of repair.


    The wooden shutters of the second floor apartments were open in the cool air of the early morning, but the shops were all closed behind folding security gates at that time of the day.


    Grant led me into an alley between a large salmon-colored place with an awning sign in Chinese and a smaller cream-colored building with, oddly, an Irish pub on the ground floor. Amused by the sign proclaiming O¡¯Fong¡¯s to be the oldest Irish pub in Singapore, I followed Grant down the winding alley. It was crowded with trash cans, piles of packing crates, parked scooters, and even, oddly enough, little street food stands. If I hadn¡¯t already eaten I would definitely have tried some of it- the smells were amazing, even though the conditions were a bit questionable.


    Even that early in the morning the innumerable air conditioner units on the back sides of the second floor apartments gave off enough noise to muffle all other sounds of the city outside the little alley.


    Finally arriving at a roll-up garage door painted blood red, Grant opened the similarly-painted man door next to it and walked in, with me right behind.


    I must admit that given the surroundings I was definitely expecting some sort of scene from a bad Van Damme movie, and honestly, the gym didn¡¯t disappoint except in that it was a lot more brightly lit than I would have thought.


    We got nothing but curious stares from the locals working out, and even the fighters sparring in the two rings stopped what they were doing to check us out.


    A stout middle-aged guy of Chinese ancestry approached, his wide smile prominently displaying more than one gold tooth.


    ¡°Mist¡¯ Gran¡¯ Henry!¡± he called out. As the two shook hands like old friends, Gold Tooth indicated me. ¡°Dis de fighter tell me abou¡¯?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Stanley Han, this is Leah Farmer,¡± Grant said. ¡°Leah, this is Stanley Han. He owns this gym.¡±


    ¡°Farmer? Good name,¡± Mr Han said as he looked me up and down after shaking my hand. ¡°She really bi,¡± he said, skipping the last part of the word ¡®big¡¯. I¡¯d detected a little bit of that accent in some of the hotel staff, but this guy did it with almost every word.


    ¡°She ready figh¡¯?¡± Mr Han asked, and when Grant assured him that yes, I was ready for a test spar, he hollered to somebody and almost immediately a powerfully built woman nearly a foot shorter than me materialized. They spoke rapidly in Chinese, and she nodded that she understood.


    She indicated I should follow her, so I nodded to Grant and shouldered my bag. She led me to what was apparently the women¡¯s locker room, which was functional, if small and basic. ¡°You can use any locker that doesn¡¯t have a lock on it,¡± she said in lightly accented English. ¡°The shower is behind that wall, but I wouldn¡¯t use it. You¡¯d probably get a foot fungus or something.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t catch your name,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m Leah.¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth,¡± she said. ¡°But everybody calls me Liz.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to get ready?¡± I asked as I wrapped my hands.


    ¡°Me? No, no. You¡¯re going to spar with Dad. He does all the evaluations,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s excited to work with you, you know. Mr Henry told him that you¡¯re a real fighter, and he respects that. The two go way back.¡±


    ¡°I hope I can live up to the hype,¡± I said. ¡°Grappling gloves or¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh, bring all your gear to the ring. Dad¡¯ll tell you what to use.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then,¡± I said, shouldering my bag to carry it back out. Really, all I¡¯d done is strip off my shoes and socks, followed by my sweats. The only actual gearing up I¡¯d done was my hand wraps, so all my stuff was still in the gym bag.


    I slipped my sliders on and followed Liz back out, where Grant and Mr Han were waiting by one of the rings. Mr Han had ditched his own sweats and was now wearing a snug singlet and a pair of loose boxing shorts. He had his headgear tucked under his arm while they waited, but when we approached he pulled it on.


    ¡°Shin guards, padded gloves, head gear,¡± Grant said, so I set the bag down on a convenient bench and geared up as instructed.


    ¡°No rounds, just go until Stanley says to stop. Don¡¯t hold back, either. Mixed, not just Muay Thai,¡± Grant said as he checked my equipment.


    I climbed between the ropes and Mr Han held out his gloves, so I tapped them and we stepped back.


    I took a tentative step forward and he fell for it, as guys so often do. He moved forward to engage, thinking to come at me hard but I laid a kick and two punches on him before he even got within his striking range. He backpedaled, re-evaluating.


    ¡°She fas¡¯,¡± he said to Grant, who was resting his arms on the ring rope, watching intently.


    ¡°I told you,¡± Grant replied.


    He stepped forward to engage again and I went in for a low kick, but he anticipated it and turned his leg to let the shin guard take the hit, allowing him to pivot in closer.


    I saw his move almost before he did it and countered with a quick hip throw, tossing him to the canvas. He took a bit longer than necessary to get back up, making me think he¡¯d been trying to sucker me in somehow, but I didn¡¯t go for it.


    Back on his feet and in a good, powerful stance, Mr Han gave me a little nod of respect. He¡¯d underestimated me and it had cost him twice.


    This time I moved in on him, using my reach to keep him honest. He was surprisingly quick for a guy who might well have been in his fifties, but I was faster and caught him with a few blows he wasn¡¯t able to counter. He took a few shots at me, too, but I deflected most of them. Every time he tried to close, I held him off and laid a flurry of punches and kicks on him, lulling him into a certain expectation until I finally surprised him by pulling him into a very strong knee and throw combination.


    Following him down, I wrapped my long arms around him for a clinch. To my regret he was a stronger wrestler than I¡¯d expected and it went back and forth for what felt like forever before I slipped away and stood back up. He¡¯d shown me that I had no advantage on him on the mat, so that wasn¡¯t the way to go.


    Mr Han sprung up far more quickly than he had earlier, confirming my suspicions. He lunged forward to bring me down again, but I wasn¡¯t having any of that. I stepped aside as he shot in, avoiding the takedown and landing a few really solid undefended blows as he passed by.


    It had become obvious (to me, at least) that I was faster and that gave me the ability to control the flow of the fight. He was stronger and had better technique, but he could read the way things were going just as well as I could. We both knew that in a stand-up striking match, chances are I would outlast him. His only real path forward lay in the close game, and he¡¯d have to suffer to bring me inside.


    Stepping back, Mr Han clenched one hand over the other fist, signaling the end of the session. I matched his move and gave him a bow of respect and he did the same.


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    Glancing around for the first time since we¡¯d started fighting, I saw that every single person in the gym had stopped to watch.


    Mr Han announced to the assembled crowd that I was Leah Farmer, and I would be training there for the next week.


    Turning to me, he said in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯ll start early. Be here at four thirty. We''ll work on special techniques before anybody else gets here.¡± Then, louder for those assembled to hear, he said, ¡°I gon¡¯ train her real har¡¯ this week. She gon¡¯ remember this gym!¡±


    The gym rats all laughed as they returned to whatever it was they¡¯d been doing, looking forward to seeing this giant American chick get the treatment.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading back to the hotel,¡± Grant said. ¡°Have fun!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied, ducking between the ropes to exit the ring. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna like it here.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Mr Han said quietly once Grant had gone and the gym settled back into its normal routine. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve established that you can fight well, it¡¯s time to evaluate your strength and fitness,¡± he said, all trace of his Singlish accent gone.


    I was going to say something, but I just gave him a smile, remembering a line from a movie I¡¯d watched many years before with Stephanie. ¡®I never did mind the little things¡¯, I thought to myself.


    Mr Han ran me through a series of weight tests, repping to failure on squats, bench presses, rows, and more until I was pretty well done. He noted everything down on his clipboard but not really commenting any. Of course, this left me wondering where I stood in his estimation, but I let it go. He¡¯d tell me eventually.


    After the weights he had me on a primitive rowing machine- no electronics, just a spring and a fan to provide resistance, but that was enough. Again, he had me maintain a high rep rate until I simply couldn¡¯t go anymore, at which point Mr Han clicked his stopwatch and noted the time.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re done for the day,¡± he said. ¡°I only have you for a week, so we need to maximize our efficiency in developing workouts for you. I¡¯ll have a plan worked up by the time you get here at four thirty tomorrow morning. The door will be unlocked- just come on in, and lock it behind you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, my legs almost too wobbly to stand. ¡°I¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    I¡¯d recovered by the time I got back to the hotel, but the idea of a relaxing day of doing not much had a lot of appeal. Emmy and Angela were both awake and ready to go out and do stuff, though, so I showered and dressed for a day in the equatorial heat and humidity of the unique city-state.


    Angela had worked up an itinerary, and yes, it did include the Gardens By The Bay, with the giant metal tree things. They were actually cooler in real life than in the photos I¡¯d seen, and well worth the visit. The Supertrees weren¡¯t the only things to see there- the rest of the gardens were amazing, too. We were careful not to spend much time in the direct sunlight, but thanks to Emmy¡¯s big sun hat and long sleeves (plus her extra heavy duty sunblock) she was fine.


    Right around sunset we took a boat tour that circled Singapore. The boat captain did an excellent job of being at just the right place when the setting sun reflected off the towers of the downtown Marina district, the glass of the tall buildings shining like diamonds.


    When I commented on that fact, Emmy mentioned that she¡¯d set up an appointment with a diamond merchant the following day.


    ¡°I want to buy something special for Angie,¡± Emmy said in a low voice when Angela had gone to the rail of the boat to look down at the water. ¡°I had seen it online, and thought it was perfect for her.¡±


    ¡°Does she know?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, all she knows is that I wish to see the diamond market here in Singapore. It is among the finest in the world.¡±


    ¡°I do kinda feel bad that her ring isn¡¯t as, well, as spectacular as it should be,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I feel the same way about yours, you know.¡±


    ¡°I know that you do, but I am very satisfied with my ring,¡± Emmy said, holding up her hand to show off her ring¡¯s green garnet I¡¯d bought when we were still in high school. ¡°This means more to me than I could ever express, Leah.¡±


    Finding my way alone to the gym the next morning, my way down the alley was blocked by a tough-looking guy.


    ¡°Wha¡¯ you do here?¡± he demanded, as two more guys moved in from behind and to my right. ¡°You not belon¡¯ here.¡±


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said, setting my gym bag down. ¡°I¡¯m here to get a workout.¡±


    ¡°Workou¡¯?¡± the first guy asked. ¡°We give you workou¡¯.¡±


    He stepped forward menacingly and I knocked him on his ass with a quick push kick, then swung around and hit the guy to my right with a left cross that spun him around. The guy who¡¯d been sidling up behind me tried for some kind of wild haymaker, but I ducked and blocked, coming inside with a vicious uppercut that sent him down to the ground.


    Spinning around, I saw the first guy had regained his feet so I hit him upside the head with a round kick, taking him right out of the fight. Turning to the other two, they backed away and ran, leaving their comrade on the ground.


    I stepped on his chest as he tried to rise again.


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll kill you,¡± I said, pushing him down flat on his back. ¡°Got it?¡±


    He nodded he understood, so I stepped off him, grabbed my bag and continued down the alley. I was at least fifty per cent sure that Mr Han had set this encounter up as some sort of final test, but I did keep a wary eye back the way I came to make sure the three weren¡¯t going to rush me.


    As promised, the door was unlocked, so I went in and locked it behind me. Mr Han was off to one side, getting some things ready.


    ¡°Did you have any problems getting here this morning?¡± he asked, more or less confirming the three guys were a setup.


    ¡°No, none at all,¡± I said.


    He nodded, then said, ¡°Mr Henry was very¡­ specific as to what he wanted me to work with you on. This is why we¡¯re here before we open to anybody else. These are things that should not be talked about, is that clear?¡±


    ¡°I know the routine well,¡± I said.


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯re going to work on knife technique this morning for the next two hours, then targeted strength for another two. This will be our routine every day this week. Mr Henry says that you¡¯re quite talented with a knife, and your preferred weapon is a Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife. An odd choice, if you ask me,¡± he said, laying out a selection of knives on the counter. ¡°Is yours like this?¡± he asked, handing me a knife very similar to my own.


    ¡°Yes, but the blade on mine isn¡¯t blackened like this, and the black paint on the grip is wearing off, showing the bronze, I guess it is, underneath,¡± I said, examining his obviously unused replica.


    ¡°Interesting. So it¡¯s an original?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Passed down on my father¡¯s side,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fortuitously, the Singaporean special forces are issued with these,¡± he said, taking the black dagger from my hand. ¡°So I have decades of experience with just these blades. You didn¡¯t bring yours with you on this trip, did you? No, of course not. How could you ever get it through customs? Here, keep this one,¡± he said, handing me the dagger in its sheath. ¡°And keep it on you, and also- and this is very important- keep this on you, too. If you are confronted by law enforcement, tell them that you¡¯re armed and licensed,¡± he said, handing me a piece of paper, folded to fit easily in a wallet. ¡°This is your ¡®get out of jail free¡¯ card while you¡¯re here in Singapore. It won¡¯t do you a damned bit of good once you leave the island, but while you¡¯re here¡­¡±


    I unfolded it and looked at the license to bear arms. It had my name, birthdate and even a photo of me, and said in clear text that I was licensed by the Singaporean Ministry Of Defense to carry and use any weapon I deemed necessary in the execution of my duties.


    ¡°Is this real?¡± I asked, stunned.


    ¡°Very real,¡± Mr Han said. ¡°You are officially here as a special training consultant to our military intelligence service.¡±


    I looked Mr Han in the eyes and asked, ¡°And you¡¯re my handler?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he said, nodding.


    ¡°What do you get in return?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I get to help out an old friend, and that¡¯s always important, but Mr Henry also hinted that you have some information that will be widely known soon, but we might benefit from learning sooner rather than later,¡± Mr Han said, handing me a training knife that resembled Old Stabby, except it was made out of some sort of dark gray, hard but flexible plastic. He also handed me a white sweatshirt and sweatpants outfit similar to what he was wearing.


    ¡°Put these on,¡± he instructed.


    After I suited up, we ran through a few quick exercises, and when he was satisfied I knew which end of the knife goes forward, we started in on the real training. It was a lot like what I¡¯d worked on with Grant, but Mr Han was much quicker to change grips and attack from unexpected directions, leaving my white sweats covered in the red chalk that we used on the plastic blades.


    To my satisfaction, he had quite a bit of red on his sweats, too, underscoring the old maxim about the best strategy in a knife fight is to run away.


    After an hour of the two of us stabbing and slashing each other to ribbons, Mr Han switched back to instructor mode and had me practice what were basically knife-handling tricks- spinning the knife to switch to reverse grip while being jostled, for example.


    ¡°Keeping control of your weapon is life or death,¡± he said the first time I dropped the plastic dagger. ¡°If you drop it, you die. It is as simple as that.¡±


    ¡°The first man I killed dropped his dagger when I kicked him in the chest,¡± I said, thinking back. ¡°I picked his knife up off the ground and it was game over for him.¡±


    Nodding, Mr Han said, ¡°It really is that instantaneous. Don¡¯t ever forget it.¡±


    When we heard a key in the door lock, we stopped what we were doing and put the knives away.


    ¡°That will be Elizabeth,¡± Mr Han said. ¡°Go change and we¡¯ll start on the strength work.¡±


    For the next two hours Mr Han stood right there as he put me through a series of very targeted exercises for the muscle groups in my arms and legs, ignoring my core.


    When I asked about that, he said, ¡°You plenty stro¡¯ enough. No squa¡¯, jus¡¯ fine tune your punch and ki¡¯,¡± he said, back to his Singlish accent dropping off the last consonant of every word.


    When I got back to the hotel I was pretty well wiped out, but Emmy and Angela were excited to go out and do more sightseeing. Resigned to a lack of rest, I showered and changed into a light summer dress, but then found myself at a loss for how to carry Stabby Jr.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Angela asked as she entered the bathroom and saw the knife in my hands.


    ¡°A present from my new trainer,¡± I said.


    ¡°What kind of gym trainer gives people knives?¡± she asked, taking it from my hand to examine it.


    ¡°A very unusual one,¡± I said. ¡°He wants me to keep it with me when we go out, but I have no idea how to hide it.¡±


    Frowning with unasked questions, Angela disappeared back into the main bedroom, only to reappear a moment later.


    ¡°Here- use this purse,¡± she said, handing me a distressed leather purse that would just fit the dagger¡¯s full length. ¡°I think,¡± she said, folding the belt loop part of the sheath back and tucking the whole arrangement into one side, ¡°That if you do it like this, you should be able to reach in and pull it out immediately with no difficulty.¡± Thinking about it for a moment, she said, ¡°But that means that a pickpocket could steal it easily¡­¡±


    It was about this point that Emmy joined us, wondering what we were up to. After a lot of back and forth, I wound up changing out of the dress and into a pair of shorts with a loose top that concealed the sheath running crosswise in the small of my back.


    It was surreal, my two beautiful wives fussing over how best to allow me to carry a deadly weapon in public, but I guess that was just where life had led me.

 A Lot More

    I felt bad for poor Tiny, accompanying us everywhere we went. He simply wasn¡¯t used to the heat and humidity, and it was obvious that it was taking its toll on him. We tried to find him some lighter weight clothes, but oddly enough finding clothes for a six foot six, three hundred pound guy in Singapore just isn¡¯t as easy as you might think. We did eventually manage to get him a sun hat that fit, along with a few linen shirts and some shorts, so he was fine for the time being. I resolved to make a point of doing some shopping for him in Australia, where we¡¯d be a bit more likely to find a big and tall men¡¯s clothing store.


    Grant had no problem, wearing the most horrible Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts combo imaginable. Of course it was part of his ¡®don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m just some sort of idiot random part of the entourage¡¯ persona, and that was fine. It certainly seemed to work- everyone recognized Tiny as a bodyguard and gave him a wide berth, but nobody paid any attention at all to Grant.


    I guess I¡¯d had some sort of impression that the diamond market would be a specific place, like a certain street lined with jewelry stores or maybe a building where all the dealers did their business, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. Emmy explained that the ¡®market¡¯ is an association, a trade group of local dealers, and they¡¯re scattered all over. She led us all into an office tower on Hill Street, where the specific dealer she wanted to talk to had his showroom on the eighth floor.


    It wasn¡¯t the sort of place you¡¯d just stroll in, looking for a pair of earrings or something like that. No, this was the kind of place that guards buzzed you in, and well-dressed sales associates brought out velvet-lined trays for the buyer to see the gems. They had no finished jewelry anywhere, as far as I could tell. It was gemstones, and that was it.


    Emmy had clearly been in contact with the owner or manager or whatever his position actually was, because as soon as he¡¯d seated Angela, Emmy and me at a table, his assistant came out with a tray with maybe a dozen diamonds on it, all in some shade of pink.


    ¡°Oh! They¡¯re gorgeous!¡± Angela said, looking at the stones glittering in the directed lighting from the table lamp.


    ¡°I think this is the one we discussed, yes?¡± Emmy asked, pointing to one of the larger stones, one that was in the lighter but still distinctly pink color range.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the guy said, laying out a piece of velvet on the table in front of Emmy, then picking the stone up in his white-gloved hand and setting it on the exact center of the cloth for Emmy to examine.


    Emmy, not seeming to care about the rituals of diamond handling, simply picked it up and and looked closely at it, then held it out in her palm for Angela to look.


    ¡°What do you think? Is this the prettiest of all of them?¡± she asked.


    Unsure if it was O.K. or not, Angela cautiously picked up the gemstone and peered closely at it, looking through it at the light.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a diamond like this in my life,¡± Angela breathed, admiring the way the light sparkled through the pale pink pear-cut stone.


    I glanced at the jeweler, but although he was watching carefully, he didn¡¯t seem at all bothered by Emmy and Angela handling the diamond the way they were.


    ¡°Angie, do you think any of the others are better? Maybe a bit more pink would be more¡­?¡± Emmy prodded.


    Angela took a moment to glance over the other stones still in the tray, but said, ¡°No. This is the best of all of them. I think you should get this one.¡±


    Emmy nodded to the man, who signaled to his assistant. The assistant took the tray away as the jeweler politely held his hand out for the stone that Angela was admiring.


    She handed it back to him a bit reluctantly, before she turned to Emmy. ¡°What are you going to do with it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I am going to have it set in a pendant,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll look really good on you,¡± Angela said, watching the jeweler use a cloth to wipe any fingerprints off, then wrap it in the black velvet cloth and place it in a small box.


    ¡°It might,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But it will look even better on you, Angela.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°It is for you,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°I saw photos online and I knew that it would look better on you than anyone else, and so you must have it.¡±


    ¡°But Em! This is too expensive-¡± Angela protested.


    ¡°No, it is not,¡± Emmy said, putting her hand on Angela¡¯s. ¡°You are our queen and you deserve your crown jewels.¡±


    Angela, overcome with emotion, couldn¡¯t stop the tears of happiness flowing from her pretty blue eyes even if she tried. She wrapped Emmy in her arms and held her tight for a long moment, while the jeweler looked on, completely passive.


    I asked him in a quiet voice, ¡°Have the payment arrangements been made?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mrs Farmer. It has all been taken care of. I will provide you with a receipt, of course, and the diamond¡¯s certificate. If you wish to have it done here in Singapore, I would be happy to provide you with the names of several fine goldsmiths capable of setting such a fine stone.¡±


    ¡°Do you think any could have it done by Saturday?¡± I asked.


    Giving me a slight, knowing smile, he said, ¡°With enough incentive, they certainly could.¡±


    The jeweler wrote a few names and phone numbers on a piece of paper for me, then handed the box to Angela and the paperwork to me.


    I made a mental note to contact our insurer ASAP as we exited the building back into the heat and humidity of the street.


    ¡°Would you like us to have it set while we are here?¡± Emmy asked once we were safely in the air conditioned interior of our limo.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°I want to wear it, but I don¡¯t want to lose it for a few days, either.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have it for the rest of your life, baby,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s no rush either way.¡±


    ¡°Could¡­ Could we maybe have it made into jewelry at Tiffany¡¯s in New York?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Whatever it is you want.¡±


    Back at the hotel, Angela asked me how much the diamond had cost while Emmy was distracted with ordering room service on the telephone.


    ¡°Ange, It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said.


    ¡°Was it a hundred thousand dollars?¡± she persisted. ¡°More? Less?¡±


    ¡°A lot more,¡± I said. ¡°But like I said, babe, Emmy wanted to get it for you. The amount of money is sorta beside the point.¡±


    ¡°A lot more?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a lot more,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it¡¯d be worth any price to see you wearing it.¡±


    Angela carefully opened the box and pulled out the black velvet cloth, spreading it in her hand to reveal to pretty pink diamond nestled within.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°It is perfect for you,¡± Emmy said, drawing near to look at the gemstone in Angela¡¯s hand. Emmy reached over and plucked the almond-sized stone from the velvet and held it up to Angela¡¯s upper chest, about where it would lay when set in a pendant. ¡°I very much like the idea of having Tiffany make the necklace.¡±


    Angela took Emmy¡¯s hand in her own and kissed it, then drew Emmy in closer and kissed her long and passionately.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± she murmured. ¡°You make me feel so¡­ so valued, so treasured. You and Lee.¡±


    I wrapped both of them in my arms and kissed them each in turn. ¡°You are our treasure, Ange. You bring so much love to our little family of three, I can¡¯t even begin to say it.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what I want now? Right now?¡± Angela asked, showering Emmy and me with kisses. ¡°I want to take a nice, long shower and clean all the sweat and the bug spray and sunscreen off you two, then I want to kiss every single inch of your bodies, over and over. And I want you to do the same to me.¡±


    Angela slapped my hands away when I tried to remove my clothes in the suite¡¯s large bathroom. ¡°I want to do that,¡± she said. Happy to let her have her way, I agreed.


    ¡°But I get to strip you naked, too,¡± I said. ¡°Fair is fair.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Angela said as she set the dagger on the countertop. ¡°I worry about you, you know. All this training, for what? To fight? To kill? It makes me afraid that I might lose you.¡±


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    ¡°I do my best to be careful,¡± I said, taking her worried face in my hands and kissing her frown lines. ¡°That¡¯s why I train so hard- so that I¡¯m the one who¡­ Well, I¡¯m the one who wins,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t like that this is part of our lives, and I wish it wasn¡¯t, but it is, so I do everything I can to make sure that I¡¯m the one with the winning hand.¡±


    ¡°I know. Emmy has told me everything, and I understand, I do, I just wish¡­¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± I said, kissing her again. ¡°I do. Believe me, I absolutely don¡¯t want to wind up dead in some dark warehouse somewhere, either. I plan on growing old with you, and our baby girls.¡±


    ¡°But not Emmy,¡± Angela said, her expressive face showing her feelings.


    ¡°No, not unless we can get her medical treatment, and so far I¡¯ve seen no sign of her being willing to do that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I hate that,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I do, too.¡±


    We stood there for a long moment, holding each other in silence, sharing our feelings without the need of any words.


    Emmy joined us just as Angela finished removing all my clothes and I was about to start on her cute little sun dress.


    ¡°We should not shower too long,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Our dinner will get cold.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be the only thing around here that is,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is very warm here in Singapore,¡± Emmy agreed as she unzipped the back of Angela¡¯s dress.


    ¡°I like it,¡± Angela said. ¡°It reminds me of home, in Cartagena. Very tropical.¡±


    I loved the way she said ¡®tro pee cal¡¯. Most of the time I didn¡¯t even notice either of their accents anymore, but every once in a while I was reminded of how sexy Emmy and Angela both sounded when they spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting fat,¡± Angela complained when I soaped up her tummy, which was still flatter than most women could ever hope for.


    ¡°You will be beautiful even when your belly is big and round,¡± Emmy said, kneeling down and kissing Angela¡¯s tummy. ¡°Perhaps especially then.¡±


    Angela ran her fingers through Emmy¡¯s fine, silky white hair as Emmy continued to lavish her attention on Angela¡¯s middle.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have our baby soon,¡± I said, leaning down and kissing the side of Angela¡¯s neck. ¡°Our baby girl, Ange. Our first child.¡±


    Emmy stood up and wrapped her arms around Angela and me, pulling herself in close. She kissed Angela lovingly and said, ¡°You are giving us the greatest gift any woman can ever give. You have given us your love, and soon, you will be giving us the gift of motherhood. Our baby, Angie. A living expression of our love.¡±


    ¡°You will, too,¡± Angela said, stroking Emmy¡¯s charcoal-colored face. ¡°You¡¯re going to give me and Lee that same gift.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will. We will be mothers together. But tonight, we are not mothers, but lovers.¡±


    I really didn¡¯t want to get out of bed so ridiculously early the next morning, but I did, leaving Angela and Emmy sleeping peacefully in each others¡¯ arms. ¡®I must be the world¡¯s biggest idiot¡¯ I thought as I took the elevator to the lobby. Leaving two of the most beautiful women in the world to go to a smelly gym in some back alley, run by an undercover military intelligence officer who was willing to take me on because Grant had dangled the idea of useful intel about Night Children in front of his nose?


    Really, who even does that?


    Expecting to meet the same three guys again, I was surprised to get to the gym door without incident. I¡¯d gone through a number of escalation scenarios in my head and worked out plans on how to deal with whatever happened, again on the assumption that they were all a set up. Honestly, that assumption complicated things quite a bit. After all, I wouldn¡¯t want to seriously injure or kill some poor slob who was just sent to try to scare me, right?


    If, say, Sketchy Guy Number One pulls a knife and threatens me with it, the obvious answer would be to pull Stabby Jr and say, ¡°That¡¯s not a knife. This is a knife,¡± right? Well, if Sketchy gets aggressive and comes at me, I wouldn¡¯t want to just gut him if he really was working for Mr Han to test me. If he was actually some shithead alley punk defending his little chunk of turf, I¡¯d probably still be better off not killing him if it wasn¡¯t completely necessary. A disabling leg stab or something like that would be the best move, most likely to end the conflict rapidly with the least potential blowback.


    If there were more guys but no weapons, well, I¡¯d have to be much more careful about defining the space of conflict than I had been the first time I met them. I¡¯d been much quicker than they¡¯d anticipated the first time, but they wouldn¡¯t be taken by surprise a second time. This meant that I would have to control the field better and not simply accept their ambush site.


    Opening the door to the gym unhindered, I filed all my contingencies away as ¡®maybe not necessary, but keep ready¡¯.


    ¡°Good morning, Leah,¡± Mr Han greeted me as I joined him in the back corner of the gym. He was already in his white sweats, so I quickly ditched my Cardinal sweatshirt and pants and put on the freshly cleaned white set again.


    ¡°Any problems getting here?¡± he asked in a conversational tone as I got ready.


    ¡°No, sir, none at all,¡± I said, tying my hair back, keeping an eye on him for his reaction, but all he did was give a little nod.


    Again, we worked on knife technique, but this time it was almost entirely about defensive moves, rather than offensive.


    ¡°If you go into a knife fight, you must accept that you will get cut. The important thing is that you don¡¯t get cut in places or ways that will end you,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t ever go for your opponent¡¯s knife. It¡¯s a small target, it moves rapidly, and you¡¯ll only wind up with a slashed hand. It¡¯s best to go for their arm,¡± he explained, showing me what he meant.


    Of course Grant and I had gone through all this quite some time before, but it was interesting hearing another blade instructor giving the same instructions.


    As we were working on forms that seemed a lot more like some sort of Gung-Fu or Aikido technique than I was used to, more of a soft deflection rather than a hard block, Mr Han asked, ¡°How many blue dumpsters are there in the alley outside?¡±


    Surprised by the non-sequitur, all I could do was ask, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Blue dumpsters in the alley. Between here and the street, how many are there?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Four on the right, two on the left, but one of the ones on the left is more of an aqua than a real blue,¡± I grunted out, turning aside a stab at my ribs.


    ¡°How many food stands?¡±


    ¡°None when I get here, three when I leave,¡± I said.


    ¡°What kind of food do they sell?¡± Mr Han demanded as we continued our three-quarter-speed dance of stab and deflect.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the names of any of the dishes,¡± I said. ¡°The one closest to the street is grilled chicken, the other two are something that look like pancakes and a noodle dish.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Mr Han said, stepping back. ¡°The two businesses on either side of the alley entrance- what are they?¡±


    ¡°An ¡®Irish¡¯ pub,¡± I said, making air quotes with my fingers, "and a Chinese social club.¡±


    ¡°What is the Irish pub¡¯s claim to fame?¡±


    ¡°O¡¯Fong¡¯s claims to be Singapore¡¯s oldest Irish pub,¡± I said, wondering why all the questions.


    Satisfied, Mr Han nodded. ¡°Grant was right,¡± he said to himself, but didn¡¯t bother explaining what he meant to me.


    When I got back to the hotel room Emmy and Angela were still in bed, but not asleep. Angela was lying face down on the bed, while Emmy was draped across her. Angela was enjoying Emmy¡¯s attention to her nude body, as Emmy kissed and stroked the bare skin of Angela¡¯s stellar back side.


    Leaning in to kiss them both, I noticed that Emmy had the pink diamond in her hand. When Emmy noticed that I¡¯d seen it, she smiled at me.


    ¡°Look,¡± she said, setting the almond-shaped stone right at the base of Angela¡¯s spine. Nestled in that spot, tip pointing down between Angela¡¯s firm cheeks, the pale pink diamond¡¯s hard edges contrasted with Angela¡¯s soft curves beautifully.


    ¡°Gorgeous,¡± I breathed. ¡°The diamond is nice, too,¡± I added, glancing at Angela¡¯s face.


    Emmy slid her hand up the inside of Angela¡¯s thigh, finishing up with her fingers stroking Angela¡¯s delicate skin just below her lady parts.


    ¡°We have been waiting for you,¡± Emmy said, kissing Angela¡¯s ribs but keeping eye contact with me.


    ¡°You guys didn¡¯t get enough last night?¡± I asked, amused and more than just a tiny bit aroused.


    ¡°That was last night,¡± Angela said with a smile. ¡°This is a new day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in just a moment,¡± I said, yanking my sweatshirt off and tossing it to the floor as I made my way to the suite¡¯s bathroom. ¡°Don¡¯t start without me.¡±


    After a very quick shower I was back out in the bedroom again. They hadn¡¯t started without me, to my surprise. Angela was still lying on her front, and Emmy was beside her, running her hands tenderly over Angela¡¯s thighs and butt.


    Angela¡¯s face was turned my way, and I could see her blissful expression as she reveled in Emmy¡¯s caresses.


    I leaned down and kissed her cheek. ¡°Good morning, my beauty,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she murmured.


    Angela lifted and turned her head the other way, then reached down and pulled Emmy up onto herself as she rolled the two of them my way. It was a well-executed move and would have been very sexy, but the sudden grimace on Angela¡¯s face spoiled the effect a little bit.


    Rolling Emmy back off herself, Angela reached underneath her back for a moment, then held up the pear-cut diamond as big as an almond, but much, much sharper. She looked at it with consternation, having totally forgotten that the two were playing with it earlier.


    Emmy laughed in that pretty, musical way of hers and took it from Angela¡¯s hand. She placed it on Angela¡¯s chest, right on her breast bone.


    ¡°Famous and beautiful diamonds are given names,¡± Emmy said. ¡°This one is not famous, but it is beautiful. We should name it.¡±


    ¡°What, like the Hope Diamond?¡± I asked as I sat next to Angela and reached out to touch the pale pink stone.


    ¡°I think this one can be the Love Diamond,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Angela said, looking down at the gem on her chest. ¡°Since I love it.¡±


    That evening everybody else associated with the tour arrived at the hotel, so we all had a big dinner in the hotel¡¯s rooftop restaurant. It isn¡¯t as if we hadn¡¯t seen everybody in a while, but it still had the feel of a reunion to it.


    ¡°Is it always this hot here?¡± Jen asked as the two of us sipped our after-dinner drinks, leaning on the terrace railing looking out over the Marina District¡¯s lights. We¡¯d stepped away from the rest of the group to catch up on things.


    ¡°Pretty damned tro pee cal,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s flipping humid, too,¡± she complained.


    ¡°You see that, over there?¡± I asked, pointing off to the left, out away from the buildings of the harbor and out to sea.


    ¡°See what?¡± Jen asked, squinting.


    ¡°There, that line right over there just a few miles. You know what that is?¡± Answering myself, I said, ¡°That¡¯s the freaking Equator right there.¡±


    Jen leaned back and gave me a sardonic look, realizing I was giving her a hard time. ¡°Yeah, I get it. This is the actual tropics here, and that, coincidentally, is why it feels tropical, like you said. It¡¯s just a shock to the system to come from Seoul where it was like fifty degrees to here where¡¯s closer to ninety and ninety per cent humidity,¡± she said.


    ¡°Our next stop is going to be Sydney, and it¡¯s full-on summer there in Australia,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°Yeah, but it won¡¯t be hotter than this,¡± Jen countered.


    ¡°No, probably not,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to Australia,¡± Jen said. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go. How about you?¡± she asked, turning to face me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never really given it a lot of thought,¡± I said with a shrug.


    After a minute or two of companionable silence, Jen asked, ¡°So what have you guys been up to while the rest of us were still in freezing-ass Korea?¡±


    ¡°Mostly a lot of sex,¡± I replied off-handedly as a joke. ¡°And I¡¯ve been getting in some good stabbing training. Oh, and we bought Angela a gigantic diamond.¡±


    ¡°I never know with you,¡± Jen said with a sigh. ¡°O.K., let¡¯s unpack all that. The sex part, well, I can believe that. Everybody knows you¡¯re a beast in bed, after all. And-¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®everybody knows¡¯?¡± I demanded.


    Jen shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s common knowledge. Like, everybody knows that you three screw like rabbits all the time,¡± she said, emphasizing the ¡®everybody¡¯.


    ¡°Jesus,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°So yeah, like, I can totally believe the sex thing. The stabbing training? Also believable,¡± she said, nodding to herself. ¡°I guess the diamond part is, too, now that I think about it. I mean, didn¡¯t you just spend something like ten million pounds on a penthouse condo for her in London? What¡¯s going on with that, anyway?¡± Jen asked.


    I leaned back, resting my elbows on the handrail. Shaking my head, I said, ¡°I¡¯m not even sure I want to know what you guys all say about me.¡±


    ¡°Honestly? None of it is bad, in a sense, I guess,¡± Jen said, sipping her fruity drink. ¡°So tell me about the training. Unless, I mean, you want to tell me about the sex instead. I¡¯m totally down for hearing all about that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the sex up to your imagination-¡± I started to say, but Jen interrupted me.


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ve been imagining it a lot,¡± she said with a wink. ¡°One of these days I won¡¯t have to just imagine it¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep it in your pants, sailor,¡± I said with a laugh.

 Out And Public

    The following day the band had some appearances to make, so Angela and I had the afternoon to ourselves. Since we weren¡¯t limited by Emmy¡¯s inability to stay in the sun very long we took the double-decker bus tour, disembarking at a few different places, including that hotel with the flat part on top that spans the three towers. The view from the top deck was impressive, but we got rained on while we were up there. It was a very warm rain that cleared out quickly, leaving us damp and no cooler than we¡¯d been before getting drenched.


    We dodged another shower in a covered shopping alley, laughing about how hard the rain had suddenly come down, pounding thunderously on the glass roof of the arcade. Waiting for the rain to ease off while we ate lunch at a banh mi cafe, I found myself feeling a little guilty that I was enjoying spending time alone with Angela.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong- I loved Emmy to no end, but it was nice just being a normal tourist with Angela and not having everyone stare. Sure, people still stared some, but that was because I was the tallest person everywhere we went and was with an incredible hottie, not because I was with one of the world¡¯s most recognizable people.


    Taking some pictures of Angela with the Marina District in the background for her socials, I mentioned that it was nice, being relatively anonymous.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything,¡± Angela said, ¡°But sometimes it is a pain, her being so well-known. It is nice to be able to just walk around like normal people.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, how is your social media stuff going these days?¡± I asked. ¡°You don¡¯t talk about it as much as you used to.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot more followers these days, and¡­¡± she replied, looking as if she didn¡¯t want to give me bad news.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m earning a lot more from my endorsements, and that¡¯s good, of course, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I asked, closing in and pinning her against the handrail of the bayside walkway. I stroked her hair away from her face, then used the pad of my thumb to smooth her worry lines on her forehead.


    ¡°Some of my followers have put it together that I¡¯m with Emmy. I¡¯ve been asked in DMs about you, where you are, if you know that I¡¯m with Emmy. I¡¯ve been denying everything!¡± she added, in a rush.


    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t,¡± I said.


    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t what?¡± Angela asked, unclear on what I meant.


    I took my phone from my pocket and shot a few selfies of the two of us together, and when Angela realized what I meant, she stood on her tiptoes, quickly glanced around to see if anybody could see us, then planted a kiss on my cheek. Upping the stakes, I turned and gave her a kiss on the lips while snapping a few more pics.


    Leaning back against the rail, we looked at the photos and selected the best of us kissing. I sent it to Angela¡¯s phone, and she took a minute to do her photo adjustment magic. She gave me a questioning look and asked if I was sure, and when I said yes, she pressed the ¡®upload¡¯ button with an air of finality.


    ¡°There. It¡¯s done- there¡¯s no taking it back now,¡± she said, a mixture of trepidation and relief in her voice.


    ¡°What did you post?¡± I asked, bringing up Instagram on my phone to check what she¡¯d just uploaded.


    ¡°Look and see,¡± she said, all nerves.


    ¡°Enjoying my time in Singapore with one of the loves of my life!¡± it said. The tags underneath included my Instagram account (which I hardly ever used), Emmy¡¯s, The Downfall¡¯s official account, and #Singapore.


    I checked her stats, and sure enough, she had well over two million followers.


    ¡°People figured out that I was in every city of the Downfall tour,¡± Angela said, scrolling through her posts and finding a shot of herself in London- a shot of Angela that I¡¯d taken by the Thames, with the Eye in the background.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± she said, thumbing through the comments. She picked a comment that said, ¡°I saw the saturday nite Downfall show. I think I saw you in the tea shop with Emmy¡¯s wife. Was that you?¡±


    ¡°You see that? Nowhere did I mention that I was in London for the concert, or that I went to the concert, or anything, but they know,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Then it must be time to come clean,¡± I said, reading through the comments. ¡°We¡¯re going to need a picture of the three of us.¡±


    ¡°I have a picture like that,¡± Angela volunteered. ¡°The one I took at the giant tree things?¡± she suggested.


    ¡°No, I mean we need one that makes it one hundred per cent clear we three of us are in a romantic relationship together,¡± I said.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Angela said, taking my hand as she stepped away from the railing.


    When Emmy got back to the hotel that evening Angela told her that she wanted to tell everybody on her social media that she was in love and in a committed relationship with both of us. Emmy was supportive, of course, so Angela explained the picture she wanted to take.


    It was just our left hands- mine, Emmy¡¯s and Angela¡¯s, showing our wedding rings, Angela¡¯s in the foreground. After posing our hands just right, Angela took a few photos, then did her photo editing magic.


    ¡°There- it¡¯s posted,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m almost afraid to look at the comments from my earlier post,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°What did you post earlier?¡± Emmy asked, her curiosity piqued.


    ¡°Here, come up here,¡± Angela said, sitting up on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. She patted the two spots on either side, so we joined her, scooting in close so we could look at her phone with her.


    Angela brought up the post of us kissing with the Marina in the background and showed it to Emmy.


    ¡°That is a good photo,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I would like a print of that one.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what the comments have to say,¡± Angela said, her voice showing her nerves.


    There were already over six hundred comments, but most of them were just simple emojis for fire, or hearts or things like that. As Angela thumbed through the hundreds, I saw a few that said they¡¯d love to see us in an amateur sex video together, but Angela quickly passed those comments by. She did stop to read a few others, and some of them were along the lines of, ¡°What about Emmy?¡±


    Others condemned Angela for her deviant ways, but those were less common than I¡¯d expected. What were a lot more common were things like, ¡°U look great together¡±. One comment that Angela paused her scrolling to read said that the commenter had been fairly sure that Angela was in a relationship with Emmy and her wife, and now here it is, confirmed.


    ¡°Have you gotten any reaction from your sponsors?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t checked my emails. I¡¯m kinda afraid to,¡± Angela confessed.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°If they react poorly and wish to sever their ties to you, I am certain that other companies would be happy to fill their place.¡±


    Angela smiled, grateful for Emmy¡¯s confident support. ¡°If they want to fire me,¡± Angela said, ¡°that¡¯s on them. I¡¯m tired of hiding our relationship.¡±


    When I got back from Mr Han¡¯s gym the next morning Emmy had already left for the concert venue. The band had sound checks to do because of an unusually early start time for the first of their three nights at the Indoor Stadium- something to do with it being a Thursday. I guess they have laws about public performances not running late on weeknights or something like that.


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    Over lunch, I asked Angela if she¡¯d heard anything from her sponsors, and she said no. ¡°My guess is they¡¯re waiting to see what kind of reaction people have,¡± she said.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I replied. ¡°But you know what? One,¡± I said, holding up a finger. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Emmy¡¯s right. You¡¯ve got over two million followers on Instagram alone, so that makes you a hot commodity. If the companies you¡¯re working with now want to bail, I¡¯m sure you could do better with new ones. Two,¡± I said, holding up another finger. ¡°And I don¡¯t want this to come across as bad, but fame counts in the modeling business, right? Once it becomes known that you¡¯re in a relationship as, um¡­ exotic as ours, and with Emmy, one of the world¡¯s most recognizable faces, your recognition is gonna shoot through the roof. With all that exposure, you could move up in the fashion world and start modeling seriously for some of the big names. I have no doubt that you could get gigs modeling for Versace or D and G or whatever.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to use you guys like that,¡± Angela said with a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with it, and I¡¯m sure Emmy is, too. We¡¯re both really proud of you, you know. Also, and this is something you might want to think about, you could launch your own clothing company. Instead of modeling other peoples¡¯ designs, you could show off your own,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°You know I got my degree in visual communications, right? Not fashion design. I wouldn¡¯t have any idea on how to start my own clothing company. Besides, it sounds like too much work, since soon I¡¯ll have babies to take care of,¡± Angela said.


    Running with the change in topic, I used the opportunity to bring up a topic I¡¯d been meaning to discuss. ¡°Something Emmy and I talked about a while back, back when we first made plans to have a baby, was a nanny. She had a nanny when she was little-¡±


    ¡°I did, too,¡± Angela interrupted. ¡°My Tita was wonderful!¡±


    ¡°Is she still around?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, she died when I was still in school. She was old,¡± Angela said, her face falling.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s is still alive, and still works and lives with Emmy¡¯s parents. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve met her- Marie-Anne? Emmy hinted a while back that maybe she could come and take care of our baby¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I have mixed feelings about a nanny,¡± Angela replied. ¡°I loved my Tita, and I know she loved me like I was her own daughter, but when I grew older I had complicated thoughts about her position in the house.¡±


    ¡°I know Marie-Anne,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s like¡­ well, she isn¡¯t like some sort of employee. She travels with the family, and seems more like a member of the family than¡­ Hell, I¡¯m having a hard time explaining it. But she was the one who raised Emmy, more than her parents did, I think.¡±


    ¡°That bothers me a bit, too,¡± Angela sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hand my baby to someone else to raise.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t see that happening,¡± I agreed. ¡°But it would be nice to have help, especially since the two girls will be babies at the same time,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be stuck at home with the kids,¡± I said.


    ¡°Would Marie-Anne want to move to Los Angeles?¡± Angela asked, showing a crack in her resistance.


    ¡°Emmy thinks so,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would want to meet her first,¡± Angela said, and I knew that the decision had been made.


    ¡°You¡¯ll love her,¡± I replied, knowing it was true.


    The show that night was also unusual in that there was no opening act- another aspect of the time constraint. The band went straight into their improvised intro, which evolved into the first song of their set, ¡®Money Can¡¯.


    Finishing up with ¡®Baby, I was Born To Die¡¯, the band took their bows while Angela and I hustled backstage.


    Thankfully there was no afterparty planned for that night, so we all just made our way back to the hotel for late snacks and drinks (for some of us) at the rooftop bar.


    Gazing out over the water of the marina, I only half listened to Emmy and Angela talking about Marie-Anne coming to live with us. Emmy seemed convinced that she would be happy to move to Los Angeles, and that she would love the girls.


    ¡°She is a wonderful person,¡± Emmy said. Then, changing the topic, she asked, ¡°How long can your mother stay in Los Angeles? I would very much like her to be there when the girls are born.¡±


    ¡°I think we will have a difficult time getting her to leave!¡± Angela said with a laugh.


    Smiling to myself, I reflected on how fortunate I was to have two beautiful, loving women as my wives.


    We each had such wildly dissimilar families, but each was supportive in its way. I was happy that Angela¡¯s mom wanted to be there for the births and first few months, and was perfectly comfortable with the idea of Mam¨¢ Castro staying with us for the duration. My own mother wasn¡¯t that sort of mom, but I knew she wanted to be there when the babies were born, too. I hadn¡¯t spoken with Emmy¡¯s parents, but I had no doubt they would come to Los Angeles for the births.


    I found myself chuckling at the idea of Emmy¡¯s mother holding a baby and making cooing sounds, or Emmy¡¯s dad changing a diaper, but I had no doubt that they would want some involvement in the girls¡¯ lives. Emmy¡¯s dad had more than implied that they expected grandparental rights when we¡¯d talked in Paris and London.


    We had nice, soapy fun in the shower, but when we got to bed we just snuggled and talked about changes in the household once the babies arrived. Emmy was convinced that Marie-Anne was just waiting to be invited to Los Angeles and would shower the babies with love, and I had no doubt it was true.


    My contribution to the discussion was that I wanted a driver/bodyguard for the girls. If they were ever going to be out in public, I wanted some serious protection for them.


    ¡°Jeremy?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Maybe him, maybe somebody else, I don¡¯t know. Can he drive?¡± I asked. ¡°And we need a car, like a Suburban or something,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you think the children will be at risk?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Better safe than sorry,¡± I said, rubbing her still very flat tummy.


    ¡°I do not like that we have to think that way,¡± Emmy sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, either,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I¡¯d rather be overcautious than regretful.¡±


    Once again finding myself in a dark alley at the asscrack of not even dawn yet the next morning, I pondered my life choices as I kept an eye out for the three guys that had accosted me that first morning, but once again, they didn¡¯t show.


    Resigned to another couple of hours of stabbing and getting stabbed with a plastic training knife, I pushed the gym door open, only to find another guy there with Mr Han.


    ¡°Ms Farma,¡± he said. ¡°This Sergean¡¯ Choi. You trai¡¯ wi¡¯ hi¡¯ today.¡±


    ¡°Sergeant Choi,¡± I said, offering my hand for a shake, which seemed to surprise him, but he took it anyway. To my relief and surprise he didn¡¯t play any macho games and try to crush my hand. It was a firm, professional handshake, but nothing more.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± he said, doing his best to suppress his Singlish accent and doing a pretty good job of it, but it was still there just a bit. ¡°Mr Han says you are a very good armed combat fighter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pleased he thinks so,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°But there¡¯s always more to learn.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever trained with sticks?¡± Sgt Choi asked, pulling some padded batons from a bag on the counter.


    ¡°A very tiny bit,¡± I said, holding my index finger and thumb just a couple of millimeters apart. ¡°Not enough to say I have any kind of proficiency with them.¡±


    ¡°Today we will change that,¡± he said, handing me a pair of the padded batons. ¡°I can¡¯t teach you how to fight in just a few hours, but I can teach you what to defend against if you have to deal with a kali fighter. Today I will show you the fundamental moves, and tomorrow, I will show you how to best counter them if you are unarmed or have only a knife.¡±


    ¡°This could be interesting,¡± I said, excited by the opportunity to learn something new.


    Sgt Choi went straight into it, outlining the basics of the art of escrima, or kali as he preferred to call it. Using two weapons at once was easier than I¡¯d expected. When I mentioned that fact to Mr Han, he said it was because I was used to using my empty hand as a weapon anyhow, so it wasn¡¯t really all that different. Using one to block or sweep to open an attack with the other came fairly naturally, and I could see that it could be a very effective technique.


    At the end of the two hours, Sgt Choi seemed satisfied with my progress.


    ¡°Very good,¡± he said. ¡°Tomorrow we will practice defending, now that you understand the dynamics.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± I said, mentally adding ¡®looking forward to a fresh set of bruises¡¯.


    After Sgt Choi left, Mr Han had me continue with the drills he¡¯d worked up for me, emphasizing my high kick speed.


    ¡°You have unbelievable reach,¡± he said. ¡°Your reach and your speed are your greatest advantages. You can end a fight before the other person even knows that the fight has started, so use those weapons in your arsenal.¡±


    ¡°Hey, cari?a,¡± Angela said, looking up from her laptop when I walked into the hotel room.


    I gestured at the computer. ¡°Any fallout?¡± At Angela¡¯s puzzled expression, I clarified. ¡°Any important reactions to your posts yesterday?¡±


    I leaned down to kiss her hello, getting a smile. She looked so young with no makeup on and those adorable reading glasses of her made her pretty blue eyes look even bigger.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve gotten a lot of emails and DMs about it. My three main sponsors have all said that they will stay with me, and in fact, one of them would be interested in working with both you and Emmy, but I told them that wasn¡¯t on the table. I did say that I would start posting pictures with the two of you now that everybody knows, and they agreed that it will probably drive up my stats.¡±


    ¡°I told you that I¡¯m O.K. with that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Emmy said the same thing. She doesn¡¯t mind if I use some of her fame to increase my numbers.¡±


    ¡°I told you she¡¯d be cool with it,¡± I said, stripping down for my shower, which got me a wolf whistle as Angela lowered her glasses for a better look.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking- if you don¡¯t mind, of course, that maybe you and me, we could take some beach pictures in Australia. You have such an amazing body, Lee, I¡¯d love to pose with you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said. ¡°If I don¡¯t get too bruised up the next couple of days at the gym.¡±


    Frowning, Angela said, ¡°I thought you were just working out?¡±


    ¡°Combat training,¡± I said, walking around behind her chair and lowering myself down to wrap my arms around her and nuzzle her neck. ¡°The next couple of days some guy is going to do his best to beat on me with sticks.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you do this to yourself,¡± Angela said with a sigh.


    ¡°Sweat more now, bleed less later,¡± I said, kissing under her ear. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Em?


    ¡°They¡¯re having a band meeting,¡± Angela replied as she leaned her head over to give me better access.


    ¡°Hm. Well, I need to take my shower,¡± I said, cupping one of Angela¡¯s boobs in my hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be thinking of you.¡±


    ¡°Bestia!¡± Angela laughed, but made no move to escape from my caress.

 Kinda Boring, Actually

    I don¡¯t want to say that The Downfall concerts were becoming boring, because every single performance was different in a lot of ways and they always put on a great show, but honestly, I was kinda getting over it. Yes, they were different, but they were also sort of the same. Different intros, different playlists and different banter, sure, but it was still the same three (plus three touring band members) performing from the same collection of songs.


    The indoor stadiums they were playing in all looked basically the same, too, and the backstage areas were all alike. I hadn¡¯t been to nearly as many of the tour dates as Angela had, but if I wasn¡¯t there to support Emmy and Angela, I would have flown back home and skipped the rest of the tour.


    The Friday night show was good, of course, but I found that my attention wandered to things like the laser light show, or watching the cameramen trying to be as unobtrusive as possible while filming the performers onstage, or wondering about the logistics of packing all the equipment, even including the stage, from one country to the next when there was such distance (and oceans) in between. The European tour had been easy- just load everything on trucks and drive to the next city, right? But this leg must involve trucks carrying everything to planes, then loading it on trucks again, making for a much more complex voyage.


    So, yeah, I was hardly paying any attention to the music at all. Angela seemed to be, though. Every time I glanced her way she had her eyes glued to the figures on the stage. More often than not she sang along with the songs, too, completely wrapped up in the concert.


    She¡¯d been to a lot more of the stops on this tour than I had (well, I mean, she¡¯d been to all of them, right? But me, only four cities so far) and yet she still enjoyed the shows, so maybe it was just me.


    There was no official afterparty that night, so the entire entourage made their way to the rooftop bar at our hotel for a less formal celebration of another successful show. Since there was no need to meet and greet anybody, the three of us skipped the whole thing and relaxed in our suite, getting to bed early.


    ¡°This is the rock and roll dream, is it not?¡± Emmy mused when I pointed out that we were in bed before midnight for once.


    ¡°Em,¡± Angela said, propping herself up on one elbow. She reached down with her other hand and moved a strand of Emmy¡¯s white hair from her forehead. ¡°You are so amazing when you perform. I love to watch you on stage.¡±


    Emmy smiled, grasping Angela¡¯s hand and kissing it. ¡°That means very much to me,¡± she said.


    I failed to mention that I¡¯d been bored during the show that evening.


    The training the next day wasn¡¯t nearly as punishing as I¡¯d expected. The kung-fu type of diverting incoming blows rather than straight-up blocking them was the key, and the value of the technique became obvious quickly.


    All the drills with reversing grip on the fly came to make sense, too, when switching to a reverse edge-out grip allowed a strong block move to be followed with a quick counterattack.


    Of course, the challenge was that I was being attacked by two weapons, so it became a game of feeling the flow of the timing and anticipating it. As Sgt Choi and I worked together, we got faster and faster. As the speed picked up it all began to make sense to me. I could see the sticks following predictable paths that simply couldn¡¯t be changed that easily. Understanding the rhythm meant that I could predict it, and once I found myself ahead of the beat I found I could dictate the flow of the dance.


    ¡°That was incredible,¡± Sgt Choi gasped when we finally stopped. He fell back against the wall, panting as he wiped his forehead with his sleeve. ¡°When Mr Han told me you were fast, I had no idea!¡±


    ¡°She no¡¯ jus¡¯ fas¡¯,¡± Mr Han said, nodding. ¡°She like Superma¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I never would have believed it,¡± Sgt Choi admitted, still breathing hard.


    When Elizabeth arrived to open the gym for the morning, she gave her father and me a disapproving look as she stood aside to let Sgt Choi out the door. She didn¡¯t say anything as she turned on all the lights and made sure the place was ready for the day, though.


    ¡°Elizabeth doesn¡¯t approve of my friends,¡± Mr Han said with a chuckle. ¡°She thinks I¡¯m too old to be involving myself in these silly spy games.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not yet, no,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll rest when I¡¯m dead.¡± Then, changing the subject, he said, ¡°We only have one more day of training before you leave. Is there anything you want to concentrate on in our remaining time together?¡±


    ¡°What do you see as my weak spots?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re the expert.¡±


    ¡°Bullets,¡± Mr Han answered. ¡°None of this is going to matter the moment someone pulls a gun on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done a lot of training on weapon stripping and control techniques, but that only works if someone is close enough,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I have complete confidence that if any threat gets within your range, you will neutralize them quickly. It will take an exceptional combatant to bring you down,¡± Mr Han said.


    Pleased to hear that, I asked, ¡°Is there any chance we could get in some multiple assailant work?¡±


    Mr Han looked thoughtful for a moment, then agreed. ¡°I can bring in some guys and we can work on that tomorrow,¡± he said, thinking about it.


    The show that night kept my attention quite a bit better, and that was mainly because it was a lot more energetic than the previous two nights had been. It started with the traditional improv intro, this time kick-started by Emmy. She came out onstage and slung her guitar strap over her shoulder, looking out over the capacity crowd without saying a word. She just stood there for a few minutes, listening to the crowd, which was much more boisterous than it had been the two earlier shows there in Singapore.


    Finally satisfied, Emmy took a guitar pick from her pocket and held it as if she were about to play, but then tossed it with a quick flick of the wrist out to about the fifth row. Taking a second pick from her pocket, she strummed a quick power chord, then launched into a blistering free-form solo, her guitar distorted so much it sounded like a chainsaw. She played fast and with passion, making such an amazing spectacle of it that I barely even registered when Lee and Jackson joined in. The three of them played it furious and intense, but then eventually Emmy let her guitar fade away. She was followed by Lee, leaving only Jackson playing his bass.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the bass line simplified but doubled, if that makes any sense. Of course I recognized that bass line right away, and judging by the crowd¡¯s reaction, plenty of others in the full house did, too.


    Emmy resumed the heavily distorted guitar but now playing with a metal slide on her finger, giving the chainsaw a slinky sound as she played that old, classic Pink Floyd line.


    Lee¡¯s kick drums did that familiar ¡®banging on the door¡¯ thing as Emmy¡¯s guitar soared through the long instrumental.


    The music shifted up a gear when Emmy stepped up to the mic and belted out, ¡°One of these days I¡¯m going to cut you into little pieces!¡± The guitar turned frenzied, and the drumming turned intense and powerful. Jackson kept up that feverish but simple double bass line as the guitar slid its way through the rest of the angry, driven song, eventually fading away to silence.


    The crowd was stunned at first, but then broke into roaring applause as they recovered from the emotional wringer the music had just put them through.


    ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Jackson said. ¡°We¡¯ve been wanting to play that song for a long time now, and this is the first time it seemed to fit the mood. We¡¯re feeling it tonight, me, Lee and Emmy, and we are gonna to bring it good and hard!¡±


    Lee counted out on his sticks, and the band launched into ¡®Snakes In The Grass¡¯ from their second album. It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen them do it live, and the shredding, angry guitar that starts the song came as a surprise. The song had never gotten any airplay to speak of, and leading off a show with a cover tune and then a deep cut seemed like a strange but bold beginning to the night¡¯s playlist.


    Looking around, it seemed that most of the crowd around us knew the words to ¡®Snakes¡¯ and were singing along just fine, so maybe it had gotten a lot of airplay regionally. I¡¯d never really paid any attention to The Downfall¡¯s sales or streaming numbers, so it could well be that ¡®Snakes¡¯ was a huge hit in Singapore.


    The rest of the playlist was equally unexpected. Sure, they played a lot of their big hits, but overall the show was mostly lesser-known, more intense songs from The Downfall¡¯s catalog. Of course I knew all of them, but pretty much everybody in that audience did, too, judging by how they were singing along. When they finally finished the set with ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯, it sure seemed as if everybody in our part of the stadium had gotten their money¡¯s worth.


    Back at the hotel for another low-key unofficial afterparty, Stephanie found me looking out over the harbor, away from everybody else.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± she said, ¡°Here you go,¡± she said, handing me a drink.


    ¡°Thanks, Steph,¡± I said. ¡°Looking forward to Australia?¡± I asked, sipping the Old Fashioned.


    ¡°I like Australia,¡± Stephanie replied. ¡°I mean, I like it here, too, but it¡¯s too hot and sweaty for me, you know?¡±


    ¡°You used to like hot and sweaty,¡± I said with a grin.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Stephanie sighed. ¡°I know we were just kids, but sometimes I wish¡­¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°They say that life is what happens when you¡¯re busy making other plans,¡± I said.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth,¡± Stephanie agreed. After a long moment, she said, ¡°I get to spend a couple more days here, making sure everything is buttoned up before I can get on a plane for Sydney. It¡¯s going to seem lonely without everybody here.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how hard you¡¯re working on this tour,¡± I said, reaching over and rubbing her back. ¡°Have I told you how proud I am of you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re proud of me?¡± Stephanie asked, surprised.


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± I admitted. ¡°I see you doing all this amazing work, you know, and doing unbelievably well at it, kicking ass and taking names¡­ Of course I¡¯m proud of you. You¡¯re amazing.¡±


    She smiled up at me and said, ¡°That means a lot. More than¡­ Well, it means a whole lot. And I guess you have a right to be proud of me. I mean, it was you that convinced me I could do whatever I wanted to do, you know. The end of senior year at FHS, when you tutored me and worked my ass off so I could finish the year strong. You did it, Leah. You were so convinced that I could do it that I just had no choice but to go along and believe you.¡±


    ¡°You put in the work, Steph. I might have helped, but in the end it was all you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but you were the one who was so sure I could do it. You showed me that I was smart enough, and with hard work I could do anything. You know I made the Dean¡¯s list all but one semester at State? I did it because I knew I was smart enough, and did the work,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. That¡¯s awesome,¡± I said, really meaning it.


    ¡°Then, working with The Sons,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°They¡¯d be the first to tell you that without my help, they¡¯d still be playing bars in North County for a couple of hundred bucks a night, working day jobs to make ends meet. It was me, once they asked me to manage them, that got them to tighten their shit up, and it was me that got them their gigs. Me. And you know what? I was making it up as I was going along, reading everything I could about managing bands, and it was me making the phone calls, and it was me making sure they got paid better than they ever had in their lives.¡±


    ¡°I remember the show down by the airport,¡± I said, smiling at the memory of Stephanie demanding her money from the club owner.


    ¡°It was a real trial by fire, that¡¯s for sure,¡± she said, looking out at the lights of the city. ¡°But here I am now, managing one of the biggest rock bands on an international tour.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯ll be making good money off this tour?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, I will,¡± Stephanie agreed. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m working my ass off. This tour is gonna pay off my house in Silver Lake and then some. Do you have any idea what that means, for me to own my own home free and clear at twenty-four years old?¡± Then with a wry smile, she said, ¡°Yeah, I guess you probably do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different, Steph. What you¡¯ve done is a lot more impressive to me than me buying London penthouses and whatever. I was handed a ton of money to play with. You weren¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ve had to earn every dime.¡±


    ¡°Says the billionaire,¡± Stephanie chuckled.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m not actually a billionaire, right?¡±


    ¡°Close enough,¡± Stephanie said with a shrug. ¡°After this tour gets tallied up and I get my cut, I¡¯m gonna be an actual millionaire- for a little while, anyway, until I pay off my mortgage.¡±


    ¡°You know that still counts, right?¡± I replied. ¡°Equity in real estate counts towards your wealth. So if you have a million dollars in your bank account or a million dollars in property, you¡¯re still a millionaire.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°But when I see all those zeroes on my bank statement¡­¡±


    I chuckled as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug. ¡°I suspect that you¡¯ll see a lot more of them as time goes by, Steph. I¡¯m just as confident of your abilities now as I was back in high school.¡±


    Stephanie put her arm around my lower back and returned the side hug. ¡°Thanks, babe. That means everything, coming from you.¡±


    Training with Mr Han the next morning was challenging. He had a bunch of guys to help out, and we started out with two of them working against me, then three, then four. As it turns out, I could do well against two, was about even on fighting three and getting away unscathed, but against four I would get ¡®killed¡¯ every time. Sure, I¡¯d take out most of the attackers, but it was inevitable that at least one would get in a fatal strike, as evidenced by the red chalk on my sweats.


    The tide turned when Mr Han lifted the restriction on using kicks and bare-hand strikes. If I was allowed to use all the tools in my arsenal (and the attackers were, as well), it turned out that I could usually beat four, only suffering non-debilitating cuts and slashes. I never managed to get through a round unmarked, to my regret.


    Mr Han thanked the guys as they left, giving us about twenty minutes before Elizabeth would come to open the place to the regulars.


    ¡°Leah Farmer,¡± he said as he ditched his own white sweats, revealing his usual gym clothes underneath. Toweling himself off, he said, ¡°When Grant Henry told me you were a killing machine, I didn¡¯t know what to think. I have worked closely with the man and respect his opinions highly. I didn¡¯t take what he said lightly, but it was difficult to square the image that he had conveyed with what I saw when he brought you in. When I got a better look at you, though, I saw you had the eyes of a killer.¡±


    Unsure how to respond to that, I kept silent as I finished changing out of my white sweats, tossing them in the same hamper as Mr Han had done with his.


    ¡°Working with you was a pleasure. I can¡¯t recall anyone that I have trained who listened and applied what I told them as quickly and easily as you do. And your speed! You¡¯re as fast as anyone I¡¯ve ever worked with, but most really quick fighters are small guys- nobody your size should be able to move the way you do. You have such incredible reach in comparison with any normal person that you can dictate any close conflict as you will.¡±


    I sat down on the mat to stretch while continuing to give Mr Han my full attention. This was my report card, after all. A week of busting my ass for the guy came down to this.


    ¡°That speed, your reach and your surprising strength and fitness, all those things are weapons in your arsenal, but really, what sets you truly in the realm of the elite is your ability to understand and lead the dance. Sgt Choi is a champion kali fighter. He is truly as good as it gets, but with just two days of working with him you reached the ability to make him fight on your terms. Kali is a very effective technique, but in your last bout with him he could hardly do anything against you. Do you know what he told me? He said that if it came to a real fight with you, he would run away. Just run away. He had no confidence that he could disable you before receiving a fatal knife wound. And he¡¯s not wrong. I would do the same.¡±


    ¡°But when we go at it, you get me as often as not,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Yes, but I never, ever come away clean,¡± he countered. ¡°When I train the special forces in the military, I can always score fatal injuries on them with no more than superficial cuts in return, but that is simply not the case against you. This morning you consistently defeated me and three of my best students. Do you understand how ridiculous that is? Nobody should be able to do that.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, working with you this week has been incredible for me,¡± I told him. ¡°Just a few days of training and I could feel the improvement in my technique. Pivoting from blocking to deflecting was huge for me, and to be fair to Sgt Choi, if I hadn¡¯t had that time with you I wouldn¡¯t have been able to counter his sticks nearly so well. If anything, it hammered home to me the idea that sometimes the best counter isn¡¯t to simply meet it head-on.¡±


    Nodding his head, Mr Han said, ¡°Yes, I could see the transformation in your style happen right before my eyes. And that is exactly what I mean- you learn and adapt astonishingly quickly. I want you to keep developing that mindset. You know what else I want?¡± Mr Han asked as if it had suddenly occurred to him. ¡°I want you to come back in a year for more training. Give me two or three weeks next time.¡±


    ¡°I could do that,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°What would it cost me?¡±


    ¡°I would want you to train my men with me. That¡¯s it. I work with you, and in turn, you work with my students at the academy.¡±


    ¡°You have a deal,¡± I said, standing up to shake his hand. ¡°And now for the payment for all this,¡± I said, indicating the gym in general, but he knew what I meant. He nodded he understood and was ready to listen, so I told him all about the Night Children.


    I gave him a rough history lesson and explained that there were currently six ancient nations, more or less limited to the region around the Mediterranean and Near East, plus of course the new nation that Emmy and I were building in the Americas. I explained that there had been Night Children nations farther east, but that they had been wiped out long, long ago. Since the nations were basically static, there was no real move to return back to those regions lost to their people.


    ¡°There are probably some strays in the bigger cities in Asia, like in the Americas, but no large, established populations,¡± I said.


    ¡°If you were to guess, how many do you think might be here in Singapore?¡± Mr Han asked.


    ¡°Well, realistically, we have two things going on. It¡¯s a big city, of what, nearly five million people, right? So there should be a handful. Maybe a half dozen? Maybe ten? Probably not any more than that. But the flip side, you guys have really strict immigration controls and a very significant police presence. Adding to that is the physical difficulty of getting here since it¡¯s an island¡­ This makes me think that maybe there used to be some but they might have left as the island became more developed.¡±


    Mr Han nodded, thinking about what I¡¯d just said. ¡°There might be a few in Kuala Lumpur, then,¡± he agreed.


    ¡°That would be my guess, too. It would be really hard to hide in the shadows here, but there it might be a lot easier,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°This is very interesting,¡± Mr Han said, thinking about it. ¡°But why should I care? What does this information benefit me, or my country?¡±


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the interesting part,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯m only telling you this because your government, while remarkably tight-assed, isn¡¯t aggressive. They also don¡¯t seem to be oppressing the people, which, to be honest, is rare in this world.¡±


    Mr Han smiled, showing that he agreed with what I¡¯d just said.


    ¡°Night Children, besides knowing how to hide really well, have a couple of other features that could potentially make them very valuable to a government. The first is that they can see in the dark. I mean, see in the full dark. If you want a demonstration, I can arrange it, but trust me- they can do it. The second is that if they¡¯ve had the traditional training, they can move silently. Again, I can arrange a demonstration, but it¡¯s true. They can move more quietly than a cat. So the obvious answer to your question is that they could make exceptional, well, spies or whatever. Anywhere you would need someone who can sneak like nobody¡¯s business, they¡¯d be ideal.¡±


    Looking thoughtful, Mr Han said, ¡°So you¡¯re telling me this so that my government can recruit some of these Night Children for our intelligence services before our enemies do?¡±


    ¡°Now that you know about them and the others in the region don¡¯t, that gives you just that window of opportunity. I¡¯d be willing to loan you an expert in finding and recruiting Night Children, but only if you¡¯re serious about it. I¡¯d probably start in Kuala Lumpur, as you said, and Hong Kong, Macau, maybe Manila¡­ places like that. If you found them and offered them citizenship here and a decent life, you would be well ahead of the other nations in the region,¡± I explained.


    ¡°And you say that this information will be widely known soon?¡± Mr Han asked.


    ¡°Well, their basic existence, sure, but the whole seeing in the dark thing, that¡¯s a pretty closely guarded secret. That is never going to become widely known. That¡¯s the real attraction for someone like you,¡± I replied.


    Looking thoughtful, he asked, ¡°How long ago were the Asian Night Children wiped out?¡±


    ¡°They were hunted down and wiped out in the thirteenth century by orders of Genghis Khan and his sons, from what I¡¯ve been told. Pretty much killed every one east of the Urals. Since the Night Children have never been seafarers, there was no escape.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Mr Han said. ¡°And you have proof of all this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, not the ancient history part. Although it was well documented, it¡¯s still just written accounts, right? But the current stuff, sure. Like I said, I can call Emmy¡¯s bodyguard down here and have him show you he can move quieter than a cat and can see in the complete dark, if you want.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re all black-skinned like him and Emmy Lascaux? Why don¡¯t we ever find any?¡± Mr Han asked, inadvertently revealing that he¡¯d had us watched, or maybe done it himself, since I¡¯d never mentioned Tiny before.


    Just then Elizabeth opened the gym door, ending our conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± I said. ¡°Come to Los Angeles in a couple of weeks after Emmy¡¯s tour is over and I can arrange all the proof and demonstrations you could want and introduce you to a bunch of them. We can talk about how you can find and recruit them from the regional cities here if you think you want to go that route,¡± I suggested.


    We exchanged email addresses and WhatsApp numbers and I left, not bothering with the usual two hours of fitness work. Mr Han had already admitted that I was much more fit than anybody I was ever likely to go up against, so I should just keep doing what I was already doing.


    Emmy and Angela were already packed by the time I got back to the hotel, so we had a nice leisurely brunch before leaving with almost the entire entourage for the airport and our flight to Sydney.

 Touristy Things

    It was really late when we finally got to the hotel in Sydney. When we asked if the hotel restaurant was still open we were told that it had closed a few minutes earlier but we could get light plates in the bar, so that¡¯s what we pretty much all did, swamping their poor late-night staff with our requests for food and drink at nearly midnight on a Monday night.


    ¡°Europe was so much easier,¡± Jackson grumbled as we waited for our food. ¡°The flights were an hour or two at the most. None of these long-ass all-day things.¡±


    ¡°Dude, I know,¡± Lee agreed. ¡°I mean, it was cool getting to visit with the fam in Seoul, but Jesus¡­ And we¡¯ve got, like, a ten hour flight from Melbourne to Tokyo, and then home again!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the flying sucks,¡± Jen agreed, ¡°but I¡¯ve always wanted to see some of these places and they were never gonna get any closer to California, right?¡±


    ¡°Not until the big one hits and Cali separates from the mainland and drifts across the Pacific,¡± Jackson agreed.


    ¡°Dude, how many times do I have to tell you? Cali is a town in South freaking America. It is not the name of the state we all live in,¡± Lee protested. ¡°Every time you use that word everybody knows you aren¡¯t a local.¡±


    ¡°Lee, man, every time I open my mouth and say anything, everybody in California knows I¡¯m not from around there,¡± Jackson said, intentionally emphasizing his Texan accent.


    ¡°Yeah, no lie there,¡± Lee admitted with a shrug.


    ¡°What¡¯d your relatives in Korea think of your American accent?¡± Jackson asked, curious.


    ¡°They loved it. They thought it was great. One of my great aunts even said that she thought my accent showed I was a mix of the old and the new. Born in California, but still honoring my Korean ancestry,¡± Lee said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her that I¡¯m like ninety-seven per cent Californian and maybe three per cent Korean.¡±


    ¡°I am not sure what my percentages are anymore,¡± Emmy said as the waiter brought our drinks. ¡°In Paris, I felt both at home and like a tourist. It was a very strange sensation, knowing that I will never live there again, just visit.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think you¡¯ll never live there again? You guys could buy a place there if you wanted,¡± Jen asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It is complicated,¡± Emmy said with a sigh.


    ¡°It boils down to being to close to her parents,¡± I said, which was the truth, but far from all of it.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I get that,¡± Jen said, nodding thoughtfully. ¡°I sure as hell don¡¯t want to move back to San Jose.¡±


    ¡°Because of your parents?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°No, because San Jose. My parents are O.K., but I can¡¯t say I have any good memories of that town,¡± Jen said. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not necessarily a bad place, you know? Just, well, boring A.F.¡±


    Angela and I got up early to work out, leaving Emmy sleeping peacefully. Angela planned on using the hotel¡¯s gym, but I wanted to get out and enjoy the morning. My run took me north past some salt marshes and then west along the river for a while. It was a nice and cool morning and the ground and air were still damp from the rain that fell overnight. It felt good to get out and let the miles roll by, but before too long I came to the end of the park along the water, so I turned south and then east back to the Olympic Park and the hotel.


    Emmy was still in bed when I got back to our room, but she was awake when I finished my shower.


    ¡°Where is Angela?¡± she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.


    ¡°Still in the gym, I guess,¡± I said, leaning down and giving her a kiss. ¡°Hungry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°Let me shower and we can go down to the restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Can I watch?¡± I asked with a smile.


    ¡°Yes you can,¡± Emmy said, slowly stretching in that languid way of hers. ¡°In fact, I want you to watch."


    Laughing, I pulled open the blackout curtains to let some light in, only to see the front entrance of the stadium right across the street. When Emmy joined me looking out of the window she laughed in that pretty way of hers.


    ¡°It will be very easy to get to the venue on time,¡± she said, leaning against me.


    ¡°Yes it will,¡± I agreed. ¡°Heck, I could probably stay right here in the room with the windows open and hear the whole concert just fine.¡±


    Emmy laughed at that and held me close. ¡°This will be our biggest concert ever, Leah. We have sold over eighty thousand tickets for Saturday night¡¯s show. Leah, we sold out football stadiums here and in Melbourne. Football stadiums!¡± she said with a mixture of pride and maybe a little bit of nerves.


    ¡°Steph did say that if you guys had toured Europe in the summer you would have done it there, too,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°I did not take her claim very seriously,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°It seems so unlikely that we, Lee, Jackson and I, could ever make music that is so popular. But here is the proof. Stephanie has said that the US leg of the tour will be in big venues, but I had been imagining baseball stadiums like the one in Anaheim. This is nearly twice the size!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to kill it, babe,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°It¡¯ll be awesome.¡±


    Angela came back to the room while Emmy and I were still standing there pondering the soccer stadium only a few hundred yards away.


    ¡°What¡¯re you guys looking at?¡± she asked, joining us at the window.


    ¡°Where we will be performing in a few days,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be great,¡± Angela said. ¡°Hey, do you guys mind if we get breakfast soon? I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°I was going to take a shower,¡± Emmy said, pulling herself away from my embrace. ¡°And Leah was going to watch.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Angela asked, intrigued. ¡°I need a shower, too¡­¡±


    ¡°We should save water and shower together,¡± Emmy suggested. ¡°And Leah can watch us both at the same time. It will be nice and efficient.¡±


    ¡°I like where this is going,¡± I said in the deepest, growliest voice I could summon up. And yes, I did like where it went. The two gave me a good show as they soaped each other up and rinsed each other off. Afterwards I had the pleasure of toweling off each of them in turn, so I certainly can¡¯t say that I felt left out of the fun.


    Over brunch at a nearby restaurant we agreed to do general touristy things for the next couple of days, including a tour of a nearby wine region, Australia¡¯s oldest. On Thursday The Downfall had an in-studio then a sound check on Friday, so we only had the evenings together those days.


    The Sydney Tower was cool, and so was the walk across the Harbour Bridge, but Emmy and Angela liked wandering around the old part of town right at the base of the bridge the best. It was a cute area with cobblestone streets and buildings over a hundred years old, now mostly filled with trendy restaurants and pubs.


    After the sun set we took a dinner cruise that lasted a bit over three hours. The dinner was a lot better than I would have expected and the wine pairings from regional wineries were excellent. I made a note of a few of the wineries to tour the next day. Of course Emmy and Angela limited themselves to nothing more than little sips, but they said they enjoyed it anyway.


    Standing out of the cool wind in the tail of the boat, Tiny admitted to me that touring with The Downfall had allowed him to see more of the world than he had ever thought was possible.


    ¡°It has been like a dream in a lot of ways,¡± he said. ¡°Dinner tonight, for example. A six course meal! Filet Mignon and lobster! Two years ago I was working in a warehouse for minimum wage, wondering if I would have enough money for my share of the rent.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask,¡± I told him. ¡°After the tour is over, would you want to make it a permanent thing? Being a bodyguard for Emmy and Angela?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how much I¡¯ve been hoping you¡¯d ask me to stay on,¡± he said. ¡°It would be such an honor and a privilege.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Michael,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯d have to move to Los Angeles.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you need, I¡¯m your man,¡± Tiny replied, obviously pleased to be offered the position.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± I said, clapping him on the back. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing a great job on this tour, Jeremy. I¡¯ve been really happy with your diligence. I¡¯m sure that working with Grant has been a real learning experience. I hope he hasn¡¯t been too tough to deal with.¡±


    ¡°It has been a learning experience,¡± Tiny admitted. ¡°Very much. And Mr Henry, he¡¯s a stern teacher, but very fair.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to ask a lot of you, so soak in every bit of wisdom he has to offer.¡±


    ¡°I have been,¡± Tiny replied. ¡°Every day I think I learn a little more.¡±


    The Hunter Valley trip the next day was really nice, even though we wound up with quite a crowd. Lee and Jen, plus all three of the touring musicians and both of the backup singers wanted to go when they heard we were going to go for a wine tour. Jackson had declined, but other than him all the performers packed into the limo bus that I chartered for the day. I would have preferred a little more low-key outing, but it turned out to be a lot of fun anyhow.


    The Hunter Valley region was pretty and the weather was perfect, and thankfully the bus didn¡¯t turn into some sort of raucous rolling party. We hit a wide range of wineries, from little family-run places with very casual amenities to elaborate estates with large tasting facilities with their own restaurants. We liked a few of the wines well enough to order cases sent to Los Angeles and New York.


    Sitting at an outdoor table at one of the smaller wineries, Angela got the keyboard player (apparently named Tino) to snap some photos of Emmy, Angela and me together. On the table in front of us were our wine glasses and the cheese and fruit plate, a screen of eucalyptus (the locals called them gum trees) half-hiding the view of the valley and vineyards behind us. Looking at the pictures later, I decided that the best one needed to be blown up and framed. At least for my office, if not for one of our homes.


    ¡°You guys are sickeningly adorable,¡± Jen said after Tino finished taking the pictures.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    The next morning Angela and Emmy spent an agonizingly long time picking out which of Angela¡¯s swimsuits she and I should wear. Well, to be honest, Angela knew which she wanted for herself- it was me they insisted on using as a dress-up doll, making me try on various bikinis and one-pieces, then going back and trying on ones I¡¯d already modeled. I finally said enough was enough and the two agreed that the bright blue racer back was the best on me.


    Secretly it had been my favorite, too, since it was the most functional of all of the two-piece outfits Angela had brought along. Neither Emmy nor I had asked why Angela had packed over a dozen swimsuits- it was Angela¡¯s job to post pictures of herself in swimwear, after all.


    The hotel¡¯s concierge suggested we skip Bondi in favor of Manly Beach, saying that it was more scenic and less crowded- more of a locals type of place than one packed with tourists.


    What he didn¡¯t tell us is that it was a full hour¡¯s drive from the Olympic Park, but at least we got in a little bit of sightseeing, including a drive across the Harbour Bridge. We were on the wrong side of the road, of course, so we couldn¡¯t see the Opera House from the bridge, but that¡¯s life sometimes.


    Manly reminded me of a typical California beach town, but that¡¯s not a bad thing at all. The beach proper was also pretty similar to what I was used to- the color of the sand, the width of the beach itself, the waves, the boardwalk¡­ All very familiar, other than the accents of the people we passed.


    As Angela and I walked along the herringbone brick boardwalk, we spotted a number of volleyball courts set up on the sand.


    ¡°Do you want to play?¡± Angela asked me as we stopped to watch some people playing.


    I sighed, sitting on the low wall separating the boardwalk from the beach. ¡°The thing is, it¡¯s a no-win for me,¡± I said. ¡°These guys aren¡¯t very good, so if I invite myself to play with them I¡¯d destroy ¡®em unless I sandbagged so hard it hurt-¡±


    ¡°Sandbagged?¡± Angela interrupted, puzzled.


    ¡°It means to play badly on purpose, to hide how good you are,¡± I explained. ¡°So I can either sandbag, which is no fun for me, or I can demolish these people, which is no fun for them.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I couldn¡¯t help but overhear,¡± a sunburned curly-haired guy said as he walked up. ¡°So you¡¯re good, then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty good, but I haven¡¯t played much for a couple of years now,¡± I said, noting the guy was tall, maybe six foot five or so, typical of top volleyball players.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got an open tournament here on Saturday mornings. Signup is at seven, matches start at seven thirty, and it¡¯s open to all comers.¡±


    When I stood up to take the four by six card with the information he was handing out he looked surprised when he realized I was almost as tall as him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a tall one,¡± he said as I took the glossy card. ¡°What level d¡¯you play at?¡±


    ¡°Collegiate national champion at Stanford,¡± I said.


    ¡°They wanted her for the Olympic team,¡± Angela boasted on my behalf.


    ¡°Right,¡± the guy said. ¡°Well, we get some really good players, so no sandbagging, right? Bring your best game. My name¡¯s Mike Hall- I coach the local- I guess you¡¯d call it high school, right? Years eleven and twelve? Right. I coach the boys team and teach adult volleyball skills here at the beach Saturdays,¡± he said. ¡°Like I said, the tournament is open, just show up and sign in.¡±


    When I introduced myself as Leah Farmer, he wrinkled his brow for a moment in thought. ¡°Killer Leah?¡± he asked, unsure he was remembering correctly.


    Sighing, I agreed that was me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll make quite a splash,¡± Mike said, grinning. ¡°Look, whatever else you might have Saturday morning, cancel it and come play, right? I¡¯ll pair you up with a friend of mine- she plays pro, but her teammate is out with injuries right now.¡±


    ¡°Lee, I want to watch you play,¡± Angela said, taking my hand in both of hers. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything until the show, and that¡¯s in the evening.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I told Mike. ¡°Tell your friend I¡¯ve only played a few times since graduating, and sand was never my focus, so don¡¯t expect too much.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Mike nodded knowingly. ¡°See you at seven on Saturday, Killer.¡±


    After leaving Mike and the volleyball area behind, Angela took my hand as we walked. ¡°Emmy¡¯s gonna be so jealous she won¡¯t be able to watch you play,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s seen me play plenty,¡± I said, telling her the story of our senior year in high school and Emmy¡¯s help against West Temecula.


    The day was warming up nicely and eventually we found a spot that had hardly any other beachgoers, so we set our blanket on the sand and stripped down to our swimsuits.


    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± I told Angela as she removed her sun dress.


    Smiling shyly, Angela knelt down on the blanket and gave me a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel fat,¡± she said, looking down at her tummy, which had certainly lost its six-pack definition. It looked like a normal woman¡¯s belly now, but still far from fat.


    ¡°Angela, baby, you are freaking gorgeous. You¡¯re gonna be even more gorgeous in a few months when your belly is big and round, because that¡¯s our baby you¡¯re carrying around. Our baby, Ange.¡±


    Smiling sweetly, Angela rooted around in the beach bag I¡¯d been carrying to find the container of cut cantaloupe she¡¯d brought from the hotel.


    ¡°Do you want some rock melon?¡± she asked, spearing an orange chunk with her plastic fork.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe how difficult that discussion was this morning.¡± I opened wide and she placed the chunk in my mouth.


    ¡°They say you learn something new every day,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°That guy learned the American word for these things today, and we learned what they call it here,¡± she said, taking a piece for herself.


    ¡°What is it called in Colombia?¡±


    Shrugging, Angela said, ¡°Cantalupo,¡± as she offered me another piece.


    Waving it away, I said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s an easy one.¡±


    ¡°We definitely do not call it Mel¨®n de piedra,¡° she agreed with a smile.


    I leaned back on my elbows, looking out over the ocean. ¡°Hey, is that a shark fin?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡± Angela asked, her eyes wide in dismay as she searched the waves for an ominous triangle.


    ¡°I was just kidding,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna go in.¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± Angela said, fishing in the beach bag for her little waterproof camera. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡±


    A gave her a quick kiss, then ran to the surf. The water was colder than I expected (honestly about typical for a SoCal summer), but I kept running, high-stepping as the water grew deeper until I could dive into the face of an oncoming wave. I swam outside, getting used to the cool but not too cold water. I turned back to the beach to watch Angela walk sedately to the edge of the water, then dip her toes in.


    She stepped back away from the next wavelet, avoiding it as it moved up the beach towards her. Looking up and seeing me watching, she wrapped her arms around herself and made an exaggerated shivering motion- clearly the water temp didn¡¯t meet her requirements.


    Amused, I bodysurfed back to the shallows, then walked out of the water to where Angela stood, looking beautiful.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, taking her in my arms, earning a shriek of protest at the cold water on my body.


    Laughing, Angela pushed me away. ¡°That water is freezing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so bad once you actually get in,¡± I said, reaching out for another hug, but she straight-armed me to keep me away.


    ¡°I want to take some pictures of you in the water,¡± Angela said after I gave up trying to get her wet. ¡°Go back and just play around,¡± she instructed, pointing at the waves.


    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a fee for this,¡± I warned her.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need some kisses at the very least,¡± I confirmed.


    Looking around to see if anybody was watching, Angela leaned in and gave me a passionate kiss. ¡°Lee,¡± she said when we parted. ¡°What will you charge me for some topless photos?¡±


    ¡°Topless?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Tops aren¡¯t legally required on Australian beaches,¡± Angela said. ¡°I looked it up. People don¡¯t like it if you go topless around families with kids, but look- there¡¯s nobody anywhere near us. It¡¯s a Thursday morning and the beach is mostly empty. I want to take pictures of you in the water with no top on. For Emmy,¡± she added.


    ¡°For Emmy, sure,¡± I said with a wry smirk. ¡°O.K., I¡¯ll do it. For Emmy. But I¡¯m gonna charge you extra.¡±


    ¡°More kisses?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but Australian kisses,¡± I said.


    ¡°What are Australian kisses?¡± Angela asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion.


    ¡°They¡¯re like French kisses, but down under,¡± I said, waggling my eyebrows as best I could.


    It took a moment, but Angela¡¯s puzzled look was replaced with a sly smile. ¡°I think I can afford that, but you¡¯ll have to wait until we get back to the hotel. And since these pictures are for Emmy, she¡¯ll have to pay half.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± I said, glancing around once again to make sure we still had our part of the beach to ourselves before pulling my top up and off. Handing it to Angela, I said, ¡°Don¡¯t lose it.¡±


    Angela got a lot of pictures of me and I got quite a few of her after she finally braved the water, which really had to have been over seventy degrees.


    We took some pictures back at the blanket, too, doing the whole ¡®implied nudity¡¯ thing to make them acceptable for social media.


    All in all, three enjoyable hours went by quickly as we goofed around. After a while, though, we got hungry, so we dried off and put our dresses back on and packed everything back in the beach bag to go look for something to eat.


    We found a pedestrian promenade with a number of quick dining options, most of which weren¡¯t that appealing. Eventually we settled on a pub that had four floors. We were seated on the rooftop deck, which had great views down the promenade and out to the ocean.


    ¡°Thanks for coming to the beach with me today,¡± Angela said after we put in our orders. ¡°I really enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°I did too,¡± I said, resting my hand on hers. ¡°I love spending time with you.¡±


    Angela smiled, taking my hand in hers but not saying anything, just letting the physical contact do the talking.

 Those People

    When Angela told Emmy about the excursion to the beach, Emmy declared that she would come along with us to watch the volleyball tournament.


    ¡°Leah is amazing,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It has been a long time since I have been able to watch her play.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sand, and I haven¡¯t played more than a handful of times since I graduated,¡± I protested, not wanting their expectations to be set too high. ¡°And I¡¯ve never even met the girl I¡¯m supposed to team up with, so I have no idea how we¡¯ll play together.¡±


    Waving my concerns away, Emmy said, ¡°It does not matter to me how she plays. I only want to watch you.¡±


    ¡°Em¡¯s right,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°I just want to see you in action. I want to see you in that bikini, jumping to slam the ball or diving to save it.¡± Then turning to Emmy, Angela said, ¡°I got Leah to pose topless! Want to see the pictures?¡±


    ¡°Topless? On the beach?¡± Emmy asked, surprised. ¡°How very European!¡±


    As Angela took the memory card from her camera and downloaded the pics onto her laptop, Emmy asked me how the beach had been.


    I told her it reminded me of a typical Southern California beach town in almost every way except the accents.


    ¡°But the beach was topless,¡± Emmy protested. ¡°That is not like California.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ In all honesty, I¡¯m not convinced the beaches here actually are topless. I didn¡¯t see anybody else letting their girls out, and we only did it when we were all by ourselves with nobody anywhere near us,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°They are too,¡± Angela responded, watching the photo gallery populate on her computer¡¯s screen. ¡°Like I said, bikini tops are not legally required here but most people wear them anyhow, especially when the beach has a lot of families with kids.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anybody else going topless, and there sure weren¡¯t many kids out today,¡± I objected.


    ¡°What can I say? I think if we¡¯d gone to a more trendy beach we¡¯d have seen boobs, but like we were told, Manly Beach is more locals and family oriented,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Manly?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the name of the town,¡± I said with a shrug as we all crowded around Angela¡¯s computer to see the pictures that we¡¯d taken at the beach. ¡°It¡¯s a suburb to the north.¡±


    ¡°You really were topless!¡± Emmy said in amazement when Angela clicked through the gallery to those pics.


    ¡°Angela was, too,¡± I said as the slide show continued.


    Angela clicked through a bunch more pictures when Emmy said, ¡°Stop! Go back!¡±


    The photo she wanted to see was of me, thigh deep in the water. I was facing out to sea but looking back over my shoulder at the camera while wringing out my wet hair. There was a decent amount of side boob, but no nipple. The French cut bikini bottom had ridden up a bit and exposed most of my ass, but not so much as a thong would have.


    ¡°That back¡­¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Angela agreed. ¡°Just looking at it on this little screen gets me a bit wet. In person I had to hold my legs tight together!¡±


    ¡°It is not fair that anyone can be so hot,¡± Emmy said, pouting.


    ¡°Says the woman named ¡®world¡¯s sexiest¡¯,¡± I said, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°I am like the Moon,¡± Emmy said. ¡°My light is but a reflection of yours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit,¡± I said. ¡°If anything it¡¯s the other way around. You¡¯re the bright, shining star, Em. Over half a million people have paid tons of money to see you on this tour, not me. You''re the one, babe.¡±


    Emmy smiled gratefully at my vote of confidence. ¡°I still have a very hard time believing it.¡±


    ¡°When you look out over a giant stadium filled with adoring fans the night after tomorrow, you¡¯ll have to believe it. When all those people call out your name, accept it,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Lee is right, you know,¡± Angela said, leaning back against Emmy¡¯s chest. ¡°You''re more like the Sun than anybody I know.¡±


    The next day we all had breakfast together at the same restaurant from three days before, then Emmy went to go do all the stage and sound checks while Angela and I took a guided walking tour of the historical district that we¡¯d all seen our first day in Sydney. It was fun hearing about the convicts, sailors and other ne''er-do-wells that made up the early history of the British colonization.


    ¡°I like this place,¡± Angela said during lunch after the tour.


    ¡°This pub, or Sydney in general?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, Sydney,¡± Angela said. ¡°I liked Manly, and the wine region, too.¡±


    ¡°It is a nice town,¡± I agreed. ¡°But honestly, we¡¯re seeing it as wealthy tourists, right? We¡¯re seeing the best the place has to offer.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, but¡­¡± Angela said, at a loss for words.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too late to sell the place in London and buy here instead,¡± I teased.


    Smiling in that pretty way of hers, Angela said, ¡°No, it is too late. The designer architects sent me over some sketches and I approved them a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, surprised and pleased. Surprised since she hadn¡¯t mentioned anything, and pleased since she had taken it seriously when I¡¯d told her it was hers to do with as she wanted.


    ¡°Really,¡± Angela said, nodding. ¡°I wanted it to be a surprise, just have you and Emmy see it without any¡­ um, warning, when it''s done. Just the three of us walking in and seeing it, how it¡¯s going to be.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case I¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯t say anything,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is going to be expensive, though¡­¡± Angela said, not looking up from her pasta.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to ask. I¡¯ll just send whatever money is needed,¡± I told her.


    Smiling, Angela said, ¡°Good, because they want some money to get started.¡±


    That night over dinner Emmy complained that the sound check was really difficult.


    ¡°The stadium, it is acoustically very complex,¡± she said. ¡°If we got the sound just right for the center of the field it was terrible for the stands on either side, which have a metal roof, making things even harder,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Only the sides have a roof?¡± I asked. ¡°They¡¯re saying it¡¯s going to rain tomorrow evening.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was discussed very much today,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°The people seated on the field will get rained on, but those in the stands will stay dry, and that also affects the sound. We spent hours trying the get it just right, and while it it still far from perfect I think we managed to get it to be acceptable anywhere in the stadium.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s acceptable, then,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, we have to accept that it will be what it will be,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°And it won¡¯t be what it won¡¯t be,¡± I added.


    ¡°Truer words were never spoken,¡± Emmy replied.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Is this a comedy routine you guys are doing?¡± Angela asked, interrupting.


    ¡°Life is a comedy,¡± Emmy replied with a flippant shrug.


    The next morning the three of us (plus Grant and Tiny, of course) found ourselves at Manly Beach in the cool, damp morning. Emmy caused quite a stir as a crowd formed to talk to her, get her autograph, or more commonly, get a selfie with her. I was happy enough to let Emmy, Grant and Tiny manage the situation while I found Mike Hall and his friend.


    ¡°Right!¡± Mike said when he spotted me. ¡°Sign up is over there. Sarah¡¯ll be ¡®round here somewhere.¡±


    Glancing back to the crowd that had gathered around Emmy, Mike squinted to try to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°Everybody wants to get a selfie with my wife,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Your wife? The hot- the woman you were with on Thursday?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, not her. I mean Emmy De Lascaux,¡± I said as we walked, but Mike came to an immediate halt when I said the name.


    ¡°Emmy Lascaux? She¡¯s your wife?¡± he demanded. ¡°And she¡¯s right over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes and yes,¡± I said. ¡°She wanted to come to watch me play.¡±


    Shaking his head, Mike said, ¡°Nobody¡¯s gonna pay any attention to the tournament.¡±


    Laughing, I said, ¡°Emmy will.¡±


    Mike led me to the sign-in table and had them add my name along with Sarah Chase as my partner. ¡°Premier Women,¡± he told the girl at the table.


    She looked up and didn¡¯t recognize me, asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Mare Swenson?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s out,¡± Mike said. ¡°This is Leah Farmer, from the US. Killer Leah?¡± he said, hoping to jog some recognition in the girl.


    ¡°Killer Leah? People call her that?¡± the girl asked, clearly dismissive of the nickname.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Mike promised.


    We finally found Sarah Chase, who looked tanned and fit and ready to play. Mike left us to go do something, giving us the chance to talk rough game plans. She filled me in on the level of competition, and I told her that sand was never my specialty but I¡¯d played enough to have a handle on it.


    When the matches were drawn, Sarah said, ¡°Jenny and Carrie. They¡¯re good, but we should be able to beat them, yeah?¡±


    ¡°What are their strengths?¡±


    ¡°Carrie is good, but Jenny is better. She has a solid spike,¡± Sarah said as we got ready to play, removing our sweats and leaving our bags up on the boardwalk with an attendant.


    Mike found us as we waited in the cool morning for our court assignment. He looked me up and down, but didn¡¯t say anything. He just shook his head, then said, ¡°You got this one easy, right?¡±


    ¡°Hey, baby! Show ¡®em how it¡¯s done!¡± Angela shouted from the stands as we walked to our court.


    ¡°Your girl?¡± Sarah asked, not seeming judgmental, just curious.


    ¡°One of them,¡± I said. At Sarah¡¯s puzzled look, I said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡±


    Closing Jenny down was easy enough, and after a handful of crushing blocks on her best shots our two opponents¡¯ game completely fell apart. They had no real answer except to play us back from the net, but Sarah was excellent at setting me up for strong cross-court spikes. After Carrie (I think it was) dug one of my spikes and had it take a bad bounce into her face, her enthusiasm for getting underneath the ball vanished entirely.


    ¡°Mike called you ¡®Killer Leah¡¯ and I can certainly understand why,¡± Sarah said as we dressed again after we put the match away. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anybody hit the ball that hard in my life.¡±


    ¡°I hated that nickname,¡± I said, sipping from the bottle of Powerade that had been handed to me by one of the juniors working the event.


    ¡°If the shoe fits,¡± Sarah said with a laugh.


    We had a little over an hour before our next match, so I told Sarah I was going to try to find my wives.


    ¡°Wives? More than one?¡± Sara asked, astonished.


    ¡°I told you it was complicated,¡± I said.


    ¡°That brunette- she was one of your wives? Who¡¯s the other one?¡± Sarah asked.


    Again, she didn¡¯t seem judgmental, just curious, so I saw no harm in explaining. ¡°Do you know who Emmy De Lascaux is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Do I know who she is? I got a selfie with her earlier!¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Yeah, so she¡¯s my other wife, We¡¯re a¡­ threesome,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fucking mental! You and that other girl, you¡¯re both married to Emmy?¡±


    ¡°Her name¡¯s Angela, and yeah, we¡¯re both married to each other and to Emmy. Like I said, we¡¯re a threesome,¡± I explained.


    Sarah got up to follow me, evidently to satisfy her curiosity and ascertain I was telling the truth. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out where Emmy and Angela were- all I had to do was look for Tiny towering above the crowd.


    ¡°They¡¯re over there,¡± I said to Sarah. ¡°See that big guy? Emmy¡¯s bodyguard. His name¡¯s Jeremy.¡±


    We made our way through the crowd, which was kept to a respectful distance by Tiny¡¯s intimidating presence.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, leaning in to give Emmy a kiss. ¡°Did you watch the match?¡±


    ¡°We did,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We watched you and your teammate destroy those other girls.¡±


    ¡°Em, Ange, this is Sarah,¡± I said, pulling Sarah forward.


    ¡°We met earlier,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°We got a selfie together.¡±


    Sarah seemed stunned that Emmy would remember her, but it didn¡¯t surprise me at all.


    ¡°Are you two hungry? Do you have time to eat anything?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± I said. ¡°You?¡± I asked Sarah.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Sarah said, nervous.


    ¡°Em, how long can you stay? The tournament is supposed to run until four, right?¡± I asked Sarah for confirmation.


    ¡°Yeah, but we won¡¯t play that late,¡± Sarah said. ¡°The premier class is done by noon, until tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°So, noon,¡± I said. ¡°Can you stay that late?¡±


    Emmy thought about it for a moment, then said, ¡°No, I should not. We need to be at the stadium by two o¡¯clock. It takes an hour to get to the hotel, then I will need to shower and get ready¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and tank our next match so we can leave early.¡±


    Sarah turned to give me a stunned and indignant look, but Emmy just laughed. ¡°You could no more do that than I can fly to the Moon,¡± she said. ¡°Your competitive drive would never allow you to lose intentionally.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be very mad at you if you don¡¯t play your best,¡± Angela said, crossing her arms. ¡°If you do, you won¡¯t be getting any for a long time, I can promise you that.¡±


    ¡°If we win, does that mean I¡¯ll be getting laid tonight?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You really are a beast,¡± Angela said with a slow shake of her head while Emmy just laughed. ¡°We probably won¡¯t have time tonight, and besides, the tournament runs into tomorrow, so you need to win it all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna hold you to that,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯m gonna hold you to me, also. Both of you.¡±


    ¡°Then you must play your best, Leah,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I would hate to have to deny you.¡±


    ¡°I would hate that, too,¡± I admitted.


    Back in the athlete¡¯s area, Sarah finally commented on what she¡¯d just seen. ¡°They were having you on about cutting you off, right?¡±


    ¡°They were,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°Like Emmy said, it¡¯s not in my nature to throw a match, and it¡¯s not in their nature to tell me no when it comes to sexy times.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine being married to one woman, let alone two,¡± Sarah said, shaking her head.


    ¡°So you¡¯re one of those people?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Straight people,¡± I said, looking around suspiciously. ¡°Careful- they might be anywhere. You can¡¯t always tell by looking.¡±


    That did it- Sarah broke out laughing at the absurdity of the whole situation.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I am one of ¡®those people¡¯. There are more of us than you might realize.¡±


    ¡°I have no problem with straight people, as long as they keep it to themselves,¡± I said, getting another laugh.


    By that point the first round had finished and the drawings for the next were posted. We had court number eight, against a pair that Sarah didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°They¡¯re from Perth,¡± she explained. ¡°I¡¯ve never played against ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just have to crush them, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentations of their women!¡± I said in my best Arnold accent, flexing my muscles. The effect was spoiled by the fact that I was wearing loose sweats, but Sarah got the reference and laughed anyway.


    ¡°Tell me about the nickname,¡± she demanded, changing the topic.


    ¡°You stab a few people here and there and everybody acts like it¡¯s a big deal,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Next thing you know, people start calling you ¡®Killer¡¯.¡±


    Sarah laughed again. ¡°Right?¡± she asked.


    Our match against the girls from Perth went our way, guaranteeing entry into the elimination rounds the next day no matter how our third match went. Still we wanted a better seed, so we went into our last match of the day determined to finish the prelims with three Ws and no Ls.


    Emmy, Tiny and Grant had left after the second match, but Angela stayed to watch our third. It was good that we faced that final duo after Sarah and I had time to get used to each other, since the couple of girls from Gold Coast were much better than our earlier opponents. Still, we took it, giving us the second seed for the next morning.


    Mike found us as we were about to get dressed after our last match of the day. ¡°What d¡¯you think, Sezza? Killer Leah lives up to her name, right?¡± he asked Sarah.


    ¡°Fucking pleased I¡¯m not the one tryin¡¯ to block her spikes,¡± Sarah agreed.


    Turning to me, Mike handed me a T shirt. ¡°Here, wear this. It¡¯s important,¡± he said.


    I looked at the obviously well worn shirt that said, ¡°Manly Beach Volleyball Association.¡±


    Seeing my puzzled look, he glanced around to make sure nobody was close enough to hear. ¡°Right. That¡¯s your shirt, you¡¯ve had it for ages, if anybody asks. The only way I could get you registered for the tourno was as a member of our club, of which you have officially been a member for the last two years, if anybody asks.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± I said, pulling the nice and soft T shirt on. ¡°I¡¯ve always been proud of my association with the MBVA.¡±


    ¡°Righto,¡± Mike said, a broad grin on his sunburned face.


    When Angela found us she asked Sarah if she wanted to get lunch with us.


    ¡°We ate at a nice place down that way on Thursday,¡± she said. ¡°We could go there again. I liked the rooftop deck.¡±


    Sarah accepted our invitation to lunch, but suggested a different place, farther south down the beach. It was a farm-to-table type of place with a rustic chic vibe going. I went straight for the steak lunch, while Angela opted for the grilled prawns.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± Sarah said, setting down her burger. ¡°How does¡­ a threesome like yours happen?¡±


    I looked at Angela to see if she wanted to field the question, but her look back let me know this one was mine.


    ¡°I met Emmy in school and we went to Stanford together, then got married as soon as it became legal in California. After school we moved to Los Angeles, where I met Angela here. She was living in our condo building, but her boyfriend got arrested for selling steroids. We gave her a place to stay while things got sorted out, and we all just gradually fell in love,¡± I said.


    ¡°But how do you marry two different people? Does California allow poly marriages?¡±


    ¡°No, not legally,¡± I said. ¡°So we¡¯ve had to play some games with the legality. Emmy and I have both listed Angela as our next of kin on our legal documents and so on. Eventually we¡¯ll be able to legalize it, but for now we know we¡¯re married.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the greatest thing ever,¡± Angela said, an earnest expression on her expressive face. ¡°Both Lee and Emmy are so different, but so amazing. I get the best of both worlds, you know?¡±


    ¡°I get the best,¡± I corrected, resting my hand on hers. ¡°I get you and Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Get a room!¡± Sarah said with a laugh.


    ¡°We have a room,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s just clear across town."

 Not A Chapter- Just A Delay Announcement

    Well, thanks to preparations for the holiday (Thanksgiving here in the US), I didn''t manage to get this midweek chapter done much at all. On top of that, we''ve decided to take a few days off and stay at a friend''s cabin in the mountains, so I''m not expecting I''ll get much, idk any, writing done until Monday.


    So yeah, sorry about the delay. I have the rest of the tour arc plotted out so I should be able to jump right back into it, but for now I''m going to have to leave you all, me dear readers, hanging.


    And now, since RR has a word count minimum for a post, here''s a scan from a while back:


    Needing a break and feeling a bit hungry, I went down to the hotel bar for a quick bite and maybe a drink, since it was after ten o¡¯clock. The place was surprisingly busy, so I just grabbed a seat at the bar.


    ¡°Can I buy you a drink?¡± asked a guy who looked to be in his mid thirties. He had that well-groomed look that told me has was probably in sales, in town on some sort of business trip.


    I made a point of tapping my wedding ring, but he shrugged. ¡°Hey- if I were married to Emmy Lascaux, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting in this hotel bar all alone,¡± he said.


    Not too surprised he¡¯d recognized me, I laughed. ¡°Business,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s back at home in LA, recording with the boys.¡±


    ¡°I really like their version of Werewolves Of London,¡± he said, sitting down next to me.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fun,¡± I agreed. ¡°So, you know who I am, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized. ¡°My name¡¯s Robert. I¡¯m not actually married to a rock star, myself.¡±


    Chuckling at that, I said, ¡°Take a seat, why don¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks! I think I will,¡± he replied, signaling to the bartender. ¡°A gin and tonic, please. And get the lady another one of whatever it is she¡¯s having.¡±


    ¡°So, Robert, what brings you to Seattle?¡±


    ¡°A big client meeting,¡± he replied offhandedly, as if work was the last thing he wanted to talk about. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Setting up a non-profit,¡± I said. ¡°And buying properties. And visiting with old friends.¡±


    ¡°Sounds hectic,¡± Robert said, handing his credit card to the bartender.


    ¡°Oh, and there was a trip to Alaska in there, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very hectic.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t too bad, actually, but I¡¯ll be happy to head home in the morning,¡± I said, giving him a little salute of thanks with my glass.


    The cocktail I¡¯d ordered (and then Robert ordered for me again) was some sort of berry-infused, blood orange-essence I don¡¯t know what, but it was actually pretty good.


    ¡°Last night in town?¡± he asked. ¡°Out of curiosity, what airline do you fly?¡±


    ¡°God, we flew commercial up to Alaska,¡± I groaned. ¡°What a pain that is. I tell you, it¡¯s hard to go back to that.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t often fly commercial?¡±


    ¡°This was the first time in a few years for me,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°You have your own jet?¡± he asked, impressed.


    ¡°No, I just mostly fly executive charter. I¡¯ve been thinking about buying a plane, but you know what they say.¡±


    ¡°Rent it,¡± Robert said with a laugh.


    ¡°Oh, it gets worse. There¡¯s been talk in the household about buying a yacht,¡± I said.


    ¡°Rent it!¡± Robert said again, raising his glass in salute.


    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s what we¡¯re gonna do for a while, anyway,¡± I agreed.


    Must be nice, being in the kind of tax bracket where you¡¯re actually considering buying a yacht and a jet,¡± Robert said.


    ¡°It beats living in a cardboard box down by the river,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s no lie,¡± Robert agreed. ¡°So what kind of jet would you buy, if you were going to buy one?¡±


    ¡°A private one,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Best kind,¡± he said.


    After a moment of silence, I said, ¡°I¡¯m curious. You knew who I was, and knew I¡¯m gay, but you still came over with just about the most tired pick-up line ever.¡±


    ¡°I know it is,¡± he admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s a good ice breaker, since it is so cheesy.¡±


    ¡°It is that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°But yeah, I just wanted to talk. It isn¡¯t every day I get to have drinks with a celebrity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a celebrity- my wife is,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Hey- if you¡¯re ever on the cover of People magazine, you¡¯re a celebrity,¡± Robert said.


    ¡°I guess, by some definition.¡±


    ¡°Bask in it! Seriously, I recognized you from across the room, right? That¡¯s fame.¡±


    Robert had made a pretty good point, so I just shrugged.


    ¡°So, what do you want to talk about? You said you wanted to talk to me,¡± I asked.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t gotten that far,¡± Robert admitted. ¡°Maybe watches?¡± He suggested, pointing at my wrist, then pulling up his sleeve to show off his own watch, an Omega Speedmaster.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a watch geek,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Says the woman wearing a watch that costs more than the average home price in Milwaukee,¡± he said with a wry grin.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a ridiculously expensive watch,¡± I agreed. ¡°But all it does is tell time.¡±


    ¡°And look good.¡±


    ¡°And look good,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not into watches, what does float your boat?¡± Robert asked.


    Thinking about it for a moment, I said, ¡°Well, I like fast cars.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Like American muscle fast, or Italian fast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few German fast cars,¡± I said.


    ¡°When you say ¡®a few¡¯, what are we talking? A collection?¡± Robert asked.


    ¡°Calling it a collection implies that I¡¯m collecting them, right? I just buy ¡®em to drive ¡®em, not to ¡®collect¡¯ them,¡± I said, making air quotes with my fingers.


    ¡°What¡¯s your newest? Or maybe I should ask what¡¯s on your shopping list to pick up next?¡± Robert asked. He was good at keeping the conversation moving.


    ¡°I guess my most recent purchase was my Porsche 918 Spyder,¡± I said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Wait- that¡¯s the hybrid one, like the Ferrari LaFerrari, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Wow- that¡¯s like a million dollar car, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ve gone up in value. It¡¯s more like two million now,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Crazy,¡± Robert said, shaking his head.


    ¡°So, Robert, do you have any cool cars?¡± I asked, trying to turn the conversation his way.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a BMW M3, but that¡¯s nowhere near the Porsche¡¯s league,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah? I¡¯ve got an M3 in Yas Marina Blue,¡± I told him. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty fun car to drive,¡± I said, an image of driving at night with a naked Ashley in the passenger seat coming unbidden to mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great color,¡± Robert said. ¡°Mine¡¯s Austin Yellow Metallic.¡±


    ¡°Flashy!¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, it is a bit¡­ boy racer, I guess, but it was what they had on the lot,¡± Robert said with a shrug.


    ¡°Next time you¡¯re in the market, bring it in to one of my dealerships and I¡¯ll make sure you get a great trade-in,¡± I said.


    ¡°Dealerships?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have a couple of BMW dealerships in Southern California,¡± I said.


    ¡°And you just bought a million-dollar Porsche?¡±


    ¡°It fell into my lap,¡± I said, sipping my drink. ¡°I got a good deal.¡±


    ¡°As great as that offer may be, I¡¯m based out of Nashville, so¡­¡± Robert said.


    ¡°Your loss,¡± I replied.


    ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± Robert said. ¡°You own car dealerships in California, but are buying properties in Seattle.¡±


    ¡°I own properties all over the western US,¡± I said. ¡°Mostly along the West Coast, but a few in other places, too.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s how you can afford a million-dollar Porsche.¡±


    ¡°I paid cash,¡± I said. ¡°And it was one point seven million.¡± Sure, it was a flex, but why not, right?

 Steve McQueen Style

    Angela and I wound up offering our seats for the concert that night to Sarah and her boyfriend. Angela and I had all-access passes, after all, so we could roam around all we wanted. We just wouldn¡¯t be able to sit right in the best seats in the field for the show, that¡¯s all.


    ¡°It might rain tonight,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what the weather forecast is calling for,¡± I agreed. ¡°And our seats are in the eighteenth row, smack in the center. If it rains, those seats will be wet.¡±


    ¡°You can get any seats you want- why those? Why not front row?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°Best sound,¡± Angela responded. ¡°Right in the center of the audience is always where the sound quality is the very best. And besides, we don¡¯t really need to be up close and personal with the performers during the show, right? We see them all the time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sarah agreed with a smile. ¡°I guess you do.¡±


    The rain started about sunset and the evening was cool but not cold, so most fans I saw streaming into the ANZ Arena had on rain gear but nothing too thick and heavy. It rained through the opening act, a power trio of what looked like typical soccer hooligans. I liked their rawness, their non-rock star looks and their attitude, but their music was a bit too ¡®garage¡¯ for me to really appreciate. Maybe hearing their recorded music would allow me to get a better feel for their abilities, but live they were just sort of loud and shouty. The only song I remember was their final tune. The rain was falling pretty well by that point and the singer made some crack about the night only being suitable for fish, and then of course their final song was something about a real big fish.


    After the first band left the stage the rain eased up and by the time The Downfall took the stage it was nothing more than a very light drizzle- more of a lightly falling mist than a real rain.


    Since Angela and I had given up our now soaking wet seats, we just stood by the rail in the terrace level bar and watched the tiny figures on the far-off stage.


    The drizzle made the laser light show much more dramatic than usual, and despite what Emmy had complained about the sound was really pretty good, all things considered. I certainly enjoyed the show, and by the looks of it so did the eighty-plus thousand Australians in attendance, so I guess it must have been acceptable after all.


    I begged out of the afterparty, which was going to be held at somebody¡¯s house since they had some strange curfew laws in Sydney. I told Emmy and Angela that I wanted to get some sleep for the second day of the tournament in the morning and just walked back across the plaza to our hotel.


    I fell asleep after a nice, hot shower. Glancing at my watch when Emmy and Angela rolled in at almost three in the morning I was grateful that I¡¯d taken a pass on the party.


    Unsurprisingly, Angela and Emmy asked if I minded if they skipped coming to Manly with me when I got up at five.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said, giving them each kisses. ¡°Go back to sleep. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    Thankfully the rain had stopped at some point in the night, leaving the morning bright and clear, even if everything was still wet. The damp sand made it much easier to play, and the sure footing helped my game quite a bit. Sarah and I didn¡¯t wind up winning the overall- we lost the final match to the same two girls from Gold Coast that we¡¯d played against on Saturday. They had upped their game, or maybe had been sandbagging the day before, but they managed to edge us out when it counted. Maybe it was the lack of sleep Sarah and I both suffered from, but whatever the case, we lost the final.


    I told Sarah that she could keep my half of the second place prize money, which surprised her for a moment.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re married to a rock star. Seven hundred fifty isn¡¯t going to make much of a difference to you, is it?¡±


    ¡°No, not much,¡± I agreed, not bothering to tell her that we lost money on the whole rock star thing.


    Back at the hotel I found Emmy napping and Angela working on her computer, so I took my shower and quietly pulled out my own computer to get some emails done while Emmy slept. It was nice in a strange way to just sit at the table with Angela, the two of us doing our different jobs while Emmy slept off the long, exhausting night.


    Our last night in Sydney was really low key. We had talked about another dinner cruise, but when it started raining in the late afternoon we canceled those plans and just went out for a mellow dinner at a decent (but not really excellent) Thai place close to the hotel there in the Olympic Park area. Once again, we had a lot of tag-alongs. Pretty much everybody associated with the band came along, and the sixteen of us nearly overwhelmed the restaurant. Thankfully it was a slow Sunday night so there was seating for all of us, but we were scattered all over the dining room at different tables.


    Jackson sat with the three of us at our table in the back corner. In some ways it wasn¡¯t the best table in the place, but it was good for us since it kept Emmy away from the rest of the restaurant¡¯s patrons, some of whom asked for selfies anyway.


    ¡°That was some shit last night,¡± Jackson said after the waitress brought our drinks and took our food orders. ¡°Eighty goddamned thousand people, putting up with the rain like that, just to see us play.¡±


    Emmy smiled at the memory. ¡°That is more people than live in some cities,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think there might be something to this whole rock star gig,¡± Jackson said with a smile as he poured a bunch of Sriracha on his spring roll. ¡°Funny stuff, this,¡± he said, holding up the plastic bottle with a bright green cap. ¡°They love it all over Asia, but it¡¯s made in Los Angeles from chiles grown in Southern California. A Thai friend of mine says the stuff made in Thailand is better, but¡­¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°This is the stuff you can find all over the world now.¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Even in Sydney, Australia,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Used to be that Tabasco was the number one selling hot sauce in Japan, you know that?¡± he asked. ¡°But I bet this stuff kicks its ass by the end of the decade.¡±


    ¡°They are very different,¡± Angela said, taking the plastic bottle from Jackson. ¡°Different flavor, different feel, different consistency¡­ I like Tabasco on some things more than Sriracha, but Sriracha is better for other things,¡± she said, looking at the label.


    ¡°They are both good, but I only like them in tiny little amounts,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s what you¡¯re used to growing up,¡± Jackson said. ¡°Me, I like really hot dishes.¡±


    ¡°Colombian food is not usually very spicy,¡± Angela said. ¡°Mexican food was a shock to me when I first had it.¡±


    ¡°For me, too,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°You know, my idea of Mexican food is very, very different from Jackson¡¯s,¡± I said. ¡°Californian Mexican food and Tex Mex have some overlap, but not much.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with carne asada burritos, anyway?¡± Jackson demanded.


    ¡°The true staff of life,¡± I responded seriously.


    The flight to Melbourne was only an hour and a half, but our plane sat on the tarmac for nearly an hour waiting for the gate to open before we could disembark. It wasn¡¯t a great first impression of the city, but the airport itself was O.K. (well, after Singapore¡¯s airport every other airport is a shabby mess, but whatever). The limo bus ride to the hotel took nearly an hour and poor Angela hadn¡¯t used the restroom back at the airport, so she was nearly bursting by the time we got to the grand old Victorian-era hotel we were staying at.


    I don¡¯t think Emmy was all that impressed by the grand entry or the ornate lobby, classic stairwell around a light well, or any of that- I guess growing up fabulously wealthy in Europe that¡¯s all old hat. I¡¯m pretty sure Angela noticed none of it in her rush to find a ladies'' room the moment we stepped from the bus.


    As for me, though, I do have to admit that the place knocked my socks off. The tiles, the polished wood, the ornate plasterwork- this was grand luxury from a hundred and thirty years ago and still looked amazing.


    Our suite was on the top floor overlooking the house of parliament across the street. The rooms were nice and bright, the windows larger than I would have expected from a Victorian-era building.


    Angela and Emmy had no desire to go out and do anything that night, so we ate dinner in the hotel¡¯s tea room and went to bed early. Well, Angela and Emmy went to bed early. I took advantage of the fact our suite had a separate sitting room with a desk and chair and did some work for a while before joining my two sleepyheads in bed.


    While I was dealing with emails and reading proposals I took a few minutes to search for fight gyms in Melbourne and found one less than a mile away, so I determined that I¡¯d get up early and head over there to check it out and maybe get a week¡¯s membership if it seemed O.K. enough. The few days of doing nothing really physical in Sydney left me feeling like a slacker.


    Finally clocking out at around eleven, I slid into bed. Emmy turned in her sleep and snuggled up against me, mumbling something unintelligible.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whispered, kissing the top of her head and breathing in her scent.


    I walked the handful of blocks to the gym at six thirty the next morning carrying my duffel over my shoulder. The gym looked promising- it was open on time, which was good, and it was roomy enough inside despite the small frontage it occupied in the old, low brick building.


    The chirpy girl at the counter asked if I wanted a complimentary session with one of their trainers to go along with my trial membership but I just waved it off.


    ¡°Are you sure? Larry can show you how-¡± she protested, but I interrupted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, thanks,¡± I said.


    I saw her look at me when I emerged from the locker room, wrapping my hand as I walked towards the heavy bags. I waved and she looked away, embarrassed to have been caught.


    As I warmed up on the bag a fit-looking guy wearing a tank top with the gym¡¯s logo across the chest approached. He watched me for a minute or two, then signaled for me to stop so he could talk.


    ¡°Kitty said I should come to show you around, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really necessary, do you?¡± he asked, eyeing me up and down.


    ¡°No, probably not,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You look like you know your way around a gym,¡± he said. ¡°D¡¯you fight?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, not in any hurry to volunteer information.


    He seemed as if he wanted to ask me more, but then just shrugged. ¡°If you need anything, let one of us know,¡± he said as he left to go do something else.


    I got in a nice, long workout, pleased that the gym had all the equipment I wanted. Since most of the other gym users were taking the scheduled classes, I never had to wait for anybody to finish their sets. I found it interesting that everyone in the classes, instructors and students, were wearing gis rather than the loose boxing shorts or tighter-fitting wresting gear like me.


    After I finished I went back to the front desk to pay for a week¡¯s membership. Kitty was still there, along with an older guy with a shaved head wearing a gi, making me think he was one of the instructors.


    ¡°Just a week?¡± Kitty asked when I told her what I wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only be in Melbourne for a week,¡± I told her. ¡°But my hotel doesn¡¯t have a gym.¡±


    Shrugging in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ sort of way, Kitty handed me the class schedule. When I saw what it was, I handed it back to her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be taking any classes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Kit, she could teach classes,¡± the older guy said. ¡°You watched her work out. She¡¯s- well, I don¡¯t need to tell you to look at her, since that¡¯s all you been doing since we opened.¡±


    Kitty (whose name was probably Katharine or something like that) looked embarrassed again, but she soldiered on anyhow.


    ¡°It has our hours,¡± she said, pushing the paper back towards me across the desk. Humoring her, I took it. I was about to toss it in a trash can on way back to the hotel when I noticed that she had written her name and her phone number down on the back. ¡°I¡¯m off at 4¡± she¡¯d added.


    Amused, I hung onto the paper, figuring I¡¯d show it to Angela and Emmy for a laugh.


    Slightly disappointed to find a note saying they¡¯d gone out to do some shopping, I showered and changed into a T shirt and jeans and settled down to catch up on work. I ordered room service so I could keep going through lunch. I was busy reading though a VC proposal when Emmy and Angela came back, followed by Tiny carrying a load of shopping bags.


    ¡°Just around the corner is a great shopping street!¡± Angela said after giving me a kiss hello.


    ¡°We got you a present,¡± Emmy said, taking the bags from Tiny, who looked relieved to hand them over.


    ¡°I hope you like it,¡± Angela said, thrilled to give me a gift. Emmy found the correct bag and dug around in it, finally coming up with a box about the size of a grapefruit.


    ¡°TAG Heuer?¡± I asked, looking at the box she handed me.


    ¡°Open it!¡± Angela urged, practically bouncing with excitement.


    ¡°We knew we needed to buy it for you when we saw it,¡± Emmy said as I opened the box and pulled out the watch.


    ¡°It is a vintage Carrera,¡± Emmy explained as I fastened the black leather band on my wrist. ¡°1968. It was designed for race car drivers,¡± she added.


    ¡°It is named after the kind of car you just bought,¡± Angela said, and I didn¡¯t have the heart to correct her and tell her that both the car and the watch were named after a race in Mexico.


    ¡°I love it,¡± I said, and it was true. It looked good on my wrist, with a certain sort of style that only a classic can exude. Sure, my Patek Philippe was much fancier and way more expensive, but the Carrera was cool in a Steve McQueen type of way. It was old enough that it pre-dated the trend towards gigantic watches for men, so it fit well on my wrist, too.


    I thanked Emmy and Angela for the great watch and gave them both hugs and kisses. Noticing that Tiny had left and we were alone, I told them both, ¡°You guys are definitely going to get laid tonight.¡±


    Angela turned to Emmy and said, ¡°See? I told you.¡±


    ¡°And I agreed that you were correct,¡± Emmy said with a laugh.

 Eating Out

    Well, they did get laid that night, big time. I was in the mood, and the girls rose to the occasion. Angela was particularly amorous, but Emmy wasn¡¯t too far behind.


    ¡°My tummy is going to be too big for this soon,¡± Angela said as we relaxed in the afterglow, which made Emmy laugh.


    ¡°You are barely showing,¡± she said. ¡°And even when you get as big as a house you will still be very sexually attractive.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for you, Em,¡± I said, caressing her still flat belly. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure both of you two will be drop-dead gorgeous when you¡¯re as big as houses.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be as big as a house,¡± Angela moaned.


    ¡°It will be a very small house. Maybe a¡­ a hut?¡± Emmy suggested.


    ¡°A very beautiful hut,¡± I added.


    Angela couldn¡¯t help but smile at that, so I kissed her tummy.


    ¡°I already feel as big as a studio apartment,¡± Angela said, trying to keep a straight face.


    ¡°A very nice studio apartment,¡± I said, kissing her tummy again.


    Fighting the urge to stay snuggled in bed the next morning, I got up early and was at the gym when they opened the next morning. Kitty was manning the desk again, and she gave me a big smile when I walked in.


    ¡°Leah! I¡¯m glad to see you again!¡± she said as I signed in.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to be seen again,¡± I replied, giving her a smile so she knew I was just teasing.


    ¡°Um, did you have a chance to look over the gym hours and other information on that sheet I gave you yesterday?¡± she asked, reminding me that I¡¯d forgotten to show it to Angela and Emmy.


    ¡°I did,¡± I said. ¡°And I hate to say it, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be taking advantage of everything you have to offer.¡± I casually flicked my wedding ring with my thumb to make my point clear, and she caught the movement.


    Shrugging, she said, ¡°The offer is open.¡±


    A couple of hours into my workout I realized quite a few people were watching me as I shadowboxed. I¡¯d staked out a corner of the large matted area at the back of the gym for my exercises and the other gym users were keeping well back as I practiced my elbows, kicks and punches, but quite a few had stopped their own workouts to gawk.


    My first inclination was to stop and go do something else, but then I thought there was no reason for me to alter my workout simply because others were reacting funny. I kept at it, dealing blow after blow to my invisible opponent until the timer on my sports watch said my hour was up.


    As I took a few minutes to towel off my face and drink some water, the bald-headed trainer came over to talk.


    ¡°How long have you been fighting?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A few years now,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re bloody fast, mate,¡± he said. ¡°Bloody fast.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what people say,¡± I said.


    ¡°Where d¡¯you fight?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Mostly alleys and empty warehouses,¡± I said, looking him straight in the eyes with as much of a ¡®shove off¡¯ vibe as I could give him.


    He looked as if he was going to say something, but the look on my face convinced him to go back to whatever it was he was doing earlier. Satisfied that I would be able to finish in peace, I spent the last hour working with the heavy bag, mostly on my kicks, but throwing a few punches and knees in there, too.


    Done with my workout, I threw on my sweats for the short walk back to the hotel. Kitty followed me out the door.


    ¡°Did you really tell Walt that you¡¯re a street fighter?¡± she asked breathlessly when she caught up.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I said,¡± I told her without slowing down or breaking my stride.


    ¡°But he-¡± she objected, but I interrupted.


    ¡°Where, or even if I fight is nobody¡¯s business but my own, got it?¡± I said, turning to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°Well, right, but-¡±


    ¡°No buts. I signed up for a week at your gym, but if you¡¯re going to pry I¡¯ll find someplace else,¡± I told her.


    Hurt, she said, ¡°I just¡­ I just think that¡¯s really¡­¡±


    Finally stopping to talk directly to her, I faced Kitty squarely and said, ¡°Look. You don¡¯t need to know anything about me, about where or who I fight, or even if I do in fact fight anybody, ever, at all. I¡¯m just using your gym to stay in shape while I¡¯m in town, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Kitty looked as if she wanted to say something, but bit it back and turned away to go back to the gym, only glancing over her shoulder once.


    Satisfied I¡¯d get no more questions from her, I made my way back to the hotel. Emmy and Angela were dressed and ready for the day when I got back to the room, so I took a quick shower while Emmy and Angela watched. They made a game of toweling me off afterwards, to which I had no objection at all. Of course, I got a few good gropes in as well, naturally.


    That afternoon The Downfall had an in-studio at the Australian Broadcast Corporation¡¯s local facilities, which was only about a mile away on the other side of the Yarra River. Rather than going to the studio and merely being in the way, Angela and I opted to explore the park across the street from the hotel.


    The park wasn¡¯t huge, but it was a nice walk anyway.


    "This park reminds me of the Kensington Gardens in London,¡± Angela remarked, ¡°It¡¯s a lot warmer, though.¡±


    I smiled and squeezed Angela¡¯s hand as we walked. She¡¯d echoed the thoughts I¡¯d had only moments before. ¡°Yeah, the breeze is nice, isn¡¯t it? I gotta say, as cute as you were all dressed up for the winter there in London, the summer outfit you have on now is even better.¡±


    Angela halted and turned to me, pulling me to face her. She stood on her toes to get closer, so I obliged and gave her a kiss there by a little round faux-Greek temple thing. We kissed for a while, holding each other and ignoring the handful of other park visitors who passed us by while we showed our love to each other.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even say how happy I am right now,¡± Angela said, leaning her head on my chest as we just stood there, arms wrapped around each other. I kissed the top of her head, hoping that my silence was communicating the depth of my love for her in a way that words couldn¡¯t do.


    Eventually we resumed walking in a companionable silence, just holding hands and enjoying being with each other.


    After a while, Angela spotted a coffee place there in the park and steered us to it. ¡°I¡¯m not really hungry,¡± she said, ¡°but a pastry or something would be really good.¡±


    Angela wound up getting a cinnamon muffin, a croissant and a raspberry scone- so much for the not very hungry thing. She was eating for two, after all, and maybe little Angela Jr was very hungry.


    When we got back to the hotel, Angela asked if I could snuggle with her while she took a nap, so that¡¯s what we did. Angela quickly drifted off to sleep in my arms while I pondered my life.


    Emmy returned maybe an hour later, breezing in the door, laughing while looking over her shoulder at somebody in the sitting area of the suite. When she saw that Angela was asleep she immediately quieted down.


    Smiling at the sight of Angela and me cuddled up, she asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Do you mind if I go out with Lee, Jen and Jackson?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I said quietly. ¡°But take Grant and Tiny.¡±


    ¡°Bien s?r,¡± Emmy replied softly. ¡°You two are so adorable,¡± she said, leaning down and giving me a gentle kiss. ¡°I will be back later.¡±


    When Angela woke up I told her that Emmy had gone out with the others and we were on our own for dinner.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t want to have dinner with us?¡± Angela pouted playfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to have dinner with her tonight, either.¡±


    ¡°Could we maybe just get room service and stay here in bed?¡± Angela asked, her big blue eyes pleading.


    ¡°What would we do in bed all evening?¡± I asked, trying for a puzzled expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we could think of something,¡± Angela said with a sly grin.


    ¡°Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs Castro?¡± I asked.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Mmm hmm,¡± she replied, nodding.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t get enough last night? And here I thought I was the beast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just been really excitada for a while now,¡± Angela said, running her finger down my collarbone, then over my chest and down my breast, finally circling my nipple with her fingertip. ¡°And you in those jeans, the way your butt and strong thighs pull them so tight¡­¡± She cupped my boob in her hand, swirling the pad of her thumb around my nipple, which was now as hard as a pebble and so sensitive I could hardly stand it.


    ¡°Lee, I love looking at you. You are so¡­ so powerful, so¡­ I don¡¯t even know the words. Sometimes just looking at you I get so turned on I just want to drag you into someplace private and sex you until neither one of us can stand.¡±


    ¡°Ange, baby,¡± I said, leaning forward to give her a kiss. ¡°Feel free to give in to those feelings any time you get them.¡±


    She smiled, her expressive face full of delight and amusement. ¡°So can we order room service and then spend the rest of the night sexing until neither one of us can walk?¡±


    ¡°We can absolutely do that,¡± I confirmed. ¡°In fact, I think that¡¯s an excellent idea.¡±


    ¡°We can make Emmy sleep on the wet spot as punishment for going out without us,¡± Angela said, laughing.


    Angela stayed in the bedroom while I put on clothes to answer the door when dinner was delivered, but when the coast was clear she came out to join me wearing nothing but the thong panties she¡¯d slept in.


    Not that I minded her state of undress, mind you. Even losing her washboard abs, she was still a truly beautiful woman with one hell of a sexy body and I enjoyed every glimpse I ever got of it. After dinner we made our way to the bedroom¡¯s en suite bath for a little soak. The tub was not great, but we got close and made it work.


    ¡°Lee,¡± Angela said, more like a sigh than a spoken word as she lay back against me in the tub.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°This is better than the life I could ever have dreamed for myself,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for coming into my and Emmy¡¯s life,¡± I said. ¡°I was happy before with just Emmy, but I¡¯m much happier now with you, too.¡±


    After the bath, Angela covered the bed with towels so she could give me a massage. She wanted to try out the coconut-based body oil she¡¯d bought with Emmy when they¡¯d gone out shopping, and who was I to disappoint her?


    Angela didn¡¯t apply a ton of pressure like a typical sports massage, though. Her touch was light, intended to be more sensual than therapeutic.


    ¡°Ay, Mam¨ª!¡± she said under her breath as she rubbed the oil onto my back, and ¡°Dios mio!¡± as her oily hands slid all over my glutes.


    ¡°Having fun?¡± I asked as her fingertips gently stroked me between my legs.


    ¡°You know it,¡± Angela agreed, sliding an oily fingertip up and down my slit. Admittedly, I was enjoying it quite a bit myself.


    ¡°Leah, you¡¯re so beautiful, but not like most people think of when they imagine beautiful women,¡± she said, working on the backs of my legs. ¡°I love to look at your body so much¡­ I wish you would dress to show it off more. Don¡¯t get me wrong- you¡¯re hot in the jeans and men¡¯s shirts you like, but when I manage to get you to wear a little dress it gets me wet.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, intrigued. I loved the idea that Angela actually found me (and Emmy, presumably) an object of sexual desire. I guess I¡¯d had some sort of nagging doubt about it, wondering if Angela merely accepted the sex because it was part of the package. After all, she hadn¡¯t ever looked at women that way before moving in with us, right? ¡°How wet?¡± I asked, sliding my own hand up the back of her thigh.


    ¡°You remember when we dressed opposite and went driving with the boys? Remember that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure," I said, frustrated that she moved her rear end away from my grasp.


    ¡°I wanted so bad for you to just pull over somewhere so I could yank your dress up around your hips and bury my face in your pussy and make you cry out my name,¡± Angela said, her voice getting a bit husky. ¡°I was gonna eat you until you begged me to stop, and then eat you some more.¡±


    ¡°I need to wear that little sun dress more often,¡± I said, turned on almost as much by what Angela was saying as by what she was doing.


    Angela had reached my feet by this point so she turned around and began to run her hands back up my legs.


    ¡°I never thought I would like to do that,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°To eat pussy,¡± she clarified. I loved the way she pronounced the word ¡®poossy¡¯. ¡°And I didn¡¯t at first, to tell you the truth. I didn¡¯t hate it, but I didn¡¯t love it. But then, in New York with Em¡­ I started to like it. Now, I enjoy it very much,¡± she said, her hands sliding up and down my hams, her fingers brushing against my labia with every stroke.


    I was getting very aroused and wouldn¡¯t have objected at all if those fingers of hers stopped teasing and just slid straight inside me, but that wasn¡¯t Angela¡¯s plan. In fact, I¡¯m not even sure that it was about giving me pleasure at that point. Angela seemed more focused on the sensation of my flesh under her touch, on the feel of my muscles as her slippery hands slid across my body than on the effect it was having on me, but that was O.K. I loved every moment of it just the same.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Angela said as she straddled my upper thighs so she could rub my back some more. ¡°You and Emmy, you two turned me lesbiana. And I don¡¯t think that is a bad thing. I love you both so much. You, because you¡¯re so strong, so feroz. When I am with you I feel safe, protected, and so proud of my Amazon warrior. With Emmy, I love her for her talent, her laugh, her grace and beauty, her soft, gentle touch. You are both so¡­ So attentive to me. Neither of you ever take me for granted. I get the best of everything with the two of you,¡± she said, and I wasn¡¯t sure she was really talking to me at all. It seemed she was merely voicing thoughts that needed to get out, to be expressed to the world at large.


    Angela leaned down and forward, kissing the side of my face. She nibbled softly on my earlobe for a brief moment before sitting up.


    ¡°And I have learned to love sex with both of you, too,¡± she announced, before reversing herself and taking a seat astride my lower back, facing my legs.


    Angela poured some more oil on her hands and then brought them down on my rear again, squeezing and rubbing my glutes with more strength than before. She slid a fingertip down the crack of my ass, swirling it a bit as she oiled up my anus. I briefly wondered if she was going to slide it in my back door. I found I wasn¡¯t averse to the thought, to my surprise, but that wasn¡¯t her finger¡¯s destination. She merely rested the fingertip there while her other hand slid down lower to rub my labia, then glide in to stroke my folds with a smooth, delicate touch.


    Angela intended for me to burn slowly rather than burst into flame, but I was already well lit.


    ¡°You like that, don¡¯t you,¡± Angela said as I lifted my butt to give her better access. ¡°You want me to pet your little clitty?¡± she asked, doing just that, making me twitch as lightning bolts shot through my body. ¡°Yes? Maybe some more?¡±


    ¡°A lot more,¡± I managed to say as I buried my face in the mattress.


    Angela complied, using the tips of her four fingers to swirl across my now painfully aroused nub. As intense as that felt, I hardly noticed when she slipped what must have been her thumb inside me as she kept up the loving onslaught. It didn¡¯t take long before she drew my first shuddering orgasm from me, my whole body tensing up for a long moment.


    Once I relaxed again Angela drew her thumb back out, leaving me feeling hollow somehow. She ran her hands up and down the backs of my thighs a few more times, then lifted herself off me.


    ¡°Turn over now. Lie on your back so I can do your front,¡± she commanded. After I gathered the necessary energy, I did just that.


    Angela started my front by massaging my left arm first. When she finished it and leaned across me to do my right arm my left hand magically found its way to her body. As much as I was enjoying being the center of attention, I wanted to reciprocate, too.


    Angela didn¡¯t object to my touching her, to my hand sliding up and down her flank as she sat back on her heels to oil up my chest.


    ¡°I think everyone likes tetas,¡± she said, oiling up my boobs. ¡°I always have.¡± She held each one in turn with one hand and then used the flat of the palm of her hand to rub just the peaks of my nipples in a slow, gentle circular motion. It sounds strange to describe it that way, but the feeling was exquisite. Enough stimulation to harden my nips but not so much that it became uncomfortable.


    ¡°You¡¯re really good at this,¡± I said, finding Angela¡¯s boob with my hand by feel, since my eyes were closed to better savor the touch of her hands on my body.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing with Em,¡± she confessed. ¡°She likes this very much.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame her,¡± I said. ¡°I like this very much, too.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure you would,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°It seems¡­ I don¡¯t know, too, um, submissive? Is that the right word? For you.¡±


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said, opening my eyes to look into hers. ¡°I¡¯m yours. Yours to do with as you please. If you enjoy something or want to try something new, I¡¯m open to it. This is not the ¡®Leah in command¡¯ show.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela replied. ¡°But this is something, well, something I¡¯m doing to you. It feels different somehow.¡±


    ¡°Are you enjoying doing this to me?¡± I asked, my voice soft.


    ¡°Yes. A lot.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m enjoying you doing this to me, too. Of course, I¡¯d love to give you a nice rub-down, too, but for now, this is exactly what I want,¡± I told her.


    ¡°So you really like it when I do this?¡± she asked as she slid her slippery hand down my belly and between my legs, her fingers parting on either side of my clit, rubbing up and down my folds.


    ¡°I do,¡± I said. ¡°But I also like it when you run your hands over my legs, or my back¡­ I love it all.¡±


    ¡°Good, because I¡¯m going to do your whole body. Some spots more than others,¡± she added.


    ¡°Some spots need it more than others,¡± I confirmed as she pulled my knees farther apart.


    Angela got up and moved to sit on her heels between my now much wider apart legs. She ran her hands up the inside of my thighs, starting at the knees and slowly sliding up, up and up to frame my vulva with her hands. She held her hands there for a long while, long enough for me to wonder and open my eyes to look down, only to find her staring at my lady parts on display for her.


    Angela glanced up and saw me looking at her. She blushed as if I¡¯d caught her doing something embarrassing.


    ¡°I like looking at it. Yours and Em¡¯s both. They¡¯re so pretty. Very different, but hers suits her and yours is perfect for you. Just look at the way the pink rose petals turn to brown on the edges,¡± she said, lightly running a fingertip along the ridge of my inner labia.


    ¡°Hers is shy, hiding itself, only showing a smooth exterior,¡± Angela mused, running that same fingertip across my outer labia. ¡°But yours is confident, standing proud,¡± Her fingertip stroked across the top of my hood as if she were petting the head of a tiny kitten.


    ¡°I love it, Lee. It¡¯s true. I love your pussy.¡±


    ¡°My pussy loves you, too, Ange,¡± I said, feeling myself slowly building to a second climax as she played with my sensitive bits.


    ¡°Let me give your little pussy the attention it needs,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°It needs a lot of attention,¡± I gasped as she pinched my pearl.


    ¡°It needs some kisses,¡± Angela replied, bending down to get very close. I could feel her hot breath on my very sensitive vulva.


    ¡°Yesssss¡­.¡± I found myself saying as my back arched somehow all on its own when Angela¡¯s tongue flicked across what was the center of my world at that moment. She followed that up with a broad swipe, beginning at the smooth skin behind my vagina and slowly drawing her wide, flat tongue all the way up, brushing my hood aside and dragging it across my bared clit, sending lightning streaking all over my body.


    ¡°Like that?¡± she asked, her voice playful and mischievous. She repeated the process several more times, sending a jolt through me every time.


    Timing it so that her fingers slid inside me just as I twitched from another twirl of her tongue around my clit, I could barely stand the attack from both the front and the back side of the painfully sensitive bit of flesh.


    Angela didn¡¯t stop her fingers slowly sliding in and out of me when we heard the suite¡¯s outer door open and Emmy call out goodnight to someone in the hall, nor did she pause with her tongue when Emmy entered the bedroom.


    ¡°It smells so good in here,¡± Emmy said with an exaggerated inhalation. ¡°Something smells good enough to eat!¡±


    It took Emmy almost no time at all to shed her clothes and join us on the bed, but she refrained from actually joining in. She just sat cross-legged beside me to watch, letting her hand drop down between her own legs for a little self love.


    Angela glanced up at Emmy, but nothing was going to make her give up on her quest to eat me until I begged for her to stop. I don¡¯t know how many times I came, but eventually I did have to admit defeat and push Angela¡¯s face away from me with what little strength I had left.


    Angela kept her fingers inside me, very slowly- painfully slowly- stroking the sensitive spot just a little bit inside me. She knew where the magic spot that made me moan with pleasure could be found, and knew just how much I could tolerate. Mercilessly, she continued to finger me, eventually wringing another really big O from me.


    ¡°That was so hot,¡± Emmy breathed as I continued to shudder and twitch, my muscles having long since abandoned my control.


    ¡°Fucking caliente,¡± Angela agreed as she slowly withdrew from me, leaving me both relieved and terribly dismayed at the loss.

 Nice And Loud

    At the gym the next morning Kitty didn¡¯t meet my eyes when I signed in, but I caught her watching me more than once while I worked out. Then again, plenty of other gym users were staring, too.


    The bald coach came over to talk to me after I finished a set of jump squats and set my dumbbells down to wipe my face and sip some water.


    ¡°Uh, Leah, right?¡± When I nodded yes, he continued. ¡°You¡¯re right it was none of my business yesterday. I had no call to poke my nose in, did I? I was just curious, because, uh, well, you¡¯re way too big. What I mean is, you¡¯re way over the weight classes for women, right?¡± Realizing he might have stuck his foot in his mouth, he tried to pull it back out. ¡°You¡¯re nearly a hundred ninety tall, and you¡¯ve got to be eighty, eighty-five kilos, right? That would put you solidly in the middleweight class, and women only compete up to featherweight.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, but apparently my silence encouraged him to keep talking.


    ¡°But you¡¯re obviously a real fighter. You¡¯re not like most of our clientele, who just come in for fitness and to be able to say they kickbox, know what I mean? So I was just wondering where you compete, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Sighing, I said, ¡°Look, Walter. I can understand your curiosity. Really, I can. And you aren¡¯t the only one- half the gym is watching everything I do.¡±


    ¡°Bloody right they are,¡± he agreed, chuckling.


    ¡°But here¡¯s the thing. I can¡¯t tell you who I really am, or what I actually do for a living. I know it¡¯s an old joke, but seriously, I would have to kill you. You seem like a decent guy, so I¡¯d feel a bit bad about it, but hey, it is what I do, after all.¡± At the look on his face, I said, ¡°I¡¯m just in town for a few more days until I finish my job here, then I¡¯ll be gone and you won¡¯t have to worry about me any more.¡±


    Walter¡¯s face had a look of dawning understanding and horror, which I let go for just a moment longer, then I gave his shoulder a shove.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m not actually a U.S government assassin, here to finish off a Chinese businessman who has been causing us problems.¡± After a long pause, I added, ¡°At least as far as you¡¯re concerned.¡±


    I kept my face straight as long as I could, before I finally had to break out laughing at Walter¡¯s expense.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to believe,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Believe this,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m actually just a tourist, but I like to keep in shape.¡±


    ¡°Whatever the real story is, you¡¯re in better shape than anybody I¡¯ve seen in a long time. Incredible form, too.¡±


    ¡°Kitty seems to appreciate my form,¡± I said with a laugh, tilting my head towards the front desk to indicate the watching girl.


    ¡°That she does,¡± Walter agreed. ¡°That girl hasn¡¯t talked about anything but you since your first day here.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to let her know I¡¯m happily married,¡± I said. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, I need to get back to my workout before I cool off too much.¡±


    Taking the hint, Walter nodded and left to go teach a class or something while I returned to my plyometrics.


    Later in the tour van out to the Yarra Valley I told Emmy and Angela about Kitty, Walter and the gym. Angela focused on Kitty¡¯s attraction to me, but Emmy was more amused by me hinting to Walter that I was a hitwoman.


    ¡°Is she hot?¡± Angela asked, eyes wide.


    ¡°Does he actually think you are a hired killer?¡± Emmy wanted to know.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s pretty enough, but nothing to compare to either of you,¡± I assured Angela. ¡°And I threw enough stuff out there without actually answering Walter¡¯s questions that I¡¯m sure he has no idea what I am, but he has to know I¡¯m messing with him,¡± I said to Emmy.


    ¡°Leah, the international woman of mystery!¡± Emmy laughed in that pretty way of hers.


    ¡°Yeah, baby!¡± I replied.


    We spent the afternoon tasting wine from a number of wineries, along with locally produced cider, cheese and, oddly enough, chocolate. Emmy and Angela kept their wine and cider sampling to tiny sips, expressing their impatience at being able to enjoy a real drink now and then.


    ¡°Honestly, you guys are fine. When they say not to drink during pregnancy they actually mean to not drink a lot. A glass of wine every now and then isn¡¯t going to harm the babies,¡± I said, but they weren¡¯t having it.


    Still, they enjoyed their little sips and by the end of the day we had several cases of Pinot and Cabernet shipped to our LA and New York houses.


    ¡°Pretty soon we¡¯re going to have to start stocking our London house, too,¡± Angela commented, leading to a discussion about the progress there. Angela was coy about the details, but said that the penthouse might be ready for occupancy in July, if all things went right.


    ¡°The designers have been sending me pictures,¡± she said, ¡°And it¡¯s looking great.¡±


    ¡°Let me see!¡± Emmy demanded, reaching for Angela¡¯s phone, but Angela laughed and held it out of reach.


    ¡°Na na na!¡± Angela said, wagging her finger. ¡°I want it to be a surprise.¡±


    Emmy made an exaggerated pout, getting a laugh and a kiss from Angela. ¡°You will love it, baby,¡± she promised. ¡°I¡¯m very happy with the designs the guys came up with. It¡¯ll be classy, but comfortable. And it has a little recording studio. Just a little one, not nearly as big as the one in New York, but enough for you to work from home if you want.¡±


    Emmy smiled. ¡°Thank you, Angie.¡±


    ¡°But no gym for you, Lee. There just isn¡¯t space, and the building has a fitness center anyway.¡±


    I mimicked the pout that Emmy had done just moments before, getting a laugh from both of my beautiful brides.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Angela said, ¡°If you only work out at home you can¡¯t tease the gym¡¯s trainers and let them believe you¡¯re a government assassin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°And I¡¯d hate to miss out on that part of my workouts.¡±


    Emmy was gone to the stadium by the time I got back from the gym the next morning. Evidently the tour¡¯s sound guy hadn¡¯t been really happy with the way things had worked out in Sydney so he wanted to make sure the Cricket Ground¡¯s sound was better.


    For lack of anything better to do, Angela and I spent our afternoon walking in the park across the street again. The hotel¡¯s concierge had commented on the unseasonably warm weather they were having in Melbourne, but when we told him it was a nice change from Sydney¡¯s cool, rainy weather he said that Sydney might be a nice enough place, but it could never equal Melbourne, as much as they tried.


    Angela and I stopped in the park¡¯s coffee shop again, and, again, Angela ate more than she¡¯d thought she¡¯d wanted.


    Besides her gradually expanding belly she wasn¡¯t putting on weight, so it must have been little Angela Jr who was eating all those extra pastries.


    Walking hand in hand back to the hotel, I told Angela that I was content with life.


    ¡°Ange, baby, we don¡¯t really talk about it, but I know that both of us have given some thought to, well, Emmy not being with us forever,¡± I said, not turning to look at her.


    ¡°I hate to think about that,¡± Angela replied, her voice expressing her dismay.


    ¡°I do, too, but I just want to say that her being gone won¡¯t change how I feel about you. I¡¯m happy knowing that you¡¯ll be with me, even after Em is gone.¡±


    Angela took in a deep breath and let it out. ¡°I hate thinking about Emmy being gone,¡± Angela said. ¡°But at least we¡¯ll have her memory, and we¡¯ll have each other.¡±


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    ¡°And our little girls,¡± I said.


    ¡°And our little girls,¡± Angela agreed, resting her other hand on her still barely visible baby bump. After a moment, she said, ¡°I worry I won¡¯t be fair to our little girls. Emmy¡¯s baby is going to look like her, and it will be so hard to not shower her with too much love. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Our girls will be special- both of them. They are both going to get the best education we can provide, both going to be loved, both going to know that their moms- all three of them- love them completely,¡± I said, squeezing Angela¡¯s hand. ¡°We¡¯ll be wonderful parents. And we have three families to help out. Yours, mine, and Emmy¡¯s.¡±


    Angela snuggled up next to me, so I wrapped my arm around her as we walked. ¡°Ange, I love you. We¡¯re going to spend the rest of our lives together, if you¡¯ll have me. As much as I hate to think about it, too, we do need to consider how our lives will look after Emmy¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯ll have you?¡± Angela asked, surprised. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll have you! I¡¯ll have as much of you as I can get!¡±


    ¡°You had a lot of me last night,¡± I teased, kissing the top of her head.


    ¡°I liked that a lot,¡± Angela said, her voice soft.


    ¡°Even though you didn¡¯t get to come?¡±


    ¡°I got to handle your body, Lee. That was special enough for me. I might not have, um, sat on your face or anything, but just running my hands over your oily body¡­ that turned me on so much!¡± Angela said, completely ignoring the looks the old couple we were passing gave us.


    ¡°Babe, I am one hundred per cent O.K. with you handling my body like that any time you want,¡± I told her, giving her another kiss on the top of her head.


    The show that night was held at the stadium they call the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which turned out to be just immediately south of the park Angela and I had enjoyed that afternoon.


    Evidently Angela had discussed it with Emmy, and they¡¯d agreed that we wouldn¡¯t go backstage before the show.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t really like that whole backstage scene,¡± Angela had told me. ¡°So I asked if Emmy minded if we skipped it today and just went to see the show like everybody else. She was cool with that.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll still go back after the show, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure, but only if you want to. If you don¡¯t, we can just head back to the hotel and Emmy will come get us for the afterparty, which is going to be at a bar that Emmy said is the best in Australia.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t want to miss the best bar in Australia, now would I?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Maybe if you really like it, you can buy it,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°To go with the London nightclub I¡¯m going to open?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you¡¯re opening a nightclub in London!¡± Angela exclaimed, excited by the idea. ¡°Is it going to be another speakeasy?¡±


    ¡°I was just kidding about opening a place in London,¡± I told her, making her visibly deflate.


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s a great idea,¡± she said. ¡°You should do it.¡±


    The conditions that night for the concert were amazing. The weather cooperated and was perfect for the show. The official air temperature was something like seventy degrees, but inside the oval-shaped stadium, heated by the capacity crowd, it must have been more than eighty degrees down on the floor where we sat.


    Even though it was now solidly autumn in the southern hemisphere everybody was dressed in summer wear because of the record temperatures of the last few days.


    The opening act was an all-girl power trio who seemed to be well-known by a lot of the audience, even though the singer admitted that all of their previous audiences they¡¯d ever played for added up to less people than in that stadium that night.


    ¡°This is fucking amazing, playing here tonight! We never could have dreamed of playing here at the MCG, in front of eighty thousand people! We love The Downfall, and when they asked us to open, we were like, ¡®Oh, fuck yeah!¡¯¡± the singer said during their set.


    Interestingly, the three band members claimed seats near ours in the VIP seating area just in front of the sound board while their equipment was cleared from the stage. Usually the opening bands hung out backstage after their sets, but not these three.


    Angela leaned over to tell the singer she enjoyed the show, and the college-aged girl replied, ¡°Best of all, it gets us free tickets to see The Downfall!¡± This earned her a celebratory clunk of plastic beer cups from her two bandmates.


    Lee started the intro jam that night, setting the tone with a heavy, driving beat with a light counterpoint played on his snares. Next, Emmy strolled out onto the stage carrying her hollow-body Gretsch, the iridescent aqua lacquer finish gleaming in the spotlights. As per the well-established custom she said nothing, just started playing, strumming to match Lee¡¯s ever-evolving rhythms, ignoring the noise the massive crowd was making.


    After Jackson joined the other two onstage they gradually slid into ¡®Tear It Off¡¯ from their second album for the first song of the night.


    When Jackson sang, ¡°Whatever else happens, you gotta tear it off!¡± the crowd sang out the chorus, ¡°Tear it off! Tear it off! Tear it all off!¡± drowning out the two backup singers as they sang.


    Reflecting on how Emmy was the face of the band but Jackson was one hell of a rock star on his own, I watched him play his bass and sing with undeniable swagger. Thinking about it, he might not sing as many of their songs as Emmy did, but he wasn¡¯t that far behind in that category as you might think. Of their concerts that I¡¯d seen (not counting Paris, which of course was Emmy¡¯s home town and where she spoke, well, like a local), Jackson was the one who bantered with the audience more often than not. He clearly loved to engage with The Downfall¡¯s fans, and they responded well to him.


    Emmy stepped up to the mic after the first song was over, contradicting my earlier musing. ¡°Thank you, Melbourne! It is a pleasure to play for you here on this beautiful Saturday night! I hope none of you have to work tomorrow, because we fully intend to keep you up late!¡± This earned her a giant roar of approval from the capacity crowd- it seemed they were in favor.


    Of course nobody was still sitting, so we wound up spending the next two and a half hours standing, enjoying the music with what felt like half of Melbourne there in the stadium with us.


    Finishing off the concert, the last song of the night was ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯. Emmy drew out the screaming wail at the start for longer than seemed possible, her head tilted back to let the sound erupt like a volcano from her vocal cords. The crowd¡¯s volume increased moment by moment until Emmy finally snapped her mouth shut and tore into the shredding guitar that started the song off properly. That specific moment was one everybody in that audience would remember forever. The giant screens on either side of the stage showed a closeup of Emmy¡¯s sweaty face, wild-eyed and intense as she looked right at the camera. Her incredibly vivid green eyes flashed, reflecting the lights like a cat¡¯s eyes do in the right conditions.


    When Emmy wailed, ¡°I¡¯m going to cut your heart out and let you bleed!¡± for the last time, finishing the song with a final flourish on her ice-blue Stratocaster, every single person in that stadium felt well and truly spent.


    Our emotions had been put through the ringer for hours, and we¡¯d gladly gone along. The Downfall had poured themselves out completely, and when they took their bows at the front of the stage it was clear they, too, had given all they had to give.


    ¡°And that is why they are fucking rock gods,¡± the singer for the opening act said, leaning close so she could shout it in my ear to be heard. ¡°Fucking gods.¡±


    Angela and I skipped heading backstage, opting to go with the flow towards the exit. Checking my phone I saw it was an easy twenty minute walk to the hotel, so we decided on a stroll through the pleasant night rather than try to call for a ride.


    ¡°They just keep getting better and better. I wasn¡¯t sure how they would do in these big stadiums, but they really have risen to the occasion. I was talking to Stephanie a few days ago and she said they might have to add second nights for a lot of the shows in North America,¡± Angela said as we walked, hand in hand.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°She said they sold out a lot faster than expected and tickets are going for a whole lot of money on what she calls the secondary market- enough that they could probably add second nights on at least half the shows,¡± Angela explained.


    ¡°By ¡®secondary markets¡¯, she means ticket scalpers, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She explained it to me. A lot of tickets get bought up immediately by resellers who then charge much more than the ticket price.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, scalpers,¡± I said. ¡°So Stephanie is going to see about the possibility of two-night gigs in the stadiums on the tour?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± Angela said with a shrug. ¡°She said that it doubles the tour¡¯s revenue, but only adds about fifty per cent more in costs, so everybody will make out like bandits.¡±


    I thought about it for a while as we walked. ¡°Do you think Emmy will push herself too hard? I mean, she isn¡¯t showing yet, but soon she¡¯ll start. The tour is supposed to wrap up right around the start of her third trimester, right? So¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She was so sick at the start, but she managed to do all the shows without any problems. I think when she gets up on stage nothing else matters, you know?¡± Angela said. ¡°It will be funny to watch her play the guitar way out here like this,¡± Angela said, leaning back but extending her tummy as much as she could and miming playing a guitar way out at the limit of her arms.


    Chuckling, I said, ¡°That¡¯s mean. Funny, but mean.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she would have laughed, too,¡± Angela said with a smile, and I had to agree.


    The afterparty wasn¡¯t held in a dance club this time, just a regular cocktail bar that had been entirely reserved for the occasion. The place wasn¡¯t big, but the smaller upstairs area was nice and cozy for those of us that wanted it low-key.


    The bartender at the smaller bar upstairs told me that he only had the standard ingredients and the things necessary for the house specialty drinks, but if I wanted, the much larger bar downstairs could accommodate anything exotic.


    I was waiting for my Better & Better with Fidencio Blanco when a girl shoved in beside me at the downstairs bar.


    She looked up at me and said, ¡°Hell! You¡¯re a tall one!¡± Then, ¡°Hey- you were sitting with that hot Spanish chick at the show!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not all that tall,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯re just really short. And you were opening with those two other chicks at the show.¡±


    She laughed, sweeping her long brown hair to the side to get it out of her face. ¡°Yeah, me and Kell and Sezza, that¡¯s right. That was fucking mental, playing in front of so many people like that. Kell was all chill, y¡¯know, but I was fucking petrified before we went on stage.¡±


    ¡°I thought you did a fine job up there. Your nerves didn¡¯t show,¡± I told her.


    Shaking her head, she said, ¡°Kell had to shove me to get out on stage, but once I was out there it was alright, y¡¯know? I seriously doubt we¡¯ll ever get to play the Cricket Grounds again- I think that was a once-in-a-lifetime event.¡±


    ¡°Hey, my name¡¯s Leah,¡± I said, offering my hand.


    ¡°Georgie,¡± she replied, shaking my hand. ¡°So, how¡¯d you get an invite?¡± she asked, waving her hand vaguely to indicate the bar.


    ¡°I¡¯m Emmy¡¯s wife,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oi, fuck!¡± she said, her eyes wide. ¡°Really? Like, I knew she was a lezzie, but I never really thought about it, y¡¯know? But fuck, you¡¯re, like, some kind of Amazon dream!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± I said with a laugh as I collected my drink.


    ¡°Hey, um, d¡¯you know if Jackson¡­ Does he like brunettes?¡± Georgie asked.


    ¡°He seems pretty wide-ranging in his tastes,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s upstairs. Go give it a shot.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll need a couple more of these,¡± she said, lifting her pint.


    I looked down at her Foster¡¯s or whatever it was. ¡°An open bar at supposedly the best bar in Australia, and you¡¯re drinking beer?¡±


    She laughed. ¡°I like the taste,¡± she said with a shrug.


    ¡°Sure, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°But don¡¯t wait too long to cruise Jackson. I thought I saw some others giving him the eye,¡± I cautioned her.

 Uncentered Chi

    It would have taken a Herculean effort to get up early and find my way to the gym, but thankfully I was spared from having to muster the energy. Since the place was closed on Sundays, I could relax and enjoy the comfortable warmth of Emmy next to me and Angela on the other side of her. I very briefly considered going for a run when I woke at my usual early time, but quickly gave up on that idea. Instead I just turned on my side and spooned Emmy, holding her slim body against mine.


    She mumbled something but didn¡¯t really wake up, so I drifted off with the smell of her skin and her hair lulling me back to sleep. It was nice to not have anywhere to be or anything to do besides snuggle my little bunny in bed for once.


    When we made our way down to the hotel¡¯s dining room for breakfast I saw Jackson headed out the front door of the lobby in the company of the singer from the opening band, so I guessed that she¡¯d gotten lucky after all.


    ¡°Good for her,¡± I thought with a smile. Maybe good for him, too- she seemed much more down-to-earth than most of the groupies he associated with. More of a normal-looking girl, too. She wasn¡¯t ugly by any stretch of the imagination, just sort of typical college-age cute, really. Like I said, pretty much a normal girl. With a cute Aussie accent.


    Stephanie was eating breakfast by herself, her laptop next to her plate so she could work while eating. Seeing her, Emmy steered us over and we sat ourselves at her table.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Stephanie said, glancing up. ¡°Sorry, I just have a few things I need to deal with this morning. Those assholes at the shipping company are giving us a hard time about the load weight, when it¡¯s exactly the same load as the last three times they¡¯ve handled it. Some shit about it not fitting in the plane.¡±


    ¡°Steph,¡± Emmy said, laying her hand on Stephanie¡¯s arm. ¡°You are the boss. Whatever you need to do, do it. Do not apologize to us.¡±


    Steph let out a big breath. ¡°J.F.C.,¡± she said. ¡°You guys are sooooo much easier to work with than any of the other bands I¡¯ve managed, it¡¯s ridiculous. I don¡¯t need to hold your hands, I haven¡¯t had to bail any of you out of jail, nothing. You¡¯re pros, the way I could only wish everybody in this industry actually was. Plus, we¡¯re all making stupid amounts of money on this tour. I mean, lots and lots of money. I wish work was always this easy.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to be able to pay off your house in Silver Lake with the money you¡¯re making?¡± I asked, signaling to the waiter.


    ¡°Three times over,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Honestly? I could probably retire after this tour. Or maybe pay off my house, then buy another in Maui for when I want to get away, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± I said, meaning it. I couldn¡¯t even resent the percentage she was taking from the band- after all, I¡¯d seen how hard she¡¯d been working on keeping the tour running. Stephanie was earning her money, and from what I¡¯d heard all three band members say, they were happy to pay her.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need a few months off after this tour, let me tell you!¡± Stephanie said. ¡°A few months of lounging on the beach somewhere tropical.¡±


    An image of Stephanie lounging by her pool came to mind. Stephanie, with her golden-brown all-over tan, wearing nothing but her ridiculous heart-shaped sunglasses, sipping a cold can of Coke. I could almost smell the cocoa butter, the memory was so vivid.


    ¡°The weather here in Melbourne has been very nice,¡± Angela commented, breaking me out of my reverie.


    ¡°Yeah, you guys are lucky. I haven¡¯t had the chance to get out at all,¡± Stephanie lamented. She was about to say something else, but her phone rang and she indicated that she needed to answer it.


    When Stephanie stepped away from the table to argue with whomever it was on the other end of the call, Emmy said, ¡°I do not envy her job. She has been equal parts cat herder, military logistics officer, babysitter and schoolyard bully.¡±


    ¡°Schoolyard bully?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You should watch her beat up these local promoters and take their lunch money,¡± Emmy nodded. ¡°She is ruthless.¡±


    ¡°Lee, you should have been on the tour in Berlin, too. She yelled at Lee so much it almost made him cry. She set him straight- he respects her authority so much now that he asks her before he does anything.¡±


    Emmy laughed, drawing the eyes of a number of other breakfasting hotel guests. ¡°It is true. He is terrified of her now. What is the phrase? She laid down the law.¡±


    ¡°I think Jen wants in her pants,¡± Angela said with a sly smile.


    ¡°Jen wants in everybody¡¯s pants,¡± I replied as the waiter brought our food.


    ¡°That is true,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°But yours most of all.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t blame her, can you?¡± Angela asked Emmy, and they both agreed that my pants were the very best to get into.


    I was hoping that Stephanie would stay away until that topic was done with- I didn¡¯t need the awkwardness of her talking about the interior of my pants with Angela and Emmy. Thankfully, by the time she returned, a hint of a triumphant look on her face, the conversation had moved on to our final stop of this leg, Tokyo.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be good to see Jenna and Andy,¡± Angela said. ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten together in months!¡±


    ¡°How are they doing?¡± Stephanie asked as she sat down to resume her breakfast.


    ¡°Real good,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s the off-season right now and they¡¯ve been working on the house a lot. Jenna says she¡¯s really happy with their choice to buy there in Sherman Oaks. They like the area, and have great neighbors.¡±


    ¡°I looked over in that part of the Valley when I was house hunting, but wound up falling in love with Silver Lake,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°I have not seen your house yet, but Leah told me it is very charming,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You must have us over sometime after the tour is over and we can all relax.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you guys do really need to come over for a visit,¡± Stephanie agreed. ¡°Maybe I twist Stephen¡¯s arm into cooking- he¡¯s much better in the kitchen than he gives himself credit for.¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°He promised me Margaritas a long time ago and hasn¡¯t yet delivered,¡± I said.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t had his Margies?¡± Stephanie asked, amazed. ¡°Oh, now that¡¯s a crime. He really does make the best I¡¯ve ever had.¡±


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    ¡°That¡¯s what he said,¡± I replied. Then, in response to Stephanie¡¯s groan, I added, ¡°No, I really mean he did say that. ¡®I make the best Margaritas,¡¯ I think were his exact words.¡±


    Stephanie laughed at that. ¡°Yeah, he does say that, alright.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Once the gear gets on the plane, I have nothing to do until it lands about ten hours later,¡± she said with a sort of rueful chuckle. ¡°Then I get to yell at the assholes on the ground there in Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°Then come out with us,¡± Emmy insisted. ¡°We are going on a harbor cruise. It will be fun!¡±


    ¡°And,¡± I pointed out, ¡°You¡¯ll have phone coverage the whole time, so if anything happens to disrupt your chi¡­¡±


    ¡°My chi is far from centered these days,¡± Stephanie admitted. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in. What time do I have to be ready by?¡±


    The cruise was nice, even if there was no tasty dinner like the Sydney harbor cruise had. Melbourne is a pretty city, but honestly, not as interesting from the water as Sydney (Or for that matter, Singapore or NYC, where we¡¯d also taken harbor cruises).


    Stephanie joined me as I was leaning against the rail on the starboard side, looking back at the high rises of the Melbourne business district.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± she said as she took a spot next to me.


    ¡°Hey, Steph,¡± I replied.


    We stayed like that in silence for a few minutes, before Stephanie asked something surprising.


    ¡°Um, Leah,¡± she said, unsure how to ask whatever was on her mind. Finally, she decided on the right words. ¡°So, both Angela and Emmy are pregnant, right?¡± I made some sort of noise of agreement, so she continued. ¡°I hear they¡¯re actually your babies, too? How does that even happen? How can you be a dad? I mean, I¡¯ve seen your equipment¡­¡±


    Amused by that last part I turned to face Stephanie. ¡°An experimental process. They harvested my eggs, separated the DNA, and used it to fertilize Emmy and Angela¡¯s eggs, just like it was a sperm cell.¡± I explained.


    ¡°Is that even legal? Or ethical?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Probably, and definitely,¡± I said. ¡°Why would it be any less ethical than normal hetero in-vitro?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that part, you big dummy,¡± she said, giving me a little punch on the arm. ¡°You know better than anybody that I¡¯m down with same-sex relationships. No, I meant the experimental part. I mean, using you guys as lab rats.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do seem to recall that you lost your virginity to another girl,¡± I said, giving her a dreamy, far away smile.


    She gave me another punch, but then wrapped her arm around my waist and leaned against me. ¡°Yes, I did. You were the first person I ever loved, you know that?¡±


    I just draped my arm across her shoulders and gave her a little side hug. There was far too much to say about how things had happened between us, and we both knew it.


    ¡°We actually sought out the lab,¡± I eventually said, returning to the earlier topic. ¡°They had a number of successes with the process with rats and mice, and then sheep. I waved a ton of money in their direction to try it with us. It took months and months before they got a successful fertilization, and then the implanted eggs didn¡¯t take the first few times, then it took with Angela but not Emmy, and then a month and a half later, with Emmy, too.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why Angela is starting to show but Emmy isn¡¯t,¡± Stephanie said, nodding her understanding.


    ¡°Yeah. Angela really wanted the two babies to be born right around the same time so they could be like twins, you know? But six weeks isn¡¯t much of a difference. They¡¯ll both be together in the same grades in school and stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time wrapping my brain around how adorable the babies will be,¡± Stephanie admitted. ¡°They¡¯re gonna be gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re going to be the prettiest babies the world has ever seen,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Of course they will, with mommas like those two,¡± Stephanie teased.


    ¡°So, you and Stephen¡­¡± I said, changing the subject. ¡°Things are going good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± Stephanie replied. ¡°You know he came to the Stockholm show, right?¡±


    ¡°I knew that was the plan,¡± I replied. ¡°How did it go?¡±


    ¡°It was good, but I think he thought we would have more time to go sightseeing and that sort of thing. I¡¯d told him that work was pretty hectic, but he had no real idea.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sucks,¡± I commiserated. ¡°Did you guys get to do any sightseeing at all?¡±


    ¡°We did. We had two full days. Now, I gotta tell you, Stockholm in the winter is pretty, but freaking depressing, what with the sun rising at like eight thirty and then setting again at three in the afternoon. But they do the town up really nice with lights and all- that ¡®hygge¡¯ thing is real. But I couldn¡¯t live there- at least not in the winter.¡±


    ¡°You said a while back that you were thinking of asking Stephen to move in with you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I did, and he has. He was spending all his time at my place anyway, so it only made sense. He was renting but I own my own home, so it was obvious which way things should go.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And it¡¯s good while I¡¯m out on tour, so the place isn¡¯t empty for months at a time,¡± Stephanie added.


    ¡°That makes sense, too,¡± I agreed. Then after a moment, I added, ¡°I really like your place. It¡¯s super adorable.¡±


    ¡°Real estate-speak for small,¡± Stephanie laughed.


    ¡°Small compared to my place, maybe, but my place is ridiculously large,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Your places,¡± Stephanie corrected. ¡°The Manhattan townhouse is a bit deceiving because it¡¯s spread out over six floors so you really don¡¯t get a feel for it, but it¡¯s huge, too.¡±


    ¡°Seven floors,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°That¡¯s even worse,¡± Stephanie said, shaking her head. ¡°How big is the place you guys just bought in London?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only forty-four hundred square feet,¡± I said. ¡°Less than half the size of our places in LA or New York.¡±


    ¡°Only,¡± Stephanie scoffed.


    ¡°You know you can stay at the New York place any time you want, right? And the London place when it¡¯s ready,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Yeah, well, when I buy my place in Maui you can stay there when you want, babe. It¡¯s only fair,¡± Stephanie replied, leaning her head against me.


    ¡°Are you really thinking of doing that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Honestly? I wasn¡¯t joking about how much money I¡¯ll be making from this tour. I am literally going to be a millionaire when all this is said and done. I still owe about eight hundred grand on the Silver Lake house, and the first thing I¡¯ll do is pay that off, but then I¡¯ll have maybe two, two and a half million burning a hole in my bank account. I could see getting a condo in Wailea with a view of the ocean for maybe five, six hundred grand and throwing the rest into the business. Maybe help Mom pay off her mortgage¡­ If she¡¯ll accept it. I think she hates the idea I¡¯m making more money than she is, you know?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°I could see how that could rub her pride the wrong way,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, the answer is a definite maybe on the Maui thing,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°But if I do, you guys are welcome to use it whenever it¡¯s empty.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± I told her.


    We stayed like that, my arm across her shoulders and hers around my waist, her head against my chest for a while, just enjoying being with each other.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Stephanie said, breaking the silence. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me if you don¡¯t want to, but is it true you actually killed the guys that attacked Emmy in San Francisco?¡±


    I sighed, but said, ¡°Yeah, I did. I just went into attack mode and killed them both. I¡¯m not proud of it or anything, but I¡¯d do it again in a moment under the same circumstances.¡±


    ¡°I always thought it was probably true. You know, the rumors and all,¡± Stephanie said, her voice soft. ¡°And the scar.¡±


    ¡°What other rumors have you heard?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Well, um, everybody says that you three screw constantly. Rabbits are jealous of your sex life, so the story goes.,¡± Stephanie teased.


    ¡°And do you believe that one?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Hells yeah,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I¡¯ve experienced your sex drive first hand, remember?¡±


    ¡°Says little miss ¡®Let¡¯s go swimming¡¯,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°God, we were like rabbits, weren¡¯t we? I swear, we had more sex that summer¡­¡± Stephanie mused. ¡°Emmy and Angela know we were, um girlfriends, but they seem O.K. with you and me still being friends¡­¡± Stephanie said, a bit tentatively.


    ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Angela was a little jealous at first, but I think that was when she still wasn¡¯t so sure of herself in our relationship, if that makes sense. And Emmy, she¡¯s always wanted me to continue to stay friends with you, even when she was still hurt¡­¡± I trailed off, not sure whether I¡¯d ever told Stephanie about how Emmy had seen us together in Fallbrook. ¡°From when her parents took her away, back to France,¡± I finished.


    ¡°I never really understood why Emmy wanted to be my friend, but I was always really glad she did,¡± Stephanie said, her voice wistful. ¡°It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that, directly or indirectly, it changed my life.¡±


    ¡°Mine, too,¡± I agreed, and we lapsed into silence again. Eventually we made our way inside to where Emmy, Angela, Grant and Tiny were relaxing out of the wind. I was happy with the conversation that Stephanie and I had just had- it seemed as if we might be on slightly more comfortable footing with each other, and that was good.

 Its A Wonderful World

    My last morning at the gym there in Melbourne started off just fine. Walter signed me in and asked if I wanted to extend my membership to monthly, but I told him that I was leaving for Tokyo the next morning. I¡¯d enjoyed my time at the gym and liked how nice and clean it was, I told him, and I¡¯d leave a good review.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t mention that my fight gym back in the States was grimy, smelled funny, and wasn¡¯t nearly as well lit, but was a real MMA gym with real fighters, not a ¡®kickboxing for housewives¡¯ type of place like this one. Still, I¡¯d been able to get good workouts in, so that was fine.


    After my weights session Kitty came over to talk to me.


    ¡°I Googled you,¡± she admitted, looking embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯re married to Emmy Lascaux, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re here in Melbs, isn¡¯t it? Because her band played at the MCG, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± I said.


    ¡°I read that you¡¯re a real estate developer there in California,¡± she added.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not some sort of back-alley fighter at all, are you?¡± she asked, as if she¡¯d just found out that Santa Claus wasn¡¯t real.


    ¡°Google this,¡± I said, pointing at the scar on my face.


    She was about to ask what I meant, but I turned away to continue my workout, so she shut up and left, making her way back to the front desk.


    I ignored the stares from the gym¡¯s clients as I did my plyos, then shadowboxed for the last hour. I really did miss that stinky pit of a gym back in Los Angeles, and missed having anybody to spar with. Heck, I even missed the knife and stick work with Mr Han back in Singapore. I was definitely going to have to throw down with a few of the guys when I got back to California.


    When I signed out for the last time, Kitty looked at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°That scar- you got that fighting some skinheads with knives in San Francisco?¡± she asked, hoping it was true.


    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked breathlessly.


    ¡°I beat ¡®em up. Kicked their asses,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fucking serves them right, those bastards,¡± Kitty said.


    ¡°They won¡¯t do it again,¡± I agreed, then turned and left.


    Angela and Emmy just wanted to be lazy our last day in Melbourne, but I wanted to go out. Thinking I¡¯d just do some walking, I ran into Jackson and Tino (the band¡¯s keyboard player) in the lobby. They said they were going to visit a local whisky (no e) distillery, so I joined them. A twenty minute taxi ride across the Yarra river and into a light industrial district brought us to a fairly nondescript building with subtle signage indicating it was in fact the right place.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a distillery before,¡± Tino said as we got out of the cab. ¡°But I have done brewery tours, and that¡¯s exactly what this smells like.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jackson said. ¡°That¡¯s really the first step. Basically they brew beer, more or less, then distill that. When they talk about mash, it¡¯s pretty much the same as beer wort.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Tino said as we made our way into the tasting room. We signed up for the full immersion tour with tastings straight from the barrels and a class in blending for flavor profile. Jackson and I had each done similar tours before, but it was all new for Tino, and he was very impressed.


    Roggo, our tour guide (pronounced Raw Go), had recognized Jackson and mentioned that the concert was amazing, but was otherwise completely professional and didn¡¯t treat us any different than any other rich tourists interested in their juice. We each came away with a bottle we¡¯d individually blended, which was cool. I went ahead and told Roggo that I wanted three bottles of each of their other offerings. When Tino asked, I said it was one bottle of each for each of our three houses.


    ¡°You can¡¯t take it all on the plane,¡± Roggo said. ¡°Give us your addresses and we¡¯ll have the bottles shipped from our American distributor.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Jackson said. ¡°Maybe I should get a couple of bottles for my old man, too. I think he¡¯d get a kick out of it.¡±


    ¡°It is a pretty cool gift,¡± I said, and flashed back to that Scotch that Henry Powell had sent me.


    ¡°So you have two other houses besides Los Angeles? Must be nice,¡± Tino said, shaking his head.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t seen their new penthouse in London yet, but the joint they¡¯ve got in New York is something special,¡± Jackson told him. ¡°And you¡¯ve seen the LA place.¡±


    ¡°That freaking house, man. It blew my mind, hidden like that on the backside of the studio. That¡¯s some shit, man. That is some kind of shit.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, that studio really saved our asses. When we all moved to LA, we couldn¡¯t find a damned practice studio to save our lives- not one that was worth a damn, anyway. Then when Leah found that old movie studio and had it converted, it was like a ray of sunshine straight into our lives,¡± Jackson told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never worked in such nice conditions,¡± Tino agreed.


    ¡°World class, my friend. It is world class. It simply don¡¯t get any better,¡± Jackson assured him.


    By the time we finished the tour and blending class and then had our whisky flights in the tasting room, Tino was pretty much intoxicated. Jackson and I both had shown quite a bit more restraint with our sampling and were O.K., but to be honest, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to drive. All in all, it had been a good way to end the stay there in Melbourne, and in fact, Australia in general.


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    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to come back here as a tourist somewhere down the road,¡± Jackson said in the cab, mirroring my own thoughts. ¡°Sometime I can relax, spend as much time as I want.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no lie, man,¡± Tino agreed. ¡°I could spend a month here, and it would prolly still be too short.¡±


    ¡°Jax,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy hasn¡¯t really talked about you guys¡¯ schedule after the tour is over, but you know she¡¯s gonna have to take maternity leave. Are you guys going to take a break for a while?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been talking about it, yeah. I¡¯ve been thinking about putting a solo album together, and I know Lee has a couple of bands he wants to produce. But we haven¡¯t actually sat down and made firm plans or anything,¡± Jackson added. ¡°But yeah, we might take a year off, something like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of what I thought,¡± I admitted. ¡°I figured you and Lee would have side projects while Emmy was busy with the baby.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s funny even calling what I want to do a side project or a solo album, since both Lee and Emmy have promised to help out on it,¡± Jackson mused.


    Walking through the hotel lobby, Jackson steered me to the pub-styled restaurant on-site.


    ¡°You got a few minutes? I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you in private,¡± he said, so I let him lead me to a table. We ordered a couple of drinks and some chicken wings to share. When the waitress left, I asked what was up.


    ¡°Well, I have two things I wanted to talk to you about, and they¡¯re kinda related. First, my dad has been pestering me to talk to you about the place you and that guy Rawson own there in Austin. He wants to buy in as silent partner. I¡¯ve told him I have no idea how you run things, but he¡¯s been talking to Rawson and he seems to think you¡¯d accept another money man in on the deal.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s a topic that has come up before, and I¡¯m not really sure how to deal with it. The deal my company has with Rawson is that we provide the capital and the business expertise, he provides the face and the talent. We work together on the concept and setup, right? So Rawson, in this case, can call it his restaurant, but our guys do the actual business side of managing things,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how Dad explained it. I guess he¡¯s thinking that he could buy in, provide some more capital for expansion or something, in return for partial ownership.¡±


    ¡°Besides eating all the barbecue he wants, what else does Bob think he¡¯d get out of it? I¡¯m sure investing his money back into his concrete company would yield higher returns,¡± I said. ¡°Restaurants aren¡¯t all that profitable.¡±


    ¡°Dad wants to retire and hand over the company to us kids, but at the same time he wants to stay busy with something, you know? I think he thinks that restaurant ownership sounds like fun,¡± Jackson said with a shrug.


    ¡°You know Emmy and I love your folks,¡± I said, ¡°but I¡¯m not even sure what he would do to keep himself busy with a restaurant. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯d totally take him on as a partner. I mean, he knows business, right? He built the family company into what it is now, and that¡¯s not nothing, even if it is completely unrelated to the hospitality industry. I just don¡¯t know what he would do, if he¡¯s looking to keep himself busy.¡±


    Jackson shrugged. ¡°I promised Dad I¡¯d talk to you, so I¡¯ve done my due diligence. Do me a solid and reach out to him and see what he thinks he can bring to the table, that all I ask.¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s got your parents¡¯ contact info. I¡¯ll shoot him an email,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nah, no email. Call him on the phone. He¡¯s old school like that,¡± Jackson said with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think he even knows how to text, for that matter.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call him when we get back to the States.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll mean a lot to him,¡± Jackson said with a smile. ¡°So, the other thing. This tour is gonna make us a lot of money- well, I guess not you and Emmy, but Lee and me. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I¡¯d like to ask a favor. If you could find me a house to buy, someplace nice but not crazy, I¡¯d appreciate it. I know you know more about the LA real estate scene than I ever would, after all. I figure you have leads, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s easy enough,¡± I assured him as the waitress brought our drinks.


    ¡°Also, I want to invest in your real estate trust. I think it¡¯s time to get serious about money, and I don¡¯t know anybody more serious about it than you. I¡¯ve got most of my money right now in mutual funds, and that¡¯s cool for somebody old, but right now I should be investing in more, um, dynamic instruments.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dead simple,¡± I said. ¡°Just come to my office, talk to my guys, and give them as much money as you want.¡±


    ¡°That does sound simple,¡± he said with a grin.


    ¡°It really is that simple. I mean, there are minimums and so on, but yeah. Easy.¡±


    ¡°Alright- when we get cashed out from our tour money, I¡¯ll be handing most of it over to you,¡± Jackson said.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°In the meanwhile, what kind of property are you interested in? Give me some hints so I know where to get started,¡± I told him, and we spent the next hour or so discussing what kind of house he wanted me to find for him.


    When I got back up to the room, I found Angela leaned up against the headboard, Emmy lying down between her legs, head resting on Angela¡¯s bare belly.


    ¡°I was just singing to our babies,¡± Emmy said, a dreamy look on her face.


    ¡°What were you singing?¡± I asked, curious. Every so often things like this reminded me that while they might both be mine, they were each other¡¯s, too.


    ¡°She was singing Guns N Roses just before you came in,¡± Angela said, stroking Emmy¡¯s hair lovingly.


    ¡°Guns N Roses?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Sweet child of mine,¡± Angela replied. ¡°It was very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Where did you go? You were gone for a very long time,¡± Emmy asked, not lifting her head from Angela¡¯s tummy.


    ¡°I was going to go out for a walk, but ran into Tino and Jackson in the lobby and they invited me to go on a tour of a local whisky distillery. Jackson said that that girl Georgie from the band that opened for you guys had recommended it.¡±


    ¡°I liked them,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I wish we could actually watch the opening acts. It is a shame that all we get is to see them on monitors backstage.¡±


    ¡°I talked to Georgie a little at the afterparty. She seemed really down-to-Earth,¡± I agreed, sitting on the bed and stroking Emmy¡¯s back.


    Changing the subject, I mentioned that Jackson wanted me to find him a house to buy in Los Angeles when we got back. ¡°I guess he¡¯s tired of renting, giving up on thinking he¡¯ll only be in LA for a limited time,¡± I said.


    ¡°You need to find him a very sexy place,¡± Emmy said, still with her cheek against Angela¡¯s middle. ¡°But sexy in a classy way, not too showy. Not one of those contemporary places up on the hills, but maybe something that had been owned by a famous actor from a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°I might need your help, then,¡± I said, leaning down and kissing her cheek, then leaning down more and kissing Angela¡¯s midriff. ¡°It sounds as if you have a better idea of what to look for than I do.¡±


    ¡°I would be happy to help. We also should look for a better house for Jen and Lee, too. That house in Pasadena is not good enough for them.¡±


    ¡°Do they want to stay near his mom?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t really hip to the housing market in the San Gabriel Valley, but I could look into it.


    ¡°No, I do not think so. At least, not for Jen¡¯s sake. Lee¡¯s mom and sister hate Jen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she told me a while back,¡± I agreed. Thinking about it a moment, I said, ¡°It makes me appreciate my in-laws all that much more.¡±


    ¡°Mam¨ª and Pap¨ª love you both so much,¡± Angela said. ¡°They were very¡­ skeptical until they actually met you two, and then they saw how wonderful you both are.¡±


    ¡°My mother and father think that I could not have done better. They tell me that I have done better than they could have imagined with the two of you,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I think my mom kinda thinks you two are O.K. enough,¡± I said with a shrug.


    Emmy laughed, finally lifting her head from Angela¡¯s tummy. ¡°Your mother loves Angela and me very much,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe more than she does me,¡± I agreed, nodding.


    ¡°Do not be ridiculous,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°Your mother would do anything for you and Tiffany. You two are the world to her.¡±


    I kicked off my shoes and settled onto the bed, snuggling against Angela¡¯s side, level with Emmy.


    ¡°You two are my world,¡± I said as I pulled myself in close. ¡°And it¡¯s a very wonderful world.¡±

 Too Late For The Cherry Blossoms

    We landed in Tokyo¡¯s Narita airport, which was nothing special. Really, I was still jaded from the airport in Singapore, so any ordinary airport just seemed shabby and tired in comparison.


    There was a man in a suit waiting for us with a sign for The Downfall as we disembarked the plane. Once we were all there, he led us to a special customs station where they already had our luggage. We breezed through the inspection easily, since all they seemed to care about was drugs and everybody knew damned well not to try to take any across international borders. When they brought out the dog to give our bags (and us) the sniff test it was no big deal. After customs, the same guy led us to a special loading area where some vans awaited for the drive to our hotel. He explained that everything had been arranged and we had nothing to worry about.


    There was clearly an agenda to keep us out of the public eye as much as possible, but that was fine. It had made the process of exiting the airport amazingly smooth and efficient.


    Continuing the theme, our vans pulled up behind the hotel at a loading dock where we disembarked. A whole squad of bellhop-types immediately grabbed our luggage and led us to the service elevator, and then to our rooms.


    When I asked what the deal was, the concierge or manager or whatever he was explained that our hotel had been leaked on social media and the front of the place was swarmed with crazy fans, and it was all security could do to keep the lobby cleared for other guests. He asked us all to please ring the front desk when we wanted to go out and somebody would lead us out a secret way to avoid the- and here he said a word in Japanese with clear disdain- and take us wherever we wanted to go.


    ¡°This is crazy!¡± Jen said.


    ¡°Yes. Very crazy,¡± the guy agreed, no hint of any sense of humor in his voice.


    Unfortunately the hotel we were in was more of a business-type of place than a high-end tourist sort of hotel, so the suite we got was O.K., but it was pretty basic and sterile. Not bad, per se, just uninteresting. The one remarkable thing was a huge bed- nearly half again as wide as the Cal King we had at home. They must have had the sheets and blankets custom-made for that giant thing.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re getting ideas,¡± Angela said when we walked into the bedroom and saw the monstrous expanse of bed.


    ¡°I absolutely am,¡± I agreed, reaching down and squeezing her butt.


    ¡°I would like to stay in the hotel tonight and be lazy,¡± Emmy announced, dropping down into one of the several armchairs scattered around the large room.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°I can do all the work. You and Angela will hardly need to do anything at all,¡± I told her. ¡°Just lie back and enjoy the ride.¡±


    ¡°Bestia!¡± Angela exclaimed, but she was smiling affectionately when she said it.


    ¡°Tu bestia,¡± I replied, wrapping my arms around her and nibbling on her neck while making growling noises.


    ¡°Ay! Save me, Emmy!¡± Angela said in mock distress, weakly struggling in my grip.


    ¡°I cannot save you,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I am too busy thinking of France.¡±


    Angela didn¡¯t get the joke, but I laughed.


    A bit later Jen knocked on the door while we were eating an early room service dinner. ¡°Hey, you guys in there?¡± she asked from the hallway.


    I let her in and she sat down in the suite¡¯s living room near the big windows. ¡°Have you been down to the lobby? It¡¯s freaking crazy down there. There¡¯s like five hundred Emmys running around. The hotel security guys keep kicking them out, but they sneak in anyway.¡±


    ¡°Five hundred Emmys?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Dude, it¡¯s like nothing I¡¯ve ever seen before. Sure, I knew that cosplay is huge here, and The Downfall is big in Japan, but all these girls- and a surprising amount of guys, too- they¡¯re all colored themselves black one way or another and have white hair and green contact lenses. It¡¯s freaky as shit!¡± Jen explained.


    ¡°Perhaps I could go down there and blend in?¡± Emmy speculated, amused by the idea.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Jen said. ¡°They¡¯d probably scope you out instantly and then it would be like those videos you see of piranhas going after a cow that¡¯s fallen in the water. Hell, I don¡¯t even think it¡¯s safe for Lee or Jax, either, to tell you the truth. Me, I¡¯m safe, and you two,¡± she said, pointing at Angela and me, ¡°But not you, Em. Seriously, I thought it is bad enough when those Christian freaks protest outside shows in the US, but this is another level weird.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the manager guy was so insistent on us using the back way in and not being seen in the lobby,¡± I said, thinking about going down to take a look for myself.


    ¡°Like I said, us normies wouldn¡¯t have a problem, but¡­¡± Jen said, leaving us all to speculate.


    ¡°Does this mean we must remain trapped in the hotel our entire time here?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I dunno. I kinda don¡¯t think so, honestly,¡± Jen said with a shrug. ¡°If I had to speculate, I¡¯d guess that pretty much all the otakus are swarming around the hotel, right? So if you just snuck away and went somewhere else, you¡¯d probably be fine. Until they figured out where you were, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Otakus?¡± Angela asked. ¡°The hotel manager used that word, too.¡±


    ¡°It means nutty fan or some shit like that,¡± Jen said. ¡°It¡¯s a real Japanese thing, but you get ¡®em in the US, too, but they¡¯re usually Japanese-culture adjacent, you know? Like super anime fans, for example. So yeah, get clear of ¡®em and you¡¯re probably good, until somebody posts on social media or whatever that they¡¯ve seen you, and then they¡¯ll all rush as fast as they can.¡±


    Emmy looked thoughtful. ¡°Then perhaps I need a disguise¡­¡± she said. ¡°And one for Jeremy as well¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking makeup?¡± I asked, surprised she would even consider it.


    ¡°Although I hate the idea in principle, this might be the time to make an exception,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I think we will need the concierge¡¯s help.¡±


    I called down to the front desk and immediately a middle-aged woman who spoke perfect English came to our room. When Emmy explained that she wanted to visit a high-end cosmetics store and someplace to buy a wig, the woman instantly understood. She called down to the lobby and after a moment speaking with someone down there, she said there would be a van for us in five minutes. She said she would accompany us to act as a translator, and we told her that would be perfect.


    We collected Grant and Jeremy and the seven of us piled into a black van with dark-tinted windows. It had some sort of company name on the side and a logo that looked like a bouquet of flowers, but there was no way I could read the text.


    We drove surprisingly far, and when Jen asked the concierge lady if there weren¡¯t any cosmetics places closer, the answer was simple.


    ¡°We need to be far enough away from the hotel that when the word spreads it will take a long time for the fans to arrive, and by then we would be finished.¡±


    Jen nodded and looked to make sure the rest of us had heard the confirmation of her earlier speculations.


    We wound up at a MAC store just as they closed, but they opened up and let us in, locking the doors behind us. They¡¯d clearly been alerted that we were coming. The employees ushered us to a makeup station well away from any windows, and, chattering with Emmy by way of the concierge¡¯s translation, soon had quite a transformation going. After a foundation base was selected they played around with shaders, blushes, toners and I don¡¯t even know what all. When Emmy and the makeup ladies were satisfied, I could hardly believe my eyes. They¡¯d covered every inch of Emmy¡¯s skin from below her neckline right up to the scalp, and fitted a pink wig to top it all off.


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    Obviously the most striking thing was that Emmy now looked white, as pale as Angela, but made it look natural. The ladies had used the shaders to subtly change the way her cheekbones looked and bright pink lipstick gave her more of a rosebud mouth. They topped it off with a terribly fake-looking pink wig, but actually, it worked. Sure, it was obvious that wasn¡¯t her real hair and nobody would think it was, but it just looked like an affectation and not an attempt to fool anybody.


    They didn¡¯t have contact lenses to hide Emmy¡¯s eyes, but one of them did produce a pair of dark sunglasses and that did the trick.


    The makeup ladies had been extremely excited by the project and had wanted to take photos, but the concierge had instructed them to tell nobody at all until The Downfall had left Japan. She was obviously very serious and they all agreed. When Emmy was convinced that they would all honor the agreement she had consented to before and after photos. The concierge lady browbeat them all a bit more to emphasize how important it was that they would maintain secrecy for a week, and they all seemed cowed enough that I was pretty sure they¡¯d stick to the agreement.


    With Jeremy they didn¡¯t worry about anything but giving him caucasian skin color. They combed his dark hair down a bit to hide the transition at the hairline, but otherwise left him alone.


    It was bizarre, seeing the two of them. There was no way either would blend in in Japan, but that had never been the goal. Simply making them look like day walkers was enough of a difference that nobody would check too closely. Of course, we still needed gloves for both of them, but that was easy enough since the temperatures were still cool in Tokyo.


    In fact, it turned out that there was a department store practically next door, so we got gloves for both of them there. Finding Emmy some ladies¡¯ gloves was easy, but there just weren¡¯t many choices in gloves that would fit Tiny¡¯s big hands. Eventually we found him some driving gloves that fit, and that would have to do. Finishing our shopping trip, Emmy spotted a bright pink pair of sunglasses and fell in love, so we bought them, too.


    ¡°I want to walk in the front of the hotel,¡± Emmy announced on our drive back, but I talked her out of the idea.


    ¡°As a group, we¡¯re pretty obvious even if your disguise works. I don¡¯t think we should risk it,¡± I said, and though Emmy pouted she gave in, to the concierge¡¯s obvious relief.


    On the other hand, I saw no problem with it when Emmy said she wanted to show off to the rest of the touring entourage, so we made a round of visits.


    It was pure comedy gold with how long it took Lee to actually recognize Emmy when we all crowded into his and Jen¡¯s suite. Emmy was hanging on Jackson¡¯s arm and at first Lee simply seemed to dismiss her as just another groupie. He realized we were all having some sort of fun at his expense quickly enough, but it was a surprisingly long time before he finally put two and two together.


    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Lee said when Emmy took off her mirrored pink sunglasses and he saw her bright green eyes. ¡°Holy shit, dude! I would have walked right past you a hundred times before I ever realized it was you!¡±


    ¡°It seemed to be the only way for anonymity here in Tokyo,¡± Emmy explained.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fucking nuts downstairs,¡± Lee admitted. ¡°I went down to ask about Mt Fuji tours and those girls saw me and gang-rushed the security guys. I can¡¯t even imagine what it would be like if they saw you down there.¡±


    Grant and Jeremy went back to their rooms while the rest of us settled down there in Jen and Lee¡¯s sitting area to hang out for a while. Jen raided the suite¡¯s mini bar and soon we all had drinks of one kind or another in our hands while we talked.


    ¡°I am morally opposed to wearing makeup like this, but this seems to be a necessity,¡± Emmy said. When Jen asked why, Emmy launched into a lengthy explanation of how her parents had raised her to show her skin. ¡°I have never, before today, worn full makeup like this to hide my nature,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jackson said, drawing it out. ¡°But you¡¯re not really doin¡¯ that now, either, are ya? This,¡± he said, indicating his face but meaning Emmy¡¯s, ¡°Isn¡¯t to hide your nature, it¡¯s to hide your identity. What I mean is, you aren¡¯t hiding the fact that you¡¯re a Night Child, you¡¯re hiding the fact you¡¯re Emmy De Lascaux. I will admit it¡¯s a fine point, but I think an important one.¡±


    Emmy blinked a few times in slow-motion the way she did, then nodded. ¡°Yes, I understand what you mean. I do think you are correct- I am not trying to blend in with day walkers by hiding my skin, am I?¡±


    It took a fair bit of work for Emmy to scrub all the paint off her face that night, but she admitted that if it allowed us the opportunity to sightsee in Tokyo like any other tourists it would be worth it.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to doing some shopping,¡± Angela said from the kidney-shaped spa tub. ¡°There¡¯s a street I really want to check out that has nothing but kitchen stuff- knives, bowls, cooking pots¡­ Everything you could want.¡±


    ¡°We have all that stuff already,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Yeah, but maybe we¡¯ll see something we didn¡¯t know we needed!¡± Angela replied, and I had no choice but to smile.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°I would like to see some of the temples and gardens that Japan is so famous for,¡± Emmy said, checking her face in the mirror to make certain she¡¯d gotten all the makeup off. ¡°Is there any room in the bathtub for me?¡± she asked when she was satisfied.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m done. You can have my spot,¡± Angela said, standing up. I admired the way the water flowed down her body, and from that angle I could definitely see a bit of a baby bump starting to show.


    ¡°Thank you, ma chere,¡± Emmy said, giving Angela a kiss as they passed each other.


    Emmy stepped into the tub and turned to lean back against me. She adjusted her position a bit until she was in the exact correct spot, then let out a contented sigh. ¡°Angie, baby, do not take this the wrong way. I love to bathe with you, but there is something extra special about laying back against Leah¡¯s chest and feeling her strong arms holding me.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t be mad at you for saying that, ¡®cause I know it¡¯s true,¡± Angela said with a smile. ¡°Lee¡¯s so strong, so solid feeling¡­ I get¡­ butterflies, right? In my tummy sometimes when she holds me close.¡±


    ¡°Then you understand,¡± Emmy said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.


    ¡°You are being awfully quiet tonight,¡± Emmy said to me after a while. ¡°Is everything O.K.?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°Just tired, I guess, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°You seem to never get tired, Leah,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°You always seem to be the first one up in the morning, and last one to bed. Your workouts last for hours and hours, but you never complain of being sore or tired. You constantly amaze me.¡±


    ¡°I get tired,¡± I replied. ¡°But it¡¯s usually more of a mental thing than a physical one.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to stay in tomorrow? Angie and I can take Grant and Jeremy with us shopping. We will be safe. I will wear my disguise,¡± Emmy suggested.


    ¡°That might be a good idea,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting behind on work, and it would be good to get caught up.¡±


    ¡°Do not forget that tomorrow night Jenna and Andy get to Tokyo. We should go out and have a nice dinner with the two of them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯ll be good to see them. I wonder if there are any good Japanese restaurants around here? They both like that stuff,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I suspect there might be,¡± Emmy said with a little laugh. ¡°I am certain the concierge might be able to recommend something.¡±


    ¡°You know, maybe you and Ange should wait to go to that kitchen shopping street. Jenna might want to go with you guys,¡± I said.


    ¡°I will text her when we are done bathing,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I know that Angela has been missing Jenna on this tour.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad they¡¯ve gotten to be such good friends,¡± I agreed. ¡°I think it¡¯s been really good for both of them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And I am very glad that you have reconnected with Andy. Friends are important.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± I agreed, thinking that I really should shoot Donny a text or something to let him know I was thinking about him.


    I got up early to use the hotel¡¯s ¡®Fitness Station¡¯, which was a handful of exercise bikes, a stair climber machine and four different Nautilus weight machines. Still, it was better than nothing and would do the job for the five days we¡¯d be staying there.


    Angela and Emmy were still asleep when I returned to the room after an admittedly short workout. I took my shower and dressed in comfy sweats, since all I was going to do was sit in front of my laptop and deal with work. Emmy, Angela and Jen were planning to go to the National Museum, which did sound interesting, but I was going to take a non-tourist day and just stare at a fifteen inch screen.


    I was deep into a project proposal for a complete renovation of an older apartment complex when Angela and Emmy finally emerged from the bedroom.


    ¡°How long have you been awake?¡± Emmy asked, rubbing her eyes.


    ¡°Four hours or so,¡± I said, checking my watch.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Have you eaten?¡± she asked as Angela came over and kissed the top of my head.


    ¡°I could eat,¡± I said. ¡°The hotel has some options,¡± I explained. ¡°There¡¯s a buffet downstairs that has Western, Chinese and Japanese food, and it¡¯s open for breakfast for another hour. There¡¯s also what they¡¯re calling the Garden Terrace, which has a breakfast menu. Or we could order room service- whatever you guys want.¡±


    ¡°The Garden Terrace- do you think Em will have to put on her disguise?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± I replied, reaching for my phone. ¡°Let me send Grant down to evaluate the situation.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother him,¡± Angela protested. ¡°I can go look.¡±


    ¡°Are you a professional bodyguard trained in risk assessment?¡± I asked. ¡°Because, well, Grant is.¡±


    Angela sighed. ¡°No, I guess that makes sense,¡± she admitted.


    When I got Grant on the phone he told me that he¡¯d already been down there for his own breakfast and evaluated the place. In his estimation it was safe, but the place had windows and some of the fans might spot Emmy from outside. They wouldn¡¯t be able to get in, but it would confirm that she¡¯s in the hotel.


    ¡°Well, they know that already,¡± I told him. ¡°So I can¡¯t see that it makes any difference. In fact,¡± I said as an idea popped into my head, ¡°if she¡¯s seen looking as she normally does but in the company of a pink-haired girl, they¡¯ll dismiss the pink girl as inconsequential, right? I need to call Jen.¡±


    Emmy instantly understood from hearing my half of the conversation. ¡°Oh! That is brilliant!¡± she exclaimed.


    Soon enough a whole squad of us went down to breakfast in the Garden Terrace. Emmy looking like usual, Angela, me, Tiny and Grant, and Jen, wearing the pink wig, lipstick and sunglasses.


    When I¡¯d asked Jen to do us a favor and explained it to her, she was in love with the idea and was happy to go along with the plan.


    We made sure that we had window tables, despite the staff wanting to seat us well away from where anybody could see us. Sure enough, it didn¡¯t take too long for one of the Emmy lookalikes outside to spot us through the glass and call her friends over. Although there was quite a crowd outside, they were respectful and didn¡¯t do anything too weird. I swear I saw a bunch of them faint, though, when Emmy walked to the glass, waved, and then kissed the window as if she were kissing them.


    Nobody in that crowd even looked at the rest of us for more than a few seconds, but to any of them that noticed the girl with the pink hair, well, it didn¡¯t matter who she was, anyway.

 Not A Chapter- Another Delay Announcement

    Well, time has come for me to scoot back up to the Puget Sound for my mom''s memorial service. I''m going to try to write, but I have my doubts that I''ll get much done. I''ll post something if I can, but seriously, don''t expect anything until the weekend after this one. Again, maybe earlier but probably not.


    Again, since Royal Road has a 500 word count minimum per post, here''s a chunk from the chapter "Little Wing":


    That night we got to the club where the Sons were playing right when it opened for the night, about an hour before the band was scheduled to take the stage. We¡¯d invited Lee and Jen, but they were going to some other show (I can¡¯t even remember who it was), so it was just Emmy and me.


    The place was an old brick-fronted building in the downtown club district, stuck between a cocktail bar and a tacky tourist gift shop. Even that early, there was already a line waiting to get in, and they all went crazy when they spotted Emmy.


    I¡¯d thought seeing Emmy get mobbed by the Coolidges¡¯ dogs was something, but seeing all these local hipsters was even more comical. They were torn between wanting to rush up and fawn over Emmy, not wanting to lose their spot in line, and wanting to look too cool to admit they wanted to see her up close.


    Ultimately, Emmy had to raise her voice to say that yes, we were going to see the show tonight and if people wanted to come over to our table to say hello, that would be nice.


    I would have gotten in line with the crowd, but Emmy was having none of that. She took my hand and led me straight to the door, cutting in front of everybody. The doorman seemed to expect that and didn¡¯t even glance at our tickets, just waved us straight in.


    There was a little antechamber, I guess you¡¯d call it, with a counter displaying club merch and also stuff from the band. I liked the new shirt design and thought I¡¯d pick one up later. The blonde girl standing behind the counter hoping to sell the stuff wasn¡¯t Stephanie, I noticed.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    At the top of the stairs the entire upper floor was basically one big, long room, with a hardwood planked floor and black-painted rafters. Along one side were old-fashioned diner-style booths, but otherwise it was standing room only- no tables, no chairs.


    All but one of the booths had already been claimed, and the only thing keeping the open one from use was the ¡®Reserved¡¯ sign on its table. ¡°That one is ours,¡± Emmy said, pointing to the empty booth. ¡°We should go backstage and say hello before sitting down,¡± she added, grabbing my hand to pull me to the small side door to the right of the stage.


    The security guy stood aside as we walked up, so clearly the staff had been told to expect us (and probably been given a description, if that was even necessary at this point). We went back into the hallway covered in autographs written in permanent marker to a green door. When somebody called out ¡°Come in,¡± after Emmy knocked, we entered to say hello to the band.


    The guys looked pretty much the same as they did back the last time I¡¯d seen them in San Diego, but with a bit more facial hair and a few more piercings and tattoos.


    Justin, the bass player, leapt up to give Emmy a hug. To my surprise, he gave me a hug, too. ¡°It¡¯s great seeing you guys!¡± he exclaimed as the rest of the band crowded around to say hello. Brent being Brent, he just gave a nod to me and said, ¡°Lookin¡¯ good, Leah. Real good.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Brent. How¡¯re things going for you?¡±


    ¡°Awesome, dude. Just awesome. Living the rock star dream- just livin¡¯ the dream.¡±


    We only spent a few minutes backstage before we returned to the booth being held for us. It seemed as if quite a few people were upset that one of the maybe half-dozen booths in the entire club was off-limits, but when they saw who we were they seemed to be a bit more understanding.


    The booth itself was one of those horseshoe-shaped naugahyde things you¡¯d picture in a classic diner, but the color was a strange, unappealing brownish red. Maroon, I think the color is called. Anyway, we sat down and that left room for at least three or four other people, so when Emmy saw a small group looking for a place to sit she invited them to share the booth with us. Emmy was always good like that.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± said the tallest of the three girls as she scooted to the deepest part of the booth.


    ¡°My name is Emmy, and this is Leah,¡± Emmy said, introducing us.


    ¡°Um, yeah, we guessed,¡± said the girl with the hipster glasses and Sons T that she must have just bought.

 Unexpected Visitors

    Emmy, Angela, Jen, and of course Grant and Tiny left when Emmy was satisfied with her makeup disguise after breakfast. She¡¯d applied Tiny¡¯s makeup herself, pretending to not notice that it made Tiny uncomfortable.


    Alone at last, I got back to work, certain that Emmy would be fine with her disguise and Grant¡¯s watchful eye.


    I really had been ignoring things too long and there was plenty of catching up to do for me, even with the new paradigm of letting the various Heads run their divisions autonomously. They still had questions or projects they felt might need my sign-off, or general guidance. This was ideal, as far as I was concerned. They were only coming to me with top-level issues now, and that was just the way I wanted it. I was very, very happy to leave the managing behind.


    I had one personal email that caught my attention. It was from a Colonel Roger Bridger, and I would have marked it as spam and deleted it without reading except for the fact he name-checked Harry Powell in the subject line. Curious, I opened it and read what the good colonel had to say.


    He reminded me that we¡¯d been introduced at the afterparty for the show at London¡¯s Royal Albert Hall.


    I vaguely remembered the man, but had no idea why he¡¯d gotten Harry to give him my email address, and there really was no clue in the email. He merely said that he would like to talk when I next found myself in London, and invited me to visit his club. By ¡®his club¡¯ I took it to mean the old-school men¡¯s club he belonged to and not the sort of clubs I owned.


    I filed it away mentally, telling myself that I¡¯d do it if only to assuage my curiosity about his interest and see what one of those clubs is like inside. I pictured big chairs, fireplaces and waiters pouring brandy while old geezers discuss the Raj, then laughed at the mental image.


    Donny had responded to my last email with a link to a gallery of family photos. I smiled at the pictures of little Aaron standing on a piece of driftwood at the beach, one leg raised and arms held in a classic cheesy karate ¡®crane¡¯ pose. My heart warmed a little at the picture of Aaron on a couch next to his grandfather, who was reading ¡®The Little Prince¡¯ to him.


    Other pictures were of Aaron wearing a little apron, helping his grandmother make cookies or something like that. Aaron wearing a Seattle Seahawks jersey about seven sizes too big. Aaron, sleeping on a couch at home, just at the verge of sliding off and onto the floor¡­


    My favorite, though, was a picture of Sana and Donny out at a nice restaurant on date night, no Aaron anywhere to be seen. The two looked happy and in love, if slightly tired. I was very glad to see that they were managing to find time just for each other when they could.


    I was busy typing up a reply to Donny when somebody knocked softly on the suite¡¯s door. I didn¡¯t realize it was our door that was being knocked on at first- it was so quiet that I¡¯d assumed it was some other room down the hall, until perhaps the third time I heard it.


    Puzzled by who would knock so quietly, I tried to move silently to the door to peek through the peephole. There were two men outside in the hallway, one old guy maybe in his seventies and a younger, fit and athletic guy who might have been thirty years old at the most. They were dressed the way I¡¯d seen a lot of Japanese men dress, in sort of a business semi-casual look. They could have been hotel employees, but they didn¡¯t have the name tags all the staff seemed to wear.


    That was when I noticed it- both seemed to be wearing dark eyeliner.


    I hustled over to my suitcase and quickly found and put on my anti-slash turtleneck, then yanked on my baggy hoodie to cover it. I answered the door, holding Stabby Jr in my hidden hand.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked the men, only partially opening the door.


    ¡°We would like to speak to Emmy Lascaux,¡± the younger man said with a strong accent.


    ¡°If this is Night Children business, it¡¯s me you want to talk to,¡± I answered.


    The younger guy translated for the older man, who gave a quick reply.


    ¡°My grandfather finds your¡­ words poetic,¡± said the young man. ¡°He has never heard us described that way, but understood what you meant.¡±


    ¡°So this does have to do with our people?¡± I asked for clarification.


    Again, the younger guy translated, and the older man¡¯s response was clearly negative.


    ¡°We wish to speak to Miss Lascaux, to see her in person. We are very curious about her. But grandfather does not understand what you mean by ¡®our people¡¯.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t here, and as I said, it¡¯s me you really need to talk to, anyhow.¡± I glanced up and down the hallway and saw it was empty save the two guys. ¡°Do you intend any violence?¡± I asked.


    After the translation came back, the young guy said, ¡°We merely wish to see if¡­¡±


    ¡°Her coloration is real, just like yours,¡± I said. ¡°Now answer my question. Are you here with violence in mind?¡±


    The young guy translated what I¡¯d said, and the older man got a bit agitated.


    ¡°No, we did not come here to shed blood,¡± the young guy said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I replied. ¡°You can come in, but I want your knives on that table there,¡± I said, pointing to the table near the door. I still hadn¡¯t revealed my black-bladed dagger, but I was certain the two men were armed. After all, I knew I wasn¡¯t wrong about them being Night Children.


    The older guy entered first, looking around the suite.


    ¡°Blades over there,¡± I told him, pointing at the table. ¡°I know you have some.¡±


    The two looked at each other, then at me. The old guy nodded at the younger man, and they each pulled out sheathed daggers and set them on the indicated table.


    I shut the door behind them, finally letting them see my own blade.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit and talk,¡± I said, pointing at the suite¡¯s dining table. The two men sat down, their hands on top of the table, making a show of being inoffensive. I sat across from them, Stabby Jr on the table right in front of me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make some things clear,¡± I said. ¡°I can see that you two are Night Children. Night Children business is my business, not Emmy¡¯s. If you want to talk about how us being here in Japan is a problem for you, you tell me, not Emmy. If you want to discuss any sort of Night Child politics, it¡¯s me you need to talk to.¡±


    After some translation and back and forth between the two men, the younger guy asked, ¡°You say ¡®Night Children¡¯. Do you mean,¡± and here he said something in Japanese.


    ¡°Night Children. People like us,¡± I said, wiping a fingertip across my cheek and then rubbing it with my thumb as if I¡¯d just wiped makeup off.


    ¡°But you are not like us,¡± the younger guy protested.


    ¡°My mother was not blessed by the night, but I am like you,¡± I said. Hey, might as well lean into what everybody thought anyway, right?


    ¡°That is forbidden,¡± the young guy objected.


    I looked at the two for a long moment, then said, ¡°I think that we are running into some cultural differences here. Let me explain what I think is going on, and then you tell me what you think is happening. Maybe we can come to some understanding.¡±


    When the young guy translated for his grandfather, the old guy nodded in agreement. The two talked back and forth for a while before the young guy said, ¡°That might be best.¡±


    ¡°Look. It¡¯s obvious to me that you two are wearing makeup to hide your true skin color. Underneath your disguises you¡¯re as black as the blade of my dagger here.¡± The young guy nodded, so I continued.


    ¡°This means you¡¯re Children of the Night. Night Children. Any babies born by your women are also as black as you are. Are we on the same page?¡± I asked.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°We have never heard the term ¡®Night Children¡¯ before, but as my grandfather said, it is a poetic thing to call us. We are, as you say, using disguises to hide our true skin color.¡±


    ¡°And you wanted to meet Emmy to see if she was like you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, she is,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°But her hair,¡± young guy objected.


    ¡°Her hair is like that because she¡¯s moon-kissed,¡± I explained. ¡°That is really the color of her hair.¡±


    After another round of translation and back and forth between the two men, the young guy said, ¡°We have never heard of this ¡®moon-kissed¡¯ before.¡±


    I will admit this floored me, leading me to doubt for just a tiny moment whether they actually were Night Children. The black edges of their eyelids and up in their nostrils were a dead giveaway, though, and they¡¯d already admitted that they were covering up their jet-black skins.


    ¡°What do you call it when a child is born with light eyes and white hair?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That has never happened,¡± the young guy said, without bothering to check with his grandfather.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think that you guys here in Japan might have been isolated from the rest of us for a very, very long time.¡±


    The two men talked quite a bit before the younger guy finally said to me, ¡°We had no idea there were others like us outside of Japan.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a moment,¡± I said, taking my phone out of my pocket. I quickly shot Grant a text telling him to stash Emmy and Angela in his room and bring Tiny to ours when they got back to the hotel. He¡¯d understand the implications.


    After that, I opened the photos app and scrolled through to find pictures of Night Children. ¡°Here are some friends of ours,¡± I said, showing the two men some pictures of Michael and Jassie at dinner at an Indian restaurant in San Jose. ¡°You can see they wear no makeup.¡±


    I took the phone back and found a picture of Donny, holding Aaron in one arm, the other around Sana¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°He is the father of the child?¡± Younger Guy asked, pointing at Donny.


    I nodded, then found another picture of Michael with Eddie and a few of the other outreach guys. After that, I showed them a picture of Emmy posing with her parents in Paris.


    The two men were talking, their tones low and serious. Finally, Younger Guy said, ¡°You have given us much to think about.¡±


    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± I said. ¡°Tell me about your people, and let¡¯s try to figure out why you¡¯ve been cut off from the rest of us.¡±


    They had a long back and forth before the young guy finally said, ¡°We are very private people. We do not share information with outsiders.¡±


    ¡°Look- you came here to see if Emmy was really like you, right? I can tell you that she is. Not only her, but many thousands of Night Children live in Europe, the Near East and Northern Africa, as well as North and South America. You¡¯ve never seen any examples before Emmy, because, like you, historically we have also hidden.¡± I looked them each in the eyes, trying to make it clear I was being very serious. ¡°But the time for hiding is past. It is time we come out and into the sunlight, and show the world who we really are.¡±


    The young guy was about to speak, but I interrupted. ¡°Staying hidden is nearly impossible now, and soon, there will be no way at all for us to remain unknown. The world is ready to accept us now- just look at the fame that Emmy has achieved. Look at all those girls downstairs, who admire her and want to look and dress like her. Emmy has opened the door for our people- it¡¯s time for us to follow her.¡±


    The young guy explained what I¡¯d just said and the two argued for quite a long time. ¡°It is easy for you, since you do not bear the mark of the night,¡± the young guy said. ¡°You can live in outside society without fear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°But I do not let my people hide, either, and now that they¡¯ve become used to showing their skin, they would not go back into hiding if they had a choice.¡±


    ¡°You do not let them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the queen of the North American nation of our people,¡± I said. ¡°Me. I tell them what to do, and they do what I tell them.¡±


    A long conversation between the two was interrupted by the sound of the electronic lock and the suite¡¯s door opening. Grant and Tiny moved quickly into the room, immediately focusing on the two men, who started to rise from their seats.


    I indicated that they should remain seated, and they did, but they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off of Jeremy.


    ¡°Sitrep?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°These two gentlemen represent the local Night Children,¡± I said. ¡°They came to see if Emmy really was like them.¡±


    ¡°Assessment?¡±


    ¡°Probably harmless,¡± I replied. ¡°And this may present an incredible opportunity.¡±


    Grant visibly relaxed. ¡°But your weapon is still on display.¡±


    ¡°I felt it was necessary to keep it handy, just to let them know that violence would be met with force,¡± I replied. ¡°But it looks as if we¡¯re past that now.¡±


    Grant nodded his understanding. He indicated the suite¡¯s couch to Jeremy, who sat down, but remained alert. Grant stayed on his feet, a respectful distance back.


    ¡°You know what? Jeremy, could you please clean your face, then have a seat with us?¡± I said.


    ¡°As you can see, Jeremy is also a Night Child, but he¡¯s wearing makeup now, like you two are. The reason for this is not to hide his nature- it¡¯s to hide his identity. You¡¯ve seen the girls outside the hotel, right?¡± I asked, and the young guy nodded that they had. ¡°Emmy has had to wear a disguise to get away from her crazy fans, and Jeremy had to as well. Back home in the US neither of them wear makeup. In fact, I would be very angry if Jeremy ever did disguise his true nature under normal circumstances. But here, with those crazy girls outside, well¡­¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the young guy said. ¡°You say that the disguise is not to hide what he is, but who he is.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Since they would know he¡¯s Emmy¡¯s bodyguard, they would know she was near.¡±


    The two men spoke for a long time, only stopping when Tiny came back into the room, now devoid of his false coloring. He was again as black as night, and the two men stared long and hard at him as he sat down with us. This prompted another heated discussion between the two men.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said, interrupting. ¡°Do your people have some sort of king or something? I¡¯d like to speak with them.¡±


    ¡°We have a¡­ council of elders,¡± the young guy said, after translating my question. ¡°Grandfather was sent by them to meet Emmy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be here for a few more days. Why don¡¯t you get in touch with this council and tell them that the queen of the North American Night Children wants to speak with them? I¡¯ll give you my phone number and you can call me when it has been arranged,¡± I said, standing up.


    Looking at each other, the two men stood. I gestured towards the door, and they got the hint. I grabbed a notepad from next to the room¡¯s landline phone and quickly wrote my number down, including country code. I handed the note to the older man as they collected their own daggers from the table near the door.


    ¡°Do not come here to our hotel room again uninvited. To do so a second time would be a sign of hostility. Do you understand?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the younger guy agreed as the two men left. Grant followed them out to make sure they left the hotel.


    ¡°Thanks, Jeremy,¡± I said to the large bodyguard. ¡°Keep an eye out for those two. If you see them anywhere around, immediately let Grant and me know.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I think you can bring Emmy and Angela here now,¡± I told him. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be stepping outside the hotel tonight.¡±


    Jenna called just as Jeremy led Emmy and Angela back to our suite. She told Angela they were just checking in and asked what room we were in. This completely derailed any discussion we might have had about the local Night Children, so I just told Emmy that I would explain everything later and it might all be under control.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°But maybe.¡±


    Just a few minutes later Andy and Jenna made their way to our suite. Jenna took longer than Andy did to recognize Emmy in her pink-haired, pale-skinned disguise.


    ¡°Oh. My. God!¡± she squealed when she finally realized that the stranger in our midst wasn¡¯t a stranger at all. ¡°Look at you! I never would have recognized you like that!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± Angela said. ¡°You saw the fans outside the hotel, right? We had to hide Emmy from them just to go out in public.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Andy said. ¡°It was pretty crazy down there.¡±


    Once Emmy washed the makeup off her face we all just chatted for a while, Jenna and Andy telling us about the places they¡¯d seen so far in their trip to Japan. All in all they were going to spend two full weeks in-country, and had been enjoying their vacation quite a bit.


    When Angela explained that she and Emmy wanted to go shopping the next day, Jenna immediately signed on. When Angela brought up the street that had nothing but cookware shops, she was ready to head out the door immediately.


    ¡°Wanna skip that?¡± I asked Andy in a low voice.


    ¡°Oh, Hell yeah!¡± he agreed, so we made plans for the two of us to see the Imperial Palace while the girls went shopping. I explained to him that the hotel was providing a driver and translator for us, so the girls would have no problems without us.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been doing the translating for Jenna,¡± Andy said. ¡°I thought my Japanese was pretty good, but when I¡¯m trying to understand echoey train announcements and stressed about making the right connections, well, that¡¯s when I realized it¡¯s not so good as I thought.¡±


    ¡°I can relate,¡± I agreed. ¡°Paris was like that for me. I mean, I could read signs O.K. and I could order food at a restaurant and stuff like that, but when I had to hold a conversation or something it was a challenge.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something else kinda funny going on. I have to repeat myself like three or four times until the person I¡¯m speaking to actually realizes I¡¯m speaking Japanese and they can understand me. It¡¯s like they look at me and see this big foreigner making weird sounds, you know? They¡¯re not expecting me to speak Japanese, so they don¡¯t actually hear it at first.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be fair, I wouldn¡¯t look at you and immediately assume you could speak Japanese,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Jenna demanded, turning away from their conversation.


    ¡°The fact that Andy has to repeat himself over and over until people realize he¡¯s actually speaking Japanese,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that,¡± Jenna said, rolling her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a real pain in the ass.¡±


    We wound up ordering room service for the five of us and just hung out for the rest of the night, catching up and enjoying each others¡¯ company. We talked about how the tour has been going, what Australia was like, and Jenna¡¯s new car. Of course they knew all about the double pregnancy, so Jenna was fascinated when Angela told her that she thought she could feel the baby moving, but not really kicking just yet.


    When Jenna and Andy finally left to go to their own room, Emmy and Angela took a long, hot (well, not Emmy-level hot, but normal person hot) bath while I showered. In bed afterwards, I scolded Angela for not telling me she could feel Angela Jr moving.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± she said. ¡°I think it¡¯s the baby moving, but I¡¯m not really sure. It isn¡¯t like I imagined. It feels more like¡­ I hate to say it, but maybe an upset stomach? But just for a moment every now and then. I think it¡¯s the baby moving, but¡­¡±


    ¡°This sounds as if it is a question to ask Mam¨¢,¡± Emmy said, giving Angela¡¯s bare shoulder a kiss. ¡°She would know.¡±


    ¡°I should,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°It seems hard to believe we¡¯ll be seeing mis pap¨ªs in only a week,¡± she said.


    ¡°I am looking forward to seeing them,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I am very happy they will be able to spend time with us.¡±


    ¡°Is Cecy coming, too?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Angela said as if it was a silly question. ¡°You know she has a crush on you, right? Any opportunity to spend time with you¡­¡±


    ¡°I cannot blame her,¡± Emmy said with a little laugh.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true,¡± Angela greed. ¡°Lee is very lovable.¡±

 A Walk And A Talk

    The next morning, after a disguised Emmy left with Jenna and Angela (and of course Grant and Jeremy), Andy and I strolled out the front door of the hotel for our walk to the Imperial Palace. It was my first time really seeing the many Emmy clones hanging around, and I have to admit that it was more than just a tiny bit surreal.


    There may well have been over a hundred of them, skin made pitch black with makeup of one kind or another, white wigs, bright green contact lenses, and usually an outfit resembling one Emmy had worn in concert or photo shoot.


    I pointed out to Andy that none were wearing Emmy¡¯s outfit from the Rolling Stones cover and he laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little too cold, and maybe too, um, arresty to go naked,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m sure some of these girls have thought about it.¡±


    We soon left the hotel and its swarm of Emmy fans behind, heading south. After I commented that so far Tokyo had looked like any other modern large city, Andy told me about how strange it was to visit after so many years.


    ¡°When we came to Tokyo when I was, I dunno, maybe six years old, it was the first real big city I¡¯d ever seen. It seemed endless, and so many big buildings! I was just blown away, you know? I guess it kinda set my expectations for what a big city was like, but when we moved to Fallbrook, the only big cities I ever saw were San Diego and Los Angeles, and they¡¯re nothing like this at all.¡±


    ¡°Maybe in the downtown areas, but those are pretty small in comparison,¡± I agreed. ¡°New York- well, Manhattan, at least- is like this, but yeah. In general, American cities are really different.¡±


    ¡°The funny thing is, now I look around at a street like this, and it seems really generic. There¡¯s nothing about this street that is any different than any other business district, like you said, in any other large city anywhere. Well, except the signs are mostly in Japanese,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Like that one?¡± I asked, pointing to a sign that said ¡®Jojo¡¯s Burger¡¯. Not burgers plural, but singular burger.


    ¡°Yeah, just like that,¡± Andy laughed.


    After making a right hand turn we started to pass the old stoneworks indicating the palace grounds.


    ¡°We visited the palace when I was little,¡± Andy said. ¡°I remember being super impressed. Jenna and I went to the Osaka Castle and that was even cooler than I¡¯d remembered, so hopefully this place will be, too.¡±


    I was surprised to find that the actual palace wasn¡¯t open for visitors, but the grounds were beautiful and the palace was cool from the outside.


    ¡°Andy, how much do you know about Night Children?¡± I asked as we sat on a raised viewing area at the top of one of the old stone walls and watched ducks swimming in the really wide moat- more of a small lake, really.


    ¡°Um, Emmy¡¯s people? Some, I guess. I mean, I know that they¡¯ve been hiding for ever, and Emmy and her parents are trying to convince them to, well, stop hiding.¡±


    ¡°And do you know about the Night Children in America?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That you and Emmy are their queens? That¡¯s about it, really,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s plenty,¡± I said.


    ¡°I gotta say, that was kinda out of the blue,¡± Andy said with that lopsided smile of his.


    ¡°Well, the thing is, yesterday afternoon a couple of Japanese Night Children dudes came to our hotel room, looking to talk to Emmy to see if she really was like them,¡± I told him.


    ¡°They just showed up? They knew what room to go to?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Yeah, they did. And I told them that I wanted to meet their ruling council. It seems like they¡¯ve been cut off from the rest of Night Children societies for a very long time- they didn¡¯t even know the name ¡®Night Children¡¯,¡± I said, making finger quotes. ¡°It has me wondering if they really are the same, or if maybe they¡¯re some sort of independently evolved group.¡±


    ¡°Wild,¡± Andy mused.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°Culturally they might be closer than it seemed, though. Thinking about it afterward, I made some assumptions and they turned out to be valid.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Andy asked, curious.


    ¡°Well, when I first saw them, I could immediately tell they were Night Children wearing makeup to blend in, right? So I invited them into the room- Emmy was out with Angela- and I told them to put their knives on the table by the door,¡± I said, remembering events.


    ¡°Their knives?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Well, yeah. Night Children usually carry knives with them. It¡¯s as much a cultural thing as it is for self-defense. And you know, knives, not guns, because they¡¯re silent, right?¡± I explained.


    ¡°Are you freaking kidding me? Like, armed with knives all the time?¡± Andy demanded.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. Like I said, it¡¯s a deep-seated cultural thing,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°And these guys had knives,¡± Andy guessed.


    ¡°Yeah, they did. They set them down on the little table by the door, but when we sat down to talk at the main table there in the suite I kept my knife right there in front of me in plain view, mostly to make a point.¡±


    ¡°So to speak,¡± Andy said with a smirk.


    ¡°So to speak,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So let me wrap my head around this. First, I gotta ask, you carry a knife with you?¡± Andy asked.


    I looked around and saw that there was nobody on the raised area, or in fact anywhere in sight, so I reached up under the cuff of my jeans and pulled Stabby Jr from my boot and handed it to Andy, who held it as if was a venomous snake.


    ¡°Holy shit, Lee! Holy fucking shit!¡± he said and quickly handed it back to me. I slid it back in my boot, again making sure nobody had seen.


    ¡°So, like, if somebody came at you, you¡¯d, like, stab them or something?¡± Andy asked, stunned.


    I shrugged and nodded my head. ¡°Well, sure.¡±


    ¡°But what if the other guy has a knife, too?¡±


    ¡°Then I just have to stab him before he stabs me,¡± I said, leaning back.


    ¡°You sound so, I dunno, nonchalant about it,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m nonchalant. Really, it¡¯s not like I enjoy stabbing people or anything. It¡¯s just¡­ Well, I guess it just sometimes has to happen, you know?¡± I mused.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know,¡± Andy said. ¡°It¡¯s not like I go around stabbing people.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°I never really expected to, either, but these things just happen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re yanking my chain, right? Lee, tell me that you don¡¯t actually go around knifing people.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t go around knifing people,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Well, not very often, anyway, but sometimes circumstances call for it.¡±


    ¡°This is like some sort of Liam Neeson action movie where the family-man dad suddenly turns out to be an ex-government assassin and he has to get revenge or something,¡± Andy said, shaking his head. ¡°You really got me this time, Lee. You had me going for a while there.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Just for the sake of argument, let¡¯s lay some things out. Andy, you¡¯re my oldest friend. We were almost like brother and sister when we were little. Your teammates all seem to think we¡¯re cousins, and I guess we might as well be, right? You were this close to being the father of my kids, you know that, right?¡± I said, holding my index finger and thumb about half an inch apart.


    ¡°Yeah, I get all that,¡± he said. ¡°So what does that have to do-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you some shit. This is some serious shit, and the only reason I¡¯m going to tell you is that I literally trust you with my life,¡± I said, looking him in the eyes.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°Lee¡­¡±


    ¡°I do stab people, Andy. Like I said, it¡¯s not something I look for opportunities to do, but I think my body count is eight or nine people now. So yeah, as it turns out, I¡¯m much better at stabbing people than any of those eight or nine others were. And those two guys I invited into my hotel room yesterday? I was pretty sure that if it came down to that, I¡¯d be the one doing the stabbing, and not getting stabbed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± Andy said, looking at me.


    ¡°Andy, you see this scar?¡± I asked, pointing at my cheek. ¡°That was from my first knife fight. The guy that did that? I killed him with his own dagger. First guy I ever killed.¡±


    ¡°I thought those stories were all bullshit,¡± Andy said, wondering.


    ¡°Nope. And there was the time Grace got kidnapped in Vancouver, that was a couple more guys I killed. And then the guys in Chicago¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, Lee, why are you telling me this? Even if it¡¯s true¡­¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Well, like I was saying, these guys had knives, just like I expected any Night Children to carry, but they were decent-sized. Not little pocket knives, but full-on daggers. So clearly they were ready to rumble if shit went sideways, right?¡±


    ¡°O.K¡­¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Which tells me that these guys are also used to running silent, if you get what I mean,¡± I said. ¡°So, culturally similar to what I¡¯m used to.¡±


    ¡°Setting aside the difficulty I¡¯m having coming to grips with my oldest friend being a serial killer,¡± Andy said, looking pensive. ¡°Let¡¯s assume you¡¯re right, and their culture values silence. What did the daggers look like?¡±


    ¡°Well, I never saw the blades since they kept them sheathed, but they basically looked like a chunk of bamboo about a foot long. They didn¡¯t have any sort of crosspiece and the handles were plain bamboo, like the sheaths. In fact, they might have been made from the same piece of bamboo as the sheaths.¡±


    ¡°So you just saw, like, a piece of bamboo a foot long, with a seam dividing the sheath from the handle, right?¡± Andy asked, getting a bit excited. ¡°The bamboo- was it straight, or gently curved?¡±


    ¡°Completely straight,¡± I told him. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Dude. Dude! They¡¯re fucking ninjas! Seriously! Ninjas!¡± Andy said, getting excited. ¡°Like, no bullshit, these guys are where the whole thing about ninjas- well, Shinobi, to be a bit more accurate, must have come from!¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Shinobi?¡±


    ¡°Ninja is a bullshit modern word. Shinobi is what they historically called the unseen spies and assassins of the middle periods,¡± Andy explained. ¡°The straight blades were really what, well, were the proof. You see, the swords of the samurai were curved, right? Better for slashing. But the shinobi, they used straight swords so they could also use the scabbards as blowguns.¡±


    ¡°And you think straight daggers¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s all part of the package. Samurai were like nobility, right? Their status allowed them to carry the two swords- the long katana and shorter wakizashi. Carrying both was a sign that you were in that social class, right?¡± Andy said, growing animated. ¡°So, carrying weapons wasn¡¯t allowed among the lower classes. That¡¯s why the, um, peasants developed weapons like the nunchucks or kama. Things that weren¡¯t obviously weapons. Well, the shinobi, or invisible ones, carried weapons that didn¡¯t look like weapons as the ruling class would have understood them. When you think of a katana, a classical Japanese sword, it¡¯s long and slightly curved, right? Decorated with silk-wrapped hilts and that kind of thing. So these guys, their daggers were straight- not like the tantos that you would expect Japanese, well, mainstream Japanese anyway, to carry. And completely undecorated, right?¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a nerd for this shit,¡± Andy said with a laugh. ¡°But seriously, it makes sense. Night Children hide and do their best to blend in, right? Well, so did the shinobi. The shinobi- the real ninjas, they didn¡¯t wear orange jumpsuits and headbands with funny runes on them. They passed as peasants, ordinary people, shit like that. They got up close to their victims by being innocuous. They weren¡¯t invisible in the sense that you couldn¡¯t see ¡®em, but in the sense that you didn¡¯t see ¡®em. That was their key,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°What else do you know about them?¡± I asked, surprised at his depth of knowledge.


    ¡°Well, they were active from maybe eight hundred A.D. to about sixteen hundred A.D. or so. They apparently mostly lived in an area in central Japan in the mountains,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°What happened in sixteen hundred?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Politics,¡± Andy said. ¡°From what I understand, their services weren¡¯t needed, and in fact were deemed a liability, so the ruling castes did what they could to eliminate them. They just sort of faded away.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re right, they might have faded away, but they still exist.,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, my view of the world just took a solid blow to the head,¡± Andy said, leaning back on his hands, mirroring my posture. ¡°First I find out my oldest friend is a mass murderer, and then that ninjas really exist.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said ¡®ninja¡¯ was a made-up term,¡± I objected, letting the mass murderer thing slide. Because, I mean, what could I say, really?


    ¡°I might have overstated that,¡± Andy admitted. ¡°¡®Ninja¡¯ actually is a mispronunciation of the kanji characters for shinobi, and somehow it got traction when Western types started talking about them. So yeah, it¡¯s a bullshit modern word, but it¡¯s not like it was just made up or something. And nowadays, everybody has an idea of what a ninja is- or was- but nobody knows the real historical shinobi.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. So you¡¯re saying these shinobi were more or less invisible by virtue of hiding in plain sight. That checks out with Night Children behavior. They developed their own styles of weapons for the same reason,¡± I asked, just to make sure I had it right.


    ¡°Yes and yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m just going to go with the assumption you¡¯re correct, because it all fits. So if I do get to meet with their ruling council, what can I expect?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Beats me,¡± Andy said. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. Writers in the middle periods were really only concerned with the ruling class, right? They didn¡¯t write about peasants, merchants, fishermen¡­ They just couldn¡¯t be bothered, and since they were writing for the upper classes, none of whom cared about those people, well¡­ What winds up is that there¡¯s very little written history about the lives of common village folk- which the shinobi definitely were. Add to that that the shinobi were also famously secretive and from a part of Japan that was never really under anybody¡¯s control, there was just nothing. What little was written about them was their interactions with the ruling class, who both used their services and hated and feared ¡®em at the same time, so the P.R. wasn¡¯t very favorable.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°So, by the late eighteen hundreds they were considered to be long gone, and maybe never actually existed at all. That¡¯s when Japanese writers started telling stories about ¡®em, making up all kinds of crap like them knowing tricks to walk on water or move through solid walls and crazy stuff like that. They became mythologized to a point far from reality.¡±


    ¡°Ah, O.K.,¡± I said, nodding I understood. ¡°And that¡¯s where we get the dudes wearing black outfits with throwing stars and climbing ropes.¡±


    ¡°Right. Throwing stars weren¡¯t even a thing when the real shinobi were active,¡± Andy confirmed.


    We sat there for a bit, thinking about all this. Finally I asked, ¡°So, where were these villages?¡±


    ¡°The region in between Nagoya and Osaka,¡± Andy answered, taking a moment to think about it. ¡°It¡¯s not really mountainous in the sense of high mountains like Fuji, but it¡¯s rugged terrain and was about equally distant between two seats of feudal power, which probably aided their independence. Like I said, that area never really fell under anybody¡¯s control up until closer to the modern era.¡±


    ¡°I have to say, this all makes perfect sense,¡± I told him. ¡°So, they told me they have a ruling council. If I had to guess, based on what Night Children do in Europe and the Near East, they probably live in small villages off the beaten path and they¡¯ll make it unwelcoming to outsiders.¡±


    ¡°Which fits the shinobi pattern, too,¡± Andy agreed.


    ¡°Andy, if they do want to talk¡­ No, forget it,¡± I said shaking my head.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I was gonna ask if you would come along as translator, but it could be really dangerous,¡± I told him.


    ¡°You think?¡± Andy asked, sarcastically. ¡°It seems to me that going to a freaking ninja village to talk to the ninjas, who don¡¯t like the idea of outsiders knowing their business and who have a centuries-old tradition of killing people, yeah¡­ might be just a little risky,¡± Andy said with a laugh.


    ¡°Yeah, a bit,¡± I agreed. ¡°I need to figure out how to minimize risks and maximize positive outcome.¡±


    ¡°What is the positive outcome? I mean, so you meet with these elders or whatever. What are you looking to get out of this?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°On the minimal end, that these guys learn there are others of their kind outside Japan, and maybe they can benefit from being part of a larger community,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°If all that happens is I give them my phone number and tell them to give me a call if they feel a need to talk, well, that¡¯s something. Not much, but it opens the door, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Andy said, doubtful.


    ¡°The next step up from that is that they open up to more dialog immediately. If they can accept that they¡¯re but one nation among a community of Night Children nations, and begin diplomatic relations with us, and presumably Emmy¡¯s parents, then it strengthens our standing among the other Night Children nations, too,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not seeing much of a benefit for you potentially risking your life,¡±


    ¡°No, either of those would be positive steps, but baby steps. What I¡¯d really like is for these, um, shinobi, to open up their culture and history to us in exchange for us doing the same for them. We could provide them assistance, economically and politically, and they could give us a piece of the cultural puzzle we didn¡¯t even know was missing, and if we can talk them into coming out of the shadows it would be huge for the whole concept around the world. Also, the gene pool is small enough- and it has to be even smaller for these guys, so maybe new blood all around can help,¡± I explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s all pretty, um, nebulous,¡± Andy said. ¡°You need to go to the meeting with specific goals.¡±


    ¡°For sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°If there even is going to be a meeting.¡±


    Andy and I got lunch at a little place just off the main street on the way back to the hotel. Looking at the little hole in the wall, I was a little bit dubious. ¡°You know I¡¯m not a fan of seafood, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, man, did you come to the wrong country then,¡± Andy joked. ¡°But the sign says yakitori. That¡¯s grilled chicken, and usually they won¡¯t have any kind of seafood.¡±


    I followed him in and and we sat down at the small bar separating the few tables from the kitchen area, which was mostly taken up by a guy with no hair on his arms grilling little skewers of stuff on a hibachi. Almost all the rest of the seats in the place were taken by guys in business suits.


    ¡°Salarymen,¡± Andy said. ¡°Low to mid-level office workers.¡±


    The waitress was beyond surprised when Andy spoke to her in Japanese, and I saw exactly what Jenna had meant about the blank look people gave at first upon hearing him talk. Once she did recognize that he was, in fact, speaking her language, she got really excited by the fact this big Westerner could actually converse like a civilized person.


    Eventually Andy got our order in, which started off with sak¨¦ for the two of us.


    ¡°House rule- you have to buy drinks to eat here,¡± Andy said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s actually really common. Generally speaking, their attitude towards liquid lunches is a bit behind ours. Ever watch Mad Men? It¡¯s like that. It¡¯s expected.¡±


    ¡°Crazy,¡± I said, shaking my head. I sipped my sak¨¦ while waiting for our grilled items. I had no idea what Andy had ordered, so when the cook dished up four bamboo skewers with chunks of chicken and some kind of potato and laid the plate in front of us, I was pleasantly surprised and a bit dismayed.


    Seeing my expression, Andy laughed. ¡°This is just round one,¡± he said. ¡°You have a lot more coming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± I replied, grabbing a skewer off the little plate.

 Out On The Town

    After a really long lunch Andy and I continued wandering, but this time on side streets which were much more interesting than the main business thoroughfare we¡¯d walked down to get to the Imperial Palace Gardens.


    ¡°This is more like what I remember from when I was a kid,¡± Andy commented as we rubbernecked at all the tiny shops and almost literal holes in the wall from which to buy food. ¡°Busy like this, everybody bustling along¡­ This feels more real to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost a different world from what was the name? Suidi-dori?¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Suido-dori,¡± Andy corrected.


    As we walked we drew plenty of stares, but it wasn¡¯t because Emmy was with us. It was because we were two Western giants out for a stroll in an area that rarely gets foreigners.


    ¡°Lee, I gotta ask,¡± Andy said after we¡¯d walked for maybe forty-five minutes. ¡°Were you serious when you said you¡¯ve stabbed eight or nine guys?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s stop at one of these little bars,¡± I suggested. ¡°One where nobody can understand a word of English.¡±


    ¡°That should be easy in this neighborhood,¡± Andy said. ¡°How about that one over there?¡±


    We entered the narrow alley lined with tiny little bars and take-out food stalls, heading to the bar that Andy had suggested.


    ¡°Why this one?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The name means ¡®killer wave¡¯, or maybe ¡®unstoppable force¡¯, depending on how you use it,¡± Andy explained with a laugh as we descended the narrow stairway from the street.


    The place was small, but surprisingly chic. The decor was all low indirect lights, pale varnished wood, and vocal jazz on the stereo. As for seating, there was a row of seats along the bar, which ran the (short) length of the place, and four little two-seat tables, the farthest couple of which were unoccupied. The few patrons and bar staff stared in amazement at us as we settled down at the last table, but when the waitress brought a picture menu Andy waved it off and ordered for us from the Japanese menu there at the table, again surprising people with his Japanese fluency.


    A few minutes later the waitress set down a plate of baguette slices and a cheese selection, then our drinks. I had no idea what Andy had ordered for me, but it came in a highball glass with a single giant ice cube and was alarmingly Windex blue. Andy¡¯s drink was some sort of fruity-looking thing in a martini glass, and honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure which was less appealing.


    I was surprised at the blue nightmare of a drink, though- it wasn¡¯t bad at all. A bit sweeter than I preferred, but not too bad. The main note was citrus, but with some other flavors I couldn¡¯t identify giving it a complex finish.


    ¡°So, Andy, the truth is that I haven¡¯t actually stabbed eight or nine people. At least¡­ four, I guess, I killed with my bare hands. I only used a knife on four or five of them,¡± I said.


    ¡°How can you be unsure of the actual numbers?¡± he asked, appalled.


    ¡°Well, the very first guy was the one who gave me this,¡± I said, pointing at my scar. ¡°He was getting ready to slice Emmy up in an alley in San Francisco when I kicked the hell out of him. He dropped the knife, I picked it up and stabbed him in the gut. His pal was slow to react, and by the time he dropped Emmy, I hit him like a freight train. I just punched and kicked him until he was knocked out, and he died later from his injuries.¡±


    ¡°Two armed dudes in a freaking alley,¡± Andy breathed, amazed.


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t even give it a moment¡¯s thought. I saw those guys were going to harm Emmy- Hell, they did harm her, but they were going to do much worse. So I just went at ¡®em full speed ahead and didn¡¯t stop until they were down,¡± I said. ¡°It took me a while to, well, to accept what I¡¯d done, and this sounds really bad- and I guess it is- but after a while I realized that I didn¡¯t regret what I¡¯d done. And seriously, that bothered me for a while, but again, not as much as I would have thought.¡± I sipped from my blue drink, then continued. ¡°Those two guys got what they deserved. They grabbed Emmy off the street and beat her up and were gonna mutilate her, after all. So yeah, it didn¡¯t wind up bothering me much at all afterwards. I don¡¯t think that makes me a psycho or anything, because I don¡¯t display any of the other traits associated with that condition. I¡¯m just, um, morally pragmatic or something.¡±


    ¡°When you say ¡®mutilate¡¯, what do you mean?¡± Andy asked, stunned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve met Jassie, Michael¡¯s daughter, have you? No, probably not. Well, when she was just little- five or six years old, something like that, she somehow angered the same guy that had the knife in San Francisco, and he had his guy hold her down while he used his knife to carve his name into the skin of her back. He carved ¡®Property of Marfan¡¯. That was his name.¡±


    ¡°He did what?¡± Andy asked, completely blown away.


    ¡°He was a prince of the Night Children, and by their shitty old customs he was within his rights. As soon as Jassie was healed enough, Michael ran away with her and came all the way to California to get away from the asshole,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Where did this happen?¡± Andy asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°Um, Ankara, I think, or maybe Istanbul. Turkey, anyway. So I¡¯d seen little Jassie¡¯s scars on her back, and when I saw the one guy holding Emmy up so the other could carve her back with his knife, I was all in,¡± I said.


    ¡°This girl Jessie, she¡¯s gonna have to live with that reminder her whole life?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Jassie. No, we had a plastic surgeon fix her up. She still has a bit of scarring, but you can¡¯t tell it was writing or even if it was intentional anymore. Now it just looks as if she had some kind of accident or something. Maybe when she¡¯s done growing she can go though another round to clean it up a bit,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, the knife that Marfan dropped and I gutted him with? The same blade he¡¯d used on Jassie. So, no freaking regrets on that one,¡± I said, helping myself to a bit of brie on a little slice of warm bread.


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a story,¡± Andy said, leaning back, unconsciously mirroring my posture.


    ¡°So the next few guys,¡± I said, sipping the blue drink that I was coming to actually enjoy. ¡°It was in Vancouver. I had some Night Children business up there, and this local asshole who thought he was a big shot was harassing our people. I¡¯d told him to leave in peace, but instead he killed my local guy and kidnapped Grace.¡±


    ¡°Your, um, foster daughter Grace?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Yeah. So he said to meet him at this old abandoned sawmill place. As it turns out, he¡¯d been in contact with Prince Marfan¡¯s dad back in Turkey, and that guy and a handful of his goons had come to ambush us. We were better prepared than they expected, and we took out their lookouts, then went in. The guy, Rahsett? Him I punched in the throat and then kicked in the head. He choked to death, unconscious. King Marfan¡¯s main bodyguard thought he could take me in a knife fight. He couldn¡¯t.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°You say that so, well, casually,¡± Andy said, his mind still boggled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve met Grant, Emmy¡¯s bodyguard, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Really big Night Child dude?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s Jeremy, or Tiny, people call him. No, he¡¯s mostly just a decoy. Grant is the older white guy, looks like an ex-Marine,¡± I replied, signaling to the bartender for another Blue Nightmare.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve met him. I didn¡¯t realize he was Emmy¡¯s bodyguard, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea. Tiny is so obvious, he takes the bad guys¡¯ attention, right? Well, Grant is the real thing, and by remaining unobtrusive he can head things off early,¡± I explained. ¡°And yeah, he is an ex-Marine. He was a hand-to-hand combat instructor for a long time, and also used to work the embassy protective thing, so he knows all about being a bodyguard. He¡¯s the one that taught me how to fight with a knife, and to be a killer,¡± I said, stopping when the waitress brought our second round. ¡°He said something interesting about me. He said it¡¯s really rare for people to be able to shift into fight mode on demand, and he said I can do that. He also said that it¡¯s much rarer for people to be able to shift out of fight mode again when things calm down, and I can do that, too. Rarest of all, he said, are people who can do both, and keep those aspects separated. Apparently, I¡¯m the one in a thousand or whatever the exact number is.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can believe that,¡± Andy admitted. ¡°Of anybody I know, I can believe that about you.¡±


    ¡°The military intelligence special forces weapons instructor I worked with in Singapore said something very similar. He said that if it came down to a knife fight between me and him, he¡¯d run away, because I was the kind of person who would make sure he was dead, no matter what it cost me. So-¡±


    ¡°You worked with a Singapore special forces weapons instructor,¡± Andy said, his tone not exactly disbelieving, but certainly indicating I¡¯d reached his limit of accepting wild stories.


    ¡°A guy named Mr Han. Grant introduced us. I guess they¡¯d done missions together or something. Grant thought I could learn from the guy, and he was right. I¡¯m scheduled to go back for more training next year.¡±


    ¡°Lee, this is all so crazy,¡± Andy said, shaking his head. ¡°I mean, crazy enough with the shin- the people you met here,¡± Andy said, looking around to make sure nobody was listening. ¡°But this whole thing about you being a trained, um, assassin? That¡¯s so over-the-top crazy that it makes my head spin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been training for years with some of the hardest guys you could ever meet,¡± I told him. ¡°I mean, real serious fighters and killers. And like I said, it turns out I have a natural talent at these things,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, we all have things we¡¯re good at, right?¡±


    ¡°You know my buddy Darius, right? He¡¯s been over to your house a couple of times,¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°Of course. Did he ever tell you that my friend Teddy Bear and I bumped into him and another couple of your teammates one night on Hollywood Boulevard?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, he told me all about it. He said you took the three of them to some bar and grill in Los Feliz for grilled cheese sandwiches and thousand dollar whiskey shots,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°It was Silver Lake, and the shots weren¡¯t that expensive- that was the price of the bottles,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yeah, well, Steve Kalani and Aaron Brown haven¡¯t stopped talking about that night. You impressed the hell out of them. I think their idea of class changed from bottles of Cristal at a strip club to glasses of whiskey at a Silver Lake dive bar. You know they¡¯ve been back there a few more times, and they¡¯ve dragged some of the other guys with ¡®em? But Darius, and this is kinda funny¡­ Well, let me back up a bit,¡± Andy said, taking a drink from his raspberry martini or whatever it was. ¡°So, like, everybody on the team knows I know Emmy and thinks she¡¯s married to my cousin- that¡¯s you, right? So at spring training camp the other day the subject came up in the locker room, and like a lot of shit that gets said in the locker room, the topic of how great it would be to spend a night with Emmy gets tossed out, you know? Well, when Case said that around Dar, Dar point blank told him that his life would be worth nothing if he ever put the moves on Emmy. Emmy¡¯s wife- that¡¯s you, of course- would bury him in a hole in the desert and he¡¯d never be found. When somebody asked him what he meant, Steve K just said that they would understand if they ever met you, and Darius just nodded.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right. So Case asks what Darius meant, and he just said that you were a real freaking serious person that any sane man would not fuck with. Steve says something like, ¡®Bro, you would just know. She¡¯s cool and all,¡¯¡± he says, ¡°¡®But you get the feeling that she¡¯s already figured out how to kill you if she has to.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Steve? He¡¯s big and strong, but not all that fast. I¡¯d take out his knee first, then a quick roundhouse kick to the head. After that it¡¯s just be a matter of finishing him off,¡± I said with as straight a face as I could muster. ¡°Easy peasy.¡±


    The look of shock on Andy¡¯s faced was quickly replaced by mirth as he laughed out loud, spilling his drink. ¡°Shit!¡± he said grabbing his napkin to wipe up the mess. ¡°You did that on purpose!¡± Andy complained.


    The waitress hurried over to help clean up the mess. Andy had pretty much gotten it all, as minimal as it really was. Andy spoke to her briefly and maybe a minute later she brought us a couple of Cokes.


    ¡°I figured we should maybe detox for a round,¡± he explained.


    Our conversation turned to lighter matters as we speculated on how large a shipping container we¡¯d need to send all the stuff our better halves (or two thirds, in my case) were probably buying.


    ¡°Ange was all hot and bothered to go to this one street that¡¯s famous for having nothing but stores that sell kitchen stuff,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not like our kitchen lacks anything, but I didn¡¯t get the impression that matters much at all,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s even worse is that you have three houses to buy kitchen stuff for,¡± Andy said. ¡°So anything she sees and likes, she¡¯ll buy three of.¡±


    ¡°Oh, man,¡± I groaned. ¡°Well, maybe only two, since the London place isn¡¯t built out yet. But it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if she wants to come back for another round of shopping after the penthouse is finished.¡±


    ¡°When Jenna and Angie get together, look out,¡± Andy commiserated, his shoulders slumping in exaggerated despair. ¡°Em isn¡¯t much of a shopper, is she?¡±


    ¡°I think growing up with unlimited money kinda changes your attitude on it,¡± I said. ¡°If she wants something, she just buys it. She doesn¡¯t shop in the sense of comparing prices or hunting for deals, you know? For her, if she sees something she likes it doesn¡¯t occur to her to even ask how much it is, because it just doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Andy said. ¡°So for her there¡¯s no, um¡­ thrill in shopping? I don¡¯t know if thrill is the right word, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I know what you mean,¡± I assured him. ¡°And yeah, I guess that¡¯s one way to put it. Having stuff doesn¡¯t matter to her since she¡¯s always had plenty of stuff.¡±


    ¡°I gotta say, it is really nice not having any actual money worries,¡± Andy said, leaning back in his low seat, more like a one-person couch than a normal bar chair. ¡°You know how it was when we were kids. We neither of us, neither of our families, really ever had much money. I know you worked a couple of jobs in high school, and I worked in construction after school and in the summers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember,¡± I agreed. ¡°At least you had a truck. I had to take the city bus.¡±


    ¡°I loved that truck,¡± Andy said with a far-off look in his eyes. ¡°It was a total POS, but I loved it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever happened to it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The timing chain failed and the engine ate itself in my sophomore year at USC. By then I was working at a better-paying part-time job¡­ You know how it is, the jobs the boosters give the good players? I could afford something newer, so I got a Toyota Tacoma. Sold that when I got drafted by the Rams,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°I¡¯d always heard rumors that the star basketball and football players got fake jobs,¡± I said.


    ¡°What can I say?¡± Andy said with a smirk. ¡°I think I calculated it out at one point and it worked out to be a bit less than two hundred bucks an hour for what really should have been a minimum wage job.¡±


    ¡°Nobody gets those jobs playing volleyball,¡± I groused.


    ¡°They will when volleyball brings in the big money for the school,¡± Andy said, enjoying ribbing me.


    Eventually we finished our drinks and left, still getting curious stares from the locals. We walked back to the hotel taking a meandering route down any interesting street or alley until we found ourselves back in the Tokyo Dome City area.


    Andy pulled out his phone and texted Jenna, who said they were still out shopping and having a great time.


    ¡°Hey, I saw that they have a bowling alley here- wanna roll a few frames?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°If you want a good laugh,¡± I said. ¡°I have bowled exactly once in my life.¡±


    ¡°I might have you beat by maybe three times,¡± Andy said. ¡°But so what if we both suck? It¡¯s just an excuse to drink and wear cool shoes, right?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I said with a shrug.


    That¡¯s exactly what it turned out to be. The bowling alley¡¯s bar was actually really good, and the more Andy and I drank, the better we both got- or at least, the better we thought we got. We wound up getting into a friendly competition with the couple playing the next lane over, who were both fascinated by the fact that Andy could actually speak Japanese. They beat us soundly, but it was a lot of silly fun anyway.


    Eventually we stumbled our way up to our suite to relax for a bit before the girls got back from their shopping trip.

 Doing Touristy Things

    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Emmy asked, still in her Pink Girl disguise. Jenna and Angela followed her into the suite. After them came Grant and Tiny, rapidly filling the suite¡¯s living room with people.


    ¡°Oh, hey!¡± Andy said, looking up from the floor.


    ¡°Why are you two half naked?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Sit-up contest,¡± I said from my spot on the floor near Andy.


    ¡°Of course- because that¡¯s exactly what it looks like,¡± Jenna said with a laugh.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± Grant said, setting down his load of shopping bags on the counter and indicating to Tiny that he should do the same.


    ¡°How many sit-ups have you done?¡± Angela asked after the two guys left.


    ¡°We were up to seventy-two,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Only seventy-two? Is that all?¡± Angela demanded, her hands on her hips.


    ¡°Well, we did just do a ton of pushups,¡± I said.


    ¡°And drank a lot,¡± Andy added.


    Emmy smiled in amusement as Jenna shook her head in mock disappointment.


    ¡°Can¡¯t leave you two alone for even a minute,¡± Jenna said.


    Giving up on the sit-ups, I stood and kissed Emmy and Angela. ¡°How was shopping?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought you guys would¡¯ve bought a lot more than just that,¡± I said, indicating the heap of shopping bags on the table, getting a laugh from Jenna.


    ¡°Oh, no, we bought a lot more,¡± Emmy said, and Angela agreed. ¡°The hotel staff is loading the rest into large boxes to be shipped back to Los Angeles with all the touring equipment.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I admitted. ¡°How large a box are we talking?¡±


    ¡°Large,¡± Angela said, emphasizing the word. ¡°Boxes,¡± she added.


    ¡°What did I tell you?¡± Andy asked me, and all I could do was groan in dismay.


    We all had dinner at the top floor restaurant that night, since the girls were in no mood to go back out again. At first it seemed strange to have Italian food in Tokyo, but then, why not in Tokyo? We have Italian food in Los Angeles, after all, and that isn¡¯t any more Italy than Tokyo is, right?


    Jenna, Angela and Emmy talked about their day shopping, sharing stories of the many shops in Kappa-something Town, which wasn¡¯t really a town at all, but just one street. They talked about the colorful carved wooden bowls, the shop that had the largest selection of different kinds of kitchen knives they¡¯d ever seen, and so on. I¡¯ll admit that I was still feeling a bit buzzed from all the alcohol that Andy and I had consumed over the course of the day so I had a hard time paying much attention, but that didn¡¯t seem to matter at all. Andy and I weren¡¯t really all that necessary as far as the conversation went, so the two of us just asked questions every now and then or made vague approval noises, and that was good enough.


    Soaking in the tub with Emmy that night while Angela (who had lost our Rochambeau contest) took her shower, I found myself holding her tight and kissing her behind her ear.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you guys had a good time today,¡± I said.


    ¡°It seems as if you and Andy did, too,¡± Emmy replied, angling her head to give me better access.


    ¡°We did,¡± I agreed. ¡°We went to the old imperial palace gardens and saw all the ancient fortifications, and that was cool. Then we just sort of wandered around off the beaten path, you know?¡±


    ¡°Have I told you how happy it makes me to see you and Andy getting along so well? After hearing about how you were such good friends when you were kids, but then drifting apart¡­ Now you are back to really good friends, and that is¡­ I am just very glad you have somebody like him,¡± Emmy said, laying her head back on my shoulder.


    ¡°I am, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°It sounds stupid, but I hadn¡¯t realized how much I missed him, you know?¡±


    Emmy sat up and turned around in the tub to face me. She took my hands in hers and held them up to her lips, kissing them several times.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said. ¡°Angela and I love you, you know that. We love you so much it hurts sometimes. But we know that we cannot be everything for you. You need Andy. You need Donny, and your driving friends. Angela and I, we like it when you spend time with your friends. Do not ever feel guilty about taking time away from us. Never feel guilty.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, and I could feel tears welling up. I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve such love, but I was grateful to whatever fate had decided to put this beautiful woman in my life.


    I fell asleep quickly that night, sleeping in the middle for once. Emmy and Angela were snuggled up on either side, making me a little too warm, but I wouldn¡¯t trade the feeling away for anything.


    Stephanie had arranged a Mt Fuji tour for the next day, so eighteen of us piled into a bus first thing in the morning for the drive. We¡¯d been warned there was hiking to do, so we all had comfortable shoes and clothes appropriate for the cool and rainy weather. Our tour guide warned us that the views might not be great because of low clouds, but nobody bowed out because of that.


    When the bus got moving the guide announced it was going to be a two and a half hour drive, which prompted some groans, but it didn¡¯t take long for Jackson to rope Lee and Emmy (and a couple of the touring musicians) into a sing-along.


    Soon enough phones began to appear to record the proceedings, but of course that didn¡¯t bother any of the band at all. After posting the a cappella version of ¡®Money Can¡¯ to her social media, Angela leaned against my side with a sigh.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, resting my hand on her leg. ¡°You doing O.K.?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am,¡± she replied.


    ¡°So what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Well, you know I, um, came out on my socials when we were in Singapore, right?¡± Angela asked. ¡°I posted that I was in love with you and Em- remember that?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. ¡°I was really proud of you. You know that.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she agreed. ¡°And mostly, people have been good. Sure, a few post some negative stuff about me, and you and Em, but those posts mostly get drowned by other replies calling them out for being homophobic assholes, so I don¡¯t let them get to me.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    ¡°I really hate it when people accuse me of¡­ of just being with you guys for the money. Like my post from yesterday about shopping on Kappabashi. All I did was post some pictures of a few of the shops, and one of me with a bunch of shopping bags, and a little reel of Em, Jenna and me walking down the street. Just simple stuff, you know? But a bunch of comments said that I would never be able to travel and spend money like I do without Emmy¡¯s money. Like I¡¯m somehow taking advantage of her,¡± Angela said, her shoulders slumping.


    ¡°You know who doesn¡¯t think that?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Everyone who actually knows you and cares for you,¡± I told her. ¡°And I don¡¯t just mean Em and me. Do you think Jenna or Andy believes you¡¯re with us for the money? Or your parents?¡±


    ¡°No, I know they don¡¯t,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°How about the Saturday crew? Or the Porsche club folks?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe some of the guys in the Porsche club do, but I don¡¯t think any of the driving guys do,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°The driving guys- they all love you,¡± I said. ¡°But you know what? Everybody that actually knows you does love you. Those are the people who actually matter, babe. None of those assholes online matter in any way at all.¡±


    Angela squeezed my hand. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. There was nothing else for me to say, so I just held her, hoping she could feel the love I was feeling for her.


    The bus finally arrived at our destination, a collection of cafes, gift shops and the like at the trailhead.


    There was only one other bus in the parking lot, no doubt a result of the inclement weather. We wandered around the nearly empty tourist area, then out to a viewing platform. I¡¯m sure it would have been amazing- if we could have actually seen anything besides drizzle and clouds.


    The Shinto shrine was beautiful, and pretty much deserted except for a few of us from our tour. We took some photos, enjoying the stillness of the place.


    Wandering around, I was pleased to see the signage was in English as well as Japanese. The map indicated it was a serious hike to the top of the volcano- clearly not on the agenda for that day, but something I¡¯d like to do at some point in the future. ¡®On a nice, sunny day¡¯, I promised myself.


    Eventually we all piled back into the bus for the forty-five minute drive to a pretty little lake where we had lunch at a restaurant that made a point of traditional Japanese food. They seemed appalled when I asked to have non-seafood dishes, but the udon with fried tofu was excellent, so I had no complaints.


    After lunch we boarded a fake Western-style pirate ship for a scenic cruise around the lake. Thankfully the weather had cleared up by this time and we got the great views of the mountain we hadn¡¯t been able to see when we were actually halfway up the slope.


    The lakeshore was dotted with those Shinto temple gate things. Except for them and a few other scattered structures, the lake was surrounded by forests covering the slopes of the hills forming the lake valley. It amazed me that a small country with a high population density like Japan could still have such open, undeveloped spaces, and I was very glad that it did.


    After the cruise we rode a gondola up a tramway (they called it a ¡®ropeway¡¯) to a viewing station on top of the largest peak next to the lake. From on top we could see the lake, the hills, and the ocean off in the distance. Facing the other way we got to see Mt Fuji in all its conical glory, the top still covered in snow. It was pretty, but to be honest, not enough to justify the pain in the ass of having built the tramway to begin with.


    We were looking down at the lake when my phone rang, to my surprise. The caller ID showed a Japanese phone number, so I answered it.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hello,¡± came the man¡¯s voice. ¡°This is- we met two days ago in your hotel. My grandfather and I came to speak with Emmy Lascaux.¡±


    ¡°I remember. I also remember that we never exchanged names. My name is Leah, Farmer is my family name,¡± I said, turning away from the wind to make talking easier.


    ¡°I am Oshida. My grandfather is Oshida Touki, and my name is Oshida Hayate.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to officially meet you, Mr Oshida,¡± I said.


    ¡°The honor is mine, Mrs Farmer,¡± he replied.


    ¡°How may I help you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Our council has discussed¡­ They have discussed your position and desire to speak, and agree to meet. They have many questions.¡±


    ¡°I do, too,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ve given it some thought, too, and I think we may have much to offer each other.¡±


    ¡°The council feels that may be the case,¡± Hayate replied. ¡°They think that there may be¡­ opportunities.¡±


    ¡°Are they still located in Iga Province?¡± I asked, taking a gamble.


    Hayate paused a bit longer than one might expect before replying, the line going quiet enough that I was sure I¡¯d been put on mute. ¡°The council¡¯s representatives would be willing to meet you in Tokyo,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°That makes life easy for me, but I will admit that I¡¯m curious about how you¡¯ve maintained your identity for so long. I imagine it¡¯s similar to the way Night Children do in Europe, by secluding themselves in small, isolated villages and living fairly traditional lifestyles. Those who choose to live in cities do so by hiding their nature, as you and your grandfather did when you came to my hotel.¡±


    ¡°I think we will have a lot to speak about,¡± Hayate said, after absorbing my words.


    ¡°We leave Japan in three days,¡± I said. ¡°So this meeting will need to happen soon.¡±


    After a long pause on mute, Hayate said, ¡°Saturday night would be acceptable.¡±


    ¡°How many people will you bring?¡± I asked. ¡°I will bring two others.¡±


    ¡°Four members of the council and myself,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll reserve us a private dining room at my hotel for the eight of us,¡± I said. ¡°Will eight o¡¯clock work for you?¡±


    After a long muted pause, Hayate said, ¡°That is acceptable.¡±


    ¡°Tell the concierge you¡¯re there for dinner with the Farmer party. I¡¯ll arrange everything.¡±


    ¡°This is acceptable,¡± Hayate said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you then,¡± I agreed. We said goodbye and hung up.


    ¡°Well, it looks as if I have my meeting with the local Night Children after all,¡± I told Emmy.


    ¡°Saturday night?¡± she asked. ¡°I will not be able to attend.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you there anyway,¡± I told her. ¡°It could be dangerous, and I don¡¯t want you anywhere near the pointy end of anybody¡¯s knife.¡±


    ¡°You said you would bring two others,¡± Emmy objected. ¡°If not me, then who will you bring?¡±


    ¡°Tiny and Andy,¡± I replied. ¡°Tiny, because he¡¯s obviously a Night Child and is also obviously my guy, and Andy to act as a translator.¡±


    ¡°Andy is O.K. with this?¡± Emmy asked, concerned.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he will be,¡± I replied.


    On the bus ride back to the hotel I dragged Andy back to the rear of the bus, away from everybody else.


    ¡°Hey, the shinobi called me. They want to talk. We¡¯re gonna have dinner on Saturday night. I¡¯d really appreciate it if you could be there,¡± I told him in a low voice when we sat down.


    ¡°Dude, there are all kinds of ways this sounds like a bad idea,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t the Japanese supposed to be big on honor? Wouldn¡¯t a¡­ meeting to talk be some sort of safe ground for all parties?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Um, a big complaint the samurai had about the shinobi, and also why they hired ¡®em, is because they were, as they said, ¡®without honor¡¯. Of course, that was the noble class trash-talking commoners, so take it for what you will, but that was the slam.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, I guess,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But it¡¯s going to be in a somewhat public place, so there¡¯s not much they can do.¡±


    ¡°What public place?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°The restaurant at our hotel. I wanted a place they¡¯d be unable to game, you know? I figured a private room at our hotel¡¯s restaurant would be perfect,¡± I said.


    ¡°They have some sort of way in,¡± Andy cautioned. ¡°They did find out your room number, and I¡¯m sure that isn¡¯t something the front desk volunteers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I agreed. ¡°But bribing a desk clerk or maid is different than planting agents in the hotel security staff.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Andy admitted.

 Hey, Is That Emmy?

    The next day the band had a TV in-studio in the morning, then sound checks in the afternoon before the first of their two shows at the Tokyo Dome. Andy and Jenna had never seen these things before so they tagged along, leaving Angela and me to fend for ourselves until it was time for the show.


    Angela opted for a visit to the hotel¡¯s spa, but I had some things to set up for the meeting the next night. I called down to the front desk and got a reservation for the restaurant on the fourth floor, explaining that I needed a private dining room for a business meeting.


    Once that was arranged, I killed time on work-related emails until the time zone difference allowed for the phone call I needed to make.


    ¡°Leah, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?¡± The smooth, rich baritone on the other end asked.


    ¡°Something has come up, and I think it¡¯s important for you to know about,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is the princess O.K?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Emmy¡¯s fine. This isn¡¯t about her- it¡¯s Night Children business.¡±


    ¡°Yes? How can I help?¡± Mr Lascaux asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you something completely unbelievable, but true. You know we¡¯re here in Tokyo, finishing up the Asian leg of the tour, right? Well, some local Night Children came looking to talk to Emmy.¡±


    ¡°More of your ¡®strays¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the crazy part. They aren¡¯t strays. They¡¯re, um, well, they have their own culture here. They¡¯ve been here a thousand years or something like that. I don¡¯t think they speak anything but Japanese. They¡¯d never heard the term ¡®Night Children¡¯ and didn¡¯t understand about Emmy being moon-kissed. They said they¡¯d never seen any light-haired people like themselves before,¡± I explained.


    ¡°We have no people in Asia,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad protested.


    ¡°So everybody thought, but here they are. And you know what¡¯s funny? I think they were the real ninjas,¡± I said.


    ¡°You say they came to talk to the princess? These Japanese Night Children?¡±


    ¡°I think mostly because they¡¯d seen her on TV or magazines or something and wanted to see if she was like them. They had no idea there were any people with their traits anywhere outside their secret enclaves, so when they saw her image they had no idea what to make of it,¡± I told him. ¡°And like I said, they didn¡¯t understand her white hair."


    ¡°This is remarkable,¡± Mr Lascaux said, his voice thoughtful. ¡°How did they react when they saw ¨¦meraude?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t. I kept her away from them. I told them I was the one they needed to speak to. I did have Emmy¡¯s bodyguard, Jeremy, put in an appearance so they could see him.¡±


    ¡°The big man,¡± Mr Lascaux said, knowing who I meant.


    ¡°Seeing him knocked their socks off. They couldn¡¯t take their eyes off him. They recognized he was like them, but at the same time, wasn¡¯t from their community. He was proof that there were more out there in the world,¡± I said.


    ¡°Incredible.¡±


    ¡°I explained that I was the queen of the North American Night Children, and that we had much to discuss. The two I met went back and talked with their ruling council, and tomorrow night four of them are going to meet with me over dinner,¡± I said.


    ¡°Be very careful. They are probably very dangerous,¡± Mr Lascaux cautioned.


    ¡°If half the stories about the shinobi- that¡¯s the ninjas- are true, then yes, I¡¯d expect them to be very dangerous. The thing is, I think that they might have far more to gain from dialogue than from violence. Still, I¡¯m making sure that Emmy is safely away from where the meeting will be happening.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect will come of this dialogue?¡± Mr Lascaux asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to lay out the case that hiding is no longer a viable path, and that if we all stand together and show the world we have always been here and deserve our place at the table we''re in a much stronger position than we have been. I¡¯m going to offer any help I can towards this end. I¡¯m also going to try to find out more about how they wound up so cut off from the rest of us for so long, and how they¡¯d lost the old culture. One possibility that occurred to me is that they might not actually be Night Children like the rest, but maybe evolved separately. Obviously I can¡¯t test for that tomorrow night, but it¡¯s an idea to explore, I guess,¡± I said.


    ¡°I suppose that is possible,¡± Mr Lascaux admitted.


    ¡°So I have a favor to ask,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯d like to video conference you in on the meeting.¡±


    There was a long, thoughtful pause, then Mr Lascaux said, ¡°I will do better than that. I will fly out and attend in person.¡±


    ¡°That would be better,¡± I agreed. ¡°And I know Emmy would be happy to see you. As would I, of course.¡±


    ¡°It is kind of you to say so,¡± he replied. Then, returning to the subject of the meeting, he asked, ¡°Who has been doing the translating?¡±


    ¡°The two that came to the hotel were a guy in his twenties, and his grandfather. The young guy, Hayate Oshida, speaks English. He translated for me and his grandfather. At the meeting tomorrow night I¡¯m going to have my friend Andy Temple translate, too. He speaks Japanese. That way I don¡¯t have to rely on what Hayate might say.¡±


    ¡°Temple? From Fallbrook?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the guy,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Mr Lascaux said, mostly to himself. After a moment of thought, he continued. ¡°It¡¯s four thirty in the afternoon there now, correct? Flight time should be in the thirteen to fourteen hour range, so I will arrive mid-morning tomorrow Tokyo time. The meeting is in the evening- you said dinner. This will give us time.¡±


    ¡°The meeting is scheduled for eight o¡¯clock. I wanted to make sure that Emmy was well away at the concert venue before any local Night Children came to the hotel,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Mr Lascaux said. We spent a few more minutes on the details, and the call was over.


    I had mostly good feelings about Emmy¡¯s dad being there in person at the meeting. On the positive side, two rulers of outside nations at the table would give the locals an impression that the worldwide Night Children community was, to one degree or another, unified. Of course, Emmy¡¯s dad would also be able to ask and field historical questions better than I could, too. As a bonus, he was a very intimidating man on our side of the table if it came down to metaphorical dick measuring, or worse.


    As for the negatives, it was putting the king of the European Night Children in some degree of physical risk, which I wasn¡¯t thrilled about, but I was reasonably sure he could hold his own if it came time to throw down. No, the bigger downside was that I might get sidelined by the locals and Emmy¡¯s dad, and dealt out of any negotiations that might happen. I still wasn¡¯t really sure what I wanted to gain from this meeting, but I was convinced there was some opportunity to be had and I wanted to be the one that took home whatever brass ring there might be.


    I was busy pondering these questions when Angela returned to the suite, pink and glowing from her spa treatment.


    ¡°You look worried,¡± she said as she gave me a kiss.


    ¡°Not worried,¡± I replied. ¡°Concerned, but not worried.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re worried, you¡¯re afraid that things are going to wrong,¡± I said. ¡°When you¡¯re concerned, you¡¯re evaluating possibilities that might go wrong, but you¡¯re evaluating them instead of just being afraid of them,¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Angela said, dubious.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m thinking about the ways that the meeting with the shinobi could go wrong, and I¡¯m making plans on how to ensure they don¡¯t. I¡¯m concerned, but I¡¯m not worried.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you aren¡¯t afraid of anything,¡± Angela said, wedging herself between me and the table to sit on my lap. ¡°You¡¯re the ferocious tiger queen, used to intimidating or destroying anything in your path. But Lee, if it¡¯s true that these guys really are ninjas, your tiger approach might not work. They succeed by sneaking, right? Not by direct attack. So you need to be ready to deal with sneaky things.¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Tiger queen,¡± I chuckled. ¡°But no, I know you¡¯re right, and that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking about. I¡¯ve been trying to imagine how they could use sneakery to gain an advantage, and so far I¡¯ve come up with a few. You know what my biggest concern is? The danger to you and Emmy, and maybe any others nearby. What if the shinobi plan on using the meeting to distract me while they make a run on Emmy? That¡¯s why I want you to go with Em to the arena early tomorrow, where the two of you will be surrounded by security guys that Grant knows personally. Of course, he¡¯ll be there, too. That way I¡¯ll know you¡¯re safe.¡±


    ¡°But what about you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°There will be five of them, four presumably elders who might not be that great in a fight, but I wouldn¡¯t discount ''em. We¡¯ll have five of us, and at least two and a half of us will be ready to dance if negotiations break down. I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°Two and a half?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Me, Emmy¡¯s dad, and Tiny. I really don¡¯t know how good Tiny would actually be in a fight, but he¡¯s got size and strength, so he¡¯s intimidating.¡±


    ¡°He is intimidating-looking,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°So my concern is how to keep the meeting site sterile,¡± I continued. ¡°I made sure that I specified the place and that it was in a location they¡¯re unlikely to have any agents, and also difficult to flee from if they make a dash. That was step one. Step two is making damned certain that they don¡¯t get anybody in place before dinnertime tomorrow. Actually, step zero is making sure that you and Emmy are well away and secure before they even show up. Step three¡­ that¡¯s the one I¡¯m still working on,¡± I admitted. ¡°I wish Michael and the guys were here already.¡±


    ¡°Michael is coming?¡± Angela asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, and he¡¯s bringing three of our heaviest hitters, too. They¡¯ll be here first thing in the morning. I¡¯ve got to figure out how to get them knives, though¡­¡±


    Sighing, Angela leaned against me. ¡°You might not be worried, but I am,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you have help coming. With your paramilitares and Emmy¡¯s father¡¯s, you should be ready for anything, but remember- ninjas are very sneaky.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, that thought is never very far from my mind.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the show tonight, right?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. ¡°I want to see a whole arena filled with wannabe Emmys. It¡¯s gonna be crazy.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t all be like that,¡± Angela scoffed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t,¡± I agreed. ¡°But if there¡¯s even a hundred, that¡¯s still wild.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it would be,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°Do you want to go to the arena early to people-watch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess that would be cool, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I agreed.


    Angela and I spent well over an hour enjoying the late afternoon in the large plaza out in front of the Tokyo Dome, which was positively swarming with people. A lot of them were there for the area¡¯s other attractions, but the number of people wearing Downfall merch, and of course all the cosplaying wannabe Emmys were a dead giveaway that the concert was a really big deal.


    Quite a few of the girls in black makeup asked for pictures with Angela and me- they clearly knew who we were, but most were respectful of our personal space and privacy.


    Deciding to grab a bite to eat at the food court before going in the venue, we spotted a familiar pink wig in the crowd.


    ¡°Is that Em?¡± Angela asked as we made our way to the figure, who was talking to some girls dressed as Emmy.


    When we got closer, the girl we were staring at turned our way and we could see that it wasn¡¯t Emmy at all, even though she had the same pink wig and pink mirrored sunglasses as Emmy had been wearing.


    ¡°That outfit- that was what Emmy had on yesterday,¡± Angela breathed in amazement.


    ¡°It looks as if Emmy¡¯s disguise has been busted,¡± I agreed.


    The girl spotted us at about that same moment and rushed over to where we were staring at her in amazement.


    ¡°Leah and Angela, ne?¡± she asked. Apparently, ¡®and¡¯ was about the limit of her English, but that was O.K. We understood what she wanted when she called a friend over to have her picture taken with us, and we were fine with posing for photos. Of course, all her Emmy-cosplaying friends posed for pictures too, but again, they were all very polite about it, making me wonder about the horror stories the people at the hotel had been telling. As crazy as these girls might appear, all of them that we interacted with had been very polite and not pushy at all. Of course, Angela and I weren¡¯t Emmy, so it might be different for her¡­


    After our dinners of Japanese curry and fried chicken, we made our way to the security entrance on the side of the Dome to get our passes and go backstage.


    Spotting Jenna and Andy there in the hospitality suite along with all the usual suspects, I sat down on the ugly plaid couch with them after kissing Emmy hello.


    ¡°Enjoying your taste of the rock and roll lifestyle?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s seriously nothing but hurry up and wait,¡± Andy moaned. ¡°I mean, seeing how the sausages are made¡­¡±


    ¡°At least lunch was really good,¡± Jenna said.


    ¡°Did you guys watch the sound check?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but Jesus, was that boring. Two freaking hours of ¡®check, check, check¡¯, and then a guitar riff or chunk of bass line or whatever, before the sound guys even asked for a whole song to be played!¡± Andy complained.


    ¡°It makes it seem like it might be¡­ oh, I don¡¯t know¡­ work, maybe?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A lot of work. And at the TV studio earlier, it was over an hour and a half of setup for four songs! The actual interview part was maybe twenty minutes, tops. The guys were in such a rush to get everything packed and back here¡­ And Stephanie! She¡¯s like some sort of drill sergeant or something!¡± Andy said, then leaned his head back. ¡°I swear, I¡¯m glad all I have to do is play football.¡±


    ¡°Andy told me that Stephanie went to high school with you guys, but you weren¡¯t that close, right?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve seen her at your house a couple of times, but¡­¡±


    I was just about to explain our convoluted history when Jen came over to say hi.


    ¡°Jen!¡± Jen said. ¡°You enjoying life in the entourage?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Jenna,¡± Jenna replied. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? I haven¡¯t seen you all day!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel like doing any of that shit today, so I just chillaxed back at the hotel,¡± Jen said with a shrug. ¡°I mean, you see it once, you¡¯ve seen it a hundred times.¡± Turning to me, she asked, ¡°Am I right?¡±


    ¡°No lie,¡± I agreed, high fiving the hand she held out.


    ¡°So¡­ You know there¡¯s no official afterparty tonight, right? So I was thinking¡­ There¡¯s a bar I think we should hit up after the show,¡± Jen said, looking both hopeful and mischievous at the same time.


    ¡°No bar for me, thanks,¡± Andy said, waving his hand as if to ward her off. ¡°My liver is still recovering from a couple of days ago.¡±


    ¡°Well, big guy, that¡¯s just fine, because you weren¡¯t invited. But your lovely wife here most certainly is,¡± Jen said, resting her hand on Jenna¡¯s knee. ¡°You see, it¡¯s a ¡®no boys¡¯ type of bar.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Jenna asked, not even bothering to correct the ¡®wife¡¯ thing. ¡°Like, a lesbian bar here in Tokyo?¡±


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ A,¡± Jen replied with a nod. ¡°You down?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never actually been to a lesbian bar,¡± Jenna said. ¡°What are they like?¡±


    ¡°Dude, they¡¯re all different. Most are just normal bars, you know, but with no guys offering to buy you a drink. Instead, it¡¯s other chicks. Some are dance clubs, some are wine bars¡­ But they¡¯re a dying breed. Like, they¡¯ve almost all gone out of business,¡± Jenna answered.


    ¡°If you can talk Emmy and Angela into it, I¡¯d be up for it,¡± I told Jen.


    ¡°Emmy told me to talk to you,¡± Jen said with a little laugh. ¡°And Angela will go along with whatever the two of you want to do.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Jenna asked Andy.


    ¡°Why would I mind?¡± he asked. ¡°Just don¡¯t, like, switch teams or anything, alright? I¡¯ve signed you to a franchise contract.¡±


    ¡°I would never,¡± Jenna said with a smile, leaning over to give him a kiss.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m O.K with straight people,¡± Jen said, grimacing. ¡°But do you guys really have to shove it in our faces like that?¡±


    Laughing, Jenna turned and threw a leg over Andy¡¯s lap, climbing up to straddle his legs. She leaned in and gave him a big, long kiss.


    ¡°Eww!¡± Jen said with a laugh.


    All of us WAGs trooped out to the VIP seating area when the ten minute signal was announced. It was my first glimpse of the crowd there in the stadium, and sure enough, there were an astounding number of fans done up with white hair and charcoal-black skin. Of course, most of the audience wasn¡¯t like that, but of the more than fifty thousand fans in attendance there had to be well over a thousand that were.


    When the lights blinked to let everyone know the show would start in a minute, the last stragglers found their seats. Looking around, I was impressed by how orderly and on-time the audience seemed to be, but I guessed that it was just a Japanese thing.


    The house lights dimmed and a single spotlight illuminated a guy standing at the microphone, holding his classic sunburst Stratocaster. He was wearing an interesting getup- a mix of Western and Japanese. He had on those pants that are a bit like a big skirt, but split, samurai-style. He had on a white button-up shirt and tie and a slouchy fedora hat, contrasting with the pants.


    He spoke to the crowd in Japanese, of course, so I couldn¡¯t understand a word, but the crowd loved it. He strummed a chord on his guitar, then picked out a nice, but simple melody, the rest of the band joining in after a few repetitions. As they did, spotlights lit up the other four members. They were dressed a bit less idiosyncratically- they could have been any twenty-something year old guys off the street.


    Their music seemed a bit like a Japanese version of Coldplay, or one of those English bands like that. They were talented, and I enjoyed their set even without understanding the lyrics at all.


    When they finished, I leaned over and asked Andy what they were singing about.


    ¡°The usual, I guess,¡± he replied with a shrug. ¡°The first song was a love song to a girl that went away. The last song was about wishing he was a manga comic hero, if I understood it right,¡± Andy said. ¡°You know, the usual.¡±


    The Downfall set went the way they always do. Sure, it was a great performance, and yeah, the crowd was really into it, but I was kind of over it, even though I¡¯d never say that to Emmy.


    Of course, they just had to finish with ¡®Born To Die¡¯, but even that had lost most of its power over me. It still left Angela in tears, though, and I hated that. I didn¡¯t resent Emmy for writing and singing that song, but it really did a number on Angela every time she heard it. All I could do is wrap my arm around Angela and hug her until the tears stopped.


    ¡°Wow- that was freaking amazing!¡± Jenna said as we stood to head backstage. ¡°That was the best concert I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jen agreed. ¡°Seriously, I¡¯d be a huge fan even if I wasn¡¯t living with Lee.¡±


    ¡°How did you and Lee meet?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Well, it all started with me showing my pussy to Leah there,¡± Jen said with a smirk.


    ¡°What?¡± Jenna asked, not sure she¡¯d heard right.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true. We hadn¡¯t said any more than ten words to each other when Jen flashed me the gash,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Lee has that effect on women,¡± Angela said with a smile.


    "I''ve heard this story," Jenna admitted.


    ¡°You gotta admit,¡± Andy said to Jenna, his arm around her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve dropped your panties for Lee, babe.¡±


    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t for Lee,¡± Jenna protested, and I could practically hear her blushing. ¡°That was for Ange.¡±


    Andy broke out laughing, and after a moment, so did I. ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t go to that lesbian bar after all,¡± Andy joked.

 Carefree, And Careful

    Of course, Jenna did go to the lesbian bar with the rest of us after all. Grant insisted that he and Tiny come along, knowing full well that they wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the bar and would have to find someplace close to hang out and wait while we had our girl fun. As it turns out, there was a typical hetero bar pretty much right next door down the alley, so they managed to get a bite and have a beer or two while waiting for us.


    Standing in front of the place that Jen had picked out for us girls, I could see the look of dismay on the face of Mizuki, our translator. To her credit, she¡¯d been amazing for the last few days, especially with the makeup for Emmy thing, but this outrageous lesbian bar was obviously well outside of her comfort zone.


    The little bar¡¯s frontage was all neon saying ¡°Girls Girls Girls,¡± rainbow flags, and hand-painted signs saying ¡°Ladies Only¡±.


    Following Jen¡¯s lead, the rest of us filed in through the narrow hallway that soon opened into a room not very much larger than the hallway had been. There was a bar with stools along one side and the other side was a series of small booths, just barely big enough for four close friends. Past the end of the bar there were a bunch of small tables, and then a tiny little stage with a big TV screen behind it for karaoke.


    The place was mostly full before we arrived as it was almost midnight on a Friday, so the addition of the seven of us pretty much brought the bar to capacity. There was no way the seven of us could fit in one of the booths, so we crowded around two of the tables near the karaoke stage.


    Like a saloon scene in an old Western movie, the whole place fell into a hush as we entered, all eyes on us. The object of the most attention was Emmy, of course, but that didn¡¯t stop the patrons from eyeballing the rest of us in turn. I was used to it, but I could see that the scrutiny made Jenna and especially Mizuki uncomfortable.


    Jenna sat down with Angela and me, while Emmy, Jen, Mizuki and Trish (one of the backup vocalists) sat at the other table. Almost immediately the star-struck waitress distributed drink menus printed in Japanese and English- apparently the bar got plenty of international customers, and I was happy to discover the the staff all spoke enough English to communicate without Mizuki¡¯s help.


    A few of the other women in the place came over to speak to Emmy, but aside from the bright pink (of course) neon sign that said, ¡°Trust Me, Love Me, Fuck Me,¡± the place didn¡¯t really give off much of a meat market vibe at all.


    After the waitress brought our drinks, Jenna commented that it wasn¡¯t like she imagined a lesbian bar would be like at all. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I imagined,¡± she said, ¡°But this kinda isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°You need to go to the one we went to in Seattle,¡± Angela told her. ¡°It was all pink and lavender and gold inside with murals painted on the walls. It was really nice.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t bad,¡± Jenna protested. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know. I expected dancing, I guess? And maybe, like, Donna Summer on the stereo?¡±


    ¡°I should open a bar like that. Just completely stereotype the Hell out of it, you know? Like you said, nothing but Melissa Etheridge, Indigo Girls and kd lang on the sound system, and all the drinks would be pink and fruity. Oh, and the menu? Nothing but breasts and thighs, and of course, tacos,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± Jenna demanded. ¡°Why tacos¡­ Oh, ha ha ha. Sure, tacos,¡± she said, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°I like tacos,¡± I said, my tone hurt and defensive.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard,¡± Jenna agreed.


    ¡°Tacos are delicious!¡± I continued, and the friendly banter seemed to help Jenna get over her nerves a bit.


    Eventually Trish found her way to the karaoke station, to the cheers of first her table, then the rest of the bar. She scanned through the menu of songs, ultimately settling on one and hitting the button to start.


    ¡°They tried to make me go to rehab,¡± she sang, doing her best to emulate Amy Winehouse¡¯s saucy attitude.


    Of course, the whole bar sang, ¡°No, no, no!¡± when the time came. Also of course, the effect of the song was set off perfectly by the pink Martini that Trish was waving around as she sang- It was the absolutely greatest prop she could have picked.


    When Trish finished, the whole bar clapped and cheered for her. The bartender called out something and most of the patrons besides those sitting at our tables raised their hands, leaving us puzzled.


    ¡°This means she gets a free drink,¡± the waitress explained to our table. ¡°Everybody who like the song hold up their hand and if most people say yes, free drink.¡±


    When it was explained to Trish, she said, ¡°I like the sound of that! Thanks, everyone!¡± she said as she stood to take a bow.


    ¡°Emmy!¡± somebody at the far end of the bar called out. She repeated it, and more of the crowd joined in, including some from our group.


    It took no time at all before the whole bar was chanting her name, so Emmy stood, smiled at the crowd and asked, ¡°What song?¡±


    Women started calling out Downfall songs, but Emmy shook her head. ¡°It would not be right for me to sing my own song,¡± she said, and I could hear people translating for their friends around the bar.


    Emmy made her way to the tiny little stage and looked through the song menu on the computer screen while people called out song suggestions. Finally Emmy found one she liked, and turned to face the crowd.


    The song started out with a simple plucked electric guitar melody, soon joined by a piano that played a complementary line. Emmy sighed into the microphone, then in a breathy voice began. ¡°Nicky¡¯s in the corner, her black coat on,¡± was soft and sultry, and when she sang, ¡°Beautiful girl, stay with me,¡± it was indescribably sexy.


    I didn¡¯t know the song, but when the audience started to sing along with the ¡°stay with me¡± refrain, I sang along, too. When Emmy softly sighed out the last ¡°Stay with me,¡± I can pretty much guarantee there wasn¡¯t a dry pair of panties in the house.


    Accepting the applause, Emmy said, ¡°Arigato Gozaimasu,¡± showing that she¡¯d already picked up more Japanese than I had, to my complete lack of surprise. The bar patrons clamored for another song, but Emmy shook her head and said that she took her turn, and now it was somebody else¡¯s time to sing.


    Of course nobody in their right mind would ever try to follow Emmy De Lascaux, so although Emmy hadn¡¯t intended it, she managed to shut the karaoke down for the rest of our time there.


    A few of the braver ladies there that night came over to ask for selfies. The bravest of all was a young-looking girl who pulled up her top so Emmy could autograph her cute little boobs, which Emmy did with a smile. The girl told Mizuki that she was a big fan of The Downfall, and had tickets for the next night¡¯s show. Emmy told the girl, thanks to Mizuki¡¯s translating back and forth, that she should write down her and her best friend¡¯s names and Emmy would see they got backstage passes.


    The girl (whose name I never actually learned) was probably imagining hot backstage lesbian groupie sex, judging by the shine in her eyes and the flush in her cheeks, but she returned back to her booth and her friends without any further fuss.


    We left after about an hour and a half, all told. I was ready to hit the rack, and I wasn¡¯t the only one. It was late, and I had things to do in the morning.


    ¡°I had a good time,¡± Jenna admitted in the van on the way back to the hotel. ¡°It wasn¡¯t what I expected, but it was nice.¡±


    ¡°Would you go to a lesbian bar again?¡± Jen asked from the seat behind Jenna.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, I think I would. I mean, not by myself, you know? But for, like, a girls¡¯ night out, sure,¡± Jenna answered.


    ¡°Too bad we don¡¯t have any in LA,¡± Jen grumbled. ¡°There¡¯s the Oxtail over in the Valley, but everyone says it¡¯s gonna close soon.¡±


    ¡°We should hit it before it does,¡± Jenna suggested.


    ¡°It¡¯s a date!¡± Jen agreed, and they shook pinkies across the seat back to confirm it.


    I was up early the next morning to use the hotel¡¯s fitness room. Pleased to see a brand new treadmill, I spent an hour putting some virtual miles in. It helped sweat out the previous night¡¯s festivities, and helped bring my focus to the day¡¯s plans.


    Back in the suite, I showered and got dressed without waking Emmy or Angela, then took my laptop out to the living room area to do some research.


    After a couple of hours it was getting close to time to go, so I kissed Emmy and Angela, but only Angela woke. ¡°I¡¯m going to the airport to get the guys,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m back before you two leave for the sound check.¡±


    ¡°O.K.,¡± she mumbled, turning back to snuggle against Emmy.


    At the front desk I told the concierge I was going to need a van to pick up some more hotel guests from the airport, and they had something ready within minutes. All in all, the staff at the hotel had been extremely accommodating, not even raising any objections to my more¡­ non-standard requests. I was sure I was going to be hit with a hefty bill, but that was O.K. as long as they did what I asked, and so far, they had.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It was easy to spot Michael and the others coming through customs, since they were all tall and as black as night, getting quite a few stares from the rest of the people there at Narita Airport.


    They spotted me immediately and we were in the van in no time. I gave the driver an address, and after a little bit of convincing he agreed to stop there before heading back to the hotel.


    Virtually every knife shop that I¡¯d found online specialized in cooking knives of various kinds and styles, but that wasn¡¯t what I wanted for the guys. After quite a bit of digging, I finally found a shop that carried actual daggers, made by hand in the traditional Japanese style. Sure, they also sold swords, but that wasn¡¯t what we were after.


    The unassuming shop¡¯s tinted windows made it hard to see inside from the busy commercial district street outside, and I had no doubt that was intentional. The place had quite a selection of ceremonial swords, both antique and modern, but made in the traditional style.


    After looking at the options, I bought four of the black-finished five inch blades, one for each of the guys. As it turned out, the silk cord wrapping the handles came in four different colors, so the knives were individualized in that respect. I handed Michael the gold one and let the three guys choose who got the purple, green or blue.


    The serious drawback to the traditional hand-forged aspect was the eye-watering price tag- nearly four thousand US dollars each, when all was said and done.


    The ornamental and yet functional design of the blades, along with the fact that the shop¡¯s proprietor asked no questions despite speaking passable English, led me to the suspicion that the typical clientele might be engaged in criminal enterprises and be heavily tattooed¡­ But that was neither here nor there. We got some beautiful and expensive but stunningly sharp daggers, which would do for the meeting. I didn¡¯t truly expect that they would be needed, but still¡­


    Since the driver spoke English we only talked about meaningless things in the van, but when we got the guys checked in I had them gather in our suite¡¯s living room to discuss matters.


    I explained that the blades were theirs to keep after the mission was over as a special reward for this duty, and that seemed to be very well received.


    ¡°We are at your command anyhow,¡± Eddie said, ¡°But thank you. These blades are very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing,¡± I said. ¡°My expectation is that the knowledge that you guys are all armed and ready to rumble will do to keep anything from getting out of hand. The locals just need a peek, just a hint that you¡¯re good to go. If they realize that we¡¯re not going to be intimidated and that we¡¯ll take them down if they try anything, well¡­¡±


    After explaining my plans to the guys I suggested they take naps if they needed to. I wanted them to be sharp by five o¡¯clock, so they should relax and recover from the flight until then.


    ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, try the top floor restaurant,¡± I suggested. ¡°It has surprisingly decent Italian food.¡±


    After Eddie, Jack and Nick left, I sat down with Michael to discuss plans more thoroughly.


    It was about this time that Emmy and Angela made their way out into the living room, showered and dressed to face the day.


    ¡°My queen,¡± Michael said, rising out of his chair.


    ¡°No need for that, Michael,¡± Emmy said, indicating he should sit back down.


    ¡°Em, your dad just texted. They landed about half an hour ago,¡± I said.


    ¡°My father?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    Seeing her confusion, I apologized. ¡°I thought I¡¯d told you he¡¯s coming for tonight¡¯s meeting.¡±


    ¡°No, you did not tell me that,¡± she said, ¡°But I am glad he will be here. Angela and I need to be at the venue by two- will he be here before then?¡±


    ¡°He should be here by lunchtime,¡± I said, glancing at my watch. ¡°Michael and I were just talking about how things should go tonight.¡±


    ¡°Well, we will leave you to it, then,¡± Emmy announced. ¡°We are hungry, so we are going down for breakfast now.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed. ¡°Take Tiny with you,¡± I said.


    Emmy looked as if she were about to object, but then simply said, ¡°We will.¡±


    After they left, I told Michael that my biggest concern for the next twelve hours or so was that the local Night Children may use the meeting as a distraction to go after Emmy.


    ¡°Why do you think they might?¡± he asked.


    ¡°My feeling is that they¡¯re committed to the old ways, and are concerned about her exposure,¡± I said. ¡°My instinct says this will be a peaceful meeting, but I want all the bases covered. I have two- no, three fundamental concerns for the meeting,¡± I told Michael. ¡°The first is that the meeting is a setup. This is why I want us to be overly prepared, and to show strength.¡±


    ¡°I think that, barring very committed foes, we will put up enough of a visual disincentive,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°I hope so. My second concern is that this might all be a waste of time. They may well simply tell us to shove off and not bother them anymore, leaving us no better than we were before,¡± I said.


    ¡°But also no worse,¡± Michael suggested.


    ¡°No, no worse, except for the lost possibilities that we¡¯ll know might exist,¡± I agreed. ¡°The third thing, and I don¡¯t want this to sound bad, but my third concern is that I don¡¯t want to be sidelined by Emmy¡¯s father and the locals. It¡¯s important that this be seen as my meeting. He¡¯s just here as support, not as the main player.¡±


    Michael thought about it for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Yes, I think I understand the ramifications.¡±


    ¡°See, here¡¯s the thing,¡± I said. ¡°This really isn¡¯t about these locals, per se. This is about the other Night Children nations. I want them all to know that it was me, undisputed Queen of North America, who found and brought this previously unknown group into the fold, and that the new guys support my goals. I want to be able to shove my connections in Marfan¡¯s face. Him and the other holdouts like him. I¡¯ve been dangling the idea of actual ambassadors instead of this stupid shitty game of spies in each others¡¯ courts, right? Well, showing to the other rulers that we are actively pursuing our agenda, and these new guys agree with us¡­¡±


    ¡°I have been thinking about it for a while now, and I doubt we have any spies in our midst,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°Oh, I know we do,¡± I countered. ¡°I don¡¯t know who they are, but Emmy¡¯s father has relayed some information from some of his spies about what the other courts know, and they know things that could only have come from someone in our organization. I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s upper-level stuff,¡± I said, staving off Michael¡¯s protests. ¡°But the other courts do know what we¡¯re doing in a general way. According to Mr Lascaux¡¯s intel, at least two of the other courts are watching with great interest. Ultimately, the smaller nations will fall in line with whatever the two biggest do, but we¡¯re shaking things up like nobody has before. So the fact that there are spies actually helps us, in a way.¡±


    Michael exhaled, then nodded. ¡°I still don¡¯t like the idea,¡± he said.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± I agreed. ¡°This is why I wish the nations would get their heads out of their asses and send legit representatives for actual dialogue, not this stupid hints and innuendos bullshit. But this is where we¡¯re at right now. If we can come away from this meeting with some sort of tangible agreement of support, news will get out fast- we¡¯ll make sure of it, and so will Mr Lascaux. Best of all, if we can set up some sort of formal ambassadorship and then get Mr Lascaux to agree to one in Paris, it¡¯ll kick open the door.¡±


    Michael nodded slowly, thinking about what I¡¯d just said. ¡°So, our goal is for the Japanese Night Children to admit to their existence, and their polity to agree to formal relations with ours. You believe this will help legitimize both them and us with the other Night Children nations?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. We need to sell them on the idea that hiding is no longer feasible and day walker societies have moved beyond the times of pogroms aimed at Night Children. Once they come to grips with that reality, then we need to offer them our support. We can offer Emmy as their, um¡­ I¡¯m not sure of the right way to say it, but their figurehead, or at least the one who can open the door for them with the general public,¡± I said.


    ¡°She does seem to be very popular here,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°The TVs in the airport were showing clips of the concert last night. I couldn¡¯t understand the commentators, but they focused heavily on Emmy.¡±


    ¡°You saw all the girls dressed like her out in front, right? They¡¯re crazy about her,¡± I agreed. ¡°And I think we can leverage that.¡±


    When Angela and Emmy got back from breakfast we all just shot the breeze for a while. Emmy wanted to know how Jassie was doing, and that led into a discussion about how Michael planned to move to Los Angeles once Jassie left for school, and things like that. Michael said that he enjoyed the South Bay and they¡¯ve had a good life there, but he (and his daughter) were ready for the next phase in their lives.


    ¡°It will be good to have you near,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I know that you have been doing great work for us and our people, but on a selfish note, I do miss you and Jassie.¡±


    ¡°It will be good to be nearer to you and Leah,¡± Michael agreed.


    ¡°Honestly? The West is pretty much locked down now. It might make more sense to relocate to New York for a while, until we get the East Coast sorted out,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°That would make sense,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°For a while, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Michael,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I don¡¯t really understand what you do for Leah and Emmy. You run the paramilitares, right?¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡± I replied for him. ¡°Michael runs the program that finds new Night Children and brings them into our organization. The, uh, military arm of things are under his jurisdiction, but not really the main focus of what he does.¡±


    ¡°That is mostly Grant and Eddie,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°I am more concerned with housing, jobs, and health and education for our people.¡±


    This seemed to satisfy Angela, who really hadn¡¯t shown all that much interest in involving herself in Night Children business at all.


    While we talked about nothing much, I got a call that Emmy¡¯s dad had checked into the hotel. I told him what our room number was, and soon enough he was knocking on our door.


    To my surprise, and maybe to Mr Lascaux¡¯s, too, Angela gave him a hug when he joined us. Interestingly, Emmy did not, but I¡¯d never seen her be physically affectionate like that to her parents. Mr Lascaux seemed pleased by Angela¡¯s warm greeting, though, and gave her an affectionate smile.


    ¡°I am glad to see you looking so well,¡± he told her. ¡°Pregnancy seems to be agreeing with you.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± she smiled, looking down and patting her tummy.


    ¡°Angela,¡± he said, his voice softer than I¡¯d ever heard it, ¡°Your daughter will be a welcome gift to this world. The madame and I, we are looking forward to holding our first grandchild in our arms.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be there when she¡¯s born, right? You¡¯ll be there at the hospital?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Nothing could keep us away,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to consider any time I have with our daughter a precious thing,¡± I said. ¡°What with all the grandparents demanding their baby time.¡±


    ¡°Grandchildren are our reward for having put up with our own children,¡± Mr Lascaux replied with a smile. ¡°Do not think for a moment you can steal this from us.¡±


    Glancing over at Emmy, I saw the sweetest but saddest smile on her face. I wondered if this was a side of her father she¡¯d never seen before. I¡¯m certain, from what I knew of the man, that he loved his daughter, but theirs was a very different relationship than what Angela had with her parents.


    After a few more minutes of pleasantries, Mr Lascaux, Michael and I excused ourselves and went for lunch at the hotel¡¯s top floor restaurant to discuss the meeting.


    At lunch, I voiced my thoughts on what might happen, and Emmy¡¯s dad agreed that ¡®trust but verify¡¯ was an appropriate approach. I told him what I knew and what I suspected, based on the assumption that these local Night Children really were the ninjas of myth. Mr Lascaux agreed that it would seem to be a likely connection, but none of us had any really convincing theory on why they wouldn¡¯t know anything of ancient Night Children culture.


    ¡°I brought a translator,¡± Mr Lascaux said. ¡°He is, in fact, Japanese, but speaks perfect French and English. He is not a Child of the Night, but he is discreet. We can say anything in front of him without worry,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad explained. ¡°He worked as translator for the U.N., so he is well versed in cultural differences and avoiding inadvertent offense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s excellent,¡± I said, ¡°Since the two I met hinted a few times that I might be treading on their sensibilities a little bit. When I implied that I was half-breed, they said that was taboo.¡±


    ¡°So you have heard that rumor,¡± Mr Lascaux said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yeah, I have. Actually it was Michael here that first told me about it. He mentioned that he and Emmy hadn¡¯t done anything to stop it, so I figured I might as well lean into it.¡±


    ¡°It is a useful fiction,¡± Mr Lascaux agreed with a smile.

 The Meeting

    Grant was well aware of my concerns with Emmy¡¯s security at the concert venue, so when he requested Jack take Tiny¡¯s place as Emmy¡¯s visible bodyguard I agreed. After all, I still had Eddie and Nick, plus Tiny, of course. Emmy¡¯s dad had brought a couple of serious-looking guys as well, so I felt that we were well armed enough for the meeting.


    After Emmy and Angela left with the rest of the touring musicians we got our preparations ready for the meeting in three hours. I dressed in my best fitted suit, all the while wishing my anti-slash turtleneck looked better underneath my dress shirt, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. I tucked the collar down as best I could and considered it good enough. I made myself a mental note to have a crew-neck shirt made for wearing a bit more discreetly and left it at that.


    Of course all my guys looked sharp in their tailored suits, and they were all kevlared up underneath. No gloves, but that was a fairly minor loss of protection to better conceal the fact they were nearly knife-proof.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, looking them over in our suite¡¯s living area. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. These Japanese Night Children are still in hiding, but you guys all know what to look for. Avoid confrontation, but make it damned clear that if anything does go down, you¡¯re in it to win it. Feel free to stare them down as much as necessary, but do not draw first. We need to look prepared, but not belligerent.¡±


    ¡°We understand,¡± Eddie said, speaking for the rest.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Mr Lascaux brought a couple of his guys, and I want you, Eddie, and you, Nick, to pair up with them. Now, I think Mr Lascaux and I are on the same page as far as our preparations and things like that go, so it should work out, but if you encounter any resistance or anything from his guys, just let them do whatever but you stick to the plan. If you¡¯re in sight of any of the locals, make it seem as if everything is going smoothly. Do not argue in front of anybody, got it? We need to look unified.¡±


    Just then there was a knock on the door announcing the French contingent¡¯s arrival. When Michael let them in, I was pleased to see they all were dressed nicely, too.


    ¡°Great, you guys are here,¡± I said. Looking at the two Lascaux bruisers, I asked if they spoke English, and both said that they did.


    ¡°Excellent. That¡¯ll make communication that much easier. So, I want each of you to pair up with one of my guys,¡± I explained, pointing at Nick and Eddie. They looked to their boss for confirmation, and to my relief, he gave a little nod. ¡°Right. You¡¯re there to back each other up in case of a fight if that should happen. Honestly, I don¡¯t expect it would, but better to be prepared. So, we need one pair in the kitchen. I¡¯ve already made arrangements with the hotel, and they¡¯ve agreed to let my ¡®security¡¯ keep a presence back there. Here¡¯s the thing- this hotel has five restaurants, each with its own separate kitchen. To my best knowledge the locals won¡¯t know which one we¡¯ll be dining at, but they might have gotten that info. The restaurant manager has promised that only long-term staff will be in the kitchen tonight, but I want you to keep a really close eye out for Night Children in disguise as cooks. Remember, these people have a historical reputation as poisoners, among other things.¡±


    ¡°Bernard,¡± Mr Lascaux said. ¡°That will be your job tonight.¡±


    ¡°Nick, you and Bernard will keep an eye on the kitchen, and when the food gets delivered to the dining room, one of you¡¯ll stick with the waiters while the other keeps the kitchen staff under surveillance.¡± Turning to Eddie, I said, ¡°Eddie, you and¡­¡±


    ¡°Fran?ois,¡± Mr Lascaux supplied.


    ¡°You and Fran?ois, you¡¯ll stand guard outside the dining room. You¡¯ll be the obvious security. Your job is to respond to anything if need arises, but otherwise just stand there and be intimidating.¡±


    ¡°Who will be in the dining room?¡± Mr Lascaux asked.


    ¡°You, me, Michael, Tiny, and him,¡± I said, pointing at the middle-aged Japanese guy Emmy¡¯s dad had brought. ¡°Obviously, he¡¯s a non-combatant, and so is Michael, but that leaves you, me, and Tiny. Tiny won¡¯t be seated at the table. He¡¯ll stand back- an obvious heavy. This leaves you, me, Michael, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr Hara,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said to my unspoken question.


    ¡°¡­Mr Hara at the table. I¡¯ve been told to expect four from the locals¡¯ ruling council, plus the grandson of one of them, at the very least. They haven¡¯t said if they¡¯ll be bringing anybody else, but all this,¡± I said, gesturing at all our bruisers, ¡°is on the assumption they will. Now, they¡¯ll be in makeup, but we won¡¯t. That will be the start of our, um, mind games, I guess. Remember, they had never seen any Night Children showing their faces in public before Emmy. So, us simply showing our faces establishes that we are above that sort of concern, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This makes sense,¡± Mr Lascaux agreed, nodding thoughtfully.


    ¡°So we make a show of being in charge, of having the situation here under control, while being, as they say, out and proud. This puts us in solid negotiating position before anything even starts,¡± I finished.


    ¡°My queen, what if they have day walker assistance?¡± Eddie asked.


    ¡°Well, we know they bribed some of the hotel staff to get our room number, right? So they haven¡¯t given up their old ways of subterfuge. This means we can¡¯t discount the possibility. But on the other hand, their very reclusive nature leads me to expect that they wouldn¡¯t rely heavily on outsiders. I may be wrong, though, so stay sharp,¡± I answered.


    Once I was certain everybody was on the same page, Nick and Bernard left to go down to the kitchen and Eddie and Fran?ois went to wait for our guests in the lobby.


    At this point, there was nothing for the rest of us to do but wait until we got word that the locals had arrived.


    At a loss for what to talk about to kill the time, I pulled Stabby Jr from inside my sleeve to show to Emmy¡¯s dad. ¡°This was given to me by a man in Singapore,¡± I told him, handing the dagger over.


    Unsheathing it to examine it closely, Mr Lascaux asked, ¡°This is similar to the blade you use back in the States, is it not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a modern reproduction. Apparently these are issued to the Singaporean Special Forces for hand to hand combat,¡± I explained.


    ¡°The tip seems very delicate,¡± Mr Lascaux said, feeling the point with a fingertip. ¡°You¡¯ll have to be careful to avoid breaking it on a rib when you stab someone,¡± he said, sheathing it and handing it back. I glanced over and saw how Mr Hara¡¯s eyes bugged out at the sight of the dagger and maybe even more at the casual conversation of being concerned about blade integrity when stabbing people.


    ¡°I had to have the tip reground on mine back home,¡± I admitted. ¡°Just the tip broke off, and it was still plenty adequate for the job, but I needed it to look as good as possible, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°These things are important,¡± Mr Lascaux agreed, pulling his own dagger from inside his jacket. ¡°This is also a reproduction. I have the original- it has been in the family for almost six hundred years now, but the blade¡­ Well, I wouldn¡¯t trust it with my life, and neither did my grandfather. He had this made of better steels than they had in the Middle Ages.¡±


    I took the proffered weapon, pulling it from the simple sheath. Or perhaps I should say ¡®scabbard,¡¯ since at nearly ten inches long, the blade almost counted as a short sword. That¡¯s what it looked like, too- basically a really small Medieval sword. I tapped the point, which was slightly rounded down from the blade¡¯s overall taper.


    ¡°It looks as if you¡¯ve had the tip break off, too.¡±


    ¡°No, it was made like that,¡± Mr Lascaux said with a bit of a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not certain if the original had ever been longer, but this was made to the exact shape of the older blade.¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± I said, handing it back. ¡°I like that it has family history, too.¡±


    ¡°Yours does as well, if I understand correctly,¡± Mr Lascaux said, slipping his dagger back inside his jacket where it didn¡¯t even show as a bulge. I had a momentary thought that I should visit the tailors in London and have them adjust the suits they were making me to hide my own dagger, but quickly dismissed it.


    ¡°Only three generations¡¯ worth,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Well, four, counting me.¡±


    ¡°Has it drawn blood for every owner?¡± Mr Lascaux asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it has,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then it has more than enough history for anybody,¡± he confirmed.


    Another glance at Mr Hara showed that he was still wide-eyed by the conversation, probably wondering just what kind of psychos he was working for. ¡°Well, wait until he finds out ninjas are real,¡± I thought with a little chuckle to myself.


    ¡°Arrived¡± came the text from Eddie, so we all stopped our chatter and immediately headed downstairs.


    We waited at the entrance to the restaurant on the fourth floor- the one that served Japanese cuisine. I¡¯d picked that one for two reasons- the first being that the food would be familiar to our guests, where the Italian or French cuisine in the two other possible restaurants might not be. The second was that the private dining room only had one way in or out, so keeping control of access was much easier.


    Eddie led our guests, followed by five elders (one more than I¡¯d expected, but that was fine), then Hayate Oshida, and two other men who looked to be their security. Last of all came Fran?ois. I was pleased to see that Eddie and Fran?ois didn¡¯t look nervous at all.


    ¡°Gentlemen, lady,¡± (since one of the elders was a woman), "may I present to you Leah Farmer and Mr Lascaux, Queen of North America and King of Western Europe,¡± Eddie said with a little respectful flourish.


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    Hayate translated for them, and the five looked at us with interest. One of them stepped forward and tilted his head in a sort of mini bow. He spoke, and our Mr Hara translated for us.


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you. I am Ogawa Makoto, the speaker for the Council. These are four of my fellow elders,¡± Mr Hara translated.


    No offer to shake hands was made by Mr Ogawa, and we were in no hurry to stick our hands out, either.


    I signaled to the restaurant¡¯s host that we were all there, and we followed him to the private dining room.


    I was glad I¡¯d specified a table big enough for ten, and the low table had been set with ten of the kneeling pillows. I gestured for our guests to sit down on the far side of the table, and we took our seats on the side towards the door, with our two translators sitting on either end. Tiny and one of the local security stood near the door at attention, with our other two guys and the second shinobi security guy outside the doors to the private room. I have no doubt it was causing speculation out in the restaurant at large, but that was fine by me. I¡¯d told the hotel manager that it was a very, very important business meeting, and he¡¯d seemed fine with that.


    ¡°Before we start,¡± I said to Mr Hara and Hayate, ¡°please understand that this style of dining is not what we are accustomed to, so if we inadvertently do or say something that may break etiquette, please let us know. We don¡¯t wish to offend accidentally.¡±


    Both nodded, and when one of the elders asked Hayate what I¡¯d said, Hayate explained. I glanced at Mr Hara and he nodded, signaling that the message was communicated well.


    ¡°This is really going to be a pain,¡± I thought to myself as we all just sort of looked at each other, not sure where to start. Thankfully the waiters arrived at that point to distribute menus. I¡¯d specified they be the priceless versions and that I would settle the bill when the meeting was over, which seemed well within the manager¡¯s comfort zone.


    ¡°Mr Oshida,¡± I said to Hayate. ¡°I don¡¯t know sak¨¦s at all, so please, whatever the elders suggest would be fine with us.¡±


    He relayed the message, and the elders nodded and briefly discussed it, before giving the order to the waiters.


    Once they¡¯d gone. Mr Lascaux spoke. ¡°When Mrs Farmer called me to tell me that she had encountered Night Children here in Japan, I was quite surprised. According to our best knowledge, there have been none of us in Asia in a thousand years. But yet here you are.¡±


    After the translation, Mr Ogawa replied. ¡°We had no idea people with our traits existed outside of Japan. When Emmy Lascaux came to our attention, we had no idea what to think.¡±


    ¡°My daughter seems to be very popular here,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said with a nod.


    ¡°She is very popular,¡± Mr Ogawa agreed, speaking directly to Mr Lascaux. ¡°We saw her photos and her videos and didn¡¯t know if she was one of us or not, so we sent Mr Oshida and his grandson to meet her here at her hotel, but instead they met Mrs Farmer and him,¡± he said, indicating Tiny. ¡°She told our representatives that she was the one we would need to speak with, not your daughter.¡±


    ¡°This is correct. Mrs Farmer is the Queen of the Night Children in North America, while my daughter is the princess of our nation.¡±


    ¡°But she is not¡­ one of us,¡± Mr Ogawa protested, indicating me.


    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± my father-in-law replied firmly.


    ¡°I am a queen among our people. I am the undisputed ruler of our people for an entire continent,¡± I said, laying my sheathed dagger on the table in front of me. ¡°I will not be diminished merely because of the color of my skin,¡± I said, my voice cold. I looked each and every one of the elders in the eyes. ¡°Do not make that mistake.¡±


    That shut down conversation for a long moment, before the elders started arguing with each other. I slid my knife back into my sleeve, my metaphorical point having been made to my satisfaction.


    The waiters arrived just then with the sak¨¦, effectively ending the discussion among the elders. Once they¡¯d left, I poured a cup of sak¨¦ for Mr Ogawa and another for Mr Lascaux, setting each cup in front of the recipients. Mr Ogawa took the carafe and poured for me, then one of the other elders, and so on until everyone had a cup in front of them.


    I raised my cup and said ¡°Kanpai,¡± probably horribly mispronouncing it, but whatever. I was a gaijin, after all.


    We all took our first sip, and once the cups were back on the table, Mr Lascaux continued.


    ¡°There are seven nations of Night Children outside of Japan. I am the king and ruler of one of them. Mrs Farmer is the Queen and ruler of another. The remaining five nations all recognize her authority and station over her people,¡± he said. ¡°There is no dispute that she is one of us.¡±


    Grateful for his solidarity on the subject, I nodded but kept silent.


    ¡°Mrs Farmer, as the Queen of North America, asked me to attend. Our nations are very closely aligned.¡±


    ¡°And this is why I requested this meeting with your Council,¡± I said. ¡°Now that we know you exist, I would like to extend our hand in friendship. We,¡± I said, indicating Mr Lascaux and myself, ¡°believe that the time for hiding is past and we encourage you to join us in the light.¡±


    ¡°That is what you told Mr Oshida,¡± Mr Ogawa replied. ¡°We have discussed this. We came here tonight to hear what you have to say.¡±


    I was just about to launch into my pitch when the waiters came with our dinners. I had instructed our side to order the same as their side did to confuse any possible poisoners, but it was starting to look as if those concerns might not have been justified. Still, better safe than sorry.


    Once the waiters had left, I poured another cup of sak¨¦ for Mr Ogawa, then for Emmy¡¯s dad. I raised my cup in a salute and took a sip. Everybody else at the table followed suit.


    ¡°The fundamental problem is technology,¡± I explained. ¡°It has made it nearly impossible for us to stay hidden in developed countries, as I¡¯m sure you have experienced. Soon it won¡¯t be possible at all. This forces our hand. However, the reason we have stayed in the shadows for thousands of years is also fast disappearing. You have all seen Emmy on TV and in print. Mr Oshida and his grandson must have seen all the girls dressed and painted to look like Emmy outside the hotel when they came to visit, right? The ancient fears have no place in this new age of ours. You have seen my men. You see Mr Lascaux here. We no longer hide. We believe that you should join us. Throw off your history of persecution. It no longer has any relevance,¡± I concluded.


    After a lot of discussion on the the other side of the table, Mr Ogawa spoke directly to me. ¡°What would we have to gain? You say that we will not be able to hide much longer, and we have recognized that is true, but what does showing ourselves do for us?¡±


    ¡°Freedom,¡± I replied with a shrug. ¡°Freedom from the fear that day walkers will discover your secret. Freedom from having to wear the makeup every time you go into the outside public.¡± After another sip of sak¨¦ while my message was translated, I added, ¡°And I could easily imagine it could be lucrative, too. If my suppositions are correct, you could use the shinobi mythology to attract tourism to your region, although that would mean that you would have to commit to being gawked at.¡±


    This got a lot of discussion from the elders. I¡¯d glanced at the two translators when I¡¯d dropped the word ¡®shinobi¡¯, and got just the reactions I expected. Mr Hara looked surprised, and Hayate looked dismayed.


    Mr Lascaux and I continued to eat while the elders argued among themselves. I have to say, Japanese is a great language for angry discussions.


    Finally, Mr Ogawa asked what I meant by shinobi.


    I shrugged. ¡°Tell me it isn¡¯t true. Tell me that your clans were not the shinobi. It looks obvious from my perspective.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We have always lived in isolated areas. We have always done our business at night. We have always used disguises and stealth. These are the traits of Night Children, and of course, of the shinobi as well. I would be very surprised to hear that the myths of the ninja weren¡¯t based on your clans¡¯ histories,¡± I said.


    ¡°This is our history, yes,¡± Mr Ogawa admitted.


    ¡°Monetize it,¡± I said. ¡°If you made a public announcement that yes, the shinobi were real and yes, they were your ancestors, it would draw unimaginable interest. You¡¯ve seen how fascinated your fellow countrymen are by Emmy. Now just imagine if you said that yes, Emmy is a distant cousin of ours, and she convinced us the time was ripe to step into the light¡­ It would make you all celebrities overnight.¡±


    ¡°We already do use our history to our financial advantage,¡± the lady elder said, speaking directly to me for the first time. ¡°There is a certain amount of shinobi-related tourism in our region, and we have encouraged it.¡±


    ¡°Can you imagine how it would benefit your region- Iga province, right? If you came out and admitted it was true, and here you are?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Do you do this in America?¡± she asked. ¡°Make yourselves the subject of curiosity?¡±


    ¡°No, but we don¡¯t have that kind of romanticized history,¡± I said. ¡°Our people have been living in the daylight for years, just doing ordinary jobs alongside everybody else. I would imagine that an announcement from you here in Japan would increase interest in us a bit, but¡­¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t change the way we do things at all.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you care what we do or don¡¯t do?¡± Mr Oshida demanded. Apparently the speaker¡¯s control of his side of the discussion was over.


    ¡°There is a bigger picture here,¡± I said, looking to Emmy¡¯s dad for support. He gave a slight nod, and I said, ¡°I¡¯ll let Mr Lascaux explain.¡±


    ¡°Outside of Japan, we are not unified. As I mentioned, there are seven Night Children nations. In Mrs Farmer¡¯s nation, her people are required to show themselves. They are not allowed to hide in the old ways. She demands that they live and work alongside day walkers, and they do. She rules over a young nation in a young continent, and they are not bound by ancient customs. In my nation, I have made it optional. I support those who wish to live in the daylight, but I do not require it. I am certain that eventually- within a generation, no more- all will live in the daylight.¡± After a sip of his sak¨¦, he continued. ¡°However, some of the other nations are violently opposed to the idea that we must stop hiding. They are old, and stuck in the past. They hide, and tell themselves that the world is not changing around them.¡± After another pause to let the translators catch up, he said, ¡°Your existence was a surprise to Mrs Farmer and to myself. None of the rest of the Night Children nations know of you. If we were to announce to the rest that you¡¯re here and that you¡¯re on our side in this debate, it could help sway some of the nations that are, shall we say, undecided.¡±


    ¡°You wish to use us for your propaganda?¡± Mr Ogawa demanded.


    Mr Lascaux shrugged, holding his hands out in the classic ¡®what can you do?¡¯ posture. ¡°That is one way of phrasing it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a win-win situation,¡± I added. ¡°We get to use your support to strengthen our argument and to convince others to follow along, and you get the freedom that will come from revealing yourselves.¡±


    This started another argument amongst the elders that showed no sign of stopping anytime soon.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to decide anything right now,¡± I assured them. ¡°Oshida Hayate has my phone number. I can be reached when you come to a decision. Think about what we¡¯ve said tonight and let me know what you decide, one way or another. This is a momentous change to your way of life- I understand that. Going against a thousand years of history will be quite a difficult thing, but remember: the choice isn¡¯t between revealing yourselves and staying hidden. The choice is between revealing yourselves and staying hidden for a few more years at best.¡±


    I stood, glad to be done kneeling on that pillow, and Mr Lascaux followed my example. The elders all rose, too and we all gave each other little head-nod bows.


    ¡°It was my pleasure to meet with you tonight,¡± I told them. ¡°Please give what we said plenty of thought before you make your choice.¡±


    ¡°That went far better than I¡¯d expected,¡± I said to Emmy¡¯s dad after the shinobi (or at least their descendants) had left.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he agreed. ¡°I am glad that the dinner was so amicable.¡±


    ¡°I only had to make just the one threat,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°If only meeting with the other courts was so easy,¡± Mr Lascaux said with one of his rare smiles.


    I took Mr Hara with me when I went to find the restaurant¡¯s manager to settle the bill. The manager spoke English, but not very well, so I thought having a real translator would help. I thanked the man for doing exactly as I¡¯d asked and apologized for being so particular in my requests, and told him that I was very pleased with all that he had done to make our business meeting go smoothly. In the elevator after leaving the restaurant, Mr Hara asked if the Japanese Night Children really were shinobi.


    ¡°How much do you know about Night Children in general? Everything I said was true, so it only made sense to me that they would have been. You heard Mr Ogawa admit it,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°I always thought those stories were just that- stories.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure most of them were,¡± I agreed. ¡°The walking on water or being able to pass through walls- That all had to be fiction, but the truth of them being secret spies and assassins¡­ That was undoubtedly true. I¡¯m one hundred per cent certain that Night Children have performed those duties in the West as well, just maybe not with such mythology around them. Heck, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me at all to find out the Persian assassins from a thousand years ago were Night Children, for example.¡±


    Mr Hara shook his head slowly in disbelief. ¡°I never could have expected what I have learned tonight.¡±


    ¡°What you learned tonight doesn¡¯t go beyond these walls,¡± I told him.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± he agreed.

 Night Children In The Land Of The Rising Sun

    Back in the suite, I thanked Michael for dropping everything and coming to Japan. ¡°I don¡¯t know if things would have gone any differently without you guys here, but it was very reassuring to have the four of you to back me up, and to make a show of it.¡±


    ¡°When you say you need us, we will always, always do whatever is required,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t think of it as a hardship. In truth, it¡¯s an honor for all of us to follow your commands.¡±


    Mr Lascaux announced himself with a knock, and the three of us settled into the couches in the suite¡¯s living room to discuss how the meeting had gone. Well, at least, that¡¯s how the conversation started, but soon enough it wandered into talk about families. Michael admitted that he was concerned for his daughter¡¯s upcoming freshman year at Williams College, but was happy that her best friend had also been accepted and they were hoping the two could room together in the dorms.


    ¡°It will be difficult, knowing that my daughter is three thousand miles away,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°I understand completely,¡± Mr Lascaux commiserated. ¡°When ¨¦meraude insisted that she wished to attend Stanford, her mother and I were very¡­ anxious about her living on her own. We knew that we had prepared as best as we possibly could have done, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess it was a little bit the same with Grace going to NAU. I mean, she had a foot halfway out the door her entire senior year, but I still had a hard time looking at her and not seeing the scared fourteen-year-old girl I¡¯d first taken in. I was sure she was going to do fine, but it still tugged at my heart when she drove away to Flagstaff,¡± I said. Thinking about it for a long moment, I said, ¡°It probably won¡¯t be quite the same for Angela and Emmy Jrs, though. We¡¯ve all talked about it, and we want our girls to grow up knowing all aspects of their various family branches. I know you and Emmy¡¯s mom want the girls to spend time in France, and we do, too. We also want them to know Colombia, so this will probably mean summers in France once they get old enough, and maybe a year abroad in Cartagena when the time comes. With all that time away from home, we might not even notice when they go off to college.¡±


    ¡°Jassie has spoken of perhaps doing a year abroad in college,¡± Michael said with a smile, thinking about his teenaged daughter. ¡°The thought terrifies me, but also fills me with pride.¡±


    ¡°She would be very welcome in Paris,¡± Mr Lascaux said.


    ¡°Maybe I should nudge her that way. She¡¯s taken French in school- although she would hate me for telling anybody, she wanted to learn Emmy¡¯s native tongue. Perhaps I should suggest that she take further French classes at Williams,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°I would be very happy to sponsor her if she wishes to study at the Sorbonne,¡± Mr Lascaux said. ¡°She could come over for summers to improve her French, so Universit¨¦ will not be such a shock.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will talk to her about it,¡± Michael said.


    Turning to me, Mr Lascaux asked, ¡°You, Angela and ¨¦meraude have discussed the Princesses spending summers with us in Paris?¡±


    ¡°We have, and we think it¡¯s a great idea. I suggested to Emmy and Angela that we could spend that time in London, so we could be close if need be, and that seemed to be enough assurance for the two of them. I said we could see the girls on weekends or whatever, and that was all it took.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean to say that you were the driving force behind the idea, not ¨¦meraude?¡± Mr Lascaux asked, surprised.


    ¡°Well, she had suggested that the girls could spend time with you and Emmy¡¯s mother, but I was the one who pushed for extended stays, not just visits,¡± I confirmed. ¡°As funny as it sounds, it might be more important to me than to Emmy that the girls learn the old ways.¡±


    ¡°You wish for Angela¡¯s child to learn our ways?¡± Mr Lascaux asked, again surprised.


    ¡°Of course I do. Both girls need to learn the cultures they came from, and that means learning Spanish and spending time in South America for Emmy¡¯s baby, and French and maybe the language of the Night Children for Angela¡¯s, too. The girls will be our own little melting pots of cultures.¡±


    ¡°This is welcome news,¡± Mr Lascaux said, leaning back with a smile on his face. ¡°Welcome news, indeed.¡±


    Changing the subject, I asked Mr Lascaux when he was heading back to Paris and he said that he was going to take off in three hours. When I mentioned that my guys were leaving in the morning, he got a thoughtful look on his face.


    ¡°Leah, may I ask a favor of you?¡±


    ¡°Of course- I do owe you a big one for dropping everything to come to Tokyo,¡± I replied.


    ¡°May I borrow Michael and your men for a few days? They could fly back to Paris with me tonight, and I¡¯ll fly them to Los Angeles afterwards.¡±


    ¡°San Jose, not LA, but what do you need their help for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It has been hard to convince my people to show their faces. It would do a lot of good for them to meet and talk to other Night Children who have been out of hiding for years now.¡±


    ¡°Would you be O.K. with this?¡± I asked Michael.


    ¡°Outreach is outreach, right?¡± he asked with a shrug. ¡°I think it could be a good thing all around.¡±


    Before they all left to go to the airport, I reminded Michael to think about living on the East Coast. ¡°Maybe just for a year? Maybe longer, if it makes sense?¡± I suggested. ¡°As a bonus, you¡¯ll be closer to Jassie¡¯s school, too.¡±


    Later that night, snuggling with Emmy and Angela, I told them how the meeting went. ¡°I think we¡¯ve given them a lot to think about, but I¡¯d bet that in the end they realize we¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I still cannot believe that there have been Night Children here in Japan and nobody had known of them until now,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe ninjas are real!¡± Angela said. ¡°This is all so crazy!¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± I agreed. Then, changing the subject, I told them of the conversation I¡¯d had with Emmy¡¯s dad about our girls spending time with their grandparents. ¡°Ange, he loved the idea that we want little Angie Jr to spend time with them, too. Every vibe I¡¯ve gotten from him and Em¡¯s mom is that they already think of her as their granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Angela said. ¡°Because I think that, too. And I know Mam¨ª and Pap¨ª have talked about how wonderful it¡¯ll be to have two little baby nietas to spoil.¡±


    ¡°I also told Em¡¯s dad that when the girls get older we might send them down to Cartagena for a year of school, so they can really get to know the family and culture down there. He thought that was a great idea,¡± I said, kissing Angela¡¯s hair. ¡°I told him we want our girls to be the product of all three families equally.¡±


    Angela gave me a squeeze, making a soft, happy little sound.


    ¡°It still seems like a dream to me,¡± Emmy admitted.


    I just finished my shower after my morning workout when the suite¡¯s phone rang. I hurried to grab it before it woke Angela and Emmy up. It was the front desk, telling me that I had visitors waiting.


    I dressed quickly and made my way down to the lobby, surprised to see two Night Child men sitting on one of the couches. It only took me a moment to recognize that it was the two Oshidas, but they looked very different without their makeup on. They also looked really uncomfortable, but a quick glance around showed that they really weren¡¯t attracting much, if any interest.


    I sat down on the couch facing them. ¡°Good morning, gentlemen,¡± I said. ¡°Does this mean you¡¯ve come to a decision?¡±


    After his grandson translated, Mr Oshida said, indicating his face, ¡°This is an experiment. The two of us are going to show ourselves here in Tokyo for the next three days to see what happens.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go grab a bite to eat,¡± I suggested, standing up and indicating they should follow me outside. They were clearly nervous, but determined. They walked with me across the big plaza between the hotel and the Tokyo Dome itself. The otaku girls were already there in decent numbers, and they stared a bit at the two men, but I think that was simply not understanding why these old geezers would make themselves up to look like Emmy but then not wear the white wigs¡­


    ¡°Look around,¡± I said to the two men as we walked. ¡°You see these girls. They don¡¯t understand why Emmy looks the way she does, but they love it anyway. What do you think they¡¯ll do when they find out that Japan has its own people that look that way?¡±


    Grandpa Oshida looked thoughtful when Hayate translated my question for him. Once we gave our orders at the food court to a puzzled-looking young guy and then took our seats, Mr Oshida finally replied.


    ¡°I honestly do not know,¡± he admitted. ¡°Fifteen hundred years of secrecy is a hard habit to break, and it is a very big secret. As Mr Lascaux said last night, America is a young country and doesn¡¯t have the traditions that we do here. Japan does not have a very good history with peoples viewed as outsiders, I am sorry to say, and we worry that we will be treated as such.¡±


    ¡°Not to get political about it,¡± I replied, pausing when the waitress brought our food to our table, giving the three of us odd looks. ¡°But honestly, our culture doesn¡¯t, either. I wish we were open and welcoming to everybody, but that just isn¡¯t reality. But this is the twenty-first century. Things are getting better in that regard. At least, they are in some places.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    When Hayate translated for his grandfather, the old man nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°Also,¡± I pointed out, ¡°you aren¡¯t really ¡®other¡¯. Your history is famous as a part of Japanese culture. Everybody knows about shinobi. I guarantee you everybody in Japan knows and considers it an important part of the nation¡¯s cultural identity. Seriously, I think that you could really make it work for you.¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± Hayate said without translating for his grandfather. ¡°Although the current knowledge is very¡­ far from historical reality.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s where you start. Find some respected historians, and tell them that your clans have ancient scrolls or whatever that have to do with a thousand plus years of Japanese history. I imagine you do have such writings hidden away somewhere, right?¡± I asked.


    After translating our conversation to his grandfather, the old man spoke.


    ¡°We do,¡± Hayate admitted.


    ¡°So do we,¡± I told him. ¡°Our written history goes back five thousand years. We have those ancient writings hidden away, prized by our, um, clans, I guess, as precious beyond any measure. I¡¯m trying to convince people like Mr Lascaux to open up to historians, just the way I¡¯m suggesting to you. Also,¡± I added, ¡°I¡¯m very wealthy, and so is Mr Lascaux. If you need any sort of financial help, let me know.¡±


    The two men discussed back and forth for a while. While they talked I quietly I ate my breakfast, which was tasty enough even though I had no idea what it actually was. Eventually Hayate asked me if the whole idea of coming into the light was my idea.


    ¡°No, it started with Emmy¡¯s parents. Somewhere around thirty years ago they realized that hiding was no longer going to be an option, so they shed the makeup and revealed themselves to the world. They did it to prove to their people in Europe that it could be done- should be done. They have been a part of Western Europe¡¯s high society and rich industrialists for decades now. When Madame Lascaux got pregnant, they decided they would raise Emmy in the daylight from the moment she was born. When Emmy and I met, I had never seen a Night Child showing herself like that before. I started to see the possibilities, and declared that our people should do as Emmy did. Some resisted, but most have embraced the freedom,¡± I explained, fudging the details just a little bit.


    ¡°But you- you are not¡­¡± Hayate started to object, but didn¡¯t quite know how to say it without insulting me.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not blessed by the night,¡± I agreed. ¡°We don¡¯t have quite the same taboos that you do on mixing with day walkers. In fact, our gene pool is small enough that without outsiders mixing in we would probably have died off a long time ago. Our birth rate is very low as it is.¡±


    Hayate nodded in understanding, then translated it to his grandfather. The two talked for a bit, but the old man didn¡¯t seem to have any questions for me.


    Hayate did, though. ¡°If you are the Queen of America and Mr Lascaux the King of Europe¡­¡± he began, unsure how to ask. ¡°What is his daughter to you?¡±


    ¡°She is my first wife,¡± I told him. ¡°I have two wives.¡±


    ¡°This is legal in America?¡± Hayate asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°My second wife is not legally recognized, unfortunately.¡±


    He took a while to think about what I¡¯d said, prompting his grandfather to ask him what we¡¯d just talked about. At least, that was what I assumed their conversation was about. Again, it seemed as if the old man didn¡¯t have any questions, but Hayate did.


    ¡°The knife that you have showed us- it seemed as if you have used it before.¡±


    ¡°Well, not this one,¡± I admitted, tapping my sleeve. ¡°This one is new. But the blade I have at home, yes, I do use it once in a while, when needed. You know, it was your daggers that first made me recognize that you might be the shinobi of myth,¡± I told him. ¡°The fact they¡¯re straight, not curved like traditional tantos. That, and their simple, unadorned nature.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t talk much about our shinobi past,¡± Hayate admitted. ¡°But it is still a part of who we are.¡±


    ¡°Do your people still train in the old ways?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°A few do. Mostly old men, now, holding onto dreams of past glory,¡± Hayate said with a shrug.


    ¡°I would pay good money to have this training for my men,¡± I said. ¡°Of course, we have our similar traditions, but it¡¯s always good to learn new techniques. I myself just spent some time training in Singapore with a master of hand-to-hand combat, and learned a lot.¡±


    ¡°Your men were very impressive last night,¡± Mr Oshida said after Hayate had translated. ¡°They moved with such confidence.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re good men,¡± I replied. ¡°They honor me with their loyalty.¡±


    After breakfast, I told Hayate to call me in a week and let me know how things are going and we parted ways. They went off to wander around Tokyo to gauge the public¡¯s reaction to the two of them, while I went back to the hotel suite to my honeys.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Emmy asked as she brushed Angela¡¯s long black hair.


    ¡°Two of the local Night Children wanted to talk,¡± I said. ¡°I think they¡¯re going to join us.¡±


    ¡°Did they tell you that?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°No, but it was easy to see where those two¡¯s thoughts were going. They showed up this morning without makeup, just testing the waters. They are going to spend the next couple of days here in Tokyo showing their faces just to see how it goes.¡±


    ¡°That is incredible,¡± Emmy said, pausing what she was doing. ¡°I could never have imagined that this would happen.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I agreed. ¡°Me, either.¡± Then, changing the subject, I asked what the two of them wanted to do that day.


    ¡°Jenna and Andy want to see a puppet play tonight,¡± Angela said. ¡°I guess it ¡¯s a thing here?¡±


    ¡°They are not like ordinary puppets,¡± Emmy assured her, giving her a kiss on the top of the head. ¡°I have seen videos- I think it would be fascinating.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± I said with a shrug.


    We had lunch that afternoon with Emmy¡¯s dad before he and his crew took off for France, and I told him about the two locals and how they were trying out living without makeup.


    ¡°That is how it starts,¡± he said with a satisfied nod.


    ¡°Leah mentioned that she told you that we want our little girls to spend time in France with you and Em¡¯s maman,¡± Angela said, using the French word. ¡°It¡¯ll be so wonderful for our babies!¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Madame and I are elated to hear that our little princesses will spend time with us,¡± Mr Lascaux said, smiling broadly. ¡°This is very important to us, Angela. Very important.¡±


    ¡°Important to us, too,¡± Angela said, her smile lighting up her pretty face.


    After lunch Jenna and Andy came over to our suite to hang out for a few hours until we went to see the puppet show. I had some work to catch up on so I wasn¡¯t paying much attention to the conversation, but my ears pricked up when I heard Jenna ask Angela why she was watching a car racing video. I glanced over to see everybody crowded in front of Angela¡¯s laptop.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching a lot of rally car videos,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking it¡¯s something me and Lee could do together.¡±


    ¡°That looks¡­ What is all that stuff that guy is saying?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Those are the rally pace notes,¡± Angela explained. ¡°The co-driver is telling the driver what to expect ahead, so the driver knows what to set up for.¡±


    ¡°What does any of that mean?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°¡®Three hundred left four¡¯ means in three hundred meters there will be a fourth-gear left turn. Now, there¡¯s the turn,¡± Angela said as they watched. ¡°The driver and co-driver usually make the pace notes on their reconnaissance runs. So the guidance from the pace notes is only as good as their effort into it. Some events, usually the longer ones, the rally organizers provide the pace notes and the drivers and co-drivers just have to trust them.¡±


    I was amazed at how much she seemed to know about all this- way more than I did, that was for sure. And us rally racing as a team? This was the first I¡¯d heard of it, but clearly she¡¯d been giving it some thought and doing her research. Of course, she¡¯d always seemed to enjoy our Saturday morning drives, but this was another level.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s awesome that you and Lee are gonna do this,¡± Andy said. ¡°But don¡¯t you need a special kind of car?¡±


    ¡°We have one already,¡± Angela said, pulling out her phone, presumably to show Andy and Jenna pics of the rallied-out Porsche.


    ¡°I would be happy enough to simply watch,¡± Emmy said with that pretty laugh of hers. ¡°I do not enjoy speed the way these two do.¡±


    Emmy didn¡¯t don her pink wig and makeup for our evening out, opting to go out in public looking like herself. I thought it was a bold choice, but supported her decision. Andy wouldn¡¯t tell us anything about the restaurant where he¡¯d made our reservation, but his mischievous grin worried me a little bit.


    The National Theatre was unimpressive for a place with such a grand name. It wasn¡¯t terrible or run-down, just dated. It looked as if it hadn¡¯t been renovated since the Eighties, but I guess that was fine. It¡¯s not like we came for the ambience, after all. Andy functioned as our tour guide since he spoke Japanese, which was nice. It meant we didn¡¯t have to drag Mizuki from whatever other duties she might have to translate for us, after all. He guided us to a counter where we were handed headsets that would allow us to hear the performance in English, but Andy opted to do without.


    ¡°These last ten days have been awesome for my Japanese,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, take all the conversational-level classes you want, but actually using it like this¡­ Well, that¡¯s another thing altogether.¡±


    ¡°No lie,¡± I agreed. ¡°For me, that¡¯s French. I mean, I can fumble my way through a conversation in Paris, you know, but if I had, say, a month of living there? I¡¯m sure it would make all the difference in the world.¡±


    ¡°I feel like an idiot,¡± Jenna grumped playfully as we wandered the upper level of the entry hall, looking at the traditional Japanese paintings on the wall. ¡°All of you are bilingual, but I can hardly speak English!¡±


    ¡°Emmy speaks five languages,¡± I said. ¡°She makes me feel like an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Five?¡± Jenna demanded, turning to Emmy. ¡°That¡¯s why I can only speak one. You¡¯re hogging them all!¡±


    Emmy laughed. ¡°My Spanish and Arabic are not very good,¡± she said with a shrug.


    ¡°Unfair!¡± Jenna said with a laugh.


    I have no idea what I was expecting, but the puppet show we saw did not fit in with my expectations of what a puppet show could be. The puppets themselves were maybe four feet tall, and each one had a team of guys all in black working them while standing right behind the puppets in plain sight. The movements were very stylized, but also somehow very real- almost as if the puppets were actors in a very traditional form of theater. After a while I stopped even noticing the guys actually moving the figures- they simply became part of the background as the puppets became the sole focus.


    The story was very, well, ridiculous, but again, in a very traditional sort of way. Andy had explained that we were actually only seeing the second half of the whole play- the first half had been performed earlier that day- but the usual tropes of overbearing father, noble-hearted young man, sad daughter and so on were enough of a shorthand that filling in the blanks was easy enough.


    Everybody seemed to have enjoyed the show, but I wasn¡¯t going to be in any real hurry to see another. The puppets themselves were amazing and the way their crews manipulated them was so cool it was hard to even express, but the story was trite and the music (performed by a traditional Japanese symphony) was strange and dissonant enough that I was happy to be done with it.


    The cab I shared with Andy was the last of our three cabs to leave (since he had to give the address to the other two cab drivers before we could take off), so when we got to the destination everybody was already gathered outside the black-painted restaurant front.


    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t!¡± I exclaimed when I saw the name of the place, done in English but stylized to look like Japanese characters.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist,¡± Andy admitted with that lopsided grin of his.


    He turned to the kimono-clad hostess and spoke to her for a moment. She bowed and ushered us in through the split curtain and into the ninja-themed restaurant.


    We followed her down the dimly-lit tatami mat-covered hallway and into a private room. From what I could tell, it was all private-room seating, which I found interesting. The tables, though, were western-style with actual chairs- no kneeling on pillows here, thankfully.


    The waiter was clad all in black, of course, carrying the theme. Thankfully he spoke and handed us menus in English, making our lives a bit easier.


    Despite the comical Disneyfication of the myth in service of the restaurant¡¯s theme, the food was excellent and the service was faultless. My Wagyu steak was superb- I made a note to come back the next time I found myself in Tokyo, which, I reflected might be a thing that happens if the local Night Children decide on close relations with our nation.


    I guess I was zoning out thinking about that, when Angela touched my arm to get my attention.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± She asked, curious.


    With a chuckle, I said, ¡°Maybe buying this restaurant and putting some of our new friends to work here,¡± I replied honestly. ¡°That, and how much I love you.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Jenna demanded, elbowing Andy.


    ¡°Yeah, she just said she might buy this restaurant and put real ninjas to work,¡± he replied, but his little smile gave away that he knew what she was fishing for.


    ¡°Not that part, you big goof! Why do I even bother?¡±she said, raising her hands in mock dismay.

 Back Home

    It didn¡¯t take us long to settle back into life at home, even knowing it would only last a few weeks before the final leg of The Downfall¡¯s tour started in Santiago, Chile. This allowed plenty of time for the Castro family to join us in Los Angeles, even if it would only be for a week or so.


    I had some serious catching up to do, too- both with work and for my classes at UCLA Anderson. I¡¯d tried to keep up while out on tour, but I¡¯d slipped a bit behind. This meant long days in the office, followed by long evenings in the home office or in class, but at least I was bringing myself back to where I would have been if I hadn¡¯t skipped out to accompany Emmy and Angela on tour.


    The Castro family brought a pleasant warmth to our home when they arrived a few days after we got back to Los Angeles. I felt a little bad that Mam¨¢ spent so much time in the kitchen, but when I tried to suggest that she should relax a bit, she told me that cooking for our big family was relaxing to her, so I didn¡¯t push the issue.


    It isn¡¯t as if all she did was cook, though. Angela and Emmy took the three Castros sightseeing to the Santa Monica Pier, for example, even though none of them wanted anything to do with the cold ocean water. They also went to Disneyland, but Emmy stayed home for that one. There¡¯s simply too much standing in the sun for her to be able to enjoy a day there.


    I was surprised when Angela insisted that we go out to meet the boys for a Saturday morning drive, but when she explained that she needed a little break from her parents, I understood completely. Angela wanted to take the Porsche 911 Safari, even though I pointed out that it was going to be the slowest car in the group by far.


    ¡°That¡¯s O.K.,¡± she replied with a smile. ¡°You will just have to drive harder.¡±


    ¡°You and your cars,¡± Stein said, shaking his head in amusement at the gas station meet-up point. ¡°There¡¯s no knowing what you¡¯re going to show up in next.¡±


    Driving the 911 Carrera Safari on the roads of the Malibu Hills was an interesting experience. Yes, the car was way down on horsepower compared to, well, every other car I had, but it was probably fifteen hundred pounds lighter than the M6, so that made up for some of it. The light weight allowed the car to transition from side to side really well, but getting used to the quirky handling took some time. The car had a certain amount of understeer diving into turns, but it would immediately swap to heavy oversteer if I let it get out of shape at all. In fact, I spun us out on Latigo Canyon at the first left-hand hairpin, but we didn¡¯t actually hit anything, so it was fine. Angela laughed it off with an admonition that if I did that too often the other guys would leave us behind, so I just dropped it into first gear and brought the car around, gunning it to make up for lost ground.


    I can¡¯t say it was the easiest car to drive fast- in fact, it was the biggest handful of any I¡¯ve ever driven- but it was wildly entertaining, and Angela seemed to love it. She whooped with glee every time I stepped the back out or lifted the inside front wheel on hard acceleration out of a turn, encouraging me to drive like even more of a hooligan than I usually do. ¡®Slow in, fast out¡¯ was the name of the game, and using the throttle to rotate the car was all about feel.


    ¡°I have no idea how you avoided running off the road any number of times this morning,¡± Geoff said when we stopped at the Rock Store. ¡°You were so outta shape it was ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°How many times did you spin out this morning?¡± Jimmy asked.


    ¡°Just once,¡± Angela told him, her smile lighting up the overcast day. ¡°That was pretty wild!¡±


    ¡°Leah¡¯s motto? ¡®Life is short- take chances¡¯,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± I agreed.


    Returning to the fight gym in Santa Monica was good, too. My fitness had taken a hit from the inconsistent workouts I¡¯d managed out on tour, so it took a little while to work the rust out. Of course there was a certain amount of friendly teasing for having been gone so long from the gym and a lot of speculation about what had taken me away, but somehow the regulars still didn¡¯t seem to know that I was married to one of the biggest rock stars out there, much less put it together with the idea that I might have been on tour with her.


    Heck, maybe they did know, but were just having too much fun with the stories about me being a secret government assassin. In any case, it was well over a week of regular workouts before I felt ready for any sort of sparring.


    I mentioned to Joey that I¡¯d done some special training in Singapore when he asked what I¡¯d been up to, and his eyes got big. ¡°Really?¡± he asked. ¡°Like, Muay Thai training?¡±


    ¡°No, not¡­ Well, I mean, I guess I shouldn¡¯t have said anything, since it really has nothing to do with what we do here in this gym,¡± I said.


    ¡°Like what, then?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°You know what escrima is? The fighting they do with two sticks? I guess it¡¯s from the Philippines?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You went there to learn that?¡± Joey asked, surprised. By this point another couple of the regulars had come over to find out what we were talking about.


    ¡°Dude, I¡¯ve seen that shit on Youtube,¡± one of the guys said. ¡°That¡¯s fucking brutal.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t go to learn how to do that,¡± I said. ¡°That would take a lot longer than I had. No, actually I worked on how to defend myself against it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Joey asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Why did I train to defend myself against guys waving sticks around?¡± I asked, trying to clarify what the question had been.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Joey said. ¡°I mean, it ain¡¯t like you¡¯re gonna run into many guys like that in the ring."


    ¡°Dude man,¡± the guy who had spoken before said. I know I¡¯d heard his name, but I couldn¡¯t remember what it was. ¡°You gotta remember, she doesn¡¯t fight in the ring.¡±


    It took Joey a moment, but then when he realized what the other guy had meant, his eyes went wide.


    ¡°Is it fuckin¡¯ true?¡± he asked.


    I sighed and let my shoulders drop. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s true. I don¡¯t fight in competition.¡±


    ¡°I done told you, man,¡± said the other guy. ¡°She¡¯s goddamn hardcore. That¡¯s why Eddie don¡¯t want none of us in the ring with her. We all seen it, man. She¡¯s like some sort of super soldier or something. Nobody moves that fast, man. You saw it when you sparred with her. She played with you, man. All this?¡± he said, indicating the gym, ¡°This is just her getting a little sweat up. That¡¯s all we are to her.¡±


    ¡°Is this true?¡± Joey asked, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s true. I do get a little sweat going.¡±


    ¡°So, um, Leah, why did you train in Singapore with an escrima master?¡± Richie asked.


    Seeing my opportunity to run with it, I said, ¡°Well, you know, sometimes when I have to do a hit in Southeast Asia, my targets¡¯ll have bodyguards trained in some of these techniques, you know?¡±


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    I couldn¡¯t help but break out in laughter at the looks on the guys¡¯ faces at that.


    ¡°No, seriously, I didn¡¯t go there to train with dudes with sticks. Since I was there for a while I found a local fight gym to work out at, and one thing led to another¡­ You know how it goes,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t,¡± Richie replied.


    I shrugged again, holding my hands up in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ posture. ¡°Hey, if you ever find yourself needing a good workout when you¡¯re in Singapore, I can hook you up. Just¡­ Don¡¯t be in that neighborhood after dark."


    ¡°I really have no freaking idea what to believe,¡± Richie said after the other guys went back to their workouts.


    ¡°About what?"


    ¡°Did you actually train with an escrima master in Singapore? At a fight gym in a sketchy area?¡± Richie asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I did, but really, like I said, that was just sort of a side thing to the real training I was doing there,¡± I said, looking him in the eyes.


    ¡°And what was that?¡±


    ¡°Knife fighting,¡± I said, knowing that it would spin Richie up. ¡°It was good to get some edged-weapon combat training in with a different teacher, you know? I felt like I learned a lot.¡±


    ¡°Is anything¡­ I have no idea, ever, if you¡¯re being serious or not,¡± Richie said, throwing up his hands.


    ¡°Hey, you have a few minutes?¡± I asked him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind some- well, not sparring, because I won¡¯t be hitting back¡­ I guess I just want you to try punching me for a bit.¡±


    ¡°You just want me to punch you?¡± he asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Well, I want you to try. And I mean, really try. I did learn some new deflection techniques and I¡¯m interested to see how they¡¯ll translate to fist-fighting,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Translate from¡­?¡± Richie asked, with a look that said that he wasn¡¯t going to like the answer.


    ¡°Knife fighting,¡± I said. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°Of course? What else could it be?¡± Richie said, a sardonic smile on his face.


    We didn¡¯t bother with a ring, just found a corner of the mats. I told Richie to not worry about defense, since I wasn¡¯t going to hit back. Richie put his sparring gloves on but I didn¡¯t bother. We stood an arm¡¯s length apart and he started throwing punches, a bit slowly and uncertainly at first.


    I wanted to try Mr Han¡¯s soft deflection technique, and Richie was good practice for me. He was reasonably fast but didn¡¯t put a whole lot of power behind his blows, and this allowed me the room to fine tune the concept.


    The big challenge for me was that the escrima sticks that I¡¯d practiced against swing in on arcs, so deflecting them was a matter of redirecting the blows to the outside, away from the body. Punches, on the other hand, came in straight.


    I took a few hits working with Richie that morning, sure, but that really wasn¡¯t why I could feel that I was trying to reinvent the wheel. The more we worked, the better I understood the mechanics and saw that it just wasn¡¯t a real winning strategy when it came to boxing.


    We had to quit when Richie ran out of steam, unable to muster any speed or force at all. That was fine, since I was about ready to give up on the concept anyway and write it off as something that wasn¡¯t going to work for me when punching was involved.


    After Richie recovered enough to hold a conversation, he asked, ¡°So, and I¡¯m being serious here, what really is your story? I mean, what you were doing just now, that looked like, I dunno, Tae Kwon Do or something. You weren¡¯t doing that last time we sparred- did you really learn that in Singapore?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I really did, and yeah, it¡¯s how to fight an armed kali fighter and not get beaten to a pulp. I was hoping I could use the same basic concepts against fists, but I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to work,¡± I said, sipping from my water bottle.


    ¡°Kali?¡±


    ¡°Kali, escrima, same thing. Two batons, clubs, sticks- whatever you want to call ¡®em,¡± I said.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t get why you¡¯d train against that,¡± Richie said. ¡°Seriously- when are you gonna run up against a guy that just happens to have a couple of batons with him?¡±


    ¡°Maybe never,¡± I admitted. ¡°But my trainer wanted me to try something new, something outside my comfort zone, you know?¡±


    ¡°And was it? Outside your comfort zone, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, at first it was, but once I understood the way they work and I could see the patterns, it got a lot easier. I feel pretty confident that if I went up against a kali fighter and all I had was my knife, I¡¯d come away bruised but he¡¯d be dead,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Richie said, mostly to himself. Then, a bit louder so I could hear it, ¡°There you go again. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re yanking my chain or not.¡±


    Mam¨¢ looked concerned about the bruise on my cheek but didn¡¯t say anything at lunch that day. She did stop me on my way back to my upstairs office, though. She put her hand on my arm and gave me a concerned look.


    ¡°I know mi Angela can get angry sometimes, but you should not let her treat you this way,¡± she said, indicating my cheek.


    She said it so seriously and with such a straight face that it took me a moment to realize she was joking with me.


    Trying my best to not laugh, I said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of what she might do one of these days, Mam¨¢.¡± That was all it took, and we both broke out into laughter.


    After we settled down, she asked me if I was going to be stuck in my office all afternoon. ¡°Angela wants to take Cecy shopping, but Rafa and I, we do not want to go. We hoped we could spend some time with you.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything in mind?¡± I asked, surprised and pleased. I could blow off work. After all, I was the boss, right?


    ¡°No, we just want to talk. To know you better,¡± she replied.


    At a loss for what to do or where to go, I stood there like an idiot for a long moment before something came to me. Finally, I had an idea. ¡°Do you like history? We could go to the old part of Los Angeles, or maybe to the mission over in the San Gabriel Valley. I¡¯ve never been to either one, so it would be new for me, too.¡±


    ¡°Old?¡± Mam¨¢ asked.


    ¡°Well, old for California, anyway,¡± I admitted.


    While the Castros were getting ready I found Emmy in one of the rehearsal rooms with the rest of the touring band. I gave her a kiss and told her I was going out with Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢.


    ¡°I am pleased that you are spending time with them,¡± she said.


    Since we had time and were in no hurry I stayed off the freeway and took us through Koreatown and Westlake, then downtown and finally to the old plaza.


    ¡°This is the oldest part of town,¡± I explained. ¡°It¡¯s about two hundred and fifty years old. Somewhere around here is the oldest house in LA- I think it¡¯s two hundred years old, something like that.¡±


    ¡°That is not very old,¡± Pap¨¢ said.


    ¡°When was Cartagena founded?¡± I asked as we walked through what had been the old town square.


    ¡°Almost five hundred years ago. Of course, there were indigenous settlements before then,¡± he replied.


    ¡°There were native villages here, too, that date back who knows how long- thousands of years, but as far as Western civilization, the Spanish missionaries were the first in the region, back in the seventeen hundreds. Of course, it¡¯s all relative. I mean, compared to Baghdad or Cairo or someplace like that these are all freshly built, right?¡± I said.


    We walked up and down the rows of little stalls selling all sorts of touristy stuff, then into the Catholic Church. While we walked, we talked about more or less inconsequential stuff like the relative history of California as compared to Colombia, or why the weather was so gray, things like that. Back in the plaza in front of the church we stopped to watch a mariachi band and dancers perform.


    Mam¨¢ suggested we find someplace to sit down and have a drink, so we made our way to one of the Mexican restaurants in the area. After ordering drinks and chips with guacamole, our conversation turned to more personal matters.


    ¡°Angela has told us that Emmy has a genetic infirmity,¡± Rafael began, not sure how to phrase his question. ¡°She said that Emmy might not have very many years in her future.¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± I admitted. ¡°Her people call the condition ¡®Moon Kissed.¡¯ Everybody who is born like her, with the light-colored eyes and the white hair, they die in their early thirties. Angela and I, we¡¯ve tried to get her to see if there is some treatment, but she flat-out refuses to even consider it.¡±


    ¡°She has twenty-four years now, no?¡± Mam¨¢ asked.


    ¡°Her twenty-fifth birthday is coming up soon,¡± I replied.


    All three of us were silent for a while, thinking about the ramifications, when the waitress brought our chips, then set down our drinks. I¡¯d opted for a paloma, Mam¨¢ had ordered a margarita and Pap¨¢ a michelada.


    ¡°What will happen when Emmy¡­¡± Pap¨¢ said, stumbling over his words in his discomfort at even talking about the eventuality.


    ¡°Angela and I will have our marriage made official, and we¡¯ll raise the girls,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this a lot, actually.¡±


    ¡°That is what Angela has told us,¡± Mam¨¢ said. ¡°It is good the nenas will have you and Angela, even if they cannot have Emmy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really important for the three of us that the girls be raised by all three families, and in all three cultures,¡± I told them. ¡°We want them to spend time in Cartagena with you two when they get old enough, and in Paris with Emmy¡¯s parents. Even after Emmy¡¯s gone, we¡¯re going to keep Emmy¡¯s parents involved. Of course, you, too. We want them both to learn Spanish and French, and be comfortable in both environments.¡±


    The two looked at each other, communicating in that way that old married couples seem to have.


    ¡°We would like this very much,¡± Pap¨¢ said. ¡°It is an amazing gift, for us to have two granddaughters the same age. Angela has told us everything that had to be done to make this happen, and it is a miracle. Modern medicine is capable of so many wondrous things.¡±


    ¡°Please keep it quiet that I¡¯m the biological father,¡± I said, looking around to make sure nobody was listening. ¡°The process wasn¡¯t approved for human trials yet.¡±


    ¡°We understand,¡± Pap¨¢ answered. ¡°I don¡¯t think very many people in Colombia would understand what the three of you have, or be supportive of it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think very many would here, either,¡± I said.

 The True Center

    Stephanie got more and more insistent about us figuring out what we wanted to do as far as how many of us would be traveling for the Americas tour. Time was running short for her to make the arrangements and get the necessary paperwork done.


    There was no obvious right answer, and it was a source of much discussion amongst the three of us. Even Angela¡¯s parents weighed in on it, voicing their opinion that the tour should be canceled since Emmy was going to really show before too long.


    Emmy absolutely wasn¡¯t having that, though, so that wasn¡¯t on the table. The questions were whether Angela goes with Emmy, and whether I do, too. With five stops in Latin America and ten in North America (not counting the final stop here at home in Los Angeles), it was nearly three months on the road. This would put Angela just a month shy of popping, and Emmy six and a half months into her pregnancy.


    Honestly, my worries weren¡¯t actually about their health, but instead their comfort. All that travel and hotel living would be tough on anybody, but just that much more difficult for two pregnant women. That said, Emmy was committed and Angela and I wanted to honor that, so our problem was how to make things easier for Emmy without putting too much strain on Angela.


    I had too many demands on my time to be able to travel with Emmy for the entire South American leg, as I¡¯d more or less proven to myself that it was impossible for me to do what I needed to out on the road. As much as I hated to do it, I really had to remain in California at least until the end of the term.


    At one point Mam¨¢ even suggested that she could travel with Emmy and Angela to take care of them, but that seemed like too much of an imposition, so the idea was quickly shelved.


    Ultimately we all decided that Angela would go with Emmy for at least the Latin America part of the tour, and then we¡¯d see how she was doing. The tour dates in the US and Canada were closer together since travel would be much simpler, and really, if it came down to it, we could fly in for each show and spend the intervening days at home in LA or Manhattan for the eastern half.


    I planned to fly down for the Bogot¨¢ show with the idea that we all could spend family time in Cartagena. That also cut the time we¡¯d be separated down to two and a half weeks, which was doable.


    One suggestion of mine that Angela and Emmy voted down was to hire a nurse to travel along with them. The two were unified in their insistence that they didn¡¯t want a stranger tagging along. Angela was certain that she would be fine, and since Spanish was her native language, she¡¯d be perfectly able to navigate any issues that might arise (even in Brazil, where they don¡¯t actually speak Spanish).


    We had a final Wednesday night dinner before the Castros had to leave to go back to Colombia, and a few days later, Angela and Emmy were going to take off for Santiago. My instinct would have been to keep it low-key, but Emmy and Angela wanted to invite a ton of people, so that¡¯s what we did.


    Angela and Mam¨¢ worked their asses off to make dinner for the twenty people we expected, but the two seemed to enjoy burying themselves in the task. All I know is that all day Tuesday and Wednesday the house smelled amazing, and every time I tried to sneak a taste I got my hand swatted for my efforts. Mam¨¢ did take pity on me and gave me a couple of sweet little cheesy cornbread rolls, which were just enough to really get my appetite going. Seeing the pitiful look on my face, Angela sneaked me an arepa when her mom wasn¡¯t looking, but we both knew she knew.


    Andy and Jenna were the first to arrive, as usual. I really appreciated that they always came early to help get things ready, even if there was never all that much for them to do. It¡¯s the thought that counts, after all.


    ¡°Dang, it smells good in here!¡± Andy said as he and Jenna entered the kitchen area, carrying grocery bags full of Tupperware containers.


    ¡°It always smells good in this house,¡± Jenna said. ¡°But usually it¡¯s roses it smells like.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true,¡± Andy said, thinking about it. ¡°It does always smell like roses.¡±


    ¡°There have been flowers delivered every day while we have been here,¡± Pap¨¢ said, now that he was thinking about it.


    ¡°Lee has flowers delivered every day, Pap¨ª,¡± Angela told him. ¡°Every day.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Roses delivered every single day?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Three hundred sixty-five days a year,¡± Angela confirmed.


    Turning to Andy, Jenna poked him in the chest. ¡°Time to step up your game, buddy,¡± she said.


    ¡°Have I told you how beautiful you look today?¡± he asked, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her in close for a kiss.


    ¡°Better,¡± Jenna admitted after they broke the kiss.


    Mam¨¢ said something in Spanish that sounded like approval for Andy¡¯s quick recovery and Angela laughed.


    Mam¨¢ said something about Pap¨¢ being ¡°muy romantico todavia,¡± getting a smile from Angela.


    Emmy replied in Spanish and both Mam¨¢ and Angela laughed.


    ¡°There they go, being bilingual again,¡± Jenna said, rolling her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s like a thing with you guys!¡±


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    After dinner, which everybody agreed was excellent, everybody moved to the living room. we opened the big sliding doors to the deck, but turned the heaters on out there since the evening was a bit cool- typical for the time of year.


    Darius, leaning back on the couch, patted his belly. ¡°That was a damned fine dinner, Mrs Castro,¡± he said to Mam¨¢. ¡°Damned fine indeed. It¡¯s a good thing it¡¯s the off-season and training camp is still a month away. It¡¯s gonna take me that long to recover from eatin¡¯ so much tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, yes,¡± Solange said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be back to the diet tomorrow for me,¡± she agreed, raising a few eyebrows, since she was rail-thin already. They say that the camera adds ten pounds, which in her case was necessary.


    ¡°I am very happy that you enjoyed it so much,¡± Mam¨¢ said, relaxing for the first time in two days. ¡°It is good to make food for family and friends.¡±


    Pap¨¢ rested his arm on her shoulders and gave her a little hug, saying something quiet in Spanish, which earned him a smile from his wife.


    ¡°Is it play time?¡± Jackson asked Emmy and Lee, who both agreed that it was getting to be that time, alright. They disappeared for a few minutes, and when Teddy Bear asked where they had gone, Angela said that they went the studio to get their instruments.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to play? For us?¡± Linda, Geoff¡¯s wife asked.


    ¡°You guys need to come over for more Wednesday night dinners,¡± Angela told her. ¡°They always play a few songs.¡±


    ¡°They do it out on tour, too,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°You¡¯d think they¡¯d get tired of playing music so much, but¡­¡± she said with a shrug.


    ¡°This is the best, man,¡± Darius said to Andy. ¡°This is livin¡¯ at its best.¡±


    The three members of The Downfall played something like six songs that night, with Emmy playing that old steel guitar slide-style, Jackson on harmonica and Lee using that wooden box for a drum again. Emmy and Jackson traded off singing duties, only doing one song as a duet. The two memorable tunes were when they played that old ZZ Top song ¡®Dust My Broom¡¯, with Emmy playing an extended slide guitar solo in the middle. Jackson sang the other memorable tune, one I¡¯d never heard before. He was singing a love song about a cowboy or something.


    The line that really stuck out was when Jackson sang, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t you understand? He¡¯s all I ever wanted in a man,¡± with such a sweet tenderness it brought tears to my eyes. I made a mental note to tell them they really needed to record that song- it was heartbreaking in its beauty.


    After the music finished, Angela went with Linda and her girls to swim in the big pool for a while. A few others went with them- Mam¨¢ and Cecy, and Jenna and Andy. Emmy went with them, and so did Solange.


    The rest of us wandered out onto the deck, and I mixed up drinks for anybody that wanted them. While I was tending the bar, Stephanie sat at one of the bar stools to talk.


    ¡°Hey, babe, how are you doing these days? We didn¡¯t get to spend much time together on tour,¡± she asked, sipping the cosmopolitan I¡¯d just poured her.


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Happy to be home, bummed the girls are going to be gone for a month and a half,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna miss Stephen,¡± she said, glancing over at the guy in question. He was with Darius and Teddy Bear, who was saying something using grand gesture to illustrate his point. ¡°At least you¡¯re gonna come down to Colombia, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna spend a few days on either side of the show in Cartagena, visiting the in-laws,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°How do you think that¡¯s going to go?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I haven¡¯t a clue. Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ say that everybody is going to love us and not be concerned that we¡¯re lesbians in a threesome, but¡­¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°It sure looks like Angela¡¯s parents are cool with it,¡± Geoff said, waiting for his Negroni.


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re pretty open-minded like that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°If they¡¯ve got you calling ¡®em Mom and Dad, I¡¯d say that they¡¯ve accepted you as their daughter-in-law. My mom still, well, ¡®hates¡¯ is a strong word, but maybe ¡®still doesn¡¯t approve of¡¯ Linda is a better way of phrasing it. But she loves the girls, so¡­¡± Geoff said with a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ expression.


    ¡°My mom really likes Stephen. But then, he¡¯s her ideal for a husband for me. Good-looking, has a great job making good money, and comes from a good family. All the necessary ingredients,¡± she said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Stephen¡¯s a good guy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, he is,¡± Stephanie agreed. ¡°But that part hardly plays into Mom¡¯s equations.¡±


    ¡°This is from the woman whose marriage lasted what, five years? Something like that?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, my folks split up when I was five,¡± Stephanie agreed. ¡°Dad just never could measure up, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Why so serious?¡± Teddy Bear demanded as he walked up to the bar. ¡°You all look so¡­ so serious! This is a party with good friends, great food, and fine libations!¡±


    ¡°Another Jack and Coke, Teddy?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, please, thank you kindly,¡± he replied. ¡°Hey, Leah, since you¡¯ll be in town without your two better halves for a while, want to get some track action in? I think you could use some track time with that new green Porsche of yours, if I were to judge based on Saturday¡¯s performance.¡±


    ¡°That big spin-out? I meant to do that,¡± I said as I handed him his drink.


    ¡°Of course you did! Far be it from me to ever claim otherwise!¡± Teddy said with a wink.


    ¡°He can be such a cornball,¡± Geoff said as Teddy Bear went back to talking to Darius and Stephen.


    ¡°He¡¯s an actor. They''re paid to be like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Shit! That¡¯s where I knew him from!¡± Stephanie exclaimed. ¡°He was in that movie with Brad Pitt a couple of years ago.¡±


    ¡°Darius over there?¡± I said, indicating the football player. "He calls him ¡®Action Man¡¯.¡±


    ¡°How do they know each other?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Through me and Andy. He¡¯s been over for dinner a bunch, and so has Teddy Bear,¡± I explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s peak Los Angeles for you there in a nutshell,¡± Geoff said. ¡°An actor, a pro football player and a recording industry lawyer talking at a party in a rock star¡¯s house in the Hollywood Hills.¡±


    Stephanie laughed at that, and he said, ¡°You¡¯re laughing because you know it¡¯s true."


    ¡°Oh, for sure,¡± she said, that familiar, easy smile of hers making her breathtakingly beautiful in that moment. ¡°Peak LA.¡±


    Seeing the Castro family off the next morning was only a little bit sad, since we¡¯d be visiting them in just a few weeks anyhow. Once they¡¯d disappeared beyond the security gates, Angela let her shoulders slump.


    ¡°I love them so much, but I¡¯m happy we don¡¯t live together full-time.¡± she said, her arm around my waist. I pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head.


    ¡°Mam¨¢ at least will be with us for a few months when the babies are born,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯ll be happy she¡¯s here, but right now? I¡¯m happy they¡¯re going back home. Does that make me a bad daughter?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I said, giving her a squeeze. ¡°It makes you a grown-up woman of your own now, not a little girl who needs her momma. But you know what? People learn how to be a parent from their own parents, and if you¡¯re half as amazing a mom as your Mam¨¢, then our little girls are going to be very lucky.¡±


    Angela didn¡¯t say anything in response. She just buried her face in my shoulder and held me tight for a few minutes while I held her and stroked her hair. As much as Angela might worry about her ability as a mother, I was confident that she would be the best among the three of us at the task. I knew, without a doubt, that there was nobody in the world I¡¯d rather have raise my children than this beautiful woman in my arms. Sure, Emmy and I were going to do our best, but Angela was going to be the center of our little family.

 One Of Those Hollywood Parties

    Returning to an empty house after dropping Emmy and Angela off at the airport was depressing. Sure, I knew it was only going to be a few weeks until I¡¯d see them again, but that didn¡¯t make it easy on me. It was going to be weeks of eating dinner alone, weeks of sleeping in our big bed all by myself, weeks of nothing but FaceTime calls to keep me warm at night.


    Yes, I was happy that Angela and Emmy had each other, but I¡¯d enjoyed our time together in Asia and Australia and would have liked to see South America and Mexico City. At least I¡¯d get to spend time in Cartagena and Bogot¨¢, and I was really looking forward to that.


    For the first week without Angela and Emmy I buried myself in my training and my work so I wouldn¡¯t have time to think about how much I missed them. It helped, and I certainly got caught up in my classwork as well as with all of my work work.


    As far as workouts goes, I went back to training my ass off in my little corner of the gym, not really interacting all that much with the others. I wanted to get back to the level I¡¯d been at before screwing off for a couple of months on tour, and I was pleased to see my fitness return quickly.


    I did a little sparring, sure, but I was starting to feel as if MMA in a gym wasn¡¯t really doing much for me anymore. When it came down to it, I didn¡¯t care about fighting all that much- what mattered was my ability to put an enemy down as quickly and as cleanly as possible, and that (for the most part) wasn¡¯t what competition fighting was about. I needed to get back to training with Grant and Jody, or at least somebody like that. I needed to find myself another Mr Han.


    ¡°Uh, Leah, me and the other guys been noticin¡¯ you real focused these days,¡± Duane said to me one day at the gym. ¡°You got a fight comin¡¯ up?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of,¡± I replied. ¡°But like they taught me in the Girl Scouts, ¡®Be Prepared¡¯, right?¡±


    ¡°You wasn¡¯t never no Girl Scout,¡± he said, doubtfully.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the amount of cookies I sold,¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯d tell people, ¡®Buy my cookies!¡¯ and they would. Or else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really somethin¡¯,¡± he said with a smile, shaking his head slowly.


    That Saturday I drove the Carrera again, more for personal amusement than anything else. I¡¯d more than half convinced myself that if Angela was really serious and actually wanted the two of us to do some rally events, the Porsche was not the car for it. First off, it was too expensive and unique a car to put into a ditch on some gravel road somewhere. Really, it was a play car, more of a styling exercise than a practical racing vehicle. Second, it was a handful to drive fast, Yeah, it could be done, but it wasn¡¯t as easy as any of my other cars, and I could imagine that in the heat of railing some back road at stupid speed I¡¯d want all the cushion I could get.


    The obvious answer was to buy somebody else¡¯s ex-race car and run that. Something like a Subaru STI already set up would be perfect. I was sure I could find a top-shelf car for much less than the Porsche had cost me, and I wouldn¡¯t cry if I wrecked it.


    We would be many months away from any possible rally events anyway, seeing as how there was no way a pregnant Angela could co-drive. Sure, goofing around on Saturdays with the guys was fine, but actually racing on gravel roads in the rain? No way. That was an unacceptable risk to her and the baby.


    During lunch at the Italian place that Geoff liked so much the topic of my car came up in conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy watching you drive that thing,¡± Stephen said. ¡°You get so out of shape. Are you doing that intentionally?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just learning how to drive an old-school analog Carrera,¡± Geoff said. ¡°They take a very different touch than most cars.¡±


    ¡°No joke, it does,¡± I agreed. ¡°But yeah, I¡¯m also doing it intentionally. I¡¯m trying to figure out where the limit is on the car, and that means stepping a bit over every now and then.¡±


    ¡°By ¡®every now and then¡¯, she means every corner. Not so much in the straights,¡± Jimmy volunteered.


    ¡°Not every corner,¡± I protested. ¡°Just¡­ most of ¡®em. The thing is, if you lift mid-turn, the rear of the car wants to find its way to the outside of the turn, right? So I¡¯ve been trying to find the sweet spot where I can get it back in line once it steps out.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Stein said. ¡°But what doesn¡¯t make sense is you looking like you¡¯re about to crash repeatedly on public roads.¡±


    ¡°You do know what it is we do on these public roads, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Point taken,¡± Stein admitted.


    ¡°Hey, since Angela and Emmy are back on tour, do you have any plans for tonight?¡± Teddy Bear asked as we walked back to our cars.


    ¡°I was probably just going to spend some time on a development proposal,¡± I said, rolling my eyes at my own boringness.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go to a producer¡¯s party tonight, and was thinking maybe you might want to go?¡± he said. ¡°I figure I¡¯ve got to put in two hours at the most, and I¡¯d really appreciate it if you could be my plus one.¡±


    ¡°Why not ask some actress? I¡¯m sure any number of ¡®em would love to go to that kind of party.¡±


    ¡°Well, see, that¡¯s the problem,¡± he admitted. ¡°If I invite any wannabe actress that would kill to get invited, they¡¯re gonna be off in some bedroom somewhere blowing anybody they think can get them a role, you know? But you, you¡¯re perfect. You don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about the industry, so you won¡¯t be overawed and embarrass me in any way like that, and as a plus, you¡¯re one Hell of a striking woman, so¡­¡± he trailed off, realizing he was putting his foot in his mouth.


    ¡°So?¡± I asked, enjoying watching him squirm a little.


    Biting the bullet, he said, ¡°So, any industry types that sees us together will wonder who you are, and where did I find you, and how come you¡¯re looking at them like something stuck to the bottom of your shoe? It¡¯ll drive ¡®em crazy.¡±


    ¡°Will there be anybody I know?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, but in this town, who can say? It¡¯s gonna be almost entirely film industry types, not TV, if that makes any difference,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°Will I have to dress up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It would be awesome if you did, but, like, classy sexy, not trashy sexy, if you understand what I mean,¡± he replied.


    ¡°O.K., I¡¯ll do it. What time will you pick me up?¡±


    ¡°How about nine? I figure nine thirty is as good a time to get there as any,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°Oh, no way, TB,¡± I told him. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna drag me to an industry party, you need to feed me first. And not Korean tacos.¡±


    ¡°Those tacos are awesome!¡± Teddy Bear protested.


    ¡°They are, but I am not getting Sriracha on my cocktail dress,¡± I told him.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°O.K., O.K.,¡± he said, holding up his hands in surrender. ¡°I¡¯ll get us in at Verlaine. Will madame accept to dine in such a lowly place?¡±


    ¡°Verlaine¡¯s good,¡± I said. ¡°See you at seven?¡±


    ¡°With bells on,¡± he agreed.


    ¡®Something classy sexy,¡¯ I thought, looking through my closet that evening. I didn¡¯t want something that said ¡®attention-seeking starlet¡¯, but I also didn¡¯t want to suit up and look like somebody¡¯s expensive lawyer, either. I finally settled on a midnight blue jersey mini dress, but with a blazer on top, since it was a bit chilly in the evenings.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Teddy Bear said when he came to pick me up. ¡°You look great! And, um, seriously tall, too.¡±


    ¡°Is that going to be a problem?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What, that you¡¯re, like, seven feet tall in those heels? I¡¯m cool with it. I¡¯m not like Tom or Sylvester, who can¡¯t have anybody tall stand next to them, you know?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t, um, that model that Stallone married¡­ Wasn¡¯t she tall?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Brigitte was a couple of inches taller than him,¡± Teddy Bear agreed. ¡°Which is why she always wore flats and he wore lifts.¡±


    Walking into Verlaine, the two of us definitely got long looks from the other patrons, but I was used to that with Emmy, so I didn¡¯t give it much thought.


    ¡°The industry types in here, they¡¯re all trying to figure out who you are,¡± Teddy Bear said in a low voice once we¡¯d gotten our drinks order in. ¡°They know who I am, so the immediate assumption is that you¡¯re an actress. The fact they haven¡¯t seen you in anything, but you walked in like you own the place, well¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this too much,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°Hey, in this town you have to find your joy where you can,¡± Teddy Bear replied with a shrug and a smile.


    Dinner was excellent, living up to the restaurant¡¯s reputation. I¡¯d heard stories of poor service, but our waiter was attentive and there when we wanted him, but unobtrusive when we didn¡¯t. All in all, the place lived up to the hype.


    Teddy Bear was a decent date, too. In contrast to the stereotype of actors he didn¡¯t make the conversation all about himself, but he did have a lot of great anecdotes about life in front of the camera and on the boards. He also asked about aspects of my life, like what got me into cars, or what was it like playing volleyball¡­ In general, he was a great conversationalist, and it was easy to imagine that his natural charm absolutely killed the ladies.


    After dinner we had a couple of drinks in the adjoining cocktail bar. ¡°Pre-gaming,¡± Teddy Bear called it. ¡°Of course there¡¯ll be plenty of alcohol at the party,¡± he said, ¡°But most just use their glasses as props. They¡¯ll hold that Champagne flute until the bubbles are all gone, just so they look like they¡¯re drinking, but lord God, there is no way they want those calories on their hips.¡±


    The party was at this ridiculous Bel Air monstrosity which was twenty thousand square feet (at a rough estimate) of narcissistic ¡®I¡¯m so cool¡¯ interior decoration. The crowd gave off a similar vibe, but that was fine. I was there to support a friend and drink free Champagne, right?


    At one point Teddy Bear went off to talk to somebody he knew and left me alone. Of course, this immediately opened the door, and several guys zoomed in to talk to me once the coast was clear.


    This one middle-aged guy with a paunch tried the whole, ¡°I thought I knew everybody in the business,¡± approach, and when I told him I wasn¡¯t in the business he ran out of steam immediately.


    The second guy was that actor from all those revenge action movies- the ones that usually feature fast cars in a prominent role. He clearly expected that a smile would get me into bed, and when I gave no indication that I even knew who he was, much less cared, he was left nonplussed.


    ¡°I¡¯m one of the top action stars in Hollywood,¡± he actually said at one point.


    ¡°Ohhh, that¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°You were in that movie that had the BMW Seven Series car in it.¡±


    He gave me a long, disbelieving look, then admitted that yes, one of his movies had featured a 735 fairly prominently.


    ¡°Those were nice cars,¡± I told him. ¡°That E38 had a nice, classic look to it.¡±


    Again, he gave me a long look that said, ¡®What is this chick¡¯s story?¡¯


    ¡°How do you know so much about BMWs?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I own a couple of dealerships,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°What,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m in negotiations to buy a Porsche dealership, too. You know how it is,¡± I said. enjoying how his wires had totally crossed.


    ¡°So¡­ What car do you drive?¡± he finally asked.


    ¡°Honestly, mostly my M6 Competition. That¡¯s my commuter, you know. On Saturdays, when I go out driving with the guys, I¡¯ll usually drive my 918, or maybe my new Porsche rally car. I hardly ever take my Aston out anymore.¡±


    ¡°A Porsche 918?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Weissach,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty nice car.¡±


    ¡°Have any pictures?¡± he asked, half disbelieving and wanting proof and half just wanting to see pictures because it is a cool car.


    I took my phone out of my little purse and scrolled through, finding a picture that Joachim had taken at the Porsche track day. It showed me leaning against the car in my Nomex suit, helmet under my arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s fucking pink?¡± the guy said, disbelief in his voice.


    ¡°Lavender, actually,¡± I said, finding another pic Joachim had taken of me flying past the grandstands. ¡°This was at a Porsche club track day.¡±


    ¡°You drive your 918 on the track?¡± he asked, stunned.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of having a toy and not playing with it?¡± I asked. ¡°But no, honestly, I don¡¯t usually track the Spyder.¡± Scrolling a bit, I found the picture I wanted and showed it to him. ¡°Usually I drive my race car when I hit the track.¡±


    He stared at the picture of the GT3 car at Inde, then scrolled to the next that showed my in the driver¡¯s seat, helmet on, talking to my crew chief. Scrolling again, he looked at the next picture of me cresting turn seven.


    ¡°Is this really you?¡± he asked.


    Just then Teddy Bear returned, and he and the guy I¡¯d been talking to gave each other nods of acknowledgment. ¡°Leah, are you showing off your cars again?¡± Teddy Bear asked. Turning to the other guy, he said, ¡°Has she shown you pictures of her new car yet? That thing¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°Crazier than this race car?¡±


    Glancing at the phone in the guy¡¯s hand, Teddy Bear said, ¡°Well, that BMW isn¡¯t crazy, per se, just fucking fast. When she blitzes around you on turn eight at Willow Springs Raceway and leaves you for dead, well, I tell you, it scars a man.¡±


    ¡°That really is her car?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her track car, but sometimes she drives her street cars on the track just to fuck with the rest of us. It fucking sucks to think you¡¯re going good when all of a sudden she passes you sideways around the outside in her M6. She freaking waves as she goes by, man. Demoralizing, I tell you.¡±


    ¡°I was just trying to be friendly,¡± I protested.


    ¡°So, do you do your own driving in your movies?¡± I asked the guy.


    ¡°They don¡¯t let me,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Liability concerns, they tell me.¡±


    ¡°Jace is a pretty good driver,¡± Teddy Bear volunteered. ¡°He¡¯s got a couple of R8s.¡±


    ¡°A couple?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They gave them to me- you know how sponsorship deals go,¡± Jace said with a shrug.


    ¡°Have you ever taken them to the track?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never driven an R8, but they seem really capable.¡±


    ¡°Um, no, I never have,¡± he said.


    ¡°You really ought to,¡± I told him. ¡°It¡¯s the only real way to find out how good the car really is, after all.¡±


    ¡°And of course, to find out how good a driver you are,¡± Teddy Bear added helpfully, enjoying Jace¡¯s discomfort. ¡°It really helps with the verisimilitude, too, when you¡¯ve got so many car scenes in your franchise.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe I should,¡± Jace admitted.


    ¡°It¡¯d be great to see you out there,¡± I told him. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of fun. You¡¯ll have a great time.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get butthurt when Leah here rails past you like you¡¯re in reverse,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°I¡¯m a pretty good driver,¡± Jace said, a bit defensively.


    ¡°Yeah, I like to think I am, too,¡± Teddy Bear agreed. ¡°Everybody gangsta until Leah shows up.¡±


    Shaking his head and realizing he was going to get nowhere with me, Jace said, ¡°Well, it was nice to meet you. See you around, Theodore,¡± he said to Teddy Bear as he turned to go.


    ¡°You enjoyed that a lot,¡± I said accusingly to Teddy Bear. ¡°Maybe too much.¡±


    ¡°Guilty as charged, your honor,¡± he said, holding up his left hand, since his right still had his mostly full Champagne flute in it. ¡°But so did you.¡±


    I laughed and shrugged. ¡°Also guilty.¡±


    ¡°Hey, do me a favor,¡± Teddy Bear asked. ¡°Ditch the jacket. Show off those shoulders.¡±


    ¡°What are you expecting will happen?¡± I asked, taking off my blazer and handing it to him to deal with. ¡°Don¡¯t lose that- it was quite expensive,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna put it in my car,¡± he said, leaving to do just that.


    Amused by Teddy Bear¡¯s games, I wandered around to mingle. Now, I will admit that I¡¯m not the incredible social butterfly that Emmy or Angela can be, but I¡¯m also not particularly shy, so I didn¡¯t find it difficult to put myself out there. I still didn¡¯t know what Teddy Bear wanted, but I¡¯d play his game. He was turning out to be a decent friend, after all.


    I spotted an actress I recognized as having starred in one of the superhero movies that had just come out in the last year, and figuring I could let myself have a little fun, I wandered over to where she was talking to a couple of middle-aged guys.


    I approached the group nonchalantly, but as I neared the three all took notice of me. To be fair, I was six foot six in those heels, so very hard to ignore.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said in greeting as they turned to look at me. ¡°You look familiar,¡± I said to one of the men, who didn¡¯t look familiar at all. ¡°But I¡¯m terrible with names. Where have we met before?¡±


    He was a touch on the shorter side, so I stood nearly a foot taller than him, making him have to crane his neck to look up at me.


    ¡°I think I would have remembered that,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°Excuse me, we were talking here,¡± said the actress, clearly irritated at being upstaged.


    ¡°Oh- I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you down there.¡±


    The two guys¡¯ eyes bugged out and one I hadn¡¯t just spoken to couldn¡¯t stop himself from laughing. Seeing the look on the actress¡¯ face, he said, ¡°Oh, come on, Liz. You have to appreciate a sick burn like that.¡±


    She did not appreciate a sick burn like that.

 Its Not Them You Have To Worry About

    ¡°There you are,¡± said Teddy Bear, distracting our little group from the incipient bitchfest. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all over for you.¡±


    ¡°Ted, you know this woman?¡± Liz demanded.


    ¡°I should, since she¡¯s my date for the night,¡± Teddy Bear replied. ¡°Liz, this is Leah. Leah, this is Liz, Greg and Josh. Josh is the show runner for my current series.¡±


    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± I said, nodding my greeting. ¡°Josh? No, I think you must be right about us not meeting before. Somehow I had in mind your name was Ari. Sorry- my mistake.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I could be an Ari,¡± Josh said with a teasing grin, and I decided that I liked the guy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you two later,¡± Liz said. ¡°Good seeing you, Ted. I need to get a refill,¡± she said, holding up her champagne flute to show how empty it was.


    It was not empty.


    Once Liz was out of earshot Greg said to Teddy Bear, ¡°You should have been here five minutes ago. Your girlfriend took Liz down so hard!¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it,¡± Josh agreed. ¡°Here Liz was going on about how amazing she was in that moronic cape flick when, um, Leah, right? Leah just lays her out cold with just one sentence. It was glorious.¡±


    ¡°Leah¡¯s single greatest talent is destroying peoples¡¯ egos,¡± Teddy Bear agreed.


    ¡°Leah, you¡¯re married to Emmy De Lascaux, right?¡± Greg asked.


    ¡°Oh, damn! That¡¯s where I¡¯d seen you before,¡± Josh said, nodding. ¡°The Grammys. What brings you here tonight?¡±


    ¡°Teddy Bear here,¡± I said, resting my hand on his shoulder. ¡°Emmy is in Argentina on tour, and he asked if I wanted to get out of the house.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Greg said, nodding.


    The conversation became much more interesting, now that the ice had been broken. The two guys wanted to know how often I got asked if I was interested in action film roles, and I admitted that it happened every now and then, but I had zero interest.


    ¡°You¡¯re in real estate, right?¡± Josh asked. ¡°Pretty well off, from what I understand. But hey, if you ever want to try a bit of acting, let me know. Even if it¡¯s just to see what it¡¯s like, maybe a bit role sometime. You have such a distinctive look, I¡¯m sure I could find some project to fit you in.¡±


    For maybe the first time, that offer didn¡¯t seem as if the guy was just trying to get in my pants. After all, Josh knew I wasn¡¯t some wannabe starlet hoping to get my big break or anything. His offer had been more of the ¡®hey, you¡¯ve got an interesting look and maybe, just for fun, you could see how the industry works.¡¯


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, appreciating the offer. ¡°But I have no particular desire to appear onscreen. I¡¯ll happily leave the fame to my wife.¡±


    ¡°Talk about a breath of fresh air! Tell me this is why you brought her here tonight, Ted,¡± Josh said.


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah,¡± Teddy Bear admitted. ¡°These parties are always such industry circle jerks- I figured that Leah here would make an interesting change.¡±


    ¡°I applaud your commitment to chaos,¡± Josh said, golf clapping. ¡°It truly is a joy to see a little bit of shit stirring.¡±


    ¡°Are you not entertained? Is this not why we are here?¡± Teddy Bear emoted, raising his arms wide.


    ¡°Actors gonna act,¡± Greg said, smiling wryly.


    Leaving after a couple more hours, I asked Teddy Bear if he got the effect he wanted by my being there.


    ¡°I will,¡± he said. Then, explaining, he said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t just about tonight- it was about the gossip that¡¯s gonna fly around the next few days, until everyone gets bored and moves on.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I could do my little part in your efforts to disrupt the Hollywood status quo,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± he said. ¡°Hey, wanna get out and hit some clubs or something? It¡¯s still pretty early. I could probably get us in at Diamond.¡±


    ¡°The Diamond Hearts Club?¡± I asked, just to clarify.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m kind of a regular there. Even if it¡¯s crowded, they usually let me in, even if I don¡¯t have a date,¡± Teddy Bear explained. ¡°It¡¯s one of the perks of B List celebrity.¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not? It¡¯s been a bit since I¡¯ve stopped in,¡± I said.


    Making a turn onto Holloway instead of continuing on Sunset, Teddy Bear steered us towards South Hollywood and the converted grand theater.


    When Teddy Bear pulled his Corvette up in front of the club, the valets leapt to open our doors.


    ¡°The line isn¡¯t too bad,¡± Teddy Bear said, looking at the people dressed to impress waiting to get in. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have to wait long.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to wait,¡± I told him, giving him a ¡®come on and follow me¡¯ gesture as I walked toward the front instead of the back of the line.


    Puzzled, he followed my lead as I walked right up to the door. The doorman gave me a nod and swung the door open for the two of us, to a little bit of protest from some of the people in line.


    The hostess took one look at me and turned to give instructions into a little microphone on her lapel. Turning back to me, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry- we didn¡¯t know you were coming tonight. If we¡¯d known, we would have had your table ready.¡± Almost immediately one of the sharp-dressed waiters arrived and whispered in her ear. ¡°Your table is ready,¡± she said.


    Following the waiter, not into the main floor but off to a set of roped-off stairs on the right, Teddy Bear asked what the heck was going on.


    ¡°How did we get in like that? And getting seated immediately? Is this because of Emmy?¡±


    ¡°No, because I own the place,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s my nightclub.¡±


    Teddy Bear turned to look at me for a long moment. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously. Although, in some ways, it¡¯s Sandy¡¯s club more than mine. He came up with the concept and the vision- I just green-lighted it.¡±


    ¡°Sandy?¡±


    ¡°The head of my hospitality development division. He¡¯s a good guy- you¡¯d probably like him. He comes in here a lot- maybe he¡¯ll drop by our table.¡±


    We took our seats at the table in the balcony box, overlooking the floor and stage.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been up here,¡± Teddy Bear said, looking down at the floor below. ¡°This is really cool. How come you never told me you own this place?¡±


    ¡°It never came up,¡± I said.


    ¡°I had no idea you had a what? Hospitality division? All I knew about was your real estate stuff,¡± Teddy Bear said, turning back to face me.


    ¡°My company has a bunch of divisions. Hospitality is one of them, property management is another, venture capital, entertainment¡­ A lot of pies.¡±


    ¡°No wonder you can spend money like it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Teddy Bear said with a slow shake of his head.


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    Just then the waiter arrived to take our drink orders, and once he¡¯d left, a woman with too much makeup and too little clothes came to say hello.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve seen the new show, have you? We¡¯ve only been doing it the last few weeks.¡±


    ¡°The champagne glass?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No- that was two shows ago. Last show was the fire spectacular. Just wait till you see what we have going now. You¡¯ll love it- or your money back,¡± she said with a saucy wink. As she left our little balcony she gave an exaggerated sway to her hips, showing off her fishnet- covered butt.


    ¡°You need to get me her phone number,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°Monica is a happily married mother of three,¡± I told him. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get anywhere.¡±


    ¡°A man can dream,¡± he sighed.


    Looking down at the floor again, he said, ¡°Hey, look. There¡¯s Jace again. I¡¯d recognize that bald head of his anywhere. But who¡¯s that he¡¯s with?¡±


    I leaned over the railing to look down where Teddy Bear was indicating, and sure enough there was the guy I¡¯d talked to earlier at the party with some pretty brunette, being led to a table near the stage, following the well-known rule of seating celebrities where everyone else can see them.


    ¡°You want to invite them up here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Is it cool if we play it like I¡¯m the connected one here?¡± he asked, his eyes gleaming with mischief.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I replied. I signaled to our waiter and told him to carry the message. Moments later we watched as he approached the actor¡¯s table and spoke with their waitress. He pointed up at the balcony and when she nodded, she turned and spoke with the stubbly action film star.


    He looked up at us and Teddy Bear gave him a wave and a ¡®come on up¡± signal. Jace¡¯s shoulders slumped, but he knew when he was beat, so he stood up and took his date¡¯s hand and they followed our waiter off the main floor.


    ¡°This is gonna be great,¡± Teddy Bear said with glee.


    ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Jace said when he got to our table.


    ¡°Hey, Jace,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°We saw you come in. Figured we¡¯d see if you wanted to join us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that would be great,¡± Jace said, but you could tell that he wasn¡¯t convinced it would be. Still, he knew how the game was played, so he had to go along.


    ¡°Casey, this is Ted Behr, and, um, Leah, right?¡± Jace said by way of introduction. ¡°Ted, Leah, this is Casey Garner.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you,¡± Teddy Bear said, taking her hand in one of those ¡®gentleman taking a lady¡¯s hand¡¯ sort of almost-shakes.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you,¡± I said as well. Casey was typical SoCal hot, but otherwise not all that memorable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never sat up here,¡± Jace remarked, looking out over the main floor. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know there were seats up here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to know the owner to get these seats,¡± Teddy Bear said, doing his best humble brag.


    ¡°And you do? Know the owner?¡± Jace asked Teddy Bear.


    ¡°I do. We¡¯re old pals.¡±


    ¡°You should introduce us sometime,¡± Jace said.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do that,¡± Teddy Bear told him. Signaling the waiter, Teddy Bear told Jace that he was treating, since he¡¯d invited them up.


    Jace accepted his demotion to also-ran with dignity, and honestly, that raised him up a bit in my estimation. He knew he¡¯d been outplayed, but at least Teddy Bear had his own date so he didn¡¯t have to worry about Casey dumping him for greener pastures. He was still probably going to get laid, after all, even if he wasn¡¯t going to be the showiest peacock.


    ¡°How did you guys meet?¡± I asked Casey while Jace and Teddy Bear were talking about some director.


    She told me some story about how she was in his most recent film, a small part, really, but they got to talking and they¡¯ve gone out a few times since then, and Jace is so sexy with that accent of his, and on and on. She was an airhead and had nothing worthwhile to say, but I kept her talking anyway while Teddy Bear and Jace measured their dicks.


    This was Teddy Bear¡¯s play, after all, and I¡¯d agreed to support him in it.


    ¡°So, are you an actress?¡± Casey finally asked.


    ¡°Me? No,¡± I said. ¡°I have no desire to be anywhere near any cameras.¡±


    ¡°Probably the only one in this town,¡± Casey said with a little laugh.


    ¡°Maybe so,¡± I agreed, taking off my blazer and draping it on the back of my seat.


    ¡°Oh, wow!¡± Casey said, eying my shoulders. ¡°You must work out!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do work out some,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°More than just some,¡± she said admiringly. ¡°Are you, like, a celebrity trainer or something? I hear some of those can make a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m a businesswoman,¡± I said. ¡°I mostly do real estate investment.¡±


    ¡°Looking like that?¡± she asked, disbelieving. ¡°I mean, doing celebrity training, you could do really well!¡±


    ¡°I do really well with what I¡¯m doing now,¡± I said, wondering how limited her worldview actually was.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± she said, looking skeptical.


    It was about then that the club¡¯s emcee announced the evening¡¯s spectacular, starring the lovely Miss M and the club''s revue. True to the theme, it was a classic showgirl song and dance number. Monica sang a torch-style song, wearing a sexy little outfit that blended a small top hat that was somehow perched on her head at a jaunty angle and a jacket that gave the impression of being from a tuxedo, but no tuxedo jacket was ever cut that high above the hips. Under that her vivid red vest pushed her cleavage into amazing prominence. Below the waist her outfit tapered into a very small thong that barely covered her privates, exposing a lot of bare butt, thigh and long leg through the fishnet covering them.


    She was supported by a half dozen male dancers as she sang. And by supported, I mean they literally lifted and carried her as they danced.


    ¡°Monica is one hot number,¡± Teddy Bear said to Jace. ¡°Her husband is a lucky man. It¡¯s hard to believe she¡¯s got three kids, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You know her?¡± Jace asked, doubtful.


    ¡°You just missed her by maybe ten minutes when she came up here to say hello before her show,¡± Teddy Bear told him.


    Shaking his head, Jace leaned back in his seat to watch as a group of female dancers joined Monica and the guys on stage.


    Later, Monica came back up to ask how we liked the show. Luckily for Teddy Bear¡¯s story, she didn¡¯t directly address her question to me by name, but to the table in general.


    ¡°It was amazing!¡± Casey gushed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how you can dance like that and sing at the same time! I used to dance when I was young, and there is no way I could do anything but huff and puff!¡±


    ¡°I do a lot of cardio,¡± Monica said with a smile. ¡°Not just for the fitness for dancing, but also for my voice.¡±


    After she left Jace finally had enough, saying that it was getting late. ¡°I have a development meeting tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°It was cool hanging with you two,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°We should do it again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Jace said.


    ¡°So¡­ I was perfectly happy to play along, but what was the point of all that?¡± I asked once the two were gone.


    ¡°Hollywood egos need to take a beating every now and then,¡± Teddy Bear said with a smirk. ¡°Jace, tonight? He¡¯s going home and thinking one, I¡¯m an asshole, and two, maybe he¡¯s not such hot shit himself. That little bit of self-doubt is important to nurture. Without it, we, as actors, tend to become completely insufferable. You do such a great job of kicking my ego to the curb, I figured¡­¡±


    ¡°All that was just to do him a favor?¡±


    ¡°Well, no,¡± Teddy Bear admitted. ¡°Mostly it was because it was fun to see him squirm like that. But yeah, it¡¯s good for him, so that¡¯s an added benefit.¡±


    After taking a sip of his Manhattan, he asked, ¡°What did you think of his date?¡±


    ¡°Pretty enough, but not a whole lot upstairs,¡± I told him, kinda hating how sexist it sounded.


    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t see her ever moving up from the waitress category,¡± Teddy Bear said, sympathetic to the girl¡¯s plight.


    ¡°Waitress?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There are three categories of actors in Hollywood,¡± he explained. ¡°Stars- and this is the category I fall in. I¡¯m not huge, but I¡¯m in there. Then, working actors. These are the guys that always have work, but it¡¯s mostly supporting roles or bit parts, but still enough that they get by on their acting money and don¡¯t have any other jobs. This category is the backbone of the industry, to be honest. Then, there are the waiters. People who say they are actors, and yeah, they get parts every now and then, but they have to support themselves with day jobs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazingly dismissive,¡± I tell him with a chuckle.


    ¡°Making the jump from waiter to working actor is a matter of talent and commitment to the craft. If you don¡¯t have both, you won¡¯t ever get enough work to buy that house in Studio City,¡± he said.


    ¡°And how do you get to the star category?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mostly luck. If you have the talent and drive to be a working actor, you have the talent and drive to be a star. Breaking out is, like I said, luck, and having something the next guy doesn¡¯t. But mostly luck,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not selling yourself very well,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing nobody tells you going in. In Hollywood, it¡¯s not about what you know, even though that does matter. It¡¯s not even about who you know- that barely matters at all. No, in Hollywood, what matters is who knows you. If casting directors know you, you get good, steady gigs as a working actor. And don¡¯t get me wrong- some working actors have a ton of credits and make a whole lot of money. It¡¯s a good life. But if producers know you? That¡¯s star time.¡±


    ¡°And producers know you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They do. I¡¯m at the level where scripts get shopped to me- I don¡¯t have to audition anymore. Now, going back to the really successful working actors I mentioned, plenty of them actually make more money than I do. But I don¡¯t have to scramble for my money. All I have to do is bust my ass and work as hard as I can to keep the directors and producers happy, and be interesting enough to keep the audience buying tickets or tuning in to my show. So yeah, it¡¯s a different stress.¡±


    ¡°I guess I get that,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Besides the fact that you being there was like watching a giant machine that somebody just threw their wooden shoe into, disrupting all the gears- which was awesome and I loved every minute of it- that was a lot of what bringing you to the party was about. Keeping me in the mind of the people that matter for my career. Whether you realized it or not, everyone was watching you at the party. A few knew who you are, but most didn¡¯t and they just couldn¡¯t make you fit into their myopic Hollywood mindsets. That¡¯s memorable- much more than if I¡¯d shown up with, say, Jennifer or Scarlett or somebody like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad I could help your professional advancement,¡± I said grandly.


    ¡°So, enough about me, and enough about Hollywood. Anything interesting happen in your life recently?¡± Teddy Bear asked, leaning back. ¡°How was your trip on tour in Asia and Australia? You know Saturday mornings just aren¡¯t the same without you.¡±


    ¡°A few interesting things happened,¡± I told him, taking a sip of my French 75. ¡°In Seoul a K Pop star told me she wanted to fuck me. And I got to work on my knife fighting skills with a special forces instructor in Singapore. That was cool. Oh, and I also met a bunch of ninjas in Japan.¡±


    ¡°Somehow I can see all of those things happening,¡± Teddy Bear replied. ¡°That, and the herd of rampaging kangaroos you had to fight off in Australia.¡±


    ¡°No, no kangaroos,¡± I said dismissively. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not them you have to worry about. It¡¯s the drop bears.¡±

 Bienvenidos A Colombia

    Looking forward to my first visit to South America, I made sure I had all my assignments for school done and turned in early so I could fly to Colombia with nothing hanging over my head. Sure, I was going to have to take some time now and then to answer work emails, but that was par for the course. Finishing my second year in the program felt good, and so did knowing that I only had one more semester to finally get my MBA.


    The second year had been a lot more interesting than the first, but none of it, individually, was all that new. As a whole, though, I did feel that what I was learning was improving my understanding of business economics enough to justify all the time and hassle.


    Our last night of classes together (I was going to miss the final week, but the instructors had assured me that I wasn¡¯t going to miss anything but review) I took Myles and Li out for drinks afterwards.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a drinker,¡± Li said when I suggested the idea. ¡°But I guess I could have a glass of wine.¡±


    ¡°That works,¡± I said. I gave them the address and maybe twenty minutes later the two of them joined me on the sidewalk outside the place I¡¯d suggested.


    ¡°Tell me what you guys think of this place,¡± I said as I led the way in.


    ¡°This is so cool!¡± Li exclaimed, looking around the bar, which was styled like an English gentleman¡¯s private club.


    The place was pretty much empty since it was after ten on a Thursday night and finals were looming for UCLA students, so we took a booth near the fireplace.


    ¡°All these books!¡± Li said, looking at the shelves that lined the room. ¡°Are they real?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said, reaching up behind me and pulling down what turned out to be a copy of Dickens¡¯ Hard Times. Looking at the publisher¡¯s info in front, I saw that it had been printed in London just a few years after World War Two. I handed it to Li, who looked it over in amazement.


    ¡°This has to be worth something,¡± she said.


    ¡°These books all came from city library book sales, so that might have cost, I dunno, maybe five bucks, since it¡¯s hardbound and in decent shape?¡± I said as Myles examined the book. ¡°Maybe fifty for the full set,¡± I said, indicating the complete works of Charles Dickens that that volume had come from.


    ¡°I had to read this in my freshman year at Cal Poly,¡± he said with a hint of distaste, handing it back to me.


    After the waitress came by to set down our glasses of water and hand out drink menus, Li asked, ¡°How did you know about the book sales thing?¡±


    ¡°I own the place,¡± I said. ¡°When my guy Sandy pitched the idea, books were going to be the key design element. His first idea was like a library in an English manor house, but eventually it changed to more of a club¡¯s reading room.¡±


    ¡°With alcohol,¡± Myles said.


    ¡°I thought you were in real estate?¡± Li asked, puzzled.


    ¡°My company has a hospitality division, too. We have a bunch of restaurants, clubs, bars, even a few boutique hotels,¡± I told her.


    ¡°What makes a hotel a boutique hotel?¡± Li asked.


    ¡°Small size, for one. Less than a hundred rooms- usually a lot less. The second is that it has to be stylish, and located in a hip area. Third, not a chain.¡±


    ¡°But if you have a bunch of them, doesn¡¯t that make them a chain?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I meant not a chain like a Marriott or Best Western. Each hotel has its own identity,¡± I explained.


    The waitress interrupted our conversation to ask if we were ready to order. Myles got some sort of hazy IPA microbrew and Li asked for the house white. As appalled as I was, I didn¡¯t say anything about their choices. As for myself, I went with their B&B with Massenez pear brandy.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Li asked when the drinks were served. I invited her to take a sip and her face lit up when she did. ¡°That¡¯s really good!¡± she said. ¡°Makes me wish I¡¯d ordered that instead.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and take it,¡± I assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll order another one for myself.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I hate wasting money like that,¡± Li protested.


    ¡°Li,¡± Myles said. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t noticed it by now, Leah is rich. I mean, look how casual she is about this bar- it¡¯s just one of the who knows how many she owns, along with her real estate portfolio and who knows what else.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± she said.


    ¡°She might be the richest person you know,¡± Myles continued. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s the richest I know.¡±


    ¡°I know Evan Spiegel- he¡¯s a billionaire,¡± Li replied.


    ¡°He¡¯s richer than I am,¡± I admitted. ¡°I haven¡¯t cracked my first billion yet.¡±


    Myles just shook his head in dismay. ¡°Better get on it, Missy. Time¡¯s a wasting.¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± I agreed.


    We were on our second round when Myles confessed that he¡¯d been seriously thinking of taking me up on my job offer. ¡°I talked it over with my wife, and told her that you¡¯re planning on opening an office in Austin,¡± he said. ¡°She likes the idea of moving back to Texas, but honestly? I¡¯m not so in love with the idea. I mean, it gets hot in the Valley, don¡¯t get me wrong, but when we went to visit her family in San Antonio last fall I thought the world had caught on fire.¡±


    ¡°I promise the office will have air conditioning,¡± I teased.


    ¡°But you also said Denver and Seattle, and maybe New York, too. I kind of like the idea of trying one of those towns,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯d want you in the LA or San Jose offices for at least a year, maybe two, before sending you off to one of those places,¡± I said. ¡°Corporate culture is a real thing, and I¡¯d want you to understand how we do it first.¡±


    ¡°So if I hired on tomorrow, it¡¯d be two years before I could transfer to, say, Denver?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe less, but probably not. You¡¯d need to be part of the team long enough to carry it with you into the new place.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Myles grudgingly admitted.


    ¡°So, why don¡¯t you turn in your notice at Angel City and start with me?¡±


    ¡°To tell you the honest truth, I¡¯ve actually been planning on it for a while,¡± he said, sipping his beer. ¡°I just wanted to wait until I have my MBA in hand so I can hire on in an upper bracket.¡±


    ¡°I hate to tell you this, but that first year or two? You¡¯d be in the trenches, learning the ropes before I moved you into management. It¡¯ll probably still be a pay raise, especially with the profit sharing, but you wouldn¡¯t come in and immediately expect to be running the show.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°No, I get that,¡± Myles said. ¡°And I¡¯m O.K. with that. But if there¡¯s a chance I can maybe take over one of the new offices¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a chance. You putting yourself through Anderson is proof that you¡¯re willing to put in the effort to do better for yourself, right? It could well be that in a couple of years, after you¡¯ve settled in to the way we do things, that you could be assigned one of the new offices.¡±


    Just then, our waitress came by to tell us she was going off-shift, and Jorge, one of the two bartenders, would be serving us.


    ¡°You¡¯re planning on being nationwide, right?" Myles asked. ¡°So, if in two years, I could go potentially anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but with a caveat. If you want to transfer to a city where I¡¯ve already got an office up and running, you wouldn¡¯t be able to come in as office head. That position would already be filled, unless, well, you get the idea. But if it¡¯s a new office, then yeah, you could potentially start the office up,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I think you should do it,¡± Li said. ¡°You don¡¯t like Angel City and you¡¯ve said there¡¯s no way you¡¯re moving up there, right? Well, Leah is offering you a job with vertical possibilities as well as the chance to relo out of LA if that¡¯s what you want. Sure, she¡¯s not gonna hire you to run her LA office, but honestly? Nobody would do that just because you have an MBA from Anderson. You¡¯d have to prove yourself anywhere you go.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Myles admitted. ¡°O.K., I¡¯m gonna do it. I¡¯ll turn in my notice tomorrow,¡± he announced. ¡°They¡¯ll probably want me out the door immediately, so I can probably start on Monday.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do it like that,¡± Li admonished him. ¡°Take tomorrow off. Call in sick or whatever, and go to Leah¡¯s office and get all the HR stuff done. Don¡¯t turn in your notice until everything is taken care of at your new job.¡±


    ¡°The onboarding process is reasonably quick, but Li¡¯s probably right,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I could do with a few days off between jobs,¡± Myles replied. ¡°Tammy and I haven¡¯t had a decent vacation in years.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, but I think that Li is right about getting the paperwork at Loeltz done before taking that time off. That way all the HR stuff can happen while you¡¯re in Orlando,¡± I said.


    ¡°Huh. Orlando. No, that wouldn¡¯t be where we¡¯d go,¡± Myles mused. ¡°Hawaii, maybe, or even just San Francisco. But yeah, you¡¯re right about signing all the papers first. I¡¯ll be in tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You might, but I won¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m headed to Bogot¨¢ in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Columbia?¡± Li asked, surprised.


    ¡°Colombia,¡± I corrected. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to catch up with Emmy on tour.¡±


    ¡°Wow- that¡¯s cool,¡± she said.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a few weeks since the tour left, and I want some honey time,¡± I said.


    ¡°So you¡¯re flying to South America for a booty call?¡± she asked, smiling.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I agreed.


    Unfortunately, flying to South America meant leaving from LAX instead of Burbank, with a layover in Miami. If I were with Emmy and Angela I¡¯d love to stay in Miami for a little bit, but since I was by myself there was no reason to leave the airport. I did use the time to walk around and stretch my legs after the five hour flight from Los Angeles, but that was as far as my sightseeing went.


    After a surprisingly easy pass through customs in Bogot¨¢¡¯s El Dorado airport I spotted Angela and her father waiting for me.


    ¡°Welcome to my country,¡± Angela said with a big hug and kiss, which drew a few looks, but less than I¡¯d expected.


    ¡°Thanks for coming to meet me,¡± I told her, then turned to shake my father-in-law¡¯s hand. ¡°Pap¨¢, good to see you.¡±


    ¡°It has been a long time,¡± Rafael laughed as he pulled me into a hug without any prompting. When we¡¯d hugged goodbye at LAX he¡¯d been stiff at first, but relaxed into it. This time it was comfortable from the start.


    ¡°Emmy is at the hotel with the rest of the family,¡± Angela said, wrapping her arm around my waist. ¡°Are you hungry? We¡¯ve already had dinner. We can stop somewhere if you want.¡±


    ¡°They served dinner on the plane, but I could go for a little something,¡± I said.


    ¡°We should get some empanadas,¡± Angela suggested, then a quick conversation with her father confirmed that there was a great place near the hotel that should be open.


    Thankfully, it was open, but since it was late the choices were few. Still, a couple of slightly stale but still amazing empanadas later, my hunger was sated.


    The hotel was a typical modern glass Hyatt, nice enough but without any real individualistic charm. It was a businessman¡¯s hotel, but that was fine. It was clean, had all the amenities, and was reasonably close to the venue. What more could anyone ask for?


    Emmy was talking with the rest of the band in the dining area when we entered the suite. She looked up to see who¡¯d just come in and when she spotted me she jumped up and rushed over to give me a hug.


    ¡°Welcome to South America!¡± she said, burying her face in my chest. ¡°I am so glad you are here- Angela and I have missed you so much!¡±


    I kissed the top of her head, enjoying the scent of her hair. ¡°I¡¯m here now, babe. Let¡¯s kick everybody else out and get right to the sex.¡±


    Emmy let go and stepped back, laughing in that pretty way she had. ¡°Soon, I promise,¡± she said. ¡°After this meeting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± I said. ¡°And by that, I mean I¡¯ll hold you to me,¡± earning me another laugh.


    After dropping my luggage in the bedroom and taking a quick shower to clean off all the travel funk, I made my way back out into the living area to look for Angela.


    ¡°Angie is with her parents in room 1207,¡± Emmy said when I asked her where Angela had gone. ¡°I am certain that Mam¨¢ would love to see you.¡±


    Taking the hint, I grabbed a key card and found my way down to the suite that we¡¯d rented for the Castros. Cecilia was the one who opened the door when I knocked, her eyes wide with surprise.


    ¡°Hola, Cecy,¡± I said. ¡°Est¨¢ Angela?¡±


    ¡°S¨ª, po¡¯ supuesto,¡± she replied, opening the door for me to enter.


    ¡°Lee!¡± Mam¨¢ said, rising out of her chair for a hug. ¡°You look good. Too thin, but good,¡± she said, holding my face in her hands and looking me over.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you, too, Mam¨¢,¡± I said, actually meaning it.


    ¡°Sit, sit,¡± she commanded me, leading me to the couch in the suite¡¯s living area. I sat down next to Angela, taking her hand in mine.


    ¡°We were just talking about what we want to show you here in Bogot¨¢,¡± Angela said. ¡°I wish we had more time here- there is no way I can show you everything,¡± she lamented.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll be back plenty. There¡¯s no need to try to see everything in just a few days.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°La Candelaria,¡± Mam¨¢ declared. ¡°And Monserrate. Everything else can wait.¡±


    ¡°That is really all you need to see in Bogot¨¢ anyway,¡± Pap¨¢ said dismissively. ¡°The rest is like any other big city around the world.¡±


    ¡°Pap¨ª,¡± Angela said reproachfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± he said, defending his position. ¡°But Lee, Cartagena is the jewel of Colombia. When you see her, you will never want to leave.¡± When this got a chuckle from me, he said, ¡°You will see it is true.¡±


    Cecilia had gone to her room to be away from the old people, so it was just the four of us visiting together. It was nice, and since it really hadn¡¯t been that long (only a few short months) since we¡¯d seen the Castros last, there wasn¡¯t a lot of need to reacquaint. After a while, Angela looked as if she was tiring, so I took her back to our room. Emmy and her bandmates were still deep in conversation and it seemed as if they would be for a while, so Angela suggested I go back downstairs when I told her I wasn¡¯t ready for bed.


    ¡°I think my father wants to talk to you,¡± she said.


    ¡°What about?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Nothing bad,¡± she assured me. ¡°I think he feels¡­ I hate to say this, but he feels that¡­ He thinks¡­¡± she said, trying to find the right words. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t right,¡± she finally said, ¡°and he knows it, too, but I think he feels like you¡¯re like his son-in-law and you two should get to know each other better. He knows it¡¯s old-fashioned , but he sees you as the head of the family and even if you aren¡¯t actually a son-in-law, you¡¯re in that position,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Honestly? I¡¯m pretty sure that Emmy¡¯s dad thinks the same thing,¡± I assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll go down and visit with him some more. All other things aside, I like your dad- well, and I love your mom- and I wouldn¡¯t mind getting to know him better, too.¡±


    On my way back out of the suite, I explained to Emmy that I was on West Coast time and it was early for me, so I was going to go back down and visit with the in-laws.


    ¡°Shoot me a text when you¡¯re ready for bed and I¡¯ll come back up,¡± I said, giving her a quick kiss.


    Rafael answered the door when I knocked. I told him that it was still early for me, so I was thinking of heading down to the hotel¡¯s bar and asked him if he¡¯d like to join me.


    Pleased with the invitation, he grabbed his jacket and told Mam¨¢ he¡¯d be back in an hour or two, and soon enough we made our way down to the lobby and the bar I¡¯d noticed when we arrived.


    The place was nice and low-key, just perfect for a quiet conversation. Thankfully it was mostly empty, too, so we could talk with some degree of privacy.


    ¡°I cannot believe I will soon be a grandfather,¡± Rafael said once the bartender had brought our drinks. ¡°I still in my heart think of Angela as a little girl, playing with her dolls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still amazed every time I see Angela¡¯s belly,¡± I agreed. ¡°Seeing proof that our daughter is almost here makes me feel¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Rafael confirmed. ¡°Watching the mother of your child as she goes through her pregnancy is a truly wonderful time. And you, you have two. Emmy is starting to show as well.¡±


    ¡°She is, but you have to know to look,¡± I said. ¡°In another month there will be no question, but now, if she wears a loose shirt she can still hide it.¡±


    ¡°My Angela, no,¡± Rafael said with a wry grin.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no mistaking her condition now,¡± I agreed. ¡°She has been complaining, but to me, she¡¯s more beautiful than ever.¡±


    Rafael smiled, lost in the memory of his Marisa bearing their daughters. ¡°Yes, they don¡¯t understand how beautiful they become.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I agreed. ¡°They don¡¯t.¡±

 Bogotè°© Is For Lovers

    Rafael and I spent a couple of hours just drinking rum and talking about nothing much besides how wonderful family is, and how the love of a good woman is worth more than any amount of gold. It wasn¡¯t a conversation that had any deeper purpose than us simply getting to know each other better, but that was perfectly fine. This was a man who was going to be in my life for decades to come, after all, and it was important that the two of us knew and respected each other as family members.


    We talked about the family coming to Los Angeles as Angela¡¯s due date approached, and Rafael said that he and Cecilia might not be able to stay as long as Marisa would, since he had work obligations and she had school to attend. That led to talk of Cecy maybe, potentially, coming to the US for a school year, and I agreed that that might be something that could happen, provided, of course, that she wanted to do it. We pondered the mysteries of a teenager¡¯s mind, eventually conceding that there was no knowing.


    Eventually we made our way back to our rooms, satisfied that we had a bond of friendship, on top of the shared bond of Angela¡¯s love.


    As it turned out, La Candelaria was not one specific thing or building to see, but the whole colonial Spanish part of town. Angela led me on a walking tour through the area, and although she pointed out a museum that had a lot of gold artifacts from before the arrival of the Spanish, we didn¡¯t go inside. This was just a way to get a little feel for the vibe of the old parts of town, and perfect in that regard.


    The buildings were an interesting mix of architecture spanning five hundred years, with no real rhyme or reason that I could see. Modern buildings would butt up against others that might be from the 1800s, or the 1600s. It had all happened organically, and except for a handful of monumental buildings, with no rhyme or reason why some should be preserved and others not.


    Angela and I just wandered around for a few hours with no real itinerary but to see the heart of Bogot¨¢. As Angela pointed out, we didn¡¯t have enough time to do much before we needed to be at the stadium for the night¡¯s show.


    As we walked, Angela kept reassuring me that it wasn¡¯t actually going to rain, despite the low clouds hanging over the city, obscuring the view of the Andes mountains I¡¯d hoped for.


    ¡°It¡¯s just this time of year. Sure, it does rain a lot, but not when it¡¯s this warm,¡± Angela explained. Turning to the little old lady manning the food cart where we were buying cheesy buns, she asked, ¡°No va a llover, no?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the little old lady said dismissively, looking up at the clouds. ¡°Hoy no.¡±


    ¡°There, see?¡± Angela said to me, and I had to admit that somebody who makes their living standing around outside probably has a good instinct for these things.


    ¡°My least favorite thing about Bogot¨¢ is how cold it is here all the time,¡± Angela said at one point, contradicting the thing about it being too warm for rain. Of course, I didn¡¯t mind that the cool weather meant that she held me a bit more closely as we walked. By cold she meant in the mid sixties, but I could understand her point. The heavy humidity made the coolish air temperature seem all that much colder than just the number would lead you to believe. Sure, we were practically parked on the Equator, but at almost nine thousand feet of elevation it was at least sweater weather and most of the locals wore jackets.


    ¡°How will it be for the show tonight?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It will be fine. Everybody here knows to dress warmly in the evenings,¡± Angela said with a shrug.


    ¡°We¡¯re south of the Equator, right? So we¡¯re heading into winter here, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The only difference is the rain,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s always this cold, but in the summer it¡¯s drier so it doesn¡¯t feel so bad.¡±


    Remembering Angela¡¯s description of New York in the winter as the coldest she¡¯d ever been in her life, I just held her close and tried to hide my smile.


    Back at the hotel, the Castros were excited to see the evening¡¯s concert. Cecilia was practically buzzing with nerves as we all loaded into the taxi cabs to take us to the soccer stadium.


    ¡°Will they play Killer In The Dark?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I admitted. ¡°Sometimes they do, sometimes they don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their best song!¡± she protested.


    This started a long conversation in Spanish between the two Castro sisters which was too fast for me to understand, but seemed to be about The Downfall¡¯s varied playlists.


    Angela and I led the way through the security, which was noticeably tighter than any of the other shows in the tour that I¡¯d been to. Passing the merch tables, Angela bought both versions of the tour T for Cecilia, the one that said, ¡°Big-Ass Rock Spectacular¡± and the other that was just a black shirt with a pair of vivid green eyes on it, with the dates on the back. Cecilia immediately put the black shirt on over what she was already wearing, proud to show her support for her sister-in-law.


    As usual, our seats were on the field, about a third of the way back. When Rafael asked why we weren¡¯t seated in the front row, Angela explained to him that the sound was better back where we were seated and the whole stage show was designed to be viewed from that far back. Angela pointed at the sound board right behind us and said that the acoustics were the very best right there. Too close and it all becomes a bit of a mess, and besides, we have no need to be close to the stage to see Emmy, right? We get to see her much closer than that all the time, after all.


    This made sense to Rafael and Mam¨¢, but I¡¯m pretty sure I heard a little grumbling from Cecilia.


    ¡°Cecy,¡± I said. ¡°We may not have front row seats, but we have backstage passes, which are even better. Anybody can buy tickets up front, but nobody can buy all-access passes.¡±


    This cheered her up, and as she held up her pass on its lanyard I said, ¡°You get to keep that, to show to your friends.¡±


    ¡°En serio? I really can?¡± she asked.


    ¡°En serio,¡± I confirmed.


    The stadium¡¯s lights blinked to warn everybody to get to their seats, and a few minutes later dimmed when the opening act took the stage. Only about half the seats were occupied by that point, but that just seemed to be the way it went for the show openers at the concerts I¡¯d attended.


    This time it was a quintet- the usual rock combo of guitarist, drummer and bassist, but with the addition of two saxophone players. Their music was a sort of rock and jazz mix, heavy on the jazz. Different, and at times annoying, but that was O.K. At least they provided some variety, right? Most of their stuff was instrumental, but the bassist rapped during a few of their songs. The crowd seemed more receptive to their music than I was, but again, that seemed to be case at most Downfall concerts.


    Emmy and the boys put on their usual amazing show, and the high humidity made the laser light show all that much more spectacular. It was like the show in Australia, but without the whole getting wet thing.


    Both Jackson and Emmy spoke in Spanish to the fans between songs, to my surprise. Emmy¡¯s Spanish was smoother and more natural than Jackson¡¯s, but his sounded as if he really did speak the language, too, just not as fluently as she did.


    The fans ate it up, and 45,000 enthusiastic Colombians can make quite a noise when they want to. The Castro parents looked as if they really enjoyed the performance, but Cecilia was the one who was singing along with every song, completely swept up in the music.


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    Cecilia and Angela didn¡¯t look all that much alike, but in some ways the sibling relationship was obvious. Cecilia, just like her older sister, wore her heart on her sleeve- both of them had very expressive faces that showed their every emotion as plain as day. It was easy to picture what Angela must have been like at sixteen years old, judging by how similar the two were in those ways.


    Mam¨¢, Pap¨¢ and Cecilia all just about jumped out of their skin when Emmy tore into the primal scream that started Killer In The Dark, but only Cecy¡¯s expression turned to a broad grin immediately afterward. She was overjoyed that they played her favorite song of theirs after all.


    ¡°This song- it is very¡­¡± Rafael said, leaning over behind Cecilia, to talk to me.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed, nodding.


    Unsurprisingly, that was the last song of the set and when it finished, Jackson called everybody to the front of the stage to take their bows. In now traditional fashion, he also called the opening act up and introduced them too, encouraging the audience to give them their fair share of applause.


    When we made our way backstage, both of the older Castros were extremely complimentary to everybody in the band, but they couldn¡¯t hold a candle to how effusive Cecilia was with her praise. She practically leg-humped Lee and Jackson, but it was Emmy that received the bulk of her attention. She hugged Emmy, struggling to even form words to express how much she loved the show, how amazing it was, and how that had to be the best concert anybody ever did, ever, anywhere.


    Angela stood to the side with her parents, amused by her little sister¡¯s meltdown.


    Jen wandered over to watch the spectacle, a smile on her face. She bumped shoulders with Angela and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, your kid sister is gonna steal your wife away,¡± earning her a laugh from Angela.


    ¡°Hey, you guys gonna go to the afterparty tonight?¡± Lee asked. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be at a nightclub they say is totally off the hook.¡±


    ¡°What nightclub?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Um, I think somebody said it was The Cock,¡± Lee told her.


    ¡°Is it a gay bar?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s The Theatre,¡± Angela said. ¡°They claim it is the biggest gay bar in the world, but I¡¯ve never been there.¡±


    ¡°Well, that might be cool,¡± Jen said. ¡°Is it just for gay guys?¡±


    ¡°No, lesbians go there, too, but it is mostly men, from what people have told me,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Well, that sounds cool and all, but the party is gonna be at this Cock place,¡± Lee said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know it,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°It must be new since I finished school here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with going, if you want to,¡± I told Angela. ¡°But I¡¯m sure your parents won¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°They probably would, but Cecy is too young,¡± Angela said. ¡°Mam¨ª and Pap¨ª like to dance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± I said, amused by the thought of Marisa and Rafael getting down at an EDM nightclub. ¡°How about you? You wanna go shake it?¡±


    ¡°I would like to, but you have to promise you¡¯ll dance, too," Angela said, taking my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll dance, but you and Em both make me look like a chicken with a bad leg out on the dance floor,¡± I said.


    ¡°That is nonsense. You dance just fine when you let yourself have fun.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± I said. ¡°We can drink some drinks, dance some dances, and let ourselves have fun.¡±


    Parting ways with the parents and Cecilia, we went straight to the nightclub from the stadium. When the taxi dropped us off, I thought we must have been at the wrong place, except for the handful of partiers waiting to be allowed in by the intimidating-looking bouncers.


    The place itself had no signage and looked nothing like a nightclub, but I could hear the music from inside, confirming that it was the right place. It looked like an old, abandoned house in the style of many of the 19th century houses I¡¯d seen there in Bogot¨¢. And like many others, the older house was wedged between two much newer buildings adjoining on either side- a parking garage and a small office building.


    The bouncers recognized us and immediately ushered us through the ancient wooden doors and into the strangest nightclub I¡¯d ever been to. The abandoned house theme carried to the inside, too- the place was decorated as if the little old lady that that lived there passed away, leaving the family pictures on the walls. The furnishings were a mishmash of antique shop finds, too, but the lighting was completely dance club contemporary, and the sound system pumped the electronic beats throughout the whole house.


    The literal centerpiece of the nightclub was the old house¡¯ atrium, which was dominated by a big, mature tree hung with lights. The bar was in what would probably have been the old house¡¯s dining room and the DJ table was set up on the the opposite side, in what must have been a sitting room of some kind, both facing the courtyard.


    Like I said, bizarre, but cool, too. After getting drinks and finding some couches to sit on, I noticed another really bizarre thing. The house was two stories tall, but all the upper floors- the actual floors- had been almost entirely removed, making most of the rooms double height. Amusingly, the upper level walls were left as they had been in the old house, with doors, windows, photos on the walls, even bookshelves and the like way up out of reach.


    ¡°I like this place,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It is a very creative use of the space.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°Strange as anything, but really well done. The drinks are good, too.¡±


    Angela and Emmy danced a ton, having a great time, and I did my best even though I had only a tiny fraction of the rhythm they had. Still, even though my skills on the dance floor couldn¡¯t hold a candle to theirs, I was enjoying myself.


    Every now and then some hopeful would try to cut in, and Emmy or Angela might give them a dance if they felt like it, but mostly my two beauties kept it all in the family.


    Things were going great and the night was just about perfect until one guy in particular grabbed Angela¡¯s arm to get her attention.


    The moment she turned to face him, she yanked her arm away. I couldn¡¯t hear what she said to him, but her attitude went from happy and having a great time to angry and upset in a flash. Her whole posture changed, her body language making it clear she wanted nothing to do with him.


    Tiny was quick to recognize the situation, interposing his intimidating self between the two. Facing the guy, Tiny pushed him back, away from Angela.


    The guy started yelling and all I could make out was Angela¡¯s name, but Tiny didn¡¯t give a damn. He just stood there like an immovable wall, making it very clear that the guy was not getting anywhere near Angela, no matter what he might think. Grant, I noticed, was circling the room, staying out of the guy¡¯s line of sight but keeping his own eyes open for any backup the guy might have.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the hotel,¡± Angela pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for dancing anymore.¡±


    ¡°Is that the guy?¡± I asked, and Angela understood my question with no problem.


    ¡°Yeah, Luis Carde?o,¡± Angela confirmed. ¡°He¡¯s why I left Colombia.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer it if Jeremy took him outside and we stayed and enjoyed ourselves,¡± Emmy said, ignoring Luis¡¯ continued shouting.


    By this time the club¡¯s bouncers had arrived and were trying to sort things out, but Jeremy didn¡¯t speak any Spanish, so Angela had to face Luis to explain to the club security that he¡¯d assaulted her. Angela kept her cool talking to the bouncers, and soon enough they hustled Luis out, with Tiny as backup if they needed it.


    Grant gave me a look, and with his tilted head I understood he wanted to follow, so I gave him a nod and he slipped out of the main dance area, towards the front door.


    ¡°If we leave, he wins,¡± Emmy explained to a still-distraught Angela. ¡°If he is kicked out, but yet we continue to enjoy ourselves and pay him no mind, then he is the loser.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Angela responded, but she was clearly not convinced.


    ¡°Ange,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s gone. Let¡¯s have another drink, and do some more dancing.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t take no for an answer. I told him I¡¯m married now and he should just leave me alone. He just called me a whore and said¡­¡± she trailed off, tears welling up in her pretty blue eyes..


    ¡°To Hell with that guy,¡± I said, taking her in my arms and holding her while she cried. ¡°He¡¯s an asshole who wouldn¡¯t know how to treat a woman even if he could ever get any to talk to him.¡±


    It took a little while, but eventually Angela recovered from the incident and we did get back to enjoying the night, staying until the place closed at two in the morning. Two seemed awful early, but Angela explained it was the law and all bars and nightclubs had to close then.


    The locals knew the drill and many had cleared out in the previous ten or fifteen minutes, hoping to beat the rush and grab one of the cabs waiting outside. We made our way to the street and were waiting our turn in the cool night air while a long string of taxis queued up to take the tired and sweaty nightclubbers home. Just as the crowd thinned out a bit, a black Chevy Suburban pulled up, blocking the cab that had just taken on passengers. Four guys jumped out, Luis Carde?o among them. They were focused on Angela, which was their mistake.


    As they neared, I glanced at the SUV and noticed Grant yanking the driver''s door open and pulling a fifth guy out, knocking him out cold and dumping him on the ground.


    Tiny saw the danger approaching and stepped forward to intercept. Luis gave an instruction and the two bigger guys refocused on Tiny while Luis and the last guy homed in on Angela.


    I stood off to the side, completely unnoticed, until Luis passed me. That was all the invitation I needed. I grabbed him and slammed him to the ground, hard. Just as surprised as he was hurt, Luis lay there stunned for a moment, giving me the opportunity to give him a solid kick to the head, putting him out of the fight. His pal turned to face me, only to receive a round kick to the ribs as he reached in his pocket for a weapon. I looked up and saw that Grant and Tiny had dealt with the last two guys, to my relief.


    ¡°In the cab!¡± Grant yelled, grabbing Emmy¡¯s arm and pulling her to one of the waiting taxis. The two jumped in as I hustled Angela into another, Tiny hot on our heels. The cabbies had seen the attempted kidnapping, so they understood our urgency. We left the scene in a hurry, our driver constantly checking the rear-view mirror to see if we were being followed.


    We drove around at random for a bit, but it didn¡¯t seem necessary. The assholes hadn¡¯t gotten their shit together to be able to give us any kind of chase, and we were free and clear.


    Angela was still shaking with fear and nerves by the time we reached the hotel, where Emmy and Grant waited for us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they followed us,¡± I told him.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think they did,¡± he said, holding out a key ring with a Chevy fob on it. ¡°I shut the doors and locked those assholes out before we took off.¡±

 Contingency Planning

    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s probably fair to assume that this Carde?o guy has no idea where we¡¯re staying, or that we¡¯re leaving town in the morning, but if he has enough sense to put together that Angela was with Emmy, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find out where she¡¯s staying, so we can¡¯t get complacent,¡± I said as we made our way into the lobby. ¡°So, tonight, we¡¯re not going to sleep in the suite. Just to be on the safe side, Grant, book us another room under your name, please.¡±


    ¡°Not in our suite?¡± Angela asked, concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s only for a few hours of sleep, anyway,¡± I said. ¡°In the morning we leave for Cartagena anyway, right? I have a hard time believing that this Luis guy would get mobilized enough to figure out where we are and come and do an invasion, but better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Angela agreed, much calmer than she had been in the cab.


    The night passed without incident and we checked out at eight for our flight to the northern coastal city of Cartagena. The hour and a half flight was exceptionally bumpy, but I¡¯d been assured that every flight over the Andes was that way, and so wasn¡¯t worried.


    Leaving the airport in Cartagena was a shock- it had been in the mid sixties in Bogot¨¢, but it was in the upper eighties in Cartagena. While it had been quite humid in Bogot¨¢ and felt as if it would rain at any moment (it felt that way to me, anyway, if not to little old lady street food vendors), it was just plain muggy in Cartagena. In fact, it felt like what it was- an Equatorial jungle town right on a bay of a very warm sea.


    Mam¨¢, Pap¨¢ and Cecilia all took a cab to go home while the rest of us piled into a couple of waiting cabs at the taxi stand in front of the small airport to go to our hotel. Angela had argued at length with her parents about whether there was room for us at their house, but finally she convinced them that while there might be enough room, double-bunking Grant and Tiny while the three of us tried to fit on her old room¡¯s small bed just wasn¡¯t going to be best for everybody. As a compromise, we booked rooms in a hotel that was just a couple of blocks from the family home in a part of town called ¡°San Diego,¡± to my amusement.


    The modern hotel was built using the shell of an old colonial convent- it was big and imposing, with thick stone walls and a pair of ancient but still very stout wooden doors that were swung open to reveal the modern glass sliding doors just inside.


    The interior was very, very stylish, with the blend of very old and new elements. A fair bit of the four hundred-year-old stonework was left uncovered by the contemporary interior treatments, adding to the European feeling that the anachronistic design gave me.


    Our suite was on the top floor, with its own private balcony and deck looking out over the city wall and out to the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.


    ¡°Look!¡± Angela exclaimed, leaning out over the glass railing of the smaller balcony. Pointing downward, she said, ¡°Right there is the house of Gabriel Garcia M¨¢rquez!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Emmy asked, joining her to look down.


    ¡°The family sold it after he died,¡± Angela explained, ¡°so you can¡¯t go in or anything, but that is where he lived all while I was growing up.¡±


    ¡°You promised me you would read his book to me,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I will,¡± she said, turning away from the view to give me a kiss.


    ¡°Are you happy to be home?¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°I¡¯m happy to be here for a visit. I want to show you everything, but we only have four days, you know? I love Cartagena, but it is no longer my home. My home is in the US with you two now."


    ¡°And London,¡± I reminded her, getting a smile for my effort.


    ¡°And London,¡± she agreed, snuggling into my embrace.


    We stayed like that for a while, the three of us on the balcony, enjoying the view and the warm breeze coming off the water, but eventually we returned inside to unpack.


    ¡°I told Mam¨¢ to not make dinner tonight- we are all going to have dinner at the hotel¡¯s restaurant. It is considered among the finest in the country,¡± Angela explained. ¡°Mis pap¨ªs don¡¯t go out for dinner very often, so I thought it would be a treat for them.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Do we have time for a siesta?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do,¡± Angela replied with a smile, taking Emmy¡¯s hand and leading her to the bed.


    I didn¡¯t feel like sleeping, though, so I settled down with my laptop out on the suite¡¯s deck and used the hotel¡¯s excellent wifi to get some work done while the two took their nap. Sure, it was a bit hot and sweaty out there, but the breeze felt good and the big umbrella¡¯s shade kept the direct sun off, so it was O.K. The sound of the city four stories below was muted, allowing the bird calls in the trees to gain the upper hand. My first impressions of Angela¡¯s home town were positive, but we really hadn¡¯t seen much of the city yet.


    Dinner that night was excellent, a sort of French-inspired cuisine that took advantage of the ingredients that could be found growing in the region. The tasting menu and wine pairings were world-class, befitting the restaurant¡¯s position on Cond¨¦ Nast¡¯s list.


    Conversation was easy, too. Nobody brought up the incident the night before, preferring to write it off as an unpleasant encounter and nothing more. We mostly talked about how The Downfall¡¯s tour had been going, and of course Cecilia reiterated that the concert the night before was one of the highlights of her life, which made Emmy smile.


    Rafael was a source of information about the convent the hotel was built from, in addition to local history in general. He was very proud of his country, but of Cartagena most of all. His family had lived in the area for most of the city¡¯s almost five hundred year history, after all, so a lot of it was the history of his ancestors.


    ¡°Rafael is very¡­ proud,¡± Mam¨¢ said, teasing her husband.


    ¡°He could never live anywhere else,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°I lived in Bogot¨¢ and Medell¨ªn when I was a young man,¡± he protested.


    ¡°When you were in the army,¡± his wife countered. ¡°You did not have a choice.¡±


    ¡°That is true,¡± Rafael admitted, hanging his head in defeat.


    After dinner we all walked back to the Castro household, which was literally two and a half blocks away from the hotel. In the historic neighborhood of San Diego the houses were all built up against each other, facing the narrow cobblestone street directly with the front doors opening right onto the narrow sidewalks. The street itself was, by necessity, one-way only, since no two cars, no matter how small, could ever pass each other.


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    ¡°When I was a girl,¡± Angela said as we walked, ¡°I was ashamed of our home. My friends in school lived in new apartments in Bocagrande, or had big houses in Castillo Grande, with garages and swimming pools¡­ But we lived in an old house on a tiny street and had to park our car in a garage a block away,¡± she explained. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until I got older that I realized that this house is special in a way none of their houses were.¡±


    ¡°This house was built by Juan Julio Castro in 1832,¡± Rafael explained. ¡°He was a captain in the army that captured Cartagena from the Royalists. He decided to build a house here in the city, leaving to his brother the family lands in the area now called ¡®El Libertador¡¯. Our branch of the family has lived here ever since,¡± he said, unlocking the old wooden door that led into the white-painted two-story house.


    Angela led Emmy and me upstairs while Mam¨¢ made tea and fed pastries to Grant and Tiny, who had to still be stuffed from the dinner we¡¯d all just eaten. They seemed pleased by Mam¨¢¡¯s attention, though, and it made her happy to have guests to fuss over, so it was a win all around.


    Angela¡¯s old room was still the same as she¡¯d left it when she went off to college in Bogot¨¢, which embarrassed her, but Emmy and I both found it very charming, seeing how she¡¯d been. And yes, the bed was way too small for the three of us even on our most cuddly days.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Mam¨¢ kept my room this way,¡± Angela said in wonder, looking around at the decorations.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad she did,¡± I said, pulling her into my arms. ¡°I get a little peek into what you were like as a girl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Emmy¡¯s old room in Paris, but I¡¯ve never seen yours down in Temecula,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°And you won¡¯t. We used to live in a three bedroom apartment, but Mom and Tiff moved into a house I bought them a few years ago. I¡¯ve never lived in that house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Angela said. ¡°I would have liked to see your old room.¡±


    ¡°I liked that apartment,¡± Emmy said, remembering back.


    ¡°You got to see it?¡± Angela asked, surprised.


    ¡°I moved in with them for a few months when we were in high school,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°It was wonderful, living with Leah, her mother, and Tiffany. It was so comfortable.¡±


    ¡°What was her room like?¡±


    ¡°She had a small bed, the same size as this, but we were smaller then,¡± Emmy said, indicating Angela¡¯s old bed.


    ¡°Well, I was smaller. You were just about the same size as now,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am getting bigger all the time,¡± Emmy said fondly, resting her hand on her tummy.


    ¡°You have some catching up to do,¡± Angela replied, patting her own significantly larger baby bump.


    When we made our way back to the kitchen we found Grant talking about Luis Carde?o with Rafael.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll follow us to Cartagena?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°He followed Angela after college, when she returned home,¡± Rafael said, thinking about it. ¡°But he may not know that we have left Bogot¨¢. If he understands that Angela is traveling with Emmy De Lascaux, he may assume that she left with everybody else to go to M¨¦xico. If he somehow does hear that she is in Cartagena, he may follow, but I would not expect it immediately. It would take someone he knows to spot her here, and report to him, then for him to get here. So the day after tomorrow, at the earliest, and then you will only have one more day here after that.¡±


    ¡°Does he know where you live?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°It would not be hard for him to find out,¡± Rafael replied. ¡°But he has never come to this house before.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re probably pretty safe, then,¡± Grant said. ¡°But we should still stay on our toes.¡±


    ¡°I liked your family¡¯s house,¡± I told Angela that night while we got ready for bed. ¡°It¡¯s cool. The courtyard is really pretty, and the fact your family has lived there for so many generations is amazing.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it now,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°But when I was a girl it just seemed old and unfashionable.¡±


    ¡°The many people out on the street at night, enjoying walking and seeing the city- to me, that was very special,¡± Emmy said as she lathered up Angela¡¯s hair. ¡°The city felt so vibrant.¡±


    ¡°This part of the city, and the barrio called Getsemani, they are full of life at night,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°Most of Cartagena is not like that, though. These are the touristic districts, and are very safe so people can enjoy themselves. El Libertador? The barrio that is now on our old family lands? I would not want to be there at night.¡±


    The next morning Angela led us on a walking tour of the old walled city of Cartagena De Indias, pointing out this landmark or that. The two that really stuck out for me were the old Spanish castle and a big plaza with tons of trees so filled with birds that it was almost deafening. There were monkeys, too, but Angela said we shouldn''t encourage them.


    ¡°If you offer them food, they will take it,¡± she explained, pointing out some tourists doing just that. ¡°But if they don¡¯t like what you have for them, they will turn mean. It is better to just look at them from a distance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen monkeys outside of a zoo before,¡± Jeremy commented, amazed.


    ¡°Sometimes they bite,¡± Angela cautioned. ¡°People forget, but they are wild animals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen some in Asia that will come right up to you and go through your pockets or any bags you¡¯re carrying, and if they don¡¯t find anything to steal, they, like you said, get real mean,¡± Grant said as we watched one of the monkeys start screeching at the tourists that had been feeding it moments before.


    As lunchtime approached and it grew too hot, we retreated back to the hotel to eat and relax until it cooled off a bit.


    ¡°I like your city,¡± Emmy told Angela as we ate. ¡°It is so different from what I am accustomed to, but it has its own beauty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Pap¨¢ hear you say that,¡± Angela warned. ¡°He already thinks too highly of this place.¡±


    We¡¯d let Grant and Tiny know that we weren¡¯t going anywhere until dusk, since relaxing in the hotel was all we had planned for the afternoon. Angela and Emmy just wanted to sleep, but I had too much energy so I made my way down to the hotel¡¯s pool. There was one family there, the two kids splashing and having a grand old time while their parents sat under a big umbrella and drank what looked like mimosas.


    I laid my towel out on one of the chaises and signaled the pool¡¯s waiter. I hit him up for a Coke and he served it ice cold, which made me very happy. After finishing off my drink, I slipped into the pool, which was delightful after roasting in the sun.


    Since the kids were content to stay in the shallow area nearest their parents, I had no problems swimming laps for a while. I¡¯d always been a decent swimmer, but rarely ever just swam like that for its own sake since I was little.


    Needing a break after a while, I returned to my chair and ordered another Coke, which arrived just as Grant took the chair next to mine.


    ¡°Nice day for a swim,¡± he commented, then turned to put in an order for a tall glass of tonic water.


    ¡°So, Leah,¡± he said after the waiter had gone. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this Carde?o kid. The more I think about it, the more questions I have.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I admitted. ¡°Rafael told me at one point that he was too connected to simply have arrested for harassing Angela, but I don¡¯t know exactly what that means.¡±


    ¡°Well, the guys he had with him at the club the other night, they weren¡¯t professionals, if that¡¯s your worry. Those were just whatever random idiots he could talk into grabbing a girl off a sidewalk. If they were real heavies they would have been better fighters and they would have gone for weapons much faster than they did.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± I agreed, then shut up as the waiter returned with our drinks.


    Once he¡¯d gone again, I said, ¡°I guess I really need to talk to Rafael about what risk Luis Carde?o really poses. Honestly? My thoughts have been straying to rental cars, shovels, and remote jungle areas.¡±


    Grant laughed at that, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t ever change, you psycho, you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, a quick bit of ultraviolence here and there has worked out for me so far,¡± I protested.


    ¡°Not every problem can be, or should be, solved with the pointy end of a blade,¡± he admonished.


    ¡°No, I know,¡± I admitted. ¡°But this is Angela¡¯s safety and security we¡¯re talking about, you know? For her, I¡¯d erase the Carde?o name from the phone book.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt about that,¡± Grant agreed. ¡°But realistically, we have two possibilities. One, he got his ass handed to him and he decides that she isn¡¯t worth any further trouble. In this case we can just forget about him from now on, right? Maybe skip any further visits to Bogot¨¢, but otherwise, case closed. The second is that he can¡¯t accept the humiliation of having his ass handed to him and he goes looking for payback. Now, he might not have put it together that she was with Emmy. If he doesn¡¯t, he¡¯ll ask around to find out where Angela is in Bogot¨¢ at first. When nobody knows where she is, he immediately thinks of Cartagena, since he knows she¡¯s from here. But like Rafael said last night, there are a metric assload of Castros here in Cartagena, right? So even if he does come here, he has a big haystack to search for that needle. Angela and Emmy will be long gone by the time he can connect her to the family home.¡±


    Grant took a drink from his tonic water and continued. ¡°Now, if he does connect Angela to Emmy, he has to know that she¡¯s an international star, and that¡¯s how she had bodyguards that put the beatdown on him and his pals. This brings us back to A, does he give up, or B, does he swear vengeance will be his? If he gives up, done deal. If he decides to pursue, then the shallow grave looks to be back on the table. It¡¯ll be a problem if he goes missing while hunting for Angela, though¡­ so it¡¯d need to happen in a way that points suspicion elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much where my thoughts have led,¡± I agreed, sipping my ice-cold Coke. ¡°Staging the scene is going to take some planning.¡±

 A Figure From Myth

    That evening we walked around, just enjoying the vibes of the walled city. We ate food from street vendors here and there as we made our ¡°paseo,¡± as Angela called it. There were a lot of random hawkers trying to sell us this or that souvenir of our visit, but a few choice words from Angela in Spanish with her local accent sent them packing.


    Since we had no agenda besides discovering the city after dark, we never felt any need to rush anywhere. This allowed us to take our time to savor the sights and sounds of old Cartagena, an amazingly colorful and vibrant place.


    When the rain started we made our way into a nearby bar that specialized in rum and, oddly, chocolate. They claimed to have the largest selection of rums in Colombia and it could well have been true, judging by the very impressive display behind the bar.


    When we sat down the waiter brought us chocolates with the menus. He explained that the chocolates are from a number of different small producers there in Colombia, and the bar has recommended pairings with their various rums.


    Luckily for Angela and Emmy, they had a list of non-alcoholic rums (a small list, but far more than I could possibly have expected), so they could enjoy drinks and chocolates as well.


    We¡¯d just gotten our drinks (and chocolates) when a bunch of musicians took the stage at one end of the room. The music they played sounded to me like a mix of the Mexican styles I¡¯d heard all my life growing up in Southern California but with an added Caribbean rhythm, especially in the singing. I could easily imagine Harry Belafonte fronting a Norte?o band sounding just like these guys.


    Angela¡¯s eyes lit up when she recognized their second or third song, singing along and moving in her chair with the music.


    ¡°This one is a classic,¡± she said. ¡°Everybody knows it,¡± and judging by how many of the other bar patrons were also singing along, I had to admit she was right. The band seemed to be hitting all the local hits and the audience there enjoyed the show quite a bit. I did, too, despite not being able to understand more than a word here and there. The music seemed to capture the Caribbean and Latin American feeling of Cartagena perfectly.


    I noticed the singer and one of the drummers kept looking at Emmy, but I figured they realized who she was, as many had as we¡¯d walked around that day. It was no surprise when the two musicians took the opportunity during a break to come over and say hello. Tiny and Grant tensed as the two approached, but thankfully the musicians were astute enough to recognize it and made no questionable moves.


    ¡°Emmy Lascaux?¡± asked the singer, a middle-aged man whose short hair was going gray. He was obviously very pleased to actually meet Emmy in person, his broad smile making his teeth show white against his dark skin. He asked her a question I didn¡¯t catch, since my Spanish was not nearly good enough and his accent was thick. When she nodded and replied in the affirmative, he actually dropped to his knees and took her hand, kissing the back reverently.


    She asked him his name, and when he responded, she had him stand up. ¡°Leah Farmer, this is Ignacio Torres. Ignacio, Leah es mi esposa. Ella es la reina de nuestra gente in Norteamerica.¡±


    I understood enough Spanish to catch the fact that Emmy had just introduced me as the queen of our people in North America, which must mean that Ignacio, and presumably the drummer, too, were Night Children.


    Once I knew to look I saw the telltale signs- the color of the skin on their palms being the most obvious.


    Angela got involved in the conversation and soon the two musicians were talking far too fast with Emmy and Angela for me to understand any of it. I leaned over to Grant and said, ¡°Well, it looks as if we got our answer on whether there were any Night Children in South America.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sure does,¡± he agreed. ¡°This could be our beachhead here, if these guys are willing to sign up.¡±


    ¡°Just what I was thinking,¡± I agreed. ¡°I may need to stay here a bit longer than expected. Do we have anybody in the crew that speaks Spanish fluently? Who could we get down here quickly?¡±


    ¡°Those are questions for Michael,¡± Grant said with a shrug. ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure we have a few.¡±


    Satisfied, I started thinking about how things might play out. We¡¯d need a full Spanish-speaking crew, but realistically, if Ignacio and whatever local community he was part of were willing to accept our shadow, then that gave us a real head start in South America. Judging by how Ignacio and Raymundo (the drummer) were absolutely beside themselves with even being in Emmy¡¯s presence, they might be willing to do what we asked right away.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, tapping her on the shoulder. ¡°Ask them about their current leadership, and see if they¡¯re open to¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Emmy agreed, ¡°But this might not be the best moment. I have asked him what time they are done performing, and if we can talk then.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I confirmed, glad to see that we were on the same wavelength.


    After another round of effusive hand-kissing, Ignacio and Raymundo rejoined their fellow performers and got back into the music.


    ¡°This could be really important,¡± I said to Emmy and Angela. ¡°Ange, do you think your dad would be helpful with any negotiations we might have with the local Night Children?¡±


    ¡°He knows?¡± she asked, surprised.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t like to keep secrets with family,¡± I told her. ¡°He knows.¡±


    Thinking about it, she said, ¡°He might be helpful. He knows the province better than anyone.¡±


    ¡°I have never asked,¡± Emmy said to Angela, ¡°But what does your father do?¡±


    ¡°Our family owns a chain of hardware stores. My father is in charge of buying, and is the one that deals with our American suppliers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why his English is so good,¡± I said, nodding that I understood.


    ¡°After mis pap¨ªs came to visit us at our new house, Mam¨¢ and Cecy both started taking private English lessons, too,¡± Angela admitted.


    ¡°That¡¯s why their English is noticeably better now,¡± I said, smiling at the thought that they¡¯d done that to communicate with their new in-laws.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°When Mam¨¢ told me that they were studying English, I knew then that they had truly accepted you two. They never did that for Antonio.¡±


    Much later that night, after the band had finished and packed up their gear, Ignacio and Raymundo came to our table again. Emmy and Angela spoke with them quietly so nobody else in the now nearly empty bar could overhear. I tried to pay attention, but again, my very weak Spanish just didn¡¯t help much.


    When we all parted at the bar¡¯s two AM closing time, Emmy said, ¡°They are open to outside help for their community. They are mostly subsistence fishermen and have very low economic conditions.¡±


    ¡°We are going to meet for lunch with them and several others tomorrow,¡± Angela added. ¡°I will talk to Pap¨ª to see if he can be there with us.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Grant, Tiny,¡± I said. ¡°You guys know what to do. If this works out in our favor, I think you can both expect to spend a lot more time down here.¡±


    ¡°Good thing I like the heat,¡± Grant joked, since even at two in the morning it was still plenty warm out.


    ¡°I know a couple of the other guys who speak Spanish,¡± Tiny volunteered. ¡°I don¡¯t understand a word of it, so I might not be that useful.¡±


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Yeah, maybe not for the actual outreach, but you¡¯ll still be Emmy and Angela¡¯s bodyguard and they might need to come back here frequently, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re poaching one of my best workers,¡± Grant grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s what I do,¡± I said, patting him on the shoulder.


    When it came time to head to the meeting the next day we took Rafael, but Angela stayed at home with her mom. She¡¯d wanted to come along, but I reminded her that she was pregnant and there was a non-zero chance there might be violence. ¡°Emmy has to be there, otherwise I¡¯d ask her to stay safe, too,¡± I told her, and after a bit of pouting Angela conceded the point.


    ¡°Be careful,¡± Angela said as the five of us left in a Toyota van taxi that Rafael had lined up for us.


    The meeting place was in a neighborhood in the south part of town, hemmed in on the south and the north by the seaport¡¯s container yards, the east by the major freeway leading into the country¡¯s interior, and on the west, the harbor.


    ¡°This barrio,¡± Rafael explained as we exited the highway, ¡°is mostly black. As sorry as I am to admit it, we still have strong barriers to social movement and it is very much harder for black people, who make up more than a third of our population. This area is poor, but not all poor areas in Cartagena are high crime. This is a hard-working neighborhood. They are poor, but proud.¡±


    At one point the taxi van had to reroute because of road work that had completely torn up the street, leaving a giant pile of rubble blocking the way. Of course there was no sign of any workers, and it looked as if it had been that way for quite a while. When I asked Rafael about it, he sighed.


    ¡°This is typical,¡± he said. ¡°Someone in the government starts a project with grand ideas, the project gets started, and then funding disappears. This is part of why my country fails to live up to its potential.¡±


    The neighborhood¡¯s streets were cleaner than a lot of parts of town that I¡¯d seen, but yeah, it was poor. The brightly painted houses universally had corrugated metal roofs, no yards, and ironwork protecting the windows. The people we passed looked at us with curiosity, but no malice that I could see. It seemed exactly like what Rafael had described- a poor but hardworking neighborhood. Also, as he¡¯d said, it was entirely black. I was surprised to see so much segregation, since in all of my experiences in Cartagena up to that point the people had seemed to mix freely.


    The van pulled up in front of a poorly-marked place that looked like most of the rest of the houses in the district, except for the roll-up garage-style door that opened into a small dining room.


    Rafael told the taxi driver to wait and keep the meter running, which he was plenty happy to do.


    As we entered, the six men waiting inside quickly moved one table against another and set enough chairs for all of us. One of the men went and stood outside, presumably to keep anybody else from joining us or listening in. Tiny did the same without being asked, aware that his value was in being very visible.


    Of course Ignacio and Raymundo had seen Emmy and Tiny the night before, but the rest of the local guys couldn¡¯t stop staring. All five of the men were Night Children, as was the guy standing guard out in front. The old lady who ran the place was, too, but she wasn¡¯t involved in our talks at all.


    I indicated that we all should sit and held out a chair for Emmy. She took her seat, and then I sat down next to her. Rafael sat on her other side, while Grant remained standing, keeping an eye on everything.


    The locals didn¡¯t comment on Grant and Tiny¡¯s obvious roles as protectors, but they were clearly aware that we were well guarded.


    Once we were all seated an elderly lady came out from the kitchen to ask what we wanted. There were no menus, so Emmy and I relied on Rafael to order for us, which he did after a little bit of discussion with the old lady. I was pleased to see that Rafael hadn¡¯t shown even the tiniest hint that the conditions bothered him at all. He seemed comfortable, raising my appreciation for the man.


    After the old lady took our orders and returned with our drinks, we all got down to the important conversation. Between Emmy and Rafael translating I managed to be involved in the discussion, too. They were keenly aware of my position as queen on the North American Night Children, and treated me with appropriate deference. It was nothing compared to the awe they showed towards Emmy, though.


    They explained that there were a few hundred Night Children in the region, mostly concentrated in that neighborhood and on one of the small offshore islands. Rafael pointed out that both places were not likely to be visited much by outsiders, which made sense.


    When Emmy asked about their leadership, a man named Tom¨¢s explained that they really didn¡¯t have any sort of power structure. Sure, there were respected elders, but really, they were just people like anybody else. When Emmy asked about the elders, Ignacio confessed that only a few actually could speak the ancient language- most only spoke Spanish anymore, and they had very tenuous connections to the old ways. That said, they all had seen photos and videos of Emmy and had recognized her as moon-kissed, a condition that they¡¯d all heard stories about but never thought they were true until seeing her in person.


    Emmy explained to them that her life was dedicated to bringing the Night Children into the light, and that¡¯s why she never hid her true nature. She indicated Tiny and explained that he, like all our people, showed himself to the world as well.


    She went on to tell them that I, as the queen, had declared that our people must leave the old ways of hiding in the shadows behind and integrate with the day walker societies we live in. She offered our shadow to any there in Cartagena who would be willing to live by our rules, and explained that we would help make life better for any who did so.


    At one point I pulled out my phone and showed the locals the gallery of Night Children photos I had, showing quite a few working, playing or merely relaxing, but none of them with makeup on.


    Of course I knew the sales pitch, but it had been a long time since I¡¯d heard Emmy delivering it. The discussion continued through lunch, which turned out to be fried fish with black rice and plantains. Rafael and I were the only exceptions eating the grilled beef dish, also with black rice and plantains. I was grateful that Rafael had remembered that I didn¡¯t care for seafood when he¡¯d ordered, since the fish would not have been something I would have enjoyed.


    When lunch was set out, Grant, Tiny and the local guard guy set up a table right in the big doorway and ate there, still functioning as a clear ¡®stay away¡¯ signal to anyone who might want to stop in for a bite.


    Ultimately, after almost three hours of eating and talking, we left the locals with Rafael¡¯s phone number. They said they would talk with others among their community and see what everyone wanted to do. I could tell that a couple of the guys would have accepted our shadow then and there, but the group¡¯s caution was pretty deep-rooted, which we understood.


    Back at the Castro house, we spent the rest of the afternoon out in the courtyard discussing what we could actually do to help the local Night Children population.


    ¡°Several hundred is a lot to take in all at once,¡± Emmy said, sipping the tea that Mam¨¢ had made.


    ¡°We¡¯ve never stumbled across a cluster bigger than a couple dozen before,¡± I agreed. ¡°Add to the fact this is in a different country and a language most of us back home don¡¯t speak, things are going to get complicated.¡±


    ¡°It seems to me that you are over-thinking things,¡± Rafael said. ¡°These are poor people. To make their lives better you don¡¯t need to buy them mansions or Mercedes sedans. What they need are decent jobs, better access to healthcare, and education for their children. Simply paying for neighborhood clinics and schools would help immensely. In fact, that would probably be enough to start,¡± he said. ¡°Better jobs could happen as you develop a network here in Cartagena.¡±


    ¡°How can we start a clinic to benefit the Night Children, but not the day walkers in the neighborhood?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°I do not wish to cause any separation of these people from the friends and neighbors that they have lived among for generations.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that would be a good idea,¡± Rafael agreed. ¡°Tom¨¢s said that they almost all live in Albornoz and Bocachica. These are small, isolated places, and it is certain that many of the day walkers in these places know about the Night Children in one way or another. If you open a clinic in each of the two and staff them with Night Children, it will be very clear why you are doing it. I wouldn¡¯t turn away day walkers, and the same with the schools, but¡­¡± he said, trailing off as he thought.


    ¡°This is all with the assumption they¡¯ll accept our leadership,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°It can be hard for people to make the change, to leave the security of camouflage behind.¡±


    ¡°I think they will,¡± Rafael answered. ¡°You saw how they reacted to Emmy. She is a walking, talking figure from myth. When she offered to make their lives better, they believed her. The only thing holding them back is knowing that they need to convince others as well.¡±


    ¡°I think that is true,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°I am certain that this will be just the start. I think we need to travel to this island to speak with the elders- they will be an important part of convincing the community.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to Bocachica in a very long time,¡± Rafael mused.


    ¡°I never have,¡± Angela said with a pout.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason you ever should have,¡± her father assured her. ¡°There is nothing there worth the trip across the bay.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s how the Night Children have kept their community cohesive,¡± I said. ¡°Staying out of the way, in places no outsiders would bother with.¡±

 Buenas Tardes

    That night we all had dinner at the Castro house instead of going out. By ¡®we all¡¯ I mean Tiny and Grant, too. It seemed as if Mam¨¢ had somehow adopted them into the family as well. She was especially fond of Tiny, treating him like a good family friend and not just the help.


    Jeremy seemed to enjoy the attention, smiling more than I¡¯d ever seen him do before. He was the only person Mam¨¢ let help her in the kitchen- the rest of us she chased away when we offered. She put Tiny to work with no qualms, though, the two of them chatting away as they prepared dinner together.


    Emmy and Angela had gone up to Angela¡¯s old room to take a little nap before dinner, leaving Pap¨¢ and me alone in the sitting room.


    ¡°My Marisa was the same way when she was expecting,¡± Rafael said. ¡°She tried to be as active as ever, but would get tired and need to rest more than she wanted to admit.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve been trying to encourage the two of them to rest more,¡± I agreed. ¡°For the babies, if not for themselves.¡±


    ¡°That is the most effective argument,¡± Rafael confided. ¡°Use the babies¡¯ health to convince them. Tell them that Marisa and I want big, strong nenas to take care of. We are counting on the two of them to give us granddaughters.¡±


    ¡°I read somewhere that grandchildren are the reward you get for putting up with your own kids,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Marisa and I, we have been lucky. Our two have been perfect angels. Mostly.¡±


    The two of us were lost in thought about babies and perfect little angels when Grant joined us.


    ¡°I just got off the phone with Michael,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s gonna come down with a Spanish-speaking team. I told him that half a dozen would probably be enough- you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that should be plenty. Does he know they¡¯ll be here for a while? Like, maybe months?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he does, but you may want to talk to him yourself, just to firm up his plans.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I should do that,¡± I agreed. ¡°We¡¯ve texted, but I need to have a real conversation about all this.¡±


    ¡°No time like the present,¡± Grant urged, and I had to concede the point. I made my way upstairs to the front balcony, leaving behind the warm companionship of the sitting room. Michael answered immediately when I called. The two of us talked for almost an hour until Cecilia came up to bring me down for dinner.


    ¡°I talked to Michael,¡± I said during dinner. ¡°He¡¯s going to bring a crew of a dozen down, with the idea that they¡¯ll be here for at least a couple of months.¡±


    ¡°Why so many?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Well, we have two groups, right? The ones by the harbor, and the others on the island. They¡¯ll split up into two squads- four outreach and two hitters in each squad,¡± I explained. ¡°Each squad will embed with the locals until we can get our programs here up and running.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Cecilia demanded.


    ¡°Te voy a explicar,¡± her dad told her. ¡°Pero eso no sale de esa casa, entiendes?¡±


    Cecilia crossed her arms and pouted in protest, but that was as far as it went, I was happy to see.


    ¡°I do not understand what you mean by ¡®outreach¡¯ and ''hitters¡¯,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Well, most of our people involved in bringing strays into the fold are trained to do just that. They know how to reach out, what to do and say, and how they can help the strays immediately and directly, right? Those are the group we call ¡®outreach.¡¯ Unfortunately, because of the world we live in, they sometimes need security. Those are the ones that Grant and Jody have been working with.¡±


    ¡°Your paramilitares?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°Yeah, them,¡± I confirmed. ¡°We call them ¡®hitters¡¯, and our really tough guys are the ¡®heavy hitters¡¯. You saw some of them in Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°What is the ratio of hitters to outreach?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°I think overall it¡¯s about one to ten,¡± I said, looking to Grant for confirmation.


    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± Grant said, thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯m not really involved much in the outreach side of things, but I do know that when we flood a new town we have a whole heck of a lot more of them than we do our hitters. Mostly the hitters are just along for the ride and to put up a show of strength. Just by being there and being seen, they stop a lot of conflict before it starts.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Rafael mused. ¡°So they are not there to¡­ coerce?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Grant replied. ¡°Any Night Child that wants to is free to join, but any that don¡¯t want to, well, that¡¯s their choice, too.¡±


    ¡°Rafael,¡± I said. ¡°Angela said that you know Cartagena better than anybody, so if you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯d really appreciate your help with local contacts to get things rolling here. We¡¯re going to need to find teachers and medics, on top of setting up the physical locations for schools and clinics.¡±


    ¡°I would be happy to help,¡± Rafael replied. ¡°After all, these are my paisanos you are helping, and anything I can do to make my city and my country a better place is a small price to pay.¡±


    Mam¨¢ gave her husband a fond smile at that, once again helping me understand how Angela had turned out the way she had. The Castros were just decent people.


    The next day was the last that Angela and Emmy (and of course, Grant and Tiny) had in Cartagena, so we booked a boat to take us to Bocachica Isle. Tom¨¢s, one of the Night Children we¡¯d met for lunch, had explained that the other big cluster of their people was in the village on the north end but had offered no names or way to contact them, so our plan was to simply walk around the very small town and wait for them to come to us.


    The drawback was that this potentially meant a day in the sun for Emmy, so Angela made sure she really laid the sunblock thickly on every part of Emmy that might be exposed to the sun, and also made certain that Emmy brought her extremely dark sunglasses and broad-brimmed hat. Of course Emmy would have done all that anyway, but she was perfectly happy to let Angela fuss over her like that, so she let it happen.


    The boat that Rafael lined up for us belonged to a friend of his, who met us at the dock. All he did was just hand the key to Rafael, unconcerned about the potential risk. Clearly Rafael¡¯s extensive network had a lot of confidence in the man, trusting him implicitly.


    ¡°The Isla De Bocachica has a few tourist resorts,¡± Rafael explained as he steered us to pass aft of a big container ship. ¡°But they are small and don¡¯t attract very many foreigners. They are mostly for tourists from within the country. There are ruins of two castles, and the province government maintains them, but they are not impressive. As a result of this lack of tourist development the economy is still mostly based on fishing.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they said yesterday. Most of the Night Children are fishermen,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Yes. It does not pay very well and the work is hard, but it is a trade with a certain amount of dignity,¡± Rafael said. ¡°I think, if I understand correctly, that it is very important for these people. They may not have much, but they do have their dignity.¡±


    I pondered that for a moment before I spoke. ¡°I think that¡¯s the approach we¡¯re going to take. We¡¯ll remind them of their ancient culture, far, far older than the Spanish conquista, far older than Spain, even. Emmy will remind them of the old ways, and one of the things we¡¯ll offer to teach their children is the old language. Connect them with a past to be proud of. Like you said, just buying them things won¡¯t improve their lives much, but giving them something to be proud of, instead of something to hide¡­¡±


    ¡°You say their culture is old,¡± Rafael replied, thinking about what I¡¯d said. ¡°How old?¡±


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s family has objects with their writing on them that date back to at least fifteen hundred years before Christ, maybe older for all that I know. She showed Angela and me a vase made by Night Children in the Louvre that was dated at twelve hundred BC. She said her family has similar items,¡±


    ¡°Her family is that old?¡± Rafael asked, amazed.


    ¡°Apparently so. They¡¯ve been royalty for a very, very long time.¡±


    ¡°And to imagine that I was so proud of my family¡¯s history,¡± Rafael sighed.


    ¡°I only know my family¡¯s history a few generations back,¡± I said, resting my hand on his shoulder. ¡°You have me beat by hundreds of years.¡±


    As we neared the island, Rafael pointed off to the left. ¡°The southern end is where the largest pueblo and most of the resorts are. The two ruined castles are there, too. The northern end,¡± he said pointing at the little mini-harbor where we were headed, ¡°Is the poorer end.¡±


    ¡°The poor part of a poor island?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just so,¡± he confirmed, circling a jetty made of what looked like coal stone. ¡°Do you know how to tie a boat up?¡±


    When I told him I had no idea, I suggested that maybe Grant did. I waved for Grant to come over, and when we asked him he said that he had done it hundreds of times. He made his way up to the prow and took the coiled line in hand, stepping gracefully onto the dock when we got close enough. He quickly wrapped several loops of the line around a cleat, then took the aft line and did the same, tying the boat up in moments.


    Grant and I helped everyone else off the boat while Rafael went to find whoever was in charge of the dock.


    ¡°No wonder I¡¯ve never been here before,¡± Angela said in dismay as she looked around.


    ¡°Baby,¡± I said in a low voice, making sure that nobody outside of our little group could hear us. ¡°Ditch that attitude right now. We¡¯re here to find the Night Children and help them out. We can¡¯t be seen as looking down on them or the way they live at all. You and your dad are our translators, so you two most of all need to smile and be nice. Your dad is doing an excellent job of making it seem as if he¡¯s comfortable here, so please, Ange, please do the same.¡±


    Angela gave me a look that said my words had stung a bit, but she nodded that she understood and gave me a smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    "You have the prettiest smile in the whole world,¡± I told her. ¡°Use your superpower for good.¡±


    This got an honest smile from her, so I squeezed her hand. ¡°Perfect,¡± I told her.


    By this time Rafael had returned. ¡°Since we have no idea where to find the Night Children, we must make ourselves as visible as possible,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s find whatever passes for a town square here and get lunch, if there are outdoor tables.¡±


    ¡°This pueblo doesn¡¯t have a plaza,¡± Rafael said. ¡°The closest is the area in front of the government building, where they have their weekend market. The school is across the street. I think there is a place¡­¡± he said, thinking back to his last visit.


    By this point we¡¯d drawn a handful of curious locals, wondering what a bunch of rich tourists were doing there. Rafael had a quick chat with one of the men, with a lot of gesturing and pointing off in various directions.


    ¡°Jos¨¦ says that there is a good place for us to eat lunch this way, then we go left. He says it is the best restaurant in the village itself. He also recommends we walk up there,¡± he said, pointing up to the top of the small bluff overlooking town, ¡°For the best views.¡±


    ¡°It is early for lunch,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We should walk up there, admire the view, and then find our way to the restaurant he mentioned. After all, we need to be seen more than we need to do any sightseeing.¡±


    I looked around as we walked up the unpaved street to the viewpoint that Jos¨¦ had recommended. This village was much poorer than the little neighborhood where Ignacio lived by the harbor, that was clear. Where Ignacio¡¯s neighborhood had small houses made of brightly painted concrete, here they couldn¡¯t even afford the paint. Most houses were simple mortared concrete blocks, or occasionally red bricks. Only about a quarter were painted, the rest just left raw.


    I was pleased to see that despite the extremely humble nature, the village wasn¡¯t too dirty. Sure, it was run down and a lot of the galvanized corrugated metal roofs had big rocks holding them in place, and sure, nobody had any sort of tended yard or the like, but as far as the random trash you see in a lot of really poor areas¡­ Well, there just wasn¡¯t that much of it.


    Our little group acquired a fair number of curious followers as we made our way to the upper part of town, which was exactly what we wanted. If there really were a hundred Night Children in that village (or whatever the exact number actually was), odds are at least one was in that small crowd. When we found the viewpoint that the guy by the dock had recommended, I found myself struck by the sight. Down below us the very small town spread over the slope to the little harbor defined by a couple of jetties. From there, we could clearly see the large expanse of the Bay Of Cartagena, with the high-rises of the neighborhood of Bocagrande and Castillogrande in the distance. Yes, that part of the view was beautiful, but the stark contrast with the ramshackle homes and scattered businesses of Tierra Bomba, the village we were standing in, was stunning. Way over there lay wealth, comfort and privilege, clearly visible from the tumble-down homes of the residents of the island.


    ¡°This is my city, my country, and all of Latin America,¡± Rafael said, gesturing at the view. ¡°Riches and poverty, all in the same view. Those who have wealth can ignore the poor, but the poor can never forget the rich.¡±


    ¡°It is hard to ignore the rich,¡± one of the local bystanders said, surprising all of us with her command of English. ¡°When they come here and walk through our pueblo to look at the view.¡±


    ¡°You are not wrong,¡± Rafael said, turning to the young woman. ¡°But we,¡± he said, indicating our group, ¡°are not here to simply admire the city beyond.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here? The beach resorts are down there,¡± she said, pointing down along the shoreline to the left. ¡°There is nothing here for tourists.¡±


    Emmy stepped forward, removing her sun hat and dark glasses. She said something to the woman in Spanish that I couldn¡¯t catch, and it quickly turned into a rapid-fire discussion. Another couple of the locals joined in, as did Rafael. Although no voices were raised, it was clear to me that the woman who had spoken in English wasn¡¯t welcoming, but one of the local guys was arguing on our behalf. This went for a few minutes while the rest of us (and the rest of the locals) watched.


    Finally, an agreement was reached, albeit with the English-speaking woman¡¯s obvious disapproval.


    ¡°Leonardo will take us to meet his grandmother,¡± Emmy announced. ¡°We will all have lunch at her social club.¡±


    Satisfied that we were on the right path, we followed Leonardo back down the hill. By this time the majority of the locals had gotten bored and wandered off. Notably, the woman that spoke English was still with us- in fact, she seemed insistent that she would lead us to Leonardo¡¯s grandmother, judging by the way she took the lead, scowling at Leonardo and the other local guy we were following.


    Down at the little harbor again, we turned left and made our way along the street that paralleled the water.


    Rafael translated Leonardo¡¯s commentary, pointing to an ugly two-story building made of the same raw, unfinished concrete blocks as most of the rest of the places we¡¯d seen so far. ¡°That is the local government building. Across from it,¡± he said, pointing out two one-story buildings that were actually painted blue and white, ¡°Is the primary school.¡±


    We turned off the street and went down what might be described as an alley between a home and what looked to be a little market, with curious people standing around outside. There seemed to be a lot of people in the little village just milling about, doing nothing in particular.


    When I asked Rafael, he shrugged and said the fishermen are done working by dawn, so they have the days free.


    The place that Leonardo led us to was a decent-sized covered patio, with a basic concrete building (painted vibrant green and yellow) that contained the kitchen, an indoor meeting room and bathrooms.


    There were maybe a dozen senior citizens enjoying the breeze in the shade while they played cards, gossiped, or, in the case of a couple of the old men, softly played guitar.


    All conversation and activity instantly stopped when Leonardo led us into the patio. The old folks all stared at Emmy and Tiny, pretty much completely ignoring the rest of us after a brief glance.


    Emmy took off her hat and sunglasses as she walked into the center of the space. She made a full revolution, looking at the maybe twenty to twenty-five or so people, who all stared back at her, mesmerized.


    ¡°Buenas tardes,¡± she said. ¡°Yo me llamo Emmy De Lascaux.¡± Then she said something that I knew meant ¡®peace and prosperity¡¯ in the language of the Night Children.

 Memories Of A Distant Childhood

    Although Emmy¡¯s appearance had caused a stir, her traditional greeting in the ancient language completely silenced the commotion. At least half of the old folks stared at Emmy in amazement, while the other half stared in confusion. It was obvious who among them recognized her words and who didn¡¯t.


    Emmy continued speaking in their old language, of which I understood roughly nothing at all. It was clear that no more than a handful could follow her words, and as Emmy continued to speak she focused on those who knew enough of the mother tongue to understand her meaning. After a bit one of the guitar players handed her his beat-up old guitar. Emmy sat down and tuned it quickly, then started singing.


    I was pretty sure I¡¯d heard her play the melody before, but I¡¯d never heard her sing along with it. It sounded like a lullaby, soft, soothing and sweet, despite the rough sound of their ancient language. Looking around the large covered patio, I could tell about equal numbers of people were curious and puzzled but keeping quiet out of respect and those for whom the song was having a very profound emotional effect. Some of the old folks were openly weeping, unheeded tears running down their old faces. When the song ended, Emmy handed the guitar back to the old man, who looked as if someone had stabbed him right in the heart. She then spoke in Spanish to the entire group, and not for the first time I wished my Spanish were better. Although I could understand a word here or a phrase there, the best I could do was listen quietly and let Emmy talk.


    Angela realized after a bit that I was floundering, so she whispered in my ear that Emmy was talking about their people, their ancient culture, and how it was time for the Children Of The Night to stand up with pride to be seen.


    ¡°She says that they should look at her and look at Jeremy as examples of how their people can choose to live. She says that we must remember the past, but create a new future for our people. She says that the young must learn of their heritage- it must not be forgotten, as it seems is happening. She promises that if the Night Children of Cartagena choose to join with the growing nation of Night Children in the New World, she will, um, make certain that they¡­¡± Angela trailed off, listening to Emmy. ¡°She says that this life they have made here in Cartagena can be better, opportunities can be created if they simply choose not to hide, and choose to embrace their heritage.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s speech seemed to hit a nerve with a lot of the oldsters there at the social club, but I saw a handful of skeptical faces among the crowd. I¡¯m certain Emmy noticed them too, but she continued to address the entire group, not just those who were leaning her way.


    ¡°She says that she only just found out about this community two nights ago, when she was approached by two men who live in Barrio Albornoz. They told her of their barrio¡¯s Night Children, and said that more lived here, in Tierra Bomba. Until those men saw her and spoke with her, she had no idea there were any of our kind in Colombia. She was overjoyed to learn that she had been wrong, and to find so many here. She says that you are the queen of North America, but not like any of the queens or kings of old. She says that you offer peace, prosperity and safety to your people, but do not demand much in return. She says¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s O.K.,¡± I told Angela. ¡°I get the idea.¡±


    While Emmy continued, I indicated that our group should sit at a couple of the open tables. I waved to the young woman who was obviously the waitress, and she came over to ask what we wanted. Again, we relied on Rafael and Angela ordering for us, since Grant and Tiny spoke Spanish about as poorly as I did (or maybe even worse).


    Emmy¡¯s speech wound down after a bit, but she remained standing in the middle of the patio, answering questions. Eventually she took a seat at a table with some of the card players, chatting amiably with them, now that the shock of the whole encounter was wearing off for the locals.


    The woman who¡¯d spoken to us earlier in English came and sat down at my table to talk. She¡¯d listened to everything Emmy had said with a frown on her face, so I figured she was doubtful of all we represented. That said, the simple fact that she came over to talk indicated some degree of openness to discussion.


    ¡°My name is Leah Farmer,¡± I said, holding out a hand to shake, which she did after a moment¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°Cynthia Rodriguez,¡± she replied automatically.


    ¡°Cynthia, your English is much better than my Spanish,¡± I told her. ¡°Where did you learn?¡±


    ¡°From the missionaries,¡± she said, not volunteering any more information.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not missionaries,¡± I told her. ¡°We aren¡¯t here to convince anyone to do anything they don¡¯t want. Like Emmy said, we didn¡¯t even know these two groups of us existed here until Ignacio came to say hello to Emmy two nights ago. This,¡± I said, gesturing to indicate our little group, ¡°is simply an invitation. we¡¯re making an offer, and you¡¯re free to accept or not.¡±


    ¡°You say ¡®we¡¯, but you are not one of us,¡± Cynthia said.


    ¡°When a child is born to a Night Child man and a day walker woman, do you consider the child to be one of our people?¡± I asked.


    Cynthia looked as if she would object, but she stopped herself.


    ¡°I am the queen of our people in North America. My people accept me, despite the fact I¡¯m not blessed by the night. They know I am one of them.¡±


    ¡°Our ancestors came to the New World to escape the old ways. Why should we subject ourselves to what they ran from?¡± Cynthia demanded.


    ¡°Cynthia, I might not be the best one for you to talk to about this,¡± I told her. ¡°You might be better off talking to Jeremy over there,¡± I said, pointing out the very large bodyguard. ¡°He can tell you his own personal experience, and what his life was like before he accepted my shadow, and afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Why do you care if we follow you or not? What does it mean for you? We have nothing to offer,¡± Cynthia said.


    ¡°It¡¯s this simple. Our people have lived in the margins, in the shadows and in hiding for thousands of years. The world is getting more connected, and hiding is going to become impossible soon. We need to make ourselves visible now and take our place in day walker society,¡± I explained. ¡°The more of us that do so, the more the rest of the world has to accept us. If the only Night Child the world knows is Emmy, she¡¯s an object of curiosity. But if the world sees us in their daily lives, then we become a fact of life.¡±


    ¡°You never said what you want from us,¡± Cynthia protested.


    ¡°I want you to take off the makeup. I want you to show your true face to the world. I want you to tell anyone who asks that you¡¯re part of an ancient and proud people. That¡¯s what I want,¡± I told her.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Just to walk around, showing¡­¡± she said, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing. That¡¯s what I want all our people all over the world to do, whether they accept my shadow or not, and yes, some people are doing just that. I had a meeting with the leaders of the Night Children in Japan, and I think they are going to choose to come out of hiding. Not because I told them to, but because they agree that it¡¯s time. They aren¡¯t under my command or anything like that and I didn¡¯t ask them to be. It¡¯s the same for you here in Colombia. I want you to stand proud, whether you choose to accept my shadow or not. If you do accept my shadow, I¡¯d be happy to build a school here in Tierra Bomba and another in Albornoz, and some medical clinics, too. Maybe I can help create jobs here, too, but I haven¡¯t looked into anything like that yet.¡± Cynthia started to interrupt, but I held up my hand for her to wait, and she did.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°We only found out about your existence two nights ago. We have no plans as such. This is all about asking if you want our help, and asking what we can do to help, if you do,¡± I said.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need your help,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°No, you might decide that you don¡¯t, and that¡¯s your choice. We¡¯re here to make the offer, that¡¯s all,¡± I agreed.


    Lunch was served about then. Mine was chicken, but most people in our group got the fried fish. It seemed as if that was the default option in Cartagena, which made sense. I noted that the only other non-fish eater was Rafael, and I wondered if he was like me- a non-pescatarian. The food was fine but not great, and the golden-colored soda was appallingly sweet, but I ate and drank it all anyway. Like I told Angela, we couldn¡¯t be seen as looking down on the locals in any way.


    After we ate Emmy took the guitar from the old man again and sang a few more songs in the language of the Night Children, then a few in Spanish. Eventually we thanked everyone for their hospitality and left. A number of the old folks clasped Emmy¡¯s hands in theirs, grateful for her even being there with them.


    On the boat, I asked Emmy how her conversations had gone.


    ¡°The elders who still understood our old language all wanted us to build a school to teach the children our heritage,¡± Emmy said, holding her hat on her head, fighting the breeze. ¡°A few of the people there wanted to simply forget the past, but I think they were in the minority.¡±


    ¡°So, do we bring our crews down, or not?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy answered without hesitation. ¡°I think the door is open.¡±


    After seeing Emmy, Angela, Grant and Tiny off to Mexico City the next morning, I stopped by the KLM desk and rescheduled my flight to London. I¡¯d need to stay in Cartagena for another week to get the incoming crews up and running, after all.


    I¡¯d debated with Angela and Rafael about the relative merits of where I¡¯d stay during that time, and although I did agree that me staying in Angela¡¯s old room would be great in a lot of ways, I needed to separate my image as queen of North America from the Castro family, so I stayed in the suite I¡¯d shared with my two honeys. Of course, my intention was to have dinner over at the Castro house as often as possible since Mam¨¢¡¯s home-cooked meals were a real treat and I enjoyed spending time with them.


    Also, Mam¨¢ probably would have spanked me or something if I didn¡¯t, but that part remained unsaid.


    The day after Emmy and Angela left, Rafael and I went back to Albornoz to have lunch at the restaurant where Ignacio and the others had met with us. Interestingly, this time the woman that ran the place wasn¡¯t wearing makeup- her coal-black skin was on full display.


    ¡°She says that seeing Emmy and the giant showed her that it was time to throw away the old fears,¡± Rafael explained after a brief discussion. I asked him if she¡¯d had any problems since she chose to show herself, and she snorted in amusement when he translated for her.


    ¡°Everybody around here knew already,¡± he explained, translating her words. ¡°It might be different in the city center, but here, no.¡±


    After lunch I made sure to leave a generous, but not too generous, tip. I told the woman (through Rafael, of course) that my men were going to be eating there a lot in the future, and hoped that she¡¯d welcome them as she had us, which got another snort of laughter.


    ¡°She says that all are welcome, especially if they tip well,¡± Rafael explained, laughing along with the old lady.


    Back in Rafael¡¯s well-traveled Ford, I asked him his thoughts on the whole thing.


    ¡°To be truthful, the night I met Emmy¡¯s father, my eyes were opened. When the three of us spoke of your plans and problems you have been facing, it seemed¡­ theoretical,¡± he said, looking thoughtful. ¡°But now we have found all these people in my own city, people who have been here for a long time, I understand what you have been doing¡­¡±


    I waited for him to continue, but soon we were in the walled city¡¯s dense, chaotic traffic and he didn¡¯t have time to elaborate.


    Back at the house, Mam¨¢ took one look at me and told me to go upstairs and take a little siesta. ¡°You need to rest, mija,¡± she said. ¡°I will come get you in two hours.¡±


    Bemused, I went upstairs to Angela¡¯s room and did as I was told. I rarely take naps, but I was asleep in no time. When Mam¨¢ knocked to announce herself it took me a moment to wake fully. She sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair from my face.


    ¡°I wish you would stay here, but I understand why you do not,¡± she said. ¡°But do not forget- this is your house now also.¡±


    ¡°Mam¨¢, I don¡¯t know why I was so tired,¡± I told her as I rubbed my eyes. ¡°But that siesta really helped. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes we are not tired in the body, but in the soul. It is hard when your loved ones leave. Mi Angel has told me that for you it is more important they stay safe and happy than you do, and that is a sign of true love. But that does not mean that you should¡­ sacrificar,¡± she said, unsure of the word in English.


    ¡°Sacrifice,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°You should not always sacrifice your own happiness for the ones you love. Sometimes you must be a little bit selfish,¡± Mam¨¢ said. ¡°They will understand.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t right now,¡± I told her. ¡°And when the babies are born, it¡¯ll be all about them for a while. But I understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯ forget,¡± she said, tapping my forehead. ¡°You are as important as they are.¡±


    The king-sized bed back at the hotel was lonely, making me regret not staying at the Castro house after all. There, at least, I was surrounded by reminders of Angela and feeling the warmth of a very caring family.


    Finding it difficult to sleep, I checked the pool hours and found it was already closed. I didn¡¯t want to go out, but I didn¡¯t want to stay in the suite, either, so I made my way down to the same bar where Rafael and I had talked a couple of days earlier.


    I was sipping on a really decent Old Fashioned and looking through a picture book of Cartagena when a thirty-something year old man sat himself down next to me.


    ¡°American?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m from California,¡± I replied. ¡°You sound as if you¡¯re from Boston, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Close enough,¡± he agreed. ¡°Man, it sure is hot down here, huh? But I guess you¡¯re used to that, bein¡¯ from Cali.¡±


    ¡°The weather here is a lot closer to Boston¡¯s than it is to Los Angeles¡¯,¡± I replied. ¡°And Cali is the name of a city on the Pacific coast of Colombia. I¡¯m not from there.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m just tryna be friendly with another American.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m just trying to relax and unwind after a long day,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get the hint,¡± he said and got up and went back to wherever it was he¡¯d come from.


    ¡°You certainly sent him packing,¡± said a man from behind me. I turned around in my seat to look at the guy who¡¯d just spoken to me. He was older, salt-and-pepper hair perfectly groomed to go along with his very high-quality tailored suit. The guy could have been in beer ads as a Very Interesting Man, based on looks and voice alone.


    ¡°Am I going to have to send you packing, too?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, no,¡± he chuckled, his well-educated and cultured Spanish accent smooth and very pleasing to the ear. ¡°I have no intention of, as they say, ¡®getting in your pants¡¯. In any case, I doubt it would work even if I did, since you¡¯re married to Emmy De Lascaux.¡±


    I nodded to confirm he was right, so he continued. ¡°My understanding is that she left this morning, but you¡¯re still here. Unfinished business?¡±


    ¡°Unanticipated new business,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Here¡¯s to profitable business,¡± he said, racing his glass in a toast.


    I raised mine in return and we sipped our drinks.


    ¡°My name is Emiliano Su¨¢rez,¡± he said, introducing himself. ¡°Imports and exports.¡±


    Thinking that was probably shorthand for drug trafficking, I said, ¡°Leah Farmer, real estate investing.¡±


    ¡°I know that look,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°No, not drugs. My company exports gold and other ores, and imports industrial machinery.¡±


    I chuckled, knowing that he was probably fishing for that reaction and knew to play it to break the ice.


    I left my seat and took the one facing his so we could talk. We discussed the economics of shipping in Cartagena, the challenges of fluctuating exchange rates, the effect of rising water temperatures on Caribbean weather, and other similar topics until the waiter announced last call at midnight. Emiliano was a good conversationalist, and true to his word, never even hinted that he¡¯d like to get me in bed.


    ¡°Good night, Leah Farmer,¡± he said when we parted to go to our separate rooms.


    ¡°Good night, Emiliano Su¨¢rez,¡± I replied.


    Just on the off chance that it was all bullshit, I googled him when I got to my room and found his LinkedIn profile showing him as director of a company that did exactly what he¡¯d claimed. You can never be too careful, I told myself as I closed my laptop.

 A News Update

    Well, I crashed and broke my wrist today, so typing is going to be (literally) painfully slow for a while.


    I¡¯m going to plug away, but my productivity is going to take a serious hit.


    I guess the silver lining is that I¡¯ll have some free time to work on Emmy And Me, right?


    As the great Eric Idle once said, ¡°Always look on the bright side of life.¡±


    So¡­ I¡¯m going to try to keep all of you updated on my condition, but the chapter I have half- finished is going to  have to wait a few more days.


    Since RR has a 500 word minimum, I¡¯m just going to repeat myself a few times.


    Well, I crashed and broke my wrist today, so typing is going to be (literally) painfully slow for a while.


    I¡¯m going to plug away, but my productivity is going to take a serious hit.


    I guess the silver lining is that I¡¯ll have some free time to work on Emmy And Me, right?


    As the great Eric Idle once said, ¡°Always look on the bright side of life.¡±


    So¡­ I¡¯m going to try to keep all of you updated on my condition, but the chapter I have half- finished is going to  have to wait a few more days.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Since RR has a 500 word minimum, I¡¯m just going to repeat myself a few times.


    Well, I crashed and broke my wrist today, so typing is going to be (literally) painfully slow for a while.


    I¡¯m going to plug away, but my productivity is going to take a serious hit.


    I guess the silver lining is that I¡¯ll have some free time to work on Emmy And Me, right?


    As the great Eric Idle once said, ¡°Always look on the bright side of life.¡±


    So¡­ I¡¯m going to try to keep all of you updated on my condition, but the chapter I have half- finished is going to  have to wait a few more days.


    Since RR has a 500 word minimum, I¡¯m just going to repeat myself a few times.


    Well, I crashed and broke my wrist today, so typing is going to be (literally) painfully slow for a while.


    I¡¯m going to plug away, but my productivity is going to take a serious hit.


    I guess the silver lining is that I¡¯ll have some free time to work on Emmy And Me, right?


    As the great Eric Idle once said, ¡°Always look on the bright side of life.¡±


    So¡­ I¡¯m going to try to keep all of you updated on my condition, but the chapter I have half- finished is going to  have to wait a few more days.


    Since RR has a 500 word minimum, I¡¯m just going to repeat myself a few times.


    Well, I crashed and broke my wrist today, so typing is going to be (literally) painfully slow for a while.


    I¡¯m going to plug away, but my productivity is going to take a serious hit.


    I guess the silver lining is that I¡¯ll have some free time to work on Emmy And Me, right?


    As the great Eric Idle once said, ¡°Always look on the bright side of life.¡±


    So¡­ I¡¯m going to try to keep all of you updated on my condition, but the chapter I have half- finished is going to  have to wait a few more days.


    Since RR has a 500 word minimum, I¡¯m just going to repeat myself a few times.

 Clandestine? Claro Que No!

    I had nothing on my agenda for the next day, so I stayed in the hotel and caught up on work. Needing a break from some environmental mitigation plans, I went down to the pool for a few laps and a bite to eat. Even though the day was quite breezy it was still hot and muggy. Slipping into the water felt great, and before I knew it my self-allotted hour was up.


    After toweling off and donning the fluffy hotel robe, I made my way over to the pool bar area for a light lunch.


    ¡°You cut quite a spectacular figure in the pool,¡± Emiliano, the Very Interesting Man, said from his table in the shade.


    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± I told him, opting for my own table instead of joining him at his, which he¡¯d seemed to expect.


    ¡°You swam for a full hour,¡± he continued. ¡°Not many could manage such a thing.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°The key is to not stop,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Ah, it seems I am unwanted this afternoon. Forgive me. Let me leave you to dine in peace,¡± Emiliano said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not in the mood for conversation right now.¡±


    Giving me an understanding nod, he turned back to his laptop and resumed whatever it was he¡¯d been doing before I showed up.


    I ordered a ¡°New York Panini¡± and large bottle of sparkling water to take back up to my suite, rather than stay there in the heat and humidity of the patio under the midday sun.


    Back in front of my computer, I shot Grant a text asking if he had any contacts that might know about any ¡®letter agency¡¯ assets in Colombia, and if Grupo Log¨ªstico de Colombia might be a front.


    Emiliano probably was exactly what he said, but still¡­ Maybe Grant¡¯s contacts in MI might be willing to let a little intel slip to an old friend.


    ¡°I¡¯ve put the question out there¡±, Grant replied before too long. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I hear anything¡±.


    Satisfied that avenue of investigation was being followed, I got back to work.


    During dinner with the in-laws that night I asked Rafael if he knew anything about Emiliano and Grupo Log¨ªstico.


    ¡°The common assumption here in Colombia is that any shipping company is a front for the CIA and the cartel,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that the big ones are in bed with the CIA and the cartel. but¡­¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve never heard of this Emiliano Su¨¢rez?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I have not,¡± he admitted. ¡°But I know people who might. I will ask tomorrow.¡±


    That night, sipping aguardiente in the courtyard with Rafael, I asked him something that had been bothering me.


    ¡°Can I ask you something, knowing that it¡¯ll never go farther than just the two of us? You seem to have a whole lot of connections. Angela said that you know everybody, but I get the idea it might run a bit deeper than that,¡± I said.


    Rafael let out a long breath. ¡°It is a complicated story,¡± he said, leaning back and resting an arm on the back of his chair. ¡°You have been honest with me about things¡­ Unusual things, and so I feel I can tell you some things about my life. Things that I am certain Marisa knows, but we have never spoken of. Our daughters know nothing of this, and I would prefer to keep it that way,¡± he said, giving me a look. I nodded, and, understanding, he continued.


    ¡°My time in the military¡­ I was an officer in our elite counterinsurgency force. My unit specialized in urban actions. We were very highly trained, but even so we had a high¡­ attrition rate. It was very dangerous, and there was always a concern about corruption and the question in the back of everybody¡¯s mind was who among us had been turned.¡± Rafael paused to enjoy another sip of his drink. ¡°When Marisa became pregnant the first time, I knew I had to resign my commission. I would not leave my wife a widow. But let me say this, and Grant can confirm- you can never really leave. Even if you resign and return to the civilian life, your old friends will still call on you. Your old commanders will stop by your house to gently remind you that you still owe them your loyalty, and to make it clear that they will require it of you sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°I do understand that,¡± I agreed. ¡°My father was in the American Special Forces.¡±


    ¡°Angela told me that he was killed in Iraq,¡± Rafael said. ¡°That is a terrible thing to happen to a young family. Precisely what I did not want for my young wife and child. But to answer your question, many of my ¡®connections¡¯ are friends from the army, men I served with. Men who I would trust with my life- have trusted with my life, and me theirs. Some are still in the military, but many, like me, have chosen paths with less violence. Arturo, the man whose boat we used? He¡¯s a security consultant for Marriott Hotels. The man I would ask about this Emiliano Su¨¢rez of yours? Military intelligence. So yes, I do know a lot of well-connected people through my time in the armed forces. But also, my family is large and we have been here for hundreds of years. Through my life here in Cartagena I know the man who runs the restaurant on the corner, or the boxing gym in the poor part of the city, or the woman leading the walking tours of the walled city. I do not know everyone in this city of almost one million souls, but I do know a significant percentage.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I admitted. ¡°So I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re likely to hear if that Carde?o asshole shows up in town, right?¡±


    ¡°I would hear about it,¡± he nodded. ¡°Probably within hours.¡±


    ¡°How much trouble would it cause if he disappeared?¡±


    ¡°Too much,¡± Rafael said with a sigh. ¡°Otherwise it would have happened already.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll shelve those plans, then. Angela is well out of his reach for now anyway, so even if he does come here to the coast to look for her there¡¯s nothing he can do. As much as I¡¯d be willing to have my guys bury him out in the jungle somewhere¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°There is a lot of jungle where bodies can be buried,¡± Pap¨¢ agreed, leaning back, his glass in his hand.


    I worked the next morning until it was time to go to the airport to pick up my guys. They created quite a stir, everybody pausing for at least a moment or two to stare at the group of fifteen well-dressed, fit-looking men and women moving together with a purpose. Of course, the fact that all but one were as black as night had something to do with it, too.


    ¡°Thanks for getting this organized so quickly,¡± I told Michael, shaking his hand. ¡°And thanks to the rest of you guys for coming down here. This was unexpected, but it¡¯s a huge deal.¡±


    ¡°You said jump,¡± Jody said. ¡°We jumped.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said to Michael as we walked to the taxi stand. ¡°Who¡¯s going to run this op?¡±


    ¡°Ricky and Jody,¡± he replied.


    ¡°How long can you stay?¡± I asked.


    ¡°As long as I¡¯m needed, but I don¡¯t speak Spanish, so I don¡¯t know how much help I¡¯ll actually be here,¡± Michael answered. ¡°But at least I can get things organized.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. That¡¯s all I need.¡±


    I¡¯d booked rooms for a few nights in a three star hotel on the south side of the walled city for the crew, so we went directly there. After getting everybody settled, we regrouped in the hotel¡¯s rooftop restaurant for a late lunch.


    I explained everything as I knew it to Michael, Jody and Ricky. I told them that I was lining up a couple of cars and a boat to use for the operation, and that once contact was made and we saw how things were going to go maybe we¡¯d make some longer-term accommodations.


    ¡°I want a hitter with every outreach who isn¡¯t with a group,¡± I told Jody. ¡°I have no reason to expect any problems, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± he agreed. ¡°We¡¯re here to solve problems before they become problems.¡±


    ¡°Ricky, this is going to take a light touch. These Night Children have been getting along fine by themselves for a really long time and they have a certain amount of pride about accepting help. Only a few of the elders even understand the old language, but almost all recognize it when they hear it, from what I¡¯ve seen. Emmy appealed to them by reminding them of the culture they¡¯re forgetting but should be proud of. Just you guys walking around, showing your faces, might do a lot towards bringing them in,¡± I explained. ¡°Our secondary agenda is to acclimate the day walkers of Cartagena to seeing Night Children, so when the locals do show their faces they won¡¯t be a surprise. This means that we need to be everywhere. We need to be seen by as much of the population as we can manage. So- shopping malls, popular parks, busy street corners¡­ You get the idea. Normally we just care about being seen by other Night Children, but not this time. Ricky,¡± I said, ¡°tonight I want the group to split up and just wander around- be tourists in the tourist zone here. I¡¯m gonna to be busy tonight working on arrangements with Angela¡¯s dad.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Angela¡¯s father?¡± Ricky asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be a very, very important resource for us here, so you¡¯ll be working with him a lot. He knows everything about this op, and just as importantly, he knows this town and has a network he can call on to help, no questions asked. If you need anything, ask him first. He can get it, or will know how to get it.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Ricky confirmed.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to set up something special for tomorrow night and Saturday. I¡¯m gonna see if I can get watch parties for the Downfall livestreams at some of the really popular bars, and I want our people there watching. This fits in with our secondary agenda- getting the day walkers here used to seeing us, and connecting us with Emmy. We want the literally hundreds of local Night Children to see that they don¡¯t need to hide. Even if they don¡¯t accept my shadow, we want them to be free.¡±


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°Just the same as everybody else. For today and tomorrow, be a tourist. Take the walking tour- the old city really is beautiful. Buy souvenirs for Jassie- in fact, bring her down here for a holiday if you want. We need to be seen as normal people, so¡­¡± I told him.


    ¡°You said there are hundreds of us here?¡± Ricky asked, still trying to process the idea.


    I explained as much as I knew about the situation, adding that the locals had shown no sign of being anything other than peaceful. ¡°This little town on the island- it¡¯s pretty damned shabby, but not too dirty at all. There are a lot of really nicely done murals, too, so there¡¯s a certain degree of pride of place. I¡¯ve been chewing on the idea of how to generate jobs, but really, there are only two kinds of work on the island- fishing, and service work on the few small beach resorts. I¡¯m not sure that appealing to their pride and then telling them to work as hotel maids or busboys is a great plan¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it might not be,¡± Michael agreed. ¡°If they have a strong, viable community there, we don¡¯t want to relocate them, either.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    After lunch, we broke up and wandered around the old parts of town in small groups. I reminded everyone that a hitter needed to be in every group before sending them on their way with the instruction of interacting as much as they could with the city.


    Michael and I started off by strolling west a short block to the entrance of the biggest park in the walled city.


    ¡°It¡¯s really hot and humid here,¡± he said, wiping his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bit overdressed for the climate,¡± I teased.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t this warm in Baltimore,¡± he countered.


    ¡°We should get you some more appropriate clothing,¡± I said. ¡°For everybody else on the team, too. Especially if they¡¯re gonna be here for a while.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think this operation will take?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? It may be permanent for a few of our folks, in a sense. I¡¯m not seeing this as being a matter of finding locals, offering them our shadow and then finding them places to live and whatever before moving on. These people have jobs, they have places to live, and they have a functioning community. Hey, look up there in that tree- I think that¡¯s a sloth.¡±


    We stopped and stared at the slow-moving animal for a minute.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told not to feed the monkeys,¡± I said, pointing out a tourist doing just that.


    ¡°It is very different here,¡± Michael mused.


    We got some mango juice from a street vendor, then resumed walking.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of renting some houses here for our crew. I¡¯m not sure exactly where, though, and this is something that we¡¯re going to have to give some thought to. Rafael suggested that funding schools and clinics might go a very long way to helping the locals, and I can definitely see that in the future.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re talking about three phases- the immediate, the short term, and the long term,¡± Michael said. ¡°This is excellent juice,¡± he added, taking another sip.


    ¡°Right. The immediate is the most delicate. The medium and long term won¡¯t even happen unless we get it right.¡±


    As we wandered, we talked about various subjects, just catching up. It had been a while since we¡¯d just talked, and it was good to simply chat like old friends. He told me he¡¯d been giving some thought to relocating to New York as I¡¯d suggested.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about being closer to Jassie when she goes to Williams. If I¡¯m in New York she can come down for holidays, or even just for the weekend if she wanted to,¡± he said.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll need at least a two bedroom- probably three would be best,¡± I suggested. ¡°Let me get started on looking for a place.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s presumptuous of me to even ask, but a walkable neighborhood would be good,¡± Michael said, thinking about living in New York.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I agreed.


    As we walked I took note of who stared and who didn¡¯t. Sure, there was a certain amount of looks because we were obviously well-off tourists, and some stared at me because I was a blonde woman who was taller than almost everybody else, but a number stared at Michael, too, and those were the ones I took closer looks at.


    I thought I spotted a couple of Night Children in disguise, noticing them because they stared a bit too long at Michael but hardly gave me a glance.


    ¡°See the guy in the red T shirt over there?¡± I asked Michael as we passed a little plaza. ¡°Selling the jewelry?¡±


    ¡°He might be,¡± agreed Michael, so we drifted over to the guy¡¯s table. I made a show of examining the hand-crafted necklaces to give Michael time to examine the vendor a bit more closely.


    ¡°Ten dollars,¡± the man said when I held up a necklace made with tiny little shells.


    Michael said something to the man in the old language, startling the guy. The jewelry vendor tried to hide his reaction, but it was too late.


    Michael spoke again, but the guy shook his head. ¡°No hablo ese idioma,¡± he protested.


    ¡°Do you speak English?¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°A little,¡± the guy said holding his index finger and thumb about half an inch apart to indicate ¡®not very much at all¡¯.


    Michael took his handkerchief from his pocket. ¡°You should not hide who you are,¡± he said, miming cleaning makeup from his own face. ¡°Be proud of what you are.¡±


    Flustered, the guy took a moment to realize that I was holding up two necklaces and handing him a twenty dollar bill.


    He took the money, and wrapped the two necklaces individually in pieces of paper, then placed them in a little bag for me.


    As he handed me the bag, I asked him his name.


    ¡°Marco,¡± he answered, still a bit off balance.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you, Marco,¡± I said, offering my hand, which he shook reflexively. ¡°I¡¯m Leah. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be seeing each other again.¡± Just then I saw a couple of our guys enter the plaza from a side street, so I waved them over. ¡°Jacob, Enrique, this is Marco. He¡¯s one of us.¡±


    Enrique started talking to the guy in Spanish, far too quickly for me to follow. Enrique indicated the four of us, then his own face. I caught something about ¡°Ni?os de La Noche,¡± and ¡°dignidad,¡± but that was about it. Marco argued back a little, but Enrique just shrugged. ¡°A lo que quiere,¡± Enrique said.


    I held up the bag to get his attention and smiled at Marco. ¡°Thanks!¡± I said, and we turned and left as a group.


    ¡°How has it been going for you two?¡± I asked as we walked down a narrow street lined with colorful houses and shops.


    ¡°Good,¡± Enrique said. ¡°I like it here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too hot,¡± grumbled Jacob.


    ¡°I was just telling Michael that everybody is going to have to buy new clothes for here,¡± I agreed. ¡°So that¡¯ll be part of the op¡¯s budget.¡±


    ¡°It was thirty-four degrees when I left Denver,¡± Jacob said. ¡°I¡¯ll get used to it here, but it was straight from the freezer into the sauna.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can understand that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So this is what we¡¯re gonna do here? Just, like, walk around and try to spot other Night Children, and just, like, talk to them?¡± Enrique asked.


    ¡°For now, yeah. We want the locals to see that it¡¯s O.K. to show their faces. We need to use a soft touch, and showing by example is the best way we can do it at first,¡± I explained.


    That night Rafael commented during dinner that he¡¯d seen some of my people in town.


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± I said, helping myself to some more of Mam¨¢¡¯s cooking. ¡°I just told them to wander around and be as visible as possible.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Who are your people?¡± Cecilia asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Cecy, can I ask you to do me a big favor? Let me know if any of your friends talk about the super, super black people they¡¯ve seen. I mean black like Emmy or Tiny,¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Your people are black like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Cecilia agreed, ¡°If I can come swim in your hotel¡¯s pool tomorrow after school.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± I agreed, reaching over the table to shake her hand. Then, realizing I should make sure, I added, ¡°If it¡¯s O.K. with Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢.¡±


    After dinner Rafael and I went out for a walk around the neighborhood. It had rained a bit that evening so it was extra humid, but a little bit cooler than it had been the last few days.


    ¡°I spoke with the owner of the bar you suggested- he has the technical requirements, but wants a fair bit of money to close it down for a private party on a Friday Night,¡± Rafael said as we strolled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to close it to others- in fact, I¡¯m hoping the place is packed. What matters to me is that the patrons all get to see Emmy performing and that they realize that there are people like her right there in the bar, watching along with them. The idea is to get everybody in Cartagena used to seeing Night Children in their daily lives, right? The more our guys are a visible part of the landscape, the more open the local Night Children will be to trying it for themselves.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Rafael agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s walk over there now and talk to the man, if he¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a glass of that Dictador,¡± I replied, so we changed direction and picked up speed.


    A few blocks later we came to a corner that had a number of cafes with outdoor seating. Dining together (very prominently, I might add) were Jody and Maggie. They were laughing and clapping for the busker guitarist who was standing where all the diners could hear his music. He was good, so I dropped a five spot in his guitar case as we passed. I gave Maggie and Jody a little nod, which they returned, but otherwise we didn¡¯t interact.


    ¡°More of yours?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Those are two of my hitters,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Even the woman?¡±


    ¡°Maggie¡¯s gone to war for me before,¡± I said, looking around to make sure nobody could hear. ¡°She has blood on her hands at my command. She¡¯s battle tested.¡±


    Rafael nodded, lost in thought. We walked together in companionable silence until we got to the same rum and chocolate bar where we¡¯d met Ignacio and Raymundo.


    The house band was already playing and the place was moderately busy when we arrived, but Ignacio noticed us and nodded hello from behind his drum set. We found a small table, and when the waiter brought us our menus and first pieces of chocolate, Rafael had a quick chat with him. A few minutes later the manager came out to talk.


    Rafael and the manager talked back and forth for a bit, finally coming to an agreement.


    ¡°He says that you must pay the money the band would normally earn, so they are not hurt,¡± Rafael explained. I was actually planning on something like that anyway, with the requirement that they actually had to watch the livestream along with everybody else. It was important that Ignacio and Raymundo see sixty-five thousand Mexican fans screaming in adoration for one of their kind.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°Make it clear I want the band here, and they can play before and after the livestream.¡±


    In bed that night I had a FaceTime call with Emmy and Angela, which helped me fall asleep with sweet dreams. It wasn¡¯t as good as having them to snuggle with, but it was much better than nothing.

 Juggling Act

    I have just discovered that my work is being pirated and posted on another website. If you''re reading this ANYWHERE but royalroad.com, you''re reading a pirated version. Please send me a PM on Royal Road letting me know where you''ve found this story.


    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


    Planning on working until lunch, I got started early on my email backlog. Most of it was easy enough to deal with, no real fires to put out. The only real problem to address were the questions about scheduling meetings, since I really didn¡¯t know when I was going to be back in California. I was trying to figure out what my calendar would look like when my phone buzzed with an incoming text.


    What immediately caught my attention was that the text was from Oshida Hayate, the Japanese Night Child man that spoke English.


    He sent two selfies of himself and his grandfather, completely makeup-free. In one picture they were eating in a little restaurant, and the other the two were standing on a train platform waiting among a ton of commuters.


    He explained that he and his grandfather have traveled widely in the few weeks since our meeting and haven¡¯t worn the traditional makeup at all. He said that some people saw them and avoided them but most didn¡¯t care.


    He went on to say that the elders have held many discussions and it seemed as if they were on the verge of agreeing to come out of the shadows.


    The final part was that they wanted to send some people to me to see what it was like for people of the night under my rule, and to open formal discussions.


    Pondering how to reply to the last part of the text messages, I congratulated Hayate and his grandfather for taking the giant leap of faith to live in the open, and said that I hoped that they found the experience as liberating as so many of my own people had done.


    I went on to tell him that I wasn¡¯t in Los Angeles and likely wouldn¡¯t be for a while yet, but I was very pleased to hear that the Night Children of Japan wanted to move forward with possible relations with our nation in North America.


    Almost immediately Hayate responded. ¡°Our people here are ready,¡± he said. ¡°We need your guidance.¡±


    I quickly checked to see what time it was there in Japan, then gave Hayate a call, which he answered after one short ring.


    I told him I was incredibly pleased that the Japanese Night Children had decided to come out of the shadows, but he corrected me and said the decision wasn¡¯t final yet, but every indication was that they would take that step. ¡°Grandfather and I have proven that it is possible to live in modern Japan without disguise,¡± he told me. ¡°A few others have followed our example- mostly younger people. Those stuck in the past are having the most difficulty accepting the idea.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t force them,¡± I cautioned. ¡°Let them see how the younger people get on, and they¡¯ll come around eventually.¡±


    ¡°That is the hope,¡± Hayate agreed.


    I told him that I¡¯d be perfectly happy to video conference in, but I just wasn¡¯t going to be able to travel to Japan for probably another month.


    ¡°We could send our emissaries to wherever you are,¡± Hayate offered.


    ¡°Tell me about these emissaries,¡± I urged him.


    ¡°Do you remember Mrs Tanaka, from the meeting? She would bring her grandaughter with her. She has been one of the strongest in favor of- we have been calling it ¡®revealing¡¯. Her granddaughter has studied English.¡±


    ¡°I never got her name at the meeting, but I do remember her,¡± I confirmed. ¡°How willing is she to travel? If she¡¯s going to join me here, I¡¯ll wind up dragging her all over the place before we get back to Los Angeles.¡±


    ¡°Is this¡­ related to your duties as queen?¡±


    ¡°Very much so.¡±


    ¡°It might be¡­ Let me speak with her. She is very interested in the cultures of our people outside Japan, so she might wish to travel with you, if it will allow her to see more,¡± Hayate said.


    ¡°That works,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her at my end if she does decide to travel with me, so all she would need is to be ready for variable weather.¡±


    We signed off after a few more pleasantries, leaving me staring at the phone in my hand, wondering how I was going to be able to juggle the Japanese shinobi and the Night Children of Cartagena at the same time.


    It was far too early to call Emmy, but it was a great time to call her father, so that was what I did.


    He answered after the third ring, and we spent almost two hours discussing the shinobi, and then what we¡¯d stumbled into in Colombia. He asked if I planned on bringing South America into the New Nation, and I confessed that I¡¯d maybe had the idea in the back of my head for a while, but this discovery in Cartagena was going to be a deciding factor in how it played out. I explained that the locals might not be in any hurry to accept our shadow, and if they didn¡¯t, I certainly wasn¡¯t going to press the issue. If they did, then it was a springboard into finding other communities in South America and the start of a new campaign of consolidation. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve already had a program going in Mexico for a while,¡± I told Emmy¡¯s dad, ¡°But that¡¯s part of North America.¡±


    ¡°You will have our complete support, whichever path you find yourself on,¡± he assured me.


    This opened the door, so I sprung my request on him. I asked if he had any cultural historians that spoke Spanish, since we might build a school to teach the locals the history that they seem to have mostly forgotten. Satisfied with the promise that he¡¯d look into it, we signed off with the promise to have lunch when I finally made it to London.


    All this talking took most of the morning, but I¡¯d wrapped up everything that was on my plate, so I had a bit of free time. Cecilia was going to come over to the hotel right after school got out, so I had a little over two hours to myself- a rare occurrence.


    Dressing for the humid, hot day, I went out for a walk. I had no destination in mind and nearing noon was probably the worst time of day for it, but whatever. I had nobody demanding my attention, and I was going to capitalize on it. I soon found myself strolling along the top of the old city wall facing the Caribbean, with the busy highway the only thing separating me from the sea on one side, the old city on the other.


    Sure, it was hot and muggy as anything, but at least there was a breeze off the water bringing fresh, clean air with it. I had the wall almost entirely to myself, mostly because everybody else was smart enough to stay out of the midday sun, such as it was.


    Eventually I succumbed to good sense and found myself a shady spot under a tree in a little park right next to the wall. There was an old man with a freezer pushcart selling ice cream, so I bought a cold Coke and a coconut popsicle to cool off.


    ¡°Leah!¡± shouted a couple of my people in greeting as they happened to stroll by. I waved, but made no effort to talk to them, so they just continued on.


    The ice cream man looked at the two Night Children, then at me, then back at the two walking away, then at me again.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Amigos?¡± he asked.


    ¡°S¨ª,¡± I told him. ¡°Buena gente,¡± which was nearing the limit of my Spanish.


    Satisfied, the old ice cream vendor nodded as he watched the two guys until they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.


    ¡°One point for Team NC,¡± I thought with a smile.


    I had time for a quick shower before donning my swimsuit and cotton sun dress before Cecilia arrived.


    It was only a few minutes later when I got a call from the front desk saying that she was there, so I went down to meet her.


    She looked cute in her white polo shirt and navy blue skirted school uniform, and I took a moment to imagine Angela at that age. The two sisters had similar features, enough that if someone told you they were related you¡¯d see it, but that was it. Angela¡¯s coloring was like their father¡¯s, with the pale skin and blue eyes, but Cecilia took after their mother¡¯s more typical Colombian darker skin and dark eyes.


    ¡°Can I see your room?¡± Cecilia asked as I led her away from the front desk.


    Remembering what had happened the year before when the Castro family had visited us in California, I hesitated for a moment. ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± I agreed, figuring I¡¯d just be careful to not encourage her if she showed any signs of stepping over the line.


    To my enormous relief, all Cecilia wanted to do was to admire the size of the suite and the view from the balcony. She changed into her swim suit in the bathroom, emerging in one of the hotel¡¯s fluffy robes.


    The pool was mostly empty, so we had our choice of which chaises to take. Even though it was hot and the sun pretty fierce, we claimed spots where we could work on our tans.


    When Cecilia finally ditched the robe, I shot quick glance around to see if there were any families with young boys around. Her bikini was roughly four square inches of bright pink fabric held in place by dental floss. The bikini she¡¯d had in Los Angeles was quite small, but she¡¯d grown at the same time as her swimsuit had shrunk a couple of sizes.


    ¡°I am going to swim,¡± she announced.


    I watched her as she made her way to the steps and down into the water. She¡¯d filled out a lot in the year since she skinny-dipped in our pool in Los Angeles, now looking much more like a young woman than she had. In fact, she was turning into quite a beauty in her own right.


    ¡°Good genetics,¡± I said silently, congratulating Marisa and Rafael Castro¡¯s DNA for combining so well twice in a row.


    I watched Cecilia play in the water for maybe five minutes before giving in and joining her. We swam and splashed around for a while before I told Cecelia that I was going to get us something to drink.


    I wandered over to the bar to order us some Cokes, only to see Mr Interesting, Emiliano Su¨¢rez, working on his laptop in the shade. I gave him a nod in greeting, but otherwise didn¡¯t say anything to him as I passed.


    Carrying a couple of ice-cold Cokes back to our chaises, I could tell that Emiliano had a clear view of the pool from where he sat, to my complete lack of surprise.


    I handed Cecilia her drink as I took my own seat, leaning back to enjoy the sun on my skin.


    ¡°Who is that man?¡± Cecilia asked. ¡°Do you know him?¡±


    ¡°We met a couple of nights ago here at the hotel. He says his name is Emiliano Su¨¢rez, and says he works for a shipping company,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Is he the man you asked Pap¨ª about? The one you think is CIA?¡± she asked, her eyes wide. It took me a moment to understand the last part of her question, since she¡¯d referred to the letter agency as ¡°Seeya,¡± rather than by the initials.


    ¡°I might be paranoid, but yeah, he¡¯s the guy I asked about,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like a¡­ esp¨ªa,¡± Cecilia said doubtfully. ¡°He looks like an old man.¡±


    ¡°What do spies look like?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Like James Bond,¡± she answered confidently.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go with that,¡± I said, leaning back and closing my eyes.


    ¡°Lee,¡± Cecilia began in an unsure voice. When I opened my eyes and turned to look at her, she seemed to have transformed into a little girl.


    ¡°Yes, Cecy?¡±


    ¡°I have talked with mis pap¨ªs about going to school in the US. I want to go, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°They are worried for me. I told them that I would be safe with Angela, Emmy and you, but they say you will have two babies to take care of and will not have time for me. I told them about Grace- how you¡­¡± she said, struggling for the right words.


    ¡°How we took Grace in and gave her a home when she needed it?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yes, but they are still worried.¡±


    ¡°I know we talked a little last year about you staying with us,¡± I said. ¡°Have you talked about it more with Angela?¡± I asked, wondering if there had been discussions I hadn¡¯t been involved in.


    ¡°No,¡± she admitted, looking downcast. ¡°But I have been thinking about it a lot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make any promises until everybody has had a chance to talk about it- your parents, Angela, Emmy, you and me. We all need to be involved in this decision,¡± I told her. ¡°But let me tell you a few things before we do talk, just so you can be really sure if you do want it or not. First off, I¡¯m married to your sister, and I love her more than just about anything. If you do come to live with us, you will make no effort to ever come between us- do you understand me?¡±


    Cecilia seemed to shrink a little but nodded.


    ¡°Explain what I just said to you, so I know we¡¯re both clear,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything that will make you want me,¡± she confirmed, not looking me in the face.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried that you have feelings for me,¡± I told her in a much softer voice. ¡°And I don¡¯t want that to be a problem.¡± I put my hand on her sun-warmed arm to keep her from bolting. ¡°Cecy. We¡¯re family now. Familia. You¡¯re my wife¡¯s sister. That makes you my sister, just like Marisa and Rafael are now mis pap¨ªs tambien,¡± I said. ¡°I love your family. I had no idea that when I took Angela into my life, I also took such an amazing, wonderful family, too. Pap¨¢, Mam¨¢, and you, Cecy- it¡¯s made my life better to have you in it.¡±


    Cecilia looked as if she wanted to say something, but she shut her mouth and relaxed back into her chair.


    ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful young woman,¡± I told her. ¡°Any girl would be proud to call you hers. Any boy, I guess, if that¡¯s your thing,¡± I added, which got me a smile. ¡°You¡¯re smart, too- your sister has been telling me about your grades. You don¡¯t want an old lady like me. You need to find somebody your age. Somebody who treats you like the princess you are. Somebody who loves you like I love Angela.¡±


    ¡°Everybody loves Angela,¡± Cecilia said, crossing her arms and pouting.


    ¡°Yes, they do, because she¡¯s lovable. Sure, she¡¯s pretty, and that¡¯s what people see at first, but when they get to know her they fall in love because she¡¯s so sweet and caring. Emmy and I think she¡¯s beautiful, but we fell in love with her because of the person that she is inside.¡±


    I leaned forward and put my hand on Cecilia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Be who you are. You aren¡¯t the same person as Angela. I wouldn¡¯t want you to be. You¡¯re interesting and fascinating the way you are. Be Cecilia. Don¡¯t compare yourself to your sister,¡± I told her.


    Cecilia sighed, letting her shoulders droop. ¡°I know you are right,¡± she said. ¡°But it still hurts.¡±


    ¡°Um, are you gay?¡± I asked in a soft voice so nobody could possibly hear.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± she said, sounding more than a little bit unsure.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m not, either,¡± I told her in a conspiratorial whisper.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, a puzzled expression on her face.


    ¡°Well, O.K. maybe I am,¡± I admitted, which made Cecilia laugh a little. ¡°But I still look at hot guys and think they¡¯re sexy. I don¡¯t think the whole thing is as cut and dried as most people think. I think we might tend to like one thing or another, but that doesn¡¯t have to mean that¡¯s all we like.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cecilia asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your sister is lesbian in general,¡± I told her. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s attracted to women. But she loves me, and she loves Emmy. She doesn¡¯t feel attraction to other women, though. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Cecilia said, shaking her head, but I could see that she was thinking about what I¡¯d just said.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± I agreed, laying my seat back flat to lie on my tummy. ¡°Just¡­ trust your own feelings.¡±


    We relaxed in the sun for a bit, not talking, just keeping each other company. It was nice, and I hoped that what I¡¯d said had made an impact.


    When we lost the sun we returned to the suite to get dressed. Cecilia pointed to the hot tub on our private deck. ¡°I never said anything to Mam¨¢ about your party,¡± she said, blushing.


    ¡°I never told anybody,¡± I replied, still grateful that she¡¯d had her little bikini on when I found her hot-tubbing with that actor.


    ¡°Kimmy and me, we were in the¡­ ba?era,¡± she said, ¡°when that man and woman came. They asked if they could join us, and Kimmy said yes.¡±


    I was glad to hear that it had developed that way, but I wanted to hear more, so I nodded for her to continue.


    ¡°They took off their clothes and entered. I saw his pene,¡± she confessed with a giggle. ¡°He has no hair there.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the detail I cared to hear, but at least it was a harmless learning experience.


    ¡°That woman with the blonde hair, her tetas were not real,¡± Cecilia said confidently. ¡°Like Angela¡¯s. I¡¯m going to get some when I get older,¡± she added.


    ¡°No, Cecy, don¡¯t,¡± I told her. ¡°Your breasts are beautiful. You don¡¯t need surgery to improve them. They¡¯re perfect the way they are naturally.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± she asked, surprised.


    ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful young woman,¡± I assured her. ¡°You¡¯re perfect the way you are."


    She opened her robe to look down at her chest, making me fear for a moment that she would pop her boobs out of her top, but thankfully all she did was stare thoughtfully down at them, still barely covered by little triangles of fabric.


    ¡°Let me take a quick shower and get dressed and I¡¯ll walk you back home,¡± I told her, grabbing a clean sun dress from the wardrobe and heading to the shower. Cecilia had gotten dressed in her school uniform by the time I emerged from the bathroom, so I slipped on my shoes and we headed out.


    ¡°You will talk to Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ about me staying with you in California, right?¡± she asked as we walked to the Castro house.


    ¡°You promise you¡¯ll be O.K. with the rules?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I promise,¡± she said a bit sullenly, but I was pretty sure the attitude was just for show.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to them,¡± I agreed.

 Just Another Day In Paradise

    Cecilia managed to talk her parents into allowing her to go with us to the chocolate and rum bar to watch the concert livestream that night. Honestly, they didn¡¯t put up much of a fight, so she got her way easily. I think they recognized that she was leaving the world of children behind as she grew into womanhood, so it was time to treat her like a young adult and not a kid.


    Following Mam¨¢ and Cecilia, Rafael and I talked in low voices about Night Children stuff. He told me that a number of people he knows had commented on the appearance of some really black tourists they¡¯d seen. Rafael said that all he¡¯d heard from his acquaintances was curiosity, and thought that was a good sign.


    I asked him if he¡¯d heard anything about Emiliano Su¨¢rez, and he admitted that his contact hadn¡¯t gotten back to him yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing, but¡­¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°He¡¯s probably just a successful businessman who¡¯s used to attention from the ladies.¡±


    ¡°You said he knew who you are,¡± Rafael countered.


    ¡°A lot of people recognize me,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been on the cover of a lot of tabloid magazines and things like that, so it¡¯s not uncommon.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Rafael admitted, sounding skeptical.


    The house band was playing when we arrived at the rum bar and the place was mostly full. I spotted Maggie and Jody sitting at a table with a Colombian couple I didn¡¯t recognize. Maggie was wearing a white cotton summer dress, which really made her charcoal-black skin seem even darker. Jody had on one of the ubiquitous short-sleeve button-up shirts that half the men in town seemed to be wearing. I was pleased to see that they¡¯d opted for clothes that fit in with the local scene and seemed like any other couple enjoying the evening. I gave Jody a nod, but apart from that we didn¡¯t interact.


    Michael was waiting for us at an otherwise empty table, waving when we entered. Once we sat down I introduced him to Mam¨¢ and Cecilia.


    ¡°I like this music,¡± Michael said after we¡¯d gotten our drink orders in. ¡°It suits this region. Very tropical.¡±


    Rafael, proud as ever of his city¡¯s culture, explained that Cartagena was a place where many different groups came together and fashioned their own interpretations of traditional forms. Afro-Caribbean influences mixed with Andean and Spanish, producing what we were listening to now.


    Cecilia caught my glance and rolled her eyes in dismay at her dad¡¯s long-winded exposition, appalled by her parents in the way of teenagers everywhere.


    During a break, Ignacio and Raymundo came over to our table. They had clearly taken note of Maggie and Michael, but it was me (by way of Rafael) that they wanted to talk to.


    ¡°Our boss said that we¡¯re going to get paid for the full night, even though we are only going to play until eleven,¡± Rafael translated for Ignacio.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll even pay you a bit extra,¡± I told him. ¡°But you have to stay and watch the video of the concert. If you leave early, no pay.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I want you to see sixty-five thousand people cheering for Emmy. I want you to see a woman who shows her true face and the world sees it,¡± I explained. ¡°This is important.¡±


    When the two guys returned to the bandstand, Cecilia tugged on my arm to get my attention.


    ¡°Who are those men?¡± she asked.


    ¡°They are Night Children like Emmy or Michael here. They¡¯re just covering it up with makeup.¡±


    ¡°En serio?¡±


    Rafael leaned in and spoke to Cecilia in Spanish, too quietly and quickly for me to follow. When he was done, she leaned back and crossed her arms, frowning as she looked around at the bar¡¯s patrons, presumably wondering who else might be covering up.


    A few minutes before eleven the bar¡¯s owner took to the stage and explained that the club had a special presentation. As he spoke the band cleared out their instruments and a couple of guys pulled down a large screen where the musicians¡¯ backdrop had been.


    The HD projector got turned on and within moments the expectant crowd at Mexico City¡¯s Foro Sol concert stadium filled the screen.


    Rafael quietly translated as the bar owner explained that the rock star Emmy De Lascaux had been in Cartagena, and in fact, came into this very bar and enjoyed local rums and chocolates, and of course, the music. He said that he¡¯d talked with her and found her to be a truly wonderful person, and so he thought it would be a special thing to show the livestream of her concert in his bar in her honor.


    Of course it was half bullshit, but that was fine. It was believable and helped make a connection with Cartagena, and that was what mattered. A few bar patrons didn¡¯t seem to appreciate the change in the night¡¯s entertainment, but nobody actually got up and left.


    Wondering what they were going to see, everybody hushed when the stadium¡¯s lights dimmed and the spotlights focused on Emmy walking out onto the stage, carrying her acoustic guitar. She took a seat on a stool and settled the guitar on her lap, taking her time and letting the suspense build. Finally satisfied, she looked out over the capacity crowd and smiled, still not saying a word.


    Looking down at the guitar, she strummed a soft chord, then as it faded away, looked up and right into the camera. With a gentle smile, she returned her gaze to the instrument in her lap and began to pluck out a hauntingly familiar melody. I knew by The Downfall¡¯s self-imposed rules it had to be an original improvisation, but it sounded like so many of the classical Spanish guitar pieces I¡¯d heard her play over the years that I could have sworn I¡¯d heard it many times before.


    Those sixty-five thousand Mexican fans listened intently, as did everyone in the packed bar there in Cartagena. Aside from the music and the muted noise of the traffic outside, nobody made a sound as we all watched Emmy¡¯s fingers fly over the frets, pouring out music that expressed emotions without words. After a couple of minutes solo, Jackson joined Emmy, but he did something different than I¡¯d ever seen before- he pulled out a bow and played his upright bass like a giant cello, giving the guitar a deep, soulful accompaniment. Lee joined soon after, but at the keyboard instead of his usual drums. His piano line danced around Emmy¡¯s guitar melody, sometimes mirroring it, sometimes playing in counterpoint.


    The video crew did an excellent job of mixing in shots of the rapturous audience, silently holding up their phones, making the darkened stadium look like a see of pale stars.


    The three members of The Downfall played like that for a little while, the music gradually picking up speed and energy until, at some signal I couldn¡¯t detect, Lee let his piano line fade away, stepping away from the keyboard and taking up his seat behind the drums. Emmy was next to stop, leaving Jackson playing his bass alone, with what almost sounded like a voice singing, deep and sonorous.


    When he drew out his last note the stadium erupted in noise, the fans having been completely silent up until that moment. With a little shock of surprise, I realized that the bar had been just as quiet. The patrons, the servers, and especially the house band musicians were all completely focused on the giant screen.


    Emmy strolled to the front of the stage, her old turquoise Thunderbird low on her hip. Silently, she looked out over the capacity audience, waiting until the cheering and applause stopped. Anxiously anticipating what Emmy might say or do, everybody seemed to be holding their breath.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Emmy looked out again, scanned the crowd once more, and then stepped to the microphone to speak.


    But she didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she screamed that hair-raising screech to start ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯, making everyone absolutely jump out of their skin- me included. Somebody dropped a glass there in the bar, prompting some nervous laughter as we all understood why it had happened.


    Emmy tore into the famous opening guitar riff, completely shredding the mellow mood the concert intro had set up. It took me a moment to realize that Emmy was singing in Spanish, making me wonder if she¡¯d sung it that way at the Bogot¨¢ show and I just hadn¡¯t noticed.


    Once the initial shock wore off, the bar returned to its normal activity, with servers serving, people conversing, and more than a few silently singing along when The Downfall played a tune they knew.


    I signaled to Rafael, and he followed me to the table with the house band musicians. Through Rafael¡¯s interpreting, I asked Ignacio what he thought of the concert. He replied that she was a true talent, and although the music wasn¡¯t his style, he could appreciate the band¡¯s ability.


    ¡°Look at that crowd,¡± I told him as the camera crew panned over the audience. ¡°Sixty-five thousand day walkers, all to see her.¡±


    I could see this had an effect on both Ignacio and Raymundo, who were lost in thought.


    Standing up, I signaled to the waiter and told him that I¡¯d buy a round of the good stuff for everybody at the table, and he was happy to take their orders. I clapped Ignacio on the shoulder and he smiled.


    We stayed until the concert finished and I settled up with the bar¡¯s owner, thanking him for agreeing to the deal. I had Rafael tell him that I was in the industry and that if he ever were to consider selling, I might want to buy the bar from him. I saw him looking thoughtfully at my business card as we left.


    Michael went with Jody and Maggie to find some other night spot, while I strolled back to the Castro home with my in-laws.


    ¡°Emmy is the best guitarrista in the whole world!¡± Cecilia said as we walked through the light but warm rain. ¡°She is incredible!¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°And her voz! She can sing anything!¡±


    Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ smiled affectionately at their younger daughter, so filled with enthusiasm and energy. Honestly, I found myself smiling, too. I could see a lot of what I loved about Angela in her little sister- the same joy for life, and of course, the same way they wore their emotions on their sleeves.


    I said goodbye at their door, then walked the two blocks back to my hotel. I still thought my rationale for staying at the hotel was valid, but next time I¡¯d definitely accept the in-laws¡¯ hospitality and stay with them.


    The next day I ran into Mr Interesting after my midday swim. He was at the pool bar as usual, but this time he had a stunningly beautiful woman about my age with him.


    ¡°Leah Farmer,¡± he said, waving me over as I made my way to the bar to order lunch. ¡°Come sit with us. I¡¯d like you to meet my daughter Katrina. Katrina, this is the woman I was telling you about,¡± he said to the brunette, as if I hadn¡¯t just been swimming for an hour right in front of them.


    I hesitated for a moment, but then sat down and waved the waiter over. I figured that if Emiliano really was just a Very Interesting Man, why not be friendly? After all, he was a great conversationalist and had made no attempt to get in my pants. He¡¯d also taken the hint gracefully when I told him to buzz off, too. If, on the other hand, he was a CIA asset, then maybe talking to him would lead me to understanding why he¡¯d shown interest in me.


    I supposed there was a third possibility- he was a spy, but wasn¡¯t assigned to find out more about me. Just friendly. Hey, it could happen, right?


    ¡°Katrina is a student at the University Of Miami,¡± Emiliano said. ¡°She¡¯s studying international business.¡±


    ¡°Following in your father¡¯s footsteps?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she admitted with a dazzling smile. ¡°As embarrassing as it is to say it, I¡¯m definitely nepo baby material at his company. I¡¯ll get a good gig right out of school.¡±


    Chuckling at her candor, I told her that having a head start is a great way to win a race.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± she agreed.


    I wound up sitting there with the two of them for well over two hours, talking about this or that. I did my best to discern if Emiliano or Katrina were steering the conversation in any way, but if they were it was too well done for me to detect. Mostly we talked about college in Miami, and how that¡¯s where the family actually lived. Emiliano had moved everybody there back when Colombia was a whole lot less safe, and now Katrina¡¯s oldest brother just had a baby, making it two generations born in the US.


    Neither Emiliano or Katrina asked any probing questions beyond, ¡°Seriously, Stanford? What was that like?¡±


    Eventually I excused myself, saying that I had to make some business calls.


    ¡°We should go out tonight!¡± Katrina suggested. ¡°Hit some clubs or something!¡±


    I made some noncommittal noises, thanked Emiliano for lunch, and went back to my room to give Hayate in Japan a call. He¡¯d texted several times over the last hour, letting me know that Mrs Tanaka and her granddaughter would be willing to join me wherever I was, and to travel with me as needed.


    He answered his phone immediately, proving that he was very motivated for everything to work out. I asked him if he and his father were still living without the makeup and he said that they were, and both had gotten used to the stares they received.


    ¡°It gets easier with time,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°It is already becoming more easy,¡± he agreed. ¡°A few others are also trying it now, too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very glad to hear it,¡± I told him. ¡°Anything I can do to help¡­¡±


    ¡°That is why Mrs Tanaka is traveling to see you,¡± he admitted. ¡°Our council has some¡­ ideas, some plans they wish to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I told him. When I said that I was in Cartagena, Colombia, he seemed quite surprised, but ran with it. While we spoke on the phone I could hear his keyboard clacking as he looked up flights. Going back and forth, I told him to break it up a bit since thirty hours¡¯ travel time was a bit too much for an old lady like her. We finally settled on a flight with an overnight in Los Angeles and travel on to Colombia the next day. I assured him that although I wasn¡¯t in Los Angeles, my people would take care of everything there. I¡¯d also take care of any further travel arrangements, including their return to Japan when the time came. I told him to text me the flight details when it was locked in, and to make sure the ladies understood that I wouldn¡¯t be there in LA, but I would meet them at the airport here in Colombia.


    Mrs Tanaka, whom I¡¯d already started to think of as the shinobi¡¯s ambassador, would arrive in Colombia in five days. That gave me plenty of time to make any necessary arrangements, and was near the time I hoped to be able to leave Colombia for the UK.


    The unexpected discovery of Cartagena¡¯s large Night Children community had thrown a giant monkey wrench into my scheduling- I¡¯d planned to be back in Los Angeles the same day Emmy and Angela got home, but now it looked as if they might beat me by weeks at the rate things were going.


    I missed the two very much, but I¡¯d been so busy that I didn¡¯t think about it all that often- usually just when I found myself alone in that hotel¡¯s big bed. Thinking about how Emmy and Angela would be home in a few days but it might be a few more weeks for me made me, well, not exactly homesick, but definitely wishing I was with the two of them.


    Now, though, I was going to have to somehow impress the shinobi delegate with what was going on here in Colombia and then in London, which really wasn¡¯t Night Children business at all. Back in Los Angeles I could take them to see any number of local Night Children at their jobs, but by then first impressions would already have been cemented in place.


    I was thinking about the shinobi when Katrina called my name as I passed through the hotel lobby on my way to meet with Michael, Jody and Ricky.


    ¡°Hey, Leah!¡± she called out. ¡°Where are you going? Care for some company? It¡¯s really boring here, just hanging around the hotel while Dad works.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some business to take care of,¡± I told her. ¡°Boring stuff of my own.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± she said, dropping down into one of the chairs there in the entryway. Getting a hopeful look on her face, she asked, ¡°Later, then? Dad doesn¡¯t want me going out by myself. He says Cartagena is safe, but still¡­¡±


    I sighed, but gave in. ¡°Yeah, sure, we can go out this evening. Things don¡¯t really start happening until after eleven, though. Maybe be ready at ten?¡±


    ¡°Awesome! Thanks a lot!¡± she said, all perfect-teeth smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you here then,¡± I confirmed and headed out. Flagging down a taxi, I pondered Katrina and her possible intentions.


    The cab driver seemed very surprised when I told him where I wanted to go. In his very broken English he tried to convince me that I must have had the address wrong, but I assured him that I understood it was well outside the tourist zone and that I really did want a ride there. He then said that, as a single woman, it was not safe for me, but I told him I was meeting friends and that I¡¯d be O.K.


    Sighing as if to communicate that he did his best to help me out but he couldn¡¯t fix stupid, he put the cab in gear and off we went, leaving the old walled city behind. Soon we were deep in a poor, but not too desperately poor, neighborhood. The main street we drove down had ramshackle auto repair places, bodegas, questionable pharmacies and the like by way of businesses, but no abandoned buildings or anything. There were a lot of people on the busy street, but most looked as if they had something to do, which meant jobs and homes to go to.


    When the cab stopped in front of a corner restaurant, the driver asked me if this was really the place. I checked my texts and told him this was, in fact, where I was going to meet my friends. Sighing again, the taxi driver took my money and wished me safe travels before he turned around and headed back to where people had money for cab rides.


    Looking around, I didn¡¯t get any sense of danger from the neighborhood. Sure, it was Third World, but not ¡®scrap wood huts¡¯ poor. It looked a lot like some of the parts of Tijuana that you see from the highway but have no real reason to ever wander into. Poor on a level we just don¡¯t see in the US, but honestly, these people had permanent, reasonably well-built homes and weren¡¯t starving or dying of cholera or whatever, so it wasn¡¯t that bad.


    Jody stepped outside the moment I got out of the cab. ¡°We¡¯re all here,¡± he said, leading me back inside the restaurant.

 Girls Night Out

    Sure enough, the whole crew was there taking up the entire place, as small as it was. I took an empty seat at one of the tables and the waitress hustled over to put a cold Coke in front of me.


    ¡°We took the liberty of ordering for you,¡± Michael explained, and in just a few minutes the waitress started serving the food. I¡¯d eaten earlier with Emiliano and Katrina, but the smell of the arepas piqued my hunger, so I dove in along with everybody else.


    As we ate we took turns informing the group of what we had discovered or what was going on. I explained once more that bringing the locals into our shadow wasn¡¯t necessarily the primary goal and that I was perfectly happy to have them stay independent if they wished, but I still wanted to do what we could for them. I explained that if they did want our help I¡¯d be happy to build or fund cultural centers and schools in Albornoz and Tierra Bomba, in addition to figuring out some sort of work opportunities for the locals.


    I also told them I was working on acquiring vehicles- a boat as well as cars for our crew. The boat would necessarily involve a local operator, preferably a local Night Child if I could manage to arrange that.


    When I was asked how long I expected the operation to take, I said it depended entirely on the locals. If they tell us to shove off, we shove off. If they say they want our help, we may have a permanent presence of some sort there in Cartagena.


    ¡°But at the minimum? I¡¯d expect a couple of months,¡± I said. ¡°Long enough for the locals to get to know us and what we bring to the table.¡±


    Maggie mentioned that she and Jody had met and hung out a couple of times with a pair of local Night Children who were very interested in coming under our shadow. I congratulated the two of them and told them to keep doing whatever it is they¡¯ve been doing, since it obviously works.


    When the meeting adjourned, I asked Michael why this particular place was selected.


    ¡°There are two reasons,¡± he explained. ¡°First off, nobody anywhere around here speaks English, so we could talk with confidence that none of the restaurant staff would have any idea of what was being discussed. The second reason is that, as you can see, this neighborhood needs any cash influx it can get, and if the owners of this place think of Night Children as good customers, well, there¡¯s a bit of the ¡®hearts and minds¡¯ approach.¡±


    ¡°Works for me,¡± I said. ¡°Now I just need to figure out how to get back to the old town.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± Michael answered with a smile, turning to Ricky.


    ¡°The van¡¯ll be here in just a couple of minutes,¡± Ricky confirmed.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the direct phone number to a taxi driver who has one of those big Toyota vans,¡± Michael said. ¡°He has been very responsive to our needs.¡±


    Sure enough, a white HiAce pulled up just a moment later. Even with its many seats, we still had one too many passengers. Maggie sat on Jody¡¯s lap, confirming my suspicions about the two.


    I got out with everybody else at their hotel in Getsemani, opting to walk back to my own lodgings. Thinking about Cartagena and the place we¡¯d just had our meeting, I reflected on the fact that I¡¯d really not seen much of the city outside the tourist zones of the Walled City and Getsemani. My impression of the place was based on a small part of the overall- an atypical part at that. Realistically, I knew that most of the city had more in common with where we¡¯d just been than it did with the parts I was familiar with, but still¡­ It was the touristy historic parts of town I was falling in love with.


    I really hadn¡¯t even spent any time in Bocagrande or Castillo Grande, where all the high-rise condo buildings and hotels were located. Sure, I¡¯d seen all that- you couldn¡¯t miss how those buildings dominated the skyline- but otherwise the area held very little interest for me. It just looked like any built out part of South Florida from a distance.


    But for us? I could see buying a place locally if Angela showed any interest, providing the local Night Children wanted our shadow. Just as I was thinking along those lines I passed a local real estate office that had a bunch of property listings in the window, so naturally I stopped to take a look. I was a bit surprised at how high the prices were for the handful of historic homes they had listed. If I had to guess, looking at the few comparables, the Castro family home was probably in the one and a half million US dollars range, which was significant money.


    I snapped a picture of one listing that looked intriguing. It was pretty good-sized, but needed a complete renovation. I actually found that appealing, since we could build it out however we wanted. It had a large zaguan leading into a significant courtyard with arched porticoes along all four sides, and the second floor had a full balcony wrapping all the way around the courtyard opening. Very cool and very traditional Spanish colonial.


    Daydreaming about how I¡¯d remodel that house, I logged on to the realtor¡¯s website when I got back to my room and scrolled through the pictures and the floor plan, all the while thinking about the advice I¡¯d given Angela on home buying in London. ¡®A condo in Bocagrande would make a lot more sense,¡¯ I told myself, but that didn¡¯t stop me from fantasizing about that historic district house.


    Realizing it was getting late, I showered and changed into something a little more ¡®going out¡¯ appropriate. This certainly wasn¡¯t going to be a date, but I didn¡¯t want to smell sweaty or look too casual if we were going out to a nice club or something.


    Katrina looked as if she missed the ¡®not a date¡¯ memo, with her bra top and full-length skirt combo in a tropical floral print. Or maybe that was her ¡®out on the town¡¯ outfit- I wasn¡¯t going to ask.


    Emiliano was there, and as Katrina and I made to head out he cautioned her to be careful and to stick with me. ¡°And watch your drinks,¡± he told her.


    Once we were out of earshot she rolled her eyes. ¡°I know he worries because he loves me,¡± she said, ¡°but I¡¯m a grown woman now, not just a little kid.¡±


    ¡°Still not bad advice,¡± I told her.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± she grudgingly admitted.


    While we walked, she asked me, ¡°Does that happen to you a a lot? Randos just walking up and asking if you want to buy drugs?¡±


    ¡°Like that guy just now? Yeah, it happens a lot, but they take the hint when you tell ¡®em to buzz off,¡± I replied. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve gotten so I don¡¯t even really notice them or the guys selling the crappy hats or whatever to tourists.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, it happens a lot in Miami, too, but not so much or quite as, um, openly as it does here,¡± Katrina said. Then, changing the subject, she asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I thought you had something in mind?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Um, yeah, I¡¯ve got a few places bookmarked,¡± she admitted, pulling out her phone.


    Soon enough we found ourselves at a rooftop bar with a DJ playing reggaeton. Since it was still early, not many people were dancing, so we scored a table with a view over the rooftops of a colonial church spire, the towers of Bocagrande off in the distance.


    ¡°Dad said you¡¯re married to Emmy Lascaux from The Downfall?¡± Katrina asked after we got our drinks.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I agreed, enjoying the tropical rum drink whose name I¡¯d already forgotten.


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s cool that gay couples can get married now,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Yeah, I do, too,¡± I told her.


    Surprised by my comment, she took a moment, then laughed. ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± she agreed. ¡°So what¡¯s it like to be married to the sexiest woman alive?¡±


    ¡°Pretty damned good,¡± I told her, waggling my eyebrows as best I could. ¡°Really damned good.¡±


    She laughed and slapped me on the shoulder. ¡°No, seriously. I mean, like, she¡¯s on tour right now, right? So why aren¡¯t you with her? I totally would be.¡±


    ¡°Work,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve only gotten to see a few shows this tour. I saw them in Paris, then in London-¡±


    ¡°At the Prince Albert Hall, right?¡± Katrina asked, her eyes wide in excitement. ¡°I saw that one on TV.¡±


    ¡°The Royal Albert Hall,¡± I corrected. ¡°And yeah, that was one of the shows I saw. More recently, I got to watch all their shows in Asia and Australia, and most recently in Bogot¨¢.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± she said. Then, thinking about it, she asked, "So why did you come here to Cartagena after Bogot¨¢? I mean, this place is cool and all, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It seemed like the thing to do,¡± I said, dodging the question.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Katrina replied, leaning back and crossing her arms. She was just about to say something else when a drunk guy about our age came over to our table and from what I understood, asked Katrina if she wanted to dance. She told him she wasn¡¯t interested, and he took it with good grace and left.


    Her train of thought derailed, she suggested that maybe after we finished our drinks we could find someplace else.


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t as cool as I thought it would be,¡± she said.


    We hit two other places before finally settling on a dance club that seemed to be mostly filled with Europeans. The EDM the DJ was playing wasn¡¯t really what the locals seemed to like, but all the refugees from Ibiza seemed to love it, so the dance floor was packed. We danced quite a bit, sometimes with each other and other times with whoever else was handy.


    Speaking of handy, one guy in particular really seemed to be into Katrina, to the point where she dragged me off the dance floor and to a secluded couch to get away from the guy.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want a Canadian boyfriend,¡± she fumed. ¡°That asshole has to be part octopus, as grabby as he freaking is.¡±


    ¡°You want to bounce?¡± I asked, kinda hoping the answer was yes.


    ¡°No, not yet,¡± she replied, calming down. ¡°Let¡¯s chill for a little bit- maybe he¡¯ll find somebody else he wants to smash more than me.¡±


    A waitress took our drink order, and we chilled for a little bit- until the Canadian guy finally found us, parking his ass next to Katrina on the couch.


    ¡°I been lookin¡¯ all over for ya,¡± he said. ¡°Hey- whatcha drinkin¡¯? That looks good,¡± he said, signaling to the waitress and pointing at Katrina¡¯s drink.


    ¡°Chaz, right?¡± Katrina said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you got the wrong impression, but I¡¯m here with my girlfriend,¡± she said, taking my hand and lacing her fingers with mine.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s cool,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m, like, real cool with that. Maybe the three of us could-¡±


    ¡°There will be no ¡®three of us¡¯ anything,¡± I said, reaching over and lifting Katrina and placing her on the side of me away from Chaz. ¡°My girlfriend said she wasn¡¯t interested. That means she isn¡¯t interested.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, O.K., O.K.!¡± Chaz said, holding up his hands in the ¡®I surrender¡¯ position. ¡°I know when I¡¯m not wanted!¡±


    After he left, Katrina finished her drink in one big swig. ¡°I freaking hate it when guys think just ¡®cause you danced with ¡®em one time they have some sort of right to you,¡± she said, her voice bitter.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s gone now,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I wanna dance some more, but, like, just with you this time so I don¡¯t have to deal with any more creeps like him,¡± Katrina said, her eyes bright.


    We got up and danced for not even half an hour before Katrina leaned in to me and said, ¡°I think I¡¯m ready to go now.¡±


    She was really wobbly on her feet as I led her downstairs, making me think that the fifteen minute walk might be a bit too much for her.


    As we waited for a cab, Chaz emerged from the club¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Hey, babe, you sure the three of us- I mean, I¡¯m cool with your dyke girlfriend sitting it out. Hell, she can watch,¡± he said.


    ¡°Seriously, fuck off,¡± Katrina slurred, giving him a push on his chest. As he fell back, he reached out to grab her, with the net result that he fell on his ass, and if I hadn¡¯t caught Katrina she probably would have face-planted into the cobblestones. As I helped her stand up, I reached down and tucked her boob back into her bra top, hopefully before anybody else got a free show.


    ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s your problem?¡± Chaz demanded as he got back to his feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re the problem here,¡± I told him. ¡°She¡¯s not interested, I¡¯m not interested. No means no, and go the fuck away means go the fuck away.¡±


    ¡°Well, fuck you, too,¡± he replied, then went back into the club.


    By this point Katrina was much closer to passed out than she was to awake, so when a taxi pulled up I had to lift her into the back seat. She was totally gone ten minutes later when we got to our hotel, so I carried her inside in the classic princess carry. The front desk clerk on duty told me he couldn¡¯t give me her room number, so I carried her upstairs and tucked her into the bed in the unused other bedroom of the suite.


    I was reviewing the financials of the Hollywood Porsche dealership I was probably going to buy when I heard Katrina stirring in the second bedroom the next morning. A bit later she came out into the living area, her hair wet from a shower, a towel wrapped around herself.


    ¡°God, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said when she saw me. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I had so much to drink. You must think-¡±


    ¡°I think that Chaz douchebag roofied you,¡± I interrupted. ¡°I was thinking about it. You know when he sat down and ordered a drink? I think he did it then, when we were distracted, looking at the waitress.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± she asked, her eyes wide.


    ¡°And you know what that tells me? He had practice. If I see him again I¡¯m going to throw him off a pier with his pockets full of rocks,¡± I told her. ¡°He didn¡¯t get a chance to rape you, but I¡¯d bet he¡¯s done it plenty to other women."


    ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± she breathed. Stunned, she sat down at the table, imagining what might have happened.


    ¡°He might have spiked my drink, too, but I didn¡¯t finish mine after he sat down,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± was all she could say. ¡°You, like, literally saved my life.¡± Shaking it off, she looked at my laptop. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to figure out why a Porsche dealership I¡¯m thinking of buying isn¡¯t making money, and whether it¡¯s something I can fix,¡± I said. ¡°Pretty boring stuff, really.¡±


    ¡°Um, I know I shouldn¡¯t ask, but, well, how old are you, really? I mean, I thought you were, like, my age, maybe a couple of years older¡­¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a junior, right? I graduated two years ago this June,¡± I told her. ¡°So, maybe three years older than you?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re buying car dealerships?¡± she asked. ¡°I mean, you seem like you¡¯ve got a lot of money, I get that- just look at this suite you¡¯re staying in all by yourself. Seriously.¡±


    ¡°I do alright,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°So, um, I¡¯m working on my Bachelor¡¯s in global business, you know? But, really, none of my classes have had any sort of real-world stuff like you¡¯re talking about with that car dealership. My focus has pretty much been on logistics and transportation, since, you know, that¡¯s the family business, right?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know as much about the economics and macro trends associated with car dealerships as I should,¡± I admitted. ¡°Which is embarrassing, since it¡¯s one of my family¡¯s lines of business.¡±


    I was happy to talk to Katrina about what I saw as Hollywood Porsche¡¯s weaknesses, mostly because it seemed to do a good job of distracting her from thinking about the events of late last night.


    Eventually Katrina asked what time it was, and when I told her it was almost time for my laps in the pool before lunch, she got a horrified look on her face.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± she said. ¡°Dad- He¡¯s gonna see me coming back to my room and he¡¯s gonna think it¡¯s the walk of shame for sure.¡±


    I have to admit that got a laugh from me. ¡°Just go ahead and rock it, then. Wear your top inside out or something, and make sure you don¡¯t look him in the eye when you go slinking back in.¡±


    ¡°I should totally do that, but then, when you see him, you act as if nothing happened at all. That would be hilarious,¡± Katrina said.


    After we stopped laughing, she got serious. ¡°Don¡¯t tell my dad about that asshole last night. He worries too much about me already. If he heard that I got roofied he¡¯d, like, wrap me up in bubble wrap for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But seriously, if I see that guy again, he¡¯s gonna go missing.¡±


    ¡°Can- can I tell you something?¡± Katrina asked, looking uncertain.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Some of Dad¡¯s, um, business associates, I guess you¡¯d call ¡®em, they say things like that sometimes. And you just know they aren¡¯t joking. And, well, you just know it wouldn¡¯t, like, be the first time, either.¡±


    ¡°Colombia has a certain reputation¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about in Miami, but¡­ I guess what I¡¯m getting at is you sound just like they do.¡±


    ¡°I guess it comes with the territory,¡± I said. ¡°When you run a vast criminal organization¡­¡± I trailed off with an exaggerated shrug.


    Katrina stared at me for a moment, her eyes wide. Recovering from her surprise at what I¡¯d said, she laughed and shoved my shoulder, which caused her towel to come loose and drop to her waist. Mortified, she yanked the towel back up and covered her very lovely chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s twice now,¡± I said, smirking at her.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Last night, when we were leaving the club and that asshole followed us out, you gave him a shove and popped right out of your top. Right there on the sidewalk,¡± I told her. ¡°You were too far gone to realize, or even notice when I tucked your girls back in.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡±I absolutely did,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°This is gonna sound awful,¡± she said, covering her face. ¡°But you¡¯re, like, the first lesbian to ever get their hands on my tits.¡±


    ¡°Yay me,¡± I said, happy that she could see the humor of the situation.

 Swimming In The Sea

    After my late morning swim I sat with Katrina and Emiliano for lunch. Katrina explained to her dad that she¡¯d had too much to drink the night before and fallen asleep in my suite¡¯s spare bedroom, which I corroborated. Emiliano seemed to accept that story, which really wasn¡¯t far from the truth.


    Emiliano thanked me for making sure his daughter was safe and had a good time, and I assured him that I¡¯d enjoyed myself as well, and enjoyed spending time with Katrina.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said. ¡°Do you have any plans for tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a Monday, so I have to do some work stuff, but other than that, no,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Wanna do one of those snorkel tours? We can book a day boat to take us out to the coral reefs- you¡¯re obviously a strong swimmer. I mean, I just watched you swim laps for an hour without stopping, and, well, the way you¡¯re built, Michael Phelps envies your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all the handstand pushups I do,¡± I confided.


    Katrina stared at me for a long moment, then said, ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Jesus,¡± she said.


    ¡°Look at her shoulders, Kat,¡± Emiliano said. ¡°And her arms. Those are the result of years of hard work.¡±


    I did a couple of bodybuilder poses there in my seat, which got a laugh from the two of them.


    Putting my arms back down, I asked what time we would have to leave the hotel for the snorkel tour boat. I hadn¡¯t snorkeled since Mom and Dad took me to the La Jolla Cove when I was little, but I didn¡¯t remember it being all that difficult. In fact, I had fond memories of going to the cove with my parents, and looking at the Garibaldis and other sea animals was somehow wrapped up in those memories of good times.


    After lunch I showered and headed over to the Castro house, hoping to catch Rafael home. Luckily, the whole family was in, having just finished their own lunch. After kissing Mam¨¢ hello, I followed Rafael to his home office.


    ¡°I have found two vehicles for you,¡± he said after pouring us a couple of glasses of aguardiente. ¡°And a lancha that would work for groups of six to go to Tierra Bomba.¡±


    ¡°The cars will be registered to your company, right?¡± I asked, clinking my glass against his in a silent toast.


    ¡°Yes, and your¡­ people will be issued employee identification for my company as well. All of the paperwork will be legitimate.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for this,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± he said, waving it away. ¡°This benefits everybody. You, my family¡¯s company, and Cartagena itself. It is us who should be thanking you.¡± Handing me a slip of paper, he said, ¡°Arturo can have the lancha ready in half an hour, any time of day or night. Call him at this number- he speaks English well enough- and let him know when you need to go to the island.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± I said, texting the information to Michael, Jody and Ricky.


    ¡°The vehicles- one van and one camioneta with four doors- they will be ready tomorrow morning. Should I have them delivered to the hotel where your people are staying?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re amazing,¡± I told him. ¡°That would be perfect.¡±


    ¡°Family does for family,¡± he said, making his feelings clear.


    After maybe a minute of contemplative silence, I told him about Katrina, Emiliano¡¯s daughter, if that¡¯s who she actually was. I mentioned that she¡¯d let slip, either intentionally or not, about her father¡¯s dangerous business associates.


    ¡°That is not proof one way or another,¡± Rafael said after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°There are a number of possibilities, which I am certain have occurred to you. But one is that he is in fact the director of a legal import and export company, but the unfortunate truth is that here in Colombia, we have a certain¡­ attitude, that has spilled over from the cartels. It may be that his ¡®business associates¡¯ are mine owners, for example, who are not above these things.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± I admitted. ¡°So your friend hasn¡¯t come back with any info on a Mr Emiliano Su¨¢rez of Grupo Log¨ªstico?¡±


    ¡°No, he has not, and that in itself is unusual,¡± Rafael said with a frown. ¡°Again, that does not mean anything, but it is surprising. I will contact him again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going on a snorkel day trip with Katrina tomorrow,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be able to find out more.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me for asking, but why are you so convinced that they are not what they seem?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not convinced one way or another, but it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m concerned that I may be a blip on the CIA¡¯s radar for one reason or another, and I¡¯d rather have it confirmed or denied than just wondering, you know?¡± I told him.


    Rafael let out a long breath. ¡°Yes, that is understandable,¡± Rafael admitted. ¡°Have you considered simply asking? If they view you as a potential asset, Emiliano might admit it if you asked him directly.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°So, I don¡¯t know if I told you this part, but I¡¯m headed to London after I get done here in Cartagena. I¡¯m due to pick up some suits Emmy had made for me on Savile Row, but also- and this is the part that has my spider senses tingling- I agreed to meet a retired officer from the UK¡¯s Special Forces. He contacted me more or less out of the blue and said that he¡¯d like to talk the next time I came to England.¡±


    ¡°Retired? Or merely shifted to a slightly different line of work?¡± Rafael asked, echoing my own thoughts on the subject.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°If this officer is working for English intelligence, that perhaps signifies that you are a person of interest,¡± he said, nodding his head slowly.


    ¡°That¡¯s my concern.¡±


    ¡°And that explains why you are engaging with these people. You wish to discover what their interest in you might be,¡± Rafael said, lost in thought.


    ¡°Again, playing the Devil¡¯s advocate, it might be just that he did some research and found out about my dad and wants to talk about how his grandfather served with my great grandfather in North Africa or something,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°That is possible,¡± Rafael admitted. ¡°Reasonable, even.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to prove a negative, I guess,¡± I admitted. ¡°That, and I¡¯d really rather know if I¡¯ve got eyes on me rather than just continuing on in ignorance.¡±


    ¡°Good luck tomorrow with this Katrina,¡± Rafael said. ¡°But be careful.¡±


    ¡°I will be,¡± I assured him.


    I hung out in the kitchen and talked to Mam¨¢ while she made dinner, enjoying the domesticity. We talked mostly about the babies that were due in a few months, and how my life was going to change. I told her that I was looking forward to it and hoped that I could see the babies every now and then when Emmy or Angela could bear to part with them, and Mam¨¢ laughed.


    ¡°That only lasts a short time,¡± she assured me. ¡°Soon they will be happy to give you the babies so they can find some sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably so,¡± I agreed.


    We talked about how the girls would spend time in Cartagena as well as Paris, so they would know their heritage. I told her that it was very important to us that all three sets of grandparents be very involved in the girls¡¯ lives, despite the distances.


    ¡°Any time you can get to come to visit, we would love to have you,¡± I assured her, and she promised to be there for the births and for some time afterwards to help the new mothers out.


    Emmy and Angela called during dinner, so we switched to FaceTime so they could say hello to the entire family. They¡¯d just gotten back to the house in Los Angeles and were relieved to be home, but said they missed me- the house seemed empty without me.


    Cecilia told Emmy that we¡¯d watched the Mexico City concert on TV at a bar and it was incredible, getting a big smile from Emmy.


    ¡°I am very glad you enjoyed it,¡± she said. ¡°It means very much coming from family.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    I got back to the hotel around eleven, once again marveling at how busy the streets were at that time of night- on a Sunday night, at that. Of course, they were practically deserted in the middle of the day because of the heat, so I guess it made sense.


    Katrina and Emiliano were already there when I stopped by the breakfast area to get some coffee and a little bite to eat. They waved me over, so after loading my plate I joined them.


    ¡°The weather looks nice for us today,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°It is hard to see much in the water if it is cloudy,¡± Emiliano agreed. ¡°Visibility becomes limited, even if there is enough light.¡±


    ¡°Have you done this snorkel tour before?¡± I asked, aiming the question at both of them.


    ¡°No, but I understand it is very popular. The boat will take you to the Rosario Isles, where the reefs are quite close to the surface. They will take you to a beach resort for lunch, but there will be drinks and snacks on the boat as well,¡± Emiliano explained.


    ¡°I grabbed the brochure from the lobby,¡± Katrina said, passing the glossy tri-fold handout to me. Looking it over, it seemed to be exactly as Emiliano had described. A shiny motorboat with a partial roof so there was seating in the shade, parked near a small island with crystal clear turquoise water all around.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± I said, handing her back the brochure. ¡°I used to go snorkeling a lot when I was a kid, back in San Diego.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be awesome!¡± Katrina said.


    The taxi dropped us off at a tourist boat dock in Getsemani, and we made our way to the little office. They spoke English, but Katrina¡¯s Spanish was still quite helpful.


    ¡°I got us a private boat,¡± she said as we followed the boat¡¯s captain and the mate, who carried our bags.


    ¡°Let me know how much I owe for my half,¡± I told her.


    She waved it away, saying, ¡°You can pay for lunch- and maybe dinner?¡± she said, raising her eyebrows hopefully.


    ¡°That works,¡± I agreed.


    Once the captain gave us the safety talk and our gear was stowed, the mate got us cold drinks from the cooler, and we were off. It was farther than I¡¯d expected- maybe four times as far as it was to Tierra Bomba, but the boat¡¯s two huge outboards put out a lot of power and we got there in a little more than an hour.


    I guess I should have read between the lines when Emiliano said it was very popular- there were tons of boats just floating in place, and more arriving all the time. It was practically a traffic jam of powerboats, with far too many swimmers in the water to even try to count.


    ¡°Ugh- what a shitshow,¡± Katrina groaned, seeing the crowded waters. ¡°Hey, do you mind if I tell the captain to take us someplace less crowded?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯d be a great idea,¡± I agreed, still stunned at the amazing numbers of boats and snorkelers in this one small area.


    Katrina and the captain argued for a while- all I picked up was him saying that this was the best spot, and her saying it was too crowded. Eventually he gave in and we motored away from the hubbub and to a cluster of very small islands- each one barely big enough to support the few structures they contained.


    ¡°That is a private house,¡± the captain said, pointing to one tiny island and what looked like a tiny little resort on it. ¡°That is a hotel,¡± he said, pointing to a somewhat larger island- maybe as big as a football field. ¡°That is also a hotel,¡± he explained, pointing at a third.


    ¡°We will have to go back to the main island for lunch,¡± he said, looking as if he was still put out by being asked to take us somewhere other than with the huge crowds.


    ¡°Maybe we can have lunch at one of these hotels,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Very much money,¡± he replied, shaking his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± I assured him.


    Once the mate threw the anchor overboard (It was just a heavy sack of sand) and tied the line off, the captain went through a practiced speech about snorkeling safety and offered us lifejackets if we needed them. We took the time to fit the masks and fins, then Katrina and I ditched our beachwear and loaded up on sunblock.


    Katrina¡¯s bikini was, well, ¡®minimal¡¯ would be a good description. What little of it that existed had a vibrant floral print, but the design was too big for the small area it covered so it just looked like blobs of color. The edges, strings and side ties were a fluorescent eye-catching yellow.


    I made some sort of joke about how that suit probably fit her better when she was six years old, and yeah, it was lame, but it got a laugh anyhow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get to wear this very often,¡± Katrina admitted. ¡°Dad would have an aneurysm if he saw me in this.¡±


    I refrained from saying anything about the boat¡¯s two crew members having stiffies from seeing her in that suit- after all, I¡¯m not above admitting it was giving me a little bit of a lady boner, too.


    In contrast, my own suit was intended for actual swimming, with a racer-back top and mid-high waisted French-cut bottom in a blue that complimented my eyes.


    ¡°I bet you wear a suit as small as this in your bodybuilding competitions,¡± Katrina said as we sat on the boat¡¯s swim step, putting on our fins and masks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not actually a bodybuilder,¡± I told her as I slipped into the warm, warm sea water. ¡°I just play one on TV.¡±


    The boat¡¯s captain had assured us that the snorkeling was better in the area swarming with other tourists and it probably was, but the place we wound up at was good enough for me. It was shallow- the sandy bottom was maybe a dozen feet from the surface of the water, with coral-covered rock outcroppings rising as much as five feet from the bottom.


    Katrina and I swam some distance from the boat- maybe a hundred yards or so as we followed this fish or that ray that caught our attention. We made certain to wave to the boat crew every now and then to indicate we were doing fine, as we¡¯d been instructed in the safety talk.


    ¡°This is really beautiful!¡± Katrina said when we surfaced to talk. When I agreed, she said, ¡°I¡¯m so glad we didn¡¯t stay where everybody else is.¡±


    ¡°Me, too. This is great here,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, yeah, it is,¡± Katrina said, ¡°But us being all alone here, with nobody else around? It means I can do something I¡¯ve always wanted to try.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This!¡± she said, holding something in her hand above the water. It took me a moment, but when I realized it was brightly-colored scraps of cloth with fluorescent yellow strings, I ducked my mask underwater to check, and yes, she¡¯d ditched her little bitty bikini. Laughing, she splashed me and turned and dove down below the surface, giving me a great shot of her water-covered rear as she did so.


    Needless to say, I stuffed my snorkel back in my mouth as quickly as I could and followed her as she swam down to the white sand of the sea floor. She waggled her finger at me when she saw me following, then sped up to the surface take a breath.


    Seeing her nude body in the water like that really, really made me wish I was there with Angela instead and could do more than just look and flirt, but that¡¯s all I would ever do with Katrina.


    When I surfaced she said, ¡°It¡¯s better than I expected! Feeling the water¡­ It¡¯s awesome! You should do it, too!¡±


    ¡°I skinny dip all the time at home,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Well, then, do it now!¡± Katrina urged, reaching for my bra strap.


    I put my hand on hers and looked her in the eyes. ¡°You know this is as far as I¡¯ll go, right? If you¡¯re trying to get in my pants, it¡¯s not going to work.¡±


    Katrina stopped grabbing for me and pouted. ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant,¡± she said. ¡°I was just, y¡¯know, having fun, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s all, it¡¯s cool,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m cool with being friends, but no benefits.¡±


    ¡°Friends go skinny dipping together,¡± she announced.


    ¡°I have gone skinny dipping with my friends,¡± I agreed. ¡°And none of it led to anything more.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever- let¡¯s swim nakie!¡± she said, her good mood returning immediately when I sighed and handed her my mask and snorkel so I could pull my top off over my head.


    We did swim nakie for well over an hour, and I will admit that even after the initial titillation wore off it was still a hell of a lot of fun. We weren¡¯t concerned about the guys in the boat seeing us naked since they were too far away, so we swam without a care, other than being careful not to lose our swimsuits.


    Eventually we got dressed again, if you could call it that, and swam back to the boat for snacks and cold drinks.


    ¡°You were swimming for a long time,¡± the captain said as the mate handed us bottles of water from the cooler. ¡°There would be more things to see back where the reef is better.¡±


    ¡°There was plenty to see,¡± Katrina assured him. ¡°This is much better.¡±


    ¡°One more hour, then we will go to the beach resort for lunch,¡± he announced.


    I didn¡¯t want to argue about where we¡¯d get lunch, so I just said, ¡°Sounds good.¡± I figured he was probably getting a kickback of some sort for the customers he brought in to eat at the resort, and that was his business, after all.


    After finishing our drinks and snacks of bananas and cookies, Katrina and I slipped back into the water. As soon as we got far enough away, off came her little bikini again, so I ditched my swimsuit as well, regretting that I¡¯d never bothered to get a GoPro camera for myself.


    ¡®Angela and Emmy are going to get a laugh when I tell them about all this,¡¯ I thought as Katrina and I swam in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.


    When our time was up we put our suits back on and returned to the boat, only to head back to the area with all the other snorkelers. The nearest island had a dock for the beach resort, but since it was so crowded the captain just pulled up and told us to step off. He handed us each a voucher for lunch, then said that when we were done we should come to the end of the dock and wave and they¡¯d come get us. As soon as we were off the boat he turned it around and motored off to the distance a bit- presumably to make room for the next boat disgorging passengers.


    The resort¡¯s open-fronted restaurant was loud and crowded, so I asked the hostess if there was someplace quieter, maybe a little nicer. Once I convinced her that we didn¡¯t care that it wasn¡¯t included in our tour package and we were O.K. paying for our meal, she had somebody lead us through the resort, past the pool, and to the other side of the small island, facing away from all the boats by the reefs.


    The second restaurant was much smaller and the only other diners all seemed to be people staying at the resort rather than the day tourists from the snorkel boats.


    ¡°This is much nicer,¡± Katrina said as we sat down. ¡°Thanks for thinking of it.¡±


    ¡°It was too much of a zoo over in the other restaurant,¡± I said. ¡°That would have ruined a great day.¡±


    ¡°Is it? A great day, I mean?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°It has been so far,¡± I told her.


    The prices on the menu seemed a bit expensive compared to what I¡¯d been seeing in Cartagena, but everything had to be brought by boat, so it made sense.


    Once the waitress brought our Mai Tais and took our food orders, Katrina leaned back, sipping her drink from its bright blue straw.


    ¡°You said you aren¡¯t a bodybuilder, but¡­¡± she said, scanning her eyes over my shoulders and arms. ¡°Normal people aren¡¯t built like you.¡± Then, realizing she¡¯d just put her foot in her mouth, she blurted out, ¡°I mean, you¡¯re built like the proverbial brick house, right? Like Dad said, that takes a lot of time in the gym.¡±


    ¡°I do spend a lot of time in the gym,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been really slacking since I got here to Colombia, though.¡±


    ¡°You swim an hour a day, from what I can tell. That¡¯s anybody¡¯s idea of a serious workout,¡± she protested.


    ¡°Slacking,¡± I said, shaking my head.


    Katrina just rolled her eyes at that, which was enough of a response.


    A bit later, as we were finishing up, Katrina asked about the scar on my cheek.


    ¡°I got it in a knife fight,¡± I told her, getting a laugh.


    ¡°What was it, a car accident? You know, the right surgeon could totally make that go away.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure they could,¡± I agreed. Katrina gave me a puzzled look when I didn¡¯t say anything else on the subject, but I ignored it and just paid the bill for lunch.


    ¡°Hey, how much more swimming do you want to do?¡± I asked, thinking I wouldn¡¯t mind skipping the afternoon session if Katrina was cool with it.


    ¡°Why? Is there something else you¡¯d rather do than see me naked?¡± Katrina teased as we walked back through the resort. Her timing was perfect- I heard the American retiree we were passing cough up his Coke when he heard her.


    ¡°Well, when you put it like that¡­¡± I said, enjoying the flirting. After all, Katrina was gorgeous and did look good with no clothes on. ¡°By the way, I forgot to mention it earlier, but I really think your little landing strip is hella cute.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, blushing but smiling.

 The Shinobi Come To The New World

    We did wind up doing our allotted amount of time in the ocean, and yes, it was pretty much one hundred per cent nakie. Katrina was right- it was extremely enjoyable. In the taxi back to the hotel Katrina admitted that she was completely beat and just wanted to take a shower and then sleep the evening and night away.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to get some work done, then meet some people for dinner,¡± I said. ¡°I probably won¡¯t get to bed until midnight.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sucks,¡± she said. ¡°But, hey, thanks for going snorkeling with me today. That was a lot of fun. I know it sounds, like, sappy or something, but this whole vacation would have sucked without you. I¡¯d have just been stuck in the hotel, or tagging along with Dad, and that would have royally, well, sucked.¡±


    ¡°I am glad I have been of service, madame,¡± I said. ¡°It pleases me that I have been able to keep you amused.¡±


    ¡°It pleases me that you have been so amusing,¡± she said in her best haughty tone, then broke out laughing.


    ¡°Lunch tomorrow?¡± she asked as we passed through the lobby.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I hedged. ¡°I might have business I have to take care of.¡±


    ¡°You have a car dealership here?¡±


    ¡°No, just coke and gun running,¡± I said as the elevator doors closed between us.


    The shinobi weren¡¯t due until eight the next evening, so I arranged for a handful of us to go out to Tierra Bomba for the day. My crew had been circulating in Cartagena (including the neighborhood of Albornoz, where they¡¯d made contact with quite a few Night Children) but other than that visit with Emmy, we¡¯d left the Island of Bocachica alone. It was time to change that.


    The boat that Rafael had found for us was fairly basic, but appeared solid and in good condition, so that was fine. Honestly, it probably set a better tone if we showed up in a working craft than a pleasure boat, anyway. The downside is that it could only take five people besides the captain, so he was going to have to make two trips each way to get our group to the island.


    I went first with Ricky and three other guys, while the other four that were going to join us had to wait.


    The day was overcast and threatened rain, but the captain assured us that it would wait until evening to come down. Looking down into the water as we slowed to approach the dock, I could see what Emiliano had meant- unlike the day before when it was sunny, you could barely see three feet down. Snorkeling would have been very disappointing under those conditions.


    We broke up, Ricky with two of the guys going off to the right and me and Jimena (who went by Jimmy) heading uphill to the lookout point.


    ¡°This place reminds me of my old barrio in Tijuana,¡± Jimmy said as we walked. ¡°Except almost everybody here is black. But the way the houses look? The same.¡±


    ¡°Notice how little trash there is here, though,¡± I pointed out. ¡°The people who live here keep it pretty clean.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they do,¡± she agreed, looking around.


    The only ones following us to the viewpoint this time were a couple of young boys, maybe eight years old or so. I guess there just wasn¡¯t much interesting happening in Tierra Bomba, and we were the day¡¯s excitement.


    Jimmy spoke to them in Spanish- something about ¡°refrescos¡±- soft drinks. They indicated we should follow, and they led us to a tiny little store, not really any different than any of the other buildings around it except for the sign painted on the wall above the door.


    Jimena bought us a couple of those Colombiana sodas they call ¡®kola¡¯, but are a weird yellow color, not brown like normal colas. She bought one for each of the two kids as a sort of ¡®thank you,¡¯ lighting up their little faces in delight.


    We wandered back to what passed as the main street, then headed north, past the administration building and municipal soccer field, where a vigorous game was being played.


    We stopped to watch the game for a few minutes, then wandered on. We started to see signs for the ¡°Bocachica Beach Club¡± (yes, the signs were in English) as we found ourselves leaving the built-up part of town.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± I said, pointing to a ¡°Se Vende¡± sign on a six foot masonry wall along the road. We peered through the wrought iron gate into a very large yard, with some buildings on one side but mostly just a lot of weeds. The wall surrounding the place went all the way to the beach and actually a bit into the water, so to go around it at the ends you¡¯d need a boat or be willing to get wet.


    ¡°This says ¡®resort opportunity¡¯," Jimmy said, looking at the very faded sign.


    ¡°Looks like ¡®school opportunity¡¯ to me,¡± I replied. ¡°I could see building this out to be a school and cultural center. Maybe use that little bungalow over there for staff housing¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really serious about doing things like that here?¡± Jimmy asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do anything like that in Tijuana?¡±


    ¡°We only found eight Night Children in Tijuana, that¡¯s why,¡± I told her. ¡°It was easier to simply bring you all into the US.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± she admitted. ¡°But here, there¡¯s what, two hundred?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody knows the exact number, but it¡¯s something like that- maybe more. Way too many to uproot, and besides, they already have a supportive community here. I¡¯m pretty sure that everybody in this town that isn¡¯t a Night Child knows people who are, and they¡¯ve been keeping the secret for a long time- generations.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you meant by saying that the school would be open to day walkers,¡± Jimmy said, nodding in understanding.


    ¡°Yes- these communities need to be rewarded for being allies,¡± I confirmed.


    We continued walking and soon enough arrived at the beach club, which was mostly a collection of palapas next to a wide, white sand beach. There weren¡¯t very many tourists, but the few in attendance had started their day drinking early.


    Seeing nothing worth noting, we turned back around and headed for the town again.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to figure out some kind of jobs program here,¡± I told Jimmy as we walked. ¡°Basically, the only work is fishing and working at one of these beach places.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with working at the beach resort?¡± Jimmy asked. ¡°Most of the jobs you give people in the US are waiters or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true, but usually at pretty classy places, not¡­¡± I started to say, but caught myself. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m being an idiot. There weren¡¯t a lot of tourists there at the beach club, but those that were there were mostly Colombian-looking, right? Those are the people we need to have get used to seeing Night Children, right? American or European tourists don¡¯t matter so much, but folks getting out of Cartagena for the day? That exposure is gold. If the guy mixing their drinks at the bar and offering a friendly smile is blacker than anybody they¡¯ve ever seen¡­¡±


    With that, I steered Jimmy into a u-turn and we headed back to the beach club. I wanted to talk to the manager at least and see about buying in or maybe even buying out completely.


    Jimmy and I were very late to the old folks¡¯ social club for lunch- everybody else in the crew but Ricky had already left. We sat down at the table where he was talking to a couple of the oldsters. I signaled to the waitress, but let Jimmy order for us (after I made sure she knew I didn¡¯t want any seafood).


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Leah es nuestra reina,¡± I heard Ricky explain. ¡°Su padre fue Ni?o de Noche.¡±


    ¡°Asi dijo le blanquita,¡± confirmed the old lady, touching her hair.


    Jimmy and I ate our late lunch while Ricky and Jimmy continued to talk with the old folks. I listened in to the best of my abilities, but honestly, my Spanish wasn¡¯t really up to the task.


    On the boat ride back to the mainland I told Ricky about the walled compound we¡¯d seen and my conversation with the general manager of the Bocachica Beach Club. I also told him that some Japanese Night Children were coming in that evening and I needed a guy or two and the van.


    ¡°The ninjas?¡± he asked, amazed.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I said. ¡°They want my help for something, so they¡¯ve sent an emissary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fucking huge!¡± Ricky said. ¡°You¡¯re gonna be the queen of the whole world at this rate!¡±


    ¡°I love your enthusiasm, but you¡¯re getting ahead of yourself. The locals here haven¡¯t even committed, much less the Japanese.¡±


    ¡°Those old Night Children I was talking to? They want in. They said that since Emmy visited, it¡¯s been all anyone can talk about.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe I¡¯m gonna need to buy that beach club,¡± I said with a smile. Maybe Cartagena was going to work out in our favor after all.


    Mrs Tanaka and her granddaughter (who looked to be only fourteen or so, to my surprise) just wanted to eat and then go to sleep when they got in, which was fine. I had no plans for them that night anyhow. After getting them situated in their room at my hotel, I went out to meet with Michael for drinks.


    Later, back in my suite, I called Emmy and Angela to say goodnight. We wound up talking on the phone for quite a while, both because I had a lot to tell them, and because I just wanted to hear their voices.


    When I told them about the snorkeling trip, Emmy got a bit sad and pensive. She brought up what a disaster our honeymoon in Key West had been, but Angela and I assured her that it was just a lesson to be learned and when we did all manage to go to the Seychelles (or wherever) we¡¯d know what to do to make it work for her.


    ¡°What do they call those full-length swimsuits for women? Burkinis?¡± Angela suggested. ¡°Also, the sun is strongest from ten to two, right? That just means we do our beach stuff in the later afternoon, is all. You use our pool here, after all. Just not in the direct sun in the middle of the day. We just need to be smart about it, Em.¡±


    ¡°Ange is right. Honestly, I would have been O.K. just snorkeling for two hours instead of the what, five hours we did? So we get to the reef at three in the afternoon when the sunlight is already getting weaker, right? Swim for a couple of hours and call it good. I¡¯d be happy with that- I certainly wouldn¡¯t feel ripped off. And, as a bonus, I¡¯d be swimming with you and Ange instead of some Florida party girl I just met,¡± I said.


    ¡°But I would not be swimming naked,¡± Emmy teased, her mood better.


    ¡°Maybe not, but I would. It was actually pretty great,¡± I told her.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Angela declared. ¡°Em, we need to go back to Cartagena right now, to save our poor, innocent Leah from those naked Florida party girls!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in peril!¡± I cried, but neither of them got the Monty Python reference.


    The next morning I knocked on the Tanakas¡¯ door to walk them to breakfast. Mrs Tanaka was slow to get moving, but her granddaughter Akiko was full of energy.


    ¡°This is my first trip outside Japan,¡± she confided as we waited for the elevator. ¡°I¡¯m very excited to see everything!¡± she said in her remarkably accent-free English.


    ¡°We¡¯re only going to be here in Cartagena for a few more days,¡± I told her as we rode down to the lobby.


    ¡°Then London!¡± she said, her eyes wide. ¡°What are we going to do in London?¡±


    ¡°Just boring stuff,¡± I warned her. ¡°I¡¯ll try to set up some time to do tourist things, though.¡±


    Katrina and Emiliano were just finishing their breakfast when we walked in. I gave them a wave, then helped the two Japanese Night Children (who were in makeup) with the Continental breakfast offerings.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, who are your friends?¡± Katrina asked, waving to her dad as he left.


    ¡°Katrina, these are some friends of mine from Japan- Mrs Tanaka and her granddaughter Akiko. Ladies, this is Katrina Su¨¢rez, from Langley, Virginia.¡±


    Katrina gave me a startled look. ¡°Miami,¡± she said, correcting me. ¡°Florida.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°She is very beautiful,¡± Akiko translated for her grandma after Katrina had gone.


    ¡°She is,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I think she¡¯s a spy,¡± I said in a low voice, leaning in to imply confidentiality.


    ¡°A spy?¡± Akiko¡¯s eyes widened in excitement. She quickly spoke to her grandmother, presumably to explain what I¡¯d just said, since Mrs Tanaka frowned and looked in the direction the Su¨¢rezes had gone.


    ¡°Grandmother asks where are your bodyguards?¡± Akiko said a little bit later while we ate.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any,¡± I told her. ¡°I don¡¯t need them- I¡¯m far more dangerous than any bodyguard could be.¡±


    ¡°You certainly are very large,¡± Akiko agreed. After a bit of translation for her grandmother, Mrs Tanaka nodded.


    ¡°She says you have the eyes of a murderer,¡± Akiko told me. Mrs Tanaka spoke again, and Akiko said, ¡°You could end someone and then eat lunch.¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± I told Akiko.


    After breakfast the three of us went out for a walk to see the walled city. Mrs Akiko was quite spry for someone her age, but an hour in the increasing heat was enough for her so we returned to the hotel to rest. I mentioned that I¡¯d gotten in the habit of swimming in the hotel¡¯s pool before lunch so if they needed me that¡¯s where they could find me.


    ¡°I would like to swim, but¡­¡± Akiko said, running her finger across her cheek to indicate her makeup.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡± I agreed. ¡°I know you needed to wear the makeup to travel- to match your passport pictures, right? You could ditch the makeup here, but it might be better if you don¡¯t in front of Katrina and her father. While we¡¯re in London, though, you should show yourselves.¡±


    ¡°We have talked about it,¡± Akiko said, indicating her grandmother and herself. ¡°We decided that we would do as you would have us do.¡±


    ¡°Cool,¡± I said. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my suspicions about Katrina and her father, I¡¯d say clean it off now. But we¡¯re going to take off for London in just a few days- In London and Los Angeles, you can show yourselves off to the world.¡±


    Katrina was sunbathing by the pool when I went down to swim. When she saw me, she patted the chaise next to hers.


    ¡°You ghosted me yesterday!¡± she complained with an exaggerated pout.


    ¡°I told you I had things I had to do,¡± I told her as I set my towel down. Glancing at her, I said, ¡°That one-piece is a lot tamer than your bikini.¡±


    ¡°And much tamer than me without!¡± she said with a wink. ¡°But no, like I said, Dad would have a heart attack if he saw me in that little two-piece. But this,¡± she said, pulling the spandex away from her skin so I could see down underneath it, ¡°is tan-through.¡±


    Understanding what she meant to show me, I saw that the material really didn¡¯t cast much, if any shade on the top of her boob.


    ¡°And anyway, it¡¯s not like you have any real tan lines, either,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I tan and swim naked at home in LA,¡± I told her as I strapped on my goggles.


    ¡°So, like, you¡¯re just gonna jump in the pool and not be sociable?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Yup,¡± I said with a smirk as I walked down the pool¡¯s steps.


    When I emerged an hour later, I saw that Akiko was watching from one of the tables shaded by a big patio umbrella. I made my way over to say hello, curious as to why she¡¯d be there in the heat.


    ¡°You said you swim before lunch,¡± she said when I got to her table. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you meant that you swim and swim and swim forever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been pretty much the only exercise I¡¯ve gotten here,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°On a normal day back home I¡¯d spend three or fours a day in the gym.¡±


    ¡°It shows,¡± she said, looking me up and down.


    That evening I took the two Tanakas to dinner at the restaurant in Albornoz run by the little old Night Child woman who¡¯d decided to forgo the makeup. We were accompanied by Michael and Ricky- the most we could fit in the four-door Nissan pickup that Rafael had found for us. Sure, we could have brought more in the van, but that restaurant was small and we didn¡¯t want to overwhelm the place.


    During dinner I explained to the two Japanese ladies that the local Night Children community was a bit like their own- we¡¯d had no idea they existed, and stumbled across them by accident. My people were there to integrate the locals into the larger worldwide society and to assess what we could do to help them.


    Translating for her grandmother, Akiko asked, ¡°Are you conquering them?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± I replied with a laugh. ¡°If they want to join my nation I¡¯d be happy to welcome them, but it¡¯s entirely their own choice. I do want them to be proud of their heritage and to show their skin to the world, but I don¡¯t force anybody into it.¡±


    ¡°My grandmother and I came here for two things,¡± Akiko explained. ¡°The first, to see how the ¡®Night Children¡¯, as you call them, live outside of Japan. To see if what you said in Tokyo is true.¡± Akiko turned and talked with her grandma for a bit, then continued. ¡°We would like to speak with some of the Night Children here, alone. We were sent to verify your claims, so we need to check to make sure they are true.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said. ¡°Unfortunately, none of the locals are likely to speak Japanese. I know at least one- who really doesn¡¯t seem impressed by us, I have to say- who speaks English, but she¡¯s over on a nearby island.¡± Turning to Ricky, I asked, ¡°Do you know the woman I¡¯m talking about? Over in Tierra Bomba?¡±


    ¡°I think her name is Carmi?a,¡± he said. ¡°I talked to her a bit the other day. But, like you said, she¡¯s not¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Mrs Tanaka wants to hear from a Night Child who isn¡¯t one of my people, right?¡± I asked Akiko. ¡°So if you get to talk to one who is somewhat hostile to our efforts here you¡¯ll get that side of the picture. She might tell you that we¡¯re unwanted imperialists who have no business here, since that seems to be her opinion, but she¡¯ll also tell you that we haven¡¯t coerced anybody into anything. In fact, talking to her and then visiting the social club over there might be really worthwhile. I¡¯ll have Ricky take you over there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to come with us?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°It defeats the purpose if I¡¯m there, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I countered.

 Proving A Negative

    After seeing the Tanakas safely back to their room at the hotel, I wandered over to the Castro house. It had been a couple of days since I¡¯d visited last, and since my visit to Cartagena was running out I wanted to spend some more time over there.


    Even though I told Mam¨¢ that I¡¯d already had dinner, she insisted that I eat something, and who was I to say no? It was going to be a few months until she took up residence in Los Angeles as Angela¡¯s due date neared, so my opportunities to eat her amazing cooking were rapidly running out.


    After my late-night post-dinner dinner, Rafael and I made our way to his home office.


    Once he¡¯d poured us a couple of glasses of aguardiente and we¡¯d both sat down, he said, ¡°My friend in the National Intelligence Directorate finally got back to me. He says that Emiliano Su¨¢rez is a suspected, but not confirmed, CIA asset. Honestly, that means little. As I said, anyone who owns ships or planes in Colombia is assumed to work with the CIA and the cartel. The fact that my friend could not determine completely¡­ makes me think that Su¨¢rez is either more slippery than most, or as strange as it may seem, clean.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I replied, thinking about it. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any proof one way or another.¡± Taking a sip of my drink, I continued. ¡°It might not really matter, since we¡¯ll be leaving the day after tomorrow, anyhow.¡±


    ¡°As you said, it is better to know if you¡¯re of interest than to wonder,¡± Rafael said with a knowing nod.


    ¡°Where are your friends?¡± Katrina asked the next morning when I laid my towel down on the chaise next to hers.


    ¡°Snorkeling,¡± I said. ¡°When I told them how liberating it was, they just had to try it.¡±


    ¡°What? No way!¡± Katrina protested. ¡°Can you just imagine that little old lady and that kid swimming naked?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not imagine it,¡± I said. ¡°But you do you.¡±


    ¡°No, not gonna get that image in my head,¡± Katrina said. ¡°I¡¯m just going to remember your Amazon ass in that water.¡±


    ¡°So, Katrina, is there something you want to tell me? Have you been thinking about my naked Amazon ass a lot?¡± I teased.


    ¡°It was pretty freaking unforgettable,¡± Katrina admitted, looking away shyly.


    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I definitely enjoyed looking at yours, too,¡± I told her.


    ¡°And my landing strip?¡±


    ¡°And your landing strip,¡± I agreed. Then, after a moment, I said, ¡°There has to be a joke there somewhere about your family¡¯s business and hidden landing strips that most people don¡¯t get to see, but I¡¯m just not quite feeling it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you went there,¡± Katrina said, slumping back in her chair and covering her face with her hands. Taking her hands down, she turned serious. ¡°Look, I might have been born and raised in Miami, but both my parents are Colombian, and when anybody asks, that¡¯s what I tell them I am, too. All the drug stereotypes get really old, you know that? And when people find out our family¡¯s company does imports and exports, that is the first freaking thing everybody thinks of. You don¡¯t know how sick and tired I am of people asking me if I could score them a key or some bullshit like that.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that your dad doesn¡¯t actually smuggle drugs?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, he totally does that,¡± she said, smiling at my surprised reaction. ¡°Hah! Payback for the elevator night before last!¡± she crowed, poking me in the shoulder. ¡°Is it so hard to believe that the third largest economy in South America has actual legitimate businesses?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Katrina said, poking me in the shoulder again. ¡°Go swim. I¡¯m done talking to you. I just want to watch you go back and forth a bajillion times until lunchtime.¡±


    ¡°Now, you know I¡¯ll be thinking of jungle landing strips while I swim,¡± I said, strapping on my goggles.


    ¡°Nothing jungly about it,¡± she huffed. ¡°Nicely landscaped.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I admitted.


    Eating lunch with Emiliano and Katrina, I mentioned to the Very Interesting Man that Katrina had said that he smuggles drugs.


    ¡°You told her what?¡± he asked her.


    Letting out a big sigh, her shoulders drooping, Katrina explained that it was a sort of running joke between us. When she finished her tale, I reminded him that he¡¯d joked about the subject when we first met, too.


    Emiliano shook his head slowly, as if to admit that it was a topic that came up a lot. ¡°Leah, you and I, we¡¯re both in business, so you know how it is. With every line of work there are¡­ stereotypes, prejudices. You¡¯re a real estate developer in California- the assumption is that you bulldoze endangered habitats and put up endless cookie-cutter houses, right? Well, if you work in logistics in this part of the world, everyone, and I mean everyone, immediately assumes you¡¯re a smuggler.¡±


    ¡°Everybody I¡¯ve talked to here in Cartagena says that if you¡¯re in logistics, you have to be in bed with the cartels and the CIA,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he sighed. ¡°No matter how diligent we are about inspections and manifests, every single shipment to the US gets scrutinized. I¡¯ve come to accept it- expect it, even- but that doesn¡¯t make it any less of a pain.¡±


    ¡°Well, that kinda sucks,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d really been hoping I could tell all my friends back home that I hung out with a couple of undercover spies while I was down here.¡±


    Emiliano laughed, but Katrina looked non-plussed. ¡°Feel free to tell your friends whatever you want,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°It makes a good story.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am taking off in the morning to meet with an English intelligence officer in London, so it would have made the story all that much better if you guys were CIA, too,¡± I said, laughing along with Emiliano.


    ¡°MI6?¡± Katrina asked. ¡°Like James Bond?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what branch or whatever he works for,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Heck, it could be the Beefeaters for all I know.¡±


    ¡°The Beefeaters? The guys in London that wear those big furry hats?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°No, those are the Royal Palace Guards,¡± Emiliano corrected her. ¡°The Beefeaters wear red and black outfits and smaller, but not furry hats. They¡¯re the ceremonial guards of the Tower Of London.¡±


    ¡°You know more about it than I do,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Are you really leaving tomorrow?¡± Katrina asked after lunch. ¡°Wanna go out tonight?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I get to pick the scene,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Probably a good idea,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°OK. Dinner at nine here in the hotel. Then we head out.¡±


    ¡°See you then!¡± she said.


    I spent the rest of the afternoon on work, answering emails and making calls. I lost track of time and was surprised to see it had already gotten dark outside when the Tanakas knocked on my door.


    They came in and made themselves comfortable on the suite¡¯s living room couch, but I indicated that they should follow me out to the suite¡¯s deck. I pulled three chairs right next to the hot tub, turning on the jets to make a fairly loud white noise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if my room has listening devices,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Oh- the spies!¡± Akiko said, then translated what I¡¯d said to her grandmother, who nodded in understanding.


    They told me that they¡¯d gone to Bocachica Island and met the woman I¡¯d mentioned, and yes, she wasn¡¯t in favor of our intervention in their lives, but she did admit that we had done nothing aggressive and my people all seemed to be nice- it¡¯s just the idea of outsiders condescending to offer a helping hand that grated on her.


    ¡°I can understand where she¡¯s coming from, and I guess I respect her position, but it¡¯s a lot like cutting off your nose to spite your face,¡± I said.


    ¡°That is a phrase I¡¯ve never understood,¡± Akiko said, frowning.


    ¡°It¡¯s a strange one, alright. It means do harm to yourself out of overreaction. You¡¯re mad at your face, so you cut off your nose to hurt it, but of course, it hurts you.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you would do that,¡± she protested.


    Changing the topic, I asked if they¡¯d met with any of the old folks who hung out at the social club. We talked about them for a while, and it seemed that the encounters had played out exactly as I¡¯d expected they would.


    ¡°So what did you learn from this?¡± I asked.


    The Tanakas conferred in Japanese for a little while, before Akiko replied. ¡°It is as you had said. Everything we saw matched with what you told our people at the meeting back in Tokyo.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said. ¡°And you saw my people, showing their skin, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We talked with Ricky, Jos¨¦ and Jimmy. We were not surprised that they said good things about you and Queen Emmy- after all, they are your people. What did surprise us was their acceptance of your¡­¡± she said, touching the skin on the back of her hand.


    ¡°The fact that I¡¯m not blessed by the night? No, that isn¡¯t an issue for us. We want integration in day walker society, after all. Mixed couples are perfectly acceptable,¡± I said. ¡°What matters is that we know who we are, and celebrate it. Our culture is ancient, and we should not hide any longer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is what you say, and we,¡± Akiko said, indicating herself and her grandmother, ¡°agree with you, as do many, but not all, of our people.¡±


    ¡°I hope that your time with me shows you that living in the open can work. In fact, we really only have a choice about when and how we reveal ourselves, not whether we do or don¡¯t.¡±


    Akiko nodded in agreement, and after she translated for her grandmother, Mrs Tanaka nodded, too.


    ¡°Well, tomorrow morning we take off for London,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you didn¡¯t get to see more of Colombia, but that¡¯s just the way it goes.¡±


    ¡°What is in London?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°I have some meetings, and need to pick up some suits that I had made. If you two want, you can explore on your own. I can have a guide assigned to you so you can see the city,¡± I said.


    ¡°We won¡¯t go to the meetings with you?¡±


    ¡°Only one is Night Children business, and you can go to that meeting, if you want. I¡¯ll be meeting with the king and queen of Western Europe.¡± Turning to Mrs Tanaka, I said, ¡°You¡¯ll remember him from the meeting in Tokyo.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    When Akiko translated, her grandmother nodded and said something.


    ¡°Grandmother says that he was a very impressive man.¡±


    ¡°He is. In addition to being the king of a large, powerful nation of our people, he¡¯s my father-in-law. I¡¯m married to his daughter,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Yes, we understand that,¡± Akiko said. ¡°I am still amazed that such a thing is legal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very pleased that it is,¡± I said.


    Katrina was dressed a bit more conservatively than the last time we¡¯d gone out, but still looked great in her electric blue mini dress. I led her to the hotel¡¯s fancy restaurant- the same one we¡¯d taken the Castros to our first night in Cartagena.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± Katrina said as we ate. ¡°This is so good! How come we don¡¯t eat here every night?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a special treat if you had it every night, would it?¡± I replied. ¡°My mother and father-in-law live in Paris and have unreasonable amounts of money. They go out to Paris¡¯ very best restaurants whenever they want- I mean, Michelin three-star places that normal people can¡¯t even get reservations for, right? But my father-in-law admitted that he can¡¯t eat that stuff more than once in a while. He prefers hole-in-the-wall Thai food, or cr¨ºpes from street vendors.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Katrina admitted. ¡°My favorite place in all Miami is a little sandwich shop on Calle Ocho.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a little Japanese place in a strip mall in the San Fernando Valley that makes the best yakisoba I¡¯ve ever had,¡± I said. ¡°And a bar in Silver Lake that makes grilled cheese sandwiches that are to die for.¡±


    ¡°Grilled cheese sandwiches?¡± Katrina aid, her nose wrinkling.


    ¡°If you ever come out to visit, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Do you want me to? I mean, your wife¡­¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Let me lay this out on the table,¡± I said. ¡°I was serious when I said that I¡¯m more than half convinced you and Emiliano are working for one of the letter agencies. If you are, that¡¯s cool- just tell me, and we can go on from there. If you aren¡¯t, well, that¡¯s cool, too, but proving a negative is hard and you¡¯ll have a hard time convincing me you aren¡¯t. I¡¯m going to operate under the assumption that you are in the meanwhile. Part of that assumption is that you know more about me than I¡¯ve told you, right?¡±


    Sighing and rolling her eyes, Katrina said, ¡°I told you. Not everyone involved in import and export in Colombia are working for the CIA or DEA.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did say that, but my contacts in the Colombian intelligence community seem to believe that Emiliano certainly is,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You have contacts,¡± she said, her voice flat.


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    ¡°And these contacts say my dad is a spy.¡±


    I just shrugged.


    ¡°Well, like you said, proving a negative is really difficult,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed.


    Leaning back in her seat, Katrina said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s kind of a kicker,¡± Katrina said. ¡°You think I¡¯m spying on you. You think the only reason I¡¯ve been hanging out with you is to secretly pump you for information.¡±


    ¡°No, I said I thought it was more likely than not. And I have no doubt you had just as good a time as I did swimming naked in the Caribbean. I¡¯d love to be proven wrong- I really would. I¡¯m not sure how you could do that, but you could easily prove that you were,¡± I said.


    ¡°And how would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Tell me who I¡¯m here in Cartagena to visit, or tell me my home address in Los Angeles. Things that it would be hard for a normal person to know, but easy if you had a dossier on me,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have a fucking dossier on you,¡± Katrina said. ¡°All I knew before we actually met was what Dad told me- that you¡¯re married to Emmy Lascaux from The Downfall, who just played in Bogot¨¢.¡±


    ¡°What else have you learned about me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That you can swim for hours, that you have some car dealerships, and apparently, you know people in the Colombian intelligence services. Which normal people don¡¯t, just so you know.¡±


    ¡°All of that is true,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m here in Cartagena?¡±


    ¡°To visit some people?¡±


    ¡°And there you go. You¡¯re adding to the dossier,¡± I said.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t as funny as you seem to think it is,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as funny as you seem to think I do,¡± I replied.


    ¡°So, and I realize that this question does nothing to prove I¡¯m not working for the CIA, but why would you think they¡¯d be interested in you at all? I mean, is there a reason you¡¯re being paranoid?¡± Katrina demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to hide,¡± I said. ¡°But I can imagine it might look as if I do. I¡¯m here to lay the groundwork for a non-profit foundation to help the working poor of Cartagena. That¡¯s it. But to do that, I¡¯ve brought in a bunch of my guys, and that may have set off red flags.¡±


    After taking a sip of my sangria, I went on. ¡°The thing is, if you do work for a letter agency, I¡¯d be perfectly happy to talk about why I¡¯m here. I don¡¯t need any misunderstandings. Like you said about Emiliano, just because I brought a bunch of guys in here and they¡¯re busy making local contacts doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m setting up a drug smuggling ring, right?¡±


    ¡°O.K.¡± Katrina said, taking a sip of her own sangria to give herself a moment to think. ¡°I guess I can understand why you might think me and Dad are working for the CIA, or the DEA or something. And I guess I can¡¯t think of any way to prove we aren¡¯t. So that leaves us¡­ where?¡±


    ¡°Having dinner at one of the top restaurants in Latin America, and about to go bar-hopping afterwards,¡± I said.


    ¡°Even though you think I¡¯m a spy?¡±


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t stopped me from enjoying your company before, has it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know anymore,¡± Katrina said with a sigh. ¡°Do I have to fuck you to prove I¡¯m not working for the CIA?¡±


    ¡°One, that¡¯s not a thing that¡¯s gonna happen, and two, it wouldn¡¯t prove anything.¡±


    ¡°No, I guess it wouldn¡¯t, would it? And anyway, I don¡¯t swing that way,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Your loss,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you naked,¡± Katrina said with a rueful smile. ¡°You¡¯d probably break me in half.¡±


    ¡°I meant in general,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m a happily married girl.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you said that when we went snorkeling. You wanna know something funny? When I took off my bikini, I was thinking maybe, just maybe, it could lead to something more, but when you said no, it wasn¡¯t gonna, it was kind of a relief, if that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°I think that kind of thing is a lot more common than you might realize,¡± I told her. ¡°Straight girls, in my experience, are always a bit curious, whether they admit it to themselves or not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Katrina said with a rueful smile. ¡°So, where does that leave us?¡±


    ¡°Like I said. I¡¯ve enjoyed hanging out with you. I think we should go bar-hopping after dinner,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Even though I work for the CIA?¡± Katrina teased.


    ¡°Do you?¡± I asked point blank.


    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t,¡± she said with another sigh.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯d be cool with it if you did,¡± I told her. ¡°Spies are sexy. Like James Bond, or Carmen Sandiego, right?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m sexy?¡± Katrina asked, looking pleased with herself.


    ¡°Seriously? Kat, you¡¯re gorgeous. If I weren¡¯t happily married I would have brought you back to my room and ruined men for you forever.¡±


    Katrina laughed at that. ¡°I bet you totally would.¡±


    After dinner we went to a club that our hotel¡¯s concierge had recommended. It was another rooftop bar, but quite a bit classier than the one we¡¯d gone to the night Katrina got roofied. The crowd was a bit older and clearly had more money, and that was perfect. We got to dance without getting hit on by any drunks and the cocktails were excellent.


    Walking back to the hotel, though, we ran into a problem. I was on alert, since the streets were unusually empty. This meant that I wan¡¯t surprised at all when two guys stepped out of a dark alley in front of us. A quick glance back confirmed a third behind us.


    ¡°Shit shit shit!¡± Katrina said in a low voice.


    ¡°Give us your money!¡± the guy on the left demanded.


    Unwilling to let things play out, I lunged forward and smashed his nose in, then turned and kicked the other guy¡¯s knee, making him crumple to the ground. Another swift kick to the ribs ended any fight he might have had left in him. I spun around to see the third guy had pulled out a knife. I spotted a fist-sized piece of loose concrete and picked it up. I telegraphed my intention to throw it, so when I did, he knew to duck.


    Of course, that meant he had to take his eyes off me, and that was all the opening I needed. A solid front kick to the chest sent him reeling and made him drop the knife, which I scooped up, turning back around to face the first guy, who was covering his bleeding nose with his hand.


    ¡°Fuck off!¡± I told him. He took instruction well, fleeing the crazy gringa who now had a knife. The guy I¡¯d taken the knife from used the opportunity to escape, too, just leaving the one guy laid out on the ground, moaning and holding his arms in tight against his torso.


    I slid the tip of the knife up into his nostril and said to Katrina, ¡°Tell him that the three of them are very lucky they never laid a hand on you. If they had, I¡¯d have killed all three of them.¡±


    Shaking, Katrina translated what I¡¯d said to the terrified man.


    ¡°Tell him that he should find a different line of work. He and his friends got off easy tonight.¡±


    She spoke again to the man, and he nodded slightly, still acutely aware of the blade up his nostril.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, removing the knife without cutting him. I tossed the cheap blade into a nearby storm drain, then took Katrina¡¯s hand and pulled her away from the scene. She didn¡¯t resist, but she wasn¡¯t particularly stable on her feet, either.


    ¡°Are you O.K.?¡± I asked when we¡¯d gotten a couple of blocks away and into a much more populated area.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, her voice shaky.


    I spotted a street food vendor¡¯s cart, so I tugged her over. I ordered a couple of Colombiana sodas and some of those cheesy buns you find everywhere in Cartagena.


    At first Katrina was still too shaken up to eat, but once she had a bit of food onboard, she managed to calm down a little.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that in my life,¡± she said, still visibly shaking a bit. ¡°You meant it, didn¡¯t you? The part about, you know, killing those guys? You totally could have done it- they didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± I agreed. ¡°They were toast the moment they made their appearance.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± Katrina agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t think they even knew what happened. One moment they were trying to mug-¡±


    ¡°Or worse,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°Or worse,¡± Katrina admitted. ¡°Two party girls,¡± she said, continuing her thought, ¡°and the next moment they were beat to shit. Like, I think at least the one guy is going to need hospital care.¡±


    ¡°Sucks to be them right now,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°And, like, you didn¡¯t even break a fucking sweat. When you stuck that knife up the guy¡¯s nose and told him you¡¯d kill him, like, you sounded¡­ well, not bored, exactly, but like it was just no big deal. Like you¡¯d broken a heel or something.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t teach you stuff like that at the CIA academy?¡± I asked, feigning surprise.


    ¡°Oh, Jesus, not that again,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°They really should,¡± I told her.


    ¡°You- I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re making jokes at a time like this!¡± Katrina said, her voice rising a little bit.


    ¡°Best time,¡± I told her, and reached out and wrapped my arms around her, holding her in a tight hug. She resisted at first, but then relaxed and after a few moments, started crying. I held her until she was done, then just a little longer.


    ¡°You O.K.?¡± I asked again in a soft voice.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, still sniffling a little bit.


    I held her hand the rest of the way back to our hotel, and she made no effort to let go of mine, either. I walked her all the way to the door of her room, giving her a final hug before she disappeared inside.


    Of course, not even an hour later she knocked on my door.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep,¡± she said, so I let her in.


    ¡°I just keep thinking about it,¡± she said when I led her to the couch.


    ¡°About what?¡± Obviously I knew the general topic, but I was curious as to what aspect of the night¡¯s event had her attention.


    ¡°It all happened so fast- I¡¯m still trying to figure out¡­¡±


    ¡°Three guys tried to mug us- or worse,¡± I added. ¡°I beat ¡®em up and told them to fuck off, and they did.¡±


    ¡°You told that one guy- the one you¡­ you stuck a knife up his nose, Leah! Who does that?¡± Katrina demanded.


    ¡°Somebody who really wants somebody else¡¯s complete, undivided attention, that¡¯s who. He¡¯s going to remember that moment the rest of his life.¡±


    ¡°So am I,¡± Katrina said in a low voice, almost a whisper. Then, looking at me, she said, ¡°But you aren¡¯t, are you? That wasn¡¯t your first time something like that has happened, is it?¡±


    ¡°First time this week,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°All that stuff about car dealerships and non-profits¡­ That¡¯s all bullshit, isn¡¯t it? That isn¡¯t what you do for a living, is it? You¡¯re some kind of¡­ Shit, you say I¡¯m working for the CIA, but you¡­ That¡¯s why you have contacts with the Colombian intelligence. You¡¯re¡­¡± she said.


    Laughing, I said, ¡°No, I¡¯m not a pro. This is a hobby for me, that¡¯s all. I really am a real estate developer and car dealer with a big company that does have a non-profit arm. I also own a bunch of restaurants and night clubs, too. But like I said, I do mixed martial arts. A lot. I train hours every day, with really hardcore dudes. But that¡¯s just to stay in shape, and to deal with shitheads like those guys tonight. I¡¯m not any sort of hired heavy. And no, I wouldn¡¯t actually have killed those guys tonight unless it was them or us.¡±


    ¡°I believed it when you said you would. That guy with the knife up his nose did, too,¡± Katrina countered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he did,¡± I agreed.


    Katrina was silent for a while, so I got up and poured a couple of glasses of wine from the suite¡¯s mini bar. I handed her one as I sat back down, and she took it gratefully.


    Sipping her wine, she said, ¡°That was the scariest thing I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. Seriously, Leah. The scariest.¡±


    ¡°Those guys-¡± I started to say, but she interrupted me.


    ¡°Those guys were scary, but I¡¯m talking about you. It was like something out of a movie, but, like, faster. I mean, from the moment the guy said ¡®give me your money¡¯ to when you threw the knife away and we left couldn¡¯t have been more than a minute, maybe? Those guys had no idea they walked in front of a speeding truck!¡± Katrina said, not looking at me.


    ¡°No, they didn¡¯t. Hopefully they¡¯ll learn something from this,¡± I said.


    ¡°I sure did,¡± Katrina said, finally looking at me. ¡°I learned that speeding trucks show no remorse.¡±


    ¡°Remorse? For beating up three muggers, maybe rapists? No, no remorse there,¡± I said.


    ¡°You told the nose guy that if they¡¯d even touched me, you¡¯d have killed ¡®em,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°I did say that, yes.¡±


    ¡°Would you have?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Their life expectancies would have been very limited if they¡¯d managed to hurt you,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m even your girlfriend! You don¡¯t even trust me!¡± she protested.


    ¡°I may not trust you, but I do like you. I¡¯d prefer to think of you as a friend. We¡¯ve had good times together, right? I¡¯d like to think that wasn¡¯t fake,¡± I said.


    ¡°God,¡± Katrina groaned. ¡°Not this again.¡±


    ¡°Swear to me that you¡¯re not working for the CIA and I¡¯ll believe you,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Then you swear to me you aren¡¯t some sort of cartel hitman- I mean, hitwoman,¡± she countered.


    I raised my right hand and said, ¡°I swear I¡¯ve never killed anyone for money.¡±


    Katrina just laughed at that, sort of a sad little laugh. ¡°But you¡¯ve killed people for other reasons?¡±


    ¡°I never said that,¡± I replied. ¡°Now, your turn.¡±


    She raised her hand like I had and said, ¡°I swear I don¡¯t work for the CIA-¡±


    ¡°Or other, similar organizations,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°Or similar organizations. I really am just a business student at the U of M,¡± Katrina said.


    ¡°Alright. We can put that behind us now,¡± I said. ¡°Now we¡¯re just friends, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you aren¡¯t going to ruin me for men forever?¡± she asked, a coy smile on her pretty face.


    ¡°Nope. No ruining,¡± I said, leaning back.


    ¡°It was worth a try,¡± Katrina sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re straight,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°Like spaghetti,¡± she said, raising her glass in a toast.

 Meetings

    Katrina finally went back to her room just as the sky outside grew lighter with the dawn. Having nothing better to do and not having the luxury of being able to finally crawl into bed, I ran for an hour on the treadmill in the hotel¡¯s ¡®fitness center¡¯- a poor excuse for a gym, but it would have to do. I was going to be on a plane for many hours that day, so some exercise was mandatory.


    The Tanakas were already having breakfast when I made my appearance. Neither of the Su¨¢rezes were, though, which was fine by me. I¡¯d already said goodbye to Katrina when she staggered off to her own room, and the Very Interesting Man, well, it wouldn¡¯t bother me a bit if I never saw him again.


    ¡°This is nice!¡± Akiko said when we settled into our business class seats for the first leg to Miami.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, for commercial,¡± I agreed.


    I got a couple of hours of sleep, which was good. We only had a two hour layover in Miami, so no time to get out of the airport. We found a decent Cuban-style restaurant to get a relaxed lunch, then boarded our flight to Heathrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been outside of Japan before this trip,¡± Akiko said once we hit cruising elevation.


    ¡°This is like one big adventure for you, then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is for Grandmother, too, but she won¡¯t admit it,¡± Akiko confided. ¡°She thought the ocean there in Cartagena was the most beautiful thing she¡¯d ever seen.¡±


    ¡°You guys didn¡¯t even get to see it on a nice, sunny day,¡± I told her. ¡°If the weather permits, it¡¯s stunningly beautiful.¡±


    Later, after the snack service, Akiko said, ¡°Your spy friend? The pretty one?¡±


    ¡°Katrina?¡± I asked, but that had to be who she meant.


    ¡°Yes, her. She is interested in you.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s straight,¡± I protested, but Katrina had already admitted as much.


    ¡°She¡¯s a walking thirst trap,¡± Akiko said knowingly.


    That got a laugh out of me. ¡°Where did you even learn that phrase?¡±


    ¡°The internet,¡± she said with a shrug.


    Changing the topic, Akiko asked what we were going to do in London. I reiterated that I had some meetings and needed to collect some custom suits that had been made for me, but that was it. ¡°Three or four days at the most,¡± I told her. ¡°You and your grandmother should do some sightseeing.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d get lost,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a tour guide.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that a lot,¡± she replied.


    It took us an irritatingly long time to get through customs in Heathrow, mostly because of the fact we¡¯d just come from Colombia. Of course we had nothing to declare and no contraband, but it was still a pain in the ass.


    We got to our hotel (the same one The Downfall had stayed at, since I liked the place well enough) quite late, so we just said goodnight and went to our respective rooms.


    Refreshed by a full night¡¯s sleep, I went out for an early morning run. I retraced my steps from several months before, noting that there were a whole lot more people enjoying the outdoors this time of year. To be fair, the outdoors were a whole lot more enjoyable in late spring/early summer than they¡¯d been in the winter¡­


    Back at the hotel, I spoke to the concierge about a personalized tour for the two Japanese ladies and he gave me a recommendation. After a quick shower and a change, I knocked on the door to the Tanakas¡¯ room. I suggested we get breakfast at the place I¡¯d enjoyed with Angela and Emmy, and they agreed.


    As we ate, I got on the tour company¡¯s web site and looked through it. It seemed like the sort of thing that has to be set up in advance, so I handed my phone over to Akiko so the two could answer the questionnaire and set up a tour for the next day.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say how much it will cost,¡± Akiko said after they¡¯d plugged in their desired tour stops.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m covering it.¡±


    ¡°What should we do today?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°Whatever you want. I have to stop by Savile Row for my suits, and that¡¯ll take a couple of hours minimum, is my guess. That would have to be pretty boring for you guys. I also want to talk to our interior designer, but again, you two probably don¡¯t care about that. I guess I can do those things tomorrow, while you¡¯re on your tour,¡± I said, thinking about scheduling.


    ¡°So today, let¡¯s keep it simple. Let¡¯s go to the Eye, and then the British Museum. There are some things I want to show you there. Maybe afterwards we can do a Thames boat tour, but you two will probably be pretty tired by that point and just want to rest.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Akiko agreed, giving her grandmother a bit of side-eye. ¡°Can we get traditional English food for lunch?¡±


    ¡°From what I can tell, these days that means kebabs or curry,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°But sure, if you want, we can find someplace to get shepherd¡¯s pie or whatever.¡±


    At the British Museum I showed the ancient pottery that Emmy had said belongs to the Night Children of thousands of years ago.


    ¡°These? These were made by our people. This text says that nothing is known of this culture, but that isn¡¯t true. It just isn¡¯t known to day walkers. This is Night Children history. This is your history,¡± I said, making sure there was nobody else close enough to hear.


    When Akiko translated for her grandmother, Mrs Tanaka¡¯s eyes sharpened.


    ¡°Three thousand years?¡± Akiko translated. ¡°When did they migrate to Japan?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good question. From what I understand, the belief is that Night Children originated in the Near East somewhere and then spread from there. The Mongols wiped them all out in all of Asia, including pretty much everything east of Venice, Italy. It took a while for Night Children to move back in to the Balkans, Turkey and Armenia and all that region, but our people had always assumed that there were none of us left at all in East Asia. That¡¯s why discovering you was such a surprise.¡± After Akiko translated, I said, ¡°My guess is that our people migrated into Japan probably around the same time as the modern Japanese people did. That was a few hundred years BCE, if I remember correctly, right? Night Children probably came along with them. Then, when Genghis Khan went on his rampage, they stayed safe in Iga Prefecture, in the hills.¡±


    ¡°This makes sense,¡± Akiko translated for her grandmother, who was nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure all that history was lost. I¡¯ve read that the Mongol invasion killed something like twenty per cent of the world¡¯s population, if you can believe that,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°Crazy,¡± I agreed, shaking my head in wonder.


    After seeing the two shinobi off with their tour guide in the morning. I took a cab to Savile Row for my suits. Magdalena sent me right back out again when she discovered I hadn¡¯t brought my favorite dagger with me.


    ¡°We worked hard to design the suits to accommodate your preferred cutlery,¡± she said in a tone that didn¡¯t allow for any arguing. So out I went after a quick search for a place I could find what I needed. A hunting and sporting goods shop near the stadium showed Fairbairn Sykes replicas in stock, so off I went.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    The middle-aged guys at the store seemed puzzled by my request and lost as to why I was so specific in my requirements, but eventually did sell me a dagger very similar to the one Mr Han in Singapore had given me. Sure, it wasn¡¯t an original, but it was the right size and shape, and made of Sheffield Steel like mine.


    Back at the tailor¡¯s, Magdalena was satisfied. She took some quick measurements of the knife to confirm it fit the dimensions they¡¯d accounted for, and then set me to trying on the various suits with and without the dagger in my preferred spot at the small of my back, and also tucked into my left sleeve.


    My mind was blown at how they¡¯d made the various pieces hide the added bulk of the knife. Even though I knew what I was looking for I couldn¡¯t see any telltale bulge. That right there would have been enough, but the way the various suits fit was just as impressive. They allowed an amazing freedom of movement- I tried a high kick in what seemed like a pencil skirt and found that it didn¡¯t restrict me at all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it- this is like some kind of magic,¡± I told Magdalena.


    ¡°No matter how hard you try, you will not tear these stitches,¡± she assured me.


    ¡°You are miracle workers,¡± I told her, meaning every word.


    Choosing to wear the charcoal gray combo and have the rest delivered to the hotel, I marveled at how a business suit could feel as comfortable and unrestrictive as a T shirt and summer skirt. ¡®Best present ever,¡¯ I mentally congratulated Emmy.


    After a quick bite, my next stop was the interior designer¡¯s office. William (the guy we¡¯d talked to right after buying the apartment) wasn¡¯t in, but his partner Simon was. After the usual pleasantries, he asked if I wanted to see the progress that had been made.


    ¡°I promised my wife I wouldn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°She wants this to be her surprise. All I need to know is whether you¡¯ve run into any problem I need to help sort out.¡±


    ¡°Angela is such a precious dear,¡± Simon said, sipping his tea. ¡°She has been such a joy to work with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite fond of her,¡± I agreed. ¡°She¡¯s really looking forward to the day we can take up residence in our new place.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be for a while yet,¡± Simon said with a wince. ¡°Most of the trades are done with their work, but the decorators have yet to even start. I would say three months, perhaps four.¡±


    ¡°Her baby is due around then, so we¡¯ll be stuck in Los Angeles for a while,¡± I told him. ¡°So I guess that means that three months or five really makes no difference to us, since we wouldn¡¯t be able to get back here to London in that time frame anyhow,¡± I said.


    Changing the subject, Simon asked about art for the unit. ¡°Angela had said that you would prefer to find your own?¡±


    I explained that Angela and Emmy had already started looking for pieces for the apartment. I also promised that I¡¯d have Angela send him pictures and dimensions of anything they buy so he and William can work the decor to complement the art.


    Satisfied that things were on track and under control, I texted Roger Bridger to let him know the rest of my afternoon and evening were free. He responded fairly quickly, suggesting we meet at his club for dinner and drinks. This left me with a couple of hours to kill, so I just wandered around, enjoying the spring afternoon.


    By sheer happenstance my wanderings took me past a Lotus store front, so of course I went inside to look at the tiny little cars they had for sale. As usual for car dealers, a salesman homed in on me the moment I walked in the door. He looked me up and down and, since apparently I registered as ¡®has lots of money,¡¯ immediately shifted into obsequious mode.


    Me being me, I found myself attracted to the Evora 430 in British Racing Green.


    I asked if I might sit in it, and the sales guy nearly tripped over himself opening the car¡¯s door for me, and it was a good thing he did. He spared me the embarrassment of climbing into the wrong side of the car out of habit.


    Sitting in the right-side driver¡¯s seat felt odd, and resting my left hand on the brushed aluminum (aluminium?) shifter was an amusing novelty. With the seat all the way back I could fit, but the car had a shrink-wrapped feeling. There was no extra room inside for much of anything at all. The vestigial back seats were even less useful than the back seats in my Carrera Safari, but they¡¯d be fine for a few shopping bags. At most.


    ¡°I have a question,¡± I said, climbing out of the low-slung car. ¡°Do you have storage and concierge service? I live in Los Angeles, but just bought a house here. I might only spend three or four months a year here, and would hate for the car to sit and rot in a parking garage while I¡¯m out of town.¡±


    ¡°We certainly do,¡± he said. ¡°Climate controlled and impeccably clean. We can deliver the motorcar to you any time you would need it.¡±


    ¡°Show me the facility. If it¡¯s acceptable, I¡¯ll buy the car right now,¡± I told him.


    The salesman¡¯s visual credit check on me must have returned a very high score, judging by how quickly he called to an assistant to take me to their garage facility. A few short minutes later the assistant named Stuart (I asked- otherwise he would never have volunteered the information) drove me in one of those Jaguars that look like fat Acuras to an unmarked garage door in a commercial block maybe a quarter mile away. He pressed a remote¡¯s button and entered when the door opened. There was a little office just inside the garage door, and we stopped to check in. Stuart explained to the older gentleman that I was a client and wanted to see the place, so he just waved us in. On the first floor down there was a detailing station, but there was nobody there at the moment. We did pass a man in a paper suit, who Stuart explained started and let run all the cars every so often to keep them mechanically sound.


    There were probably seventy-five cars down there, a handful of which were obviously new and waiting their turn on the showroom floor, but most were in medium- to long-term storage, as I had planned for the Evora. As the sales guy had said, the garage was spotlessly clean, and there was no dust on any of the waiting cars.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I told Stuart. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and get me a car.¡±


    Back at the dealership the sales guy asked me if I¡¯d owned any other high performance cars, or if the Evora was going to be a new experience.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few,¡± I replied, not really enthusiastic about chatting just to kill time while we waited for my banker to send the funds.


    ¡°The closest equivalent to the Evora is likely the Porsche GT3,¡± he said, trying to keep the conversation going.


    ¡°I have a 918 Spyder,¡± I said, and that shut him right up. ¡°I just figured I¡¯d buy the Lotus so I have something to play with while I¡¯m here in England. I¡¯ll need to buy something more practical, too, but this is a start. Maybe a Range Rover? Those seem to be pretty popular here.¡±


    I was saved from further small talk by the guy from the finance department, who said that the transaction had gone through and I needed to sign some paperwork. After we finished, I strolled back out into the showroom and ran my hands over the lustrous dark green roof of the Evora GT430 Sport. I gave it a gentle pat, then turned and found the sales guy standing nearby.


    ¡°Let us prepare it for you. It will be ready for you to take in less than an hour,¡± he said.


    ¡°Go ahead and prepare it, but just park it for me when it¡¯s done, will you? I can¡¯t really take it just yet- I¡¯m only in town for another day,¡± I said, handing him the second key fob from the ring.


    Surprised, the guy accepted the key and said, ¡°Certainly, Miss Farmer. When do you think you¡¯ll be back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll email you,¡± I said, patting the pretty little car one more time before walking back outside into the late afternoon.


    The address that I¡¯d been given was for a red brick townhouse only a few blocks away from where The Downfall had attended the benefit party for that refugee aid organization before their London shows.


    ¡°Are you sure this is it?¡± I asked the cab driver, and he had the decency to not look insulted.


    ¡°There¡¯s the number right there,¡± he said, pointing to a dark blue address number on a white tile next to the door.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, paying the fare and tipping the man. I had no idea of what the etiquette might have been for tipping cab drivers in the UK, so I gave him a typical New York-level tip.


    I climbed the handful of steps to the house¡¯s front door and used the lion¡¯s-head knocker. In a short moment an elderly man with piercing gray eyes opened the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to meet Colonel Bridger?¡± I asked as much as I explained.


    ¡°Yes, do come in,¡± he said and led me inside. As much as the place looked like a fancy townhouse on the outside, inside it clearly was exactly what Bridger had said- a club for retired military.


    Colonel Bridger was in what I guess would be called the ¡®Reading Room¡¯ or something like that. He rose and shook my hand when I entered, then indicated I should take a seat. He waited to seat himself until after I sat down.


    ¡°Ms Farmer,¡± he began, but I interrupted him.


    ¡°¡®Leah¡¯ is fine, Colonel,¡± I assured him, earning myself a smile.


    ¡°Please call me Roger,¡± he replied. ¡°Thank you for meeting with me. This is quite a pleasure, let me say.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised to get your invitation,¡± I admitted, ¡°but intrigued.¡±


    Roger smiled at that. ¡°When Harry introduced us, I will admit I was intrigued by you as well. At first glance you seemed be¡­ Well, to be frank, perhaps the correct term is a ¡®trophy wife¡¯, yes? But as we spoke, I came to reassess my opinion of you. Of course, you were discussing financial dealings with Harry, so it became clear to me that you were very business-minded, but¡­¡± he said, his eyes focused back on that night five months earlier. ¡°But it was your eyes.¡± He leaned back in his seat. ¡°You have the eyes of one of us,¡± he said, gesturing to include the room, and presumably the club as a whole. ¡°This club- it¡¯s for retired special forces. These men and women are¡­ hard. We have seen and done things. You have that look in your eyes. Pardon me for being blunt, but I recognize the eyes of a killer when I see them.¡±


    I started to say something, but he held up his hand to stop me.


    ¡°So I did what anybody does nowadays, and I Googled you. Quite an amazing series of accomplishments for one so young,¡± he said. ¡°In the course of my digging, I found out about your father, which led me to your great-grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess- your grandfather and my great-grandfather served together in North Africa,¡± I said.


    ¡°It seems so,¡± he agreed. ¡°In Tunisia.¡±


    ¡°I admit I know very little of what my great-grandfather did in the war,¡± I said. ¡°But that bit of shared history is just a pretext, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is a¡­ conversation-starter,¡± Roger admitted. ¡°A connection, if you will.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± I said, looking around to make sure nobody was close enough to hear our conversation. ¡°All I really know of my great-grandfather¡¯s service was that he did some time working with the UK military, and they gave him one of these,¡± I said, reaching behind me and pulling out the knife I¡¯d bought earlier in the day. ¡°Not this exact one, of course- that¡¯s back home in California.¡±


    ¡°You carry that with you,¡± he said, nodding appreciatively. He leaned forward again and said in a low voice, ¡°That one appears new, but my guess is that your heirloom has seen some use?¡±


    ¡°Who can say?¡± I replied, tucking the Fairbairn-Sykes replica back into its sheath.


    ¡°As I believe I said, you are indeed one of us,¡± he said, nodding that his suspicions were confirmed.

 Finally Coming Home

    Over dinner in the club¡¯s dining room Roger pointed at the many framed portraits of uniformed officers on the walls.


    ¡°Not all of these men and women were official club members,¡± he said. ¡°Some were nominated to be memorialized by club members- the black frames indicate those killed in the line of duty. The only requirement is that they served in the special forces of the UK or its allies. Your father could be here, as could his father, and your great-grandfather. It¡¯s an amazing lineage you have, Leah.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to sponsor the three of them for honorary memberships. This would also mean that you would be welcome as a family member. Not full club membership, but close.¡±


    ¡°Apparently you know much more about my family¡¯s service history than I do,¡± I told him. ¡°Mom really doesn¡¯t talk much about it, and Grandma and Grandpa never said a word about his time in uniform.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done a fair bit of research,¡± Roger admitted. ¡°As I said, I was intrigued when Harry introduced us at the fund raiser. This led me down what might properly be said was a rabbit hole. The only reason I was able to access much of the information was that my own security clearance allowed me to see some of the documentation.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I know almost none of it,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I could show you what I¡¯ve found,¡± Roger said. ¡°What¡¯s your security clearance?¡±


    Suddenly seeing the hook attached to the lure, I said, ¡°I¡¯ve never had any reason to go through the process, or any reason why I¡¯d be granted one.¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Roger said more as a statement of doubt rather than a question.


    ¡°I¡¯m a civilian,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Roger replied sardonically.


    Changing the subject, I asked, ¡°Did Harry tell you I bought an apartment here in London? I expect we¡¯ll be spending a lot of time here going forward.¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± Roger admitted.


    ¡°Let me take a stab in the dark. You thought that, well, somehow you and I could get some sort of understanding going, right? That you could become my liaison, or maybe even my handler locally?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Was I that heavy-handed?¡± he asked wryly.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t subtle about it, but the flaw in your whole plan was that I really am just a civilian. I really am just what I look like from your no-doubt quite thorough investigation. I am just a real estate investor with a rock star for a trophy wife.¡±


    ¡°You have two trophy wives, if I¡¯m not mistaken,¡± Roger said.


    ¡°I do,¡± I agreed with a smile. ¡°Angela was the one who fell in love with London and wanted a place here, and what my honeys want, they get.¡±


    ¡°Let us say, for the sake of argument, that what you say is true. You are nothing more than an Olympic-level athlete and real estate tycoon with both a long string of violent incidents which all seem to have gone very badly for the other people involved, and, apparently, some sort of militia of unknown numbers and capacity. If you aren¡¯t some organization¡¯s asset, it is a fair bet that they have their eyes on you,¡± Roger said.


    ¡°This meeting is proof of that,¡± I countered.


    ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± Roger said with a smile.


    ¡°Coming back to things for the sake of argument, what is it that you thought you could liaise with me on, and handle me to do for you? I¡¯m curious as to what you were thinking needed your touch,¡± I said.


    ¡°Well, that is the question, isn¡¯t it? The¡­ ¡®red flag,¡¯ if you will, was your purchase of a very ostentatious penthouse here in London. Alarms were sounded- we had no idea why you were making a move here,¡± Roger said.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna laugh,¡± I warned him. ¡°The reason is way less nefarious than you could have imagined, and much more prosaic. The thing is, Emmy and Angela are both pregnant and we wanted a home that was close to Emmy¡¯s parents in Paris, but not too close. We wanted someplace that the in-laws could easily visit for a day- or we could visit them- but too far away to simply drop by unannounced. I love my parents-in-law, but from arm¡¯s length.¡±


    Roger did laugh at that. ¡°If that¡¯s your cover, it¡¯s perfect because it¡¯s perfectly believable. Anyone could well understand the desire to not live right next to their parents in-law.¡±


    ¡°Angela suggested we buy in Paris but Emmy vetoed that, so here we are,¡± I said with a shrug.


    Shaking his head and chuckling, Roger took a sip of his gin and tonic. ¡°I seem to have misread the situation quite badly.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, I might be the subject of what¡¯s possibly CIA interest, too,¡± I said. ¡°In Cartagena, Colombia, just before coming here to London, a man who claimed to be in the logistics business seemed really interested in me.¡±


    ¡°Logistics? Colombia?¡± Roger chuckled again.


    ¡°Yeah, that was my reaction,¡± I agreed with a chuckle. ¡°When I asked my contacts in the local intelligence community they said that the guy was suspected of working with the Americans, but they stopped short of outright confirming it.¡±


    ¡°Your contacts in the local intelligence community?¡± he asked, taking my bait.


    ¡°Yeah. They said that this guy, Emiliano Su¨¢rez, was thought to be working with the CIA and the cartels.¡±


    ¡°It pains me to say it, but I don¡¯t find those bedfellows all that strange at all,¡± Roger replied.


    ¡°I think everybody down there accepts it as a given,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°How does a real estate investor from California have contacts in the Colombian intelligence service?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°My father-in-law on Angela¡¯s side is retired Colombian special forces, and he has friends,¡± I said. ¡°Which your research really should have uncovered.¡±


    ¡°I expect it should have,¡± he agreed. ¡°I shall have to give my assistants a good talking-to.¡±


    ¡°Something you said had me curious, Roger. You mentioned that I had ¡®a long string of violent incidents¡¯. What has your research said about that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear that American law enforcement does a very good job of inter-departmental communication,¡± he said. ¡°I haven¡¯t found any signs of any sort of overall dossier on you, which is itself remarkable, given that you have been involved in violent crime incidents in at least three states. I should think that someone, somewhere would have connected the dots.¡±


    ¡°The detective in New York knew of the incident in San Francisco,¡± I countered.


    ¡°Yes, he mentioned it in his notes,¡± Roger agreed, letting me know that he did have access to a lot of normally off-limits information. ¡°But that seems to be as far as it got.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re seeing a pattern that American law enforcement hasn¡¯t?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The pattern is that you respond to danger decisively and with deliberate force,¡± Roger said. ¡°Almost as if you¡¯d been trained by professionals in just that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°One might think that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Did I say that you¡¯d intrigued me when we first met? That has certainly not diminished any in the course of this evening¡¯s conversation,¡± Roger said. ¡°I must admit that I really have no idea how to proceed.¡±


    ¡°Well, like I said, I¡¯m not ¡®in the game¡¯, like they say in the spy novels I¡¯ve read, but I am, well¡­ highly motivated to learn certain things,¡± I told him. ¡°And there¡¯s a very real possibility I may need to ask for favors in the future.¡± Looking Roger straight in the eyes, I said, ¡°So, if you need something from me, ask away. Just expect that it might be a two way street.¡±


    Roger took a long, deep breath. ¡°I suddenly feel as if I¡¯m swimming with sharks,¡± he said.


    ¡°I bite. Hard. But I have my own agenda, and there¡¯s a very real chance yours might align with mine. You invited me here to recruit me as an asset, but let¡¯s be frank. I might like to use you as my own asset if the circumstances arise.¡±


    ¡°What-¡± Roger began, then stopped. A moment later, he asked, ¡°What do you imagine I might do for you?¡±


    ¡°To be determined,¡± I said. ¡°As I expect your requests of me might be. I will tell you straight out, and no bullshit, I do not represent any governmental agency of any kind, American or otherwise, but I do have my interests. Business and otherwise. It might be that you could provide a bit of information, or a bit of assistance.¡±


    ¡°And in return, what would you do for me?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°What do you need? If it¡¯s something I can do for you¡­¡±


    Roger thought for a moment. ¡°At one of The Downfall¡¯s afterparties, a man called James Morgan seemed to have groped your wife. Her bodyguard threatened to break his arm.¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°Emmy De Lascaux said that he was lucky that the bodyguard had caught him, rather than you. She said that if you¡¯d caught him, he would spend the night at the bottom of the Thames.¡±


    ¡°She did say that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Was she correct?¡±


    ¡°Probably not, no,¡± I said. ¡°I might have broken his hand, but I can¡¯t see how copping a feel would be a death sentence. Besides, after that public a scene¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be hard for even our fine constabulary to ignore a scene like that if he were to go missing,¡± Roger agreed.


    ¡°You really do need to take these things into consideration,¡± I said, nodding.


    The conversation turned to other topics at that point. Roger gave me some tips for things to see or do in London- things that certainly weren¡¯t on my radar. Ancient pubs, artist¡¯s alleys, off-beat museums and the like.


    When I mentioned that I¡¯d bought a car that afternoon, Roger asked if I¡¯d ever driven on the right side of the road, and when I admitted that I hadn¡¯t and the prospect seemed a bit daunting, he promised to connect me with a driving instructor he knew.


    ¡°Mind you, he¡¯s not the sort to teach teens to parallel park,¡± Roger hinted.


    ¡°I enjoy high-performance driving,¡± I assured him. ¡°And I always appreciate good coaching.¡± I told him about my in-laws buying me the BMW GT3 for my birthday, and hiring a retired F1 driver to coach me for the day.


    ¡°This fellow may well be just the man for you, then,¡± Roger said with a grin.


    In the cab on the way back to Notting Hill I reflected on the evening¡¯s meeting. I wasn¡¯t too sure how far things extended, but it was clear that Roger at least was keeping an eye on me. I had to imagine this extended to the British Intelligence services, if he¡¯d been acting in official capacity. If Emiliano Su¨¢rez actually was with the CIA or maybe the DEA or who knows what American organization, then that made two groups that would keep me looking over my shoulder.


    It was certainly something to think about.


    For our flight to the US I¡¯d booked tickets that gave us an overnight in New York. The eight hour flight time from Heathrow was bad enough for Mrs Tanaka- a flight of more than eleven hours just wasn¡¯t necessary.


    ¡°You have a house in New York?¡± Akiko asked when I told her the flight plans.


    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯ll only be there for one evening,¡± I said.


    ¡°But New York!¡± she protested.


    ¡°It¡¯ll still be there when you have time to do some sight-seeing," I told her.


    ¡°That might never happen!¡±


    Mrs Tanaka spoke to her granddaughter and the two conversed for a while. Finally, Akiko said, ¡°I guess I can wait.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t asked, but how long are you two planning on staying in the US?¡±


    ¡°As long as it takes,¡± Akiko said with a shrug.


    ¡°As long as what takes?¡± I asked. Neither of them had so much as spoken a word of what their assignment actually was. The only clue was when Hayate Oshida had said that the shinobi needed my guidance, whatever that actually meant.


    A lengthy discussion between granddaughter and grandmother ensued, before Akiko finally said, "We can¡¯t tell you yet. Grandmother is still not entirely certain that we should¡­ put our trust in you?¡± she said, making it sound like a question.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said. ¡°You guys got to see our outreach program in action in Colombia, but in Los Angeles you¡¯ll see the normal workings of our nation. That should give your grandmother all the information she needs to come to a decision.¡±


    I had Wally drop the three of us off at the little Japanese restaurant a block from the townhouse, telling him we¡¯d walk home after dinner. He asked if we would need him for the rest of the evening, and I said that I wasn¡¯t sure, but I doubted it.


    ¡°It was a long flight and it might be only six in the evening here, but it feels like nine to us,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring breakfast in the morning,¡± he promised as he left to take our luggage to the townhouse.


    ¡°This is very good,¡± Akiko translated for Mrs Tanaka while we ate. ¡°It is a little different than we¡¯re used to- more Tokyo-style than what we eat at home, but very good.¡±


    ¡°New York City has a lot of incredible restaurants. There are so many people here from all over the world that know how the food should taste that restaurants can¡¯t get away with being ¡®close enough¡¯,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s true of Los Angeles, too, but the mix is a bit different. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    The townhouse impressed the two shinobi far more than I¡¯d expected. Of course it really doesn¡¯t look like all that much from the street, but once inside it is really very nice. I handed the two of them off to Luisa to show around and make comfortable while I bolted up to my office to take care of some business before the end on the work day in California.


    After I wrapped up for the day I found the two ladies sitting in the parlor, drinking tea that Luisa had prepared and talking quietly in Japanese.


    ¡°This is a very nice house,¡± Akiko said, her eyes wide.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed.


    The two got into a quick discussion, then Akiko turned to me again. ¡°You are very rich,¡± she said.


    ¡°I am,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That is what we had thought, but it¡¯s good to see it confirmed. When you offered financial assistance to Mr Oshida, we were not certain how much you could help.¡±


    ¡°How much do you need, and what do you need it for?¡± I asked, hoping we were finally getting to some real negotiations.


    ¡°That is for my grandmother to discuss with you when she is ready,¡± Akiko said.


    The flight from Teterboro Airport to Burbank was so, so much better than the last few flights had been. Although executive charter is a fair step down from flying in the Lascaux family jet, it was a dramatically better experience than large commercial airliner flying. Not for the first time I found myself seriously considering the economics of jet ownership¡­


    Emmy and Angela had wanted me to bring the Tanakas to stay at our house, but I¡¯d been hesitant. They weren¡¯t family or friends, really- they were emissaries from a different nation of Night Children and to treat them so casually might not be appropriate. With that in mind, I¡¯d booked them a suite in a boutique hotel on Sunset, more or less just down the hill from our house.


    When I dropped the two of them off, I gave them the phone number of the livery service and made it clear that there were drivers available to them at any time. I was paying for the rooms and all the amenities and meals they had at the hotel, but they were on their own anywhere else.


    ¡°Get some sleep tonight and rest and recover for the next day or two. Maybe do some sightseeing- the drivers will be happy to take you anywhere you want to go. Let¡¯s reconnect the day after tomorrow and I can introduce you to some of our people here,¡± I suggested, and they seemed agreeable.


    The gate to the motor court was wide open when the taxi dropped me off, and I must admit I had never been so happy to find myself standing outside our unmarked front door. As good as that was, I was a hundred times as happy when Angela rushed up and gave me a big, long hug and kiss when I walked into the great room.


    ¡°Baby!¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of babies,¡± I said, leaning back to eye her tummy. ¡°How¡¯s junior doing?¡±


    ¡°Huge,¡± Angela groaned. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to get even bigger in the next few months! I feel like I swallowed a watermelon! I¡¯m so fat!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not fat, Ange. In fact, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever been as beautiful as you are right now.¡±


    Angela smiled at this and gave me another, more passionate kiss.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find Em. They should be in the practice room,¡± Angela said, taking my hand. ¡°That must be one of your new suits,¡± Angela said as we walked. ¡°It looks great on you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really pleased at how they turned out,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Lee? Thanks.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I talked with William and Simon in London, and they told me you refused to even look at the designs for the apartment. They said that you told them you trusted me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± I said, tugging her to a stop so I could wrap my arms around her again. ¡°Ange, you¡¯re my wife, my life partner. We¡¯re gonna spend the rest of our lives together, and whenever that thought pops into my head I get a warm sensation, like being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket.¡±


    ¡°There you go, saying just the right thing again,¡± Angela said, wiping a tear away.


    When we stuck our heads in the door of the rehearsal room, Emmy announced to her band mates that she was done for the night- she had some lost time to make up for.

 A Nissan Micra

    ¡°If I¡¯d known it was going to be like this,¡± I said, sweaty and panting, ¡°I¡¯d have made damned sure I was home a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°We have missed you very much,¡± Emmy said, draped across my naked body. ¡°And Angela has become insatiable recently.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it,¡± Angela said. ¡°I¡¯m just in the mood all the time now. The doctor said it¡¯s normal, because of elevated hormones. She also said it¡¯s good exercise.¡±


    ¡°I need to remember to give the good doctor a nice bonus,¡± I said.


    ¡°The only problem is, well, this,¡± Angela said, cradling her growing belly in her arms. ¡°It makes it kinda hard sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I imagine Emmy has been helpful in working around that,¡± I said, leaning over to kiss the unmissable baby bump.


    ¡°She has,¡± Angela agreed, her voice tender.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been missing so much of it,¡± I said, nuzzling her belly. ¡°Both of yours. I promised I¡¯d be with you, but instead I¡¯ve been off doing stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Angela said, brushing my hair back from my face as I continued to kiss her tummy.


    ¡°You have your duties, and you take them very seriously,¡± Emmy said, sitting on her knees.


    ¡°My most important duty is to you two,¡± I said, laying a hand on Emmy¡¯s not-quite-as-large belly. ¡°To you four,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°You are back now, and it will still be months before our babies are born. Do not feel guilty for neglecting us. We know that you love us, and we understand that you had things that needed to be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Em¡¯s right, Lee. I have three more months to go, and she has almost five. In three months I¡¯ll expect you home every day, but now? If you need to do something, this is a good time,¡± Angela said. ¡°Besides, we start the North American leg in a little over a week. It¡¯ll be nice to be home in between the shows when we can, but you don¡¯t need to come on tour with us the whole time.¡±


    ¡°I hate being away from you guys,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Angela said. ¡°We hate it when you¡¯re not with us.¡±


    ¡°When you are with naked Miami party girls instead,¡± Emmy added.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the worst,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°Naked Miami party girls are O.K., I guess, but all I could think about was how much I wished you guys were there with me instead.¡±


    ¡°Next time,¡± Angela promised.


    As much as I hated leaving the comfy bed with my two sleeping beauties, I got up early to go to the fight gym to work out. It had been too long, and an hour of swimming a day was no substitute.


    I was waiting when Eddie arrived to open the place up for the day.


    ¡°Hey! Long time no see,¡± he said as he got out of his car to slide the chain-link gate to the parking lot open. ¡°Where ya been?¡±


    ¡°I had some stuff to take care of,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯ve been lazy, so it¡¯s time to put in some hard work to make up for lost time.¡±


    ¡°Your idea of hard work ain¡¯t like most peoples¡¯,¡± he said, stepping aside to let me pull the M6 into the lot.


    As the regulars drifted in over the course of the next three hours I got a long string of greetings and comments. They ranged from a simple, ¡°Welcome back!¡± to ¡°It ain¡¯t been the same around here without ya!¡±


    ¡°Good to have you back,¡± Richie said when I took a break to sip some water. ¡°We weren¡¯t sure you were ever actually gonna come back, you know,¡± he said, indicating the gym in general. ¡°We just never know with you.¡±


    ¡°I had some stuff to take care of,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Someplace sunny, judging by your tan,¡± Richie replied.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°It was sunny and hot.¡±


    ¡°Do I even wanna know?¡±


    ¡°Judging by the fact you¡¯re fishing, I¡¯d say you do,¡± I said.


    ¡°Got me there,¡± Richie admitted.


    ¡°It was nothing, really. Just some¡­ well, family business,¡± I said.


    ¡°Someplace hot and sunny.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± I said, nodding.


    Realizing he was getting nothing else from me, Richie threw his hands up in dismay. ¡°Some day I¡¯m gonna find out if all this is real or not, or if you¡¯re just yanking my chain.¡±


    ¡°But not today,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you in today,¡± Nash said, sticking his head in my office. ¡°You¡¯ve been working remote so much lately.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯ve been remote. First in Colombia, then the UK,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty remote, alright,¡± Nash agreed. ¡°But hey, now you¡¯re back, I¡¯ve got some properties for you to look at.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯ve handed all that over to you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ these are over the threshold I¡¯m comfortable with,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take a look. I assume, since they¡¯ve gotten this far, that you¡¯re thinking they¡¯re good investments?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Like I said, the dollar figure is high enough that I thought it was best to get your sign-off,¡± Nash said.


    ¡°Sure. Leave ¡®em here with me. I¡¯ll check them out,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back,¡± Nash said.


    After dinner that night Emmy and Angela didn¡¯t want to do anything but snuggle on the couch, and I was perfectly happy to have the two of them piled up on top of me. Their combined weight and warmth, plus their gentle voices as they talked, lulled me into a relaxed, drowsy state before too long. The last thing I remember thinking before drifting off to sleep was that this was the best thing in life.


    Once again, I made myself sneak out of bed (Emmy and Angela had woken me up to come to bed when they¡¯d realized I¡¯d fallen asleep) to get to the gym when Eddie opened.


    ¡°Two days in a row?¡± Jake asked when he spotted me walking into the office after my workout.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be around for a little while,¡± I said. ¡°At least until Emmy¡¯s tour starts up again. Oh- before I forget, these are for Makayla,¡± I said, pulling a half dozen concert tickets from my pocket.


    Taking the tickets, he looked at them a moment before recognizing what they were.


    ¡°These are for the Downfall show at the Coliseum?¡± he asked incredulously, even while holding the evidence in his hands.


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    ¡°You said Emmy was her favorite,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°Six tickets? This says these are over four hundred bucks each!¡± he said, examining the info printed on the tickets. ¡°I can¡¯t take these- it¡¯s too much!¡± Jake protested.


    ¡°Well, they aren¡¯t for you, are they? They¡¯re for Makayla. And some friends, and presumably a chaperone of some sort. You know I told Emmy about her way back when, right? She never forgets that sort of thing, so when tickets were released for the LA show she made sure to grab some for your granddaughter. The truth is, since this is the band¡¯s home show in a sense, a whole lot of the seats there in the VIP section are going to be giveaways.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gonna go apesh- She¡¯ll really love this,¡± Jake said, waving the tickets. ¡°Thanks for this.¡±


    ¡°LA is the last stop on the tour, so it¡¯ll be a month and a half until the show. You might want to give those to her soon, so she can figure out who¡¯s going,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna talk to her parents today,¡± he agreed, pocketing the little pieces of card stock worth over two grand- even more than that on the scalper market.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen maybe half the shows so far this tour, and I can tell you, they do them up right,¡± I told Jake.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that no two shows are exactly the same?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Every show has its own setlist, and sometimes the way they play the songs is even different. And of course, the intros are always improvised, so they¡¯re never the same,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Maybe I should hang onto one of these for myself!¡± Jake joked, patting his pocket.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d regret seeing them live,¡± I agreed.


    Angela skipped out on driving the next morning and I can¡¯t say that I blamed her at all. She wasn¡¯t huge huge yet, but she was definitely well on her way, and getting thrown around and having the seatbelt push her tummy just wouldn¡¯t be fun at all.


    When the guys asked where she was, I explained that she¡¯d probably be skipping any spirited driving until after the baby was born.


    ¡°Wait- baby?¡± Stein asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s five months pregnant,¡± I said.


    ¡°When did that happen?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Well, it started, oh, about five months ago,¡± Teddy Bear volunteered, earning him a look from Stein.


    ¡°I mean, we just saw her and she wasn¡¯t showing at all,¡± Stein responded.


    ¡°You just saw her a couple of months ago, before the South America leg of the tour,¡± I told him. ¡°And she wore clothes that hid her slightly less flat than usual tummy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± Stein admitted. Turning to Teddy Bear, he asked, ¡°How long have you known?¡±


    ¡°Um, maybe four months, I guess? Leah told me that both Angela and Emmy had gotten pregnant, but they wanted to keep it on the QT until they got all the health tests back,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s pregnant, too?¡± Stein demanded.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s not quite as far along as Angela, but both babies have passed all the tests with flying colors. Healthy, vigorous pregnancies for both of them,¡± I said, just as Jimmy came back rom the mini mart with a Red Bull in his hand.


    ¡°Did I hear ¡®babies¡¯?¡± Jimmy demanded.


    ¡°I¡¯m just as blown away as you,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, who¡¯s the father?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± I said proudly. ¡°It turns out that if you really, really work at something long and hard enough¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget I even asked,¡± Stephen said, laughing.


    ¡°So, anyway, Angela is due towards the end of September and Emmy six weeks or so later,¡± I said. ¡°So no driving for Angela until after then, and after the girls are born I¡¯ll probably stay home for a while, too.¡±


    ¡°You say that now,¡± Geoff said. ¡°But the two of them will probably be begging you to get out of the house and go do something quicker than you know it. Linda only wanted me around full-time for about a week after Eileen was born, then she pretty much demanded I go back to work. I think it was like two days with Virginia.¡±


    ¡°I got no advice on this matter at all,¡± Jimmy said.


    ¡°And if you did, it wouldn¡¯t be good advice anyhow,¡± Stein retorted.


    ¡°No, prolly not,¡± Jimmy admitted.


    ¡°So Angela not coming today is why you brought that?¡± Stein asked, waving his paper coffee cup in the direction of the Porsche Safari.


    ¡°The story gets better,¡± I said. ¡°Angela wants the two of us to go rally racing. Specifically in that car.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a really rally car, though, is it?¡± Geoff asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be better off in a Subaru WRX, or one of those Ford RSes?¡±


    ¡°Sure, probably. Actually, absolutely. But I don¡¯t think being competitive is the point for Ange. I think it¡¯s about having fun in style for her, and she just loves the Porsche. Actually, she loves the attention the Porsche gets, and the idea of hauling the mail out on back roads in Newfoundland in that car in specific¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°I guess I get that,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°Yeah, for sure. The car wouldn¡¯t be competitive, but it¡¯s certainly fast enough to feel like you¡¯re racing,¡± Geoff admitted.


    ¡°Right. The race she has um, targeted, is held in September or October. Obviously we can¡¯t do it this year, so that gives me a bit over a year to come to grips with this bad boy and get a real feel for it, you know? So it¡¯ll probably be my primary toy for Saturdays for the foreseeable future.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about that paved rally stage race, right? From what I understand it tends to rain a hell of a lot that time of year there,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°Yeah, a lot of the videos Angela showed me were in the rain, so I¡¯ll need to go up to the Northwest and get some wet road practice in this winter,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°She showed you the videos?¡± Jimmy asked.


    ¡°This was all her idea,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Ange is the one who wants to do it- I¡¯m just along for the ride. Well, the drive, since it¡¯ll be me behind the wheel, but¡­¡±


    ¡°What does Emmy think of all this?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°She says she¡¯d be perfectly happy cheering from the side of the road,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°You hit such a fucking home run in life,¡± Stein said, shaking his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s no lie,¡± Teddy Bear agreed.


    At lunch, Geoff asked where I was going to take my Safari for service. When I told him I was this close to pulling the trigger and buying an area Porsche dealership, he said he¡¯d thought I was joking about that.


    ¡°Well, I looked into it, and neither Porsche nor BMW have any restrictions on cross-brand dealership ownership. Neither of them want the other dealership mentioned in any sort of promotional fashion, but behind the scenes they don¡¯t care. As long as I keep the overall ownership out of public sight, I can own all the BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes dealerships I want.¡±


    ¡°How many do you want?¡± Geoff asked, curious.


    ¡°Honestly? They don¡¯t make as much money as you¡¯d think, so really, it¡¯s a fairly poor use of my capital,¡± I admitted. ¡°And owning dealerships just so I have technicians to work on my cars, well, that¡¯s even stupider. But they can make money, so it¡¯s not a loss, right? The Porsche dealership I¡¯m considering buying is just barely hanging on, but I think that¡¯s mostly piss-poor management as a result of bad ownership. I¡¯m certain my team can come in and sweep the place clean and turn it around.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯d be a Porsche dealer on top of the two BMW shops you own now?¡± Geoff asked. ¡°Any others in the pipeline?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually own the BWM dealerships yet,¡± I said. ¡°They won¡¯t officially become mine until January first.¡±


    ¡°And the Porsche one?"


    ¡°I have a meeting with the sellers in a couple of weeks. It¡¯ll be a cash deal, so it should close quickly. I¡¯ve already been approved by the Porsche mothership, so it¡¯s simply a matter of negotiation at this point,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Well, hurry up. Linda has been talking about trading in the Cayenne for a Macan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you get the sweetest deal possible,¡± I told him.


    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ll be in the market for a minivan soon,¡± Teddy Bear said to me.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re gonna have to get something with more room than our X6,¡± I agreed. ¡°About the opposite of the car I just bought the other day, as a matter of fact.¡±


    ¡°What did you buy this time?¡± Stein asked, with a ¡®here we go again¡¯ expression on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna laugh. It¡¯s a Camry,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Stein countered. ¡°There is no way in Hell you bought a Camry.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ It does have a Camry motor. Sorta,¡± I protested.


    ¡°O.K., what would you have possibly bought that has a Camry motor in it?¡± Teddy Bear asked, his curiosity piqued. ¡°Is this one of those ¡®I just bought a fifty thousand square foot house¡¯ things?¡±


    ¡°I guess?¡± I said, making a thoughtful face. ¡°It¡¯s a Lotus Evora GT. In Racing Green.¡±


    ¡°If you just bought a Lotus, why are you driving that old Porsche?¡± Stein asked. ¡°That Lotus, even with a Camry motor, should be a Hell of a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°The Porsche is a lot of fun,¡± I protested. ¡°But the problem with the Lotus is that it¡¯s in London.¡±


    ¡°You ordered for local pickup? That¡¯s cool,¡± Geoff said. ¡°I had a friend that did that with his Carrera S.¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. I bought it for local use. It¡¯s wrong-side drive.¡±


    ¡°You got yourself a Lotus for your local driver when you¡¯re in London? Seriously?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to take wrong-side driving classes,¡± I said, making a face. ¡°I¡¯ll probably need to take the full test, including the behind the wheel part, to get my license over there. Honestly, I probably should buy a Nissan Micra or something to learn in before wrecking the Lotus.¡±


    ¡°A Nissan Micra?¡± Stein laughed. ¡°I can just picture it! It¡¯d be like that chase scene in the Bourne movie where he hauls ass in that old Mini."


    ¡°I¡¯d watch that movie,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°Oh, Hells to the yeah,¡± Jimmy agreed. ¡°Lizzie up on two wheels around one of those big roundabouts they have over there? Would watch!¡±


    ¡°You guys¡¯ll get a laugh out of this. I actually had a meeting with a¡­ well, a representative of the government, and he more or less hinted that they were keeping an eye on me. He did offer to hook me up with a high-performance driving instructor, though, so maybe mixed messages?¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°He seemed like a decent guy¡­¡±


    ¡°And that is why you¡¯re so off the hook,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°You tell us this crazy shit, like, stuff that just doesn¡¯t happen to normal people, and we never know what to believe because it sounds like bullshit, but then turns out to be true.¡±


    ¡°Jimmy¡¯s not wrong,¡± Stephen agreed.


    ¡°No, no, he¡¯s not,¡± Stein agreed, and everybody else at the table nodded knowingly.


    ¡°I mean, who else do we know that owns a race car,¡± Jimmy said, holding up a finger. ¡°And a movie studio converted into a house,¡± he said, raising another finger. ¡°Is married to a rock star, but has a top shelf fitness model on the side-¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not on the side. She¡¯s in the middle more often than not,¡± I corrected, amused.


    ¡°Casually beats up champion MMA fighters,¡± Jimmy continued, raising another finger.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Turns down a spot on the Olympic team because it would take too much time from growing a business empire,¡± Jimmy said, ignoring my protests.


    ¡°Seriously, I get it,¡± I said, putting my hand on his upraised fingers.


    ¡°But still too cheap to buy my sister off me, even after I made her a Hell of a deal,¡± Jimmy finished with a shit-eating grin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you could pay me enough to take her off your hands, Jimmy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Dude, all I ask is for a session in your GT3,¡± Jimmy protested.


    ¡°Nope. Just¡­ Nope,¡± I told him.

 Being Cagey

    That evening I got a call from Akiko Tanaka, saying that her grandmother was rested enough and ready to meet some local Night Children. I asked about what they specifically wanted to see, and she replied that they wanted to see Night Children living among day walkers.


    Amused at how readily the shinobi seem to be accepting of terminology they¡¯d never heard before meeting me, I agreed and said I¡¯d take the two of them on a tour that night. I kinda wanted Emmy to come along, but she resisted and I didn¡¯t push it. If she felt that she needed to spend a quiet evening at home, I certainly wasn¡¯t going to drag her out for a round of restaurant and bar hopping.


    When I picked the two Japanese ladies up at their hotel, I was surprised and pleased to see that they had opted to go without their makeup. The two were very, very black- much blacker than Emmy, and in fact, darker than most of the Night Children I¡¯d met. The Oshidas hadn¡¯t been as inky-black, either, but I put off asking Akiko about it. Maybe later, I told myself. After they feel a bit more comfortable.


    ¡°This is your car?¡± Akiko asked when I led them to the X6.


    ¡°One of them, yeah. The only four-door, though,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice,¡± she commented, admiring the interior.


    ¡°I like it,¡± I agreed.


    Our first stop was in Santa Monica, so we had a little time for idle chatter. I asked what they¡¯d done for the last couple of days, and Akiko, from the back seat, said that they¡¯d gone to Disneyland the day before.


    ¡°Were you wearing makeup?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Akiko admitted. ¡°We thought about not wearing it, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you aren¡¯t, tonight,¡± I said. ¡°Besides the Night Children I¡¯m going to introduce you to- none of whom have any idea we¡¯re coming, by the way, or who you two are- I want you to pay attention to the reaction people have when seeing you without makeup. Yesterday you were in big crowds, blending in, right? I¡¯m sure nobody gave you a second glance.¡±


    ¡°There were so many Japanese people there!¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°Right- so you didn¡¯t stand out at all. But tonight, you do. People here in Los Angeles still aren¡¯t all that used to seeing Night Children, so they might take a long look, but notice what happens after that.¡±


    Akiko relayed what I¡¯d said while I drove us to the farm-to-table restaurant. After finally finding a parking spot there on Fourth, I led the two ladies half a block down, explaining that we were going to a restaurant I owned.


    ¡°I have a lot of restaurants and similar businesses,¡± I told them. ¡°This is to create jobs for Night Children where they¡¯re very visible.¡±


    ¡°That does not make sense,¡± Akiko protested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain the thinking while we eat,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good evening, Ms Farmer,¡± the hostess said when we entered. ¡°Three for dinner?¡±


    I nodded, and she led the way to one of the booths off to the side.


    ¡°That waiter,¡± Akiko said, keeping her voice low, and pointing to the guy she meant.


    ¡°His name is Conrad,¡± I said. Just then a Night Child waitress came out of the kitchen, carrying a tray full of plates for another table.


    ¡°And her!¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°Watch,¡± I told her as the two Night Children worked the busy room. After a couple of minutes, Conrad came over to our table.


    ¡°My Queen,¡± he said, nodding to me. ¡°Can I get you three drinks?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like an iced tea with lemon, Conrad,¡± I told him, and Akiko ordered hot jasmine tea for herself and her grandmother.


    After Conrad left, Akiko leaned in. ¡°He¡¯s acting like¡­ well, like everybody else!¡± she said.


    ¡°Keep watching him and Lucy,¡± I told her, and she relayed the message to her grandmother, who was already doing just that.


    When Conrad came back he took our order without bothering to write anything down. After he went to turn the order in to the kitchen, Akiko said, ¡°Nobody here is reacting at all!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said, nodding. ¡°Lucy and Conrad have good jobs, and do well. Both of them live their lives like anybody else, and look around- not a single customer in this restaurant has tried to stab them, or run in fear, or, well, anything. If anybody gets upset at them, it¡¯ll be because they got the order wrong, not because of the color of their skin.¡±


    Mrs Tanaka spoke to her granddaughter for a bit, only stopping when Conrad brought our dinners.


    ¡°He obviously recognizes that we are also like him, but he¡¯s said nothing,¡± Akiko said once Conrad had gone off to attend other tables.


    ¡°Why should he?¡± I asked. ¡°To him, you¡¯re simply customers. No more, no less.¡±


    ¡°He called you his queen.¡±


    ¡°I am his queen,¡± I said.


    We ate our dinner mostly in silence, the two Tanakas watching the two Night Children waiters without saying much. I tipped very generously when we were done, as I always do.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to another restaurant and bar I own next,¡± I said as we walked back to the car.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°How many do you own?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, off the top of my head,¡± I admitted. ¡°Quite a few.¡±


    ¡°You said it was to give jobs to Night Children in visible, eh, occupations?¡± Akiko prompted as we got in the car.


    ¡°Right. Jobs like that serve a double purpose. On the one hand it gets the Night Child used to dealing with lots of day walkers, right? The flip side is that it gives a lot of day walkers a bit of exposure to Night Children in a safe, neutral environment for both parties. All those diners tonight? They might mention to a friend that they ate at a place that had the darkest waiter they¡¯ve ever seen in their life, but that¡¯s it, right? He was a waiter, and he had really dark skin. That¡¯s all. Maybe, just maybe, they¡¯ll think about it and wonder if Emmy, the famous rock star, is like that waiter, right? So when we publicly announce that Night Children exist and are a separate ethnic group, those diners will say ¡®Aha! Emmy is like that waiter I saw!¡¯ and that¡¯ll be it.¡±


    ¡°When do you expect to announce this?¡± Akiko asked, after translating for her grandmother.


    ¡°We¡¯re thinking it¡¯ll happen after her band¡¯s tour is over in a couple of months,¡± I said, parking the car in Westwood.


    I led the two to the same library bar I¡¯d taken Myles and Li to a month earlier, and to my relief, Rocky was behind the bar. The place was crowded with students enjoying their Saturday night, so we took stools by the bar.


    ¡°Queen Leah,¡± Rocky said in greeting, his charcoal-black face lighting up in a smile. ¡°And two lovely ladies,¡± he said, aiming his high-wattage smile at the two Tanakas. ¡°What can I get you tonight?¡±


    On the drive back to the Tanakas¡¯ hotel, the two talked for a while in Japanese.


    ¡°Thank you for showing us these people,¡± Akiko finally said.


    ¡°I want you guys to think about what it felt like to go without the makeup tonight,¡± I told her. ¡°And how people reacted to you.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t react,¡± Akiko said, after a moment¡¯s reflection. ¡°But that might have been because the waiters and barman were there already¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I admitted. ¡°But did you see how people reacted to them?¡±


    ¡°They¡­ did not, really,¡± Akiko said, thinking about it.


    "Tomorrow, let me take you to some places that have no Night Children, and let¡¯s see how you feel,¡± I said. ¡°Try it on your own. Go out for lunch showing your true faces. There are a hundred places to eat within a few blocks of the hotel. Just pick one, and see. Maybe do a little shopping¡­ I know the Oshidas spent some time in Tokyo showing their faces, right? Try it for yourselves.¡±


    ¡°What time should we expect you?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°Give me a call when you¡¯re ready to go out for the evening,¡± I replied. ¡°See you then!¡±


    Watching the two Japanese ladies disappear into the hotel, I thought about what all this hassle might lead to. Sure, it would be great to have the Japanese Night Children support our goals, but that was at best a moral victory. Yes, it would mean something within the Night Child world, but that wasn¡¯t particularly substantive.


    On the drive home, I wondered what they were planning on asking me for, and what I could ask for in return.


    ¡°How did it go tonight?¡± Emmy asked when I got back home.


    ¡°I think it went well, but the Japanese are being very cagey. They¡¯re keeping their cards close.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ is our culture,¡± Emmy said with a shrug.


    ¡°I know, and of course a big part of the whole ninja thing, too, so I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised, but they did reach out to me, right? Mrs Tanaka keeps saying that they¡¯ll tell me what it¡¯s all about once she gets satisfied by seeing how we do things here.¡±


    The next night I took the two Tanakas to a little Japanese restaurant that had good reviews on Yelp. I¡¯d never been there, and I told the two as much.


    ¡°This will be a big test,¡± I said. ¡°This is supposedly the most authentic Japanese place in the Valley, and I¡¯m hoping that means the largest percentage of actual Japanese people working there. I want you to interact with them, and see how things go.¡±


    When Akiko translated what I¡¯d said for her grandma and gotten a response, she said, ¡°This will be interesting.¡±


    ¡°After dinner, we¡¯ll go to a local bar where they¡¯ve probably never seen any Night Children at all,¡± I told her. ¡°By the way, how is it at the hotel?¡±


    ¡°The hotel is very nice, and they do not react to our coloring at all,¡± Akiko admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± I told her, pulling the BMW into the parking lot and finding a spot near the little Japanese place.


    Most of the businesses in the little strip mall had signs in Japanese, giving me hope that my idea would pan out.


    When we walked in the door the three waitresses all called out a greeting in Japanese in unison, confirming that this was probably the right place.


    I noticed the startled looks on the waitresses¡¯ faces when they saw the two Tanaka ladies, but it vanished quickly.


    When we took our booth, Mrs Tanaka spoke with the waitress in Japanese, surprising the waitress. She recovered quickly, though, and after a quick conversation the waitress brought out menus printed in Japanese.


    ¡°Order for me, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± I told Akiko. ¡°But I don¡¯t care for seafood.¡±


    ¡°So, noodles?¡±


    ¡°Or curry, or whatever,¡± I said.


    When the waitress came back to take our orders I just sat back and watched. It was clear that the waitress wasn¡¯t sure about these two women who looked so un-Japanese but spoke like natives, but as far as I could tell she didn¡¯t ask any questions about it. I glanced over and saw the sushi chef peering across his work counter at the Tanakas, but again, it was more of a sort of confused curiosity than anything else.


    In the car, Akiko said that the waitress had finally asked where the two of them were from.


    ¡°What did you tell her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I said that we are shinobi from Iga Province,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°Seriously? Did you really say that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I did,¡± she confirmed. ¡°But I¡¯m sure she thought I was simply joking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± I agreed.


    Maybe a mile down the road, I spotted what looked to be a local dive bar with handful of cars parked in the lot, so I pulled in.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been here before, either, so I can¡¯t promise anything,¡± I said as we entered the poorly lit space. It was just a standard neighborhood bar, with neon beer signs and Naugahyde booths. The waitress indicated we could sit wherever we wanted, so I parked us at a table right in the middle of the room.


    ¡°What can I get y¡¯all?¡± the waitress asked, not batting an eye at the Tanakas.


    ¡°You got Sapporo?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Bottles, not on tap,¡± she confirmed.


    ¡°Three, and what do you have for light snacks?¡±


    ¡°We ain¡¯t got a kitchen, but we got peanuts, and that kind of stuff,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯ve got,¡± I said.


    ¡°This place is terrible!¡± Akiko said in a low voice, looking around at the sad bar flies drinking in the place on a Sunday night.


    ¡°It kinda is,¡± I agreed. ¡°But perfect for the point I¡¯m trying to make. Did you see how the waitress looked at you two?¡±


    ¡°She barely glanced at us,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°Really, if she¡¯d looked close enough, she would have seen how young you are and would have asked for ID to see if you¡¯re old enough to drink.¡±


    ¡°What is the legal age for drinking?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°Twenty-one,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then I am O.K. I am twenty-two years old,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Seriously? I thought you were maybe fifteen or so?¡±


    ¡°No, I am in my third year at university,¡± she confirmed.


    ¡°Wow- I guess I really had misjudged,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I get it a lot,¡± she said.


    Home again after dropping the two Japanese ladies off at the hotel with no plans to meet the next day, I took a long, hot bath by myself while Emmy looked wistful, using her hand to swirl the water around me.


    ¡°I want to skip ahead to the part where I already have my baby,¡± she said. ¡°I am not enjoying pregnancy as much as Angie is.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± I said, taking her hand in mine. ¡°It¡¯s been tougher for you at every stage so far.¡±


    ¡°It will be worth it,¡± she said, looking down at her belly and stroking it gently with her dry hand.


    ¡°It will,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± she replied, her laughter like bells.


    ¡°Very easy,¡± I confirmed.


    Just then Angela joined us in the bathroom. ¡°What¡¯s easy?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It is easy for Leah to say that this will all be worth it,¡± Emmy said, patting her tummy.


    ¡°Oh, it will,¡± Angela said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to fast-forward.¡±

 But Not The Stabby Bits

    Monday morning meant back to the gym and then the office for me. I was glad for it, since the return to my old, familiar routine was very welcome, especially since Emmy and Angela would head to Toronto for the first stop of The Downfall¡¯s North America tour in just a few days. This meant that it would be another week until I got to see them in New York- week of work, and dealing with the Japanese Night Children.


    Joey and I had a little light contact session that morning, and while it was gratifying to see that he was taking my suggestions seriously, my heart just wasn¡¯t into it and I felt lazy and lackluster in the ring.


    ¡°Sorry, Joey,¡± I apologized when we stopped.


    ¡°Sorry for what?¡± he asked, wiping his face with his towel.


    ¡°For not giving it my all, I guess. I¡¯m just, I dunno, feeling distracted or something today.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t stop you from using me like a speed bag,¡± he countered. ¡°I swear you¡¯re so freakin¡¯ fast, I didn¡¯t even see the hits comin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°He ain¡¯t wrong,¡± Duane said, leaning on the ropes. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how anybody as tall as you can throw a fist like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I still need to build up my strength, though. I might hit fast, but I don¡¯t hit as hard as you guys,¡± I said, climbing out of the ring.


    ¡°Thank Christ for that,¡± Joey said.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Richie said, following me as I walked back to my corner of the gym to stretch. ¡°You want to know what I just saw?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You looked bored,¡± he said in a low voice so the other guys couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Watching you run rings around Joey like that, it was obvious that you could take him any time, right? But you looked, well, uninterested. I guess I¡¯m not saying this very well, but it¡¯s like¡­ well, like you¡¯re over it, somehow. Like you just humored Joey to be polite or something.¡±


    ¡°It was just a light touch spar, that¡¯s all,¡± I said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean much.¡±


    ¡°Well, like, that¡¯s it. It doesn¡¯t mean anything to you, right? But Joey, he was doing the best he could. You said you weren¡¯t giving it your all, but he sure was.¡±


    ¡°You know, it was just light contact- not a real bout, right? I can promise you that a few solid punches to my face would have sharpened up my focus quite a bit,¡± I said.


    Richie chuckled at that. ¡°I think I¡¯m not getting my point across,¡± he said. ¡°But maybe you just made it for me. Like you said, the stakes were so low for you that you couldn¡¯t bring yourself to care, but for him¡­¡±


    The rest of the day I found myself thinking about what Richie had said. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I was getting stale there at Clancy¡¯s Gym, and I needed to do something to shake myself out of the rut into which I was quietly falling. What that actually meant I wasn¡¯t sure, but I needed a new challenge. I¡¯d really enjoyed training with Mr Han in Singapore, after all. He taught me new ways of fighting, and the physical training program he¡¯d developed for me had helped my speed noticeably.


    That was it, I realized- I needed to find myself another Mr Han. Sparring with Joey and the guys down at the fight gym wasn¡¯t going to help me up my game at all, especially since the game they played there wasn¡¯t really the game I was training for after all.


    Idly wondering when, or even if, Mr Han was actually going to reach out to me here in Los Angeles, I did my best to focus on the paper on macroeconomic trends in residential real estate that was boring me to tears.


    ¡°Hey, boss lady,¡± Jake said, knocking on my open office door. ¡°Got time for a site inspection?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t done that for a while,¡± I said, surprised. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Just feeling nostalgic for the good ol¡¯ days, back when you used to spend your days here,¡± he said, getting a laugh from me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go up to San Jose on Friday and Monday, then next Friday I¡¯m going for a long week in New York to see Emmy play there, then Atlanta. So don¡¯t get too used to me being around the office a lot,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be the boss,¡± I agreed.


    I was sad to see Emmy and Angela take off for Toronto, but at least it was only a week until I saw them again in New York. Since the North American leg of the tour faced no logistical challenges the dates were packed in much tighter than they had been up to that point. Of course, this meant nearly no down time between shows, but that was a trade-off everybody was willing to accept this late in the tour. Adding to the hurry-up scheduling, Stephanie had managed to add nights in most of the stops. There is no way the earlier legs could have managed such a breakneck pace, but with only one border crossing and no drives longer than a day, it worked out.


    I was going to miss the Toronto and Montreal shows, but catch the two in New York, and then the first Atlanta night before flying back to Los Angeles. The next shows I¡¯d see would be Seattle, then San Francisco and of course, Los Angeles at the very end of the tour.


    After that, it was time to settle down and be domestic. Seeing Angela and Emmy¡¯s bellies swelling with the growing lives inside them had long since put any doubts I might have had to bed. I was going to have not one, but two newborns in the house in just a few months. First, Angela Jr, then after we¡¯d had just enough time to settle into parenthood, Emmy Jr would come along.


    I was looking forward to that time with excitement, and maybe just a touch of dread. I¡¯d heard all the horror stories about lack of sleep and of endless diaper changes and so on, but consoled myself with the thought that we¡¯d have the three of us to share the burden. We¡¯d be better off in that respect than typical families with twins, right? At least, that¡¯s what I kept telling myself.


    When people asked about Angela at the club in San Jose, I told them the truth- she was on tour with Emmy. This really didn¡¯t seem to raise any eyebrows anymore, so I¡¯m pretty sure that our household of three had become common knowledge, at least among that crowd.


    I spent that Saturday afternoon and evening over at Michael¡¯s house. We mostly talked about how Michael had decided that moving to New York, as we¡¯d suggested, made a lot of sense. That was where all the recruiting activity was happening, after all. Being a two hour drive from Jassie¡¯s college was a huge bonus, too.


    Discussing where he¡¯d want to live, we also talked about the possibility of setting up some sort of fixed location to serve as an operating base. Maybe a cultural center there in New York, or maybe one in each of the large East Coast cities that held substantial Night Children populations, as we were discussing doing in Cartagena.


    A dozen Night Children in a given city wouldn¡¯t be enough to justify the work and expense, but where there were a lot more it might make sense. We were due to announce the Night Children to the world soon, and setting up obvious cultural centers which could be open to day walker visitors might go a long way to further our agenda.


    I discussed the possibility that her family might be willing to display some of their ancient relics with Emmy that night¡¯s Facetime call.


    ¡°Even if they don¡¯t want to part with the actual original pieces, at least some sort of replicas can be made under the guidance of the Louvre, maybe,¡± I suggested. ¡°We¡¯re getting close to time to let the world know that Night Children exist, after all, and documentation of any sort would be really useful.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to know the truth?¡± Emmy said, thinking about it. ¡°You might be more persuasive than I would be with my parents. I am certain they love me, but they have come to truly respect you. If you approached them with your usual candor and with a convincing argument, I believe they might go along.¡±


    I told her about my discussion with Michael, which led into talking about the Cartagena Night Children. I told her that things were going very well down there and well over a hundred had joined our New Nation so far.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Incredible!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°It sure looks as if the Japanese are leaning towards some sort of agreement, too,¡± I told her. ¡°My last text from Akiko Tanaka indicated that they want to talk when I get back to Los Angeles.¡±


    Emmy sighed, then said, ¡°I am sorry that I have laid this burden upon you, Leah. You¡­ I could never have done what you have managed to do, even though I was raised for it. You, though, you have risen to the task.¡±


    ¡°Em, we¡¯ve been over this before. I¡¯ve been happy to do all this, to allow you the room to be the beloved figurehead our people need-¡± I started to say, but Emmy interrupted me.


    ¡°I feel a little thrill every time you say ¡®our people¡¯, Leah. Our people. Not ¡®my people'',¡± she said, touching her chest. ¡°You have taken the Night Children as your own. This means more to me than I could possibly express.¡±


    ¡°They are my people now,¡± I agreed. ¡°They accept me as their queen, but they adore you,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯re the guiding light.¡±


    ¡°It is sweet of you to say so,¡± Emmy said, smiling wistfully.


    Back in Los Angeles on Tuesday, I had dinner with Akiko and her grandmother at their hotel¡¯s restaurant. I¡¯d suggested we go out, but they wanted a sunset dinner on the rooftop terrace.


    ¡°Ms Farmer,¡± Akiko said when I joined them at their table.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± I said. ¡°Have you ordered yet?¡±


    ¡°No, just drinks,¡± she replied, indicating the tropical-looking cocktails in front of them.


    ¡°An Old Fashioned with Buffalo Trace,¡± I told the waitress, sending her back to the bar.


    After we ordered our food, I asked what the two of them had done the last few days.


    ¡°We went back to Disneyland, but looking like this,¡± Akiko said, indicating her pitch-black face.


    ¡°How did that go?¡±


    ¡°About the same as the first time we went,¡± Akiko admitted. ¡°A few people stared, but that was it.¡±


    ¡°What else have you two done? It¡¯s been almost a week since I saw you guys last,¡± I said.


    ¡°We have done typical tourist things. Trying to be as normal as possible.¡±


    ¡°With no makeup on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t worn it since our second day in Los Angeles,¡± Akiko said. ¡°You were right. It is very freeing. I don¡¯t know how well it will go in Japan, but here¡­¡±


    As we ate, I tried unsuccessfully to steer the conversation towards what the shinobi wanted from me. Eventually I just came right and asked.


    ¡°Your grandmother said that when she was satisfied with what she saw she would tell me what it is that you want from me. Has she decided it¡¯s time?¡±


    After a few minutes conversation between the two of them, Akiko turned back to me.


    ¡°Several nights ago we ate in a restaurant in Santa Monica,¡± she said. ¡°We met a¡­ Night Child working there. He was showing his face, as we are right now. We asked him how it was to have you as his queen, but he told us that you are not his queen. He does not¡­ swear fealty?¡± Akiko said, unsure if she was using the right words. When I nodded, she continued. ¡°He said that he knows of you, and knows other Night Children who have sworn fealty, but he chose not to. He had spoken to your men and knows that it is open to him, but he didn¡¯t feel he wanted to do it.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°There are quite a few like that.¡±


    ¡°He said that you and your people have made no attempt to¡­ coerce him. He knows that you give work and housing to your people, but felt he was doing well enough on his own. Speaking with this man¡­ That was when Grandmother decided that you could be trusted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d told your elders that we have no interest in forcing anybody to do anything they don¡¯t want,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, but that was merely words. To hear confirmation, that was different,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°O.K., I can understand that.¡± Turning to Mrs Tanaka directly, I asked, ¡°What can I do for you and your people?¡±


    After a quick bit of translating, Akiko asked, ¡°How much do you know of Japanese history?¡±


    ¡°Not much,¡± I admitted. ¡°Honestly, most of what I know comes from popular culture.¡±


    ¡°For most of Japanese history, Japan was ruled by feudal lords, who were at war with each other more than they were at peace,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°That part I know,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°We- our people, our clans, lived in an area that was not worth fighting for by the powerful clans, and our¡­ nature made it so that trying to take control of our territory was simply not worth it,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°Iga Province, right? Forested, mountainous, off the beaten path.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. We made it so that outsiders avoided our territory for nearly one thousand five hundred years. We didn¡¯t¡­ flourish, exactly, but we had our autonomy. We were poor peasants, farmers and tradesmen. We built no palaces, we had no royalty. We had our clan elders and our heroes, but that¡¯s it,¡± Akiko continued.


    ¡°This mirrors the life that Night Children have led in a lot of other parts of the world. In Europe, for example, up until the urbanization of the Renaissance and Enlightenment, most Night Children lived in isolated villages that were unwelcoming to outsiders,¡± I said.


    Nodding, Akiko said, ¡°During the Edo period, many forces united to end us as a threat. We were invaded, but oddly enough, no shinobi were ever actually caught. We did go into hiding, as you might expect, and when the Shogun¡¯s troops left our villages we returned to our old ways of farming. We made no further effort to involve ourselves in any way with the politics or warfare of the rest of Japan.¡±


    ¡°This all jibes with what I¡¯d assumed or come to understand,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°You need to know this history, and we would invite you to meet with our historians for a more complete explanation, but this basic outline will do for now. The important detail is that we have never, in nearly two thousand years of history, ever accepted to be ruled by outsiders.¡±


    I nodded that I understood, so Akiko took a big breath and let it out. ¡°This will not change. We are not asking you to rule us, and it seems, from what we have learned, you would not try to conquer us. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve understood everything you¡¯ve said so far,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°We would ask you to take us under your protection. This doesn¡¯t mean that you would rule us-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that part,¡± I said, interrupting. ¡°But what do you mean by ¡®protection¡¯?¡±


    ¡°There are very few among us who understand how to navigate the higher levels of law and society,¡± Akiko said. ¡°We need someone who can¡­ who can show us the way to transition into full members of Japanese society, socially, economically, and politically. You are doing these things for your people here. Please do them for us as well.¡±


    ¡°This is a big commitment from me,¡± I said. ¡°Not to be mercenary about it, but what do I get in return?¡±


    ¡°What would you want?¡± Akiko asked. ¡°I am not certain what we could offer, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to meet the elders again. I have some ideas, and what you¡¯ve said tonight has me thinking of some other possibilities. But let¡¯s start with this- another meeting. No posturing, no intimidation tactics, no knives on the table. Your people want my help, and I¡¯m willing to offer it. Let¡¯s agree right now to this arrangement. The Japanese shinobi will be an independent and self-governed ally state of the American New Nation. The shinobi will agree to do what they can for the New Nation, and the New Nation will do what it can for the shinobi. We can work out the details later,¡± I said.


    Akiko translated, for her grandmother, who nodded. Translating for her grandmother, Akiko said, ¡°We have reached an agreement in principle. Our five clans declare an allegiance to the New Nation, and to Queen Leah¡¯s guidance.¡±


    ¡°I, as queen of the New Nation, agree in principle to guide and aid the five clans to the best of my ability. I expect allegiance, but not fealty. The five clans are equals, peers, and friends to the New Nation. Together in mutual support, we will prosper,¡± I announced, bowing to Mrs Tanaka, who returned the gesture. It may have been my imagination, but it seemed she bowed a little more deeply and for a little longer than I had, making me wonder if I¡¯d screwed up the etiquette or if she¡¯d used it to indicate relative status in the relationship.


    The next day I bought Mrs Tanaka a plane ticket to return to Japan. Akiko was to stay in Los Angeles to work with me and to serve as the shinobi¡¯s de facto ambassador for the time being. I delegated to Michael the familiar tasks of getting her settled into American society. Given Akiko¡¯s age, it was easy to get her a student¡¯s visa, allowing her to stay indefinitely. Of course, this also meant enrolling her in classes of some kind, but that was also quite easy and well within Michael¡¯s skill set.


    For my part, I signed off on a nice two-bedroom apartment in a building I owned in Westwood. I figured that a place to live in a part of town with a high student population would be good for her. Sure, we¡¯d have to furnish it, but that could wait until after I got back to Los Angeles after my trip back east.


    I did a really poor job of concentrating on work, my mind spinning with what could be done with the shinobi. While the possibilities weren¡¯t exactly endless, I could well imagine a lot of avenues of cooperation that could benefit both parties.


    Of course, I had to share the news with Emmy¡¯s dad. During the call I mentioned that Emmy and I were nearing the point when we felt it was time to announce the Night Children, and broached the idea of loaning artifacts to top museums when we did.


    ¡°The princess has spoken of our family treasures?¡± Mr Lascaux asked.


    ¡°In vague terms,¡± I replied. ¡°We saw some pottery in the British Museum and Emmy said it was from Bronze Age Night Children. The little plaque said that the pottery came from an unknown culture. It would really be something to be able to point to that and say, ¡®Yeah, that was us¡¯,¡± I said. ¡°And if we had similar pieces, with that same kind of writing to back up the claim, well, that solidifies the Night Children¡¯s place in history.¡±


    ¡°This is true,¡± Mr Lascaux admitted. ¡°But our treasures are beyond priceless. They are irreplaceable, and the chance that they would be damaged¡­¡±


    ¡°Seventy per cent of the objects in the Louvre fit that description,¡± I countered. ¡°I can¡¯t think of very many people who understand that kind of thing better than them.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Mr Lascaux acknowledged. ¡°It is something to consider.¡±


    Figuring that the seed had been planted, I didn¡¯t push any more.


    During dinner at Jenna and Andy¡¯s house the following night, I asked Andy when Jenna was getting something from the kitchen if he¡¯d told her about the shinobi. When he said he had, I asked him about how much she knows of the Night Children in general.


    ¡°Probably more than I do,¡± he said with a shrug, turning the chicken pieces on the grill with his tongs. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve told her what I know, and I know she talks to Angie, right?"


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna tell you guys some stuff tonight. I¡¯m going to bring you up to speed.¡±


    ¡°Um, why now?¡± Andy asked, taking a sip of his beer.


    ¡°The shinobi agreed to ally with me and come under my protection on Monday,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you freaking kidding me?¡± Andy demanded, stunned.


    ¡°No, not kidding,¡± I said.


    ¡°Kidding about what?¡± Jenna asked, setting the salad bowl on the outside table.


    ¡°You remember what I told you about the ninjas in Japan having a meeting with Lee here?¡± Andy asked. ¡°Well, she just said they want her to be their new boss.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what I said, but yeah, sorta,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Ninjas. Ninjas want you to be their boss,¡± Jenna said, her hands on her hips.


    I spent the rest of the night giving the two of them a complete background on the Night Children, from ancient history to the efforts Emmy and I had been putting in to form our new nation. I told them about the meeting in Tokyo, and the discovery of a large community in Colombia. I pretty much told them all, only omitting the stabby bits.


    ¡°You know this is all like some sort of science fiction story, right?¡± Jenna said when I wrapped up.


    ¡°It really is,¡± I admitted.

 A Wrinkle

    On the flight to New York I couldn¡¯t help but do the math on jet ownership again. It¡¯s not that the executive FBO flights were bad- not at all, in fact. The downside was that they ran to a fixed schedule like any commercial airline unless full charter prices were paid. At full charter price, a flight from Los Angeles to New York, or New York to London, would run about twenty grand. If we, as a family, were to make one of those flights maybe seventy-five times a year, we¡¯d be looking at the equivalent outlay to annual jet ownership, on the average. Seventy-five times seems like a lot, but cut that number in half with the assumption that they¡¯d mostly be round trips and then you¡¯re only looking at three flights a month¡­ Even, realistically, one flight to London and a couple of hops up to San Jose from Los Angeles.


    It would be nice to have that sort of flexibility, I mused, as we touched down at Teterboro Executive Airport at nearly two in the morning local time.


    Wally was his usual immaculate self even at that late hour, and his smile of welcome was good to see.


    ¡°Are you hungry, or is it straight to the townhouse?¡± he asked once he got the big BMW sedan moving towards Manhattan.


    ¡°Straight home, I think,¡± I told him. ¡°What time do Emmy and Angela get in?¡±


    ¡°Their flight is scheduled to arrive at twenty to ten,¡± he replied. ¡°At Laguardia.¡±


    ¡°When would you have to leave to pick them up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an easy drive,¡± he assured me. ¡°Twenty minutes on a good day, forty-five in rush hour. Then there¡¯s parking, so add another twenty minutes. Saturday mornings are light, so I¡¯ll leave the townhouse at eight forty-five. It¡¯ll mean a bit of wait for me, but I¡¯d rather that than be late.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I told him. ¡°If I¡¯m up I¡¯ll go with you, but don¡¯t wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Mia was up when we got to the townhouse, which didn¡¯t surprise me at all. After a quick greeting, she said she had some new developments she wanted to talk about. I told her I was wiped out and just wanted to head to bed, but we could talk in the morning, and that satisfied her.


    I¡¯d really meant to wake up to go to the airport with Wally, but just didn¡¯t manage it. I was awake, showered and dressed by the time he came back with his four passengers, though, followed by a cab with Lee, Jen, and Jackson. It was going to be a full house, but that was fine. It¡¯s why we bought it, after all.


    ¡°It is a shame you missed the show last night in Montreal!¡± Emmy said after we all settled down for breakfast. ¡°I think that we are getting better and better at playing these large arenas.¡±


    ¡°We should be by now,¡± Jackson agreed. Lee just nodded, his mouth full of a big piece of French toast that Luisa had made. Jackson added, ¡°We really should be by now. I think this was what, stop number seventy-three or so?¡±


    ¡°It sure feels like it,¡± Lee agreed, done chewing. ¡°Only thirty-seven more shows to go.¡±


    ¡°You two are such drama queens,¡± Emmy said with a laugh. ¡°We have only performed thirty-four concerts so far, and we only have seventeen more to do here in the United States. We are very nearly done if you consider the amount of time left.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still a lot of shows,¡± Luisa said, serving out another round of her amazing French toast. ¡°I get that there¡¯s a lot less traveling now, but still¡­¡±


    ¡°Most of our remaining shows are double nights,¡± Jackson told her. ¡°I think except for Denver, right? That means that there¡¯s not nearly so much work- half the travel and setup time per show, in effect.¡±


    ¡°God, second nights are so sweet,¡± Lee said. ¡°All we gotta do is show up and play. It¡¯s awesome.¡±


    ¡°We really should do one of those ¡®seven nights in a row¡¯ things at Madison Square Garden, or maybe Vegas,¡± Jackson said. ¡°That would be sweet.¡±


    ¡°Not any time soon,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°After our last scheduled show back home in Los Angeles I am going to do nothing for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Nothing except push a baby out,¡± Jen said. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡¯s trivial or anything.¡±


    ¡°No, that is true. Angela and I will be consumed with motherhood for a while,¡± Emmy said, a gentle smile on her face.


    ¡°Jackson, will you stick around Los Angeles, or are you going back to Austin after the tour?¡± Angela asked.


    ¡°I might go back home for a little bit, but I gotta start work on my solo album before Emmy gets too big to play her guitar,¡± he replied. ¡°And besides, I have to do some house huntin¡¯. Leah said she¡¯d help me find a house in LA.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± I said. ¡°I flagged a couple of possibles I¡¯d like you to look at,¡± I told him.


    Seeing the look Jen gave me, I gave her a little nod. ¡°Lee, I know you¡¯ve been having problems with your neighbors there in Pasadena, so I found a couple of places you might want to look at, too.¡±


    ¡°Me? Buy another house?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°I found one that already has a little studio setup, and it¡¯s soundproofed. It¡¯s also only a few minutes away from our place, so coming in to the recording studio would be easy.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ That could be awesome,¡± Lee admitted, not noticing the thumbs-up Jen gave me.


    Jen and Lee took off right after breakfast, and Jackson left the house soon after. We had five hours until Emmy needed to leave for the sound check at Citi Field, time we spent snuggling on the big, comfy couch in the parlor.


    ¡°I have enjoyed this tour very much,¡± Emmy said with a sigh once we all found our comfy spots. ¡°But I will be very happy to be done.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be so good to have you two home full-time,¡± I agreed, kissing the tops of their heads. ¡°Everybody at work knows I¡¯ll be taking leave for a while, but I will still have to go to San Jose every other week.¡±


    ¡°I would not want you to stop that,¡± Emmy said, readjusting her position to give her noticeably larger belly some more room.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get back to the club,¡± Angela agreed. ¡°It¡¯ll be weird, leaving just you and Marie-Anne to take care of the babies¡­¡±


    ¡°Marie-Anne?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, I spoke with her a few days ago, and she has agreed to come to Los Angeles,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Was it hard to talk her into leaving your parents?¡± I asked.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°No. She told me that she had been secretly waiting and hoping I would call her to help out when the babies were born. My parents had apparently assumed that I¡¯d already spoken with her, so they were not surprised when she told them she wanted to come to California. I also think she enjoyed her time in Fallbrook,¡± Emmy added.


    ¡°Hollywood is a lot different from your place out in the orange groves,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is. That is true,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°But I am certain she will enjoy our new home, too.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯ve asked Tiny to stay on after the tour, right?¡± I asked. ¡°As soon as the tour is done I¡¯ve got him enrolled in driving classes, so he can drive you two and the babies around. I¡¯d feel much better if you guys have him with you when you go out.¡±


    ¡°I did not know that you had talked to him about that,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°But I think his presence would be welcome.¡±


    ¡°I like Jeremy,¡± Angela said, surprising me, since I¡¯d thought she¡¯d fallen asleep. ¡°He looks big and scary, but he¡¯s like a giant teddy bear. He¡¯s super gentle and helpful.¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± Emmy agreed, then added with a little giggle, ¡°I have an image in my mind of him carrying the two babies, the two girls completely swaddled so only their little faces show.¡±


    Of course, that made me picture the same thing, and brought a smile to my face as well.


    ¡°Ange, when is your mom coming to LA?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Soon after we get home,¡± she said. ¡°And Pap¨ª and Cecy will come a few days before I am due.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cut it too close. I¡¯d hate for them to miss the birth because you were a little early,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°No, I know,¡± she said, burrowing deeper between me and the back of the couch. ¡°But with his work, he can¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can understand that,¡± I agreed, making a mental note to look into some sort of contingency charter flight just in case.


    ¡°It is amazing how hard our road crew works,¡± Emmy said, changing the subject. ¡°The moment the show finished last night they went to work packing everything and loading it into the trucks. Then they had a six hour drive here from Montreal, and they have to start building today¡¯s stage immediately. We will have the sound check at four this afternoon. Even though I have seen it many times now, I still find it incredible what they can do.¡±


    ¡°Is Stephanie traveling with the crew?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I think she must be,¡± Emmy replied, her voice getting drowsy. ¡°She was not on our flight.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask any more questions, since it was obvious the two of them were either already asleep or were soon going to be. I just let myself enjoy the feeling of their weight on me, their love cocooning me on that couch.


    Marie-Anne coming to Los Angeles was great news, but I wondered how the kitchen power-sharing was going to go with her and Mam¨¢ both in residence. They¡¯d just have to work it out between themselves, I mused. I figured they¡¯d likely become great friends, sharing recipes and force-feeding anybody who came too close to the kitchen.


    After a late lunch Wally took Emmy, Grant and Tiny to the baseball stadium for the sound check, leaving Angela and me back at the townhouse. Angela wanted to get some work done on her social media feeds, so I texted Mia to see if she was awake and had time to discuss whatever the developments she hinted at actually were. As it turned out, she was down in what she¡¯d come to refer to as her office, the little security room down in the lower basement.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked, taking a seat in the small space, noticing there were even more monitors than before.


    ¡°Well, a few weeks ago our local Night Children got a visit in their headquarters,¡± Mia said, turning other computer to bring up the images. ¡°Now, in general, they just don¡¯t get anybody coming to visit, ever. I mean, since we got the cameras set up to watch the place, only the regular local Night Children ever go in or out of the place,¡± she said, displaying a couple of views from different angles of the ramshackle building.


    ¡°How many regulars?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Thirty-seven different unique individuals all told, but usually it¡¯s just the same fourteen. The others will come by once in a while- like maybe once every few months or something, but that¡¯s it. So, we haven¡¯t flagged any newcomers in well over eight months now, until, like I said, a little over three weeks ago. Then this happened,¡± Mia said. She brought up the video of a car pulling up in front of the old brick building, lights off in the middle of the night. The driver and front passenger got out, scanning up and down the street for threats, before opening the door for the man in the back seat. He got out, looked around suspiciously, then gently knocked on the metal fire door. A short moment later it was opened, and after a brief conversation with whoever it was that had opened the door everybody went inside.


    ¡°Now, those three guys were in there for almost three hours,¡± Mia said, skipping the recording ahead. ¡°Here they are again.¡±


    The three men, plus two more, emerged. The main guy talked for a moment to the two locals, then the three visitors got in the car and left, again with the car¡¯s lights off.


    ¡°That looks like some sort of official visit,¡± I said.


    ¡°Do you know who the big guy is?¡± Mia asked, zooming the image in on his face.


    ¡°Never seen the guy,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I tracked the car¡¯s plates. It was rented at Newark Airport,¡± Mia said. ¡°I¡¯d really like to get into National¡¯s systems and see who rented it¡­ Or even better, access to the airport¡¯s video feeds and facial recognition systems,¡± she said wistfully.


    ¡°Want me to talk to my guy in San Jose?¡±


    ¡°I already did,¡± Mia confessed. ¡°But he¡¯s on vacation in Bali and won¡¯t be back for another week. He doesn¡¯t have access to any secure machines over there.¡±


    ¡°That explains why I didn¡¯t see him last time I was in San Jose,¡± I said, thinking back to Andrej¡¯s absence from the club.


    ¡°So, anyhow, these guys are from out of town. They flew in, presumably, and rented a car to visit the local Night Children, who were expecting them,¡± Mia said, returning to the frozen video of the three guys standing around outside their car.


    ¡°Obviously the main guy is a Night Child of some rank,¡± I agreed. ¡°The two other guys sure gave off bodyguard vibes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they certainly did,¡± Mia agreed.


    Leaning back, I took a moment to think about what Mia had just shown me. ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°These visitors are obviously important, and this meeting was important- too much for a phone call. This tells us a couple of things. First, it confirms what we already believed, which is that that place is the center of power for some, if not most or all, of the Night Children in New York. This guy came here specifically to talk to whoever it is in charge here, right? Second, it tells us this local group has contacts outside the area. We don¡¯t know at this point where the outsiders came from. It could be that guy is The Boss from Chicago, or a bigwig we haven¡¯t heard of yet from some town we don¡¯t have full control of yet. Or he could be from one of the other nations. We just don¡¯t know, but send me the best screenshot you have of the guy and I¡¯ll ask Emmy¡¯s dad.¡± Thinking about it for a long moment, I added, ¡°The third thing it tells us is that something is up. This is a new wrinkle. It may be harmless, it may not, but we should be on our toes for a while.¡±


    ¡°I talked to Dad this morning and showed him the videos. His conclusions were pretty much the same. I think his exact words were, ¡®Make sure you keep a close fucking eye on those fuckers¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Sound advice,¡± I said with a laugh.


    The show that night was excellent. The band was on fire, the warm night perfect for Emmy and the boys to show off their incredible talent. Thirty-five thousand fans had paid good money to be there that night, and they definitely got their money¡¯s worth.


    I spotted Stephanie backstage and went over to congratulate her on making the tour such a success.


    ¡°You know, when I signed on to this gig, I knew it was going to be a lot of work,¡± she said, happy to take a few minutes to just chat. I guess that she had some down time, relatively speaking. There was very little packing up to do and no travel overnight since they¡¯d be playing the same place the next night. ¡°And it has been. I mean, seriously, I¡¯ve been working harder than I ever have in my life, you know? But it¡¯s also really satisfying, seeing the whole thing come together night after night. And of course, the money! You know how much these two shows here at Citi Field are going to gross? Eleven million bucks! After all the costs are paid, that still equals over a million bucks each for Emmy and the guys. My cut isn¡¯t anything near that, but remember when I said I might buy a place in Maui after I cash out from this tour? It¡¯s gonna be a real nice place,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s awesome, Steph,¡± I said. ¡°Let me know when your housewarming party is gonna be, and we¡¯ll be there for sure.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of parties, are you coming to the afterparty tonight?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°It¡¯s going to be at a rooftop bar sorta near your place.¡±


    ¡°If Emmy and Angela are up for it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Maybe see you there!¡± Stephanie said, and with that, she rushed off to take care of whatever it was that needed her attention.


    ¡°Hey, babes,¡± I said, sitting down next to Angela and Emmy on a couch in the dressing room. ¡°Stephanie said the afterparty is going to be near our townhouse- are you two interested?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am,¡± Angela said. ¡°But you two can go without me. I just want to take a bath and go to bed.¡±


    ¡°I do, too,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But I must put in an appearance. There will be very many music industry people at the party tonight, and it is important to not be seen as aloof.¡±


    ¡°Then you guys go. I¡¯ll just get Wally to take me home with Luisa and Mia,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°We will not stay out too late, my love,¡± Emmy said, leaning over and giving Angela a tender kiss. ¡°Please save our spots in bed.¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± Angela smiled, grateful to be let off the hook.

 The Devils Music

    The rooftop bar was really nice- definitely worth returning to at some point in the future. The party, though, was stunningly boring. Like the afterparty in London, this was mainly for recording industry insiders, and for the most part they only wanted to talk about how awesome they were.


    I found myself looking up at the lights of the nearby Empire State Building and wondering how much longer we needed to stay when a guy came over to talk. He looked familiar, but it wasn¡¯t until he introduced himself as being from Rolling Stone Magazine that I recognized it was the guy from the show many years before in San Francisco- the night that Emmy was attacked.


    ¡°Good to see you again,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good to see you, too,¡± I replied. ¡°Did you catch tonight¡¯s show?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he said. ¡°Pretty damned impressive, I gotta say. I mean, it was obvious The Downfall was going to blow up, you know? But to see how far they¡¯ve come in just a few years¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember you made a comment about Emmy being only nineteen, and wondering what she was going to be like when she hits thirty-five,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yeah, I did, that¡¯s right,¡± he said. ¡°Well, she¡¯s what, twenty-five now? It¡¯s hard to imagine where she¡¯s gonna go from here.¡±


    ¡°Home, if I can get her away from that old, bald guy,¡± I said, only half joking.


    ¡°That old bald guy¡¯s name is Phil Collins,¡± the writer said. ¡°Sir Phil Collins.¡±


    ¡°Phil Collins¡­ Isn¡¯t he that guy that did that song from the comedy about a bunch of guys in Las Vegas, the one with Mike Tyson and his tiger?¡± I asked, knowing full well who Phil Collins actually was.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± the writer admitted, a look of disbelief on his face.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m a much bigger fan of Gabriel-era Genesis than the later Collins records,¡± I said, relying on my mom¡¯s record collection that I¡¯d heard a million times growing up. ¡°Much more experimental, not so heavily pop, if you know what I mean,¡± I told the guy from Rolling Stone. ¡°But honestly, Lamb Lies On Broadway was fairly weak, too. So maybe it was time for Gabriel to move on. Of course, Invisible Touch sold millions more than any Gabriel-era album, so maybe it was good all around.¡±


    Shaking his head in amusement, the Rolling Stone guy just laughed. ¡°I walked into that one, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Well, to be fair, I didn¡¯t recognize that was Phil Collins, but once you said it I can totally see it,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Age gets us all,¡± the writer said.


    The next day the three of us did nothing but relax at home. In a way it seemed strange to refer to the townhouse as ¡®home¡¯, since we actually lived full-time in Los Angeles, nearly three thousand miles away. The townhouse was comfy, though, and we¡¯d spent enough time there that it did feel ¡®ours¡¯, if that makes sense. Musing on how the London apartment might soon fit in the same category, I wondered when I should talk to Harry Powell¡¯s friend who could supposedly smooth over our residency status.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? You¡¯re a million miles away,¡± Angela said, plopping down on my lap.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, stretching to give her a kiss. ¡°Have a good nap?¡±


    ¡°It was glorious,¡± Angela said, smiling at me as my hand snaked up inside her T shirt to rub her belly. ¡°So what were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Our UK residency,¡± I told her. ¡°You know that guy I met at the parties in London, Harry Powell? He said he had a friend who could get our residency sorted out no problem, and I was just wondering how soon we should get that ball rolling.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you already bought a sports car for over there,¡± Angela said with an indulgent smile. ¡°Well, O.K., I can believe it. I guess it would be more surprising if you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what you and the designers have come up with for the apartment,¡± I told her, nuzzling in close to breathe the smell of her hair.


    ¡°I hope you and Em like it,¡± Angela said. ¡°It¡¯s almost ready, but I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll be able to go over there, with the tour, and then babies.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be there when we can finally travel,¡± I said. ¡°They say not to fly with babies until they¡¯re three months old, so it¡¯ll have to be after the new year.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Angela admitted, her sigh leading to a smile when I lifted the hem of the shirt up so I could admire her smooth, round tummy. ¡°Simon and William rushed to try to get the apartment done, but now¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should sneak over there just to check on things?¡± I teased.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Angela said in mock annoyance. ¡°I want you and Emmy to see it for the first time together. Maybe we can all go for a long weekend after the tour is over, before Mam¨ª comes to LA. If it¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°What would you like?¡± Emmy asked as she entered the sunroom.


    ¡°Lee said maybe we could go to London for a few days to see the apartment right after the tour is over,¡± Angela volunteered.


    ¡°Will it be finished?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know for sure,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°It might be- I¡¯ll have to talk to Simon or William to find out.¡±


    ¡°I would like that, if it could work out,¡± Emmy said, sitting on the shoulder of my easy chair. ¡°I find I am very curious. I would like to see how you have had it decorated. You have been so very secretive! It has been making me crazy!¡± Emmy said, leaning down to kiss Angela to show that she really wasn¡¯t upset at all.


    ¡°I want it to be a surprise,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°I know, and that is part of what is making me crazy with anticipation,¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    Emmy had given Wally a bunch of concert tickets for his large extended family, so we finally got to meet his wife and kids, some cousins and an aunt and uncle. Wally had splurged and bought all the kids Downfall shirts- but not the ones that said ¡°Big-ass rock show¡± on them. No, they were all wearing the black shirts with the vivid green eyes, which were much more family-oriented. I had no idea how many members of Wally¡¯s family were actually Downfall fans, but he¡¯d clearly told them he worked for Emmy De Lascaux, so they were excited to see their family member¡¯s boss perform.


    Wally introduced Angela and me to all the various members of his clan as Emmy¡¯s wives and that didn¡¯t seem to take anyone by surprise, making it clear to me that they all knew about our unusual home life. The kids were kids and didn¡¯t seem to care at all about any of that, but Wally¡¯s aunt (whose name I can¡¯t remember) asked me how I could possibly retain my sanity being married to two people- God knows just being married to one can make a person crazy.


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    Making a show of glancing over to make sure Angela couldn¡¯t hear, I stage-whispered, ¡°Yeah, it can be a bit much every now and then, but I get twice as much sex this way.¡±


    Wally¡¯s aunt laughed and gave me a gentle slap on the shoulder. ¡°Perhaps I need to find myself one more husband!¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it works for everyone, but¡­¡± I said with a shrug.


    After the opening act finished and their gear was cleared off the stage, Emmy came out on stage to start the show¡¯s intro. She was wearing torn, loose jeans, her purple Doc Marten boots, a baggy Triumph Motorcycles T shirt and a black leather motorcycle jacket. It was a very ¡®Ramones¡¯ sort of look, which both fit the city we were in and did a good job of hiding her growing belly.


    Her playing was sort of primitive, too, befitting the look. When Lee and then Jackson came out and joined her, the music they played felt reminiscent of early punk, with simple chords and basic rhythms. Eventually the music coalesced into something people recognized, and as they did, cheering started. Not everyone recognized the tune right away, and neither did I until Jackson stepped up to the mic and sang, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my man, twenty-six dollars in my hand.¡±


    At some point the band¡¯s rhythm guitarist took over the basic repeating melody line so Emmy could riff and solo around. When Lee sang, ¡°I¡¯m feelin¡¯ good, feeling so fine- until tomorrow, but that¡¯s another time,¡± Emmy let out the solo we all could feel was just waiting to be unleashed. Mid-tempo, distorted, a mix of melodic and discordant, it went on for quite a while, while the band built in volume behind her. The song finally ended in a strange screech from Emmy¡¯s guitar as Lee¡¯s drums brought the song to a close.


    I wouldn¡¯t say that everybody in that capacity crowd knew and loved that old Velvet Underground song, but plenty did. The cheering was loud and long, but finally Jackson waved everybody to be quiet, and when the audience had calmed down enough he spoke into his microphone.


    ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, and all the rest of you, thanks for coming out tonight,¡± he began, causing more cheering. He waited until it died down, then continued. ¡°Y¡¯all know this is the last leg of our world tour, right? New York is the first US stop, and in just a few weeks we¡¯ll wrap it all up in Los Angeles. Now, what we haven¡¯t told anybody up ¡¯til now¡­ Well, Lee and Emmy and me, we talked about it and decided that it was probably right to announce it, so here goes. Once this tour is over, we¡¯re gonna take a break.¡± Waving down the crowd noise, Jackson continued once it got quiet enough. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t it for The Downfall. Believe me, the three of us will be together until we die. No, this is just a chance to recover from all this craziness for a while. Lee has a couple of other bands he¡¯s promised to produce, I¡¯ve got another solo album I¡¯m gonna work on, with Emmy and Lee¡¯s help,¡± he added, which got plenty of laughter. ¡°And Em, well, she¡¯s just gonna be a stay-at-home mom for a little while.¡±


    At that news the crowd erupted, the noise nearly deafening.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right- our girl here has a bun in the oven,¡± Jackson said, indicating Emmy. ¡°So she¡¯s gonna need a little while before we get back out on the road, y¡¯know? That doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re gonna stop writing, and maybe doing some studio work. It does mean that you shouldn¡¯t expect any new Downfall records for a year maybe, maybe a year and a half- but don¡¯t worry,¡± he said waving his hands to calm everyone down. ¡°The Downfall is not done. Like I said, we¡¯re in it for life, Lee, Emmy and me. Maybe our next album might be two years from now- who knows? But there will be a next album, and another after that. We have a lot of music in us, and we love, just absolutely love, to play music for y¡¯all. So you might have to wait a bit for us to come around in concert again, but we¡¯ll be back before too long, I can guarantee you that.¡±


    ¡°It is true,¡± Emmy said, stepping up to her microphone. ¡°We will need to take a break for a little while from The Downfall, but we will all three of us be very busy with our new projects,¡± she said, patting her tummy. This got an enormous round of applause and cheering, making Emmy smile. When the crowd quieted, she said, ¡°Do not forget to look for Jackson¡¯s solo album. The three of us will be working hard on it as soon as we finish the tour- at least, as long as we are able,¡± she added, patting her belly again.


    Looking at Lee and Jackson to see if they were ready, Emmy started playing the guitar again, getting more cheering from the crowd. When the noise from the audience died down enough, Jackson leaned into the microphone and sang, ¡°Emmy said when she was just five years old, ¡®There¡¯s nothing happening at all.¡¯¡±


    The giant screens behind the stage lit up with a series of stills of a very young Emmy. The first one was when she was just a child, holding an acoustic guitar way too big for her little arms, smiling at the camera. The next was of Emmy, maybe seven years old, holding an electric guitar a bit more her size.


    I¡¯d never seen these pictures before, and seeing how adorable Emmy was as a little girl was almost heartbreaking. We were going to have a little girl like that in our own home soon, and we¡¯ll probably have photos of little Emmy Jr learning the guitar, too.


    Angela clutched my hand, squeezing it, undoubtedly feeling the same way I did at these images of Emmy as a child.


    ¡°One day she put on a Paris rock station, she couldn¡¯t believe what she heard at all,¡± Jackson sang as the photos continued.


    ¡°Her life was saved by rock and roll,¡± Jackson sang.


    Once the song finished to an unbelievable amount of applause, Jackson waited for quiet. When the noise had abated enough, he said, ¡°You know, that song worked better with Emmy¡¯s name in there, but the truth is, Lee¡¯s life was saved by rock and roll even more than Emmy¡¯s was.¡± At this, he waved at the screens and a video of Lee at six or so years old in a little tuxedo appeared. Little Lee walked across a stage, looking very serious and focused, to a concert grand piano. He took his seat, while the thirty-five thousand people there at Citi Field held their breaths, wondering what was about to happen. On screen, little Lee began to play some sort of concerto, flawless (as far as I could tell) in its execution.


    Jackson waved at the screen again, and a picture appeared of Lee a few years older, facing a full audience in some classical music hall somewhere, a piano behind him.


    ¡°Lee was a child piano prodigy, playing for audiences all over, but the truth was that he hated it. When he got old enough, he simply quit. He wanted nothing to do with it any more- not the practices, not the stress. He wanted a normal life, but he found he couldn¡¯t leave music. Music just wouldn¡¯t leave him. A school friend had a drum set in his garage, and Lee tried it one day, and found he liked it.¡± With that, a picture of Lee, maybe twelve or thirteen years old, sitting behind a cheap drum kit in a suburban garage with the door wide open appeared on the screen.


    ¡°When his momma found out that he was spending all his time at a friend¡¯s house playing the drums, she told him that the Devil¡¯s music was gonna be his downfall,¡± Jackson said as another picture of Lee banging on the drums took its place.


    ¡°And she was right, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Jackson declared, spreading his arms wide to encompass the entire stadium, filled to the brim with adoring fans. ¡°We are The Downfall!¡±


    Lee hit the drum intro for ¡®Money Can¡¯ and the concert resumed its normal course. ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯ was the final song, sparing Angela and me from hearing ¡®Born To Die¡¯, for which we were both grateful.


    Thankfully there was no scheduled afterparty, so we got to bed at a reasonable hour after a nice warm (not scaldingly hot) bath. As far as I was concerned it was a perfect way to end a concert night.


    I was glad we had a full day before we had to fly to Atlanta, since Angela was really starting to become uncomfortable easily. She wanted to get out of the house, but walking too far made her feet and back ache, so we really had no easy answer. The rest of the band had already left for Atlanta first thing in the morning, so we had the house to ourselves (and of course, Luisa and Mia). In the end, for lack of inspiration, we stayed home for the day. I got a bunch of work done, Angela worked on editing and posting photos, and Emmy practiced guitar in the studio.


    I reflected that this was nice and comfortable. Even though the three of us were nowhere near each other and weren¡¯t really interacting at all, I knew that Emmy and Angela were in the house with me, and that was enough to give me a warm, satisfied feeling of companionship.


    Of course we had lunch together, and then dinner later on. After dinner we relaxed in the parlor again, cuddling and talking about what we were going to do to decorate the babies¡¯ room. Angela was still against the idea of actually buying anything in advance, but making plans was O.K.


    Leaving the townhouse for the airport in the morning, I felt a little melancholy. Our place in New York had somehow managed to feel like home enough that leaving it gave me little pangs of homesickness, knowing we probably wouldn¡¯t be back until well after the babies were born- maybe as long as six months, all told.


    When I confessed my feelings on the subject, Emmy smiled. ¡°I do understand. I feel the same way.¡±


    ¡°I like our house here. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love our house in Los Angeles, too, but this one¡­ it¡¯s special,¡± Angela agreed.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because of the memories we¡¯ve made there,¡± I said, looking back at the two of them in the big sedan¡¯s back seat. I smiled when I saw they were unselfconsciously holding hands, in a simple gesture of mutual affection. I got little butterflies in my stomach every time I caught hints like that of the love the two shared. Of course, I loved both of them and knew they loved me, but it warmed my heart to see how they loved each other, too.

 Thisll Be The Day

    Hotlanta lived up to its name when we exited the airport. It was a bit humid, but not terribly so. Mainly it was just hot. Mid nineties, if I had to guess. It made me question the wisdom of open-air venues in the middle of summer, but I guess the locals were used to it, and the shows would be at night, so that was that. Both nights had sold out, so at least eighty-plus thousand fans were fine with the heat.


    We only had about an hour at the hotel before Emmy had to leave for the sound check. The suite¡¯s balcony had an excellent view towards the stage over what would be right field in a baseball game, and even with the sliding glass door shut I could still faintly hear the tedious process of the sound check.


    Ignoring the ¡°Testing, 1, 2, 3,¡± Angela opted for a nap while I did some work in the suite¡¯s living room until it was time to get ready to go to the concert. It was still very warm when the show started at eight- it had barely cooled down at all. In fact, it was too warm for Angela, and we wound up leaving about halfway through the concert- a first for either of us.


    Angela was super apologetic, but if she was miserable there was no way I wanted her to continue to suffer. I¡¯d texted Tiny and Grant to let them know we¡¯d left as we exited the stadium, knowing they would tell Emmy.


    Angela started to feel a little better once we¡¯d left the confines of the ballpark itself. Walking across the fake lawn, past the beer garden towards the hotel¡¯s special ballpark door, she kept apologizing for taking me away from the show.


    Back in the cool hotel room, Angela finally managed to get her body temperature under control.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Angela said, nearly on the verge of tears.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize,¡± I told her, kissing her still-sweaty forehead. ¡°Little Angie should be the one apologizing to you.¡±


    ¡°Little Angie has been making things hard,¡± Angela said, cradling her tummy in her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but sometimes she just¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s O.K., baby,¡± I said, holding Angela close. ¡°In just a few months she¡¯ll be making life hard for the rest of us, too.¡±


    This earned me a little laugh, which is what I was aiming for. I didn¡¯t want Angela to feel like a burden in any way- especially not when she was doing the work of carrying our baby.


    ¡°Will you stay here with me?¡± Angela asked, her voice uncertain. ¡°I just want you to hold me for a while.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will,¡± I said, kicking off my shoes and settling onto the suite¡¯s couch, making room for Angela to cuddle.


    Once she¡¯d settled in to as comfortable a position as she could manage, she said, ¡°If this is what the next three months are going to be like¡­¡±


    ¡°The baby will be here before we even know it,¡± I assured her. ¡°And then we¡¯ll have a couple of years of diapers, then eventually have to deal with two teenaged girls, and then worry about their boyfriends-¡±


    ¡°Or girlfriends,¡± Angela interrupted.


    ¡°Or girlfriends,¡± I agreed. ¡°Then they¡¯ll be off to college, and we¡¯ll have an empty nest.¡±


    ¡°Is it terrible that I sometimes wish we were back to the way things were last year? Sometimes I just don¡¯t feel ready at all to be a mam¨¢,¡± Angela said, her voice soft.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has ever felt ready for their first child, Ange,¡± I told her. ¡°I know we¡¯ve done everything we can to get ready, but I still sometime find myself thinking we¡¯re forgetting something important. But we¡¯ll have your mom, and she¡¯s raised two lovely, healthy daughters, so she must know what she¡¯s doing, right?¡±


    ¡°My parenting class teacher said that it¡¯s normal to feel like that,¡± Angela admitted. ¡°But knowing that everybody feels the same doesn¡¯t mean that it doesn¡¯t feel real.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be O.K., babe. We have loving, supportive family, you and Emmy are both in good health, you guys have been eating right, staying away from alcohol, all the right things. I¡¯m not going to say it won¡¯t be a lot of hard work, but our chances are extremely good. Better than most peoples¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I know all that,¡± Angela said, snuggling in closer. ¡°But knowing it and really believing it are different things.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, kissing her behind the ear.


    When Emmy got back to the hotel she found us in bed, still just cuddling and talking softly. She took a quick shower and joined us, asking why we¡¯d left the show early.


    ¡°Ange just got overheated, and little Angela wasn¡¯t happy about it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sorry we didn¡¯t stay for the whole show,¡± Angela said, but Emmy kissed her to stop her from apologizing any further.


    ¡°Your health and the health of our baby is more important than any rock concert,¡± Emmy assured Angela. ¡°I want you to know that you are far more important to me than anything. More than anything, Angie. If you think that you need to go home with Leah, I want you to do that. You should rest if you need to. The tour will only run for three more weeks, then we will be back in Los Angeles. If you need to, go home. I will be O.K.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Angela asked, sounding about fifty per cent hopeful and fifty per cent sorry for even thinking of leaving Emmy by herself.


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    ¡°I am certain,¡± Emmy said, giving her another soft kiss.


    ¡°Can we get Marie-Anne to come early, so she can travel with you for the rest of the tour? I hate the idea of you not having anyone¡­¡± Angela said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea,¡± I chimed in. ¡°She¡¯d be great for making sure you ate well and took care of yourself and the baby.¡±


    ¡°It is an idea,¡± Emmy said thinking about it. ¡°There is a six hour time difference, so I will call and ask her in the morning.¡±


    ¡°If she can take care of you, I¡¯d like to go back home with Lee,¡± Angela said.


    ¡°Bien s?r,¡± Emmy said, her voice tender. ¡°We will work something out.¡±


    We didn¡¯t do any sightseeing the next morning. Angela felt better- well enough to use the hotel¡¯s gym facilities, but none of us really felt like going out. There were things I would have liked to have seen in the area, but we just didn¡¯t have enough time or energy. On the positive side, Marie-Anne did agree to come to be with Emmy on the tour starting at the next stop in Miami, so that took a load of worry off Angela.


    ¡°I would have liked to show you around Miami,¡± Angela said sadly.


    ¡°We will have time,¡± Emmy assured her.


    If anything, the evening was hotter than it had been the day before, but Angela did fine with the temperature. It helped that she had dressed for the heat in sandals and a pretty little sun dress that showed off her growing belly. She¡¯d gotten past the point where she tried to hide her condition, and now seemed proud of the roundness of her tummy.


    I might have been a little bit too concerned about her, judging by how she kept assuring me that she was fine and she would let me know if anything changed, so just please shut up and let¡¯s enjoy the show, alright? I took the hint, as obvious as it was, and quit pestering her about how she was doing.


    We did enjoy the concert, too. It was a great show, and The Downfall put on their usual quality performance. Yeah, it was a hot night, but the mood was good and Angela seemed to be holding up just fine, so I let myself just relax and listen to Emmy and the boys do the thing they did so well. The warm air, the beautiful woman leaning up against me and holding my hand- it was just one of those perfect nights.


    ¡°Ladies, gentlemen, and children of all ages,¡± Jackson said, his smooth Texan drawl filling the ballpark. ¡°We only have one more song for y¡¯all, but don¡¯t be in any hurry to leave after we¡¯re done for the night- the fireworks show is gonna be somethin¡¯ else. So, to help celebrate this here Fourth of July, we¡¯re gonna finish off with a song I guarantee y¡¯all know by heart. Don¡¯t be shy about singin¡¯ along, either. Sing it loud, sing it proud,¡± he said, turning to watch Lee leave his spot behind the drums and take position at the keyboards.


    Lee ran up and down the keys, then started a simple melodic chord progression.


    Jackson nodded his head in time, then turned back to the microphone. ¡°A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile,¡± he sang in a tender, melancholy voice, and the forty-one thousand people in attendance all had to admit that yes, they did know that song. Jackson continued singing through the roar of the crowd¡¯s approval, and when he sang ¡°I drove my Chevy to the levee¡±, well, so did forty-one thousand other people, too. ¡®American Pie¡¯ is a really long song, but that didn¡¯t seem to bother anyone. The audience knew they were having one of those ¡®once in a lifetime¡¯ moments, and were smiling through their tears.


    Angela might have been the only person in that stadium with dry eyes when Jackson (and a sizable portion of Atlanta¡¯s population) sang, ¡°this¡¯ll be the day that I die,¡± for the last time.


    ¡°Thanks for helpin¡¯ us out on that,¡± Jackson said when the crowd finally quieted down. ¡°Y¡¯all made it really special for us. I just want you to know that we loved playin¡¯ for you here tonight. But ya know what? I lied about that being our last song tonight. Well, kinda lied, anyway. That was the end of our Big-Ass Arena show tonight. So please, give it up for The Star Geezers, and maybe a little round of applause for The Downfall, while you¡¯re at it!¡±


    After the opening act took their bows and left the stage, so did all of The Downfall¡¯s touring musicians, leaving just Emmy, Lee (still at the keyboards) and Jackson.


    ¡°Like I said, our concert is over and done,¡± Jackson said. ¡°It¡¯s just us three amigos here to play this little thing to start off the traditional American sky explosions,¡± he said, as Lee played the opening chords of The Star Spangled Banner. Jackson and Emmy joined in, but kept their playing a bit subdued, leaving the piano as the dominant instrument. The three played it simply and cleanly, with no over-the-top embellishments, and no vocals. As the last notes faded away and the capacity crowd cheered, rockets shot up into the sky showering down red, white and blue sparks.


    Angela and I did stay for the fireworks show. It might not have been all that big a display, but the fact it was relatively close in to the stadium really did a great job of making it impressive. With every explosion we could feel the concussion in our chests, followed by the crackle of the sparks as they rained down. It was really as good as fireworks shows get, and sharing the experience with Angela made it all that much better. She¡¯d never really experienced a Fourth of July fireworks show like that, up close and personal, and it really knocked her metaphorical socks off. Mine, too, to be honest.


    When we found Emmy backstage Angela asked if she gotten to see the fireworks, disappointed when Emmy said that she hadn¡¯t.


    ¡°It was amazing!¡± Angela told her. ¡°The way it coordinated with the music, too!¡±


    ¡°I wish that I could have seen it with you,¡± Emmy said, her smile mirroring Angela¡¯s.


    ¡°Next year, we¡¯ll just have to go somewhere to watch a fireworks show together,¡± Angela declared.


    ¡°It is a date,¡± Emmy agreed.


    There was no official afterparty that night either, but somehow word made its way around that people were going to gather at the poolside bar at the hotel, so that¡¯s where we all headed. Even that late at night it was still very warm as we walked across the fake grass towards the ballpark door of the hotel. There were still a lot of people milling around, and we gathered a bit of a crowd once people recognized Emmy and the boys. Well, mainly Emmy, since she stood out in any crowd in a way that Jackson or Lee never could.


    As we neared the hotel¡¯s door, something seemed a bit off with the way the crowd was acting. I didn¡¯t have more than just a moment to recognize that a number of people were moving a bit too determinedly, a bit too coordinated.


    When I did recognize the threat, I shouted, ¡°Emmy! Look out!¡± and shoved Angela behind me.


    Grant had reacted in just about the same moment I did, but Tiny was just a hair slower. This could have cost him his life, as quite a number of people in the oncoming group suddenly produced knives in their hands.


    I didn¡¯t pause to think- I leapt forward and slammed into the guy that had just stabbed Tiny, stomping hard on his throat once he was down. The next few moments were a blur as I did what it took to eliminate the attackers. I caught an occasional glimpse of Grant, bloody but fighting hard as I did the same. The fight seemed to go on forever, as time ceased its normal flow.


    Looking around in a pause in the action, I saw that Emmy was doing her best to keep back a knife-wielding man who had gotten past the three of us. I spun a roundhouse kick to the man¡¯s head, laying him out. That threat eliminated, I looked around to try to find any more opponents.


    That¡¯s when I saw her- a woman sneaking up on Angela, who was frozen to the spot in shock and terror. I ran for her, but before I could close the distance the woman grabbed Angela¡¯s long, dark hair, yanking her head back. With the knife in her other hand, she reached around and cut Angela¡¯s throat from ear to ear.

 Harder Than Diamond

    Looking up and seeing me approach at full speed, the assassin dropped Angela and brandished her knife at me. This did her no good. I grabbed her wrist with one hand and her throat with my other, squeezing for all I was worth. She tried to stab me, but I was much stronger and redirected her knife as she flailed wildly. The net result was that she stabbed herself at least half a dozen times before the blade fell from her lifeless hand. Throwing her down on the cement, I looked around but there were no more hostiles to be seen.


    ¡°You!¡± I yelled, pointing at a guy who had his phone out and was recording the whole thing. ¡°Call 911 right now! Tell them we need cops, and a whole lot of ambulances!¡± When he just looked at me stupidly, I yelled at him again. ¡°Fucking call 911, asshole!¡± This seemed to do the trick, and several other people who had witnessed the fight were rushing to do the same thing, just as the ballpark¡¯s security guys ran up.


    ¡°You!¡± I yelled, pointing at the lead security dude. ¡°Keep these people back from the scene! You, too!¡± I yelled, indicating the two other security types just arriving.


    Realizing that the strange sound I was hearing was coming from behind me, I turned to see Emmy cradling Angela¡¯s head in her lap, wailing, screaming in despair. There was nothing I could do there for the moment, and after ascertaining that Grant was looking after Tiny, I scanned the ground to see if any of the attackers could tell me anything but only two were still moving at all, and by the looks of them they weren¡¯t going to be doing anything at all for very much longer.


    I rolled one body over with my foot, only to realize with a shock that I recognized his face.


    ¡°Grant, come here,¡± I commanded. He looked up from where he was holding pressure of Tiny¡¯s wound and asked what I wanted.


    ¡°Look at this guy,¡± I demanded, and after making sure Tiny could self-administer pressure, he did just that.


    ¡°It¡¯s that window-checking fucker from New York, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked after taking a long look at the man¡¯s lifeless face. He pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a quick photo, then went around and took pictures of the rest, completely ignoring the security guys telling him to stop that shit right now.


    While he did that I pulled out my own phone and called my lawyer. Sure, it was one in the morning in San Francisco, but I didn¡¯t give a fuck. I paid the man a ton of money and he knew to answer when I called, which he did on the third ring.


    ¡°Jim, I need the best defense lawyer you can find me in Atlanta. Right now,¡± I told him as I walked over to where Emmy was still wailing, holding Angela¡¯s head in her lap. ¡°I¡¯ll either be at the Omni by the ballpark, or in jail,¡± I said, and once he said he¡¯d get on it immediately I hung up.


    I dropped to my knees behind Emmy and wrapped my arms around her. There was nothing I could say. There was nothing more I could do.


    Soon the sirens announced the arrival of the ambulances and more police to add to the handful that had already gathered. When the EMTs arrived I told Grant to go with Tiny to the hospital- I¡¯d go with Emmy.


    ¡°I cannot leave her!¡± Emmy cried, refusing to let the officers cover Angela¡¯s body.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, trying to pull her away gently. ¡°You need to go to the hospital. I don¡¯t want to leave her, either, but there¡¯s nothing we can do for her now.¡±


    Emmy turned to me, her face a mask of anger. ¡°We could not protect her! This is our fault! We did this to her!¡±


    ¡°No, baby, it¡¯s not our fault. That woman there did it to her, not us. We did our best.¡±


    ¡°Our best was not good enough!¡± Emmy said, furious.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t,¡± I agreed.


    Finally I managed to gently pull Emmy away from Angela¡¯s lifeless body and towards the waiting paramedic.


    ¡°Emmy, are you O.K.?¡± I asked, since she wasn¡¯t standing straight.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, bending over a bit more. ¡°I think¡­¡± she added, clutching her belly.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± I said, nearly picking her up and carrying her to the nearest ambulance. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant- I think there might be something wrong with the baby!¡± I said to the EMTs. ¡°Get her to the hospital right now!¡±


    To their credit, they responded immediately and helped her onto the stretcher and into the ambulance, but a policeman laid his hand on my arm just as I was about to climb in with them. I shook him off.


    ¡°If you want to talk, come to the emergency room,¡± I snarled at him, and he stepped back. At least a dozen people had seen us get attacked out of the blue, so there were plenty of witnesses for them to talk to. I hated leaving Angela lying on the astroturf, but like I¡¯d said to Emmy, it was time to focus on those who still needed help. Our lovely, loving, precious Angela was beyond any help we could give her. She and her baby had been taken from us.


    The emergency room nurses wheeled Emmy back immediately, but blocked my way. ¡°She¡¯s my wife!¡± I protested, but the doctor insisted that my being there would not make things go more smoothly, and besides, I needed to have my own injuries treated.


    I tried to tell them that I wasn¡¯t that hurt, but soon recognized that I probably should have the stab wound in my leg looked at.


    Grant found me while the nurse was cleaning my cut, which really was starting to hurt.


    ¡°How¡¯s Tiny?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s not in great shape, but it isn¡¯t life-threatening,¡± Grant said, and I noticed he had some bandages, too.


    ¡°We really fucked that one up,¡± I said, and Grant instantly understood what I meant.


    ¡°Yeah, we fucking did,¡± he agreed. ¡°They played it perfectly and caught us with our pants down around our ankles.¡±


    ¡°So, like, what actually happened?¡± the nurse asked as he prepared the suture kit for the doctor.


    ¡°After the concert tonight a bunch of hostiles blending in with the fans took us by surprise and jumped us,¡± I told him.


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    ¡°The Downfall concert?¡± he asked, stabbing me repeatedly with a needle loaded with lidocaine, or whatever it was.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Wild,¡± the nurse said.


    ¡°They killed my pregnant wife. It was more than just ¡®wild¡¯,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, shit, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°You just seem so calm about all this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in freaking out now,¡± I said. ¡°Shit happened. Now it¡¯s time to sort things out and assess the damage. I can freak out later.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± he replied, but didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    The doctor showed up just then, accompanied by two uniformed policemen. He was about to shoo them away, but I stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s O.K. I can answer their questions while you sew me up.¡±


    The officers asked me for my version of events, and I kept it short and succinct. I told them that we were attacked, and that I know that a number of the witnesses had recorded video of the whole thing, so there really should be no question about what actually happened.


    ¡°It seems strange, that a group of people armed with knives would just suddenly rush you with intent to murder,¡± one of the officers said.


    ¡°It took me by surprise,¡± I agreed, noticing that Grant had slipped out before they could talk to him.


    ¡°We got a lot of wild stories about what happened,¡± the second officer said. ¡°A couple of witnesses said you went on some kind of rampage.¡±


    ¡°Is that what they said?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Said you killed most of the, uh, attackers.¡±


    I looked him straight in the eyes, just long enough to make him squirm a little bit. ¡°I think you guys need to get ahold of the videos. I¡¯ve told you what happened. Watch the videos, and then tell me who went on a rampage and who defended themselves.¡± With that, I turned away and made it clear I was done with them, whether they were done with me or not. They seemed as if they were about to go to asshole mode when a perfectly groomed, impeccably dressed man in a suit joined us.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Officers,¡± he said, handing the nearer one a business card. ¡°My client is done answering your questions, as are the rest of her party.¡±


    Knowing that was all they were going to get, the two policemen grumbled, but took the card and left.


    ¡°Leah Farmer, I¡¯m Tyler Mitchell. I¡¯ll be your counsel until James Turner gets here in the morning. Now, please, what have you told the police?¡±


    Finally sewn up, the doctors let me in to see Emmy, whose dried tears stained her sleeping face.


    ¡°We gave her a sedative,¡± the doctor said. ¡°There¡¯s no easy way to tell you this, but she lost the baby.¡±


    ¡°Will she be O.K.?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your wife¡­ She suffered a traumatic blow, causing the death of the fetus. This is a serious injury, with very serious emotional ramifications, so I¡¯d say no, she¡¯s not O.K., but with your help, and professional therapy, she will hopefully be able to move past this-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Emmy like I do,¡± I said, cutting her off. ¡°In some ways, she¡¯s harder than any of us. I¡¯ll make sure she gets all the help she needs, but I meant physically.¡±


    Taken aback, the ER doctor said, ¡°She took a brutal kick to her abdomen, causing significant bruising and internal injuries. The loss of the fetus¡­¡± she trailed off.


    ¡°Yes, I get that,¡± I told her. ¡°I really do. But what I want to know is how soon she can be up and moving. I¡¯d like to get her home as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°I am not going home yet,¡± Emmy said, her voice weak and dulled by the sedative, but clear. ¡°We must finish the tour.¡±


    Moving to the side of the bed, I stroked Emmy¡¯s hair. ¡°I understand, baby,¡± I said, my voice soft. ¡°But only if you physically can. Don¡¯t endanger yourself further to make a point.¡±


    ¡°Make a point?¡± the doctor asked, appalled.


    ¡°I will not be bullied. Ever,¡± Emmy said, her voice gaining strength. ¡°They wanted to silence me. I will not be silenced.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need time to recover,¡± the doctor said, horrified at the idea that Emmy would even consider toughing it out and continuing.


    ¡°I have four days,¡± Emmy said, and it was clear her mind was made up.


    After making sure Emmy knew I was going to be back in a few minutes, I went out to the waiting room to find Grant and maybe Tiny. As it turned out, pretty much everybody was there.


    ¡°How is Em doing?¡± Jackson asked, looking worried.


    ¡°She lost the baby,¡± I told him. Turning to Stephanie, I said, ¡°We need to organize a press conference.¡±


    ¡°I would strongly recommend against that,¡± Tyler Mitchell the lawyer said.


    ¡°I understand, and we¡¯re going to need your counsel on what we say, but we need to get ahead of the rumors, and we need to reassure everyone that the tour will continue.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Lee and Jen said, almost in unison. Pretty much everyone else in the group had the same reaction, even if they didn¡¯t say it.


    ¡°Emmy will insist on it. Her whole point is that this was an attempt to silence her, and she won¡¯t give in, not even one tiny inch.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you talk some sense into her?¡± Stephanie asked. ¡°I mean, if the money is an issue-¡±


    ¡°It has nothing to do with any monetary losses for canceling,¡± I said. interrupting her. ¡°Steph, you remember that whole thing with that asshole football player back in our senior year? The guy that keyed her car, then punched her?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah, Jack Merrick, right?¡± Stephanie said, unsure where I was going with this.


    ¡°That was the first time I saw how she was,¡± I said. ¡°She knew he was going to punch her in the face, but she stood up to him anyway, even though he was like twice her size. This is the same thing. These assholes, like she said, wanted to shut her up, but she refuses to be silenced. She won¡¯t ever, ever be bullied or intimidated by anyone, ever,¡± I said, looking around the group. ¡°Those fuckers killed Angela and our unborn baby. They tried to kill Emmy, and did kill her baby, too. She absolutely will not give them the satisfaction of seeing her run and hide.¡±


    ¡°That is fucking bad-ass!¡± Jen breathed. ¡°Bad fucking ass!¡±


    ¡°Right. So we need to have some sort of press conference to let everyone know that we were attacked and our wife and babies were killed in an attempt to end Emmy, but she won¡¯t back down,¡± I said.


    ¡°Continuing the tour seems like a really bad idea,¡± Lee said, shaking his head.


    ¡°Lee, listen to me. Listen carefully. You and Jackson will continue, if you care at all about Emmy. It may well be a bad idea as far as her health goes, but she is dead set on continuing to prove that she will never surrender. If you don¡¯t do this, she will never forgive you,¡± I said, looking Lee and then Jackson in the eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t me saying this. This is Emmy. I know this aspect of hers, and it is as hard as a goddamned diamond.¡±


    ¡°Who were those people?¡± Lee asked, unable to meet my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, but I was pretty sure I had a good idea what group they actually represented.


    Once the discussion finished with everyone agreeing to soldier on, I went to go find Grant and Tiny but Stephanie put a hand on my arm and pulled me aside.


    ¡°We have a lot to talk about,¡± she said. ¡°But I just want to know how you feel about this.¡±


    ¡°I feel like a huge chunk of my life was just burned to ash in front of me and I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it,¡± I answered honestly.


    ¡°I mean about continuing the tour,¡± she said gently, her hand still on my arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried for Emmy¡¯s health and wish we could just go home, but honestly, I knew Emmy would react this way. Like I said, it¡¯s a core part of her personality, and I respect that.¡±


    ¡°You know, what you said about high school, I remember that Emmy went to all her classes that day Jack punched her face in. Her eye was swollen shut, but she acted like she won the fight,¡± Stephanie said, remembering back.


    ¡°She did. That asshole got thrown in jail for that, you know. And from that day on, everyone at school knew she was a complete bad-ass, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so¡­¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Do this for Emmy. Set up a press conference. We need to make it clear that these assassins failed to intimidate her.¡±


    ¡°But they killed Angela!¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°And they¡¯re gonna pay like you wouldn¡¯t believe,¡± I said.


    ¡°They already paid. God, Leah, you were like some sort of killing machine. You wiped out like five or six of them just like that,¡± she said, snapping her fingers.


    ¡°Somebody sent them. That somebody hasn¡¯t paid yet. But they will,¡± I said.


    ¡°Has anybody ever told you that you¡¯re unbelievably frightening?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before, yeah,¡± I said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you can be so cold, Leah. It¡¯s like you¡¯re a machine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m compartmentalizing so hard right now you wouldn¡¯t believe,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to think about things right now. When I do, I¡¯ll be a wreck, but now, I have to stay focused and get the job done,¡± I told her. ¡°The kindest, sweetest, most loving woman I¡¯ve ever known was murdered right in front of my eyes, and I couldn¡¯t stop it. If I let my emotions out I¡¯d be no use to anyone. Right now I need to fight like hell for those of us still living. I need to be strong for Emmy.¡±


    Stephanie let out a shaky breath. ¡°I think I understand,¡± she said, giving my arm a squeeze before she turned back to the waiting room.

 Not A Chapter- A Notice Of A Bit Of Delay

    I haven''t had the time to write that I needed to get this next chapter done properly, and, well, it''s kind of important. I''m about 2/3 done with my first draft, so hopefully I can get it polished up and ready for a Wednesday posting.


    I hate to do this right now, but it''s just what I''m up against, and I don''t want to screw this one up. I need to get this chapter to a point I''m satisfied by it, and it isn''t there yet.


    See you soon.


    Gen


    To get around the minimum word count limit, here''s an excerpt from an earlier time:


    I kept my jeans, but threw on a white shirt and black blazer. I figured that was dressy enough for a jazz club, anyway. Emmy didn¡¯t bother to change out of her black miniskirt and ankle boots, just layered a mesh tank over her spaghetti strap top, finishing it off with one of those little matador jackets that she loved so much.


    I thought Emmy looked hot, and told her as much.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I have one complaint about your outfit tonight, though.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, checking to make sure everything looked O.K.


    ¡°Your butt looks so amazing in those jeans, but with that jacket on I cannot see it!¡± she complained, giving an exaggerated pout.


    Laughing, I led her downstairs to wait for Luisa, who wasn¡¯t far behind. Luisa was wearing a classic V neck little black dress, which is never a wrong choice- especially when you have a figure like hers.


    Wally arrived about the same time, so we didn¡¯t really have any waiting around. In the car we talked briefly about how the wine cataloguing was going, then the conversation turned to the club.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been,¡± admitted Luisa. ¡°I have to admit I know nothing about jazz, and it¡¯s an expensive way to spend the evening if you don¡¯t know who¡¯s worth seeing, or even know anything about the music.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m clueless, too,¡± I admitted.


    Wally pulled up to the curb in front of the club, which had a surprisingly long line waiting outside. Once we stepped out of the limo, the doorman took one look at us and waved us over, indicating we should go right in.


    ¡°You made a reservation?¡± Luisa asked, surprised that we didn¡¯t have to wait in line.


    ¡°No, I did not. Why do you ask?¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°Seriously? Life is really different for celebrities, I guess,¡± Luisa said as we followed the hostess to a tiny little table right up next to the stage, crammed in tight amongst way too many other little tables. It wasn¡¯t clear to me how the waiters could navigate the place, there was so little room between patrons.


    ¡°O.K., and we get just about the best seats in the house, too,¡± Luisa said, rolling her eyes. ¡°Life just isn¡¯t fair.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but you¡¯re benefiting from it right now, and you did last night, too,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°God, that dinner¡­¡± she said, a dreamy look in her eyes.

 Facing The Press

    I managed a few short hours of uncomfortable drowsing in a chair in Emmy¡¯s room. When I woke and saw that she was still asleep I made my way back out to the waiting room, only to find it empty of everyone I knew, but full of reporters. The only familiar face was Jim Turner, my lawyer. He gave me a surreptitious signal to keep my mouth shut, so I ignored all the questions the reporters shouted when they saw me. Jim had already secured the use of a place for us to talk, so I followed him back out of the crowded waiting room and into a small conference room.


    After shutting the door, we shook hands and sat down.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the videos, so I know what it looks like,¡± Jim said with no more preamble. ¡°Tell me what you¡¯ve told the police- or anybody else, for that matter- about what happened.¡±


    As he took notes, I related to him the brief conversation I¡¯d had with the two cops, and also the little bit I¡¯d told the ER nurse. I couldn¡¯t remember saying anything else to anybody else, I told him.


    ¡°What have you said to your friends?¡± Jim asked.


    I told him that I¡¯d said nothing about the events, really, just that Emmy needed to prove that she wouldn¡¯t be silenced and so wanted to continue and finish off the remaining stops of the tour.


    ¡°You asked Tyler to help you write a press release, but I¡¯ll have our PR specialist in The City do it,¡± Jim said, glancing over his notes.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask me what actually happened?¡± I asked, a bit surprised.


    ¡°No,¡± Jim answered. ¡°I know what happened. A group of armed assailants attacked you, specifically targeting Emmy De Lascaux, Angela Castro and you, for unknown reasons. You and Ms De Lascaux¡¯s bodyguards fought them off, but they managed to murder Angela Castro and her unborn child in cold blood, as well as cause the loss of Ms De Lascaux¡¯s own unborn child. Additionally, you and the two bodyguards suffered potentially life-threatening wounds of your own in the altercation,¡± Jim said. ¡°That is what happened.¡±


    ¡°That is what happened, alright,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Your legal jeopardy is minimal, and the DA knows it. Proof of that is the simple fact that there¡¯s been no attempt to arrest you, despite witness testimony and video evidence of you using commensurate force on the attackers. Force completely justified by the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know,¡± I said.


    ¡°They will probably enjoin you from leaving the state for a few days, but that¡¯s it,¡± Jim said. ¡°They may argue that you have the resources to flee, but there¡¯s no compelling argument for charging you, so I doubt we¡¯ll hear anything besides a simple ¡®please stick around while we investigate¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Excellent. Now,¡± he said, shutting his notes in his briefcase, ¡°let¡¯s talk about the PR ramifications. This is no longer legal advice, but the simple truth of the matter is that winning in the court of public opinion is, at least in this case, as important or more. You say that Emmy wants to show that she is unbowed, despite losing her pregnant lover and her own unborn baby. By now half the world has seen the videos of the fight. Everyone can see that these people attacked you guys and you defended yourselves. As far as the public is concerned, you¡¯re the victims of a brutal, premeditated attack by unknown assailants. This would normally paint you in a completely sympathetic light.


    "The two major¡­ issues we need to get ahead of,¡± Jim continued, ¡°in my opinion, are the fact that almost anybody watching the videos will recognize that you, Leah, are, to put it mildly, a killing machine. The longer of the two videos I¡¯ve seen online is only two minutes, and in that brief period you killed six armed attackers, while Emmy¡¯s bodyguards took down three between them. All terminally. It looked like a Quentin Tarantino movie, to be honest. That one guy you grabbed and threw down on his head- you can actually hear his neck break if you turn the volume up high enough. I¡¯ve never seen anything like that. It was¡­¡± he trailed off, then laughed at himself.


    ¡°Look at me. At a loss for words, for what might be the first time in my life,¡± he joked. ¡°But anyway, we need to lead with the idea that you aren¡¯t a stone cold killer.¡±


    ¡°Knowing that no bodyguard could ever be there all the time, I¡¯ve been taking self defense instruction for years to protect Emmy if she were ever attacked,¡± I said. ¡°I started taking kickboxing as cross-training in college, and then when Emmy was attacked in San Francisco I fought those two guys off. That experience convinced me I needed to take it seriously,¡± I offered.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Jim said, grabbing his notepad from his briefcase and writing down what I¡¯d said. ¡°We¡¯ll remind the press of that earlier incident. We won¡¯t hint that the attacks are related. We¡¯ll let them speculate on that, but the idea that you¡¯ve dedicated years of training to protect your wife¡­ That¡¯s gold. We can run with that.¡± Nodding in satisfaction, he wrote some more notes.


    ¡°The second issue is a matter of making Emmy sympathetic rather than hard-hearted when she announces that the tour will continue. We have to draft a statement for her that highlights her determination, but doesn¡¯t downplay the loss in any way. We need to make it clear that she¡¯s suffered the greatest tragedy a woman can face and is truly heartbroken, as well as in great physical pain. If she¡¯s seen as callous, sentiment will turn against her. It would be easier if the tour did get canceled, but¡­¡± he said, thinking about it. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve got enough to work with here.¡±


    Changing the subject, he said, ¡°Stephanie Houk, she¡¯s The Downfall¡¯s manager, right? She booked everyone out of the Omni and into the Chandler downtown. She said she didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near that ballpark ever again. I¡¯ll be staying there as well for the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Am I going to have to identify Angela¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s been taken care of. Grant Henry identified her already this morning,¡± Jim replied as he stood up.


    ¡°Stephanie has called a press conference for four this afternoon, here at this hospital. Make sure that Emmy¡¯s doctors know she needs to be alert for it.¡±


    I found Emmy awake as the nurse fussed over her when I got back to her private room. Once the nurse left, I told her about the conversation with the lawyer.


    ¡°Am I doing the right thing?¡± Emmy asked, an unexpected note of uncertainty in her voice.


    ¡°Em, that¡¯s for you to decide. I think everybody else will support you either way,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy said, her face crumpling in sorrow. ¡°Angela¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, Em, I know,¡± I said, sliding onto the bed to wrap my arms around her. ¡°She was the best of us,¡± I murmured, holding Emmy as she quietly sobbed against my chest. ¡°I failed her. I failed you, too.¡±


    ¡°We failed her,¡± Emmy said, clutching me as hard as she could. ¡°We failed her and we lost her and our child.¡±


    ¡°Our children,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°It might be best I lost my baby,¡± Emmy said, her voice more sorrowful than I¡¯d ever heard it, ¡°without Angela to raise her.¡±


    ¡°No, Em, there is no silver lining to that,¡± I said, burying my face in her hair as I cried. ¡°We just lost our future. Because I didn¡¯t see them coming in time, Em. I should have been able to prevent what happened.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me,¡± Emmy said, her voice muffled by my T shirt.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I assured her. ¡°I¡¯ll be here until the doctors release you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me ever,¡± Emmy said, her voice almost too soft to hear.


    ¡°I won¡¯t, baby, I won¡¯t,¡± I whispered into her hair.


    ¡°I need to call Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢,¡± I told Emmy after she¡¯d cried herself dry. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but the news needs to come from me and not from social media or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Do it here. Call them now, and put us on speaker so that we may both talk,¡± she instructed, her voice still shaky.


    ¡°Are you sure? I can do it if you¡¯re not up to it.¡±


    ¡°I am not up to it, but we must both tell them what happened. It is a matter of respect,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to break the news to them,¡± I said as I took my phone out of my pocket, idly noticing that it showed I¡¯d missed a ton of calls and texts.


    ¡°I do not, either,¡± Emmy confessed.


    Rafael answered on the fourth ring, both to my dismay and relief. Dismay because I hated to give him the news, and relief because I wanted to let him know before he found out some other way.


    ¡°Leah?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Pap¨¢, you need to get Mam¨¢ and Cecy,¡± I said. ¡°I have some terrible news.¡±


    ¡°The baby?¡± Rafael asked, alarm in his voice.


    ¡°I need to tell you all at once,¡± I said. It took a minute, but soon he had Mam¨¢ on speaker.


    ¡°Cecy is already at school,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Mam¨¢, Pap¨¢, I have the worst news I could possibly give you. Last night we were attacked, and they killed Angela and also Emmy¡¯s baby,¡± I said. There was no way to sugarcoat it.


    ¡°M¨ªja est¨¢ muerta?¡± Mam¨¢ gasped.


    ¡°There were nine of them,¡± I said. ¡°They got to her before I could save her,¡± I said, and I could hear my voice crack. ¡°They killed her, Mam¨¢. Right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do. I couldn¡¯t get there in time!¡± I sobbed.


    ¡°And Emmy¡¯s bebe, too?¡± Rafael asked, his voice husky.


    ¡°They kicked her right in the tummy,¡± I said. ¡°They knew she was pregnant. They tried to kill her, too, but didn¡¯t manage to do that. Grant and I both got stabbed, and Tiny was seriously injured in the fight. But Angela, I never taught her how to fight, how to defend herself, and she just¡­ she wasn¡¯t a fighter,¡± I said. ¡°She didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°What happened to the men who attacked you?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°We killed them all,¡± I said. ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡±


    I could hear Mam¨¢ sobbing through the phone line, but Rafael¡¯s voice was hard.


    ¡°But you do not think that these nine were the¡­ the root, do you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°I think that someone sent them.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who it was?¡±


    ¡°No, not exactly, but I think I do know where to look,¡± I told him.


    Rafael sighed, letting out a long breath. ¡°I trust you to take care of this,¡± he said, and I understood the deeper meaning of his words.


    ¡°I will,¡± I assured him. ¡°I¡¯ll hit them like a freight train.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Rafael said, his voice soft. ¡°There is a thing, a very real thing, called ¡®guilt of the survivor¡¯. I have seen it- I have felt it myself. Don¡¯ let yourself fall into it. They killed Angela. You did not. It was not your fault. Don¡¯ blame yourself. Angela loved you. She loved you and Emmy. You made her happy. At least for a while, she had the life she dreamed of with you two. She had that- you gave it to her. Remember that.¡±


    ¡°She gave us so much more,¡± Emmy said, barely keeping her voice from failing. ¡°She was the best thing in our lives, and now she is gone because of our enemies.¡±


    ¡°Make them pay for what they did, Leah,¡± Rafael said, and I understood his feelings exactly.


    ¡°They will pay,¡± I assured him. ¡°They will definitely pay for this. All the way up to the very top.¡±


    Jim Turner showed up an hour before the scheduled press conference with the announcement he wanted Emmy to give. She read through it a couple of times, then handed it back to him.


    ¡°I understand,¡± she told him.


    Still in her hospital gown but with a robe thrown over the top, Emmy was pushed into the hospital¡¯s large conference room in a wheelchair. She had intentionally not cleaned herself up, so it was very obvious that she had been crying and was a terrible condition.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Jim announced into the microphone. ¡°Emmy De Lascaux will give a short statement. She¡¯s still in a lot of pain, so we¡¯ll have to keep the questions to a minimum.¡±


    ¡°My name is Emmy De Lascaux,¡± Emmy said when the microphone was lowered so she could speak. ¡°I am a member of the band The Downfall. Last night, after our concert at the Truist Park, a group of armed assailants attacked us. They specifically targeted me, Leah Farmer, and Angela Castro. They succeeded in killing Angela, who was six months pregnant with our baby. They also injured me, causing me to lose my own baby. I was four months pregnant. In addition, one of our bodyguards suffered severe injuries. My wife Leah and our other bodyguard were injured as well.¡±


    Taking a breath, Emmy continued. ¡°I have never hidden the details of our home life, but I have also never spoken publicly of it. I have never felt that it should matter to anyone besides my own family. Much of it is common knowledge, though. Angela Castro was the third member in our marriage. She was our wife- a wife to Leah and me in every way that mattered. She was the light of our lives,¡± Emmy said, her voice starting to get shaky with emotion.


    ¡°Angela was the most loving, the sweetest, the most beautiful woman in the world. She would have been the most incredible mother to our two children once they were born- Angela was so full of love, so full of life¡­ It was not just the two of us who lost something precious. No, the world is a lesser place without her. She was truly a shining beacon of how we should all aspire to be,¡± Emmy struggled to say as the tears began to flow in earnest.


    ¡°Our two babies would have been special, because they would have grown up in a house full of love,¡± she said, before stopping to sob quietly.


    The reporters, to my amazement, were all completely silent, waiting to hear what Emmy had to say next.


    Wiping her tears from her eyes, Emmy looked up at the crowd of cameras. ¡°We were attacked, and Angela and our two babies were killed. Killed in a savage, unprovoked attack. Why was my family targeted this way? The killers made no attempt on my bandmates, or anyone else in our group.¡±


    Wiping her eyes again, Emmy continued. ¡°I can only imagine that they wished to end me and my family, to silence me. This is all that makes sense.¡± Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Emmy exhaled in a sort of sigh. ¡°I cannot let Angela¡¯s murderers achieve their goal. Angela, she is gone. But I will never forget her, and never forgive those who killed her in cold blood. I can also not let them succeed. They will not silence me. Not as long as there is breath in my body. Angela-¡± Emmy said, breaking into tears again.


    ¡°Angela and our babies were murdered by those who wished to end my family, to silence my voice. I will not be silenced. I will not allow them this victory. I have made it clear to Jackson and Lee that I have no intention of running away, defeated and frightened. We will continue our tour, and I will continue to make my voice heard, loud and clear.¡±


    Wiping away her tears, Emmy said, ¡°I have lost the best part of my life. My heart is missing a very large part- the most important part. But my will, it has been strengthened, like hammered steel. I will not be defeated, no matter the loss. These murderers thought that I would simply die under their onslaught. They were wrong. They failed. They failed badly.¡±


    She looked at me, so I took the microphone. ¡°Sorry, but Emmy needs to rest. I¡¯ll answer any questions you might have.¡± I nodded to the nurse, and she wheeled Emmy back to her room.


    A number of reporters started shouting questions, but I called on one who had her hand raised.


    ¡°Leah Farmer, right? You¡¯re Emmy¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Um, Angela Castro, she was your, um, lover as well, right?¡± the reporter asked.


    ¡°Angela, as far as Emmy and I are concerned, was our wife as well. Poly marriages aren¡¯t legally recognized, but she was our wife in every way that mattered to Emmy and me. We loved her. As Emmy said, she was the sweetest, most loving person in the world. A true angel here on Earth,¡± I said. ¡°The three of us were committed to each other, and planned on a long life together. I fully expected to grow old with Angela and Emmy by my sides.¡±


    I called on another reporter who had his hand up.


    ¡°We¡¯ve all seen the videos of last night¡¯s fight online-¡± he began, but I interrupted him.


    ¡°Call it what it was,¡± I said. ¡°Those people straight up attacked us with full intent to murder us in cold blood. They did murder Angela and our two unborn babies. They planned this attack, and succeeded in killing a truly wonderful human being along with our two babies. It was not a fight- it was an attempted massacre.¡±


    Taken aback, the reporter reframed his question. ¡°You and your two bodyguards managed to fight off the attackers before they could do more damage, despite you yourselves being unarmed and against terrible odds,¡± he said.


    ¡°Not well enough,¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± the reported conceded. ¡°But far better than almost anybody else could have¡­¡±


    ¡°If I understand what you¡¯re getting at,¡± I said, ¡°you want to know how I managed to fight so well.¡± At his nod, I continued. ¡°When Emmy and I were in college, I took up kickboxing as a form of off-season cross-training to build my speed and strength for volleyball. I enjoyed it, so stuck with it. Then, after a Downfall show in San Francisco, Emmy was attacked and I used my training to fight the two men off.¡± I paused to look around the room at the reporters.


    ¡°That incident really drove home the idea that Emmy needed protection. I dove headfirst into the training and have spent uncountable hours in the gym, learning to fight just in case she was ever attacked again. Last night proved that I was right to do so. Our bodyguards are good, don¡¯t get me wrong, but if I hadn¡¯t been there prepared to fight the attackers would have overwhelmed our guys and we would have all been killed,¡± I said.


    I called on another reporter, who said, ¡°Witnesses said that after Angela Castro was attacked, you did nothing to aid her. Is this true?¡±


    I took a long breath to calm myself before answering. ¡°The bulk of the attackers came from a larger group of fans following us, where they blended in with the crowd. My efforts were focused on that direction. The first thing I did when I realized we were under attack was to shove Angela behind me, to protect her. What I didn¡¯t realize- and this will haunt me for the rest of my life- is that they had another part of their group come around from behind us. When I turned to see if Angela was O.K., it was too late. That woman killed Angela right in front of my eyes, before I could close the distance to stop her.¡±


    I took another breath to keep tears from forming. ¡°Angela, a woman I loved with all my heart, the woman carrying our child, died not twenty feet from me. There was nothing I could do to stop it. Believe me, I would have done anything. Anything at all. I would have gladly traded my life for hers if I could have. Like Emmy said, she was the best of us,¡± I said.


    ¡°Angela¡­¡± I said, but I had to stop to collect myself. ¡°Angela was such a wonderful person, so full of love, so caring¡­ Everybody that ever met her fell in love with her a little bit. She would have been the best mother imaginable. But now, I can¡¯t imagine our life without her. She was a very special human being, and the world has lost one of its precious lights.¡±


    ¡°But witnesses said you did nothing to help her once she was, um, attacked,¡± the reporter pressed.


    ¡°Do you understand the concept of triage?¡± I asked. ¡°Angela was killed right in front of me. That woman cut her throat clear through. Nobody survives that. There was nothing I could do that would have prevented Angela from bleeding to death right then and there, but in the meanwhile that woman still had her knife in her hand and was still ready to kill Emmy or me. It may seem heartless, but the truth is that until the threat was eliminated nobody else was safe. So no, I didn¡¯t rush to Angela¡¯s side just then. That wouldn¡¯t have done Angela any good, and would have meant Emmy or I, or possibly both, would have been killed, too. I did what I had to.¡±


    I took another calming breath and said, ¡°Of all of the mistakes that I made last night, that wasn¡¯t one of them. I wish more than anything that I could rewind time to back before the attack- believe me, I do. But nobody can do that.¡±


    ¡°What do you think of The Downfall continuing their tour after this?¡± asked the next reporter I called on.


    ¡°Honestly? I wish I could take Emmy home and the two of us could mourn our babies and our wife together privately. But I think Emmy is right. These people, whoever they were, wanted to end Emmy for some reason, and the only reason any of us can think of is because of her music. Emmy¡­ Emmy is not one to retreat from any kind of adversity, or to let herself be bullied. So I support her decision, and I¡¯ll do whatever I can so the two of us can work through our loss together.¡±


    ¡°So you think she should proceed with the tour, then?¡±


    ¡°I think Emmy¡¯s right in not giving these people, whoever they are, a win. Obviously this is an unbelievably difficult time for us. We¡¯re completely devastated, and the natural instinct is to pull back and grieve. But if Emmy does that, the goal of silencing her becomes reality. So yeah, I do think it¡¯s the right thing to do, as painful as it¡¯s going to be,¡± I said.


    ¡°One more question,¡± I announced, indicating another reporter who had her hand up.


    ¡°How much money would you have lost if the tour had been canceled?¡± she asked.


    I gave her a long, level stare, internally debating whether I could get away with punching her smug face in, but eventually decided against it.


    ¡°The only reason I¡¯m even going to dignify that question with an answer is to point out that Emmy has always, from the very first, given every single penny she¡¯s earned from her music to charity. Not gross, but net. You know what that means? That means this tour is costing our family hundreds of thousands of dollars in transportation and lodging costs. That¡¯s right- Emmy¡¯s costs are all paid for by us, personally. So, in other words, ending the tour early would actually save us money.¡±


    Giving the reporter another long look, I said, ¡°What you meant to ask is how much less would we be able to contribute to women¡¯s shelters across the country? How much less would we be able to give to support homeless addiction treatment programs? How much less would we be able to give to help the most helpless in our society? Because that¡¯s where all of Emmy¡¯s share goes. All. Of. It.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough questions. I¡¯d like to finish off by asking that you, and by that I mean the press collectively, please give us some space for a while. Contact our attorney if you feel you need to, but please, let Emmy and me mourn our losses in private.¡±


    When I got back to Emmy¡¯s private room I found Grant sitting in a chair outside the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ve called up some of the guys,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a full detail from now on.¡±


    ¡°All Night Children?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°Mia¡¯s coming, and I called up a couple of guys from my protective detail days, to help protect, of course, but also train Eddie and the others. Really, there¡¯s no way we should have gotten so lax as to let this happen,¡± he said.


    ¡°No,¡± I agreed. ¡°We just got complacent.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I know it¡¯s a day late and a dollar short, but¡­¡± Grant said.


    ¡°When will Jeremy be able to fly back home to LA?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a few days,¡± Grant said. ¡°You know, he was afraid you¡¯d be angry with him. But when you told him that you were proud of him and thanked him for throwing himself between Emmy and the attackers, that really helped him a lot. When you told him that you wanted to keep him on as Emmy¡¯s bodyguard when he recovers, well, you earned yourself his loyalty for the rest of his life.¡±


    ¡°He almost died defending Emmy. That, to me, is a sign of utmost dedication. That¡¯s worthy of reward,¡± I told Grant. ¡°I just want him to rest and heal up for now. I¡¯ll tell him to take care of himself and not to worry about rushing things.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that,¡± Grant said. ¡°He¡¯s a good man.¡±


    Inside, Emmy was on the phone with her parents. It was clear that she¡¯d been crying again, so I sat down on the bed next to her and wrapped her in my arms.


    ¡°They want to speak with you,¡± Emmy said, handing me the phone.


    I talked to the two of them for a while, and it seemed as if Emmy¡¯s parents were saddened more by Angela¡¯s death than the loss of the two babies. I¡¯d certainly believed they¡¯d come to care for her, but then, everybody did.


    I told Emmy''s dad that I had a lead on who might have sent the attackers and I was going to make sure that Angela and the babies were avenged. He said that he had plenty of resources and they were at my disposal, but I told him that I thought we could take care of it. I¡¯d let him know how things developed.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Mme De Lascaux said before we hung up, ¡°Please be there for the princess, too. Don¡¯t get so wrapped up in revenge that you forget to show your love to our ¨ºmeraude. She needs you now more than ever.¡±


    ¡°I need her more than ever, too,¡± I said. ¡°More than ever.¡±

 Not A Chapter- A Discussion Of Recent Events

    Let me start by saying that I understand the hurt. I''m sure I feel it as much as any of you do. I''d fallen in love with Angela, and it broke my heart to write her murder.


    I didn''t do that out of some sort of random whim, and I''d tried to foreshadow it subtly over time, but I guess I was maybe just a bit too subtle. I''m sure that you, my readers mourning her loss, can look back in retrospect now and see the hints were there from the start of her time with Emmy and Leah.


    Angela''s end had to come brutally suddenly. It had to shock in its abruptness, or it wouldn''t have worked as far as the storytelling is concerned. On the other side of the coin, it was necessary to build up the relationship and invest you guys in the idea of Angela being there for Leah after Emmy''s gone, just as Leah was invested in that thought. Their long-term plans and long-term dreams needed to grow organically, and be a foundation of the lives of the three of them.


    Yes, I''m still working closely off the original outline I wrote years ago, and all this was planned out. Obviously the move to the All. The. Words. format allowed me to build the relationship slowly and fully flesh it out, which helped to create the emotional attachment we all felt. Yes, me, too, even though I knew how it was going to end. In fact, me probably most of all, since I needed to feel the emotions I was writing to be able to make them compelling.


    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    This long, slow build lulled many readers into a sort of sense that this is just a fluffy love story, but it has never just been that- not from the very beginning.


    I''d invite you all to read CCT_85''s amended review of the story. I had a feeling that I''d get reactions like that, and while I''m sad to see that reader go, at the same time I can''t help but feel a bit proud that my writing could cause such strong emotions.


    I attended a writer''s workshop given by an author whom I admire, and she said that she loves to torture her characters. I don''t. I don''t at all- I would love for them all to live long, blissful lives, but that would make for a terrible read. We need disruption, we need conflict, we need sorrow. Otherwise, how could we recognize happiness if we didn''t have anything to contrast it with?


    Emmy And Me was never meant to be a simple romance. It didn''t start out that way, it wasn''t that way in the middle, and it won''t end that way, even though romance is a big part of the story. Unfortunately for our characters, so is violence, sorrow, and loss. Along the way, there is also love, tenderness, and family. Both sides of the coin are important.


    This is a classic hero''s journey, and the voyage to self discovery can''t be all smooth roads lined with delightful flowers. Some of it certainly should be, but some of it... not so much.


    I hope that those of you who are still left* will continue on this journey with Leah. I promise it won''t be "misery porn" as one reader commented, but for Angela''s murder and the death of the two unborn babies will echo for a while. Healing will come gradually, but it will come. I promise that.

 Hidden Tiger

    Emmy needed all the rest she could get, so I kept my phone on silent mode and didn¡¯t answer it for anybody. I just let the voicemails and texts pile up while I stayed there by Emmy¡¯s side. Emmy mostly slept, and as much as I would have liked to keep her company in that, my mind just wouldn¡¯t stop.


    I tried to steer my thoughts away from Angela¡¯s last moments on this Earth, but the image of her blood pouring out and the life leaving her eyes wasn¡¯t one I could ever forget. Every time my mind wandered in that direction I did my best to turn to happier thoughts of Angela posing in Catalina, or the feel of her thigh under my hand as we drove with the guys. Angela didn¡¯t deserve her end. She should have lived to grow old and watch our girls make lives of their own- the life I¡¯d promised her.


    Rafael had tried to make it clear that wallowing in grief wasn¡¯t going to do me any good, and while I knew that to be true intellectually, emotionally was a different matter. I¡¯d failed in my basic duty to keep her safe, and that would haunt me for the rest of my life.


    I had promised Rafael that I would deliver retribution to those who¡¯d sent the killers, and that was on my mind as well. Obviously the place in Brooklyn was where we were going to start, but patience would reap rewards in that regard. That group needed time to convince themselves that they were safe and I wasn¡¯t about to rain thunder and lightning bolts down on them, and to resume their old patterns of behavior. Then, when we knew they were back to their complacent selves, we¡¯d kick in their door and wipe them clean out. Mia had confirmed to her father that all but one of the group that attacked us had been members of that cell, so there was no doubt that¡¯s where our path lay.


    I took a stroll once I was certain Emmy would be sound asleep for a while to make some calls, and was pleasantly surprised to find Eddie and Nick standing guard outside the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need to talk to you guys at some point soon,¡± I said, and they nodded their understanding, but didn¡¯t waver from suspiciously staring at everybody that came anywhere near.


    I asked around and got directions to one of the small conference rooms so I could make my calls in private. When I closed the door behind me it did a great job of shutting off the sounds of the busy hospital, which pleased me. The last thing I needed was for any orderly to overhear me making plans to kill people mercilessly.


    First up was a call to Mom to tell her what had happened. She¡¯d been one of those who¡¯d left voicemail- apparently she caught the news¡¯ coverage of events. I managed to make it through the conversation without collapsing into tears, but I think that was because I¡¯d pretty much cried myself out already that day.


    I lied and told Mom I had no idea who the attackers were, but Emmy, like any controversial public figure, had her share of weirdos out there who didn¡¯t like her.


    ¡°Lee,¡± Mom cautioned. ¡°Let the police do their job. Just step away, mourn your loss, and don¡¯t become bitter and vengeful. You know what they say about digging two graves.¡±


    ¡°I will, Mom,¡± I assured her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have any idea where to look, or have the resources to find any other members of this group, if they even exist,¡± I said. I hated lying to her, but had no real choice. ¡°I mean, heck, the nine that attacked us might have been all of them.¡±


    ¡°Lee, they said on the news that you- I mean, you in particular- killed most of the attackers, even though they were armed. Is this true?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I said, my voice quiet. ¡°I killed six of them, and Grant and Jeremy killed the other three. Mom- this is important. Some fans in the crowd got the whole thing on video, and I guess it¡¯s all over online. Do me a favor and try to keep Tiff from seeing that, please?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lee,¡± Mom sighed. ¡°I wish I could. I¡¯ve heard about the video and they showed a little bit of it on the news, but you know how it is. If Tiffany hears about it and wants to see it, there¡¯s no way I can prevent that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I said, knowing she was right.


    ¡°Give my love to Emmy,¡± Mom said at the end of the call. ¡°I guess she wants to continue the tour? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a great idea, but I guess I can understand where she¡¯s coming from. But yeah, give her my love and tell her that if she ever needs somebody to talk to- or if you do, too- have her call me.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I promised, sure it would never happen.


    ¡°Michael, Emmy¡¯s going to recover,¡± I said when he answered his phone in the first ring. ¡°She lost the baby, and that and Angela¡¯s death hit her really hard, but you know she¡¯s tough. She¡¯ll recover physically pretty soon, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be a while emotionally.¡±


    ¡°Killing infants or young children is the greatest harm a Night Child can commit. Emmy is correct in saying that this was a message. If all they¡¯d wanted to do is to kill Emmy for her visibility they would not have bothered with Angela. The fact that they did target her, a pregnant woman known as Emmy¡¯s family member, that speaks volumes. This was intended to be a message that any Night Children would recognize.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± I sighed. ¡°And that was my mistake. One of them,¡± I corrected. ¡°I¡¯d always assumed that Angela wouldn¡¯t be drawn into all this, since she¡¯s a day walker and not part of the New Nation.¡±


    ¡°But she was known to be in a committed relationship to Emmy, and known to be pregnant- possibly carrying a surrogate baby of Emmy¡¯s. The fact that Emmy might soon have two heirs¡­ That was too much for them. They needed to end Emmy, and also end her future,¡± Michael said. ¡°Although they failed to kill Emmy, they will be celebrating killing the two babies. This was a major victory for them. Losing their nine assassins was worth the price.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be the only price they pay,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think it will be. Our people are in an uproar over this. Virtually every single one of our people would gladly rush into battle to avenge Emmy¡¯s murdered child.¡±


    ¡°Can we use that?¡± I asked, thoughts coalescing in my head.


    ¡°If you need an army, you will have it,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°No, I think that we have that covered,¡± I said. ¡°No, I¡¯m thinking about informational warfare. Our assessment is that this attack was carried out by the group in New York, right? But the actual attack happened in Atlanta, almost a thousand miles away. How about we get everyone we can easily mobilize to swamp the Atlanta area. Make a show of searching for the perpetrators here, and run silent in New York.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Michael said. ¡°Word will reach them in New York that we are looking in the wrong place, and they will think that they have escaped detection.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I said. ¡°Misdirect. Grant is going to Cleveland to train about twenty of our hitters so when things line up we can be ready for fast deployment, but if we have our enemies focusing on what¡¯s happening in Atlanta¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll coordinate it immediately,¡± Michael said. ¡°We¡¯ll be on the ground there in Georgia within forty-eight hours.¡±


    Jody was my next call. I asked him how security was going there in Colombia, and he told me that things had been peaceful. I told Jody that Grant was going to need him and any hitters they could spare from Cartagena to join him in Ohio for some fortified location invasion training. He said that he and three others could be on a plane the next day.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a hard time keeping anybody here,¡± he told me. ¡°When we got the news, the guys all went freaking ballistic. Everybody has taken this personal like you wouldn¡¯t believe. Everyone wants to get in on the action.¡±


    ¡°Grant is sure that we don¡¯t need any more than twenty at the most, plus you, me, and him. Any more would just be a cluster.¡±


    ¡°You understand that, I understand that, and Grant for sure understands that, but the guys¡­ They want blood. They want it bad,¡± Jody said.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have our blood, but you and Ricky need to make it clear that continuing our outreach and growing our New Nation is also a victory against these people. They wanted to shut us down, so doing just the opposite is just as important for us to beat them,¡± I said. ¡°Frame it like that- we¡¯re winning, and this attack was an act of desperation. As long as we keep moving forward, those who oppose us lose ground.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and while that may well be true, the guys that are going to be left here aren¡¯t going to be happy,¡± Jody cautioned.


    ¡°How many guys will that be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, we brought six hitters¡­¡±


    ¡°So, two will stay?¡± I asked for clarification.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jody confirmed.


    ¡°Alright. Whoever your best guy is down there, leave him, even if he¡¯s one that you¡¯d think we could use up here. Put him in charge of a special job. You heard about that Luis Carde?o asshole, right? Drop the hint that he might have somehow been involved in planning or funding that attack. He¡¯s probably in Bogot¨¢. Set your remaining guys to tracking him down and taking him out as quietly as possible,¡± I said.


    ¡°Um, why? I mean, what¡¯s the point?¡± Jody asked. ¡°He didn¡¯t really have anything to do with the attack, did he?¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t,¡± I confirmed. ¡°But I¡¯m feeling particularly fucking spiteful right now and he did scare and hurt Angela, so he deserves it anyway. A quick knife between his ribs in an alley is the least I can do for Angela and her family, even if they never hear about it.¡±


    ¡°And it keeps the guys down here focused,¡± Jody said, understanding.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Jody said, changing the topic. ¡°We¡¯ve all seen the videos. When we get a few and we¡¯re in the same place at the same time, I think we need to do a debriefing. We need to analyze where things went wrong and where they went right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we do,¡± I admitted. ¡°Grant and I haven¡¯t really had time to go over things, so maybe when we all get together¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure I know how we fucked up, but it would be good to hear your analysis.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got my marching orders,¡± Jody said. ¡°See you in Cleveland.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to call anybody else, so I just went down the line and responded by text to everything that I could. I kept it minimal with the Saturday drive guys, even though between the lot of them (well, mostly Jimmy, to be fair) they¡¯d sent nearly forty texts. I just confirmed that yes, Angela had been killed, and it was going to be a little while before I got back. ¡°I have some shit I need to take care of¡±, I said, and left it at that.


    I was quite a bit more forthcoming with James Atherton. His texts had shown a lot of concern for me and Emmy, as well as mourning the loss of a truly special human being. I relayed what had happened, and that Emmy refused to back down and the tour would continue, to make a point as much as anything else.


    He responded almost immediately to my text, saying that he and Imogen would be thinking of us and if we needed anything, even just someone to talk to, don¡¯t hesitate. Grateful for their friendship, I said I¡¯d pass the message on to Emmy. I¡¯d also definitely give him a call when I had a chance to catch my breath, I told him.


    ¡°If you and Em need a place to hide from the world for a while, let me know. My family has a summer house on an island in Connecticut- we own the whole island, so lots of privacy. It¡¯s yours if you need it.¡± he offered.


    ¡°That sounds pretty good, but it¡¯ll have to wait until after the tour. Two more months, maybe?¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Emmy about it.¡±


    ¡°The offer is open. Any time at all.¡±


    I wrote up a mass email for all my Heads, telling them that due to personal events I was going to have to take some time off from my duties with Royal Holdings. Only email me if it¡¯s extremely important, I wrote. Please let any clients know that I¡¯d be back, but I wasn¡¯t sure how soon that would happen, I instructed.


    Back in Emmy¡¯s room, I found the nurse checking Emmy¡¯s vitals.


    ¡°The doctor says that if everything looks O.K. she may discharge me this evening,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°How do you feel? Are you ready to get out of here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am very ready,¡± she said with a weak smile.


    ¡°One more day in Atlanta, then we need to be on a plane to Miami,¡± I said. ¡°Will you be able to manage that?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Emmy said, her voice a little more confident.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, my voice turning soft. ¡°Angela¡¯s funeral will be in Cartagena three days after your second Miami show. If you think it¡¯ll be too much¡­¡±


    ¡°I would not miss that for anything,¡± Emmy declared. ¡°There is nothing that could keep me from her memorial. Nothing on Earth.¡±


    We did spend that night at the new hotel Stephanie had booked for us. I was very glad she¡¯d done that, since the window of our suite at the ballpark hotel had looked directly down on the plaza where Angela had been killed and I never, ever wanted to see that place again in my life.


    Emmy was still very weak and sore, so I helped her with her bath before bed. No fun soapy time, but it was a chance for me to show that I loved Emmy very much as I tenderly washed her hair and then her terribly abused body.


    That night Emmy fell asleep in my arms after crying silently to herself for a very long time. I didn¡¯t say anything- what could I possibly say that would make anything better? I just held her as my own eyes leaked onto the pillow. I fell asleep sometime after Emmy had finally drifted off. Thankfully my mind let me rest and the self-recrimination didn¡¯t keep me awake for a second night in a row.


    Stephanie called a band meeting the next morning. She wanted to make absolutely sure everyone really was O.K. with continuing the tour. Emmy was adamant that she was, and more or less forced the others to go along.


    ¡°Em, are ya gonna be able to do right by our fans?¡± Jackson asked, and it was clear that he was concerned both for Emmy and for the band¡¯s professionalism.


    ¡°I cannot promise I will dance very much,¡± Emmy said, showing the first spark of humor I¡¯d seen since the attack. ¡°But yes, I will be able to play and to sing. I may ask you to do most of the patter, though.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. You know we¡¯re gonna have to address things, right?¡± he pressed.


    ¡°I know,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°And I will think of what to say before we go onstage.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright, then. I gotta trust that you know what¡¯s best for you, but listen, if it gets too much or whatever¡­¡± Jackson said.


    ¡°Emmy, Jax is right,¡± Lee added. ¡°Let¡¯s play it by ear. If Miami goes fine, then let¡¯s consider Houston. We¡¯ve got a break of a week between those shows- maybe you can go home for a few days and rest, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°Thank you both for understanding, This is very important to me and it would be impossible without you two supporting me in this. So, yes, Stephanie, if Miami is a disaster then I will reconsider. For now, though, I think we must plan to finish the tour,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°You guys know Tino bailed, right? He had a front row seat to all the killing and it really fucked him up. He left for LA this morning. I told him there was a penalty in his contract and he said he didn¡¯t care,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Pay the man,¡± Jackson said. ¡°None of us can blame him for freaking out about what happened. We¡¯ll work around not having keyboards,¡± Jackson said with a shrug. ¡°We got this.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Stephanie said, turning to me. ¡°Your law firm¡¯s PR lady said that it would be best if you¡¯re seen with Emmy as much as possible for a while. She said you should dress conservatively, classy, but not- and this is her word, not mine- ¡®mannish¡¯. She said you need to be seen as Emmy¡¯s caring partner, supporting her through this very hard time. She said she tried to call you, but you¡¯re not answering your phone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true- I¡¯m not,¡± I admitted. ¡°But her advice is noted.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll do it, then?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Well, I am Emmy¡¯s caring partner and I did cancel all other obligations for the foreseeable future, so yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Now, none of this is ever gonna leave this room, got it?¡± Jackson said, looking around the room. ¡°Only the five of us- not even Jen,¡± Jackson said, looking at Lee, ¡°Ever hear of this convo. Got it?¡±


    A bit puzzled, we all nodded.


    ¡°Now, I know that sure as shit you have some clue who these fuckers were, don¡¯t you, Leah? And you¡¯re already making plans to go after whoever it is that sent ¡®em, right?¡± Jackson demanded.


    ¡°Yes,¡± was all I admitted to.


    ¡°Well, my best advice is to play it slow for now. We all know- I mean, if we had any fucking doubts before the other night, we sure don¡¯t now. We all know you¡¯re fucking stone cold. We know you have guys¡­ But wait until after the tour, if you can. I¡¯m sayin¡¯ this as your friend, and as Emmy¡¯s. Be there for her for now. Like Stephanie said the PR flack advised, be seen in public as Emmy¡¯s caring wife. The whole world has seen the video of you just fuckin¡¯ laying waste to those assholes, so you need to turn the public image of you into¡­ well, hear me out,¡± Jackson said, thinking about what he wanted to say. ¡°Leah, up until the other night, the world knew you as Emmy¡¯s wife, right? Paparazzi pictures, red carpet photos, that stuff. If anybody did any Googling, they maybe knew you were a volleyball player. A little more, and they might know you¡¯re into real estate, right? Well, now, everybody knows you as some sort of female John Wick. They saw you twist that guy¡¯s head nearly off, then drop him and move on to the next guy without a second glance. They saw you pile drive a guy into the sidewalk so hard it smashed his head in, then turn and kick the knife out of another dude¡¯s hand before moving in and punching his throat.¡±


    Jackson took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. ¡°That shit just doesn¡¯t happen outside of the movies. So lean into the movie archetype. Everybody loves James Bond, John Wick, dudes like that, right? Not just because they¡¯re psychos- not sayin¡¯ you¡¯re a psycho, but you know what I mean- but because they do it with style and and a sort of¡­ well, panache, right? So like Steph said the PR lady said, dress nice, conservatively. Be seen as a serious badass, but not one who advertises it. Picture, like, Sean Connery James Bond. Elegant, classy, but you know he¡¯s a killer. Well, ain¡¯t nobody gonna look at you and not think of that video, but if you dress well and speak softly and politely, they¡¯ll understand that the tiger only comes out when it¡¯s needed. If that makes sense,¡± Jackson finished.


    ¡°Jax is right,¡± Lee said. ¡°I mean, we all knew, like he said, you have a tiger inside. Anybody who really looks into your eyes can tell. But we all also know that, like, that tiger isn¡¯t an asshole. That tiger only comes out when it needs to. That is the image you need to, um, foster, I guess. Be calm, be cool, and be polite. Don¡¯t give anybody the idea that you¡¯re, like, some sort of loose cannon or something, liable to go off without warning.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re absolutely right,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°We all know you, and know that¡¯s true, but the world now needs to know it, too. As much as I hate to ever agree with any PR types, I have to this time.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± I conceded. ¡°I¡¯ll be good.¡±

 Back To The Regularly Scheduled Programming

    Emmy went back to our room and slept on and off for the rest of the day while I took care of business. Jim Turner and I had a meeting with the police detectives in charge of the case in a small conference room there at the hotel. The detectives wanted to speak with Emmy as well, but Jim made it clear that Emmy was recuperating and not available for questions.


    The detectives grumbled, but there was really nothing they could do. They couldn¡¯t compel her to speak with them without some sort of legal action, and since she was plainly the victim in all this that simply wasn¡¯t in the cards.


    I merely reiterated what I¡¯d said before, adding no new details. The officers pressed me on my use of extreme force, but I pointed out that I was simply defending myself and that I certainly hadn¡¯t initiated the violence. The police detectives didn¡¯t seem satisfied with my answers, but again, plenty of witnesses and bystander videos had all corroborated that we were the victims of a planned ambush with intent to murder us, so really, what could the police do but accept my story?


    At the end of the meeting Jim made it clear that I¡¯d be available to answer questions, but the tour was heading to Miami and we wouldn¡¯t be in Atlanta past the next morning. Again, the police didn¡¯t like that, but they couldn¡¯t legally stop us.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading back to The City in the morning,¡± Jim said as we left the meeting. ¡°Tyler will act as local representative and contact for the investigation. He has your number- let me give you his contact card,¡± Jim said, and we transferred the information to my phone and I set it so it would ring even if the phone was set to silent.


    Emmy was asleep when I got back to the room, so I went out into the suite¡¯s sitting room to take care of more communications I had to deal with. I had quite a few emails from my division Heads asking for more information, for starters. For the most part I kept it simple, saying that I needed to be with Emmy for the rest of the tour, which would be four more weeks. If there was anything absolutely crucial that had to be taken care of in person I could fly in for a meeting, but I¡¯d prefer to do everything remotely until we returned to California.


    The only one who got any additional information was Nash Greene, since we knew him socially outside of the office. He and his family had been to dinner at our house a few times, and we¡¯d been over to theirs as well, so he knew Angela as a person and not just in the abstract.


    After that, I waded into the Saturday drive group chat, scrolling way back to read everything everybody had posted. At the start it was a lot of, ¡°Holy fucking shit! Did you see the news?¡± and some questions for me, but those mostly faded when it became obvious to the guys that I wasn¡¯t answering my phone. After my post about having some shit to take care of they (again, mostly Jimmy) confidently predicted that shit was going to get very taken care of, permanently. Everybody in the group sent off-chat texts directly to me, asking how I was doing, and how was Emmy holding up and expressing disbelief that Angela was gone. I responded to each of those with a bit more care, since after all, Angela had been a friend to all of them as well.


    Andy and Jenna had left a voice mail, so I called Andy rather than texting him.


    ¡°Leah, are you O.K.?¡± Andy demanded the moment he answered the phone. ¡°I heard you got stabbed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my upper thigh,¡± I said. ¡°It hurts, but in the relative scale of things I could complain about, it¡¯s low on the list.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s Em?¡± he asked, his voice turning soft. ¡°Will she be alright?¡±


    ¡°Physically she¡¯ll recover, but emotionally¡­ We both really loved Ange so much, you know?¡± I said, my voice getting a little wobbly.


    ¡°God, I can¡¯t even imagine. What an incredibly shitty thing to have happen. When we heard we just couldn¡¯t believe it. Jenna¡¯s a wreck- she¡¯s been crying off and on ever since we heard,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Yeah, I have, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°I still can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Andy said, his voice soft again. "Anything we can do, you know we¡¯re here for you and Em. Seriously. You need us to come to Atlanta to help you guys out or whatever, just say the word and we¡¯re there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Andy. I mean it- thanks. You know they¡¯re going to finish the tour, right? Well, I¡¯ve told work that I¡¯m going to stay with Emmy and not come back to LA for another month. Maybe after the tour finishes in Los Angeles we won¡¯t stick around, either, depending on how much peace and quiet we can get.¡±


    ¡°I get that,¡± Andy agreed. ¡°But still, like I said- if you guys need anything at all¡­ Hey, you know that goes for Dar, too, right? He wanted me to tell you that he has family there in Georgia, and if you need anything at all give him a call and he¡¯ll get you sorted. He said even if it¡¯s just a place to go and be away from reporters or whatever, they¡¯ll do anything they can for you.¡±


    ¡°Darius said that?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°At practice yesterday, well¡­ You know what? It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°What?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Like I said before, a lot of the guys can be real jackasses when it¡¯s just us, you know? Remember how I told you about Case saying stuff about Emmy?¡±


    ¡°I remember,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Well, everybody was talking about the video, you know, and Steve K was saying that now maybe they understood what he¡¯d meant when he said you were not somebody to ever fuck with, right? Well, Darius got really pissed off and started yelling at everybody to shut the fuck up and be respectful. He made it really clear that he took it very personally that they were making light of the brutal murder of one of the nicest people he¡¯s ever known. He said that if any of them had even ever met Angela they would understand why he was so upset- that she was one of the really good ones. He said that if he was there he¡¯d have gladly taken a knife to save her. He said anyone who could call himself a man would do just the same.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give him a call,¡± I told Andy. ¡°That means a lot that he said that.¡±


    ¡°So, yeah, when he says that his family will do whatever they can, he means it. He thinks of you guys as friends, and to him, that¡¯s important- real important.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call him. Thanks for telling me that. And tell Jenna that- well, I was gonna say that she was Ange¡¯s best friend, you know? But I¡¯m sure Jenna knows that. Just tell her that Emmy and I, we know that Angela wasn¡¯t just taken from us, but from a lot of other people, too. It¡¯s going to be tough facing her parents at the funeral next week.¡±


    ¡°Send me the details,¡± Andy commanded. ¡°We¡¯ll be there, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be in Colombia,¡± I objected.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Andy said. ¡°We¡¯ll be there.¡±


    I called Darius next. I told him what Andy had said, and he said that his prayers went out to Emmy and me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to pray for Angela,¡± he said. ¡°¡®Cause I know for a fact she went to Heaven. She¡¯s in a better place now.¡±


    His sincerity, his complete conviction that it was true, brought tears to my eyes even though he meant it to comfort me.


    ¡°If anybody gets to go to Heaven,¡± I agreed, trying to keep my voice from breaking, ¡°It¡¯d be Angela.¡±


    When it came time, I made sure I was there when the hospital discharged Tiny.


    ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m sending you to our house in New York. There¡¯s nobody in Los Angeles, but in New York Luisa will be there to help take care of you until you¡¯re back on your feet,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anybody-¡± Tiny started to protest, but I interrupted.


    ¡°Jeremy, you had multiple life-threatening knife wounds. I need you to rest, recover, and get better. It doesn¡¯t matter to me if it takes a month, six months, a year¡­ Whatever. Luisa is a really good person, and while she¡¯s not a nurse, she¡¯s a great cook. Wally can take you to the doctor, things like that. In Los Angeles you¡¯d be all alone, and that isn¡¯t what you need right now. You were strong when we needed you to be, and I¡¯ll forever be grateful for that. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that you saved Emmy¡¯s life, nearly giving up your own in the process.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I would have,¡± he said.


    ¡°I know you would,¡± I said, resting my hand on his enormous shoulder, diminished by the wheelchair he was sitting in. ¡°And that means everything to me. So now, just rest. Recover as quickly as you can, Jeremy. When you¡¯re healed, I¡¯ll need you covering Emmy¡¯s back again.¡±


    ¡°I hate being useless,¡± he replied, disconsolate.


    ¡°Jeremy- look at me,¡± I said, lowering myself in front of his chair so we could see eye to eye. ¡°Think long-term. Right now you¡¯re injured, that¡¯s all. Not useless. I need you- Emmy needs you- to recover as completely as you can, so you can resume your duties. I expect you to be there for her for years, you understand me? Taking a few months now to rest and heal up means that you¡¯ll be strong for many years to come. So take the time you need now. Rest, eat well, use the gym to build your strength back up, keep your doctor appointments, and you¡¯ll be back where we need you soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jeremy said, and I thought I saw his dark eyes growing damp.


    ¡°Jeremy, thank you. When it was time, you did what was needed. I couldn¡¯t ask for more.¡±


    After dropping Jeremy off at the FBO at Charlie Brown Field for his flight to Teterboro, I stopped at a florist on the way back to the hotel.


    ¡°You¡¯re Emmy Lascaux¡¯s wife, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked the girl behind the counter.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded, not really wanting to get into a conversation about how she¡¯d seen the video.


    ¡°I can¡¯t begin to tell you how sorry I am about what happened to you guys,¡± she said, her voice sympathetic. ¡°I been following Angela on Insta for a while now, and when she posted about being in a relationship with you and Emmy¡­ Well, I just couldn¡¯t believe it, you know? But the pictures¡­ she was so happy, you know? It was obvious. And to think they killed her because she was carryin¡¯ Emmy and you¡¯s baby. What kind of person would even do that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Evil people, that¡¯s who,¡± I said. Sure, I appreciated that she saw the loss we¡¯d suffered, but I still wanted to escape with no more discussion.


    ¡°They¡¯re sayin¡¯ it was white supremacists that did it. Like, Aryan Brotherhood or whatever,¡± she said.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know who they were,¡± I said, taking the bouquet of roses.


    ¡°That just ain¡¯t right,¡± the girl said. ¡°People should just get along. What¡¯s skin color mean, anyway? It shouldn¡¯t mean anything at all.¡±


    ¡°No, it shouldn¡¯t,¡± I agreed, sliding out the door before she could add anything else. She meant well, but her sympathy wasn¡¯t what I needed right then.


    The next morning Emmy and I (along with our half dozen bodyguards) flew to Miami, Emmy and I avoiding talking about how excited Angela had been to show us the town she¡¯d lived in for three years. The truth is, we were trying to avoid talking about Angela much at all. Sure, we were both thinking about her plenty, but it seemed that we¡¯d unconsciously decided that not talking about her was the best way to prevent breaking into tears- tears that were never far away in any case.


    Once we settled into the Marriott and Emmy went to take a nap, Grant called a meeting for our security detail in our suite¡¯s living room. He introduced everybody to everybody else. Of course I knew Eddie, Nick and Mia, but the two ex-Marines were new to me.


    ¡°This is Ted Mack and that¡¯s Ron Wright,¡± Grant said. ¡°Both excellent guys with plenty of time in the Corps¡¯ protective services. Once I get them up to speed they¡¯ll be taking over for me while I go deal with things in Cleveland,¡± he said.


    ¡°How committed are they?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Completely,¡± Grant said, understanding my question. ¡°I¡¯ve read them in on the current situation, and they¡¯re onboard for future action.¡±


    ¡°Permission to speak?¡± Ted Mack (the redheaded one) asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so military,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Habits,¡± Ted said with a sheepish smile. ¡°Sergeant Henry was our NCO,¡± he said, indicating himself and Ron. ¡°Now, in general, you gotta trust your sergeant, right? But with him, it was more than that. So when he reached out and asked if we would work with him again in the civvie world, we both jumped at the chance. When he, uh, indicated that we may get involved in¡­¡± he trailed off, looking to Ron for help.


    ¡°When Sarge said that we might get in some shit, some real shit, we knew that he wouldn¡¯t be askin¡¯ if it was somethin¡¯ he didn¡¯t think we, well, I guess that we¡¯d be O.K. with, ma¡¯am, if you understand. And we are. O.K. with it, I mean. Once he read us in and we actually met some of the, um, night people, and he told us that there¡¯d be retaliatory action, well, like I said, he called the right guys.¡±


    ¡°Did he explain the restriction against firearms?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He did, ma¡¯am, and while I understand the point, it seems like a real bad idea. We¡¯ve seen the video from Atlanta, and if Sarge had his weapon he could have neutralized all of the attackers quickly,¡± Ron said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I admitted. ¡°But there was a big crowd of innocent bystanders, and there would have been a non-zero chance of civilian casualties for one, and for two, we¡¯d be starting an arms race. Once we started using firearms, then our opponents would, too. If those nine guys had smuggled handguns into the ballpark instead of non-metallic knives, they would have killed us all before we realized we were at risk.¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± Ted admitted.


    Turning to Mia, I asked, ¡°You¡¯re carrying, though?¡±


    ¡°Always,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I want you to play the role your dad has been doing. You¡¯ll be part of our entourage, but don¡¯t look like a bodyguard. I want you to stay a few steps away and keep an eye out. Ask your dad what I mean, and how to play it. Ted, Ron, you¡¯ll be working with Eddie and Nick in a more traditional role. I need you to go get some nice suits today to look the part. Grant will take you shopping- he knows what¡¯s required,¡± I instructed. ¡°By the time we head to the stadium for the show tomorrow you need to look like professional bodyguards.¡±


    When everybody stood to leave, I indicated that Mia should stay.


    ¡°Mia, you¡¯re going to be the spotter. That¡¯s your job. You don¡¯t have to get involved any further than identifying potential problems, but if things do go sideways and you get caught up in it, feel free to shoot anybody that needs shooting,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Mia replied.


    ¡°Another thing. Once the hornet¡¯s nest calms down and the New York cell goes back to believing that they¡¯ve gotten away with it, we¡¯re going in. I¡¯m going to need you to do double duty on that one. First off, we¡¯ll need you to analyze the traffic in and out of what was it? Thomas Brothers? And let us know when we can catch the most of them in there. Second, when it comes time to kick their door in, I want you on a rooftop or something nearby with your rifle and scope. We¡¯ll need you to keep the location clean.¡±


    Mia nodded, a grim, determined expression. ¡°I read you loud and clear, boss. Loud and clear.¡±


    ¡°Good. Shit is going to get very, very real for these assholes, but first we need to lull them into a false sense of security. I have Michael flooding the Atlanta area with our guys, looking for any signs of who might have been behind the attack. Of course they won¡¯t find anything, but¡­¡±


    Mia nodded, understanding. ¡°The drawback to letting them have time to themselves is the possibility of another attack, since they didn¡¯t manage to kill Emmy in the last one,¡± Mia pointed out.


    ¡°There is some thinking that the babies might have been the real targets,¡± I told her, ¡°But you¡¯re right, which is why we need to act as soon as we can. We can¡¯t rush it, though. We need to wait for the right moment, then act decisively. We can¡¯t let any of them slip away.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Mia assured me. ¡°We can track them down anywhere in the New York area.¡±


    We didn¡¯t go out that night. We ate at the hotel¡¯s restaurant, which was serviceable, but not great. Emmy was quiet during dinner, and when I asked her about it later before bed she said she was still sore, that¡¯s all, but I didn¡¯t believe that was it. The loss was going to affect her for a very long time- it certainly was affecting me, and I didn¡¯t lose the small life forming inside me, or, to be completely honest, have the mother instinct going off quite as hard, either.


    Emmy had built a future with Angela, a future filled with children, and now that had been taken away in a matter of moments. No, she was not O.K., and wouldn¡¯t be for a very long time. I wasn¡¯t O.K., either but my misery was nothing in comparison.


    I woke up early the next morning, thanking Ron and Nick for being on guard outside our hotel suite¡¯s door as I made my way to the hotel¡¯s fitness center. I complimented Ron on his new suit, telling him it looked good on him.


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°This is the first suit I¡¯ve ever owned- I had to borrow one for my brother¡¯s wedding.¡±


    ¡°When things settle down, we¡¯ll need to get you a couple more, so better get used to wearing it,¡± I told him, and he swelled up a bit.


    ¡°I think I can do that, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Nick, have you shown him your knife from Japan?¡± I asked, and Nick smiled, too.


    ¡°No, my queen, but now that you mention it, I will,¡± he said.


    ¡°Nick, you and Eddie need to educate Ron and Ted in our ways. These guys are now our brothers in arms, so they need to understand what we¡¯re fighting for,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yes, my queen. We¡¯ve been doing that. They have both been very¡­ receptive to learning.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°I knew I could count on you.¡±


    My workout started with a run on the treadmill. My leg hurt with every step, and as odd as it might sound, I took a certain degree of comfort in that. In fact, I concentrated on the pain as a way to motivate myself to push harder. Of all of us, I¡¯d gotten off the lightest, physically speaking. Even compared to Grant, my injury was fairly trivial. Yes, the stab had been deep, but just in the muscle of my thigh and nowhere near anything any more vital than that. It would heal in time and I¡¯d have no more to show for it than another scar- not even a limp.


    Yes, I recognized that focusing on the injury was some sort of self-flagellation to assuage my guilt at not having borne more of the suffering, but whatever. I knew that Pap¨ª had been right about survivor¡¯s guilt, but that didn¡¯t magically make it go away.


    ¡°If I had only¡­¡± was going to haunt me for the rest of my life, and as strange as it is to say it, I embraced that knowledge.


    Our whole entourage went to the sound check with Emmy and the rest of the band. Yes, it did look a bit ridiculous to have so many guys looking like Secret Service officers standing around us in a protective cordon, but I don¡¯t think anybody would have questioned it in the slightest after what had happened.


    Lee and Jackson both asked Emmy if she was still sure she wanted to perform, and she said that she did, and was ready. She seemed fairly normal during the actual sound check, and when she needed to sing for the mic testing her voice was clear and sure, which seemed to reassure the guys. On the down side, it turned out that Emmy couldn¡¯t stand and hold the weight of her guitar for very long, though, so the roadies had to figure out some sort of stool for Emmy to sit on to play.


    ¡®Won¡¯t be dancing¡¯ came to mind as it became obvious that Emmy had meant that literally, and not metaphorically as I¡¯d understood it. Still, Emmy didn¡¯t waver in her insistence that she was ready and able to play the full set that night, so everybody accepted that she was going to give it her best.

 A Celebration

    I stayed with Emmy backstage during the opening set, but left to go find my seat when the band started to get ready to go on. I had no idea how Emmy was going to address the elephant in the stadium, and I wanted to see it from a fan¡¯s perspective in the audience.


    Finding my seat, I felt a stab of pain in my heart at the pair of empty seats waiting for me. Angela always loved The Downfall¡¯s concerts more than I did, and there was her seat waiting for her. I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep calming breath, and sat down, leaving the empty seat closer to the centerline of the stadium- the side she would have gotten if she¡¯d been there with me. Silly, I know, but I was making a conscious decision to honor Angela¡¯s memory in whatever small ways I could.


    When the house lights dimmed for The Downfall, all chatter around me stopped. Apparently everybody else there in Marlins Park was just as curious as to what was going to happen as I was.


    Emmy appeared, walking slowly with the help of one of the roadies to the stool set up just a bit off center stage. She sat down, adjusted the microphone, looked out over the thirty-seven thousand fans in attendance, and finally spoke, breaking the complete silence. I¡¯d never been anywhere with that many people holding their breath before, and the utter lack of noise from the immense crowd was remarkable.


    ¡°Ladies, gentlemen,¡± Emmy began, looking out into the now dark stadium. ¡°I am certain you have all heard what happened after our last concert in Atlanta. I do not wish to revisit those memories, so all I will say is that killers targeted my unborn baby, as well as that of my wife, Angela. She lost her life, and we lost both babies- mine and hers.¡±


    Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sort of sigh, she continued. ¡°I cannot express to you what a deep, personal tragedy it has been for me, and I am the lucky one- I survived the attack. My wife and our two babies did not.¡± Emmy paused to look out into the darkened stands before continuing. ¡°But, I am still alive. It is me, my voice and my legacy that they wished to murder. They, whoever they were, did murder my future. But they did not murder my present. I am here, in front of you tonight, to continue to speak my truths, to continue to do whatever it was that made these people hate me so.¡±


    After another long look out into the audience, Emmy said, ¡°I do not know exactly why they attacked my family, but I can only guess that it is to silence my voice. To silence me. And that is why I am here in Miami tonight. My doctors said that I should be home, resting, recovering from what was done to me. But I will not do that. Going home, hiding- that would silence me just as surely as if I had been murdered, too.¡±


    Rising up off the stool, Emmy took the microphone from its stand and moved to the front of the stage, albeit a bit slowly.


    ¡°I will not be silenced. I will continue to sing. I will continue to speak. No matter what it costs me, I. Will. Not. Be. Silenced.¡±


    Applause started slowly, people unsure whether to clap or not, but soon it filled the stadium. Emmy waited patiently for the noise to die down before speaking again.


    ¡°I am here to sing my songs and play my music in defiance of those who hate it, those who want me to stop. I am here tonight to give them the loudest message that I possibly can- I can never be bullied. I am too strong of heart, too strong of spirit to ever give in. I am here tonight to give them a giant ¡®fuck you¡¯. So this is my middle finger raised in salute to those who would wish to see me and my family dead!¡± Emmy said, raising her hand in the classic one-finger gesture known around the world.


    This time the audience wasn¡¯t hesitant about cheering, and the noise was deafening. While the crowd whistled, clapped and hollered for Emmy, she took her stool again and her guitar tech brought out her clear blue acrylic guitar, but Emmy just sat there on her stool, sort of leaning against the guitar in her lap. After a while Emmy waved for everybody to calm down. Once it was quiet, she said, ¡°You all know our rules- we always work up a new playlist for each show- we have never done the same show twice. Today I found myself choosing sad songs to play, but when I realized what I was doing I made myself stop. My Angela would not want me to wallow in misery- she was not that kind of person. So tonight, the songs I picked are in honor of her memory. Not for what I have lost, but for what I had with her. So tonight will not be an elegy. It will be a celebration. I would like you all to take a moment to think of those you love most in this world. Hold them in your heart, treasure every moment you have together, and let them know you care.¡±


    With that, she started picking a pretty mid-tempo melody with a lot of slide and bending of the notes- very bluesy, but not slow and sad. Once the guitar line was established Emmy leaned into the microphone and began to sing. Singing had never been part of any of the show intros in the past, so this was a departure from the band¡¯s self-imposed norms in a way. In another way, though, it wasn¡¯t. Emmy didn¡¯t sing any recognizable words- she used her voice as an instrument, a melodic counterpoint to her guitar.


    Her voice, throaty and rich, carried a level of emotion that added to the guitar melody rather than competing with it, and the two separate but complimentary melodies played back and forth, weaving a tapestry of feelings.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± breathed the guy sitting to my right. When I looked over at him, he turned to me and said, ¡°I play guitar in a local band. I¡¯ve been playing for longer than Emmy¡¯s been alive, you know? But to improvise a guitar line that good? And a non-verbal vocal line at the same time? That¡¯s just inhuman. She isn¡¯t just feeling the music flowing out of her- she is the music!¡±


    ¡°She is very talented,¡± I agreed.


    He was going to make some sort of comeback on my comment, but his eye grew wide when he recognized me. ¡°Holy shit! You¡¯re her! You¡¯re Emmy¡¯s first wife, right? The one in the video? That was you?¡±


    I just nodded, knowing that video was going to haunt me wherever I went for a very long time.


    ¡°You were awesome! Fuck those assholes! I¡¯m so sorry for you guys¡¯ loss- everything I¡¯ve read says that Angela was a really wonderful person,¡± he said in a sort of verbal diarrhea. ¡°Emmy being up there tonight- that takes some kind of courage, you know? I can¡¯t even imagine what it must be like for you two.¡±


    ¡°Hard,¡± I said. ¡°Very, very hard.¡±


    He just nodded at that, patting my shoulder in sympathy, before turning back to watch as Lee came out and joined Emmy onstage.


    The first real song of the night was ¡®Shards¡¯ from their third album (or fourth, depending on if you count their Jay Cool Blues thing). It struck me as an odd choice, but heck, I didn¡¯t pick them.


    True to Emmy¡¯s word, the concert didn¡¯t wander into sad territory really at all. Jackson did do most of the patter between songs, and he kept it light with no mention of recent events. He did mention Emmy¡¯s confinement to her stool, saying that she wasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, but that was it.


    The real shocker to me was the final song of the night.


    ¡°I see trees of green, and red roses, too,¡± Emmy sang, her voice clear and warm.


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    Emmy had performed Louis Armstrong¡¯s ¡®What A Wonderful World¡¯ before, on the boat in Alaska, but the band had never played it in concert before and that night in Miami seemed like the least likely place ever, but there it was. Lee kept the drums very soft and subtle, while Jackson played a mellow, supple bass line. The rest of the touring band kept silent, letting the three main members of the band shine in a painfully tender moment.


    The entire stadium was absolutely hushed, letting Emmy¡¯s voice soar as she sang, ¡°They¡¯re really saying, ¡®I love you¡¯.¡± With the final clear, strong, ¡°I think to myself, what a wonderful world,¡± all thirty-seven thousand of us in the audience let out the breath that we hadn¡¯t realized we were holding.


    There was a long moment of silence, since nobody really had any idea how to feel, but then somebody started clapping, and somebody else cheered, and the floodgates burst open, filling that ball park with thunderous applause.


    Wiping his eyes, the guy next to me leaned over to say, ¡°That was incredible!¡± He glanced past me and noticed the empty seat next to me. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± he said. ¡°That was her seat, wasn¡¯t it? Angela¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°It would have been,¡± I said. ¡°She loved The Downfall.¡±


    He had no response to that, so he looked away awkwardly as I got up to go backstage. Just as I stood up, though, Emmy stepped up to the microphone after everybody had taken their normal bows.


    ¡°Thank you, Miami, for helping me celebrate life. These few hours with you have helped my soul. Thank you very much,¡± she said, wiping a tear from her own eye. ¡°You do not know how much this has meant to me. I can never thank you enough.¡± With that, she took her final bow, before a roadie helped her walk offstage.


    Making my way back to the dressing room, Stephanie spotted me and waved her iPad in my direction to get my attention.


    Without any preamble, she said, ¡°That was perfect. I was really worried it was gonna be a train wreck, but that was just the opposite. And you know what?¡± she asked, holding up the iPad again. ¡°Over twenty-two million people watched the live stream. Twenty-two million, Leah. We usually get a million, million and a half viewers, nothing close to this.¡±


    ¡°And? What does that mean?¡± I asked. ¡°The stream is free- we don¡¯t make any money off it.¡±


    ¡°No- actually, the hosting and whatever comes out of the budget, so this is gonna cost us quite a bit more than usual,¡± Stephanie agreed. ¡°But what it means is that a whole lot of viewers watched it that don¡¯t usually, and the falloff rate was minimal. That means they pretty much all watched to the very end. That¡¯s freaking unheard-of.¡±


    ¡°O.K., now you¡¯re going to tell me what that means for the band,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°It means that people are¡­ well, they were drawn in because of the news, right? But they stuck around because of the performance. As much as I hate to say it because it makes me sound like a completely callous bitch, this is public interest you just can¡¯t buy,¡± Stephanie said.


    I was about to agree that she did sound like a callous bitch, but she held her hand up to stop me.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about profit for the band,¡± she said, halting my train of thought. ¡°Emmy has been wanting to tell the world about the plight of her people for freaking ever. That¡¯s the reason you even suggested starting a band to her, right? Well, the world¡¯s eyes are on her now. With that performance she just put on in front of twenty-two million people, everyone is going to be talking about how she¡¯s rising above personal tragedy, you know? I¡¯m not saying that she should hold her Night Children press conference right now, but sooner rather than later would be a really good idea,¡± Stephanie finished.


    ¡°Yeah, not right now,¡± I said, thinking about what needed to happen in the near future. ¡°But soon, for sure.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait too long. The public has a very short attention span,¡± Stephanie warned.


    When I found Emmy resting in the dressing room she looked exhausted and in pain.


    ¡°Oh, babe,¡± I said, stroking her still-sweaty forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt yourself just to prove a point.¡±


    ¡°That is not it,¡± she said with a weak smile. ¡°I simply forgot myself while on the stage. I truly did lose myself in the music and in the performance.¡±


    ¡°It was an amazing performance,¡± I told her. ¡°And I did notice that you skipped ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯ and ¡®Born To Die¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I could not play those songs tonight,¡± she admitted. ¡°I think it will be a while before I am able to sing them again.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have a good response for that, so I just wrapped her up in my arms and held her tightly. It took me a while, but eventually I realized that she was crying onto my shoulder in that silent sobbing of hers that I hadn¡¯t seen in so very long.


    ¡°Oh, baby,¡± I murmured. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this somehow. We¡¯ll get through this.¡±


    ¡°I loved her so much, Leah,¡± Emmy said, wiping her tears on my shirt. ¡°She did not deserve it.¡±


    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t deserve it,¡± I agreed. ¡°She only ever deserved to be loved and cherished. And that¡¯s what we did, Em. We loved and cherished her, more than anybody else could have. She was our beautiful, loving wife, and we loved her.¡± My own tears were flowing freely by this point, but I was focused on Emmy¡¯s misery, trying to be there for her. ¡°The time we had with her was perfect- that¡¯s what we need to remember. Only think of the good.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Emmy admitted, her voice muffled. ¡°But it is so very hard.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°It really is.¡±


    Back in our suite at the hotel I bathed Emmy, dried her off, and gently tucked her into bed. She was almost more like a rag doll than a real person, so very limp and unable to care for herself. Once in bed with the lights off, I held her as she cried herself to sleep.


    I woke up early and put in a couple of hours¡¯ time in the hotel¡¯s halfway decent gym first thing in the morning. I needed that physical release. Losing myself in the endorphins the way Emmy had in her show the night before, I forgot all about the world as a sweated my way through a short but intense workout. It helped for a while, but the world came back to me after I was done.


    Back upstairs I let Emmy continue to sleep as I readied myself for the day. Annoyed by the lack of any sort of surface I could use as a desk, I plowed through my emails and messages with my laptop on top of my lap, which was uncomfortable and irritating, but the best I could do.


    I had quite a few emails to respond to that I¡¯d simply been ignoring for the last couple of days, since answering them had been anything but urgent. Most of those I continued to ignore. At some point I¡¯d have to deal with them, but not just then.


    I responded to the new emails in order of importance, keeping them short and to the point. I wasn¡¯t in any sort of mood to chat with anybody, after all. Once that was done, I looked through my many, many texts.


    I popped in to the Saturday Drive group chat and said that Emmy and I were heartbroken and in a lot of pain, but we were doing what we could. I¡¯d see them all in maybe a month, I said, when we get back to Los Angeles.


    Scrolling through the list of unopened texts, a couple caught my eye. Mr Han from Singapore had sent one that simply said, ¡°We need to talk. Let me know where I can meet you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m traveling with the band. It will be a month before I will be back in LA¡±. I shot back, getting an almost instant response.


    ¡°I will come to you. Your next tour stop is Houston in a week. I will be there. What hotel will you be using?¡± he sent back.


    Surprised, I said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll find out and let you know later today¡±.


    ¡°See you in a week.¡± he sent, leaving it at that.


    Bemused and wondering what had lit his hair on fire that he had to drop everything and come to talk in person, I mentally shrugged and figured he was probably going to dress me down for my failure to anticipate the attack or something. I mean, I knew what I did wrong and having a guy like him yell at me for it wasn¡¯t going to be fun, but if he had anything constructive to say, I was open to it.


    There was a WhatsApp message from Colonel Bridger, and I paused a moment before clicking on it. I certainly didn¡¯t want to receive a ration of shit from him, too, but it¡¯s not as if I could really ignore him, either. I wanted to keep on his good side, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry to hear about your lovely wife¡¯s murder. From our brief meetings she seemed to be a truly special lady.¡±, he began. "When you have some time to talk privately, please give me a ring.¡±


    Mysterious, sure, but he probably was still going to berate me for letting my guard down, so I just responded with a quick thumbs-up emoji.


    The third unusual text was from a number I didn¡¯t recognize, so I almost deleted it. I only stopped when I read the little text preview and saw ¡°This is my American phone number¡­¡± It turned out to be from Katrina Su¨¢rez, the girl I¡¯d gone snorkeling with in Cartagena. ¡°I went to the downfall show last nite¡±, she texted. ¡°I dint know what to expect, but it was amazing and heartbreaking. Are you in Miami? Want to meet up?¡±


    I mentally debated for a minute or two, then finally sent, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re staying at the Bayfront Marriott. Want to have lunch?¡± I figured that Emmy might be amused and distracted for a little while with meeting the girl I¡¯d told her about.


    Almost immediately she sent back, ¡°Sounds great! What time?¡±


    We set up a time, and said we see each other then. ¡®It¡¯ll probably be a lot more pleasant meeting than with Mr Han or Colonel Bridger,¡¯ I thought to myself.

 Blood Drops

    When Emmy finally got up I helped her get ready for the day. She was still unsteady on her feet, but not as bad as she¡¯d been after the concert the night before. Of course I worried for her, but there was no point in burdening her with my concerns. She was going to do what she was going to do, no matter how far she was from being recovered from her injuries.


    She did smile when I told her that Katrina Su¨¢rez wanted to have lunch.


    ¡°The naked Miami party girl?¡± she asked with a hint of a laugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± I confirmed. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to have lunch at one thirty in the hotel patio restaurant.¡±


    ¡°I would like to meet her,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Do you still think she is CIA?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I doubt it. Her dad probably is, or at least has dealings with them, but I think Katrina¡¯s just what she seems,¡± I told Emmy as I brushed her hair. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem serious enough to actually be in that, um, industry.¡± Then, I added, ¡°but two people I absolutely know to be in that field have reached out. Mr Han from Singapore said he¡¯ll meet us¡­ well, me, anyway, in Houston when we get there. That guy I told you about London, Roger Bridger, he sent a vague text suggesting that we need to talk. He didn¡¯t say what it was about, though.¡±


    ¡°He is the one that wanted to recruit you, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the guy. I wouldn¡¯t be a bit surprised if both of those guys want to tell me what I did wrong back in Atlanta and try to rope me into more training with them,¡± I said.


    ¡°Would you do that? Do training, I mean?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°As long as the strings attached weren¡¯t too much,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling stale at the fight gym, you know?¡±


    ¡°I have not wanted to speak of that night in Atlanta,¡± Emmy said, turning to face me. ¡°I think that is because I know that it is my fault-¡±


    ¡°Em, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± I started to say, but she put a gentle finger on my lips.


    ¡°I do not mean that I caused the attack. What I mean is that I have been enjoying interacting with my fans, and that is what allowed these people to get so close. You saw the threat, but it was already too late. If we had kept the crowds away, as most performers do, they would not have been able to surprise us.¡± Still keeping her fingertip on my lips, she said, ¡°You, Leah¡­ You were an unstoppable force. Once you recognized the threat you leapt into action. I have never seen such directed violence. Your ability in that arena is incredible- truly incredible. If that crowd had been held a few meters farther back, none would have reached me or Angela.


    ¡°But that is not what I wanted. I did not think of the danger. I have been happy to pose for selfies or sign autographs, or even to simply say hello to my fans, never imagining that they could be used as camouflage. I had been encouraging that closeness, and it was used against us.¡±


    I wanted to object, but Emmy wasn¡¯t wrong. It was that proximity that we¡¯d been allowing that gave the attackers the cover needed to get close.


    ¡°Em, I hate the idea of keeping you away from your fans, I really do, but yeah, we do need to do just that. Maybe not in more casual settings, like when a fan comes over to say hello in a restaurant or something, but definitely in larger groups. And honestly? I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll all understand,¡± I said.


    ¡°I would expect so,¡± Emmy admitted.


    ¡°Also, we¡¯re going to need to keep a fair number of obvious bodyguards around you for a while- at least until I root out the assholes who planned the attack. It needs to be obvious that another frontal assault won¡¯t go anywhere, so whenever you¡¯re out we¡¯ll have at least four guys with you,¡± I told her. "We¡¯re going to start a special program. It won¡¯t just be Tiny- it¡¯ll be a rotating group of guys.¡±


    ¡°How is Jeremy doing?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I sent him to the townhouse in New York. I told him that the only thing he needs to concentrate on now is recovering from his injuries. Luisa and Wally can help him get back on his feet,¡± I said.


    ¡°And when he has recovered?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be back here with you. He¡¯s proven that he¡¯s willing to sacrifice himself to save you, after all, and willing to kill to defend you. Once he¡¯s back up to full strength I¡¯m going to start working with him, to make him sharper than he¡¯s ever been. He relies too much on his size and strength- he needs to up his game with his skills.¡±


    ¡°How does he feel about that?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°He resents the time he¡¯ll be off his feet. He would be here now if I¡¯d let him.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if he will get the tattoo now?¡± Emmy mused.


    ¡°Which tattoo is that?¡±


    ¡°Your ¡®hitters¡¯, Leah¡­ They have started what has become a tradition, I guess. When they accept the position as a hitter, they get a tattoo of your dagger on their shoulder.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I understand," I said, sighing.


    ¡°But those who have taken lives in your service, they get a drop of blood coming from the tip. One drop, one life,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ horrifying,¡± I said, covering my face with my hands, but laughing at the same time. ¡°That has to be a joke.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Eddie has the most- four drops.¡±


    I let out a breath, slowly shaking my head. ¡°But Eddie¡­ he was a killer before he ever came to us. He escaped King Marfan¡¯s service because he hated what he was made to do. I wonder how many blood drops he would have had when he worked for Marfan?¡±


    ¡°I have never asked him,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°But I do think it was more than one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°But now he¡¯s ours, and he¡¯s proud, I guess? To display his body count.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy asked, her voice soft. ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°Proud? Just the opposite, actually. Every one of the people I¡¯ve killed deserved it, but I really wish there had been some other way of resolving things, you know?¡±


    ¡°How many?¡± Emmy asked, barely audible.


    ¡°Fifteen, I think,¡± I told her. ¡°That¡¯s three times as many as Jack The Ripper.¡±


    ¡°You did sound a little proud of that,¡± Emmy teased.


    ¡°It was just a random thought I had the other day while thinking about it,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯d be among the worst female serial killers in American history if people knew.¡±


    ¡°But that is very different. You have not killed anyone who did not try to kill you first. You are not some sort of sociopath who cares nothing for human life. You are a soldier, fighting in a war. You do it because you must, not because you wish to,¡± Emmy objected.


    ¡°I guess¡­ But try convincing a judge and jury of that if I ever get caught.¡±


    ¡°Just never get caught,¡± Emmy said, as if it were just that simple.


    Katrina was already seated when we made our way down to the restaurant. She looked good, dressed in a sleeveless floral print top and khaki shorts. When she spotted us, she rose out of her seat with a smile. Her smile dimmed a bit as she realized that I was very nearly carrying Emmy, bearing the bulk of her weight as we crossed the dining room to the table.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Katrina said, her eyes wide. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡±


    Emmy smiled at Katrina and said, ¡°I am still in quite a bit of pain. It is getting better, but it will be a while before I am back to full health.¡± Then, changing the topic as I helped her into her seat, she said, ¡°Katrina? You are the naked snorkeling party girl that Leah told me of?¡±


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    ¡°Is that how she described me?¡± Katrina asked, both amused and appalled at the same time.


    ¡°She did not use those words in that exact order,¡± Emmy admitted.


    ¡°But yeah, that¡¯s pretty much how I described you,¡± I said, giving Katrina a smirk.


    ¡°Did she tell you that she was snorkeling naked, too?¡± Katrina demanded, taking her seat.


    ¡°She did,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°But Leah is widely known as an exhibitionist.¡±


    ¡°Can we not start on that again?¡± I asked. Turning to Katrina, I said, ¡°I¡¯m not really an exhibitionist. It¡¯s just an old joke.¡±


    ¡°That would be a lot more believable if you actually had any sort of tan lines at all,¡± Katrina countered.


    There was nothing I could say to that, so I just rolled my eyes and let it go.


    ¡°Since Leah here is being rude, let me introduce myself,¡± Katrina said to Emmy. ¡°I¡¯m Katrina Su¨¢rez, born and raised here in Miami.¡±


    ¡°Emmy De Lascaux, born and raised in Paris, France,¡± Emmy responded, reaching across the table to shake Katrina¡¯s hand. ¡°I feel as if I know you at least a little bit, from what Leah has told me of you.¡±


    ¡°Well, Leah hardly said anything about you,¡± Katrina groused. ¡°Getting any sort of information out of her was like pulling teeth.¡±


    ¡°So it is true, then?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°You do work for the CIA and were trying to get information from her?¡±


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± Katrina said, burying her face in her hands.


    Luckily she was saved by the waiter arriving just then to hand out menus and ask for our drink order. Once he¡¯d gone, Katrina leaned back in her chair and let her shoulders slump.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t work for the CIA, or the DEA, or the FBI, and anything like that.¡± Turning to me, she said, ¡°But you know, ever since you brought it up, you¡¯ve got me thinking, and I wouldn¡¯t be a bit surprised to find out Dad was working with them. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s, you know, an actual agent or anything, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to hear he has connections.¡±


    ¡°Everybody in Cartagena certainly seems to think he does,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°So, I guess it¡¯s realistic to think that once I get established in Dad¡¯s company, they might, I don¡¯t know, reach out to me or something,¡± Katrina said, playing with her napkin.


    ¡°Well, when they do, get them to send you to personal defense school or whatever it is they call it in Langley,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will they teach me to stick knives up peoples¡¯ noses?¡± Katrina asked. ¡°God, I can still see that guy, lying there on the ground, terrified for his life.¡±


    ¡°No, I learned that from an old movie,¡± I said.


    ¡°Knife up a nose?¡± Emmy asked, puzzled.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her about that? You told her we snorkeled naked, but couldn¡¯t be bothered to tell her about those guys that tried to jump us?¡± Katrina asked.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t seem important,¡± I said, taking a sip of the Coke that had just been set down.


    Katrina took in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. ¡°I saw the video, you know,¡± she said, not looking at me. ¡°You really could have killed those three guys that night. I couldn¡¯t believe how fast you laid those guys out, but you¡­ If you¡¯d have wanted to, they would all have been dead before they even knew it,¡± she said, her voice just a bit shaky.


    ¡°Leah is a lion,¡± Emmy said, resting her hand on Katrina¡¯s. ¡°A true lion. The lesser animals of the jungle do not stand a chance against her. What happened with this man and his nose?¡±


    ¡°We went out to dance, you know?¡± Katrina said, collecting her thoughts. ¡°Me and Leah, we¡¯d gone out before, and she saved me from being date-raped- did she tell you that?¡±


    ¡°No, I do not think she did,¡± Emmy said, looking questioningly at me.


    ¡°Well, this Canadian asshole roofied me, you know? And Leah, she brought me back safe to the hotel, so, like, I knew I would be safe if I went out with her, you know?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°So we went out again, because, you know, I was soooo bored there and my Dad didn¡¯t want me going out by myself¡­¡±


    ¡°He sounds as if he understood the dangers better than you did,¡± Emmy said, but the tone of her voice kept it from sounding reproachful.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I guess so,¡± Katrina admitted. ¡°Anyway we went out again, and as we were walking back to the hotel these three guys tried to mug us, you know? But Leah was like bam! Pow! She hit the three guys so hard and fast I didn¡¯t even really see what happened. She told two of them to, like, fuck off, and they took off running. The third guy was lying on the ground with, I dunno, broken ribs or something, so Leah grabs the knife one of the other two dropped and sticks it right the fuck up this guy¡¯s nose. Like so far up his nose that it had to be, like, poking his brain, you know?¡± she asked, making a gesture with her index finger to illustrate what she meant. ¡°She tells me to tell him in Spanish that if they even so much as touched me, she would have killed all three of them. I mean, this guy is lying on the wet pavement, holding his chest in pain, and she has this knife stuck up his nose! Can you imagine that? She¡¯s leaning down over him, this knife so far up his nose there¡¯s barely any blade showing, and she tells me to tell him that he came this close to dying,¡± she said, holding her index finger and thumb about a quarter inch apart. ¡°I was terrified, but that guy? I¡¯m amazed he didn¡¯t die of fear right then and there. So once Leah is convinced he understands how close he came to just getting killed, she pulls the knife out of his nose and casually, like, throws it away, as if it didn¡¯t matter anymore. She takes my hand and pulls me along, and we stop a few blocks later for some pandebono like nothing ever happened.¡±


    ¡°How did that make you feel?¡± Emmy asked, leaning forward.


    ¡°God, that¡¯s a hard question to answer, you know?¡± Katrina said, leaning back. ¡°I was scared when the three guys tried to jump us, but Leah¡­ She was so fast I didn¡¯t even understand what was happening until she grabbed that knife off the ground and, well, stuck it up that guy¡¯s nose.¡±


    ¡°That seems to have made a very big impression on you,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget it for the rest of my life,¡± Katrina admitted. ¡°I¡¯d never seen anything so¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen documentaries from Africa?¡± Emmy asked, getting a puzzled look from Katrina. ¡°Have you ever seen a lion leap from the tall grass and take down an animal with a single swipe of her claws? That is Leah. Those men thought they were predators, but they were only small wild dogs, nothing but a nuisance for a real lion.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking that night that they might as well have stepped in front of a bus,¡± Katrina admitted. ¡°They never stood a chance, and they just didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°They know now,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Oh, they sure as Hell do,¡± Katrina said. ¡°That¡¯s one of those life-changing moments, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Was it for you?¡± Emmy asked, curious.


    ¡°Was it what?¡±


    ¡°Life-changing,¡± Emmy clarified.


    ¡°I¡­ Well, yeah, maybe,¡± Katrina replied, thinking about it. She paused while the waiter set our food down, then once he¡¯d gone, she continued. ¡°Like, John Wick seems a lot more realistic now. I mean, I actually saw somebody do that stuff in real life, right?¡±


    ¡°That is all?¡± Emmy pressed.


    ¡°No¡­ I guess not,¡± Katrina admitted. ¡°Thinking about it afterwards, what made the biggest impression was how calm Leah was about it all. She was, like, completely unfazed by any of it. I mean, she very believably threatened to kill three guys and it seemed like it would be a minor inconvenience at best. I¡¯d never seen anybody so casual about, well, murder, I guess. I don¡¯t mean in a joking way, either. That guy with the knife up his nose, he absolutely just fucking knew his life was hanging by a thread. And what was most terrifying about it? How casual Leah was, I mean, seriously, she could have been paying a taxi driver or something for how emotionally she was invested in the whole thing. Like- God, I don¡¯t even know. Like a shark- or maybe like a train running you over because you happen to be standing on the tracks. The train doesn¡¯t care, but you¡¯re just as dead.¡±


    ¡°And yet you reached out to her today,¡± Emmy said.


    Katrina let out a breath again, then said, ¡°Well, the thing is, none of that, um ¡®scary Leah¡¯, was directed at me. She told that guy the only reason he was still alive was because none of the three had even so much as touched me. She saved me from that roofie rapist, too. I took the core psychology series in my sophomore year, so I know what, well, I mean, I know the signs of, like, a sociopath, and that isn¡¯t Leah. Leah¡¯s, like, the most dangerous person I¡¯ve ever met, but¡­ Well, not towards me, if that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± Emmy said, nodding.


    ¡°So¡­ when I saw the video online, um, I guess it didn¡¯t surprise me, you know? My roommate saw it first and told me I had to watch it. I¡¯d told her all about what happened in Cartagena and told her you were Emmy¡¯s wife, Leah, so she knew¡­ Well, I mean¡­¡± Katrina said, her thoughts jumbled.


    ¡°But, like, I¡¯d already told Tish about what happened, and how you beat those guys up, and the knife and all that, right? So she saw this video and she, um, connected things. She told me I had to watch it, and so I did, but I really kinda wish I never did.¡±


    ¡°Was the violence too much?¡± Emmy asked, her voice gentle.


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­ I guess I¡¯d half convinced myself that Leah had, like, put on a show there in Cartagena and was just playing tough when she told that guy she would have killed all three¡­ But now, there¡¯s no way to deny it,¡± Katrina said. ¡°You know, back in Colombia, Leah kept giving me a hard time about being a CIA agent, right? She must have told you, because you asked about it right when you sat down, right?¡± Katrina said to Emmy. ¡°It sort of became part of a running joke, that and drug smuggling-¡±


    ¡°And hidden landing strips,¡± I added.


    ¡°And landing strips,¡± Katrina admitted, rolling her eyes. ¡°So after the whole nose knife thing I gave Leah a hard time about being a hired cartel killer or something. Well, if she wasn¡¯t on their payroll, they were seriously missing a prime hire.¡±


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t afford me. Besides, like I told you, I¡¯ve never killed anybody for money,¡± I said.


    Katrina looked as if she was going to say something, but stopped herself. After a moment of thought, she turned to Emmy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say it, but I¡¯ve never been a fan of The Downfall, but after hanging out with Leah in Colombia, I got tickets to the show when I saw you were going to play here in Miami. Then, with what happened in Atlanta, everybody assumed the show would be canceled, you know? But then you announced that you weren¡¯t going to cancel the tour, so¡­ You know, I saw tickets like mine going for over a thousand bucks on scalper sites? I almost sold mine, but then thought I¡¯d regret missing it¡­ So Tish and I saw the show last night, and wow¡­ I don¡¯t even know what to say. At the end? When you sang ¡®Beautiful World¡¯, I freaking cried like a baby. I mean, seriously, just thinking about it now I¡¯m starting to tear up,¡± Katrina said, her voice definitely getting a bit husky.


    ¡°Why did it make you cry?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Anybody could tell you were in pain up there on the stage, and everybody in the whole world knows you just lost your, um, other wife and both babies, right? But you sang that song so beautifully- it was like Pandora¡¯s Box, with hope the last thing to escape. God, does that sound cheesy?¡± Katrina asked. ¡°But yeah, like, despite all this shit that happened to you, you could still sing about how wonderful the world is. It was literally heart-breaking.¡± Taking a moment to think, Katrina said, ¡°So, I guess I just hoped that Leah would introduce us, you know? I wanted to meet the person who could do that. The person who could find the good after so much bad.¡±


    ¡°I am glad that you reached out to Leah- I was curious about you, too,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°She told us about the two of you going dancing, and of course, the naked swimming, so I wanted to meet the woman who could get Leah to let her hair down.¡±


    ¡°She is pretty serious, isn¡¯t she?¡± Katrina said, glancing over at me.


    ¡°Very,¡± Emmy said with a genuine smile.

 Not Naive

    Katrina wound up hanging out with us the rest of the afternoon, and was thrilled at the idea of a backstage pass and a seat in the VIP section for the show. I had a bit of an emotional twinge when Katrina sat in the seat that would have been Angela¡¯s, but I told myself I was being silly and squashed it down. Angela certainly wasn¡¯t going to use it, after all, and feeling somehow unfaithful to her by giving her seat away to somebody else did nobody any good.


    After the improvised intro and the first song of the night (¡®Blue Mood¡¯ from Dark Times), Jackson took to the microphone.


    ¡°Y¡¯all are gonna have to forgive Emmy tonight,¡± he said, indicating where she sat in an armchair, hugging her guitar. ¡°She overdid it last night, forgettin¡¯ that her body needs to heal. She¡¯s still got a lot of recoverin¡¯ to do, after all that happened. Lee and me, we told her that if she can¡¯t keep still and let her body do the healin¡¯ it needs, we¡¯ll pull the plug on the tour so she has no choice but to rest. We made her promise to stay in that chair for the full show- we¡¯ve got guys that can bring her whichever guitar she needs, or get her a drink of water- whatever. All she needs to do is sit in that seat and play and sing for y¡¯all. Now, mind you, even in the state she¡¯s in, she can still do those things better¡¯n pretty much anybody, so we¡¯re still gonna put on a great show tonight, I can promise you that.¡±


    Waiting for the applause to die down, he turned to Emmy and asked if she wanted to add anything.


    ¡°Thank you, Jackson,¡± she said, and the giant screens behind the stage showed close-ups of her face as she smiled at him. ¡°Yes, they did make me promise to stay in this chair all night, it is true,¡± she said to the audience. ¡°They even got me this new microphone so I do not have to move,¡± she said, tapping the side of her face while the camera zoomed in to show an earpiece with a tiny little boom mic. ¡°It is strange- it makes me feel like Pink, or Madonna or somebody like that whose performance involves a lot of dancing. Of course, I cannot do much dancing confined to this chair¡­¡± she said, getting the laugh she aimed for. ¡°But I can sing, and I can play my guitar,¡± she said, tapping the body of her Gretsch. ¡°And that is what you came to see, is it not?¡±


    With that, she played the opening riff of ¡®Fire Down Below¡¯, a song from Dark Times that I¡¯d never seen them perform live before.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how Emmy is doing,¡± Katrina said about an hour in, cupping her mouth against my ear to be heard. ¡°Earlier today she looked nearly done in, you know? But now she¡¯s playing and singing like normal."


    ¡°That¡¯s part of the problem,¡± I replied. ¡°She really did overdo it last night, and she¡¯s probably not doing herself any favors tonight, either.¡±


    When the show wrapped up Katrina and I went backstage, and as I¡¯d feared, Emmy was completely wiped out again. I apologized to Katrina, saying that I needed to get Emmy back to the hotel and into bed. When she said her car was parked at the hotel, I acquiesced and we gave her a ride back to the Marriott, but I gently hinted we were done for the night and she should head home and not expect to come up to our suite, which seemed to disappoint her.


    ¡°Wanna get together for lunch tomorrow?¡± she asked, looking hopeful.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving for Cartagena in the morning,¡± I told her. At her puzzled expression, I said, ¡°Angela¡¯s funeral.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said, visibly deflating. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll just head home,¡± she said. ¡°I had a real nice time today, you guys. Thanks for the show and everything.¡±


    ¡°It was our pleasure,¡± Emmy assured her. ¡°It was very good to meet you- if you are ever in Los Angeles, you must come visit.¡±


    Once I had Emmy relaxing in the bath, she asked me, ¡°Why did you tell Katrina we are going to Colombia tomorrow? We are actually flying the next day.¡±


    ¡°Two reasons,¡± I said, massaging shampoo into Emmy¡¯s fine white hair. ¡°The most important one is that you really do need to rest, babe. All I want you to do tomorrow is sleep, eat a little, and sleep some more. You need to give your body the time to heal. The second,¡± I said with a sigh, ¡°is that I kinda get the feeling that she wants more from me than I¡¯m willing to give, if that makes sense. If all she wants is to be a friend, that¡¯s fine, but it¡¯ll be hard to keep up a friendship from opposite sides of the country. If she actually does want more¡­ Well, that¡¯s a non-starter.¡±


    ¡°She is very pretty,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°She is, and she¡¯s got a good sense of humor and looks good with no clothes on, but I am absolutely not looking for an Angela replacement,¡± I said. ¡°I just need to concentrate on you, Em. You¡¯re my wife- you¡¯re my life. I loved what we had with Angela, but we don¡¯t have that anymore. Now it¡¯s just you and me, and we need to focus on that.¡±


    Emmy sighed, resting her head against my hand. ¡°That is not what I meant, Leah, and I am sorry if it sounded that way. I know that I am not good companionship right now, and I would hope you could find someone more¡­ lively than I am to keep you company until I have my strength back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anybody else,¡± I assured her. ¡°Your condition¡­ It¡¯s temporary, we both know that. If I can do anything to help you recover more quickly, well, you know I¡¯m going to do it. You are the center of my world, Em. You are.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emmy whispered, sinking lower into the water.


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    We took Eddie and Nick with us to Cartagena, sending everybody else to Cleveland to work with Grant and Jody until we returned to the US. We¡¯d be well out of reach of any of the New York cell down there, and we had plenty of people on the ground in any case.


    Once we¡¯d gotten through customs and made our way out into the terminal, we spotted Mam¨¢, Pap¨¢ and Cecy immediately. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t sure of what sort of reception we¡¯d get from the Castro family, but as we drew close Mam¨¢ opened her arms and rushed in to give Emmy a tearful hug.Emmy almost literally fell into Mam¨¢ Castro¡¯s arms and the two started weeping loudly, holding each other up. I turned to look at Rafael, and saw in his eyes that he felt the same way I did, so I stepped in close and gave him a long hug, too. Neither of us bawled the way that Mam¨¢ and Emmy were doing- no, we just held each other tight, expressing our emotions through the solidity of the physical contact. When we eventually let go, he held my arms and looked me in the face.


    His eyes were just as moist as my own, but he said, ¡°Stay strong, Leah. Don¡¯ let despair win. My Angela, she loved your strength- remember that.¡±


    Emmy and I rode in the Castros'' car while Eddie and Nick rode with Ricky in the ¡®company¡¯ van to our hotel, the same one we¡¯d stayed in before. At check-in they were about to assign us the same suite as we¡¯d stayed in last time, but I requested a different one, even if it wasn¡¯t quite as nice. I didn¡¯t need the memories, and neither did Emmy.


    Eddie and Nick walked with us over to the Castro house, but left to check out the neighborhood once we were safely inside.


    ¡°They are welcome to stay for dinner,¡± Mam¨¢ said, but the two insisted that they wanted to get to know the area, so she didn¡¯t put up much of a fight.


    Dinner was a somewhat somber affair, but it wasn¡¯t for lack of trying to keep it light. We just all had Angela¡¯s death on our minds, and that wasn¡¯t going to simply go away.


    After dinner Emmy went to lie down in Angela¡¯s old room. After I tucked her in, I went back down to the kitchen to talk with Mam¨¢ Castro.


    ¡°Mi nena Emmy,¡± Mam¨¢ said, handing me a cold glass of avena when I sat down at the table. Angela used to make the stuff every now and then, but for whatever reason hers was never as good as the stuff her mother made. ¡°She is suffering very much.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± I agreed. ¡°I am, too, but nothing like Emmy is.¡±


    ¡°She will be very sad for a long time, I believe. It is a terrible thing to lose a baby, but to lose the one you love also¡­¡± Mam¨¢ said, staring into her own glass of the milky white drink. Angela had told Emmy and me that her mother had miscarried her first baby, which was a big part of Angela¡¯s nervousness about her own pregnancy- and probably also why she insisted we not buy any baby furniture until the girls were born. Which, of course, wouldn¡¯t happen now.


    ¡°Mam¨¢,¡± I said. ¡°I am so sorry that I couldn¡¯t protect her- it¡¯s going to haunt me for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°I could not watch the videos that are on the internet, but Rafa did, and he told me how it happened. He said you were ambushed. He said there were nine of them to the two bodyguards and you. He said that you fought like a demon, but there was nothing you could do. He said you were incredible, but they caught you by surprise.¡± She took my hand in hers and held it, looking me straight in my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize for something you could not prevent. I miss my Angelita very much,¡± she said, tears welling up in her eyes, ¡°but I do not blame you. It is the guilt of those terrible people who would attack pregnant women, not of you.¡±


    Sighing, I said, ¡°In my mind I know that, but in my heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Rafa thinks I don¡¯t know about his time in the military,¡± Mam¨¢ said, squeezing my hand. ¡°But I knew what he was doing, and how dangerous it was. Every time he went on a mission, I knew there was great possibility of him not coming back to me,¡± she said, pausing to wipe away her tears. ¡°But that was the man I married, so I simply kissed him goodbye each time he left. I had chosen him, you see. And mi Angelita, she chose you and Emmy. She chose you, even knowing that you have enemies who would see you two dead. Mi Angelita, she was inocente, but she was not¡­ naive. As I was not naive about Rafa. I prayed that he would come home to me, and gave thanks to God when he left the military, but I never once demanded that he not do what he must do. Angela, she told me that she worried for you, as I worried for mi Rafa. But she was like me. She knew that you are who you are, as was mi marido. Weep for our beautiful Angel, but never believe that she did not know the risks.¡±


    ¡°Mam¨¢, we were going to have a life together,¡± I said, tears flowing freely now. ¡°She deserved the best I could give her.¡±


    ¡°You did give her the best,¡± Mam¨¢ assured me.


    When I went to collect Emmy to take her back to the hotel I couldn¡¯t bring myself to wake her, so after making sure it was O.K. with the Castros, I just slid into that little bed that had belonged to teenaged Angela and spooned Emmy through her fitful night''s sleep.


    The next day was Angela¡¯s service, held at a surprisingly modest but ancient church a few blocks from the Castro family home. Emmy and I sat up front with the family- apparently the Castros had pushed back against relatives who¡¯d said we weren¡¯t really family, telling the naysayers that we were more family to Angela than those cousins and uncles and aunts had ever been. Andy and Jenna, true to their word, had flown in early in the morning to attend, but they were back in the middle rows of pews.


    I¡¯d been worried that Rafael and Mam¨¢ would resent us for their daughter¡¯s death, so their continued acceptance of us meant more than I could ever say.


    I didn¡¯t understand much of the actual service, but the ceremony was very touching. From what Rafael had told me, this was the same church and same priest that had baptized Angela as well as performed her First Communion when she was ten. He was clearly very emotional about eulogizing a girl he¡¯d seen grow up, his voice full of emotion, even though I couldn¡¯t understand many of the words.


    I didn¡¯t even try to stop my tears as they flowed, and neither did anybody else, from what I could tell.


    When the ceremony was over we walked back to the Castro house. Rafael and I dropped back a little behind where Emmy walked with Mam¨¢ and Cecilia, who were talking to Jenna and Andy.


    ¡°I had worried that Carde?o boy would attend,¡± Rafael admitted. ¡°I do not know what I would have done if he had come.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± I said, my voice low. ¡°He was killed in a robbery two nights ago, after leaving a nightclub in Bogot¨¢. He was stabbed when he fought back.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Rafael said, nodding, but saying nothing more.


    ¡°Crime is a real problem in Bogot¨¢,¡± I said. ¡°People need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it can be a dangerous city,¡± Rafael agreed. Glancing around to make sure nobody was close enough to hear, he asked, ¡°These men that killed my baby- do you know who they were?¡±


    ¡°I think so, yes,¡± I said, my voice low.


    ¡°And you are going to go after them, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°Make certain they pay,¡± he said.


    ¡°They will pay,¡± I assured him. ¡°We know their headquarters, but they don¡¯t know that we know. We¡¯re just waiting for them to relax, convinced that they have escaped.¡±


    ¡°Tell me if there is any way that I can help,¡± Rafael said.

 Sloths Are Very Dangerous

    Dinner that night was a strange combination of sad and happy. The Castro house was filled with family and friends come to pay their respects, which was sad, since everybody seemed to have loved Angela and felt her loss. On the other hand, it was a family reunion of sorts, so everyone was happy to see each other despite the unfortunate reason for the occasion.


    I could speak just barely good enough to hold limited and slow conversations, but a lot of the family spoke better English than my Spanish, which helped immensely. I think it¡¯s probably accurate to say that I met almost everybody from the large extended family that night- it felt like hundreds of people, but the number couldn¡¯t have been as large as all that.


    After a while, I picked up on something that I found surprising, and the more I paid attention, the clearer it became. I¡¯m not sure how to explain it, but it seemed they had a very different attitude about death (and murder in particular) than I¡¯d expect from American families. Not a single person ever hinted that Emmy or I might be to blame in any way for Angela¡¯s death. They all just sort of accepted that people have enemies, and these things sometimes happen. I guess living in a country that had been wracked by guerrilla war and cartel violence for generations can change your perspective on these things.


    A number of the older folks expressed some disapproval of the living arrangement that we¡¯d had, but I detected very little of that directed at us being lesbians- mostly it seemed the disapproval was aimed at us being a threesome, which was a bridge slightly too far for some of the grandparents in the family. The younger family members seemed more fascinated by the idea than anything, asking lots of questions about how it worked for us.


    At some point in the evening Cecilia appointed herself as my translator, sticking by me to help fill in any gaps in communication between me and whomever I was speaking with at the time. Clearly Emmy didn¡¯t need that kind of assistance, since her Spanish was excellent, but mine was far from that.


    Cecilia found herself defending our m¨¦nage ¨¤ trois to various family members on more than one occasion. Her Spanish was way too quick for me to follow, but I managed to understand that Cecilia was doing her best to convince relatives that our relationship was true and beautiful, and we really had been in love, the three of us, and so on.


    After one such discussion, I asked Cecilia if she really felt that way.


    ¡°Pues, claro,¡± she said. ¡°Any fool could see it. You loved Angela very much, and she loved you and was very happy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, pulling her into a hug. She tried to squirm out of it at first, but then relaxed and wrapped her arms around my waist. We held each other like that for a while, ignoring the crowd of relatives swirling around us.


    Finally, when we parted, Cecilia wiped the tears from her eyes and said, ¡°I miss her so much.¡±


    ¡°I do, too, Cecy,¡± I replied. ¡°It hurts.¡±


    Emmy went up to sleep in Angela¡¯s room long before the majority of family and friends left, but I stayed and helped Mam¨¢ and Cecilia straighten up once everyone had gone.


    ¡°Emmy, she is still in very much pain,¡± Mam¨¢ said. ¡°This is very hard for her.¡±


    ¡°She tries to hide it, but she was hurt much more in the attack than she likes to admit,¡± I agreed. ¡°Physically and emotionally.¡±


    ¡°I worry for her,¡± Mam¨¢ said.


    ¡°Me, too. I don¡¯t know what I can do to help her other than what I¡¯m already doing, though.¡±


    ¡°I also don¡¯t know,¡± Mam¨¢ admitted. ¡°I think maybe time is the only thing that will help her. When do you leave to go back to the US?¡±


    ¡°First thing the day after tomorrow,¡± I told her. ¡°I wish we could stay longer, but she refuses to cancel the tour.¡±


    ¡°Brave, but foolish,¡± Mam¨¢ said, shaking her head. ¡°When will the tour finish?¡±


    ¡°Not quite five more weeks,¡± I said, accepting the glass of avena she handed me as we sat at the table.


    ¡°Maybe you two should come back here when it is done,¡± Mam¨¢ said. ¡°She can rest here until she is strong enough.¡±


    ¡°You would be O.K. with that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Mam¨¢ exclaimed, as if surprised I would even ask. ¡°Family does for family,¡± she said, and as far as she was concerned that was all that needed to be said on the subject.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my voice a little husky with emotion.


    Rafael returned from chauffeuring some elderly relatives back home a little while later and soon he and I found ourselves in his home office, drinking some of the bourbon I¡¯d given him.


    ¡°What are your plans?¡± he asked once we¡¯d had a few sips.


    ¡°About what in particular?¡± I asked, unclear on what he meant.


    ¡°In general, in specific, all of it. I know you- you always think of what to do next.¡±


    I leaned back, looking to make sure the door was shut and we wouldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°In the immediate term, I¡¯m going to travel with Emmy for the rest of the tour. I¡¯m going to be seen by her side as much as possible, being the supportive wife as we go through these trying times,¡± I said.


    ¡°This is good,¡± Rafael said, nodding. ¡°There were reporters at the memorial today- one I know is a¡­ stringer?¡± he asked, making sure he had the right word. When I nodded, he said, ¡°For the Associated Press, so there is great interest in you two now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but also- and this is more important- Emmy just needs it right now. You¡¯ve seen how weak she still is, and how fragile she is emotionally. She needs me more than I need to do anything else for now.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Rafael agreed. ¡°I think that you two should come back here when the tour is over. Stay here with us, and let her recover surrounded by family. Your mother is a lovely woman, but she does not seem¡­¡± he said, not sure how to verbalize his thoughts. ¡°And Emmy¡¯s parents,¡± he said lifting his hands in a shrug.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. Mom¡¯s not great with loss and Emmy¡¯s mom and dad, they aren¡¯t really the comforting types,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Then it is settled,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need to take care of things,¡± I said.


    ¡°You do know who ordered the hit?¡±


    ¡°Sort of. We know that most of the attackers were associated with a group of Night Children based in New York. We know their headquarters, but they don¡¯t know that we do,¡± I explained.


    ¡°So they were Night Children? Are these the same that were causing you troubles before, when we visited Los Angeles?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°They might be the same. We don¡¯t really know since we have no idea how far their influence spreads, but these guys were able to put nine attackers in play a thousand miles away from their base, so I¡¯d think they have plenty of pull. In any case, my guys are preparing for an attack, but we need to wait for just the right moment when we can catch them by surprise.¡±


    ¡°I did tell you that urban assaults were the specialty of my unit in the military, right? I could help, if you need it,¡± Rafael offered.


    ¡°I think we have more than enough manpower, but thanks,¡± I said.


    ¡°Your man here, Jody- he returned to the United States two days after the attack, and took some men with him,¡± Rafael said, proving that he was paying attention to our doings.


    ¡°He and Grant are training the men right now,¡± I replied. ¡°When it comes time, we¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    ¡°I imagine you will,¡± Rafael, said, nodding. After a moment of thought, he asked, ¡°What will happen after?¡±


    ¡°Our hope is that we get enough intel from taking their headquarters that we can root out all of the opposition and also figure out who their outside contacts are.¡±


    ¡°Hoping is not a very good strategy,¡± Rafael said. ¡°But sometimes it is all that we have. But I was asking about what you and Emmy will do with your lives.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t talked about it yet,¡± I admitted. ¡°Emmy¡­ She¡¯s a very private person, even with me. It¡¯s hard to get her to talk about things like that. If I had to guess, in a year or so, after she¡¯s fully healed, we¡¯ll try again to have another baby. It was really hard for her to conceive the first time, and I don¡¯t know what kind of damage she might have taken in the attack¡­¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°A living baby will do very much to heal her emotions,¡± Rafael said, refreshing my glass, then pouring himself another couple of fingers. ¡°My Marisa, she lost her first baby, and it was very hard on her. Very hard. She was terribly frightened it would happen again when she got pregnant with Angela, but then, when she finally held our beautiful baby girl in her arms, it was my old, loving Marisa back. The light returned to her in that moment.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, Emmy and I haven¡¯t talked about it, but hope we can give it another try,¡± I told him. ¡°We still have a bunch of eggs for the procedure, after all.¡±


    ¡°Where do you see things in two years? In five?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ In two years I¡¯ll have complete control of North America and a really solid presence here in South America. Emmy will either be pregnant or we¡¯ll already have our little baby, and¡­¡± I said, running out of things to say.


    ¡°You plan to continue here in Colombia?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I replied. ¡°After we get Colombia locked down we¡¯ll start with the neighboring countries, but my guess is that we¡¯ll find the most Night Children in older cities on the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts. Here in Colombia, for instance, while there are hundreds of Night Children here, there might only be a fraction of that number in Bogot¨¢ or Medell¨ªn. If I had to guess, I¡¯d expect big numbers in Salvador, Buenos Aires, Rio, Sao Paolo and Caracas but not very many in, say, Lima or Santiago.¡±


    ¡°Your plans have not changed with Angela¡¯s death?¡± Rafael asked for clarification.


    ¡°If anything, it¡¯s made it clear that we need to push harder, to clear out any resistance,¡± I told him.


    ¡°This is good,¡± Rafael said, leaning back. ¡°I had been concerned that you would abandon your new people here.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to happen,¡± I assured him. ¡°Regardless of any personal setbacks, this campaign is going to continue to its end. It looks like you¡¯ve been following how things are going here, so you must know that pretty much the entire communities of Albornoz and Tierra Bomba have joined our nation already.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ricky and me, we talk,¡± Rafael admitted. ¡°It is good work you are doing here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to stop. We¡¯re working with local leaders to figure out how we can best help the people here, and there have been some good ideas.¡±


    ¡°This must cost you a lot of money,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°It does,¡± I agreed. ¡°But this is what we have our money for, so we can do this. This is very important work.¡±


    Rafael nodded, assured that we weren¡¯t going to abandon our promises to his fellow Colombians. ¡°I expected no less, but it is good to hear you say it.¡±


    Once again I didn¡¯t have the heart to roust Emmy out of Angela¡¯s old bed, so I texted the guys that we¡¯d be staying at the Castro house. Eddie replied that they were patrolling the neighborhood and everything was calm, so I slid into that little bed and held Emmy in my arms until I fell asleep, too.


    The next day I left Emmy at the house while I went to Tierra Bomba with Ricky in the morning. We talked with some of the local elders and looked at a couple of possible sites for cultural center schools. I showed him the old hacienda on the road out of town, and he agreed that it could be perfect, but would take a lot of work to build to suit.


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°Construction needs local workers, right?¡±


    In Barrio Albornoz we had lunch at the same familiar place, and the old lady who ran the restaurant greeted me warmly. Through Ricky¡¯s translation she said that her whole family was now makeup-free and living as themselves, finally proud to show their heritage.


    ¡°A lot of people here have stopped hiding,¡± Ricky said as he piloted the little truck like a local through the streets. "It has been amazing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we want,¡± I said, pleased at how easily Cartagena was going for our outreach.


    ¡°Um, Leah, how long do you think you will need me here?¡± Ricky finally asked.


    ¡°If you want to go back to the US, it can be arranged,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Um, no,¡± Ricky said. ¡°I was hoping I could stay here for a while. I like it here, you know?¡±


    ¡°I like it here, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°Rafael tells me that you two talk¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been a great help,¡± Ricky said. ¡°He knows all the right people here to get things done.¡±


    ¡°He does know everybody here,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m thinking that when we¡¯re ready to start moving beyond Cartagena, I¡¯ll still keep this as our capital. We¡¯ll need to set up a training center here, for our folks who are going to go on into other cities.¡±


    ¡°So this really is long-term for you?¡± Ricky asked as he pulled to a stop in front of the Castro house.


    ¡°Very long-term. This is who we are. This is what we do,¡± I told him, looking him straight in the eyes. ¡°We are here, and this is now our land, and these are our people. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    I found Emmy in the kitchen, sitting at the table while Mam¨¢ bustled around the kitchen.


    ¡°You look nice and rested,¡± I said, giving her a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m glad you got good sleep last night.¡±


    ¡°She sleep well because she knows this is her home, not just another hotel,¡± Mam¨¢ said, handing me a glass of that coconut and lime drink Angela used to like so much. ¡°Staying in hoteles is not good for the soul.¡±


    Emmy gave me a smile at that. ¡°Mam¨¢ is right,¡± she said. ¡°I am so tired of hotels.¡±


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, holding her hand. ¡°You¡¯re the one who insisted on continuing the tour.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she admitted. ¡°And I believe it was the right choice, but this, being here¡­ It has been so good for me.¡±


    ¡°Did Mam¨¢ tell you that they¡¯ve invited us to come back and stay as long as you need once the tour is over?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Claro que s¨ª!¡± Mam¨¢ said over her shoulder. ¡°Emmy, she need family around her. You, too, Lee. You are strong, but it is not weak to need family. You two come back and stay until Emmy is strong,¡± she said, shaking her finger in admonishment at us.


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Emmy whispered hopefully.


    ¡°Of course we¡¯ll come back. Of course we will,¡± earning me a grateful smile from Emmy.


    Andy and Jenna joined us at the Castro house for dinner. Somehow we managed to keep the conversation light, not straying into the subject of the reason we were all in Cartagena anyway. When Jenna mentioned that a monkey had tried to bite her, Cecilia told her that they only bite tourists.


    ¡°How do they know?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°They know because only tourists try to feed them. People who live here know better,¡± Cecilia said.


    Andy laughed. ¡°She got you there,¡± he said. ¡°Personally, I thought the sloth was much cooler. It was in the same park right by that big church, but in a different tree than all those monkeys.¡±


    ¡°Sloth?¡± Cecilia asked.


    ¡°El perezoso,¡± Rafael explained. ¡°In English, it is called a sloth. Sloth is also the sin of laziness.¡±


    ¡°Sloth,¡± Cecilia said, trying the word out. Then she turned to Andy. ¡°You must be very careful with the sloths,¡± she said, her mouth having a hard time with the word. ¡°They are very dangerous.¡± At Andy¡¯s incredulous look, she said, ¡°They move slow to fool you, but when you get close they will leap suddenly to attack.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s teasing you,¡± Jenna said. ¡°You big goof.¡±


    ¡°No, it is true. They are very savage. Even the jaguares are afraid of them,¡± Cecilia said, but her smile gave it away.


    ¡°You had me for a moment,¡± Andy admitted, making everybody laugh.


    ¡°Dinner was nice tonight,¡± Emmy said as we settled into Angela¡¯s little bed for our last night there in Cartagena. ¡°I miss Angela terribly, but it was good to not talk about it. I am sorry if that sounds selfish¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not selfish,¡± I said. ¡°Angela was a very special person and we both loved her very much, but now we need to figure out how to move forward without her, and so do Mam¨¢, Rafael and Cecy. It¡¯s hard, but life continues for the rest of us, after all. Angela wouldn¡¯t want us to be miserable, would she?¡±


    ¡°No, she would not,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°She would want us to be happy.¡± After a few minutes of silence, Emmy asked, ¡°Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢- will they continue to be part of our lives?¡±


    ¡°I would like them to be,¡± I replied, ¡°And they seem to assume that of course we would, and that makes me happy. Of course, every time I see them I¡¯m going to think of Angela, but in a good way, if that makes sense. I¡¯ve really grown fond of the whole family, and it¡¯s really easy for me to understand why Angela turned out the way she did, you know? I guess they represent a part of her to me, and maybe we do the same for them. But yeah, I like the idea of coming back here after the tour, just to give you peace and quiet to recover.¡±


    ¡°I see Angela in Pap¨¢¡¯s face, and in Cecy¡¯s expressions. Sometimes, when Mam¨¢ says certain things I hear Angela¡¯s voice, too. It hurts a little bit, but it is also comforting,¡± Emmy said, snuggling up closer against me. ¡°I do not want to lose them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, either,¡± I agreed. ¡°I told Ricky today that I want to keep Cartagena as our base here in South America, and honestly, a lot of that is to remain in touch with the Castros.¡±


    Emmy turned her head and kissed my arm wrapped around her. ¡°I do miss her more than I ever would have thought possible,¡± she said.


    ¡°I do too, baby,¡± I said. ¡°I do, too.¡±


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever flown in a private jet,¡± Jenna said as we leveled out on our flight to Houston. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you guys had one.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t,¡± I said, looking up from my laptop. ¡°This belongs to Emmy¡¯s parents. We¡¯re just borrowing it for a week, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°How much does something like this cost?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°A lot,¡± I told him. ¡°Obviously, purchase price is all over the map, depending on what model, used or new, that kind of thing. A plane like this, used? As low as fifteen mil, as high as twenty-two or so. Add in annual running costs of two million a year, plus or minus, and it starts to add up.¡±


    ¡°How does that pencil out versus flying commercial? Like, first class?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have to fly a lot to justify it on a cost comparison, but that¡¯s not why people like the Lascauxs own a jet like this. For them, it¡¯s the convenience, right? Take this flight, for example. As far as I know there are no direct flights from Cartagena to Houston, so we¡¯d have a stopover in either Panama City, Bogot¨¢ or Miami, which adds hours to the flight. Then there¡¯s the scheduling- we would have to fly when the airline ran a plane, not when we wanted to. As it is, this allowed us to spend a whole extra day in Cartagena, so in effect, that¡¯s what we¡¯re paying for.¡±


    ¡°I guess when you have enough money, the cost of things don¡¯t matter as much,¡± Andy said, nodding his head in understanding.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s absolutely right. The convenience and comfort become much greater considerations, when the cost really isn¡¯t a factor,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Have you thought about getting your own plane?¡± Jenna asked. ¡°You guys have enough money.¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve considered it, but just haven¡¯t been able to rationalize the cost just yet. Now that we own a place in London and I¡¯ll be traveling to Cartagena on the regular, things might change¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that both of those are, um, ¡®Angela places¡¯," Jenna said.


    ¡°When you guys were out and about in Cartagena, did you see any Night Children? Besides the guys we brought, I mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We saw a busker at the park with the monkeys,¡± Andy said. ¡°You remember, right?¡± he asked, nudging Jenna with his elbow.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jenna agreed.


    ¡°Well, it turns out there are a whole lot of them in town, and they¡¯re all joining our nation, so Cartagena is turning out to be a very important town as far as Night Children business is concerned, so I¡¯ll have to come down every now and then to maintain a presence. Plus, Emmy and I both love the rest of the Castro family and don¡¯t want to lose contact with them.¡±


    ¡°And London?¡± Jenna prompted.


    ¡°Buying there was Angela¡¯s idea, but the argument was sound and hasn¡¯t changed,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I thought it was about the babies, so you guys could be close to Emmy¡¯s parents,¡± Jenna objected.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna try again,¡± I said, even though Emmy and I had not exactly spoken about it. I hoped it was true, anyway.

 My Smooth Kitty

    Our suite at the Westin was standard ¡®business hotel luxe¡¯, if that makes sense. Nice, but nothing particularly memorable. It did have a view of the baseball park where the band was going to play the next couple of nights, if that was any sort of plus. I¡¯d kinda hoped in the back of my mind that we¡¯d be staying in that hotel that has the glass-bottomed pool stretching between two towers, but oh, well. Maybe next time, right?


    Although Emmy had slept most of the flight, she wanted a nap the moment we got settled in to our room. That was good as far as I was concerned- the more rest and recovery the better. Once I had her tucked in and sleeping, I set up my laptop in the suite¡¯s living room to catch up on my work and other communications.


    As far as actual work issues, the only real standout was with the real estate investment trust. Sheryl Thompson, the Head of the REIT, told me in her email that in light of my recent news and social media infamy a number of investors have pulled out, but amusingly, quite a number of new investors from the tech industry had expressed interest and had dumped money into our fund, to the tune of well over a quarter of a billion dollars net swing.


    ¡°Nearly all of them mentioned the fact that you¡¯re an unbelievable badass,¡± Sheryl had written. ¡°It¡¯s crazy.¡±


    I emailed her back, expressing my concern with absorbing that much capital all at once, suggesting that she should talk to our property management Heads about offering to buy out some of our larger property owners to bring those in-house. It was a long shot, but the simple truth is that finding that much residential real estate was going to be a challenge. Sure, we could run out and buy a bunch of houses, but the market had been slowing for a while and the returns would be a lot harder to find in the detached home field.


    As far as personal communications, I finally got around to writing real, substantive emails to the many people that had sent me condolences of one sort or another. It wasn¡¯t that I¡¯d been ignoring people like Donny and Sana, or Grandma, or the Athertons- not at all. It¡¯s just that I¡¯d responded to their emails and texts with fairly short, factual replies. Now that I had time to sit down and write in peace, I could explain what was happening in much greater detail. Everybody deserved that, at the very least.


    Eventually I ran out of excuses and texted Mr Han to let him know I¡¯d like to have dinner with him if he was there in Houston already.


    He responded fairly quickly, making sure that we were both in the same hotel, and agreeing to dinner later that evening.


    That done, I shot an email to my lawyer asking for any updates. I figured that no news from him meant no news, but it was good to check anyway.


    Pleased that I was caught up with everything, I dipped my toe into the group chat text stream that was the Saturday drive group¡¯s ongoing string.


    I didn¡¯t bother reading back through all of the literally hundreds of texts that I¡¯d ignored. I just skipped back and perused the last twenty or so to see where the conversation had gone. Evidently I¡¯d missed Teddy Bear crashing his new limited edition Corvette, so I posed the question of how it had happened. This prompted a flurry of ¡®She¡¯s alive!¡¯ snarky texts, but I did manage to get the details involving another driver who ran wide on La Tuna and clipped Teddy Bear¡¯s front fender, sending him into the guardrail.


    ¡°The car¡¯s a complete write-off,¡± Teddy Bear explained.


    ¡°Well, that sucks,¡± I commiserated. ¡°But if you want to spend your insurance money on some fine German machinery, let me know. I¡¯ll cut you a really good deal.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine TB behind the wheel of anything imported,¡± Stephen posted. ¡°Much less a BMW.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯d be more than happy to sell him a Porsche, if that¡¯s what he wants,¡± I said.


    ¡°No way! You¡¯re buying that Porsche dealership after all?¡± Jimmy chimed in.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve had my manager at Temecula BMW looking over the financials and he¡¯s willing to move in to manage the new shop. I think we can turn it around.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Let me know when you buy yourself a Ferrari dealership, Liz! My baby needs some TLC and I¡¯m pissed off at the guys in Glendale right now¡±, Jimmy shot back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hold your breath. Ferrari is very cultish about their ownership rules.¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s no lie¡±, Jimmy agreed.


    ¡°Said by a member of said cult¡±, Stein chimed in.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s no lie¡±, Jimmy responded again.


    It went on like this for a while- just a bunch of friends shooting the breeze and giving each other a hard time. Thankfully nobody brought up Angela, and I wasn¡¯t about to do so, either.


    Emmy finally woke from her nap, coming out to see what I was chuckling at.


    ¡°It is good to see you laugh,¡± she said, running her fingers through my hair and stroking my cheek.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to laugh,¡± I replied, leaning into her hand.


    ¡°I am certain I will find my way back to a place of laughter, but I am afraid I am not there yet,¡± Emmy said, her voice sorrowful.


    ¡°It¡¯ll happen, babe,¡± I replied, placing my hand on hers. ¡°It¡¯ll just take a while.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Emmy agreed. Sitting down on the arm of my easy chair, she asked what it was that I¡¯d found funny, so I told her that the Saturday driving group was in fine form in the group chat.


    ¡°I am very glad you have friends,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Hey, babe, you have friends, too,¡± I said, my voice soft. ¡°Have any of them reached out to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I have been¡­ ignoring them,¡± she admitted. ¡°I could not face telling them what happened.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time,¡± I suggested. ¡°Talking to people might help you get your head right. Don¡¯t shut the world away, Em. I know it¡¯s trite, but it¡¯s true what they say- a burden shared is a burden lessened.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know you are correct, but it has been very hard,¡± Emmy protested. ¡°It hurts so very much.¡±


    ¡°I know it does. I know it does,¡± I said, pulling her down onto my lap. I was a little bit worried that I¡¯d hurt her, but she didn¡¯t complain as she dropped into my arms. ¡°Em, there are a lot of people who care very deeply for you. Not just me and not just Mam¨¢, but Jenna and Andy, Jackson, Lee, Jen, my mom and sister, your parents¡­ It¡¯s a decent-sized list. Shutting them out does nobody any good, babe. Walling off your feelings doesn¡¯t make the hurt go away.¡± I kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck. ¡°What you¡¯re feeling is very real- I¡¯m feeling it, too, but you can¡¯t make it your whole world. Open yourself up to the people who love you. Angela wouldn¡¯t want you to continue to suffer, would she?¡±


    Realizing I was expecting an answer, Emmy said, ¡°No, of course she would not. She would never wish for anyone to suffer.¡±


    ¡°Something Rafael said that really struck home was exactly that. I was sort of feeling that I was¡­ I don¡¯t know, honoring Angela¡¯s memory, in a way, by feeling miserable. You know, like if I wasn¡¯t sad, I must not have really loved her or something, if that makes sense. But he pointed out that Angela wasn¡¯t like that. She wouldn¡¯t want me to be sad out of some sense of loyalty. Once Rafael pointed that out, I started thinking that he was right, and I¡¯d actually be honoring her memory more by being happy.¡± Emmy started to object, but I shushed her.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t like I flipped a switch or anything like that, and I still feel sad when I think about how she should have had another sixty years. But I try to turn my thoughts to good memories instead, and let her bring yet one more smile to my face,¡± I said. ¡°Like her dad said, that¡¯s what Ange would have wanted us to do.¡±


    Tears welled up in Emmy¡¯s eyes as I spoke. She wiped them away, then said, ¡°Yes, that is the person that she was,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°And Pap¨¢ is very correct. But for me, the loss is still too strong for me to think such thoughts just yet. I will try to do as you say, but it will take me time.¡±


    ¡°It will for me, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°But even doing it very intentionally still helps. I think I¡¯ll be sad and miss her for the rest of my life, but I¡¯m going to try to keep sweet, smiling Angela in my mind and heart.¡±


    ¡°I will try, as well,¡± Emmy said, a sad smile forming on her face.


    We sat for a while in silence before Emmy said, ¡°I will also follow your advice on reaching out. I realize now that I have been very selfish. In my mind I have been making her death into a story about my own loss and suffering, and that is not fair to Angela, or to any of the people that knew and loved her.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, just gave her a little squeeze to let her know I was listening.


    ¡°Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ said that we should return to Cartagena after the tour. I think I would like that,¡± she said after a little while. ¡°I felt close to Angela there, even if she was no longer with us. And, of course, to Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ and Cecy. It felt like home.¡±


    ¡°It does feel like home,¡± I agreed. ¡°I say we do it, but¡­ I¡¯m going to have to go take care of things pretty much right after the tour, you know.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°When you say ¡®take care of things¡¯, you are speaking of seeking revenge, no?¡±


    ¡°Revenge, and answers, and to destroy whatever power structure managed to project force the way they did. Simply wiping out the known members of the New York cell won¡¯t be enough- we need to make sure that that whole network is demolished. If we don¡¯t do that, we¡¯ll never feel safe,¡± I said. ¡°We need complete, uncontested control of at least North America, and hopefully South America, too.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you sent Grant and those two Marines away? To attack the New York group?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°No- to train our hitters to attack the New York group. This can¡¯t be an operation by four Special Forces soldiers. It has to be Night Children who actually do the job. Of course I¡¯ll have to be there, but Grant and the other day walkers will be support, that¡¯s all. Our people need that sense of victory,¡± I explained, ¡°and when word gets out to the other Night Children nations, they need to hear that outsiders weren¡¯t a factor.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain you are not really a Night Child born?¡± Emmy asked, a teasing smile on her face. ¡°You think so much like one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± I said, giving her a kiss. ¡°In a related topic, I have a dinner meeting with Mr Han. You know, the guy I trained with in Singapore? He came all the way to meet me here in Houston.¡±


    ¡°He did? Why?¡±


    ¡°I have a couple of guesses, but that¡¯s all they are at this point,¡± I admitted. ¡°First and foremost, I expect he¡¯s going to yell at me for the security breakdown that allowed the attack to be as successful as it was. Back in Singapore he talked about me coming back to train some more, so he clearly thinks of me as some sort of student or protege or something, right?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be a lot of travel and expense to do something he can manage over a FaceTime call,¡± Emmy said, dubious.


    ¡°Something I¡¯ve come to learn about the spy world is that nobody communicates a damned thing any way but in person,¡± I said. ¡°FaceTime won¡¯t do, but face to face will.¡±


    ¡°Mr Han is a spy?¡± Emmy asked, intrigued.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Singaporean military intelligence officer, so, yeah,¡± I replied.


    ¡°And he thinks of you as his protege? I find this makes me a bit concerned,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°In the last few months I¡¯ve been the subject of interest of Mr Han- but honestly, I don¡¯t know how much of that is in any sort of official capacity, Emiliano Su¨¢rez, who likely works for the CIA or some org like that, and Colonel Bridger in the UK, who is definitely acting in his official capacity as an intelligence officer who actively wants to recruit me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m like some sort of international incident just waiting to happen.¡±


    Emmy laughed and said, ¡°I know for a fact that my father has been contacted by the French DGSE on a number of occasions in regard to his business interests outside of France. Have you told him about your incidents?¡±


    ¡°Maybe your dad and I should start our own James Bond villain organization. We¡¯ll give it a name made up of some sort of silly acronym, like S.M.A.S.H.- Special Mercenaries Against something something. We¡¯ll have to work out the details later,¡± I said.


    ¡°I love it!¡± Emmy said. ¡°I can be a villainess named Smooth Kitty!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not just any smooth kitty,¡± I told her, nuzzling her long, slender dancer¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯re my Smooth Kitty.¡±


    ¡°I will need to have monograms sewn into the cuffs of my shirts,¡± Emmy mused. ¡°And learn how to throw my beret.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re onto something here,¡± I said, pleased to see an honest smile on Emmy¡¯s face. ¡°We need to start drawing up plans.¡±


    ¡°I will work on it while you have dinner with Mr Han,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But I could use some help¡­ I should ask Andy and Jenna if they mind if I invite myself to dinner with them.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea, babe. Make sure to go someplace they have paper napkins so you can write your ideas down.¡±


    Emmy did wind up having dinner with Jenna and Andy (and our four bodyguards) at the hotel¡¯s steakhouse, while I met Mr Han in the lobby and we walked about half a mile to a different steak and seafood place that was famed for its dim lighting and large booths, ensuring a degree of privacy.


    ¡°You are barely limping at all,¡± Mr Han commented as we walked. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know to look for it I would not notice it at all. Was the injury not as severe as reported?¡±


    ¡°Thankfully the knife only went a few inches into the side of my quad,¡± I said, tapping my leg. ¡°It still hurts a bit, but I¡¯ve been making sure that I don¡¯t let it affect my movement at all.¡±


    Mr Han was silent for a little while as we walked. ¡°Do your enemies have eyes on you at all?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it, but it¡¯s hard to know for certain. I suspect they¡¯re paying attention to every little bit of information they can get from whatever press or media say about us, but I have a hard time imagining they have the means to have feet on the ground.¡±


    ¡°Still, these sorts of mind games can be very effective,¡± he said, gesturing at my legs, which I took to mean my lack of evident suffering from my injury.


    ¡°I certainly hope so, but honestly, my intended audience is everybody else watching from the sidelines,¡± I said.


    After we settled into the oversized and overstuffed booth and had gotten our drink orders in, Mr Han set down the menu.


    ¡°Twenty ounce T Bone? That¡¯s almost six hundred grams, right? I think I would have a coronary if I ate all that! How do you Americans do it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re big and fat,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re used to eating too much.¡±


    He shook his head in dismay, leaning back to let the waitress set our drinks down. ¡°I guess people can get used to anything.¡±


    ¡°Changing the topic,¡± I said, ¡°It¡¯s too bad you didn¡¯t come to visit in Los Angeles. I could have taken you to some restaurants that have Night Children working there.¡±


    ¡°We found several of them in Kuala Lumpur, as you suggested we might,¡± he replied. ¡°One of them seems suitable and willing to work with us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll snowball, at least a little bit. Once you get him in and nicely settled, you can use him to show how well you¡¯ll treat any others who wish to come onboard,¡± I said.


    ¡°This is what you are doing?¡±


    ¡°What we¡¯re doing is far, far beyond that,¡± I said, sipping my surprisingly good Old Fashioned. ¡°We¡¯re bringing all that we can find into our community- all of those who want to join, anyhow, and most do once they see the advantages. I give them jobs, healthcare, education, living accommodations¡­ All they have to do is live up to my expectations, and of course, show their faces.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this? Why is this important to you?¡± Mr Han asked.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s important to Emmy,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s basically that simple. Also, it¡¯s the right thing to do. These people have lived on the fringes of society forever- now it¡¯s time to bring them in.¡±


    ¡°Am I correct in assuming that your attackers in Atlanta were Night Children?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they were,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s a little unclear if they were motivated by a resistance to exposure and feared Emmy¡¯s fame, or if it was simply a turf war and they¡¯re pissed off that we¡¯re moving in on what they believe is their territory.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we absolutely are,¡± I admitted. ¡°Our goal is complete dominion over all of North and South America¡¯s Night Children populations.¡±


    ¡°To what goal? What is your end game?¡± Mr Han asked, but the waitress brought our meals just then so we paused until she was gone.


    ¡°Preservation of a vanishing culture, for one. Helping out an entire ethnicity that are basically refugees even in the lands they¡¯ve lived in for centuries, or millennia, in some places. Making the world aware of another thread in the tapestry of humanity, if you want to get metaphorical.¡±


    Mr Han nodded, taking some time to enjoy his six-ounce filet. ¡°The beef here is amazing,¡± he said.


    ¡°The chicken is pretty decent,¡± I replied, taking another bite. ¡°Their al pastor is a bit different than what I¡¯m used to, but it¡¯s good in its own way.¡±


    As we neared the end of our meals, Mr Han said, ¡°I¡¯ve watched all four videos.¡±


    ¡°Four? I thought there were only two.¡±


    ¡°The two that were recorded on peoples¡¯ phones, and now the security camera feeds from the hotel and the ballpark have leaked, too. The two security feeds are small and grainy, but give an overview the two handheld videos simply can¡¯t. They¡¯re too chaotic,¡± Mr Han said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t watched them,¡± I confessed. ¡°Mostly because I have absolutely zero interest in seeing Angela get killed again.¡±


    ¡°Understandable,¡± Mr Han said, nodding. ¡°But there are lessons to be learned.¡±


    I let my shoulders slump. ¡°The very first lesson is to not allow crowds so close,¡± I said. ¡°That was our original sin.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Mr Han agreed. ¡°That allowed the attackers to approach undetected, giving them a much greater advantage of surprise. The other serious failing was the lack of coordination between you, Mr Henry, and Emmy¡¯s bodyguard. If you had any sort of basic strategy for events such as this things might have gone very differently. As I saw it, Emmy¡¯s bodyguard-¡±


    ¡°His name¡¯s Jeremy,¡± I supplied.


    ¡°Jeremy, then. Jeremy interposed himself between Emmy and the bulk of the attackers, but that subjected him to the full attention of at least five from the start, while the others tried to go around him. Mr Henry blocked off one side, and you came in from the other like a typhoon, but you lost sight of the overall field of battle, allowing the lone attacker to circle around.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how I read it, too. I¡¯d shoved Angela behind me to get her out of the way, expecting that she¡¯d run, but she didn¡¯t. She was paralyzed, and by the time I saw the danger, it was too late,¡± I said.


    ¡°Your unarmed combat skills were beyond impressive, but I knew that already. The attackers had no idea what they walked into. I assume you didn¡¯t use a knife because you weren¡¯t carrying?¡± Mr Han asked.


    ¡°Well, that, yeah. I mean, I could have collected one from a downed hostile, but the thing is, there were literally dozens of witnesses and I wanted every one of them to be able to tell the police that we were unarmed victims who only fought in self defense,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Even though you might have taken them out that much quicker?¡±


    ¡°Well, it seemed as if they were going down pretty quickly as it was, but yeah, I think if I had that decision to make again I probably would have picked up one of their weapons and used it,¡± I admitted. ¡°A few seconds could have made all the difference.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d suspected that it was an intentional choice on your part,¡± Mr Han said, nodding at this confirmation. ¡°I can understand your desire to influence the court of public opinion, but the risk was too great. In a situation like that, you need to use every possible tool at your disposal.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said, since he was absolutely right. If I¡¯d had one of those ceramic blades in my hand I could have thrown it at the woman sneaking up behind Angela. I had zero practice actually throwing knives and there would have been no chance it would have harmed her, but at the very least she would have hesitated and tried to avoid the incoming projectile, which might have given me all the time I¡¯d needed to end her before she could do that to Angela.


    It was a bitter pill to swallow, but Mr Han wasn¡¯t saying this to make me feel bad. No, he was pointing out my mistakes and giving me the guidance to avoid similar errors if anything like it should happen again.


    When the waitress took our plates we ordered another round of drinks. The place wasn¡¯t busy, so I didn¡¯t feel the slightest remorse for keeping the table.


    ¡°Do you remember Li Won? One of the three men I brought in that last day of training?¡± Mr Han asked once we¡¯d gotten our drinks.


    ¡°He was the one with the thick eyebrows, right?¡±


    Chuckling, Mr Han said, ¡°That¡¯s him. He saw the two hand-held videos and recognized it was the woman he¡¯d gone up against in training. He told me that you scared him that day of training, but after seeing the videos, he finds you completely terrifying.¡±


    What could I do but laugh at that? ¡°Well, as long as he doesn¡¯t come after my wife, he¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything could persuade him to do that,¡± Mr Han said with a chuckle. ¡°I must admit, watching those videos¡­¡± he said, trailing off, at a loss for words. ¡°When can you come back to Singapore for training?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a while,¡± I said. ¡°The tour has to finish, then we¡¯re going to go back down to Colombia to spend time with Angela¡¯s family, so Emmy can rest and recuperate. While she¡¯s doing that, I have things I need to take care of here in the US, and I don¡¯t know exactly how long that¡¯ll take¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be directly involved in helping you take care of things, but if I can offer any sort of indirect assistance, I am at your service,¡± Mr Han said, and gave me a meaningful look to communicate that he knew exactly what I¡¯d meant.


    ¡°How long can you stay in the US?¡± I asked. ¡°Could I get your training help for a couple of weeks, say?¡± I asked, suddenly hopeful.


    ¡°I can give you two, three, four weeks,¡± he replied. ¡°But in return I¡¯ll ask for similar time of yours in Singapore. I don¡¯t really know how much I can teach you, though.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be me you¡¯d be training,¡± I said. ¡°No, I¡¯d love for you to work with my paramilitary death squad.¡±

 World Acquisition

    ¡°Your what?¡± Mr Han asked, his eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Calling them that is a long-running joke,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, I do have my own, um, defense force of Night Children and I¡¯ve been training them up to a fairly high standard. Well, Grant Henry has, along with another Special Forces guy I hired a while back, plus two new guys. But I think you could bring in a new perspective and skill set. I¡¯d also like your feedback on their progress. I mean, I get that from Grant and Jody, but it¡¯d be good to have a fresh set of eyes, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°How many of these Night Children do you have in your little private army?¡± Mr Han asked, still processing the idea.


    ¡°Well, only twenty or so will be involved in our upcoming action. The rest are still needed for their usual job of providing security,¡± I explained.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me a whole lot more than you should, from an operational security standpoint,¡± Mr Han said.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯ve been read in. I trust you to keep my secrets. Hopefully that¡¯s not misguided of me, but I don¡¯t think it is. I think we have an understanding, you and me,¡± I said, looking him in the eyes.


    ¡°You barely know me, and I am discovering a lot about you that I didn¡¯t know,¡± he objected.


    ¡°I know that Grant trusted you with my most basic secret, and he¡¯s known you for years. In the week that I spent training with you, I got a good feel for the kind of man you are, and you¡¯ve let yourself be honest with me. I know that I don¡¯t know a damned thing about military intelligence or spy craft or whatever, and I definitely am ready to take any sort of advice on that subject you¡¯re willing to give. But you¡¯d already put together the outlines of what was happening, and there¡¯s no point in denying it to you if getting you involved can help as much as I think it would.¡±


    ¡°So, why knives?¡± Mr Han finally asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°They¡¯re quiet. That¡¯s what it ultimately boils down to. Night Children have always been ambush predators- well, except for a period at the end of the Bronze Age, anyway. Their physical gifts evolved to help them fill this niche, and so they¡¯ve leaned into it,¡± I explained.


    ¡°That¡­ makes sense,¡± Mr Han admitted. ¡°If you can see in the dark, can move quietly, and are colored to vanish in the shadows, ambushing your prey would be natural.¡±


    ¡°Right. And gunfire? Not conducive to any of those things.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s partly cultural, and partly physiological,¡± Mr Han mused.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Changing the subject again, Mr Han said, ¡°The Night Child we¡¯re interested in¡­ He knew of you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, sipping my cocktail.


    ¡°He said that he had heard stories of the two queens in America. One was an angel, and the other a demon,¡± Mr Han said with a chuckle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why anybody would possibly think of Emmy as a demon,¡± I protested, earning me a smile.


    ¡°How did your plans for world domination go tonight?¡± I asked Emmy when I got back to the hotel suite.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said with a weak smile. ¡°You were right about opening up to friends. And I was right that I had been selfish. In my own misery I had not remembered that Angela was Jenna¡¯s very best friend. I had been so focused on my own loss that I had not considered that others would mourn her as well.¡±


    ¡°Everybody loved Angela,¡± I said, sitting down on the couch next to Emmy. ¡°Is that Ange¡¯s laptop?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy said, turning it so I could see the screen better. ¡°I have been looking through the photos. Jenna reminded me that I should put up notices on Angela¡¯s social media accounts. She said that I should also contact her sponsors and make arrangements with them for whatever residuals they might owe her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been putting off dealing with those sorts of things, but we do need to do it,¡± I agreed. ¡°Chatting with my drive group guys, one of them said something that got me thinking about Angela¡¯s car. I need to call Rafael and ask what he wants me to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Would it be strange to give it to Cecilia when she comes to stay with us?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°Would it bring up bad memories?¡±


    ¡°Does she even want to come stay with us, even though her sister is gone?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°I guess I¡¯d assumed she wouldn¡¯t want to.¡±


    "I do not know,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°It did not occur to me to ask while we were there in Colombia. I will ask when we go back.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about her staying with us?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am not certain,¡± Emmy replied, thinking about it. ¡°I feel that we cannot take away what we have already promised, but I do not know what having Cecilia in the house without her sister to keep her¡­ grounded would be like.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if she still wants to, or if her parents will even let her after what happened to Angela,¡± I said. ¡°I say we don¡¯t mention anything to the Castros until it comes up in conversation when we¡¯re back in Cartagena. But in the meanwhile, I won¡¯t do anything with the Z4.¡±


    ¡°Delaying action is unlike you,¡± Emmy said, leaning against me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m delaying anything,¡± I protested. ¡°I just want to see how the Castros feel before I bring it up. I don¡¯t want to cause them any more stress right now, and this is something that has time. After all, she wasn¡¯t going to come to LA until next summer, anyhow.¡±


    ¡°I understand and agree,¡± Emmy said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. ¡°But we must take care of some of these other issues soon. I would like it if you would help me write emails to Angela¡¯s sponsors- you know about these things more than I.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it tomorrow,¡± I said. ¡°I need a clear head, and three drinks tonight aren¡¯t helping that.¡±


    ¡°Then we should go to bed,¡± Emmy said, closing up the laptop.


    Snuggling in bed, I said, ¡°You never told me how your plans for starting a worldwide domination network went.¡±


    ¡°That was so much fun,¡± Emmy said, and I could hear it in her voice. ¡°We talked about whether we should build our headquarters on a remote island, or in a volcano, or in a volcano on a remote island. We debated the merits of each option, but ultimately decided that none would be a good idea, since good take-out Japanese food would be hard to find locally.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that could be a real problem,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So we settled on a giant, ominous skyscraper in a major city. That seemed the most practical.¡±


    ¡°I like where this is going,¡± I told her, enjoying the light-hearted conversation.


    ¡°We worked on ridiculous acronym names, as you had suggested. I think the best was W A L M A R T. ¡®World Acquisition, Leading Mankind¡¯s Advancement¡¯- and that is all we were able to come up with,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We still need to figure out what the last letters would stand for.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I think that one¡¯s taken,¡± I said, chuckling. ¡°But you guys should keep trying. I¡¯ll have business cards made up once we get something sorted out.¡±


    ¡°That would be so amusing!¡± Emmy said, wiggling her way closer into my big spoon. ¡°I would love to have cards to hand out with my evil alias on them.¡±


    ¡°Still want ¡®Smooth Kitty¡¯?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You should have seen Andy and Jenna when I told them that would be my nom de guerre,¡± Emmy said. ¡°The looks on their faces were priceless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you had a good time tonight,¡± I said.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I did,¡± Emmy said. After a moment, she said, ¡°Jenna wants to take a tour of the tunnel system under downtown Houston. Do you mind if I go with her?¡±


    ¡°What, just leave Andy and me to our own devices again?¡±


    ¡°It is a risk that I am willing to take,¡± Emmy said. It was so good to hear the smile in her voice that had been missing since the attack that I couldn¡¯t help myself from squeeing her tightly. She let out a little yelp and said that she was still very sore and tender, but didn¡¯t seem upset by my outburst of affection.


    The next morning after breakfast Jenna and Emmy (along with all four bodyguards) left for the tunnel tour.


    ¡°Well, what do you want to do today?¡± Andy asked after they¡¯d gone.


    ¡°Honestly? I could really use a good workout,¡± I told him. ¡°I haven¡¯t done a damned thing in too long.¡±


    ¡°I used the hotel fitness center yesterday. It¡¯s kind of a joke,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°You know what I did in Melbourne? I found a nearby MMA gym and got a week¡¯s membership. That worked out really well, for the most part. Maybe there¡¯s a place here locally¡­¡± I said, pulling out my phone to search.


    ¡°For the most part?¡± Andy asked.


    ¡°They were a bit nosy about me,¡± I said. ¡°They wanted to know where I fight, stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not going to be a problem going forward,¡± Andy said. ¡°Pretty much everybody in the world now knows where and how you fight.¡±


    ¡°God, don¡¯t remind me,¡± I said, palming my face.


    ¡°You know, when you told me that, well, you know, in Japan, I¡­ Well, I guess I mostly believed you. But then when I saw that video, I was like, ¡®holy shit!¡¯ and¡­ well, it erased any doubt I might have had in my mind, you know?¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Yeah, I think it erased everybody¡¯s doubts about me,¡± I said, sipping my coffee. ¡°You said Steve K was bragging about me, right?¡±


    ¡°Dude! He¡¯s like your best friend, to hear him say it,¡± Andy said, laughing.


    ¡°So, wanna find a gym with me?¡± I asked. ¡°I could really use the exercise, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to get back to running just yet.¡±


    ¡°Like, a twenty-four hour fitness kind of place?¡±


    ¡°No, I hate those places. I like old-school fight gyms,¡± I said.


    ¡°Will you think I¡¯m a pussy if I admit that I¡¯ve never been in one of those places?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a first time for everything,¡± I said. ¡°Did you pack workout clothes?¡±


    We soon found ourselves at an MMA gym in an area called Midtown. I¡¯d called and asked if they had weekly memberships for people in town for a short while, and the guy said they did day passes, which included first jiu jitsu lessons.


    I liked the looks of the place from the street- nice and unpretentious. Pushing our way inside, the interior confirmed that it was at least as authentic as the place in Australia had been. No, it wasn¡¯t a stinky old-school boxing club, but it would do.


    The guy behind the sign-in desk¡¯s eyes got big when he looked up at me after checking my ID. ¡°You¡¯re- you¡¯re her, right? Um, Emmy¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°Told you,¡± Andy said, poking me in the ribs.


    ¡°Yes, Emmy De Lascaux is my wife,¡± I admitted. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    ¡°Um, nah, nah,¡± he said, shaking his head so fast his beaded dreads hit him in the face. ¡°But I guess you won¡¯t be needin¡¯ the intro class, now will ya?¡±


    ¡°I just need a place to work out for the next few days, to keep from getting stale,¡± I told him. ¡°And Andy here needs to work out so he doesn¡¯t get fat.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Andy protested. ¡°I will have you know I¡¯m clean. No ¡®roids for me. This is all natural,¡± he said, striking a bodybuilder pose.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be talking about ¡®roids in here, man,¡± the counter guy said, looking around. ¡°We keep a clean gym, you get me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with you on that, brother,¡± Andy said, making a face. ¡°Maybe half of my teammates juice, and no matter how much I tell ¡®em it¡¯s a bad idea they keep doing it.¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± the counter guy said, waving his hand. ¡°Them words is prohibited in here.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Andy said, nodding.


    Once we¡¯d filled out all the releases and paid for the day, Andy asked what I usually did for a workout.


    ¡°Well, back in LA, I¡¯d typically fight train for a couple of hours before moving to plyos and weights for another hour or two,¡± I said, looking around.


    ¡°You work out three hours a day?¡± Andy asked impressed.


    Shrugging, I said, ¡°It depends on a lot of outside factors, but yeah, typically. There- it looks like there¡¯s a heavy bag open. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I usually start with weights- this time of year I¡¯m typically in my power phase, getting ready for the start of the season. After that, I like to work on mobility,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Alright- I¡¯ll check in with you,¡± I said, heading off to the bag I¡¯d spotted.


    ¡°Leon said I should come talk to you,¡± one of the trainers said about an hour later when I stopped to take a sip of water. When I turned to face him, he stepped back. ¡°Aw, shit!¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re the one from those videos!¡±


    ¡°I guess that would depend a lot on what videos you¡¯re talking about,¡± I said, wiping my face.


    Looking around, the trainer dropped his voice so he wouldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°Did you really¡­ I mean, was it real?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s all fake,¡± I said, my voice conspiratorial. ¡°We filmed it in a Hollywood sound studio. Those were all stuntmen.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re saying online that it really happened,¡± he protested.


    ¡°Of course they do. They say that about the moon landings, too,¡± I confided. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± I said, turning back to the heavy bag.


    ¡°Aw, man, you really messed with Jerry¡¯s head,¡± the counter guy said when we checked out.


    ¡°Not really difficult,¡± I said with a little shrug.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Andy asked as we waited outside for our ride.


    ¡°The trainer guy, Jerry I guess is his name- he came over to talk and recognized me from the videos. I told him it was all faked- filmed with stunt men in Hollywood.¡±


    ¡°And he believed you?¡± Andy asked, amazed.


    ¡°Apparently so,¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°Like I told the guy at the counter, Jerry wasn¡¯t working with all that much in the brains department. So, what do you think? Is the place good enough to bother returning for another workout?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a better weight setup in my garage,¡± Andy said. ¡°But the place is clean and I never really had to change up my routine because others were using the equipment, so I guess it¡¯s O.K. enough for now. How about for you?¡±


    ¡°It was alright, but I¡¯m already over people reacting to me because they recognize me from seeing those damned videos,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯d better get used to it. Maybe dye your hair or something. Hey- here¡¯s an idea. Get your hair cut short and have it dyed dark. Maybe not black, but brunette or something, but get a wig that looks like your hair the way it is now,¡± Andy suggested, excited by the idea. ¡°That way you¡¯ll look just the same as always in public with Emmy, right? But on your own, when you don¡¯t want to be recognized, ditch the wig and pencil in your eyebrows a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, that isn¡¯t a terrible idea,¡± I admitted as the Uber pulled up.


    ¡°Some people might be able to figure out who you are, but most won¡¯t. I mean, the videos that everybody¡¯s seen, your most recognizable feature is your long blonde hair, right? Lose that, lose the attention,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°Hey, is it too late to change our destination?¡± I asked the driver.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to take you to where you wanted when you ordered the ride,¡± he said. ¡°But I can take you somewhere else afterwards.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said, using my phone to search for wig stores.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually did that,¡± Andy said, admiring my side-parted bob haircut. ¡°And the color!¡±


    ¡°Now everybody is going to think we¡¯re brother and sister, not just cousins,¡± I said, looking at our reflections in the salon mirror.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it was genius or insanity for you to get your hair done the exact same color as mine¡­¡± Andy said. ¡°But I gotta say, It looks believable.¡±


    ¡°Aaaand now I¡¯m back,¡± I said, slipping on the wig I¡¯d bought, careful to tuck any stray, light brown hairs up underneath.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t exactly like your real hair, but pretty close,¡± Andy said, looking me over. ¡°It¡¯ll convince anybody that doesn¡¯t examine you too closely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all that matters. I just need to look the same as always to any reporters or whatever from a distance, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I came up with the idea in the first place,¡± Andy said.


    ¡°And thank you for that, my dear brother,¡± I said, slipping the wig into my shopping bag.


    ¡°I gotta take a picture of you for Jenna,¡± Andy said, but I put my hand on his phone.


    ¡°I want to surprise Emmy- let¡¯s keep it on the QT for now.¡±


    ¡°O.K., but sometime soon we¡¯ve got to get our picture taken together to send to our moms- they¡¯ll get a laugh out of it,¡± Andy said, making me smile at the thought.


    Andy and I were just hanging out in the suite when Emmy and Jenna returned, and the look of shock and surprise on their faces was precious.


    ¡°Leah!¡± Emmy said, her eyes wide. "Your hair!¡±


    ¡°Blame Andy,¡± I said. ¡°It was his idea.¡±


    ¡°You look so different!¡± Jenna said, setting some shopping bags on the table.


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being recognized from those damned videos.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but once news gets out that you cut and colored your hair¡­¡± she protested.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s where this comes in,¡± I said, pulling the wig out and putting it on.


    ¡°That is brilliant!¡± Emmy said, watching as I tucked my now-brown hair up and out of sight. ¡°You will still be blonde Leah for public appearances, but brunette Leah out in the wild.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Andy said. ¡°That¡¯s why I suggested it.¡±


    ¡°The color was my idea,¡± I said.


    ¡°I need to take you guys¡¯ picture,¡± Jenna said, pulling out her phone. ¡°Andy, your mom is gonna love this.¡±


    Andy elbowed me in the ribs, saying, ¡°See?¡±


    Emmy had to rush her shower and get dressed quickly in time to leave for the sound check. She¡¯d invited Jenna and Andy to come with her, but they begged off. They said that once was enough- they¡¯d wait for the actual show itself, thank you.


    After Emmy and the squad of bodyguards had left, Jenna said, ¡°You know, Lee- I bet some foundation would hide that scar. Cover that up and nobody will recognize you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really good with makeup,¡± I confessed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think anything I¡¯ve got would be right for your coloring, so I¡¯ve got nothing. If we had the time we could hit a Nordy¡¯s and get you sorted out, no problem.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got, like, four hours until we need to walk across the street and find our seats,¡± Andy said, tapping his watch for emphasis. ¡°That should be plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°You up for it?¡± Jenna asked, excited by the prospect, pulling out her phone to do a search.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This is great- there¡¯s a Macy¡¯s pretty much right next door to the Nordstrom. Honestly, though, I can¡¯t imagine that the cosmetics ladies at Nordy¡¯s won¡¯t be able to get you set up,¡± Jenna said, looking at her phone.


    She was right- the two ladies at the counter that Jenna steered me to knew what they were doing. When I explained that I really never used much makeup at all and had no idea how to apply foundation, much less figure out what color, they did an excellent job of explaining what would work for my skin tone and showed me how to use their powder and soft brush to simply blend away the scar on my cheek. Sure, the whole tutorial took over an hour while poor Andy relaxed on a nearby couch and played with his phone. Jenna, in contrast, watched the whole procedure closely.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Andy said, nodding as he examined the job I¡¯d done following the ladies¡¯ instructions. ¡°You can still sort of see the, you know, physical part of the scar, but only if the light hits it just right. Otherwise it¡¯s just gone.¡±

 The Sweet Science

    As we¡¯d hoped, nobody gave me a second look walking through the crowds streaming into the Minute Maid Park baseball field. It was nice, this feeling of anonymity. I was just another fan, and that was just what I¡¯d wanted.


    Jenna waited while Andy and I got in line for frozen margaritas. It was a very warm night and the ballpark¡¯s retractable roof was open for the show, so a little bit of alcoholic cooling was welcome.


    ¡°You know,¡± Jenna said when Andy handed her what was basically a boozy snow cone. ¡°I never really, like, saw it when people said you two looked like you were related¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the new hair color,¡± I said, shaking my head to make my short hair swing.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, but that really does make it more obvious,¡± Jenna said. ¡°No- it was just that the two of you, standing there in line together¡­ You just looked, um, familiar, I guess. Like you grew up together. You¡¯re just so comfortable with each other, you know?¡± Jenna said. ¡°Knowing how you were as kids, it makes sense. Right now? With your hair like that? You two could tell anybody you¡¯re brother and sister and they¡¯d believe you.¡±


    Smiling at the thought, I wrapped an arm around Andy¡¯s shoulders. ¡°C¡¯mon, baby bro. Let¡¯s go watch a concert.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± he protested, but didn¡¯t shrug my arm off. ¡°How come I¡¯m the baby? I¡¯m like, two inches taller and fifty pounds heavier!¡±


    ¡°You just are,¡± Jenna said, as if it was incontrovertible.


    ¡°By a month! Not even a month- just, um, twenty-four days!¡± Andy objected as we walked, my arm still draped across his shoulders, Jenna holding his other hand.


    ¡°You guys are practically twins, then,¡± Jenna finally admitted. ¡°But Lee¡¯s still older.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but only by three weeks!¡± Andy said, still grumbling about being the kid sibling.


    ¡°By more than three weeks,¡± I said archly.


    The opening act was an odd sort of mix. Jenna said they sounded like a Rage Against The Machine and White Stripes mashup, and I had to agree that the description was pretty accurate. They were high energy, and the singer said a few times that they were excited to play for such a large crowd. I enjoyed their set, pleased that we¡¯d actually watched the opening act for once.


    ¡°Don¡¯t most bands pick one opening band for a whole tour?¡± Andy asked once they¡¯d finished their set. ¡°Why did Emmy and the guys choose to have a different band open for them every night?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I confessed. ¡°I¡¯m really not involved in any of that kind of discussion with the band. That¡¯s Em¡¯s thing, you know?¡±


    ¡°Smooth Kitty does that while you work on world acquisition?¡± Jenna asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said, thinking about another frozen margie. ¡°We all have our strengths. But right now I think I¡¯m going to do a little beverage acquisition,¡± I said, standing up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with,¡± Jenna said. Turning to Andy, she instructed him to hold our seats, but that wasn¡¯t really a concern since nobody could get into the VIP section without a pass anyway.


    Standing in line, Jenna asked, ¡°How¡¯s Em doing? Last night she seemed¡­ Like she was trying hard to try to seem O.K.¡±


    "It¡¯s been really hard,¡± I replied. ¡°We had a big talk the other night and she realized that she was being- and these are her words, not mine- she was being selfish and feeling like losing Angela was all about her misery and her loss. Em¡¯s, I mean. I think realizing that Angela wouldn¡¯t want her to be miserable, and also at the same time realizing that she wasn¡¯t alone in feeling the loss, you know? I think those¡­ realizations might have been a turning point for her. I think that last night, dinner with you and Andy-¡±


    ¡°And with four scary guys in suits,¡± Jenna interjected.


    ¡°Yeah, those guys are going to be fixtures for a while,¡± I agreed. ¡°But yeah, dinner last night- I think that was Em trying to find her way out of the bad place she¡¯s been in emotionally.¡±


    ¡°It helped me, too,¡± Jenna confessed.


    ¡°When Emmy and I were talking a couple of nights ago I pointed out that she wasn¡¯t the only one suffering. I told her that you lost your best friend, after all.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe how the whole thing even happened,¡± Jenna said sadly.


    We¡¯d arrived at the front of the line by this time, so we paused our conversation, then really couldn¡¯t talk on our way back to the seats.


    ¡°That took a while,¡± Andy said, gratefully accepting his tequila slushy.


    ¡°The line was twice as long as it was earlier,¡± Jenna explained.


    Emmy remained seated for the entire Downfall show, but this time on a simple stool, which allowed her a bit more movement. She went back to a traditional microphone on a stand, too. I was happy to see the tangible signs of her healing, but at the same time I worried that she was maybe pushing herself too hard. Still, she looked nice and steady on her feet when she stood and walked to the front of the stage for the final bow, so I had to believe she was doing alright.


    Emmy opted to skip the afterparty held at some nightclub, coming back to the hotel not long after we did.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked when I helped her into the tall-sided hatbox tub in the suite.


    ¡°I am feeling lonely,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I think you should join me in here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, baby?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to rush things, if you¡¯re still hurting.¡±


    ¡°Be gentle, then. No Beast Mode,¡± she said.


    Encouraged, I ditched my clothes and slipped in behind her in the scorching hot water.


    ¡°I had missed this more than I realized,¡± Emmy sighed, leaning back against me and pulling my arms around herself. ¡°Thank you, Leah.¡±


    ¡°Tell me if I do anything that hurts,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head.


    ¡°This does not hurt at all,¡± she replied. ¡°This is perfect. Can we stay like this all night?¡±


    ¡°Well, until the water gets cold, sure,¡± I said. ¡°But that¡¯s where I draw the line.¡±


    ¡°You are so cruel,¡± Emmy said, but I could hear the smile in her voice. She relaxed against me for a while, saying nothing, just enjoying being held.


    ¡°Leah, I want to say some things. Please listen and do not say anything until I am done. Do you promise?¡± she said after a few minutes of silence.


    ¡°You can tell me anything,¡± I told her, kissing the top of her head again.


    ¡°I want to tell you some things that I am perhaps a little bit ashamed to admit,¡± Emmy said after a long moment of gathering her thoughts. I kissed her hair again to let her know that I was paying attention and not speaking, as she¡¯d requested.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°When the attack happened, I did not really understand what was happening. I knew that we were being attacked, but I had no idea of what the bigger picture looked like. I am ashamed to say that I felt that you were responsible for allowing Angela to be killed. Yes, I felt I was the one to blame for allowing the attackers the opportunity to get close and ambush us, but¡­ I saw Jeremy defending me and facing against a crowd of enemies, but when he went down and that man came at me, I felt that you had abandoned me in that moment. Even worse, you had not defended Angela as you should have.¡±


    It was all I could do to keep quiet and let her talk, but in the end all I did was give her a little squeeze to let her know I was listening.


    ¡°But three days ago I finally searched for and found the videos everyone has been talking about. I had not wanted to watch them, but I felt I should know, so I did. I even found the security camera footage that showed the whole thing from up above. What became clear to me, Leah, is that you did more than anyone could possibly have asked for. I finally saw how Angela was¡­ How Angela was attacked from behind, and I saw that you tried to get to her in time but could not.¡±


    Emmy took in a long, shuddering breath, thinking back to what she had seen.


    ¡°Leah, I also saw that you are truly a monster. I mean that as a very high compliment,¡± she added quickly. ¡°You swept through those men- and woman- like an unstoppable wave. I do not think I will ever be able to erase the memory of you lifting that man above your head and slamming him down on the pavement, crushing in his skull and breaking his neck. I have seen you fight before, in Chicago, but this was¡­ It was truly terrifying.¡±


    Emmy took another long moment to think about what she wanted to say. Again, I kept quiet, kissing her head again to let her know I was still giving her space to speak.


    ¡°You have become this for me, I know,¡± Emmy said, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°I could never have asked this of you. I never would have brought you into this life if I had known this would be required of you.¡±


    ¡°Em-¡± I started to object, but she turned and put a finger on my lips to stop me.


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said, looking me in the eyes. ¡°You have told me that you took this role on of your own volition, and I am certain that you feel that way, but you would never have had to do what you have done if it were not for me, pulling you into my world. If not for me, you would be in veterinary school or something like that right now, working for your future with Stephanie, or if not her, with some other woman who would love you for your gentle spirit and strength.¡± Keeping her finger on my lips, she said, ¡°That would be my loss. You have been the best thing that could ever possibly happen to me, but I fear that I have not been the best for you.¡±


    With that, she dropped her finger, allowing me to speak.


    I didn¡¯t, though. All I did was lean in and give her a kiss, long and tender. When we finally parted, I took her hand in mine.


    ¡°Emmy De Lascaux, I took on these duties for you, it¡¯s true. Don¡¯t ever think that I went in blind, though. I was fully aware of what was happening every step of the way. You weren¡¯t the one that made me this way- I was. Sure, you¡¯re right that I wouldn¡¯t have become this ¡®monster¡¯, as you said, without slipping into your world. But I chose to do what I could for you, and this is where it¡¯s lead me. Yes, my life would have been very different if we¡¯d never met. Maybe I would be a veterinary student married to Stephanie, but probably not. There¡¯s no way to know. What I do know is that I¡¯m here right now, and you¡¯re here, too, and this is the life we have.¡±


    I leaned forward and kissed her again, holding my lips against hers for a very long time. ¡°This life isn¡¯t perfect- far from it. I¡¯ll never forgive myself for losing sight of the field of combat and allowing that woman to sneak up on Angela. I lost myself in the fight, and that¡¯s always going to be on me. But I can¡¯t say that I would have made any of the choices that led us here any differently if I had to make them all over again. I may be a monster, but I¡¯ve chosen to become this monster because I love you.¡±


    ¡°That is the most beautiful and the most terrible thing I have ever heard,¡± Emmy said, her face showing mixed emotions.


    Jenna and Andy left for Los Angeles after breakfast. He had only a couple of weeks before the preseason started and couldn¡¯t take any more days away from training.


    Emmy wanted to go back to the room for a nap after they left, so I did some searching online for a different fight gym than the one we¡¯d worked out at the day before.


    After making a few calls I made my way to a boxing gym on the east edge of downtown. The place was nothing to look at- just a big metal pre-fab shed structure with a row of garage doors on one side, all wide open for airflow since the place obviously had no air conditioning.


    When I wandered in carrying my gym bag, a guy in shorts and a T shirt printed with ¡°Houston Boxing Club¡± on it intercepted me. He looked me up and down and said, ¡°We don¡¯t do Crossfit or Pilates here, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m in town for just a couple of days and thought that maybe I could find a place I could get a good workout in, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°We do have single-day memberships,¡± he said, dubious. ¡°But this here is a boxing gym. If you aren¡¯t a fighter, this is probably not the right place for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a boxer, per se,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m more of a mixed martial arts kind of girl, but to be fair, I am more of a striker than anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright,¡± he said, still looking skeptical. ¡°Let¡¯s get the paperwork filled out. It¡¯s twenty bucks a day. We¡¯ve got a couple of coaches, but that¡¯s extra. You can join one of the classes if you want¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own,¡± I said. ¡°But honestly, maybe a coaching session with a boxing specialist would be interesting.¡±


    ¡°Interesting?¡± the guy questioned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never worked with any boxing-specific coaches,¡± I said, filling out the forms he handed me on a clipboard. ¡°Maybe I could learn something?¡±


    The guy just grunted a ¡°Hmm,¡± as he looked over the forms and checked the info against my ID.


    ¡°I think Kenny¡¯s schedule is open. Lemme see if he¡¯s willing to work with you. It¡¯s fifty an hour,¡± the gym manager said.


    ¡°Ask him if he¡¯s got three hours,¡± I said as the guy turned to find Kenny.


    ¡°Three hours?¡± he asked, turning back to look at me in surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, I probably shouldn¡¯t stay any longer than that,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yeah, O.K., sure,¡± he said. ¡°Locker room¡¯s over there,¡± he said as he turned away again, pointing off to one side of the large, open space.


    I was changed and wrapped with my sparring gloves in my hand in just a few minutes. I looked around and saw the manager guy talking to a heavyset guy who looked to be in his forties. He had the build of an ex-fighter. He¡¯d probably fought in the light heavyweight class when he was younger, but he¡¯d put on a few pounds since then.


    ¡°Tommy tells me you want three hours of training?¡± Kenny asked when I joined the two of them.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve got the time,¡± I said.


    He looked down at my gloves disdainfully. ¡°Those ain¡¯t gonna work,¡± he said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot,¡± I said, curling my fingers a few times. ¡°These are what I¡¯m used to.¡±


    Shaking his head, Kenny said, ¡°Awright. It¡¯s just a few minutes to ten- close enough for gummint work. Let¡¯s get started. How d¡¯ya usually warm up?¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long before Kenny started treating me like a real fighter, even complimenting me on my stance and footwork. He really didn¡¯t like my guard position, though.


    ¡°How many times ya gonna get punched in the face before you learn to keep your hands up?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°Yeah, well, the thing is, I¡¯m used to people kicking me, so I¡¯ve got to be ready for that as much as any punch in the face,¡± I countered.


    ¡°Fucking kickboxing bullshit,¡± he said. ¡°Straight up old-school boxing is the true sweet science. That other shit? That UFC shit? It¡¯s for people who don¡¯t know how ta throw a punch, rassling around on the ground like damned idiots.¡±


    ¡°I like to think I can throw a punch,¡± I said, nailing a particularly sharp jab to one of his mitts.


    ¡°You¡¯re fast, that¡¯s for damned sure,¡± Kenny admitted. ¡°But ya fall into the same bad habit I see all these MMA assholes do. Ya don¡¯t put your weight into your punches. It¡¯s all arms and shoulders, but no hips and legs.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, stopping to look at him.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kenny said. ¡°It¡¯s why a real boxer will always win when a kickboxer steps into the ring. Like this McGregor asshole, thinking he can take Mayweather. McGregor might be a badass in the UFC world, but take away his kicks and throws and all that bullshit and all you¡¯ll see is a mediocre boxer at best. MMA guys are always fighting on their back foot, and that¡¯s complete shit for putting power into somebody¡¯s face.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± I had to admit. ¡°So I guess we have two more hours for you to show me the error of my ways.¡±


    Kenny¡¯s attitude shifted once he saw that I was serious about learning what he had to teach me. It didn¡¯t take me long to feel what he¡¯d been talking about, and realize that he was absolutely right. Bringing my weight to the forward foot would obviously limit my kicks severely, but it did allow me to push off the back foot and throw my whole body behind my punches.


    ¡°There might be hope for ya yet,¡± Kenny begrudgingly admitted as we stopped for the day. ¡°Ya got speed for days- now ya just gotta put your whole body into your punches, and you¡¯ll be a killer.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the coaching, Kenny,¡± I said. ¡°You have time tomorrow? Maybe a bit earlier?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is gettin¡¯ hot,¡± Kenny said.


    ¡°Well, no, not because of the heat- I don¡¯t mind that much at all,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve got a flight to catch in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°The club opens at five- Is that early enough for ya?¡±


    ¡°How long can you give me?¡±


    ¡°Three hours ain¡¯t enough?¡± he asked.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all the time you can spare, it¡¯ll have to do,¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re fuckin¡¯ crazy,¡± he said, shaking his head.


    To call the shower in the women¡¯s locker room ¡®questionable¡¯ would be a compliment, but at least the water pressure was good and in a few minutes I was back at the manager¡¯s desk, paying for Kenny¡¯s time. When I told Tommy that Kenny and I had agreed on another session first thing in the morning, he just shook his head.


    ¡°When you said you wanted three hours, I figured an hour, hour and a half, tops, and you¡¯d be done, but every time I looked over you were goin¡¯ like a house on fire,¡± he said.


    ¡°I like to keep in shape,¡± I replied.

 Lean Into It

    I briefly considered skipping the show that night, but in the end I put on the blonde wig and accompanied Emmy when she left to do the sound check.


    ¡°If everything is still set up from yesterday, why do you have to do a sound check again today?¡± I asked as we got ready to go.


    ¡°We do not leave everything set up,¡± Emmy corrected me. ¡°Yes, the stage and the amps remain in place, but all the instruments are packed away for safe-keeping and so are all the electronics. Everything must be re-wired and tested again because of that, but also, our sound man takes notes on our first night and incorporates what he learns into the sound design for the next night.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the second night has better sound than the first?¡±


    ¡°Usually that is true, but not always. Weather can affect the sound and light show, for example,¡± Emmy said as we stepped out into the hallway and were immediately surrounded by the four bodyguards.


    The sound check was just as crushingly boring as ever, but I¡¯d known to expect that. I¡¯d brought my laptop, planning on spending some time on work while the band did all the necessary routine of getting things ready for the show.


    Jen had other ideas, though.


    ¡°You know, Leah, you and me, we¡¯ve hardly said three words to each other on this leg of the tour, much less since, you know, Atlanta,¡± she said, sitting down on the shabby old couch in the dressing room with me after everybody else had left.


    She handed me a can of sparkling water, and I took it, not understanding why she¡¯d given it to me. She indicated I should open it, as she popped the top on hers.


    ¡°To Angela,¡± Jen said gravely, raising her La Croix in a toast. ¡°To an unbelievably sweet girl, taken far too soon.¡±


    ¡°To Angela,¡± I agreed, and we clunked the two cans together.


    ¡°You know, I tried to get Lee to go to the funeral down there in Colombia, but he said that he didn¡¯t think it was appropriate and he¡¯d feel uncomfortable. I should¡¯ve gone by myself,¡± she said.


    ¡°The service was in Spanish,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have mattered,¡± Jen said dismissively. ¡°The words aren¡¯t really all that important. It¡¯s being there that counts.¡±


    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t know you and Angela were that good friends,¡± I said.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t all that close, honestly, but we always got along, and when we did hang out it was always a good time. She had a great sense of humor and was always so nice to everyone,¡± Jen said. ¡°Then, to see her get straight-up murdered like that¡­¡± she added. ¡°It was unreal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°That whole thing¡­ It was like a bad dream,¡± Jen continued. ¡°Like a nightmare where you see something happening, but you just can¡¯t move or do anything to stop what was going on.¡± She took a steadying sip of her lime-flavored sparkling water, then said, ¡°I always knew you were a badass. We all did, you know? I mean, I had no doubts after that chick went after you with a broken bottle in Austin, but seeing you fucking demolishing those fuckers¡­ That was intense. I mean, really intense. Leah, don¡¯t take this wrong- I mean, like, well, I¡¯m telling you this as a friend, O.K.?¡±


    ¡°O.K¡­¡± I said, wondering where she was going.


    ¡°I got a really good look at your face when you twisted that one guy¡¯s head nearly off. I mean, you were only about ten feet away, right? So you grabbed that guy and spun him around, reached your arm around and broke his fucking neck like it was nothing, right? But what struck me the most, and again, don¡¯t take this wrong- but what struck me in that moment was the look on your face. You were, like, still in the process of killing that dude, but you were already looking around for your next, um, target. You¡¯d already mentally dismissed that guy whose life you were taking while he was still trying to get your arm off him. Leah, he was terrified and fighting for his life- which he knew was just about to end- and you were like a¡­ a bored cashier or something, calling out, ¡®Next!¡¯¡±


    Jen looked carefully to make sure she hadn¡¯t offended me, so I just gave her a shrug. ¡°I get task-focused,¡± I said. ¡°Like you said, all that was left to do was finish the guy off, so planning my next move made sense.¡±


    ¡°I get that, I do,¡± Jen said, visibly relaxing. ¡°I mean, I got that at that very instant.¡±


    ¡°So why bring it up now?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to talk to you alone since that night,¡± Jen replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to, you know, just get some things out, but¡­¡±


    ¡°What does Lee say about all this?¡± I asked. ¡°Or Jax?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I told you a long time ago that they¡¯re both terrified of you, right? Well, seeing you mow through a bunch of armed attackers like that didn¡¯t alleviate any of that, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°We had a talk the next day, you know, there in Atlanta, when Emmy said that she wanted to continue the tour,¡± I told her. ¡°Just Steph, Jax, Lee, Emmy, and me. Lee said that everybody knew I had a tiger inside, but then he said something funny. He said that the tiger isn¡¯t an asshole- it only comes out when needed.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like him,¡± Jen admitted. ¡°But yeah, that tiger¡­ But that really wasn¡¯t my point, I guess. I guess what I was trying to say that in that moment, you were looking around for your next target while just, like, casually snapping a guy¡¯s neck. Like the actual killing part was just something you had to wrap up before moving on. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m making any sense,¡± Jen said, leaning back.


    ¡°What did you take away from that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, it was pretty fucking obvious this was not your first rodeo, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Not my second rodeo, for that matter,¡± I replied.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think it was,¡± Jen agreed. ¡°It takes a lot of rodeos to get to that level. I mean, I thought about the time in Austin, you know? That drunk chick came at you with that broken bottle, and the look on your face was more, like, ¡®Seriously?¡¯ than ¡®Oh, shit!¡¯ You grabbed her and sucker-punched her with no more, um, no more emotional investment in it than you did when you signaled the waitress to bring us the check, you know?¡± Jen said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that kind of thing before,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I gotta tell you, in a way it¡¯s pretty terrifying that you¡¯re so casual about violence.¡±


    ¡°Are you terrified of me?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°Um, kinda? It¡¯s not like I think you¡¯re going to go apeshit and start killing people at random or anything, so in that sense I¡¯m not afraid of you, per se,¡± Jen said. ¡°But just knowing that you have this ability- I guess that makes me, um¡­"


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to go apeshit, as you put it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not that person.¡±


    ¡°No, I know you aren¡¯t,¡± Jen assured me. ¡°I¡¯m pretty clear on that, actually. We¡¯ve known each other for years now, and I¡¯ve never even really seen you raise your voice at anybody. You¡¯re about the most even-tempered person I¡¯ve ever known. That¡¯s part of why it¡¯s so surreal when you do, um, resort to violence. It¡¯s like it comes from out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that¡¯s a rare ability,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Thank Christ for that,¡± Jen said shaking her head.


    The Downfall set the tone for the night with the first song after the intro. It was the same ZZ Top song they¡¯d covered years ago in their beginning days on Youtube.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a bit of trivia for y¡¯all,¡± Jackson said when the applause had died down. ¡°That was the very first song we ever recorded in any form as The Downfall, back when we started. We had no idea how things were going to go- no idea it¡¯d take off the way it has. But here we are, on this beautiful night here in Houston, and here y¡¯all are, too.¡± Turning to Emmy, he said, ¡°Thanks for getting this whole thing rollin¡¯, Em. It¡¯s been amazin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Jackson, and you, Lee, for making this band complete. I may be the face of The Downfall, but Lee is the brains and you are the heart. I cannot imagine that we would ever have gotten here without the three of us bringing our various talents to the mix.¡±


    ¡°Heck- I¡¯m just the bass player,¡± Jackson protested, getting a laugh from Emmy.


    ¡°Do not sell yourself short,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°You are the one who gives this band its soul.¡±


    With that, she started in on the guitar intro to ¡®I Will Die For You¡¯ from The Downfall¡¯s second album, but infusing it with a bit of slinky blues it didn¡¯t have on the recording.


    ¡°You know, I asked Lee why they changed the playlist every night,¡± Jen said, leaning in to be heard. ¡°Like this song- this is the first time they¡¯ve played it this entire tour, you know?¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He said it¡¯s so they don¡¯t get bored,¡± she replied with a laugh. ¡°And also so that fans watching the live stream will watch more than just one show. He also said that, since every night is different, a lot of fans buy tickets for both nights in places where they play multiple shows. But mostly so the three of them don¡¯t get bored.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I admitted. ¡°Every night is a new and exciting thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    The highlight of the show for me was the slow, slide blues rendition of Janis Joplin¡¯s song ¡®Take A Piece Of My Heart¡¯. Emmy didn¡¯t try to imitate Janis¡¯ raspy vocals, but did somehow capture the original¡¯s bittersweet, resigned tone.


    Jackson sang the last song of the night, a slow slide blues song about having twenty-five lighters on his dresser and needing to get paid. I didn¡¯t recognize the song, but the crowd there in Houston sure did, and they went crazy when he sang the first line. Which I guess was good, since that was pretty much all the song was- just repeating those lines over and over.


    To my surprise, Emmy said after the show backstage that she wanted to go to the unofficial afterparty, which was going to be held at a blues club not too far away.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s just going to be us- no outsiders,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Jackson said there is a band playing tonight that he has always wanted to see.¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you¡¯re up for it,¡± I said. ¡°Please, please let me know if you start to get sore or tired or anything. Don¡¯t overdo it and set your recovery back.¡±


    Emmy gave me a smile and said that she had been feeling better, but would be careful.


    We got to the club, which was on a side street in a crappy little strip mall (if you could even call it that). It shared a parking lot with a nail salon and a mini mart that had plywood replacing the broken glass in its front door.


    On the one hand, the neighborhood in general was crummy and the place looked like a dump from the outside. On the other, though, that seemed like the kind of place a really authentic Houston blues bar would be, right?


    I figured that we would have already missed the band since we got there after eleven, but Jackson assured me that their second set would start at midnight.


    Our group nearly doubled the number of patrons in the place, and when he recognized who it was that had come in, the owner himself came out to make sure we were set up right. The place was just a bar- no food on the menu. Drinks only, but plenty of salty snacks for each of our tables. By ¡®salty snacks¡¯ I mean unshelled roasted peanuts in good-sized bowls. Wondering where to put the shells, I noticed other patrons simply dumping them on the ancient linoleum floor. Another point for authenticity, I thought.


    The band that Jackson had wanted to see was an up-tempo country band with a heavyset lady who must have been pushing sixty years old singing and playing the accordion. It took me a while to realize that she was singing in some sort of heavily accented French. I could understand a word here or there, but that was it.


    ¡°What is she saying?¡± I asked Emmy at one point, but she just shrugged.


    ¡°I can barely understand any of it. Her creole accent is far too strong,¡± she said. ¡°But it does not matter. I love the sound, even if I cannot understand much of it at all.¡±


    A handful of folks had started dancing in the open area near the stage, doing some sort of fast-stepping waltz or something. Jackson wanted to dance, but couldn¡¯t talk anybody into it except Emmy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt yourself,¡± I cautioned her as she got up.


    ¡°I will be careful,¡± Emmy agreed. It took the two of them barely any time to find their feet, so to speak, and integrate with the rest of the people on the dance floor. I kept a close eye on Emmy, but she seemed to be doing fine, so I told myself to stop worrying.


    I will admit the music was infectious and I did find my toe tapping to the rhythm on more than one occasion, but Emmy really seemed to be enjoying herself. During one long saxophone solo she and Jackson really took their dance up a notch, looking as if they¡¯d practiced together for a long time, they flowed through the two-step so smoothly.


    By the mid point of the band¡¯s set the whole bar had become a party. People were either dancing, clapping along with the music (and calling out ¡°C¡¯est toi!¡± every now and then) or at the very least bopping in their seats. I will admit I fit into both of those last two categories, letting the music lift my spirits. It helped that I could see that Emmy was letting go of all of her sorrow and hurt and just feeling free and loose, dancing with Jackson without another thought besides enjoying herself.


    Even our four stoic bodyguards were smiling and moving with the music. That didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t keeping very watchful eyes out, but at least for one night they could let their figurative hair down.


    ¡°If ya feelin¡¯ hot, show us what ya got!¡± the band¡¯s singer called out between songs, encouraging people to dance. It certainly was hot in that little bar, but again, it only added to the authenticity.


    ¡°That was very much fun,¡± Emmy said, dropping back into her seat and taking a big drink of her water, then a sip of the house white that she¡¯d proclaimed was terrible earlier. ¡°But I think that is enough for me tonight.¡±


    ¡°You looked like you were having a great time,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I was,¡± Emmy said with a broad smile. ¡°I am very glad we came.¡±


    ¡°I am, too,¡± I said, really meaning it.


    When the band finished up, Jackson and Emmy went to the stage to talk to the musicians- a conversation that lasted for quite a while. While they did that, I looked for the bar¡¯s owner.


    ¡°We had a great time here tonight,¡± I told the old guy. ¡°Is it like this every night?¡±


    ¡°Nah,¡± he said, dismissively, waving his hand. ¡°We on¡¯y get Zydeco bands mebbe once a month, but when we do, yeah, it¡¯s a party. Mos¡¯ of de time we get local blues and day don¡¯ draw de same crowd.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s a fair bet that we¡¯ll be back next time we come to Houston,¡± I said.


    ¡°Ya more den welcome,¡± he said, his smile showing off his missing tooth.


    I left a really healthy tip for the overworked waitress as we were ushered out at closing time, which was just a very few short hours before I was due back at that boxing gym.


    After helping Emmy with her bath and settling her down to sleep, I simply stayed up. The most I could have slept would have been an hour or so nap, so what was the point? I could sleep on the plane.


    I was there waiting when they opened the gym at five, ready to put in some work. Yeah, I was dragging a little bit, but as Jody had pointed out a while back, it¡¯s when you¡¯re at your lowest that you need to make yourself rise to the occasion.


    ¡°I gotta admit,¡± Kenny said as he led me in, ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually expectin¡¯ you this mornin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be in bed now if I hadn¡¯t committed to being here,¡± I admitted. ¡°We were out late last night.¡±


    ¡°How late?¡± Kenny asked.


    ¡°Until just a couple of hours ago,¡± I said with a self-deprecating laugh. ¡°Closing time was two AM, but they had a hard time kicking us out.¡±


    ¡°How much sleep ya get?¡±


    ¡°None since I¡¯ve seen you last,¡± I said with a shrug.


    Shaking his head, Ken said, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m gonna go easy an ya.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to,¡± I replied, heading to the shabby locker room to dress down.


    A few minutes later we were into the session, working on my technique.


    ¡°Back in LA- d¡¯ya ever spar with other fighters?¡± Kenny asked when we stopped for a water break


    ¡°All the time,¡± I said.


    ¡°What exactly do ya mean by all the time?¡± he asked for clarification.


    ¡°Once or twice a week, depending on how I¡¯m feeling, and if I can talk any of the guys into it.¡±


    ¡°Guys?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never sparred against any other women,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re way too big,¡± he agreed. ¡°Ain¡¯t no weight class your size for women.¡±


    ¡°There is that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So when ya fight these guys, what wouldja say is your biggest weakness?¡±


    ¡°Well, wrestling, but since we¡¯re talking boxing here, I¡¯d say it¡¯s the fact that these guys are all much stronger than me, so they hit harder,¡± I replied.


    ¡°But with your speed, you hit ¡®em a lot more, right?¡± Kenny asked.


    ¡°A lot more,¡± I agreed. ¡°That¡¯s why a lot of them won¡¯t fight me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kenny agreed thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a problem, keepin¡¯ that speed but adding a lot of strength.¡± Thinking about it for a while, he finally admitted that it was probably a bad tradeoff.


    ¡°Whatever you been doin¡¯ for strength training, keep doin¡¯ just like you been doin¡¯. Work on your delivery like we been working yesterday and today. ¡®Member, a punch starts with your legs, goes up through your hips, then your shoulders and finally your arms. You¡¯ll never deliver a really heavy blow with just your shoulders and arms. Ya gotta lean into it.¡±


    Checking my phone while waiting for my Uber after my workout, I saw that I¡¯d gotten a text from Mr Han, wanting to meet for lunch. Hoping he was planning on agreeing to help train my hitters, I shot him a response saying that I was looking forward to having lunch with him.


    Emmy was meeting with Lee, Jackson and Stephanie when I got back to the hotel suite, so I just leaned down and gave her a kiss hello, then went to take a shower and get dressed in normal clothes for the day, since I¡¯d skipped using the gym¡¯s nasty facilities again.


    The meeting was over by the time I finished. I asked Emmy if she¡¯d had breakfast yet and she said no, so we went downstairs to grab a bite. She asked me about my workout that morning, and I told that I¡¯d found value in working with this guy Kenny and focusing on boxing, but I wasn¡¯t sure how applicable it¡¯d really be in the wild.


    ¡°It¡¯s a different approach, physically,¡± I explained. ¡°I can see the advantage of what he taught me in a boxing ring, but it means committing to merely punching and defending against punches. That¡¯s just too limiting.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Emmy admitted.


    Our conversation turned to the bar last night. Emmy admitted that she felt a bit sore, but at the same time felt better than she had in a while.


    ¡°It was good to see you having fun,¡± I told her. ¡°I loved watching you dance.¡±


    ¡°I think I needed that very much,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I did not have to think about anything but the music and the movement of our feet. That woman- the singer? Her French was so terrible!¡± Emmy said with a laugh. ¡°She could understand me, but when she spoke to me I could barely understand any of what she said.¡±


    ¡°What did you talk about?¡±


    ¡°We introduced ourselves, but she knew who we were already. We told her that we enjoyed her music very much and told her that we would be sure to see her perform the next time we ever got a chance. Jackson said that he owned several of her records, and she was very pleased to hear that,¡± Emmy said, her voice light, carrying none of the stress and sorrow I¡¯d been hearing ever since Angela was killed.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we went,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I did not realize that you had planned on such an early workout- I would not have asked to go if I had known,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Why did you schedule it so early on a Sunday morning?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re flying to Denver this afternoon, babe,¡± I reminded her. ¡°I wanted to get it done early. That reminds me- I have a lunch meeting with Mr Han today.¡±


    ¡°Can you trust him?¡± Emmy asked, concerned. ¡°Are you giving away too many secrets?¡±


    ¡°I think I can,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll use whatever he learns to his advantage, but I really don¡¯t think it¡¯d ever be to our disadvantage, if that makes sense. I think he¡¯s a solid ally.¡±


    ¡°Allies are important,¡± Emmy said.


    Mr Han and I had lunch at a Mexican restaurant a couple of blocks away from the hotel. The food was alright, but it was far from authentic. It wasn¡¯t even Tex-Mex- it was more along the lines of the big casual dining chains like El Torito or Chevy¡¯s or something like that- food that vaguely resembled actual Mexican food, but sanitized for mainstream tastes.


    ¡°I went to the concert last night,¡± Mr Han said when we sat down. ¡°Your wife is undeniably talented.¡±


    ¡°She is, but to be fair, so are Lee and Jackson,¡± I replied.


    ¡°True,¡± Mr Han agreed. After a moment¡¯s pause, he asked, ¡°Do they know?¡±


    ¡°They might be vague on some details, but yeah, in general,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°How many people outside of your organization know?¡± he pressed.


    ¡°A few- a handful, really. Not that many, but I suspect that American and British intelligence services might be interested in me. I have no idea how much or how little they know- not much, I think, but I can¡¯t be too sure,¡± I told him.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± he asked, but just then the waitress came by to take out orders, so I didn¡¯t respond.


    Once she¡¯d come back with our drinks and left again, I told Mr Han about the Very Interesting Man in Colombia and Colonel Bridger in London.


    ¡°This man Su¨¢rez, he may or may not be, but this Bridger- he is without a doubt part of the UK¡¯s apparatus,¡± Mr Han agreed after I¡¯d told him the tale.


    ¡°He as much as said so,¡± I said. ¡°He hinted that he wanted to recruit me as an asset.¡±


    ¡°To what end?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°That part was left unsaid. But¡­ That brings us back to us- you and me. I¡¯ve been very clear on what I want from you- that is, other than your advice and guidance. You¡¯ve told me that you want my help in working with your guys, and I¡¯ve already pointed you in the right direction for recruiting, um, other assets, but what else can I do for you? To be completely blunt, I¡¯d like to count you as an ally. If our goals are not exactly unitary, at the very least they aren¡¯t in any sort of conflict, right? Besides the obvious, I¡¯m not sure what else I can offer you, but I¡¯d like to know what it is you¡¯d like from me. All this cloak and dagger stuff simply isn¡¯t my style. I¡¯d much prefer to lay it all out on the table,¡± I told him.


    Smiling, Mr Han was about to reply but just then the waitress returned with our meals.


    After she¡¯d left again, he said, ¡°No, subtlety is not your strength,¡± he said, smiling again at the thought. ¡°You¡¯re more of a precision-guided missile. You come in at high speed and destroy your target with no hesitation. This is what I admire most about you. You¡¯re as direct as they come.¡± Taking a moment to take a bite of his chile relleno, he went on. ¡°As you say, our interests may not have much, if any, overlap. Certainly no foreseeable conflict. This means that I can¡¯t picture a circumstance where my duties would compel me to go against your interests, or yours against mine. This is a fine basis for cooperation.¡± Taking another bite, he said, ¡°This food is unlike any I have ever had, but I don¡¯t dislike it.¡±


    ¡°When you come to Los Angeles I¡¯ll take you to a real Mexican restaurant,¡± I told him. ¡°It¡¯s truly among the world¡¯s finest cuisines.¡±


    Returning to the subject, Mr Han said, ¡°Yes, I still would like your help training my men. I will train yours in exchange, and of course, personally train you when you come back to Singapore. This is easy. As far as what may go beyond that, I don¡¯t know yet, but if something comes up that I believe you can help with, I¡¯ll reach out. I¡¯ll expect your discretion, of course.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I agreed. ¡°In return, I¡¯ll call on you if something develops that I think will be in your wheelhouse. Other than those vague promises, I agree to continued training programs. You and I will work together, of course, but we¡¯ll also train each others¡¯ men.¡±


    Mr Han reached across the table and we shook hands somewhat ritualistically. ¡°I think this will have positive long-term ramifications,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t bother booking a hotel when you come to Singapore. I have a place for you to stay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably come alone,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to involve Emmy in any more of this than absolutely necessary.¡±


    ¡°I find that fascinating,¡± Mr Han said, leaning forward. ¡°You¡¯re doing all this for her and her people, yes?¡±


    ¡°For her and our people,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Ah, yes. You are the famous demon queen,¡± Mr Han said, smiling again. ¡°Known worldwide.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully not recognized worldwide quite so much,¡± I said, indicating my short brown hair.


    ¡°That is a very different look for you,¡± he agreed.

 Baby Steps

    Our hotel in Denver was an ¡®almost boutique¡¯. It was a good effort for a large hotel, emulating the feel closely enough for most people, I guess. I will admit that it was a breath of fresh air after the last few typical soulless large-chain places we¡¯d been staying at.


    When given the choice of stadium or plaza view, I immediately jumped on the southwest-facing penthouse suite. I¡¯d seen enough baseball stadiums outside my window to last me for a long time.


    We didn¡¯t go out for dinner that first night, opting for room service instead. I was still operating on a bit of a sleep deficit and Emmy was tired from the weekend in Houston.


    Once we settled down after eating, Emmy called and asked Stephanie to get someone to bring her acoustic guitar, but Stephanie told her it was passing somewhere through Amarillo about then. She could probably have it in a couple of days, Stephanie told her, but not a lot sooner.


    Once Emmy got off the phone with Stephanie, she asked me if I minded going to a guitar shop the next morning.


    ¡°I have been thinking about a song,¡± she explained, ¡°And I want to work on it while it is fresh in my mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I told her. ¡°You know I¡¯d never say no to something like that.¡±


    Smiling gratefully, Emmy came over and sat on my lap. ¡°Have I told you that I love you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes you have, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to hear it again,¡± I said, pulling her against me.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Emmy said, leaning her head on my shoulder. ¡°I love you very, very much.¡±


    ¡°I love you very much, too,¡± I replied, planting a soft kiss on her hair.


    As always, I woke way before Emmy was ready to get out of bed. Resigned to using the gym¡¯s fitness center, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was a lot nicer than most hotel facilities. Sure, it was all cardio and strength machines, with no free weights anywhere in sight, but I could get in a halfway decent workout using the equipment.


    I put in a couple of hours on the treadmill, then an hour with the balance ball and steps to work on range of motion. It wasn¡¯t the greatest workout ever, but it would do for now.


    Emmy was awake but still lounging in bed when I returned to the room. She was busily typing away on Angela¡¯s computer, presumably sending emails to Angela¡¯s sponsors or something like that. Feeling a little guilty that she was tackling that task on her own, I sat down next to her to look at the screen.


    ¡°You smell very sweaty,¡± Emmy said after giving me a quick kiss.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized, moving to get up, but she put her hand on my arm to keep me there.


    ¡°I did not say that I disliked it,¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    Laughing, I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her in close. ¡°Now you¡¯re going to smell nice and sweaty, too,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I miss being covered in your sweat,¡± Emmy said, her voice wistful. ¡°I am sorry that I have not been receptive¡­¡±


    ¡°Em, baby, your body has been through an incredible amount of trauma recently, not to mention all the emotional issues. I¡¯d be really surprised if getting all hot and sweaty in bed is on your radar at all any time soon.¡±


    ¡°That is true, but I feel selfish for ignoring your needs. I have been very self-absorbed,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Em, I can wait as long as it takes. When you¡¯re back in the mood, let me know. Until then, don¡¯t worry about me. My needs in that area are low on my priority list right now.¡±


    ¡°That does not make me feel any less guilty,¡± Emmy said with a sigh. ¡°I do not know how long it will take me to feel like a lover should.¡±


    Sitting up and pulling away to turn and face me, she said, ¡°Leah, I would understand it if you went somewhere else until I was ready again. I know that there are many women who would be happy to help you relieve yourself¡­¡±


    Leaning back against the headboard, I let out a big sigh. ¡°Em, that isn¡¯t what I want or need. I¡¯m not some sort of ball of raging hormones who can¡¯t keep it in her pants. When you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll be ready, too, but until then, I¡¯m not trying out the field.¡±


    ¡°Katrina was very beautiful,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I am certain that-¡±


    ¡°Just stop,¡± I said, putting a finger on Emmy¡¯s lips. ¡°Yes, Katrina is hot, and yes, she probably would drop her panties for me, but that isn¡¯t what I want. I want you, Em. But I want you when you¡¯re good and ready, whenever that is. Just the fact that you¡¯re even thinking about sex at all must mean that you¡¯re seeing the light at the end of the healing tunnel, right? I¡¯m happy to wait for you. I really am.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry I am so selfish,¡± Emmy said again. ¡°You deserve better from me.¡±


    There really was no way to answer that, so I just wrapped her in my arms and held her close. It took me a little while to realize that she was crying in that odd silent way of hers, but when I finally did, I just squeezed her a little bit tighter. Emmy was processing her grief differently than I was, after all. In all fairness, the attack was much worse for her than it was for me, for obvious reasons.


    Eventually Emmy relaxed, all cried out. I helped her up and we took a shower together. It wasn¡¯t really sexy soapy time, like we had so many times before. It was comforting, and that was what really mattered just then. I let Emmy know that I was still very sexually attracted to her at the same time as I did my best to make it clear that just touching her gently, holding her, and kissing her were their own rewards.


    We had breakfast at the hotel¡¯s brunch restaurant, then requisitioned a hotel van to take us (and our four bodyguards) to the guitar shop Emmy had found online.


    Eddie entered the shop first, took a look around, then signaled it was O.K. We all followed him in, except Nick, who stayed outside by the van, keeping an eye out. Living this way was getting really old in a hurry. I knew that once we¡¯d hunted down the crew that had sent the attackers we could relax, but for now, making a show of heightened security was important.


    Of course everybody in the store had figured out who was about to arrive when Eddie cased the place. Given the menacing looks our three dark-suited friends were giving everyone in the store it was no surprise that the staff and patrons were slower to rush up and fawn over Emmy than I¡¯d seen in the past.


    Of course everyone knew the need for security and I don¡¯t think anybody resented it, but still¡­ it did put a little damper on things, even if Eddie and the guys did their best to blend into the background once they were comfortable that the shop was safe.


    Emmy tried out a handful of guitars and dutifully posed for the shop¡¯s promo pics, as she always does at these places. I¡¯m sure none of the people there had any idea, but I could see that Emmy wasn¡¯t really in the mood as she would normally have been. Sure, she was pleasant and friendly, but to my eyes it seemed just a little bit forced.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Of course Emmy played a couple of songs which would be up on Youtube the moment we left the shop, as was expected. I think what probably wasn¡¯t expected was that the songs were classical Spanish-style instrumentals on an acoustic. She wound up buying that Yamaha Concert Acoustic, along with a case and all the various accoutrements needed.


    ¡°It is nice enough,¡± Emmy said in the van ride back to the hotel, ¡°But I doubt I will ever play it on stage. This is merely a practice instrument. Something for me to play in the hotel room, or perhaps on a bus on a winery tour- times and places like that.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s good to have a beater instrument that you can keep handy.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she said, patting the plastic hardshell case. ¡°I will take this with us whenever we travel.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± I said.


    We really had no plans for anything to do or see in Denver, so when Grace arrived the next evening it was a welcome distraction. I was glad she was sensitive enough to ask nothing more than how Emmy and I were doing and avoided dwelling on Angela¡¯s murder. At dinner at a nearby restaurant that specialized in southwestern cuisine we spent most of our conversational time talking about Grace¡¯s studies at Northern Arizona University and how she was thinking she¡¯d have enough credits and had met the requirements to graduate at least a term early, maybe even two if she really buckled down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do with my degree in social work,¡± Grace admitted at one point. ¡°I always thought I¡¯d work with at-risk teens, helping to keep them off the streets and whatever, but now I¡¯ve done a few internships it seems sorta hopeless.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that no matter how many kids you help, there¡¯re always more that need it, you know?¡± Grace said, looking despondent. ¡°It¡¯s like nothing you do makes a difference.¡±


    ¡°Grace,¡± Emmy said, her tone a bit sharper than either Grace or I expected. ¡°It makes plenty of difference to the ones that you help. Let me ask you a very direct question- did Leah help you when you needed it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, more than I can ever say,¡± Grace said.


    ¡°You are one person. One person who got the help that she needed. Leah did not cure the world¡¯s problems when she came up to Arcata to help you out, did she? It might not have mattered in the grand scheme of things, but for you, Grace, it was life-changing. The children you might help- they need to have their lives changed. They need help. It is true you cannot possibly help them all, but even if you only help a few¡­¡±


    Grace sighed, letting her shoulders droop. ¡°Yeah, I get it, I really do. ¡®It might not make one bit of difference to the world at large, but it makes a world of difference for the one you help¡¯. One of my teachers used to like to say that.¡±


    ¡°That is exactly it,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°One child saved from a terrible life is a triumph. Any more than that is a miracle.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­ Really, I do. It¡¯s just disheartening when you do everything you can for a kid, only to have them wind up back in the same shitty situation they started out in. And there are never enough resources, you know? Not enough good foster families, not enough mental health care, not enough substance abuse treatment¡­ It¡¯s a fucked up system,¡± Grace said.


    ¡°Be somebody¡¯s hero, Grace,¡± Emmy urged. ¡°You do not need to even try to be everybody¡¯s hero. Just do what you can, for those you can. It will never be enough, but it will make a difference.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Rosalie says, too,¡± Grace admitted.


    ¡°You two must be coming up on your one year anniversary pretty soon, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Our first real date was in October, so it¡¯s still a few months away, but yeah,¡± Grace replied.


    ¡°Are you two thinking this might be a long-term thing?¡±


    ¡°I want her to move in with me instead of her staying in the dorms next year,¡± Grace admitted. ¡°I know, I know, U Hauls and all that, but it only makes sense. She barely spent any nights at her dorm room last year anyhow. We eat at home way more than she ever does at the cafeteria- she¡¯s a great cook, you know?¡± Grace said.


    ¡°You have described how it is right now,¡± Emmy pointed out, ¡°But not where you see it going.¡±


    Grace groaned, leaning her head back. ¡°I hate thinking about it. I want us to be together, and Rosie does too, but sometimes I think that our lives might not be meant to be together. Like, after she gets her Bachelor¡¯s, she¡¯s gonna go to veterinary school, right? She¡¯s hoping to get into UC Davis, which is cool for her and all that, but that¡¯s right when I¡¯ll be trying to find a job in social work, if that¡¯s even what I do. So, do I just get a job there in Davis, and figure that it¡¯ll only last a few years until Rosie finishes vet school, then we¡¯re off to wherever?¡±


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± I asked. ¡°No employer is going to hire you right out of college with the assumption that you¡¯ll stay there forever. So you put in a few years at some program in Sacramento if you can¡¯t find anything in Davis itself. Heck, you can put in your time as a volunteer at a women and kids shelter or something- you know we¡¯ll support you if you do something like that, after all. Think of that time as experience and resum¨¦ building. Where does Rosalie want to practice?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another thing. Like, Flag is I guess a medium-sized city? Seventy thousand people, anyhow, which makes it roughly forty times the size of Wickenburg, where her family lives. She kinda wants to go back to that really small-town life, you know? Maybe not Wickenburg, but someplace sorta like that. You guys know me- you know what it was like, moving to Palo Alto after Arcata. It was a whole new, big world for me. I just don¡¯t think I can bring myself to ever live in a place as small as Arcata again, and that¡¯s almost twenty thousand people. I¡¯d go nuts in freaking Wickenburg. Just no way,¡± Grace said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what, six years away at the earliest, if she does wind up going to vet school,¡± I pointed out. ¡°By then she may well change her mind. Or you might.¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Grace said, her voice expressing her doubt.


    ¡°But in the meantime, you guys are good?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, me and Rosie are doing great,¡± Grace confirmed.


    Walking back to the hotel after dinner, Grace asked what we had planned for the next few days.


    ¡°We have made no plans,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°We should do something cool,¡± Grace said.


    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I dunno, but sitting around the hotel for four days seems like a terrible way to spend your time here in the Mile-High City,¡± Grace said. ¡°Tell you what- let me do some research tonight, and I¡¯ll come up with something fun.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I agreed.


    That night Emmy took a more active role in our nightly bathing ritual. She was still fairly tender, but she washed my hair and soaped me up for the first time since the attack. She was very careful to get all of those hard-to-reach spots that it¡¯s best to have a fellow bather wash for you, making sure I was nice and clean. I returned the favor, but didn¡¯t push it any farther than Emmy had gone with me. Yeah, I was aroused, but until Emmy felt ready I wasn¡¯t going to press the issue.


    I was gentle but playful with the towel when it was time to dry off. I wanted us to get back to where we had been, but it would happen on its own time. I¡¯m not going to say that I didn¡¯t miss Angela constantly, but Rafael was right. The living need to keep living, after all. Emmy and I needed to pick up the pieces and move forward, as painful as it was to admit it.


    Emmy fell asleep quickly, and as I lay there in bed listening to her slow, even breathing I thought about Grace and wondered if she had intentionally turned the conversation away from Angela¡¯s loss and to her own relatively harmless topics. Grace wasn¡¯t the most subtle of individuals, but it wouldn¡¯t surprise me to hear that she had done just that.


    At breakfast Grace laid out a busy itinerary for us, none of which involved anything in Denver itself. It was a series of day trips to small, historic mining towns in the Rockies. Sure, it was more along the lines of things that Grace was interested in than either Emmy or I, but it was better than sitting in the hotel room for days on end.


    I rented us a pair of Range Rovers so the seven of us could travel in relative comfort. We spent the next three days riding narrow-gauge antique railways, panning for gold, and shopping in postcard-perfect little main streets at high elevations.


    I made damned sure that Emmy had on her extra powerful sunblock and wore long sleeves, a broad-brimmed hat and her glacier sunglasses since the sun at nine thousand feet can be brutal. All the precautions seemed to help, but she was still the first one to fade as the day wore on.


    I wound up buying all the rest of us sunglasses the first afternoon, too, and got myself a cowboy hat that Emmy declared was adorable but made me self-conscious. It did a great job of keeping the sun out of my eyes, and that was what mattered. The guys refused when I offered to buy them hats, so I guess they were O.K. with it.


    Grace was surprisingly sanguine about traveling everywhere with four menacing Night Children bodyguards, but when I asked her in private about it on the second night she said, ¡°Well, like, Eddie was there in Vancouver, so, I mean, I know he¡¯s one of your¡­¡± she said, searching for the right word.


    ¡°Heavies,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s one of your heavies, but, like, he helped you save my life, so I guess I kind of trust him, you know? And after what happened to Angela, I can see the need. You know, I watched those videos online. The way you slammed that one guy¡­ You know, I¡¯ve never talked with anybody about what happened that night in Canada, right? Not even to Rosie. I watched you kill two guys right in front of me that night, Leah, but that was nothing compared to what you did in Atlanta. That was some serious next level shit,¡± Grace said.


    ¡°I hate that it¡¯s ever come to violence,¡± I said. ¡°But when it does, I need to be the one doing the violence.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re fucking good at it,¡± Grace said, so I gave her a little swat on the back of the head.


    ¡°Language,¡± I admonished her.


    ¡°O.K., Mom,¡± Grace said smiling at the long-standing joke.

 Back Home Again

    The Downfall only had one night in Denver- it was the only city that Stephanie hadn¡¯t managed to book a second day at the venue once it became obvious that the band could sell out eighty thousand seats in a major city. Next stop was Phoenix, and we¡¯d already ascertained there wasn¡¯t a whole lot to do as tourists there. It made the decision to head home for a few days an easy one- in fact, pretty much everybody that could made the same call. Even Stephanie headed back to LA, if only for a couple of days.


    ¡°I can only spare maybe a day and a half, then I really need to be there in Phoenix to make sure everything goes smoothly,¡± she explained when I asked. ¡°But at least Stephen is going to come with me this time. Yeah, I¡¯ll be busy, but he has a lot of friends he can visit, so it¡¯ll be cool.¡±


    "That¡¯s the only thing that¡¯ll be cool,¡± I said. ¡°Highs for the two days of the shows are supposed to be nearly a hundred and ten degrees,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Yeah, but the ballpark has a roof and is air conditioned,¡± Stephanie replied. ¡°It¡¯s not like anybody actually does anything outside during the days in Phoenix in the summer, anyhow.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°But we still need to get through tonight,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°You have no idea how relaxing it is to work with adults like Emmy and the boys. I handle a lot of skater pop bands, and they are all, every single one, a bunch of immature assholes who don¡¯t have the basic understanding of professionalism.¡±


    ¡°Like that Murder Ballad band?¡±


    ¡°Murder Ballot. And yeah, Zach is like a giant hemorrhoid. He is such a pain in the ass it isn¡¯t funny,¡± Stephanie grumbled. ¡°I¡¯d fire those idiots in a moment if they didn¡¯t make me so much money.¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯re making bank on this tour.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, am I ever,¡± Stephanie said, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be a real downer going back to babysitting Zach and the rest of them. I¡¯m seriously considering staffing up and opening a real office, you know? Handing all these jackasses off to my poor, unappreciated minions while I keep The Downfall to myself.¡±


    ¡°What about the Sons?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage them personally until we all die,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°Sure, they¡¯re slackers too, but their hearts are in the right place and at least they know not to get drunk and stoned until after the gigs. Those guys¡­ I¡¯d say I owe them everything, but they owe me everything too, so it sorta works out, if you know what I mean. You know, they¡¯re gonna open in LA, right? They are so freaking stoked to play in front of ninety thousand people they¡¯d have been happy to do it for free, you know? When I told them how much they were gonna get paid they just about shit their pants.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re doing O.K., though, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, they aren¡¯t hurting for money. They aren¡¯t out there buying private jets or anything, but they¡¯re doing just fine,¡± Stephanie confirmed.


    The Denver show was excellent. Emmy didn¡¯t use her stool at all, but she did keep her movements onstage minimal. Obviously the fans didn¡¯t know how much progress Emmy was making, but those of us who saw every concert could certainly tell.


    Well, I guess if the fans were hardcore enough to have been watching the live streams they¡¯d know, but whatever.


    Grace hadn¡¯t seen any of The Downfall¡¯s Big-Ass Arena Rock Tour, so she was thrilled by the whole backstage experience, and then getting to sit in the VIP section for the actual performance.


    She was buzzing with excitement when the show concluded and we returned backstage afterwards.


    ¡°Dang, Jackson,¡± she said. ¡°As many times as I¡¯ve seen you guys play, this was something else.¡±


    ¡°Well, kid,¡± he replied, knowing full well she¡¯d never liked it when he called her that. ¡°This here was a big-ass rock show, you know? Lasers, pyrotechnics, video screens, dancers, extra musicians¡­ All you¡¯ve ever seen us do is gigs with just the three of us playin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No ¡®well yeah but¡¯,¡± Jackson countered. ¡°It makes it a whole different experience. It¡¯s different for us, too, you know. It¡¯s been a lot of fun playing for giant crowds like this, but to tell you the Lord¡¯s truth, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s almost over. I¡¯m lookin¡¯ forward to gettin¡¯ back to playing clubs where I can see individual faces, you understand?¡±


    ¡°How can you even do that?¡± Grace asked.


    ¡°Real easy,¡± Jackson said, his Texan accent laid on thick. ¡°We don¡¯t let on who we are.¡±


    The next morning Grace left after breakfast for the eleven hour drive back to Flagstaff. Emmy had asked how her car was doing and she¡¯d said that it was getting to be pretty high-mileage and showing it a bit, but still ran great.


    ¡°Let me know when you can part with it for a few weeks,¡± I told her, knowing the emotional attachment she had to her Toyota. ¡°I¡¯ll have my guys go over it with a fine-toothed comb.¡±


    ¡°Your guys?¡± Grace asked, glancing at Nick seated at the next table.


    ¡°Different guys,¡± I said. ¡°Car guys. Really unbelievably good car guys.¡±


    ¡°Rosie and me were talking about going to Europe for spring break- would that work?¡± Grace asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Let me see what I can set up,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Where in Europe?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Rosie wants to see everything, but we¡¯ll only have two weeks and I told her that¡¯s maybe enough time to really see two cities, you know? So we¡¯ve mostly settled on London and Paris for now.¡±


    ¡°Our place in London will be ready by then, and you can always stay with my parents in Paris,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Your place in London?¡±


    ¡°We bought an apartment there and it¡¯s being remodeled,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Cool! But Em, I hate to say it, but your parents¡­ I¡¯m not sure Rosie is ready to meet them just yet. They can be a bit¡­ intimidating.¡±


    This got a little chuckle from me, so Emmy turned to me and said, ¡°I think you get along better with my father than I do,¡± in an accusing tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s only fair,¡± I countered. ¡°Since my mom likes you more than she likes me.¡±


    ¡°I have you both beat,¡± Grace said. ¡°Both my parents still hate me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Grace¡­ I¡¯d bet less than you might think. You¡¯re still sending money to your mom, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡±How did- yeah, I still send her a couple hundred twice a month,¡± Grace admitted.


    ¡°And she cashes the checks, right?¡±


    ¡°She does.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s at least willing to accept your help in that regard,¡± I said. ¡°That must mean something.¡±


    ¡°For all I know, she turns around and gives that money to her bigoted church,¡± Grace said, but without any real heat.


    ¡°I think you ought to visit her sometime,¡± I said, resting my hand on hers on the table. ¡°Maybe wait until your dad is out of the house, though.¡±


    This got a chuckle and seemed to lighten the mood. ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Grace conceded.


    ¡°Arcata is only a six hour drive from Davis,¡± I said, getting a groan in response.


    Back home in Los Angeles, all Emmy wanted to do was flop down in bed and sleep. I wasn¡¯t tired, though, so I went up to my office to catch up on my emails, figuring I¡¯d head into work in the morning. I got distracted by the racing sim rig on my way up to my office tower and fired it up to do some virtual driving.


    Tiffany must have used it last, since the cockpit was set up for somebody much smaller than me. Once I¡¯d gotten it adjusted and everything in place and the game booted up I had a moment of heartbreak when I saw it was set to the rally game that Tiffany enjoyed so much. Of course this made me think of Angela, and her plans for the two of us to go racing together.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Accepting and wallowing in my grief, I dug around in the menus and found a setting that had a woman¡¯s voice for the co-driver. There was an option for a Porsche Carrera for the car, too, and even a pavement race in Eastern Canada that I figured must have been the one she was talking about.


    Once I got it all set up and ready, I settled down into the driver¡¯s seat and took a deep, calming breath before bringing my car up to the starting line. This was as close as I was ever going to get to the dream Angela had of us racing together, after all. It deserved a bit of respect and solemnity.


    As it turned out, I wasn¡¯t very good at it. I kept sending us off into the woods, or the ditch next to the road. I blew a lot of turns until I started to understand what the co-driver was actually saying, but even then I was still in epic fail territory. Getting better, but far from good. I ran the stages over and over until I could get through them cleanly and not wind up upside-down in some field, but I never got anywhere near the podium.


    When I finally shut the rig down and climbed out of the seat I was surprised to find Emmy standing there. She told me that she had been watching for a while and hoped that I drove better than that when I went out with my friends.


    ¡°I don¡¯t drive anything like this,¡± I told her, gesturing at the rig. ¡°The thing about this setup? I can¡¯t actually die or kill any innocent bystanders, right? That means I can push it way beyond what I ever would in the real world.¡±


    ¡°That race you were doing- is that the kind of driving that Angela spoke of?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m pretty sure that was the exact race, and the car was as close to our car as I could get it.¡±


    ¡°But the woman giving you instructions- that was not her voice,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°No, there was no way to get that any closer than what it was,¡± I replied, looking down at the simulator.


    ¡°I miss her very much,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± I agreed, wrapping Emmy in my arms. ¡°Me, too.¡±


    Actually being home really drove how much we both missed her. Every time we used the Japanese kitchen knives she¡¯d been so proud of, or saw the Colombian food in the pantry, or any number of other things like that¡­ They were all reminders of the beautiful life that we¡¯d shared with such a wonderful person.


    The elephant in our room, so to speak, was Angela¡¯s section of the closet. She had twice as many clothes as Emmy or I did, after all. It was a daily reminder that we needed to deal with all of that, but neither of us wanted to bring up the subject so we simply avoided even thinking about it as much as we could.


    Six thirty Monday morning found me at Clancy¡¯s Fight Gym, waiting for Eddie to open up. It took him a moment to recognize me with my new short brown hair, but when he did he did a double-take.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we was gonna see you around here anymore,¡± he said, opening the gate to I could pull my car into the fenced lot. ¡°You know you been the talk of the gym since¡­ well, you know.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± I said as he unlocked the gym proper.


    ¡°Everybody¡¯s seen the video,¡± Eddie said. ¡°They¡¯re all gonna want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think threatening to kill them all will get them to shut up?¡± I asked, only half joking.


    ¡°It might. You know they¡¯re all totally convinced about the government killer thing now, right?¡± Eddie said as he turned on the lights and fans.


    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°If they ask, tell them the government thing isn¡¯t true. I¡¯m not a professional killer. It¡¯s more of a hobby of mine, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Eddie barked out a lille laugh. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m gonna say.¡±


    Guys started to trickle in as time passed, and they all stayed well away from me once they recognized who I was. The lone exception was when Richie came in at about eight or so. He came right over the moment he spotted me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d ever see you in here again,¡± he said.


    ¡°I keep getting that,¡± I told him, taking a swig of water and wiping my face.


    ¡°So, um, Leah¡­¡± he said, looking anywhere but right at me.


    ¡°You read the news. You saw the videos,¡± I told him. ¡°Yes, I really did kill six armed guys in Atlanta.¡±


    ¡°You know, I timed it. You know that day when I asked you how long it would take you to take me out, and you said ten seconds to kill me dead? I timed you in that video. It was a hundred and four seconds from the time you saw the bad guys to the moment you, um, finished the last one. Leah, that was a tiny bit more than a minute and half. You totally weren¡¯t joking when you said you could take me out in ten seconds,¡± Richie said.


    ¡°I mostly was,¡± I protested weakly.


    ¡°Huh. ¡®Mostly¡¯. Leah, don¡¯t take this wrong, but your whole ¡®not really an assassin¡¯ thing isn¡¯t gonna fly anymore.¡±


    ¡°Well, now that you know, I guess I¡¯m going to have to kill you after all,¡± I said resignedly.


    ¡°Those jokes aren¡¯t as funny as they used to be,¡± Richie said.


    ¡°Jokes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Har har,¡± Richie said.


    ¡°I really am going to have to deal with this,¡± I groaned. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see if we can get everyone together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll make it easier to massacre everybody,¡± Richie said, following me to the middle of the gym.


    Standing in the middle of the main part of the gym, I yelled, ¡°O.K., everyone! It¡¯s time we had a chat! Quit whatever it is you¡¯re doing and come over here!¡±


    Everyone was curious enough to do just that- even the ones that really hadn¡¯t heard me soon realized that something was up and so they followed the crowd.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said when everyone had gathered around close enough to hear. ¡°You guys all know who I am. I¡¯ve sparred with a few of you. Even if we haven¡¯t directly talked, you know me as a regular here, right?¡± Everybody signaled the affirmative one way or another, so I continued. ¡°My name is Leah. You may have discovered from recent events in the news that I¡¯m married to Emmy De Lascaux. You may also have found out that I¡¯m a real estate investor. These things are true. I am not and never have been a hired assassin, government agent, or anything like that, despite the rumors."


    ¡°But you are a killer,¡± somebody said loud enough for everybody to hear.


    Looking in that general direction, I said, ¡°Yes. I am a killer. I¡¯m certain you¡¯ve all seen the videos. From what I understand there are four of them floating around online. The shit in the videos? That actually happened. We actually were attacked immediately after a concert in Atlanta, and in fighting off the bad guys I wound up taking six of their lives.¡±


    ¡°You made it look easy,¡± Duane said.


    ¡°When you suplexed that one guy into the pavement, you slammed him down so hard I felt it!¡± said a guy whose name I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Not nearly as much as he did,¡± I said drily, getting a nervous laugh. ¡°So, yeah, in about a minute and a half I killed six people armed with knives. It¡¯s not like I wanted for us to be attacked, but when I saw the danger I reacted. Even as fast as it all was, I wasn¡¯t fast enough to save Emmy from being kicked in her pregnant belly, or our other wife, Angela, from having- from being killed,¡± I said. ¡°And yes, you¡¯ve probably heard that we were in a poly marriage. That¡¯s also true. Angela was also pregnant, carrying another baby of ours, too. So that night, I lost my wife and two babies. Emmy is still recovering physically from the damage, but neither of us will ever be able to fully recover from having our wife taken from us. The people that attacked us all lost their lives that night, too. It was a truly terrible thing on all sides,¡± I said.


    Taking a moment to consider what I was going to say next, I looked around at the group assembled there. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be a killer. I never set out to take peoples¡¯ lives. But at that moment, in that circumstance, it was the only option. Those guys weren¡¯t there to play nice. Now you all might have seen the press conference we gave the next day. A reporter asked me how I managed to, um, respond with such speed and violence, let¡¯s say. I told them that I started kickboxing as cross-training, but then when a couple of skinhead guys attacked Emmy in San Francisco I fought them off using what I¡¯d learned. This convinced me to take it seriously. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all seen me working out, right? Do I look like I take my training seriously?¡±


    ¡°Fucking Hell you do,¡± Joey said. ¡°Every time I feel like slacking, I imagine you working out and that, um, shames me into gettin¡¯ my ass back in gear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no lie,¡± somebody else said.


    ¡°Right. Well, now you know why. Emmy has been attacked before, and might be again, so I always have to be ready at any time.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna be the one to point it out,¡± Coach Lawrence said loud enough for everyone to hear, ¡°But what you did there in Atlanta ain¡¯t MMA.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve also done a whole lot of other training.¡±


    ¡°You were serious when you said you went to Thailand for knife combat training?¡± Richie asked, amazed.


    ¡°And now you know why I also said I trained with an escrima champion. I want to be the very best when push comes to shove,¡± I said. ¡°If somebody¡¯s going to come at me with a knife in their hand, they¡¯d better be ready to eat it.¡±


    ¡°No shit,¡± somebody said, prompting a bunch of nervous laughter.


    ¡°So now you know what my deal is. I¡¯m here to train to be the best I can be when shit gets real. You¡¯ve all seen the videos. You know what I mean. That said, I¡¯m still the same person I was last time I worked out here. I¡¯ll still happily spar with anybody who wants to, same as before. None of that has changed,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not for you, maybe,¡± somebody else whose name I didn¡¯t know said. ¡°But I¡¯d have a hard time stepping into a ring with somebody that I know for a fact killed six guys bare-handed in about a minute.¡± This got a certain amount of agreement from the crowd, but I waved for them to be quiet.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve sparred with Richie there, and Joey a few times, and Duane a couple of times, too. They¡¯re all still alive, right?¡± I said.


    ¡°I dunno, man, I ain¡¯t seen Duane for like a week now,¡± the same guy said, getting a laugh, but my point was made.


    ¡°Any of you, if you were attacked like that, would give it everything you¡¯ve got, right? You¡¯d fight to the best of your abilities. Well, that¡¯s what I did, same as any of you guys would have.¡± I paused a moment, then added, ¡°It just happened that my best was better than theirs.¡±


    That got me the little bit of laughter I was hoping for, so I capitalized on it. ¡°Now, look, you guys,¡± I said. ¡°I just want to go back to the way things were. Back to my same old, comfortable gym, and with the same old regulars. I may not know all your names, but I know you guys are all here for the same reason I am- to train, to work our asses off to get better, stronger, faster. Look at this,¡± I said, pointing to my short brown hair. ¡°I had to get my hair cut and dyed so every asshole on the street who¡¯s seen those videos doesn¡¯t recognize me and treat me weird. But you guys? You were good about not spreading the story around about when Linda Rubio jumped me in the parking lot, so I¡¯m asking you, as one fighter to another, please keep quiet about me working out here and especially about my haircut. I want this all to just blow over, you know?¡±


    ¡°I can understand that,¡± Joey said. ¡°Like, seriously- if some dude came at my family with a knife, you know I¡¯d dig a hole and bury him in it, and fuck me if it was caught on video.¡±


    Looking around, I could see a lot of the guys nodding in agreement.


    ¡°You heard the lady,¡± Coach Lawrence boomed out. ¡°We all seen it- it was self defense, and like she said, she lost a wife and two babies. I think we can all agree that Leah here was in the right to jack them fuckers up. She¡¯s also right that, here at Clancy¡¯s, we respect each other. So don¡¯t go telling nobody that Leah fucking Farmer trains here. We ain¡¯t exactly family here, but close enough.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Lawrence,¡± I said, and looking around, I saw everybody nodding in agreement. ¡°Thanks, guys. I know it sounds funny to call an MMA gym a safe space, but thanks for making it one for me. It¡¯s good to know I can come here and sweat my ass off and earn my bruises just like always.¡±


    As the crowd broke up to go back to their workouts a few of the guys came over to tell me either that they were impressed by my moves in the videos, or that I was right to take the attackers down, or merely to tell me that it was good to have me back in the gym.


    Once I¡¯d gotten through all that and went back to my workout, the mood in the place was less tense, to my relief.


    I had my wig on when I emerged from the locker room after my workout, which got me a few curious looks. At one guy¡¯s unspoken question (he raised his eyebrows and pointed to his own hair) I said, ¡°Yeah, when I go out in public with Emmy, or go to work or anyplace anybody would know it was me, I wear this blonde wig so I look like I used to. That way the paparazzi aren¡¯t looking for a woman with short brown hair.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± the guy admitted. ¡°It¡¯s a real pain you gotta think that way.¡±


    ¡°More than you can imagine,¡± I agreed.

 Not Paying Attention

    Walking into the office for the first time in over two months felt a bit odd. It didn¡¯t help that there was a new receptionist behind the front desk, either. I¡¯d never seen her before, but that didn¡¯t stop her from recognizing me.


    ¡°Ms Farmer!¡± she said as I entered. ¡°Should I let Mr Robertson know you¡¯re in the office today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, him and Nash and Sandy,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my office if anybody needs to talk with me today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let them know,¡± she chirped, all smiles. The new girl certainly had a much better attitude than Marisa did, I thought as I made my way up to my office.


    Other than getting some face time in, I had no real compelling reason to come in to work at all that week. Still, it¡¯s good to remind people every now and then that you actually exist, right? Nash was the first one to knock on my open door¡¯s frame to announce himself. After knocking he strolled right in and took a seat facing my desk.


    ¡°How are you and Emmy doing?¡± were his first words.


    ¡°Coping, I guess,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crazy thing that happened,¡± he said. ¡°It just doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of thing that actually happens in real life, you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been really tough,¡± I told him. ¡°Really tough.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine,¡± Nash said, shaking his head. ¡°And then to keep on touring after that? I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve done that.¡±


    ¡°Emmy was right, though. Running away and hiding would have been handing a complete win to the people behind the attack. It was really important to her to deny them their victory,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It seems to me that you, um, actually killing all of them might have prevented any celebrations they might have planned.¡±


    ¡°Nash, we¡¯ve worked together for a few years now, and you know me best of anybody here. What is everybody saying about what happened?¡±


    Leaning back and thinking about it, he said, ¡°Well, I guess there are two main, um, themes, I guess, about what happened. As far as office gossip, I mean. The first is that everybody is shocked by what happened, and by Angela¡¯s death. I don¡¯t think very many people working here knew her, you know, but she was always really nice and friendly whenever she did stop by the office, so I think everybody had a really good impression of her, if you know what I mean. Hearing she was killed in some sort of premeditated attack¡­ That¡¯s just hard for everybody to wrap their brains around.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it still is for me, too,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine,¡± Nash commiserated. ¡°The, um, second theme of the office gossip that I¡¯ve heard is that a lot of people talk about you, and how you, well¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the consensus on that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of people say they aren¡¯t surprised that you, um¡­¡±


    ¡°That I killed six people with my bare hands?¡± I supplied.


    ¡°Yeah, that,¡± he agreed. ¡°I think the exact words I heard somebody say were, ¡®She¡¯s the stone coldest person I¡¯ve ever met.¡¯ I think they meant it as a compliment. But yeah, there¡¯s been a general agreement that if anybody was going to be able to do something like that, it would have been you.¡±


    ¡°And how does everyone feel working for a stone cold killer?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, nobody¡¯s quit as far as I know,¡± Nash said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure some of the younger guys think it¡¯s cool.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about it?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve talked about the whole thing with Jackie. Will we be invited to your next backyard barbecue?¡±


    ¡°Jackie really liked Angela,¡± Nash said. ¡°She actually cried when she heard the news. It hit her pretty hard.¡± Taking a moment to think about his wife¡¯s reaction to the news of Angela¡¯s murder, he continued. ¡°But yeah, I don¡¯t think anything changed as far as, um, you guys being friends, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± I told him, meaning it.


    ¡°Um, Leah, I was talking to Sheryl in San Jose the other day, and she mentioned that a lot of money has been pouring in¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she told me that a lot of the younger tech bros think it¡¯s cool that my reputation turned out to be true,¡± I said, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°And you know Sandy has been trying to figure out ways to capitalize¡­¡± Nash said.


    ¡°I can only imagine. He hasn¡¯t said anything to me about it, though,¡± I replied, rolling my eyes again.


    ¡°He told me you almost bit his head off when he mentioned trying to work the angle with that UFC fighter incident. He said that he might be your next victim if he brought it up without a really solid plan,¡± Nash said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Next time he mentions it to you, tell him he¡¯s right about being the next one who gets slammed to the ground.¡±


    Shaking his head, Nash said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you did that to one of the people you fought with?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the videos?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t wanted to,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°When people tell you it was brutal, they aren¡¯t exaggerating,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Nash said your bodyguards took out three of the attackers, but you actually killed six of them in under a minute,¡± Nash said. ¡°Is that really true?¡±


    ¡°I just heard today that it was a hundred and fourteen seconds, but yeah, it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°With your bare hands, right? That¡¯s what everyone is saying.¡±


    ¡°There were a few kicks in there, so some of it was my feet, but yeah. I wasn¡¯t armed,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Nash wondered.


    ¡°A combination of a whole lot of training and natural gifts, I guess,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Training to what? Kill people with your bare hands?¡±


    I looked him right in the eyes and said, ¡°Yes. Exactly.¡± I paused for a moment to let that sink in. ¡°You know Emmy was beaten up by some skinheads in San Francisco, right? They had knives. That¡¯s how I got this scar right here,¡± I said, touching my cheek.


    ¡°That was right before I hired on, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Nash asked.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe six months. But ever since then I¡¯ve been training my ass off to be ready if anything like that ever happened again.¡±


    ¡°And it did.¡±


    ¡°And it did,¡± I agreed.


    Jake was the next one to stop in, pretty much immediately after Nash left.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were going to come in to the office until the tour had finished,¡± he said, dropping into one of the chairs facing my desk.


    ¡°I can leave, if that¡¯s what you want,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. How long are you going to be in town?¡±


    ¡°We have to be in Phoenix by lunchtime on Friday,¡± I told him. ¡°So I¡¯ll probably come in the rest of the week until then.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, nodding. ¡°You said you wanted to spend some money- I have a few potential buys I want to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°They look good?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t even bring them to your attention if they didn¡¯t, now would I?¡± Jake asked.


    ¡°No, I trust you on that,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Any time you¡¯re ready to take a look, let me know,¡± he said.


    ¡°Are they time-sensitive?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not in the sense of a day or two, no, but I think moving sooner rather than later is a good idea, if we want to jump on them.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t have any meetings scheduled this week, so let¡¯s take a look tomorrow,¡± I said. ¡°I suspect the rest of today is going to be a waste.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Jake admitted. ¡°Everybody is gonna want a piece of you now you¡¯re actually here. Sure, you¡¯ve been reasonably responsive by email while you¡¯ve been gallivanting around, but it just isn¡¯t the same. Are you going to be back full-time after the tour is over?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy¡¯s still going to need some recovery time, so we may just go to some hidden, undisclosed location for a while where she can get the rest she needs. I¡¯ll try to maintain normal working hours while remote, though.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯ll have to do,¡± Jake grumbled.


    Changing the topic, I asked, ¡°Have you gotten any feedback from any of our owner clients about my recent notoriety?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± he said, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s hardly come up at all. Really, I don¡¯t think very many are too likely to connect you to the news stories in the tabloids.¡±


    ¡°You know all that capital flooding into the REIT is coming from Silicon Valley tech bros who think it¡¯s cool,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°Yeah, but my clients are a completely different crowd,¡± Jake said. ¡°Different town, different class of rich people.¡±


    ¡°What did you do all day?¡± I asked Emmy when I got home that afternoon. She was sitting at the kitchen counter, Angela¡¯s laptop open in front of her.


    ¡°I have been cleaning up Angela¡¯s affairs,¡± she said. ¡°Did you know she was sending money to a scholarship fund for poor students in Cartagena?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, getting myself a sparkling water from the fridge. ¡°We talked about it a while back.¡±


    ¡°I would like to continue it in her name,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I sent them their monthly last week,¡± I told her, leaning down and giving her a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°That reminds me,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Talking with Grace, you two discussed money she sends to her mother. How long has she been doing that?¡±


    ¡°Since we started giving her an allowance when she moved in with us. Pretty much immediately,¡± I said.


    ¡°You knew she was doing that?¡± Emmy asked, amazed.


    ¡°You have to remember, I helped her set up her bank account. Since she was a minor I had to be on the account with her, so I got to see all her transactions. Still do, actually, since she¡¯s never bothered to change the status on the account,¡± I said, sipping my La Croix.


    ¡°Really? What does she spend her money on?¡± Emmy asked, intrigued.


    ¡°Besides school expenses- most of which I pay, but she covers the minor incidentals- and general cost of living stuff, she spends a lot of money on sporting goods, and of course, gas and travel. A few months ago, for example, she paid a good chunk of money to a Grand Canyon rafting company. I was a little curious at the big number, so I got on their website and saw the number corresponded to two twelve-day trips. Presumably her and Rosie, would be my guess,¡± I said.


    Leaning back and thinking about it for a moment, Emmy indicated the laptop and said, ¡°Angela has not spent very much money at all since she moved in with us. I do not know what she was saving for, but she had a surprisingly large amount of money saved.¡±


    ¡°That goes to her parents,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°But I am left wondering why she had so much saved.¡±


    ¡°We can guess all we want,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Unless you find some clues, that¡¯s all it would be.¡±


    ¡°I miss her so very much,¡± Emmy said, her shoulders drooping.


    ¡°I do too, babe. Very much.¡±


    ¡°I have not wanted to ask about your plans on exacting retribution¡­¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°They¡¯re proceeding,¡± I assured her. ¡°At this point it¡¯s simply a matter of waiting for the right moment.¡±


    ¡°How will you know?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re keeping eyes on them,¡± I said. ¡°We know their movements. We¡¯re just waiting for them to relax their vigilance and to let their guard down.¡±


    ¡°Then what happens?¡±


    ¡°Things will turn very bad for them in a hurry,¡± I told her.


    ¡°You are being evasive,¡± Emmy complained.


    ¡°I¡¯m just sparing you the details,¡± I said, resting my hand on hers. ¡°You don¡¯t need, or probably even want, the details.¡±


    ¡°All of this is happening while you are here?¡±


    ¡°My being very visibly with you on the rest of the tour helps create a cover story,¡± I told her.


    ¡°How much thought have you put into this?¡± Emmy asked, her brow wrinkled.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t just me doing the planning,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, we¡¯ve been working out the details pretty carefully.¡±


    ¡°Be careful. Revenge is not worth dying for. Or going to prison,¡± she added.


    ¡°Neither of those things are going to happen,¡± I assured her. ¡°This is going to be a very clean op.¡±


    ¡°Please be careful,¡± Emmy said again.


    It was back to the gym and then the office again the next day. Jake and I spent the morning huddled over the property information on a number of apartment complexes that he thought were good prospects, and for the most part I had to agree they looked like good investments, so we headed out for an afternoon of site inspections.


    ¡°Leah, I hope I¡¯m not straying into HR infraction territory here when I tell you that you look really sharp these days,¡± Jake said as we sat down for lunch at a ¡®New American Bistro¡¯ in Santa Monica. ¡°I mean, you always dressed real professional, but the suit you had on yesterday, and this one- they look like pure class. Like they were made for you, if you know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°They were,¡± I said, wondering if I should order the pork belly tacos or the tarragon chicken pasta. ¡°Emmy had them made for me on Savile Row in London.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°I got five different suits made.¡±


    ¡°What does something like that cost?¡± Jake asked. Glancing down at his own off-the-rack suit, he said, ¡°Probably a lot more than this thing from Men¡¯s Wearhouse.¡±


    ¡°These were very, very custom, so yeah- a Hell of a lot more than anything you¡¯d find at a department store.¡±


    ¡°Custom like how?¡± Jake asked, curious.


    ¡°Well, O.K., let¡¯s start with the fact that I¡¯m not built like most women, right? So that¡¯s a start. The second is that we live in California, and it gets a lot hotter here than it ever does in the UK, so they need to use lighter, more breathable materials- but one of the suits is wool gabardine, for when the weather is a bit cooler.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what wool gabardine even is,¡± Jake said.


    ¡°Trust me- if you went through the fitting process there at that tailor¡¯s shop, you would know perfectly well by the end of it,¡± I told him with a laugh.


    ¡°O.K, so custom sizing, non-standard materials¡­ what else?¡± Jake asked, still curious to learn more.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk a little about the non-standard materials,¡± I said, leaning in. ¡°These suits Emmy had made for me? They actually have a liner that¡¯s like kevlar, to make them slash-proof. That stuff is kinda thick and heavy, as far as cloth goes, so they had to figure out how to accommodate that extra bulk but still keep the silhouette sleek.¡±


    ¡°This is because of the attack in Atlanta?¡±


    ¡°No, these were finished a couple of months ago, before all that happened. I wish I¡¯d been wearing one of these suits when the attack actually happened- I wouldn¡¯t have gotten stabbed in the leg. Well, I mean, I would have gotten stabbed, but the material would have prevented the blade from actually going in, you know?¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m missing something here,¡± Jake said as the waitress set down our drinks. ¡°Maybe more than one thing. First off, why would you specify your new suits to be stab-proof? I mean, O.K., what happened in Atlanta shows it was a good idea, and would have been a better idea if you, Emmy and Angela had been wearing them when you guys were jumped, but¡­¡±


    ¡°You see this scar?¡± I asked, pointing at my cheek. ¡°Knife attack.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more than twice your age,¡± Jake said, shaking his head, ¡°and never, not once in my fifty-four years, have I ever been stabbed, or cut, or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Which brings me to the next especially custom part of these suits. They were designed to allow full range of motion so I can fight in them. They have extra gussets and pleats to allow mobility, and super stout stitching so they don¡¯t tear.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I said. ¡°You remember when that UFC chick jumped me in my gym¡¯s parking lot? It tore up my Armani suit pretty bad. I had to throw the thing away, but this suit here? If something like that happens again, worse comes to worst I send it back to the tailors to replace any of the material that might have gotten scuffed.¡±


    ¡°You lead a very, very different life than I do,¡± Jake said, shaking his head.


    When I got home from an afternoon of looking at apartment complexes, I saw that Emmy¡¯s X6 was in the garage, but I didn¡¯t find her in any of the usual places, either in the house or the studio. I had to look for quite a while before I finally found her, curled up asleep on the floor of the room that would have been our nursery. I didn¡¯t wake her, just let her stay there. I sat down on the floor next to her, thinking about how I¡¯d maybe been a bit too optimistic about her emotional state. In the late afternoon light coming through the open blinds I could clearly see the tracks of tears that had dried on her cheeks, but that really wasn¡¯t a clue I¡¯d needed to guess how she¡¯d been feeling.


    When she finally stirred an hour or so later I reached out and took her hand, just holding it to let her know I was there and that I loved her. Emmy didn¡¯t say anything as she held my hand tightly, but those strange, silent sobs of hers wracked her body as she let the anguish take her again.


    I resisted the urge to pull her into my arms- I didn¡¯t think that was what was needed just then. I simply held her hand and gently stroked her hair, letting her express her grief in her own way.


    I cried, too. For me, the babies were a lot more abstract than they¡¯d been for Emmy, but losing Angela was very, very real, and it hurt more than I was willing to face. Holding Emmy¡¯s hand while she cried herself back to sleep, I recognized that I¡¯d been using Emmy¡¯s condition, my plans for revenge, dealing with Angela¡¯s things, and so on as distractions so I could put aside my misery and ignore my own pain, only letting myself feel the sorrow at convenient times such as this. It was easy for me to keep myself task-oriented instead of dwelling on how much I hurt inside.


    I¡¯d long ago realized that Emmy hid her negative emotions as best she could, even from me. Seeing herself lost in anguish like this broke my heart too, but there was nothing I could do to help her feel any better other than just being there for her.


    Of course I realized that I had absolutely not been doing that the last couple of days, what with leaving the house before she woke and coming home in the late afternoon. She¡¯d been alone with her thoughts and it hadn¡¯t occurred to me that might be a bad idea.


    When Emmy woke up again I helped her get up and gently led her upstairs to the kitchen for something to eat. She had no appetite, but had some of the pasta salad because I insisted that she had to eat something.


    Since it had gotten late I bathed Emmy, then dried her off and tucked her into our bed that had grown fifty per cent too large. I held her in my big spoon until she fell asleep again. She¡¯d barely said a word all evening, but I hadn¡¯t tried to get her to, either. She would talk when she was ready, and not before.

 A Journey Of A Thousand Miles

    I didn¡¯t go to the gym the next morning- well, not Clancy¡¯s fight gym, anyhow. I did go downstairs to our home gym for a workout. I kept it reasonably short, since I wanted to be there when Emmy woke up.


    I did my best to ignore the truth that the home gym had been more Angela¡¯s place than mine since we¡¯d moved in, but it wasn¡¯t easy. I kept picturing her doing that hip thrust barbell lift, or the rows she liked to do on the bench. It occurred to me that I would probably always think of her now and again, so I should do what her father had suggested and celebrate those memories rather than let them be a source of melancholy.


    Of course that was much easier to say than to do.


    Emmy was still asleep when I returned to our room, so I just ditched my clothes and toweled off before sliding in for a post-workout nap. When Emmy did wake about an hour later I was there for her, holding her close.


    ¡°No work this morning?¡± she asked, her voice drowsy.


    ¡°I¡¯m staying home today. I wanted to spend the day with you,¡± I told her, kissing the back of her neck.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emmy said in a quiet voice, wiggling herself farther into my big spoon. ¡°It is very nice to wake in your arms.¡±


    ¡°I realized yesterday that I¡¯ve been¡­ Well, I haven¡¯t been here for you the last couple of days. I¡¯m sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°You had things that you needed to do,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t. At least, not as much as I needed to be here for you. Em, you¡¯re the most important thing in my life- I want you to know that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emmy said, almost too quietly to hear.


    We stayed like that, just snuggling silently in bed, for quite a while. I¡¯m not going to pretend that it was only for Emmy¡¯s benefit- I found myself relaxing, softening a bit somehow, if that makes sense. I wasn¡¯t there just because Emmy needed me. No, as it turned out, I needed her as well.


    I made us an early lunch (or very late breakfast) once we actually got out of bed. Neither of us really dressed to face the day, since it was clear that simply spending time with each other was the only agenda for the day. After breakfast we flopped down on the couch, with me on the bottom and Emmy draped across me. Of course I missed Angela¡¯s additional weight, but that was no longer in the cards.


    ¡°Celebrate what you had,¡± I told myself silently, but it didn¡¯t do much good.


    ¡°Your car friends sometimes drive on Wednesday afternoon, do they not?¡± Emmy asked drowsily after maybe an hour of the two of us lying there.


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes, when they can make their schedules work,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Are they driving today?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± I replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t checked my phone in hours.¡±


    ¡°I think you should go, if they are,¡± Emmy said lifting her upper body off me to look at my face. ¡°I think that you need that time, as much as I needed this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you-¡± I started to say, but she put a gentle finger on my lips to shush me.


    ¡°I will be fine,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I feel much better today, and I have you to thank for that. Yesterday, I¡­ I felt the world crashing down on me yesterday. I was overwhelmed with sorrow, of course, but even more than that, with guilt. Guilt for bringing Angela into our world, guilt for asking her to be with me on the tour, thereby putting her at risk, and guilt for allowing fans too close. If I had not-¡±


    This time it was my turn to shush her. ¡°Em, you did all those things out of love. There was no malice on your part, ever. Yes, we should have been better about security, but those guys had a plan, and they put it into action. If not there at the ballpark it would have been our hotel lobby exiting the elevators, or something like that. But Em, Angela wanted to be a part of your world. She loved touring with you, even when she started to get uncomfortably big. Angela wanted to be a member of our household, just as much as we wanted her to be.¡±


    Taking my finger off her lips, I lifted myself up and gave Emmy a kiss, soft and tender. ¡°I wish we had done things differently there in Atlanta. Of course I do. But I can¡¯t regret the choices we made in our lives that got us there- at least, that¡¯s what I keep telling myself.¡± After a moment, I added, ¡°You know that Angela¡¯s family doesn¡¯t hold anything against us, right? Rafael and Mam¨¢ know we wanted the very best for their daughter. They know we gave her everything we could, including all the love anybody could ever give. They know we planned for her to be with us forever.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I understand that,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And I believe that at least part of that understanding is their background in Colombia, a country that has seen more than its share of killing over the years. They have lost friends and relatives by violence before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed. ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point. They blame our enemies. Which is what we should be doing, too. Em, we didn¡¯t kill Angela. We didn¡¯t. We gave her all the love in the world. That is the opposite.¡±


    ¡°You are correct- I know this. But emotions are not logical,¡± Emmy said. ¡°My head knows that we gave everything we could in our love for Angela, but my heart¡­ I feel that if she had not come to us for help when Antonio was arrested she would still be alive.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t know that, Em,¡± I said. ¡°Hypotheticals get nobody anywhere. Angela did come to us for help, and we all fell in love. That happened. And I¡¯m glad it did. I¡¯m never going to regret bringing Angela into our lives.¡±


    Emmy sighed and laid her head on my chest. It took me a moment to realize that she was crying again, but the dampness I was feeling from her tears was undeniable. All I could do was gently kiss the top of her head, hold her in my arms, and let her emotions work themselves out.


    I did wind up driving that afternoon, even though it was only Stein and I. I almost backed out of the whole thing when I made my way down to the garage and saw the row of cars. The Safari? Oh, Hell no. It was going to be a long time before I would be able to get behind the wheel of that thing. The Spyder? Images of a smiling Angela in the passenger seat, her hair blowing in the wind from the open roof¡­ Yeah, no. Ultimately the only real choice was the Aston, so that¡¯s the car that Stein found me leaning against when he pulled into the gas station at the bottom of ACH.


    After a brief greeting and a trip to the mini mart to get himself some coffee, he came back out to talk.


    ¡°How are you and Emmy doing?¡± Stein asked.


    ¡°About as well as can be expected,¡± I said. ¡°Which is not great.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I never did like Atlanta much.¡±


    ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t my favorite town,¡± I agreed, sipping my own coffee.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d bet not,¡± he agreed. Then after a lengthy silence, he gestured at my hair. ¡°So what¡¯s up with that?¡±


    ¡°It got really old in a hurry, having everyone and their brother recognize me from the videos,¡± I said, fingering my short brown hair.


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. But the tabloids are going to figure it out pretty damned quick.¡±


    ¡°Any time I go to work, or go out with Emmy anywhere, I wear a blonde wig that looks just like my hair used to. That way the public perception is the same.¡±


    ¡°Very tricky,¡± Stein said, admiringly. Changing the subject, he indicated the cars and asked, ¡°What are you up for this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Speed. A lot of it,¡± I replied.


    Chuckling, Stein said, ¡°Well, I think we can manage that.¡±


    We did manage it, too. There wasn¡¯t much traffic at all on the roads that afternoon, so Stein and I really let it rip. ¡®Straight to jail¡¯ type of speed, and yes, Emmy was right. It was just what I needed. For a few hours I managed to avoid thinking about Angela, Night Children, any of it. The road, the car, and the speed completely occupied my mind for those few precious hours.


    Stopping for gas in La Ca?ada Flintridge at dusk, I thanked Stein for hitting it so hard.


    ¡°You and I both know that we could never hit speeds like that with the rest of the guys,¡± Stein said, ¡°But when it¡¯s just you and me¡­ That isn¡¯t to say that I resent the others slowing us down- I do enjoy driving with Stephen, Geoff, TB, and yes, even Jimmy, but sometimes it¡¯s good to really let it fly.¡±


    ¡°We should schedule some more track days,¡± I said.


    ¡°Mos def,¡± Stein agreed. ¡°I think I dig Chuck the best, but I¡¯ll take any, especially if it¡¯s another one of your private days.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ We go back on tour to Phoenix, then Seattle, San Francisco. After that we¡¯re back here for the final show. That¡¯s like two and a half weeks before we¡¯re back in LA.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got tickets for the Coliseum show. Do you know how much money good seats cost me?¡±


    ¡°Sell ¡®em. I¡¯ll get you some VIP seats,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Front row kind of thing?¡± he asked, pleased.


    ¡°Nah, the show is actually kind of shitty in the front row. The real VIP seats are always about a third of the way back, near the sound guys¡¯ setup. That¡¯s where the sound is best and you get the best view,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Backstage passes?¡± he asked, hopeful.


    ¡°If you want, but you¡¯ve met everybody in the band already anyhow, and most of what actually goes on backstage is really boring. I mean, The Downfall aren¡¯t Guns N Roses or some kind of hard partying band like that,¡± I said a bit dismissively.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right,¡± Stein admitted, ¡°But my date hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that makes sense. I¡¯ll make sure you get two backstage passes to go with the VIP seating. Should I put the other guys on the list, too?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, Stephen already has his, anyway, so probably should. Two for Jimmy and Kimmy, and maybe four for Geoff and his family? Two for TB for sure. Post in the chat to see who¡¯s interested.¡±


    I pulled my phone out and did just that before I could forget.


    ¡°Done,¡± I said.


    ¡°You know Jimmy¡¯s gonna tell everyone he knows he just scored VIP tickets, thanks to him knowing Emmy,¡± Stein said.


    ¡°Of that I have no doubt,¡± I agreed.


    Emmy and I actually went out that night. She said she wanted to go for Japanese food, so we went to that Japanese castle place in Hollywood. Although Emmy didn¡¯t say so, I¡¯m sure that being seen together in public was a motivating factor. We definitely did draw a certain amount of attention and I had no doubt that we would be mentioned on TMZ and the like, but as I said, that¡¯s probably the point.


    Emmy was a bit sombre, but not too bad. About as best as could be hoped for. Knowing Emmy, it was probably as much a facade as her true feelings- she was undoubtedly putting on a show for the onlookers. They¡¯d tell the tabloids that she looked sad, but seemed to be recovering physically- which I¡¯m sure was exactly what she wanted.


    In the tub that night Emmy was a bit more receptive to my touch. Not a lot, and we were were still far from sexy fun soapy times, but at least it was better than it had been. I even got a little smile when we played peek-a-boo while I toweled her off afterwards. These were small things, but they meant a lot to me. I had no idea how long it would take for us to get back to how things had been, so any movement at all in that direction was very welcome, indeed.

 No Beast Mode

    We opted to fly to Phoenix Thursday night so that Emmy could sleep in on Friday morning and be more rested for the show. We had dinner with Stephen and Stephanie in the rotating restaurant on the hotel¡¯s twenty-fourth floor that evening. While I¡¯m sure eating there was a big deal for a lot of people, it was hard for me to be very impressed by either the food or the views. That isn¡¯t to say that it was bad- far from it. My lamb with agave-roasted baby carrots was quite good. And the view, well, it rotated, which was unusual, but really, it was just Phoenix. A cluster of tall, interesting buildings that formed Downtown on one side, the ballpark and the train yards on the other side, and an endless sea of streetlights off to the near-infinite distance otherwise.


    Stephanie seemed satisfied by Emmy¡¯s condition- she¡¯d stopped asking questions about how Emmy was doing by the time the pretty waitress brought our drinks.


    Stephen said that he¡¯d heard from Stein that the two of us had gotten out and gotten a bit out of control. ¡°He told me that you really made him work for it,¡± Stephen laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, it was nice to get out and stretch the Aston¡¯s legs. It¡¯d been too long,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°If you knew it was going to be just you and him- and we all know what that means for your speeds- why didn¡¯t you drive the 918?¡± Stephen asked.


    I didn¡¯t want to get into that discussion, so I just shrugged. ¡°Like I said, the Aston¡¯s been giving me sad looks every time I take any of the other cars out, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Sucks to have a problem like that,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hey, speaking of Stein,¡± I said, turning to Stephanie. ¡°I need you to set him up with two VIP and backstage packages for the LA show. I¡¯ll need four VIP tickets for Geoff, Linda and the girls, two for TB, and two for Jimmy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need more info than that,¡± Stephanie grimaced. ¡°Like, full names, at least.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got all that for you,¡± Stephen assured her. Turning to me, he said, ¡°So we¡¯re really going to finally meet Stein¡¯s boyfriend?¡±


    ¡°It was news to me that he even had regular tickets to the show, much less that he had a date,¡± I said. ¡°He has a boyfriend? This is the first I¡¯ve ever heard of it. I guess I¡¯d never imagined him in any sort of relationship of any kind, you know?¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Stephen agreed. ¡°The dude never- I mean, never- talks about his private life. I¡¯ve known him for years and I still have no idea what he does for a living. I don¡¯t know what part of town he lives in, or even his favorite football team.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I agreed. ¡°He¡¯s unusual, alright.¡±


    After dinner Emmy went back to our suite, but at her urging I stayed out and bellied up to the bar with Stephen, while, unsurprisingly, Stephanie had to go over to the ballpark to deal with something.


    ¡°So, um, Leah,¡± Stephen began after the bartender set down our drinks.


    He was having a hard time, so I urged him to just go ahead and say it. ¡°Whatever it is, just say it. You¡¯re not going to hurt my feelings or anything at this point.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess probably not,¡± Stephen admitted, taking a fortifying sip of his Negrotini or whatever it was they¡¯d called it.


    ¡°You know, us guys in the driving group, we all knew that you did MMA fighting, right? I mean, we¡¯d see you with bruises and whatever every now and then, and you weren¡¯t shy about talking about it. Then when you got in that fight with that UFC chick and put her in a hospital it became obvious that you weren¡¯t just, you know, taking kickboxing classes for fun, or something like that. And like TB said once about you, you have,¡± he said, making air quotes, ¡°an air of danger about you.¡± He took another sip, thinking about his words. ¡°But I don¡¯t think any of us were prepared for those videos. I must have watched the one- the one where the guy holding the phone says, ¡®Hey- what¡¯s she doing?¡¯ right at the start? Like, a dozen times.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never watched any of them with the sound on,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°Oh. Well, it¡¯s the more stable of the two hand-held videos. You should listen¡­ No, maybe not. You¡¯re probably better off not listening to what the guy says while he¡¯s watching. Everything else aside, I have to give the guy credit for doing a good job of filming, given the completely crazy conditions. Anyway, there are a few moments- and I¡¯m telling you this as a friend- that you¡¯re just, like, completely terrifying. There¡¯s this moment where you have this guy¡¯s wrist in your one hand, and it looks like you break it somehow just by twisting, but I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s possible¡­ Anyway, you¡¯ve got your other arm around his neck, kinda cradling his head and he¡¯s struggling, but you¡­ you¡¯re not even paying attention to him as you freaking twist his head pretty much right off. You¡¯re looking around, like, ¡®Hmmm¡­ Who¡¯s next?¡¯. The moment you break his neck, you just drop him like a bag of dirty laundry or something and move on, your next target already in your sights.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, several people have mentioned that moment to me,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°It was like watching a nature documentary. Like a Great White Shark going after baby seals or something. Like I said, we all knew you were a fighter, but this¡­ this was Boss Level shit.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± I said, sipping my Old Fashioned they insisted on adding maple syrup to, ¡°was there a point to all this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Stephen said, bringing his focus back to the topic. ¡°So what I was going to say is that us in the driving group, we knew you could fight, right? But seeing it like that¡­ Well, we all of us agreed unanimously that we¡¯re glad you¡¯re our friend, because nobody with any sense of self-preservation would want to be your enemy.¡±


    He took a long sip of his drink before resuming. ¡°You know when we talked, not long after you started driving with the group? You had me Google you, and I found a site that said you¡¯re suspected of several murders¡­¡±


    ¡°And I told you I had an idea of how those rumors had started, but there was no truth to them,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what you said,¡± he agreed. ¡°But I can tell you for certain that a lot of people have been looking at those old stories a bit harder since you showed the world that you are completely capable of, well¡­¡±


    ¡°A while back- I guess it was right when we bought our place in New York- Emmy and Luisa (she¡¯s our house manager there) and I, we all went out to a comedy club and at three in the morning or whatever it was while we were waiting for our ride after the show, this tweaker pulled a gun to try to rob us. I took the gun from him and broke his hand, then pistol-whipped him and told him to quit moving or I¡¯d kill him. The police showed up pretty quick, and the detective was singularly unimpressed that I¡¯d fought instead of just giving the guy what he wanted,¡± I told Stephen, idly noticing that the bartender was trying to not be obvious while he listened to our conversation.


    ¡°Yeah? So what happened?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°And by the way, the way you casually described what happened did nothing to diminish your stone cold killer image.¡±


    ¡°The police came the next day to talk to me and give me a hard time, but it was so clearly self-defense and the guy was his own worst enemy as far as his case went that the detective couldn¡¯t do anything but give me a hard time for using excessive violence on the guy.¡±


    ¡°The guy who pulled a gun on you, Emmy, and your friend?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°¡®Duty to retreat¡¯ and all that, and yeah, I get it, but as I pointed out, this asshole needed some cash for a fix, so he was going to rob or maybe injure or kill somebody- he just happened to run into us. Me putting him out of circulation did somebody else down the line a real favor,¡± I said. ¡°Anyhow, about a week and a half after Atlanta, my attorney let me know that that junkie found a lawyer to try to shake some money out of me. Threatened to file criminal charges of attempted murder against me.¡±


    ¡°You still have Turner from Stoddard?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, sipping my own drink.


    ¡°I can only imagine how that went,¡± Stephen said with a chuckle.


    ¡°About exactly how you¡¯d imagine,¡± I nodded. ¡°But yeah, I expect more of that sort of thing¡¯ll pop up.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how is that going for you?¡± Stephen asked, his voice soft. ¡°I mean, you and Emmy, with Angela gone and all.¡±


    ¡°It hurts,¡± I said honestly. ¡°It hurts a lot. It¡¯s gonna keep on hurting for a very long time, you know? But Em and I, we just need to find a way to move forward. We plan on taking some time after the tour to go somewhere, somewhere we can just be together and not have to think about anything but recovering and finding our feet again. I don¡¯t know how long it would take. A month, two months, more? But that¡¯s what we need to do.¡±


    ¡°Where will you guys go?¡±


    ¡°An undisclosed location,¡± I said. ¡°A friend- you met him, James? The guy I bought the Spyder from? He offered his family¡¯s private island.¡±


    ¡°Private island? You¡¯re kidding me!¡± Stephen exclaimed.


    ¡°No joke. But I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s where we¡¯ll go. Maybe an exclusive villa in Tuscany or something. The Seychelles, maybe. Just someplace we can relax. That¡¯s the important part,¡± I said.


    ¡°I hope it works for you guys,¡± Stephen said. ¡°I wish you two the best.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, lifting my glass and clinking it against his.


    ¡°Steph told me that she¡¯s going to take some time off after the tour, too. Do you two have any plans?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She keeps talking about Maui,¡± Stephen said with a sort of groan. ¡°She wants to buy a place there, you know? But to be honest, I¡¯m just not that big a fan. It¡¯s a cool place to go on vacation, but I just can¡¯t see spending any more than a week or two there before I¡¯d go stir crazy.¡±


    ¡°No good driving roads,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Exactly! In fact, the driving there is terrible! There¡¯s like one road that loops around the island and everybody drives ten under because their cars are complete pieces of shit with bald tires,¡± Stephen complained. ¡°But it¡¯s her money, and she can do what she wants with it. I just hope she doesn¡¯t plan on actually living in Hawaii, because that would be, well, really tough as far as work goes, you know?¡±


    ¡°Tough for her work, too,¡± I pointed out. ¡°And Steph doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of person to enjoy just sitting around and doing nothing for too long.¡±


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t her at all,¡± he agreed.


    The two shows in Phoenix went off smoothly, and on Sunday morning we made our way to Seattle. I¡¯d explained to Emmy that I had some work that I had to take care of there, and I also thought it would be a good idea for the two of us to meet and greet the local Night Children. She agreed that these were good enough reasons to skip going back to Los Angeles in between the tour dates.


    Our hotel was a step below what I¡¯d been getting used to, but it was acceptable. It did happen to be right across the street from the ballpark, so it had that going for it. If it had just been us I would have changed to the place we enjoyed last time, but since the entire entourage was staying there it made sense to be in the same place as everybody else.


    When I suggested to Emmy that we eat dinner that night at the wine bar downtown, Emmy countered with asking if it would be O.K. to treat the entire traveling crew later on in the week, after the trucks and buses arrived in town.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°How many people is that, actually?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°That is a question for Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°If I had to guess,¡± I said, hazarding a guess, ¡°judging by what I¡¯ve seen backstage? It has to be near a hundred people, all told.¡±


    ¡°That would not surprise me,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°Will the restaurant be able to feed that many?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°If they have sufficient warning. A couple of days should do it.¡±


    ¡°Then I would like to invite everyone. It has been a very, very long tour, and I would like to let every one of our hard-working crew know that I appreciate their efforts very much,¡± Emmy declared.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that you¡¯ll want to be there, and so should Jax and Lee, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and we must sit with the roadies and riggers, not stay isolated at our own table,¡± Emmy said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to Rob at the restaurant and get Wednesday night blocked out. But for tonight, how do you feel about grabbing take-out and heading up to visit a certain little man, and maybe his parents?¡±


    ¡°Will they be home?¡± Emmy asked, perking up at the idea.


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± I said, pulling out my phone to text Sana.


    I told the guys there was no need for their services that night once they dropped us off at Sana and Donny¡¯s place, and that I¡¯d text when they could come pick us up. I knew full well they were going to spend the evening prowling around the neighborhood, but that was O.K. with me. As long as Emmy and I had our time away from all those concerns and could just visit the little Edwards family in their home like normal people, I didn¡¯t care how much the guys scared the local population.


    Aaron rushed past Sana¡¯s legs the moment she opened the door, glomming onto Emmy and squeezing her tight with all the strength his little body could manage.


    ¡°What, no hello for me?¡± I demanded in mock outrage. ¡°I see how you are, little guy,¡± I said, but I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°Hi, Auntie Leah,¡± came his muffled voice. ¡°It¡¯s very nice to see you.¡±


    Laughing, Emmy ruffled his hair and gently moved the two of them inside, past a laughing Sana.


    ¡°Great to see you,¡± I said, giving her a hug as I got close. She took one of the takeout bags from me as we followed Aaron and Emmy into the apartment. ¡°Donny should be home soon. He had to finish up a lab.¡±


    ¡°How often does that happen?¡± I asked. ¡°Labs running this late?¡±


    ¡°All the time,¡± Sana groaned as we set the food on the kitchen counter. ¡°We both knew med school was going to be difficult, but the worst of it are the long hours.¡±


    ¡°From what I understand, once he actually gets his residency it can get even worse,¡± I commiserated.


    ¡°That is what we hear,¡± Sana agreed, resignation in her voice. She took her phone out, and at my questioning look she explained that she was texting Donny to ask if we should wait or go ahead and get started without him. ¡°It¡¯s just Aaron and me about half the time,¡± she said, setting down the phone.


    ¡°Does he still go over to his grandparents¡¯ house on Wednesdays?¡± I asked as we dished up the manicotti.


    ¡°He does, but that just means I have Wednesdays to myself most of the time,¡± Sana admitted. ¡°It¡¯s nice to have the peace and quiet, but¡­¡±


    ¡°How much longer does Donny have?¡± I asked, as if it were a prison sentence.


    ¡°Just one more year,¡± she replied. ¡°By this time next year he¡¯ll be Doctor Donald Edwards, MD. Of course, there¡¯ll be residencies¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know how that works,¡± I admitted. ¡°Will he be working in local hospitals?¡±


    ¡°Hopefully,¡± she said as we carried the food out to the table. ¡°He¡¯s pretty sure he can get into a program at U Dub¡¯s hospital.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you guys need to move, let me know as soon as you can. You know I¡¯d do anything to help you out,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°We know,¡± she said. ¡°It means so much to us- I hope you know that.¡±


    Donny finally showed up after the rest of us had finished dinner. As tired as he obviously was, he still scooped little Aaron up in his arms and held him close, then leaned in to kiss Sana hello.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m so late,¡± he said to Emmy and me as he dropped into an easy chair. ¡°Lab tonight really kicked my butt.¡±


    ¡°It simply allowed me more Aaron time,¡± Emmy said with a pretty laugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said, setting his son down. ¡°Everybody needs their Aaron time.¡±


    He looked up gratefully as Sana handed him a plate of food and a fork. ¡°Thanks, hon,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry I was late.¡±


    She leaned down and gave him a little kiss, then told him to eat up.


    Aaron quickly made his way back to the couch, snuggling up against Emmy again. Even as tired as Donny obviously was, we stayed and talked for another couple of hours, just catching up. Thankfully Sana and Donny steered clear of the topic of Angela and what had happened in Atlanta. We talked about Donny¡¯s med school and my business school, and the two committed to coming down and spending Christmas with us in Los Angeles. All in all, it was a perfect way to spend the evening, visiting with old friends and renewing old bonds.


    ¡°I do wish that we lived closer,¡± Emmy said wistfully on the drive back to the hotel by the baseball field. ¡°If we did, we could take Aaron to give Sana and Donny a weekend free every now and then. He is such a charmer!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a sweet kid,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I don¡¯t think Donny and Sana lack for babysitting. I think they simply lack any free time at all.¡±


    ¡°I am certain you are correct,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Still¡­¡±


    The next day Emmy slept in while I went to our new local office. It was much, much smaller than either our San Jose or Los Angeles offices, but I was pleased to see that it was nice and welcoming-looking. It was in an old, converted firehouse, occupying the entire upper floor. Downstairs was divided between two storefronts- one, a local bakery that we had an interest in, and the other a small bike shop.


    I stopped in the bakery to get a scone and a cup of coffee, pleased to see a middle-aged Night Child woman working the counter. I didn¡¯t recognize her, but by that point that was fairly common.


    She didn¡¯t recognize me, either, so I just made small talk while she put my order together. I asked her how long she¡¯d been working there, and if she liked her job. She was pleasantly friendly, and said that she¡¯d been there about a year and a half. It was the best job she¡¯d ever had, she added. Of course that made me feel good about what we were doing, and reinforced the idea that we were actually making peoples¡¯ lives better.


    Upstairs, when the pretty young receptionist asked if she could help me, I introduced myself and told her that I¡¯d like to have a meeting with as much of the local staff as could be managed.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing bad,¡± I assured her at her panicked expression. ¡°I just want a feel for how things are going here, and what our next moves should be in the local market.¡±


    ¡°Oh, O.K. The conference room is straight back and to the right. I¡¯ll let everyone know you¡¯re here and want a staff meeting,¡± she said, turning to her internal phone system.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the small conference table¡¯s seats to fill up, leaving a few people standing around the sides of the room.


    ¡°First off, thanks for dropping everything for this,¡± I said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t really my intent to surprise you like this, but¡­¡± I said, shrugging. Looking around the room, I only saw a couple of familiar faces, folks that had moved up from the San Jose office. ¡°I haven¡¯t met most of you, and was overdue to come in and make myself known. As I¡¯m sure you know, I¡¯m Leah Farmer, owner of Royal Holdings. I¡¯m assuming that most of you worked for Olympic before I bought the company, right?¡± At that, most nodded their heads. ¡°Excellent. I¡¯m glad to see so much retention. I¡¯ll want to talk to you one on one to find out how the transition went, and if there was anything we could have done better. Amy, Brian, it¡¯s good to see you guys again- it¡¯s been a while. I¡¯ll talk to you two after I wrap up with everybody else, alright? So, as I said to the girl at the front desk, this isn¡¯t anything bad. This is merely a meet and greet, plus a chance for me to discuss anything that might not find itself on the weekly reports. That¡¯s all. This isn¡¯t a performance review, and I¡¯m not about to fire anybody or anything like that.¡±


    I got a sense of a number of people letting out breaths they hadn¡¯t realized they were holding, and postures relaxed a bit.


    ¡°So, anyhow, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m going to be here all morning, and I want to speak with each and every one of you privately. This is your chance to tell me whatever it is you wished the higher management would know, about anything business-related, really. So, let¡¯s start with you,¡± I said to the man seated to my left. ¡°The rest of you can go back to work. When,¡± I said, giving the man a questioning look.


    ¡°Frank Booth,¡± he supplied.


    ¡°When Frank and I are done, I¡¯ll send him out and he can send in the next person. It doesn¡¯t matter to me what order we talk, as long as I get to talk to everyone by the end of the morning.¡± With that, everyone but Frank left.


    ¡°Sorry for putting you in the hot seat,¡± I said, sipping my coffee.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been wanting to meet you for a while, so this is good,¡± he said.


    ¡°Alright. Let me start. I¡¯m Leah Farmer, owner of Royal Holdings. You said your name was Frank Booth, but you don¡¯t look like Dennis Hopper at all.¡±


    This broke the ice, getting me a smile. ¡°Blue velvet¡­¡± he crooned off-key.


    ¡°Nope- not seeing it,¡± I said, and just like that we were old friends. We talked for a few minutes about David Lynch films, then got around to talking about work.


    ¡°I was worried when Dan and Rebecca said they were going to sell the business,¡± Frank admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s been a non-issue. We¡¯ve picked up a few more properties, of course, and the paychecks have a different company name on them, but other than that it¡¯s been just about the same.¡±


    That set the tone for most of the meetings that morning. Nobody had any real complaints other than they¡¯d been hoping to move upmarket with the new ownership, but when I explained that wasn¡¯t our niche and that I¡¯d bought Olympic Properties because they fit in well with our portfolio, people seemed satisfied.


    Amy and Brian had good things to say about the staff, but both more or less said there was plenty of room for growth in the Seattle area. Amy said that she felt that the current level of staffing was probably going to be fine until we hit somewhere around the one thousand rental unit mark, and then we¡¯d need to take on more managers. Brian said that he¡¯d been looking for purchase opportunities ever since I sent out the email about how we needed to find a way to absorb a lot of capital. All in all, while the visit might not have actually had any measurable performance benefit, it did show me that things in Seattle were well under control.


    Of course, nothing I¡¯d seen in any report had ever suggested otherwise, but it was good to find out first-hand. As a bonus, it personalized the company owner to a lot of people who had never had any interaction with me at all.


    Pleased with how things went, I was surprised to find Skye Blue and her husband Jasper in the suite¡¯s living room, along with Lee and Jackson, and Emmy, of course.


    Skye and Emmy had their guitars in their laps and were working through ¡®Tears Like Rain¡¯ from Dark Times.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said, leaning down and kissing Emmy¡¯s smiling face. ¡°You hadn¡¯t told me that Skye was going to play with you guys.¡±


    ¡°I only just convinced her in five minutes from now,¡± Emmy said, with that pretty laugh of hers.


    ¡°You really need to take this opportunity, Skye,¡± Jasper said. ¡°When is the next time you get to play in front of fifty thousand fans at Safeco Field?¡±


    ¡°But what if I fuck it up?¡± Skye asked, clearly excited and terrified of the idea.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t fuck it up,¡± was all Jasper said.


    ¡°Nah, Skye, you¡¯ve got this,¡± Jackson said, encouragingly. ¡°We¡¯ve run through the song four times now, and you haven¡¯t missed a note.¡±


    ¡°Jax is right,¡± Lee said. ¡°It¡¯s an easy song. Four four, straight up. Verse, chorus, verse. Just the one bridge, which you nailed. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.¡±


    I made eye contact with Jasper and tilted my head. Understanding, he got up and we grabbed seats at the little dining table, away from everybody else.


    ¡°Hey, Leah,¡± he said when we sat down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been slow about the work training thing, it¡¯s just a lot, you know?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± I said, waving it away. ¡°It¡¯s entirely up to you and how much time you can put into it. No, I wanted to talk to you about bowls.¡±


    ¡°Bowls?¡± he asked, surprised. ¡°The bowls I make?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, those. I really liked them when I saw them at your place, but since we were headed up to Alaska I couldn¡¯t take any. But I¡¯m thinking they¡¯d make excellent Christmas gifts.¡± This got us talking about me commissioning a couple dozen bowls from him, which had the desired effect of taking a little strain off Skye, since he wasn¡¯t there to apply pressure one way or another.


    Eventually they left with Skye promising to do at least the Friday night show, and if she didn¡¯t die of nerves, then the Saturday show as well. Jasper was pleased to have a buyer for a lot of product, too, meaning there¡¯d be a nice Christmas for the two of them.


    After Lee and Jackson left, Emmy sat on my lap. ¡°You seem to be very pleased with yourself this morning,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a good day so far,¡± I agreed. ¡°Any plans for this evening?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing. Lee mentioned that Jen wanted to go out somewhere nice tonight, but I think that she means just the two of them.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said. ¡°How about we do the same? A date night, just you and me.¡±


    ¡°I would like nothing more,¡± Emmy said, leaning in to kiss me. ¡°I will make reservations.¡±


    Dinner wasn¡¯t what I expected. The restaurant was located in a strange cluster of giant glass and white-painted steel domes, on an upper floor. The place was one open room, so it was loud even though it wasn¡¯t very big. The Italian bistro food was decent, but it wasn¡¯t the nice, intimate setting I was hoping for.


    Thankfully, Emmy redeemed the night by leading me (and, of course, our two bodyguards) down to what must have been the basement of the biggest dome to a bar that was themed like the interior of The Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. It was all brass and velvet, with deep blue and green lighting making for a fun effect. The theme carried over to the drinks, too. We were shown to a small couch at one end of the room, facing a low table and then the rest of the bar. Eddie and Nick took a small table off to one side where they could keep watch on everyone, and in turn, everybody stared at them a bit, too, when they weren¡¯t staring at Emmy.


    The awkwardness of the situation faded fairly quickly, and after a while it was just me and Emmy, cozying up on that velvet couch, enjoying maybe one or two too many of the place¡¯s excellent cocktails.


    We didn¡¯t really talk about anything important, and that was good. Just spending time together like that was exactly what we both needed.


    Back in the hotel, I was dismayed to discover that the bath had a standard-sized fiberglass tub, not really big enough for the two of us. It made for a small shower area, too, which curtailed my plans for some soapy time. Emmy wasn¡¯t so willing to be deterred, though. She filled the tub and insisted I climb in, then she nestled herself against me, my legs bent double on either side of her narrow hips. It wasn¡¯t the greatest tubbing experience, but it was better than nothing.


    Emmy eventually wound up sitting on my lap, leaning her upper body against mine with her knees up against my sides. It couldn¡¯t have been comfortable, but that seemed to be low on her list of priorities.


    ¡°I had a wonderful day today, Leah. Thank you,¡± she said, her voice soft and tender.


    ¡°I had a nice evening, too,¡± I replied, kissing her hair. ¡°Thanks for making arrangements. That bar was really cool.¡±


    ¡°It was fun,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°It was like something from Jules Verne,¡± she said, pronouncing his name as if it were French. After a tiny moment of wondering at the way she said the name, I realized with a metaphorical face palm that of course he was French, not English.


    ¡°Make love to me tonight,¡± Emmy pleaded when I¡¯d dried her off. ¡°But¡­ no beast, please.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re ready?¡± I asked, both concerned and hopeful.


    ¡°I am,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°But please be gentle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, baby,¡± I said, carefully picking her up and carrying her to the bed. ¡°I can do that.¡±

 Me Gotta Go

    As much as I wanted to stay in bed with Emmy, I just had too much running through my head once I woke, so I quietly slipped out of bed and went up to the rooftop pool for a swim. There was nobody up there at that early hour so I had the place all to myself. Really, no surprise since the wall-mounted thermometer read sixty degrees. That, and the fact it was five in the morning.


    It was perfect for me. I could swim my laps completely unbothered by anybody else, and that¡¯s just what I did for a couple of hours. I uncoupled my brain from work, from Night Children stuff, from all of it and just let the water flow around me as I took long, steady strokes. I didn¡¯t bother counting laps, just stroke, stroke, breathe, stroke, stroke, breathe. Kickturn, then resume.


    It was just what I needed.


    Emmy was still asleep when I got back to the room, so after my shower I got out my laptop and answered a bunch of emails. I was hip deep in that when Emmy emerged from the room, sleepy but smiling.


    ¡°It looks as if you got up on the right side of the bed this morning,¡± I told her after a little hello kiss.


    ¡°I did,¡± she agreed, her smile widening. ¡°I slept very well last night. Thank you, Leah.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied. ¡°You were the one who made last night so special.¡±


    Emmy smiled again, then leaned down to give me a bigger, more intense kiss. ¡°I think we will have to disagree on that one,¡± she said, yawning. ¡°Do you have any plans for today?¡±


    ¡°We have plans for today,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯re having lunch with a group of local Night Children at one. After that, no plans.¡±


    ¡°That is today?¡± she asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes it is,¡± I confirmed. ¡°There¡¯s no backing out- thirty-two of our locals have RSVPed. Samuel tells me that everybody is excited to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Thirty-two?¡± Emmy asked, surprised. ¡°I did not know we had so many here.¡±


    ¡°We actually have forty-six on the roster here in the area, but a bunch of them couldn¡¯t get out of work or other obligations,¡± I told her.


    ¡°How long will it take us to get to the restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Not long. Fifteen minutes or so. You have plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°What should we do in the meantime?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°As much as I hate to say it, I kinda do have to keep working for a while longer,¡± I said, indicating my open laptop.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Emmy said, disappointment in her voice. Then, perking up a bit, she asked if I would mind if she played guitar while I worked.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I replied. ¡°I always love to hear you play.¡±


    The restaurant that Samuel had chosen for the meet and greet was due east of Downtown in an older part of town. Not that far from Skye Blue¡¯s apartment building, for that matter. He¡¯d told me that the restaurant was popular with the area¡¯s Night Children, but left out the fact that it was kind of a dump.


    The view of the restaurant from the street immediately set my expectations low. The beat-up old sign that proclaimed ¡°Zoey¡¯s World Famous Fried Chicken¡± didn¡¯t raise my hopes up much, either, but we were here, and so were quite a few Night Children milling around expectantly.


    Our arrival created quite a stir, and only Nick and Eddie¡¯s intimidating presence kept everyone from rushing Emmy when she emerged from the Range Rover.


    Samuel stepped forward from the crowd and loudly proclaimed, ¡°Welcome to Seattle, Queen Emmy, Queen Leah. We are pleased and proud that you have come to visit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Samuel,¡± Emmy said graciously, exuding every bit of her regal demeanor. ¡°Shall we enter?¡±


    Eddie opened the door and quickly slipped inside to make sure it was safe, then held it open for Emmy and me, followed by Nick, then Samuel and all the rest. The guy behind the counter was one of ours, I was pleased to see. He had the air of being the manager and not simply the counter guy, which was also a good sign.


    ¡°Queen Leah,¡± he said, bowing his head in respect.


    Thankfully I was saved by the fact he was wearing a name tag. ¡°Rodney,¡± I nodded back. ¡°Today everyone dines on my tab. Anything anybody wants, as much as they want. I¡¯m paying for everybody.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity,¡± he said with a smile.


    Glancing up at the menu board behind the counter, I said, ¡°Emmy and I will share a basket of your world famous chicken, plus a large side of slaw and some of the fried okra. Two iced teas also,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll want some rolls and definitely a couple of pieces of the sweet potato pie,¡± Rodney said.


    ¡°Rolls for sure, but hold the pie until later,¡± I told him, pleased that Rodney seemed to be enjoying his job.


    ¡°Coming right up,¡± Rodney assured me. ¡°We¡¯ll bring it to your table.¡±


    Emmy had already sat herself down at one of the large tables in the middle of the room, so I took the two drinks Rodney handed me and set one down in front of her. A lot of the Night Children were looking at each other, some sort of quandary going on over who should sit down with the two of us.


    ¡°Queen Emmy and I want to talk to each and every one of you today,¡± I announced loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. ¡°So please, sit down anywhere, and we¡¯ll make sure everyone gets their time with us. In the meanwhile, tell Rodney what you want for lunch.¡±


    Just as people were settling down, Sana barged in with Aaron in tow. He was the only child in attendance, drawing a lot of attention from the other Night Children women in the room. He was being shy and hiding behind his mom¡¯s leg until he saw Emmy and me. That was all it took- he rushed over to give Emmy a hug, then gave one to me.


    I urged Sana to get in line to order lunch, lifting the little man up onto my lap, where he looked around wide-eyed at all the Night Children who were just as fascinated by him.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± I announced. ¡°This is Aaron Edwards. He¡¯s the first baby born into our New Nation. The oldest of our second generation. He has never known the old ways. He has never been in hiding. He¡¯s what we are striving for.¡±


    This caused quite a murmur, making little Aaron bury his face in my shoulder in embarrassment. I gave him a squeeze, kissing the top of his little head. ¡°You¡¯re doing great, A-Ron,¡± I said softly. ¡°They just all want to see you, that¡¯s all. These people here? They wish they had kids as awesome as you, that¡¯s all.¡±


    This made Aaron look around again, curious. I was certain he¡¯d never seen so many people that looked like him and his mother before, so it must have been a bit of a shock for him to realize that there were, in fact, plenty of people just as dark as he was.


    When a non-Night Child black teenager brought our food, I asked for another plate for Aaron, and dished him up some of the chicken and the sides. He was skeptical of the battered okra, but tried one anyway, then immediately requested more. I was perfectly happy to help him eat lunch, and happy to have his bony little butt parked on my lap. Sana, conversely, was pleased to hand off those duties to me, so it was a win all around.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The meet and greet went better than I¡¯d expected. Everyone had their turn at our table, and we made sure to ask how their lives were going and what we could do for them. I took notes, but it was generally the same story- life was good, and our shadow was the best thing that had ever happened to them. A few had some minor issues and some of the couples, seeing Aaron in my lap, admitted that they wished they had children of their own.


    ¡°We can set you up with a fertility doctor,¡± Emmy assured them. ¡°We will pay for any costs associated with whatever treatment is required. We want our nation to thrive, and bringing a new generation into the world is the best way for that to happen.¡±


    Emmy only had one bite of the pie, so Aaron and I finished off our slice together. The little guy had gotten used to the wistful looks he was getting and actually seemed to enjoy the attention by the time we all cleared out.


    I complimented Rodney on the food as I paid the bill, and asked him how many people were working there at the moment. I peeled a bunch of bills off my cash reserves, giving him enough for a fifty dollar tip for each and every person working at Zoey¡¯s that day, which was well received.


    As we parted I told Samuel that I was pleased with how the lunch had gone and thanked him for putting it together, which pleased him greatly.


    Sana asked about concert details and mentioned that Aaron was going to spend the whole day and that night with his grandparents, so they had some free time. ¡°Donny¡¯s actually taking the whole day off from school,¡± Sana said, looking pleased.


    ¡°It is a Saturday,¡± Emmy protested. ¡°He should not have school at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, for normal school that¡¯s true,¡± Sana sighed as she finished buckling Aaron into his car seat in the back of the Mini we¡¯d given them.


    ¡°I had no idea medical school was so difficult,¡± Emmy said on the drive back to the hotel.


    ¡°I think Donny¡¯s making it a bit harder on himself than he needs to,¡± I told her.


    ¡°How so?¡± she asked, puzzled.


    ¡°He¡¯s killing himself to be the top student in his class. Really unnecessary, if you ask me. Do you know what they call the guy who graduates last in his class at med school?¡± At Emmy¡¯s look, I answered. ¡°Doctor.¡±


    Emmy laughed, then asked why Donny was trying so hard.


    ¡°He wants the best residency he can get, which will lead to better professional opportunities. He¡¯s as much as told me that he¡¯s sacrificing home life right now so he can provide nothing but the best for Sana and Aaron once he starts practicing,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I do not believe that is a trade I would make,¡± Emmy said, thinking about it.


    ¡°He grew up in reasonable affluence,¡± I said. ¡°His parents are what you¡¯d consider upper-end middle class. His dad¡¯s a doctor, after all. So he never really knew poverty, but Sana¡­ She went into the foster care system in England when she was nine and bounced around until she turned sixteen and was aged out. Most of her childhood was spent in less than ideal situations. Donny is acutely aware of that and wants to give her the comfortable life she didn¡¯t have when she was young.¡±


    ¡°That is admirable,¡± Emmy said, lost in thought.


    The road crew dinner at the wine bar cost a whole lot more, but Jackson and Lee had pulled me aside to let me know they wanted to split the cost, which was nice of them, but really, it wasn¡¯t a ton of money anyhow, so it didn¡¯t matter to me.


    Emmy had wanted to make sure that she and the two guys sat at tables with the roadies and didn¡¯t maintain any sort of isolation, so I found myself at a table with Jen, Stephanie and a roadie named Tommy.


    Tommy had been with the tour from the start, through all of the Europe and Asia stops as well as the Americas. He lamented that he¡¯d had very little time to do any sightseeing, but at least he had a really good idea about which cities he wanted to go back to spend more time in.


    ¡°You guys were working pretty much non-stop,¡± Jen agreed. ¡°Hell, you worked twice as hard as the people in the band did, and we hardly got to see anything, either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t complain,¡± Tommy said. ¡°It¡¯s been a real sweet gig, you know? And having The Downfall on my resum¨¦¡­ That¡¯s gonna guarantee work going forward. And the money! My bank account looks better than it ever has.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me I pay you guys too much?¡± Stephanie teased.


    ¡°You got the best- never mind the rest,¡± Tommy said, puffing out his chest. ¡°Seriously, the crew has been the best I¡¯ve ever worked with. No tweakers- not even the drivers. Do you know how rare that is? It¡¯s so much easier when everybody does their jobs like professionals. Even with all that bullshit we had in Mexico City, once the locals stopped being asses we just got down and got it done.¡±


    ¡°What happened in Mexico City?¡± I asked Stephanie.


    ¡°The local riggers tried to shake us down,¡± she said dismissively. ¡°When I made it clear that we were absolutely not going to play that game, they played ball. I made sure to give them a little extra, but not too much. I wanted it to be clear that I wasn¡¯t paying them off, just thanking them for doing the right thing in the end. Well, all except that one jackass. The guy that was the ringleader. I didn¡¯t give him one single peso more than was owed. In fact, I made sure he saw when I was handing out the bonuses to the rest. And that reminds me- thank you, Tommy, and tell the other guys thanks for making sure that asshole didn¡¯t shank me or anything. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice the way you guys kept an eye out.¡±


    ¡°All in a day¡¯s work,¡± Tommy said, leaning back and pushing his plate forward. ¡°All in a day¡¯s work, Steph.¡±


    For some reason that wasn¡¯t clear to me Emmy and the guys had to go to the ballpark early on Friday for the sound check, so I took the opportunity to head in to the Seattle office. Partly it was because I wanted to talk to Brian about some of the local properties he¡¯d mentioned and partly because working from the hotel room was demotivating. At least at the office I could sit at a real desk, right?


    I could tell that me being there put people a little on edge, but everybody calmed down after a little bit and the mood settled down soon enough.


    Frank asked if I had plans for the evening as we walked out to the parking lot at the end of the workday.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a concert to see,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Yeah? Who¡¯s playing?¡±


    ¡°The Downfall, down at Safeco Field,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wow- a stadium show. I haven¡¯t been to one of those since I saw U2 at the Tacoma Dome back in the ¡®90s,¡± he said with a laugh.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long for me,¡± I replied, laughing. ¡°In fact, it hasn¡¯t even been a week.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯d you see last week?¡± he asked, surprised.


    ¡°The Downfall in Phoenix at Chase Field,¡± I said as we arrived at my rental Range Rover.


    ¡°You must really like ¡®em,¡± Frank said, amazed.


    ¡°I saw them in Tokyo, too, and Sidney, Australia, and Bogot¨¢, and Miami and London and Paris. A lot of other places, too,¡± I said, amused at Frank¡¯s expression. ¡°But then, I am married to the guitarist.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± he demanded.


    ¡°One hundred per cent,¡± I confirmed. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here in town this week.¡±


    ¡°Well, damn,¡± he said. ¡°I guess that would do it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so on Sunday we¡¯re off to the Bay Area, then finally back home for the end of the tour.¡±


    ¡°Crazy,¡± Frank said, shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°The whole ¡®rock and roll lifestyle¡¯ thing? I don¡¯t recommend it,¡± I told him as I got in my car.


    Donny and Sana came to our hotel a few hours before the show started the next day. When Emmy left to go get ready, Sana asked why we didn¡¯t go with her.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s crushingly boring,¡± I said. ¡°They do a final soundcheck, then get dressed and get styled, then just sit around for a couple of hours until it¡¯s time to go onstage. I have no idea what you¡¯re picturing it to be like backstage, but it¡¯s mostly just sitting around, waiting.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Donny asked.


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why do they mostly sit around for hours? Why not just chill here in the hotel until last minute?¡± he clarified.


    ¡°You¡¯d have to ask somebody involved. My guess is that they don¡¯t want to possibly not be ready when the time comes, but I really don¡¯t know for sure,¡± I said, thinking about it.


    ¡°So they¡¯re not doing lines of coke off groupies¡¯ asses or anything like that?¡± Donny asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure some bands do, but not The Downfall. They¡¯re actually really boring in that sense,¡± I said, chuckling at the thought.


    The highlight of the show for me was when Jackson explained that they like to do songs that are connected to the city they¡¯re playing in.


    ¡°Now, with Seattle, that presented us with an incredible challenge, since we love so much music that came from this town, y¡¯know? Lee suggested we do ¡®Yellow Ledbetter¡¯ by Pearl Jam, and Emmy figured out the guitar part- it was freakin¡¯ amazing, let me tell you,¡± he said, looking out over the forty-five thousand fans in attendance. ¡°But, fuck me! For the life of me I just couldn¡¯t figure out the lyrics! So we had to give up on that one and play something that I actually could sing. Something with clear, understandable lyrics. This left us with one obvious choice,¡± he said, before turning back and nodding to the rest of the band.


    Emmy played a simple but very familiar riff, which almost everyone in the crowd immediately recognized, roaring with laughter and approval.


    ¡°Aw, Louie, Louie, oh, no, I think I go,¡± Jackson sang. Of course, I couldn¡¯t understand any of the following lyrics, but that was the point. Everybody just ate it up, completely in on the joke. Of course, later on he did sing ¡°Heart-Shaped Box¡¯ by Nirvana, and I understood every word.


    Emmy finished the concert off with another Seattle band¡¯s song- a solo, slowed-down acoustic rendition of Soundgarden¡¯s ¡®I Fell On Black Days¡¯, which really brought down the house. When Emmy sang, ¡°How could I know that this would be my fate?¡± for the last time, letting the notes fade away, I felt as if I¡¯d been holding my breath for hours.


    ¡°God damn,¡± Donny said, wiping his eyes. ¡°This was about what happened, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Probably, yeah,¡± I agreed, wiping my own tears away. ¡°I know she won¡¯t sing ¡®Killer In The Dark¡¯ or ¡®Born To Die¡¯ anymore, but she¡¯s probably expressing her grief with that song. She¡¯s been working through things, but it¡¯s been tough.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine,¡± Donny said, helping Sana up.


    We made our way backstage, where Jackson and Lee both greeted Donny warmly.


    ¡°Been a long time, dude!¡± Lee said. ¡°Emmy tells me you¡¯ve got a kid and everything now!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we do,¡± Donny said, a proud smile on his face, his arm around Sana¡¯s waist. ¡°He¡¯s staying at my parents¡¯ house tonight.¡±


    ¡°You guys have the night free?¡± Jackson asked. ¡°You gotta come party with us. We¡¯re headin¡¯ to a club we heard about. You two up for it?¡±


    Donny looked at me for guidance, but I just shrugged. ¡°We aren¡¯t doing anything fun tonight. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°We never get to go out,¡± Sana said, and that was all it took.

 Ive Got A Lot Of Friends Who Live There

    Emmy and I flew to San Jose the next morning when everyone else returned to Los Angeles for the week. I wanted to spend some time in the San Jose office and Emmy had no real need to go back to LA for anything. Emmy assured me that she would be fine by herself while I was at work but I wasn¡¯t too convinced, so I made sure I was back at the condo for lunch. A half day at the office per day was enough, since it was for the whole week. Afternoons, Emmy and I would spend together, resting and relaxing.


    While getting ready for bed on our first night at the condo I found Emmy sitting on the foot of the bed, staring at the nearly life-sized photograph of Angela hanging on the wall. I¡¯d taken the picture using Angela¡¯s good camera right at dusk, and the combination of out-of-focus city lights and the last hint of daylight on Angela¡¯s bare skin gave it a mysterious softness. Angela was nude, leaning forward against the balcony railing but looking back over her shoulder at the camera, a playful little smile on her lips. The photo captured Angela¡¯s unique combination of innocence and sexuality perfectly.


    ¡°She was so beautiful,¡± Emmy said in a soft voice when she noticed I¡¯d caught her looking at the picture.


    ¡°Yes, she was,¡± I agreed, sitting down next to Emmy on the bed. I wrapped my arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze. ¡°And she was ours for too short a time.¡±


    ¡°It should have been forever,¡± Emmy said, her voice breaking just a bit.


    ¡°It should have,¡± I agreed. ¡°But at least we¡¯ll have her memory forever.¡±


    ¡°That is a mixed blessing,¡± Emmy said, leaning against me.


    ¡°It is,¡± I said. We stayed like that, just looking at the photo for quite a long time, each lost in our own thoughts. Neither of us said any more about it as we settled down to sleep, but I wondered whether having that reminder of Angela was going to do Emmy harm, or help her heal. I hated the idea of taking the photo down, but I¡¯d do it if it was what Emmy needed.


    Knowing Emmy would sleep for hours longer when I woke at my usual early hour, I decided to get in a decent workout at The Pit. Ruben wasn¡¯t there, but the old-timers on the staff recognized me and let me do my thing. One of the trainers asked me how long I¡¯d be in town, but that was it. They knew I knew what I was doing, and had no need for any hand-holding.


    Emmy was still sound asleep when I got back to the condo, so I showered and got dressed quietly, leaving a little love note for her to find on her dresser. As far as I could tell she¡¯d slept well the night before, so maybe she would wake up in a good emotional state. My note telling her that I loved her and that I¡¯d be home in time for lunch was a little thing, but sometimes the little things can add up.


    I rolled in the front door of the office right at eight, ready to spend the morning reassuring everyone that I still existed and was still on task- which is pretty much exactly what I did. I didn¡¯t get any actual work done to speak of, but my meetings with the various local Heads did a good job of proving to them that I was reading their reports despite everything that had been happening.


    Everyone tiptoed around what had happened in Atlanta in our meetings. The only person with the ovaries to confront the issue head-on was Sheryl, the Head of the real estate investment trust. She brought up the attack and the following news coverage since it directly affected her work, and I certainly didn¡¯t fault her for any lack of tact. It was simply the elephant in the room that needed to be discussed.


    I told her that the District Attorney in Atlanta had communicated to my lawyer that there would be no charges filed against me or either of Emmy¡¯s bodyguards, so there were no legal ramifications putting me or Royal Holdings at risk in any way.


    Sheryl mentioned that she¡¯d watched the videos, just to see what everyone was talking about.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± I said. ¡°Now you finally believe the story about this,¡± I said, touching the scar on my cheek, ¡°being from a knife fight?¡±


    ¡°I never actually doubted it,¡± Sheryl said. ¡°I actually saw you on TV when it happened. It made me laugh out loud when you threatened to punch the smirk off of that reporter at the press conference. They never found those guys, did they?¡±


    ¡°If they did, I never heard about it,¡± I said. Then, changing the topic, I said, ¡°So I¡¯ve got everybody on the management side looking for ways to absorb the capital that¡¯s been pouring in, but now isn¡¯t really the best time to buy. A lot of markets have rebounded since the Great Recession. In fact, we really should be unloading these days.¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re big-project averse,¡± Sheryl said. ¡°But it may be time to look into major commercial properties. Office high-rises are still lagging behind the residential market.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in love with the idea of giant white elephants,¡± I admitted. ¡°Too much depends on the whims of large tenants. I¡¯m O.K. with high-rises in general, but let¡¯s stick to residential. For one, managing residential is more within our wheelhouse, and for two, the potential for loss is much lower. Let¡¯s leave the trophy office buildings to others.¡±


    ¡°What about convertable office buildings?¡± Sheryl asked, unwilling to give up on the idea of big-ticket purchases.


    ¡°They¡¯d need to pencil out,¡± I said, not dismissing the idea outright. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to convert an old warehouse into lofts, but an older Class B or even C office building would need a lot of work. They¡¯d have to be in an area with an upward trajectory, too.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re O.K. with the idea in general?¡± Sheryl pressed.


    ¡°If it¡¯s the right fit for us, yeah, I don¡¯t see why not,¡± I begrudgingly admitted.


    ¡°I spoke with Imogen this morning,¡± Emmy told me as we ate lunch. ¡°She would like us to have dinner at their house sometime this week.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and set it up,¡± I told her. ¡°We have no plans.¡±


    ¡°I told her that I thought that was the case,¡± Emmy said. ¡°She suggested tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I said, and found I was looking forward to it. Of course it would be good to spend some time with our friends, but the very fact that Emmy had reached out to Imogen meant that she was taking our discussion to heart about not shutting out those who care for her. Time spent with supportive friends and family could only be a good thing, as far as I was concerned.


    Dinner the next night was just as positive an experience as I¡¯d hoped. Imogen and James didn¡¯t avoid the topic of Angela¡¯s murder- after all, she was a friend of theirs as well- but they didn¡¯t dwell on it, either, and most of the conversation around that topic was about how to move forward in the aftermath.


    James reiterated his offer to stay on the family¡¯s private island in Connecticut, but when Emmy told him that we were going back to Cartagena to spend some recovery time with the Castro family, both he and Imogen supported the idea.


    ¡°I¡¯m very glad to hear that the family down there is so supportive,¡± Imogen said. ¡°That speaks very highly of their feelings for the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°It could have been really easy for them to hate us for what happened to their daughter, but just the opposite is true. If anything, they feel closer to us now. I guess it¡¯s the shared tragedy, but the truth is, they¡¯re just really decent people. I don¡¯t think they could have produced a daughter as amazing as Angela if they weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± James agreed. ¡°She was a very special person.¡±


    After dinner we had some white wine from a winery up in Napa that the Athertons enjoyed. Emmy, as usual, appreciated the nuances of the vintage more than I ever could. I could tell you that I enjoyed it, and that was about it.


    ¡°The Bordeaux you sent us from your family estate was a really big hit, Em,¡± James said. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but we¡¯ve re-gifted quite a few bottles from the case you gave us to friends.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do not mind! Wine is for sharing, after all. I will have my parents send you another case so you may share more freely,¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    Imogen laughed at Emmy¡¯s response, then explained that she¡¯d told James that would be Emmy¡¯s feeling on the subject.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°I knew you would say that!¡± she said. ¡°James was worried that you¡¯d be offended that we gave some away, but I pointed out that twenty-four bottles is a lot for two people to drink.¡±


    ¡°Not impossible, though,¡± James objected, getting laughs from the rest of us.


    The talk turned to New York, and James turned on the TV and connected it to his laptop to show us a few properties they were considering buying in Manhattan. The one we all agreed was the best was a classic Pre-War Fifth Avenue penthouse with great views of Central Park across the street.


    ¡°The drawback to this one,¡± James said, ¡°Is the co-op. They have a real reputation for difficulty.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I commiserated. ¡°That¡¯s one real advantage to buying a brownstone. None of that sort of nonsense.¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t actually contacted the co-op board yet,¡± Imogen admitted. ¡°Much less submitted our financial information package.¡±


    ¡°Realistically, you two are dream buyers,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re rich, you¡¯re young, you¡¯re high profile but in a respectable way. You¡¯re personally charming and attractive, and that always helps. As a bonus, you¡¯re old money and appreciate the classic building and condo for what it is. You aren¡¯t going to come in with a wrecking ball.¡±


    ¡°We should have you present our offer to the board,¡± Imogen laughed.


    ¡°That would work,¡± Emmy said, laughing along with Imogen. ¡°Nobody ever tells Leah no.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine not,¡± Imogen agreed, raising her glass in a toast.


    The rest of the evening was spent just chatting about various relatively harmless topics like Madison Bennett¡¯s race season (which was going really well), or a new restaurant in San Francisco that we really must try. All in all we wound up staying surprisingly late at the Atherton¡¯s lovely house in Mountain View, getting back to our condo in San Jose well after midnight.


    Emmy was too tired for a bath, so we opted to just go straight to bed. After I used the bathroom and brushed my teeth and washed my face I found Emmy sitting on the bed, looking at the picture of Angela.


    ¡°She was very beautiful,¡± Emmy said. ¡°But that is not why I loved her.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I agreed. ¡°She had a beautiful face and an amazing body, but it was her heart that I fell in love with.¡±


    ¡°I was convinced she would be the perfect mother to our children,¡± Emmy said. ¡°So kind, so sweet. She would be there for you and our daughters after¡­ after I am gone.¡±


    ¡°She would have been an amazing mother,¡± I agreed, not wanting to touch the ¡®after I¡¯m gone¡¯ part.


    ¡°But we lost her. Angela is nothing but a sweet, sweet memory now. Leah?¡± Emmy said, looking away from the photo and at me instead. ¡°Do you think I could be anything near the mother that Angela would have been? Has my own childhood taught me all the wrong lessons on the subject?¡±


    ¡°Em, you¡¯re a wonderful, caring person. I truly believe that your parents love you and did what they thought was right, raising you the way they did. In fact, your father expressly said so to me. He wishes you could have had a more normal childhood and regrets some of the choices that he and your mom made, but they felt that they had to shape you into what your people needed, and that was a sacrifice they made for the greater good.¡±


    ¡°Intellectually I understand that, but emotionally¡­ that is a different matter. Leah, what I am trying to say is that I simply do not know how to be the mother I want for our children. I have no role model,¡± Emmy said, her voice sorrowful.


    ¡°Watch Mam¨¢ closely when we go back to Colombia,¡± I said, sitting down next to Emmy and holding her close. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine a better example of how to raise a daughter than she¡¯s done. And still doing. Let her guide you.¡±


    After a long moment of the two of us lost in our own thoughts, I said, ¡°My mom always tried to do the best she could but it was tough for her, raising two daughters by herself. Even when Dad was still alive he was gone on deployment a lot of the time. Tiffany never got to meet our father, but the truth is, I didn¡¯t get to spend a whole lot of time with him, either. In that sense, my parenting role models weren¡¯t ideal, either. I¡¯d like to think that we could both take the best parts of our childhoods and ditch the bad parts. Mix in some Castro family parenting and maybe, just maybe, our daughter will turn out O.K.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Emmy said wryly.


    A long pause happened again while we just held each other, looking at the picture of Angela.


    ¡°There are very, very many amazing photos of Angela on her camera and on her computer. I would like to print a few more to have in our houses to remind me- to remind us- of her love,¡± Emmy said finally.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°I was worried that I¡¯d have to take this one down because seeing it was breaking your heart,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is, but in a good way,¡± Emmy said, and I understood exactly what she meant.


    I worked a half day again the next morning, and after lunch Eddie and Nick showed up to take Emmy to the sound check at AT&T Park. Emmy and I had had a little argument about me attending the two San Francisco shows. I didn¡¯t want to leave her on her own, but she insisted that I should spend the evenings at the speakeasy. She thought that I needed a return to some degree of normalcy as much as she did, and I¡¯d been neglecting that part of my life. She insisted she''d be fine for a couple of nights without me, since we were together during the days anyhow.


    Eventually I gave in, as much because I didn¡¯t want to smother Emmy as because I really had been neglecting the club.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good to see ya, boss,¡± Tony said when he opened the unmarked door into the club. ¡°It just ain¡¯t the same without you around. And I gotta admit I don¡¯t know how to say it, but the news about Miss Angela hit all of us really hard.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Tone,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing¡¯s gonna be the same without her.¡±


    The place was more than half full, even though it was only just past nine, so I made my round of saying hello to the regulars before I turned to see my table. I almost lost it when I saw it was nearly covered with flowers.


    The waitress that Angela said had a crush on me saw me just standing there, looking dumbfounded at the table festooned with white lilies, roses, and tulips.


    ¡°They do that every Friday and Saturday night,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve kept all the cards and notes for you to read.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have any sort of response to that, so I just sat down and stared at all those white flowers for a while. I guess it was out of a sense of respect for the moment that nobody came and bothered me while I read the cards that club regulars had written expressing their sympathy. One card, handwritten on what seemed to be handmade paper stock, said that heaven must have gotten noticeably better when Angela arrived, but the Earth was the poorer for it.


    It took me a while to compose myself after that reminder that it wasn¡¯t just Emmy and I who felt the loss of Angela¡¯s death. She¡¯d been a ray of light for a lot of people, and yes, the world was worse for her passing.


    The usual flow of people coming to the table had a very different tone than it had in the past. There were lots of ¡°So sorry to hear what happened,¡± and ¡°She¡¯ll be missed.¡± Interestingly, although I got some odd looks, nobody mentioned seeing the videos of me from Atlanta. I was sure most of the patrons had seen the clips, but nobody seemed to be in any hurry to say anything about them.


    A little after ten or so Andrej came over to talk- by himself, interestingly enough.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lauren?¡± I asked.


    Leaning in, he said just loud enough for me to hear, ¡°She¡¯s not drinking these days. For the next six months at least, but we haven¡¯t told anyone.¡±


    I reached out and took his hand, giving him a congratulatory shake. ¡°Give her my best, and here¡¯s to everything going smoothly for her and the little one.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, a proud smile on his face. Then, catching himself, he said, ¡°I am really sorry to hear about Angela and your two babies.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said. ¡°It was a huge blow. Our world got dramatically shittier just like that,¡± I said with a snap of my fingers.


    ¡°I accessed the evidence photos from the police department there in Atlanta,¡± Andrej said, his voice too quiet for anybody else to hear. ¡°I recognized most of the attackers from the group in New York.¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. You didn¡¯t access those pictures, you know nothing about New York, and you¡¯re not involved in any of this at all in any way,¡± I told him, my voice just as low. ¡°You are completely untainted by any of this, Andrej. Your name will never, ever come up. I¡¯m the only one in my organization that knows you provided services. Not even my security guy knows who you are, and that¡¯s the way I¡¯m keeping it. I will not put you at any risk, ever.¡±


    He gave me a pained look. ¡°Leah, I am involved. I understand that you want to keep me safe, and I appreciate it, but¡­ Look, I want to help you however I can. They need to pay for what they did to Angela and Emmy. If I can do anything at all to help you get them-¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m not just going to let the police handle it?¡± I asked.


    Andrej looked at me, then after a moment he said, ¡°No games. Leah, I was concerned about the rumors surrounding you when you first asked me to help out with your security situation in New York. You told me that you were just a real estate investor, and everything I could find anywhere confirmed that was true. Despite that, I wasn¡¯t convinced you were just what you claimed to be. When you got into that fight with a UFC champion and put her in the emergency room, it became obvious that your tough act was no act at all. Leah, I¡¯ve seen the videos from Atlanta. Ordinary people can¡¯t do what you did. That was so extraordinary, so outside the realm of what is possible for most people¡­ Leah, even a blind man could see that you¡¯re a very highly trained killer. That doesn¡¯t just happen, Leah. You¡¯ve obviously killed before, and more than once. It makes everything, well, fall into place, if you know what I mean.¡±


    Andrej, suddenly realizing that Theo had set down his favorite drink while we were talking, took a long sip, then continued. ¡°You haven¡¯t been around the Valley for a while, so you have no idea how much everybody has talked about you since what happened. You¡¯re a superstar these days! I guess most people who knew you - especially members here- knew that you and Emmy and Angela had some sort of thing going, and that was¡­ let¡¯s call it a source of fascination, right? And the rumors surrounding you, and the fact that everybody who ever had any dealings with you agreed that you were, well, not somebody you fucked with, ever¡­ Then, the videos. It was all anybody could talk about. Nobody in this town knows what to think about you, Leah. You can¡¯t believe the wild stories people are telling.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± I said with a sigh.


    ¡°Well anyway, everybody knows, or think they know, that I¡¯m somehow in your pocket,¡± Andrej said. ¡°Nobody knows what it is we have going on, but they know¡­ well, they know something is going on. So I guess what I¡¯m saying is that people are looking at me, no matter how silent you are on the subject. I haven¡¯t said anything one way or another, you know that, but the connection has been made.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a small town in a lot of ways,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I guess we shouldn¡¯t be surprised. Heck, us having this conversation all hush-hush over here probably doesn¡¯t help, since half the industry is in this room.¡±


    Andrej chuckled at that, and said, ¡°Yeah, it might not. But here¡¯s the thing- I can¡¯t say that I mind the¡­ the notoriety. It¡¯s fair to say that my connection to you has made me more interesting as far as the big boys are concerned. Nobody has asked what the connection is. It¡¯s just the knowledge that there is some connection that matters. I don¡¯t mind being seen as part of your crew. As far as I¡¯m concerned, I am a part of your crew. Whatever help I can give you, just tell me and it¡¯s done.¡±

 Superb

    Visibly steeling himself to say what needed to be said, Andrej took another sip of his drink. Leaning forward again, he said, ¡°Leah, look at me. I am telling you this. Where I come from, we have this thing- I guess you could call it a pledge of vendetta. I am duty bound to help you find and kill Angela¡¯s murderers. I could not call myself a man if I did not help you with this. This is not something I can walk away from,¡± Andrej said.


    I reached over and shook his hand. ¡°Andrej, I am proud to have you with me on this. I really am. Like I said, I¡¯ll do anything I can to keep you clean, but I¡¯ll definitely take any help you can give me.¡±


    I took a sip of my own drink and said, ¡°My security guy said he asked you about looking into National Car Rental¡¯s computers to find info on the guy that visited the New York cell, but you were in Bali at the time. It could be really helpful to have an ID for him, and- and this is a big deal- find out what airline he flew into Newark on and where he came from. It¡¯s a big ask, but if you could dig up that info we¡¯ll have a better idea about where to look,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have that information for you right away,¡± Andrej promised.


    ¡°I might have some other strings I can pull once I have a name,¡± I said. ¡°Especially if he came in from out of the country.¡±


    ¡°You think that he came from some other country? Which one?¡± Andrej asked, curious.


    ¡°That¡¯s the million dollar question, isn¡¯t it? I have nothing but suspicions at this point,¡± I admitted. ¡°But if my suspicions are correct, things may escalate quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Is it going to make the news when you find these people?¡±


    ¡°Not if all goes as planned,¡± I assured Andrej. ¡°If all goes as planned nobody will ever hear about any of it. Ever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have that information for you as soon as I can,¡± Andrej nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Andrej,¡± I said.


    Emmy got home exhausted from the concert, happy with how the show had gone. I¡¯d only gotten back from the club a little bit before, so I was still wearing my gangster pinstripe suit when Emmy walked in, accompanied by Nick and Eddie. I thanked the two guys and told them that we wouldn¡¯t need them until it was time to go to the show in the afternoon.


    ¡°Thank you, Nick, Eddie,¡± Emmy added. ¡°I appreciate all you are doing.¡±


    The two men merely smiled and nodded before leaving.


    ¡°Leah, I forget sometimes how hot you look in those suits,¡± Emmy said, dropping into the couch. ¡°Your new suits from London are impeccable, but they do not have quite the same flair as the suits you wear to the speakeasy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but I have gotten a lot of compliments on my new bespoke suits. I think I¡¯m going to have to order some more, though- five doesn¡¯t seem like enough now I¡¯ve gotten used to wearing them,¡± I said, sitting down next to Emmy.


    ¡°That is easy enough. We will do that next time we are in London,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°That might be sooner for me than for you,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking I may need to go talk to that Colonel Bridger guy. He might be able to get some information I might need.¡±


    ¡°The English spy?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the guy,¡± I said. ¡°He might be willing to use some of his resources to track somebody down if I ask nicely.¡±


    ¡°Is that wise?¡± Emmy asked. ¡°I am concerned that he may wish to sink his hook in you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he absolutely does,¡± I admitted. ¡°Which is why he may give me the intel I want.¡±


    ¡°What will he ask in return?¡±


    ¡°That remains to be seen,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Be very careful,¡± Emmy urged.


    ¡°Oh, believe me, I will,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful.¡±


    I worked out at The Pit again the next morning. I was shadowboxing on the mats in the back corner when a guy came over to talk.


    ¡°You look like you fight,¡± he said.


    I didn¡¯t want to deal with the guy, but he¡¯d already gotten past my ¡®Don¡¯t bother me¡¯ vibes, so there wasn¡¯t much I could do.


    ¡°I just like the workout,¡± I told him, keeping it short and just this side of rude.


    ¡°Well, you ought to give it a try,¡± he said. ¡°With your long reach, you could do really well.¡±


    ¡°There is no women¡¯s weight category for me,¡± I told him. ¡°And besides, I¡¯m just here to stay in shape. Hey, I hate to be rude, but I don¡¯t want to cool down, so if you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± I said and turned away to get back to my workout.


    ¡°Jeeze, just tryin¡¯ to be friendly,¡± the guy muttered as he walked away.


    ¡°Who was that guy?¡± Ashley asked, walking up to me but looking back at the guy who¡¯d gone back to the weights.


    ¡°No idea. Some dude trying to hit on me,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Yeah, well, he¡¯s lucky you didn¡¯t hit him back,¡± she said with a laugh.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re still keeping up with your self defense classes here?¡± I asked, pleased.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m taking the kickboxing classes now, but yeah,¡± she said. The smile disappearing from her face, she said, ¡°You know, I never actually met Angela in person, but I kinda feel like I knew her, you know? I¡¯m really sorry about what happened to her, and to Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, resigning myself to cooling off.


    ¡°So, um, what¡¯s up with the haircut and dye job?¡± she asked, indicating her own hair.


    ¡°Everybody and their brother was recognizing me from those videos and it got old in a hurry,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I can imagine,¡± she said. ¡°You know, I watched ¡®em. Both of ¡®em. If that guy over there realized that was you he¡¯d wet his shorts,¡± she said, hiking her thumb at the dude who¡¯d tried to chat me up.


    ¡°He certainly wouldn¡¯t have asked me if I fight,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You know, my dad put two and two together and figured out it was the person he met at the steakhouse in those videos.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? What did he have to say about you being friends with a mass murderer?¡± I asked, sipping my water.


    ¡°Well, first off, I don¡¯t think anybody thinks of you quite that way,¡± Ashley countered. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like you went looking for people just to break their necks, right?¡±


    ¡°Everybody talks about that particular thing,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Well, no fucking wonder! I mean, it¡¯s right there in the video. You grab that guy¡¯s arm, twist him around, wrap an arm around his head and just boom! The guy¡¯s suddenly looking backwards. It was so fucking brutal!¡± Ashley said, getting excited.


    ¡°You said your dad realized that was me,¡± I prompted.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Dad¡¯s, like, all, ¡®Your friend isn¡¯t someone to ever mess with.¡¯ I¡¯m like, ¡®Yeah, no kidding- but I could have told you that before.¡¯¡±


    ¡°So he didn¡¯t warn you to stay away from me or anything like that?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°No, he sure didn¡¯t. In fact, he said that if this gym taught you to fight like that, I should probably continue my kickboxing lessons.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Yeah, you won¡¯t learn things like breaking somebody¡¯s neck here. In fact, they frown on moves like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hope so!¡± Ashley said. ¡°So where did you learn to do that?¡±


    ¡°Home schooling,¡± I said.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    After giving me a disbelieving look, Ashley changed the subject. ¡°You¡¯re in town right now because Emmy¡¯s band is playing up in San Francisco, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯d been ignoring work here for too long, what with everything that happened.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody would blame you for that,¡± Ashley said.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± I admitted. ¡°But since Emmy needed to be in the Bay Area anyhow, I figured I¡¯d get in some office time.¡±


    ¡°Have you been going to the speakeasy?¡±


    ¡°I went last night,¡± I said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see Emmy¡¯s concert?¡± Ashley asked, surprised.


    ¡°She insisted,¡± I replied. ¡°After all, it¡¯s been months since I spent an evening at the club, but only a week since I¡¯ve seen a Downfall show.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Ashley said with a smile. ¡°So are you going again tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± I said.


    ¡°Can I go?¡±


    Thinking about the flowers that the regulars had left in Angela¡¯s memory, I said, ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure it would be a good idea tonight. Next time, but not tonight.¡±


    Ashley looked as if she would protest my decision, but instead, let her shoulders droop.


    ¡°O.K., I guess,¡± she said. ¡°Next time, then.¡±


    ¡°Next time,¡± I agreed.


    Perking back up, Ashley asked, ¡°Can you show me that move where you lift a guy up and smash him down on his head?¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem. Here, we¡¯ll start with the first step. Lift me up over your head,¡± I said, holding my arms out to my side to make it easier for her.


    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to get me to put my hands all over you,¡± Ashley said, sticking out her tongue at me.


    ¡°I think you have our roles reversed,¡± I said with a laugh, lowering my arms.


    Emmy and I stayed in that day until it was time for her to go to AT&T Park for the second night¡¯s show. At a loss for anything to do once she¡¯d gone, I tackled work emails for the rest of the afternoon. I opted to head in to the club early, since I was bored. I wasn¡¯t the first one there that night, but nearly so.


    After I ate dinner, the typical stream of regulars came over to say hello and introduce their friends, with only a little bit of the night before¡¯s condolences.


    Imogen and James came in around nine or so, settling down at my table to talk.


    ¡°Is Emmy really doing as well as she seems?¡± Imogen asked almost as soon as they sat down.


    ¡°No, not really,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s getting better, but she still has a lot of grief to work through. It¡¯ll take some time- it hasn¡¯t even been two months yet. Heck, I¡¯m not doing as well as I seem, you know?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what you two are going through,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a nightmare,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Leah, I think it¡¯s fair to say that we know you pretty well,¡± James said, leaning in to emphasize his point. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to talk about it in front of Emmy, but Imogen and I, we¡¯re pretty well convinced that you aren¡¯t taking the whole thing as¡­ as passively as you make it seem. Tell me I¡¯m wrong,¡± he challenged.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± I said.


    ¡°In Arizona, when you as much as admitted that you¡¯d ended the lives of the two men who attacked Emmy in San Francisco, I didn¡¯t doubt you,¡± James said. ¡°You were so calm and collected when that redneck pulled a knife on you¡­ That isn¡¯t most peoples¡¯ reaction in a situation like that. So yes, it was easy to believe when you said that¡­ well, you know. Then after Atlanta when all anybody could talk about was the video of the attack, I had to watch it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Imogen said, shaking her head. ¡°I have no need to see that.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t, either,¡± I confessed.


    ¡°In any case, the way you moved in Arizona was only a hint of what you¡¯re capable of, of what was in that video. You were so incredibly fast, and, well, utterly ruthless and lethal. If I hadn¡¯t seen you in action there in Willcox I would have had a hard time believing it,¡± James said.


    ¡°But we did,¡± Imogen added. ¡°We saw the way you moved. I can¡¯t even say that it was mayhem- that implies a lack of control, and you were never, ever out of control. James tells me that it¡¯s the same in the video, just¡­ more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of practice,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing,¡± James said. ¡°Anybody can tell that you have. And that- that¡¯s what has the whole Valley talking. We talked about your reputation, and that a lot of people have speculated on your less-than-legal activities. Your denials are a lot less convincing now.¡±


    ¡°I really am just a real estate investor,¡± I said. ¡°Well, O.K., my company also has a hospitality division and I do VC funding, too, but primarily I¡¯m in real estate investment and management. I go to work in an office, with a staff of property managers and the like. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t, and we,¡± James countered, indicating himself and his wife, ¡°know it. But to get back to my original question. We know you, Leah, and we know what you¡¯re capable of. We also know how much you and Emmy loved Angela. Putting two and two together, we come up with four, which is that you have some plan for retribution against the people that harmed you and yours.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you watch the video?¡± I asked. ¡°I killed them all.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t asking you to share your plans,¡± Imogen said, clearly a bit exasperated with me. ¡°We want you to know that we think the people who planned the attack on Angela and Emmy deserve whatever you have planned for them. That¡¯s all. We want you to know that it won¡¯t damage our friendship to know that you have plans for revenge.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t really revenge I¡¯m after,¡± I admitted. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong- revenge would be emotionally satisfying, but ultimately that isn¡¯t the driving factor,¡± I said. ¡°No, what¡¯s really important is threat elimination. The individuals that planned and executed the attack can¡¯t be allowed the freedom to continue to be able to do so in the future. For Emmy¡¯s safety, and the safety of any children we might have, these people can¡¯t be ignored. They can¡¯t be wished away.¡±


    ¡°So you do have plans in motion,¡± James said, satisfied.


    ¡°Not as far as you know,¡± I told him. ¡°Deniability is important.¡±


    ¡°You know, Leah,¡± Imogen said, leaning back. ¡°You do ¡®nefarious¡¯ really well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°It was meant as one,¡± Imogen admitted.


    The conversation turned to less nefarious topics after that, and when I mentioned that I was soon to be the proud owner of a Porsche and two BMW dealerships, James said that a friend of his had a BMW Z8 he was thinking of parting with, and wanted to know if consignment was a better route than trying to sell the car himself.


    ¡°Give me his contact info and I¡¯ll give him a call,¡± I said. ¡°We like to have showpiece cars on display, and if his is in good condition we could maybe floor it for him,¡± I offered.


    ¡°What other cars have you had on display?¡± James asked, curious.


    ¡°Well, my GT3 car, for one,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve had a few really nice classic 2002s, but the best was a 1957 507 Roadster that had been owned by Yul Brynner. The current owner was O.K. with us displaying the car while we waited for service parts from Germany. That one actually drew admirers from all over Southern California.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t a 507 sell at Pebble Beach last year for three million?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Yeah, but that was concours perfect. Yul¡¯s old car is in great shape, but unrestored original condition. The owner estimates it¡¯s worth two, maybe two and a half, but¡­¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°The original paint is worth something and the provenance is interesting, but if I had to guess, it¡¯s a million and a half at auction.¡±


    ¡°Did you offer to buy it?¡± James asked, curious.


    ¡°Nah,¡± I said, dismissively. ¡°I buy cars to drive, not to hide away in my garage.¡±


    ¡°Driving those classics is bad for their resale value,¡± James said. ¡°By the way, have you taken the Spyder out recently?¡±


    ¡°Just the other day. You remember my friend Stein, the guy with the McLaren 570? We went out for a bit of fast driving, just him and me,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re enjoying it,¡± James said.


    ¡°The thing about that car is that to really get the bit in its teeth you have to be going near warp speed, so going on just a Sunday drive feels as if it¡¯s being wasted,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That is true, but it¡¯s surprisingly docile at legal speeds,¡± James said.


    ¡°It is,¡± I admitted. ¡°But you can tell it wants to run free.¡±


    Emmy got home to the condo a bit earlier than she had the night before, and less tired. We took advantage of these facts and settled ourselves into the big bathtub for a soak.


    Leaning back against me, Emmy let out a long, contented sigh. ¡°Leah, I do not believe that I can ever tell you how much I love you,¡± she said. ¡°You have been so solid, such a comfort to me these last two months. I do not think that I could have made it to this point without your strength. I am still terribly sad and I think I will be for a while, but to know that you are here for me is the support I need.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sad, too,¡± I told her. ¡°I try not to be, but Angela¡­ I miss her every day. I do. I probably will forever. But I still have you, Em, and that means everything to me.¡±


    Emmy took my wrists in her hands and hugged herself tightly with my arms. Of course I took the cue and held her close, squeezing her delicate body against my own. I kissed the top of her head and said, ¡°We¡¯ll get through this together, Em.¡±


    ¡°In my mind I know we will, but sometimes, in my heart, I feel as if I will be miserable forever,¡± Emmy replied in a soft voice.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I whispered.


    Emmy woke the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing. She wandered into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she¡¯d lost weight, her already slender physique looking a bit more gaunt than I¡¯d like. I guess I¡¯d known she was losing weight, but seeing the way her camisole draped on her really drove it home.


    I¡¯d seen it before- Emmy losing her already small appetite in times of distress, so it wasn¡¯t surprising, but I made a mental note to make sure she ate more.


    ¡°We don¡¯t really have anything here for breakfast,¡± I apologized. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and grab a bite. I know a decent bakery not far away that does a great Belgian-style waffle.¡±


    ¡°With strawberries?¡± Emmy asked, perking up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll ask for extra,¡± I assured her. ¡°Go get dressed so we can have our strawberries ASAP.¡±


    The waffles were just as good as I¡¯d promised, but Emmy opted for a cr¨ºpe with Nutella and banana slices instead. She did steal a few of my strawberries, which I was happy to give up if it meant putting some weight back on her.


    Our waitress was completely star-struck by Emmy¡¯s rock goddess status in a way I¡¯d long grown accustomed to. Of course, Emmy obliged by posing for a selfie or two. Once that was out of the way, even though a certain measure of professionalism returned I am absolutely certain we got the most attentive service of anybody there that morning.


    When I told Emmy over breakfast about my conversation with the Athertons at the club, her eyes lit up.


    ¡°My father had a Z8!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°I always liked that car!¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should buy this one for you, if it¡¯s nice enough,¡± I said, half-jokingly.


    ¡°Call the man up right now,¡± Emmy urged. ¡°I would like to see his car, and find out how much he wants for it.¡±


    ¡°Market for a really nice one is about two hundred grand right now,¡± I said. ¡°Prices go up or down from that number based on condition and mileage.¡±


    ¡°I am no good at negotiating,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°You must be the one who decides if his asking price is fair.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± I said, happy to pay any price for the car if it could make Emmy¡¯s mood lighten the way just the idea had done.


    The seller had quite a few nice cars in his garage in Mountain View, even though he didn¡¯t consider himself to be a collector. He was tickled by the thought of selling his BMW to a rock star, and soon enough we¡¯d worked out a deal. Arguably the few, tasteful mods he¡¯d done to the car were functional improvements, but as with any classic car, deviations from stock knocked the value down a bit.


    As far as I was concerned, it was a win for us. Another win was the removable hard top, since Emmy and open-topped cars weren¡¯t a good combination.


    ¡°I love the dark blue color,¡± Emmy said as we drove back to the condo. ¡°My father¡¯s was silver, which I think is a bit mundane. I like this color much better.¡± Then, ¡°How will we get it back to Los Angeles? Can we bring it to a local dealership and have them transport it to our dealership?¡±


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± I said. ¡°When we pick it up tomorrow morning, we come back to the condo, drop this car off in the garage, and then take a road trip back down to LA in the Z8. We can drive down the coast, maybe stop off in Cambria or someplace like that. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Superb!¡± Emmy said, excitement in her voice.

 The Tour Comes To A Close

    The drive down the Pacific Coast Highway was everything I¡¯d hoped it would be. The weather was phenomenally clear, giving us incredible views as we drove through the Big Sur area. Emmy even spotted some condors making use of the onshore wind¡¯s updrafts as it hit the giant sea cliffs.


    I somehow failed to mention to Emmy that I was with Ashley the last time I¡¯d made that drive, and we¡¯d spotted condors then, too. Saying anything about that didn¡¯t seem like a good way to improve the specialness of the moment.


    Of course we had to stop for the obligatory photos of the world-famous Bixby Bridge, and when the other tourists enjoying the view spotted Emmy a few wanted selfies with her, which she was ready to oblige.


    We managed to make it in time for a private tour of the Hearst castle at San Simeon, too. Yeah, it was expensive, but worth it for the way it made Emmy¡¯s already good mood for the day shine even brighter.


    Tired and hungry from a long day on the road, we were both pleased to find that our bed and breakfast¡¯s afternoon Happy Hour included a nice fruit and cheese selection to go along with the local wine they served. It wasn¡¯t intended to be dinner, but certainly made up for the early lunch we¡¯d had before our castle tour.


    After a couple of glasses of wine and fresh-baked bread and regional cheeses and fruit, I was happy to flop down on the queen-sized bed in our room next to Emmy just to relax for a bit.


    ¡°Must we go out for dinner?¡± Emmy asked, taking my hand as I laid next to her. ¡°I am tired and would like to simply relax here tonight.¡±


    ¡°We can do- or not do- whatever you want, babe,¡± I said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°I do not want you to go hungry,¡± Emmy protested.


    ¡°I ate a ton of the stuff they set out,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Leah?¡± Emmy said after a few minutes of silence, her voice uncertain.


    ¡°Emmy?¡± I asked in response.


    ¡°Are you¡­ Am I enough for you? I worry that I am not fulfilling your needs,¡± she said. I started to protest, but she continued. ¡°I do not mean sexually, but that is a factor. I mean emotionally. You had Angela, who adored you completely- as I do, too. You did things with her that we do not do together, you and I. I worry that there is a hole, a void that I cannot fill for you.¡±


    ¡°I miss Angela,¡± I said. ¡°I really do. I loved her way more than I ever thought I would, but Em, I loved you before I loved her, and I still love you just as much as I ever did. I was happy with just you before she came into our lives, and now that she¡¯s gone, I still have you.¡±


    ¡°I am not certain that answers my question,¡± Emmy said doubtfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I can answer your question. If you¡¯re asking me whether I need an Angela replacement, the answer is absolutely no. I don¡¯t need, or even want, somebody else to fill her role in our marriage. I want us, Em. You and me. After the tour is over and we can go back to our normal, quiet lives, we can find our way back to where we were. That¡¯s what I want.¡±


    ¡°I want that, too,¡± Emmy said, her voice almost a whisper.


    Our room¡¯s en suite bath had a decent-sized clawfoot tub. It was going to be snug for the two of us, but we¡¯d fit if we were nice and friendly. As it turned out, we were very, very friendly that night, and then even more friendly after we dried off and made our way to the bed. Emmy still wasn¡¯t up for any really vigorous sex, but soft, gentle lovemaking was good enough for me. In some ways I had no real idea how Emmy was doing physically, since her scars were on the inside. My only real guide was by her actions, so she had to be the one to take the lead and let me know what she was ready for.


    I was very conscious of keeping my weight off her, too. I was well aware that I was treating her like a fragile porcelain doll, but the very last thing I wanted to do was hurt her in any way.


    All that said, I was very, very happy to be having any sexy times at all. Tender, slow and soft was plenty good as far as I was concerned.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said as we relaxed in our post-coital glow. ¡°Thank you for being so patient with me.¡±


    ¡°Emmy,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for being my wife and lover. Take as long as you need. I¡¯ll be here for you.¡±


    Emmy didn¡¯t say anything in response, but the way she snuggled deeper into my big spoon made it clear I¡¯d said the right thing.


    The next morning we drove through the Santa Ynez wine country, stopping for lunch in the too-cute touristy little town of Solvang. Emmy really seemed to be enjoying the relaxed cruising of the drive, and I made a mental note to have the windows of the Z8 tinted so she¡¯d be even more comfortable on future drives like this one. This was far from the kind of driving I usually enjoyed, but it was nice sight-seeing and spending time with Emmy, just the two of us, so it was all good in my opinion. The BMW was just the right car, too. It was sexy but understated, comfortable but still small and sporty. Of course it had precious little room for our luggage, but even that was part of the fun.


    Being home again in the Hollywood Hills was bittersweet. Sweet, since it was good to not be on the road, but bitter because of all of the reminders of Angela¡¯s life with the two of us. Emmy and I had agreed to do nothing with all Angela¡¯s stuff until after we discussed it with Mam¨¢ and Rafael, but I felt pangs of heartache any time I saw all her clothes in our closet, or the broken and repaired Japanese bowls she loved so much in the kitchen cabinets, or her Z4 in the garage next to our new Z8. Of course I was going to feel the heartbreak of losing her even without these reminders, but they sure didn¡¯t help.


    Andy and Jenna came over for dinner that Wednesday night, all of us trying to resume some sort of normalcy in our mutual relationship. We talked mostly about Andy¡¯s new season and how the team had a much better attitude and were already thinking they might have a shot at the playoffs.


    All in all, a nice, normal evening, with good friends. Of course, the elephant in the room was that Angela wasn¡¯t with us, but we did our best to ignore it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to the show tonight,¡± Teddy Bear said as we waiting for Geoff and Stein to show up for the morning¡¯s drive.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be amazing!¡± Jimmy agreed. ¡°VIP seats! When I told my homies that I was invited by Emmy herself, they just about shit. They didn¡¯t even believe I actually knew her until Kimmy stood up for me and told ¡®em we¡¯d been to Emmy¡¯s house for a rock star party, you know?¡±


    ¡°Did she tell your friends that she was naked in my hot tub with that actor¡­ what was his name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mitch Wagner,¡± Teddy Bear volunteered.


    ¡°If word of that ever got out and somehow got back to my mom I¡¯d be soooo dead,¡± Jimmy lamented. Then, as if it suddenly occurred to him, he asked, ¡°so, Um, Liz¡­ You said Kimmy was naked in the hot tub, right?¡±


    ¡°Naked as the day she was born,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Sooo¡­ Like, how do you know? I mean¡­¡± he hemmed and hawed.


    ¡°Yes, Jimmy, I have seen your sister in the nude,¡± I told him. ¡°I told Kimmy and the other underaged girl to get out of the hot tub, and she made sure I got an eyeful before she put her clothes back on.¡±


    ¡°How did she look? I¡¯m not asking because I¡¯m perving on the thought of my naked sister,¡± he added waving his hand back and forth to dispel the idea. ¡°I¡¯m asking because my original offer still stands. A quick five Gs and she¡¯s all yours. Now you¡¯ve seen the goods, maybe the deal sounds better?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a pig!¡± Teddy Bear laughed.


    ¡°Jimmy, you¡¯d have to pay me,¡± I said, trying not to laugh.


    ¡°You mean you didn¡¯t like what you saw?¡± Jimmy demanded.


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty enough,¡± I admitted. ¡°And she has cute little boobs. But it¡¯s all spoiled the moment she opens her mouth.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw in a roll of duct tape,¡± Jimmy offered, making Teddy Bear burst into laughter again. Try as I might, I wasn¡¯t able to keep my cool and soon followed suit.


    The show at the Coliseum was the last stop on what had been eight months of touring for The Downfall, and the single largest crowd they¡¯d ever performed for. Over seventy-seven thousand fans in attendance for the final show, and Emmy and the boys wanted to make sure they left everyone satisfied.


    The Prodigal Sons opened for The Downfall, and of course Emmy Joined them for a couple of songs. She did that same vocal guitar riff during ¡®Bitch Hit Me Back¡¯ that she¡¯d done when she played with them in New York, but that was really the only time she played lead until the encore when she played lead and sang The Doors¡¯ ¡®Twentieth Century Fox¡¯ which of course got updated a bit.


    ¡°¡®Cause she¡¯s a twenty-first century fox!¡± Emmy belted out, finishing the song.


    ¡°Emmy De Lascaux, ladies and gentlemen!¡± Brent announced, waving his hand in her direction. ¡°A true generational talent, and, I¡¯m proud to say, a very good friend of ours!¡±


    When the Sons took their final bow they got enough applause to make a headliner proud. Brent had said that they were stoked to play a stadium show, and to their credit, they did an excellent job of it. I had to imagine that exposure like that would level up their career trajectory.


    ¡°I kinda liked those guys,¡± Stein¡¯s significantly younger companion objected when Stein had dismissed the Sons as a bunch of retro-rockers who were barely above tribute band status. Stein had introduced Brian by his name, never saying that he was a boyfriend of anything like that. He was a very good-looking guy in his early twenties, and to be honest, seemed to be more than just a bit of an airhead.


    Interestingly, I saw no particular spark between the two of them. No sly glances, no surreptitious touches, nothing. There was no indication they were any more than just a couple of friends, leaving me to speculate on what was actually going on there. Not my business, I finally decided, shelving any more thoughts on the subject.


    After the opening act left the stage to decent applause, Linda leaned over across Geoff to talk to me.


    ¡°These seats are amazing,¡± she said, having to shout a bit to be heard. ¡°When Geoff said that you¡¯d gotten us tickets for the show, I had no idea!¡± she said, waving the all-access pass in its plastic sleeve on a lanyard around her neck. ¡°The girls- when we told them we had tickets to see Emmy play, they were so excited, but to get to go backstage after the show? That is so far beyond!¡±


    ¡°You guys have been to our house plenty,¡± I said. ¡°Heck, Emmy played just for Eileen and Ginnie last time you were over. How is this more special?¡±


    ¡°Look around!¡± Linda said, gesturing at the stadium at large. ¡°There¡¯s a hundred thousand people here to see Emmy play! Do you even understand how much of an impression that makes? It¡¯s one thing to hear that Emmy¡¯s a big rock star, but this? There¡¯s no denying this!¡±


    Just then the house lights dimmed and an expectant hush filled the hundred-year-old stadium.


    The crowd erupted in applause as Lee walked out to the front of the stage, his drumsticks in his hands. He bowed to the crowd, then sat at his seat behind the drum kit. He took one last look out over the giant crowd, the two video screens showing a close-up of his pleased expression.


    His drumming started soft, evolving into a complicated polyrhythmic beat as it grew louder. I don¡¯t know that much about drumming, but I¡¯d come to recognize syncopated off-beats and time changes and all that was on full display as Lee¡¯s extended solo changed into something more intense, almost thunderous.


    Emmy walked out and picked up her classic aqua Thunderbird to deafening cheering, but she didn¡¯t acknowledge it or even glance at the crowd. She was clearly concentrating on the complex patterns of Lee¡¯s drumming, the video screens showing her furrowed brow as she listened carefully.


    Finally, she played a long, single piercing note which seemed to go on forever, before Emmy¡¯s hand ran over the frets as she played a complicated riff, timed just a tiny bit off from the main beat, leading it by a fraction. It was as if Emmy was hearing a different time measurement than I could, but somehow she kept on that same offset as her fingers played a melody that seemed familiar, but I couldn¡¯t place.


    Jackson joined the two of them soon after, and as he hit a crunchy, fuzz-laden rhythm I realized that he was on the same beat as Emmy, again just a touch ahead of Lee¡¯s kick drums. Somehow it worked, but still seemed a bit off and maybe a tiny bit jarring.


    It took me a while, but I eventually realized that all three of them were nodding their heads to the beat that Emmy and Jackson were following- even Lee¡¯s head was bopping at a different beat than his drums. I will be the first to admit that I didn¡¯t understand music well enough to grasp what Lee was doing, but Emmy and Jackson certainly did.


    Most of the time the improvised intros eventually morphed into the set¡¯s first real song, but not that night. Emmy stopped playing first, letting her wailing guitar fade away into nothingness. Not long after, Lee¡¯s drumming got softer and softer, leaving only Jackson still playing his fat-sounding distorted bass line, which slowed down to zero after a bit.


    The crowd¡¯s reaction was loud and long, making me grateful for the earplugs I always wore to these things.


    ¡°Thank you all very much,¡± Emmy said, looking out over the packed stadium. ¡°It is very good to be back home, and to play for our hometown fans. Thank you for coming here on this wonderful night when you could be doing any number of other things- things other than sitting for hours on small, uncomfortable chairs just to watch us play some music for you. We appreciate that you have given up your Saturday night for this, and we promise we will do our best to make you happy that you did.¡±


    ¡°In other words,¡± Jackson chimed in, ¡°We¡¯re gonna play one Hell of a set tonight to celebrate the fact that we¡¯re here with seventy-seven thousand of our very best friends!¡±


    This fired up the crowd, the cheering filling that old stadium with noise.


    ¡°Hit it, Em!¡± Jackson said when the noise died down to a more reasonable level.


    Emmy tore into the opening guitar riff of the song ¡®Speed Kills¡¯ from their most recent album, again causing massive applause.


    ¡°Is this song about you?¡± Geoff asked, leaning in to speak into my ear.


    ¡°Dunno,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Emmy didn¡¯t write this one- This is one of Jackson¡¯s songs.¡±


    ¡°Emmy doesn¡¯t write all their songs?¡± Geoff asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, she and Jackson both write lyrics and the three of them work on the music together,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I always had the impression it was pretty much just Emmy¡¯s band,¡± Geoff admitted.


    ¡°Ask her about it sometime,¡± I suggested. ¡°They¡¯re more ¡®Three Musketeers¡¯ than you might think.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said in reply.


    To my surprise, the final song of the night was ¡®Born To Die¡¯. Everyone in the stadium recognized it the moment Lee beat out that double kick drum heartbeat, and the entire crowd roared its approval of the previous summer¡¯s hottest hit. Emmy¡¯s distorted guitar riff did that ¡®baby crying¡¯ thing, then Emmy began to sing. I glanced over and saw both little Ginnie and her older sister Eileen singing along with Emmy. I couldn¡¯t hear their voices, but I could clearly make out the two of them mouthing, ¡°I was born to make you smile, I was born to sing this song, I was born to make you cry.¡±


    As for me, I¡¯d have been perfectly happy to never hear that song again. Looking for a silver lining, it occurred to me that Emmy singing that song might well be a sign of her emotional healing- at least, I hoped that¡¯s what it meant. If so, I could suffer the emotional damage that song did to me every single time.


    After the band took their bows, I led our entourage backstage. It was quite crowded back there, with a fair number of industry insider types in addition to all of those who¡¯d been on the band¡¯s invite list, but Emmy, Lee and Jackson were happy to take time to pose for pictures with the half-dozen kids who¡¯d been there for the show.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what I expected backstage at a rock concert to be like at all,¡± Madison¡¯s mother Lainey admitted as we watched her daughter pose for photos with the band.


    ¡°The Downfall aren¡¯t hotel-trashing, hard partiers,¡± I assured her. ¡°In fact, that kind of thing is absolutely not tolerated.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Lee and Jackson all that well,¡± my mom admitted. ¡°But from what I¡¯ve seen, they¡¯re serious musicians who happen to play rock, not guys who got into it for the sex and drugs lifestyle. And of course, Emmy¡­¡±


    ¡°I was worried about bringing Mads backstage, you know? I mean, a sixteen year old girl, rock stars¡­ I mean¡­¡± Lainey admitted.


    ¡°No, I get it,¡± I said. ¡°But I hope you know that I never would have suggested it if I thought there was any possibility of danger for Maddie.¡±


    ¡°No, I know, but a mom¡¯s got to worry, you know?¡±


    There was no official afterparty that night, but the milling crowd there backstage eventually evolved into a sort of party, even though there was no alcohol to be had.


    Emmy bowed out well before the rest, and we took a fair bit of the crowd with us. Somehow it had been arranged that Lainey, Maddie, Mom and Tiffany would spend the night at our place rather than driving all the way back to Murrieta and Fallbrook.


    I was pleased to see that Lainey had clearly moved past her misgivings about my lifestyle. I guess spending all that time with my sister and mother had assured her that I was alright after all, despite that fact I was married to another woman.


    When we got to the house Tiffany wanted to show the racing sim rig to Maddie, but I put a stop to that.


    ¡°In the morning,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s past midnight now. You two need to get your sleep. The rig will be there when you wake up.¡±


    After the girls had brushed their teeth and gone to bed, Emmy called it a night, too. Mom and Lainey wanted to talk, so I poured us a nice white wine from up near Paso Robles and we settled down in the living room.


    ¡°Now that the tour is over, what are you and Emmy going to do?¡± Mom asked, tucking her feet up under herself on the couch.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go down to Cartagena to spend some time with the Castros,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy needs time to simply relax and heal, you know? I do, too,¡± I added. ¡°Emotionally, anyway. But Emmy is still in some physical pain, and doing nothing but relaxing, surrounded by family¡­ That¡¯s what she needs.¡±


    ¡°Not to Paris?¡± Mom asked, surprised.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s parents love her in their way, don¡¯t get me wrong, but they just aren¡¯t particularly nurturing, if you know what I mean,¡± I said. ¡°Mam¨¢¡­ She¡¯s who Emmy needs right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Angela¡¯s mother, right?¡± Lainey asked. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t want to sound insensitive, but she¡¯s O.K. with the two of you?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t resent us at all, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking,¡± I said. ¡°They know we loved Angela as much as we possibly could, and as far as they¡¯re concerned we¡¯re family forever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Mom said. ¡°Marisa is a wonderful lady, and Rafael seems like a really decent man.¡±


    ¡°They had to be, to produce a daughter like Angela,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So, you guys are going to go down there for how long?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°To be determined,¡± I said. ¡°As long as it takes for Emmy to feel as if she has her feet back under her.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that she continued with the tour after what happened,¡± Lainey said.


    ¡°It was a tough decision,¡± I lied. ¡°But ultimately, Emmy decided that it was important.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine. Angela was such a sweet girl- and to lose both pregnancies? That¡¯s the most terrible tragedy I can imagine,¡± Lainey said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, having nothing more to say on the subject.

 Its Off To The Races

    Unsurprisingly, the girls were up early and taking turns at the racing sim rig first thing in the morning. Lainey and Mom had to practically drag them out of there for breakfast, which they wolfed down with amazing speed before heading back to my office tower.


    ¡°You¡¯ve created a monster, Lee,¡± Mom said when the two girls vanished down that long hallway.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t create it,¡± I protested. ¡°I merely unleashed it.¡±


    Lainey chuckled at that. ¡°You know Maddie has been talking about the possibility of racing professionally, right? Finishing second in the CVRA¡¯s T2 class series last season really boosted her confidence like crazy. This upcoming season she¡¯ll be running the full series at Buttonwillow and Willow Springs, too. Having Reggie and the crew there for support at all the events is going to be massive for her. James was absolutely right when he said that support is necessary to move up to the next level. It¡¯s given her an advantage, when it used to be her Achilles heel.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± I chided. ¡°You were the one who got her to where she was before we came in and gave her the next boost. You¡¯re the one getting her to the events and giving her the family support she still needs.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Lainey admitted.


    ¡°No ¡®I guess¡¯,¡± I said. ¡°Maddie wanted to race, and you gave her the space to do it. Do you know how rare that is? You¡¯ve invested so much time and energy into helping her realize her dreams it¡¯s amazing!¡±


    ¡°Lee¡¯s right, Lane,¡± Mom said. ¡°You¡¯ve done an amazing job raising Mads right. She¡¯s a great kid with more drive- pardon the pun- than most her age.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ Mads is a great kid, that¡¯s true,¡± Lainey admitted. ¡°I was so worried when Mack died, you know? When she said she wanted to keep racing and wanted to learn to drive his car¡­¡± she said with a shrug, not knowing how to express what she was feeling. ¡°It turned out to be really healing for both of us. And then we met you, and then James,¡± Lainey said, turning to face me. ¡°And now she¡¯s doing better than Mack ever did in that car he was so proud of. She¡¯s become a better driver than he ever was, even if she still doesn¡¯t believe it. In her mind he was a great racer, but her trophy shelf is way more loaded than his ever was.¡±


    ¡°Lainey,¡± I said, my voice soft. ¡°James and I have talked about getting her another car- something current. You know I just bought Hollywood Porsche, right? We could sponsor Maddie to race the Porsche Cup series. We haven¡¯t been sure how to approach you guys, since we both know how much Maddie loves that Evo.¡±


    ¡°She does love that car, but if you handed her the key to a Porsche race car she wouldn¡¯t think twice,¡± Lainey said with a laugh.


    ¡°The Porsche Cup is eight races across four weekends, pretty much all on the East Coast,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯d fly you guys out for the races, plus track days to learn the track,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯re in,¡± Lainey said. ¡°Will Mads be able to drive the Porsche locally?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, surprised at how willing Lainey was to throw her daughter into the deep end of the pool. ¡°She¡¯s going to need to learn the car.¡±


    ¡°Um, how much will this all cost?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°Lots,¡± I said. ¡°Would you be cool with Tiff going along? I know she goes to all of Maddie¡¯s races here in SoCal.¡±


    Mom looked at Lainey, who just shrugged. ¡°If Lane is O.K. with babysitting,¡± Mom said.


    ¡°If you could go, I¡¯d get you tickets, too,¡± I said. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s only four weekends out of town, plus probably another four for track days to learn the tracks and get data. I think two weekends are in Florida, one in Montreal, and one in New York State. The season is short- March through June. So, yeah, Lainey- if Madison can commit, I¡¯ll order the car now so she has the winter to learn it.¡±


    ¡°I know I keep asking you and James, but what do you guys get out of this?¡± Lainey asked.


    ¡°Advertising,¡± I said. ¡°Hollywood Porsche hasn¡¯t been doing really well, and a big part of that is that it has nothing to set it apart from the other regional dealers. If I can display a sponsored race car in the showroom, it¡¯ll generate interest. Porsche fanboys will see the car in the results and be attracted to a local dealer that is track-oriented, even if they never intend to track their own cars. Also, for James, he gets to use images of the car in his promotional literature for his private equity company.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a heck of a lot of money for just that,¡± Lainey protested.


    ¡°James¡¯ company has nearly twenty billion dollars under management,¡± I said. ¡°They sneeze more money on a mild hay fever day than Madison¡¯s program could ever cost. And for me? It¡¯s a write-off expense.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± Lainey grudgingly agreed.


    With perfect timing, Madison and Tiffany came rushing into the kitchen to grab snacks and drinks.


    ¡°Madison,¡± I said, getting her attention. ¡°When you go back the sim rig, you should change the settings to a Porsche GT3 Cup car. And maybe the Sebring track.¡±


    ¡°I like using the EVO, since it¡¯s good practice for my actual race car,¡± she protested.


    ¡°Yeah, well, about that¡­ You¡¯re gonna have to get used to a new car,¡± I replied.


    It took her a moment, then her jaw dropped. ¡°You¡¯re gonna give me a Porsche to race?¡±


    ¡°Are you O.K. with that?¡± I asked. ¡°I know how much you love that little Mitsubishi¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Madison demanded. ¡°I¡¯d love a Porsche even more!¡±


    ¡°Mads,¡± Lainey said, indicating that she should come over to where we were all sitting. ¡°Lee wants to sponsor you to drive a Porsche in the Porsche Cup series. The races are all on the East Coast, and the season runs from March to June. She¡¯ll have the car for you to drive soon, but you¡¯re going to have to really buckle down and focus. This is a really big deal- this could be your stepping stone to a full professional ride if you do well.¡±


    ¡°How soon will the car come?¡± Madison asked, suddenly very serious. ¡°It¡¯s rear wheel drive, right? It¡¯s going to take some time to learn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll order it tomorrow,¡± I said. ¡°But I doubt delivery will be before the new year.¡±


    ¡°Lee,¡± Madison said, more serious than her sixteen years would indicate, ¡°Thank you. Thank you, and thank James. You guys have had so much confidence in me, I can¡¯t even begin to thank you enough.¡±


    ¡°Thank us by kicking ass,¡± I said. ¡°Now go and learn the car virtually. The tracks for next season are Sebring, Miami, Montreal and Watkins Glen. Get them memorized.¡±


    ¡°Um, how often can I come and practice on the sim?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Your mom and I will talk about that,¡± I said. ¡°Now go and learn the tracks.¡±


    Once the girls were gone, I asked Lainey about the possibility of setting up a simulator at their house. ¡°The money is a fraction of what the car and the program will cost,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Lainey said. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that she¡¯ll spend all her time racing virtually.¡±


    ¡°I am one hundred per cent O.K. with tying the whole thing to her grades,¡± I said. ¡°Neither James nor I want the rest of her daily life to suffer for her racing. Make it clear that our support is contingent on her doing well in school.¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Lainey said.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s level Madison up. I¡¯ll tell James that you guys are onboard.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Lainey agreed, too?¡± James asked when I called later to tell him that Madison would race a Porsche next season.


    ¡°She agreed before I even told Madison about it,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°I guess they¡¯re going to de-track the EVO. It¡¯ll become Madison¡¯s daily driver once the Porsche arrives.¡±


    ¡°Win-win,¡± James said with a laugh.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°The obvious answer is that we need to schedule more days for the three of us,¡± James said.


    ¡°You thinking you want to race, too?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The Porsche Cup is only a few months, right? It might be fun,¡± James admitted.


    ¡°Should I order two Cup cars?¡± I teased.


    Sighing, James said, ¡°No. As much fun as it might be, I should just stick to track days for now.¡±


    ¡°I know the right people to get you a new GT-R,¡± I said. ¡°That car you got from me is six years old now. You¡¯re due for an update.¡±


    After another sigh, James said in a broken voice, ¡°Do it. It¡¯s only, what, four hundred K, right?¡±


    ¡°About that, yeah,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll call tomorrow. Delivery should be in January.¡± Thinking about it for a moment, I said, ¡°I guess I¡¯m gonna need to order myself a new BMW so I can keep up with you and Maddie."


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a real problem for you,¡± James said with a laugh.


    I spent most of the next morning talking to the right folks in Munich, Stuttgart and Yokohama, agreeing to buy three cars and spares. Two of the cars were just toys for rich assholes like me and James, but the third would actually go racing. I called Reggie at The Track Club and had a long talk with him about contracting them to be our official race team support, with him as the team manager, flying under the Hollywood Porsche banner. We discussed money and logistics and eventually worked through all of his misgivings. Of course, part of the package involved sending his entire crew to Germany for intensive training at the factory, but going into winter meant his main business was slowing down anyhow, so they had the time. When all was said and done I¡¯d committed to spending a serious chunk of change, but thankfully only half was my money.


    Somewhere in between all the car stuff I found time to do some actual Royal Holdings work, making it clear to my Heads that I would be working remotely for the near to medium-term future. I didn¡¯t tell any of them where Emmy and I were going, but said I¡¯d be on East Coast time. I figured they¡¯d assume New York, and I was fine with that.


    It was a bit strange watching my Aston Martin out on the road for Wednesday afternoon¡¯s drive, but Teddy Bear needed a ride and I trusted him to take care of my car while I was out of town. Besides, I had good insurance on the thing, right?


    I casually mentioned the Athertons¡¯ private island in Connecticut when Stein asked where Emmy and I were going, but was otherwise very vague on the details. I wasn¡¯t worried that my friends would let it slip where we were to the press, but the fewer who knew the better. Of course word would get out once we were spotted in public in Colombia, but hopefully that would take a while. We would happily take all the peace and quiet we could in the meantime.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s time,¡± came Mia¡¯s text. ¡°Things have gone back to normal¡±.


    ¡°Babe,¡± I said to Emmy. ¡°Do you think you¡¯d be O.K. with going to Cartagena without me? I¡¯ll head down there as soon as I¡¯ve taken care of things in New York.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I can do that,¡± Emmy said, her voice expressing her misgivings despite her words.


    ¡°I want you well away from the action,¡± I told her. ¡°I want to know you¡¯re safe and with family.¡±


    ¡°I hate that you have to do this,¡± Emmy said, taking my hand.


    ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t,¡± I agreed. ¡°But this was forced upon us, and I¡¯m not going to let Angela¡¯s killers escape retribution. They need to be put down.¡±


    ¡°I know, I do,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°But I am concerned.¡±


    ¡°Em,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be down to join you in just a few days, I promise. Our guys are well prepared and our plans are solid. This¡¯ll go smoothly. For us, anyhow.¡±


    ¡°Promise me that you will be O.K.?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be O.K.,¡± I said. ¡°Save my place and tell everyone that I love them, alright?¡±


    ¡°I can do that,¡± Emmy said, but I could tell she was still worried.


    Once I saw her off to Colombia in the Lascaux jet I flew out to New York¡¯s Teterboro Airport. The entire five hour flight saw me mentally running through all our plans from start to finish and trying to map out any contingencies that might arise. Of course there was always the possibility that something would happen that we couldn¡¯t foresee, but outside of that I was convinced our action plan was as ironclad as it was possible to make it.


    ¡°Thanks, Wally,¡± I said as he handed me the keys to the X5 at a gas station just off Interstate 80. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to find your own way home.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem, Miss Leah,¡± he assured me. ¡°My cousin will be here to pick me up in a few minutes.¡± Then, turning serious, he said, ¡°Be careful. I don¡¯t know what you and Miss Mia are up to, but I can tell it is dangerous. Please, be careful.¡±


    ¡°Wally, we¡¯re getting away for a nice little vacation in the Finger Lakes region. If anybody asks you, that¡¯s all you know.¡±


    ¡°That is all I know,¡± he agreed solemnly.


    The seven hour drive to Cleveland was uneventful, thankfully, and I got to the old, run-down industrial area near the river just about an hour after sunset.


    The chain-link gate rolled aside when I pulled up, allowing me to bring the BMW inside the fenced-off area behind the old building with ¡®Iron City Fasteners¡¯ painted in flaking letters on the side. Once in back, Grant waved me in, so I drove into the open roll-up door, which closed behind the car.


    ¡°Welcome to Camp Stabalot,¡± Grant said, opening my door.


    ¡°Is that really what you¡¯re calling it?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I came up with the name,¡± he said with a smirk, ¡°But it does seem to have stuck.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jeeze,¡± I groaned. ¡°You guys have too much time on your hands.¡±


    ¡°Hey, boss lady,¡± Jody said. ¡°Ready to do some judicious murdering?¡±


    ¡°I prefer to think of it as preemptive self defense,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°But yeah, it¡¯s about that time.¡±


    That night we really didn¡¯t talk about our plans. It was just a time for me to get reacquainted with my hitters and to have dinner with them, reassuring all of the Night Children that we were all going to make our enemies pay for what they had done.


    That night I slept in a bunk bed just like all the rest of the death squad, emphasizing that we were all in this together.


    At our planning meeting the next morning I made it clear that neither Grant, Jody, or Ted or Ron (the two ex-Marines we¡¯d brought on) would be involved in the actual assault of the enemy building. They would only act as support- their roles as trainers having been their primary jobs in all this.


    ¡°This is going to be an operation by us Night Children,¡± I said.


    Of course I¡¯d already explained to Grant and Jody the politics of the situation, and when Jody had asked what difference it would make if there weren¡¯t going to be any enemy survivors, I said, ¡°It¡¯s not them reporting back that I care about. It¡¯s our guys. Word will spread eventually, and I don¡¯t want anybody to say anything about needing you guys to do our dirty work for us.¡±


    ¡°So what are we going to do, then?¡± Jody asked.


    ¡°Perimeter control is good,¡± I told him. ¡°We need to keep the arena sanitary.¡±


    ¡°We can do that,¡± he said, nodding.


    ¡°So, in your assessment, are we ready?¡± I asked the two of them.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Grant said. ¡°The guys have been training their asses off. Getting Mr Han was really a huge deal- how did you even talk him into agreeing to train our guys?¡±


    ¡°I asked nicely,¡± I said.


    ¡°That dude is seriously dangerous,¡± Jody said. ¡°When me and him did our mock fights he took me out every time.¡±


    ¡°Leah, he said that you are one of the very few people he¡¯s ever come up against who actually scares him,¡± Grant said.


    ¡°Yeah, what was that about?¡± Jody demanded. ¡°When I asked what he meant, he just said that he would never, ever want to fight you. He said the only way that would work for him is at long range with a sniper rifle.¡±


    I shrugged and said, ¡°I guess I made an impression on him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no shit,¡± Jody agreed.


    The next two days we drilled on our breaching and entrance techniques until I was absolutely convinced we could be in the front door of Thomas Bros in under thirty seconds from the moment we spilled out of the box truck. We practiced over and over, from exiting the just-stopped truck, to ramming the door open and entering in a controlled but rapid fashion.


    Stun grenades had been discussed, but the simple truth is that they¡¯re just too loud for a covert urban operation so that idea was shelved. We needed everything to happen quickly and quietly. There was a low but non-zero probability of any non-combatants in the area after dark, so we needed to keep things as silent as possible. We had even discussed ways to ram the door open that wouldn¡¯t be so loud, but eventually came to the conclusion that a simple twenty-five kilo two-man breacher would do the job more quickly and easily than any other approach. Yeah, it would be as loud as a front door getting smashed in tends to be, but at least the sound would be difficult to identify for anybody that might hear it from a block away.


    Finally satisfied with our methodology and where I fit in it, we loaded up our various cars and two box trucks and rolled out east to New York City. We were going to hit the New York cell at two in the morning on a Thursday, a time between late-night and early morning activity in the area around the target building. It was also, probably not coincidentally, a time when the greatest number of local Night Children tended to be at their headquarters. We wanted to catch as many as we could on-site, after all.


    We had plans in place to find any stragglers, too. Immediately after securing Thomas Bros we were going to take a survey of who we¡¯d neutralized and who was missing. We knew the hiding places of most of the cell¡¯s regulars, some of them very very accurately and the rest in more general terms, but we were ready to hunt them down as needed.


    Our planning was meticulous and covered a wide range of contingencies- everything that our assembled team could think of. I didn¡¯t like to use the word ¡®massacre¡¯, but that¡¯s what I was expecting. My team was well trained, well equipped, and motivated. We had surprise on our side, and our preparation was complete.


    As Grant had pointed out, the hit squad in Atlanta was probably their A team, and they really weren¡¯t all that impressive. The only reason they¡¯d succeeded as well as they had was that they¡¯d caught us completely by surprise, after all. Any fighters left at the headquarters were likely to be less formidable than the nine we¡¯d killed in short order.


    Although this thinking was comforting, it still bothered me that Andrej¡¯s investigations had seemed to lead to dead ends on identifying the guy who¡¯d visited the New York cell. The name used to rent the car wasn¡¯t used on any flight that day into or out of Newark Airport, which meant any number of things, but none of them were helpful.

 Round Two- Fight!

    The warehouse I¡¯d bought in Brooklyn through a shell company was larger than Camp Stabalot in Cleveland, but not really any nicer. For now it was going to be our staging ground. In the future it might wind up as our East Coast headquarters, but that would take quite a bit of remodeling.


    For now it was pretty much just a big, empty space with a few offices off to one side. Perfect for what we needed at the moment. We could park all our vehicles inside with room left over and sleep in the enclosed office rooms. Spartan, sure, but that was fine for now.


    As it turned out, we moved our plans up a day when Mia noticed that there was an unusually large number of Night Children making their way to Thomas Bros that Wednesday night. Nearly double the usual number, but really, that wasn¡¯t saying all that much. We¡¯d be facing sixteen or seventeen instead of the expected nine or maybe ten, and that wasn¡¯t an opportunity we could afford to pass up. Our task would be greatly simplified by catching them all together and not having to hunt them down out in the field.


    We decided to keep to our timetable knowing that the local cell would break up well before dawn, as they always did. At midnight we would leave the warehouse in our various vehicles, encircling the crappy area the Thomas Bros building occupied. Mia had already cut off the video feeds from the few functioning police cameras in the neighborhood with the knowledge that it would take days for them to get repaired.


    Parking the box van around the corner from our target, we unloaded silently. Dekker and Philo had the door breaching duty, since they were our biggest and brawniest guys. The moment they smashed the door in, Jewel and Tommy would rush inside, taking the lead. The guys had all played cards for the right to be first in, and those two had won. After them the rest were to enter in a certain order, with me last of all.


    That wasn¡¯t my idea, but I¡¯d acquiesced when faced by a united front. My hitters insisted that I be kept safe, even though everyone was fully aware that I was our most potent weapon.


    Remembering my promise to Emmy, I gave in without much protest. They all knew that I wasn¡¯t trying to save my own skin at their expense, after all. They just wanted to keep their queen from any possible harm.


    Once our guys were in position I gave the signal and followed as our assault squad moved silently but quickly down the abandoned and unlit street. With zero hesitation Philo and Dekker slammed that twenty-five kilo ram into the metal front door right by the locking mechanism, flinging it open instantly. Our guys rushed inside in complete silence as soon as the door was breached, as we¡¯d practiced. As the last to enter, I could hear the sounds of muffled shouting and violence happening inside, but there¡¯s no way anybody even as close as a hundred yards away heard anything other than the door being slammed open with great force.


    I hated waiting outside while my hitters were doing my dirty work for me, but this is what they¡¯d signed up for. When I finally got the signal it was all clear I walked in to find my guys, still on high alert, checking every corner or possible hiding spot for any enemy combatants.


    My hitters had wiped out all opposition and the place was littered with bodies. They¡¯d captured two of our opponents alive, but that was it out of the eighteen that had been in the place.


    Knowing their assigned tasks, a group of my guys started carrying the bodies to just inside the loading dock door while the rest either held the two survivors in place or searched through the industrial warehouse.


    I ignored the guys dealing with the carnage as they opened the roll-up door and retrieved the body bags from our box van which was now backed against the loading door.


    ¡°Who are these two?¡± I asked the men holding the captives.


    ¡°This one was the one giving orders,¡± Jewel said, indicating a middle-aged, heavyset man who wouldn¡¯t last the night without serious medical intervention. ¡°And this other one tried to surrender. He said he has nothing to do with anything here.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Let him go.¡± I almost laughed at the surprised looks on everybody¡¯s face before I gut-punched the younger guy so hard he fell to the floor and curled up into a ball. I kicked him none too gently in the ribs a couple of times, then indicated that the guys should pick him up again.


    ¡°If you had nothing to do with this group, what the fuck were you doing here?¡± I asked, getting his attention with the point of Old Stabby trailing across his face, pressing firm enough to leave a scratch but not enough to break the skin.


    ¡°I just had some business, that¡¯s all! I don¡¯t even live here in New York! I was just here to do business!¡± he said, shaking with fear.


    ¡°You don¡¯t live in New York?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No- I¡¯m from Chicago,¡± he said.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you, and I don¡¯t have anything to do with your fight with these guys!¡± he said.


    ¡°Did people used to call you The Boss?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± he asked, but I could see when the realization that he¡¯d fucked up hit him.


    ¡°Deal with him,¡± I told the two guys holding the man, and one of them promptly stabbed him up under the ribs, ending his life.


    ¡°You,¡± I said, turning to the older man, who had watched the demise of The Boss silently. ¡°You know who I am. You know why I¡¯m here. You know full well what¡¯s going to happen next.¡±


    He nodded, but stayed silent.


    ¡°Your options are very limited,¡± I said. ¡°You can cooperate and die quickly and relatively painlessly, or you can refuse and die very painfully and slowly. Your choice. Mind you, this is me being merciful. Many among us would happily inflict all kinds of suffering on you for what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Do what you will- I¡¯m a dead man either way,¡± he said, showing a surprising amount of spine.


    ¡°We found you,¡± I said. ¡°We knew exactly where you were hiding. Believe me- we will find everyone associated with your group. We were content to leave you alone when you were just checking our windows, but when you attacked us in Atlanta you signed your own death warrant. I can see you realize that- you can see the error of your ways. Your actions, your choices, led us to this moment right here. Now, tell me, where are your actions going to lead us next? Who was the man that came to visit you five days before the attack in Atlanta? Where did he come from? What did he offer you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about,¡± he protested.


    Of course this earned him a gut punch similar to the one I¡¯d dealt to The Boss, but my guys expected it this time and held him up. This afforded me the opportunity to punch him again, which I couldn¡¯t pass up.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°This is where we get to the painful or painless choice,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d promised my dear, sweet Angela that I wouldn¡¯t ever torture anybody, but you had her killed. I guess that means that my promise is no longer valid, right?¡± I mused before punching him a third time. ¡°I can do this all night,¡± I said as my guys straightened him up again. ¡°I have all the time in the world. You, however, do not. I figure that you¡¯d probably be dead by the fifteenth punch, maybe twentieth on the outside. That¡¯s about how long it took for the last guy I beat to death. So, your choice. Tell me who he was and we can end this, or keep the information to yourself through a severe beating. I¡¯ll find out before too long anyway, so it¡¯s not as if you¡¯re actually going to save him from a similar fate anyhow.¡± To emphasize my point I slammed my fist into his gut again, causing the man to cough up some blood.


    ¡°Your organization is ended. Your people are all either already dead or soon will be,¡± I said. ¡°No matter how strong you think you¡¯re being by not telling me, I¡¯ll find him and kill him, too. It¡¯s simply a matter of when, that¡¯s all. Tell me now and I¡¯ll stop this,¡± I said, slamming another blow to his mid-section.


    ¡°He said his name was Ahmet Asker,¡± the man choked. ¡°He didn¡¯t say that anybody sent him. He said he would pay a lot of money if we killed Emmy and her two babes.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what I¡¯d expected. And has he paid?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No- Emmy lived. They only paid half.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, nodding. My next blow slammed the tip of Old Stabby straight through his ribcage and into his heart, ending the discussion.


    ¡°Right- with the rest,¡± I said to the two guys holding him up. ¡°And do not repeat what he said to anybody- got it?¡±


    I took the time to look around to assess the situation. The guys on cleanup detail had already mopped up the blood off the floors and the bodies had all been packed up, leaving no real traces of violence.


    Once the leader had been zipped into his bodybag and loaded into the box van with all the rest, the van was closed up and then the loading dock door was shut. The van would head back to our warehouse to unload, then return immediately. Meanwhile, our guys collected everything that could possibly be of any interest, loading it all into the stacks of boxes we¡¯d brought for just that purpose. We didn¡¯t care about the old, decrepit industrial machinery left over from when the place had been a factory of some sort- we only wanted the stuff that the Night Children had brought in.


    A second van-load had all of the cell¡¯s belongings packed up and taken away, leaving the place looking empty and devoid of life. After making sure the place was cleaned out I nodded to the guys, who took a few minutes to spray paint graffiti all over the interior. In our planning Grant and I had hammered home that none of the tags could look anything like Night Children stuff, so the guys had all developed their own street style tags over the course of the last couple of weeks at camp.


    We were out of there, wedging the front door shut, by four thirty in the morning. By five we had all reconvened at the warehouse.


    Our raid had been perfectly planned and executed, with no injuries to speak of on our part and no red flags on any of the city¡¯s first responder networks. Our perimeter crew hadn¡¯t seen any incidental bystanders, either. There had been no witnesses, no errors, nothing.


    Now all we had to do was dispose of the bodies and sift through the personal belongings we¡¯d found. Hacking the phones we¡¯d collected would be a pain in the ass, but doable. I¡¯d paid a lot of money for the hacking software, after all. We¡¯d trace down the rest of the network before too long, and root them out from where they hid.


    In a week, another shell company I¡¯d set up would bring in a crew to clear out and paint the old Thomas Bros building, which it had bought from the city at well below market rate. With a bit of patience I might turn a profit on the place, and nobody would ever know it was the scene of a serious crime.


    Back at the warehouse, the hitters were in a jubilant mood, excited that the operation was flawlessly executed. We¡¯d planned our attack perfectly and carried it out without any slip-ups at all. The cell had been so completely unprepared that there had barely been any actual resistance at all when we came bursting in the front door of their supposedly secret hideout.


    ¡°Alright!¡± I shouted to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Gather ¡®round!¡±


    It took only a moment for everyone to jump to do as I commanded, and soon all eyes were upon me.


    ¡°Well done, ladies and gentlemen. Well done. I am truly sorry that this ever had to happen at all, but we did it properly. You can all congratulate yourselves on a successful operation.¡± I took a moment to look around at all the hitters, as well as my five ex-military types.¡°That said, this was the quick and easy part of the mission. The hard part is about to start. We know that there are at least thirteen members of the group that weren¡¯t there tonight. We have to track them down and end them, too. This isn¡¯t going to be easy, since they¡¯ll know we wiped out the main group soon enough. That means that the quicker we run them down, the less time they have to really go to ground. Thanks to our intel gathering during the last year we know at least the general area they all live. Some of them we know exactly. Those, we¡¯ll take care of this morning. The rest we¡¯ll get in the next few days.¡±


    I looked around again, and I could see that the task ahead was starting to become clear. They were going to have to operate in the field, and that was going to be much more challenging.


    ¡°The other part of what comes next is going through everything we collected tonight. All that paperwork, which may well lead us to this group¡¯s connections to others near and far. Once we crack their phones we can extrapolate even more, and then we¡¯ll have to chase down every single lead until there are no more. That will take time. We can¡¯t take too long, though, or those leads will grow cold. We have to be extremely proactive about all this. We are not here to fuck around. We are here to complete our domination of this continent for all to see. This is our land. Ours.¡±


    We divided half of the group into two-person teams and gave them the locations Mia had identified. There was no time to waste, and so off they went with murder in mind. The remaining hitters were set to work sorting through all the stuff we¡¯d brought back, looking for any clues at all. The worst part of their job was searching the bodies very carefully, but they did it without complaint.


    I pulled Grant and the other ex-military aside for a private meeting once all the tasks were assigned and begun. ¡°Alright. Round two went our way. That was about as smooth as we could possibly have hoped for, and we achieved our objectives. Good job on getting the guys ready for the op.¡±


    All five nodded their thanks at the recognition. They¡¯d done well and they knew it.


    ¡°Round three is going to be harder. Chasing down the ones who weren¡¯t there tonight will be tricky, but I feel confident that we can get it done with the resources we have for the task. Round four will undoubtedly involve other Eastern Seaboard cities- particularly the ones where our outreach has been ineffective. I want to wait a bit until word gets out that we crushed our opposition here in New York, so we can see who rolls over willingly before we go in like the fist of God. If we¡¯re lucky the resistance will just cave.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± Grant said.


    ¡°The leader of the cell said that the man who visited right before the attack in Atlanta said his name was Ahmet Asker. That¡¯s the same name used to rent the car at Newark Airport,¡± I said. ¡°Nobody using that name flew in or out of Newark in that time frame. This means that he¡¯s either local- which wouldn¡¯t explain why they rented a car at an airport- or he¡¯s from out of town and using an alias to either fly or rent the car. Based upon flimsy evidence and assumptions, I¡¯m going with the idea that he came in from out of the country. The name ¡®Ahmet¡¯ is extremely common in Turkey, and the last name ¡®Asker¡¯ apparently means ¡®soldier¡¯ or something like that over there.¡±


    ¡°You think they came from Turkey?¡± Jody asked. ¡°That seems a stretch.¡±


    ¡°We have history,¡± I said. ¡°I killed the Turkish Night Children prince when he attacked Emmy, and their king tried to screw with us up in Vancouver so I killed his men and flew him back to Istanbul and told him I¡¯d gut him like a fish if he ever came back to North America. So, yeah, like I said, assumptions, but they fit a pattern.¡±


    ¡°O.K., I get it,¡± Jody said. ¡°This king from Turkey has a hard-on for you and Emmy, and used these jackasses to do his dirty work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my read,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So the obvious next step¡­¡± Jody said.


    ¡°Is obvious,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to do what I can to get confirmation before we make any moves, but I think it¡¯s fair to say that we need to project our power over there in a way that will leave it completely clear that we are not to be fucked with.¡±


    ¡°A bit of proportional response?¡± Jody asked wryly.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking disproportionate,¡± I countered. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we go in and wipe the house of Marfan right the fuck out. Taking the lot of them out will clearly assert our ability and willingness to defend what is ours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna be a pretty big task,¡± Grant said. ¡°We were completely ready to wipe out a group here in New York, but going into a foreign country and up against a presumably hardened target? That¡¯s a whole other level of difficulty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while,¡± I said. ¡°We have a few elements that might make all the difference. I¡¯m going to put a few things together to see if they line up our way. If I can get the right pieces in place we¡¯ll move, but it won¡¯t be any too soon. In the meantime, we have more immediate tasks. We¡¯ll be plenty busy cleaning house here for now.¡±

 Not A Chapter- Yet Another Delay

    I have most of the next update written, but I am really dragging. This cold is really kicking my butt, and I''m having a hard time focusing enough to get the words out. I was hoping to finish it up tonight, but as I said, my tail is dragging on the ground. I''m just gonna have to kick the can a bit down the road and apologize for slacking off.


    Sorry, folks. All this coughing, sniffling and general malaise just makes me want to go to bed early and hope I can fall asleep quickly.


    To hit Royal Road''s update word count minimum, here''s a section I wrote long ago that never made it into the story:


    Grammys


    Stepping up to the microphone, Lee spoke.As many times as I''ve talked to the guy, it always makes me laugh when I hear him.


    "When I saw the announcement on campus for tryouts for a new band, I thought it would be a great way to relieve some of the stress of Med School," he said, sounding just like Keanu Reeves in Bill And Ted. "I figured, hey, what the heck,¡± he said, shrugging. ¡°At the audition, when I first saw Emmy here," he continued, indicating Emmy standing next to him at the podium, "my first thought was ''whoa''."


    There was a smattering of laughter from around the audience, but I don''t think most people in the crowd were sure if it was O.K. to laugh or not.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Then Emmy picked up her guitar and started into an absolutely killer solo and I was like, ''Whoa!"


    Since it was much safer ground to laugh about music than (maybe) race, the laughter was genuine this time.


    "I have to say, from that moment I knew that whatever else, I wanted to be in her band. There was no doubt in my mind that with her looks and incredible talent Emmy was going to be a superstar, and I wanted to be there, too."


    "I''ve been playing in front of audiences since I was six years old," Lee continued. "I have never seen anybody wrap a crowd around her little finger the way Emmy can. I''ve never seen any guitarist who can play the way she can, and very few singers who can change moods and styles the way Emmy can. I guess what I''m trying to say is that it is an incredible honor to be working with such an amazing talent."


    "Oh, and Jackson''s all right, too," he added, only to get an elbow in the ribs from the bassist.


    Jackson barged up to the mike and "I love you too, buddy," getting real laughter from the crowd.


    Seizing his turn at the microphone, Jackson gave his version of events. "Don''t y''all be fooled by his humbleness. Lee is a freakin'' genius, and we, as a band, owe a whole lot of our success to his talent. He has shaped us as a band- if you¡¯ve ever wondered why we do some of the things we''ve become famous for, it¡¯s most likely been Lee¡¯s vision of what we could be. Really, he¡¯s the brains of the family. I guess that makes Emmy the muscle and me the beauty, or something like that,¡± he said, getting the laughs.


    ¡°But seriously, these two are the most talented artists I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Thank you Lee, and thanks, Emmy, for bringing me along for this amazing ride.¡±


    Emmy took her turn, and said ¡°I cannot think of anything to add to what my two brothers (here she reached her arms out and side-hugged both the guys) here have said, except to thank our families and our loved ones for supporting us. Thank you so very, very much.¡±


    The three stepped back and bowed to the applause, then returned to their seats, smiling and waving.

 Done For Now

    I slept a couple of hours there at the warehouse in Brooklyn rather than going home to our place in Manhattan. I wasn¡¯t ready to pull myself away from the action just yet, even though I wasn¡¯t directly involved in any of the current proceedings.


    When I woke up I found Mia and Grant busy at a big whiteboard and a large folding table that had all the captured phones laid out on labeled pieces of paper, Polaroid photos of their ex-owners next to each one.


    ¡°Only eleven of the hostiles actually even had phones,¡± Mia explained when I gave her a questioning look. ¡°Nine of them were cheap, pre-paid pieces of shit that weren¡¯t even locked,¡± she said, indicating the bulk of the phones on the table. ¡°The Boss guy from Chicago had this old Android, and the dude in charge here had this iPhone 3,¡± she explained, pointing at the two smartphones. ¡°Both of those are locked, but we¡¯ll crack ¡®em, no problem. We haven¡¯t bothered yet because we¡¯re still seeing how they fit in the network.¡± With that, she pointed at the whiteboard, which had the numbers laid out in a line, with looping lines connecting them in various way.


    ¡°Look at his,¡± Grant said, pointing to one number apart from the rest that all the others had lines to. ¡°This our head honcho here. He had calls back and forth to every one of the other phone numbers, right? You¡¯d expect that, naturally. This number over here? That¡¯s our Chicago guy. None of the burner phones ever had any calls- well, within those phones¡¯ recently called lists, anyway- to Mr Chicago. This gives credence to the idea that he really was an outsider. We¡¯re assuming that when we break his phone, or the local jefe¡¯s, that we¡¯ll see calls back and forth.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said.


    ¡°So, what we¡¯re looking for right now is calls outside the circle. Mia and me have been going through the list and identifying outside numbers that have been called by more than one member. We¡¯ve also been filtering out commercial numbers when we can- calls to pizza places, what have you,¡± he said, indicating the open search engine on the laptop Mia was sitting in front of.


    ¡°Find anything interesting?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, maybe. This guy,¡± he said, pointing at a phone that had a piece of blue masking tape stuck to it, ¡°Had a number of calls to Philly-area phones. The simplest inference is that he¡¯s a recent member of this group, moved here from Philadelphia. Calling his old friends or whatever. Until we see anything that says otherwise, that¡¯s our assumption. Occam¡¯s Razor and all that. None of the rest have any calls outside the New York City area.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing to indicate that Philly Guy was in any sort of leadership position, was there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I talked to the two that took him down. They said that he seemed to be just as low-level as everybody else but those two,¡± he said, indicating the two smartphones. ¡°So probably not.¡±


    ¡°Alright. It seems like you two have things under control here. Where are Jody and the two Marines?¡±


    ¡°Driving around,¡± Grant said. ¡°Picking up and dropping off our field teams.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s past nine in the morning. That means all the Night Children out there have already gone into hiding for the day. We¡¯re not going to catch them out in the wild.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Grant said. ¡°The guys have already gotten three in their hidey-holes. Two other known locations were raided but empty. The guys are waiting for those two to come home, and when they do¡­¡±


    Glancing down at his own pocket, Grant pulled out his phone.


    ¡°Yeah? Really? That wasn¡¯t in the parameters. Well, O.K.,¡± he said. ¡°Bring her in and we¡¯ll see what we¡¯re gonna do.¡±


    Putting his phone away, he said, ¡°One of the locals surrendered to our guys the moment she saw ¡®em. Didn¡¯t try to run or anything, so they¡¯re bringing her in.¡±


    ¡°Keeping prisoners was never on our to-do list,¡± I said. ¡°But we¡¯ll see what she has to say.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long before a white Ford Explorer pulled into the warehouse, the guys having opened the roll-up door for it, then shutting it immediately after the vehicle entered.


    Travis got out and opened the passenger-side rear door, letting a woman who looked to be in her late thirties get out. Jonnie stepped out of the other passenger door. Once they were clear and the doors shut, Ron the ex-Marine drove the car back out into the city for whatever his next pickup was going to be.


    Jonnie and Travis indicated to the woman that she should approach me, which she did with some hesitation, dropping to her knees when she got close.


    ¡°She says her name is Simone,¡± Travis said.


    ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± I commanded.


    ¡°We spotted her in the area we knew to look for her in Astoria,¡± Travis explained. ¡°She saw us at just about the same time. She could tell who we were. She didn¡¯t run or anything. She just stood there as we walked up. She said that she surrenders- she¡¯d wanted nothing to do with Big Joe¡¯s plan and knew this was gonna happen.¡±


    ¡°She knew you were there to kill her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She knew. You could see it in her eyes,¡± Jonnie confirmed. "She knew that there was no escaping. She said she wanted to ask you for mercy.¡±


    ¡°Was she armed?¡± I asked.


    Wordlessly, Jonnie produced a small, cheap folding knife.


    ¡°Simone,¡± I said. ¡°You say you wanted no part of Big Joe¡¯s plan. What plan are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Killing you and Queen Emmy¡¯s babies,¡± Simone said, her voice devoid of much life at all. ¡°When that guy came and talked to Big Joe about it, I said it was a really bad idea. Killing babies is never O.K. and the stories people been telling about you¡­ I just knew we was gonna pay.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what happened earlier tonight?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna guess we paid,¡± she said, looking down.


    ¡°Yeah. Twenty-three people have lost their lives tonight, thanks to Big Joe¡¯s decision to send killers to Atlanta. That number is going to go up. We aren¡¯t going to stop until we¡¯ve found every one of you. Then we¡¯re going to go after that guy who came and promised Big Joe all that money. And we¡¯re going to make him pay, too.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± she said humorlessly. ¡°He¡¯s from somewhere in Europe. He had a strange accent I could barely understand.¡±


    ¡°We know where he¡¯s from,¡± I said. ¡°And we know where we¡¯ll find him, and his boss. We are very thorough, and very patient. You said you¡¯ve heard stories about me?¡± I asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°Everybody has,¡± she said with a listless shrug.


    ¡°Do those stories say I¡¯m merciful?¡± I asked.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°No,¡± she admitted, staring at the ground.


    ¡°So what made you think that surrendering to my men would be a good idea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dead anyhow,¡± she said. ¡°Your guys found me way out in Astoria. They knew my face. I don¡¯t know how you did it, but there wasn¡¯t no point in running. You was gonna find me again, no matter where I went.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°There was no point in running. We would have found you. Surrendering was the right idea.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not gonna kill me?¡± she asked, a spark of surprise and hope in her voice.


    ¡°Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ll listen to whatever you have to say.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I was against Big Joe¡¯s plan to send our tough guys to get you. I told him that it was evil, and we shouldn¡¯t be doing nobody else¡¯s dirty work for them. I also told him that it wasn¡¯t gonna work. Like I said, we¡¯ve all heard the stories about you, and when I saw it on the news I knew we done fucked up big-time. I knew the stories were all true right then, and you was gonna come and kill us all. I been waiting for today ever since,¡± Simone said, her voice becoming more animated. ¡°All ¡®cause Big Joe wanted that money. He said he was gonna spread it around, give everybody a cut, and it was gonna be enough to really help out. No amount of money was gonna be worth our lives, I told him, but he wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± She paused a moment, getting herself back under control. ¡°And killing babies- that ain¡¯t ever right. They was just innocent victims in all this.¡±


    ¡°So was Angela, the mother of one of our babies. She had nothing to do with any Night Children business. She was completely innocent, too,¡± I said.


    Simone just shook her head sadly. ¡°Some of the others were against the idea, too, but Big Joe just saw dollar signs. Him and the others- they did this to all of us.¡±


    ¡°Simone,¡± I said, getting her to look up at me for the first time since she got out of the car. ¡°Should I spare your life?¡±


    ¡°I swear to God that I won¡¯t do anything ever against you in any way,¡± she said, hope creeping into her voice again.


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to let you live, you¡¯re going to have to do more than that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, fearful again.


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to let you walk out of here still breathing, you¡¯re going to need to work for me. I¡¯ll put you to work with my other people, and they can keep an eye on you. If I¡¯m satisfied you really do regret what Big Joe and the rest did, and you do whatever I demand and do it well, then we¡¯ll forget you were ever with this group,¡± I said, indicating the row of body bags off to one side of the warehouse. Simone looked over at where I was pointing, and after a moment when she finally recognized what they must be, she clapped her hands to her face in dismay.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t get a second chance, Simone. You do. So this is what it comes down to: Do what I say when I say to do it, or join the others over there.¡±


    ¡°What- what do I need to do?¡± she asked, unable to tear her eyes away from the neat row of black zippered bags.


    ¡°First, I need more information. You¡¯re going to tell me everything about your old group. Leave nothing out. I want names, locations, all of it. That¡¯s the start.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t betray them,¡± she protested.


    ¡°Why were you with Big Joe?¡± I asked rhetorically. ¡°For protection, right? Isn¡¯t that the most basic promise? He betrayed the entire group when he agreed to kill my babies. He promised you all safety, but instead he did the equivalent of pushing you in front of a train. We are going to find and kill the rest of the group, Simone. Your help might make it happen a little faster, but the end result is the same. Big Joe is ultimately the one responsible for their deaths. I might be the train speeding down the tracks, but he¡¯s the one who gave everybody a shove.¡±


    Simone sighed, her shoulders drooping. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± she asked, making her decision clear. She wanted to live.


    Only three of the known members of Big Joe¡¯s group still remained at large by the time dawn rolled around the next day. Simone had told us that she knew one of them had connections back in Boston, so he was probably already there. We were going to find him eventually, but it might take a while. In the meantime he would probably spread stories of what happened when the New York group tried to go against us, which worked to our benefit. The other two¡­ well, we¡¯d keep looking.


    Big Joe¡¯s group had never really called themselves anything in particular, which surprised my day walker people, but I¡¯d come to understand it to be pretty typical. Rahsett¡¯s group in Vancouver, The Boss¡¯s group in Chicago¡­ neither of them had ever labeled themselves anything other than just ¡®us¡¯. It just didn¡¯t seem to be a thing among Night Children to self-name their groups or associations. Just another one of those cultural differences, I guess.


    The laptop took a little while, but eventually it did crack The Boss¡¯ Android phone, then later, Big Joe¡¯s iPhone. As expected, most of the phone numbers in The Boss¡¯ phone memory were Chicago area code, and we made a note of all of them. Although there had been no sign of any of that group since that night of the ambush in that old industrial building, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have my hitters there do a check on locals¡¯ phone numbers to see if any that had come to our side still kept in contact with The Boss after he disappeared from the scene. The Boss had actually put names connected to the phone numbers, too, so rooting out his remaining loyalists might not be all that hard.


    Grant saw the value in adding the task of cleaning up loose ends in Chicago to the hitters¡¯ to-do list when I mentioned it, so that got added to our agenda.


    Turning to Big Joe¡¯s phone, a few of the same out-of-town numbers as seen on The Boss¡¯ phone popped up. He hadn¡¯t bothered with names, but we had those already.


    The giant gold mine was the text messages. While The Boss hadn¡¯t used text really at all, Big Joe texted and used WhatsApp extensively. This gave us a really clear picture of the interactions with the team in Atlanta, but more importantly, with his international contacts. Besides Ahmet Asker there was an Egyptian phone number (again, no names associated with any of the WhatsApp numbers) who seemed to be urging Big Joe to take action against the Devil Queens. I noted the numbers, both Ahmet¡¯s Istanbul phone number and the one from Cairo. I¡¯d have to ask about these from people who could maybe provide me some answers.


    Simone had identified all the bodies by name, including eight of the nine that had died in Atlanta. The last one was somebody she didn¡¯t know, leading us to speculate that they might have found an Atlanta-area local to help them out.


    She¡¯d been good about explaining their group¡¯s connections to other regional groups, too, but she didn¡¯t know any names of any contacts in other cities or anything like that- she wasn¡¯t in Big Joe¡¯s confidence enough to have that kind of information.


    Still, she¡¯d been cooperative and hadn¡¯t complained, increasing her survival odds quite a bit.


    Michael came to town the next day, and I handed Simone off to him. She was now his problem to deal with, since we¡¯d gotten what we could out of her as far as intel was concerned.


    ¡°Put her to work in some other city, with all the usual benefits. Make sure it¡¯s a position that we can keep an eye on her until we can be sure of her loyalties, but my instinct says she¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told him, leaving the details up to him.


    He¡¯d brought the large outreach crew that had been canvassing Atlanta and they got right to work. We figured that there would be a certain window of opportunity to recruit local strays while the news of our completely demolishing Big Joe¡¯s group filtered through whatever communication network might exist.


    We wanted everyone to know that yes, we were capable of brutality towards our enemies, but also generous to those in our shadow.


    Whatever use I might have been there in Brooklyn was over, so while the guys did what needed to be done I flew down to Cartagena.


    ¡°Pap¨¢!¡± I said, giving the man a hug when I got through customs.


    ¡°It is good to see you, Lee,¡± he said, returning my hug. ¡°Your Emmy has been very lonely without you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed her, too,¡± I admitted as we walked towards the parking lot. ¡°But I got done what needed to be done.¡±


    ¡°Is it done?¡± he asked, looking at me.


    ¡°Yes, and no,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it tonight, after dinner. It¡¯s as done as possible right now¡­ the next phase will take quite a bit of preparation.¡±


    ¡°If I can be of any help at all¡­¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°You might,¡± I said. ¡°I might ask you to help out with training my guys. Your urban operation experience might be really helpful.¡±


    ¡°I will be glad to do what I can,¡± he assured me, resting his hand on my shoulder. ¡°For my Angela, and for Emmy, and for you.¡±


    Of course there had never been any possibility that we would stay anywhere other than at the Castro house. Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ wouldn¡¯t have put up with that sort of nonsense, after all. Walking the block and a half from the garage to the Castro¡¯s front door, I spotted two Night Children. One was a vendor I didn¡¯t recognize selling tourist trinkets under a tree, and the other was Eddie, dressed casually, just hanging out on the corner, looking casual. Not like he was keeping an eye out, no, not at all. He gave me a nod as our eyes met, but then glanced away and back to whatever it was he was pretending to do.


    ¡°Your men have been watching our house for months now,¡± Rafael said, amused. ¡°But now that Emmy is here, they don¡¯t even try to hide it.¡±


    ¡°Deterrence is the best form of protection,¡± I said.


    ¡°My friends in the police tell me that street crime in San Diego has gone down in the last two months,¡± Rafael said. ¡°It would be good if you had enough men to cover the city!¡±


    ¡°We might, eventually,¡± I said.


    ¡°Leah!¡± Emmy said, jumping up to give me a hug and a kiss the moment we walked into the kitchen. She looked good- better than when I¡¯d seen her last. She¡¯d put on a couple of pounds and the gaunt look was almost gone.


    ¡°Baby, I missed you,¡± I told her, holding her close.


    ¡°Can you stay here in Colombia long?¡± she asked. ¡°Or do you need to go back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to go anywhere for a while,¡± I said.

 It Does Not Matter

    Emmy went to rest a bit once she helped Mam¨¢ clean up the kitchen after dinner, while Rafael and I went out for a paseo around the neighborhood. The night was pleasant, if a bit humid thanks to an earlier rain.


    ¡°You say you are done for now,¡± Rafael said after buying the two of us ice cream cones from a street vendor.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, enjoying the amazingly rich vanilla. ¡°We took care of the group that sent the killers,¡± I said after glancing around to make sure nobody could hear. ¡°Almost all of them. Certainly all of the higher-ups. There are only two unaccounted for at this point.¡±


    ¡°Out of how many?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Thirty-four.¡±


    ¡°You say the two are unimportant?¡± Rafael probed.


    ¡°Not unimportant, but low-level,¡± I explained after we passed another group also out for a walk. ¡°In a way, them being loose helps us a bit- they¡¯ll spread the word that we aren¡¯t to be fucked with, right? We¡¯ll probably find them eventually, if they don¡¯t surrender to us first. We know their names and what they look like, after all. Somebody will eventually hand them to us.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think they can do any further harm?"


    ¡°Realistically, no, probably not. They¡¯ve seen the videos of me, and heard the stories. Now that they know we can wipe out a well-hidden, large group in one night, nobody is going to stick their necks out and make themselves a target,¡± I said.


    ¡°What about official investigations?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°I doubt there will be any repercussions,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°You have to remember, these people hide very well and live on the margins of society. Nobody will notice or report it to the police if they go missing. We¡¯ve been really careful about witnesses, and we¡¯ve made sure we aren¡¯t leaving evidence behind. We¡¯ve taken all the bodies, except for the one guy that got hit by a train. No bodies and no evidence of a crime means no investigation.¡±


    ¡°You have thought this through,¡± Rafael grudgingly admitted.


    ¡°We¡¯ve had the time to plan it out right,¡± I agreed. ¡°Which brings us to the next part,¡± I said as we took the stairs to the top of the old city wall. ¡°We got confirmation that the attack was encouraged and paid for by an outsider. He came to the New York group and offered them a lot of money to kill Angela and Emmy¡¯s babies in specific. We know his name and where he came from, and putting two and two together, we¡¯re pretty sure we know who was behind it. The thing is, this is a much tougher target, and also way over in Istanbul. It¡¯s going to be a whole additional level of difficulty to wipe them out.¡±


    ¡°But you plan to do this,¡± Rafael said. It wasn¡¯t a question. He was merely voicing his conviction that it was inevitable.


    ¡°We do. I need to talk to some people and get some wheels in motion. It might take six months, it might take a year, but we¡¯ll get them. They don¡¯t know it now, but they¡¯re dead men walking.¡±


    ¡°Let me know how I can help,¡± Rafael said, nodding in approval.


    ¡°Like I said, we can maybe use your urban warfare skills to train my guys. I want us to go in like the fist of God and leave no survivors. The better trained and prepared we are, the smoother it¡¯ll go,¡± I said as we looked out over the moonlit Caribbean.


    ¡°How did the operation on the New York group go?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Perfectly. We were in and they were done in a matter of just a few minutes. None of our guys got hurt. Everybody did everything just exactly the way we¡¯d trained. It was flawless.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Rafael said. Then, after a moment, he asked, ¡°How many men were involved in the operation?¡±


    ¡°Twenty-five, all told,¡± I said. ¡°Twenty-six if you count me.¡±


    ¡°A decent number,¡± Rafael said. ¡°And you are sure of their loyalty?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± I confirmed as we resumed walking.


    ¡°What are your plans for the next six months to a year?¡±


    ¡°Gather intel and train,¡± I said. ¡°A lot of both. I want to go in as ready as we were in New York. I want to sweep in, clean them out, and be gone before anybody even knows what happened.¡±


    ¡°In Istanbul,¡± Rafael said doubtfully.


    ¡°In Istanbul,¡± I confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s actually really important to strike at their base of strength. I mean, sure, we could wait for an opportunity to catch the big guy out and about somewhere, but that wouldn¡¯t have the same impact. I want the rest of the Night Children world to know that we mean business. We are not to be messed with.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°That is understandable,¡± Rafael admitted. ¡°It will take a lot of reconnaissance and a lot of preparation to do this, but don¡¯t ignore the other things in your life while you are planning your operation. Emmy needs you. Don¡¯t lose yourself in revenge.¡±


    ¡°At this point it isn¡¯t really revenge,¡± I said. ¡°If it¡¯s the guy I¡¯m pretty sure it is, he¡¯s been a source of problems for us for years. After all this I just need to deal with him once and for all to eliminate him as a threat.¡±


    ¡°Lo que sea,¡± Rafael said, waving his hand in dismissal. ¡°My point is valid. You need to be there for Emmy more than you need to kill this man in Istanbul.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong,¡± I agreed. ¡°A lot of the preparations will go on in the background. I don¡¯t need to be directly involved.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said as we turned down the narrow street towards the Castro family home.


    Emmy was in the living room teaching Cecilia some chords on the guitar when we entered. It was obviously not Cecy¡¯s first lesson, but it was clear that she was still very much a beginner. I briefly wondered if she¡¯d only just started learning now that Emmy was staying there, and figured it was probably the case. It was nice to see the two of them spending time together like that and I hoped that the two would continue to forge a relationship aside from having had Angela in common.


    ¡°Hey, babe,¡± I said, leaning down to give Emmy a kiss.


    ¡°Did you and Pap¨¢ have a nice walk?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We did,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡±


    ¡°O.K. Cecy and I are going to practice for another half an hour,¡± she said, glancing at her watch. ¡°Then I will come to bed.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I replied.


    Later, snuggled in Angela¡¯s old bed, Emmy in my arms, I just wanted to fall asleep but Emmy was ready to talk. I spared her the details of the New York operation, only telling her that the people that had sent the killers to Atlanta were all dead.


    ¡°I hate that you had to do that,¡± Emmy said, her voice soft. ¡°But thank you for doing it. Is it strange that I feel guilty for feeling glad they are dead?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not strange at all,¡± I assured her. ¡°It shows that you¡¯re a decent person, regretting the loss of life even if they were your enemies.¡±


    ¡°I wish they had not been enemies,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I agreed, and we both fell silent for a while. I must have fallen asleep, since it was morning next thing I knew.


    Mam¨¢ was already in the kitchen, bustling about, but Rafael and Cecilia were elsewhere.


    ¡°Have something to eat,¡± she commanded, setting down a plate of a sort of mix of beans and onions and peppers, along with some other ingredients I didn¡¯t recognize. It smelled delicious, so I dug right in.


    ¡°What are you going to do today?¡± Mam¨¢ asked as she set a glass of juice down for me.


    ¡°Well, honestly, I don¡¯t have anything planned for today,¡± I said. ¡°I need to go out to Tierra Bomba and to Barrio Albornoz, but that doesn¡¯t have to happen today. My main goal is to just spend time relaxing and resting with Emmy until she feels ready to face the world again.¡±


    ¡°That is a good goal,¡± Mam¨¢ agreed. ¡°She is still in very much pain. I don¡¯ think it will go away very soon, but spending time with you will help.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else we can do.¡±


    ¡°Show her you love her,¡± Mam¨¢ said decisively. ¡°Celebrate Angela¡¯s life, together, the two of you. That is the only way you can move on.¡±


    ¡°How are you doing, Mam¨¢?¡± I asked, standing up and crossing the kitchen to give her a hug. ¡°I miss her more than anything, and I only had her for a little while. You and Pap¨¢ had her for most of her life.¡±


    ¡°I am very sad,¡± Mam¨¢ said, returning my hug. ¡°Very sad.¡± We stood like that for a while before Mam¨¢ let me go, wiping tears from her eyes.


    ¡°Mi Angela, she was precious. Too precious for this world.¡±


    ¡°She was,¡± I agreed, wiping my own eyes.


    After Emmy had breakfast she also asked what my plans were. When I told her that my main goal was to spend time with her, her face lit up in a smile.


    ¡°You do not have anywhere you need to be or anything you need to do?¡± she asked, pleased and surprised.


    ¡°Nothing that can¡¯t wait,¡± I told her. ¡°While we¡¯re here in Colombia I¡¯ll take care of some things with the local Night Children, but I can do that any time. First and foremost is being here, with you, while we both heal up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, almost too softly to hear.


    ¡°I love you, Em. More than I can possibly say.¡±


    We didn¡¯t wind up doing anything to speak of that day. We just lazed around for the most part. When Cecilia got home from school we finally had something to do- Emmy helped Ceciila with her homework while I got my laptop out and did some work of my own. That evening after dinner we went to bed early, mostly so we could talk, just the two of us.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said, her body draped across mine. ¡°When I am healed I want to try to have another baby.¡±


    ¡°I was really hoping you would,¡± I said, stroking her hair.


    ¡°I have been talking with Mam¨¢. We talked about losing one¡¯s baby, and how much it hurts. She told me that after she lost her first baby, she felt that she could never love another child the way she had that first infant growing in her womb. But then, she got pregnant again and discovered a new love. No, it was not the same, but it was not lesser.¡±


    Emmy took a long moment to think about what to say next, while I simply kept holding her, silently encouraging her to continue.


    ¡°I loved Angela differently than I love you, because you and she were different people, but that does not make my love for her any lesser. It did not matter that she was not the first- I treasured her in a different way than I treasure you. So what Mam¨¢ said resonated with me. No, I will not feel for a second baby the way I did for the first, but that will not make her inferior.¡±


    Keeping my response short and simple to encourage Emmy to say more, all I said was ¡°No, it won¡¯t.¡± In my heart, though, I was dancing with joy. I had hoped that Emmy would come to this realization, and very, very grateful for Mam¨¢¡¯s sympathy and understanding that helped Emmy get to this point.


    ¡°I want to try again as soon as the doctors say that I am healed enough to try,¡± Emmy said, sitting upright so she could look at my face.


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± I said. ¡°We still have the egg cells.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± she said, her voice turning soft. ¡°Would it be- would you ¡­ how would you feel if we used one of Angela¡¯s eggs to fertilize mine? Would that be O.K. with you?¡±


    I reached up and smoothed the worry lines from Emmy¡¯s brow. ¡°I would love that little girl more than anything in the world,¡± I said, absolutely meaning it.

 Not A Chapter- An Apology For The Radio Silence

    Well, I''m sorry I''ve been very slow on the updates recently. I''ve been really dragging and tired all the time, making it very hard to concentrate on my writing. I''ve been pecking away at it, but it''s been very slow and I''m not in love with what I''ve been writing.


    I guess what I really need to do is just rest and recover for a bit. It feels as if that''s all I have been doing- I haven''t worked in a week and a half, after all. All I want to do is sleep.


    So, sorry, dear readers. It breaks my heart to say it, but I need to take a little break. I''m going to keep writing a little bit at a time until I feel well enough and have enough built up to actually post. All I''ve managed since the last update is less than 2,000 words, and like I said, I''m not happy with them.


    So, to make up for this little break, I have a teaser for you. I wrote this a long time ago and it probably won''t make it in this exact form when the time comes, but here''s a big, fat spoiler for you all:


    Yeah, I know how clich¨¦d it is, but when Emmy announced that she thought it was time to go to the hospital I ran around the house like a crazy woman grabbing everything we might need.Thankfully Michael stayed calm and got Emmy loaded into the car while I was in a frenzy.I threw the overnight bag in the back seat and took the narrow, winding streets of our Hollywood Hills neighborhood at a much quicker than safe speed, determined to get to the hospital in Beverly Hills A.S.A.P.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Soon enough we were in the maternity ward and Emmy¡¯s obstetrician was on her way.I¡¯d pre-arranged everything with the hospital (and Emmy¡¯s doc) so all we had to do is, well, have a baby.


    In retrospect I could have driven at grandmother speed and checked in at the front desk, because nothing really happened for hours.In fact, the next eight hours were a lot of absolute nothing.When the contractions finally started I thought that we¡¯d be mothers soon enough, but again, there was a whole lot of waiting.Emmy was becoming less and less comfortable, but there was nothing I could do but hold her hand and stroke her hair and tell her how much I loved her.Again a clich¨¦, but all very true.To me she was the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth, and never more so than just then.


    The actual labor part also lasted forever, and I have to admit that things became quite blurry towards the end- a mix of fatigue, adrenalin and stress combined to give me a sort of disassociated feeling, but I snapped back out of it when our baby appeared.


    The doc cut the cord, or whatever it was that she did (I wasn¡¯t paying attention) and when the nurse wrapped our little girl and handed her to me a few minutes after midnight, instantly the world became a much, much better place.I held our tiny little baby (only five pounds, twelve ounces), admired her soft dove-gray skin and looked into her unfocused blue eyes and fell in love.I completely lost my heart to that bundle of joy.In Dr. Seuss speak, my heart grew two sizes that day.

 Sometimes Its Better To Just Say It

    We stayed up half the night, talking about how we were going to move forward with our lives. We agreed that we would wait until Emmy was fully recovered physically before restarting the implantation process to give our new baby the greatest possible chance for success. Emmy would take the sabbatical from The Downfall that had already been planned and I would continue to work as I had been, letting my Heads run the show. This would give us more time together, time we really needed. It was left unsaid that it was going to take us a while to reconfigure our expectations about life as a couple again, and how we would raise a baby without the most maternal of us there to lead the way.


    Unable to sleep late the way Emmy could, I woke up at my usual time and slipped quietly out of Angela¡¯s old bed and got dressed. The smell of coffee drew me to the kitchen, where everybody was having breakfast.


    Mam¨¢ switched to English so I could follow the conversation, but I assured her that I¡¯d prefer it if they spoke in Spanish. ¡°I need to learn it better, and just listening is going to help me,¡± I said, earning me smiles from both her and Rafael.


    Rafael suggested that I could take classes in Spanish while we were in Cartagena, mentioning a language school that was just around the corner. When I told him that I¡¯d like to find a gym to train at, too, he said he¡¯d ask around. I made it clear that I wanted a fight gym, not the kind of place that had spinning classes or pilates.


    I didn¡¯t mention what Emmy and I had talked about the night before- that was a discussion to have when all of us were present.


    After breakfast I walked over to the Spanish language school, which was, in fact, literally just around the corner. After getting a tour of the facilities and discussing what the options were, I signed up for two weeks of three hours a day on weekdays, from nine to noon. My time would be spent in class two days a week and then with a private tutor the other three days. There was no way that two weeks would give me any sort of fluency, but at least it would help resurrect the Spanish I took in high school all those years ago.


    Over dinner that evening Emmy announced that we¡¯d talked and decided that we would try to have another baby once she was fully healed.


    ¡°Do not hurry too much,¡± Mam¨¢ cautioned. ¡°You must heal first. Wait until your body is ready.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± Emmy assured her. ¡°We plan on taking the time to recover before trying.¡±


    Later, after Cecilia had her guitar lesson and went upstairs to her room, Emmy and I sat down in the kitchen with Rafael and Mam¨¢.


    ¡°Mam¨¢, Pap¨¢,¡± Emmy said, resting her hand on Mama¡¯s arm. ¡°We have something to ask you. We would like your permission to have Angela¡¯s baby.¡± At their puzzled looks, Emmy explained that we still had some of Angela¡¯s egg cells and we could use them to fertilize an egg of Emmy¡¯s, making it her and Angela¡¯s child, genetically speaking.


    ¡°This way we can still have her in our lives,¡± I said.


    ¡°But it will not be your child,¡± Mam¨¢ protested.


    ¡°The baby will be my child,¡± I said, my voice firm. ¡°Genetically, she¡¯ll be a mix of the two people I¡¯ve loved most in this world. There is no way I could ask for any more than that.¡±


    The Castros were silent for a little bit, thinking things through. Finally, Rafael spoke up.


    ¡°Who would be recognized as the grandparents?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You would, of course,¡± Emmy said. ¡°And so would my parents, and of course, Leah¡¯s mother as well. The baby will be the child of all three families, just as we¡¯d planned for the two we lost.¡±


    Mam¨¢ and Rafael looked at each other without speaking, clearly reading each others¡¯ minds with the benefit of many years of marriage.


    ¡°This is an amazing thing,¡± Rafael finally said. ¡°We would be proud to be the grandparents of this child.¡±


    ¡°We would never do this without your blessing,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Thank you for this gift.¡±


    ¡°You are giving us a tremendous gift,¡± Mam¨¢ said, tears welling in her eyes. ¡°To be able to hold a baby of my Angela¡¯s¡­ This is something very special.¡±


    The next couple of weeks went by very uneventfully. For lack of any better workout options I¡¯d taken to swimming at the hotel pool before my language class. This meant I got home (and yes, the Castro house really was starting to feel like home) in time for lunch, which was about when Emmy rolled out of bed anyway.


    Emmy worked on her music for a few hours every afternoon while I answered work emails and read my reports. In the evenings we had dinner at home, then sometimes went out to hear music at a local live music venue.


    During this time we discussed with Rafael and Mam¨¢ about what to do with Angela¡¯s things. None of Angela¡¯s clothes would fit anybody we knew, so they would go to charity. Obviously Angela¡¯s bank account would get turned over to her parents. Angela¡¯s camera equipment would go to a cousin who was trying to start a career as a photographer, but we would keep her laptop. I told Mam¨¢ and Rafael that I wanted to buy Cecilia a new computer instead of handing her Angela¡¯s. I explained that Emmy was still using it to correspond with Angela¡¯s sponsors and needed it to unwind all of those sorts of things, and they understood. Of course, Angela¡¯s laptop was a few years old anyway, and Cecilia really should have something new and current. They wanted to object at me spending money like that, but ultimately gave in when I pointed out that she really would need a better computer than the one she had as she got ready for the university.


    The question of Angela¡¯s little Z4 never really got resolved. While it was a nice car, it was useless for the Castros in Colombia. I offered to trade it in for an X3 which I would ship down, but Rafael waved that off. Too much hassle. I said I¡¯d sell it and send them the cash, but then Emmy suggested that maybe it could be a nice car for Cecilia if she did stay with us for her final year of high school and that threw a monkey wrench into the decision-making process. Ultimately we all agreed to think about it, which seemed to mean that the Castros really didn¡¯t want to deal with it just yet.


    The idea of Cecilia coming to the US for her senior was complicated by the fact that their school year in Colombia ran from January to October, meaning there would be a scheduling conflict. Cecilia¡¯s vote was to make arrangements to take her tests early and go straight from an early end of her junior year immediately into her new school in the US, but Mam¨¢ was skeptical of what seventeen straight months of school would do to her. Rafael was willing to allow it if Cecilia could actually do the work to get it done, so that¡¯s where we left it. Cecilia would have to do her upcoming year¡¯s worth in seven months if she was to be allowed to come to Los Angeles. On top of that, she had to continue her accelerated English classes. If she managed all that, we would get her enrolled in a top girls¡¯ school in West Los Angeles. Mam¨¢ wanted to hold out for a Catholic school, but when she and Emmy did some research online it looked as if the top three girls schools were all secular, so she caved on that one.


    I took Cecilia aside one evening and told her that it was going to be a lot of work, but if she wanted it badly enough and made the effort, Emmy and I would do whatever we could to help her out. I hinted at but left unsaid the idea that she could leverage excellent grades into possibly attending an American university afterwards, if that was what she wanted.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    I also worked on my projects for the local Night Children community, meeting with various elders and respected figures. Sometimes Emmy would come along for the meetings, but not always. She was content to leave things in my hands, which was fine by me. I was glad she put in the occasional appearance just to remind everyone that yes, she did exist. I don¡¯t want to say that she was merely a figurehead, since that wouldn¡¯t really be true. She was more of an aspiration, an ideal of what Night Children could be- an international star, beloved across the world. Emmy wasn¡¯t a real person to our Night Children so much as a dream personified.


    Of course, I ran our new nation in Emmy¡¯s name. Sure, everyone knew me as their queen, but my legitimacy was based to a great extent on the fact that I was Emmy¡¯s partner. The persistent myth that my father was from Night Child nobility helped make me acceptable, but without Emmy¡­


    With all that being said, the Colombian Night Children were a bit more flexible in their assessment of who was and who wasn¡¯t a member of the tribe than their counterparts in North America had been. Their community had been so well established for so long that many generations of mixed families and blended cultures were the norm.


    This is, of course, why my proposed schools would be open to day walker kids as well as Night Children. If the families self-identified as having Night Children roots, far be it from me to deny them.


    Planning for the long term, I met with a lawyer to set up a Cartagena-based corporate subsidiary to the US¡¯ Royal Holdings, as I¡¯d done in the past in Canada and Mexico. This corporate entity bought the hacienda I¡¯d spotted on the outskirts of Bocachica on Tierra Bomba as well as an old warehouse in Barrio Albornoz. The warehouse had an empty dirt lot next to it that had been used as a makeshift soccer field, and one of my goals was to fix it up correctly. I wanted to give the locals in both areas a stronger sense of pride in their communities, after all. Nice sports facilities would certainly help in that regard.


    Of course Rafael had friends who owned construction companies, so I met with a few of them to discuss building what I wanted on the sites. One guy, Alejandro Mu?oz, was agreeable to hiring local labor, which swayed me in his favor. Mr Mu?oz was also willing to accept oversight from my representatives, which I figured was a good sign.


    All in all I was very pleased with our progress locally. Soon enough the Night Children of Cartagena would have real, tangible signs of our commitment to the area and the people. Yes, we¡¯d already fixed up a couple of children¡¯s playgrounds and paid to have doctors and nurses establish weekly free clinics in both Tierra Bomba and Barrio Albornoz, and those were appreciated, but still¡­ Functioning schools and community centers would solidify things.


    With Ricky¡¯s help in translating I¡¯d already laid out my long-term vision to the locals for the two communities, with permanent clinics and basic education schools as well as trade schools for adults. I wanted the people of Albornoz and Tierra Bombato create better lives for themselves and their children, after all. Sure, I was going to create some jobs, but more than that I was going to give them opportunities to advance their own situations.


    ¡°I want to talk to you about something,¡± I said to Emmy one night as we lay in bed.


    ¡°You sound so very serious,¡± Emmy said, snuggling up against me.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t anything bad,¡± I assured her. ¡°I think I told you that I want to make Cartagena our base here in South America, right? This is where we¡¯ll run the show from. I¡¯m going to set up a training center for our outreach folks down here, and I expect I¡¯ll be spending a decent amount of time here when all is said and done.¡±


    ¡°And, of course, Mam¨¢, Pap¨¢ and Cecilia live here,¡± Emmy added.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s actually my, um, concern, I guess,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking we should buy a house here, but¡­¡±


    Emmy paused a moment, then said, ¡°But you enjoy staying here, in this house?¡±


    ¡°I do. I do very much. The thing is, the, um, politics are tricky no matter which option we choose. If we stay with the Castros every time we¡¯re in Cartagena, we can¡¯t project our¡­ let¡¯s call it ¡®dignity¡¯ to any Night Children we want to entertain, right? In fact, we really can¡¯t invite any Night Children since it isn¡¯t our house to make those sorts of invitations, anyhow. If we stay in a hotel, no matter how nice and impressive, we always look temporary, as if we¡¯re just stopping in and aren¡¯t really a permanent presence,¡± I said.


    ¡°I think I understand what you mean,¡± Emmy said, her voice thoughtful. ¡°You want to show that we are here to stay, not just this week or this month, but forever. This means that we need to buy a house of our own, and not simply stay with Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ when we are here in Colombia. But you do not wish to offend the Castros, either, by turning down their hospitality.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, I don¡¯t want to offend them, sure, but even more than that, this home has warmth and love that I don¡¯t think we can ever get in our own place here,¡± I said.


    ¡°There is a second, subsidiary question,¡± Emmy said after giving it some thought. ¡°What and where should the house we buy be, and what should it be like?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that, too. It would be a boost to either Bocachica or Albornoz to set up a home there, but, well, there aren¡¯t any homes in either area that I¡¯d think could give the impression of success that we¡¯d want,¡± I said.


    ¡°Although I very much hate to admit it,¡± Emmy said, ¡°Neither area has anywhere I would want to live. They are so poor, Leah, and the homes are barely more than hovels.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty harsh description,¡± I said. ¡°But yeah, they¡¯re poor neighborhoods. Most of the streets in Bocachica are dirt, and in Albornoz the pavement is rough at best. The houses are all made of cinderblock and most have tin roofs. Definitely not the lifestyle you¡¯re accustomed to.¡±


    ¡°Nor are you,¡± Emmy countered.


    ¡°Nor am I,¡± I agreed. ¡°So as much as I think it would be a good idea to show our support for the two areas, at the same time I think it would be hard for us to be impressive living in any of the housing available in either place.¡±


    ¡°You have been giving this a lot of thought,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, but I still don¡¯t have any real conclusions,¡± I admitted. ¡°I thought maybe we could build out a beach villa on Tierra Bomba, sort of near Bocachica, but being on the island would be ridiculously inconvenient in general and it still wouldn¡¯t help the goal of showing our support for the community.¡±


    ¡°No, it would not,¡± Emmy agreed.


    ¡°Anyhow, think about it. There¡¯s no rush to make any sort of decision on the matter just yet,¡± I said.


    When I got home from my Spanish language class the next morning I found Emmy in the kitchen with Mam¨¢, chattering away in Spanish. Several weeks of intensive classes had given me more of an ability to communicate in the language, but I¡¯d likely never be as smoothly fluent as Emmy was. At some point somebody had told me that she spoke with a Barcelona accent, but I certainly wasn¡¯t at the level to be able to corroborate that claim.


    I¡¯d gotten so I could understand the Coste?ol accent there in Cartagena, but when speaking to less-educated locals I still struggled to understand unless they spoke slowly and did their best to enunciate. Mam¨¢ and Rafael were generally easy to understand, but the speed with which she and Emmy were talking made it a challenge for me.


    ¡°Hola, Baby,¡± I said, giving Emmy a kiss.


    ¡°How was your class?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied, accepting the glass of guanabana juice Mam¨¢ handed me. ¡°I re-upped for another couple of weeks.¡±


    ¡°Will we be here that long?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Babe, that¡¯s entirely up to you,¡± I said, sitting down at the table. ¡°We¡¯ll stay here as long as you need.¡±


    ¡°But your work!¡± she protested.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking care of what needs to be taken care of,¡± I replied. ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush on account of that.¡±


    ¡°What about New York?¡±


    ¡°New York is a done deal. Now that we¡¯ve taken control, lots of Night Children are flocking to join us. Our dominance is complete,¡± I said.


    ¡°You do not need to be there for that?¡± Emmy asked, doubtful.


    ¡°Nope. That¡¯s what delegation is all about.¡±


    ¡°Emmy, ni?a, we are happy for you to stay as long as you need,¡± Mam¨¢ assured her, resting her hand on Emmy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We want you to do what is best for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mam¨¢,¡± Emmy said, a grateful smile on her dark face. ¡°It has been very healing for me here, to be surrounded by family.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Mam¨¢ said, leaning down and kissing Emmy¡¯s forehead. ¡°Now help me set the table for lunch.¡±


    Rafael walked in the door right at his usual time, a quarter after one. Once he¡¯d settled into his seat at the table Emmy and Mam¨¢ set out the food and we all dug in.


    ¡°Mam¨¢, Pap¨¢, we have a difficult question and we would appreciate your thoughts on the subject,¡± Emmy announced as we ate. ¡°Leah and I, we plan to spend a lot of time here in Cartagena in the future. Night Children business, but also, and this is very important to us, to spend time with you two and Cecilia.¡± She went on to lay out the issues we¡¯d discussed the night before, being very upfront about the ramifications of the various options. The Castros listened carefully, asking questions now and then but giving Emmy the time to state the situation clearly.


    ¡°I see,¡± Rafael said, nodding thoughtfully when Emmy finished. ¡°Of course, this will always be home to you. Do not ever forget that.¡±


    ¡°I love it here,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°I love it very much, but Leah is correct when she says that we need our own house if we are to project the image we must for our people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think that you are right,¡± Rafael agreed. ¡°You need your own palace. A place that your people can identify as the seat of your power and prestige. But as you say, there aren¡¯t any places like that in Barrio Albornoz or on Tierra Bomba. But that is O.K. Your people must come to you. This leaves only two possibilities. Bocagrande, or here in the old city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be close to you guys than far away,¡± I said. ¡°I want to be able to walk over here from our new house.¡±


    ¡°The old city it is, then,¡± Rafael pronounced. ¡°There are some spectacular homes with modern renovations for sale.¡±

 A Palace

    ¡°Do you think Rafael and Mam¨¢ meant it when they seemed enthusiastic about us buying a house here?¡± I asked Emmy later.


    ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± she answered. ¡°The way I believe they see it, it is an indication of permanence from us. If we own a home here in Cartagena we will visit frequently and for the foreseeable future. If we are successful and have a child with Angela¡¯s DNA, they will have a granddaughter to dote on, a granddaughter who will be a continuing part of their lives and not merely a distant American relative.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± I admitted. ¡°And if our house here is physically close¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If we spend a month or two out of the year here in Cartagena, our daughter will grow up accepting this culture- and more specifically the Castro family- as part of her heritage. She will know Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢ as her grandparents and Cecilia as her aunt in a more¡­ complete way than if she merely visited once in a while,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Us staying here at the Castro family home¡­ it has been very good for me, and convinced me all the more that I do want their influence on our daughter. They are wonderful, loving people- and I do not mean this with any disrespect towards your mother, Leah, but the Castros are better family for our child than either set of our parents.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m gonna agree with you on that one. Like I¡¯ve said before, I¡¯m convinced your parents love you in their way, and I¡¯m also convinced they¡¯ll love our baby, too, but yeah. They aren¡¯t the warmest people I¡¯ve ever met. And my mom¡­ Again, I know she¡¯s done her best, but¡­¡± I agreed. ¡°So, yeah, having Rafael and Mam¨¢ to give our little girl all the family love and affection she can get would be a very, very good thing.¡±


    ¡°I have come to love the city as well,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Yes, it is noisy and dirty, but there is a¡­ vibrancy here that I enjoy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve really only seen the old town, the touristy areas,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°I have seen Barrio Albornoz, and that is as far from touristic as it is possible to get,¡± she countered. ¡°But yes, you are mostly correct. I have not spent any time in the working-class areas of the city. To be fair, that is true of Paris, Los Angeles and New York as well.¡±


    Chuckling, I said, ¡°My sweet, pampered princess!¡±


    Smiling wryly, Emmy admitted that it would never have occurred to her to ever come to Colombia when she was younger. ¡°Monaco, Saint-Tropez, Barcelona, yes, but Cartagena, Colombia? No. And yet I find I enjoy it here more than those other places I mentioned. Life takes us on an unexpected journey.¡±


    ¡°¡®Life is what happens when you¡¯re busy making other plans¡¯,¡± I quoted.


    ¡°That is very true,¡± Emmy conceded.


    ¡°I think I am ready to go back to Los Angeles,¡± Emmy said as we lay in bed a couple of weeks later. ¡°I think I need to see our fertility doctor, to have her check that everything is healing correctly. I am also,¡± she paused, trying to think of a way to phrase it, ¡°Feeling creatively limited here. I have been writing songs, but I need to get back to the studio to work on them properly.¡±


    ¡°If you think you¡¯re ready, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to need through Friday to finish up some things, but we can go after that,¡± I told her.


    ¡°What things?¡± Emmy asked, a bit surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been negotiating the purchase of a chunk of land with a pier and a few warehouses on it just north of Albornoz. I want to build it out as our functional headquarters. Rehab the old office building, build out the warehouses to function as training centers and material storage, use the pier to improve transport back and forth to Bocachica¡­ You get the idea.¡±


    ¡°Have you set up such a facility in the US?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t yet, but I think we need to,¡± I admitted. ¡°Well, we sort-of have. There¡¯s the facility in San Jose that we used to train our guys, but it was never really intended to be permanent. It was really useful, though, when we were just getting rolling."


    ¡°Could you bring your people down here to train?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I thought about that, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s really feasible. No, what we really need is to set up a training campus inside the United States somewhere. It¡¯s just a matter of figuring out where. It¡¯s actually come up in discussion a few times.¡±


    ¡°What would you actually use this training facility for?¡± Emmy asked, curious.


    ¡°Training,¡± I replied. Laughing at the indignant pinch Emmy got me with, I said, ¡°Well, the thing is, our outreach teams have developed a set of best practices, but it¡¯s mostly just word of mouth as to how the information gets spread. It would be good to have a systematic training regimen for newbies, and a place that old hands could discuss and work up new techniques. So our training center would have classrooms, conference rooms, things like that.¡±


    ¡°And this is where you would teach new¡­ citizens the sorts of things that Donny used to teach them in Palo Alto?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°No, but we¡¯ll teach the people who will teach those things. That sort of instruction needs to happen locally, not in some centralized location. I mean, maybe we can have those classes for new, um, citizens, as you just called them, if they happen to be local to our facility, but that really isn¡¯t the intention.,¡± I explained.


    ¡°What about your¡­ ¡®hitters¡¯? Is this where they would be trained?¡±


    ¡°No, any, um, paramilitary training would have to happen somewhere else, out of sight of the majority. Out of sight of everybody, actually. We¡¯ll probably have to do like those right-wing militia guys do and build a compound out in the woods in Michigan or something like that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Or on a piece of land next to the harbor in Colombia,¡± Emmy teased.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I grudgingly admitted.


    During dinner on Thursday night just a few days before we were scheduled to return to Los Angeles, I mentioned that I had been talking with my people about the home that Emmy and I should buy there in Cartagena.


    ¡°I talked to several of the elders, and Ricky and Maggie, too. I point-blank said that I wanted to buy a home here, and asked what I should look for. They all agreed it needs to be, as Do?a Fernandez said, ¡®un palacio¡¯. They said that it needs to show off our wealth and status. It needs to be a showcase. The two from Bocachica said it should be a Bocagrande penthouse, but the others all thought it should be a grand old home here in the walled city. Their argument was that a four hundred-year-old home shows a respect for tradition, and permanence.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°This is my thinking as well,¡± Rafael said, nodding.


    ¡°And it will be close to the family home,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°This is important to me.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°So, with these guidelines, I have a couple of homes for sale I¡¯d like to look at. Tonight, if you all have the time.¡±


    ¡°You want us to look at these homes with you?¡± Mam¨¢ asked for clarification.


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± I replied. ¡°This will be a family home, too. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d go ahead and buy a place without getting your input.¡±


    ¡°Can I come, too?¡± Cecilia asked, wide-eyed. Although she generally looked nothing like her older sister, at that moment her expression reminded me so much of Angela¡¯s that it made my heart hurt.


    ¡°I was hoping you would,¡± I told her. ¡°After all, it matters a lot if you guys approve or disapprove.¡±


    ¡°We can go after we finish eating,¡± Mam¨¢ announced, and that was that.


    The first house was only two blocks away, and while it was really nice, the second, much farther house was levels beyond.


    ¡°This is the most beautiful house I have ever seen,¡± breathed Cecilia as we followed the real estate agent through the kitchen. I had to admit it was spectacular, and had every feature we could want- minus a garage. Of course, our brownstone in New York didn¡¯t, either, for exactly the same reason- nobody had cars when the place was built.


    Rafael pulled me aside as the others went off to admire the rooftop pool.


    ¡°This house- it was¡­¡± he paused, searching for the right word. ¡°Rebuilt by someone who was very concerned with security.¡±


    ¡°I noticed that, too. Do you think it was owned by a member of the cartel?¡± I asked.


    Rafael shrugged. ¡°It is possible, but they are not the only ones who have these concerns.¡±


    ¡°It saves us a lot of hassle having to install cameras and security doors of our own,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, but I think you will want your own security expert to look everything over, to make certain there are no¡­ back doors in the system,¡± Rafael said, mirroring my own thoughts.


    ¡°What do you think of the house?¡± I asked, changing the subject.


    ¡°It is worthy of you and Emmy,¡± Rafael said approvingly. ¡°And for our granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± I said. ¡°So that¡¯s two yes votes.¡±


    ¡°I think we know how Cecilia will vote,¡± Rafael said with a chuckle. ¡°My Marisa will complain that it is too far from our home, but I think she will vote yes, too.¡±


    We wandered out into the middle of the courtyard, inhaling the scent of the many plumeria trees in pots and planters around the open space.


    ¡°This is a truly beautiful home,¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°Pap¨ª! Lee! Come up here and look at the pool!¡± Cecilia shouted down from the third floor balcony.


    Laughing at his daughter¡¯s enthusiasm, we found the stairs and started our way up to the rooftop deck.


    ¡°I really hope she can get all her schoolwork sorted out so she can come to Los Angeles,¡± I said as we passed through the second floor¡¯s sitting area.


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Rafael agreed. ¡°It will be strange, having the house to only Marisa and me, but life moves on and our children must lead lives of their own one day.¡±


    We found the group on the very top of the house, a patio large enough for a scattering of sun chairs and a cafe table and chairs.On the roof of the fourth floor we were high enough to be able to see over most of the structures between us and the Caribbean three long blocks away. Unfortunately the building directly to our south was a full story taller, but at least it had no windows facing our side.


    ¡°I like this house very much,¡± Emmy said when I wrapped my arm around her as we looked out over the roofs of the ancient city towards the water.


    ¡°I do, too,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll make our offer tomorrow. Should I offer for the furniture, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It seems to be high quality, and the style is very sophisticated. We will need to bring in our own art and all the small things that are necessary, but I could be comfortable here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no recording studio,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°The end bedroom,¡± Emmy said immediately. ¡°It is the right size, and is the only bedroom without an en suite bath. The small sitting room on the second floor will be your office.¡±


    ¡°It sounds as if you have it all mapped out,¡± I said with a laugh.


    ¡°I do,¡± Emmy said, pulling me in a little tighter. ¡°I can imagine our lives here.¡±


    ¡°Now we¡¯ll have four homes to divide up our time,¡± I said. ¡°How much time will we be able to spend in any given one of our houses?¡±


    ¡°We will simply have to find that out,¡± Emmy said, nestling up against my side. Then in a quiet voice, she said, ¡°Thank you for the life that you have given me, Leah.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Em, for the life you¡¯ve given me. This is all because of you. You¡¯re the reason I get up every morning.¡±


    A few minutes later we wandered downstairs and found the Castros talking with the real estate agent in the master bedroom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make an offer in the morning,¡± I announced. ¡°With any luck, this will be our new home.¡± Turning to Mam¨¢, I said, ¡°I wish it was just a little bit closer to your house, but¡­¡±


    ¡°We will ask them to move it closer,¡± Mam¨¢ said, smiling.


    As we walked the ten minutes back to the Castro house, Cecilia dropped back to where her father and I walked side by side in the narrow street.


    ¡°I think there are people following us,¡± she said in a low voice to not be overheard.


    ¡°How many?¡± her father asked.


    ¡°I think two men, but maybe three,¡± she replied.


    ¡°There are four of them behind us,¡± her father corrected. ¡°And three up ahead.¡±


    ¡°Que?¡± Cecilia asked, surprised. She looked ahead of us to see if she could spot the men her father was talking about.


    ¡°They are Lee¡¯s men. Everywhere that Emmy goes, they surround her to keep her safe. Cecy, eso es la vida que tienen. Despu¨¦s lo que pas¨® a tu hermana¡­¡± he explained, leaving the rest unsaid.


    Cecilia looked back at the guys shadowing us, hunching down a little bit with worry.


    I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. ¡°Cecy,¡± I said. ¡°I have guys following you when you go out of the house, too. And Mam¨¢. It¡¯s very important to me that you stay safe. I want you to know that.¡±


    ¡°They follow me?¡± she asked, surprised.


    ¡°And if they see any threats, they¡¯ll be right there to protect you. Think of them as your guardian angels.¡±


    ¡°Estefania will be so¡­¡± Cecilia said, thinking about her friend¡¯s reaction to the news.


    ¡°No la digas nada,¡± Cecila¡¯s father cautioned. ¡°Do not tell any of your friends. They are only effective if they remain a secret.¡±


    Cecilia sighed, letting her shoulders droop again. ¡°O.K., Pap¨ª,¡± she said. ¡°I won¡¯ tell anyone.¡± Then, perking up, she asked, ¡°Can I tell my friends about your new house?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not mine yet,¡± I said. ¡°Wait until the deal is done before telling anyone.¡±


    ¡°That is no fun,¡± she groused, but good-naturedly.


    In the morning I had our local lawyer draw up the offer for the house and its contents, to be purchased by an offshore holding company. Neither Emmy¡¯s name nor mine would ever appear on any deed or property tax roll. I¡¯d learned my lesson after the New York Night Children had somehow gotten word that were the new owners of our townhouse. I wasn¡¯t going to make that same mistake twice.


    The sellers verbally accepted our offer by the end of the day, which was cause for a little celebration at the Castro dinner table that night.


    After we¡¯d all toasted to the new home, Cecilia got a funny look on her face. ¡°When I come to Los Angeles to live with you, what will happen to me if you come to Cartagena to stay for a while?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Will I stay in Los Angeles? What if I have school? If I come here to Cartagena with you, will I live with you in the new house, or with Mam¨ª and Pap¨ª?¡± she clarified.


    Emmy laughed in that musical way of hers that I¡¯d been missing the last few months. ¡°Those are good questions. I do not know the answers just yet. I think we will have to decide when the time comes. We must let circumstances determine our decision,¡± Emmy said.


    Grumbling a little bit, Cecilia sat back in her chair, her arms crossed.


    ¡°We might also go to New York, or London,¡± Emmy said, which seemed to be just the thing to stop Cecilia¡¯s pout dead in its tracks.


    ¡°I like Nueva York,¡± Cecilia admitted begrudgingly.


    ¡°You will like London, too,¡± Emmy told her.


    ¡°Angela said it is always cold and wet there,¡± Cecilia objected.


    ¡°Not always. Just mostly,¡± Emmy replied with a laugh. ¡°But it is still a wonderful city.¡±


    ¡°Can we go to Paris?¡± Cecilia asked, hopeful.


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Emmy said with a shrug.

 Resuming Speed

    Going through Angela¡¯s stuff when we got back to Los Angeles wasn¡¯t as bas as I¡¯d dreaded, since now we had a road map of what to do. The clothes all went to a local thrift shop that benefitted a women¡¯s shelter as we¡¯d discussed with Mam¨¢ and Rafael. We packed up all of Angela¡¯s camera gear (after we made sure all the photos had been copied off and then deleted from the camera¡¯s memory stick). Next time we went down to Cartagena we¡¯d take it with us- it was simply too valuable to ship. I had a couple of guys from the dealership in Temecula come up and detail the little Z4 and prep it for storage. All I had to do was start it up once a month or so until it was ready to be driven again, whenever that happened to be.


    The elephant in the room that I knew Emmy didn¡¯t want to deal with was Angela¡¯s pink diamond. The folks at Tiffany had let us know it was set some time ago and asked if we wanted to pick it up or to have it shipped. Emmy had asked them to hold on to it until we could pick it up in person, mainly to avoid having to even look at it.


    Sensing Emmy¡¯s continued difficulty with the subject, I offered to pick it up when I passed through New York on my way to London.


    ¡°I think that I would like to go with you,¡± Emmy said in response.


    ¡°To London, or just New York?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°Both places,¡± Emmy answered. At my questioning look, she explained that the Penthouse was very nearly done and we should go see if everything is alright, and she knew I had business in both places and she didn¡¯t want me to feel as if I had to rush things so I could get back to her. Mostly, though, was that she didn¡¯t want to be alone in the Hollywood house.


    ¡°You could have led with that,¡± I said, wrapping her up in my arms. ¡°I¡¯d love to have you come with me, and yes, I¡¯ll feel better about taking the necessary time if I know I won¡¯t be leaving you for an extended period. But most of all, I¡¯d be happy for you to come with me so we can spend more time together.¡±


    ¡°I hate sleeping by myself,¡± Emmy admitted.


    ¡°So do I,¡± I said, holding her tightly. ¡°So do I.¡±


    ¡°I kinda didn¡¯t think we¡¯d ever see you again,¡± Jimmy said as we waited for the rest of the guys at the gas station at the bottom of Angeles Crest.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t gone that long,¡± I protested. ¡°And I popped in to the group chat every now and then.¡±


    ¡°No, I know, but¡­¡± Jimmy said, sipping his Red Bull. ¡°It¡¯s just that this whole scene, it seemed like a you and Angela thing, you know? And now she¡¯s gone, I wasn¡¯t sure how much appetite you¡¯d have anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°And I might never drive the Safari Carrera again just for that reason, as silly as that sounds. But I was driving like this before I ever met Ange, and I¡¯ll continue now that she¡¯s gone. I¡¯m gonna miss having her in the passenger seat, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Dude, how many time do I gotta tell you? You can have Kimmy any time you want a ride-along,¡± he said, jerking his thumb back towards his Ferrari and the sullen girl busily texting away in the passenger seat.


    ¡°I thought you wanted five Gs?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s aging out,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°At this point I¡¯ll let you have her for free. Just no give-backs, hear me? A deal¡¯s a deal.¡±


    ¡°You know, Angela brought peace and harmony to our household. I can¡¯t see Kimmy ever doing that,¡± I told him. ¡°So I¡¯m gonna have to pass on that offer.¡±


    ¡°Your loss,¡± Jimmy said. Then, after a moment, he said, ¡°Mine, too.¡±


    The familiar rumble of the V-12 breathing through that sweet Capristo exhaust announced Teddy Bear¡¯s arrival just about then.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re gonna have a hard time getting the key back,¡± Jimmy said.


    ¡°TB likes the Aston?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Dude, he won¡¯t shut up about how awesome it is. And the tang he¡¯s been getting? That car is a chick magnet like no Corvette ever could dream of!¡± Jimmy said.


    ¡°Bummer for him there is no humanly way possible to actually get laid in that car,¡± I said. ¡°But at least it means I won¡¯t have to have the seats cleaned.¡±


    We were still chuckling when Teddy Bear climbed out of the Madagascar Orange coupe. ¡°You two seem to be in a good mood,¡± he said.


    ¡°Jimmy was just telling me that you¡¯ve been enjoying your time with the Aston,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is one Hell of a car,¡± Teddy Bear admitted. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ll get a laugh out of this one. You remember the guy you met at that party I dragged you to, right? The English guy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I confirmed. ¡°The guy we saw at my club later.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s him. Anyhow, I took Solange to a producer¡¯s dinner party, like two weeks ago, and Jace showed up at pretty much exactly the same time. So we both get out and open our passenger doors to let our dates out of our respective cars, right? And he¡¯s eyeballing the Aston like you wouldn¡¯t believe. I mean, he just rolled up in his pearl white R8, so it¡¯s not like he had some shitbox Impala or something, but he can¡¯t stop staring at the Vantage. So anyhow, his date- some wannabe I didn¡¯t recognize- she twigs that he¡¯s paying more attention to the Aston than he is to her. As Solange and I follow the two of them in, I could hear her demanding to know what¡¯s so special about the car.¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°He just brushed it off. Later on, he asked me when I got it and I told him it was yours and you¡¯d just loaned it to me for a while. He remembered you, alright. You should¡¯ve seen the look on his face,¡± Teddy Bear said with a laugh.


    ¡°Of course he remembered our Lizzie,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°She¡¯s unforgettable.¡±


    ¡°So, you and Solange?¡± I asked Teddy Bear.


    ¡°Oh, Hell no. It was just a work thing.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got a great butt,¡± I said.


    ¡°She does, and she looks a lot better now she doesn¡¯t do the collagen lip fillers anymore, but still a solid no. No office romances for me, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°When you put it that way,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Welcome back, stranger,¡± Stein said as he got out of his now electric blue McLaren. ¡°How was Billionaire¡¯s Island?¡±


    ¡°Dude, man, you know we talked about this. They went down to Colombia to hang out with Angela¡¯s folks, not to some private island in the Hamptons,¡± Jimmy protested.


    ¡°How do you know where we went?¡± I asked Jimmy, more out of curiosity than anything.


    ¡°Are you kidding? It was all over TMZ!¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not too surprised,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s not as if we tried to hide down there.¡±


    ¡°It was hot gossip material!¡±


    ¡°What did they say about us being down there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mostly just amazed that Angela¡¯s family wants anything to do with you, you know, what with the¡­ with Angela¡¯s death,¡± Jimmy said.


    ¡°They¡¯re wonderful people, and as far as they¡¯re concerned we¡¯re still family, even with Angela gone. We¡¯re going to continue spending time down there with them- in fact, Angela¡¯s little sister is going to come up here and stay with us for her senior year of high school next year,¡± I said.


    ¡°She was at your housewarming party, right? I think I met her there.¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°Yeah, the whole family was here,¡± I said. ¡°They stayed for a couple of weeks, then spent a week at our place in Manhattan.¡±


    ¡°Your brownstone?¡± Teddy Bear asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not brown and it¡¯s not stone, but yeah,¡± I conceded.


    ¡°Next time we¡¯re both in New York I¡¯ve got to come over and check it out,¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°Angela said the place was really nice. What did they think of The Big Apple?¡±


    ¡°They enjoyed New York, but I guess they froze their asses off,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°When I asked if they went ice skating, Angela said she thought her family had never even seen ice before!¡±


    Teddy Bear gave me a funny look. ¡°You know that¡¯s a literary allusion, right?¡±


    ¡°Whoa- look at Teddy Bear¡¯s big brain!¡± Stein said, sipping his gas station coffee.


    ¡°Jackass!¡± Teddy Bear said at Stein. ¡°No, seriously, it¡¯s how Gabriel Garcia Marquez¡¯ book One Hundred Years Of Solitude starts out- with the character remembering when his grandfather took him to see the ice. Because, you know, they live in rural coastal Colombia and have never seen any before, so to see it was a memorable thing, right?¡±


    ¡°That was Angela¡¯s favorite book,¡± I said sadly. ¡°She promised me she was going to read it to me. So yeah, I can believe that she threw that out there like that.¡±


    ¡°On that depressing note, we should get rolling,¡± Jimmy said, tossing his empty energy drink can in the nearby trash can.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to wait for Stephen or Geoff?¡± I asked.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Stephen is in Phoenix and Geoff is in China right now,¡± Stein said. ¡°Which you¡¯d know if you ever checked the group texts.¡±


    ¡°Hey- I¡¯ve got other things to do,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°I feel like you don¡¯t love us anymore,¡± Jimmy wailed as he lowered himself into the seat of his Ferrari.


    I felt really rusty my first few days back at Clancy¡¯s Gym. My cardio was mostly O.K. since I¡¯d been swimming every day down in Cartagena, but my speed and strength had taken a hit. I needed some serious gym time to get back to where I¡¯d been.


    Halfway through my workout I realized that being back there in that sweat-smelling, grimy fight gym was somehow comforting to me. It was good to feel the familiar burn in an environment where I belonged.


    The regulars had all greeted me with friendly hellos, with no questions about where I¡¯d been. I turned down a couple of offers to spar with the simple explanation that I was out of shape and needed to get back in the swing of things before I was ready to face anybody in the ring, and everybody seemed to understand. It was nice, this sort of easy acceptance, and I hadn¡¯t recognized how much it mattered to my own emotional stability.


    The office, too. While I¡¯d I made it clear that I was still going to be spending a lot of time working from my home office, I¡¯d also said that would come in for a few hours during the week. The familiar feeling of sitting behind my desk and dealing with the same issues as always helped ground me back to the outside world, the world that had nothing to do with mourning over our family¡¯s tragedy. It wasn¡¯t as if I resented the time spent with Emmy down in Colombia, but it was good for me to get back into my regular, boring old groove again.


    ¡°I thought I was supposed to be the ambassador to you and your people here,¡± Akiko Tanaka exclaimed over burgers a week or so after our return to Los Angeles. ¡°But you went behind my back!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve never really discussed your exact role here,¡± I replied. ¡°And I didn¡¯t know if this was something you¡¯d have any involvement in, anyhow.¡±


    Akiko opened her mouth to speak, but couldn¡¯t find the right words so she closed her mouth again. After taking another bite of her In N Out burger, she finally said, ¡°No, I would not have had anything useful to add, but I would have put you in touch with those who did.¡±


    ¡°People I wound up talking to anyway,¡± I said.


    ¡°That is not the point. The point is that you¡­ undermined? my position. You made it seem to my elders that you did not trust me to do what I was sent here for,¡± Akiko complained.


    ¡°I can see how it might have seemed that way," I admitted. ¡°So, let¡¯s get some things clear right now. What do you see as your duties here in Los Angeles? Should I have gone though you?¡±


    ¡°I am here as our ambassador to you and your people,¡± Akiko announced with amusing gravity, since she seemed so young. I¡¯d seen her ID and knew she was twenty-three years old, but she looked fifteen.


    ¡°So when we¡¯re here, I should do all my dealings with the clan though you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°At least let me make the introductions,¡± she said, her shoulders drooping a little. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be involved after that.¡±


    ¡°And if I go to Iga Province?¡±


    ¡°I have no need to be involved at all if you do that. Mr Oshida would be the one you would work though back home,¡± Akiko said. ¡°He has been designated as your¡­ liaison? back home.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I think I understand the politics a bit better,¡± I said. ¡°I apologize for sidelining you.¡±


    ¡°What did you think I was here for?¡± Akiko asked.


    ¡°I guess my assumption was that you were mainly here to learn about me and Night Children here in the US,¡± I told her.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, too,¡± Akiko admitted.


    ¡°How has that gone?¡± I asked, curious.


    ¡°I have talked to quite a few Night Children here,¡± she said. ¡°They seem to be very happy with your leadership. Leah, several of them told me that you¡­ wiped out your enemies in New York- the enemies that attacked you in Atlanta. When they told me of this they were so very proud. They were proud that their queen struck back and gave retribution against those who would dare to try to kill you and Queen Emmy.¡±


    ¡°Did they tell you any details?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, just that it was a complete victory. They said that all of the groups that had been unsure about your nation are now lining up to join,¡± Akiko said, sipping her Coke.


    ¡°They are,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s had a real domino affect. We¡¯ve had a real rush of people since word got out.¡±


    ¡°If your¡­ military is so effective, why do you want trainers from my people?¡± Akiko asked. ¡°We are out of date. We have not had an effective fighting force in centuries.¡±


    ¡°As I explained to Mr Oshida, I want some trainers who know the old ways to train my people. Obviously I don¡¯t care about sword fighting or throwing stars or anything like that. I want training for my men in the espionage department. The shinobi were well known as spies long before anything else. That¡¯s what I need.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is what I was told. And the elders have agreed to send some men to do this, but there will be costs associated,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°What costs?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We would require you to come to Iga Province, you and Queen Emmy. We want to show you what it is we can teach your men, and we want Queen Emmy to- for her fame. We want her to help us with tourism and with interest in our home.¡±


    ¡°We need to talk about how I can help financially, too,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯d promised that I would invest as needed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be very welcome. As you may know, ours is not a rich area.¡±


    Changing the topic, I asked Akiko how she¡¯d been enjoying Los Angeles.


    ¡°It is a big, chaotic city,¡± she said. ¡°So many different cultures are here! I have eaten food from almost every nation on earth since I came here, and met so many people from so many places¡­¡±


    ¡°How are your classes?¡± I asked, just to keep the conversation moving. Akiko talked for a while about her English as a second language class, lamenting at the same time that it was too fast and yet too easy. We talked about how she had made a few friends and gone out socially with some regularity. When I asked her if she had anybody ask her about her unusual coloring, she admitted that nobody had.


    ¡°It is as you said. I find it very liberating to not have to wear the makeup and hide who I am. My friends- they don¡¯t care. They accept me as they see me. I get stares every once in a while, but I think they are out of curiosity and not fear or hatred.¡±


    ¡°This is what I want for all of your people. Mr Oshida said that quite a few of the younger people back home have chosen to live makeup-free, but most have not been brave enough yet,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Yes, it will take a long time for us to change. We have been as we are for a very, very long time and traditions are very important in our culture,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± I agreed. ¡°But change is going to happen, one way or another. Either you can embrace it and capitalize on it, or be its victim.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have made that argument very clear,¡± she replied. ¡°And the simple truth is that we agree. We see the future you have presented to us, and accept that you are right and we must do what we can.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± I said. ¡°And Emmy and I are willing to do what we can for your people.¡±


    ¡°And all you have asked from us so far is for a few of our elders that know the old ways to teach these skills to your men,¡± Akiko said.


    ¡°There may be other things I¡¯ll ask for, but they¡¯ll never be unreasonable,¡± I assured her. ¡°Certainly never anything onerous.¡±


    ¡°Onerous?¡± Akiko repeated, puzzled.


    ¡°Your English word for the day,¡± I said. ¡°¡®Onerous¡¯ means overly difficult or burdensome to do. It comes from the word ¡®onus¡¯, which means duty or responsibility. For example, your onus is to represent your people, but if it became too hard, your onus would be onerous,¡± I told her, laughing at how strange english could be sometimes.


    ¡°Onerous,¡± Akiko repeated again to try and store the word in her memory. ¡°English has so many words that mean the same thing!¡±


    ¡°That, and words that sound the same but mean completely different things, are the beauty of the language,¡± I said, amused.


    ¡°Beauty. That word must have another meaning than what I know,¡± Akiko grumbled.


    True to her word, Emmy accompanied me to New York a few weeks later. When Jeremy opened the door for us, Emmy surprised him by giving him a hug right there in the entry.


    ¡°You look great!¡± Emmy exclaimed. ¡°How are you recovering?¡±


    ¡°Slowly,¡± he said, but that didn¡¯t stop him from taking Emmy¡¯s luggage from Wally and carrying it as if it weighed nothing.


    ¡°Has he been going to his doctor¡¯s appointments?¡± I asked Wally in a low voice as we followed behind, intentionally dropping back a bit.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been taking him,¡± Wally assured me. ¡°Luisa told me that he works out twice a day and has been very careful of his diet.¡±


    ¡°He looks as if he¡¯s lost three pant sizes,¡± I said. ¡°But Emmy was right. He does look good.¡±


    ¡°Jeremy and I have been walking every day, regardless of the weather,¡± Wally said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t limp anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so good to hear,¡± I said. ¡°I was really worried for him.¡±


    ¡°He told me that he will never fail you and Emmy again,¡± Wally said. ¡°I told him that he never has yet, so why would he start?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for that, Wally. I said more or less the same thing right after the attack, but him hearing it from another source is bound to be good for his emotional state.¡±


    Luisa made dinner that night for the seven of us, and we ate in the rarely-used formal dining room. Conversation stayed light during our meal by unspoken agreement. We chatted about how the weather had been in Cartagena vs New York, and the house we were buying down there and how the London penthouse was finished and supposedly ready for occupancy.


    ¡°We are going there next, after we take care of a few things here in New York,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I am certain it will be rainy and cold, but that is to be expected this time of year.¡±


    ¡°I like London,¡± Luisa said wistfully. ¡°Even when it¡¯s cold and rainy. But cold and rainy loses its charm PDQ.¡±


    ¡°You spent a lot of time there with the Daltons, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, three to six months a year on average,¡± she said. ¡°More and more as time went on.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to come with us this time? We have enough room there for both you and Jeremy,¡± Emmy offered.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to London?¡± Jeremy asked, surprised.


    ¡°You do not have to, if you feel you are not up to it,¡± Emmy assured him, but that was like a red cape for a bull.


    Of course he said, ¡°No, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°I have school- I can¡¯t take the time off,¡± Luisa lamented. ¡°But if a rain check is available, I¡¯ll gladly take one.¡±


    ¡°Will you need me?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said. ¡°This is just going to be a low-key business trip for a few days, and to make sure the apartment really is ready to move in. I¡¯m going to talk to a friend about getting us UK residency, too. Just boring stuff, really.¡±


    ¡°And we will get you fitted for a few more suits,¡± Emmy added.


    ¡°And some more suits,¡± I agreed. ¡°But yeah, nothing exciting.¡±


    After dinner I led Michael and grant up to the parlor to talk, giving off the vibe that this meeting was just for the three of us. Nobody questioned it, or asked what we were going to talk about. Once in the parlor with the doors shut, I mixed us up some drinks while Grant started the fire. We settled down into the overstuffed seats and just relaxed for a few minutes before I began.


    ¡°I¡¯ve kept you both updated on Colombia,¡± I started. ¡°And I¡¯ve been thinking about doing something similar here, too.¡±


    ¡°In regard to what?¡± Grant asked.


    ¡°Setting up an official headquarters of some sort. We¡¯ve been running things in a very loose way, and while it has been working, we may be better served by a more structured approach. I¡¯ve told you both about the chunk of land I¡¯m buying in Cartagena, right? The plan is to rehab the old structures on it to serve as a training center for our outreach as we move into the rest of South America. We¡¯ll have classrooms and resource centers as well as dormitories for our trainees and instructors. I want to start developing a completely fresh and completely Latin American outreach program down there. Of course you two will be involved as things progress, but my hope is that within a year, two at the most, we can start sending teams out all over the continent.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve explained as much,¡± Michael said. ¡°But what does this have to do with New York? We have mostly covered North America without such a training center, so it seems a bit late to start now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretext, isn¡¯t it?¡± Grant asked. ¡°You¡¯re going to build out a training center, alright, but it¡¯s going to be for the hitters.¡±


    ¡°You are both right, in your ways,¡± I admitted. ¡°Yes, it is a bit late to start a formal training center for our outreach here in the US, since we¡¯re in the final innings of the program anyhow. The thing is, we need to codify that knowledge and experience. We need to develop a tested playbook, a guideline to our best practices. Once this is done, we can hand that guideline over to our South American division and let them run with it.¡± Sipping my Old Fashioned, I continued. ¡°We are winding down our need for outreach here in North America, it¡¯s true, but I think we will continue to need our hitters, our security forces. Some policing, of course, and some protection, same as they¡¯ve already been doing, but we¡¯re going to need the ability to project force, and seeing how well our guys executed against Big Joe, it¡¯s obvious that a dedicated and well trained standing force can do amazing things.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Marfan, aren¡¯t you?¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s looking that way,¡± I admitted. ¡°Odds are he was behind convincing Big Joe to go after us.¡±


    ¡°And you want revenge,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°It may be at least partly rationalizing, but no, revenge isn¡¯t the motivation. He¡¯s proven to be a long-term consistent threat, and I can¡¯t let that lie. He needs to be convinced permanently that he can¡¯t mess with us,¡± I countered.


    ¡°This sounds a lot like going into Iraq for weapons of mass destruction,¡± Grant said, leaning back.

 London, Again

    ¡°Yeah, I can kinda see the parallels,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to go in on the off chance of finding WMDs that might possibly exist. I¡¯m only going to initiate the op if I know for damned sure that Marfan really was behind this attack. So far the evidence looks convincing, but you¡¯re right. It isn¡¯t conclusive. What we need is proof that this Ahmet Asker character, if that even really is his name, was working for Marfan when he came to New York. That¡¯s step one.¡±


    ¡°How will you find that out?¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to watch him. We¡¯re going to watch him, and see how much time he spends with Marfan. If our assumption is correct and he¡¯s one of Marfan¡¯s right-hand men, the two will spend a fair amount of time in contact,¡± I said.


    ¡°How are you going to watch him? He lives in Istanbul! It¡¯s a very, very big city,¡± Michael protested.


    ¡°A city you know well, Michael,¡± I pointed out. ¡°And it¡¯s also a city that quite a few of our hitters know well, too. In fact, more of our people came to the US from Istanbul than any other city, for the very same reason you did.¡±


    ¡°Fleeing Marfan,¡± Michael said, realization dawning.


    ¡°Fleeing Marfan,¡± I agreed, nodding. ¡°Michael, how much would you like to get revenge on that family for what his son did to Jassie?¡±


    ¡°I would wield the knife myself,¡± Michael confessed.


    ¡°We have at least a dozen in our team that have very similar feelings,¡± I assured him. ¡°If I asked for volunteers to go after King Marfan I¡¯d have to turn people away- I¡¯d have too many. Now, every single one of those hitters grew up in or around Istanbul, so they speak the language with local accents and know their way around the city and its darker corners. In fact, Eddie worked directly for King Marfan for years, so he knows all of the places that he would be likely to be found. Setting up a surveillance squad will be dead simple. The key is going to be how to train them for this kind of work.¡±


    ¡°And here¡¯s where we return to your training center,¡± Grant said.


    ¡°And here¡¯s where we return to my training center. Yes, we¡¯ll train in combat skills, of course, but we need to bring in instructors in infiltration and surveillance, skills we really haven¡¯t had any need to develop,¡± I said.


    ¡°I could probably reach out, but any guys I can bring in may come with¡­ other allegiances,¡± Grant said, thinking about who he might know.


    ¡°Right, so we¡¯re not going to go that route,¡± I said. ¡°I already have the UK¡¯s spies interested in me, and maybe the CIA as well. No, we¡¯re going to bring in experts that have no discernible ties to Western intelligence services.¡±


    ¡°Mr Han¡¯s friends?¡± Grant asked. ¡°That might be a good choice. While we work with their military in good faith, from what I hear the SID and the CIA have more of a hate-hate relationship. They aren¡¯t likely to go tipping off American authorities.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what Mr Han said, too,¡± I agreed. ¡°And I think that¡¯s the group we need to tap for the high-tech aspects of the op. But I have another group of specialists in mind for the shoe-leather basics.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°Well, realistically, the bulk of the work isn¡¯t going to be bugging houses, tapping phone lines and hacking emails, although we absolutely are going to do that. No, that sort of thing is going to be relatively useless against what is probably a fairly low-tech target. What we need to do is actually follow Marfan and watch who it is he meets with and the places he haunts. For that we need guys who know how to do these things, so I¡¯ve reached out and been promised trainers from a group that developed those skills a very, very long time ago and has honed them to a fine art.¡±


    ¡°Aw, fuck,¡± Grant groaned. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the fucking ninjas, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Why yes, Mr Henry, I certainly am. The shinobi perfected the skill of invisibility a thousand years ago. I had a long talk with one of their experts in the old ways, and he explained it a bit. He told me that invisibility doesn¡¯t mean not being seen- invisibility means not being noticed. It¡¯s a skill, just like any other, to blend into the background.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s what the spook agencies teach their people nowadays,¡± Grant conceded.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been doing it for, what, seventy-five years? The shinobi have done it for over a thousand.¡±


    ¡°That may well be, but aren¡¯t their skill sets a bit outdated? Ninjas stopped being a thing in Japan hundreds of years ago,¡± Grant protested.


    ¡°No, they stopped being a thing that anybody took any notice of a couple of hundred years ago. They didn¡¯t go away. They put their skills of blending into use and did what they had to, to be ignored and forgotten. Many, many shinobi still utilize those skills in modern Japan. In fact, they¡¯ve adapted their skills as times have changed. They aren¡¯t lost in the past at all,¡± I said.


    ¡°And they¡¯re going to come and teach our guys invisibility?¡± Michael asked.


    ¡°Yes, they are. Which, in a roundabout way, brings us back to the training center. I had been thinking we needed some sort of compound out in the Michigan woods like if we were a bunch of gun-toting militia types, but Mr Shimoda convinced me that an urban setting would be better. So, Michael, I¡¯m going to need you to find us an appropriate site here in New York City somewhere. It has to be big enough for our more¡­ physical needs, but also has to accommodate the whole idea of an outreach hub as well.¡±


    ¡°It has to be a place where a large flow of people in and out doesn¡¯t attract attention,¡± Grant mused, thinking about it. ¡°And where we can get vehicles in and out on the regular.¡±


    With that, we turned to discussing what an ideal headquarters would entail, and what the neighborhood it would be in should look like.


    Assured that Michael and Grant understood the assignment, I headed to bed glad that our plans were progressing. It was going to take a while for it all to come together, but I was convinced we had the luxury of time. Marfan wasn¡¯t likely to strike again any time soon, allowing us to develop our surveillance and strike teams fully.


    Emmy stayed home when I went to Tiffany¡¯s to pick up the pink diamond necklace. Yes, it was heartbreaking knowing this beautiful pendant would never grace the neck of the woman it was intended for and I could well understand why Emmy didn¡¯t even want to see it, but we couldn¡¯t simply ignore it. Well, we could, but only once it was locked up in the safe in our house on the East Side.


    The setting that the Tiffany jewelers had crafted to hold the almond-sized gem was truly a work of art. The centerpiece stone was highlighted well by the white gold that held it in place without being obtrusive, letting the pink diamond be the star of the show.


    I made the appropriate noises of appreciation as they showed me the piece, but when I slipped the blue velvet box into my pocket I was happy to not have to look at the pendant any longer. At some point in the future we¡¯d find the right recipient, but that time wasn¡¯t now.


    London was cold and damp, as expected. I¡¯d booked us a room for the first night at a hotel there in Bankside just in case the penthouse wasn¡¯t actually as ready to live in as Simon and William had promised. Emmy had suggested that we see the apartment in the morning rather than late in the day so we could have time to deal with whatever issues may present themselves, and I had to agree that made sense.


    As it turned out, Emmy was tired enough from the flight that all she wanted to do was to go to the hotel to sleep, so that¡¯s what we did. I asked Jeremy if he wanted to go out for the evening, but he said no.


    ¡°My duty is to be close to Emmy. Her safety is the only thing that matters,¡± he said.


    Appreciating his sense of duty, I didn¡¯t press him on the matter. I had plans for him, plans that I really hadn¡¯t spelled out just yet. I was going to make him into the best bodyguard ever once he was ready. He was getting there, but as much as he tried to hide it I could tell he wasn¡¯t fully healed yet. When he was, I was going to work him hard.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    We met William (Simon was in Paris, evidently) the next morning at the apartment. Well, actually we met in the lobby downstairs and rode up together in the elevator, but close enough. William made the appropriate noises about what a tragedy it was that Angela¡¯s life had been cut short far too soon, and of course he was right- it was a tragedy. Emmy and I both did our best to politely make it clear that we held her memory dear in our hearts, and whatever designs he and Simon had made with Angela would be perfect for us as well.


    It would have been easy to craft the large, empty space of the penthouse into some sort of sleek, modern steel and glass thing, chic but completely soulless. Simon and William had done a much more difficult thing- they¡¯d remade the apartment into a warm, inviting environment of earth tones and natural materials, blended with modern details. The walls had been done with a hand-textured plaster and the doors and other woodwork were a dark-stained wood, but the light fixtures were contemporary low-voltage things.The weak, cold sunlight of England¡¯s early winter coming in from the two-story wall of windows facing the west and north couldn¡¯t take away from the soft warmth of the wood floors and area rugs that had been chosen for the open-plan living areas of the apartment.


    ¡°I like it very much,¡± Emmy said as we gazed down into the main living area from the upstairs walkway balcony. ¡°It reminds me of Colombia somehow.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± I agreed. ¡°I guess I hadn¡¯t realized how much work Angela put into this place. It really has her touch.¡±


    ¡°For me, the moment when I realized that Angela had worked so hard to get this house right was when William opened the kitchen cabinets and I saw those broken Japanese bowls that Angela bought in Tokyo. What is that called when they fix the broken ceramics?¡±


    ¡°Angela told me, but I don¡¯t remember what it¡¯s called,¡± I confessed. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going to have to bring some of that stuff to New York, since we have it in Los Angeles and now here.¡±


    ¡°To Cartagena as well,¡± Emmy reminded me.


    ¡°To Cartagena, too,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I will miss her forever,¡± Emmy said after a long pause.


    ¡°I will, too,¡± I said, because it was true.


    William and Simon had been truthful when they said the apartment was ready for immediate occupancy. All the linens had been stocked and the kitchen fully outfitted with all the utensils and appliances we could want. The baths even had the kinds of shampoos and soaps that we liked, which was information that must have been supplied by Angela.


    ¡°You guys did amazing work,¡± I told William, admiring my home office space overlooking the lower living room. ¡°Worth every penny.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ms Farmer,¡± he said. ¡°This was quite an enjoyable home to work on. Thank you for involving us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for working so closely with Angela on this. I can see her fingerprints quite clearly,¡± I told him.


    ¡°She had a vision, which is more than most of our clients ever do,¡± he said. ¡°It was a pleasure to work with her to make it a reality.¡±


    After William had gone, I sent Jeremy back to the hotel to bring back our luggage. We were officially moving in to our new place, symbolically at least. Yes, it was fully furnished and equipped, but we had no clothing in the closets or food in the refrigerator. It would take us a while to really settle in, and I¡¯d only really planned on a week there in Old Blighty with this visit. Sure, in that time we could fill the pantry and so on, but we¡¯d need more than that for it to feel like home.


    ¡°We should make up a shopping list of the things we need,¡± I said to Emmy as we checked the kitchen for what might not have been supplied by Simon and William.


    ¡°I do not want to go shopping today,¡± Emmy groaned.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the concierge service is for,¡± I reminded her. ¡°We don¡¯t need to go anywhere.¡±


    ¡°We will need to do some shopping,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Perhaps not for groceries, but for clothing to keep here. We will need-¡° she started, but I put a finger to her lips to shush her.


    ¡°Today, all we need is to work up a list for the concierge, and later, to order dinner for delivery. Let¡¯s just turn on the stereo, relax, and do nothing for the rest of the day. Maybe you can check to make sure the studio space is acceptable, and I¡¯ll make sure the home network is up and running and secure. But other than that, we don¡¯t need to do anything today.¡±


    ¡°I did not bring a guitar,¡± Emmy realized. ¡°I should have brought one.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow we can find a music shop. I¡¯m sure there must be one here in London somewhere, and chances are they have guitars,¡± I teased her.


    ¡°Yes, they probably do,¡± Emmy said with a smile.


    That first night we ordered food for delivery from a nearby restaurant and went to bed early. I was happy to discover that Angela had equipped the apartment with the brand of mattress we liked- the same as in our New York and Los Angeles houses. This meant that sinking into bed was a comforting, familiar experience, even as the ambient sounds in the penthouse were different than those of our other homes.


    ¡°I wish Angela could have seen this apartment,¡± Emmy said as we snuggled up for the night. ¡°She would have loved it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she would have,¡± I agreed.


    The next day we did do some shopping. Quite a bit, in fact. Emmy found a guitar store online that she wanted to visit, and in her excitement to buy the things she would need for her new little studio she wanted to get an early start. We got to the guitar shop with its blood red-painted exterior only a few minutes after they opened, and as usual, the staff and whatever few customers were there went crazy when they saw who had just walked in the door.


    The shop was cramped, jammed with mostly vintage and used gear, some of it more along the lines of collectable than intended for playing. In a glass case I saw a guitar that claimed to have been used by Eric Clapton to record his Cream albums, for example.


    Emmy tried at least a dozen guitars, playing some of her songs and some by other artists, much to the delight of the people jamming into the already crowded space. Apparently word had gotten out that Emmy was there and was playing, so it didn¡¯t take long for the manager to have to lock the front door to limit the number of people packed into the shop.


    Tiny did a commendable job of keeping everybody back, mostly by being huge and intimidating, but also with the occasional hand on a shoulder or gentle but firm push. He was polite, but made it clear that nobody was going to get within arm¡¯s reach of Emmy at all. Of course, I was keeping a sharp eye on the crowd as well but thankfully there were no issues.


    The only people that got selfies with Emmy were the staff- everybody else had to content themselves with merely recording Emmy as she tried out the different guitars.


    Eventually Emmy selected three that she liked- A Stratocaster, a hollow-body electric and a concert acoustic. She also bought a bunch of effects pedals and similar electronics and a couple of smallish amps.


    Of course there was no way we could take all that gear with us, so we arranged to have it delivered the next day.


    Our next stop was a half hour¡¯s taxi ride way to the north of London, out in the suburbs. It was a store that sold professional recording equipment, and that was it. No musical gear, unless you put microphones in that category. Just mixers, sound boards, and other similar things.


    As I¡¯d come to expect, the staff got really excited when Emmy walked in and announced that she was setting up a home recording studio and needed equipment.


    Of course they saw a solid sale, but also they were awed by Emmy¡¯s star status. Jeremy and I had nothing to do but stand around for several hours while Emmy went over this and that with the employees, discussing her needs and expectations. I had no idea what any of the things they were talking about even were, but that was O.K. All I had to do was pay for it.


    Seventy-two thousand pounds later, Emmy had all the makings of a decent little recording studio. Of course it needed to be delivered and set up, which would happen the next day.


    Our taxi driver (who had waited patiently the entire time we shopped) recommended a Caribbean restaurant near our apartment, so that¡¯s what we had for an early dinner. It was in a sort of open plaza with small shops and restaurants around the sides- small enough that if they were any smaller you¡¯d call them booths- and seating in the middle. Although it wasn¡¯t actually raining, the weather was cold enough that only a few hardy souls sat at the outside tables. As for us, it was inside seating, thank you very much.


    I had the vegetable curry, which was good, but not remarkable. Emmy seemed to enjoy her jerked chicken sandwich and Jeremy demolished his garlic pork, so maybe I just chose the wrong dish.


    Jeremy was extremely alert during the meal and the three blocks walk back to our apartment tower, only relaxing once we got into the elevator. I was going to have to have a talk with him about staying vigilant but not tense, but that was a discussion for sometime in the near future. For now, I was content to let him do his job as he saw fit.


    Emmy came and sat on my lap while I was trying to get some work done later that night. With the eight hour time difference back to California my remote work day was going to be four to midnight London time. Sure, it was a pain in the neck, but it was the price I was going to have to pay for our jet-setter lifestyle.


    ¡°What are your plans for tomorrow?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I have some people I have to meet,¡± I told her, and yes, she knew I was being evasive.


    ¡°Do I need to attend these meetings?¡± Emmy asked, probing just a little bit.


    ¡°No,¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s work stuff. Nobody would expect you to be there.¡±


    ¡°Then I will stay home with Jeremy and await the deliveries,¡± Emmy announced, clearly aware that I was including her out of whatever it was I had to do. ¡°Do not forget we have fittings with the tailors on Friday.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m actually looking forward to it. I really like the suits I got last time.¡±


    ¡°They look very good on you, too,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Especially the dark blue skirt suit. I get tingly inside when I see you wearing it.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll need to have them make me a couple more just like it, then,¡± I said, nuzzling her slender neck.


    ¡°Yes, I think so,¡± Emmy agreed, arching her neck to give me better access.


    We made love that night, christening our new apartment in the best way we could. Yes, there was an undercurrent of sadness that Angela was not there with us in the penthouse that she wanted and then designed for us, but neither of us said anything about it.


    That night we did our best to remind each other of how much we still loved each other, and while we might miss our third partner, at least Emmy still had me and I still had her. We were not going to forget Angela or pretend that her memory didn¡¯t still haunt us, but we were going to continue on with the lives we had and make the most of it.

 A Public Good

    I met Harry Powell for lunch at a restaurant right by Grosvenor Square in Mayfair. It wasn¡¯t what I would call an intimate setting, but the tables were far enough apart that a conversation could be reasonably private.


    ¡°Leah!¡± he greeted, standing up to shake my hand.


    ¡°Harry,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you. I¡¯m glad that you could meet me for lunch on such short notice.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± he replied as we sat down.


    A waiter appeared immediately with a drink menu, but I didn¡¯t bother looking at it. ¡°Glenmorangie 18 on the rocks, please,¡± I requested and the waiter gave a nod.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, disappearing as quickly as he¡¯d appeared.


    ¡°I must admit I get a little bit of a thrill seeing a woman as young as you enjoying a good Scotch,¡± Harry said with a smile.


    ¡°Speaking of which, I finally finished off that bottle you sent me. I do think you¡¯ve spoiled me for more pedestrian whiskies.¡±


    His smile grew wider. ¡°I can find you another bottle,¡± he offered.


    ¡°No, this time it¡¯s my turn,¡± I said, reaching down into my bag and pulling out a much plainer bottle than the one he¡¯d sent me. ¡°Michter¡¯s twenty-four. Enjoy it with friends, or save it for yourself. In either case, this is just about as fine a bourbon as you¡¯ll ever taste.¡±


    ¡°I will admit that my knowledge of bourbons is a bit lacking,¡± Harry said, accepting the bottle.


    ¡°This will spoil you for bourbons the way that Glen 1978 ruined me for lesser Scotches,¡± I warned him.


    ¡°Neat, rocks, water?¡± he asked, examining the bottle.


    ¡°Rocks would be my recommendation, but try it neat, too,¡± I suggested.


    Just then the waiter brought my drink, so our conversation turned to what to have for lunch.


    We talked about the new apartment, and how we¡¯d just finally taken occupancy. I promised we¡¯d have a house-warming party before too long, but I couldn¡¯t see it happening this trip since we were only going to be in town a few more days.


    ¡°I expect you¡¯ll want to establish residency, now that your apartment is finished,¡± Harry said, sparing me from having to bring it up.


    ¡°It would make sense to get that ball rolling,¡± I agreed. Dancing around the subject was never my forte, but it seemed to be the way things were done in this social circle.


    ¡°As I mentioned, I have some connections,¡± Harry said. ¡°It should be simple enough to get you and Emmy Indefinite Leave To Remain status. You could get fast-tracked towards full citizenship if you wish. It would take a few years, but you¡¯d have a British passport.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s tempting,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I think just starting with the settlement status would be good enough for now.¡±


    ¡°Easily done,¡± Harry assured me. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the right people and have them get in touch with you,¡± he said, and that was that.


    The rest of our lunch was spent on any number of topics. Harry was an excellent conversationalist, and sensitive enough to steer away from any talk about Angela or the attack, for which I was grateful.


    We also barely touched on the topic of the money I¡¯d been making him with my investment trust- apparently that was too boorish a topic for the occasion.


    I told him that I¡¯d gotten myself a Lotus to drive when in town, and thought that maybe come springtime I might like to find my way to do some driving on the track.


    ¡°Fast cars never were my vice,¡± Harry said. ¡°I think you should meet my younger brother- he fancies himself to be quite the driver. To hear him say it he¡¯s a regular Alain Prost.¡±


    Chuckling, I said, ¡°Alain gave me driving lessons once.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t believe that from anyone else,¡± Harry said with his own little laugh. ¡°But from you it seems to be expected.¡±


    ¡°Bring your brother to the housewarming party when we get around to having it,¡± I said. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll send invitations to your daughter and her family, since they¡¯re our new neighbors.¡±


    ¡°Should I bring my nana as well? The better part of my family will be there, after all,¡± Harry teased.


    ¡°The more the merrier,¡± I said, raising my nearly empty glass in a toast.


    ¡°I think we¡¯re being followed,¡± my cab driver said after leaving Mayfair.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡± I said. ¡°Can you lose them?¡±


    ¡°I should do,¡± the driver replied, looking in his rear-view mirror. ¡°But if they¡¯re real professionals it might be trouble.¡±


    ¡°If they were real professionals you wouldn¡¯t have spotted them,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± the driver admitted.


    ¡°So here¡¯s what I want you to do. Try to lose them, but not too hard. When you think you¡¯ve given them the slip, return to driving normally, and take me to the front door of the British Museum. Drop me off in front, then circle around and pick me up ten minutes later at the rear exit on¡­ Montague,¡± I said, checking the map on my phone.


    ¡°Real cloak and dagger stuff, eh?¡± the driver said, and I could hear the smile in his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll look a bit different, but you¡¯ll know it¡¯s me because I¡¯m six foot two,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Right you are,¡± he said, as he ran a cold yellow traffic light to drop any tails.


    I paid in cash with a generous tip as he rolled to a stop in front of the museum, hopping out. ¡°See you in ten,¡± I said, pointedly checking my watch.


    ¡°Ten it is,¡± he replied, before pulling back out into traffic.


    Thankfully midweek mid-afternoon late fall attendance at the museum was sparse, so there was no line for a ticket. Again, I paid in cash, hurrying inside and to the first bathroom I saw.


    The bathroom was empty, so I wasted no time removing my wig and turning my overcoat inside out, revealing the plum-colored side. I took a couple of minutes to hide my scar using the tricks they¡¯d taught me in Houston, and I was done. I turned up my collar and made my way out the back of the museum with no time to spare. Spotting the classic black cab loitering at the curb, I jumped in, pleased to see it was the same driver.


    ¡°Where to?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have a four o¡¯clock meeting at the Old Spitalfields Market,¡± I said. ¡°Drive around aimlessly until then, keeping an eye out for a tail.¡±


    ¡°What do I do if I see one, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Nothing any different. Just let me know, and get me to the market by five to four,¡± I told him.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Seems a bit odd, doing all that and then nothing if somebody is following us,¡± the driver remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a game, that¡¯s all,¡± I said. ¡°Either I won with the museum trick, or I haven¡¯t. I¡¯ll know at my meeting.¡±


    Chuckling but shaking his head, the driver made a left turn at random, then a quick right.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Colonel,¡± I said as Roger Bridger entered the boba tea shop right at four on the dot.


    ¡°Pleased to see you,¡± he said as we shook hands.


    ¡°You made my taxi driver¡¯s day,¡± I told him after he¡¯d ordered and we sat down.


    ¡°He did well, for an amateur. Ducking into the museum was an inspired touch, I must say. And changing your look- I hadn¡¯t expected the short hair,¡± Roger said admiringly. ¡°We spent far too long looking for you in the museum before we realized you¡¯d slipped out again.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit, I had fun, too,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could provide some amusement,¡± Roger said.


    ¡°So, why did you have me tailed, and why make it obvious?¡± I asked. ¡°My cab driver never should have seen you if you didn¡¯t want him to.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a test,¡± the colonel said with a wry smile. ¡°You passed, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Was Harry part of it?¡±


    ¡°Harry Powell? No, he has nothing to do with any of this,¡± Roger answered. ¡°He¡¯s merely an old school mate.¡±


    ¡°Roger,¡± I said. ¡°As I¡¯ve admitted before, I¡¯m not good at playing coy. Something about me interests you, and while you¡¯ve hinted, you¡¯ve never made it clear what it is exactly you want from me. But I have a favor to ask of you- one I think you can do without much trouble, but that I would have a difficult time without your resources.¡±


    ¡°I think I have mentioned that I admire your forthrightness,¡± Roger replied. ¡°What is this favor?¡±


    I handed him the printed composite photo from our video surveillance. ¡°This man uses the name of Ahmet Asker. I think he¡¯s probably a Turkish citizen. Any and all information you can give me would be appreciated.¡±


    Roger took the printout, looking at it closely.


    ¡°Is he a Night Child?¡± Roger asked, surprising me only a little bit.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°He was the one behind the attack that killed Angela.¡±


    Roger folded up the paper and put it in his pocket. ¡°This is a transactional world we live in,¡± he said. ¡°If I do this for you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty clear on that part,¡± I said. ¡°I still have no real idea what it is you think I can provide, but I¡¯m certainly open to possibilities.¡±


    ¡°Our understanding of Night Child society is¡­ sadly limited,¡± Roger began. ¡°Shall we start with filling in a few of the gaps in our understanding?¡±


    ¡°I can certainly do that,¡± I said with a bit of relief. ¡°And here I was worried you were going to ask me to murder someone or something.¡±


    ¡°Is that on the table?¡± Roger asked wryly.


    ¡°Word seems to have gotten out that I might be good at that sort of thing,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen the videos,¡± Roger admitted. ¡°They¡¯ve been quite the topic of discussion around the office.¡±


    ¡°What is the consensus?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The general feeling is that it would be extremely unwise to engage in an altercation with you. One of my colleagues- a man who has trained our elite for decades- said that you are, and I quote, ¡®preternaturally gifted¡¯. In fact, he expressed a strong desire to meet you,¡± the Colonel said.


    ¡°I¡¯d be O.K. with meeting him.¡± I said. ¡°Maybe I could pick up a few pointers.¡±


    ¡°How long will you be in London?¡± Roger asked. ¡°I could introduce you.¡±


    ¡°A few more days. Through the weekend, I think, then it¡¯s back to the US.¡±


    ¡°Harry Powell told me that you¡¯re interested in UK settlement, perhaps with an eye to citizenship,¡± Roger said, changing the topic. ¡°The process could be expedited¡­¡± he added.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s a transactional world we live in,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Just so,¡± Roger agreed.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll throw you a crumb,¡± I said. ¡°Night Children have lived among us for many thousands of years. You know your ancient history? Have you ever heard of the Bronze Age collapse? The group of people known as the Sea People were, in fact Night Children. They have texts written around the same time as the Epic of Gilgamesh. Best guess puts the number of Night Children worldwide at probably between fifty to seventy-five thousand-¡±


    ¡°That many?¡± Roger said in surprise.


    ¡°There are probably somewhere around fifteen hundred here in the UK alone,¡± I said.¡°Because they hide so well, it¡¯s hard to get any accurate numbers.¡±


    ¡°Your wife has told you all this?¡± Roger asked, still processing the idea of thousands and thousands of Night Children.


    ¡°I personally know hundreds of Night Children,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with the historians, and seen some of the ancient relics. I can¡¯t say that I know all the details of the history, but¡­¡±


    Roger opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. Finally, he said, ¡°And you know this for certain? How have you gained all this access?¡±


    ¡°I am Night Child royalty,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m the reigning queen of the Americas.¡±


    Roger just stared at me for a very long moment, trying to wrap his brain around the whole idea. Finally he took a long sip of his tea. ¡°This is not what I expected,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!¡± I replied with a laugh.


    ¡°And you¡¯re also a lover of the classics, I see,¡± he responded with a wry grin.


    ¡°So, yes,¡± I said. ¡°You can trust my expertise on the subject of Night Children. With a phone call I could have a dozen Night Children here in this shop before we finish our drinks.¡±


    ¡°You say that you¡¯re the queen of the Night Children in the US-¡± Roger began, but I interrupted him.


    ¡°All of the Americas,¡± I said. ¡°North, South, and in between.¡± While it may not have been true at that moment, I was a firm believer in the idea that it would be true soon enough.


    ¡°But you yourself are not a Night Child,¡± he continued.


    ¡°While the offspring of male day walkers and female Night Children will always be Night Children themselves, the offspring of male Night Children and female day walkers don¡¯t manifest the traits,¡± I said. ¡°Those of us who don¡¯t manifest are generally thought of as part of the society even if we don¡¯t have the blessing of the night.¡± Yeah, it was self-serving bullshit, but I¡¯d been leaning into it for so long and it was a very useful fiction, so¡­


    ¡°James Farmer, your father, was a Night Child?¡± Roger asked, again taken by surprise.


    ¡°Like I said, Night Children are everywhere,¡± I replied. I certainly wasn¡¯t directly lying, but I was leading him to incorrect inferences.


    Roger took another long sip of his tea, making a face when he realized it had gone cold. ¡°You¡¯re the queen of the Night Children in the Americas, and you want information on the man you say is behind your wife¡¯s killing, who is presumed to be a Turkish citizen. This would seem to indicate that it was a failure of international diplomacy.¡±


    ¡°Got it in one,¡± I said.


    ¡°What happens when I turn over to you whatever information I may find about this Asker character?¡±


    ¡°More breakdowns in international relations,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see¡­ Will this have any ramifications outside the realm of the Night Children?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°Probably not much. As you¡¯ve discovered, Night Child politics are very opaque to outsiders,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Roger agreed. ¡°But here you are, freely sharing information that we¡¯ve found impossible to otherwise acquire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll share another useful piece of information with you,¡± I told him. ¡°And this one comes at a cost. I want that information about Ahmet Asker, and on a more personal level, I need a driving instructor. I¡¯ve never driven on the left side of the road, and I¡¯d like to avoid becoming a hazard to other drivers here.¡±


    Roger laughed. ¡°Getting you some driving lessons could well be seen as a public good, then.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have whatever information we have on this Asker fellow for you by Friday,¡± Roger said. ¡°When we next meet I¡¯ll have John Hoffman, my combatives instructor friend, with me. I think you two may just hit it off.¡±


    ¡°So to speak,¡± I said as we rose out of our seats.


    Roger chuckled. ¡°Indeed. I will also see what I can do about that driving instructor for you. Now, what was that last bit of information you teased?¡±


    ¡°The king of the Night Children in Western Europe is my father-in-law, Monsieur De Lascaux. As such, he rules the UK¡¯s Night Children. If you approach him, tell him that I sent you.¡±


    ¡°We had assumed he was very important in their society,¡± Roger admitted. ¡°But to hear that he¡¯s the king¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want to talk to him- and you really should- keep in mind that he¡¯s a reasonable man. If you can align your goals with his, he¡¯s easy to work with,¡± I said.


    We shook hands and parted, Roger with a whole lot to think about and me with a smile I was doing my best to hide. I exited the market from the north entrance, glancing around to see if I was being followed again. Of course I assumed I was and that I wouldn¡¯t have the skills to spot any tails I might have, so looking around was mostly for show while I stood at the curb waiting for a cab.


    At precisely that moment a motorcycle came whizzing up, stopping right in front of me. I took the offered helmet and climbed aboard, wrapping my overcoat tightly around myself as we pulled away into the afternoon¡¯s rush hour traffic.


    This was only my third time to ride on the back of a motorcycle and the way the driver veered and swooped through the chaos of cars, buses and trucks was terrifying, but there was no way anybody could possibly follow us as we sped away.


    After a few minutes of seemingly random direction changes, the driver turned suddenly into a narrow alleyway. Away from any view from the street, he pulled over and let me off. I handed the helmet to a woman very nearly my height, and we swapped overcoats. She got on the bike and soon they were gone from sight.


    ¡°This way, Miss Farmer,¡± said a man with dark hair and unfamiliar features, but I would recognize that voice anywhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Edouard,¡± I said, following him into the back kitchen entrance to a neighborhood pub.


    ¡°And you, too,¡± he replied. ¡°Please let me say that I was terribly saddened to hear of Miss Angela¡¯s murder. And to lose the babies!¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It was a terrible blow,¡± I said as we made our way up a narrow flight of stairs to what looked like a somewhat shabby living room.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Mr De Lascaux said, rising from the couch to shake my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you in makeup before,¡± I said, looking him over. ¡°I have to admit I never would have recognized you.¡±


    Laughing, my father-in-law indicated an overstuffed seat. When we were seated, he asked, ¡°How did things go?¡± as we found our seats.


    ¡°Perfectly,¡± I said as he poured us each a glass of wine. Laughing we raised our glasses in a toast.


    ¡°To Queen Leah, master of subterfuge!¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said, and we clinked our glasses together.

 Ready

    ¡°To King De Lascaux, master of devious plots!¡± I replied.


    We drank our wine and laughed as I related exactly how the afternoon had gone. When discussing how Bridger would proceed with the knowledge that Emmy¡¯s father was the king of the region¡¯s Night Children and how that information would have relatively short window of exclusivity, we talked about how I should proceed with the various spy agencies showing interest in me.


    ¡°Remain useful and interesting to Colonel Bridger,¡± Mr Lascaux urged. ¡°I think that he will be willing to give you what you ask if he thinks that he can glean more information from you.¡±


    ¡°The moment we go public that¡¯ll dry up,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°He¡¯s only going to play as long as he believes he has some sort of advantage over the rest of the world.¡±


    ¡°This is undeniably true,¡± Mr Lascaux agreed. ¡°So use him while you can. Do you think this Colonel Bridger will have any actionable information on this Ahmet Asker individual?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility,¡± I said. ¡°Especially with the photos. Odds are the guy has passed through Heathrow at some point, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I imagine he must have,¡± Mr Lascaux agreed. ¡°What information are you hoping for?¡±


    ¡°I mainly want to know if he did fly out of Istanbul. If he did, and maybe they know if he does use that airport frequently¡­ That would indicate a likely tie to Marfan.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Tell me what happens if Asker is from Istanbul?¡± Mr Lascaux asked.


    ¡°We find him, and watch him there in Turkey. If he spends a lot of time with Marfan, we can infer that he acts as Marfan¡¯s errand boy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Acting in Marfan¡¯s home territory will be risky,¡± Mr Lascaux cautioned. ¡°Very risky.¡±


    ¡°We have some advantages in that regard,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry- we¡¯ll be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Let me know if I can offer any assistance.¡±


    ¡°I think that your biggest contribution might come in the aftermath,¡± I told him. ¡°If we clean the Marfan clan out entirely there¡¯ll be a big leadership vacuum in their nation. If you have any knowledge of who might be best to support in taking over after Marfan is gone¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you seriously planning to exterminate the whole family?¡± Mr Lascaux asked, surprised.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, that is a poisonous tree and all the branches are just as bad. If we¡¯re going to go in hot and heavy, we¡¯ll do it with the intention of pulling that entire tree out by the roots,¡± I said.


    ¡°You have the means to do this?¡± Emmy¡¯s dad asked, still trying to process the idea.


    ¡°We have the means right now to go in and cause major damage, but we want to make damned sure that we have the right target. We also need to fill in our knowledge base of who to target- that¡¯s why our surveillance program will have to be quite thorough before we go in with the long knives,¡± I told him.


    ¡°When you say, ¡®major damage¡¯, what exactly do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We know the locations and layout of Marfan¡¯s main house, his country house, his mistress¡¯ apartment, and the houses of his two living sons. We could go in tomorrow and kill everyone we find in those places and be done within a few hours. The trick will be keeping it quiet and making sure we leave no loose ends. That¡¯s where the real planning comes into play,¡± I said.


    ¡°How do you have this information?¡± Mr Lascaux asked, amazed.


    ¡°Insiders,¡± I said, not wanting to give all my secrets away. ¡°When the time comes, it¡¯ll be quick and complete. That¡¯s why it¡¯d be best to have another family or group that would be ready to step into their place at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    ¡°There is another noble family¡­ You might call them progressive, but that is only when compared to the Marfan clan. The Tezcan family is respected and too powerful for the Marfans to sideline entirely, but they have been kept out of positions of power and not allowed to take root in Istanbul, which is the seat of their nation¡¯s power. While they are not particularly friendly towards us in the West, they are not actively hostile, either. I am certain that they would gladly seize the reins if given enough support,¡± Mr Lascaux said, thinking about it. ¡°The trick will be to avoid the impression of foreign meddling.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also really important to not tip our hand,¡± I said. ¡°We run the risk of somebody informing Marfan if we tell these Tezcan people what¡¯s about to happen.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Mr Lascaux said, thinking about the problem. ¡°We will need to be very circumspect.¡±


    Changing the topic a little bit, I told Mr Lascaux about the Egyptian phone number that Big Joe had been in contact with, the one who had been trying to get Big Joe to take action against Emmy and me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that might be,¡± Mr Lascaux said, pondering the problem. ¡°I have people in Cairo. I¡¯ll get them to look into who might be agitating against the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Let me know if you find out. If it¡¯s a relatively little fish we can deal with them quickly enough, but if it¡¯s a big dog, we might have to take some time to plan an approach,¡± I said.


    Emmy¡¯s father gave me a long, appraising look. ¡°You are not willing to let things lie, are you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, sir, I am definitely not,¡± I replied, refilling my glass. ¡°As far as I am concerned, I only have two kinds of enemies: The dead, and the soon to be dead.¡±


    Eventually the topic turned to Emmy and how she was doing.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s turning the corner,¡± I said. ¡°The loss hit her hard, but she¡¯s beginning to laugh and smile again. We¡¯re gonna get through this, but it¡¯ll still take a while.¡±


    ¡°It has only been a few months,¡± Emmy¡¯s dad said. ¡°Grief never disappears entirely, but it does diminish with time.¡± After a long moment of thoughtful silence, he looked up at me. ¡°When ¨ºmeraude was attacked in San Francisco and her mother went to visit her, you told her mother to be just that- a mother, and not the queen of her people. I would urge you to remember the wisdom of that sentiment. My daughter needs you now more than ever, but not as the queen of your people. She needs your love now. Show her your softer side. Hold her in your arms, remind her that she is loved. I regret that her mother and I were never¡­¡± he trailed off, lost in memories.


    ¡°How did your meetings go?¡± Emmy asked me when I got back to the apartment.


    ¡°Really well,¡± I answered. ¡°I got a few balls rolling- everything I needed to get done.¡±


    ¡°That is good,¡± she replied. ¡°Are you hungry? We got enough curry to feed a small army. There are a few samosas as well.¡±


    ¡°Curry sounds good,¡± I said, giving her a kiss. ¡°Did everything get delivered today?¡±


    ¡°Not quite,¡± Emmy said, her shoulders sagging. ¡°We forgot a few necessary things for the home studio. They will be delivered and installed tomorrow. Will you be home?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I have no plans until Friday,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I was hoping we could maybe sleep in and have sex all day, but that¡¯s more of an aspiration than an actual plan.¡±


    ¡°We can only have sex all day if we start early,¡± Emmy admonished. ¡°If we sleep in, then we will only have sex half the day.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± I admitted. ¡°I guess we should head to bed early so we can wake up refreshed and ready to face the day.¡±


    ¡°Jeremy has already gone to his room to watch television,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You should hurry up and have your curry, then we will take a bath and go to bed to get our rest.¡±


    ¡°Bossy!¡± I laughed.


    Angela had specified just about the biggest porcelain tub you could find- plenty of room for three. This meant that it was generously spacious for just Emmy and me- another subtle reminder of what we had lost. We did our best to ignore all that empty space in the tub while we enjoyed our soapy time there in that bathroom Angela had designed for the three of us.


    ¡°This is nice,¡± Emmy said as she leaned back against my chest. ¡°Thank you for this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, babe. You were the one who suggested an early evening,¡± I replied, kissing the top of Emmy¡¯s head.


    ¡°And an early start to tomorrow, do not forget,¡± Emmy said, wrapping my arms around herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s right- you promised me sex all day,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to hold you to that promise- and hold you to me, too.¡±


    ¡°Leah, I want¡­¡± Emmy said, thinking about how to phrase it. ¡°I want to feel your weight on me when we make love. You have been treating me like a porcelain doll- so very cautious, concerned that you might break me. I do not want that, Leah. I want you to ravage me. I want you to show me your beastly side again. Take me, Leah. Take me good and hard. I need this. I need this very much."


    ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want-¡±


    ¡°I am very certain,¡± Emmy said. ¡°My doctor said that I have recovered physically. I do not think you would hurt me by loving me too hard. But Leah, it has been a very long time since I have felt your wild side and I need to feel that you still lust for me in that way. I have been¡­ afraid that you no longer find me desirable. Yes, I know intellectually that it is not true, but the heart is not always governed by the head.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± I agreed, squeezing her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve been too¡­ I don¡¯t want to say, ¡®gentle,¡¯ but I guess that¡¯s close enough. I¡¯ve been so worried about you, and yes, a big part of that is not knowing how you were doing, physically or emotionally. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been treating you like a porcelain doll, and you¡¯re absolutely right that I have been.¡±


    ¡°I am ready to return to life, Leah. Yes, I do want this time off from performing, but I want to enjoy it. I do not wish to continue to wallow in my misery any longer,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Em, I want to ask you a question, and I want a real, true answer. Don¡¯t tell me what you think I want to hear. Tell me how you feel about this,¡± I said, nuzzling behind her ear.


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Em, we¡¯ve been surrounded by Angela ever since she- since we lost her. Photos of her on the wall, spending time with her family in her home town, and now here, in this apartment that she designed. What I want you to tell me honestly is whether or not this is helping you, or hurting?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I miss her, Leah. I miss her every day,¡± Emmy said, after giving it some thought. ¡°But¡­ I think that these reminders are good for me. This house, it reminds me of the love and the joy that Angela had, and reminds me that there is a way to live that embraces this way of being. Leah, Angela showed me that there is an entire side of life that cares little for power, wealth, or influence. She taught me that family can mean more than duty and obligation. It can also mean unconditional love. This is a lesson I wish to never forget, Leah. Being surrounded by Angie¡¯s memory will help me remember, and will remind me to keep it in my heart. I want to continue looking at that photo of Angela looking over her shoulder. I want to continue to use those Japanese kitchen knives she insisted we buy in Tokyo. I want to feel that Andean wool rug in the living room here beneath my bare feet. Leah, I want to be surrounded by Angela¡¯s memory. If I cannot have her, let me continue to have those reminders.¡±


    ¡°I think we should print a few more photos of her for our walls,¡± I said. ¡°I miss her, too, and want to remember her.¡±


    Breaking out of the melancholy of the moment, Emmy sat up and turned around to face me, smiling. ¡°You know I downloaded all of her photos, right? From her computer and her camera¡¯s memory cards? There were some very saucy pictures in there. Very saucy.¡±


    ¡°I saw a few from her time with Antonio,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I do not think you have seen all, or even most,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Some are very explicit, but most are simply nudes. I do not know how old she was when she started taking these photos, but she looked very young in some of them.¡±


    ¡°She always looked young,¡± I protested.


    ¡°She looked younger than Cecy is now,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Young enough that I am worried about the legality of even keeping them.¡±


    ¡°I guess we can look at the metadata to see if she was underaged,¡± I said. ¡°But I think she said that she didn¡¯t get her first camera until she was in college.¡±


    ¡°I would hate to have to delete any of the photos,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I do hope that they are legal.¡±


    ¡°Not to change the subject,¡± I said, changing the subject. ¡°But I have noticed a distinctly woeful lack of sexy nude pictures of you. I think we need to have a little photography session. I¡¯ll shoot a bunch of hot photos of you so I can look at them when we¡¯re apart.¡±


    ¡°Fair is fair,¡± Emmy said, leaning back and resting her arms on the sides of the tub. ¡°I will need masturbatory material of you as well. For when you travel for business.¡±


    ¡°We already promised Ange¡¯s Nikon to her cousin,¡± I said, thoughtfully. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to buy another one for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Emmy commanded. ¡°I can already visualize how I want you to pose.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to kick Jeremy out of the house,¡± I said.


    ¡°Everyone in our New York house has seen you nude. Why not him, too?¡± Emmy teased.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I groaned. ¡°Yeah, no thanks.¡±


    Knowing that Emmy would sleep for hours yet, I made my way down to the building¡¯s fitness center when I woke up early. It wasn¡¯t a real gym in the sense of weights, mats and so on, but it did have plenty of cardio machines of various sorts and a full selection of weight machines of various kinds.


    I ran for an hour on a treadmill, but that was allI could take before boredom set in. I vowed to find a real gym as soon as I could as I stared at the television showing BBC News with the sound off, since the fitness center had no windows.


    Jeremy was up and having breakfast when I got back to the apartment.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get us memberships at a real gym for the time we¡¯ll be in London,¡± I told him. ¡°The fitness center downstairs just won¡¯t cut it.¡±


    ¡°I worked out down there yesterday,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°It¡¯s fine for businessmen and housewives, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± I told him. ¡°Like I told you before, I want you to continue in this role for the long term. I can¡¯t ask for a more committed protector than you- you¡¯ve proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.¡±


    ¡°But?¡± Jeremy asked, clearly concerned at the way the conversation was going.


    ¡°But you need more training,¡± I told him. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re still not fully recovered from your injuries and I don¡¯t want to slow your healing down any at all, but I think it¡¯s time we start to work on your skill sets. I want you to be the very best you can possibly be, even if it takes a while. You¡¯ve been doing a great job of getting back on your feet- believe me, it shows. I¡¯m thinking that when we get back to the US I¡¯m going to enroll you in a professional bodyguard training program, and an evasive driving school, and so on.¡±


    ¡°How long will all that take?¡± Jeremy asked.


    ¡°As long as it does,¡± I told him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter much. What matters is that I¡¯m investing in you, right? I see your potential, and I know- I mean, I absolutely know that you¡¯re committed to protecting Emmy with your life if need be. I can¡¯t possibly ask more than that. So what I want is take the diamond in the rough and polish it up. If it takes a year for this to happen, that¡¯s fine. I know you¡¯ll do your best and when you¡¯re done and ready Emmy will be safe with you right there.¡±


    ¡°A year?¡± Tiny gasped.


    ¡°I have no idea how long the programs last or anything like that,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Like I said, that¡¯s of secondary importance. Most important of all is that you learn what you can.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯ll do anything you ask, my queen,¡± Jeremey said, his shoulders dropping a little. ¡°But I hate the idea of being away and leaving Queen Emmy unprotected.¡±


    ¡°I know you do,¡± I agreed. ¡°But I think we can make this work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Jeremy said, but it was obvious that he didn¡¯t like being sent away.


    ¡°Tomorrow morning we¡¯ll go to a local fight gym and get a real workout in. I want to see how you¡¯re progressing,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should look forward to this or dread it,¡± he said wryly.


    ¡°Dread it,¡± I assured him.


    I¡¯d just finished my shower and gotten dressed in jeans and a comfy shirt when Jeremy announced that the sound engineering guys had arrived, so I woke Emmy up and got her moving and into her own shower. I stayed to watch to make sure she didn¡¯t fall asleep while bathing. At least, that¡¯s what I told Emmy, but I don¡¯t think she believed me.


    I toweled her off when she was done, and it was a familiar sort of fun game we played. I helped Emmy get dressed, too, and soon enough she was in the small studio supervising the electronics installation, then playing her guitar while the techs got everything dialed in just right.


    Once they were gone it was time for lunch. The weather was dreary, a cold but light rain keeping the day dismal. Grateful for the concierge¡¯s shopping service, I made us a salad with grilled chicken, for lack of any desire to go out. As a bonus, eating in allowed Emmy to return quickly to her pocket-sized studio.


    Apparently the whole ¡®sex all day¡¯ thing had gone by the wayside. Still hopeful for a hot night, I fired up my computer for a day of work. I consoled myself with the knowledge that at least I had an incredible view out of the giant two-story-high windows facing the west from my desk.

 My Beastly Self

    ¡°I know you said that your working hours here are four in the afternoon to midnight,¡± Emmy said as she wedged herself between me and my desk, sitting on my lap. ¡°But can you leave work early tonight? I would love your help with my bath.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to give you a hand,¡± I said, my voice becoming muffled as Emmy buried my face in her cleavage. ¡°Maybe both hands.¡±


    ¡°I would appreciate that very much,¡± Emmy said, kissing my forehead. ¡°I will go up and draw my bath now. I will need you in no more than ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Bossy!¡± I said, but I will admit that my snuffling around in Emmy¡¯s cleavage diminished the impact my comment might have had.


    ¡°Ten minutes,¡± Emmy repeated, getting up of my lap to my groan of protest. ¡°Ten minutes, then bath.¡±


    The moment she was gone I set an ¡®out of office¡¯ auto reply, then logged out of everything on my laptop. I was definitely done working for the night. I hustled to the master bedroom, where I unceremoniously ditched my clothes. I could hear the water running in the tub, so I knew I was well inside Emmy¡¯s time limit. Sure, it was a silly game, but silly games are important in relationships, too.


    Emmy was already in the hot, hot water, so I stepped into the big, oval tub very slowly, since the water was yes, very hot.


    ¡°I am glad you could join me,¡± Emmy said with a saucy smile. ¡°I was starting to worry that you might get stuck at work.¡±


    ¡°No chance of that when the other option is a naked Emmy,¡± I said, easing myself into the water. ¡°Naked Emmys win every time.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful to hear that I am high on your list of priorities,¡± my lovely wife said, stroking my calf under the water.


    ¡°The highest,¡± I assured her, finally mostly submerged.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I have given some more thought to your question,¡± Emmy announced.


    ¡°What question?¡±


    ¡°You asked if these constant reminders of Angela are good for my emotional well-being,¡± Emmy said, splashing some water on her chest.


    ¡°And what thoughts have you had?¡±


    ¡°I want to be reminded on a daily basis of what good there is in the world, and of what I should aspire to be, as a mother and as a wife. Yes, I do think these reminders are important for me,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Em, I don¡¯t want you to try to become another Angela,¡± I cautioned her. ¡°I fell in love with you, and married you because of who you are.¡±


    ¡°And you fell in love with her because of who she was,¡± Emmy countered. ¡°As did I. I do not think it is a bad thing to try to incorporate some of the lessons on life that I learned from her.¡±


    ¡°No, I guess when you put it that way¡­¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I have given thought to another thing you said,¡± Emmy added. ¡°About nude photos of me. Yes, we joked about it, but I think I would like to pose for you, as Angela did. I do think that we should buy a camera for ourselves. It would not need to be as complicated as Angela¡¯s, but something of good quality. If we see a camera shop we should stop in and buy something.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d pose like Angela did?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°I would for you,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°There was a series that I believe you took, of Angela in the bathtub of our Century City condominium. Do you remember those pictures? There is one that I liked very much. Angela¡¯s body is right at the water level, but she is leaning forward, away from the camera, resting her arms on the side of the bathtub, looking back over her shoulder. Do you remember it?¡±


    ¡°I remember it very well,¡± I told her, because I absolutely did.


    ¡°It was like this,¡± Emmy said, turning around, supporting herself on her knees and her folded arms on the far end of the tub. This left just the tops of round swells of her ass above the waterline. My main focus was on the curve of her shapely spine as she glanced back over her right shoulder at me. Emmy didn¡¯t have the pose exactly correct, and we had no candles to get the soft lighting from the photo, but it was close enough.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, my voice turning husky with desire. ¡°You look so good there¡¯s a very real risk I¡¯m just going to eat you right up.¡±


    ¡°I am willing to accept these risks,¡± Emmy said, lifting her butt slightly higher out of the water.


    ¡°Babe,¡± I said, running my hands up the outside of her thighs as I moved closer. ¡°I may not be able to control my beastly self.¡±


    Emmy sighed and closed her eyes at my touch. ¡°It has been too long since I have experienced your loss of control. Leah, I am your to do with as you wish tonight. Use me. Use me until I cannot move a muscle. Use me so that I am sore in all the best ways tomorrow. This is what I want, Leah. Let the beast within you loose, my love.¡±

 Stealing Thunder

    ¡°I¡¯m going to check out a nearby gym this morning,¡± I told Jeremy when he wandered into the kitchen to fix himself some breakfast. ¡°Emmy¡¯s still asleep, and probably will be for quite some time. In fact, I¡¯ll probably be back before she wakes up. We¡¯re all going out this afternoon to do some shopping, so you¡¯ll be on duty then.¡±


    ¡°What time do you expect to be back?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It depends on how good the gym is,¡± I replied. ¡°I might be as late as eleven, if it¡¯s everything I hope it¡¯ll be. If it is,¡± I added, ¡°I¡¯m going to sign you up as well.¡±


    ¡°How long will we be here in London?¡± Jeremy asked, surprised.


    ¡°We might be here for a few more weeks,¡± I told him. ¡°Em says she wants to spend some more time here, getting familiar with the house and also with the city. I don¡¯t need to be back to the US for anything anytime soon, so we¡¯ll stick around here as long as Emmy wants. She promised Jackson that she¡¯d help him on his solo album and they¡¯ll start recording in December, so we have some leeway.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get to know London a bit better, too,¡± Jeremy admitted. ¡°I think I told you that my mother was born and raised here. She used to tell me stories of the things that she had seen. When you gave me the time off during the tour I went to some of those places, but not very many. I¡¯d like to be able to see more of the city that she told me so much about.¡±


    ¡°Is your mother still alive?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, she is,¡± he replied. ¡°She lives in Reno.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯d like to come back here for a visit?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I think she remembers London fondly, but she¡¯s never told me why she left and came to the US. She also really doesn¡¯t get around all that much anymore- she¡¯s gotten pretty set in her ways.¡±


    ¡°You should give her a call and ask her. Maybe not this trip, but sometime she could come with us for a while when we return,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it,¡± he replied, but I could hear the doubt in his voice.


    The ten minute walk in the dark with its cold morning drizzle wasn¡¯t bad enough to make me want to get a ride, but close. It would be an hour yet before the official sunrise, and only early risers were out on the streets so I had those few minutes to let my mind wander.


    The club was located in two of those barrel-shaped spaces underneath elevated railroad tracks, reminding me of the club I¡¯d trained at in Melbourne. The sign out front proudly proclaimed that they had been granted license by Queen Victoria, which I found amusing. On the other hand, the signage on the windows listed the modern fighting forms they offered, so this wasn¡¯t some sort of ¡®Queen¡¯s Rules¡¯ kind of gentlemen''s boxing club.


    The layout inside was reminiscent of the place in Melbourne, too, but I guess that was a constraint of the brick walls limiting what could be done.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t you look a bit wet,¡± said the heavyset middle-aged man behind the counter.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining out,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°That¡¯s what brollies are for,¡± he said, good-naturedly giving me a hard time.


    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t mind a bit of rain. I¡¯m used to it, being from Southern California and all,¡± I replied.


    This got a laugh from the guy, which is what I¡¯d intended.


    I told him that I was going to be in London for a little while and needed a place to get good workouts in, and wanted to check out the facilities. Coming out from behind the counter, he gave me a tour of the place while explaining their membership packages and classes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be needing any of the classes, but if I like the place I¡¯m going to sign up my friend, and he will,¡± I said.


    ¡°D¡¯you fight?¡± Gabe (at least, that¡¯s what the name embroidered on his shirt said) asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been known to do so on occasion,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re too big for any of the official women¡¯s weight classes,¡± he said, looking me up and down.


    ¡°I spar with men,¡± I said, ¡°at my regular gym back in Los Angeles.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Gabe asked. ¡°What¡¯s your style?¡±


    ¡°Mixed,¡± I told him. ¡°I don¡¯t really specialize in any one technique.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Gabe said. By then we¡¯d finished the tour, because really, how much time does it take?


    ¡°Well, the place looks good and you¡¯ve got the equipment and stations I need. All this matted area- how much is available during class time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The classes are held in the other side,¡± Gabe said, indicating the low archway that led from the barrel-shaped chamber we were in to the other. ¡°This side is for strength training,¡± he explained, indicating the weights area, ¡°personal training and self workouts. The rings on the other side are for class use only, unless there are no classes scheduled. This side, you sign up there,¡± he said, pointing to a whiteboard. ¡°You can reserve certain times, or first-come, first served. If there¡¯s a waiting list you¡¯re limited to no more than twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about the personal training,¡± I urged.


    ¡°It¡¯s sixty quid an hour. You can book a specific trainer, depending on their schedule, or luck of the draw,¡± Gabe said.


    ¡°Alright, sounds good. How about I sign up for your trial one-day for today, then if I like it, we book something more long-term?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°I think Donna might be available for training,¡± Gabe said, hunting around for the trainers¡¯ schedule.


    ¡°I won¡¯t need it. All I need is access to the weights and then some mat space.¡±


    ¡°Easy enough,¡± Gabe said, sliding the necessary form across the counter for me to fill out.


    When I slid it back, he looked it over to make sure it was complete. His eyes landed on my name, and I could see when recognition hit.


    ¡°Leah Farmer? The Leah Farmer? The one from Atlanta?¡± he asked, appraising me with a new interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not from Atlanta, but yeah¡­ That¡¯s me.¡±


    Gabe looked around to see if anybody else had heard our exchange, but nobody else was close. ¡°Look here,¡± he said, his voice low. ¡°I get it- you need a place to train, right? But this is a good, clean gym. Strictly by the regs, you get me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask,¡± I told him, my voice low to match his. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t do anything¡­ unsanctioned¡­ while I¡¯m here. Like you said, all I want is a place to work out and keep myself in shape. I can promise you I won¡¯t kill anyone here.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    At the look on his face, I couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile. ¡°Unless they really deserve it. Then all bets are off.¡±


    Gabe sighed, trying not to crack a smile. ¡°You had long, blonde hair in the video,¡± he said, ¡°so hopefully nobody here will recognize you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I cut my hair and dyed it,¡± I said.


    ¡°If I sign you up, you have to promise me that you¡¯ll stick to competition-allowed moves, even in practice. I see you do anything else, you¡¯re out of here- and no refunds.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said, sliding the filled-out form back to his side of the counter again.


    He took it and slipped it into a shredder behind the counter. ¡°Fill it out again, but use some other name,¡± he instructed, handing me a fresh one. ¡°You¡¯ll use that name when you¡¯re here, right? Don¡¯t let anyone know who you really are, or you¡¯re out- no refunds.¡±


    ¡°My local gym in LA- they all know exactly who I am, but everybody¡¯s cool with it,¡± I protested.


    ¡°We¡¯re licensed by the crown,¡± Gabe said. ¡°We¡¯re not some sort of underground fighting gym.¡±


    ¡°Neither is the place in LA,¡± I countered. ¡°I can give you the phone number and you can call them to ask about me, if you want.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, I added, ¡°They¡¯ll likely be secretive about me training there and won¡¯t tell you anything unless I give them the O.K., so if you think you are going to call, let me know and I¡¯ll tell Eddie he can talk to you.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t really doing a bang-up job of convincing me this is a good idea,¡± Gabe grumbled.


    ¡°Hey- you see me doing something you don¡¯t like, kick me out. I think that¡¯s fair.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Gabe said, taking my credit card to charge me for the one-day trial membership.


    I did get in a good workout, and at that early hour there was no real competition for the weights. Gabe had mentioned that the place got busy after working hours but not many people came in before work, and that was perfect for me.


    ¡°That was three hours,¡± Gabe said, checking the big wall clock when I went to sign up for a longer-term membership. ¡°I was watching you. You stuck to the rules and didn¡¯t do nothing wrong, so I¡¯m going to go ahead and sign you up. Remember our agreement and all¡¯s well.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± I said. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll be bringing a friend, and he¡¯ll need classes and personal training. I¡¯ll work with him tomorrow to get a feel for what he needs, and then we¡¯ll sign him up with your trainers. Right now I¡¯ll pay for a month for both of us.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t sign him up. He has to fill out the paperwork and sign everything himself,¡± Gabe said, sliding only one membership form across the counter to me.


    ¡°Makes sense," I admitted. In a moment I had my membership in the name of Lizzie Castro filled out and handed back.


    Gabe looked it over, nodding in approval. "We open at six,¡± he said, ¡°but hardly anybody comes in before seven. If you want the place to yourselves, early is the time.¡±


    ¡°How was the gym?¡± Jeremy asked when I got back to the apartment.


    ¡°It was good,¡± I told him. ¡°We¡¯re going tomorrow morning at six to get you signed in and start on your training.¡±


    ¡°What time do we need to leave?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re out the door by six we¡¯re fine,¡± I assured him. ¡°So be up no later than five thirty, so we have time for a quick bite.¡± Then thinking about it, I asked, ¡°Did you pack any workout clothing? We can get your fighting gear there at the gym.¡±


    ¡°I only brought shorts and T shirts,¡± Jeremy admitted.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± I assured him. ¡°We can get you everything else when we¡¯re out shopping this afternoon.¡±


    Emmy woke up in time for lunch, which was about what I¡¯d expected. We¡¯d gotten to sleep quite late, after all, and she was never a morning person.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said in a sleepy voice when I set a plate in front of her.


    ¡°Eat up, babe,¡± I told her. ¡°You need to put on a little more weight- doctor¡¯s orders.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she agreed. ¡°But she also said that it should be lean muscle and not simply fat. I should get back in the habit of dancing every day.¡±


    ¡°You should,¡± I said. ¡°You used to dance all the time, but it¡¯s been a few years.¡±


    ¡°I had not felt as if I had the time before,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°But now, I have nothing but time.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hit up a music store and get some CDs for the stereo when we¡¯re out,¡± I suggested. ¡°You can start back up again.¡±


    ¡°We will have quite a busy day!¡± Emmy exclaimed. ¡°Shopping for clothes and then for music¡­ What else do we need to buy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find something else to spend money on,¡± I said.


    After we finished eating I called a limo service chosen more or less at random. I booked us the full day so we wouldn¡¯t feel rushed. It would also give us a way to transport all our purchases back to the apartment without having to carry a bunch of shopping bags as we went, too.


    ¡°Record store first,¡± Emmy commanded as we piled into the big Mercedes sedan. ¡°Then clothes.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that works,¡± I agreed, so off we went to a record store in East London so famous even I had heard of it.


    There was a line to get in, but we didn¡¯t bother with that. We just barged up to the front. This earned us a few complaints until the people in the queue recognized who it was, then the shouts changed tone. The guy manning the door and only letting people in a few at a time didn¡¯t hesitate to allow the three of us in immediately, a treatment I¡¯d come to expect when with Emmy.


    What we hadn¡¯t known was that a band I¡¯d never heard of was going to do an in-store and signing afterwards, and Emmy¡¯s arrival completely stole their thunder. Those poor bastards had to compete with one of the world¡¯s most famous rock artists for attention, and it just wasn¡¯t going their way.


    Of course Emmy was sensitive to their plight, so she went over to the stage they were setting up on to talk to them and give them some encouragement. I didn¡¯t hear what she said, but when they were ready to start she took the stage, microphone in hand.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± she announced, ¡°I would like to introduce one of my favorite up-and-coming new bands to you. Please give a warm welcome to The Hotdog Warriors!¡±


    With that, she gave a sweeping hand gesture indicating the five musicians, who bashfully acknowledged the crowd. Emmy handed the mic to the singer and stepped off the stage.


    ¡°Like Emmy said, we are The Hotdog Warriors, straight from the beautiful city of Leeds!¡± said the band¡¯s frontman, who looked as if he ate too little and did too much dope of various kinds.


    ¡°Let me guess- you never heard of them before just now,¡± I said into Emmy¡¯s ear when she rejoined Jeremy and me.


    ¡°Never,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°I have no idea what kind of music they play, either. But it was the least I could do to introduce them like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± I agreed. ¡°It was probably the highlight of their short careers to have you share the stage with them, even if it was only for a minute.¡±


    We did our shopping while the band played what was to me eminently forgettable emo pop of some kind. All those people that had been standing in line had come to see The Hotdog Warriors, so the rest of the store was more or less empty, giving us plenty of room to browse. Of course there was still a fairly steady stream of people who wanted to tell Emmy that they loved her, or get her photo, but that was to be expected.


    I filled a shopping basket with CDs, as well as a few store-branded T shirts for gifts back home. I knew my mom would know the name of the place, so I got her a hoodie to go with the T shirt. Tiffany and Grace just got shirts.


    Poor Jeremy was given the task of carrying Emmy¡¯s shopping basket, which was quickly filled, and then the next, which got filled as well. By the time we were done Emmy had bought literally hundreds of CDs. It took several employees to carry the boxes out to the car when we were finally done.


    ¡°We will need to buy a storage rack for all the music,¡± Emmy said as we headed to the first of a series of flagship boutiques.


    ¡°My vote is we get Simon and William to get us something. They¡¯ll know what would fit with the decor, and where to get it,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°That is an excellent idea,¡± Emmy agreed, pulling out her phone to text the designers.


    Burberry was our first stop on what seemed an endless afternoon and evening of clothes shopping. Emmy insisted on buying an overcoat and scarf for Jeremy, along with plenty of stuff for the two of us. She suggested buying a coat for when Tiffany or Cecilia come to London, but I nixed that idea, pointing out that the two were growing and anything we bought would be a rough guess on sizing in the best of circumstances, and besides, wouldn¡¯t she want to bring them shopping anyhow when they actually get to visit London?


    It was gratifying that the boutiques we visited were accustomed to celebrity shoppers and understood the need to be discreet. We were well assisted every place we went without being mobbed by other customers or overly fawned on by the staff.


    Emmy suggested that we have all our purchases delivered since we had bought so much, but again, I vetoed that idea.


    ¡°The fewer people who know our address here the better. It won¡¯t remain a secret for very long, but still¡­¡± I said, and Emmy gave in with an understanding nod.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± she agreed.


    After returning to the apartment tower and unloading everything we¡¯d bought, we went to the same Indian restaurant that we¡¯d found when The Downfall had stopped in town. Of course I went straight for the lamb curry again, and it was just as good as I¡¯d remembered. Savoring my meal, I made a mental note to return to London more often in the future.


    ¡°I had a lovely day today, Leah. Thank you very much,¡± Emmy said as we relaxed in the tub that night.


    ¡°Even though the weather was terrible?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That did not matter to me,¡± she replied, leaning back against me and gently splashing water on her chest. ¡°I merely enjoyed spending time with you, as we used to do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was nice,¡± I admitted. ¡°And now our closet is half full.¡±


    ¡°And we have music to listen to,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I noticed that you bought the CD from that band that had the in-store,¡± I teased.


    ¡°I will probably only listen to it one time,¡± Emmy confessed. ¡°I did not enjoy their music very much, but I felt I should show support.¡±


    ¡°Just you introducing them did that,¡± I responded, kissing her silky white hair.


    ¡°I felt terrible for upstaging them. It was the least I could do to help them regain the spotlight.¡±


    ¡°I think it worked,¡± I agreed.


    Emmy wrapped my arms around herself and snuggled up more closely. ¡°Would you be up for more lovemaking tonight?¡± she asked, her voice hopeful. ¡°But perhaps a little less vigorous than last night?¡±

 Fee Fi Fo Fum

    Jeremy and I were out the door a few minutes before six the next morning. While we weren¡¯t quite there when Gabe unlocked the door, we were pretty close. There was only one other client in the place, already working on his warmups. I got Jeremy signed up for the same monthly membership I¡¯d enrolled in for myself.


    After the same tour that I¡¯d gotten the day before, Tiny and I got changed in our respective locker rooms.


    ¡°Today we¡¯re going to evaluate your fitness and technique levels,¡± I told him. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to wear you down to nothing, don¡¯t worry about that. We¡¯re just going to work hard enough for me to see what direction we need to take your training. This is really important, Jeremy- tell me if anything at all strains your injuries. I¡¯ll only be able to tailor your workout properly if you¡¯re honest about what hurts and what¡¯s O.K., got it? This is about helping your recovery, not setting it back. I¡¯m serious about this,¡± I said while he was warming up on an exercise bike.


    ¡°Yeah, got it,¡± he said, starting to breathe heavily.


    ¡°When we work on fighting technique, I¡¯m not going to hit you at all. You¡¯re not to spar or get hit until I am one hundred per cent certain it won¡¯t do more damage. Until you¡¯re all healed up we¡¯ll work on your strikes, that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Jeremy agreed with what little breath he could spare.


    ¡®Lots of cardio,¡¯ I mentally noted as I watched the big man huff and puff.


    He did a lot better on weights, which I¡¯d expected. After all, he was a big, strong guy and Luisa had mentioned that he was lifting weights in the home gym in Manhattan twice a day.


    His strength was disproportional, though. He hadn¡¯t been prioritizing core strength so much as upper body work, so while he could bench press or curl an amazing amount, his squats weren¡¯t that impressive. As it turns out, sit-ups were very uncomfortable for him, thanks for multiple stab wounds in the belly, so we bypassed those for the time being.


    After weights we worked on mobility, since he was very weak in that department. Jeremy clearly needed a workout plan that built on the basic fundamentals for a while, but that was fine. This was exactly the kind of thing we were here to discover.


    Even though he was definitely flagging by this time, I had him work on basic boxing moves. He wasn¡¯t flexible enough for any kicks, and nobody was ever going to try to take a man as big as him to the ground, right?


    ¡°Let¡¯s put that upper-body strength to good use,¡± I told him as I coached him on following through with his punches.


    When he¡¯d finally had enough, I told him to walk for half an hour on the treadmill. ¡°When you¡¯re tired, that¡¯s when you need to step up,¡± I told him. ¡°And working yourself hard is how gains happen.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to the apartment after I¡¯m done?¡± he asked hopefully.


    ¡°You will. Go back home, have a good breakfast, and take a hot bath. Recovery is when you build strength and fitness. I still have to get my own workout in,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯ll be home in time for lunch.¡±


    ¡°I watched you work with that guy,¡± Gabe said when I clocked out for the morning. ¡°He¡¯s strong, but doesn¡¯t know anything about boxing. I found it odd that you taught him boxing moves- you said you fight mixed.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s strong, but it¡¯s body builder strength, not weight lifter strength. He needs to back up and focus on his core for a while. That, and his range of motion work. I figure boxing¡¯ll suit him best, and is the right way to start. I¡¯m going to get him in here five days a week for now. Three days on strength and flexibility, two days of cardio and your boxing classes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I overheard something about his recovery- he¡¯s the guy from the video, too, isn¡¯t he?¡± Gabe asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I admitted. ¡°He almost got killed. He took quite a few stab wounds. He tells me he¡¯s almost back up to full strength, but I really, really don¡¯t want him to tear anything open. He seemed fine with most everything we did today, but I don¡¯t want him to take any serious punches for a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard as nails,¡± Gabe said, shaking his head admiringly.


    Telling Emmy that I had another meeting, I slipped out of the apartment that afternoon, taking a taxi to a somewhat upscale chain kebab place by Charing Cross Road.


    After placing my order for, oddly enough, a doner quesadilla (more out of morbid curiosity than anything else), I took a seat across from Roger Bridger.


    ¡°Good to see you again,¡± the colonel said.


    ¡°And you, too,¡± I agreed, taking a sip from my Coke.


    ¡°I have some things for you,¡± he said, slipping me a manila envelope.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± I said, slipping the envelope into my bag.


    ¡°And here¡¯s the number of a driving instructor who may well suit your needs perfectly,¡± he said, handing me a business card. ¡°He¡¯s expecting your call. He¡¯ll know what it is you need.¡±


    ¡°Is he one of yours, or an independent?¡± I asked, looking the card over.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Roger replied with a smile. ¡°He¡¯s independent, but we work with him on a regular basis. He¡¯s the top evasive driving instructor in the UK.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Thanks for that,¡± I said, tucking the card in my jacket pocket.


    After the waiter left my food (which looked nothing like any quesadilla I¡¯d ever had in my life), Roger asked, ¡°The motorcycle- that was a clever trick. Was the driver one of your men?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± I admitted, poking dubiously at the ¡®quesadilla¡¯. ¡°As I mentioned, this isn¡¯t my territory. I¡¯m not allowed to flex much muscle here. That was my father-in-law¡¯s crew.¡±


    ¡°Mr De Lascaux, correct? You did mention he is the king of the Night Children here in the UK. How- and forgive me if I¡¯m asking too much- how much power or influence does he really have?¡±


    ¡°More than you might think,¡± I said. ¡°In the interest of full disclosure, I met with him after you and I met the other day, and we discussed all that you and I had talked about as it relates to him. I¡¯m here by his good graces, and we work closely together.¡±


    ¡°How closely?¡± Roger asked, amazed again at what I was revealing to him.


    ¡°Hey, Georges!¡± I called over to the man reading his newspaper a few tables away. ¡°Could you come over here for a minute?¡±


    The guy set the paper down and came over to stand by our table, a puzzled look on his face.


    ¡°Georges,¡± I said, ¡°How closely do I work with your boss?¡±


    ¡°He has told us to treat you as if you were his own daughter,¡± the man said, his French accent slight, but noticeable.


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed. ¡°Georges, humor me. Where has the good colonel been today?¡±


    ¡°He left his flat at eight thirty. He had breakfast with a blonde man with a mustache. The blonde man complained about his wife, who might be the colonel¡¯s sister, judging by their conversation. The colonel then went to his office. He stayed there until it was time to leave for this meeting,¡± Georges said.


    ¡°How did he get here from his office?¡±


    ¡°A London cab. He flagged one down as it passed, rather than taking the cab parked at the curb near the office.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday, did he have men following us?¡±


    ¡°There were four men following you and Queen Emmy yesterday. Two of them are known as reporters for the tabloids, and the other two were professionals. We can¡¯t be certain they were working for Colonel Bridger, but the two were working together, and they smelled English.¡± Georges said.


    ¡°They smelled English?¡± Roger asked, trying to process what was happening. ¡°How close did your get?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°Close enough to wear Mr Kendall and Mr Lamb like a jacket,¡± Georges said.


    ¡°How do you know their names?¡± Roger demanded.


    ¡°Their identification,¡± Georges said, dropping two wallets on the table.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Georges,¡± I said. ¡°I think we can stop playing these games now. Please let my father-in-law know that you and your team did everything I asked for.¡±


    ¡°It has been a pleasure,¡± Georges said, before collecting his coat and leaving the restaurant.


    ¡°Before you grab the restaurant¡¯s CCTV footage to get pictures of Georges there, you should know that you will never see that man again. You may see Georges, but you¡¯d never recognize him,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Well, that leaves me quite flat-footed,¡± Roger admitted. ¡°My men yesterday told me of the reporters, but they never realized that they were being followed as well. They certainly never mentioned having had their pockets picked.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday was bait fishing,¡± I said. ¡°We were about as ostentatious as possible, making it really easy to follow us, and honestly, providing enough distraction for your men to not look in their rear-view mirrors.¡±


    ¡°I do think you have successfully made your point, though,¡± Roger said with a wry grin.


    ¡°Having us followed was easy for you, since this is London, after all. It worked the same for my father-in-law. This is his home turf just the same as it is yours, so all the necessary assets are already in place. Me? I couldn¡¯t manage it here. New York? Los Angeles? Sure, but not here. Not yet, anyhow,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re implying that you will be soon?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°I guess that depends on what you mean by ¡®soon¡¯,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°But yes, before too long. I¡¯m working on building that capability.¡±


    ¡°Remarkable,¡± Roger said, leaning back. After a moment, he leaned forward again. ¡°How concerned should I be?¡± he asked point blank.


    ¡°Really, not at all,¡± I answered. ¡°I can¡¯t foresee a situation in which your goals and mine might conflict. I want the best for my people, so this is only about security for my nation. Given that, I¡¯m perfectly willing to work with you as long as it isn¡¯t contrary to that basic principle. The same goes for my father-in-law. His business and yours are very unlikely to come in conflict.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Roger said. We ate in thoughtful silence for a few minutes before Colonel Bridger finally said, ¡°You have not turned out to be what I¡¯d expected at all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious to hear what you did expect,¡± I said. ¡°Feel free to tell me. I promise I won¡¯t be offended.¡±


    ¡°When Harry introduced us at the Downfall party, my first reaction was that you had the- pardon the expression- the aura of a killer. I¡¯ve worked with many very dangerous men over the years, and after a while you learn to be able to identify them by sight. The way they move, the way they observe their surroundings, and the look in their eyes. You were having a pleasant chat with Harry, but your eyes were constantly evaluating the crowd. This caught my attention, so I did some digging the next day. Of course I found your family history and that you come from a long line of¡­ specialist military men, which in itself is fascinating. Then, the police reports. Most interestingly, the notes the interviewing officers left, saying that you seemed completely unperturbed by the violence that had just happened. Violence that you, in fact, had perpetrated. The detective in New York specifically said that you seemed to exhibit some signs of psychopathy in your utter lack of remorse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I said, abandoning the so-called quesadilla.


    ¡°That analysis didn¡¯t mesh with my own evaluation, which, admittedly, was from one conversation at one social occasion. Then, when you came to meet me at my club, our discussion led me to another conclusion- that, despite your protests, you were clearly the product of someone¡¯s high-level program. The problem with that idea was- and still is- that you simply don¡¯t play the game correctly.¡± Holding up his hand to stop any protest I might have. ¡°Then with the attack in Atlanta caught on video¡­ Our teams analyzed that encounter to the Nth degree, and came to certain conclusions. First off, that you¡¯re terrifying. The second, though, was what we found interesting. You were ambushed, despite having Grant Henry in your employ. He¡¯s highly regarded in the personal defense field. This indicates that the ambushers knew what they were doing, and yet¡­ they were only armed with knives. Also, and this is very unusual, the attack was carried out in complete silence. None of the attackers ever uttered a word in the videos. One of our analysts suggested that they attackers might be Night Children, but the coroner¡¯s reports all show that the attackers had normal skin color under their makeup disguises.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s another freebie for you,¡± I told him, interrupting his monologue. ¡°When Night Children die, the black fades away from our skin. Within a couple of hours we look like any other dead person.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Roger asked, his eyebrows raised.


    ¡°Dead serious,¡± I said, earning me a chuckle.


    ¡°That would explain a lot,¡± Roger admitted.


    ¡°It¡¯s part of how we¡¯ve stayed hidden for so long,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then the Atlanta attackers really were Night Children?¡±


    ¡°They really were,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Sent by this Ahmet Asker character?¡±


    ¡°Sort of,¡± I said. ¡°He wasn¡¯t the organizer of the attack, but he did pay to have it done.¡±


    ¡°Who did organize it?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°They don¡¯t matter anymore,¡± I said, waving it away. ¡°They¡¯ve been dealt with.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Roger said in a tone that made me understand that he understood.


    ¡°So,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. I¡¯m perfectly willing to help you when I can with what I can, if I can expect the same from you. There is some information I can¡¯t share, but chances are if you have a question about Night Children I¡¯d be happy to answer.¡±


    ¡°Please do me the professional courtesy of informing me of any operations you might conduct on our soil,¡± Roger said drily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect for that to happen. Not my territory, remember? If I need something done over here I¡¯ll ask dear old dad-in-law to take care of it for me. But if it¡¯s anything that might be on interest to you, I¡¯ll let you know in advance.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Roger grumbled.


    Changing the subject, I asked, ¡°How about your combat instructor pal? I thought he¡¯d be attending this meeting.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sorry. He got called away at the last minute. He really does want to meet you, though,¡± Roger said.


    ¡°He¡¯ll have plenty of time,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve decided to stay here in London for a few more weeks, until Emmy has to go back to Los Angeles to do some recording.¡±


    ¡°That will give you time for driving lessons as well,¡± Roger said. ¡°Do give Mr Clifton a call.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said. ¡°Feel free to call me any time,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d like to think we can manage a good working relationship.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as do I,¡± Roger replied as we rose from our seats and shook hands goodbye.


    I called the number on the business card on my ride back to the hotel, and it was answered nearly at once.


    ¡°My name is Leah Farmer. I was given this number by Colonel Roger Bridger- he said that Mr Clifton is the best driving instructor around,¡± I told the woman who answered the phone.


    ¡°Well, he was certainly correct about that!¡± the woman said, and I could hear the hint of a laugh in her voice. ¡°Did the colonel explain Mr Clifton¡¯s teaching program?¡±


    I spent the rest of the ride discussing times and rates, before we settled on three four-hour blocks the following week. I told her that until I was comfortable driving on the left side of the road I didn¡¯t want to risk my own car, but she informed me that I¡¯d have to drive my own car, even to the very first session.


    Pondering driving around London as I keyed in the code for the penthouse elevator, I was surprised to be joined by a woman in her late thirties and her teenaged daughter.


    ¡°You must be Leah Farmer,¡± the woman said, a pleasant smile on her face. ¡°My father told me that you¡¯d bought the other penthouse.¡±


    ¡°You must be Harry¡¯s daughter- and granddaughter,¡± I said, seeing a bit of a family resemblance.


    ¡°My name is Maggie- Maggie Redstone, and this is Eileen. Say hello to our new neighbor, Eileen,¡± she said, giving her daughter a nudge.


    ¡°Are you really married to Emmy Lascaux?¡± the girl asked as we entered the elevator together.


    ¡°I really am. Are you really an equestrian?¡± I asked, going off the outfit she had on.


    ¡°She does show jumping,¡± Maggie supplied.


    ¡°My horse is named Dashiell,¡± Eileen added.


    ¡°I knew a girl in school that did barrel racing, but that¡¯s about as much as I know of horse events,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Barrel racing is an American rodeo event, right?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°From how it was explained to me, it¡¯s usually a sport performed by smaller girls and women on smaller horses, since it¡¯s all about fast changes in direction,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°You¡¯re from California? That¡¯s what my father said,¡± Maggie said after the pause grew a bit long.


    ¡°We live mainly in Los Angeles,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Hey, I told your dad that we¡¯re going to have a housewarming party sometime soon. You guys are invited, of course.¡±


    ¡°Will Emmy be there?¡± Eileen asked, finally perking up.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, just as the elevator door opened to let us out onto the shared hallway. ¡°We¡¯d love to have you over sometime sooner, too, on a less formal occasion. We¡¯ll be in town for a few more weeks, so let us know when we could get together for dinner.¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely!¡± Maggie said. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my husband about his schedule.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said. ¡°It was great finally meeting you two.¡±


    ¡°And you as well,¡± Maggie replied.


    When I mentioned to Emmy that night that I¡¯d met the neighbors and invited them to come over for dinner sometime soon, she was quite pleased. ¡°It will be nice to have guests,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, but the Redstones might be about the only people we could have over that wouldn¡¯t be impressed by the view,¡± I said, indicating the giant windows looking out over London.


    ¡°No, I would guess not,¡± Emmy agreed, ¡°but I would like to show off what Angela and Simon and William did with the interior. They managed to perform a miracle here.¡±


    ¡°They certainly did,¡± I agreed.


    Since it was clear that night, if quite cold, Emmy talked me into having our nightly soak in the hot tub on the deck instead of our big tub in our bathroom. Sure, we joked that we were like Japanese monkeys, sunk down to our nostrils in the hot water and really not wanting to get out to dry off, but we had fun anyway. Yes, it was ridiculous, but we enjoyed it anyhow.


    Of course we needed a shower to wash the bromine off (and to warm back up) once we got to our room, but that was fine, too. We¡¯d laughed while shivering after toweling off out on the deck, tickled by the absurdity of hot-tubbing on an open-air deck forty-two stories above the London Streets on a late fall night, and that sense of humor carried us all the way to our warm bed that night.


    Cuddling up against my side, Emmy thanked me for buying the apartment. ¡°I would not have thought to buy a house like this, here in London- or anywhere else, for that matter,¡± she said, nestling in close. ¡°But I find that I am enjoying this place more than I had thought I would. I know that Angela wanted a home here in London to be for me as much as anything, and it pleases me that it has turned out so well.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s much¡­ more homey than I expected, given the state it was in when we first saw it. I expected we¡¯d come back to some sort of cold, chrome and glass showplace, but this isn¡¯t that at all. Angela and the designers did an amazing job,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°It still does not feel like home the way our houses in Los Angeles or New York do, but I think that is simply a matter of time. I think that a few more weeks- we really can stay that long this visit, yes? A few more weeks here and it will feel comfortable and familiar,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°And then we have to take the time to settle into the place in Colombia,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°That will have to wait for a little while,¡± Emmy said, and I could tell by her voice she was starting to drift off. ¡°I have music to record.¡±

 A Lovely Blue

    The next morning I got Jeremy signed up for the first beginning boxing class of the day, and bought the necessary paraphernalia from their stock. I even bought him a gym bag with the place¡¯s logo on it to carry his new headgear, gloves, and so on. He¡¯d long since given up protesting whenever Emmy or I spent money on him, and actually seemed to enjoyall the clothes and things we had bought him.


    We used the hour before class started to work on his stamina- nothing too strenuous, but enough to get him warmed up. I told him this was going to be the routine two days a week- An easy (but not too easy) pace on the treadmill until it was time for his boxing class. Another hour after class on either the treadmill or the exercise bike to cool down, and he¡¯d be able to build up his fitness in no time.


    ¡°Look,¡± I told Blake, the boxing instructor, ¡°Jeremy¡¯s recovering from some fairly serious injuries, so this is about him getting some technique and fitness for now. Until we¡¯re completely sure he¡¯s fully healed I don¡¯t want him actually sparring, alright?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t spar in the beginner¡¯s class anyway,¡± Blake assured me. ¡°What kind of injuries?¡±


    ¡°He was stabbed eight times,¡± I said.


    ¡°And he¡¯s here to tell the tale?¡± Blake asked.


    ¡°He very nearly wasn¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°So, yeah, it¡¯s important to me that he builds up his strength and fitness and of course, heals completely before he starts taking any body blows.¡±


    ¡°I guess that means that our ¡®Eight weeks to the ring¡¯ program is out, then,¡± Blake said, rubbing the back of his neck in thought.


    ¡°Until the doctor signs off on it, no full contact,¡± I agreed.


    While Jeremy followed the workout I¡¯d set up for him, I did my own thing. I concentrated mainly on my strikes for the first hour and a half, then on general strength and mobility for the rest of the time.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± I asked Jeremy on our walk back to the apartment tower.


    ¡°Tired,¡± he admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s a good kind of tired.¡±


    ¡°Eat something, then take a nap when we get home. Emmy and I aren¡¯t going out for the rest of the day, so you can concentrate on your recovery. This is what I want you to do, Jeremy. Train, but also rest and recover as much as you can. Be lazy when we don¡¯t need you. Lie around the house, watch cooking shows, whatever. Your strength, fitness and general healing all happen when you rest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Jeremy replied as we waited for a light. ¡°I really do, and I can¡¯t tell you how much I appreciate what you¡¯re doing for me, but it seems like I¡¯m taking advantage of things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± I said. ¡°I mentioned cooking shows- why don¡¯t you learn to cook while you have all this down time? We have an incredible kitchen here and so far we¡¯ve barely used it. Or take up baking- learn to make tasty bread and yummy muffins. I¡¯m just throwing out ideas here. Heck, you could learn origami, or take up writing poetry. It doesn¡¯t matter, as long as you¡¯re doing something that keeps your mind busy while your body does what it needs to to get stronger.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be O.K. with me spending time in the kitchen?¡± Tiny asked as we resumed walking.


    ¡°Of course!¡± I replied. ¡°Well, only if you make tasty stuff, that is,¡± I added, which got the big man to give me a smile.


    ¡°Tasty stuff it is, then,¡± he agreed.


    ¡°Hey, babe, have any plans for this afternoon?¡± I asked Emmy over lunch- which Jeremy had fixed. Sure, it was only sandwiches, but they were tasty sandwiches.


    ¡°No plans,¡± she said. ¡°Do you mind if I spend some time in my new little studio?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I told her. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do that, I¡¯m going to run out and buy myself a car for my driving lessons. Something nice and disposable.¡±


    Emmy laughed at that. ¡°Not your new Lotus you have never even driven?¡±


    ¡°No, but I do need to have that brought over here. I talked to the building¡¯s concierge and he said that they have a long-term car storage program, since so many of the apartments in this tower are pieds-¨¤-terre. It¡¯d be much more convenient than the dealership¡¯s storage facility,¡± I told her.


    ¡°You say disposable- what exactly do you mean by that?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Well, I figure there¡¯s a non-zero chance I might screw up and wreck it, right? So I want a car like a Nissan Micra or Ford Fiesta or something like that so I can¡¯t do a whole lot of damage. My second thought is that we could keep it as a loaner car for any guests we might have stay here. If, say, Lee and Jen want to spend some time in London they could stay here if we¡¯re not in town, and they could use the little Fiat 500 or whatever. Odds are they won¡¯t be great at driving on the wrong side of the road, so they might crash, right? Again, a small car is less likely to cause problems than, say, a Range Rover would be.¡±


    ¡°How many parking spots are we allocated?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Four. I asked. The penthouses get four, the larger three bedroom apartments get two, and the two bedroom units get one space. So in the long-term, we¡¯ll probably need to buy a bigger car for when we all go out- I¡¯ll probably talk to your dad about an X5 or something, but that¡¯ll wait until after I feel confident with the traffic here.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°Whatever you get, if we are to use it as car for guests, it should have four doors. You mentioned a Fiat 500, but that is probably too small. Perhaps something slightly larger than that?¡±


    I did a bit of Google mapping and discovered a cluster of car dealerships out in the suburbs to the south of London proper. This seemed to be atypical, which I found strange since it was the norm in the US. I was used to districts with many, many dealerships within close proximity, allowing for cross-brand shopping. Here in the London area they seemed to be scattered about, mostly in the suburbs. I guess it reflected a different attitude on the subject- another thing to discuss with Emmy¡¯s dad when we had some down time.


    The taxi driver and I had a nice chat on the long trip out to where I¡¯d found Nissan, Ford and Toyotas dealerships all within walking distance of each other. We got to talking about the relative merits of the class of cars I was considering, and his take, as a professional driver in the London metro area, was that any of them would do, but it would boil down simple preference.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Ford man, me,¡± he said. ¡°I been restoring a classic Mustang. Left-hand drive, imported from the States. The engine work¡¯s all done and she runs like a scalded cat, but the interior still needs a fair bit of work. So I¡¯m a bit partial. My wife¡¯s car is a Mondeo, and it has been trouble-free. It¡¯s not a pretty thing, but it gets her to where she needs to go.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never owned an American car,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°What with you being American and all,¡± the driver laughed.


    ¡°I know, right? I¡¯ve had one Japanese car, and the rest have all been German or English,¡± I told him. ¡°No American cars at all.¡±


    ¡°English?¡± he asked, looking at me in the rear view mirror in curiosity.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an Aston Vantage back home, and I bought myself a Lotus Evora here in London.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re shopping for a Fiesta?¡± he asked, amazed.


    ¡°I need a car I don¡¯t care about, to loan out or run quick errands in. Do you know how much of a pain it is to go grocery shopping in a Lotus?¡± I asked.


    Laughing, the driver admitted that it would be a terrific pain in the arse. ¡°Now that you put it that way,¡± he said. ¡°A Lotus in¡¯t practical thing on the road, now is it?¡±


    I let the driver take me to the Ford dealership first, and asked him to stick around to take me to the next stop if nothing caught my eye.


    ¡°I like the looks of the Focus,¡± he said as we pulled up. ¡°For practicality you can¡¯t beat the estate.¡±


    The whole car buying experience was different than I was used to in the US (or at the Lotus dealer, for that matter). In fact, the sales people seemed uninterested in selling me a car, even as I walked the lot and looked at the available Fiestas and Focuses. Finally a guy in his mid thirties came out to talk to me as I peered in the window of a Focus wagon (an ¡®estate¡¯ in the UK).


    When I asked if I could take it out for a test drive, he said we¡¯d need to go inside to fill out the necessary paperwork first.


    Walking in the front door of the showroom I did a double-take. There next to the Mustang GT (or whatever it was) sat a gorgeous blue Focus hatchback on custom wheels. They¡¯d fixed it up as some sort of spec car, with a signboard explaining all the aftermarket mods they¡¯d had done.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked, naturally gravitating to the hatchback.


    ¡°Oh, that?¡± he asked, again seeming to be bored by the whole process. ¡°We had a race shop up-spec an RS. Everybody looks at it, but the problem is that it¡¯s too dear. You could get that Mustang for less money, and it¡¯s got more power and a better interior.¡±


    Looking at the long list of work done and the amount it added to the price, I could see his point. It really didn¡¯t make any sense.


    ¡°Can I take that out for a test drive?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, sorry, not that one. We have an ST you could drive, though.¡±


    I handed my driver¡¯s license and insurance cards to the lady at a desk so she could make copies for the test drive, but she balked at the California license and American insurance.


    It became this huge hassle of whether they could actually allow me to drive a car without a valid UK license, so finally I said, ¡°You know what? This is too much of a pain. As much as I hate to give you guys my money, let¡¯s just ring up that RS and I¡¯ll drive it away. After all, if it¡¯s my car, you don¡¯t have to worry about whether or not my license or insurance will cover me.¡±


    ¡°We will do, for the financing, the woman said.


    ¡°No financing. I¡¯ll have the money transferred right now,¡± I replied. ¡°In the meanwhile, could you take it to the back and have it prepped to go? I¡¯d like to get this done as quickly as possible.¡±


    This really threw them for a loop, but eventually I convinced them that I wasn¡¯t kidding and really did have the money to plunk down like that.


    While I was waiting for the car to get sorted out I strolled out to the curb to talk to the waiting cabbie.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m buying a Focus,¡± I told him.


    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it,¡± he said. ¡°Nice, reliable cars, if a bit boring.¡±


    ¡°I doubt this one¡¯ll be boring,¡± I told him. ¡°But I want you to do me one more favor. I want to follow you back to South Bank- I¡¯ll pay you for all this waiting time and for the ride back, but I want to follow you back so I don¡¯t make any wrong turns or anything. Sound good?¡±


    ¡°What color is your new car?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on you to make sure you¡¯re doing alright.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sort of medium electric blue.¡±


    ¡°Not boring, bright blue¡­ You¡¯ve done and gotten an RS, haven¡¯t you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not boring,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°I should say not!¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they still have any on offer. I would have thought they¡¯d have cleared out their allocation long ago,¡± the driver said.


    ¡°I guess they wanted something special for their showroom, so they had a tuner shop do a bunch of work to it. The downside is that it bumped the price up into the stupid money category,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°All those mods priced it out of the market.¡±


    ¡°But not for you,¡± said the cabbie.


    ¡°No, not for me,¡± I agreed. ¡°For me, this is about the cheapest car I¡¯ve ever bought myself.¡±


    The sales guy came out at that point to bring me inside to deal with some final paperwork, so I told the cabbie I¡¯d be out in a little bit to follow him back to London. For a reply he just touched the brim of his cap and nodded his head.


    Paperwork done and keys in hand, I finally got to sit in my new little hot hatch. Adjusting the seat to fit me as best as possible put me fairly close to the head liner and positioned the rear view mirror in an awkward spot, but I figured I could play around with those settings a bit more when I got the car home.


    When I pulled up behind the classic boxy London cab, the driver got out to take a look at my new ride.


    ¡°It is a lovely blue, alright,¡± he said, walking around and inspecting the Ford.


    ¡°Your meter¡¯s running, right?¡± I asked. ¡°You¡¯re still on the clock until we get back to South Bank. Jump in and let¡¯s take this little beauty out for a spin.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having me on, right?¡± he asked, astonished.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Let¡¯s find a road where we can stretch its legs a little.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be anything like that around here,¡± he said dubiously.


    ¡°You know, I never caught your name,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m Leah.¡±


    ¡°Johnny J,¡± the driver said, reaching to shake my hand.


    ¡°Johnny J,¡± I said. ¡°You enjoy fast cars, right? You¡¯re a professional driver- I¡¯ve heard about what it takes to earn a taxi license in London. What would you say to spending a day- let¡¯s say, six hours, all told- driving around London in this car, and maybe my Lotus, too. You¡¯d give me a quick course in the traffic patterns and rules of the road and make sure I¡¯m not likely to endanger any innocent victims. I¡¯d pay you, of course. Oh, and you¡¯d get to drive a bit, too,¡± I said, adding an additional temptation.


    ¡°When d¡¯you think this would happen?¡±


    ¡°Not tomorrow- I have an appointment that¡¯ll take up all afternoon. When¡¯s your next day off?¡± I asked, seeing that he was open to the idea.


    ¡°I don¡¯t work Saturdays,¡± Johnny said.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to rain this Saturday, so your weekly rugby game would be pretty miserable,¡± I prodded, earning me a laugh.


    ¡°Aye, so it would,¡± he agreed.


    Following Johnny J¡¯s cab back to South Bank was a real non-event. Staying on the wrong side of the road wasn¡¯t as much of a challenge as I¡¯d feared, but I still wanted someone to hold my hand a bit while I got used to it.


    Stopping at the front of the tower, I paid him for all the driving and the waiting, and he agreed to meet me there at nine on Saturday.


    I stopped at the security office in the parking garage and did all the necessary paperwork to get the car assigned to one of our open spots, which brought a momentary pang when it reminded me of doing the same thing for Angela¡¯s new car at the Century City condo tower we¡¯d lived in. Parking the car alongside the covered Lotus, I made a mental note to get a similar cover for the Ford. Sure, the tower had a detailer who came weekly and getting on his schedule would be good, but keeping the dust off in the first place wasn¡¯t a bad idea.


    ¡°Did you buy a car?¡± Emmy asked when I found her in her little studio.


    ¡°I bought a Ford Focus,¡± I said. ¡°A nice little economy car. Perfect for what we were talking about. I got to talking to the cabbie on the way to the dealership, and he¡¯s going to give me traffic lessons on Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you will not need that other instructor?¡± Emmy asked, gently strumming her acoustic guitar.


    ¡°No, I still want to do that,¡± I replied. ¡°This will just be a basic introduction to London traffic, with someone who navigates it on a daily basis to guide me, that¡¯s all. Think of it as the 101 Intro class, in a way.¡±


    ¡°After all this, even once you become proficient in the local rules of the road, we will still mostly take cabs or chauffeured cars,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Simply for the convenience.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± I admitted. ¡°Especially if we go anywhere together. But really, that only applies to when we¡¯re here in town. If we ever, say, want to drive down to Brighton or wherever we¡¯ll want our own car.¡±


    ¡°How do you spell ¡®rationalizing¡¯?¡± Emmy teased.


    ¡°And of course, there are a lot of tracks here in the UK¡­¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Of course there are,¡± Emmy agreed with a laugh. ¡°Perfect for little economy cars like the one you just bought.¡±


    Tiny made dinner that night. Apparently he¡¯d taken my urge to start using the kitchen seriously. The meal wasn¡¯t complicated- roast chicken and saut¨¦ed vegetables- but it tasted good enough and it was a solid first effort from the big man.


    ¡°Thank you for dinner tonight, Jeremy,¡± Emmy said when the meal was done. ¡°It was a special treat to have a home-cooked meal.¡±


    ¡°Leah suggested I could start to cook for you guys,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°It would give me something to do when we¡¯re home.¡±


    ¡°That is perfect,¡± Emmy said. ¡°We should buy you some cookbooks.¡±

 Old Friends

    ¡°Did you notice this evening, when Jeremy said that cooking would give him something to do when we¡¯re home?¡± I asked Emmy while we had our nightly soak.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Emmy said, wondering what I was getting at.


    ¡°¡®When we are home¡¯. We, as in him, too, and home, as in, the place we all live,¡± I explained. ¡°Clearly he¡¯s mentally including himself in the household.¡±


    ¡°That is good, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good, that¡¯s for sure,¡± I said, enjoying the foot massage Emmy was giving me. ¡°I intend to keep him around for the very long term. I like the guy, and he¡¯s proven his loyalty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he has,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°He very nearly died for me,¡± she said, her voice soft.


    ¡°You know he would have, Em. He would do it again in a moment if it came down to it,¡± I told her. ¡°And he¡¯s not alone in that.¡±


    ¡°If that was meant to comfort me, you are doing a terrible job,¡± Emmy said with a small chuckle.


    ¡°It was more meant to tell you how important you are to a lot of people,¡± I said. ¡°A whole lot of people.¡±


    ¡°I did not ask for this,¡± Emmy said in a small voice, looking down. ¡°I never wanted this.¡±


    ¡°I know, baby,¡± I said, leaning forward to take her into my arms. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t. None of us ever get to chose the life we¡¯re born into, and by the time we ever do get to the point where we can make our own choices, we find we¡¯re already firmly on one path or another. We all just do the best we can and muddle our way through.¡±


    Emmy didn¡¯t say anything in response, just letting me wrap her in my arms and hold her tight. We stayed like that for quite a while, until eventually the water cooled off.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said as we played our game of drying each other off. ¡°I love you so very much¡­ More than anything. Please, please be careful- for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, babe,¡± I said, sitting down on the edge of the tub so we could be closer to eye level. ¡°I know you think I like to take risks, but that¡¯s not really what¡¯s going on,¡± I said. ¡°I work very, very hard to minimize those risks. I do whatever I possibly can to control the situation, and to work within my capabilities. Yes, I push it with some things some times, but that¡¯s under controlled circumstances. I do it to find out where my limits are, so that if and when something really does happen, I know how to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I still worry,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything that¡¯ll stop you from worrying,¡± I admitted. ¡°But just know that I will always do everything humanly possible to come back to you.¡±


    ¡°I know that is true,¡± Emmy confessed. ¡°I know that with all my heart. I do. But I still worry sometimes. You are so¡­ so¡­ I do not have the words,¡± she said. ¡°You are so extreme, Leah. You have never done anything in your life out of weakness or fear. If you are pushed, you push back twice as hard. Your response to danger is to become even more dangerous.¡±


    Emmy placed her hands on the sides of my head and looked me straight in my eyes. ¡°This is not normal. This is very extraordinary, Leah. You are very extraordinary. You do extraordinary things on a daily basis. I love this about you, I do. But yes, it does make me worry.¡±


    I placed my hands on top of hers, saying, ¡°You¡¯re the extraordinary one of us, Em. You shine so brightly- the rest of us are just pale shadows in comparison.¡±


    ¡°You are certainly much more pale than I am!¡± Emmy said with a laugh, holding her arm next to mine to compare our skin tone.


    This did a great job of breaking the serious mood, so I stood up suddenly and grabbed her slender, naked body, carrying her into the bedroom. Laughing at Emmy¡¯s squeal of surprise, I dropped her on our big bed, marveling at the contrast of her charcoal-colored nude body against the white sheets.


    ¡°You really are so beautiful, Em,¡± I said. ¡°So very beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Please do not tell me your plan was to simply admire me from afar,¡± Emmy said, readjusting herself into a very sensual pose. ¡°I would much prefer to be admired from up close.¡±


    ¡°I think I can accommodate your wishes,¡± I said, dropping myself down onto all fours on the edge of the bed and kissing my way up between Emmy¡¯s slender, muscular legs.


    ¡°Oh, Leah,¡± Emmy said as I nibbled ever so gently on the inside of her thigh. ¡°Always love me.¡±


    ¡°Leah?¡± Jeremy asked on our ten minute walk to the gym the next morning. ¡°Where do you see me in five years?¡±


    ¡°In five years? Let¡¯s see¡­ Hopefully by then Emmy Jr will be in preschool, but probably still too little to walk to school, so you¡¯ll probably be the one to drive her and pick her up afterwards. You¡¯ll probably be Emmy¡¯s primary driver, at least when we¡¯re in LA¡­¡± I said, thinking about it.


    ¡°I guess what I meant was that I wanted to know if you thought I was going to continue as Emmy¡¯s bodyguard,¡± Jeremy said, interrupting my train of thought. ¡°I wanted to know if I¡¯m going to be part of your plans in the long term.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to be?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯d assumed you did, but I guess I never actually asked you.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Jeremy replied. ¡°I want it really badly. You and Emmy have treated me so well- you two have really made me feel- you¡¯ve treated me with respect and trust, and that means a lot to me.¡±


    ¡°Jeremy,¡± I said, resting a hand on his big shoulder. ¡°I can tell you that Emmy and I are very, very grateful for what you did in Atlanta, and we both want you to stay as a member of the household for the long term. Our plans for you are that simple. We want you to continue with us. Now, like I said about driving Emmy Jr to school, your role will undoubtedly evolve with time as the household dynamics change, but I can¡¯t see a time when you wouldn¡¯t be a part of it.¡±


    Jeremy took a while before he responded, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll be there as long as you and Emmy want me to be. I can promise you that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal,¡± I said.


    ¡°The gym¡¯s manager, that guy Gabe?¡± Tiny said on our walk in the rain back to our apartment. ¡°He watches you work out. He can barely take his eyes off you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed,¡± I agreed. ¡°I think there¡¯s two things going on with that. One, there aren¡¯t that many people working out so early, so even if he watched everybody equally he¡¯d still be looking at me twenty-five per cent of the time, right? The second thing is that he¡¯s seen the Atlanta videos and he¡¯s told me that he doesn¡¯t want anything that even looks like fatal moves from me when I work out. He¡¯s said he¡¯ll kick me out of the gym if he ever catches me practicing any of that stuff. So he¡¯s keeping a sharp eye out for any moves that aren¡¯t MMA sanctioned.¡±


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    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Tiny admitted.


    ¡°Were you thinking it was something else?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful woman, and your outfit shows off your body,¡± Jeremy said with a shrug. ¡°He¡¯d have to be blind to not notice.¡±


    ¡°Aw, thanks!¡± I said in a girlish voice, earning me a laugh.


    Emmy and Tiny went with me to my appointment at the tailor¡¯s shop that afternoon. Emmy went because she wanted to give her input, and Jeremy because wherever Emmy went, so did he.


    To my utter lack of surprise, Emmy asked about a suit for Jeremy and scheduled a full fitting for him for the following week.


    For me, they just did a quick measurement check to make sure nothing had changed. After that it was all a discussion of fabrics, colors and materials. Magdalena asked about the suits that they¡¯d made for me before, which ones I preferred and why, helping to fine-tune the choices for my next round. It struck me that this was the true value of developing a relationship with a specific tailor- they¡¯d learn what works well for you and what doesn¡¯t, so each new garment would be an improvement over the last.


    Confident in their work, we told them to ship the clothes to the US when they were done, if we weren¡¯t still in London by that time. I felt no need to try the new outfits on to make sure they fit. I knew that they would.


    We went for dinner afterwards to a nearby steak house in Soho. The place was done in a sort of ¡®dilapidated loft¡¯ aesthetic rather than the usual ¡®men¡¯s club¡¯ look with overstuffed booths, which I found refreshing. The waitress was wowed by having Emmy De Lascaux in her section, but besides being starry-eyed, did a great job and was quite professional.


    A guy (presumably the chef, but he didn¡¯t introduce himself as such) came out of the kitchen to check if we were happy with our steaks. He explained that they had their own herd of cattle, rather than relying on restaurant suppliers for their beef. He went on to tell us about their sustainability programs and their company mission, too.


    Emmy thanked him very kindly for his personal attention, and told him that she was enjoying her meal very much and would undoubtedly be back, which seemed to please the guy.


    ¡°Em, I¡¯m always impressed by how good you are with people,¡± I told her in the taxi ride home. ¡°It¡¯s amazing to me how you can make peoples¡¯ day just with a few words.¡±


    ¡°It is no hardship to be kind to people,¡± Emmy said. ¡°If I can brighten a person¡¯s day, why would I not want to do so?¡±


    Johnny J was waiting in the lobby when I stepped out of the elevator at the appointed time on Saturday morning. The concierge was giving him quite the side-eye, but when I greeted the cabbie with a smile and a handshake his concerns were alleviated.


    ¡°Have you thought of a good route for today¡¯s festivities?¡± I asked Johnny J as I led him to the elevators for the trip down to the parking levels.


    ¡°I reckon we spend an hour or two circulating in the city, then we head out to the Chilterns for a bit of fun. After that we see what we want to do,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°But here¡¯s the deal. I absolutely won¡¯t be able to navigate here inside the London metropolitan area, so I¡¯ll need you to keep me on the right track.¡±


    ¡°I think I can do that,¡± he said affably.


    Crossing the garage to our parking spots, Johnny J eyeballed the covered shape in the next stall.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Lotus,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    The two of us pulled the cover off and folded it up neatly, storing it in its pouch.


    ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t even driven it yet- not even back from the dealership. They delivered it yesterday while I was car shopping,¡± I said as Johnny J admired the sleek, low car. ¡°What do you think about taking that out instead of the Ford?¡±


    The cabbie looked back and forth between the two cars, pointing at one, then the other, and then back to the first. Finally he settled on the Lotus.


    ¡°O.K., but I really don¡¯t want to fuck this car up, so we¡¯re going to have to be that much more careful,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do this,¡± Johnny J said. ¡°Let¡¯s take the Ford out first, then come back and switch cars once you get your legs under you,¡± he suggested.


    That decided, I threw the bundled cover in the back of the Lotus before locking the car. I had to laugh when I found myself automatically heading for the left-side door of the Focus, only to nearly bump into Johnny J, who was headed for the same seat.


    He was a good, patient instructor and after a little while I stopped being so nervous of the London traffic. Yes, I had to consciously remember to turn into the left-side lane when turning onto a street, but traffic circles were no big deal for some reason. Johnny J guided me through a wide variety of motorways, narrow lanes and busy thoroughfares, keeping it interesting and challenging. It made no difference where we actually went, as long as we were flowing through traffic smoothly.


    Honestly, his constant guidance was a mixed blessing. It was good, since all I had to concentrate on was the traffic around us and staying on the correct side of the street. On the other hand, it was bad because I was simply following directions and didn¡¯t need to pay any real attention to street signs.


    Eventually we found our way out of the city and onto a busy two-lane road, then onto a narrow, nearly deserted road through the woods.


    ¡°Is it time to stretch this little car¡¯s legs?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Let ¡®er run!¡± Johnny J instructed, so I did.


    ¡°Holy-¡± Johnny J exclaimed as I slammed the pedal to the floor and that bright blue Focus leapt forward. The road was narrow and twisting, perfect to test the handling and suspension work that the race shop had done.


    The grip provided by the Dunlops was surprisingly good on the wet roads, but the car¡¯s three hundred and fifty horsepower could overwhelm the traction when the power was applied aggressively. This allowed me to get squirrelly whenever I wanted, which, to be honest, was quite frequently. I will admit to more than a little bit of pleasure at the pops and bangs from the exhaust and the sound of the little turbo four-banger as I made it work for a living.


    Johnny J relaxed after a few minutes, once he recognized that I had more than a passing idea of how to drive. This didn¡¯t mean he let go of the grab bar, though.


    After maybe half an hour of goofing off, we swapped seats and he got to drive the little blue beast.


    He had fun with it, too, but never let it get as out of shape as I had. He kept it closer to the speed limits, too, commenting that getting busted for speeding wouldn¡¯t do his job as a taxi driver any favors.


    When we returned to London and changed cars, I made a point of paying more attention to the street signs, rather than simply relying on Johnny J¡¯s guidance. It was reassuring having someone who would correct me when I was about to make a mistake, which I did fairly frequently, but less and less as time went on.


    Unfortunately we ran out of daylight before we had a chance to take the Evora out to play, but I got the impression that simply riding in the Racing Green Lotus was a treat for the guy. I¡¯ll admit that I did enjoy driving it, too, even though it had far less horsepower than most of my other cars. More than the Focus RS, sure, but only about two thirds the power of the Aston Vantage, the car it reminded me most of.


    Still, it was quick, handled like a dream, and the suspension did an amazing job of keeping the ride comfortable- not something I could always say about the Aston.


    ¡°Come springtime I¡¯ll be looking for track day opportunities,¡± I told Johnny J. ¡°I¡¯ll need to find a good tuner to dial this car in for me.¡±


    ¡°What, it¡¯s not fast enough for you?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the outright speed,¡± I explained. ¡°The car feels fast enough to be fun. No, I need a shop that¡¯ll change my brake pads and fluid, change the tires, things like that. A shop that understands these cars, and knows what they need for the track. Back home in LA I have my race mechanics prep all my cars, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m gonna fly those guys over here just for a weekend now and then.¡±


    ¡°You have race mechanics?¡±


    ¡°For my GT3 BMW, but they also work on my other cars when I track them just for shits and giggles,¡± I said.


    ¡°You drive a GT3 M6?¡± Johnny J asked, astounded.


    ¡°I just ordered a new one for next season,¡± I told him. ¡°Which reminds me- I have to find a buyer for my old car.¡±


    Shaking his head, he said, ¡°They hold track days through the winter months, rain or shine. You clearly don¡¯t care if your cars get dirty from wet roads and aren¡¯t too bothered by slippery conditions, right? No reason to wait for spring.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever done any track days?¡± I asked.


    ¡°When I was younger,¡± he replied as we crossed the Waterloo Bridge. ¡°Before the wife and kids.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, family life has a way of putting a damper on things like that,¡± I agreed, knowing it was in my future, too.


    Back at the apartment I did some research online and found that yes, there was an active track day schedule despite it being late fall. I also found several companies in the London-ish area that did trackside support and car transportation. We were going to be in the UK for a while longer- why not get out to play? I shot out a few emails, but really didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d get any replies until Monday at the soonest.


    Tiny made dinner again that night- roast beef stew with saut¨¦ed vegetables. It was a simple meal, but Emmy and I both enjoyed it, and wanted to encourage Jeremy¡¯s new-found interest in cooking, so we praised his efforts. He admitted that he¡¯d gone to the nearby grocery store without any menu in mind, but had struck up a conversation with another shopper who had suggested the meal.


    ¡°Emmy,¡± he said. ¡°Before, I never would have dared to just start talking to random strangers like that, just out of the blue. She saw me staring at the cuts of beef in a daze, and when she asked what I was looking for I told her I had no idea at all. We got to talking, and just a few minutes later I had dinner all planned out.¡± After pausing to take another bite, he said, ¡°It¡¯s from watching you. You can talk to anybody! You just somehow make it seem like you¡¯re old friends who just now met, if that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°She really does, doesn¡¯t she?¡± I agreed.

 Its A Gift

    We settled into a routine the next few days. Jeremy and I hit the gym first thing in the mornings while Emmy slept in, then after we had the lunch that Jeremy made I¡¯d go out driving, either with Mr Clifton or by myself, just to explore.


    Emmy spent the afternoons with her songwriting and practice, holed up in her little studio, while Jeremy went out exploring the city on foot and by public transport, usually returning with groceries for the night¡¯s meal.


    He¡¯d fallen easily into the habit of making dinner, too, which Emmy and I both encouraged. Sure, his meal planning was basic and the dishes themselves were simple, but everybody starts somewhere, right?


    ¡°How was your driving class?¡± Emmy asked that first night at dinner.


    ¡°It was¡­ interesting,¡± I said, thinking about how to answer. ¡°The teacher, Grahame? He¡¯s not what I expected at all,¡± I said, pouring myself another glass of sparkling water.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Well, with a name like Grahame Clifton, I guess I pictured somebody that looked vaguely like Prince Charles, you know? That is not this guy, though. He¡¯s a mixed-race South African guy, maybe late sixties. Kinda small-¡±


    ¡°Almost everyone is small compared to you!¡± Emmy interrupted with a laugh.


    ¡°Kinda small, maybe five and a half feet tall, and thin. His hair has gone all white, and he smiles a lot,¡± I said. ¡°He lectures like a college professor while he¡¯s talking about how to avoid being shot by the people in the car that¡¯s chasing you.¡±


    ¡°Was it lectures? Did you do any driving?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, plenty of driving. The whole thing started off with me taking the UK¡¯s written driver¡¯s exam, and then the behind-the-wheel part, just so he could see that I had some idea of what I was doing. After that we drove around and he talked about different scenarios and what to do, so yeah, all in all it was about three hours behind the wheel.¡±


    ¡°Did you get value from it?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± I said. ¡°Today was all just theoretical, but in the next couple of sessions we¡¯ll be doing more, um, practical work.¡±


    ¡°What did he think of your car?¡± Jeremy asked.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t mention it one way or another. Honestly, I¡¯d bet he¡¯s experienced just about every kind of car,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, he teaches evasive driving to professional chauffeurs, rich people and government types, right? So he¡¯s seen the insides of a lot of Range Rovers, Bentleys, and Jaguars, as well as more normal cars.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Jeremy admitted.


    ¡°When you say ¡®practical¡¯, what exactly do you mean?¡± Emmy asked, helping herself to some more grilled white asparagus.


    ¡°Well, see, that¡¯s what I¡¯m not clear on,¡± I admitted. ¡°I mean, these are public streets, right? He can¡¯t have somebody chase me down Portland Road, now can he?¡±


    ¡°That would be funny!¡± Emmy exclaimed, laughing at the thought.


    ¡°Yeah, up until we shifted into the next part of the curriculum, ¡®Evading The Police 101¡¯,¡± I said.


    ¡°So what did you learn today?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I learned that car chases aren¡¯t real,¡± I told her. ¡°I learned that it¡¯s all about getting away immediately. If an aggressive pursuit lasts more than two minutes somebody is likely to die, one way or another. So, basically, when you realize you¡¯re being pursued you have to get away right at that moment. Today was mostly about strategies to do just that.¡±


    ¡°I am still thinking about you driving like James Bond through the streets of London, being chased by a smiling old man with white hair,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It would be hilarious.¡±


    ¡°Well, no,¡± I countered. ¡°See, the thing is, people die in car chases. Either one or the other car crashes when things get hectic, and often as not takes out innocent bystanders. All those movie car chases where pedestrians dive out of the way? In the real world, people just aren¡¯t paying that much attention and they get run over. In the movies, they run red lights and get away, but in real life, you get hit by a truck¡­ or some family in a minivan. So it¡¯s all about getting away within a couple of corners and then running for the hills.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ makes sense,¡± Emmy admitted.


    ¡°Yeah, so I really have no idea what Grahame has planned for our next two sessions,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m kinda looking forward to it,¡± I added.


    ¡°You worked late tonight,¡± Emmy mumbled as I climbed into bed.


    ¡°Eight hour time difference,¡± I said as she turned to cuddle up against me.


    ¡°Even still, you do not usually work so late,¡± Emmy replied as she settled her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah, a lot going on back home,¡± I said, kissing her hair, enjoying her scent.


    ¡°Do we need to go back to Los Angeles?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re O.K. here for a while longer,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Please tell me if you want to go back,¡± Emmy said, her voice getting drowsier. ¡°We do not need to stay here for my sake.¡±


    ¡°I have some things to take care of here before we go back,¡± I told her, but I don¡¯t think she heard me.


    As it turned out, the next session with Grahame Clifton was the reverse of what I¡¯d expected. He spent the entire time having me follow other cars on the road, explaining the tricks of the trade. As he made it clear, knowing how it¡¯s done is the first step in knowing how to recognize when it was being done to me.


    Of course we were just trailing unsuspecting cars picked at random, so it wasn¡¯t as if the drivers were trying to evade, but as Grahame pointed out, I wouldn¡¯t know to evade until I spotted a tail, either.


    He showed me how to recognize when the other driver became suspicious and altered their driving- which did happen several times over the course of the four hours. He instructed me on how to use other traffic as a visual shield, but made it clear that doing so too obviously would give the game away.


    When I commented that I¡¯d made life harder on myself with the Focus- the vivid blue color stood out of a crowd, Grahame pointed out that it made it easier to follow as well.


    ¡°Distinctive cars are a serious disadvantage in this game,¡± he said in that nasal South African accent of his. ¡°An unremarkable sedan in silver or some color like that is the best, if you plan on tailing anybody. You said you bought this Ford just for this instruction, yeah? I hate to tell you, but you bought the wrong car.¡±


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    Determined to prove Grahame wrong, I did a bunch of searching online and calling around the moment I dropped him off at his office, eventually finding a vehicle wrap shop that agreed to get on the job immediately. I dropped the car off , then took a taxi home. Sure, my prank was going to cost me a few pounds, but hey- it was only money, right?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you work out,¡± said one of the coaches at the gym the next day. ¡°You look like you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°I like to think so,¡± I replied, wishing he¡¯d leave me alone.


    ¡°It¡¯d be my pleasure to work one on one with you, if you¡¯d like,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked. ¡°What¡¯s your style?¡±


    ¡°Mixed, but I come from a Muay Thai background,¡± he said. ¡°I see you throwing knees and elbows, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I could use a sparring partner,¡± I told him, finally actually looking him in the eye. He was a couple of inches shorter than me, but probably about the same weight. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling rusty.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t actually have any female Muay Thai instructors here,¡± he hedged.


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever sparred one time with another woman,¡± I told him. ¡°It¡¯s always against men.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Look at me,¡± I said holding my arms out. ¡°How many women have you worked with that would be in my weight class?¡±


    ¡°Fair point,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°So yeah, if you¡¯re willing, let¡¯s pad up and go a round or two,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m nationally ranked,¡± he warned me.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll put up a good fight,¡± I replied with a wink.


    Gabe, the gym¡¯s manager, came over to where we were talking just in time to catch the tail end of our conversation.


    ¡°Davey,¡± he said to the trainer. ¡°Um, Liz here¡­ Well¡­¡± Gabe looked at us both again and said, ¡°Why not? Light touch, full gear, three ninety second rounds. I¡¯ll ref.¡±


    When Dave went to go get dressed, I said to Gabe, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep it above-board.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d best,¡± he cautioned. ¡°You know Davey placed in the All-UK tournament last year? You¡¯re going up against a serious fighter.¡±


    ¡°Good. Like I told him, I¡¯m feeling rusty and need to get my blood pumping,¡± I told Gabe. ¡°It just isn¡¯t the same training on my own.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to fight that guy?¡± Jeremy asked, attracted by all the discussion.


    ¡°Just a friendly spar,¡± I said as I fastened my shin guards.


    ¡°Is it cool if I watch?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said. ¡°But don¡¯t be getting any ideas. No sparring for you until we get the doctor¡¯s O.K.,¡± I cautioned.


    ¡°Trust me- I am in no hurry to get in the ring with you,¡± Jeremy said, hands up in surrender.


    ¡°Hey- we didn¡¯t talk about it,¡± I said as we gathered in the center of the ring. ¡°MMA, or just sticking to Muay Thai?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You do Jiu Jitsu, too?¡± Davey asked, surprised.


    ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± I said.


    ¡°I reckon we can keep it wide open,¡± Davey said. ¡°If you¡¯re O.K. with it, then I¡¯m O.K. with it.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said.


    By this point everybody in our half of the gym had gathered ringside to watch, drawn in by the unusual sight of a woman sparring with a guy.


    We touched gloves and then retreated to our sides of the ring. I watched Davey¡¯s movements for clues, mostly seeing hesitation on his part.


    I moved forward, taking a defensive stance to encourage him to come inside my range, which he did much earlier than he realized.


    Now, this was a light contact ¡®get to know you¡¯ spar, so the left that connected with his jaw had no strength behind it. Sure, velocity has its own quality, so he got a bit of a zing out of it- certainly enough to get his attention.


    Backing up quickly (but not quickly enough to avoid several more hits), he said, ¡°Wow! You¡¯ve got some speed, now haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Coming in again and weathering some more blows, he went for a low kick to test my guard. Seeing my opportunity, I swept his off ankle out from under him and sent him down to all fours on the mat. Instead of going in on him and making him pay for his mistake, I stepped back to let him back up.


    When Gabe signaled the end of the round, we tapped gloves and went back to our corners.


    ¡°He has nothing on you, Leah!¡± Jeremy said in a quiet voice.


    ¡°Well, he probably has some strength on me,¡± I replied, taking a swig off the water bottle Tiny handed me. ¡°If we were doing a full-out spar, I¡¯d be feeling it a lot more.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but so would he,¡± Tiny countered. ¡°You would have ended him when you got him down on his hands and knees.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about ending him,¡± I replied. ¡°This is just practice for us both to stay sharp.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± the big man said, taking the bottle back. ¡°But I think he¡¯s having second thoughts.¡±


    Gabe called us back to the center to touch off again, and Davey said, ¡°You¡¯re not half bad!¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied. ¡°I try.¡±


    Davey let me advance on him to start the second round. I moved in slowly, the two of us sizing each other up, then with a sudden move I dove in with my right. Of course he saw me coming and countered with a right of his own- just as I knew he would. As I blocked his hook, I stepped inside, wrapped my arm around his waist and tucked my hip in. His extended right gave me the perfect lever, and one hip throw later he found himself on his back, looking up at me.


    I stepped back, giving him room to stand back up as Gabe said, ¡°Sweet ogoshi!¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t joking about mixed techniques,¡± Davey said as we tapped gloves again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been tied to one style,¡± I told him. ¡°it¡¯s always been whatever works.¡±


    Davey knew better than to let me in like that again, so the rest of the round was nothing but striking. The thing of it was that I laid two or three on him for every one he landed on me. He couldn¡¯t get a hook in without taking a few to the face, since I had quite a bit of reach and speed on him.


    ¡°You two good? Want to keep going?¡± Gabe asked at the end of the second round.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Davey said, toweling off his face. ¡°I needed this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± I told Gabe, giving him a thumbs-up and a smile, before slipping my mouth guard back in.


    Round three started out with more of the same, but Davey quickly realized that simply trading blows was never going to be a winning strategy. When he came bulling in looking for a takedown move, I twisted as he grabbed and dropped him to the floor again with another hip throw.


    This time, though, he knew to hold on. As I crashed down on top of him he went for any hold he could get, but I wasn¡¯t going to make it easy on him. We thrashed around on the mat for a while, neither one of us able to pin the other. In all honesty, I wasn¡¯t really going for a pin as much as I was doing my damndest to avoid letting Davey get a really good grip on me. In the meanwhile I was throwing fists, knees and elbows until Gabe called it.


    ¡°I thought that was going to be the answer,¡± Davey said when we let go and sat up. ¡°But you sure were making me pay for it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than me and have better leverage,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°The last thing I¡¯m going to let you do is get me involved in a pure wrestling match.¡±


    ¡°Tryin¡¯ to pin you was like tryin¡¯ to pin an eel,¡± Davey said as he took off his head gear. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t understand how you kept hitting me when we were on the mat like that.¡±


    ¡°Flexibility, for one. The other thing is that you telegraph your next move, so I knew what to do to avoid it,¡± I said, leaning back on my hands, letting my legs stretch out in front of me.


    ¡°That¡¯s another thing,¡± Davey said. ¡°You had an answer for all my moves all along.¡±


    ¡°Davey,¡± I said, sitting up straight, leaning in to make my point. ¡°I probably knew your next move before you did. You¡¯re a solid fighter, but you¡¯re predictable. You need to mix it up more.¡±


    ¡°I knew what you were going to do, too,¡± he said. ¡°Hit me ¡¯til I was silly. I¡¯ve never gone up against anybody half as fast as you. It¡¯s unreal.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s some kind of Hollywood special effect,¡± Gabe said, squatting to talk to us. ¡°I never seen anything like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift,¡± I said with another shrug. ¡°Hey, Davey,¡± I said, standing up and offering a hand to help him off the canvas. ¡°We¡¯re going to be here for the rest of the month. I¡¯d love to get in a few more rounds again- maybe next week?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take longer than that for my pride to heal,¡± he joked. ¡°But I think I could go a few more rounds.¡±


    Gabe came over to talk as I was stowing my gear in my duffel.


    ¡°You kept it clean,¡± he said. ¡°I was worried you were going to get frustrated going up against a superior fighter and resort to dirty tricks, but¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°I never get frustrated,¡± I said, looking him in the eye. ¡°Even when I do go up against a better fighter. It¡¯s a learning opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Did you learn anything today?¡± Gabe asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°Davey¡¯s a solid fighter, but unimaginative. Sparring with him would be good to keep me in shape, but I¡¯m not going to up my game at all.¡±


    ¡°The light contact limitation worked in your favor,¡± Gabe said, defending his mate. ¡°Davey¡¯s got a Hell of a right.¡±


    ¡°I have no doubt,¡± I agreed. ¡°But if it had been a real fight, I¡¯d have punished him hard when I dropped him to the mat the first time. Also, neither of us really did much with kicks- it¡¯s hard to do with the light contact rule in play- but I¡¯m willing to bet that my round kick would have laid Davey out pretty quickly. I have speed and range on the guy, after all.¡±


    ¡°You certainly do,¡± Gabe admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen speed like yours.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift,¡± I said again.


    Once Gabe left, Jeremy sat down on the bench to talk.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never really gotten to see you fight,¡± he said. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve watched the videos, but when some of the other guys talk about seeing you in action, it¡¯s always been in¡­ well, it never seemed all that real. It was like they were making up stories, you know?¡±


    ¡°Stories like what?¡± I asked in a low voice so we wouldn¡¯t be overheard.


    ¡°They say you killed a guy by stomping his head flat. They say you killed another guy with one punch to the throat. I always thought they were, well, exaggerating. Pumping up the ¡®Queen Leah, terror of her enemies¡¯ thing. But then I saw the video- you snapped that guy¡¯s neck like nothing. And here? Sparring with that guy? The manager said he¡¯s a top-ranked fighter, but you had him tied around your finger. If anything, I¡¯m starting to think the stories don¡¯t do you justice.¡±


    Looking Jeremy in the eyes, I said, ¡°Those stories are true. Those things happened.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, any doubts I might have had¡­¡± Jeremy said.

 Feeling At Home

    I was waiting for Jeremy to finish in the locker room when Gabe motioned me over to the front counter.


    ¡°I been thinking about your spar all morning,¡± he confessed. ¡°There is no way by rights you should¡¯ve been able to roll Davey like that. No way.¡±


    ¡°But?¡± I asked.


    ¡°But you did. To hear him tell it, you¡¯re like an eight-armed octopus. He told me that he wants to get back in the ring with you again, even though he knows you¡¯ll do the same to him as you did today.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why would he want to get back in the ring with me, if he knows he¡¯ll get worked over again?¡± I clarified.


    ¡°It¡¯s what you said afterward,¡± Gabe said, leaning forward to make his point. ¡°You said that he was predictable and you knew what he was going to do before he did. He¡¯s been thinking about that all morning.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯ll make him a better fighter if he can change it up more.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s been bothering me,¡± Gabe said, looking me in the eyes to make his point, ¡°Is how you could read him so easily. I watched, and he never laid a glove on you that you didn¡¯t want him to. The only time he got in on you was when you let him.¡±


    ¡°That bothers you?¡± I asked.


    He leaned forward and looked around to make sure nobody could hear us. Just as he was about to speak, Jeremy emerged from the locker room, so Gabe shut up.


    ¡°You can say anything in front of Jeremy here,¡± I said, putting my hand on Jeremy¡¯s shoulder.


    Gabe looked doubtful, but eventually acquiesced. ¡°I watched your face, too. I don¡¯t think Davey twigged to it, but you looked completely indifferent. Bored, even. You barely broke a sweat, either.¡±


    ¡°They were only minute-and-a-half rounds,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Hardly enough to get warmed up.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I never seen anything like that,¡± Gabe said, sitting back in his chair. ¡°And I seen some really good fighters. You¡¯d be amazing in a professional bout.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in competition fighting, even if a weight class for women my size even existed. I do this to stay in shape and keep sharp, that¡¯s all,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard there are big purse underground fights¡­¡± Gabe said, leaning in and speaking with a low voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m a millionaire,¡± I told him. ¡°No warehouse fight could ever pay me how much I make in a day anyhow. No, there¡¯s no attraction for that kind of thing for me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand you at all,¡± Gabe admitted. ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Emmy wanted to get out of the house that day, since it was sunny and clear. Sure, it was cold and windy, but we went on a Thames river cruise anyway- we just stayed inside the boat and looked out the windows for the most part. That evening we went to see Daniel Radcliffe at the Old Vic in Rosenkrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead. We¡¯d seen the film version with Tim Roth and Gary Oldman back in high school and enjoyed it, so when Emmy suggested we see it on stage (and not just any stage, but the Old Vic) I was all for it.


    After the show (what¡¯s with the ice cream thing, anyway?) we went out for dinner at a superb Yakitori place before heading home.


    We drew plenty of stares everywhere we went, as usual. Emmy was gracious about it as always, but Jeremy¡¯s menacing presence kept people from getting too close. Of course everyone knew about the attack, so I think they all understood the need for a bit of distance.


    Emmy was her old, sparkling self, all smiles and charm. Sure, I knew she still was in a lot of pain from our loss, but nobody would have been able to see it. To the outside world Emmy was a vision of glamor, poise and grace.


    ¡°Thank you for a lovely day,¡± Emmy said that night as we relaxed in the apartment¡¯s big tub. ¡°I enjoyed it very much.¡±


    ¡°I did, too, Em,¡± I said, giving her a gentle squeeze. ¡°It was nice to go out and take in what London has to offer.¡±


    ¡°It occurred to me that we had done very little of that since we arrived,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I have been so involved in my music I have barely left the house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all part of the healing process, babe,¡± I said, kissing the top of her head. ¡°You weren¡¯t ready. I haven¡¯t been all that ready, either,¡± I added.


    ¡°The songs I have been writing¡­ I do not know if I will ever release them,¡± Emmy said after a long, thoughtful silence. ¡°They may be too personal to share.¡±


    ¡°All the best art is personal,¡± I said. ¡°Share them or don¡¯t. That¡¯s entirely up to you. It¡¯s your art, Em. Yours. Whether you create it for yourself or to give to the world, it¡¯s still yours.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Emmy said in a soft voice.


    Emmy¡¯s stayed quiet and introspective the rest of the night. When we slid into bed, I held her in my arms in silence, letting her know without words how much I loved her. I¡¯d come to recognize by feel when she wept in that strange, silent way of hers, so I knew that she cried herself to sleep that night. It was going to be a very long time before the loss ceased to hurt.


    ¡°I¡¯d never seen a play before last night,¡± Jeremy said as we walked to the gym the next morning. ¡°I really liked it, but I had a hard time understanding what they were saying a lot of the time.¡±


    ¡°Shakespearean English is hard if you¡¯re not used to it,¡± I agreed. ¡°But you had a good time anyway?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Tiny said. ¡°And that Japanese food! That was so good! I¡¯d never had anything like that before, either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was good, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I know I asked you the other day what you- well, whether you and Emmy wanted me to keep working for you and I told you that I would do my best for you as long as you want me, right? I want you to understand how much it means to me that you guys have, um, let me in¡­ I¡¯d have been O.K. with it if you guys told me to stand in the corner and keep an eye out while you two ate or whatever, but the way you have me sit down and eat with you makes me feel more like, I don¡¯t know¡­ a friend, I guess, more than anything. And cooking- Luisa told me that when you¡¯re in New York and she cooks, everybody eats together, and I¡¯ve been eating with you guys, at the same table¡­¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it very good,¡± Jeremy admitted. ¡°I guess what I mean to say is that you guys aren¡¯t treating me like a servant. You¡¯re treating me like, well, a family member. That means more than you guys realize.¡±


    For lack of anything to say, I just rested my hand on his big shoulder as we walked through the cold morning rain.


    Emmy was in her little studio when I got home from driving that afternoon. To my surprise the little red ¡®Recording¡¯ light was on above the door, so I refrained from entering. The studio was so small that it didn¡¯t have a separate production booth the way the one in New York had, never mind the professional setup we had in Los Angeles. This was just one medium-sized bedroom converted into a sound-proofed space, and that was it.


    As much as I wanted to tell Emmy about the evasion class with Grahame, I respected her need to do her music, so I parked myself on the couch by the fireplace with my laptop and worked on business for a while. It was somehow nice and cozy, despite the twenty-five feet tall windows looking out over the dark and rainy twilight of London¡¯s late fall afternoon. In the short time we¡¯d been in London the penthouse had started to feel like home.


    I met Roger Bridger and John Hoffman, his combatives expert friend, for lunch at Roger¡¯s club in Marylebone a few days later. I¡¯d wondered what it meant that we were no longer meeting on neutral ground like the boba place or kebab restaurant, but didn¡¯t really give it a whole lot of thought. If it was some sort of subtle cue, it was too subtle for me.


    I guess I¡¯d expected an English version of Grant Henry, but John Hoffman really didn¡¯t have that hardened leather look that Grant had. No, he looked more like a guy who¡¯d been in far too many bar fights. His nose looked as if it had been broken more times than I could count and he had a cauliflower left ear, too. He seemed bulkier than most fighters I¡¯d seen in various gyms around the world, but to be fair it was cold outside and we were all bundled up to one degree or another.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    John and Roger were in the reading room, and both stood up to greet me when I was shown in. John looked me up and dawn, appraising me at the same time as I was doing the same to him. Thankfully he didn¡¯t do any sort of silly dominance game like trying to crush my hand when we shook before sitting back down.


    ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± Roger said. ¡°John here was keen to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m always open to meeting new people, especially those that I might be able to learn from.¡±


    ¡°When Rog had me look at the videos of you in Atlanta, my first reaction was that you looked like you¡¯d done that sort of thing (he pronounced it ¡®fing¡¯) quite a bit,¡± John said, leaning in. ¡°The thing (¡®fing¡¯ again) of it is, I know precious few lads who could do what you did in that amount of time. I¡¯m talking about seasoned hard men, multiple tours, all that. I had no idea you¡¯re so young. This leads me to ask how?¡±


    ¡°When I told John your background, he really became intrigued,¡± Roger said with a chuckle.


    ¡°How?¡± I repeated. ¡°As it turns out, I just happen to be really good at it,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°it¡¯s a gift.¡±


    ¡°Some gift,¡± John said in disbelief.


    ¡°Leah here has expressed some interest in working with you a bit,¡± Roger said to John.


    ¡°Yeah? I think (¡®fink¡¯ this time) that might be interesting,¡± John said. ¡°We all seen your unarmed skill, but how are you with a weapon?¡±


    ¡°This is my tool of choice,¡± I said, drawing the modern Fairbairn-Sykes replica out of its sheath at the small of my back and setting it on the little table between us. ¡°Like I told Roger, I¡¯m a knife girl.¡±


    ¡°An unusual choice,¡± John said, picking up the knife and examining it. ¡°Most don¡¯t like how delicate the tip is on these.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve had to have mine back home reground a couple of times,¡± I admitted. ¡°But it has sentimental value, you know? Well, not this one in particular,¡± I added. ¡°I bought this one here in London a week ago.¡±


    ¡°If you get nicked with this on you¡­¡± John cautioned, handing it back.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± I said, holding my arms out to my sides after sliding the blade back in its place. ¡°Is any police officer going to see me and think, ¡®this woman might be armed¡¯?¡±


    Roger laughed, and John nodded begrudgingly that I¡¯d made my point.


    ¡°This suit was tailored specifically to hide my blade,¡± I said, standing up and doing a slow twirl so they could see the drape of the jacket. ¡°They did an excellent job.¡±


    ¡°Savile Row?¡± Roger asked.


    ¡°I liked their work so much I just ordered a few more suits,¡± I confirmed, sitting back down.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use that knife in Atlanta?¡± John asked.


    Letting my shoulders droop, I admitted that it was an error on my part. Knowing that there were plenty of witnesses, I¡¯d wanted it to be clear we were the victims of an unprovoked attack. Unfortunately, the extra time it took to deal with the attackers allowed them to kill Angela.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always regret that,¡± I confessed. ¡°Those few seconds might have made the difference.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we all have those moments we wish we could have back,¡± John said, surprisingly gently. ¡°Just learn and move on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do,¡± I told him. ¡°But it¡¯s easier said than done.¡±


    ¡°Most things are,¡± Roger said. ¡°Most things are.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain this is a good idea?¡± Emmy asked when I told her that I was going to start training with John Hoffman.


    ¡°Not completely, no,¡± I admitted. ¡°There¡¯s always a chance I could get hurt, but that¡¯s always a possibility.¡±


    ¡°You are not concerned that they might try to do something to you?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. I¡¯m pretty sure that Roger wants me as an ally, so he¡¯s not going to jeopardize our relationship,¡± I assured her. ¡°No, I think it¡¯s more likely that Roger and John want to see what I can do. Yeah, I might be giving up a secret by training with John, but there¡¯s a very real chance I can learn something new, and that¡¯s worth it.¡±


    ¡°If you think so,¡± Emmy said, doubt in her voice.


    ¡°Speaking of learning things,¡± I told her, ¡°I¡¯m going to have to go to Japan at the end of the month. The shinobi have expressed some desire to meet you, too, but I told them that wasn¡¯t on the table just yet.¡±


    ¡°Why not? If you want me to go, I will go with you,¡± Emmy replied.


    ¡°I may ask you to come once I¡¯ve established that it¡¯s safe and set some ground rules with the elders, but not right at first.¡±


    ¡°I will miss you,¡± Emmy said.


    The heavy industrial zone on the eastern side of the London Metropolitan area where I¡¯d been instructed to go for the training seemed an unlikely place, but when I pulled up to the closed chain-link blocking the driveway a man in bright yellow rain gear emerged from a little gate house.


    ¡°And you are?¡± he asked when I rolled down my window.


    ¡°Leah Farmer,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m expected.¡±


    ¡°Right you are,¡± he said. ¡°Circle around to the right, and park in any of the spaces you see in front of the office.¡± Returning to his little shack to open the gate for me, he waved me in, then immediately shut it behind my now pewter-gray Ford Focus.


    I found the small parking area he mentioned, then hurried into the office door to get out of the biting rain.


    ¡°May I help you?¡± asked the matronly woman behind the reception desk.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to meet John Hoffman,¡± I told her. ¡°We have a 2:30.¡±


    ¡°Your name?¡± she asked, checking a paper calendar on her desk.


    ¡°Leah Farmer,¡± I said, wondering about all the theater.


    ¡°Yes, here you are,¡± she confirmed, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll let him know you¡¯re here.¡±


    John came out to the reception area almost immediately and ushered me back to his office, which was small and untidy.


    ¡°Today we¡¯ll take some measurements and do some testing, that¡¯s all,¡± he said. Looking down at my duffel bag, he asked, ¡°What did you bring?¡±


    ¡°Gym clothes, fight gear, a towel, things like that,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you¡¯d want me to have.¡±


    ¡°Good enough,¡± he said. He went on to explain that what we were about to do was completely off any books and that I assumed responsibility for any injuries that may arise, and if I did need to go to the hospital I was to tell them anything but what really happened. The training systems were designed for safety, he explained, but the inherent problem with lethal training is that it¡¯s hard to do gently.


    ¡°In other words, if I get hurt, it¡¯s on me,¡± I said, making it clear that I understood. ¡°This isn¡¯t my first rodeo,¡± I added.


    He chuckled at the Americanism and said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t fink it is.¡±


    He led me to a women¡¯s locker room and told me to strip down to the minimum that I felt comfortable in. ¡°We need to weigh you, fings like that,¡± he said, somewhat apologetically.


    Stashing everything else in an available locker, I stepped back out into the hall in nothing but a sports bra and bike shorts- my preferred grappling outfit.


    ¡°Bloody Hell,¡± John exclaimed to himself, looking me up and down. He led me down the hall to what looked like a nurse¡¯s station, but with an assortment of unusual machines on rolling trolleys pushed on side.


    The nurse never introduced herself as she weighed me, checked my height and used calipers to assess my body fat percentage. When we were done with that John had me put on whatever I¡¯d brought for workout clothes, including shoes. He led me to a well-appointed gym for some strength testing, and seemed quite surprised at the numbers I posted up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re the strongest woman we¡¯ve ever tested, but you might be close,¡± he said. ¡°Stronger than most men, certainly.¡±


    After that it was treadmill time. When John instructed me to set it to a comfortable pace I dialed it up to a good, solid run.


    ¡°How long can you keep that up?¡± he asked, peering at the data on the treadmill¡¯s dashboard and writing the numbers down.


    ¡°How long do you have?¡± I asked.


    ¡°How far do you usually run?¡± John asked.


    ¡°I usually go out for ten or so miles, more or less,¡± I told him.


    ¡°At this speed?¡±


    No, I usually push it a little bit faster than this,¡± I said. ¡°This is my recreational jogging pace.¡±


    After half an hour, when it became obvious that yes, I really could keep up that pace for extended periods, John had me stop.


    ¡°You¡¯re in unbelievable shape,¡± he said. ¡°Do you feel up to some sparring? If you¡¯re too tired we can do it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I usually warm up harder than this,¡± I said, gesturing at the treadmill. ¡°I¡¯m ready to rumble.¡±


    ¡°Alright- let¡¯s see who we can scare up,¡± he said, looking around at the maybe half-dozen people working out. ¡°Hey! Teddy! Come over here!¡± John called, and a tall blonde guy set down his barbell and came over.


    ¡°Teddy, this is Leah. Leah, this is Teddy. Teddy, you up for a testing spar?¡± John asked.


    ¡°With her?¡± Teddy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Now why would I ask you to come over here if it was wif somebody else? Of course it¡¯s with her!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Teddy said, holding up his hands in surrender.


    ¡°Just a testing spar, got it? Gear, no crippling moves, you know the rules,¡± John told Teddy as he left to get ready. Turning to me, he said, ¡°Right. This is just to see where your skills are, that¡¯s all. No illegal blows, no crippling moves, nuffing like that. I just want to watch you fight.¡±


    ¡°Full gear?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, full gear,¡± he confirmed.


    A few minutes later Teddy and I were facing off on the mat. I¡¯d stripped back down to my bare minimum bike shorts and sports bra, but he was in loose mesh shorts and a singlet.


    ¡°Are we restricted to a certain style?¡± I asked John.


    ¡°Whatever works,¡± he said.


    Teddy wasn¡¯t as fast or as strong as Davey had been back at the gym by the apartment, but he was a much more varied fighter and not quite as easy to read. He had more reach than Davey had had, but it really didn¡¯t matter much since he was too slow.


    When John called the match, I helped Teddy up off the mat. ¡°Thanks for helping out,¡± I told him.


    ¡°You¡¯re American, right?¡± he asked as he removed his headgear.


    ¡°How could you tell?¡± I asked, smiling to let him know I was teasing.


    ¡°If you need any help getting to know London, I¡¯d be happy to show you around,¡± he said hopefully.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Happily married.¡±


    ¡°It was worth a try,¡± he said with a self-deprecating chuckle.


    Once Teddy had left us alone, John said, ¡°That was unreal. You had a counter for every move he made.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got good moves, but he¡¯s slow,¡± I said. ¡°And he hits like a girl.¡±


    John laughed at that, which was what I was hoping for.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°I fink that¡¯s enough for today. Can you come back tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in town until the end of the month,¡± I said, stowing my shin guards in my bag.


    ¡°Back to Los Angeles?¡± John asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be heading to Japan to train with some ninjas,¡± I said, earning me another laugh. ¡°But yeah, tomorrow is good. Same time?¡±


    ¡°Same time,¡± John agreed.


    ¡°How did it go today?¡± Tiny asked when I got back to the apartment. He was busy with something in the kitchen and the whole place smelled like fresh bread.


    ¡°It was O.K.,¡± I said, setting my bag down. ¡°I felt more like a lab rat than anything.¡± Changing the subject, I said, ¡°It smells amazing in here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to make French bread,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°My first try didn¡¯t turn out. Here¡¯s hoping this one goes better.¡±


    ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t, you¡¯ve made the whole house smell fantastic,¡± I told him. ¡°I am one hundred per cent in favor of you keeping at it.¡±


    Jeremy laughed, an appealing, relaxed laugh. ¡°I¡¯m glad you suggested cooking,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m really enjoying it.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m really enjoying it, too,¡± I agreed, taking a seat at the kitchen counter. ¡°When we¡¯re back in LA we could sign you up for cooking school if you want.¡±


    Jeremy thought about it for a little bit, then shrugged. ¡°Right now I¡¯m having fun trying out things on my own, you know? Maybe when I get better, that might be the next step, if I¡¯m still having fun with it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I can see that,¡± I said. ¡°The offer¡¯s open. In fact, it¡¯s open for any sort of further education you want to do. If you decide you¡¯d like to learn to scuba dive, or learn to be a metalsmith, whatever. Just let me know.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Jeremy replied softly.

 We Are Awesome

    ¡°Did I mention that Michael is going to move to New York?¡± I asked Emmy that night while we relaxed in the living room. Of course, I had my computer on my lap and was dealing with emails, so it wasn¡¯t really like snuggle time level of relaxing, but still¡­ we were enjoying the lights of the city below us, and the heat of the fireplace beside us. Jeremy had already cleaned up after dinner and gone to his room, so it was just us.


    ¡°You told me that he had been giving it some thought,¡± Emmy replied, looking up from her iPad. She took a sip of the English wine that Jeremy had found and bought more as a joke than anything else. ¡°He wishes to be closer to Jassie when she goes to university.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I confirmed. ¡°Although it¡¯s still something like a three and a half hour drive from New York City to Williamstown, so it isn¡¯t as if it¡¯s just right there. Still, that¡¯s close enough that she could visit for weekends.¡±


    ¡°But that is not the only reason, is it?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s looking as if all our outreach work is going to be happening on the Eastern Seaboard from now on out, so being where the action is happening only makes sense. You know he was planning on leaving the South Bay once Jassie graduated, anyway, so instead of moving down to LA to be near us he¡¯ll be moving to Brooklyn to run things.¡±


    ¡°Brooklyn?¡± Emmy asked, her brow creasing.


    ¡°Yeah, we found a nice condo right by the water. It has a great view of Manhattan, and the building has a really solid security program. An actual manned entry into the parking garage, a security guy at the front door, cameras, all that kind of thing. I doubt Michael is really at any risk, but better safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°I have never asked, but does he have protection? We would be lost without him,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, he always travels with one of the hitters,¡± I said. ¡°Like you said, he¡¯s vitally important to the organization.¡±


    ¡°Jassie will be safe at university?¡±


    ¡°As safe as any college freshman girl ever is,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°She¡¯s taken self defense lessons from Grant, so she¡¯s got that going for her. He also taught her what to do to avoid getting kidnapped and what to do if it happens. She should be fine.¡±


    ¡°I hated those lessons when I was a child,¡± Emmy said, looking off into the distance. ¡°It is no fun being locked in the trunk of a car.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯d never thought about it, but yeah, I can imagine your parents had the same concerns,¡± I said, setting my laptop aside and scooting next to Emmy to put an arm around her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to do that with our little girl, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°It seems cruel to subject a child to those harsh lessons, but I do understand the value. I did, even as a child myself. It did not make it any more pleasant, but I did understand the need.¡±


    ¡°As much as I hate to admit it, there are real downsides to being rich and famous,¡± I said. ¡°Our little girl is going to have the best protection possible.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that is true,¡± Emmy said, snuggling up against my side, her iPad forgotten on the coffee table. ¡°I am certain you will teach her yourself.¡±


    ¡°Nope, not me,¡± I said, enjoying the feeling of Emmy¡¯s body next to mine.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°My old boyfriend back in junior year at Fallbrook refused to teach me to snowboard when we went to Big Bear together,¡± I said.


    ¡°That is a non-sequitur,¡± Emmy said, giving me a puzzled look.


    ¡°He explained that his father had told him not to. His father had told him that trying to teach your girlfriend how to snowboard, or surf, or drive- anything, really- was an invitation to hurt feelings and resentment. His dad said that I should take lessons from the pros, so if I got mad at anybody, it wouldn¡¯t be Chris.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Emmy nodded in understanding.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Yeah. As you can see, that bit of wisdom really stayed with me,¡± I said. ¡°Teaching a kid how to escape from a car trunk while blindfolded and tied up seems like a perfect application of that principle.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s sparkling laughter filled that big, open space. ¡°Yes, I would imagine that it would,¡± she agreed. ¡°Mooooom!¡± she said in a little girl¡¯s plaintive voice. ¡°I hate when you tie me up and throw me in the trunk! Can¡¯t I ride in front with everybody else next time we go to Grandma¡¯s house?"


    Laughing, I pulled Emmy up onto my lap. ¡°Kid,¡± I said in a mock stern parental voice, ¡°It¡¯s the only way to keep you from complaining the entire drive.¡±


    ¡°We are terrible!¡± Emmy said, her laughter lighting up the room.


    ¡°No,¡± I contradicted. ¡°We¡¯re awesome. Which is why we¡¯ll have other people do our dirty work for us.¡±


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you are evil?¡± Emmy said, twisting around to look at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s come up a time or two,¡± I admitted, enjoying the light-hearted banter.


    ¡°I am very certain it has,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°But you are my evil.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, pulling her in close for a kiss. Emmy tried pushing against me to resist, but it did no good.


    ¡°You are too strong!¡± she said when we broke the kiss. ¡°You are made of iron!¡±


    ¡°I am Iron Woman!¡± I said in my best Ozzy Osbourne voice (which, honestly, was pretty bad but Emmy got the reference anyway).


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said, her voice softer, indicating that she was turning serious. ¡°Would you like to hear some of my new music? I have not shared any of it with anybody at all, but I think¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to, babe,¡± I assured her. ¡°Like I said the other day, share it if you want. I¡¯d be happy to listen to anything, no matter how personal.¡±


    Making up her mind, Emmy got up off my lap and offered her hand to me to lead me to the little-bitty home studio.


    Emmy had me sit in the office chair facing the production desk while she reached over and cued up a track on the computer, setting it to output to the speakers rather than headphones.


    ¡°It¡¯s war!¡± erupted from the speakers, Emmy¡¯s voice an angry scream. As the last syllable faded away her guitar took up the note seamlessly, gradually becoming more and more distorted as the furious riff progressed.


    Emmy had used some sort of generic Pro Tools rhythm section for the demo (which was essentially what this was) and the production was of relatively low quality, but the rage conveyed by the guitar was very, very real.


    ¡°War!¡± Emmy screamed again to finish out the otherwise completely instrument track, her voice raw and tortured.


    ¡°I do not think this has any commercial appeal,¡± Emmy said with a wry smile. ¡°But I had to express myself.¡±


    ¡°You certainly did that,¡± I agreed. ¡°And yeah, maybe this one never gets released to the public.¡±


    ¡°Here is another one that I have been working on, but I am not satisfied with it. It is not¡­.¡± she said, cuing up another track.


    Unlike the War song, this one started off with a soft Spanish-style guitar, playing a beautiful, melancholy melody. Emmy¡¯s voice, when it made its appearance at least a minute and a half into the song, was soft, a gentle lullaby.


    ¡°The night sky is brighter now,¡± she sang sweetly, in complete contrast to the last track. ¡°A new star shines down, its light reminding me of you.¡± Emmy never expressly called out Angela¡¯s name or directly referenced what had happened, but anybody would know it was a song of loss and remembrance, and probably who it was about. ¡°I kiss the sky, hoping the wind carries my love to you,¡± was the last line as the guitar faded away.


    It took me a few long moments to compose myself after that, moments spent holding Emmy tightly against me as tears flowed down my face.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, ¡°I miss her so much.¡±


    ¡°I do, too,¡± Emmy replied, her voice muffled against my shoulder. ¡°It hurts so much, Leah. So very much.¡±


    ¡°I know, baby,¡± I said, rubbing her back. ¡°I know it does.¡±


    ¡°How do you do it?¡± Emmy asked, her voice barely audible. ¡°How do you stay so strong?¡±


    ¡°I fake it,¡± I told her, kissing the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m hurting inside, too.¡±


    ¡°You hide it well,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I did not mean that to sound the way it did,¡± Emmy said, catching herself. ¡°I meant that you present to the world as if you are dealing with the loss well.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ve been leaning hard into my stone cold image,¡± I admitted. ¡°Maybe even convincing myself a little bit.¡±


    ¡°You are stone,¡± Emmy said grabbing a handful of my side. ¡°Not cold, though.¡±


    I appreciated her attempt to change the subject, so I ran with it. ¡°Sixteen per cent body fat, according to the test today,¡± I told her. ¡°But it was old-school calipers, not hydrostatic weighing, so who knows how accurate it really is.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been weighed for body fat?¡± Emmy asked, looking up at me.


    ¡°Sure. Every season at Stanford we all had to go to the sports science lab and get tested,¡± I told her. ¡°VO2 max, body fat percentage, muscle fiber analysis, the whole works. We all hated it, but it had to be done,¡± I told her.


    ¡°And get your naked picture taken,¡± Emmy teased.


    ¡°That was just the one time, and it was for a good cause,¡± I objected. ¡°And you couldn¡¯t really see anything, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I have a copy of that photo on my phone,¡± Emmy confessed. ¡°I like to look at it when we are apart.¡±


    Laughing, I lifted her up to my level and gave her a kiss.


    ¡°How are you so strong?¡± Emmy demanded, draping her arms on my shoulders.


    ¡°Lots of very hard workouts,¡± I told her. ¡°Very hard workouts.¡±


    ¡°I want you to use that strength tonight,¡± Emmy said. ¡°I want you to make me remember that we are still alive and that love still exists. I want you to make me forget everything else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± I said, cupping her butt in my hands to carry her upstairs to our bedroom.


    ¡°This does not even seem difficult for you,¡± Emmy remarked as I climbed the steps with Emmy in my arms.


    ¡°You hardly weigh anything,¡± I told her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to carry Jeremy up these stairs.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s delighted laughter at the thought made me smile, too.

 Back to Manhattan

    The next day John was waiting when I got to the training center. ¡°I want to try somefing today,¡± he said as soon as I walked in the office door. Signaling me to follow, he led me back to the gym area. ¡°We¡¯re going to work with blades today, so wear whatever you fink would be best.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m fine as-is, then,¡± I said with a shrug.


    John gave a little head-tilt shrug as if to say, ¡®Why not?¡¯ and lead me to the main gym area.


    ¡°Leah, this is Jamie. Jamie¡¯s our best with a blade,¡± John said, introducing me to a compact, stocky guy with dark hair and hipster facial hair.


    ¡°John says you favor a Fairbairn-Sykes,¡± Jamie said. ¡°Unusual, but I respect the tradition behind it.¡±


    ¡°Tradition is the point,¡± I said, mentally wincing at my unintentional pun. ¡°My main blade was handed down for generations.¡±


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Jamie said. ¡°Well, this is for you,¡± he said, pulling a hard rubber knife in a familiar shape out of a bag. ¡°Myself, I prefer a German Kampfmesser. This is for me,¡± he said, pulling out another hard rubber knife, but this one with a seven inch tanto-style blade.


    Suddenly, without any warning, he lunged at me, trying to stab me in the gut. I deflected his arm, turning his momentum against him. As we pivoted I reached around and ran my fake blade across his throat from behind.


    ¡°Point to you,¡± Jamie said with a wry smile, rubbing his Adam¡¯s apple.


    ¡°Are we going to have to suffer these puns all day long?¡± I groaned, getting a delayed laugh from both men.


    ¡°I told you she¡¯s faster than a whip,¡± John admonished Jamie.


    ¡°Well, alright then, shall we get to it?¡± Jamie asked, picking up his bag and carrying it over to a nearby bench. I did the same with my duffel, and soon we were squaring off, knives in hand.


    To my great disappointment he had nothing on Mr Han. He had no answer for me and every clash ended up with him receiving what would have been a fatal wound. Jamie did manage to nick me every now and then and got a couple of decent slashes in, but nothing that would ever be life-threatening.


    After about an hour, Jamie just threw up his hands. ¡°John,¡± he said. ¡°Was this all just to take me down a peg or two? Because I can tell you, it¡¯s certainly done that.¡±


    ¡°Leah here is an amateur, Jamie. You¡¯re the professional. This should have been a doddle.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s no amateur,¡± Jamie said dismissively. ¡°She¡¯s been trained by the best. Her style is unusual, though. I¡¯ve never gone against an American that fights like she does.¡± Turning to me, he asked, ¡°What organization are you with?¡±


    ¡°Like John said, I¡¯m not a pro,¡± I replied. ¡°This is just a hobby of mine.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Jamie replied doubtfully.


    John signaled I should follow him, so I gave Jamie his practice blade back and grabbed my duffel.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to develop a theory,¡± John said as he led me back to his office. Taking our seats, he said, ¡°It¡¯s obvious to a blind man that I can¡¯t teach you any unarmed or blade combat skills, so I¡¯m not going to try. In point of fact, you could teach my lads a thing or two.¡±


    ¡°Can we get past the stabbing puns?¡± I groaned.


    John shook his head in disbelief, but I could see him trying to hide a smile. ¡°As I was saying,¡± he continued, ¡°You could teach our boys quite a bit about blade handling. What would you say Jamie¡¯s strengths and weaknesses are?¡±


    ¡°His strengths¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­¡± I said, thinking about it. ¡°He does an excellent job of weapon retention. I couldn¡¯t get him to drop his blade at all. That¡¯s crucial, since the moment you drop your weapon it¡¯s game over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true,¡± John agreed.


    ¡°His weaknesses? He fights like- well, like a karate black belt or something like that. He¡¯s too focused on technique and not enough on outcome. A prisoner with a shiv made from a toothbrush would take him out.¡±


    Laughing, John asked what I meant.


    I raised my arm, elbow level with my shoulder and forearm turned horizontally across my body. With my other hand I made as if I were holding a knife. Still in my seat, I pantomimed rushing forward, leading with my bent arm while my knife hand, held down near my waist, made rapid-fire stabbing motions.


    ¡°Jamie isn¡¯t willing to take a hit to make a hit,¡± I said. ¡°An untrained guy with a knife who is willing to rush in and do what it takes would take Jamie down every time. Sure, that guy might die, but Jamie definitely would. The old saying is that the winners of knife fights can be found in the ICU and the losers in the cemetery is absolutely true.¡±


    ¡°But here you are,¡± John objected. ¡°I watched the videos of you in Atlanta. You rushed in and took down six opponents, unarmed. They all had knives. By your comment, you should have ended up in hospital.¡±


    ¡°I did get stabbed,¡± I said, tapping my thigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I read, but I never saw that in any of the videos.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let it affect me,¡± I said. ¡°I had things to do.¡±


    John just stared at me for a long moment. ¡°Roger asked me to train you,¡± he finally said. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure what he finks I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but the main reason that Colonel Bridger asked you to train me was that I¡¯d develop some sort of sense of gratitude or camaraderie towards you guys, and be more willing to work for you- or at least with you- in the future,¡± I said.


    John loud out a short bark of a laugh. ¡°He said you were direct!¡± he chuckled. ¡°Is it working?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be a lot easier to just ask me,¡± I said with a little shrug. ¡°I mean, I appreciate the attention, I guess, but¡­¡±


    ¡°So is there nothing we can offer you?¡± John asked.


    ¡°Information, mostly,¡± I said, leaning back. ¡°Roger already supplied me with some very important bits of that, and I gave him some information he wanted- quid pro quo.¡±


    ¡°Information on Night Children?¡± John asked.


    ¡°Yeah, some of that,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°So what other information can we give you?¡± John asked. ¡°If we can¡¯t offer training, what else do you want?¡±


    ¡°Is this the kind of thing I¡¯d talk to you about, or should I talk to Roger?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Roger¡¯s your man,¡± John admitted.


    ¡°My handler?¡±


    John just chuckled, tilting his head and smiling wryly.


    I sent Roger a text and got a response before I¡¯d driven halfway home. Detouring to meet him at his club, I called Jeremy to let him know I might be a little late for dinner from the car.


    ¡°I spoke with John,¡± Roger said after we got our greeting pleasantries over. ¡°He told me that you exceed some of our best.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m more than half convinced he played me by pitting me against mooks,¡± I said. ¡°Puffing up my ego.¡±


    Roger chuckled at the idea. ¡°I can assure you that wasn¡¯t the case. John told me he has some ideas he wants to explore¡­ He also told me that you happen to be interested in more information?¡±


    ¡°This one¡­¡± I said, pausing and leaning back to let the club¡¯s waiter set my drink down, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s O.K. for you to share. You may be trading on toes with this one, even if you do know or can get access to the answer.¡±


    ¡°You have me intrigued,¡± Colonel Bridger said, sipping his Scotch.


    ¡°In Colombia I met a man who calls himself Emiliano Su¨¢rez. I¡¯d like to know if he actually works for the CIA, DEA, or whatever. He introduced a girl a little younger than me as his daughter, Katrina. I¡¯d like to know if she is his daughter, and if she works for a letter agency, too.


    ¡°Why do you think they might?¡±


    ¡°Her I doubt, but he seemed a bit too interested in me and my business down there. He says he¡¯s in logistics¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°In other words, he¡¯s a smuggler?¡±


    ¡°Everybody down there assumes that anyone in the shipping industry must be smuggling, right? But like Katrina said, it is quite possible he¡¯s above-board.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to say it¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Roger said. ¡°What would you do with this information?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, really,¡± I admitted. ¡°I like Katrina, and I¡¯d like to think we could be friends. Emiliano, well, he¡¯s a charming enough guy, but if he really is CIA or whatever, I¡¯d just avoid him, that¡¯s all. Really, my main concern is whether or not the CIA (or whoever) is interested in me.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think they might be?¡±


    ¡°You guys are, why wouldn¡¯t they be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± Roger replied.


    ¡°Right,¡± I said, sipping my own Glenfiddich 18. ¡°So, what I¡¯m asking is, if Emiliano is working for the CIA or whatever organization, I¡¯d like to know so I can speak to them a bit more directly, the way we are right now.¡±


    ¡°The Americans are enamored with their secrecy,¡± Roger cautioned. ¡°If we were to tell you that he is, they would consider him a burned asset. They¡¯d pull him from the field. They¡¯d be extremely upset with us, even if it did somehow lead to engaging positively with you.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said. ¡°So how about this. You tell me if the American spook agencies are interested in me, and connect me with whatever handler they might want to assign to me if they are. I¡¯m perfectly happy to have conversations similar to this with them if that¡¯s what they want. If they aren¡¯t interested in me, I¡¯m even more happy to stay off their radar.¡±


    ¡°Leah,¡± Roger said. ¡°There is no way to make those inquiries without triggering an interest if it doesn¡¯t already exist. That¡¯s the basic nature of the American intelligence operation.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess- you¡¯d rather keep me secret in your pocket if at all possible?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You are so refreshingly direct!¡± Roger chuckled. ¡°The world would be an easier place if everybody were like you. You¡¯re also not wrong. Our interest in you stems right from our meeting at the benefit party, not from the Americans alerting us to your¡­ activities. They haven¡¯t shared any intelligence about you or your wife and her family at all.¡±


    ¡°Alright. It was worth a try,¡± I said, leaning back in the overstuffed leather chair.


    ¡°As you¡¯d said about Night Children politics, there is some information that simply can¡¯t be shared,¡± Roger said, managing to seem apologetic.


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± I admitted.


    Changing the subject, Roger asked if there was anything else that he could provide that I might be interested in.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m good for now,¡± I told him. ¡°But if I think of anything I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    ¡°Jeremy told me that you had said you were going to be late for dinner,¡± Emmy remarked when I got back to the penthouse.


    ¡°Yeah, my meeting was a lot shorter than I expected,¡± I said, leaning down and giving her a kiss.


    ¡°I am glad,¡± she said, lacing her fingers behind my neck to capture me and prevent me from rising. ¡°I have plans for you tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she confirmed, pulling me down for another kiss. ¡°Big plans.¡±


    ¡°Do they involve going out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Emmy said with a smile. ¡°My plans extend no farther than our bedroom.¡±


    ¡°So I don¡¯t have to get all dressed up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± Emmy said, her voice turning serious. ¡°I want you to wear the suit you got on your birthday.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, giving her another little peck on the lips. ¡°And will you be wearing your birthday suit, too?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°It is important that we match.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m liking the sound of these plans of yours,¡± I told her. ¡°I think I¡¯m liking them very much.¡±


    ¡°As good as my plan may be, I expect the implementation will be better,¡± Emmy said with a slow, lascivious wink.


    ¡°We can skip dinner and go up to the bedroom now,¡± I suggested, doing my best to give Emmy a puppy-dog look.


    ¡°No,¡± Emmy said, shaking her head. ¡°We will require sustenance, for my plans involve arduous activity. Besides, Jeremy has been working in the kitchen for hours and I would hate to be the one who told him that it was all for naught.¡±


    ¡°That would be rude, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± I agreed.


    Emmy¡¯s plans did involve a lot of physical activity, but I didn¡¯t find it arduous at all. In fact, I found it quite pleasant.


    ¡°Leah,¡± Emmy said, her drowsy voice tickling the skin of my back where she rested on top of me. ¡°You are such a beast. In the very best way.¡±


    ¡°The very beast way?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The beast way possible,¡± she agreed. It only took a few more moments before her breathing evened out as she fell asleep. I enjoyed the feeling of her weight on top of me, but we were on top of the bedding and I was starting to cool off.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said gently. When she didn¡¯t wake, I slowly rolled to my side, dumping her off in the process.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± she said in a plaintive voice, but settled down when I turned her on her side and spooned up behind her, pulling the covers over the two of us.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Emmy mumbled.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± I told her, but she was already asleep.


    We returned to New York that weekend, having taken care of everything that needed to be done in London for the time being. As much as the South Bank penthouse had come to feel homey, it still didn¡¯t have the familiarity that the Manhattan townhouse did. It was good to only have a three hour time differential with the California offices, too.


    We spent a week in New York, a week in which I visited a few sites for a potential base of operations with Michael and Grant.


    Eventually we settled on an old drug store in a multi-ethnic neighborhood in Brooklyn called the Little Caribbean. The building had been built in the Great Depression in a sort of Deco style, and suited our needs quite well. It had a full-sized basement as well as two floors above ground, adding up to eighteen thousand square feet. Upstairs would be perfect for offices and classrooms, the main floor for our community center, and the basement for storage. In addition to the front and side emergency doors, there was loading dock access to the rear of the basement from an alley.


    Pleased with the possibilities, I told the commercial realtor showing us around that I¡¯d like to make an offer on the place..


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that this will work for a training base for our hitters,¡± I told Grant and Michael back in the car parked across the street. ¡°But it¡¯ll definitely work for our cultural center and outreach headquarters.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about a training center,¡± Grant said. ¡°I like the idea of it being here in New York, in the urban core like this place,¡± he said, gesturing to the ninety-year-old building we¡¯d just toured as Wally drove us away.


    ¡°But?¡± I asked.


    ¡°But nothing, really,¡± he said. ¡°Except I don¡¯t think we want it where civilians might congregate.¡±


    ¡°How about Thomas Bros?¡± I suggested. ¡°We know what it takes to keep operational security in that area, and we now own the building.¡±


    ¡°I like that idea,¡± Michael said.


    ¡°Yeah, it could work,¡± Grant agreed, thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯d like to spend a few bucks making some changes, but the bones are there.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said to Michael and Grant. ¡°Draw up wish lists for the two sites. I expect the owners of this place will want to strike a deal quickly- it¡¯s been empty for over a year now. We can get construction going the moment we close. As for Thomas Bros, think about what we can bring a generic tenant improvement contractor in for, and what we have to be a bit more clandestine about. I¡¯d like to be fully up to speed within four to six months. In the meanwhile we¡¯ll continue to use the warehouse in Cleveland for our operational training.¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Grant said. ¡°Cleveland is nice this time of year.¡±


    ¡°If by ¡®nice¡¯ you mean ass-chappingly cold, then yeah,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°¡®Ass-chappingly cold¡¯ barely begins to describe it,¡± Grant said with a chuckle.


    ¡°How is Jassie doing at university?¡± Emmy asked Michael one night as we sat in the parlor after dinner.


    ¡°She¡¯s enjoying it quite a bit. Thankfully the college was O.K. with Jassie and Addison rooming together, which was a relief,¡± he said, his voice softening when he discussed his daughter. ¡°Jassie likes the idea of me moving here to New York, and to be honest, so do Addison¡¯s parents. They know that the girls can come down when they want. The college operates a bus that brings students to Penn Station for holiday breaks, and some weekends. Also, I can drive up in just a few hours if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°That is ideal,¡± Emmy said, sipping her wine. ¡°Leah told me that you have found an apartment. Have you moved in yet?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°It still hasn¡¯t closed escrow. We asked for a thirty day close, but the sellers wouldn¡¯t budge on a sixty day. I guess they need the place they¡¯re buying to close before they can move their stuff.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m counting the days,¡± Michael said. ¡°I am tired of the hotel.¡±


    ¡°Only three more weeks,¡± I said. ¡°Then a couple of weeks to get it painted and new carpets and drapes.¡±


    Michael groaned at the idea of needing to wait that long, but I could tell it was mostly just theater. ¡°Over a month!¡± he groused.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be in the new place by Christmas, if things go our way,¡± I said.


    ¡°That would be wonderful,¡± Michael said. ¡°It¡¯d be great to celebrate in our new place. Will you two be here in New York for Christmas?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t talked about it,¡± I said, looking to Emmy.


    ¡°I am sorry, but I told Lee and Jackson that I would be there in Los Angeles to record with them in December,¡± she said with helpless shrug.


    ¡°You guys¡¯ll take a break for the holidays, though, right? Maybe we can come back to have Christmas here,¡± I suggested.


    ¡°What about your mother and sister? Grace will want to come to Los Angeles again, too,¡± Emmy added.


    ¡°Maybe we could bring them all here? I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, not willing to admit defeat. ¡°Let¡¯s see what we can plan.¡±

 Being Social

    As much as I¡¯d enjoyed the time away, it was good to be back in Los Angeles again. Yes, our home reminded me of Angela in many ways, but it still felt more like home than the New York or London houses did. Plus, we had our friends to spend time with, which we simply didn¡¯t have in either New York or London.


    Since we got home on Friday night, I took the opportunity to go driving with the boys on Saturday. Teddy Bear still had my Aston Martin, so that left me with the choice between the two Porsches or the two BMWs. My first instinct was to take the M6 coupe, but after a moment¡¯s indecision I grabbed the key fob for the 918. Sure, the weather was a bit cool so I wouldn¡¯t take the T Tops off, and more importantly, it did have a lot of memories of Angela associated with it, but I needed to get past that emotional hurdle.


    ¡°Glad you could make it,¡± Stephen said when I joined him in the parking lot with a fresh cup of gas station coffee in my hand. ¡°You brought the Spyder,¡± he said, gesturing in the direction of the Porsche with his own paper coffee cup. ¡°Is it going to be one of those days?¡±


    ¡°Nah, probably not,¡± I admitted. ¡°I really haven¡¯t been able to do much performance driving since I saw you last.¡±


    ¡°You guys were in England, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, London,¡± I confirmed. ¡°I was hoping to get in a track day or two over there but I just couldn¡¯t swing it.¡±


    ¡°Track days? In winter in the UK?¡± Stephen asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, they run ¡®em all year ¡®round,¡± I confirmed. ¡°It only mostly rains there, so unless there¡¯s ice or the unlikely snow or really bad fog they run anyhow.¡±


    ¡°Would you rent a car?¡± Stephen asked. ¡°I mean, do they do that over there?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯d take my Lotus,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right- you did mention you¡¯d bought a Lotus¡­ Evora, right? In British Racing Green?¡± Stephen said as I took out my phone to show him pictures.


    ¡°Yeah, and I took a bunch of driving lessons to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Heck, your old 911 Safari should have taught you all you need to know about that!¡± Stephen teased. ¡°That thing rarely stays inside the lines!¡±


    ¡°Inside what lines?¡± Geoff asked as he joined us.


    ¡°Leah was talking about taking driving lessons in England to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road, so I made the comment that she never bothered staying on the right side in the Safari,¡± Stephen explained.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Geoff said, sipping from a bottle of Starbucks cold brew. ¡°She gets all sorts of out of shape in that car. I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s stayed out of the ditch so far.¡±


    ¡°I actually bought two cars in London,¡± I said. ¡°The other is a Ford Focus.¡±


    ¡°You said you were going to buy a Nissan Micra for your driving lessons over there,¡± Geoff nodded. ¡°A Focus is a good choice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fun little car,¡± I said. ¡°If a bit loud.¡±


    Looking at me, Stephen said, ¡°You bought the sport model, right? Of course you did.¡±


    ¡°The dealership I stopped in at had an RS that they¡¯d had a speed shop upgrade like crazy. The dealership thought it would generate excitement or something, but it just sat on the showroom floor because after all the work they did it was just too expensive for what it was,¡± I explained.


    ¡°But not for you,¡± Geoff nodded.


    ¡°No, not too expensive for me,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame those cars are stuck over there in England,¡± Stephen said. ¡°It¡¯d be hilarious to see you rip it up in a Ford Focus.¡±


    ¡°That little thing dynoed at nearly four hundred horsepower,¡± I said. ¡°It really rips.¡±


    ¡°Insane,¡± Geoff said, shaking his head.


    Teddy Bear pulled up to the gas pumps at about that moment, waving to us as he got out to fill up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re getting that car back,¡± Geoff said as we watched Teddy Bear.


    ¡°That¡¯s what Jimmy said last time,¡± I admitted. ¡°I guess if TB likes it that much I can sell it to him.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Leah!¡± Teddy Bear said as he pulled up next to where were we standing. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were going to be joining us today!¡±


    ¡°Hey, speaking of joining,¡± I said, looking around at the three guys. ¡°We¡¯ll be having a get-together at our house on Wednesday evening and you¡¯re all invited. Bring Linda and the girls,¡± I said to Geoff. Turning to Stephen, I said, ¡°You, you tell Stephanie. In fact, tell her to come even if you can¡¯t make it. And you, feel free to bring whoever,¡± I said to Teddy Bear.


    ¡°I might bring Solange,¡± Teddy Bear said, thinking about it. ¡°She won¡¯t shut up about Emmy and how she got invited to dinner at your place, and then the housewarming party."


    ¡°Sure, bring her,¡± I said.


    Stein and Jimmy both rolled up about then, so we got to talking about routes and conditions. Apparently there were reports of ice up in the mountains, so we stuck to the Malibu Hills for the day, which was fine by me. Sure, it wasn¡¯t really the right sort of road for the Spyder (it would have been perfect for the Focus RS) but that was fine. As I¡¯d told Stephen, I was out of practice.


    At lunch I mentioned that fact, and the guys clamored for another track day.


    Pulling out my phone to look at the local tracks¡¯ schedules, I saw that Buttonwillow Raceway was going to have a two-session weekend in two weeks. Everybody checked their calendar and saw that they had it free, so it looked as if we were good to go.


    ¡°Is it cool if I take the Aston?¡± Teddy Bear asked in a low voice.


    ¡°The guys say you really like that car,¡± I replied, matching his tone. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to part with it if you want to buy it.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Teddy Bear asked, a gleam in his eye.


    ¡°I have no idea what market is, but let¡¯s say a hundred? Does that sound fair?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the money for you on Wednesday,¡± Teddy Bear promised, looking as if Santa had come early.


    ¡°What are you guys whispering about?¡± Jimmy demanded from the other side of the table.


    ¡°Leah¡¯s gonna sell me the Vantage,¡± Teddy Bear said, all grins.


    ¡°Hell yeah, dude!¡± Jimmy said, holding his hand up across the table for a high five, which Teddy Bear promptly gave him.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± Geoff said, knuckle-bumping Teddy Bear. ¡°About time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m selling the Aston Martin to Teddy Bear,¡± I told Emmy when I got home.


    ¡°I will be sad to see that car go,¡± Emmy said, setting her guitar aside for a kiss. ¡°I have fond memories.¡±


    ¡°I do, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°But he really loves the thing and I¡¯ve barely been driving it, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Emmy said. ¡°It is silly to assign too much sentimentality to inanimate objects, but I think it is natural to do so.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°That¡¯s actually sort of why I took out the 918 today. I¡¯d sort of been avoiding that car because it reminded me too much of Angela, but I need to get over that hangup.¡±


    ¡°Take the rally car next time,¡± Emmy urged. ¡°As you have pointed out to me, Angela would not want you to¡­ to miss out on things simply because remembering her was painful.¡±


    ¡°No, she wouldn¡¯t, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°So that is what you should do. Keep driving the cars that remind you of her, and enjoy them and enjoy the memories you have of her,¡± Emmy instructed. ¡°I was thinking of her earlier, remembering her. I want to write a song celebrating her smile. I want to remember the very best of her.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°She did have a very beautiful smile,¡± I said. ¡°And a truly spectacular ass.¡±


    ¡°I have already written a song about that,¡± Emmy said with an impish grin, lightening the moment. ¡°So fine, so fine, your amazing behind,¡± Emmy sang, strumming her guitar. ¡°It¡¯s the top of the class, your incredible ass.¡±


    ¡°I think your song is going to need a little work,¡± I said with a chuckle, kissing the top of her head. ¡°Hey, the guys all said they¡¯d try to make it on Wednesday. Geoff said he¡¯ll bring Linda and Ginnie and Eileen, and Teddy Bear is going to ask Solange. Stephen was gonna ask Stephanie.¡±


    ¡°It will be good to have a full house,¡± Emmy said. ¡°On the topic of friends, Jenna asked if we wanted to go to the Rams game on Monday night. She said that they have only had one loss this season and are in contention for the playoffs, so a group of players are paying for a suite at the stadium. She said that Andy would love it if we could attend.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like fun,¡± I said, meaning it. I was fully on board with the idea re-engaging with our friends. It had been some months since we lost Angela and the babies and it was time to stop moping so much. Even if hanging out with the Rams WAGs might not be the most fun thing ever, at least it was social, right? We¡¯d be out and doing things and not stuck at home feeling sorry for ourselves.


    ¡°Em,¡± I said, sitting down on the sofa with her. ¡°I¡¯d already written it off, but since we¡¯re talking about these kinds of things, tonight is the Porsche club¡¯s monthly dinner¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ could you go with me?¡± I asked, hopeful. ¡°The food¡¯ll be O.K. and the company is alright for the most part.¡±


    ¡°Faint praise,¡± Emmy laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I said. ¡°But I would like to announce that I¡¯m the new owner of Porsche Of Hollywood. And, well, I can¡¯t keep avoiding those people because it reminds me of Angela.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s face fell. ¡°Leah,¡± she said, her voice tender. ¡°I am sorry that I keep forgetting that you are suffering, too. I was not alone in losing a partner I thought would be with me for the rest of my life- you did, too. It is very self-centered of me to forget that your loss is as great as mine. Perhaps greater, even.¡±


    ¡°I still have you, Em,¡± I said, resting a hand on her smooth thigh.


    ¡°And I have you,¡± Emmy said, resting her hand on mine. ¡°That means that neither of us is all alone. I will go with you to the club dinner tonight, and we can both remember what it is like to put ourselves out in the world.¡±


    ¡°Well, put ourselves out in Santa Monica, at least,¡± I replied, earning me a smile. Emmy knew I was trying to break the somber mod, and she let it happen.


    We didn¡¯t take Tiny that night, and it wasn¡¯t just because we didn¡¯t have any Porsches with more than two seats. No, I judged that it was a zero-risk situation, since we¡¯d be surrounded by known quantities and in a situation that no hostiles could know to infiltrate.


    I felt pretty good about security in Los Angeles in general, too. Every known Night Child in the region had accepted our shadow, and their lives had been greatly improved as a result, so I was confident that our network was solid. We would know if any new Night Children were spotted before too long, even in a city as large as LA. Night Children tended to the same sorts of places, after all.


    Of course, there was also me. I don¡¯t know what percentage of the population had actually seen the videos of me in Atlanta, but enough had for me to get more looks than usual when I was out and about in my blonde wig. So yeah, plenty of people would know not to screw with Emmy when I was standing right there.


    Emmy suggested that we take the 911 Carrera Safari to the club dinner and at first I was going to protest, but understanding what she was doing, I caved. Yes, it was loud inside and not as comfortable as the Spyder, but that was fine. It did make as much of a splash, if not more, than the 918 did among Porsche nerds.


    The parking lot was mostly full when we pulled in, but I trusted the valets to know where to park our old Carrera. Walking Emmy inside the seafood restaurant, we got a whole lot of stares. It felt really awkward at first until Targa Mike came over.


    ¡°Hey, Leah, I¡¯m really sorry about Angela,¡± he said, and it sounded as if he really meant it. ¡°She was a really sweet girl. Everybody in the club loved her. I mean it- she really lit up the room.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mike,¡± I said. ¡°Mike, this is my wife Emmy. Emmy, this is Mike. He has a really sweet butterscotch-colored Targa.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a real pleasure to meet you,¡± Mike said, extending his hand, which Emmy took. ¡°Again, I¡¯m really sorry for your loss. Angela really was something special,¡± he said. Clearly he¡¯d come to understand our unusual living arrangement and had no issues with it, to his credit.


    ¡°Thank you, Mike. It was a terrible thing- we miss her very much,¡± Emmy said.


    By this time a few more people had gathered around and a number of them murmured their condolences. None really seemed scandalized by Emmy being there, but then again, this was Los Angeles, right?


    Emmy and I sat down at a table with Rick (the club¡¯s events guy) and another guy whose name I couldn¡¯t remember but should have.


    ¡°Emmy,¡± the other guy said. ¡°I saw your show at the Coliseum. That might have been the best arena concert I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Tom,¡± Emmy said, since of course she already knew the guy¡¯s name. ¡°It was good to perform for a home crowd, and wonderful to finish our tour here.¡±


    While Tom and Emmy talked about the show, Rick leaned in to whisper, ¡°Leah- the video from Atlanta¡­ Was that real?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was,¡± I admitted quietly.


    ¡°That was brutal,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that outside of the movies.¡±


    ¡°Trust me- you don¡¯t want to ever experience anything like that,¡± I told him, keeping my voice just as low.


    ¡°No joke,¡± he said. ¡°And you really, um¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I really did kill six people with my bare hands,¡± I told him. ¡°Emmy¡¯s bodyguards took out the other three.¡±


    ¡°Jesus Christ,¡± Rick said. ¡°When a co-worker of mine showed me the video, I couldn¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to regret that day for the rest of my life,¡± I told him.


    ¡°At least you saved Emmy,¡± Rick said, glancing over at where she chatted with Tom.


    ¡°That was mostly Emmy¡¯s bodyguards,¡± I said. ¡°They kept the attackers away.¡±


    ¡°Long enough for you to finish them off,¡± Rick countered.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I said, sitting up to indicate that I was done talking about it.


    After the dinner, when the club¡¯s president asked if anybody had any announcements, I stood up to tell the club that I¡¯d just completed the transaction and was now the owner of the Hollywood Porsche dealership.


    ¡°Did you sell off those BMW dealerships of yours?¡± somebody called out.


    ¡°Nope,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°That means that in addition to getting club member discounts at Porsche Of Hollywood, I¡¯ll extend the deal to my two BMW stores, too. Yes, that¡¯s right, your Porsche club card will get you discounts on new or used BMWs, service, or accessories.¡± This got a laugh from the assembled group, which was what I was after. ¡°By the way, we¡¯ve cleared out the old management team at Hollywood Porsche too, so if you¡¯ve had less than stellar dealings there, come give it another chance. I know the dealership has had a bit of a rocky reputation for a while, but with new ownership and management comes a new attitude. I hope to build it into the area¡¯s most trusted shop, the way my other German car dealerships are in the Inland Empire.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Leah,¡± the club¡¯s president said when I sat back down. ¡°Thanks for the generous sponsorship of the club, too. Ladies and gentlemen, as of the new year Porsche Of Hollywood will be the club¡¯s main sponsor. I¡¯d like to thank Porsche Of Marina Del Rey for their past sponsorship and would like to remind you that they will continue to offer club discounts on service and accessories. That said, Porsche Of Hollywood is stepping up to the plate and deserves our patronage, so please stop on by.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kevin,¡± I said, standing up again. ¡°During the month of January any member who shows a current club card will get a free Porsche club T shirt. We¡¯ll also be handing them out at the club¡¯s first track day of the season in March.¡±


    ¡°You did not tell me that you bought the Porsche store!¡± Emmy said a bit indignantly when I sat down and the next person stood up to talk about next month¡¯s club breakfast and dinner.


    ¡°Uh oh! Busted!¡± Rick said with a chuckle.


    ¡°She comes from a BMW family,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°That is not what I meant,¡± Emmy said with a little huff. ¡°I meant that you have not been sharing any of your work with me.¡±


    ¡°It just never came up,¡± I said, raising my hands in a ¡®what can you do?¡¯ gesture.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a different level than I¡¯m used to,¡± Tom said to Rick.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Rick agreed. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine my wife¡¯s reaction if she just randomly found out I bought a new Porsche, never mind the entire dealership.¡±


    ¡°It is not that,¡± Emmy said, turning to Rick. ¡°It is her money, and she knows best what to do with it. It is that she never felt it was anything I would be interested in knowing about.¡±


    ¡°I try not to bring work home,¡± I said apologetically.


    ¡°This is coming from a woman who was up until midnight every night answering work emails for the last month,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Yeah, but my workday started at four in the afternoon!¡± I countered. ¡°We were at our new place in London,¡± I explained to the two guys, who were watching in amusement. ¡°Eight hour time difference, so midnight there is four in the afternoon here. It¡¯s a pain working remotely from halfway across the globe.¡±


    ¡°¡®Our new place in London¡¯,¡± Tom said to Rick. ¡°I¡¯m really feeling the sympathy.¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± Rick agreed.


    Mixing after the dinner, I got to talking to a couple of guys about the dealership while Emmy and Geoff¡¯s wife Linda talked with a couple of other women. The guys shared horror stories about Hollywood Porsche, but I assured them that those days were over.


    ¡°There¡¯s a very real reason that our two BMW dealerships have dramatically outpaced the others in the region in sales, and that¡¯s customer satisfaction,¡± I said. ¡°The new management at Hollywood is our top talent moved over from the BMW shops. Like I said, it¡¯s a new dealership in all but name.¡±


    ¡°I tried to order a Targa 4S back a couple of years ago,¡± one of the guys said. ¡°They said they could get me one and kept stringing me along, but never actually produced the car.¡±


    ¡°That was the limited edition one, right?¡± one of the other guys asked.


    ¡°Yeah. If they¡¯d just told me they couldn¡¯t get it I¡¯d have found another dealer that could,¡± the guy said bitterly. ¡°As it was, I got completely shafted.¡±


    ¡°My guys all come from a BMW background,¡± I told him. ¡°BMW really doesn¡¯t do the limited edition thing the way that Porsche or Ferrari do,¡± I said. ¡°So we¡¯ll be much more honest about that sort of thing. If we have an allocation, we won¡¯t play games about name recognition or past history with the brand or any of that horse shit. It¡¯ll be real, real honest. We¡¯ve made it clear to Stuttgart that we want any and all limited-edition vehicles they can give us, and we¡¯ll sell them to the first person that walks in with the money. I¡¯ve heard so many horror stories just like yours,¡± I told the guy. ¡°The truth is that Hollywood probably did get an allocation, but they waited until a Tom Cruise, Samuel Jackson or somebody like that came in to sell it to. Under our new management we aren¡¯t going to play any of those games. As far as we¡¯re concerned, a client is a client, famous or not.¡±


    ¡°Damn, that will be a breath of fresh air,¡± one of the guys said. ¡°After the second time I walked in there and was totally ignored I vowed to never come back.¡±


    ¡°Time to break your vows,¡± I said. ¡°At least come in for your club T shirt, and to see if you can feel a change in the vibe. Since you¡¯re a club member and I¡¯ll see you at these dinners- and the track day, I hope- please, please tell me how my management, sales and service guys are doing. I need feedback from guys like you- real, dyed-in-the-wool Porsche guys,¡± I said, buttering them up.


    On the way home, Emmy confessed that she had had a good time at the dinner. ¡°I enjoyed it more than I expected I would,¡± she said.


    ¡°I saw you chatting,¡± I told her, giving her knee a squeeze.


    ¡°Quite a few women were curious about our relationship, the two of us and Angela.¡±


    ¡°Are you O.K.? That must have been hard,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, it was not hard to talk about how wonderful Angela was,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°I believe that the questions were motivated by curiosity and not malice, so I did my best to convey how wonderful and loving our relationship had been.¡±


    ¡°And still is with you and me,¡± I said, stroking her bare leg.


    ¡°And still very much is,¡± Emmy agreed.

 Everybody Knows

    The Rams game went about how I expected. The walk from the parking area reserved for box seat ticket holders wasn¡¯t bad since we didn¡¯t really mix with the main crowd at all, but the sky box was packed with players¡¯ families, almost all of whom wanted selfies with Emmy.


    Of course she was gracious about it and spent almost the entire three hours chatting with various people, all smiles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how she does it,¡± Jenna said in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯d be a wreck.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s always been like that,¡± I said. ¡°She has always been able to charm anybody, any time. It¡¯s a skill she¡¯s developed since childhood.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a skill I wish I had,¡± Jenna said enviously. ¡°I¡¯ve never been good in situations like this.¡±


    ¡°You said you and Andy don¡¯t really spend much time with the other players and their families.¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t much. I mean, it¡¯s not like we go out of our way to avoid them, but it¡¯s just not our scene, you know? Andy has friends on the team, and we¡¯ve gone to some of their houses for dinner and whatever and some have come over to our place, but¡­¡± Jenna admitted.


    ¡°We were kinda the same when I played V ball at Stanford. We just really didn¡¯t seek out opportunities to hang out with other players socially. We had our own things going on,¡± I told her.


    Changing the subject, Jenna asked about the penthouse in London. ¡°Angela used to show me pictures of furniture or fixtures or whatever from the designers. She made me swear not to ever mention it to you guys- she wanted it to be a complete surprise. Now that you¡¯ve been there, how is it?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s amazing. Angela, Simon and William did an incredible job on the place. I really wish Angela could have seen it,¡± I said. ¡°Emmy wants to ask Luisa in New York to paint a portrait of Angela for the London apartment. Some sort of way to share the place with her in spirit, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I really miss her,¡± Jenna said, reminding me once again that Angela¡¯s death was a loss for more than just Emmy and me.


    ¡°Emmy wrote a song about her. She recorded a demo while we were in London- you should ask Emmy to play it for you. It¡¯s really heart-breaking, but super sweet and, um, celebratory, too, somehow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to hear something like that just yet. It¡¯d probably wreck me,¡± Jenna said. ¡°Tears come pretty quick when I think about her.¡±


    ¡°I can certainly relate,¡± I agreed.


    The Rams won a close, high-scoring game that night, beating the Kansas City Chiefs by a field goal. The general mood in the sky box was a mix of excitement and elation, fueled by plenty of alcohol supplied by the wait staff.


    I kept my own drinking to just one crummy Old Fashioned, but Emmy had several glasses of the white wine which she said was only mostly terrible. We seemed to be in the minority, with most of the others pretty well sloshed by the end of the game.


    ¡°I enjoyed the game tonight,¡± Emmy said as she washed my hair in our giant tub before bed.


    ¡°Did you even watch that game at all?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°No, not much,¡± Emmy admitted. ¡°It was more of a social event than a sporting event.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much,¡± I said. ¡°Really, if we want to actually watch the games, doing so with eighteen drunk women is probably not the best.¡±


    ¡°No, you are right,¡± Emmy said, laughing musically. ¡°But it is important to socialize.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed. ¡°Speaking of which, did Jeremy really volunteer to cook for Wednesday¡¯s dinner?¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± Emmy confirmed. ¡°He has been planning it for several days now. He is very excited about the idea of making food for twenty people.¡±


    ¡°More power to him,¡± I said, enjoying the feel of Emmy¡¯s fingers on my scalp. ¡°I should ask him if there is anything I can do to help.¡±


    ¡°Could you ask Rodney to tend the bar again? He did really well when we had him here last year,¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Sure, I can do that,¡± I said as Emmy leaned me back to rinse my hair. I was enjoying the attention so much I probably would have agreed to anything just then, after all.


    After we dried off, Emmy stopped me from putting on any sleepwear.


    ¡°I want us to sleep in the nude tonight,¡± she said. ¡°I want to feel your skin against mine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m O.K. with that,¡± I said, dropping my soft old T shirt like a hot potato.


    As it turned out, Emmy didn¡¯t actually want sex that night. She just wanted to cuddle, to feel as close as two people ever could.


    I was O.K. with that, too. Emmy fell asleep quickly, tucked up underneath my arm, using my shoulder as a pillow. I had a harder time falling asleep, but eventually drifted off.


    I skipped going in to the office on Wednesday to help prepare for the big crowd we were expecting later on in the day.


    Mom, Tiffany, Madison and Lainey were the first to arrive. They¡¯d carpooled together up from Fallbrook and Lake Elsinore, and there was some talk about maybe them all spending the night.


    Geoff and his family got there soon after, so the girls could swim. Sure, the weather was cool and windy, but the pool was heated and the hot tub was there to warm them up if they got chilled.


    ¡°Wanna swim?¡± Tiffany asked Madison after Ginnie and Eileen had jumped into the back deck pool. ¡°I have swimsuits here.¡±


    Madison looked conflicted, but eventually gave in after asking her mom if it was alright.


    ¡°This is an amazing house you guys have,¡± Lainey said. We were sitting on deck chairs under a propane heater, watching the girls splash and play.


    ¡°Is this your first time here?¡± Linda asked from the couch nearby.


    ¡°No, second time,¡± Lainey said. ¡°But it¡¯s still amazing. I tried to describe the house to a friend, and I don¡¯t think she could visualize it at all.¡±


    Laughing, Linda admitted that she had been in the same boat when Geoff told her they¡¯d been invited over the first time. ¡°Now it¡¯s old hat for the girls,¡± she said, indicating where her daughters were engaged in a splash fight, ¡°but I still sort of get a thrill when I think about how we get invited to a famous rock star¡¯s house. No, it¡¯s true,¡± Linda said, turning to me in response to the little laugh I¡¯d let out. ¡°We aren¡¯t rich and famous. We live in a tract home in Reseda, you know? So it¡¯s a real treat to get to see how the other half lives. And, you know,¡± she added, ¡°to see that you guys are just real, decent people.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°We try,¡± I said, still amused.


    ¡°Mom, is it O.K. if Tiff and me play on the racing rig when we¡¯re done swimming?¡± Madison asked. Madison had borrowed a suit from Tiffany, but it was a bit too small so she was wearing a T shirt as a coverup. Looking at her, shivering and dripping water all over the deck, I realized that I wasn¡¯t clear on how old she was. Was she sixteen? Seventeen? Heck, how old was Tiffany these days? The whole calendar year had seemed to pass by in a blur, since the start of The Downfall¡¯s tour up to that moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± Lainey protested. ¡°Ask Leah.¡±


    ¡°Can we, Lee?¡± Tiffany asked her hands clasped together, her elbows just about touching each other in front of her belly button.


    ¡°Sure, but when it¡¯s time for dinner you have to come down and be social,¡± I told them. ¡°And no whining for an additional five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Racing rig?¡± Linda asked after the girls bolted for the hot tub to warm up.


    ¡°Leah has a computer racing simulator up in her office. It¡¯s really high-end- as realistic as you can get and not actually be in a race car,¡± Lainey explained.


    ¡°Your daughter likes that?¡±


    ¡°Mads just got her professional racing license,¡± Lainey said with more than just a hint of pride. ¡°She¡¯s going to be racing the Porsche Cup series this season.¡±


    ¡°She drives a Porsche?¡± Linda asked. ¡°How old even is she?¡±


    ¡°Mads¡¯ seventeenth birthday will fall on the same weekend as round three in Montreal,¡± Lainey said.


    ¡°Hey Geoff!¡± Linda called, waving her husband over from where he¡¯d been talking to Emmy. ¡°Did you know that Lainey¡¯s daughter is going to race the Porsche Cup this year?¡±


    ¡°The GT3 series?¡± Geoff asked for clarification.


    Linda looked to Lainey and me for confirmation, so I nodded yes. ¡°Her car should arrive at Hollywood Porsche mid-January. It really doesn¡¯t give her much time to get used to the car, since the series starts the first weekend in April at Barber.¡±


    ¡°Is she competitive?¡± Geoff asked, but it didn¡¯t seem snarky.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°She won the SCCA series at Chuckwalla this year in her Evo,¡± Lainey said, defending her daughter. ¡°She¡¯s fast.¡±


    ¡°She is fast,¡± I said to Lainey, ¡°but it will be a completely new platform for her to learn. We¡¯re going to get her as much track time as humanly possible once the car gets here, but there is a learning curve and a lot of the other drivers in the series have been racing it for years.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Lainey said, her shoulders drooping a bit. ¡°To tell you the honest truth, I¡¯ll be happy if she finishes consistently in the top half of the field her first season. I don¡¯t tell her that, though. I tell her to kick ass and take names, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to just try out a pure racing car like that some track day,¡± Geoff said, his voice wistful.


    ¡°I ordered myself a new BMW, so my old one is up for sale if you want it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even afford the tires on a machine like that,¡± Geoff said wryly. ¡°But that reminds me- how much would the club member discount be on a new Cayenne?¡±


    ¡°Geoff, you¡¯d get the family discount. If you really are ready to buy, let me know and I¡¯ll make sure you guys get the best possible deal,¡± I said.


    ¡°In that purple color,¡± Linda interjected.


    ¡°Mahogany metallic,¡± Geoff corrected.


    ¡°Let me know,¡± I said with a laugh.


    We had quite a crowd after a while as more and more people showed up, but it was nice to have a house full of laughing, happy guests again. It had been far too long since the house had felt so full of life and noise, and I only found myself thinking that Angela would have loved this a few times over the course of the evening.


    Tiny did a fantastic job with dinner, making enough food to feed an army. I was very pleased at how he was stepping up his cooking game, and let him know several times over the course of the night. I heard quite a few other people give him compliments, too, and I could tell the big man was very pleased with himself. I can¡¯t speak to how his grilled salmon tasted, but those who had it seemed to enjoy it. The roasted chicken, though- it was great. Nice and juicy, with a delightful crispy skin.


    The football game from two nights earlier was a big part of the dinner conversation, but so were cars, and our new place in London, and any number of other harmless topics.


    After dinner we all found ourselves breaking up into groups- some in the kitchen, some in the living room, some out on the deck. I wound up sitting with Teddy Bear, Andy and Jen out at the outside bar. At first it was because we were waiting for Rodney to make us drinks, then it was just inertia and conversation that kept us there.


    Teddy Bear told Jen and Andy about the Hollywood party that he¡¯d dragged me to, wildly embellishing the story as only a professional actor truly can.


    ¡°So, she¡¯s, like, looking down at him, since she was about seven feet tall in her heels, right?¡± he said, emoting a seriously disdainful look. ¡°She says, ¡®You don¡¯t even drive your cars in your movies? That¡¯s sad,¡¯ she says. He sputters something about insurance and liability and how the studio can¡¯t have him hurt his face, and she just scoffs. You know that look Leah gets,¡± Teddy Bear said.


    ¡°That ¡®Why are you even talking?¡¯ look?¡± Jen asked.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Teddy Bear said. ¡°When Leah asked me later why I wanted her to go to this party with me I told her it was to crush some egos!¡±


    ¡°I bet it did,¡± Andy said, raising his glass in a toast.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it happen, but I heard about it later from two different sources,¡± Teddy Bear said, getting into his subject. ¡°So she walks up to where Liz Bouchard is talking to a couple of show runners, trying to get them to get her in the mix for the Jane Bond show everyone is talking about, right? You know, Liz from last year¡¯s Supergirl movie, right? Anyhow, she¡¯s working these two guys hard, and Leah strolls up and just interrupts to chat up one of the guys. Liz gets all bent out of shape and says something like ¡®Excuse me, we were talking,¡¯ right? So Leah, from about seven feet up, looks down at her and after a moment says, ¡®Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t see you way down there.¡¯ Just completely freaking busting her chops, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, ouch!¡± Jen said, laughing.


    ¡°I know, right? So what can Liz do but tuck her tail between her legs and slink off!¡± Teddy Bear said with a laugh.


    Andy looked at me for confirmation and I just shrugged. ¡°Teddy said he wanted me there to stir shit up, so I stirred shit up.¡±


    ¡°So, after Liz stomped off in a huff, my guy asks Leah- he recognized her and knew who she was, unlike most of the people there- if she maybe wanted to try acting. Just, y¡¯know, to have fun, give it a shot, whatever. She has a great look and she¡¯s built like, well¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her naked. I know exactly what she¡¯s built like,¡± Jen said with a smirk.


    ¡°You, too?¡± Andy asked, playing it up.


    Teddy Bear looked back and forth between the two. ¡°Really?¡± he asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s an exhibitionist. I¡¯m surprised you haven¡¯t seen her naked,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°Seriously-¡± I began, but Jen cut me off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to deny it. More people you know have seen you naked than haven¡¯t,¡± she said, poking me in the shoulder.


    ¡°That actually might be true,¡± Andy said, thoughtfully.


    ¡°Et tu, Brute?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°I bet if we took a show of hands, the haves here tonight would outnumber the haven¡¯ts,¡± Jen said.


    ¡°You might have to not count the kids,¡± Andy said, thinking about it.


    ¡°How do you go about getting on the ¡®haves¡¯ list?¡± Teddy Bear asked, sounding hopeful.


    ¡°Just hang around long enough,¡± Jen said. ¡°It¡¯ll happen.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± Teddy Bear said, indicating me. ¡°This is what I love about Leah here. She can take a roasting and not get all defensive. Her ego is about the least fragile of anybody I¡¯ve ever met.¡±


    ¡°I never did mind about the little things,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°Why do you talk so dirty, Maggie?¡± Teddy Bear demanded, turning to me.


    ¡°Why do you talk so faggy, Bob?¡± I asked back, leaving Andy and Jen completely baffled, but me and Teddy Bear in stitches.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s just about music time,¡± Jackson said as he walked up, sparing Teddy Bear and me from having to explain our exchange. ¡°Ted, you still good?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± he said, hopping off his bar stool. ¡°I just hope I don¡¯t make a fool of myself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all just friends here,¡± Jackson assured him.


    Curious, I followed them inside, where the furniture had been arranged into a sort of semicircle of seating. Emmy had her acoustic guitar. but Lee had dragged in an electric keyboard setup while Jackson had a set of bongo drums.


    Looking uncharacteristically nervous, Teddy Bear stood with the members of The Downfall. He nodded to Lee, who started playing the piano while Emmy strummed gently and Jackson beat a simple rhythm.


    ¡°Everybody knows that the dice are loaded,¡± Teddy Bear sang in a surprisingly smooth voice. ¡°Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed. Everybody knows that the war is over, everybody knows that the good guys lost.¡±


    As the song continued the playing increased in volume, but so did Teddy Bear¡¯s voice. ¡°Everybody knows it¡¯s all coming apart- take one last look at this sacred heart, before it blows,¡± Teddy sang with urgency and passion, his voice filling our large living room.


    ¡°Everybody knows, that¡¯s how it goes,¡± he finished, more like a long sigh than sung words.


    After the applause died down, he grinned sheepishly. ¡°I know I can¡¯t hold a candle to Emmy or Jackson, but thanks for letting me take up your time,¡± Teddy Bear said before taking a seat in the back row with me.


    ¡°Dude, you knocked it out of the park,¡± I told him. ¡°That was awesome! I had no idea you could sing.¡±


    ¡°My mom played the piano at our church when I was young, so I was on the church choir from the time I was little,¡± he said with a dismissive shrug. ¡°As an actor, voice is super important, you know? So I still take lessons.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I admitted.

 Not A Chapter- Another Sad Excuse For Why I havent Posted Anything Recently

    Sorry for the lack of updates. I''ve been chipping away, but as I''m currently in Mexico City for a project and I''ve had near zero time to myself, I just haven''t made much headway. I''m taking the weekend off to do some sightseeing and hopefully get some writing done, so I should have something up on Saturday or Sunday.


    See you then!


    Gen


    To meet the 500 word minimum, here''s chunk from a long-ago chapter:


    I found it interesting that she always referred to the house owned by Jackson¡¯s parents as ¡®Wendy¡¯s house¡¯, not ¡®the Coolidge residence¡¯ or even ¡®Bob and Wendy¡¯s house¡¯. I guess I could understand it, giving it some thought. Bob got the home office, the outside garage and the basement game room, but Wendy ruled the rest of the house- the kitchen most of all. There was no way I was ever going to make the mistake of offering to help do the dishes ever again, let me tell you. For a tiny woman in her sixties she swings a mean wooden spoon, no doubt about that.


    Pulling up in front of the rambling ranch house, their three big dogs came running up to say hello. I wasn¡¯t used to dogs, much less dogs the size of small ponies, but Emmy had been living there for two months and got along great with them.


    Laughing, Emmy told the boisterous dogs to stay down and not jump up. The three were big enough to put their paws on her shoulders and give her a big old slobbery kiss, but she¡¯d perfected a technique of pivoting out of the way just in time, which really only seemed to encourage them even more.


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    Thankfully they left me alone even as they mobbed Emmy. Once they¡¯d finally calmed down, Emmy gave them all scratches along the full length of the ridges along their spines. This seemed to be a ticklish spot, because every time Em scratched them there a hind foot would come up part way as if to scratch, but then the dog would stand on the other three feet, uselessly waving the one that was off the ground. It was a comical sight, seeing Emmy coo and make baby talk noises to these monstrous dogs who seemed to absolutely adore her.


    Bob, Jackson¡¯s dad, had admitted that the three were useless as guard dogs. ¡°About the worst they¡¯d ever do is lick somebody to death,¡± he¡¯d said. ¡°But they do have a helluva bark, and that¡¯s really all that¡¯s needed. For people, anyway. They¡¯re excellent at keeping coyotes off the property, though.¡±


    Wendy came out of the kitchen to say hello when we walked in, and asked if we were going to be home for supper. I¡¯d noticed the first time I came out to Austin to see Em that Wendy and Bob referred to their house in such a way that made it clear they felt it was Emmy¡¯s home, too, and mine by extension.


    ¡°No, thank you, Wendy,¡± Emmy replied. ¡°We had a very big dinner just a little while ago. Leah¡¯s friend Rawson made an excellent barbecue.¡±


    That got Bob¡¯s attention. ¡°Did you say ¡®Rawson¡¯?¡± he asked. ¡°Dark hair, sideburns, about so tall?¡± he asked, holding his hand up a couple of inches below his own height.


    ¡°You know him?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ve known him for years. He¡¯s the mechanic I always ask for whenever we have any trouble with our Caterpillar machinery out in the field. I had no idea he ¡®cued,¡± Bob said thoughtfully, a distant expression in his eyes. Thinking about barbecue, I figured. Texans.

 Jubilation

    ¡°I saw a video of that actor- what¡¯s his name? Singing along with The Downfall,¡± Sandy said a few days later. ¡°It looked like it was at a party?¡±


    ¡°Ted Behr,¡± I said. ¡°Who posted it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°It just popped up on my feed.¡±


    Curious, I asked him to see if he could find it again and send me the link. ¡°When we have dinner parties, Emmy and the boys like to play a few songs just for fun. I guess Teddy Bear had talked to them about maybe him singing one, and there you go.¡±


    ¡°He did it right,¡± Sandy said.


    ¡°Yeah, he did, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°How do you guys know him?¡± Sandy asked. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him at Diamond Hearts a few times, but I¡¯ve never talked to him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s one of my car buddies,¡± I said. ¡°In fact, I just sold him my Aston Martin.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± sandy protested. ¡°I loved that car!¡±


    ¡°Well, so did Teddy Bear- enough to pay me for it,¡± I replied. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve got too many cars now, and I can¡¯t drive them all.¡±


    ¡°Rich people problems,¡± Sandy said, rolling his eyes.


    My question about who¡¯d posted the video was answered the next day from a different source.


    ¡°Hey, I posted a video of your friend Ted singing at the dinner party¡±, Jen texted me and Emmy. ¡°Its gone viral. In just three day it got over 2 million views¡±.


    ¡°Link?¡± Emmy responded.


    Jen sent the link to the Youtube video, so I clicked on it and watched it on my laptop. The quality was surprisingly good for having been shot on a phone with ambient light.


    ¡°He is a better singer than I had expected¡±, Emmy commented as we watched the clip on our big screen downstairs.


    ¡°Yeah, me too¡±, I agreed.


    ¡°Are you going to have a dinner party next week? I want to ask you guys something¡±, Jen texted when I told her we¡¯d watched it.


    ¡°Why not ask it now?¡± I sent.


    ¡°It¡¯ll make more sense then than it does now¡±, Jen answered, somewhat mysteriously.


    ¡°Hey, big star,¡± Jimmy greeted Teddy Bear at the gas station that Saturday morning. In response to the puzzled look Teddy Bear gave him, Jimmy said, ¡°You¡¯re internet famous, homeboy! The video of you singing at a party I was not invited to,¡± and here Jimmy turned and glared at me, ¡°is off the hook! It¡¯s been viewed like a bajillion times already! People are remixing it and shit!¡±


    ¡°You know I was already famous,¡± Teddy Bear said dryly.


    ¡°With old people! Now young people know who you are, too!¡± Jimmy proclaimed.


    ¡°Jimmy¡¯s right,¡± Geoff said, sipping his coffee. ¡°Eileen showed me the video the other day.¡±


    ¡°Eileen? Your daughter?¡± Teddy Bear asked. ¡°Why would she care about the video? She was right there in the front row, like five feet away!¡±


    ¡°Well, she showed it to me to show me that she and Ginnie were in the video,¡± Geoff admitted. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s only the backs of their heads and their profiles when they turn to talk to each other, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Dude bro,¡± Jimmy said. ¡°This is social media gold, my brother! You need to capitalize on this shit!¡±


    While Teddy Bear huddled with Jimmy to watch the video, Geoff and I looked on with amusement.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think appearing in some home movie on Youtube would mean anything to a guy who has so many IMDb credits to his name,¡± Geoff said.


    ¡°Did you meet Jen? Lee¡¯s girlfriend?¡± I asked him. ¡°She¡¯s the one who shot the video.¡±


    ¡°Kind of a hipster chick? Brown hair?¡± Geoff asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± I confirmed. ¡°She¡¯s been taking photos and shooting videos of the band ever since their first album. She¡¯s been talking about eventually putting a book together- I guess after the band calls it quits or something, I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a documentary would make sense, if she¡¯s been recording videos,¡± Geoff said, thinking about it.


    ¡°Most of her videos are ¡®behind the scene¡¯ type of things,¡± I explained. ¡°Rehearsals, discussions about what to do with a song, or whatever. I don¡¯t really know if it was her idea or maybe Lee¡¯s, but in any case everybody just seems to expect it anymore.¡±


    ¡°I could definitely see documentary material,¡± Geoff said, looking off in the distance, thinking about it. ¡°Even if she never makes a full-length documentary, just posting some of that stuff online would be amazing for Downfall fans.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, if what Jimmy is saying is right about the millions of likes on the video of TB singing with Emmy and the boys is true, then I guess so,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I like to think my singing is pretty good, but if it was just me singing all by myself or something like that it never would have gotten any traction,¡± Teddy Bear said as he joined us. Clearly he¡¯d heard at least part of our conversation. ¡°I think there are a couple of things going on, right? First is that it¡¯s me, and unlike Hugh Jackman I¡¯m not known for singing, so that makes it interesting. More important, though, are two other factors. First, The Downfall are playing the music, and they have tons of really passionate fans. For them to see the band playing and Emmy singing backing vocals, that gives me a¡­ a kind of stamp of approval, right?¡± We all made noises that indicated we agreed, so he continued. ¡°And here¡¯s the second thing, and it might be even more important. Jen panned around the room a couple of times, and there are a handful of recognizable faces, but a lot of unknowns, too- even a few kids who got to sit in the front row. It¡¯s like the dinner party everyone wishes they could get invited to, and seeing some pro football players and well-known actors sitting right next to ordinary people gives the viewer a kind of hope that they might get invited next time, right?¡±


    ¡°You just came up with that?¡± Geoff asked, impressed.


    ¡°I got the idea from reading some of the comments,¡± Teddy Bear confessed. ¡°At least half are people saying they wished they were there. A lot of comments pick out the recognizable faces, you know, but yeah. Lots of comments about how awesome going to a party like that would be.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Geoff admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t tell people anymore that we get invited over to Emmy De Lascaux¡¯s house for dinner. Every time I did mention it, it sounded to me like I was name-dropping like some sort of star-struck asshole.¡±


    ¡°Do you tell people you hang out with me?¡± Teddy Bear teased.


    ¡°No, but that¡¯s because I want people to have at least a tiny shred of respect for me,¡± Geoff replied.


    ¡°Ow! Hurtful!¡± Jimmy exclaimed. ¡°Dude,¡± he said to Teddy Bear, ¡°You¡¯re gonna need some medical attention for that burn!¡±


    ¡°Something something ego takedown something good for you something,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, something like that,¡± Teddy Bear agreed with a laugh.


    ¡°Watchu talkin¡¯ about, Willis?¡± Jimmy demanded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Teddy Bear said dismissively. ¡°It was just a conversation Leah and I had maybe six months ago, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Darius arrived very early for the dinner party on Wednesday. ¡°It¡¯s my turn to sing tonight,¡± he explained when I asked him why he showed up so early. ¡°Em and Lee and Jax- they wanted me to come early so we could practice my song a few times,¡± he said, looking both a bit proud and nervous a the same time.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to talk to you and Em about today,¡± Jen said, looking up from where she was cutting vegetables in the kitchen. ¡°I wanted to ask you guys if we can make this a regular thing. Everybody loved the Teddy Bear video last week, and when Lee told me Darius asked if he could sing tonight, I thought maybe it could have legs.¡±


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    ¡°Don¡¯t put it on Youtube if I fuck it up,¡± Darius pleaded.


    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Jen assured him. ¡°I mean, you¡¯ve got a great talking voice, right? That means you probably have a great singing voice, too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Darius said, still a bit self-conscious.


    As it turned out, Jen was right. Darius did an amazing job on that old Simon And Garfunkel song ¡®Cecilia¡¯. Of course, Jackson and Emmy singing harmony helped, but still- for an amateur he did a great job.


    The conversation afterwards turned to what song everybody would sing if they took a turn at ¡®Downfall Karaoke¡¯, as Stephen dubbed it and everybody else started using the term.


    ¡°Nobody wants to hear me sing,¡± Andy said as we relaxed on the deck. It was a cool evening but nice and clear, so a lot of us were out there under the heat lamps.


    ¡°But if you were going to give it a try, what would you sing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± Andy groaned, thinking about it. ¡°Maybe ¡®Heart shaped box¡¯ by Nirvana?¡±


    ¡°Is that the one where he sings, ¡°Hey, wait, I¡¯ve got a new complaint¡¯? I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± Andy said. ¡°Forever in debt to your priceless advice.¡±


    Emmy went with me to San Jose the next day, even though it meant she¡¯d be stuck in the condo for the most part while I spent a couple of workdays in the office. When I asked if she wouldn¡¯t rather stay in Los Angeles and get in some good studio time she replied that she didn¡¯t want to spend any nights away from me and that two days of sitting at home and working on her songs was not a waste, anyway, so I stopped protesting that she¡¯d just be bored.


    The valets at the steak house hopped to attention when I pulled into the lot in my distinctive baby-blue M3- even more so when they saw that Emmy was in the passenger seat.


    ¡°Good evening, Tobe, Joaquin,¡± I said to the valets as I handed them my key fob. ¡°Park it in the back- we¡¯re going to be here all night.¡±


    ¡°You got it, boss!¡± Joaquin said, palming the fifty dollar bill I slipped him.


    The girl at the podium (Jessica, if I remembered correctly) spotted us immediately as we walked in, her eyes going wide. She had no clue what to do about the handful of people crowded around trying to check in for their reservations and accommodate us as well, so I just gave her a ¡®we¡¯re heading to the back¡¯ signal, which got me a grateful smile.


    Once we took our table and Theo served us our usual drinks, Emmy asked, ¡°Is it always this crowded this early in the evening?¡±


    ¡°Nowadays it is,¡± I told her, sipping my Old Fashioned. ¡°Going in, I figured this place had a three, maybe as much as a five year lifespan, but we¡¯ve passed the three year mark and it only seems to be becoming more relevant.¡±


    ¡°Only three to five years?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s better than the industry average in the restaurant and nightclub business,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°This place was predicated on it being new, hip and exclusive, right? I figured some new hotness would displace it before too long.¡±


    ¡°What has changed?¡± Emmy asked, fascinated.


    ¡°It¡¯s been embraced by the Valley¡¯s heavy hitters,¡± I said. ¡°More handshake deals happen here than anywhere else in the area. See those guys over there? The table near the stage?¡± I asked.


    When Emmy looked over at the table I mentioned and nodded, I said, ¡°That¡¯s Facebooks head A.I. guy talking to two of the top A.I. guys from Google. I don¡¯t know who the fourth guy is- I should find out. That sort of industry networking needed a place outside of the office- out in the real world, those guys are competitors, right? In here they can talk off the books. This speakeasy has become the place for that to happen. Everybody knows it and agrees on it, and so it self-perpetuates.¡±


    Just then some of the regulars came to the table to say hello, stopping any response Emmy might have had. The regulars told Emmy that they were terribly sorry for our loss and that Angela was a true shining light and she was sorely missed.


    ¡°I miss her so much,¡± Emmy admitted to them. ¡°But I can only be happy that we had her in our lives as long as we did.¡±


    Once the guys were gone, Emmy asked about it.


    ¡°Angela was beloved around here,¡± I explained. ¡°She would circulate and say hi to the regulars whenever we came. Like Seth there said, she lit up the room and everyone loved it. My first night back here- when you played in San Francisco, remember? This table was covered with flowers.¡±


    ¡°Everyone loved Angela,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°She was a precious jewel.¡±


    ¡°We loved her most of all,¡± I said, resting my hand on Emmy¡¯s.


    ¡°And she loved us,¡± Emmy said, her voice subdued. ¡°If she had not, she would still be alive today.¡±


    ¡°There is never any guarantee of that,¡± I contradicted. ¡°We can¡¯t know what would have happened. Maybe she would have returned to Colombia after Antonio got arrested and maybe that Carde?o asshole would have killed her. I mean, who knows? All we know is that when she was with us the three of us had the best life possible.¡±


    ¡°We did, did we not?¡± Emmy replied, a sad smile on her inky-black face.


    Emmy begged off coming to the club the next night, saying she wanted to rest. When I suggested that I could stay home at the condo with her, she insisted that I go without her.


    ¡°I will take a long, hot bath and then go to bed early,¡± Emmy said. ¡°You should ask your friend Ashley to go with you. Give her a call.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked. Emmy¡¯s suggestion had completely blind-sided me- I had no idea how to respond.


    ¡°She is your friend. You have told me that she enjoys the club,¡± Emmy said, as if that explained everything.


    ¡°Em,¡± I started to protest, but then stopped myself. Ashley was a friend, and I did promise her I¡¯d take her to the club next time I went. If this was another attempt of Emmy¡¯s for me to find another lover it was going to fail, but that was a topic I didn¡¯t want to bring up if it wasn¡¯t what she actually meant. Sighing, I pulled out my phone and gave Ashley a call.


    As it turned out, her track season was over and she was in town. When I asked if she¡¯d like to go to the club with me that night, she immediately said yes.


    ¡°Wear something nice,¡± I advised her, hoping she wouldn¡¯t wear that semi-transparent mesh dress again.


    When I knocked on the door of her apartment one of her roommates answered. ¡°Ashley¡¯s getting ready,¡± she said, ushering me in to the small living room furnished with Ikea¡¯s finest.


    ¡°So, like, you¡¯re Leah Farmer, right?¡± asked the roommate.


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You¡¯re married to Emmy Lascaux, right? But it was a poly marriage with that girl that got-¡± she said, realizing that she was treading on thin ice.


    ¡°Yes, we had three of us in our marriage,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°How did that even work?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°Katie, you know that¡¯s none of your goddamned business,¡± Ashely said as she joined us in the living room.


    ¡°I was just curious, that all,¡± Katie said, defending herself.


    Turning to the roommate, I said, ¡°It was heaven.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about Katie,¡± Ashley said on the drive to the club. ¡°She has no sense.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said. ¡°She was just curious.¡±


    ¡°Still rude,¡± Ashley huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.


    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± Ashley grumped, her Virginia accent strong.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said, tapping Ashley¡¯s bare thigh, not wanting her bad mood to ruin our evening.


    ¡°You know, you can keep your hand there,¡± Ashley said saucily.


    ¡°I thought we were past that,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I thought so, too, but then you went and touched one of my erogenous zones,¡± Ashley said, making me laugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever change,¡± I told her, still chuckling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry- I ain¡¯t gonna,¡± Ashley replied. ¡°Hey, wanna see my panties?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised by the question.


    ¡°Well, if you do, you¡¯re gonna have to turn around. I left ¡®em back home.¡±


    Laughing as I pulled into the steak house¡¯s parking lot, I said, ¡°No, you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡±


    ¡°Same old me,¡± Ashley admitted with a grin.


    Ashley ordered grilled salmon with garlic-roasted Brussels sprouts, almost daring the waitress to say that they weren¡¯t an option, but got no such pushback. For me, I ordered the filet with asparagus and a Caesar¡¯s salad.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t get over how you can order any damned thing, but you pick stuff off the menu from the front,¡± Ashley said, sipping her Singapore Sling, which she was apparently old enough to order now.


    ¡°I like the food they serve,¡± I said. ¡°I mean, I did set up the menu, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Ashley admitted.


    Imogen and James arrived just as the evening¡¯s music stared. They said hello to a fewpeople on their way over to our table.


    ¡°No Emmy tonight?¡± Imogen asked.


    ¡°We heard she came with you last night,¡± James clarified.


    ¡°She was feeling tired this evening, so she suggested that I bring Ashley here,¡± I replied, giving Imogen cheek kisses.


    ¡°Ashley, good to see you again,¡± Imogen said, taking a seat next to me, leaving the spot next to Ashley for James.


    ¡°You, too,¡± Ashley replied. ¡°Have you two had dinner yet? If not, I¡¯d recommend the salmon. It was really good.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve eaten,¡± Imogen said, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯t mind some of that bone marrow gremolata.¡±


    ¡°Theo, could you send the waitress by?¡± I asked as he set down the Atherton¡¯s drinks.


    ¡°Right away,¡± Theo replied.


    ¡°So, Leah, how was Colombia?¡± James asked.


    ¡°Really good,¡± I said. ¡°We bought a house down there and everything.¡±


    ¡°A house?¡± Imogen asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be spending a lot of time there, with the Castros and my non-profit,¡± I replied. ¡°As nice as it is to stay at Mam¨¢ and Pap¨¢¡¯s house, we really need to have our own place.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve mentioned a non-profit before,¡± James said. ¡°What are you doing in Colombia?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s geared towards education and health programs in underserved communities down there,¡± I replied. ¡°We¡¯re building some schools and medical clinics, as well as developing trade and jobs programs.¡±


    ¡°In Colombia?¡±


    ¡°Well, we do it here in the US, Canada and Mexico, too,¡± I said. ¡°Colombia is just our gateway into South America,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really,¡± James said, looking thoughtful.


    Our conversation was interrupted by the waitress, who took Imogen¡¯s order for appetizers to share.


    ¡°You say Canada and Mexico,¡± James said, returning to the topic. ¡°Where, exactly?¡±


    ¡°All the major cities in Canada, and Tijuana, Juarez, Monterrey and Mexico City in Mexico. We¡¯re pretty much built out in Canada, but still expanding our operations in Mexico. From there we¡¯ll continue into Central America.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea,¡± James admitted.


    ¡°We don¡¯t publicize it at all,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s all really low-profile.¡±


    ¡°Building schools is low profile?¡± Imogen asked.


    ¡°It is if you don¡¯t make a big deal about it outside of the community you¡¯re helping,¡± I told her.


    ¡°So much altruism is performative,¡± James agreed. ¡°It¡¯s refreshing to hear you say that you¡¯re not in it for the positive image.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think my image is very positive among those we¡¯re helping,¡± I said with a grin, trying to lighten the conversation.


    ¡°Ashley, I don¡¯t think I asked last time we met,¡± Imogen said, running with the deflection. ¡°How do you know Emmy and Leah?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never actually met Emmy,¡± Ashley said, glaring at me. ¡°Just talked to her on the phone a couple of times. I met Leah when I was out running,¡± she said, going on to explain how we met, leaving out all the spicy details, to my relief.


    ¡°So now when Leah is in Palo Alto she calls me up and we hang out. We talked about getting together in New York, but that never happened,¡± she said, giving me another significant look.


    ¡°Have you been to their brownstone?¡± Imogen asked. ¡°I really love what they¡¯ve done with it.¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t¡­ yet,¡± Ashley said, probably giving me another meaningful look, but I¡¯d turned to face Imogen, ignoring Ashley¡¯s none-too-subtle hints. ¡°But I¡¯d like to spend some time there.¡±

 Visible

    ¡°Say hi to Emmy for me,¡± Ashley said when I dropped her off at her apartment. ¡°Someday maybe I¡¯ll actually get to meet her.¡±


    ¡°Someday it¡¯ll happen,¡± I agreed, wondering just what the meeting would look like and how much of a train wreck would it be. Probably totally hilarious and completely embarrassing at the same time, I figured.


    ¡°I did not mind that little trip to San Jose,¡± Emmy said when we got home to our house in the Hollywood Hills Monday night. ¡°It was much better than sleeping alone here in Los Angeles.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it was so boring for you, babe,¡± I told her. ¡°At least here you have Jackson and Lee to work with, and our friends to hang out with. Up there, everybody we knew has moved away.¡±


    ¡°James and Imogen are still there,¡± Emmy protested.


    ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s a bummer you missed ''em when they came to the club on Saturday night. Next time we go up we should schedule a day trip to do some wine tasing with the two of them.¡±


    ¡°That would be lovely- and we should have dinner at The Laundry,¡± Emmy said, enthusiastic about the idea.


    ¡°We should do that even if we can¡¯t hook up with the Athertons,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve eaten there.¡±


    ¡°It has,¡± Emmy agreed, thinking about it. ¡°Too long. We- we should be more social,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°We¡¯re social,¡± I protested. ¡°The guest list for dinner on Wednesday night is over twenty people!¡±


    ¡°I guess I do not mean that we are not social,¡± Emmy said, thinking about it as she looked at me in the bedroom mirror while she removed her stud earrings. ¡°We should be more¡­ I am not certain what the word is. We should be in the public eye more. More visible? Is that right?¡±


    ¡°More visible, sure,¡± I agreed. ¡°But why do you think we should do that?¡±


    ¡°I think it is very close to the time we should announce Night Children to the day walker world,¡± Emmy said, watching me for my reaction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have a lot of wiggle room on that,¡± I agreed. ¡°It¡¯s really going to need to happen fairly soon, but Em¡­ maybe it should wait until I tie up some loose ends?¡±


    Emmy turned around to look at me better. ¡°Leah, I have not asked and you have not volunteered, but am I correct in assuming that these loose ends you refer to are those who instigated the attack against us? I thought you had told me that you had already dealt with them.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ and no,¡± I admitted. ¡°Yes, we eliminated the Night Children cell in New York that launched the attack. They¡¯re wiped out completely. Gone, soon to be forgotten. But a man from Istanbul had promised them a lot of money if they killed you and Angela. A man we suspect is working for King Marfan. The next step, Em¡­ It¡¯s scrubbing the Marfan family off the face of the earth. I want to finish that off before the big announcement.¡±


    ¡°You really plan to do this thing?¡± Emmy asked, stunned. ¡°It will be impossible!¡±


    ¡°No, it won¡¯t. It¡¯ll take a lot of intelligence and careful planning, but we have the basics already in motion. Em, by this time next year another family will lead that nation, a family that won¡¯t be so antagonistic to us and ours.¡±


    ¡°What family?¡± Emmy asked, still trying to grasp the enormity of it all. ¡°And how will they usurp the Marfans?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a family with a long, proud lineage over there, a family with a lot of support but that the Marfans have done what they could to sideline. Once the Marfan line is gone, they¡¯ll step into the power vacuum,¡± I explained.


    ¡°But¡­ How will you eliminate King Marfan? Even if you can, one of his sons will simply assume the throne,¡± Emmy objected.


    ¡°Not if they all die the same night,¡± I said.


    ¡°All of them?¡±


    ¡°Every last one,¡± I told her. ¡°Every last member of the family. We can¡¯t leave any of them alive.¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Emmy trailed off, at a loss for words, anguish clear on her face.


    ¡°This is necessary,¡± I told her, getting up off the bed and crossing the room to take her in my arms. ¡°They¡¯ve shown that they¡¯re a continuing problem and can¡¯t be ignored. We can¡¯t just hope they¡¯ll stop making problems for us, Em, because they won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But killing them all? How can you even manage to do that? And what about family members that have had nothing to do with harming us?¡± Emmy objected.


    ¡°Like our babies did nothing to harm them?¡± I countered, perhaps a bit more harshly than I should. Realizing I was being insensitive, I softened my tone. ¡°Em, that family is a poisonous tree. They¡¯ve been terrible forever- the only way to ensure they don¡¯t regain some sort of control is by pulling the whole thing out by the roots.¡±


    ¡°I think you should speak with my parents about this,¡± Emmy said, still visibly troubled. ¡°They might have a better idea.¡±


    ¡°I have been speaking with your dad about this,¡± I told her, holding her close.


    ¡°What does he have to say?¡± Emmy asked, her voice muffled since her face was buried in my shoulder.


    ¡°He says that I had better do it completely or not do it at all. The last thing anybody needs is a protracted war.¡±


    ¡°He supports you in this¡­ plan?¡± Emmy asked, leaning back to look me in the face.


    ¡°He supports me, but can¡¯t be seen as doing so. He¡¯s made it very, very clear that this is my war, not his.¡±


    ¡°Can you¡­ Can you win? Can you do this thing?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I am confident we can,¡± I said. ¡°But like I told you, it¡¯ll take some careful preparation. I¡¯ve been getting the pieces together, and soon we¡¯ll start our intelligence gathering. When it comes time to strike, it¡¯ll be decisive and complete.¡±


    ¡°I do not like this,¡± Emmy said, burying her face against me again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t either, but it needs to happen,¡± I replied. ¡°So, please, wait to announce until after we¡¯ve done what needs to be done. There are some other considerations, too- the Japanese, they want to coincide their announcement with ours, and your parents, they want to have things ready in Europe for when the news breaks.¡±


    ¡°You really do speak to my parents?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°Well, your dad mostly, but yeah,¡± I admitted. ¡°We talk.¡±


    ¡°I do not know what to think about all this,¡± Emmy confessed.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t wanted to tell you, Em, mainly because I didn¡¯t want to burden you. You don¡¯t need to know about any of this. You just need to be our shining star. That¡¯s all our people need from you. You be their angel. I¡¯m O.K. with being the devil. It¡¯s worked so far.¡±


    ¡°Leah, I am so sorry-¡± Emmy started, but I cut her off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize for bringing me into the world of the Night Children,¡± I said, shushing her. ¡°When I said that I would be by your side, I meant it. ¡®For better or for worse¡¯ aren¡¯t just words, Em. True, I wouldn¡¯t be the person I am now if not for you, but I wouldn¡¯t be the person I am now if I didn¡¯t accept the role, either.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Nope. Not gonna hear it,¡± I said, putting a finger on her lips. ¡°I am the devil queen of the Americas. I am the one who is feared by our enemies and obeyed by our people so that you can be the angel queen, beloved and adored by all. These are our roles, Em. This is how it is. I¡¯m O.K. with that. If it means a better life for the people in our shadows it¡¯s a very, very good thing.¡±


    Emmy¡¯s shoulders slumped in defeat. ¡°I do not think you are a devil,¡± she said.


    ¡°Neither do our people whose lives have been improved by joining us,¡± I told her. ¡°They know I¡¯m working for them. They know it, but they know I¡¯m the strict parent, too.¡±


    ¡°I should involve myself with our people more,¡± Emmy said in a quiet voice. ¡°I have been remiss.¡±


    ¡°Em, if you want to do that, I can¡¯t say it¡¯s a bad idea. You remember the Seattle lunch? Just getting to meet you and talk to you was so wonderful to our people there. If you¡¯re up for it, I¡¯d like to schedule more of those meet and greets. It¡¯s really good for our people to know that you, well, really are what they imagine you to be,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do they imagine me to be?¡± Emmy asked, leaning back to look me in the face again.


    ¡°Honestly? An ideal. You¡¯re everything they wish their queen could be. Charming, talented, beautiful, friendly. You¡¯re all that, Emmy De Lascaux. You are their ideal queen.¡±


    Emmy laughed, breaking the somber mood. ¡°What does that make you?¡±


    ¡°The one who does what has to be done. That¡¯s me,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I should be-¡± Emmy started to say, but once again I put a finger on her lips to shush her.


    ¡°No. You should be the aspirational one. Our people need you to be a shining star as much as they need me to get my hands dirty. I¡¯ve accepted my role in all this, Em. You need to accept yours.¡±


    ¡°In Chicago,¡± Emmy said, ¡°I saw you get your hands dirty, and I was¡­ ¡®terrified¡¯ is not the right word. I was stunned by your¡­ your ruthlessness. That might not be the right word, either. I saw you in action, and it was¡­ It was hard for me to process. Obviously I know you train very hard, but to see you in action, Leah¡­ It is something else entirely. I did not see what you did in Atlanta until I watched that video online and it was truly frightening. I watched when you grabbed that man and broke his wrist with one hand, and then twisted his head around. You were so¡­¡±


    ¡°Why does everybody mention that particular part?¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Leah, it was unreal,¡± Emmy said, again looking me in the eyes. ¡°You were not acting out of anger or hate- your face was impassive. You were merely doing what had to be done at the moment, looking around for what needed to be done in the next. Leah, you had already forgotten that man by the time he died in your arms. You snapped his neck- I did not know that was even possible- and dropped him without a second thought. Leah, I do not know how to express how terrifying that was. If I did not know you as I do, I would be in mortal fear of you.¡±


    ¡°But you do know me,¡± I said.


    ¡°And I know you to be a very loving, kind person who cares very deeply for your friends and family. I know you to be strong, but gentle to those you care about. I do know these things. But if I did not, I would be very terrified of you.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s a good thing you do know me, then,¡± I said, ¡°so you can be in love with me instead of terrified of me.¡±


    ¡°It is a very good thing,¡± Emmy agreed. ¡°Because I am very much in love with you.¡±


    ¡°How do you feel about going out tonight? I know it¡¯s been a long day, but¡­¡± I suggested.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Emmy asked, curious.


    ¡°Like you said, being seen is important, right? But we don¡¯t just need to be seen by the Hollywood elite and paparazzis. We need to be seen by ordinary people, right? Let¡¯s go hit a couple of places we own. That¡¯ll actually serve another purpose, too. If you¡¯re seen with another Night Child or two, then people might start to recognize that you¡¯re part of a certain ethnic group, right?¡±


    ¡°Should we bring Jeremy?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°He has today off,¡± I told her. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d need him tonight, and he had something he wanted to do. We¡¯ll be fine,¡± I assured her. ¡°Los Angeles is under our complete control, and besides, nobody knows our plans so they won¡¯t be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Can we take the convertible?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda cold,¡± I said doubtfully.


    ¡°Those cars have excellent heaters,¡± Emmy countered. ¡°Yes, it is a little bit cold, but it is a beautiful evening and if we are going out to be seen, what better way?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, giving in. ¡°But if I freeze my ass off I¡¯m going to require you to heat me up when we get back home.¡±


    ¡°I am perfectly willing to do that even if your ass stays nice and warm,¡± Emmy declared. ¡°In fact, I think that must go on our agenda for tonight in any case.¡±


    ¡°This is sounding better and better all the time,¡± I said with a grin, leaning down to give her a kiss.


    Emmy was right- with the car¡¯s heater turned way up, riding with the top down on a November night in Los Angeles wasn¡¯t bad at all- it fully justified the pain in the ass of pulling the hard top off to expose the rag top underneath. At Emmy¡¯s insistence we took a very roundabout way to Venice Beach, getting lots of stares and waves as we drove down Hollywood Boulevard, then through Santa Monica. Emmy was happy to wave back and blow kisses when people spotted her and called out her name.


    The brewpub on Abbott Kinney didn¡¯t have a valet or even its own parking lot, so I had to find a spot on the street about half a block away, but that was fine. It was a nice night, and walking hand in hand with Emmy was a great way to spend a few minutes. I did put the top up once we parked, though, just to keep sticky fingers out of the Z8.


    I didn¡¯t know the hostess at the door and she had no clue who I was, either, but she certainly recognized Emmy.


    ¡°I would like a table where we can see the football game,¡± Emmy told the pretty college-aged girl.


    ¡°I was thinking you wanted something quiet,¡± the girl said, surprised.


    ¡°The Rams are playing tonight,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right!¡± the hostess said, her eyes wide. ¡°That football player who sang at your house- he plays for the Rams, right?¡±


    ¡°You have seen that video?¡± Emmy asked, surprised.


    ¡°Like a dozen times, maybe?¡± the hostess answered shyly. ¡°And the one with Theodore Behr- I had no idea he could sing so good!¡±


    ¡°I will tell both of them that you enjoyed watching them sing,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Emmy- as good as they were, you¡¯re much better,¡± the girl said, turning pink, embarrassed by her own admission. ¡°I saw you at the Coliseum- that was the best concert I¡¯ve ever seen in my life!¡±


    ¡°I am very glad you think so,¡± Emmy told her. ¡°Lee and Jackson and I have been talking about doing a secret show- if you give me your phone number we will text you the details when we have something finalized.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± the hostess squeaked. ¡°That¡¯d be so awesome!¡± Taking a pen and a little notepad from her pocket, she wrote her name and number down and shoved it in Emmy¡¯s hand before Emmy could change her mind.


    ¡°Bianca, we will message you soon,¡± Emmy said after glancing at the info.


    ¡°So awesome!¡± Bianca said again, completely forgetting to set down the menus she was carrying as she went back to the front. She returned a moment later to hand us the forgotten menus, saying that Isaiah would be our waiter.


    ¡°I hope you meant it,¡± I said once Bianca had left. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten her hopes up.¡±


    ¡°We have been talking about doing a series of unannounced shows here in Los Angeles,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Just small venues with no promotion at all. We need to remind ourselves of what it is like to play in front of audiences we can actually see. We enjoyed the arena tour, but it was a bit dehumanizing at the same time.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can understand that,¡± I admitted.


    Isaiah bowed his head respectfully when he arrived at our table. ¡°My queens, it is my honor to serve you tonight. My great honor.¡±


    ¡°Isaiah, how is it working as a server?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°It was difficult at first, but I¡¯m used to it now,¡± he said. ¡°Once I got over my nervousness I found that I enjoy talking to our guests. I hadn¡¯t expected it, but it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯m really proud of how well you¡¯re doing. Very proud.¡±


    ¡°That means everything to me,¡± he said.


    After Isaiah left, Emmy asked me about him, and I told her as much of his story as I knew.


    ¡°He seemed happy and healthy,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Stories like his remind me of why we are doing all that we are.¡±


    ¡°Em, babe, there are so many stories like his I can¡¯t even tell you. We have, by last count, a little over two thousand people in our shadow right now. Virtually every one of them have stories like Isaiah¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°That many?¡± Emmy asked, surprised. ¡°I had no idea!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a small fraction of the numbers the nations in the Old World have, but it¡¯s a far cry from when we started,¡± I agreed. ¡°Our best estimate is that there may be as many again in our regions that haven¡¯t joined us, but that¡¯s changing with time, too. More and more are trickling in in established areas, now that they¡¯ve seen the benefits we offer our people.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Emmy admitted.


    ¡°Isaiah,¡± Emmy said when he came back to ask what we wanted for dinner. ¡°Do you know my music?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± he replied, surprised that she would even need to ask.


    ¡°My bandmates and I have been planning on doing some secret shows here in Los Angeles. Would you like an invite to see us?¡± Emmy asked.


    ¡°I would like that very much!¡± Isaiah said, his eyes wide, excited by the idea.


    ¡°When we have our plans finalized I will ask Leah to reach out and extend you an invite. It will be for two, so bring a friend.¡±


    ¡°Can I bring Keenie?¡± Isaiah asked, looking back and forth between Emmy and me.


    ¡°You can bring whomever you wish,¡± Emmy said.


    ¡°Does Keenie still use the city bus to get around?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, she does,¡± Isaiah replied.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll send a driver to pick you two up when the time comes,¡± I told him. ¡°And I¡¯ll make sure you both get that night off from work.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, and that was enough. His gratitude was palpable.


    After dinner we again took a less-than-direct route to our next stop, the bar in Westwood done up like an English club reading room. I¡¯d hoped that some of the Night Children on staff would be working that night, but none were. Still, it was a nice way to wind down the evening, and quite a few college students approached our table to talk to Emmy. Gracious as ever, Emmy posed for selfies with a smile.


    Enjoying our end of the day soak back home, Emmy said that what we¡¯d done that night was exactly what she¡¯d meant earlier when she said we should be more visible.


    ¡°I enjoyed this evening very much,¡± Emmy said, relaxing against my chest and wrapping herself in my arms. ¡°We should do that more often.¡±


    ¡°Do which part?¡± I asked, kissing her hair.


    ¡°Going out, spending time with each other,¡± Emmy said. ¡°Driving in the convertible with the top down, having dinner at the kind of place most people go out to¡­ It was all very nice. Thank you for all of it.¡±


    ¡°There is still one more thing on the list tonight,¡± I told her, cupping her breasts in my hands. ¡°The whole hot and sweaty part.¡±


    ¡°I had not forgotten,¡± Emmy said with a laugh. ¡°I have been looking forward to that part of our night for hours!¡±